Are you ready to get organized for the weekend?

Whew, I am! I think I’ve finally rested up and recovered from last weekend, and I’m ready to do it all again. I hope this Friday finds you happy and healthy, and excited about the weekend ahead. For me, it’s going to be another basketball-rich weekend, but it won’t be nearly as intense as last weekend. But…my lists are still much shorter than my wide-open weekend lists. Here they are: 

Play List:

• Boot camp.

• Basketball.

• Relax!

• Spend some time pinning!

 

To Finish:

• Make a Target run. 

• Start and finish a load or two of laundry. I’m in good shape again this weekend – hooray! But I’m sure I’ll be doing a load or two this weekend, and somehow putting it on my list here makes it more rewarding when I do it. ;) 

• Plan weekly meals.

• Pinterest to-do:  Make more laundry detergent via this pin.  

 

Alright...it's your turn. :) What's on your to-do list this weekend. Thanks for sharing...and have a wonderful weekend!

Getting Ready for Organized Closet Bliss

You know that place in your home that you would really only let your very best friend come into? And even then, it would be only after you had known her for 15 years and you were bedridden and had no choice but to send her in for that necessary item? Well, let’s all just pretend that I am sick in my bed and all of you are my lifetime BFFs. Deal? You have to agree, because I am about to let you into…(gulp)…my closet!

 

OK, before I let you in, let me tell you that honestly it isn't that bad. There is a whole lot going on in there that is right, but on the whole it is pretty uninspiring. And honestly, part of my issue is that I am an employee of simplify 101, so I know I can do better than what's currently going on in there.

I am lucky enough that my husband and I have matching closets. You should see how nicely he has his organized. In fact, if anyone comes to our house for the first time and is taking the “grand tour,” I only show them his closet! 

 

 But for you, my dearest friend, I open the door without further ado...

 

Not terrible, like I said, but it seriously could be oh-so-much better. The door hooks are overloaded. Scarves swing out into the door jam when I close it. My hats are eating up space on my shoe rack. The little cabinets in there don't work at all the way I need them to. I have jewelry stored in three different places. Two clothing racks are jam-packed and one isn't even half utilized. Items to donate are overflowing their basket. The shelves are overloaded and not efficient. See? It's just sort of one big botchy mess!

 

Look how the main clothes rack is so darn overloaded that it bows in the middle.

 

 

Notice how my collection of necklaces has completely outgrown the necklace hangers I have.

 

 

And last but not least, take a look at my stylish storage system for bags and out-of-season clothes. Yes, I do love to repurpose things, but somehow I feel I can come up with something a bit classier than a disposable diaper box. (I wish you could see how pink my cheeks are to share this one with you!)

 

 

I mentioned earlier this week that I could not wait for the Organize Your Closet workshop to begin. And by that, I meant that I really cannot wait! So I’ve already downloaded my materials and have begun taking my first steps towards organized closet bliss! The workshop doesn’t actually open until March 13, 2012, but hey, there are perks to working here. I can pick Aby’s brain as I go (just like the workshop participants will be able to do), but the one major downside to starting now is that I don’t have all the other participants in the workshop forum for added support and inspiration.

 

That is a bummer, so my work-around is that I’m going to share my progress on the blog over the next couple weeks. I will be looking to all of you to help keep my accountable and to give me a push if I get stuck on something. I hope you won’t mind. After all, you are my lifetime BFFs now, remember? 

 

Happy Organizing!

Free Wardrobe Inventory Printable to Help Organize Your Closets

Where we live, the temperatures this week are definitely starting to feel like spring! And with the changes in weather come the changes in clothing needs. I often dread this because in my house, it typically means that we have a several weeks where it seems like our closets have exploded!  I’m trying to get ahead of things this year, though, and I’m starting with this handy dandy wardrobe inventory that we adapted from our Organize Your Closet online workshop. 

I’ll print one out for each family member so I can see what everyone has and still needs for spring. Then, when I’m headed out to the stores, I can take these along to make sure I’m buying things we need instead of things we already have.

 

For example, on my daughter Faith’s sheet, I am putting “capri pants, 6 slim” in the first column. Under the “Has” column, I wrote khaki, denim, pink floral. And under “Needs,” I listed white. As I do this, I’m making sure that she has shirts in the right size to go with these pants. So the next item I listed is short sleeve-tops, size 6, and then obviously what we have and what I’d like to find while shopping.

