Dimples In Time

2011-06-23T17:56:00.000-06:00

TIME SAVING TIP OF THE WEEK

Summer is upon us and life is crazy. You are running from swim lessons to baseball practice. You are squeezing in family reunions and camp-outs. How do we fit it all into our lives, while maintaining a semi normal schedule? You have to simplify! This is a small concept, and yet very effective. Something I'm still learning to do.

Here are some simple tips to destress and simplify your summer. After all, summer time should be fun time! So take a load off and read on:

1. Take some time to sit down and decide what are the most important ways to spend your time this summer. Make a list. Then perge the things that can wait until fall from your summer schedule.

2. Cleaning can be difficult to keep up with. Pick a project, the dirtiest most needy place in your house. Do one project a day. Or set your timer for 30 to 60 minutes and just clean away. When the timer goes off, it's time to grab the kids and the floaties and head for the beach! Don't look back; enjoy your day, because you've accomplished something.

3. If you tend to stress out about unfinished business, this one is for you! Take 3 minutes and sit down in a quiet spot. Close your eyes and breathe slowly through your nose, filling your abdomen with air (not your chest). As you breathe out, focus on relaxing your muscles and clearing your mind. When the timer goes off, you are free to get up and go. I promise if you do this 3 times a day you will stay energized longer and feel more relaxed.

Summer doesn't have to be completely insane, just somewhat. :0) Remember, picking a small project to accomplish everyday will make you feel like you are still moving forward and still allow you the family time that you desire.

Organization isn't meant to take over your life, it's meant to simplify it.

Now go get organized!

2011-06-11T09:57:00.000-06:00

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ORGANIZER

I know that it has been far to long since I've blogged. I've put my personal things on the back burner for awhile. I've had a foster child come and go, and we recently had a new baby girl adopted into our family. She is now 3 months old! But now it's time to get back into the game.

The newest adventure that I have begun to tackle is my house. Let me back up a bit. My husband, being the awesome man that he is, was working on a project outside. He was sanding some window sills and prepping to install them in our basement. Unfortunately the basement door was left open, probably by our kids, who were playing outside. As a result a large dust cloud entered our home and left a thick blanket of dust all over our house.

When I saw the mess, I almost cried. There was no way I have the time to do a massive clean up job in my house. Between work, raising my family, and maintaining the cleaning basics, I don't have a lot of spare time as it is. I turned to Dustin, and he automatically said that he would help me clean. I was so relieved!

The next step was to actually tackle the new project I had been handed. But where to start on such a big job? I started with the bedrooms at the back of the house. I know I can't do this all at once, and I had to tell myself that my house was going to be messy for a few weeks...AND IT'S OK! If you know me, you know that was a hard thing to convince myself.

Dustin and I have spent a couple of hours every Saturday cleaning together. During the week I have spent one to two hours a day cleaning something. Slowly we are getting it under control.

The up side is, that now all of the deep cleaning that I've been meaning to do, is actually getting done. I couldn't just dust like normal, I had to wash off all of the nicknacks. Take plants outside and wash them down with the hose. Clean curtains, and wipe baseboards and doors. Well, if I'm going to go this far, I might as well take it all of the way and clean out cupboards and drawers while I'm at it.

Little by little, day by day, I make progress. And progress is beautiful!

2010-12-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

THE CLEANING CORNER

The other day as I was preparing for a holiday party at my home, when I noticed that it had been far to long since I had last cleaned my kitchen blinds. They are close to the sink and the stove, so they can get pretty nasty with all of the grease and splashing.

As I attempted to wipe them off, I noticed that my efforts were futile, and that the grease was determined to stay, no matter how hard I scrubbed. I went to my cleaning cupboard and searched for the perfect grease killer. I returned to the blinds with 409! It is officially my favorite cleaner in the world. All I had to do was spray and wipe. How I've missed that little detail in the past, I will never know. But I learn quickly, and now if there is ANY kind of grime that I need to remove, 409 is my best friend.

I know that I probably sound like a walking 409 commercial, but I can't help sharing my discovery!

Note: When using 409, direct contact is great on certain things, such as rock solid surfaces like granite. But when it comes to some surfaces, such as kitchen cabinets, be sure to dilute the chemical in a water/409 solution. High concentrated 409 can be dangerous for some surfaces.

Fun little tidbit: "Where did 409 get it's name?"

409 was invented in 1957 by Morris D. Rouff (1909 – 1997). Along with his brothers Samuel and Nathan, Rouff was a partner in a Detroit, Michigan company, Gem Products, which manufactured industrial cleaning supplies. Formula 409’s original application was as a commercial solvent and degreaser for industries such as funeral homes and Chinese restaurants that struggled with particularly difficult cleaning problems. As a heavy-duty alkaline product, Formula 409 was harsher and more toxic than today’s residential cleaner, and was sold only in 40-gallon drums.

It got its name because a cleaner powerful enough to dissolve through grease and dirt on contact doesn't get created on the 1st try, or the 401st. Only when they had created their 409th formula were these young men satisfied that they had created the ultimate cleaner.

2010-10-29T18:24:00.001-06:00

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ORGANIZER

I spent a few days in September doing some canning. For most of you this probably sounds like a daunting task, but rest assured it's not as bad as it seems. And it can actually be fun! Yes you read that right, FUN!

With a little help and organization you can make your canning experience as great as mine was. It's fun to have a buddy that you can team up with, so you can do the bottling together. It makes good company while accomplishing a very satisfying project.

