Best advice for the New Year (#InspireMe2014)

Today’s Inspire Me 2014 Writing Prompt is: Best advice for the New Year.
I’m not really one who sets resolutions but this year, I’m trying to focus on decluttering our surroundings. We are nowhere near hoarders or anything like that. I’m just wanting to have only things we use in our home and things that make us happy. For example, I went through our linen closet, got rid of stuff and organized it…and now it makes me sssooooo happy to even be near the closet, let alone actually use it (with that, I’ve made the decision to blog about it another day…). Whatever doesn’t fit this description is being given away through some Facebook groups I belong to (one that I co-Admin), that are similar to Freecycle. Basically, I take a picture of the items, post them on these groups, and whomever wants them can come pick them up. I have a box on my front porch where I put the items (may I repeat yet again how much I LOVE my neighbourhood…very safe!) and they can pick them up. It keeps the items out of the landfill, I don’t have to store them to try to remember to take for donation (although I do that too!), and they get to bless someone else’s home.

To give you some examples, these are some of the items I’ve posted in the last week, and they were all picked up within a day from people who could use them/wanted them:

                   

Yes, that’s everything from magazines I’ve read to an office chair! It’s actually quite addicting to get rid of these items, knowing other people are looking for them. I’m happy to share the names of the groups so just send me an email (imamomtoo.Meghan@gmail.com) or send me a message on Facebook with your city. I’ll take a look if they have ones local to you.

Organizing the #Craft #Clutter

With the Christmas tree and decor gone, I’ve been able to start organizing certain areas around our new home that were driving me crazy because they weren’t organized properly. So, one afternoon, my daughter and I took some time to organize a bookshelf with their crafting items.

Before:

After:

Everything is clearly labelled now, and although my son and I continue to “discuss” where the little drawer unit with pencil crayons, erasers, pencils, etc actually goes (he believes on the floor around him while he’s on the ipad, which for some reason he prefers to use on the floor as well, sigh), everything goes back where it’s supposed to. What a concept! 😉

 

The only things I bought were the 3 large green containers for a measly $8 each. I had everything else lying around.

The Irony of #Pinterest

Just found this on Pinterest:

And it’s SSOOOOOO true!  Here’s my organizing board on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/imamomtoo/organize-it/.

 

It’s the Little Things

In our home, I have “my chair”.  The kids know that when I come back into the living room and they are sitting in “my chair”, that they have to move.  They can just move temporarily to just give me space to sit down, and then come back for our wonderful cuddles but I’m sitting in “my chair”.  It’s where I can block out the sounds from the kids’ programming while I read, surf the internet, write, etc.

 

What drove me crazy though is that so much garbage collects on the table right beside “my chair”.  When we all caught a cold a couple months ago, I put a plastic bag beside my chair to collect used Kleenex because I was too lazy to get up each time I blew my nose to throw it out.  When I got better, I realized how much I loved having a pseudo-garbage right beside my chair so I got an actual plastic garbage can and it now stays beside my chair.

 

It’s strange but this little garbage can makes me happy – happy that I don’t have to get up to throw things out in the kitchen or bathroom garbage cans; happy that I was so “brilliant” to finally figure out this little tidbit.  It really is the little things in life that make me happy.

Wordless Wednesday – #Organize

I was sick and tired of picking up the crafty-type stuff we have (which isn’t much…I’m not a “craft mom”) so I found two sets of plastic drawers, and labelled them with kid-friendly letters. To ensure my son doesn’t remove all the letters to reuse them EVERYWHERE, I put clear packing tape over top of the letters, making sure the ends of the tape are in creases in the drawers so he can’t find them easily. So far, the drawers have remained intact for more than a month. Yay!

 

A Mom’s Wish List

I was chatting with @adriennemay (and @FrugalNavyWife weighed in too) on Twitter yesterday, and we were kibitzing about the need for laundry and cleaning elves, basically a Mom’s Wish List, so I thought I would share.

 

Wish List of Not Realistic Items:

• Laundry elves that do the laundry, fold it (when I don’t feel like folding because, for the most part, I do like folding laundry…I know, I’m weird) AND put it away
• Cooking elves because I’m sick and tired of making 3 different versions of each meal for the 3 of us, every single day
• Cleaning elves because I seem to have not been born with the cleaning gene that moms are supposed to get as soon as their kids are born
• Money elves – might as well ask for the moon, right? Or should I just be asking for a sugar daddy…? LOL!
• Shopping elves – I’m the fabled woman who HATE clothing shopping so, when I have to go, I literally start shaking if I have to be in a store for very long.
• Sleep elves for my son so we can both get full night’s sleep, every night
• Gas elves – does this need further explanation? 😉
• Loose tooth elves – my daughter’s 3rd loose tooth has been loose a while, and she’s worried it will come out when she’s sleeping or at camp, and that she’ll lose it. She doesn’t want to miss a visit from the Tooth Fairy, after all. 😉
• Elves to bring Hugh Jackman – no, wait, that’s a different Wish List… 😉

 

Wish List of Realistic Items:

• iPad for my son and the apps specifically targeted for kids with Autism  – there’s tons of great things being said about how much iPads are great for kids with Autism, to help them communicate better with the world; plus a detailed “How to” for me. I would by lying if I said that I was a tech wiz.
• a dishwasher – I’ve never had one in my adult life, and I “miss” it…how is that possible?
• constant supply of Tazo Chai syrup – need I explain why? 😉
• Honda Civic – I currently have a “sexy” minivan, which is now too big for the 3 of us. I’ve had a couple of Hondas before my minivan, and I’m definitely a “Honda girl”.
• Back to School Supplies – I have 6 year old boy/girl twins…need I say more?
• Anything from organize.com!
• 3 compartment laundry sorter – it’s the little things, isn’t it? 😉 Problem is, I would have to find space for it. Grrr.

 

The BIGGEST thing I want for my Wish List is for my son to start his Intensive Behavioural Therapy program for Autism.  We’ve been on the waitlist for 3 years (and counting!).  Thankfully, we’ve been told it will be starting soon.  Fingers crossed!