50 Days...

...until Christmas.

YIKES!

When I saw that on another blog today, I nearly peed my pants or had a nervous breakdown or something like that. So much to do...so little time. Every year, I vow that "This year will be different" or "I'm going to make more time for really enjoying the holiday season" and it seems that every year is pretty much enjoyable with a touch of insanity. I have to admit that we, as women, tend to bring a lot of the insanity on ourselves by trying to create the picture perfect Christmas we see in magazines and on tv. The reality is that it's insane.

And so, as we enter into this most insane time of the year, I highly recommend some great encouraging friends, a nice hot cup of coffee, a warm fire and this.

When I posted about my Christmas Planning Binder last JANUARY, I know you all thought I was a bit off my rocker. But, I'm tellin' ya that it saves me every single time the countdown begins!

The address book is updated. The Christmas card labels are printed. The gift list is filling up. And I feel my blood pressure every so slowly returning to normal...if there is such a thing during November and December! Ha!

So, we want to know what keeps you somewhat sane during the Christmas season. Do you keep a handy binder like this? Do you wing it? What's your sanity keeping secret? We'd love to hear about it!

"What can I say, except it's Christmas and we're all in misery."

Ellen Griswold (Christmas Vacation)

-Sarai

Home Office: Details, Details

For all three of you who might still be the least bit interested in reading about my office project, I thought I'd finish up this little series of posts with details on all the, well, details. From containers to organization to personal touches, this post has it all!

Simple glass canisters and printed tags store pre-cut ribbons and keep them easily accessible.

I've had this old bookcase for at least 15 years, but it keeps hanging on...and it provides the perfect amount of storage for my sewing and business products. To the left of the bookcase, I have all my ribbons and fabric stored in a fashion that I am FINALLY happy with. Check out this post for details on the ribbon storage.

I wanted my fabric to be stored so that it was accessible and easy to sort through. Here's how I did it: I painted a couple of old VHS tape organizers black to match the ribbon storage. I folded a bazillion pieces of card stock (well, not really a bazillion, but several hundred!) in half and cut off about half an inch from the long side. I folded the fabric, long ways, over the card stock and secured it with a little pin. It was oh, so easy and now, when need something for a project, I feel like I'm shopping in my own little fabric store! (I got the idea for this project here.)

This little magnet strip actually won't be used for magnets at all. Instead, I'll use it as a place to organize any upcoming orders. The little "keep calm and sew stuff" art was created on my computer, thank you Microsoft Publisher.

This wire basket came from IKEA a long time ago and it's the perfect size for file folders. The problem with it is that the bar it's supposed to hang on requires some crazy anchors and bolts when you hang it on the wall. In order to make it accessible from my sewing table, I opened the table (the top unfolds) laid a piece of ribbon across the crack, closed the table, tied the ribbon to the basket and VOILA!

Magnetic picture frames filled with homemade labels (thank you again, Publisher!) adorn the front of the filing cabinet.

I REALLY wish I had a before picture of this closet. There was an INSANE amount of crap in there. I finally decided that the craft projects I'd been holding on to since college were probably not going to get done and that it was ok to throw them out. I like that everything is neat and tidy and has it's own little space.

I can't possibly end without showing off some more homemade artwork. Before, the stuff on the walls of my office was totally random and most of it didn't even reflect who we are or what we wanted from the space. Now, everything is cohesive and unified and it's all stuff I really really like. In addition to a cheap-o clock from Wal-Mart, some framed pictures of some of my favorite people and a Mod Podged "G" (for our last name), there are 3 pictures from my favorite musical of all time, Wicked. I cut up an old Wicked calendar to get pictures from 3 of my favorite scenes in the entire show. Wicked is such an amazing tale of friendship and loving people because of what's on the inside. These pictures remind me of that wonderful message every day.

I hope you've enjoyed exploring my home office project! I'm loving every minute to crafting and working and playing in this new space!

-Sarai

My Dirty Little Secret

If you know me personally or have been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I'm an organizer. I can't help it...it's just what I do. Everything has to have a place and everything has to be sorted by color or alphabetically. Well...almost everything.

