Source List: Storage Containers

A lot of you have asked me where I get all my organization bins, boxes, etc. It's a mix of Target, Walmart, Aldi, IKEA, and Dollar Tree. But because we don't all have these stores in our area, I thought I'd get a source list going of the closest matches I can find online.

Toy Organization

• 20-pack clear storage bins. At just about a dollar a piece, these are great for separating out different toys -- like figures, puzzles, play-doh, etc. We keep extra toys in these all sorted by type and pull them out as needed.
• IKEA Sortera Bins are AMAZING. They may be my all-time favorite. We use them for block storage and for doll clothing and accessories. Very sturdy and stackable.
• Woven Storage Baskets -- helpful for organizing markers, crayons, and other things you want to keep in an open-top container.
• Tall Woven Storage Baskets -- same idea, just a taller option. 
• Chalkboard Labels -- these are reusable and dishwasher safe. You can use them anywhere. I recommend getting a chalk pen/marker versus using chalk.

Clothing Organization

• We use 9-cube organizers instead of dressers for the girls
• Stephen uses a larger 13" 8-cube organizer for his clothing
• It's cheaper to get 10" storage cubes and 13" storage cubes in a big pack online than in the store.
• Ziploc Storage Totes are perfect for storing all my hand-me-down clothing for the girls.

Refrigerator Organization

• Slim Storage Trays -- long a skinny, perfect for cheese sticks, yogurt tubes, and other small snacks.
• Rectangular Storage Trays -- helpful for hummus, guacamole, cheeses, and other medium-sized containers.
• I also find it helpful to buy a bundle of different sized trays that can serve many purposes and be mixed/matched in different spaces. 
• Fridge Storage Bundle -- this includes an egg holder, can holder, and four other trays that fit cup yogurts, fruits and veggies, and other things. I like that these are clear.
• Flexible Storage Baskets -- I use these in my freezer mostly. Great way to organize bags of frozen veggies.

Pantry Organization

• Slim Storage Trays -- long a skinny, perfect for pouches, granola bars, and other snacks.
• Rectangular Storage Trays -- helpful for wider bars, cookies, and snacks.
• I also find it helpful to buy a bundle of different sized trays that can serve many purposes and be mixed/matched in different spaces.
• Woven Storage Trays -- Similar to above, but prettier. I have these in my pantry. 
• Tall Woven Storage Baskets -- same idea, just a taller option. 
• Flip-Lid Containers -- for cereal, chips, pretzels, and decanting other pourable snacks.
• Wide Mouth Ball Jars -- quart (4-cup) size for all bulk items.
• Pre-Printed Labels to keep everything in order. 

The Rest . . . 

• Husky Heavy Duty Storage Shelving. This thing is huge and perfect for all our storage in the garage. We have 16 bins on it. I hear they also sell it at Costco.
• I use these Large Flex Tubs all over the house -- currently in the linen closet to hold all our sheets and towels. We also have one in the garage for dirty bathing suits/towels in our pool area.
• Similarly, these Bendy Bins flex and work well for multi-purposes. I use them for bath toys, Eden's bottles, and storage in Ada's room.
• Dollar Tree Rectangular Bins -- you have to order a multi-color case online or go to the store and hope you can find WHITE or GREY. The BEST.
• Dollar Tree Square Bins -- same idea. Use them anywhere.
• And if I had more money, I'd love to have all wire storage baskets. They are so classic and clean looking.

Read more...

Christmas 2017 // Kid Gifts

So, what are we getting the girls for Christmas? I actually have all my shopping done for them already. Say what?! You may know that I'm always a late shopper, and I wanted it off my plate early this year. Here is a list of the things they are actually getting or that we already own -- not just stuff I think would be cool and that I don't intend to buy.

// 1: Play Silks

I bought two of Sarah’s enchanted play silks -- one in rainbow and the other in blossom. I love how they could be used for anything from dress-up to fort-making. Open-ended play items are my favorite because they foster so much creativity . . . and they don’t require batteries!

I had alternatively considered buying the girls a set of these polyester play cloths. They’re a bit less expensive but have good reviews. In the end, I got roped in by the fun blend of colors.


// 2: Hanging Pod

As a joint gift from Santa, the girls are getting a hanging pod swing for the basement. I’ve seen these so many places, but I found one that is a cotton canvas on Amazon for just $23. It got good reviews and can hold up to 170 pounds, so anyone in the house can use it. We’re going to hang it in the basement from a beam.




// 3: Play Tent, etc.

As another joint gift, I purchased a new pop-up play tent in the shape of a castle. I like how it's sort of gender-neutral (a lot of them were pink and purple). It's 53' tall, so even Ada will be able to stand inside of it. The best part is that it folds away easily and can be toted around the house because it's so light.

Oh, and I got them this pack of felt crowns to share on their adventures.



// 4: Mermaid Sensory Board

As yet another joined gift, I bought a yard of sequin mermaid fabric and I'm going to make a large sensory board (by fixing it to either a large cork board we have or maybe using a frame) with it so the girls can draw and play. We saw this at a local children's museum, and I immediately thought it would be an awesome idea!


// 5: Plush Toys

Then Ada's getting a stuffed bear made with alpaca fur that we bought at a festival in my hometown.

Eloise is getting a stuffed llama because llamas are her favorite.



