IHeart Organizing

IHeart: DIY Doggie At Home Medical Kit

2012-01-26T13:40:00.002-06:00

Today I am excited to welcome Serena Faber Nelson, author of the incredibly adorable blog, "Pretty Fluffy".

Because such a large percentage of the population has a furry pet friend, it's important to keep them in mind when organizing as well. And because Serena writes a blog dedicated to pooches, I thought she would be the perfect guest to stop by and share with us an organizing pet project she recently completed, along with some other fantastic pet organizing tips.

"One of my favorite things about the New Year is the opportunity to lay foundations for the year ahead. Feeling secure knowing you've got the big stuff sorted. Knowing that you have a safety net to catch you when things fall apart. Because as much as we want life to be perfect - it ain't. So this month I want to encourage all pet owners out there to go about creating your own DIY Doggie At Home Medical Kit.

What you'll need:

Storage container with a snap lock lid
Cotton pads for clean up and topical applications
Gauze for swabbing, padding or wound cover
Bandages for compression and dressings
Cotton buds for topical applications and clean up
Scissors
Tweezers
Flea and tick treatments
Worming treatments
Antiseptic for small grazes and wounds
Sanitizer for your own hands after dealing with wounds

This is merely a starting list for you. Think about what your dog needs medically day to day and in an emergency. Check with your vet as to what they would recommend to include, and consider your local area and your dog's lifestyle for any extras - such as doggie sunscreen or tick removal devices.

Package all of the items into the container, and wrap in a bow {for prettiness!}. Don't forget to label the kit with your vet's emergency contact number. Should you have an emergency on your hands, this saves time by allowing you to call the vet for help while attending to your dog.

And as much as you may want to, DO NOT use it to dress up as a mummy for Halloween. Emergencies only people. {You can, however, pretend to be a doctor from Grey's Anatomy when tending to the thorn in your dog's paw. You can even use the word 'Stat'}.

Here are some more handy hints to get your dog's health and safety sorted for 2012:

Ever gone to find out your dog's registration details and after hours of searching have found them in your toaster's warranty guide? {Which has, of course, expired.} It's time to get rid of that clutter. Streamline your dog's paperwork into one folder - this one from Kikki K does all the hard work for you. Believe me, often when you're looking for this info, you want it pronto! You want this file to include the following:

Your vet's contact details {including emergency after hours numbers}
Registration and microchip papers
Vaccination details
Health records
Training certificates
Dietary information

This one goes for you too! Throughout the year it's easy to build up old tablets, powders, lotions and potions for the family, and your pooch is no exception. Trouble is these medications go out of date, and using them when they have expired can be ineffective and plain right down dangerous for your dog. So go through your home medical collection and dispose carefully of anything damaged, or out of date. Not too sure about something? Contact your vet or error on the side of caution and get rid of it. Once the clean out is complete, now is the ideal time to stock up on at home treatments such as worming tablets or flea treatments, to ensure you have your dog's healthiest foot forward.

So your dog hates the vet. Or maybe they love the vet. Or maybe they liked the vet but then thought the vet wasn't that into them and then the whole thing got complicated. Whatever it is, just get your dog to the vet annually to make sure their vaccinations are up to date. And don't leave it too long - be cool, call the vet, check when your dog is due and get them booked in.

Set digital reminders on your phone or computer that will bring up alarm notifications for annual vaccinations, worming, flea treatments and other medications. This will ensure you don't forget!

No, I'm not talking about Facebook {that that there is anything wrong with that}. I'm talking about a one page "Cheat Sheet" for visitors who may come to look after your dog when you are away. You never know when you may be called away suddenly or unable to return home. Having a short guide to what your dog eats, where they sleep, how often they exercise and any important medical info, means that practically anyone can step in and care for your pooch when you can't. This one page document is one less thing for you to worry about, allowing you to focus on more important things.

Kikki K - Beautiful, practical paperwork solutions for important documents.
Apple 'My Dog' App - Keep all your dog's info in one handy app.
Dog Help Network - A new online guide providing help & information on a variety of dog health issues.

Thank you so much for having me today Jen!"

Thank YOU to Serena for the great reminder of the importance of being organized pet owners! So many great tips and tricks and ideas! For more puppy eye candy, fun products and endless ideas on how to be a fab pet owner, you can check out the Pretty Fluffy blog here. I can't wait to make up a doggy medical kit for my favorite pups!

How else do you keep your pets organized?

IHeart: Spreading Some January Sponsor Love!

2012-01-26T10:00:00.000-06:00

Today is a special day for the blog and I because we get to take a moment to say, "Thank You" to my fantastic sponsors. Just as you do, they keep the blog rolling and the posts coming back day after day. So today I am giving out a GIANT appreciation ~~hug~~ post for them!

They are all amazing for endless reasons and I sincerely appreciate that you give them some love back for all their support of IHeart Organizing.

In the early 1960s, entrepreneur David Oreck had a radical idea: design a lightweight yet powerful vacuum to replace the much heavier ones hotel housekeepers had to push around. They loved it.

Today homeowners and hoteliers alike love Oreck’s easy-to-use, lightweight, powerful and durable upright vacuums—as well as its hand-held vacuums, steam mops, air purifiers, floor machines and cleaning products.

An industry leader for nearly 50 years, Oreck has earned its reputation for making the finest vacuums available. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Oreck Corporation sells its products in hundreds of Oreck Clean Home Centers and other select retail outlets, as well as through phone and online direct sales. The company distributes products in the U.S., Canada and parts of Europe. For more information visit www.oreck.com.

Whatever your cleaning challenge—children, pets, everyday life—Oreck can help. Because Oreck is clean made easy™.
Product reviews have just been added to Oreck.com. If you have a favorite product, stop by and leave your thoughts for future shoppers. Or, if you are in the market for a new vacuum, steam mop or air purifier, see what others have to say about the products they have in their homes.

Oreck makes clean easy. You can help us make it more meaningful. Connect with Oreck via Facebook or email, and we’ll donate $.50 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Like Oreck on Facebook
Sign up to receive Oreck offers via email

More ways to connect with Oreck

Follow Oreck on Twitter
Add Oreck to your Google+ Circles
Check out our boards on Pinterest

Use code KICKOFFSAVE to save 15% off your online order. Use it to stock up on cleaning supplies or spend your holiday cash on something to clean up your home. Offer valid through 12/31.

This month I am welcoming Profitable Organizer! They are there to help you follow your dream of organizing for a living!

Check out their site to see new organizing blog posts and find their 2 week guide to becoming a professional organizer:

It’s 38 pages long and is packed full of the most important things you need to know if you want to become a successful professional organizer. Perfect for those who don’t know where to start!

It’s even perfect for those who think they know where to start… because you can see exactly what they did to become successful and you can adjust or tweak your plans accordingly!

We’ve heard it said that the most expensive food we buy… is the food we throw away!

As we organize our homes and our budgets for the new year, Shelf Reliance is here to help us make some easy changes that are easy on our wallet, easy on our time, and the added bonus… GREAT for the environment! Because we reduce waste and only have to use what we need, the rest stores for 1-2yrs!

Thrive Freeze dried foods have no added ingredients! If it says Strawberries…that’s all your getting. No added sugar, no added Salt, and ZERO preservatives…because it’s freeze dried! All that’s missing is the water…and that is what makes our food go bad… Water and Oxygen!

So nix the days of buying foods that you ultimately throwout and save time cleaning out your fridge. Save money, and always have those perishable essentials at hand to spice up any menu, or always keep healthy snacks on hand… THRIVE Freeze dried foods last 25 years… sounds a little crazy? Well there’s no moisture so they don’t every go bad! It’s great for so many reasons!

So whether you’re looking for great healthy products to build your emergency supply of food or if you are looking for ways to live more efficiently THRIVE foods will meet your needs!

Here are some great foods that will help you save time, money and energy!

You can find out more or place an order by contacting Shelbi directly:

Want to try a few out? IHeart readers can take advantage of these great deals:

To order e-mail Shelbi directly and get the deals mentioned here! You will always get better deals going through Shelbi than buying from the main Website. So check out her site here and e-mail her here to place your Order!

Holly Bohn is the Founder and Creative Director of See Jane Work

Yes we are busy, but we can still have fun. And we can still express our individuality. That is why they started See Jane Work. They know you don't have time to search every website that comes up on Google looking for a notebook that says a little more about you than, "I got a coupon in the mail from Office Mart." You want something that says, "I am unique. I have style. I will not wear sweatpants to a meeting with a client ever again, no matter how late I am running."

They feel inspiration comes a little easier to those writing their thoughts in a pink leather journal rather than on the back of an envelope.

See Jane Work appreciates your business, so much so that they have created Jane's Rewards; a way for you to earn points doing what you love... shopping at seejanework.com.

See Jane Work has a new line available exclusively at Office Depot!

Katrina is currently an independent consultant for Sticks and Stones, which features the most lovely personalized name art!

Alphabet Photography by Sticks & Stones is the perfect way to give someone a personal gift for their home, that is like none other they have ever received! And it works for all occasions like weddings, house warming, birthdays and anniversaries!

Sticks and Stones alphabet photos are a high-end, luxury heirloom, and you have their word that they will maintain this status by never allowing Sticks and Stones alphabet pictures to be mass-produced. Explore the website, inspect each alphabet photo {there are many to choose from}. You can see each alphabet photo in their Letter Gallery.

You can find out more about how amazing these gifts are by checking out Katrina's adorable blog here.

Right now, using coupon code IBGIKL will get you 10% off your order, plus, right now you can also receive on buy one get one at 50% special with the additional 10% off, such a wonderful deal!!

Michelle runs an time and money saving blog that is sure to make all of your lives easier! Michelle's title says it all. It's quite amazing really and absolutely worth looking at. YOU can cook 5 dinners in just ONE hour too!!

Here's how:

Michelle has created a plan to cook all 5 dinners for the week in just ONE hour. All the menu plans have family friendly meals that feed 4-6 people and no, they are not all casseroles. :)

The meals are fresh, not frozen. They keep in your refrigerator until ready to heat and eat!

You could spend one hour on a Saturday or Sunday preparing 5 meals for your busy week!! Yep, it only costs you the cost of the groceries and the one hour time investment, and you have meals for the whole week! Done!

Not only does the fact that you can make 5 dinners in one hour sound incredible, but nothing is better than coming home from work and having your dinner already prepared before you run off to that kiddo's sporting event or music lesson. It saves money on eating out and causes so much less stress in trying to find time to feed your family on a busy work/school night! This is such music to this mom's ears I tell you!!!

Michelle is so kind to share a special promotion, just for you IHeart Organizing readers! Subscribe here and get a $3.00 discount off the regular price of $15.00 for your first 3 months! Making your first 3 month subscription only $12.00!

You can find all the rest of the details right here on Michelle's blog.

Look around, and you’ll find that Willow House is the most compelling home-based business experience in America. Their Design Consultants help each guest identify a personal decorating style, sharing seasonal color trends and explaining how they’re reflected in our exclusive Willow House products.
In addition to sharing our products and ideas at parties, they've recently empowered their Design Consultants to sell online so guests can shop between parties. And they are not finished innovating – late this year, they will launch a new media-rich community. And, early next year, they will reveal a whole new way to shop online with an expanding collection of enhanced eBoutiques.

January is a big month for Willow House with the new Spring/Summer catalog!

January is also Double Host Dollars month; which means that Hosts can earn twice as much in free products when they host a party {including catalog & online/virtual web parties}!

After the holiday fun is done and the decorations have been put away, your home can look a little empty. Jazz up your January by hosting a Willow House party and treating yourself to a style makeover! Their new Style for Home catalog is ready for shopping on January 1, and it's full of fun ideas to brighten up your home. Best of all, they're offering DOUBLE HOST DOLLARS for home decor parties in January - including all Online/Virtual web parties!

You can find out more details by checking out Paula's Willow House website and also by subscribing to her newsletter.

January 3rd through January 31st is a Willow House Glorious Glass Sale!

Also, for anyone that purchases through Paula's Willow House page and enters in the host name IHeart Organizing, will receive a 10% rebate check!

Simplify 101's main mission is to make getting organized fun! Get a taste of simplify 101 - and the organized life - with their FREE, simple to follow guide How to Create a Command Central Binder. You'll put together a home reference binder that will help you get organized, save time and minimize paper clutter and the stress that comes along with it!

Simplify 101 offers organizing tips and ideas, one-on-one coaching and online workshops. The beauty of their online workshops is that they are:

Convenient. Take them in the privacy and comfort of your own home, at a time convenient to you. There is no need to login at a specific time.
A Great Value. You get weeks of access to an expert, at a fraction of the cost of working one-on-one. Not to mention how much money AND time you will save by getting and staying more organized!
No Risk. If you purchase and decide that the workshop isn't your cup of tea, they offer a no-questions-asked refund policy.