It's about to be confession hour here at Three Simple Girls and I really can't believe that I'm about to spill my dirty little secret. The information I'm about to divulge is mildly embarrassing, quite comical and strangely ironic.

I have an obsession.

I am an container hoarder.

I have a problem.

Don't believe me? Check out our hall closet...

Other than a vacuum cleaner, a drying rack and a few cans of spray paint, the entire closet from floor to ceiling is packed full of organization containers. Folks, we've got wicker baskets, lidded containers, plastic bins, drawer organizers, buckets and photo boxes. Yes, most of them were purchased for a clearance price. Yes, some of them are still covered in the original packaging.

I'm not exactly sure what it says about a person who is very organized yet hoards organization supplies. I do know that I'm past the first step (admitting that I have a problem) and maybe, just maybe exposing my little problem will bring the motivation and accountability I need to take this closet from that to something a little more like this:

(www.allthingsgd.blogspot.com)

Here's to more organizing and less organizing containers!

-Sarai

Organized Chaos

Whether you are joining us from Kelly's Korner, a returning reader or stopping by for the first time, WELCOME!! We're glad you stopped by...and we hope to see you back again soon!!

The weather's finally taken a turn and there's something about open windows and doors with light breezes flowing through the house to get me in an organizing mood! I've always been an organizing junkie...baskets and label makers weren't really things I could use, but things I had to have! Alphabetical order makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Color coordinating sends me to the moon and back. And while I love, and desire, for my life to reflect this obsession (there, I said it!), I also know that organizing skills don't come so naturally to everyone. And so, here are a few little organizing tips I've learned over the years that will hopefully help steer you in the right direction or at least give you a new idea for a problem area in your home.

Before I share some storage/organization solutions that I use in my own home, let me share some basic rules I have for myself when it comes to organizing.

1-I should be able to search for and locate any item in our home in 30 seconds or less. If it takes longer than this, I know that that item is not being stored in the most efficient manner.

2-Set boundaries. If I only have one shelf for storing craft supplies, I have to purge items until what I have fits.

3-Store items where they are used. It makes no sense, to me, to store my cleaning supplies in my bedroom, or my ribbon in my kitchen. Think "where do I use this item" and store it as close to it's most used location. If an item is used all, be sure to store like items together in a central location. This rule is especially useful in the kitchen. I store everything it takes to make a cup of coffee directly above the coffee maker. The things I use most to cook dinner or bake are stored within reaching distance of the stove. You get the idea.

4-A occasional purge isn't an option, but a necessity. I can always tell when we've accumulated too much junk. I try to purge every room in the house at least once or twice a year. I've also learned that when an urge to purge strikes, I'll be more likely to get rid of things that I'd otherwise allow to continue cluttering my home.

And now, for a look at how I organize our chaos...

My oh-so-wonderful step-father built this little recycling center for us last year. I found the baskets I wanted to use, and he built it to my exact specifications. This keeps our recyclables from being a huge eye sore. When we're ready to take them to the dump, we just pile the baskets in the truck and off they go!

Here, I've used an office organizer (for sorting mail or files) to store my baking pans, cutting boards and wire racks. I really like being able to pull out the exact thing I want to use and not have to dig under 4 other pans to find the one that I want.

Oh, the lids. Seems like even the best laid plans for these little boogers seems to come up short! My rule here is to store them in a box or bin with other lids that same size. These lids all fit and are stored with mixing bowls.

We've been married long enough now to know what recipes work and which don't. A few years ago, I typed up all the recipes that we use on a regular basis and store them in this binder. Then, I was able to week out any cookbooks that only contained one or two recipes that we used. It's really nice to have everything stored in one place.

This is how I'm currently storing my fabric. Yeah, it's all color coordinated and tucked away nicely in those clear boxes, but I'm not happy with it. Any suggestions?

Here I am again with the color coordination. It might seem a little crazy to some people, but I'm a firm believer in storing your clothes this way. I never have to spend time looking for a certain shirt. I know that if it's not with shirts of the same color, it must be dirty. To store by color literally adds 30 seconds more to my laundry process. Spending time looking for that one long lost shirt that's buried in a corner could easily take twice that time.

