It looked like this about a week ago (see below): here’s the end of the small room where my desk sits…

And here’s the other end of the room…

Scary!

Then, not knowing what to do to make it functional and less burdensome because, lets face it, this is depressing – and there is only so much you can do with a room thats about 9′ x 16′ in size…

I prayed…

I started moving things around…

I threw things out…

I  reorganized…

I multi-tasked, moving things while talking on the phone to my friend Patty She was “there” when I tried to take a shortcut by moving a shelf with things still on it- those things fell off - So much for the “short-cut”.

And within a couple days or so, this is the result.

Here’s by the my desk, which is near the kitchen…

And the other end of the room . . .

But to really appreciate the strange arrangement, you should view my short video tour below. If you’re reading this in email you will need to click through to the blog. I love this set up, for now at least! Time will tell how functional it will be, but it feels great right now.

I love it!

…for now anyways

Do you like being surprised day to day by what a blogger shares? I’d love to have you subscribe to get my posts delivered to you.  I might just surprise ya!

*Linking up at Women Living Well and Raising Homemakers.

Its an odd and unique at the same time. It has thin places where I can slide in a stack of paper and the side hooks are adjustable. I hang and stack small and big things on it. Pretty nifty, huh?! Have you given anything used or old a new purpose (more tips)?

See the post I did shortly before this one sharing my tip for that covered rack you see in my room.

By the way, the Lego container is holding coloring books. Can we say “re-pur-pose” !

*You can follow my blog by subscribing here or on Facebook.

*Also sharing at A Wise Woman’s link up and Mom’s the Word link up, Dittle Dattle’s link up and Raising Homemakers and Organizing Made Fun.

I had a couple people ask about my meal plan and this is it. Simple, handwritten using a FREE printable monthly calendar . I’m not good at following schedules and am already forgetting to look at this one but I am going to give it a shot. Before you look to close at my meal plan let me tell you my Method of Operation for it and what the Abbreviations mean.

#1- Because too many details make it even harder for me to follow, I need simple. This plan is basically a month of meal ideas broken down by a different theme for most days of the week. Monday is Meat, Tuesday is Chicken/Tuna/Fish, Thursday is Ethnic (Chinese, Mexican, Italian) and Friday is FUN.

#2- Because of church, Sunday is for already prepared food like Freezer Meals (F.M.), Crock Pot (C.P.), Left Overs (L.O.). And Wednesday is the same. Saturdays is open for “whatever” we have going on.

#3- At the bottom of the meal plan is a list of lunch ideas for the kids. I also plan on using left overs, etc..

#4- The meal plan is put inside a plastic page protector and taped to a cupboard door and I can use a dry-erase marker to cross off the meals as we have them (since I allow myself to jump all over the place picking what meals I want for when I want in “real life”). See my M.O. below.

My M.O. (Method of Operation): Simple and flexible are the keys here for me. I can plan my grocery list by the week and/ or month based on themes if I want. My grocery buying is very limited to whats on sale and what I have coupons for or where I can find the best prices where there are no sales/coupons available.

I can look at the monthly plan and decide what meals (from any week) I want for the time period I’m buying for. For example, because I wasn’t finding hamburger on sale for “our” price for months, we rarely had it for meals. This past week I found it on sale for $1.89 a pound and bought about 12 pounds of it.

And thats it. 

Do you have any meal-planning tips to share that have revolutionized your meal times?  Please share in the comment section!

*Click here for a list of free printable organization forms including the one I use for this meal plan.

P.S. -  The plan is very basic. I should have added that I already know I can throw in some vegies, applesauce, etc. to go along with the main dish!

*Sharing at Moms The Word link up.

For some time I’ve felt like I’ve been on that merry go ‘ round of not hitting the mark. That not taking control. I’m sick and tired of feeling defeated daily.

I’ve read the books- and they have good points. But all the tips on how to organize your time or plan your day means nothing until you put into practice what you already know.

The early morning routine sounds good, but I don’t get to bed until late. Usually I’m the last to go to sleep. If I’m not too tired at that point, I’m reading in bed for a bit.

I’m an utter failure at meal planning. Let’s not even go there.

Now figure that the summer is blowing right by and school starts soon. I homeschool and work from home so I really really need to figure out a schedule of some sort for our home and my life.

You know that saying-  if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  I believe it. I have lived it.

So the other day I started a new plan of attack. I’m trying again to set more order in our home and in my life. I want to feel like I have some control over it. Truth is, in reality, I do have control. I have control over taking control and over losing control.

And so  I took back control the other day, July 1st. The first of the month. I don’t remember planning it that way, but what a good way to see if I can take the month of July to begin new habits regarding how to structure my day, organize my time and all the things that fall under MY management in our home.

I guess we’ll see.

“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again:…” Proverbs 24:16

*Also sharing at A Wise Woman Builds Her Home and Raising Homemakers Link-ups.

I’ve actually done some posts in the past about organizing or decorating with old things- things I’ve given new purpose too. I want to link to them in this post today and show you something “new” I’ve used. I’ve also been busy cleaning, purging, and organizing my office/homeschool room but I won’t show you that yet. I may save that for a future post.

