Managing Children's Artwork

As a mother of 3 artistic children, I end up with quite a stack of artwork. There is always something unique about every piece, they've learned to draw something new, or they've taken a little extra time coloring it. I find it hard to get rid of their precious artwork, so I end up saving all of it (for the most part). Considering I have minimal space to store things, this poses a problem. It either ends up piling up on my desk, overflowing my "To File" folder, or cluttering my refrigerator.

I've noticed that the only time I do a hard core toss session is when I'm piled up to the max. I fear that I'm throwing away something precious that I can't get back. With 2010 just beginning, and a new set of goals, I've purposed to come up with a better way of managing my children's artwork and getting rid of some of this clutter.

In honor of the backwards edition of Works For Me Wednesday--I turn to you. How do you decide what artwork to keep, and what to toss? How do you store the ones you keep?

Photo Source

Freezer Tips

I love dedicating a few days out of the month to baking and cooking in order to fill up my freezer. Doing so makes things so much easier for me on a week to week basis. If I have a particularly busy week, I don't have to worry about finding the time to make our snacks, and I won't blow our grocery budget by buying processed snacks from the grocery store. In addition, having some meals in the freezer makes it easier for us to not be tempted to eating out when life gets hectic.


Knowing how to store your food is essential. If you do not store them correctly, they will become freezer burnt, or icky--which results in a waste of time, money and effort.

• I use Ziploc Freezer bags for diced onions/green peppers, muffins, cookies, breads, mashed bananas, pumpkin puree, banana chunks, strawberries and almost every liquid--such as soups of all kinds. I always try to use actual Ziploc bags. I've noticed that when I opt for the generic brand, they either end up with a hole in them, or my goods end up getting freezer burnt no matter what I do.
  
  


• When using bags, make sure you leave some space to allow for expansion, and remove as much air as you possibly can. Doing so will help prevent a complete disaster mess, as well as freezer burn.
  
  
  
  


• For the most part, I try to flash freeze my goods prior to putting them into Ziplocs. To do so, put the item into a single layer on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer. When frozen, remove and place into ziploc bags and place back into the freezer. This will help with them freezing into one big ball, enabling you to grab the exact amount you need.
  
  


• When freezing homemade chicken broth, I love freezing it into ice cube trays first. Once solid I pop them out, and throw them into a gallon ziploc bag. Freezing them into small portions is ideal when I need broth to make cream soups. This method also comes in handy to freeze juice, to use later in punches. You can also use this method to freeze small amounts of other liquids.
  
  


• Label everything! Even if you think you will know what it is--a month or so down the road, you will have forgotten. Trust me, it isn't fun being surprised! I use my trusty Sharpie Marker. If I am using a container that I frequently use in the freezer, I write on freezer tape so that I can remove it, but still be able to use the container for something else in the future.
  
  


• Keep an inventory. While this isn't essential--I've noticed that it has helped me to have a better grasp on what was in "the pit". Even though I keep it pretty organized--it is still hard to know how much of what I have at any given moment. This has also proven to help me with my menu planning adventures. Not sure how to begin one? Rachel has an awesome post on her freezer inventory here.
  
  




• I love Amy's method for organizing your freezer. I've found this quite handy for organizing my garden produce, meat, as well as my baked goods.
  
  

Here are some additional tips around the blogosphere:

Hannah from Mulberry Spot has some great tips to keep in mind about using up every last bit of your food by using your freezer to it's full advantage.



Tiffany from Eat At Home Cooks has assembled a Top 5 list of how she makes her freezer work for her.

Carrie, from Springs Bargains shared on Twitter that she likes to remove frozen pizzas from their box to conserve freezer space. You can either write the directions directly on the wrapping or look them up on the internet.

Be sure to check out this post from Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship, where she shares 1o Easy Prep Foods she always has stored in her freezer--along with tips on how she freezes them.

Inexpensively has a whole host of different freezer tips and tricks here.

Making your freezer work for you, and using it to it's complete capacity is a great way to save money on your grocery bill and have convience at your finger tips. How are you using your freezer?