In this case I called my cousin to help me with most of it. She has mad bottling skills. My mom and I tried using the pressure cooker for the first time to do beans. We did several kinds, from Navy to Pinto to Black to Great Northern. We did have a couple of mishaps, but overall it went well.

Have you ever wanted to make chili or some other soup, but realized you needed beans, and well, they didn't have a chance to soak overnight? I did beans so that I can throw them into any recipe at any time, without having to preplan it all out. Ultimately this will save time and hassle. What's the difference between soaking 1 quart of beans and 12 quarts? Nothing! It takes the same amount of time. You throw them in the bottles and pressure cook. It's that easy! Don't forget to use a real recipe when bottling foods to avoid having it go bad, and ultimately make you sick. You can find recipes for anything on the internet.

Peaches, Dill Pickles, Salsa

Pinto Beans, Green Beans, Tomatoes

This is a great skill to learn for self efficiency. It's also great because YOU decide what goes into the bottle, and you can avoid preservatives and other unhealthy things. It's a way to go organic and can save you money ultimately. It's also a great way to use food storage.

I challenge you to try canning next year, if you haven't learned already. It's an amazing skill to add to your belt of knowledge!

2010-10-18T13:16:00.003-06:00

TIME SAVING TIP OF THE WEEK

I ventured over to my parents house this morning for some pancakes and small talk. As I entered the driveway I became aware of a sight not often seen. My dad was cleaning out the garage! I was so proud of him and all of his hard work to prep the garage for winter. My mom came out to greet me, and pointed out the most prized accomplishment...my dad's special attempt at organizing his tools.

Now bless his soul, they are organized. And in my dads very words, "No one will want to steal them now." Well dad, I believe you may be right about that. And now he will know where each tool belongs as well.

Buahahahahhaahaha! Mom and I did get a good laugh out of that one! A small suggestion to anyone else who thinks this is a good idea; next time spray paint them somewhere else, like in the dirt maybe, just so you don't get it all over the walls. That is, if you plan on spray painting your tools at all. And for my honey, if you are reading this, it is NOT okay to do this with our tools in our garage!

Now go get organized!

2010-07-09T17:22:00.001-06:00

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ORGANIZER

This is more like the last three weeks of my life. I needed a change in my home; and after looking at most of my furniture options, I decided that my kitchen table was what I wanted to change the most. I wouldn't mind an entirely new table, after all, it would have been much more easy breezy. But money is tight and my skills are available, so I dove in and tackled the project.

It was quite the challenge finding the time to sand, stain, and put three coats of clear finish on the table and six chairs. I took full advantage of my son's nap times. I also strapped him into the stroller with snacks when he would tolerate it. And then at times I would let him play on the deck (which is like a giant play pen). That was glorious! To say the least a project that should have technically taken me one week took me three.

Here are the before and after pictures:

Enjoy!

Before

After

Now on to a little...or a lot... of sewing! In my house, there is always a project to be done!

2010-06-10T18:50:00.001-06:00

THE CLEANING CORNER

If you have children you know that the art work your child brings home is not only endless, but "VERY VERY special mom. You can't throw that one away!" We've all heard it a million times while making an effort to purge the mountains of paper art.

Some of us have even taken to methods of sneaking it into the garbage while our children are not around to notice, which my child has pulled back out of the garbage with a look of horror on her face. (Apparently it didn't go deep enough) Or maybe you accidentally spilt water on it...oops, mommy's such a klutz. I guess we can't keep that one.

Whatever your method of purging the pile is, I have a few great ideas that you may be interested in using to display those masterpieces, while making your child feel her art is important at the same time.

As a tribute to my daughter I used yarn and strung it up using tacks to hold the string to the wall. I display Zailee's artwork on the yarn by attaching it with clothes pins. I have four of these on various walls around the playroom. I decided to use her artwork as decorations on the walls rather than buying other wall hangings or pictures.

Zailee is so proud of her displayed art work. I also gave her an ultimatum. I told her that once her strings were full she would have to retire a piece of art before she could put a new one up. Then we either throw the old piece of art away, or I take a picture of several pieces at once and scrapbook the picture. I also do scrapbook the more special projects that I just can't let go of.

Some other ideas are:

A digital photo frame- Take pictures of your favorite pieces of art or scan them into your computer. Put them on a memory card, pop it into the frame and watch the slide show.

A scrapbook - A book of just your child's art. It's a wonderful way to keep it all organized and dated and you and your family can look at it for years to come. I would suggest being selective as to what you add though. You could have 20 books otherwise. If it gets to full you could have her choose some of her least favorites and replace them with new arrivals.

Place mats- Glue his artwork onto pieces of colored construction paper or card stock and laminate them.

Useful Memories- Look online for sites that you could put his favorite artwork onto a calendar, mug, t-shirt, or mouse pad.

A Shrine- I have a special shelf where I put things that are not hangable up. Like rock people, a drum, a kinky snake, etc.

The ideas are endless, so get creative, and do what works best for you and your child. But remember, you don't have to keep EVERYTHING. Picking and choosing yours and your child's favorites and then letting the others go is half of the battle.

2010-06-04T18:30:00.000-06:00

TIME SAVING TIP OF THE WEEK

Childproofing. Well this has been an interesting week. No matter how organized I am I still seem to run into some kind of trouble. Hatcher (my son) is the busiest two year old on the planet. I don't think the word terror, or stinker, or naughty really comes close to the true explanation for his many exploits.

