"Go Kit"

This is my "go kit" for traveling....it's not my entire toiletry supply when traveling, but it's small and light and fits in most of my "walk around" bags when on the airplane or touring.

I got the little pink case from Target a few years ago and it was only a few dollars.

Inside:

Medicines: decongestant (a must for air travel for me!), Advil, Imodium, band aids. Also, I keep a few packets of emergency and I always have one on the plane and like to have a few handy in case I start to feel under the weather. Lastly, I have "ear planes" in case the cabin pressure is too much for my ears.

Next: pocket sized nail file, hand cream, anti bacterial gel, tampons, Amazing Grace perfume, Chapstick, hair elastic, bobby pins, and Listerine breath spray.

When I return from a trip, this bad boy goes right back into my closet!

What do you keep in your go kit?

When you want to procrastinate: organize a closet!

Tonight, I tore apart my hall closet's storage bins and shelves to avoid grading some tests (#I'llregretthistomorrow).

I learned a few things:
1. I hold onto half used bottles of body lotion WAY too long.
2. I have a phobia of throwing out perfumes/lotions/body scrubs/etc. that come in gift sets that I have received from family & friends on holidays. If I don't like the scent, I just shove it into the closet and pretend it's not there. I'm bringing them into school and putting them in the faculty bathroom so someone can benefit!
3. I have A TON of travel size toothpastes and flosses!
4. Pet hair somehow finds its way into the closet?
5. I have enough Wallflowers (Bath & Body Works) refills to last 4-5 years.
6. I have enough tampons to last 1-2 years (see the photo of all of the boxes!)

I ended up throwing out this:

And, ending up with this--a  much less cluttered version of what was there before. Next to the brown bins on the second and third shelves, I had clear rubbermaid bins that I hadn't opened in a year....maybe 2. So, I knew it was time to purge.

I had these rubbermaid drawer organizers already but now they contain much less! Purged everything I don't see myself using in the foreseeable future!

 Happy organizing!

Christmas Decor Storage

How do you store your Christmas stuff!?!?!

Here are some "solutions" new & old from me....

1. I keep the boxes! The ornament boxes come in handy for storage for the fragile glass ones. This is super crucial and makes packing them up easy. They're pretty safe inside these boxes! AND, I kept the tree box that my tree came (I think most people do this, yes!?! I'm no genius?! Darn it!)

2. I wrap loose ornaments in paper towels, then tightly pack them into old shoeboxes.

3. I have a plastic bin of miscellaneous Christmas decor and candles. These are the items I mix & match for my shelf in my living room, end tables, and more. I also store candles with scents of the season (What, you don't burn your fresh balsam candle in July!?) in this bin too for next year.

4. I bought this handy-dandy wreath storage bin from Target after Christmas for $6. My best friend's mom made me this lovely wreath a few years ago and I put it up on my door every year!












5. I also bought this wrapping paper container at Target for $6. Well, the bulk rolls are too long (whatever, Target!!!), but I've stores my shorter rolls, gift bags, and tissue paper in here for next year's Christmas hooplah!

Project Organize!

I'm weird. I'm organized about certain places....for instance, my linen closet is very organized....my car, a mess!

Oh well!

My small ranch house has one hallway closet....Eventually, I would like to take out the shelves that are in this closet and install a more modern shelving system with hanging drawers, etc. But, for right now, a quick coat of paint was the only thing in the budget!

Before: The poor little closet had disgusting shelf liner paper on each shelf and a really bad musty smell. I was scared to even put my nice white towels on the shelves! So, I ripped the paper off, primed with an oil-based primer & then followed up with one coat of Sherwin Williams' Dover White. The primer really helped wipe all of the stains away!

After: Clean and safe for my towels and other things! The brown canvas bins are from Bed, Bath & Beyond, they were left over from my laundry room in my old house. Eventually, I'd like to switch them out for 2 bins that would fit side by side, but for now, these work...the top shelf is filled w/ home fragrance and wallflower (Bath & Body Works) refills. (I used to work there part-time and I have TONS of product from there! It's almost embarrassing!); I also have a smaller plastic bin of travel size beauty products, so they're easy to find when I'm going away for a night or weekend.



The bottom of the closet: I used the Rubbermaid drawers for extra hand soaps, body products, and hair products. Extra toilet paper & paper towels in the bin above that.