kids snack and lunch station

School just started and one of the few challenges that comes with school time is keeping the kids eating healthy during and after school. This year I wanted to keep things simple and easy to grab. The solution was a snack basket that I keep in the middle shelf of the fridge; at the girls eye level.

The basket holds carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, peanut butter cups, cheese, fruit juice and yogurt drinks. I used small bags like these to store the veggies and fruits.

The girls grab from the snack basket for snacks during and after school. It also helps making a healthy school lunch a breeze. They pick one veggie, one fruit, one juice drink for lunch then I add turkey, smoked salmon or salami sandwiches, pasta, or chicken noodle soup.

Do you have any snack tips to help the kiddos eating clean? Please share it in the comment area.

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Mission Organization: Kitchen Command Center

As the girls are getting older,  it became daunting trying to keep up with all the homework and their planned activities. I couldn't keep track of homework, bills, coupon, important reminders and with the lack of time and memory, I needed something to help keep everything in one place; Solution: Create a kitchen command center.
I went shopping at Target (aside from Amazon, it is my next favorite store for anything organization). I found a whiteboard calendar, a portrait hanger, and a wall frame. I also purchased these Mini Dry Erase Markers with Magnet through Amazon.
This is the final result:

Now everything is kept in one place and no need for me to worry about trying to remember events or where I placed the bills or coupons or homework. It's all in one place :)
And before I go shopping, I take a picture of the list written on the Notes space on the right. No need to write them down again. Just write as you go and take a pic.

I found this Magnetic Dry Erase Calendar on amazon and boy I wish I searched on Amazon for a calendar before I left for Target. Anyway, it all worked out where now I keep homework in the folder and I place the bills with clips

Need more inspiration, check out these two command centers

From Howtonestforless

from CiberBanity

Happy Organizing!!

Nisrine

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Pantry Organization: Part 3

It seems like every few months I find myself reorganizing the pantry. This time around, I wanted to make it more "colorful" so I bought some colorful budget-friendly baskets I found at Target (it seems like I am always at that store :) to make the pantry more bright and organized.

The flour, rice, and pasta are stored in clear plastic containers.



I used baskets to store snacks, salmon pouches,condiments, oil etc...

I also store medicine, lightbulbs, batteries, and crafts in the pantry. Baskets and shoe boxes are great for storage.

There are many products out there to organize the pantry. Baskets are always the most budget friendly to keep everything contained. Lazy susans are also a great way to store oil, spices, etc...

Check out my tips on how to organize the pantry. Also, Andrea at organized living recently wrote a great post on how to organize and stock the pantry.

Are you having a hard time organizing your pantry? What's the biggest challenge that's keeping you from organizing the pantry?

 

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Organize your way to a Balanced Life: Part 2

 

If you missed the first part of this series, click Here

Cleaning the house while the kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk while it’s snowing. -Phyllis Diller

Some days I used to feel like I was hardly able to accomplish anything even though I had been juggling the cleaning, cooking, changing diapers, and other obligations with no break in between. Moreover, by the end of the day, I was exhausted, stressed out, and overwhelmed. Isn't that how many of us feel nowadays? Instead of enjoying life, we become overworked, overextended, overburdened, anxious, and stressed.

Shift your way of thinking:

After many months of feeling this way, I decided to shift my way of thinking. I needed to be more efficient with my time so that I can enjoy a clean house, play with my kids, and work toward achieving my personal goals. Isn't there a saying after all that being a fool is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results?.

While I am adamant about keeping my house clean and organized, I also believe in the importance of living life with a purpose. Life is too short to be lived worrying about a perfectly organized and clean home. As moms, we sometimes forget about what's important, and our lives become all-consumed with no end-results . We are at the mercy of our children's needs, our household chores, social events, play dates, and other mommy obligations. But in order to live a balanced and fulfilling life, we have to set our priorities straight. We can't just put our focus on our daily chores and let it consume our day. We need to learn to manage our time better to do what matters. We need to start writing down goals and working towards achieving them. We need to live our lives to the fullest and with a purpose.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not saying that you should live in a messy, dirty, cluttered, and disorganized house. The gist of this series is NOT to convince you to abandon your quest to maintain a clean home or anything else that matters to you, rather, to shift your thinking from perfectionism to excellence and from being overwhelmed to a feeling of accomplishment.

Time Wasters:

Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its shortness. Jean de La Bruysre

We all have 24 hours in our day but somehow some people manage to accomplish many things while others complain that "there isn't enough time". To accomplish more, you need to become more efficient with your time. And before you become more time efficient,  you have to first identify the time wasters in your life and work at improving them or eliminating them.

Here is a list of a few time wasters, that can really eat into your time if you let them.

