That's a Wrap!

For a long time my present wrapping materials were a huge mess. They were spread out everywhere and I never could find what I was looking for. I hate wasted space and so I realized that we could do double duty with a small utility closet that houses our upstairs furnace to create a place for all the wrapping stuff to be in the same place.

I had my husband install a simple wire shelf across the length of the closet and then got to work. I used old wire hangers to hang my gift bags, separating them by boy birthday, girl birthday, Christmas, and general gift bags. This shelf is also where I store the kids' Easter baskets and Halloween bags. 

I bought a cheap dollar store tote and put all the tissue paper I have in it. It works well and can go right next to the gift bags.

For my rolls of wrapping paper I have this handy dandy wrapping paper duffel that I bought from Current Catalog ages ago. They don't sell it anymore but they do have this hanging one that I might like even better!

My gift boxes and bows only get used at Christmas time and so I don't keep them too organized. If I used them all the time I'd probably try harder but they are a low priority for the time being and function fine in their current storage receptacles. ;)

Now my utility closet is functional and keeps the kids and I much more organized when trying to wrap a gift! I guess you could say "that's a wrap!"

What space in your home is being underutilized? 

My Laundry Room Makeover

For the first half of our marriage my husband and I lived in Washington where my husband is from. While we were there we moved around a lot, living in four different places, in about 9 years. Because we didn't ever stay put for long and because we always had a baby in the house, we never really got to put our stamp on our homes. 

Then the Lord brought us to Utah where we've lived for the past 9 years, in the same house. We are done growing our family and have no intention of moving for a long time. Because of that we have been using the last four years or so to make this home our own. 

First we started by adding a deck to the back of the house. My husband did it all by himself and he did an awesome job! Then we moved onto a partial kitchen remodel where we rearranged some things to make the space more functional. You can read about that here, here, and here. It was a 3 part series which is why there's 3 links. ;) Next on the agenda was to remove the super lame peninsula fireplace that the previous owners had put in. Then last year we ripped up the hardwood floors that were made of the softest wood of all time and replaced it with beautiful Pergo flooring.

And this year's project was most exciting! It was a laundry room makeover! I know, I know, who cares if a laundry room looks nice or not? Well, in my house the laundry room is the first room one enters from the garage, which also makes it a mudroom for my kids. It is also a pass thru from the kitchen to the main floor bathroom. Laundry rooms by definition aren't supposed to be anything other than a room for laundry but when every guest that comes to my house has to see it, that changes things.

The first problem we addressed was what to do with the dog's crate. I wanted it to stay in the laundry room because it's out of sight but I wanted it to fit better somehow.

After looking on Pinterest I happened upon some "doggie dens" where people had created a space for their dogs using a space that already existed. My daughter Ainsley and I realized that Teddy's bed fit in the space without the crate. We just needed to come up with a door of some sort to keep her in.

Enter my awesome husband who did some researching and found this gate online. He then built it all by himself and made it look "farmhousey" per my request. It easily slides over the space and the dog transitioned to it with no problems. I love it and I love that her kennel is no longer a tripping hazard/ eye sore. :)

So apparently Nathan has a fear that all of our appliances will break at the same time which I guess is a reasonable fear since they are all the same age. He said since we were doing this update we might as well replace our old washer and dryer at the same time. They worked "ish" and were fine but it's been fun to have brand new ones which I have never had in all our years of marriage. They sure are fancy!

After getting the new washer and dryer my husband made a simple shelf to go over the back of them and we installed a simple gray brick backsplash to add visual interest. I love how both of them turned out! Nathan also added an under cabinet light to help me see those illusive stains on the clothes. He's pretty amazing. :)

The biggest transformation came on the mudroom side of the laundry room. I've had these IKEA cubbies for my kids' shoes and coats for years and they are awesome. They are durable and so much bigger than the ones at Wal-Mart or Target. I highly recommend them! I also had two hampers; one for socks and one for towels and stacked my laundry baskets on top. Very functional but not super pretty. Especially when the caboose came along and there wasn't enough room for another set of cubbies so we had to stack them on top! I LOVED my cubbies but as my kids are getting older I decided we were all ready for a more sophisticated approach to our storage. 

