Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 50

Christmas Ornaments

Do you get new ones each year? Buy a special one for the kids or your family? Are they dated?

When the kids were young I used to get them each a new ornament each year. I wanted them to have something for their trees when they got older. So far, I still have most of them. lol I do think my two oldest have taken some of their ornaments the last few years to have on their own trees though.

Over the last several years I have just gotten a new “family” ornament. I used to find them at the craft shows and would have our names and year put on them. But the last couple years I’ve not been able to find someone who makes them when I go to the shows. This year and I think last I didn’t even go to any craft shows.

I’ve found a kiosk in a local mall that has really cute ones. As my family has grown (with four step children and now a daughter in law) it has become more difficult to find ornaments with enough spots for all of us.  I hate to say it, but I had to get what I’m sure is a “grandparents” ornament this year. But… with Dave having white hair and I wear the reading glasses… it worked. ugh

Here are a couple others we’ve had the last couple years.

2010

2009

2008- I just did the kids we had at home this year.

Link up to My Linky Party

I’d love for you to share your Christmas DIY projects, decorating and recipes,  but as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.

You can find the link for my button on my top “Buttons” Tab.
1) Link to your specific post – not your blog
2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)
3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it
4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or decorating
5) No sales pitches or web sites.
6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.
7) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Looking for other link parties? I have a whole list of them. Thumbnail via day above and keep scrolling down to find a more extensive text lists by day on my link party list. If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple. If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s on this post please Click Here.
This party will be open until December 25th, 2011

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 49

Christmas time!

We are moving into the Christmas season! Decorations, Christmas carols, lights and cooking!

What is your favorite recipes or projects for Christmas?

There are years that I don’t feel inspired the month of December for the holidays. It is almost like it comes up too fast or something.  But this year we have our decorations up this weekend and I want to enjoy the entire month!

We also have five birthday’s this month in our house, so it is a full month of celebration!

Link up to My Linky Party

We are going into December, Christmas month! I’d love for you to share your Christmas DIY projects, decorating and recipes,  but as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.

You can find the link for my button and also my “Proud to Be Featured Button” on my top “Buttons” Tab.

1) Link to your specific post – not your blog
2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)
3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it
4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or decorating
5) No sales pitches or web sites.
6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.
7) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Looking for other link parties? I have a whole list of them. Thumbnail via day above and keep scrolling down to find a more extensive text lists by day on my link party list. If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple. If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s on this post please Click Here.
This party will be open until December 25th, 2011

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 43

Halloween Is Fast Approaching

Are you a big Halloween buff?  Have you started decorating the outside of your house in lights and accessories?

I have seen several houses in my town that have up more Halloween decorations than most people do for Christmas!  It is amazing how big this holiday has become.

I have to admit that I’m not a huge Halloween participant.  We have fun with a few little decorations, carve jack-o-lanterns and take the kids trick-or-treating – but I don’t have major parties, or do the blood & guts decorating or costumes.

How extensive do you do Halloween?

Here are some photos from our recent visit to Pigeon Roost Farm. We just discovered this place this year and loved it.

They had So much for the kids to do. There were a couple gift shops, food to eat, animals, and all kinds of pumpkins of course.

The corn maze was huge!!  If you looked at it from an airplane you would see the outline of a rooster.  There is Alex & Elise coming out of the maze.

 These tubes were a favorite of the kids.  There was a big area and several of these tubes that everyone took turns in.

The kids each picked out a pumpkin before we left. It was a pay per pound system.  I think they averaged out to $5 per pumpkin, which was pretty much the going rate for the sizes they picked out.

Elise got one of those gross warty pumpkins. I can hardly stand to look at those things!!  It should be interesting carving that one. She plans on making it into a witch.

Next up will be carving the pumpkins!

 

Link up to My Linky Party

What is happening in your life this week? Feel free to post your halloween preparations this week! But as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.

You can find the link for my button and also my “Proud to Be Featured Button” on my top “Buttons” Tab.

1) Link to your specific post – not your blog
2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)
3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it
4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or decorating
5) No sales pitches or web sites.
6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.
7) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Looking for other link parties? I have a whole list of them. Thumbnail via day above and keep scrolling down to find a more extensive text lists by day on my link party list. If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple. If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s on this post please Click Here.
This party will be open until October 30, 2011

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 42

Staying on Target!

Maintaining Focus and Concentration

Do you have difficulty doing this? I’ll admit to you that I do! When it comes to certain tasks I have trouble staying on task. It is so easy to get side tracked. Other times I can become “hyper-focused” and go into what I call “work mode”.

I have trouble when it comes to reading and focusing to do written work. I have to (and have always had to) have it completely quiet to concentrate. If the kids are around, tv is on or there are distractions I have a lot of difficulty. I can read the same paragraph a dozen times before I actually “get” what it is saying.
When I do get into the “zone” I can go like gang busters and get a lot done. But don’t interrupt my focus!

