My Shelf Ah-Ha Moment

File this under "Why Didn't I Think of That?!" ideas. 

If you are like me, you need shelving in your life, for everything from clothes closets to the linen cupboard. I inherited wire shelving with my home, which, while functional, is less than aesthetically pleasing. As I clean out my shelves for spring cleaning this year, paring down what will go back onto the shelves is the easy part. Keeping what I put back looking nice and neat is the kicker. Check out this link, which has one of the best solutions that I have seen so far. As I replace the wire shelving in my home, I will be hanging my new shelves upside down. This results in the brackets of the shelves turning themselves into built in dividers, and attractive ones at that......

Pure (and pretty) genius!



http://www.simplifiedbee.com/2010/03/spring-cleaning-tips-making-your-closet-functional-beautiful.html

Get Thee Behind Me Carpet Dents!

Hello Gypsy Fans, Today's Spring Cleaning Tip Involves Cleaning the Carpets In My House.

Now we all know that the correct way (as apposed to the way I usually do it) to get our carpets clean is to move all of the furniture in a room (hello treasure trove of lost legos!), give the carpet a good vacuum, them steam clean with a carpet cleaner (make sure not to over soap! Left over soap attracts dirt like glue). I always find it deeply satisfying, and a little gross, to see what my carpet has been hiding over the long, cold winter. What you might not know about is my favorite tip for getting dents left by furniture out of the nap in your carpet. Since I love to move stuff around in my house, these dents are a common occurrence. Check out this link that shows step-by-step how to get rid of these dents using ice cubes, it's so easy, even this chick can do it.......


http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Furniture-Dents-from-Carpet

Today's Spring Cleaning Task~Kid's Clothes

Today to Kick Off My Spring Cleaning, I am starting with my kid's closets. 

If your kids are anything like mine, they spent their entire winter eating and growing. This makes them healthy and happy, and unfortunately for mothers everywhere, it also makes their clothes too small!

My sons recently grew about 2 inches in the span of 38 seconds and is now walking around looking like he is preparing for a flood of Noah-like proportions. Since Spring and Summer is on it's way (and I am a big cheapskate when it comes to everyday kid's clothes) I have already picked him up some jeans that fit on clearance at a local store, along with 3 or four pairs from the consignment shop I use and the kid's 2nd hand store in town. You can't beat name-brand jeans for your kids when they are less than $2 with the tags still on!

All of the clothes that no longer fit my little angels will be passed on to smaller cousins or dropped of on consignment. (Make a small tote of what you know friends/relatives kids will like and will fit them within the next year, don't just throw all of it at your families heads and laugh because you successfully moved clutter from your house to theirs) Nothing is more annoying than getting bags full of clothes from someone who says "these are for your kids, aren't I helpful" only to find they contain items so stained, faded, and humongous (I'm looking at you person who gives a 6 year old size 12 items) that it turns a favor into another thing on my to-do list (I am not a Goodwill drop off site to my knowledge).

Everything not claimed and in great shape will go to the consignment store I use. Clothes that I no longer want from my closet will join them as well as all the jewelry from the bottom of my jewelry box that I don't ever wear. The 10 minutes it takes to drop the stuff off will pay off big time when I need to get a spring concert dress for my daughter to wear once, or I need some extra cash. (Remember, Consignment Shops will pay you cash when your stuff sells or will give you store credit, and I have never met a woman who did not want easy money or free clothes).

Good luck with your kid's closets~
Remember, you need to be ruthless on junk to be easy on your self!

Let The Spring Cleaning Marathon Begin!

Hi Gypsy Fans! As we cruise into March, a little worse for the wear after winter's wrath, we turn our attention and time to a task that has brought many a contender to their knees.........SPRING CLEANING!!!!

Spring Cleaning is kind of like tattoos....some folks do it, some folks don't. Some folks get it, some folks won't. If you are like me, you tackle spring (and fall) cleaning as a way to turn over the seasons and get a fresh start after half a year of cabin fever (Northern MI winters are not for the faint of heart!). It usually takes me a couple weeks to be done with all of my tasks (if I tried to do it all at once, my home would be thrown into chaos, thus negating the purpose of creating a calm, spring cleaned house).

Spring Cleaning falls under the umbrella of "war on clutter" described in previous posts in regards to stress. Make a list, get through it, no whining or complaining or procrastinating please! You are NOT the busiest person in the world, if millions of folks with jobs, kids, pets, volunteer posts, etc. can spring clean their house, what is your excuse exactly?

