Centsible Creativities

2016-01-26T11:00:00.002-06:00

This blog is moving! It's been a rough transition but I am moving my blog. Please visit at
www.centsiblecreativities.com

Thank you!
Enjoy the journey and seize the day!
๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Painted rocks

2016-01-22T12:19:00.000-06:00

Over the weekend my 15 year old daughter uttered those two little words that, I as a mother, despise, "I'm bored". Hummm what to do? "Want to paint some rocks?" I asked. "Sure" she replied, and to my surprise she found a channel on the TV that was showing nature pictures and playing classical music, "for inspiration" she said!

So I sauntered into the not yet organized craft room and got out my craft paints, brushes and a $1.00 bag of rocks from the dollar store. We washed the rocks and dried them well. Then the fun began. We painted and talked and generally had a good time. It's amazing the things you can learn about your teen while painting rocks! The rocks were small and I wished they were a little larger. However, the final results were pleasing.

A couple of tips for you are to use smooth flat rocks. Wash and dry your rocks well prior to painting them. I put some saran wrap on my glass table top to protect it from the paint, and I always use Styrofoam plates for my paint palettes. Use high quality craft paints, or acrylic paints and small brushes. It is helpful to paint some darker rocks white prior to adding your designs. You will find that the lighter colors will be more vibrant. We didn't paint the whole rock white, just the tops. After you paint your rocks let them dry for 48 hours. After they are dried well you can spray them with clear or matte acrylic spray like this.

Its a good and inexpensive activity and you will be surprised at your children's creativity!

These are my daughters rocks!

These are my painted rocks

I hope you enjoyed seeing our rocks. I particularly liked my daughters donut and grow rocks. We had a lot of fun with this simple activity. I would like to add that I have not sprayed my rocks with the gloss spray yet. The spray will enhance the colors and add to the durability of the paint.

Have fun painting some rocks of your own!

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!
๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

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Laundry room reveal! Lose the laundry room clutter part 2.

2016-01-15T15:47:00.000-06:00

Well here it is the long awaited laundry room reveal!

I didn't get all my projects done but I didn't want to wait to write this post! The laundry room is soooo much better. I actually "want" to wash some clothes. I have noted a couple things as I am going through this decluttering process. Don't let perfectionism get in your way! It's better to do something than to do nothing because it can't be perfect!

Mary describes this perfectly in her recent blog post. You can read it here: http://blog.maryorganizes.com/?s=perfectionism

Now to the good stuff! Here are the before pictures. I didn't want to post them but as a friend of mine said that's what people want to see. The ugly truth! The before pictures :) Basically a storage room. And a bad one at that! Things thrown in here haphazardly. You can't even see my decorations! Clean clothes unfolded and piled up. Some of the messes are even from my kitchen reorganizing efforts. Extra stuff was placed in here. WELL....no more!

Afters!

My counter top is cleaned off and ready for me to fold clothes on.

I removed all the extra dog leashes. Now there is only one.

A little motivational sign for my daughter!

A little clock I painted a few years ago. I couldn't bear to part with it
the cat in the picture is Bonnie, she's crossed the rainbow bridge :(

I added a shelf above the dryer. The box holds my dryer sheets make
one for yourself with these directions!
Dryer sheet box

I put the clothes rack here to hold hangers. I hope to change this
someday soon.

A mural I painted. My daughter added the little bird, bee and flowers.
I love it so much I couldn't paint over it! The little pink dress
was one both my daughters wore as were the little pants.

A reminder on your way out the door :)

I cleaned out and reorganized the cabinets too.

I got rid of extra flashlights. I condensed and threw out pet supplies. The
containers are from dollar tree. I got rid of several glass containers and
vases. I put all the light bulbs and bug sprays together.

Condensed and organized!

I hope this has inspired you to get your laundry room in tip top shape!

Let me know in the comments!

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!

๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

So Sweet!! Valentines Day Dollar Store Crafts!

2016-01-13T17:15:00.001-06:00

Did you know that they change the messages on the conversation hearts to match the times? Every year they actually change the sayings?! I thought that was a "cool" bit of trivia for you! Read more about it at Candy hearts
To read about how they got the sayings in 2015 go here pugs and kittens
And to see how they are made visit this website Necco candy hearts

Today I have for you a couple of really easy Valentines day crafts. I got most of my supplies from the dollar store.

For the first craft you will need:

Coke glasses (I used the small ones, but the larger size would work also)
Decorative paper.
Low temp glue gun
glue sticks
carnation type artificial flowers
foam hearts
floral wire
ribbon
glitter
glue
pencil

1.First take your foam hearts and glue them together with a wire on the inside. My wire was 5 inches long. I took a heart put a small amount of glue on it layered the wire on and then put another heart over that. Make sure to hold it while it dries. This will be your cherry!

