Dollar Store-ganization: Shower Hooks and Baskets

When we moved into our new place a few weeks ago, we were so happy to have so much more space. I mean, I could do a CARTWHEEL in the living room if I wanted. That's the big time, people. :)

Oddly enough, amidst the bigger rooms and higher ceilings, the closet was smaller than any we'd ever had.

That sounded like a job for Dollar Tree to me.

Want extra storage for next to no money?

BOOM:

That's right, folks. Two (or more!) baskets and pack of shower curtain hooks are all you need. At $1 a piece, I'm satisfied. 

Give it a go!

Tension Rod Shoe Rack

It's a new year and my husband and I are in a new apartment AND just got a new car (last night). "WE'RE RICH!" ... Said us NEVER. We are actors. "Rich" is not in our vocabulary unless we're reminiscing about that McCaulay Culkin movie with the roller coaster in his backyard. These grown-up-y purchases are purely out of necessity. And because of it, we are living creatively frugal little lives.

So, when I found that old Pinterest hack (and you will see a lot of them on this here blog) with tension rods and shoe organization, I knew it to be done.

Would you like a tutorial? Too bad. None needed. This is too easy.

Just put that rods in and boomshakalaka.

.... That's what she said.

.... Also, I had to look up how to spell "boomshakalaka."

Awful Mess:

Happiness:

Spice Rack Organization Extravaganza

My darling husband gave me the perfect gift for Christmas this year. Seeing as how I'm now in my 27's and have refocused my attention onto old-people-things like de-cluttering the house and labeling things, a gift card to the Container Store was about as righteously awesome as my husband could get!

I had never been to this magical place before.

I, lover of tupperware, creative shelving, and color-coded tabbing, had. never. been. to. the. Container. Store.

Let me tell you, if it had a Greek restaurant attached to it and a rolling supply of Diet Coke, this would be my idea of Heaven.

Needless to say, one of my (many) purchases included spice containers... Which I then promptly labelled upon my arrival home. Because we can't drill anything into our apartment kitchen cabinets, I organized them with this magical fancy shmancy, TOTALLY affordable spice rack I scored from Amazon for just 8.99: Organizer Rack 20 Cabinet Door Spice Clips (White) (1"H x 1.5"W x 10"D).

The result?

Spice Jars- $1.49/ ea at The Container Store

Labels- Avery Kitchen Labels 3.79/20 labels at Target

What are you organizing lately?

Pinteresting Around The House: Silverware Turned Jewelry Organizer.

I'm a believer in the idea that every new year should feel like a clean slate.

Granted, I tend to get a little clean-slate-happy regardless of what time of year it is. Perhaps it's every month. Or birthday. Or week. Or every third Wednesday of every other month. Or every Full Moon. Regardless, I love the feeling of starting anew (hence my avid obsession with rearranging the furniture; my poor husband never knows what to expect upon his arrival home after work).

Thusly, I have spent the last eight hours scouring our apartment; cleaning to the max, kids.

The reason you can know that this is on the border of excessive is that we live in a small one bedroom apartment. So, I was meticulous... to say the least.

I am, by no means, any sort of Mary Poppins, Martha Stewart, Betty Crocker, Sandra Lee, insert other females publicly recognized for their practical perfection in every other way. But, I do enjoy organizing.

Today's little project? A Pinterest find from long ago: Silverware Organizer turned Jewelry McAwesome Organizer.

This was super de-duper easy, quick, cheap, and cute. All you'll need is a couple screws, a screw gun, a hammer, and however many nails to accommodate your jewelry needs. I screwed the silverware bin directly into the wall and began hammering in the nails from there. Easy as pie and a great easy-access way to keep up with your bling.

Tiny Changes: Week 3 Operation Clean Car!

Last week was an arse-kickin' week that forced me to abandon my mini struggle for change. Regardless, I upheld the previous week's challenge of food prepping. Timothy and I have found an unprecedented success in our relationship: we haven't let ANY leftovers go to waste for two whole weeks!

This week is all prepped!

- Salad
- Mixed Berries (Cranberries, Strawberries, Blackberries, Blueberries)
- Roast Beef Sandwiches For Hubs
- Fold-Out Turkey and Swiss Sammiches for Me
- Steamed Shrimp For Hubs

WHAT? I know. We're kindof more amazing than Martha Stewart.

This week's tiny change is in tribute to my newly repaired car. My pride and joy, my sweet baby Honda Element suffered radiator damage from an after market fan mishap. 4,000 buckaroos later (she says while shaking her fist at the car gods), my car is all better and more like new than when I got her. So, I'm looking at this (stoopidly) expensive overhaul as a clean slate.

I'm a very clean person in all departments of life SANS the car. It's so simple to abandon that travel mug and leave this bag... and that bag... and that umbrella... and that piece of mail... and that napkin... and that pair of shoes... and before you know it, all of the objects in your house have found themselves conveniently tucked into every corner of your poor car.

So, today it stops!

And what better way to start than with a little Pinterest inspiration? The Car Emergency Kit. Most pinners suggest using an old baby wipe container. I ain't got no babies so I ain't got no wipe container. I grabbed a plastic tote from the Dollar Tree and kablam!

