Mad about Organizing

Linen Closet Inspiration - BHG Style

2013-05-21T21:55:00.000-04:00

Oh my...
I just spent a whole hour drooling over these pictures! Like usual I'm totally smitten with anything BHG!!!

Not only is the organization brilliant, but the color scheme is absolutely divine. Can we expect anything less from BHG?

The sheets are neatly folded and placed into a beautiful basket.

Cotton balls and Q-tips are displayed in glass canisters

Bath salts and soap bars are displayed in matching vases

SOURCE

SPRING CLEANING...How I Do It: Part 2

2013-04-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

As promised, here is Part 2 to my Spring Cleaning. I tackled my Master Bedroom and the Kids bedroom in between moving the laundry from washer to dryer, and starting a new load....I was quite behind on my laundry, but what can you do? Now, I'm all caught up, and starting tomorrow, I continue with my Daily Speed Cleaning on a clean slate....

-As in Part 1, I started my cleaning with a basket in hand and removed all visible clutter that did not belong in that room, put away.

Bedrooms

1. Took all the drapes/curtains down...cleaned the according to the manufacturer's directions

2. Cleaned the cobwebs, spot cleaned the walls, switch plates, lighting fixtures.

3. Stripped the bed, threw the sheets, pillows and the blankets into the laundry room to be washed.

4. Removed, than cleaned all items off the surfaces and walls.

5. Cleaned the surfaces, returned everything where it belongs.

6. Vacuum/sweep/mop the floors, moving all the furniture (you might need a friend or a strong man ;) to help you out here)

7. Cleaned the windows and mirrors with glass cleaner.

8. Hung drapes/curtains/blinds.

9. Dressed the bed with clean, crisp linens.

For Daily Speed Cleaning, follow the link below:

Daily Speed Cleaning

SPRING CLEANING...How I Do It

2013-03-18T23:34:00.000-04:00

SPRING IS ALMOST HERE, MY LOVELIES!!! My absolute favorite time of the year. The air is crisp...the day is absolutely perfect to throw open the windows and start SPRING CLEANING!!!!!!!!

LOVE, LOVE how the house feels after I'm done!

Today, I opened all the windows and tackled my Kitchen, Living room and Bathroom. Tomorrow, I will continue with the Bedrooms and Laundry, and then I'm DONE!

This is how I went about it:

KITCHEN

1. I grabbed a laundry basket and went through the areas I was ready to tackle and removed all the items that didn't belong there.

2. I put them away.

3. I washed the dishes, dried them and put them away. This opened up some counter space.

4. I removed all the items off my counters and moved them to my kitchen table.

5. I took everything off the walls in my kitchen...put them on my kitchen table.

6. Took a good look at my walls to see whether I needed to wash the walls or just spot clean them.

I decided to wash them down completely with warm water and mild dish soap...tackled all the doorknobs, switch plates as well

7. I emptied each canister into a bowl...took them apart and washed them...put them to dry.

Wiped down all small appliances (according to the manufacturers directions)

8. Dust/washed each wall item....

9. Filled my sink up with hot water, mild soap and a cap full of bleach...washed my counter tops thoroughly...don't forget the back-splash of course. Than dried them with a dry cloth.

10. With mild soap and warm water wiped all my cabinet doors, inside and out. Than, wiped them with dry cloth.

11. Moved the stove and fridge...swept, then washed the floor behind it.

12. Took the burners off my stove and the spill catchers....washed the.

13. Assembled all the canisters, wiped them to make sure they are dry...filled them up and put them back.

14. Hung all the wall items back where they belong.

15. Emptied all the cupboards...onto my kitchen table.

16. Wiped the insides of each cupboard (shelves and walls)...reorganized all the dishes...removing the mismatched items and the ones I no longer use. Adjusted the shelves to give me more room on top...put everything back.

17. Sprayed the oven...

18. Emptied the fridge and freezer...wiped all the shelves, drawers and walls...discarded all the expired items...put everything back.

19. Cleaned the oven.

20. Mopped the floor.

21. Emptied and washed the trash can.

22. If you haven't cleaned the fridge and freezer, this should be done as well. (I do my fridge on weekly basis before I grocery shop)

LIVING ROOM

1. Since I removed all the clutter earlier I didn't have to worry about that...

2. Took all my drapes, curtains down...cleaned them appropriately...

3. Removed all cobwebs and spot treated my walls. Washed all the doorknobs, air vents and switch plates, dusted the paintings, wiped the framed photographs.

