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!

Changing the Blog...

Well... I have thought a lot about my "blog" and what I wanted it to be!  I read my sister-in-law's blog almost daily and she truly inspires me!  She is the perfect writer and blogger and I love reading it!  However, I am not that person and I don't see myself being that person.  Sure, I love my kids and all the experiences and "-isms" they have, but the real question is... do you care?  Does anyone REALLY care?  No, and this was kind-of a harsh reality for me, but see, my life is really not that interesting. 

I decided I didn't want to get rid of my blog but I didn't want to share every little detail about my kids.  I didn't want to because quite honestly I am a huge scrapbooker and I do it all in their books.  They each have a book per year, and so do I need to do this on top of that too! 

So you ask... what are you going to write about?  I am going to write about:

LIFE AS A WORKING, ANAL, ORGANIZED MOM
    I still want time for myself and enjoy that time.  I need this and therefore, I constantly think of things to make my life easier and more fullfilling so I can spend time with my kids and hubby!  So read on, because rather than bragging and sharing all the crazy, exciting boring details that my kids do on a daily basis I am now going to share... how I make my life easier in my crazy organized world.

I am sure organized!  My hubby would beg to differ at times, but I really am!  Here are some simple things I have put in place around my house (and then I will elaborate more in future, along with new ideas and "systems" that I put in place). 

My clothes, Ted's clothes, Johnny's clothes and Hollin's clothes are Color Coordinated!  Yep, they are hung in the closet by ROYGIV and they go from sleeveless (girls only) to long sleeve with turtlenecks.  I know immediately where all items and clothing items are and what I am missing.  I know where to look when I pull out navy pants and what tops would go (not black, because then we would look like a bruise). 

I made the door to my garage a magnetic chalkboard.  This door always, and I mean always, had disgusting finger prints and I was tired of Magic Eraser scrubbing it and the paint literally disappearing so I bought the paint and did it, all in one day.  I love it!  The kids love it too!  The top part (out of kids reach) I put the weekly calendar/schedule and it is color coordinated to people, so even easier to read and understand.  See I am pink, because, well if I have to answer that, then you don't know me at all.  Ted is green, he likes green and well that is easy enough.  Hollin is yellow, because my dad has called her sunshine from day 1 so that is easy to remember.  Johnny is orange, because he loves the Broncos and football, and I equate the two together.  Family functions are in white.  Birthdays are in purple and so on.  You get the point!

I have labeled and coded my pantry.  I love my labelmaker and any excuse I can find to use it, I do!  I have lined up all my cans, rice, pasta, snacks, cereal, chips, etc. by alphabetical order and labeled all the shelves with what goes where.  This way, we are never searching, my inventory is always accurate and life is easy. 

I have labeled all the bins in the playroom with mini-chalkboards of what goes where.  Now, my kids, can't read, but their daddy can!  So when he helps clean, he knows where it goes and someday they will too! 

This is all I can think of right now....

but there is more to come (including pictures).  Thanks for reading!  After all, if you are going to take the time to read, I might as well help you!  :)

I hated Holidays... until now...

I hated Holidays, truly hated them... until now.  I hated them for many reasons.  The main reason though is, because it is ONE day for people to show their love to someone (Valentine's Day), or be thankful to your family (Thanksgiving), or one day to appreciate God (Christmas), should I go on?  I don't think you should have one day of a year to appreciate what you have been given and granted each year.  I love my husband everyday, I don't need Valentines Day.  I am thankful every day for my family and I don't need a meal full of fattening, filling food to make me appreciate my family.  Hallmark hates my feelings.

I hated them until I was sitting watching Christmas Cartoons with my daughter and son last night.  They were mesmerized and completely into it.  The conversations we had afterwards were priceless.  They love the spirit and the holidays.  And for that, I do too!  I love seeing my kids enjoy things but mostly the silly little holidays we are suppose to celebrate once a year. 

Hollin spent this Thanksgiving telling us over and over what she is thankful for.  I am thankful for her.  I will be everyday, not just Thanksgiving.  I am also thankful for her daddy, her brother, and all the other things she was thankful for.   Having her appreciate and realize that one day she needs to be thankful is just the beginning.  I can't wait to take this opportunity to teach her to be thankful everyday!  So this journey begins...

She is also fully aware of Christmas now.  We are going to spend the next few weeks teaching her the true story of Christmas.  I want her to know everything.  For now she knows all about Santa!  I am glad she knows about Santa, and the sparkle in her eye anytime we talk about Santa is priceless.  Last night we were watching the 30 minute commerical 30 minute Christmas Special Elf on A Shelf (which we had last year and she doesn't know will be back when we get home).  She enjoyed every moment and was beside herself hoping and praying that "Buddy our Elf" comes back to our house.  Johnny watched too and at each commercial break would cry and ask for Buddy to come back on.  I love this.  I am so glad they are excited.  In fact, I even got teary eyed watching the sparkle and excitement among them.  Watching them learn and experience all these "new" things and see everything for the "first" time is what it is all about for me.

I am grateful, thankful, loved, blessed and every other Holiday term.  But I am lucky enough to have this each and every day.  Hallmark doesn't need me to buy into it.  I buy into it each and every day.  Some days are easier to remember than others but in the end, I still consider myself the luckiest person ever!  Sorry Hallmark...

Two weeks and counting

Two weeks and counting and my darling little girl will be starting Kindergarten.  Am I ready you ask?  Oh wait you are probably wondering how Hollin feels and if she is ready?  Of course she is ready!  It is all she talks and thinks about it!  She can't wait and this summer she met two kids that are going to be in her class which makes her even more excited!  We got her backpack (we got her the navy and green polka dot) and her name is even embroidered on it.  I am a little obsessed with her name and I love this backpack!  She does too.  We got all her school supplies even!  She is ready!

BUT the real question is am I ready?  NOPE!  My baby girl is starting Kindergarten.  She is also turning 5 in the same week!!!  Really, Kindergarten and FIVE??  This is cruel!  I am proud of her and that she is ready but man it came so fast!  I still remember the day I delivered her!  It was wonderful and I never, ever thought that it would go so fast.  I know every mom I know has told me it would go by fast, but this fast? Really? 

I will be "that" mom.  I will be crying my eyes out when she is heading in the door for her first day. (Heck, I am already crying just writing this).  I will miss her while she is gone that first day but be so anxious to hear all about it.  And for those of you who really know Hollin, I will hear ALL about it!  This I love!  She is so detailed orientiented.  That's my girl. 

Now sweet Hollin Bear go in there and show that teacher of yours how incredible and perfect you are.  I love you and I am proud of you  but please don't get upset if I put a brick on your head to stop you from growing. 

On another cute side note.  Hollin got a Welcome Postcard from her teacher today and she is sleeping with it.  Cute right?

Be thinking of me on August 24th...