Ding Dong: Home Tour with Cami Wilcox

On the heels of several posts about organization, we thought you'd be inspired by Cami, who lives in a small apartment with her family and does an amazing job of keeping it all together...

Hello! Welcome to my home. I am so excited to be here on Bloom! I'm going to tell you how living in a 715 square foot, one bedroom apartment has worked for my family of three. I also have all sorts of tricks to help you organize your home, no matter the size.

This is the layout of our apartment, only in reverse. The kitchen and bath are on the opposite sides, as well as the living and bedroom, otherwise it is the same. Hopefully it will make it easier to visualize the space and that way you know exactly how big my rooms are.

This is our entryway. I found this vintage piece at the thrift store. My husband uses the drawer to store his pocket contents at the end of the day. It is very convenient since it is right by the door and having a designated place keeps him from putting stuff on the kitchen counters. Our most commonly worn shoes live in a bin inside the cupboard below. The rest of the shoes live in the closet in the bedroom.

As you look left you enter the kitchen. My favorite part of this kitchen is the open floor plan. I can see my two year old son playing in the living room while I cook dinner. Here are a few things I do to keep my kitchen clean and well functioning.

• Before I start dinner, I fill my sink with hot soapy water. That way I can wash dishes as I go and after dinner clean up is minimal. I feel like this is huge when your kitchen is the first room people see when entering the house. If you're having guests, you don't want them to see a sink full of dishes right when they walk in.


• Keep 5-6 garbage sacks in the bottom of the trash can so you can easily replace it. I store the large box of trash bags in the laundry area so it doesn't take up valuable under sink storage.


• Use one kitchen tool for multiple purposes. I use my cheese grater as a lemon zester and my muffin tins for cooking meatballs. The more you can multipurpose your items the less stuff you need.


• Counter space is valuable real estate. Even though I make my husband toast every morning, the toaster goes in the cabinet. If you start letting your counters get cluttered with appliances, it will trickle down to mail and other piles of stuff.

Right behind the door is our coat rack. The fact that I love it makes me want to avoid cluttering it up and it creates a designated place for our guests to put their coats.

From the kitchen you walk into the dining area. It is small but functional.We have a gorgeous table that didn't fit in the dining area of the apartment, but just wait, it is in another part of our house.

This is my creative zone. I use the cabinet on the left to hold sewing and craft supplies. My sewing machine lives under the desk but is always plugged in for easy access. I use the vintage suitcase to hold my current project so it is easy to get out and put away in a matter of seconds. I highly recommend creating an area where you can have quick access for creativity.

Here's the living room. This is a very busy place. It is where we store ALL of my son's toys, watch our very small TV, read and hang out. I avoided hanging anything on this wall to give the eyes a place to rest. It also feels more open and clean to me. The green bins in the TV console hold most of the toys. He has plenty of toys, they are just stored in bins with lids to make it easier for him to put them away himself without looking like a mess.

This is the other side of the living room. There is one more toy box behind the little chair by the window. The bookshelf in the corner holds board games and a few books. To make everything seem larger I avoid using rugs, coffee tables or having too much furniture on the floor. All of our furniture has legs to give the allure of more space. The magazine rack is actually a wine rack that I screwed onto the bookshelf. It is perfect for keeping magazines close but eliminates the need for another piece of furniture.

The cabinet next to the sink holds all of my husband's clothes that aren't hanging up. My clothes are on some shelves built next to the washer and dryer, on the other side of the bathroom. It is nice not having to have a dresser for our clothes.

This is the bedroom. You can access it from the bathroom or the living room, creating one large circle. This is great for a little boy who needs space to run. We have some very creative storage ideas going on here. We have a large 6-8 person table that we really like and didn't want to get rid of. So, we used it as our headboard. One added bonus is that there are about 4 inches of storage behind it, so all of our unused picture frames and the table legs go there.

Our son's clothes go in this dresser. The cedar chest holds all sorts of stuff, our china, my son's too big clothes and a few other things that we use but not often enough to keep out.

I love my jewelery storage. The necklaces, rings and broaches go on this corkboard. The earrings go in the red jewelery case. It's easy to see what I have and I think it looks good.This is super easy to make!

There is a walk in closet in the bedroom. This is where we store the rest of our clothes, shoes and Christmas decorations. The bedroom also has a storage closet that we use for all of our baby gear, clothes and accessories that we want to keep for our next kid.

