Sorry.. I have been absent for awhile!  Getting your masters and teaching in a new school... with teammate that has been sick... new district... new grade level... and more it is just hard... have no fear!  June I will be back and in full organized mom force!!!!!!

Alarm clock goes off...

each and every morning regardless of how much I wish it didn't!  But with this is a new day, full of challenges, learning and ORGANIZING!!!!  I am a mom (who is anal about being organized), a teacher (who is anal about being organized), a wife (who is anal about being organized), and a student (who... you guessed it!).  Everyday I do simple things that are organized and I didn't even realize it until I stopped and thought about the fact that I haven't posted lately.  Being organized can be easy and simple, and you may not even know you are doing it!

First, I set our clothes out the night before-- yes, all of OUR clothes.  I avoid fights, arguments, and the lengthy decisions.  Hollin is my little fashion diva, and always has an opinion so we have decided to alternate days on who picks what she is going to wear (we need to be realistic sometimes and wear pants-- for PE-- and not just every glittery piece of clothing with tights and cowboy boots each day) bottomline, she's happy, I am happy, and really that is all that matters!  They are out each night, and the rule is stick with it.  You will have a night to pick the outfit you wanted, or would have normally changed your mind on.  So stick with it!

Second, I make lunches for the week on Sunday.  Therefore, all you have to do is grab and go.  Literally.  I grab the coordinating ziploc with the day and name and throw it in the lunch bags.  Done and takes maybe 30 mins on Sunday.  TOTALLY worth it!

Third, I unload the dishwasher each morning while I am also making breakfast for the kids.  Rather than just standing there I unload and talk to them about the upcoming day, and all that it has in store.

Fourth, after feeding the kids breakfast I switch loads on washing machine to dryer.  Then the clothes are almost dry once we are ready to leave each morning, so when I get home...

Fifth, switch loads the second you walk in.  When I watch TV at night I fold, and organize.  Each family member has a coordinating laundry basket that matches with coordinating laundry bag and hamper.  That goes in the washing machine, with the clothes!  Yep that easy!  I love it.  Because I HATE laundry but this has made a WORLD of difference in my life. 

Sixth, CROCKPOT meals!  Let's face it I don't cook often, but I am trying, really trying and the crockpot might just be the BEST invention ever!  Just sayin'

Seventh, timer!  I always set the timer for the kids on dinner completion and bedtime, how long to brush teeth, etc!  I am telling you it is heaven.

Well... I think that is all I have today... but I am sure I will think of more!  Thanks for reading folks-- if you read it let me know because I feel like I am doing this for no one... just sayin'

Well I am almost all the way through June and I have done a lot of organizing.  However, last week I had to take a break from my organizing to pack (while being organized) to go camping.  It was great and a well deserved family vacation.  (More on that later-- and how organized I was while camping). 

Anywho... here I am to give you pictures of the organizing I have done.  This is not all of it because I have not taken pictures of all of it yet but I will post those soon. 

 This is of my pantry.  Notice each bin has a label and the shelves without bins also have labels.  I used the 2x4 label on bins and the smaller return address labels for the shelves and they fit perfectly.  The nice thing about bins is you can slide it out and get to the stuff in the back.  Also, we have had problems with mice in the past so I have to make sure I keep canned goods, etc down low just in case our mice deflectors don't work and they come back!  EWWWWWWW! 

 This is my fridge.  I took this picture right after I went grocery shopping so it is full.  The bottom shelf with the eggs and such is not normally as neat as I would like but hey the rest is perfect.  Again I used the 2x4 labels. 

 This is my side by side freezer.  Although there are no bins it is organized by boxes going from bigger and thicker to smaller.  Shelves are still by category but this is so narrow I am struggling on how to work this out.

This is my garage freezer.  I love that the bins fit perfect and everything has a place!  Heaven!  This freezer has always been difficult for me to keep clean so I am thrilled with this new concept. 

The best part of all of this.... My husband can find everything!  Even better than that..... HE KNOWS WHERE TO PUT THINGS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I really, really want to organize our garage next but well... it is a HUGE project!  It is 100 degrees out so way to warm to be out in the garage.  All the fires in our state make the air tough to breathe and then I have problems with my asthma and I can't run... and if you know me lately I MUST RUN!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Since I can't clean the garage I have been able to work on closets.  Those pictures to come!  And details! 

Well... off to organize and buy more bins at Target! 

I am on my organizing rampage!  I have had three days of organizing completed and done!  First I did the refrigerator because quite honestly I went to the grocery store and bought a TON of groceries (since Annie is on Vacation and not cooking for us).  When I got home with all those groceries and saw what I needed to "tackle" inside the fridge I decided it was time.  Here are the steps:

1.  Put all groceries on counter by category.  This was a good place for me to start when I started emptying it!

2.  Take all the stuff out of the fridge and place in categories previously started.

3. Took all shelves and stuff out and cleaned them.

4. Then I got some bins (clear bins) and placed bottles of condiments, etc in the bins.

5. Now I have a clean organized fridge with bins for everything and a label as well!

Pics will come!

