Organizing My Photos with My Memories Software (Also a Giveaway)

We end out this week of organizing with getting my pictures in order.  As you all know I love taking pictures heck I have a camera in the kitchen to take pictures of food to post here (Yes I'm a little obsessive).  The only downside of all the pictures is the storage space on my camera stick or when I do download them they then sit on my computer.  Once upon a time I was an avid scrapbook-er   You know the old school time where I would cut up my own paper, glue it and spend hours putting together a book.  Once I spent 8 hours straight putting together a book for one for my best friends (I wonder if she still has it?).   Well then kids happened and my love of anything requiring peace and quiet went out the door well that is if it for me that is!

For years I have admired the digi scraps I have seen by others on places like Myspace (oh yes I went that far back ... come on people it was the before of FB get with the times).  Now with work and the kids I didn't think I had time to do this, I was wrong it is actually very easy to do.  You download the software (heck I can do that), then you can either buy or YES there are FREE layouts that you can download, then here is the hard part pick the picture you want to add to the layout!  YUP so simple, now it took me a little bit how to figure out how to get the layouts and play around with them in the program but once you get the hang of it, it's a snap to do!

My Photos are no longer going to be stacking up!!

image source

So now my drawer of misc photos can actually be put into fun layouts that I can easily print at home or send to Walmart to print.  THEN I can actually put those pictures in the scrapbooks that are taking up dust in the closet.  Yes the same ones my husband keeps threatening to throw out unless I use!  Hold onto your big girl panties dude soon they will be filled up and then displayed in our home!

As you have seen I haven't done a lot of reviews or giveaways lately.  I take them very serious and think if I'm going to put my name on something I am going to give my all to it and that means taking the time to test the product and spend a good amount of time writing my post.  This usually takes me several hours so I only will take on something I know I really want to try and have the time to check out.  

My Memory Suite was very kind and offered me their software to try out.  The download only took about 10 minutes and then I was ready to play with the layouts and add my photos.   

Here are a few pages I made to show off, I will have to do some more with the photos I have and then I have great Christmas Gifts!!  Oh yes I'm all about the photo Christmas gifts.  Here you go time to WIN, you can win the software ($39.97 value).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For you who don't win you can use a $10 off coupon for the software:

USE CODE: STMMMS19426

Have a great weekend!  I hope you enjoyed my week of organization!

Organizing Shirt Drawers

My next place I tackled was the organizing the kids shirt drawers.  The boys go to a private Faith based school so we have uniforms.  I use to fold the shirts but then the boys would not like the top color and rumble threw the drawer and I would end up with shirt balls all over again!  I was checking out Pinterest the other day and found this great site that talked about how to make more space in the drawers.  I tired it and bam my problem solved the boys can now easily see the colors and now can just grab one and we are done!!  

Darkroom and Dearly put together these easy steps:

1. Lay out your shirt with the print facing up.
2. Fold the shirt in half length-wise, print still facing up.
3. Fold in your sleeves (this takes an extra fold with long-sleeved shirts)
4. Fold your shirt in half width-wise, with the sleeves tucked inside the fold.
5. Fold one more time width-wise.
6. Stack shirts in rows in your drawer with the patterned fold at the top.

Tada Done!  There is me doing it step by step with the boys uniform shirts!

This was another easy one to do and now when I do laundry it folds up easily and right back into the drawer!  I must say it has saved me a ton of time and I don't hear the "MOM I can't find the color I want" :).

Happy Thursday Everyone!

Organizing my Cupcake Cups

As you know I love to bake and cook and I organized the pantry to make it easy to find my baking needs, but I still had a drawer that holds my misc decorating items.  Is this drawer is my cupcake cups.  Sadly they never go back into the plastic cup they came in they just go in the drawer.  Each time I go to make cupcakes I end up throwing away a few that got smooched in the drawer.  I saw on pinterest and idea to put them in a spaghetti container! So on the search I went to find a cool container, I hit up Ross and Marshall's and ended up finding this really cool one.  The only bad thing is it is not clear see threw, so I took my handy label gun and put a label on it and I was good to go!

This is a simple and easy one to do, All you need:

Glass Spaghetti Container

Loose Cupcake Cups

Label (if you like to label like I do)

Group your cupcake cups together and put in the container.  Add a label if you are on the OCD side like me!

