Storing baby clothes and organizing the garage

Audrey's baby clothes (newborn through 18 months) have been boxed up in my parents' garage for about a year now. Problem was, they took up 8 large containers and her outgrown 12 months clothing were still hanging in the closet (she's currently 2 years old, but fits size 3T). The boxes were packed to the brim and many of the lids did not fully close because of the overflowing contents. Since the new mom's group that I recently joined, MOPS, is having a swap n' shop next week, I decided it was high time for me to thin out these piles.

BEFORE

Not a horrendous before shot since this was a re-organizing project. The challenge, however, was to fit those piles of clothing on the left and half of the stuff hanging in Audrey's closet (not shown) into these already full containers.

PROCESS

I started with the newborn (NB) box and emptied all the contents, sorting into 3 piles: (1) donate to church for swap n' shop (2) sell to Children's Orchard and (3) keep bc of sentimental value or possibly handing down to my sister or close friends in the future. I did this for each size of clothing: NB, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 mos! I re-folded and buttoned up loose snap buttons, all the while marveling at how small my now 30 pound "baby" used to be. For boxes with a range of sizes (3-6 months, for example), I placed the larger sizes on the bottom and smaller ones on top for easier retrieval. I tuned in to American Idol to keep me company and the process, including using my label maker to create labels, took about 3 hours-ish. Since half of the previously boxed clothing were hand-me-downs, I didn't have any emotional attachment to them, especially if Audrey never even wore them once. This made decision-making fly.

AFTER

I heart clear containers of any sort and even more when they're stackable on industrial strength shelves (do I get excited over weird stuff or what?). The three bags of clothing plus shoes on the bottom right will be donated and hopefully sold to bring in some extra cash. 

Notice that there is now an EMPTY container (probably waiting to be filled with 2T clothing soon).

Swoon. I could go into the garage and stand in front of the storage area just to admire. (And don't you love how the sun is peeking through the boxes? :) The baby clothes are on the very bottom since they don't need to be accessed regularly. Kitchenware and stemware from my past life and past home are nicely stored in the same line of Ikea Samla boxes and canvas stemware chests on the middle shelf since I do use random kitchen gadgets here and there.

Childhood boardgames I'm hoping Audrey will put to good use. About 7-8 boxes of games were already donated or discarded.

Infrequently used pots and pans now have a home to belong. This wire shelf used to hold all my crafting supplies in my former home. The dimensions no longer fit my current closet but did fit snugly into a corner of the garage. Finding new uses for old things is great!

I think the garage is one of the most underrated rooms of the house. Before we purchased these 4 industrial strength shelves from Costco last summer, my dad compared their 3-car garage to a refugee camp: dusty bags of unused pots and pans, sporting equipment, important documents, and gardening tools were haphazardly (and almost dangerously) piled on the floor. No one had organized the mess of lopsided cardboard boxes and unmarked mystery bags since they moved in 20 years ago! And all that wasted vertical space too! Too bad I don't have a real "before" shot of the garage. In fact, when I first moved back home, all my stuff took up one full parking spot (floor to ceiling) and I had to park my mini-van outside. It wasn't until 2 months later that I was able to park back inside. And what a sweet accomplishment that was!

Subtle changes in my room

I think I'm *almost* done making over my 12 x 12 sanctuary. Come on in and see the changes the junk room has undergone in only the past 7 months.

Junk room was boring, uninviting and not used optimally.

My new bedroom and study just this past September: much better, but walls are still bare and frames empty.

What my room looked like this morning. So can you spy what's new and different?

Found lovely pink bow-tie cushions from Home Goods. And excuse my chicken scratch of an "E." Joann's is out of stock for these paper mache letters, and I still need to find pretty scrapbook paper to Mod Podge the letters. The paper flags will also be moved to Audrey's room.

Found this decal on Etsy. This verse is my daily reminder.

Yay for pictures finally populating the frames.

My triple threat ottomans from Target. I initially looked everywhere for a bench to place at the foot of the bed, but couldn't find anything affordable or small enough. So I bought a pair of these for $20 a pop to: 1) offer seating for guests (er...Audrey), 2) be my step stool to reach items way up high in the closet, and 3) store knickknacks and baby toys.

I've actually re-arranged this little corner on my bookshelf already. But I like this "crafty" look and am including it for your enjoyment.

Once "HOPE" has been prettied up, I'm going to adhere these 3-D flowers so they dance across the wall. 

When I first moved back to my parents' house last January, I stayed in the guest room downstairs living out of a duffel bag for close to 2 months because all other rooms were occupied (and trust me, the guest room is about as inviting as the former junk room). I then moved up to Steph's room when she left for missions in China. It wasn't until a full 6 months later that I moved into my "new" room. And even though I've been living in this new space for half a year, I still get giddy before bed each night just soaking in how God blessed me with a new room, a new beginning. The room is a visual, tangible reminder of God's transformative and healing powers at work in my life. He can turn anything, even ugly, useless ashes into a crown of beauty. I still mourn daily over a life that could/should have been, but I also have a deep-seated joy that He will turn my brokenness into something new and beautiful.