The next day I did the freezer.  Although I didn't have fresh groceries I did the same concept.  I will post pics too!

Today I organized Hollin's room and her bins in her closet.  You see she has a TON of baby stuff and the bins is where all of that is stored.  I placed her items in her bins by Barbies, bags/purses, general baby stuff, Matalie clothes (that is Hollin's Bitty Twin), Rick's clothes (Hollin's other Bitty Twin), and her doll hair stuff.  I am telling you every time I clean and organize her room I have at LEAST one garbage bag full of trash-- I am afraid I have a hoarder!  She keeps everything it seems like!

Pics to come-- see I got a new computer and I am still figuring and setting everything up!

Tomorrow I will be doing starting the garage (hopefully, since I am covering daycare for Annie while she is on Vacation).  :)  If not I have all weekend right????

I am officially on summer break!  My goal for summer break is to get this house back to organized heaven like it once was until this past school year!  In order for that to happen I have decided that I need to do a organization project each day and commit myself to making that happen.  Basically, each and every day of this summer, my transition to a new life summer, I am going to run (like I do already every morning) and then do what I need to do to be a good mom and then organize this house.  I am very serious.  I am organized and always have taken pride in that but this past school year of work was a tedious one and thus resulting in things "falling apart" on the organization level here at home.  It is eating me up and really bothering me.  I am really looking forward to this summer when I can get things back in order and also dream of my new classroom, my new job and the organization that will come with it.  I am already thinking of all my theme related tubs, labels and stuff for my new classroom and office.  However, the focus really needs to be here at home for this summer!  Here are just some of the things I need to do and I will be adding to the list (because another goal of the summer is to blog more):

1. The garage (ick and a true thorn in my side-- hoping to put plywood up and use rafters for storage)
2. Closet in Master Bedroom-- It is out of control, yes, my clothes and hubby's clothes are colored coordinated but they should be by type of clothes, length of sleeve, pants etc.... I am really excited about this because I am sure it will require me to shop and buy more organizational systems and I LOVE SHOPPING--
3. Basement!  (need i say more??)
4. Kids old clothes
5. Office space
6. Kitchen pantry
7. Kitchen drawers, shelves, cabinets, etc
8. Our giniromous medicine cabinet

I think that is all I can think of at the moment but I am sure there are more!  :) So here is to another summer of organization, time with my kids and more!

Been a bit busy...

I haven't written in so long because I have been more than busy!  I don't have time for anything it seems, well unless it has to do with teaching 3rd graders or helping my family here at home!  All this time I have (really lack of time) reminds me of my blog and some helpful tips for a crazy anal, organized mom! 

So here we have it, another tip:

When doing laundry, which seems to never end, I have a laundry basket for each bedroom (Hollin has a pink basket, Johnny has a blue basket, and Ted and I have white).  I do all the laundry together because with this system there is no reason to do Johnny's or Hollin's separately.  Also, I have to wait forever to fill my washing machine (it is MASSIVE) with just their clothes.  So, I throw in the clothes like a normal person and wash them (with my socks pinned together) and throw them in the dryer. 

When it is time to pull them out of the dryer I fold the clothes and place them in the corresponding colored basket.  If it is an item that needs hung up I have a cheap, hanging rack from The Container Store and I hang the clothes up there (usually on matching colored hangers to the laundry baskets).  Then when it is time to put clothes away all I have to do is carry the blue laundry basket and blue hanger items up to Johnny's room, put them away which takes like 5 mins tops and move on!  I love this system and it works for me! 

Pictures to come of all these systems I promise!  I just need time to do it!  :) 

Happy Organizing! 

Socks... Missing friends

I am so tired of sorting socks and wondering each time I do it how I am missing some. Does my washer/dryer eat them? It must! I have to buy socks for Ted every Christmas... But not anymore because I found the solution!

I safety pin my socks, Ted's socks, and the kids socks. Why? Simple so I no longer have to match socks and get irritated at my washer/dryer for eating them. It is simple and takes little to no time. I take my socks off, I pin them. Ted takes his socks off he either puns them or leaves them for me to pin next to my bed (this is really what he does). Hollin takes her socks off I pin them! I take Johnny socks off I pin them!

Once the pair (yep, pair) is pinned I throw them in hamper. I wash them pinned and pull out pinned. Then I put them away pinned! When we put them on we take pin out! Simple... And no more Rolling or matching socks. Life is grand!

After all it is the simple things that make my life easier. I don't miss matching socks, especially those navy and black ones that are so close!

I have a friend, my match, my safety pins!