Last month was a whirlwind of cleaning and organizing for me! The next few months are very busy for me at work and personally, so this will allow me to relax and enjoy. I finally finished up the last bit, the paperwork post ended up far more involved than I expected it to be. I hope it's helpful, everything for fall cleaning applies to spring cleaning as well. So it will be a helpful reference/schedule for me long term as well.
Showing posts with label September ShapeUp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label September ShapeUp. Show all posts
Homemaking September ShapeUp WrapUp
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
Last month was a whirlwind of cleaning and organizing for me! The next few months are very busy for me at work and personally, so this will allow me to relax and enjoy. I finally finished up the last bit, the paperwork post ended up far more involved than I expected it to be. I hope it's helpful, everything for fall cleaning applies to spring cleaning as well. So it will be a helpful reference/schedule for me long term as well.
Last month was a whirlwind of cleaning and organizing for me! The next few months are very busy for me at work and personally, so this will allow me to relax and enjoy. I finally finished up the last bit, the paperwork post ended up far more involved than I expected it to be. I hope it's helpful, everything for fall cleaning applies to spring cleaning as well. So it will be a helpful reference/schedule for me long term as well.
Managing Paperwork
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
I know it's October and this is a bit late in coming, it was the most involved post to put together. Hopefully, I've covered most everything.
The last bit to tackle is paperwork. How often are people buried by mounds of paperwork, not knowing what they have to keep so they keep everything! Just in case...
Let's attack paperwork in three phases. The first phase is the trash, shred and sort phase; the second is the file and scan phase; and, the third is the maintenance phase. If you have an entire afternoon free to get up close and personal with your paperwork, feel free to combine them. Otherwise, get the first phase done, and spread phase two out over a month and start phase three right away to keep on top of everything.
Now, when I say spread the file and scan phase out over two months, I don't mean leave the piles all over your dining room table! Just take the piles and put them directly in files, then each day pick a catagory, for instance Tax Pile. Pull your tax pile folder(s), separate the file into piles by year, label file folders according to each year, scan in anything you want to keep electronically, put the appropriate pile into the appropriate folder and refile. This way you won't have piles on your dining room table, and it's somewhat organized until you take the time to sort through it. Within a month you'll have an organized system going forward.
So, let's get started.
First, let's gather all our paper work together. Grab a trash bag, recycle bin and a collecting bin and go through your paper gathering areas, kitchen, mail drop, offices, etc. and gather all the paper items. This includes all paper items: bills, lists, magazines, catalogs, schoolwork, birthday cards, everything paper... The exception would be paper for scrapbooking or other hobbies that are in their rightful places. Throw away or recycle the glaringly obvious items: catalogs, junk mail, flyers, empty envelopes, etc. and put everything else in the bin. Most paper can be recycled, check with your recycling center to find out if they have any restrictions. (Definite restrictions: Manilla envelopes - the dark yellowish-brown ones, and flourescent paper)
If the room you'll be filing it away in has enough room to spread out, take your bin, trash bag and shredder to that room. Otherwise, use a room that you can spread out in, don't spread out until you can tackle it all at once.
We'll start sorting through the bin. Most people will have a few basic piles, but include others as they are needed, especially for those running a business out of your home.
Action Items pile: These are items that have not been addressed and something needs to be done with it. For instance, bills to be paid, tags to be put on your vehicle, notes regarding phone calls to be returned, taxes to be filed, receipts to be turned in for reimbursement, etc.
Tax Related Items pile: Any items related to taxes and tax deductions, bills or credit card statements with tax deductible items listed, work related receipts you are not reimbursed for in other manners, donation receipts, medical expense receipts, 1099's, sales tax credit receipts (some states, ND is one, has a cap on sales tax, but it's up to the purchaser to file for it), etc. Pay stubs: Until you get your W-2 keep all in the current year, then shred all but the last 5. The last 5 can be shredded after you get your first 5 in the next year. You want to keep them though in case you end up looking for a new job or applying for a loan.
Loan Documentation pile: Any documents regarding loans or mortgages, including anything that was signed and copies of any lien waivers.
Proof of Warranty pile: Any bills or receipts needed for proof of warranty, and any warranty related paperwork. If you no longer own the items or the warranty is expired, shred the documents.
Manuals pile: Only if you currently own the product, otherwise toss it.
Insurance pile: All current insurance related on your life, house, car, other recreational vehicles, medical, dental, etc. This includes receipts related to big ticket items no longer covered under warranty for proof of value, for instance: electronics, jewelry, appliances, art, collectibles... If you no longer own it, unless you have open claims on the policy, there is no need to keep the policy information or related cards for vehicles. Shred anything insurance related that is not current.
Pension Plan/Retirement/Investment Account pile: All stock certificates, year-end statements, anything related to the current year, documentation regarding vestment schedules, signed documents or letters regarding rights to future retirement benefits. All other documentation can be shredded, if in doubt, ask your accountant.
Bills pile: Any bills that are current and paid, but payment has not yet been verified; any bills currently in dispute; and, any bills consisting of prepayment or advanced payment for long-term on-going projects. All other bills, not previously addressed, should be shredded. Once payment has been made on a bill and you have verified payment has cleared the bank, shred the bill.
Receipts pile: Receipts not related to a warranty, but still within the timeframe for an exchange or refund. Most other receipts can be tossed, or shredded if there is account/customer information on them.
Bank Statements pile: All bank and credit card statements, not in a previous pile. Once the charges, checks, deposits etc are verified these can be shredded. Since you are disposing of all receipts, if you want to maintain a record somehow. Scan these items in, then shred them. You don't need to keep them.
House pile: Anything related to house maintenance, as long as you still own the house.
Vehicle pile: Anything related to vehicle maintenance, as long as you still own the vehicle.
Work piles: If you work from home, tailor these piles to what you do and determine what you need to keep.
Technically, that's the end of what we HAVE to keep... If we stopped there most people would still have a large chunk of papers left in their bin.
Your Schoolwork pile: If it's your school work from college, keep the papers for the current term, toss them once you receive your report card. I can understand wanting to keep a Master's Thesis, or some papers which may be a part of a class which will be built on in another semester. However, once you have your degree, consider letting it all go.
