Organizing Your Child's Memorabilia

Happy Thursday everyone! One day closer to Friday! Are you ready for more organizing?  

If you are just joining us, we have been getting organized using Jennifer Ford Berry's Organize Now book.
 

 

It has some great info and tips on organizing various parts of our life and home. You can see past posts here:

Week 1 about Organizing Your Mind and Life Vision HERE,

Week 2 about Organizing Your Priorities HERE,

Week 3 about Organizing Your Schedule HERE

Week 4 about Organizing Your Cleaning Schedule HERE.

Week 5 about Organizing Your Personal Information HERE. 

Week 6 about Organizing Your Finances HERE. 

      Week 7 about Organizing Your Bill-paying System HERE.

        Week 8 about Organizing Your Receipts and Taxes HERE. 

Week 9 about Organizing Your Files HERE

                          Week 10 about Organizing your Magazines and Newspapers HERE.
                                               Week 11 about Organizing Your Email HERE
                                                Week 12 about Organizing Your Mail HERE
                                         Week 13 about Organizing Your Child's Toys HERE.

Week 14 about Organizing Your Crafts HERE.

Week 15 about Organizing Your Photographs HERE.

Week 16 about Organizing Your Purse or Wallet HERE. 

 Week 17 about Organizing Your Vehicle HERE.

                                                  Week 18 about Organizing Your Pet HERE.

Week 19 about Organizing Your Books, CDs and DVDs HERE.

Week 20 about Organizing Your Entryway or Mudroom HERE.

                        Week 21 about Organizing Your Family Room or Living Room HERE.

Week 22 about Organizing Your Kitchen Countertops HERE.

Week 23 about Organizing the Kitchen Cabinets HERE.
Week 24 about Organizing the Pantry HERE. 
Week 25 about Organizing the Refrigerator HERE.

Week 26 about Organizing the recipes HERE.

Week 27 about Organizing the dining room HERE.

Week 28 about Organizing the Laundry Room HERE.

Week 29 about Organizing the Bathroom HERE

Week 30 about Organizing the Medicine Cabinet HERE.

Week 31 about Organizing Your Child's Clothes and Closet HERE.

This week we are onto our children's memorabilia. I know this one is HUGE for parents because our kids are continually bringing art work and projects home. My oldest was in preschool last year and I was amazed at how many things he brought home. All of which I wanted to keep of course. :) But after reading this chapter in the Organize Now book, I realize that it is ok to let things go and only keep the very special ones.

This Week's Goals:

1. Go through all of the papers, artwork and projects from your child and throw out the ones you don't want to save. Yes, it is ok to do this! :)

This is a tiny sample of all of the projects that my preschooler brought home last year!

2. Keep a memory box for your child. I use a plastic storage bin for this. You can keep special items like pictures, trophies, ribbons, etc. 

3. Keep a file or box for artwork and projects. Set limits to the number that can be in it. For older children, have them help choose which items go in this file. Make it fun! This will help them gain organization skills when they are adults.

Tips:

1. Give your child's artwork as a gift to a grandparent or other relative. They will love it!

2. Create a collage or scrapbook with your child's artwork.

3. Keep a journal for your kids. I did this for both boys the day I found out I was pregnant with them. I write in it periodically and keep track of important events, accomplishments, etc.

4. Keep a favorite art project in a frame and hang it in your child's room. I love this tip!

5. Put pictures of your kid's artwork into a digital photo album. Another awesome space saving idea!

That does it for another week of organizing. How did you do this week? Were you able to toss some of your kids projects so you don't have to rent that outside storage area? Imagine what the people on Storage Wars would say if they bid on that locker and won? lol

Next week - Your Child's Bedroom!!

Thanks for reading! Remember to put your email address in at the top of the blog so you don't miss a post. :)

Have a great day!

Rebecca  

   

Shaklee Global Conference Highlights from Vegas!

Hello!!! I am back from my first of many Shaklee Global Conferences and I am SO excited to share highlights with you! The conference was in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel and it was so awesome and inspiring! Have you been to the MGM before? It is probably the size of Rhode Island! I went with my mom and needless to say that we got our exercise in with all of the walking we did! lol

There were 6000 people at this conference! 1000 more then last year in Washington DC! The music therapy conferences that I am used to are not that big so it was definitely an experience! :)

 Here is the stage in the Grand Arena (where things like the Country Music Awards take place) right before the conference kicked off with Chairman and CEO Roger Barnett's talk.

