Home Maid Simple

Tag: organize

  • Chargiing Station {Guest Post}

    Chargiing Station {Guest Post}

    Can you even believe how many devices in our homes have to be charged? Kindles, razors, Dongles (yes, Grandma has a Dongle!), iPods, mp3 players, and even our vacuum cleaner all run on cordless power that needs to be recharged.

    I have been trying for several months to come up with a solution for the growing jumble of charging cords that we need to keep things running at our house. At first I had all of our cords wrapped neatly and stored in a basket with a lid. That created a problem, since I had to empty the basket every time I needed to charge something.

    The other problem was that I didn’t have a specific place for plugging the devices in to be charged. One time when I was preparing to go away for a few days with my sisters, I had devices charging in three different rooms in the house. But that was then, and this is now.

    This is a bird’s eye view of my new charging station that I set up in our den. I plugged in a power strip, and I organized and labeled all of our cords and put them in two drawers beside the power strip. This all lives on one small corner of Grandpa’s table/desk in the den.

    The part of the process that took the most time was sorting and labeling the cords. When they were labeled, I wrapped them with small pony tail holders. (I keep these on hand to use in place of rubberbands.)

    For labeling, I used two different sizes of white labels and a Sharpie marker.

     

     

    Any cord that had a large plug that fit an electrical outlet is labeled on the plug end.
    < ——————– 

    For the cords with a USB plug, I folded a larger label, sticking it to itself and labeled them like this. —————–>

    Now I have all of the cords in one plastic drawer right next to the power strip. This works well with my organizational rule to store all like items together.
    Grandpa was so impressed with my charging station that he labeled his two device cords and put them in the drawer above mine

     We really like the way this is working for us. Whenever we need to charge anything, we know that the cord is in the den. Whenever something is charging, we know that the device is in the den. The power strip should protect us from power surges, and the light on the power strip lets us know when it is on.

    I have high hopes of being able to stay organized with this new charging station set up. If you are tired of tangled or mystery cords, I recommend this method heartily!

    How do you keep your cords and devices organized at your house?


    I am a follower of Christ, a wife, a homemaker, a seamstress, a teacher, a writer, and a grandma.   I enjoy the frugal, simple lifestyle that my husband and I share with each other, our two dogs, and our extended family members.  I love learning from others, and  I enjoy sharing my life lessons with my blog readers.  Please visit my blog, My Grandma Knows, at http://www.mygrandmaknows.com/  where I share wisdom and advice with humor and grace.

  • Menu Plan Monday 7/2

    Menu Plan Monday 7/2

    We had a crazy fun week last week. Mark’s parents were in town, so instead of cooking, we ate out every single night. It was definitely a treat for us, though it did get us a bit off our normal schedule.  The kids didn’t eat as well as they normally do, although Princess V ate better than she normally does – go figure.
    I did some major grocery shopping with my mother in law. I don’t think we’ll need to go to the store anytime soon. We had to take the ice box out of the freezer to fit all the food in it, and we had to get a little creative in the pantry.  I’d share some pictures, but we’re out of town now, and I didn’t bring the camera.
    Here’s what we’ll be eating this week
    Monday – family dinner at my parents. Possibly hot dogs at the baseball game.
    Tuesday – Pork Chops
    Wednesday – BBQ
    Thursday – Chicken and pasta
    Friday – Macaroni and Cheese
    Saturday – leftovers
    Sunday – crock pot pork and veggies
    We’ve invited my parents and siblings up for the 4th of July.  I’ve got some fun ideas for a BBQ that I think everyone will enjoy, thanks to pinterest.

