Home Organization and Design: Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning is an essential to Spring, but one of those things that most people hate doing. Spring cleaning is by definition a chore, but it doesn't have to be a complete torture. This month start spring cleaning with making your own lavender linen spray and a massive closet clean out then spend the next 30 days doing the quick cleaning tips listed here. 30 days might sound like a long spring cleaning, but each tip is only 10-15 minutes and can easily be accommodated into your busy schedule.

Start spring cleaning off right with lavender linen spray. Linens will smell like spring and you will be motivated to clear out your winter clutter. To make your lavender linen spray you will need: 1)lavender essential oil, 2)water, and 3)a spray bottle. Fill your spray bottle with water and mix 2 teaspoons of the lavender essential oil with the water. Your lavender linen spray is now ready to use. Using a tiny amount of the essential oil gives you a fragrant smell without staining your lines. This linen spray also makes a great gift for housewarming parties. Lavender linen spray is a complimentary amenity in all the finest hotels so spray your linens and imagine you're about to set sail on a spring vacation. 

Finish your transition to spring by cleaning out your closet of all of your winter clothes. Start folding and storing away your sweaters and long sleeves. I recommend leaving out a few light jackets and/or cardigans for chilly spring mornings. Unpack and hang up the short sleeve tops and capris. For those readers who don't have enough clothes to store spring, winter, and summer clothes separately consider reorganizing your closet so your spring wardrobe is the most easily accessed. This simple task will save you lots of time each morning.

Spring cleaning doesn't have to be an awful experience. Do these simple tasks everyday and you will find yourself enjoying spring cleaning and the daily stress of life melting away. Spring cleaning DIYs you want to see? Comment below and I will feature your spring cleaning DIYs in future posts. 

Organizational Tips: Scrapbook Part 1

This month I am focusing each week's organizational tips on scrapbooking. Each week will focus on a different aspect of scrapbooking from photo and project storage to scheduling time to scrapbook. I am not an avid photographer, but many of my friends, family, coworkers, and fellow crafters are with hundreds of pictures being taken every couple of month. While not all photos being taken on their cameras are worth printing and scrapbooking, many are and like them I have these photos stored on various devices. Photos, whether they are worthy or not, end up taking a lot of space on cameras, phones, tablets, computers, and various other locations in print form. Arguably, photos like anything else, can feel overwhelming when they begin to accumulate. Photos, unlike other items we tend to accumulate, can exist in two forms print and digital. Digital photos can then exist on memory cards, USB drives, CDs, DVDs, phones, tablets, and computers. 

There are many ways to organize photos so these are a few of my favorite organizational tips for photos, print and digital. Tip #1: Gather all of your printed pictures and organize your pictures according to theme and year. Pictures you intend to scrapbook soon should be pulled out and grouped according to your scrapbook page. I will post tips for organizing these photos in week 3. There are a few ways to organize the rest of the photos. The first is a photo box with dividers for years and themes. The second is an accordion style photo folder that is predivided. I use the photo folder for photos likely to be scrapbooked first. This photo storage works ok for me, but I am looking for storage that is resistant to fire and weather damage. This concern over fire and weather damage is why many of my photos are also loaded onto my computer and occasionally on CDs as well. 

Tip #2: Organize digital photos into folders on your computer by year and theme. Pictures on my computer are organized under a large folder labeled Pictures with several other folders labeled inside there. These pictures aren't perfectly organized, but I am happy with the progress being made. The sub folders in the Pictures folder have titles such as Christmas 2008, Easter 2013, and SF Anniversary Trip 2011. I can then organize all of the Christmas sub folders into a larger folder along with other folders for anniversary trips, holidays, and special events. At one point I had organized my photos by the people in the pictures, but this wasn't an efficient means of organization. Bonus Tip: Upload your photos to an online website, like Shutterfly or Photobucket, or load on a USB Drive to protect your pictures from human error and computer crashes.

Tip #3: Organize your USB drives, CDs, and DVDs that contain photos with your print photos. This will save you time when you're looking for a specific print. There are great DIYs for organizing your USB Drives, if you want to see tutorial for one of these DIYs comment below. 

Organizational Tips: Gifts

The last few months I have talked a lot about gift giving planning as well as gift ideas that are quick and easy to make ahead of time for last minute emergency gifts, but I haven't talked about how to store/organize these gifts. This week's tips are are devoted to organizing and storing gifts. I have gifts for specific people in my life, birthdays or other celebrations, as well as emergency gifts for unexpected events. These gifts are stored together while gifts for Christmas are stored separately. I store Christmas gifts separately because the gifts only really need to be accessed once a year while other gifts are constantly being used throughout the year. If you have a large family consider storing each person's gifts separately.