Your Kid's Schoolwork pile: You can't keep everything and they won't want it all later. I recommend a top ten scenario and let the kids choose! Keep each week's papers, at the end of the week, pick the top two choices. They may not be the best grades, so let them pick what means the most to them. At the end of the month, of all the ones chosen, have them pick their favorite 5. At the end of the quarter, have them narrow it down to five again, and again at the end of the semester. By the end of the year, you will have the top 5 from each semester. If you have a favorite few that they haven't chosen, keep them aside, but you shouldn't have more than 3 favorites that weren't chosen by your child each year. For large projects, take pictures and ask your child to write a bit about it (Science fair projects come to mind), keep that instead of the large foam board stand-up's, volcano's or other large created items.
Momentos pile: You don't need these items at all, they are kept for sentimental reasons. I'm not going to tell you to toss it all, I'm not heartless. Toss anything that has no meaning for you.
Magazines and Newspapers pile: Clip items out that you want to keep, the rest should be donated or tossed after it's read. If this pile is overwhelming, be realistic about what you can really read, consider changing your subscription. We changed our newspaper to a weekend/holiday subscription. As much as I'd like to, I don't have time to read a newspaper daily. If you are getting far more magazines that you can realistically absorb in a month, consider cancelling your remaining subscription, or having it forwarded to a friend or relative that may like it. I'm whittling through my magazines, this pile was the hardest for me to own up to.
Catalog pile: You can find almost everything in a catalog online, flip through it, if you like, but don't keep it. You'll get another soon enough. If you get a lot of catalogs, especially ones that you never order from or if they have complete shops online, consider calling the company and ask them to stop sending you catalogs.
If you are like me you probably need a Recipe pile and a Inspiration/Decorating/Furniture Notes pile, go ahead and create them.
You may have other papers at this point, address them as needed, but be reasonable and if you are wondering whether you HAVE to keep it, do a quick search online.
Congratulations, you've gotten through the sorting of it all! Now for the filing and scanning of it all.
First, you'll need file folders, look at your piles and figure out how many files you will need. Make sure to count one for each tax year, one for each loan, etc.
Pretty File Folder Options:
Anthropologie has some gorgeous options, I'm particularly fond of the top one. Who wouldn't like filing in these?
Wallpaper Designer File Folders
Emma Designer File Folders
Sophie Designer File Folders
William Morris Clover File Folders
White Roses Decorative File Folders
Now you'll wonder why I call this section file and scan. I'm guessing a lot of people don't feel comfortable trashing a lot of the bills and other things I said to throw away. Here's where the scanner comes in, rather than saving all those pieces of paper, scan them in, then feel free to throw them. Now, don't just scan these to your desktop, give it some thought and set up a folder structure to make it easier to find everything later. I recommend using file names that are a combination of bill name and date in the format YYMMDD, you can then sort by name and it will sort nicely for you.
Scanning is the perfect option for a lot of the schoolwork pieces you want to keep, that don't make the final cut.
For now, filing will be a quicker option, but try to set aside 10-15 minutes a few times a week to get through the items you can't let go of, but really don't need to keep.
Also, you need to have a plan for the momentos so they don't get lost or damaged. If they are that important to you that you want to keep them, keep a memory box or something to store them in. Consider digital scrapbooking to preserve some of these items. You'll have the item scanned and the memory, without having to store the paper it's on. If you have items of significant value intended for long-term archiving, use acid-free archival storage for it to help prevent degradation over the years. Just remember that if the items being stored aren't acid-free, this will help slow degradation, but will not prevent it.
Acid-Free Tissue Paper
Acid-Free Box
1) Setup an inbox area
2) Commit to 15 minutes twice a week to take care of action items
4) Be ruthless, I open my mail by the trash and nothing comes into the house that I don't need.
It's easier to stay organized than it is to get organized. Hopefully, this will help you develop a manageable paperwork handling system.
I know it's October and this is a bit late in coming, it was the most involved post to put together. Hopefully, I've covered most everything.
The last bit to tackle is paperwork. How often are people buried by mounds of paperwork, not knowing what they have to keep so they keep everything! Just in case...
Do you ever feel like this? I used to.
Let's attack paperwork in three phases. The first phase is the trash, shred and sort phase; the second is the file and scan phase; and, the third is the maintenance phase. If you have an entire afternoon free to get up close and personal with your paperwork, feel free to combine them. Otherwise, get the first phase done, and spread phase two out over a month and start phase three right away to keep on top of everything.
Now, when I say spread the file and scan phase out over two months, I don't mean leave the piles all over your dining room table! Just take the piles and put them directly in files, then each day pick a catagory, for instance Tax Pile. Pull your tax pile folder(s), separate the file into piles by year, label file folders according to each year, scan in anything you want to keep electronically, put the appropriate pile into the appropriate folder and refile. This way you won't have piles on your dining room table, and it's somewhat organized until you take the time to sort through it. Within a month you'll have an organized system going forward.
So, let's get started.
Trash, Shred and Sort
First, let's gather all our paper work together. Grab a trash bag, recycle bin and a collecting bin and go through your paper gathering areas, kitchen, mail drop, offices, etc. and gather all the paper items. This includes all paper items: bills, lists, magazines, catalogs, schoolwork, birthday cards, everything paper... The exception would be paper for scrapbooking or other hobbies that are in their rightful places. Throw away or recycle the glaringly obvious items: catalogs, junk mail, flyers, empty envelopes, etc. and put everything else in the bin. Most paper can be recycled, check with your recycling center to find out if they have any restrictions. (Definite restrictions: Manilla envelopes - the dark yellowish-brown ones, and flourescent paper)
If the room you'll be filing it away in has enough room to spread out, take your bin, trash bag and shredder to that room. Otherwise, use a room that you can spread out in, don't spread out until you can tackle it all at once.
We'll start sorting through the bin. Most people will have a few basic piles, but include others as they are needed, especially for those running a business out of your home.