So I found an exact picture of what I wanted on Pinterest and hired a carpenter because although Nathan probably could've done it himself, he was nervous about it and didn't have the proper saw. Two days later and we have this glorious site! I thought I loved my cubbies but they pale in comparison to what I have now. SO PRETTY!!! We found the half size canvas bins at Wal-mart for the kids' gloves and hats and the canvas wicker shoe baskets at Target. I had a more "farmhousey" look in mind, like galvanized bins, but I made the mistake of taking Nathan shopping with me so yeah. ;) It's okay. It's still got shiplap which makes me super happy and since Nathan worked so hard on everything AND paid for it all, I suppose I could let him have a say in some of it. ;)

 Eventually I did let my kids hang their jackets and coats on the hooks, though I didn't want them to because then I wouldn't be able to gaze lovingly at the shiplap as easily, but oh well.  I got chalkboard labels for the bins too. I hung one of my most favorite reminders above and I think it turned out great!

 Here's another one of Nathan and my genius creations. I wanted a small drying rack to mount on the wall but I wanted it to also be pretty. I bought this window and pallet at Wal-Mart in their craft section and then Nathan turned them into a custom drying rack for me. Yup. We make a great team. :)

Here's the rest of the wall decor I've got in there. The top left laundry sign came from Hobby Lobby several years ago. Top right is a galvanized flower pot mounted to a wooden plaque. The plaque came from Wal-Mart  and everything else was from Hobby Lobby. The "laundry schedule" sign came from ETSY and I love it. Ain't it the truth?!? The middle left "Laundry" sign is from Amazon. The bottom left "wash, dry, and fold" signs are also from ESTY and the clock is from Hobby Lobby. I bought the washboard from Amazon as well and then distressed it to match the rest of the decor. I really love how it all looks!

My laundry room already had these open shelves. They just needed to be prettied up a bit. I got some more cute bins from Wal-Mart, seriously people, if you are trying to add more farmhouse to your decor, Wal-mart has it going on right now! Where was I? Oh yeah, I got some bins to hide the less aesthetically pleasing items and everything else looks good because it's white. Who knew toilet paper could make such a statement?!? Ha ha ha!

On the shelf I put more "pretty things" and I am not ashamed to say that they all came from Hobby Lobby. I love that store! And the fact that they were willing to lose everything in defense of their religious beliefs makes me an even bigger fan. There is too much "politically correctness" in this world and not enough moral decency. So yes, I love Hobby Lobby and their stuff is just dang cute too!

So now this is the view my guests have as they round the corner on the way to the bathroom. So. Much. Better!

Freeze!

A couple of days ago I did a quick little organization project and I thought I'd share. I organized my freezer... Prepared to be "frozen" with fear at the messy site! Ha ha! ;)

It was a jumbled mess, let me tell ya. :) Normally, I clean out my freezer and fridge a few times a year but with my major foot surgery and recovery this past summer/fall/winter, a lot of things got pushed aside. The freezer was one of many areas that suffered. Each shelf was packed and who knows what was even lurking in the very back? There were some mystery items, for sure. :)

The first step in any organization project is purging. Purging is where you take everything out of your space and go through it all, deciding what stays and what goes. Because I was working with frozen food I had to do this rather quickly. One very full garbage bag later, and I was ready to place all the remaining food back in.

Since I also have a large stand-up freezer in the garage, I decided to use the kitchen freezer for the things we use regularly and the garage freezer to hold the extra stuff that doesn't get eaten as often. To make the shelves able to stay neater I wanted to store the food into two bins, side by side on each shelf. The kids and I made a quick trip to the dollar store to see what we could find.

I was bummed to discover that my freezer shelves weren't wide enough to get two bins on each one. So I had to settle for one bin per shelf but it still works because the bins work as a divider of sorts which makes things easier to see and find. Here's how I categorized my freezer.

At the top is the "Treats" shelf. It's a terrible picture but for now all I have are my beloved boxes of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. I have a love/hate relationship with these things. I love to eat them but hate that they tempt me to eat an entire box in one sitting. ;) This summer it will also be the shelf for ice cream too. No one really wants ice cream until it's good and hot outside.

In the middle I have a shelf for frozen breads. My kids love the maple french toast bagels (they sound gross to me). They take them in their lunches and since I always have extras, I freeze them until they're ready to be used. In the bin I put our frozen biscuits from Schwan's. They're really good and we have them with dinner very often. The shelf below has the things the kids and the husband eat for lunch when they are home. We store the box of chicken nuggets on its side so it takes up less space.

