It's the first week of January... have you heard?

The first week of January always brings about change... get organized, lose weight, etc. And it's no different around here.  Some major changes need to happen.  Our life is full, and we love it like that, but we are at a point with the ages of our kids to help teach more responsibility.  If we can get organized together, it will help them in so many areas of their lives as they grow (physically, mentally and emotionally).  Normally, I'm a pretty organized person, yet, lately my house/garage seems to prove otherwise... yikes!

I'm aiming to do a project a day... I found a great site with a free printable that is keeping me focused (for the moment). I'd love to share it with you, but I can't find it... even with pinterest, I can't find it.  This is what I'm talking about... organization.  I think it's saved on my other computer... frustrating!

This week's organization help:
Sunday:: Think about who you want to be this year
Monday:: Set up a donation station
Tuesday:: Declutter the top of your cabinets and dust
Wednesday:: Declutter the top shelf of one of your cabinets
Thursday:: Go through your spices to discard expired and old ones
Friday:: Put all your cans together on a shelf
Saturday:: Go through your freezer to let go of old, freezer burned food

Simple and focused... just what I need.

So along with organizing this blog may become all about weight loss... it's that time of year to!

I found a blog I'm really enjoying and exploring daily... I can't do it all at once, but I'm incorporating ideas daily.  I want my kids to understand the importance of food and how it makes them feel and move.  I didn't ever learn this and I've paid for it.  Most of 2011 I felt yucky (for a very technical term)... I've realized that I'm the only one that can help myself so I'm starting in the food department.... one day at a time...  I also love visiting this blog for inspiration.

Simple & focused... I think I just found my 2012 motto!

Laundry Brilliance?!?!?!

I do a TON of laundry! (I know we all do, but today it's all about me.)

I know it will never be done, but I'd like it to be manageable. (Which seems to always fail me.)

I had a thought last night (scary) and I'm trying it today. It's not so much doing the laundry as it is putting it away... sorting the piles of shorts, pants, shirts, uniforms, socks, underwear, sheets, towels... ick!



Here is the BRILLIANCE... wash items according to like-items! {WHAT?!?!?} (I usually do LOADS & LOADS of darks, then whites, then towels, then sheets, then blankets, etc.)

For example... I just went up to my bedroom to the mountain of laundry and pulled out all of the shirts and filled my laundry basket with them until it was full. I'm going to wash the shirts, dry the shirts and then hang them up (or fold them) as they come out of the dryer and they will be ready to put away.

While I was sorting I went ahead and made a pile of pants/shorts/sweats and socks/underwear (I just mixed the whites and colors together and when I do those loads I will do one white and one of colors.)

I think that I may be on to something! {WHAT?!??!?! Do you already to this and you didn't share? I'll let you know how it goes!

And... while we're on the subject of laundry... this room just looks dreamy!

What Not to Wear...

I'm sure you've seen the show... Clinton... Stacey... the fashion police.

My wardrobe is not so good, but fine for me. I teach preschool... a t-shirt, my dockers and I'm good to roll. My teaching partner Miss S (whom loves all things fashion), volunteered to go through my closet and help me pull things together.

Now this is where I am so sad that I didn't grab the camera!

She had a hard time believing me when I'd tell her how small my wardrobe and closet is. She saw it with her own two eyes tonight with the comment... "What do you mean you gave your husband the biggest part of the closet?!?!"...

What can I say... he has more clothes than me.

So, first I had to pull everything out of the closet and we went through all of it with a big, black garbage bag (it really felt like What not to Wear). I got rid of everything that didn't fit or that I didn't love... I mean everything!!!! I filled the entire bag.

Then, we organized into piles... casual/preschool clothes, dressy clothes and sweaters/jackets.

Next, everything went back into the closet. This is where I had to think. I had to decide how it made the most sense to hang my clothes. I've always hung everything by color, but decided to try something new. I put all of my casual clothes together by color with my casual jackets/sweatshirts next to them. My fancy shirts by color with my skirts next to them. I hung my pants and dresses together.

It looks really great and I can see everything. Miss S has a list of a couple of basics that I need to add back in... or in other words... go shopping!

When we get together again, we are going to put some outfits together, including accessories.

I am so thrilled with the time she gave me. But, I was even more thrilled with her honesty. She wasn't afraid to talk about the shape of clothes that work best on me. EVERYONE should go through this process... it was great.

Now... when do I get hair and makeup?!?!?!!

1st Day of Summer

Actually, it was only 1/2 a day of summer. The kids were out of school at 11:30 today. I figured that I'd just let them do whatever they want today... big mistake! By 2:30 the roof was raising. By 6 we were out of control. After a brief moment of "losing it"... we got a grip. While eating dinner we tried two things. First, we brainstormed a list of things we want to do this summer. Second, we brainstormed a list of expectations.


Hopefully, this will help us stay on track. By no means do I expect this to be perfect, however, I do expect it to give us some guidelines.

