Ruth Soukup's Blog, page 98

Thrifty Thursday {Week 83}

Happy Thursday!  I hope you are all having a wonderful week!  The weather has cooled off just a tad here in Florida and I am relishing the cool mornings.   My little garden is coming right along–things are actually sprouting, which is a HUGE improvement from last year, when almost nothing did.  I am so excited to actually grow something I can hardly stand it!

Today I am on my way to Greenville, South Carolina to attend the Allume conference.  If you are going to be there, be sure to find me and say hi!  At 6’2″, I am always easy to spot!!

In other news, there is still a week left of the LWSL Clutter Free Challenge!  If you are blogging your way through the challenge be sure to link up each day, and keep sharing photos of your progress on Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook using hashtag #LWSLClutterFree.  It has been SO motivating to get my house in order, and so fun to see everyone else’s progress as well!

Here are the most clicked links from last week:

 
1. Retired by 40 { 21 Ways to Make Christmas Affordable }
2. Mums Make Lists { 10 + Mason Jar Christmas Gift Ideas }

3. Earning & Saving with Sarah Fuller { 4 Reasons I Turn Down Chances to Save Money }

4. Snail Pace Transformations {3 Simple Don’ts & Do’s of Grocery Shopping on a Budget}

5. The Beautiful Useful Project { Laundry Day vs. Daily Laundry: Which Habit is Best for You? }

6. The Budget Mama {The Easy Trick to Saving Hundreds on Your Grocery Budget}

7. Life in the Orchard { Handmade Christmas on the Cheap }
8. My Mothermode { 5 Ways We Saved This Week }
9. Sarah Titus { 7 Ways to Save $400/year on Christmas Gifts }
10. Graceful Little Honey Bee {Life Lessons from Ma & Pa Ingalls}
 
Never linked up before? Here’s how:

Scroll down, find the little blue “Add your Link” Button and click on that.
Follow the instructions on the next page – add a great image of your project and an interesting title. Make sure you link to the direct page of your budget friendly post – not the main page of your blog!
Try to visit at least a few other blogs at the party. Be sure to leave a comment to let them know you stopped by!
Please link back to this post somehow. There are badges available here; a simple text link is just fine too.

Feel free to tweet about Thrifty Thursday so others can join the fun, and don’t forget to check back here Sunday morning to see which posts have been featured this week at Weekend Wandering!

If this is your first time here I also invite you to check out my blogging guide, How to Blog for Profit (Without Selling Your Soul).  It is a fantastic resource if you are interested in building your blog, getting more traffic, or learning how to monetize, and the expanded 2nd edition is now available in paperback!  Or, if you have read the book and are still looking to take your blog to the next level, I encourage you to check out Elite Blog Academy.

An InLinkz Link-up

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31 Days to a Clutter Free Life: Home Office (Day 22)

Day 22: Home Office

While working from has become much more common these days, everyone—especially those whose primary task is to manage the goings-on of a busy family—needs a functional space to take care of your bills, budget, and schedule. Even if you love your job, work is still work, and creating a cheery, inviting space to perform that work not only uplifts your spirit but helps increase productivity.

Find or recycle containers to create desk organizers (a little paint, washi tape and pretty paper can go a long way). Hang some art, put in a plant and do your best to beautify your workspace. It can work wonders for creativity and productivity!

Finally, designate a space for everything and sort it before it hits the desk: address daily, address monthly, file/archive. Keep your checkbook, stamps, labels and other tools at your fingertips so something important won’t get so easily pushed off into the “deal with it later” pile. Ten minutes of proactive organization a day can transform your procrastination into productivity.

 Objective: A beautiful and inviting workspace where you can address work quickly and efficiently.

Assess the current situation: Does your home office provide you with the space you need? Is this an area you can work in? Are there items there that are unnecessary for the space?

