Thanksgiving Binder

This is a little late, but better late than never right?! I was hoping to have this posted by last week but I got caught up with the usual chaos around our household and just couldn't get enough time to sit down and tackle this post. So, lets get started!

If I haven't mentioned already, I'm a HUGE YouTube geek! Secret confession, dont judge me! I love watching other YouTuber's videos over house organization, mommy bloggers, couponers, make-up tips, pretty much anything. You would be amazed what information you can find on YouTube. For me, I feel like I get a better understanding when I can visually see someone explain how to do something. One of my favorite "YouTuber's" is a lady named Jennifer Ross and she has three channels: Organizedlikejen, Myhousewifelife, and Winniethetzutube. She can be a little much at first. If you don't like bubbly, bouncy, happy attitudes then she isn't for you. However, since I'm pretty much that way myself, then I was attracted to her channels and just love her! She is VERY type A and that's exactly what I like about her channel. She gives so many simple yet great ways to get organized while also being extremely possitive and happy about the littlest things in life! (She is also a huge disney freak, which was a bonus for me lol) Early last week she showed how she organized her Thanksgiving Binder. I host Thanksgiving at our house, this being my 3rd year, and as soon as I saw this video, I knew I had to make one right away!! That very day after watching her video, I headed out and bought the supplies needed and put it together. This binder is almost EXACTLY like the one she made, so I can not take credit for the idea or design. I can, however, pass this tip on to you and maybe its something that can help you out as well!

Lets start with the Binder itself. I bought a 1 inch Avery brand binder from Staples. I also purchased some Avery 5 tab pocketed dividers and some page protectors. All the supplies I purchased, including the pocket that I will show you later, cost me just over $15. Not bad!

 

 

For starters, I put a simple cover page on the front. I also put on on the side, but didn't get a picture of that. I do hope to have prettier cover page at some point, but that may have to wait until next year. This will work for now :-)

 

 

 

Next, when you open the binder, it starts off with my first tab, Guest list. Now, why have a guest list you ask? Well, I'm sure most of you are like me and there are many family and/or friends that you would like to consider when thinking about who to invite. Here, I like to list EVERYONE that I will and could invite. Then, as they RSVP yes or no, I can then put a check mark or a "Y" or "N" next to their name and then about a week or so before I can put a final head count number at the bottom of the page. That way, I know how many people to consider when figuring up a setting chart as well as making sure I have enough food and beverage for everyone.

 

 

               

 

The next tab is for my menu. There are TONS of food that we make every year and I have been in the kitchen, food is being served and someone says something like "Where is the Gravy??". Talk about having that "OH CRAP" feeling! I like to have my menu items all listed out so that I can have easy access to them and double check regularly that I have made or am in the process of making everything I intended on making.

 

 

 

 

The 3rd tab is for my Shopping list and To-Do lists. I'm a HUGE list maker so this gives me a place to keep them organized. I hate writing a list, losing it, and then having to rewrite it only to possibly forget something. I also made a Master Grocery shopping list. I took into consideration the usual items I will more than likely buy every year and typed it up. Just so I don't forget any of the important items.

 

 

 

The next tab is for all of my recipes. This is were I will store the recipes I have chosen to use for the current season. I don't know how many times we have gone to make a recipe for the holiday and cant find it, have to call around to our family and search for the recipe. I finally have a written copy of all the important recipes and now have a place that I know I can find them. I want to store only the recipes I know for a fact I will use for the current holidy in this section. I will store all other recipes in the next tab. I can move them back and forth accordingly.

 

 

 

The last tab is for all the recipes I would like to try, either for this holiday possibly or save for next year. I have found tons of recipes on Pinterest, off of food channels on tv, from blogs, or just from other friends or family that sound perfect for the Thanksgiving holiday. But sometimes the stack of these new recipes gets lost and jumbled up and then I end up forgetting about them and never getting a chance to try them out. Now, just like with my very important recipes, they have a place too.

