Moving and shifting clutter ...

The entry way "before"

 

 AFTER
 

 

Why on earth would i replace a perfectly good sofa/entry table, you ask?  It's not a great answer, but it's a good answer, it was to empty one more of THESE from the attic:

 

 

Now all of the table clothes and napkins that were in here are now in the drawers of my lovely new entry table.  The entry table is ... well, in the way right now, but will be shipped off to be loved by someone else in the near future, I'm sure!

 

 

I had to come in for it's close up shot... LOVE the red color and LOVE the hardware... shocked at where I found this little gem... are you wondering too?  BIG LOTS.  Yes sir, Big Lots had this cute table - more than I would have anticipated for Big Lots prices, however having been pricing these types of chests for a while, it was less than a chain store!!

Hello, my name is Donna

....And I'm a hoarder. I hoard the following:
table cloths. Yes, it's true. 90% off gets me just about every year... But they're SOOO pretty for a few dollars!! I don't know how many I have Liz now says "step away from the table cloths" hahaha. Ok must be a LOT!
Paper products: plates and napkins - oh MY. I have two or three rough totes of them! Yikes. Time to start using them!! Plans are always for summer and parties.
Beach towels: hum... Just can't beat them!! Used for just about anything from bath towels to blankets in the car. And with a pool I feel justified ;)
Blankets: why on earth would you get rid of perfectly good blankets? I have a stash of them (and sheets ) in the garage for forts outside!!
Sheets: again. Clearance is my downfall.
Ok anything clearance that should cover it.
I'm working towards culling but some things are HARD to pass up!
Case in point. I now have 10 double packs of tissues (plus quite a few more loose ones) in the upstairs closet. Why? $.44 a box!! Ok the loose ones were $.60 a box and I thought that was a rocking good deal. Still who can pass up that if you can use them? They store nicely and WILL get used, I'm sure!!
However if we ever find ourselves without jobs we will be able to cry a LONG time about it and have tissues to wipe our tears ;)

Another "project" done... on organization!

I've been wanting to do something like this for a while now... that pantry just BUGS me with the lack of size and the lack of ways to organize the bottom.  I don't know that this is the permanent solution, HOWEVER, for now It's going to do just fine!!

Before, Chips and cereal on the bottom shelf along with other odds and ends ...

 As of this afternoon - Thanks to Angela for helping me get everything out, vacuuming and mopping... well, she didn't help mop, but she did get the vacuum for me and assisted with filling containers.

NOW to keep it this way - lunch boxes tucked at the bottom right, napkins and food storage bags above that and pop tarts (and oils at the back of that shelf) on the top...
On the left we have the top shelf filled with cereals, middle with bottled peaches, and some other items that are 'spares' as well as the bottom shelf with more 'spares' of things we tend to go through quickly!
Wish me luck on keeping it looking THIS nice.

Organization update

So this week was shelves...I didn't really do shelves, I did desks, under desks and on top of desks - to my defense, part of the task this week was simply "storage" and towards the end it DID move to piles and piles, I have a LOT of.  I have shelves, however, they are down to a dull roar for now... so I chose to concentrate on the desk(s).  I have a LONG way to go, but I can now get to the closet (and even shut it!!) so that's a major plus.  Next up in this room will be actually cull out some of the items I will NEVER use...

Now the question comes, can I be that brutally honest with myself? 

Probably not, however, we'll try!! 

Weekly organization tasks

no picturesa this week. we had to do the following:
Clean night stand drawer - done
top of night stand - done
one bedroom self. I don't really have one. I have the TV console.. but that's alredy done I counted one of my closet shelves instead.
clean out your junk drawer. Ok, done
orgnize your junk drawer - also done..
So there you have it - all done for this week and movingo on to next week as of today

Freezer organization

What I would have liked in the ideal shot is one my most prized things... my candy stash.  I pick up Halloween candy at 75% and 90% off at the end of the season and deposit it in the freezer for the following year... it's a huge money saver for Halloween, and mom tested to know that the candy is just as fresh as the day it went in the freezer ;o)  You KNOW I have to test... I LIKE to keep them in Target bags to keep prying munchies out of them.. so that there IS a stash at the appropriate season... but this is not to be in the new freezer setup.  Sad.

What I also didn't show was the sadly full trash can of freezer burned fish and odds and ends meats that had died a painful death from NOT being identified by date in this freezer!!

So - next up - some dates will be tagged on each of these bins to indicate the year contained... now to get everyone to ONLY get the oldest fish out first... that will be the trick!!

AND we will not even discuss the indoor freezer just yet.. I'm still debating if I'm up for that one.  So far the headache/earache that has been plaguing me for the last few days seems to be at bay... so maybe it will happen today to get the indoor freezer done as well.  Maybe!

Paint, paint everywhere... and an organization backfire!

What do you think?  We voted the VERY pale yellow - what do YOU say?

I got a can organizer (or two) and I'm not sure it helps when you have SOOO many cans to begin with!  And boxes - oh, my!!!

Wild Hairs and Organization

Don't ask, I have NO idea what is WRONG with me lately... but I am compulsively cleaning and organizing and doing projects.  Yes, I know, I know.. STOP.  Right?
Well, I was walking through Lowe's to get some spray paint to paint Angela's new "to her" daybed (project pictures to come in time) and found some nice heavy duty containers and had a thought to organize my coat closet.
i really should have taken a before picture, but didn't.  this is 10000 times better.  All for $25 in bins.  I need to go through the closets in there, but that's next.  There were a few things in the closet that are going to the thrift store next week (some candles and candle holders that I just can't see using anymore (the wire ones that hang the candles).... then watch someone will come up with a cute craft project and I'll think "I had those in the closet and sent them to the thrift store -that was dumb"  ha.  A chance I'll take, thanks!

Next up was the pantry today.  Yep, another case of "what is WRONG with me!"... however, you have to admit it looks wonderful (and yes that is TWO packages of Oreo's you're seeing there!)  Note also I'm just showing you ONE shelf ;o)  The rest is still fairly trashed!  I did go through the rolling bin at the bottom and get some of the older jellos and stuff that we NEVER make out of there... Now to just keep on top of it will be the trick...