Moving Hacks for Frequent Movers + What To Do About Furniture

May 19, 2016 by Jenni 773 Comments

This post brought to you by CORT Furniture Rental. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Sweet Pennies From Heaven.

Moving Hacks for Frequent Movers + What To Do with Furniture!

I know that moving is stressful, especially when you move a LOT. I’m friends with several military families – and they move so often, that they’ve got this moving thing down to a science! Here are some moving hacks for frequent movers!

The biggest issue most movers face is…

What do I do about furniture?!

Some may pay to bring all of their furniture with them across the country. Others, would rather sell it all and get new…but THAT can cost a fortune!!

Guys. You have another option!

Furniture Rental!!

If you move frequently, you should seriously consider CORT and rent furniture. They work hard to help people who are making a lot of transitions, moving from one place to another.

Relocating?
Traveling long distance on temporary assignment?
Moving off campus in college?
Traveling from place to place in the military?

CORT Furniture Rental is a family of trained professionals that can help you in finding a place to live, navigating your new area, and even furnish your place for however long you need it.

It’s so convenient! There when you need it, and gone when you don’t! They even have “Move In Ready” packages!!

Now that you’ve got your furniture situation squared away, let’s get to some other moving tips for frequent movers!

Moving Hacks for Frequent Movers

Clothing:

Separate clothing into seasons. Winter, Summer, Fall, Spring.
After separating, leave clothes that are on hangers, ON the hangers and then wrap a piece of tape around groups of hangers (maybe 5-10 at a time). This will keep them together, and not flop around for the next step.
Then place a garbage bag over them, and poke a hole through the garbage bag’s bottom for the hangers to come through. Clothes move MUCH easier this way!
Write on the outside of the garbage bags which seasonal group of clothes they are.

(Suitcases and Tote Bags)

Grab all the suitcases and tote bags you have and pack folded clothes, kids clothes, socks, underwear, etc. in them.

Sort and Box:

Plastic Bins with Lids vs. Cardboard

Frequent movers – consider buying several plastic storage boxes with lids vs. using cardboard boxes. First of all – you can reuse them over, and over, and over again!

They stack nicely, and don’t get smushed in the move. AND you don’t have to worry about having to scramble to find boxes at the grocery store on 3rd shift, right?!

Before you box your kitchenware and home decor up, go through and sort. ONLY pack things you want to go inside your new home. Sort everything else into groups for giving away, throwing away, or selling (if you’re having a moving sale!).

Everything you’re taking with you – pack away in boxes. You can use clothing to wrap glass items, vs. newspaper.

Books and Papers:

Do you have tons books and paper piles? Pick out your favorite books and sort through the drawers and cabinets full of old papers, bills, etc. Throw out what isn’t needed! You’ll find you need hardly ANY of it because most stuff is done online now.

You can sell or donate the rest of the books you don’t need!

Remember the ASAP needfulls:

As soon as you arrive to your new home, there are going to be things that you need right away. Coffee maker, coffee, shower products, towels, cleaning supplies, paper towels, breakfast foods, fresh clothes, etc. Make sure to pack these things LAST in the moving trucks so that they’re the first things you pull out on arrival.

Unpack As You Need Things:

Once moved into your new home, only unpack things as you need them. You may find that you’ve got several boxes of things that you haven’t unpacked in a year. It’s apparent, you really don’t want or need these things so you can get rid of them. Less stuff to have to move, the next time!

Do you have any tips or moving hacks for frequent movers? I’d love it if you left a comment with your tips!

101 Spring Cleaning Tips and Tricks #MomsCheckIn

March 27, 2015 by Jenni 2,157 Comments

100 Spring Cleaning Tips and Tricks

I get excited this time of year. Not because I love to clean, cause I don’t – but because I know warm weather is coming. I can throw open my windows and let the fresh air in. Now, again…I don’t really love to clean but I do love having a clean house and being organized so the reward is worth the work.

Anyhoo, our Moms Check In moms are talking about spring cleaning tips this week and we’re sharing 101 Spring Cleaning tips and tricks to make things easier. If you have any awesome tips, please drop us a comment or chat with us on our social media channels using #MomsCheckIn.

