So.. I was talking to Steph and she was telling me about these fabric storage cubes that you can. make. yourself.  Awesome.  Except I don’t sew. Or anything even remotely akin to sewing. 

And then I started thinking about the bookcase in Lil Roo’s room. The one that is cubed with little spots for fabric storage boxes EXACTLY like these. The kind of fabric boxes that easily cost $5-8 each. On the low end.  And then I started thinking that I am probably going to get a couple cubed bookcases for our room. AND, because I seriously love the amount of cute + functional storage you get out of them, I’m thinking of getting them for the nursery as well.  So, let’s just say if I purchased some fabric cubes for the cubed bookcases, it wouldn’t be a small expense and unless I opted to spend even more, I would have to settle for very basic solid colors. 

Now, to be perfectly honest with you, I’m still laughing at the mere possibility of me attempting such a thing. Wonder if that ironing / fusing stuff would work for this? Oh, and as I’m mentioning the possibilities of these in the nursery, Steph casually mentions that I could make matching curtains. Let’s see how bad I can screw these cubes up first before I go forth to screw up curtains, LOL!!

I’ll keep you posted on my progress when, and if, I actually attempt these!

The fabric storage cube pictured above is from Crazy Mom Quilts. I wanted y’all to see what one is SUPPOSE to look like because I cannot promise what I end up with would even slightly resemble the desired effect, LOL!

The first part of this pregnancy has been pretty rough for me and I haven’t spent near the time I should have on preschool stuff with Lil Roo.  I know too much screen time is NOT a good thing, but I’ve learned he is a visual learner (and duplicator).  I tried forever to get him to say the ABCs.  He finally would say the last part of the alphabet, but nothing more. Then one day we turned on Super Why and I swear it was no time before he was saying the whole alphabet like it was nothing. As lame as it is, quality programming during screen time has filled in a little bit of the gap for me. 

He really loves worksheets, so my goal is to get back on those as I feel a little better moving toward the middle of the pregnancy.  I need to create 2 different stacks - one of things he can do with no instruction or guidance and another that I need to sit down with him and talk about as he works on it (or at least initially explain the concept of what he is suppose to do).  Those from the first stack I can hand him even when I feel my worst, lol. 

Once I am more up and going, feeling much less sick, and getting some actual energy, I would like to focus on doing more crafts, playing more board games, more interactive stuff. 

Writing is a big thing we need to work on. I’m not sure where 3, almost 4 year olds should be in this regard, and I am sure it varies widely, but I’d like to find some base to go off of. This is the area we’ve worked in the LEAST, so it seems obvious it is now the area we need to work on the MOST. 

I have 3 stackable large plastic drawers in the living room that house his board games and puzzles (but looks like I need to buy a fourth!). Puzzles were once on a lower shelf in his room until I came to realize what. a. very. bad. idea. that was, lol.  I reclaimed a 3 drawer plastic cart from elsewhere in the house (much smaller drawers than the ones the games are in) and I plan to use that for learning materials, etc. I just pulled it out, so I am in the process of gathering the materials I already have.  I just purchased this Letter Of The Week kit w/ lesson plans (found the link on this post, which has other homeschool resources linked also). 

AND A TIME FOR PLAY…..

We are also in the process of moving all the yard toys to the backyard from the side yard and I am discovering we have hit an “in-between” stage.  He is outgrowing some of the play items (slides and whatnot) but “bigger kid” yard stuff seems too big for him. Looks like I am also on a quest to find something that will work for him now, and also grow with him (and oh, yeah, not cost us half what the house is worth, lol). 

This is just a brief post - because I’m pretty excited about it I had to say SOMETHING, lol. (OK, who am I kidding? I can’t write a brief post!) I feel I am actually making a little bit of progress getting a handle on clutter, etc.

