1 Tray, 4 Ways for the Holidays

November 26, 2014November 23, 2014 - Mama Leave a comment

I’ll admit it, I’m obsessed with those adorable decorative serving trays you find in stores. Every time I go to Target, I lust after the newest one they’ve released, and every time, I pass it by. I mean, how will I use it, outside of breakfast in bed? I’d really love to use it, but I mean, is it practical? I ask myself every time. After passing up this particular tray all last season, when I saw it reappear at Target, I knew I had to have it! So, I sat down, determined to figure out ways I could use this tray before I spent the money. And trust me, I was not disappointed with the ways I’ve been able to use it. Are you longing for a beautiful serving tray?

10 Can’t-Miss Places to Clean Before Guests Arrive

November 21, 2014November 18, 2014 - Mama Leave a comment

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and I’m going to guess that more than a few of you are hosting this year. I know how it is– you clean, and you clean, and you clean in places you think you’ve never cleaned before. But just when you think you’ve cleaned it all, sure enough, your Great Aunt Martha comes in and peeks in that one place you didn’t clean… yikes. Never fear– I’m listing out ten places you need to clean before guests arrive (but may have forgotten).

Front Closet

It’s November. Unless you live in Florida or Hawaii, you’re probably going to be taking a few coats. Beyond just cleaning it up a bit and making sure you have room for coats, now is a great time to purge any old, ill-fitting coats, make sure you have plenty of hangers for your guests, vacuum the floor inside in case any coats fall on the floor, and consider investing in a floormat for the closet if you live in an area where you may get some mucky, snowy, wintery boots.

Likewise, when you clean before guests arrive, you’ll want to consider cleaning a spare bedroom if you plan on keeping your coats in there instead of a hall closet. Wash the bedding both before and after you place coats on your bed (you never know what someone’s carrying on their clothing!) or consider just hanging the coats in a bedroom closet to keep them off of your bedding altogether.

Medicine Cabinet

Why the medicine cabinet, you might be asking? Because think about it… you know there’s going to be that one guest who snoops to see what you’ve got in there out of sheer curiosity. Go ahead and pack away any prescriptions, just for the day, and move anything you don’t want someone seeing out of sight. Better yet, stock your medicine cabinet with some extras just in case, like extra soap, mints, or feminine hygiene products, to help your snooping guests find what they may be looking for. Are you a family that likes having fun with each other? Stick a funny image that says you KNOW they’re snooping– like “Ha! Caught You!”

Refrigerator

Before your guests arrive, make sure you clean out your refrigerator. If you’re serving pot-luck style, there’s likely something that needs to be chilled until you sit down to the table, and how often does a guest end up helping themselves to something, even if you’ve set it all out where they need it? At the very minimum, cleaning it out allows you plenty of space for leftovers after the meal, so being proactive and getting it cleaned before guests come is a good way to have it done whether guests see it or not.

Couch Cusions

This is a MUST if you have pets or kids. For one, allergies are everywhere these days, so the last thing you want is a guest hacking and coughing because you missed some pet dander. You’ll remember to vacuum and sweep, but don’t overlook couch cushions. Further, make sure to check for any stray toys, and if you haven’t done it in awhile, pull the couch all the way out to sweep or vacuum underneath. You might be surprised!

Trash Can

On Thanksgiving, you’re bound to have a lot of trash getting tossed, from turkey carcasses to dinnerware (particularly if you go dish-free and serve on paper, because hey, we aren’t all Martha Stewart). The last thing you need is a smelly trashcan when guests go to toss something (even if it’s gum before the meal). Trust me, if you’re hosting, at least one person will use your trash– and that goes for the main trash and bathroom trash! Give your trash can a good rinse, air dry it, then either place a sachet under the liner, use a scented trashbag, or sprinkle in some baking soda to absorb the odor. Make sure your trash is empty (or close to it) when guests arrive and you shouldn’t have any issues!

Front Porch

It’s fall, and during the fall, you’re going to get some fall leaves. At a minimum, when you clean before guests arrive, you’ll want to sweep the porch free of debris. Not only does it make your house look prettier at a glance (because trust me, we all have that relative who will judge), it cuts down on what guests are tracking into your house, helping you beat some of that post-holiday cleanup before it starts.

