Project Clean Up 2022...Week 5: Great Room

 So, who feels absolutely lazy and ready for a nap when it is cold and snowy out? 

I swear that starting my Project Cleanup in the wintertime is sometimes the hardest decision, but in order to get it all done, the time is exactly right! 

Excuse the mantle. When I took the pics, I was getting ready to bring out Valentine decor and had one piece up that I had created during a craft night, but you get the just of the room. Some people say that I am a minimilist. I guess I do kind of fall in that category. I do like the room to look lived in, with a hint of museum neatness. 

This room is very well lived in. My kids scatter crumbs and spill drinks. I pull wrappers out of the cushions sometimes and I run a business a few days every 2 weeks in this room. You can imagine how often I broom sweep, dust...it can become quite a mess if not kept up on. This is a great time to really get down to the nitty gritty of the room. 

A few other angles of the Great Room...

So, as I've told you before, this room is big. I mean, BIG. It is the room with the highest ceiling, tall walls, lots of windows, ceiling beams, lots of furniture, fireplace and hardwood floors. Here is how I made it all happen...

__Vacuum sofas

__Spot clean sofas, if applicable

__Febreze Sofas and any pillows that cannot be laundered

__Launder throw pillows and blankets

I just love a clean, fluffed sofa! Decorative holiday pillows coming soon. 

I am totally loving my new coffee table decor, actually just moved from one area to another. These items were once down underneath my tv stand where you could just barely see them. 2 photography books, an old camera and an old wooden box. The box now houses my remote controls so it serves a purpose which I love! I am all about everything having a purpose. 

__Dust shelves, furniture and decor

__Touch up black furniture with marker

Now for a few new pieces...

After dusting this shelf, I added the blue flash piece. I had one identcal here, but it had fallen off of the shelf and cracked. I bought a box of photography accessories from an auction and was very excited to find not only 1, but 2 identical ones (now I have an extra) 

Another new "retro" camera added to my collection after dusting down this shelf. 

Check out these nice vintage jars that were made for editing back in the day. Perfect  "new to me" decor pieces...

I had this camera, but I grabbed a jar and filled it with hallogen bulbs for a cool look. 

This is what the lower portion of my tv stand looks like. I clean and touch up all black furniture with a marker so it looks like new again. The right shelf once housed the items that are now on my coffee table. These 2 baskets are new. The right basket holds magazines and the left one is still up in the air. Will figure it out. 

__Clean lamps and lampshades

__Wash windows and sills

__Take down curtains and handwash, dry, rehang

These are the windows towards the back of our room, towards the pool area. There are 3 other high windows in the front of the room, but these are the only curtains that have to be taken down, handwashed and dried. 

__Take out and wash window screens

__Clean TV screen

__Carefully dust electronics

__Tidy electronics wires. Tuck nicely out of sight. Label them, if practical.

__Sort dvd's in basket under coffee table. Keep any under that are currently watching, put others back in dvd cabinet. 

__Wash switch plates

__Wash walls and trim as needed

For anyone who has never seen this (I use on my stove) or used for other areas, did you know it will get scuffs off of your walls? Be very careful if you have colorful painted walls as it can remove paint if pressed too hard, but it is amazing with scuffs and marks (it's good for your tennis shoes as well) 

__Wash doors and door knobs

__Wash floor registers and other vent covers. Hose sweep as far down in vent as possible. 

__Clean floors; broom sweep, shopvac sweep cracks of plank wood. Mop, Dry. 

We have plank wood flooring so I get the Shop Vac going and sweep thoroughly between the cracks. That is when you really have that feeling of the room being clean. 

__Vacuum area rugs 

__Sweep cobwebs and stink bugs out of fireplace

Onto Week 6: Foyer.

See you next week! 

Project Clean Up 2022...Week 4: Organize Gift Bins

I always love this week of this cleanup since it requires organization of my notebook. Gifts Organization and let me tell you....

Gifts....Gifts Everywhere! 

 Let me let you in on what my gift bins are:

I buy all year long. I begin the day after Christmas and watch out all year for just the right gifts. You never know when you will find that "ultimate" item (and at a great price too) It really saves money and time as you get closer to Christmas.

