Declutter Challenge # 3 – Linen Closet

Posted on September 5, 2008 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

I decided that it would be better for me to simply do 30 decluttering projects than to try to do one each day. Some days I am just too busy and will not be able to do a project…even a small one. And some days like on the weekends, I can do more than one project!!! Either way if I stay at it and do 30 projects it will make a difference in our home!!

Tonight I decided to straighten out our linen closet. Mainly the bottom two shelves. I wanted to stock up on some winter things like cough medicine, but didn’t know how much I had. I thought I had alot of bandaides, but it seems I have 4 empty boxes in there. I really wish my children would throw away a box when the take the last item. It makes me think I have alot of something and find out all the boxes are empty!!!!!!

BEFORE: This is called strategic stuffing. Just shove things where ever they might fit.

AFTER: Like items are once again together. First Aid container has all the bandaides and ouchie supplies, cold medicines all together, etc.

WEIRD/EMBARASSING or ANNOYING THINGS:

1. Four tubes of cortisone cream all opened. I usually keep my extra supplies that I buy on sale or what have you in the linen closet. Frequently people in our house just grab whatever and never looks if there is one open already. Drives me nuts! So annoying……

2. White Curling Ribbon – I have no idea why or how this got in the linen closet. Someone must have been too ~~LAZY~~ BUSY and didn’t put it where it belonged!! Probably ME!!

3. Red Heart Tag – Rabies tag for one of our four pets. I have no idea which one. If they bite someone we can call our lovely vets at banfield! They keep track of those type of things.

4. White Little Round things – I have no idea what these are!!! They look like mouth fresheners but I am not sure if they are for humans or pets. I was tempted to try them…..but I don’t need fresh breath that badly!!

Declutter Challenge – Day 2 – Microwave

Posted on September 5, 2008 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

Really I am not kidding you when I say, if there is a flat surface, in our house it will have a pile on it. ARGH!!! I only had a moment to declutter last night so it was something little. The top of our microwave.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

WEIRD OR EMBARASSING THINGS:

#1 – piece of garbage – yep, we are too ~~lazy~~ busy in our house to throw the garbage in the can right next to the microwave!!!

#2 – coupon – why you ask is a coupon embarrassing…..well…..it expired in 2006. So how long do *you think it has been on top of the microwave.

This took me about 15 minutes including the quick little post. I will have to do another challenge tonight!! Later off to wash dishes and go to work!

Jen C

Declutter Challenge – Day 2 – Microwave

Posted on September 5, 2008 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

BEFORE:

AFTER:

WEIRD OR EMBARASSING THINGS:

#1 – piece of garbage – yep, we are too ~~lazy~~ busy in our house to throw the garbage in the can right next to the microwave!!!

#2 – coupon – why you ask is a coupon embarrassing…..well…..it expired in 2006. So how long do *you think it has been on top of the microwave.

This took me about 15 minutes including the quick little post. I will have to do another challenge tonight!! Later off to wash dishes and go to work!

Jen C

Good-Bye Convention…..

Posted on September 4, 2008 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

I have to say I am so happy that the Republican convention is coming to an end. I live and work in the St Paul area. I have to drive from our home north of St Paul to my office in West St Paul each day. I have to go through/around the downtown St Paul area to get to work. Needless to say it has been interesting.

This evening I was coming home later in the afternoon and was traveling along 94 coming back into town from being at Willmar. As I am coming into the cities every overpass that goes over 94 was closed off by squad cars. Strange…I think, but there have been a HUGE increase in police and secret service coverage. I go under three over passes and on the 4th, there is a person dressed in full black garb resembling a (Burqa) of sorts. The person is climbing the fence on the overpass and pacing and carrying on. I say a little pray and drive under hoping nothing will be dropped on my vehicle or God forbid the person jump. The next overpass is filled with police officers.