I have always avoided the typical child proofing devices, because I find them to be a total pain for me. I've always had the theory that if you teach your children from the very beginning that getting into a drawer is a no no, that child will come to respect that.

This theory worked amazingly well with my first child. Zailee, my little girl, never got into anything that was off limits. If she did, it was once, maybe twice, and when I disciplined her, she would never do it again. She was the golden child. She never really made messes, except when eating or with toys. (She still is a VERY messy eater) And I never used any kind of baby proofing device with her.

My little man on the other hand, seems to think that he has free reign. I have painted over more wall art than I can count, my pantry and fridge are never safe, and he is now trying to commit two year old suicide by running out of the house and down the street. It wasn't pretty, me chasing after Hatcher in my P.J.'s on a Saturday morning!

After numerous attempts to implement my so called theory, I have finally given up and relented to the child proofing devices. My device of choice? Door knob grippers. He can no longer open doors. HA! I finally win! I can't believe what a change it's been. The only downfall is that my five year old can no longer open the doors either. This mostly poses a problem when she needs to use the bathroom or wants to play outside. A little irritating, which proves my original point, in that they can also be a pain in my tush! But overall, I'm happy with the results and my new advice to all mothers and future mothers out there would be this...use WHATEVER means necessary to simply your life. Organizing goes beyond just making sure that a drawer looks neat inside. It also means it stays that way.

Now go get organized!!

2010-05-21T05:29:00.000-06:00

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ORGANIZER

This is one of my most interesting stories so far.

My little five year old girl was playing outside in the back yard the about a week ago, and when she came into the house she left the basement door WIDE open. I didn't realize this of course, and went to a meeting that night. I came home late after everyone was in bed. The next morning I was vacuuming and kept feeling a draft by the stairs. I went down to find that the door had been open ALL NIGHT!! My husband, nor I had bothered to check that it was locked before we went to sleep. A mistake that won't happen again! I was immediately concerned that we would have mice.

Sure enough a couple of days later the signs started to show. First, their was the package of Hershey's candy bars that the mice gorged themselves on. Then we found evidence that they had found my chocolate chip stash and had taken a particular fancy to the butterscotch flavored ones. I neat little hole had been chewed out of two bags. The greedy little mice hadn't even finished off one bag before they started into the next. I threw the bags away and checked the mouse poison I had left for them as a special treat. Most of that was also gone. Good, I was well on my way to killing the little heathens!

A couple of days later I pulled out a camping chair and took it outside. I wanted to sit and read while my kids played Michelangelo on the driveway with sidewalk chalk. When I pulled the chair out of its case, a whole slew of butterscotch chips came out with it. The stinking little mice had been stashing the chips in the camping chair! I swept most of them off of the driveway, but a few remained.

The worst is yet to come...

I went around to the back of the house to help my daughter with something, and when I came back to the driveway, my two year old son was just gobbling up the rest of the butterscotch chips that I had missed. I about threw up! After contemplating rushing him to the emergency room to have his stomach pumped, I decided he would probably be okay. So far no symptoms of sickness, and he has yet to grow mouse ears or a tale. But boy was I GROSSED OUT!!

2010-04-23T16:06:00.000-06:00

I received an email recently that gave some great tips on small things that you can do around the house to keep messes at bay and utilize potential waste. I thought that I would pass them along to you.

I don't know who is responsible for the creation of the email. But I thank them!

TIME SAVING TIP OF THE WEEK

CLEVER IDEAS WORTH KNOWING

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of
spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm! Reheat Pizza Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm.
This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up.
Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg.
Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

Expanding Frosting When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size.
You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper weeds away Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and for- get about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.

Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.

No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

Squirrel Away!

To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and ... ta da! ... static is gone.

Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water.
Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such
as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Re open ing envelopes
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material .. I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well ... the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the drye r sheets to make your clothes soft and static free ... that nice fragrance too. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box .... well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very longtime (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?! Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I'd share! Note: I went to my dryer and tested my screen by running water on it. The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water and a nylon brush and I had it done in 30 seconds. Then when I rinsed it .. the water ran right thru the screen! There wasn't any puddling at all! That repairman knew what he was talking about!

2010-04-22T21:17:00.000-06:00

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ORGANIZER

My two year old son is very busy and doesn't like to spend much time sitting in one place and doing things, like reading books, or other such constructive nonsense.

Today though, I thought that I would try once again to attempt to spend some time with him doing a constructive activity. My mistake! I pulled out a wood puzzle and tried to help him do it, while teaching him different animals and their sounds. He wanted nothing to do with it and I finally gave up and let him jet out of my arms like a rocket that was ready to launch.

The first place that he took off to, was to the hall closet. Why there, you ask? Because the hall closet is what holds his most prized toy in the world. My vacuum. Yes, you read that correctly. He has a vacuum of his own, and uses it quite often. But it just isn't good enough. He is not ever fully satisfied unless I'm vacuuming along side him.

So in a sigh of exasperation, and a giggle in my throat, I relented and once again pulled out my one constant bonding tool, my vacuum. We vacuumed side by side for thirty minutes before I finally put it away and began to make dinner.

My son is going to grow up to be a janitor...but at least he will feel loved in knowing that I support him.

