An Organization Tour! Exciting

 

I love love organization so of course I am super excited!! I have the perfect project to link up! 

Bring on the organization! Can I get a woot woot?

"You know you drive a minivan right?"

Yesterday I had to go to the bank, I pulled into the parking lot and parked in front. A gentleman came out of the bank and gave me the look. 

I happened to be listening to this...on a pretty loud volume level.

I shut the van off and got out...he gave me a grin and said "You know you drive a minivan right?"

Made me laugh! See minivan soccer driving mamas can still rock hard.

Shower Cleaning Recipe

Mark runs a welding shop which means when he comes home after work and showers, it is dirty and disgusting! I usually use a harsh chemical to clean his shower. I have had luck with the Mr. Clean Bathroom Erasers but that is a lot of scrubbing. Bad Lupus days makes it impossible for me to spend an hour cleaning.

I was browsing Pinterest (by browse I mean spending hours...kinda obsessed!) and I saw this shower cleaner made from Dawn and vinegar. I tried to find the original recipe last night and couldn't, so my apologies! Mark and I just decided on a ratio. We went 3 parts vinegar to 1 part Dawn. Now everyone says that you can only use the original blue Dawn but I couldn't find any in our town so I used the new "Overnight" Dawn.

The results:

+

=

Freakin' Awesome!!

The shower is like shiny brand new!

The only downside I would say was the vinegar smell

    

Yes I am to blame for the Snow!

Sooooo I am totally taking the blame for all of the snow over the last 3 days. I had to be cocky and make a blog post about how warm it was and how little snow we had. Above is what it looked like on December 23rd when we were driving to Saskatchewan for Christmas. We haven't had much snow since then until Friday....

 

This is what it looked like last night.

It's Canada, we knew it was coming but holy doodle stop snowing already!

Top picture is courtesy of me.
Bottom picture is courtesy of The Weather Network

Nascar Widow Once Again

Mark is a tad addicted to Nascar. To be fair I knew this when I married him, but c'mon longest season of any sport ever! So I guess until November, I am a Nascar widow once again. Guess Sunday can become my craft day or something?

I took the pic of Jr. above when we went and watched a race in Virginia. I arranged a big vacation one year for Christmas. Ummm hello best wife ever?!?

Teacup Bird Feeders!

It has been an extremely warm winter here in Alberta. Last year we had so much snow that I was snowed in for 4 days. This winter, I can see the dirt in my back yard. Dirt in my backyard, yes dirt...not grass. This makes me sad and is a whole huge issue that I will be dealing with in a couple months. Morgan is graduating this year and there is no damn way I am having a grad party in my dirt backyard.
We will get back to this issue later.

Anyway, with the temps being so warm, I have spring on my mind! I am trying to envision our yard and I keep going back to something I saw when I was on vacation in PA last summer. Teacup bird feeders. Yes please!! Look at all the cute ones I found!

I was searching the internet and came upon this post at Little Birdie Secrets.

It was a guest post from Cap Creations and I think they are absolutely fantastic!!

For directions visit the link above from Little Birdie Secrets.

When you are done reading the post and all of the other faboo content on Little Birdie Secrets, head on over to Cap Creations where she has the most awesome hand stamped jewelry. I love love love
hand stamped jewelry! The top image is courtesy of Cap Creations.

Look at this little cutie from Holiday Crafts and Creations.

Love the one with the bottle! Thank you to Crafty Gardner for the wonderful tutorial!

Now I can't wait to go thrifting for some cute cup and saucers! I have the perfect spot.
I will of course share when I make them.

Free Printable ~ Online Passwords

In my quest to get extra organized, I am trying to cut down on the little bits of paper everywhere
with websites and their passwords. I created this cute little document and I wanted to share it with you!

Click here to download.

Enjoy!

New Free Blog Printables! (Updated)

I am taking a break from de-cluttering to share my new two printables I made for blogging.

The first one is a blog brainstorming sheet.
Click here 

 

The second is a monthly checklist.