Of my four boys, all four of them are ADHD or ADD. My oldest was evaluated when he was young but determined not to have ADHD. As an adult in the Army now, he has been diagnosed with it. It came to light during his intensive 6 month training as a lab tech.
The other three boys were all evaluated young. My middle two were in 3rd and 4th grade. My youngest was three years old.

Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to realize that you aren’t alone! I don’t want you to feel like you can’t achieve things because you have trouble focusing or you have ADD. It might take you a little longer to finish the task. You might have to adjust to the situation (for instance: putting on headphones to bring in “white noise” to block out other distractions) but you just have to find your “focus zone” and work it.

Link up to My Linky Party

What is happening in your life this week? But as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.

You can find the link for my button and also my “Proud to Be Featured Button” on my top “Buttons” Tab.

1) Link to your specific post – not your blog
2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)
3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it
4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or decorating
5) No sales pitches or web sites.
6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.
7) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Looking for other link parties? I have a whole list of them. Thumbnail via day above and keep scrolling down to find a more extensive text lists by day on my link party list. If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple. If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s on this post please Click Here.
This party will be open until October 16, 2011

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 41

Homecoming Weekend!

Homecoming weekend! The cooler air, high school football, bonfires (well at least we used to have a big bonfire each year.) We also had floats for our homecoming celebration each year.

The kids high school doesn’t do the floats, but they do have a homecoming court and on the Saturday night of that weekend they have their homecoming dance.

My son Tim’s girlfriend won homecoming queen this year! We are so proud of her… what an honor to have your fellow classmates vote for you. It isn’t all about looks, personality plays a big part in it. (But she is so cute too! lol)

Here are some shots of Tim (Tim graduated last year, but his girlfriend is a senior)  and his date and my stepson Drew and his date.

Update on Sadie my dog: Her vet saw her this last Saturday again. He is leaning more towards the thyroid cancer. The only real way to know which it is would be to get a biopsy. He said they are inoperable and he doesn’t advise it. I don’t want to put her though anything more than necessary either. She lost another 2 pounds this week.
Oh… he did say to take her off the Blue Buffalo food. He said it is good as a natural product, but it is too high in protein. He wants her to have more carbs. She has high kidney labs (not good…beginnings of kidney failure) and he wants to get her level down. Too much protein is harder on her kidney. He had me get Hills Science Diet Active Longevity food. So off to the store we went. I’ll work on mixing it with her other food for a smooth transition. It is still expensive food, but better than the Blue Buffalo…so that’s a good thing!

Link up to My Linky Party

What is happening in your life this week? But as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.

You can find the link for my button and also my “Proud to Be Featured Button” on my top “Buttons” Tab.

1) Link to your specific post – not your blog
2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)
3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it
4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or decorating
5) No sales pitches or web sites.
6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.
7) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Looking for other link parties? I have a whole list of them. Thumbnail via day above and keep scrolling down to find a more extensive text lists by day on my link party list. If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple. If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s on this post please Click Here.
This party will be open until October 2, 2011

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 38

Labor Day

Do you have the day off today?  Do you have family cookouts planned or did you take a long weekend and go somewhere?

I was thinking about Labor Day as I was going to write this and kind of wondered why the flag is associated with it.  I know it is about the Labor movement in the 30′s  and all the labor laws etc.  But kind of wondered why we think of the flag with it?

It isn’t like Memorial Day or 4th of July.  I never really put much thought into it before. I just know it is a nice three day weekend and I look forward to having time with my family.

We are planning to go up to our farm for the day – ride our four-wheelers and have a campfire.

Link up to My Linky Party

What is happening in your life this week? But as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.

You can find the link for my button and also my “Proud to Be Featured Button” on my top “Buttons” Tab.

1) Link to your specific post – not your blog
2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)
3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it
4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or decorating
5) No sales pitches or web sites.
6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.
7) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Looking for other link parties? I have a whole list of them. Thumbnail via day above and keep scrolling down to find a more extensive text lists by day on my link party list. If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple. If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s on this post please Click Here.
This party will be open until Sept. 18, 2011

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 37

Baby Bunny Adventure

It was over a week ago when I let my two dogs out early in the morning and heard some strange noises… saw them all worked up and realized very quickly what must be happening.  They had discovered baby bunnies in our yard.  OH NO!!!

I went running out into the yard to find them all excited and kicking up all this dead grass.  They stopped when I yelled and I went over to find one dead baby bunny and another injured one with two puncture marks in it.  I could see at least one other bunny still hidden in the nest.

Trying to keep my dogs away, crying and trying to decided what to do – did not make a good way to start the day.  I got the dogs inside.  I couldn’t be mad at them.  They love chasing bunnies when they get in our yard. How are they to know these are babies and have no chance to run away and play the “chase” game.  Of course it is also instinct for the dogs to go after them.

I went back out with a plastic bag and bagged up the one who had died and disposed of him.  I then went and dug a little bit of a hole outside our fence, near our house, under the fireplace overhang of our house.  So there was some protection from the rain etc.

I carefully picked up the one injured bunny (surprised that he was still alive) and carried some of the grass from their nest and put him in the new nest.  Then I uncovered the rest of the nest to find two more bunnies who seemed to be fine.  I took them, one at a time to the new nest.

