I have many blogs in my google reader, and this is one of my favorites: http://orgjunkie.com/ . She has great ideas, but what really spurs me on is that she doesn’t give up any corner of her home to disorganization and keeps going for it. I have felt that way about my home at times. There are some things that just can’t be helped, but some areas, without the help, will drive us all crazy eh?! Do you feel that way about your home? My friend (http://luv2quilt.typepad.com/) and I were chatting yesterday about how our homes when in disarray, almost feel like death. When we are clamored in clutter (go to www.flylady.net to get awesome advice on clearing that out of your home) we really do get trapped in our homes, especially when we aren’t able to have very specific things in order.

SOOOOOOO, with that in mind, I actually decided to do something about the boys’ closet. I have had their clothes in there and their future clothes too. I had tried to have them in paper bags with labeled ages, but it never quite worked. Then I thought…crates…what would that be like? I looked online at Target, Walmart, Shopko and Home Depot. Then I decided to do it right then and there. Minsan was home with the kids and they were tucked in and I dashed to Target. I found these perfect crates there and was so happy! My plan was to have 1 crate for summer in a size and 1 crate for winter in a size. I have them all sorted and labeled now and I think this just might work. The closet looks great and I feel better. I only paid $2.99 a crate, so the end cost wasn’t too bad for the amazing organization it afforded me.
I also bought some smaller containers (.99 each, great bargain!) to organize my childhood memories in my bedroom dresser drawer. They are the items that I used to keep in my hope chest and not I have moved it to my dad’s antique lowboy dresser. It also feels good to have that in some semblance of order too. I have been wanting to organize it in a way that if I was ever not there, someone would know what those memories were…since I may have been the only one remembering them. I also had my mom remind me what some of the grandparent’s memories were too so that they also wouldn't be forgotten!
Here will be an electronic document of them (since I was at it :)!)
April’s Baby Clothes: Newborn Shoes, Corrective Shoes, Pink Sweater (baby gift), Blue Outfit (mom’s favorite), April’s white baptismal dress, Pink and white dress (gift from godmother Sandy), Pink striped sleeper (outfit April came home from the hospital), 2 of Mavis’ baby dresses, April’s baby cowboy boots
April’s Grandparent’s: Norway Mittens – Grandma Marie’s souvenir from Norway, Gray Apron – Uncle Carl’s souvenir from Norway, White cloth napkin from Berlin Hotel – Grandpa Norris’s souvenir from Germany, Purple flowered pillow cases made by Selma Jacobson for April’s hope chest, White pillow cases made by Great Grandma Tilda Jacobson, Grandma Marie’s old brag book (brown), White table cloth with lace made by Selma Jacobson, Grandpa Loyal Gast’s pocket watch, Grandma Selma’s spoons that she used to collect, Grandpa Loyal’s college ring and pin, Grandpa Norris’ joke “Diamond Pin”, Mavis’ book from being a young lady “Growing Up and Liking It”, Grandma Selma’s Sunday School Sings
April’s Childhood: Green flower picture frame made by William “Brian” Gast, Brown flower case (made by Mavis) and use for April’s Egg Parenting project from HS., April’s handiwork blue duffle bag, Black jewelry box given by dad (William Gast), Weave work completed by April in college class, To My Sister jewelry box given by Lorrie to April, Snowman ornament created by Ken Durm and painted by Mavis, Eagle Leadership Hat Pin – Earned while living in the Shoemaker Dorm
April’s Childhood and Dad’s Memories: Precious Moments Cross Stitch made by Mavis, William Gast’s handprint 7 ½ years old, April’s handprint Kindergarten, Ceramic praying boy and girl (girl made by Mavis-momma), William Gast’s glasses as a boy, Pictures of William and Rick Gast, Teddy Bear (came with William-my dad when he was adopted), Quilt square made by Mavis, William Gast’s FFA badge


It was fun to list them all out and know that it is saved for my children someday.

Of course I had the bins all nice and neat in there and then tossed the rest of these loose memories on the top and realized that I lost my organization….we will deal with that another day.
Here they are: My sticker book, my baby book, my mom’s Heidi book that her parents gave her when she was a child, crochet by Minsan’s Grandma Columbia, an old fisherman’s hat that was my Grandpa Loyal’s, a pink blanket that was given to me as a baby by my godmother Sandy, a paper scroll made by my dad as a child for church, an old flour bag like the ones that my mom would make into clothes when she was young, yellow sweater set that Ken Durm wore as a baby and then I brought Clarisse home from the hospital in it, finally some old dish towels that my Grandma Selma had hand stitched for my hope chest.
I am thinking that I will find another box for these lovelies and put them up in my closet with my wedding stuff and also a hand made ceramic tea set made by a Great Aunt of mine. I have other misc. memories around my house, I may just take pictures of them sometime and post them out here too so it can’t be forgotten :)!


Here ends the walk down memory lane while I was an “organizing junkie” today :)!
Recent Comments