I think most people can get by with living in much smaller spaces than they are living in. It does take some time to figure out what works for the space you have, but you can definitely make it into a space you love. When we moved here 8 months ago, I got rid of everything I didn't absolutely love. It was so rewarding to donate so many things and I felt so free of clutter I didn't even like that much. Now, before taking anything into my home I must absolutely love it. It doesn't matter how much it costs, if it isn't worth taking up the valuable space in my home, I don't want it.

I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to share my home with you on Bloom! Thanks for stopping by!

Organization Part III

Few more tips to renew your enthusiasm for organized living as we head into February:

Get inspired to organize your office/workspace with this awesome tour of Marta's beautifully organized craft closet. I am always refreshed by how real and practical Marta is.

Loved this tip on keeping her desk (and her head) free of clutter:

i try to keep my computer desk free of clutter, with only the essentials on it. this way i can bring binders or books over and there is actually a spot for them to rest open. i like the good advice i read once about making a habit of clearing your desk off at the end of every work day to prepare for the next morning.

aren't those labels so darling with Marta's one-of-a-kind calligraphy?

I also love the way she uses her space and, where possible, the boxes/bins/organizers that she already has. Also love the way she infuses the space with personal flair and inspiration. Check out the whole post here.

From Sarah who never ceases to dazzle me with her creativity and resourcefulness. Love this lady!

For receipts:

Full tutorial (including links to free printable labels!) here.

For menu planning:

Full tutorial here.

All our electronic gadgets (iPods, cell phones, chargers, cords...) might make our lives simpler in some ways, but they sure have the potential to increase counter-top clutter! I love this simple pouch Sarah created to organize their electronics:

Full tutorial here.

Joan is a master at clean simplicity. Her space is never fussy or cluttered. I'd take her organizing advice any day! She wrote a post at her blog a while back about purging your home of the unnecessary and getting things in order.

Here's an excerpt:

1. Decide what area/closet/room of your home gives you the itchiest hives (ie: locate the most horrendous mess).
2. Find an activity/babysitter/something to keep your little ones (if you have children) occupied.
3. You might laugh at this one but...make sure you have a yummy drink near by and/or snack. Let's face it: no project is fun when you have a hungry tummy. (**editor's note: We love Joan for things like this - so honest and real. And fun!)
4.Turn on some soothing yet happy music.
5. Empty out the contents of chosen closet or whatever area you are working on...

Read the rest here. (Joan gives great tips on how to evaluate and decide what to toss and what to save.)

Rachael Bailey (also an organizational master, especially when it comes to time management and efficiency) had the following to say:

"My organizational system has two parts: sitting down to actually plan something out, and then writing it down. (I began doing this after noticing how stressed I would feel knowing that there were "things" I needed to do, but not having a clear picture or list of exactly what I needed to accomplish.) I have two places where I keep all the written parts; the first is a laminated sheet on my 'fridge that has all the tasks I need to do each day of the week. I instituted this about four years ago and it has been revolutionary; it helps me to spend a short time every day ensuring that our home functions smoothly without overloading everything onto one dreaded crisis cleaning day (a little more info about that here). Most importantly to me, this system prioritizes sit-down time with my children every day, which is something I found would often get lost in the rush of my mental to-do lists.

The second is an erasable whiteboard calendar I bought my freshman year at BYU, which has survived seven moves to become my organizational "best friend." I keep literally everything on this calendar: doctor's appointments, special classes, menu plans, playdates, carpool assignments, and family adventures. It tells me how far I need to run that day, if I have a bunch of grading coming up, or if somebody's coming to dinner. It seems like an obvious system as I'm writing this out, but it is what allows me to stay sane (and calm) while juggling my very different roles!"

*********************************************************

Thanks a million to everyone who shared ideas. You've all inspired me! Little by little, I'm crossing things off my "get organized" list. I hope you are, too. The thing that's helped me most is to cut through the crappy excuses I make for myself. I was waiting for all kinds of things: my husband's help. A big window of time without the children. Better weather. More money. But then I realized that none of those things were ever going to align perfectly and there was plenty that I could do by myself, while the children played, in the rain, with no money. I just needed to start. This afternoon I took an hour and tackled the garage. The kids played outside, shoe-less and under-dressed. I didn't care. They were happy. I was busy. There was a post-Christmas-palooza in there that needed some serious attention. It felt so good to break boxes down, fill the recycle bin, rearrange the shelves and sweep everything out. We ate dinner later than usual. But it was all okay. It's invigorating to get things done, and contagious. Now that I've got the garage done, I want to move on to something else and keep the organizational train rolling steadily along.

xo,
em

For more organizational inspiration,
check out the first two installments of this series here and here.