Snippets of Audrey's Room

I haven't blogged for well over a week and it's the longest I've gone since I first started in November. I'm contemplating whether personal and baby-related posts belong here in this blog or another one. I want a blog dedicated to professional organizing and info for potential clients, so I have some thinking to do. However, I'm happy to share a few peaks into Audrey's room, which I feel is always in progress since her interests and activities change so frequently.

The photo gallery wall is done (for now), but I plan on adding more frames to the left. I grouped the frames a little too tightly and the rest of the huge wall is a blank canvas. 

That paper mache letter "A" will be Mod Podged with pretty paper and hung to the right of the Santa photo. Oh, and my favorite artwork pieces here? The Hello Kitty print on the left is a Uniqlo bag from my recent trip to NY that I cut to size (free). The monogram "a" is made from scrapbook paper I had on hand (free) cut using my Cricut. The frame is an old black one from a friend that I spray painted white (free again!). I also love the Elmo plate that I saved from Audrey's second birthday this past December. The Sophie giraffes were her fav chew toys (notice the one on the left without spots? :), and those are her kitty shoes in the upper right corner. Also, the 3-photo frame displays a photo of me with my maternal grandparents, Audrey in the center, and her with my parents. I actually paid the handyman more for his labor than I spent on these frames! 

Starting from Top Left going clockwise: Experimented with a layout I liked, traced frame outlines onto butcher paper, taped said paper to wall, hired a handyman to nail away. (I was too chicken to make holes in the wall myself).

The wall needs more frames on the lefthand-side. But I don't want them directly above Audrey's crib. I'm a bit paranoid about earthquakes and items toppling atop baby. I'm still thinking of how to fill the rest of the wall.

We loves this rocker! It's where A and I snuggle up together each night to read and pray before bedtime. She sucks her little thumb and demands that her Elmo blankie covers her from shoulder to toe. So many moments of laughter and stolen kisses and joy happen in this corner of the room.

About half of Audrey's library--everything else is stored away in her closet for rotational purposes. Books are all of a sudden more exciting when she hasn't flipped through them in a month. These are Ribba Picture Ledges from Ikea.

Surprisingly, this little pumpkin has been around since October but there's no mold or gross stuff growing on it (probably inside?). My childhood collection of Beatrix Potter stories is good as new!

Another Ribba picture ledge with cheapie Ikea frames. I bought some fabric squares from Joann's back when I was pregnant and used them as backdrop for diecut letters leftover from my baby shower. The total project probably came out to be around $10.

Audrey *just* received this adorable Kai Lan doll that laughs and sings from her pal Kylie today. She was so excited she kept hugging it when the doll said "bao bao". Isn't it so perfect for my little fob daughter :)? 

Horsey rocker that Audrey rides on with ALL her might. It neighs and moves just like the real deal!

Audrey's Dwell birdie crib sheet from Target.

These are only a few glimpses into Audrey's room because I am still figuring out what kind of toy organizer will best fit into the room configuration. When the lighting is better and when we have a new organizing system, I'll be sure to give you a more complete room tour (including maybe even her closet!).

Spice shelve cleanout and re-org

I've been wanting to clean out my mom's spice and knickknack shelves for quite some time now. I'm happy I finally had some time to do so this afternoon. And it was soooo therapeutic and FUN for me!

BEFORE

What's NOT working above:

1) No category groups for "like" items: spices mixed in with cupcake liners and extra pantry items like salad dressing and peanut butter

2) Unused vertical space (see above right). Limited real estate needs to be smartly maximized! I do, however, have to give Mom credit for the 2-tiered lazy susan stand she used to store some of her spices. We're going to re-purpose this for another part of the house since bins did the job here.

3) Hard to visually see what's available for use. It was like a treasure hunt everytime Mom needed a certain spice, almond extract or birthday candle. As a result, she kept purchasing the same items on different shopping trips (case in point, we found 3 brand new bottles of sweet chili sauce). Or there were expired items that were buried but needed to be tossed (like the 7 year old packet of Italian dressing mix. Um, no thank you).

Organizing process:

1) Remove EVERYTHING to give yourself a clean canvas to work with

2) Measure dimensions of shelf space before going shopping

3) Sort and group like items into categories
4) Toss anything that's expired or unedible

5) Create a system that works for YOU (read more below)

AFTER

What DOES work above:

1) Like items are grouped together: a bin each for American spices, Asian spices, extra condiments, and baking supplies.

2) Stackable shelf to maximize vertical space (purchased at Target in the kitchen section for $5)

3) Semi-transparent bins and labels on bins that are not transparent

American spices on the left and extra condiments on the right (salad dressing, curry sauces, pickled stuff)

L: This $3 Target bin holds cupcake liners, tips used for frosting, and an assortment of birthday candles. 

R: I have NO idea what all the spices are, but as long as this grouping is logical to Mom, we are a-okay.