2010-04-16T22:24:00.000-06:00

Okay, so it's been awhile. I apologize. I have been so busy, that I've neglected all of my readers. I'm sure you have been missing my awesome Time Saving Tips. So here is a new one for you:

TIME SAVING TIP OF THE WEEK

Bathrooms can become pretty cramped for space. Not everyone has a lot of drawer space. But almost everyone has a cabinet under the sink. If you use a plastic basket to put all of your hairspray, water bottles, gel etc. in under the sink, it can free up valuable drawer space. They are also great for combs, curling irons, brushes, and hair dryers.

I find these plastic containers (many with handles) at the Dollar Store for...you guessed it...$1. Everyone can afford $1, especially if it organizes and creates space. Get creative! Plastic containers can be used for so many things. And this is just one of them.

If anyone would like organizing ideas on specific places in their home please leave me a note, and I would be glad to share some of my ideas with you.
Have a great week!

Now go get organized!

2010-03-29T16:55:00.000-06:00

A Day In The Life Of An Organizer

So, another fun filled week at my home. The Easter Bunny brought us a couple of cute little rabbits to our home for us to adopt for Easter. But he told me not to let my children see them until Easter morning. And I was faithful for about 3 days.

Then my daughter had her friend over and they wanted to play outside. The little bunnies were hidden under our porch in the back yard. I told the girls, that they could not go into the back yard and had to stay out front. I'm such a smart parent to think that my child would listen. She did well for a little while, but then there was an eerie silence in the front yard. I immediately went to check on them. Couldn't find them..panicked...called there names...and there they were, cute as could be, playing with the hidden bunnies.

So much for the big surprise! I had to explain to Zailee, that the Easter Bunny had brought them over early because he couldn't carry them and the baskets together on Easter Eve. Luckily, that was a save, but still, this type of thing is pretty normal in my organized, yet somewhat chaotic life.

2010-03-19T14:06:00.001-06:00

So I'm a little slow this month. Sorry about that.
I have been so into salad the last couple of weeks. My husband and I have been making this salad that's pretty basic, but beats the heck out of eating just the lettuce that comes in the bag. We've been adding egg, cottage cheese, tomatoes, and cucumbers. And then I top it with one of my personal favorite dressings, Green Goddess.

TIME SAVING TIP OF THE WEEK

Have you ever noticed how messy it can be to peel veggies, like cucumbers or potatoes? If you aim for the garbage can, you inevitably miss getting a few peels in. And I hate to just grind them in the garbage disposal because it can clog it (or so I've been told). So I have a very easy solution.

Put a piece of plastic wrap or a garbage bag on the counter and peel your veggies right over the top. When you are done, you just wrap it up and toss it in the garbage. And ta da, no mess.! It can just be a grocery bag that you have hanging around anyway. I always have extras. I actually use those for dirty diapers too. It keeps the smellies out of my baby's room.
So the next time your working in the kitchen try peeling your veggies onto a bag or plastic wrap.
Now go get organized!

2010-02-26T16:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to remind you that my website dimplesintime.com is up and running! And I have a link on this page off to the left. So come and visit to see all of the awesome services I have to offer. If you have any questions contact me and I'll get some info back to you.

TIME SAVING TIP OF THE WEEK

Sometimes the house just doesn't even make it through a straightening up. For example, I have one day a week that I try and run all of my errands at the same time. Mostly because I find that if I have to leave my house everyday it just chops up my days and I don't feel as productive.

Also I hate having to load and unload kids and everything else all of the time. Personally I find it exhausting.

But I'm getting off on a tangent. The point is on my errand days, my house suffers. I find that if I at least make the beds my house doesn't seem as disorganized or messy. There can be stuff all over the floor, but if my beds are made, I can actually see something that I did get done at a glance. And for me that's an uplifting thought. So make a habit of taking the time to at least throw your covers up and place your pillows on top of those beds everyday before you get too busy. You'll feel better if you do...I promise.
Now go get organized!

2010-02-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ORGANIZER

Well it's official. My website is finally up and running. dimplesintime.com
My link is off to the left hand side, so take a few minutes to check it out. I would love to get your opinion on it. It has taken me way to long to get this up, but I'm glad that it's finally in presentable shape.

My daughter is at a sleepover with her cousin and although I'm getting quite a bit done, I miss the little rug rat. I think I miss her more than she misses me. I haven't heard from her at all, which means that she is having a fabulous time with her cousin.

My son is napping for the moment and I am feeling productive today. So it's off to accomplish a little more while I have the time.

Have a great day!

2010-02-12T22:50:00.000-07:00

TIME SAVING TIP OF THE WEEK

Look for the messiest and most disorganized space in your home. It shouldn't be hard to find. We all have a few. Take a few moments a week to focus on a single space. If seems like we have so much to do and it's overwhelming trying to do it all. Have you noticed that most of the time we don't do any of it because we feel like if we are going to start a project we have to finish it.

It's time to change your attitude. Focus only on the worst thing that is driving you the most crazy. For me today, it was my bottom drawer in my dresser. It's been a while since I organized it, and I noticed that I was starting to have a hard time finding anything, and stuffing things in was becoming my habit. So I took ten minutes this morning to pull everything out and refold it. That's it...ten minutes and I was done!

Don't let lack of time make your home a miserable existence. Ten to fifteen minutes a week is all you need to clean that messy shelf, drawer, cupboard, or paper stack. Take a deep breath, and attack!
Now go get organized!

