On The Fly ...

DIY Closet System

2011-08-04T01:55:00.005-04:00

After finally going through all of my email (cause it has been a WHILE) I have discovered several of the same question. By SEVERAL I am not implying I have a VAST number of readers hanging on my every word - emailing me daily. I just mean, I have received more than ONE (less than 100) email with the same question.

WHAT have I used to make my beloved closet system.

So, I figured since (more than one!) inquiring minds want to know . . . I shall tell you!

I bought the white shelves at Ikea - they are the billy bookcase line. The tall ones are around $40 a piece and the short ones are $25. But any matching shelves would work. Then again, I guess they don't HAVE to match if that floats your boat, same size would be good. Mine HAVE to match because my OCD requires it.

The rods I bought at home depot and are made by closet maid. My husband attached a block of wood on the inside of the shelf so the rod had more to hang on to. It just made it more secure.

I put a white "floating" shelf above the rod between the shelves (ikea lack shelf) so it was even all the way across (again with my OCD). I attached all of the book cases to the wall with "L" brackets and then put a screw through the book case into the side of the LACK shelf for stability. Honestly, by saying I, what I really mean is that my lovely handy men and free family labor did it while "I" supervised.

The wooden boxes I picked up at joann fabrics and painted them (I DID actually do this, most of it anyway). The days of the week bins are just from the dollar tree of all places and I labelled them with foam sticky letters. You might want to use extra glue because they don't stay with just the adhesive. Though, looking back now, I should have just used a sharpie.

Am I missing anything??

Oh, when we added on to the closet system in the play area, the 6 cube shelves that we used were closet maid. You can get them anywhere (target, walmart, lowes, amazon, etc) and the fabric bins are also closet maid.

Well now, you are free to go out and build a custom closet system for your home. Just remember . . . closet organization systems evolve over time, after trial and error. Be flexible and always keep your eye out of ways to tweek it to suit you and your needs. No matter how PRETTY looking a closet can be (or how they make you tear up just looking at them) it needs to be functional and suit everything you can throw at it.

GENIUS!

2011-07-13T02:00:00.002-04:00

As fellow organization nerds, I think you should all enjoy the sheer GENIUS of my crafty friend Jodi.

Her blog has so many great ideas, useful tips and how to's with a healthy dose of organizational genius. If I had a sewing machine, I would make these for EVERY bin I own. Which, needless to say, would be a LOT!

So here . . . read THIS and get your organization crafty-ness ON!

Laundry of My Dreams

2011-07-13T01:28:00.006-04:00

Well, the crazy construction is just about finished and we are 90% moved into the new laundry room off the kitchen.

I am down right GIDDY! I grin ear to ear, give a big sigh and feel butterflies whenever I walk through the door. Yes, it is THAT amazing! The only thing that would top this is if there was a magical machine to fold and put the laundry away as well. But, I digress . . .

The most impressive thing in the room is the large folding bench that houses 10 laundry baskets - like drawers! The original idea came from this great blog that I really enjoy - Ana White - formally known as Knock off wood. I saw this laundry dresser and instantly knew I had to have it!

After measuring the room, we realized that we could make a shorter, longer version. With lightening speed, my father whipped it out the vary last day he was in town. A bit of sanding, primer and paint - throw in some cheap-ish laundry baskets from walmart, and it has become the star of our new laundry oasis.

Currently, the first two baskets are what I call the "INTAKE" baskets. That way, I can be flexible with my loads and no one has to figure out WHAT system I feel like using that week. The rest are sorted loads ready to throw in. I even have a couple of baskets for pool towels.

The possibilities for this bench are endless! I am sure I will be trying them all to find works best for us. In the meantime - it shall be my new favorite organizational toy!

TWINS have arrived!

2011-06-22T15:11:00.004-04:00

Well, our twins have arrived and my quest for organization had taken a short break. The lack of sleep has been daunting, my laundry mountain has turned into the Cascade mountain range, I am potty training a toddler, school is out which means EVERYONE is home and BORED and our house has been under construction since the day after I arrived home from the hospital.