Simplify 101 is offering IHeart Organizing readers a 15% discount on these upcoming workshops:

In this online workshop, you'll learn how to create effective organizing systems for every kind of paper in your home. Plus, you'll learn how to apply these same concepts to the papers at work. You'll eliminate your paper clutter and the stress that comes along with it! Organize Your Paper Clutter begins February 16, 2012.

Habits and routines are the foundation of a great day. When you have good habits and simple routines in place, your day flows smoothly, because you don't have to constantly remind yourself to get things done. With positive habits and basic routines, you do things without even thinking about them, freeing up your time and mental energy. Simplify Your Life with Habits + Routines will take the mystery out of creating new habits and routines, so you can lead the life you want to live. This workshop begins February 21, 2012.

Find simplify 101 on their blog, facebook, pinterest and twitter.

IHeart Organizing readers can receive a 15% off enrollment in either of the mentioned workshops. To take advantage of this offer, enter HEART15 during checkout. This coupon code is good through February 9th, 2012 and may not be combined with any other offers.

Thirty-One offers stylish, affordable products are exclusive to Thirty-One. From their signature purses and totes to storage solutions that help organize your life, you'll find something to fit every personality and situation! Each season, they develop new products built on the idea that their products must be functional and fashionable {and of course make great gifts}! One fun feature of Thirty-One is that a good majority of their products can be personalized!

-The brand new SPRING catalog launches on February 1st and you won't believe the new adorable prints and great new products. Thirty-One has improved some of your favorite products and come out with what are sure to be your new favorites!

-To make room for the new products, some of your favorite products and fabric will be retiring January 31st, never to be made again. Follow this link to so what prints and products will be gone for good.

- Send Erica your email address if you would like to be added to her monthly mailing list and stay up to date with all the specials and exciting new things coming from Thirty-One.

In February, for every $31 you spend, you will receive 31% off ANYTHING in the catalog!

Contact Erica McKinley with any additional questions or for assistance placing an order and find her website here!

Janery is an Etsy shop offering handmade pillows and coordinating pet beds, fabulous sunglasses cases and reusable shopping and produce bags. All products are carefully sewn for durability, and pillow covers have invisible zippers in the bottom seam, so that both sides of the pillow can be shown off. Jane tries to purchase supplies that are Made in the USA and sold by small, family-owned businesses as much as possible, and a portion of all proceeds are donated to the local homeless shelter.

New in the shop: Pretty Pup Pads!

When customers kept asking Jane to create larger versions of her Modern Catnip Purr Pads for their dogs, Pretty Pup Pads were born. These low profile, totally washable dog beds can stylishly protect your pup’s favorite spot on the furniture, or can be used wherever you want a stylish dog bed.
Coordinating pillow covers can be added to kick your home's style up another notch.

Each bed is made-to-order with your choice of fabric, and the size can be tweaked to perfectly fit your space.

Jane also blogs about starting a business and decorating a rental home at The Borrowed Abode. To be notified of new products or special sales, find Janery on Twitter, Facebook, or click here to sign up for the newsletter.

Special offer for IHeart Organizing readers: save 10% on your ENTIRE purchase with the code IHEARTJAN, through the end of the month.

{simple starfish} creates custom, personalized mommy necklaces and beach inspired jewelry. Each piece is handmade custom for you with high quality sterling silver, Swarovski crystal birthstones and freshwater pearls. They also have special necklaces for grandmothers, aunts, sisters, teachers, fathers... EVERYONE! All additions that would make the perfect gift for a loved one!

For coupon codes, specials and giveaways for gift certificates, "Like" {simple starfish} on Facebook.
Follow the {simple starfish} blog at www.blog.simplestarfish.com!

Customer feedback contest going on now! Win a $25 gift code! Details can be found here.

After Christmas sale AND free shipping through the end of the year! Get the details and the coupon code here at the {simple starfish} Facebook page.

Buttoned Up, Inc. was founded in 2004 by four women, three sisters and a best friend...

They realized the necessity for a tool like Life.doc after experiencing significant life changes − from moving across the country to setting up house after 9/11 to getting divorced after 38 years of marriage to having kids and grand-kids. Each of them felt the need to get their lives organized but were unable to find products that could help them control their chaos. They wanted to be liberated from the rigid organizational systems that they bought annually and stopped using after just a few weeks.

After several years of trial, error, effort and research, they started Buttoned Up whose mission is to give women the tools they need to live an organized life not a life of organization.

They currently offer all sorts of great document kits to keep you organized in every aspect of your life!


{Life.doc, Moving.kit, File.starter, Medical.doc}

You can also find all sorts of organizing tips and topics they share on their blog!

Their 2012 Weekly Agenda is here!

The new 2012 Weekly.agenda planner is specifically designed to prevent the 3 productivity-killing mistakes most people make: failure to prioritize, missing opportunities to batch similar tasks, and neglecting to plan ahead.

Our Humble A{Bowe}d is a blog dedicated to all things home improvement ranging from small decorating projects to room makeovers to complete remodels. Ben and Amanda are currently working on transforming their dated kitchen, removing everything and starting fresh.

And, Our Humble A{Bowe}d can help you spruce up your home with items from their Etsy shop. Prepare for 2012 with a customized silhouette calendar!

Or show some love with a new Love Heart print in any color you would like!

Or celebrate your family with The Whole Family Tree Cut Out:

You can follow Our Humble A{Bowe}d Blog here and "Like" them on Facebook here.

For someone who is a tad obsessed with cleaning and organizing, imagine the match made in heaven that was discovered when I found Toni, from a Bowl Full of Lemons! She currently runs a blog that gives me my daily fix of all things IHeart, she is quite impressive in her ALL of her many skills!

It's funny because we often joke about how we could be long lost sisters with how much we have in common! It's so much fun having such a good blog buddy! And I LOVE her weekly project link up parties. So much inspiration to be found! Not only does the multi-talented Toni run an awesome blog, she also sells Shaklee, which are awesome products!

When you pick Shaklee, you will know three things to be true. It is always safe. It always works. And it is always green. Win win and win right?! Here is a fact that knocked my socks off, "Through the sale of Shaklee Get Clean® Basic H2® in the last year alone, Shaklee has eliminated 2.7 billion bottles of conventional, ready-to-use 26-ounce window cleaner — if placed end-to-end, these bottles would wrap around the earth more than 18 times!"

The Cinch Inch Loss Plan, Powered by Leucine™. A clinically tested** program specially formulated to help you break the diet cycle. Learn More About Cinch
Through March 31, 2012, Shaklee buy the Cinch Transformation pack for 3 months and get the 4th month FREE!

Interested? Check out Toni's Shaklee website here, or visit her blog here to find out more!!

Uppercase Living embellishments and expressions are the ideal decor item because they are an unforgettable way to express your unique style and personality. Expressions are made of a very thin, flexible, vinyl and they are backed with a light adhesive for easy application. They can be applied to just about any clean, smooth, and weather-resistant surface and remove easily with no trace that it was ever there!

Uppercase Living doesn't just specialize in decals any longer, they recently released a jewelry line!

They have endless customization options, to help you with any organizing project!

You can find all of the details and contact Chrissy with any questions, through her Uppercase Living website here.

It's so important for me to extend my gratefulness to these sponsors, for all they do for me and this blog. I hope that you all take a moment to check out their fabulousness, whether via their blogs, their shops or their Facebook pages. And you can always find their links by clicking on their banners on the sidebar of this blog at any time. There is so much talent to be found! Such a lucky girl I am to have the sponsor family I do!

Reader Space: Design Build Love Laundry

2012-01-25T11:00:00.003-06:00

Today's reader space tells such a great story of the magic of paint, the power of the Internet and the importance of organizing.

Ashley wrote:

Hey Jen!

I know you LOVE organized spaces, so I just had to share my recent laundry room overhaul with you! I know laundry rooms can be a bit of a bore, but this one is no longer- I went for high impact {on a budget}! We have one of those terribly awkward and tiny "pass-through" laundry rooms, making it prime realty to collect junk and become disorganized. I finally decided that enough was enough and took matters into my own hands! With less then $150, I completed a custom color-blocked herringbone paint treatment using paint I had on hand, DIY'd new shelving, created a hang-dry area for delicate pieces, added some storage boxes with custom labels {made sans a Silhouette machine}, hung bars for our frequently used cleaners and some hand towels, DIY'd some basic decor {included our swiffer duster "holder" vase, flowers in sand vases, and wall art with $1 frames and some travel art that I bought several years ago}.

In the end, the room turned out better than I ever could have imagined and each day I walk through or by that room I literally smile uncontrollably {and awkwardly, I'm sure}! I recently posted the reveal on my blog: http://designbuildlove.co/pinterest-partayy-entire-room-makeover/

Thanks a ton!

Ashley

Let's take a look at Ashley's laundry room before her takeover:

"Our laundry room suffers from a case of the “pass-through’s”! What does that mean? That means that it is the narrow corridor that you pass through when entering our home from the garage and it dumps you into the kitchen! Because of this, the laundry room has been a horrible dumping ground for miscellaneous junk ever since we moved in, and it gets seen all the time since it’s right off our kitchen. On top of being very tight on usable space, the one shelf that was in the laundry room was literally out-of-reach for my 5’2″ frame, making its use nearly impossible!"

But now.....

After some Pinterest inspiration, she ended up with a laundry room that had a painted herringbone accent wall, fresh paint in the entire room, custom DIY built shelves, DIY wall art and decor, more efficient storage and easier access to used items!

She set a tight budget and stuck to it! When that is done, it forces you to get really creative and resourceful, which she was with a fabulous outcome!
She found her inspiration on the www. Finding inspiration is a great way to get started. It gives you an idea of where you are headed and provides all sorts of motivation.
She labeled her storage so no more piles should be formed, everything has a place!
That hanging bar for clothing is a simply genius laundry room addition!
She customized the shelving at levels that worked for her. Putting less frequently used items above and everyday needs in arms reach!
She didn't settle for the placement of the washer and dryer. She moved them together to make room for her laundry hamper.
I love how she is storing her cleaning bottles, leaving them hanging out in the open allows her to quickly grab what she needs in a jiff!
That herringbone wall. I am speechless trying to find words to describe how amazing it is. It really takes that space to a whole new level. It shows that those extra steps to beautify are so worth it in the end. Combining storage with decor is always a winning combination.
She smiles when she sees it. That's what it's all about my friends. That giant perma grin that you sport after completing a great organizing project. The magnetic pull that brings you back to your finished space just to oohh and ahhh and feel amazing!

What do you heart most? Anyone else been revamping your laundry closet, nook or room? Or maybe taking on a fun wall treatment?

ATTENTION!! Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition? Have an awesome organizing story to share? I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life. Please send your story and photos to iheartorganizing@gmail.com and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!! Photos should be high resolution and unedited. Please include a description of the project, including any costs, inspiration, and how it has changed your life and routine for the better! Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice! Only love goes on at this blog! More info HERE.

IHeart Giveaway: Getting Organized with SpaceSavers!

2012-01-24T17:15:00.001-06:00

Raise your hand if you have "clean out kitchen cupboard" or "organize bathroom cabinet" on your list of organizing to do's. Wow, I am imagining a lot of hands just flew up into the air. A lot.

No worries my blog friends! SpaceSavers.com is partnering up with me this week to help YOU get that task checked off the ol' list!

I love checking out spacesavers.com frequently for all sorts of storage eye candy. They offer everything from shoe storage to closet organizers to containers galore!

One of their most popular items is the Chrome Roll Out Drawer, which allows you to maximize and organize your kitchen cabinet storage all on your own!

The innovative easy-mount drawer design makes set and installation simple and quick for everyone! And it's made with industrial grade ball bearing glides that will take on the heaviest of loads and perform beautifully for a lifetime.

This is an organizers dream. A drawer that easily slides out and gives you quick access to kitchen gadgets, cooking supplies and small appliances. No more digging in the way back of a cabinet!

Prepare to be in love!

Prize: One Chrome Roll Out Drawer courtesy of spacesavers.com {a $55 value!}

Number of Winners: 2

To Enter: Comment on this blog post stating, "That's How I Roll" and for fun, share with me where you dream of using this organizer and what it will hold.

For an additional entry, "Like" SpaceSavers on Facebook and leave a comment on this blog post that you did.
For an additional entry, follow SpaceSavers on Twitter and leave a comment on this blog post that you did.
For an additional entry, follow SpaceSavers on Pinterest and leave a comment on this blog post that you did.

Open To: U.S. and Canada Residents only.

Giveaway Ends: Monday, January 30th at 9:00 p.m. Central Time. Two winners will be selected using random.org and announced right here on this post on Tuesday, January 31st.

Please ensure I have your blog or email address so I have a way to contact you if you win. Thanks everyone and good luck!

Be sure to check out SpaceSavers on Pinterest where they are watching for great ideas using products they carry. If they see something clever, they might just contact the board owner and offer to send them a free product!

Trash to Treasure Link Party!

2012-01-24T11:00:00.000-06:00

Ohhh, I love days like today!

