Organization

Wake Up Happy: Keeping A Clean Master Bedroom

by Claire on February 20, 2013

A Clean Master Bedroom with ALittleClaireification.com #organization #masterbedroom #makeover

Keeping our master bedroom organized can be pretty hard around here with three boys in and out.   It seems like things just “magically” appear in our room.  Random shoes, books, trash… Legos.

Then the day flies by and things pile up and by the weekend it can just be a mess.  I know that when my bedroom is organized, my whole day just starts out better so I have been working on some specific things to help make sure that our bedroom stays clean, and we’ve been especially motivated since we did our budget master bedroom makeover this past October. [click to continue…]

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Managing Our Time Better Series at ALittleClaireification.com #timemanagement #coupons #organiztion #coupining 

In this latest post in my “Managing Our Time Better” series, I want to talk about a BIG thing that many people have lost sight of… Family Dinners (and how to plan them and save money on them too!).

When I was growing up, we would hear all the Moms in the neighborhood calling kids in at dinner time. These days, everyone is so busy; we are all going in so many directions and it’s rare for everyone to sit down together for dinner.   [click to continue…]

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Managing Our Time Better: Setting Goals {Part 2}

by Claire on February 6, 2013

Managing Our Time Better with ALittleClaireification.com #timemanagement #organization #familytime

Welcome!!  This is Part 2 in my Time Management Series called “Managing Our Time Better”.  To catch up with Part 1 you can start HERE.

Time Management is such a challenge for so many of us, whether you are married or single.  As a busy working Mom to three boys I certainly struggle with this too.  It’s just hard to stay focused some days (and life throws us plenty of distractions!).  In speaking with so many others that ARE very successful at effective time management, I found that the common factor in their success is to FIRST set annual goals (goals that are realistic!) for each year and then to SECOND make a weekly “to do” list to help achieve those goals. [click to continue…]

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Managing Our Time Better with ALittleClaireification.com #timemanagement #organization #familytime

This is {Part 1} in my “Managing Our Time Better” series.

Hey y’all!  I know it’s been a little quiet for a few days over here at ALC and I’ve missed you!  For the past three days I was being blessed beyond measure at a Conference called BEECH Retreat.  A conference that I wasn’t sure I really had time for, to be honest.  I’m a busy Mom of three boys.  I work full time.  I have a blog.  I just simply don’t have time for personal growth, ok? ;)  I’m WAY too busy trying to meet deadlines over here.  And who cares if most of those so-called “important deadlines” are self inflicted?   Read More Here:

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Happy, happy Saturday!  I was thankful today for perfectly gorgeous weather for our garage sale.  77* and blue skies!

I generally dislike garage sales – well, I don’t mind stopping by one – that’s fun, but having them can sometimes be exhausting (like when people knock on your door at 6:30AM before a 7AM sale… “Got any antiques for sale?”  Maybe, but now you now pay double!! ;) ).

But this sale was pretty low key and easy since our neighborhood was hosting and we didn’t even have to advertise in the paper or put out signs!   We were able to get rid of about half of our designated pile (although the train table didn’t sell :( ).  I swore that anything that did not sell would not be allowed back inside! Grrrr.  But… I can’t bear to set it by the street – it’s in perfectly good condition and the boys used to have so much fun with it when they were younger.  Memories!  So we decided that we are going to take it Harbor House, which is a women’s shelter for victims of domestic abuse.  Many times the women that show up there have their children with them, so we figured they could definitely use several of our items that didn’t sell.  Anyway, if you have some (gently) used items that you need to get rid of and aren’t up for a garage sale, a local shelter may be another option aside from the larger national charities that everyone thinks of first.

Once we get that last pile donated / delivered, I can finally post the garage reveal.  I know you are all waiting with baited breath.  haha!

And now…

I am just in a cooking AND baking mood after all of this organizing!  I don’t know if you have been online as much as I have over the last few days (bordering on unhealthy??) but there are soooo many yummy Fall recipes out there.  I feel consistently hungry staring at all of these beautiful sweet and savory treats!  Think it will be a foodie post on Monday!  Stay tuned!

Here are a few of my favorite savory food posts I’ve read in the last couple of days (I could probably list 100+ but I would NEVER get to Sunday’s post!) :

Tomato Pie

(photo courtesy of OceanBreezesandCountrySneezes.com)

Y’all, I am a cheese FREAK and this savory tart looks so yummy and is topped with a melty combination of cheesy goodness.  My mouth is watering…  check out my friend Mary over at “Ocean Breezes & Country Sneezes” (so sweet!) for this recipe.  I can’t wait to try it out!

