Matters of the Heart

What a weighty title, right?   So, the title of this blog is Call to Order: Organizing home, time and heart.  The heart.

Let me back up just a bit.  I'm in a wonderful, out-of-this-world Bible study program called Bible Study Fellowship.  Well, I'm not just in it, my children go with me.  We all learn Scripture.  We study it.  We grow.  AMAZING.

This year we are studying the gospel of Matthew.  It is my first time to study the life of Jesus in detail.  Not a parable here and a history lesson there, but the WHOLE life of Jesus.  We just finished reading Jesus' eight woes to the Pharisees (Matthew 23:13-39).  Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites seven times in this passage.  SEVEN times.  He also uses the terms blind guides/men, fools, serpents, and brood of vipers.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence... So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." Matthew 23:25, 28

The Pharisees worked very hard to appear righteous on the outside, but were full of self-indulgence on the inside.  They desired recognition from men more than from God. They idolized their rituals.  They choose to put more emphasis on the minute details of the law and forget the weightier provisions of the law - like justice, mercy and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23)

Kid's Bathroom: Cluttered to Clean COMPLETE

At the beginning of the week, I revealed My Plan for the bathroom.

I try to break up my larger projects into a handful of small jobs so that I don't get overwhelmed. For instance, declutter the entire pantry... OVERWHELMING.  Organize the canned goods portion of the pantry... TOTALLY DO-ABLE!  #seewhatimean #lifelessonfortoday

On Day 1, I ran through my problems and potential solutions. 

Day 2: Address the bow issue. 
Problem:  Bows.  Inevitable.  Girls have bows.  #lifelessonfortoday.   I want to display them so it's easier to keep organized and see what we have.
Solution: Buy a frame and make a bow holder

 Total cost of $14.99 and about 20 minutes of work. 

Bathroom Drawer

Are you ready for one of the most dramatic transformations in the Kid's bathroom: Cluttered to Clean Project?  

Remember this wonderful drawer? (insert sarcasm here)

 

Once I removed the bows and created the bow holder,

 

I was left with mostly toiletry items and hair items.  I debated a few different tactics and finally decided on buying an organizer for the drawer.  I was trying to make my own and it just wasn't strong enough to withhold lots of use.  I was thinking of using a utensil organizer, but I could not find one wide enough or cheap enough:) 

So, I headed to my local Michael's and stumbled upon the PERFECT organizer.  It was intended to be used to organize crafts, but it was wide enough to take up the drawer and had customizable inserts.  Plus it was only $5.49! 

 

Bathroom Baskets

For today's post on Kid's Bathroom: Cluttered to Clean, I am going back to My Organizational Plan.  See the corner... do you see it?  The one overflowing with toilet paper?  Why in the world do we need to have that much toilet paper out?  Answer: WE DON'T!

I decided to reclaim this corner and use it to display the new Bow Holder and wire hanging baskets.  It will take up less space and look more appealing.

When I was shopping at Gardenridge and found the frame I used for the Bow Holder, I also stumbled upon these gray wire baskets - only $7.99 each!  I purchased a few because I wasn't sure how many I would want to use/need.

I removed the burlap cover because I like the look of the simple wire basket.  Then I found my trusty Command Hooks - have I mentioned before that I love these?  Oh wait, I have.... ok great!

I held up the baskets and marked with a pencil where the hooks would go.  Then I waited patiently for an hour before I hung the baskets.  This was the hardest part!

 

How to Make a Bow Holder: Simple DIY

As mentioned on yesterday's post, we have a bow storage problem.  This drawer is TROUBLE. #drawerabyss

It doesn't help that my almost 2 year old likes to help by digging around in the drawer. 

Problem: true chaos in one little space
Solution: Organize the bows and display them and then re-organize the drawer using drawer dividers

For today's post, how-to-make-an-adorable-bow-holder.  Yipee!

I found this cute frame at Gardenridge. A little pricey ($14.99), but I love the gray and chrome color combination.  It will look great in the bathroom color scheme so I went for it.