{Get Day 22 De-cluttering Checklist here}

 

Assignment:

 1. Remove and put away any items that belong in other rooms. If necessary, use a basket to collect items, then distribute them to their proper homes.

 2. Collect loose papers. Put all paperwork in an out-of-the-way area to be addressed in tomorrow’s challenge.

 3. Sort and declutter. Empty, sort and organize all desk drawers using small containers or boxes. Keep only office supplies and items that you use frequently or can use up in the course of a year. (Try donating excess supplies to a school, church or other charity.)

 4. Organize office supplies into containers. Put only frequently used items on the desktop, and all others should be housed inside the desk. A paper sorter or file area should be easily accessible. Include a mail center or drawer with stamps, envelopes and blank stationary.

 5. Dust and clean. Wipe down dusty areas and use compressed air to clean the back of your computer, keyboard and hard-to-reach areas. Fully wipe down your desk chair, shelves, windowsills, and any other areas that may be collecting dirt or grime. Sweep & vacuum as well.

 6. Organize cords, using zip ties or clips and labeling each.

 7. Hang a bulletin board. Use this to house clippings, photos and inspirational items.

 8. Decorate & beautify. Consider adding a plant, relaxing pictures, or other items to warm the space and make it relaxing and inviting. However, be careful not to add in new clutter after taking it away—instead be very intentional about what you allow in this space. Finally, make sure your chair is comfortable and ergonomic and that the space is well-lit and easy to navigate.

 

1. Home Office Simplified (ContainersStore.com)
2. Double Duty Decorating ?(RealSimple.Com)
3. Cozy Creative Office Space (HomeDIT.com)
4. Organizing Your Home Office (ContainersStore.com)
5. Desk Job (MarthaStwewart.com)

 

An InLinkz Link-up

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31 Days to a Clutter Free Life: Laundry Room & Linen Closets (Day 21)

Day 21: Laundry Room and Linen Closet

Linen closets and laundry rooms can be elusive spaces. Some older homes simply have a hallway cupboard, washer and dryer in the garage, or nothing at all, while newer homes offer walk-in linen closets and large utility rooms full of space. Some linen closets may do double-duty as storage for vacuum, laundry and cleaning items, while others are dedicated to simply linens.

Whatever your laundry and linen space, keeping it neat organized will help you to be a more efficient housekeeper. Your laundry room should be a space that helps you complete your laundry more efficiently, while your linen closet should help keep all those freshly washed and neatly folded sheets and towels ready for use.

Traditionally only things such as sheets, towels and table linens are housed in the linen closet, but you may find that it also becomes the overflow storage for shower caddies, bathroom supplies, cleaning supplies, toilet paper and paper towels. Ultimately your success in decluttering and organizing this area will come down to paring your supplies down to the barest essentials.

 Objective: A fresh, neat area to do laundry, store sheets, towels, and a “pantry” for cleaning and bathroom supplies.

Assess the current situation: How much space do you have? Are there items that need to be stored beyond towels and sheets? How many cleaning and laundry products do you have? Do you use them all? What changes could you make to create more space?

{Get Day 21 De-cluttering Checklist here}

Assignment:

1. Remove and put away any items that belong in other rooms. If necessary, use a basket to collect items, then distribute them to their proper homes.

 2. Sort and declutter. Remove all items from the closet and cupboards. Spray and wipe out shelves and line with shelf paper.  Toss any cleaning supplies or products that are not being used or no longer any good. Limit cleaning and laundry supplies to the bare minimum.

 3. Keep two sets of sheets per bed—the one on the bed and a spare, which should be rotated and laundered once a week. Discard sheets when they become worn. Sheet sets should be folded together—folding the flat sheet into the fitted sheet with one pillowcase and placing the set inside the second pillowcase. This method of folding makes it easy to grab the entire set and keep it together.

 4. Keep no more than three bath sheets and three hand towels per person. Discard any towels that are frayed or thinning. Fold bath towels in fourths and then thirds, turning the edge inward when stacking for a uniform look.