This craziness has brought on some fun exciting new turns however! The "construction" is our unused sun-room being transformed into a laundry room / mud room off of the kitchen. GLORY!!! The new laundry room will be finished soon and my life will dramatically change - FIRST FLOOR LAUNDRY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Having two newborns is twice the work and twice the lack of sleep . . . However, they are twice worth it. They are very good babies who love to snuggle and I get twice the amount of adorable baby smiles looking back at me.

Reorganization Take 2

2011-03-27T17:18:00.008-04:00

I realize that the office doesn't seem like a priority for organization when awaiting twins however, the fact that I cannot see my feet made it one.

One entire wall of our office was littered with last years art and school supplies, craft projects and sewing goods. It was getting out of control and hazardous for small children and sneaky big kids alike.

With a LOT of help (due to my lack of bending abilities), I managed to get it all organized into my BELOVED mod podge containers and get it up on a shelf.

Is this the designer dream office I have been plotting for years - no. But it is JUST what was called for in our phase of life. My philosophy for the house this last year has been: Do what you can, when you can, for now. You can always add or design more later.

Now, we have a desk for the boys to get their work done, a place to store ALL of the crafty artsy fun supplies and a clear space I can waddle through without stepping on crayons with my bare feet.

Reorganization Take 1

2011-02-03T17:05:00.007-05:00

With the arrival of the twins in about 4 weeks, the house transformations are just about finished - for now. Of course, with my crazy pregnant lady eye, I have found MANY more projects that I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to take on but alas - priorities.

I started with the kids room and my beloved closet system creation.

We have taken out half of the play area to accommodate the TWO closet rods and bin shelves that were seriously needed. I just picked up three closet maid 6 cube shelves to flank the rods. The cube bins now hold their socks, slippers, underwear, under shirts, school pants and school gym uniform. With summer coming up, I am thinking of putting a bin on top for swim trunks.

Since our boys are getting older, this will be their changing area and where ALL of their clothes will be kept. I have lifted up their beds for storage underneath as well - where they now store their PJ's and spare sheets. There is also a large dresser for the boys to keep their jeans, tee shirts and sweat pants across from their closet.

The extra cubes hold extra diapers for the girls, pillow cases and crib bedding. Though, I may end up putting the swim trunks and swim suits in there as well. As with all new systems we will need to try it out to see if it works for our family. There are more photos here.

I have moved ALL kids books into this window nook. It doesn't always stay cleaned up but it is a good out of the way spot for the kids to grab books.

The girls have inherited their own dressers. PJ's are still kept under the crib as well as the diaper changing things. In our house, bedtime consists of my husband and I grabbing a spot on the floor and getting everyone ready. With the diapers and PJ's under the crib, it makes it easy to just grab supplies instead of running around the room for things. It may not work for everyone but it fits in with our families system.

there was ANOTHER one . . .

2010-10-30T10:40:00.005-04:00

Well, we found another baby on our ultrasound this week!!

This is why I have been so sick - TWINS!!! #5 and #6!!

So. . . you can expect a MAJOR reorganization of the ENTIRE HOUSE!

AAAHHHHH!!

I might have to even scrap my beloved closet system in the kids room and start again. I have so many configurations going through my head! should my toddlers share a queen bed or move to a single & toddler bed? where do we fit another dresser? where do we build another closet? Is it time for my boys to have bunk beds? If so, where do we put them?

Once the shock is gone - I am going to get down to business! So, hopefully, I can keep you all up to date with the house and LIFE changes!!

In the meantime - any new organization products or suggestions are ALWAYS welcome!! It might be time to reinvent the wheel!!

New addition means NO POSTS!

2010-10-15T11:48:00.003-04:00

Just to give you all a heads up . . .

It has been a very long time since I have given you all a post. Not that you are on the edge of your seat waiting daily for word from me. I am 10 weeks pregnant with baby #5 and MISERABLE! When I can keep my children fed, dressed and alive while keeping my own food down and clothes from stretching out, I am sure I will be up to my crazy organizing self!

I have BIG plans for the house - ORGANIZING and GUTTING rooms!! It will be very exciting!! Mostly for me but I shall pretend that you will be excited with me. In 6 weeks when the reorganization of our home begins, I will keep you all posted. This baby was just the motivation that I needed to get our home to run like a well oiled machine!