101 Spring Cleaning Tips and Tricks:

1. 40 solutions to organize your home

2. How to spring clean like a pro (checklist and guide)

3. Spring cleaning supply master list

4. 7 easy ways to organize messy snack cabinets and pantries

5. How to organize a small closet on a budget

6. The easy, no soak, no scrub way to clean your dirtiest dishes

7. 5 ideas for a clean and organized refrigerator

8. How to clean grout

9. How to stock a cleaning caddy

10. How to clean a vinyl or plastic shower curtain

11. 16 printables to organize your life

12. 20 printables to organize everything in your home

13. 24 home organization products to simplify your life

14. 8 house cleaning hacks

15. 24 spring cleaning ideas you’ll be obsessed with

Sharing our own spring cleaning tips…

“Vinegar and baking soda can go a long way! Seriously, I’m not sure there is much that those two things can’t clean up! I think it’s important to keep up on the cleaning, otherwise it just gets overwhelming. Plus, I don’t know about you, but I function so much better in a clean and organized home!”

– Amanda is the mom to Joshua and owns It’s a Fabulous Life. If you are looking for a one stop place for all things mom, It’s a Fabulous Life is it! Full of recipes, fashion, DIY projects, recipes and parenting articles it’s the place for all of Mom’s favorites to come together! Follow her on Twitter here!

“ As soon as it starts warming up and I’m able to open my windows, that’s when the Spring Cleaning bug bites me. One of my favorite things to do before I ever even get started is to pour some PineSol into the sinks to clean with, but to also make the house smell good. I love the smell of it. I get rid of tons of stuff and then organize what’s left. We go through everyone’s closets, drawers, all the cabinets and even under the beds. We wash down walls and give everything a good wipe down, change filters, batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. We even spring clean the garage! I like to keep a box or garbage bag handy for things to donate to the Goodwill. Tip: take those donation items straight to your vehicle. If you set them down in a corner, they’ll end up staying there for years haha!!!“

– Jenni is the mom of one and the author of Sweet Pennies From Heaven. A hearth and home website, Sweet Pennies From Heaven focuses on recipes, crafts and creating a comfortable home. Follow her on Twitter here!

“When spring fever hits me I just want to clean house! And not always in the literal sense. I mean I want to get rid of stuff, and lots of it! This is the time of year I go through closets and get ready to consign or yard sale things we don’t need anymore. I find that is my biggest problem in keeping our house orderly – we have too much stuff. Once I purge, I try to organize the things that made the cut. These simple solutions have been so helpful so far this year. Organizing is an ongoing (probably never-ending!) process for me!“

– Lindsay is the mom of 2 and author of See Mom Click. She shares great deals, Disney happenings and recipes. You can follow her on Twitter here!

“I love freshening up the whole house when spring hits! After a long winter, I can’t wait to air out the house and give it a good cleaning. Mike and I divvy up the chores so that we can tackle them together. Now that Sam is a little older, we‘re also including him. It feels great to work as a team and have a clean home to enjoy. I also like to take advantage of free printables to help keep myself on a cleaning schedule and organized once we purge old items.“

– Stephanie is the mom to Sam and the author of Spaceships and Laser Beams. If you ever need party ideas her site is the place to visit! Specializing in all things boy, it’s full of inspiration! Follow her on Twitter here!

What is Moms Check In?

Before you leave, let us know…

What are your best spring cleaning tips?

7 Easy Ways to Organize Super Messy SNACK Cabinets and Pantries

January 21, 2015 by Jenni 1,503 Comments

7 easy ways to organize snack cabinets and pantries!

Do you have to close your eyes and brace yourself when you open up your snack cabinets or pantry door? Does stuff come flyin’ outta there and poke you in the eye? Shew! Glad I’m not the only one. Living in an old farmhouse, you’d think I had plenty of cabinet space, but I don’t. I don’t even have a flippin’ pantry. If I had a pantry, I’d live in it. You wouldn’t be able to drag me out of it!

Sooo, upon perusing Pinterest and Amazon I found some really cool ideas. Some that I think are life-altering genius. The other night, I literally pulled everything out of my cabinets and started a “pitch” fit. I think I filled 2 whole trash bags of stuff to dump and/or donate. It was like 9:15ish or so at night. The husband comes into the kitchen as I’m wollering this stuff all over the kitchen floor – and he just turns and walks out the door. I would have turned and walked out if I were him too!! I always start these projects late at night. Why?! I don’t know.

1. Toss the boxes and the bags. I Heart Organizing shows us how she created more space in her cabinets with this method. There are several other awesome reasons to do this, including portion control!