2010-02-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ORGANIZER

Happy Love Week!!
In honor of Valentines Day, every year my step mom puts together a little family get together with the grand kids. We go to her house and make sugar cookies. At first it wasn't so easy, and in a lot of ways it still isn't. The oldest grandchild is 5, the youngest isn't quite 2.

But one thing that I've noticed is that my mom has figured out a way to make it more simple. She prepares all of the dough and frosting prior to our coming. When we get there, she puts aprons on the kidlets and hands them each a ball of dough...have at it kids! They love it, it's like play dough you can eat. Which after spending 20 minutes man handling the dough, they do eat it...mmmm!
Just between you and me, I don't eat those cookies.

My point is, that she is all ready for us when we come. The kids roll and cut their dough, the frosting is warming up to room temperature while the cookies are baking. And the kids frost them within a few minutes out of the oven. This is great because everyone knows that a kids attention span isn't long. And yeah, there's a mess when we are done, but it's all worth it.

So if you are planning on having a party, take the time to think ahead. What can you do now that will make your party go just that much smoother and more stress free?

2010-01-30T16:42:00.001-07:00

I appreciate the feedback I've received about the 72 hour kits. The more advice the better, for all of us. One of you suggested suckers and such, one of you suggested chocolate. I say if you need something small to make you feel happier go for it.

I loved the idea about the stuffed animal in the kids packs. Actually that's a fantastic idea to have some sort of "special" for the little ones, as they will probably be in a state of confusion and stress. Whether that is an extra pacifier for the little ones or a small version of a blanket that they love.

I was at the army surplus store the other day, picking up a few things that were missing in my car kit. And I realized that they make dog tags there. I made one for each of us, because you never know if we could become separated from one another. Someone else mentioned putting a family photo with names and home address in there packs.

This isn't a complete list, as I'm sure there is always something more that you can find that we could use, but it's a start. And starting your kit, is half of the battle. Finishing it is the other half, something I'm always working on...

2010-01-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

Last week I was working on my 72 hour kits-which at times seems like a never ending project. There is always something more that you can squeeze into those backpacks.

I had a sister in law, Amy, share her list with me and it had some items that weren't on my list. So, I thought that it would be great to be able to compare this list with the one I previously posted.

If anyone has something on their 72 hour kit list that isn't on mine or Amy's, I would love to know what it is. Please leave a comment and share with us.

LIFE SAVING TIP OF THE WEEK

Creating an adult kit verses a child kit. An adult kit can be larger if you have the room to store them. Amy has bought real back packing packs. The kind you would use if you were to go on an extended hike. They are easier on your back for holding heavier items. You can add essentials like a tent, sleeping bags, tools, etc. Note the list below. A child kit will have things like coloring books and games.

Many of the people in Haiti did not even have shelter after the earthquake happened. Hopefully if we can prepare ourselves for the worst, so that most of us will make it through a difficult tragedy, with some sort of shelter, heat, and food.
Now go get organized!

2010-01-28T22:20:00.000-07:00

A Day In The Life of An Organizer

So, I'm writing today to tell you that dispite my organizing skills, and all of the effort that I put in to it, it seems that disaster always lurks around the corner.
Like yesterday...my son has destroyed most of my lipsticks at one time or another. He has an obsession with my bathrooms. He is drawn to an open bathroom door as a moth is drawn to a flame. Then he takes out the toothbrushes and sucks on them...mmmm...delicious...for him anyway! Sickening for the rest of us poor saps! Okay, I've gone off on a tangent. Oh yes, so I've hidden all of my lipsticks in an upper drawer. But yesterday, my son found them and tried them on once again!

And then I folded a load of laundry on my bed, but had to dash out of the room to prevent a potential two year old disaster, and didn't get to finish putting my laundry away.
My husband came home, hugs and kisses all around, we had dinner, blah blah blah. After dishes I went into my room to finish my original task of laundry to find that somewhere in the two hours I had left it, my son had once again climbed onto my bed and had a hay day destroying my hard work of folding.
I stormed out of my bedroom and just to make it clear, I expressed to Dustin that "THIS IS WHY I FEEL LIKE A HAMSTER ON A SPINNING WHEEL ALL DAY." Because I do the same thing over and over again.
I doubt I'm the only one who feels that way, but I just wanted everyone to know that this is a typical day in my very "Organized" life.

2010-01-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

THE CLEANING CORNER

You should be starting to feel pretty good every time you walk into the bathroom that we have been focusing on.

So, this week take the time to clean your baseboards and wipe down your doors, outlets, and light switches. Spot clean your walls. Now you are almost done...one more thing...when was the last time you cleaned your shower curtain? And no, taking showers doesn't count! Showers=scum!!
Take down your shower curtain and wash it. Or replace it if need be. Oft times it's the inner plastic curtain that is the yuckiest! And sometimes it just gets to the point that it's time to toss it and start over. But if it's still looking in reasonable shape, just throw it in the washer, and shake it out on the porch afterward to get off the excess water. And yes, I've done this many times myself, it really works.

Now you are finished with your bathroom! Doesn't it feel great!
Good Luck with your weekly deep clean!

2010-01-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

With the tragic events in Haiti over the past week or so, I've started thinking about my family and friends; and how we would handle a situation such as theirs, if it were to ever happen in our region of the world.

I decided that it was time to update and reorganize my 72 hour kits for my family.
So I have spent the last couple of days changing out food and older supplies in my 72 hour kits and putting in new ones. I've also been updating my list of items that each backpack is carrying.

