DIY: Make a Dinner Planner!

Having a dinner planner for the week has made things a lot easier! Here's why:

Planning

Everyone in the house knows what we're having for the night. It is quick and easy to pull something out of the freezer for defrosting. We have enough variety to cover a month so we don't keep having the same meals.

Shopping

Having a shopping list attached to your planner makes it so simple to get products required without forgetting anything! 

Save Money

If you shop for the week, you will be reducing trips to the grocery store and saving money! We all have impulsive buys, whether it is $1 or $20 - but if you added those up over a year, I bet you'd be shocked. If you eliminate the need to go to the shops every day, you will save a lot of money. Try it!

DIY

Here's a quick guide how I made mine. 

• I cut up a diaper box
• Spray painted the cardboard and drew flowers on the background
• Printed menu items, laminated and cut them
• Super glued mini pegs from Officeworks
• Used scrapbooking stickers to decorate
• Made a pocket out of paper for the menu items
• Super glued a pretty sticky notepad for shopping list

I hope this inspires you to get creative! :)

Remove Clutter - Before It Arrives!

Do you like to shop? Do you often buy new clothes or household items? Something for the kitchen? Another book to read? Well listen up because this one is for you! Lets look at how remove clutter, before it even arrives!

Source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/715077

So you like to shop, love the feeling of new clothes, decor or making over a room. That's awesome! The only problem is, as you buy an item, it gets added to all the items you already have and can result into an out of control clutter problem.

Source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/859634

The Trick

Here is the ultimate 'trick' to remove that clutter before it even arrives. Buy something, throw something. Now by throw, I don't mean it has to be tossed in the garbage. An item can be sold/donated as well. Lets put this into a scenario. If you go out shopping and buy a new top - awesome! But before trying to find room for it, find a top you haven't worn in 2 years, take it out and replace it with your new top. If you buy a new book to read, find a book that you have already read and won't read again and replace it with your new book.

If you are donating the item, you should try to do so the next time you go out. If you need to recycle it or trash it, then do so appropriately. If you plan on selling the item use a site like eBay or even social networking. Sites such as Facebook usually have a 'buy, swap, sell' site for your local area so check it out.

The aim is to buy something, throw something... do not hold onto it in another cupboard, in the to-do pile or garage. You are only creating clutter and more problems than necessary.

Start with Less

If you are up for the challenge, how about trying to start with less? It's great to implement the trick and replace items rather than add to the pile - but what's your house look like at the moment? Do you need to purge and get rid of a lot of items before you can truly de-clutter and use the method above? If you're someone who struggles with parting with possessions, try to use the mind-set "if a fire burnt all my possessions, would I replace that?". Be honest with yourself.

If you use this method, I promise the results will be worth it!

*Extra tip: when purging items, check the contents, check the pockets and inside items. You'll be surprised what you may find! (Money? Old chewy? Earrings?)

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How to Tell If Your Beauty Products Are Expired

Here are a few tips I have learnt to help you work out if your beauty products (or even chemicals) need to be tossed. Using out-dated products can cause all kinds of nasty problems, mainly infections. This is particularly important for items like mascara which can cause serious infections within the eyes.

EXPIRY DATE

Some beauty products will have a picture (see below) on the back indicating the expiry. This picture below tells us the product will expire 12 months after first opening.

If your product doesn't have an expiry, use a permanent marker to write the opening date on the product. As a general rule, make up should be discarded as follows:

• MASCARA - 3 months. If the mascara dries out, toss it earlier. Do not add fluid to it.
• EYE PENCILS - Up to 2 years. Sharpening is the best way to keep these clean.
• EYE SHADOWS - Generally 2 years, but most eye shadow should be able to last longer if you keep your applicators clean and store the shadow appropriately.
• LIP STICKS/PENCILS - Generally 2 years as well, but sharpen pencils before use.
• BLUSHES/POWDERS - Cream blushes should be discarded after 1 year and powder 2 years.
• CONCEALERS/FOUNDATIONS - 1 year unless the product has dried up, in which case it should be discarded immediately.

