What I'm working on...

Last week I was babysitting Niki's kidlets while she was still in school.  So while the kiddos were playing away I was hard at work!

First on the list is finishing up a customized life planner for Courtney, a winner of a giveaway that we recently sponsored on another blog. It's adorable! And while making Courtney's planner I decided that our life planner could use a little update for the next year too. So I made up a list of ideas that I'm toying around with.

We are also thinking about updating a few of the "sets" in the shop. We are thinking the budget documents first. So we are doing a little planning and figuring out what has worked best for us and adjusting them accordingly. And maybe some fun new colors and layouts too??

What changes or updates would you like to see? Any new documents we should create? Something we should add or change on our life planner??

Operation: Get It Together

The last couple of weeks I have been feeling a bit crazy, swamped, and out of control. I have been getting behind in my housework and chores and have gotten into a nasty habit of just dropping off my bags when I come in the door and then digging out what I need for the next day. Its a vicious cycle.  So one of the last times I did printables for myself I made this little friend and figured it as about time to put it to use to help me "get it together", hence the post title.

Now I didn't come up with these tasks randomly or on my own. I got a little help from one of our favorite bloggers, clean mama. She gives great tips and plans on getting your home clean and maintaining it. Pop over and check out her cleaning routine tab for lots of great stuff! She tells you all her favorite products and her cleaning schedules. She even provides a free printable each month to help you keep on track! She also offers other great freebies!  I wrote all about my new cleaning schedule here, and all of the great things that clean mama suggests.

So here's what my printable looks like. I just used a theme template I have used for a lot of printables lately. I'm still loving brights, chevron, and arrows. Isn't it cute???

Now I have been trying to follow this schedule for a couple months now, but just haven't been doing so great. I'm hoping a fresh new list on the fridge will keep me motivated and on track.  I added in dishes, just until it becomes a habit and I don't have to really check the list. And as far as the "clear the clutter" item goes, for now my goal is to put away 3 to 5 things that are not in their correct homes. Hopefully this will eventually become put away 1 or 2 things. Or maybe even put away just the things from that day??And since I was dryer-less and am playing catch up on laundry....I have a few extra loads to put away, but I'm working on it.

Today's special area was the bathroom. Everything listed with bathrooms got a good cleaning tonight. I just use a throw away antibacterial wipe for the sink, counters and toilet. {obviously a different wipe for the toilet!} For the tub I use a scrub brush that stays in there all the time, it is filled with vinegar and dawn. I also wiped down the caulking around the base of the tub and gave the toilet brush a good soak in bleach water. Always good to sanitize that thing.

I also just started selling thirty-one and got this baby for myself and decided that for now it's home was going to be in the bathroom collecting dirty laundry. It's a super cute just to waste on laundry collection, but it keeps it from piling up on the floor and it makes me smile to look at it. It doesn't technically help me get things done better, but it does decrease the disaster in-between so I call it a win.

What kind of cleaning schedule do you follow? How do you keep on top of your housework? Do you use a chore chart? The whole family helps out? checklists?

Spring Cleaning Checklists

Shannon made some awesome spring cleaning checklists. Have you downloaded yours yet? If not, go here.

I downloaded mine and printed them. I printed one for every room, except the office. We don't have one. I also printed 4 bedroom pages because we have 4 bedrooms in our house. I needed to have one checklist for each bedroom.

I also printed out a couple blank ones. They are for specific areas I want to declutter like the coat closet and toy closet. I don't have any extra cool rooms, like the library or media room. But if I was cool, and I did, I would use them for that.

Also, I had to cross out some things, and change some things. For example, I don't have any carpet in my room or Carter's. So I switched that to sweep and swiffer. Other things like clean mirror, I just crossed out since I don't have one in my room.

So, if you haven't already, go download your spring cleaning printables, because they will only be free for a limited time! Share with us your spring cleaning plans. I am finishing mine next week when I'm on spring break. What about you?

Plus, more good news. We are having a spring cleaning sale in our etsy shop too! Save 20% on your entire order! 

Spring cleaning {intro}

Spring is always a nice time of year. The snow goes away and the grass starts to turn green. Plus it's a nice time for cleaning and getting your life in order. The "new year's resolution" phase has ended and perhaps your well intended plans of getting organized went out the window. So this is the time to redeem yourself and get your house clean and organized. However, the downfall of spring is, it is no longer okay to run around in "ugg" boots and pretend that its okay because there's snow.

I am the first to admit that my apartment could use some serious spring cleaning. We have been gone so much lately that things just get dropped when we walk in the door and never dealt with. So I plan to do some serious purging and scrubbing in the coming weeks.