Acorn Squash & Sweet Potato Gnocchi

(photo courtesy of marianhd.com)

My friend Marian over at “For The Love of Food” posted about this delish dish.  We LOVE gnocchi and my 100% Italian Husband is ready to try this right away (like yesterday)!  As an aside, Marian and her Husband also did an amazing week long experiment called the “SNAP challenge” where, for one whole week, they lived off the same benefits that those receiving SNAP benefits (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) have to live on.  This Govt. program allows about $30 / week per person.  This is an extremely humbling post to read and I don’t want this to get lost so will most likely mention this again one more time before Thanksgiving.

Crock Pot Balsamic BBQ Pulled Pork over Cornbread

(photo courtesy of simplyscratch.com)

Now this just looks like MAJOR comfort food right here!!!  And over cornbread??  Oh my.  I found this on Pinterest and the original post is by Laurie at SimplyScratch.com.  One more that I must try soon!

Ok – off to do some of my own cooking! Hope you all have an AMAZING weekend (and enjoy that extra hour of sleep too, thanks to Daylight Savings ending!).

xoxo,

Claire

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Antique Card Catalog Reveal with A LittleClaireification.com #antiques #restoration

I cannot believe it is already the end of October.  I guess time just flies when you’re organizing your house.  Pffft.

Ok, back to the card catalog (you can see “Part 1″ here).  All of the paint has now dried and The Husband made quick work of getting all of the hardware back in place.   First, here’s a little bit more detail on the drawers:

Since there is a gap inside which can allow for items to fall through…

Antique Card Catalog Reveal with A LittleClaireification.com #antiques #restoration

I added some card stock to line the drawers.  It was what I had on hand and I decided it was better than orange.  Maybe someday we can have little wooden inserts made for the bottoms of these drawers.

Antique Card Catalog Reveal with A LittleClaireification.com #antiques #restoration

The rods that cut through the middle of the drawers made it a wee bit inconvenient…

Antique Card Catalog Reveal with A LittleClaireification.com #antiques #restoration

We actually DID get a cutter that may work to trim these rods, but doing that this eve would have entailed a “Card Catalog: Part 3″ post so, please.  Use your imagination for now.  We’ll get to that at some point in the next decade.

On to the reveal…

Here’s the “Before” once more :

Antique Card Catalog Reveal with A LittleClaireification.com #antiques #restoration

And the “After”:

Antique Card Catalog Reveal with A LittleClaireification.com #antiques #restoration
And…
Antique Card Catalog Reveal with A LittleClaireification.com #antiques #restoration
And then in place:
Antique Card Catalog Reveal with A LittleClaireification.com #antiques #restoration
Back to the drawers… a “Before” reminder…
Antique Card Catalog Reveal with A LittleClaireification.com #antiques #restoration
And now they are all organized and labeled.  Fancy, huh?
Antique Card Catalog Reveal with A LittleClaireification.com #antiques #restoration
Antique Card Catalog Reveal with A LittleClaireification.com #antiques #restoration
Can you believe that seven (SEVEN) drawers are now empty (thus, not labeled yet) after I de-cluttered???   Unheard of.  I think this could disturb the time-space continuum.  I also may now start charging rent for that precious drawer space.

 

And that brass sure polished up nicely – all these years and I never knew the potential there!
Antique Card Catalog Reveal with A LittleClaireification.com #antiques #restoration

Of course I am already debating repainting  the legs a different color,  but I think I will get over it once the wall it is up against – below the chair rail – is painted.  I “strongly dislike” (using my nice words) the color that the previous owner chose, which I have now deemed to be called “Baby Poo”.   Sorry, but it’s true.

Speaking of…  here’s Littlest putting on an impromptu show inside the base before it was refinished…

Antique Card Catalog Reveal with A LittleClaireification.com #antiques #restoration

Silly!!  So at long last – the card catalog project is finished.  A last side by side image:

Antique Card Catalog Reveal with A LittleClaireification.com #antiques #restoration

What fun restoration projects are you working on?  I would love to read your comments so please take a second and let me know what you think.

xoxo,

Claire

Linking up here: DIY Showoff, Live Laugh Rowe

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