Getting more organized!

People always say I am super organized.. I feel like I am but I feel like my day to day can get crazy.  Between things that happen every week to morning errands or appointments, I needed one place versus the "week ahead" chalkboard I filled out every week, the paper calendar and my phone calendar.

I found the Reminder Binder on Amazon (link here). It was in the price range I wanted to spend since I was unsure if I would stick with it. I like that it came with a ton of stickers, daily pages and a month view. 

After some Pinterest searching, I got a couple rolls of washi tape, some extra stickers, pens, white out and post its... I found this cute bag at Michaels for $1.50. It says "I've Got This!". There were lots of great reviews for THESE pens on Amazon.  They are working great!

I really liked the idea of everything having it's own color. That way, at quick glance, I know who/what it's for, without having to write down "Madison" "Riley" etc. I made a list of what categories I wanted and gave each a color. I gave Madison, Riley and Alan their favorite colors to make that easier. I saw somewhere online where someone labeled each pen with what it stands for. This will make it easy to grab.

Instead of writing each event in the pen color, I write it in blue and put the colored square beside it. I like how uniform it looks. Below you can see how crazy just 5 days is.. this is why I need a planner :) Most weeks look this way.

I like the to-do list at the bottom of each month. Instead of having random sheets of paper laying around, I can write them down here and cross them out when they're done. It appears I need to work on doing some stuff...

 

Menu/grocery list prep

While chatting with a group of friends last week, a couple of us talked about how we plan a menu and do a weekly or biweekly shopping trip. I thought this would be a good blog to write about to share how I do mine!

First thing I do every 2 weeks is clean out the fridge, freezer and pantry. While cleaning out, keep a tally of leftovers and meat count. I now shop 95% of my list from Aldi. I also like keeping bacon and kielbasa in the freezer. I bag up any leftovers from the fridge and put them in the freezer. I get a sheet of paper and  write down any leftovers. Any that are large enough for everyone to eat goes on the menu. Any small portions goes under the "lunch" section. You will see this below.. I usually write "freezer" beside it so I know it's a quick meal I don't have to cook.

While you are cleaning out, keep a list of any items that can be used as sides and make a "side" list. Your canned veggies, rice, pasta, etc. That way you aren't using any items that are planned for a meal. I used to be the worst at using my canned beans/corn and then going to make a recipe and my ingredients are gone! Also, write down any ingredients/spices you are low on. This is a good time to check your sugar, rice, and any other staples you like to keep.

Once I've cleaned out everything and wrote down my staples on my grocery list, I start making my menu. I go through my cookbooks and see what recipes I want and start writing them down. I have typed up and printed out recipes and put them in binders (one for regular recipes and one for crock pot) I pull out the recipes as I write them down on my menu. Any ingredients I need go on my grocery list. I only needed about 7 ingredients for these 21 meals. 

After I'm done with my menu and list, I put my menu, along with some pens and my recipes in a drawer in the kitchen. As I make the meal or use a side, I mark it off. As I have leftovers, I add them to the menu as a meal.

All of this took me about an hour without interruptions. Easy to do once you get in the groove!

Five on Friday

{one} Yes, I do realize I didn't blog Riley's 14th or 15th month. In a nutshell, she's saying about 5 things(Wilma, thank you, this, cat, bye), she's roughly 17 lbs- girl is teeny tiny. Not walking. Walks great with her walker toy and when you're holding her hand but isn't taking steps yet. She no longer wants to be fed but loves feeding herself.

Those curls, though.

{two} Alan and Madison came back from Disney World with the flu. Alan started symptoms Tuesday night while we were there(and he's still sick). The doctor confirmed it Friday morning. This past Sunday, Madison was fine until 10am then laid down and went to sleep in our bed. She never does that unless she's sick. She slept all day. Doctor confirmed her Monday afternoon. Kept her out of school all week until today.

on the way home from the doctor

{three}I've got to keep up with printing pictures. Before Disney, I wanted to clear my memory card because I was unsure if I would take 900 pictures or 10 so I wanted room. I like writing on my pictures for later on in life when someone looks at a pic, they know who it was, how old they were and what month and date. Now I have over 100 pictures that I have to go through Facebook and find out the age and write on them all. I guess it's better than playing Candy Crush.

