Mamma Mondays–Spring Cleaning!

Spring is just around the corner. Yay! I really can feel the “spring itch” to clean and get things in order. The warm weather is delish right now!

I actually spent my entire Sunday outside. I knew that I had the entire day to clean my backyard, without my little helper, who was gone for the weekend.

I cleaned out my garden area, raked my entire yard and cleaned 8 bags worth of debris and other yuckiness. I needed to be done, but it hadn’t been done in a looooong time. I even cleaned out my little shed thingy. Yipeeee!

It looks so nice and inviting back there now! My back is a little sore, but the outcome was well worth it!

Soooo…with this “spring fever” I started researching other ideas for getting my house in tip-top shape for the warmer days. Oh how I love the Internet!

In addition to basic cleaning, here are some additional things that I that I intend to do too:

1. Dusting light bulbs

I never knew you should do this one?? Hmm…but it can’t be that bad!

2. Cleaning out my fridge

FOR SURE! I love a shiny, clean fridge! I never thought about including this with my Spring cleaning.

3. Clean curtains

Because of Jaxon’s asthma and allergies I have to do this more than once a year. It really does make a difference! I almost forgot about this as part of Spring cleaning! I will be cleaning our blinds too!

4. Print a Stain Removal chart for my laundry room

Hello lovely. I need some backup forces for stains with my little tooter. I hate when good clothes get bad stains. It makes my frugal heart just sick. I think I can save a few clothes…maybe…with this handy dandy chart! I need something handy…because honestly I’m not going to take the time to Google a stain cleaning idea in the middle of doing laundry. Sooooo I’ll keep the chart by my washer…and have it ready when I need it! FABULOUS!

Chart (From Martha Stewart) can be downloaded by clicking HERE!

5. Change ceiling fan direction

Okay so this one I always…always forget. I can get things so backwards in my mind. I’m always standing under my fan thinking… “Is it clockwise for warm weather? Or is it counterclockwise? Oh heck….let’s see if I can feel more air blowing.” And then like a goober, I still NEVER figure it out!!! So…for myself mainly…here it is!

Cold months = clockwise direction

Warmer months = counterclockwise direction

Whew…glad to have that FINALLY settled.

Now let me get dizzy-with-it and figure out which direction all my fans are going!

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My friend and I have dedicated this week as Eat, Pray, Love…Spring Break week. She’s on vacation, I’m at home. But  together in spirit, we are taking this week to eat splendid food, spend extra time in prayer and meditation and LOVE our life and everyone in it.

(((Read the book and watch the movie this week, if you haven’t already!)))

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In addition to my Eat, Pray, Love week…. one of my goals is loving my home…by Spring cleaning!

My main Spring cleaning goal is to get our closets cleaned out. We have teeny closets in our little house and they can get cluttered very quickly and easily.

I’m on a mission to de-clutter and bring them back to life. They are the only thing that is still pretty cluttered in my home. I think conquering them will make me feel soooooo much better.

The closet in my utility room is the worst and I am so not looking forward to it. But once it’s done, oh it’s going to be MARVELOUS!

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My second big Spring cleaning goal is to organize my home office. I need it to run like a well-oiled-machine. Ha ha ha…when I taught…we used to be told our classrooms should run like that. If we were gone, could our classrooms still function? I need my home office to run like that. I need less PAPER clutter.

I’m making room for new successes in all areas of my life…but most especially with my work…and I need it to be tip-top fabulous!

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Hope your week is starting off with a bang!

Try doing your own Eat, Pray, Love week! Enjoy exfoliating your home for a new season of success and love!

XoXo

***All images in this post courtesy of Marthastewart.com

Mamma Mondays- My Entryway Message Center

Happy new week everyone!

Whew..can’t you just SMELL the new FRESH week!

Yipeeeee! And it’s almost a new FRESH month. This is a big month in our house. Jaxon and I both have birthdays…and this little/BIG boy is turning 2! Oh F U N!!!

Today I wanted to share with you a small change that I implemented a few months ago that has really made BIG changes for me. I love when little things can HELP so much.

I have a little desky thing that I found on Craigslist and re-painted last summer. I have shuffled it all around my home…yet never found the right “home area” for it. That is…until I started seeing ideas about creating a message center in your home.

Hmm…message center?? What is that all about??

Here is mine:

And here is what I use it for:

The whole concept is an area for sorting items…organizing items that you need as you come and go from home…and for organizing important things like keys…mail…shoes…bags…etc.