2. Use shoe organizers. I loved this idea from Money Saving Queen! Perfect for pantries and cabinet doors. In the comments on her post, I saw a reader mentioned that if you can find a shoe organizer with space in the rows between the pockets, you can easily cut them and attach on the inside of cabinet doors so that when the door is shut, the pockets with stuff inside doesn’t bump up against the shelves, for a perfect fit.

3. Use open front stackable bins. Find out how A Proverb’s Wife got hers from the Dollar Store. This is such a space saving idea and I love how clean it keeps the cabinets. It also forces you to do tip #1 (toss boxes and bags!). Woot.

4. Use all the space in your cabinets wisely! Do you have a lot of empty air space at the top of your cabinets? Use metal or plastic cabinet shelves to create more space to store things above and under. When I realized this, I almost felt stupid for not thinking about it before.

5. Canisters. These are a great alternative to bins for many reasons. They’re pretty to look at and it’s easy to see what’s inside. You can consolidate lots of similar things in canisters for instance oatmeal packets, granola bars, fruit snacks. Individual bags of chips, crackers, cookies, etc. I found these clear glass canisters on Amazon but you can also find some at your local dollar stores or Walmart.

6. Label, label, label. These chalkboard labels are realllly cute! They’re great to label bins and canisters which is super helpful when you’re ready to organize snack cabinets and pantries. I love being able to see things quickly and clearly!

7. Hanging chip clips! These are GENIUS! Keeps chips fresh yes, but the genius part is that you can hang these in your pantry, leaving space on shelves for other things. The only hanging ones I’ve seen are these Rubbermaid chip clips from Amazon.

Don’t miss these other helpful household tips:

Do you have tips on how to organize snack cabinets or pantries?
Please drop us a comment….we’d really love to hear!

4 Home Organization Tips #MomsCheckIn

January 2, 2015 by Jenni 998 Comments

4 Home Organization Tips

The holidays are over and January has arrived. For me, that means starting over new in many areas including home organization! Organizing my home is not my strong suit, but I am always and forever trying to keep it all under control and I plan to get it under my thumb this year! My “Moms Check In” friends and I have a few tips below that we’d like to share to help you out – including organizing a small closet on a budget, starting a command center, using a planner for work/home, labeling toy bins and more!

“Just call me the Queen of Paper Clutter. I can NOT do online planners/calendars. I like photo copies of my work stuff. I like binders. I like folders. But between my office ‘stuff’ and then all the mail and papers that come home from school it gets to be a bit much. We have a command center area with a big calendar and places to put the paper that comes in. It’s also where we have our keys/bags so no excuses to not know about an upcoming event!“

“For me the biggest organization challenge is space to store things. We live in an old farmhouse, and believe it or not….we have VERY little closet space and NO pantry in the kitchen. I’m constantly re-arranging and organizing in my kitchen to make space. I did finally tackle my closet though. Click HERE for a few tips I have for organizing a small closet on a budget if you’d like to tackle your own. Since we have a lack of storage space, I feel like I have a lot of things that don’t have a “home” so I tend to shove things in nooks and crannies. I’m really gonna work on that this year.“

“Organization is not my forte but I’m trying…still! Probably my biggest problem area is paper clutter so my top tip for staying on top of that is to deal with everything as it comes in. When the mail or school papers come in, go through them and immediately trash or recycle anything you don’t want or need. Don’t just put it on the counter. I also find I have to write everything down (this doesn’t mean I’m old, does it?!) so that I don’t forget the things on my to-do list. I tell myself I’ll remember but, nope. I never do. This momAgenda planner is one of my favorites for keeping everything in one place. Finally, I’m grabbing a few organizational items here and there as I find them to make it easier for me to have a designated place for everything. Here are some of the other solutions I’ve found and hope to use this year to organize my home.“

– Lindsay is the mom of 2 and author of See Mom Click. She shares great deals, Disney happenings and recipes. You can follow her on Twitter here!

“January is definitely a time of big purging in our home! When taking care of Christmas decorations, I also take the time to throw out old or broken items around our house. I also organize Sam’s toys into labeled bins plus go through our closets. I love starting off the year feeling fresh and organized! These free organizational printables are super helpful!”

What is Moms Check In?

Who are the moms of Moms Check In? We’re 4 moms who are also professional bloggers. We chat about a new topic each week. We talk about things from dirty diapers to date night, and everything in between. Moms love to talk to other moms and let’s face it…MOMS know everything!! If you happen to be a blogger also, and want to be a guest host one week, please fill out this form. We’d love to have you join us!