{four} Alan got another new wedding band. The blue/black one he got starting chipping the Thursday before we left Disney(notice how everything is After Disney/Before Disney now?) so we took it and found out the ring had just been recalled and they are no longer making them. He ordered 2 rings to see which he liked best. Here's similar to what he chose.

{five} Got this today for my Essential Oil storage. I had them in my bathroom drawer but the space they were in was getting too crowded. I use a handful of these daily and then different ones in between. It became too clustered. This one is 54% off currently for less than $16 with Prime shipping. Get yours HERE

Staying organized for a new baby

Her changing table has a bin that holds diapers, wipes, sanitizer, lotion and qtips. I restock these items twice a week or so. Her top drawer has burp cloths for easy access. The second drawer has bibs. The left top drawer has her booger sucker, fingernail clippers and diaper rash cream -all for easy access if I need it while she's on the table. The second drawer holds breastmilk bags and disposable breast pads.

In the living room, we keep a Boppy, burp cloth, bib, blanket and nursing cover on the chair for easy feedings, cleanups, coverups etc.

On her Pack N Play in the dining room, I also keep a blanket and burp cloth and a burp cloth inside for her head to lay on. Easier to clean a rag than the bottom of the pack n play!

At the rocker in her room, I have a Boppy, burp cloth, blanket(for propping her head) and bib. I also keep my breast pump and phone charger plugged in for easy access. I'm having to pump once or twice a day because I tend to get engorged late at night. I already have a few days worth of milk in the freezer and that makes me happy!

On her crib, I keep a burp cloth and bib draped over the side. Sometimes I feed her sitting in the daybed and I use those for that. She also lays on a burp cloth for the same reason as above. 

The blankets, Boppy covers, bibs and burp cloths gets replaced every couple of days. Obviously if the bibs or burp cloths get dirtied, they get replaced right then. 

-Boppy's are a parents best friend. Not only for breastfeeding but for holding. We use them to help prop her up in our lap. I also use it to prop her up sitting beside me in the chair. Keep one in every room you handle the baby in. We have one in the living room and her room and I have 1 more in the closet for back up ;)

-You need a TON of burp cloths and bibs, if you're anything like me. At any given time, I have 4 out in the rooms. Not to mention the ones in her diaper bag. I suggest having at least 10 of each.

Coffee station

If you don't have a Keurig or some form of a single cup brewer, go get one! We got ours almost a year ago and it has paid for itself! We have the Keurig Elite and are very happy with it. 

Alan no longer stops every morning at the gas station for a coffee and I no longer have to make a half a pot for just me and then toss the rest of what I don't drink. 

Here is our setup:

Our maker, k-cup tower, creamer, sugar container, coffee mug and rag for messy spoons. We love the Aladdin brand travel mugs because they are about the only brand we've found in stores to be dishwasher safe. I have gotten a cup at Walmart and Target(Walmart's is $4 cheaper btw!)  The k-cup tower has made it easy to see what types of coffee we have. Since I drink mostly decaf, I have one whole side for just decaf. I buy what's on sale at the time so we have a vast assortment of brands :)

BzzAgent sent me this pretty awesome Bzzkit last week. It came with 12 K-cups and 20 50% off coupons for a Keurig. After posting on Instagram, a friend bought one and then posted on Facebook that she had gotten the code from me and I was able to give away every single coupon code! People were getting Keurig's for $63 shipped!! That's a great deal! Green Mountain Coffee is a Fair Trade brand which allows farmers to get a fair price for their beans, which leads to community development projects like new schools, improved roads, and safer drinking water. Plus the coffee tastes really good too!