My desk always seems to collect EVERYTHING.  It is in the Living Room and is a convenient place to drop the mail and anything else we might find in our hands that needs to be sat down somewhere.  I did a clean sweep of it and only added back items that REALLY needed to be there - there are still things I am going through.  I’ve also added a little bit of organization to it for paper clips, pens, etc, etc that is out of the way, yet easy to access (the desk has no drawers because I wanted something small for the Living Room).

ALSO - because the loveseat is near the desk, I have a bad habit of sitting stuff on the loveseat as I’m working as well as using part of the loveseat for clean laundry as it comes out of the dryer before being folded.  Both of those issues are also resolved and the loveseat is no longer a “hotspot” either.

I discovered a great laundry system that has revolutionized the whole way I feel about laundry and has eliminated the pile up (both clean and waiting to be washed).  More on that in another post.  Since I cleaned up the desk, I eliminated the need (and the bad habit!) of using the loveseat as an extension of my desk.

Finally, I found a template for a daily planner page that I have been tweaking as well as paying more attention to, and also tweaking, my morning routine / morning to do list. 

All in all, piece by piece and step by step, it is progress.  Things have gotten to a point of being chaotic, unorganized, and cluttered to a certain extent and it feels really good to finally start moving in the opposite direction!

I love couponing and getting the deals.  I buy 6 papers each week for the coupon inserts (if you get coupons & don’t want them, feel free to send them my way, lol!), which means I’m able to stock-up on great deals.  That stockpile has to go somewhere, preferably somewhat organized. That presents somewhat of a challenge for me because space, especially storage space of any kind, is very much at a premium here.  Confession: I do not have a pantry.  My cabinet space is sparse, but admittedly not as well utilized as it could be. 

I have a goal this year (well, not a goal persay, but I’m taking little steps in all areas making improvements) to really get all the “stuff” organized.  I discovered Sterlite’s clear bins (lid colors vary by season) in 3 sizes that are really working for me: shoebox size, 16 qt, and 56 qt.  I love that the clear bottoms helps me know exactly what is inside & the lids are very flat and simple, no extra bulk. 

I discovered that the 16 qt fits nicely between the dryer & water heater in the laundry room, which is just off the kitchen.  We put in a few shelves in the laundry room, some of which I’m using for food items (need to add more to maximize the space).  Putting like items together in a bin makes it very easy when looking for something specific and I’m loving the organization. It is a small step, but it is working for now. Still have much to organize, even with just the food items.

The bottom bin is full (crammed full!!) of different types & brands of cookie mixes.  The next bin up holds a wide variety (also crammed full) of Homemade Gourmet mixes. Bin #3 from the bottom has 12 bags of Chex Mix (and there are another 7 bags that wouldn’t fit - what can I say? It was an awesome deal!). On top of the Chex Mix bin, there are 3 shoebox size bins: (1) packets of seasonings, gravy, marinades, etc; (2) (can’t see in pic) unopened spices; and (3) cornbread mixes and Crystal Light packets.

I am using the spare room’s (was the office when my computer was in there, but is basically a storage room / dump zone) closet for stockpiling all the non-food stuff, but it is in need of desperate reorganization, so I hope to work on it soon and possibly add in a few more shelves.

For more Tackle It Tuesday, click here.  For more Tuesday Toot, click here.  For more Works For Me Wednesday, click here.

Seventh Generation sent over a variety of their cleaning products for me to test out as part of an “under the kitchen sink makeover” promotion and after using their products I have to say I am pleased with the quality and eco-friendliness of their products. I especially love the reusable bag that was sent with the products, because I am now trying to use these as much as possible instead of plastic shopping bags.  I sometimes forget, but I’m getting better. 

 Seventh Generation has a broad selection of green cleaning products… Carpet Spot & Stain Remover¸ Kitchen Cleaner, Natural All Purpose Cleaner, Natural Glass & Surface Cleaner, Shower Cleaner, Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Tub & Tile Cleaner as well as laundry and dishwashing products. 

 Some further information for you…

More than 50% of human poison exposure victims are children younger than six years (American Association of Poison Control Centers) and with 63 hazardous chemical products in the average American household (Consumer Product Safety Commission), it’s no wonder that kids are coming into contact with harmful chemicals on a daily basis at home. 

