Five Question Friday-- February 7th

Happy Friday people! This week was certainly an odd week so I'm super glad it's over. :) This weekend the Museum of Natural History is having an "orchid weekend" so I think we may pop over there and see it. You can see some pictures I've taken of orchids here.

1. How do you organize your photos (digital & print ones)?

Since getting my camera I'm trying to be better about printing/editing/sharing photos. I organize my photos using iPhoto by month & year. The photos on my phone go in their own album (because they typically aren't as good quality).

My favorite album in iPhoto (not pictured) is called "Various Emailed Photos". I throw photos in here when my aunt sends me a picture of her dogs, my SIL at Prom, whatever. I don't save all of them, but I save my favorites.

I don't print individual photos and throw them into albums-- it's way too time consuming and I worry that the albums will damage the photos. However, I did print photos of our wedding. My sister got me a super nice engraved photo album that I put our favorite wedding photos in.

Anyway, I love Shutterfly albums.

I will usually make a Shutterfly album for various events (see above). These books are 8x8 and 1 is 8x11. Next time I'll make them all the same size-- 8x8. Eventually I'll have a giant stack of books. :) 

Oh, and I'm sure this is coming-- I keep them under our coffee table so people can look at them when they come over, I can peek through them, etc. 

2. How do you close a phone call?

Ha ha ha. If it's work related, it's just "Have a good day, bye" or something along those lines.

If it's my family/my husband/etc, we say "Gobble gobble". Where did that start? A few Thanksgivings ago, my aunt started saying it and it has spread ever since.

3. What is the one food that is your "cheat food"?

Hmm, I don't really have a cheat food. We do order pizza but lately it is so salty that I will just have breadsticks. LOL! Besides that I love Cinnamon Toast Crunch and it can get me into trouble sometimes.

4. Why don't you drink alcohol? (More here on #3). 

Don't really like it! Can't find anything I like that is worth the calories/weird feeling.

5. What is your most embarrassing story?

Honestly I cannot remember. I've had all the usual ones-- going out with my shirt on backwards, going out with a hole in my pants, etc. My dad has embarrassed me several times by honking the car when I was being picked up from school. Sorry, guess I don't have a very embarrassing life. :-)

Closet Makeover #2

You've seen practically every closet our tiny apartment has-- my husband's closet dilemma, the linen closet, and our giant office closet

We like our closets. :) I like our closets organized. Obsessively so. And clean. And they have to smell nice.

Well I've mentioned that we've had a lot of changes to our office closet, but it's nothing major (luckily). It's still not perfect and I'm not quite sure it will ever be perfect. Oh well.

I posted about the awesome organizing rack our neighbors gave us. We love it! We are so thankful to have it because now that we have Christmas boxes, decorations, etc, we need it!

We really aren't junky people (I promise)! I just don't know why this closet makes us look like we're hoarders. 

The Bath & Body Works bags has a TON of smelly stuff and Christmas gifts. Mmmm. :) 

...And this is where my OCD genes start making me shake. There is no organization and honestly? I'm sort of OK with it. I don't have enough time to get on the step stool and make it look pretty for 4 weeks until it's time to fill all that stuff back up with Christmas decorations. 

I have images of that glass jar tumbling down. Will definitely keep ya posted if it does. ;)

That giant box is our Christmas tree! It's all so dysfunctional it's making me cringe. Oh well. Again, for a week weeks, I can deal. 

Truthfully that shelf way up high is not that bad. There are several bins inside one bin (stacked) and they will all be filled with Christmas decorations come 2013.

What will we do with the boxes then? Your guess is as good as mine. Foot rests? Seats at our dining room table? 

PS-- These chalkboard labels? They are amazing. You can see I am very crafty and have wonderful handwriting, but seriously-- check them out! 

How I Stay Organized-- My Planner

Yesterday I posted about my Home Binder and how well that works for us and I got to thinking.. maybe I should show you my planner and how I really keep organized! 