 5. Organize paper items. Store paper towels, tissue and toilet paper on higher shelves, stacking neatly.

 6. Organize remaining cleaning and laundry products. Sort cleaning items, extra unopened bath products and other items on lower shelves, by first sorting and storing smaller like-items in clear, labeled plastic bags, and then storing with larger items in plastic bins.

 

1. Streamlined Laundry Room (ContainersStore.com)
2. Customized Linen Closet (BHG.com)
3. Optimize Unused Door Space (FamilyCircle.com)
4. Everything in it’s Place (MarthaStwewart.com)
5. Organized Bed Linens (MarthaStwewart.com)

 

An InLinkz Link-up

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31 Days to a Clutter Free Life: Kids Bathroom ( Day 20)

Day 20: Kids Bathroom

Children, especially girls, can have a shocking amount of bathroom accessories. Hair ties, ponytail holders, bows, nail polish, sunscreen and other products can overflow bathroom counters and drawers in no time. Add in teens or multiple kids sharing a bathroom and that is a lot of clutter!

Giving each child a designated bin or shower caddy can be a lifesaver, and storing these designated bins in a nearby linen closet if possible can also be extremely helpful. You can also make room under the sink or even by assigning each family member a drawer for non-shower items, plus a plastic basket for shampoo, razors and other shower items. Plastic storage bins that can be easily cleaned and stacked are great for makeup, nail polish, hair accessories and more.

It’s easy to hoard bathroom products and you may suddenly find that your daughter’s Lip Smacker collection has taken over every area of the house, or that her hair bands wind up everywhere, even somehow in the cat bowl. Encourage kids to buy and keep only what they can use in six months. Most beauty products don’t keep beyond that time: hairspray and products breakdown the rubber in elastics and gum up hair bows and headbands, making them unusable in the long-term. If something is past its prime, let it go.

 Objective: An organized bathroom for use by multiple family members or multiple genders and age groups.

Assess the current situation: Does each user have appropriate storage space? Are you utilizing storage space efficiently? Can items be stored and pared down so countertops are clear and so the shower and tub can dry, staying clean and mildew free?

{Get Day 20 De-cluttering Checklist here}

 

Assignment:

1. Remove and put away any items that belong in other rooms. If necessary, use a basket to collect items, then distribute them to their proper homes.

 2. Sort and declutter. Remove all items from drawers and under-sink cabinets, and off the vanity and other areas. Assign a pile for each person. Discard anything that has not been used within the last three months. Check all expiration dates and discard anything that is over six months old. (Again, lotion can separate, and sunscreen and other products lose effectiveness and can even go rancid.)

Keep only items that:

Are used regularly
Fit in each person’s allotted storage container or space
Are in good repair

 Do not keep items that:

Are expired, leaking or in broken containers
Are over six months old
Are sensitive to heat or moisture (like medications)

3. Clean. Thoroughly wipe down all surfaces, insides of drawers and cabinets and shower surfaces.

 4. Organize. Sort “like” items together—for example: hair products and accessories, shower products, and under-sink storage items.

 5. Beautify. If you like, line drawers with pretty paper or drawer liners.

 6. Create functional storage areas in your drawers and cabinets. Use lidded clear plastic containers to house smaller items in drawers. Organize larger bottles in plastic crates with drainage for storage under the sink. Separate them into large plastic bags and label with markers. Toilet paper, feminine hygiene items and other products can be stored under the sink.

7. Organize shower and bath products into a drainable, portable caddy. Each person should have their own caddy to eliminate shower clutter and mildew. Hang a squeegee in your shower and spray for quick cleaning after each use.