I am now getting closer to downtown St Paul (thinking why didn’t I take 694 around the North to get home!!). I am driving along and my heart is back to beating normal. WHEW….I am in fairly heavy traffic and all of a sudden all the cars in front, behind and beside me ALL turn on their flashing lights. I am in the midst of about 6 to 7 unmarked vehicles. My heart is racing again….they all raced by me and my took a deep breath.

Yep, I am ready for everyone to go home. This little social worker still needs to be out driving in the area serving the people she works for.

Of course I get home and hubby tells me about the big protest that was going on by the capital and that the police were trying to hold the protestor back from crossing 94. OH, I guess my timing was great I think I was driving right under all the action! No wonder……………………………..

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=523952&catid=2

http://www.kare11.com/news/elections/protests/default.aspx

Good Night Everyone……

Declutter Challenge…………

Posted on September 3, 2008 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

I have been decluttering a bit around the house as you know. I was surfing around a bit today and stumbled across a new blog called “Saving with the Modest Momma“. She just started a Declutter Challenge! I thought it looked like fun and I would give it a whirl. Care to join me?????

Today I chose to declutter my dresser in my bedroom. I know if I could always follow the rule of putting things where they belong, I would not have the projects to always do. But I am just to ~~LAZY~~ Busy to do that!! Anyways, what would I blog about then????

Ready for a little Photo Show and Tell???

BEFORE:

Yes, it looks like a dumping ground. I have no one to blame but myself. So I guess I am the one to clean it up. My bedroom always seems to be the dumping ground for many things. It is one of the only locking rooms in our house. So if anything needs to be kept away from a child in the house, it goes in our room. ARGH!! Gotta change that!

When I declutter I like to take everything off and sort it. A pile of things that should go to the bathroom, garbage, etc. Then I only put back what really should be on the dresser.

A few of the things that should not have been on my dresser. The top of the picture: A number of doggy poo pick up bags, sewing supplies, pens, sunblock, medication and painting supplies.

These items have all found there way back to their proper places.

END RESULT!!!

Total Time Spent: About 30 minutes.

WEIRDEST THING FOUND ON MY DRESSER:

A Missing Hand of an action figure.

Join me in decluttering our homes now that the children are back in school. Just put a link to your Declutter Challenge in the comments. I look forward to seeing what we all accomplish! Make sure you share the weirdest thing you found in the wrong place!

Jen C

Posted on September 2, 2008 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

I am starting to feel a bit more ready for school to start. I am a very visual person so I have to organize visually. Two things that have worked very well for me are to use the side of our fridge as calendar central and the living room closet door as our Tommy’s reminders!!

This was the closet door over the summer. We used it as a gallery of all Tommy’s projects from Busy Bee’s. Once we have had his art displayed for a while and have taken a picture, he is ok with me throwing it away. Really….I can’t keep everything!

This is the closet door ready for the first day of school. We are still featuring two wonderful summer projects. Also on the door is the school calendar for September.

I started putting things on this door last year half way through the year and it really helped. Last year I put up Tommy’s weekly memory verse on the door and we would stop and recite it everytime we went by. That worked really well when I remembered to tape up the verse.

This year I made a copy of the classroom calendar. It lists the bible verse for every week of the month as well as the days he has chapel, library and phy Ed. I have to admit last year I forgot to send his offering for chapel with him many weeks.

Now each morning Tommy and I will look at the calendar before leaving the house and make sure we have everything he needs!! We also recite his weekly bible verse when we go down the hall to the bathroom or our bedrooms. Now that I see it, it is a constant reminder to practice his verse with him.

The last very important place for information in our house is the side of the fridge. Everyone in the family knows to look here to see what is going on. Erik always likes to know what is going on so he frequently is looking at the calendar or reading the menu.

I don’t have a place for a real launch pad for our day, but this sure helps keep us organized. I buy the same calendar each year. I love it!! It has big squares to write in. You can buy is at flylady.net. I have been buying this calendar for at least the last 5 years.

The pink laminated sheet on the upper left side of the fridge is important/frequently called numbers. It has all the contact numbers for my hubby and I so Erik can always find the number he needs. There are also a couple of magnets with numbers we frequently need above the pink sheet.

