Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Holiday Fat/Calories

WHAT????? Skip that. It's Thanksgiving. Bring on the gravy, sweet potato casserole and the pie! Instead I'll show you how I'm managing to keep my sanity and have a clean(er) house over the holidays.  Enter the chore chart...

materials:

old cookie sheet (25 cents @ garage sale)

scrap magnets from mail

double sided tape or glue

ruler

pencil

scissors

craft paper

paint

paint brush

chalkboard paint

chalk ink

Step one: clean and paint cookie sheet

 step two: cut up paper and magnets in the size and shape you desire

step three: adhere magnets to craft paper

step four: sketch then paint chores onto paper magnets (there are a lot of great free printables available out there if you want to save time)

step five: draw "system" onto cookie sheet with chalk ink

step six: hang and enforce

There is method to my madness...I drew the pictures of the chores as well as wrote them out because my littles are only 6 and 3. I chose the To Do/Done "system" for now because I think it's easiest for now. But, that is where the chalkboard paint and chalk ink come in handy... If this system doesn't work for us, I can change it at any time with minimal effort. xo

Weekly Challenge: Survive the Created Chaos

I don't like messes. They truly get under my skin. And though I am trying to get better at this... we ripped apart that seemingly perfected playroom one more time and installed a vent/fan thingy in our bathroom. All at the same time and in three days! If this were your house...how would you survive?

I organized. Or rather, I tried to organize in the midst of the chaos.  I made a chore chart for my oldest using an old cookie sheet, scrap magnets from the mail and chalkboard paint. Wednesday I'll post the details of how this was accomplished.

I also picked $12.00 worth of organizational doo-hickies at Ikea to get rid of our "on the door shelving system." And wouldn't you know... that was the best $12.00 I've ever spent. It has provided much joy and serenity. Now my door doesn't stick, my littles can open it and I don't have to worry about glass jars crashing on the ground every time we get in our pantry. Hello win. win. win.

The playroom is coming back together nicely - I'm doing the organizational bit today. And our shower/bathroom is now steamy sogginess free. Thank you thank you sweet husband and Papa Dude!  I survived the chaos - Praise the Lord. Oh happy, happy weekend! Hope yours is filled with more serenity than chaos. xo

Around the House: Old & New

tension rod

One of my very favorite things in Real Simple magazine is their feature on new uses for old things. Chances are, many of the things you have in your home can be used in a number of ways.  All is takes is a little out of the box thinking.

lazy susan

magazine holder

egg carton (holds mini-muffins = great welcome gift)

double sided tape

cupcake liners

shoe caddy

Fun right? Maybe the best part about all of these crafty creations is that they require zero sewing and little time. Ahhh...now that's a happy monday post! xo

Around the House: A Peek Inside My Closet

Back in the day, also known as before children, I loved getting ready/dressed. I would take an hour to do my hair and make-up and choose just the right ensemble for the day. Ponytails were rare, I never went out in public without make-up and work-out clothes were saved for the gym. Fast forward six years, add two kiddos into the mix and you have a Momma who gets dressed in 10 minutes for my daily routine and 30 minutes or less for "going out" - see also date night.

Hoping to look slightly more pulled together on a daily basis and not just date nights... I gussied up my closet a bit putting everything in plain view and within reach. Remember those cakeplates I showed you? Well I promised I would show you why I was making so many - here you go!

Using a vintage plate and hurricane vase, I also made a picture holder for my favorite pic of me and my sis in our new maryjanes and pjs. (Mine were on the wrong feet. So cute.) I originally made this as a hat stand, but you couldn't see the picture; so I tossed a little flower pin on top and voila! Still in desperate need of a hat stand, I picked up a large wineglass from the dollar tree and hot glued it onto a vintage plate. It works great!

 (yes, I have an inspiration board in my closet...I'm a dork.)