Click here

Enjoy!

Being shared at Tip Junkie

HH&S ~Time To Get Organized ~ Free Printable (Updated)

Oh goodness I have totally slacked off on HH&S.
If you are unfamiliar with HH&S, click here.

Life has just been sad and busy and blah over the last two months...time to get back on the horse so to speak! This journey is important to me and I can't believe that I slacked off so much. I just kind of dug myself in and hid under the covers so to speak. I am feeling much more hopeful and I think it's time to give this little journey the time and effort it needs.
Okay! Sooooo the first thing I am doing is getting my life organized again. My first project is finances. Over the next week or so, I will be posting helpful hints, sites that have helped our family, my failures and most fun of all some printables to help get your finances organized! Gosh I love printables...I am a dork I know.

For this week's printable, I have created a Monthly Bill Tracker. This helps me ensure that my regular payments haven't been missed.

To download the form, click here.

Let me know if there is a particular form you would like to see. I have about 40 that I will be uploading in the next two months for all sorts of things.

The little blue bird at the top?
I adore her...you will see her on a lot of my printables.

I got her from Trina Clark. She is my go to graphics site!


Being shared at Tip Junkie

Weekend Plans ~ De-cluttering!

I found this quote above and it couldn't have come at a more perfect time. Thank you The Red Chair Blog for these words. They are so true and so helpful! She has it set up as a printable if you visit her site.

I love to be organized and have a sparkling clean house but lately I just feel the amount of stuff in our house is making that impossible. 

I tend to get these feelings after Christmas, throw in stock from my now closed little sideline gift business and all of the business stuff from my consulting business and it's just too much! Not to mention three teenagers.

My goal this week-end is to follow this little mantra at the top of the page and do some heavy duty de-cluttering. I have to be honest, I am feeling very overwhelmed right now. When people ask me for organizing advice, I always say start on one small area...set the timer for 15 minutes and just start! Then if that goes well, set the timer for another 15 minutes and keep going.

When purging, I like to have boxes set up for giveaway, recycle and garbage. I also keep a box set up for personal papers that need to be destroyed. A helpful hint that seems to work for me is to physically take the box out of the space once it is filled. Take garbage to the garbage and if you have things to give away, actually take them out to the vehicle to be dropped off.  It feels so good to go back to the space and see all of the progress you have made.

If you do have things left over that you just don't know what to do with (I will have gift stock etc.), it is okay to make a box labeled "To Deal With". The kicker though, is you have to deal with it and deal with it soon! You will feel so much better knowing that you have cleaned out the extra clutter in your lives. For me, I need a de-cluttered house/area to actually function with a clear mind.

What are you all up to this week-end?? Hope it is a happy one!

37 Things

I recently turned 37...yikes! I thought I would share 37 things you probably
don't know about me. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

1.I'm so scared of sharks that I can't even see them in a picture.

2.I love to read but don't read non-fiction very often, otherwise I get so
enthralled that's all I want to do.

3.My dream vacation is Italy. I lay in bed or catch myself daydreaming in the day about the smells,
sounds and beauty.

4.I have ten tattoos. They all have significant meaning to me. Except the dolphin
on my ass...that's just for fun.

5.My tongue is pierced and was done before it was "cool". I love it, can't see it
coming out anytime soon.

6.My favorite food is Greek Salad.
7.My favorite alcoholic drink is a good Caesar.

8.I'm very short tempered.

9.I'm addicted to orange juice. Can't get enough!

10.I read the Notebook every Christmas.

11.I like to label everything.

12.I'm very sarcastic...or so I've been told.

13.I like to help others. I like being able to provide something to someone in need.
Even if it's just a shoulder to cry on or a sweet letter in the mail.

14.I would say I have three vices:
~Cinnamon Dentene (I chew about 3 packs a week and have since high school.)
~Lip gloss - I don't leave home without it and I have it stashed in almost
every room of my house and in both vehicles.
~Swear words

15.I LOVE to plan parties and events. I do the vision board and
lists and the whole 9 yards. Love it!