Tip #1: Store gifts in storage bins, boxes, and baskets. Choose your storage so that it matches other storage in your craft area. If you have snoopers then blending it with your storage is great, but also consider not labeling the boxes or bins. I chose photo boxes that matched my craft storage. Currently I have 4 photo boxes devoted to gift storage: family gifts that are small, emergency gifts for unexpected celebrations or events, charity donations, and Etsy sales. Granted charity donations and Etsy sales are not traditionally gifts, but I have stored them with my gifts because I access these boxes the same amount and they are typically the same type of things stored. 

Optional Tip: Large gifts can be stored in larger bins or baskets, but don't go overboard. The majority of my gift storage is meant for smaller gifts because that is the majority of the gifts I ended up storing for long periods of time. However, frequently some aspect of the gift is usually larger than what will fit in my photo box. I don't really have storage set aside for large gifts and store the gifts as I accumulate them, mainly because I usually purchase large gifts closer to the birthday or celebration. That said, if you have the space and the need, then store larger gifts in bins or baskets, but don't purchase too many boxes.

Tip #2: Create an inventory of your gifts or items. Depending on your needs or preferences, type or write a simple inventory of items in each boxes. Include who the gift is for if you think you might forget. Finally include an envelope for gift receipts. This may not be necessary for you, but it is helpful if you have lots of store bought gifts. If you tend to purchase gifts in advance then be aware that gift receipts are only good for a set amount of days before items can only be returned for store credit. 

Optional, but helpful tip: Have many different gifts saved as emergency gifts. This isn't really an organization tip, but will help save you stress throughout the year. Personally, I never had the budget to just go out and shop for emergency gifts, but I have also never had a shortage of gifts. I keep my emergency gift box stocked through reward programs and choice shopping during annual sales events. If you have extra time on your hands, or even 5 minutes once a week, online surveys are great for accumulating gift cards or small cash rewards that can be stored away or used to purchase gifts. My favorite online survey, shopping rewards, and participation points website is MyPoints. I have been using MyPoints for the last few years and have been rewarded with many many gift cards, including Starbucks, Macy's, Red Lobster, and the Rainforest Cafe. The total amount claimed, between all of the gift cards, is something close to $100.

With MyPoints I am rewarded through online shopping, survey taking, and general participation in clubs. 

The other online shopping reward company I love is eBates. eBates gives you cash back for shopping online through their website. Unlike MyPoints, eBates gives rewards in the form of a check or PayPal. 

I am really bad about just cashing the check and spending the money, but if you can resist the temptation then eBates checks are great for spending on emergency gifts. 

I know there are people reading this and wondering what gifts I have in my emergency gift box and what gifts make great last minute gifts so hopefully I can help answer those questions. The gifts in my box are headphones with bag (I have about 6 pairs), iTunes gift card ($10), Victoria's Secret Fantasy lotion and perfume set, bath salts, and an assortment of beanies. The headphones were actually free gifts that I received when I ordered off of  the Greater Good Network's websites: Animal Rescue Site, Breast Cancer Site, The Hunger Site, The Literacy Site, Autism Site, and The Veteran's Site. These websites frequently offer promotions with purchase that would make great gifts. I have received the headphones, socks, coin purses, bracelets, necklaces, ornaments, and a purse as free promotional items. The Victoria's Secret Fantasy lotion and perfume set were left over from a larger set of perfumes and lotions, which I used as gifts at Christmas. Emergency gifts are any small gifts that you would like to be gifted as well as small gifts associated with specific interests. The iTunes gift card and headphones will make a great gift for someone who loves music while the bath salts, lotion, and perfume are a great gift for someone who likes to be pampered (pair with a gift certificate for a spa service, massage, or manicure for a more luxurious gift). 