 8. Take special care of hair accessories, nail polish and makeup:

Wipe off each item with a damp towel
Assign each item its own bin or lidded container
Discard anything separated, broken or dirty
Keep only items that fit in the bin.
Hair bows and accessories may be better stored in a closet on a special hanger or organizer
Reassess items frequently—most open cosmetics expire after 6 months

 

1. Squeaky Clean Storage Inspiration (Bed-Bath.HomexGarden.com)
2. Cube Style & Function (HomeGoods.com)
3. Bath-Time baskets (DecoratingIdeas4KidsRooms.com)
4. Tucked Away Bath Toys ?(HomeDIT.com)
5. Big Ideas For Bathrooms (DIYNetwork.com)
 
 

An InLinkz Link-up

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31 Days to a Clutter Free Life: Kids Paperwork (Day 19)

Day 19: Kids Paperwork

Children are wonderful, creative—and sometimes messy—little people. While none of us want to get rid of all that creativity, it can be hard to know exactly what to do with all that PAPER. As children reach school-age, bags come home filled with papers: permission slips, homework assignments, reading materials, report cards, and more—and it can all add up to a seemingly insurmountable mess.

Just like your desk at work or in your home office, paperwork should be constantly assessed and organized. It is also helpful to give your child a desk or designated area to store items that they are creating or working on. Hang a bulletin board in your child’s room, or in your kitchen or family command center, and keep a designated box or spot for items that need immediate attention. Important work, projects and art can be displayed in a rotating gallery on the bulletin board. Items in the “immediate attention area” should be handled once and taken care of.

One of the best investments that parents can make is in a high quality scanner, though a more affordable option is to use a handy scanner app for iPhone or other smart phone. (I personally use and love the DocScanner Pro app!)

Once a month, or more frequently, sort through items that are on the bulletin board. “Masterpieces,” Gold Star and A+ work can be scanned and archived after display. If your child is an aspiring artist, or voluminous writer, a portfolio or binder with sleeves can be a great way to archive their work. Encourage them to be discerning with what they choose to keep in its original format, and keep digital copies of the rest.

 Objective: A paperwork system that fosters your child’s creativity and celebrates their best work, while keeping work organized and accessible.

Assess the current situation: What items can be framed or are truly keepsakes? Do you have a system to take care of paperwork that needs your attention—a system that allows you to handle it once and move on? How can you electronically archive your kids’ work to reduce clutter and access items as needed? What is your system for dealing with paperwork now? Do you review your child’s backpack, homework and school communications daily?

 

{Get Day 19 De-cluttering Checklist here}

 

Assignment:

 1. Collect and sort. Gather all of the kid paperwork and artwork that may be floating around the house. Create an in-box in your family command center for permission slips and “need attention” items, and a spot on your child’s desk or work area for homework and current projects. Select a few very special artwork items to keep for display, then scan any other items you want to remember but not necessarily keep.

 2. Review. Plan a weekly review system for younger children and nightly for older children, to assess the contents of your child’s backpack, communication from daycare, school and preschool, artwork and creative projects.

 3. Take immediate action. Handle items such as permission slips as soon as they come in and return them to school the very next day.

 4. Enjoy and celebrate. Display artwork on a bulletin board, and once a month scan and archive great work.

 5. Archive. Create a portfolio, binder, or special box for creative projects and keepsakes that can be stored and reviewed, as your child gets older.

 

1. Color Coded Clutter Free Zone (Clean-Organized-Family-Home.com)
2. Smart Ideas For Family Organizing (BHG.com)
3. A Place To Study?(KidSpaceStuff.com)
4. Craft Project Storage (MarthaStewart.com)
5. School Paperwork Storage (IHeartOrganizing.BlogSpot.com)
 



An InLinkz Link-up

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Weekend Wandering

Happy Sunday!  I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!  Here in Florida the weather has finally cooled off just enough to not melt every time we go outside.  It is our version of “fall,” and I’ll take it!  After planting our garden on Monday & Tuesday, we’ve been busy keeping up with our daily Clutter Free Challenges.  So far this week I’ve tackled my pantry, master closet, master bathroom, dining area, junk drawer, kids’ room, and kids’ closet!   It has been SO motivating!  If you haven’t joined yet, there is still time!  It is absolutely free to participate, and if you are a blogger you can join in the fun by blogging about it and linking up each day, or you can just follow along on Instagram and share your own successes using hashtag #LWSLClutterFree!