A good challenge. Sharing inspiration and creativity. Trash to treasure. It's all so much fun!

Just before Christmas, my blog pal, Amanda, and I held a last minute blogger meet and greet. We hung out at a local thrift store where we did some chatting and digging for buried treasures. Before everyone left, I decided a challenge would be fun. I asked that everyone that grabbed some goodies, send me pictures of how they turned it into their personal prize.

Here is what I came home with:

Holiday decor was 50% off that day, so I snagged this beauty for a dolla. I wanted to be able to use it year round, so the snowman sadly had to go {sarcasm my friends}. And go they did, with a couple of coats of white spray paint and a piece of fabric lining the bottom, I was left with my new treasure!

I just love love love my new little tray. I am excited to use it all over the house. In the family room to hold remotes. In my dressing room to corral girly jewelry or in the office as a stationary station.

The whole process was super simple, I just gave the tray a couple of coats of spray paint, cut the fabric to size and used some spray adhesive to adhere it to the bottom of the tray. Then, I used a small craft brush to dab the edges of the fabric with some Mod Podge, just to make sure it doesn't fray and is really suck down.

Here she is corralling some stationary items:

One of the best dollars I have ever spent. It's so bright and cheerful. And because I just used a scrap piece of fabric and leftover white spray paint, I was able to keep this at a one dollar budget. For those wondering about the stationary holder, that was a previous Goodwill find for $.50 that also got some spray paint.

I also challenged the pretty ladies that were with me to share their makeovers, so here they are now with how they turned their Goodwill thrift store finds into treasures in their own homes:

Kimberly found a hurricane:

After adding in some lovely smelling coffee beans, she now has a stylish way to corral her makeup brushes.

Corie scored this awesome mail holder:

She gave it a coat of spray paint and cut out some letters with he Cricut. She used Mod Podge to affix the letters as labels to each slot!

Heidi found an awesome galvanized steel bucket. She knew she had the perfect place for it:

Her current stationary holder was working to keep her essential paperwork in order, but the file folders would sometimes tip. Not anymore! She just popped the holder inside the new bin!

Amanda found a stand that she saw some potential in....

A little spray paint later and she had a lovely piece for her counter which she can use for serving or to hold a bowl of goodies!

And what did the other host, Amanda, come up with? Well, she always wanted to make a book safe. You know, a top secret place to hide her personal possessions. So she found a giant hardcover book for $.50.

She glued the pages together {tutorial on her blog here}, and cut out her secret storage area:

These gals had a lot of creativity and now have fun new additions to their homes thanks to some thrifty finds and a good challenge!

Now it's your turn! I am so excited to see what you all have been working on at home!

And a button for you:

So what do you think of today's makeovers? Anyone feeling inspired to head to a thrift store and whip out the spray paint?

IHeart: Painted Magazine Files!

2012-01-23T10:00:00.000-06:00

This weekend I spent a bunch of time being a mom. I even made the kid's breakfast and it wasn't out of a box in the form of cereal or a waffle {for those that know me personally, you know that this is a really big deal}. And I also worked on new binder printables. And in-between all of that, the hubs and I managed to partner up to finish off a project or two!

I know some of you may be here today excited to see the grand reveal of my new desk, no worries my friends. Hopefully it will be wrapped up before the end of the week. There are just a couple finishing touches left...

I am, however, popping in to share one of the projects that I did do for the desk space! A quick and easy project that anyone can do to customize generic office storage.

I started out with some plain green magazine files I found for $5 each at my happy place, Target.

I am really into stripes lately and thought striped magazine files would add some visual interest to the space. All I needed for this project was a roll of 1" painters tape, a sponge brush and some leftover paint from a previous project.

To begin I taped the bottom perimeter of the magazine file to give a starting point.

I used small pieces of tape as spacers to ensure a perfect pattern. Here it is all taped up:

Times two:

Then, just using my foam brush, I painted in the stripes with Behr's Burnished Metal paint.

I used a small craft paint brush to edge in around the label holders. After two coats of paint came my favorite part... Peeling off the tape!

Super cute. I guess I forgot to mention why these two magazine files are so important in the first place. One is to hold my most favorite Better Homes and Gardens "Storage" magazines and the other is to hold recent catalogs. I keep both right within arms reach when working on projects for ideas and inspiration.

But again, you wouldn't know that by looking at these gems. That's why labeling is key!

I am so smitten with how they turned out. And to think, I have seen similar styles run around $18 each. That's a $26 savings I can live with!

And the concept works great with all sorts of blah office supplies. Painters tape, vinyl or stencils all can give you a custom look that you are after!

I also started playing around with lining the drawers with wrapping paper and updating the hardware....

More to come throughout the week as I give you live play by plays of the desk moving in progress!

What did you paint this weekend? Did anyone take 15 minutes to organize, and if so, what did you accomplish with a smile?

Fifteen Minute Friday!

2012-01-20T12:09:00.001-06:00

My wheels have been spinning.... sometimes this could go oh so wrong. I am known for having some crazy ideas. But not this time.

I get asked a lot about either where to begin or how to find time or getting through that initial feeling of being overwhelmed to organize. It comes naturally to some people. I could go into a room, tear it apart, empty it out, and just go hog wild organizing crazy. I am a lucky one. I also know I am a rare one.

Of course, that's not the best way for someone to begin. If you are feeling overwhelmed, you really should start small. Pick one small project and go from there. Often times when you organize, I believe you will have a fabulous feeling of success when you are done. You know, that giddy smiley feeling where you re-open that cabinet 17 times in 10 minutes to gaze at your accomplishment? That feeling that makes you want to take before and after pictures and share them with the world? That feeling of wanting to sing and dance in joy and then go on to the next project? You should have those feelings. Because organizing anything big or small is a life changer. You just saved yourself time down the line. You just simplified and bettered your life. Hopefully you will be a full blown addict after a couple of small projects are knocked out of the park.

So lets chat about small projects. Simple quick things you can do to get the ball rolling. Projects that really should only take about 15 minutes or less. We all have a spare 15 minutes. Whether it's each day, every couple of days or even once a week.

I decided to start a new series. One Friday per month, I will pick some of my favorite fifteen minute or less organizing ideas that you can use as a "motivation spark". Just pick a project, and schedule that fifteen minutes in your planner, and then be prepared to pat yourself on the back! Why Friday? Because most people can find a few spare minutes over the weekend.

OK, so you may or may not be able to give your entire closet an overhaul in fifteen minutes or less, however, you can add a paper shopping bag inside your closet, to keep as your "donate" bag. And then go through some of your pieces and ask yourself some simple questions: Do I LOVE it? When did I wear it last? Is it dated, worn, stretched or faded? Challenge yourself to start by placing five items in that donate bag. Leave the bag in your closet until it's filled and then haul it over to your local donate center.

Take 15 minutes each weekend to go through your mail/paper stack. Take action, file and recycle to give yourself a fresh start to the next week.

Bathrooms are the perfect place for collections to secretly form, without you even knowing. Half used shampoo and conditioner bottles, outdated makeup, first aid supplies, overstock purchases. Take 15 minutes to sort through all of the products and combine bottles and say farewell to expired or unused items.

I am the kind of gal that tries to encourage everyone to put things back right where they belong, right away. If you don't, piles form. But I am also a human. I understand that being extremely disciplined about picking up isn't always realistic. We are busy busy peeps. Something that has worked well for me, is to dedicate a basket {either one per person or just one for the family}, in which you are allowed to dump your belongings. As long as you don't let your pile escape the basket and vow to take 15 minutes to empty it every couple of days, you should be able to keep your surfaces clutter free.

Along the same lines as the pile basket, create some donation and garage sale bins or boxes. Something that you can keep tucked in a storage room or garage, that gives you a quick place to place items you are purging. Sometimes, the mood will just strike you and you will realize that something may not be perfect for you any longer, but someone else could benefit from it. Now you have a place to quickly say goodbye to that item without hesitation. Once the boxes are full, time to haul them away or hold that thrift sale!

Take 15 minutes to clear your car of clutter. Empty pockets in doors, the center console and the glove compartment. Check under and in-between the seats. Pop a small garbage pail inside to eliminate future piles.

Taking just 15 minutes per week to plan out your meals is such a time and money saver. You can remember to take out that frozen chicken the night before, only purchase items that you plan to eat, and eliminate that awful "what's for dinner?" question that haunts you all day long.

Any drawer. But just one drawer. Empty the contents, wipe out the drawer {get extra credit for lining it with pretty paper}, and place only useful items back inside. Use anything from clear acrylic dividers to random dishes to act as dividers and to give everything a home.

Why does it seem as though the kitchen counter is the magnet to all piles and things? Everything lands on the counter. And the kitchen is one of the most used and seen places in our homes. Keeping your counters clutter free will be a life changer. You will learn to LOVE the space you are spending so much time in, so much more! Take 15 minutes to clear the counter clutter, only keeping items that have function and actually belong in the kitchen.

It's so important to schedule 15 minutes of your time to give your fridge and freezer a quick clean sweep. Because foods are perishable, frequent checks to empty out leftover containers, fruits and veggies and freezer burnt items will ensure that when you open the fridge door, you can quickly find exactly what you are looking for and also allow you to always know your inventory to avoid over purchasing.

All simple and do-able right? Let's get a strong list going for future post ideas. What other tasks do you do to keep your life organized, in fifteen minutes or less? Which one of these are you going to tackle this weekend?

Sources: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}

Basement Progress: Studio Desk Part 4

2012-01-19T10:44:00.003-06:00

We are almost done with the desk! Now it's all about "moving in" and organizing and putting on the finishing touches. All the girly, fun touches. I. Can't. Wait.

But how did we get to that point? The last time I left you with an update, we were hardly desk move in ready.

The first way to make this space actually functional, was to drill a hole in the desktop, through the plexiglass and the bi-fold door {which is what the desktop was actually made from}. The hole would be the passageway for the computer cords to the outlet.

My husband got out a 1" circle bit for this step...

This baby went straight through the plexi and bi-fold door like butta!

As you recall, my intention with the plexi top, was to use it for smooth writing, and also to allow me to pop pretty paper or fabric under it, to act as interchangeable desktop decor.

Since I was just working with what I had, we used the plexi as a template to cut out a strip of leftover wallpaper to place down until I can find something I like better.

We did not tape/glue/mod podge/affix the paper to the desk in anyway. It's not at all permanent, completely switchable. The weight of the plexi keeps it right in it's place!

We will search for a desk hole plug thingy {that is the technical term}, but the really cool part that makes me all warm and giddy inside is that when we feed cords up from the outlet, all of the excess length can just hang out inside the cavity of the desk {since it was a hollow bi-fold door}. No cord clutter!

Moving on... we also added a couple of small task lights. We went with some Sylvania LED puck lights, found for around $12 each at Home Depot {similar to these}.

We affixed each one under the floating shelf, one on each side to avoid directing light right over the top of the computer monitor. We just used the sticky that came on the back of the puck light to stick it up. I didn't want any cords. Or anything that would create too much visual clutter. And after speaking with the lighting special at our home improvement store, they recommended these lights and said the LED would be bright and the batteries should last me a long while. So now we are left with this!

But I didn't stop there. Remember how I mentioned I went shopping at IKEA for drawers/doors? They actually make specific pieces for the Expedit that fit right inside the cubes. They are costly, but I didn't think we would be able to DIY them so I took a hard hit on this one.

When deciding on the investment of the doors and drawers, the choice was completely personal that not everyone would have to make if working on this project, as a way to save some pennies. I knew for me, that I wanted to hide some of the office storage behind doors to keep it looking clean and tidy and reduce the visual noise that comes with so much open storage. I also knew I wanted some drawers near my desk since the desk itself didn't have any. I like drawers for all of my office supplies, vs. keeping them on the smaller workspace.

We also drilled a hole {with the same 1" bit} into the side of the Expedit and into one of the cabinets, so we can put our desk scanner and external hardrive in one of the cavities and wire it to the computer.

We were finally done enough to pop the computer on the desk and plug it in! Can you hear my sigh of relief? Over a month later from coming up with an initial plan!

Wanna see how bright those little lights are? Here are a couple of shots to show...

All of those little updates really pulled it together. A quick before and after of this last week's changes?

This weekend, I am planning on putting on the finishing touches and begin actually using this awesome new space! And will share all the details next week! {Imagine updated knobs, books, boxes, accessories, storage, oh my!}. And I will be sure to end it all with final measurements and a cost breakdown of the entire project in that post as well.

Anyone else excited to be wrapping up a long, ongoing project this weekend?

Reader Space: A Framed Magnetic Chalkboard Tutorial

2012-01-18T11:04:00.000-06:00

A little DIY is always fun, but I say you get extra credit when it is organizing related! Kelly did as many of us do, and fell in love with a high end piece. But no tears for this girl when she saw the price tag. Instead, she was motivated. Motivated to get something similar, and to do it herself!