Don't let this happen to your Cupcake Cups

How to Steps:

Here is what you need and the completed project!

Happy Wednesday!  Hope you all have a great day!  I don't ever speak my political views here, but I just had to say that I was sadden last night and had a very heavy heart.  I was listening to a Christian Station this am and the announcer reminded me of Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths. So what I needed to hear and just had to share and get that off my chest, ok no more political talk :).

Now to Organize the Laundry Soap

On my organizing whirl wind of the house, I tackled the laundry room cupboard above my washer and dryer.  I was looking threw pintrest the other day and found an idea I loved.  Putting your laundry soap in a fancy glass container with a spout to make it look more elegant.  Now I found this idea on Your Little Birdie's site, she used her homemade laundry soap which I believe is probably thinner then the brand I used.  I found this container I bought also leaked :( so back to Target I went and got a different one.   You can also adjust the rubber part on the back of the spout to let it flow better.  This is a simple idea but I really love this look when I open my cupboard.

What you need:

Glass Container with Spout (Target, Hobby World etc)

Laundry Soap (Homemade may be the best since it won't be as thick)

Clean your glass container and add the laundry soap.  You can let it drain and then into the recycler went the laundry soap container.  Next time I may even try to make my own laundry (don't worry I'll show it when I'm done).

Happy Tuesday!  I have a few more fun organization things to come!

Organizing the Junk Drawer

I've been on a kick to organize my life, feeling a little bit of out sorts and need to get everything in order to feel back to normal.  I started with my pantry and that turned out GREAT.  AND to the person who commented it would only last 2 weeks, I'm here to say it is still organized and functioning just perfect!  Next on my list to do was my junk drawer.  You know the drawer that somehow collects everything from pens to pieces of gum and maybe a piece of candy once sucked on by a little one who didn't want to be caught and threw it in there not to be caught ... What that never happens at your house?

I wanted to find a drawer organizer and found one perfect size and price at Ross.  It even came with very cool little stickers for each compartment.  Since my drawer was full of junk it didn't match all of these stickers but still it helped for some of them.

On to the drawer, I emptied it out, threw out things we really didn't need and then whipped it clean.  Added the drawer organizer and then filled up the compartments.  The organizer had two drawers a small one that slides on top that saves space and makes it easy to fit it all in the drawer.  I would so recommend do this, I love to open this drawer now.  No more open real quick shove something in and then shutting it quick before something pops out at me.

Happy Monday!  Hope you all had a safe weekend!

Still on the Road to Recovery

As most of you know my dad was in a horrible accident on August 25.  He is on the road to recovery I have been working up from his house during the week to help with breakfast, etc. He is still in a lot of pain and hopping around on the broken foot supporting the other leg with the broken femur.  He is still unable to put any pressure on his broken femur leg, not even pressure on his toe!   We found out he also broke his toe on that broken femur leg and his thumb he was complaining out turns out to be broken too.  Sadly both were figured out too late to correct and have already started to heal.  

The boys visiting dad

Poor dad this is the chair he spends most of his day in

So we are on our way to recovery.  The investigation was done and all witness say the say thing the lady came straight at dad's truck, no drifting over just straight towards him.   So no time for dad to react.  Even worse news was when we found out she had no insurance or money in her estate.  Being in the hospital for those 3 weeks of course ran threw his insurance on the truck that he had on onto his personal insurance.  Which of course includes co-pays and coverage at 90%.  We are very blessed that dad survived  that he thankfully is retired so no job to have to worry about missing and money to cover the expenses of what he now will have to be burdened with and have to pay.  We are looking at the brighter picture and not trying to focus on the hurdles that we are going over.  I will be working up here at my parents for another 2 months or so, one of the best parts of being a virtual employee I can work anywhere as long as I have internet and a quiet place to make my calls.

I thought I'd share a few photos, Rick took dad to go see the truck.  That really hit home seeing the damage and just how blessed he is to have made it out alive.

What is left of the front of dad's truck

Front Wheel pushed back, Rim cracked in half and pushed up into cab

The dashed pushed forward into the front seat.

Side of truck actually bent from rolling.

You can see the rim came up threw floor board

Dad's leg was actually hanging out threw this hole.

On this front we are hanging in there and taking day by day.  But again we Thank God daily that he is alive and will weather whatever storm is to come.  Have a great weekend everyone!