{Gettting Organized} The Blog!

We all know it is January!  Which means I, like many of you, am in the process of reorganizing my life, my home and my blog.  This is the month that we all rethink our goals and our outlooks and the placement of furniture in our homes!  You know you do! : )  How can we make our lives refreshed?  What goals can we set to help us stay in this refreshed state of mind?  You know, that kinda thing.

I have lots of new-ish bloggers who read here, so I wanted to share this helpful blogging tip today!

Well, one goal/resolution/idea/thing-I-want-to-do is to be a better blogger.  I have been a blog stalker for years.  A family blog writer for longer (and an inconsistent one at that!).  And now a craft and DIY blog owner for almost one year.  I can't say that my blog is hugely different today from when I started.  I mean, it is better.  Waaay better.  But I used to be a shoot-for-the-moon girl.  Apparently I lost that edge somewhere {I won't blame the kids...}.  What IS hugely different today from one year ago, is my blogging attitude.  When I started this blog, I was blogging willy-nilly or just 3-days a week at best.  I wasn't organized enough to keep up with more.  And I really didn't want to.  I was just "trying it on", if you will.  My blogging goal for last year was to just get comfy here.  And write (which always scares me!  Like, I only applied for colleges with no essays or very short ones on their applications, and I was an engineering major so I didn't have to write 20-page papers!  Had to do one for my MBA and nearly killed me!)  I have just always been afraid of my writing...too much and you tune me out...too little and you don't know what I am saying. {I just deleted like 3 sentences here that I thought were "too much"! see?}   My outlook today is different- I want better for my blog- looks, content, fun!  

One thing that has really REALLY helped me (so far) is using a blogging calendar.  It basically is just a simple list of what I want to post each day.  I do it in advance so that I can work on crafts and photos and posts well in advance instead of at the last minute.  I think these calendars have improved the quantity and the quality of my posts (so far).  

Thought I would pass along some nice blogging calendars that I have found on the web.  

I am currently using this one from Living Locurto:

Another nice one is here from Amy Bayliss.  I really like the monthly view.  I can set up the whole month by jotting an idea/topic in each date.  Then I can elaborate with the weekly one above.

And a third nice one that I found and printed out.  This one is from Evelyn Kate Designs.

AND...there are 3 more blogging calendars here at Simply Sweet Home!  Jerri did a great job of collecting calendars and blogging them all in one spot!  It was one of her most popular posts in 2011...hop on over!

from Oh the Lovely Things

I know not everyone here is a blogger.  So I apologize for being so narrow in my focus today-  gawsh!!  I think there are some changes to be made to these calendars, sure.  But I can cross out the headings and at least it is a platform.  If anyone has a blogging calendar they like let me know!
Happy weekend!

Linking here:

How to Fix a Loose Screw {Handy-woman DIY Trick}

During the Christmas break, I had a screw loose.

Not THAT kind of "screw loose" and not ME, per se.  

It was the side rail on the bunkbed that I assembled about a month before.  

I really don't like bunkbeds, however, this purchase has given the kids so much more space in their room to play that it was worth it.  I just ordered one from Walmart.com and had it delivered to my house (shipping was a whopping $14, I'd say that was worth it!).  It was only  a small pain to put together but it really is a very nice and sturdy bed.  

Except for this pesky screw that sort of popped out.

The problem is that is can't just be tightened.  It is a wood screw and it basically got loose in the wood.  So you might say it was "stripped" or something like that.  But it was important to fix.  And this might happen to you on a hinge on a wooden cabinet or even on latch plate inside your door jam.  Follow me?

Well the solution is s.i.m.p.l.e!   Any guesses??  

If you said "toothpick" then you already know this trick!

{Handy-woman DIY Trick}  The Toothpick Trick:

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1.  Remove the screw (and wipe off the artwork from your 4-yr old!).

2.  Get a wooden toothpick!  

3.  Put toothpick in the hole and break/cut off so the pick is completely in the hole.

4.  Drive screw back in.

What happened is your screw wiggled and eventually bore a bigger hole in your wood.  Well then there isn't anything for the screw to grip onto now.  By placing a toothpick in the hole, it fills the gap and the screw twists into the pick.  Putting everything back into place.

**Please note, this is not going to work on drywall or with screw anchors.  This is just for a screw in wood coming loose.

Linking here:

Junky Messy Rooms {before pics}

...THIS is what I was working on during our 3-day weekend!...

I know, fun, right?!
Introducing, the  "old" office-except-Kate's-sewing-crap-has-taken-over-room...

And I wonder why I can't get anything done in there!

...and my dresser in my bedroom!

I can't believe I showed you that!

It is a total mess.  These two rooms, that is.  I am surprised my entire house doesn't look the same way!  I think I am on my way to becoming a hoarder!  Am I in the early stages?!  Do they pay you to be on those shows, btw?  


A week or so ago, I saw this little challenge, if you will, by Rachael over at Lovely Crafty Home (a really great blog that I stalk read often). First of all, that girl, she put her pictures of her "crap corner" right out there on her blog!  There it was.  All of her mess.  On the internet.  I LOVE IT!  Then, she challenged her readers to link up a pic of their own messes and then clean it up before the end of January.  There will be a contest and a winner.  But I was too chicken to enter- I really didn't think I could do it this month.  It's not that I didn't think I would "qualify"- OH I'd say this qualifies alright:

I always said that if I ever had a blog, I would post the pictures of my messes.  My real life.  So we can all feel normal and okay.

It's a little embarrassing to post pictures of my bedroom mess because people I actually know read here sometimes.  (I swear, this just happened since Christmas- see the wrapping paper?  Plus, we cleaned out our closet, Shawn just got back in town, etc.).  We're still friends, right?

But you should see it now!  Well, you can't yet.  It is still in the transition stages.  I'd say 90% of what you see in the picture above is gone!  But believe me, once it is done, I will be happy to show you.

My husband was so willing to help me was bribed with a new tv for our bedroom once we get done move furniture and clean up and purge our crap this weekend, too!  He was super helpful until all the big stuff was done.  There is still lots to do! But the main furniture moving is done.  I am going to like the new set up.  Once it is all cleaned up.

Do you have a mess like this?  Am I the only one?  Does the new year motivate you to clean up your crap, too?

Winner of the My Memories Software!

How exciting!!  

I get to announce my very first winner, ever!!

Are you ready for it??  drumroll...

And the winner of the My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Software IS...

#11

That is Michelle Frame!  Michelle, I will be contacting you by email and let you know how to download your copy of the software!  

Thanks so much for everyone who entered.  It was fun to host my first giveaway when I saw you all enter your comments for a chance to win!

Happy Friday and a Free February Calendar

So on Monday I told you all about My Memories Digital Scrapbooking software.  OH, and how you can enter to win a free copy of that software, too!

But I showed you how not only can it be a great (and easy) way to design your own photo books and scrapbooks, build slideshows with voice and music overlays, and create digital paper crafts (remember the birthday card I made?)...

Well...

You can also make calendars!  SO EASY!  You just choose a (free) calendar template.  Drag and drop it.  Select the month and year, and it autofills the dates!  Customize fonts, headings, etc, etc, etc.

So hereyago!  I February calendar that I seriously whipped up in about a minute.  Now wait, can you imagine how long this would take in Photoshop??  (I love you Photoshop, but I am right about this one.)  Take it.  Print it.  Use it.

Click on image.  Drag the large image to your desktop.  Or save as .jpg file.

If you haven't entered my giveaway, maybe you're thinking about it now!

...One last reminder..Giveaway ends 10am on Sunday (Jan. 15th)...

Happy Friday!!