Tuesday Tip: Use a Thermal Tote

 I was talking with a friend the other day, about the cooler/thermal totes we keep in our trunks. Then it occurred to me - I wonder if EVERY mom knows about this wonderful invention?! So, just in case you don't, this "Tuesday Tip" post is for you.............

I purchased this thermal tote (called an "Insulated Shopper" at Sam's) and keep it in my trunk for those runs to the grocery that happen oh-so-often when you have 15 more places to be before heading home. It's so nice to have your groceries kept cold, especially in these Alabama summer temperatures!

 I use my thermal tote at least once a week, and yesterday this is what it was keeping cool for me:

{And there was still plenty of room in there for more groceries!}

Another great option for your trunk is this organizer (from Sam's as well). It even comes with a detachable cooler! I love that the trunk organizer collapses and doesn't take up much room when it's not in use.

So, there's my Tuesday Tip for you.....keeping some type of thermal tote or cooler in your trunk will make your life a lot easier! :)

Tuesday Tip: Making a "Snack Zone"

A great way to stay organized now that the kids are back in school is to create a "Snack Zone." I have one in my house, and it has helped us tremendously. The kids know where to look when they are hungry, and best of all, they can help themselves! :)

Our snack zone is in a pull-out drawer in the pantry. It doesn't matter where you create your snack zone, just as long as it's easily accessible to the kids. It could be a drawer, a basket in the pantry, or inside a low cabinet. Or, if you have the space, you could repurpose an over-the-door shoe storage holder to become a snack holder. Like this:

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The key to having a snack zone is having the snacks pre-packaged into small, snack-size baggies. I keep pretzels, goldfish, and veggie straws readily available in ours, along with Clif bars, peanut butter crackers, fruit snacks, and Slim Jim's (gross, I know....but my son loves those things)!

I check the snacks about 1-2 times a week, and usually end up restocking every Sunday night.

 

I also love the idea of having a snack zone in the fridge, to hold items like yogurts, applesauce, carrots, fruit, and string cheese. Again, use snack-size baggies wherever possible, and place them all in one central bin.

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And there's your Tuesday Tip!

Feel free to comment below and tell me about the snack zone in your kitchen....

Tuesday Tip: How to Organize Kids' Toiletries

I couldn't decide which of these simple ideas to store kid's toiletries was my favorite, so for today's Tuesday Tip, you're getting both!

 

1. Simply purchase a utensil organizer and use it to separate toothbrushes for each child. Slip it in the vanity drawer to keep away from bathroom germs floating around. Easy peasy!

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2. Or if your vanity doesn't have a drawer, consider purchasing a small, 3 drawer storage compartment like this one:

 

 Store this in your bathroom cabinet, and designate a drawer for each child. Use their drawer to store toothpaste, toothbrush, dental floss, and any other supplies they made need.

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What is your favorite way to store your kids' toiletries?!

Tuesday Tip: Organize Utensils IN the Dishwasher

 

Does anyone else despise unloading the dishwasher?! I don't know why this chore annoys me so, but it does. However, I have a little tip to help unloading the dishwasher faster & easier.....

 

....wait for it.....

 

While you're LOADING the dishwasher, place like utensils together. (Translation: put all the forks in one compartment; all the knives in one compartment.) That way, when it comes time to UNLOAD the dishwasher, you just have to grab a handful of utensils and they are already sorted for you.

Pretty easy, right?!

 

So there's my Tuesday Tip: Organize utensils while loading the dishwasher!

 

**Make sure to check back to see the blog & Facebook page all month, where I will be discussing other organizational tips specifically for the Kitchen**

Peek Inside: A Professional Organizer's House... {Abby's Room}

I got an overwhelming response last month when I had my first "Peek Inside" post. As a result, I've decided to go room-by-room in my house, and give you the specifics on what organizing methods I use. Today, my daughter's room is featured!

