Category Archives: Organization

Travel Tip: Packing Made Easy

We just got back from a great weekend in the states and I thought I would post a little travel tip. I am all about streamlining to make any and all tasks as easy as possible. One of the things that I did several years ago was create a basic packing list for each member of our family. Of course, the list varies depending on the location, nature of the trip and duration of the stay, but I keep the basic template and adjust the lists to meet our needs before printing them off for each member of our family. I do have specific lists that I have made and kept on file for things like summer camp.  Here is a sample list.

Packing list

What I love about this system is that I really don’t need to worry about packing. The kids are now old enough to pack for themselves. I provide the lists and they check off the items as they pack. It is worth the time to develop the templates and then take the few minutes necessary to adjust them for each trip, as it saves me the time and energy of thinking about who needs what for every trip and helps the kids to be more independent. They can add their own items to the bottom as well. This system works really well for the whole family!

P.S. Follow-up to yesterday’s post on best deals of our trip: Kohl’s didn’t disappoint…spent $70.28 and saved $387.15. Don’t you love how they print how much you saved at the end of your bill? I am a total sucker for that. Funny when all was said and done, it was Shay that scored the biggest! The boys’ clothes were by far the best deals of the weekend which was nice for once as it is usually E and I that come home with the most. Not this time. He got a whack of new clothes and I don’t think I spent more than $80 on him.

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Effectively Managing Your Gift Cards: Part 2

Let’s just say I get a lot of coffee cards. When I recently cleaned out my purse, I had 23 gift cards and used an idea I found on-line to get them all organized. 9 of these were coffee cards (8 Starbucks and 1 Tim Horton’s). It’s not that I don’t like Starbucks, but I generally only go there when I have the uncontrollable urge for one of their yummy cake pops. I only drink coffee in the morning before work and there really isn’t a Starbucks in my area of the city or on my route to work. So, I have 8 cards, all with varying balances and they seem to be in every nook and cranny of my purse. The solution…..

Balance Transfers:

Did you know that you can create an account on the Starbucks website, load your cards and then transfer the balances from all of the cards onto one single card. Yay!! I also learned that you can send e-cards by transferring money from your account balance on your primary gift card. So, when all was said and done, not only did I organize all of my gift cards, but I also managed to combine my 7 Starbucks gift cards on to one (I re-gifted the 8th one).

coffee cards

I was able to take all 7 of my Starbucks gift cards and transfer them onto one card.

I am not sure if other companies offer this same option, but coffee cards seem to be what I get so many multiples of.

Gift Card Apps:

I don’t have an iPhone, android or any other kind of modern device. In fact, my phone is what I like to call a classic. I so seldom use my phone that I haven’t been able to justify the need for a new one….for a very long time. I think it has a camera, but I am not even sure. It might have a texting function, but I am way too impatient to ever be able to push the number the correct number of times to get the letter I want. I know it’s not bluetooth compatible because I actually looked into that. It rings and dials and that’s pretty much it. I can’t even say that it keeps its charge well, in fact, this may be what forces me to upgrade and get with the times. What I’m getting at is this…my reference to this link is not based on my own personal experience, but rather on a concept I find intriguing.

This link shares information on 3 apps that have been designed to help you organize your gift cards. In a nut shell, you plug-in the card information and your phone tracks all of your cards and the balances. It is my understanding that you don’t even need your actual gift cards, but can just use your phone and the app to access the account. Simply genius. Some day when I grow-up and have a big girl phone, I am so going to get one of these apps.

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Yikes! My Purse Looks Like a Trash Basket

I am not a purse person. When it comes to purses, I am not about fashion, but practicality. I rarely buy a new purse and primarily see them as a means to get my junk from one place to another. I am not saying that a great purse won’t catch my eye, it’s just not usually me that carries one. I am all about pockets and compartments and yet I am not really sure why, as it usually only takes a few days before I just shove stuff inside and avoid the compartments altogether. One of the things that I have a total love hate relationship with is gift cards. As a teacher, gift cards are the best gift ever. After teaching for over 20 years, you collect a lot of knick-knacks and nothing is as appreciated as a gift card. The downside of this is that I often have so many that I can’t keep track of the cards and their balances.

