My Laundry Room

The month of November we were decluttering and organizing our laundry room. I'm an Organizing Junkie hosts a monthly decluttering challenge.

Before: Kids corner when you first walk into the laundry room from the garage. The big pink bag was their soccer stuff (which ended the beginning of November) so that was moved into my garage.

After: I removed the soccer stuff. Hung up their coats and put their book bags on the bottom shelf. I did leave the box for the boats. I still have the problem of the hooks being too high for the kids to do it themselves.
Before:


This is where I put my incoming mail and magazines. Also our shoes go here. In the after picture above I moved all the kids shoes to their side.




After: I removed a lot from the top shelves. I grouped all their games and put their craft supplies into those rubbermade containers.

All their games and craft supplies are also in this shelving. I have a whole bunch of games and puzzles that I am going to donate.

I removed all the clothing. Their costumes were put into their dress up. All the other clothing was taken down and put in donation bags. I then had room to put my baskets here for when they are not in use or when I have little bit of clothing to put away. I did have a blue small basket that my son sat on and broke so I need to get new basket for his clothing. My new laundry system that seems to be working is I fold the clothes as I take them out of the dryer and sort them in baskets. One basket for my son/ one for the girls/ one for my husband and my stuff. I find it easier that way then putting everything in the basket and doing it in another room. I also have the kids help me during laundry time. They transport the wet clothes into the dryer. They push the buttons. They also fold towels. I have them sort the clothing too. They sometimes pull out the clothes and hand it to me to fold.

The top draw I cleaned out and this is where I put my pocketbook and keys when I walk in the door. I also put my outgoing mail there or anything I need to take with me for the next day so I don't forget anything. Below that I cleaned out the shelf so now I have my gym bag there and my husband's lunch bag. They were were the baskets were under all the clothing before. Below that I organized more of our pantry stuff.

What is This?

Credits

Library Story Time

Gymnastics - Trial Class

Festival of the Harvest

When I Must Leave You

While reading the many blogs that I read I came across Stamping with (Serendipity)'s post about sympathy. She was making sympathy cards and posted this poem.

When I Must Leave You

When I must leave you
For a little while,
Please do not grieve
And shed wild tears
And hug your sorrow to you
Through the years,
But start out bravely
With a smile.
And for my sake
And in my name,
Live on and do
All the things the same.
Feed not your loneliness
On empty days,
But fill each waking hour
In useful ways.
Reach out your hand in comfort
And in cheer,
And I, in turn, will comfort you
And hold you near.
And never, never
Be afraid to die,
For I am waiting for you
In the sky.
~ Helen Steiner Rice ~

Get Money Back for Shopping Online

Hi Friends,

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Happy shopping!

Laura

I'm always looking for discounts. I use coupons when I grocery shop and now I can earn cash back for shopping on line. I already shopped at Children's Place, Old Navy, Office Max, and last night I ordered flowers for my niece's funeral. Happy Shopping.

My Niece Passed Away

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

In Loving Memory of Emily (My Niece)

'I'll lend you for a while, a child of mine, God said.
For you to love the while he lives, and mourn for when he's dead.
It may be six or eleven years, or forty two or three.
But will you, till I call him back, take care of him for me.
He'll bring his charms to gladden you and should his stay be brief.
You'll always have his memories as a solace for your grief.
I cannot promise he will stay, since all from earth return.
But there are lessons taught below I want this child to learn.
I've looked this whole world over in my search for teachers true.
And from the folks that crowd life's lane I have chosen you.'
'Now will you give him all your love, nor think the labour vain.
Nor hate me when I come to take this lent child back again?
I fancied that I heard him say, dear Lord Thy will be done.
For all the joys Thy child will bring, the risk of grief we'll run.
We'll shelter him with tenderness, we'll love him while we may.
And for the happiness we have known, forever grateful stay.
But should the Angels come for him much sooner than we've planned.
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes, and try to understand.

