Prodcut Feature- Rubbermaid Bento Containers

As I was dream-shopping in the container section of Target today, I came across these neat boxes from Rubbermaid.  They're called Bento.  

What makes these containers special is the flexible dividers inside.  You can leave the divider flat against the sides for a traditional  fabric storage container.  

Or, you can flex open one strong divider for one small section and one larger section.  

Or, you can use both dividers and have 4 smaller sections.  

How neat!  I really like this idea!  

One of my problems with traditional fabric storage bins is the lack of dividers.   

Usually things are just thrown in.  I want to be able to find the smaller items without taking all of the larger items out first.  That drives me crazy!

The Bento storage containers are sturdy, stack-able, come in small, medium, and large sizes, and have lots of possibilities.  

I'm thinking of getting one or two for my hubby's dresser.  If you saw it, you'd agree! :)

We'll keep thinking & designing for more ways to Get It All together.

What do you think of these new containers?  Have you seen them before?

 

Functional Before & After

 Today’s Before & After isn't so much about the dramatic looking difference.  It’s more about functionality. 

In the Before photo, it doesn't look too bad.  The vertical space is being used wisely.  The closet door still shuts and all three items have a home.

The problem:

The items were hanging by nails and when the door swung open or shut, all 3 items swung with the door, falling off, getting tangled, or jammed the door from closing.

How aggravating!  My kids were especially annoyed and whined for a solution.

Here’s what I came up with:

This hook set was wasting away on the wall above the dryer.  It was in a terrible location (from a previous owner who must have rearranged things before they left).  

It couldn't be used because there wasn't enough space between the dryer and the wall.  

So, it got taken down and moved to the back of the closet door.  Thanks, hubby!  (He’s much better with the electric drill than I am!)

The re-purposing took less than 10 minutes (once the hubby helped) and it works so much better!  

The kids will be thrilled the next time they help sweep the kitchen…sort of.  :)

Remember when designing a space to look around the house and see what you can re-purpose.  

It may be your $0 Budget Solution that helps your household Get It All Together.

Spring Break!

It's Spring Break!  

I'll be taking this week off, cleaning, organizing, and enjoying time with my family.

Have a great week & I'll see you back here next Monday with more inspiration on 

Getting It All Together.

Spring Cleaning- One Chore a Day

I was reading an article from HGTV.com and discovered a great calendar with a daily tip for spring cleaning your house. 

I really appreciate simple, daily tips.  They help keep me on track without overwhelming me and my ever-growing to-do- list.  


Today's tip is to "Lose the Magnets."  




The refrigerator is a magnet for attracting clutter (haha!) and weighing down a perfectly clean kitchen. 

It's easy to see from these pictures that it's definitely time to "lose the magnets" and de-clutter.

It's true- when you spruce up the refrigerator your whole kitchen seems cleaner, brighter, more free, and less cluttered.  

So, it's time to throw out the expired coupons and take-out menus, move art work to its more permanent home, and tidy things up a bit.  

I always like to: 

1. Take everything off
2. Wipe it all down so it's clean & shiny :)
3. Decide what really stays and what goes
4. Carefully put back what's necessary, not cluttered

Take today's HGTV.com calendar challenge and start your Spring cleaning today.  Your entire kitchen will thank you and you'll be one step to closer to Getting It All Together this Spring.

Product Feature: The Container Store's Long Underbed Box with Wheels

Here’s today's dilemma:

Not enough storage space for the kids’ blankets and toys.  The closet isn’t really an option and there is already a tight budget that won’t allow for additional shelving.  What’s one solution?

Under the bed storage!

The Container Store carries these under-bed storage containers called, 

“Long Underbed Box with Wheels” and they are the Product Feature of the day.

 

Product Claims:

"Utilize the storage space under your beds with our Long Underbed Box with Wheels. Designed and molded to our exacting specifications, our box is made from clear, virtually unbreakable polypropylene to provide uncompromised visibility of the contents. Each box features an easy-open, locking lid and wheels that can be installed to allow the box to roll in either of two directions. The extended length allows you to store oversized and extra long items with ease.

Made from the clearest, virtually unbreakable, acid-free polypropylene available"

              -courtesy of The Container Store.com

Does it really live up to its claims?

