Sometimes being able to overlook a mess is a good thing.

Sometimes a mess simply means you’re working really hard on something, and you’ll come back to it later.

So you push the mess over to the side, find a clear space, and get to work.

Friends, I want to tell you that I’ve been working on an eBook. After hearing so many women ask the question, “I love blogging, but how do I manage the time that it takes?” I thought about how I asked the same question when I first started, and what I’ve learned since then. It’s a topic I’m very passionate about, and writing this book has been terrifying, in the best way. More details to come.

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© 2008-2010 SmallNotebook.org (all rights reserved)
Messy With Purpose

“What’s it like living in an apartment with a baby?” is a question I am often asked. Usually it’s from someone expecting her first baby and trying to decide where to live.

If there is one thing I’ve learned from all these years of apartment living, it’s that I don’t need a house to have a home.

And that’s the truth. There is something really special about having a story that begins, “When we first started out, we lived in a small apartment…”

But that’s not all there is to it of course. When all our friends were buying houses, we chose to stay in an apartment, and here is how our experience has been so far.

We lived in a one bedroom apartment when we found out we were expecting Lane. After the shock wore off, one of my first thoughts was for the nursery. I wanted a room that was beautiful just like in the pictures I saw.

We had a small side room with a slouchy couch and a television set. We sold the couch (and later the television), and turned that little space into a baby room with a crib and a changing area. We turned a wet bar cabinet into an organized baby closet. With just a few changes our one-bedroom apartment had a nursery.

I wished I could paint, but I learned to live with apartment beige. (Apartment beige is like builder’s beige, but with 20 layers and extra overspray.)

We had no option but to live with less stuff than catalogs say you need. We chose “travel size” for a lot of things. We didn’t need a baby bathtub when we could give our kid a bath in the kitchen sink. Craigslist was our storage unit. Knowing we couldn’t keep baby gear long-term, I bought and sold stuff as we needed it, and sometimes I even sold things for more than I paid.

We didn’t buy many toys, but our baby didn’t mind playing with apples, pears, and sheets of paper, the occasional cardboard box, or stuff from my closet. We often reminded people, “We don’t have much space in our apartment,” and they helped us by considering that. Most toys came from grandparents, and some toys stayed at the grandparents’ house.

Our big challenge was storage: not baby storage, just regular stuff. We didn’t have a kitchen pantry, so our crackers and dry goods were in the bathroom under the towels. With everything stuffed into every possible storage space in whatever way it could fit, we often left it exposed for baby exploring. It was so easy for her to pull out everything that was accessible, and I spent a lot of time putting stuff back.

Having a patio outside space saved my sanity more than once. We frequently went places, visiting parks and coffee shops. Every weekend we were glad not to have to keep up with a lawn.

Baby #2 was coming, and I briefly thought about staying. Our rent was cheap, but our apartment was lacking. We decided to pay more, and we moved to an apartment that was bigger and better with a park close by. I’m glad we decided to pay the extra money because with two kids I stay home more, and it’s nicer. I think the lack of windows in our old apartment was making me depressed.

The kids share a room, and a while ago I shared a tour of how we made a place for both of them. It has its challenges (one kid is a light sleeper).

Sometimes I wish I could decorate any way I want. Sometimes I wish we didn’t have carpet. Wow, I’m just thinking of all the reasons why I wish we didn’t have carpet.

We use cloth diapers, but we have our own washer and dryer. I don’t think I would use cloth if I had to go to a laundromat, though I know more persistent people who have done it.

We invite small friends to play and it makes it really noisy for our downstairs neighbor.

I like being able to always know where my kids are. I like always being within earshot of them.

Sometimes we drive by our old apartment which is just five minutes away, and my four year old always says, “I don’t like our new home, Mommy, I like our old home better. I like my old room better. It’s little. Little kids need little rooms.” So there you have it.

I don’t know how long we’ll stay in an apartment, but it’s definitely helped make our lives better. It’s been good, and it’s been worth it.

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© 2008-2010 SmallNotebook.org (all rights reserved)
What to Expect When You’re Expecting and You Still Live in an Apartment

Organizing coach Michelle Traudt has a strategy to simplify her home decor:

Every decoration should be functional or personal.

Functional items are useful things likes books, mirrors, and clocks.

Personal items are photos and artwork that she or her husband made (though I consider more things personal, such as favorite things from my childhood and handmade items.)

She said taking this approach has helped her to buy fewer things and avoid knick-knacks that do not mean anything to her.

I look around my home and see that my favorite things on display could be described  by those two words.

The clock that I’ve had since I learned to tell time.

