Happy New Year!
Organized Chaos: Hair Accessory Organizer
All Brina’s headbands, flowers, decorative hair ornaments organized and in one spot
A few months ago I showed you our Easy DIY Headband Holder. As you can see from the pictures on this post we are still using it. It works very well for our girls. Since they wear more than just headbands I wanted to find a solution that would help organize all the pretty, fluffy, and decorative hair ornaments they have as well.
My qualifications for getting these items organized:
- Must assist in making these items more organized
- Able to be hung in a visible location and still look nice
- Easy to see, reach, and get access to the items when the kids need them
- Reasonably priced organizer because I will need 2 (one in each of the kids room)
- Something that we could hang near to the headbands (which were already hanging on the back of their closet doors).
It took me a little longer to find the perfect organizer for these items. Part of the reason it took longer is I wasn’t really sure what I wanted for the decorative hair accessories. I wasn’t in a rush so I just kept an eye out for ideas while in various stores. One day when I was going through CVS the clearance section happened to catch my eye. I paused for a moment and these little blue and black organizers were in the clearance section marked down to $1.* After looking at them and thinking about them I decided to pick them up and see if I could make them work for the kids hair accessories.
It was exactly the type of item I was looking for and at a great price! The organizer fit all the current hair accessories items I wanted to put in it plus had room for some extra ones too. When I am on top of things (which doesn’t always happen) I will put the kids seasonal hair accessories in the extra pockets on the organizer too (ie. Christmas, July 4th, Halloween, etc… hair accessories during that specific season).
The organizer hangs on the back of the closet door where the kids can easily reach it. It goes right under the Easy DIY Headband Holder so everything is available in one spot. The items are visible and easy to reach. It meets all my qualifications for getting the kids hair accessories organized. These have worked very well for our family!
*I tried to find these on the CVS website, but either they do not carry them online or they are not available. You can look in your local store or I am sure there are other stores that carry a similar item. This one on Amazon or something similar might work well too if you are looking for one.
Looking down on the Easy DIY Headband Holder and Hair Accessory Organizer as it is hanging on the closet door
Organized and ready to go!
Organized Chaos: Jewelry Organizer
Necklace & Jewelry Organizer
Having girls in the house means you are bound to have some jewelry around. As the girls got older they continued to accumulate more necklaces. It slowly became harder to keep the necklaces organized without them getting tangled or putting them in a spot that was hard for them to easily access.
I wanted to find something simple, easy, and reasonably priced. It took awhile of looking around to find one that I liked and could hang on the back of their closet doors. I ended up finding this one at our local Michaels store and bought it using a coupon. At first I only got one because I wanted to make sure I really liked it before getting another one. After a couple weeks I still liked it so I used another coupon and got the second one. It has been nice to having all their necklaces organized and visible.
Our kids are using it mostly for necklaces since they do not have pierced ears yet, but you can use it for earrings, belts, watches, scarves, rings, bracelets, ties, or a multitude of other things. I like that it is simple design, not too big, and yet pretty. It hung on the back of the closet door so it is accessible for the kids to reach when they want to wear one of their special necklaces. All of these necklaces were given to them from family or friends and have special memories so I am happy that they are now displayed well and tangle free.
Brina’s necklaces are organized now!
Organized Chaos: Cleaning Out the Refrigerator
Time to be cleaned
Have you ever reached into the refrigerator for something specific and couldn’t find it because everything is a mess? I have. Every once in awhile our refrigerators need a good cleaning and scrub down. It is best if you do it on a regular basis. I try to do a quick clean and organizational update every week or two, but it still need a thorough cleaning about once a month.
We are usually pretty good about eating up leftovers and not letting them go to waste, but every once in awhile something gets tucked in behind another object or in the back until it starts growing extra crunchies on it. You pull it out thinking what’s this? When you open the lid and take a whiff you are instantly gagging. Yup, been there too many times. The good news is if you clean out your refrigerator regularly you will minimize these fun science experiments with growing mold, mush, and who knows what else. It really doesn’t take long to fully clean out the refrigerator if you take the time to maintain throughout the month.
When I do a thorough cleaning here are some steps I take to make sure it looks good and is organized:
- Start from the top of the refrigerator and work your way down that way any crumbs that fall down you can get on the next level.
- Do one shelf or drawer at a time.
- Take everything off the shelf or out of the drawer. Wipe down the shelf. Check all the items for expiration dates. If they have expired throw them away, if they have not expired wipe them off and put them back on the shelf only if it belongs on that specific shelf. If it doesn’t belong on that shelf wait until you come to the shelf where it belongs to put it away.
