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Halloween/ Holidays/Parties/ HOME/ Organizing/ Simplifying

Minimal Halloween Home Decor

When I got our Halloween decorations out, I was surprised to see that over the years my one bin of Halloween decorations have multiplied to three!  I knew right away that would just not do.  Why?  I have been much more purposeful in minimizing, thanks to the influence of Joshua at Becoming Minimalist.  I love the freedom I am feeling from both getting rid of stuff and refraining from buying more unnecessary stuff.  

I went through the bins and tried to keep things that would add just a touch of festive fall.  I’m not putting lights up outside. I’m not hanging messy spiderwebs. I did not keep every little pumpkin I had. I only kept things that I liked and that I knew would add atmosphere. 
My kids love Halloween, and I know they delight in fun decorations the season brings.  I kept things that I knew would appeal to them, like faces that light up and the sparkle of a pumpkin wrapped in white twinkle lights.
There were a few sentimental things in the bins.  Paper pumpkins my kids made.  I threw those away, but kept these little monster jars we made together a few years ago.   They loved creating these jars and knew exactly which monster was ‘theirs.’  They look so cute all aglow in my windowsill.  Click here for how-to.

I did not decorate every room.  I added some decor to the living room and dining room, which is our main living space.  I put a festive candle holder in the bathroom and a pumpkin in my sunroom.  My kitchen got an apple cider scented candle.  I let my girls go through the bins and choose some things they wanted in their rooms.  Just a couple small things like a couple plastic spiders and a rubber mouse, a skeleton head.  Things I didn’t want in my main living space, although they keep showing up all over, strategically placed to make Mom scream and jump.

Things I kept:
~monster jars made by little hands that bring the memories
~large lit pumpkin
~a few fake pumpkins and gourds
~festive candle holders to make our evenings at home glowy & fun

Things I got rid of:
~large outdoor decorations that take up too much storage room
~messy cotton spiderwebs that catch all things including dust and leaves
~old Halloween costumes
~old creations made by my girls, especially paper fragile ones (confession…I took a pic of a few for memories sake.  It is hard to get rid of such cute little things!)
~lots of fake fall foliage that used to sit around and collect dust & get in the way of dusting!
~fall twigs for vases…I’m over it.

Last night was the first night with our minimal fall decor out.  I really am starting to believe in this “less is more” thing.  It was so warm and glowy and festive and fun in our home.  The girls loved it and did not comment on missing any of the things that I didn’t put out.  Love it!

HOME/ Organizing/ Simplifying

My Fall Morning Routine-Revised


I have posted my morning routine before, but as life changes, so do routines, and I thought it was time for an update.  I have felt it change, morphing on its own into a more simple routine as I have learned to be more efficient with my time in the mornings.


Here is my new Morning Routine list:

{In My Room-7:15}
~Give Day To God
~Make Bed

~Read 1 Chapter of the Proverbs
~Get Dressed/Hair/Makeup/Teeth

{In Kitchen}
~Make Girls Lunches
~Empty/Fill Dishwasher
~Make Coffee
~Make Lemon Water
~What’s For Dinner?
~Supervise Girls Breakfast & Vitamins 

{2 Daughters Leave for School, 7:45, I Wake up Youngest}

{Whole House}
~Reboot Laundry
~House Pick Up
~Wipe Glass Tables
~Wipe Bathrooms

{Take Youngest to School -8:45}

{In Office}
~Breakfast/Vitamins/Coffee (yes, I eat at my desk)
~Go Through Email
~Check Calendar


{Whole House}
~Clean Mama Daily Cleaning Goal or Zone Work
~5 Minute Hot Spot
_______________________


Here are some additional thoughts on each item on my list:

Make Bed
I do this right when I get out of it!  

{my prayer bench is now at the end of my bed, which leaves no room for the workout mat–oh darn.}


Give Day To God
This is a quick acknowledgement at my prayer bench, a prayer that God would use me how He sees fit, and that I would be mindful of Him throughout the day.

{prayer bench.  Curious?  Read more here.}

One Chapter Of Proverbs
This is also done at my prayer bench. My Grandpa did this everyday.  There are 31 Chapters in Proverbs, so whatever day of the month it was, that was the chapter he would read.  I now do the same.  Proverbs is such a great instructional guide to living.  I love the small reminders, and pray that it will help me grown in wisdom.