The shelf by the front door that my great-grandfather made that holds my keys.

The ceramic bowls I made in college.

And if those things on display can be both functional and personal? That’s the sweet spot.

See more about how Michelle does this in her home at Creating Peace.

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© 2008-2010 SmallNotebook.org (all rights reserved)
Two Words for Simple Home Decor: Functional or Personal

Did you know sippy cups are optional?

One of the easiest ways to clean a sippy cup is to use the dishwasher, but easier than that is not using one.

Our kids learned to drink from small glasses. (Actually, they’re shot glasses. They are just the right size.) We start by giving them a little water. If it all dribbles down their chin, it’s no worry. It doesn’t take long for babies to figure out how a cup works.

I like that I never discover a three-day-old sippy cup on the floor of the car with milk gunking up the straw.

If you’re worried about glass over a tile or concrete floor, you can use a plastic medicine cup instead.

And our broken glass count? Kids: 1 Me: 100.

Lane, 14 months

One thing that helps us is our household rule to keep food and drinks at the table. The kids don’t wander around our home carrying their drinks.

It’s easier to go places when my kids can drink from a regular cup or water bottle. (There is a small amount of confusion at friends’ houses or the church nursery. All the kids are given sippy cups and my kid didn’t know how to use them.)

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© 2008-2010 SmallNotebook.org (all rights reserved)
Never Clean a Sippy Cup Again

Many times when people talk about their grocery budgets, in a way to see if they can save some money, I often hear them say:

I include cleaning and paper products in my grocery budget as well. It just makes sense, if I buy the laundry detergent at the grocery store, not to itemize the receipts for my budget when I get home.

I can’t help but wonder though, are people spending too much on cleaning products? Those are such a small part of my spending that I don’t even notice them. The cost is so negligible, I never think to mention it.

So just in case, let’s talk about cleaning products and see if we can find some ways to save you money.

Laundry detergent

Our detergent comes with a scoop, but the instructions say to only use half of a scoop. Read the instructions for your laundry detergent and check the recommended amount. (You might even want to use a little less than that.) 

I have a baby and with our family of four, I do a load of laundry almost every week day. In addition to that we also use cloth diapers, but washing those requires only a minimal amount of detergent. One box of laundry detergent can last six months.

Dishwasher detergent

Here too, check the instructions to make sure you’re not using more than you should. One time when my husband turned on the dishwasher, I noticed he poured enough of the powdered detergent to fill up both detergent cups on the dishwasher door. He didn’t know that particular brand only required one tablespoon.

Fabric softener

I’m probably in the minority here, but I haven’t used fabric softener in years. When my clothes are clean I want them to smell like nothing. (My favorite scent is unscented, so I don’t like the scent that comes with fabric softener.)

I always thought you had to use it or your clothes would have static cling. Cotton clothes don’t require fabric softener to stay soft and static-free. It’s the synthetic clothes that build up static, so if your clothes are mostly cotton, try a load without it. Towels work much better to absorb water when they aren’t coated by fabric softener.

Laundry Stain Remover

This hasn’t been a problem since we switched to cloth diapers, but when we used disposables, I went through a lot of Stain Stick stain remover trying to treat diaper leak stains on baby clothes. I didn’t know that if you dry the clothes (and cloth diapers) in the sun, sunlight makes baby poo stains disappear! It’s amazing.

All-purpose cleaning sprays

In most cases, I try to clean with just water first, to see if that’s enough. Remember learning in high school that water is the universal solvent? Sometimes all it takes is a wipe with a damp rag. If that’s not enough, then I break out the cleaner. We’re using a concentrated bottle of Shaklee’s H2, and I think it’s going to be a couple of years before I need to buy more. (I also use it as a glass cleaner.)

Shower cleaner

Instead of using shower cleaning sprays, I bought a squeegee (like this one). Before we get out of the shower, we use the squeegee to wipe off the walls and the glass shower door. When the walls stay dry, you don’t get water spots, soap scum, or the chance for mold to grow. Our shower stays pretty nice all the time, and I only officially clean it once in a while.

Pledge

Don’t use Pledge. It’s a product that coats your furniture instead of cleaning it. Find out how you can remove the Pledge residue from your furniture and go back to dusting with a damp cloth.

Air freshener

Open the window. We could all use more fresh air.

Carpet freshener

Sprinkle baking soda over the carpet, sweep it in with a broom, and let it remain overnight to absorb odors. Vacuum it up the next day. This technique removes odor instead of covering it up.

