Organizing Holiday Gift Wrap + Scrapbook Supplies

Last year I shared a photo of my gift wrapping station, which is in the closet off my office / scrapbook room. This year, I was inspired to do something different. First, the inspiration photo.

Debbie, a participant in my online workshop Get Organized for the Holidays, uploaded this photo in the workshop gallery. Isn’t it the best? Gift wrapping and scrapbooking goodies are so fun to look at...and this display of items is so festive and creative. Notice the little white buckets? I saw this and thought, Hmmm…what can I do to make my space a bit more festive?

So here’s what I did. First, I decided to move the gift wrap out of the closet. Not that it’s a far trip, but I lugged that bucket in and out several times last year, and thought this year I would give it a permanent home in my scrapbook space for the course of wrapping season. I changed out the bulletin board to display holiday cards from years past.  

Next, I changed out the lazy Susan that sits on my project table, filling it with gift tags, black markers, tape, scissors, and other items I’ll be using for gift wrapping and a simple little holiday scrapbook project.

I also pulled a two-tiered basket out of storage. (I use this in my kitchen during summer / fresh veggie season.) The two tiered basket is filled with ribbon, tape, and other gift wrapping goodies.

Next, I rearranged my ladder shelf…moving some scrapbook supplies I won’t be using in the near term into my storage closet, and placing holiday looking items on the eye level shelves…like red, green and black ribbon jars and a book of holiday cards from a past season...

 

...a small tray of holiday colored embellishments, and a vintage, green lunch box. (The lunch box is a recent antique mall find from my Michigan trip / visit with Dad. Nice memory to have throughout the holidays.)

Here's what I can see from my desk..

 Another view of the lazy Susan...

It's amazing how these simple little changes have really gotten me in the holiday mood. I can't wait to wrap! Thanks for the inspiration, Debbie.

bucket sighting

Please read using your most serious reporter's voice.

This just in. Oval holiday buckets were spotted today at a Target Dollar Spot. According to Danielle, a fellow bucket enthusiast "My Target brought the buckets back! I now have all three colors, red, blue and green. Woo Hoo!" This report has not been verified at other Target stores, so please shop at your own risk. (And, uh, save me at least one green one.)

 

Thankful

(A partial list. In no particular order.)

Today I am thankful for:

• My family. What a joy it is to go on this ride with these amazing people.
• Quiet moments.
• Yoga and my yoga instructor.
• Hot coffee. (Especially hot coffee made by Jay.)
• Thanksgiving traditions like coffee cake, eggs and the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade. I can’t wait.
• Home movies.
• Staying up late and sleeping in.
• Naps.
• Craig’s List and the loft bed we got for Kailea yesterday.
• Rental pick-up trucks. (Especially when Jay drives them.)
• Turkey and all the fixins. (Especially turkey made by Jay.)
• Safe travels to and from Michigan.
• A wonderful visit at home with my Dad and his wife, and being able to leave town at the last minute for this visit.
• Having my Mom here for Thanksgiving.
• Jay.
• simplify 101 and our amazing clients and workshop participants. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
• Stretching out of my comfort zone.
• Laughter.
• Memory keeping.
• The power of a smile.
• My Mom’s stuffing recipe.
• Hugs and snuggles from my kiddos.
• Our dog Maggie.
• Knitting.
• You. Thank you for reading my blog. Thank you for participating in things like Finish It Friday. I am truly thankful for your readership, support and comments.

Happy Thanksgiving to you! I would love to hear what you’re thankful for today in the comments. Thank you for sharing. Have a wonderful day, relaxing day.

Holiday Organizing with Buckets

You may recall that I love using buckets to organize and store things—it’s just one of my (uh, many) quirks. Lucky for me, the holiday season offers new opportunities to organize things with buckets (hooray!) and, it turns out, the holiday season also offers the opportunity for finding new buckets.

Yesterday I discovered some new buckets on my way to an in-home client appointment. I arrived very near the client’s neighborhood about fifteen minutes early. It just so happens that my client lives very near to a very nice and very new Target. So, I thought “I have just enough time to stop at Target to return those pillowcases and use the ladies room.”

So I run into this very new, very nice Target and stop at the returns counter—which happens to be right next to a very well stocked Dollar Spot. This very well stocked Dollar Spot happened to have some very cute holiday buckets—in red, blue and green. Now remember, I have fifteen minutes to a) use the ladies room, b) return pillowcases and c) drive the remaining three miles to my client’s home. And arriving on time is a priority. So, those buckets really complicated things. Do I use the bathroom or do I buy the bucket? I opted to stick to the original plan and use the ladies room, reasoning that I could easily swing back by Target on my way home.

