Closet Cleaning (aka: Good-bye 1995!)

Whew...

These past three days have been a whirlwind!

There have been several trips down memory lane as I have gone through my clothes...did I really have clothes that are more than 15 years old? Yep...how cool does that make me?

Here's how I "ran" my clean-out:

Each naptime, before Little Miss and I shared time, I dug into the closet for 15 minutes. I pulled straight from the rack and anything that was either a) older than my marriage (7 years) or b) faded beyond belief was g.o.n.e.

Then, when my 15 minutes were up, I took a section out of the closet at a time and laid them on my bed. In the middle of it. So I couldn't sleep without going through it.

Brilliant.

Then, after the kiddos were dreaming of sugarplums or ice cream, I would not allow myself to take a shower until the bed was cleared off.

The "rule" I used was: If I didn't wear it the last season, it was gone (unless it was a special dress, etc).

How cruel am I?

But...after 3 nights, here it is:

Before: Right Side of the Closet                                         After: Whoa!                              

                

Left Side of the Closet After

(Not too sure where the before is....)

The Grand Total

6 Bags to Donate!

(And 1 to junk!)

I now have about 2/3 the amount of clothing I had before, maybe less. It's a little unsettling...

It's also a little free-ing!

I also realized, through this journey, that I have an unhealthy love affair with turtlenecks. It's kind of like Diane Keaton in "Something's Gotta Give"...I guess they're my thing! ;)

My dear, sweet, "just like me - only cooler" friend and I were talking this afternoon and came up with a thought to get us through this purging:

I would rather have 5 outfits I could really strut my stuff in and look/feel great than 100 that make me feel "meh".

So...how did you do? How many bags is your closet?

A Year in Photos - How I Keep Our Memories

Before I had children, I was the worst when it came to actually taking photos and storing them in "pretty" places such as albums, frames, etc.

Now that children have entered the picture ..(get it?)..I have over 200 photos a month to find something to do with. Each is precious, each is a special memory and I would love to keep each within reaching distance if I were to want to see a specific birthday, Christmas, event, etc.

With that many photos, traditional albums get pretty pricey, not to mention the amount of space that would take up. I don't have that much room to spare!

I now make my own photo books for every year!

It's a great tradition at the beginning of the year, to load all the pictures into an album on a photo sharing site (I use Snapfish.com). It takes almost no time at all, as I have already uploaded the pictures to the site as the year has passed.

I generally select a fairly simple 5x7 Everyday Book. Boring Black cover...it works.

The first page always says the year.

The photos are then randomly placed, in order of the months, into pages and pages of beautiful memories.

There are almost always codes that help to save a TON of $$ on these books - especially in the end or very beginning of the year.

Even without a code, they run about $60...which isn't cheap, but saves a lot when you think of how much it would have cost to print each of those pictures out individually and put them in albums...and then buying a bigger house to fit all the albums in! ;)

...And, the great thing is...when the grandparents saw what I was doing, they said they wanted one, too! Christmas Present checked off the list!

:)

How do you keep your memories?

40 Days...Where Do We Start?

All right, my brave friends...let's get a little list going here so we know where we are going to simplify (and get rid of LOTS of stuff!)

1. Your closet

2. Your dresser

3. Your partner's closet/dresser

4. Your children's rooms

5. Master Bathroom

6. Guest Bathroom

7. Linen Closet

8. Coat/Hall Closet

9. Kitchen

10. Den/TV/Rec Room

11. Dining Room

12. Garage

13. Car

14. Kids' Toys/Playroom

15. Outside

16. Attic

17. Basement (if you've got it)

Some of these places will take a little longer than others...we'll go through it together.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, we will start with number 1. Your Closet. My Closet. I am fearful. This might be the toughest one on the list, so we will be devoting 3 days to it. Wednesday through Friday.

Don't forget to take pictures of before and after...and of all those bags you will have!

Can't wait to see it!

...Simplify...(and a Challenge)

Simplify...

This seems to be the new "Hot" word in Blogland right now. Maybe it's just the blogs I frequent...maybe I notice it because it is what I crave.

I am working to simplify my life.

To try and escape the undue pressures I put on both myself and my sweet husband.

To relish in the beautiful life we are in.

To marvel at the tiny lives which we held a small part in creating.

