Tackle it Tuesday -- Google Reader

Amazingly enough I never knew about Google Reader, and I had seen Bloglines, but really didn't know what that was ... sigh ... I know, BLOND!

I read this post by Marcia and the light came on. My computer times is pretty limited and I really enjoy reading blogs. I've learned quite a few things; received support from fellow believers; great new recipes and organizing tips to name a few.

So, now I have organized about 45 blogs and websites that I read often in my subscriptions at Google Reader and it saves a bunch of time. Plus I don't feel so guilty about sitting on the computer for so long. As Marcia stated, the hardest part was copying and pasting the urls!

You can also organize the different blogs by creating specific folders for their "theme"

It took a bit of time, but I have my faves subscribed now. I'm sad that some I read, do not have their RSS feed activated. Hint! Hint!!

But for me it was a great thing to tackle!

Tackle it Tuesday -- Painting!

I have been off from my job since Thursday -- it was a nice break. I did tackle some projects that needed done. {something always needs to be done!}

Completed:

1. I finished painting the master bedroom. I had painted the trim a couple of months ago. {grin} but did not paint the larger walls. Our room has 3 windows, 3 doors, and a closet and dresser built into the wall, so that is a lot of trim. And I was actually hoping my brother would have arrived to finish it by now! LOL. So, I finished that. I do need to touch up a couple of areas on the ceiling, but we are out of ceiling paint.

2. Touched up the shelves in the bathroom. When sliding the baskets out, the paint was scrapped off in quite a few places. Looks much better.

3. Our kitchen cabinets are painted {until our kitchen is remodeled} and there were quite a few nicks, so I touched all of those up and repainted the wall by the trash can. I think this is my 3rd time doing that since we painted the cabinets in early 2006. I am so glad that I have all my paint cans labelled for just small jobs like this.

4. Spot cleaned the carpet with the shampooer. Well, my son did that, can I still count it?

Not completed:

My 100 Things About Me list. Ugh. Doing that next.

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Tackle it Tuesday -- Spice Drawer Organization

I decided to tackle my spice drawer. To be honest, I do not remember WHY we started putting spice bottles in drawers, but in thinking back, they have been pretty much been kept in a kitchen drawer versus a cabinet. (probably a husband idea originally!)

I have a bad habit of just jumping in and starting a project and neglecting to take a before photo.
This time is no exception!

Before photo: Picture in your mind, dozens of bottles laying on top of each other ... white powder residue at the bottom, even various other colors. Get the image? (yuck!)

I picked up 2 packages of small baskets at the dollar store -- and transformed my spice drawer into a work of organization! I keep ones I use more frequently at the front and then other "like" spices grouped together. Then I started really thinking and added some labels to the top of the jars. (I love my label maker!) There are some that are too tall to stand up, so they have to be laid on their sides. I have found that I do better at keeping things in place if there is a label. Now for the rest of the troops to feel the same way ....

What do you think? This could also be a Works for Me Wednesday post too! They actually do not slide around very much and the labels at the top help me find what I am looking for much easier.


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Something I've done on my kitchen counters is to "contain" all the odds and ends --salt and pepper shakers, sugar bowl, coffee grinder, honey bottle, olive oil etc.

Lots of stuff cluttering up the counters. I have very limited counter space -- and needed to do something because it was getting to me. My kitchen is a sage green and cream and we want accents in red. Joann's had a great sale on their baskets (60% off, plus a 10% off your entire order) a few weeks back and I picked up a set of cream baskets with a red/cream stripe lining. Love them!

I do not have a before picture, but just picture in your mind: CLUTTER. LOL!


Here is the salt/pepper/sugar bowl contained in this little basket which is next to the toaster. That side of the counter is completely bare with those exceptions, and if I need room, I only have to move the 1 basket.

Photos were taken with my cell phone, so they are not the best quality.

This is a larger basket that I have at the other end of the counter. (yes, this is the only counter I have!) and it is sideways against the wall, so it doesn't take up as much space. My knife holder is behind it and my coffee maker is close to it. I have quite a bit of items in this basket. I pretty much use those items daily. Olive oil, coffee, coffee filters, Splenda container, honey jar, coffee grinder. This really works well for me. I have two other smaller ones. One on the kitchen table that holds paper napkins, and one on top of the microwave.