But now on to the good stuff.  Here is what I loved this week:

  *   *   *

First of all, this Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Bacon  from The Pretty Bee sounds like the perfect fall meal!

 These Easy Zucchini Corn Pancakes from Damn Delicious sound like a great way to get your veggies! YUM!

 These Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls from Natural Chow might just make the cut for my Thanksgiving menu!

Moving on to dessert….This Homemade Pumpkin Pie with Walnut Crumble Topping from Modern Hen Home is totally calling my name!  Mmmmmm…..pumpkin….

This Death by Chocolate Cake from The Simple, Sweet Life sounds so decedent and looks absolutely AMAZING!  Mmmmmm……chocolate…….

 This Pumpkin Pie Hot Chocolate from Kleinworth & Co. sounds like fall in a mug!

I’m always looking for more freezer friendly recipes and this one from Graceful Little Honey Bee definitely caught my eye!   Freezer Apple Pie Filling ready to go when ever you want it!

Ever struggle with meal planning?  Laura Sue Shaw has Menu Planning Tips & Free Printables to help you get unstuck!

 There were a ton of great fall & Halloween projects shared again this week.  This Pumpkin Tree Stump Welcome Sign from View From the Fridge is absolutely adorable!

This Skull and Crossbones String Art from It’s All in the Details is so creative and costs only $6 to make!

These Halloween Baby Jar Tealights from Her Organized Chaos are a fun little up cycling project!

Confessions of an Overworked Mom has some super cute ideas for Fun Non Candy Halloween Treats that you can make in no time! These are perfect for schools that don’t allow candy!

Onto some money saving tips and tricks….Krystal’s Kitsch has 10 tips on how to Save Money on the Go With Smartphone Coupons. Number 2 is key!

These 13 Smart Ways to Save Money on Groceries from The Frugal Farm Wife are great for families looking to save more on food costs. Tip #5 is genius!

Finally, The Budget Mama has 3 Tips to Help You Build a Gift Stockpile just in time for the holidays!

*   *   *

What did you love this week?

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31 Days to a Clutter Free Life: Kids Closet (Day 18)

Day 18: Kids Closet

Just as your master closet, kids’ closets can come in many shapes and sizes. Adding to the variables is the fact that, like their closets, kids shapes and sizes are ever changing as well. At times it feels like kids can grow out of clothing as quickly as you buy it—not to mention stains, tears and taste in styles that change nearly as frequently.

A component of organizing is shopping wisely and planning ahead. Kids’ closets are a prime example of this. Purchasing mix and match solid basics in wrinkle-free materials can help kids take an active role in not only planning their own outfits but in organizing and cleaning up after themselves. Not only that, but by purchasing smart easy-care fabrics, quality classic pieces, and separates that can work with in many combinations, you can get a lot of life out of children’s clothing.

Enlisting your kids in the process of organizing their closet can be really fun. Ask them to try on items and get their opinions on what they like to wear. Purchase nice hangers, and limit children to the amount of clothing that fits on their hangers. Don’t keep things that you are holding onto out of guilt or obligation, or because they were a gift. Allow these types of items to have new life by passing them on to consignment or Goodwill shops.

 Objective: A kid’s closet that is organized, accessible to them and filled with items they like to wear and feel good in.

Assess the current situation: What does your child feel most comfortable in? What fits, is free from wear, tear, stains and other damage? Can items be worn in several ways and with other pieces? How can items be arranged in a way that makes it easy for your child to access?

{Get Day 18 De-cluttering Checklist here}

 

Assignment:

 1. Remove and put away any items that belong in other rooms. If necessary, use a basket to collect items, then distribute them to their proper homes.