2.Now remove 3-4 blooms off of the stems. I just gently pulled them off. I used three but if you have a larger glass or you want a fuller top you can use more. I glued these together to form a larger bloom. I just glued the petals together in several places and I also put glue on the stem ends and tried to hold them together.

3.I wanted a little bling, so I put some glue on the tips of the petals and sprinkled clear glitter on them. You can brush the glue on with a paintbrush. The glitter I used looked like sugar, but you can use any type you like. Make sure to let this dry before proceeding!

4. I pushed the wire of the "cherry" into the flower and glued it in at the base. After the glue dried I bent the wire around the base, or you could cut it off with wire cutters.

5. I made a paper straw by cutting some craft paper into a 5x3 inch rectangle and wrapping it around a smooth pencil. ( Or you could use a real straw if you have one!). After I got the paper all wound up in a cylinder shape I glued the edge down. I then cut mine in half. I used one for each "sundae".

I then put an ample amount of glue on one end of the straw and glued it into the flowers.

6. Finally, I put glue around the rim of the glass and pushed my flower onto it. I did have to hold some pressure in different spots around the rim of the glass to make it stick as the glue was drying. Be careful not to burn your fingers. I used a low-temp glue gun for this project.

7. Add a ribbon bow if you would like!

How cute is this!! It would be a great little teacher gift for Valentines day.

For the second craft you will need:

Assorted candies of your choice. I used Twizzlers, Conversation Hearts, Necco, and red hots.
Graham Crackers
Empty Tissue Box (square type)
Low temp glue gun
glue sticks
craft paper
marker
cardboard or stiff paper
Scissors
Patience! This craft was a little tricky but I love the results!

First I constructed a house out of graham crackers. I glued the crackers together to form the sides. Then I glued these to a tissue box. I made a roof out of crackers and held it together as it dried. after it dried I removed the roof and used it for a pattern to make the inside triangles. I traced the shape, cut it out with scissors and glued it to the crackers. after this dried I glue the roof to the house. I used twizzler candies to help hold it together and hide the seam. ( Frosting would also work for this if you have some and are handy with cake decorating!)

After I constructed the house I just began to decorate it with the candies. It was so much fun to make and I love how it turned out! Use your imagination and decorate it however you wish! Just make sure the items aren't too heavy.

Glue two graham crackers together to form side walls. I had to hold them together gently while the glue dried.

Glue walls to the box.

An assortment of candies

Making the roof. Trace the triangle to get the right shape.

Cut out the triangle. Glue it into place on the roof. I had to
trim the bottom of mine a bit to make it fit.

Front

Back

I hope you enjoyed today's craft! It's back to the Laundry room tomorrow! Please post pictures of your crafts on the facebook page or in the comments. I would love to see what you've done!

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!
๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Lose the Laundry room Clutter! Part 1

2016-01-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

This week I am going to focus on the Laundry room. It is so much easier to wash and dry clothes when you don't have to shift around clutter to manuever yourself around the room. My laundry room is in the passthrough to the garage. I have tried to decorate it to make it more pleasing. However, it seems to be a good place to collect things I don't need. I find that I throw a lot of things in here that I don't have a place for. In fact it is more of a storage room than a laundry room. Once something finds its way in here it never leaves!

The problems:

I keep the door closed so I really don't look in the room very much, so I don't "see" the mess unless I go in there!
The counter is covered with stuff so it is basically unusable.
There is no where to hang clothes. I have hooks on the doors and they are always full of clothes.
It's a small space.
I have some storage containers that are not working for their purpose. I have tried to have a mail center there with no success. I will have to decide if I want to move it or repurpose the storage containers.
I empty my pockets prior to washing clothes and I have no place for the contents.
I store tools and painting supplies in here and I don't always put them away properly.
There is no place to fold clothes.

The good news:

I can close the door when I wash clothes so I don't hear the washer.
There is a counter in the room.
The room is already decorated.
There are a lot of cabinets.

Ideas:

Install a hanging clothes rack or pull out drying line.
Install some under cabinet lighting to brighten the space.
Repurpose the storage containers.
Possibly, install a folding table ( or maybe use the counter top)
De-clutter the cabinets and counter top.
Install shelving over my dryer for storage.

I am going to tackle this space and you are welcome to follow the journey. I am going to begin with the cabinets. Then the counter and finally the floor. I am considering repainting it, but truthfully I still like the way it is decorated! I just can't see it anymore because of all the junk and clutter! After I clear the space I will decide if it needs to be redecorated. Maybe I can just find a way to refresh it!

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!
๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Conversation Hearts Craft Ideas

2016-01-10T22:26:00.001-06:00

I love conversation hearts, and with Valentine Day quickly approaching I thought I would share a few easy craft ideas with you.

For the first craft you will need:

A 4" Styrofoam floral sphere
Conversation heart candies
A low temp glue gun
Glue sticks
Small glass candle holder

I started by gluing the Styrofoam sphere to the candle holder.