Gift Shopping this Season

What are your plans for gifts this year, are you doing all homemade or store bought? What is your budget when it comes to the kids? Do you have a bigger budget for the older ones and just how many gifts do you give the children? Do you get them one big expensive one, or do what I do and try to make the money stretch so they'll end up with a bunch of little ones?

Our financial situation this year is not that great. Normally we get the kids lots of gifts because we celebrate Hanukkah and they open gifts every night for 7 days. This year we are spending only $100 per child if that!

What I have purchased so far:

1. Three wii (used) games on ebay for $10-$25 each. I can't see spending $50 for a new game when they may not like it. (Hanna Montanna, Wii Play and Cooking Mama). Total = $60
2. Every year I get them some sort of toy from Discovery toys since their toys seem to last a long time. This year for the girls I bought them Fashion Girls to share since it comes with 6 bodies and lots of pieces. For my son I got him the zip track race track. Total = $50
3. I joined ebates where you earn cash back for shopping at certain stores. If you decide to join please put me in as a referral scrapaddict13@yahoo.com because I will earn $5 for each person referred. While at ebates I then shopped for clothing at Old Navy (my son) and Children's Place (2 for $15) (my girls). Each child will get one winter outfit (long sleeve top and pants) spent $15 on each child. Total = $45
   

That leaves me approximately $145 left for 12 more gifts (4 for each child). I earned a $25 gift cert for amazon that I plan to use for maybe another leapster game (they share and rotate the games). I also want to go to the dollar store and get some coloring books and maybe some art supplies. I will also probably go back to ebates and check out some games at the toy store that they can share. They have been asking for Beware of the Dog.

As for family members we are only doing the kids this year. My nieces and nephews so again I will probably just go to ebates and see if I can shop there for them or go to walmart as that seems to be the place to shop this year for the best deals plus it's very close by so I can go after the kids go to sleep or even rush their while they are in school.

SCATTERGORIES - My letter is L

SCATTERGORIES......it's harder than it looks!
The Rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following questions.
* They have to be real places, names, things. nothing made up!
* You can’t use your name for the boy/girl name question.
* Tag at least 5 people to play along

1. What is your name... Laura
2. A four letter word... Love
3. A boy's name... Logan
4. A girl's name... Lorraine
5. An occupation... Lawyer
6. A color... Lilac
7. Something you wear... Lingerie
8. A beverage... Long Island Iced Tea
9. A food... Lobster
10. Something found in the bathroom...Liquid Soap
11. A place... London
12. A reason for being late... Laziness
13. Something you Shout... Love you

Freebie Quick Page

Fall Elegance is made by Burkhart Scrapzone Designs. You can find her kit here.

I made this quick page using her above kit.

You can download this freebie quick page here.

Fridays Fave 5

"It's a place to come on Friday's and think back over your week and just post 5 favorite things from your week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy over the week. Favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, etc. Link to the Living to Tell the Story Fave Five post and then add yourself to the Mr. Linky. "

1. Gymnastics. I took Victoria to see the gymnastics studio on Thursday. While there she was able to take a trial class. She normally hangs on my leg when we go anywhere new but this time when the teacher said come with me. She ran off with a big smile on her face. In the middle of the class she ran up to me and said, "Mommy, I love you." After class I signed her up for 4 months of classes. I'm hoping she sticks with it as she has taken dance and quite and also soccer and quite. So I don't know if she can stick with something for very long period of time.

2. Thirty-One. I went to the Wacky Bazaar last night and fell in love with this company. I have hosted many different home parties since I have been married. Most of my friends call me the "Hostess with the Mostess". However, this was the first time I have heard of this company. So I booked a catalog party. If anyone who reads my blog wants to order anything please post a comment. My party will close on Dec 6 in time to have any personalized items mailed to you for the holidays. So what do I like in the catalog? The purse skirts is such a unique idea. Use the same base but change the outside. Awesome. Another thing I really liked was the All in One Organizer with Pocket. These would be great for organizing some of the kids toys and I even thought of using it for their laundry. I always sort the kids clothes into different baskets and they were very light weight so the kids could carry them upstairs themselves. I also need a new tote bag so I will probably get the Cindy Tote. Figures it would be named after my sister. So cute.