 

I’m pretty excited about this because I think it’s really going to help me avoid having too many similar items and not enough things to match them! Go ahead and grab this free wardrobe inventory printable for yourself. I’m keeping my inventories on a clipboard that I can carry with me from closet to closet, as well as to the stores.

 

This will be great for me, but the truth is that I need more help than one single printable can provide. Can you identify? Then be sure to grab your spot in the Organize Your Closet workshop, which begins March 13, 2012! For less than the cost of a new pair of shoes, you get the assistance of a professional organizer to guide you through the process of transforming your closet into an organized, functional space. I seriously cannot wait to start!

 

Happy Organizing,

 

Monday Check In + Freebie Winner

Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend. Mine was tiring but good. My volunteer project this weekend was working (for 26 hours!) at a basketball tournament that my son’s team sponsored. It was fun…but boy am I worn out today. As for my weekend to-do list, I did relax on Sunday night as planned, but the other two things on my really short list didn’t get done. (But I did do a couple of loads of laundry.) This weekend made me even more glad that I’ve changed up my cleaning and laundry routines. Having those new routines in place allowed me to be away from home for most of the weekend…yet not be too far behind on Monday. Love that! So often routines seem like they'd be the end of spontaneity, but as counter-intuitive as it may be, routines can actually allow you to be more spontaneous. Pretty cool. 

 

Speaking of routines…you may be wondering who won the spot in Janine Adam’s online workshop Simplify Your Life with Habits and Routines. Well, it is evi who posted on February 19, 2012 at 05:55 AM and said: “just retweeted Aby's post (two of them, wasn't sure which one is the right one... ;->).” Congrats evi! (I don’t have your email address so email me at aby @ simplify 101 dot com to claim your spot!)

 

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway. And remember, class begins tomorrow, so there’s still plenty of time to get in on the fun and simplify your life with new habits and routines. If you played along with Finish It Friday this weekend, I’d love to hear how your weekend went. Thanks so much for sharing your updates in the comments.

 

Enjoy the rest of your Monday!

Yippee for Routines and Freebie Friday!

Guess what? The cleaning schedule I blogged about several months ago is completely not working right now! Here it is Friday, and I am sandwiching my Wednesday chores around my work hours. Agh! I’ve noticed that the week starts off well, but by Thursday I am really “behind.” Then it takes a lot more effort on Friday and Saturday to get it all caught up. I can’t say there was one single thing that caused this shift, but just gradual changes in schedules and activities have caused the current cleaning routine to be defunct, which happens to put me in a bit of 'da funk, too!

 

I could say, “Oh, well, cleaning routines don’t actually work for me!” But I realize that this worked great before, and I just need to alter it a bit so it works for me again. For example, it turns out that doing the laundry is more than I can accomplish in a single day. So that day spills over to the next, and so on. Clearly, I either need to have 2 laundry days or else do a load every day throughout the week.

 

 

 

 

I also realize that I have overloaded the weekdays in an effort to preserve our weekend time. I do so love the weekend time to be free and clear, but honestly, that’s not realistic right now. All of us seem too busy to get everything done during the week, so I am going to switch it up to schedule more chores on Saturday.

Here’s one of the beauties of a routine like this… A routine doesn’t mean that we can never do anything fun on Saturdays because we are locked into housework. Instead, it means that if we decide we want to have the weekend for other things, we will know it requires us to get extra done either before or after. And then we are free to go enjoy the thing we wanted without feeling overwhelmed or burdened about what we were “supposed” to be doing.

Here’s another beautiful thing about a cleaning schedule. Seeing housework that needs to be done stresses me out and distracts me far, far less when I know there is a plan for getting to that task. Yes, the powder room is rather grungy at the moment, but that is a chore for tomorrow. Poof! I can let it go for today. Yippee for the freedom that comes from a routine!

Want another reason to give a big “yippee?” We’re giving away a free seat to give away for our Simplify Your Life with Habits and Routines workshop! This workshop is taught by Aby’s dear friend and fellow professional organizer, Janine Adams. Janine will take the mystery out of creating new habits and routines, so you can lead the life you want to live! Sounds pretty great, right?

Here’s how to enter for a spot in Simplify Your Life with Habits + Routines:

1) Leave a comment sharing one positive habit you’d like to create.

2) For a second chance to win, mention this giveaway post with a link on Twitter. Then, leave a comment telling me where you mentioned this giveaway.

3) For a third chance to win, mention this giveaway post with a link on Facebook. Then, leave a comment telling me where you mentioned this giveaway.

