Closet Redo On a Budget

Down sizing from a 3,400 sq ft home to a 1,700 sq ft one has many challenges! When I saw the house, this closet under the stairs excited me and I had so many ideas of how I could use it. However, when we moved in it became the "catch all" storing suitcases, cleaning supplies, BAGS, and any over sized item that couldn't fit anywhere else. This weekend was the time to make a system and organize!

I only spent $29.99 at Costco for the shelving unit. 

Here is what I did!

• Extended the pull light with a ribbon, I could never reach it before. 
• Emptied the closet and sorted by kitchen items, recipe boxes, cleaning supplies, and extras.
• Recycled 3/4 of the bags. I will never use them all!
• Put the shelving unit together. Super easy.
• Decided how the shelves would be used most efficiently.
• Put the over sized items in first (bread machine, Easter bunny- before you buy cutsie stuff, think of how you'll store it-, drink dispenser, punch bowls).
• Organize cleaning supplies.
• Cookie Sheets are stored in a file cubby unit turned on it's side.
• Place all items in with room for more.

STILL TO COME:

• Use vertical space.
• Hang broom, mop, Swiffer, etc on wall.
• KEEP IT ORGANIZED.

Do you have a closet that needs tackling? 

Comment or message me and I can help you make a plan!

Personal Development for 2014

I am working to better myself this year and I am committing to read at least one personal development book each month! Here is my list. Let me know your thoughts on any of these book! Any I should add?

January- The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C Maxwell

February- Go Pro by Eric Worre

March- Failing Forward by John C Maxwell

April- Eat That Frog! By Brian Tracy

May- Push by Chalene Johnson

June- The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson

July- Leadership and Self-Discipline by the Arbinger Institute

August- Everyone Communicates But Few Connect by John C Maxwell

September- Influencer, The new Science of Leading Change by Joseph Grenny

October- How to Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie

November- Entreleadership by Dave Ramsey

December- No Excuses! The power of Self-Discipline by Brian Tracy

Organizing a Home Office

Welcome to my boudior! ;)

 Check out this video of how I work at home and GET IT DONE!

Want more info, just ask!

Thanks for watching!

Identity Crisis ~ Before, Then & Now

Holy Moly!
Has it really been that long since my last post?
Blogger doesn't lie, so I guess it has!
Life has been thoroughly enjoyable being back in the United States, settling into a new home and visiting family and friends up North. But all of that fun stuff will have to be in another post...I've had something on my mind that I need to share.

After many long days of unpacking and organizing (and we are not even close yet) I just had to put my feet up. In the back is hubby working and Jupiter just chilling.

When I began this blog way back in 2008, I was a mother of two younger children. I worked part time (sometimes full time) and was busy, busy, busy. I enjoyed home decor and all things pretty and have always enjoyed writing. The name Time Out For Me was perfect as the blog became something to center myself in reminding me that I was more than a wife and mom. Having this blog reminded me that I was still an individual with interests, talents and opinions. The description was a place to inspire and be inspired. 

Then China happened and my blog description wasn't the only thing that changed. It became ...now from Beijing. So many of my interests hid away in shadows to make way for all of the new experiences I was having abroad. Instead of the blog being just an outlet for me, it evolved into a journal and personal correspondence to loved ones. At times it was my therapy and purpose, for I vowed to never let anyone moving to Beijing have unanswered questions again. Word got out and I began answering emails on a weekly basis and loved sharing my lessons learned.

So here I am. And the lapse in my posting is partially due to the fact that I just don't know where to go from here on Time Out For Me. So much has changed in such a short time. I am not a teacher anymore. My children are now older and much more independent. I moved from the suburbs to one of the most populated cities on earth  and now to the beach. I, also, have another blog that focuses on how I went from unhealthy to healthy, which is now a main focus in my life. 