4. Took down all the light fixtures and washed them in warm water and mild dish soap. Dried them.

5. Removed all the books and nick-nacks off the shelves...washed what I was able to...dusted the rest. Wiped all the shelves down. Put everything back.

6. Vacuumed between cushions of my couches. Wiped them down (mine are leather)...follow the manufacturers directions for your couches.

7. Dusted down the side table and coffee table.

8. Vacuumed the carpet...Mopped the floor.

BATHROOM

1. Collect all the used towels. Put into hamper.

2. Took all cobwebs down, spot treated walls, washed the switch plates, dusted and cleaned the items on the wall. Took my shower curtains off...laundered them with bathroom rugs....hung them to dry.

3. Scrubbed the shower and tub....don't forget the fixtures.

4. Scrubbed the sink and fixtures.

5. Scrubbed the toilet...don't forget the handles, outside the toilet...etc

6. Washed the inside and outside of medicine cabinet. Cleaned the mirror...put everything back.

7. Swept, than mopped the floor.

8. Emptied and washed the trash can.

Depending on the amount of work you have, you can break up your home and do a room each day. I like to do it like this, because I only have to dedicate myself fully for two days to tackle everything I can at one time, and than enjoy the rest of my week with my family.

As long as you do a little each day, it shouldn't take you that long to finish your spring cleaning. It only gets easier. Spring cleaning is my favorite. It takes so much motivation, but it is so worth it when everything is done. It takes me 10-15 minutes a day to keep my whole house clean and tidy. Dedicating an hour a week to reorganizing and removing clutter from my "special room" thereafter.

Happy Spring Cleaning, my friends

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY FROM MY FAMILY TO YOURS :)

2013-03-17T21:00:00.000-04:00

Space Saving Kids Room Inspiration

2013-01-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

I am always looking for new ways to maximize space in the kids room. My inspiration came in e-mail form this morning from my very own sister. Needless to say she was a busy bee.

With lack of space, I just might have to implement a similar concept.

Growing children between ages 6 and 12, are still in transitional state, not yet ready to get rid of their toys, but starting to show interest in other things like video games, crafts, reading, and also having homework every day. We have to adjust accordingly.

To do this, she has bought two loft beds, two desks with chairs, and used their existing dressers. They added fun detail by adding cute desk accessories and stickers on the walls, spelling out the girls names, identifying their own space. The little one, when told to do her homework, said "Mommy, can we do it in my office today?" How cute is that?!
All of their toys are in the playroom in the basement. (I just might have to go over and snap some pictures).

Check her pictures out and tell me what you think.

Have you seen cuter faces? They make me melt!

Have a fun, joyful, blessed day,

Command Center Inspirations

2013-01-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

I've been in awe with all the command centers circling on my fav blogs and am getting inspired to create one for my family as well. Here are some examples of the ones that make me squeal with delight!

SOURCE

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

2013-01-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

ORGANIZING YOUR COAT CLOSET

2013-01-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

-Pull all of your out-of-season coats, shoes and accessories out of your closet. Check them thoroughly to see if they need mending, if so put aside and do it right after organizing the closet. If your items cannot be mended, throw them away, don’t think twice. The coats that are still good, but you do not wish to keep, give them away or donate. The pile you wish to keep, launder and store away in a large plastic waterproof container. Don’t forget to label it, for easy access next year. With the "out-of-season-gear" out of the way, you will have less clutter.

-Pull out all of your 'out-of-season' shoes, and separate (keep, donate, toss). Place the 'in-season' shoes you wish to keep on a shoe rack or a hanging shoe organizer.

-Store all in-season accessories (such as hats, scarves, gloves, umbrellas, etc.) in a box/basket, or a hanging closet organizer for a much neater look. When needed, you know exactly where to find it.

-The biggest problem I have is my children’s shoes. They’re always scattered and there are millions of them. First, I divide the shoes by season, than decide what to do with each pair. If they are in good condition and they fit properly, they are placed into a basket (labelled with each child's name) with the most frequently worn shoes on top.

-Another way to organize your kid’s shoes is to clip pairs together with a clothes pin, so you don’t have to search for the other shoe!