Action Items pile: These are items that have not been addressed and something needs to be done with it. For instance, bills to be paid, tags to be put on your vehicle, notes regarding phone calls to be returned, taxes to be filed, receipts to be turned in for reimbursement, etc.
Tax Related Items pile: Any items related to taxes and tax deductions, bills or credit card statements with tax deductible items listed, work related receipts you are not reimbursed for in other manners, donation receipts, medical expense receipts, 1099's, sales tax credit receipts (some states, ND is one, has a cap on sales tax, but it's up to the purchaser to file for it), etc. Pay stubs: Until you get your W-2 keep all in the current year, then shred all but the last 5. The last 5 can be shredded after you get your first 5 in the next year. You want to keep them though in case you end up looking for a new job or applying for a loan.
Loan Documentation pile: Any documents regarding loans or mortgages, including anything that was signed and copies of any lien waivers.
Proof of Warranty pile: Any bills or receipts needed for proof of warranty, and any warranty related paperwork. If you no longer own the items or the warranty is expired, shred the documents.
Manuals pile: Only if you currently own the product, otherwise toss it.
Insurance pile: All current insurance related on your life, house, car, other recreational vehicles, medical, dental, etc. This includes receipts related to big ticket items no longer covered under warranty for proof of value, for instance: electronics, jewelry, appliances, art, collectibles... If you no longer own it, unless you have open claims on the policy, there is no need to keep the policy information or related cards for vehicles. Shred anything insurance related that is not current.
Pension Plan/Retirement/Investment Account pile: All stock certificates, year-end statements, anything related to the current year, documentation regarding vestment schedules, signed documents or letters regarding rights to future retirement benefits. All other documentation can be shredded, if in doubt, ask your accountant.
Bills pile: Any bills that are current and paid, but payment has not yet been verified; any bills currently in dispute; and, any bills consisting of prepayment or advanced payment for long-term on-going projects. All other bills, not previously addressed, should be shredded. Once payment has been made on a bill and you have verified payment has cleared the bank, shred the bill.
Receipts pile: Receipts not related to a warranty, but still within the timeframe for an exchange or refund. Most other receipts can be tossed, or shredded if there is account/customer information on them.
Bank Statements pile: All bank and credit card statements, not in a previous pile. Once the charges, checks, deposits etc are verified these can be shredded. Since you are disposing of all receipts, if you want to maintain a record somehow. Scan these items in, then shred them. You don't need to keep them.
House pile: Anything related to house maintenance, as long as you still own the house.
Vehicle pile: Anything related to vehicle maintenance, as long as you still own the vehicle.
Work piles: If you work from home, tailor these piles to what you do and determine what you need to keep.
Technically, that's the end of what we HAVE to keep... If we stopped there most people would still have a large chunk of papers left in their bin.
Your Schoolwork pile: If it's your school work from college, keep the papers for the current term, toss them once you receive your report card. I can understand wanting to keep a Master's Thesis, or some papers which may be a part of a class which will be built on in another semester. However, once you have your degree, consider letting it all go.
Your Kid's Schoolwork pile: You can't keep everything and they won't want it all later. I recommend a top ten scenario and let the kids choose! Keep each week's papers, at the end of the week, pick the top two choices. They may not be the best grades, so let them pick what means the most to them. At the end of the month, of all the ones chosen, have them pick their favorite 5. At the end of the quarter, have them narrow it down to five again, and again at the end of the semester. By the end of the year, you will have the top 5 from each semester. If you have a favorite few that they haven't chosen, keep them aside, but you shouldn't have more than 3 favorites that weren't chosen by your child each year. For large projects, take pictures and ask your child to write a bit about it (Science fair projects come to mind), keep that instead of the large foam board stand-up's, volcano's or other large created items.
Momentos pile: You don't need these items at all, they are kept for sentimental reasons. I'm not going to tell you to toss it all, I'm not heartless. Toss anything that has no meaning for you.
Magazines and Newspapers pile: Clip items out that you want to keep, the rest should be donated or tossed after it's read. If this pile is overwhelming, be realistic about what you can really read, consider changing your subscription. We changed our newspaper to a weekend/holiday subscription. As much as I'd like to, I don't have time to read a newspaper daily. If you are getting far more magazines that you can realistically absorb in a month, consider cancelling your remaining subscription, or having it forwarded to a friend or relative that may like it. I'm whittling through my magazines, this pile was the hardest for me to own up to.
Catalog pile: You can find almost everything in a catalog online, flip through it, if you like, but don't keep it. You'll get another soon enough. If you get a lot of catalogs, especially ones that you never order from or if they have complete shops online, consider calling the company and ask them to stop sending you catalogs.
If you are like me you probably need a Recipe pile and a Inspiration/Decorating/Furniture Notes pile, go ahead and create them.
You may have other papers at this point, address them as needed, but be reasonable and if you are wondering whether you HAVE to keep it, do a quick search online.
File and Scan
Congratulations, you've gotten through the sorting of it all! Now for the filing and scanning of it all.
First, you'll need file folders, look at your piles and figure out how many files you will need. Make sure to count one for each tax year, one for each loan, etc.
Pretty File Folder Options:
Anthropologie has some gorgeous options, I'm particularly fond of the top one. Who wouldn't like filing in these?
Wallpaper Designer File Folders
Emma Designer File Folders
Sophie Designer File Folders
William Morris Clover File Folders
White Roses Decorative File Folders
Now you'll wonder why I call this section file and scan. I'm guessing a lot of people don't feel comfortable trashing a lot of the bills and other things I said to throw away. Here's where the scanner comes in, rather than saving all those pieces of paper, scan them in, then feel free to throw them. Now, don't just scan these to your desktop, give it some thought and set up a folder structure to make it easier to find everything later. I recommend using file names that are a combination of bill name and date in the format YYMMDD, you can then sort by name and it will sort nicely for you.
Scanning is the perfect option for a lot of the schoolwork pieces you want to keep, that don't make the final cut.
For now, filing will be a quicker option, but try to set aside 10-15 minutes a few times a week to get through the items you can't let go of, but really don't need to keep.