 

{Now, let me just give you a little background on Abby first. She is 5, going on 15. She's full of sass & personality, and has the most infectious laugh I've ever heard. She loves anything pink, dancing & singing in her room, playing dress-up, coloring, and pestering her older brother....}

The diva herself

Growing up, I was a huge tomboy - and still kinda am! - so the word "princess," and the color pink was just not in my vocabulary. It still isn't. But oh the things you will do for your daughter....

 

Zone 1: The Bed & Nightstands. I store a few space bags under Abby's bed, filled with clothes she has outgrown and I need to consign. As for the nightstands, I wanted them to have lots of storage, so each has a drawer and cabinet.

 The top right picture is Abby's "junk drawer".....I let her put whatever she wants in there, as long as it fits in that little bin. The top left picture has a container for all her bookmarks, and the purple case holds her Pokémon cards. (Yes, her brother is rubbing off on her a little bit!) The bird pillow is her Tooth Fairy pillow....haven't had to use it yet though. The books on the bottom left are ones we have been reading lately, and the picture on the bottom right holds her piggy bank, wallet, and cds (her clock doubles as a cd player/radio.)

 Zone 2: The Dresser. I'm pretty proud of this beauty, because I refinished it with a friend. (She even did a fabulous stencil on the side; look 2 pictures up!) We painted it a light gray with white hardware, and then I purchased the glass knobs at Hobby Lobby.

 I lined the drawers with metallic wrapping paper, just because I thought it was pretty! (And my daughter loves all things shiny.) I glued it on with a spray-on adhesive, like this one. The bins are from IKEA, and help to organize socks, leotards, underwear, and tights.

 This bow organizer was another DIY project of mine. I bought an old frame from Goodwill, spray- painted it, removed the glass, and hot glued pieces of thick white ribbon on the back. (The reason I used hot glue was because the frame is plastic. If you have a wood frame, I would recommend using a staple gun.)

 Zone 3: The Kitchen & Art Wall. I feel like this kitchen is a bit of an eyesore (Thanks Nanny!), but Abby loves it and plays with it constantly. When she outgrows it in another year or two, I'm picturing a white desk or maybe even a vanity in it's place.

Abby is pretty good about keeping the kitchen organized, so this is what it looks like on a good day! All the white bins are from The Dollar Store, and do a great job containing all of her "food."

 I created an Art Wall for Abby because she is constantly drawing pictures for her family, friends, and strangers on the street :) These are some of her current favorites, and the frames are super easy to change out at a moment's notice. Another great IKEA purchase! (Or you could get similar ones at Michael's when they are on sale.)

I purchased the watercolor in the middle from a friend...
let me know if you want her contact information!

 

Zone 4: The Closet. Wow, that's a lot of pink! I have Abby's dresses, and out-of-season short-sleeve shirts on the top bar, since she can't reach that high. Down below, I have her dress-up clothes (tucked in the left corner) and her long-sleeve shirts. She insists on picking out her clothes each day (and it's always a very colorful ensemble to say the least!), so it's important that she can reach the clothes herself. I also think *every* kids' closet needs a hanging organizer (far right). Abby's holds extra hangers, large & small blankets, and an extra set of sheets.

 The pink bins on the middle shelf are a lifesaver. In fact, I blogged about them a few months ago, in my "Tuesday Tip" post.  I've found that the easiest way to deal with the constant influx of clothes is to designate two bins in Abby's closet as follows: "Too Big" and "Too Small." Since I am a mom that loves to shop at consignment sales, as well as sell/consign my kids' clothes, these bins are a tremendous help with in those two areas! For example: when I buy something for the next season, it goes in the "Too Big" bin. And when I've decided those shorts are just toooo short, they go in the "Too Small" bin. (I previously mentioned that I have space bags under Abby's bed with out-of-season clothes. The pink bins will eventually be emptied into those; they just serve as a temporary holding spot when I'm in a rush.)