-You can keep a basket, or one of those cute cube boxes in your closet to store slippers for guests. It's an adorable look.

Source: marthastewart.com

Storing Away Christmas Tree and Ornaments

2013-01-20T19:33:00.000-05:00

I have a few more pictures for you of how to store away all your Christmas ornaments and tree. Enjoy :)

Storing Away Christmas Ornaments on a Budget

2013-01-15T16:29:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends,
With the holiday season wrapping up, it is time to slowly pack away all the Christmas decorations. I have found some cheap and easy tricks to use to store away your ornaments, ensuring that they will remain intact until next Christmas.

Source: organizeyourstuffnow.com

Save your egg cartons for organizing those tiny ornaments.

Source: kimmccrary.blogspot.com

You can store the larger ornaments into the apple containers.

Source: organizingmadefun.blogspot.com

Hot glue cups to cardboard and store the ornaments in them. You can stack these into tubs.

Source: http://www.apartystyle.com/

Happy Organizing,

2013-01-12T10:12:00.001-05:00

Hi friends,

Just wanted to drop by and leave you a quick note. I hope you all had wonderful holiday season. We certainly did. Very busy, though...hence the lack of activity on this blog. I am itching to get back to posting again, hopefully very soon. I am overflowing with ideas!!!

Have a wonderful day,

HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS!!!

2013-01-02T13:03:00.000-05:00

ORGANIZING SHEET SETS

2012-11-26T09:02:00.000-05:00

I am guilty of playing on Pinterest again. I found some wonderful ways to fold and organize your sheet sets.

Source: google.com via Kristina on Pinterest

Source: oprah.com via Grissel on Pinterest

Source: imperfecthomemaking.com

Friday's Quick Organizing Tip

2012-11-16T22:00:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder how to store tapered candles to prevent breaking, without taking up too much space? I just came across this picture by Martha Stewart.

Source: marthastewart.com via Martha Stewart Living on Pinterest

You can also elegantly display them in a simple vase, like in the photo below.

source

Liebster Award

2012-11-12T23:46:00.000-05:00

Hi Friends,
Just want to take a quick moment to thank Susan from Achieving Creative Order for nominating me for the Liebster Blog Award. I appreciate you!

The Liebster Award is given by bloggers to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. It is to show new bloggers that they are appreciated, and to help spread the word about new blogs.

There are some rules that go along with it...

1. You must post 11 random things about yourself.

2. Answer the questions that the nominator set for you.
3. Create 11 questions for the people you nominate.
4. Choose 11 blogs you love (with less than 200 followers) and link them in your post.
5. No tag back.

Simple enough, Right!?

11 Random things about me:

1. I ADORE small children and everything about them! They can lift my spirits within seconds!

2. I love reading, but haven't read a novel in over 5 years. I read a lot of self help and inspirational books.

3. I can't explain why, but I am deathly afraid of cats!!! I must have been attacked or killed by a cat in my past life or something... ;)

4. I've been to 7 countries and lived in 3.

5. I can't hold my alcohol...therefore I don't even try! Although I love the taste of wine, half a glass of it will knock me out. I guess I can be a little nutty without it ;)

6. I go for an hour walk every day by myself (no people, no music)! Nature does wonders for my state of mind!

7. I love cooking! I cook every day for my family. I love experimenting with different ingredients, and it relaxes me.

8. I'm going to state the obvious...I am obsessed with organizing, reading about organizing, looking at organizing pictures....you get the idea...

9. I knew I was going to marry my husband the second I laid eyes on him. It was completely random and really weird...

10. I speak 3 languages: English, Serbian, and am little rusty in Hungarian.

11. It is my dream to run a marathon!

Susan's questions for me:

What is your biggest regret in life? My biggest regret in life is not pursuing my education/career dreams in design. Instead I studied accounting because it was safe and it was a logical decision at the time (didn't want to move away to a bigger city, and was excellent in math)

If you had one word to describe yourself, what would it be? Happy

Who is your favorite actor? I have a few...Anthony Hopkins, Sean Connery, Matthew Mcconaughey etc.

What is your favorite midnight snack? LOVE my nachos and salsa!!!

Do you like to sing in the shower? If so, what do you like to sing? I do! I sing whatever is on replay in my head at the moment..

What experience(s) have marked you the most? I would have to say it would be the war in former Yugoslavia (1991-92). It was the scariest time in my life...and brought on most changes.

