Hey everyone! Today is day 3 out of 40, how are things going for you? So far, I’ve followed my game plan and am still excited! The novelty hasn’t worn off yet. ;) But I really notice a big difference between this year and last year: I have two walking kids who like to get into stuff instead of one! Eeek!

It’s been a struggle taking the time to clean my daily spot, but still keep on top of the normal chores around here. I usually use nap time to eat lunch, blog, catch up on emails, clean… Oh whatever, I’ll admit it, screw around on facebook and watch Downton Abbey. Oops! Not a good time to discover a new favorite show!

Along with this challenge, I need to take a good hard look at how I budget my time, make things work, and cut out the things that are a big waste of time.

Enough with the blah blah blah, here’s what I’ve done so far this week:

Day 1 was my closet and Day 2 was my dresser. I’ll be honest, my closet has been something I’ve already been working on. I cleaned my closet out once about a month ago and got 2 bags for Goodwill then.

Last Saturday, my sister-in-law, Elisa, had a clothing exchange party so I cleaned out my closet, emptied a bin, got rid of some shoes, and took some stuff from my drawers. Here’s the stuff from just my closet:

After this point, I said to myself (yes, I talk to myself) YOU KNOW WHAT?! I have so much stuff, garage sale season is coming up, I need to edit more. I went through my closet again – third time! I didn’t get much, but there were two shirts and a pair of maternity pants that had hidden the last time.

Before you look at these, freak out, and think that I got rid of everything, just know that I’ve gotten behind on laundry and have about 4 loads to fold, and 3 loads to wash. Yes, I stink. That being said, here it is!

Look at all those empty hangers – that was all stuff I had gotten rid of on Saturday!

The top bin was bigger clothes that I was saving just in case and the bottom was summer clothes. I don’t want to be the size I was, so why am I hanging onto jeans that are three sizes too big? I completely cleared out that bin and cleaned out half of the summer bin.

These bins are now BOTH all summer clothes, I added some of my NEW finds from the clothing exchange.

Now that I don’t have as much stuff in my closet, I had room to add this shelf that was in the basement. I have my jeans and pants on the top shelf, some shoes in the pink bins (the rest are in storage under my bed), boots and sweater boots on the next shelf, and some exercise stuff in an old crate on the bottom.

I have nails in the back of the closet where I hang purses I’m not using, and some hooks near the front on either side of the door. The left side holds my scarves, the right side holds my slings and baby carriers.

Now that the closet was done, it was time for my dresser. Deep breath. Does anyone else have random crap in their dresser? I didn’t realize how bad I was at this, but it seemed like all the things I try to hide from the kids, I would put in here. Don’t judge! ;) Here’s what it looks like now, again, remember that I have a TON of laundry. Doug was all nervous that I got rid of everything when I showed him these in person, haha!

This drawer was filled with crap! I found a pair of shoes, an alarm clock, some ribbon, and a hair brush… why? I don’t know what I’m going to put in here, maybe keep it empty?

My tank tops, now all nicely sorted! I got rid of a few raggedy ones and ones I never wore.

This was my shorts, leggings, and comfy pants drawer. I got rid of a few pairs that were too big and put all the shorts in my summer bin. (Plenty of room now for the clean stuff.)

I sorted through Adam’s clothes and put the too small ones in a bin. He DOES have clothes, more than enough actually, I promise! They are clean and waiting to be put in here.

So for Day 1 & 2 I have 1 bag to Goodwill, a half bag of garbage, and 3 bags that I’ve already cleared out. Do those count? I say yes. 4 1/2 bags – gone! YAY – that’s motivation right there!

My project for today is sorting through Adam’s drawer of clothes. Ben was born in June so a lot of the clothes I have in his size are summery. I need to put those back in the bin since we won’t be using ‘em.

This week, I’d like you to link up any posts you have on 40 BAGS IN 40 DAYS from this year! If you are participating, please like us on facebook and share your progress. I love having accountability and the community on our page is awesome. I’ve made a lot of friends and I love it!

Feel free to post on our wall with your progress, insight, or any photos that you have of your projects! If you want to post them to YOUR page or profile, please tag us in your pics! :)

I’d love it if you linked back so I could feature you, either with a simple text link, or this fancy button:

<a href=http://whitehouseblackshutters.com target=”_blank” title=”join me for 40 bags in 40 days!”><img src=”http://www.whitehouseblackshutters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/smaller.png“border=”0″ /></a>

and if you don’t have the printable game plan and want to participate, it’s not too late!

I asked Lily what we should name this smoothie and after shouting out a bunch of key words and ingredients, she decided that it should be named “Benjamin.” Okay, that works for me.

