DIY Tin Gifts

Christmas is tight this year. Tighter than usual and I still have six kids to buy for. They aren't all mine, but they are immediate family. So, I was looking for some unique craft ideas to make their smaller present more personal. I was able to get a few cookie tins and almond containers for free that would have otherwise have been tossed in the trash. I finally started working on them last night.

 



I decided that I had so many scrapbooking supplies that I needed to put them to use. So after pulling some select items from my drawers I got to work. Here is how they look before I put the pictures on them. I am pretty proud of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 Well, what do you think? I am pretty happy with them for my first time. I think the kids will love them, especially when they find all the small wrapped items inside.

Hilary Cook

Emergency Preparedness - A Bowl Full of Lemons - Part 1

http://www.abowlfulloflemons.net/2012/12/emergency-preparedness-week-1-storage.html#comment-36870

So I have been thinking because the world is changing so much with its weather patterns and such that there is nothing worse than being unprepared. I have been doing a lot of thinking because of the earthquakes we have in California. We aren't really that far away from the San Andreas fault and we can feel earthquakes all the way up as far as San Francisco. Everyone keeps saying that California will drop into the ocean with the "Big One" and if that is true, no amount of emergency preparedness is going to save us, but hey, who knows what will really happen. So we are supposed to locate a emergency center and get a storage rack, backpacks and storage tubs. I am thinking our entry closet would be perfect, but it is a disaster right now. I am thinking of changing that into a emergency/entry/ coat closet. Now I just need to find the time and the tools and a home for the other things stored in it. I have seen some really cute organization ideas for entry closets and I am thinking of designing our closet this way. It will require some wood work from the hubby, but he loves that kind of stuff. Something like this I think.

 



 

 

Emergency Preparedness December 8th

I am looking forward to starting this very important series with A Bowl Full Of Lemons.

 

http://www.abowlfulloflemons.net/2012/11/emergency-preparedness-8-week-program.html

Before & After Bathroom

I finally finished the bathroom cabinet re-organization. I am so excited! Now if I coould just afford some paint and figure out how to give the bathroom a makeover. One thing at a time right? Ok, so here are the new and improved cabinets. Tell me what you think?

Look, I have an empty drawer. I ran out of things to put in it. I am not sure if this is good or bad.



This drawer was full of empty toothpaste tubes after my daughter squirts toothpaste everywhere. The drawer was mostly garbage. I am so pleased with the new drawer.

 

I think maybe this cabinet still needs some work. I am still happy with the way it turned out.

This top cabinet was a nightmare. What a purging job it turned out to be. I think I am most pleased by the difference in this cabinet.

 I was always afraid to touch anything under the sink. My husband keeps his stuff under there because it was safest from my daughter, but now I wonder if we shouldn't move it to the cabinet. Anyway, here it is for right now. He loves it.

 

I actually didn't have a before picture for the medicine cabinet, but here is the after picture.

 

 

Ok, what do you think? Do you have any suggestions for me? I would love to hear your comments and suggestions.

Thanks,
Hilary

Obsessed About Organizing

I have been reading blogs lately. A lot of blogs. From food to crafts to organizing. I never knew there were so many. I have to say, I'm hooked and cooked on these organizing blogs. With the daily feeling that my life is out of control, I knew I needed to do something yet I just didn't know where to start. Some of these wonderful blogs have helped me get started.

So, today, I wanted to talk about some little steps that I am taking to organize my life. My bedroom was first, and it is still a work in progress, but it is too late for before pictures. I will have to take some after pictures at a later time. However, I did have the forethought to do before pictures with our guest bathroom. Even though it is a guest bathroom, 4 people share it. My 6-year old loves to play with toothpste and water and mess up this space often.

So far I am only working on the cabinets and drawers, because paint and decorations will have to come with the money. Here are my before pictures and once I am all done I will post the after pictures.




Under the sink

 

Bottom half of the cabinet

 

Top half of the cabinet



 

Drawer #1



 

 

 Drawer #2

 

 Well, it looks like I forgot to take a before picture of our medicine cabinet, but there will definately be an after picture. Look at all this disorganized stuff.

 

My daughter helped me purge the cabinets and shelves, except for one. We had several power outages while were doing this and we just plain ran out of time. Either way, I only have one more cabinet to finish. Hopefully I can get to it in the next week and complete my follow up post. Let me know what you think.



In Memory

We lost a good friend on Thursday. He died in a freak accident. His girlfriend Tricia is really suffering and I just wish I could take the pain for her. She has been through so much already. Now she is being hurt by his family as well. I don't understand why people become such nasty, hurtful, vultures after someone dies. Every time someone dies, there is always one person who makes the situation bad. I had this happen to me as well. Usually, it is family that really commits the greater problem. Especially when it is family against family. Having been a victim of this way of thinking, I am disgusted by it. Isn't the loss hard enough? People who take it upon themselves to sell personal property that wasn't meant for them is despicable. People who come into to someone's home who is grieving and helps themselves to the deceased person's items is trespassing. Be respectful people!

Delightful Order's Giveway! Check It Out!

http://delightfulorder.blogspot.com/2012/10/day-2-of-giveaway-day.html

Please check out this blog! They have wonderful tips on how to organize everything!