Baskets and bins. Period.

The cabinet space under our kitchen cabinets seems to be more like a deep dark dungeon than a functioning area. These little pull out drawers make it so easy to store all kinds of things and keeps them from getting lost back in the abyss :)

Everyone should have a junk drawer organizer. We all have junk drawers, right? Well, for about $8 at Wal-Mart, you can keep your junk organized! This bi-level organizer keeps that out of control drawer somewhat manageable. And you gotta love those little stickers that come with it to help items get put away in the correct spot.

Check out some of our favorite organizing solutions below or click on the "Organization Tips" label on the right side of the page.

*Ribbon-here or here

*Mail

*Files and paper

*Baskets and Bins

*Shoes

*Handbags

If you have your own organizing tips, we'd love to hear them!

-Sarai

An IKEA treasure...

It seems like all of us simple girls have an idea of an easy way to store and organize our ribbon. I will be honest here, of the three simple girls who post here, I am probably the most organization challenged. I have a hard time wrapping my little brain around how to organize things, but every once in a while I have a pretty good idea. It did not hurt that I had just recently made a trip to one of my favorite stores...IKEA!

While strolling through the aisles, I came across this little goodie. It's official use is a holder for a roll of paper for kids art projects. I looked at this and figured I could transform my ribbon mess into an organized piece of art. And it did not hurt that it only cost $5.99. Totally worth it! Here is my before picture of how my ribbon was organized:

This was certainly not a functional way to use and store my ribbon, which I happen to think is pretty fabulous. After sorting through it for ribbon I used often, for patterns I enjoyed and then scraps that could possibly be used in other ways, I put them on my new treasure and this is the final result.

The ribbon fits great, there is a place to hang scissors to cut and I have loved being able to see all my beautiful ribbon in one place. So head over to my favorite place, IKEA and see what treasures you might find!

Happy Day!

brooke

Simple Storage Tip-Flags & Table Runners

A few weeks ago when I was cleaning out my guest room I ran across a storage solution I had put into practice some time ago that I thought I'd share with you all!

We have several outdoor flags that we cycle through throughout the year in an effort to spruce up our sorry excuse for a front porch. (Right now, we're sportin' some Duke Blue Devil pride! Yay for March Madness!) Those flags can be a pain to fold and store, so I came up with this idea:

Who doesn't have a ton of the leftover pants hangers from department stores? Simply fold the flag in half, secure in the little clips, hang it on the closet rod and you're done! And see how little room it takes up?

If you don't have a guest closet, you can stash these in your own closet, a kids' closet or even a coat closet.

If you don't have a guest closet, you can stash these in your own closet, a kids' closet or even a coat closet.

Did you see that random blue hanger in the mix up there?

That would be my storage solution for table runners. I love being able to change the look of the kitchen table without a lot of work. I learned a few years ago that if changing the look meant finding and ironing a table runner, it just wasn't going to happen. By hanging the runners on a hanger, they remain un-wrinkled and ready to go! Again, they take up very little space!

These easy-peasy storage solutions allow me to make small changes around the house for special occasions and holidays at a moment's notice! Nothing fancy, but I thought I'd share!

-Sarai

I'm an Organizing Junkie...

...but you'd never know it if you'd seen my guest room a week ago! Let me explain...

About 3 months ago, our guest room became our junk room. In the winter, we use the gas logs in our living room as our main heat source to cut down on heating costs. Because we don't have guests all that often during the winter months, we close the heating vent and door to the guest room so that we're not heating unused space. So, not only is that room about 15-20 degrees colder than the rest of the house, it's also the place where things get dumped. After all, I'm not about to go spend any length of time in there to put things away!

Over at I'm an Organizing Junkie, there's a 28 day organizing challenge going on for the month of February. There are some prizes and stuff, but I simply used my "enough is enough" mentality to motivate me to sign up. Here we are at the end of the month and I'm proud to say that our guest room is officially a guest room again!