Keurig or Coffeemaker

Is anything better than some coffee or cider after dinner? Well, coffee or cider from a clean Keurig, for one. When you use a Keurig, even if you follow the manufacturer’s instructions and brew an empty cup after each cup of coffee or cocoa. Check the coffeemaker section for special cleaners for your Keurig or Coffeemaker to keep them nice and cared for, or follow the manufacturer’s instructions (google your machine if you don’t know how to properly clean it) and get it spruced up so every cup on Thanksgiving tastes like the first cup.

Tupperware Cabinet

This is more for your own sanity and less for your guests seeing anything… but if you’re having leftovers, or think you might have some, check your tupperware cabinet in advance. Try pairing lids with containers and make sure you have matches in a variety of sizes. If yours are worn, broken, or missing, toss the old and get some new ones before the holiday– it’ll be a wise investment through Christmas and beyond. Planning on sending some leftovers home with your guests? Investing in some take-and-toss style tupperware is a nice touch. This way, if you get it back, great, but if you don’t, you didn’t send them home with your good stuff.

Microwave

This is particularly important if you happen to host a pot-luck style dinner, but even if you’re hosting a dinner where you plan to cook it all, something is bound to need reheating. Even if you keep a clean microwave, it never hurts to give it a good wipe down before your guests arrive.

Master bathroom (or another secondary bathroom)

I know, in a perfect world, you clean one bathroom and everyone uses that one and you can tuck clutter safely away in the other one, but it isn’t a perfect world. Someone is guaranteed to need to use the bathroom while someone else is, and you’re going to end up sending someone to a secondary bathroom. Save the embarrassment and clean up a second bathroom for guests to use. Oh, and don’t forget to clean out that medicine cabinet, too!

Did I miss any places you should definitely clean before you have guests arrive? Let me know in the comments below!

The Ultimate Staycation Planner Printable– Plan a Staycation in ANY Area!

October 15, 2014 - Mama Leave a comment

When planning a vacation, it’s typically pretty easy. You start by picking a destination, and then you plan what you’d like to do. But for some reason, it’s so much harder when you go to plan your staycation! Part of it is because it seems like you may have been to everything there is to do in your area. Or, some of it may be that you feel a bit stuck on ideas of what to do. But, I have 7 great questions that will help you plan your staycation, no matter where you’re hoping to experience it! I’m also providing a handy 4-page staycation planning guide that you can use to stay organized and jump-start your brainstorming using the ideas in this post!

15 Things You’re Hoarding that You Can Get Rid of Right Now

September 5, 2014September 13, 2014 - Mama 2 Comments

We’ve all seen those extreme cases on Hoarders, or at least have the vaguest concept of hoarding– houses packed to the rafters, barely a footpath through. But we aren’t really like that, right? Just because there’s a bit of unwashed laundry, or a few extra sentimental items lying around, we’re not actually hoarding, are we?

Well, according to my mother, who we all joke doesn’t have a sentimental bone in her body because she’s ruthless when it comes to clearing out clutter, we are. Definite, complete, total hoarders. Semi-neat hoarders, but hoarders nonetheless. So, I’m taking a page from my mother’s book (hopefully) and I’m giving you permission to part with those things you swore you couldn’t let go of, but maybe, with some careful guidance, you could actually say goodbye to today. And yes, this post is talking to me as much as it is to my readers; after all, I couldn’t have come up with 15 items for you to purge if I didn’t do a little cleaning up myself.

So grab 3 boxes and label them Trash, Sell, and Donate, and let’s get purging. Ready?

Ten Great Phone Apps You Won’t Want to Live Without

April 1, 2014 - Mama 5 Comments

I’ll admit it. I never understood the smart phone craze. I mean, I was doing just fine with my old-school phone, and who really needed to access their Facebook constantly? What was the point? Sure, there were a few things I really wished I had access to, like Instagram, but did I really need a smartphone? I mean, I could do the basics from the web, like facebook and twitter, and I had a laptop. So who needed one of those fancy (and expensive) phones?

