Lent Forty Day Challenge

I wouldn't say that I'm an incredibly religious person. But I would say that I'm a spiritual person. I don't attend church on a regular basis, but I did as a child and young adult. I do believe in a Holy Spirit. A higher being. Someone watching over us. And I don't think that because I don't attend church, or consider myself uber religious, that it makes me any less of a person who attends church regularly. I try to abide by the Ten Commandments, as all human beings should! I try not to cast stones. And I try to observe Lent every year. And it all starts with Shrove Tuesday, or as we call it, Pancake Tuesday!

So we are on day two of Lent. I didn't attend Ash Wednesday. I did, however, start the Lent Forty Day Challenge that I saw on Facebook yesterday. Have you heard about it? Over the next forty days, instead of giving up something, which I try to do as well, it asks you to Do More! I like that! Do More. My mom does this now. She, like me, gave up things for years, but found that she's a better person by Doing More. So here is the challenge that I chose to accept!

Over the next forty days, fill one bag a day with stuff. Reduce clutter around the house and do something with the things you decide to part with. Like donate to a charitable organization. Recycle things that are a fit for recycling. Throw away things that are truly worth the trash. Or sell the things that you think might be worth something. It's that easy. Or is it easier said than done?

I'm one who loves to try and declutter, but I usually end up making a giant mess, and then I'm overwhelmed and walk away from it all. Then, it's time for bed, and guess what? All that stuff is all over the house! And I didn't so anything more than just make more clutter! Earlier this week, Dr. Nikki Crawford of Your Peaceful Spaces was on Better Kansas City and I chatted with her after her segment about the decluttering your space mindset. I mentioned to her that I get overwhelmed with the mess I have created, and she said that was a result of doing too much! She said start small. A sock drawer. A spice cabinet. A shoe closet. Working in a smaller space will help you feel accomplished without getting overwhelmed at the mess you have made. In other words, don't Marie Kondo that space! I knew I didn't try that fade for a reason!

So, yesterday I started with a space that meant something to me, my new craft room. I've been meaning to organize my new island, but I haven't really felt the urge to do it. You know, motivated to start cleaning out the clutter. Yesterday, I put my mind to it, and got to work. And it felt good! I threw out old craft paint bottles that were nothing put oil. Old fabric glue jars that were dried up and unspreadable. I pitched used sponge paint brushes because I still had them why..... I cleaned the baskets out, restocked them, and gave everything a place. I used cute Mason jars to house beads, crystals, glue sticks, and Popsicle sticks. I gave the space a once over and I loved what it finally looked like! I made a small mess, cleaned it up, and threw one bag away! AND, by cleaning out the old, and making way for the new/usable, I cleaned out a closet in the basement! Day one was complete!

I know I may not get all forty days accomplished and that's okay. I am trying. I am doing more that I would have if I hadn't taken on this challenge. Today, I'm going to task myself with cleaning out my sons closet! It's way over due. I need to clean out his sock drawer, pajama basket, and truly look at sizes that are currently hanging in the closet! Wish me luck. It's no small task!

With that being said, are you going to task yourself with the Lent challenge? Are you the kind of person who gives up something or does more? Let's all share what we plan to do and check in over the next forty days to see how we are all doing! No judgement if we don't complete what we set out to do!! At least we tried!

XO,

Andrea

Back to School - Mama Edition

This summer was spent in the car going on adventures around the country. Okay, not around the country, but instead throughout the Midwest and Southeast Region. There were multiple trips to the local pool by foot. Exploring the wild animals of the zoo. Feeding farm animals at Deanna Rose. Decorating and redecorating our booth in Louisburg. And endless hours of playing in the playroom. To say that we had any structure this summer would be a lie! We had zero. Dinners weren't on time. Bedtime got later and later. Sleeping in was a requirement on some days. And the house stayed in constant disarray all summer! 

So with the beginning of the school year, I felt it was time to get my house in order. It wasn't really the whole house, though that desperately needs it. Yesterday I decided to tackle things like a snack drawer for ease when packing lunch and McKinley's morning snack. My desk needed a complete overhaul with all the print outs, trash, and junk that had collected. And I took the time to finally utilize McKinley's Melissa and Doug dry erase calendar. I filled in all the dates, activities for the month, and added the daily specials so the whole house would know what was taking place at school the next day. By the end of the day, I felt like I had a decent handle on the house. Here's what I did!