My planner is pretty much my life-- I'm not sure what I would do if something (God forbid) happened to it! I use Amy Knapp's Family Organizer. My MIL had it a few years ago and I liked that there weren't any lines in it-- I can free style. :-) Well, there are lines on the page obviously but not on specifically each day. Does that make sense? Here's a photo to help you:

I have a pretty good system that works well for me. But it doesn't matter if it works well for me because your planner system needs to work well for you!

Every Sunday I plan out the next week. Nothing too thorough, just what I know will be happening that upcoming week (Ex: laundry, workouts, bills that are due).

The right side of the planner is the week (Mon-Sun) and the left side is a giant list of to-dos. They are pretty much my weekly to-dos (not to be confused with my home binder to-dos). Some weekly to-dos for example would be-- Sew up Oreo's toy smurf, order dogs' medication, etc.

I truly recommend this planner! It's absolutely wonderful. You can read more about it here.

I'll write in my planner all throughout the day-- little reminders, notes, whatever. When something is completed I usually just check it off. If it needs to be done ASAP I highlight it. You can see I have been crazy this week from the picture above. :)

Now, my planner is not to be confused with our "family calendar" on the fridge. Ah confusing, I know!

Nathan pretty much grew up with a system like this and when he asked if we could incorporate a "family calendar" into our life, how could I say no? Love that boy! So I basically also stole this idea from my MIL. 

First-- this calendar is the calendar I talked about here that we used for our rehearsal dinner guest book. I love that all our closest friends and family members have signed it on their birthdays. More information on that here. 

Anyway, this calendar has all the information that we do as a family, or separately. For example, a doctor appointment, someone visiting, etc. Because we only have one car, it's kind of important to know what's going on ahead of time. This calendar does not have to-do lists, just stuff we're doing. Does that make sense? It's even really nice when Nathan will write in when a football game is, for example, so I won't make arrangements for us to go somewhere.  

Sometimes I write what's for dinner but I find it's just more work. Maybe I'll start incorporating that-- I know my husband would love that idea!

I have no idea why Nathan's uncle signed his name "Instructor Craig". He's a goofball!

Like I always say, this system works for us. It may not work for us in the future, but it works for now. Don't think that if you go out an buy a planner and a calendar that it's going to work for you. You have to do what is best, easiest, and most convenient for your family! I encourage you to try multiple systems before you settle with one. 

Feel free to leave your questions in the comment section below! xO

My Home Binder-- How To!

Below is some information on my home binder. It's pretty simple and easy to use because that's what works for me. If you like this idea, be sure to Pin It on Pinterest! And be sure to follow me on Pinterest.  

There is only one necessity when it comes to a home binder-- ease of use. Mine is pictured above and I always need 3 writing utensils.. a pen, pencil, and a highlighter.

My binder is from Staples and I believe it is a Martha Stewart one (just like my home filing system).

My binder looks pretty empty (and to be honest, it is) but it has a lot of important information. I have these dividers with 4 different sections-- To Do, To Buy, Household, and Misc. 

I need to start writing my goals down. Maybe I'll put that in my to-do section. :) For now, I keep track of goals in my head and here on the blog. 

I keep mine pretty organized but I do have lots of post-its on the inside of each divider with "print 5x7 of wedding photo", etc. I'll breakdown each section for you below.

To-Dos

:: This section is obviously where I put all my to-dos. From big to small, they are all listed, crossed out, highlighted, and posted in this section.

:: Some to-dos are quite simple-- write a check for a bill, and others are a bit more complicated-- set up our thrift savings account.

:: Usually, when I finish my work for the day I'll head to my home binder and try to tackle a few to-dos. Some days I'm lucky to get a few things done.. others, not so much!

To-Buys

:: This section is also quite obvious. I usually put Christmas lists for people, random items we need around the house, etc. If someone is at my house and say they've always loved our bedspread, I'll write it down. If I'm stumped for a Christmas gift, I'll at least have that post it that they liked our bedspread.