I guess what I am trying to say is that I am still molding my vision for Time Out For Me...now from the beach. When I get the urge to post, I will post. It may be about home decor, family stuff, travel and fun or I may get a little more gutsy and voice some opinions commentary too. Nevertheless, I want to thank you for sticking with me throughout all the identities this blog has had and I hope you will continue to read as it takes on a new one. Thank you for your support, it means the world to me!

Love,

Jen

PS If you have suggestions on things you'd like to hear more about...I'd love to hear about it!

Quirkiness of our China Apartment

Believe it or not, with only eight months left here in Beijing, the thoughts about leaving all of it behind are beginning to creep into my mind. I wanted to document all the annoying quirky characteristics of our apartment so I can, one day, look back on them fondly. After all, these quirks help make our China experience what it is.

It looks lovely, now smell it.

First and foremost...the smell in our bathroom. It almost was a deal breaker when our one year lease came up. This disgusting smell wafts right into our bedroom. We have gone to great lengths to find the source and mask it. We started right away by bleaching the entire bathroom, thinking it was mold. Then we bought drain covers because we are sure it was coming up from the drains. The only full proof band-aid has been to keep the bathroom door closed at all times. I never, ever use the bath tub because I even smelled the odor emerging from the faucet once as I turned it on. I met our neighbor below us and she has the exact same problem.

I have attempted several times to organize this chaos.

A close second would be our lack of storage space everywhere, especially the kitchen. We have a gorgeous wall of "cabinetry" which is completely and utterly FAKE. I have broken so many prized possessions because things are nested, stacked and crammed into every inch of space we have. I guess that is what we get for moving into a hotel-like building. The management was very kind and bought me a ginormous Ikea closet. Unfortunately, they did not measure the height of it ahead of time and there is only one spot in our apartment the cabinet would fit due to ceiling height. They also did not buy any of the "guts" for the closet (rods, drawers, etc) which resulted in three trips to Ikea to find the right ones. They also bought us a food cabinet.

The hub of plugs.

Many times a day the quirk of not having any electrical outlets in our kitchen comes up. I never thought that I was taking for granted my electrical outlets all along my kitchen backsplash, but I guess I was. We have one outlet, with an outlet extender, that houses our water cooler and the toaster and the blender and the crock pot. We also do our ironing there. Outlets, overall, are few and far between in our apartment. I bought a lamp that I never have even used because there is no outlet near it

The wall of nothing.

I mentioned above the fake wall of cabinets in our kitchen. Well, those cabinets cannot open because of our luxurious bath tub... which I never use due to the smell...Have you ever walked through a shower to get to a bath tub? That is what you do in our master bath.

No counter space.

The counter space for everything.

 I have mentioned before that I only cook three times a week. This is somewhat due to the fact that eating out is extremely cheaper than cooking, but our kitchen set up is really why I hate to cook here. Besides not being able to find many of the ingredients (this week I used frozen peas instead of dried for split pea soup) the lack of countertop space makes it difficult. There have been times that I have been preparing dinner amongst piles of clean clothes, school papers and an open laptop (for the recipe). I know this sounds petty, but also the lighting is such that your head shadows whatever you are chopping or cooking. I constantly have to adjust my head to see what I am doing. 

Despite the fact that I have no dishwasher, or the fact that our washer/dryer combo takes six hours to do one damp load, or that our gas burners suddenly go out when I think something is simmering away...this is our China home for two years. We have six lovely women come to clean for us daily (for the record, I do my own dishes and laundry). The staff greets us warmly many times a day. Our dog, Jupiter, is loved by everyone. When faced with the decision to move to a more "expat complex" we decided against it. No matter what quirkiness it has, this is still home...kinda.

*Lists* & thoughts on the move

As you know we are moving to Beijing THIS SUMMER! Forgive me if this blog becomes a psychological outlet for all the emotions and thoughts constantly running through my mind. If that will annoy you, I'd just sign-off now. But I hope some of you stay...I deal with transition SO much better with others.