Fast forward 4-1/2 hours…and I’m back in the very new, very nice Target. I have $2.50 in my hand and I am ready to claim my lovely green bucket. To my shock and horror, there are only red buckets left! That’s right—all the blue shiny buckets and all the green shiny buckets are g-o-n-e, leaving me not only green-bucketless, but also realizing I am not the only crazy bucket-loving lady on this planet. In fact, there were many bucket-loving people in that one very new, very nice Target buying up my shiny green buckets while I was happily and unknowingly organizing with my client. Who would have thought?

I decided to settle on the red bucket and head home, slightly bothered that all those green buckets got away from me—every single one of them. Gone.

Now a rational person would let it go. I had a red bucket, I should be happy. Right? Nope. Not me. That green bucket kept calling me and that green bucket kept nagging at me. The red bucket simply wouldn’t do. I had to have a green bucket. (Yes, I was becoming an even crazier bucket-loving lady than I was just hours earlier.)

So, I did what any crazy bucket-loving lady would do and headed to my not-so-very-new Target to see if, by chance, it had shiny green buckets. And alas—it did! I am now the happy owner of a shiny green bucket (and a red bucket, too. Because…well…you just never know when you might need a red bucket, right?)

So, what do I plan to do with these buckets? Well, when I first saw the green bucket, I thought it would make a great spot to store incoming Christmas cards. Without a designated spot, incoming cards can quickly become a source of holiday clutter.

These buckets would also be a handy container to corral card sending supplies – the cards, pens, stamps, address labels, etc. so that this project can be portable and move from room to room as my mood strikes.

I also thought it would be fun to use a bucket to store coupons, catalogs, receipts, and other holiday shopping gear throughout the season. The basket I used for this purpose last year has been permanently “borrowed” by my daughter for use in her closet, so I needed a container for this purpose anyway.

These buckets are really fun colors, making them great to use in a kid’s room any time of year. (Perhaps I should have picked up a blue one or two for my son’s room…hmmm…)

You could also use these buckets as a fun gift basket filled with anything that strikes your fancy...hot cocoa with holiday mugs, for example.

Okay…I’ve got to stop because I’m about to talk myself into more buckets, and really, I have other things on my to-do list today that trump my desire to go crazy buying buckets. (Again.) So, I’ll end the bucket report here. But, if you get a bucket or two of your own, I’d love to hear how you plan to use it. (And not to start a bucket-buying frenzy out there or anything, but just keep in mind these cuties sold out very fast yesterday at that very new Target by my client’s house. So…keep that in mind as you make your own bucket buying plans.)

Friday To-Do List

So it’s Friday, again! And it’s a rainy Friday. Again! It has been an incredibly wet and dreary October in my neck of the woods. But, oh well. I guess that’s what umbrellas are for.

So what’s on your Friday to-do list? Mine is simple and sweet:  Enjoy spending time with my Dad. Yay! My Dad and his wife are in town for a visit, and I’m seriously just so happy to see him. So, no projects this weekend—just some trick-or-treating and relaxing with this very-special-to-me man that I call Dad.

So no finishing for me this weekend…just sitting back, relaxing and enjoying the fruits of past weekends labor, like this fun (or perhaps funny) little project:

 

This project came together over the course of a couple of weekends. I was inspired by an article about seasonal decorating in this magazine.  The article talked about simple ways to transform your home’s decor for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and then New Year by using the same items in different ways for each holiday. So that got my creative juices flowing—I loved the idea, but wasn’t really sure how to pull it off in my home.

Then, I saw another project in Better Homes and Gardens where they strung pressed leaves from a ribbon on an empty, painted picture frame. Viola! I’ll hang ghosts from an old picture frame. The best part of this project is that it cost nothing. The frame was a curb-side “find” (thank you “Auntie Phyl”), and the ghosts were made from our old bed skirt and fiber fill that I had on hand. Fun and free—gotta’ love that. 

I’m hoping to do some other seasonal projects for Thanksgiving and Christmas using this frame. Who knows if and when inspiration will strike? We’ll see…perhaps a future Finish It Friday project.

So…that’s my weekend, and a little look back into projects completed in weekend’s past. I’d love to hear what’s on your Finish It Friday list! I hope you have a wonderful, productive and relaxing weekend. See you on Monday!

Could I ask a favor?

On Monday I mentioned that I had an exciting announcement. Well, the wait is over! The exciting announcement is just moments away.

But first, here’s a bit of background.

On January 30th, The 5th Annual Los Angeles Organizing Awards will be held at the historic Raleigh Studio in Hollywood California. This is a one-of-a-kind national event put together by the Los Angeles chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers. And it is very cool—think red carpet event in Hollywood. Seriously—it’s that cool.

Over 200 members of the professional organizing industry will attend this event to celebrate the people and products that have helped shape the organizing industry in 2009. And guess what? The Simplify 101 website and this blog is a finalist! We have been nominated for Best Organizing Website or Blog!

