Organizing Archives - Page 2 of 3

Birthday Parties April 29, 2019

How to throw a kid’s birthday party without the stress!

Over the last six years, I’ve done it all when it comes to throwing a kids birthday party. Some, I’ve gone full out Pinterest mom and planned for months in advance. While others I’ve literally pulled out of my behind days before with the help of Target and Amazon Prime. Others are a healthy mix of the two 🙂 Through a lot of trial and error, I’ve found (what I consider to be) the perfect “recipe” for throwing a kids birthday party without the stress! My favorite tip is purchasing the main reusable items and storing them in labeled, clear plastic bins. It saves so much time and money in the long run because you can go “shopping in your garage” for what you need. It is the perfect way to reduce the stress that can surround birthday parties and instead put the emphasis on what matters, the memories and…

DIY Projects April 19, 2019

How to make a DIY chalkboard for under $10

I love chalkboards and the variety of uses they have! From providing a place to hang your kiddo’s artwork, hanging those holiday cards or creating a responsibility chart for your kids….they are a do it all item! We have been working on creating an under the stairs playhouse for our kids over the last year. Finally, we have reached the point that we are getting to decorate it with them. Apparently, we aren’t moving fast enough, because I went in the other day to hang up these awesome globe lights, and found that my four-year-old had turned the walls and ceiling into her canvas. There were marker drawings everywhere. She said it was too “boring” in there and so she “decorated” it. So I decided it was time to get something in there for them to draw on and decorate, rather than the walls 🙂 You can buy a chalkboard…

Bedroom April 5, 2019

How to update your child’s bedroom in 20 minutes!

Before we even closed on our current house, I had compiled a variety of ideas from Pinterest, to a board with ideas for kids bedrooms. With four kiddos, and just a three bedroom home, we’ve had to get creative with room sharing that not only was functional but looked just right 🙂 Lucky I have a handy hubby that can fullfill my Pinterest wish list 🙂 Classic + timeless style I’ve always loved kids bedrooms that are cute, and fun, but not Paw Patrol or Barbie. I love a classic kids bedroom….think Pottery Barn style; that can grow with them as they get bigger with minor updates as they age and their interests change. So along these lines, I knew that I wanted to paint the rooms the same color as the rest of our house to create a easy flow. With small bedrooms, I wanted a color that was…

Kitchen April 1, 2019

How to quickly organize your tea boxes with just one thing!

How many times have you offered tea to someone; whether a member of your family or a guest as something to drink? But maybe in the back of your head you are hoping they say “no thanks”, because heaven forbid if they say yes and ask what options you have; game over. Because that requires opening the cupboard and pulling out every box that is shoved in there 🙂 Sound familiar? It’s April 1st, which for whatever reason is always the time of year I start my spring purging and cleaning! So while I love decorative projects, I also love these quick and easy organizational projects that simplify and make day to day life easier. Clear + Stack-able tea box So, I’ve found the perfect product to organize all your tea bags, eliminate the boxes and allow you to quickly know what you have! Let me introduce you to your…

DIY Projects March 22, 2019

How to sand and stain wood the right way

Most projects involve some sort of prep work having to deal with wood unless you are buying a ready cut design of wood from a place like Hobby Lobby. Usually I’ve just written the hubby do list, he does all “this work” and then I do the finish work. However, since his hours and available times for projects are less than mine, and let’s face it; I’m not patient when it comes to getting projects done. I asked him to walk me through how to do some of these initial steps. I’m writing them down not only in the hopes that they might help you simplify your project process but so that I don’t forget with my mama brain and have a reference to refer back to 🙂 Where to start You want to attempt to do a project, but don’t know quite where to start? Sand with what? What…

DIY Projects March 22, 2019

What you need to organize your laundry room!

Anyone else spend more time than they care to admit in their laundry room? I know I do! Bottomless laundry bin I swear, I just will get to the bottom of the basket (you know that amazing feeling when you can actually see the bottom?!?), and suddenly it’s full again! Yes, I’ve read the sayings about dishes to do, means food on the table. And so laundry piles mean clothes to wear. So yes, I am very grateful for that. However, it would be nice to be able to take a break and not have an even bigger pile waiting for me after. Well…..a girl can dream right?!? 🙂 Now that we have been in our house a little over two years, we are slowly checking off items from the hubby-do-list. Not quite as quickly as I’m adding them, but at least it’s progress right? 🙂 Laundry room Close to…

Bathroom March 16, 2019

How to make DIY floating bathroom shelves

Our home Hey friends! As some of you know, we moved into our first home a couple years ago. We LOVE this house. I know many people get excited about getting a bigger house, and with that, larger square footage. For us, it’s less about the size, and more about the space. We were looking for a home that had rooms that fit our needs; and we found it through the help of a friend! The couple we bought the home from, we’ve since become friends with. They had done a fairly extensive renovation previously. So the home was already updated and extremely well taken care of. Because of that, we get to take on the fun projects to make it “ours”. So far we are having a ton of fun with that! Whether to my hubby’s excitement or dismay ( I’m not always sure ;), the “hubby-do-list” is always…

DIY Projects March 7, 2019

How to organize your office and keep it organized!