Then my mobile service provider started making it cheaper and easier to switch to a smartphone, and it started to become apparent that, in time, I wouldn’t have a choice. Smartphones were everywhere, and there was no escaping them. So, I finally buckled down and got my Samsung Galaxy SIII. And seriously? I’d never go back to the dark ages again.

This phone does everything. I’ve shared a few apps I love in the past, or apps that I simply wouldn’t want to be without, but as I’ve explored, I’ve discovered more and more utilities that make my life easier. So, I’ve selected 10 apps that I can’t live without. Because I’m sure a lot of you are aware of the basics, like how to access email, or facebook, or the ever-popular Instagram, as well as the utilities like Google Calendar, I’ve decided to leave those basics off the list. Instead, this is a list of 10 apps you might not realize you’re living without, and apps that are so amazing, you shouldn’t have to live without them anymore.

I love the Bible App from YouVersion, powered by Lifechurch.tv. The app is great because it has the Bible, in tons of different versions, as well as reading plans and Bible studies from big names like Joyce Meyers. Highlighting, and even sharing favorite verses to social media, is made easy by this app. I love it because I always have my phone with me, so carrying a Bible everywhere is as easy as pulling out my phone. Because it comes in over 35 languages (app interface) and 200 languages (actual Bible translations), it’s easy for anyone who has a smart-phone, Kindle, or other device to get the Word right there.
I tend to be forgetful, especially when life gets busy, so another feature I love is that I can get a notification to do my daily Bible study if I’ve forgotten. I have mine set to notify me around 10:30 pm, so I’m reminded around the time Zach winds down for sleep each night. It’s my favorite Bible study time each day, and I love that I’m notified for those times I just happen not to remember to study that day. Finally, it’s FREE. Like totally Free. Which means if you’re not currently reading the Bible or have a study plan, there’s really no excuse not to give the Youversion Bible app a try. Just search “Bible” in your app store of choice and find the Bible App.

Here’s a little closer look at the main screen of the app, which shows me a verse of the day, let’s me carry on from where I was last reading, tells me where I’m at in plans I’m studying, and basically keeps me on track and in the Word every single day.

Speaking of great apps that help keep me close to God, I love the K-Love App so much! The K-Love app is awesome for any fan of the radio station. It’s great because you can stream the station anywhere! I don’t have a radio in my bedroom, but sometimes Zach and I will listen to the K-Love app before bed, and I love having it right there on my phone. If you’re out and about (but not driving! That’d be bad!) and hear a song on the station, you can check into the app and see what’s now playing, see tracks recently played, and even view lyrics from all of them. You can see the latest K-Love news and also view (and share) the Encouraging Word for the day, directly inside of the app! How easy, and perfect, for listening and keeping up to date with the station.

I think the Last 5 feature is my favorite feature within the K-Love App, because I always love adding new tracks to my Spotify playlist or buying them on Amazon, but I can never seem to remember the name of a song. I love being able to look it up from the app when a song I love plays, find out the name and artist, and download it or add it to a playlist later.

It’s no secret that I’m a die-hard soccer fan, so this app is a lifesaver. I’m able to check scores, get notifications when my favorite team, Sporting KC, adds a video, and get information about the teams we’re playing and some stats about their team and mine before the game. I can also follow along with a play-by-play for those times that the game is on a channel I don’t get, and tells me when upcoming games are and what channel they’ll air on. While MLS is the only league I have the app for, it appears to be available for other sports, like an NFL Mobile app, the NHL GameCenter app, MLB.com At Bat, and more, which means no matter what sport you’re a fan of, there’s an app for that. If you love soccer, but the MLS isn’t your thing, you can get an EPL News app, among others, all free. It’s a great option is you’re a sporty mama who has a favorite team to keep up with.

My favorite feature is being able to see, at a glance, when everyone is playing, and check scores on the teams while games are in progress. Sometimes, it’s nice to see where everyone else stands when I’m busy watching a game Sporting KC is playing. After all, that all comes into play when we go to defend our championship this year!

