Organizing My File Cabinet

Since spring is coming in only 29 days, I've decided to start a little spring cleaning series here on the blog. I will be sharing different sections of the house as I clean and organize them for my annual spring cleaning, and you are welcome to play along with me! I've also FINALLY discovered how to edit my photos to include text, so get ready for the future Balancing On My Toes readers!

Today I'm sharing my file cabinet before pictures. I decided after watching Alejandra's YouTube video that I wanted to update my file cabinet and create a more uniform look. Here's a before look at my bottom desk drawer (aka my file cabinet).

I keep a ton of paper in this file cabinet. I keep some extra printer paper, all my finical documents, work papers, and other important papers in this cabinet. I will get into more specific categories in my after tour once I have everything sorted.

The first step of completing a successful organizing project? Come on guys you should know this by now- Empty it out!

Now, that drawer needs a good scrubbing before everything goes back inside! Look at all this gross paper crumbs in the bottom of the drawer!

Meanwhile, everything was piled on my bed...

…and sorted into categories.

I ended up having to move my piles off my bed and onto the floor, so I could actually get to sleep last night.

So this is where I stand currently. My plan for today (if the snow isn't too crazy- I'm a little over this snowstorm business), is to head out and buy some new hanging folders all in white. Then I will create colored labels that coincide with different categories (financial, medical, etc…)

 I should be sharing an update tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Happy Organizing!

Under The Bed...

Dun Dun Dun…

No there's nothing scary under my bed! Are there scary things under yours?

I think under the bed is a great place to store a few things, especially if you are a little low on storage space. I only keep a few things under my bed since I don't want it to become a free-for-all maze under there.

One of the main things I keep stored under my bed is a bin full of extra gifts. When I find a great deal, I tend to buy multiples of items and store them for future gifts. I also do the same thing after Christmas, when I find great deals on holiday gift sets, I buy a few and save them for when I'm in a pinch.

These are also great donation items if you ever do "Adopt a family" at Christmas time, or if you need a prize for a party game.

I also use bedspread packages to hold gifts. This tends to hold bigger gifts, or ones that are meant for specific purposes and I have just purchased super early. I love using these bedspread packages because they are a free supply and they seal nicely so everything you put inside stays safe.

My favorite storage item under my bed is my greeting card organizer. This is where I keep all my greeting cards organized by type and all my envelopes. I sometimes end up getting greeting cards for really cheap with coupons, so I usually buy generic cards so I can save them and use them rather then buy a super expensive card.

Before I used a shoe box to store them, and made the dividers you see above to fit inside the shoe box. In this plastic container, I feel that the cards and envelopes are safer, but still in a small bin. There is room to grow, if needed, but it also was a free organization system- the kind I love best!

In case you're curious of my card categories, they are; Birthday, Christmas, Thank You, and Blank.

I also try to clean under my bed every couple of weeks. When I change my sheets, I think it's a great time to move the bed and vacuum underneath. I also like to pull out a dusting rag and clean the baseboards on that side of the bedroom. It's important to make sure that area doesn't become a breeding zone for dust bunnies!

What is under your bed?! It is full of organizational aspects or a breeding ground for dust bunnies?

February Birchbox

Happy Valentines Day!

I hope you all have a  wonderful Valentines Day with the ones you love!

Today, I am sharing my February Birchbox which arrived on Wednesday. I am always so excited when it arrives, it's like a little gift in my mailbox every month.

This red carpet themed box has so many products that I am excited to try!

The first product, and the one I am the most excited about is Whish three wishes body butter. I received the scent pomegranate. I have used a Whish product before (the blueberry scented shaving cream) and absolutely loved it, so I am super excited to try this.

The next product is Beauty Protector protect and oil. This is a product that defends against UV rays, heat and breakage. It says to put one to three drops into damp hair, so I will be trying this after my next shower!

This item rivals the whish body butter for the most exciting item in this box. This is the Coastal Scents Revealed eye shadows. There are a few shades in here which I will share during my review. I love eyeshadow, so I am really excited about this item.

The Resist Ultra-light super antioxidant concentrate serum seems interesting as well. I will definitely give this a try as it says it balances skin and tightens pores.

Lastly, is an interesting item called Reviver dry deodorant swipes for clothes. These are used to get gross smells out of clothes. I think this sounds interesting, especially if you've been somewhere that doesn't smell that great and you don't want your clothes to smell like it when you leave. On the packaging it suggests using it after traveling, eating or working out.

That's it for my Birchbox, quite a few items I'm very interested to try! I will be back in a couple weeks to tell you what I think of these products. Also, at the end of the month I will be sharing all my winter empties. I have been saving up my empties from December, January and February and have quite a few to share!

Have an amazing Valentines Day and weekend everyone!

Project 365: Week 6

Another week has gone by! Here's what happened during week 6.

On Day 37 I decided to post a quick selfie because I received my tax return back! Nothing can make a girl happier then a little extra cash!

On Day 38, I had a ton of housework done- laundry, vacuuming, mopping, and other cleaning- so to make it more bearable I watched The Little Mermaid. Hey, it was on Disney channel!

Day 39 meant that I was reunited with my favorite pup! I wasn't the only one excited about being reunited- Roxy was excited too!