// 6: Girl Gifts To Each Other

The girls got each other gifts as well. Ada got Eloise a set of plush donuts (she has a thing with donuts) for the play kitchen. Eloise "got" Ada the game Pie Face. I'm thinking that one will be fun when the whole family is visiting at Christmas.


// 7: Name Puzzle

I got Eloise a personalized name puzzle for her birthday, but it didn’t arrive on time so I saved it for Christmas. I figure this is a nice, heirloom sort of gift. I also just love her name.


// 8: Art Stuff

I love the idea of giving things that the kids will really use, and they always need art supplies. For Eloise, I picked up some of these beeswax crayons. They’re rectangular, so perfect for little hands. I looked through a variety of brands and these seem to get good marks for quality and price.

I am also getting some watercoloring supplies for both girls. A nice big pad of paper and a huge set of colors.


// 9: Magnet Blocks

While we already own these, I highly recommend magnetic blocks of some kind. We’re a Magformers family. I love how they are perfect for big and little hands. We build things with them but also make pictures on the refrigerator. They may be the toy that’s most often picked out of everything in the box.


// 10: Dolls

I bought a cute cloth doll by HABA for Ada years ago . . . and I never gave it to her. I set it aside as a gift for a future child. So, Eloise is getting the doll this year along with a sleep outfit for her. Or him. The one we have is quite androgynous, which is actually kind of nice.


// 11: More Dolls

What’s Ada’s big gift? Well, it’s something I didn’t expect to buy -- but she really (REALLY) wanted it. So, it’ll end up being a joint gift from me and my grandparents (they always give us money). I tracked down one of those Luvabella dolls this summer. I didn’t pay the crazy prices they’re going for now. It’s got AI and crazy robotics stuff going on. Kind of creepy, but she’s obsessed.

This list is almost complete, but there are a couple other items I got second hand that I intend to write about in the next week or two. I have some stocking stuffers I’ll be sure to share in that post as well. I’ll also be back soon with some gift lists for the men and women in your lives. Stephen and I aren’t getting much this year. Our recent furnace repair took care of that for us.

But I hope to post a bit about our Thanksgiving menu tomorrow. Maybe? My kids have been sick. It’s no fun at all. I’ve mostly been focusing on my freelance work, so I do apologize for neglecting the blog.

Happy Tuesday -- I’m off to Ada’s first choir concert!

Note: These are linked to Amazon, so if you purchase through the link I get a (very) small kickback. 
Thanks for supporting the blog for all these years!

Read more...

Vegetarian Meal Plan // What's In My Fridge + Pantry

It's that time again -- MEAL PLANNING time. Yup. Today is March 1, so that mean we are getting more cash out of the bank to do the envelope system. And along with getting cash, I'm going grocery shopping for the entire month. Doing both of these things helped tremendously with our budget, and I plan to write a lot more about each.

Today, let's take a look into what food we are starting the month with:

DINNER PLANNING

This month's meals are split into the following categories:

• 20 weeknight meals
• 4 Friday pizza nights
• 4 Saturday sandwich nights
• 4 meals using up what we have

From there, I came up with what we'll eat:

• Veggie Bean Burgers FREEZER x 4 nights 
• Chickpea Curry DUMP x 2 nights 
• Pasta w/ tofu meatballs x 2 nights 
• Veggie-Loaded Quesadillas x 3 nights 
• Sloppy Lentil Sandwich DUMP x 2 nights 
• Breakfast for dinner x 3 nights 
• Ethiopian Slow Cooker Peanut Stew DUMP x 2 nights  
• Udon Noodle Tofu Stir-Fry w/ Frozen veggies x 2 nights

DUMP means that I plan to put all ingredients in a freezer bag, label it, and then pull it out + cook it the day we're eating it. I find when I cook ahead and then freeze, I never want to eat the meals. So, I'm thinking if it's made the day of, that might improve.

SHOPPING LIST

And for those of you who are interested, this is how my shopping list is shaping up. This isn't absolutely everything, but it accounts for everything we'll need to make the dinners above (along with a few other staples for the month).

• 3, 5-pound bags carrots
• 1 large head cauliflower
• 6 large sweet potatoes 
• 2 packages celery 
• 2 tubs baby spinach
• Garlic 
• Bag onions
• Pizza sauce x 2 
• Pasta sauce x 2  
• Olives x 3
• 4 cans black beans
• 12 cans chickpeas
• 4 28-ounce diced tomatoes
• 2 cans coconut milk 
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 2 large peanut butters
• 2 jelly (grape, strawberry) 
• Tortillas x 2 
• Hot sauce  
• Udon noodles x 2 
• Asian freezer veggies x 2 
• Tofu x 1 three pack 
• Large bag walnuts
• Quality bread flour
• Sugar
• Chocolate chips
• Package bread crumbs 
• Large container Goldfish
• Bag lentils      
• Curry powder
• Garam masala  
• Mustard powder
• 4 assorted non-dairy milks
• 6 tubs Greek yogurt 
• 4 packages sliced cheese
• 4 blocks cheese  
• Large pack cheese sticks
• 4 loaves seed bread
• 1 tub of oats
• 6 dozen eggs    

I am shopping at Aldi and Wegmans this month, and I'll be sure to share how I fare with the budget getting all this stuff. I'll also be back soon talking about the other meals we'll be eating this month (breakfasts, lunches, etc.), as well as some handy tips to make school lunches really fast + cheap.

PS: Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel!

Read more...