4) For a fourth chance to win, like us on Facebook. Then, leave another comment telling me you did (or that you already like us.)

5) For a fifth chance to win, pin this post on Pinterest. Then, leave another comment telling me you did.

Post your comments by Sunday, February 19 at 9 PM US CST. Winner will be selected at random and notified by email!

Happy Organizing!

Comments are now closed! Thanks for entering. :)

Are You Ready to Get Organized for the Weekend?

Happy Friday my friends! I hope you had a terrific week and are gearing up for a fantastic weekend. Are you ready to post your Finish It Friday list? I have a big volunteer project to work on this weekend, so I’m going to keep my list short and sweet, focusing solely on the essentials. The rest of the weekend will be filled (to the brim!) with the BIG volunteer project.  Here’s my short + sweet list: 

 

Play List:  

• Relax on Sunday night...after the big project is behind me.

 

To Finish:

• Plan meals for the week.

• Grocery shop.

 

And that's it. Its weekends like these when I’m so happy about my new weekday laundry and cleaning routines. Hooray for that!

 

What’s on your to-do list this weekend? Please share your list in the comments and tap into power of friendly accountability! I hope you have a terrific weekend! 

P.S. Check back here later today for a fun Freebie Friday post! You won't want to miss it...

10 Ways to Get Your Organizing Mojo Back

Has this ever happened to you? You decide that this time it’s going to be different. This time you’re really going to get organized and stay that way, too. You start off with a bang and make great strides on your organizing projects for the first few days, weeks or maybe even months. Then, suddenly, wham! You hit the proverbial brick wall. Out of nowhere, something gets in the way of your progress. Maybe your kids get sick. Or perhaps your babysitter quits or you have to spend more time at the office. Perhaps you’re discouraged because the projects you’ve finished seem to be unraveling as you move onto the next project on your list. Whatever the cause, losing your organizing mojo is nothing short of frustrating. But it doesn’t have to be the end of the organizing journey. Here are ten simple ways to start shifting the momentum back in your direction so you can get your organizing mojo back. 

Read the rest here >>>

Get Organized Online with a Professional Organizer

Around here we’re gearing up for two online workshops that are starting in the next several days. The first is one is one I’ll be leading and it's called Organize Your Paper Clutter. This workshop begins tomorrow February 16 and has everything you need to put an end to the paper clutter in your home. Whether you’re overwhelmed by paper clutter or are simply looking for ways to streamline and beautify your existing paper-organizing systems, Organize Your Paper Clutter is for you. You’ll learn how to create a customized paper-organizing system that works for you and how you naturally do things! Put an end to paper clutter and the stress it creates in this action-oriented online workshop. Learn more here >>>

 

The second workshop is being taught by my friend, professional organizer Janine Adams. Simplify Your Life with Habits + Routines begins Tuesday, February 21. In this workshop you’ll learn Janine’s proven strategies for creating effective habits and routines. By creating habits and routines for the little chores of daily life, you actually free yourself to pursue things you love to do. No more missing out on fun because you feel you should stay home and “get organized.” It may seem paradoxical, but habits and routines actually free you to live more spontaneously! Learn more here >>>

 

If you’re new to simplify 101, you may be wondering what these online workshops are all about. You might even be wondering if you couldn’t get the same information in a book. Sure, you could probably find similar information in a book, but there are same major differences between learning on your own with a book, versus joining an organizing workshop. Here are just a few of these differences. 

 

Answers when you need them. With online workshops if you aren’t sure how to apply concepts to your home or there’s something about your situation that is unique (maybe you don’t have much storage space, or you aren’t sure about the best way to approach your projects) it isn’t the end of the road. Instead, you can hop on out to the private workshop forum and post your question. You’ll get answers from an organizing expert, as well as ideas from your classmates, which means you can quickly get back into action and get your organizing projects done. 

 

Content that supports your learning style:  If you learn best by reading, books can be a great option. But what if you’re an auditory learner? What if you learn best by doing? Our workshops present material in three different formats to accommodate your preferred learning method. You’ll receive downloadable lessons with color photography, online materials, and high-quality audio to reinforce each exercise. Plus, lesson materials are presented in ways that make it simple to take action. 

