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It’s month 4 of the The Great Wardrobe Challenge of 2013 that Jenny on the Spot started this year. Remember last month when I told you that I bought the bracelet at Blissdom because it was “for a good cause”? Yeah, well, at least I didn’t fall for that this month!
No, this month I bought something I actually needed, but didn’t really want. Here’s an update on my progress and let’s just say, I’m still learning.
*first posted in June 2011. The twins are now 14, finishing 8th grade and still ask for pancakes, but they have gotten fancy and want croissants with egg and cheese now, too.*
When I started this motherhood journey 12 years ago, I had grand visions of play groups with other happy moms sharing stories of potty training, and naptime, and the right pureed foods to feed our little people. It seemed magical and mystical and downright dreamy. Then the day came, oh I don’t know, when the twins were about a month old, when it occurred to me that I should probably shower before my husband came home because I hadn’t in just over two days. So much for magical and mystical. My face hadn’t seen makeup in months and I was happy to put on clean pajamas.
Flash forward to this morning. We are finishing 6th grade next week ( I say “we” because I earned those grades as much as they did and I want a certificate for it)! My little people are up to my chin and in that obnoxious “tween” set of years. They want independence and skinny jeans and cologne and perfume and iPod Touches. They want freedom-except when it comes to breakfast.
At breakfast they want pancakes and they want me to cook them. Pancakes? Really? Like there is cereal, and bagels, and yogurt and easy things. Pancakes. Not so much.
Can I just tell you it’s only 6:00 AM at this point? And I have been up since 5:00. Showered. Dressed. With heels on. I have TV to go do and clients to meet and things to write. And they want pancakes. So, there I was. Whipping batter with a wisk, skillet ready, pouring perfectly round circles in the pan, praying no oil got on me. The dog has to go pee and lunches need to be made and my darling people are waiting for the one thing only I can do this morning: make pancakes.
Making them in high heels made them fluffier, I think. If nothing else, it made my heart lighter. It made me smile and it made my to-do list seem just a little less pressing. Next time I’ll try to make the batter into the shape of a high heel-just for fun.
I have found a new love: Warby Parker eyewear. I first found out about them from our server in a Seattle restaurant. He was a cool guy with cool glasses and when he told about the company, it was even cooler.
Their try-it-on-at-home offer is uber cool. Select 5 pair from their website and have them sent to you. You can even upload a picture of yourself for virtual trying-on.
Keep them for 5 days and return them, postage pre-paid! Then go to the Warby Parker site and order the pair you love.
The best part? They are only $95 and for every pair you buy, they donate a pair to charity. See? Uber cool.
Alright, it’s been a while since I talked about shoes, but I just can’t take it anymore! I am loving these two pairs, one of which I broke down and bought.
Now, before I tell you which one, I must apologize to my husband first. For years, I teased him about owning a pair of these and hated every time he put them on. He kept telling me they were “classic”, but I refused to see it. I’m sorry, honey. Really, really sorry for harassing you.
Last year they made a resurgence and got a new twist of style on them, and voila, I feel in love. Without wanting to confess my new found attraction, I merely window shopped and stared at them, lovingly of course.
On my visit to Seattle, my friends daughter wore hers with shorts, with jeans, with a skirt, and I caved. I bought these 
..the Sperry Boat Shoe.
I know, not that cute in picture, but oh-so-cute on the foot. And super cute with shorts. I wonder when he will discover that I own them.
Never to stray far from a heel (I’m only 5’1″ ya know), I eyed these Lucky Brand heels out and am hoping that the birthday fairy brings them to me on my birthday this month. (hey birthday fairy, these can be found at Shoes.com)
Well, now that that is out of my system, I can go back to business as usual. Whatever that is.
1. Reduce the amount of stuff you carry around! You don’t need your whole makeup collection in your purse.
2. Use smaller totes or cases to divide up contents.
3. Use a designated purse organizer such as a Pouchee. You can organize these and switch purses easily by pulling the whole thing out!
4. Get a key holder: The original Finders Key Purse at Isn’t This Clever A recent study of 2,000 customers by British auto insurer Swinton finds that motorists spend an average of one minute, 15 second searching for their car keys on a daily basis. That means in a year one spends over 7 hours doing “the dig” – Finders Key Purse® prevents the “dig”.
5. Don’t carry change around except for a few quarters. It will reduce your wallet size.
6. Use a smaller purse, such as a wrist-let, to hold cell phone, keys, license, and debit/credit card and drop this into a larger purse. Then you can easily locate the essentials and grab only this to make a quick stop at a store.
7. To reduce receipt overload, have clerk put receipts into the shopping bags instead of putting them into your wallet. When you get home, collect all the receipts from the bags and put in a designated receipt spot. If you need to make a return, get the receipt from this spot and put with the item.
8. Carry a small accordion/index file in your purse for receipts. File each receipt into the month or category as you get them.
9. Use the Card Cubby to organize and corral all your store cards, coupons, and punch cards. Use the discount code CCRS for 10% off your order!
10. Schedule a weekly clean out of your purse. Each Sunday afternoon, dump it, throw trash away, containerize loose items and reduce any extras.
You would think that organizing is my favorite topic. Or maybe my kids. Or things for the home. They are not. Shoes are my most favorite topic. And my favorite thing to shop for. And most favorite thing to possess.
I know, it sorta flies in the face of my simplicity mantra, but hey, a girls gotta have something. So today, I chose two new favorite pair of shoes that I want to own. I don’t own them…yet. Maybe Famous Footwear and the folks at Shoes.com will let me “test” them out. That’s a size 5 1/2 if you’re reading. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Ah, a little dreaming never hurt. So, on this fine Thursday in March, I dream of these two fabulous pair sitting on my shelves and bringing joy to my life. 
What shoes would you choose? Here’s a little love from Shoes.com
Fair warning…I just worked out and have my beanie hat on! But I was so excited about how this turned out, that I HAD to share it with you right away! I will have other jewelry ideas for you tomorrow, but anyone can copy this idea in your own closet or bedroom.
Also, think about how using an old door for other purposes in your home could work. Paint it and add photos to it. What about painting with chalkboard paint and putting it in a kids room. I’ll share more ideas later! For, now enjoy this simple idea and get creative in your home!
I love when we can use wall space to organize stuff. From the laundry room to the office to the kitchen, vertical use of space is awesome! There are dozens of ways to use a shoe pocket organizer, a hanging wall sorter, and Command Hooks by 3M. 
Look around your house and see where you could hang one of these tools. Could a shoe pocket organizer fit on your hall closet door for hats, gloves, mittens, & scarves? What about using it for umbrellas, flip flops, sunscreen, & summer supplies? This one was used in a pantry for snacks and small items. 
Could you put Command Hooks on a wall in your bedroom or closet for jewelry, like necklaces and bracelets?
Try one of these hanging wall sorters in your office. Or for a homework station with kids. Could even be used for magazines in your family room or bedroom. These are from TJMaxx/Home Goods.
Just remember, you can’t organize clutter, so sort & purge your stuff first BEFORE you invest in one of these to organize. This is a fun and easy weekend project to put together. Take some before and after pics and send to me. Would love to see what you’ve done!! Happy Friday!
A few years back I did a TV segment using Real Simple magazines’ ideas of re-purposing everyday items. I looked around my house and thought about how I could use them to organize every day things. Here are 3 common items that you have in your house and how to use them. I promise you that they actually work. No stupid organizing ideas here!!
Ice cube trays-
Coffee Filters-
Adapted from Real Simple Solutions, 2009
