{rockstar mom} The Listmaker's Guide to List Making // Kelly Gilreath Part Two

My super organized, detail oriented, crafty, designer friend Kelly Gilreath was Rockstar Mom of the month.  Check out her great tips for creating useful lists and get things done!

To me, nothing compares to a handwritten list.  It's easy to toss in your pocket, throw it in your purse, stash it in a bag, or stuff it in your nightstand.  You can add and cross things off easily.  For some reason having a list on my phone or ipad just isn't quite the same. 

Use a great pen or sharpie!  A fabulously cute notebook doesn't hurt either.  Invest in something you actually will use and enjoy using at the same time.

Keep small notebooks around to jot down things you want to remember as soon as you think of them; in the kitchen, on your desk, in your purse, even in the car!  If you're like me and have a thousand things to keep track of, sometimes just writing them down makes me feel like I have less that I HAVE to remember.

 

I like to start my Monday off by creating a list of the tasks I need to accomplish during the week.  And on Fridays I make my "to do" list for the weekend.

 



I have a separate list for things that need to be done, but items that aren't immediate.  For example, things that I'd like to to eventually get to doing or designing around my house once I get extra time or money!

 



Before we go on a trip, no matter how long or short, I always put together a packing list.  That way nothing gets forgotten.  This was especially helpful when my kids were babies and we had to tote around so much stuff!

  



I keep a running list of things my husband, kids, and family ask for or want throughout the year.  That way when their birthday or Christmas rolls around I don't have to scramble to come up with something I know they really would like.  I've already figured out several options. 

 



Sometimes creating a "fresh list" makes it feel like you've gotten a lot accomplished.  Even if all you're doing is re-writing a list to look clean; without all the other items scratched out/crossed out from the previous page.

 



Just the other day I started a list of things around the house I want to try and sell on Craigslist or in a garage sale to make some extra cash.

  



A "honey-do" list is always a winner too in my house....well, at least for me.  Even though my husband says he hates it, he'll actually do some of the things if I leave that list out for him.  :)

*Bonus Tip:  Don't let list making get overwhelming or feel like another task to do.  It just helps balance out my chaos.  But if it doesn't work for you.....don't do it!

{mommy mondays} Rockstar Mom // Kelly Gilreath Part One

Pleased to introduce you to my friend Kelly!  I do believe Kelly rocks the award for friend with most distance from me (can you get any farther than North Carolina and Alberta?)  Kelly and I met working together at my first design job right out of college.  Her creative and organized heart is something to envy.  She has true talent and an eye for detail.  Kelly was awesome enough to share her tips on being so organized.  Check out tomorrow's post for her "Listmakers Guide to Listmaking".
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 I am honored that Lauren wanted to feature me in her Rockstar Mom section for sure!  I’ve had this task on my “to do” list…..ahhhh, the never-ending “to do” list; a constant staple in my life.  How will I manage to find time to write something when I have a gazillion other things going on?  Well, nothing feels better than crossing items off my “to do” lists….so here it goes…..

I’ve been racking my head about what I might possibly write about myself that would be interesting and that people would find interesting to read.   

I’m certainly no expert on life.  

I don’t have any clever taglines.

No top ten rules to live by.

Nothing of the sorts.

But as I was taking my shower this morning and looked up at the little sign that I have decorating my bathroom window sill, it came to me.

Why not write about how my life is good… at the beach!  

Well, let me backtrack a little bit and introduce myself.  My name is Kelly.  I’m a full-time working interior designer, wife, and mother of two kids.  Drue, my daughter, is 6 and Gavin, my son, is 3.  My husband, Andrew, is a sergeant for Folly Beach Public Safety Department.  
 I’m a true creative at heart. 
I love organizing (weird, I know).   
I love Pinterest.  
I love party planning.   
I love making invitations.   
I love making hair clips for my daughter and her friends.   
I love anything crafty.  