Happy Fall and I will post soon!

Garden drama

2010-08-27T02:48:00.003-04:00

My "adventure with gardening" has had a few losses and a few new “pets”.

First . . . my acorn squash and several of my zucchini plants have died. They just wilted and then the stems disintegrated in my hands. Some say it was a mildew and others a borer. It could also have been a sickness that cucumber beetles possess. I lost a couple of cucumber plants to them as well so I am apt to blame them. I cannot totally complain – we have been eating zucchini with EVERY meal for the last two months. Plus, the acorn seeds I saved not thinking they would grow, produced ONE acorn squash. It may not sound productive but it was an experiment after all.

I have managed to save at least ONE zucchini plant and it is producing as we speak!After spending countless hours on garden net I cleared out the dead stuff and mounded dirt on the damaged parts of the stem. In a couple of days, I will be eating MORE zucchini. Now, “lovingly” referred to as Zombie-cchini.

After coming home from vacation, we were bountifully blessed with four eggplants, a pound and a half of tomatoes, three zucchini and a “pet” groundhog. He/She (not named of course!) was living under my sunroom DIRECTLY behind my veggie bed. It had to walk down the center plank, past all of the green onions and broccoli to get to its home. Naturally, I was a raving lunatic and utterly distraught for two straight days!My amazing husband JUMPED into action. Luckily, our neighbors across the alley had just caught two the week before and still had the trap they borrowed. I waited to rest of the evening, and most of the night and then halfway through the next day. Still no sign of the silly pest! Upon further reading, it seems that the groundhog does not like the “pitter patter” of stomping children and the noises of a house with four children ages 7 and under. So, with the assistance of my mother in law and sister in law (and their subsequent knee braces and crutches), we all headed out of the house for the day.

By the time we arrived home, the PEST was in its cage and ready for my husband to find it a new home – across THREE highways and far away from my veggies.

Our last "pet" is one we have had for a while and I REALLY like her (or him). One night, while tidying up my living room, I “stumbled” (after a screech and a jump) upon a small praying mantis on my husband’s chair. How it got in our house, I will never know – though, I have PLENTY of suspicions and animal loving boys to blame! I quickly grabbed my husband and, without actually TOUCHING it, instructed him to take it straight to my veggie bed.

Well, after a couple of months – I still have a pet mantis! Whenever I am out there, I will find her hiding somewhere, eating all of the pets I don’t want. She is a very useful pet and getting quite large – I guess that means that she is eating VERY well!!!!!

Experimenting with Gardening

2010-07-13T20:32:00.013-04:00

It has been QUITE a while since I have posted anything and here is why - I have started a Veggie garden! I have been engrossed in it to the point of near craziness and have discovered a new 7 month hobby to occupy me (because I am not busy enough).

After hearing and reading about "The Square Foot Garden" concept, I realized that THAT is exactly the kind of growing that would work in the city. We are blessed with a decent size yard for our area but nothing large enough for rows and rows of veggies and sections of orchards that I, longingly, envision in my head.

The concept is simple - you can grow a lot of food in ONE SQUARE foot of dirt. So, my husband built me a box (4ft by 10 ft) - NO digging required and I mixed the soil (1/3 peat moss, 1/3 manure & 1/3 vermiculite) then filled the box. As my mothers day gift, the whole family went to the nursery and I picked out my starts.

In the raised bed I planted: 1 green pepper, 3 Roma tomatoes, 6 red leaf lettuce, 6 romaine lettuce, 4 zucchini, two acorn squash (from seed), 5 celery, 5 broccoli, 4 eggplant, 1 burp less cucumber, 10 green onions, 9 spinach, 4 cherry tomatoes, Italian parsley, rosemary, 2 sweet basil, sage, creeping thyme (edible) and curry.

You can see up to date photos of the bed here!!

In large pots (I picked up at BIG LOTS for $16 bucks) I planted: 2 Roma tomatoes & 2 burp less cucumbers.

You can see up to date photos of the Pots here!

I was also given several Cherry Tomato plants by my green thumb neighbors so I have a few more containers and pots around the yard with 5 more tomatoes. We REALLY love tomatoes!