Because I have a plethora of free samples (it's an addiction, kids), I used what I already had on hand. I also scored 25 cent (for a THREE-PACK) air fresheners at Walgreens. I bought every single one they had left. My car will smell delightful for all of eternity now.

In My Car Kit

- Lint Rollers

- Facial Moisturizer

- Shampoo/ Conditioner

- Body Spray

- Razor

- Mouth Wash

- Instant Coffee

- Granola Bars (If you live somewhere warm, don't use CHOCOLATE bars like I did)

- Hand Lotion

- Chapstick

- Lady Products

- Flashlight

- Ink Pens

What I intend to add: 

- Q-Tips

- Mini Scissors

- Band-Aids

- Tweezers

- Deodorant

- Hair Brush

- Eye Drops

- Pain Killers

What's in your kit? Check out my inspiration right here! 

The No Drama Mama & The Good Life Blog

Cabinet Organization

Timothy and I moved into our humble, sweet apartment on January 1st, 2013. It was (and remains) perfect for our modest newlywed life. But, it took a while to come to terms with the fact that our kitchen was pantry-less. Not pantyless, mind you. PantRy-less.

In a weird way, I've kind of fallen in love with not having a pantry. We are less tempted to buy things we don't need. Pantries invite over-spending and unnecessary storage in an apartment as small as ours. 

That being said, we still lost control of our food cabinet. Hot mess.

So, I sure did take that bull by the horns and fix that little cabinet right up.

Here are a few tips for keeping your little kitchen cabinets nice and clean:

1. Get yourself some shelf liners. Not only do they look nice, they're simply more sanitary and can be easily removed, replaced and prevent stains on shelves that you don't own (ah, renter woes).

2. Save jars and other sturdy containers for easy storage. We have lots of loose items likes K-cups, Crystal Light mixes, tea bags that can go everywhere when not contained. I scored that rockin' tea jar from Goodwill for a buck. From an aesthetic point, rice looks better in a seal tight container than a floppy bag.

3. Go to Dollar Tree right now. The turquoise container in the bottom left is from Dollar tree and is great for keeping snack bags for lunches in one place.

4. Labels are cute and practical. Our printer is out of ink so I wrote mine out. Feel free to find yourself some lovely printables on Pinterest. Labels are a cheap way to say, "I'm awesome and label stuff. I'm more organized than you."

5. Put like with like. Always.

6. Place lesser used items on top shelves. Remember that time we spent $800 dollars on all natural steel cut oats and then we made them ONE time and it took seventeen hours to cook? Yes. That qualifies as lesser used.

7. Don't wanna toss it? Re-gift that mess! We had lots of gifted snacks and treats that we just weren't ever going to eat. Thus, I sent hubby to work with them to give out to co-workers. We gain more storage space and look like totally nice people. :)

 

Fridge-tastic

On a quiet Sunday afternoon with Eric Hutchinson singing sweetly through the speakers, it is definitely a good time to do the most awesome thing in the world:

Clean out the fridge.

What? That doesn't sound awesome to you?

Me neither. But, it had to be done.

Are you here for fridge cleaning tips? Ok, I'd be glad to share my expertise.

1. If it has chunks and is meant to be creamy, you should probably throw it out.
2. If it was once solid and is now liquid (or any other variation on liquid- i.e. mushy, gushy), you should probably throw it out.
3. If its expiration date is June of last year, you should probably throw it out.
4. If it's an empty container, you should probably throw it out.
5. If it smells like doo-doo caca poopy pants, you should probably throw it out.
6. If it has turned into a science project, you should probably throw it out.

Do that and VOILA:

I know. Your mind is blown. Suck it, Martha.

Trashy Closet

Pinterest has ignited a fiery passion within me for organization. It's sick, really. I'm a 26-year old newlywed with the mentality of 38-year old woman in mom jeans. When I found myself looking up secrets to better smelling laundry the other day, I had to close the laptop and take a moment to breathe in and readjust my grasp on these last twenty-something years. 

I've never been a dumpster diver, per se. I don't like the idea of being on a quest to dig through smelly bags and wrestle used syringes just for a totally awesome sock or a nonfunctional box TV. But, living in an apartment complex means a daily drive past the dumpster, a virtual treasure box of toss-outs by people recklessly emptying their apartments by the time their lease is up. I've found lamps, couches, dressers. It's a very profitable exploit if you can get past the idea that what you're grabbing hasn't even been through the selection and elimination process of thrift store employees. 

So, naturally, when I stumbled upon three pieces of particle board leaning ever so temptingly next to the dumpster, I had to grab them. 4 fifty-cent Ikea brackets later, I had a $2 closet makeover. :)

*CATNIP TIDBIT* (for cat owners): Our tiny apartment allows us NO where but the closet to keep the litter box. We don't want our clothes to get all stinky! Most closets don't come equipped with outlets so I hung a power strip on the wall (with the chord under the door) and put an air freshener there. Smells great! Also, we use the Roll 'n' Clean Litter Box. It's affordable and functional! No scooping! Get it for just $21 at 1-800-PETSUPPLIES.