Giving old things a new “organizational” purpose.

• How I organize with pottery in the kitchen. Though its not on the wall anymore, in this post you’ll see something else I used for awhile that made a nice temporary magnetic board for me.

• How I use old or antique glass containers in the bathroom.

• How I changed my long window drapes into short window treatments and how we made an aprx. 15′ cafe bar for the sunroom. (Not really about organizing, but hey, I’ll include it).

Now for something “new”.

Since I’m holding off on showing you anything “homeschool” related for now I just have one “new” thing to show you.  {If I told you last week I’d show, I’m sorry for not keeping my word. I’m not ready to do an adequate post on it tonight.}

I found these brand new, nifty drawer organizers marked down to a really attractive price at Lowe’s, I think it was. There was only like 3 left and I think I grabbed them all. I’m using them in my sock and underwear drawers. I’ve been using them for a couple months or so now. I like them! I think they were about $15-16 each marked down to about $4. I would not have paid anything close to $15 for one of them. But I did buy at least 3 of them for about $13 total!

Now go ahead and link up your post about organizing below! This is the last week.

…………………………………………………………………..

Last week I shared some pics of where I use I small hooks like the kind by 3M. They adhere to your wall or door surface. The ones I use can hold about 6 pounds I think. You can see that post here.

Today I’m sharing some of the ways I organize and store things using baskets and some stand up filing stands.

Kitchen:

I use an old book shelf. I have another one similar to this I use for homeschool supplies. One of them I bought at a second hand children’s store. I use baskets to hold my extra pot holders, various snacks, disposable cups and the big basket holds cat food.

Below/Kitchen:

I have a wall oven with a wide open cupboard above and below. I have two of the Pampered Chef stoneware racks (wooden) that I use to organize my pans and other things. I really like this option verses just stacking everything.

I plan to share more next week. I don’t want to make this post too long. Now if you have a tip to share, please link up your post or leave a comment!

……………………………

*Sharing this post at Women Living Well and Raising Homemakers, and the Time Warp Wife.

Link-ups will be each Wednesday in May: the 11th (today), the 18th, and the 25th. Your post on “organizing” can be for home, office, schooling, small spaces, big spaces or anything else that fits in the “how to organize” theme.

How I’m organizing in small spaces.

This week I want to show you how I’m putting those 3M adhesive hooks to good use. Not all of my hooks are by 3M- the hooks I use in the boys’ room and I think the one holding my necklaces are from the dollar store.

We live in a raised-ranch style home so the only stairs inside the house are from the basement to the first floor- which is where our “living” happens. All the rooms we use for “living” are upstairs on one floor (except the laundry room).

The Landing-Way

At the top of the stairs in a small landing-way, I guess its called, and I added 3M hooks in 4 different places. Two are in the doorway to one room (where there is no door- its just open so I have put plastic across it to make it more efficient when we heat the house). The other two hooks are on the door you see.  We hang my extra totes and reusable shopping bags on these hooks as well as Joel’s insulated lunch bags.

*There is also a metal storage rack that I use for recycling paper, outside toys for the boys, paper bags, etc.

Picture #1: So, I’m standing on the stairs for the picture on the left. The reason it looks confusing is because behind this metal rack you see  is another room, no door between the two- just a doorway. I’ve hung plastic window wrap to keep the heat from escaping the upstairs and there is another larger storage rack behind the plastic. {I see  Spanky }

Picture #2: You see the orange 3M hooks holding my totes and shopping bags. This is has been very handy.

The Boys’ Room

We do have those “hanging hook/rack things” at the top of our bedroom doors to hang towels, belts, and clothes on but that is too high for the boys to reach. I bought the wider plastic hooks that you see in the picture on the left and placed them behind their bedroom door so they can hang their housecoats up. Works for us

Hanging necklaces or loose items.

I also bought a set of these (at the dollar store I think) quite awhile ago to hang necklaces and other small things. This works great inside a closed door or on a bookshelf. Depends on what you want to hang on it. I’ve used mine for hanging bible-story cards that were hole-punched and held by a key-ring  as well as necklaces.

Well, those are my “how to organize” tips for this week. I think I will share some of my cupboard/shelving tips next week. I’m really looking forward to reading your tips next!

I’ve been planning (for months it seems) to do a short series on Organizing Small Spaces and with Old Things! My home is less than 1200 square feet- actually I think it might be on the books as being 1128 square feet. I do alot from home- I provide part-time childcare for others, I have a blog business, and I homeschool! I have “stuff” I tell you- lots of “stuff”. (You know like books and paper and kids’ toys and dirty clothes and…)

I’m going to share some of my organizing tips with you and I want YOU to share yours with me.

I’m doing the Linky-thing for the first time here at Hall of Fame Moms so if you have a blog post you’ve written about Organizing- small or large places in your home,office,etc… please share that post with us starting Wednesday, May 11th!

Link up dates for this series are the following 3 Wednesdays…

May 11th, 18th, and 25th

• If you don’t blog but have a tip to share, please share it in the comment section. I will read them all!