Also, you need to have a plan for the momentos so they don't get lost or damaged. If they are that important to you that you want to keep them, keep a memory box or something to store them in. Consider digital scrapbooking to preserve some of these items. You'll have the item scanned and the memory, without having to store the paper it's on. If you have items of significant value intended for long-term archiving, use acid-free archival storage for it to help prevent degradation over the years. Just remember that if the items being stored aren't acid-free, this will help slow degradation, but will not prevent it.
Acid-Free Tissue Paper
Acid-Free Box
Maintenance
1) Setup an inbox area
2) Commit to 15 minutes twice a week to take care of action items
- Pay bills
- RSVP to invitations
- Place catalog orders (Discard the catalog afterwards)
4) Be ruthless, I open my mail by the trash and nothing comes into the house that I don't need.
It's easier to stay organized than it is to get organized. Hopefully, this will help you develop a manageable paperwork handling system.
View the Guide
In/Out Policy
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
Now that you've successfully decluttered, and have made a plan for all the sell/donate items, let's talk about future purchases. The best way to keep from accumulating is to establish an in/out policy. If something comes in to the house, a like item must leave it. If you buy a new blouse, donate an older one. If you buy a new tv, donate an older one. If you get a new toy for your child, donate an older one. Clutter has a way of taking over if we let it. Why let it?
Now that you've successfully decluttered, and have made a plan for all the sell/donate items, let's talk about future purchases. The best way to keep from accumulating is to establish an in/out policy. If something comes in to the house, a like item must leave it. If you buy a new blouse, donate an older one. If you buy a new tv, donate an older one. If you get a new toy for your child, donate an older one. Clutter has a way of taking over if we let it. Why let it?
View the Guide
Me Time, Date Night, Free Time
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
We've done a LOT of work this month. Especially if you've been following right along with me. However, now our homes are ready for fall, and the winter holidays. Now that everything is planned, decluttered, organized, cleaned, and decorated, it's time to relax and enjoy. Right now I want you to grab your calendar. Go ahead and pick 1 day a week and schedule an hour of "Me Time" on that day. That's your time to be selfish and pamper yourself however you desire. Now, schedule a date night each week. Mine is always on Friday night, but yours can be any night. Date night could be a date with a hubby, significant other, friend, parent, child anyone that you want to spend a little more time with in your life. Last, I want you to schedule an hour of free time once a week. There are always unexpected things that pop-up that you don't account for. This free time is intended to be flexible, so you can take care of those things without stressing yourself out because you have no time. If you are lucky, nothing will pop up and you can use it as family time or additional me time.
We've done a LOT of work this month. Especially if you've been following right along with me. However, now our homes are ready for fall, and the winter holidays. Now that everything is planned, decluttered, organized, cleaned, and decorated, it's time to relax and enjoy. Right now I want you to grab your calendar. Go ahead and pick 1 day a week and schedule an hour of "Me Time" on that day. That's your time to be selfish and pamper yourself however you desire. Now, schedule a date night each week. Mine is always on Friday night, but yours can be any night. Date night could be a date with a hubby, significant other, friend, parent, child anyone that you want to spend a little more time with in your life. Last, I want you to schedule an hour of free time once a week. There are always unexpected things that pop-up that you don't account for. This free time is intended to be flexible, so you can take care of those things without stressing yourself out because you have no time. If you are lucky, nothing will pop up and you can use it as family time or additional me time.
View the Guide
Sell/Donate
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
You've been collecting items all month long in a Sell/Donate bin, or perhaps multiple bins. Now is the time to address these bins. Make a plan now. You don't want to find yourself storing stuff you no longer want. It's counterproductive. Space is valuable, why waste it.
If you have any higher dollar items that you want to sell, I would suggest e-bay. At garage sales all you can do is hope that the right buyer hits your sale that day. If you want you can use e-bay to determine what it will probably sell for, then put it on your garage sale for that price. If it doesn't sell, then put it on e-bay. It's worth selling an item at a slightly lower price at a garage sale to avoid the hassles of writing a description, taking pictures, listing it and shipping it.
For items that you are going to donate, make sure they are in good shape and clean. Call your favorite local charity that takes donations and find out what items they accept. Everything else can be given away via freecycle.
Get it all out of the house, you don't want to store it, or dust it, or have to look at it again in 3 months when you can't remember what's in there.
You've been collecting items all month long in a Sell/Donate bin, or perhaps multiple bins. Now is the time to address these bins. Make a plan now. You don't want to find yourself storing stuff you no longer want. It's counterproductive. Space is valuable, why waste it.
If you have any higher dollar items that you want to sell, I would suggest e-bay. At garage sales all you can do is hope that the right buyer hits your sale that day. If you want you can use e-bay to determine what it will probably sell for, then put it on your garage sale for that price. If it doesn't sell, then put it on e-bay. It's worth selling an item at a slightly lower price at a garage sale to avoid the hassles of writing a description, taking pictures, listing it and shipping it.
For items that you are going to donate, make sure they are in good shape and clean. Call your favorite local charity that takes donations and find out what items they accept. Everything else can be given away via freecycle.
Get it all out of the house, you don't want to store it, or dust it, or have to look at it again in 3 months when you can't remember what's in there.
View the Guide
Project You Love
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
Now that the house and outdoors are at their prettiest, it's time to do something you love. In my case, we're remodeling our downstairs bathroom right now and I'm going to spend a little time picking out the tile and accessories. I'll share pics once hubby agrees with one of my choices.
What project do you have on your list for the fall?
Now that the house and outdoors are at their prettiest, it's time to do something you love. In my case, we're remodeling our downstairs bathroom right now and I'm going to spend a little time picking out the tile and accessories. I'll share pics once hubby agrees with one of my choices.
What project do you have on your list for the fall?
View the Guide
Decorating for Fall: Outdoors
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, then we organized, this week we're going to go through and decorate. Decorating is the fun part!