 

If you're wondering, I got the canvas bins from Target. And I created the labels using these name badges, Microsoft Word, and some scrapbook paper!

 

The first bin on the left is labeled "Summer," and holds swim suits & sandals.

 Looking up into Abby's closet, you will see a box labeled "cards", a basket for "quilts," and then the one on the far right is a memory box I gave to Abby on her first birthday. It holds a few special pictures, my hankie from my wedding, and a lock of hair from her first haircut.

 As previously mentioned, my daughter loooooves to play dress-up! I have her costumes tucked away into the left corner of her closet. She loves the easy access, but we are still working on her being able to correctly hang them back up. (Right now, I just ask her to put them in a pile when she's done with them.)

And here are her two bins - one has miscellaneous items like wands, boas, tiaras, etc. And the white bin holds all of her dress-up shoes. These she can definitely pick up & put back on her own.

 Zone 5: Bookshelf & Table Set. On the top shelf, I have hardback books of Abby's that are keepsakes or gifts (translation: she's not allowed to mess with them!). The bottom shelf holds the rest of her books, and her jewelry box. (Oh, how my girl loves to accessorize!) Again, these are right at her level and provide easy access.

The cabinet underneath holds her Legos. The two white bins are from The Dollar Tree, and I just cut up part of the boxes from each set so they could be easily identified. (If you've already thrown away the original packaging, just stick a chalkboard label on there with the name of the set, or print a picture off the internet.) The two clear bins inside the gray box hold Lego sets as well, just smaller ones.

 

Now, I know a lot of people tend to store Legos by color, but I have found that my kids prefer to store them in sets, so they don't have to go hunting around for pieces. To each his own! (When I feature my son's room, you will see that it was more of a challenge to create his Lego storage, since he has a gazillion sets!)

 Abby's table & chair set was a present from "Santa" this year, so we are still getting used to it. Right now, she's using it to display (& play with) her Lego sets after she assembles them. In the future, I see her using this for tea parties as well.

 

And the large basket in the corner holds all of Abby's "friends." Whenever the basket reaches capacity (which it pretty much is right now!), I tell her we have to donate a few or find a new home for them.

 Zone 6: The Bathroom. I told you my daughter was a diva, and she a bathroom attached to her room. (It was put in by the previous owners, right before we moved in 2 years ago. Score!)

 

I refinished the cabinet on the right, by painting it white and then giving the interior cabinet a coat of sea foam blue. I removed the glass from the cabinet doors and added chicken wire. And 300 cuts on my hands later, it was complete! :) The baskets are mostly used for extra hair accessories, nail polish, and combs/brushes.

And that concludes the tour of Abby's room. Stay tuned for more rooms in the upcoming months!


**I want to make it clear that - for the most part - these are staged pictures. My daughter is five years old, so her room is not this spotless all of the time! The main things I have her do to stay organized is to make her bed every morning, and then clean up her toys/dress-up clothes before bedtime. I'm happy with just those two chores, and I don't feel like it's asking too much of a five year old. So please just keep that in mind when you're viewing these pictures!**

If you'd like to share how your kids' keep their rooms clean, please leave a comment below. I'd love to hear from you!

Tuesday Tip: Use a "Crap Basket"

Ok, so I apologize for the vulgar name. Technically, this basket is called a "Seagrass Stair Decorative Basket with Handle." But I just think Crap Basket is more catchy :)

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We have this exact basket in our home, and let me just tell you...it is a lifesaver! You see, all 4 of our bedrooms are upstairs, so I was finding that I was going up & down those stairs 100 times a day, putting things away. Whereas that is good exercise, it was a huge time waster.

 

Enter: The Crap Basket.

 

I placed this at the foot our stairs and it fits on there perfectly and doesn't take up too much room! We started out using it mainly for shoes, for when the kids get home & take them off. And then it evolved into library books that need to go upstairs.... blankies....stuffed animals ....socks..... legos from my son's room ......basically anything that trickled downstairs, but its' "home" was upstairs.