Kelly wrote:

Hi Jen,
I just finished a little project that might or might not be what you're looking for in a "reader space" post, but here goes....Its a framed magnetic chalkboard in my kitchen for our weekly menu {so no more "what's for dinner" questions" and to put up the kiddos ongoing homework and bible verse memorization.
Here's a link to my blog post.
Thanks,
Kelly

Here is Kelly to share how it all went down:

"It started one day ~~drooling over the~~ looking through the pottery barn magazine when I found something similar to this....

...and being the DIYer that I am I thought....I can make that! So I did. And I love it!

Here is a supply list:

Backer board {MDF, plywood, whatever} cut to size
Sheet metal, cut to size
Metal primer
Chalkboard paint
Baseboard or trim molding
Paint
Finishing nails and glue

Here is what I did:

It would probably just be easier for the store to cut it for you then you can skip to the next step. We decided to cut ours at 4' x 5'! Yes, it is big!

I called a sheet metal place and had them cut me a piece of sheet metal slightly smaller than my board. I ordered mine to be 45" x 57" to give me an extra 1 1/2" border all around {you'll see why later}.

Next, I used a heavy duty construction adhesive to adhere the sheet metal to the backer board.

Using an automotive primer, I primed the sheet metal in a well ventilated area. Its kinda stinky. I did two coats.

The next step was coating it with chalkboard paint. If two coats are good, three are even better. I knew this was going to be a permanent fixture in our kitchen and with four small kiddos in the house I thought it safe to ensure its longevity with more coats of paint.

I measured and cut the baseboard trim to size. I mitered my corners and dry fit it first with clamps, to make sure it fit. Measure twice, cut once, right? Then I painted them before I attached them. I was not about to create an extra step of having to tape off the chalkboard and risk the paint pulling up with the tape.

Using the same construction adhesive that I used to attach the sheet metal, I drew a line of glue on the wood border, placed down the trim and then clamped. I used a finish nailer to nail in place. I made sure I put my nails towards the outer edge {where you can see the wood in the above picture}. This is why you want your sheet metal cut smaller than your backer board.

Then fill and paint any holes and the mitered corners. Here's a shot before I filled the corners:

I decided that I didn't want to wait for the hubs to return from his business trip so carried it into the house myself. Wow is this sucker heavy!

I found the right hardware for the weight and then hung it....

I wish I had a nice pretty before picture with the chalkboard surface all crisp and black, but this is what happens when said children are in the house....

And here is the fantastic after picture of my completed project:

Our weekly menu gets put up so there are no questions about what is for dinner....

The kids weekly bible versus and "book-it" pages are on the other side...

...put up with these cute fabric button magnets:

And its all tucked nicely in the alcove of our breakfast nook:

Here's the cost breakdown:

Plywood $15 {and I have some leftover for another upcoming project}
Sheet metal $29
Chalkboard paint {already on hand from a past project}
Baseboard $20
White paint {already on hand}
Nail and glue {already on hand}

Total cost: $64

Not a super cheap project, but it sure beats the $150+shipping for the PB one, plus mine is much bigger and the exact size I wanted!"

Super sweet project Kelly! I am totally smitten!

Anytime you do something yourself, you get exactly what you want and can customize it for you and your family. Not to mention, it will be cherished more since it is YOUR piece of work.
The DIY skill level is simple enough that most anyone could do this.
It ended up costing less than half of the inspiration piece! Such a great savings, and for a bigger piece no less!
It's heavy duty, it will last for the long haul! Such a great long term investment!
Family life is busy. They now have a central place to communicate. They use it now for sharing their dinner plans {YAY for meal planning!}, but it can also be a place to share schedules and notes or to use however they wish!
The fact that it is magnetic takes it to a whole other level for me. I adore that the kids have a place to quickly find their papers so nothing goes missing!
Those little magnetic buttons are sweet as pie. I just love the fabric and that they are more decorative than your standard magnet.

A special thanks to Kelly for sharing her inspiring DIY project. Anyone else been DIYing their own organizing supplies?

IHeart Giveaway: See Jane Work!

2012-01-17T15:13:00.000-06:00

This morning, we met the creative genius, Holly Bohn, from See Jane Work. She and I both like to believe that organizing and storage can be both functional AND stylish! I try to drive that concept home daily here on the blog, and Holly drives it home by providing us with the fabulously pretty organizing tools and supplies!

Holly recently designed some super fantastic pieces that will be sold exclusively at Office Depot!

And now two of you are going to be making over your own personal work spaces! Whether at home or in the office, you will have a lovely place to write out bills or type up that proposal!

Prize: One Letter Sorter, One Pencil Cup, Three Magazine Files and Two Letter Trays! The winner can select which design from three options shown above!

Number of Winners: 2

To Enter: Comment on this blog post stating, "Organize Me in Style!" and for fun, share your all time favorite office organizing supply.

Open To: U.S. Residents only.

Giveaway Ends: Monday, January 23rd at 9:00 p.m. Central Time. Two winners will be selected using random.org and announced right here on this post on Tuesday, January 24th.

Please ensure I have your blog or email address so I have a way to contact you if you win. Thanks everyone and good luck!

IHeart: Getting to Know Holly of See Jane Work

2012-01-17T11:29:00.001-06:00

Holly Bohn is the Jane behind See Jane Work. Yes, she is one of my blog sponsors, which is a match made in heaven, however, I completely admire Holly for turning her dream, passions and ideas into a real life success story.

Over the last couple of months, Holly and I have been communicating and we thought it would be fun to swap blog's today! Oh yes, the sweet gal also writes an organizing blog over on her site, which is always full of fun and fresh ideas!

Before I get into the interview, let's meet Holly!

"I’m Holly Bohn-Weiss, the Jane behind See Jane Work. I love freshly painted baseboards, a good laugh, champagne, picnics at the beach and the moments when all my kids are getting along (not necessarily in that order). I’m a mother of three boys, which has made me a little crazy. I have fashion and décor ADD so my look is always changing. Although obsessed with both style and organization I can often be found working from an undecorated room underneath a pile of paperwork. With three kids, a husband and dog, it’s hard to find time to decide on a paint color let alone get my filing done.

For me finding the perfect mix of organization and style is a journey not a destination and along the way I’ve learned a thing or two. The blog is my chance to share those ideas with you. I’m mostly imperfect, no matter how hard I try, so if these tips work for me, there’s a good chance they’ll work for you to."

"When I asked Holly why she decided to open See Jane Work, she said it wasn’t an epiphany in the middle of the night and a website launch the next day. She spent a lot of time researching the office supply market and also reflecting on how a new business would affect her family. With two young boys and a small but successful accounting business already taking up a good deal of her time, starting another business was a stretch. Not to mention the fact that friends and family thought it was risky. “Who will pay more for a pretty notebook?” they said.

Despite the naysayers and an impossibly full schedule, Holly launched SeeJaneWork.com and with a lot of help and a little luck, she took the company from a great idea to a recognized leader in the office style and organization industry {as it turns out a lot of people will pay more for a pretty notebook}.

Holly spent countless hours marketing her site, talking to anyone that would talk back {she still does this}, building relationships with the press, attending web seminars and speaking at events; her hard work paid off. Since opening in 2004, See Jane Work has been mentioned in over 500 publications including: Domino Magazine {sigh}, Better Homes and Gardens, Real Simple, Lucky, Martha Stewart Living, and the much coveted Oprah’s O List {three times}.

A lot has changed since 2004, Holly gave birth to her third son in 2009 and when See Jane Work was acquired by Advantus Corp in 2010 she moved her husband and three boys from California to Florida to accept the roll of Creative Director with Advantus. She is now my new “office” neighbor and I can testify it has been a busy three years.

Holly has worked diligently at Advantus juggling this new role, the move and motherhood; once again it’s paying off. In 2011, the See Jane Work office collection debuted at Office Depot. What an amazing experience to work with Holly and see her dream become a reality…the See Jane Work name on store shelves."

You see, Holly and I both agree, organizing supplies can be functional AND stylish. Let's take a look at her home office shall we?

Here is the before picture. Yep, I said before. Pretty gorgeous right?

She recently decided to switch things up a bit, going a little more gender neutral since her husband and kids share the space with her. Here is what her home office looks like now:

She recovered the chairs and swapped out the accessories. And added some personalization. No changes to the furniture or layout, just some accessorizing! Goes to show how some pretty office supplies can make an office space go from drab to fab!

So I asked...

"I have style A.D.D. I cannot stick to one thing. In California, I had a smaller home that I would describe as Cottage Coastal, then I moved to Florida and went with a whole different vibe, more California Mexican style. Over the years I have collected things, and I may change out accessories and the feeling of the space with those things, based on my current state of mind. Quirky stuff is a must. It has to be meaningful, not just decorative. I am really drawn to bold and graphic statement pieces and areas that are clean and streamlined."

"These days I still find most of my design inspiration in magazines mostly. I like to re-interpret a space in my own way. I like to hoard magazines and often revisit old copies of my Domino and Blueprint glossies.

I also find myself turning to what's hot in fashion. Just looking at current fashion trends may spark me to say, "Oh my, I love those studs and embellishments" and then I will translate that to adding that detailing in an office space.

When looking for color inspiration, I like to turn to nature. You can never go wrong since nature is created from the perfect no fail pallet. For me, I like the beach especially. When I lived in California I was on the beach and realized it would be the most wonderful inspiration for my bathroom. I did the floors in gray like the rocks, cabinets in the color of sand and the mirror was ocean blue."

"It's challenging sharing an office space with the entire family, especially now that some of my kids are older. My husband also has a hard time letting go of things, so every time I clean, my husband gets some anxiety. We now use financial and project organizers that have pockets which allow my husband to file things away, and also keeps stray papers off of the desk. We also have specific filing in-boxes for: To Do, To Pay and To File."

"The white stacking letter trays. The ability to stack and use vertical space is a necessity. Also, matching pencils and magazine files. Oh, and project envelopes. I can't live without those. I love that things don't fall out of them {as they would with manilla folders}, and because they are clear, I can quickly see what is inside."

"I find that many times, individuals are quick to "decorate" vs. acquiring things that you love over time. A friend of mine in the furniture industry once said, "Only buy the things you truly love". Purchasing nick-nacks or things that look great at the time can be too matchy matchy and not timeless. It's the things you LOVE that will look great no matter where you are, because you love it and it makes you feel good. Rooms are done best when they evolve over time.

Sometimes it can take me a whole year to find the right hook. I will keep searching and searching until it's "the one", I don't settle.

Not being able to paint and living with beige carpet is a challenge, but I be sure to bring in punches of color through my accessories, such as my throws, turquoise and white filing cabinets and art on the walls."

"I knew it was something I should do because I couldn't stop thinking about it. It consumed me. I started to do research and I learned in business school that if you have an idea, you should jump on it, or someone else will.

I spent a year researching and slowly working towards a goal. I notice that when I chip away at something I am more successful than panicking and just doing it. I talked to everyone I could. I love meeting and "collecting" people. I love to hear others stories and listening to them talk about their lives and experiences, so I had a lot of connections. It is still amazing to think about how it all snowballed.

I started out with one employee in a small 500 square foot office in California, and used my own funds to purchase products and sell them {my husband and I were frugal so I could fund the inventory for the new company}. Within three months of opening the doors we were featured in a national publication and have been featured in a publication almost monthly since!"

"We were on Oprah's O list three times and we started to boom. Then, we had a huge setback at the end of 2007 and suffered a series of losses. It's amazing how fragile you are, but you have to be able to manage crisis. We lost some ground, but then I was acquired by Advantus and now I have designed products for the Target Up and Up brand and have an Office Depot line. It's hard at times, but I take it in strides and have my eye on the next goal. I am also a typical gal though, and looking at everyone else and wondering how they do it all? I know I could always be doing better."

"This is a hard one for me. I was so dialed in when I had two kids, but adding the third has thrown me for a bit of a loop. Traveling a lot is hard, and the kids don't always understand. I have to make sure that I am able to engage or turn it off. When I am at work, I am at work. When I am at home, I am at home. Be engaged and present in what I am doing. I also find it very important to squeeze in some time to pack my own lunch and exercise because then I feel great, and if I don't feel great, then everyone feels it..."

The time I spent on the phone with Holly was so valuable to me. She is funny, intuitive and full of knowledge and advice. A very special Thank You to Holly for popping by today to answer some questions and for being such a great inspiration to all of us looking to follow our own dreams! You can find Holly's interview with me over on her site here.

Psssst! Stay tuned because later today, See Jane Work is hosting this week's fabulous giveaway!

Fab Freebie: Keep your Eyes on the Size

2012-01-16T10:00:00.000-06:00

I had all sorts of names picked out for this post, even ones like "Size Matters". Nothing came across as clean as I try to keep the blog {most times}...

How often are you out and about and see the prettiest pair of ballet flats for your little lady? Or the perfect pants for guy in your life? Whether that person that you spotted the great wardrobe piece for is your daughter, spouse, nephew or best friend, do you remember their size? In shoes? Shirts? Pants? How about their favorite colors and designers?