16.In every town I have lived in as an adult, I've always had a favorite spot to walk and think. I've been in my current town for 7.5 years and have yet to find that spot. Makes me sad.

17.My guilty pleasure is movies. I love going to the movies! I like that for that 90 minutes I don't have to think or do anything but relax and watch.

18.I have Lupus but I am determined not to let it define me.

19.I will be 40 when my two youngest graduate. What the heck am I
going to do with all my free time?

20.I love the color yellow but don't own anything that's yellow.

21.My favorite sandwich is cheese whiz and pickles.

22.I secretly listen to Back Street Boys. Shhh don't tell anyone.

23.Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I could eat an omelet anytime of the day!
24.I have a University Degree but still prefer to use the words; cool, awesome and dude. A lot of times in the same sentence. A piece of paper should not define you.

25.Sometimes I laugh when people hurt themselves. I mean not when they are really hurt. In grade 7, my mom slipped and rode our Electrolux vacuum down a flight of stairs. I mean c'mon people,
like you wouldn't have laughed!

25.I'm very clumsy! I once shut my own head in a sliding van door. And just for the record, my mom laughed at me. Apparently it runs in the family.

26.I love music so much that I can't even find the words to describe it.

27.I slammed my hand in a car door when I was 9. The nail fell off.
It grew back but never grows long. Kinda creepy!

28.I am a walking contradiction. I am shy yet outgoing...happy in my own company, but need validation from others...healthy in some areas and unhealthy in others...I am quiet yet loud..I like the freedom of working at home, but find I miss the structure of a 9-5 career.

29.I am very impatient. I once tried to take a class on how to have more patience. When I called, that session was full and I would have to wait til spring classes. Ironic much?
And no I did not end up taking the class.

30.My heart is fragile and often gets hurt too easily.

31.I've always wanted to be a singer. Some even said I was pretty good. When I was 8, my dad brought home Laura Branigan's album with Gloria. That was it, I knew that being a singer was my dream. I was in choir and band most of my school years. Now I just sing to my kids in the van; I don't
know if they like it or not but they always let me sing my heart out.

32.I'm very sentimental and find comfort in the oddest things. When my papa died and all I wanted from their house was the coffee cup he drank out of and the
pink egg cup shaped like a bunny.

33.I'm not good at faking nice. If I don't like you, I'm sorry but you are going to know it.

34.I have insomnia. I have had it for years and it sucks.

35.I hum or sing quietly and not so quietly all day long. I wish our lives had a soundtrack playing in the back at all times just like the movies. Goofy I know.

36.I love trees. I love photographing them. I like the quiet calm and strong presence.
I always find beauty in them.
37.I have a very loud laugh. My laugh is a huge belly laugh. My girls always shh me but it's my laugh and I can't change it. I love to laugh.

Image Source

This is so cute! Kristen Bell's Meltdown

I think she is so adorable and I love how genuine she is. Made me laugh so much!

Loving This New Daily Schedule

Anyone who knows me at all, knows I la-ove lists and organization! I was sitting down the other night and was getting ready to design a new one for myself but decided to check out Pinterest first
(I am a tad obsessed) and I found this daily schedule.

It had everything I would have added to mine and was so cute that I just fell in love!

Go visit Mandi at Finding Home and see all of the other great printables she has!

Look at Our Spiffy New Blog!!

I loved the template that I used from Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates and I highly recommend visiting her! I have used a few of her templates for various things.

But it's a new year and I see my webpage growing in a new area so
it was time to shake it up and try on something new.

I la-ove what Lauren from Designer
Blogs did with my little page. So
beautiful and she has got to be
one of THE sweetest people
I have ever dealt with!
(Ohhhh looky at who got a fancy block quote now)

Thank you so much Lauren!

I have big plans for this blog for 2012. I am excited :)

Go visit the lovely girls at Designer Blogs, you won't be disappointed!