Organized Part II

{thanks, Martha}

I'm pleased to report that the organizational bug that bit me earlier this month is still buzzing around. Unfortunately, it hasn't been the only bug buzzing. I went away with my lovie this weekend and caught something ugly. Feeling mostly better, but a little behind on life. And frustrated at the number of projects I'd like to tackle, compared with the tiny margin of spare time I have to do them in. You can relate? And when I say projects I'm not talking about superfluous needlepoint or unnecessary redecorating - I'm talking about cleaning out my pantry and organizing my over-rummaged cupboards. So I had slumped to actual self-pity about this predicament tonight (dumb, I know) and I was all a dither with eye rolls and huffy sighs, and then I thought ... wait.

I may not have half-a-day to organize my kitchen top to bottom, but I have six minutes right now while the bread is kneading. And I started working. One cupboard. And by the time the six-minute buzzer was buzzing, I was done. And then I had 20 minutes while the bread rose and the oven heated. So I moved on to the pantry. And by the time I put the loaves in, my pantry was nearly ship-shape. So my organization tip to you is this: just start. Even if you only have 5 tiny minutes, choose one tiny space and start sorting. You'll be surprised at how much you can do. And how motivated you feel to put the crumbs of your time towards productivity.

Here are a few more tips from some friends of Bloom:
(see Getting Oragnized Part I here)

Abbie on playroom organization:

My mom is going to laugh when she reads this because my room was an epic MESS growing up. But I've learned a few tips that have helped keep my kids’ room/playroom clean (until they grow up and I have no control, but for now…).

• When they get new toys for Christmas or birthday, we get to donate some old toys.
  
• A table! Get an old kitchen table for your playroom. Seriously, best idea ever! Great for working while they play and great for storage.
• Organize like with like, and keep it that way. I know, this is a duh, but it's the foundation of any well organized space.
• Give them little places to put those random little toys they’re really attached to (and throw away the other random little toys).
• Keep all the toys in their room. I used to have a small basket in our living room and it drove me crazy. Now we have a rule: all toys stay in their room.
• Hide toys! I love this idea the very most. Hide toys that don’t get played with everyday, but you’re not ready to part with. It’s like Christmas when you bring them back out.

Jordan had this to say about motivation for cleanliness:

"one thing I wanted to share regarding keeping a tidy home: Have people over! It is the only way I ever feel motivated to really declutter, deep-clean, and make my home presentable and comfortable. Do it over and over again!"

Gina (Lettergirl) offers this helpful tip for self/life management:

A few months ago I started something new to improve my time management – I got the idea from a tip given to me by one of my blog readers, and then I tweaked it over a couple of months to make it work for me. The idea is pretty simple: a regularly scheduled personal “staff meeting.” My blog chum holds her own meeting once a week; I have found that monthly works best for me. I sit down early in the month (preferably at a local coffee shop: there are fewer distractions, and it feels like a treat) and write out all the things I need/want to accomplish that month. I have developed a little chart with sections for work projects, work administration, personal stuff, shopping list, and an extra column for “if I have the time.” Because I am self-employed, and work from home, it is easy for my work & home life to overlap; I like to go grocery shopping during the day, and I don’t mind doing work at 6am. But that can also wreak havoc with my time management! By writing everything down at the beginning of the month, from projects at work to buying a new thermos for my son’s lunchbox, I get all the details down on paper, which gives my mind the freedom to actually get things done. I’m not dwelling on the small stuff, and hopefully I’m forgetting less too (or at least making fewer trips to Target). And I love the sense of accomplishment that comes from crossing items off the list! (For the record, I have restrained myself from designing a pretty chart for my monthly meetings. I use an easy-to-carry-around notebook…granted, it is a pretty notebook.)

Kerstin offered the following tips:

Use the space you have

1 year ago we moved into a bigger house but my kitchen is considerably smaller in storage space. I have 4 drawers and 2 of them are really deep awkward spaces! I had to get really creative on how to store my kitchen items (not to mention food!) On my pantry door I hung wire racks to hold some of my spices and foil, wax paper and plastic wrap. These were just cheap white racks from Wal-Mart that I spray painted with brushed silver nickel spray paint (1 coat of spray primer in gray first). I bought a plate organizer for my cookie sheets and a stacked spice rack for my peanut butter, syrup, agave, etc.