If you wanted to you could paint the Styrofoam with a pastel colored acrylic paint. I chose not to because I was in a hurry and wanted a quick craft!

I began by gluing the candies all around the base in rows.

I continued up the ball until it was covered. I glued them on in a random order. I think it added to the charm. It took me 16 minutes to complete the sphere. Isn't it cute!?

For the picture frame you will need:

A picture frame. I used a very old wooden 8x10 frame that I had. You can find these at the thrift store for very cheap. Or buy one at the Dollar Store.
Conversation heart candies.
Low Temp glue gun.
A photo for your frame. I used a free printable from The girl creative. If you would like it visit her page and download the picture here: Valentine Subway Free Printable

Frame and hearts.

For this craft I simply glued the hearts to the frame in rows. It took me 16 minutes to complete this craft!

For the last craft you will need:

1. A glass container or vase. I made mine by gluing an ice cream pedestal dish to the bottom of a vase. I turned the ice cream dish upside down and used E6000 glue to secure it to the vase. I have had this vase for three years and it hasn't come apart yet, but do handle it carefully!

2. A candle.
3. Conversation hearts.

I hope you can see the ice cream
dish in this photo.

To complete this craft put the candle in the vase and surround it with the hearts! Easy peasy and so cute!

I hope you enjoy these easy and cute Valentines day craft ideas!

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!
๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

It's not just me!

2016-01-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I worked. I keep my work area clean and tidy. Always. But at home I just feel tired. I feel like it doesn't matter. When I get home from work at 8:00 PM I want to be finished. I want to rest. Last night when I got home from work I noticed some things. The tables I worked at clearing off have collected a few misplaced items. A small stack of mail has taken over a corner of my counter. So I did something different. I took the time to clear the mail pile. Look at it, Shred it, Trash it....deal with it. I cleared off the tables. Am I tired? Yes! But now I can feel better about my space.

After dealing with the counter and table clutter, I finally sat down to look at the computer. While perusing Face book I came upon an ad for a 365 day space clearing plan. Yes it's true, face book knows I am trying to de-clutter! It has targeted me as a clutter bug!

Anyway, I click on the link and what do you know. The lady with the 365 day plan has written a book. Sounds good I think. So I click on over to amazon, only to find out that the book is not in stock! Well, this makes me feel awesome! I am not alone in my clutter filled life. Others are struggling with it too. Probably a good thing this book is not available (more clutter!).
Some of us are living in the "land of excess", paper plates that come in packs of 500 or 1000, coupon clippers that have a stock-piles, duplicates and disposables of all kinds. Take bedsheets for example. Back in the 1950-1960's I would wager to say most people had one set per bed, maybe two. Today there are summer sheets, flannel sheets, holiday sheets, colored sheets, whites sheets...well you get the idea. All these things have to be stored somewhere. And as we know your bed only needs one set of sheets...the ones you're sleeping on. We will have to tackle that issue one day soon :)
This is just an example I know you could name many more. I am declaring a war on all these extras in my home. I am reclaiming my space and you should too!

I am following a de-cluttering assignment plan I found online. One assignment is to get rid of extra kitchen utensils. I took a look at my nifty rotating utensil holder and what do I see? Spatulas! Spatulas of all shapes and sizes, wooden, plastic and silicone. Why? Who could possibly need all these? I made a bold (for me) move. I removed a few. I think I can live with that I thought. I took out a few more. ( I got rid of 3 spatulas, a fork and a ladle. Yes, definitely better to have less. I put the extras in my give away box. What do you think?

After

Before

In case you are interested in the book that I was referring to click here

Here is another one. If you have read any good books on the subject please let me know!
Visit the Facebook group page or leave me a comment here.

We are not alone!

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!
๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Quick and easy refrigerator clean out.

2016-01-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to share a quick post with you today about a great product I found at Costco. It is set of 4 refrigerator organizers. They are made of hard plastic and are easy to clean and slide out to access your food items. I love them.

Here is a good article about them. http://www.frugalhotspot.com/2016/01/interdesign-4-pc-storage-fridge-and-freezer-binz/

Here is what they look like in my fridge.

Here are the steps for your quick and easy refrigerator clean out.

Throw away any old food or leftovers that you will not eat. Throw away any condiments that you haven't used in a couple of months. If it's been longer and you want to keep it check the expiration date. Throw away any expired foods.
Wipe down the doors and the seals of the fridge. Wipe down the inside if there are any spills or messes. You can use a disinfecting wipe or a sponge. I used a washcloth. This isn't a deep cleaning. Just a quick wipe down and concentrate on problem areas!
My fridge has glass shelves. Sometimes I cover them with plastic cling wrap. This has worked well for me.
Organize the remaining foods. The bins make it easy to store small items.

That's it. Spend about 30 minutes on this task.

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!

๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

No space or poor organization? Part 2

2016-01-06T16:54:00.000-06:00

My favorite cleaning spray
from Target and a hand
crocheted wash cloth.

Start a load of clothes.
Put on some fun music.
Get a cup of coffee, water or tea.
Empty the cabinets.
Clean the cabinets. I wiped mine down with a mild cleaning solution.
Let dry. If you would like to keep the cabinets clean put down some shelf paper.
Look at the items and begin to group like items together. I have found a kitchen table or clean counters are a good place to do this. As you touch each item ask yourself these questions. 1. Do I need it? 2, Will I use it in the near future? 3.Can someone else enjoy it? 4. Is it expired (food items) ? 5.Is it a duplicate?
Throw away all expired foods.
Donate any food items that are not expired and you will not be using in the near future to a food bank or pantry. Take them as soon as possible to the donation location,
Place items you don't need in the donation box or sell box. A word here; I have been trying to sell things on a facebook, buy, sell, trade page. It hasn't been worth it to me. Usually my item doesn't sell and if it does, people want to meet. I don't think its worth it to meet at a local parking lot to sell a $5.00 item. So, while I may continue to try to sell some items, I think donation is the better option to get rid of your clutter!
Get rid of duplicates and items you haven't used in the past year! You don't need them!
Now organize your items back into the cabinets. You should have more space since you have eliminated some things. Try to decrease your items by 50%.
When placing items back into the cabinets think about how you use them. Is it a seasonal item that will only be used once a year? Place it in a harder to reach area or towards the back. Daily use items need to be near the front and lower down so that they are easier to reach and put away. Place food items and food prep items close to the area in which they will be used.
Put your clothes in the dryer and after they dry fold and put away. (I know I sneaked that one in on you!)
Sit back and admire your work! Post a picture on my face book page here so we can all admire your work! Smile, you accomplished a lot!

Some of my plans did not work out. Some of yours won't either. That's OK! Don't let it discourage you. Be flexible and see how items fit the spaces. Don't spend a lot of money on organizing shelves. I am finding that they are not that helpful. I am using some that I already have but they are not helpful. I placed some items in plastic zip lock bags to keep them dust free and clean. For example solo cups. I use these for summer parties.

Here are the after pictures. I am still not happy with it. It took several hours to do this project. I did not time it but I would say close to three hours with some interuptions (lunch, and coffee time) I bought a slide out drawer but it didn't fit the cabinets. I am going to write part three for this post when I come up with a solution.
If anyone has any ideas please let me know or post in a comment! Thanks!
This first set of pictures is the cabinet in my laundry room.

Ready to load it up!

Christmas (rarely used) items on the top shelf.
Small appliances on the second shelf.
Paper plates, cups, cutlery and napkins
within easier reach on bottom shelf.

These are the pantry cabinets. See how deep they are? Things get lost in them!

These are the lower cabinets.
Not being well utilized!

These are the upper cabinets. I am not
crazy about having the crock pots so high. I can't
reach them without a stool. But it looks great!

I threw out 2 trash bags full of expired food and junk. (I'm not proud, note to self, if you buy it use it within a month or donate it to a food pantry) Sad to think I have expired food in my pantry while people in my city are hungry! What a waste of money and resources. I vow to do better in the future!

I hope this has inspired you to do some pantry organization!
Here are some pictures I found on the web to get you inspired!
Enjoy the journey and seize the day!
๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

here

No Space or poor organization? Part 1

2016-01-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

I have a problem in my kitchen. I don't have a proper pantry. I have a lot of cabinets, but they are deep and things get lost in them. I seem to keep a lot of items on the counters for easy access. I would like to stop this habit and clear the counter tops! I also have cabinets in my laundry room, which is across a small hallway from my kitchen, that are hardly utilized.

So in answer to my own question I think my issue is poor organization. Also, the spaces do not work for the types of items I need to store. I have made multiple attempts to make these spaces work for me.

I think I have a solution.

Here are the before photos of the pantry cabinets in the kitchen. (Don't judge! I am trying to be honest here!)

Top Cabinet, I don't know it you can see but there are wire organizers in here. They just aren't working for the space.

As you can see there have been futile attempts at organization. Labeled canisters and all. But on the other hand there are many things just thrown in here, when I have attempted to clear the counters.

Here a before picture of the cabinet in the laundry room. Look at all the empty space! I hardly ever open this cabinet. I should mention that I cannot reach the top shelf without a stool. I even attempted to put a shelf in here that is also NOT working.

So here is my solution. I think I will put Christmas items on the top shelf. They are only used once a year and it is OK if they are hard to reach. I will move the food items back to the kitchen for easier access. I will take the patio lights out of here and relocate them to the garage. Paper goods, and plastic utensils will be kept on the second shelf. I think maybe small appliances will be stored on the bottom. I have never tried this before so I am optimistic about it! I will post part two later today. Stay tuned :)

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!
๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

One Drawer at a time!