Now that I am done with my long-term substitute teaching assignment my full focus is on this HUGE transition in our lives! People ask me how I am feeling and it really is a second by second thing. For example, last weekend I WAS NOT going! I was sending my entire family...and Jupiter and I were going to just stay and await their return.

I do have moments of happy anticipation though. Like when I get frustrated with anything regarding our countries educational CRISIS. I just tell myself, "that will be better in China". But mostly I have personal breakdowns...like in Costco yesterday when I kept asking myself, "Will we be able to finish that before we go?" I had to seriously hold back tears in front of the bulk chocolate chips (I probably could finish those before we left).

Mostly I am just handling all of this by making lists! It helps...

A LOT!

Here are some lists that I have been keeping- these are only mine. Hubby has all the other, not so fun, stuff.

• 
  
  What to get rid of


• 
  
  What to buy before July 15th (about the time Hubby will leave)


• 
  
  What to ship on the boat to China


• 
  
  What to pack in our suitcase


• 
  
  What to buy when we arrive in China


• 
  
  How to handle Jupiter's transport


• 
  
  What we will need to buy when we return to the states. Did I mention we already have our flight booked to come home for Christmas?


• 
  
  What other Dr appointments to make


• 
  
  Home repairs for the renters


• 
  
  Updating contact lists of emails, phone numbers, addresses, facetime acct names - there is no Facebook in Beijing and it is even sketchy if this blog address will change so email will be the best way to keep in touch, message me to be added to the list:)


• 
  
  Who to say goodbye to before we leave


• 
  
  My wishlist of what to do with this house when we return (I might forget when I am there...I doubt it)


• 
  
  Benefits, all of the cool things we will do and see while in China...to help me to remember WHY we are doing this!

What would you be worried about if you were leaving the country for *at least* two years?

* do you like how two years now has changed to "at least two years"?

I just wouldn't listen!

A few years back when we were in the market for a garage freezer friends told me, "don't get a chest style...it is too hard to see what you have!"

And I just wouldn't listen!!!

So after a couple of years of digging, guessing and more digging I came up with a plan!

Above the freezer, out in the garage, I hung a whiteboard. I did inventory. Whenever I move something to the inside freezer, or cook it, I erase it from the board.

Some items (like frozen pizza) I even put a count buy it, when we use it I can just change the number. It is magnetized so I hung a paper for a shopping list. I then got a little OCD and used different colors for different categories; breakfast is orange, purple is pasta and bread and snacks, blue is meat.

Happy Organizing!

Garden Kitchen Inspiration

What do you have on your kitchen countertops?

I inherited this amazing antique crock from my mother-in-law (on left) years ago. I've always kept my kitchen gadgets handy in it....until my everyday gadgets were so plentiful that it became a sore spot to me!

PROBLEM

SOLUTION

When I am in problem solving mode I want a solution and I want it NOW! (channeling my inner Veruca Salt) So when I decided I needed to seperate my cooking gadgets from my baking gadgets I was on the hunt for the perfect holder. Needing to fulfill my instant gratification and my lack of budget I opened my eyes and hunted around the house in search for something that would a)be the right dimensions and b) coordinate with the other things on my countertop.

FOUND

On my back patio, waiting for a use. I was attracted to this pot (found at Home Depot a couple years back) due to the color and the architectural detail. I picked it up with the desire to plant in it, but never did. Although whenever I passed by it, outside, it always reaffirmed to me that I loved those elements of it. That is why it became the PERFECT addition to my countertop!

MORAL

When you find something that speaks to you- and it is in your budget- BUY IT! Do not make the mistake of saying, "where will I put it, what will I use it for?" If you love it, you will find the perfect use for it!

Laundry Day! Hooray!

When we moved into our new home our laundry room was plumbed for a sink but did not have one. Of course this was the FIRST thing we were going to do after we moved in...it's been SEVEN years!

I have the luxury of having a huge laundry room, but it has never functioned properly. I am the mom who folds all weeks worth of clean clothes in a three hour segment...NOT ANYMORE!