And here is Roger with his three young children. 

 

And here is a picture of Roger's wife, Sloan, who gave an awesome and inspiring talk on the last day of conference. Sloan is the reason why Shaklee products are used in the White House!! How cool is that?

His son, Spencer, was the reason he found and fell in love with Shaklee, after Spencer's asthma went away when they switched to Shaklee's Get Clean line of non-toxic household cleaning products. You may have seen the story when Roger and his wife Sloan were on Oprah a few years back.

Roger and his wife purchased Shaklee 8 years ago after putting 20 million dollars into researching the best company for their family! He has taken Shaklee above and beyond any other company's compensation plan and dream plan! Over 3600 people walked across the stage being recognized for different accomplishments during the conference!! (new directors, cars, trips, million dollar earners, etc) It was amazing to see. You can read more about Roger HERE. 

Roger talked about Dr. Shaklee, a bio-chemist and chiropractor, who started Shaklee in 1956 with his sons. He was one of the first scientists to make the first multi-vitamin in 1915, called Vitalized Minerals. Here is a picture of Dr. Shaklee with that wonderful product that we now call Vita-Lea.

Dr. Shaklee began his company with the thought "everything in harmony with nature". And that holds true today. Shaklee became the first climate neutral company leaving a zero impact on the environment, in 2000. All products from Shaklee are in harmony with nature, are safe, non-toxic, with nothing artificially added. That is why Shaklee is the #1 Natural Nutrition Company in the US and why the average amount of time people have been using Shaklee products is over 17 years!!!

I grew up with Shaklee as my mom has been using the products for 37 years now! You can read more about my Shaklee story HERE. Here's a picture with my mom at the open meeting on Friday night.

The speakers for this conference were so awesome and inspiring! Among those were 2008 Olympic Athlete, Eli Bremer.

Eli talked about the surprise drug tests that all Olympic athletes have to go through, including him. Some athletes have failed these tests because of things found in the supplements they take. Because of this, many athletes are afraid to take vitamins and supplements! Eli has full confidence in Shaklee's nutrition including the Sports Nutrition and has passed drug tests over and over again while taking Shaklee nutrition, which he said has given him so much stamina, energy and overall health and performance as an athlete.

It was also exciting to hear from 7 other Olympic athletes, some of which are metal earners, on a live feed from London!

Half of the US Olympic woman's rowing team use and believe in Shaklee's nutrition, taking them to GOLD in London!!! Go USA!!! There are over 20 US Olympic Athletes who use Shaklee nutrition!

Another exciting highlight of the conference was Jacqui McCoy's talk. She is a 30 year old woman who lost over 200 pounds on the TV show Extreme Makeover Weight Loss edition and won the show!!

She did it with a lot of hard work in the gym along with Shaklee nutrition! Now she is coaching the season 3 contestants and they are all taking Shaklee's Vitalizer, as is trainer for the show, Chris Powell! She also pledged to us that she is starting the Cinch Inch Loss program to take off the last 20 pounds! Go Jacqui!!!

Shaklee made several very exciting announcements at this conference....

Our next Global Conference in Aug. 2013 is in Nashville, TN!! At the Gaylord Opryland Hotel! I am excited to go!

 The 2013 Dream Trip on a celebrity cruise to the Southern Caribbean on the Majestic Cruise line AND....

the 2013 International trip to PARIS, FRANCE!!!!!!!

Who wants to join me??! 

 
 
 I couldn't believe how many people are earning these awesome trips and also car bonuses! I have never had a brand new car before and certainly not one that someone else has paid for! :)

There were also some great displays in the exhibit room. Here is a wonderful Cinch inch loss display. Dr. Jaime McManus said that healthy weight is the key to optimal health. Would you agree? So many Americans are overweight to obese and it is now predicted that our kids will have a shorter lifespan then us! We need to make a change - NOW!!

Cinch has been clinically proven to take off fat but keeping muscle mass and losing inches in the process. This picture shows two scales, one with 5 lbs of fat on the left, and one with 5 lbs of muscle on the right! Look at that size difference! Wow!
 

