Welcome!

Posted on April 9, 2011

Thanks for visiting! Take a look around, leave a comment and check out my Facebook page!

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New Slow Cooker Recipe added on Recipe Page: Manwich Pulled Pork

Posted on October 14, 2011

I tried out a new Manwich Pulled Pork recipe the other day and it wasn’t bad!  You can find it along with other easy recipes on my recipe page!  I love easy CrockPot recipes that don’t take a lot of prep.  I just had to cut up a green pepper, open some cans of Manwich and throw in some pork.  Try it if you want to add a new kid-friendly recipe to the mix.  I never realized how much I love my slow cooker until I became too tired to cook!

If you try it, leave a comment letting others know if you liked it.  Also, feel free to leave other recipes for me to try and I’ll post the ones that pass the family test on my recipe page!

 

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Brainstorming Organization Ideas

Posted on October 10, 2011

I love finding other people’s ideas on ways to use ordinary things or how to better organize a space. It helps get my ideas flowing and narrow down my own project list. Here is something I found today: http://pinterest.com/bhg/smart-solutions-for-your-home/.

I recently bought storage cubes at IKEA for my playroom/media room so I can organize my son’s toys while keeping it looking somewhat neat. I still have a few things to finish up there and need to decorate. I think some cute hanging buckets (like in the link above) may be the finishing touch to decorate while being functional to hold even more toys or stuffed animals, etc…

The dish drainer as an organizer is a cool idea too…I’m picturing coloring books instead of files and the silverware sections full of crayons and colored pencils. I like how it’s portable and can move from cubby to table to desk…Looks like I have a couple of projects to add to my list!

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Catching Up!

Posted on October 7, 2011

Wow, what a couple of weeks! I have been so so bad at keeping up with things. It was the perfect storm of extra crazy demands at work, a baby who went on a sippy sup strike, a stomach bug and all the other normal stuff that I have to get done. For someone who is such an “organized momma”, I was barely treading water. Thankfully my semi-organized life helped me get through it unharmed and I feel like I’m finally back to my normal level of hectic :-)

Thanks for sticking with me. I’ve learned a couple new tricks that will find their way into some new posts. One I must share is to keep plastic bags in the diaper bag and in the car. I always used them for the baby’s diapers, wipes, trash, etc…but when the stomach bug hit, they became priceless as barf bags in the car! I’ve also streamlined my to-do list techniques and found a couple of new easy recipes which I’ll share later.

This weekend I will be catching up with my family, on housework, and hopefully on sleep. Have a great weekend!

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Time Saver Tips

Posted on September 10, 2011

As I was doing load after load of laundry today I thought about what makes the laundry run smoothly in my house.  I have a couple of tips to share that hopefully help you too.

1. Just Sort It! It really does help to have a system and use it consistently.  I find that I can throw in a load quickly in between different chores or activities because my system is ready and I have loads sorted and ready to go. I recommend a good laundry sorter.  I use a bin sorter similar to this one on Amazon:


Although mine does not have that cool hanging bar so I may need to upgrade soon.  Every other day I gather the laundry from the baskets around the house and throw them in the sorter – whites, colors, etc…  Then, when I have a couple of minutes I throw in a load and don’t have to procrastinate.

2. If you don’t have time for many different loads, combine some and use a color catching sheet like the Shout Color Catcher Sheets.I am too OCD to put straight on whites in with colors, but I do mix some lighter loads with some darker colors if I need to catch up on laundry, but only if I use a color catcher.  They really work!

3.  Train your husband or children to fold clean laundry on the couch while they watch football or their favorite show.  It took awhile, but my husband is so well-trained now that he doesn’t even realize that he folds underwear and towels while he watches TV.  I just place a basket of clean laundry on the couch and he helps out!

What time saver tips do you have when it comes to laundry?  Please share!

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Chicago Bans Sale of Crib Bumper Pads

Posted on September 9, 2011

What do you think?  Should the City of Chicago ban bumper pads?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-crib-bumper-council-20110909,0,7970168.story

Are Bumper Pads Safe?

Personally, I didn’t use bumper pads. They were really cute and I put them on for a couple of weeks but once we moved the baby from the bassinet to the crib, I got paranoid.  My husband wanted them out.  They probably only lasted a few days in there with the baby before we tucked them in the closet.  I feel like if he needed bumpers I would have used the breathable mesh-type pads because I was so scared. Turned out he didn’t need them…Now that he is a year old, he gets his leg stuck in the slats once in a while, but if we used bumpers he would use them to climb up and out of the crib. If bumpers are proven to be dangerous, I think I would be supportive of the federal government banning them.  However, a city banning them doesn’t really make much sense to me.  Ever heard of the internet?  I’m pretty sure people who want them will just buy them online or when they go out-of-town.  I understand the effort but am not sure I agree with local governments passing such bans.

What do you think?

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Baby Boy’s Room – Books!

Posted on August 27, 2011
My son enjoying his books!

