Make Up Storage Make Over-Ish

Hey guys!

Over the past month, I have gone cleaning and organizing crazy.  I've been redoing half of the house. (repurposing stuff)   Maybe for the holidays.  I don't know. 

 

I've been trying to stay away from organizing because I have a tendency to want to buy stuff.  Oh, the temptation.  However, I'm on a mission to be debt free and this didn't cost a dime.

I decided to change up my make up storage and make it look "cleaner."

I'll tell you a secret.  I hoard jars and containers.  I'm always saving them for the next kids project or the next diy project.  So I usually always have a stash of jars or containers on hand.

 

 

Some of the lids of the jars were already black and didn't have any labels on them.  So I used those. 

 

I had to spray paint the rest to match and remove the labels.

I kept the rest of the things in the same container.

I think it looks so much better!

Me Vs The Closet: Round 2

If you've read my other post, you probably remember I've been weeding out my closet and trying to better organize it. And of course when you mention closet, it simply means the woman's room being that most everything in there belongs to me.   Well, I've finally got it finished and neatly organized without all the extra junk that was clogging it up. I think it looks so much better.

  This is what the finished closet looks like.



 

 

I added the baskets in the top of the closet and did some rearranging.

  They didn't fit right on the shelf if I turned them with the label facing outward.  I didn't like the way they hung off a little, so I turned them sideways and they fit perfect.  However, you can't see the label and I didn't want to mess up the basket by adding anything to the fabric.     I threw bags in one basket.  In the second, there is just a combination of hats, belts and scarves.  I would like them hung up but this works in our space.  These baskets were 7.47 each at Walmart.  I won't lie, I stood there about 15 minutes wrestling with the idea of buying these baskets.  I just didn't want to pay for them.

        I've had these plastic stands for years.  I found them at the Fred's Dollar Store for 2.99 each.  They have been holding up pretty well.     

                   

 

Before                                                                                 After

 

 

I did mention to the hubs that this meant I would need to go shopping.  I have a slight problem buying things for myself though, so I don't think he's that worried.  Maybe he should be.

 

Me Vs The Closet: Round 1

  THE CHALLENGER   This tiny closet is stocked with too much of everything.  Too many clothes that don't get worn, a tub container filled with more clothes, graduation caps and gowns, kids soccer cleats from 4 years ago.  Baseball bats, suitcases, and bags are piled in a corner.  I used to have a handle on this thing, but it's been undefeated for a while. 

Remember I needed to get rid of some clothes that are too big, too small, haven't been worn in 10 years, or just plain ruined. I was near devastated when I finished but realized there was a reason I stood in my closet so long complaining that I had nothing to wear. I didn't. Over half the clothes in the closet were too small, too tight, too short and I didn't wear them. So I finally got to work.

Holiday jacket paired with red workout capris

Too tight but looks good with red. I honestly can't even recall wearing this.

Can you tell I can't breathe? Had this since I was a freshman in college.

I couldn't wear this when I bought it. Too much belly. "Oh, I'll lose that," I said.  Three years later...

Too short. This is what happens when you see a dress you like, can't try it on because the kids  toddler will likely tear down the store, and can't return it because it's on sale.

Is my shirt too short?

Meanwhile...

$5 steal at the Goodwill. 2 piece jacket and dress. Now too small.

Wore these to church Sunday. I kept thinking the shoes felt a little funny when I walked.

Note: never carry a toddler and an ink pen at the same time

See those beautiful grease stains.

2nd note: Always run from a clingy, crying, toddler while he's eating.

Would you throw away a pair of BCBG pumps because one of the heels was scratched or throw on a pair of long pants and keep strutting?

This would probably nominate me for what not to wear along with this God awful pose.  Not quite sure what's going here.  Too tight.  Too short on the side.  Shoulders.  Just no.

After everything was all said and done this is everything that came out of that closet.   Well, all of the clothes.

Next step is to straighten it all up.

Time For Fall Cleaning

I get the cleaning bug several times a year.  I mean the big cleaning bug.  The one where you're panting trying to move furniture, ready to the throw the fridge and cleaning half-eaten hot dogs that you find from behind the sofa.  I suppose it comes with the seasons.  So this week( and probably next ) I'm at it again, constantly cleaning, organizing, and reorganizing things.  Trash days are often filled with joy as I sort through the house trying to get every single piece of anything that could be considered trash out of the house.  I've already dumped three large garbage bags, taken one giant bag to the Goodwill, and currently have a massive bag of outgrown fall and winter clothing that I'll be sending to the consignment shop for sale.  I usually apply money from anything I sell to debt reduction.  

I've finally been getting rid of the baby items.  There will be no more little feet running through the house.  Maybe.  The changing table and the high chair have been taken to our church nursery.  I took the drawers out of the other one for a diy under bed storage project and got rid of the frame.  I still have a playpen and a second stroller I looking for someone to give to.  The house is looking a lot better as baby items can completely take over a house especially our little one.

Outgrown toys have also been snatched.  I'm thinking about donating some of the really small toys (happy meal) to the elementary classrooms for treasure box items.  I have to hide them or get rid of them quick or the kids are going to be like "Oh, there is my thingamajig" that they haven't seen in two years and now all of sudden want to throw a fit about.   Honesty, we've had some of the toys since AJ was little and I just passed them down or kept them for my own classroom.  Everything is a teaching resource when you're broke.

I've currently gathered every loose, out place, stacked in a pile high, thrown in basket, or a bag piece of paper in the house and have piled it on the kitchen table.  We haven't eaten at the table all week.  It's for a greater good. lol.  I've started sorting through it all and am labeling, filing, and shredding.  Paper has always been the biggest problem in our house.  With three kids, myself being a secretary twice over, and the hubs starting a company, our house is usually filled with too many art projects, files, bills, and about two billion receipts.  Sometimes I just have to pray about this one.  Lord please give me the wisdom to keep all this stuff organized.  Getting organized is easy.  Staying that way takes discipline.