  • Menu Plan Monday 6/25

    Menu Plan Monday 6/25

    Monday 
    Tuesday
    Sandwiches on the go. The Princesses have dance rehearsal all day, and their recital at night.
    Wednesday
     Spaghetti with Sausage Cheese Balls
    Thursday
     out to eat
    Friday
    Saturday
     Family Dinner
    Sunday
    Family Dinner

  • PenFactory {Review}

    PenFactory {Review}

    For awhile now I’ve been wanting to put together some “business” cards (I’m not really a business, but I talk to so many people about my blog!) to hand out when I start talking about Home Maid Simple. I have yet to get those business cards, but I found another company to help me in promoting and “branding” myself.
    logo
    PenFactory.com has many items that can be personalized for any occasion.  At first the name threw me off. I figured it was just a bunch of pens, but it’s NOT!  
    Although they do have many pens, and many different styles of pens, they also sell key chains, mugs, office supplies and bags!  And everything can be personalized.
    One of the things I loved about the PenFactory is that the more you buy, the lower the price per item gets.
    The Razor Pastel Pen

    Take these cool pastel pens for example. If you buy 100-249 they cost $.31 each. But if you purchase 250-499 they only cost $.26 each.  And the price just keeps going down!
    Now as great as pens are, I really didn’t need, nor want 100. If I was an actual business with people coming in and needing a writing utensil, they’d be great. I decided to check out their other products though.  I started looking at the mugs, but really I like my hospital jug, so I didn’t need that. Then I found it.
    Tote Bags!  I personally feel you can never have enough tote bags. They work great for home organization, day trip diaper bags, book bags and more.  I loved how simple the ordering process was for the personalization. You just follow the prompts for what you want written, add the color, and upload a picture.
    My only concern was after I ordered, I wasn’t sure if the picture I uploaded was going to turn out. I would love if they added a “preview” feature so you can have a better idea of what your product will look like. What if my picture was too big, or grainy, or I clicked the wrong picture during upload? 
    Maybe I just worry too much, but a preview feature would make the site that much better.
     Do you like my new bags?

    I decided to put a little twist on my tag line. Instead my “my” I put in “your”, because with these bags I get to help you organize your home!  Watch next week, because I’ll be giving away 2 of these!!
    Keep up to date with all things from the PenFactory
    Twitter
    Blog
    *I received this product free for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

  • Guest Post – DeJunk Your Household

    De-Junk Your
    Household

    So you’re finally deciding to take
    stock of your household objects and see just what you need to keep around and
    what to get rid of? This can be a quite daunting task, but don’t fret! By using
    a few simple tips you can make the process of evaluating your household objects
    and deciding what to do with them quick and painless.

    The first step is to take an inventory of what you’ve actually got. Go through
    your house (yes, even the boxes stacked in the corner of your basement) and
    make a note of every item you find that you could conceivably get rid of. If
    the idea of living without the item even crosses your mind, write it down; you
    will make the final decisions later.

    Once you’ve got your list, it’s time for the hard part. Go down the list and
    take a good hard look at each entry. How old is the item, and how often has it
    been used? If it’s something that you haven’t even thought about for five
    years, you’re looking at a great opportunity to simplify your life by getting
    rid of it. If the object has significant sentimental value and you can’t even
    bear to imagine losing it, go ahead and keep it around. Be careful not to use
    this excuse lightly, though.

    If the item in question is something that is only used occasionally such as
    seasonal decorations or clothing, consider placing it in storage. This way you
    remove it as clutter from your household while still having full access to it
    when the appropriate time comes.

    Now that you’ve got a trimmed down list of what you’re considering getting rid
    of, it’s time to decide just what to do with all of it. For items such as old
    clothing, bedding and toys, donating to a local or national charity is always
    an attractive option; the items will be put to good use, and you can usually
    write the donation off on your taxes. Items that have retained value such as
    furniture and electronics, do some research to find out a fair price and put it
    up for sale. There’s no better feeling than reducing clutter and earning money
    while doing it! And if it’s truly trash, just throw it out; you won’t miss it.

    With these simple tips, it’s easy to reduce clutter in your house and simplify
    your life. You may even make a few extra bucks, to boot!

    Casey Haslem is a writer and paints in her spare time. She
    writes often about storage and organization. If you’re in need of help with
    storage, contact     Sam Dimas
    self storage units     or Brooklyn
    Extra Space Storage    .
  • Cook’N recipe Organizer Review and Giveaway

    Cook’N recipe Organizer Review and Giveaway

    If you’ve been following the blog here lately, you may have noticed an influx of recipes and food related posts. It may have something to do with this pregnancy (I’m always hungry lately) or it could be from all the baking I did throughout the holidays. Whatever it may be, I’ve started collecting more and more recipes from all over the place. My cookbook cupboard is not getting any smaller, and my food board on pinterest just keeps growing.
    I’ve found a great new software to organize my recipes into one spot. Cook’n Recipe Organizer has so many cool features! You can capture recipes right off the web, or type up your own recipes. You can view the nutritional value of each recipe, create menu plans, and print off a grocery list. You can also make your own recipe book and print it out too!