Household

:: This section is my favorite! I have my cleaning list (One day I'll have to make one so readers can download it), stain removal sheet, etc.

:: I also put anything related to house stuff in here (Ex: When to change air filter).

:: When I'm about to work on a freezer cooking day, I'll put my plan in here. I usually plan it out about a week ahead of time (so I can buy everything) and make notes in this section.

Want to make your own home binder?

:: Make sure you have a binder. It doesn't have to be huge (1-2 inches is perfect). Make sure the binder has pockets and is pretty sturdy. You'll be opening and closing it often! 

:: Dividers are completely optional but definitely help keep you organized. You can have a divider for each child, each room in your house, you can really go crazy with this. I don't keep stuff about the dogs in my home binder, that's in our home filing system.

:: Don't keep anything too personal in there just in case you lose it. Social security cards, health insurance info, and other stuff like that should be in files (or closets) in the back of your house. I like to think of a home binder as the thoughts in my head on paper. 

:: Keep it out. If you keep it away in a desk, drawer, or hidden in a closet, you won't get it out often and use it. Keep it in your kitchen or in a place where you spend a lot of time.

:: Don't write down too much. I noticed at one point I was writing down "email Jessica". In the amount of time it took me to write "email Jessica" I could have just emailed her! Please don't make yourself crazy.

*Always remember that this binder is here to make your life easier. If you're finding it's a pain or not working, change the way you're using it.

Enjoy! xO

This Week's Goals

So I thought each Sunday I could post about the upcoming week's goals. I'm sure the goals will vary depending on what that week has planned, but I think it will help keep me organized. This way I have to be accountable for my goals, right? :)

Having weekly goals is pretty important to me. It keeps me busy for one, but it helps me seize the day. I don't want to waste my life not doing stuff I enjoy! I always tell my husband that I'd like to quilt, train the dogs (to do more than sit and lay down), volunteer, and read the Bible. Well, goal setting can help get me there.

This week's 10 goals

:: Write Nathan some notes to open while he's at work.

:: Run 20 miles-- 4 miles/5 times a week.

:: Read my Lightroom how-to book for one hour and continue my photography "course" for 1 hour.

:: Keep looking for Kale at the Farmer's Market and grocery store-- I want to use it in my smoothies before it starts getting too cold out!

:: Blog at 20something Saver for 3 hours each day (except Sunday).

:: Have 1 hour of no technology with Nathan each night. (Walking, cuddling, go out to eat, just be together).

:: Clean out/organize freezer.

:: Put all my important dates in my new planner. (I got this one because my old one was literally falling apart). And of course I just went to see what brand it is and it's already ripped from being in my purse. Awesome.

:: Help Nathan every way I can to get him organized and ready for his new job!

:: Put photos from my sister's visit on our Shutterfly share site.

Do you have weekly goals? Monthly or yearly goals? 

This week I"ll post about how I do my yearly/monthly goals.

xO

Cool Idea-- Syrup Dispenser As Dish Soap Pourer!

Isn't this awesome? 

I have always used those olive oil dispensers for dish soap-- here's a picture if you need a visual. Ours was clear and it was always such a pain! Nathan always had issues getting the soap out, one time a fly got in there (how in the world does that happen?), and yesterday the soap stopped coming out.

So off to Target we went in hopes of finding something to dispense dish soap. For $6.99 this little gem popped up and I fell in love. Nathan loved it because "it's unique and we are unique".

I just dumped the soap from the oil dispenser straight into the new one. I had to wash the blender earlier and the dispenser worked perfectly-- opened, closed, and didn't spill. I'm sure with time that will change but for how cute it is? I'll gladly wipe it up everyday. :-)

Home Filing System *Update*

So a while back I posted about my Extremely Thorough Home Filing System (You can read Part I here and Part II here).

I mentioned that the Martha Stewart Folder I had was getting stuffed to the max, and well, it was time to upgrade.