 

Support + ongoing motivation. You’re not in this alone! When you sign up for a simplify 101 organizing class, you’ll receive inspiration from the ideas, support, and success stories offered by other students in your class. You’ll also benefit from the expertise of a knowledgeable, results-oriented instructor. We’re committed to keeping you accountable, motivated, and on track to achieve your organization goals, so much so that the upcoming sessions of Organize Your Paper Clutter and Simplify Your Life with Habits + Routines include a full year of exclusive access to the workshop online community and lesson materials. This means you can stay in action and continue to support (and be supported by) your classmates all year long! (Just think how much paper organizing you’ll get done and how many great habits you’ll have in place next year at this time!)  

 

If you have any questions about our online workshops and how they work, let me know in the comments. I'm happy to answer your questions.

 

Happy organizing!

Getting Organized to Make a Habit of Being Sweet

Happy Valentine’s Day! After I got my girls off to school this morning, I had another chance to admire the handmade Valentine’s they so proudly gave me. Aren’t they fantastic?

 

 

But then I reread what Faith wrote in hers, and I felt a little sad.

 

Bummer.  Even my 8-year-old has observed that I need to relax more. Especially today! I know not everyone enjoys Valentine’s Day, but I get really caught up in the extra special ways to love on the people in my life. I have to admit, though, that this year I almost pushed myself over the edge.

 

I have been so inundated with wonderful ideas – things my friends are doing, things I’ve seen on Facebook and Pinterest – that I overwhelmed myself. I got really excited over all these ways to express love to my husband and kiddos that I just wanted to do it all.  The result? Yes, I accomplished some clever things like helping the girls make these sweet teacher gifts. 

 

I know these will be appreciated, but I am not sure my family appreciated the frantic state I was in while trying to pull all the Valentine stuff together. I am super glad none of you saw me this morning, hurriedly trying to finish up these lunch box surprises while yelling to the kids, “Don’t come in the kitchen, please! Just go get in the van, and I’ll be right out!”

 

Oh, can you feel the love? Between their actual little valentine gifts and the pink pancakes and the lunchbox surprises, I had packed too much into this morning. (I won’t even tell you the things I scratched off my to-do list at the last minute.)

 

You know what is sort of crazy? This is just one day, but I love these people year round. I tell them. I hug them. I hopefully show them through my words, actions, and time spent with them. So why do I feel the need to do all this creative expression only on this day? Honestly, aren’t colored pancakes, heart-shaped sandwiches, love notes and sweet surprises an option for any time? I think so, and I think that maybe they are even sweeter when there is no particular reason for them.

 

 

My husband and I used to leave little notes to each other all the time, and even just a simple post-it note was such an awesome gesture. I dislike how I’ve let the busy-ness of life stop me from doing that as often. Yes, I do sometimes put notes in the girls’ lunches or surprise them in small ways, but it’s all very spontaneous. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. However, I know that for me, the result is that I don’t do it as often as I would like, and I don’t end up doing anything especially creative.

 

What if I were to spread out the spirit of Valentine's Day throughout the year? What if I were to get more intentional about my lunchbox notes for the kids or post-its for the hubby? What if I planned these out the same way I plan our meals each week?

 

I’m not saying no to spontaneity, because I definitely think that's still important. I will still find 30 seconds to jot a note wishing my daughter luck on her test, but that can be in addition to whatever I have planned. Maybe it’s a package of fish crackers with a note that says, “You are o-fish-ally the coolest 6-year-old I know.” Or it’s an owl pencil with a note that says, “I’ll owl-wys love you!” Or it’s a post-it tucked into my husband’s suitcase for him to find on business travel.

 

Silly. Simple. Sweet. And infinitely easier to do just one of these a week instead of all of them on the same day, right? The bottom line is that I want to incorporate more of these sweet gestures into our everyday lives. I also know myself enough to realize that without finding a way to make this a new habit, I just won’t succeed! I never thought of being sweet as a habit, but I am certainly going to try to make it one. Hopefully in doing so, I will take tremendous pressure off myself for the next Valentine's Day (or any holiday) and - as my daughter suggests - relax!

 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

   

 

Monday Morning Check In

Happy Monday to you!! I hope yours was a fun-filled and productive weekend. Here’s how mine turned out.

 

Play List:

• Boot camp. Check!

• Play with paper, photos and glue.  This involved a bit of SMASH booking, some Project Life progress, and it’s also my Pinterest to-do for the weekend. Check! And I am loving both of these projects. 

• Organize with my friend Janine. Check! And a great time was had by all.  

• Hang out with Kailea. Check! We watched Soul Surfer and had carry-out. Really fun night.

• Go to a b-ball game. Check!