This post is linked to :

• Frugal Friday
• Works For Me Wednesday
  
  
  
  

Saving Money on Clothes

The cool fall air and falling leaves are sure fire signs that winter will soon be here. We will no longer need our flip flop, shorts, or beach towels. Instead, we will need our layers, hats, gloves, scarves, and coats. I'm sure a few extra blankets wouldn't hurt, either.

Bringing all these things out of their storage bins makes my home rather heavy. Things here, things there. No matter how organized I think I am in the summer, the winter things prove my disorganization. And to think, in all this clutter, Christmas is soon to come.

Aye, Yae, Yae!

Time to De-Clutter this place!

Over the past week I have been trying to lighten my load a bit. So far, I've taken 3 bags of clothes into the thrift store, and I have 3 bags of toys and 1 bag of clothes left to go. That is only after decluttering 1 ½ kids rooms.

I've only been in the local thrift store a handful of times in the 5 years we've lived here. The last trip I made, I scored a pair of shorts for myself. I have a wonky shape, and find it hard to find things for me. I was utterly delighted when I found the shorts for $1! Which is ultimately why I decided to shop around a bit when I dropped off my donations today.

Sadly, I was unable to find any jeans for the boys, but I did pick up the cutest sweater for my daughter. She really didn't need anymore clothes, however I thought it would be perfect for Christmas family photos.

Unlike most people, I cannot stand winter coats. I find them too bulky and restricting. A sweater, with a tank underneath usually does me just fine, unless we are gigging or sledding-then I'll bust out the coat. I have a few old favorite sweaters, but I could never have too many. Especially if I find them half off and $1 a piece!

The first one zips all the way down, and is my favorite out of the 3. The middle one is more of a cardigan, but has 3/4 length sleeves and is a beautiful shade of coral. It will be great in the spring, as well. The last one isn't a normal pick for me, but when I got it home I liked it even more. I have a dark green tank that will be perfect to wear underneath it.

My total should have been $5.25 for all 4 pieces, but somehow the lady charged me $6.25. I'm still trying to figure that one out...

It is still a bargain!

Another way I save money on clothes is shopping the Outlet Malls. Before school starts every year, my hometown friends and I go a popular Outlet Mall in a neighboring town. I'm not a big mall person, but hands down my favorite store there is Children's Place. Usually I am able to find sale prices as low as .99 cents--for new, good quality clothes! Combine that with a coupon, and you've got a steal. With Christmas approaching you should be able to find some deals now. Be sure to snag this15% off coupon!

Never pay full price for clothing! Shop thrift stores, and take advantage of clearance racks and coupons. Scoring a bargain and saving my precious pennies is a Finer Thing indeed.

This post is linked to:

• Frugal Friday
• Frugal Fashionista Fashion Show
• Finer Things Friday

Seasonal Binder

Binders are a great way to contain large amounts of information in one place, while keeping it easy to navigate. I use one for my recipes, my coupons, and to also contain my "brain" in my Home Management Binder.



Every year when it came time to plan a holiday, any of them, I found myself stressed out and forgetting where I placed an idea that I came across months before. I always had good intentions to be more organized, to start earlier, and to make this, and decorate with that. I even made little notes to myself, only to lose them before it came time to use them. Ever had that happen?



If binders work for everything else, why not for seasonal stuff?



Separate into 4 basic sections using dividers: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. I've found that I prefer attaching the divider labels to clear page protectors.



In each basic section I like to include a list of things that I need to do to prepare for that season. For instance, to prepare for fall, I had to take our bins out of the storage shed to do our clothing swap, and get our sweaters, coats/gloves/hats. I do the same thing to prepare for Spring/Summer--I take the bins out to get all of our river/lake/swimming gear, as well as shorts and tanks. Also in this list, I might include some special cleaning that I would like to include. For instance, to prepare for Winter, I will need to make sure that all the yard tools are put up and all of my seed starting containers are ready to start seeds. Another great thing to write here, are things that always come around that time of year, that may normally sneak up on you ie; sports, school starting, your favorite festivals/fairs/events, etc.

Then the fun part begins! Organizing all of your ideas.

