Mommies - aren’t you impressed? I’m a reformed non-coupon’r. I swear, it IS my receipt! Although it wouldn’t be entirely un-melike to claim someone’s else’s successes… This time, it’s all ME baby! lol Woot! I’m super-coupon-lady now, hon!

This is new!!  It is a “toot your own horn” community! rotflol :)  isn’t that hilarious.  I’m ALL IN! And c’mon, get your head outta the gutter - not that kind of toot!

Seriously - I walked to the sitter’s house TWICE today!  Usually I take the car to pick them up.  But noooooooo, I WALKED!  It feels great!
Wanna join the Tuesday “Toot”?  This here should help ya out!

Hello Mommies,

You DO know by now that when I say Tidy Tuesday, it really is translated: tidy tuesday. Here’s a printable I made for my other gluten free site, that you might use to tidy up those recipes!

Click on the link below to go to my GF site and download the printable cards.

Printable recipe cards | Strawberries are Gluten Free

Under my computer right by my feet are files spilling over. Ya know those hanging file systems? wait, i’ll get a pic. Okay, well this is the system that we use for mail. And I use “we” loosely. lol This is what I’d like my hubby to use, but he’s always got his own ideas - darn. Doncha hate that? lolol Anyway, he handles the mail now, so I really can’t complain, can I?

1. Reference files: those monthly school schedules, budget forms, etc.
2. To do: those things that must be dealt with before next pay day/ or month, or whenever you decide.
3. Waiting: those things that have to be put in the “to do” file AFTER those above.
4. To file - my advice? Use this sparingly! The only things you really need to keep are

• those invoices that carry a warantee,
• might be disputable/ returned, and
• those that are tax deductible.
• And note - that the above list does NOT include reply forms, things paid online, envelopes, junk, lolol

I’ve made some little tags to go on your files if you decide to use this system. The tag backgrounds are from Amanda Kay’s Strawberry Cake digi kit.

Yippeee - my favorite topic - organizing paper! Some general principles follow, and then some examples from my house, and some guidelines for your house. Usually my ideas come from a combination of my crazy brain, some google research, magazines, books, and friends.

Identify your risk-level for hoarding!

Do you have crusty playdough figurines from your teenager’s preschool days? Or are you tossing hubby’s ‘old’ cologne that he didnt’ wear yesterday? Maybe we could bring our keeping/tossing habits a couple notches toward the middle? And maybe then we can accept where we are in the spectrum for today and organize accordingly.

I think that my eldest daughter is more sentimental than I am. She gives me cute little cards and home-made books, and expects them to be displayed. So I need to move more towards keeping for her. The younger two I also need to be more astute in keeping stuff for. I’m not even sure I have a baby book for my youngest daughter!

Identify your space limitations.

Can you dedicate a warehouse to house all the cute things that come home? Good. Get a cup of coffee and call a girlfriend. The rest of us will need to look at our keeping habits from the above exercise, and determine what space we have vs. what we need. Go through the next exercise to help with this decision.

I have only 1 small garage (which should also fit the car) and one small storage closet in our townhouse for storage. As we are a family of five, I have made more storage space in one bedroom closet, the closet shelves of 3 rooms, and subtracted two feet in width from the master bedroom for storage. <– that is a whole ‘nother story!

Identify your goals.

Close your eyes. Imagine yourself on your couch in your favorite room, with the sun shining in the window. Imagine you are happy and content. Now look over there to the coffee table - what is on it? I’m talking here about utopia. If the world were perfect, what would be on your coffee table? For some mommies, it is a cute basket full of the kids’ notes and drawings. For others, the well-loved look is appealing - a coffee table with papers, a few crayons scattered about, some books, and a coffee stain or two. What you are looking for here is what makes YOU feel at peace, not what you think a GOOD mother would like, but what you, just you, like. Does that inspire a goal or two related to organizing school treasures?

