Organized Funky Monkey

Coat Closet to School Station

2009-08-11T16:16:00.006-05:00

School is starting soon and that means it's time to get organized! I have 4 kids in school and if I don't get an area organized for them, then I won't be able to function and neither will they.

So I got this wild idea to turn my coat closet (which really was just a junk closet that I had to really push the door in order for it to stay closed) into a school station. I wish I would have taken a before picture!

I put 3 shoe shelves inside the closet. It holds containers of pens, pencils, crayons, glue, markers, etc. Everything my kids need to do homework and will need later in the year to replenish their school stash. I have a brown filing container on the top shelf that I use to file their papers away that I want to keep. I also have an "In Box" that they will place anything I need to review in that basket. My kitchen counters will finally be clean.

I plan on having 2 "Out Boxes". One by the front door for the kids who leave out that door for carpool and one by the garage door for the kids who leave through that door in the morning. The boxes will hold papers that I filled out the night before, special notes or money for lunch. Sometimes I don't get to see all the kids leave in the morning, so this will work out great.

Check back soon for pictures of my newly organized laundry room where they kids will store their backpacks. I love back to school organizing.

I used an over the door shoe holder to put gloves, hots and scarves in. This shoe hanger was great because it had nice attachments at the top and at the bottom of the door. So it does not swing and bang around everytime you open the door.

~Organized Funky Monkey~

"Crap Room to Craft Room" Challenge - Update!

2009-01-27T15:17:00.007-06:00

So it took me a little longer then I had wanted, but it's done. (Well good enough to be used and I'm not embarrassed to let anyone else in it!)

I just cleared out a few boxes and baskets laying around and under the desk.

BEFORE AFTER

I removed the sewing cabinet (it's going upstairs) and I'll hang a picture up on that wall.

BEFORE AFTER

I tackled the craft room closet. I decided to put items I don't use much in there and the kids extra school supplies.
BEFORE AFTER

BEFORE AFTER

My blogging Station.

Now I can start to create in this room!

~Organized Funky Monkey~

Meal Planning: Save Time, Reduce Stress, Eat Healthy & Enjoy Your Family!

2009-01-22T14:27:00.002-06:00

Sharing from another source....I'm always looking for something to make life easier around here!
DINE WITHOUT WHINE:

The children are running around the kitchen. The dog is barking it at the door and dinner should have been on the table thirty minutes ago. It’s a common scenario in many households come dinner time.

The reason that most meal times don’t always go smoothly may because dinner the last thing on your mind and when it’s time to get food on the table, everything else goes haywire in your house.

We have all been there, but with a little bit of meal-planning, you can be serving up delicious meals the family will be glad to gather around the table for.

Meal planning can make it easy to get dinner on the table in no time on a busy night. Not only do you save time, but it’s economical too. You buy only what you need, avoid the drive-through line up and you can concentrate on using fresh ingredients – instead of prepackages items from the grocery store. Every mother should have a set way to plan all of their meals in advance for the week…it’s a true life-saver.

The first step to successful meal planning is to sit down before you head out to the grocery store for the week (or sign up for the affordable Dine Without Whine Menu Planning Service & they’ll make that plan for you) .
It is best to plan what food you will need to have on had before you head to the grocery store when planning the week’s meals. Meal planning will make good use of a well stocked pantry and will only need a regular amount of grocery shopping. By having your meals for the week planned out, you will be able to write a grocery list that you can stick to Dine Without Whine actually puts your grocery list together for you too. This will help you to save money by keeping you from not buying extra food that you will not use.

As you plan your week’s meals, make sure that you think about ways you can cook once and make two meals out of it. It’s easy to do a lot of cooking on the weekends so that you can do minimum cooking on busy week days. You can grill up chicken breasts on Sunday and use them in pasta on one night and then in fajitas another night. There are many ways that you can reuse the cooking from one night to make the next meal that much easier.

Meal planning can also help to cut down on your prep time in the kitchen when you are cooking. By knowing the meals that you are going to cook in advance, you can wash and cut vegetables when you bring them home from the grocery store. The simple act of pre-measuring the vegetables that you would need for a meal will cut out a lot of additional cooking time.