- Continue making your way through the refrigerator shelf by shelf until you are at the bottom and have cleaned and organized each shelf and drawer in the refrigerator.
- Do not forget to wipe down the top, sides, and bottom inside the refrigerator as well. These areas can get splattered with food, drinks, or contain finger prints.
- Your refrigerator should now look shining and organized. I LOVE looking into a sparkling clean refrigerator! 🙂 If only I could figure out a way to keep it that way for a longer period of time!
- If your refrigerator is clean, but seems to still have a smell to it (especially if there are no items that are causing it to smell) it may be time to change your air filter in the refrigerator. Also, putting an open box of baking soda inside the fridge will help absorb some of the extra odors.
Condiments need checked for expiration dates
Items facing every which way with some shelves or drawers over loaded while others are empty
Needs some cleaning and organization
All done and so much better! Everything facing the correct way and on the right shelves or drawers so we can easily find items. You need to organize your refrigerator in a way that best suites your family and your needs. Make sure the items you want most accessible are in front or easy to reach. Also, every refrigerator will be slightly different so do your best to make it look good, smell fresh, and organized. Enjoy your sparkly clean fridge!
Nice, shiny, and organized! Now I am ready to start cooking!
What’s for Breakfast: Our Weekly Menu Plan
Super Easy Way to Make Hard Boiled Eggs
Having the breakfast menu planned out makes a huge difference to the start of our days. This week is a different kind of crazy busy so it is especially important that I stay on top of it with everything else going on. I want to make sure everyone is sent off with a good breakfast. I made some slight alterations to our normal menu due to the week we have before us needing adjustments. Here is what our breakfast menu looks like this week (the items in parenthesis are examples of the extra items we will add and change from week to week):
- Monday – Bagel (Fresh Fruit)
- Tuesday – Toast (Hard Boiled Eggs)
- Wednesday – Cereal (Yogurt)
- Thursday – Poptarts (Strawberry & Milk Smoothie)
- Friday – Oatmeal (Applesauce)
- Saturday – Family Brunch
- Sunday – Make Your Own Breakfast (everyone makes their own breakfast before church which is usually something easy like cereal, toast, poptarts, oatmeal, smoothie, etc….)
We are pretty consistent with our week day breakfast menu. For each day of the work and school week Monday to Friday we have the same main menu item from week to week the only thing that changes is the “extra item” we add each day such as an egg, sausage, fresh fruit, cottage cheese, bacon, smoothies, or other items that we have in the kitchen. During the school week the girls always have their main breakfast, at least one side (usually fruit, sausage, egg, etc…), vitamins, milk (one has non-dairy milk due to allergies), and small glass of juice. When I am ambitious, awake, and my creative juices are flowing I will add a little extra silliness to make breakfast more enjoyable for the kids.
We first started doing a different main breakfast item everyday a few years ago because I have one child who if she eats the same thing too many times in a row she stops eating. Adding a little variety from day to day was enough to keep her motivated to eat breakfast. It wasn’t until several months later when the girls pointed it out that I realized that we do the same main item on the same day every week. “Mom, Tuesday is Toast Day…..” So now it has become our rotating breakfast menu which helps keep us on track because we know exactly what we need to prepare for the next breakfast. Plus the girls are sometimes still waking up when they come to breakfast and the morning menu helps them figure out the day of the week as well as prepares them for the upcoming activities they have that day.
There are times I will mix it up (just for fun) or Jake will get up first and make breakfast! The girls don’t hesitate to let him know if he makes a main food item on the wrong day….ha! Our breakfasts are not fancy, but it gets us up and started for the day. What do you make for your family breakfasts?
What’s for Breakfast: Our Weekly Menu Plan
Last week the kids celebrated their birthdays and now this week we are quickly wrapping up the month of February. It has been a whirlwind of activities around the house and March does not look any quieter (if anything it is busier). Having the breakfast menu planned out helps all of us get our days off to a good start. Here is what our breakfast menu looks like this week (the items in parenthesis are examples of the extra items we will add and change from week to week):
- Monday – English Muffins (Green Veggie & Fruit Smoothie)
- Tuesday – Toast (Cottage Cheese)
- Wednesday – Cereal (Yogurt)
- Thursday – Pancakes, Poptarts, or Oatmeal (Bacon)
- Friday –Bagels (Fresh Fruit)
- Saturday – Family Brunch (a lot of times we make Saturday breakfast together and it is whatever sounds good that morning or a new dish we want to try out. It is not always planned in advance and could be an egg or breakfast casserole, omelets, hashbrowns, waffles, pancakes, etc… this is our big family meal of the day since Saturdays are often spent with extended family, friends, or doing other afternoon and evening activities) Since we make more complicated breakfasts on Saturdays it is usually between 8 to 10 before we sit down to eat therefore they have become our Family Brunch.