2016-01-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

Today I am going to de-clutter my kitchen junk drawer. It is a place that at one time was organized, but over time became a tangled mess of miscellaneous items! It is a monster that can, over time, take over your space! I am wondering why I even have one? Many of the items are useless. I don't know what they are for, or where they go. I don't ever use them. They get tossed into the abyss and are never thought of again. Here is a before picture of my junk drawer.

I guess you have noticed there are three pictures here! Yes it's true, my junk drawer has flowed over to other spaces because it is full. Let's examine some of the things found in here!

Old cell phones, old cameras, hair clips, hair bands, needles, screws, unknown items and coins. Needles, pins , pens, teeth!, baby shoe tie keepers, old elementary school papers (my youngest is 15!!) , batteries, cell phone cases for old phones we no longer own! Well you get the idea. Most of these things are ok if they are being utilized. Not if they are buried in a drawer.

Here are the after Pictures. I cut the plastic packaging that the batteries were in to make holders for them in the drawer. I don't have small children in my home but if you do please lock up the batteries! Especially the button batteries as they can be easily swallowed and can cause death.

I found the drawer organizer at goodwill for $1.00. I already had the white organizer. I think it came from Container store but that was years ago. Small boxes would also work. Cut up small food boxs and tape them together to help you organize small items. Or use ziplock baggies! Go to dollar tree and buy these for $1.00.

Don't use a lack of organization tools or money to keep you from being organized and neat. When things have a place to "live" they become easier to deal with and put away. So ban the junk drawers in your home...One drawer at a time.
All clean and organized! This project today took me 45 minutes start to finish!
The steps.

Empty the drawer on the counter or a table.
Take stock of the items. Quickly throw out the obvious trash and items that you haven't needed in the last 6 months.
Sort like items
Take items to the rooms they belong in for example, hair ties in the girls bathroom, screws and tools in the tool box.
Clean the drawer. Vacuum and wipe out.
Consider using a drawer organizer, cutlery tray,small boxes, ice cube trays or ziplock bags to organize the remaining contents.
Neatly place items you will use back into the drawer.
Take a picture and post it to the Facebook page so we can all admire your work!
Smile!!

I am renaming the drawers, the battery drawer, scent drawer and utility drawer!

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!
๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

DVD's are clutter too!?

2016-01-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

Today I am going to get rid of excess DVD's and electronic clutter. First you have to decide for yourself if these items are clutter or not. With the abundance of services that offer movie rentals you should ask yourself why own them at all? How often are you actually watching the movies? If you are a movie buff you may watch them often, and that's great! You will need to find a way to store them.

Here are a few ideas. Get this box storage at Amazon

Or this one from Miles Kimball

Or maybe you could use a shoebox. Organization does not have to cost a lot of money! If you want to get rid of the plastic covers but still protect the dvds you could use sleeves like these from super media

I already own a storage case. It looks like a large binder and it has DVD sleeves. I am currently storing movies in it. Also, I have a smaller one that holds wii games. I have opted to throw out the hard cases. This may not be an option for everyone but for my family it works! I find that the discs take up less space without the cases.

Steps to clear the clutter.

1. Collect all the DVD/VHS tapes/ gaming system games etc in one place.

2. Decide which ones you will keep.

a. Ask yourself Have I used it in the last year? If you answer Yes you may want to keep it, place it in the keep pile. If the answer is No. Put it in the giveaway box. If you are unsure set it aside for now.

b. If you are emotionally attached to it ask yourself if you are really ever going to use it again. Is it worth it for you to store it? Probably not. This is difficult! I have a hard time getting rid of old

Disney movies because they remind me of my children. I like to think I will play them for my grandkids someday. But this is unrealistic! Children today are technologically advanced, they will not want to watch movies on an antiquated system. I know this may not be a popular idea, but when you clear your clutter you will start to feel better. Give them away!

3. Find a spot near the device (DVD player, gaming box, etc) to store the discs. Decide how you will store them. Store them away neatly. If you want you can further organize them. I am not going to get into this as there are many great organization blogs! For now I just want to concentrate on getting rid of things I don't use.

4. Take the discs in the giveaway box and get rid of them! Before you change your mind. If you haven't used it in a year you don't need it!

5. Get rid of old technology! Unless you have the machine to play it and you use it regularly you don't need it!

6. Now that you have cleared out some of your DVDs or VHS tapes take a look at your Unsure pile. Maybe now it will be easier to part with some of them. Or you could put them in a box, write the date on it. Then in 6 months if you haven't looked in the box toss it. It seems harsh but you can do it. You won't miss the items inside.

6. Finally, before storing your keep pile, look at it one more time with a critical eye. If you can get rid of a few more, do it! Make sure you only keep what you can reasonably store in your space. This is a key point. If you have a large home with lots of shelving and storage space you can keep more than someone that has a small apartment or living space. But I would like to add that even if you can keep more, should you? Only you can decide this for yourself!

