Getting Organized. One Space at a Time.

My mother is great with her suggestions on organization. She watches more YouTube videos than my kids do. But always with a purpose. Recently, she told me to check out ClutterBug. I'm glad she did. That lady knows her stuff! She takes about 15 minutes a day to go through a place in her house and declutter. And it has been an eye opener for me. 

She has been doing this in a 30-day challenge set up. I've had to play catch up to some degree, but its worth it. I would suggest you take it in stride. Subscribe and get the notifications. Then get started. Watch the videos to the end to get some humor as well. 

Day 1 was to go through under the kitchen sink. My kitchen sink will never be so tidy with the buckets. But I did organize the types of cleaners I have. And was able to pull out a piece of trash and some scent stuff we will probably never use. Everything we have is easy to see and grab.

Day 2 had me going through food storage. While I only had one container to get rid of, it helped me to organize those plastic containers that I use often. 

Day 3 was to go through your dishes and bakeware. Again, we really only have what we use regularly. But I still took a look.

I found 2 lids to pots that I had tossed a while back. It gives you a chance to decide if you need it or just hold on because you can't let go. Or do you need to rearrange? Now is the perfect time. I know there are couple things my husband and I disagree on when it comes to tossing out. He has a panini maker press thingy (we have not used a single time since being together!) that he refuses to let go of. Then there is the vase at the top of the cabinets. He says I should keep it in case I get flowers (which was once...? back when we started dating?) I see no purpose to them, but he says no when I bring up donating them. "You never know" is usually the response.

Day 4 is that utensil drawer. I had a couple things in there that I really don't use. I had a bunch of kids utensils. You know the little character ones? My kids have outgrown them. So I decided to hang on to a couple for the baby and donate the rest. There were several... I found this in there. Anyone want to take a guess as to what it is? How about what it could be used for?

 Leave me a comment below!

Day 5 I looked in the fridge. We don't often have foods left over, and even if we do, they are usually eaten within a day or two. Unless we all can't stand it... Which is when you bite the "waste not, want not" bullet and say its time to go. Toss it out if you know no one will eat it anyways. Why grow a science project before letting it go?! 

Day 6 is when you jump into your freezer. How many of you buy something and try it only to find that everyone in the family hates it and it will never get eaten again because it is just that gross? But you tell yourself that the bag is nearly full. And how can you waste it? What if there was a way to make it better? Yeah... I did that with some meatballs. And cheesy chicken nuggets (Tyson). Those things were never going to be eaten by us. No matter how we tried. They were gross. So I tossed them. And felt better. Plus, I had more space! 

Day 7 was the pantry. I pulled out some crackers that had been there since my family visited for my wedding. It was a while before I realized they were even there to begin with. And every time I reached for crackers, I forgot about those. They were so stale when I finally did this... I also pulled out some canned beans. My kids and husband don't like beans. I buy them, intending to put them in my chili, but only I will eat them. So out they must go. That was all I had that we won't ever use. I'm frugal with my grocery shopping. I only buy things I know we will use. 

Day 8 is one I still shiver at. The junk drawer. *wants to melt into the carpet* Mine looked like a dangerous zone to traverse.

And its never so neat as hers was. I have manuals in it that have to stay with the place (we rent). I have twist ties in a baggie (we use these daily). There were tools and a chip clip.... I hate the junk drawer. Mostly because it is so chaotic. I do love how she tells you to test out pens and markers. How many can you find that have no ink left in them? Why do we throw them back in the drawers or desk cups?! Thankfully, we don't keep writing utensils in the junk drawer. Sadly, my "junk" isn't what really goes into this drawer either. But at least it looks a little better.

I pulled out my husbands tools to go in the garage. I moved everything around to fit better and be more visible as needed.

Day 9 is when you check out those linens. We don't have a set place for linens. Each kids room has sheets and blankets in the top. All of them should/could be used. But I checked anyhow. And I got to thinking. I'm washing their bedding so often, they don't need more than 2 sets for each boy. So while I only have that many sheet sets as it is, I did have 6 fleece blankets for them. I decided to pull out 2 of them. The adults linens are kept in a tote in my closet.

Plus there are our towels. Adult towels are in the top shelf of my closet. We have a lot of them, but my husband says to leave that number as is. So I don't take from the stacks. The kids have a stack under their bathroom sink. They have enough that I don't need to take from that stack either. Its enough to keep stocked and have extra for times when they get sick. I can clean out a full stack when a virus hits them like nobody's business. 

This is where I'll stop on this post. I will continue my organizing spree in another post to come. Don't forget to let me know what you think that thing is that I found in a drawer in a comment below. Or better yet, what use would you have for it? And what is the number one place that you hate having to clean or organize?