BEFORE- green walls, year old washer and dryer, had moved them from inside wall to window wall with the big plan in mind!

-AFTER-

We had been to Lowe's and Home Depot time and time again to begin this project. We actually picked up the stainless sink months ago when we saw one at a great deal.

Sweet hubby gave me a level in my Christmas stocking that said cabinets, countertops and sink would all be functional by December 31st! Great present!

Of course I could not sleep while and I decided we would head to to IKEA! It was a one stop shop for us and resonable too! The cabinets are made so well and easy to put together. It all fit in our van and best of all...THERE WAS NO FIGHTING AMONGST US!!!!

IKEA LIST:

1. 
   
   faucet- Edsvik


2. 
   
   cabinets- Akurum with Stat fronts


3. 
   
   countertops- Numerar in oak


4. 
   
   shelves- Grundtal
   
   

Along with the ample countertops for folding, these two things are a huge must and have changed my laundry system for good! It takes up space and doesn't look that great, but it is sooooo worth it. When I take a load out of the dryer I hang anything up. The clothes steamer (given to hubby by me for Christmas ;) heats up in seconds and I steam them as I hang them.

From start to finish it takes me less than 5 minutes to fold, hang and steam a load of laundry! I now do it everyday instead of once a week.

laundry rack from Bed, Bath & Beyond

clothes steamer from Costco

Between the cabinets is a space for the Dustbuster and step stool.

This once was Jupiter's room. He still has his essentials (food, treats, toys and bed)
Along with my Roomba, the Wagner 905 steamer is my new best friend. It has a perfect storage place under my new sink!

Since it was the laundry room I knew I could have some fun with textures. These stainless steel racks are designed for the kitchen, but I will have so much fun accessorizing them!

Thanks for taking my little tour! Bring a load on over!

Kitchen Pantry Redo

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

One of my favorite blogs, Stephmodo, recently posted about kitchen pantry organization. With the new year upon us I couldn't help but get wrapped up in the organization of it!
Sadly I did not take a before picture. But I can tell you that the shelves were unlined and although it was once organized it, after many trips to Costco...well you know.

I first emptied the pantry completely and cleaned it all from top to bottom. Then I lined the shelves with leftover wallpaper from the garage. I sorted the items based on likeness. I ALSO GOT RID OF AS MUCH PACKAGING AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE! I really have a passion for displaying everyday items in unique ways. So I went around the house and garage looking for items that are not being used efficiently and gathered them up. Above is a "stuff" basket that now holds popcorn and crackers.

Because of a laundry room redo (pics soon!) we had some premade laminate organizers laying in the garage. I thought one would make a great seperater. THINK OUT OF THE BOX, LITERALLY! Those little Jello boxes always bugged me, this made the ideal spot for them. I love it when that happens!
This is my favorite! This old metal bread pan has been used for hundreds of different things. Right now we have a surplus of Hot Chocolate. Perfect for the envelopes for these and oatmeal. Behind it is a grass basket filled with Easy Mac. If you think we don't have much cereal, I use large glass jars on my kitchen island for it.

I love having most of my baking supplies in airtight containers. No more hard as a rock brown sugar or ants invading my chocolate chips. Plus, take a peak at the mint green chocolate chips in the far right, so cute in a Mason jar!

The chalkboard door is not new, but the pictures of my kids inside the pantry are. They were literally just hanging out near the pantry and I thought, "Why not hang pictures in your pantry?" Oh, and do you like the gentle reminder to the kids? Usually I have dinner ideas listed (for me) and breakfast/snack ideas (for them) listed on the chalkboard.

THE RESULT:

Besides an awesome pantry- look at all the garbage that is not in my pantry now! Incredible! I really have a bone to pick with these companies about all the packaging they use!

Jupiter thinks so too!

Hope something here inspired you! If not, I'd love to come over to help!

Back To School Organization #1

A new school year has begun!

