Replace game/puzzle boxes with plastic

Make your game and puzzles boxes all disappear to create a uniform clear plastic storage system. With the game boards just label on the outside and stack them all together. This is my project for the week.

Thought of the Day...

The Lord will accept that which is enough with a good deal more pleasure and satisfaction than that which is too much and unnecessary. It is good to be earnest, good to be diligent, to persevere,and to be faithful all the time, but we may go to extremes in these things when we do not need to.

Joseph F Smith

Thought of the Day...

Dost thou Love Life?
Then do not Squander time,
For that is the stuff life is made of.

- Benjamin Franklin

Organizing Children's Playthings...

So I haven't gotten very far into the book due to my job of chasing around two little crazies all day - but sometimes I think it is a good thing that I only got a paragraph or two in - because then I can contemplate that one topic for a longer period of time....

So this morning I got in my Paragraph and it happened to be on Organizing children's playthings... Oh - this is the struggle of my world! Cleaning up My kids toys - And I have realized it's partly my fault that our toy room is such a mess all the time...

For those of you who do not have the Book "the Ultimate Career" Here is a little bit from the book I enjoyed this morning....

"Children are precious, but it requires a lot of prioritizing and patience to raise them. They are bent on missions of destruction. They can spill, splash, scatter, mix up, mess up, and undo your day's work in a minute's time. They seem to specialize in causing clutter. Such Clutter, however, is not part of the problem. Scattered toys are not usually a sign of neglect; they can be evidence of growth, development and good times for children. However, they should gradually be taught to manage their clothing and toys and to clean up after themselves. It is a slow process. A young child can be expected to pick up about as many items as he or she is years old, so you do not get much help from a three year old. The training program and the ultimate results can be greatly enhanced,
however by these few tips:"

Keep the playroom de-junked

Throw away broken toys

Give away Surplus toys

Assign a "Home" for each toy

in addition to helping keep things neat,

this system reassures children, who find

security in order and routine

Create organizers for things

Be consistent in having the children 'help"

put their play things away at the end of

each play period or at the end of the day.

(Pg 19-20 of "The Ultimate Career")

I Thought it was interesting that they said you could expect a child to pick up as many items as they are old --- I usually refuse to pick up my kids toy room - The kids do pick up the whole disaster themselves with my coaching ---- But Recently we have been cleaning the toy room like this --- the kids take turns picking up 5 things - and we have this little rebounder excersize trampoline in their toy room - so while one kid is picking up their 5 things the other kid is jumping on the trampoline - It has been nice to not have to beg them to clean their toy room - It is more like a game - than anything - And they are always so proud of themselves by the end - and they have used up a lot of energy on their little trampoline!
I found a great article on

Sorting and Storing your Child's Artwork

The picture above is how we hang our kids pictures and things - IT is just 3 yard sticks 9 bulldog clips and 9 screws ( I just threw a screw through the hole in the bulldog clip and thru the yard stick to attach them to the wall) so for about $9 dollars or so I have a great place to hang the kids artwork and papers and I think it looks cute on the wall in their toy room or bedroom. I know some people who take a photo of all the artwork - and put it either on a blog or a photo album - I personally think I will do the blog - because then you can absorb it into a blog book and have all the artwork in one book to enjoy forever rather than having it all cluttering up your house.

Other great publishing sites:
LuLu
Shutterfly

Funny Cuz' it's True....

I Started reading the book "The Ultimate Career" Again --- 

Thought this was funny because it is 

true of my home at this very moment...

Are You living in C.H.A.O.S? ------

Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome!

I think right now it's more like give me at least a days notice before you can come over Syndrome... This is kind of a hard situation I am in, while trying to get my house in order - we are trying to get our basement finished - so part of our house is under construction - I am everyday waiting on construction - electric guys - plumbers - so that I can put my house back into together! I cannot wait to have this extra space - But in the mean time everything that was in the basement is tucked into nooks and cranneys of the house and the garage - Oh I cannot wait to tackle that garage when the weather gets a little better! Hopefully the Basement will be done by then so that the Job will be a little easier!

THought of the Day

" ' Time is a created thing. 

To say 'I don't have time' is like 

saying, 'I don't want to.' "

-Lao-Tzu

Hello... Anybody out there?!

Hey Ladies... 

What do ya say 

we get this blog rollin' again - 

I was loving it but where did everybody go?! - 

Maybe everyone else got themselves 

all organized or something - 

but I am still in the works?

This week I would like to give a shout out to 

"REAL SIMPLE MAGAZINE" - 

I am not a big fan of magazine subscriptions - 

I think they just clutter up my house or 

you read them and then throw them away - what a waste - 

I just assume look at most things on the net- but that is just me - 

but I do subscribe to this one - 

It always has amazing organizational tips - 

Great simple decorating ideas - 

and usually has a couple of great recipes - 

The article I am loving in this months issue - Is called...

TOO MUCH STUFF...

A look at your love hate relationship 

with the possessions that surround you, 

and how to liberate yourself from unnecessary clutter.

Top six causes of clutter

1. Obligation

"if I get rid of this wedding vase, I'll feel guilty."

2. Some Day

"But I might need seven sleeping bags one day"

3. Might be worth something 

(Someday again)

"I think this brooch/chair/ugly knicknack might be valuable again"

4. Procrastination (no home for things)

"If I put the bills away I'll never pay them on time"

5. Just the right place for you beloved Junk to go to

"I want this chartreuse MUUMUU to go to a good home"

6. No Motivation

" I want to declutter, but can't get motivated"

I think sometimes half the solution to any problem 

with any thing is realizing why you have the problem  

( in this case clutter)

I think it just gets you thinking about 

ways to make your problem better 

or make it dissappear!

Tips i enjoyed from the article...

Spot treat areas of clutter - 

Keys, pens, cell phones, and tubes of lip balm 

can swallow up a counter top - 

Dedicate a basket or shelf to them

Accept your lifestyle - I love the idea of a totally clutter free 

home, like the ones you see in "Architectural digest", but it 

is not us! My biggest fear is that I will spend so much time 

trying to clean and straighten up that I will be too cranky 

to enjoy life!

"splurge on high quality item - 

not things you'll need to toss in six months.

Recycle Junk Mail as soon as it comes in- the quickest way to 

feel cluttered is to have stacks of unneeded papers lying around

it's Ok to toss - or pass on- 

that shampoo or lotion you tried but hated - 

REALLY

Do you have any quick clutter reducing tips 

you use that you would like to share?

Let us Know...

Blog to ya soon

haha

Chris Stokes

Ps - Another great place to read about this topic is here...   or here...