 

According to a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by Seventh Generation, 70% of parents with kids under six years old store their household cleaning products/solutions under the sink, but 47% cannot name one ingredient in the cleaners that they are using and storing within reach of their children! 

 

Seventh Generation created Health eHome in collaboration with WebMD and Healthy Child Healthy World to provide a personalized educational platform that helps uncover potential dangers and hazards identified as “hot spots in a virtual home. The tool also has an expert blog that provides trusted information on creating a cleaner, greener lifestyle and parents can test the safety of their home by doing a “Health eHome Check,” where they can get personalized results and an action plan for their home.

 Plus some Seventh Generation Survey Findings…

Cleaning Your Home or Harboring Hidden Dangers?

 

More than half of U.S. adults (58%) don’t always check the labels of cleaning products to determine if they contain ingredients that are harmful to their health.

 

Nearly three in five adults (58%) clean their home by wiping the surfaces with a cleaning solution/product at least once per week, nearly half (47%) can’t name at least one ingredient in those cleaning products.

 

The majority of people (75%) store their household cleaning products/solutions under the sink, followed by 37% that store their products in the bathroom and 33% in the laundry room.

 

Sixty-seven percent (67%) of adults believe that companies are required to disclose all of the chemical ingredients contained in their products, which isn’t true.

 

While more than half of adults believe that household cleaning products (e.g., window cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, kitchen cleaner) cause substantial damage to the environment (53%) and think that if used daily products that contain dyes or fragrances can be harmful to their health (59%), only 21 percent of parents opt for cleaning products with natural ingredients.

 

 

Keeping the family safe from harm?

 

Parents with children under the age of six years clean their home by wiping the surfaces with a cleaning solution/product several times per week (33%) and 27% clean once per day or more, yet 67% inaccurately believe that companies are required to disclose all of the chemical ingredients contained in their products.

 

One third (33%) of parents believe the kitchen is potentially the most harmful area to their children, while some did not believe any room in their home is harmful to children (16%).

 

Surprisingly, 70 percent of adults with kids under the age of six years that live in their household store their household cleaning products/solutions under the sink.

 

Eighteen percent (18%) of parents have not taken steps to safeguard their family from toxic ingredients in some household cleaners.

 

For those parents who choose to safeguard, opening windows to release toxic fumes is the most popular, with 50% deferring to that method.

 

While 78% of parents admit that their children know where the cleaning products are stored in the house, only 32% acknowledge they always check the labels to determine if they contain ingredients that are harmful to their families’ health.

  Seventh Generation Coupons

 Seventh Generation is offering one lucky Shake The Salt reader their own goodie bag of Seventh Generation Cleaning products!  Interested? Read on for ways to enter!

U.S. only

Deadline to enter: Monday, June 22, 2009 @ 11:59 PM EST

WAYS TO ENTER:

Visit the Seventh Generation online store then leave a comment here stating which of their products you would most like to try. (3 entries)

Join the Seventh Generation Nation (you’ll get monthly coupons & a great newsletter) then come back here and let us know.  (3 entries)

Visit the Seventh Generation blog & subscribe to the RSS feed. (3 entries)

Join the Seventh Generation forum then come back here and leave a comment with your forum username. (3 entries)

Tell us about your experience with any Seventh Generation product.  (5 entries per product)

Take the Shake The Salt button (left sidebar) & place it on your sidebar (3 entries)

Twitter this giveaway (ex: Win a 7^th Generation Goodie Bag via @shakethesalt http://bit.ly/Win7thGen) & include the link to your tweet in your comment (1 entry per tweet per day)

Stumble, Buzz Up, Share on Facebook, etc – Comment which site you shared this post with. (1 entry for each)

Write a blog post about this giveaway (5 entries)

Follow Shake The Salt on Twitter (1 entry)

Subscribe to Shake The Salt’s RSS feed using the Feedburner button or this link (you can get the feed through a reader or by email) (2 entries)

Follow Shake The Salt (“join this site”) using Google Friend Connect (see footer of blog) (2 entries)

Comment on any other non-giveaway posts on Shake The Salt, then comment here with the link or name of the post you left a comment on. (2 entries per other post commented on)

Your entries will ONLY be counted if left individually in comments. One comment = one entry.  If you are getting 2 entries for one thing, leave 2 comments about it (ex: Placed button on sidebar #1, place button on sidebar #2, etc). 