It’s got fruit, kefir (a yogurt-like drink packed with lots of good probiotics), almond milk, peanut butter (for protein), and chia seeds (a good source of omega-3’s, they boost your mood and give you energy), so it’s super healthy and a great start to the morning!

It almost tastes like a PB&J sandwich, so I guess the name “Benjamin” is fitting. Here’s how to make it!

A lot of smoothies that we make are mostly frozen fruits and almond milk or kefir. Ben LOVES smoothies, but he has this weird boy thing where he likes to chug his drinks. Even when he’s drinking out of a straw. Breakfast ends up being a big struggle whenever we have smoothies because he’s either crying because he’s got brain freeze or crying because we’re trying to get him to slow down.

The best part of this smoothie is that the only thing frozen is the cup of blueberries. No brain freeze!

haha, you like that? I thought I’d spin today’s “Help Me!” Wednesday to be a little more 40 bags oriented so you get that little mash-up. I don’t know about this picture though, it looks a little creepy. Reminds me of The Ring. AHHH!!!

Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, and the start of our 40 bags in 40 days challenge. I’ve had a few people ask if it’s okay that they participate if they don’t celebrate Lent. ABSOLUTELY!!! To me, Lent is a time of reflection, sacrifice, and prayer. A time when I strive to change my behaviors and become a better person. In my opinion, we should strive to work on those goals regardless of the religion practiced! It happens to coincide with spring, a time of rebirth and a crap-ton of cleaning, so it works out well!

Did you get your printable game plan?

One of the projects I have on my game plan for next week is the roll top desk sitting in our living room.

Sure it’s nice to have a desk, ya know, for your bills and important documents and such.

And maybe I have issues or just suck at owning a desk, but if I have a desk at my disposal, it’s going to look like this. Deep breath. Okay. I’ll post a pic.

I’d like to sell this desk or bring it to a consignment shop and utilize this space more effectively, rather than owning what is essentially just a giant wooden paper tray. I have two days set aside for the desk and will probably get at least two garbage bags for all of the shredding that needs to be done. Once it’s sold, I’m going to reward myself!

Last summer I bought a file cabinet at a garage sale, I put it at the bottom of Doug’s closet, and we transferred our important documents to that spot. But what about the rest of the office type supplies you’d need in a desk or office space?

I love The Office.

image found here

I also am fond of Office Space.

image source is kinda questionable so I’ll link you to google

So today’s Help Me Wednesday question is concerns offices and office spaces:

have any suggestions for creating office space when you don’t have an office?

You know, like a mail center, place to hold your stapler, printer, that kind of stuff? I’m looking to get creative! Feel free to post any links you have to your blog posts, pins that you like, or whole pinterest boards devoted to storage or offices.

Thanks in advance, and happy 40 bagging! Don’t forget to come back for our link party this Friday where you can share your thoughts, goals, and progress.

last year we did a little thing here called 40 bags in 40 days during Lent, and what do ya know, it’s that time again!

It all started with this post. I have a tendency (don’t we all? or is that just me?) to hang onto things. Whether it’s old binders from when I was in college, something I got for a steal on clearance and had to buy five, crap from the dollar store, crafting stuff for all of the projects I haven’t started, baby clothes and toys, that “awesome find” at Goodwill, paper, or whatever! We all collect stuff, we hang on to it, and we let it consume us.

I’ve found that with blogging and taking pictures of my house all the time, I really started to realize all the stuff that was making my home look cluttered. Who cares if I have a pretty décor display when I have a huge stack of mail and crap sitting in the midst of it?

With the popularity of Pinterest, you start to notice that every beautiful space and beautiful room has something in common.

THERE’S NO CLUTTER.

Gorgeous kitchen. No dishes, dirty appliances, or stacks of paper.

Swoon-worthy bedroom. But it’s missing the huge pile of laundry sitting next to the bed. Oh wait, you don’t have to have that in every bedroom? Oops. :)

A family room that shows signs of life, but is clean! I’d really enjoy sitting back with my family and watching a movie in this room without worrying about what I should be doing!

While I know that a little bit of clutter and mess is unavoidable, especially with three kids under three, my goal is to create a “pin worthy” home. One where we’re not afraid to let go of the stuff, keep only the stuff we need, and decorate with things that we love (not stuff that was simply “on sale”). I want to enjoy my home, have lots of people over, and not worry about the stuff that’s bogging us down.

To go along with the 40 bags in 40 days, I created this free printable game plan. There are two pages:

On the first, fill out what room or area you’d like to tackle on the left, then fill out the right hand column when you actually get to the room. If you skip a day, it’s fine. If you switch up the order it’s fine. This is just your game plan, the outcome of the game is up to you and will be different! ;)

What about those big items that you’d like to get rid of (I have a certain roll-top desk in mind) but don’t fit in a bag? Or other projects you’d like to work on? Turn to the second page. Fill those out in the first column, under “other items to clear out or sell.” Aside from the bags, I did really good on moving these out last year!