TIP* If you have had an eye infection, cold sores or any type of open wound on your face - discard any beauty products you have used in those areas at the time. Make up is notorious for transferring infections. It can not only contain large amounts of bacteria, but it provides a lovely environment for the bacteria to grow and multiply.

CLEANING YOUR APPLICATORS

Makeup applicators should be cleaned on a regular basis. If you use makeup regularly - aim to cleanse your applicators at least once a fortnight, preferably once a week.While there are several fancy and expensive products on the market, these are unnecessary.

1. Put your applicators under running warm water. (Soaking may weaken and destroy them)
2. Use mild shampoo, baby shampoo, liquid soap or facial cleanser and massage through until all residue is gone and water runs clear.
3. Rinse thoroughly and if possibly air dry on a clean surface.
4. For items such as foundation brushes, your can shape these prior to drying.

Best of luck! I leave you with some before/after pictures of a 10 minute bathroom organisation. I hope this inspires you.

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Emergency Kit List and Ideas for Natural Disasters

Today I am going to share with you some handy information about organising your own emergency kit for natural disasters. Natural disasters I will focus on are cyclones, tornados, fires, floods and storms. This information may also be relevant for those at risk of blizzards, hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis.

It has been quite some time since I last blogged, but this post has been calling out to me since watching my beautiful country, Australia, burn and flood all in the one month. Whilst it is difficult to predict the devastation from a natural disaster, if you can have a plan in place - including an emergency kit - it will ease the burden and assist you in your recovery.

If you have any suggestions or feedback please feel free to leave a comment below.

ESSENTIAL ITEMS:

• Torch (battery powered)
• Portable radio (battery powered)
• Candles
• Safety Matches (I suggest placing these in a ziplock bag to avoid moisture spoiling them)
• Insect repellent
• Sunscreen
• Plastic ponchos (even garbage bags work great!)
• Important documents (birth certificates, immunisation records, passports, insurance policies)
• Hard drive (with a back up of your computer, digital photos and important files)
• Bottled water (1 gallon or 4 litres per person for 72 hour supply)
• Non-perishable food  (72 hour supply + can opener)
• Toilet paper (also best in a ziplock bag)
• Hand sanitizer
• Disposable gloves (this will assist in the clean up)
• Pet cages/leads/identification collars (keep in accessible place)
• Important medication
• Small amount of cash
• First aid kit
• Whistle (to signal for help if severely isolated)
• Local map
• Pocket knife

The essential list may seem long, but in the event of a disaster, you always wish you had packed something else. It's worth it!

ITEMS YOU COULD ALSO INCLUDE OR GRAB LAST MINUTE:

• 1 set of spare clothes for each family member (rotate as children grow up in size)
• Gumboots
• Blankets
• Life Jackets
• Deck of cards
• Baby essentials (if applicable)
• Spare car/house keys
• List of current medications and reasons for use
• List of allergies
• Phone chargers
• Pet food/water
• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
• Paper and pen
• Glasses/spectacles
• Unscented household bleach for sanitation and water purification
• 
  

LUXURY ITEMS:

• Fire and Waterproof safe for important documents
• Generator
• Gas bottle BBQ
• Portable UHF Radio

BIG ITEMS THAT CAN HELP:

(These items could help an entire community in the recovery)

• Small watercraft
• Blow up raft
• Canoes
• Trailer
• Removals Trolley

INSURANCE POLICIES

If you have an insurance policy for your house and/or contents (please say you do!) please ensure you thoroughly read the entire agreement and that you understand exactly what you are covered for in the event of a natural disaster. Unfortunately in every natural disaster there is someone who finds out their insurance policy doesn't cover what they originally thought. If you are concerned or have further questions, contact them directly. Act out scenarios to them if that will help you make better sense of what you're covered for.

SUPER IMPORTANT!!