Jay and I are seriously honored to have been nominated and made the list of finalists. Because, even though in my Monday post I said this big announcement had nothing to do with babies, in a way it has everything to do with a baby. Simplify 101 is like our third little baby—we have poured our hearts and souls into it. So, to be recognized in this way…well…it is just too cool for words. (Literally, I am in a rare state of speechlessness, thus explaining my delay in posting about this.)

So, could I ask a favor? If you enjoy this blog, our website, newsletter, workshops—anything that is simplify 101, would you take a minute and vote for simplify 101? This is a case of “most votes wins”, so we would truly and sincerely appreciate your support. (And if you would spread the word to your friends and family to get them in on the voting, too, that would be very, very appreciated.)

Voting is super simple. Here’s how to cast your vote:

• Go to www.napola.org.
• Click on “Cast Your Votes Now Through December 15!”
• Under “New Users” enter your e-mail address and click the “login” button. (By the way…I voted last year and I didn’t get unsolicited mystery emails as a result of entering my email address…so no worries there.)
• Scroll down until you see the category Best Organizing Website or Blog, and then look for Simplify 101™ Blog/Website - Aby & Jay Garvey. Click on the circle next to Simplify 101.
• Then, scroll down to the bottom of the page and enter your name. (Your email address will already be populated. If you do not want to be added to the email lists indicated, change the selection to "no.") Click “submit” and you have voted!

Thank you so much for your support! Jay and I are truly honored and are very grateful for your support.

Congratulations to…

Jennifer C from California, USA! You have won a signed copy of The (now-out-of-print-and-really-hard-to-get-your-hands-on) Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker! Woohoo! I downloaded all the survey results (thank you so much for your responses, by the way) and each entry was assigned a number in the order in which it was received. Then, I went to www.random.org to generate a random number, and Jennifer C’s number was selected! If you’re Jennifer C, check your email in-box for a congratulatory email, and we’ll work out the details for getting your book mailed to you.

Congrats again Jennifer C. and thank you, thank you to all of you who took the time to answer the survey. Very helpful info in those survey results. Now, it’s time for me to get busy…

Back to School Idea: Lunchbox Notes

One of my favorite organizing solutions for the school year is my lunch bin, something I blogged about a few years ago. It is still going strong and making the everyday task of lunch prep a notch simpler and a notch more enjoyable.

One of the items I have tucked inside my lunch bin is a supply of lunchbox notes. I found these “lunch mail” notes when my son was starting kindergarten. I fell in love with the idea of surprising him with a little extra something in his lunchbox. I didn’t put a note in every single day, which added to the element of surprise and made note days even more special.

(Photo from the compendium inc. website)

Here are some ideas and resources for stocking up on your own lunchbox notes.

Buy pre-made lunch notes. I found these super-cute lunch notes at Starbucks this summer, on clearance. They already have messages printed on them – but there’s room to also add something of your own, if you like.

I noticed they were made by Compendium, so I checked out their site, and found they carry the lunch mail notes I originally purchased years ago, plus a variety of others like the “You’re incredible” series, and “dream big” and “I’m proud of you.” These are seriously cute. They’re such a great way to send your love to school with your child in his or her lunchbox–which can be great therapy for Mom and child alike.

Make your own notes ahead of time.If you’re up for a creative project, pull together some basic craft supplies and make a few custom-made notes before school (a.k.a. the busy season!) begins. Use up some of your cardstock and patterned paper scraps, and some of your almost-gone-but-I-can’t-throw-them-away-yet letter stickers or phrase stickers. Your kids won’t care if their notes don’t use up-to-the-minute supplies, so it’s a terrific opportunity to breathe new life into some of your older supplies. If you don’t scrapbook, you can still get in on the fun. How about finding fun words and phrases in magazines and make some ransom note inspired lunchbox notes. That sounds fun, doesn’t it?

Create notes on the fly.At the end of the day, the truly important thing here is sending a note to school with your child. This can be as simple as jotting down a quick “I love you” or “Good luck on your test today” on any piece of paper you happen to have around. So if you’re short on time or don’t want to purchase pre-made notes (or can’t choose just one style because they’re all too cute!) consider this last option. Simply corral together some small pieces of paper and some markers, and stow them with your lunch-making supplies, along with any purchased or custom-made notes. You’ll be ready to spread a dose of cheer any time the mood strikes!

Do you have any ideas to add? I’d love to hear from you! 

Why I love what I do...

As I mentioned, yesterday I woke up with a renewed sense of energy. I love new beginnings and fresh starts. With summer now just two days away, and the month of June still in its infancy, I’m feeling the burst of energy I always get with new beginnings. I love the possibilities that come with beginnings.

I’ve decided to channel this energy in some projects around my house, and I decided the best way to keep my enthusiasm going is to join Organizing 101 as not just as the instructor but also as a student.