Life wasn’t the easiest a year ago.  My life was in total transition.  My kids and I were still living in Indianapolis, IN and my husband had taken on a new job here in Charleston.  Nothing is easy about living apart; especially when you have kids and ESPECIALLY when it’s for six months.  We were in the process of trying to sell our house, which took much longer than we could have expected.  Everything was on me…getting my daughter ready for preschool in the morning, taking my son over to my sister’s house so she could watch him, making sure the house was immaculate in case we had any unexpected showings, working full time, giving baths, putting kids to bed, making meals.  I honestly don’t know how single mothers do it.  Then when we finally sold our house, it was up to me to do all the items above, coordinate the moving company, AND pack the house all by myself in the meantime.   Yuck, just thinking about all that stress right now makes me nauseous.  I’m so glad that time period is over.  I look back on this picture of our family with the ipad, and say, thank goodness for technology, because that’s really the only way our family held it together!!!

It was hard leaving my extended family to come take on this new adventure in Charleston, but sometimes you have to do things you never thought you would do, and that means going places you never knew you would go!  We took a leap of faith to move here, and with that came lots and lots of prayers.  But God has been with us along the way, making sure we are okay.  And now, it’s a year later and we are loving life!  

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to stay at home with my kids when we first moved.  I mean, how could I not take advantage of being able to walk out my front door, and head to the beach every day! It was hard going back to work after being off for 8 months or so, I’m not going to lie.  But it needed to happen; we needed the extra money.  I’ve been a designer for about ten years now, and like I mentioned, creativity is such a part of my life.  I’m not “me” without it.  Now my life is back in the state of transporting kids to school, their extracurricular activities, working full time, giving baths, putting kids to bed, and making meals; but at least this time I don’t have to do it all myself.  I realize that being all together as a family is truly SUCH a blessing.  It’s been hard, but it’s making my husband and I better, stronger people.  We have been having so much fun here exploring and taking on new life adventures…..together.    

As long as I’ve got my notebook and my lists, my life stays a little bit more put together.  Whether it’s a list of work tasks, a grocery list, a packing list, a list of things to do over the weekend, a list of things that need to be done around the house (who knows; sometimes it may even be a list of the lists I need to put together)…..if it’s in a list I can keep it together.  THAT and a bunch of prayers.  It’s not much, but in my life, things need to be that simple, otherwise it’s too complicated!  And so for now, my simply, complicated life is good…..at the beach!  


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If you are interested in custom barrettes, invitations, or party planning please email Kelly at kellygilreath@gmail.com

 

{read of the week} Simplify Your Life: How to Declutter & Destress Your Way to Happiness

My read of the week is turning into read of the month!  I miss getting an entire book finished in one week.  Not I'm feeling accomplished if I get a chapter finished.  I've had this quick read on my Amazon wish list forever.  I saw that it was on the free list for Prime members this month so I snatched it up and made time to read it.

Simple Living : thirty days to less stuff and more life by Lorilee Lippincott



A fun read that only takes a minute or two per chapter.  Se sets up a goal with each chapter that is easily obtainable.  This is for the organizer that needs help knowing where to start first.  Most of the tasks took me 20 minutes top to complete.  She has you doing things such as "clean off all horizontal surfaces" or "take trash out of car, vacuum, and wipe down"  and other things I never spend time on such as "deleting and canceling spam emails".  I must say I do have a few tasks still ahead of me.  I need to clean out our filing cabinet and the office has become a junk room.  These are top priority this week for me.

What is everyone else doing to declutter?  I'm hoping to do a garage sale first of August.  Here's to a stress free home!

Get Healthy/Get Fit // Implementing Springpad Notebooks into my Daily Life

I've been doing some more exploring on Springpad. I love the notebooks you can create with this program. I've also been on a clean eating, get fit, get organized kick this Spring. Which I hope is starting to be ingrained in my routine. If you'd love to join me on my quest to be healthy start following this notebook. I'll post all kinds of tips and tricks I'm noticing work for myself! *Here's to keeping New Year's Resolutions.

