My Crafty Make- Post Organiser!

A few months ago I was getting really fed up of all the post being dumped everywhere, you name the spot and guaranteed there would be some already opened mail that couldn't be filed dumped there. I couldn't really think of any ideas at the time so I bought a box, stuck the word 'Post' on it and claimed it to be a great work of art...It wasn't and now it is trashed.

So, I was surfing the great site that is Pinterest and came across a lovely little homemade organiser that I thought would be great for the spot by my front door.

This looks really good and I was really taken with the idea of making something similar. So here goes, you will need:

- A pen

- Scissors

- A Cereal Box

- Items to cover your box (I went for fabric! And then random bits from my craft box)

- Glue and Sellotape

First of all stick down the open ends of the cereal box with sellotape.

Next you'll want to measure (for me as my cereal box is quite small) 4 1/2 inches from the top of the box, mark this point and turn your box over measuring 3 1/2 inches from the top of this side. When you have made your points, join them up like so:

Now you have your lines, get your scissors and cut along them so you have two halves of your box. Don't stick them together yet as it is much, much easier to put your paper/fabric on with them separate. This would seem like common sense but I actually got caught in the moment and stuck them together before realising how much more difficult it would be!

After I solved my problem, I popped my fabric on covering up the untidiness of the lines, so remember not to worry about them as you won't keep them! Here is my finished post organiser, what do you think?

 Using some left over items from my crafting box I added a touch more of 'me' to the creation. Plenty more pink and some cupcakes! Not forgetting the word 'post'!

And here it is, sat next to my other Pinterest creation making my hallway entrance look much, much prettier!

Cupcake Mumma

I'm not Busy, I'm Lazy...

I've been thinking about this blog. I read lots of blogs every single day because I truly love every blog I follow and I'm always loving what everybody seems to get up to every day or week.
I haven't been blogging too much recently (unless you count a meme which bores most readers to death I would imagine) I have realised this is because I actually don't 'do' anything.

My poor children. They don't go to toddler groups or fun little sessions. Mummy isn't brave enough at the moment. What a lame excuse. Truth be told right now I much prefer to sit on my backside only getting up and going out for the absolute necessary.

There isn't anything wrong. Nothing at all. I do this, it runs in the family I think, periods of just sitting there thinking about anything and everything until it completely overwhelms you and you just sink down feeling like crap for no real reason at all.

I'm finding it difficult to manage the time in my life. I want to do some photography. I'm planning on teaching myself the art of photography (the essential need-to-know basics, the rest is what's behind the camera I believe) as I have no hope of going on a course. They're not too pricey for what they teach but they are all in the evenings and they are not near me!

I also still have studies going on with my massage course. I'm doing a home study but never seem to have time in the day to get down to this. In the evening I just want to sit there and try to relax whilst going up and down the stairs feeling pretty tired as the evening goes on!

I also know there are more important things that need looking at. I need to sort my diet because I am not feeling very well at the moment and my diet, coupled with my lack of water intake is making feel a little bit crap. Why I don't address this straight away I don't know..Laziness? I also want exercise in my life, I have a mummy tummy to sort out and some weight on my hips to shift otherwise that old wedding dress will be too tight!

So I'm off to try and figure out things..alright I'll have breakfast and play with the monkeys first then get down to the nitty gritty!

Cupcake Mumma

52 Weeks to an Organised Home: Coupons and Post

Another challenge on my list is to sort out my coupons. This isn't too difficult becasue I don't have many. My printer isn't working so I can't print out any vouchers and most of the vouchers that come through my door are completely useless to me.

However, I do have my Tesco vouchers and the odd coupon I do keep hold of. I used to keep my coupons in my files but found I forgot about them, out of sight out of mind after all! So now I pin them to my pin board in the kitchen where walk past them all the time so I'll never forget to use them!

Another thing is to make sure you pop some in your purse. I have a few compartments in my purse where my coupons (mainly supermarket ones) keep nicely and don't get mixed up with my cash or coins- that's just annoying.