The second and third columns say “If I do this…” and “then I can do this…” and are kinda like a reward area. For instance, I’ve been wanting to paint the trim white in my house for about for-ev-er (in fact you’re probably sick of me talking about it…). If I sell the big huge desk in my living room, then I am going to reward myself by tackling the trim in that room and working on the redesign. If I finish the curtains, I am going to make throw pillows, and yada yada yada…

I don’t want this to become the “all 40 bags, all the time” channel, so I’ll be doing a few wrap up posts mixed in with the regularly scheduled programming here at whbs.

I’d love for you to join me and we can conquer that clutter together! (picture me doing a fist pump) Every Friday, I’ll be hosting a link party where you can link up your post(s) on progress from the week. Share your struggles, your before and afters, your ugly spots in your home, drawers that will make your readers think you’re a hoarder (cause I promise, we all have those problem spots), and your crazy pictures of bags.

Up to the challenge? The first step is admitting you have a problem… Here’s a button for lovely you:

and here’s the code if you’d like it:

<a href=http://whitehouseblackshutters.com target="_blank" title="join me for 40 bags in 40 days!"><img src="http://www.whitehouseblackshutters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/40P.png" border="0" /></a>

Please take a look back at this post to see more on why I’m doing it, and please please please read all of the amazing comments. I cried while reading these, people. You’re not alone. You’re not a bad person for having clutter, and it’s not too late to free yourself. But most importantly (and I’ll say it again), you’re not alone! You can see more of last year’s journey here.

We start tomorrow, February 22nd, and will end on Saturday April 7th. Sundays aren’t included, so take those days to kick back, relax, and reflect. And maybe write your blog post?

I’m looking forward to our journey!  Are you in?

Have any questions? Leave a comment here!

I try and make a good breakfast every morning, either something with eggs or with oatmeal. Sometimes a smoothie, but Ben will NOT slow down and always ends up crying because either he has a brain freeze, or I’m telling him to slow down so he won’t get a brain freeze. Any who..

The kids are fine with just plain eggs, but sometimes I like a little something more than just eggs and toast, so I came up with this breakfast salad of sorts.

I’m not wise as to when things are in season, but my guess is that cheap = in season, so I feel confident in saying (without googling to double check) that avocados are in season right now. I’ve been buying (and eating) them like crazy lately!

This was my breakfast the other morning, it was like a breakfast salad. Eggs with goat milk cheddar, a chopped up avocado with a bit of celtic sea salt, and lime juice, and a chopped up Kumato tomato with a bit of salt as well. If you have an Aldi nearby, check to see if they have these brown Kumato tomatoes. I feel like tomatoes have been SUPER expensive lately, but I was able to get a pack of 5 of these tomatoes for $.89! They have a great, hearty flavor to them and could make for some fun when you go to feed your kids brown tomatoes. ;)

Full of good fats, full of other good for you stuff, and tasty. Sure, I like eating healthy, but even more so when doesn’t feel like I’m eating healthy.

Have any good avocado or breakfast recipes you’d like to share?

Hey, it’s Wednesday! I loved seeing the responses in the comments here and on facebook as to what you thought I should do with the bench in question. I really like the idea of covering it with a fabric that has the aqua color in it, but also other colors in it to give the colorful punch I’m looking for. Someone suggested something wipeable, and I LOVE that idea!!

Although if you commented saying that you want it and want to come hang out, ummm, yeah I do like that option better! ;)

I cleaned and moved things around in our foyer area and thought of a good question for today’s post.

So here’s my question:

I mean, I know I can do what I want (snap, snap, snap) in my house, but does it look off to you? Does the left justified mirror make you want to break in to my house, slap me, and slide things over so that the mirror is centered?

I like it. I think it changes things up a bit and makes more space in the area. Plus I do what I waaaant so yeah. ;) But I’m curious to see what you think!

Have a décor or other design question? Leave a link to your pinterest profile below, I’ll add you to our “Help Me Wednesday” board, and you can upload a pic for some feedback!

Don’t have a question? Hop over and comment on the pictures to weigh in with what YOU think!

Valentine’s Day snuck up on me, did it do the same for you?!

Lily’s at an age (almost 3) where she’s starting to understand holidays. Christmas was a blast, and she’s been talking about hearts and love and giving people Valentines.

I feel bad, I wanted to start getting stuff up early and go all out, but with three under three, two toddlers with opposite nap schedules (I’m not complaining – at least they still take naps, period!), and a seven week old who likes to nurse and/or use me as a pacifier for 75% of the day… yes, I’m making excuses, but that’s okay with me. :)

I had the kids paint with watered down acrylic paint onto white paper. After they were all dry, I cut them up into various designs, cut up some red cardstock, and used a glue stick to attach them to blank greeting cards I had gotten from Walmart (40 cards for $10?).