I like keeping beanies, booties, and receiving blankets as emergency gifts as well because you never know when you will need a baby gift. For instance my coworker, who I met when she was already 7 months pregnant, had her baby early, which meant that I wouldn't have had enough time to make a nice baby gift had it not been for the baby gifts in my emergency gift box. These gifts also work great for the baby shower you forgot about or the unexpected invitation to a baby shower you weren't planning on attending. If you don't have a lot of babies in your life, but do have many young children or soon-to-be recent graduates, then something similar will work for you too. For young children, accumulate a lot of party favor type gifts, such as crayons, coloring books, and games, as well as dolls, Legos, and cars. Obviously for a child you knew well you would find more personalized gifts, but small toys work great for that child you weren't planning on gifting to. For graduates I suggest gift cards and small items that are either functional for college or sentimental. Young adults are very adamant about picking out their own items, especially for college, so I wouldn't suggest too many functional items, but you could always purchase laundry bags with silly sayings and a roll of quarters. Great sentimental gifts include Dr. Seuss' "Oh the Places You'll Go" with an encouraging note written to them inside or a collection of your own favorite recipes you made in college. 

When I graduated high school, and actually college too, most of my gifts were impersonal in the form of cash or gift cards with more personal sentiments expressed in the form of cards, but I did receive one sentimental gift, which was a College Humor book of college experiences, and would have enjoyed receiving similar gifts. Everyone has their own preferences though so don't feel bad if you just want to stock up on various cards and gift cards as emergency gifts for graduation, or any other event you may have to attend. 

Organizational Tips: A More Efficient Work Week

I have been so busy at work these last few weeks that I haven't had much time to think let alone work on craft projects. Being busy translates into more stress and less time to eat healthy or eat at all. I know there are people out there who have it all together and can work 40 hours a week without losing time to eat healthy, but that is not me. I wrote this week's organizational tips with this in mind. So for all the busy individuals, moms, and families, these tips are for you. 

Tip #1: Plan a week's worth of meals. Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, whatever you need for your week. Make a list of everything you need, but don't forget to double check your pantry before you leave, don't assume. Once you've bought your groceries, start cooking. Everything you can make ahead is time saved during the week when tired. Freeze or refrigerate until needed. A crock pot is a busy person's best friend and I highly suggest all of my readers to own one. Even in college, as broke as I was, I had a crock pot. My crock pot wasn't fancy and it wasn't expensive. I bought the 2 qt crock pot for under $10 at Walmart. This crock pot served me well throughout my college years and kept me eating healthy. 

If  you don't like the idea of cooking a week's worth of meals in a day then I suggest at least prepping for all of your meals at the start of the week. If you have the containers then chop, dice, and prepare all of the ingredients for your meals. Depending on the preparation needed for each meal this will save you an hour at the end of your week. If you don't have the containers then use Ziploc sandwich bags to contain each ingredient and then put all of the ingredients in a Ziploc gallon size bag. The Ziploc bag is not a cost effective solution, but it will save you time this week. I recommend investing in a container set if you don't want to cook all your meals in a day. Preparing or cooking your meals ahead of time saves you time during your week. If you cook all of your meals on a single day then your meals only need to be reheated not cooked. This is perfect for busy families. If cooking all at once seems overwhelming then look ahead to your week and identify your busiest days and just cook ahead for those meals.

Tip #2: Use Ziploc bags to pre-bag all snacks. Ziploc snack bags are a great time saving solution for lunch preparation. Whether you make your own lunches or your children's lunches this solution is for you. Dry snacks like crackers or cookies can be stored in a clear box in your pantry. Fresh snacks like fruit and vegetables can be stored in a clear box in your refrigerator. This is personally one of my favorite time saving tips. During the week I can grab whatever snack(s) I want to take to work that day and head out the door. Even if I am in a rush in the morning I still have time to reach in the pantry or the fridge and grab a snack because the snacks are already bagged. I plan on implementing this tip when I have my own children and need to make their lunches.

Command Center

Home Hub

Tip #3: Make a launch station. I think Fly Lady first introduced the concept of a launch station, but the basic premise is a place to store keys, bags, lunches, coats, and calendars, etc. This can be a memo board with hooks underneath the board. Use the memo board to store a family calendar and important events while utilizing the hooks below to store keys, bags, and coats. There are many fancy tutorials on how to create memo board launch stations. 

These are some of my favorite versions of launch stations, command centers, or home hubs. The command center, shown left, is featured on OrgJunkie  and is perfect for single individuals or couples. The whiteboard is perfect for writing down important dates while the cubbies are great for storing mail, etc. and the hooks are perfect for keys and bags. The home hub shown right is featured on ivillage and is designed for families. This family's entry way features a magnetic board for invitations and flyers and a white board calendar for event planning. Underneath these boards is a cubby shelf with hooks underneath. I love the cubby idea because it can be personalized for each child and is great for teaching little ones how to organize their things. The hooks underneath are great for their coats and backpacks. Pick a design that fits in with your needs and install it in your entry way or wherever is most convenient for you.

