New Year Home Organization Challenge!!

Heeeyyy!!!

If you have been here a while, you know that every year, I like to follow along with A Bowl Full of Lemons and their super awesome home organization challenge. It is a 14 week cleaning/purging/organizing challenge that always gets me excited for the new year. I secretly think I subconsciously refrain from throwing things out (old toys, clothes, etc) during the end of the year, just so I can feel more accomplished during the challenge!! Hahaha

The first week usually starts the second week in January, but you can catch up/join any time. She has everything posted on her blog.

Week one begins in the kitchen. This is where I spend 90% of my day, so I love this one so much. This past summer, we moved from Maryland to Virginia, so I have a new house to organize this year! I still sometimes find myself changing and rearranging things to find them the best home. 

Here is a before of what our counters looked like.  I had a bunch of fruit/vegetable bowls taking up space. (This really drove me crazy!) We still had some lingering holiday/snow items laying around that needed to be put away. 

I was able to give it a quick cleaning and put everything where it belongs, and find a new home for my oils. They fit perfect!! I also found a new basket to hold all the fruits and veggies and utilize some vertical space instead of all the bowls! (Except it's empty right now because I need to get to the grocery store! :D) 

I am so excited to finally have this area set up in a way that makes sense, and gives me a clean work space!! 

Part of this week's challenge also involves cleaning the appliances. When we moved into this house, the stove had SO.MUCH. baked on crud. I am still trying to get it all off, little by little, without damaging the surface. This week, I tried something new. I usually use baking soda and vinegar to gently scrub the surface, but this time I used baking soda and my Young Living Thieves cleaner. It worked SO great! You can see how it got to work picking up a lot of the grease and junk. I still have some work to do, but this mixture took off a lot more than I have been able to do so far!

I am ready for week 2!! It's the pantry! :D 

Are you participating in this challenge too? I would love to see your before and afters! Come share them on my Facebook Page! 

You can also see daily updates on my Instagram. If you follow me, leave me a comment and I'll follow you back! 

See you soon! 

XOXO

Menu Plan Monday - April 04

Goooood morning!!

So last week was fun. I got to work on a couple projects. I have a list of projects that I need to finish. I was able to cross one off the list, and do two others that were not on the list.

One of these projects included a little make over for our lazy susan. We got one from IKEA after we moved here. It's a blonde wood and I have never really liked it. It didn't fit with anything else in our house. I have been wanting to refinish it, but I could never decide what color I wanted it to be. After stalking Pinterest for a few minutes, I finally made a decision!! AND I got to learn how to use a new tool - a Dremel. I have used one before, but only to carve pumpkins and my husband set it all up for me. Haha. This time I used it to etch wood and got it all set up by myself. (ThanksYouTube!) ;)

Here it is! What do you think? My husband said it reminds him of the Garth Brooks logo. I think I have to agree.

I will do a full post on this soon! I am so glad I decided to stain it. Now it matches the bar stools I refinished last summer :)

I also refinished the top of our living room table! It was getting a little banged up, and I wanted a change. I originally covered it with some pretty contact paper, but I hated it because it didn't match the room at all! After a couple weeks, I pulled it off. Not a good idea! Now I really needed to redo it!
A friend let me borrow some chalk paint, and I just redid the top. It is so much better. It may not be perfect, but we're moving soon, and it's not coming with us. It's great for now! :)

Our kitchen got a little update with some fun new rugs! I am in love with the bright colors in these!

And finally...I got Amelia's mobile finished and hung up. This is the one I got to cross off my list. It really should have been done a long time ago!

All in all, it was a pretty productive week! Thank goodness we had easy dinners planned!! :D
I'm looking forward to what this week has in store!!

Here is what the menu looks like!!

