Put Into Order

Grandmother & Big Daddy (Maxine & Vernon Burnes)

I am going to dedicate this blog to my grandmother as she was about the most organized gal I have ever  known.  In Gram's home, there was a place for everything, and everything had a place.  Gram was the first person I had ever seen 'upcycle' something.  My mother inherited my grandmothers creative streak from artwork, to caring for the home, to cooking and sewing, then my mother soared from there with her creative talents. My lovely daughter Valerie inherited the same creative gene and has even improved on it by adding computer graphics to her repertoire.

There is sheer freedom in having your home whipped into shape and put in order.  I have been gathering and  saving organizational tips for quite a while now and I thought I should make them easier to access to spur myself on to the task of organizing my own home, and maybe even help others at the same time. I have a very demanding full time job and a large extended family that I love to spend time with so that does not leave much time for my home and I know that my home is very important.  Do you need a little encouragement in organizing your living space? Shall we begin?  I have decided if I take one task at a time, this won't be so daunting and it might even be fun; won't you join me?

LAUNDRY ROOM The first project I am sharing is a simple organizer for lost socks in the laundry. Now, I have done my own unofficial survey and can share with you that

        THERE REALLY IS A SOCK MONSTER IN THE DRYER! 

Just kidding.  This belief has been carried on for generations, as long as there have been dryers in the laundry room. But, now is the time to begin to remedy this situation. It is my habit to remove the clothes from the dryer the moment the dryer stops, I will hang them up & put them away (yes, that's how much I hate ironing), putting things away immediately saves much work later on and remember, never put off 'til tomorrow, what you can do today (Thomas Jefferson quote).   

First, a quick little story.  When our family had first moved to the high desert of Cali, my daughter and I really wanted some cute little sayings on signs to decorate the home, but they were so pricey for all the sayings we wanted, and we wanted quite a few.  So, on a  whim, I purchased a 1x6 piece of pine and our crafting journey began.  We made the most adorable signs, i.e., Gathering Room, Home Sweet Home, Live Laugh Love, you get the idea; we saved hundreds of dollars by the end of our project and it was quite simple.  So, imagine my delight when I came upon a little organizing treat for that sock monster problem that one can make at home!  This is from the blog Decor-ganize Crafts by Heather.  

I am such a fan of good old fashioned clothes pins, they really are quite handy.  In the past, I have covered them with scrapbook paper and backed them with magnets to turn them into frig magnets, they're great to organize notes on a refrigerator.  In fact, when we gave my lovely daughter her bridal shower, I had made quite a few of them so that they were little handouts to all who came, I had even made some custom ones for little gifts; they were well received. After her shower, my lovely daughter asked if I had any extra so she could have some for her home once she was married...of course I had made extra.

Here is a link to some clothespin magnets for sale just in case you don't have the time nor inclination to make your own.  This is an Etsy site called Inspiration Nest.

                          David & myself, & Valerie (lovely daughter) and her husband Michael
                                                                  on their wedding day

KITCHEN I think this next one is a great organizational idea!  This gal shows a sturdy towel rack (could be painted)  & S-hooks for kitchen utensils to hang from and even more wonderful is she uses the top of the rack to slip the pot lids onto! (pot lid storage is my bane) Be sure to check out Teresa's blog at Our Old Abode , to find it, go to her May 15, 2012 posting.

 

WARDROBE  This speaks to ME! I plan on gathering those wooden flatware dividers and going for it.  I LOVE my necklaces & bracelets and I have literally run out of room for storage....I think this will handle the overflow quite nicely.  You must check out Ashli's blog Maillardville Manor for this sweet organizing idea for jewelry. Be sure to look for the date July 21, 2011 to find the photo. I have previously bought bamboo cutlery inserts (thank you David) for a great price at Marshall's, so I will check there first.

 

BATHROOM This is phenomenal and although not a blog, it is definitely share-worthy. This is the most organized medicine cupboard I have ever seen, I love the toothbrush holders on the inside of the cabinet, safely tucked away from the outside air, etc. You simply must check out this organized cupboard by Stick On Pods.

 

CHILDREN  How awesome is this?? When the chore is complete, simply lift the tab to the upright position and it proudly says "Done".  I loved to think of ways to encourage my lovely daughter when she was young.  I wanted her to feel confident, understand independence, and grow. How I wish I would have thought of this cool chore chart, it almost makes chores look fun! This is so much more exciting than the 'gold star' method and it's from My Name is Snickerdoodle with Amy Williams.

STORAGE  The fact is that I can reach into a cupboard or two on my back breezeway/laundry room and pull out wrapping paper, a gift bag, or tissue paper, but to get a particular gift bag, I need to dig around through a few stacks and they are so slick that they tend to slide off the cupboard, onto the floor...and when the tissue paper gets whittled down to  few sheets, it will blow right out the door and onto the floor.  It's quite frustrating.  So when I saw the below organized gift wrapping door, I was very excited.  You have simply GOT to read about what Cassi at i heart organizing has done!  I love her very detailed instructions; you can't go wrong.

GARAGE   I can envision picking up all the leaning tools and hanging them in their special spot in the garage, I'm going to do this, just watch me!  Living The Country Life posted this great idea as one of the top ten reader submissions, I must agree!  Get yourself some PVC pipe (yep, that's right), and cut it in 12 inch lengths. Be sure to cut the top at an angle so you can easily drill the screw into the wood to hold the PVC.  THEN screw it to some wood strips in your garage and place a yard/garden tool in each one, i.e. a shovel, a rake, a hoe, you get the idea!

BEDROOM  I thought I had seen everything until I saw this!  On the Pinterest Most Wanted List is the idea for a bed that lifts up to reveal S T O R A G E !  I can only imagine not having to take up precious space for the bulk items that I purchase.  There are some other links to companies that sell these very special beds here and here but my guess is someone with some craftiness & chutzpah could build their own!

Did you find the quote for the day in one of the above paragraphs?  I love learning and if I can tuck something, anything, educational into my life/day I will do it! And remember, today is a great day to GET ORGANIZED!

Thanks so much for reading,

Kelly