So the Bottles Rejoiced, and There Was Peace in the Land...

Day 5 of the challenge:  Organize the Area Under Your Sink.

Analyzing...analyzing...analyzing...

DO-ABLE!!!

Here's the area under my kitchen sink...and the part where I start filling out paperwork for TLC's new show--Hoarders: Household Cleaner Edition. 

I often refer to myself as a "smeller of things," and to me, cleaning products feed right into this.  Plus, all clutter to the contrary, I like to clean!

A lover of all things Shaklee these days, I'm also still partial to Method's non-toxic cleaners.  I especially like their Wood for Good. 

I had especially high hopes for their Anti-Bac line with Clean Well, but ...meh.  My smeller no likey.  My smeller is fickle.  Amend my title to Fickle Smeller of Things.

Syringe of Doom.  ABsolutely essential at this time of year, when the ants decide it's too cold outside and that it's a grand time to move in.  I've tried the whole natural route of Cayenne Pepper and Paprika.  The only thing I end up with are spicy ants.

This fella isn't long for this world.  It's a certain brand name dishwasher detergent that surely cleans the dickens out of my dishes, but leaves behind a chemical smell (and surely a residue) that I could do without.  As soon as the UPS man arrives with my Shaklee box, out he goes!  P.S.  Would one be subject to any sort of harassment claim if  they were to tackle my, I mean THEIR, UPS man?  I'm asking for a friend.

Poor bin.  You've got a bit of dandruff.

Here.  Let me shampoo that out for you.

If you're anything like me, your Diet Coke should be nearby for the essential "mid-organization swig." 

And hey, there we go!  Much better! I tossed a lot of bottles that had mere DRIPS of cleaner in them, and reassigned the not-so-swell Clean Well stuff to my master bath for the remainder of their tenure.

Under-sink organization is brought to you today by the gentle, loving husband who plays games with his daughters whilst his wife takes pictures of cleaning supplies. 

Link-a-dink-a-doo...



Heard You Thought I Was Organizing My Linen Closet...

Okay all, I'm still backed up from the day of ick, and going back to work has put a snag in my progress in the challenge.  However, I'm trying to visit as many of the participants as I can to see what they're up to, because others' ideas can be so inspiring!

So, here's the thing.  My official linen closet is currently serving time as a makeship (and very messy) pantry and catch-all closet:

**If you have young children, you may want to take them out of the room.**

BEHOLD!

If this photo had a sountrack, it would be a blood-curdling scream. I look at this photo and ask myself: Why is it so very messy?  Why is my fall wreath on the floor?  Do I really need Peeps from last Easter? What must my DYSON be thinking? What is IN cheeseballs anyway?  I have no answers. 

Due to the monopolized (read: traumatized) linen closet, I store the girls linens in their bedroom closet, under and above some of their clothes bins.  It's not AWFUL, but it ain't good. 

And their stockpile of towels and washcloths reside in this here overwhelmed basket.  I would argue that they ARE in a container!  Objection!  SUSTAINED!   Fine.

So this is the state of affairs.  I'm pondering whether or not to restore some of the linen closet to LINEN space, or to better-organize my existing system. I would LOVE some input.

Meanwhile, my 5 year-olds are out-organizing me, and that's just sad.

 

Sometimes you just have to delegate...

Day #3 of the 21 day challenge and I'm already going against the grain.  Unfortunately, I had to stay home sick today with an enchanting mixture of head and tummy woes.  So, reorganizing the Tupperware/Pots/Pans Cupboard (my "white whale," by the way) was OUT of the question.  But, despite my pasty, naplike state, I managed to delegate a task to my girls.  Insprired by Toni's playroom system, I'm eschewing the non-specific baskets for some shoe boxes with LABELS.  Tonight, in order to be able to play a rousing game of Zingo with Mom, the girls had to round up allllllllll of their Littlest PetShop pets and accessories and place them in the assigned box.  They did great!  I promise I'll take the cupboard project off the backburner soon. 

Remember, if you like sassy five year-old twin girls, please vote for our photo over at I {heart} Faces!

Please Vote!

