Home Organization

Printable Freezer Inventory {Freebie}

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

Last weekend, as I was packing for a 3-day trip away from my family, I realized how seriously unorganized our freezer is. There is a ton of food in there-everything from ham hocks to sandwich bread to casseroles to fruit for smoothies. But everything’s all jumbled together in a heap of icy randomness.

When I went out to the freezer to pull out some of the meals I thought I’d frozen a while ago, I realized 3 problems:

I had no idea what was actually in that great, frozen cavern. I dug around for a looooong time trying to find anything edible.
Some of the stuff was labeled, but there was no date on the package so there’s no knowing if it is ok to eat.
I forgot that we had already eaten some of the things I thought should be in there.

Clearly, it was time to organize this madness. For one, I got some of these cool freezer-safe storage containers. No more clumpy plastic bags rolling around and sliding off of one another. These clear plastic containers are easily stackable, which means I’m less likely to have to hunt around in the freezer.

Printable Freezer Inventory

The next thing I did was create a system of organization for the outside of the freezer. These printable freezer inventory sheets let me know what’s in there, as well as how much of it I’ve got. When I go to make my weekly meal plan, I can check the freezer inventory to see if I need to buy more chicken breasts, and if so how much.

I made 2 different versions of these freezer inventory sheets. The only difference is that one has a space to write in the quantity of each item in the freezer, and the other doesn’t. At first I left out the “quantity” section. But then as I was adding pork chops to my list, I realized that sometimes I freeze a single chop and other times I have a whole package that needs to be stored. It would make meal planning much easier if I could simply glance at the freezer instead of having to find the pork chops to decide if I need more than I already have on hand.

My freezer inventory is best printed on regular 8.5” x 11” paper. You can print them in color or, in your printer preferences, select the file to print in black and white. There is already a margin set on the page so you can also select the “fit to page” option when you go to print it.

If you have a freezer that is in a covered area (ours is outside but sheltered from rain), you can slide the freezer inventory page into a sheet protector and stick it to the outside of the freezer with sticky tack. Then, as you add or remove items, you can easily access the paper to write in or cross things off.

There are .pdf files that you can access by clicking here for the one with the “Qty.” section or here for the file without a quantity section. Or you can right-click the images below and save them to your computer.

I hope this helps you (and me!) get a little more organized when it comes to freezer storage. Next hurdle: actually going through and throwing out the old food! Got any tips on a system for remembering to do that?

Taming Clutter with a Toy Storage System

Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate.

Our place is tiny for a home with 6 people living in it. It’s not the people that make it feel small, though. It’s all the stuff we’ve got! I’m constantly trying to pare us down to having less ‘stuff’, and even though we don’t own a ridiculous amount of things, sometimes it feels like we just have too much stuff.

One of the biggest clutter issues in our house are all they toys. We don’t need to buy toys because we are given so many, and now they are everywhere! But I wouldn’t want to throw out something that was a gift, so we’re kind of in a pickle here.

We looked into getting some toy shelves that help organize all the toys. As cute as they are, they just don’t fit in our small space. Fortunately I have a solution.
Enter my Toy Storage System
I’ve noticed that, no matter how many toys as we have, that is how many toys the kids will dump all over the floor. They play with a thing for a few seconds and then are over it. Or worse, they just dump them all out to see what all is in the toy box. Little stinkers!
Since they are just going to spread everything out anyway, I figure I might as well give them half as much stuff to make a mess with.
I set aside the absolute favorite toys because those are too precious to be put in storage. Then I divided the books, puzzles, toys and stuffed animals into 2 groups. Half of the toys went into a big toy storage bin (just a regular plastic bin from Target or WalMart works great). I like to use a clear bin so I can see what all is in there.

After that, the kids and I drove to the storage unit to drop the toys off. If you have a garage that would probably be more ideal and a lot easier to access once you want to switch the toys out, but we don’t have a garage so a storage unit works fine for us.
I labeled the bin with the date we boxed the toys up (because, Mommy brain), and in 2 or 3 months we’ll go back and swap the toys currently in our house with the toys that are now in storage. It’ll be like Christmas in June!
I know what you’re thinking: How can someone find the time to do this? But seriously, packing up the toys didn’t take very long at all. I think I did it after everyone went to bed one night. The kids were a little confused about why their toys were in a box, but they mostly had fun jumping off the boxes. Because my kids are animals.
Our living space is still not something I would describe as “tidy”, but we’re a lot closer! Not only that, there is more space for the kids to play and with fewer toys to find places for, it’s easier for them to help with clean-up.
I don’t know about you, but toy organization and storage is an ongoing dilemma around here. I’m sharing this system because it works for us, but I’m wondering if you have any good ideas as well?