    Already I’ve created a recipe “book” for recipes we’ve tried and love, and one for recipes I want to try in the near future!
    So far the only problem I’ve come across is the grocery list. It allows you to type in any extra items you may need. I needed diapers and knew I’d probably forget if they weren’t on my list. When i went to print the list though, diapers wasn’t on it. I’m sure there’s something I need to do different to make it work right.

    Overall I really enjoy this software and plan on getting my cookbook cupboard cleaned out some. I’m even starting to think of making recipe books for family this next Christmas!

    GIVEAWAY
    Cook’n Recipe Organizer is an $80 value and I’m giving it away to one lucky reader! All you have to do is like Cook’n Recipe Organizer on Facebook. Then come back here and leave a comment with your favorite recipe and a way to contact you.
    Giveaway is open internationally! Will end on Jan 24th. Winner will be emailed and given 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.  Good luck, and happy organizing!
    Cook'n Recipe Software
    *I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Mom Blog Society. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. (http://momblogsociety.com

  • Tuesday Tips – Paper Organization

    organizing your home
    Paper piles up. It seems to be it’s favorite thing to do. Everything from mail, kids schoolwork, receipts and then the general papers that you wonder where they came from. 
    Organizing papers was probably the first thing I started doing when I decided to declutter our home. The rest of the house could be clean, but with the piles of paper everywhere, it never looked it. Here are just some of my tips on where to start and what you can do with those stacks of papers floating around your house.
    Mail: The best place to start is what time you get the mail. Only pick up your mail if you have time to go through it right then! This will save you from a mail filled table or desk.  As you go through your mail, sort it. Junk mail rip up, and toss in the garbage. The rest sort as needed. There are many tools out there to help with mail sorting. I use 2.  The first thing I use is a 2 drawer filing cabinet.
    I have folders inside for bank statements, taxes, student loans, car insurance, and photos to name a few. These are papers that I need to hold on to usually for a couple years by recommended standards.  The photos are ones we get from friends and family for weddings, birthdays, and Christmas. I don’t want to throw them out, but I also can’t display every picture I ever get. Having a folder for them keeps them safe, and accessable.
    The second item I use is specifically for mail sorting.  I picked it up at a yard sale over the summer, and it has been wonderful to use!
    The top is labeled letters, then bills, then misc. I personally use the top for coupons, stamps, and outgoing mail. I put all our bills in the middle pocket, and go through them each month. The bottom is my misc. mail that I need to still sort and file into the filing cabinet (things end up here usually when I get the mail at a time that I don’t have time to go through it).
    Bills: The next big thing. The papers no one wants to talk about, or see. The problem is we all have them, and they aren’t going to go away no matter how many times we click our heels.  One great way to minimize the bill papers is to go paperless. The majority of companies have a paperless option, where you do all your bill pay online. You get your statements through emails, and never have to see another paper. I do most of my bills this way, but there are some that I still like to have in hand to go through. With this being our first home, I really like to get our mortgage statement in the mail. I pay it online, but having it hand to see, and remind me that I’m a grown up is kind of cool (yeah go ahead, call me weird).  As I get all my bills, I place them in the mail holder. At the beginning of each month I go through them. I throw out the bills from the previous month, and then pay all the bills for the new month. I still hold onto those bills to the end of the month though. That way in case anything happens to a check in the mail, or an online payment isn’t processed, I can look at the actual paper to make sure things are lining up. 
    Coupons: I personally don’t use a whole lot of coupons. I’ve tried but the cost to get them, hasn’t made up the difference for me, of what they save. There are a few staples that I do pull out and try to use. Like I mentioned before, I put most of my coupons in the top of my mail sorter. There are a few that I keep in a basket by the door though, so I can grab them on my way to the store. More coupon savvy people will use binders. Here’s some great sites if you’re into couponing or looking to start couponing. They can help you organize your coupons much better than I can.
    Klippin Krazy is the first that comes to my mind. She has a Newbie Know How, and a daily coupon contact.
    Coupon Frenzy Mom also has a coupons 101 guide, a page devoted to freebies, and drug store, grocery, and retail coupons!
    School Papers: You pick up your kid from school, get home, and they  proceed to empty their backpack showing you everything they did that day.  There’s artwork, stories, and report cards. Each day there is a new paper to add to their pile. You love it all, and are so proud of their hardwork, but you start to feel buried. The fridge is filled to the brim, and even if you wanted to buy more magnets, there’s no place left for another picture.
    What do you do? You need a box. A shoe box could work, but eventually you may need a larger bin. As your child goes through their papers, help them decide what you should keep and what you should toss. All things keep, but in the box. Then, at the end of the school year, go through the whole box. They may not remember a lot of the papers in there, and if that’s the case, toss them. There will be a few more special pieces though, that you and they will want to hold on to. I call this a Special box. I had one growing up, and it still contains some very precious things to me. Throughout the years as my life has continued to change, I still go through it, and toss some things, and add others that have more meaning to who I’ve become. 
    Christmas Cards: We all get them, though they are starting to get more sparse. I like to recycle mine. After displaying the ones I get each year, I put them in a box. The next year, I pull them out and reuse. Some I make into gift tags, others I just cut off the front of the card and use it as it’s own card.  Here’s a fun way I found to display the cards each year.
    I hope these tips will help you as you try to live paper clutter free!  I’m linking up to