 Chili mac & cheese

 Tacos

Pork chops, green bean casserole, salad

Sesame noodles with chicken and broccoli

 Pizza

I don't have Saturday and Sunday planned yet!! I'll have to work on it and update later this week!! ;)

Our breakfasts this week will include:
* eggs
* French toast
* biscuits & gravy
* muffins
* waffles

Lunches:
* chicken salad
* tuna
* mac & cheese

Snacks:
* carrots with hummus
* vegetable spinach dip
* yogurt with fruit


I would love for you to stop by my Facebook page and let me know what you are eating this week!
You can also find me on Instagram where I post throughout the week!
For more menu planning ideas, check out the Menu Plan Monday I link up with! :)

See you soon! :D

14 Week Home Organization Challenge - Week 8- Kids Closet

I know what you're thinking...Where are weeks 6 & 7??? The master bedroom and closet?? Well, it is all typed up and ready to go, but I realized I am missing some 'After' pictures. And it wouldn't be fair to share the before without the after. So, instead of putting it off completely, I am bringing you the kids bedroom.
Today, only the oldest got his bedroom and closet taken apart and put back together. While he may have moaned and groaned in the beginning, once he started to see progress, I think he actually enjoyed finishing. I only got pictures of the closet makeover, but that was the biggest adventure in his room. Here is the before...Lots of hangers. This closet used to be nice and organized...then a teenager happened! Haha He looks like he was even trying to hide from it all!

We got to work pulling everything out that didn't fit anymore, or that he just didn't like anymore. There was a lot of both!
Our church was (conveniently!) doing a clothing drive, so we were able to donate all of his castaways to a good home!

You'll see in my master bedroom closet makeover that I got us some grown up hangers. I saved all the white plastic ones and gave them to J. His hanging clothes are separated now for school/church/etc. and they all get to be on nice white hangers. It looks so much nicer! His closet is now super organized. All the board games have been rearranged and put back together. And look at all that space below!! This was definitely a win for today!

But wait...there's more...I also got A's closet cleaned out since she doesn't really need it right now. Hers is completely empty for a big adventure we are about to take on! I will be sharing more details about that soon!! :D

Want more organization ideas??
I will be sharing more updates over on my Facebook page!
I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to the subject!
Sometimes I also share on Instagram

And- You can follow along with more organization at A Bowl Full of Lemons

Stay tuned for the Master bedroom! :D

14 Week Home Organization Challenge - Weeks 4 & 5 - Launch Pad & Living Room

Okay...we're almost caught up now! I planned on posting these two weeks together since they are in the same space.
 I was not very excited about these weeks.  This is our 'grown-ups only' room. No toys allowed. The room that I loved so much, that used to be my favorite place in the house, had somehow turned into just a room in the house. How did that happen?? After some thought, I realized when it may have happened. It was a very slow process. First, the baby items came in. I expected this, and I know they won't be here long. But then the snow came, and with it all the hats, gloves, scarves, etc. They all piled up by the door. It just started to feel like stuff was cluttered everywhere. I got right to work clearing out all the extras. Once it was all done, I walked into the room so many times throughout the day just to soak it all it. My favorite room is back!
Let's get to it, shall we?
Here is our entry table. With Valentine decorations that were never properly displayed. And the basket of winter items. And the baby's car seat. Ugh.

And a close up in case you can't see all the crazy!

This is the view looking from the kitchen.

I decided it was time for the Valentine's Day things to go. Valentine's is over now, so we don't need to see it anymore. I took the car seat and moved it by the garage door for now so it can stay in the car. I also refreshed my flowers and updated our picture in the frame.

So much better!! I'm planning on getting a new candle for the candle holder!

Next was the living room area.
From the kitchen entry and around...

This crooked picture is what happens when I hold my phone above my head and try to get a wider shot! :D

I finished removing all the Valentine's related décor. Put the pillows back on the couch, and rearranged the items on the shelf.

I also pulled the rug closer to the couch and tucked it under a bit. Pinterest said that would help the room feel more grounded. Haha. We'll see!

I also dusted off the TV stand and rearranged our little bird family on there ♥

 This whole process, including shaking out the rug, and moving it, and vacuuming the room, took less than 30 minutes. It was definitely a much needed transformation. The room is so much more peaceful again!!

You can see the full challenge here: (I will update as I go!)
Week 1 - Kitchen
Week 2 - Pantry
Week 3 - Dining Room
THIS IS WEEKS 4 & 5 :)
Week 6 - Master Bedroom
7 - Master Closet
Week 8 - Kid's Closet
Week 9 - Linen Closet
Week 10 - Bathrooms
Week 11 - Office
Week 12 - Playroom
Week 13 - Laundry Room
Week 14 - Garage/Car

Do you have a favorite room in your house? Stop by and let me know!!
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You can follow along with A Bowl Full of Lemons to Organize your home in 14 weeks, too!! This week, I'm working on the Master Bedroom!!

