My Lovely Little Laundry Room

If you read my blog, then you know my struggles with laundry...

I hate it!!  I can't keep up and it NEVER gives up!

After months of pinning lovely little laundry rooms,

I convinced my husband that with my very own

lovely little laundry room all my

laundry prayers would be answered!

PLUS, it will help us take another step in feeling 'settled"- right?

He happens to be tired of having

 to wear snowmen boxers...so we got to work!

 It started with my $1.99 chandelier from Goodwill

and a coat of red spray paint!

And it worked!!

 Next up, was this adding a counter top for

collecting folding laundry.

Then, this basket dresser that I had to have...

thanks again to pinterest! 

Ana White has the instructions HERE.

I love this thing... We have plans

to make one for Mike's closet!

 And another pinterest inspired project!!

I combined the cheveron trend with some wordy art!

 I used blue painters tape for the pattern

 and modge podged on the letters!

 I pulled a few pretty things out of old boxes...

since by this point my budget was down to nada!

 One of my favorite changes, is the addition

 of this shelf just above the washer and dryer.

We put cinder blocks behind them to prevent

them from rocking or moving backward...

thus allowing me to open my washer.

 I made the pokadot curtain to cover... umm... crap!

I need one more panel to make it perfect,

but they have been sold out of this fabric for months!

 I fell in love with this quote...

and you MUST check out Kelsey's site HERE!

She has so many wonderful and FREE printables!!

 So, I know you are wondering if this make over worked...

did making it lovely really help all my laundry woes?

Hmmm... let's keep it real girls...

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Settling In

I have been dreaming (ok Pinterest-ing) ways to make my life easier.  We have been in this house for almost 6 months and now that the boxes are unpacked and the place is livable, I am going back and making some minor changes.  Specifically, cost free changes!

I got this book and read most it... some of it fit and some of it didn't.

I do not have the de-cluttering issue most

of these type of books deal with because we just moved in

 and we got rid of a ton.... really I bet it weighed a ton.

In a nutshell, Mindy suggests not to change your behavior, but to make your house fit your behavior.  For example if you have a cute little key holder in your kitchen, but everyone drops there keys on the buffet at the door... do not nag and complain, just move the key holder!  Like wise, if laundry piles up on the bathroom floor instead of making its way into the hamper in the closet... move the hamper to the bathroom!  She also discourages buying lots of bins, baskets, and racks- what?  Yup... if you think a basket will work on the counter to catch the junk mail, start with a shoe box...

 if it works go get a cute basket. 

Hmmm, that's new to me! 

Guess my old "I can't be organized until I make a trip to The Container Store" line is out the window-eh?

I have also been re-reading the Fly Ladies web site.  The best advice I picked up here is first get up and get dressed... seems easy enough, but trust me it is way too easy for me to wear my pjs to the couch for my coffee and computer time, then make breakfast, the get the kids ready, and THEN throw on some clothes!  She also says to find your one spot and keep it clean.  You know the "one spot" that fills you up when it looks good... the whole house looks awful, but this spot is presentable you can breath spot... yup, that one. For her it is her sink, for me it is my master bedroom... I feel 100 times better if I take 5 minutes and make my bed and another five to clear off my dresser! 

 FlyLady.net is a wonderful website with lots of practical info and videos!

One of my "hot spots" is the desk area in our kitchen- UGH!

Sometimes I wish we wouldn't have even added it in to the plans!

I use 'busy bags' in the evening when I am cooking

 with the kids and they kinda took over...

 So I now use 'busy boxes'-lol.  Ahh, much better!

This cabinet by our breakfast table, holds alot of kid stuff that needs adult supervision.  I had some puzzles and too many extras in there... so they were relocated to the downstairs living room, where we can all do puzzles.  Who would have thought that they are now used twice as much as before!  

 I still have a few more details to fix, but so far I like my start!

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Gratitude Journal

Several months ago I pinned an adorable gratitude journal from HERE. 

More recently my very creative friend Erin

made THIS even more adorable journal. 

 In keeping with my OLW mission...

I made me one to help me "Settle" down.

So here is my mini version.

I keep it on my night stand with a few Project Life Cards

and make myself write a few notes before I pick up my book or kindle.

So far so good. 

I do wish I would have titled it "365 thoughts of gratitude"

as sometimes I write down two thoughts and believe it or not (haha)

sometimes I am too tired to even jot down a few words!

I used this cute little paper clip to hold my place.

I made several little pocket sized journals for a tutorial on my scrappin' blog.

You can read all about it HERE in the No No Room.

Oh, and did I mention they were made from 3 for $1 notebooks.

Some are from gifts and some will find their way into my shop.

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One Little Word 2012

 (Photo Credit)

It is that time of year again... time to pick my OLW.

Last year my word was FAITH and the year before that it was FAMILY.

This year my little word is not so little and it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Hold on because it might surprise you...

 I know, I know the first thing you think of is "Never settle for less than you deserve"or
that 'settleing' is lowering expectations, boring, lazy, not learning or growing...
But we are thinking more like this... 
We are thinking settle means...
to put in order... to make make calm... to establish residence..
to decide... to rest... to form a community.

The bible tells us...
This really speaks to me... we have worked so hard to "build our house"  Between Adam's deployment, the death of my Nana and his dad, our miscarriages, our moves, all of the ups and downs we have survived... it is time to slow down and reap what we have sown!

Don't get me wrong... I would love a new camera or mini van. I beat myself up over my weight and my perpetual mountain of laundry. My undone and always growing 'to-do list' makes me fell inadequate everyday....every. flippin'. day. I do not have enough time to sew and craft.  And would you believe we have never been on a plane together?! 
 The list of expectations and dreams still live on,
but it just is not going to haunt me in 2012!
I am enough.
I have enough.
It is time to let the dust settle and life see clearly.

I am no longer going to focus of being more than I am,
wanting more than I have,
or striving for any sort of perfection.
What?  Ouch!
It sounds so good, but it is not me...
I am a classic Capricorn, oldest child, over achiever, people pleaser,
after all I am my mother's daughter and it took her along to figure this out!
I made myself this cute little tag and all the quotes above
to help me remember to settle in and settle down.

So what will you OLW be, eh?
Visit Alie Edward's blog to be inspired!

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