What a day already!

Today I didn't really have a plan. Was just going to go with the flow. Fridays are usually pretty hectic as all 3 little ones are home and its the end of the week so everyone is a little tired and grumpy. Woke feeling a little blah but soon got my organisation groove on and got stuck into it. Well as much as I could with 3 little ones to help out. I spent most of the morning picking up toys and reminding everyone that you don't need all the toys out at once and you couldn't possibly play with them all (and God knows we certainly don't have the room!). Once I admitted defeat it was time to move on......

I opened the Pantry Doors and discovered something that resembled this...

Pic from {here}

Ok, that's not my pantry but I forgot to take a before photo so that is going to have to do. After pulling everything out, tossing things out of date, finding boxes to use to organise and 2 bags of rubbish later! We ended up with this.....

{after} - its here!

Of course not with out some super help from Zach and Anna and with Mitchell playing with Thomas toys around my feet! There was cereal mess all over the floor and I started to wonder why I had ever started but its done and feel a little better now.

The cardboard boxes I used are not very pretty - yet (although you can't see them very well in the photo). I used chip boxes that I had been saving up for something like this. I plan on covering them fabric and a little mod podge like I did with Mitchell's special books box....and also labeling them.

{made last year to put Mitchell special books in
that we don't want the twins into} - here it is!

I also got into the extra food storage cupboard and tidied that up in the same way. Again using empty cardboard boxes that I will pretty up when I get a chance.

I usually do a bulk shop of most used items when I am in Canberra or going through Canberra as groceries here are sooooo expensive. $4 - $5 for a loaf of bread! Up to $5 for 3 litres of milk! Not to mention all the school and cooking supplies we go through. I also bulk buy my baby wipes - almost $10 for a packet of wipes here that I can pick up at Aldi for about $3. While I use cloth nappies 100% of the time - ok not 100% as I send disposables to Daycare, for now - I still use disposable wipes but I have all the material sitting here to make washable wipes, just need to find the time to sew them! (I currently use flushable liners too but I think I will stick to them for now.) Alright, that may be a whole other post there so more on my cloth nappies later.

My next task is to empty the freezer (the one in the fridge - we also have a chest freezer but that's tomorrows job!) and organise that. I plan on listing everything I find and doing my upcoming meal plans from that. Between the fridge freezer and the chest freezer its going to save me hundreds I tell you!

{ Added: Here is the result of Brett's effort in the chest freezer! I'm quite impressed! Plenty of room now to stock up on meat! Thanks Brett! }

And also a HUGE thank you to Brett for this effort!

Underneath are the baskets I use to store my nappies in, on top of the lowboy.
- they are over flowing a bit at the moment. I need another basket!

In the house we are currently staying in there is absolutely no hanging space in the kids room. All of the things that needed to be hung up were hung in my wardrobe leaving that very cluttered! Then I came up with the idea of adding a hanging rail from the roof! I purchased the wooden wardrobe doubler from Kmart when I was pregnant with the twins - Its hard to explain so this is it (except mine has a wooden rail)

Its brilliant and adds the extra hanging space I needed in the corner of the room. Now all the kids clothes are hung in their room and I have my wardrobe back!

For more Pantry/Wardrobe/Cupboard Organizing checkout Organizing Junkie!

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Yesterday Zach, Anna and Mitchell were all in Preschool/Daycare and boy did I get a lot done!

* Bathroom/Toilet thoroughly cleaned, vacuumed and mopped
* Kitchen cleaned and vacuumed and mopped
* 5 loads of washing done, along with a pretty through clean of the laundry
* Beds made, bedrooms dusted, wardrobes tidied and floors vacuumed
* Lounge room thoroughly cleaned, dusted and vacuumed. Toys sorted and re-organised
* All the sheets/towels etc folded and put away
* Odds 'n' ends that usually end up stacking up on the dreaded piano in the hall put away

By the time everyone got home I had had a few minutes to enjoy my thoroughly clean and sparkling house before all hell broke loose again!

Now I'm off to put anybody under 3 to bed and get the 5 loads of washing off the line and folded before beginning my freezer task. Wish me luck!