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Now, I tackled another task at the same time seeming as though the coupon one didn't require much effort! I have been bogged down by my mail for a long time. It's on the dinner table, it's near the DVD units, it's on the bookshelf heading towards the file where it should be stored neatly and organised...yeah right!

Until tonight that is. I got out my folder and gathered my post, sat in the front room with a cookie and made a concentrated effort to well, concentrate! Now my bills, bank statements etc are in their correct wallets in my folder and not laying about where I don't want them or need them. I also won't loose anything of importance!

I have also made myself a little postal box to go by the front door. if the postie comes and I am in a hurry then I can pop my post into the box and open it later. I can keep mail there that doesn't need to be moved just at that moment and I feel a whole lot more organised!

52 Weeks to an Organised Home: Recipes.

The next challenge on 52 Weeks to an Organised Home is to sort out my recipe books. I don't have a lot of recipe books but I had enough to making my upstairs bookshelf look overcrowded and squashed.

The first thing I did was to look through my books. I looked at the ones I use, the ones I never seem to use and then the ones that are not even mine in the first place! There were several that belonged to my  Mum so I popped them into a bag with some other bits I needed to return to her.
After that I placed the ones I never used into my big charity sack leaving me with a small pile of books.

Now, I had been wanting a shelf put up in my kitchen for weeks but the Other Half had been doing so much overtime (and is a lazy old so and so) that eventually I just put it up myself!
So, I now had a shelf for my smaller books which isn't a lot but as it goes (and luckily) it's the smaller books I use most often so they are now sat on my shelf which I finished off nicely with some homemade bunting, a postcard of cupcakes and my pink cat:

I do have a few more books on there!

My other books, now nicely slimmed down to a more sensible amount could be moved after I also donated some children's books we never read anymore. Once I had done that there was a whole spare space for my recipe books. Hooray! No more squashed paper backs!

Cupcake Mumma.

As I type from my bed...

I'm listening to the cars buzz past in their merry way, the sun is shining through my window which is very pleasant. I don't feel bad for having a lay in as it is so cold out there my hands are freezing up as I type.

Other Half is breakfasting the children before I get up and we start a major house cleaning day. It's difficult with both children so we're just going to go halves. As it is I do all the house work bits and he is in charge of the DIY. Maybe sexist but that's the way it is in my house unless you want pictures and shelves on your head..thought not!

I'm finally going to get my book shelf up in the kitchen today which is where all my recipe books are going to live. This is all part of my 52 days to an organised home challenge. As I have no couponing to do I have given myself (Other Half) 2 weeks to put said shelving up rather than 1 week. I have no idea what I'll be organising next week. It's a surprise.

I've been thinking about my blog recently and having a bit of blog envy. When I started I wanted this blog to be for me, and I still do but I guess a lot of new comers to the blogging world have made me  feel a bit useless at this blogging lark. I started my CupcakeMumma last September and it seems I have scrimped and scrapped to get followers. Now I'm reading these wonderful new blogs (and they are wonderful, honest) but they have the same followers and more in the space of a couple of months.

Now i sit and question my blog. I have to remember that those readers I have I am grateful for, I really am and it really is quality over quantity. I have some wonderful readers who always hang about to comment. I just wonder if I'm boring. There is no controversy in my life, I don't do it. I don't agree with writing about controversial topics just to up my readership. The blogging world is full of great blogs of all varieties and it's crammed to the very top. It's very hard not to compare yourself to others but it is something I am well known for. It really has to stop before I shut my laptop lid down for good.

Ah I needed that out of my system. I know it's silly, unfounded nonsense but meh, we all have some! So anyway, I have photos to take, diy to oversee, a house to spruce and children to craft with. Maybe I could slip a power nap in before though hey?