Go through your entire house/shed/yard and take a photo of every room and inside every cupboard/drawer. It may take you 30-60mins but it will be worth every one of those minutes. This is a lot quicker than trying to make an inventory of your items once they're lost in a disaster. Download a free program, such as Picasa by Google and create an online account with them. Set your photos as private. Upload all the photos of your house and sync them to your online Picasa. Make sure your username/password are easy to remember! Now those photos will be accessible by you, and only you, anywhere in the world that you have access to the internet and it will make claiming a whole lot easier. If you need help using this program, check out the Support for Picasa Web Albums.

I hope this information will help someone prepare and feel safer in the event of a natural disaster. All information and opinions are not professional and are that of my own. Please seek further professional advice if required.

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How to Fold a Plastic Bag!

So many people are already doing this, it's just so smart! After finding some instructions, I gave it a shot and this is how it turned out =) Happy folding!

The beginning was a sad sight. I was actually quite disappointed that even though I try my best to use cloths bags as often as possible - I had still ended up with quite a pile.

First I flattened the plastic bag

I folded it in half once

Then I folded it in half again

Starting from the bottom, I folded triangles over and over

(Apologies for the blur!) Kept going up...

I folded the triangles until I reached the bottom of the handles. I then opened the middle of the triangle and simply shoved the handle in!

Here is the end result! Lots of LITTLE triangles!

Give it a try and let us know how you go! I know, it seems like a boring OCD thing to do... but if you are drowning in bags it's worth it. I did it while cooking the dinner. I used 1/3 of the bags we had to create the above pile and the rest were bagged up (pun intended!) and sent to the Woolworths Plastic Bag Recycling bin. In Australia these should be available at all participating Woolworths.

Good luck!

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Get Organized for Christmas!

Christmas is fast approaching and it's time to get organized for Christmas. Check out our Facebook Christmas Album with round ups of ideas from Pinterest and Google.

*Please advise if you are the original owner of any content so we can reference you accordingly*

Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail! - Eat Clean

Happy Friday!

So I thought I would share with all the busy people out there (is anyone not?) how I attempt to eat clean! Does this have much to with organising? Absolutely! Organisation is the key.

The best piece of advice I can give you is to PLAN. Plan ahead for the week. Whether you work, have children or just always reach for the 'quick fix' solution when your hungry - a plan is going to be your answer!  As they say, FAIL TO PLAN = PLAN TO FAIL!

Everyone's plan will vary depending on time restraints and obligations. For me, I will try to plan my week on a Sunday. I will cook bulk healthy meals such as stir fry's, chicken and veg, salmon salad etc. Portion them into an appropriate meal size (check out Measure Up for educated advice) and freeze them. Put on in the fridge for the next day so you have no excuses.

This week's stir fry. Yum!

If you have children who attend care/school, try making up snacks and lunches on a Sunday. Or if you have a chance, at night time. Vegemite sandwiches are actually awesome frozen and should be thawed out by their lunch time. Check out Eating Well - Kids Lunches for some ideas and recipes.

I would like to suggest that you start off with an easy Meal Plan Template. Try this one from Frugal Living -  Weekly Planner 

You will use the days to plan meals and can use the notes as a shopping list. If you would like more complex Meal Plans, there are so many printable templates available online. Or you could even create your own! I hope this post helps you on a Clean Eating journey. Stay healthy and live life!

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Favourite Belongings

Today, I wanted to share with you some of my favourite aspects of my home. There are some things in my house that just make me smile. :) I hope you like them too!

My little boy has a boat themed bedroom, here is a massive pillow I picked up for him! So cool :)

Bits and pieces I have picked up for my little boys room.

The baby bunting I made to match his duvet and bedroom theme

Decorative tile hanging leading out to the backyard

Entry table with beautiful battery powered fairy lights

One of the storage baskets for toys!

Re-purposed! This material was used at the reception table for our wedding. It now sits on the cabinet holding the plasma. I love it so much I had to reuse it.

Our giraffe has been with us for a while now. He has endured many moves, lost his head and had it screwed back in. But we still love him!

