How to Clean Stainless Steel Sink Naturally

Good morning everyone!

Have you been struggling with getting your kitchen sink to shine? I was saddened and a little bit angry to find out that all of my hard work was getting me nowhere. No matter how hard I scrubbed, I wasn't able to get my sink to shine the way I wanted it too.

Luckily, I had some homemade lemon extract that I had made last year. At the time, I wanted to use it to get rid of the occasional flea. There was a time that I sprayed it on my furniture, but it didn't works as well as I had hoped. So, I put it up on a shelf and forgot about it until recently. This lemon extract is the perfect way to get my sink to shine to its fullest potential.

Here's how to make lemon extract:

1. Grate the peels of at least 3-4 lemons.
2. Cut up the rest of the lemon pieces.
3. Boil the lemons in about 2 quarts of water.
4. Bottle the mixture and let it sit for a bit.

How to get your sinks to shine:

1. Soak a paper towel in your lemon extract.
2. Wipe down your sink.
3. Watch how it shines!

I love reading all of your lovely replies so feel free to leave any comments, questions, or personal stories in the comment section below!

If you would like to see something featured on Methodical Living please send me an email at Methodicalliving@yahoo.com and I will do my best to have a post up as soon as possible!

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How to Organize Your Linen Closet

Happy Wednesday everyone! I hope that everyone is enjoying their week so far. Over the weekend, I tackled an organization obstacle that has been haunting my dreams for weeks- my linen cabinet.

Over the months of moving into my home, I had just piled my linen closet with everything and that caused a huge problem. I could not even see what I had because of the piles of junk and miscellaneous stuff.


I cannot believe how easy it was to get my linens organized and tidy. It literally took only fifteen minutes or less, and now I know everything that lurks in my linen closet.

Here's how you can organize your linen closet too:

1. Take everything out of your closet or cabinet.
2. Access what really belongs in your closet.
3. Take all of your fitted sheets and flat sheets and fold them up neatly. Then place them in a matching pillow case.
4. Organize everything that actually belongs in the closet.

If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them in the comments section below! I love to hear your feedback. :)

If there is something that you would like to see on Methodical Living, feel free to email me at methodicalliving@yahoo.com.

Free Printable Recipe Cards

have so many recipes that are on odd and end paper bits. When I find a recipe that I think my family will like, I get too excited, and I end up jotting down that delicious recipe on a shopping receipt. Then, I'll promptly lose that receipt at a moment's notice in the epicness that is my purse. Or I'll get especially unlucky and it will be washed in a load of laundry.


Being slightly obsessive about organizing, this plethora of random mismatched papers gets on my nerves. Actually, it does a lot more than that. I believe that I've had nightmare of a random assortment of paper bits attacking me while I try to cook dinner. Its a serious problem .


Certainly, I'm not the only one who feels as strongly about this issue. So, I have decided to change all of this and make my own recipe cards. I have transferred a lot of my recipes over to these homemade cards and I have printed out a ton of blanks just to be ready for when inspiration (or the latest issue of Clean Eating) strikes.

Download these recipe cards here.

Directions to download the free printable recipe card:

1. Either save the image above or download the image from the link above.
2. Open recipe card picture in a Word Document.
3. Print out.
4. Fill it out!

I used paper stock to print mine out on. The paper is a little bit thicker than standard printer paper and can (hopefully) withstand getting thrown around in my kitchen drawers!

If you have any questions, comments, or personal stories feel free to leave them below!

If you would like to see something on Methodical Living or need organizing advice email me at methodicalliving@yahoo.com

Are Psychological Problems Killing You Getting Organized

Image C/O Hegemony77

Good morning everyone! I'm happy to be posting my last post in the Three Reasons Why You Can't Organize Your Home series. Today's subject is all about how and why psychological problems can kill your organizational efforts. This particular post is near and dear to my heart because unfortunately this topic is the one that usually kills my organizing efforts. I'm one of those people that hold on to sentimental clutter way too much.

I've almost broke myself of this nasty habit but let me tell you its been a long and hard journey for me. And unfortunately I've had to let a lot of items go that serve no purpose at all. Believe me when I say this, it was one of the hardest organizational obstacles I had to overcome. But, I managed to do it and if I can do it anyone can too!

