Good morning Dear Friends,
I have spent the morning enjoying my yummy coffee and breakfast treat. I will post more about that in a short while.
This morning is quiet and relaxed. We have a very busy week coming up and we all need some down time. Tomorrow is a fun drive and visit to a church with a well loved pastor. So we all needed some time to just “hang”. 🙂
My sweet husband is watching a previous basketball final of our beloved Spurs!! Go Spurs Go!!! 😉 (sorry Miami fans) Our oldest is at work and the younger two are still snoozing!! 😉
Squeakems is busy as always eating his breakfast. I also chopped up his favorite organic apple into small chucks. He decided to squawk loudly so he only earned 1 for now. (The rest are on his treat box waiting to give to him as a reward throughout the day…trying to break the loud, loud, loud squawking.) He is just happy with me in the room with him.
I have been working on a wonderful clear out of my dressing table. It looks amazing!! I am sorry I didn’t get the before pics AMAZINGLY organized!!! LOVE IT!!! 🙂 Thank you Lord for helping me finish this project!!! 😉
(I LOVE THIS!!! I can see the light!! Sorry for the glare…but I can see the light!! 😉 On the top are my newly organized nail polish box for hands (Container Store) and my box for pedis (Dollar Tree). I like to separate the two. And my little nail dryer (Walmart Christmas clearance nail kit 2 years ago.)
I have a lovely small lamp (Walmart…pick your shade and pick your base, bought about a year ago.) My Summer self tanners and lotion. My everyday Make up kit (Merle Norman free with purchase 2 years ago) and refill box. (I want to find a new home for the refill box (Dollar Tree), but for now it is nicely stacked under my everyday. And then three decorative painted boxes I bought on sale years ago. The desk was my grandmothers beautiful mahogany with leather inlay. I am so thankful to have received it. I loved her so and when I was little I used to play at her make up/dressing table. 🙂 I have also installed all the Sterilite plastic drawer to clear off the desk. They don’t look fancy, but they are affordable to use until I can design, make or find something more permanent. I LOVE having all put away…even my makeup mirror, hair products, brushes, bobbies…etc. put away!! WOO HOO!!! Oh sorry, still need to vacuum again. And please forgive the chair. I bought it years ago with an injury..it is a bath chair! I just couldn’t waste it and I am really kinda clutzy, so I thought I better hold onto it. 🙂 It is soooo comfortable and I can’t figure out how I want to decorate it. I love to be able to just wipe it clean…country dust. But it is really ugly. If you have some ideas…please share!! ;))
OK…sorry I digressed. 🙂 Today, I have been enjoying You Tube. I just recently became more involved in watching these educational videos more regularly. With all my organizational projects going on, I LOVE these motivational and encouraging videos. There are many beautiful homes with beautiful ideas!! (We use to have a huge beautiful new home in a gated community. I do honestly miss this house but not the city.) We now live in an older though remodeled and large home. It is still older…not much in the way of closets, cabinets…overall storage. It is a good size home but with all our children and junk…I have genuinely struggled with how to best utilize what we have to work with.
As some of you know, I have also struggled with the thought of $20-30,000 renovation projects. My sweet husband wants to live here forever…:) and sometimes I feel like the green acres wife and wish for a more efficient home layout. I am not needing fancy or shi shi fancy….just honestly, newer homes are built for today’s needs and tend to not “break down” as quickly. Ok…be content in all things is my prayer. 🙂
Soooo all this to say, I am always on the look out for great organizational motivation and inexpensive ideas. I must confess I have absolutely LOVED a sweet young lady’s You Tube Organized Jen (see link below). I am so thankful as she is lovely, sweet and sooooo motivated me!! PTL!!! Her vlogs made me rethink so much of my home.
In the beginning of every project, I tend to get really excited and love to mimic others WONDERFUL ideas!! As I have finished all of Jennifer’s series…I do realize, I will not spend or own something that is that new maybe ever again. And though I LOVE the Container Store (I love to go there and get ideas then re-purpose or find less expensive options.) and I use every coupon under the sun, I need to go back to my more frugal roots!! 😉 (I have a bag to return to the Container Store. Though they are wonderful incredible finds..again coupons, I know I can let go now that as I have finished a couple of projects. They are wonderful on returns!! Basically these are things I can do without or didn’t need. Good tip: ALWAYS save your receipts on all purchases to return what you don’t use. And I am learning, get to the project immediately, don’t let it sit. Some places have limits on time for returns. 🙂 )
(FYI: some of this is birthday gifts, Father’s day hauls from yesterday’s outing…but the Container Store bag are my returns. Also, major clean out!! Woo Hoo!! I literally filled a kitchen size trash can with the clean out. I also have a large box of all our travel supplies in this. I used to store this under the dressing table. I will clean this box/reorg/restock and it will be put away in storage. I will pull it out when needed. Whew! Now to clean this out and put away!! 🙂 FYI: I always set up a “trash”, “put away” and “give away” piles when organizing. I also have a stash or organizing baskets on hand to re-purpose as needed for all organizational projects. Shop at home first!! 😉 )
Did you know that Dollar Tree is GREAT for organizing!! I LOVE all the baskets, bins, boxes, Tupperware types, zip lock bags types, desk organizers…and even crafting ideas!! I also discovered this morning all their You Tube idea videos (see link below)!! CUTE!!! CUTE!!! CUTE!!! They have charming crafting ideas, party ideas, etc. for your home!! Take some time to take a peak. They even have a Value Seekers Club. I have joined it for more ideas!! LOVE IT!!! PTL!!!
I am loving all the more frugal idea gals on You Tube too!! I will warn you someone’s organization, is not always mine. And mine is not always theirs. 🙂 We are all wonderfully created children of God with individual likes and dislikes!! 😉 So though I LOVE the more high end organizing, I know I cannot do this with children to feed. 🙂 Maybe one day…but then again, I am content and know we are blessed with where we are now. But keep looking until you find someone with your similar tastes and interests. They are there!! 😉
Most importantly, I encourage each of us to do all as if unto the Lord!! Pray for guidance, use as economical and good quality finds to make your home more efficient and the haven I am sure you desire it to be!! I am still working on the haven part (it honestly came much easier in the new home). PTL, He isn’t finished with me yet, nor am I done working harder to make all lovely for Him. 🙂
I pray this encourages you and have a wonderful day in the Lord,
k
PS-I have LOVED learning from all these incredible ladies!!
http://www.youtube.com/user/organizedlikejen
http://www.youtube.com/user/DoItOnaDime
Healthy Living 4 Him 