I have a 6th drader and a 2nd grader, it's going to be a great year!

One of the things I ♥ to do when the kids go back to school is to get the "homework cabinet" reorganized and ready to go. Of course, homework is not such struggle when all of the possible tools are right where everyone can grab them.

~This cabinet is a lower cabinet in our kitchen. Lower, obviously, so that my younger can help himself. The plastic drawers were clearanced a while back at Staples for $2. Am I the only one who gets giddy over the organization aisle?

~I take advantage of the Back to School sales for my home stock-up too. Who can beat $1 Crayola Markers at Wal-Mart? When I am buying pencils and crayons for the class, I just buy an extra set for home too. For some reason the kids also like fresh tools at home at the beginning of the year. Who can blame them?

~The drawers are:

1. crayons
2. colored pencils with a sharpener already in the drawer
3. markers, thin and fat
4. binder paper (8 1/2 x 11 fits perfectly)
5. glue sticks, white glue, tape and scissors

I love the drawer idea because the kids could takeout each drawer and take it to the table instead of going back and forth. You could use individual pencil boxes for each also, they are cheap right now too.

~I have a bin of play-dough and bubbles on hand just for fun when homework gets tense. The black rolodex bin is for stickers. Whenever we get stickers in birthday goodie bags I just throw them in there. You never know when you need a sticker! The bottom box has graph paper and index cards.

~ On the right hand side I have a pencil box just for pencils and pens. My kids really love the mechanical pencils. Once again, I stock up now while they are cheap! They just seem to make their writing look extra good. Extra leads are in the box as well.

~The yellow and green box is MINE! It holds greeting cards all categorized. The handy dandy drawer holds an address book (always written in pencil) and stamps. Never underestimate the power of a handwritten note ☺ Do you ever think, "I need to write a thank you note"? Homework time is a great time. I like to sit with my kids during homework for support, but sometimes they are fine. So if I write a note I am still there if they need me.

~Of course a selection of construction paper is needed. Underneath is a Costco box of envelopes.

~Hanging in front of the cabinets is where I hang their chore cards. This system worked perfectly for Summer. I am just really struggling on how to modify it for school! Any suggestions?

~Inside the cabinet door I hang the school calendar and teacher email list and school contact info. The other side I hang pictures or school work that the kids take pride in.

I hope you enjoyed this organization piece!

I love getting motivated by others and hope you do too!

~ Fresh Start 2009~

It's no secret that I ♥ Mondays...and I look at the New Year as just one BIG MONDAY!

I ♥ a start fresh on anything (books, haircuts, projects, etc.) Then I have this anxiety thing to finish anything I start, not just finish... BUT FINISH IT NOW!

You can read more about that here.

Another thing I ♥ are lists! So one of the first things I did on New Year's day was to make list of all the things I wanted to do in January. Since my kids are off track (year round school) in January it is normally a very productive month for me. Plus, I am not always motivated so I have to strike while the iron is hot!

~BED BEFORE~
Here is my bed. I really love my bedframe but have always struggled with just the right bedding. I am really lucky to have a husband that does not mind "girly" beds! This is a comforter I found here that I have used ever since my real ($$$) Shabby Chic Duvet shredded itself. The details are hard to see but I loved the vintage print on this comforter and was kinda done with duvets for a while. Notice no dust ruffle. With dual adjustable beds it took me two whole years to have the nerve to cut a dust ruffle down the middle.

~BED AFTER~

I have been eyeing this Rachel Ashwell bedding at Target for a while now because it was the perfect mix of robin egg blue and pink. Thanks to some generous students I was able to buy the Duvet Set that came with two shams with Christmas gift cards! Good deal! I simply velcroed the old comforter inside this duvet and voila! The pink ticking dust ruffle was a hand-me-down that sat in my closet for two years. I really love the new look...and on a budget!