There are so many psychological reasons (or problems) that can stifle our organizational and cleaning efforts. I know that there is a lot of bad vibes related to the combination of the words “psychological” and “problems”. Well, I'm here to say that there is no reason to feel bad if you want to keep all of that clutter out of sentimental reasons or any other psychological reason for that matter. But it can be detrimental to your well being to keep that big old stack of Time magazine so keep that in mind.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to determine if psychological problems are killing your organizational efforts:

Are you constantly muttering to yourself about how you HAVE to get organized?

Do you isolate yourself from others so that you can “get organized?”

Do you constantly come up with different organization systems?

Are you a creative or visual person?

Are you anxious about thinking about your space being clean and organized?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, a psychological problem may be killing all of your organizational efforts.

Here are some solutions to the problems listed above:

Are you constantly muttering to yourself about how you HAVE to get organized?

Why its a problem: So, this problem is probably the most obvious of each one that I have listed in this post. Obviously, you know that there is a problem. You acknowledge it and tell yourself too much that you need to get down to work.
How to fix it: There's only one way to fix this problem. Basically, you have to actually just get started. Cut out some time to get your space organized and clean.

Do you isolate yourself from others so that you can “get organized?”

Why its a problem: This problem can be a lonely one. A lot of people use their cluttered home as a way to isolate their selves from other people. They're constantly using the excuse that their space is too cluttered or messy so that no one can come over and hang out.

How to fix it: Realize that its time to get back to reality and meet new people. Make changes slowly. Thoroughly get use to the feeling that one by one your rooms and your home is becoming a place where you can actually retreat. Make sure that your rooms are filled with only the things that you need, use, or absolutely can't live without and love. Embrace this new feeling. And look on the bright side, a clutter free space is a better place to escape reality.

Do you constantly come up with different organization systems?

Why its a problem: Coming up with different organizational systems signals that you do not have clear goals set. Everyone loses some sort of clarity in their life at one point or another, and that is okay. One common pitfall is that people take on too many responsibilities at once. Goals and priorities then get mixed up and can become unclear.

How to fix it: First things first, make sure that you're developing a system that works for you and your goals. Sit down and write out a list of goals you want to get accomplished. Your list could be day to day, for a week, or for a month. Doing whatever works for you is the best idea. Try to prioritize  your goals and set up a system to get the most important goals done.

Are you a creative or visual person?

Why its a problem: This was one of the problems that I constantly ran into before I just started organizing. I feel as if I'm a creative person. I like clutter and piles and messes. I felt that I needed it in my life to keep my creative juices flowing, but I was so wrong.

How to fix it: My fears about creativity and clutter could not have been more wrong. As I began the organizational process I realized that instead of blocking or stifling my creativity being organized actually improved my creative process. If you're like me at all, try putting up a board for all of your ideas. With a thought board you will always be able to keep track of your ideas and still have a clutter free space.

Are you anxious about thinking about your space being clean and organized?

Why its a problem: There is a variety of reasons why you feel anxious about organizing your space. Some reasons include, you are afraid of failure, you have a need for material things, or you have a sentimental attachment to your belongings. Whatever the reason, it can be dealt with. .

How to fix it: This was a major psychological problem I have faced. I knew that being organized would save me time and help me get things done faster but I couldn't face getting rid of that old, broken CD from my high school days or the book I've never bothered to pick up and actually read. Just the thought of picking up my chaotic mess made me feel anxious. I decided that my problem was definitely sentimental. I started out with piles. There was a pile for things that I wanted to keep, things I wanted to get rid of, and things that I wasn't sure about. Check out a previous post How to Declutter Anything and Simplify Your Life if you are looking for a more in depth tutorial on this process.

I love hearing from everyone! So feel free to leave any comments, personal stories, or worries that you have in the comment section below and I'll respond as soon as possible!

If you need help organizing your space, feel free to email me at methodicalliving@yahoo.com.

Recongizing Unrealistic Expectations

Many of us are faced with the horrible fact that we have unrealistic expectations. It can be anything really. I know that I have a list of unrealistic expectations. These expectations can be a good thing at times because they motivate you to get up and do something. For instance, my unrealistic need to have everything clean and tidy keeps me motivated to get up and clean the house. Or my expectations regarding my weight or how I look makes me want to workout, eat healthier, and drink more water.


There is another more dangerous side to unrealistic expectations though. They can make us feel depressed, upset, and as if we do not measure up. I can definitely say that social media (especially Pinterest) makes me feel less than adequate at times. How is it that these supermoms can manage a household of 3 or 4 kids, keep their houses organized, make delicious meals, and create the most creative crafts ever? I seriously want to kidnap one of those women and have them work at my house for a month and teach me their secret ways!