To be successful with your meal planning, you will want to take into account a lot of factors when you plan your meals for the week. One of the most important things to keep in mind is your weekly schedule of evening activities. The nights when your family has many activities planned are not the evenings to make meals that take along time to prepare. It will be those nights that you will want to use the meals that use the food that you already prepared on the weekends.
Meal planning is a skill that will take some getting used to. The first couple of times that you attempt to plan out your meals for the week, you will have some missteps along the way. After awhile it will become second nature to plan all of your meals in advance and you will wonder why you did not start to do it sooner.

To make your meal planning a whole lot easier, sign up for you 1 ¢ no-risk trial at Dine Without Whine. You and your hungry family will be glad you did.

Do you need this? I do!

2009-01-22T13:01:00.002-06:00

I might actually get more done around here : )

Mulitask Computer Desk:

Turn that "Crap" Room back into a CRAFT room!

2009-01-20T13:56:00.002-06:00

Today's challenge is just that! My craft room seems to collect everyone's CRAP! It's all over the place. Check back later for before and after pictures.
~Organized Funky Monkey~

What's for dinner??

2009-01-20T11:35:00.002-06:00

I'm trying to start the dreaded "Menu Planning." I have heard so many people say they save a ton of money if they plan a menu and shop just for that weeks meals.
So I'm going to give it a try!

I've been keeping track of items I purchased and creating a master list of items and prices. Along with where I purchased it. I'm hoping this will come in handy when I make my trip to Costco. (You know sometimes I swear it costs more there then it would at Target or Walmart!) Now....I'll have a reference sheet to see if I really am saving money at Costco.

This week's menu:

Monday:
Grilled Shrimp
Baked Salmon (one for my husband)
Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes
Steamed Broccoli

Tuesday:
Chicken and Rice Casserole
French cut beans

Wednesday:
Taco Salad

Thursday:
Sandwiches - Soccer game night!

Friday:
Chicken Ceasar Salad
Garlic Bread

Saturday:
Eggs
Hashbrowns
Ham

Sunday:
Grilled Chicken Wings
Baked Garlic-Parmesan Fries
Baked Beans

~Organized Funky Monkey~

Weekend Challenge Update

2009-01-19T20:09:00.003-06:00

Well, I've decided that if my husband is home, then I just can't get my list done!
He heads back to work tomorrow, so I'll post a new Challenge then.

Here is how I did on my challenge:

Put away Christmas items (DONE)
Dust (not done...but will do tomorrow.)
Sweep the stairs (not done...but will do tomorrow.)
Put boys laundry away (DONE)
Start laundry (it's never ending!) (STARTED)
Work on Dinner menu for next week (DONE...will post tomorrow.)
Work on Grocery list (DONE)
Grocery shopping (DONE)

Using the traffic light system:
RED - means I need to finish tomorrow...no if, ands or buts!
YELLOW - means I will work on it again tomorrow.
GREEN - means I'm done, it's a go....I can move on....start dancing.

~Organized Funky Monkey~

Weekend Challenge

2009-01-17T13:27:00.003-06:00

I have to say I enjoyed my last challenge. My kitchen still looks great! (I know...it's only be a day or so.)

Today I plan on putting up the remaining Christmas items that have been hiding in my front office. I think it's about time it all gets put away.
So here is my list for the weekend:

Put away Christmas items
Dust
Sweep the stairs
Put boys laundry away
Start laundry (it's never ending!)
Work on Dinner menu for next week
Work on Grocery list
Grocery shopping

That's it for Saturday and Sunday. Keeping it simple.
Next week I will start another Challenge--possibly the craft room or office. So if you are needing to get those done, stop by and let me know your progress!
~Organized Funky Monkey~

Update - Kitchen Clean Up Challenge

2009-01-15T13:26:00.001-06:00

Kitchen Clean Up Challenge - COMPLETED! This is going to be my weekly Friday Challenge. This way hubby can enjoy the clean kitchen during the day on the weekends. Luckly for my he is off tomorrow on vacation!
Time to do my Funky Monkey Dance!

30 Minute Challenge - Kitchen Clean Up

2009-01-15T12:02:00.001-06:00

Well here we go! Are you up for your first challenge?

