How to organize without spending any money "use what you already have"

Can we organuze without spending money?

Here are some tips to answer this question:

Yes! "Use what you already have":

1. Any boxes that can be used from deliveries, use them and then when you know what needs to put togeher then look for, and it can help decide what storage ways will be good for long term storage. This can be a bin or even a bucket, I have used my sons bucket to store kitchen cleaning items, and stored up high so my son to get hold of it.

2. With recycled I think its being misconstrude as coffee cups you get made out of cardboard are not recyclable and if you check the bins outside you have two options, general rubbish, and recycle, NO DISPOSABLE COFFEE SHOP CUPS. Yet it is good to use reusable and when I tried to reuse a cup from a shop the coffee I made in it did not taste nice. You can empty them out and be used as a desk organizer for pens and stationary such as paper clips and if you want to get office supplies on sale, this is the time to shop, as they will be a load of sales as in the UK all schools all re-open. The other time is around the new year and then July when academic planners go on sale. The school year in the UK is from September to July.

3. If you have are on the moving and order items online keep the boxes and they started many retailer, using reusable bags which are handy for packing clothes, books, make up as I am using that to store in a storage bin and have a cleaning caddie for my toiletries and are great for packing if you already have any and separate your makeup from your toiletries and use clothing labels as labels for your boxes and storage containers.

4. In the kitchen, have items stored of what you use the most at the front, and others that you don't at the back. You don't need a Lazy susan, use plates that you don't often use and I used a microwave tray when I lived in my old home in Epsom and plates. 

5. Knives, forks and spoons are great stored on the counter top in a cutlery holder, rather than a draw, but if you got kids store these out of reach and you can use again bowls to store mugs too. 

I hope you find these tips helpful and there will be more blogs to follow as we move from Summertime to Autumn and get nearer...wait for it...birthdays and Christmas. 

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X  

 

Organizing Queen I am not but wait until my room looks sorry for itself

If you know me, you will see that I watch a lot of Youtube and the videos that grab my eye are Organization ones, and it was watching a video now about Organization that I thought of this blog. 

I am functional but I look at my desk and see that it could be better and as I began this post I found that I have just organized a Caddie I have that is my make up caddy, which was actually a cleaning caddy from TK Maxx and have another with all my toiletries and some jewellery, from Robert Dyas.

I then looked around my room to see what else I could clear and did. I need to be inspired to organize, as the word for me is one I battle with. Do I enjoy it? Or not? Answer it depends on the day and how my room looks, if it looking sorry for itself. 

As a kid I shuved things in draws so system involved and was nagged regularly about my room and now I am back living with my mum for a bit, it is more or less the same, yet I do get it done, organizing and tidying. I have to be in the mood. 

Looking at my workbase it does need a good thorough clean again, so gonna jot it down to clean it, so it gets done. 

So gonna see what items I can take back with me from my old home to here, that will also keep my room tidy and trust me when I have a new place, it will be different, but often you have to work on what you have. 

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

Organizing the summer holidays with a 7 year old/why I love spending summer with my son

Hello and welcome to a new blog. So, it is the school holidays and only week one and it has been a testing time but that is kids. You can't tell what they are thinking and often will strop and we have had some of that, like yesterday wanted to get a bus every time we got off one and walked for a bit and not his favourite thing but for me it is important for him to have some form of exercise.

He was fine though in the end but kids get be very indecisive and I like to involve him when it comes to planning activities as it gives him the sense of responsibility cause that is important for when they get older. I do write a blog called The Parenting Adventures Tips and Tricks on Wordpress.com so more content there and on my Youtube channel do a regular video called Truth About parenting if you wanted to check this out.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUDFIqjVKLy7NhtcR6Hy0Tg

I do love the kisses and hugs I get and he is when we together always wants me to be with him and very clingy still. I think it is because I share him with his Dad and we aren't together anymore, and it is a adjustment, it was when my own parents got divorced, but overrall he has been fine and we my son and I, are closer than we have ever been. 

Kids when they get tired and hungry can play up, so good to have snacks on you and have some kind of plan, but I never have things set in stone. 

Do what makes you both happy and still have boundaries and rules in place, so they respect other people you may have to share the days out with, and group activities are great and now Lockdown has finished there are playdates to be held and seeing more family. 

BBQ's perhaps not as it set to rain a lot here in the UK, but still cinemas and theatres, visiting museums and a movie day or dress up and play day. I loved fancy dress as a kid and my brother and I was always entered, so why not do a home fancy dress. 

When it is sunny again why not take them to seaside and have old fashioned seaside fish 'n' chips, Candyfloss ans sticks of rock. 

I love taking my son on trips and I am lucky that I do have family who live near the English Seaside and so do visit every year if we can.

So, I will be posting more about the summer holidays and want to write an EBook to help parents during school holidays. I have a new parenting book I am writing and so this will be available shortly. I will let you know.

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

Shopping ideas/buying for kids/how to save on kid clothes

When it comes to kids they grow all the time and with Henry I was at one time clearing out his wardrobe and chest of draws everyday no lie as they grow at such a rate that it is difficult to catch up. 

