Make up drawer

My dressing table has several drawers that I have organized my make up in.  If you haven't already noticed most of what I do is to make my life easier and to make mornings faster.  Mostly because I hate mornings.

In my make up drawer I have lots of baskets of different sizes.  The first basket in the top drawer closest to my chair is a basket labeled "daily"  I grab this basket out every morning and it is my routine make up.  If I start using a different lipstick or eye shadow it goes in this basket and the old one moves out.  If I am going somewhere special I move to the other drawers and use different things but for the most part this 1 basket serves me on a daily basis.  It is a grab and go kind of basket.

The rest of the drawers are organized with baskets by item.  Eye Shadow, Lipstick, Lip Liner, Eye Liner, blush brushes, etc.  It's pretty simple but it's organized.

I also keep a basket with notepads and a couple pens for quick notes and grocery list.

Storing Clothes

I take great care in storing my daughter's clothes.  I want to make sure they are well preserved if I ever want to use them again or sell them.  Also there are some items that are sentimental that I take even more care with.

First I start by sorting them by size.  I only put one size per bin.  Everything gets labeled accurately but simply.

 

Next anything that has sentimental value I put in a plastic ZipLock bag and label.  I wanted to remember who made the item or who gave it to her and what it was. 

Then I try to keep it organized in the attic or storage room.  Not everyone has this much space but it is so nice to be able to see everything.  The main thing is to label both ends and the top and maybe the sides if you are really pressed for space.  This way no matter what way it gets turned you can still read it.  It helps if you can keep all of one type of thing together as well.  Such as, clothes, christmas, toys, etc. 

My Mud Room

I love my mud room...catch all....It is great!!!!

I took this closet at the front door and turned it into a mud room.  All of my husband's shoes stay there.  This is basically for ease and convenience for him and my sanity.  It is supposed to encourage him not to wear his shoes in the house.  I keep a pair of house shoes there for him to put on when he takes off his other shoes.  It is important that your husband like whatever shoes you put there.  Otherwise it won't work.  And they are never to be worn outside...not even to get the mail.  That would defeat the purpose of "house shoes".  So here is an overview of what I do in my mudroom and how I have organized it.

 Each person has their own shelf with things that they are taking with them to school/work the next day.  Purses, backpacks, scarves, gloves, keys, etc.  I have a basket for each person that has their own gloves, scarves, winter wear, and sunglasses(Zaylei only).  I also keep a bag for going out to eat with games and toys and and food.  This cuts down on "hunting" time when we are going somewhere.  Makes morning so much easier too. 

 I have this extra space for keys.  These are not really the keys we use everyday but extra keys to who knows what. 

 These 2 baskets hold umbrellas and "lost and found or return" items.  If we have something that belongs to someone else that we need to return it goes in this basket.  Then we return it when we see them. 

 This is not our coat closet but everyone is allowed 2 coats.  This is for quick escapes in the morning.  As seasons change the coats change. 

 This shelf shows bins that have dry cleaning that need to go.  Also, I found we had luggage tags and key chains that weren't being used.  Who really has a place for those things.  They sorta get shoved in that infamous junk drawer (I don't have a junk drawer) so I made a place for them.  Then the 2 green baskets are for light bulbs. 

 Here you can see I put some cutsie labels on the shelves with our names. 

 The keychain and luggage tag basket.

Dry cleaning and light bulb baskets.

This closet/mud room makes my life so much easier in the mornings.

Make mornings easier

I do a couple of little things to make mornings easier for everyone in my house.  These things also help my husband if I am not around.  One thing I do that leads up to what I will show in this blog is to hang outfits together in the closet.  When I do laundry and hang the clothes, I always hang them as a full complete outfit.  Then if I am not home my husband can go to the closet and get something knowing that it matches.  I am a little crazy and I have a divider.  So after laundry is on hangers I hang everything we have worn behind the divider.  Then only clothes on the other side of the divider are worn until you get to a point where you really need to start over.  This keeps us from over wearing clothes and guarantees we wear everything.  If something isn't worn after a season we can get rid of it knowing we don't like it or it doesn't fit.  Might as well let someone else get some use from it.

Each week I get a full week of clothes ready.  Full outfit, socks, shoes, undies, hairbow and anything else that might be needed.  Then each night we just go over and grab the outfit for the next day.  In the "shoe holder" that I have turned into an outfit organizer I have labeled it by days.  Also, if it is gym day or music day I have added that so I can make sure appropriate clothing is worn that day.  Sunday has two slots.  One for church and another for after church.  On Saturdays Zaylei likes to get her clothes and get dressed so it is best for that one to be low so she can reach it.  This cuts down on morning arguments over what to wear.  It has already been decided.  If I question if anything fits, I try it on when I am putting together the weeks outfits.  It probably takes me 15-20 minutes a week to do this.  Instead of 15-20 minutes every morning and a crying fit.

I keep items in the closet easy to get to as well.  They are organized in catagories easy for a 4 year old and on the bottom shelves.  Some of these things would be in drawers ordinarily but we have these shelves so I decided to utilize them.

Who doesn't love a good foaming soap

I love foaming soap.  But I get tired of paying the higher price for foaming soap when I know it is mostly water.  So I developed my own foaming soap.  Let me tell you....it is EASY AND CHEAP. 

So here it is.  First you need to use up some foaming soap you buy. These happen to be my favorite.

Once they are empty, you can make your own soap.  The absolutely best thing to make soap with is dish washing detergent.  The clear (not creamy....color doesn't matter) seem to make the best soap.  I bought the Hand Renewal last time.  I figured I might as well try to do something nice form my hands.  

Next add about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch to the bottom of the empty soap bottles.  Then fill the rest of the way with water.  It is very important not to get too much soap.  If you do it will not create foaming soap.  

Notice I didn't fill the water to the top.  This is very important.  The foaming tops are bulky and take up space in the bottle.  If you over fill it will gush out as you put the top on wasting your new foaming soap.  

Now shake.  And there you GO!  Foaming soap.  Very cheap.  I think the Dawn Hand renewal cost me somewhere around $3.00.  I use very little per bottle.  Imagine how many bottles of soap I can make for $3.00.  Foaming soap at Bath and Body is $5.00 per bottle.  Granted, I still buy it on occasion if it is on sale.  Your foamers won't last forever so you have to replace them eventually.  

Enjoy making your own soap in minutes.  The whole process takes maybe 3 minutes.