Over the past couple of months, I've been doing some serious purging in order to create a simpler environment and also to get ready for an upcoming yard sale. I didn't have enough boxes to store all of the "get rid of" things, so our once somewhat inviting guest room became this...

(before)

It's ok...you can cringe (I did every time I opened the door to throw something else in there!). Those big piles are yard sale/to be put away/don't know what to do with you items...and yes, there are even some Christmas boxes and decorations still couped up in that room. Ugh. I knew it was pretty bad, but when my husband walked by one day when I had the door open to throw something on the pile, his I didn't know it was THAT bad! remark confirmed my deepest fears!

So, after acquiring some boxes, I began the daunting task of battling the piles (and the cold!) in order to restore some sanity in this room. You can kinda see that the room had some pretty good 'bones' already...decent furniture, nice curtains and linens and tons of organizational containers. After about 3 hours of boxing up, dusting, organizing and cleaning, that horrendous mess turned into this...

(after)

A little more inviting, huh?

I didn't get a chance to paint and I need a few more photos or artwork to complete the space, but I'm extremely pleased with the results! A few candles, photos of friends and family, magazines and extra towels make this room super cozy. This is finally a room that I'd be comfortable inviting guests to stay in.

Here are some alternate before and after views from the 4 corners of the room.

(before)

(after)

(before)

(after)

(before)

(after)

Now, we come to the closet. Before the guest room became a junk room, this closet became the place to dump things and shut the door so no once can see them". Then, the closet overflowed and...you know the rest of the story. Here's a glimpse at the before:

And thanks to some old bins, boxes and space bags (storing extra pillows under the bed!), here's the after:

I've stored like linens in containers (twin sheets, duvets, etc), have all of my gift wrapping items stored according to type (extra gift boxes, tissue paper and gift bags and a gift wrap container back in the corner of the closet) and there are a couple of crates on the bottom shelves that contain items purchased to give as gifts.

No, it's not my most spectacular organizing transformation ever, but for a few hours of work and no additional money spent, I'd say I pulled it off!

Here are some questions posed by the gals over at I'm an Organizing Junkie to help summarize the whole experience.

1. What was the hardest part of the challenge for you and were you able to overcome it?

The hardest part, for me, was getting started. I knew it was going to be a huge project and I had a hard time finding the motivation to get going. Obviously, I was able to overcome it...thanks to some help from Diet Coke and the new Lady Antebellum album :)

2. Tell us what kind of changes/habits you have put into place in order for your area/room to maintain its new order?

I was able to implement containers for like items...such as like linens, gift boxes, guest towels, etc. After purging a great deal of things, I was able to store most of the rooms extra items in the closet...and was still able to shut the door!

3. What did you do with the “stuff” you were able to purge out of your newly organized space?

I have about 10 boxes of items ready to be sorted and priced for a spring yard sale! I love when organizing projects yield money!

4. What creative storage solutions were you able to introduce in order to create additional space as well as establish some limits and boundaries?

I used an old white plastic shelving unit in the closet. With a closet rod and simple eye level shelf, the closet doesn't lend itself to storage of any sort (except clothes!). By adding the shelf, I was able to create multiple levels of storage. In using the containers to store linens and gift wrapping/giving supplies, I'm able to have a set boundary for how many of each item to keep on hand. When the bins get full, something's gotta go! Overall, I believe keeping the main surfaces and floor space of the room clear, will allow me to see any little thing that's out of place and cause me to take immediate action.

5. Why do you think you should win this challenge?

I believe I was able to clearly define the space for its intended purpose (a guest room) and create adequate storage for items overflowing from other areas of the house (such as linens, gift wrapping, etc). The room is well organized, allows for easy up keep and is, overall, a welcoming space.

-Sarai

Mailbox Mayhem?

*Welcome, all those popping over from We are That Family and "Works for Me Wednesday." Glad to have you here at Three Simple Girls!

******

It's barely past the official start of the New Year, right? Anyone else still feeling the need to solve some of the little problems that add up to big fat messes?

Hope so!

This would be why me and my $20 shelving unit are pretty tight right now. Because with visions of my three, three and under in a few short months a person has to get it all together.