To be thankful for all that we have.

For all that we are...

When I was younger, life seemed so simple, so easy. My parents were devoted to my siblings and myself. My bedroom sat as a place where I could be me, it was a safe haven. And, on those days when alone-time just wasn't cutting it, my parents' laps provided me with unquestioning love and comfort.

The Cosby Show, Family Ties and Full House were on television. Problems were always solved within thirty minutes on those shows. In fact, all my "little girl" problems seemed as though they could be solved just as easily.

I didn't pay any attention to the brand jeans I was wearing or what my parents were driving. My best friends had good hearts, good souls and questionable fashion sense. I never noticed...until I became an adult and looked back at pictures! :)

I always had enough.

I felt safe.

I was humble.

I was loved.

I loved.

I am trying to get back to that place.

I want my children to be children. To play with dolls and cars and not worry about what if's. That's my job, their father's job.

I want my children's memories of childhood to be about the time their parents spent with them, the silly things, the little things, the quirky habits and the laughter we all share.

This year, I am simplifying life. I am going through every.single.thing in this house and I am deciding right then and there if it will make life "better" for my children and my family. If not...to the donation pile it goes!

I heard of an idea on the internet about 40 days to get rid of the extra things in your life. It was by a blogger, when I find her again, I will link to her...

Starting Ash Wednesday (this Wednesday), there will be 40 days (how long the Lenten season is) of purging and simplifying. My goal is to have 40 trash bags of donation-worthy things by Easter.

I will be coming up with a list of places to simplify for this challenge and will link up soon...

Won't you join me for
40 Days to Simplify?

Spring Flowers - A Cheap Tutorial

First, let me confess my, like many-a-mother's, addiction to Target. AND their Dollar Spot!

We were there this morning and I saw these mixing bowls:

Don't they look like flowers? So cute!

Spring is right around the corner...so is Easter. These colors scream Easter and Springtime to me. I'm going to make some lovely flowers to hang on our Playroom wall!

Knowing that the paint would be super-easy to peel off when I'm ready to take the flowers down, I chose Tempera Paint. If you wanted these to be permanent flowers, you would want to use different paints and scuff up the inside of the bowls, too.

Pour Tempera paint into bowls.

I tapped and rotated the bowls so that the paint would spread into the grooves...not exact and not always pretty, but I wanted them to look at home in the Playroom.



Let the paint dry. It's on plastic, so it takes a L..O..N..G time! (Over 24 hours)

I "Jimmy-Rigged" the backs so that I can see how they hang on the wall. I will have to decide on more long-lasting ideas when I decide if this wall is their "forever home".

I also changed my mind about the different colored centers. I think I like them better yellow.

So...inexpensive and cute!

Stain Removal Cheat Sheets (Links Fixed!)

Spring is almost here (Yippee!), and we've already been playing outside every day for the past two weeks. This has increased my laundry two-fold...is that even possible? And, it has required a re-newed interest in stain removal expertise.

I have two handy Stain Removal "Cheat Sheets" that I keep posted in my laundry room. I can't tell you how many times I have used them...and saved the kids' clothes.

The first is from the queen of domesticity, Martha Stewart:

Click Here

The second, I copied years ago from Good Housekeeping.

Not that I need ANY help with stains!

Ha ha!

Happy Friday!

Linking with:

What I've Been Doing...

Kitchen Organizing!

Here are some before and after shots for your entertainment. While I sit for a second and drink this lemonade...then, it's off to play with Little Miss while the Littlests sleep.

Busy Day!

 Kitchen Countertop...Before

Kitchen Countertop...After.

Then, I started on a little cleaning of the glasstop stove. I used my ever-ready Scour Off Paste again. And...



Before



After

Now, onto the kitchen island's drawers, which have become the "junk drawer", towel drawer and napkin drawer.

 Before and after of the napkin/clips drawer.

Before and After of the junk drawer.
One thing to note: this drawer hid approximately 7,248 pens...if you've lost one, chances are, it was in here!

 Before and After towel drawer.

I have found that rolling the towels saves A LOT of space.

 Before and after: top of the kitchen island...where EVERYTHING seems to collect.

And...finally, the pantry. I don't have any good before pictures,

but here are some pics of where we are now...we've come a long way!

Now, it's your turn.

What did you do today?