Create-Celebrate-Explore

Multiples and More: Countdown Calendar

Make a year-round calendar using an old wood crate for birthday's, holiday's, back-to-school, vacations, and more. 

Want to know how?  I've got the tutorial today over at Multiples and More.

Thin to Win Organizing Challenge

If you have been reading here for a while you may remember the Tackle It Tuesday post I put together for 5 Minutes For Mom where I began organizing the kids play room, specifically setting up an art and homework station for them.  Yes I am one of those 'everything has it's place' kind of people and I just love to organize, re-arrange, and upcycle until everything is as close to perfect as I can get.

Well, my project kind of ended there and I moved on to organizing a little more in my office.  I never did go back and finish the play room, and there are still boxes of the kids art and craft supplies in the garage that haven't been unpacked.  So when I was asked to participate in a 'Thin to Win' challenge by Sargento Cheese it gave me the kick up the backside that I needed to actually pick up where I left off.  The specific challenge handed to me was: "Get organized by removing the clutter from a room in your house, and tell us what you did to simplify your living space."

This was the space before (or should I say, how I left it):

So my challenge for this space was to finally unpack another box or two of supplies in the garage (which is still overrun with boxes), and fill up those black shelves. I also wanted to add some more items such as a lamp, and computer to the space for not only over the summer vacation, but also once school starts back again.  The kids will be home for a long time over the summer, and although we have a lot of fun activities planned outside the home and I'm sure quite a lot of the summer will be spent in our pool, there will certainly be downtime indoors, and let's face it I work from home so there are times when I need a little peace and quiet to get some work done, and I need a space where the kids can play quietly on their own.

Although there is still more I would like to do in this room (I can't wait for the giant world map I've ordered for the wall to get here), this is where we are at today.   The garage is a little lighter, and the kids are a little more organized for the summer.

The kids grandmother kindly donated her old desktop computer, which the kids love watching the occasional video on, and playing their Rusty and Rosy activities.  They also know how to turn it off and on by themselves which is a big plus, and there are blocks in place so they cannot access anything untoward.

I found a floor lamp and shade that I just loved and is perfect for the kids to use as it gets dark out, especially seeing as there is no ceiling light in that space.  Although I do have big plans for that lampshade and there will be crafting involved.

Next up was to figure out a way to store some of the kids smaller items and hopefully be able to fit them into those little shelves without them ending up in a big mess at the end of each day.

I found small tubs that are the perfect size to fit in each compartment.  I also found some round labels in the large stash of labels in my office and painted them with four coats of chalkboard paint to write on the contents of each box (which also encourages the kids reading).  I filled each box with items such as stickers, perler beads, wooden and handmade stamps, mini notepads, felt pieces for their felt creations boards, and assorted stationery items.  Combine that with the coloring books already in the blue bin, the hand-painted chalkboard table, as well as mini chalkboards, and handmade books, this stash is sure to keep the kids entertained. 

You might also notice small brown tubs on top of the black shelving units.  These contain little gifts for the kids.   When they show exceptional behavior at school or sports and I receive an extra good report from their teacher they get to choose a small wrapped gift from their box.  These are little things such as matchbox cars, mini craft projects, and other assorted items that cost no more than about $3 each. 

I encourage you to head on over to the Sargento Cheese Facebook page and submit an entry in the 'Thin to Win' challenge and share how you are thinning out your life, because we all have things we want to thin out and organize.  There are different challenges over 45 days so be sure to check back daily for new challenges and for a chance to win a variety of prizes.  You will have 24 hours to submit an entry for this particular challenge. 

Disclosure: I received products and compensation from Sargento Foods Inc. and The Motherhood as part of my participation in this campaign.

Closet Organizers for Kids

A little while ago we were at my friend Natalie's house for her son Jack's birthday party.  You can see more from the party here, here, and here - there's fabulous tips if you are looking for rainbow, scavenger hunt, or balloon party ideas.   Anyway,  I went to check on Flynn who was happily playing in Jack's bedroom when I noticed some fabulous storage bins in the top of Jack's closet.  They were labeled 'too big', 'too small', and 'toys'.  I needed to do this (at least for the kids clothes).  So I did.

My sister sends clothes from Australia for Flynn when my nephew grows out of them, and I frequently buy clothes on clearance that are a size too big, and let's not forget about the clothes they grow out of as fast as I seem to hang them in the closet.

I didn't think to ask Natalie whether she'd purchased her bins with labels on them, or if she had DIY'd them herself.  Nonetheless, I thought they would be fairly easy to make.

I popped into Target and picked up 4 bins for $5.99 each.  Then using a sheet of printer labels, and some Martha Stewart chalkboard paint that I had at home I set to work.

I painted four coats of chalkboard paint on the labels (allowing each coat to dry before painting the next), then left them overnight to dry.  The next morning I labeled each and attached them to the bins.

Now if I ever need the bins for something else I can remove the labels, or erase the chalk and re-label them in the future.

This post linked to:

The Ikea BYGEL Rail 5 Ways

I don't know about you but I absolutely love Ikea.  It is the first place I go when I am in one of my "this place is driving me insane and I need to organize things" moods.