Easter Candy Overload

Easter was yesterday and you know what that means for today....lots of leftover candy.  

Today that may be okay.  But by Wednesday, all that candy laying around will mean real trouble.  What do you do with it (besides eat it and gain 10 pounds)?


Here are a few options to think about:

• Throw it out!-  This might not make the kids happy, but it will definitely save you a few pounds.

• Hide it-  I'm not really a big candy eater.  I do like to have a piece or two occasionally.  For years I've hidden/saved one holiday's candy until the next, eating a piece or three when I wanted it.  It allowed me to get it "out of sight, out of mind" and stretch out the calories.

• Take it to work/church/school- Who dosen't love to see a welcoming candy dish on your office desk?  It can brighten a visitor's day and help make the day a little sweeter.

• Decorate another project with it- This is one of my favorite ideas.  I like to get creative with food and this is a really fun way.  Once you're done you could eat it, but I usually like to toss it if it's been on display for a while.  Check out our Easter creation that we made for dessert.  It was so much fun for the kids to help with and it made a great dessert to share with our visiting family.

Check out these other amazing ideas from Delish.com:

   






How's that for inspiration?! 


Whether you throw it out, share it, hide it, or get creative, you're sure to be one step closer to Getting it All Together.
 

Product Review: Frog Tape

If you’ve ever watched HGTV, you already know the

cheapest design method to dramatically change a room is to…PAINT!

Painting is exactly what I’ve been up to lately. 

 

This time I’ve taken on an ambitious painting project- paint all of the trim in the entire house.  (sigh!)  Luckily, our house doesn’t have as much square-footage as some.  (Hooray! )

I haven’t had much success with blue painter’s tape in the past.  It takes so much time to prep and it tends to bleed through, creating messy lines that drive me crazy (grrr!!).  Normally, I prefer to use a steady hand and a damp rag to create crisp, professional-looking lines.

But, with this daunting project in front of me, I was willing to revisit the tape option and see what was new on the market.

 

Here’s what I found: Frog Tape.  

It was a little more expensive than the blue stuff I’m used to seeing.  It was just under $10 at Wal-Mart for a huge roll with 60 yards. 

Would it live up to its promises?

Vegetable Garden Planner

It's Spring!

(Or so my calendar says.  You'd never know by how cold it is outside right now!!)

Warmer weather and sunshine mean it's time to get back out in the yard. 

Are you planting a vegetable garden this year?  If so, you might really like this tool from growveg.com.  It's a great way to plan out your vegetable garden and it's free for a 30 day trial period or $25 for a one-year subscription. 

Sample Garden Plan from www.growveg.com

I used it a season or two ago and really liked it.  You can make your plans as simple or as detailed and complex as you'd like.

Features I Like:

• Customizable- draw out your garden space
• Features over 130 varieties of fruits & veggies
• Visual layout makes planting and spacing easier
• Square foot gardening options
• Adapts to your location
• Email reminders
• Free for 30 days, no automatic subscriptions
  

Beginning a Layout

I love the visual layout.  It helped me easily measure out the space that was needed over the season for the plants I chose.   

For instance, I knew that a watermelon plant would start off small, but how much space did I need to reserve for it to grow and not crow out my tomatoes?  

When you "plant" in growveg, it highlights the area around the seedling.  This serves as a visual representation of how much space is really needed.  It's so easy to avoid overcrowding!

Plus, they offer options for ponds, fruit trees, walkways, and more.  You can design a beautiful space right in your own yard.  Who says designing is only for inside the home?

Start designing your garden of plenty and take one more step towards Getting It All Together.

How does your garden grow?  Let us know!

EEBA

Have you ever wanted to use the cash envelope budgeting method but 

 still wanted to cling to the modern, electronic world?

Here's a $0 Budget Solution to try: EEBA- Electronic Envelope Budgeting Application.  

It's the electronic version for cash budgeting.  It's free online and has a free app for your Android or iPad. 

It's pretty cool!  

Here's how it works:
 

• You create a household user name and password. 

 

• EEBA allows you to create up to 10 envelopes of cash for specific categories like groceries, gas, Before & Afters, etc.  

• You fill the envelopes with their allotted budgeted amount and specif where you received the funds from.  

• Then, when you spend at the store, you enter the amount (on your smartphone or online at home) and EEBA tracks how much you've spent and calculates how much you have left for the month (or other time period you designate).