• Perfectionism:

“Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien. (The perfect is the enemy of the good.)” -Voltaire

"Achieving absolute perfection may be impossible and so, as increasing effort results in diminishing returns, further activity becomes increasingly inefficient." FromWikipedia

I believe that the biggest time waster is seeking perfectionism. It is a big roadblock between you and a full life. Perfectionism is a life leech and a huge time waster; you have to stop chasing it. Perfectionism is NOT attainable. It is the cause of procrastination. Instead, focus on what you would like to accomplish, NOT on getting everything perfect. Learn when good is good enough, and deliver.

• Internet: You can really get carried away, and spend too many hours every day on the Internet. Set a limit to your internet usage that includes email, facebook, surfing the internet, etc...


• Phone: Same as the internet. It is one of those daily interruptions that can be a time waster, especially if you have to answer every time the phone rings. Let the voicemail pick up the call. If it's an emergency, they will call you again, or leave a mesage.


• Picking up toys while the kids are still playing: You put them away and minutes if not seconds later, they are out on the floor again.


• Shopping: Shopping can be a big waste of time if you always go shopping without a shopping list. Before you head out shopping next time, make a list of what you NEED to buy and try to stick to your list as much as possible. It will cut the time spent shopping and you can get other things done afterwards. Try to set aside a day a week for shopping. This will help free up your time for the rest of the week.


• The News: I used to be a big news junkie. I needed to know everything, I followed every story. What did I gain from that? Not much. I later realized I can check the news once a day for 5 minutes, skimming for the important stories, and still keep up to date on the latest important news. That’s all it takes to see what’s happening around the world. You do not even have to waste your time reading the whole article. The title should be enough to keep you on the loop on what’s going on.


• Gossip: whether it is celebrity gossip or talking about others. If you create a more interesting life, you wouldn’t want or have the time to care about meaningless stories.


• Complaining and worrying that you don't have enough time to get things done:

" This constant unproductive preoccupation with all the things we have to do is the single largest consumer of time and energy.” - Kerry Gleeson.

When you constantly worry that there are many things you need to get done and not enough time to accomplish them, you create some sort of mental block that stands in the way of accomplishing your goals and the things you need to get done.

• TV: TV can be a big distraction that will eat your time if you don't set any time limit to it. You get carried on by the next show and before you realize it, you spent a couple of hours glued to the TV and time just flies by. Moreover, TV can be harmful to your brain. Watching TV has been linked to numerous brain disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer's and increases the risk for ADHD. I am not advocating to stop watching TV altogether but rather to limit your TV viewing to no more than one or two hours a day combined. You can replace some of your TV time with reading, which can help stimulate the brain. Finally,  talking to your spouse instead of watchnig TV can help strengthen your relationship.

There are countless other time wasters and they differ with each person. The first thing you need to do is identify YOUR time wasters, then take action (eliminate or set limits). Remember time is precious so use it wisely.

"If you want to improve how you manage time - stop doing what doesn't need to be done!"Peter Drucker

What are the time wasters in your life? or what are; in your opinion, other time wasters I did not cover?

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How to organize the Laundry Room

 

The laundry room was one of the messiest rooms in the house; it was full of boxes, shoes, cleaning supplies, detergents, baskets, and many other items that did not belong in a laundry room. Organizing it was in my priority list but it seemed like I hit a wall with the laundry room and did not know how to start this organization project until about ten days ago. Target had these pretty colorful baskets on sale for $3 and I got ecstatic; it was my Eureka moment. I went to Target that same day and bought three nice colorful baskets to start organizing my messy laundry room. Now, I do the happy dance every time I enter my laundry room. No more dreading the laundry chore :) .

First and foremost, before you start organizing the laundry, get rid of the clutter. Anything that does not belong in a laundry room should be stored where it belongs. If you have a laundry room/mud room, use a storage bench to keep everything tidy.

• Storing laundry supplies:

I divided everything I had on the shelf into three categories. Cleaning supplies, laundry supplies, and misceleneous (sewing material, extra wash clothes, etc..). After I had everything divided, I put the supplies in a categorized/labeled basket and placed them on the built-in-shelf over the washer and dryer. It makes it easier to do the laundry having all the supplies within arm's reach.

If you don't have a built-in shelf, you can get an over the Washer Storing Shelf or you might opt for smaller baskets if you have cabinets to hold your laundry supplies. An easier way is to put a laundry caddy between your washer and dryer.

The key to organizing the laundry clutter is to keep it concealed.