These tips have drastically impacted my work week and dramatically decreased my stress while saving me time all week long for activities I actually want to spend my time doing. Hopefully these tips save you just as much time and allow you a more relaxed week at work, home, or wherever you spend your time. Comment below with areas in your life or home that need organization help.

Christmas Preparation: Theme

On the night before January 25th, all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse, except for this busy blogger prepping for Christmas. 11 months until Santa makes his midnight run and there isn't a minute to spare to bring some Christmas cheer.

Alright, in all seriousness I know Christmas is many months away and most, if not all of my readers, are not even thinking about Christmas preparation for this year. The last few years I have been like my readers and not given much thought about Christmas until October or November. However, last year was so stressful waiting until the last minute that I decided to revert to my old ways and start planning Christmas earlier. Every month, on the 25th, I will post a Christmas preparation idea or tutorial. The tutorials will either be a gift idea for a loved one, a themed decoration, or a party idea (baked good containers, party favors, etc). I hope these posts will allow my readers to get a head start on Christmas.

Every year, even the last two years, I have started my Christmas preparation the same: the theme. I love having a different theme for every Christmas. It allows me to stay focused on ideas for Christmas cards, wrapping paper, and containers for baked goods. This may not be necessary if you only ever have Christmas celebrations with your immediate family, but my family has a Christmas Eve party with relatives and friends every year and a theme is definitely necessary. As I said before, it keeps me focused. Over the last few years my themes have been Sweet Candied Men (Gingerbread men in their candy homes), Frosty's Winter Wonderland (everything snow related),  Santa's Village, and Candy Cane Lane (stripes, lots of stripes). This year my theme is whimsical as A Whoville Christmas, which is essentially a play on How The Grinch Stole Christmas. 

The next thing I always do is design and order my themed Christmas cards. When I actually do this varies every year because I usually wait for "10 cards free" or "$20 off your order" deals on Shutterfly. If you don't use one of these deals then custom photo cards can get really expensive. There are a lot of photo sharing sites with deals of their own so don't be afraid to shop around. I don't always have time to take family pictures that are theme related and sometimes I just don't want to bother with it, which is when I just make the card itself themed, rather than the family photos. Christmas cards are a chance to be creative, a chance to be silly, and a chance to send memories to your loved ones so have fun. 

Boxed In Collage Christmas Card

Bubbles of Snowflakes Address Label

A Whoville Christmas is a really hard theme to order custom photo cards without using themed photos. However, I managed to find Christmas cards and labels that fit my theme. The Boxed in Collage Christmas Card allowed me the space and layout to tell a story. I used silly family photos from this last Christmas and told the story of how the Grinch stole Christmas. A few weeks after purchasing my cards, I received a promotion for free address labels, which I have just ordered. I ended up choosing these Bubbles of Snowflakes Address Labels, which I felt were whimsical and fit the color theme. 

When you are thinking of and planning your theme it is helpful to also specify a color scheme. A Whoville Christmas can be designed in several ways and using several different colors. If I were to use all of the colors that could be used it would end up feeling overwhelming. I actually used two color schemes, but I feel the colors integrate really nicely. The first color scheme is red, green, and white, which is the main color scheme used throughout and the second color scheme is pink, white, blue, and green. The pink, white, blue, and green are accent colors that will be used in gift wrapping. These colors were actually chosen by accident while I was shopping the post Christmas sale. This year I was fortunate enough to find many of the little details, think gift wrap and food containers, after Christmas instead of searching for the perfect items closer to Christmas. I will of course be posting my after Christmas finds at a later time.

There are a lot of pieces that go into Christmas planning from the cards to the food to the presents and it is easy to lose track of your ideas throughout the year. I know there are quite a bit of posts on other blogs about Christmas planners that are available as tutorials or for purchase and I encourage all of my readers to do a Google search for Christmas Planners to find a planner that best fits their needs. Personally, I have never used a Christmas planner and just use a notebook, but I definitely see the need for a planner and have even saved templates over the year to try.

If you want me to make a Christmas planner and show how I use it to organize my Christmas this year please leave a comment below. I look forward to reading your own ideas for organizing Christmas as well as what things you want me to post in future Christmas Preparation posts.