How to Create an Organized Linen Closet

Slowly, but surely, I have been organizing and cleaning every square inch of my home.  I think it helps me feel more in control of my days and whittling away the unnecessary objects in my house helps clear my mind too.  Does it have that effect on you too?  One recent area that got an overhaul was the linen closet.

It's hard to share embarrassing "before" photos of our home with you, but I like to keep it honest and I'm sure it's not as bad as I think it is (we are often our own worst critic).  We have a good-sized linen closet in the hallway that was in serious need of organization.  I hated to even open the double doors to try to find something because it was such a hodge podge mess.

Of course, the first step in any organization project is Clear everything out.  I find it's cathartic to empty the whole thing so you can stand back and see an empty space.  This helps when it's time to put things back because you should consider each and every thing you want to keep.



Which brings me to the next step.  After everything is emptied out, you can sort things into piles: Toss/Dontate/Trash or Keep



In our case, all linens that fit a queen size bed were donated since we only have king beds now.  Also, we had too many duplicates of mattress covers so those were donated too.  For me, knowing I'm giving gently used items to friends or family helps me let go of what we really don't need.


And if things are in your linen closet that don't belong there, Relocate them to where they should go.  I had random vases and fabric that didn't belong in the hall closet.



When you've whittled your pile into what stays, its' time to Organize things into similar groups. This means putting like-items together.  For a linen closet, you'd put all sheet sets into a group, pillows, blankets, etc.



At this point, Put your things in containers or bins. Things look prettier and well-organized when they are contained together in a basket, bin, or tray.  But, don't purchase any new containers/storage solutions for your things (if you don't already own something that will work) until the very end of the organization process.  Before this step, you really don't know what size containers or how many you need and you may end up wasting money.  I know most of us enjoy shopping for pretty bins and such, but if you wait and get what you really need, you'll be much more satisfied in the end.

I found the plastic bins at The Container Store, the large ones were $25, kind of a splurge when you're buying three, but they are huge and hide big bulky items like mattress covers. I mean, really, how do you fold those neatly?



I'm the type of person who likes all things organized, even when they are behind closed doors.  But most of all, I LOVE that now I can display on the shelf some very meaningful linens- blankets that were handmade for me by my beloved Great Grandma- and blankets I used as a baby so long ago.

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Little Thrills (Summer Watch)

How cool is this $15 watch from  . . .  Wal-Mart?!  It's got a big white face with a casual, black rubber band.  I've been living in it lately.

You can see my last "little thrill" HERE. :)  

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GIVEAWAY (The Grocery Shrink) Meal Plans and Groceries for Less

Good morning!  Today I'm excited to share a giveaway from one of my new sponsors, The Grocery Shrink.  I hadn't heard of Angela or her shop before we partnered up, but when I read her website and learned how she's been helping families eat well for less money for years, I was very intrigued and impressed.  With her plan, each week you'll get via email a meal plan for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for 7 days, which includes a shopping list an action plan to make things super simple for you!  

We all know how difficult meal planning can be, so if you'd like some help in that area, The Grocery Shrink is for you.

Today she is giving away a one year subscription to Grocery Shrink Plus, a $60 value!  

I'm very happy to highlight and support female business owners and I hope you'll take a peek at what Angela (The Grocery Shrink) has to offer.

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Here's Angela in her own words (Isn't she and her family adorable?!- They have 6 kids:) 

Hi, I’m Angela Coffman, a mom to 6, aged 12 to 1.  As the owner of The Grocery Shrink, I’ve spent years helping families eat well for less. I love food, and presenting a well prepared meal for my family makes me happy.  But life is busy and things don’t always go perfectly.  

Have you ever had a little panic attack when you realized that it was almost time for dinner and you still didn’t know what to fix? Or spent all day working on a huge sewing project and served cold cereal and milk for dinner?  When the family eats all the dinner and there’s no leftovers, are you stuck with boxed macaroni and cheese for lunch the next day? On budget meeting day, are there ever little fights about the amounts from restaurants and grocery stores on the debit or credit card statement?

You’re not alone. And I’d love to help.  You’re busy, not lazy.  There’s only so much time in the day and mothering, working, and ministering to the needs around you takes a lot of that time.  Having a menu plan would relieve the stress; you know that already.  But menu planning is time consuming too—and sometimes the meals end up the same, week in and week out.

I’d love to tell you about a new service called Grocery Shrink Plus.  Every week GSP emails out meal plans for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for 7 days.  You get a shopping list and an action plan that you can print out for your fridge.  Once you have a habit of checking your action plan, you’ll never forget to start your slow cooker in the morning or marinade your chicken overnight again!