So to help you along, I will be posting tips and tricks from the keepers of the wisdom about Spring Cleaning, and talking about the tasks that I attempt to tackle. I hear-by declare the 2013 Spring Cleaning to be officially open!

Discounts for Well Behaved Kids?

From out friends at 9&10 News, a local news station in Northern Michigan, which this Gypsy calls home, a question that is bond to stir up the best kind of parenting drama:

Our Fox Topix question today...Do you think restaurants should give a discount for well behaved children? One restaurant in Seattle, Wash. thinks so, they've been giving it to a few patrons who had well behaved kids.
Here is the link to their Facebook page where you can chime in on the discussion:
https://www.facebook.com/9and10News

This MG's opinion would be "Depends on the Day!" Most of the time my children are well behaved but we have had meltdowns in public just like everyone else. The difference may be in how little they occur. And my husband and I firmly believe that zero tolerance, even if it results in inconvenience to us, the adults, is the best way to deal with a situation like this. I have left cart fulls of grocery sitting in the middle of the store because I told a child that unless they straitened up, we were going to leave. My husband has stood outside a car in the parking lot while a 6 year old threw a tantrum on the inside. We have left restaurants before the food has hit the table, with one parent putting the bratty-acting kids in the car while the other asks for everything to be boxed up. Does this suck? Yes! Is it very frustrating and inconvenient and feel like the grown ups are getting punished for the kids behavior? Of course!
But let me tell you, each kid did not want to go home and the lesson that you must behave a certain way to be able to be out with the rest of humanity was made crystal clear. We only had to leave one restaurant, one grocery store, with each kid before they were "cured" of this kind of mis-behavior. Now I get compliments on how well behaved my kids are.
Hopefully this will shine a light on the under-lying issue: No one wants to listen to your screaming, fit-throwing kids! Not even other mothers that have been there before. I expect kids to melt down, what I don't expect is for you to sit there letting them destroy other people's experiences. If your child is incapable of behaving in public at that moment, you need to remove them, end of story....

Gypsy's Top 5 Tips for De-Stressing Your House

Hello Ladies & Gents,
It's getting to be that time of year again.......(wait for it).......SPRING CLEANING! Spring Cleaning is something near and dear to my heart that I have come to love and loath. Nothing perks up my mood more than a sparkling clean and organized house, but the road to get there can be bumpy and winding. And since folks are always complementing me on my organized dwelling, here are some certified Michigan Gypsy Tips to de-stress your daily adventures~

#1: If you can do it in under 60 seconds, it needs to be done immediately! 
This is a way of life you should adopt and something you should hammer into your spouse and kids, it will change your life. If you look at small tasks as either "can be done in under 60 sec." or "needs more time" and act accordingly, you house will be much neater and your brain less frantic. It takes some getting used to but pays off big time, especially if you can look at is as a game that you are winning, a way you are helping yourself etc. The way it works is this, any task, no matter what it is, if you can do it in under 60 sec. you do it immediately, right then and there, no excuses. Throwing out the junk mail after checking the mail: takes less than 60 sec. Taking dishes back to the kitchen: takes less than 60 sec. straitening shoes at front door: takes less than 60 sec. Jotting down a reminder on a sticky note: takes less than 60 sec. When you see something that hits you with a "Crap! I need to take care of that/clean that up/put that away" you would be amazed what really only takes a few seconds out of our lives but pays off big time for our sanity. No excuses~ unless you are an on-call surgeon, you can do this!

#2: Teach them~ They Will Surprise You!
It always shocks me how much parents under-estimate their children. If you want your home to produce mature, responsible adults, then you need to be growing mature, responsible kids, end of story! Baby them with your love, not by waiting on them hand and foot. If you turn yourself into a maid for your family, they will treat you like one. Now don't get me wrong, I shoulder the brunt of the housekeeping and cleaning in our diggs (and I have 2 jobs) and I do so happily, after all, I chose to get married and to have these children, their messes come with the territory. However, after your kids get out of the toddler stage it is time to have them step up their acts around the house. And no, I don't just mean keeping their rooms clean, that's a given, but other things as well. If you take the time to teach them, they will surprise you with their ability to handle it. Perfect example, as soon as my son was able to safely reach the knobs on the washer  and dryer ( he was around 9 or 10), he started helping with the laundry. He does not use the bleach for obvious reasons, but I put star stickers on the "regular" settings on both machines, showed him how to use the detergent and fabric softener, cautioned about using too much soap, and away he went. No muss, no fuss! We approached it as something that all the mature, responsible members of the family learn and help out with, and trust me, having another set of hands to turn over the laundry is amazing!