Check out our Organizing board on Pinterest to get some more tips!

Follow Sweet Pennies from Heaven’s board Organizing on Pinterest.

Before you leave, let us know…

Do you have any helpful organizational tips?

Organize Birthday Cards for the Year on a Budget with Hallmark #ValueCards #Cbias #shop

March 10, 2014 by Jenni 1,228 Comments

Hallmark #ValueCards #CollectiveBias

How to Organize Birthday Cards with a Birthday Card Organizer

How many times have you remembered – at midnight – that tomorrow is your bestie’s (or sister’s, mom’s, aunt, or HUSBAND’s) birthday. You forgot to get a card. Crudddd.

So, you jump out of bed to make a pitiful excuse of a card online to print. You KNOW those never turn out well. Or, you have to get up a half hour early to make a quick stop at the closest store on your way to work and pay over $4 for a card?! I know, I’ve been there. More than once.

Hallmark has this really cool Rewards Program where you get 1 reward for every 5 cards you buy. Well, guess what?! They also have these super cute Value Cards that are under $2. Many of them even as low as $0.47 and $0.97 each and you can earn your rewards on those cards too. Cha-ching!

I had to make a quick trip to Walmart, because you know…the family and the dog have to eat. Pfft. So, before I grabbed some groceries, I stood in the Hallmark card aisle and picked up some of the Hallmark Value Cards. Luckily, I have everyone’s birthday memorized. That memorization somehow just doesn’t register the day of the actual birthdays though.

I grabbed a card for everyone on my list. I found several that were perfect for each person and then I even grabbed a few extras for those I may have forgotten. No more, “Ooops, I forgot!” moments. I couldn’t pass this card up of the dog! My brother in law, Larry….has a dog that looks JUST like this pooch. Boomer is his name! Awwww.

Looks just like Boomer!

I had the grand idea to make a little DIY Birthday Station of sorts for my office to organize birthday cards. I already had a cute hanging organizer, and this birthday card organizer/station thingy was the perfect way to use it. I separated the cards into two different spots. One for kids and one for adults.

At the top, I have a large calendar that I put everyone’s birthdays on. I also have a spot to keep some colored markers to write birthday messages inside the cards. Then, I have a spot to put cards that are ready to deliver or mail out.

Now I’ll never forget another birthday AND I’ll never have to pay over $4 or $5 for a birthday card this year.

How to Stock Up for the Year:

Make a list of people you send cards to
Shop for Hallmark Value Cards ($0.47 – $0.97 each) at Walmart
Redeem your Hallmark Rewards either online or by using their free app! How to do this is below.

*I love the app….it’s so easy to use! You just scan the UPC code on the back of the cards you purchased and then for every 5 cards – you get a sweet reward. They offer lots of great restaurant and shopping gift cards.

How to Get Hallmark Card Rewards using the Free app:

Either sign up for the Hallmark Card Rewards program online or download the Free App on your phone or other mobile device. Just search “Hallmark Card Rewards” through your app store. After downloading, create your new account. Then follow these 3 steps (for app users).

Step 1: Scan the UPC codes found on the back of your purchased cards
Step 2: Choose the store you’ve purchased from
Step 3: Scan another card or check your rewards progress.

How to Organize Birthday Cards for the Year:

Use a hanging organizer or even a binder or album of sorts to organize birthday cards.
Separate cards out for “Kids” and “Adults”.
Keep a large Calendar above or inside your organizer. Something that is very visible and can be seen quickly for easy reminders.
Keep things in your organizer like stamps, extra envelopes, pens, tape. If your organizer is large enough, like my hanging organizer…you could even include tissue paper and small gift bags.

Do you forget important birthdays? How do you keep your birthday cards organized?

Make sure you check out connectionsfromhallmark.com to sign up for Hallmark Rewards, and to see great content from other bloggers. Join in the #ValueCards conversation on Twitter!

Tips on Closet Organization Including Closet Storage Ideas and Solutions

January 14, 2014 by Jenni 3,938 Comments

Closet Organization – Storage and Ideas (on a budget)

Hey! I’m Soooo Happy You’re Here!!

Let me guess.

Your closet is a complete disaster, right?

So was mine until I decided to tackle it head on, like a football player!

Here’s what happened.

