Saturday 29 August 2015

make it beautiful for cheap!!

I got the function down now I need to make it beautiful on a small budget and I mean small. Were do you go with a budget? that's right the dolor store.
I love these cheap magazine file folders. I get them at ikea for 5 for $2.99 steal of a deal. I have no clue how many I have in the house. (had to go count lol 32 that just the kids and I use the hubby has at least 7)

ok before pic love the space but I need color!!
 
Some good tunes on and my supplies. I just simply stuck the tape on and made sure I lined it up and bam maybe 30 mins of work and all the ones in my office (19 in total) are done and of course I need cute labels. A sheet of Avery address label's and avery.com. They are perfect for me.

So love the color its sooooo close to the desk color.

Under my printer cabinet for other office stuff.
 
I labeled everything else too.
Holiday décor and home décor stuff

Party decorations bins

Kids crafts bins
 
This is a old magazine stand that I got for $1 at the thrift shop. It works amazing for quick gift wrapping.  I tossed in our craft paper roll in too sometimes we wrap gifts in plain paper and decorate it.
 
Gift wrapping station
 
I am truly in love with my new office. So much I just love about it. This winter will be great to be in here for a whole day.
Not bad at all!!! a total of $2.00 of duck tape makes this mama crazy happy.
 

NEW OFFICE !!!

Oh ya I finally got my office space I have been dreaming about for years. So we have decided to move our master bedroom down to the basement with the other bathroom. its like we have a master suite down there know more to come on that later. For the month of September just scaring the office, one project at a time.
As you all who know me I love a good before and after pictures, drum roll please.


I suffer bad from clutter blindness, well I think 95% of the world does. No wonder I was stressed working in here. Now I have a 6 foot window in my new office and the fresh breeze is coming in and just making me love life right now. I forsee a lot more work getting done in here.

If you ever have read the kids book, give a mouse a cookie, that is me all the way. If your going to move the ugly desk and cabinet upstairs empty you may as well give it a lick of paint. This color you may recognize from the frontdoor project ahhhhh I just love this paint. It was a mis-tint from Walmart and oh man it was so worth the $5.00 I paid of it. I love exteritior paint, it covers anything very well with a good hard finish if you let it cure for a few weeks. The tall cabinet is from a friend that was wanting to get rid of it so I grab it a few years ago. I think it was a microwave cabinet but it works sooooo great for all my office junk.If I was not a crafter I would only need these 2 pieces but I love crafting to. oh and I love my table my dad made me. Being 5'11" it is hard to find stuff that is tall enough for me to stand at.

still a work in progress but I think in a week this is good. I will show you my BEST part of this space. The closet!!!
well this is what it looked like before its little make over. hehe that is for another post. well that is all for today. Think outside the box sometimes you can make your small house work better for all members.
 
 

Wednesday 12 August 2015

back to school 2015-2016

BEST TIME OF THE YEAR!!!!!!

Dont get me wrong I love my kids to the end of the earth and back, but they need to go back to school and be with there friends. This year is going to be a little different I will not have any kids at home.  I cant even imagine it right now. MM was only in school Tuesdays and Thursdays last year and that was great, I got lots done and somedays nothing but free time for myself. I am a little sad but that's normal. I am ready to get back to work and work on following my professional organizer dream.

Ok before school starts there has to be a plan of action, and organization. School time can be a stressful time but I find the first few weeks run so much smoother if I have a plan. The plan is never perfect. Last year MM broke his arm and had emergency surgery the first day of school. I tell ya i didn't have that on my list of things i wanted to do.

Today I am going to share some old ideas, maybe some common ideas. I am not reinventing the wheel here also not looking for perfection.

step 1-  Command center. This area of the house has evolved a lot over the last 3 years. It is always changing for our needs.

wall organizer from thirtyone gifts


In our large china cabinet I have just plain old magazine holders(ikea 2.99 for 5) it holds all that paper that needs a home but does not really need a permanent home in the file cabinet. I use those pocket things that you can get at any office supply store or the dollor store to sort some of the stuff. My hubbies work ticket stuff is in the pink folder lol so if he needs it right away its there for him and I don't have to get out of the filing cabinet downstairs for him. The kids one is mosly art that will come home from school and then it goes down stairs in there memory bin.

 
Our dinning room is our homework area to Red has a desk in her room if she need quiet, but 90% of it is done here. Simple is my middle name.


This is my drawer. I have a "problem" with color coding someday lol I love my sharpies and my ink joys. ahhhhh pure HAPPY!!! 
 
 
 This spot has not changed at all, why change something that works well right.
 
step 2- bedrooms
     I love a clean bedroom. Studies show kids that have messy rooms have lots of stress in the morning and it carries on through out there day.
 
 

Most of the kids clothes are hung up. I do this for 2 reason, one they are out of site out of mind kids, so they need to see all there clothes to make a decision. Second reason is they put there clothes away on laundry day. Like most kids they can not fold at all. (OCD mom right here). For the most part it always looks good.

 

 
My favorite thing in the closets is and always has been is a "TOO BIG"  "TOO SMALL" bins I am a bargain shopper and I get great deals for next size up. Also I like the small bin cause if something is to small they toss it in there and every few months, I will go around and collect the stuff and take it away to the thrift shop.

Step 3- lunches  The lunch center really haven't changed, why it works so well.


 See what I hide in here, here.
 
Now, with your plan in hand you are ready for a smooth school season. Just a reminder, you are the master of your mornings. If you are stressed in the morning it makes your kids stressed but at the same time all plans have hicups so don't be to hard on yourself.