Little tricks...bathroom organization.

I've been on a "Pinterquest" (exhaustive journey through stores, websites, craigslist, online garage sale sites, etc.) to find a cart or dresser suitable for a kitchen coffee station. While on this arduous quest for the perfect furnishings...a friend saw my inquiry for the perfect cart offered me the Ikea Raskog cart for $30. That's like $20 off the price of buying it brand new AND I don't have to drag my husband and/or kids to IKEA with me. Because, you know, no one in this house really likes Ikea except me. I had a feeling it wasn't going to work for the kitchen because of the color, edges on the shelves and it's a little smaller than I hoped for. THANKFULLY, I quickly noticed that my friend's Ikea cart coordinates perfectly with our kids' bathroom. The bathroom that has no storage aside from the medicine cabinet. Which...you can't really put towels in there.

A year ago, we ripped out the entire bathroom and put in new flooring, new paint, new toilet and new sink, new decor, etc. We decided to go with a pedestal sink because our children (who love to play in water) had played so hard at ye old bathroom sink, that our vanity had suffered significant water damage. Now, you can try to tell kids all you want that sinks are not for recreational use. However, they will always find a way to wash their hands a little longer. To get another drink. To brush teeth another time. All of these things usually end result in swimming toothbrushes, floating boats and extended periods of washing dolls' hair. Sigh. It's just a stage of life. They won't do it forever. I ain't scarrrred - except when they water damage our furnishings.

The pedestal sink looks great; it's pretty kid proof, but obviously offers zero storage. My intention was to put up some shelves (as seen on Pinterest, of course), but that never happened. When I saw this Raskog cart in the perfect color - I knew my bathroom plans were coming full circle.

Look. At. That. It matches the mirror, rug, wall-art and looks like it was made to squeeze right in that space between the wall and sink! I love it. I have it set up with three mason jars to hold toothbrushes and toothpaste (previously they would land in the sink or - gasp - the floor); hair products; hair accessories; and other bathroom-y things. The bottom two shelves have towels and washcloths (which were previously sending our hall closet into overflow status). I LOVE having this cart.

The only problem? Now I've thought of at least one, maybe two more places in the house where I need one.

Also? I found the perfect cart for our coffee station, but it's back ordered. Hopefully I can post on that in early February after it shows up. SO excited!!!

Weight Loss Tools

When we talk about "weight loss tools" something different probably comes to mind for everyone. For me, it's often been my workout crap fitness equipment (though I promise, I really do loathe exercising); fitness videos; elliptical machine, etc. Recently, though, since getting back on the MyFitnessPal Wagon, I realized something. Weight loss tools go much further than that. As I dug through a drawer of kitchen utensils, I pulled out a few things and snapped a photo - just to remind myself that losing weight doesn't (usually) happen unintentionally. We do need to be careful about what we eat, and how much of it. Using MyFitnessPal (which is also available via web-browser for you non-smart-phone users), I'm forced to check serving sizes with every meal.

Yes, it can be a pain. No, I don't always want to do it. But, guess what, I'd also prefer not to eat aimlessly and pack on more pounds. So, this is what I'm doing. You really need just a few inexpensive kitchen items to be able to take control of portions in home-cooked meals (and packaged food).

These things get me through the day. I have a really inexpensive food scale that I got from the grocery store. It works just fine and I've had it for years. Really helpful to measure out sweet potato chips. Soooo....one ounce isn't exactly what I thought it was (or hoped it was). Measuring cups and spoons may seem like something we use only for baking, but I assure you...you can use them with every single meal. I measure coffee creamer, yogurt, ketchup!!!!, vegetables, shredded cheese, chips, peanut butter, etc. If I don't measure, things can spiral out of control REAL quick in the kitchen.

To satisfy your curiosity (I know your'e just itching to know), here's what a serving of veggies; a serving of sweet potato chips; and a serving of hummus looks like in real life. I recently saw a meme that said something like "I don't always eat chips and salsa, but when I do, I do it until I hate myself." Yeah, that's pretty much it. I can sit and eat chips and salsa or hummus to the point of total disgust. Easy to do with "healthy" food, right?

So, if you're thinking about taking control of your health - start in the kitchen and go back to basics with rolling back portions and eating food that simple, with just a few recognizable ingredients. Homemade is always bese, but when you do have to buy packaged food - make sure you know what each ingredient is and the wagon will be moving full-speed again (with you in it, not under it).  

Yeah, it looks like a mess, but I really do know where everything is!

Thinking of organization = this face.

Despite what the "qualifications" section of my now rather dusty resume may insinuate, I'm not the most organized person on earth. In fact, historically, my organizational M.O. has been this: "It may look like a mess, but I know where everything is." In other words, back away while I live amidst the chaos. K? I'm not disorganized on purpose, there are just plenty of things I'd rather be doing (like hanging out with the littles and my hubs, doing kitchen experiments, exercising, loitering at the craft store, taking photos, and playing with my art supplies) than squirreling crap away in little bins and boxes while the clock ticks on. Know what I mean?

Recently, though, I've been feeling a little convicted about my squaller lack of organization. I just can't seem to run the ship as tight as necessary when everything is out of place (or doesn't have a place to begin with). With a husband, four littles, and our business to help with, I've decided that organization has to be a little higher on the priority list than it is. So, I'm overhauling things - task by task and room by room.

The general concept of being an organized person is a little overwhelming for my short attention span. So, we're taking baby steps each day. Here are some little tasks that I've employed to help make life easier and the ship sail smoother:

I am a Thirty-One consultant, for goodness sakes.
I have no excuse for disorganization.

• Make a weekly meal plan - this is a really hard one for me. I don't know why (maybe because I would rather be impulsive about food?), but it seems I'm always deciding what we're having for dinner about an hour before we sit down to eat. I need to be better at this. :) In the long run, we'll save time and money on groceries if I'm a better steward of our meal money and time. Here's a really good site for meal planning.
• Make (myself) a chore list - it's true. I need a chore chart. I'm highly motivated by gold stars and colorful charts. Besides, if I don't have a list in front of me, I lose track of what I'm doing. Chore charts work for our six-year-old and they work for me, too. Just saying.
• Put the laundry away as soon as it's folded Ah, the laundry is often my nemesis. However, because it's unacceptable to go naked...or dirty...the laundry keeps winning. 
• Purge unnecessary household items weekly (if the crap isn't around, it can't pile up; if it's not in use for a while or finished being used, it may be time to toss, give or donate).
• Make better use of all the bins, boxes, storage containers and organizers that I have and don't use. In addition, I've been looking to Pinterest for more creative ways to organize. Also, I'm a Thirty-One consultant. Surely you realize how many awesome organizational products we have in this house. LOTS. I've been busy assigning each one a job and it's working out marvelously. 
• Tidy up! I can't tell you how good it feels to clean all of the scrap papers out of the kids' art boxes, clean off the island or straighten up a book shelf that's been ransacked by the baby. These things take just minutes and make a big difference in the overall appearance of a room.

I have four of these. I could have forty.
Most helpful. bag. ever.

Following these simple guidelines has already made a big difference in getting through each day! I'll be blogging, next, about how I'm attempting to make each room a little more organized. :) If you have any organizational tips to share, I'd love to see them!!

Prov 14:1 (ESV) The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.