Clever Tub/Shower Storage

Happy New Year! I hope 2010 has gotten off to a good start for you. I must say, I'm glad that school started today. J Don't tell anyone, though! Now on to our blog for today:

Here's a clever solution for tub or shower storage from Better Homes and Gardens: Use a metal rod originally designed for kitchen utensils! I've seen them at IKEA.

More on bathroom storage:

Finding More Bathroom Storage without Expanding Your Bathroom

Get Organizing Month - Decluttering Your Bathroom Storage

Clever Corner Storage

Candle Wax Clean-Up

Candles sure are pretty, but sometimes they leave their drippings behind. Here is a suggestion for removing melted candle wax from wood surfaces:

"Heat the wax with a blow-dryer set on high. While applying the hot air, wedge a credit card, plastic putty knife or something with a flexible, straight edge under the drips." (source: Family Circle Magazine, January 10, 2010, p. 33)

More on Cleaning:
10 Eco-Friendly and Wallet-Friendly uses for Olive Oil
A Dozen Helpful Hints to Simplify Your Life
Saving Time by Cutting Out Craft Clean Up

Decluttering Christmas Tree Sap from Your Carpet

If your Christmas tree has left gifts of sap under the tree, here's how to get rid of it:

Mix glycerin, a moisturizer and lubricant (available at drug stores) and warm water in equal parts. Drizzle the mixture on the affected areas. Give the mixture time to dissolve the sap. Using a dry cloth, pull up on the carpet fibers. Use a commercial carpet spot cleaner to remove any remaining residue.

More on cleaning:
Easy microwave cleaning
Clever Cleaning: Lamp Shades
Three Steps to Clever Cleaning

Organizing Your Christmas Wrapping Supplies

As I'm writing, big fluffy flakes are falling outside my window. We now have 6-8 inches of snow from the last couple of days. So beautiful, pure, quiet and cleansing!

A couple of days ago I organized my wrapping supplies. I made quite a mess in the process. But now I'm ready for next year!

I devoted one container to tissue paper, one to bags, one to boxes and containers other than bags, one to wrapping paper, one to gift tags, and one to ribbons. The containers are different sizes depending on the need.

I even divided my bags into those I love and those I don't. Some have sentimental value and we have used them for years. I would hate to see those leave the house. So I separated my bags accordingly.

Before I put my containers away for the year (I'm still finding a few straggling pieces of paper, etc.), I'll label the containers.

It's a big job, but fulfilling once it's done!

Buy One Get One Free at 1-2-3...Get Organized

In honor of Get Organized Month in January, we're offering a BOGO sale from now through January 31, 2010. Organize your time, priorities, parties, meals, cleaning, house or office! When you buy one product, you can get one of equal or lesser value - free. Just write in your free choice on the comment section of the shopping cart. And remember, shipping is free over $25!

Merry Christmas!

I wish you a joyous Christmas! We will have two of our three foster daughters here as well as one of our own daughters.

We have tried to combine traditions and wishes of all to create a Christmas of fun memories. We may go to a Christmas Eve service and the girls want to bake a birthday cake for Jesus. We've all been busy making gifts, baking, going to parties, and watching Christmas movies. :)

One of our girls is on a visit with her family, so she opened the gifts she knew about early. The girls wanted to pick out most of their gifts, but we reserved some money for surprises. Since the surprise gifts are similar, we asked the girl going home to wait to open the rest until she returns.

People have been so generous to the girls - an anonymous gift from someone in our church gave us more money to spend on the girls. (We get some money from our organization to spend on the girls and we add some of our own.) Some gift cards were donated by other people as well. The girls don't know about these yet. :)

Our daughter Sara arrived on Monday and has added to the fun. Even though we won't have our other daughter Comfort here, we hope to connect with her and her husband sometime in the spring.