Image C/O ancient history

Unrealistic expectations can also be a horrible thing because you can't actually do what you want to do. 

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Do you have more than enough work for you to complete?

A significant other, children, or a roommate that refuses to help out?

Are you in a transitional period in your life?

Does your life happen too quickly due to technology and social media?

Do you have a limited amount of space?

If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions then you may have some unrealistic expectations when it comes to simplifying your life and organizing your home.

More than enough work for you?

Why its a problem: Its good to have goals for yourself. Much like unrealistic expectations, goals can help us do better than we ever thought possible. At the same time, goals can turn into cumbersome burdens that hold us down and suffocate us. Let's face it, no matter how hard we try there is simply not enough time in one day to get everything done. So prioritize your goals.


How to fix it: The keyword here is prioritize. Keep a list of everything you want to accomplish. Put the most important tasks first so that they will definitely get done and put lesser goals toward the bottom. That way, you don't have to beat yourself or drive yourself crazy trying to run around doing a million different things at once.

A significant other, children, or a roommate that refuses to help out?

Why its a problem: This problem is probably the hardest of them all because you are dealing with outside forces that you cannot necessarily change. There's really no way around just sitting and talking with the person. I'm sure you could find a plethora of passive aggressive ways to show your frustration at their less than stellar housekeeping skills, but that really isn't going to make the situation any better, believe me.


How to fix it: Sit your significant other, child, or roommate down and have a discussion on how to keep things clean and tidy. Tell them that its everyone's responsibility to keep things in order and it isn't fair to put all of that stress on just you.

Are you in a transitional period in your life?

Why its a problem: Are you looking for a new job, changing apartments, getting married, or having a baby? These are all huge transitions that can change your life completely and that's just a few of the major life transitions that we go through at some point in our lives. In most situations there is no use in setting up a permanent organizational system because you have no idea of what is and isn't going to work.


How to fix it: Wait till you have the bigger picture to make a system. Until then, setup a temporary system that will help with the transition and keep you organized.

Does your life happen too quickly due to technology and social media?

Why its a problem: Technology is great. Honestly, I can't imagine life without wifi or my smart phone- which oddly enough was only about twelve years ago or less. I feeling as if I'm telling my age but in the past few years my life has completely developed around technology. And I love technology but sometimes it can be a bit too much. Everyone can get a hold of me and that’s rather annoying. It seems like every time I get into a project someone calls me, it never fails. Then, I lose track of what I was doing and all is lost for a few hours.


How to fix it: The fix to this technology debacle is pretty easy. Simply cut out some time in your busy schedule to start getting your organizing done. Put your phone on silent, ignore the calls, or simply turn your phone off. It isn't necessary to be available to everyone all of the time.

Do you have a limited amount of space?

Why its a problem: Let's face it as women we are pretty much expert packers. We've mastered unbelievable levels of Tetris and can pretty much fit everything AND the kitchen sink into a small clutch. But there comes a time when you must accept that you cannot fit another item into a certain room. Honestly, we're miracle workers when it comes to this sort of thing but there is only so much we can do.


How to fix it: There are so many ways to fix this problem. First of all, you can toss some unnecessary items. If you need guidance or instructions on how to know what to toss you can check out my post on How to Get Rid of Sentimental Clutter. Personally, I love cutting down on my belongings. It makes me feel as if my materialistic possessions do not own me but I know a lot of people out there are shaking their heads in disagreement. For example, my mom cringes every time I even mention getting rid of a few of her twenty-something ice cream scoopers, and that’s totally okay. Honestly, that is another problem entirely and I'll get to it in my next post. Another (less invasive) way to fix this problem is to get a bigger space or rent a storage building. That way you can keep all of your things and still reclaim your space.

If there is something you'd like to see here at Methodical Living or if you are in need of some organizing advice, feel free to send me an email at MethodicalLiving@yahoo.com (I'm always happy to help)!!

If you have any comments, personal stories, or you just feel the need to vent about any unrealistic expectations, feel free to do so in the comment section below!

Why You Can't Simplify Your Life

Hello everyone! I'm excited to continue on with this small, basic organization series. If you missed the first post, here it is: Three Simple Reasons Why You Can't Organize Your Home.

Image C/O Rite Hutcheson Cobbs

Today, I'll be focusing more in depth on the simple mistakes that everyone makes when they organize- whether they admit it or not.