Or something. :)

I placed the unit right in the corner of our mudroom where we enter and exit the house. My goal is to sort on my way in, and shred/toss/file at the end of each week... or month, if I'm being realistic.

I'm a terrible liar.

The thing will probably get emptied when the baskets are full. The point is... they will be empty at some point in their lives. The convenient containers make it easy to transport what I need to get the job done. And the whole thing doesn't take up much room at all, which is a bonus indeed.

Our labels read:
*Stamps, Etc.
*Receipts
*Incoming
*To Be Filed
*Coupons
*Addresses and Envelopes

Works for me...

Hopefully so! :)

~Katrina

ps... Sorry about the last post going MIA. Ick! :( Since there's not time to recreate it, here are the links.

*Meal/Grocery Planning: http://www.theprojectgirl.com/2009/01/19/menu-planning-form-free-download/

*Trail Mix-Ins: http://blog.superhealthykids.com/2009/04/trail-mix-2/

*Healthy Muffin Recipes: http://www.bellybytes.com/recipe/muffins/index.html

*Smoothie Ideas: http://www.smoothieweb.com/popular-recipes/

*BPA-Free Lunch Containers: http://www.easylunchboxes.com/products/food_containers/index.htm

Files Are Fun...

...or something like that.

I understand that most people don't get quite as excited as I do when it comes to alphabetical order and everything having it's own place and label. And if I'm really honest here, I can admit that even with all the labeling and alphabetizing and cute file folders, I really dread anything that has to do with filing cabinets. With all the sorting and upkeep, it's always one of those things that I don't like doing, but am really glad to see the end result.

Chances are, most of you feel the same way. So, I thought I'd share my system for file upkeep. It's taken me a few years to get a hold on the best and easiest way to take care of all the papers, but I'm really pleased with what I've come up with. If you choose to adopt all or some of these ideas, you should know that it can take a little time to get it all set up, but it will be worth it in the end.

Even though I try to add new papers to their appropriate files about once a month, I only clean out and really organize my filing cabinet once a year (in January). In case I don't have time, or simply choose not to (which is usually the case!), I keep a couple of file folders on my desk labeled "Needs A File" (for papers that don't already have a corresponding folder in the cabinet and "Items To Be Filed" (for papers that already have a folder and just need to be filed).

You'll want to gather your supplies: hanging file folders, paper clips, binder clips, post-it notes, pen or marker, stapler and label maker.

It seems that I always have a pile of papers that need to be filed, so I start by sorting them. No fancy pants way to do this...I usually end up on the floor with the piles all around me.

All of our files are in alphabetical order. This makes them easy to find and takes the guesswork out of returning a file to the filing cabinet.

In each individual file, I have the papers in chronological order (oldest in the front, newest in the back so that when I take a stack of papers out, they are in order of bill date or appointment). Also, I have each year clipped together (either with a binder clip or paper clip). On the top paper in each year (usually the paper associated with January), I've attached a Post-It Note that contains the following information: The year of that stack's contents and the year that it can be destroyed. For example, in our electric bill folder, I know that I like to keep bills only from the past year (we don't need them for tax purposes). The Post-It Note says: "2009" and then "keep until January 2011".

Even though it takes some time, I try to go through every single file. When I take out a file, I see automatically if items are ready to be destroyed. When I do a clean out, I also make sure that the current year's files have been clipped together and labeled appropriately.

I can never remember how long I should keep things, but found this handy chart in an organizing magazine (I recommend making a copy or typing the information and placing it in the front of the filing cabinet for easy access.).