 2. Sort and declutter. Go through clothing one piece at a time and divide into initial “keep,” “discard” and “maybe” piles.

Keep only items that:

Fit well and are age-appropriate
Your child likes and will wear
Are easy to care for and mix well in your child’s wardrobe

 Do not keep items that:

No longer fit
You are holding onto out of guilt
Your child does not like or feels uncomfortable in
Cannot be worn in multiple outfits

 3. Organize your child’s shoes. Keep what fits comfortably and is in good repair. Wipe off the bottoms with a damp towel and put them into a shoe rack or shelf so each pair has its own spot.

 4. Reassess the piles. Have your child try on the “keep” and “maybe” pile items to eliminate anything that does not properly fit.

 5. Hang. Hang items by type, length and color into rows that can be easily reached by your kid. (You may need to move a closet bar down for frequently used items.)

 6. Fold. Sort knits and separates into dresser drawers or on closet shelves, neatly folded and organized by color and type (jeans with jeans, t-shirts with t-shirts, etc.). Socks and underwear can be separated into clear plastic bins and rolled or organized into a drawer. Keep enough for a two-week rotation, getting rid of anything that is stained, worn out, or no-longer fits.

 7. Create a laundry solution. Provide a ventilated hamper, basket or bin in or near the closet to help your child store laundry (rather than discarding it on the floor). Help your child take an active role in deciding where the hamper will go and what they think would work best.

 

1. Neat & Tidy Nursery (EasyClosets.com)
2. Princess Packed Closet (ContainerStore.com)
3. Kid-Friendly Closet Ideas (BHG.com)
4. Within Reach(BHG.com)
5. Introduce Order (MarthaStewart.com)

An InLinkz Link-up

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31 Days to a Clutter Free Life: Kids Bedrooms (Day 17)

Day 17: Kids Bedrooms

Just like your master bedroom, a kid’s bedroom should be a relaxing place for your child to get a restful sleep. Unlike the master bedroom, children’s rooms often do double or even triple duty as their playroom and/or homework area. In a perfect world, each activity would have its own space, but often we have to make do with the space we have. Helping children divide their rooms into separate areas for each activity can help them become better sleepers, help them focus on homework, and even allow for more enriching playtime.

Kids’ rooms can easily and quickly become a source of clutter and disorganization. Learning, discovering and growing can be, well, a messy job. Helping kids get a handle on their space can help them become more conscientious, better consumers, and more careful in the long run. Like all of us, your child’s life can become overrun with “stuff,” but paring down and clearing out clutter helps them feel more relaxed and in control of their space. It also helps them value their toys and belongings, so they gain a better appreciation for what they have.

If your children are old enough, let them take an active role in cleaning and organizing their own bedrooms. Review what activities they do in their bedroom and what’s most important to them. This can foster some fascinating discussions and really spark some great connections with your child. Encourage them to donate rarely used items to charity—a local women and children’s center, nursery or preschool can be a great option. Adding an altruistic spin on clearing out their clutter can bring enthusiasm and depth to the activity.

 Objective: A child’s bedroom that is clean and well organized with “a place for everything and everything in its place.”

Assess the current situation: What do your children really use their bedroom for—Sleeping? Studying? Play? What items do they value and what are the treasures that make their room truly their own? Is there proper storage available for their bedroom activities? Is the bed kept clean, made and clutter free (including under-bed storage)?

{Get Day 17 De-cluttering Checklist here}

 

Assignment:

 1. Remove and put away any items that belong in other rooms. If necessary, use a basket to collect items, then distribute them to their proper homes.