I am embarrassed to say that my previous “system” consisted of nothing more than throwing my gift cards in a ziplock . The bag gets very grungy looking and it really doesn’t look that classy when I whip out my bag and search through for the correct card. The worst part is that I am not even consistent with this. I often have additional cards in both of my wallets and the odd one floating about in the bottom of my purse. So, when I saw this idea, I knew it could be the solution I was looking for. Here is what I did:

  1. I cleaned out my purse and found every single gift card I owned ~ 23 at last count!
  2. I wrote down all of the balances that I knew. Some had receipts wrapped around them to show the balances, but I was able to toss them once I wrote the amounts on the backs with a Sharpie.
  3. I found a spot on the back of my cards that did not interfere with the magnetic strip or security codes. I punched a hole in the first card and then used that card as a template to punch the remaining cards in the exact same place, so they would line up nicely.
  4. I then put them in alphabetical order, so I could easily find what I was looking for.
  5. Finally, I slid them onto a key ring. This will allow me to keep them handy without digging through the disgusting ziplock that previously held them.
    Junky purse contents.
    Ziplock bag storage.
    My gift card collection.
    Alphabetized cards.
    Here are the cards hole punched and strung on a key ring in alphabetical order. Love this!!

I just did this, so can’t yet comment on how well it works, but I am 100% certain it will top my previous “system”.

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Make-up Drawer Make-Over

Yes, I am on a bit of a roll. I got all of our hair accessories organized and moved on to the toothpaste drawer and then my make-up drawer. Despite the fact that we live in a heritage home, we’ve actually been blessed with pretty good storage space (in most areas). Our bathroom has an original built-in cabinet with doors and drawers. We we renovated our bathroom a few years ago, we installed built-in shelves, a medicine cabinet and a vanity that was previously an antique dresser, so we have lots of places to put our things. The down-side of this is that the ample storage also allows you to go way too long before feeling the need to clean and purge. It is long over due and I have been slowly making my way through the bathroom cabinets.  My make-up drawer looks so much better and I just have to share the one little tip that I am so excited about.

Make-Up Drawer Make-Over:

First, I need to start by saying that I did not go to the dollar store again. I purchased this magnet tape on a previous trip. I had seen this idea before, but I could never really get my head around where I might get a magnet that would fit and work in the space I needed it. Then, it occurred to me. Why not use magnetic tape? I could cut it any size I want and just use additional glue or staples to ensure it is secure. Worked like a charm!

BEFORE: What a mess!
AFTER: Replaced my portable bag with a basket and took out all the stuff that I didn’t use regularly. Added a little box to hold my lipsticks and lotions vertically.
Added magnetic tape to side for tweezers, file and nail clippers.
I secured the magnetic tape with my staple gun.

I love how my “tools” are stuck to the magnet on the inside of the drawer and I no longer have to dig through my make-up to find what I am looking for. The magnetic tape was only a dollar for 24″, so there is still lots left for other projects.  This is an economical and simple storage idea!

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That’s One “Hairy” Mess!

Before shot of the drawer.
Before shot – the mess beneath the baskets!

We have a draw of hair accessories and tools in our bathroom. Of course, the males in the house do comb/brush their hair (at least sometimes), so the state of this drawer rests on Eden and I. When we first moved in, I set up baskets for everything, but over time it has literally become a “toss and go” drawer. You know, open the drawer and throw it in. Our collection of brushes has grown and most go unused, there are ponies that are so old they’ve lost their elasticity and half the time you must re-arrange things for the drawer to even close. Every time I wanted something, I would have to search through every basket to find what I was looking for and in the end would often discover that it was not in a basket at all, but sitting in the bottom of the drawer underneath them. It drives me crazy! Cleaning/organizing this drawer has been on my “to do” list for quite some time, but the drawer closes and this mess is really only known to those that live her, so it always seems to get pushed further down the list. However, on one of my last dollar store trips, I decided that I was going to buckle down and get this drawer organized, so I bought some great little clear plastic organizing trays.

hair accessories drawer

I ended up going back to the store for more containers and didn’t end up using the magnet tape….yet

I love the way the dimensions of these trays allow them to fit perfectly together without any gaps in between. These are much smaller than the large baskets that were in the drawer before and they allow me to separate the various items into their own compartment. Love this!!