• When you come across a decorating idea you particularly enjoy and want to try, print it out, or pull it out of the magazine. Then you can hole punch it and include it in the correct section.
• I include Seasonal Specific foods/recipes. There are some that just fit with certain seasons. Generally speaking, you wouldn't serve up pumpkin pie, Reindeer Cookies, and comfort foods in the summer months.
• Craft Ideas. Crafts are a great way to engage with your children, and oftentimes they are great learning opportunities.
• Gift Ideas. This mostly comes into play in the Winter Section, but it is also handy for other parts of the year for teacher gifts. **If you are really organized you could include a list of birthdays for each Season, and along the way gift ideas you've came across.**
• Activities/Games. There are a lot of different seasonal activities that we enjoy, but may forget through the years. Keeping everything all in one spot will help us to remember and be able to choose and enjoy our favorites. Also great for planning parties and family gatherings.
• Include a folder in each section for the small papers, or as a place to store things before you can file them.
• Try to organize your sections by what comes first. For instance, the Winter Section. Put Christmas before New Year's and Valentine's Day.

How do you keep track of seasonal things?

This post is linked to Your Life, Your Blog and Works For Me Wednesday.

Home Management Binder: Various Sections

The next three sections in my binder are pretty easy ones, but are still essential.

In the School section I keep the kids' special class schedules so I can remember when they need to wear tennis shoes, or bring their library books. In addition to those lists I keep any study guides, field trip information, or ongoing homework assignments in here. This section is rather small because our public school implemented their own binder system this year that includes their calenders, newsletters and new information. If we ever switch to being a homeschooling family, this section will obviously grow. :)


Next is the Projects/Wish Lists section. It contains a stack of notebook paper for me and my husband to write down things we want. Being on a tight budget, we generally have to plan ahead for our wants. If they aren't written down somewhere, I would forget what they were--which is sometimes a good thing. We obviously didn't need it too bad! This list enables us to rate our wants, and when we get the money we get the item that is most important to us at the time.

Our project section is rather empty right now, mainly because it kept growing and is now it's own folder! We are in the process of drawing out a home plan, getting bids, and finalizing the addition and remodel of our home. There is a ton of information that goes along with this process, and I've loved having it all in one place. But, when we are finished with all this mess, I will use this section for documenting anything that needs done around the house, or any outside projects that need to be completed (the garden, landscaping, orchard).


The final section in my Home Management Binder is the Bible Study/Scriptures sections. Quite honestly I haven't been able to develop this one the way I had intended. Right now it contains a stack of notebook paper for me to write down any scriptures that really hit home in my reading and any inspirational books that I want to read. I'm reading more books than normal right now; Power of a Praying Wife (which I highly recommend. MomsToolbox is doing an awesome "series" on this. Go here for more information), Battlefield of the Mind, His Needs Her Needs (for our marriage class), and iBelieve for our small group bible study. I own the latter 2, so I've been marking any notes in them.

If you are interested in the cover pages for these sections, let me know and I will get them to you. This completes my Home Management Binder. If you've missed the other sections here they are:

• To Do Lists/Week Plan
• Cleaning Lists
• Finances
• Menu Planning/Master Grocery List

Having everything all in one place has made a really big difference in how smoothly things have ran around here. The past few weeks have been crazy busy, but I've still been able to keep my head together. I'm sure my family is happy about that. ;)

If you have a Home Management Binder, I would love for you to link it up. Please be sure to include a link back here, so your readers can see the other ones as well.

Home Management Binder: Menu Planning/Master Grocery List

What would be a Home Management Binder without a Menu Planning section? Check out this post for some Menu Planning tips and tricks if you are still new to the game.


This section is still a work in progress. My goal when it is finished is to have a complete Master Grocery List, and a Monthly Menu Plan to fall back on--in those busy, crazy times when I just do not have the time to come up with a plan.










This is my the cover page for this section. Feel free to Click Here and print yours.






Behind my cover page is extra notebook paper for me to write down meals, side dishes or desserts that I come across during the day, that I want to try. If I find them on the internet, I will either save them in my favorites or Stumble them so I can find them later. If I find it in a cookbook, I will go ahead and write down the cookbook and the page so I can easily find it again, when it makes "the plan."

