Clean up the Key Chain

Do you have a key chain that has a big blob of club cards on it?  Are you always losing your keys?  That was me. 

I tried to get the keys in the key bowl.  Sometimes it happened.  Sometimes it didn't.

Then I decided sometimes it's ok to work with my weakness instead of trying to fix it.

A beautiful, amazing lady I work with told me one day just to put a lanyard on the keys.  Not to wear around my neck, but kind of like a flag that says "Here I am!"

You could use any lanyard, but I spotted this zebra lanyard at The Home Depot when I was making 5 copies of my house key.  Here it is in the key bowl.

This is what my keys look like on the bottom of my purse.  Are you with me now?  How hard is it to spot my keys?  Not.

And here's what my keys look like under the mail pile.  You can spot that from across the kitchen.

Don't get me wrong, I still try to put them in the correct place because nothing beats that.  But this lanyard has saved me a lot of trouble.

Next up:  key chain clutter.  Clutter shows up everywhere, doesn't it?

I found an app for my phone (I just got an HTC Evo from Sprint.  LOVE IT!!) that stores club cards on my phone.  It uses the camera to scan the bar code on the club card.  Clerks can scan the screen just like they would scan the card.

And you know how a coupon you earned shows up in the mail every once in a while?

Well with some retailers, the coupon shows up right on my app.  I was always losing those dumb things, or they cluttered up my purse.  Now it's all there in one place, nice and tidy.

On a side note, I just discovered the wonders of apps and I am addicted! The apps I love the most are the ones that help me out in life, like the key chain app.  I will be posting all my faves in the near future.



Organizing is a Habit

Organizing is a habit.  One I don't quite have yet, but I do observe this wonderful habit in friends who are organized.  Like Mrs. Brookes at Simply Brookes, who is doing posts on organizing to help people like me.  Yay!

Yesterday I saw her post on organizing under the sink, and I thought of this mess.  It's embarrassing.  That icky stuff on the left is water damage.  Lovely.  I also see a lot of cleaners that ended up here because I was too lazy to walk 10 more steps to the laundry room and put them away where they belong.

[Can I digress here for a minute?  There is such a thing as cleaning product clutter.  Some of us buy every cleaning product known to mankind.  Stop!  It's making your house messy.  All we really need are a few basics.  Resist the rest people.]

10 minutes later ... Voila!



1.  Cut a piece of thrift store wallpaper for the bottom (hot glued dots on the corners)

2.  Put away the cleaners I don't need in this room.

3.  Used my Target Dollar Spot bins (I use them everywhere): 1 for cleaners and 1 for sponges and brushes.

4.  Put the recycle bin back under the sink.  We are apparently a very trashy family because took the recycling out 3 times a day with this little can so instead I'm using it for grocery store bags to return to the store.  Those things are popping out of every nook and cranny of my kitchen.

After you clean something, do you walk back and look at it several times that day because it makes you so happy?  Oh, yeah, that was me.  Open the cupboard doors, stop and gaze, close doors, go back to what I was doing.  I know my husband thinks I'm crazy. 

Inexpensive Gift Giving

A cute little birdie told me the other day that she has read an awful lot about Trader Joe's scones, and that she might be ready to read about something new.  So I think maybe today I'll write about gifts that don't cost a lot, in case anyone out there is trying to figure out a last minute hostess gift.  The trick is shopping ahead of time and using a few basics.  This does lead to the issue of hoarding (bad) vs. stockpiling (good).   I'm constantly wondering where the line is.

Here's the basic philosophy I'm going to cover today:

1.  Shop year-round at the dollar spot or wherever else you get good deals (I generally don't keep a gift stockpile, but I do keep a pile of $1 items.  Anything more expensive and it just ends up being money spent, sitting in my closet forever).

2.  Dress it up a little.

3.  Creatively gift wrap and don't blow $5 on a bag for goodness sake.

Walmart always has an ornament or two that doesn't break the bank.  I'm not one to spend $10 on an ornament for anyone, myself included.  This glittery church was a whopping $1.  But pleeeaaase don't give it away with that ugly tag stuck to it.  I don't even like the string for hanging it.  Cut it all off!! and put a pretty little ribbon on it.

Doesn't that look so much better?  It's all about selling it ... special details make it special.

Here are some notebooks I bought at Michaels Crafts $1 aisle.  This is a funny thing about me:  When I'm standing in the aisle looking at monogram letters, I immediately get Alzheimer's and can't remember who I'm buying for or their initials.  If you don't want to get Monogram Alzheimer's, get a teeny notebook to keep in your purse always and write the names of your friends you are looking to buy for.  Or put it on a sticky note phone app.

I wrapped a little bit black seam binding around it.  Made it a bit more special.

I wanted to use all 3 colors of tissue paper, but using whole sheets was too much.  So I used my pinking shears to cut wide strips.  I put the gift on 3 strips (not stacked evenly - see photo above with notebook) and bunched it up.   I have also been known to rip strips of tissue paper.  This saves tissue paper by not using too much, and makes it a little more special.

I don't go out and buy a bunch of wrapping stuff.  I give gifts in lunch sacks all the time. You can buy red or white lunch sacks at Target.  I love those.  I also bought a bag of tags from Office Depot.  Stamp some initials on the tag.  Stick it on with a clothes pin.  Stamp "Wish" on a ticket.  These are all things I already had in the craft pile. 