Isn't this just gorgeous? While I'm sure we'd all love to have an outdoor fireplace, many of the ideas presented work well for any home. The idea is to create a cozy atmosphere. The mums and pumpkins tucked into the corners by the patio furniture add a bit of color and fall foliage. And even if we can't have a roaring fire, anyone can add a few candles to their outdoor spaces. The warm, but bright color of the wreath adds a lovely contrast that nicely coordinates with the doors. Flower boxes which once overflowed with gorgeous pinks can be planted with mums and hardier fall flowers or nestled with pumpkins and wheat sheafs, branches and berries. Have you ever stuffed a scarecrow for your front lawn? It could be a fun project to do with children.
Southern Living
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, then we organized, this week we're going to go through and decorate. Decorating is the fun part!
Isn't this just gorgeous? While I'm sure we'd all love to have an outdoor fireplace, many of the ideas presented work well for any home. The idea is to create a cozy atmosphere. The mums and pumpkins tucked into the corners by the patio furniture add a bit of color and fall foliage. And even if we can't have a roaring fire, anyone can add a few candles to their outdoor spaces. The warm, but bright color of the wreath adds a lovely contrast that nicely coordinates with the doors. Flower boxes which once overflowed with gorgeous pinks can be planted with mums and hardier fall flowers or nestled with pumpkins and wheat sheafs, branches and berries. Have you ever stuffed a scarecrow for your front lawn? It could be a fun project to do with children.
View the Guide
Decorating for Fall: Bathrooms
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, then we organized, this week we're going to go through and decorate. Decorating is the fun part!
I actually think bathrooms like kitchens are one of the easiest rooms for adding a touch of fall.
10 Autumn Ideas for the Bathroom Under $10
1. Hollow out a small pumpkin, fill with wet floral foam and use as a vase for a floral arrangement on the counter.
2. Use Autumn scented handmade soaps
3. Add scented candles like Ginger Pumpkin votives
4. Add in some neutral texture with Natural Bath Sponges
5. Line a small basket with fall leaves and fill with pinecones, nuts and other small fall ephemera
6. Change out your shower curtain hooks
7. Add a coordinating fall colored hand towel
8. Wash a still pliable yellow, gold or red leaf gently with soap and water, place in the center of a cream ceramic soap dish. Secure leaf with a hot glue dot or scrapbooking glue dot, and use soap dish.
9. Add a cozy bath rug to the floor to take the chill off in the cooler mornings.
10. What's your favorite autumn decorating tip for the bathroom?
Southern Living
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, then we organized, this week we're going to go through and decorate. Decorating is the fun part!
I actually think bathrooms like kitchens are one of the easiest rooms for adding a touch of fall.
10 Autumn Ideas for the Bathroom Under $10
1. Hollow out a small pumpkin, fill with wet floral foam and use as a vase for a floral arrangement on the counter.
2. Use Autumn scented handmade soaps
3. Add scented candles like Ginger Pumpkin votives
4. Add in some neutral texture with Natural Bath Sponges
5. Line a small basket with fall leaves and fill with pinecones, nuts and other small fall ephemera
6. Change out your shower curtain hooks
7. Add a coordinating fall colored hand towel
8. Wash a still pliable yellow, gold or red leaf gently with soap and water, place in the center of a cream ceramic soap dish. Secure leaf with a hot glue dot or scrapbooking glue dot, and use soap dish.
9. Add a cozy bath rug to the floor to take the chill off in the cooler mornings.
10. What's your favorite autumn decorating tip for the bathroom?
View the Guide
Decorating for Fall: Extra Rooms
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
This office brings a touch of fall to the office year round. The pumpkin color on the walls is so cozy. However, even if the walls were a cream and the pumpkin color was brought in simply in pillows it would still feel cozy. I can't imagine many people would paint walls season by season, however if you love autumn and earth tones, why not decorate a room in your home to give you that feeling year round. An office, a studio, a kids playroom, they are all good candidates for a seasonal decor. The rooms are usually tucked away from the public areas of the home and would lend themselves well to a little special autumn treatment.
Coastal Living
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, then we organized, this week we're going to go through and decorate. Decorating is the fun part! This office brings a touch of fall to the office year round. The pumpkin color on the walls is so cozy. However, even if the walls were a cream and the pumpkin color was brought in simply in pillows it would still feel cozy. I can't imagine many people would paint walls season by season, however if you love autumn and earth tones, why not decorate a room in your home to give you that feeling year round. An office, a studio, a kids playroom, they are all good candidates for a seasonal decor. The rooms are usually tucked away from the public areas of the home and would lend themselves well to a little special autumn treatment.
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Decorating for Fall: Bedroom
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, then we organized, this week we're going to go through and decorate. Decorating is the fun part!
I don't tend to add much to the bedroom. When fall comes and the nights get cooler I pull out the down comforter and an extra throw, but I don't add any other touches to the room. I do love this vignette though, the chair draped with a throw, books in arms reach and a teapot, cup and saucer close by feels so cozy. I'm thinking of recreating something similar in my bedroom. Maybe with a mug of cocoa instead of an actual teapot, cup and saucer though.
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, then we organized, this week we're going to go through and decorate. Decorating is the fun part!
I don't tend to add much to the bedroom. When fall comes and the nights get cooler I pull out the down comforter and an extra throw, but I don't add any other touches to the room. I do love this vignette though, the chair draped with a throw, books in arms reach and a teapot, cup and saucer close by feels so cozy. I'm thinking of recreating something similar in my bedroom. Maybe with a mug of cocoa instead of an actual teapot, cup and saucer though.
View the Guide
Decorating for Fall: Living Areas
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, then we organized, this week we're going to go through and decorate. Decorating is the fun part!
Fall doesn't have to mean "fall colors". Oranges, yellows, golds, reds, rusts, browns... these colors are synonymous with fall.
However, this room is all neutrals, yet still feels like fall. The natural materials in the basket and the shells and the weathered feel of the table add to the feeling, yet they'd look perfectly at home in the spring. It's the little touches like the cable knit throws tucked into the couches readily available for cuddling on a crisp autumn day and the crackling fire in the fireplace that make this feel like fall.
If "fall colors" aren't your thing, add your touches in neutrals... white gourds and pumpkins, cream knit throws, white candles. Colors like wheat, oatmeal, cream work with almost any decor and can easily transition between seasons.