After the notebook paper, I have the always-work-in-progress Master Grocery List. Just when I think I have it down, I think of something else, or decide to do something differently. My goal with this list is to incude everything that I buy on a regular basis, as well as price points that I consider to be a good stock up price. I've just recently re-done the one I was using, and I'm not so sure that this is exactly what I am looking for either. I found my current template off of our Excel Program, and have just went in and customized it to work for me.

I've also included a few extra Weekly Menu Plan sheets just in case I am able to fill it in before the week comes up. I'm currently using the free printable that MomAdvice offers, but Orgjunkie recently linked to a bunch of menu printables and I think I found a new one that I might like better.

Once the current plan is figured out, it gets transferred to my dry erase board that is displayed on my refrigerator. I've really come to love this thing--it is much better than the calendar system I used to use. Plus, it is pretty! I found it at Wal-Mart for $1, up by the cash registers. If you are unable to find one--I have a few extra. ;)




Nothing too complicated, which makes it easy for me to keep with it. I was hoping to have my Master Grocery List and Monthly Meal Plan completed to share, but I'm just not quite there. Yet. ;)

Do you have a Master Grocery List or Monthly Menu Plan?

If you have a Home Management Binder, I would love to see your Menu Planning/Grocery Section. Link up!

**If you're walking along getting your binder set up, next week I'll cover the Finance Section. For a complete schedule, check out the BlogFrog or Facebook Fan page in the blog sidebar.**

Home Management Binder: Cleaning Lists

A clean home is an incredibly inviting, welcoming place to be, although at times it can be daunting to clean it all. In addition to it being daunting, all the tasks are oftentimes hard to remember. I've often found myself lost and confused as to what needed to be done daily, weekly, monthly and even yearly. The Cleaning List Section in my binder was created to fix this, and help me to stay on top of all the tasks. In the end hoping that I would have a clean, inviting home, without getting overwhelmed while attaining it.

When creating your Cleaning List, you need to keep in mind the things that need to be done in your home. What works for me won't always work for you.

When setting up this section, I first had to come up with an attractive "Title Page" so that I knew what was in that section.

Click Here to print the one I used.

Then I needed to come up with a cleaning schedule, but first I needed to decide what needed to be done, when.

1. What needs to be done daily? Laundry, unloading/loading the dishwasher, etc.


2. What needs t0 be done Weekly? paper clutter, donations, sheets, refrigerator, etc.


3. Monthly? ceiling fans, windows, walls/cobwebs, etc.


4. Seasonally? Touch up paint, declutter, dryer vents, smoke detector, etc.
   
   

Then I needed to come up with a checklist that would help me to remember when these tasks needed to be completed.

{I came across this one, and decided to share it.}This is a basic house cleaning list that lets you check off when they are compelted; broken into weeks. Click Here to print.

This is the one that I use and it does have some "non-cleaning" tasks thrown in as a reminder to myself. Click Here to print.

{This is a template from our Excel Program. I love how detailed it is, and decided to include it in my binder.} These are an in depth cleaning/maintenace schedule, covering both interior and exterior parts of your home. It is broken up Quarterly and Seasonally. Click Here to Print.

After I had all parts of my home covered and accounted for and broken up, I had to make sure that I would be able to come up with a system that allowed me to get these tasks done. After all that is the whole purpose, right? :)

Right now, I write my daily tasks on my To-Do List on their corresponding days (You can see more of that, here). If, when I have all of the that days tasks filled in and scheduled, I still have a time slot available, I add in a monthly task in. If I am able to complete a monthly task, I put a check mark next to that task on the sheet protector with a dry erase marker. When the next month rolls around, I am then able to erase all my marks and start anew. I do have the complex home maintence schedule in my binder, but haven't even had the chance to implement it yet. But, I'm thinking that it will run just about the same way.

I decided not ot include an actual detailed daily task list, because I found it too complex to include my every task in a day. I'm hoping that in my absense, the person that was stepping in for me would know that I load/unload the dishwasher daily (or atleast when needed).

Do you have a Cleaning Schedule? I would love to see it!

If not, now is the time to set one up. Feel free to print off the forms in this post, or create your own. Take pictures, make a post and link up! Let's get Organized!

*Please link to your blog post, not your homepage.