 

 

 

In the back of the binder I put this pocketed file. I can store photos, receipts, or any other misc. items that don't fit into any certain category but that I need to hold on to for any important reason.

 

 

 

 So there you have it folks. My new Thanksgiving Binder. I cannot tell you how good of a feeling it is to be organized during the holidays and know that I have everything in one place. No more hunting down all the recipes, forgetting what I need to buy, not knowing for sure who is coming and if I will have enough food. Everything is covered. And, I have room to improve. I know this binder will just get better every year as I add more to it and as it evolves to fit our needs from year to year. I hope this inspires you to make one for yourself. And if you don't like my tabs, find what works for you and what would help you to stay organized for your own needs. I cant believe Thanksgiving is just over a week away! I hope everyone has the best of Holidays with their loved ones!! Happy Thanksgiving!!

 

P.S. I also plan on making a Christmas Binder! Check back soon!! I plan on tackling that this week :)

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Magnet Make-up Board, another Pinterest inspiration!

So here we are, yet again. Another Pinterest inspiration. I actually had intention of posting this a LONG time ago right after I had made this. But, as you know, time slipped away from me. It was October so the hustle and bustle of the holidays was right within grasp as well as finals and just the normal craziness that happens from October-Jan for just about everyone! My cousin turned 15 in early October and I struggled with what to get her. I have lately turned to making gifts for people since its a lot cheaper, you can give something one of a kind, and with all the fabulous ideas on Pinterest, it gave a crafty person like me a reason to try something new!

Here was my inspiration:



Found on Pinterest via LauraThoughts81.blogspot.com



Here is what I came up with:

This was actually so easy to make! I did supply her with magnets so that if she wanted to use it as a make-up board she could, but she could also use it for what ever needs she found suited her best. I just thought it turned out funky and fun and just perfect for her! Here is the process of how I made this magnet board:

First, I found a cheap frame at the thrift store that had great shape and an awesome design in the molding. Its obviously an ugly frame but it had great potential! I only paid $4 for the frame!! WooHoo!!



Then I had to find something that the magnets could stick to that was light enough to work with. So, the best thing I could find was this Galvanized Flashing. I'm not sure what the actual use for this is, however it was inexpensive and was perfect for what I needed it for. The roll cost about $13 however, there is enough flashing here for me to do about 20 more smaller frames. Needless to say this was a purchase that will come in handy for many other projects down the road. I would say I used about $2 worth of the product, roughly.





Next I just traced out what I needed, then painted the frame a shiney black color.

Now, I didn't want the metal to show so I found some fabric that was on sale at Walmart that I thought would really "pop" in her room. If you have seen my daughters bright neon green walls in her bedroom, then you would be familiar with my cousins walls as its the exact same green color. I felt this pink cheetah fabric, that I only paid $1.20 for, would really work well against the green!

The hardest part of this whole project was finding a way to attach the fabric covered metal piece to the frame so that it would hold. I tried hot glue, super glue, just about 5 different glues I could find around my house. It finally held but lets just say the back is something left to be desired lol. Lucky it wont get seen and all you will see is the fabulous front! It turned out to be a hit and she loved it! I'm thinking of making myself one for the kitchen to keep track of notes, school papers, and reminders. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

 

Organizing for the Holidays!

Hello Blogger World!! How have y'all been?! I have obviously been a lazy bum, and not just in blogging but also in everything I had planned for this Monday. I woke up this morning so refreshed and motivated to get so many things done today and I have yet to fully mark anything off the good old "to-do" list. Last week my great friend Nicki and I attended our very first Kick Boxing class. We loved it so much and were going to attend it again this morning. Her poor Grandfather has been very sick for quite sometime and recently had surgery so she has been helping a lot with her Grandmother to take care of him. I feel so sad for her family and all they are going through and know how their hearts must be breaking to watch someone they love be this ill. So, understandably so, she was unable to attend with me this morning in helping take care of him over the night last night. So, instead of just going to the class anyways....I decided a trip to the McDonald's drive through made much more perfect sense....right?! Ofcourse it does! Its Monday after all, which normally in our house don't start of to well.