 

To Finish:

• Finish a lingering task. Check! I made some new file folders for the file basket on my desk. I'm happy about this one.  

• Start and finish a load or two of laundry. Check – three loads on Sunday.

• Replace watch battery. I tried quite hard to finish this one up. This one will have to stay on my list until I go to a mall…which I don’t do very often. 

• Plan weekly meals. Check!

• Turn in basketball registration form. Check!

 

Hooray! It was a really nice weekend. I hope yours was, too. I look forward to hearing all about it in the comments. Have a great Monday! 

Let’s Get Organized for the Weekend!

Hello my Finish It Friday friends! I hope you had a terrific week. It’s that time again, time to share your to-do list for the weekend. Here’s what’s on tap for me:

 

Play List:

• Boot camp.

• Play with paper, photos and glue.  This will involve a bit of SMASH booking, some Project Life progress, and it’s also my Pinterest to-do for the weekend.

• Organize with my friend Janine. (Because friends don't let friends organize alone. ;) )

• Hang out with Kailea.

• Go to a b-ball game.

 

To Finish:

• Finish a lingering task. I’m going to leave it flexible, but in the true spirit of Finish It Friday, I’m going to find a task that has been hanging out on my to-do list a smidge too long…and get ‘er done.

• Start and finish a load or two of laundry. It’s another happy Friday with a nearly empty laundry basket. I can’t believe I like this load-a-day thing so much…but I do.

• Replace watch battery.

• Plan weekly meals.

• Turn in basketball registration form.

 

So that’s my plan! Please share your weekend plans in the comments. If you’ve never joined in the Finish It Friday fun before, we’d love to hear from you! You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the motivation that comes from going public with your to-do list.

 

Have a great weekend!

Top 10 Paper Clutter Tamers

Plagued by paper clutter? You are not alone! Questions about how to organize papers -- school papers, bills, mail, kids' artwork, magazines, important documents --  are among the most frequently asked questions at simplify 101. We pulled together for you 10 of our top paper clutter tamers with just a bit of explanation. And if we blogged about these before, we link back to that original post, too. 

 

The paper comes in, and then where does it go? Establish a conveniently located inbox to catch the incoming paper so it doesn't accumulate on your table or countertops!   

 

For paper that requires action, create an action file like this one in Aby's kitchen.  

When papers require some sort of action but are also partially for reference, like organizing checklists or chore charts, clipboards are a fantastic solution. Paper on a clipboard can be hung up, carried from room to room or even store to store. Handy, yes?

 

Some types of paper, like school lunch menus or club newsletters, don't require action on your part. You can put them "away" but still need them in a place where you can easily refer to them. That's where the command central reference binder comes in. Seriously, if you do only one thing to tame your paper clutter, do this!

 

 

While the reference binder is multi-purpose, you can also create more specific binders. A recipe binder is a great place to corral your family's favorites in one, easy-to-access place. 

 

 

Organizing kids' artwork and school papers is definitely among the top paper clutter challenges we see. Artwork binders can be a smart solution for this dillema, too!

 

 

Now that you have fallen completely in love with the binders, here's yet another idea. Put all those magazine articles, notable quotes, fabric swatches and color samples in an inspiration or decorating ideas binder. When you are not dealing with hard copies or actual samples of things, Pinterest can act the same way, allowing you to organize your "Pinspired" ideas while adding zero clutter to your home! 

 

For many people, keeping those inspirations, plans and goals in sight is key to helping them achieve their goals. Goals or Inspiration Boards can be a fun way to keep things visible without creating paper piles.

 

 

Now, how about those sentimental tidbits or memorabilia that you want to hang onto without causing clutter? SMASH books are a super easy way to compile things you love into a scrapbook of sorts. 

 

 

For papers that require filing of any sort, altered filed folders can add instant zip so that the files look lovely (not cluttery) in your action file or on your desk.

 

We hope these ideas will get you taming your paper clutter in no time. Get more ideas like these, plus step-by-step guidance on creating paper organizing systems you love, in our Organize Your Paper Clutter online workshop. This workshop begins February 16, 2012, so be sure to grab your spot today!

 

Happy Organizing!

Organizing Memorabilia: Storage Solution of the Week

What it is:  This week’s storage solution of the week is the SMASH book from K&Company.

 

Where I got it: I picked up mine at Michael’s.

 

Why I love it: Well, I came across the SMASH video via this Pin and was very intrigued. This intrigue quickly turned into obsession:  I simply had to have a SMASH book. Why? While you might look at this and think “It’s just another scrapbook,” but I saw permission to create an imperfect scrapbook.