I figured out that having a full and messy closet keeps the laundry fairy away. YES. She won’t come, if she can’t fit clean clothes in your closet.

Laundry fairy….please, come back!

Do you want that amazing feeling that comes with a clean, functioning, and organized closet?

You’ll love feeling

a sense of accomplishment
less anxiety
like you’re in control of your closet instead of your closet being in control of YOU.

I literally felt like I could breathe once my closet was organized and cleaned out. It had never looked better!

Once you get it organized with a system that works for YOU, you’ll never struggle with a messy closet again! I promise – and I’ll show you JUST how to do it!

My before:

This is the top half of my really messy closet before I started.

This is the bottom half of my messy closet.

I finally found my groove with some simple closet organization tips that everyone can do. No matter how big or how small your closet is and no matter what your budget is!

Click NEXT button below NOW to get started on your NEW and Improved Closet! You’re Gonna LOVE it!

Pages: 1 2 3

Neat-Oh! Toy Storage Cases Help Kids Stay Organized – Barbie, Hot Wheels, Lego and More!

November 19, 2013 by Jenni 862 Comments

Toy Storage ZipBin Cases from Neat-Oh!

I found these awesome….and I mean AWESOME toy storage cases from Neat-Oh! They have several different brands like Barbie, Hot Wheels, Lego Chima, Lego Star Wars, even Dinosaurs which are a personal favorite of ours! These storage cases zip up and that’s why this line is called ZipBin®. They’re a great size to help keep the small things nice and tidy and I’ve also found that little man likes to help clean more when he gets to put his small toys in these bins.

Each ZipBin® has special features so I’ll list them below. These are an excellent gift idea for your own kiddos, grandkids, nephews and nieces. I am here to tell you that MOM will really appreciate the kids’ receiving them for Christmas and the kids will love them too. Little do they know that it’s to help keep their stuff organized. They just wanna play with them! Each of them range in price from apprx. $17-$25 on Amazon. The links are all provided below so that you can shop for any of them.

Neat-Oh Barbie ZipBin Fab Case

Can hold 6 dolls
Pink satin bow on front
Includes one paper toy chair
Play, store, and bring along your favorite Barbie dolls

Keeping your favorite Barbie dolls organized has never been easier than with the Neat‐Oh! Barbie ZipBin Fab Case. With beautiful graphics and its easy‐to‐hold shape, the Fab toy storage Case helps every budding fashion fan bring their favorite dolls with them – wherever they go.

Neat-Oh! ZipBin Dinosaur Medium Play Set

Dramatic exterior theme identifies the contents
Unzipped bin becomes a perfect dinosaur island play mat for playing with dinosaurs, animals,vehicles, boats, action figures and more
Play mat becomes the toy storage bin in a zip
Includes 2 dinosaurs
Recommended ages between 36 months – 8 years

Keep your dinosaur collection NEAT with the ZipBin Dinosaur Collector Toy Box & Playset from Neat-Oh! The best-seller is packed with prehistoric play power. This strong and sturdy storage bin unzips to reveal a prehistoric dinosaur world that’s perfect for all the dinos in your collection. When play is done, zip up the corners and capture all the dinosaurs inside.

Neat-Oh Hot Wheels Racing Battle Case

Storage for up to 20 of your favorite di cast cars
Flip out the race track and slide 4 Hot Wheels Cars down the track
This case is very portable; along with durable and functional

With space to store up to 20 of your favorite Hot Wheels cars, the Neat-Oh! Hot Wheels Intek Battle Case acts as a launch site for all of your biggest races. Flip out the track and slide 4 Hot Wheels cars down in the ultimate race to the finish. This durable, portable, and functional case makes both play and storage easy with 20 dividers built to keep your car collection organized and accessible. Cars not included.

Neat-Oh! LEGO Chima ZipBin Battle Case

This Brand new interactive case, with its amazing graphics, transforms from storage case to kingdom for your mini figures to joust
Case can fold flat when not in use
Easily wipes clean with damp cloth

The LEGO Chima ZipBin Battle Case – Take control of your very own CHIMA kingdom with this brand new interactive case from Neat-Oh! Hold jousts between your favorite tribes on the fold-out ramp by day and easily store your pieces by night in this beautifully designed arena. Case folds flat when not in use and easily wipes clean with a damp cloth for any unexpected spills. LEGO Blocks not included.