If you want to get great free samples and coupons, email me by clicking the envelope on the right and I will send you a link!

Monday, May I..

First, don't forget to do your Day in the Life post to linkup with Royal and I tomorrow! I initially did Thursday and then changed it to Saturday. I'm not sure I've ever done a weekend DITL post. You can start today or do tomorrow and link up later in the evening. Go here to see the post about the linkup.

Now, let's update last weeks goals!

 -Spend no money other than gas and groceries. We have really had a lot going on the past week or two so it's time to settle down a bit and buckle up!

Fail. Fail. Fail. Trying to do better with our spending though.

-Watch a movie(Admission). This is a given. I rented one today(free redbox code!)  and didn't watch it yet so I will watch it while Madison is at school tomorrow.

Done! This one was easy since I already had the movie and Tuesday was rough. This movie was really good! I figured it would be but I actually cried at the end! Highly recommended!

-Catch up on my cleaning! My back is hurting pretty bad to only be 25 weeks pregnant and I'm staying really tired. That means I would rather sit/lay down than do just about anything else. Alan is a huge help but things need to be done so he doesn't have to do them after working all day.

 A work in progress still. I did get a good bit done on Tuesday. If I can just keep the floors/counters clean and the laundry caught up, I'd feel much better! 

Now this week's goals!

-Manage my time better. With Madison, while she's at school, etc.

-Print some recipes from Pinterest and organize mine and Madison's recipe folder.

-Exercise!

Playroom perfection.

Another reason I love Pinterest. I came across a pin of the most perfect playroom and clicked on it. We have been on the hunt for ideas of storage, toys and paint color but have had bad luck finding what we(I) wanted....until this pin.

(source)

Swoon.

The colors, the sensory boards, the discovery bottles, the art, those rings! Not to mention the girl is a cutie!

So I clicked the pin and it took me to this fantastic site - Fun at Home with Kids

Once I clicked on the pin and it brought me to the site, I was so excited to see the playroom was neat, organized(with toys!!!) and primary colors. The mom also posted where she got everything in the room. My Amazon wish list has to be roughly $6000(I even added some toys she posted)

I already had in mind to get a(or 2 or 3) Ikea Expedit shelf  to put on it's side for books and toys. Those colorful totes affirm my decision. Love it as a room divider too!

Since moving Madison's playroom table down to the kitchen for her to eat at, I'm not on the hunt for a nicer table. This one is exactly what I was looking for(but a bit more pricey). I love the clean lines and that she made it a lego table by adding the base for legos on the top.

She also loves totes as much as me! I love these colorful totes to hold blocks, legos and other small mass toys.

Go here to see a lot more pics, where she purchased things and even their rock wall. Yes, there's a rock wall in the play room. Her kids must be in Heaven :)

She is a former Science teacher and stay at home mom of 2 kids and also posts really great baby and toddler activities. RUN to her site if you are a mom, dad, grandparent or caregiver. Follow her blog, Facebook and Pinterest. She's SUPER nice(I've chatted a couple of times on Facebook). 

All photos are courtesy of Fun at Home with Kids and permission was granted to use for this post. 

This is not a sponsored post and I have no affiliation with this site other than I'm in love with her site and her playroom. :)

What we have been up to

I apologize in advance for the horrible dark phone pictures and then brightened so you can actually see them. I was too lazy to get out my big girl camera.

Rearranged our bedroom. Brought our extra tv down to put in there. Madison likes it ;) 

(Wall color is Sherwin Williams  Mystical Shade 6276-2nd pic a better true color)

Madison approves

Moved Alan's grandma's chair from our bedroom to his office. I miss it but there was no room.

 Moved this table from our BR to the kitchen. I actually really like it here and it matches the table.

 Wall color SW Krypton 6247

Took this picture from our Laundry Room and hung it in the kitchen

Got this fishing basket from Alan's grandma's lake house last year. I had it under a table for decor but who knew it'd make the perfect toy box?