Now, you may be wondering why I would do this. I already know how to organize, so why would I participate in an online organizing workshop? Well, there’s so much more that goes on inside workshops like Organizing 101 than simply learning how to get organized. I recently realized that the two workshops I have enjoyed teaching most, were Get Organized for the Holidays (which will be back in November) and my Goals workshop (which will be back in January.) Why were these my favorites? Because I participated as a student as well as the instructor.

During the goals workshop, I set goals and shared them with my classmates, and I reported every single day on my progress. Since this workshop closed, I have noticed that while I’m still making progress on my goals, they aren’t as top of mind as they were when the goals workshop was in session. I love the accountability of the online workshops, as well as the camaraderie—everyone in the workshop community wants the same thing:  to improve their homes and lives.

The bottom line is this:  even though I know how to get organized and I know how to set and achieve goals, it is more fun, focused and effective when I embark on these projects as part of the simplify 101 online workshop community. Truth is, if simplify 101 weren’t mine and Jay’s third baby; I would want to sign up for these workshops, I would want to be a part of this community, and I would want to create change in my home and life in this way.

For me, it really is more fun working on my own projects and goals with friends there to share and brainstorm with along the way. There’s also the extra sense of motivation that comes from reading other people’s success stories. When a fellow classmate posts that even though they were exhausted after working all day and running kids around they still spent fifteen minutes decluttering tonight…well, suddenly you just know “I can do that, too!” And then you do. And all of these little daily choices add up to big changes by the end of the workshop!

Plus, it’s just more fun with friends along for the ride. I remember when I was in high school and college, my friend Liz and I would do errands together all the time. She would ride along when I needed to go to the bank, or return something at the mall. She was there when I needed to decide on which pillows would look best with the comforter for my dorm room, and should I go with this poster or that one? When I moved to St. Louis and became an “official adult,” all of that changed. I ran my errands alone and I had to make decisions about decorating and other projects on my own. I missed the sharing and camaraderie I had before. And now I have that back again. With our workshops, I have a way to share my day to day life, the big projects and even the little ones, with a group of supportive friends. And the best part of all—they’re doing the same thing in their lives. It’s really very cool.

I share this for a few reasons. First of all, it is straight from my heart. I truly believe in our online workshops and how much they are helping people—including me. It often isn’t a case of knowing how to do something (thought that is a great first step!) It is creating the conditions that help you stay motivated and keep taking action on your projects, while having fun along the way, too! Second, if you’ve dismissed the idea of an organizing workshop because you already know how to get organized…you may be missing out on something that you would truly love. I’ve always loved to organize and I’ve always instinctively known how to organize, though I’ve certainly learned how to be more efficient and purposeful about it throughout the years. I’ve also always immersed myself in the topic of organizing and personal development. So, if I weren’t doing this for a living, I know I’d be a doing this as a student. It’s just my kind of thing.

OK…so the sappy part of this post is over. Now a few quick workshop updates:

* If you are taking part in “Help! I don’t know where to begin!” remember that the workshop closes tonight at midnight central time. This workshop cannot be reopened…so if you haven’t downloaded and saved the materials, stop reading, log in to the workshop system, and do this now! I don’t want you to be disappointed!

* For the session of Organizing 101 that starts today, I incorporated the content from “Help! I don’t know where to begin!” into the first lesson. So if you didn’t get “Help! I don’t know where to begin” and you’re taking Organizing 101—you’ll have instant access to the content. (Which means, you can start decluttering your home today!) It was really fun to see all the progress people made during this workshop. I took five bags of stuff to Goodwill on Sunday as a result of this workshop!  

* As far as if or when we’ll run “Help! I don’t know where to begin!” again…the jury is still out.

Thanks for letting me share. Hope you have a great day.

and the winners are...

Earlier tonight, from this orange basket, two winners were pulled at random...

Collin drew first, selecting the winner of the signed copy of The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker. He drew #81. The winner is the 81st person to comment which was Amanda D, who said:

My biggest obstacle right now is that I need to print pictures. Desperately! And, I am also out of my favorite adhesive. 

Posted by: Amanda D | June 06, 2008 at 08:28 PM

Yay, Amanda D!

Kailea drew second, and selected the winner of the seat in the Quick & Simple Clutter Control workshop. Kailea drew #12. The 12th person to comment (and therfore the winner!) was Jennifer who said:

where to begin? i can't keep up with organizing three kids' clothes. the ones they outgrow or are too big are in the attic and aren't convenient to get to. plus, girls don't have dressers, so where to put their clothes they are wearing.

and of course, the paper trail three children brings...

oh, wait...meal planning...the list goes on and on!

Posted by: jennifer | June 06, 2008 at 03:05 PM

Yay, Jennifer!

Please email me ladies to claim your goodies!!

Congratulations to you both! And thank you to everyone who played Freebie Friday! Woohoo! That was fun. :)