Toy Box

For Christmas some of my siblings wanted to give our mom a "Grandma's Toy Box".  My contribution was to paint the exterior, and then I sewed some canvas bags to hold some of the toys with lots of pieces. 

The canvas bags have a basic shape drawn on them with a permanent marker to so even kids who can't read yet know what is inside without dumping them on the floor.  The toys shown are all from Ikea...love that place!

For safety, we installed some brackets that keep the lid from closing too fast.  This was a must since the lid was heavy.

Operation Organize: The Housework File

One of the biggest causes of stress for me has been the struggle to keep up with housework.  I've been on a search to find a way to manage what I need to do, and I came across a great method at Organized Home where index cards are used to organize the seemingly endless list of things that need to be done to keep up a home.  The card file helps me rotate through chores that only need doing occasionally.  This way I don't feel guilty walking past a window that could use some cleaning, or that dusty ceiling fan-I know I'll get to it soon enough.  After using it for a few months, I've tweaked their system a bit as I've learned what works for me and what doesn't work so well.


Here is a quick summary of how to set up a card system:

First step: Inventory

Walk through your home with a notepad and write down every chore that needs to be done, regardless if it is one you have to do daily or one that only needs attention once a year or so.  Don't worry if you don't think of everything at once, you can add or take out cards whenever you like.

Second: Create Your File Cards

What to put on the card:  For each chore you listed on the notepad, take an index card and list the chore in the middle of the card.  Decide how often that chore should be done-I divided mine into weekly, twice a month, monthly, every 3 and 6 months, and yearly, and write that on the card-I put it in the top left corner.  I only have a few yearly cards, and it turned out each one of them should be done a specific time of year (like changing fire alarm batteries and getting the AC unit serviced) so I'm thinking I'll just keep those cards as a reminder to put them on my calendar.

  On the back of the card I make a note of the date when I get a task done. In the photograph above I put a few more things on the sample card that some people find useful, like the location, time to complete, or a checklist of things to be done to complete the chore (which makes it easier to delegate to other family members if you have help). *Side note:  "Cleaning the Family Room" can mean different things to different people.  What seems to be obvious to you sometimes needs to be written out.  I took a family relations course where the instructor asked everyone to draw a picture of a house.  She came up to me and said "No, you're doing it wrong!" and moved on.  She came back several times and said this.  I had no idea why my house was wrong.  Finally she came back and pretended to be frustrated "No!  All houses should have two windows, a door in the middle, and a tree!!"  We avoid a lot of frustration and conflict with family members if we explain that to us a clean family room consists of the following: Pick up toys.  Vacuum.  Dust, and Wipe finger marks off the TV.  They might feel they are done after picking up toys.  If a child (or spouse) has a checklist to check off portions of the task as they go, you'll both be more likely to be pleased with the result. 
Colored Cards: There were several options for using colored cards-at first I used colors for different types of tasks-white was for housework, blue for paperwork...but found I only had one or two colored cards.  I decided to use the card file for housework tasks only, and I ended up using colored cards for each area of the house.  This way I pull the cards I need to do for the day, and can quickly group them by area since I like to tackle one room at a time. 
Frequent Tasks: Organized home suggests writing a card for everything.  I started out with cards for daily things like sweeping, running the dishwasher, etc.  Some people really like the satisfaction of filing away cards, but I found it was just one more thing to keep up with.  I combined some tasks I always do together-like washing dishes then wiping down the counters and stove.  I ended up tossing daily and weekly cards and made a card for each day of the week where I write a reminder of some things I'd like to get done that day-like watering plants and paying bills on Monday, recycling goes out on Wednesday, etc.  I use Tuesdays to make sure the kitchen counters are clear and the living room is presentable. I've found I'm a lot more motivated to tackle deep cleaning tasks if I've got a fairly clean house to start with. 
One-time tasks: I made one card where I listed odd jobs-things that only need doing once like mending a screen or building shelves for the garage.  As I complete these, I cross them off the list and start a new card.  I try to get at least one of these done a week.  Most of these are fiddly little repairs that don't take much time-like that loose doorknob you only notice when you are heading out the door and don't have time to do anything about at the moment.
De-cluttering:  I have several clutter magnets around the home.  The worst are the top of the piano, and the chef's cart in the kitchen.  Once or twice a week I clean these off so it doesn't become a big job.
Organizing: Once a week, I pick one closet, shelf, or drawer and organize it.  Organized home suggests moving through your house systematically -starting in one room and each time you tackle another spot, work your way clockwise through the room, then move on to the next room, and eventually you get back to where you started.  I usually pull everything out, wipe or vacuum out the area, and organize everything as I put it back.  I take this time to say goodbye to things I don't use or need. I usually keep a laundry basket there and toss everything that doesn't belong there into the basket.  (Putting away these items needs to be part of the chore for me or it would just sit there...) Some bigger closets, like the one with my fabric and crafts, take more than one session.  I have a card where I note the location of the area organized and the date I last tackled it.


