I often get that question, “Hey Kate, are your kids’ rooms always as organized as they appear?” and I have to smile.  In truth, I find it completely impossible to keep kids’s rooms clean and organized all of the time.   Most days you can barely see the floor because my two little monkeys have managed to pull everything out.  They’re kids, they do what kids do best.  They eat, they play, the sleep.  And in between, they make a whole lotta messes.  

I have a few tactics I use, but to answer the big question on how to best keep kids’ spaces organized, I invited my good friend Cristin from Simplified Bee to offer a few tips.  Cristin is a busy mom of two girls, and a professional organizer too.  She’s a real pro when it comes to this topic. 

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So Cristin, tell us all your secrets.  What are the best ways to keep those kid spaces clean and organized? 

“Keeping kids’ rooms organized is a challenge for most parents. How many of us have cleaned our child’s room only to find it turned upside down in minutes. And if you have a collector {dolls, rocks or toy cars} it can be especially painful to keep the space neat. Here are some helpful tips to help organize kids’ rooms:

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I popped into World Market over the weekend because I heard they were having a rug sale.  I was desperate for a new area rug, and when I say desperate I mean desperate with a capital D.   I’ve had the same cream Berberish carpet rug in my family room for two years, and with kids n’ pets n’ friends’ n’ snacks n’ all that loveliness, the carpet was looking very ‘Eww’.

World Market was having a sale on 6’ x 9’ rugs and 6’ x 9’ is the magic size in my house.  6’ x 9’ fits in the family room, the dining room, and the living room too, but hot dang if it isn’t hard to find an affordable stylish 6’ x 9’ rug.   They’re always 5’ x 8’ (too small) or 8’ x 10’ (too big).  Or maybe I’m just not looking in the right places.

After I scored my new rug on clearance, I couldn’t help but notice World Market had some pretty snazzy fabric napkins in their linens department, 2 for $6 dollars, nice!

I always think pillows when I see sassy stylish cloth napkins like this, because that’s one inexpensive pillow cover if you’re willing to take the time to sew them together.  But I’ve already done that.

Then I remembered there’s a lot of you out there that don’t own a sewing machine or don’t sew, and I reckoned I could show y’all how to do it without Mr. Singer.

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Simple No Sew Removable Pillow Covers made from Cloth Napkins:

What You’ll Need:   Two cloth napkins measuring 20” x 20”; fusible web (found at any fabric store); moist washcloth; scissors; iron.

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Let’s start off this week with a huge thank you to all of you who donated to The Alma Project.  We are overwhelmed at the positive response and amazing support!  We’ve worked up a list of projects to get started on, and will be reporting regularly on our progress.

I also spent the weekend adding a few touches of spring to our family room, including sewing up some new pillow covers for the sofa, and giving my coffee table a fresh coat of green paint. 

I love paint.  I love working with paint.  I find it so therapeutic to find a piece like this coffee table above that I found in a thrift store.  Two years ago I painted it a mustardy tan color, but on a whim, decided I was in the mood for spring green.  How fantastic is it to take a found piece and transform it to make it work for your home?  Oh the satisfaction!  My friend Shaunna shares the same passion.  

I met Shaunna in Nashville earlier this year, and we spent several days together, talking about our families, and what motivates and inspires us.  I was so excited to hear Shaunna was putting the finishing touches on her ebook ‘Creating Your Masterpiece’, and at last it is available for purchase! 

Shaunna has years of experience refinishing furniture, and has finally gathered all her best tips in one truly inspiring resource, filled with her invaluable insight! 

I am so proud  of Shaunna’s book, which is why I agreed to be a part of the team behind selling ‘Creating Your Masterpiece’.   

In her book, Shaunna expresses so many of the sentiments that I share.  She touches on the importance of vision, and finding inspiration in what matters most to you!   The thrill of digging for buried treasure, dragging that found piece home, and then making it truly yours. 

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I’ve been meaning to share this with all of you for some time, and wasn’t quite sure how to say it.  This project is a little different, but it is one that means a lot to me. 

Whenever someone asks me where I see myself in five years, the first answer that I give is ‘fixing up spaces for those who really need it, not those who can afford it’.  I feel in my heart that I want to spend part of my time giving back some of what’s been given to me.   The mantra I have heard over and over in my head for months now is ‘there are real people with real needs who need real solutions.’  I talked it over with my hub, and we came to an agreement months ago that we were going to reach out into our own community and find somewhere to help. 

We called the Committee on the Shelterless (or COTS) to offer our services, and as with all non-profits, they welcome all the help they can get.  We gave them some information, and told them what we had to offer.  They ran a background check, and a week later, we adopted a house.  The Alma House. 

Historically, the act of almsgiving is a material donation to the needy.  ‘Alma’ in Spanish means ‘spirit’ or ‘soul’.  The name of the street where our adopted house is located is Alma Drive.  We deemed it a sign, and The Alma Project was born. 

What is The Alma Project? 

The Alma Project is the transformation of a fixer upper house into a comfortable functional home for women who desperately need it.  Living inside the Alma House are three single mothers, previously homeless, who reside for free on the condition that they are learning skills, stabilizing their lives, attending counseling, and remain drug and alcohol free.  These mothers are saving their money from their part time jobs and raising their children as best as they can.  They have no time or money to fix up this house.  They are real women with real needs who need real solutions. 

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