Most of my morning was spent catching up on morning TV and enjoying the best tasting biscuit Ive had....well, at least since the last one I had just a few days ago. Hey, I'm a SAHM and a full time student and I work hard to keep things rollin in this house.....don't judge me! ;)

Anyways, I have been preparing our house most of the weekend for the up and coming holidays and thought I would share some of the things I do around our house to get our home, minds, budgets, and even bodies in order so that we aren't all running around the house like crazy when Thanksgiving and Christmas are here. Here are my MUST do's that seem to take a little stress off my back around the holidays and hopefully they can bring some sanity to your home as well :).

1. The VERY first thing I do, around the week or so before Thanksgiving, is to give my house a complete scrub down. We are talking every nook and cranny here people. Trust me, you will be glad you did this. With all the evens and festivities that go on around the holidays, many late nights out shopping, family and friends who visit, holiday parties, etc... there isn't much time (at least not time you want to spend) to spend cleaning your home inside and out. If you take this time to deep clean your home now, maybe even get rid of some clutter, then really the only type of cleaning you have to worry about until the New Year is just light cleaning and picking up.

2. Update your Household manual, if you have one. I usually only worry about "updating" my Christmas section since this is the main area of focus for this time of year. Here is a great website for Household Manual Printables and the ones you should really get for the holidays are here. There are a TON of Christmas stuff that you never would have thought that could help you so much, but they have me for the last couple of years! Plus, if your anything like me, then you start purchasing Christmas gifts around July/August and then start to forget what you have as they start piling up in the closet. This way, you can keep things organized, know who you purchased for and how much you've spent and so on.

3. Schedule your Christmas family portrait NOW! In our house, Daddy Holmes isnt to fond of having his picutre taken, so its a little easier for us to plan pretty much just around Gracie. She is usually the focus of our Christmas Card theme and usually I just set up a cute display/back drop and then snap some shots myself. But, if you like to feature your entire family in the photo, then NOW is the time to set those things up. Depending on who you want in the photograph and who you want to take the pictures will all be important factors in trying to decide when you need to have this done. Plus, if you have them done now you wont have a bunch of people outside in the freezing cold trying to smile for a photo.

4. Take some time for yourself. The craziness of the Holidays tend to leave a little less time for self improvement then what we would all like. We spend so much time worrying and helping others that we forget its important to thing about ourselves as well. Make a few extra trips to the gym. Force your self to go when you would otherwise be more likely to go through the McDonald's drive through instead of just going to that Kickboxing class.....take this example from myself lol. Not that it will make any difference whether you focus on losing any weight or what ever your normal fitness goals are, but it will really help you to keep your metabolism going and maybe help burn those calories from the extra cookie or ten you decide to eat during holiday festivities ;). Did I say ten....is that just me who eats like a cow during the holidays?! I digress....

On a side note, working out always gives us energy and I always feel happier when I am working out alot. That's something we all could use a little extra of during all the hustle and bustle of the holidays. In our family, I am the one who cooks the big turkey dinners, so I need all the energy and happiness I can get to stay awake to cook and keep from killing other family members. Did I just say that out loud?! ;)

5. Write your holiday dinner lists and budget now. There are TONS of couponing deals to be had and if you start now its not to late to snag some free or really cheap stuff for your holiday dinners! I think the lowest price so far I have seen for Turkey's was at Walmart for $.89/lb. That's a great deal, cheaper then I paid at $.99/lb just last week. If you are like me and you started stockpiling stuff for the holiday meals about a month ago then you should have some great baking items in your pantry. Remember they start putting out Holiday baking items and sales for these items with corresponding coupons start coming out in the beginning of October. You just gotta PLAN AHEAD! You will be happy you did!