My personal list is extensive. I'm still in graduate school for the summer and have tons of homework to complete, but its also very important for me to get caught up around the house and work on all of those 'summer projects'.

I made a couple of goals for myself...

First, to tackle a job completely before moving on. This is very difficult for me... I've learned that I can get bored easily. So, I am really trying to stay focused and make progress.

Second, to keep sorting and purging daily... we have suddenly acquired a lot of stuff. I actually think that usually, in a normal year, I purge often, but with my full schedule I haven't made time to do it. So, bit-by-bit, I'm sorting clothes, bagging up toys and gifting/giving items away. I figure if I just keep at it, I will be finished in no time.

Today my task to stay focused on was paperwork! My goodness, my recycle bin is almost full and it was just dumped on Friday. It was an embarrassing project. To stay on task I first sorted through the piles and recycled anything that could be recycled. Then I went through the stacks and made piles:

• keep (kid papers, etc),
  
• file,
  
• bills to be paid,
• action items.

It made my job much easier. I made it through the stack on the table, the stack in the box, and the stack in the laundry room. Yeah me! Sadly, I still have to tackle the bar. Like I said, it was pretty bad.

*I also found a drawer for my coupons. I keep them in the circulars... it's easier for me to look through them this way. I keep coupons I get from various places or off of containers on the top.

I'm not sure why this photo loaded sideways...


And... the fun part of the day was picking strawberries from our garden (and the neighbors... they are out of town and told us to not let the berries go to waste).

and... homemade chocolate chip cookies... yum!

Looking forward to day 2!

ahh, Nothing on the Calendar

What a moment... I realize that I have nothing on my calendar. Oh, there are plenty of things that I must do

• study (my class ends in about a week and I have a lot of ends to tie up)
• end of year slide show - prek
• end of year slide show - baseball (x2)
• print Father's Day pictures - prek (x2)
• Altered Books (x2)
• Birthday Card to make
• Plan curriculum for next week
• LAUNDRY
• Neighborhood party (We through out the idea yesterday and the neighbors loved it... I wonder who is in charge of pulling it together... ME)

Yep, nothing on my calendar today!

Coupon Codes

I realized the other day that my calendar would run out after July... time to search for a new one. I found one that looked promising, and decided to buy it. When I went to purchase, I was going to be charged $15 for ground shipping... WHAT?!?!?!? Ridiculous.

So, I kept looking. I ended up finding the same calendar on TinyTruffles.com (it's a mom calendar... which makes me cringe slightly). I bought the refill version because it come spiral bound and I don't need fancy, just doable (it gets tossed in my purse, etc). So, I checked out and saw that shipping was $5... then, I noticed the coupon code and thought... "if there is a coupon spot, there must be one out there somewhere"... I quickly googled the coupon code and tried it... guess what... I saved myself 10% off of my order!!!!

Hopefully, after all of this I will like the calendar that arrives. I have three kids schedules (and you know how I enjoy them being kept busy), my work schedule, my school schedule and hubbies schedule... not to mention the "life in general" schedule. I'll let you know how it works out.
Oh, the point of this... ALWAYS check for a coupon code before checking out... you never know what you'll find!

Do you Etsy?

No, I haven't just crawled out from under a rock, but I finally had a ton of curiosity and interest to check out Etsy. I've ordered a few gifts recently and found a few must haves for future gifts from the sight. I hope I love them. A couple of gifts had to be mailed directly to the recipient; which makes me a little nervous as I don't get to check them out before hand. I've heard very good feedback and I am amazed at the talent in this world.

So, do you Etsy? And if so, what have you purchased? What can I not live without?

It's a BIG list, but someone's got to do it!

Okay... here is what REALLY happened! Items highlighted can be checked off of the list.

Today is one of those days that I laugh at the thought of 'slowing down'. I have a huge list ahead of me, probably a not very realistic list. I think because I have Friday's "off" (yeah right) I use this day to try to get everything done.

* boys to school
* laundry (I'd like to sit on my couch)
* Turn in paperwork and get fingerprinted for new teaching license :: Filled out the rest of paper work, got organized and called/emailed about transcripts, etc. printed map to drive to location... so I really am one step closer!
* Upload photos to Costco
* Pick-up photos at Costco
* Scrap photos that were uploaded and picked up from Costco :: stayed home from scrapbooking to have s'mores around the campfire in the backyard... it was a blast! I'm bummed that I missed time with my scrap friends, but we had a great family/friend night!
* 3rd Grade laptop mom (one hour commitment)
* Preschool prep :: varnished Mother's Day gifts... I will post pictures after the big give!
* Pepe's having a sleepover (figure out what to do with boys... dinner?) :: Chicken bento!
* Find baseball uniforms :: found in clean laundry pile on couch!
* Gather Kindergarten registration forms for tomorrow for baby girl.
* Homework

Hmmmm... we'll see how I do. Must get moving. Have a good Friday everyone!