  • What a mess!

    What a mess!

    Now that our basement remodel is finished we have done a big old switcheroo! We put Princess C and Princess V in the master room, Mark and I have taken one of the smaller rooms, and the leftover room will eventually be the baby’s room, but for now, gets to hold all the junk items we do not have a spot for quite yet. This switch has been messy, still is, but I have seen progress!

     The Princess’ new room
    After finishing the switch, this is what the basement now looks like – AHHHHH! That will be tomorrow’s to do list.

    Our new Master Bedroom (hello Princess C)

    Storage room soon to be baby’s room. We may have to do some painting if this turns out to be a boy.
    I obviously need to find a more organized way of switching things around. Of course, when I took all the toys downstairs I did go through them all, and I have a box to donate. I also had it all in boxes, but 5 minutes of the girls down there, and BAM what a mess. My next chore will be figuring out how to organize the toys so that they stay organized.
  • Creating a sitting area

    Creating a sitting area

    It has happened again. I always want to rearrange the furniture, but for some reason I never do until I’m pregnant. Some hormone or something really kicks in and my motivation moves up a couple notches. We have this very nice bay window right inside our front door. Although it is nice, it is also a bit of an awkward area. I had turned it into a craft area for awhile, but it just became a dumping ground for everything. Eventually we want to put in a window seat. In the meantime though, here’s some arrangements I’ve come up with this morning.

    the dumping grounds

    All cleaned out

    2 chairs with side table

    1 chair with side table

    2 chairs with bass drum table

    1 chair with bass drum table.

    I’m leaning towards the 1 chair with the side table. I may even pull out a bookshelf to go next to the chair.  That may just cause more messes though. Opinions?

  • SaveMore Reusable Bags 50% off!

    Flower Tote Bag
    Today’s SaveMore.com deal is for your purchase at reusablebags.tv.
    Get $18 worth of bags for $9 or $50 worth of bags for $22
    They have some really cute Tote bags (like the one above), Grocery Bags, and lunch Bags!
    I am a personal fan of tote bags. I even have them semi-organized hidden on the side of our couch! One has cloth diapers in it, one has library books, one is for church, and one is an every day diaper bag. Each is kept stocked with the different items I need for my role as mom. I used to use one bag for everything, but that was just a huge hassle everytime I tried to go out.
    Reusable Bag Kit
    You can use this deal to get this amazing Bag Kit for only $22! It comes with a tote bag, large woven bag, grocery bags, and produce bags. I just love it! So head on over to SaveMore to take advantage on these fabulous Reusable Bags!