Project: Organize incoming paperwork

I have a small space in my kitchen that acts as a catch-all for mail, paperwork and kid's stuff. It is always piled within a few days of cleaning it up so I used an idea I saw to help sort and contain the incoming paperwork.
Here is what it looked like before:

Messy. I  know you don't have to tell me. So here is what I did. I took one of those magazine organizers, some decorative cardstock and some letter stamps to make a paperwork organizer. Of course this is just to handle the papers that need to be dealt with as I sort them each day.

I decided on four categories. To do, bills, kids and file. So things I need to deal with, bills I need to pay or file with my monthly bills, paperwork that needs to be dealt with for the kids and lastly paperwork that needs to be filed away for long term. I stamped away and for those that are crafty, I admit that I am not.

I cut the cardstock to fit and filed away my paperwork and now I have this:

Much improved. So today when I needed to turn in a fundraiser for one of the kids, bam there it was in the kids section and when I needed to call our insurance company with a question, there was the paperwork right there neatly in the to do section. Now I want to give credit to Northern Cheapskate for the idea as I saw this on her blog many months ago but never got around to doing it. I am pleased with the outcome.
Linking up with Tip Junkie for Tip Me Tuesday and A Bowl Full of Lemons


Linking up with Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday.

Happy Halloween!!

A few more decorations around my home.

This is a cake stand I added a web doilie to and piled some goodies on.

And lastly a Halloween October sky!

We left just as the thunder rolled in and the drops started to fall. Happy Halloween!
Linking up with The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays.

New Kicks

When you have four daughters, one of which starting nursing school this year, you don't often find much left over in the clothing budget for yourself. I have never bought so few clothes as I did this year. Part of me wants to be a better steward of what I already have and make it last. I am really working on contentment. I am feeling happier these days keeping my focus on the family and keeping the house neat and clean. Of course I have a two year old who is always making a mess but I am keeping my focus on just being happy with what I have. I suppose this economy has forced lots of people to re-examine their lives but I have just wanted to get basic.You know like putting good food on the table and organizing things around the house.. Does this make any sense?

Anyway, I did finally get out to go shopping with my two oldest girls and we went to TJ Maxx where I found these great new tennies. Yellow plaid how cute is that? My kids loved them too. Then when I got home, my SIL had dropped of some clothes she didn't want and look at this sweater. Isn't it too cute. I've been told I use the word cute too much.

The Results of a Very Cheap Bathroom Re-do

 

Way back over Memorial Day I wrote about how we were going to re-do our bathroom or actually just spruce it up with paint and few things changed around in the bathroom. Well we are finally done. Projects never happen very fast around here as my hubby works a lot of weekends so I am happy to report it is done. We bought paint at ACE Hardware and submitted for the $5 rebate. So in all with another coupon I had we spent $11 on sprucing up our my bathroom.

Nothing is new, we just decided to paint it in a lighter color and keep a monochromatic scheme. The mirror was an old green thing (my MIL's when she was young) that I painted and aged with some stain and did the same treatment on the medicine cabinet. Pulling pictures and things from other rooms that fall into the same colors was all we did to decorate it. I also hung an antique rug beater in there. I love it. I walk in and feel so happy to see it so bright and fresh. I am linking with the Colorado Lady's Vintage Thingy Thursday so check out all the other wonderful vintage finds at The Colorado Lady. Also linking with The Shabby Chic Cottage and Funky Junk Interiors. And last but not least, The Shabby Nest and Savvy Southern Style

Miracle Cleaner?

Today I was wiping down my tile backsplash and was so so about the results. Some of the grease splatters were still stuck on the tile. Well I wanted to hang a picture with one of those 3M velcro great sticky picture hangers. Like my description? Anyway, it recommended wiping the tile down with rubbing alcohol before applying the picture hanger and when I did I noticed it wonderfully cleaned the area. Even after I had already cleaned it with a kitchen spray cleaner. So I wiped the entire backsplash down with the alcohol and it removed all the grease build up and any dirt and it was so shiny I literally could see myself in the reflection. Who knew? I immediately placed the bottle of alcohol underneath the sink with all my other cleaners. Small things like my reflection in the backsplash make me happy. I kept looking at it today and loving how clean it seemed. Now I have to see what else this might clean. Within reason of course.

Linking to:
BNOTP
The Stuff of Success

Fall Gardening

To live in Southern California is a gardener's dream. Outside of a couple summer months of hot weather, you can garden and have flowers all year here. Gardening has become my therapy, not work, but something I do just for me. When I am outside with my kids, I can putter around and enjoy just hanging out with them and sprucing up my yard. Eight years ago, both of my parents died within three months of each other, and if it wasn't for gardening, I would have never survived the journey with my head intact. In fact, we held my father's memorial in my back yard, on the very brick patio he laid just months prior to his passing. He was a very skilled mason. My yard was filled with flowers and was a perfect setting. Many people told us that it was one of the nicest memorials, if they can be nice, that they had attended. Most tolerable maybe. Kidding aside, it was a loving tribute to my dad. Anyway, now that we are all depressed, I'll share some pics of my yard that I took last weekend. Not a  lot in bloom these days as I have a two year old that takes up loads of time so I don't get to garden as intensively right now.

This dahlia just rambles haphazardly all over this planter. I planted it about six years ago and it just keeps coming up every year. We don't have to dig them up for the winter in SoCal.

We had such a cool summer that I had nasturtiums for the entire season. Unheard of.

I feel like going to the nursery. I'd rather go shopping at the nursery than the mall any day. Strange I know. I'm linking up with A Southern Daydreamer for outdoor Wednesday. She has an absolutely lovely blog. I'm also linking up with My Romantic Home. Her current post has the most to die for hutch. Linking up with The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays. Her post on the Hamptons is charming and check out her post with her Halloween tablescape. It is unbelievable.

Some fall decorating

My hubby is an awesome decorator. I say I buy it and he arranges it. This is what he did while I was asleep the other day. I just love this time of year. What seasons we do get here in California, I try to enjoy as much as I can by decorating our house for my family. My kids are so used to me decorating for holidays that they will ask when I am going to start. Guess I'm on the hook now. I also love to burn scented candles and melts this time of year. My favorite is a candle my daughter bought for me. It is a McCall candle and the scent is called "Country Store" It is yummy. Makes me want to bake when I smell it.

This is a shelf in my kitchen.

My dry sink. Most favorite spot my house.

Found the little bushel basket at Target in the dollar section.

And lastly, my daughter's kitty found his way into my Halloween treat basket. I just died. So cute. Had to take a picture of him. I am linking up with My Romantic Home  for Show and Tell Friday.

Do you have time to coupon?

I have been so busy since school started, that I have not been couponing much. I had to decide where to spend my time and it just doesn't seem I have time to organize, clip and hunt for the deals like I did over the summer. I did use a few coupons this week but I have decided that I will only go to CVS and Target and the market. I will search for the deals that are freebies but my clipping and hunting has to be bare minimum. We homeschool, so I have so much paper work involved with the kids schooling that I must place them as a priority. I admit I am coupon-challenged but I don't want to give it up totally and go back to paying full price for tooth paste right? Do you all manage super busy family lives and still do major couponing? What is your secret? I would love to know.

Hello out there!

Wow, I have been one busy sort of stressed (back to homeschooling kinda thing) momma. I have done so little shopping, that our cupboards are getting bare. It is amazing what you can make out of some of the things in your pantry when you are desperate. One item I made I'll call "desperate quiche." I'll have to post the recipe later. My hubby liked it and requested it in slices and frozen to eat in his hotel room for dinner while he was out of town. Glad to have time to visit some of my favorite blogs.