I knew the one wouldn’t make it, but thought he could at least be with his bunny sibs when he died.

 

 These bunnies were so darn cute.

I went out that evening and could hardly believe when I saw the injured bunny was still alive. Surely he would be dying soon, but he must be pretty tough.

Each day I went out to check on the bunnies, and was thrilled to see them up and hopping around, within two days.

The third bunny was hanging in there. Although I didn’t see the injuries, I could always guess which one he was. He seemed a little smaller and not as active as the other two.  If you look close you can spot all three of them.

We would go out and they would start to hop over to us even!

But we were so worried they would hop into the yard when the dogs were back outside.

We were very careful not to touch them.  I don’t know if the mama bunny was coming back to feed them or not. She had to have moved them into our yard the night before the dogs attacked them, and they hadn’t just been born at that point.

I was guessing she must be coming back to them at night and feeding them since they seemed like they were gaining strength.  But Zach had given them a tomato from our garden and they seemed to be eating it, so we pulled a couple small carrots from the garden for them to eat too.

Enjoy some of these cute bunny pictures

 

 

Dave said that as a kid there were several times when he came on a situation similar to this and he tried to save the bunnies. He said they never did live. He couldn’t believe that the injured bunny was still alive.
We also were watching a nature show where they had a situation where people tried to save some wild animals that the moms abandoned and they stressed on the show that even though people think they are helping, rarely is it good to interfere in nature.
I watched the bunnies for 5 days, hoping each day they were going to survive. But sadly nature did take its course. Something attacked them in the night on the 6th night and they did not survive. :(

Link up to My Linky Party

What is happening in your life this week? But as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.

You can find the link for my button and also my “Proud to Be Featured Button” on my top “Buttons” Tab.

1) Link to your specific post – not your blog
2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)
3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it
4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or decorating
5) No sales pitches or web sites.
6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.
7) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Looking for other link parties? I have a whole list of them. Thumbnail via day above and keep scrolling down to find a more extensive text lists by day on my link party list. If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple. If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s Please Click Here.
This party will be open until Sept. 4, 2011

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 34

Link up to My Linky Party

What is happening in your life this week? But as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.

You can find the link for my button and also my “Proud to Be Featured Button” on my top “Buttons” Tab.

1) Link to your specific post – not your blog
2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)
3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it
4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or decorating
5) No sales pitches or web sites.
6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.
7) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Looking for other link parties? I have a whole list of them. Thumbnail via day above and keep scrolling down to find a more extensive text lists by day on my link party list. If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple. If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s Please Click Here.
This party will be open until August 21st

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 32

Mammoth Caves

Part of our vacation this summer was going to Mammoth Caves.  I had been there as a small girl and we have taken the older kids a couple of times. We saw several wild turkeys as we drove into the National park. This is one of the entrances to the cave. The caves are so incredible. This as “Tall Man’s Agony”. And “Fat Man’s Misery”. The kids had a blast on the 2 hour tour. There is the light! lol

Should I continue my link party?

I have to tell you, I’m really trying to decide if I am going to continue this link party. After 31 weeks, if I’m only getting a handful of people participating…I’m guessing it isn’t what my readers are looking for. I haven’t been able to do my featured link members due to my time restraints. I’m not sure if that is the problem or not. Might be huh? But I wasn’t getting many entries even before that. Thoughts?

Link up to my Link Party

What is happening in your life this week?   But as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.

You can find the link for my button and also my “Proud to Be Featured Button” on my top “Buttons” Tab. 1) Link to your specific post – not your blog 2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button) 3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it 4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or decorating 5) No sales pitches or web sites. 6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog. 7) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Looking for other link parties? I have a whole list of them. Thumbnail via day above and keep scrolling down to find a more extensive text lists by day on my link party list. If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple. If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s Please Click Here.

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 31

Visit from a Deer

We don’t routinely have deers walking around our neighborhood.  The seven years I have lived here, I have seen two.  This is the 2nd one.

I was taking the pictures through my window, so they aren’t that good.

I was so excited to see her.  It was very early in the morning. I was on my way to Utah that morning for my early flight and saw her. Dave was actually outside in the car waiting for me and I thought for sure he would have seen her. But he was busy looking at something in the car and missed her.

I decided to try and step outside to get a better picture.  As quiet as I tried to be…

And this is what happened.

Do you have any animals that come into your yard that you enjoy seeing?

Link up to my Link Party

I would love to see what you are working on this week. But as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.

You can find the link for my button and also my “Proud to Be Featured Button” on my top “Buttons” Tab.

1) Link to your specific post – not your blog
2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)
3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it
4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or decorating
5) No sales pitches or web sites.
6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.
7) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Looking for other link parties? I have a whole list of them. Thumbnail via day above and keep scrolling down to find a more extensive text lists by day on my link party list.

If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple.

If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s Please Click Here.