*TAX RECORDS: Copies of returns-forever; Supporting tax documents-at least 4 years.
*CHECKING ACCOUNT STATEMENTS: 1 month or until checks clear; Keep statements that support tax deductions with your tax records for the year.
*UTILITY BILLS: 1 month (unless you deduct for home office expenses; file with tax records).
*PAYCHECK STUBS OR DIRECT-DEPOSIT STATEMENTS: 1 year.
*CREDIT CARD STATEMENTS: 1-2 months or until charges are reconciled;Keep statements that support tax deductions with your tax records for the year.
*MORTGAGE INFORMATION: For as long as you own the property, plus 4 years for tax purposes.
*RECORDS FOR HOME IMPROVEMENTS, SALE OR PURCHASE OF PROPERTY: 4 years after the sale of the home or property.
*MEDICAL RECORDS: 4 or more years.
*INSURANCE POLICIES AND BILLS: Keep current policies and bills; discard canceled policies.
*INVESTMENT RECORDS: Keep initial purchase and year-end reports indefinitely.
*RECEIPTS FOR PURCHASES: 1 month, except for big-ticket items requiring proof-of-purchase for insurance.

After I've finished sorting through all the old files, I clean out that "Needs A File" folder from my desktop. I make labels for the new files needed and organize them alphabetically.

The last step is always my favorite: put on a great movie or your favorite TV show to watch while I shred the old documents :)

There are countless options for ways to organize files, and this is just one of them. Do you have a system that works for you? We'd love to hear about it! Leave a comment and share your ideas!

-Sarai

Fancy-fied Box

Here's another project for my (hopefully soon) office re-do! I'm getting rid of this HUGE desk and moving to a table. I'll be using a portable drawer system under the table for sroage, but needed to find something for those big bulky items (3 hole punch, tape dispenser, stapler, label maker, etc.) that were taking up too much space. I had organized my mom's office a few years ago and we stored all of those items in a nice basket on her desktop for easy access. I decided I'd try a similar approach. I've seen some really pretty boxes at the Hobby Lobby that would work perfectly, but since I don't live near a Hobby Lobby and didn't want to spend money on this, I had to improvise. Since I like the idea of having all those things tucked away in a box, I went shopping around the house and I found this...


Now, before you think that I've completely lost my mind (I know I'm pretty close most times!) stick with me for a few more minutes! I AM aware that that's a shoe box. I can also promise you that the theme of my new office will not be "Nike"!! I decided that this box could be exactly what I was looking for!

All it took was some glossy black craft paint, some scrap paper, a pretty image downloaded and printed on regular printer paper, Mod Podge and a fun little velvety "S" from my craft closet to turn that boring box into this...

It was simple and cheap (read: FREE!) and will be perfect for my desktop! And it's the perfect size for all those bulky office supplies. I've got my 3 hole punch, tape, stapler, label maker and some address labels ready for easy access!

This project got me thinking (scary, I know!), and this project could easily be modified for Christmas or Birthday gifts! So, don't throw out those shoe boxes! Paint 'em, Mod Podge 'em or decorate 'em for FREE!! That's a price I can live with!

-Sarai

Thinking Outside the {Plastic} Box

I have nothing against those big plastic containers. They come in handy for all sorts of storage issues, like for all those clothes your babies keep outgrowing. Sniffle.

But, these days it's been fun to repurpose stuff all over the house as more creative storage. Here are a few examples to get your wheels turning. Mine are all used for the various things our children collect, but hopefully it can inspire beyond that.

I'm a big fan of wicker baskets (shoot, just about any baskets) and chests (especially when the chest was someone else's trash turned my treasure-- which, by the way, I semi-recently spray painted back to life!) These help out by housing books and toys.

These are more baskets, but I added some letters picked up for fifty cents at a funky old shop. We keep these in the family room for each of the girls. Items like magnetic letters with a tiny baking pan to spell on, ABC and shapes flashcards, playing cards, books, and crayons are inside.
Also in our family room is this old crate. I scored it from my Mom's house, since she didn't have room for it, and used it to store the girls' collection of hand-me-down and Goodwill videos. Or, at least, I did until a certain little someone was in it all the time, so now it holds some of my fave magazines I just can't part with.

Right near the kitchen we have a number of art and other special supplies on hand for keeping little fingers busy while I cook, try to make phone calls, or when we want to do an impromptu project together. My solution for storing it all is in these cheap-o cardboard photo boxes.
Lastly are traveling cases like old suitcases, trunks, or this little thing. It holds about a gazillion tiny pieces to our wooden game sets.


Take a look around. Bet you have something out of the ordinary to repurpose too!

Happy Hunting,
Katrina