The bow holder will be hung horizontally so I cut 4 ribbons accordingly. 

 

Kids Bathroom: Cluttered to Clean

Since I have had quite a few questions about how I plan an organizational project, I want to take you with me from start to finish.  A journey from this

 to this

That might be A LITTLE misleading, but I just love doing before and after pictures. 

I'm going on a journey to take the kids bathroom from Cluttered to Clean. I have a few easy projects to do this week.  (mind you the true renovation happened 2 years ago)

Errand List for the car

I have a bad habit of losing track of my errands.  I might have an extra 10-15 minutes in the car and think, "do I have any errands in this part of town?"  Nope, so I run to Sonic.  Then I get home and remember YES I did need to run an errand RIGHT WHERE I WAS.  Argh.

I tried to use post-its to keep track of things, but they didn't seem to help much.  So I end up with lots of things to exchange/return in the back of my car and I typically don't realize/remember until we are going on a trip and inevitably my trunk is full of other things.  #nobueno

Why not address this issue with an adorable printable?  Isn't that just what you were thinking?

I made this to laminate and velcro on my car's console area.

Errands Printable

After I printed on cardstock and laminated, I added a velcro pad to the back.  I have a package of "General Purpose Fasteners" by Scotch that I used.

Happy Washer, Happy Dryer

I finished my laundry room makeover last fall, but I am doing a few touch-ups and a big-time deep clean.  I have been inspired by Jen over at iheartorganizing.blogspot.com.  She is doing a "Monthly Clean Home Challenge."  After reading how she did her clean-cycle appliances here, I realized that my washer and dryer needed some serious TLC.

After a drainage issue last year with our washing machine, we learned how to empty the overflow valve (after I opened it too soon and it got water EVERYWHERE).

My poor, hard-working washing machine.

On my GE model, you have to remove the front panel to get to the overflow water area.  Some front loaders have an easy-to-access area, but mine doesn't.   You unscrew the screws by hand and the panel will pop off.

Now I can access the white overflow valve.

Jewelry Storage: Tackle Box to Treasure

I like colorful jewelry.  However, I do not have a way to store it.  So it ends up looking much like my dresser drawers... #nobueno

Messy and unorganized.  Not a good combo. 

I started with this inspiration photo from Pinterest.


Since I don't really have wall space for this in my closet, I decided to get a little creative and stumbled upon this tackle box at Walmart.

Glamorous, right?  {insert sarcasm here}

I decided to glam it up by adding some scrapbook paper to each slot.  It would have been easier if all of the dividers came out, but they didn't on the tackle boxes I purchased.  So, I just turned on a Pandora station and started tracing and trimming.  To ensure that my inserts were sturdy, I cut cardstock to size and used a spray adhesive to stick it together. 

Then I just fit it into each little spot. I did end up having to re-do a few because I was not terribly exact in my measurements.

Family Finances: FAQs

I have enjoyed hearing feedback from last week's Organize It: Family Finances!  Keep the comments coming... I am loving hearing what is working for you guys!

I do want to address a few additional questions I have received.

Q: How often do you check up on your budget?

A: I check in at the middle of the month and at the beginning of the next month.  At the mid-month check in, I run a spending report in Quicken.  I am mainly wanting to touch base and see how we are doing with our "trouble" categories.  (trouble = easy to go over budget).  At the beginning of the next month, I run the spending reports for the month and update the Budget Spreadsheet.

Q: What do you do to help cut back spending on the "trouble" areas?

A: In the last six months we have implemented a new system that I am a BIG FAN of.  We each opened a separate checking account.  At the beginning of each month, we auto-transfer in XX amount.  The separate accounts are ONLY to be used for eating out and clothes (our two biggest easy-to-go-over areas).  We each have text/email alerts to let us know our balance.  My favorite part - we turned off the draft protection so if you don't have the funds, you can't use it.  Talk about a wake-up call!