Using our statue as a book stand!

A beautiful canvas a girlfriend made me when we relocated cities. It proudly watches over our family room

My daughters room. Dare to dream!

My daughters room, a painting from her Aunty and 2 x bali flags framing her bedhead which were used at our wedding

Our dressing table. Simple yet so meaningful!

I hope you like some of the things that I love! Have a look around your home - what are the keys pieces/areas that you love? De-clutter them! Make them stand out! Reposition them so you see them more often! Our mind loves to play tricks on us, and you who knows? Maybe seeing things that make you smile in your home more often will make you feel happier too!

I have been.. organising of course!

Hi everyone,

So it's been fairly quiet on the blog because I have been organising! I know, I know.. shouldn't I organise my time so I can blog too? Well to be honest I haven't had anything extraordinary worth posting!

But here is a little bit of what I have been up to:

We gave these away as part of a Life in Order presentation on organisation! Aren't they great! (bought from $2 shop)

Got new boxes for the Xmas gear so it would fit in the bottom of the linen cupboard. It takes up a lot less space now!

All the sets inside the pillow case :)

Hang reusable gifts bags using a hook in the linen/storage cupboard where you store your vacuum/mop/broom.

Organising my linen cupboard - using protective bags for our winter blankets as we won't need them for a while and it ensures they don't get dusty. I like to wash them prior to storage too.

This is 4 x pillows (one European size), 1 x queen electric blanket, 1 x single electric blanket, 1 x queen duvet, 1 x single duvet - Vacuum bags are magical!

Towels folded... until other family members get their hands into it!

On a side note, for my international followers, you may not that I spell organise with an 's'. That is how we spell it over here in Australia! :) Get organising! xx

Why Didn't I Think of That? SMART IDEAS

My friend recently sent me the perfect e-mail. She knew I would LOVE it! Love it I certainly did. I have no other choice to share it with you! Now You may have seen some of this around Pinterest, as I have, but it really is invaluable information.

1. Hull strawberries easily using a straw.

2. Look up! Use wire to make a space to store gift wrap rolls against the ceiling,

rather than cluttering up the floor.

3. Gotcha! Find tiny lost items like earrings by putting a stocking over the vacuum

hose. 

 4. Make an instant cupcake carrier by cutting crosses into a box lid.

 5. For those who can't stand the scrunching and bunching: how to perfectly

fold a fitted sheet.

 6. A tip for holiday packing. Store shoes inside shower caps to stop dirty soles rubbing on your clothes. And you can find them in just about every hotel!

7. A muffin pan becomes a craft caddy. Magnets hold the plastic cups down to

make them tip-resistant.

 8. Bread tags make the perfect-sized cord labels.

9. Bake cupcakes directly in ice-cream cones – so much more fun and easier for kids

to eat. 

10. Microwave your own popcorn in a plain brown paper bag. Much healthier and

cheaper than the packet stuff. 

11.  Brilliant space-saver: install a tension rod to hang your spray bottles. Genius!

12. Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes.

 

13. Win friends at breakfast with this heart-shaped egg tutorial 

14.  Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough over the top and voila

15. Freeze Aloe Vera in ice-cube trays for soothing sunburn relief.

 

16. Gutter garden: Create a window-box veggie patch using guttering. 

17. Use egg cartons to separate and store your Christmas decorations 

18. Remove crayon masterpieces from your TV or computer screen with WD40

(also works on walls). 

19. Stop cut apples browning in your child’s lunch box by securing with a rubber band.

20. Overhaul your linen cupboard – store bed linen sets inside one of their own

pillowcases and there will be no more hunting through piles for a match. 

21. Pump up the volume by placing your iPhone / iPod in a bowl – the concave shape

amplifies the music. 

22. Re-use a wet-wipes container to store plastic bags 

23.  Add this item to your beach bag. Baby powder gets sand off your skin easily

 

24.  Attach a Velcro strip to the wall to store soft toys

.

Now if you're not on Pinterest.. get on it!