Lastly, after watching several youtube videos on making my own potato bin - I did it! I think I will do things differently next year but, we will have potatoes in the fall!

My experimental gardening has been going well for the most part. The weather was CRAZY hot during the first few weeks so the spinach went to seed and never recovered. I finally pulled it out and put in a few more green onions I had in the kitchen.

I have spent most of the summer battling CUCUMBER BEETLES. They have really attacked the cucumbers I have in my bed. When I thought they were controlled, I got a total of 2 cucumbers and now the virus that they spread has taken hold and my cucumber is pretty much dead. I have decided NOT to pull it out because it still has a few places for them to attack and I don't want them to move to the cucumbers that are in the pot.

Yet another bug I have discovered while gardening is the CABBAGE WORM. It is a white moth, that lays it eggs on cabbage and broccoli leaves. The eggs then hatch and these green worms eat the leaves and eventually try to work their way to the head of the broccoli (in our case). They are "cute" according to my bug loving son but my 14 year old brother in law wasn't too fond of finding one on his plate for dinner (not my doing). They are very hard to spot because they are the SAME color as the leaves and they are usually found on the back of the leaves or on the stalk. If you see little black or orange pellets on your produce, start checking the leaves and stalk around it for a worm - those are their "left overs".

My newest PEST is the SQUASH BUG. They are U-G-L-Y and kind of smelly and really annoying. I found several batches of eggs on the underside of my acorn squash leaves today. In the last two weeks, I have been killing two bugs a day. Ironically, I pick them up and SQUASH them. ha ha ha ha ha

They like to bury down to the roots of your zucchini and squash and eat away. Keep an eye out for this obnoxious bugs and get to them FAST!

Adventures in Felt Food

2010-05-10T13:20:00.004-04:00

I have been having a ridiculous amount of fun making FELT play food for my kids play kitchen. There are NUMBEROUS blogs to check out on the subject and you can get great ideas on etsy (or just buy them if you don’t want to make them yourself).

Here are a few Links I think you should check out; they are VERY impressive!

Homemade by Jill (she also has LOTS of links)

American Felt & Craft blog

Ivers (check out her felt food photo stream)

So far, I have made a pizza (which is a little more involved than I originally thought but, I think it will be worth it in the end). I am making all of the toppings separately so my kids can get creative in their pizza toppings

The sauce and cheese are essentially one piece of felt just edged. I currently have basil (or spinach) and tomatoes for a margarita pizza. I will also be making mushrooms, pineapple, pepperoni and possibly even green peppers. We will see.

I have also made orange slices and fried eggs. With plans for pancakes after my pizza project is done.

Feeding The Masses

2010-05-03T12:58:00.005-04:00

It seems to me that my kids are ALWAYS hungry. I feel like I am CONSTANTLY preparing food (& cleaning up after it). Well, I finally got organized this month and even on day two I have noticed how much easier it is to feed the masses.

I have designated a drawer in my fridge and a bin in my cabinet JUST for snacks. It took a bit of time, separating and bagging things when I came home from the store but it is worth it in the long run.

As for making lunches. . . Through this blog, I have been blessed with ideas shared by people all across the globe! I cannot even believe that I can say that! SilverMoon Dragon shared with me a GREAT idea for getting school lunches ready. She just prepares all of the items ahead of time and then her children pack their own lunches! BRILLIANT!

I made turkey wraps for all of my family this morning and cut them in half. That way, they don’t waste the other half and I won’t have to make them again tomorrow. Plus, if someone is extra hungry, they can grab one out of the fridge.

I have also made a box full of bagged lunch items: veggie chips, pretzels, raisins, dried fruit, trail mix, seasoned toasted garbanzo beans, and fruit bars. Along with the celery, carrots and cheese sticks in the fridge, my boys can pick three items to go with their drink and sandwich (or wrap).

One last thing that I did this morning was to cook up a family size package of chicken tenderloins in a little olive oil, salt and pepper. They can now be used for our chicken pizza tonight, quick protein snack before soccer practice, sliced on top of a salad or diced up in a lunch wrap. Since my 10 month old still eats fairly simple, they are perfect for her as well. So, for $8, I have a multipurpose food ready to go, feeding a family of 6 for about a week.