I moved my files to a regular filing cabinet about a week ago and I'm loving it. It's nice to have them right beside my desk and not in the closet-- I don't have to get up every 36 seconds. :-)

Now I have one of these fancy cabinets on my left, and one on the right. I am loving it so far!

Nothing has changed filing-wise, so I literally grabbed everything out of the folder and moved it to the cabinet. It was an easy switch. I ended up donating the folder because I knew we wouldn't use it again. And Nathan wouldn't dare be seen with a bright blue folder.. 

You can find the filing cabinet at Staples. It was about $100 even, so a little pricey for one filing system. The cabinet has a glass top (which I'm not a fan of come cleaning Saturday), but I am getting used to it. It was super easy to set up for Nathan-- probably took 15 minutes. 

You can read more about my filing system and what works for me here. Enjoy! xO

Closet Makeover

I wish I had a before picture for this! I know I sent one to my MIL but I cannot find it for the life of me. Oh well. The point is, this closet has improved 100%.

Before I show you the pictures, I guess you should know what this closet is used for. It's in our office, so it holds all things work related (besides my filing cabinet, planner, and home binder), my comforter bags (more info. on those here), sports stuff, and random holiday stuff. It's basically an organized mess with a bunch of randomly organized things in it.. but it works (for now).

I guess I forgot to mention I am a slight hoarder when it comes to cards. That's what the 2 black shoe boxes are holding. The pink one holds loose photos that are not framed or in albums/scrapbooks. My scrapbooking stuff is shoved in the corner, and a few games are up there, too. 

The two boxes on the right are filled with holiday stuff. This is not all my Christmas stuff, just random favorite holiday decorations. The clear box holds games/toys and other misc. items that we'll either donate at the end of the year or use as gifts for little kids/cousins.

This is probably my least favorite area because it's the least organized, and it's the most important stuff. (Do you see my Health Binder in there?)

I can't stand that these are sitting on the floor-- one basket for dry cleaning and one for ironing. It's all the works and it works for now!

We bought this gigantic storage shelving unit when Nathan's parents were here. Above is my sewing machine and all the gift wrap decor I use.

I have no idea why this picture is crooked! Here's the "mini" version of the shelving unit above. We got it from Target (about $20). The bottom shelf is random office supplies but the top two are my extra household supplies. 

Notice the 2 rolls of paper towels? Those are the last paper towels we'll be using for a while! We're going to try and live without them for 1 month. What are your thoughts on this?

Hope you're having a great night! What do you think of my closet organizational skills? Comment below! xO

My Obsession With Labeling

I've always been an obsessively organized person. It's fun for me and our house stays clean, but Nathan sometimes gets annoyed. Whoops. :)

When we first moved here we went to Staples to get my office all organized and BOOM-- I found the Martha Stewart section. She is kind of my idol. Long story short, we came home with $20 worth of labels. (Surprisingly the $20 got us me about 100 labels).

So what's chalkboard labels without colorful chalk? I am a lefty so I have terrible handwriting, but you get the point.

I also got the regular labels for containers that the contents won't change. (Brown sugar, sugar, flour, powdered sugar, etc). We'll always have those ingredients on hand, so the label doesn't need to be changeable. I put a piece of tape over the labels to keep it from peeling off. I occasionally wash these Tupperware containers but I want my labels to be protected!

The contents in the jars (pictured above) will change-- we won't always have rice or popcorn on hand, so I felt they needed the chalkboard labels. 

When applying the labels, make sure the containers you're labeling are clean and dry. It's obviously easier to write on the label before you apply it, so try to write while the label is still on the pad. 

Any questions? Comment below.

Nathan's Closet Dilemma

At quick glance this looks like a pretty normal closet, right? Wrong!

You probably cannot tell from the above photo, but when we moved in, this was supposed to be Nathan's closet. He was pretty excited to have his own space for everything and not have me bothering him with girly stuff-- skirts, dresses, what have you.