So, here is my system. Each member of my family has an 18 gallon Rubbermaid type bin that I keep in my garage (younger ones have 2 due to sizes of toys)

Each bin has their initials added to the end. Simple black marker written on an index card and attached with packing tape or get your own self stick labels...you know your storage space, have at it!

I am lucky. My four car garage is a meca of bins so watch out!!! Could you imagine if the kids were able to get to them? That are stacked 4 bins up just to be on the safe side. Who knows what they may do? Attack the toys or just go full force for the bin...

I keep a notebook of all items bought. Just a 70 sheet spiral notebook written in pen. Example of my pages:

Pg 1: Mom
Pg 2: Dad
Etc...

One of these will suffice. 

After Christmas, the gifts used have been crossed out and others need to be written if purchased after Christmas. I love to get it written down immediately and put away, but sometimes I have to do a quick run to the garage and items do end up out of place sometimes so this week is an imperative week of organizing.

If you would like to have a gift system (and save money in the long run) here are your instructions:

**1 Bin per Immediate Family Member

-Label each end with their initials (index card with marker, tape on with clear packing tape)
-Store all gifts per person in their designated bin (includes gifts and clothing)
-Keep a large Ziploc bag in each bin for smaller items so they don't get overlooked (stocking and basket stuffers, jewelry)

I also have one bin for my extended family (all go in this one together...Mom, Dad, Sisters, etc...) and my husband has 1 bin that covers his extended family.

In the notebook: 

One page per person.
List all gifts on the front of one page.
List all Clothing on the top part of the back side of that page.
List all small stocking/basket stuffers on the lower part of the back side of that page.

Keep notebook and pen in a place in the same area as your bins so you will remember to immediately write down and stay on track.

My notebook seems to go on forever so gifts can get moved around a bit to other people or even knocked completely off if not used in a reasonable amount of time. If that happens, I determine whether to keep in extra bins (*read about these a few paragraphs down) or it goes into a yard sale box.

If you already have this system, simply go through and make sure all items are written down and placed into their designated bins. Be sure to check what you currently have and make sure it still falls under that designated person. Example...are they still within range for a board game waiting in their bin to be gifted, etc...

Be sure to shop all year for Christmas, Birthdays, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day and any other holidays!

I also keep extra bins; Women, Men, Girl's, Boys. When I come across nice items for a great price, they are roaring and ready to go for a last minute birthday party, host gift, etc...Also, a place I put items that I choose to keep on hand that were originally purchased for a family member and then never gifted.

Happy Organizing!

I am now in week 5...Great Room cleaning and organization. See you next week!

Project Clean Up 2022...Week 3: Organize Personal Items

For Week 3, Bill Cleanout! This week is all about the personal stuff. I put my hubby on this job every year because he is the one who takes care of all of that stuff. 

Find a place to store all of this; paid paper bills and receipts. Label file folders with each month. File per month. Keep in a place where you can get to it once a month so bills do not build up and become clutter. Whether you use a file cabinet, a bin...always have a place to store. Might be important to get a fire proof safe as well for the really important personal papers. 

                        Rid the old stuff. If you no longer need, shred. Not have a shredder?

Just get rid of it! 

Organize Your Personal Information

Decide where you would like to store this information. Store on computer or write it down on index cards and keep them in a small box. If on your computer, be sure to save a backup copy to a disk or jump drive (store this in your fireproof box) Make sure to completely remove from hard drive if you ever get rid of the computer. 