*Please stay on topic, and remember to link back here, so your readers can see the other tips passed along.

*As always, if you do not have a blog, you can leave yours in the comment section.

Next week I will go over my Menu Planning Section. To see the full schedule, visit the BlogFrog or my Facebook FanPage (both are in the sidebar).

Home Management Binder

Fall is just around the corner, and so is the busyness that school and multiple holidays bring. The only possible way I can keep my sanity, is to be somewhat organized.

Last year I only had 2 children in school, and neither one of them played sports until the Spring, so I was able to keep most of the information stored away in my head. But, as the year went on I noticed that the little notes I wrote to myself on various different papers were being misplaced and I was getting confused on what was when. I knew I needed to come up with something different, but I wasn't quite sure what.

That was when I found the concept of a Home Management Binder. I instantly knew that I had to have one, especially with all three children in school, the oldest two wanting to pick up soccer {which will keep a person insanely busy in and of itself}, numerous youth activities at church, and the decision of Willie and I to enroll in a Dynamic Marriage Class. My head would be spinning if I had to keep track of all of that on my own. If that wasn't enough to ground me in my decision to make my own HMB, Willie mentioned a few months back that he was absolutely clueless when it came to the inner runnings of the house. He would have no idea who needs to be where when, or who needs to be paid when. I've always just kind of taken care of all of that.

I searched, searched and researched for a few months last year and early this year on different things to put in my binder and thought of all the things I was going to do. I even put it in as part of my 2009 goals. Then, I promptly forgot about it all. It must have been on one of those "lists" I was constantly misplacing. :)

Fast forward to last week. Amy wrote a post about getting organized that re-lit the fire and motivation I once had. She included some links to resources that I hadn't came across yet, and that I loved! I've spent the last week or so finally gathering up all my ideas and getting my binder closer to being finished.

This week I will just highlight the inside and the first tabbed section that I have set up in my binder--since so far that section has had the most use. I will highlight the remaining sections in upcoming Finding Freedom Friday posts. But, more on that later!

When you open it up this is what you see:

A zipper pouch that has my favorite pens of all time, dry erase markers, my calculator and soon my address labels. Right behind that is my three hole punch so that I can add things in as soon as I get them, and some extra notebook paper for quick notes.

Then I have a calendar that I printed off from CalendarsThatWork.com and written in all of our going-on's for the month. Right behind this calendar is another one that the church sends out that has all of the member's birthdays, anniversaries, as well as our church commitments and youth activities. Having everything right here has made it easier for me to see everything that is going, which makes planning other activities (or days of nothing) and our menu plans a cinch.

After the calendars, I have dividers set up. I first started with the pre-made tab dividers, but I will be switching to the tabs that you can put on yourself. I like for the pages that I'm not filling out constantly to be in page protectors, and the page protectors cover up my tabs. Putting my own tabs on the page protectors will alleviate this problem.

Under the Current Week tab you will find the current menu plan for the week as well as the kids' chore charts that I made.

This weekly menu plan printable is courtesy of MomAdvice.com. Check out her other great downloads here.

Each child has their own chore chart that needs to be completed daily, in addition to their daily routine which is posted on the dry erase board, otherwise known as Grand Central Station. At the end of the week they will have certain rewards that they are able to choose from if their tasks are completed satisfactorily. Following their chore charts are my day to day to-do lists. Since it is the Current Week tab, it contains 5 copies of this same page; one for every day except Saturday and Sunday. The to-do list is a printable from SimpleMom.net. You can find all of her downloads here.

Here is a peak at Grand Central Station. I love this thing! It has the week's events written down and right there in my face. There is no way I can miss it! It also has the kids' day to day schedule and what they need to get done before bed, in addition to their chores. On the cork board side, I have their spelling lists, study guides and a milestone chart that Noah is working on in preschool.

Nothing gets forgotten or misplaced!

Also, because the family is constantly asking me the menu for the week, I upgraded from my former calendar system to this:

A cute dry erase board that I spyed at Wal-Mart for $1!

The other sections in my binder include:

◙Upcoming Week (basically the same as current week, except I am able to fill things in early if need be.)