Baby Steps to Home Organization and Less Clutter

When you make the decision to organize your living space, it is best to start small. Begin with one area, like a counter top or bookshelf. Go through each item and make decisions about where it belongs. Would it be more useful in another room? Does it belong with items that are stored somewhere else? Is this something that you can donate or throw out?

Take everything completely off of or out of the space. Once you can see the empty space, clean it well and replace the items that you have chosen to keep.

Empty shelf on wooden background. Wood texture.

Be sure to leave space between decorative pieces, and by all means don’t replace paper clutter!

open book on the table

If you choose just one space a day, follow these tips, and take baby steps, you will find that you can get the clutter under control with minimal effort.

Best of luck to you on your journey to living with less clutter!

Meal Planning Template

Do you make weekly meal plans for your family? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a meal planning template to keep track of all your recipes for the week? And how much easier would it be if that template was editable so you can just copy and paste from your favorite websites? Well, lovely readers, no matter your preference, I’ve got you covered.

Here you go- 3 options for a meal planning template!

Black and white Meal Planning Template

for the printer-ink-conscious chef

Color Meal Planning Template

for the chef who likes things pretty

And also a .pdf Template (Editable)!

this template is great for chefs who find recipes online. You can just type right into it, copying and pasting the link for your recipe and keeping everything organized in one spot!

We all know that meal planning is a great way to stick to a grocery budget and to keep good food on the table. I hope these templates help you to get your family on the road to healthy eating at home! Just click the link for the meal planning template of your choice, save it to your computer, and you’re all set! Or right-click the image, and select “save image as…”, and save it to your computer!

If there are any changes I could make that would make these templates more effective, please let me know in the comments.

4 Quick Tips for Getting a Handle on Household Clutter

Let’s talk clutter. You know- the toys, books, papers, and random household items that mysteriously end up right in the space that you want to organize. You want a tidy home, but everywhere you look there are things cluttering up your living space. When making the decision to creating a more organized home, the very first step in organizing is to do some serious de-cluttering (I’m pretty sure that’s a word). The great thing is, de-cluttering can be done in a very short amount of time. Don’t worry, you can put the rubber gloves away. Today we’re just going to deal with the clutter. Cleaning comes later.

Tip #1
Perform daily CARE (Collection And Removal Expedition). On a daily basis, go through the major living areas and collect all the items that don’t belong there. Remove them and place them in the right spot. Simply carry a laundry basket with you to toss items into while you roam the house. You and your family can work as a team to replace the items to their homes. This can be done at the end of the day when clutter levels are at their highest, or right before dinner as you are clearing the table for the family meal.
Tip #2
Every thing needs a home. As you are de-cluttering, begin to group like items in easy-to-locate places. Use baskets or storage containers that are clearly labeled. This will help your family to know where to put things and make it easier to tidy up. If you encounter an item that doesn’t have a place to be or is rarely used, consider putting it into storage. When you are confronted with difficult-to-place things, reflect on whether this item is even necessary to have around.
Tip #3
Don’t keep items that you can live without. If you haven’t used it in a year, will you really miss that item? Is it something that can be easily replaced? Or maybe you have another item that can do the same job? Recently I realized that I have a small, manual food chopper and a large food processor that also chops food. The small manual processor was in good condition and was even in its original packaging, so I was able to sell it on eBay. This way I made some space in my kitchen and made a little money in the process. You don’t want an unused thing in your home collecting dust and taking up space, so before you stash another surplus item away in a closet, think about selling it or giving it to charity or a thrift store.
Tip #4
Make tidy living a habit. Start putting things away right now. When you are done using something, return it to its home, and encourage your family to do the same. At all cost, avoid creating junk drawers and junk rooms, because these are simply places for clutter to collect behind closed doors. Start going through the things that are piling up, because a home with less clutter leads to a more organized home.

How do you handle clutter build-up? If you have any tips to add, share them in the comments below!

These 4 quick tips will help you stay on top of household clutter and give you a plan for a more organized and tidy home.

Free Printable Calendar Template

Hi, and thanks for stopping by! Just for you, I’m sharing a printable calendar template that I recently created.