Are you a night owl or a morning person? Definitely a night owl!!! My body doesn't function in the morning.

How superstitious are you? It depends...usually I am not, but I do get my moments.

What is your one achievement that makes you most proud? You know, I am proud of a few achievements, but nothing compares to the pride I have in my children. They are my greatest achievement! They are kind, loving, well rounded and intelligent young people and I would love to take credit for that.

What was your worst dating experience? I don't really have a bad experience. I've been really fortunate. I didn't date much...I've met a guy while vacationing in Europe and went on few dates, then wrote for a while..It was totally innocent. I met the love of my life, my husband, two years later and everything else was ancient history. We've been happy together for 15 years.

What three things would you take with you on an island? Things or people? I don't need anything as long as I have my family with me! Things are replaceable...

My questions for my Nominees:

1. Why did you start your blog?

2. What are the biggest inspirations in your life? What inspires you to do what you do?

3. What is your favorite season and why?

4. What is your favorite childhood memory?

5. Facebook, Twitter or Google+?

6. Who's your favorite Superhero?

7. If you could ask your future self one question what would it be?

8. Do you believe the grass is greener on the other side?

9. Do you prefer tea,coffee or cocoa?

10. Do you think you are a good judge of character?

11. Whats the scariest thing you've ever done?

And the award goes to (drumroll please):

Time to Organize

Inspire to Organize

The Home Organisation Project

Style Oyster

Between SleepzZz

Sarah SaturDIY

*Ross and Katy*

Two Big Two Little

Searching for Joy...

A Bucketful of Everything

A heart's desire

FRIDAY'S QUICK ORGANIZING TIP

2012-11-09T08:49:00.000-05:00

Overwhelmed with long cable chords?

Store them into CD cases.

Source: blog.makezine.com

INSPIRATION WEDNESDAY LINK PARTY - NOVEMBER

2012-11-08T01:45:00.000-05:00

Hello my friends,

Our long awaited link party is finally here!! Yayy!!
I will leave it up for the rest of the month, so feel free to link up your blog posts! I am in a serious need of some inspiration ;)

I found some inspiring quotes on Pinterest today and thought about y'all!

Have fun and get inspired,

Source: imgur.com via Missy on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Milas on Pinterest

Friday's Quick Organizing Tip

2012-11-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

Arrange desk essentials such as a stapler, note pad, pens on a pretty tray and they'll look more orderly and give your desk a stylish look.

Source: stylebyemilyhenderson.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

Source: skiptomylou.org via Kristi on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Mad {About} on Pinterest

Source: realsimple.com via Mad {About} on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Mad {About} on Pinterest

My Cleaning Chore Chart - Free Download

2012-10-29T21:30:00.000-04:00

Today, I am going to share with you something I don't EVER show people. In fact, I actually remove it from eyesight when I'm expecting company. Weird? Maybe. Maybe to some of you, cleaning is like a second nature, and you don't need fancy charts to tell you when you're supposed to do what. Me on the other hand, I NEED to know when I'm due to do what task in order to utilize my time the best. And this chart ensures me that everything is done in timely manner and nothing is neglected. I can't stress the importance of using a cleaning chore chart in your home!

I have compared charts online, and combined them to make my own. The one that fits my family's needs best, and the one that ensures that my children will live and grow in a clean, and safe environment.

I've used to print it weekly, but now I have it framed in a simple white picture frame and I use an erasable marker to fill in the dates, and cross out the tasks I already completed.

Click on the picture below to download the PDF of my Cleaning Chore Chart for FREE!

I hope you find this chart as useful as I do.
Happy Cleaning,

Friday's Quick Organizing Tip

2012-10-26T00:00:00.000-04:00

Group medicines by category (headache, allergy, vitamins etc) and store them in Ziploc bag or small storage bins.

Source: therewasacrookedhouse.wordpress.com via Jenn on Pinterest

source

Source: raquelenglish.com via Laurie-Lynne on Pinterest

PANTRY INSPIRATION

2012-10-24T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hi friends,
Since this blog is fairly new and doesn't have enough regular readers yet, I have made a decision to make my weekly link parties a monthly event. Therefore I am postponing the link party to the first Wednesday each month (November 7, 2012) and will leave it open for the rest of the month. This way I can concentrate on bringing new, fun projects and content your way! ;)

I still hope and look forward to meeting and networking with you all. I am really sorry if this decision has inconvenienced you in any way.