 

 

The pages are all different…which means there’s no way I could possibly expect my photos and other goodies to perfectly match the background. How freeing! Plus, I love the little loop for the pen, which also happens to include glue stick on the other end, which makes the act of smashing a portable, in-front-of-the-T.V. kind of proposition.

 

Best of all, the SMASH book allows you to transform this…

 

(a little bag full of travel memorabilia)

or this…

 

(a glass jar full of random goodies you’ve collected over the years)

into this…

 

(a perfectly imperfect SMASH book page.)

 

What’s not to love, right? The SMASH line also includes jumbo rubber bands (so that after you smash in all your goodies, you can still keep your book closed), stickers, little envelopes, small notebooks, SMASH tape and more—everything you need for a smashing good time. So if you’re looking for a new way to organize and store some of your memorabilia, give SMASH a look.

 

Have you seen or used any of the SMASH products yet? What do you think? 

 

Happy Smashing!

Workshop Q&A: Staying Organized (Not Rigid) with Habits + Routines

So often we see people balk at words like “habits” and “routines” because they worry it will equate to being rigid. Take a look at this question from a participant in last year’s session of Simplify Your Life with Habits and Routines.

"One of the problems I have had with routines in the past is that I don't like to be rigid with anything. My routines look good on paper but when I try to follow them consistently I get tired of the 'routine-ness' and I quit. I have family members who can't be flexible at all because their routines are so rigid there is no room to relax or flex a bit.  My question is this: How can I make and maintain workable routines but still be flexible instead of rigid in my schedule?"

Here is the answer given by the workshop instructor (and Aby's good friend!) professional organizer Janine Adams:

 

"I think you can be flexible in your routines if that's what works for you. One of the beauties of having a routine (for me, anyway) is that the tasks become automatic. But when circumstances dictate, I deviate from mine. For example, I didn't exercise on Friday morning because I had to leave the house at 7:15 to drive to the airport, and I didn't want to get up any earlier than absolutely necessary. But now that I'm home, I'll exercise again tomorrow.

 

Add just one habit at a time to your routine and acknowledge that this stuff takes time. Don’t assign a time frame for the tasks in your routines. That may work for someone else, but you know that doesn't work for you. And it's the exact opposite of flexible, isn't it?

 

I have a quote, which I first heard from Michael Neill, pinned to my bulletin board. It says, "Why is it so hard to let it be easy?" I really try to live by the motto, and it’s my big advice to you. Let it be easy."

How about you? Do you consider yourself to be rigid or relaxed in your routines and habits? Leave us a comment below to let us know!

 

Monday Morning Check-In

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend. How did you do with your to-do list? I did pretty good with mine, and I got some bonus things done both in the finishing and fun category. Hooray! Here’s my update:

 

Play List

• Go to Kailea’s basketball game. Check! 

• Go for a run. Check! 

• Watch the Super Bowl. Check!

• Bonus fun:  two family movie nights. Friday night we watched The Sandlot and Saturday night we watched The Fifth Quarter. That second one is a total tearjerker, but really good. (Just stock up on the tissues if you plan to watch it.) 

 

To Finish

• Finish going through business files in my desk. This is kind of a multi-faceted project. I actually worked on a different piece of the project (organizing some personal paperwork that used to be in my office) and made a lot of progress.  So I’m giving myself a check mark for this one. 

• Take photos for blog posts next week. Check! 

• Research paint for “new” chairs. Check, but I still don’t have a paint selected. I did find a pin about painting furniture…and I think the solution is going to be to invest in a Wagner Power Painter like the one shown in the pin…then I can paint my chairs any color I want. (Hoping this makes paint selection easier rather than harder.)

• Plan weekly meals. Check! 

• Make a Trader Joe’s run! Check! Check! I’m so happy when I have a house stocked with Trader Joe’s stuff!

• Pinterest to-do. It’s hard to believe…but cleaning my make-up brushes won out over playing with my Smash book. I was just too into my other paper projects to do any Smashing. For the makeup brushes, I used the technique outlined in this pin to clean my makeup brushes, with one change. I didn’t have any of the recommended dish soap, so I used Mrs. Meyers and a drop of tea tree oil. It worked great. My brushes are soft and feel noticeably cleaner, and it was all done using stuff I already had around the house. Love that!

 

How did your weekend go? Hope it was a great one. 

 

Happy Monday!