Tackle it Tuesday-- Organize your documents on your PC

This is my project for today. I most likely will not complete it, but I plan on starting it! But I have already organized the 1GB, and most of the 40GB. I really just need to organize the laptop files and tweak them all a bit. And delete things I really don't need anymore.

We are short a car, so I have been doing quite a bit of taxi service, and my youngest has a band concert and practice tonight after school. The joys of teenagers!

I thought I would include some resources on organizing your files on your PC. This is mainly for documents -- I will tackle the photos next week!

And unfortunately I will not have a photo for this project ...

REMEMBER -- ALWAYS BACK UP YOUR HARD DRIVE!!

We have an external 40GB hard drive that we back everything up too ... especially my photos.

I've read that it is best to have 2 of these. Keep one in a safety deposit box and then swap out every few months with one you keep in a fire safe at home.

We haven't done that at this point. We do have the 40GB hard drive, but I also have a 1GB and a 2GB flash drive. I am working on my 1GB this morning; the 2GB just has photos on it, so that is being tackled next week.

Here are some internet reources to assist you and I'll put some tips on what I do.

Filing frenzy! Organize your documents on your PC from Microsoft Home

How to Organize Computer Files by eHow

PC World's Find and Organize your files

My Tips:

I start with simple folders, bills, tax returns; photos; school; medical/dental; recipes; scrapbooking; crafts; tips and tricks; templates etc.

Inside there are sub-folders:

Scrapbooking has fonts; digital files; tutorials; layout ideas; sketches to name a few.

Recipes has bread, desserts, cakes, cookies, breakfast, crockpot, main dishes, side dishes etc.

Inside those sub-folders there are more subfolders:

Scrapbooking; sketches; Becky Higgins; Page Maps and Card Maps; Bazzill etc.

Inside those are for example:

Scrapbooking; sketches; Becky Higgins; 2 photos; 3 photos; 4-5 photos; 6 photos etc. Since that is how her sketches are organized.

Anything that will help you find information quickly. These are how I separate them in my mind, so it makes sense for me to organize the sketches that way. Of course, my husband doesn't have a need for these, so it may not make sense to him. Bills, tax returns are much easier to organize. Tax Returns I have sub-folders by year, and then inside a file with the year and name of the owner of the tax return.

We have lost files on my daughter's camera -- and instead of taking it into a computer repair store, there are programs available that cost less; and may get your files back. We were able to recover ALL of the photos (and even photos that we already had previously saved) Most of your information is still on your drives; but if the drive is damaged in some way, then definitely send it in or bring it to someone with more knowledge. This program is more for accidently deleting information. Recover My Files.

Tackle it Tuesday -- My First

This is my first Tackle it Tuesday post ... I actually did get this done on Tuesday, but didn't have time to post until Wednesday morning! I have been looking and looking at my bedroom and started working on some of the drawers a few weeks ago. Mainly my "unmentionables" -- and that drawer was organized with shoe boxes. I wear dresses 24/7, so I have underclothes, top things, (in case that word decides to show up in a search!), slips, socks, and pantyhose, plus under shirt type things and my drawer isn't that big, so I wanted to fit them all in there and I did.

But anyway, I attacked two other drawers ... I have a bag full of shirts to give away, and still have too many. And then I worked on this:



Lovely isn't it? We live in an older farmhouse, and are in the process of remodeling -- but my closet does NOT have doors ... we do have a HUGE walk in closet and I have a lot of clothes in there too, and hubby keeps all his in there. I usually swap out winter and summer dresses and hang those in there.

Here is the finished results: (and it actually only took me about an hour and a half)

I still need to hang the stack of curtains that is on the top shelf ... but first I need to paint. All the trim is done, but its been so cold that it hasn't happened. The orange basket is actually the dry cleaning basket. I work on a military installation and dry cleaning is inexpensive. (I don't use the one at the PX). Hub's shirts are only $1.00. Since he wears a shirt and tie EVERY SINGLE DAY ... its more manageable to get them done by someone other than me! Plus he does actually wears them twice, so we get our moneys' worth.

I was hoping hubby would notice, but if he did he didn't say anything! Of course, if I did his closet, he would notice that.