Most of my “uses” are really common sense for most people. I have this thing….about taking the “LONG” way around to figure things out…and this was really major for me. Uh…hello Tiffany!

I LOVE how functional this area is now. And all I did was rearrange a few things. I DID NOT purchase one new thing to create this area. Free. Fabulous. And USEFUL. Awesome!

♦Junk mail does not make it to my desk…or any other area of my house for that matter. I chunk it on that desk…and it doesn’t move until I can filter it…trash it…and GET RID OF IT!

♦Important things like library books are placed there…so my MAMMA BRAIN doesn’t forget to grab it on the way out the door.

♦I can place important reminders on my chicken-wire memo board so that they are visible daily…and keep me REMINDED! lol!

♦A mirror is awesome there too…because sometimes I need to know that I look FRUMPA-LUMPAGUS…and should FRESHEN up before being seen in public!!LOL!!

♦I really utilize this area before Jaxon leaves for visitation weekends with his Dad. On the morning of the day that he leaves…I start piling all of the things he will need on this desk such as: his nebulizer…medications…clothes that we might have from his Dad’s house…important paperwork to be shared…or just anything…headed out the door for the weekend.

Seriously…this helps the transition go very smoothly. And I am less likely to forget important things which really cannot happen…because he will be traveling 2 hours away.

Here are some extra ideas I found for other message center ideas:

Love the shoe organizing…you could so spray paint a cookie sheet white and make one! Then add a table you are not using coupled with a few storage boxes…and a few memo board squares. CUTE!

Totally love the magnetic strip for important objects such as keys, scissors and flashlight. GENIUS!

This is a cool idea for trapping unwanted dusties and mud clumps from shoes. BUT…this would not work in our house. Not now anyways. Can you just see all of these rocks scattered all over my house? I CAN!!! Ha ha ha. But it’s very posh for non-toddler homes!

{All idea images are via marthastewart.com}

Teee-Totally love these shutters. Hello cute easy organizing for a message center! Hmmm…I need to find some small shutters like these! LOVE IT!

Well darlings…hopefully you have a few ideas and inspiration for a message center of your own! They really are wonderful…and make life…that much organized…and simplified! PINKY PROMISE!!!

Happy MONDAY!☺

XoXo

Mamma Mondays-Coffee Confession

Well…ummm…we should just get down to it….to my ummm little confession.

You see….awhile back I so proudly boasted that I had CUT OUT cokes and coffee. And yeppers…I did awesome…for about a week…and then I totally FELL on my hiney…so-to-speak. Don’t you hate it when you brag about something…and then you later have to eat crow??? LOL!

I LOVE coffee. Heck I have my own espresso maker. Yep. I ♥ coffee a lot. And I ♥ cokes just as much. It’s an awful awful battle. LOL.

Lately I decided to quit bashing myself about it…I have much BIGGER things to worry about…so I will drink my coffee and coke…in moderation…hopefully…and just be HAPPY!

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I am super excited and happy to share that I found a YUMMO and DELISH coffee for a SUPER price.

Every time I would buy my Starbucks or Duncan Donuts coffee I would almost choke.

Almost $9-10 clams for…a SMALL bag of COFFEE???? And yes..there are the “other” brands.
But I need GOOD coffee. I’m a poor single Mamma…but coffee…just can’t be comprised.

Soooo reluctantly….I started to experiment.

I knew that surely I could find a CHEAPER yet TASTEFUL alternative. And do you know what…I found the JACKPOT!

Eight O’Clock French Roast Coffee…

It’s PERFECT!!!!

And let me tell you what the price is….

Ready??

$3.42!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holy crackers isn’t that just AWESOME!

I can buy coffee and a bag of DIAPERS for what I was paying for the other brands.

And SCOUTS HONOR… it is JUST AS TASTY as the other brands!!

I find mine at my local Wal-Mart…and I’m not sure where all it is in stock.

It’s well worth a try!! Especially if you are a coffee addict trying to save a few bucks!!

HAPPY SUPER SWELL DAY!♥

XoXo

Mamma Mondays: Fish-bone hair braiding

Happy Monday and new week! The sun is rising over my little town and I am oh so happy for a new week and a new day!

 Today I wanted to share with you a little Youtube fun that I found. 

Do you Youtube?? I use Youtube A LOT for directions…such as how to thread my GRANNY sewing machine. Which didn’t work so good…and it’s still not fixed…but I do love that I can find ALL KINDS of  VISUAL directions!