• Once your envelope is empty, you know to stop spending.

 

It's that simple!  

You can sign up to pay a small fee for upgraded features such as additional envelopes, tech support, track your bank accounts, and scheduling.  

For most basic households, the free version will work just fine. 

I hope this tool helps you stay within your budget and Get your Finances All Together.

If you've used EEBA before, please share your comments.  I'd love to hear from you!

Master Bedroom Closet- Part 2

Welcome back to our Master Bedroom Closet Before & After!

In Part 1 we cleaned out the mess, 

evaluated what stayed and what didn't, 

re-purposed hardware, and got ready to go shopping.

 Shopping

Cheat Sheet-   Before I left the house, I made a handy little cheat sheet.  

It had a small sketch of the floor space, the dimensions, what items I was shopping for, and the numbers of items that each piece of hardware had to hold. 

• Tie Rack:            20-30 ties
• Hat Rack:           10-15 hats 
• Shoe Solution: 10-15 pairs of shoes

 I've learned that if I'm not truly sold on a product in the store, I shouldn't buy it.  Sometimes, that means going to several different stores.  That's what happened today.

Master Bedroom Closet- Part 1

What a mess! 

Time for a major Before & After  overhaul.

Today we highlight Part 1 of this transformation.  

Friday we'll highlight the final fixes in Part 2.

 

Let's breakdown the problems:

• Bags and bags of crafty, kid, and miscellaneous things taking up residence where they don't belong
• Blankets on the floor/shoe rack
• Broken tie rack; ties don't fit
• Bedding runneth over
• Shoe overload
• Hats falling down
• Crowded closet door hanger
• No room to walk in the walk-in!

 Our Budget: $50  

Meager for some, but no problem for us!  

(We're used to $0 Budget Solutions.)

 Let's Get Started

Beauty or Function?

Let's talk design.  When design is done right, it's really right.  

It is beautiful and functional.  Good design doesn't have to sacrifice beauty for functionality or vice versa. 

However, sometimes things so awry.  Take a look at this lovely bathroom counter.  It's really nice to look at.  

The counter top is a nice warm color and modern looking with wide a space for toiletries.  The lines are clean.  The bottom shelf allows for additional open storage space.   

Is it beauty and functionality at their best?

Did I pack everything?

Picture this- you're packing for a family trip out of town for a few days.  How do make sure you have everything? Will you (or your hubby) be making a mad dash to Wal-Mart in the middle of the night?   

Try today's idea out and save yourself (or your hubby) a trip to the store.  He'll thank you for it later :)

Today's post is about   

Designing! 

 Check out this terrible attempt at a wall color and then the awful things thrown on the shelf.  This area definitely needs attention.

 

First let's look at the wall color.  It was originally supposed to be a different hue of green that matched another piece of palm tree decor and be restful in a master bedroom.  However, the color turned out all wrong and reminds me of green peas- yuck! 

 

Paint is an easy and inexpensive fix.  You can always paint over it and that's the first correction we'll make here.  

Next, the shelf will emptied of its contents, cleaned, and rearranged.  I found some great ideas for arranging photographs from Pinterest.

The new shelf and wall design will be up in the next week or so.  


 
Check back to see the new and improved wall color and the big reveal as we work on Getting It All Together.

To Keep or Not To Keep...

...that is the question.  It can be really tricky and emotionally taxing when weeding through things.

How do you decide what's worth having around?

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• When was the last time I used it?
• Do I really love it?  
• Would I be heartbroken if it were gone?  In other words, would you regret tossing it out?
• Where is its home?  Do I have a place to store it?
• Does it still fit?
• If it's paperwork- do I need it for taxes?  Do I need it to pay bills?  
• Do I have duplicates?  If so, consider downsizing to just what you need.
• If it's broken- Can it be repaired for a reasonable cost?
• Does it have value?

But, what if you still can't decide?  Then what?

Here's what I do:

I wait.  Yes, that may sound counter-productive; but, I put it into a box and wait until later.  Sometimes I come back to it a month later.  Sometimes it's a year or more.  I move on to other things that can be taken care of today and wait to decide on the most difficult items.

When revisited, my mind is clearer and a better decision can be made.  Most of the time I realize that I wasn't as attached to the item as I thought and it was time to purge it.

