Organize it!

So I have been off for 4 days and vowed to use that time to organize my house. My house is usually clean but cluttered. I have neat little piles of things everywhere! It was getting out of control. The toys, oh the toys! I thought I was prepared. Before Christmas I cleaned out Jacq's room and closet, got rid of a bunch of toys to make room for the new ones. I guess I didn't get rid of enough. After Christmas there were just piles of new things to put away. I also have quite the collection of magazines 'neatly' piled about. I'll save a whole magazine for just a few recipes that I saw inside.


Here is what my cook book/recipe cabinet looked like before...



Here is what it looks like now!



I went through all my magazines and tore out the recipes that I like. Then I got a binder and some dividers. I have 10 categories; chicken dinners, pork dinners, beef dinners, crock pot, sides, soups and starters, pastas, desserts, misc and 'this week'. 'This week' is in the very front and I put one week worth of recipes in it. Then I make my grocery list from that section and I know I everything I need for dinner all week. Here is what my binder looks like.





We have this really big shelf from Ikea in our living room. It's this one if anyone cares. The bottom two rows are dedicated to Jacq's toys, books, crayons, etc. I didn't take a before picture but wish I would have. You wouldn't recognize it. Here is the after.



I feel so much better. Tomorrow I am doing my bedroom closet. Yikes!