- Sunday – Make Your Own Breakfast (everyone makes their own breakfast before church which is usually something easy like cereal, toast, poptarts, oatmeal, smoothie, etc….)
We are pretty consistent with our week day breakfast menu. For each day of the work and school week Monday to Friday we have the same main menu item from week to week the only thing that changes is the “extra item” we add each day such as an egg, sausage, fresh fruit, cottage cheese, bacon, smoothies, or other items that we have in the kitchen. During the school week the girls always have their main breakfast, at least one side (usually fruit, sausage, egg, etc…), vitamins, milk (one has non-dairy milk due to allergies), and small glass of juice. When I am ambitious, awake, and my creative juices are flowing I will add a little extra silliness to make breakfast more enjoyable for the kids.
We first started doing a different main breakfast item everyday a few years ago because I have one child who if she eats the same thing too many times in a row she stops eating. Adding a little variety from day to day was enough to keep her motivated to eat breakfast. It wasn’t until several months later when the girls pointed it out that I realized that we do the same main item on the same day every week. “Mom, Tuesday is Toast Day…..” So now it has become our rotating breakfast menu which helps keep us on track because we know exactly what we need to prepare for the next breakfast. Plus the girls are sometimes still waking up when they come to breakfast and the morning menu helps them figure out the day of the week as well as prepares them for the upcoming activities they have that day.
There are times I will mix it up (just for fun) or Jake will get up first and make breakfast! The girls don’t hesitate to let him know if he makes a main food item on the wrong day….ha! Our breakfasts are not fancy, but it gets us up and started for the day. What do you make for your family breakfasts?
What’s for Breakfast: Our Weekly Menu Plan
Here is what our breakfast menu looks like this week (the items in parenthesis are examples of the extra items we will add and change from week to week):
- Monday – English Muffins (Egg)
- Tuesday – Toast (Cottage Cheese)
- Wednesday – Cereal (Spinach & Strawberry Smoothie)
- Thursday – Pancakes, Poptarts, or Oatmeal (Sausage)
- Friday – Bagel (Yogurt)
- Saturday – Family Brunch (a lot of times we make Saturday breakfast together and it is whatever sounds good that morning or a new dish we want to try out. It is not always planned in advance and could be an egg or breakfast casserole, omelets, hashbrowns, waffles, pancakes, etc… this is our big family meal of the day since Saturdays are often spent with extended family, friends, or doing other afternoon and evening activities) Since we make more complicated breakfasts on Saturdays it is usually between 8 to 10 before we sit down to eat therefore they have become our Family Brunch.
- Sunday – Make Your Own Breakfast (everyone makes their own breakfast before church which is usually something easy like cereal, toast, poptarts, oatmeal, smoothie, etc….)
We are pretty consistent with our week day breakfast menu. For each day of the work and school week Monday to Friday we have the same main menu item from week to week the only thing that changes is the “extra item” we add each day such as an egg, sausage, fresh fruit, cottage cheese, bacon, smoothies, or other items that we have in the kitchen. During the school week the girls always have their main breakfast, at least one side (usually fruit, sausage, egg, etc…), vitamins, milk (one has non-dairy milk due to allergies), and small glass of juice. When I am ambitious, awake, and my creative juices are flowing I will add a little extra silliness to make breakfast more enjoyable for the kids.
We first started doing a different main breakfast item everyday a few years ago because I have one child who if she eats the same thing too many times in a row she stops eating. Adding a little variety from day to day was enough to keep her motivated to eat breakfast. It wasn’t until several months later when the girls pointed it out that I realized that we do the same main item on the same day every week. “Mom, Tuesday is Toast Day…..” So now it has become our rotating breakfast menu which helps keep us on track because we know exactly what we need to prepare for the next breakfast. Plus the girls are sometimes still waking up when they come to breakfast and the morning menu helps them figure out the day of the week as well as prepares them for the upcoming activities they have that day.
There are times I will mix it up (just for fun) or Jake will get up first and make breakfast! The girls don’t hesitate to let him know if he makes a main food item on the wrong day….ha! Our breakfasts are not fancy, but it gets us up and started for the day. What do you make for your family breakfasts?