So this week isn't so much of a Time Saving Tip as it is a Life Saving Tip.

Life Saving Tip of the Week

72 hour kits are great. But I think that the task of putting them together can be overwhelming. So I am attaching a list of everything in my personal kits and hopefully you can adjust it to fit your personal needs as you go. Maybe you already have kits and would just like to compare notes. That's great too!

If you are just getting started, I would suggest that you find as many things from around your house that you can, then buy at least one thing on your list for every kit you have, every time you go to the grocery store. If you are like me, then that's about 4 times a month. It won't be so overwhelming that way, but you will see progress rather quickly.

Note: When it comes to clothing, I used mismatched socks that I know I probably will never find the match to. Because I have a black hole in my dryer that sends my socks to some distant future, where someone elses dryer is spitting socks out at them...just my theory anyway! (Just click the image to enlarge)
Now go get organized!

2010-01-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

THE CLEANING CORNER

We've been thinking about cleaning our bathrooms. We all do on a regular basis. But there are places that we don't clean every week. We don't think to clean out all of the drawers or the cabinet under the sink.

This week while you have your rags out and your cleaning supplies in your hands, take an extra 20 minutes or so to clean out your bathroom drawers and cabinets. Pulling everything out and giving it a good wipe down also gives you the opportunity to reorganize your drawers and cabinets, and throw anything that you want away. Consider it a chance to purge your bathroom of unwanted or unnecessary items. Don't forget to wipe down the outside of your cabinets.
Good Luck on your weekly deep clean!

2010-01-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

TIME SAVING TIP OF THE WEEK

A Toothbrush Organizer sounds a bit strange. But for me, it's been very helpful. In my bathrooms we keep our toothbrushes in the top drawer. And they were always getting shifted around, leaving toothpaste marks at the bottom of the drawer. Ickies! And anything else that was in that drawer (like my husbands deodorant) was always shifting around and threatening to encroach my personal toothbrush space. Sickning! So when I'd had enough, I brainstormed and this is what I came up with.

You can get kitchen utensil organizers at places like Wal Mart for super cheep. And they make great toothbrush separators. Each person has his own little space. And when it gets dirty, you can toss it in the dishwasher. Glorious!! (Saying that in my sing song voice.) Plus you can put other things in the extra spaces like deodorant and fingernail clippers just to name a couple of things.

You will notice that my drawer has lipstick in one of the slots, that's because I have a very destructive 22 month old, and he killed almost every lipstick I owned while they lived in my lower drawer. So, I've moved them to an upper space for my own safety as well as his ;0)

Note: If your drawer is smaller, you can buy a smaller utensil holder. They do have them.
Now go get organized!

2010-01-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

THE CLEANING CORNER

I want to know how you feel about having worked with me on the bedroom that we chose. It should be deep cleaned and we should be ready to move on.

So, I was thinking that maybe this week we would start on deep cleaning a bathroom. I know, I know bathrooms seem to be that yucky daunting task that we only tackle when we have to. But I promise it isn't near as difficult as you think.

Most of us get into all of the corners when we clean a bathroom anyway, but this week take some time to clean the light in the bathroom. If you have more than one bathroom try and tackle them together. That's what I do. Cleaning my lights takes me about 15 minutes per bathroom. Can you find 15 minutes you can devote to a place you spend time in every day? I know I can! And while you just happen to be up there cleaning your light, slide your wet rag across the top edge of the mirror. Bet you haven't cleaned up there in a while :0)
Good Luck on your weekly deep clean!

2010-01-08T15:40:00.000-07:00

I want to apologize to everyone for not blogging over the holidays. I was having way to much fun spending time with my family and being at parties. We played lots of games on Christmas Eve and Christmas day.

And just when Christmas was over New Years arrived! I had a Nacho Libra New Years Eve party at my house. Lot's of family came and we watched the movie and ate some delicious nachos. Then on New Years Day my family and I went sleigh riding in our 2 horse open sleigh. Then we sat around ate more food, and played more games.

But now,I'm finally back to my basic daily routine and back on my blog.
I'm going to be doing the Cleaning Corner on Mondays, an organizing tip on Wednesdays, and the Time Saving Tip of the Week on Fridays. That's the plan for now. If anyone is interested in learning more about anything related to our topics or would like me to research something for you please email me or leave a comment on the blog.

Thanks for coming and reading!

TIME SAVING TIP OF THE WEEK

Shoe stacking in your closet can be a mess. There are several different ways to get those shoes under control. Most women have about 3 times more shoes than men. And we have a tendency to continue buying while rarely discarding old shoes, unless they are starting to fall off of our feet. Sound familiar? First of all, go through all of your shoes. If they are out of style or it's been at least a year since you've worn them, ask yourself why you are hanging onto them. Then dump a few if you can.

You can buy all different kinds of shoe shelves, holders, and hangers for your shoes. Or you can stack them in shoe boxes if you are tight on room. Make sure that you either label the box or put a picture of the shoes on the outside so that when you're looking for the perfect shoes for your outfit you don't have to rifle through all of the boxes. If you categorize them by style and color you'll find it saves time.
Note: If you were to go to some shoe stores and ask them for leftover shoe boxes they usually have a few that can be spared.

Also I've found that I don't have convenient room for my summer shoes and my winter shoes. So I put my flip flops and sandles away for the winter. In the summer I trade my warm fuzzy shoes that I know I'll never wear during the summer months, for my flip flops. Rotating like this has really helped me on space.
Now go get organized!