I went and got my hair colored and cut on Day 40. This was my last "long hair" cut. Next month I will be donating my hair to Pantene so they can turn it into a wig for people with cancer. I was always very blonde growing up, then my hair started to get a little darker. I will always be a blonde =)

Day 41 was a pretty quiet Monday. I spent some time working on this blog!

My mom had a procedure done on day 42, so Roxy took over as her nurse!

Day 43, my favorite girl came with me couponing. She is my best assistant during errands!

How was your week 6?

Weekly Couponing Roundup!

I know, I know. You guys haven't seen me couponing in so long, and the reason is because- I haven't really been couponing! I use a coupon or two at the grocery store but I haven't been REALLY seeking out deals. I saw a deal this week that I had to have, so I figured what better week to get back into then this one? Here's what I did…

First I went to CVS

I purchased one Softsoap at $1.88.
On this deal I used a $1 CVS coupon, which meant that I got this for 88 cents!

I purchased two Covergirl eyeliners, they were buy one get one 50%. One of them was $7.99, the other was $3.99.
The total for both of these $11.98.
I used a $1 online printable coupon for Covergirl eye products, making hit $10.98 total.

I spent $12.83 total, which I think was a great deal for those 3 items.

Next, I went to Walgreens. I haven't been couponing at Walgreens, so I don't really understand it- but I figured I would give it a try!

I purchased two Yes To Cucumbers 10 count makeup remover wipes.
They were $2.99 each, $5.98 total.
I used 2 coupons that were up to $3.50 off one Yes To Cucumbers. They took off the $2.99 for each one, making them completely free.
I ended up just paying the tax of 42 cents.

Some awesome deals this week! Have you been couponing lately?

Less Stuff Less Stress: Donating and Selling on Ebay

Remember back at the beginning of the year I started my motto for year, "Less Stuff, Less Stress"? Well, I've been busy trying to live a simpler life. I don't want an overwhelming amount of stuff hanging around that I don't use. If there's no reason for an item to be hanging around- then out the door it goes.

I spent a great deal of time sorting through clothing, accessories and office supply items thinking about what I needed and what I no longer wanted. Once I was done I had two full bags of items! Now you might be wondering what I do with everything I want to get rid of. Here's my process!

Clothing and Accessories

 

With clothing and accessories I take a look at each item individually. If it is something that I think someone else might pay for it goes in my Ebay pile (more on that later). If it is not in great condition but still salvageable (something someone might be able to sew), or a brand that doesn't sell well online then I put it in my donation pile. For items like socks and underwear, they get thrown away, as well as any items that are badly stained or have significant rips and tears in them. 

Electronics

Electronics sell very well online or at a flea market and I have done both. For old electronics don't set your sights too high, you will never get a full market value for them, but you can definitely get a fair value on Ebay. 

Electronic accessories (phone cases and the like) sell well also. Just make sure to specify what electronic they are paired with (specific brand and model).

Stuff

I find that with most "stuff" donating is your best bet. I have tried to list quite a few items on Ebay, some sell and some don't. I have made quite a bit of money selling American Girl retired accessories online. I have also managed to make a bit of money on Dreamsicle and Willow Tree collectibles- but many non-brand name items will not sell as quickly. I usually try to sell items a few times on Ebay but if no one is bidding I end up donating them. To me, I would rather get rid of the item then have it hang around in order to make a few bucks.

Selling on Ebay

Selling on Ebay is a great option, but definitely time consuming. Here are some of my biggest tips for being successful on this popular site.

• Don't expect to get what you paid. Chances are your item has been around for years. That jacket you bought for $100 isn't worth $100 anymore. Even if you get $10, that's $10 you didn't have before.
• Take great pictures. Pictures will make or break your selling on Ebay. Put items in natural light and don't use your iPhone to take the pictures. Use a REAL camera to get quality pictures. 
• Take multiple pictures. Make sure you photograph every angle.
• Be Honest. Being honest about stains, rips or defects of any kind allows your buyer to know exactly what they are getting into when they are buying this item. They will have no reason to complain when your item ships to them.
• Ship immediately after they pay. Get your butt to the post office. People want things instantly nowadays. The faster you get it to them the better a review they will give you, meaning more people will buy from you in the future.

This year I will be doing my best to sell or donate as much as possible. You can donate to any place of your choice but I always choose the Salvation Army. My family has been donating to the Salvation Army forever and they make it super easy to drop off items that you no longer want/need. 

Let's clean out the clutter this year guys! Less Stuff= Less Stress!

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

I finished a fabulous book this weekend, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.

Before I Fall is a novel about a girl named Sam who is part of the "mean girls" in her high school. Sam was a child who was often made fun of and suddenly became popular one day and never looked back. She is downright nasty to other people in her school, flirts inappropriately with teachers, and barely makes any time for her family. At the end of her day, she dies in a car accident. However, after dying she wakes up, forced to repeat her last day again. And again. And again.

While Sam repeated her last day over and over, I wondered what the reason was she was being forced to do so. Sam keeps trying to change her own fate throughout the novel, avoiding the drive that killed her, but is still forced to relive her last day over and over. 

There are a lot of elements to this story, and I love how Lauren Oliver managed to retell the same day several times without ever being redundant. It is such a fabulous novel about friendship, high school, bullying, and standing up for what is right. I highly recommend it.

In case this name sounds familiar, I have also reviewed Lauren Oliver's Delirium trilogy, here, here, and here. 

Have you read any great books lately?