Third: Using the Cards
There are a few ways to use your chore cards.  I started out with the calendar system but just switched to a much simpler system.  Both are explained below. 

Calendar System:

Organized Home suggests filing the cards using a calendar.  An index file with month and days are used to divide the cards up evenly between the weeks, and as a chore is completed, it is filed back into the calendar according to when it should be done next.  Divide these evenly through the calendar.  Take the weekly chores and place them all in the first week on your cleaning days.  The monthly chores should be divided into four (or five) piles and each pile placed in each week of the first month, chores to be done every three months are divided up by the number of cleaning days in the first three months and so on.  I filed most of the chores on my heavy cleaning day, Wednesday.  Chores that were to be done on  a certain date or season were filed into the month they needed doing.  I used Organized Home's method of dividing up the days of the week so each day is set aside for certain tasks.  If you are interested in how I organize my week, my post where I explain it is here.


As you complete a chore, you file it to the next date that it should be completed on.  Weekly chores are put in the next week's date, the monthy chores one month away, and so on.  If you can't complete a chore, you make a note on the card and file it as if you'd done it.  If you've skipped it twice, you should tackle that chore before others the next time it comes up.

Pros:  This is highly organized and it can be satisfying to refile each card months away as you complete the task.  You can easily file cards that need to be done seasonally.  Looking at the cards daily was motivation for me to keep up on things.

Cons:  If you have a bad week and don't open your box...it can get complicated.  You can easily skip a chore or two and refile it, but A whole week of traveling or being sick throws it all off, and I had to unpack the files and re-divide them several times. This got old.

Rotating System

Instead of filing the cards into specific dates, I have one divider for each group of chores based on how often they need doing.  I then figure how many chores I need to finish that week in order to cycle through the whole pile within that time frame.
I've set aside every Wednesday for heavy cleaning, and Fridays for lighter cleaning.  When using the cards, I go through as many of the chores as I can on Wednesday, and finish the pile on Friday.  I've found I'm a lot more successful if I get all my weekly chores done on Tuesday-things like mopping and vacuuming, so I have a clean (ish) house to start with on Wednesdays.  It is easier to do things like wash windows if I'm not looking at sticky spots on the kitchen floor.
I have sixteen monthly chores, which need to be done every four weeks.  That means I needed to do four a week to rotate through all of them by the next month.  I had nineteen that need to be done every three months, which means I have twelve weeks to do them all.  If I do two a week, I'll cycle through them in less than three months, but I figure that will make up for an off week now and then.  I figured I'd use any fifth Wednesdays to catch up on odd jobs.  I ended up needing to do four monthly chores, two three-month chores, and one six month chores.  Chores that need to be done at a specific time of year will go into my planner instead of the file.
I ended up with the following task list for each week:
-Four Monthly
-Two 3-Month
-One 6-Month
-Organize one closet, shelf or drawer
-Do one odd job
As a job is completed it is filed at the back of its section.  If you don't get to it, you just leave it where you'll pull it next week.

Pros:  If I have an off week, I just pick up where I left off instead of having to refile everything.  It is a simpler system but still gets the job done.

Cons: I haven't noticed any so far.  I'll keep you posted :)

Fourth: Don't Get Discouraged!

Depending on how clean things were to begin with, it may take a while before your home is to where you'd like it to be.   I still get frustrated that it takes hours to clean the kitchen, and only 15 minutes to make it look like I haven't touched it in a week.  That's when I put on my martyr hat and start over :)  At least the living room...oh.  Nevermind.  It helps me to focus on the positive-every window you wash, every drawer you sort through, gets you closer to your goal.  At least I have a plan now, where before I'd just go hide in a book.