Each card was different and although I wanted to wait until the recipients GOT the cards to post this, each card is different, so you’ll be surprised even if you’re reading this… ;)

My wreath was looking so sad, but I wanted to do something quick.

I took a 1/2 yard of red and white seersucker fabric I had in my stash, cut it in half, and wrapped it around my wreath. Since this would only be up for two weeks, I wanted to be able to use the fabric after Tuesday, and I secured the ends with glue dots!

No bows, no pretty yarn covered anything, just wreath. So simple, and yet so slacker-y. ;)

We needed a bit of pink in the kitchen, so I had the kids paint on some old coffee filters, I cut them into hearts, and strung them on some wire I had in my junk drawer. Again, simple and quick, but it adds a happy Valentine-y touch to the room.

There you have it, three simple crafts for the busy mom who has kids who want to help. ;)

I gotta go. As I sit at the dining room table and write this post, Ben is dancing on said table. Nap time!!

I took a Dave Matthews Band concert tee that never quite fit me right (and was currently used as a painting shirt), and made a pin I’ve been wanting to make for a LOOONG time!

Don’t they remind you of those shirts you used to make as kids, with the pony beads strung on the bottom? I soooo need to get some pony beads. I can’t wait to raid my stash of stretchy pregnancy shirts and make more!

For the tutorial, please go here!

Tips: when reading the post, go by the written instructions. Also, I think using a stretchy, fitted tee like they used makes a more flattering, feminine scarf.

and while I have your attention (and they’re on my feet)… you HAVE to go to Target and pick up some of these sweater slipper boots!! They were marked down from $30 to $5.98 and had a TON of colors!

my bum legs are getting better! all I’m left with are scars, but whatever. No pain!!! :)

I got a pair in pink as well :)

Have you been “pINSPIRED” lately?

Or just have something on your to-make list?  Leave a link in the comments!

And visit our “to-make list” board on Pinterest. :)

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If you’re new around here, I used to have a series called “Help Me!” Wednesday where you could link up décor questions and ideas and get feedback, even as simple as posting a room and asking “what do you think?” I had fun with it, and based on the number of comments, you did too. I love posting pictures to facebook and getting feedback, so why not bring it to our favorite new hangout – Pinterest!

Excited? I am!

Two weeks ago, I posted this photo on facebook  and asked for help in chosing a color for this freecycled bench. I was primed, ready to go, and stuck!

Although a few of you suggested gray or black, there was an overwhelming response to the aqua so I took the plunge into color!

And, well, to be honest… it wasn’t the punch of color I had been expecting. It’s really neutral. And maybe a little bit blah? I’m not sure if I should go back to the drawing board (or facebook wall, haha!) and repaint, or keep going and sell it in my garage sale. The color looks awesome in my stairway! :-/

A few of the responders said it depended on where the bench would be living. I was originally thinking the bench would go in our dining room as extra seating for parties, and maybe leave it in the basement in the kids’ playroom when not in use.

So there it is, blah. I was hoping for a really exciting end to this project and still am, but feel as if I’m stuck. While I was looking to get out of our sea of monochromatic neutral, I feel like I’ve painted my way back in.

BUT! It’s only paint! And it’s sunny outside… so maybe some spray painting is today’s forecast as well?

What color would YOU paint the bench?

Or should I leave it and come bring the bench over to your house? I just asked and the bench told me it wants to come live with you. And then we could meet up and have lunch? I like that idea a lot ;)

I swear I’m getting old or something.

Last week I lost the SD card for my camera and I have NO idea where it is! Haven’t the slightest clue. I took it out of my camera and was on route to the computer when I stopped, set it on the windowsill, and carried on with whatever I was going to do. Came back, picked it up, and then ________. ?!?!?!??!?

I don’t even know where to start looking for it, I feel like my mind was erased by one of those Men in Black mind-eraser flashlights! Here are some pictures from over the weekend, taken with my *sob* less-than-spectacular phone camera.

I made watercolors with acrylic paint and the kids painted some paper that we’ll cut and use to make Valentines!

Lily helped me makeover this old bulletin board I had sitting in the basement. I’ve had it since I was a teenager, this board has seen everything from Justin Timberlake, concert tickets, and college take-out menus to ultrasound pictures and kid drawings. :)

Grape flavored apples? What the what? Genetically modified foods gone waaay too far…

I love that we live right by a school and have pictured walking Lily to school with her little brothers waving and seeing her off. I never thought of the awesome school bus sighting opportunities! Every morning, every afternoon, they’re just as excited. :)

Oranges and toast for breakfast today. This was round one:

this was round two:

A friend of mine made this and pinned it, today was one of those Sundays! If you’re Catholic you’ll get it…

hahaha, I love it! on that note, I think I’ll hit “add”…

I’m going to scour the house today, but if that fails, I’ll be borrowing a spare SD from my sister-in-law and will get it tonight. I have a few projects I’ve been working on and can’t wait to share them!