Besides fresh bedding, here are a few other things I have checked off my January list (maybe you can get some ideas too)~

• organized our medicine cabinets and discarded any expired meds.
• sorted through the linen closet and moved the "worn" towels to the garage as rags.
• sifted through every toy, trinket and treasure in the 7 year old's room. (filled 3 garbage bags and 3 donation bins AND found his missing IPOD)
• reorganized my craft closet.
• finished my 2008 Shutterfly "year"book and began my 2009 one.
• saved all of my advertisement emails (not SPAM) and unsubscribed myself to each of them.
• sorted through the kids art cabinet.
• went through my "inspiration" box (extra special cards, letters, etc) and scanned them into the computer for safe keeping.
• in our church we serve in callings, I tend to keep things that I may need. I finally recycled all out of date church supplies and got rid of items that were not applicable anymore.

Do you have any organization or renewing rituals that you do at the beginning of the year?

Next week = rose pruning!

"Chalk" full of fun

My-oh-my-oh-my! If you want to see some inspiration, check out these pantries here! I had seen this post and ran to buy chalkboard paint. I decided to do the inside of our pantry door, I actually see the inside moreso than the outside, it is a hallway to our dining room.

Here is a peak of what it looked like before.

I abolutely adore it! I already have places all over the house to write notes to family members so for this chalkboard I will list ideas for dinner and breakfasts. That way when the kids ask "what's for dinner?" I can tell them to pick something from the list. It will also inspire me when I am wondering what to cook. I often make a list like this when I get home from the grocery store. That way I do not forget what I just bought. Now I have a cool place to record it.

My ten year old daughter never thinks we have anything for breakfast. Every morning I have to tell her all the things she can pick from. Now I will be able to direct her to the pantry!

So here are a few tips that will save you!

• overly mask with tape and overly cover the floor. Do not underestimate overspray!




• if possible, remove the door first to avoid drips. I, of course, am too lazy to do this so I had to deal with drips by blotting them out and spraying with another coat. Fine for me.




• if possible, buy chalkboard paint that is not spray. It will alleviate tip 1 & 2.




• keep "Magic Erasers" close by. It perfectly took away all of my overspray and any boo-boos I made. I ♥♥♥♥ these things!

I think the finishing touch will be a monogram "B" at the top of the chalkboard.

Inspiration

A fellow blogger spotlighted this book a couple of weeks ago and I went right on Amazon and got it. I have poured over the wonderful pages and it did not disappoint! I will definately reference it over and over!


Check out here for a fabulous tutorial for something you will be able to use over and over. Thanks French Garden House!

Lastly, another favorite blog is hosting an observation project. See here for details. It is the entire reason I blog and buy book and look at magazines!
Enjoy!

digging up some roots

It all began here.

I went in search for old photos of family members. My mom gave me an entire bag and the treasure hunt began. Look at the treasures I found!

My Maternal great granparents. My grandma is the little one on the right.

My patrenal great grandparents.

My parent's prom picture

This quickly became a "preserve my past project". I began scanning every pre-digital picture I could find! It is addicting! I am still not done and may never be, but what fun it has been to feel that these images and documents (yes, I found birth-death-and military docs) are here to stay! I uploaded them all to an external server so they can be saved in case of fire.

If you are inspired to dig up some of your own roots, click here and begin digging !

tween room #6 - closet = really done!

I could not live with such a beautiful, new room for E. and have her closet such a mess! She is really lucky to have an enormous walk-in closet, but more room = more mess. The biggest problem was that her folded clothes never fit in her hand-me-down baby dresser. She was also using baby hangers so many of her clothes would fall off onto the floor. UGH!

**BEFORE**

First I removed all the furniture that was not working (the dresser, my old hamper, a cardboard drawer set). Then I went to Target and bought the wire shelves (on sale for $12.99) and bins ($6.49 each). I made tags for each bin labeled :

1. socks
2. "lingerie" - I prefered undies, but she wanted lingerie. sigh
3. p.j.'s
4. shorts
5. pants
6. tee shirts
7. long sleeves

I also bought adult sized hangers in black.