Get Dressed/Hair/Makeup
Sometimes I even shower…lol. {Actually, most days I shower at the gym}

Make Girls Lunches 
My girls are very independent and responsible thanks to their age (12, 11 & 9),  and their own charts and morning routine, so the only thing I have to do for them in the mornings is make their lunches and occasionally help them with their hair.

Empty/Fill Dishwasher
Gotta start the day with a clean kitchen.  This is the only way I can motivate myself to cook.  No cooking means no eating healthy, so kitchen must start out clean at the beginning of the day!

{I’ve been making Iced Lattes lately. Love this one- 3 ingredient Mocha Almond Iced Latte}

Make Coffee
My favorite.  I get giddy about this.  Mmmm..the smell!

Make Lemon Water
While coffee is brewing, I make a quick glass of lemon water.  I won’t let myself drink coffee until I have had a full 8 ounce glass of lemon water.  A great way to start the morning.


Supervise Girls Breakfast & Vitamins
There is something about us all in the kitchen together in the morning that is positive.  I like knowing what each girl chose to eat for breakfast, making sure they got at least one fruit.  I also have them tell me when they are taking their vitamins so I know they get them into their little bodies each day!

What’s For Dinner?
It is good for me to think about this at the beginning of my day.  Especially when thawing meat is involved or if I want to use the crock pot.  It eliminates last-minute-before-dinner trips to the store because I check to make sure I have all I need at the beginning of the day. 


Reboot Laundry
A load a day keeps the smellies away!  I am working hard on this one.  It really is doable if I just make myself think about it, which is why it is on the list.  I make sure I set the timer in the kitchen when I come back upstairs as a reminder to go switch loads.

This one is super easy and a habit.  I just go into each room and make sure there is nothing in there that does not belong, a quick pick up.  Of course, I ignore the growing “Hot Spots” those will be taken care of later.  It is only easy because part of my girls morning and evening charts is “pick up personals,” which means they go into each room of the house and get anything they have left out and put it away, leaving very little left for me to pick up.

 Wipe Glass Tables 
I have a kitchen table and dining room table that both are glass.  They need wiped numerous times a day, especially after my girls have had breakfast at them. 

Wipe Bathrooms

I use Flylady’s “Swish & Swipe” system.  Basically, you keep toilet bowl cleaner in the container of the toilet brush, so everyday you just grab it and do a quick swish (not a good idea if you have small kids, unless your cleaner is non-toxic).  I also take a paper towel and vinegar spray to quick swipe the mirror and sink area.  “Swish & Swipe” keeps the bathroom company ready with just seconds a day. (I do deeper bathroom cleaning once a week, this just keeps it shining throughout the week).  

{my go to breakfast–Overnight Chia Oat Pudding}

Breakfast/Vitamins
Pretty self explanatory.  I need a good breakfast and to remember to take my vitamins.  I love this time of day, sitting down at my desk with coffee and breakfast, checking in on my social media and chatting with some of YOU!

Go Through Email
If I don’t do this daily, my inbox becomes a mess.  Still learning this one… MY INBOX IS CRAZY right now.


Check Calendar
I do this as part of my evening routine, but a quick peek in the morning is always good, too.  I use iCal on my Mac. 


{Clean Mama Has a Free To Do List Printable, which is very fitting for this post!}



Clean Mama Daily Cleaning Goal

After sitting at the computer for awhile, and before doing any time consuming photo editing or post writing, I get back up and get my body moving again.  I have been using Clean Mama’s Cleaning Routine and I have loved it.  If you like her on Facebook, her fun symbols will come through on your news feed each day, which is a great visual reminder of what to do each day!  Check out her Etsy shop for more amazing free printables, and for a discount, look to the left in my sidebar and you will see her offer of 20% off for New Nostalgia customers.  Love me some Clean Mama!

Zones
A part of the Flylady System that I love is called “Zone Work”  It eliminates spring cleaning and instead divides your home into zones that you work on, one zone a week.  You set a timer, and spend only 15 minutes in each zone each day.  The key to this is stopping after 15 minutes, trusting that there is always tomorrow, or knowing that zone will come around again in a few weeks. So doable!