What did you do this weekend?

We have been trying to sell our van for the past week or so. We have it listed on a few websites (craigslist, cars.com, eBay classifieds, etc.), and most of the responses we receive are either lowball offers or spam. Doug got sick of all of the spam and decided to respond to one of the spammers.

It’s pretty funny, take a look:

We waited to see if we’d get a response, but of course we never heard from him. That should teach him to not mess with someone that works in the insurance industry! Nice work, Doug!

Last Sunday, our sweet Adam Joseph was baptized! Here are some pictures of the day.

Here we are with Adam’s Godparents: Doug’s sister Bonnie and her husband Scott.

Afterwards we had a little get together at our house with our families. Doug’s family was sick, so they were unable to come. :(

Lots of delicious food! Fettuccini alfredo with chicken and broccoli, salad, garlic bread, and strawberries.

I told you that Doug and I eat at this kids’ table! :)

Doug’s twelve year old sister Rachelle made a cake for the occasion and did an amazing job! It had a layer of lemon in the center, it was sooo delicious. She’s now the official cake baker of this family :)

I still have a little piece in the fridge that I think I’m going to grab as soon as this is posted…

a

I lost my SD card with the photos on it from the actual baptism, but he was such a little angel! Doug and I were taking bets on whether or not he’d cry while the priest was pouring the water over his head. I thought I was golden and said he would, since this kid has been a cranky one. Nope! No tears, no crying!

He opened his eyes up wide, had his mouth open in a tiny o, and looked right at me with a peaceful look on his face, as if he knew what was going on. I wish my eyes could just snap pictures of moments as they come. It was so beautiful.

If I had to name my blog crushes, Erin from Lansdowne Life would be right up there!

Post after post she comes up with amazingly creative ideas, DIY, and repurposes things you wouldn’t have even thought of. They live in an 81 year old house and are constantly renovating (love!). Her blog is a HUGE source of inspiration and you could fill a pinboard with pretty much everything on Lansdowne Life.

Erin graciously offered to guest post and I jumped at the chance to share her with you guys! Take it away, Erin! ;)

It’s February. You’re stuck inside the house. The kids are bored. Time to make some valentines! Wait, don’t run out to the craft store! You probably have everything you need already in the house!

What you need:

• Paper grocery bag
• Acrylic paint
• Paint brush
• Empty cereal boxes (or similar chipboard)
• Glue
• Scissors
• Paper scraps

I started with a paper grocery bag, cut it open and flattened it. I watered down some acrylic paint until it was super runny, so that it resembled water color paint. You could also use craft paint, artist acrylics or kid’s water color paints. Then I let my two-year-old have at it with a foam brush.

When she was done painting, I let the whole thing dry for several hours. Depending on how much paint is on the paper, this might even take overnight. You can pour off these excess paint if you like, but I like the painterly effects the puddles leave when they dry. Just be sure you have something underneath the paper while it dries because the paint puddles will soak through.

After the paper was dry, it was time to make some valentines. I cut some pieces of chipboard from cereal boxes to use as the bases for my cards, but use whatever you have on hand (or what’s in the recycle bin): chipboard, cardboard, or sheets of card stock.

I used a glue stick to glue the grocery bag paper to the printed side of the chipboard. Use your fingers to smooth out the wrinkles. Then decorate however you like!

I supplemented my painted paper with some paper scraps in red and pink. This is a great time to drag out all those scraps or other little bits too good to throw away. I also printed out some valentine phrases on white card stock, but that was really the only "new" material I used.

My daughter was a little too young for the card making part of this project, but I’m sure older kids could probably do the whole thing, start to finish, with a little guidance. Happy Valentine’s Day!

I heard a slurping noise coming the kitchen and while I knew it was coming from Ben, I could not figure out what he was slurping in there. Well, uhhh…

:)

Two weekends ago on our facebook page, I mentioned that we had a little mishap with our septic system.

Not little, kinda big. As in it needed to be emptied and we had septic poo water back up into our washing machine and into our basement. Gross.

In our defense, there was an issue with the pipe leading to the septic field, but it’s fixed now! And the area was ready for cleaning, decluttering, and a tiny makeover.