Second hand clothes saved me so much money on clothes for him and if you know someone who has had kids and want to hand you down some kids clothes always take them up on it, and honestly it saves time and money, and what one child doesn't wear and you have other kids then it suits them instead, have them and go through and separate them into different ages, example 0 to 4 months, 4 to 6 months, 5 - 7 years. 

Have a system where you rotate the clothes worn and what is not to keep tabs on their clothes. Invest in some good hangers and if you can have beds that come with storage as these are always a great investment in storing kids clothes and toys then they are a game changer.

If they share rooms dedicate a draw to them and segrigatte the wardrobe by putting names with the clothes stored and who they are for. 

When it comes to cuddly toys check Charity shops and Car Boot sales, as they always have good items for kids, and great if you keep change and have a low budget. 

Keep a budget on the money spent for them and have them have their own bank accounts that you can help manage and I used to love it when I kept pennies and would pay them in, it is something I have always done and have an emergency tin of money for those last minute purchases that needs to grabbed, like need new shirts for school, nappies and if the store you got to have a points card and you use them regularly and school themes like if they need a certain coloured top or fancy dress.

Teach thema about money and how to count it and save. Teach them about budgeting and shop wisely and have them create wish lists.

I wrote more blogs on parenting on my site: https://theparentingadventurestipsandtricks.wordpress.com  

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

Days when I feel super tired and just needs sleep

Hello and welcome! I am writing this post on Sunday when I feel super tired and I just need to sleep. It means listening to my body and get an early night in. 

When you actually read this it will be Monday and tomorrow I am dropping my son off at school and then come back here to then do some errands and do at least one walk today, and do more for the rest of the week.

It is good to organize some walking and staying in shape, I feel so much better for it and it makes more of an effort to do extra training indoors and I want to finish my current book I am reading so I can read my others. It is good to organize some reading as a fellow writer it inspires me and I love a good book.

Taking my son to school made his day and mine, then I hope to see him again on other days or at the weekend.

It breaks up my days when I have my little dude with me and he is at that age where he is happy to play on his own, but likes me to be sitting in the same room as I think it reassures him that I am there. 

Come Monday now I am finishing this blog post have come to realise is that breaking up my days where I give myself time to chill helps me to take time away and recuperate. I can get lost in my world of writing blogs and books, and doing videos but I have to go outdoors again and hope there is no more lockdowns and I can travel up to central London without bother and walk up there whenever I can. 

Organizing my time is important and give myself TV breaks too catch up on some TV helps and write notes to then get back to creating further content. 

I want to have a life of adventure and fun, so getting myself to rest and sleep being super tired always is the top of my list now and keeping busy and exercising makes more time and have more energy. 

When Super tired it means rest rest and rest, never overwork yourself as it can cause burnout and it important to restore my energy.

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X

How I now manage my life/Using A5 notebook/Other books to create ideas for my books

Hello and welcome! This is a new Organize4thebetter blog where I share a video I did about How I am currently managing my life, using an A5 notebook to plan for the next day to on the day of what needs to be done. 

I love a notepad which I am showing in this video, and bought this from Sainsbury's and it is good to use it, and keeping all notes near me as much as possible, and I do I will go through all of them to create further content. 

I hope you enjoy

Many thanks

Carrie X

Organizing your money/Save and invest/no more over spending/use what i have

I set myself a goal of saving £100 a month, and it has been a insight in that I had spent to much money on coffees, so I have used what I have at home. I have a coffee machine where I live and a jar of coffee I leave in Epsom, which I have when waiting for my son to come back from school. I no longer hide away from my bank balance and have put money into my savings. 

As a kid I was always saving the money I had and was how I bought my first TV I owned as I saved my pocket money to pay for it. That girl had disappeared, when I began to start work, once I had enough with school and wanted a job. 

At first I was managing my money well, but it went downhill shortly after. It has taken a lot to pull back from spending money, and would buy items from Avon each month, before I became a rep myself for Avon, I would shopping from Amazon a lot, but recently now in 2022, my bank account got hacked and now I am wary of what I spend online and make sure it is a real retailer.

I keep record again of my money, and try to spend money in cash rather than debit all of the time. 

I prioritize when it comes to money, and make sure I have enough to travel each week, food, personal care and bills. 

I have to have a mobile with me, because of Henry being at school, and you never know when they may call if my son becomes unwell, like he couple of weeks ago had chickenpox, so I need to make sure I have money to pay for my mobile. 

So it making sure I have money for the items I need, and to budget. I budget on each item I buy, like I hate having to pay for milk if it is more than two pounds, and so I am consciously making sure I can save on what I buy. 

I am making sure I use what I have, and limit the items I want and what I need first.

I am paying to much on my mobile at the moment than I want and so going to get this sorted out, and it is good to shop around. 

When it comes to shopping stores own brands, I always check and they often are made from the same place a premium products, and can be a lot healthier. I limit myself on snacks. I have had type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol, so this has helped me when it comes to food. I do have fresh cooked meals, and I have not bought any more takeaways, and this has made a huge difference. 

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X