I created a pantry in my unfinished basement to help keep the kitchen cabinets a little more organized and to keep extra things on hand so I could whip up dinners without constantly running to the store. And it's really helped. However, one the kitchen cabinets had become the catch all for everything! Left over baggies of snacks, half eaten sleeves of crackers that had been in there for ages, a can of chicken from 2012..... Needless to say, it was time to just throw it out and start all over! And that's what I did. Now, my cabinet is stocked with all the healthy snacks McKinley that he can grab anytime. And, it was awesome to just reach in the cabinet this morning when packing his lunch and not run up and down the stairs to get what I need! Huge time saver!

Up next was my desk! I should have taken a before photo, but I started organizing before I thought about it. Plus, it was embarrassing! The clutter was ridiculous! But now, it's back in working order and I'm so happy! Just sitting here typing this, I love looking at the pretty things that rest on its surface. Oh, and I just purchased this darling stapler yesterday at TJ.Maxx! Isn't it the cutest!! 

And lastly, it's the calendar update. This calendar has been hanging in several rooms of the house, but finally came to rest in McKinley's room where it belongs. It really is darling and perfect for helping him learn dates and days of the week. And it's keeping us all straight on what specials take place daily. Especially for me when picking out clothes the night before. Now I know which days should be dressier than others. Let's just hope I can keep up the effort.... 

There are thousands of other things that need organization in my house, but I thought this would be a good start! What are you doing to get yourself back to school ready? Any special prep around the house or with yourself personally? My personal calendar is another place that needs a little help, but I'm slowly getting that up to speed as well. 

I hope everyone is having an easy transition back to school! 

XO!

andrea

Organizing My Life: The Bathroom Cabinet

I began a nail polish clean out a little over a week ago, but didn't get terribly far. You know those bottles. The ones that are half empty, where the brush won't even touch the polish, or have settled and the polish has started to separate from itself. Or, it's simply dried up. I had so many of those bottles. Plus, I had colors that I just wasn't wearing anymore and you just have to make the decision to throw them away. I had also gotten into a really bad habit of simply placing bottles that I had recently used in a makeup bag. That bag was completely overflowing and I couldn't find the polishes I wanted when I wanted to use them. It had just become a problem.

So on a rainy Sunday afternoon, I started the official cleanup. But, if you are anything like me, it doesn't stop there. While I was cleaning out bottles, finding new colors in different bags under the bathroom sink, I started pulling out more and more stuff. Before long, this is what my bathroom floor looked like! And you can see the mess that's still under the sink....

I found things I didn't ever remember having. Old makeup, lipsticks, lotion bottles that were nearly empty, samples I had never used, nail color strips I've horded for years, makeup bags galore, and the unused organizational tubs that I placed under there five years ago. Sure they had stuff in them, but they were overflowing and there was zero organization taking place. It was time to get it under control!

I started asking myself about the shelf life of makeup. I know there is a number listed on the back of each container, but some of the numbers are so small you can't read them. So, I headed to trusty Google and got the answers. We all know that you should discard mascara every three months, but what about lipstick? Well, throw it out after two years. I recently used a lipstick that I've had for a while and I swear it smelled rancid. Turns out, it was. There are a couple of things you can do to test yours. If there is a change in color, texture, or smell, toss it! I actually found a couple that looked like a wax had formed, I refuse to believe it was mold, so in the trash they went! However, if they don't have any of these three things wrong, go ahead and give them a good cleaning with some alcohol and continue use.

What about your powder cosmetics like blush, eye shadow, and face powder? They typically last one to two years. Same as the lipstick, if the color changes or there is a distinct smell, toss it. And if you've decided you no longer want that teal blue shadow, go ahead and toss that as well! Eyeliner lasts six months to a year and foundation six months to two years. Follow these rules and you will have a truly clean makeup bag! Mine is now completely up to date. Thanks Huffington Post!

As for the rest of the clean out, I took this seriously. I used Swiffer sheets to get all the dust, hair, and debris out of the cabinet and followed that up with Clorox Wipes. I did that for the entire cabinet. I then used a Clorox Wipe to clean out all of the storage bins. It just needed a true cleansing! And then I started pitching things right and left. Cotton balls that had fallen out of the bag, old bobbie pins that were laying around, samples that I knew I would never use, empty lotion bottles went into the recycle bin, and all of those hair accessories that I might use again went in a makeup bag that I wasn't currently using. I did the same thing with Tampons. Instead of having that bulky box sitting in the cabinet, which was taking up some much needed space, I placed them in another makeup bag. And all of my Jamberry packs went in another. Nice use of pretty bags that will decorate the interior! 