We have a magnetic pen/pencil cup on the side of the fridge so you can always find a pen when you need to jot down a note, etc. In between the pink sheet and calendar is the print out of our weekly menu. I have been thinking of putting it on a magnetic white board, but paper seems to work the best. I love the magnetic clips to hang papers from my fridge. I always get a bunch of them when I go to conferences. I usually have three weeks of menus clipped together on the fridge at a time. As my mom found out when I came to stay with her, I really need to have a menu to feel less anxious. I made her make on for the time I was there.

Lastly we have magentic key hooks. This is a MUST!!! I also hang my work ID on there everyday when I get home from work. I ~~never~~ (hardly) ever forget it anymore. I grab my car keys and put my ID on and head to work.

**Note to self: Clean off the top of the fridge!! It looks very messy. I am pretty short so I hardly ever see up there. Well until I take a picture from standing on the bench that is!!***

I hope this gave you some ideas on how to help yourself to become more organized this year!!! It is always a challenge, but one I am always working on.

This is what Works for Me!!!

Jen C

1st Day of School…..

Posted on September 2, 2008 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

I love the first day of school. I always take the day off so I can be at home when my children get home. I usually bake cookies for them to have for snack upon returning from school. Today will be no different. I am going to finish cleaning Tommy’s room and bake cookies for the boys. I have first day of school pictures of Tommy, but not Erik. Hubby was up with Erik. I will make a point to get up early tomorrow and get a picture of Erik and we will pretend it was the first day of school.

Tommy was up early and ready for school. He always has a hot breakfast. He is my one child who will not eat cold cereal. I made him an omelet and toast for breakfast.

First Day of School
1st Grade – 2008

Nice look, Tommy!! The teacher put him in the back of the classroom. What is she thinking!!!

WOW…now I have the entire house to myself until Erik gets home at 2:14!! I am going to enjoy the quiet!

Little Man’s Room Clean and Organized….

Posted on September 2, 2008 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

I always feel the need to deep clean and reorganize my children’s rooms before school starts. I just finished cleaning Tommy’s room today. Now he is organized and ready for the start of the school year!!

Yes, of course I have pictures!!

Ok…I forgot to take before pictures. Imagine this closet piled with toys, clothes and junk up to the bottom of the hanging clothes. It was so bad!!! Tommy had been cleaning his room by throwing everything in to the closet. So I emptied it all out!

I left one laundry basket in the closet to throw big toys into. I figured that if all he had to do was put it in the basket the odds were better that it might happen.

I bought a over the door shoe organizer to store all his shoes. I think some are too small. I still need to get him to go through those with me.

I have two smaller bins on the shelf. One has winter hats and gloves and the other has two extra sets of sheets. I bought the canvas bins for 2/9.92. Love Walmart!!!

I also bought the little two shelf closet organizer. Those also are toy storage.

Next we got rid of all other toys boxes/ shelves.

We bought this shelf system at IKEA and all books and toys had to fit onto them. If they didn’t fit, they we decided Tommy had too many toys!

Tommy’s piano is on a stand in front of the shelf. He will be starting piano lessons back up now that school has started.

I have colored bins labels for toys on the shelf. Tommy isn’t very good about putting stuff back where it goes. I don’t care as long it is off the floor.

Tommy’s desk and bulletin board is right next to the closet. The bulletin board turned out really cute.

We have a problem with stacking things on his desk, then he can’t open it and get anything out of it. I hope to work hard on not doing that! Seems in our house that any flat surface means…..pile here!!

Tommy’s bed is a captain bed so I have his school uniforms in two of the drawers under the bed. That way he always finds his school clothes.

One compartment has all his soccer things, cleats, shin guards and soccer socks.

Lastly, I store his out of season Pj’s in the last unused drawer.

This is the shelf above his dresser. Hubby found a great pirate ship and treasure chest when we were in Duluth.

Hope you enjoyed the little tour of Tommy’s room. Trust me you will not see it this clean again.

Have a Great Day!!!