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, then we organized, this week we're going to go through and decorate. Decorating is the fun part!
Fall doesn't have to mean "fall colors". Oranges, yellows, golds, reds, rusts, browns... these colors are synonymous with fall.
However, this room is all neutrals, yet still feels like fall. The natural materials in the basket and the shells and the weathered feel of the table add to the feeling, yet they'd look perfectly at home in the spring. It's the little touches like the cable knit throws tucked into the couches readily available for cuddling on a crisp autumn day and the crackling fire in the fireplace that make this feel like fall.
If "fall colors" aren't your thing, add your touches in neutrals... white gourds and pumpkins, cream knit throws, white candles. Colors like wheat, oatmeal, cream work with almost any decor and can easily transition between seasons.
View the Guide
Decorating for Fall: Dining Room and Entry
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, then we organized, this week we're going to go through and decorate. Decorating is the fun part!
For the entry I keep it simple, just a wreath and a copper pot full of eucalyptus brances by the front door. However, for the dining table I love coming up with centerpieces for our dining table.
This bouquet is going on the dinette table:
Last year I posted my favorite centerpiece options for Thanksgiving, they all apply for fall as well.
I did something similar to this last year:
I'm going to do something similar to this this year:
I just need a few more white gourds. I bought a bunch of mini-pumpkins the other day, but I need more.
Aren't they cute?
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, then we organized, this week we're going to go through and decorate. Decorating is the fun part!
For the entry I keep it simple, just a wreath and a copper pot full of eucalyptus brances by the front door. However, for the dining table I love coming up with centerpieces for our dining table.
This bouquet is going on the dinette table:
Last year I posted my favorite centerpiece options for Thanksgiving, they all apply for fall as well.
I did something similar to this last year:
I'm going to do something similar to this this year:
I just need a few more white gourds. I bought a bunch of mini-pumpkins the other day, but I need more.
Aren't they cute?
View the Guide
Decorating for Fall : Kitchen
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, then we organized, this week we're going to go through and decorate. Decorating is the fun part, and how apropos that we start decorating for fall on the first day of fall.
Fall and spring are my favorite seasons. Spring brings the flowers and green life after a long cold winter, so it is always welcome. However, I love the crispness of fall: cool breezes, crackling fires with cocoa or cider, the changing colors of the leaves and their crunch beneath my feet. I typically associate a lot of fall with smells, particularly cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin and apple. What better place to incorporate those smells than in the kitchen?
2) Add autumn color dishtowels to your kitchen rotation.
3) Add a bouquet of autumn flowers to a small vase on your counter.
4) In an oven safe casserole dish put 2 cups water, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp vanilla. Turn your oven on as low as it will go, let it come up to temperature. Turn it off and crack the oven door.
5) I love candles, but they can get awfully expensive if you burn a lot of them. So I buy a few expensive votives with a heavenly scent and then cheap large vanilla candles from a discount store. I'll nestle 1 or 2 votives in with a larger display of the vanilla candles, and the votives give enough scent without buying larger expensive versions of the scent. I use vanilla because it's usually complimentary, but you can do this with unscented candles as well.
6) Bring your copper molds out for display or use them to hold candles, candies, cookies, flowers or other items on your counter.
7) Use pliable yellow and/or red leaves and wrap them around the inside of a clear bowl, put a single layer of cranberries inside the first bowl, nest a clear bowl on top of the cranberries, fill space between bowls with cranberries, use to hold baked fall goodies. Pumpkin Cookies!
8) Wrap raffia around a canister to hold a leaf tag in place. Use a gold or fall color sharpie to write contents on the leaf. This is really cute on flour, sugar and coffee containers.
9) Have kids make fall leaf collages to hang on your refrigerator.
10) What are your favorite tips?
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, then we organized, this week we're going to go through and decorate. Decorating is the fun part, and how apropos that we start decorating for fall on the first day of fall.
Fall and spring are my favorite seasons. Spring brings the flowers and green life after a long cold winter, so it is always welcome. However, I love the crispness of fall: cool breezes, crackling fires with cocoa or cider, the changing colors of the leaves and their crunch beneath my feet. I typically associate a lot of fall with smells, particularly cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin and apple. What better place to incorporate those smells than in the kitchen?
Top Ten Tips for Bringing Fall to Your Kitchen
1) Simmer apple cider with cinnamon sticks on your stovetop in a tea kettle.2) Add autumn color dishtowels to your kitchen rotation.
3) Add a bouquet of autumn flowers to a small vase on your counter.
4) In an oven safe casserole dish put 2 cups water, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp vanilla. Turn your oven on as low as it will go, let it come up to temperature. Turn it off and crack the oven door.
5) I love candles, but they can get awfully expensive if you burn a lot of them. So I buy a few expensive votives with a heavenly scent and then cheap large vanilla candles from a discount store. I'll nestle 1 or 2 votives in with a larger display of the vanilla candles, and the votives give enough scent without buying larger expensive versions of the scent. I use vanilla because it's usually complimentary, but you can do this with unscented candles as well.
6) Bring your copper molds out for display or use them to hold candles, candies, cookies, flowers or other items on your counter.
7) Use pliable yellow and/or red leaves and wrap them around the inside of a clear bowl, put a single layer of cranberries inside the first bowl, nest a clear bowl on top of the cranberries, fill space between bowls with cranberries, use to hold baked fall goodies. Pumpkin Cookies!
8) Wrap raffia around a canister to hold a leaf tag in place. Use a gold or fall color sharpie to write contents on the leaf. This is really cute on flour, sugar and coffee containers.
9) Have kids make fall leaf collages to hang on your refrigerator.
10) What are your favorite tips?
View the Guide
Routines with Kids: Kid's Fun Day
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
Just as it's important for kids to have chores and routines so they know what's expected of them and to keep their day's running smoothly, it's important that they have FUN! They are kids, encourage them to be kids. Let every family member pick what they want to do for 2 hours each week as a family. They might pick board games or a movie or a picnic. If you want you can specify a monthly not to exceed dollar amount to go with it to help build up a bunch of options.