Label each category so it can be easily referenced. Here are some examples of what to record in each category:

A. Finances

__Your credit score

__Your credit card number(s) and the phone number to call if your card is lost or stolen (do the same for debit/check cards)

__Your bank account numbers and the phone number to call if your checkbooks lost or stolen.

__A budget for your income, expenses, savings and personal goals. 

B. Health

__Allergies (to food, medicine, animals, etc..)

__Your blood pressure

__Health issues that run in your family

__Your cholesterol level

__Your blood type and those of your family members

C. Safety

__Emergency Contact Numbers

__License plate number and VIN

__Current photos of every member of your family labeled with their heights and weights.

__Photocopies of your passport and the passports of your spouse and children.

D. Just in Case:

__Your measurements and clothing sizes.

__Your partner's measurements and clothing sizes.

__Your children's measurements and clothing sizes.

Purchase a Fireproof safety box if you don't already own one. Important documents that should be stored in here may include:

__Marriage certificate                                  __Wills

__Birth certificates                                       __Death certificates

__Adoption papers                                       __Household inventory list

__Automobile titles                                      __Valuable contracts

__Stocks and bonds certificates                   __Passports

Once you have originally completed this system, you just have to check it all for next year. Not so much work. 

This week is kind of a break for me as my guy really does his thing. Next week though, is Gift Bins. Do you have gift bins? You know, bins that hold gifts you buy for people ahead when you find good deals? Not do this? You need to! See you soon with details on that! 

Project Clean Up 2022...Week 2: Organize All-Occasion Wrap/Gift Bags/Greeting Cards/Stickers

Week 2 is finished and it took a bit longer than expected, but I did it and am so happy to have it done! The reason this week in the project takes so much longer is that there is a lot of little piddly things that are done. Yes, I am the one who created this list so it is really my fault that there are so many little things to do within this week, but I am crazy like that so...

Onto the list....

The first part hit is always the wrap. I have a big container of rolls of wrap because I do still prefer wrapping over throwing into a bag (don't think I nix the bags though, they have a place as well) In this area, I make sure all rolls are rolled tightly and secured. If I find any torn, I cut it straight and roll. I had just enough this year so, none to get rid of. 

Next is the gift bags (see, I wasn't playin') I still have a ton of these as well. You tend to gain a lot when you have 8 kids with birthdays. These are just all-occasion bags and do not include Christmas (those were cleaned out in Week 1 and made their way to our other garage) I go through these and put in order by occasion; Birthday, Valentine's Day, Easter, Solids, etc...Toss out any that may have come apart and detach any tags on the handles that have been written on and this bin is finished!  

Next is my wrap cabinet. This cabinet is full of colored tissue paper, little gift boxes, gift card holders, etc...I organized this one really well last year so this year, it was all about folding tissue neatly and adding a few things to the bins I created from before. Have you ever noticed how expensive colored tissue is compared to white?? 

Yep, I'm that girl who flattens and folds the colored tissue paper from my kids' birthday bags. Hey, no shame in my game. I would rather use that money for something I need. So, a nice color coordinated stack is what I deal with each year. The right side of this cabinet is stacked neatly and the left side is this...

I am the same with all-occasion as I am with Christmas. I use all kinds of containers to gift as you can see here. Mini buckets, gift card holders, jewelry boxes, netted bags, wine bottle tubes, etc...

Next is the Greeting Cards. I usually keep all cards because I do send out quite a bit to various people; family, friends, strangers, but if I am just not feeling a certain card or haven't used and it has been sitting for a while, it goes to the sale pile. These are my files of cards. 

These were chosen to hit the sale pile. There are many different kinds here so they will be put into categories and then will go up in my album. 

So, when are we coming into the really piddly part of this week? Right here! 

Seriously, why do I put myself through this part. Ok. Here we go, I am a sticker person. I love them! I put stickers on all letters I send out, birthday cards, etc...so, in order to be able to find the stickers I need, I have to organize them by category somehow. It isn't pretty, but I just do manilla envelopes right now. Prettier than being all over the place, but maybe will come up with another system at a later date. The reason that this is so "gah" is because I snip stickers to seperate into their correct categories which takes so much time. I just keep them lined up in a cube container that I got from The Dollar Tree. 

I had so many kid's stickers this year that I had to make a 2nd kid's envelope! I have a few groups on FB where you can send cards to kids for birthdays, get well, etc.. and not only do I place a sticker on the outside of the envelope, but I also send a few unused stickers as a gift inside the card. 

Stickers are now organized and ready for 2022 use. 

