Sunday, May 27, 2012

Keep busy when moms busy

These days malia is a very busy bee. Her mind going a mile a minute! When I am in the Middle of my daily chores she suddenly demands moms attention. Wanting to play, go outside, etc... So to keep her busy I sometimes get her a big bowl with soapy water and let her have at it!

Today we tried something a little different! She loves to draw, so I grabbed a large sheet of freezer paper and stuck it to the fridge, got her markers and crayons and let her go! She enjoyed it, and I got the kitchen clean uninterrupted. I must say, she is quite the little artist!

 

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Under the bathroom sink...

Just a quick before and after of the bathroom sink cabinet. Nothing too special!

Here we have the jumbled up mess of before. Lotion and body spray galore...

and here is the after! Not too shabby :) I suppose the next place I need to tackle is the linen closet...I'm not too excited about that one!

 

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Organization cont...

Here we are again. Yet another crazy cabinet that can bring on a bad mood with the tug of a cookie sheet. Literally. I had organized the top a long time ago successfully (surprise), so that needed no attention. What you see here is just a pile of madness. I would carefully lean all the flat stuff up against the side of the cabinet, then strategically place pots and pans beside them to keep them from slipping or falling over. Ok, who has time for jenga type game when putting the dishes away, or just simply wants a cutting board? well, not me. I had had it!

I found this pan divider at Walmart when shopping for baskets for the kitchen sink. David secured it down for me, and just like that, the cabinet is organized. This one was easier than the last. I thought about lining the bottom, but it was getting late and dinner needed to be made. I can do that another day!

And on I go to the next.....

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Organizing inspiration...or nesting in action?

When you live in a small house like ours, being organized and utilizing every nook and cranny to its full potential is a must. Something that I have yet to master. Being truly organized, having a well thought out plan is something that does not come easily for me. Why? I don't know, it's just who I am! But, thanks to this wonderful invention named Pinterest, all that has changed. I might not be able to come up with my own ideas on how to organize, but I can take other peoples ideas and use them for my own! This idea comes from a blog I found on Pinterest Called a bowl full of lemons.

Below you see a picture of the under the sink cabinet. We are about to enter...BEWARE!

YIKES!! We have been living like this for quite some time! Using about 10% of what is in there. After seeing the blog, and seeing what this space could be, I knew it was time. So, first, remove all this junk. The big basket is full of cleaners. Some, I'm ashamed to say are EMPTY! I took all the stuff out, got out what I use daily, cleaned the basket, put all the rarely used cleaners back. Things like the wasp spray, febreez, carpet and floor cleaner. This basket now resides in the laundry room. Next the big plastic drawer. Really just a big waste of space. Got rid of it. It can be used for something else, somewhere else!

 

Ok, we are empty! I wiped it down good with soapy water. It was gross. (this pic is pre wipe down)

Next, I lined the bottom with contact paper. The blogger raved about targets selection, but it must have been from a later time because their good selection is now online only :( so, I found this bright cheerful color at Walmart. It's really just to add a little something to an otherwise boring space.

And, walah! Ah, it's like a breath of fresh air!


I had a few cabinet organizers that were not being used to their full potential, so I had David move them here to be better used!
 

I can actually put the dish rack down here! It's great!

With another Anderson addition on the way, organizing is a must. Trying to make life a little less hectic! I plan to continue my organizing itch throughout the house. Poor David! I'm sure you will all hear about how he can't find anything because I keep moving it all! Well, he's right...but hopefully once I find a way to do these things in a good, functional manner, they wont have to be moved again and again. That's my goal anyway!

Thank you PINTEREST for leading me to a bowl full of lemons to help me!