Toilet cleaner, counter cleaner, floor cleaner, tile cleaner…

These are marketing gimmicks. You don’t need to have separate cleaning products for every part of your house.

Paper Towels

Try using cleaning rags instead of paper towels, but I’m sure you’ve heard this before. I have a small towel bar in the laundry room that I use to hang up wet rags to dry, so they don’t get moldy before I can wash them.

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© 2008-2010 SmallNotebook.org (all rights reserved)
Cleaning Products: Are you spending more than needed?

You might be able to drop them off at Goodwill.

Goodwill and Dell have partnered to launch Reconnect. It’s a service for consumers to donate or recycle any brand of computer equipment in any condition for free. They also accept almost anything that can be connected to a computer. See the full list of what they accept.

What started in Austin, Texas in 2004 has expanded to 2,000 locations, and they are working to make the program available nationwide.

Find out if there is a drop-off location near you.

As they say on the website:

Your donated equipment has value—sometimes as a whole system, sometimes as parts, and sometimes as raw materials such as metals, plastics and glass. The proceeds from your donation are all returned to Goodwill and help to support Goodwill’s important mission of putting people to work. You’ll get a receipt for tax purposes, plus you’ll be helping to protect the environment and benefit your community at the same time!

One characteristic to note is that Reconnect does not export waste to developing nations.

If there is not a location close to you, here are other programs and retailers who accept computers, mobile phones, and other electronics, sometimes for free and sometimes for a small fee.

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© 2008-2010 SmallNotebook.org (all rights reserved)
Drop Off Old Computer Parts at Goodwill

Every family needs at least one meal that they can eat for pennies.

Whether they want to stay on a frugal budget, or do a No Spend Month, or make more money available for expensive foods like organic vegetables and grass-fed beef, it helps to have one good meal that everyone likes and doesn’t cost much.

So, beans and rice, check.

What do you eat when you’re trying to keep your budget low and you get tired of beans and rice?

Eggs cost twenty cents each. (I’m using prices from Whole Foods in Dallas, TX, since I know food costs vary by region.) You can make scrambled eggs with homemade biscuits, and feed a family of four for less than three dollars.

Chicken stock is made from what would have been thrown away. When we have roast chicken, we eat all of the meat, and then I use the leftover carcass to make stock. I prepare this almost every week at our house, and then I add rice to make soup.

More ideas: baked potatoes, pasta, stir fry, hummus

I wanted to mention some people who are doing their own No Spend Month challenge this month so you can cheer for them. (If I missed yours or if you’re not blogging about it, share it with us in the comments.)

Kait from Your Morning Cup is trying to go for the month of July spending $150 or so on food and not buying any superfluous items. She says, “Last year when we did this we were able to save enough to make our $1,000 emergency fund. That sure came in handy when last winter we spent $800 on tires for my car! We were lucky to not have to go into debt then, and quickly built the savings back up. This year the goal is to kick most of the rest of our credit card debt.”

Jamie from SteadyMom has set a limit of $350 to spend on her family of five for the month and she’s thinking of ways to have fun with her kids for free.

Sharon from Musings of a Midlife Mom is doing her No Spend Month with a husband and 4 teenagers. If she can stick with her plan, she’ll save $900! She says, “My ultimate goal (besides saving some money) is to become more conscious of my spending. This challenge will force me to make every dollar count.”

Preeti from Heart and Mind has a $300 budget for a family of 4 for the month. She only spent $33 last week!

Beth Young from Domestic Engineer in Training decided, “We aren’t saying that we’ll only spend a certain dollar amount, but we are saying that we are going to watch every penny.  We are hanging up every receipt for every dollar we spend on the bulletin board on the kitchen.”

You can do it!

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© 2008-2010 SmallNotebook.org (all rights reserved)
What to Eat on a Beans and Rice Budget (Besides Beans and Rice)

There are always good sales in July.

Actually, these days there are good sales in every month, but I especially notice the good ones in July. That’s when I’m trying not to spend any money.

During a No Spend Month, I don’t set foot inside a mall. Not that I go to the mall very often during a normal month. In fact, I don’t even like to shop at Target. (Am I allowed to say that on the internet? It’s true. Please don’t throw things at me.)

One day last week I surprised my daughter with a trip to the mall so she could run around the children’s play area. All of a sudden, I saw lots of stuff that I didn’t even realize I needed until I saw them on sale. Especially sales for children’s clothes.

Just a couple of days earlier I had congratulated myself on having fewer baby clothes this time around. Maybe it’s due to having a boy instead of a girl. He has enough clothes for one week before the drawer is empty and I wash the laundry. Fewer clothes means everything is well-worn and there will be less to sort and store later.