Not always an easy thing to do. Especially with three little boys. I can usually remember their shirt/pant sizes, however, ask me their shoe sizes and I would be way off.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a little card with those details listed on it, so you are never left wondering again? Something you could laminate and carry with you in your purse? Or tuck in a pocket of your planner? Or add as a page in your household binder?

I thought so too!

{click here to download your FREE copy of the Size Details printable}

You can probably even adjust your printer settings to shrink them down a bit and use them in your wallet. And maybe toss the most recent date after the size just so you know if you are current. Whatever is clever my friends! It will be wonderful never having to make that panic phone call home for sizes and details again!

Speaking of printables and household binders, as some of you may have noticed the forms in my Etsy shop are selling out like hotcakes {pinching myself, blushing big and grinning ear to ear}. Because they are all custom and personalized, I can only process and re-list so many at a time, and I am also in the process of re-designing the binder/pages as well, so I greatly appreciate your understanding and support through the transition process.

Enjoy and happy Monday!

Organized "Dream Home" Tour

2012-01-13T11:07:00.000-06:00

Call me a bit crazy, but I decided it would be fun to create the ultimate organized dream home. Have you ever done anything so silly?

I get asked a lot about where I find my inspiration, or where my crazy ideas come from. Well, typically, I sit and gaze at dreamy space, and then try my best to get creative and replicate them on my budget. Or take note of the space itself and ask, "What makes it so pleasing?" and "What makes it so functional?"

So I thought it would be loads of fun {what better way to spend a quiet Friday morning?}, to gather some of my favorite inspirational photos from each space in a home, to try and get those organizational gears spinning.

Individual cubbies for each person to stash their belongings would be so dreamy. Never loose hats, mittens, backpacks or a random shoe again because everything will have it's place!

For a more realistic sized entry, a pretty painted bookcase paired with pails is another great way to give every family member a "place" for their outdoor gear.

A divided tray is a great way to keep entryway clutter organized and easy to find when heading out the door in a jiff!

Clear storage is great for quick visual inventory! Tiered racks work wonders so nothing gets lost in the back of the cabinet! Same with a rotating lazy Susan, quickly give it a spin to find just what you are looking for!

Use the back of a cabinet door to keep menu planning and couponing clutter out of site.

Maximize storage by utilizing the back of cabinets with over the door organizers.

Never dig through a cold freezer again! Everything is corralled in a labeled basket for quick grab and go cooking!

Save precious counter real estate by keeping items in a knife block inside of a drawer.

Save your back by storing larger backing items and pots and pans inside a lazy Susan cabinet. Just spin and grab vs. digging through deep cabinets to get the pot from the way back!

Line drawers and use dividers to keep utensils from mixing and piling. Only keep the essentials and what you have room to store.

Pretty media boxes are a great way to keep any living room clutter at bay. No matter what is inside {photos, movies, small family games like cards and dice, etc...}, they always look tidy on a shelf!

I love the idea of keeping games right at a family room table, so you can just take one out and play right there, keeping the chances of losing pieces randomly around the house to a minimum.

Storage ottomans are also a family's best storage friend in the living room, since they can hide anything from small toys to gaming supplies, then close up and keep it all out of site and doubling as a foot rest or coffee table.

I love the addition of standard bookcases to a bath to hold everything from towels to toiletries and cleaning supplies to a basket of extra toilet paper.

I have always wanted to line the back of a medicine cabinet. How could you not just be happy each morning you opened it up and saw that? Love the clips for the toothbrushes and razor also!

I love the use of standard corbels as shelving dividers and again, you can't go wrong utilizing every door for extra storage!

Linens are bundled together and storage space is gained by adding simple wire shelves.

For me, laundry is one of my least favorite tasks. So if I am going to have to do it, I would love the space to be fun and colorful and organized!

Small bowls to empty pockets in and decorative containers for laundry soaps make it so much more pleasing to the eye!

A single cleaning caddy to tote around the house is much easier than keeping different cleaning supplies under every single sink or up on shelves.

With a utility closet as neat and pretty as this, I would be motivated to even keep my closets looking in tip top shape!

A nice pretty chair, paper sorters and organizers and even a hook for your handbag. No excuse not to be productive in this perfect place!

Expandable files are fantastic for receipts, coupons and larger ones are great for warranty/manuals and filing day to day paperwork.

Common kitchen items usually double as fantastic office supply storage. And binders are also a no fail way to keep household documents in orderly fashion.

Use mail trays to quickly sort mail throughout the week and set 15 minutes aside each weekend to go through each tray and get it ready for the next week.

Keeping a stationary holder on your desk will mean you will be more likely to send out a thank you or just let someone know you are thinking of them.

I love the little labels on the scrapbook paper sorters. Silly smart!

Proof once again that a door makes fantastic storage! Especially when space is limited!

Uniform storage boxes and clear containers are great for a combined office/craft space.

Lots of bedside storage!

Double hooks for belts and scarves!

Keep jewelry on display so it actually is worn.

Paint the insides of your closets so they look like a room. Use hangers that are uniform and only keep essential clothing pieces that can be mixed and matched to achieve endless looks.

Drawer dividers are great for socks, undergarments and belts!

Extend the life of pretty footwear by keeping shoes stored in clear shoe boxes.

A finished floor, storage cubbies and drawers, lots of wall storage and a counter work space. Oh my, it doesn't get better than this!

Heavy duty shelving paired with storage bins and hooks is a great way to remember to grab those green bags when going to the grocery store, and gives you a place to stock bulk items when you return!

OK, so if that doesn't inspire you, I really don't know what will. I haven't felt this inspired in awhile. Going room by room and seeing so many spaces that shine. All sorts of new ideas swimming. I am itching to go cover a box with pretty paper. And organize under the bathroom sink. And do some extra decluttering and simplifying. Any "Ah Ha" moments today?

How about you? Who's organizing this weekend? What organizing inspiration have you found, that you have already implemented and LOVE?

All images found on BHG.com.

My Boot Storage "Ah Ha" Moment

2012-01-12T11:00:00.000-06:00

One of the very best reasons to live in the tundra, is to acquire tundra gear. You know, hats, mittens, snow pants, bulky jackets and boots. It's awesome. Sensing my sarcasm?

Anyone who has to deal with the cold weather gear, knows what I am talking about. And storing it all in a pretty way isn't the easiest thing to do. Sure, we use our coat closet for the coats and snow pants. But our coat closet is in our kitchen. And because it's placed above our stairs to the lower level, it's only a half closet with zero room for boots.

So boots would be placed in piles by our front entry... {sorry, these first couple of pictures were actually taken in the summer months so the mess that our winter gear created is not present, I am sure your imaginations are spot on}

When we put up our tree, we moved the white table out for awhile. Once the tree came down and we brought the table back in, I had a moment. One of those fabulous "Ah Ha!" moments. The kind where you can't focus on anything else until you test out your idea.

We had an old leather storage bench in our guest bedroom that we used to stash away linens {you can see that here}.

I knew that the leather bench would fit under the white table perfectly, since it lived there once before long ago. But what I was really hoping was that our large boot tray that was living in the garage {it was too big for our entry once our shoe cabinet came in}, would actually conveniently fit inside the bench. Yes, yes it did!

So I spent $2 at Home Depot on some River Stone...

Popped that fantastic tray inside the bench:

Dumped in the rocks {the rocks keep the boots up off of the tray so the snow can melt down}:

And placed our boots inside! {My kids were at school while this was taking place, with their winter boots on, so I used mine with a couple other pairs, just to share the example}.

The tray itself actually perfectly holds my boots along with my three boy's winter boots {for a total of four pairs}. My hubs giant boots live on a shelf in the garage, since he really only uses them for shoveling.

Then, the best part, shutting the lid, keeping those boots concealed and sliding it under the table!

Who you have know that the bench was full of boots? Me either! That's the best part!

The kid's don't mind this either as it's better than previous options. We used to keep the green tray in the garage and tried keeping the boots out there too but that meant the kids taking them through the whole house and then the boots would freeze overnight, so that didn't last long. Sometimes being tidy and organized comes with the discipline of putting things away. I like the fact that the clutter is now concealed since our area is so small and it's also open to our living room/dining room/kitchen.

Update: Some readers have questioned the wet combined with lack of air issue. Although the bench is not airtight, I am still planning on popping a box of baking soda inside and cracking the lid overnight.

Wanna see how absolutely TINY our entryway is?

No coat closet. Barely any entry. It's been a challenge to troubleshoot through the small space, but now that we have the shoe cabinet and concealed boot storage, I am content!

The basket on the wall is currently being used for hats and mittens:

It's not the prettiest display, but in the warmer months, we will use it to keep track of other things, like our library books or magazines, so it always has a purpose. It was just too easy to keep hats and mittens there in for the colder months. And because it's not lined, it's easy to find what we are looking for, and allows better air flow for drying.

How about a before and after of the switcharoo?

It seems like every year when I pack up the holiday decor, I am given a fresh perspective on a space. I love that. And I was so excited when my brain pieced together a boot tray with a storage bench. And that it actually worked!!

Have you recently had a design or storage epiphany that left you grinning big? What about winter gear storage. It's a pretty common question I receive, so what ways are you keeping all of that bulky business organized and concealed?

Reader Space: The Great Playroom Makeover!

2012-01-11T10:00:00.000-06:00

Today's reader, Megan, and her handy hubs, took back a playroom that was lacking in functionality and effective storage. I love their "go-getter" attitude and all of their fantastic and super smart solutions!

Megan wrote:

I recently discovered your blog, and I have been in awe! I am a clean, organized girl trapped in a slob's body! Okay, maybe I exaggerate a little, but I have found my inner organizer, and I can't be stopped! I have come to see {much to my husband's delight} that everything works better when you are organized and everything has a place!

Our playroom has LONG been a source of aggravation for me. There was no organization, way too much clutter, and things taking up space that weren't even used! My kids love to play in it a LOT, so it would just get messy and chaotic, and then when it was time to clean there would be groans all around because it was in such a terrible state, no one wanted to do it and it would take forever.

While my husband was off over Christmas, we decided to tackle it once and for all. We pulled out everything, just like you suggested, and piled it all in the middle of the playroom. We sorted into trash, keep, and donate piles. We moved out large pieces that were never played with. We reorganized it all so it made sense, and EVERYTHING had a place. We targeted the most used toys in the playroom {which surprisingly were just two!} and made specific homes for them so it would be easy for them to play with and easy to clean up. Since we have an 11 month old, the biggest concern was so many little toys all over the floor, so by getting everything in a home and getting it up off the floor, she can actually enjoy it, too!

We installed wire shelves in the closet, which was completely useless before, and my husband made two tables to house the most often used toys.

The result is a SUPER CLEAN, functional, pretty space that we can actually enjoy as a family now! {Before my husband wouldn't even go in there because it was such a disaster.}

It makes me happy every time I walk past it now, instead of closing the door and shaking my head.

I thought I would share it with you, and say thanks for all your inspiring organization on your blog!

Thanks so much! I really enjoy your blog!

Blessings,
Megan

Blog: http://megangreiner.typepad.com/lifesong/

As Megan mentioned, the playroom was asking to be helped out a bit:

"I'd like to say this was on a particularly rough day after weeks and weeks of neglect. And while that may be partly true, this was honestly the way our playroom looked a lot of the time. The kids play here A LOT, and it is just messy and disastrous. And see all those little things all over the floor? I knew that couldn't happen because we now have a crawling baby.

So I analyzed the way my children play, brainstormed on some ideas, and then started in.

The biggest problems in the playroom: no organization, with no specific places to put anything, so oftentimes it ended up on the floor; and poor utilization of storage and keeping most often used toys in a neat and organized way.

First, we pulled everything out and had three bins: donate, trash, and keep. If the kids didn't play with it, it went to the donate pile. {With the exception of, for example, the kitchen in the above picture. The kids never play with it, but it's very possible that Avery will, so it went to the attic.} If it was junk to begin with or broken, into the trash pile. And then the things that really get a lot of use, we kept. By doing this, we were able to get rid of a TON of stuff. I mean, seriously. It was crazy how much is accumulated in eight years of parenting and three kids.

I would have taken a picture of this stage, but I was buried beneath toys. I couldn't even crawl out to grab my camera.

Then we determined that there were only two most often used toy groups in the playroom: the Calico Critters items, and Legos. So we wanted to make sure those were easily accessible and up off the floor, since they both contain small pieces.

We also decided that the closet in our playroom was totally useless. See?

The shelves were in the middle of the closet, which were totally inaccessible. There was only one shelf across that the kids could actually put stuff on on the left side. Wasted space.

Something needed to be done.

Like I mentioned, we move the play kitchen to the attic because it is never played with. We also moved the workbench out, because it was also never played with.