 2. Sort everything! Assess what your child truly enjoys and loves, and what has outlived its excitement.

Keep only items that:

Are educational, stimulating, and loved by your child
Are in good repair and clean
Should be stored/housed in your child’s bedroom

 Do not keep items that:

Are sentimental, but rarely played with
Have been outgrown or are no longer age-appropriate
Are broken, missing pieces or impossibly dirty

 3. Create distinct zones. Designate areas in your child’s room for sleep, play, and/or learning, as appropriate.

Sleep items include bed and bedding, a shelf of bedtime books, and one or two stuffed animals needed for bedtime.
Play items include learning or building toys, play sets, and items that can be housed or sorted into a type, such as Legos, action figures, dolls, play kitchen items, board games, etc. Each bunch should be sorted into a few bins that can be stored in allotted space.
Learning items include a table, desk or writing surface, a desk chair, a computer, tablet, easel and art supplies. Sort these items into bins or containers as well and store in a cabinet, desk, or in drawers.

 4. Eliminate. Purge all items that do not fit into the three categories you’ve designated, are no longer loved and used, or cannot be sorted and stored in the given space. Discard broken items and box or bag other items for donation.

 5. Label everything! Label bins and storage containers clearly, using a label machine or even a snapshot glued to the outside of each bin. Everything should have a designated place. The more clearly your child can see where something goes, the more likely they are to return it to the proper place.

6. Encourage good sleep hygiene. Bedding should be clean and beds should be made each day. Beds should only be used for napping, sleeping and relaxation. Food, toys and electronics should never be brought into bed.

 7. Maintain. Reassess the state of items in the room regularly with your child, as their interests change and they continue to learn and grow.

 

1. Smarter Storage (www.GoodhouseKeeping.com)
2. Clever Kids Spaces (ContainerStore.com)
3. Rooms for Making Memories (Ikea.com)
4. Fresh Solutions for Kid Clutter(BHG.com)
5. Space Saver Desk (MarthaStewart.com)
 
 
 
 

An InLinkz Link-up

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31 Days to a Clutter Free Life: Medicine Cabinet (Day 16)

Day 16: Medicine Cabinet

The term medicine cabinet, at least in the bathroom, is a misnomer. A bathroom is actually one of the worst places to store medication, as heat and moisture can be an enemy to pills, vitamins, and over-the-counter products. Instead, choose a cabinet in another area of your home: preferably a dry, temperature-controlled, kid-proof pantry shelf or separate cupboard.

As always, paring down the items to what you truly need helps. Always check expiration dates and never buy more than you will use in that time—even with a coupon.

Remove all expired pills and potions, but be careful about simply throwing these items away or flushing them down the toilet! Expired and unused medications and vitamins can contaminate the local water supply and poison the land. Most communities offer civic days where medicines can dropped off at a centralized repository. Many hospitals and pharmacies will also accept your expired medications. You can also try senior centers or water municipalities in your area. It might take a little online research and a couple phone calls, but it’s definitely worth the extra legwork.

Place items you use daily, such as vitamins and prescriptions, toward the front of the cabinet for easy access. Rarely or occasionally used items should be placed toward the back. Be sure all labels are facing forward so you don’t have to go digging next time your poor kid gets the flu. Consider using a tiered cabinet organizer or plastic bins to help keep all those bottles easier to access.

Overflow items and long-lasting items that you have stocked up on can be sorted into labeled bags and housed in stackable bins on the lower shelves and toward the back of your medicine cabinet.

Having a well-organized medicine cabinet can not only be a timesaver, but it’s a money-saver too, as you can very quickly assess what you have on hand and the status of each item when you make your shopping lists.

Objective: An organized and easily accessible medicine cabinet.

Assess the current situation: What items are used most frequently? What items are used only once in a while? Is your medicine cabinet dry and free from moisture? Are you utilizing storage space efficiently?

 

{Get Day 16 De-cluttering Checklist here}

 

Assignment:

1. Remove and put away any items that belong in other rooms. If necessary, use a basket to collect items, then distribute them to their proper homes.