The Cinch 3 in 1 boost helps raise metabolism, lower sugar cravings and is also a multi-vitamin!

Here is a short Cinch video of an awesome success story.

 


I personally love keeping my weight where it is but reshaping my body mass through a Cinch protein shake  or a meal bar in the morning, a snack bar or energy tea mid morning or afternoon, along with my Vitalizer strip of vitamins daily and a healthy lunch and dinner.  It is awesome for keeping me where I want to be! 


My mom and I also had fun socializing in Vegas. Some of my flute friends from Iowa were at the National Flute Assoc. convention at Caesar's Palace just down the street from me! So I walked up to Paris one morning to have crepes with them. It was so great to see all of them again!

My aunt and uncle also live in Las Vegas so we had fun hanging out with them for awhile too.

And my mom's friend from high school also lives in Vegas. We met up with her and her daughter along with my aunt for the open meeting that Shaklee had on Friday night.

We also had fun meeting other people in our Shaklee group for lunch on Saturday. Here is a picture with some of the people in the Hoffmann group who were there.

I came back to Indiana recharged and excited! I am so proud to be a part of such a wonderful company that has such a rich and long history or being environmentally friendly and who has been helping people gain better health for over 50 years!!! Wow! The stories I heard at this conference were just amazing!

So, my question to you is, who do you know that would like to earn $500-$1000 or more a month? I am looking for partners that I can help go on these trips I mentioned, earn that extra money each month and earn car bonuses in the process. Is that you? Or someone you know? So many people this weekend said they were so thankful to the person who introduced them to Shaklee. Could you be that person for someone else?

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!

See you Thursday for more Organizing.:)

Rebecca

Organizing Your Child's Clothes and Closet

It's Thursday again. Are you ready for more organizing?

  

If you are just joining us, we have been getting organized using Jennifer Ford Berry's Organize Now book.
 

 

It has some great info and tips on organizing various parts of our life and home. You can see past posts here:

Week 1 about Organizing Your Mind and Life Vision HERE,

Week 2 about Organizing Your Priorities HERE,

Week 3 about Organizing Your Schedule HERE

Week 4 about Organizing Your Cleaning Schedule HERE.

Week 5 about Organizing Your Personal Information HERE. 

Week 6 about Organizing Your Finances HERE. 

      Week 7 about Organizing Your Bill-paying System HERE.

        Week 8 about Organizing Your Receipts and Taxes HERE. 

Week 9 about Organizing Your Files HERE

                             Week 10 about Organizing your Magazines and Newspapers HERE.
                                               Week 11 about Organizing Your Email HERE
                                                Week 12 about Organizing Your Mail HERE
                                         Week 13 about Organizing Your Child's Toys HERE.

Week 14 about Organizing Your Crafts HERE.

Week 15 about Organizing Your Photographs HERE.

Week 16 about Organizing Your Purse or Wallet HERE. 

 Week 17 about Organizing Your Vehicle HERE.

                                                  Week 18 about Organizing Your Pet HERE.

Week 19 about Organizing Your Books, CDs and DVDs HERE.

Week 20 about Organizing Your Entryway or Mudroom HERE.

                           Week 21 about Organizing Your Family Room or Living Room HERE.

Week 22 about Organizing Your Kitchen Countertops HERE.

Week 23 about Organizing the Kitchen Cabinets HERE.
Week 24 about Organizing the Pantry HERE. 
Week 25 about Organizing the Refrigerator HERE.

Week 26 about Organizing the recipes HERE.

Week 27 about Organizing the dining room HERE.

Week 28 about Organizing the Laundry Room HERE.

Week 29 about Organizing the Bathroom HERE

Week 30 about Organizing the Medicine Cabinet HERE.

This week we are tackling our kid's clothes and closet. This can be a big job when your kids are small as they are continually growing out of clothes so quickly.

  This Week's Goals:

1. Throw out all clothes that are in poor shape and cannot be passed on to someone else. Take out clothes that are too small. Put these in a storage bin (I like the clear type) if you are keeping them for a younger sibling. If not, start a bin for donating or selling.

2. Store all clothes that are not in season. Take out all other items that should be stored some other place. Vacuum out the closet and dust shelves as you take things out.