We're #276 in the Best Face Photo of 2010 contest on I Heart Faces.  Please vote!  Click on the link below:

Day Two: A Clean(er) Closet Desk Space...Thing

Yesterday was a day off from The 21 Days to Getting Organized challenge (we get Sundays off).  Day Two's challenge is the computer desk --top only.  My computer desk is really no longer mine.  I hardly ever use my desktop computer anymore, as I purchased a new laptop a couple of months ago.  The girls use this space off and on to play on Playhouse Disney or Noggin.  Unfortunately, this desk had become a catch-all for extra CD's and random objects/papers.  This is also where our network printer/copier is, so there were random papers and coupons scattered hither and yon.

Ugh.  Embarassing

The top shelf. 

Even more embarassing was the surface.  To make the closet desk, we used some white particle board.  Without any sort of sealant or poly on it, it holds onto EVERY speck of dirt.  Since this is also where we sharpen our pencils, well....yeah.

Note to self:  Don't attempt to empty the sharpener AFTER you've already made the desk all sparkly.  Ooops!

I had a ginormous ream of paper sitting propped up against the wall instead of, oh I don't know, putting it in our print paper ORGANIZER??  I have no explanation for myself sometimes.

Would anyone like me to send them a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils?  (Name that movie!)

I also decided to use one of our baskets, some old file folders, and my new labelmaker to make folders for the girls to put their "leave at home" school papers in.  Otherwise, they take over the kitchen counter!

As for the CD's, many of the unburned ones will be returned to the shelf in my husband's office.  I've put the girls' game CD's in an old CD organizer, but I'd really like to get one of these:

Feeling more organized every day!

I {heart} Twin Faces!

In the Sprit of Clarity: Day One of the 21 Day Challenge!

Part of the reason I chose the word Clarity for 2011 is my need to clear out some clutter, both mental and physcial.  It's for this reason that I decided to join the 21 Days to Getting Organized Challenge .

Today is Day One of the challenge, and the task was to clean out a junk drawer of your choosing.

If you're anything like me, you have more than one "junky" drawer in your home.  I went ahead and chose our OFFICIAL JUNK DRAWER in the kitchen:

UGH.

After I cleared everything out, I discovered that I own an unnatural amount of hand santizers.  Which made me feel a bit like this guy:

Coincidentally, I've yet to have a cold this winter.  So maybe I'm on to something!

MOVING ON...

After I cleared everything out, I gave the contact paper bottom a good cleaning with my favorite cleaner--Shaklee H2.  I actually have my All-Purpose Mix in my Degreaser bottle at the moment.  This stuff cleans like a dream! Plus, I added a couple of drops of lavender oil, so now my drawer smells very calm.

In anticipation of the challenge, I picked up this nifty little drawer organizer, at The Happiest Place on Earth--TARGET!

So after some purging, finding new homes for missplaced items, and re-distribution of hand sanitizers (guess what's going in the ladies' bathrooms at work on Monday???), I ended up with a much saner, organized "junk" drawer.  Ahhhh...

Linked to...

One Little Word for 2011

But first, to finish 2010.  More on the word later!  Happy New Year!

I {heart} Ana!

Ana White, that is.  If you haven't met Ana and browsed her awesome site, well then!  Get right over there and check it out.  I never would have thought that my cute husband and I could build our own furniture, but we've built two beds and a coffee table!  We even got to brag about it HERE.

Check it out! You won't be sorry.

I'm in!

Inspired by Amy, I think I'm going to take the 21 Days to Getting Organized Challenge on A Bowl Full of Lemons.  Who wants to join in?

I'm a pretty scattered and chaotic person by nature, so this should be interesting! Thanks for the idea, Amy.

Settling in...

You may have heard by now that we've added two new family members to the Rawlings clan:  kitties Max and Ruby.  We recently lost our sweet PJ to old age, and decided that we wanted another kitty.  Well, one fun-filled day at the animal shelter later, and we came home with two!  They are sweet, kid-friendly kitties and get along so well. 


Max (Maximus, Maxie Boy, Maximillian...)  A soft-spoken, muscle-bound, cuddle-bug.




Ruby (for the record, MY kitty...isn't she pretty? She thinks so.)

I'd love to write more, but I think I have a litter box to scoop.

As promised...

Here is our Santa photo.