One of my more recent obsessions is the Ikea BYGEL Rail.  It comes in two sizes 21 3/4" and 39 1/4".  The smaller is only $1.99 and the longer is $2.99.  I have five of them in my house and am looking for even more places to put them.

1.  The kids play room.  This is the longer rail.  I purchased a packet of BYGEL s-hooks (99 cents for a bag of 6 from Ikea) and then using small silver buckets that I had found in the $1 section at Target now have storage for the kids pencils, crayons, chalk, and other assorted stationery items that they use for their art projects and homework.

2.  My bedroom.  This is the shorter rail.  I have a drawer full of scarves, but the ones that I wear the most were hanging over the bathroom door so I could just grab them as I was leaving.  Of course this meant that our bathroom door couldn't close all the way.  Now I have them right next to my jewelry organizer, tucked away in a corner so that you don't see them if you are just looking into our bedroom.

3.  My office.  This is the longer rail and is perfect for standing up all of those tri-fold boards, wooden rods, and even for holding my large photography reflector when I am too lazy to collapse it and pop it back into it's bag.  As I continue organizing my office I will be adding a second rail solely for my photography reflectors but at the moment don't have the space for it.

4.  The kitchen.  Our pantry is horrible.  It's narrow, but deep and I can never find anything in it.  I have to pull everything out to get items in the back and it has been driving me crazy ever since we moved into this house.  I decided to hang the shorter rail underneath the cabinet right next to the stove, and then hung the BYGEL wire basket ($1.99 from Ikea) off it and filled it with the herbs and spices that I use the most when cooking.  I also attached a BYGEL s-hook to it and now have a spot for my oven mitt to hang that is also within reach for when I am getting hot pots off the stove or trays out of the oven.

5.  My craft room/office.  On the adjacent wall to the rail for the tri-fold boards, I have another long rail.  On this one I keep all of the large packing paper that I use underneath our art and craft projects and for the kids to drawn on and paint when I need gift wrap in a pinch.  I even have my tape measure hanging off it so it is within reach when I'm sewing.

AS SEEN ON:

Modern Parents Messy Kids

MotherKnows: Tips and Advice

My latest articles are up on MotherKnows.  If you need tips or advice, or know someone who does, please feel free to pass this information on:

• Supporting Children During Military Deployment
• Information To Have In The Emergency Room

 

My Daughter's Jewelry Organizer

Spring must be in the air because I'm organizing again.  I've been talking about it for a while, and I have finally finished it; Marisol's jewelry organizer.

As you can see it is very similar to mine.  I had purchased this typeset tray at the same time as the last one for $15.  This one is a little smaller though and had a lot of smaller sections in it.  I wanted this jewelry organizer to be something she can grow with. 

I removed some of the smaller sections in the tray to make a few larger compartments for bangles and then followed the same instructions as for my jewelry organizer. 

I decided to leave quite a few of the narrow sections for earings (for in the future).  I loved the tiny compartments in this one for her to place her little dress-up rings.  Eventually I will add tiny rods to those sections so that rings don't fall out, but for her little fingers now it is easier for her to be able to slide them in and out.  

Paint used: Olympic Paint - white and dover grey.  I had purchased a few colors unsure of what I would use.  I especially loved the color 'two to tango', but decided to go with something a little more neutral for now as her tastes may change later and I'm hoping that this will be a piece she uses for a long time and will be able to match her decor no matter what other colors are the flavor of the month.   I love too that the color of her jewelry really pops against this background, and white is so much easier to paint over later if she wants it in a more vibrant color.

Hardware: Instead of using small eye screws and decorative hangers on this one (because she doesn't have earings yet), I found some vintage inspired knobs that she could hang her bracelets and bangles on, and attached them using E-6000 glue . 

You can see more photographs of Marisol's bedroom here and her new curtains here.

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TWITTER PARTY

Spring for me is a time for decorating, organizing, and brightening things up.  Join us at 2pm EST today (Thursday March 15) for a twitter party with Olympic Paint and The Motherhood where we will be discussing hot spring colors and design tips.  RSVP here.

WHAT: A Twitter party with Olympic Paint (@OlympicFinishes) and The Motherhood (@theMotherhood)!  We will discuss hot spring color trends and design tips with the experts.  Bring your questions, advice, thoughts and ideas to share with the group!

WHEN: Thursday, March 15, at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT).  The party will last one hour.

WHERE: The party will take place on Twitter.  Follow the #SpringColor hashtag to watch the conversation unfold and make your own comments.

HASHTAG: #SpringColor

GIVEAWAYS: Five giveaways will be awarded throughout the hour of the Twitter party, based on correct responses to trivia questions.  (Correct answers will be collected, and a winner will be randomly chosen for each prize.)  Each winner will receive a free can of Olympic paint in the color of their choice.  Contest entrants must follow @InspiredColor and @theMotherhood to be eligible to win.

BONUS: Follow Olympic Paint & Stain on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/olympicpaintandstain) and Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/inspiredcolor/) for more great design ideas!

PANELISTS:  Don't forget to follow all of the panelists - @freckleberrymom, @mamabmy, @CreativelyB, @debthompson,