Be brave!  Don't be afraid to make a decision today.  Line up the laundry baskets and a trash can, start sorting the closet, and letting things go.  Have the trash can handy and use it as an option.  Keep the laundry baskets around to sort other items into piles that will be kept or donated.

Clutter can weigh you down.  Free yourself by letting go.  Give what you don't need to others and be lifted while you Get It All Together.

Breakfast Solved

Are you tired of the same old boring milk and cereal for breakfast?  

 Is each member of your family whining for something different?  

Check out this $0 Budget Solution-

It's a pretend-you're-at-a-restaurant Breakfast Menu that your family plans, not you!   

I've really enjoyed the benefits of having a meal plan, but somehow breakfast always got left out.  


Everyday was a "I'll wing it" day.  After lots of "winging it" I came up with a solution that took less pressure off of me and got the kids involved.

Here's how it works-

• Each child gets to choose what the family will have for breakfast and write it on the special breakfast menu.
• No arguing!  If you're not crazy about what someone else picked, remember that you also had the opportunity to choose and your day will come.
• In 2 weeks, lay it out for the kids to choose again.  

Details:

• I created a blank menu in Excel, featuring each day of the week and spaces for them to write in their choices. 
• Choices are at the bottom.  It's kind of like having your own personalized restaurant at home! 
• The categories included "Drinks" and "Breakfast Foods."  I made sure to include options that I was willing to make and that we normally have on hand.  
• If we were out of something or if time wouldn't permit a meal with a longer preparation time, I'd try to let them know while we were planning. 
• I like to create 2 weeks' worth of ideas at once because it gives me more time before I have to do it again, and it makes me feel like I've really accomplished a lot!  :)

I don't know about your house, but in mine, breakfast can be a scramble.  (haha!)  Between sleepy kids, trying to get them ready for school, and managing differing tastes, it can get hectic quickly!  

So, after squelching bickering over the breakfast fare for (hopefully) the last time, I came up with this idea that's worked well in our home.  

It's just one small step that's helping us Get It All Together, together.

What's your family's breakfast routine?

Untangling Technology

We all love technology.  It's so helpful and it's everywhere in today's world.

Often times cords- lots of cords- accompany that technology.  It's great that you can go wireless on so many devices.  But, if you have a desktop computer, you're bound to have a tangled mess of cords hanging from the back of your computer desk.


As embarrassing as it is, this was hiding under my computer desk.  I'd had a vision of what I wanted it to look like and what I thought it should look like.  But, I couldn't face it then and opted to ignore it in favor of higher priorities like family and school.  So, today's Before & After is long overdue and happily accomplished!

What a jumbled mess!

Supply List

• Velcro strips for bundling wires --They have both sides of Velcro on one piece, so all you have to do is wrap it around the cords.  They're about $5 online.
• If you don't gave Velcro strips, you could use a zip cord (but this isn't easily removed), cord covers, long bread ties, or string.
• Clear Command Hooks

Here's How I Untangled My Technology:

I started by turning off the computer.  (Well, I checked out the wires first, then decided that I'd better turn it off to be safe!)   :)

 

Next, I traced each wire to it's device and it its outlet.  Once I knew which cord belonged where, it was easy to see that there was an extra cord down there!  I quickly unplugged it and tossed it aside for my IT hubby to take care of.  Whew!  One less cord to deal with!

Then, I grabbed the Velcro strips.  They had been hanging around the house, waiting for me to use them.  Finally, they had their moment to shine!  My IT helper graciously helped bundle the mess.  He used about 3 strips at the top, middle, and bottom to create one large cord.  Once you've got one cord, it's a lot easier to handle.

Then, I attached one Clear Command Hook to the back of my computer desk.  This would hold the bundled cord in place, hiding it behind the desk.

 

 

 

Once it was firmly attached, I just hooked the bundled cord on it, tidied up the rest behind the computer tower, and ta-da!  It was finished!

After is so much better!  Now it's neater, safer, and it's helped me move one step closer to Getting It All Together.  What works for you?  I'd love to hear your comments.

Donation Station

Last year I read a great website that had a Declutter Calendar.  The author's ideas were so simple and easy to do that I got really excited about it.  Today we're getting back to her first step- 

Creating a Donation Station.  