◙Cleaning Lists

◙Menu Planning

◙School

◙Finances

◙Bible Study/Scriptures

◙Projects/Wish Lists

◙Four Season Binder (This is actually a binder all in it's own, but it works hand in hand with the HMB.)

I will feature one section every Friday during Finding Freedom Friday. I will still have Mr. Linky available for you to add in your posts on the subject. You can see the dates they are being featured in my BlogFrog Forum. You can access that by clicking on the BlogFrog widget in my sidebar. While you're there, introduce yourself! :)

I hope that you will join me in this journey of organizational freedom. Not only is it a good tool for you to manage your home more smoothly, but it is also a good tool in the event that someone else has to step in and do those tasks.

This post is linking to:

• Works For Me Wednesday, Organization Edition.
• Organizing Junkie's Monthly Round-Up: Command Central

I've Been Itching to Pitch!

I guess there is just something about spring and summer that just make me feel like I need to get rid of things. Usually though, when I get started and in the middle of a major re-organization project, I lose all of my mojo. Not good!



Thankfully, all summer long, The Happy Housewife is hosting "Itch to Pitch." Maybe this is just what I need to stay on track and accountable. We'll see. :)



I started last week--but completely spaced to take before pictures. And, well, I've held this post in my drafts since Sunday, waiting on the after pictures. Did you know that you need a camera for that? Doesn't work well if the camera is located in the vehicle your husband drives to work!

Anyway, I started with the boys' room. I cleaned it out the beginning of the month, but decided that it was still too cluttered for my liking. This time, I came out with an entire trash bag of trash/clutter, and two laundry baskets worth of toy donations! This is in addition to the trash bag full of clothes I pulled out at the first of the month and the huge buggy of winter clothes for storage. Have I ever mentioned that my Mother-In-Law has a major fear that my children will freeze to death, so she is constantly buying them coats/gloves/hats/scarves for winter? My oldest literally owns 5 winter coats!! Comes in handy when one gets dirty or wet from snow, but not so much when it goes to storing them. Gotta love her! :)

Hopefully now that their room is cleared out a bit, not only will it be easier for them to keep clean, but hopefully I can get in there and repaint and redecorate. But that is a whole 'nother post!

Do you have the Itch to Pitch? What rooms are you planning on working on?

Be sure to check out The Happy Housewife's Itch to Pitch Series.

Finding Freedom Friday: Time Management

Time Management. What an important topic. One that I still do not have perfected, but I'm well on my way. Or so I like to think.



I have receieved a lot of emails over the last few months on how I manage to take care of my young family, make most of my families food from scratch, coupon, garden and still have time to function. I must admit, that once upon a time, things did not flow all too smoothly around here.



First off, I think it is very important to first become organized, then you really need to have your priorities in line. What do you really want to accomplish today? This week? This month? Year? Dare we think any further? Sure!



Once you realize what it is that needs to be done and have a basic understanding on how long it will take for you to accomplish it--you are well on your way.



Obviously it wouldn't be logical for me to think that I would be able to till/weed/plant my entire garden in a day, as well as all the laundry, cleaning and baking for the week. Breaking these tasks up into manageable blocks of time helps greatly in accomplishing things, as well as being efficent and not feeling overwhelmed. It is very important as a wife/homemaker/mom/person to not feel overwhelmed! I know for me if I am overwhelmed, more than likely I will shut down. Either that or I will go all crazy housewife and accomplish everything under the sun in no time flat--but, I'm not a nice person/wife/mom. And honestly, what is the point in that?!



Balance.



So, my advice--plan your day. Here is a snapshot of what my typical day has looked like in the last few weeks.



6:00am-6:45-Wake. Get kids on the bus to school.
6:45-7:30 Computer time. Answering emails. Blogging. Popping in on twitter.
7:30-8:30 Shower. Laundry. Kitchen Pick-up. If I'm making bread for dinner or for the week, this is when I will start it.
8:30-9:30 Noah wakes. Noah Snuggle time. Sometimes extra computer/bill time.
9:30-12:00 Tasks for the day. Lately it has been gardening, and spring cleaning all while being interupted by an energetic, very playful 3 year old that really makes my life fun!
12:00-1:00 Lunch. Big kitchen clean up.
1:30-3:30 Relax/Quiet Time--unless I feel spunky! :) If I have added umph (which I have had the last few weeks. yay!) I catch up on anything that I have been slacking on, bake or whatever else.
3:30-4:30 DH and Big kids are coming home.
4:30-7:00 Prepare/Eat/Clean Dinner.
7:00-8:30 Homework. Getting Big Kids ready for bed. Last minute watering of seedlings/plants.
8:30 on. Time with DH, computer time, reading--basically anything goes.