• Sorting the laundry: Labels, Labels, Labels

I use multiple baskets when sorting the laundry that I labeled using Miscrosoft Excel and self laminating sheets then clipped them to the baskets with clothes pins. You can also purchase sectioned hampers or a laundry sorter and sort them based on washing needs. You can divide them into whites, darks, and hand washing. I also have two extra baskets; one for socks and the other for underwear (yeah, I know, I am just too picky :) )

• Drying the laundry

I have a clothes rod in my laundry room right next to the dryer for hanging clothes that need to be air dried or other clothes that finished drying. It helps to prevent wrinkles. if you don't have one installed in your laundry room and your laundry room lacks space for one, consider a hanging rack or a clothes drying rack

• Storing the iron and the iron board

I put two hooks in the laundry room where I was able to hang my iron board (right on the picture) and placed my iron in the Misceleneous basket. You can also use an over the door Iron Board or a wall mounting Ironing table holder

• Trash bin:

Well, a trash bin is a must in a laundry room.  Where else would you place the dryer sheet, lint, and other disposable items? :)

Other Tips:

Print out this stain removal checklist and frame it or laminate it then hang it in your laundry room; preferably above your washing machine, as a guide on how-to-remove-stains when you need it.

Use small bowls for items you find when emptying the pockets.

How I decorated the laundry:

Above the baskets, I used two butterfly placemats that I found at Bed Bath & Beyond for 99 cents. The color matched the baskets so it worked well. For the frames, I had some leftover wrapping paper that I used with white frames and used command Damage-free hanging strips to hang them. I also used a couple of command hooks to hang any extra clothes, slings, etc... Get printable coupons for the command products HERE .

As for the shade, I made it myself, who knew ?! :). I found a nice fabric at Walmart for $5 then used multipurpose spray glue to attach the fabric. After I hanged the curtains, I placed the ribbons (also at Walmart for $3)around the drape shade then tied them into nice bows.

The nice curtain underneath is a shower curtain. I used small command hooks to hang it and a multipurpose spray glue to make it fit. Very useful to hide the mess behind (sorry no picture of the mess :) )

How did I get inspired:

I am not a very creative person, I confess. My creativity sparks once in a lifetime so I always need inspiration. The following are some pictures that had inspired me while organizing and decorating the laundry room.

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How to organize your car and keep it clean

Our cars are becoming like second homes to us. We spend hours in them, driving, talking, playing, enjoying the outside view, eating, reading, and listening to music. But amongst our busy lives, we find it difficult to keep our cars organized and clean. Needless to say, junk continues to accumulate in the car until we finally decide to spend one day to clean it, and then the cycle begins again. But if you follow these easy steps below you won't have to dread the day that you have to clean out the piles of junk that have accumulated over time.

First step: Clean and Empty Out

• Remove EVERYTHING out of the car. Throw away garbage and put everything that you don't use or did not need to be in the car aside.


• Use a mixture of water and Baking Soda to clean any spots from the seats.


• Vaccum: I use a Small vacuum like this one. Use the thin attachment to clean between and underneath the seats. For a small vacuum, it does wonders.

Second step: Organize your Mommy Car

Trunk:



I bought a big box from Ikea for about $7 to store what I need for the girls. My friend recommended it to me and it works great. It's big enough for the trunk and has a zipper to keep everything tidy. I suggest to put umbrellas, a bag or backpack for each child with extra clothes, toys, books, coloring books and crayons, snacks, and water. Here is what I have in mine:

• A backpack for my four year old: it has a ziploc bag for extra clothes, books, crayons and small coloring books, and a bottle of water.


• Two baby bags: One that I take with me instead of a diaper bag (I don't like diaper bags, I just think they are too big and heavy to be carrying around all the time, don't you think ?) It has a changing mat, extra sheet, big ziploc bag that contains diapers and wipes, baby food, baby spoon, nursing cover and small toys. The other bag contains a blanket and a Ziploc bag with extra changing clothes.

Glove compartment:

• Car Manual


• Insurance and Car registration Information


• Phone Charger


• CD organizer: I have the Visor Organizer but I keep it in my glove compartment instead of the visor.


• Map


• Small Flashlight

Center Console:

• Small brush and hair ties for my girls in a small ziploc bag


• Change (quarters) in a small ziploc bag


• Bug Spray


• Sunscreen spray and baby sunblock


• Lipstick and lip balm in a small bag


• BandAids or a small first-aid kit


• Notepad and pens


• Sunglasses


• Kleenex

Side compartment:

I keep the side compartments empty except for some coupons sometimes and napkins.

Underneath The Seats: Two boxes under each seat

• Snack Box: I keep baby Snacks like baby Mum Mum and kids snacks and juices in this handy box. You never know when you need them. You can use the right size tupperware or something similar, but just make sure it seals tightly.


• Busy Box: I put some coloring books, small books, small toys, and crayons in a small ziploc bag.

Last Step: Keeping your car clean

Garbage Bag Tip



There is no reason for the garbage to end up on the floors, on the seats, are elsewhere in the car. Garbage goes in the garbage. This is another great way to reusing your grocery bags. Keep one to several grocery bags in your car that you can use for the garbage. When you get home, tie and toss and have another one handy for your next outing. I bought the Froggie bag at the dollar section of Target. I lined it with a grocery bag and kept it in the back so that my girl knows where to throw the garbage.

Extra tip: Every time you get home, make sure that you remove anything that does not belong in the car.

OrgJunkie

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