The first step in my spring cleaning is DECLUTTERING. Aren't you supposed to do that everyday you ask? Yes, in fact you are. But let's get real here people. We live in our houses, we have busy lives. It doesn't always happen that way. Before you can start scrubbing the grout and kitchen sink, you have to be able to see them! Some of you super awesome people might not have as much decluttering to do as I do, and you wonderful people deserve a cake. I like to tell myself that if I wasn't crammed into a tiny apartment with me, the bf, and the roomie I wouldn't be a messy molly with stuff crammed in every little nook and cranny. But I know my sister would call me out on that one. I would so be like more space = more stuff, game on. But it's my blog post and I'm gonna pretend all I want. You all can pretend too :)
But I digress.
So the decluttering. It needs to have a game plan. Our main goal is to clear all the flat surfaces. All of them! If it's flat clear it off. If it doesn't belong there, put it where it does belong. Throughout the process I plan to use for "piles". Even though I don't intend to have random piles all over, I wouldn't have a floor left. But the four headings should be:

keep

toss/recycle

donate/repurpose

sell

Here's my plan/rules for each of those things.

Keep: 

Does it function properly for its intended purpose? (check)

Are we currently or recently using it? (check)

Do I need it? (check)

Does it belong in this room/space? (check) 

* If it does not belong in the room it is presently residing in, either A) move it immediately to the proper room or B) add to the "to be relocated basket" (or bin or tub or whatever you are using)

Oh yeah, I didn't mention that yet. I plan to have an interim location for things that are good and I need but need to find a new home. I haven't yet decided what that will be. Maybe a laundry basket, so that I can't just let it sit forever- I will have to do laundry eventually.

Toss/Recycle:

This is simply the things that are broken or garbage. Throw them away. But recycle it if you can. For this project recycle is not the same as repurpose. Recycle literally only means recycle. paper, plastic. glass etc. 

Donate/Repurpose:

Things that can be given to a friend, neighbor, relative, or second hand/used store. If its still in good condition but you don't need it, donate it. Plus you will feel better about yourself for a bit too :) And now the repurpose part, use it sparingly. This is not an excuse to go nutso. Clearly I am giving this warning because I can see myself doing it. Oh, I could cover this in fabric and hang it from the....and put....in it....and oh won't it be cute??

Sell:

If you are cool enough to have stuff that other people would buy. Game on. I however, don't think this category will apply to me. With a maximum age of 26 in the apartment and none of us having complete furnishings, I don't think that I will have anything to sell. I will just have crap less than valuable stuff to get rid of. I always wanted to be one of those people that could score awesome stuff on craigslist. but alas, I don't think that will be happening in my smallish town. 

PS. I made printables for the occasion. (like I need an excuse) And I am sharing them with you for the rest of the month, so download yours now. I made them very generic and included a blank one so that they can be used for nearly any situation. So lets get our game faces on and get to it!

Snag your printables and get going! I'll be back with updates of how I'm doing along the way.

Happy cleaning!

Click each image for the download link.

And some sorting signs, if those will help you out :)

Ps, again. This is probably what I will look like:

The Sale is Almost Over

Organize Your New Year

The new year is a wonderful time of the year....It's a time of resolutions and reorganizations!! Hooray! I love a chance to start fresh and reorganize and re-evaluate my planning, cleaning, arranging.....

crisp new calendars

brand new planners

clean cupboards and closets

rearranged rooms

a new cleaning schedule 

all the wonderfulness of planning out a new year

any other weirdos out there who feel the same way?

or maybe you are a non organizing freak but would like to make your new year a little more streamlined and organized? 

We can help!

From now through January 31, 2013 we are offering our monthly calendars for half price!

$1.50 for all 12 calendars!

   I heart them :)

They are coordinated to match the new theme of our home management binder documents, but they are still a wonderful pop of color even if you don't have our new home management binder documents.

What new home management binder documents?
Well these babies were specially made to force my sister to make her own home management binder. Yep, force. She has no choice. If I have to drive to her house and tape her to the chair until she finishes it.

  They are a totally new bright colored theme and absolutely adoarble!!
Check them out...

cover page

section divider

daily agenda

monthly calendars

household information

important dates

kids' schedule

meal ideas

monthly meal planner

automobile log

bill payment log

contacts

monthly budget

password log

petsitter notes

shopping list

to do list

week at a glance

weekly cleaning checklist

 They make me smile.

We also added a few other new items to our etsy shop...

 I made these routines for my sister's kids....so I figured if they worked for her, there might be others out there who would benefit from a bedtime routine.
It doesn't have to be a bedtime routine...I could be a morning or after school routine too.
  
 We are also in the process of updating the rest of our packages and sets....
The layout and designs of my documents have definitely changed over the past year and I feel like all of my original documents are boring and out of date, so they must be corrected!

 

 

  

   

The first things to be updated are the budget packages....
Check back with our etsy store for more updates. 

We have also seen a few challenges and link parties planned for the new year, so we hope to participate in those as well. Yay!

click the image to visit our etsy shop

  

We hope that you will join us in organizing our new year!!