I have a lot of holiday platters and plates and it always makes me nervous to put them in a tote in the garage or attic so I store them on top of my cupboards. There is a little groove and you can’t see them at all!

A cleaning tip: I set the timer for 10 minutes, put on some music, and see how much I get done it 10 minutes. I am always amazed at how much I can accomplish and it goes fast! It works because as moms we often don't get more than 10 minutes of uninterruption!

We have an Organization Overhaul going on at my house right now. I am cleaning out one cupboard per day. I am getting rid of things we don't use and getting things back in order. It's quick and painless. Next I am moving on to closets!

We've still got more helpful ideas to share, so be sure to check back...
In the mean time, we'd love to know what's helping you get/stay organized.

Organized for 2011

Like I mentioned last week, 2011 rolled in with energy and sparkle. There are a lot of things I want less of in my life - screen time, stuff (raise your hand if Joan's home tour made you want to purge the junk in your life), sugar - but there are some things I want more of, chief among them being organization. I want more order, more systems, more routine. Anne and I chatted about this and thought, who better to approach for organizational tips than our own readers and guests?

And we were right. You guys are full of great ideas. We're excited to share them. Here's round one:

I love what Kalli shared about labeling and organizing photos. Scrapbooking seems like a losing battle, but record keeping is important to me. This seems adequate and do-able:

My mom always took the time to write on the back of pictures she had developed and you know what? It's awesome to know those details because holy cow, do you forget. I know a lot of us in this digital day and age have thousands and thousands of pictures, I know I do. Whenever I download, I always try to either label my folder with the date and event or label at least a couple of the important pictures, (esp. when my babies are small, there's a big difference between 8 and 4 months) and then quarterly I try and actually print out a good chunk of them, at least the ones I love, and stick them in albums (with the info on the back). I also upload all my photos to photobucket and organize the folders by date and occasion (like winter 2010) so that in case my hard drives and backups fail I have it all online. Thanks to having a baby 3.5 months ago and being largely pregnant all summer I'm sort of behind on this project, but I'll catch up. I love going through my mom's photo albums because all the information is right there on the back of the pic, I know my kids will too, so it's important to me to keep up with this stuff.

Melanie of Mel's Kitchen Cafe on recording memories and milestones for our children and also organizing recipes and favorite ideas from magazines:

1) With my four boys, I love to keep track of the funny things they say and do, their milestones, concerns, favorites (foods, activities, books). But it is overwhelming to try to write it all down and stay organized. What I've started doing is keeping a post-it note (I'm addicted to those babies, by the way) with each of their names written at the top stuck to the side of my fridge. Four post-it notes right in a row. Since the kitchen is the central hub of my life, it is the best place to keep them. When something note-worthy happens with one of them or I have an impression of something I want to write down, I grab a pen from the messy junk drawer by the fridge and quickly write it down on the correct post-it note. About once a month, I take a quiet minute in the evening after the kids are in bed and update their individual journals from the info on the post-it notes (I type up their journals in Word and keep them saved on the computer). It helps me not stress about getting on the computer right that very second (which is sometimes impossible to do) to make note of the cute thing they did without forgetting...and in the end, I'm able to keep track of all the wonderful (and not-so wonderful) things they are doing and learning.

2) I subscribe to a few lovely and divine cooking magazines. However, after a couple of months, I feel like the stack has piled up and I have forgotten which recipes I've bookmarked to try...meanwhile the stack of magazines has overtaken my precious pantry space. So I started a 2-inch ring binder for the recipes. After 1-2 months of pile up, I quickly snag the magazines, rifle through the pages and rip out the recipes that are calling my name. I use my three-ring hole punch, give them a little squeeze and place the page(s) in the binder. To be honest, I don't even organize the binder according to recipe category, I just stick them in there. When I am planning my 2-week menu, it is the first place I go to look for new recipes. When I've tried one and have posted it or typed it up, I pull out the original recipe in the binder and toss. I've used the same method when I used to subscribe to Real Simple and Martha Stewart. I have a handy-dandy binder in my craft closet with all the cute ideas from both magazines and I shuffle through it quite a lot to get ideas. It's so much easier than keeping a stack of magazines around and looking through each and every one.

Tysha of Little Red Wagon Photography had this great space-saving tip for DVD storage:

First, we take the DVD out of the case.
Second, we toss the case.
Next, we put the DVD in a CD storage album (like this one).
Lastly, store on a shelf or in the cupboard of TV console.