Hope you have a wonderful day,
Kristina

If these yummy pictures of pantries don't get your organizing juices flowing, nothing will!!! I am in absolute heaven!!!

Source: iheartorganizing.blogspot.com

Source: bhg.com

Source: iheartorganizing.blogspot.com

Source: thehouseofsmiths.com

Source: google.ca

Source: simpleorganizedliving.com

Source: hgtv.com

VIDEO GAME AND ACCESSORIES STORAGE UPGRADE

2012-10-22T08:30:00.000-04:00

Hey guys,

I am hanging out with my kids and we're being a little silly while we organize. Who said organizing can't be fun?!

Just wanted to drop in and show you an update on how we organized my kid's video games and their accessories. Remember I showed you pictures here and here, and mentioned that we are in dying need of an upgrade.

So once again, here is the before picture:

We went "shopping" in our home and found a fairly large basket. and a smaller storage box that fit perfectly in it. We designated the storage box to house the accessories, and filed the video games on the outside.

Lets check out the after picture, DRUM ROLL PLEASE...

TA DAAA ;)

Oh, while my son and I were organizing their games, my daughter took it upon herself and organized their book shelves in our living room:

This child totally takes after me...so proud :)

Happy organizing,

Friday's Quick Organizing Tip

2012-10-19T00:00:00.000-04:00

For easy access, stash files in a pretty patterned file tote with handles.

Source: iheartorganizing.blogspot.com via Casey on Pinterest

Source: oprah.com via Mary on Pinterest

INSPIRATION WEDNESDAY LINK PARTY #4

2012-10-17T00:13:00.002-04:00

Hi Friends,
Welcome back to Inspiration Wednesday Link Party,

Thanks to all of you that have linked up last Wednesday! What a fabulous medley of Inspirations we got! I really appreciate each and every one of you! I look forward to seeing what you have to share with us this week.

I will not make you wait any longer. This week we have a tie:

The first post belongs to Sarah from My Mise en Place where she demonstrates, how by thinking outside the box, she used something ordinary into something amazing, and simply genius! Thanks for the inspiration and linking up, Sarah!

And the second post belongs to the very inspiring post by Lauren, from Totally Lauren Amber
who's got her meal planning down to science! From meal plans, to grocery lists, there is no surprises and it totally makes me squeal with excitement! It just gives me more opportunity to organize, and you know that totally rocks my world! I am an avid cook, and spontaneously cook every day with whatever I can whip up, with the ingredients from my pantry. I like to experiment with new dishes, and of course I have learned how to make many Hungarian and Serbian dishes from my mother; and once I got married, I've learned some staples of the Italian cuisine from my mother in law.

So Lauren thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

UDER THE SINK STORAGE SOLUTIONS

2012-10-15T04:19:00.000-04:00

Living in a confined space, finding storage presents its challenges. I too am no stranger to this issue. Under my bathroom sink, the cabinet is damp and cramped with bathroom plumbing, leaving me not much room to work with.

I looked on Pinterest for some ideas, and became inspired and completely smitten with these under the sink storage ideas.

Source: bhg.com

Source: goodhousekeeping.com

Source: bhg.com

For years I've been switching the objects I stored in this cabinet, and learned the hard way to keep only water-resistant items in it.

While still inspired, I ran to my bathroom and starting pulling out all the items (but not before I got a chance to snap a few photos for you)!

As you can see, my under the sink storage housed my stock of cleaning supplies, and some of the personal hygiene supplies that didn't fit on my cube shelving (I will show you that on another day).

- I wiped the walls, doors and base of the cabinet thoroughly.

-I painted the back wall of the cabinet with left over paint I had on hand. It was one of those things that always bothered me, but I would quickly shut the doors and forget about it...or tried to.

- Now that the cabinet is cleaned and painted, I started sorting the products by category. I kept my cleaning, personal and kitchen products under my bathroom sink. The kitchen products were brought to where they belong (the kitchen), and as I went through the rest of the products, I purged the ones I no longer use.

-Assign a home for the products.

- I noticed that some products took up too much space, yet I have used up more than half of the bottle. To save space, I poured the remainder of the product into different jars and containers.

So in less than an hour, I had a brand new cabinet that I am proud to show off.

Happy Organizing my Friends,