Then we installed some wire shelves for the closet. {We purchased them from Lowe's for about $100.}

Ahhhhhhhhhh! Angels singing. This enabled us to get rid of all the eye clutter {like the opposite of eye candy, right?} from the tops of the storage units in the playroom. All the Little People items {which my kids still love!}, American Girl items, trucks, games, Geo Trax, car tracks, and puzzles now go in here, on their own shelves where they can easily be put away after playing with them.

A close up? Why sure!

Years ago, John had built the white cabinets that hold bins for toys. Since we had three of them, we decided to divide up the room with the cabinets and use one storage unit for each child, since we have three children. It worked out perfectly! We also had poster size pictures I had hung up of Ansley and Christian that were in need of updating. But since we divided up the cabinets, we thought it would be cute to put two posters, one baby, one older, above the cabinet of each child to designate their area. So I ordered some more posters, and we purged toys and lots of junk, getting each child down to three bins, since that was what the area would hold.

Then, we needed a solution for the Calico Critters and the Legos. They needed to be up off the floor. John had made a table for Ansley several years ago for her Calico Critters, but she has expanded her collection since then, so it was too small. As a result, they would pull it off the table and onto the floor and then little pieces would be everywhere.

We looked at several stores, trying to find what we needed. I am always so impressed when I read blogs or hear from friends of how they found this perfect table at Goodwill for $5 and they just repainted it and it was perfect.

We are not those people. Generally, when we need something, John builds it.

So, we headed to Home Depot {actually we spent a LOT of time there during this redo!} to get the supplies. John is very talented in this area, so he whipped these out in a few hours. They turned out great, and were EXACTLY what we needed!

Then we stained the tables. Right in the playroom. We put the baby down for bed, and the kids helped with this part. They love to help, but sometimes when stain is involved, it can get crazy. It was actually fun, though, and the kids ooohhhed and ahhhhhed over their new tables. We had to give them overnight to dry, then we slapped a coat of polyurethane on top.

Last, I have always wanted to hang the kids artwork in the playroom, I've just never done it. So we grabbed some matching frames from Target, and put Ansley's artwork on one side, and Christian's on the other side. {As Avery gets older and draws, we will change some out for her, too.}

And are you ready? Drum roll............

I'm seriously SO thrilled with the way this turned out.

Aren't the two tables John made beautiful? I love them! The first table is for Legos, and they can spread them out and play away. The second table is for Calico Critters. Then you can see Ansley's storage area with her pictures and all her toys fit in her bins. You can see part of Christian's storage area, with his pictures as well. The artwork above the sofa is Ansley's, and it makes me smile when I see it.

Here's another view, just because it's so pur-ty.

Here's the other side of the playroom, with Christian's artwork above the love seat, and his section of the playroom for toy storage.

And the best part is that in just over two weeks now, the playroom has stayed just like this. Part of that is due to consistency in asking the kids to make sure it's picked up at the end of each day. But the reason it's so much easier to clean up is because everything has a place, so it never gets to the point of looking like the "before" photo. It has also been great because we are able to play as a family in there, whereas before, we wouldn't even want to go in there because it was so messy!"

OK, gather your thoughts. While you do, I will share mine!

They did all the right steps. Assessed that the space was NOT working for them. Cleared everything from all of the shelves and sorted through it all. Purged, purged and purged some more. Analyzed what remained and how to effectively store it.
They were ruthless when it came to keeping things. Great job mom and dad!
By adding more shelves to the pre-fab closet, they multiplied their storage by hundreds. Such a great solution to those larger toys that don't fit in bins and cubbies!
They DIY'ed those tables! Can you believe it? Me either, they are gorgeous. I think her hubs could take on a side job of "Furniture Builder".
They added photographs to designate zones! Each kid has their own cubby and photograph to label it. How fantastic is that? And don't you LOVE what it does for the space?
They displayed the kid's artwork to bring in added color. No playroom is complete without some super amazing kid created art!
They created a system to allow the space to function for both big kids and wee ones. Little pieces up off of the floor to reduce worries.
I literally felt emotional after seeing the before and afters and just knowing in my heart how much happier the family would be in that space together, and how much easier it will be to maintain. Sounds all mushy, but it's true.

So what are your thoughts? What do you personally love about today's space? Were you as blown away by this playroom takeover as I was?

A Little Organizing Window Shopping

2012-01-10T11:16:00.001-06:00

As I mentioned yesterday, Parker and I had come down with the flu last week. We were the last of the entire family to snag it, so you can imagine that by the time it got to us, we were already exhausted. And we were quarantined for days so I couldn't wait to get out! In fact, reading my post yesterday about the desk put some fire in me to do a quick IKEA run to price out add-ons and storage.

While I was out, I couldn't resist snapping some pics with my phone to share. I saw lots of inspiring storage and organizing ideas.

Of course, you could tour the entire IKEA showroom and feel inspired room after room. They piece all of their furniture together to create endless amounts of storage and smart space saving living. It didn't dawn on me to take pictures of most of the items I saw, since I was with a child and we were in a bit of a hurry, but when he finally stopped for a minute, so did I.

I just love this little kid's playroom setup. Like head over heals in love. Love the bookcases with cabinet doors and the little crafting/play tables. All of that storage and wall space just brings pure happiness to me. We hung out here for a bit. Then, it was time to move on.

I didn't come home with much, just a couple of cabinet doors and drawers for the new desk and some plastic toy storage bins for the playroom. I tried to find some good under-mount lighting, but they were all corded so I didn't invest in anything quite yet.

On our way home from IKEA, we just happened to drive past a HomeGoods. I told Parker I wanted to run in really really quick to look at a mirror. I was a good mommy, I was pretty quick in there {it's usually a time pit for me and I can't get out without walking every inch and touching everything}.

I couldn't help but stop in the basket/storage aisle really quick, you know, for the sake of the blog. Wink wink.

Many of you ask me frequently where I got these fantastic white lace baskets:

They were expensive little numbers {which have held up fantastically over the years so I am OK with that}, and from The Container Store. They discontinued them awhile ago, so I know there have been a lot of sad faces because of that. I was excited to see that HomeGoods provides a similar option. Sure, their baskets are made of tin, but they offer a great "cutout" pattern and endless varieties of colors at a fraction of the white lace basket price!

Another basket I get asked a lot about are the green numbers in my laundry room:

Another discontinued basket, but HomeGoods had a similar FANTASTIC option!

Moral of the story. Check HomeGoods for great, stylish storage. I find a lot of the designer looks for less there. It's always so lovely!

I really went in there for a mirror though. I would love to add one in my studio since I am without natural light. This one has been catching my eye for awhile now, but I just haven't brought myself to pull the trigger:

It reminds me a lot of one of my most favorite mirrors, Nicole from Making it Lovely pulled it off perfectly:

I try and have a one in, one out rule, and I have a mirror I could use, so if I want to replace it, I have to sell the other.

But it's still fun to look and find inspiration! I also really loved this option from HomeGoods:

But I think I love Katie Bower's DIY version even better:

After HomeGoods, I had to pick up some groceries. And since I had allowed myself to get sidetracked thus far, I stuck with it. And I was at Target. How do you not get sucked in at Target? It's my happy place.

Because so many individuals are itching to get organized in January, Target really brought their storage game. So many fun options to select from, above and beyond their typical fabulousness!

I started out in the budget dollar section. Always try to find storage on a budget first right? They had decorative paper trays, which would be great for keys, mail or a desk "in" box.

And lots and lots of receipt/coupon envelope options!

These tin bins have always been a favorite of mine! They would be great for a Lego "build bucket", or girly girl things like hair supplies, or even corralling laundry essentials in a laundry room!

I also get questioned frequently on the source of the kid's blue quilts in their bedroom. They were from Target long ago, and Target recently brought back an almost identical option at a great price!

They had some fun little bowl four-packs that I thought would make fun drawer dividers:

But what really left me drooling was the vibrant colors brought into their new storage bin line!

Check out the zig zag options!

I also love that they had simple green baskets, but brought in some texture to keep them visually interesting!

I always check out their office supply section always. They bring out a lot of fun designs and colors. Like this fun Jonathan Adler-esque file box:

Or these super vibrant organizing bins, sorters and magazine files:

I did happen to get pulled into one tealy aisle that really caught my attention:

Lots and lots of loveliness! And in my favorite color. I was so proud of my ability to walk away empty handed. This time anyway!

Those loving the zig-zag trend, love away! They had pillows!!

And their new kitchen product line is full of more teal {along with a couple of other color options}, and I fell hard for the honeycomb cutout baskets!

By this point, I had to move along or else more storage would have hopped into my cart. I was a good girl. Groceries only this trip. Not that it was easy... I think I am still twitching...

I know that we find a lot of inspiration these days from blogs, Pinterest and magazines, but I also love to look through store catalogs and even physically walk through stores. Often times, they have the latest "trends" and offer up so many great combinations and color ideas, that will leave your mind spinning and inspired. Even if that means re-creating your own versions at home DIY style on a budget!

Where do you go for inspiration? Anyone else been spying lovely storage options out and about?

Basement Progress: Studio Desk Part 3

2012-01-09T10:33:00.002-06:00

The studio desk dream is becoming more of a reality, which has me glowing!

I have been so unorganized in my studio without a good workspace and storage. It's driving me a little insane. I have piles of papers on my desk, boxes and office supplies stacked on the dresser and I have been working off of a little laptop for weeks. However, the end of the desk building process is in site and soon I will get to deck it out and make it my own!

As you may recall, I started out with a vision:

And we started the building process by attaching some wainscoting, assembling some bookcases and installing a floating shelf.

Parker and I got a case of the sickies, so the hubs took over the building process for awhile. I told him to take pictures. He took one.

We needed an actual "desk" for me to work on, and we brainstormed all sorts of ideas. I wanted to try and be resourceful so we ended up using an old bi-fold door panel that we had {from when we swapped out our doors from oak to white paneled}.

The thing about the bi-fold door that made it so perfect is that it was a good depth, seemed stable and strong and we already had it on hand!

Bryan started out by "shimming" under the bookcases since they were leaning a bit forward. Our floors aren't perfectly level and we wanted the bookcases to be nice and flush against the back wall.

Then he sanded down the top of the door, measured twice and cut the desk once. To finish off the new rough edge, he framed the outer edges with a piece of thin trim {2" x 1/4"}:

What he didn't take a picture of was the underside, but I tried to get a snapshot of that later. It has a small lip below the desk where the trim is a bit longer than the door.

He used the same trim pieces to screw into the sides of the bookcases and the back wall:

See how the pieces of wood create a bit of a "notch". This is where the desk top will slide in and sit. The line that he drew is where I wanted the top of the desk to land.

At this point, we had a desk!

It's VERY sturdy. The husband made sure to put a lot of weight on it to test it out before we put our pricey computer on top. It wouldn't be good to see that crash to the floor.

He also made sure the bookcases were affixed to the wall, which will also protect the desk from moving or separating at all.

The very top of the desk unit is just a piece of white melamine we found at Home Depot. We cut it to the right length and screwed it down from the top into the bookcases:

Then, Bryan got to work adding some decorative primed white crown molding with an air nailer:

Once the nail holes were all caulked, I was ready to paint. I had some leftover paint from our "Billy Bookcase Built-Ins", which is all the same IKEA white, so I used that on the crown molding and front of the desk, so it would match the two side bookcases and floating shelf.

This is where you will have to use your imagination and try to see where my crazy brain is going with this...

I only painted the front edges and some of the top of the desk...

My plan is to use the top as a place to bring in some color. I had a piece of plexi-glass cut down to the same size as the desk top, so I am hoping that I can just stick a piece of decorative paper or fabric or paint swatches or calendars or kid's artwork or whatever I would like at the moment, under the piece of plexi! That way, the desk top can be decorative and versatile and I can switch it out as I please. That's the plan anyway!

The final steps will be to drill a hole in the top of the desk for the computer cord to run and another into the side of the bookcase for my scanner. And finish trimming out the studio. Then, I get to "move in" and add the finishing touches. I eventually want to add drawers and doors to the side shelves, but they come at a cost, so I have to determine how many I really ~~want~~ need based on my office/crafting supplies.

So can you see it yet? What major projects have you been working on lately, that are leaving you grinning ear to ear?

IHeart: Clutter Busting Tips & Tricks!

2012-01-05T11:05:00.003-06:00

Today I am kicking off a new feature here at IHeart Organizing that I am very excited about! Organizing works wonders in different ways for different people, and the number of amazing organizing DIY projects that are out there are far more than I could ever personally tackle and write about. It is my personal goal to ensure that this blog to be FULL of information, ideas and inspiration, which is why I am hoping to have occasional "guests" here to share their organizational awesomeness with us!

Now that the holidays are over, you may be realizing that you have accumulated more than your home can handle. And many of you are excited to start purging and organizing with the start of a new year. That is why today I asked Cristin from Simplified Bee, to stop by with some great clutter conquering tips and tricks!