That way - everything is in one place - a place which takes up much less
space than a ton of cases - and is easy as pie to organize into sections
(ie "kids" movie, exercise, etc.) and then we don't have to worry about
our two kids (2.5 and 11 months) wreck havoc by spilling out all the cases
etc. It works great!

I've also heard of people storing DVDs, in their cases, in photo boxes -
so they look pretty and not as tempting to little people high up on a
shelf ;)

And lastly (for today), Miggy of This Little Miggy Stayed Home, sent us a link to a great post she put together about some things she does to stay organized - things like keeping a bottle of spray-n-wash in her little girl's room so she can treat stains before they go into the dirty clothes without having to run down to the basement laundry room. And "keeping separate cleaning supplies under each bathroom and kitchen sink...sprays, sponges, rags, cleaners--in each major hotspot." Love that idea; the job is much more likely to get done when all the supplies are handy. Read more of her great ideas here.

More to come, stay tuned...

Thanks for these great ideas.
Have an organizational idea you'd like to share at Bloom?
E.mail us: aplacetobloom at gmail dot com.

September Mini Goals with Bloom Guest Abbie White

Such a treat to have Ms. Abbie here today. Abbie has her hands full managing two little ones in the Big Apple all while her husband attends medical school, but she handles life with grace and humor. My favorite thing about Abbie? She's spunky and charming - an instant friend - but she's also got depth and wisdom and is genuinely trying to make her little world a more excellent place to be. I love her habit of September Mini Goals; I think you will too...

Happy September!

Isn’t the beginning of the school year so great? It’s the time of year that I’m ready to have a little more structure and accomplish good things, and it’s usually when I declare to my husband, “I just re-planned my entire life!” The Plan always includes SIMPLIFY followed by a huge list of a million things I want to do. Then I whine, “I’m so overwhelmed! I can’t do all of this.” And that’s when I put on my logical hat and decide what I really want to do with my life (at least my September - December 2010 life).

I take that giant list of all the things I want to do and whittle it down big time - I cross off all the things that are just not happening this fall. And then I separate the smaller list into categories: spiritual, intellectual, physical, and social/family. The end result is four mini-goals: one spiritual goal, one intellectual goal, one physical goal, and one social/family goal.

These don’t have to be over-the-top, January-1st-type goals. They can be easy, specific, stress-free goals; like learning how to wear make-up or doing the dishes before you go to bed or finishing up the half decorated walls in your living room or learning relaxation techniques to manage stress. See? Easy, specific, stress-free goals.

Once the goals are set and journaled, I keep them in my phone. I try to remember them when I’m planning out my week and put in steps of action that will help me accomplish these mini-goals.

And that’s how I’ve been doing 4 Mini Goals in September for the last few years; it’s been a good way to refocus after a crazy, fun summer.

So, what kind of self-improvement are you up to this fall?

Office Face Lift {with love}

Necessary Background: My husband works from home, building a comprehensive tax & financial planning business for small business owners. We moved to Oregon (and made the transition to self-employment) in the middle of tax season (ie the busiest time of year for his kind). He set up a desk, hooked up his computer and canon-balled into his work. The office sort of became the place to put all the things we didn't have a place for. The door was always shut. Out of sight out of mind. Which was mostly fine. Except that poor Nate was in there. All day. Every day. He recently took an eight day business trip. And I saw a golden window of opportunity. When he left, the office looked like this:

(*shudder*) Chilling, isn't it? Boxes everywhere. Trash in the corners (too busy to run it out to the garage??) Sticky notes aplenty on the walls. Chaos and disorder at every turn. While he was gone I went to work sorting, organizing, recycling and rearranging.

Here's what he came home to:

I share this with some reservation; it isn't the cutest or most jaw-dropping transformation you'll ever see (not even close), but it does make a case for organization and de-cluttering. And, quite frankly, it was more about the gesture than the room.

Please keep in mind that this is a man's space -- frilly trinkets and thrifted treasures (much as we love them) just weren't in order. We bought everything we needed for this project at Target. For the storage baskets, the bulletin boards and the lamp, I think we spent about $175. Not exactly a shoe-string, but not a bank-buster either. Please also keep in mind that we are renting this home. I think sometimes we let temporary-ness keep us from really settling in and making home. We shouldn't. I like to blame the still-white walls on our renter status (when in reality it was just my own laziness that kept those walls white!)