Organized At Last!

This actually wasn’t much work, but took a while because I tested every elastic, checked the little ends of all the bobby pins and purged anything that was either garbage or not being used. Feels so good! My husband wasn’t that impressed and predicted it wouldn’t last the day, but it has been three, so I already proved him wrong! Here is the finished drawer.hair accessories drawer
hair accessories drawer

It sometimes amazes me when you do what seems like a minor job around the house and yet it just makes you feel like a weight has been lifted. Organized just feels good!!

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Upcycled Book Display Rack

Custom Kitchen Storage

I am beyond excited about this project! I have had this project on my “Someday List” for years.  I originally saw this idea on a handyman website. It was basically a custom-built shelving unit for kitchen storage. I am not sure if is the same site where I first found the idea, but this the same concept.  I loved the idea, but my building skills are still quite limited and my husband is not fond of the “make work” projects that I suggest for him. So, I “shelved” the project hoping that someday I would develop the skills to build one for my kitchen.  As soon as I got this free book rack loaded in my car, I got that twinkle in my eye and knew exactly what this would become. I remember driving home with only one thing on my mind….will it fit??

Upcycled Book Display Rack:

Original Book RackHere’s a picture of the original book rack. Each panel is about 4″ deep and 2 feet wide, but I only have two of the original four panels. Lucky for me, one panel fits almost perfectly in the space between my fridge and the wall.  I say almost because the bank of cupboards that sit over the fridge have pieces of wood that extend down to the floor on either side of the fridge (they look like supports, but are perhaps there to give it more of a finished look than actually serve a purpose). The result is that the 2 foot width will not fit. In order to use the rack, I had to cut it down to 16″. At first, I was really ticked about this and although I am still not happy about the extra work and lost storage space, I did manage to figure out a little something that made it a little less disappointing.  I will share this in the final reveal as well, as I haven’t got it all figured out yet.

Steps to Transformation:

  1. First, I had to take the whole thing apart. It was primarily held together with screws and a few nails, so I didn’t have to fuss with glue and that made the dismantling that much easier.
  2. I was able to keep both sides in tact, but I had to cut all of the horizontal pieces and the peg board back down to 16″.  I was able to do this easily on the mitre saw, with the exception of the peg board back. My husband kindly helped me out by cutting it on the table saw.
  3. The plastic covered wire cords extending across the books were just attached with hook screws and were easily removed as well.
  4. The ends of the horizontal shelves actually fit into grooves in the sides. The problem was that the shelves did not have a straight cut end. The front couple of inches were straight, but the back part was curved. This meant I had to trace the curve and cut it with the skill saw. I did fine with this, but the curves did not match the original cuts perfectly.  For the most part it’s not noticeable, as the end of the board and my cut is hidden in the groove of the side board. There is a slight gap if you look closely, but it will never really be seen once it’s in use.
  5. The other tricky part was positioning the wheels so that the shelf would slide in and out easily while providing the stability needed for it to stand freely when not between the fridge and the wall. I am actually still playing with this and may end up buying 1.5″ flat ball casters as suggested by the poster of the above cabinet.
  6. Everything is put back together, holes filled and ready for paint.
Here is the narrow space between the wall and my fridge.
The original two panels I got for free.
Here is a “before” shot of the book display rack.
Wire cord that used to hold the books in.
Curved ends that had to be cut to match. This nice cut is the original not mine.
Cut down panel.
Panel is patched and ready for paint.

I can’t wait to get back to it and finish this project off, but the weekend is over and I have a super busy week ahead with Parent Teacher Conferences. Hopefully I won’t be too bagged after a heavy week and can finish it up next weekend. Stay tuned….