• Do all of your belongings have a home?

• Are any of your storage systems convenient to reach and get too?

• Do you think that organizing is fun and exciting?

• Does the amount of stuff you have equal the amount of storage space your home or apartment has?

• Do you remember things without having them strewn around your home?

• Are your storage systems easy to understand and follow?

If you answered “No” to one or more of these questions then you might be suffering from simple organizing mistakes. Don't fret though because it is super simple to rectify these mistakes and become organized.

Simple Ways to Correct Organizing Mistakes

Do all of your belongings have a home?

Why its a problem: All of your belongings should have a home- a specific location where it is stored until that moment when you need it. Unfortunately, there is no way around it but with a little elbow grease everything you own can have a a home. 

The solution: Take some time and find a location for everything that you own and stick to your decisions. If you have a hard time getting into the organization mood read this article on How to Be Organized at Home.

Are any of your storage systems convenient to reach and get too?

Why its a problem: Why would anyone want to follow a organizing plan that is inconvenient. If you can barely reach the storage bins or have to move several big totes to get to your closet you are definitely not going to want to put anything away, ever.

The solution: The only way to stick to a plan is to make sure that you make something that is fun and easy to follow. Use brightly colored boxes or line the inside of your drawers with colorful paper. Make your organization system fun, appealing, and easy to follow and you'll be more willing to follow your new system.

Do you think that organizing is fun and exciting?

Why its a problem: Not everyone thinks that organizing is fun or exciting. Trust me, even I have to be in the right mood to start digging through random junk in my house. I can always find something better or more fun to do than organize, but it takes time to become organized. There are things that you can't escape from and organizing is one of them.

The solution: Its best to just put on your favorite jams or a favorite television show and get down to work. To make it easier organize your home in chucks. Start with one section of a room or (if you're feeling frisky) an entire room.

Does the amount of stuff you have equal the amount of storage space your home or apartment has?

Why its a problem: Do you have too much stuff and too little space? I'm sorry but its impossible to store your things in a space that is inadequate.

The solution: The perfect solution to this problem is to get a bigger space. I know that a lot of us aren't blessed with having an option of getting a bigger space. So, try renting a storage building to keep all of your extra belongings in. If you don't want to invest any money or don't have the funds for it try getting rid of a few things by throwing a garage sale or donating things to a local thrift store.

Do you remember things without having them strewn around your home?

Why its a problem: I'm a big believer in out of sight, out of mind. I suffer from ADHD and while I don't use this as an excuse; I feel it is a perfect explanation of why I am the way I am. Plus, I know that a lot of people are this way-ADHD or not. If something isn't right under my nose the likelihood of me remembering it is slim to none. Having a few things like library books or homework setting on the table is okay but when the clutter and mess starts to spread and pile up you have a problem.

The solution: Here's a little something that I do to curb this terrible habit- I use sticky notes. Plus, if it is really important I'll leave somethings out on the counter so that there is no way I'll forget it.

Are your storage systems easy to understand and follow?

Why its a problem: Having storage systems that are clear, concise, and easy to understand goes hand in hand with having storage systems that are convenient and easy to get too. Make sure that your storage bins or totes are clearly labeled and you know exactly where everything goes. That way you won't get frustrated and give up on your storage system.

The solution: If you struggle with this try figuring out a way to make organizing easier.

If you have a question or problem with your organization system or plan, feel free to email me here.

Three Reasons Why You Can't Organize Your Home

Hello everyone! Today, I want to focus on three reasons why you can't organize your home. I will talk about each of these reasons more in depth in later posts. Hopefully, I'll have a post dedicated to each reason and how to get over these problems.

Everyone (or everyone in my mind) wants to have an organized home where they can easily locate any item that they need in an instant. Imagine how much time you waste looking for your keys, your clothes, your shoes, and whatever else. I'm not sure about you, but I can literally waste hours looking for just the necessities each and every week. I know I'm not the only one. Are you wasting time looking for things that should be easy to locate? If you experience this time suck continue reading to see if any of these three problems matches you.

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Three Simple Reasons Why You Can't Organize Your Home

Simple Mistakes

Organizing is a skill that pretty much anyone can learn. This skill is simple and can only get better overtime. It does take a lot of thought, creativity, and strength of will but I guarantee you will be a better person for it in the end. There are so many mistakes that people make when they begin their organizing journey. Trust me, I've made them and you probably will too, but that's okay. At least you're giving it the old college try.