#3: Throw it Away Already!!!!!!
Yes I am looking at you compulsive plastic bag hoarder! That's right, advert your eyes Mr. Drawer Full of Holy Socks. This year should be the year that you finally give yourself permission to let go of some stuff you are holding onto "just in case." It might irk you when it first leaves your life, but do what I do: visualize a clean, fresh, neatly organized home, with yourself standing in it, and know that it will never happen if you have more scrapbook paper than Michael's stored away even though you haven't crafted since your 13 year old was in diapers....It's reality check time! Trust me, nothing feels more liberating that getting rid of an entire drawer (that's right, they all go) of crappy, yucky socks and replacing it with all nice new ones.


#4: Consignment Shop, Consignment Shop, Consignment Shop:
I have always given all of our old stuff to Goodwill in the past, and still do donate certain things to charity. But when I got laid off at my last job, we had to face some lifestyle changes. One of those changes what no more new clothes. My solution? I started taking the kids and adult clothes that we grow out of/no longer wear to a local consignment shop. You will get the biggest bang for your buck from the ones that specialize in kids/women's clothes. Check the Internet and phone book for ones in your town and stop by to check it out before taking your stuff there, you want to make sure it is a good "fit." The one I use is nice and clean and half is kids and half is women's with a small men's section. I take our NICE (no crap!) gently used clothes whenever I have a full bin (I have a plastic bin in the basement where I throw stuff destined for the consignment shop). They put them up for sale and after an item sells, I get about 1/2 the money put on my account. I can either have them write me a check or I can use that money to shop the store. I always shop the store, (and I have run into folks from the most expensive neighborhoods in town browsing there) since my kids always, always, need something, either jeans or a holiday dress, or even a sweater for me. And let me tell you, when I walk out of that store with a bag full of clothes for FREE (Hollister hoodies for my husband!), it more than makes up for shopping at the mall. Less clutter in my home and free clothes that my family actually wants? That's called a score where I come from.

#5: Own Less:
This is the hardest one, which is why I saved it for last. The reason that my house is open and airy and nice and neat is basically because I hate clutter. It mentally and emotionally effects me to the point that I have challenged clutter to a duel at dawn with pistols in the park by the river bend. You will not see piles of random paper in my house. You will not see every surface covered with random chotchkies gathering dust. No resin moose or misc. paperweights. I have grouping of things I love and collect, but they are carefully edited to only feature that which I love, love, love, with an over-all eye to maintaining open space and airiness. My home is still warm and cozy without being cluttered. Be brave, put some collectibles in your bookcase to feature the very best and get rid of the rest. Sell them on craigslist, give them to charity, pawn them off on your sisters, whatever it takes. When I find something I have to have at an antique store or flea market, either I have a specific spot in mind or something else in the house has to go to make room. Your happiness needs room to grow in your home, use a harsh and critical eye to make sure it gets the legroom it needs.......

From The Birdhouse Workshop~

Today's Birdhouse Workshop Idea:
Using unusual items in extraordinary ways! I thought of this handsome group of fellas when I came across some old weathered spindle legs at my local Re-Store. I figured they would make great birdhouse bases, and I was right! The shape is perfect for small birdhouses and the legs can be pushed into the ground wherever you want. I dry-brushed pallet wood white to match the legs and used old end pieces of barn wood I had lying around from other projects. A handful of rusty hardware and some moss from the dollar store and I was in business. The deer antlers give it an unexpected touch that even the menfolk can appreciate, and you can usually scrounge up some smaller single antlers that are not big enough to display if you ask enough guys sweetly enough. Remember to use a drill bit to drill holes in the antlers first (slowly!) then mount using screws. Happy Hunting.......

The Life of a Hockey Mom

I came across this article written by John Buccigross and laughed out loud! As a hockey mom that is not only the team manager for my son's teams and the Vice President of our Hockey Association, I deal with hockey and hockey parents nearly every day. The decision by my husband Nick to also help coach our son's team this season has made my home the hockey center of Northern Michigan. And while I love that my son loves this sport so much, I am looking forward to spring so my 3 season porch no longer reeks of the gear that is spread out on it air out, spending a weekend at home for once, and having a week go by where the only screaming, nutty, slap-fighting that I have to endure is the result of people I am related to or am getting paid to interact with. With that I share with you John Buccigross's 13 simple rules for hockey parents, may they put a smile on your face as well~

http://espn.go.com/nhl/notebook/_/page/buccigross_091215/my-13-simple-rules-hockey-parents-everywhere