It certainly doesn’t hinder the cuteness to have fewer clothes:

But that day I was faced with tiny pants at 50 percent off, and I started to waver.

I almost buckled. I tried to justify them. I tried to think of a reason to need them. Perhaps he didn’t need them right now, but what if I bought the next size up?

Fortunately, I knew what clothes we had in the next size. The way I store children’s clothes is quite likely organizational overkill, but it works and the clothes stay organized. (Maybe you noticed the boxes in the back room, on the left side.)

I chose not to buy them, and I thought about the clothes we already had instead.

It’s not easy to let go of the chance to buy something nice at a great price. There’s a thrill involved.

If I bought those pants, I could have saved 50 percent. By not buying them, I saved 100 percent.

Doug and I decided a while ago that we were done buying things for the apartment. We’ve decided it is good enough. We could still be thinking of improvements, or ways to change it up, but we think it’s done. That’s a benefit to having a small home: it doesn’t take much to furnish, and you don’t want it to be cluttered.

In the same way, I don’t feel like I need any more new clothes. I’ve been trying to put the theory that “less is better” into practice and wear what I have.

I even did less grocery shopping this month, so we could eat more of the food we have on hand.

You cannot have a simple life or a simple home unless you can pass up a sale or choose to miss a bargain.

You won’t be surrounded by a lot of extra stuff, and that’s worth more than discounts.

Besides, there will always be another good sale.

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© 2008-2010 SmallNotebook.org (all rights reserved)
Is it a good buy? Or just a bargain?

If I learned one thing from this back room project, it’s that I didn’t need to wait until I could devote an entire weekend to it. In the past 26 weeks, never did I wake up on a Saturday morning and think, “I’d like to spend my whole weekend cleaning out the back room.”

When motivation struck on a Tuesday morning, I took hold of it, and I finished by Thursday. I didn’t block out a large amount of time; I worked on it a little at a time.

Before & After

I consolidated stuff into fewer boxes and sorted everything. I knew we would keep most of it. The only things that are on their way to Goodwill are a laundry basket, a planter, and a box set of VHS tapes.

It’s amazing how stuff takes up less space when it’s organized.

Progress was slow. After I piled everything in the dining room on Tuesday (you can read about that and see the “Before” photos), I didn’t see the dining room floor again until Wednesday evening. By Thursday 5:00 p.m., a few last things remained on the table. I dumped them into a bag of Miscellaneous and decided I was finished.

Back Room Makeover:

1. The Before
2. The Strategy
3. The Clean out
4. The Results!

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© 2008-2010 SmallNotebook.org (all rights reserved)
Back Room Makeover Results!

And I really meant it. But now looking at that same picture, I’m not sure why I thought it looked so bad. The boxes seem kind of organized. They all fit together like a game of Tetris.

But everything was impossible to reach. We use a lot of this stuff on a regular basis. And in the weeks following, since I knew I was going to clean it out, we became even sloppier and the mess was worse. I’d throw things in there haphazardly, “just until I clean it out,” and then slam the door quickly before something fell down.

I was hoping I could just do a little at a time. I didn’t want to commit to a full-on, drag-it-all-out, show-everybody, honest-to-goodness, do-we-need-an-intervention?, complete exposure of what was taking up space in my back room.

But every time I walked in there, stepping into the only clear spot of floor in the entire five-by-seven square foot closet (yes, it is that big)… well, I didn’t last more than ten seconds before I ran right out of there and found something else to do. It was so overwhelming.

I knew I had to empty it.

Six months later, on a rainy Tuesday morning, I decided it was time.

11:00 a.m. There is not going to be a better day than today.

11:30 a.m. I designated the dining table as my landing spot and extended it to a full seven feet. I started carrying things out of the back room and setting them on the table.

11:45 a.m. Yes, it does seem good to pull everything out. Found some trash. It will be good to vacuum the floor.

12:00 p.m. This feels exhilarating. I take pictures of the progress.

12:15 p.m. I start wondering why I’m doing this. Keep going fueled by kettle chips.

12:30 p.m. My arms are tired.  My four year old wants to see all the Christmas tree ornaments.

1:00 p.m. Almost done pulling things out. Wipe shelves and vacuum.

After two hours, my back room was a clean slate. It was glorious.

And my dining table looked like this:

Here’s a view of it from the side, just so you can see how deep it goes:

Back Room Makeover:

1. The Before
2. The Strategy
3. The Clean out
4. The Results!

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© 2008-2010 SmallNotebook.org (all rights reserved)
Back Room Makeover: A Clean Slate