In a later post, I will go into more depth about these simple mistakes but for now I will list off one or two that I've struggled with in the past.


Organizing isn't any fun. True, it isn't fun, but it needs to be done. I'm sure that you can think of a zillion other more fun things to do with your time- I know I can! You probably have a television show or a website that is silently calling out to you; so, you have no drive to actually pick up and clean up even the smallest things. I get around this time drain by listening to music or playing my favorite television show while I do small cleaning tasks around the house.


Another simple mistake I've made is that none of my stuff has a home. My hairbrush, shoes, clothes, and whatever else just kind of hangs out in limbo with no where else to go. When I went to grab an item I was looking for it could be in one of a hundred locations and I didn't know where to begin looking for them item. So, I was wasting so much time looking in a number of places. Totally wasted my time. It was ridiculous, and let me repeat total time drain.

Unrealistic Expectations

Everyone has at least some kind of unrealistic expectation about their world, life, or self. Its really only human nature to want to be better and do the best we can. I know that I have many unrealistic expectations about myself that will probably never happen, but these expectations help me to better myself in ways that I would never have thought of.


So, maybe you're (for the most part) organized. You have broken down and gotten rid of anything that was just clutter or duplicates. If you need help with clearing away clutter check out my post about Getting rid of clutter. Everything in your home has a place for the most part, but you just can't seem to find enough storage to put everything else. Maybe you've ran out of room or maybe your storage systems just aren't working out.


Maybe you are in a transition point in your life; so, a permanent storage system isn't reasonable. Maybe you're looking for a new place or a new job. Whatever the reason, try to implement a temporary system that will keep you on track and working smarter not harder. I'll go into more detail about this problem and how to fix it next week.
 

Psychological Reasons

Psychological reasons are possibly the worst reason why you can't organize your house. These types of problems can be terribly difficult to get over and even harder to spot. The first step is really becoming away of the reason or reasons why you are psychologically sabotaging your organizing efforts.


Let's say you have come up with several organizing systems but you never fully put them into good use. A small voice inside of your craves for the unorganized, cluttered life even though you know you want to be organized. Something inside of you just subconsciously makes you sabotage anything that could possible better your living situation.


Maybe you have a fear of failing at getting your home, life, or whatever else organized. You know that an organized home is something that you want but a little voice is telling you that it just can't be done. You know that annoying little voice that always tries to sabotage you at every turn. Nothing you do is good enough for that voice, and perhaps that terrible, little voice has you convinced that it is just trying to help you out.


Now, there are many reasons for each of these problems, and as I said before I will delve into these problems later on. For now, it is important to remember that a lot of people have a mix of these three types of problems and there are always ways to fix these problems. If you need help breaking through the mold and getting rid of these problems, feel free to email me and I'll do my best to help you get your home organized!

Does one of these problems match your reasons why you can't organize your house? Do you have any other problems that are not listed here? Feel free to leave any comments, questions, or personal stories in the comment section below!

 

Free Printable: Weekly Menu Planner

There's that one little question that I know is on my husband's mind the moment he walks through the door after a hard day at work: "What's for dinner?"

That one little question makes me want to cringe about three hours before the words even leave his lips. 

I always have a tough time coming up with ideas for dinner. Sometimes I just panic and find myself staring blindly at the contents of my pantry, freezer, and fridge. Usually, I can get creative and whip something up, but there are those times that I just can't make anything work. And then I feel like a failure because I'm suppose to be able to do this. No matter how many times my husband says its okay and that we'll just go out (because he's awesome like that).

So, I've taken almost all of the panic out of dinner time with my new handy-dandy weekly menu planner. I just have to take a few minutes one day a week to come up with ideas and get a solid plan in the works.

If you're like me, then you may need to use my handy-dandy weekly menu planner. Keep reading for instructions on how to get it for free below take all of the hassle out of dinner time!

Get Your Free Weekly Menu Planner

Download the planner here.

Normally, you can just print out the printables I supply here at Methodical Living, but for some reason this particular printable is being stubborn. So, to make sure that everything goes smoothly I encourage everyone to check the size before printing!

Printing Instructions:

1. Download the picture from the link above.
2. Open a Word document and inset the picture.
3. Size it to fit a standard sheet of paper.
4. Print it out.
5. Fill it in with everything you need for the week!

Weekly To Do List Printable

Happy Friday everyone!