Paying attention to the clock on my "must get stuff done" days, has really helped me to manage my time better and actually get things done. I have found this escpecially helpful in the area of computer time! I love my blog(s), twitter, facebook, and reading other blogs, but I have to limit myself or it could easily consume me. So, please forgive me if I seem to be MIA--I'm really trying to balance everything in my life. My once new born children have quickly grown up on me, and before I know it they won't need me anymore. I must cherish it now!



Also, not only is time management important for accomplishing your day to day tasks--it is essential on snagging those deals! If you don't allow time to shop the weekly sales with your coupon match-ups and keep a close eye on expiration dates, you could easily miss out which will cost you more in the long run. I've been guilty of this very thing far too many times to count!

Now it is your turn! How do you manage your day and fit all your duties in?

Don't forget the rules to linking up found on this post.

Finding Freedom Friday: Organization

I get a lot of emails and questions asking about different organizational ideas (which I love, by the way). I rate organization pretty high on the list of easy ways to "find freedom". Afterall, if you can't find something you either have to replace it (more money), or spend countless minutes trying to find it (time wasted). Being organized definitely helps!

With that being said, I win some days, and I lose some days. Seriously.

I'm no expert or pro in organization, and I find that I am constantly changing my method. This makes me even more giddy to hear what your organizational tips are!

Currently, this is what really helps me out:

• Baskets or small containers. Having similar items all in one place, really helps me out. Anymore you can find super cute containers at Dollar Tree or any Dollar/Discount store. I'm loving my kitchen cabinets, and have used the same idea in my refrigerator with great success.
• Also, small plastic containers work wonders in your kitchen drawers..or any drawer for that matter. Jessica just posted a picture of hers, which looks exactly like mine! I love it! Everything is right there, no need for digging.
• Lists, Lists and More Lists. I find that lists really help me stay organized and focused. Especially in the way of finances and goals. I just use a normal plain jane spiral notebook that I picked up when they were on sale for .05¢. I literally bought an entire box!
• I'm still working on it, but I also find that lists work for organizing my house cleaning. I hope to have this near perfection so I can "unveil" it in the next month or so.
• Binders. I have many binders.
• I have one for my recipes.
• Budget/Finances that also contains my goals.
• Home Mangement (which still isn't finsished), my house cleaning guide will also go in here. I love Problem Solving Mom's idea for creating your own daily dockets!
• I also have one that contains different ideas for all the holidays.
• Also, since we plan to build on to our home next year I have one that contains different house plans and decorating ideas.
• And, I even have one for my coupons. Although I've not touched them since December!
I'm sure that this sounds like I have binders everywhere you turn around, but really it isn't too overwhelming. Sure beats having all those papers cluttered around, or all in a million different places on my computer.

What are your tips for organization? How has it helped you to Find Freedom?

I'm really looking forward to your responses! With my husband being home all last week--I'm not feeling all too organized this week. And, I'm always looking for ways to improve my "system". Don't forget the rules to linking. (You can find them on this post.)

This post is linked to Organizing Tip Thursday.

Kitchen Organization Tip

I live in a relatively small home, I refer to it kindly as the "Shoe Box." It makes me crazy some days, but there is just nothing that I can do about it right now.

We must get this debt out of the way first.


I've been highly annoyed with my kitchen over the past few months, and I finally decided that instead of grumbling over it..I needed to take action.




We have a small room off the side of our carport that we weren't really utilizing, other than to store our deep freeze and our home canned goods. I started to use it as my "couponing stash" when I started to get enough to call a stockpile.



This area has now become one of my most useful places! It is heated/cooled so it basically like another room to my home.



