organizing my life

I've always been a lover of organization.  But let's face it, when you throw 3 little ones in the mix, plus a puppy and a night job (jewelry sales, people!  Get your minds out of the gutter...), not to mention all the church stuff going on (small group, youth group, Bible study, etc.), it's hard to maintain my desire and NEED for an organized life.

But this past month, I was bitten by the organizing bug.  And it has made my life easier.

To start with, I organized our linen closet.  I know, most of you already have beautifully organized linens, but mine were not so much.  Yes, everything was folded and in somewhat organized piles, but every time I had to dig out new sheets for the 5 different beds in this house, I could never remember which ones were queen, twin, etc.  So I organized all the sheets by the beds they belong to.

I know this no Martha Stewart picture of perfection, but it'll have to do.

Then I made my own labels (think I may need to invest in a label maker..).

I even organized my massive collection of gift bags and wrapping paper on the top shelf.

And then I smiled.

Next, I knew that my grocery shopping arrangement needed some serious tweaking.  I mean, I do love Target and all, but heading out there 3 or more times a week with little ones in tow is not my idea of great economics.  So, I started a new Sunday night routine.  After small group is over and the kids are in bed, I look quickly through the coupons from the Sunday flier and at Target's online coupons and plan out my meals for the week. Then I make up my shopping list (which I made up myself, color coordinated by section in order of my store route so I make sure not to miss anything and not to have to re-circle the store for the forgotten item just when I thought I was done.  I hate when that happens.).

 **Bonus Tip: Target stacks manufacturer's coupons with their own coupons, making for amazing savings!  Plus, I've found that Target has more off brands than Fareway, making for better deals.  (And no, I'm not knocking Fareway, I love that store too and they do have great prices!) And now Target's RedCard saves you 5% on every single purchase.  That's HUGE if you get groceries there!  And no, they are not paying me to advertise that, although I think they should...**


With my grocery shopping more organized, I decided to organize my freezer and deep freeze to maximize the use of our items in there.  I got this awesome "soup file" idea from the Nate Berkus show, so now every time I make soup, I make a double batch and stick half of it in these freezer bags.  The bags are great for quick thawing and don't take up much space in the freezer.  Love it.

So, that's what I've been up to.  What are some of your best organizing tips?