Here is what it looks like now!

 

Not all, but the most used polishes are in a side drawer. I placed them in cute little baskets. Great use of storage so they aren't just rolling around in the drawer.

Check out all the trash I threw away!! That's a lot of stuff from under one little bathroom cabinet, but it also goes to show just how necessary a clean out was. Maybe every six months. Maybe once a year. But definitely not once every five years! I'm pretty sure that's they last time I really took the time to clean this space out.

In my quest to organize my life, I'm five months in, and I've cleaned out a spice cabinet, a linen closet, my car, and a bathroom cabinet. I think I'm doing fairly well. Next up, under the kitchen sink! I can't remember the last time I really looked under there and I'm not sure I want to do it now....

What are you doing to organize your life? Did the makeup tips help? Are you ready to tackle your bathroom cabinet? Hope this helped!!

XO,

Andrea

Organizing My Life: Backseat Clean Up

On my quest to organize my life, one of the largest areas that needs help is my car! I drive a mama car. And it's the car we take around town and on road trips, and we take quite a few road trips. And as a result, it's filled with Hot Wheels, packs of wet wipes, crunched up Goldfish on the floor, and wads of Kleenex in the backseat where McKinley throws them after use. It's a disaster! I was forced to "clean" it out the other day when I had a friend rode with me, but it wasn't nearly as organized as I would like it to be. I want a place for the travel game boards, coloring books/crayons, and other miscellaneous kid friendly items that are wandering around the floor boards. Oh, and a trash can that's not a shopping bag that I found in the backseat. It's fine for now, but it flies all over the place, throwing the picked up trash back to where it came from. I need something that will stay put. Here is the brutal truth....

As you know, I love to browse the net for ideas and I headed straight to Buy, Buy, Baby for inspiration. And I found it! Tons of over the seat organizers that I love, but my only issue with these is that McKinley sits in the middle so he can't really reach the pockets in front of him. The cute storage containers that fit in the seat might be the way to go. However, I could get both! That why I'm ensured as much storage as possible. Here is what I found.

Look how nicely all that stuff fits and that it's all in one place! Not all over the floor and seats of the car. Now, if only it would vacuum up all the Goldfish...

Now to tackle the trashcan. I did see a really cute idea on Pinterest. Take an old wipes container, cover it with your favorite contact paper to dress it up a little, a voila! You have a re-useable car trashcan! Just another way to reduce, reuse, and recycle! Oh, and look at all the other things you can do with a wet wipe box. That's a whole 'nother blog post!

What are you currently using in your car for organization? I would love to know what works for you! Anything you've tried in the past that didn't? I can't be the only mama out there that needs the advice.

Stay tuned to see how clean my car looks post organization!

XO,

Andrea

Organizing My Life: The Spice Cabinet

What is it about the spice cabinet? It is one of the most cluttered cabinets in existence or at least in my house it is. You would think thmore and more things inside the cabinet. So it wasn't really that things weren't in their original place, they just didn't always fit because of the other things that were in there. And apparently, it contained things I've purchased for recipesat we could all put things back the way we found them, but I just kept stuffing  I've never made so therefore the item never got used. Waste of space and money!

In my quest to organize my life this year, the spice cabinet was one of my things on my list of areas to clean out. Remember when I told you about that HGTV Magazine article about de-cluttering your cabinet and making more room at the same time? Well I did it! While attending the Kids Workshop at Home Depot on Saturday, I scoured the cabinet organizing section and found this door spice rack from Closet Maid. It was perfect for the job at hand. All I needed was a tape measure, pencil, screwdriver, and level. Oh, and a husband who was willing to install it! 

So this is what my cabinet looked like before. Seriously, it's no wonder I could never find anything or that things would fall out when trying to find something in the back. Can we say frustrating?

Obviously, this is where the spice rack was going. 

Measure twice, screw once.

The hopeful, magical spice rack pieces!

Right on the mark!