I see 2 or 3 creative magazines laid out a little off center. If there were stacks of paper that would ruin my happy place. My goal is therefore to keep my clutter and memorabilia out of sight. Sometimes that means a box with a lid, sometimes that means a closet or a closed cupboard. And seeing how I don’t want to spend all my time tidying- it also means compromise! Sometimes things are just left out in the open, and then I just tell myself - “well, doh! People live here!”

Identify your school treasures.

In my home, there are two categories: Memorabilia & Business stuff.

Memorabilia: the things that my kids will want to see/have when they grow up; the things that ONLY I would ever care about; and the things that my family members about.

Memorabilia in our house is things like the report cards, mother’s day cards, pictures, (pictures of them breastfeeding - the fondness I have for these is strictly mine! lol). Awards and ribbons. Things that I toss intentionally: kid-to-kid stuff ie: 30 each of valentine’s & Christmas & St. Patrick’s Day & Halloween cards annually; a new art project each day.

Business:Need to act on ‘immediately’ , will need to act on before the deadline, just information/ reminders.

These include things like permission slips, “buy this” slips, “pay for this” slips, and “Can we have money” slips.

From Door to Home

The next thing is to figure out how to get those things in the door and to its ‘home’.

Before the backpack is put away it must be cleaned out! Did you know that the kids are responsible for getting their own notices and bringing them home? They are responsible for their own library books, and yet when they get home, we let them act irresponsible! I’m sure i’m not the only mother who cleans out the backpack for her! But this really isn’t necessary. Lunchbag & notices go on the kitchen countertop. Memorabilia is brought to me for some serious appreciation!

Kids’-responsibility-things need to be handy for them. My daughter’s backpack is put just outside the kitchen in a cubby hole. It is for her backpack, and her backpack only. It is big enough and on the floor so she can reach it

Now the good stuff:

• Papers due back to school the next day: go inside the lunch bag.

• Papers due back later: go into a magnetic clip on the fridge.

• Reminders: are written in the family planner and tossed.

• Paper memorabilia: put in child’s paper box. I usually use one (filing type) box per child per 5 years. That seems to be more than enough. Another idea is to wrap the papers in tall poster tubes from a shipping store and display the tubes in a nice umbrella holder. (from Martha Stewart website)

• Art: of course this needs to be proudly displayed for awhile(like a week or two). And then, if it is not something they or I will appreciate in 10 years, I toss it. Shhhhh, don’t tell! A friend of mine has string up on her wall in layers. And has cute clothespins hanging her kids’ art. I use my fridge. I also have some magnetic bars and magnets that would look so cute if I ever get around to hanging them in the kitchen.

• Bulky Art: sigh. I toss it. Honestly, I do. I’m not sure I should, but that is what I do! There are a few items - first tiny shoes, and first clay handprints that I’ve kept in shadow boxes. From my childhood, I know it is the pictures that mean the most to me. It is ME with the art that brings me warm fuzzies, not really the old crumbling piece of play dough. Another idea: take pics of the art and display the pictures in the baby album or memorabilia box.

• Others: you know, there is one box in my garage (which is about 1/10th of the total storage space in our garage) that is dedicated to ONE bulky item. Well, actually two: my wedding dress, and Mike’s formal uniform that he wore at our wedding. Now…. can you imagine if I kept everything that was meaningful? Where would we sleep? Maybe it will be helpful to keep in mind your goals for peace and calm in your home. As well as to look at your total storage space realistically.

From Home to School

• daily-use things need to be handy/ accessible! Keep the lunchboxes in the kitchen. Keep the notices with the pens (and money). I keep lunchbox stuffers (straws, napkins, granola bars, treats and thermos) together in a cupboard.
• Morning of: complete notices in the lunchbag, review family planner for today, pack lunch, etc. I generally read the notices but I do not act on them until the morning of school. There is simply too much to do after school and before supper.
• Books/ helmets/ special projects: when they are completed, or come to mind, put the item in the cubby with the backpack. So when they are needed, they are right there to pack up.

And you know what? Just enjoy the kids - praise their accomplishments! What would it matter if you had ever award bronzed, if you didn’t lather them in praise and adoration?

Your ideas and comments are very much appreciated!

Take care,

Cathy