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 30

Traveling – Enjoying Park City Utah

I was lucky enough to go to Park City Utah for the Evo Conference.  This was the second year I went and loved it just as much (if not more) this year than next. It is such a beautiful place!

We stayed at The Canyon’s Resort again, which is more than just nice!

I will let you know that I did get a full time job! (Not in UT though) I found out a couple of weeks ago and I am more than excited.  I am the Social Marketing Manager for cbSocially, which is a new division of Collective Bias.

I am going to be very busy – so I would love if any of you were interested in doing guest posts! Just let me know if you are interested.  (No advertising)

We did zip lining, and a little roller coaster down the mountain along with an alpine slide. So much fun!

Have you gone on any vacations this summer? Where?

Link up to my Link Party

I would love to see what you are working on this week, or your vacation posts too!  But as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.

You can find the link for my button and also my “Proud to Be Featured Button” on my top “Buttons” Tab.

1) Link to your specific post – not your blog
2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)
3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it
4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or decorating
5) No sales pitches or web sites.
6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.
7) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Looking for other link parties? I have a whole list of them. Thumbnail via day above and keep scrolling down to find a more extensive text lists by day on my link party list.

If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple.

If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s Please Click Here.

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 29

Happy 4th of July!

What is 4th of July to you?

What traditions does your family have?

Ours is usually very simple.  We go to the farm sometime that weekend and spend some time. Then on the 4th we head to our high school to camp out on a blanket and wait for the fireworks.

We bring a cooler of goodies to eat. There are kids running all over the place. They run or walk on the track, throw the football around (including some of the girls)

She is actually very good at throwing and catching the football!

Then we just wait to enjoy the fireworks.

 

Link up to my Link Party

I would love to see what you are working on this week. But as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.

You can find the link for my button and also my “Proud to Be Featured Button” on my top “Buttons” Tab.

1) Link to your specific post – not your blog
2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)
3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it
4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or decorating
5) No sales pitches or web sites.
6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.
7) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Looking for other link parties? I have a whole list of them. Thumbnail via day above and keep scrolling down to find a more extensive text lists by day on my link party list.

If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple.

If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s Please Click Here.

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 28

Summertime – Is it a Happy Time in Your House?

 

Summer time is fun, swimming, outdoors, no school, relaxing and everyone looks forward to it… right?

I can guess that is a 99% “YES” from the kids and about a 50% “Yes” from some moms… and 25% “It’s Not Bad” along with a 25% “I Can’t Stand Summer When All the Kids Are Home” from other moms.

I know many woman who dread summer. They either work at home, and when all the kids are home they have a hard time getting their work done OR

They work outside the house and having the kids home means finding babysitters and the guilt of not being able to be there to have fun with them in the summer.

The other thing I hear from so many is that their summer is a total unorganized crazy mess.  The kids get up at all hours, many times they will sit in front of the TV, the house is a mess, and things are in utter chaos.

There is nothing wrong with having guidelines, schedules and rules for the summer.  It won’t ruin anyone’s “free time”. Kids need routine and structure. Without it they can go a bit haywire.

My suggestions to have a less chaotic & more enjoyable Summer :

1) Have a time the kids must be awake by (don’t let them sleep away their summer)
2) Have a routine for breakfast. (Either you make breakfast, or the kids make their own)
3) Have rules/limits on the TV, internet & video games. (Our rule is they are all off during the day unless the weather is bad)
4) Make sure they keep up their skills during the summer. (The kids still have to read 1/2 hour per day & their Dad is requiring they walk to the library each day and read 1 article from the newspaper and are able to tell him about it when he gets home)
5) Make a list of activities they can do.  (So you don’t have to hear .. “I’m bored” all summer)
6) Give the list chores.  (In the summer my kids have 3 chores to do per day as compared to their normal 1 chore on school days. Cleaning their room is not an assigned chore, that is a requirement each day already)
7) Only allow the kids to have one drinking glass per day. (So they don’t grab a clean one each time they want a drink)
8) Make sure they get plenty of physical activity each day. Biking, running, swimming. (It will decrease the craziness inside the house if they can get their entry taken care of outside the house)
9) Have a reasonable bedtime. If their wake up time is going to be no later than 8am, then don’t have them going to bed at MN. Kids need plenty of sleep. (Our summertime bedtime is 10pm normally)
10) Don’t feel you have to do everything. There isn’t any reason the kids can’t help you and make summertime a more enjoyable time.

Be sure to check out my Featured Bloggers This Week.

Susan from Homeroad

Susan has made this cute pillows by using her printer!!

She did it by transferring!  You will have to read all about it on her blog post.  But I was amazed. I had no idea you could do that.

She has several more examples on her blog post and tells you how you can use Transfer Methods to make pillows.

Nisrine from iSavvyMom

She had a great post on organizing your car.

My favorite tip is to hang a bag and in the bag keep your grocery plastic bags. You will always have a trash can handy to keep your car clean.

Be sure to stop by and see some of her other tips on her blog called iSavvyMom

 

 

Link up to my Link Party

I would love to see what you are working on this week. But as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.