Here we go!! I started on the bottom shelf and added the spices I use the most to the rack. The larger bottles went on the bottom, for obvious reasons, the middle section is all baking spices, and the top shelf is all the herbs. But as you can see, there are so many more bottles that what's on the shelf. That's because some of them were empty (don't ask how that happened) and some were expired. Here's the thing on expired spices. There is no more helpful tool than your nose to decide if something is expired. Most of my expired spices were from either 2014/2015 and were they ever! The smell alone was a dead give away. Poppyseeds were rancid, garlic powder smelled way too garlicy, and let's be honest, 2014 is just plain old! They say that most spices can last up to a year past their expiration date. When in doubt, smell them!

I'm honestly not sure how all of this fit in the cabinet! The next several photos were all the things crammed into that tiny space! 

Most of everything seen here was thrown away! Again, things purchased for recipes that were never made. I'm going to try and be more cognizant of this in the future!

Here is the after!! I can't believe it. You can see into the cabinet, move things around and not have it fall out, and each shelf has a purpose. The bottom still houses some of the spices we use, just not on a regular basis. It also contains vinegar and oils. The second shelf is all baking. Flour, sugar, baking power and soda, extracts, and other baking essentials. The top shelf is for random things like jello and pudding mix, nuts, toothpicks, and other miscellaneous items that I do use, just not all that often. 

I am one happy mama!! I made dinner last night and found things immediately! I just open it to look at it and marvel at the organization at hand! I feel so accomplished. Let's hope when I check back in six months that it's still this clean and clear! And speaking of clean, use this time to really get in there. I used Clorox wipes on every shelf just to make sure it was clean of any spills. I don't need anything growing in my freshly spruced up spice cabinet!

What do you do to organize your kitchen cabinets? Are you one to keep it this clean all the time? Do you have shelves dedicated to certain items? I would love to hear your thoughts! 

Next up, the linen closet! God help me!

XO,

Andrea

Getting Organized: McKinley's Space

I don't think that there will ever be a time where I say, my house if finished! It's organized to the point where I can finally sit back and look at all I've done! Never going to happen. I have kitchen cabinets, a linen closet, a coat closet, and a playroom on the list of things that have to be organized and now! But, I really wanted to create a little space for McKinley, even if he only uses it from time to time. 

I blogged several weeks ago about whether I make him a work space for school activities or just let him use the age old kitchen table. So far, we've been using the kitchen table, but I was still determined to make him a small space that was just his. You never know if he decided he just needed a moment to himself to create. (I have to mention that this weekend he told us he was inspired to create an ice skating rink and that he was going to draw it when we got home. I loved that he used inspired!)

I got to work about a week or so ago getting his room prepped for the space. I removed the brown chair that we used for late night/early morning feedings since he doesn't use it and it was just taking up room. Don't worry, we didn't get rid of it completely. It's now housed in one of my mom's spare bedrooms and it looks perfect!

The blank space!

 I then cleaned off the table in his playroom to get ready for the move. Um, do you see this table? It took me about 10 minutes to clear. And I threw half of it away!

I can't believe that table ever looked like that! So, after taking 10 minutes to rid the clutter, I moved it up three flights of stairs to its new home. And this guy is heavy! 

Since then, I've moved the table a little and added some cute details. My mom knew I was on the hunt for a cute art supply caddy. I didn't want something plastic. I wanted something sturdier and chic for the space. My mom found this perfect piece at Michael's and it's exactly what I had in mind. I was even going to sketch something and have my dad help me make it. Thanks, Michael's!

This little storage box is what started this whole process! It used to be housed in a corner in my kitchen and it became the catch all for everthing related to McKinley. Anything he brought home artwork wise wound up in this box. And, it also housed all of his art supplies and so many other things. It was spilling over and it was so unsightly. I wasn't sure what to do with it after it was all cleaned out so I turned it into a storage unit for all of the other art supplies like finger paint paper, his sketch pad, bottles of paint, and finger paint tubes. It fits nicely beside his changing table, that I turned into a mini library, and is right next to the new art station. I love it!

I love his new space and Joel does too. His favorite piece is the art supply caddy! It cleaned up the room, made it a big boy space, and it gives him a place that's all his. And, it helped me contain the clutter and take space back in my kitchen. And I have big plans for that space. 

What are some of the ways you organize your home? Do you ever feel like you're done or do you have that constant list of things to do? One day, I'll get there...

XO,

Andrea