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Simple Journey Ministries Presents

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Organized Closets for Christmas

Closet organization can be one of the most rewarding organizational tasks that we perform within our homes. Not only can it be one of the most rewarding, but it truly  helps us to de-clutter our lives in a way that other daily tasks don’t. When you de-clutter a closet do you notice how different you feel when you enter the closet? The very first time you have to look for something in that closet, there is just something different about how you see things. You think to yourself how much better you function when things are organized. You promise yourself that you won’t allow it to get out of control again. You make every effort to do that, yet somehow over time, the closet becomes…well let’s just say some habits may return. The fact remains that you can set some check points in place to help keep up on a regular basis. Now, is the perfect time of year to get this started with one simple method that can keep you on the path to an organized closet, while incorporating those wonderful new items that may be in need of a place in your closets over the next few weeks.

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Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Keep It Together Girl!

Organize Your Make-up

Organizing your make-up can be easy, but it can also be complex, depending on what you have available in your bathroom for storage. Many have a shallow and narrow drawer in which they have to store their make-up. Some may just throw it in the drawer. Others may have several drawers in the bathroom vanity to separate make-up from hair brushes, hair accessories, etc. Still other bathrooms don’t have any drawers, but are equipped with a closet only. You can see how this can affect how to organize your make-up in an efficient way. But it isn’t just the organization we need to deal with. We also need to consider the forethought of how to keep up with the organization and the periodic cleaning of the space. PHEW! What seemed so simple became complex very quickly. Here’s an idea that is adaptable, quick, easy, and best of all…it’s FREE!

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Organize Your Linen Closet

I don’t know what happens at your house, but here at the Valeska Chateau, the linen closet can be a challenge to keep organized. I have always organized the shelves by item type, i.e. table cloths, sheets, towels, etc. There is nothing wrong with organizing your linens if it works for you, but with a family it can wreak havoc, to say the least. Once your children become old enough to train for certain tasks, it is almost as though it is their job to be helpful and disorganize the linen closet at the same time, thus causing mom an internal conflict as to whether or not to praise or chastise. It’s one of those little things that God has put in place for Mother’s as a training tool, I think. There are other ways to manage your linen closet, that will allow for optimal usage and the least amount of mom anxiety.

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Who’s Using the Room?

Last week I blogged about re-arranging a room to give it a complete face-lift without having to spend a dime. I received an email asking if there was a rule about doing that with the usage of the room in mind. Well, I don’t know if it is a decorator’s rule or not, but the answer is very simple.

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Arranging a Room to Create an Atmosphere of Warmth

Furniture arrangement is the most important aspect of creating an atmosphere of warmth in a room. The right arrangement can change an entire feeling in a room, even when you change nothing else. If you have a room in need of a face lift and you don’t want to spend any money, consider re-arranging your room in a new way. This is a very simple process and can make a big impact!

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Storing Tupperware Lids

One thing that has plagued me for years about organizing plastic kitchen storage containers such as Tupperware and Rubbermaid, is those pesky lids. I don’t know what happens at your home, but they keep coming up with these organizing “gimmick”, such as interlocking lids, and that is NOT a help. When my children put dishes away, they will stack the plastic containers inside one another, but those pesky lids they don’t take the time to put them together according to size and shape. I have tried a variety of solutions over the years. For a while we stored lids in Zip style bags, by size. That actually worked for a while, but then my children became lazy about putting lids away in the right bag and the bag sides finally ripped. We use baskets and other containers in which we could just through the lids, but that takes up precious cupboard space. So, with the gauntlet thrown down, I was determined to sold the problem once and for all.

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FREE Storage Options

We all need containers, bins, baskets, and a variety of other options to organize the items within our homes. To complicate matters we typically need these items in every room and for items that encompass every aspect of our lives. That’s a lot of stuff to store. Purchasing baskets, boxes, containers, baskets, bins, etc can be costly, even when we are able to get them at a low cost. On top of all that we may find ourselves in need of containers at a time when we just can’t (or don’t want to) spare a cent on them! Well, there is an option that may get you the storage space you need and is completely FREE!

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Organized Toys

Few things bug me as much as my kids asking me to play a game, opening the box and finding pieces missing. This is a true pet peeve of mine. The thing is, often times it isn’t that my children don’t put games away properly, but that the boxes are made so cheaply that they often break down quickly.

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Helping Children to Organize Books

It can often be daunting to a mom to teach children how to keep their books stored on a bookshelf. It may seem as though they should be able to do this task easily, but the fact is it can often be overwhelming; not just for mom, but for children as well.

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Storing Scrapbooking Scraps

I love binders for storing and organizing items, especially magazine articles! I can organize my recipes, family life, budget, e-books, etc by using binders. People sometimes laugh and sometimes are amazed at how many binders I actually have in my home. EVERYTHING has a place in a well labeled binder. This holds true for scrapbooking scraps.

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Paper Police

Paper is an issue that every family deals with. Some more than others, but we all have paper we need to store such as bills, receipts, documents, statements, school papers, art work (dare we ever throw one piece away), notes, newspapers, magazines, books, circulars, etc. The list can go on and on. Sometimes we don’t even get to those in a timely manner, missing out on a great sale on something that we actually have on our need list! That always burns me! There are lots of neat ways to keep paper under control and still have access to it, when needed.

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Staging A Room

I have two types of female friends; those who like to rearrange their rooms frequently and those who put a room together a room and that’s that. Whether you like new ideas constantly or you like to keep one setting, there are some things to consider that can really help with keeping your home organized, useful, AND welcoming.