You can find the link for my button and also my “Proud to Be Featured Button” on my top “Buttons” Tab. 1) Link to your specific post – not your blog
2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)
3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it
4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or decorating
5) No sales pitches or web sites.
6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.
7) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Looking for other link parties? I have a whole list of them. Thumbnail via day above and keep scrolling down to find a more extensive text lists by day on my link party list.

If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple.

If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s Please Click Here.
This link party will be open until July 3rd.

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 23

Surprises This Past Week

I had a big surprise this past week.  My oldest son Joe got married! He is stationed in San Antonio for National Guard Training.  He met his girlfriend there and they found out she was going to be transferred to another base (long story, Army lost and messed up her paperwork..blah blah blah) that week.  They are both in the military.

I got a Facebook message from him on Monday.  Yes, Facebook (at least it was a DM) He was going to not even tell me, but she convinced him to.

I think he was worried of what I would say.  I of course, being his mother an all, wanted to make sure they had thought things through. It was a very quick decision.  I didn’t tell him not to (I wouldn’t do that), but I did want to ask him some questions. (No… she isn’t pregnant)

They ended up getting married on Tuesday evening.  She had to leave first thing Wednesday morning.  But they will end up being stationed at the same base in September when Joe gets out of his training.

On Tuesday when I knew for sure the wedding was definitely going to take place, I asked my other son who is stationed with him to please take their picture and send it to me.

Then I posted that picture on my computer.  My other son, Drew put his phone on speaker phone, and we got to hear the wedding.  See what he is holding?  It isn’t a Bible, or smart phone so he could remember his words.  It is my other son’s phone so that I can be at the wedding too.

Here is the kiss!

And one more..

I told the triplets they could go make a wedding cake for them.  Of course Joe and his now wife, Fulton wouldn’t be able to have any, but it would be something the triplets remembered and associated with it.  This picture was taken about 9:30pm. The kids were ready to go to bed.  Texas is an hour earlier and it was about 8:00pm est when they were married.

So…. that is my bit of shocking news.  I got to hear about my son’s wedding via Facebook and be at my son’s wedding via speaker phone. Now how many of you can claim that?  lol

Joe is so happy. I just hate to see them apart now until September.

My Featured Bloggers This Week

Parents of a Dozen – Uses Storage Space So Wisely!

They utilized space in their garage for storage.  This is one of the things that I had planned to do in our garage, had we not gotten the storage shed. But I will if I need the space in the future. I love this.

Here is their attic. Unfinished…. insulation…. yes… fall through the slats into the room below kind of attic.

On her post she shows the steps they went through to make this usable.  Then she also labeled the sections so anyone could find things.

Stop by her post to see the rest of Extra Storage Space and how she converted her attic.  Also just check out her blog… some great ideas for large families!

Katja from Skimbaco Home shares this really cool idea for laundry storage on the wall.

These are laundry baskets on the wall from Helene Steiner.  Katja always finds the coolest things on her blog. I mean really, wouldn’t these be great if you had a small place and a small family?

Then you just take it off the wall to use it.

Check out Katja’s blog and you can get the link to where you can find these too.

 

Be sure to stop by and give some bloggy love to all my Featured Bloggers!

Link up to my Link Party

I would love to see what you are working on this week. But as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.

You can find the link for my button and also my “Proud to Be Featured Button” on my sidebar

Rules

1) Link to your specific post – not your blog

2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)

3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it

4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or decorating

5) No sales pitches or web sites.

6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.

8) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Looking for other link parties? I have a whole list of them. Thumbnail via day above and keep scrolling down to find a more extensive text lists by day on my link party list.

If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple.

If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s Please Click Here.

This will be open until Saturday night May 28th, 2011

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 22

DIY Projects! Show Them Off!!

I have been working on several DIY this last weekend.  I am not quite finished with them yet.  But I am working on my dining room decor, creating a mud room in my garage and a couple other little things.

I have painting underway. I wanted to be able to show you my finished dining room today, but alas…{sigh} it decided to be a super humid rainy day and my 2nd coat of primer wasn’t drying well on my furniture.

I’ll show you what pieces I have been working on!

DIY Chandelier Makeover – “BEFORE”

This is my “BEFORE” picture of my chandelier.  I’m so excited for this one!! Hoping to finish it tomorrow, but I have to go back to the store to get something else before I can finish.

 

Dining Room Table “BEFORE”

You all gave me the advice to paint my dining room table and chairs.  The chairs won’t happen right away, but I am going to refinish them also.  But the table will hopefully be completed tomorrow.

That is just a hint of what I’m working on.  I’m also really excited to have an actual “mud” room. My son said, “You can’t have a mud room in the garage, because then it’s just called the garage.” lol

But I’m doing the best I can with what I have. Unless we add on (which would be silly in this neighborhood, we’d never get our investment back) I will never have enough room in my tiny laundry room for a mud room. Since we got the shed, it cleared so much out of our garage – that I have the room to work with.

My Featured Bloggers for This Week!

Susan from Homeroad made this great herb garden for her mother.