40 days to Proverbs 31 and my {10 favorite things} to organize

Well this week has definitely turned into an organizing week for me.  Best way to get started on this challenge is to clear out the clutter!  Don't you agree?  (did I just rhyme?) If you know me you'll know that I have "organized clutter in my life".  I am all right brain.  I have to have everything where I can see it.  If it is out of sight it is truly out of mind for me.  My husband is all left brain.  He loves things neat, orderly... and of course picked up off the floor.  It is a constant battle in our marriage.

So, in order to become Mrs. Proverbs 31 I have to get rid of the clutter and get into the organizing.  After all, a happy husband means a happy home right?  Here are a few of my favorite trending "tips and tricks" to get you organized around the house.  Some I have implemented some I am working on.

^ Great pull out drawer full of individual dividers.  You'll never be digging in the bottom of your makeup bag again.  Think of the minutes you'll shave off your "getting ready" time!

 ^ Fold all your sheets into one of the pillow cases.  Then stack on top of each other in your linen closet.  Everything will stay neat and tucked away.  No more searching for random pieces of your bedding. ^

 ^ Keep those small cookbooks in a magazine caddy.  (The best small loose cookbooks are always the ones at the grocery check out line. ^

 ^ Organize greeting cards with filing tabs.  Now you'll always be ready for those birthdays, weddings, and thank yous. ^

 ^ I always have at least one sock missing.  It usually ends up mysteriously in the next laundry pile.  Keep it safe pinned up near the washer.  If you don't find it within the next week or two.  Toss. Its a lost cause. ^

^ An organized refrigerator means you'll actually eat out of it!  I buy groceries once a week.  I always go through and toss the day before.  Then mid week I reassess what is in there. If you keep organizing and reorganizing you won't miss all those good veggies and fruits.  ^

^ For those of you like me with a very small pantry.  I think this is one of the easiest ways to alphabetize and get control over your spices again.  Remember to throw out those beyond their expiration dates. ^

Thank you Pinterest and your many contributors for the above images and links.  
one . Unknown / two . Storage and Glee / three . Homey Home Design / four . Haute Indoor Couture / five .DesignSponge  / six . Martha Stewart  / seven .  Decorganized Crafts / eight . Unknown / nine .  Unknown/ ten . Organizing Made Fun

{mommyhood} and living up to perfection: 40 days to Proverbs 31

I didn't post anything last week because honestly I'm still trying to get my ducks in a row here.  It is a lifelong battle.  I'm sure I won't become the lady in Proverbs 31 overnight (or in 40 days) but I'm making the conscious effort.  Boy have I made some changes!  I'm not sure they are groundbreaking.  My husband might not even notice, but I have!  While getting my ducks in a row I've been working on two giant steps, clutter and organizing.  They do go hand in hand nicely, don't they?

She gets up while it is still night;
OK I haven't done this yet.  I told my husband I was going to start getting up with him at 5am and he laughed.  I think I woke up one day and rolled over.  I do want to implement this but oh man is it a hard.  Maybe this week?  Maybe I'll have some amazing life changing post next week on waking up at 5am.
(don't hold your breath)

She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks. 

She sees that her trading is profitable,
    and her lamp does not go out at night.

The reason behind the above... is here.  I'm up until midnight everynight.  Thankful for my little business starting to really blossom. (Have you checked out the shop?)  I am trying desperately to find time for it and my family.  I am actually more of a night owl than a spring chicken.  And I have a scentsy nightlight thats on all night -- does that count? 
Oh, I hear you.  I could start getting up at 5am and getting my work done too. I guess that is what Mrs. Proverbs 31 does now doesn't she.

 

  She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.

I am desperately trying to "finish what I've started".  It is definitely one of my weaknesses.  As my husband said last night, "you are planning so far ahead in the future you can't see today."  So... insert Springpad here. 

 

Have you been introduced to this program yet?  It will change your life.  Goodbye post-it notes all over the place.  Goodbye ridiculous list of bookmarks on your browser of diy projects and recipes to try.  Goodby to the way of thinking "oh I need to write that down" and then never doing so. Everything is now neatly organized in one little space.  You can organize pretty much anything.  From To Do lists and meeting notes, to music and workouts. I can access it via computer, kindle, and phone.  You can even set alarms, put things on your calendar, share notebooks and lists with friends, etc. I'll never forget a thing again (well let's not go that far.)  