Neat-Oh! LEGO Star Wars ZipBin Medium Toybox & Playmat

A perfect toy and toy storage solution all in one
Colorful, durable, wipe-clean surfaces
Sturdy, heavy-duty zippers
Meets child safety standards

Keep your child’s room TOTALLY NEAT with LEGO® Star Wars™ ZipBin® Storage Case. When unzipped, it becomes a Star Wars-themed playmat perfect for testing out new LEGO creations! When play is done, capture all the bricks inside. Sturdy, strong, stackable and portable.

Make sure to keep your eyes peeled starting Black Friday! We’ll be offering one of each of these in an awesome giveaway for our 2013 Holiday #GiftGuide and Giveaway event!! Woot!!

Disclosure: Neat-Oh! is participating in our Holiday Gift Guide this year. This is a sponsored post on their behalf. All opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

20+ Ways to Reuse Diaper Wipe Containers #Recycle

August 8, 2013 by Jenni 1,499 Comments

Over 20 Ways to Reuse Diaper Wipe Containers

Looking for ways to reuse diaper wipe containers? You’ve come to the right place! I still have tons of baby wipes containers. I never could “let go” of them because I knew that they would be so handy for so many things. How many times have you thrown one away — and then the next day think, “Shoot! I wish I hadn’t thrown that container away!!” because you found the perfect use for it!

The size is great for holding different things and then of course there’s that glorious lid, right?! It makes some things handy to grab quickly. I just hate throwing containers away. So much so, that I even found a way to remove ink print from plastic containers so that I could reuse them. I love nice, clean and white containers!

There are so many things I reuse diaper wipe containers for, so I thought I’d share a bunch with you! Depending on what you’re using them for, you can always decorate them with Washi Tape!! I love that stuff!

1. Store baby items – Keep lotion, diaper rash cream, etc. at your diaper changing table just to keep things in reach and organized.

2. Roundup those crayons and markers – Let the kids reuse diaper wipe containers and make a DIY Art Box.

3. Kids tackle box – Kids love to fish…let them create their own tackle box. It’s a fun way to reuse diaper wipe containers!

4. Corral loose blocks or puzzle pieces – It never fails. I’m always finding loose puzzle pieces or lego blocks that go with a set.

5. Make a change bank – Keep loose change and store the container in the utility room! Mom keeps the pocket change. #1 Rule!!

6. Odds & Ends – Keep the hubby’s odds and ends like nuts, bolts, and super small tools. Label it DADS Stuff!

7. House batteries – We use a lot of rechargeable batteries around here. I keep them in a container and cycle them out!

8. Keep Condiments – Keep a container in the kitchen cabinet with packets of ketchup, sauces, and even plastic cutlery.

9. Sewing Box – Store your needles, thread, etc. in a diaper wipes container for a makeshift “emergency” sewing kit!

10. Yarn Dispenser – Keep your Yarn or thread work from getting pulled out or knotted up.

11. Car Organizer – Reuse diaper wipes containers to hold change for the car wash, restaurant coupons, etc.

12. Coupon Organizer – These are the perfect size for organizing your coupons!

13. Recipe Box – Again…the perfect size for a recipe box!

14. Hair Accessories – Keep hair bows, ponytail holders, bobby pins, barrettes, etc. in.

15. Family Suggestion Box – This is a FUN one! Let the fam makes dinner, dessert, movie suggestions!

16. Mani/Pedi Box – Reuse Diaper wipe containers to store files, buffers, polish, cotton pads and polish in!

17. Desk/Office Organizer – Organize your ink pens, paper clips, staples, post it notes and more.

18. Store Plastic Bags – I reuse plastic bags for lots of things! Read this post – 21 Ways to Reuse Plastic Bags for some great ideas.

19. Travel – Keep liquids/makeup in a container in bags when traveling! Keeps your clothes from getting destroyed if bottles bust.

20. Hold extra chargers/cords – Keep extras in a diaper wipes box. Just label what they go to before you put them in the box!

21. Cash Box – Having a yard sale? Keep your cash/change in a diaper wipes container…it’s the perfect size!

Do you have other things you reuse diaper wipe containers for? Let us know…we’d love to hear about it! Just leave a comment below.

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like some of these other thrifty posts.

Homemade Eye Makeup Remover with Only 2 Ingredients – Costs Just $0.32 Per Ounce

Homemade Laundry Soap | Only 3 Ingredients (Just 2 Cents per Load!!!)