For visual learners like myself, Youtube is the bomb-diggity! Lately I’ve been trying to find new ways to style my hair. Instead of putting it in a funky bun every day I wanted to try something new. It’s grown really long and sometimes it’s just aggravating to deal with. I often fantasize about shaving it all off! LOL!!! Just kidding!!

Last week I searched for new hair-do ideas and I found this helpful video on how to do a fish bone braid. Coolness!! 

I haven’t mastered it just yet…but I’m working on it! She has a LOT of videos with CUTE hair ideas to help this Plane Jane Mamma jazz up her DOO!

Have a SUPER VALENTINE'S♥ day!

Mamma Mondays: Free Cotton

Happy MONDAY everyone! Hope your weekend was stupendous! Mine was!

I have a little treat for you this morning. One of my dearest writer friends has started a blog to share her knowledge with the world. She is an amazing educator with a true gift for working with educators, parents and students. I should know, when I taught high school, she was my director!☺

She has started “Free Cotton” to share tips with parents, educators and students on how to to succeed with various techniques and strategies.

Ideas you and I would NEVER think of. Let’s just say….she earned “Teacher of the Year” and many other awards…for a reason.

I’ve seen her turn situations around that were deemed impossible. She has a gift…and truly we are so blessed to receive her knowledge through her blog. I’m seriously going to make a little book to keep so I can remember everything for Jaxon.

If you feel that you may not relate because you homeschool, that is not an issue. She’s also a successful homeschooling Mom as well. Her knowledge crosses all education boundaries.

Please visit FREE COTTON today and say hello my dear friend Teffanie…known to most as “Ms. White.”

♥Click the the picture to visit!!!

And I almost forgot! I'm starting Project 365 today with a special friend/blogger today! SO exciting!

Have a SUPER Monday!

XoXo

Mamma Mondays: Dry Erase Organization Board

This weekend I finished a groovy little project to help me organize my day, week, month and so on. Since I’m the head Mamma and honcho around here there’s a lot of things I need to keep up with…even if I don’t want to. Such as changing air filters and all that other manly stuff that must be done somehow.

The problem is…between everything in single Mamma land…toddler tantrums…bills to pay…laundry to wash…I forget things.

Don’t we all??? Soooo to combat that issue I created my own little handy-dandy dry-erase-remember-everything board!

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeet! Flylady would be SO PROUD! LOL!

The concept was not anything I magically came up with…I’ve seen a lot of SMART LADIES do similar projects. I just made mine…with a few of my own ideas.

I first created…and then printed out these little doodahs…

Then I used an 11x14 frame from the Dollar Tree….added a little scrap of fabric for a background…and taped my forms down like this….

Ta-daaaaah! Fabulosity!!!! I love it and it’s perfect to help this Mamma keep track of the most important things!

Things you could keep track of :

♥birthdays

♥doctor appointments

♥car maintenance

♥church events

♥household duties such as changing air filters or checking smoke & carbon monoxide detectors.

♥pet care information

For now I have my handy-dandy board on my incoming mail/errands desk by my front door. I haven’t found the perfect wall space for it…and right here I can still see it daily to remind me of my tasks to do!

Here’s a few close-ups:

And a small confession…I have a {slight} obsession with dry-erase boards in my home.

I used an old window a few months ago for a board in my kitchen. Each week I write my weekly meal plan on it…as

a reminder/schedule for the week.

Basically if it has glass such as a picture frame…or an old window….you can use it for a dry erase board! And they come in VERY handy if you want to stay ORGANIZED!

I made my {daily*weekly*monthly* quarterly*annually} printouts available if you would like to make your own ORGANIZATION board!

Click the following lists to view the printables individually!

♥Daily

♥Weekly

♥Monthly/Quarterly/Annually

Send me a PIC if you use them and make your own! I’d love to see your FABULOUS LOVELIES!♥

Have a SUPER Monday!

Mamma Mondays: Fab Frugal Drawer Organizing Tips

Raise your hand if you have at least ONE JUNK DRAWER in your home? BE HONEST!

Yep…I am CERTAIN almost all of us have a junky funky drawer full of Lord-knows-whats-its and who-knows-its!

I sure did! I hated even opening the gross thing. Uuuggh…all of the lost, weird and random items seem to SCREAM at me when I opened it…"HELP SAVE ME!” or “LOOK HOW GROSS I AM!”

