School Supplies

It's that time of the year again! School supply shopping! Everyone has a different approach. Personally, I try to salvage as much as possible from last years supplies with a couple of exceptions.

The kids always get a new box of markers, colored pencils and crayons. Nothing beats the new box of crayons with their perfectly sharpened tips and it's like buying happiness in a box for a quarter!

I also buy supplies in October (as they are clearancing out overstock) for next year. Folders, binders, lunchboxes, backpacks, ink pens, pencils, etc. all keep in storage well. The key is to remember where you store them!

My least favorite thing in shopping for supplies is going to multiple stores, but sometimes it can't be helped. Stores don't always stock everything. Like Art gum erasers! Wal-mart and Target take note!

I need to make a trip to Hobby Lobby to pick up the last few things for my homeschooler's enrichment day program, but for the most part, I am done.

On to the next task.....

Operation Organization Week Four!

If you are interested in Operation Organization visit Melinda's blog Coming Clean: Confessions of an Imperfect Parent.

This week has flown by! I found myself scrambling today to complete my week 3 goal. If you missed it last Friday, my goal was to tame my spice cabinet and utensil drawers in the kitchen.

So without further adieu, here are the before pics again -









And the afters -

I have filled up my spice rack. I changed the bottles to reflect the spices I use most frequently! I love my Dymo labeler!



I also have separate baskets for Italian, Chinese, and Mexican spices. I have a basket for sprinkles and extracts, etc. I purchased baskets at Target and Dollar General and spent a total of $14.



I plan to used my labeler to label the baskets too, but I haven't had a chance today.

The utensil drawers still seem a little cluttered to me, although they are better. I washed them out and pitched pacifiers that haven't been used since last summer! (Among other things!)







So, what's next weeks goal you ask? How can I find anything else that needs organizing? I've already done the linen/art closet, tamed the shoe mess, and now the spices and utensils. What could be left you ask? I am warning you that this isn't pretty and these images may be disturbing.... My "pantry" cabinets need some work! Here is the before -





Come back next Friday to see my progress!

Operation Organization Week Three

If you are interested in Operation Organization visit Melinda's blog Coming Clean: Confessions of an Imperfect Parent.

You may remember that my goal this week was my art supply/linen closet. Here are the before pics I shared last week.







Shameful!!!

So I buckled down and spent hours cleaning out this closet! I threw away two bags of stuff, have a bag of old linens to donate, and here are the after pics.

TADA!!






One problem I had was keeping all the sheet sets together. I heard someone say recently that they folded the fitted and flat sheet and put them inside the pillowcase! Brilliant! Used that idea!

My goal for this week -

Three kitchen utensil and gadget drawers and my spice/baking supply cabinet.

Here are the ugly before pics -







I love kitchen gadgets, now I need to find a way to find what I need easily.



This just needs to be cleaned and purged!

Come back next Friday to see if I succeed!!! Happy organizing!

Operation Organization challenge week #2

If you remember, last Friday was the first week of the Operation Organization Challenge. We are picking one area to organize every week for six weeks. See here if you would like to join us.

Here were my before pics of my shoe mess.

Here are the after!






My challenge for next week is my linen/art supply closet.

Here are the before pics -







Come back next Friday to see the taming of the sheets!!!

The first challenge

Today is the first day of Melinda's Operation Organization challenge. For eight weeks starting today, we all pick an area of our homes that NEEDS some ORDER. We announce it on Friday (starting today) and then work thru the week to complete it. Pop on over using the button in the right sidebar to check out the rest of the details.

Now for my First Mission (yes I choose to accept it, I even created it!) HA!

First, I have to tell you, I love shoes. I wear mostly flip flops for casual wear, but like some variety with in the flip flops and I love dress shoes, especially little flirty ones! So I buy/own/hoard shoes!

Before I show you my "before" pics, you have to promise not to cringe. This is all about keeping it real and honest and trying to improve our lives.

With that said - This is my current organization system.


I know - embarrassing!

This is what happens when we are running late and I can't find matching shoes -



And I also have a bad habit of discarding my shoes wherever I walk into a room. (I have mentioned before - I am a barefoot kinda gal at home!)


foot of the bed


doorway to bedroom


next to dining table

So in addition to cleaning up this mess, I am also going to attempt to keep my shoes in one place in the house or put them away.

Of course - I do have help scattering my shoes -


And finally, proof that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree -

Come back next Friday to see how it turns out and what I've chosen for my next challenge.