I’ve mentioned the Walgreens app in detail before, especially the photo part, so I’ll keep this review a little shorter. My favorite feature of the app is that I can log into my Instagram account and print directly from Instagram. I can also order more than just prints, but I love that I can get affordable photo products from my phone, and have most of them ready and waiting for me within the hour. I think the quality is really good, especially for a one-hour print. I’m a huge fan of how quick and affordable it is to get hard copies of my favorite photos.

If you happen to get your prescriptions from Walgreens you can also get refills and check on your prescription within the app! You can also set a medication reminder, double-check price information, and see the weekly ad from the app.

Postagram is SUCH a cool app, and everyone I use it with seems so impressed by the results. Basically, you purchase credits (99 cents for cards sent in the US, with an additional fee for international cards, and a discount for buying credits in bulk). You design a postcard by adding an image from your phone gallery, then personalize it with a message, choose your recipient, and send!

I love it because I can’t always get to the store, but want to send a card. It also makes a great thank you note or just a fun message to send. I love to send a postagram to my grandmother every one in awhile. Recently, we went and stayed at her house, so as a thank you, I sent a postagram with a picture of us while we were there and a message thanking her for letting us stay. I’ve also sent out thank you cards to family this way… when Zach celebrated his birthday, a few out of town relatives sent cash. I sent them a photo of him celebrating his birthday, with a quick thank you message saying how he planned to spend (or save!) his gift. It’s so easy and I can have a postcard on it’s way in just a few minutes. The best part is that the photo portion will pop out of the postcard, and has the message printed on the back so it gets saved, too!

While the credits aren’t free, the app itself is, so you can download it and see if you’re a fan. The postcards are of really high quality, thick and glossy.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve driven over to the Redbox kiosk nearest me, only to find the movie I was hoping to see wasn’t in stock. I’ve also had times where I’ve driven to the Redbox Kiosk and had to wait in line behind someone who took forEVER to decide the movie they wanted… to the point that they even called home “Do you want this movie? No? Okay, what about this one?” Oh, yeah, and I could also mention I’ve been that person… (but I try not to be when someone is behind me!)

The Redbox app eliminates those issues. I can see what movies are available and even check other local kiosks if the one I use most doesn’t have what I’m looking for. I can plan the movie I want to get at home and talk to the family, rather than calling from the Kiosk line and reading off what’s at the box. It saves me a trip if they don’t have what I want, and also allows me to reserve movies on my phone so they’re ready when I get to the box (and no sneaky person in front of me gets the last copy before I get to the front of the line! ….first world problems). I also love that I can watch the trailer inside the app, so if I’m undecided about a flick, or if I’m trying to convince the family that this is the one to see, we can just watch the trailer and decide.

The Cartwheel app by Target is a must-have for Target shoppers. It’s a great way to earn savings at Target and get some money back on the essentials you can’t live without. You start out with a certain number of spots to add offers, and as you save money, unlock challenges (like adding friends or saving a certain amount), you earn more spots to add with the offers you’d like. You go through and add the offers you’d like most, everything from name brands to off brands, food to clothing. Certain offers (like underwear, pregnancy tests, and medication) are locked so your friends won’t see you making those sensitive purchases, but some offers you select will be visible to friends– call it “social savings” if you will. When you get to the checkout, show your smartphone (or print out your personal savings barcode on the website) and the cashier will scan it. All Cartwheel coupons are done by percentages, 5-25% off specific items. This means that you can use manufacturer’s coupons and Target coupons in addition to Cartwheel (but the percentage taken off will be off of the price AFTER coupons and discounts).

The savings are pretty nice, and even 5% off of certain items adds up over time!