She made this!! Isn’t it cute.  She took the black carry container and spiced it up for a gift for her Mother.

Be sure to stop by Susan’s blog to see the rest of her post titled, A Gift for the Mom that has everything.

 

Becky from Organizing Made Fun completely overhauled her master closet.

Look how she took her closet from this…. (this is a pic of how it looked when she toured it before they bought it)

To this!

Here is a close up of the Elfa baskets

You can see the rest of her closet makeover and how she made her Elfa baskets look so cute (because you can’t buy them this way)  on her blog post.

Be sure to stop by and give some bloggy love to all my Featured Bloggers!

Link up to my Link Party

I would love to see what you are working on this week. But as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.

You can find the link for my button and also my “Proud to Be Featured Button” on my sidebar

Rules

1) Link to your specific post – not your blog

2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)

3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it

4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or decorating

5) No sales pitches or web sites.

6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.

8) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Looking for other link parties? I have a whole list of them. Thumbnail via day above and keep scrolling down to find a more extensive text lists by day on my link party list.

If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple.

If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s Please Click Here.

This will be open until Saturday night May 28th, 2011

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 21

What Are You Working On This Week?

I have a whole list of things I am trying to accomplish:

My Son’s Graduation in three weeks
Working on son’s senior pictures (I took them and I’m still editing them!)  Here are a couple I have done. What do you think?

This is Tim’s favorite.  It isn’t mine though.

This is one of my favorites, but I have several.

This is also one of Tim’s favorites. I like another one in this same setting, but I haven’t worked on it yet.

Some more of what I have to do this week.  I’m whining! lol

Dining Room Decorate which includes furniture refinishing
Garage Organize with Painting and creating a Mud Room
Blog Over-Haul – Many new links to add and updates to make
Preparing To Teach a Social Media Class at TechConnect Ohio Next week
Preparing my Power Point Presentation for Gleek Retreat in two week
Working on beginning a new chapter in business with teaching Social Media Classes

I am becoming a bit over whelmed.

I would love if any of you wanted to do a guest post for me in the next several weeks (asap is fine!) Just let me know if you are interested.

I neglected to honor my Featured bloggers last week, so I wanted to do several this week for you!

Featured Bloggers

Heather from Decor-ganize Crafts

Heather took a simple 5 pocket shoe organizer and turned it into a great car organizer! I love when I see organizing products used in unique ways.

This could also make a really handy accessory for a car trip for a little bit older kids too couldn’t it? Please be sure to jump over and check out the rest of her post, Car Organizer using a Shoe Organizer.

Terri from Healthy Wealthy Moms

Terri uses mod pod to repurpose items so they can be used in new and different ways.  Look at what she did with this glass jars.
Isn’t that cute?  I tend to think what cute pencil holders you could make and outfit your office with matching accessories.

She has a video posted on her post also about how to Mod Pod. I told her that I was going to send my  husband over to check it out. He is in the process of making karate belt racks for the triplets and wanted to mod pod an picture to the top of them and was having a terrible time.  So check out her post Organizer from repurposed bottles, jars

DaNita from Delightful Order

You have heard me mention to give yourself a limit on how many school papers you keep for your children right? This is a great way to do that. She has created a file for her children, and in it a file section for each grade.

Notice of course that darling name tag she created (she is so good at that!)
Be sure to go see the rest of the post, Organizing Children’s School Papers

Bianca from Little Brick Ranch

Bianca took this coffee table that she found on Craig’s list and turned it into a coffee table that goes great in her room!

She gives the step by step directions on her blog post.  (Which I need because I am going to be refinishing  a couple pieces myself soon!)

Stop by and see how she did it! Her post is called A Coffee Table Joe Could Be Proud Of…

Be sure to stop by and give some bloggy love to all my Featured Bloggers!

Link up to my Link Party

I would love to see what you are working on  this week. But as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.

You can find the link for my button and also my “Proud to Be Featured Button” on my sidebar

Rules

1) Link to your specific post – not your blog

2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)

3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it

4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or decorating

5) No sales pitches or web sites.

6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.

8) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Looking for other link parties? I have a whole list of them. Thumbnail via day above and keep scrolling down to find a more extensive text lists by day on my link party list.

If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple.

If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s Please Click Here.

This will be open until Sunday night May 15th, 2011

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 20

Sheds and Garages!

I’m going to focus this week on sheds and how to organize them.

I’ve mentioned before we had planned to move before this housing recession kicked in.  Part of the reason (other than needed more room inside) was that we needed more garage space. We have a two car garage, but we have five kids, about seven bikes, five cars (4 drivers) and of course all the other stuff you accumulate in a garage.

We found out that we were allowed to have sheds. We thought with our home owners association that we weren’t able to. We had to submit the shed, it couldn’t be metal, had to match the house and couldn’t be larger than 10×14 ft.

We headed to Amish country and picked one out that was 10×14′ since we needed as much room as possible.  We also had a fence that was going to be put in for the dogs.

I will be showing you this week how I organized the inside of our shed to make it much more usable.

