How do I organize all the kids projects and papers?

All 3 of my children love design, color and art as much as I do and tend to have a lot of paper!

Because I hate when there is a clutter of paper and I like things to be aesthetic as well as useful, here is something that I am trying to do, to cut down the clutter of papers and projects that my children bring home from school.

I have a few things I do:
1) I have a receiving basket in the kitchen where it all (supposed to) goes. When we see it piles then we go through what they think is their favorite and then whatever we can part with, but would like to keep a memory of, I then have them take photos of those pieces (it takes much less space).
2) for the rest that we cant part with, I have containers for each of my children, like the scrapbook sort of size and we store those pieces for keeps. Eventually they and you will be able to part with more:)
3) for the permission slips and other papers they need me to see, they have to put it in another basket that I check daily.

I hope this helps:)

Spring Cleaning with…VODKA

Many of us are looking for natural safe ways to efficiently clean our homes and keep them germ free! This is one of the things that I do to keep my family safe and my home clean. You will be surprised at the many uses you can find from a simple bottle of Vodka…to me the stuff tastes disgusting but it does a good job at cleaning!

Use 1

Use vodka on your laundry. High-proof alcohol has a solvent effect and can work very well for removing some types of stains, including grass and vomit stains. Simply blot the stain with a clean cloth soaked in vodka. You can also use vodka to spot clean heavily beaded garments or clean beading. The alcohol will make the beads sparkle and clean the underlying fabric. By diluting one part vodka with five parts water, you can make a spray for freshening your clothes. Add a bit of lavender oil or other essential oil if desired. Diluted vodka spray is quite effective at removing cigarette odors, either by itself or after washing.

Use 2
Clean your bathroom. Vodka will help make a dingy bathroom sparkle. It is ideal for both glass and chrome and can remove that spotty dullness that effects the fixtures in your bathroom with little effort. Diluted in a spray bottle, it will remove hairspray and soap residue from the surfaces of your bath, especially ceramic tile. Cleaning with vodka is also effective on mold and mildew.

Use 3
Use it to clean small, delicate items. Many types of jewelry, with the exception of softer and more delicate items like pearls and opals, will come clean with a soak in vodka. Vodka is also ideal for cleaning your eyeglasses without leaving streaks. If you own a chandelier or lamps decorated with glass prisms, vodka will make them sparkle. Apply to a soft cloth and gently wipe each prism or dilute and spray, then wipe.

Use 4
Kill and prevent unwanted household pests. A diluted vodka spray can be used to kill ants and other common household insects. Houseplants can be cleaned with a soft, damp cloth and then wiped with diluted vodka to prevent aphid infestations. You can also use vodka to kill weeds. Combine 1 oz. of vodka, 2 cups of water and a bit of dish soap. Spray on weeds. These uses for vodka can keep your home free of unwanted visitors.

Use 5
Remove residues of various sorts. Vodka is an eco-friendly solvent and works quite well for removing adhesive from items of all sorts, even skin. Save yourself the money on expensive and smelly adhesive removers.

I hope this is useful to you and I look forward to hearing your comments!