Again, I suggest you visit Organized Home.  I found it very useful, even if I ended up using a modified version of their system.  They may have suggestions that would work better for you.  In addition to the housework organization file, they have tons of other ideas, and they even have a holiday version of the card file to keep track of everything that needs to get done for the holidays! 
(I am not affiliated with Organized Home in any way, I'm just a big fan!)

Operation Organize: A Weekly Plan

I've been reading a lot of home organization blogs, and I found a method of organizing housecleaning at Organized Home that I'm giving a try.

One of the first things they suggest is to set up a regular weekly schedule, with days dedicated to the following.

• a heavy cleaning day
• a light-moderate cleaning day
• a quiet day (for bills and paperwork)
• a shopping/errands day
• a family day
• a free day 

Wait...there are only six there!  Only two cleaning days?  How can I possibly keep a clean house with two cleaning days?   I thought about it, and that free day looked awfully appealing...so I decided to try it.  My schedule came out like this:
 
Monday: Desk Day. First I deal with paperwork that needs filing, mailing, shredding, scanning or recycling.  I walk through each room and pick up papers, put them in one big pile and deal with them.  I pay any bills due that week, check balances on accounts, and followup on any e-mail that needed dealing with.  I also use the day to plan the week-figure out a menu, check schedules and make appointments.


Tuesday: Errands and Shopping.  I live in a small town that I can get groceries and a few other things, so I try and concentrate most of my errands that require a trip "into town" on this day to save gas and time. After trying this schedule for a while, I found I was a lot better about getting heavy cleaning done if I had the basics done, (vaccuming, clean kitchen counters and floors, etc.).  I also found I rarely needed the full day for errands, so I moved my weekly chores to Tuesday.

Wednesday: Heavy Cleaning.  This is the day that I try and get some of the cleaning done that goes beyond weekly chores.  In my next post I'll explain how I rotate these jobs, but they include things I only need to do monthly, or every 3 to 6 months.






Thursday: Personal Day.  Whee! This is when I work on hobbies and projects I want to, or take the day to finish a book or pinterest or blog...without any guilt! I wanted a free day in between the cleaning days.

Friday: Moderate Cleaning Day.  I use this day to finish any big projects that I didn't get done on Wednesday, and to get the house looking nice for the weekend.





Saturday: Family Day.  I picked this day for family day, because everyone is home and we end up planning most of our family activities this day.








 Sunday: Another Free day, this is our Sabbath. 







There are still daily chores that need attention regardless of what the day is dedicated to-we still need to eat, the baby needs his routine, and I like to try and get dishes done and toys picked up daily etc.  Some activities (like reading or mopping) are currently limited to naptimes, but the point is that I now have a specific time set aside to get it done-and I get things done a lot faster now that I've mostly eliminated procrastination.  It is easier to dig into the housework when I don't feel it hanging over my head constantly. I set aside evenings as family time as well, and try to get that day's tasks done by then. 

After following this schedule for a while now, I've found it works really well for me.  It has reduced my stress level considerably, and it is flexible enough that I can rearrange dedicated days to fit that week's schedule.  Most importantly, I still have time dedicated that week to get housework done-but it no longer dominates my schedule.  I now have time for the important things that make life worth living.

Operation Organize: The Epiphany

I've just had an epiphany. Or a paradigm shift. Or both?

I'M NOT ORGANIZED! I'm walking a pretty thin line between order and chaos.

Don't laugh. I assumed that having a fairly clean house meant I was organized. I thought filing all my papers meant I was organized. I thought managing to feed the baby at regular intervals meant I was organized. I've even made a lot of progress tackling some of my personal clutter monsters, like my fabric hoard, and patted myself on the back for how organized I was.
What I've just realized is the constant battle to keep the house clean and looking nice was actually causing me a lot of stress. I realized that whenever I finish a major cleaning project and sit down for a moment, I hear this little nagging voice saying "cat box, weed the garden, clean the garage, mop the floor..." and it goes on and on. Of course my perfectionist expectations add a lot of unrealistic items my List of Things That Must Be Done.
I find I'm easily overwhelmed by this seemingly endless List so I plug my ears and start singing LA LA LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU! The guilt at killing another house plant because I didn't get around to watering it, or when I don't get yet another birthday card off in time nags at me as well. There's so much to do sometimes I end up not doing anything-I've certainly perfected the skills of avoidance and procrastination. All this stress and guilt builds up and when someone asks me to do something for them I slip into my martyr mode and wince resentfully every time a straw is dropped on my back. This List interferes with things that are really important to me, but aren't demanding my immediate attention-like family time or exercising. I can see how easy it would be to just ignore everything and let it pile up to the point I get to guest star on Hoarders.

