Car Organization

Keeping your car organized can be a real challenge especially if you are constantly in it moving kids from place to place. The added school bags, snacks, sports equipment, toys, and laundry that gets left behind can leave a disaster of epic proportions & smells that will make your stomach turn. Seriously, haven't you had to throw away a sippy cup with solid milk? We have all found something under the seat that makes us wonder how long it has been there.

This is why I love that we have two cars. I have trained my big kids to empty my car of everything they brought into it each time. I don't eat in my car so if I am generous enough to let them, (on occasion I am nice....really!) they must take the trash, cups & smells with them when they exit the car. Yes, I am sensitive to smells & it drives me crazy. Hence, why I don't eat in my car.

My husband's car, on the other hand, could be declared a 5th grade science project most days of the week. He eats in the car during his travels, leaves his beverage cans & cups, throws most of his trash on the front floor of the car & rarely makes the kids clean out their messes. This is where I often find old food, socks, sweatshirts, school papers I have been searching for, unopened mail, cup holders full of liquid, sticky stuff on the seats & doors and science projects to be determined.

It doesn't really bother him & the kids love that they rarely have to clean out the car when they exit. It drives me CrAZy! I attempt to clean it once a week, but sometimes my stomach just can't take it. In an effort to organize his car & maintain mine, we have used a few of these skills & ideas.....

• Keep only what you need in the car. Don't use it as a storage facility. Take a few minutes before each trip to make sure you have what you need. Drinks are fine, but you don't need to store a case in the trunk.
• Empty trash out whenever you get out of the car. Most likely, you will pass a trashcan going into a store or there will be one as soon as you get inside.
• Use car organizers to help collect trash, contain equipment, groceries, etc, and to keep trip items in easy to find places.
• Check out this link for ideas....http://www.containerstore.com/shop/travel/autoTravel?viewAll=true
• Train your kids & spouse, if necessary, to put things away after each trip. Take trash out of the car, replace sports equipment in the garage, take school bags & laundry in the house, etc. If you do it each time, it is quick & simple to maintain.
• Take time to wash, clean & vacuum the car every month. Let the kids help & be a part of taking care of it. Cars are expensive & they need to last. In my case, my son will be driving my car in a few years. A clean car beats a science project car any day.

My sabbatical is almost over.....

The definition of sabbatical is a rest, or a hiatus, often lasting for 2 months to a year. I guess that describes the last 6 months for me. I have been living in Utah without my family & tackling a new position at Kohls. I have been traveling back & forth trying to make sense of it. I have said this is the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life. It has been crazy, but we are nearing the end. I could not be more excited!

First, I will get to be together with my husband & children every day. I have missed so many little things & don't want to miss any more. Second, I am SO looking forward to the moving process. I know I am crazy, but I love the intensity of the move, packing, labeling, unpacking, reorganizing, purging.....I could go on & on!

As I prepare for this new adventure & exciting activity for me, I thought I would share the things that work for me. Whether you are moving from Indiana to Utah or just moving things from one room to another, you have to purge the things that you are not using, will not use in the future or have not used for some time. I refuse to move things I do not love. It is just a waste of time & energy. So here are simple steps to purge from my favorite organizer, Peter Walsh.....

Ask yourself these questions as you pick up each item:

• Have I used this in the last year?
• Is it a duplicate? Can I replace it easily if it is not?
• Does it need repair, and if so, is it worth repairing?
• Will I use it in the next year?
• Am I keeping it only for sentimental reasons?
• Does it belong elsewhere or to someone else?
• DO I LOVE IT?

Based on your answers, sort the items into boxes for donation, sell, trash, delivery to someone else or the definite keepers. You have to tackle every area & room of the house. Don't forget the garage. This is where I find most of my donate items. I know when I arrive back in Indiana there will be plastic pumpkins & old Christmas decorations that will be taking the journey to Goodwill. Farewell holiday friends!

Make it Happen Monday!

This coming weekend is Garage Sale Days in New Paris, Ohio. My mom has drafted all of her kids to contribute to the sale. I typically do not do garage sales because they are so much work. I have decided to help out and purge my garage & house. Today, I am starting the purge from the garage. I have holiday decorations that I hate to put up & do not have the time to deal with each year. In addition to that, I have an over abundance of scrapbook stuff that I no longer use since I went to digital scrapbooking, books that I have read & don't want any more, and projects that I thought I would do, but never completed.