Anyway, the moment we opened the closet I noticed an issue. There was no room for clothes. You have got to me kidding me. See where the ties are hanging (now)? You can't hang a shirt "normally" because it's not deep enough.

...So we let it go and he moved over to my side with my dresses and skirts. Poor guy. We had this entire closet empty so I decided to make it my linen closet. Which would be nice because it's so close to the bathroom. (If you'd like to see the tour of our house, click here).

A few days later I got super organized and "did" my linen closet. (For that makeover, click here). I am so proud of it!

In the midst of all this organizing, Nathan's parents came to visit. They have done the DC Thing before, so I was hoping (secretly in the back of my mind) that Nathan's dad could take a look at this closet issue. Hey-- Dads like to help their sons get more closet space. It's a growing problem!

Nathan's dad took one look at the closet and could not believe how poorly designed it was. I think if he had more time he would have: 1. Told the management company off. 2. Redone our entire closet to look like this, but they had to leave 36 hours later. :-)

So we all hopped in the car and went to Home Depot. Norm knew what he needed to get for this "closet makeover" so it was quick and painless. Not to mention it cost just $9.

See? He put in that support to hang Nathan's clothes on/

I can't say if it was easy or not, but it only took Norm about 15 minutes. 

Viola! Nathan's wardrobe is complete. 

Isn't that awesome? Nathan was so excited to finally have his own space, and now I have room for more clothes! :-)

A Tour Of Our Apartment

Some of you have been asking for a "virtual tour" of our apartment. While it's certainly nothing out of a Pottery Barn catalog, it's quite organized, clean, and it smells nice. Isn't there something to be said about that?

This is our extremely small decently-sized kitchen. This is directly to the right when you walk in. My favorite part is my apron collection-- my mom's, great grandmother's, and just cute ones from my bridal shower. Above them I have a shelf with some candles and my cookbooks. I don't really use cookbooks but somehow I keep getting them! I hope one day I'll use them, but we'll see. :)

When you walk down the hallway past the kitchen, I have hung my little Creative Memories board. I try to update it often but it usually ends up being crammed with random cards/notes/letters and pictures. As you can see we're still celebrating the 4th of July here. Hey, we're in the nation's capital so we celebrate a bit longer! (To the right is the bathroom and to the left is our bedroom).

I don't have any good pictures of our bedroom because it's quite boring! Notice the fancy fan-- I highly recommend it. Thanks, Dad, for the housewarming (no pun intended) gift. It's this fan (Well worth $57) and my dad bought it because he was too hot unpacking our house. 

My stepmom set up the curtains and I love them. They add so much to this room. I rarely close them because I love looking out at night. 

This is my favorite part of our room! My jewelry area. I also have the frame above of my favorite shower gift (more info. on that later, but here's a sneak peek). 

Pretty much the only thing we have on the walls-- our puppies! Thanks, honey for setting these up! (You can see from this picture we have two entrances to the bathroom, left and right). 

I read in one of my Martha Stewart books that you are supposed to have something "live" in each room of your house. Did you know that? Well, I'm looking for a small flower to put in that vase. That's about as live as it's getting in the bathroom. 

We just have two bedrooms so the other room is the office. It has both our desks, another fan (I told you we loved them), a futon, and a huge walk in closet. 

As you can see Cocoa is quite comfy. :) During the day we usually lay the futon flat and open the blinds so the puppies can look out and bark at strangers. It's not annoying at all!

I said the closet was big! It's not quite as organized as I'd like, but you should have seen the before pictures. It was horrifying. Can you spot my extremely thorough home filing system?

See that big white box on the top shelf? That is my wedding gown. In a box. Forever. :(

This is the view you get when you walk right in. Now pictured is our dining room (back left) and couch (far left). 

My favorite part of the living room is above the fireplace. I'm not sure what we'll do with it long term, but for now it holds live sunflowers, my beautiful chalkboard, and our engagement violet, Sharon. 

Phew! I know I forgot a lot of little details, but that is definitely the big stuff! Enjoy! xO