LOL. Maybe not that bad…but it still was a little burden that I refused to deal with. This month is CLEANING MONTH…so I’m tackling everything I HATE to deal with…or that I put off….that simply MUST BE CLEANED! And this junk drawer was at the TOP of my LIST!

See?? There are some WEIRD – RANDOM things going on in this drawer!

The first thing I did was grab everything that needed to be TRASHED. And I did not hold back…I chunked a LOT!

Then I used very FAB and FRUGAL containers to sort what I was going to keep. Wait. Stop. They weren’t fabulous….BUT they were FRUGAL. Take a GANDER at my GORGEOUS drawer now!

Do you have any idea what I used??? I’ll give you a sec to think about it…………

Here it is fabulous peeps…….

Can you believe???? I saved PLASTIC CONTAINERS from food products to organize my drawer! FREE ORGANIZATION! Shuuuuuut up!

I now look at the packaging before I buy things. I LOOK for groovy packages. Not only are you being FAB FRUGAL but you are also RECYCLING. How AWESOME! I also used a glass bowl and a few plastic containers I already had too.

I now have…..

P.S. I also painted the drawer to make it PRETTY. It took an extra five minutes of effort. It was the CHERRY on TOP that makes this little PROJECT perfect!

This week try to tackle your JUNK DRAWER! It’s SO GRATIFYING! I think if we can tackle a FUNKY JUNKY drawer…we can DO ANYTHING!

I’m moving on to the other drawers and cabinets in my casa! Just look at these BREATHTAKING pics for INSPIRATION…

image: Martha Stewart

image: Martha Stewart

image: Martha Stewart

I’m really in love with this handy dandy kitchen island. I want my kitchen towels to look this pretty! And I LOVE the little cubby for baking sheets…and not to mention the swell little extra outlet for kitchen accessories!

image: Martha Stewart

Wow…pet food organization…holy cow…. {I really like the little bins!}

image: Martha Stewart

Haaaaappppyyyyy ORGANIZING!

Have a LOVELY Monday!

P.S. I'm linking this post up to:




and to theCSI Challenge: Organization

Mamma Monday – 27-Fling Boogie!

Well hellooooo there! Hope everyone’s Monday has been SWELL so far! We are gearing up for an ARCTIC CHILL in my little West Texas neck of the woods. Seriously…and I’m stoked! Stew time…hot cocoa…and snuggles with my munchkin! 

On a bloggie note…I have decided to dedicate Monday’s to anything Mamma. Mostly toward organizing…cleaning…budgets…just anything that makes being a MAMMA BETTER….and easier! Especially for single Mammas!

This Monday I wanted to share something that has created a HUGE change for me. Really…it’s FABULOUS! I mentioned my oh-so-favorite and marvelous FlyLady last week.

One MARVELOUS trick that I have learned from her is the 27-fling boogie.

The basic concept is to take a garbage bag and walk through your house and find

27 things to THROW AWAY. 

After the throw away boogie, take a box (or be really green and dedicate a BIG BAG or even a LAUNDRY BAG for donations to be reused) and find 27 things you can donate or giveaway.

This little simple process…has created a SNOWBALL effect of POSITIVITY and CLUTTER DESTRUCTION in my home!

image: Real Simple

Now to amp it up Tiffany-style…I do the boogie when I take out the trash. Because even though it sucks….this Mamma has to take out the trash…or else it just doesn’t get done! So…when I gather trash to haul to the dumpster…I find a junk drawer…a cluttered cabinet…just anywhere…and I start FLINGING!

image: Real Simple

I don’t do it everyday. But every single time I’m going to the trash…I boogie sisters. And let me tell you it FEELS OH SO GOOD!

Another little awesome concept to add on to the fling boogie…when you box up (or BAG UP) your items to donate/giveaway…immediately take it to your car!

Then on your next trip for errands…guess what??? Your junk is ready to go!! Just swing by…donate/drop off…and SMILE! Bless someone else by DONATING what you do not use or need!

 

This is just awesome to me. As with everything, I have to conserve gas, a trip just for donating stuff probably isn’t going to happen. I live in a small town, 20 miles away from the closest BIG town. 

But if I can drop it by my local Salvation Army after church or after shopping for groceries..I’m so down!!

Ladies…try it. I PINKY PROMISE you can do this simple trick. After a week…just see how you feel and how amazing your cabinets…closets…and drawers start to look! I can organize this stuff now…seriously…it’s SO MUCH BETTER! 

Curious to read more about the BOOGIE? Read more about it HERE!!

XoXo