Works For Me Wednesday–Pine Shelves

I love these shelves.  Currently they hold toys in one of the boy’s rooms.  They are 10 years old and show no sign of wearing out.

I purchased them at Williams & Sonoma in 2001 for storage in my home office.  When we moved they were used for a makeshift pantry in our new apartment.  Next they were used for garage storage.  After that they were used in the playroom for the same thing they are doing now. 

The shelves are adjustable too.  I can’t find them anywhere else and I would highly recommend them even though they might be more expensive.  They will certainly last.

When we put them in the playroom we bolted them to the wall.  There are 3 L-brackets on each shelf weighted at 75 lbs each.  Most full grown adults could climb one of these things.  Did I mention I have busy boys?

3 boys, 3 moves, and countless bumps & bruises but still hangin’ on beautifully.  They SO work for me!

For more WFMW thoughts and ideas go to We Are That Family at the link below.

Monday Musings

I speak often of my enthusiasm for Mondays.  I adore the potential the week holds.

I write diligently in my planner on Mondays, detailing activities and goals.

I thought sharing on the blog might hold me more accountable to my schedules and plans.

There is already one setback already lurking in the shadows.  I am still struggling to break free from this super bug.  A sinus infection has set in and I feel short of breath still.  And frankly I am exhausted from normal chores.  There are a few cases of pneumonia floating around our church that have me concerned.  I wonder if I am ignoring the obvious and should make the trip to the clinic.

So this week’s goals

#1 – more Vitamin C and lots more water

#2 – go to bed early (at least by 10 pm)

#3 – no eating out (happens a lot when I am too sick to cook)

#4 – work at least one hour/day on organizing biz

#5 – make table cloth for school room table

#6 – make a triple chocolate cheesecake!

I have a few appointments and events as well.  And still lots to blog about waiting on the back burner.  Time has been the issue as usual and cute little boys who distract me from everything.  For now I will focus on this lurking sickness.  It seems to be the biggest threat to my week.

Happy Monday!

Tackle It Tuesday-All Tied Up

 

If you are like me then you are surrounded by cords.  Everything plugs in, syncs, or charges these days.  We have a surplus of power cords, usb cords, audio/visual cables, cables for televisions and computers, adapters, data cords, etc.  It is a challenge to keep it organized.

I regularly go through the piles to thin it out but inevitably it spreads across the house as devices die or move.  Another issue we face as military is moving which means we might need that cord at the next house.

Today I organized the piles.  First I found everything around the house and garage.  There were several locations that developed as I have tried to organize over the years.

Next my husband went thru the pile disposing items we no longer used.  Below is what was left after the decluttering.  2 large boxes to one small pile!

Then he wound each cord, zip tied it, and sorted according to type.  He had to do this because I have no idea what each cord does or if it was important.  I placed each type in a plastic bag and labeled it.  We ended up with 6 different bags. I thought about just writing with a sharpie on the bag but it wouldn’t show up as well as the white label.

Large easy to read labels will prevent digging through the box and putting new cords away easier in the future.  Items left out  were too large for a plastic bag or in their own bag and unique so easy to identify.

Finally, I put them sitting up with the labels showing in this Rubbermaid 10 gallon bin I bought at Lowe’s last year.  I put this bin on the storage shelf next to the door going into the house coming from the garage.  Then I labeled the bin and dated it.  The date was so I would know the last time I decluttered it and when it is time to do it again. 

This is a busy door and it is easy to reach.  Because we look for cords once or twice a month it is best to keep it convenient.  Otherwise I am more likely to either forget where it is or put off a task because it is too hard to get the box down.  I feel much better now and I have some free space in the office.  I wonder what I can put there next week.

Works For Me Wednesday–Canisters

 

Like any newlywed I had registered for all the same kitchen things.  I was so excited to get my own set of canisters in Cobalt Blue.  Little did I know they didn’t work.

My hand and the measuring cup didn’t fit in the top.  By the time I got both out half the sugar had fallen out and my measurement was wrong.  Plus some sugar had fallen on the countertop which meant cleaning it up.  I started leaving the sugar and flour in big plastic containers in the pantry, never using the pretty ones on the counter.

If you know me you know I like things to work.  I want to use them and if I don’t and it just takes up space then out it goes.  Beauty is just a bonus when something needs to get done. And sometimes the cookies just need to get done!  So I tossed them.

After I got over the guilt I finally figured out what I really wanted.  THESE!

I love them.  They work great.  They are huge and easy to use.  I can leave a 2 cup measuring scoop in each one.  I can open the latch with one hand, scoop without spilling, and close it again.  I know immediately when I am running low and each one holds at least a 4-5 lb bag or more of each item.  They even look nice on the countertop.

Check out more WFMW info over here:

Tackle It Tuesday–Filing

 

This is my project this week.  Take our old files and clean them out then re-file them into these new beautiful files.  I have put it off for years.  These cute little file boxes were on sale 75% off at www.franklincovey.com in December, the perfect opportunity.  At least now I can look at something pretty while doing something boring.

Our lives have changed since the first system started.  11 years, 1 house, many moves, 3 children, 6 dogs (not all at once), cars, appliances, etc. have become part of our lives.  All those things create paperwork, some to keep, shred, or recycle.