 

I love baby books.  My son has a ton of books.  We keep some in the living room in a box of toys, many more in the playroom in cubbies and on shelves, and some of his favorites are in his room on his bookshelf.

I highly recommend a bookshelf that displays books with the front facing the child.  This helps babies and small children see which books they want and makes putting them away much easier. It also is skinnier and takes up less space than a traditional bookshelf. I bought mine from Pottery Barn, but for the DIY-ers, you can build one using plate racks.

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You know you’re a mom when…

Posted on August 27, 2011

It hit me the other day.  I’M A MOM!  I’m 30.  Oh, how my life has changed…

I started thinking about a “You know you’re a mom when” list.  Feel free to comment and add your own:

You Know You’re A Mom When:

  • You consider 7:30 am “sleeping in”.
  • You go underwear shopping and leave with underwear 2 sizes larger than the ones in your drawer at home and it comes in a plastic package…
  • You find pacifiers and wads of Kleenex in your pockets after a long day.
  • “Big weekend plans” include a trip to IKEA to purchase storage cubes for the playroom.
  • You pass up free concert tickets because you would be out too late.
  • Your iPhone is used more for Pandora’s toddler radio and as a flashlight to find pacifiers on the floor at 2am than to call anyone.
  • You accidentally break out singing the Mickey Mouse “Hot Dog” Dance song at work.
  • You have a package of baby wipes in every room of your house.
  • Your dinner conversations include baby poo and vomit topics.
  • You get more calls from daycare than anyone else.

It may not be glamorous, but I relish every moment of my newfound motherhood!

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Coupon Organizing!

Posted on August 13, 2011

So I’m not quite an “extreme couponer” like on TLC, but I am frugal and I love saving money and getting good deals!  For years, I would cut coupons and either forget to use them, or they would get lost in my purse.  I finally figured out a system that works for me and it was all from a $4 organizer from Wal-Mart similar to the one pictured from The Container Store. 

I bought an expandable plastic folder with tabs and an elastic closure.  I separate and store my manufacturers coupons by type in different sections like: grocery, household, baby, and then in the back I keep store specific coupons like Target, Costco, etc…In the front I keep gift cards and loyalty cards so I am sure to remember to use them.

The key for me was organizing them but also creating a HABIT and ROUTINE of cleaning it out and restocking weekly (on Saturday when I cut coupons and build the weekly menu) then putting it back in my car so I have it every time I run errands.

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Getting a New Blog Off the Ground!

Posted on August 8, 2011

Now that I have my site up and running, a facebook page, and lots of ideas for posts, I need some readers!  I guess I don’t know how to get my blog in front of people.  I would love some honest feedback and some tips if anyone has any.  My blog is entered in a contest on Parents.com.  I know I don’t have a chance of winning because I don’t have a large following yet, but maybe some moms will see me on their website and check me out.  If that is you, thank you!  Take a look around, please comment, “like” me on Facebook, and vote for me on Parents. 

http://www.parents.com/blog-awards/mom_blogs/259-organized-momma

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Time Saver Tips

Posted on August 7, 2011

I think every mom wishes for more oh-so-valuable time in the day.  More time to spend with family or to get things done.  Pre-baby I never realized how much free time I had!  Now I realize that all of that down time is gone (along with that disposable income I used to have).  An extra hour everyday would be amazing….an extra hour of sleep, an hour to finish the laundry, or what about an hour for a pedicure?  As I was trying to figure out when I could squeeze in a quick coat of toe nail polish this weekend, I thought that Time Saver Tips may be helpful for other moms out there.  I’ll try to post my tips frequently and you can chime in and share what works for you too.

Here are two for today:

1. Buy Smart: Save TIME and MONEY!  Figure out what you can buy in bulk.  For example, My Costco membership is worth every penny.  I love their package of 900 baby wipes. I buy 2 boxes at once and am set for months.  We use them for diaper changes, but also always keep some in the kitchen by the highchair to make clean up a breeze after mealtimes.  Other things we always buy in bulk: paper towels, toilet paper, dishwasher tabs, napkins, hamburger, and steaks.  When you have a system of what to buy and when to buy it, you’ll stay more organized and won’t waste so much time running around on errands.

I also love online shopping.  Amazon is my favorite.  If you haven’t signed up for Amazon Mom – do it today!  You get FREE 2 day shipping on lots of stuff.  I buy diapers through Amazon and save an extra 30% with their “Subscribe and Save” feature.  Diapers show up on my doorstep once a month.  They are cheaper than the store and I don’t have to lug them home.

2.  Use 2-in-1 products where you can: Simplify your routine.  Less stuff means less space you need to store your stuff.  You’ll find things faster and get things done faster.  For example, I use Aveeno Baby Wash & Shampoo all in one for my little guy.  I only need one product for him in the bathtub which makes it easy. When I get ready in the morning I use a multiuse makeup stick.  It works for lips and cheeks and takes about 5 seconds.  I use the Josie Maran Argan Color Stick

Seconds are like calories….over time they really add up!

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