3. Late Fee Waived. Okay, this was a bit of a hassle but I just had to call and ask. I received my Gas Card Credit Card with a balance of $17? I'm like what? I don't remember getting gas for that cheap. Prices did go down on gas but not that cheap! Anyway, I looked at the bill more closely to find that it was a late fee and finance charges. So I called! I explained to them that I was a loyal customer and always paid my bill each month in full never leaving a balance and asked if I could have the fees waived. I was on hold for a short time and they did waive the fees. I was so relieved. I just don't need more unnecessary bills to pay. It's enough already with unexpected things. Like no heat on Tuesday! An additional $300 to fix our heat. It's working now thank God.

4. MOMS Club Newsletter Completed Early. I completed the newsletter in record time this month. I did a lot of research (read 224 blogs) and compiled a big list on Holiday Gifts. This list will certainly help me to decide what to get the kids this year for the holidays. I did not stress over the newsletter as much as I was in prior months. I did eliminate some of my scrapbooking so that helped some of the tension. And I now know that whatever I input will be changed anyway so why make it bother me so much?

5. Vicky and Jen. While reading all the blogs that I do I found a new podcast. This week I listened to 2 or 3 shows. I really enjoyed the ones about organizing. Of course, while listening I did fall behind on my soap but I can always catch up since I have TIVO. I know I will continue to listen to this new podcast as I really did enjoy their discussions.

What are some of your favorites from this past week?

Out of Control!

Every time I feel anxiety it's related to clutter and my life is getting out of control. This is when I try to find help. Yes, I know about flylady. I go to her every time I feel overwhelmed and try to get my life back on track.

While reading my many blogs yesterday I found Vicky and Jen. I've been listening to it for 2 days now and I am getting very motivated to get things done around my house plus I found many recipes there.

Win 1 of 3 Quilts!

Come win 1 of 3 quilts at Old Red Barn Co. The quilts are beautiful. See below. Good luck if you enter.

Changes

What is changing in my life right now? Well, my husband returned to work in October. He is now working out of the house which is a bit of an adjustment not having him around as much. However, we do keep in touch with each other via text messaging with my new cell phone.

I am trying to get my life back on track so I am going to start following flylady again. I need to get rid of some clutter so I've been trying to get rid of stuff here and there. I am working mainly in my laundry room to start following Org Junkie's monthly challenge.

I am also trying to slow down a bit. So I can start to enjoy both my kids and my husband. I am spending more time with my husband watching TV shows together and we joined netflix again so we can rent movies to enjoy together.

E - Educated Me

Credits

CT - Little Ballerina by Mamrotka

This cute kit was designed by Mamroka and can be purchased here.













Here is a layout I did using her kit.

Favorite Season

Now that I am an adult, my favorite season is Autumn. The colors of the leaves are so beautiful and I enjoy the cooler temperatures. However, when I was growing up I hated the fall because my parents always made me and my sister rake the leaves. Where we lived we had many trees so you could imagine how many leaves we had to shovel.

The other day while letting the kids ride their bikes I took my camera along and took these pretty pictures.

"I love fall! Fall is exciting.
It's apples and cider.
It's an airborne spider.
It's pumpkins in bins.
It's burrs on dog's chins.
It's wind blowing leaves.
It's chilly red knees.
It's nuts on the ground.
It's a crisp dry sound.
It's green leaves turning
And the smell of them burning.
It's clouds in the sky.
It's fall. That's why...
I love fall."
- Author Unknown

Rules for a Happy Marriage

While cleaning my garage a month or so ago I found a 10 rules for a happy marriage sign that I must have purchased years ago. I put it on my fridge and now the kids keep knocking it down so into the trash can it goes. Trying to eliminate clutter. However, I wanted to share the rules with my friends so here you go.