She really has no excuse to be unorganized now!

**AFTER**

I LOVE Mondays!

I really do! Today my children went back to school after having six weeks off (we are on year round school calendar). Don't get me wrong, I loved having my children home...but it is a neverending vacation of all of our routines. Now we can get back to reality.

Mondays, to me, are a fresh start and new beginning! I always feel rejuvinated after having everyone home on the weekend. If you hate Mondays, below are some things that I do (not EVERY Monday) that I enjoy having as part of a renewal routine.

• go to the gym
• strip all beds
• clean toilets
• vaccuum and mop floors
• clean out refrigerator and restock with essentials
• clean mirrors
• Weekly TO DO list (on my iphone, of course, that way I can email hubby's list to him) ;)
• clip fresh flowers and arrange in different rooms
• clean junk out from car

Do you have any Monday refreshers that make you feel organized and renewed for a new week? If so, I would love to hear them!

Lucky Me!

Yesterday I was excited to get my blog swap package! Yay!

The blog swap was "Let's Get Organized" hosted by Stephmodo. I love to organize and was so elated to put a box together for someone special in Oregon. Getting something in return was just a bonus, a fabulous bonus at that! Here is what I got!

• a great basket (where I have too many ideas of what to do with it right now)
• a gorgeous Wedgewood jewelry box (I think she went over the $ limit with this alone)
• a chocolate brown journal ( I've already written in it)
• jewel tone box set (Who doesn't love IKEA?)
• two pot holders (I asked for some for Christmas and did not get any, how'd she know?)
• a matching apron (perfect for ALL the bakers in my house)

Thank you Arya! I am soooo lucky. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine!

my journal of the year

I have completed my *2007* book. Some ask me why I do not use my blog as a journal, like many great blogs I read. Well...it is because my heart belongs to scrapbooking. Now with the great Shutterfly site I digitally create a "year" book where each book has pictures and a little journaling about the month. I spend about 15 minutes a month and by the end of they year I have a great record, all bound like your favorite book. Thanks to a great friend who gave me a Shutterfly gift certificate for Christmas!

For *2008* I am so excited that they have a Martha Stewart layout. If you love the Martha Stewart line from Michael's, the entire book is made up of the same patterns, colors and elements. So beautiful!

it is a wonderful thing to do something you love, while the kids are asleep and there is no cleaning up afterward!

Stress Free Monday

There are a few places in my home that help me to feel a little more stress free. I take them for granted, but without them I think I could go a little nuts. They are places in my home that got on my nerves and over the course of time I have found solutions. Hopefully it will inspire you to take a trouble spot and turn it into a functional spot.

This is my laundry room where we usually enter the house. I hated seeing clutter as I enter. Thanks to Target I was able to find some function. The reason the shoe cubby is mounted is because we have a puppy that cannot reach the shoes that high (hence the pupply pads). On the opposite wall are hooks that are kid height so the kids can hang their backpacks and coats.

Another kids spot, their bathroom. Copied PBkids and painted my own pegboard in their favorite colors. Now they have a place to hang towels, robes, hair accessories and combs. Easy and very inexpensive!

I have tons of children's books. I wish I had a before picture of what a mess this bookshelf was. When the books are a mess they do not want to grab one in fear they will all tumble down. So I went around my house and gathered random baskets that were not put to good use and sorted. Now they love to pull a basket out like a drawer and pick out their favorite. My favorite part was this was free!

I saved my favorite for last! This great find from Target solved our paper mess on the kitchen counter. Each person in our family has a mailbox. Mail, papers, schoolwork, even small toys are stuck in there. The trick is to clean it out every once in a while so things do not get lost. Even though the bottom one is a mess (my 6 year old sons) I can deal with that much more than messy counters. I found these little sticky plates to label our family home evening assignments. I just rotate the paper inside once a week.

I love to organize! Send me some of your favorite organizational ideas!