A Fresh & Clean House with the Help of Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle! #MrCleanMorePower
I LOVE it when my house smells fresh and is sparkly clean! Spring has been in the air with the 70 degree temperatures the last few days making me get excited about doing my Spring Cleaning! Thank you Mr. Clean and SheSpeaks for helping me tackle my cleaning this week. I always love it when I find great products that help me keep my house clean. Somehow our family manages to make a mess which means regular cleaning is a must in our home.
A few days ago an amazing package arrived on my front porch! I was thrilled with Mr. Clean’s new product and the kids were excited about the motion light inside the box (very fascinating)! Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle has 2.5x more cleaning power in every drop!
The kids were super excited to see how it works too! They are helping around the house doing more chores so they wanted to know if it worked (and if they could have the motion light for their own special project).
I’ve got my cleaning bucket, sponge, and a new bottle of Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle!
It had a wonderful fresh scent and lots of great bubbles! You only have to squeeze the bottle once per gallon of water because it automatically shuts off after the correct amount has been dispensed. The good news about it only squirting the amount I need is that the kids won’t waste it when it’s their turn to use it!
First area to tackle was the kids bathroom. I am not sure what happened when they were brushing their teeth this morning, but somehow toothpaste was spread from one end of the counter to the other. The kids bathroom seems to be the area I get the least excited about cleaning because I know as soon as they brush their teeth again or wash their hands the toothpaste and soap suds will be everywhere. One of these days they will figure out how to brush their teeth and only get the toothpaste on their toothbrushes! I guess I should be pleased that they are at least brushing their teeth even if the whole process is a little messy.
Not only is the toothpaste all over the counter and sink, but someone left the cap off the toothpaste! I am beginning to think they must have been doing a “toothpaste” craft, painting, or trying to use their creative juices with the amount of toothpaste I found on the counter this morning!!!
The first wipe with Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle took all the sticky globs of toothpaste right off the sink! Love it!!! It worked really well and still lots of suds too! I have used other cleaners on their sticky toothpaste mess and I had to really scrub to get it off. Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle took one swipe followed by a rinse and it was done in just of few seconds! So excited!
The kids sink is once again clean and sparkly! Let’s see how long it will last! At least it is good to know that Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle works amazing and quickly on the toothpaste messes the kids leave behind.
After finishing the kids bathroom I was able to get more of my Spring Cleaning done, including scrubbing down the kitchen cabinets, mopping the kitchen floor, cleaning the master bathroom and more! Thanks for making my cleaning easier Mr. Clean! Even my husband and kids commented on how clean, sparkly, and fresh smelling the house was when they came home! I am already looking forward to tackling a few more Spring Cleaning projects with Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle this week!
More information about Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle:
- Like Mr. Clean’s Facebook Page
- Follow Mr. Clean’s Twitter Feed
- Pick up your bottle of Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle online or at your local Walmart
A special thanks to SheSpeaks and Mr. Clean for sponsoring this post! Any specific product information was provided by Mr. Clean and SheSpeaks, however, the opinions expressed in this post are our own. We received a complimentary bottle of the product for sharing information and our family’s experience.
A Side of Fresh Fruit
Fresh fruit is always a hit at our house. The girls love fruit and we try to have a variety in the fridge at all times. When there’s fruit as a side dish at dinner table we have to make sure the girls eat the rest of their meal before digging into the fruit because they love it so much.
Having a side of fresh fruit at the dinner table not only add color to the meal but a lot of great nutrition too. The best part about having a variety a fruit is everyone can pick what they like. I haven’t found a fruit that the girls didn’t like yet so they usually enjoy a little bit of each one. My favorite way to serve it is fresh washed (and sliced if needed) without anything on it. Although, we do have quite a few fruit salad recipes we enjoy too. What is your favorite fruit to serve at dinner?
Chocolate & Peanut Butter Banana Bites
Awhile ago I got some bananas on clearance and had an event coming up so I decided to try a variant of a recipe that I had seen somewhere months ago. It was pretty easy to do and tasted delicious. The girls loved putting these together and enjoyed eating the frozen delicious bananas too!
Chocolate & Peanut Butter Banana Bites
Bananas cut and ready to be dipped
1 cup of milk and white chocolate swirls with 1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter
Melted chocolate and peanut butter is ready to have the bananas dipped into it.
Once the bananas are dipped into the chocolate and peanut butter put them in a single layer in a pan and put into the freezer until they are completely frozen. After they are frozen you can transfer them into a ziplock bag. Pull them out immediately before you serve them (if you keep them out too long they will start to melt).
