Menu Board

One of my New Years Resolutions this year was to get back on the menu planning wagon. My friend Crystal suggested we take a little inspiration and make menu boards like these. I am so excited about how mine turned out.

I started by making a list of about 30 recipes that our family enjoys. Then I wrote them on my cards (I used white index cards that I cut in half horizontally). My plan is to write the ingredient list on the back of each card to make meal planning even easier, but I haven't finished this yet.

This was especially easy for me to make because Rowdy in Room 30 had all of the printables available! So, I just printed and cut. For my actual board I used an old picture frame that I had turned into a chalkboard awhile back with chalkboard paint. I used clothes pins for my days of the week. To make my card and pen holder I just used an empty toilet paper roll that I taped on the bottom. Then I hot glued everything on.

My family loves this menu board. They love looking and seeing what is for dinner. I also thought it would be fun from time to time to let them help plan the meals by going through the cards or letting everyone pick a card for the week.

I also made extra cards for nights for nights when we have other dinner plans, "Dinner with Family", "Out to Eat", "Leftovers", "Peine Family" (our small group), "Freezer Meal".

I think this is going to really keep me on track with my menu planning. Plus, it is pretty to look at... win/win!

A new {Kids Cabinet}

When I grow up I want to be a really organized, type-A personality... Does it work that way? Okay, I don't think so, but I really wish it did. I am just not a naturally organized person. Routine, organization, and all of those things do not happen in my life without serious effort on my part. Whenever I am chatting with someone who has that hyper-organized/clean freak personality I always tell them that I want to be just like them. Then they tell me that I don't and that it is a pain... but I really think they are just trying to be nice, ha! But, as we all know, the grass is always greener on the other side...

So, while I am not naturally a neat and organized person I DO appreciate all things neat and organized and I strive to attain it. On Monday this week I tackled the kids cabinet. Our cabinet where we kept kids plates, cups, sippy cups, etc. was also the same cabinet we used to hold all sorts of miscellaneous things including sunscreen and salsa bowls... Yeah... It was also a cabinet up high to the right of our dishwasher. 

I had seen a few ideas that suggested keeping kids dishes in lower cabinets where kids are able to get to them themselves and also be involved in putting them away. I loved that idea, especially since we initiated our chore pack system and the kids have been helping me unload the dishwasher. 

So, I cleared out a cabinet that is in my center island that used to hold mixing bowls and the salad spinner. I realized I didn't need 5 sets of mixing bowls always at my disposal...  and this lower cabinet became our new kid's cabinet! I got these bins at the Dollar Spot at Target (although they were $2.50 a piece, what is up with that?) And filled them up with the kiddos' stuff...

Now they can easily get what they need and easily help with putting away their dishes!

And the old kids cabinet is a little more organized too!

My paired down mixing bowl collection found a new home with my tupperware and the ex-kids cabinet became a new home for measuring cups and strainers. It also houses candy (in the floral bin), water bottles (in the turquoise bins), chore packs (little tub on the bottom shelf) and quick things I need when we are outdoors, like bandaids and sunscreen. 

I feel one step closer to being an organized person and I definitely feel like efficiency has improved in our kitchen! 

I am linking up today over at Women Living Well!

Laundry Room Closet {Make-Over}

I am sorry! I know I was already here earlier today! I just couldn't wait to post my laundry room project. And by "my" of course I mean my mom and dad came up with the plan and got the materials and Nick and my dad installed it all! But, I think this is going to be a game changer in my laundry life! 

So, I had this idea that it would really simplify my life if I were able to keep the kiddos everyday clothes in baskets in the laundry room. Each kiddo would have about 7 days worth of daily clothes in the current season that I could just fold and throw in their baskets and they could get dressed from that (including p.j.s and underwear). I also wanted to be able to hang up Nick's work shirts and our other hanging clothes straight out of the dryer to avoid wrinkles. 

I have a closet in my laundry room straight across from my washer and dryer that I have never known what to do with. It had sliding doors on it when we moved in and a bar straight across. I guess it was a coat closet? But, we have a coat closet in our entry way so we never really used it as that. So, it usually became a place to throw junk. Eventually I decided to take the doors off and put a bench there which was cute but not functional. 

But now, I think this closet has finally fulfilled it's closet destiny! Behold...

A basket for each child's clothes (an empty one for Baby #Quatro!). A place to hang. A counter top for folding. And baskets on top for storage!

Like any project in this house I am sure I will tweak a touch. I am thinking maybe I need to get white baskets on the top for better balance? And then I want to come up with some sort of cute way to label the fronts of the basket so we can easily tell whose is whose. But, the beauty of it is... it is totally functional and I can start using it now! So... I better go do some laundry!
 

Organized

I really attempt to be an organized person. I am not naturally neat and organized. However, I get very stressed out when things aren't neat and organized. How unfair is that? So, I am constantly working to streamline and organize my life, especially with three little ones! And I am sure a lot of you stay at home moms can agree that even though there is more than enough to do to keep us busy, without careful planning it is easy to let the day go by and not get ANYTHING accomplished!

I recently got this handy dandy planner and it has helped me a lot. I am able to put everything in one place and I have even color coded! I put our schedule, my things to do and clean, our meals for the week, everything! I love it!

I am all about increasing my efficiency in my home!

Do any of you have any tips or tricks you would like to share when it comes to home management?