For now, if you have a blog and are planning to link up your tips, wisdom and secrets on Organizing during this series I’d like you to introduce yourself by linking up your blog below today! (I plan to keep this link up/introduction open for several days unless I run into spam problems).

For today,  you can link up any post from your blog so we can all get to know each other. Everything must be FAMILY-FRIENDLY

…………………………………

*I’m also linking this post with Simple Homemaking Mondays, Women Living Well, and Raising Homemakers Wednesday link-ups.

A few years ago if you would have asked my family how organized I was they would have laughed! Organized and me should have not been used in the same sentence! Today however, is a different story! I will not say that my house is nice and tidy but I will say that everything has its place and when asked for something I know where to go to find it. But, how did I get organized? Here are a few tips I keep in mind whenever I am in the mood for a clean up!

1.       One of the biggest reasons people don’t organize is because they don’t know where to start. Clutter can be everywhere and can be overwhelming so always remember that you don’t have to accomplish it all in one day! It takes time! Start with a drawer or a closet. Think small and work your way through the house. I like to tackle one project per weekend so that I never feel overwhelmed. You may want to do more and that is fine too!

2.        One place I like to start is with the food and medicine cabinets. Okay so that is random! But they are easy! Why? Check the expiration dates! I am sure you have lurking expired items that could help you to easily downgrade some of your clutter!

3.        Next I like to hit the closets! First start off with the clothes that will no longer fit you or your family. I don’t just mean with your weight. I mean your personality as well! Do the clothes still fit your style? Do you wear them? If you are second guessing yourself about what items to keep then I find it handy to try it on. Do you like the way it fits? Would you wear it again? If not then get rid of it!

4.      On my personal list Boxes and totes are next! Having kids in the house seems to add to the clutter that gets shoved into boxes and totes! When going through the boxes and totes my sole goal it to see how many of them I can eliminate all together to help free up more space!

5.       There are two pieces of furniture that I feel are a must for organization! A book case and a file cabinet! A book case will allow you to clean up all of the books and magazines you have laying around your house. I also like to keep mine in the guest room allowing my guests to have books and magazines to read while they are there. As for the file cabinet it is an easy way to keep your bills as well as any other important papers on hand and in one spot!

6.       One step in the organization process that is hardest for me is the throwing out. I have days of second guessing myself about the items I “might” or “might not” need. One way to help you figure it out is ask yourself “When was the last time I used this?” If it has been awhile then you probably do not need it.

7.       As you are going through items for your ‘go away’ pile think about the places your items could go that would be useful. Is there a local charity or organization that could use some of your lightly used items.

8.       Now you see your go away pile growing but what about the probably bigger pile of ‘to keep’ items.  You will need to make sure you have a proper place to put them when you are finished. Yes that means have a place for everything. Don’t spend your time going through a drawer or cabinet just to pile everything back into it.

9.       When organizing drawers think about how to separate your items out more easily. For example I love to use a silverware tray in each of my drawers because it helps to keep my junk drawer, make up, and hair accessories more organized!

10.  Have fun while you work! At times it may seem like a boring job! Don’t think of it that way! The ‘job’ will go faster if you turn up the music and get to work! If you are still not in the mood to organize then set the timer. Tell yourself you will only work for 5 minutes! After the 5 are over you might just want to keep going!

Marina Chernyak is the co-owner of 1001Shops LLC, an online store of fine imported products like garden sundials, venetian masquerade masks and Murano Jewelry

*Want to get Hall of Fame Moms delivered to your inbox or RSS feeder? Subscribe here!

Last month I shared pictures of 2 areas that attract clutter in my home. Clutter drives me buggy! It took some time to find a solution. I considered different options such as magazine files, plastic bins, shoe boxes,  stacking trays and who knows what else. I “window shopped” at Walmart, the Dollar Tree, and online.

Then it came together for me and I didn’t have to buy a single thing. I used what I had at home!

• clear view 3-drawer organizer I use to hold coupons, a drawer for Joel, and one for medical info.

• Sterilite Corp. storage box Holds files: “To Do”, “Restaurant Coupons”, and other things needing attention.

• The black thingy pictured below. I don’t know whats it called   This is set inside the storage box to hold files, etc.

• I already had been using that white swivel organizer for pens, scissors, etc.

And there you go!  I’m very pleased at how functional this set up is for me. Its not too bad to look at either, in my opinion. (The blue serving dish with the paper over it is a “catchall” for little things.)

It makes an incredible difference for me to have clear space.  And in case you’re wondering, the bedroom dresser has been staying under control as well. Both the countertop and the dresser do not stay perfectly clear at all times. But what I’ve done with the kitchen counter helps keep things under control. I have files set up to put things in till I can get them to a permanent “home” or just to keep organized. The black note holder holds the files and other “to-do” items. My Home Management Binder is next to it and the 3 drawer container has space on top for glasses, keys, and a pencil sharpener. The 3 drawers are labeled for specific use.

*If you’d like to get my updates by email subscribe here.