Here is a birdy ornament I used on the outside of the plain paper sack.  Great! You can also see from this photo that I am a hurricane in a craft room.  Not great!

Tags are something you have permission to hoard.  You will always be able to use them.

Here's another way you can use storage tote bags.  I found these at Target dollar spot clearance.  They weren't even a dollar!  I stood there forever thinking, "I want to buy every single one but do I have any business hoarding that many totes?"   It's a constant conversation for me.  I didn't buy every one, but I did buy a healthy stack of them.  I use them to organize my cupboards, but they also make great wine bags.  I have a stockpile of ribbon I buy for $1 and a bag of funky tissue.  The plain black tote needs a little pizazz.

I do love wine, but really know nothing about buying it.  Here's what you can do if you have the same problem:  ask the guys at the store.  Don't be shy.  The Wegmans by our house has a wine section.  One day I found out they have a wine manager, and I worked up the courage to ask him what inexpensive wine he recommends.  I thought he would look down on me.  I thought he would be wine snobby.  He was so unbelievably cool, and took me through the entire wine section and told me all the fabulous $5 and under wine he loves to drink.  The guys at Trader Joe's will also tell you what fabulous cheap wine they have.  Not a snob in the bunch.

Wrap that sucker up.  If you have it stockpiled, you can throw this together last minute.  No shopping every single time you go to someone's house.  How much time does that save?!!  And money?!!

I wanted to add just a bit more to this gift wrap, so I dug a couple ornaments out of my stockpile (Sorry, Mrs. Brookes, I bought this W after I gave you the gift or this baby would be all yours).

I bought a bunch of these reindeer at the dollar store and I use them to decorate my banister garland.  I just ripped that sucker right off the banister.  That's how I roll.  If you get a gift from me, it could be straight from my banister.

And check this out ... my new Christmas tree stand urn, courtesy of Anythingology (go here for a tutorial).  Thanks Shannon.
Now I'm off to Trader Joe's.

Trader Joe's Scones

For the Love of Trader Joe's . . .

Have you tried their cranberry scones with orange glaze?

Very Dangerous.

Rearranging Furniture

My living room has always been difficult.  It is an awkward space and is narrow.  If I had an enormous budget and an interior designer, it wouldn't be a problem.  But I've been trying to make it work for years, with what I have, and it has never felt quite right.

I stopped by Jennifer's blog yesterday.  She challenged readers to use hutches/china cabinets in ways we might not normally use them.  This inspired me to move my furniture in the living room.  I have always had the end table next to the couch, but thinking out of the furniture-layout box, I moved the dresser next to the couch instead.  The hutch (mine is a desk hutch rather than a china hutch) went to the other side of the room.  I think it works. 

Here's the "before" ...

It feels cluttered and not right.

The hutch in the corner is almost finished.  I thought it would be perfect over there, but it just wasn't working.  It threw everything else off.

The dresser between the windows.  Not bad here, but the balance in the room is wrong.

"After" photos ...

The dresser is next to the couch now.  I love it!  I think it fills the wall space nicely and it looks less cluttered.  I tried the hutch here but again, it didn't work.

I still need to hang the mirror and update the pictures/art on the walls.  One thing at a time.

I put the hutch between the windows.  I'm a little more inspired to finish it now.  The chair is one I picked up for a couple bucks.  It needs paint and new fabric.  I'm undecided about whether I should use cranberry fabric (like the current fabric) or do a neutral instead.

This is where the hutch used to be.  I think this photo is a good example of "you should't line all the furniture up against the wall."  It doesn't look like it, but it is a good 4 feet from both walls.

There is still work to be done, but I'm so much happier with it.  Thanks Jennifer!

Home Depot Rug

I picked up this rug at The Home Depot for $39 today.

Not a bad price.

It's an indoor/outdoor rug (perfect for under my table).

Yay!

Dog tested and approved.

Jewelry Organizer

I've been trying to figure out how to organize the Teenager's jewelry.

She has a lot more than what's in this photo and it was a big mess.

I had just pulled this peg board off my craft room wall because it was feeling a little cluttery.  Her clothes are in an armoir, and her closet is set up with a makeup table (desk), a mirror and a light.  I put the board just to the left of the makeup table.

I cut the peg board to fit the space (you can have the Home Depot guy do this if you don't have a saw), and painted it the same pink we used for the PB Tile Board Knockoff.  All the little hooks and trays came from Home Depot.

To mount the peg board, I put two pieces of wood between the peg board and the wall.  This way, the peg board comes out a little (the hooks go through past the back of the board and need a little extra room).

Here are some others I found:

I saw this cute version via Craftzine.com.

Casa Sugar Member MRB929 used knobs for hers. 

It looks like she hung her board from hooks instead of mounting it to the wall.

That is a fabulous idea!

Michelle from Three Men and a Lady (found via Design Sponge) made this one with a painted frame.  I think I see some wall hooks on there.

Beautiful.

Craftstylish put ribbon through a pegboard.  That would work well for earrings.

Look at this cute board I found at Erin Compton Design.

She even has a tutorial.

I think I need one of these for me.

Linking up to:

We're Organized Wednesday at Organize Your Stuff Now