Now let's get to work!

Here are some before and after pictures of my media cabinet!

This was crazy! I was even storing some VHS cases without any movies in them!

I put all the extra cords in a zip lock bag. The wii remotes and games are in the black basket. It took approximately 2 hours to clear this clutter, dust the shelves and rearrange the contents. I threw away one full trash bag of empty VHS and DVD cases. I will try to sell some of the DVDS and VHS tapes that I am getting rid of. If I don't sell them within two days I will donate them to charity. I feel awesome looking at this now! I might even take time to watch a movie :)

Tomorrow I am taking on the Kitchen Junk Drawer

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!

๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

The sock box.

2016-01-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

Some of you may think this is ludicrous or funny but I have a sock box. Well, I had a sock box. For as long as I can remember I have been losing socks. I don't know why or how. I tried multiple methods of madness to keep them together. Little clips, putting them in balls, washing them in laundry wash bags. All to no avail! I've always kept them in a box, lonely and waiting for their sole mates! I even had some toddler socks in there! So today I took a bold step... I threw it out. Socks and all. Sorry socks, if you don't have a mate you can't stay here.

I have been saving these socks because I think I will find the match, or I think I will use the socks for some higher purpose, like cleaning silver (HA HA!) or wiping on stain. Forget about it! If I need some socks for something in the future I will go to the dollar store and buy a pair!

How funny, I just noticed that on the box it says "it's about time"! Yes it is sock box, yes it is....

Farewell old friend. If you have this problem, with mis-matched socks please offer solutions on the facebook page or in the comments! I would appreciate it greatly!

Let's tame the Socks!

Do you have old socks hanging around the house that have lost their mates? Do this: Go through the house and pick up all the socks you can find. Match as many pairs as you can. Have your children help you, this is a good activity for them. They can even help you go on the sock hunt!
Throw away any socks that do not have a match. Wash all the socks that need washing. Put your socks together in pairs and store them in a drawer or box. While you are at it, decide if you can donate some of the socks to a homeless shelter or goodwill, etc. I am sure you have more pairs than you need. Happy Sock hunting!

Tomorrow's decluttering job will be to clean out the TV entertainment center, or DVD/VCR storage. We are going to tame those electronics people!

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!

๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

A little effort.

2016-01-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I put away all my Christmas Decorations. It wasn't perfect. I don't have a shelf in my garage or anything. No matching storage containers. But, It is all put away in a designated area in my garage. I will not be looking at it all year. I took down the outside Christmas lights too. Did you know you could use a rake to take Christmas lights off the lower portions of the roof if you used gutter hooks? That's what I did and I didn't even need a ladder to take down the lights! Easy Breezy! I just pushed the forked end of the rake up to the clip and pushed up while holding the other end of the lights taunt. Yes I know it's sort of a lazy way to do it, but anytime I don't have to climb a ladder it's better for me!

Today will be an easy task. Just pick one area that is covered with clutter and clear it off. Maybe it's a desk top or table. Or a small table by your front door. You know what I mean! Every house has one. Some organizers call it a hotspot. It is an area that just seems to collect things. First remove all the trash, take other items to the area where they belong and put them away. If it's an item you haven't used in a while put it in your giveaway box, you don't need it anymore! If your item doesn't have a proper place at least take it to the right room.

Also, if you are still working on taking Christmas down finish that task today.

I have chosen 2 areas to clear off today, the table next to my chair and my kitchen table. Time it took me to do it: 23 minutes and 27 seconds. Yes I timed it! It didn't take long at all! A little effort is all it took. I made sure to put everything in it's right place or the trash! I wanted to make sure not to start another "hot spot" in another area.

I would love to see your progress! You can join my Facebook group and post pictures for us to see. Let's do this together this year :) Here is the link for the group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1216759261703648/

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!

๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

2016 A new year begins!

2016-01-01T14:04:00.004-06:00

It's a new year! 2016. I've played around with the blog for several years. I am trying again this year to keep it up. I am on a mission to better my life by de-cluttering my home. If you want to follow along and see the progress please follow me. I will also be posting about crafts, home decorating and life.

Todays challenge. Put away Christmas. I cannot believe I have had a box of Christmas Ribbon in my dining room for 1 year. Yes thats true. It has been sitting in a chair, in a corner since last Christmas! (2014) True confessions of a bad housekeeper! Your mission if you choose to accept it...Put away christmas! Every bauble and candy cane, each wreath and bow. If it is a Christmas decoration if has to go! You have 2 days to complete this mission. If there are decorations you no longer need or want. Put them in your donation box! My goal for the day is to get all the Christmas decorations in the same place. I am going to make a designated place in my garage for all the Christmas stuff, with the exception of the wrapping paper. Which I am going to store in a closet.