The details:

A stack of Nat Geo's I snagged from a "free to the public" cart at our local library in Texas. (Note the dates - 1960's & 70's mostly, fun bit of history, I say.) Love the punch of yellow on the bookshelf. And the cover photographs are so fabulous. I hope to frame and hang them someday. You know, when I have a map room off the library (wink!)

A clean desk (with some flowers I cut from the bed under the office window - how's that for charming? :), family photos to inspire him when he's work-weary, and cork/dry erase boards to scribble notes-to-self on. Little secret about Nate: he loves a dry erase board. Asked for one for Christmas one year (like 3 years ago) he loves 'em so much.)

The giant clothespin is by far Henry's favorite part of the office spruce-up. I think it's pretty cool, too. The reading lamp and pillow cozy up this awesome chair we inherited from Nate's grandma. The painting is one I ordered from Crate & Barrel (clearance!) with the remains of our wedding credit. It's been in a plastic storage sleeve for seven years; it is really happy to have a stretch of wall space - at last!

So, there you have it. A room re-do that speaks more to functionality and order than knock-your-socks off design. But it also speaks to love. And to one girl's genuine adoration for her husband - and her desire for his space to be a tiny shadow of how neat and charming she thinks he is.

Friday Forum: Making a Memorable Summer

Wow. Amanda has put together an amazing schedule that is going to make her family's summer awesome. (Take notes!) But she still needs some ideas. That's where you come in.
Okay, Ladies. I’m in need of a little help here. Last summer was a complete disaster, which I attribute to the fact that I had a baby in June--too pregnant to want to do anything at first, then the rest of the summer I was with a newborn. Needless to say, my other kiddos were not too impressed with their summer break lived out in the confines of our backyard.

Now that I’m back to “normal” (Is there such thing--seriously??) I’m determined to make it a GREAT summer for all six of us. It will require some major organization, and some great ideas…which is where YOU come in! Here’s my plan so far:

Summer Planners. The girls are used to keeping a planner at school, and they work so well I decided not to fix it if it ain't broken. They each get a folder with a printout of their daily chores for the week, and have to keep track of completing them. (Did you know there was a study done—forgive me for not having a reference—that shows endorphins are released when you mark something off a list??!! See, I’m not crazy after all.) Points are assigned to each chore and are awarded for completion, then they can be used to buy rewards (books, computer time, etc.). We've had GREAT success doing MyJobChart.com, but having them printed out and in their folders will keep them from wanting to get on the computer 15 times a day. I'm also adding a Math worksheet and some kind of Language Arts worksheet (superteacherworksheets.com is a great reference) each day, just so they retain what they've learned over the school year. (Lest you think I'm a mean mom, making my kids do homework all summer, please know that these worksheets will take less than 30 min. to complete both, so it's not like I'm some Nazi Mom....mostly. Besides, they’re still young enough that they think doing homework’s fun!)

Weekly Theme. We've decided to pick a weekly theme--one the girls are interested in and want to learn more about--then all of our activities for the week will be incorporating our theme somehow. For instance, last week the girls picked Horses as our theme, so on Wed. we went to the library and picked out all sorts of books on horses and borrowed My Friend Flicka from the library as well. Friday, we were lucky enough to find that the Miniature Horse Show was going on up at the County Fairgrounds, so we packed a picnic lunch and went to go see them. We found an owner who was kind enough to let 7 little kids under the age of 8 maul...I mean pet... her horse and get pictures with him...they were in LOVE!

Weekly Schedule. I read a study once (apparently I read a lot of those…) on the affects of anticipation, where one group of kids were told months in advance that they were going to go to Disneyland, while another group wasn’t given any notice, just taken there one day. Years later, the group that was given a chance to anticipate the trip was shown to have remembered greater details about the trip, shown greater satisfaction in and happier memories of their vacation, and had better and happier memories of those they went on the trip with, than the group that wasn’t given any notice. Because of this, I try to let my girls anticipate upcoming activities as much as they can, and I think because they’re really just little people, they like to know what’s going on and what to expect. So, here’s what I’ve come up with (though, I'm not naive enough to believe that it will work out like this every week, all summer long) :

Monday--Swimming Day. We have a membership at the City Rec. Center, so I figured we better let the kids use it too! I'm excited that my former swim instructing/lifeguarding skills can once again surface, but I'm really hoping not to need the latter…

Tuesday--Movie/Book Report Day. We'll either borrow or rent a movie that has to do with our theme for the week. I love that the library has lots of great choices. Not only do they have a few popular movies, but there are lots of educational DVD's that the kids are WAY excited to watch. We borrowed one on the life of butterflies and moths, and they watched it 5 times before taking it back. Since the kids will have borrowed at least one book on our weekly theme, I figured their “homework” for the day can be a book report. Great way to practice handwriting as well as reading comprehension! (My 4 y.o. LOVES drawing pictures about the books she’s read, so it really works for any age!)