$10 could cover:
a movie rental and popcorn for a movie night
a frisbee, sandwich fixings and juice for a picnic
a board game
a deck of cards
a puzzle
ingredients for homemade pizza night
packets of seeds to plant their favorite vegetables or fruit
squirt guns
an inflatable kids pool
There are plenty of free options:
going to the park
go for a walk
go look at the pet store
mad libs
drawing/coloring
put on a play of their favorite story
telling stories each taking a turn making up the next line
have a camp out in the living room, using a sheet for a tent
If parents set the example of being able to have fun with just a little imagination, children will learn by example.
Do you have any other ideas?
Just as it's important for kids to have chores and routines so they know what's expected of them and to keep their day's running smoothly, it's important that they have FUN! They are kids, encourage them to be kids. Let every family member pick what they want to do for 2 hours each week as a family. They might pick board games or a movie or a picnic. If you want you can specify a monthly not to exceed dollar amount to go with it to help build up a bunch of options.
$10 could cover:
a movie rental and popcorn for a movie night
a frisbee, sandwich fixings and juice for a picnic
a board game
a deck of cards
a puzzle
ingredients for homemade pizza night
packets of seeds to plant their favorite vegetables or fruit
squirt guns
an inflatable kids pool
There are plenty of free options:
going to the park
go for a walk
go look at the pet store
mad libs
drawing/coloring
put on a play of their favorite story
telling stories each taking a turn making up the next line
have a camp out in the living room, using a sheet for a tent
If parents set the example of being able to have fun with just a little imagination, children will learn by example.
Do you have any other ideas?
View the Guide
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Organize the Outdoor Areas
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, this week we're going to go through and organize. There is no way to organize the entire house in a week, unless it's a tiny house. So, let's just pick our biggest pet peeves and do those.
It's time to start doing fall prep to get beds ready for next spring. I'll be planting tulip bulbs, and putting down grass seed around a few trees. I'm bringing in the cushions off of my patio furniture, it's been too cold to use it in the last couple of weeks. We have a couple of chairs that we use for firepits, so if there are a few decent nights left, we'll be using those.
What are you working on?
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, this week we're going to go through and organize. There is no way to organize the entire house in a week, unless it's a tiny house. So, let's just pick our biggest pet peeves and do those.
It's time to start doing fall prep to get beds ready for next spring. I'll be planting tulip bulbs, and putting down grass seed around a few trees. I'm bringing in the cushions off of my patio furniture, it's been too cold to use it in the last couple of weeks. We have a couple of chairs that we use for firepits, so if there are a few decent nights left, we'll be using those.
What are you working on?
View the Guide
Routines with Kids: Allowances and Chores
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
Allowances... A word that inspires much debate among parenting experts. I'm not expert so I thought it would be helpful to provide some resources that might help you make up your mind as to how you prefer to handle it.
Kaboose
PTA recommendations on FamilyEducation.com
Parenthood.com - this article most closely agrees with what I'll discuss below
I'm sure if you've read my posts over the last week you have a pretty good idea of my viewpoint. The debate centers around two arguments:
1) Allowance shouldn't be tied to chores, because chores are a responsibility as a member of the family
2) Allowance should be tied to chores, so children can learn the value of a dollar and to work for their goals.
I agree with both standpoints. What? As I've been mentioning, there are two types of chores. The first are those that are expected as members of the household, picking up after themselves, and basic every day chores....
Unloading and loading the dishwasher, setting the table, doing a load of laundry, folding laundry if they are younger, dusting or vacuuming, basic home upkeep type chores. Tie this to household priveleges, watching tv, computer time, game time, etc. They don't contribute to household upkeep, they don't get to enjoy the fun aspects of the household.
However, allowance should be tied to chores, for the reasons mentioned above. They learn the value of a dollar and how to work for what they want. Yes, mowing the lawn or washing the car or weeding are all part of helping maintain the household, but they are needed less often and are great chores to tie to earning an allowance. Rather than an allowance being a given, make at least part of it earned. A job jar can help with this, allowing you to monitor the jobs that are needed and available to be done for additional allowance.
How do you handle allowance?
Allowances... A word that inspires much debate among parenting experts. I'm not expert so I thought it would be helpful to provide some resources that might help you make up your mind as to how you prefer to handle it.
Kaboose
PTA recommendations on FamilyEducation.com
Parenthood.com - this article most closely agrees with what I'll discuss below
I'm sure if you've read my posts over the last week you have a pretty good idea of my viewpoint. The debate centers around two arguments:
1) Allowance shouldn't be tied to chores, because chores are a responsibility as a member of the family
2) Allowance should be tied to chores, so children can learn the value of a dollar and to work for their goals.
I agree with both standpoints. What? As I've been mentioning, there are two types of chores. The first are those that are expected as members of the household, picking up after themselves, and basic every day chores....
Unloading and loading the dishwasher, setting the table, doing a load of laundry, folding laundry if they are younger, dusting or vacuuming, basic home upkeep type chores. Tie this to household priveleges, watching tv, computer time, game time, etc. They don't contribute to household upkeep, they don't get to enjoy the fun aspects of the household.
However, allowance should be tied to chores, for the reasons mentioned above. They learn the value of a dollar and how to work for what they want. Yes, mowing the lawn or washing the car or weeding are all part of helping maintain the household, but they are needed less often and are great chores to tie to earning an allowance. Rather than an allowance being a given, make at least part of it earned. A job jar can help with this, allowing you to monitor the jobs that are needed and available to be done for additional allowance.
How do you handle allowance?
View the Guide
Organize the Bathrooms and Laundry Room
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, this week we're going to go through and organize. There is no way to organize the entire house in a week, unless it's a tiny house. So, let's just pick our biggest pet peeves and do those.
I'm going to spend some time clearing out my medicine cabinet, throwing away everything that is expired, and making a list of what needs to be replaced. I am going to be expanding my Perpetual Pantry to include these items. I'm also going to go through my linen closet, it needs a little sprucing up.
What are you working on?
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, this week we're going to go through and organize. There is no way to organize the entire house in a week, unless it's a tiny house. So, let's just pick our biggest pet peeves and do those.