This may seem drastic to some, but (a) the extra checking accounts were free (we heart our local bank) (b) we needed some extra attention in these categories (c) it's working really well for us so (d) we are sticking to it!

Q: How do you keep track of your receipts?

A: I have an ADORABLE little monthly organizer - found in the $1 bin at Target!  Score!
I keep it in my kitchen-catch-all drawer so it is readily accessible.  I put all receipts in it.

Master Dresser Drawers: From yuck to yum!

I have been putting off organizing my side of the master closet for A LONG TIME.  Really, since November 2011 when we finished our house renovation.  Yep, it's now 2014.  YIKES-A-DOODLE. #wordoftheyearfor2014

Here is what my hubby's side of the closet looked like the day we moved in.  Literally.  I was unpacking the kitchen and he was organizing his side of the closet.  #priorities

This is a picture of our master bedroom before the renovation.  We had two separate closets that were about 5' feet wide each.  To say it kindly, they were overflowing with clothes.

As we discussed the house renovation, we decided a large master closet was a must.  Fast-forward to house completion.  Because all my clothes fit inside the closet and I can just close the door, I have not felt a desire to get it organized. Wow.  That makes even less sense now that I wrote it out. 

I have a large-scale overhaul on the master closet coming up in the next few weeks, but for right now I just need to utilize the space that I have.  First up on the list is organizing the built-in dresser.

 

Organize It: Family Finances Wrap-Up

We have been on quite an adventure this week.  For some of you, this may have been your first ever attempt at making a budget, for others it may have been streamlining your current process.  My sincere hope is that each person has taken away a newfound confidence and knowledge about how to organize your Family Finances.  It doesn't need to be overwhelming.  We can tame this beast.  Actually, we already did:) 

Let's look at how far we have come this week.

Day 1: How/why I got into budgeting 

Day 2: Budgeting Software and gathering Account Information

Day 3: Using Budgeting Software and creating a Budget

Day 4: Entering budget into Spreadsheet and Entering into Budgeting Software
{p.s. I found one error on the Spreadsheet on Day 4, so revisit Day 4 and download the updated version.  Thanks!}

Now, let's put all the tools together.  Ready?  Let's get this done!

You should have the spreadsheet updated with your Budget totals by month.  Look to the right hand side (under Totals) and it's your yearly total.  I'm not providing any guidelines about how much you should or shouldn't spend, but I recommend making sure that your income covers your expenses.  #lifelessonfortoday

Step 1: Grab a 3-ring binder to organize your family finances for the year.  I like purchasing the binders that have a clear cover so you can add a binder cover.  Speaking of, here is the adorable printable I mentioned yesterday.  LOVE.

Family Finances Binder Cover

 Don't bright colors just make life better?  Sigh.  Moving on.

Organize It: Family Finances Day 4

A few words before we begin Day 4 of Organize It: Family Finances.

Thanks for joining me on this journey.  I have been so amazed at how many people have visited this little blog. Thank you for the love!

Budgeting is hard work.  It takes patience, perseverance and endurance to get it completed.  I wish a budget would fall from a tree, land in my hand, enter itself into a spreadsheet and be updated monthly.  Since money (or budgets) don't grow on trees, we have to do the hard work.  #lifelessonfortoday

You are following along on this journey.  You are making time for your family finances.  You are putting time and effort in a not-so-glamorous part of organizing your home.  But make no mistake, this is a crucial part of organizing your home.  So hang in there.  This is the last day of the "grit" portion and then onto the easy-peasy monthly updating portion. 

Now, grab your coffee and let's do Day 4!

Step 1: Today we will be entering your newly created budget from Day 3 into a spreadsheet.

Wait...did she just say spreadsheet?  I have no idea how to do that!

I have created a template spreadsheet for you to use (aren't I nice?) and ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ENTER YOUR BUDGET IN.  No formatting cells, no creating formulas, nada.  You're welcome. 