How to Get Rid of Fleas Using Apple Cider Vinegar – All Natural & Thrifty

17 Useful and Creative Ways to Reuse Coffee Cans Now

13 Perfectly Useful Ways To Reuse Coffee Creamer Bottles

Prepare for Holidays 5 Week Series & Challenge – Week 1

October 17, 2012 by Jenni 1,648 Comments

This is the first week in our Prepare for the Holidays 5 week series! Do you realize Thanksgiving is right around the corner?! In this series, I want for me AND you to be accountable to eachother as we do our challenges and homework.

Over the course of the next 5 weeks, we’re going to prepare ahead of time so that we’re not overwhelmed the day or 2 before Thanksgiving. When we should only be having to worry about the food, we’re consumed with cleaning, laundry, decorating, and everything else! Let’s get ahold on it NOW so we don’t have to then! Plus, our work now will also help make things a little easier for the 2nd round of holiday guests for Christmas!

If you’re just now finding this series, here are all the weeks challenges in case you want to catch up or jump ahead.

For this first week, I want to talk about indoor cleaning and hotspots. You know what a hotspot is, right?! These are those places that we HATE to clean. The places that pile up so easily and quickly. If we can get a grip on these and stick to it with just a few minutes daily – those hotspots will become not so hot ;)! Now, if you’re like ME…you have lots of hotspots! My focus is getting rid of the visible hotspots because those are the ones that are seen when folks come through the door! My worst ones are laundry, my kitchen table (always piled up, even with folded laundry (hehehee)), fireplace mantle (FULL of DVD’s and movie cases!).

My hope is that starting this challenge will get us in the mood to eventually get to all the hotspots, even the ones that are hidden like in the laundry room, bedrooms, closets (<– link to tips on closet organization!!), office space, guest rooms. But, let’s just work on the ones that are visible to guests OR the ones that are really just a nasty thorn in your side!

Your Homework for this Week

Pick 3 Hotspots in your home & clean them up (give yourself 10-15 mins. for each hotspot!)
Designate a Basket, totebag, even a Walmart bag to pick up out of place things every night (and put those things away) *Make this a nightly ritual or give this job to one of the kids (set a timer to make it more fun for them!)
Get laundry caught up.
Fill one trashbag (or more) full of unused and good recyclable toys to drop off at Goodwill or donate to a family in need.
Fill one trashbag (or more) of unused and good clothing to drop off at Goodwill or donate to a family in need.
Sweep cobwebs and dust bunnies from the ceilings and corners of your rooms. (I dare you to do it to ALL your rooms!)
Clean & organize your entryway.
Do your regular dusting and mopping/vacuuming.

IMPORTANT: Come back here and comment on this blog post with your accomplishments! We ALL want to hear plus it’ll help keep us motivated and accountable!

Each week in addition to the other challenges, I’ll be giving homework to maintain these jobs so that you don’t get back out of whack before Thanksgiving ;)! I’m talking about myself here, haha! Okay below are some of my before pics that I promised.

OMGosh – I can’t believe I’m about to DO this! Here goes…

My utility room is right off the kitchen so all my folded laundry and hangers land on the kitchen table. The end also houses my blogging “office”.

Antique wooden bench in kitchen across from my table has a bunch of Eli’s clean clothes folded up there. There’s also a pile of my pajamas. The Walmart bag on the end has some of Eli’s outgrown clothes that I’m giving away.

The fireplace mantle stays piled up with DVD’s and DVD Cases. This isn’t my fault because I don’t even know how to work the DVD player. I blame this on my husband!

Again…more DVD cases. My husband buys DVD’s every single week. He wears me out with his obsession. He’s totally addicted to the $5 bins at Walmart! I see a toy, ink pen, a camouflage hat, and a few out of place things. UGH!!!

Now, along with all of these hotspots I’ll also be getting my laundry where it’s supposed to be and OFF my kitchen table. I’ll also be sweeping my yucky cobwebs, going through and gathering bags of toys and clothes to donate, and doing all the other homework!

Please leave comments here as we struggle along through the week. Hopefully there won’t be MANY struggles but if there are we can come back here and leave comments so hopefully we can help eachother out along the way with motivation!

To easily find this post to come back to, I’ll keep it on the right side of my site. Just scroll down to find the section titled: Preparing for Thanksgiving Together 5 Week Series & Challenge.

Happy Challenge WEEK ~ Let the Homework BEGIN!

photo credit: freefrombroke.com

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