"We all have sentimental items that we cherish and want to store away, but when is it too much? And when is it clutter? Clutter is basically anything that takes up space and isn't improving or making your life better. If you have clothing in your closet that you haven't worn in years, piles of mail on the counter, toys in every corner or trouble finding important documents, it is time for you to think about purging and decluttering your home. For many of my clients, letting go of items is the biggest hurdle when organizing their home.

Here are some guidelines and questions you should ask when determining whether to toss/recycle, donate to charity or keep:

Take one item at a time when determining to keep it or not. While sorting, keep in mind that the goal is to purge and reduce the amount of stuff in your home. The best decisions are the ones that are made quickly.

If you get stuck and can't decide what to do with a particular item, ask yourself clarifying questions including:

When is the last time you used this item and was it in the last year?
Is it broken, damaged or the wrong size?
Does it make you happy or have sentimental value?
Do you really need this item?

For many of us, holding onto the clutter is emotional. Our possessions reflect who we are, who we are not and who we wish to be. Emotional attachment to items is something most of us do and the primary reason people hold onto clutter. Pretty Neat suggests that if you can't make a decision on whether or not to get rid of an item, put it in a review box for a specified period of time. When the time is up, it should be easier to make the decision. I would recommend having a limit to how many items can go into the "review box". It should only be used on very select items and as sparingly as possible. Again, the goal is to reduce the clutter in your home and make it more functional and beautiful.

Much of the clutter in your home could actually be trash. Here are some items that are the most obvious to throw away and recycle whenever possible:

Junk mail, old magazines and newspapers
Expired food, make-up and medicine. Check with your local recycling center on how and where to dispose of medications safely.
Clothing that is damaged, stained or ripped beyond repair.
Boxes that are damaged or no longer useful
Broken toys, games and electronic equipment

An easy way to declutter your home is to donate items you don't use, but are still in good condition. Donating to a family, friends or a local charity is a great place for used clothing, furniture, CD's/DVD's, toys, tools and so much more!

Once you have decluttered your home, the best way to keep it that way is to set up daily and weekly maintenance sessions. Taking fifteen minutes everyday to tackle that mail, put toys away and organize the entry or mudroom. At least one a month file away papers in your in box, organize the pantry and review your closet for pieces that could be donated.

Are you ready to conquer the clutter in your home? There is no better time than today.

Happy New Year!"

Endless thanks to Cristin for sharing her expertise and offering some decluttering guidance! Who's ready to get started? What other tips and tricks do you have for pairing down and simplifying?

* all photos courtesy of LONNY Magazine

Reader Space: Caitlin's Space Saving Shelves!

2012-01-04T10:00:00.003-06:00

There are endless options when it comes to creating storage for any given room or situation, but sometimes, the pre-fab stuff doesn't come in the dimensions you need and can be extremely costly. Today's reader left me in awe and inspired of her ability to take on a storage DIY project all on her own!

Caitlin wrote:

After a summer of building, finding the right storage boxes, and organizing, my beloved shelves are finally up and functional ... just posted about them here - http://www.hardlyhousewives.com/2011/11/shelf-smarts.html

I built them from scratch using pine planks, Minwax stain, and shelving brackets from the Home Depot - total cost to build was around $200 {NOT cheap, but definitely less expensive than getting something custom made for me or buying a bunch of smaller bookshelves for the space}. From there, I used baskets and bins I mostly already owned, plus a few quick trips to Target and the Container Store for the remaining storage.

I LOVE knowing that all of my paperwork is organized and easy to find. Like your Lego posts, I also love having space {the two milk crates} for in-progress projects. My art supplies have all been wrangled into an old wine crate which makes it a lot easier to track down what I need, when I need it. I'm also a sucker for keeping sentimental things {I have probably fifty-plus letters from my mom throughout the years, all of my shower and wedding cards, old notes from my husband}, but I like to have them stored away, so keeping them tucked out of sight in the polka-dotted boxes is perfect. My stationery is now organized by occasion, my stamps are always in the same place, and my wrapping paper never gets crinkled because it's always neatly put away in the long storage box on the bottom right.

All in all, it's a huge upgrade to my office and I'm so proud that I built them myself. Let me know what you think! I really love your blog and all of your great ideas!

Thanks,

Caitlin

Let's take a peek at Caitlin's before picture:

"When we were packing up our apartment in NY, I found a ton of our important documents. Tax returns, stashed away with old letters from my mom. Our mortgage information, house insurance documentation, and passports all stored haphazardly next to my art supplies. It was a mess and I vowed that as soon as we got into our new home, I'd have a dedicated place to organize papers.

Instead of buying standalone filing cabinets {not exactly the aesthetic I was going for} or pre-built bookshelves {I couldn't find any in the size I wanted}, I decided to build a set of shelves in my office where I could store our papers, my art supplies, my wrapping paper, some design books, and a host of other items that would benefit from some organization.

I measured one of the bare walls in my office and trekked down to the Home Depot, hoping for some guidance. The employee who helped me there actually gave me a hard time about it {"Is your husband going to do this for you? Do you even know anything about woodworking?"}, but that just made me more determined to make these on my own.

Here was step one - finding the wall studs and installing the brackets:

I knew I wanted my planks to look a little more finished, so the next step was to add trim to the edge of the shelves and to stain them. Using brad nails, I nailed the decorative trim to the planks and sanded everything down.

Next, I took all of my planks into the garage to stain them. My can of Minwax said that I'd need two coats. I did about five. It took that many to get the wood dark enough. Finally, I took all of my boards up to the office and screwed them into the brackets (already mounted on the wall). Once my shelves were up, it was time to get organizing!

I stashed all of our paperwork, warranties, and old magazines in files boxes and magazine holders from The Container store. I keep basic office supplies in that pink tray, and my stamps and to-pay bills in the black organizer. On the lower shelves, I have a stack of blankets.

I keep my art supplies in an old wine crate {found in the trash pile of my favorite Brooklyn wine store}, put all of my in-progress projects are stored in the two wooden milk crates. In the polka-dotted boxes, I have all of our wedding cards, some old letters, and a handful of other small things I want to keep but don't need to see every day."

Ready to see it all pulled together? Be ready to be in love!

Simply FABULOUS!

Caitlin did it HERSELF! Go girl go!
She built something custom that fit her personal needs. She didn't settle when she couldn't find exactly what she wanted out in the shopping world.
She used a mixture of storage essentials that she already had, some that she found for FREE and some pretty ones that she purchased, to create the perfect storage combination.
She used the vertical wall space! All of that clutter spread out all over the floor took up a TON of real estate. Going vertical is always a great tip. She was able to use the wall instead of the floor to gain a ton of area back in her room.
She found a way to save items that were necessity for tax purposes, and a sentimental need, without letting it become clutter. Those boxes are the perfect way to easily find all of her documents and keep the paper monster piles away!
All of the colors paired with the natural elements of the wood and woven baskets makes me swoon! It all works so well together to make her office space so pleasing to the eye.

Super star job well done to Caitlin!

Who's left impressed? What's your favorite part from today's story? Has anyone else found benefits from going vertical with storage lately?

IHeart: Silhouette Cameo Giveaway Winner & Promo!

2012-01-03T21:37:00.001-06:00

A huge congratulations to the winner of the Silhouette Cameo Giveaway!

For those of you that didn't win this time around, Silhouette is still offering their promotion through January 5th {quantities limited; while supplies last}:

From now through January 5th, you can snag a Silhouette Cameo AND fabric ink starter kit bundle for only $299 {you will need to add both products to your cart here} Just enter ORGANIZING at checkout!

If you already are the proud owner of a Silhouette, the code ORGANIZING will get you a Fabric Ink Starter Kit or any fabric ink supplies for 20% off!

Thanks to everyone who entered!

IHeart: Our Holiday Storage

2012-01-03T09:00:00.009-06:00

Is everyone still alive after the holiday craze? The New Year has officially begun and it's time to regain control of our schedules and normal lifestyles again. Although, I still have a holiday hangover, I couldn't wait to get back into the organizing swing of things!

We had a total of FOUR Christmas's this year, all away from home so if you count our own family one with the kids at home, it was really five! I think that is a Jones family record, I am tired just typing about it {you can catch up on some of our Christmas highlights here}.

Yesterday, I packed up all of the holiday decor. It was bittersweet, it always adds so much color and life and happiness, yet at the same time, it's nice to get back to some sort of normal around here.

I had shared a couple of years back how we handle storing all of our holiday decorations:

Fairly organized, yes. However, all those bins take up a ton of space. And this year I was so frustrated with myself because even though I had labeled the bins, I still had to pull one off of the other to open the lid and dig inside to see if what I wanted was there {sometimes yes, sometimes no}. That's the problem with bins that are not see through. Plus, our Christmas lights were a giant tangled mess which made the entire processing of decorating the tree take about triple the time.

I was determined to do better this year, so that next Christmas things go a little smoother. Plus, I have a goal to better utilize our utility storage room {which I will show you once our lower level remodel is done and all of our excess supplies are out}, which meant condensing our holiday storage the best that I could.

So I started from scratch this year. I took everything off of the tree and our shelving display and created giant piles in our living room. Then, I gave myself a pat on the back for my ability to get everything stored into two bins instead of three! It's OK to do some super smiling when you have organizing success!

After some donating and tossing, I was able to keep only what we use and love, yet I still have about as much or more decor than the last time I posted about it. I must just be getting smarter with age... lol.

So how did I do it? Well, I used Ziploc bags for just about EVERYTHING. They take up far less room than the bulky plastic boxes that most of the decorations originally came in.

I find that the bags from IKEA are my favorite for storage. They last longer and are larger than the Ziploc brand bags:

This bin has so many items in it such as shatterproof ornaments, beads, cones, ribbon, a cookie plate, holiday countdown, printables, etc... The storage bags really made things fit perfectly and maximized the space inside the bin.

I use a disposable food storage container for all of the little things, like ornament hooks and extra Christmas light bulbs:

And a manila folder to hold all of my printables and banners:

The lower bin is full of linens at the bottom, and all of our twinkling lights at the top:

Thanks to the www, I found that you can save space and tangles by wrapping individual strands of lights around objects, like coffee cans or cardboard pieces! So we cut up a spare box leftover from Christmas and had fantastic space saving, untangled light storage!

It worked like a charm!

We keep all of our fragile ornaments and special ornaments made by the kids inside the stacking ornament bins. We have been doing that for years and nothing has broken so we are not changing a good thing!

Now because I have two bins that look the same with tons of different items inside, I decided to get creative with the labeling process.

I started out by folding a piece of decorative cardstock in half, and laminating it into a pouch {like I did with my coupon envelopes}:

After attaching the pouches to the sides of the bins with a piece of Velcro, I am able to write a list of the bin contents and tuck it right into the pouch!

Now, since I can't see all of the contents through the bin, I can just pull out the list and know everything that is inside!

And if things ever change, I just cross stuff off, add new things to the bottom, and we are good to go!

In fact, I love this idea SO much, that I have more storage bins for other items that I will be doing this to in the future as I continue on my organizing quest! The thought of no more unstacking, peeking inside, and re-stacking, makes me H A P P Y!

Feels good to have my first of many 2012 organizing projects checked off of the list!

Anyone else find new holiday storage ways this year, that left you with a big ol' grin? How many Christmas's did you attend? Anyone have me beat?

Gallery Wall Tips & Tricks

2012-01-02T11:29:00.000-06:00

When my girl, Amanda, was in my neck of the woods for the holiday season, we decided to get together and do some type of project. You know, because that is what bloggers do right?

Amanda's sister was looking for a bit of help with a gallery wall in her bedroom. So that's where we focused our time. And I was beyond excited about this since I really need help in the gallery wall department and Amanda is a pro!

Wait. What? For someone who has a love for both photography and her home, you would think that I would have seventeen gallery walls. But nope, my OCD "even" self, tried a gallery wall a couple of years ago and I ended up with something uniform and simple....

And I have longed for something grand and random. Maybe something down the stairs? Down the hall? Something in the playroom? Or maybe above the sofa in our future lower level family room?

I have even played with a variety of old and thrift store frames that I have been saving over the years, laying them out in random patterns on the floor. And you know what happens every single time? It turns into a perfect square or rectangle. For some reason, this gal has a hard time making randomness.... I needed a lesson!

We started out with a bare wall, as most would.

Amanda and her sister had already framed some pieces of art and had a number of pieces to select from. They all had something in common, although, this isn't always necessary when doing a gallery wall. Just select pieces that you love and that make you happy!

The first thing Amanda did, was clear an area in front of the wall on the floor, and start laying out the frames in a random pattern. She made this look so easy. She also mentioned you could take another approach of tracing each frame onto paper and taping the templates randomly on the wall until you get the desired look. We didn't do that this time, but it is totally another option.

Once she had her desired look on the floor, she just started picking up each frame from the floor and hanging it in the same spot on the wall.