1. Never both be angry at the same time.
2. Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire.
3. If one of you has to win an argument, let it be your mate.
4. If y ou have to criticize, do it lovingly.
5. Never bring up mistakes of the past.
6. Neglect the whole world rather than each other.
7. Never go to sleep with an argument unsettled.
8. At least once every day try to say one kind or complimentary thing to your life's partner.
9. When you have done something wrong, be ready to admit it and ask for forgiveness.
10. It takes two to make a quarrel, and the one in the wrong is the one who does the most talking.

Simple Woman's Daybook

Hi everyone, come on in and see what's in my daybook!

If you want to join in, just go visit Peggy over at The Simple Woman, read the guidelines here and then add your name to Mr Linky. There are so many other participants sharing their day, I'm sure you'll enjoy looking through them :)

FOR RIGHT NOW
Outside my Window...
it's completely dark outside as it's 11:02 pm. We set our clocks back last weekend and now it gets dark at 5 pm.

I am thinking...
that I really need to go to sleep and make it an early night so I am well rested for tomorrow.

From the learning rooms...
I hear nothing since everyone is sleeping except me.

I am thankful for...
that I don't get sick. Victoria an hour ago threw up. Sure hope it's not catchy.

From the kitchen...
the dishes are still piled up in the kitchen sink. Dishwasher still filled with clean dishes. I'm just not in the mood to clean them now. I'll wait till tomorrow.

I am wearing...
clothes from today.

I am reading...
Still trying to read Intensity by Dean Koontz and many of the magazines that I have subscriptions to.

I am hoping...
to receive my husband's first paycheck soon.

I am creating...
right now nothing as I am blogging.

I am hearing...
the fan running and the buzzer from my dryer. Again the cloths will have to wait till tomorrow as I'm exhausted.

Around the house...
There are still toys laying around from the kids.

One of my favorite things...
a big bowl of vanilla ice cream with whipped cream, chocolate chips and caramel sauce

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...
work 3 days, MOPS meeting, dance studio, stampin up MOMS Night out

Here is a picture thought I would share with you...

This is a photo of my children taken today. We went to the home depot for a kids workshop. They were so excited to receive a home depot apron, pin and certificate for completing a project. We made a leaf press. The kids had fun hammering in the nails.

Lost Spirit

I have lost my creativity to blog. Lately, my life has been so busy that I don't even know what day it is. I have been trying to slow down my life a bit by not adding too much to my schedule. I feel like Dr. Heckle /Mr. Hyde lately with my kids. One minute I'm loving and the next I'm screaming and cursing at them. Yes, cursing. I tried to play a game with them and lost it after the whining and crying from them not following rules and waiting their turns. Man, I could never ever home school.

What has been taking up a lot of my time? Well, my friend Jessica sent me a link to facebook. I have been finding old friends from high school, people I work with and also people from the MOMS Club. I was on there so much that lately I have been just setting my timer and saying only 5 minutes!

I have been enjoying the fall. It's so beautiful when the leaves turn colors. It's my favorite time of year. I took some pictures of the tree in front of my house. In the fall it turns orange and red. In the spring it turns white as it blooms with flowers. This tree is getting so big since we have been living here 10 years. It now actually covers our big front window.

Think I'm going to head to bed and make it an early night. Hopefully my mood will improve for tomorrow.

Challenge

I made this page for a challenge. Learn how to do this here. The best thing it only took me about 15 minutes or so from the tutorial.

7 Useless Facts About Your Blogger

I’ll tell you 7 things about me that have NOTHING to do with scrapbooking, just for fun…

7 things you don’t really need to know about me, but sadly, now will…

1. I am not Martha Stewart. My house is always ransacked by toys. I can find toys in every single room of my house.

2. I hate to clean. I only do it when I have to.

3. I like to wear sweats as they are comfortable.

4. I hate getting the mail. There is always something in there that brings up my blood pressure.

5. My very first job was working in an ice cream parlor.

6. I met my husband at the supermarket where we both worked in high school.

7. We just celebrated 21 years of knowing each other yesterday.