Ibotta isn’t just a free app, it’s an app that you MAKE money while using. If you’re not familiar with the app, it’s an app that literally rewards you for shopping and buying the stuff you probably already purchase, including toilet paper, diapers, milk, and more. In the time that I’ve had the app, I’ve earned almost $100 in cash back! And there’s no coupon clipping (though, I pair Ibotta with clipped coupons to save even more).
Ibotta is great because you earn cash back so easily. Sometimes you have to tweet or facebook something, but you’ll earn $0.25, $1.00, or even more when you buy the product! Other times, you watch a short commercial to earn your money, or something else. Plus, they have bonuses at times that give you EXTRA money for buying certain listed items (one time, I earned $3.00 extra for buying Huggies Diapers and Huggies Wipes in one transcation– in addition to the money I was already earning for the individual products!)

When you go shopping, you take a note of the sizes and types of items to buy in the app. If you get confused, you can scan the barcode in store before buying and make sure you’re buying the right product. You then redeem the cash by photographing your receipt in the app, then scanning the product barcode. With some places, you don’t even have to do that! Just connect your store savings card and it’ll track it automatically. Within 24 hours (and a lot of times, within the hour!) I have the money in my account, ready to be withdrawn for me to use!

Plus, the app recently had a major overhaul, so it’s better than ever. There are now some restaurant offers and offers for hardware stores, so you can earn cash back on more than just groceries! And, while you used to just get to cash out to PayPal, you can now ALSO cash out for Redbox movie rentals, Starbucks gift cards, and ITunes cards!

If you’re not sure about how well Ibotta works, well, the numbers don’t lie. I earned over $100 in my first year of using the app. With the money I saved, I was able to use to give Zach an amazing second birthday celebration.

My Fitness Pal is an awesome app. It’s so easy to use, and it’s a great way to keep up with tracking what I eat. Though I often post recipes on the blog that are a little higher in calorie, and definitely enjoy them in moderation, I still like watching my weight, and MyFitnessPal is an amazing, and free, way to be mindful of what’s going in my body. By putting in my weight goals, it helps me making a plan of how many calories to consume, and allows me to consider how many calories my workout burned. Plus, I can get a look at whether or not I’m getting enough protein. One great feature of the MyFitnessPal app is the ability to save recipes I make and figure out exact calorie counts by recording them in the phone. Plus, it’s easy to add foods; with over a million foods, I’ve never found anything I wanted to add that wasn’t added, and with a barcode scanner, it’s easy to find a product. The best part is, even if you aren’t a smartphone user, you can access MyFitnessPal from the website and use it there! I’ll sometimes use the website and the app interchangeably, and both sync with each other. Plus, now that I’ve started using MapMyRun to track my walks around the neighborhood with the nice weather, I’ve been able to sync my calories burned on my walk (mapped using GPS) with MyFitnessPal! It’s a great way to be sure that I’m getting an adequate workout, and the two apps used in conjunction with each other work so well!

To give you a quick overview, MyFitnessPal lets me look at how many calories I need to eat that day (my goal of losing 2 lbs a week requires a 1,350 calorie diet), as well as how many calories I’ve burned by working out. I set certain targets for myself on how much I’d like to “spend” on breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, and then try to “earn” calories back– just like a financial budget, it’s my diet budget. I know personally, my most snacky time is at night, so if I haven’t eaten to allow for a light night snack, then I need to work out to earn enough to spend on that snack. It’s a great way to stay on track and motivated. The app does feature some ads, but they’re barely noticeable, and I don’t mind, because the app is otherwise 100% free– the ads help monetize the app to keep it free for us to use!

Finally, every person needs a good flashlight utility. Now, some phones are built with a flashlight utility already in them, but I’ve found that none seem quite as bright as this combo of phone flash and screen brightness. This one may not look like much, but I promise you, if you get it, you’ll use it all the time. It’s kept me from stubbing my toe, helped me locate precious toys that slipped behind the bed, and even kept Zach entertained. It’s a free flashlight app, and it’s very no-frills. However, the no-frills are great, because it takes up very little space on the phone and is just really a good simple utility.

While, of course, there are tons of applications out there that I can’t live without, and while I’m surprised at how many things there ARE apps for, I love the fact that these ten apps make my life a little bit easier by just being in my pocket.

What app do YOU have trouble living without? Tell me in the comments below!