We have an issue..

We have an issue and it is very serious. For some reason, when our socks come off of our feet, we FLING them... doesn't matter where they land... our toes are free and WE ARE HAPPY!

I find my kids socks everywhere... it's really bad. My friend, Frugal Fanny now checks around my house to see where they next pair of socks has landed.


Can you see them in my car? That is my basket that sits by me to keep me organized... not a happy mommy who finds socks next to them... stinky, basketball socks!

Can you see them on the stairs... in the basket... why not in the laundry room?

Can you see them behind the couch?

Can you see them under the couch?

Can you see them on the couch?

Can you see them behind the TV?

Can you see them in the 'kitchen'?


Suggestions? Comments? Ideas? I'll take them all... it's bad, it's really bad!

Life with 3 :: Tip 1

A dear friend gave me this advice when my kids started getting active with organized activities. It's simple, but it works...

PACK A BAG!

We have a bag for each activity. Sometimes it seems like the back of my car is full of bags, but it so so helpful when dropping kids off for different activities. Whether it be music class, baseball, swim team, basketball, etc. Pack a bag.

Music Class:: Bag provided. Ours is purple. Easy to find... everything stays together.

• Instrument remains in the bag when not in use.
  
• Folder with practice sheets and class papers stay in the bag.
  
• Need to bring something to class... put it in the bag.
  

Swim Team:: We have two bags.

• One mesh bag with equipment... kick board, pull, goggles, extra goggles.
  
• One bag for shampoo/conditioner (in a ziploc bag), comb, extra underwear, etc.

Baseball:: Trust me... put it all in a baseball bag. The fields get gross. You do not want that muck and mud rolling around in your car. For baseball season, the boys' have real baseball bags.

• At first, we tried to use a regular duffel bag, however, the beauty of a baseball bag is that it can be clipped to the chain-link fence in the dugout. This makes it very easy for the boys' to keep their things together. I never played ball, so I didn't understand this concept until my kids started to play. Also... if your boys' loose/forget their gear in the dugout... just give their end of game treat to their sister (or threaten to) and I promise they will never forget their gear again. Seems harsh, but it worked... the first time.
• bat
• glove/mit
• baseball
• batting helmet
• baseball hat
  

This goes for soccer and basketball as well. Pack a bag.

Snacks:: Your kids are playing hard and every mom should be prepared with snacks.

• I like to give them a little something before practice (this can certainly be given at home, but sometimes, it's in the car).
  
• I also like to have something when they are done practicing. Lately, I've been buying organic chocolate milk from Costco in the cartons. I read an article that chocolate milk is very good at quickly replacing lost nutrients while exercising. The kids love this treat.
  
• I also bring along granola bars, individual bags of crackers (no need to purchase pre-bought bags, just fill bags/small containers at home and pack them), and fruit (apples, bananas and oranges are pretty easy). I tend to have a snack bag... makes it easy to find...
  
• Don't forget to keep 'baby' wipes handy
• Water bottles. Kids need water. I've purchased sports bottles and we wash and reuse. Sometimes I'll add a powder flavor mix to their water for variety.

Mom Bag:: I find myself with wait time.

• When we have practice at our health club I take time to exercise.
  
• If I'm outside at a park, I play with Baby Girl.
  
• I always have my i-pod,
  
• a magazine and book,
  
• mail to be read (I don't take bills to pay or financial info with me... I'd rather take care of that at home),
  
• easy homework assignments, etc.

Take the time to pack your bags...

Crafting and Organizing

I had 48 hours to enjoy without any homework, projects or finals looming over my head. I managed to get a little crafting and organizing in....

It doesn't look like much, but trust me... see those cookbooks... see the yellow binder... I filled the binder with all of the loose recipes that we've printed. The cookbooks had fallen down, the loose recipes were EVERYWHERE... it was a mess! (I forgot to take an original photo.)


Now... they are neat and tidy. I even have dividers in the binder. I used the thick cookbooks to keep the stack from tumbling over... yeah... this project took about 10 minutes and it's been bugging me for months. Why do we (I) wait to solve a problem that can be solved in minutes?

Baby Girl grows very quickly... we give her outgrown clothes to a special friend. Well, one dress, in particular hit a nerve with her... it wasn't one of her better moments. There were tears and sadness... so, we made her a new dress from an idea from special friends mom. It turned out great and better yet it was quick. I used my 50% off coupon from Joanne's for the fabric. I didn't even know you could buy fabric that was already "smocked" (I think that is the right term.) I bought 24" of it to fit around baby girl ($4 and change). Came home turned it right sides together, sewed a seam, added ribbons and hemmed it... done!



Pepe's 2nd grade teacher (from last year) is pregnant expecting baby girl #1. I am very excited for her and saw these hats on this blog last week. I had to give them a try. They are fast, cute and extremely inexpensive. I hope she likes them! It's HAT day at school tomorrow so we thought we'd sent them along for baby's first hats.