Medication Organization TAKE 2

2010-04-28T18:43:00.005-04:00

Since we have triple ear infections this week, I thought I would take pictures of the colored bands and measuring spoons I was talking about in my previous post.

Here is the make-shift dry erase board we are using currently. I have designed a print out for a clipboard that will be a little bit easier and less likely that my children will erase the information on a WHIM.

Three out of my four have ear infections so the color coded rubber bands are working great. now, I just reach in the fridge and grab the right color. Is this a perfect system? NO! Lack of sleep, mental fatigue and the emotional roller coaster that comes with sick kids cannot be a good combo for flawless perfection. But, the more I "over" organize the least likely I am to REALLY mess things up.

Here, I have taken my daughters hair bands and put them at the dosage levels. Since I didn't find green and blue bands to go with the bottles, purple is close to blue and green and yellow make great color buddies. Hey, the theory works in my crazy sleep deprived brain, so I am just going to go with it!

The NEW Spring Organization

2010-04-26T08:41:00.011-04:00

There is nothing like the sun coming out and the weather warming up to make you want to gut your entire house, sort what’s left and put it in a bin (I guess that is just me!). Though, for us this month, we are finding new daily challenges that seem to make that organization job move to the back burner. With spring also come spring sports. We are in our first season of sports for our kids and we are trying to figure out how to live a normal life without living it on the field or in the bleachers.

We need to make some changes to my son’s diet, which is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. I am having to rework ALL of my recipes, and of course, my groceries. This is also changing my grocery budget – so I guess the question remains – WHY is it so expensive to get food that is nitrate, sugar & dye free? Growing your own veggies can be SUCH an inexpensive hobby. Why would adding MORE junk to your food make it cost less? Standing in the aisle of the store, reading all of the labels makes me feel like I am completely ignorant. Why do you have to be a rocket scientist to know what is ACTUALLY in your food? Apparently I need to spend weeks studying it all but, lets be honest, and WHO has the time for that? I know I don’t! What this also means is that I will not be able to do the: run to the store with four kids after school thing anymore. They barely hang in there for a three-item dinner pick up – if I have to stop and read every time they won’t make it.

Happily, this thought brought me back to organization! How can I get the groceries that I need without making the two-hour trip to Wal-Mart at midnight once a month?Research seemed to be the answer. Knowing WHAT foods is on our “can eat” list. So I am setting a personal goal – every time I go to the store, find 5 things to put on the list of the foods that we can eat. My husband has started to do the same.

Part of that research also means what stores to shop at. Trader Joe's has a GREAT selection of organic and preservative free foods at reasonable prices. It is no ALDI (though, i have found several things to put on my list) however; it is a good alternative to grocery stores. Other places to hit with a wide variety (at least in our area of the US) are Whole Foods and Giant Eagle Marketplace.

Even if you do not have these stores near you, MOST grocery stores will have an organic section within the store. Some store brands even have an organic line of foods like Safeway. The organic section of our Kroger store always intimidated me. I thought that it was WAY too pricey for us and it didn't matter if we had a few extra things in our food. BOY was I wrong! I found cereals that were cheaper than the regular aisle and if you just scan it every time you are there, you will find some great alternatives and reasonable prices.

This change in the way my family eats cannot happen overnight but at least we are learning A LOT along the way. In the mean time, I am going to get cracking on my veggie garden – it is MUCH MORE budget friendly and a fun hobby to get into.

Happy Eating!!

Here are just a couple sites I have found interesting or helpful. If you have any other helpful info, please share!

http://www.hippiedippiebebe.com/health/nutrition/best-lists-of-food-additives/

http://www.foodb.com/Preservative_Free_Diet.cfm

The Quest for Medication Organization

2010-04-13T00:17:00.007-04:00

OH, what a week this has been!

Growing up, I was allergic to SO many different kinds of medication that I really had to be careful what I was taking. Even over the counter things were dangerous! Makes me think, with all of the medication given out so often throughout ones lifetime, whether medical/drug allergies are going to be a continuing trend.