Organizing Homeschool Curriculum

March 14, 2014 - Mama Leave a comment

One of the biggest questions I get when I tell people about the curriculum I use is, “Yeah, but how do you keep track of it all?” Sometimes, curriculum can get overwhelming, and I’ve heard more than one family lament the “Ugh, I’d love homeschooling a lot more if stuff wasn’t EVERYWHERE!”

While some families are lucky enough to have a school room that is dedicated for collecting all of the pencils, maps, charts, books, and supplies that homeschooling needs, many of us are homeschooling at the kitchen table, and it means it’s a lot harder to stay organized without having books on every surface of your house.

I am by no means an expert, and what works for me may drive you crazy, but since I’ve gotten so many requests, I decided to share with you my particular form of organization.

I’ve found some items have packaging that falls apart after repeated use, but at the same time, it’s important to keep all of those items together. I like to grab a gallon-sized back, put all of the parts to that particular item together, and then include any instructions or parts of the box that include extension activities. This ensures all parts stay together without letting things go missing. In the above picture, I took the suggested activities, and all of the items except the pegs, and put them in the same Ziploc bags. This means when we go to do an activity using this, I can grab this bag and the peg bag and have everything I need handy.

Alternatively, you can also lump like items together in bags. Several separate Lauri Toys that I have come with pegs, and the pegs they come with are all the same– multicolor in the same basic shape. I personally put all of the pegs in the same bag, and just grab the peg bag when we have an activity using pegs.

I’ve found that, for our Preschool-aged curriculum, a rolling cart works very well for storage. I’m able to put our CDs and music-related activities in one drawer, our workbooks in another drawer, our flash cards and activity cards in another, and then have our other activities and craft supplies in other drawers, neatly. Magazine racks on the top store other, larger items that won’t fit in the drawers as easily, like large sheets of tissue paper.

As Zach gets older, we may adapt our system and go away from a rolling cart, but for now, it makes it easiest to sort the individual activties. The rolling cart can be pushed into my pantry and easily rolled out for school time, or I can just grab the items we’re using for that time of day.

We don’t have a designated school space, so we work hard to intentionally add necessary school items into our decor without drawing too much attention to them. Zach’s calendar, for example, is tucked next to his indoor playset, making it look like a part of that area, but still allowing easy everyday access. Another alternative storage solution for the calendar would be to use Zip-Ties to secure it to our rolling cart.

Zach has a reading nook set up in his play area. Because having a reading nook is a necessity for us, we make sure to seamlessly integrate it into our playspace, even if we can’t integrate it into the kitchen where we do school.

I try to make sure that, in letting our school seep into other areas of our home, we aren’t letting it completely take over our lives, either. When school isn’t in session, either for the evening or weekend, school items that aren’t housed in our main decor can be put away easily in the rolling cart.

To give you a peek at another option, my mother uses a different storage system for schooling Jeffrey, in 8th grade. All of his school books that he uses for the current courses are stored spine-up in a filing cabinet. Resources that are larger and don’t fit in the drawer are kept on a separate bookshelf, along with supplies and past books they still refer to. Each night, my mother goes through the next day’s course schedule, grabs the books she needs quickly and easily, and then pulls any larger supplies or curriculum pieces they need from the bookshelf.

At the end of it all, there are a few tips that I have for you:

1. Do what makes sense for your family. What works for me might not work for you. What works for your homeschooling coop might not work for you. What works for that lady you met at that homeschooling convention that one time might not work for you. Find what works for you, and use that method.

2. If homeschooling curriculum is taking over your house, it’s time to purge. If you have a lot of supplies from past years, see if there is a family you can bless with those items, or find a swap site to sell it on or trade for items you need.

3. Homeschooling doesn’t have to involve one set classroom. One of the reasons I love homeschooling is that EVERYWHERE is your classroom. Want to study outside on the porch swing? Do it. Want to study at a coffee shop? Do it. Want to study at the kitchen table? Do it. Want to lay in bed and study? Do it. Don’t feel like you have to have a “classroom” in order to make homeschooling work. You can stay organized and keep your homeschooling unchained, too.

