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Things I Love Thursday – Bloggy Meet-Ups!

It’s Things I Love Thursday over at the Diaper Diaries, and today I’m talking about – whaddya know?- the Diaper Diaries! More specifically, this gal:

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The lovely Jill, aka Mrs. Diaper Diaries. Jill was my first bloggy friend ever, and she is totally my BBFF (Bloggy Best Friend Forever – DUH!) We are like twinsies. We both love coupons, Jesus, fashion, and blogging. We both like to talk about poop and enjoy making fun of each other. We both hate housework and love SLEEP. So pretty much the only difference between us is that she is a cartoon and I am a real person.

Wait, actually I am pretty sure she is ALSO a real person, and TOMORROW I will find out for sure! That’s right, tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow, I get to meet Jill in real life! Many months ago Jill told me about a conference that was happenin’ in Grand Rapids called Hearts at Home. HAH is a great organization that exists to encourage women in the profession of motherhood. Jill has been to these conferences before and has always had a great experience so when she invited me to check it out, I jumped at the chance to do that and also to meet Jill! So, tomorrow, three of my real-life BFFs and I are headed up to Grand Rapids for a weekend of fun and encouragement! Not that I really need the encouragement, as I pretty much walk around with a Stepford smile on my face with my two perfectly-behaved, impeccably-groomed children 24-7. This motherhood thing is like, totally, a piece of cake. I am just in this conference for the FUN and the hanging out with Jill. And to make sure she is a) a real person and b) not really a creepy dude who has lured me to Grand Rapids under false pretenses. (That’s why I’m bringing backup, yo!)

MMkay this has gotten a bit long, so perhaps I should wrap it up with…Get ready for next week’s post on the Bloggy Meet-Up of the Century! And perhaps photographic proof that Jill is three-dimensional. Stay tuned!!

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Have you seen BD’s new ‘Do?

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Have you all seen the new hub page at Blissfully Domestic? It’s right here and it looks fantastic! Go check it out! I am so proud to be a part of this site! While you’re at it, I have a new article posted there today on one of my FAVORITE THINGS in the whole world, so check that out here and leave me a comment!

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WFMW: Kitchen Organization

Today’s WFMW is a themed edition. The topic? Kitchen organization.

Good thing I am an expert at that! Oh wait, no I’m not.

I was actually just complaining about this with my co-workers yesterday! The way our house is laid out, when we enter through the garage, after a few brief steps through the washer/dryer area, we enter into the kitchen. You know what that means – the kitchen is the dumping grounds for everything… backpacks, mail, jackets, you name it.

In addition to the daily things that are dumped, I often feel as though we are drowning in a sea of papers. And they are all on the kitchen counter. And even when I go through it and throw away what I can, there’s still important stuff that probably shouldn’t end up in the recycling bin – so where should it go?

This quandry is why I was excited to read this article in Woman’s Day magazine. The article is called “Organize Your Top 5 Trouble Spots,” and while I definitely have those five (and more) trouble spots, the ideas for the kitchen really caught my eye.

Here’s an excerpt (Remember, it’s from this article in Woman’s Day – I didn’t think this up on my own).

The Kitchen

Old way: The countertops aren’t just for food prep, they’re for paper prep too. “Everything gets done in the kitchen—bills, homework, birthday invitations, classroom forms—all while meals are being prepared,” says Heidi Karpa, broadband host for HGTV.com’s KitchenDesign. “The best thing you can do is give all that paper a new place to call home.”

New way: Turn one of your kitchen cabinets into the Household Nerve Center. Stock it with mail and other paperwork that used to clutter your countertops.

How to organize: “Pick a cabinet and empty it,” says Karpa. Then install a bulletin or magnetic board on the inside of the door. It’s the perfect place for phone numbers, schedules and need-to-see papers.

On the lowest shelf, place stackable boxes, labeled by name for each family member. This acts as a delivery center for permission forms, reminders and mail. On the second shelf, corral must-have items: pens, pencils and scissors go in a mug, bills in a letter holder, stamps in a see-through plastic container. On the top shelf, place a plastic-sheet binder of important papers, labeled on the spine, alongside directories and phone books. Use bookends to keep everything upright.

Not allowed: Schedules, papers or forms that you also have on your computer. You can always look at the digital version as needed.

I love this idea. And I absolutely intend to do it. And when I eventually do, I am sure it will work for me.

For other tips on kitchen organization, head over to Rocks in my Dryer!

Do you have other tips for me? Leave a comment… I need all the help I can get!

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