You'd think I would have figured out what I was doing wrong YEARS ago! I've been reacting to life instead of being proactive. I've learned how to take care of things (usually) just before they become a crisis, instead of being organized so I'm able to take care of things long before they become a problem. I've been so busy trying to get everything on my List done that I've wasted a lot of time that I could have been using to to do things that I love.

Alright.  The first step to solving a problem is recognizing it.  Check that one off the List.

Second step.  I need to make a plan.

The perfect plan would:
1. Organize all the housework and paperwork I need to do so I know I'll get around to everything before it becomes a crisis or is too late.
2. Has a system that is regular enough that it becomes a habit to do things that need daily or weekly attention.
3. Has some built-in down time, so I don't need to feel guilty about sitting down and reading a book or doing something trivial I love.
4. Frees up time for the things in life that are more important than a floor you don't stick to-like Family, Health, Religion.

I think any system at this point would be an improvement. I'm tired of treading water trying to just keep breathing. 

I'm off to do a little internet surfing for solutions-and since this post is a bit long, I'll stop here and outline the plan in the next one.

Homework Stations

There is no quick and easy way to get kids to do homework, but these stations might eliminate some of the excuses and avoidance tactics kids sometimes use.  In addition to being portable, they are fun and easy to put together-you certainly don't have to dress them up as much as I did-but I don't have girls, so I love the excuse to make something girly once in a while.



Some things I like about this idea:

• All supplies are in one place.  No more "I can't find a pencil!  I need glue!" and so on.  This prevents the child from having to embark on the dangerous supply safari, from which they may never return...
• The sign on the front flips back and forth between "Working on it!" to "I'm done!".  This may be an incentive in itself for some kids.  It also allows the parent to see how it's coming without having to nag as much, shifting the responsibility for making sure it gets done more to the child.
• There is now a specific place for homework to be deposited when it comes in the door, and a place to leave it when it's done out of the dog's reach.  If used regularly, it will become a habit to check their station for completed homework as they head out the door. 
• I always work better when things are organized-and cuteness makes me want to use it even it if it's for a task I'm not looking forward to all that much.  I think the same applies for kids.  
• This idea is easily customized to fit the needs of your child, any box or container from a decorated cereal box to a little basket will work.  Just fill it with supplies that are used often, and decorate it up with something the child likes.  Involve the child and they'll be even more likely to use it.

Filling the crates:
I color-coded the baskets and items in the baskets so each girl knew who the item belonged to.  In addition to a pencil case full of things like scissors, glue sticks, colored pencils, pens etc.  I added a ruler, and a blinged-up monogramed notebook.  The cover is removable so the notebook can be replaced as it is used up. If the girls had been older, I might have included a calculator and calendar. 


To make the crate liner:
I used some mini milk crates that were going for $1 during the back-to-school sales.  They were ok, but I wanted to line them to help contain items, and to spiff them up a bit.  These instructions include dimensions for the mini crate I used, but can be used to make a liner for most straight-sided containers.  If you want to line a basket that narrows at the bottom and don't know how to adjust the pattern, make a straight-sided liner based on the widest point, then insert the liner into the container with the seams towards you.  Pin the seams to fit your container, and re-sew the seams.  Do this before hemming the liner or inserting elastic.

1. Measure the opening of the container you want to line.  The mini crate I used had an opening of 8x6 3/4".  Halve both measurements, and in the corner of a piece of tissue or larger paper draw a box using these dimensions (mine was 4x3 3/8").
2.  Measure the height of the interior of the container.  The mini crate I had was 6" tall.  Extend both lines by that amount.
3.  Draw a line parallel to the height lines to form your seam allowance line.  I put my seam allowance at 1/2".