Here seems to be the dilemma in our home currently, kids with different medication allergies. What is the best way to keep them all organized so everyone in our home (who is administering medication) knows whom gets what? AND . . . how BEST to keep track of different medications taken at different times for different children.

Well, simplicity seems to be the answer here at our house! I have just come up with a florescent list hanging in the medication cabinet AND in the hall closet where we keep our extra medication. As if that isn’t enough, I have added a note behind my ID in my wallet (in case of an emergency) and in my “mama” planner. Short of stapling it to their heads, I think they MAY be safe. When it comes to REALLY dangerous allergies however, I came across these fantastic bracelets with a usb plug to store all of your medical information. A VERY smart idea indeed!

Then, to answer the administration of medication issue . . . I was just using a simple dry erase board, which I drew check boxes on. I have since; come up with an easy chart with I can print and keep on a clipboard. Also, to save time, I have put thick rubber bands on the bottles with each Childs name on them so I don’t have to read through them all to find the right kids medication. (A friend of mine gave me this great idea for kid’s cups and it has been working for medication as well.) You can also get different colored bands for the measuring cups or spoons so you can adjust it to the dosage. This made it a little easier, just be sure to double check before you give it just in case the band shifts or use small bands that will not move (like little girls hair bands). You can even MATCH the colors on the bottles with the measuring spoon so you can do it all quickly with little mistakes. This is good because with more than one sick child, you tend to have VERY little sleep and a LOT of coffee in your system.

I also have FANTASTIC spring-cleaning goals in regards to the disastrous hall closet that we now “lovingly” refer to as the BLACK HOLE! I am going to get different bins (surprise, surprise!) for each family member and then keep their regular medication and a brief medical history in each one. Just simple notes like, allergies or surgeries, nothing crazy long or unnecessary. I used to keep this information in a binder separated for each family member but, it was growing quite large due to all of the people in our family and i like the idea that it can all be in ONE place.

HOPEFULLY, it will solve the hour-long search for everyone’s medication and it will save my toes from getting hit with falling objects every time I open that closet door.

**Now, I know that by posting this, I am making sure that I do this job, so you are all going to help keep me accountable. Sorry for the added responsibility!

Over The Shoulder BABY Holder

2010-03-26T20:22:00.010-04:00

We have had a pretty CRAZY two weeks with hosting parties and dealing with sickness. My 9 month old was very sick and wanted to do nothing but be in my arms. “AAWWWHHH, how sweet” says you, but not so easy on the caring of other sick and needy children. Not to mention the cooking, laundry, dishes and just plain keeping our house from burning down. (Which would explain why it has taken me sooooo darn long to blog again)

I have taken a liking to two different baby carrying devices in the last two years and I use them EVERY DAY with both the toddler and baby.

My favorite by a mile is the MOBY WRAP. It can be used from newborn to 36 lbs and has several different ways to tie and utilize it. The wrap holds baby secure, close and keeps them comfortable; all the while freeing up BOTH of your hands! I can bend over and unload the dishwasher without feeling like she is about to slip out and drop on her head.

I have even put two kids in it (only once). It is NOT an official Moby hold and their weight combined was UNDER the 36 lb limit. ALSO, I was NOT running around the house busy doing things, I was JUST stirring dinner on the stove and they both wanted to be held.

If you are pregnant or just had a baby or you have a clingy toddler . . . BUY ONE, you will NOT regret it. I found mine on ebay and got a deal because the owner got it as a gift and didn't want to "figure it out". I has been a Godsend for me!

I tend to use the moby while at home or walking because it takes a minute to tie and adjust and I don’t like it dragging on the ground while tying. Mainly, because my kids tend to bite on it and at least I know when my floors were last mopped; the same cannot be said for the floors in the grocery store or the parking lot of the mall.

With that said, I have discovered (with the help of my SUPER creative and smart friend J) a quick and cheap ring sling.

Since I have NO skills in the sewing department, she introduced me to the NO SEW SLING idea. I purchased online a set of large aluminum rings. Then, I took my old college wall tapestry (dug up out of the basement) and after washing it (of course) I whipped up a sling in 10-15 minutes. The site was really detailed and it had a link to a youtube video as well.