Here were the tips I had learned as she worked her gallery wall magic:

Don't leave too much space between the frames. 1-2 inches is about perfect.
Make sure you get a pattern figured out that you love before putting holes in your walls. Do this by either laying it out on the floor or taping templates to you walls.
It's not always necessary {we didn't this time but you will barely notice the frames of a different color since the artwork matches so wonderfully}, but you may like to use frames that are uniform in color. Different shapes and sizes and detailing to the frames are great for visual interest, it's the color that keeps a uniform look.
Add matting to your art. Even if it's just a scribbled watercolor painting from your two year old, matting it will make it look like a priceless piece of wall art!

As I watched at how easy and natural this whole process for her was, I was in complete awe watching the transformation take place in such a short amount of time. In less than an hour {even with some stops to listen to my excessive chatting}, she went from this:

To this!

When playing with her perfectly imperfect pattern, she started with the boldest frame in the middle, and worked her way out from there.

Most of the art is either abstract or nature related. All of the pieces carry similar tones which really brought the whole display together. My heart smiled!

I am so inspired now to tackle my own gallery wall. For realz this time. And it will be random. I am thinking lots and lots of random thoughts....

So stay tuned as I share the outcome of my tutorial with Amanda. {As soon as our weather allows me to whip out the spray paint that is}. I have the perfect spot just waiting for some gallery wall lovin'.

What other gallery wall tips and tricks have worked well for you? Am I the only gal that can't seem to do random things like this because of an "even disorder"? Anyone have any great Etsy shop recommendations as I begin searching for some perfect art pieces?

2011 Project Review and Some 2012 Goals!

2011-12-30T14:06:00.002-06:00

Every year I like to reflect. Take a look back at the year and say WAHOO, it was a GREAT year! And... take a moment to look for any areas of opportunity and set some goals to make the next year even BETTER!

2011 was a really great year for us. I got to be a stay at home mom and be extremely involved with the kids at home and at school. We started rebuilding our lower level and even tore down a wall! The hubs and I celebrated 10 years of marriage and renewed our vows. I organized like crazy and was able to start blogging full time. The blog had some incredible features, and ended up in a glossy mag! Seriously, I feel blessed every single moment and think that 2011 was one of my favorite years EVER!

So, just like I did last year, I thought it would be fun to look back at my favorite projects from this year!

In January, I started out the year by looking at time management and shared a couple of things that work well for us.

I chatted about all of my favorite storage any why.

We tackled the paper monster: Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, Step 4, Step 5, Step 6 and Step 7.

In February, we worked hard on getting our photos organized: Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, Step 4 and I shared what camera and lenses I use.

And we took a little break from all of the photo organizing to make a quick DIY earring holder:

And we used a great blog tutorial to create our own inexpensive burst mirror which we still totally adore!

In March, we rocked out a Household Binder! Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, Step 4, Step 5, Step 6, Step 7, Step 8, Step 9, Step 10, Step 11 and a wrap up post.

We made a major transformation to our living room and built in some bookcases!

We created a memo/menu chalk board out of an old cabinet door.

We also learned about the proper way to store our medication.

In April, I went through our home and purged like crazy in every room, to make some moola {I was able to pocket some for future projects and snag a flip cam!} and learned that we can really live with less. Entry, Living Room, Kitchen, Bedroom and Bathroom.

In May, we spent the month making over the boys room. We sold the bunk beds which funded the project, painted stripes, added a new light fixture, painted some old frames, and did some organizing projects which gave them a pretty fun space to call their own!

We even managed to redo their shared closet that month as well!

In June we started checking off a bunch of smaller projects off of the list. We added a door to our bathroom cabinet.

We had a garage sale and sold a bunch of our purged items, said farewell to majority of the daycare toys and hauled the rest off to be donated.

The kid's even had fun with it at their lemonade stand.

We added some labeled baskets to our kitchen cabinets to corral some of the smaller items.

And took another stab at the spice cabinet.

I found some great cutlery caddies at Target which I decided needed to be transformed to organize more important things around our home. Like art supplies:

Cleaning supplies:

And our projecting tools:

In July, we really got to town working on the lower level. New floors were in which meant I could start painting and working my magic. I started off in the laundry room by giving it a fresh coat of paint and adding some decorative corbels to the floating shelves we already had.

We tore down a wall in-between an unused sitting nook and walk-in closet in the master bedroom, to create a new giant dressing/exercise room!

A great blog friend came to visit and show me how to no sew some curtain panels!

We had finally finished up painting all of the trim and doors in the upper level and I shared the "how we did it" and before and afters.

Once the new walls were up in the dressing room, I got the crazy idea to stencil them! And I LOVE how it turned out!

August, we turned out attention to getting amped up for the first day of school. And made sure that we also soaked up all of the time we could outside before winter would come and take it all away! That included going to the beach {and sharing how we organize those day trips}

We attempted to start a new bedtime routine!

We created a lunch basket to simplify the lunch making process a bit!

Got personal and let you see inside every single kitchen cabinet!

Changed my hair color {hey, that's a project right?}:

Snuck in a quick basement project and created a place for my sweater, camera bag and tote:

And also snuck away for a final summer vacation and shared how we stay sane in the car with three little ~~monsters~~ kids.

September was a whirlwind. All sorts of goodness happened. I created some inexpensive magazine files for my future studio.

I created my first VLOG {more to come in 2012, I promise!}:

I whipped up a fabulous memo board from a thrift store frame and shower curtain:

With school in full swing, we established a morning routine for the kids.

The hubs and I took a day off to head to "Junk Bonanza" and find some great inspiration!

Used some pretty fabric to add some color to the laundry room:

And no sew curtain for our doorless under the stairs storage area:

Entryways can be hard to organize, especially when they basically don't exist because they are so small... I shared how we dealt with that!

Oh yeah, and I was on THE NATE BERKUS SHOW! Just sayin', that was pretty neat!

And to top it all off, I gave the blog a major face lift!!

In October, I helped a pal organize her playroom:

I spewed my thoughts and tips on blogging...

And got to work organizing our insane stash of Legos! We started out with build buckets for the boys:

Gave them a place to play:

And added color coded Lego storage bins!

November we decided to try and breath a bit. We had giant plans to host guests for the holidays and switched our focus.

However, I did squeeze in some dressing room organizing!

Created an inexpensive way to display our kiddo's artwork.

And painted their rug with fun stripes! {Which I later updated here since it was getting dirty in the high traffic areas}

For Thanksgiving, we DIY'ed some super simple and cheap dining table decor, like pine cone napkin rings:

And frosted glass vases:

December we switched gears to start focusing on Christmas! We created a fun countdown which helped me slow down and focus on the holidays with the kids!

Created a card display:

A holiday display:

And decked out our tree:

I even snuck in a minute to organize our linen closet. Even with the hustle and bustle of holiday crafting and projects, I had to organize something!

And tweak some playroom artwork with pretty paper!

And can you believe that we even got to start building my dream studio desk? Me either!

I even got to meet some lovely local ladies and I can't wait to do it again!

The icing on the cake was an awesome two page Cottages & Bungalows magazine spread!

Wow. Now that was a fun trip down memory lane! Did I crash your computers? Maybe my blog? I wonder if blogger will even allow me to post this? Ooops.

Doing this made me realize a couple of things, and allow me to set some "goals" for an even better 2012!

Balance the "Big" and "Small" projects more. This year we had a lot of ripple effect from the lower level flooding, which caused us to really continue to move things around and start rebuilding a second level of our home. A lot of focus went into the larger projects {which is still all organizing related}, yet it seemed like last year I really focused on a lot of the smaller, quick and easy projects {which are my favorite}. So, I would like to better balance the two. Make sure that each month I am sharing the quick, fun and little things that can be done to be super organized, along with the bigger DIY projects that we also adore!
Balance my TIME better. Ugh. For someone who loves to organized, lacking in personal time management is about as bad as fingernails to chalkboard. I have a hard time saying no. With that, I take on more than I can possibly manage effectively. Between style tiles, Etsy orders, projecting, blogging, emailing, facebooking, site updating, guest posting and contributing, picture editing and being that person called, "Mom" and "Wife" and "Friend" and keeping up our life and home.... I don't have two seconds left in my day. And every one of those tasks is lacking in greatness since I am trying to do them all, yet I am only one person. I think we put so much pressure on ourselves to be "Super Humans" and "Super Bloggers" and "Super Mom's" and I fall right into that trap. This year, I am going to prioritize my time, my family's time and make some changes to how much I am taking on. And yes, that means some of my services will probably get cut this year, or maybe I can find a way to expand and hire? Only time will tell.
New projects! My home has been the main attention of this blog for the last two plus years. I still have a slew of organizing projects that I want to accomplish {the list is always changing and growing}, however, I am sure you and I can both agree that you don't want to spend the next year re-visiting previous projects and watching as I keep moving things around until I get it just right {although you will still see some of that I am sure}. I am going to take a risk of putting my dream "out there" so this year I DO IT! I want to start helping YOU! Right now, my youngest is still home with me for a large part of the day, so I don't have a ton of capacity to get out and start organizing full time. However {and this is just a thought}, I would love to pick a reader each month, to help FOR FREE in person, in exchange for sharing the process and before and afters right here on the blog. That's about all I have figured out, and of course there are all sorts of fine print details that would have to be worked out, but it's in the planning phases and I think it could add a new variety to this blog that I am longing for!
More YOU! Again, because I am trying to manage my time better, yet I also want to work with you more and keep expanding my shop {big dreams for this gal}, I need to think about how many projects and posts I run that are focused on the things we are doing here. You all have endless talent, I have a slew of Reader Space submissions in the hopper to be featured and I want more! I am thinking of keeping the Reader Spaces {before and after style features}, and adding more "Guest Posts" {tutorial "how to" simple project type features}.
Emails. I have a confession. I am an email hoarder and sure, I can organize a cabinet, drawer or even an entire room, but my inbox looks like it was hit by a hurricane, tornado and blizzard all at once. It's ugly. It has emails from two months ago that I know I still have to reply to and that eats at me every minute of the day. The hard thing about running this incredible blog and having it grow beyond my wildest dreams, is that I get a lot of questions looking for organizing help. A lot. And the time I have to think up amazing solutions to each one just isn't there right now. Again, it's on the list of priorities to manage better in 2012, however, I had an idea in the meantime. I am going to be filtering through your organizing questions and dilemma's and start answering them via "IHeart Answering" posts on the blog. You know, kill two birds with one stone kind of thing {Where did that awful saying come from anyway? Who would ever want to hurt an innocent bird?} I think that many of you have similar dilemmas and by answering the questions here, hopefully I am helping more than just one person. {Of course, I will always check with you prior to publishing your question and photos}. Unfortunately, this means at this time, that not all dilemma's can be answered {although I will do what I can to try}, but hopefully more will be addressed and more variety in my posting will happen which is a giant win for everyone.

So those are the main goals I have had swimming around in my brain. I will also always be looking at ways to make other blog enhancements throughout the year as well, such as better navigation, fixing glitches {maybe even switching away from blogger if I can figure that one out}, adding videos, etc... so stay tuned for a fun and fresh 2012!!

What "goals" do you have for 2012? How do you go about sticking to them throughout the year?

Happy new year to you all. I wish you the most fabulous and fun and safe holiday weekend! I honestly get chills and tears looking back at this year and thinking about the growth that has taken place here, and how much I appreciate every email, comment, virtual hug and picture you "pin". The support I receive here is far greater than I ever could have imagined and you all rock my world. IHeart you!

IHeart: Silhouette Cameo and a GIVEAWAY!

2011-12-29T14:32:00.006-06:00

Ya'll probably already know my Silhouette Craft Machine and I are major BFF's... {What is a Silhouette? Get the scoop here} I have been having a blast using it all over the abode to create the most incredible labels and cutouts, everything from vinyl decals to holiday decor, it's been an amazing tool to work with!

{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

And I have only personally scratched the Silhouette surface, since I know it's capable of doing infinite amounts of magic.

And today my blog friends, I am giving away a SILHOUETTE CAMEO to IHeart Organizing readers!!

Here are the details:

Giveaway is for one Silhouette CAMEO {a $300 value!}
Giveaway is open to US only.
Giveaway is open from Thursday, December 29th through 9:00 p.m. central time, Monday, January 2nd, and the winner will be announced right here on Tuesday, January 3rd.
One winner will be selected using random.org.
Please ensure I have your blog or email address so I have a way to contact you if you win.

To enter:

"Like" Silhouette on Facebook and leave a comment here on the blog that you did {required for one entry}.
Follow Silhouette on Pinterest and leave a comment here on the blog that you did {required for one entry}

For additional entries:

Follow the Silhouette Blog and leave a comment here on the blog that you did.
"Like" IHeart Organizing on Facebook and leave a comment here that you did.
Follow IHeart Organizing on the sidebar and leave a comment here that you did.

Silhouette is offering you lovely peeps a promotion as well!

If you already are the proud owner of a Silhouette, the code ORGANIZING will get you a Fabric Ink Starter Kit or any fabric ink supplies for 20% off!

Thanks everyone and good luck!