The bottom shelf and drawer have our frozen breakfast items and veggies/fruits. My littlest guy refuses to eat cereal for breakfast like the rest of us so we always have a steady supply of Eggo waffles and french toast sticks around because those are the only things he'll eat. I love frozen veggies because they are so convenient to add to recipes. I don't particularly enjoy cooking so anything that speeds up the dinner making process, I'm all for. ;)

The upper door shelf got the meats I use most often in it. I try to feed my family healthy things so we use lots of ground turkey in our dinners, chicken meatballs, and when I do use hamburger, I mostly only use half and freeze the other half for a future dinner.

The middle and bottom shelves got the frozen potatoes and the kids' ice packs for their lunches. After all my cleaning I actually had a little shelf with nothing on it. I'm sure it will get filled up quickly enough. It always does. :) If you noticed I decided to label my shelves. I'm hoping it will help us all keep things more organized in the future. 

I also did a quick cleanup of the garage freezer as well. It was full of things we had intended to eat over the summer while I was on bed rest but my picky kids didn't like half of what we picked out. Grr. In the door are all my cherries. My silly cherry tree decided to produce a bumper crop of cherries over the summer and of course I couldn't do anything with them. So I had my mom freeze them all for me and nine months later, I'm still working on using them up! Anyone want any cherries? ;)

I didn't have enough "happy foot energy" to do too much to it, but at least it's cleaner looking now!

With a little time and a little effort my freezers are functioning so much better! And with the Dollar Store helping, this project cost me a whopping $3 bucks! How's that for a win?!? Woo hoo!

Everything but the Kitchen Sink

Today I looked at the cabinet under my kitchen sink and gasped. How on earth did it end up looking like this?!? I'm supposed to be organized! Then I thought back to the last time I had cleaned out this cupboard and suddenly drew a blank. When was that...? I honestly could not remember, which probably equates to never. At least not since we moved here. Eight years ago. Yikes.

As you can see, once upon a time, I had made somewhat of an effort to contain stuff. I see a couple of bins and a grocery bag container. There's too much stuff in the bins though and there's even more junk hiding behind. This cupboard is in serious need of a makeover! Well, ahem, that happens to be my specialty, you know. So I had at it. I love me a good organization project!

First the little dude and I made a meandering trip to Target. You know, the kind you can only make when four out of the five kids are in school. Yeah. I love those trips. The others? Not so much. ;) Anyway, I digress... Where was I? Ah yes, Target. I love that place! Knowing that I already had two big bins to work with I was on the look out for some stacking shelves called shelf helpers and some smaller bins. Target did not disappoint!

When I came home I got to work. First I pulled everything out of the bins and decided what was a keeper and what was a tosser. I filled a garbage bag with tossers. Eight years became painfully obvious at that point. As you can see the bins were nasty. Years of things being spilled in the bottoms had not been kind to them!

Thankfully, they were good quality bins and all they needed was a good scrubbing. :)

After I cleaned the bins I continued on to empty out the rest of the cabinet. There was a friendly little Easter sticker waiting for me in the back. Hello little Easter egg! How on earth did you get there? It's a mystery. After all the dirty work was done I got to the good stuff. Placing!

An under sink cabinet is tricky I discovered. There's plumbing and a garbage disposal to work around. I had to rearrange things a few times until I found the most accessible and logical way to place things. I used one of my shelf helpers to place the garbage bags. Always try to place like items together. It'll make it easier for everyone to find/ put things away later.

Here's my favorite Christmas present of all time right here. I LOVE my label maker. After all of my items were placed in their appropriate containers, I whipped out this bad boy. Most organization projects aren't truly complete without labels. I can't emphasize this enough! Obviously, you don't want to label everything but an under the sink cabinet (or anywhere not out in the open for that matter) is a perfectly acceptable place for some labels.

I opted to place the labels on the tops of the bin handles. Since the cabinet is under the sink, it will mostly be opened while looking down into it. This will make the labels easily seen.

And here's the finished product! The extra garbage bags are tucked away neatly in the back but still easily reached thanks to my shelf helper. Another shelf helper sits on the other side and contains the extra hand soaps and has my handy rubber gloves (I don't like touching raw meat) underneath. The dish products are now in a little bin of their own instead of being lost/ spilling out every which way. And all the miscellaneous cleaners that I don't use as often are grouped together. 

It looks so much better and I'm confident my husband will be singing my praises tonight when he reaches under the sink to find the dishwasher detergent. That's right. My husband does the dishes at my house. Every night. Jealous? You should be. ;)

And that folks is how I conquered everything but the kitchen sink.