2010-01-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

The Cleaning Corner

This last week has been the week of New Years Resolutions! So I want to encourage and help motivate everyone to try and reorganize something in their home every week. It can be something as small as a drawer or shelf in a closet.

Also I want to encourage everyone to make a cleaning plan and stick with it. This doesn't include basic upkeep but, would be deep cleaning that we don't do every day. We started working on a bedroom last month and technically we should be almost done. This week focus on the windows in that room. Make sure blinds, drapes, and window seals are all clean.

Also now would be a good time to catch up on any deep cleaning you weren't able to do last week. Good Luck with your weekly deep clean!

2009-12-30T17:45:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas break! We did, and I'm looking forward to New Years as well! Welcome 2010!

THE CLEANING CORNER

This week when you find 15 extra minutes, take the time to clean the light in the bedroom that you are focusing your deep clean on. My light has a fan attached so I'm going to clean the blades as well. When cleaning your light be sure to unscrew and wash the inside of the light cover. Have you ever noticed all of the bugs that manage to find their way into the light cover even though it seems sealed? Ewe! I can't figure out how they manage to squeeze their way in there.
Good luck on your "Weekly Deep Clean".

2009-12-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

One of my readers commented that they wished there was a basket that could hang from the railing of the stairs. I checked into that. And unfortunately, the only thing I found were flower pot baskets, which in my case would be too small. But I did find a basket that sits on the stairs. Some of you may have seen variations of this in the past. But here is a link to a website that carries them, in case you're interested.

http://www.ballarddesigns.com/Accessories/Storage-Baskets/Rattan-Step-Basket/p/3454?code=BDGOO4&gclid=COqFgo7G6p4CFUlo5QodIDUIJA

THE CLEANING CORNER

This week is a busy one with Christmas only a couple of days away. But if you can find some time, take a few minutes to do a quick clean out of dresser drawers and closet shelves in the room that you are focusing on. Other than that, relax and enjoy your week.

Have a great holiday everyone, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2009-12-18T16:06:00.000-07:00

Rush, rush, rush! Does anyone else feel like the holidays are sneaking up on them? Stuff, stuff, and more stuff! Does it seem to be overtaking your home? I love how most of us have a hard time finding room for stuff, and yet we continue to buy. Aggghhh...

I have two levels in my home and one thing I seem to notice is the pile by the stairs. If you have more than one level you know exactly what I'm talking about.

TIME SAVING TIP OF THE WEEK

A basket by the stairs. Putting a basket or something similar by the stairs. I prefer one with a handle. Every time you go down stairs you take something from the basket or you can take the entire basket and put those items away. Do the same with a basket at the bottom of the stairs for the items that need to go up.

I only have one basket at the top of my stairs, but in my case I seem to need to take things down five times as much as I need to take them up, due to the structure of my home. This is a great way to keep stuff from flailing all over the stairs and to keep them together. Just remember to take it with you! My husband seems to need reminding sometimes ;0)
Now Go Get Organized!

2009-12-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

THE CLEANING CORNER

We are currently working on getting that bedroom a little cleaner. This week when you vacuum, take the time to vacuum around all the edges of the room with the hose. Vacuum's get the larger area but you'll notice (especially with darker carpet) that there is a thin line of dust around the very edges, by the wall where the vacuum can't reach.

Vacuum under as much furniture as possible. You may have to move some things like the bed. Sounds like a pain, but remember it's only one room. When was the last time you did it? When you moved in? Don't forget to clean the closet floor! Make sure you also vacuum out the air vent.

Also this week, clean your door jams, electrical outlets, and light switches. Dust the ridges on the door. Spot clean your walls if they need them.

Good luck on your Weekly Deep Clean!

2009-12-11T19:42:00.000-07:00

TIME SAVING TIP OF THE WEEK

If you have girls or are a girl you understand that the hair care drawer in your bathroom can become quite the disaster very quickly. I know that in my case I love to do my daughters hair. But as we collected more hair accessories I realized that I was spending far too much time in the morning trying to find the right color barrette, or the right size of rubber band to put in her hair.

I went to Wal Mart in search of a solution and came up with the junk drawer organizer. It was inexpensive and has a lot of places to separate the individual colors and sizes of hair accessories. I organized the drawer according to color because that is usually what I base my choices on. I also organized rubber bands according to type and size. Because for me size was important, depending on the style I chose to do in my daughters hair.

I still have to reorganize it on occasion because kids will be kids and don't always put things away perfectly. But I would say that 90% of the time I save at least five minutes every morning hunting down hair accessories. And if you're a mom you understand just how important five minutes can be. Now go get organized!

2009-12-08T12:06:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,
In one of my earlier blogs I mentioned that I would be starting a blog about deep cleaning your home without the hassle of trying to do your "Spring Cleaning" all at once. Who spring cleans their whole house at once? And who really does it in the spring? NOT ME! Life doesn't stop just because the seasons are changing. So I'm going to give you some simple suggestions that you can do throughout the month to get that deep clean all our homes need! We are going to call it our "Weekly Deep Clean" rather than our "Spring Clean".