We started with quite a few “tub clean” and “sanitary” cycles in the washer, and a whole lot of cleaning and scrubbing and mopping (thanks, Doug). Trust me when I say that you don’t want me to confirm what those little tiny bits of white paper are on the floor…

Scrubbed the floor, let it dry, moved the washer and dryer, swept it, and scrubbed again. It was a pain, but was good to get clean anyway. I mean, have you ever scrubbed your basement floor? I know we hadn’t.

I took a lamp that I couldn’t sell in our garage sale (lamp = Goodwill find, shade = Target clearance find), a little bit of greenery and added it to our glass jars filled with detergent.

Kinda makes our pipes a little less… pipey? Hey, the industrial look is big right now…

That room and floor look cleaner than some other rooms upstairs! ;)

I cleaned off the clutter on the old drafting table (Goodwill find – $10!), so we could, you know, actually FOLD LAUNDRY ON IT.

I’ve been meaning to get in a laundry routine once we moved out of our apartment and had our own washer and dryer. One load a day. Not overwhelming myself with more than one, not making excuses on why I can’t throw one in. Wash it, dry it, fold it, put it away. Our couch doesn’t need to be used as a laundry holding spot! ;)

Although I’ve been trying to get in this routine for 2.5 years now, I’m proud (could say embarrassed, but won’t) to say that I’m finally getting there. It’s been a full week now, I’m all caught up, and I’ve done a load a day! It feels almost like a routine and I do it first thing in the morning to get it out of the way.

Here’s the system that’s been working so far:

I have a basket of whites and a basket of delicates (Doug’s work shirts and pants, my delicates) in kinda of a holding station underneath the table. The wicker basket is the hamper we keep upstairs, and we use it for everyone’s clothes. The tiny white garbage can is for lint, dryer sheets, tags, or garbage.

From failed “laundry system” attempts, I’ve found that with more than one hamper or larger ones, the clothes pile up. This keeps me from doing it often. With our small family and tiny kid clothes, it works!

I’ve been bringing the basket down every morning and either empty it into a basket down there, or into the washer. If one of the white baskets is getting full, I’ll throw that in for the day. If we don’t have enough of the whites, delicates, or regular clothes, I’ll do towels and bathroom rugs. I want to do those once a week when I do a deep clean of the bathroom!

When folding down here, I like to bring my computer down to listen to Pandora. It makes things go by so much faster! The kids will also play in their play area, and I like that I can easily peek in on them,

or they can come peek in on me. That’s another thing that’s kept me from doing daily laundry down here! It’s hard to sneak down to fold laundry when you have two busy toddlers.

and can I just say real quick that if you don’t have a carrier of some sort – get a carrier of some sort. Mine is a mei tei, it makes life so much easier! I can hold Adam while doing laundry, heck I’ll say it, I can even nurse him while doing it. :)

Here’s a before and after!

I got rid of the rugs down here since we get a bit of seepage and I was tired of the soggy wet sock surprise when I stepped on it. The lamp was updated, the detergent is all pretty now, and hey look! We’ve got a new dryer since then. It was a Craigslist find, it’s a Fisher and Paykel and was $40.

Overall, a little less cluttered.

Here’s the really old before, a pic we took while originally looking at the house. Wow!! I’d never do laundry if I had to do it there – ha!

Do you have any tips or tricks when it comes to laundry?
Do you rock a basement laundry room?

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This giveaway is now closed.

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be participating in A Blogtastic Extravaganza this week!

A Blogtastic Extravaganza, or ABE3, is a huge giveaway event involving 60 blogs. Each blog is hosting a giveaway package (worth $100 or more!) for you to win. Each blog will have a linky at the bottom of their post so that you can hop from blog to blog entering each one! It will be super easy to enter!

Here at white house, black shutters, we’ll be offering a:

so what’s in your bag of swag?

a $35 store credit, plus free shipping to HappyMagnet!

HappyMagnet was started by Stephanie, a mom of two, who says:

“After seeing how much my toddler loved magnets I decided I needed to design some especially for her. I’m always thinking up new magnets & designing them from scratch- I love the creative process. With these magnets I hope to spark imaginative play & throw in a little educational benefit when possible. I hope that the little people in your life like them as much as mine do!”

They offer magnet sets, as well as upcycled magnets – love them!

Are your walls crying?
Do you need a little typography, subway art, and customized prints in your life?

Don’t be sad, Megan from Balancing Home(love her blog!!) is offering
a $100 store credit to Balancing Home Print Shop!

you can also win two Coffee Cozies
(a $24 value)

from Owl About You!

Isn’t that awesome? I’m so excited and almost a little bummed that I can’t win myself! ;)
Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Recently, Doug showed you how to make a basement storage shelf and today, I’m showing you what we’ve done with it. Filled it with toys! Not taking over my house, in the closets, in the baskets, in their room, but in the basement!