I take it everywhere because it is quick and easy to put on, cinches right up and looks REALLY cool. I used a HotSling for this same purpose with kid three because it was small enough to carry in my purse and quick to slip on. But I really like how the ring sling cinches up so I can feel more secure about using almost both of my arms.

I realize that there have been sad and tragic stories in the news lately involving baby carriers. An important thing to remember when using ANY baby/infant carrier is: if you would not HOLD a baby in that position, then you shouldn’t be using a carrier or fabric to hold them in that position. The toddler hold (sitting on your hip) is only to be used with older children who can hold themselves upright and has complete control of their neck and back. Just use common sense when placing your child in one. There are many informational videos on the proper hold and how to use any baby/infant carrier online. I have always found a TON on Youtube.

Winter Afternoon Clutter & Chaos

2010-03-12T22:12:00.012-05:00

When you spend time at home and REALLY having a productive day, you cannot help but feel an amazing BURST of satisfaction, peace and joy. Then. . . 3 PM rolls around and your clean oasis is once again, invaded by the scattering of coats, shoes and a MOUNTAIN of papers from school. UGH, how many papers does one kid have to bring home everyday?

We fell in love with our home for many reasons but the big one was that it is open.You walk in the front door and the living and dining rooms are right there. Ordinarily, you can contain said invasion within an entryway or hall. We, sadly, are without either. I didn’t want to build a wall but I needed SOME separation within our large room so we picked up a large shelf with lots of cubbies. We placed it LIKE a wall between the dining room and front door. Our make-shift entryway of sorts.

Luckily, there are four rows across so, each child has a basket for shoes, bin for scarves, hats and gloves and the big kids have a magazine holder to contain the mountain of school papers.

Does all of this get put away right when they walk in the door?? OF COURSE NOT! But, my second son’s chore everyday is putting away all of the

shoes, coats, and cold weather bulk. So, at least it gets done MOST of the time!

Being a family of 6, we seem to have a LOT of coats and this winter we have needed them ALL! With one coat rack and one closet we have had to make adjustments. I just grabbed an old tension rod (or old shower curtain rod) and stuck it above our single rod inside the closet. Since we have little ones,

the little coats work well on the top rod.

Now, in the winter, when all of our coats are out of storage keeping us toasty, we can actually hang them up instead of tripping on them when we walk through the door.

Well, a mom can dream can’t she?

Kids Room Breakdown

2010-03-12T08:41:00.004-05:00

Like many owners of OLD houses, we had to get creative wherever possible when it comes to storage. Our children’s room was no exception. It is a massive space with several nooks and cranny’s perfect for book areas and toy areas which house the HUGE plastic toys I just cannot bare to look at down stairs (& too big for a pretty bin).

Their “closet” was created as time went on (aka the more children we had) and out of what the need was at the time. For me, I am NOT a morning person so the crazy 7 AM rush of getting everyone dressed, (COFFEE MADE), lunches made, breakfast eaten and out the door to school is QUITE the task. (It is always in the morning when I seriously contemplate home schooling!) Whatever makes my mornings easier is always forefront on my mind. The days of the week bins have done that! Ideally, on Sunday, they can be prepared for the week and children can just get up and dress themselves. Realistically, in our house, it is the night before. They can still get up and get dressed and MOST DAYS, no one is missing a sock or pair of underpants. Is it a flawless system, NO, but it works for us and makes my mornings easier.

Luckily in planning the clothes situation, children are small so, between one double dresser for the girls and a dresser for each boy, there is enough storage for every cozy pant, sock and star wars tee shirt. As my boys get older, I have contemplated getting them either a storage bed (with drawers in the base) or something to put at the foot of their beds like a storage bench or small dresser. This is a few years out so for now, I will only plan the ideal in my head, JUST for fun!

If you are just DESPERATE for this EXACT thing in your home . . .

The closet guts themselves are just BILLY bookcases from Ikea, LACK floating shelves from Ikea (from the AS IS department of course!) and the rods you can find at any home improvement store (Lowes or Home Depot). Most importantly, the days of the week bins were from my favorite CHEAP bin Mecca: The Dollar Tree. I got a little crazy fancy and glued foam letters on them but we seem to be loosing the stickiness battle. I would just go with my old friend: Mr. Sharpie!