We'll have turkey and trimmings on Christmas Eve and honey-baked ham for Christmas day. The girls requested a big breakfast on Christmas - not my style, but it's not about me, is it? Everyone has offered to help so I don't have to spend all of Christmas in the kitchen! My husband Bob will read the Christmas story. And then the presents!

Sara wants to do some after Christmas shopping on the 26th, so she and I will have some mom and daughter time. She hasn't gotten to do this for several years since she has been living in Kazakhstan. And I'm sure the girls will have their gift cards burning holes in their pockets!

I'm so blessed! Blessings to you!!

Bev

Repurposing Your Christmas Cards into a Year-Round Memory

Hate to throw away those picture Christmas cards or encouraging notes, but don't want to add clutter to your home? Adhere them to a large piece of paper collage-style, laminate and you've got a placemat that will bring you smiles throughout the year!

More on Christmas cards:
Buried by Holiday Mail?
Get Oranized Month 2009 - Update Your Addresses

Linear Storage

Here's an idea from Better Homes and Gardens to increase storage. If you don't have floor space for additional storage units, use your wall space! "This modern shelf offers ample storage. Oversize baskets maximize the amount of stuff each shelf can hold. For a symmetrical look, top each shelf with identical storage boxes or baskets."

More on clever storage:

Clever Corner Storage

Magnetic Paint - An Innovative Space Saver!

This is What I Call Using Wall Space!

Handy Tips to Simplify Your Life

A friend sent the following tips, and I thought I'd pass them along. They look interesting, but I haven't tried them.
Let me know if they work for you.

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

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

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

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


More handy tips:
Fun Food Tips
More cooking tips

Some Christmas Humor

Here's a Christmas laugh for you that my brother forwarded to me from an anonymous person:

"Good news is that I truly out did myself this year with my Christmas decorations. The bad news is that I had to take him down after 2 days. I had more people come screaming up to my house than ever. Great stories. But two things made me take it down.

First, the cops advised me that it would cause traffic accidents as they almost wrecked when they drove by.

Second, a 55 year old lady grabbed the 75 pound ladder almost killed herself putting it against my house and didn't realize it was fake until she climbed to the top (she was not happy). By the way, she was one of many people who attempted to do that. My yard couldn't take it either. I have more than a few tire tracks where people literally drove up my yard."

The Best Time of Day to Go to the Post Office

I have one last package to mail today. So I remembered this post I did in October 2008. I think it's especially timely during the holiday season:

According to Real Simple Magazine, the best of time of day to go to the post office is about half an hour after it opens. This allows for people who are lined up at the door to finish their business. The other times to avoid are lunch hour and just before closing.

I like to find small, less busy post offices where I don't have to wait in line. When we lived in Maryland (where you always have to wait in lines for everything!), I found a little post office just a few minutes farther away than my regular post office, with much less business.

Another wonderful option is to use post offices located in malls, grocery stores, and drugstores. We have one here in our local mall. Last year at Christmas time, I avoided my post office and went to the mall location, where there were no lines!

Another option is to avoid the post office altogether! By setting up an account with the United States Postal Service, you can print postage for packages, order stamps, and order flat rate boxes. The only things you need are a scale (your kitchen scale will work for smaller packages), a printer, and a credit card.

Enter the recipient's address and the weight of the package, and your virtual post office calculates the postage, prints a mailing label with the postage included, and charges your account. Flat-rate packages don't even need to be weighed.

The best thing - you can schedule a pick-up from your house without having to go to the post office! That's what I love! And postage is a bit cheaper when you use this online service.

So destress your life over the coming holiday season and minimize those post office waits!

Do you have ways you avoid lines? Please share!


Related posts:
The Best Time of Day to Take the Dog for a Walk
The Best Time of Day to Do Your Cardio Workout
When Should You Take Your Vitamins?

A Last-Minute Clutterless Gift Idea - BookSwim

Need a last-minute gift idea for the reader in your family? Here's an idea that reduces clutter and travel!