 

 I've started looking at it every night before I go to bed.  I review my accomplishments of the day and write down tasks of the day/week ahead.  And guess what?  I'm sleeping better! 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you miss the launch of the 40 day challenge?  Check it out.  Its never too late to start! Join me! 

Blitz Giveaway Week

If you haven't checked out Roo Mag yet, what are you waiting for?  It was created by Candace Cameron Bure (remember her from Full House?) Its a blog geared toward woman and the special momens of everyday life.  Its super sweet and inspirational.  If you enjoy magazines like Martha Stewart Living and Real Simple you'll want to check this out.  Anyway, they are doing a giveaway week!!  Check everyday this week for items they are giving away! :)  They have some really great items.  Yesterdays is my favorite so far.  Three books by Karen Ehman on organizing, maintaining a welcoming home, and homespun memories.  If I don't win these books I may just go ahead and order them.  They look fantastic.

{giveaway details}

The Complete Guide to Getting & Staying Organized walks women, step-by-step, through strategies for taking care of the “have tos” of life: cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, de-cluttering and handling piles of paper, so that they can get around to the “want tos” of life: spending time with loved ones, pursuing a hobby or connecting with God. Full of doable ideas, simple recipes and re-producable lists and forms, it will be the kick-in-the-pants to help you get your act together. Along with an autographed copy of this book, the winner will also get a $10 Staples gift card to purchase some snazzy organizational items.

A Life That Says Welcome is all about simple ways to open your heart and home to others. If the phrase “Company’s coming!” sends you running for cover, you’ll want to check out this practical book full of decorating ideas, quick-cleaning strategies and cooking-for-a-crowd (and kid-friendly) recipes. It also includes some “hospitality on the road” ways to reach out to others even when you aren’t at home. A signed copy of this book will be awarded to one lucky winner along with a $10 gift card from Target to purchase something decorative for the home.

Homespun Memories for the Heart will give you over 200 ideas for making unforgettable memories with the loved ones in your life. Whether it is a holiday, a holy day or even a simple day when your child loses their first tooth or starts school, you’ll have ideas for making memories. Many reproducible tags and invitations are included in the index section to make it user friendly. A $10 Walmart gift card will accompany an autographed copy of this book to purchase some supplies for celebrating.

enjoy!

practicing hospitality

I am almost finished with "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" by Joanna Weaver.  LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!  I won't go into a lot of description since I've still got two chapters to go but I wanted to share with you her insight on hospitality.

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  -- 1 Peter 4:9


1.  Never clean before company.  Instead, try to clean on schedule and clean up as you go, so you'll always e ready for unexpected guests.  (And we all know that happens often!)

2.  Keep the emphasis o welcome, not performance.  The purpose of hospitality is to open your arms to others, not to impress them.  It's better to keep things simple and warm than to go overboard.  (I need to plaster this to the inside of my eyelids)

3.  Do as much ahead of time as possible.  Plan ahead for hospitality - even cook ahead.  Karen says, "Hard work indicates I'm not managing my time well, not planning or preparing ahead, doing too much, not being dependent on the Lord's strength, but on my own.  (I'm "pinning" a bunch of bake and freeze recipes to my boards for easy prep when I don't have time to cook.  Follow me!)

4.  Include little touches of beauty.  A few candles and a jar of daisies picked from the yard can make grilled cheese a gourmet delight.  And they help hide the grease stains on the tablecloth as well.  (I can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can plant flowers again)

5.  Use all the help that comes your way.  When someone offers to help, say yes!  Many hands make less work - and sharing he labor can be a great opportunity for fellowship.  (This is something I know I have to work on)

6.  Keep records.  Karen has files of easy recipes and creative entertaining tips.  Other women keep records of the guests and what was served.  I've found that to-do lists organize my scattered thoughts and help me focus my energy more productivity.  (Now if only I could find a way to organize my to-do lists!)

Happy Thursday Everyone!  Let the entertaining this weekend begin!!