Cupcake Mumma

52 weeks to an organised home

There are no photos from last weeks Fridge sort out but i have indeed made a major revamp! Each item I buy from the weekly food shop now has a dedicated shelf in the fridge. In my old fridge the lower drawers broke which was a real bummer. I got a new one from my Mother in Law when they upgraded which was a great thrifty bit of saving and a great donation!

Now I have a usable drawer I have a new place for my vegetables and fruit I wish to keep in the fridge. On the bottom shelf I have decided to keep my orange juice cartons and anything similar. I then have yogurts on the shelf up. We each have our own yogurts which may seem a bit odd...We were buying Tesco yogurts 4 at 50p each and then we discovered Aldi could sell the same amount in the region on 1.70ish which is a few pence saving but I'm happy with that. Then i have my yogurts to pop in, 2 packs of dairy free and then Other Half has his selection which will depend on whats on offer (yogurt snob).

On the 3rd shelf is the cheese and meat section. We buy some ham, a huge block of mature cheese and soft cheese for the children. Little Miss also likes Billy Bear and sometimes we'll buy little cheese treats which are nice snacks. They can all be kept together.

Top shelf is for anything else, butter we stock up on because supermarkets have phases of running out of my dairy free butter and as I like baking I don't wish to run out! I have some hummus up there at the minute as Little Man has learnt to get in the fridge, hummus fingers aren't my idea of fun!

I cleaned up every shelf and the door which holds my mayonnaise, milks, alcoholic free wine, eggs, garlic (seems to last longer!) and any medicine that needs holding in the cold. Now it's all neat and tidy I will take the same approach as my cupboards and clean weekly after a food shop.

This week sees me tackling my recipe books. I don't have a dedicated space but maybe this could be my opportunity to get Other Half to pop a shelf up? I do have loose bits laying around and an almost empty book so If I have the time I shall sit down and transfer my scribbles into my recipe journal.

Hope you're doing as well with organising your home. Hannah x

52 Weeks To An Organised Home-Week Two Results

Oh so I was a busy girl this last week and I'm set to be even more busy again this week thanks to a challenge I'm taking part in called '52 Weeks to an organised Home'. So far it is working. Week 2's challenge was to sort my cupboards...pots and pans, plates and bowls, junk cupboards, cutlery draws, 'that draw' and anything in between!

If you go here you will see my before pictures and a little write up behind the mess. This week I bring you my results. There is one cupboard which isn't featured because it was made so empty by my ruthless clearing out it was pointless in wasting an image!

Draw number one is my cutlery draw. Yes it still possibly looks a bit messy to some but it's actually about as tidy as I will get it! Little Miss and Other Half are always getting their hands in this draw and messing it up which is most annoying! This however is improvement!

Ahh that looks SO much better! I have found some rather jazzy glasses in a store around the corner for the little sum of 99p so I will get them tomorrow. I have got rid of roughly 4 mugs and 2 or so glasses which no longer had a 4th to complete its set. I'm aware I have a lot of bowls but they are ideal for the children, the Kellogs ones are very old and a set..Although I'll admit the Christmas one could be put back again!

Another cupboard I am pleased with. I did not photograph this one before as I forgot about it. This is my medicine cupboard which was before medicine/random food packets/crap and I'm pleased to say that is no longer the case! I have re located my baby milk, all my medicines are organised from those which are used most often with those which are used least often moved to the back. Luckily there was nothing out of date or unused so I don't have to make a trip to the chemist..phew!

This cupboard now has all my baking equipment inside it. I have my bowls at the back, my measuring jugs and cutters (which were previously strewn here there and everywhere) my blender for baby food and a random dish that was too nice to give away! I had a larger one which had some chips in I managed to part with. I also have moved my baby bottles to this cupboard too which was a better alternative than muddling up my mugs and glasses!

And finally for my birthday I got given a lovely cake dish which came in a sort of canvas like box. I got rid of the bottom because all it was was labels and nothing else but the top was this lovely cupcake design which I couldn't part with. The space above my oven has been annoying me for a while and now it is filled! This also means my serving dish has a home and I will remember to use it. 