4. Group like items together! One of the easiest ways to lose curriculum pieces is to forget to group it together. By keeping things together that go together, you won’t lose it. You have to choose what grouping makes sense, though. Maybe for you it makes the most sense to store your flash cards with other flash cards to keep them together. Or, maybe you’d prefer grouping all of the history together, and all of the English together. Find a logical grouping, and keep things put together that way.

5. Ziplocs, Rubberbands, and Drawers are your friend! These things help keep items together, help hide the homeschool house takeover, and, while seemingly obvious, are overlooked way too often.

What are your tips for organizing homeschooling curriculum? Share them in the comments below!

Organizing Your Desktop Background– Easily!

February 18, 2014 - Mama 1 Comment

My desktop background looked insane just days ago. It infuriated my IT-guy, who kept begging to clean it up for me. I totally understood why– every time I’d go to find a file, I’d spend more time digging through my desktop than using the file I was looking for!

I started looking through my files on my desktop and found out they came in several simple formats– photos I had saved to the desktop instead of filing away in my photo folder, documents I had saved to the desktop instead of in the desktop file they belonged in, some disorganized files for work and various volunteer jobs, some scrapbook pages in progress, notepad documents for when I’d open a document, save it under a random name, and use it to keep notes for the time being. Afraid I’d lose something important, I’d keep saving it– sometimes for up to two years. Scattered among the other files were programs that I used on a regular basis, and anytime I wanted to use the program, I’d have to search through other icons.

I’d say “Man, I’m disorganized!” but, after talking to some friends and family, it seems that many people have a desktop background just like mine. In fact, I’d go so far to say that it’s the norm, not the anomaly.

So how do we clean up our desktop? Well, we start with finding out what can just go straight to the recycling bin.

I realized I had two or three duplicate copies of photos with different filenames. Anything that is an exact duplicate gets trashed. Anything that is unusable gets trashed. Then, I started opening notepad documents. I realized some of the files were over a year old, with information and to-do lists I no longer needed. Some were partially important, but half the information was outdated. I erased the outdated information and re-saved the file with a more relevant name. If something had addresses in it and a grocery list from six months ago, and the file name “Stuff,” I erased the groceries, and resaved it under “Addresses.”

Anything that had a folder it could go into already, went into that folder. For example, a work draft I wrote when our internet was down went into a work file. My watermark for my blog photographs went into my work file, as well. Self portraits I took as part of a “selfie project” at a scrapbooking forum I belong to were placed together in a newly created folder just for them. It’s something I’ll be adding to all year long, so having it readily available is good.

I finished by putting all of the program files together. But, all clustered up along one side of the desktop, as clean as I had gotten it, and as great as it was to trim it from covering the full desktop to covering a quarter of it, it still didn’t look clean.

I searched for desktop backgrounds, but nothing fit my needs, so I decided it was time to make one.

Check this out! It’s so crisp and clean– and it’s lumping all of my stuff into organized categories. Plus, it features my favorite things– a color scheme I love, that always cheers me up and makes me think of sunshine, chevrons, and washi tape! It’s just so… pretty! Like a corkboard full of inspiration possibilities.

I realized it was just what I needed to re-organize and clean up my desktop. This winter chill has me in the mood for a little spring cleaning, and this got it dusted off and pretty.

And, just in case you want to clean up your desktop, too, I decided to share this background with you! I also thought that, even though the sunny blue and yellow makes me feel happy, you may have a different color that makes you happy. So, I’ve made it available in several colors.

You can download the sunny background, or purple, orange, grey, and green. You can also download all of them here, in case you can’t decide. I asked some friends, and they said these are the titles they’d most use when sorting their backgrounds, also.

To set a desktop background on Windows, find your control panel, then under Appearance and Personalization, you’ll find “Change the Desktop Background.” You can then browse for this file after you’ve downloaded it (check your downloads folder!) and install it. Then, just drag and drop your icons into place!

Don’t forget to tell your friends to come download a free desktop background for getting their files organized, too, by sharing on Facebook or Pinterest!

Mama Plus One

Making Life Easy So You Can Get Back to What Matters Most

Organization