I found a big tote at a consignment sale for Madison's books so I used that one for the playroom and brought this basket down to hold her books in the living room

 

-worked in the yard a bit Sunday. Alan cut the side grass while I cut our roses down and then he finished cutting them down to the ground. I'm about a month late but these roses have taken over! Got the 4 rose bushes in the front done. 2 more in the back to do.

-Tried a new church out Sunday and liked it. Plan on returning.

 Linking up with:

 

What's in Madison's bag?

Madison has 3 diaper bags. A small Thirty-One bag, a medium Thirty-One bag and a large Graco bag. Here's what I pack in each bag to help me survive! I typically carry this small bag since I'm usually just in need of a few essentials. If she is staying with someone for a while, I will take the medium since I pack food and milk and some toys. The large is used for vacation or day long trips.

A few diapers, diaper rash cream and a refill pack of wipes. After a few diaper blow outs, the small plastic refill bin won't cut it. Sometimes if I'm running somewhere quick, I will take the small pack.

A change of clothes. I get a pair of pants to match her current shirt and the extra shirt and the extra shirt matches her current pants. That way if she messes up one or the other, I don't have to change her entire outfit.

A wet/dry bag. This is for soiled bibs, burp cloths, clothes or diapers. Ours came from Target for less than $10.

A bib and burp cloth.

A snack pack or container with Puffs or Cheerios and a sippy cup filled with water.

Disposable changing pads for public restrooms or other people's house.

A coat, hat and gloves if its cold. A sunhat if we will be outside.

I keep hand sanitizer in my purse and in the car.

If you fold everything and put them upright instead of laying down and your bag will be a lot more compact and you will be able to see everything!

For Madison's food(for babysitters), I have a thermal Thirty-One bag and I use an ice pack in it.

It fits a sippy of milk, a sippy with water and would fit a few bins with food/snacks.

What essentials do you carry?

I do not sell nor sponser Thirty-One. I just love their bags :)

How I keep Madison's closet organized

 Madison's room is a standard bedroom. It's not huge. Especially with a glider, crib, toy box and entertainment center/changing station in it. It doesn't leave any real wall room for a chest of drawers. Here's how her room is organized so we are able to fit all of her things!

Her closet

I hang all of her clothes except her pajamas. Pants are to the far left, then coats, short sleeves, then long sleeves. Any bigger sized clothes are to the far right, behind her current size clothes.  The 9 cubby bin was bought at Target and I love it! You can buy different colored bins or leave some cubbies open for bookshelf storage. On the shelf above her clothes are extra wipes, diapers and her diaper bags. To the left of the cubby is her hamper(not shown), her cloth bag for library books and extra plastic bags to take to the library. In the empty slot on her cubby is a spot for her library books waiting to be read. Then her night time diapers(she wears a size up) and her sun hat. To the right of the cubby is a pack of diapers and her travel DVD player/movies

A hanging shoe organizer hangs on the inside of the door to hold jewelry, shoes, socks, tights and hairbows.

Her pajamas go in two drawers in her cubby.

Blankets take up 2 drawers. In the other drawers are bed sheets and hats/gloves. A couple of bins are empty.

 I didn't want to waste money on a changing table. They looked unsturdy and cluttered to me. Plus I wanted something with more storage. I ordered the dresser that matched her crib but once we went to put it together, we didn't like the quality and we returned it. We found this entertainment center at a local furniture outlet and knew it'd be perfect. It has 3 drawers that hold bibs, burp clothes and brushes/toys that keep her occupied while changing her. The 2 doors also have a pull out drawers and a shelf big enough for books. Then the center shelves are big enough for whatever. On top is her changing pad, lamp, clock, wipes, sanitizer and a bin that holds lotion, diapers and q-tips. When she gets older, we will likely(or not) have a tv on the top and will have room for a DVD player and toys or books.