3. Jennifer suggests hanging all clothes that are "nice" and putting play clothes in dresser drawers. Group items together so they are easy to find. If you want your children to be able to dress themselves, make sure you have a rod hung at their level. (love this!)


We tend to hang more then put into dressers. My youngest has the biggest closet in the house, so we have more room to hang. I think it depends on your situation for what works best for you.

Do you think he has enough clothes? lol. Thanks to grandma, my 
 boys are well-dressed:)

Since we don't have a basement, we store things like board games in one of my boy's closets too.

4. Keep shoes out where they are easy to see. Shoe racks may work for you. Some people keep them in the shoe box with a picture of the shoes on the front of the box. (I am not that organized for that! lol) 

 

Tips:

1. Breast milk and formula stains will darken as they age. Jennifer suggests donating these items when the clothing is still relatively new and looks nice so someone else can wear it. Once it's stored, the stains will be more set in.

I did see this when we took my oldest son's baby clothes out to get ready for his younger brother. I was able to get the stains out however, using Shaklee's Nature Bright. It is a terrific and safe alternative to bleach and is a lifesaver to moms with new babies for whitening and brightening laundry!  

That does it for another week. How do you organize your children's clothes and closet? Any tips are always appreciated!

Thanks for reading! Have a great day!  

Rebecca 

Happy Birthday, Benjamin!

My youngest child, Benjamin, just celebrated his 2nd birthday! We can't believe he is 2 already. Time sure does fly with children, doesn't it?

I was reminiscing about his birth the other night. I think all mother's do that. I could tell you in detail, how things happened when both of my kids were born. Since I am a planner, I wanted things to be text book perfect with both births. Of course our plan is not always God's plan. With my first, things were pretty text book. But with little Benjamin, things certainly did not go as planned!

Benjamin was born 6 weeks premature. I guess we just sounded like a ton of fun and he couldn't wait to make his fast appearance:) I was feeling a little bad around 10:15pm, went to lay down, and realized that I may be having some contractions and they were getting closer and closer together pretty fast. We called the doctor, David went to get our neighbor to come and watch our almost 2 year old, Andrew, and rushed to the hospital. (running red lights and all because I was NOT going to have a baby in the car!!) We left our car in the ER drop off area at midnight and were rushed to the labor and delivery room where our little guy was born 20 minutes later. No time for epidurals or to think about what was happening.

He was whisked away and spent 19 days in the NICU. The first week was on a vent to breathe. He had a nasty pneumonia so we couldn't hold him for the first 7 days of his life. It was a rough time but Benjamin is a strong little guy and he got through it. Here is one of his first photos. Look at all of that dark hair!!

When I look at my son today, I can hardly believe all that he has been through. He had some more health issues at 13 months that you can read about on the Benjamin posts on the side of my blog. He is prone to lung issues because of his early start. But today, I am so thankful to say, he is healthy and strong. He is a wonderful little boy who is smart, funny, handsome and such a blessing to our family. We cannot picture life with out him! Here are a few pictures of our big boy (and a couple of big brother) as he turned two! My parents were able to come from Wisconsin to celebrate with us, which was wonderful. Enjoy!

sharing some new toys with big brother, Andrew.

He had so much fun playing with his new toys that I had to talk him into joining us for breakfast. He is usually the first one to the table. lol

Andrew had fun with the new birthday toys too.

Showing grandma the baskets.

reading a new book with grandpa

getting ready for cake! I realized it's pretty hard to find a place to make a dairy free Barney cake so Andrew and I made one for Benjamin instead. I realized I should probably take a cake decorating class. lol. But it sure did taste good!

Benjamin has been such a blessing to our lives and has taught us so much. The trials we have experienced around his birth and health issues made us realize how precious life is and what a gift from God it truly is. It has also brought our family closer together and closer to God. When times are tough, when life gets overwhelming, I just have to look at my son and remember all that he has gone through. Suddenly, life isn't so hard anymore and I remember to cherish all that I have been given. Life is a precious gift and I continually remind myself of that as I realize how blessed I am to be able to watch my boys grow and develop. They are only young once and each day is a gift.


Thanks for reading! Remember to hug your kids today! :)


Rebecca