14 Week Home Organization Challenge - Week 2 - Pantry

Week 2 is done!
We have a small pantry, and I meal plan weekly, so I don't have a lot of 'extra' in our pantry. I thought this would be a super easy week for me. A little wiping down and rearranging, and I would be done. I was wrong. The layout of everything in my pantry was totally fine, and everything worked great where it was, but I think there is always room for improvement. So I improved.
I wiped all the shelves down. Let me tell you...they were dirty! I wipe them down occasionally, but they really collected a lot of dust, especially the bottom ones.  And the shelf where my spice basket is. Thankfully, it is all sparkling now! :)

Here is my before...

I started with re-labeling all my spices. I've had to replace a few recently, and didn't put labels on them yet. I also changed the pink ones to green so they all match :)
I know I've shared this before, but I think it is one of my favorite organized pantry items.
I forgot to get an after pic, but I'm sure you can imagine what it looks like!

Here are all my shelves after some cleaning and rearranging:

I even busted out the label maker!!

 I only made a *little* mess. What else is an empty island countertop for??? Thankfully it all got cleaned up right away, and the counter is back to new!

 Week 3 is all about the dining area. I snapped this real quick while I was typing up this post. I don't have a lot in this room, but I'm sure I will find a way to make it better.

You can see the full challenge here: (I will update as I go!)
Week 1 - Kitchen
THIS IS WEEK 2 :)
Week 3 - Dining Room
Week 4 & 5 - Launch Pad & Living Room
Week 6 - Master Bedroom
7 - Master Closet
Week 8 - Kid's Closet
Week 9 - Linen Closet
Week 10 - Bathrooms
Week 11 - Office
Week 12 - Playroom
Week 13 - Laundry Room
Week 14 - Garage/Car

Come visit me and let me know how your challenge is going!
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Menu Plan Monday - Soup Week!

Hey friends! Welcome back!!
Did you get to see my Week 1 Results from the 14 Week Home Organization Challenge?? I'm really looking forward to the next 13 weeks! It's such a great feeling clearing out clutter, and items we don't need or use anymore!

This week's menu has a lot of soups! I didn't even realize it when I was planning, but when I went to type them up for this week, I noticed we have 3 nights where I have some type of soup planned. I am totally okay with that, though. Winter has finally showed up here! We got a taste of snow yesterday, and a lot more is in the forecast for the weekend! Perfect soup weather if you ask me!
We also have a birthday this week! Our sweet #2 will be turning the big 5 tomorrow!! He has requested his current favorite meal, so that is what we are having! I sadly do not have any photos this week, but I do have a couple recipe links. I will update with photos as I take them during the week!
On to the menu:

Leftovers - Tonight's leftovers include chili and lasagna from this weekend
I try to have leftovers every Monday. This is a pretty busy day for us, so leftovers make it a much smoother dinner routine. It's also a great way to clean out the fridge and make sure there is no waste!

Chicken noodle soup & hot chocolate (kiddo's choice!)
Homemade French bread (Everyone loves this bread! It's quick, easy, and delicious!)
Birthday cake for dessert (And breakfast Wednesday!)

Taco Soup - This is such an easy recipe to double! We'll be making one for the freezer, too!

Pork tenderloin ( I haven't decided how I will cook it yet)
Steamed broccoli
Brown rice

Calzones
My kiddos love to make their own! Everyone gets just what they want ;)
Salad

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup (Trying out THIS recipe)
I will probably make some more bread, too!

Spaghetti with lemon-thyme meatballs (I will update with the recipe and photos)
Salad with vinaigrette



Breakfasts here are usually eggs and toast, oatmeal, or pancakes
Lunches are sandwiches, mac & cheese, or leftovers from the night before

For more meal plan ideas, head over to Menu Plan Monday with I'm an Organizing Junkie! :D

Come visit me! I would love to see what you're cooking!
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