Challenge 2: Laundry Room

This was a fun project to take on. The end readily is nothing fancy and nothing you would see in an interior design magizine, but it is functional and tidy. To see the before pictures clickhere

I bought the hooks from Walmart for about $6. And the wood was some scrap wood we had in the garage.

The sections weren't exactly even but they were all so close it is hard to tell. 

All done! Don't mind the diapers hanging to dry.

Everything has a place now.

A place to hang towels, whites, lights, and darks. Since I had an extra hook I now have a place to hang my reusable shopping bags.

Did you take on this challenge? Where is a place in your home that you need to simplify?

Laundry Room Challenge.

I seem to have quite a few areas in my house that have become catch-all areas. My laundry room was no exception. I used to have a bookshelf in there that had everything from cook books, to garden seeds, to a sewing machine. At least the sewing machine sort of made sense.

Revamping my laundry room was a project I have been wanting to do for a while now. I kept putting it off because, well, I was just being lazy. I really detest doing the laundry so usually stuff gets thrown in random baskets ( more like AT random baskets because most of it ends up on the floor) so the place is a mess and makes finding motivation to do the laundry that much harder.

My goals:
1. Get rid or anything not laundry or cleaning related
2. Get laundry baskets off the floor
3. Organize the shelf for efficiency and better storage.

Is your laundry room a well oiled machine or could it use some work?

P.S I know the photos aren't that great. My laptop is older than the dinosaurs so I have been using my phone or iPad and those cameras are okay quality but it is better than nothing.

Kick Out The Kitchen Stress With a Menu Plan

I don't know how many times I have heard the cry "What's for dinner?" My usual response is an eye roll followed by scrambling to throw something together. I can occasionally make a healthy and nutrious meal other times we have macaroni and cheese from a box.

Now I love to cook and I am getting better every time I try something new, but if I really want to improve my culinary prowess I had better learn to plan ahead.

While surfing through Pinterest I found a doable and easy way for me to menu plan. With a little tweaking I can make it work more specifically for my family.

Sunday-  Crock pot day. Cook roast, chicken, or something with bones so I can continue to cook broth throughout the rest of the week.

Monday- Casserole day. Use the leftover meat from the previous night.

Tuesday- Soup day. (Pretty handy to have that bone broth now huh!)

Wednesday- Vegetarian day. Or at least mostly vegetables.

Thursday-  Sandwich/wrap day.

Friday- Breakfast for dinner. Let's be honest, who doesn't love that!

Saturday- Crockpot beans. (Also cooked in the bone broth)

This list gives me a basic idea of what to have each night but its vague enough so I can switch it up and not eat the exact same thing every week.

Another huge bonus, grocery shopping will be easier because I already know what we will be eating so I know exactly what to buy. No waste= money saved!

Challenge 1 and done!

This challenge ended up being both harder and easier than I thought. The adrenaline I felt from this being my first challenge made it easier to realy get rid of stuff.

Heaps and heaps of cookware. I ended up keeping only four pots and four pans all in varying sizes. 

Ridiculous amounts of utensils. I had so many that I haven't used in months or ever! 

I forgot to take a before picture of my silverware drawer and it was by far the hardest for me to downsize. I had random forks and spoons from when I was a kid.  For some reason I just couldn't seem to let it go. They were nowhere near a full set. Just one or two pieces from different sets here and there. I guess they were just full of nostalgia. 

I finally convinced myself that keeping them was pointless and the memories I have of them is better than actually hanging on to them. All of that over silverware. Ha!

For the first time I have an empty cupboard that I don't know what to do with! This used to be stuffed with just pots. It actually didn't even fit all of them. I had to keep some in the pantry.

Here is the after of the silverware drawer. The before was pretty aweful, you'll just have to trust me on that.

It was freeing to let this stuff go. Another huge plus, I no longer have a huge pile of dirty dishes ominously lurking on my counter top.

Where to start?

I debated with myself for a couple of days on where to start my simplifying challenge. Originally I was going to kick it off with my closet because, well, it is pretty scary in there. It is my catch all for stuff that I will put away "later." Ya pretty dumb I know.

Then it hit me. I need to start someplace that I will see EVERY. SINGLE. DAY! I need that visual motivation to keep me going.

Being a mom with young kiddos that haven't quite grasped the concept of picking up after themselves and a husband that leaves his socks EVERYWHERE (love you honey), I have spent many days cleaning up areas only to have my work immediately undone by those little angels. I'm sure sure countless others can relate. So by the end of the day I am tired and the last thing I want to do is dishes.

I have so many pots and pans. Too many honestly. I have frying pans that I cannot remember the last time they were used. I have pots that are so scratched up that there is a very good chance they really shouldn't be used anymore for health reasons. Teflon and its associated health-risks anyone? Plus instead of washing as I use them I just pull out more and more pots, plates, and utensils ultimately making doing the dishes as intimidating as boxing a grizzly bear.

Seriously, why am I keeping these things? Maybe I can find a use for them? I don't want to be wasteful?  I had it in college? Are those really my best excuses?

That settles it! Challenge number one is to go through my pots and pans and keep only what is in good condition, use regularly, and is healthy to cook in. In addition I will be de-cluttering my utensils and dinnerware.

Do you need to cut back in the kitchen? What is something you could simplify in the heart of your home?

Back to Square One

We live in a world of excess. Food, information, and stuff. I personally am swimming in STUFF! Don't get me wrong, I am very blessed with my possessions, but they have made me lazy, unappreciative, entitled and selfish.

The other day while doing laundry I found myself pining to just get rid of everything and start over. COMPLETELY over from scratch.

Now its not reasonable to completely start over. I do have other people in my house and that wouldn't be entirely fair to them. I can, however; re-evaluate my lifestyle and reduce what I have and strive to live in a more minimalistic way.
 
So here I am at the beginging of a journey, and what better way to chronicle it than share it with the world on a blog!  If I succeed, you will see it. If I fail, you will get to read about that too. If you want to join me in my challenges, you are more than welcome.

Now I can say I am on my way back to square one, striving for simplicity. Just for the health of it!