A few of the things on my list include:

- clean out my closet and dresser
-figure out what to do with all our college books/notebooks (They've been sitting in a stand for years.  I would get rid of them if I didn't think I'd use them again.)
-Reorganize teaching supplies
-move all furniture and clean behind it
-clean carpets
-Organize paper
-flip, spray and clean mattresses
-wipe down walls
-clean windows and doors

I'm sure I'm going to be even more exhausted but there's nothing better than having a clean house.  Well, at least until we all get out of bed.

Schools In - Did I Meet My Goals?

I had previously made some goals to hopefully have accomplished by the time school starts and that was Thursday.  Some were a hit and some were a miss.  So this is how it panned out.

1.  Clean out and wash the car.
We were easily able to get the car cleaned out but I had to decide if I really wanted to set myself for this washing the car experience.  A lot of helping hands washing and a lot less cleaning.  I decided to pass.  I don't think the car is happy.

2.  Set up a command center
AHHHH!  Did you scream?  It's a mess.  This is what was currently begging for attention in the hall.   It isn't that, that bad but look at all that mail.  *For the record, I would like to state none of that belongs to me. However, God forbid I throw away that one piece he's looking for because it has a scribble of something somewhere in a corner.  I've just decided to throw it into a bin and let him sort through it whenever.     Cleaned it up a bit.  Put our bucket there for writing utensils and straightened our yarn clothesline for art. This is the other side wall, but the bathroom splits it.  I had big dreams for this wall.  Unfortunately, when I drew my cartoon sketch picture on my paper, my wall was a lot of bigger.  So I had to adjust.   I put a pocket up for each child to put anything in that I need to sign or look at.  (Caleb would have disowned me if I left him out)  They have to check back in the morning if they have anything to pick up.  These were actually wipe off educational packets from Walmart.  They came with printed clock templates, times sheets, and writing paper so the child could put the paper in and write on the plastic instead.  They were only $2 each.  I decided to reuse them.  I can always use the templates later.    I also wanted to put a calendar on this wall solely for test days and projects but I haven't figured that out yet.

3.  Make weekday labels for the kids' clothes.
I made these Thursday during Caleb's nap time.   Card stock written on with the "poor teacher's laminator" (packing tape) and string.  We really don't have room for those big organizers with the days on them.  On Sunday we pick out all of our clothes and put a day on the hanger so we know exactly what we are wearing everyday.  This should lessen the chance of scarves with shorts and long sleeve shirts with glitter boots in 90 degree temperatures.  True story.

4.  Make a few new hair accessories for Cate.
I started on these but never got finished.  So they are still a work in progress.  Well actually not a work in progress.  I'll get to them, but it would have been nice to have matching bows on Thursday when I couldn't find one.  I couldn't find a headband or anything.  I making those too as if I have so much extra time on my hands.

5.  Finish making the rest of the napkins for the lunchboxes.
I dug through all my scrap fabric and was able to make some more.  I decided to add a different color to the backs of them and try a decorative top stitch. I need more practice but not that bad.  
6.  Freezer Cooking. You can check out my freezer cooking post here.

7.  Decide on a back to school hair style for Cate and have an idea of the rest of them for the month.

 

This is Cate on the first day of school.  The first two days she wore her hair in these little balls.  The first full week (this one) I washed and put her hair half up and half down in two strand twists like this second picture- minus the bangs.  I'm going to re-twist at night and untwist in the mornings.

Second week hair

 

 

The last two weeks her hair will be in two strand twists and I will probably do a twist out for the last two or three days of the second week.

Our Hair Inspiration
 

zimbio.com

Skai Jackson from Disney's "Jessie"

8.  Go ahead and get back on our bedtime schedule.
We almost made.  We went on time one day.  Then, we were running around and got home late another day.  Then we were 1o minutes off but close.  Then, we took my niece to the mall at the last minute looking for shoes.  Oh well, we tried.  It should be easier now that we're settling back into a routine.

Organizing The Baseball Caps

My husband has a lot of baseball caps and being that we have limited space, they are often just left anywhere... on the coffee table, the nightstands, the dressers and threw into the top of the closet.  This isn't that big of a deal but I just need them somewhere else. 

So one day when I was cleaning out the closet, ( I've been trying to get the house completely organized being that school is around the corner)  I was trying to figure out what to do with the baseball caps.  Then, I thought of push pins.

 

I decided to use the pushpins to hang the caps on the wall behind the closet door.

  This isn't a very good picture being that we have a small closet.  I literally had to hold the phone above my head to get a shot.   So these are some of the hats.  I probably need to space them out a little better but I haven't had a problem with them falling off the push pins.  They've been staying put.  All of these hats have the soft backs or Velcro backs.  I've noticed that the ones that have the hard plastic fasteners on the back will not stay up on the pins.  So those are stacked up.

Update On Organizing The Multi-Room

I haven't done anything at all today. I had to take my mom to the doctor, which is two counties away, and am currently at another doctor with my niece. I did take some pictures this morning of what I managed to do so far.
Candle holders are being repurposed to hold writing tools. These blue boxes came from the DollarTree and are holding labels, post its, staples, tape, etc. The white one, I think is an old pringles container or some kind of chip.
These are holding pictures, computer cds and gadgets and extra supplies
I know. The slide. At least it's in a corner now.
There is still a lot of work to be done here. I just moved the stand around to see how it looked.
Well that's it, so far. There is still a small pile on the sofa and now a new pile on the kitchen table. I have contaminated a clean space in order to clean a messy one. Now, I have two. Good Lord. I will be done tomorrow. I claim it.