THE CLEANING CORNER

We are going to focus on a bedroom this month. I picked a bedroom because it's the holidays. You need to choose a space that doesn't require moving and shifting things in high traffic areas, such as living rooms and kitchens. You need to choose a space that isn't going to overwhelm you during this very busy month.
I chose my son's room for December's project. This week when you dust the bedroom dust all of the nick nacks, shelving, and hard to reach places. Most of us dust only what we can generally reach without a ladder. Go the extra mile this week and get that ladder out. In places where dust has accumulated over time, a wet rag may be the most efficient method. Don't forget baseboards, even behind furniture, if it can be moved. Baseboards are in the closet too. (sometimes I forget that). Good luck with your Weekly Deep Clean!

2009-12-05T11:06:00.000-07:00

Another week has gone by and the holidays are well upon us. I've got my Christmas up and most of my shopping done. I like to shop for gifts all year long so that when December comes I'm not rushing around like a crazy chicken and fighting the crowds.
Does anyone else do the Black Friday sales? That is the one day of the year when I do exactly the opposite. I fight the crowds to get the great deals. The girls in my family go together, as tradition. This year we had our shopping done by 7:00 am. We went to breakfast and then to see New Moon later that afternoon. All in all it was a very fun girls day!

TIME SAVING TIP OF THE WEEK

Too many cords for electronics lying around? There are two fix it ideas to choose from. You can take a cord and coil it up and rubber band it together. Then take masking tape and label what it's for. Or you can take an old toilet paper or paper towel tube, coil the cord and stuff it in the tube. Label the tube so you know what the cord is for. Now go get organized!

2009-11-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for! We were going to my mom's house for Thanksgiving. My husband, Dustin likes to play the "Turkey Bowl" with some buddies, and took off in the morning, leaving me with the job of getting food, house, and kids ready for the day. I underestimated how long it would take me and was a little slow getting the kids and I out of the house and headed for my mom's house. As organized as I seem to be, even I need to take the time to remember to ask for help now and again. My sister offered to help and being a bit proud I declined. I should have just swallowed it and accepted her services.

So my TIME SAVING TIP OF THE WEEK:

List Making. I know that this seems basic, but the list I created to help me remember what to take with me to my mom's house for Thanksgiving saved me! I had everything on it from my son's highchair to his sippy cup. Sometimes the most basic things can be forgotten, creating in my case irritation. So it may have taken me a while to get out of the house, but at least I remembered everything. It was great!! Now go get organized!

2009-11-20T12:43:00.001-07:00

Hi Everybody,

The weekend is almost here. It's my chance to relax a little after a busy week of being a mom, keeping house, running errands, doing bills, and working. Sound familiar?

I've been thinking about things I could talk about that might help you simplify your life. And I know for myself that one of the biggest drags is trying to keep my house maintained amongst my other projects and activities that fill up my days. So I'm going to give you some easy hints throughout the year that will help you "Spring Clean" and organize your home without making you feel overwhelmed.

I love lists. I've created a list specifically for Spring Cleaning projects. In my home I focus on a specific room of the house each month so that I'm not overwhelmed. Because this month is almost over we'll start in December with a bedroom.

TIME SAVING TIP OF THE WEEK

A lost and found basket is a great way to keep things organized that don't belong to you. I have a basket in my kitchen that has items that people have left at my house when visiting. I also have items that need to be returned to the store or items that I am giving to other people in the basket also. It looks nice and is fully functional. Just don't forget to grab those items when you are meeting up with people or heading to the store. If you don't want to buy a basket, a bin or cardboard box would serve the same purpose. Now go get organized!

2009-11-13T16:14:00.000-07:00

Well everyone, I'm going to start my weekly Time Saving Tip of the Week starting next Friday, so stay tuned. I will be posting a new time saving tip each Friday for those who want to get organized in easy, inexpensive ways.

As many of you may know, I am a coupon cutter and enjoy saving money where I can. I was looking over my coupons last week and seeing that some of them were going to expire, I decided to separate and use the ones that I really liked. Because it's the holidays, and one of my favorite things to eat during this time of year is Muddy Buddies, I decided to use my Chex cereal coupon. I have never seen Chex go on sale during the last five months that I have been shopping. So I went ahead, bought the cereal at full price and used my coupon. At least I felt better about that.
Yesterday I went shopping again. Of course Chex cereal was on a seriously great discounted price of $1.50 a box!! Can you believe that? I bought nine boxes (three of each kind). That's my luck! The sale happened one week after my coupon expired. Oh well!

As part of my business I create recipe card creations. I put recipes on darling, fun backgrounds and print them out on 4x6 card stock and make books of peoples favorite recipes.
In case you aren't familiar with the Yummy Muddy Buddy Recipe you should definitely try it. So here it is! Just click on the image to make it larger, and printable. Thanks!

Welcome Everyone

2009-11-11T17:42:00.000-07:00

Hello and Welcome Everyone!

My blog is currently under construction so please bare with me.
I am very excited to share my business ideas with everyone.
I have a couple of goals in starting this business.
I love to organize so my first goal is to help people become free of the clutter that surrounds their lives. I also want to help people create and save their memories. I want to help others create a way to save dimples in time. Why Dimples in time? Well, isn't that what time is? Every moment of every day, we create a dimple in time. What we do with those moments is up to us. I for one want to get the most out of my time, so being organized saves me time and hassle every day, leaving me more time to do the things I want. Scrapbooking my photos and other meaningful items allows my family and I to remember the moments that were so important to us…those dimples in time!
So come back and visit often for great organizational tips and ideas!
Coming soon… my website:dimplesintime.com (I'll let you know when it's up and running in full swing)