6. Lights! If you put outside Christmas lights on your house now is a great time to do that as well. Since the whether is much warmer now then it will be in only a few weeks you will save your self alot of holiday turmoil. Its only a couple weeks early if you do it now so it wont look tacky and you don't have to worry about turning them on until Dec.1st or if your an early bird, Black Friday. You will be so happy you did it early in the warmer weather, trust me!

7. Start planning your Black Friday deals NOW! There are many sites that have listed the Black Friday adds and most stores, Target, Walmart, Best Buy etc. have listed them on their sites so you can start getting your game plan for your Black Friday shopping now instead of waiting for the paper to come out. My coupon friends and I are all teaming up to go shopping together and have been working hard to plan our shopping trip for the last couple of weeks now. We also attended a Black Friday workshop and learned many great tricks to the Black Friday shopping. Point is, you can start planning now and be way ahead of the game! It will pay off to be ahead of the game.

8. Go through your children's toys. This sort of goes along with getting your house deep cleaned, but honestly, its such a dreaded thing in my house that it deserves its own category. Every year, whether its Birthday or Holiday, our daughter Gracie gets WAAAAAAYYYY to many toys. I always tell everyone to get her anything but toys and yet she seems to get twice as much as she did the year before. We have a decent sized home, but if I kept everything she got each year we would be living out in the garage because her toys would have consumed our entire living area. I know you know what I'm talking about. I think its a rule that grandparents must buy out Toys-R-Us and Walmarts toy department every year, its crazy. So, in order to have an organized place for the new toys to have a home, you need to get rid of some old. Now, as much as I LOVE getting rid of things, I just cant bring myself to do this part behind Gracie's back. Yes, she is young enough that I could just toss her stuff and she would never know the difference, but there are a couple reasons why I think its important to have her involved. One reason being that she has so much stuff that she even forgets what she has. Its important to remind her about the toys she has and encourages her to want to play with them again when they have been up high on the shelf for so long, out of sight out of mind. Also, its important that she helps in deciding what to keep and what to toss/donate. It lets her know that its okay to get rid of toys and donate them to the less fortunate and it feels like its more her choice to get rid of them then it is of "mommy is taking them away" sort of thing. Plus, telling her that new ones will be coming sorta helps the process move a little quicker. I don't like to get rid of ALL the toys, however. Some of her toys, the ones she still likes but still doesn't play with as often, usually make it to her Nini's house or to her Aunt's house. That way she has "newer" updated toys to play with when she visits family for the night. It makes her happy to see toys she is familiar with and they don't just go completely waisted.

9. Take the time to google Holiday events going on in your area. There are all kinds of fun things to do starting on Nov.25th going through to New Years. Everything from ice skating, light displays, church events, snow tubing, Christmas plays and concerts, you name it. If you take the time to find out whats going on now, you can work those things into your budget and schedule now instead of learning last minute about the fun things you might not get to otherwise do because of funds or time. Some of these things also require you purchase tickets in advance so now is the time to start thinking about what things you want to do with your family in the month of December.

10. For something fun, check out this website Elfyourself, its a fun way to get you in the spirit, make you laugh, and you can share it with family and friends. Just remember your free viewing of your videos that you make expire around Christmas day, if I remember correctly. Its so funny and will make you crack up time and time again!!

11. Now that your house is in order, your Christmas list is made and you wait for the time to decorate your home with your family, take this time to relax, pop on a Christmas classic movie, and enjoy some hot chocolate. I cant believe that the Holidays are here already but I'm so happy that Ive learned this things over the years to help me plan a little early so that I will be able to truly enjoy spending more time with my family and friends instead of worrying about what needs to be done.

I hope you find these tipshese tips bring you a little peace over the next couple of weeks. Only 40 days 9 hours until Christmas!! What ways do you prepare for the holidays??! Id love to hear any ideas that you find important to getting things ready for the busiest time of the year!