 5 Minute Hot Spot
Also part of the Flylady System, a “hot spot” is any spot in your home that erupts into clutter easily.  For me, it is our study closet, our desk, our stairs, my trunk, certain drawers, an area that collects clothes in my bedroom…I could go on and on.  Spending 5 minutes a day in a hotspot keeps these areas under control.  I am amazed at how well this one works.  Again, the key is stopping after 5 minutes and knowing you will have 5 more tomorrow..  


________________

There are a lot of things on the list that we all do everyday. Seeing them listed makes it seem like a lot, but really, it is not.  Many of them only take a minute or 2.  This is what works for me, it is not for everyone, and it would look different if I had to leave for work every day. It really, really makes a difference in my day when I do these things regularly and purposefully. This list keeps me on track and helps things run smoothly around here!

_________________
If you are an App person, an app that I am head over heels for is called the HomeRoutine app.  It allows you to custom make zone and routine lists, and gives you stars for each thing you accomplish that day.  It keeps to do list for the day, for tomorrow and for later.  It is so handy and has really been a fun way to keep my home up!



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HOME/ How-Tos/ Meals/ Organizing/ RECIPES

School Lunch Plan-No More Baggies & A Free Weekly Lunch Plan Printable

Like I said in this post, I am on a mission this year to make school lunches something my kids look forward to.  I also want to feel good about the food I am serving them.  By the end of last year, if they had to eat one more peanut butter and jelly sandwich (which they had in their lunch every day) my girls would look at me like I was asking them to eat dirt.  Thankfully, over the summer their taste for pb & j has returned, and I want to keep it that way.
I also wanted to get rid of baggies.  I hated spending the money on zip baggies, not to mention the waste!  I started early on my search for the perfect lunch bag & containers, and after using them for almost a week, I can say I am super excited about how smoothly packing school lunches has been going.  
The lunch bags I found are Nike brand.  I found them at Shopko, but you can also order them here on Amazon.  These are perfect.  They have 2 pockets, and are deep enough to fit the water bottle inside with the lunch.  I love that I can fit the sandwich size container in the front pocket, which leaves the large back pocket open for water bottle & whatever else I want to fit in there.  The zippers are heavy duty and the bag is really well made.  I also found the BPA free water bottles at Shopko, my girls LOVE these. They are also Aladdin brand and they unscrew on the top like a regular water bottle, but they also unscrew further down to fit ice in if desired.

The blue containers are Aladdin brand and are AWESOME.  I found them at Target, but they can also be purchased here.  The sandwich size container is deep and comes with a removable ice pack…love that! The smaller blue container also has a removable ice pack.  The little green containers are from Rubbermaid also from Target.  They are perfect for a single cookie, nuts, dips, dried apricots, etc.  I bought each girl one large sandwich container, one side container, and two small green lid containers.  It has worked perfectly for lunches so far.
I was concerned about washing them out every night, but it really is not a big deal.  Usually we just wipe them out, but if the food is messy, we throw them in the dishwasher.  The girls empty their lunch bags as part of their afternoon routine, and they know that filling their water bottles and putting them in the refrigerator, putting their ice packs in the freezer, and emptying their containers are all part of their chart.  

Click Here To Download Free Printable
So how am I keeping this all organized and easy peasy?  With the help of our sponsor, Clean Mama.  She makes beautiful printables that keep ones home running smoothly, and she made free Weekly Lunch Plan for us!  I just love it!  It has definitely helped in keeping my mind less frazzled in trying to remember what to serve for lunch.  I especially like the area for ideas, it reminds me of food that might otherwise sit in the refrigerator and go to waste.  If you love the above printable, make sure you check out Clean Mama’s shop, which is full of more!