I'm going to spend some time clearing out my medicine cabinet, throwing away everything that is expired, and making a list of what needs to be replaced. I am going to be expanding my Perpetual Pantry to include these items. I'm also going to go through my linen closet, it needs a little sprucing up.
What are you working on?
View the Guide
Routines with Kids: Creating a Job Jar
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
Do you have a job jar? There are two kinds of chores, those that are expected as members of the family, and the extra chores that they can do for extra spending money or an allowance. Using a job jar is a fun way to handle all those extra chores and allow you to control what options are available each week. Color coding is an easy way to handle at a glance what the chore is worth. I have different colored slips of paper for approximate time.
Examples:
White : 10 minutes
Vacuum a room, including edges
Sweep the back porch
Yellow: 30 minutes
Mow the yard
Weed the front/back yard
Blue: 45 minutes
Clean the car, inside and out
So, a slip of paper can be chosen based on the amount of time available, add dollars to be earned for that chore to the slip as well. When they are younger you may want to work with a point system instead of dollars and let them turn in points towards books or games or something else. After time you can allow them to turn in their points for items or money, eventually switching it over to money entirely as they learn the value of money.
To encourage chores to be done, it works better to pay out immediately. If they want something or they want to go out that evening and need money for a movie, they know what they have to do to earn it. You both benefit.
Rotate the slips out based on what needs to be done that week.
A job jar can be just that, a jar, a vase, a basket, or anything else you have handy. If you want a fun project to do with the kids if you have little ones is let them each decorate their own canning jar for their job jar.
Do you have a job jar? There are two kinds of chores, those that are expected as members of the family, and the extra chores that they can do for extra spending money or an allowance. Using a job jar is a fun way to handle all those extra chores and allow you to control what options are available each week. Color coding is an easy way to handle at a glance what the chore is worth. I have different colored slips of paper for approximate time.
Examples:
White : 10 minutes
Vacuum a room, including edges
Sweep the back porch
Yellow: 30 minutes
Mow the yard
Weed the front/back yard
Blue: 45 minutes
Clean the car, inside and out
So, a slip of paper can be chosen based on the amount of time available, add dollars to be earned for that chore to the slip as well. When they are younger you may want to work with a point system instead of dollars and let them turn in points towards books or games or something else. After time you can allow them to turn in their points for items or money, eventually switching it over to money entirely as they learn the value of money.
To encourage chores to be done, it works better to pay out immediately. If they want something or they want to go out that evening and need money for a movie, they know what they have to do to earn it. You both benefit.
Rotate the slips out based on what needs to be done that week.
A job jar can be just that, a jar, a vase, a basket, or anything else you have handy. If you want a fun project to do with the kids if you have little ones is let them each decorate their own canning jar for their job jar.
View the Guide
Organize the Extra Rooms
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, this week we're going to go through and organize. There is no way to organize the entire house in a week, unless it's a tiny house. So, let's just pick our biggest pet peeves and do those.
My extra room is my office and my bookshelves have fallen into disarray! They desparately need to be organized, and there isn't enough room for all of the books. I need to cull my magazines and the old trade paperbacks that I'll never read again. I've been thinking of letting them into the wild via Bookcrossing.
What are you working on?
First we decluttered, then we cleaned, this week we're going to go through and organize. There is no way to organize the entire house in a week, unless it's a tiny house. So, let's just pick our biggest pet peeves and do those.
My extra room is my office and my bookshelves have fallen into disarray! They desparately need to be organized, and there isn't enough room for all of the books. I need to cull my magazines and the old trade paperbacks that I'll never read again. I've been thinking of letting them into the wild via Bookcrossing.
What are you working on?
View the Guide
Routines with Kids: Daily Routine
What's the Homemaking September ShapeUp! all about?
Just like we have routines, children need routines. If they do the same thing every morning, and when they get home from school or daycare things will go much smoother. To make the mornings easier decide what the pain points are and address them in the evenings.
Have a young child that insists on picking their clothes, however inappropriate they may be for the occassion or weather? Put together outfits at the beginning of the week, let your child choose which to wear each day. They can pick any outfit, but it has to be the entire outfit together. Give them one day to wear whatever they want and smile when the purple polka dot shirt, orange striped skirt, blue socks and red shoes come out of the closet.
Have a child that just can't wake up in the morning? Move their bedtime up in the evenings and give them an alarm clock and set it across the room so they can't hit snooze.
Have a child that can never decide what they want to take for lunch? Let them pick out their snack for the week at the grocery store, and prep lunches the night before to eliminate the discussion.
Taking care of a few things in the evenings will help make the mornings go smoother.
To make your evenings a little easier, start it a little earlier. When they get home from school or daycare, allow for 30 minutes or so of downtime, whatever they want to do. However, after that, they should get their homework done and their chores. If evenings are so swamped that there isn't enough time to get everything done in a reasonable amount of time, consider cutting back the after school activities.
Just like we have routines, children need routines. If they do the same thing every morning, and when they get home from school or daycare things will go much smoother. To make the mornings easier decide what the pain points are and address them in the evenings.
Have a young child that insists on picking their clothes, however inappropriate they may be for the occassion or weather? Put together outfits at the beginning of the week, let your child choose which to wear each day. They can pick any outfit, but it has to be the entire outfit together. Give them one day to wear whatever they want and smile when the purple polka dot shirt, orange striped skirt, blue socks and red shoes come out of the closet.
Have a child that just can't wake up in the morning? Move their bedtime up in the evenings and give them an alarm clock and set it across the room so they can't hit snooze.
Have a child that can never decide what they want to take for lunch? Let them pick out their snack for the week at the grocery store, and prep lunches the night before to eliminate the discussion.
Taking care of a few things in the evenings will help make the mornings go smoother.
To make your evenings a little easier, start it a little earlier. When they get home from school or daycare, allow for 30 minutes or so of downtime, whatever they want to do. However, after that, they should get their homework done and their chores. If evenings are so swamped that there isn't enough time to get everything done in a reasonable amount of time, consider cutting back the after school activities.
View the Guide
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