On this work bench are also a few other fabric cubes. One holds spools of paper ribbon that I use for gifts and gift baskets. There is also one for fabric ribbons. One other for bows. Those stay on the neat side so I didn't document with photos. 

That is all for Week 2. Up next Week 3: Organizing Bills, etc...

See you soon! 

Project Clean Up 2022...Week 1: Organize Holiday Wraps/Stockings/Christmas Cards

Well, I flew through the first week of "Project Clean Up" 2022 and for good reason! All of these items are stored in my Master Bedroom during the month of December since they are in use. I never get to enjoy my Christmas decor in this room until after Christmas is over. It is fine, really. I am more comfortable sitting locked in my room with my tv on, The Family Stone on just doing my thing. What a lot of people would be shocked to know is that unlike most, I LOVE TO WRAP!!! 

Well, maybe I don't get dressed up for the occasion, but I do adore wrapping. A little less loud....

What do I love about wrapping? It's everything. All the big and little things. I love to find just the right box especially when wrapping a set of various, themed items. I have certain wraps I use per person. I tuck everything in and wrap away. Choose a bow or ribbon that matches. Don't forget the ornament dangle. Tags match as well, but belong on the bottom or side so they don't mess with the design. I also use gift bags, gift card holders....I have bins and bins of what I use. It's a whole project! I love watching people unwrap just as much as I love wrapping. It is worth every second of my work 💓 

When January begins, so does my Clean Up which lasts 52 weeks. Week 1 is all about cleaning out, adding to and freshening up my gift wrap bins before sending them on their trek to the garage for the next 11 months. 

First is going through the rolls of wrap. I keep them in a tall box. I have thought of other storage ideas, but the rolls are usually too tall for the wrap bins they sell or a garment bag. This just works best with how much I have. The first job is to look through the wrap and rid any rolls that don't have much left, are no longer a pattern I want to go with or just have not been used at all and won't be. If I have had a pattern for 2 years and haven't used, it goes to the sell pile. I also send wrap from the year that I only have 1 roll left of. I have certain patterns I like to go with per year and they do not always match for the following year. 

These rolls are heading out to sell. 

Gift Boxes: I do remove all pieces of tape, match with their bottoms and throw out any torn ones. I have many sizes, but they are all in a nice order. 

These are the only boxes that I found to get rid of this year. Can you believe that I actually have boxes that are made to gift dvd's? Though we still purchase dvd's as we do not get the best internet to stream, I can honestly say that I don't think I have gifted anyone a dvd outside of the family in quite a while so out these go.... 

DVD boxes....seriously.

Next, I go through my gift bag bin and stack in order by size. Just a few thrown out due to tears. I did purchase a bin this year for my bows and ribbons. They are normally in a cardboard box, but last year, the box fell and well, just bows for miles....

The only thing I keep separate from this huge bin of bows and ribbons are my mini's. I store them in this guy....I mean, isn't he just incredible?!!!

Next is the gift card holders. I have sleeves, cards, tins, etc....Aren't some of these just adorable? I mean, coffee cups and parcels...I love these! 

These are my package dangles. You see Christmas tree ornaments, I see a beautifully decorated gift! I buy these on clearance the day after Christmas and watch out for unique ones here and there throughout the year. It's like giving a little gift...with the gift! Who can't use an extra smile, especially around the holidays?

Sometimes, I don't use all of them and sort through what I have and put into the sell pile. Someone else may be able to use. Now, sometimes, I purchase large bags of items and only want a few so what's left also goes up for sale. Here is my sale pile for this year...

Christmas cards! Yes, I still love to send them so I pick up new boxes each year randomly, depending on what I like. Here are some new ones for next year...

These are making their way to the sell pile...

 

Now that it is all sorted and packed away, I can finally enjoy my beatiful bedroom....

These pillows make the bed so welcoming! 

 

These tiny stockings found at Walmart fit this little metal tree

yard sale find perfectly! 

I just love this wall! The print is our fave restaurant in our area, the mitten a Dollar General find and one of our talented friends painted the canvas. 

Now just to sit back and relax....

See you all next week!