I was also in need a more hooks for my many necklaces and scarves. Luckily my husband had this really cool piece of old wood lying around. I trimmed it down to size and added some hooks and knobs I had lying around. I'm so happy with how it turned out.

Now when I walk into my closet it's like a mini-boutique that inspires me like crazy and makes my type-A neat freak side sing for joy! Maybe I can get ready for date night in 25 minutes now! Happy Monday friends... xo

Mother's Day Goodies

Looking for that perfect gift for Mom? Pure and Noble's added some cute and affordable goodies to the shop!  Here's a peek!

Now go get your sweet Mom a little something special. At only $15.00 each, you could pick up one for yourself too. xo

Around the House: Serenity NOW!

Above is a snapshot of my oldest's drawer on any given day. He doesn't know how to fold all that well (if at all) and he changes his outfit about 5-10 times a day. This is enough to drive a Momma crazy. We have worked and worked on the folding and picking clothes up off the floor, he's better at the latter. But over the weekend, I decided to take matters into my own hands. My approach? Hangers. At his level... in an organized closet.

(Ikea and the Dollar Store help my sanity in BIG ways.)

Man, looking at this photo it appears as though he barely has any clothes at all. I should note that most of his clothes were in the dryer when this photo was snapped. Now I know it's not much to look at, but we're getting there. Once some sight words and art work are hung on the back wall, it will be better. Heck, it will be better if he can just hang his shirts up. That would be so awesome - as well as a time saver and laundry reduction. Oh gosh, I get excited just thinking about it.  And yes, I think he's up for the hanging challenge. PS. He thinks he's up for it too! xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Clutter

I like stuff. Not just any stuff...pretty stuff. My husband, likes minimalism. Enter tidyness. It's a must in our home. I was recently quoted in The Nest magazine on a quick tip for storing kids books: I stack them like records in vintage drawers so they can flip through them easily. It makes clean up a snap too.  Here's some other ways to de-clutter your digs.

cutlery drawer and knobs

spool jewelry holder

keepsakes

family memories (time capsules)

mason jars for the bits and bobs

twine or yarn holders

practical genius!

Sooo many great ideas, huh? I also keep my boys toys in clear storage containers organized by toy type. It makes for easy clean up and it's easier for my youngest to find what he needs - I mean, he's 2.5; he can't read labels yet.

What's your favorite de-clutter method? xo

Around the House: Roadside Freebie

Friday I shared some of my favorite four letter words. I left out a big one - FREE! Driving home from picking up my oldest at school, I saw this lovely sitting in a pile for bulk trash. I stopped and pondered. Then I drove up the street 1.5 blocks and politely asked the hubs to come help me get this in our car.  Here's the amazing part, he didn't even roll his eyes! We loaded her in and left the broken drawers behind.

It had a few dings and some of the decorative pieces on the front were coming off, but a little sanding and wood glue fixed all of that. I decided to paint her black and load all of my sewing goodies on the inside. She is now my new cutting table. And I love her.

I also added some wrapping paper to the back with the help of Command Poster Strips. Next up will be the addition of a tension rod and a curtain made of linen to cover my unsightly mess. I'll show that part next week. 

What's your latest transformation/roadside score? xo

Around the House: Reality Check

Photos of my home have been shown here and there in the "blogosphere." However, I feel it should be said, "that is sooooo not reality."  I mean, yes, it's my house, but it rarely looks that nice. Let's face it. I have two boys five and under; it's impossible to have a home that is neat and tidy all the time or even 50% of the time. Here's what it generally looks like:

Oh gosh, I feel like I just pulled my pants down for the world to see. Yikes! But that's it. That friends is reality. No professional photographer with great lighting. No staging. No photoshop. Just life. It is what it is, lest you think models and homes really look like photo-spreads in real life. I did this post today because I sometimes struggle with comparison, (more often than not unfortunately.) And, I want you all to know that every home out there, no matter how perfectly photographed at times, ends up looking like mine (to a degree) at one point or another!

What's your "dirty little secret"? xo