*happy dance*

The cost of the shelf was only $60 – I know we would have paid double that if we were to buy it and the shelf wouldn’t have nearly been as sturdy. It only took one night to make, which is great, because I can use all the help I can once he gets home from work.

While I was hesitant at first and felt kinda bad about sending the toys down to the basement, I love it.

The kids get excited when we head down there, and it’s nice to have a change of scenery!

The top shelf is all of the smaller bins with toys, some puzzles and Melissa & Doug toys that didn’t fit, as well as our bigger baby items that don’t fit anywhere else.
bins – Walmart for $3 something for the small, $4 something for the big

The middle shelf are the larger bins: little people, Lincoln Logs, play food and kitchen stuff, and toys that don’t have a bin yet.
Big bin – Target (from years ago), white lid bins – Target, Sterilite brand, $6.99 each on sale.

Bottom shelf: bigger toys like the house, doll house, doll bunk beds and other toys.

My mom found three packs of this floor mat on clearance at Walmart for $3 EACH!!! The kids like moving around the tiles, making new rugs, and building stuff. It’s also the perfect rug for this area to protect them from the hard concrete.

I’ve been trying to figure out a laundry system and get it under control, but it’s hard for me to leave them all upstairs to head down here. Now I can easily peek over and see what they’re doing. And maybe blog a bit, enjoy some coffee while they’re playing… ;)

aaaand they can help me! Child labor, woo hoo ;)

We took a basement corner that was once a dark, gross, and kinda creepy spot and turned it into a clean, organized, happy playroom! This before and after is crazy… (the before was from the previous owners)

It took us long enough, but whew! I love it. :)

Do you have an unfinished basement? How do you make it work?

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I have pineapple in my tealight holders,

completely emptied toy bins and repurposed laundry baskets in the living room,

a sleeping little guy “raising the roof” in my bed,

a kitchen, in my kitchen (What? Why? How? When did they get this strong?),

aaaaaaaaand…

a cleaned out, sorted, and semi-organized closet. :)

So while this might not be the look I’m going for in here,

this makes it worth it!

2 bags of maternity clothes being lent out, 5 bags and a box leaving this house for good.

Buh bye, bags. I’m so ready for 40 Bags in 40 Days… are you? ;)

post written by Doug

So here’s the deal – the kids got a ton of toys for Christmas, plus we already had way too many toys in this house. There was just nowhere to put them all. So after an impromptu trip to Menards (their lumber is decent and their prices are good) and an evening of work, we finally have a place to put them.

You might think that I’m the bad dad because I store their toys in the basement, but trust me, there is no possible way they can play with every toy at one time. So I built this:

Tools Required:
- Power Drill
- Circular Saw
- Jig Saw (hacksaw would work)
- Tape Measure

Material Needed:
- 17 – 8ft long 2x4s
- 3 – 4ft x 8ft sheets of plywood
- 1 – Box of 2.5” drywall screws
- 1 – Box of 1” drywall screws

Total Estimated Cost – $60

Total Estimated Time – One Evening

To start, lay out 2×4’s as shown below:

First, you lay out boards “1” and “2”. These will need to be cut to 6½ feet lengths. Then you lay boards “3” and “4” on top. Before drilling them together, you will need to make sure they are square.

To make it square, you measure diagonally from one corner to the next. It should measure the same diagonally each way. In this case it is 123.69” (~12ft 3 11/16in).

You can also pull out a formula from 8^th grade algebra to determine the appropriate diagonal length:

a = 8’ = 96”

b = 6.5’ = 78”

c = 123.69” = ~12ft 3 11/16in

If you skip making it square, you will have issues with your shelf not being level. I didn’t use an actual level when making this; I just made sure everything was square. This was the best method for us since our basement floor is not level to begin with.

Drill boards “1”, “2”, “3”, & “4” together in the corners using the 2.5” screws. Be sure to stagger the screws as shown below so to help prevent the wood from splitting. Then drill boards “5” and “6” to the frame using the same stagger method. You can use the spacing I used, or make up your own spacing. The spacing of the boards will end up as the height of the shelves. Since we have some larger toys to store, I made some larger shelves.

Once completed, this is half of the frame for your shelf. You will need to make another of these; only boards “1” and “2” will need to be on top this time.

Now you will need to do a bit of cutting. You need to cut most of the remaining 2×4’s into 19.5” pieces. You will need 16 of these in total. You will drill 4 of them to the frame (as shown on left); then attach the other part of the frame (as shown on right).

Then you add the 19.5” supports at the remaining 3 levels and add an additional vertical support in the back:

Now you add the plywood shelves at each level. If you used my dimensions, it should be very easy – just cut the plywood in half, and nook out a few spots for the vertical supports beams (see picture on right).