 Bright Green is a line of ecologically friendly products, including cleaning, laundry, light bulbs and paper products, sold exclusively at Safeway stores. 

Bright Green was developed in partnership with Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), a leading third-party provider of certification, auditing and testing services and standards in environmental protection and social responsibility. SCS reviewed each Bright Green™ product for naturally derived and biodegradable ingredients, post-consumer recycled content and energy efficiency.

I had an opportunity to use Bright Green’s cleaning products and was very satisfied. The name may be new – Safeway introduced this line just this past November – but it worked just as well for me as any leading brand of cleaner, with the added benefit of being made from biodegradable and naturally derived ingredients. 

The only downside for me is that unfortunately there is not a Safeway location in my area. 

If you do have a Safeway in your area, be sure to sign up for Safeway’s mailing list to receive coupons via email.  You can also load P&G coupons onto your Club Card. 

This is a repost from my previous blog, Multitasking Mama. Originally posted April 13, 2008.

Control Journals / Home Organizers / Household Notebooks / Etc.

Do you have/use one of these?  Have you thought about buying or creating one to help keep you and family/home life organized?  I have “rounded up” some links of FREE resources, pages and info for your personal organizer / planner / control journal.

Do you know of any I didn’t list?  Have you blogged about the household notebook?  Leave a comment and a link & add to the list.  Thanks!!

•  
  • 49 Control Journal pages (pdf file)
  • Broad Horizon’s personal household notebook system
  • Control Journal for artists
  • Control Journal Yahoo group (need to join to access files)
  • Create a home management binder
  • Daily Planner sheets
  • DIY Planner – great site, lots of templates & info
  • DIY Planner: Flylady planner pages (5.5” x 8.5”)
  • Flylady: Control Journal Steps
  • Getting Organized: blog post about refreshing the notebook
  • Homemaking Mama’s Household Notebook Tour
  • Homeschool Planner & Organizer (check out even if you don’t homeschool, lots of pages)
  • Homeschool Planner (another one!)
  • Household Notebook dot com
  • Household Notebook Ideas
  • Life In The Making: blog post about the household notebook
  • Month By Month with Gingerbug
  • Organized Home: Household Notebook
  • Organized Home: printable planner pages
  • Planner Pages from Mom Advice
  • The Household Notebook – great write up, must read!
  • Up The Hill Gang: blog post on finding the lost notebook
  • Weekly Planner & To Do Lists

Clean Up That Filthy House is offering a FREE 2-pack Mr. Clean Erasers just for stopping by their site! 

Clean Up That Filthy House offers reviews & articles that would be great to read up on as you work through your Spring Cleaning & Organizing.

As part of the Spring Cleaning & Organizing Series, I wanted to share with you a FREE e-book download, the Spring Cleaning Room By Room Guide, courtesy of Eversave.

Yesterday afternoon, just before I left for the Yanni Voices concert, a rather large box arrived.  Hubs doesn’t pay much attention to my packages anymore, LOL, but this one got his attention, especially because it was so light.  We dug into it and the first thing he saw was a large basket & his reaction wasn’t as happy as mine, LOL!  I heart baskets and used to have quite the collection.  I decluttered and pared down and now only have a few, but in his mind he still saw the hundred baskets of “before” and thought “oh, no, a basket” Heehee.  All this before we even knew what the package was all about.