BookSwim is to books as Netflix is to movies. Starting at $9.95 per month, you can rent books, including new releases, with no trips to the library and no late fees. If you rent one book at a time, it costs $9.95 per month plus $3.99 s+h one way. All other plans have free shipping both ways, but the prices increase considerably. Three books at a time costs $23.95 a month, five books - $29.95, seven - $35.95, and eleven - $59.95. The first month is $9.95 for all plans.

If you are an avid reader, this would easily pay for your reading habit if you typically buy your books. And this option doesn't clutter your house with books that will never be read again. If you like to re-read books, just rent them again!


More on decluttering:
Decluttering Your Books with BookMooch
Destressing Christmas, Part 11, 2009 - Meaningful Gifts with No Clutter
Three Steps to Decluttering

Easy Decadent Fudge Recipe

My food gift this year is fudge - sorry to spill the beans, friends and family! I love fudge, but it has to be smooth and creamy, not sugary. The following is my favorite recipe. Not only is it melt-in-your mouth, it's easy, too!

In about an hour I made four batches. You can cut it up and put it in little petit-four cups (like paper cupcake cups, only smaller) for local gifts. Or you can pour it directly into Glad containers for shipping.

Enjoy!

MAGIC FRENCH FUDGE
from Bess Rivers (my grandmother)

18 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 t. vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 c. chopped nuts

In the top of a double boiler, melt chocolate over hot water. Don't let the water boil, or the chocolate will become dry and crumbly. Remove from heat. Add sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, salt and nuts. Stir until smooth. Turn into an 8-inch square baking pan lined with waxed paper. Cover and chill. Store in an air-tight container.

More on gifts:
Destressing Christmas, Part 11, 2009 - Meaningful Gifts with No Clutter
Destressing Christmas, Part 3, 2009 - Smart Gift-Giving
Christmas Shopping Ideas from 1-2-3...Get Organized Plus a 10% Discount

Closet Mapping

Happy Tuesday! I'm happy because we have a few days off from foster parenting starting today. Yesterday we were inspected and interviewed as part of an accreditation process for our organization. So our house is spotless, we've done most of our shopping and it's wrapped, thanks to my dear husband. What a welcome rest! On to our topic at hand ... mapping closets.

While we were getting ready for our inspection, I cleaned out the tiny closet in our office. When we were moving, I put a few things in there thinking, "I'll remember where everything is." Since there are no shelves in the closet, I had to stack some boxes on top of each other. These were items I don't use often, but I need to know where they are when I need them.

If you have storage areas where you must stack things or pack things in front of other things, make a map of your closet! Draw out each shelf or area, and list the items in each box or container. That way, when you need something, you know exactly where to find it without unloading the entire closet.

Tape your map to the inside of your closet door and you're set!

More on closets:
Thinking Through Your Closets
Better Homes and Gardens - Inexpensive Storage and Organizing Solutions
Get Oranized Month 2009 - Organizing Your Clothes Closet

Inventorying Your Christmas Supplies

It seems like just yesterday when I thought, "We still have a lot of time left before Christmas." Where did it go so quickly!? Here's a blog post I did last year that is worth repeating (in my humble opinion - ha ha):

When you wrap up your Christmas wrapping, take a moment to inventory what you have left:

wrapping paper
tissue
gift bags and boxes
tape
gift tags
Christmas paper plates, napkins and cups
Christmas cards and stationery
Christmas craft supplies
Christmas gifts for teachers, etc.

You may even want to put your list on your computer or in a Christmas organizing notebook, so you know where it is. Then you can refer to it without having to get out all your Christmas stuff to remember what you have. And if you do after-Christmas shopping, your inventory list will help you know what you need to replenish.

It's a great time to stock up on Christmas, birthday, and miscellaneous gifts for next year, too! When my kids were growing up, it was wonderful to look through the "goodie box" for a gift rather than have to make a special trip. And it was nice to have a stash when I needed a gift for something.

What's on your inventory list?