I was in Florida when they delivered the shed, so one of the kids took these pictures of the delivery.  Here it is being delivered. It is the larger one of the two on the truck bed.   Notice my house in the background. It is a tan with just a hint of yellow in it. The trim is white. The doors and shutters are a deep purple-brown color (that I haven’t been able to match so that we can repaint the door) Trying to figure out what color to make them. Suggestions?

It only took one Amish man to unload it with this little cart thing they used.

 

He just drove it up the driveway

Dave had dug out a place and leveled it the best he could in the back yard. He also put down plastic for weed guard.

Here is the front of it.

Dave primed it, which wasn’t easy. It was already stained. It took him three gallons of primer and took several hours.

It stayed like this for a few weeks.  We had it delivered on March 19th and it wasn’t until this weekend that we were finally able to get it painted.  The rain and cold have been terrible in trying to get it primed and painted. But we finally had one nice weekend day that Dave was able to complete it.  (Almost, the trim at the top needs a 2nd coat and the window frame needs another coat.

He is also going to put a ramp in on the double door side.  I’m just thrilled to have it basically finished.

I can’t wait to show you the inside this week!  I’ll be doing it in stages throughout the week. Do you think we just piled everything in to this completely empty (bare of shelves etc) shed?  Oh no!!  Just wait!

I am hoping to get to my garage next week, but I have a major project planned for part of it. I am able to have a mud room now that we have cleared a lot of stuff out of it. That is going to require some big time man hours from me, and I don’t know that I will have them this week.  So it might be a few weeks before I can show you the garage.

(I’m going to add my double the featured bloggers next week – sorry I didn’t get them in today)

Link up to my Link Party

I would love to see your shed or garage organizing posts this week. But as always you can link up any organizing or cleaning or DIY post to my link party.

<center><a href=”http://www.organizewithsandy.com/blog” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.organizewithsandy.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/mission-monday-1.jpg “/></a></center><br/>

(You can also pick up this button off my sidebar, if this one isn’t working right for you…)

Rules

1) Link to your specific post – not your blog

2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)

3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it

4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning or DIY or decorating

5) No sales pitches or web sites.

6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.

8) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple.

If You Are On A Reader and Want to View All the Great Link Up’s Please Click Here.

This will be open until Sunday night May 8th, 2011

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 16

Organizing In The Kitchen This Week

That will still be my focus this week.  Last week I showed you pantry organizing and refrigerator and freezer organizing.  If you haven’t yet organized those, please try to get to those this week.  You will think about it every time you open your refrigerator or freezer this week I’m sure of it! Especially after that trip to the grocery! lol

I’m going to be showing you a few organizing products this week that are low cost and make good solutions for organizing some things in your cupboards.

See My Featured Bloggers For This Week!

Marcie from Timber and Lace used baskets with chalk board labels for her pantry.

I love the look of this!  Wouldn’t this be a wonderful pantry to have? omg… the shelves, the cubbies on the bottom, the counter top!
Marci, does not separate all her products out into separate containers either (like me). She sounds very much like me with the realistic part of having that awesome look. So the inside of her baskets look like this.

You can see the rest of her post on her pantry organization here.

Stephanie from Create Order organized her refrigerator.

She also used baskets in her refrigerator to organize. But she utilized baskets for those skinny shelf spaces and they work perfect for that.

Go look at the rest of her post called I knew It Was Only A Matter Of Time
Be sure to stop by both of my featured bloggers today and give them some “comment love” and mention you saw them here!

For those of you who were featured this week, please pick up your button (code below the button) for your blog!

<center><a href=”http://www.organizewithsandy.com/blog” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.organizewithsandy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/featured-mission-monday-1.jpg “/></a></center><br/>

If this code isn’t working, you can pick it up off my sidebar. (I’m having trouble with these codes on my actual posts.. sorry)

Link up to my Link Party

Link up any organizing or cleaning post to my link party!!

But this week I encourage you to start working on your kitchens!  I’ll be working on some fun labeling and organization of kitchen cupboards this week.

<center><a href=”http://www.organizewithsandy.com/blog” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.organizewithsandy.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/mission-monday-1.jpg “/></a></center><br/>

(You can also pick up this button off my sidebar, if this one isn’t working right for you…)

Rules

1) Link to your specific post – not your blog

2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)

3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it

4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning

5) No sales pitches or web sites.

6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.

8) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Be sure to check out my list of link parties

If you have a link party.. please link it up! Underneath the daily buttons there is a list of text links I have compiled too! (Many more there!)

If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple.

This will be open until Saturday night April 9, 2011  This link party is continued from last week.

I LOVE your comments!!

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 15

Organizing Your Pantries & Refrigerators This Week!

I’m going to show you this week how I used these baskets to organize both my pantry and my refrigerator! I also have some lime green ones….. hmmmm  Pantry I’m sure you can invision using these….but my refrigerator? You’ll just have to be watching this week.

See My Featured Bloggers For This Week!

I want to share with you some of the neat organizing projects that had been submitted for my Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 14.  Thank you all for linking up last week.  (hopefully you’ll link up again this week!)