GSP uses natural foods such as brown rice; and whole grain flours.  You’ll learn how to make Greek Yogurt at home to save money.  And you’ll learn how to make your own whole grain bread too.  But if you don’t have time for these things, no worries.  The shopping list will tell you what to buy instead.

We know that many of you are suffering with dietary restrictions, so there are money conscious adjustments provided for gluten free and dairy free.  And if you are on a fitness plan, there’s a special section for each meal to help you get plenty of protein and control your carbs at each meal too. 

Large family?  Small family?  Each recipe comes with a chart with amounts for families of 2, 4, 8 and 12. Several of our mothers are handing an older child the menu plan to cook from as training for their future family. Other mom’s are finding that now that they are more relaxed they are more able to let their younger children join in the food prep. And Dad’s enjoy knowing exactly what to do when Mom is sick.

On a budget?  Grocery Shrink Plus is an extention of our Grocey Shrink business which focuses on reducing food bills.  Our plans use low cost foods and when you use the pantry system for shopping, you’ll save even more.

You may be shocked to learn that GSP only costs $5 a month!  It’s a huge time saver and stress reliever, but because we have so many subscribers we can keep the price low for you.  GSP isn’t for everyone.  If you have an egg allergy or choose to eat vegan, you’ll find some of the recipes challenging to adjust. 

If you’d like to find out more visit www.groceryshrink.com/menus to download a sample recipe and find out what our subscribers think of the program.  We also have a facebook page http://www.facebook.com/groups/336824316365997/ .  It’s free to come and join the discussion and see what all the excitement is about!




In addition to menus, subscribers receive monthly bonuses for renewing their subscription.  This month it will be a free copy of my newest ebook Homemade and Healthy To Go: How to pack a lunch the Grocery Shrink Way.  It will sell for $10 on my blog.

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I just couldn't resist one more picture of this sweet family!

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

Leave a comment for each:

• Like The Grocery Shrink on Facebook


• Follow The Grocery Shrink on Twitter


• Signing up for The Grocery Shrink debt free story and newsletter


• Join The Grocery Shrink Plus discussion group


• Follow Honey We're Home


• Blog, Tweet, and/or Facebook about this Giveaway

The winner will be announced next Monday, August 13, 2012.

Faith

School Supplies for Grown Ups

Am I the only one, long beyond my school days, when the words "back to school" still get me in the mood to shop for pens and paper (for myself)?!

I've looked high and low for my favorite Papermate pens, but haven't been able to find them in the stores.  But, I did find these Ink Joy Pens and they are pretty cool.

I really like my new lined notebook.  I use it everyday for blog posts, making lists, etc. It comes in other colors too.  

Are you ready for back-to-school?  Bought any cool new school supplies??

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DIY (Ombre Side Table)

Have you ever purchased a home decor item that you "had-to-have" at the time, and later turned to despise?  That's the case with a round side table we purchased about four years ago. It's just too clunky and dark for my current style.  I've tried to sell it, but couldn't find a buyer.  I could donate it, but I thought I'd try a DIY project first, since if I end up hating it, I don't have much to lose.



Here's the table in question beside the settee under our stairway.  Taking the West Elm lime green ombre throw as inspiration, I decided to ombre paint the table.

The table is metal, so I applied two coats of primer, then two coats of lime green spray paint all over.

Then I sprayed the bottom with a darker green, with a heavy hand at the bottom and a lighter spray as I approached the middle.  I did the same thing with gold spray paint at the top. It's not a precise paint job, but I wanted each color to bleed into the next, as opposed to having a taped straight line. 

Then I added a round beveled mirror (from Target) to the top, but I still need to glue it. 

I wouldn't say I'm in love with it or that it will stay forever, but I like it better than the before.  And spray paint is FUN:)

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DIY (Paint Swirl Vases)

Today I have a super cool and simple DIY project to share with you.  I saw some gorgeous blue paint swirled vases on Centsational Girl and I wanted to try to replicate the look with pink and gold.  I'm giddy over the final result!

You only need craft paint and a clear vessel.  I used two shades of pink and a gold. 

Since my vases were small, I dropped a quarter-sized dollop of each color of paint into the bottom and started swirling the vase until the paint covered the entire inner surface. 

The large pink swirl was created when I added more pink paint because I didn't think I had poured enough inside.  You need patience to swirl the paint slowly.  

I turned them over to dry, at first on a paper towel, but then I switched to wax paper so I wouldn't end up with any fuzz from the paper towel.  

When I turned the vase upside down, some of the paint started running down, changing the shape of the swirls I previously had. 

I put a few stems inside before they were completely dry, so there isn't any water in them yet. 

I also tried a solid gold vase, which I really like.  

You could make these vases with any combination of paint colors and any size vase.  I think I must be paint happy lately because I have another paint project up for you tomorrow!

And it's O M B R E :)