Here is what is on our idea list this week:
Main
Turkey Sandwich
PB & J Sandwich
Cheese Tortellini
Bean Burrito
Fruits
Apples
Peaches
Kiwi
Frozen Berries (thawed perfectly by lunch)
Veggies
Shredded carrots
Spinach Salad
Pepper strips
Protein & Dairy
I skip these because we don’t eat dairy in our home, or at least very little.  
Beverages
My girls drink water every day.  I believe juice is just too expensive and full of sugar.  Even 100 percent juice has natural sugars in it that can spike blood sugar levels since the fiber is removed from it. I can’t tell you how much money we save by just being water drinkers in our home!
Treats
Whole grain bars
Chocolate bars
Dried cranberries
Nuts
Popcorn
Chips
Dried apricots
______________
Here is our lunch plan for this week:

Monday
No School
Tuesday
Turkey Sandwich
Chips
Peach
Carrots
Cookie
Wednesday
Cheese Tortellini
Bread Cubes
Italian Dressing for both
Whole Grain Bar
Kiwi
Dried Cranberries
Thursday
Pb & Jelly Sandwich
Popcorn
Apple 
Granola bar
Dried Apricots

Friday
Bean Tacos
Chips & Salsa
Apples
Granola Bar
_____________

I also bought them each a new thermos, same Alladin brand.  I will save that and my ideas for another post!

Need MORE School Lunch Food Ideas?  Click here.

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HOME/ Homemaking/ Organizing/ Simplifying

Eat That Frog-Don’t Procrastinate!


This is a guest post by professional organizer Susan Stewart of Perfectly Placed.

Have you heard the saying that if the first thing you do when you wake up each morning is eat a live frog, nothing worse can happen for the rest of the day?

Brian Tracy, author of Eat That Frog, writes that your “frog” should be your most difficult task on your To Do list—the one you are most likely to procrastinate on. If you eat that first, it will give you energy and momentum for the rest of the day. If you don’t, and that frog stays on your list, you’ll spend all kinds of time doing unimportant tasks while you try to avoid eating it. Not only does avoiding your frog waste time, but as you you are busy distracting yourself with a more pleasurable task, thoughts of your frog keep creeping back all day long, bringing stress along with it. By the end of the day the frog is still there and you are mentally exhausted. 
I remember when I first came across these amazing thoughts by Brian Tracy. They resonated so deeply with me! You may think that a professional organizer doesn’t ever procrastinate, but of course I do! We all try to avoid things that are difficult, boring or scary. Those are the things that tend to be the frogs. Knowing this, knowing I’m not alone, and knowing I have a choice in it, has brought me freedom and that’s why I’m sharing it with you. I want YOU to experience the freedom of eating the frog too.

When I get up in the morning, I look over my to do list and pick 2 or 3 things that I know are my frogs for the day. When I admit they are frogs and confront them first thing, it is amazing how that affects my day! I have more energy, get more done and feel much more in control. I feel proud of myself when I eat those frogs!

My question to you is this- what are your frogs today and what will you do about them? The only way to get rid of them is to eat them. Will you eat them first or will you let them sit there all day, hoping they’ll hop away? The choice is up to you. I encourage you to eat them first and enjoy the freedom and success you’ll feel when they’re gone. By the way, I just finished eating mine.
P.S. Sign up here to receive 10 Time Management Secrets Every Woman Should Know
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DIY/Crafts/ FUN/DIY/ HOME/ Organizing

Diversions & Simple Labels Made From Clothespins

This is a guest post from Becky at Clean Mama

//
Hi, New Nostalgia readers!  I’m Becky from the Clean Mama blog.  Today I’d like to talk a bit with you about diversion.  There are times when everyone needs a diversion from the everyday or not-so everyday.  A diversion, or distraction, can be helpful on so many levels.  Babies and kids benefit from diversion – enter screaming baby and noisy rattle – screaming stops and baby is diverted to something new and different.  How about a small child throwing a tantrum – offer a lollipop and the tantrum is gone (not that I’m advocating this, it’s just for example purposes).

Sometimes as adults, we need a diversion or distraction.  I think the beauty of a diversion is when we recognize the need for a diversion as a helpful tool.  How do you create a diversion or distraction?  Is it purposeful  and intended?  Quiet and therapeutic?  I’m not suggesting ignoring real problems or issues, I’m merely suggesting that instead of treading over the same thoughts, divert them for a bit and find something comforting to do.  Diversion looks different for everyone – reading a book, paging through a favorite magazine, sewing, going for a walk, baking up a batch of cookies, creating something….

When I need a diversion, I tend to go to my craft closet and look for something simple to make.  My latest diversion?

  A new twist on clothespins – I have found yet another way to use them in my house.  
I made clips for IN and OUT mail stacks.  Very simple and yet a good diversion.