4. To allow yourself enough give in the fabric so you can wrap it over the top, lay a ruler between the corner of the box and a point about 1/2 inch short of the end of the height line.  Extend the seam allowance line along this angle for about 3", or more if you'd like the fabric to extend down further.  Remember to allow an extra 1/2 inch or inch for hemming. Repeat for the other corner.  Extend the line back to the edge of the paper to complete the pattern.

Your completed pattern should look similar to this.

5. Cutting: fold the fabric in half, then in half again.  Position the corner of the pattern over the corner of the fabric, then cut. (I bought some fat quarters to use for this project, but found they are slightly too small.  Oh well, more for the stash).
6.  Fold fabric so two adjacent cuts are together, and sew.  Repeat for each side, so your fabric forms a box.
7.  Trim extra fabric from the corner and press seam open.Check fit at this point.

7. Create a rolled hem around the top by folding the fabric over 1/2 or 1/4 inch, depending on how thick you want the hem (be sure to allow enough room to thread your elastic through).  Fold over again, press and sew.  on the corners, create a rounded corner by rolling it as shown in the photo.  Trim extra fabric at the corners if needed.  If threading elastic through the hem using a safety pin, leave one opening, if using a threader (I love these!), leave another opening halfway around.  The corners can be a bit tricky to thread elastic through, so if you keep all the folds going the same direction it helps.  Another option is to set your machine on a zig-zag the same width as the elastic, and sew the elastic to the inside edge of the fabric, pulling the elastic taut as you sew to create a gather.  The unfinished edge can be hidden by ric-rac or ribbon once it is on the container.

8. Measure elastic length by wrapping it around the exterior of the container, and cutting it about 3 inches short depending on the give of the elastic.  You should be able to take the cut piece and stretch it around the box without it being too taut, but having enough give to overlap the ends about an inch.
9.  Thread elastic through the hem and sew ends together.  Finish hem by stitching the opening.
10. Place liner into container and adjust the gather so it is even.

The finished boxes are ready to decorate!

Organizing Fabric: the Mini Bolt

I admit it. I am a fabric hoarder.

I used to see fun fabric and buy it, thinking "that would make a nice dress", or "I'll think of something to use this for, it's such a great price!". (Darn you Wally Mart $1.00 fabrics!!) I kept my stash in plastic bins, and when I needed fabric for a project...I'd go out and buy it because it was too hard to get to the right bin without emptying the entire closet.
I came across a way to organize my fabric so I can see what I have, and I can pull it out without having to move a lot of other fabric. Mini bolts are so easy that I almost feel a little stupid for not thinking of it myself. I don't know who to give credit to for this idea, but I'd like to bake you a pie!

You'll need: 1/2 yard or more of fabric (any smaller pieces, like leftovers and fat quarters are too small). I guess you could use smaller cards and make mini-mini bolts if you wanted. For now, all my scraps are in a bin, waiting for me to make a quilt. Of course I'll get around to it! I hope.

You'll also need some stiff paper, such as cardboard, chipboard or very thick cardstock. Cut the paper to about 6"x11". This works well for fabric 45" or 60" wide. I tried the heaviest weight of cardstock I could find between nearby megamarts, craft stores, and office supply places. This (110 lb) cardstock only worked for very lightweight fabric-cotton print was too heavy. My sister found some paper about twice the weight of cardstock at a specialty paper store that worked well. After I'd finished rolling my fabric I realized the cardboard from a cereal box would be perfect. Just have your friends save their boxes for you for a while...
If you don't want to bother cutting down paper, you can purchase mini bolt cards.

Fold your fabric selvage to selvage (that's the uncut length of your fabric).
For 45" wide fabric, fold it in half again, as shown in the picture. If you have a piece 60" wide, fold it selvage to selvage, then fold that in thirds.

All you do is roll it around the card.













You can store them on shelves, but I found some boxes that were the perfect size to put the bolts into. Now I need to get sewing and reduce the number of boxes. The idea is that I won't need to buy fabric for a while unless I need something very specific. I can also quickly thin the stash of odd fabric that if I am honest with myself, I know I'll never use.

It also feels really good to be so organized and not feel like I'll be buried if I open the closet door a little too far.