I'll post more pictures after I finish Now I have to get busy. On Jan 3rd I will tackle another project/ area.

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!

๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Spooky and Fun Halloween Mantel

2014-09-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

This was my mantel last year for halloween. I got the idea for the banner from Today's Mama's Blog. Her tutorial is here. I used a sharpie brand marker and muslin fabric to make mine. Easy Peasy and inexpensive! Coming soon my 2014 Halloween Mantel.

Easy Dryer Sheet Storage Box

2014-09-18T08:25:00.001-05:00

Hey all, today I am making a box to hold my dryer sheets. It's a simple little project that is low on cost and high on style. This is a fun to do and easy project. You can use your box to hold so many things.

Supplies used: Whitman's Sample Box

Craft knife

Glue Stick

E6000 Glue

Decorative papers

Paper Cutter or Scissors

Ruler

Pencil

1. Gather supplies (eat chocolates out of box!)

2. Carefully cut around 3 sides of the top of the box to make a hinged lid. Just put your knife in the folded crease of the lid. A sharp knife will make this easy. Make sure to protect any surface you are working on. Maybe put a cutting board under it.

3. Glue the Top of the box to the bottom of the
box. I used my craft glue for this. But any glue will work! Just put the glue all over the sides and then put the box together, press the sides together as the glue dries. You could use some paper clips or paper clamps for this step. I just used my fingers.

4. Measure top and sides of box. Cut Craft paper to fit. I used a paper cutter, but you can also mark your paper on the back with a ruler and pencil and then use scissors to cut it. I measured just inside of the gold trim on the box. Glue paper to the top and 4 sides of the box on the outside.

5. I used E-6000 glue to glue a little bead to the lid for a knob.

The finished Box! Doesn't it look great!

It's that time of year, so go out and buy yourself some chocolates! Eat them, you know you want to, and then use the box for storage! Have fun.

Valentines Mantel Decor

2012-01-19T13:12:00.000-06:00

sorry about the picture quality!! I definitely need a camera!

Here's a quick blog about valentines mantel decor. Hope you like it!

First I cut out Little hearts with my Cricket but you could do this by hand with a heart shaped cookie cutter or heart shape. Then I took a branch out of the back yard and hot glued the hearts on the branch like leaves...very easy! Would look good to paint the branch, red white or pink...but I didn't have time! I put the branch in a Pitcher with a dollar store flower arrangement shoved in there too...used some tissue paper in the pitcher to hold it all in place. Below is the finished product! I think its so cute! I also hung a few of the hearts on strings...

Finished Branch Decoration

I took paper and made the large hearts and letters with my cricket...strung them on some pink ribbon and added them to the mantel. The love sign I got off the internet Thanks to the girl creative, subway art !! Just print it and put it in a frame. The candle warmer is Scentsy...buy it here!! Valentine warmer

I made this wall hanging art with a canvas. Randomly paint some lines across the canvas with acrylic paint. I used pink. glue hearts all over it in a pattern that is pleasing to you. I folded the hearts first to give some depth. I also added some bling with little rhinestones in some of the hearts. I made the big heart by cutting a shape out of cardboard, aka: cereal box, and glued little squares of scrunched up tissue paper to it. Hot glue to the canvas. There you go easy huh???

Finally on the right side of my mantel I added some little red books, a bird from the dollar store, and some white finials that I already had. I made the LOVE sign out of a cereal box, covered with paper and the letters cut with my cricket. Hope you all enjoyed this quick and easy mantel!!

Some romantic themed table settings

2011-09-24T23:30:00.001-05:00

This table setting uses a crocheted bedspread as a table cloth, Paper nakpins tied with a simple pink satin ribbon, and little magnet angels. Little ceremic teapots are elevated on upside down wine glasses

This table setting has pretty birdhouses and roses. Little birds complete the vignette.

More Tables!

2011-09-24T23:09:00.000-05:00

Beautiful fall tables!

2011-09-24T22:48:00.000-05:00

The ladies at my church had a luncheon today and here are some of the tables they decorated! Maybe you can find some inspiration here...

I opened an etsy store

2011-07-30T13:19:00.000-05:00

I am opening an etsy store. Here's the link.http://www.etsy.com/shop/PeriwinkleStreet?ref=pr_shop_more

Tropical pillow

2011-07-26T11:48:00.000-05:00

Hello, hope you are having a wonderful day! My project today is an easy and fun one! I made a pillow cover from an old Hawaiian shirt. This would be a good way to cover pillows for seasonal change, you could use any shirt you like.

before

Materials I used were: Ruler, Scissors, Sewing machine, Thread, Seam ripper, Iron, Old mens shirt size XL, Ugly old pillow

Measure the pillow you wish to cover. My pillow was 16 X 16 inches.
Cut the shirt back out close to the seams. When it is finished it will look like this.

3. Now measure a 16 inch square and cut it out. (fast tip: measure 16 inches, snip the fabric and then tear it across. This only works with woven cottons!)