I have always loved browsing through the gorgeous offices found on Pinterest. To be completely honest, opening a drawer on a beautiful custom desk, and having everything neat, is heaven to me. So when we decided to tackle our mini office renovation, you can bet I was excited! It was finally time to put all those office organizational pins I had saved on my Pinterest board to use! Otherwise, all too quickly, no matter how good our intentions, these fabulous drawers turn into multiple junk drawers! So if your office drawers could use some help….keep reading! I have some tips to share 🙂 First and foremost, it’s time to ‘KonMari’ the crap out of your office drawers. WAIT….I know what you are thinking! So before your click the “X” and move onto to the next blog….hear me out 🙂 For those who are still in the dark on this method,…

Kids March 7, 2019

5 tips for flying and traveling with an infant

So you’re doing it! You’re taking that first big step and flying with an infant! Congratulations!!! You’ve done the hardest part already which is committing to this adventure and buying that ticket. Luckily for you…..I’ve done a fair amount of travel with my kids since they were infants, both domestically and internationally, and was in the same place you are now: researching ; ) So here are my top 5 suggestions to make traveling with your infant just a little easier. I’m pretty sure most parents can agree that a blowout at 39,000 ft is less than ideal and to be avoided by all means necessary. While unfortunately, the majority of this depends on your mini you….there is something you can do to lessen the impact if you do find yourself in this situation 🙂 Step 1 / Size it up and go with overnight diapers Overnight diapers tend to…

Kitchen March 7, 2019

How to de-clutter and organize your kitchen in 3 easy steps!

It’s officially Spring which for whatever reason, is the time of year that sets me into overdrive with spring cleaning and organizing. Am I the only one? Although being perfectly honest, I prefer the organizational part;) The sense of calm that can be felt when a space is organized amidst all the craziness of life, creates a calmness for me and feels as if a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. With the kitchen being the area that we spend the most time in, I’ve decided it’s time to tackle it and get to a point where it is easy to find items and is more functional. After all, it seems as if it’s always when I’m trying to make food that my kids start to bicker and need me:) Then, of course, that same time is when I’m trying to dig through the drawer for the can…

Organizing March 7, 2019

The best way to organize your life; the KonMari method

So lets back up. Years ago, and I mean years, 2014 to be exact; I got a stack of books from my husband for Christmas. We have several traditions; one of which is always exchanging books on Christmas morning with breakfast. Now in hindsight, this was not my proudest moment, but live and learn right? Opening the books Christmas morning, among various parenting books, kids food recipe books….is this book ; The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. All it took was reading that cover, and GAME OVER! My opinionated, independent woman brain immediately went into defensive mode. “Why on earth would he give me books on organizing? Does he think that’s my job? Is that supposed to be a suggestion for me as a woman? Is he trying to tell me I’m not doing a good job at this stay at home mom…

Organizing March 7, 2019

How to organize your home and keep it organized.

Yay you! You’ve done the hardest part which is going through everything and consolidating. Left should be a pile of ‘joy’ items. So what exactly do you do with those items to achieve the goal of this method? Keep reading to find out what to do next in order to learn how to simplify and organize your home through only keeping items that speak to the heart. So what’s next? If you are feeling overwhelmed and not sure what do next short of shoving it back in the closet; and trying to forget what you just tackled; then keep reading and I’ll give you some ideas on where to go from here to make sure it stays tidy and organized. Folding your clothes If you hadn’t realized by now, this method has thought of it all. There is a suggestion for just about everything; including how to fold your clothes:)…

Kids March 7, 2019

How to keep your floor clear of toys and other items!

“I will never do this when I grow up” If you think back to your childhood growing up. Can you remember certain aspects that you vowed you would NEVER EVER DO when you were an adult? And goodness forbid you would NEVER EVER make your own kids do it. I certainly do. Now 20 years later….I’m eating my own words. As a mom of 4, our house tends to get messy quickly. I clean, and literally minutes afterwards, it looks like a tornato has swept through my house. When I say “clean,” I should clarify that. I mean pick up. I spend so much time picking up after my family, that it constantly feels as if I never get to the actual cleaning part. My goal is to eliminate most of the pick up part of “cleaning”. So instead, that time is spent actually cleaning and then moving on to…

Kids March 7, 2019

10 Tips to survive flying (alone) with kids

You’re doing what? “Glaucio isn’t going?” If I had a dollar for every time I heard that question when I told people I was traveling ALONE to Brazil, with 3 kids, from Montana…..well lets just say, I wouldn’t have to travel in the economy class next time 😉 No fairy dust, no benadryl and I certainly am not super mom 🙂 I admit, we all had our moments with delayed planes, all the way to our overseas flight being canceled at 2 am: 2 hours after being boarded and kids sleeping, and of course everything in between. But these 10 tips helped me keep my sanity, my kids happy, and helped us make it from the snowy town of Bozeman, Montana, to the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. If I can do it, you certainly can too. And through my trials and errors, hopefully your adventure, whether traveling alone…

Kids March 7, 2019

Canceled overseas flight at 2 am while traveling alone with 3 kids

My goal is to become a resource and share tips and tricks I’ve learned from both my own personal research, advice shared with me, as well as personal experience. In an effort of transparency, I’ve mentioned I’ll share the tips, as well as the major fails….well this was a little bit of a major fail 🙂 Even with all the planning in the world, all it took was one canceled flight, three young kids, a crap ton of baggage and all my plans went out the window; with the exception of one thing 🙂 Flying to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil In December, I flew to Rio de Janeiro Brazil, alone with 3 kids from Bozeman, Montana. My way there, I followed my top tips for surviving travel with kids that you can read more about here, and it honestly went really well. So well in fact, that I joked with…