This is a great idea!  Every organization project involves sorting & purging through things.  By setting up a place for items to be donated, it will cut down on multiple donation piles scattered throughout the house.  (These drive me crazy!) 

You can use anything from a new trash bag, to a cardboard box, a clean, unused trash can, or a laundry basket, assuming you have an empty one! 

Some things are necessary and should be kept around.  But, often we grow out of things.  In other words, our lifestyle has changed and these things are no longer a match for us or for our family.  When this happens, its time to reevaluate. 


 The next time you're sorting through things, ask yourself:

1. Do I still use this?  When was the last time I used it?  (If you can't remember, be honest with yourself.)
2. Do I need this item?
3. Do I want this item?
4. Could someone else benefit from this more than me?

If I don't need or want this anymore, could someone else benefit from it?  If the answers lead you to donation, consider someone close to you.  Goodwill, The Salvation Army, and other thrift stores are also great options.


No matter who you choose to give to, you'll feel good about sharing with others.  You'll feel lighter and better after freeing yourself of unwanted things that can weigh you down.  Setting up a donation station is just one more small step towards Getting It All Together.

Laundry Area- Before & After

Today's project is the laundry area.  

My laundry "room" is really a walkway, not a room.  It's a long, narrow hallway that used to be a back porch when the home was originally built over 70 years ago.  Over the years, previous owners enclosed it and made a small space for the washer and dryer.

It's not fancy.  It doesn't have many shelves, hooks that are functional, or enough space to hang my ironing board.  I did put a laundry sorter in front of the washer a few years ago that got most of the dirty laundry out of my room.  Yay!

Before

Requests:

• Get rid of the junk!  No toys on the dryer that were saved after being washed.
• Shelves or spaces for all the laundry soaps, etc.
• Clean- no more dryer lint everywhere
• Make it more functional

Budget:

• $0 and whatever I have on hand
• Painting & additional shelving would be great, but they're not in today's budget

 The Process

First- Clean
I took everything off & wiped it all down.  No more laundry soap granules, lint, or spilled fabric softener!  It looked so much better already- wow!

Second-  The Evaluation Process
Do I still need this?  Have I used it?  (The coupon expired in 2008.  I think it's safe to go!  haha!)

Never used - time to trash!

Yes, I still want to keep the bleach.  No, I don't need 3 partially used containers of it.  I consolidated the containers and tossed out the empty bottle.

No, the bottle of Shout isn't full.  It's empty.  Time to toss it!

Yes, I'd like to keep the bar of Fels Naptha for spot treating.  No, I don't want it to sit directly on the dryer- must find a container.

Yes, I'd like to keep the lost coin jar.

Yes, I'd really like to keep the laundry soap!  But, the container doesn't fit anymore- must find a better container.
  
Third- Containers
I found a traveling soap container that works great for the Fels Naptha to sit in.  Now my space is protected and the soap has a new home.

I've been making homemade laundry detergent lately and keeping it in an old ice cream container.  A "new" whipped topping container that fits better and allows me to free up some much needed space.

Fourth- Organizing
Now, it's time to really get to work.  When putting things back, they have to be functional.  You wouldn't put the flatware in the garage because it just doesn't work.  The same principle applies here.

 
Things should be arranged so that they are in the most efficient place- a "home" that is accessible and in the closest location to avoid duplication of motions or spillage.  These lead to inefficiencies, frustration, and the clutter bug.


I realized that I really didn't like the fake foliage that was spilling from the wall near the washing machine.  So, I took it out!  It felt so good to be free of the cheap plastic leaves that had been placed there to make the house more appealing to buyers over 10 years ago.  (Why did I wait so long?)


In its place I discovered that I did have another shelf- wow!  After some cleaning, it became the new home for the ironing supplies and bottles that were on the dryer.

Fun Discoveries of the Process:

• A car seat manual.  Who would've thought to look on top of the dryer?!
• Buttons
• Outdoor Christmas light hangers
• Detergent samples 
• Shoe laces
• A child's watch and ring

This project has given me a fresh start on laundry! (haha)  I feel lighter, uplifted, and happy to see improvement.

Organizing and designing a space that feels comfortable and that truly works for each individual is what I really enjoy.  Keep following along for more ideas that help you Get It All Together.

 Before & After