You should now have a 16 inch square of fabric.

4. Next I will cut the front of the shirt. Lay the shirt on a flat surface and button it closed. Take your pillow measurement and divide it by 2. For my pillow I will have 8 inches. Now I lay my ruler across the shirt and line the 8 up with the center of the button. This way the buttons will be in the center of the pillow cover, measure out 8 inches from the center of the button to the right and left sides and then cut off the sides. Next measure up 16 inches from the bottom of the shirt and cut here. In my case the pocket of the shirt was in the way...no problem. Remove the pocket with a seam ripper.

2, 16 inch squares

5. Put the two squares right sides together and sew all around the edges with your sewing machine. I used a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

6. Unbutton your cover and turn it right side out. Iron it. Insert pillow through the front, making sure to tuck in those corners! Now button the front. And there you have it! An easy to sew and easy to remove pillow cover.

I think it looks great!!

Cost :$6.00 ( thrift store pillow $2, thrift store shirt $4

Time: 1 hour

By the way cut the buttons off of the rest of the shirt and start your button jar. Here is mine it cost me $2 at the thrift store.

Button Jar with one button in it!

Have fun creating and let me know your ideas I love to hear new ways to do things!!

How to recover a hope chest seat.

2011-07-25T01:00:00.001-05:00

This blog is moving! Please visit at centsible creativities

Today I wanted to give you some simple upholstery tips. I have an old hope chest. The top has been stained and its in pretty sad shape. I would like to paint it, but that's another project for another day!

Here is the before picture. The tools needed are: screwdriver or a drill with a screwdriver bit, scissors, and a staple gun. Materials needed are fabric, batting, and staples.

It's nice to have a drill with a screwdriver bit. You can use this to take out the screws and to put them back in. Most drills will have a switch to change the direction from left to right. Remember "Righty tighty Lefty loosy" I think I learned this as a child and it has always stuck with me!

Ok lets get started! The first step is to open the chest and locate the screws that are holding on the top pad. On mine there were eight screws to remove. Remove the screws carefully and the top will come off. Make sure to put the screws in a safe place like a plastic baggie or cup so you don't lose them. It is a good idea to put a small letter F on the front underside of the top so you will know how to replace it. I noticed on mine there was definately a right and wrong way to replace it!

Hard to see in this picture, but the top is now off.

The next step is to lay out a piece of batting and put the seat centered over it upside down. I used a piece of an old mattress pad. This step is not mandatory, but the padding on my bench was somewhat compressed and I thought it would make the seat more comfortable. Make sure you have at least a 2 inch overlap on all sides of the seat. I like to do this on the floor. Pull the batting up over the edge of the top, and staple. First staple in the center of all four edges, then continue to staple about every 5-6 inches around. You want to make sure the batting is taunt but not too tight or loose. If the batting is too thick at the corners, trim some of the batting away and then staple down at a right angle, see picture below.

Here is the top with the batting, or in my case, mattress pad in place.

The next step is to cover the top with the fabric of your choice. Although any fabric will do, even sheets! It is most durable to use an upholstery type fabric. Many times you can get this fabric on sale, or use a 50 percent off coupon at Joanns fabric store to buy it. Sometimes you can also buy flawed fabric at huge savings and the flaws will not interfere with your project, but you would have to measure carefully! I am using a piece of fabric bought for this chest.

I covered the top with the upholstery fabric in the same way I did with the batting. Carefully pulling the fabric taunt, but not too tight and I stapled it about every 1 inch.

Carefully trim away any fabric that is covering the holes for the screws. Now place the lid back on top of the hope chest. You will need someone to help you hold it in place as you put the screws back in from the underside. Or else some creative use of a chair or wall may be helpful! Carefully reinsert the screws and using your drill/ screwdriver replace each screw. Do not screw them in too tight until all the screws are in place. After all the screws are in place you can tighten them. Be careful not to over tighten

The finished chest...I think it looks great! I am moving this one into my family room to keep blankets in, and for extra seating.

You can cover most dining room chairs in the same way! Its not hard, just try it out for yourself, don't pay someone!

Total Project cost: $ 8.00

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Keep creating!!

Cute summer pillows

2011-07-24T17:43:00.001-05:00

Here's a quick decorating idea for you. Have a drab porch or poolside? Dress it up with some skirt pillows! I took some pillows from goodwill $1.99 each, also bought 2 skirts in colorful prints at $1.99 each. One skirt was a children's size 8 and the other a size 10.

Try to make sure the pillow will fit inside the skirt. First sew the top of the skirt closed. I sewed it on my machine on the right side of the material. Insert pillow and then sew the bottom of the skirt closed. Its that simple! I think it took me 15 minutes each! Look how cute they turned out...

Total cost for the project $8.00

Total time 30 minutes

Have fun and keep creating!!