This calendar thing began because I’m at a new job and it is turning out to be a MAJOR hassle to stay on top of deadlines and such. Of course, I could have just printed out a boring ol’ table to keep track of dates, but instead I slapped together a “more pleasing to the eye” calendar, complete with cute font!
Some links may be affiliate.

There are 4 templates included in the download:

Black and white printable calendar template
Color printable calendar template
Black and white calendar template with editable month, date, and notes section
Color calendar template with editable month, date, and notes section

Here is a preview of the free printable calendar template options

How to Keep Track of Floor Sponges and Dishes Sponges

This is a tip shared with me by my best friend. I thought it was absolutely genius, but I’m pretty naive so this may be an old trick. But I like the idea of repurposing/recycling sponges to save money!

Here’s what you do:

Take an old sponge that is no longer good for using on dishes. Instead of throwing out this old sponge, make a few cuts on either side of it. This helps to distinguish it from other sponges. Now you have an old, grungy sponge that is great for using on floors and bathrooms!

Got any tips and tricks for housekeeping you can share with me? Tell me about them in the comments, please!

How Shelves Save My Sanity (A Peek into My Home)

Deep down, I am a tidy person wanting to live in a tidy house. But the reality is, I have two fussbucket babies keeping me from doing anything that requires 2 hands. I’m sure that any mom with 2 small children can relate! We live in a pretty good-sized place for being an apartment, but it just always seems so crowded in here. We don’t have a garage, so that could be the problem. Maybe we have too much stuff? Whatever the reason, my solution last year was that, since there isn’t a lot of floor space for organizational furniture, we need shelves. Lots of them. I added them one at a time and my wonderful husband did all the hammering and sawing. I just painted them, and sometimes not even that! I think I am out of places to put a shelf. On second thought, there is some space in the dining area… Side note: Don’t worry, our apartment manager doesn’t have a problem with the shelves.

Ok so each shelf was put there for one specific thing that was making my tiny tidy self nuts.

I had no place for the baby tub stuff. Shelf remedy: In the bathroom over the door.

The Boy’s backpack was always on the floor. Shelf remedy: Weird shutter shelf behind the front door.

I had no where to put my Dutch Oven. Shelf remedy: Over the kitchen window.

I’ll admit, I have too many knick-knacks (spelled right?). Shelf remedy: Living room wall.

And finally, the purely functional but not pretty solution to my husband’s backpack being on the floor and me not having anywhere to store shorts in winter/sweaters in summer. Shelf remedy: yuck-o industrial storage style in the bedroom closet.

I’m moving on from shelves. It’s time to rearrange furniture.

How do you stay organized at home? Share in the comments.

How to Start a Simple Budget

how to start budgeting. basic steps to take when you're thinking of starting a budget for your family. Tips and ideas to get you started on a debt free life.

Photo used with permission by ptmoney.com.

Living within a budget is important for the organized mom. Especially when your planned pregnancy turns out to be a TWIN pregnancy! When the girls were born, we were still trying to figure out the essential twin gear we would need, and whether we would need 2 of everything. The financial burden seemed overwhelming because we figured that two babies would require twice as much stuff. Our lives were going to need to have twice as much space. We were crammed into a too-small car and apartment, and somewhere in there had to fit in daycare.

Here’s how to Start a Simple Budget:

Don’t rush into it.

Start by cutting back on spending. Don’t use credit cards for a few months. Before you buy something, ask yourself if it is something you WANT or something you NEED. Can you live without it? If so, don’t buy it. Not spending on extra stuff will help you see what your main expenses will cost each month.

Keep a Record.

Write down everything you buy and what it cost you. Use a small, pocket-sized notebook. At the end of a month you have an idea of what you will spend in gas, food, and all the other stuff that zaps away your paycheck.

Set Goals.

Be frugal where you can. Once you have an estimate for what your grocery bill should be, try to stay within that amount. Give you and your family a set amount to use for dining out and entertainment and stick to it. Adjust within reason the next month if you underbudgeted.

Take Baby Steps.

There will always be that unexpected expense that sets you back in your budgeting, but take it one day at a time. Which leads me to…

Reward Yourself.

At the end of the day, tell yourself “I did a good job today!” You’re trying your best, doing what’s best for your family and that’s a big deal! Did you have a day when you didn’t spend anything? Great! Write that “No Money Day” in your budgeting notebook or on the calendar.

Do you have tips for setting up a family budget? Share what works for you in the comments.

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