Month: March 2017

Got 15 Minutes? Bedroom Closet Organization

bedroomcloset

I find I have this terrible habit of dreading tasks, so I wrote about this problem and a simple solution in a prior post. I have also found that it takes more time to dread and huff and puff about a task than it actually takes me to complete the task.

I am trying to be better about diving into various areas of my home that need attention and working for just fifteen minutes to see how much I can accomplish in that short amount of time. It is surprising how much can be done in a focused amount of time.

(This post contains affiliate links, so thenotsobusymom receives a very small commission if you make a purchase through the links. Thank you for supporting the blog!)

Today begins Post 1 in a series called Got 15 Minutes?.

We live in a small home with small closets that can quickly become a bit disorderly, so my bedroom closet was the perfect spot to start my Got 15 Minutes? series.

The Bedroom Closet

Yesterday I put on some music, set my timer for 15 minutes and tackled my bedroom closet.

These were the 4 tasks I was able to accomplish in 15 minutes:

1. I pulled out unwanted clothing.

I quickly looked at everything hanging in my closet and pulled out items that I no longer was wearing including items that: didn’t fit well, were damaged in some way, or I just didn’t like.

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2. I reorganized hanging items by category.

I took a few minutes to make sure like-items were hanging together. I put pants in one section, skirts in another, long sleeved shirts and then short sleeved shirts, etc. I know I don’t always keep things this orderly all the time, but it’s nice to reset when I can.

3. I removed any items that did not belong in my closet.

Why is my closet the catch-all? It seems that so many random items end up in the bottom of my closet. I took some time to pull out those items that should be living in another “home”.

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4. I organized my folded sweaters.

I keep my sweaters in a wire basket on my top shelf. I pulled all of them out, got rid of a couple unwanted ones, refolded the keepers, and placed them back in the basket.

When the timer went off I was pleased with all the progress I made in a short amount of time. My closet was cleaner and more organized than it had been 15 minutes ago!

IMG_2812(My closet is not large or fancy, but it does the job & it does the job even better when I keep it clean & organized!)

Another 15 Minutes

I was actually so pleased with the progress I made that I decided to set the timer for another 15 minutes and see if I could bring even more order to my space. Another 15 minutes later, and I was smiling with satisfaction.

I’m so glad I stopped dreading this task and took some time yesterday to work on a needy space in my home.

What about you? What space can you tackle for 15 minutes today? I would love to hear from you, so leave me a comment below!

If you’re curious to learn what I do with the clothing I do purge, check out this blog post!

Until next time,
Charissa

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“Who Was” paperback books as low as $2.49!!



(This post contains affiliate links, so thenotsobusymom receives a very small commission if you make a purchase through the links.)

Does anyone in your family love the “Who Was” series??  Are you looking for a great book for a special reader??

Amazon has the “Who Was” paperback books for as low as $2.49!

You’ll find a wide variety of “Who Was”, “What Was”, “Who Is” & “What Is” titles to captivate the interest of a young reader.

My football-loving seven year old son just recently read (multiple times)   What Is the Super Bowl?

Right now we are reading What Was the Boston Tea Party?
There are so many great options to choose; grab them while you can!!

Until next time,

Charissa

Why My Kids Bring Their Lunch to School (Plus Lunch Inspiration & Tips)

lunch

(This post contains affiliate links, so thenotsobusymom receives a very small commission if you make a purchase through the links.)

2 of my 3 children are in elementary school, and they have brought their lunch to school almost every day.

This is a choice I have made because I do like to have some control over what they eat for lunch. I am not super picky about food, and I don’t mind them eating school lunches every once in a while. I do like to be able to provide them with some good fruits and veggies that I know will end up in their bellies (and not the lunchroom trash can). Having them bring their lunch to school each day seems like the best choice for us.

Lunch ideas:

I always enjoy seeing lunch ideas on other blogs and in magazine articles. In fact, Lisa Leake from 100 Days of Real food has great, creative lunch ideas on her blog. Check out this link and be inspired! https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/school-lunches/

My ideas are probably not quite as inspiring as Lisa’s, but I wanted to share them with you in case you are on the hunt for simple ideas.

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  • Homemade waffles with peanut butter (At my kids’ school you can have peanut butter at lunchtime; you just sit on a specific side of the cafeteria.)
  • Whole wheat bagel with cream cheese
  • Cheese and crackers
  • Ham & cheese on pita bread or a roll

and then fruit, veggies, yogurt & water

  • Fruit: Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, grapes
  • Veggies: Cucumbers, baby carrots, bell peppers
  • Yogurt: squeeze or smoothie
  • Water

Products we use:

  • Lunch boxes

My son has an LL Bean box & my daughter has one from Lands End. I prefer the Lands End because it is slightly larger. The inside lining is also a bit easier to clean than the one from LL Bean. They both do their job, though and have held up quite well.

  • Lunch containers

These containers by EasyLunchboxes have been my favorite. I love the compartments which encourage me to add variety with spaces that allow me to include fruit and veggies. I also like that we aren’t going through a bunch of plastic baggies. These containers have lasted 1 school year to a year and a half which is quite good considering their (almost) daily use.

  • Water bottles.

The CamelBaks have been our bottle of choice. The kids love the fun designs. The price is good, and you can order replacement valves when needed.

Advantages to bringing:

  • They have more time to eat. My children occasionally buy, but my son often complains that his eating time is shortened when they have to wait in line for their lunch. If a child brings their lunch from home then they can get to their seat right away and begin eating. Lunchtime is already a short amount of time, so any extra that can be given is important.
  • You can see what they eat. I was a school teacher before having kids, and I saw the waste that occurred lunchtime after lunchtime. Most of that waste happened when children were eating school lunches. They would rush through their meal and then dump the tray after just a few bites. Kids who bring don’t tend to dump; instead, they usually leave what they don’t eat allowing parents to see the leftovers.

There may come a time when buying more school lunches makes sense, but for now we are happy to pack their lunches each evening and allow them to bring a lunch from home.

What about you? Do your children bring their lunch to school? Do you have any lunch ideas or helpful tips to share? I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Leave a comment below!

Until next time,

Charissa

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