Maybe it is the nesting effect kicking in, but I have realized that I do not need most of this stuff.
Relationships are far more important than stuff. I am really trying to work on developing a happy & simple life. So, with this frame of mind, I leave you to tackle the garage. May you find the energy & guidance today to make one of your tasks happen!

Tackle a Task Tuesday

Today I tackled my closet. My sister is having a garage sale on Saturday & I decided to contribute some things. I have been putting off tackling my closet for some time, but now I can't get any more things in it. I got rid of half of my sweaters which I hardly ever wear because I get too warm. I got rid of several suits that I no longer wear and gave Allison (my niece) a great suede skirt & dress that I had only been worn once or twice.
I work in retail with clothing all day. I know when it comes in, what sells and what is left to snatch up when it goes on clearance. My closet was ridiculous! I would go weeks without wearing the same thing. My job is much more about merchandising than operations. I lead by example so I work on the sales floor a lot. Wearing a suit and heels is not practical! I dress in a comfortable, business casual now and it works great!
Ask yourself these questions when you tackle your own closet...

• Have I worn it in the last year?
• Does it fit?
• Do I really love it?
• Does it look in good shape?

If you answer NO to these questions, please part with it! Donate your items to someone else in need, have a garage sale, have a swap party with your friends, or alter it to work for you. Good clothes that make you feel good about yourself are what you want in your closet.

This is a simple project that doesn't take a lot of time. You can easily go from chaos to order in one day. You will feel relieved and inspired. A neat, clean & functional closet will save you time & money. I love making the most of every bit of closet space in my house. I am happy to help any one...just let me know when you are ready!

A New Year

Things I do each January to start the year off right....

• I eliminate any Christmas decorations that I haven't used in two years. I reorganize my items, re-label the totes, and stack them neatly on the shelves in the garage.
• I clean out the kids closets. They get new clothes/shoes for Christmas and we always get rid of old to make room for the new.
• I go through my food storage and make a list of things I need to stock up on. When a big sale happens, I am ready.
• I reorganize my pantry and menus. I usually find new recipes during the holiday and update my menus so we can have a new variety. Plus get rid of any old or stale food too.
• I evaluate my resolutions from last year and make plans for this year. We all have resolutions, but if you don't evaluate your success (or failure), why bother making them?
• I reassign chores for the kids. We get tired of the same system and need to mix it up.
• I get rid of all my old magazines from last year. If I haven't used it or referred back to it by now, it isn't going to happen.
• I load my calendar up with important dates, vacation schedules, and appointments.

That's just my plan. Hope it helps!

Recipe Organization

This is on my desktop to help me organize my recipes. We all get recipes from
friends & family on scraps of paper, tear them out of magazines, or find them online. I have an overflowing basket of recipes that needed to be organized. I would spend 10 minutes searching through the basket to find a recipe & then decide I was just going to cook something else.

Visit http://www.ffts.com/. You can download the recipe software for free. It has a recipe library, menu organizing & automatic shopping list. I input some recipes yesterday and it was really simple. You choose what category you want them displayed in and you can include the nutritional information too. I love that you can add photos/images of the recipe, print them out into a book, or share with others online.

I thought I would include the recipe for BYU Brownies. My kids love them and I found the recipe online. I didn't even know they had these at BYU, but I have heard they are quite delicious there. We have made these twice & they were a BIG hit at both gatherings. Enjoy!


BYU Brownie

1 c. butter ½ c. cocoa
2 Tbsp honey 4 eggs
2 c. sugar 1 ¾ c. flour
1/2 Tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt
1 c. chopped walnuts 12 oz. chocolate icing

Mint Icing

5 Tbsp butter dash of salt
3 Tbsp milk 1 Tbsp light corn syrup
2 1/3 c. powdered sugar 1/2 tsp. mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

Melt butter and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.

Prepare mint icing. Soften butter. Add salt, corn syrup and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and green food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing.

My Label Maker and my best organizing friend.

You have sorted and purged your items & spaces, now it is time to assign a home. It may require you to move furniture. You want to design some zones for the things you are keeping.

• Decide what type of storage you want for the space. Size, decorative or not, hidden or out in the open, etc.
• Make sure it is size appropriate for the items you are keeping. Don't store small things in containers that may be too deep or large & vice versa.
• Try not to mix categories within a storage unit. It makes retrieval & returning too complicated.
• Make it simple enough that everyone in the family can follow.
• Label it! I would be lost without my label maker. It is a good investment & leaves no doubt about where things go.
• If you are still having difficulty making your assigned space work, then you may need to revisit the purging process.