Organization Mini-Series: Organize Your Time

For the next few posts I will be doing a mini-series in preparation for the organization class I will be teaching next week. I wanted to be able to include the following things in more detail in my class: Organize Yourselves, Organize Your Kids, and Organize Your Time. However, because of time constraints in the class I can't fit them all in. Instead I will be posting them on here. :)

Organize Your Time

I love this cartoon! Sometimes there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to get anything done!

I. Introduction
A long time ago when I was in high school my older sister was in charge of taking us to school. It seemed that if we weren't running out of gas (curse of an old truck with a broken speedometer!) then we were running late. We were never actually late but the way I remember it we ran everyday to make it over to D building for our first classes of the day. Now due to my crooked foot I can't run very well. My sister  knew this and so she would say, "Just hold onto my backpack!" And so I did. I'd grip her backpack and away we'd go while she'd pull me hobbling along behind. We must've looked so funny but it worked. :)

Fast forward to a couple of years later when my sister was in college and it was my turn to drive my little brother to school. We were never even close to being late. Even back then I was good at managing my time. Plus, I trained my little brother on how to start up that old truck so it would be good and warmed up and not stall on the way to school. ;)

Time management is more than just being on time though! It's about making time to not only get the things you need to get done during the day/ week/ month but also making time for your interests as well. And it's about remembering that you are only one person and don't have to do everything all at once.

II. Invest in a Clock (or two or three or four)

I have a clock in every room. I'm serious! Being on time is important to me and so I make sure I always know what time it is. Every bathroom, the laundry room, the kids' rooms, they all have a clock. Some rooms even have two. Ha! I can't stand it if I don't know what time it is. I consider promptness a sign of respect and good manners. When you make the effort to be on time for an appointment you are telling the person you are meeting they are important to you. Plus you are teaching your children that others matter more than themselves. A child that is constantly late to school disrupts class every time they walk in the door. That's not really fair to the other kids or the teacher. As a mom it's my responsibility to make sure my kids get to school on time. Hence the clocks. ;)

III. Balance
There are only so many hours in the day and if your To Do list is anything like mine it's never-ending! Oh what I could get done if only the hours were infinite! But they're not and so I have to carefully choose how to spend my day. If all I did all day was clean the house (which I could easily do having five kids and all) I would feel so burned out! But if I only pursued my own interests every day then the housework would become insurmountable! There has to be balance!

 I do one major chore each day, I delegate the daily clutter control to my children, and my husband also helps with chores by keeping the dishes washed. That takes care of the household stuff. I also make sure I schedule time daily to play with my kids. Actually, we all know kids get most of our time but they do need quality attention too. Everyday after lunch, before nap time, I go down to the basement with my two littlest ones and we play. The older three go to bed later so they get their quality time then. I also make sure to take some time to do what I want, like watching a TV show while the youngest naps and the others are playing together in the basement. That "me" time is how I recharge and so I use it everyday. I also try really hard to exercise with my husband every evening. That takes care of our couple time and my health. See where I'm going?

When I'm taking care of my responsibilities as a mother, a wife, a homemaker, etc. I find I'm so much happier and everyone's needs are being met, including mine! It can't be all about them but it can't be all about me. A balanced life is a happy life!

IV. Time and a Season
Even though balance is important there's something that's even more important and that's remembering that you are only one person! We all want to be "Super Wife" and "Super Mom" and "Super Friend" but that is unobtainable, really. We have to remember that perfection is not real when it comes to life. If you try to reach beyond your capabilities too much you will burn out quickly. Then what good will you be to anyone?

I know so many moms who are trying to be everything to everyone all the time. It's exhausting to watch. They are trying to complete their educations, work, be moms, etc. all at once. There are so many things I want to learn and do but I know that I have limits and so I put some of my goals on the back burner and wait until the timing is right.

Finishing school will be there later when my kids are older as well as those other personal goals. For now, my season is to be home with my kids and I'm okay with that. I can have it all. I just don't need it all right now!

V. Simplify
The most important advice I can give to anyone who is struggling with time-management is to simplify! Just because someone asks you to help with a party, for example, doesn't mean you have to. Even if they are a friend. If you've already got a dozen of other things on your plate then politely decline. If they are truly a friend they'll understand. That goes for kid commitments as well. If your child wants to be in the school play but they're already doing two sports they don't have to do it. There are so many parents out there that think they have to let their kids try everything that interests them. Kids need time to be kids more than anything. They need time to use their imaginations and play. And so do moms! Learn to say no and you'll be surprised at how much time you have! ;)

If you find you are staying up late every night to finish your daily tasks then I'd say you need to find places elsewhere to simplify. Getting enough sleep should always be included in the balance of your day. If you aren't sleeping enough your health suffers. You are hungry more often, irritable, unable to focus as well,  and the list goes on and on. I never let my commitments get in the way of my sleep. Sleep is sacred!