We quickly discovered a basket FULL of organizational products from 3M.  We are all familiar with the brand, no doubt (from Scotch tape to Post-Its to Scotch-Brite and lots of other innovative products), and have glanced at the different variety of hooks if we’ve happened upon that aisle while doing our shopping, but I for one did not have any idea just how many different type of hooks and such 3M actually made. 

A couple that jumped out at us right away was the Lightning McQueen kids hook (Lil Roo is a huge McQueen fan!) and the small organizer, which will be perfect for our scrub brushes, etc at the kitchen sink.  They’ve just been sitting behind the faucet, so this will get them off the surface and organized. Love it! 

I love the technology of the Command strips - strong sticky strips that hold the hooks & containers plus whatever you put on/in them and comes off clean without any surface damage when/if you decide to remove it. 

As I continue doing my spring cleaning, decluttering, and organizing, I will be making great use of these products, including:

Utensil Hooks (holds up to ½ lb)

Deco Medium Hooks (belts, etc, holds up to 3 lbs)

Spring Clip (important paperwork, treasured child’s drawing, etc)

Recharging Station (small plastic container ideal for any small electronic device or cell phone – I’m thinking it’ll be perfect by my desk for my cell or Mylo)

Disney Large Hooks (in addition to McQueen, there’s Hannah Montana, Camp Rock, and others; they each hold 5 lbs, perfect to get kids in on the organizing game! They’ll love using these!)

Medium Cord Clips (holds cords up to a diameter of 3/8”)

Cord Bundlers (holds up to 5 lbs of cords)

Antique Bronze Metal Hook & Brushed Nickel Finish Hook (each holds 5 lbs and look great!)

Bright Chrome Metal Hook, small (holds up to 1 lb)

Jumbo Hook (holds 7.5 lbs)

Sawtooth Picture Hanging Kit (holds pictures weighing up to 5 lbs)

Wire Backed Picture Hanger (holds up to 5 lbs; be sure to get the right set for the type of frames you are hanging)

Picture Hanging Strips (4 sets, each holds up to a 8”x10” frame; perfect for displaying pictures without puncturing the wall!)

Decorative Clips (clear and perfect for Christmas lights around windows or other decorating needs)

Micro Hooks (holds up to ½ lb – great for light keyrings, calendar, etc).

Their products are small, but can do big things in helping you get delcuttered and organized! For more ideas, visit their site to learn how you can simplify, organize, and decorate with these great products.

Save $1.00 on 3M Command Adhesive Picture Hanging products!

During the month of April, I will be blogging the FL Baby Steps.

DAY TWO: Shoes & Reminders

In order to have our home in order, it is important to have ourselves in order first.  Today’s baby step suggests getting completely dressed – including shoes. Now, I admit I am very much barefoot around the house, but the important thing to get here is to get up, get dressed, do your hair and makeup – make yourself look and fell GOOD, not sluggish.  The way we dress can have an affect on how we feel, and the way we feel has an affect on how we go about our day.  One thing that helps me if I am feeling a little blah is to just start the day over – even if it is late morning or afternoon! Take a shower, get dressed, do your hair & makeup as if it was first thing in the morning!  J

Reminders…  Sometimes it can be helpful to have reminders where we can see them.  As you put the baby steps into practice, you might need a little reminder until it becomes habit. Check out the above link for more.

How’d you do?

Shine Your Sink is step one of the Flylady Beginner Baby Steps. Click the link for the full deep cleaning method, more of her baby steps, and her site full of great info.

If you have any dirty dishes in or around your sink, get them all washed right away. 

If you have any clean dishes that haven’t been put away, get those all put away.  (We don’t need to worry about the dishwasher right now, unless you want to go ahead and take care of that too while we are talking dishes).

Once the sink is completely clear, it is time to give it a good scrubbing! Check out the link above for a great method of getting the sink super clean and shiny.

Now, stand back and look at it gleam! Doesn’t that put a smile on your face?  This is how you want to start every morning! (Looking at a gleaming sink, not the cleaning process, lol).