Supplies:
clips, wood circles, stamp pad, letter stamps (from $ spot at Target), glue, clear coat (if you want)
stamp letters on circle disks
glue
IN/ OUT

some reminder clips were also made
I bet Amy would love to hear some simple diversion ideas in the comments – what’s your favorite diversion?
Want more from Clean Mama? Click here for her July Cleaning Schedule or visit links below!

Frugal/ HOME/ Organizing/ Simplifying

Egg Carton Earring Organization

I can’t tell you how many pairs of earrings I have lost.  Or even worse, how many single earrings I have whose partner has gone missing, who just sit there and remind me of their cuteness and my spacey-ness!  I was in desperate need for Earring Organization!  Little did I know that a simple egg carton would be the answer.

 I had this egg carton sitting around, and a few months ago when I cleaned out my dresser drawers, I had an extra empty drawer.  A light bulb went off, in went the egg carton, and out whet my tendency to lose earrings.  I  am happy to report that I have not lost one since!

I really like keeping my jewelry in a drawer.  There is something about having them tucked down deep, that keeps them easy to organize and see what I want to wear that day.  I keep my bracelets on a silver platter to the left of my earrings, but if my earring collection ever grew, I could easily another egg carton. cut to size to fit, instead.  These would also work great for rings.

I’m not sure why this method of organizing my earrings works so much better than other methods I have tried, but it is easy, it is a great way to reuse those egg cartons, and it works for me!

Now to find a clever way to organize my necklaces.  Got any ideas for me?

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HOME/ Homemaking/ Organizing/ Simplifying

Mess to Less-My Home Office

Recently, I got a new Macbook Pro.  I have loved every minute I have spent with it, whether it is at a coffee shop or in my bed, I love the convenience of being able to write somewhere other than at a desk!
Something a bit strange started happening as I spent less and less time in our home office.  It started collecting things and became one HUGE “hotspot.”  It became the dumping ground for anything that didn’t have a specific home.  The desk top became a clutter collector as I was not sitting at it to write anymore.  Before, I would always clear the desktop so I could actually breath while I wrote.
Oh, boy!

Even the closet was starting to become a bit of a mess!  I have decluttered this home office in the past and even wrote about it, which really actually helped the process of doing it again.  I noticed the closet was so much easier to get back in order, and most of our desk drawers were still doing well in the organization area, too!  Progress…
This was midway through organizing. Here is what I used:
~A trash bag
~A bin for ‘giveaway to charity’
~A bin (or two!) for paper work that needs attention
~An area for ‘things that need a home’ (my dining room table)
~A broom
~A duster
~Spotify! For good music while I clean
This is ridiculous.  I have been ignoring paperwork.  It was super helpful to put it all into a bin to just get it out of the way, instead of trying to deal with it at that moment and get distracted from the rest of the office.  I knew I could gradually work on it in the coming days, and I knew my organized office would motivate me to do just that!  I am eager to get a better filing system going around here to help with this paper problem!
Here is the ‘giveaway bin.’  I love getting rid of stuff we don’t love.  THIS IS KEY to making our spaces more organized.  GET RID OF STUFF.  Less stuff = less mess.  One of my favorite sayings is “you can’t organize clutter!” 

Here is what my table looked like midway through.  This is stuff that was cluttering up our office that really belongs elsewhere.
And here is the finished product!  Ahhh..so much better.  We have yet to decorate in here how I envision it, but clutter free is beautiful!
Clutter free closet.  Yay!
This is my donation station.  I got the idea on Pinterest, but theirs is much cuter. Mine is lacking in the cuteness factor,  but has been REALLY useful. I have been looking around for canvas type boxes with lids.  I found some at Target that I love…they were black with white zigzag stripes.  I’m waiting for them to go on sale!  I will then make a small tag to label each bin so we know what goes where.  

In the time it took me to grab my camera for an “after” shot, my daughter had discovered the newly cleaned study and actually wanted to use it for the first time in weeks.  Funny how clear and clutter free areas attract people!  
Ahhh, so much better.  I have stacked paper holders, one for each family member.  It has helped keep the papers that would usually build up on the desk at bay.  I also cleared our bulletin board which also helps for those important little slips of paper.  This whole process only took me about 1 1/2 hours.  Not bad at all! We have ALL used the office much more often now that it went from mess to less. Why or why do I procrastinate?
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