VI. Conclusion
I have a busy life just like the rest of you. It's tough trying to get everything done and I do get overwhelmed. But I also know how to manage my time and always make sure that I keep my life as balanced as possible. Plus, I know my stress-limits and am not afraid to say no if I need to. Time is usually my friend and it can be yours too!

Organization Mini-Series: Organize Your Kids

For the next few posts I will be doing a mini-series in preparation for the organization class I will be teaching next week. I wanted to be able to include the following things in more detail in my class: Organize Yourselves, Organize Your Kids, and Organize Your Time. However, because of time constraints in the class I can't fit them all in. Instead I will be posting them on here. :)

Aww, look at my sweet baby girl, Aftyn. The cutest princess wiper-offer ever!

Organize Your Kids

I. Introduction
A key component to having a more organized life is getting the whole family on board. If you don't put forth an effort to keep your kids organized as well as yourself chaos will ensue and it will happen fast! Five kids remember? Ha ha. ;) There are some great ways to help your kids be more organized which in turn will help everything in your household run more smoothly.

II. Teach Kids Independence
The more kids can do for themselves the less you're going to be running around like a crazy person trying to do everything for everyone. A small child is capable of doing many things if you just give them the chance. For example, they can help clean up, do simple chores, and fetch things. With a little guidance, they'll soon be managing a lot on their own.

I love checklists! They are super helpful for keeping kids on task. My kids (almost) never need to be reminded of what to do each morning and night. All they have to do is refer to their checklist. I've been doing the morning checklist for a few years now and it works great. The bedtime works well for my three middle children. My oldest is a teenager and although she knows what she is supposed to be doing, it's the convincing that's the problem. Ha! I'm still counting it as successful since three kids follow it like clockwork. ;)

Another thing that I do is have my kids set out outfits for each school day. The oldest now picks out her own clothes but I still have her set them out each Sunday night. The others prefer me to help and that's okay. That way I know they match. ;) It cuts back on morning chaos when everyone knows exactly what to wear.

III. Teach Children to be Helpful
I remember watching a reality show with Jessica Simpson. She had recently married and didn't know how to do any housework. Her mother had done it all for her and her sister, including cleaning their rooms while they were at school! She's rich so she can just pay someone to clean for her but the rest of us don't have that luxury. You are doing no favors to your kids if you don't teach them basic life skills, including how to clean. 

This is what I like to call the "Helpful Chart". Anytime I ask my kids to do something for me and they promptly obey with a good attitude they earn a sticker. After they've gotten ten stickers they earn a reward of their choosing. I give them three choices to help narrow things down and keep it fair. My kids love this chart and I love that it is so positive. Once a sticker goes on they can't lose it for naughtiness either. I love it. Plus, I laminated it so the kids just peel their stickers off when they're ready to start over again.

My kids also do chores regularly. During the school year they are mainly in charge of keeping their rooms picked up, taking out the garbage, clutter control, and bathrooms (Saturdays). In the summer they have many more responsibilities. They get paid allowance for doing these chores. I also provide some $1 "wild card" chores that they can pick from, up to three a month, if they're trying to buy something quicker. Chores are non-negotiable. They get done or they lose a privilege. They always get done. ;)

IV. Provide Storage for their Things
This last point is so important! If you don't provide places for your kids' things then there's going to be many lost shoes/ homework/ items. You have to train your kids to be organized and teach them your systems otherwise it's going to be a failed effort.

Those who know me best know how much I love my cubbies! They are tucked into the corner of my laundry room and have proved to be invaluable as far as keeping my kids organized. Each child has two cubbies; one for their shoes and one for their coats/jackets/hats etc. I got mine from IKEA and they were worth every penny!

I also provided hooks for backpacks and lunch boxes for each of my kids in the coat closet. The kids know the drill very well: Hang up backpacks, put shoes and coats away, done! Little things like this make life so much easier. Don't forget to label too. That way there'll never be any confusion on whose spot is whose. ;)

V. Conclusion
In conclusion, I just want to say that I get it. I truly do. Trying to keep kids organized is a daily effort and it's not easy! However, if you implement just a few simple changes I guarantee that it will become at least a little easier. Teaching your children to manage themselves and their things is so important. And even though they may balk at change, in the long run they will be glad you taught them. :)

Organization Mini-Series: Organize Yourself

For the next few posts I will be doing a mini-series in preparation for the organization class I will be teaching next week. I wanted to be able to include the following things in more detail in my class: Organize Yourselves, Organize Your Kids, and Organize Your Time. However, because of time constraints I can't fit them all in. Instead I will be posting them on here. :)

I may feel like this on the inside some days but you won't ever see me look like this on the outside! Ha ha!