Take 30 minutes to clean the kitchen: (no tv, no computer, no music....just you, paper towels, a broom and a dust pan!)
Do each task separately until it's completed, then move onto the next. DO NOT cheat and try to do it all at once....there's a method to my madness.

Wipe off Kitchen table and chairs

Sweep under table and area right around the table

Clean off ONE counter top and cabinets (remove items, put any items back where they belong)

Move on to the next counter top and do the same. Making sure you put items back where they belong ---- don't just move it from one counter to another because then you'll end up with one huge mess to clean in the end!

Once all counters are done, you can now sweep the entire kitchen.

Last wipe down appliances.

The challenge is to do one area at a time, then move to the next. Each time you move on to the next area look at the one you just completed....see how nice that looks?? You want your next counter top to look the same!

You only have 30 minutes....so get moving and get it done!
I'm off.....be back to post my next and last challenge for today. (baby steps...no one said you had to do it all in one day.)

Lazy does as Lazy sees....hanging my head in shame!

2009-01-15T10:47:00.000-06:00

My almost 15 year old daughter and I are too much alike. That's probably why we fight constantly about things!! Don't get me wrong, she is a wonderful girl. Nice to others, a great friend, the best neighborhood babysitter, has great self esteem and respects other adults.
We argue usually over getting her to pick up her stuff! It's pure laziness. How many times can you walk over your basket full of clean laundry to get up the stairs?? How many times can I ask you to put your shoes away??

Well today I guess I should start calling myself lazy!! As I sit here at the computer I glance down below my desk and see 2 pairs of shoes (and one pair of hers).
I also know for a fact that I just took my boots off and left them in the living room too!! (I'm leaving in about an hour, so I figured why put them in the shoe cabinet?? --- as I'm sure that's what my daughter thinks too. )
I also know I've had a laundry basket sitting in my room for a few weeks too that I have not emptied yet.

I could use the same old excuse I always give to other or to myself.....I have to clean up after 5 other people, so I don't always have time to clean up my own mess. --- But that is just that....an excuse.
No more trying not to hear it, see it or say excuses!

I've created her, so I guess I'll have to fix her with fixing myself first.

(Lord help me if she is reading this blog.....and Lord help me if my husband is reading. He'll have a huge smile on his face if he is.)

So I'll start making challenges to myself. Some people call them goals, but I'm more into a challenges. Maybe others will take the challenges with me!
~Organized Funky Monkey~

The Ultimate Coupon Organizer!

2009-01-14T17:44:00.000-06:00

~The Ultimate Coupon Organizer!

I have found the Ultimate Coupon Organizer! (and trust me...I've gone through many to finally find one that actually works!)

It's called "Mrs. A's Grocery Coupon Organizer".
SAVE $2.00 by using this link:
http://MrsAsCouponOrganizer.com/mommiesboutique.html
Since using this product I have been able to save money at the grocery store.
How can one coupon organizer save you money??
It's extremely easy to use! This organizer was well thought out, functional and easy to use.
Simply insert coupons into the plastic sleeves in their appropriate section.
The clear coupon inserts are great because you can overlap coupons, but are still able to see them. Tall ones in the back and smaller ones up front.
When I go grocery shopping, I lay my binder out in the front part of my cart. Whenever I go down an aisle, I flip to that marked category. I am able to see all my coupons at one time. No more digging through a stack of coupons!!
When you pull out a coupon you just place it in the back of the binder.

Mrs. A's grocery coupon organizer even comes with a grocery list organizer!
This is a must have product!!
SAVE $2.00 by using this link:
http://MrsAsCouponOrganizer.com/mommiesboutique.html

~Organized Funky Monkey~

Organized Funky Monkey

2009-01-14T17:33:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the Organized Funky Monkey!

I'm am known for having a ton of ideas and things I want to get done, but I tend to forget where the heck I wrote it down! It always goes in that place that I say "I'll remember it's here...."

So that's how the "Organized Funky Monkey" came about. What's a Funky Monkey? It's a celebration dance you do when you've organized an area, found the perfect product, etc.
So grab a drink, pull up a chair and bookmark me or follow me to my next Funky Monkey dance!