Simple Everyday DIY Life Hacks

I am pretty OCD about keeping things clean and organized in my house.  To that end, I thought I would share a few tips for keeping everyday items organized around your home!  A few of these ideas came from Pinterest inspiration and a few I came up with myself.  Happy Monday, everyone!  I'm off to start some spring cleaning!

So this isn't really an organization tip, but I wanted to share it.  I made this frame for my husband on our first anniversary and we love it!.  Usually, we leave messages in the early morning before heading to work.  It's a fun little way to remind someone of how much they mean to you!

On to organizing! 

I was getting tired of having Makeup brushes stored in a drawer all the time.  I found a solution by re-using this short, wide vase filled with glass stones.  Not only does it look cute, but it helps my brushes dry so much faster after I have washed them out in the morning!  (I think I would prefer to use smaller stones, but these are what I had on hand for now)

My closet definitely has to be organized.  I have a nice earring holder but I needed a new way to store all my necklaces.  These are just simple wall hooks that you can find at most retail stores.  Having these organized in my closet makes the process of picking out an outfit much easier and quicker!  

And not really a life hack, but just to prove that I am OCD about organizing I thought I would show that my closet is color-coordinated.  And I love it.  :)

I've seen some really cute and creative ways to store sponges/soap/etc around your kitchen sink.  I really liked an idea I had seen on Pinterest about using a cake stand to store things, however, my kitchen sink area is too small for a cake stand.  So instead, I found this adorable candle pillar at Target and I use that to hold things!  Usually, I have a small hand towel under the soap and sponges to keep it from being drenched in water.  Either way, I think it looks adorable and helps keep things more organized!  

If you have any unique & creative ways of organizing your house let us know!  We would love to hear your ideas!

Oh Come Let Us Adore Him

Who else cannot believe it's almost Christmas?!  This year seems to have flown by but it has been one of the most memorable ones yet for our little family here in Houston, and we are so excited to see what next year has in store for us!  I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season so far, and when you get stressed about how close Christmas is approaching and your "to-do" list still isn't done (and ever growing...) take a little time to just pause and think about the real meaning of this beautiful time of year.  It only comes once and is over before you know it, don't let it be remembered by the check lists, gifts or the perfect dinner.  Let it be remembered as a time spent with loved ones making memories that'll last a lifetime while celebrating the birth of our Saviour & Redeemer.  Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  

P.S. 

Need help getting into the Christmas spirit?  Take a little tour around our house & check out our Christmas decor!

the entry way 

the advent calendar I made last year 

this is our tree from last year, it was the perfect size for our small apartment but looked tiny in our living room in our new house (we have very tall ceilings) so it's now in the toy room.

recieving Christmas cards is one of my favorites things about this time of year!  (by the time ours gets out it'll be Easter...) & check out this adorable print by our lovely friend!  You can check out her blog 

here http://arosewithhappiness.blogspot.com/?m=1

thank goodness for the raised bar so you can't see the piles of dishes that need to be done!

our coffee table has been pushed against the wall so baby will have more room for scooting/rolling all over the carpet 

no fireplace here so we have to improvise!

it seems impossible to get a good picture of our tree using my iPhone so this one will have to do.  I searched for a long time to find a topper that I liked and I finally found one at Target of all places! #targetdoesitagain    

Merry Christmas!