Organizing Nerd Honor

2010-03-12T01:47:00.003-05:00

I am SUCH a organizing (using my many BINS) nerd that I was BEYOND excited in discovering http://orgjunkie.com/. She too, shares my love of all BINS and CONTAINERS! I sent her a few photos of the kids "closets" and low and behold . . . she loved the idea.

So, in true NERD fashion, I am very honored to be mentioned in her blog today!

http://orgjunkie.com/2010/03/create-a-closet-where-one-doesnt-exist.html

Motivated Children

2010-03-12T00:44:00.009-05:00

My boys are old enough to start really DOING things around the house. The difficult part was finding something that would MOTIVATE them to DO something!

That is when I discovered this GREAT idea:
http://www.thebamboosprouts.com/?p=1056

This was a project not only fun for me, but GREAT for our kids.

Here is a SIMILAR idea from Creative mama: http://thecreativemama.com/chore-cards-a-diy/

So, I found another site that let you CREATE your own currency:

http://www.festisite.com/money/#0,52

Now they earn “MOM BUCKS” for their chores that they can trade in for prizes. It is an all or nothing system, do ALL the chores on the chart and get a mom buck or do nothing and get nothing. There are really only four things a day and a couple of them are just getting dressed or brushing their teeth. I wanted to make sure they felt like they could accomplish them all.

I then let the boys come up with the rewards: for example, my oldest requested he could earn two mom bucks for an extra 30 minutes of wii time.

Now many of the “chores” that I have to do on a daily basis are easier because my boys are doing chores. My oldest is in charge of gathering both laundry baskets (pop up mesh bags with handles), taking them to the basement and sorting them according to color. I have laundry baskets ready for him to sort into in the laundry room. So now, in the morning when I throw in a load of laundry, I don’t have to spend hours sorting, I just throw in a load and run back up stairs.

***Important things to think about if you are going to implement this particular job/chore into your home. I gave this job to my OLDEST because he knows what I am looking for (as far as color and what goes with what), he also knows to put things that are really dirty into a bin that I pre-treat and or soak. He is responsible enough to do this. If your children are just not there yet - never fear, growth is inevitable.

My 2-year-old daughter on the other hand . . . she LOVES to help around the house. As soon as she hears me open the dishwasher she comes running. She puts all of the kids plates, bowls and cups in the lower cabinet and she can use the dust buster around the house to pick up lost cheerios, killer dust bunnies and the various other things that come to rest on the floor after a day with four children running around. Instead of earning “mom bucks” however, she is extremely happy and content with a large marshmallow!

All in all . . . This has SERIOUSLY helped me get done what needs to get done around the house so we all can get fed, FAIRLY clean and the house doesn’t burn down.

SO . . . HERE I GO

2010-03-11T10:28:00.008-05:00

I was recently asked, "do you have a blog?" to which I quickly answered NO. I was thinking about that all the next day - why would I have a blog? who the heck would want to hear what I have to say? what WOULD i say?

Then, a friend of mine shared with me that she really valued my ideas and opinions. To which I wondered - WHY? I have NO idea what I am doing most of the time and I tend to be ALL ideas and no follow through most days.

Well, I figure, if there is someone out there in the same place I am. . . and something that works for our house helps them, then maybe I can share something.

SO . . . HERE I GO . . .

Since giving up Facebook for lent, I have felt a void during my morning coffee and quiet time (which is when I would stalk, I mean check, my facebook). I have always had a bookmark folder full of blogs I have been meaning to get around to so I decided to get to it. WOW, what an eye opener this has been! There are so many amazing links, recipes and self improvement ideas out there - many of which have come from stay at home moms like me.

The stay at home thing (though I am going on 5 years now) is still somewhat new - my mother worked full time. Not that was right or wrong - just different from my current call in life. My parents had two kids 7 1/2 years apart - we have four in 6 years. The gap between my oldest and youngest is LESS than the one between my sister and I.

I have no doubts that this is what I am called to do right now - stay at home and raise our children but - I FEEL LIKE I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM DOING! Hence the reason I use the phrase "ON THE FLY" a lot. That is pretty much how things are done around here!