 

It really has been a wonderful "catch-all" for us and I just take it upstairs once a day to unload it. I usually do this right at bedtime, while the kids are getting their pjs on & brushing their teeth. It takes 5 minutes, max!

 

So there is my Tuesday Tip: Get Yourself a Crap Basket! :)

Tuesday Tip: Take Christmas Inventory Now!

I don't know about you, but I just finished wrapping my last gift today. I baaaarely had enough ribbon, and my gift bag supply is now completely diminished. Before I pack away all of my gift-wrapping supplies, I always make a list of what I need to buy next year.
(That way, when next October rolls around and I'm seeing wrapping stuff go on sale at places like Hobby Lobby and Michaels, I already know what I need!)

 

You can keep this list in a simple app on your phone, like Evernote. Or, you can put a post-it in your planner under December 2015.
(Am I the only one out there that still has an old-school planner and calendar!?)

 

 

 

So there's my "Tuesday Tip" for you: Take inventory of your gift-wrapping supplies NOW, so you'll be ahead of the game for next year. (This is also not a bad idea to do for your Christmas décor as well, in case you need to replace anything!)

 

Tuesday Tip: Apps to Help You Stay Organized

By NO means am I a techie. I don't think I've ever even uttered that word!! My friends love to laugh at me because I was the last person on Earth to get a smartphone. Yep, that's me! (It was in February, thanks.)

 

That being said, I've recently discovered two apps on my iPhone that help me stay organized....

This is similar to the standard "Notes" app that comes with an iPhone, but it just takes it to a different level of organization! :) Instead of just adding notes, you can create Notebooks...and add pictures to them! For example, my current Notebooks include: Christmas List, Master Bedroom, and My Little Pony Party. So when I'm out shopping and see an item I like, I can snap a picture of it (using the camera function through Evernote). This is also a great place to collect my thoughts....it's like you always have a post-it with you! So when I'm watching my son at taekwondo or my daughter at gymnastics, I can "jot" down thoughts on Christmas present ideas, birthday party ideas, etc.

 

The best part is - this is a free app. So, check it out!

I don't know about you, but I have about 5 passwords that I rotate for my online accounts: iTunes, Yahoo, Gmail, Snapfish, my bank, bills, PayPal, Amazon......the list goes on! The problem is, I'm always forgetting which password is for which account. I used to have them all written down in a notebook but I know that is a big no-no!! This app is my solution. You create ONE master/super hard password to get into LastPass, and then that is all you have to remember! You can enter all your accounts & passwords once inside, and have access to them anytime.

 

This app has a free trial, and then a small annual fee after that. In my opinion, it's well worth it.

 

So there's my Tuesday Tip(s):

Check out the Evernote & LastPass apps. They're great!

Tuesday Tip: "Too Big & Too Small" Bins

I don't know about you, but my kids are growing like weeds!

 

They are 7 and (almost) 5 years old, and I swear they need new clothes every other week. But of course, they don't get them. My son can typically be found wearing high-waters and my daughter's old dresses have now become tunics :)

 

That being said, I've found that the easiest way to deal with the constant influx of clothes is to designate two bins in their closet as follows: "Too Big" and "Too Small." Here is my daughter's closet:



I am a mom that loves to shop at consignment sales, as well as sell/consign my kids' clothes. Let me just tell you...these bins are a tremendous help with in those two areas! For example: when I buy something for the next season, it goes in the "Too Big" bin. And when I've decided those shorts are just toooo short, they go in the "Too Small" bin.

 

Pretty simple idea, but quite the lifesaver, I promise.

 

So there's my Tuesday Tip - Create "Too Big" and "Too Small" bins in your kids' closets.

 

(*If you're wondering, I created the labels using these name badges, Microsoft Word, and some scrapbook paper!)