Wednesday—Library/Picnic at the Park Day. Every Wed. the library does StoryTime, where they read a few books, blow some bubbles, do a little relaxing yoga (seriously!), then make a craft to take home. It's nice to let someone else do the reading for a while, and we can return our books and get new ones for the week while were there. My rule for this summer is 3 books each. One from the library's reading list they provide for each grade level, one having to do with our weekly theme, and one that's just whatever the heck they want. I'd love to let them get more, but that's 15 books already, and I have to carry them AND the baby back to the car, AND keep track of them once they're at my house for the week, so...limits are essential. After we’re done at the library, we’ll take our picnic to the park where we’ve invited ALL of our friends to join us, so it’s not only a great playdate for the kids, but great mom time with my friends as well!

Thursday--Project Day. My girls have such imaginations! Thankfully they really like to express themselves through making things. I'd like to keep to our weekly theme when doing our projects, but frankly, I'm not sure if I can come up with a unique project every week that sticks to that, so we'll just go with the flow on this one. For this week, we're going to decorate our Summer Planners, and I may even break out the forbidden paint and markers...maybe. J

Friday—Field Trip Day. We'll plan some sort of outing, hopefully theme-related, that will get us out and doing something we wouldn't normally do, for instance, the Miniature Horse Show. I'm really hoping to mix it up and let the girls experience all sorts of different things. Of course, most of these things will have to be free, but I'm up to the challenge of finding some jewels out there!

I must say that I’m so totally excited to let this summer be about doing things with and for my children! Now that most of them are in school, I’m feeling a bit like I need to soak them up as much as I can while I have them. So, I guess what I’m hoping all you Bloomies will help me out with is sharing some of your uber-creativity and imagination in finding some great ideas for themes, projects, and field trips, as well as letting all of us in on the way you’ve planned out your summer.

I Bet This Crossed Your Resolution-Making Mind, Too...

image via junk yard gypsy

Every time I read Rachael's blog I sit slack-jawed in amazement at all she manages to accomplish. So much to learn from this gal! So happy to have her at Bloom today with a few very helpful tips on time management and efficiency.

Confession: every day there are a lot of things I wish I’d accomplished that I just didn’t have time to get to. I’m not a dazzling paragon of time management—I spend my fair share of time scrolling through blogs while my kitchen floor languishes unmopped. But (allow me to mount my soapbox for a minute) I’ve discovered five things that work for me that I’m excited to share with you today. (This post is written from the perspective of a mother of young children; it’s not an attempt to exclude but rather a reflection of the stage of life that I’m in right now.)

Make lists

Daily routines

On my refrigerator, I keep a list of routine daily tasks (Monday through Saturday) in a plastic sheet protector. These are the essentials that keep my house running smoothly. When I finish a task, I draw a line through it with a whiteboard marker; at the end of the week, I erase the whole thing and start again. This helps me to feel like I’m on top of the day because I always know what else needs to be done at just a glance, rather than feeling like there are a million things I should do but I don’t know where to start.

My daily lists cover everything from laundry (which I do four times a week), basic cleaning, bill-paying, thank-you notes, and special projects. Essentially, I sat down and wrote out everything I do on a regular basis to keep things running smoothly, then assigned them all to various days. What this boils down to is doing a little every day, rather than having a day of crisis-cleaning and catch-up every week or so.

I’ve built in a catch-up day on Fridays that is inevitably needed and helps to reduce the stress. I also include daily story-reading with the kids and “floor time,” where I am 100% focused on playing with the kids and ignore ringing phones, blinking emails, etc. This helps me feel like I’ve gotten some quality time in with the kids every single day, because I’ve prioritized it along with all the other things I want to accomplish that day.

Out-of-the-ordinary

In addition to daily tasks, I also need a way of tracking other things to do, like changing over the car insurance, paying my husband’s tuition, making visiting teaching appointments, etc. My new favorite list-making tool? That little task thing in Gmail. So easy to use, and plus you have the satisfaction of crossing it out when you’re done.