Organize Yourself

I. Introduction 
There are so many ways to be organized other than just having an organized home! Life organization is equally important to having a less stressful life. When you take the time to love yourself, you will be a nicer mommy, more loving wife, and altogether happier.

II. Put Yourself First 
When I became a new mom at the ripe old age of 22, I realized that there seemed to be a trend going on with a lot of my mom friends. Somehow, it became an unspoken rule that when one entered motherhood, one had to "let themselves go." I noticed many moms declaring to the world, "I'm a mother! I'm busy! I don't have time to fix my hair! I don't have time to get dressed! Make-up? How dare you even suggest such a thing! I am devoting all my time and energy into motherhood now and putting myself very last on my to-do list. That is why I go grocery shopping in my pajama pants!"

I knew I didn't want that to happen to me! That is why I decided right then and there that I would not fall victim to that trend and would remain true to myself. I decided that no matter what, I would get myself dressed, fix my hair and put on makeup each and everyday. And I would do it before I cleaned the house, ran errands, etc. I decided to be bold and instead of putting myself last on my never-ending list of things that needed to get done I would (gasp) put myself first! At least in this small way. :)

I have five children so believe me when I say I know how time consuming it is to be a full-time mother and a full-time homemaker. But think of it this way: If you had a job outside the home would you roll out of bed, stick your hair in a messy bun, and go to a meeting with your boss in pajamas? Of course not! The idea is laughable! Your boss would expect you to arrive at work neat, clean, organized, and ready for your day. And if you weren't you probably wouldn't have that job for too long. ;)

Well, when you are a stay-at-home mom you are your own boss and you can hold yourself to that same standard! I find that because I take the time to pretty myself up each morning that I am happier. It gives me a mental boost each morning to know that I did something for me. :) Especially when it seems like the rest of my day is devoted to serving my family and others. I also like that I am sending the message to the world that I like myself. I care about myself and I love what I do. I love being a homemaker and a mother and by looking nice everyday, I am declaring that I have a happy life. I don't think I would be sending the same message if I looked like crap all the time. ;)

And it's easier than you think. Grab a shower while the baby naps. Turn on a show for your toddlers while you fix your hair or set them up with some toys in your bedroom while you put your makeup on. It will do your children a world of good to see that their mommy is taking the time to care for herself.

III. Mommy Projects
Another important part of self-organization is what I like to call "Mommy Projects". Homemaking and motherhood can oft times be like the movie Groundhog Day in that the monotony and same thing day in and day out can be tedious to say the least. That is why I like to do "Mommy Projects" every now and then. When I feel myself getting overwhelmed I try and take a little while to do something I like. After all, I am not just Ainsley, Aftyn, Gavin, Breah, and Brody's mom. I am also Cara. I have likes and interests outside of homemaking and motherhood, believe it or not. ;)

I have a craft room downstairs in our basement that is my sanctuary. I can keep it messy and it is my own space. I can go in there and get creative while my kids play in the family room. I am still accessible to them and tuned in, yet I'm not doing just mommy things. Instead I am pursuing my own things. It helps me feel refreshed and ready to go back to the drudgery. ;)

IV. Health and Spirit
Probably the most important part of keeping your life organized is keeping your health at the top of your list. After all, if you don't have your health then what do you have? You owe it to yourself and your family to care for the body that God gave you. You need to keep your mind sharp. Make health a priority. Drink lots of water. Eat healthy foods. Exercise. Read good books. Be an example to those you love.

There are really no excuses when it comes to taking care of oneself. If I can be healthy with a crippled foot, then anyone can. Start small but just start. Take your husband and kids along too. They will thank you for it. :)

Don't forget to feed your spirit too. Read scriptures. Pray. Meditate. Whatever it is that you do to feel more connected to whatever it is you believe, do it. A happy spirit is a healthy spirit. :)

V. Conclusion
This concludes this segment in my mini-series. I hope you have taken my advice to heart. I truly feel when you love yourself better it makes it easier to love others better too. If you make yourself a priority every day I promise you will find the time to care for yourself and be ready to conquer the world!

Stay tuned for the next edition in this mini-series: Organizing Your Kids!