Favorite Fall Delivery

It's the most wonderful time of the year--new planner time!  The pretty box from Erin Condren arrived on my doorstep earlier this week, and I was super-excited that it showed up a few days early.  She added a new feature to her planners this year--interchangeable covers--and when I ordered last month, there was a promo to get an extra cover for free.  Don't you just love the happiness quote?  I chose the charcoal/pool color combination because I thought it would be a nice contrast, and it turned out great!  My planner also came with a pull-out perpetual calendar for annual events like birthdays and anniversaries, which was a nice surprise.

Instead of my usual month-by-month planner, I decided it was finally time to upgrade to the Life Planner for 2015.  With the same monthly planner style I'm used to and the addition of a detailed weekly planner, I hope to be able to better keep track of me, my husband, my Tastefully Simple business, and substitute teacher jobs!

Painting & Packing Pins

Now that I'm voluntarily unemployed, I'm busy getting our house ready to sell.  That means lots of painting and lots of packing!  While preparing for this insane two weeks before the house goes on the market, I found a few tips on Pinterest that have been insanely helpful.

1. Run a lint brush (the sticky roller type) over your paint roller before using it.  Last time I painted, the patch of fuzzies left behind on the walls bothered me until I painted over them this past week.  Thanks for solving that problem, Home Depot!

2. Press and Seal plastic wrap is pretty nifty to begin with, but this tip made it that much better.  FamilyHandyMan.com recommends it to cover tight spaces (like toilets) while you paint.  I also used the website's tip about nuking old painting tape in the microwave for a few seconds.

3. Use a paper clip to mark the end of a roll of tape.  No more trying to pry the end up off of the roll fifty million times as you pack and seal boxes, and you don't have to buy a fancy dispenser for each roll...

4.  Each roll?  Yes, I have about six different rolls of packing tape right now because Smart Move Tape is the most awesome invention ever for organization freaks like me.  It's way better than just color-coding your packing tape.

Pretty Planner

Last year, by BFF sent me a gift certificate to order myself a pretty personalized planner for Christmas. This year I debated about the expense, but finally decided that if it made me happy, it was worth it to order another Erin Condren notebook planner.  I eagerly watched the package's progress via FedEx and was super excited to find it on my doorstep last Friday!

New colors this year, but the same cute box!

The design is called "Peacock" in green and teal

By the end of the night, all birthdays and anniversaries had been added

It's not big enough to curl up and nap *kitty pout*

Tea Problem

Do I have a tea problem or organization issues? Or both? 

The home stash

Dave's favorite: Lipton's Black Pearl

The work stash

My (current) favorite: Adagio's Grapefruit Oolong

Binder Ring Bonanza

Binder rings are my current favorite office supply (though Sharpies and Post-its are never far behind!) thanks to inspiration on Pinterest...

Christmas card albums for 2010 and 2011
[source]

Adapted from a "shower rings on a hanger"
scarf organizer idea [source]

Not as pretty as the source, but baggies hung with colored binder clips
on rings keeps my knitting organized! [source]

I keep running out of hair bands at work
and I had an extra binder clip...

Organization Attack

This past weekend, I felt the need to clean.

I emptied 90% of my craft closet's contents
onto the guest bed.

Skeeter thoroughly explored her "forbidden closet"
while I sorted and reorganized.

I was excited I could fit my craft books
in the closet!

Much better than my toppling stacks of stash!
I should have taken a "before" photo...

All I have left is to reorganize some yarn remnants and
my pattern notebook... and spoil the kitty!