You'll have to excuse the wall colour it is a due a new coat of paint!

I haven't got around to doing my second draw at present because I got rather caught with birthday prep so I may have to do this tomorrow!

So there you have the results of Week 2! Week 3 will see me tackling the food cupboards...This shouldn't be too hard as I have a good look through every week and base my weekly meals on what I have in the house, a good tip by the way for those who want to cut food costs!

Right until next week, Hannah X

PS How are you getting on?

52 Weeks To An Organised Home-Phase One

Right, time to get my shame on. I have decided to post a series of photos that will show you my fellow readers how disorganised I have become (who knows, maybe i'll make someone feel good about themselves?) So here's to my weekly challenge that I will probably start tomorrow evening as I had a bad sleep the other night which seems to still catching up with me!

This here is the cupboard for glasses, bowls, cups and plates. It's all a bit mismatched which I dislike. Baby milk is there for convenience, bottles don't stay in there long enough to annoy me too much but what I do dislike are all my mugs. There is more than this some don't even have all 4 to a set anymore..Much the same for my glasses...Look at those wine glasses! They're huge. My father-in-law to be gave them to us 2 Christmas's ago but we're not big wine drinkers..still just in case!

The under sink cupboard of embarrassment! I have had my stuff in that bag since I moved here a year ago....Lazy. As you can imagine it drives me nuts, I don't really find anything quickly and my daughter's paints are hiding..somewhere there anyway! This should probably be priority number one!

Here we have a junk cupboard, not intentionally but a junk cupboard none the less. There are several pots that don't belong to me, there is a coffee maker that isn't mine, a spare toaster 'just in case' and some cake decorating supplies all of which have been shoved together with little care or thought.

Top draw in my opinion could be worse (you should see my Mums'-sorry Mum) I think it needs a clean and a little tidying up. How many people can keep it perfectly tidy? Answers on a postcard please.

2nd drawer I have no excuses for. Buried under there are tea towels I got for my birthday from Other Half as yet unused, purses, pens, batteries and various other amounts of rubbish which all needs to be removed asap.

I have no words for the baking cupboard other than..What the hell is going on in there? Nah I haven't baked in a while!

Caught Little Man red handed raiding the saucepan 'drawer' (remember the loose term?)

See..not a drawer at all! Ideas welcome!!!

So that's what i'll be doing this weekend, please wish me luck and if you have any ideas feel free to mail me or leave a comment!

Hannah

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52 Weeks To An Organised Home

Week 2
I didn't participate in Week 1 of this challenge to organise my home because I kind of had the whole organisation of my kitchen counter tops and sinks pretty much in the bag.

 The award for the most forgotten about cupboard goes to 'The one under the sink'.
This needs a good sort. The one next to it needs a coffee maker re homed (or returning depending on previous owners preferences) then the one I really don't want to do would be the cupboard 'of crap' also known as the 'chuck it in there dear and I'll sort it out later' cupboard...

I have too many cups to count and need to replenish my glasses as one by one they met a very nasty end during 2011. I am now left with a of set 4 down to 2 and another set down to 3...

The second draw in my kitchen is full of rubbish, if it doesn't have a home then it's shoved in to the darkness of this draw and won't see daylight until I get fed up of items falling down the back of it *bad housewife*.

The 'draw' i struggle with the most is my saucepan one. I use the word draw loosely as the previous tenants seemed to have taken 'chuck it all in the van and go' a little too literally as I don't have a draw more a massive gap where my saucepans sit and get pulled out by my adorable Little Man. Who can blame him? It is fun banging a pan.
So, if anyone has any ideas about making a massive gap look a bit nicer I would be greatly appreciative! I'm hoping I can relocate my pans but I'm not confident! Still, I will try and blog my results by the end of the week. Watch this space!

Till then- Good luck!

Hannah

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