Anyway, so I have been going through my cabinets trying to move the things out of there that I don't use everyday. Things like special serving platters, extras of condiments, and other randomness that I may use just once a year. In this quest, I have found that I must be highly addicted to serving platters.

But, the biggest accomplishment of all....










































The picture on the right is my spice cabinet. On the bottom is a container that contains things that I use almost every time I bake something (baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, etc). The basket next to it contains the few packets of seasonings that I have left, as well as salt, and pepper. The other two shelves are my spices.


The picture to the right is my drink cabinet. The bottom shelf is my coffee, middle is all our tea, hot cocoa, and the individual drink packet things. Mostly everything I have taken out of the box so that I could put them into baskets. Also interspersed in this cabinet, are cake mixes, raisins, and pudding/jello mixes (that I hardly use!).


I love the transformation!



The baskets are so easy to just pull out of the cabinet to get what I need, and return when I am finished with the ingredients, or when I am cleaning the kitchen. Makes clean up a snap!

To see more kitchen clean-ups visit Biblical Womanhood and for more kitchen tips go to Tammy's Recipes.

Couponing Tips

I'm not a pro, by any means. I still consider myself a newbie...there is so much information and tricks to the trade that I have left to learn.



The last few weeks I have had a lot of questions regarding getting started couponing and my grocery budget. I must say that when I first started couponing, it took me a lot of time. But, I think that was partially my fault. I was making it more complicated than what it was...and I went all or nothing, if that makes sense.




If I were to make one suggestion to anyone who wanted to start couponing it would be to start slow. Try not to get overwhelmed, and don't feel as if you have to go after every deal. There will always be a deal to be had. As a matter of fact, there are sales cycles that alot of the companies go by. I'm not fully in tune with them, I haven't gotten that advanced in my process. But, I have noticed just in the last few months cycles from my local grocery store and even Walgreens.

Also, pick up your local Sunday paper. Some papers have better coupons than others, you will just have to figure that out on your own by your area. I thought I would never get anywhere....never thought I would build up a coupon stash with just a Sunday paper, and boy was I ever wrong!! I have TONS of coupons. For the most part, I only buy one copy of the local Sunday paper, unless there is a HOT coupon(s) and then I will buy 2. I have only bought 3 on one or two occasssions.

This is the Novemeber issue of All You, to see what coupons are in it go here.

Also, Wal-Mart carries a magazine called All You. Not only is it a good read, but it has a decent amount of coupons in it as well. Double Duty!! Currently it is going for $2.24 (they just raised the price! Agh!), but, it is worth it!


Once you have started accumulating your coupons, you will need some way to orgainize them. I prefer the binder method, but there are multiple ways of orgainizing them. The binder method is a binder with the baseball card inserts to "file" your coupons. This way you see them at a glance. I organize the pages basically the same way as the aisles in a grocery store. Like items together.

This is my binder. Its not fancy, I got it on clearance for $2.24, so I can't compain! The orange post-it flags are covering my name, addy and phone number. I'm not a fan of stalkers! But, I put that info on my binder just in case I leave it behind.

This is what it looks like on the inside. The coupons on the left are what I need to file...I'm so behind!! On the right is a pencil case that we got from the bank, it hold all my RR, paper clipped by expiration. Also, rebate receipts that I haven't entered in yet.

Here is a view of the baseball card holders in use. Most of my coupons do not have to be folded, just slipped in.

When I first started out, I would just take the whole thing in the store with me. I still do that sometimes, but not all. Then, when I am in an aisle, I can flip through my pages in the binder and see if I have coupon for an item. Also, when I am flipping through the sales flyers for the local grocery store, I look through my binder as well. If I find a good deal with a coupon, I get an envelope and put the coupons inside. On the front I write the name of the store AND the deal. I do this for a couple of reasons. 1) on my shopping day, I have multilpe stores to go to generally, and this way I know what I am getting in each store 2) I have my coupons organized already, no need for the binder (unless there is an awesome clearance deal!). This also helps me with my budget planning since I use cash. I explained that a little here.



I hope that helped answer some lingering questions. If you have any more just let me know, and I will do my best to answer them. At a later date, I will do a post on Walgreens shopping. It is a post all on its own!