 2. Sort and declutter. Remove the items from your medicine cabinet and assess each one.

Keep only items that:

Are used by your family, both regularly and on occasion
Are unexpired
Do the trick

 Do not keep items that:

Are expired, leaking or in broken containers
You no longer use or didn’t fit your needs
Need to be replaced
Are over six months old

 3. Clean. Wipe out the inside of your medicine cabinet and line the shelves with pretty paper.

 4. Return items to cabinet. Organize like-items by shelf (daily vitamins, kids’ medications, prescriptions, flu/cold relief, etc.). Put frequently used items at eye-level for easy access. Be sure your cabinet is kid-proof, especially if you have little ones.

 5. Dispose. Bag and drop off expired and unused medications at a local drop-off point.

 

 

1. Clutter Free RX Cabinet (MarthaStewart.com)
2. Streamline 1st Aid Supplies (Ikea.com)
3. Prioritize People! (RealSimple.com)
4. Compartmentalize Tiny Spaces (ContainerStore.com)
5. Magnetize the Smalls(RealSimple.com)
 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

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The post 31 Days to a Clutter Free Life: Medicine Cabinet (Day 16) appeared first on Living Well Spending Less®.

Thrifty Thursday {Week 82}

Happy Thursday!  I hope you are all having a fabulous week!  If you follow me on Instagram you may have noticed that the past few weeks have been a little crazy with a LOT of travel.  This was my first full week to just be home in almost a month, and let me tell you, I have enjoyed every second!  My husband and I planted our fall garden, which ended up being a bigger task than we anticipated when we accidentally hit our main irrigation pipe while preparing the soil.  That one little OOPS set us back about 8 hours of work, but in the end it gave us an excuse to put in an extra hose spigot right in the garden, which hopefully will make things easier in the future! We are determined that after four previous attempts, THIS will be our year to finally grow something!

Inside the house, we have also been busy working tackling our Clutter Free Challenge and working our way through each area of our home.  If you haven’t joined, it’s not too late–we would LOVE to have you join in the fun!  If you are blogging your way through the challenge you will be able to link up each day, and you can share photos of your progress on Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook using hashtag #LWSLClutterFree.

Here are the most clicked links from last week:

1. From This Kitchen Table { 10 Ways to Drastically Lower Your Grocery Bill }
2. Krystal’s Kitsch { Dollar Tree Essentials }

3. Frugality Gal { 6 Frugal Things I Did Last Month: September }

4. Coupon Crazy Girl {8 Ways I Saved in September}

5. Sarah Titus { How to Survive a Loveless Marriage }

6. Mums Make Lists { How to be More Organized }

7. Eat, Pray, Read, Love { Why I’m Okay With Laminate-and Not Granite Countertops }
8. Family Balance Sheet { 31 Days to Organize Your Finances }
9. Frugal Fanatic { 10 Ways to Save Money & Stay Out of Debt }
10. Retired by 40 {9 Reasons Why I ALWAYS Choose Aldi}
 
Never linked up before? Here’s how:

Scroll down, find the little blue “Add your Link” Button and click on that.
Follow the instructions on the next page – add a great image of your project and an interesting title. Make sure you link to the direct page of your budget friendly post – not the main page of your blog!
Try to visit at least a few other blogs at the party. Be sure to leave a comment to let them know you stopped by!
Please link back to this post somehow. There are badges available here; a simple text link is just fine too.

Feel free to tweet about Thrifty Thursday so others can join the fun, and don’t forget to check back here Sunday morning to see which posts have been featured this week at Weekend Wandering!

If this is your first time here I also invite you to check out my blogging guide, How to Blog for Profit (Without Selling Your Soul).  It is a fantastic resource if you are interested in building your blog, getting more traffic, or learning how to monetize, and the expanded 2nd edition is now available in paperback!  Or, if you have read the book and are still looking to take your blog to the next level, I encourage you to check out Elite Blog Academy.

An InLinkz Link-up

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The post Thrifty Thursday {Week 82} appeared first on Living Well Spending Less®.