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Optimal Organization

Organization is such a tricky feat for most of us. Finding the right container with the right niche for items is always a challenge. There is something you can do that will help you immensely; look to others.

We all have friends who are organized, if not all around, organized in some specific area. Talk with them. I have a special friend, who is can take a small area and PACK it with items and yet you never feel cramped in the space. April has a gift.

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Everyday School Organization

One thing that everyone tries to do at the beginning of each school year is to make a system that will work for keeping things organized. We all dream of mornings that are non-chaotic with never a spinny, spin, spin for that one needed item that seems to be hiding somewhere. I know I put that pencil somewhere, but where? Here is a system that can put those mornings behind you forever!

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Thanks to all who have been hanging in there with me this week. It sure has been crazy. Some of you are aware of what has been going on, and for those who don’t, the newsletter is on the way! I am working my way through re-scheduling the posts and Monday posting should be back to normal. Also, ALL of this week’s posts will be up today. Enjoy your weekend!

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Keep It Together Girl!

Teaching Kids Responsibility PART II

Last week was the beginning of a three part series on teaching kids responsibility in the home which builds their life skills, character, and helps mom. Today we are going to talk about an idea that has likely been expounded upon for years; assigning chores.

I agree that assigning chores helps kids understand exactly what their responsibilities are, as well as giving mom and dad a clear understanding of each family member’s responsibilities. However, I really struggled with this. I tried a variety of methods of instituting chores check points. I have had TONS of chores charts, programs to help me keep track of it all and they always fall by the wayside after a few months.

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Teach Your Kids Responsibility

One thing I have noticed that moms regularly do across the board is to take on responsibilities that do nto belong to them. We have so many reasons for doing so. For me, it is just plain easier for me to do certain tasks than to take the time to explain it, demonstrate it, supervise it, and then have to do it all over again until they master the task. The time factor is the biggest one for me. So instead of persevering for the greater good of my children, I take their responsibilities on my own shoulders and then wonder why I become frustrated with my work load.

I thought long and hard about how I could create some simple ways for my children to own their responsibilities, without incurring the time and training factor. What emerged was a system that has worked for our children and may work for your family as well.

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Mug Storage

There isn’t a one of us who doesn’t wish we had just a bit more cupboard space in our kitchen. It’s a fact that will remain throughout time. No matter how many cupboards, there just never seems to be quite enough. One way to combat this issue, is to store your mugs outside your cupboard. Years ago it was a popular practice to hang mugs from underneath a cupboard from mug hooks. However, they often took space away from the countertop and under the cupboard small appliances. So, what’s a girl to do?

Most kitchens are designed with at least one cupboard that has an outer side exposed. Attach mug hooks to the side of that cupboard and hang mugs. You can arrange the hooks in a whimsical design or in clean cut even pattern. This will add a cute dimension to that boring unused space while freeing up valuable cupboard space!

These are my thoughts.

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Closet Storage: Use it ALL!

Every time my kids are involved in an activity or we go yard saling, it seems we end up with a bag or ball cap. I would come up with baskets etc to store these items in. What I found was that my kids don’t grab fro these items on a regular basis. After a lot of brain power, I couldn’t come up with a solution that I thought was feasible, so the stuff stayed in baskets.

Then one day I was cleaning their closet and I was inspired! The back wall of the closet, behind where the clothes hang would be a perfect place to hang these items out of the way without interfering with the clothing. You can mount pegs on the back wall or use one of those old fashioned accordion coat hangers that looks like a series of diamonds when you open it. Simply hang the bags and caps there and place the hanging clothes on the rod in front.

One warning, if the hats are too large (like a cowboy hat), they will get knocked off the peg repeatedly. However ball caps, and bags hang nicely!

These are my thoughts.

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Ponytail Band and Scruncii Storage

If you have girls and you are a girl you likely have many hair bands and scrunciis. Ever wonder why you can’t find one when you need it? Ever gotten so frustrated you have used a binder clip to hold your hair back? YES, I have done that…more than once. A great and frugal storage idea for all those bands is cardboard toilet paper tubes or a paper towel holder.

Simply put bands around cardboard toilet paper tubes and store in a box or on an upright paper towel holder.

Another simple idea is to use a paper towel holder on its own. With a counter top holder you can simply slip them on and off, right at the sink. If you have little vanity space, try a wall or cabinet mounted paper towel holder. A great reason to use this type is that it can be mounted inside a cupboard door or under a closet shelf for optimal space efficiency.

These are my thoughts.

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Hang It!

Do you have lots of smaller items that need a place? Have so many little plastic storage containers that hold smaller groups of items, that you have no place to put them all and no way to keep them organized? Ever try to find one of those small plastic containers only to find every one you DON’T need and never the one you do? Here’s an idea that can help you locate those items quickly and store them efficiently.

A hanging shoe organizer is a GREAT storage item. You can store all types of items in those little clear plastic pockets. Jewelry, buttons, flash cards, counting bears, calendar blocks, small stationary supplies, cotton balls, foam pieces, glue sticks, sewing notions, spools of thread, scissors, office supplies, art supplies, extra rolls of tape, belts, scarves, and SO much MORE! What makes these ideal is their space efficiency. You can hang on of these on the inside of a closet door, on a clothing rack, or attach it to a wall!  These are SO inexpensive that you can purchase 2-3 for under $10! That is a LOT of storage for a frugal price.

These are my thoughts.

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