The reason I used 8 feet wide is because the plywood is 8 feet long (no cuts). The reason I used 2 feet deep, is because the plywood is 4 feet wide (only one cut). If you would like to add plywood on the top, you will need to purchase another sheet (I chose not to because we’re already at our ceiling height).

Screw the plywood down using the 1” screws. I used 8 screws per shelf.

At this time you should have 1.5 sheets of plywood remaining. Screw them to the back using the 1” screws and you have this:

(this is Ann talking now)
While we had previously stored toys in the tops of our closets and in the linen closet, they were taking over, and we had no where to store the big toys besides shoving them up into the attic for an extended vacation.

I love the storage this shelf gives, especially for some of the bigger toys. I was able to tackle the bins, baskets, and closets bursting with toys and really clear out the old to make way for the new.

What do you think?
Where do you store your kids’ toys? Do you have a system? I’d love to hear what works for you!

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It’s that time of year – who knows what we’ll get done in the coming year, but here are some goals I’m setting for myself!

1.) Tackle and blog about more DIY and house projects.

We’ve done more here than I’ve posted about in the last year. We added a whole house water filter, did a lot of clean-up in the yard, started work on a patio, and other such projects. Did I blog about them? No. Doug asked recently why I don’t blog about the cool stuff he does around here, and I didn’t have a good answer! I’d like to, I just haven’t…

Doug working on our new headboard and getting frustrated that I’m taking pictures “like he’s a movie star or something”

2.) Finish the bathroom.

Setting a high goal for myself here, haha! It was on the list last year and yeah, didn’t happen. We had some unexpected expenses, got pregnant, ran into health issues, and it just wasn’t top priority. It’s a small room, we have a lot of the supplies already, and it can be done for cheap. I’d like to get it finished and get the grossness out of my house. ;)

Yikes. Would you keep these sconces, or update?
I have not been able to find sconces for them, if that helps with your decision…

3.) Replace carpet and laminate tile with wood flooring.

Another big one here! The berber carpet and laminate tile are gross and need to go. Our previous owners had CATS. Cats. Do you know what cats + a carpet older than you equals? A carpet that you probably need to get out of your house right now.

I’ll be patient if this doesn’t happen, like it didn’t for the last 2.5 years, but I’m hoping it does!

If this happens, then we’ll also be installing big fat trim around our windows,  doors, and baseboards. I told Doug it’s a package deal and if we’re budgeting for one, we’re budgeting for both. He agreed. :)

Poor frog, doesn’t even know what’s in that gross carpet…

4.) Improve my time management.

This was on my list from last year, I think it’s just something I can always work on. I’d like to figure out a good, flexible schedule and stick to it. Budget time spent on the computer. Create designated times for me to “work.”  Get a calendar. You know…

5.) Clear out the clutter, organize the chaos.

Another one from last year, but I think I’ve come a long way since then. Through the 40 Bags in 40 Days, I cleaned out 47 bags o’ crap! Throughout the year, I’ve gone thrifting a lot less, learned to be detached, and started decorating with only the things I love (not to fill a space, because it was cheap, or “looked pretty”).

This year, I’d like to get better with organization and putting the “put it away now!” rule into effect. No more piles and shifting it all around…

I’ll be starting on the 40 bags in 40 days on Wednesday, February 22nd, with the start of Lent. Regardless of whether or not you celebrate lent, I’d love to have you join me. It’s a great way to challenge yourself. :)

6.) Paint some trim white!

Before dark trim gets too popular and I decide to keep it, lol. It’ll make our small house look larger and brighter, and I’ve been wanting to do it and blogged about it a million times or so since we moved in. No more excuses, this is the year. ;)

7.) Entertain more often, spend more time with family, plan fun activities.

With a tiny baby in the house, we’re in hibernation mode. But he gets older, I’d like to get out and about. Ya’ll are invited to our house if you live nearby, no excuses. Life is too short and we need to hang out. NOW.

8.) Waste less food, plan meals.

This is a pet peeve of mine, yet we still end up wasting food. I think the second part while help with the first. I’d like to waste less stuff in general.

9.) Use more power tools.

‘Cause it’d be cool… Uhh uhh uhhhh

10.) Get better at answering emails, responding to comments, and visiting your blogs.

I feel like I’ve lost touch with a lot of people that I really liked connecting with as a result of this. It makes me sad. :(

I’m bad at answering emails. I’m not on twitter as much as I’d like. I don’t respond to comments as often as I’d like.

Sure I’m busy, but you guys are too. On my end, I enjoy reading your comments and hearing from you; every time my Outlook dings and I read them I get giddy. But in thinking about it, my lack of response probably gives the impression that I don’t care or am rude.

That couldn’t be farther from the truth and for that, I am sorry.

What’s on your to-do list for this new year?