Selective multi-tasking

The reality of life with small children is that many things proceed at a snail’s pace. You can try to fight it, or you can embrace the inevitable and learn to make use of this time. (This is most successful when you stay in the same room with them and continue to carry on a conversation. I should also note that we’ve chosen not to have a TV in our home, so I can’t plan on doing chores while my children are occupied by a show).

For instance, try some of the following:

· Clean the bathroom while your kids are in the tub

· Start a few dinner preparations while they eat an afternoon snack

· Clean the ‘fridge while they’re eating lunch one pea at a time

· Fold laundry together while you listen to music

· Encourage your children to help with “fun” tasks (for some reason, my kids get no end of glee out of mopping the floor and dusting)

Plan ahead

Flying by the seat of your pants and never thinking ahead can be cute when you have no responsibilities. It’s not so cute when you’ve got a real job, small people who rely on you for sustenance and clean clothes, or a house to run.

Plan meals for the week so you only have to go to the grocery store once. Pack lunches, backpacks, and diaper bags the night before. Set the table for breakfast after everyone is in bed at night. Schedule appointments back-to-back. Keep all the library books in the same spot. Prepare for things ahead of time as much as possible so you’re never scrambling at the last minute. If you don’t have a good calendar to keep track of your life, invest in one now (I’m partial to the whiteboard calendars myself). Bottom line: preparation = peace of mind.

Consider your day

When are you most productive? When do things get crazy? When do you just need to collapse and not think anymore? Build your day around these times and plan accordingly. It’s not realistic to expect that you’ll be super-efficient at 5 pm if you’re trying to make dinner, placate a crying baby, and mop a floor simultaneously. Literally, sit down for a minute and think about a typical day.

For instance, my kids always run off as soon as they’re done with breakfast and play happily together for the next hour. This is when I try to do all of my cleaning, bill-paying, and phone-calling. If I read stories with my oldest daughter and play with her for about half an hour after the other children go down for their naps, she will be content to color by herself for the next hour until the baby wakes up—a perfect time to get a jump on dinner preparations or anything I didn’t finish in the morning.

Plan your day. Consciously consider what you need to do and the best times to do it. Pretty soon, you’ll find that you’ve developed a comfortable routine that works for you.

Schedule regular downtime

I have three children. The oldest one is four and the youngest is six months. I teach part-time at Purdue University, I’m obsessed with cooking, and I’m a neat freak. Translation: I am always busy and someone always needs me. But every single day I do two things: exercise and read, even if I didn’t necessarily get everything else done that I needed to do. If I trade out my “me time,” I’m a wreck. Find what rejuvenates you and make sure that it happens regularly. In my home, once the children are in bed, I’m done for the day (unless I have to grade papers).

Once a week, I take a night off. I’ve used this time to attend yoga and quilting classes, meander around Target, go out with friends, or browse the local libraries. What I do isn’t so important as the time I have to simply enjoy my own company and the pleasure of occasional solitude. For the last three years, a good friend and I have done a standard weekly playdate where we take turns watching the other woman’s children for a few hours. Our kids love it, and we both know that every other week we have two precious daytime hours to employ however we see fit. Build in time for yourself, and your family will benefit as well.

And now it’s your turn! What tips or tricks do you have for managing your time efficiently and helping your life to run smoothly?

Repurpose for Organization

Maybe some of the "clutter" you have laying around might actually be able to help you organize your other clutter. Loved these ideas for giving old things new organizational life.

remember this little gem (book storage crate) from "A Place to Read?"
Bathroom storage image from PoeticHome

Wine crates stacked and repurposed for bathroom storage.

Old crates can also be tipped on their sides
and used as end tables next to low-profile beds.
Or to hold books.

Loved this corner of Stephanie Nielson's
home the minute I saw it.
Don't the tin cans look charming filled
with scissors, paint brushes, and colored pencils?
Recycled glass jars, stripped of their labels would be cute, too.

Ice cube or silverware trays
can be used to store jewelry
or small office supplies
in a vanity/desk drawer.
image via apartmenttherapy

Love the paint-can cubbies.
I think you can buy empty paint cans
at most local paint retailers - all sizes.
Image and more info at marthastewart.com

And finally, who would think that a rickety old stack of dresser drawers
could become something as cute as this?

You really just need to check out this whole post
from Decorology about furniture repurposing ideas -- very cool stuff!

We'd love to hear about any of your successful repurposing endeavors.