How to be Grateful for the Little Things

Life is Good: it's the little things!

I'm not going to say that I exaggerate a lot, (See how I did that?) but I do express my enthusiasm in not only actions, but also words. So I often say, "That's the greatest thing I ever did!" for little things that, I feel, make a big impact.

So today, I am grateful for some of the greatest things I ever did! Like:

* Putting a pencil sharpener on the wall of our pantry. No more complaints about dull pencils or kids asking me to sharpen pencils in one of those dinky little handheld sharpeners!

* Using a couple of extra frames, scrapbook paper, and dry erase markers for a note board. I write down stuff we run out of or things I keep forgetting on these little babies and they don't get lost (OR DRAWN UPON WITH MONSTERS or KNIGHTS!) like pieces of paper do.

* Buying these bins from amazon for the laundry room and adding a tag to them for each member of the family. Five of them plus an extra for detergent, etc fit just perfectly on the shelf above my extra capacity washer and dryer (that I don't love, but still grateful for indoor, in the house laundry!). Now, things come out of the dryer and into the bins. The bins go into the rooms and get put away. No piles of clean clothes in laundry baskets looking all intimidating and time-consuming and messy! 

* Putting this bookcase from Ikea in each child's closet with bins for toys. We are lucky to have big enough closets do to this in our new home. We never could have done this in our 110-year old house. (Which is one reason why we moved!)  I love that everyone's toys go away into bins and their rooms look neat and orderly in mere minutes after even the most major of playtimes. I also have one of these in our mudroom closet. Inside its bins you will find everything from arts & crafts supplies to each kiddos' school paperwork to extra party supplies (gotta keep 'em handy for spur of the moment celebrations!) and practical things like lightbulbs. I have one bin dedicated to adhesives---one of THE GREATEST THINGS I EVER DID was putting all of the various sizes & styles of tape, glues, clamps, etc in one bin! Really!

* Purchasing bins similar to these (can't remember where I got mine!) in our mudroom cubbies. One for each member of the family and one for "EXTRAS". Now everyone's gloves and hats and scarves and whatever are waiting in the bins for them. And none should ever get lost or misplaced, right?!?!

* Buying these slim coolers for lunch bags. No more big bulky ones or too tiny ones. These are just right for my kids' Lands End lunch bags and stay frozen until lunch time. 

* Discovering these child safety locks for our doorknobs!  Our little smarty figured out how to open all of the doors (and raise havoc in every room) really early. These little babies have prevented him from running wild through the house. Well, okay, through a couple of rooms. Our little wild child still manages to raise heck wherever he is. ; )

PS: Love these furniture straps, too! You can never be too careful when you have a little wild child in residence!

So, class: let's review. It appears today that I am grateful for BINS! ha! Well, with three kids plus a mama who loves "stuff", we need to keep things organized to keep things sane. SO viva la bin, basket, and containers of every sort. Life is good! Make sure you note that!