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Dirty Laundry ~ The Job that Never Ends

dirty laundryI got this great idea from a fellow hockey mom. She has 3 boys and her strategy for staying on top of laundry is simple and yet brilliant.  She designates a day of the week for each of her boys and does their laundry on that specific day. She said her boys really don’t have anything white and if there is the odd article, she saves it for the one load of whites she does each week. Otherwise, she throws all of their laundry in the washer in one load. No sorting of colors or separating one kid’s clothes from the other. Everything goes in all at once. Wash. Dry. Fold. Put away. Done. Having a daughter, I know that you would probably have at least two loads with all those pinks and a variety of other pastel colours, but still a great idea.

Typically, we have done all of the laundry on the weekends and this was often up to 8 loads. It seemed like the whole weekend was spent doing laundry. What drove me the most crazy was that Eden would “try-on” a medley of outfits during the week, trying to decide on the perfect look for any given day and then toss all the rejects into her laundry basket without having ever worn them. This was an on-going battle at our house and so we came to an agreement ~ I wouldn’t hassle her about her laundry, if she took over the task of doing it. So, she now does her own laundry and it dropped from about 8 loads a week to 4 (for me to do).  It is amazing how much less laundry there is without her entire wardrobe in the mix!

Doing Shay’s separately, makes this job even easier. I would never normally do laundry on a work day, but one load is super manageable and prevents that big pile up at the end of the week. Although Shay is only 9, I can see how this can easily progress into him washing and drying his own clothes. He already puts his basket of clean clothes away, but has not yet been washer/dryer trained. However, if the task is as easy as removing the few pairs of white socks from the pile and then tossing everything else into the washer, I know he could easily manage that. I guess that will be next on the “training” list.

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De-clutter Your Counter with Antique Cast Iron Grate

Our home was built in 1921 and it truly has a lot of character and unique features. I love old homes and have always been attracted to antiques and items from the past. This idea was not mine, but borrowed. I picked up this antique cast iron heat register grate at the old house revival company for around $45. It wasn’t cheap, but I had been looking for quite some time and knew that the price was very comparable to what I had been seeing on kijiji and on the internet. I chose this one because it had a great design and the size was perfect.

It was in pretty rough shape, so I had to scrub it with a heavy-duty wire brush to get all of the loose paint off. I then spray painted it with a flat black spray paint. I flipped it upside down and had Tim mount it on the wall above the counter in our kitchen. (This was before I learned how to do wall plugs on my own.) It now serves as a “mail” holder for all of the kid’s notes from school or pieces of paper we need at our finger tips. It may be hard to tell, but we also have a few pencils and pens stuck in the end of the grate. They are very accessible, but up and off the counter. Love this project!

An antique heat grate was painted and converted into a mail slot in the kitchen.

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Scrapbooking Organization

I am fortunate to have a designated scrapbook/project room in our house. I love that this room is all MINE! Although it is small (about 6′ and 9′) and there are still some things I would like to incorporate to organize it even better, it is one of my favourite rooms in the house. The west wall is banked with windows, so there is beautiful natural light and a very cozy feel to the room.  I have not done anything to really “decorate” this room, but it is functional. Someday, I hope to have a perfect spot for everything and a more appealing decor, but for now there are a few things that have worked well for me at very little cost, and so, I thought I would share some of the ideas. (It is always difficult to keep this work space tidy as I nearly always have a project on the go.  This is pretty much as tidy as it gets and it never stays like this for long!)

Organizing Your Scrapbooking Supplies:

  1. PAPER: One of the things that used to drive me crazy was all of the scraps of paper. The bits and pieces that were left over from a project. You know the pieces that are too small for most things and yet too big to recycle. I tried several organizing systems, but this is by far the best. I basically created a bag  for each of the main colours. The bags are ziplock type bags, but were not bought in a store. They were passed onto me and were originally the packaging for computer parts (I think). The bags are about 8 3/4″ wide by about 12″ tall and the plastic is actually a little heavier and thus more sturdy than the store bought bags. The size is perfect, but I am sure store bought bags would be fine as well. (I also wonder if clear page protectors might work as you can purchase some that are a bit thicker.) I punched a small hole in the corner of each bag and then set an eyelet in so that the plastic wouldn’t tear. I then tied a ribbon to each bag, indicating the colour of paper it would contain and lined my wall with those little screw in hooks. Each bag hangs on its own hook and all of my scrap paper is organized by colour. I still have to sort through the bag to find the exact shade I am looking for, but it is so much more manageable and the system is really easy to stick to. If you don’t have a room, you could always keep the bags/page protectors in a binder.
    Here is a close-up shot of the eyelet and ribbon tie on a bag.
    I now use my “Big Bite” tool from Crop-A-Dial for setting eyelets and hole punching. This tool is super handy.
    I used to use this “eyelet set” before I had my Big Bite. It works fine and could be used in lieu of the Big Bite tool.
    Scrap paper storage system.
  2. EMBELLISHMENTS: What do you do with all of the little knick-knacky items like brads, buttons, tape, eyelets, rhinestones, etc.? Well, what works for me is this screw/nail chest that I picked up at Canadian Tire for under $20. I think I got it for 60 or 70% off and it seems to do the trick. I don’t love the navy colour and could easily spray paint the cabinet, but thought I would wait until I actually have a colour pallet to work with and then paint it to coordinate with the other elements in the room. The little drawers work perfectly to hold all of the little odds and ends that I use to dress-up a page.

    embellishment storage

    Screw/nail cabinet used to store my knick-knacks. (You can also see a few jars of ribbon on the white shelf.)

  3. RIBBON: I have quite a bit of ribbon and have not yet got the perfect system for organizing it. I have some of it in jars which works well, but I would need way to many jars to store all that I have. I have some in ziplock bags, similar to the paper, but I don’t find this works very well and the balance is in a drawer. I think that if I had the space (or set-up) the jars would be ideal. You can easily see what you have at a glance and organize the jars according to colour. Maybe some day!

    scrapbooking room

    You can see a few of the ribbon jars and the bags hanging on the bottom hook of the little white shelf.

  4. SECRETARY STYLE DESK: The white secretary style desk in this room was a cheap Kijiji find. You can check-out the before and after shots by following the link. I love that this desk provides additional storage inside and an extra work surface when open. It works great for a small space because it can be closed-up when not in use.Secretary Style cabinet
  5. CRICUT DRAWER: I repurposed a drawer from an old desk and incorporated into my existing scrapbooking room because I loved this feature in my old desk. (Actually my new desk is older than my old desk which might be a bit confusing). This drawer allows me to tuck my Cricut away, without the hassle of having to haul it in and out every time I go to use it. The drawer feature allows me to keep it plugged in and ready to go at all times, but also allows me to put it away so that it is not in my way. Love this!

    scrapbooking room

    The drawer is the big beadboard unit below the desk.

Overall, this little space works really well and I know I am very fortunate to have it. I will continue to make this space all that it can be in both function and visual appeal. It is a work in progress, but it is all MINE and I love that!

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Life Hacks I Love: #2 Organizing Your Dresser

I found this idea on Pinterest months ago and it made so much sense to me. Don’t you hate it when you go to dig a t-shirt out of your dresser drawer and you either can’t find it or you mess up the whole stack trying to maneuver it from the bottom of the pile? I used to hate that! Not anymore, I decided to rearrange my clothes in a vertical formation as suggested on Pinterest. It works beautifully! So, if you are in the mood to get organized, you have got to try this. It really works and is easy to manage.

dresser drawers

The above photo is actually of my husband’s dresser drawer. He has so many t-shirts wedged in there, you can barely open and close the drawer. He has not yet converted to the new system. You can only see the shirts that are on the top of the pile and it is difficult to get a shirt in and out, let alone find the one you are looking for. Fortunately for him, he really only wears blue and black, so I guess pretty much any one will do!

Okay, this is seriously a “no-brainer”. You can see every single shirt in the drawer and they fit in there beautifully. This system gets 5 stars from me! I love that I can easily find what I am looking for without destroying the whole drawer of clothes. A must do for the organized person in your home!

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