As a lot of you may know, I LOVE lists. They help me keep all of my thoughts together. Without them, I tend to forget even the most important things. Today, I'd like to share a weekly to do list printable that is 100% free!

Weekly To Do List Printable

Get Your Weekly To Do List Printable

Download this printable here. 

Instructions on downloading and printing the weekly to do list printable:

1. Click on the link above.
2. Save the printable to your computer.
3. Open the list in picture viewer. 
4. Make sure to size up the list to fit the page perfectly.
5. Press print!
6. Fill it in with all of your errands and important tasks.

Are lists an important part of your life, like they are mine? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Have a great weekend!

Make Your Own Jewelry Holder

Cute storage idea, right? I absolutely love it, and plus, who doesn't love dinosaurs.

I don't know about you, but I have a difficult time keeping all of my beloved jewelry together in one place. I've found rings scattered, bracelets in an assortment of drawers, and necklaces in who knows where. So, I decided to make my own jewelry holder.

As usual, I was perusing the dollar store and found the cutest dinosaur ever, except for the color, of course. I dug around some more, and found a cute, little dish to go with my cute friend. Usually I have no idea what I'm going to create when I get stuff from the dollar store, but this time was different. I knew right away what I was going to do.

Make Your Own Jewelry Holder

What You'll Need to Make Your Own Jewelry Holder:

• one dinosaur or other cute figure
• spray paint
• super glue
• small dish

Directions to Make Your Own Jewelry Holder:

1. Spray paint your figure any color you want. Make sure that the weather conditions are right. When I painted my figure, it was a little windy so that made it a bit tricky, but I was able to manage.
2. Wait for it to dry.
3. Examine the figure to make sure it doesn't need to be painted again. I actually painted my dino a few times before I got the color that I wanted.
4. Clean out your small dish and make sure that it is completely dry.
5. Apply super glue to your figure's feet. Before I did this step, I used a razor knife to cut the extra paint off of my figure's feet so that it would stick better.
6. Wait for the glue to dry.
7. Decorate your jewelry holder with all of your beloved jewelry!

My dino holding stacks of rings!

How cute is he?

Questions? Comments?

Feel free to leave any questions or comments that pop into your head below in the comments section! If you have any other questions, feel free to email me here.

How to Organize Your Desk

Do you absolutely hate a cluttered, messy desk?

Is it hard for you to find the things you need, when you need them?

Do you want to organize your desk?

Me too.

Desk Organization

A cluttered desk is one of my absolute nightmares along with pretty much every episode of hoarders. The sheer idea makes my skin crawl.You have no idea how many times I organized and cleaned my desk at my old job- I shared this desk with four other people because we all worked different shifts. I hated having pens, pencils, and other knick-knacks just scattered everywhere. Now that I work from home I don't have to worry about other people touching and messing up my nice, neat drawers, but still its a struggle to keep my desk clean and tidy.

Until a few days ago, I was working on a small, cluttered desk that stifled my creativity and progress. Luckily, my husband was able to snag a free desk from his work because a drawer face fell off. We quickly put the face of the drawer back on and commenced setting up this huge desk. I now have a space to work and paint, and I'm so excited.

How to organize your desk

1. Start with a clean slate: Take everything off of your desk. Empty all of your drawers, surfaces, and clean everything off.
2.  Get rid of things that you don't use anymore: I bet that there are random pieces of paper, used folders, and other things that you no longer use or need anymore. Instead of keeping these items, just toss them.
3. Get some containers: Gather some containers to keep all of your stuff handy and neat. I bought some glass bowls from the dollar store to hold all of my paper clips, thumb tacks, and everything else.
4. Seperate everything else into categories: Separate everything that you have just taken off of your desk into categories. Use a container for each category, and determine if it is important enough to be on or in the desk. If something doesn't belong, just set it aside and decide where it goes later.
5. Make sure it works for you: After all of this work, make sure that the organization system you have just implemented works for you. Make sure that you can get everything you need quickly and without any hassle. Otherwise, you will wind up with a cluttered, messy desk all over again.
6. Personalize your space: All work and no play makes me a dull girl. Make your home office cozier by hanging up some artwork that inspires you. This is something that I plan on doing in the very near future!
7. Sit back and relax: Congratulations, you have officially learned how to organize your desk!

A few tips:

• Try not to put too much on your desk top.
• Make sure that all of your pens work. If they don't toss them!
• Keep a file handy for loose pieces of paper so they are not flying around everywhere.
• Keep a calendar on a wall or on your desk top so you can stay on top of important deadlines and dates.