Julie from Angry Julie made the cutest arts and craft caddy

It started with this lazy susan she got from Ikea.

A little spray paint, some screws and pails and she turned it into this!  Isn’t it darling?  I think she got inspiration from some other ones she saw that she has posted on her blog, but I like hers better than the other ones.

Be sure to stop by her blog to see her entire tutorial on how to make this art and craft caddy yourself.

Becky from Organizing Made Fun – Pantry Makeover (perfect for this week huh?)

Here is the door to her pantry. Cute blackboard too!

Look at this pantry! Looks wonderful!  Love the labels.

Be sure to stop by both of my featured bloggers today and give them some “comment love”

I also featured those bloggers who posted their purse reorganization posts at the end of my Organize your Purse (Part 1) Stop by and see those too! You all are also welcome to pick up my Featured button for your blog!

For those of you who were featured this week, please pick up your button (code below the button) for your blog!

<center><a href=”http://www.organizewithsandy.com/blog” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.organizewithsandy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/featured-mission-monday-1.jpg “/></a></center><br/>

If this code isn’t working, you can pick it up off my sidebar. (I’m having trouble with these codes on my actual posts.. sorry)

Link up to my Link Party

Link up any organizing or cleaning post to my link party!!

But this week I encourage you to start working on your pantries and refrigerators! I’ll show you my reorganization of my pantry and refrigerator this week!

<center><a href=”http://www.organizewithsandy.com/blog” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.organizewithsandy.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/mission-monday-1.jpg “/></a></center><br/>

(You can also pick up this button off my sidebar, if this one isn’t working right for you…)

Rules

1) Link to your specific post – not your blog

2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)

3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it

4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning

5) No sales pitches or web sites.

6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.

8) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Be sure to check out my list of link parties

If you have a link party.. please link it up! Underneath the daily buttons there is a list of text links I have compiled too! (Many more there!)

If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple.

This will be open until Saturday night April 9, 2011

I LOVE your comments!!

Organizing Mission Monday Link Party – Week 13

It’s Almost Spring! How is Your Spring Cleaning Coming?

I have tacked a few projects myself that I will be sharing posts later with you.  I have so many more lined up, it is just a matter of making the time to do them.  I bet that sounds familiar doesn’t it?   But I am adding the decorating component into my spring cleaning this year.

I am going to be working on my medicine cabinet tomorrow!  So start thinking about how you want to clean yours out!

Featured Bloggers This Week!

Mel from Mama Buzz and Real Heart Prints – Closet & Movie Cabinet

Mel took her closet from this:

BEFORE:

To This!

AFTER

See what all she did by visiting her at Real Heart Prints !  You can also see how she added a shoe mirror onto her door to check out those shoes before you walk out the door.  Then you can get the bonus of seeing her organized movie cabinet also.

Jo from Creative Collage -  Master Bedroom Closet Makeover

I’m am so impressed with this!  Check it out.

Jo’s master bedroom closet:

BEFORE

Here is her after, but keep in mind, Jo did all of this herself!  She didn’t have a company come in and install it, she didn’t buy it pre-made and install it… she made it ALL herself!

AFTER

Didn’t she do an awesome job?   She goes through the tutorial of how she did it on her blog, so be sure to check out The Creative Collage.

Bianca from Walnut Avenue – Office Makeover

Bianca took her office from this:

BEFORE

She had an inspiration picture that you can see on her blog post, but she knew the look she wanted in her office. She said in her post that she isn’t finished with the entire office, but look at the cool arrangement that she has made so far.

AFTER

She has really made great use of shelves for her office! I love them.  Be sure to stop by and read her post about her office on her blog Walnut Avenue!

Be sure to stop by both of my featured bloggers today and give them some “comment love”

For those of you who were featured this week, please pick up your button (code below the button) for your blog!

<center><a href=”http://www.organizewithsandy.com/blog” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.organizewithsandy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/featured-mission-monday-1.jpg “/></a></center><br/>

Link up to my Link Party

Link up any organizing or cleaning post to my link party!!

But this week I encourage you to start working on your medicine cabinets!  I will be having a blog post tomorrow on how I did that, so be watching!!

<center><a href=”http://www.organizewithsandy.com/blog” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.organizewithsandy.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/mission-monday-1.jpg “/></a></center><br/>

Rules

1) Link to your specific post – not your blog

2) Please Link back to my blog with my button or link (link just above underneath my button)

3) I’d love if you’d follow me on google and/or FB. The google is new and I’m trying to build it

4) Blog post related to Organizing or Cleaning

5) No sales pitches or web sites.

6) If I feature you I will use one or more of your pictures with a link back to your blog.

8) Feel free to link up more than 1 post.

Be sure to check out my list of link parties

If you have a link party.. please link it up! Underneath the daily buttons there is a list of text links I have compiled too! (Many more there!)

If you aren’t sure how to link up… see my link party tutorial here. It is simple.

This will be open until Sunday March 27th.

I LOVE your comments!!

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