These are the files I have collected over the years.  Each one different and added at a different time for a new activity.

Files should change with you.  Many things are digital now so paper is less necessary but some things still require paper especially in the Army (marriage license, rabies vaccinations, birth certificates, power of attorney, wills, etc.).

This pile is full of old bills and receipts, past tax returns, equipment/appliance manuals available online, and paper that should go in a different location.

The first box now contains current receipts, medical records, insurance policies, dog’s health records and pedigrees, and a few hard to find manuals not online.  This will also eventually contain homeschool records required by the state in the event we need to produce them.

The second box contains quilt patterns, decorating inspirations, and craft ideas.  This changes with my mood and interests, so monthly.

The third box is room to grow.  I wanted these boxes to last awhile so I bought one extra.  Each box has room left in it so as we change our files will change with us, at least for awhile.

Your system should work with your lifestyle.  I like to put them in categories according to how I work with them.  I work on finances and important household information at the same time.  Medical information also falls into that category but we are all healthy folks with no recurring/chronic issues.  Our files are small.  If you are different you should probably have your own file box filed alphabetically with nothing else. This is especially important if you often find yourself in the ER or running out the door to multiple doctor appointments. 

http://getbuttonedup.com/wp-content/themes/buttonedup_09_v2/img/products/images/medicaldoc_large.jpg 

This one from Buttoned Up looks useful and easy to transport.

I quilt and look at patterns at a completely separate time.  Some times I produce the box for friends to rifle through for inspiration or fun.

http://getbuttonedup.com/our-products/all-products/school-files/

Homeschool is a separate activity and has its own accordion file from Buttoned Up.  This one was designed for a household of 3 children in public/private school.  Since I have 3 boys, one in 2nd grade and one almost in kindergarten I found it useful for keeping their curriculum information separate.  This is a file that will change annually with each school year.  Each child individual tab pulls out so you can write on it.  Very handy!

Testing records and legal documents for state requirements are kept with the other important documents in box 1.  They will be updated and filed away hopefully never to be used.  I occasionally send my son to retrieve documents out of the school file so it is important no irreplaceable/vital docs be kept here.

As you can see I have no files for my husband.  He is gadget guy and has TONS of documents specific to the military.  Each has a number letter combo and it confuses the heck out of me.  He carries almost all of them with him daily on his PDA.  He loves being paperless when he can.  I am

Now why boxes and not a filing cabinet?  Two reasons: we are Army and we have a small house.  We will move.  When we do I like to keep important documents with me, not locked on a truck driving across country or on a ship going overseas.  Our house has no room for a filing cabinet.  I would love one really but this is what works for us for now.

I hope you can find what works for you.

Find more project ideas at:

http://www.mommysavers.com/2011/02/organizing-bathroom-cabinetsdrawers/#comment-6459

and

Tackle It Tuesday–Organizing the Kitchen

 

On Tuesdays I am going to begin posting about a weekly organizing project.

This week it was a major rearrange of a shelf to provide more storage in my cozy kitchen.

The first step was to get the shelf out of the office.  After I determined that I didn’t actually need the shelf and could simply declutter it I started unloading.  Then DH helped me carry it into the kitchen.

(the metal shelf in the left corner – great one to pick huh? see Where is Your Office for the lowdown on my crazy office space)

Now it does block a window but the view isn’t great.  We live in a rental property that has too many trees.  In fact so many trees grass cannot grow.  Trust me.  I tried.  I counted the trees. 32 in the backyard alone, 52 total on the property.  That is a lot to this Texas girl from the land where you can see for 100 miles.  I supplement Vitamin D now.

Anyway, because of the trees we don’t get a lot of light on a sunny day.  Moving the shelf there wasn’t going to change much and would solve a ton of problems.

I have recently started baking 3 to 4 times a week, some times more (see Cheesecake Saturday).  My baking supplies were not easily accessible for that amount of baking.  I have this huge mixer that I LOVE and it was too big for the counter where it was.  My pans were down low where every dust ball & bunny, dying insect, dog hair, and leaves would accumulate.  Not what you want in your baking pans.  I washed them before and after I used them.  Who has that kind of time?

(Please ignore the awful paint job and butcher block laminate counter top. It is a rent house. There is nothing I can do.)

So now they are up, out of danger.  I moved the microwave because my kids are finally old enough not to use it to microwave their action figures. 

That also opened up space to move my beloved mixer within arms reach.  This opened up the other side of the counter which meant I could get the cabinet cleared above by moving some canisters out of there.  So now I have organized, viewable, baking supplies with more counter and cabinet space. 

I then moved the bins from the pantry/shelf to the rolling cart shelf where the baking pans used to be.  I also pulled out a punch bowl that didn’t fit in a cabinet above the refrigerator and put it on the large shelf. 

It was my husband’s grandmother’s punch bowl she had forever.  I love to keep those things out and hopefully use.  They make me feel connected and fuzzy inside.  Besides if you aren’t going to use it why do you have it? (not always true with antique items but most things)

You might wonder why many of my pantry items are in plastic containers with lids?  Well that story is for another post.  It involves a large rodent with opposable thumbs or at least it seemed like he had some.

Happy Organizing!