Questions? Comments?

If you have any questions, comments, or personal stories, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

Craft Organization

Has crafting become a major addiction?

Do you continuously hoard crafting supplies?

Has your addiction become too much for you to handle?

I feel the need to stand up and say” Hello, my name is Lara, and I'm addicted to crafts.”

Which of course translates into my house cannot hold anymore beads, wires, fabric, lace, paint, or anything else.

Craft Organization Can Be A Nightmare

Crafting is a great way to make inexpensive substitutes for things that would normally cost a small fortune, and its a great way to relieve stress. Plus, crafting always fills me with a sense of accomplishment.

The only problem is that I struggle to find a way to organize my crafts. Once I had a duffle bag where I stored everything. It was great for a starter. I could move it around, and it was never in my way, but my supplies out grew the bag. In fact, the duffle bag had to be retired because the seams popped open, and it became a huge mess.

How to Organize Your Crafts Like a Pro

I would like to say that my craft organization is no where near perfect, yet. But it is getting there. If you have the same problem I'll share a few tips with you on how I started to organize my crafts.

1.  Find a place where you want to store all of your crafts. I decided to use an old dresser that I will eventually re-do.
2. Gather all of your crafts together in one place.
3. Start gathering your crafts into different groups, such as, art, fabric, ribbons, knitting,ect.
4. Cut all of the excess out. If that glue stick is out of date, just toss it. If you have too much of a certain thing, donate the excess or give it to a friend.
5. Grab lots of containers. Don't worry, your containers don't have to be expensive or fancy, you can use old shoe boxes or dollar store containers. 
6. Start throwing specific piles of stuff into containers. You can even label your containers so you will never have to paw through stuff to find the supplies you need.
7. When you find other supplies lurking in the corner of your closet or your drawers, stack them in a pile and sort through them.

Organizing doesn't happen over night, but with a little elbow grease and hard work you will be able to organize all of your crafts.

Questions? Comments?

I hope that these tips will help you to organize your craft supplies! Feel free to leave any questions, comments, or ideas of your own in the comment section below! 

Five Misconceptions About Organizing

Do you want to be organized but find yourself making excuses as to why you can't be bothered with the work that goes into organizing? I know, trust me, I've been there, and often find myself using these same excuses on a daily basis. Here are the most common excuses or misconceptions in regards to organizing.

Five Misconceptions About Organizing

1. Organizing is something that will take forever.

Organizing your entire home in one day will seem like a daunting, impossible task, but if you organize your home in small time spurts it will seem much more doable. Yes, organizing isn't fun for a lot of people, but it can be if you think of it as something fun. I always love to organize drawers and cabinets that I haven't been in for a while. I will always find things that I have been looking for or things that bring back great memories.
2. Organizing isn't worth the time because in a month you'll have to organize everything all over again.
I know that I have organized my car about a zillion times, but it keeps getting dirty. Do you want to know why? Because I never take the time to do ordinary, basic things, such as, taking all of my trash and throwing it away or taking unnecessary things out. Everything sort of piles up and I'm left with a huge cluttered mess. Doing the basics everyday will help you stay organized so you won't have to go back and redo what you have already done once!

3. Organizing is a specific genetic trait that you just don't possess.

I know you've seen those people with the perfect houses, clean cars, and just all around organized lives. Their houses never have a speck of dust and everything that they own has a specific place. You may think that they were just born like that. That they have a specific gene that forces them to be organized, but that isn't the case. They have learned that the best way to stay organized is to be proactive about it.

4. Organizing will require you to throw away everything that you love.

Sure, organizing requires you to throw things out, but you don't have to get rid of everything that you love and cherish. In most cases, those items have a specific use to you, and you use them regularly. Organizing simply means that you need to clear out the excess not your memories and cherished belongings. If you love that blanket, tea cup, or whatever so much, find a use for it or find a spot to keep it safe.

5. You don't have time to organize.

I'm guilty of using the excuse that I don't have time to organize that filing cabinet, drawer, or whatever. But, in reality, I spend more time shifting through unnecessary clutter and junk to find the things that I need than it would take me to organize. Think about it, have you ever misplaced your car keys, purse, or that favorite shirt? How long did you spend looking for those items? Simply organizing your house can prevent all of that wasted time because everything will have a designated spot.

Questions? Comments?

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them below!

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