Click to download

*Side note: the numbers on the spreadsheet are not from my personal family budget.  I just entered numbers as an example.*

Organize it: Family Finances Day 3

You have made it to day #3 of the series, CONGRATS!  We are almost through putting the systems in place.  Stick with it! #peptalkfortheday

Step 1:  Open Quicken (or your software) and you should see your downloaded transactions.  This happens when you initially set-up the accounts.  Hopefully you were able to do the "Web Connect" feature so your transactions download automatically.  If not, comment below and we can brainstorm another solution.

Quicken guesses at categorizing your expenses, but you will need to run through your transactions and ensure that your Categories are set the way that you want them.  This will be a bit time consuming, but this will really help your accuracy in determining your monthly budget.  If you are already feeling a bit overwhelmed, please fight the urge to download ALL your transactions from the last XX years, and just focus in on the last calendar year.  At another point, you can import and categorize the other transactions. 

Step 2: Use your new software (i.e. Quicken) to see what you spend each month by category.  In my version of Quicken, I can use the "Category Summary" and see what I am spending each month.  Or, you can use the "Spending Over Time" to see what your yearly budget looks like.  Just take a few minutes to run through the reporting features and find which one fits your needs best.

Organize It: Family Finances Day 2

In the words of Maria von Trapp from the Sound of Music,  

"Let's start at the very beginning

a very good place to start."

Remember, I am not an accounting pro.  I am just a person who loves to be organized.  I have set up  systems to help keep our family finances organized.  It only takes 21 days to create a new habit.  Start day 1 of your new habit TODAY!  ***Life Lesson for the day***

For today and tomorrow, we will be getting systems in place so that the budgeting each month goes quickly and smoothly. 

Step 1: You need to decide on a piece of software to buy.  This will be the the only expense you need to make. I tried to do without software for a few years, but the software makes it SO MUCH easier that it's worth the investment.

I am a Quicken girl at heart.  I was raised on Quicken.  My stud (i.e. dad) uses Quicken so does my twinkie.  It's a family thing.  There are other options out there, but this is what I have chosen.

Quicken Products

There are so many different options depending on what you are looking for.  I previously used the Quicken for Windows and it has great reporting features, but when I switched to a Mac I switched to Quicken Essentials for Mac.  This is not nearly as powerful as the Quicken for Windows, but it's the best option for Mac users. 

So make your purchase.  This is about a $40 investment or so. In my mind, TOTALLY WORTH IT.   I repeat, TOTALLY WORTH IT.

Organize It: Family Finances

This week, I am doing a series called "Organize It: Family Finances"

Source

Today's Topic: Why I organize my family finances

To understand how I got to this place, I need to you fill you in on my upbringing.  My dad, Stu (spell-checked stud) is a hard-core type of person.  Frugal, careful, planning, but must of all practical.  There must be systems in place for things especially big ticket items like money, home and vehicles.   

My sister, brother and I started doing our own laundry in the the 7th grade.  Sunday was our laundry day.  My sister and I were VERY active people so we went through about 3 outfits a day - school clothes, ballet, soccer, gymnastics (just depending on the day).  We were a bit careless with how many outfits we wore each day so mom implemented the "you do your own laundry" and we quickly learned the massive amounts of clothes that we wore each week.  

My dad would watch patiently as we folded clothes, put them in laundry baskets and repeated for each different load.  We worked our little tail ends off to make it happen (at least that is how I remember it happening) each week.  We (back to the identical twin thing... I always refer to my childhood as a "we" instead of an "I") would leave out the laundry basket overnight.  This happened a few weeks in a row before a new consequence was put into place.  It became the "if-you-leave-the-laundry-out-you-have-to-buy-back-your-clothes" consquence.  Yep, we had to buy back the clothes that we already owned.  #hardcore #ilovemydad #consquenceswork  

Bottom line: There MUST be systems in place to ensure things runs smoothly.  Sidenote: my dad is an engineer.  SHOCKER OF THE CENTURY.  I will let you catch your breath here.