TIPS and TRICKS

1) Always measure your space before going on shopping trips for baskets organizational tools

2) Organize based on your needs, not just by what looks most Martha-esque. For example, Mom originally had those 3 random jars of spices on the top shelf. And when I was about to place them up high again, she realized they should be on the bottom bc of frequency of use. Had I not known this, I would have stashed them up high in a bin to keep them out of sight. (When I get the chance, I will probably look for some smaller, identical, more sightly jars for her.) Also, if it were up to me, I would place the aluminum foil rolls in a drawer closer to the other rolls of plastic wrap and ziplock bags. But those rolls of non-stick aluminum foil are not often used, so placing them up high made the most sense to Mom. So that's what we did. Create an organizational system that is practical for your everyday life.

3) Keep out what you use and store what you don't. I know that sounds like a no-brainer, but we actually went through some items that Mom had no idea why she kept there (probably just out of habit). So we moved the not often used wax paper and other odds-and-ends into more appropriate "homes" to maximize  space. 

It's hard to tell in the photos, but these shelves are actually ceiling-high. I was standing on a dining room chair to reach them. The even more frequently used spices and condiments are located in another cabinet. Hmm...do I smell another organization project? 

Unexpected food truck adventure for dinner

The original plan was to have pho and eggrolls for dinner. But I spied a gathering of foodtrucks across Golden Noodle & Grill, so my mom did a quick U-turn and we found ourselves in a parking lot for Audrey's first food truck experience. The Slummin' Gourmet was $$$, but the kobe slider was delish and the garlic machengo fries addictive. Audrey had so much fun running around, but ended up with her first scraped knee. I didn't discover it until after she had some Red Velvet cupcake when I was changing her into her PJs. Just look at that happy smile--who would have thought! The verdict on the Breakfast Cake with bacon bits from My Delight CupCakery is not yet in--I'll have it tmwr morning!

More teacup candles

This must be my favorite, go-to craft to gift friends with. I made a couple more at like 10p a couple nights ago. Made me feel productive. You can make them as fast as you can nuke up wax chips in the microwave.

Made this for a friend's birthday. Got the cup from Home Goods and bc it's larger than the dainty teacups I usually make, I used A LOT of soy wax to fill this baby up. The plate is thrifted and I like the slightly mismatched look with this particular cup. Note: I try to steer clear of mugs when shopping for teacups bc a candle in a mug just doesn't look quite right. But this big cup (not mug) had such pretty design and texture that I thought it could pass as Anthropologie-ish.

Steph's bday/going away party

It's been exactly a full month since Steph's birthday/going away party and I'm finally blogging about it now. Audrey and I are starting lots of new classes, so I've been too exhausted at night to blog and sort through photos. 

Steph's luncheon party was held at Tranquil Tea Lounge in Fullerton inside a private room. I knew I wanted to use pennant flags as decoration bc they're so happy and festive....and to go along with the initial Evite theme. Having just finished making Christmas gifts, hosting a clothing swap party, and organizing projects in general, I took a mini-shortcut and found awesome pre-designed bunting flags here. Super easy: print on cardstock I had on hand, use paper cutter, punch holes and string (using baker's twine to string was the most consuming part of it). And FREE too.

I did the same thing with the below full-sized pennant: print, cut and string. This awesome site has every letter of the alphabet so you can create signage for practically any occasion.

For seating place cards, I was inspired by Martha's mini-terrarium place cards (below right). I bought a dozen mini-terracota pots and moss balls at Michael's back in November when they were having a crazy cheap sale on Thanksgiving day. I went hunting in my parents' backyard for some free twigs and cut them to size with gardening clippers. And then printed each guest's name on a flag. I wasn't sure the tea lounge would have large enough glass cups to cover the moss ball, so I went ahead and made my flag a little longer. These were little favors each lady took home with her.

All lined up the night before. Each place card came out to be maybe a buck?

I baked my famous cream sherry cake and used scrapbook paper+stickers I had on hand to create a bunting sign. There was ZERO sewing involved and I simply taped each triangle onto the string. I was inspired by this. This was the "fake-out" cake that Steph requested and expected (minus the mini-flags). Oh, and the fabric flowers are the ones on my nightstand in my bedroom. Instant free decor can't be beat!

Beautiful cookies Steph's friend Leslie  baked to surprise the guest of honor with!

Lunch was fresh and light.

All the lovely ladies in attendance.

Oh happy day!

Everyone watching the surprise slideshow that Ruth put together. So sad I couldn't get my Mac to burn a DVD to play on the flat screen. But my laptop did the job and the personal messages made Steph tear up. Mission accomplished!

The below cake was the surprise cake I ordered from Beverly's Best that Steph did not know about. Marble cake with chocolate pudding filling--deilicious!

Opening presents. My mom and I gifted Steph with a spankin' new iPad for her adventures in NYC (she was in shock over the gift). And look at that beautiful packaging Helen created out of office supplies!

Since Steph loves celebrating birthdays, we decided to keep the pennant banner to decorate her room. It's now a par-tay in her room everyday!