Never wash a germy dish cloth again

I've used these blue "shop towels" in the garage for years. Then one day, I ran out of paper towels in the kitchen and used these as a backup. I was amazed at how well they held up under water. They have the convenient disposablity of paper towels, but never fall apart when wet; even after a full sink of dishes. You can ring them out and reuse them over and over again. In fact, one of these towels usually lasts me the entire day.

They worked so well that eventually I pitched all my old germ-carrying dishcloths and bought a paper towel holder for under the sink. I still keep paper towels on my counter for little spills and touch-ups, but when it comes to dishes and wiping down kitchen surfaces, I always grab one of these. I buy mine in bulk at Costco, but you can find them at almost any super store in the automotive section. Just thought I'd pass it on.

Save yourself from backpack clutter with family inboxes

School is starting again…which means seas of pastel colored papers coming home in backpacks. Of course the problem is that we get a random assortment each day. Homework, reminders, permission slips…it's tough to keep it all straight. Rather than let my counter clutter up, I created this inbox system in my kitchen cupboard to help me manage the clutter.

Since the kitchen is the hub of our home, most of my organization centers there. I devoted the lower shelf of one cupboard to keeping the family organized. On the right side are my many binders (mentioned in a previous post). On the left, are these inexpensive inboxes I purchased from WalMart for around $10.

I labeled one inbox for every member of the family. Essentially the inboxes are temporary storage. As the backpacks come off, the kids put any homework on the fridge. Everything else goes into their inbox. Sometimes I get a minute when the kids are in the tub, but generally I don't get a chance to go through the boxes until the kids are in bed. By then I've usually got a little time to sign things, write checks, and add notes to my calendar. Then I return stuff back to their backpacks and look forward to a slightly less hectic morning.

I also use the inboxes to stash lots of things for myself and my husband. For example, If I'm going through a catalog and see an idea I like, I rip it out and stick it in my inbox. Later, when I have time, I add it to my Design Ideas Binder. They also come in handy when I find a pile of my husband's random papers and post-its. Rather than try to figure out what they are, I toss them into his inbox and tell him to look there first.

It's a simple system, but it works…and it's well worth the cupboard space. Just thought I'd pass it on.

Announcing MeckMom.com - Blogs, Files & More

Over the past few months, I've posted many of my favorite bright ideas on this blog. As my readership grew, many of you have emailed me requesting the files I used to create my various charts and labels. Afterall, what good is a bright idea if you have to waste your time to try and recreate the files that are sitting on my computer? Rather than try to keep up with the email, I've opted to create a site that will house all of my blog ideas as well as the free file downloads I used to create them.

You'll find my new site at www.meckmom.com. It's a work in progress, but hopefully you'll bear with me as I get things posted. It's a fairly simple site. No ads or distractions, just bright ideas and simple solutions that I've found helpful over the years.

A few of the things you'll find on MeckMom.com:
Organizing Bright Ideas Blog: All of the posts you'll find on my blogger site with options to rate your favorites and add comments on how you improved the ideas.
LDS Bright Ideas Blog: Any bright idea I come across related to LDS callings and home life. Object lessons, scripture study ideas, and calling organizing ideas. This one is new, so you won't see much now, but there will be more to come.
Party Bright Ideas Blog: One of my favorite hobbies is creative party planning. When I come upon great ideas or try out a new party or family fun idea, I'll post it here. Again, this one is new, so it's a little bare at the moment, but it will grow.
Downloads: Here you'll find many of the files I mention in my blogs as well as several that I think you might find handy. Most of the files are in MS Word and are completely adaptable to your family's needs.
Links: I'm out exploring the web a lot. As I come upon sites I love or find particularly helpful, I'll add them to my links section.

You'll notice, that this site is not a message board-type site. I know there are many of those out there and I think they serve a great purpose. However, I don't want the stress of sifting and screening other people's ideas. My intention with this site was not to create a communication hub for compulsive organizers and party planners. Rather, I wanted to give myself an outlet the many files and ideas I've used over the years. I know it's selfish, but this is a hobby for me, I want it to be fun...not stressful. That being said, I want you to feel free to comment and improve upon anything you see. I love your comments and feedback. They keep me motivated and help keep my creative juices flowing.

Thanks again to all of you for support. I hope you enjoy the new site and continue to check it as it grows. If you do find it useful, please pass it on. Checking the site statistics and watching the numbers grow is my favorite way to get rid of my "I'll never catch up on my laundry" blues. Take care.

Sincerely,
MeckMom