First, don’t leave dirty dishes in or near the sink.  Either wash them right away, put them right into the dishwasher, or if it’ll be a few before you can wash them up, place a dish tub under the sink to place them in (rinse them off first and don’t leave them there long – this is just to keep them out of site til you can get back to the kitchen).  Make sure all dishes are washed before you head off to bed.

Second, spray the sink with a little glass cleaner and wipe down before you head off to bed.  This will keep your sink gleaming and will be a very welcoming site first thing in the morning!

How’d you do?

Hello friends of the interwebz! Have you started your Spring Cleaning? I’ll be sharing lots of great products, tips, and ideas throughout the Spring Cleaning and Organizing Series – including giveaways (if you aren’t getting the updates via email or your feed reader, be sure to sign up so you don’t miss a minute of it!).  As part of the Series, I am going to be doing the FlyLady Baby Steps during the month of April.  I admit I’m not much of a “Flybaby” but I think the baby steps are a great way to get a fresh start on housecleaning and getting yourself organized.

Each day in April, I will be bringing you a new baby step – it may seem small and silly, but after a full month, it can make a big difference.  So… who’s ready to go baby steppin’ with me in April?

As I mentioned earlier, I started the afternoon of the first day of spring by cleaning the dust and mess off my desk.  I’d like to say it took A WHILE, but truthfully? Only a couple of minutes. I removed most everything, cleaned and organized and put it back. 

My tools: a stackable letter tray system, a penholder, a medium binder clip, and Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. 

The letter trays hold important papers, spiral notebooks (I have 3 main ones I use All. The. Time.), and blank printer paper.  The penholder obviously corrals a few pens, highlighters, and a pair of scissors.  The binder clip holds together loose papers so they aren’t all over the place. I’ve been known to get a little obsessed with binder clips, shhhh, but as for now I’m only using one.

And the Clorox Disinfecting Wipes? They made cleaning the desk effortless.  Seriously. And they have new, wide, decorative containers, so it isn’t such an eyesore if you want to leave it out.  Mine is on my desk for a quick wipe up at the end of the evening – something I was a stickler for back in my 9-5 days & a habit I want to resurrect. 

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes new Décor canisters:

 

* Come in eight unique color palettes to match any home décor

* Feature a sleek new shape and wider mouth

* Have a new effortless single sheet dispensing system

* Has the same disinfecting power of their namesake wipes

* Are fashionable enough to be left on the countertop

* Available at retailers nationwide

Don’t take my word for it though – try them for yourself.  I have TEN up for grabs! Enter to win by leaving a comment telling me how’d you use them (get creative!).

Get extra entries for subscribing to the feed, following me on Twitter, tweeting this giveaway, and participating in a conversation about talking to kids.  Just comment on this post for each action, letting me know and getting the extra entry registered.

DEADLINE: Friday, March 27, 2009 @ 11:59 PM EST.

Winners will be chosen at random and must respond within 72 hours of announcement or another winner will be chosen.

Good Luck!

Today is officially the first day of Spring. Here, it is cool & overcast – not too hot and not too cold.  The windows are open. Ahhhh.

We had a lazy morning – I love my husband’s schedule because it allows us to take “Weekends” during the week.  We relaxed, spent time together as a family, and watched a little tv (oh, yeah – Hubs got up with Lil Roo so I slept in = score!).  This afternoon though, not so lazy.   I’ve just attacked the dust and mess on my desk, getting this Spring Cleaning thing underway.  Hubs is out working on his truck, doing some Spring Cleaning of his own. The truck has sat for a while now, needing some TLC (and a bunch of other stuff that is all Greek to me). He was able to locate a donor truck and work some of the “Greek” magic (he tells me, but I really don’t get into all the techy stuff of vehicles, despite that I worked at a dealership for nearly a decade). He’s excited to be driving it again!

To celebrate the first day of Spring, I am kicking off the Spring Cleaning & Organizing Series today – great tips, product reviews, and giveaways. Woot! I’ve got Pandora on & turned up and off I goooooo…..!

How does the first day of Spring look (feel) in your neck of the woods?