Space to Spare Book Review

*Disclaimer: I was sent the digital copy of the book to review and write my own honest opinions about by US Family Guide*

Being organized is important to me. But staying there is quite difficult. I've read books, received tips and been trying to keep up.
That's where Space to Spare: A Mom's Guide to Organization by Debbie Lillard comes in handy. She walks you through the steps after presenting the problematic scenario. And it's not just about physical organization. Mom's need to have their time organized as well. After all, how can we tackle the mountain of tasks when we can't prioritize them first?

She lays out ways to organize your things. How many of us have lost things and bought something to replace it only to find the lost thing later? *raises hand here* This chapter leads to the next about organizing your home. Once you know your things, you can organize how efficiently the home runs.

I like the section about decluttering my time. I don't know about you, but I am terrible about overcrowding my days with tasks that I think I need to have done every day. I overwhelm myself. The truth is, there are some things that only need to be done weekly. Some things can be done monthly. And then a few can be done daily.
I'm learning to keep things organized by functionality. Like keeping bags for dirty diapers near the trash can.

It's the little things that do add up in helping us Moms keep things rolling smoothly.
This book is great for Mom's who seriously want help getting life organized. I don't think every solution is for every individual. We are all different with our own needs and situations, but like any organizing help it can give you ideas to get you started.

An Artistic review to organize the office desk with!

Shoplet.com has sent me something else of interest to review for your guys. They have some wonderful office supplies, that I love testing out and seeing where or how it will work for me. Organization is key for me, both at home and at work. Especially when it comes to office things. I do side jobs at home from time to time and need my work space to be clear and focused. That's why I love this Artistic Lift-Top Desk Pad.

 

It has a grip pattern underneath to help keep it in place on my desk. The top lifts up to allow me storage of documents or pictures.

There is a printed protractor and metric ruler in the top corner.

This pad will protect your desk from dust and scratches. It has a washable surface. And a great non-glare surface to reduce reflection.

The lift-top idea is great for reminders. Put an invitation card or to-do list under it and have it in view every time you are at your desk working on projects. Things like this will help keep you on task. More so than loose papers that get tossed into a stack and forgotten until you go searching.

This pad measures 19"x24". Something to keep in mind when you are thinking to pick one up. Shoplet.com is the largest e-tailer of office supplies. You can check out this Artistic lift-top desk pad, here, which runs for $36. Always watch for deals. If memory serves me right, the current promotion is free shipping on orders Shoplet offers such deals often. You can sign up for their newsletter and have them email you with current deals or offers. Look at other Artistic products as well.

Shoplet also provides cleaning supplies, medical supplies, and office furniture. The greatest thing about them? You can shop for all these things from the comfort of your home.

So I'm curious, what is your favorite thing about this product? Would it be useful to you? Leave me a comment below and tell me about it!

Label Daddy review via US Family Guide

Time for another review! This one is in league with US Family Guide and provided by Label Daddy.

I've written about the importance of having things labeled before. You always need to have your belongings marked in a way that others know it's yours. Especially if you have children. Whether for camps, overnight trips or just to differentiate between your kids belongings and keep them from fighting... Labels are crucial! While I didn't choose actual labels this time, I still love the various sizes and packages they offer.
For my review, I chose zipper tags instead that can clip to just about anything.

Since my husband loves the Spurs and they were in the championship games, (Go Spurs, Go!) I chose to have little 'Go Spurs' ones made.

You can clip them to zippers easily. Show a little team spirit while having your name on the other side. They do not interfere with the daily use of the items they are attached to. You get a pack of 10 customizable zipper tags for $24.95. Creating my tags took just a couple minutes with the easy-to-use form.

My husband loves his. He attached one to his pool stick bag and another to his key ring.

They are sturdy little tags too. Perfect for my not-so-gentle man to take on the go. He plans to spread the Spurs fever to his friends especially since they won the Championship.

Label Daddy offers packs designed to fit your needs like the Camp Pack.

Definitely check them out! And leave me a comment about what you think about them. What is the best reason for you to consider them?

Deflect-o Cubes via Shoplet.com review

I'm sure by now you all know how much of a neat freak, organizer I am. Everything gets a place of its own. I like knowing exactly where to go when I need something. So you can imagine I was pretty excited when Shoplet.com offered me the chance to test out another product they have on their website of office supplies; Deflect-o Cubes.

I decided my office desk needed an organizational makeover. It's where things usually get tossed for me to deal with later.
These Cubes have little rounded indents with clips included so you can clip them together and keep everything stabilized.

You can get multiple kinds. I received the Deflect-o Two Drawer Cube Organizer, Desk Cube with X Dividers, and 2 kinds of Desk Cubes with 4 and no drawer options. I love that they are somewhat clear so you can see what you have but also have a blurred texture that gives some discretion. The open fronts give you quick access to your office supplies. Perfect way to keep organized!

Shoplet now also offers promotional products that you might be interested in. Its things that can personalize your business. #shopletreviews

 

***These items were sent to me free of charge by the Shoplet.com marketing team in order to test and report a review on for my readers. I was not otherwise endorsed and all opinions are strictly my own!***