33 You Asked: And I'm Not Makin' This Up!

A reader recently wrote and asked how I handle storing all my makeup supplies...

Brittany asked:

Hi Jen!

I absolutely love reading your blog. Your home is so organized, it makes me giddy! I love reading about all your projects and plan on trying some of them in my own home, whenever I get one! lol. I was wondering..how do you organize your make-up? I'm constantly trying to find the best way-baskets, bins, a bag...I'd really like to see how you keep all your make-up organized. Thanks for your time!

Brittany

Although I dream that someday my makeup storage could be a lot more oooh la la inspiring, like this:

or this:

or even able to use the genius idea of a cutlery organizer to corral all my goodies:

image courtesy of Centsational Girl

The matter of the fact is that I once again, I learned that less is more and have been trying to live more simplified.  I realized that I had WAY too many products.  Many that I never touched.  Mainly because the colors weren't right or because they were old and outdated.  I found that with the exception of eye shadow, I used the same makeup supplies each and every day.

So I tossed EVERYTHING that I didn't use.  Which was more than I care to admit or share, but let's just say, it was an eye opening experience.

Now, all of the makeup that I use, resides in this one, very pretty pink makeup bag.

   

What's inside?  Just the basics to make this gal feel a tad bit glam.

Face powder, blush, three eye shadows, floss, concealer, complexion makeup, eye roller, liquid lipstick, eye liner, mascara, tweezers, nail clippers, and brush applicators.  That's it!

I used to struggle keeping everything in a makeup bag for one reason only, and that was that my brushes wouldn't hold up and would make a huge powdery mess.  So I switched out the old damaged brushes and invested in some eco versions, that also solve the storage problem!

   

The brushes all have a slot inside this handy carrying case, and the face brush also compacts right inside to keep it not only from dusting the contents of the makeup bag, but ensuring a longer life expectancy!  I can't gush about these babies enough, they are oh so soft and feel magical each day!

The brush pack can be found here and the retractable brush can be found here.

And when not in use, they are very compact and toss nicely right inside the makeup bag!

And that's it!  The bag can easily go with me everywhere.  From the car to vacation and even from bathroom to bathroom.

A couple of other really quick random bathroom/makeup storage ideas I have done, just to add a little more interest to this post...

Think outside the normal toothbrush holder when corralling your toothbrushes on the counter, I really adore this pencil cup for ours:

And a larger white vase never gets tired, and is great for those random beauty supplies like deodorant, cleansers, spray conditioner, scrubbers, etc...

Find an extra bin or basket to store extra rolled up washcloths or hand towels and toss extra soaps in a pretty bowl or dish:

And lastly, before I switched to the makeup bag concept, I tossed my makeup brushes in a vase filled with pebbles.... worked pretty slick!

Any other tips for Brittany?  How do you all corral all of your beautifying goods?  Which frankly I am sure none of us really need since we are all truly beautiful without any makeup at all!

P.S.  Wondering how to take care of your brushes and how long to keep your makeup?  Check out this oldie post here!  And to see how I store my mani and pedi supplies, click here!

15 IHeart: Gift Giving

Who else is incredibly giddy about the holidays?  My favorite moments are the annual traditions we partake in with the kids, their giggles, their bright eyes and their endless excitement as they count down the days to the big Christmas day celebration.

Although I try to be as organized as possible, the holidays always have a way of sneaking up on me.  I mean, BAM!  Thanksgiving is already next week people!!  Jeepers.

I totally adore all of the things that Thanksgiving represents, especially the time I get to spend with all of our family, eating delicious large quantities of food and watching hours of football and playing games.  It is always such a splendid and blessed day.

The other amazing perk of the Thanksgiving holiday, is the newspaper.  Yep, I sit anxiously waiting for our paperboy to toss that flyer stuffed paper onto the driveway, and rush out after it as if it contains stacks of lottery tickets inside.  And that is when the madness really begins.

There is no doubt about it that holiday sales really kick off the day after Thanksgiving.  I am a complete sucker for scoring all sorts of deals to make gift giving a little bit easier on the Jones family.  Which is why I sit down with my handy flyers, and this....

{click here to download your FREE copy of the Gift Giving Printable}

Oh, how this has been a true lifesaver for us.  We can sit down together, toss all the names of the fine folks we plan on giving to this year, brainstorm our gift ideas, our budget and plan out all the places we need to hit up when we head out shopping.  

This worked like a charm last year.  No last minute Christmas Eve runs to Target for this gal.... We were actually able to wrap up all of our holiday shopping early and focus all of the other amazing happenings that come with the sparkling season!  Win win!

So this year, I am giving this to you!  I hope you heart it as much as I!

Any other fun ways to prepare for all the bliss that is the holidays?  What tricks and tips do you have to stay organized {and keep your sanity in check} during the most wonderful time of the year?

Happy Holidays my blog friends! 

10 Reader Space: A Pretty and Practical Pantry

Have you heard?  Pantries are all the rage.  I can't check out a blog lately without someone showing off yet another fabulous pantry update.  And while some are fancy, some are decorative, some boast more storage than The Container Store, some were done for hundreds and some were done for free, there is endless inspiration to be found!

Where am I going with this?

Well, although I have featured a couple of great pantries here already, I still can't resist showing you another.  Because when it comes to pantries my friends, too much IS a good thing!

Jess wrote:

Hi Jen,
I just found your site, and I love it!  I love to decorate but I've been trying to tap into my organizational side lately.  We recently downsized into a tiny apartment until we find a house in our new town.  I lived with the clutter for a few months, but I've recently decided to take charge.  My most recent organizational project was my pantry.  Here's a link to the post I did about the project: http://ourlifeinhisgrace.tumblr.com/post/1115838904/a-before-and-after-and-17-off-the-to-do-list

I simply taped the posters to the wire shelves to prevent small items from falling through. And I secured them to the shelves with masking tape.

And I collected spaghetti sauce jars and spray painted the lids to store pastas, sugar, flour, etc in a more uniformed way!

I also painted a plain cardboard box in a chevron pattern and placed it on the bottom shelf to hold all the items I use daily to pack lunches!

The total project cost me $2.50!

 
Here's the breakdown:
Small poster boards- $0.50 {on clearance at Target}
Masking Tape- Already owned
Box and paint- Already owned
Spaghetti Jars- Recycled, so free!
Spray paint for jar lids- $2

Thanks for reading!
Jess

Seriously guys, take a look at what $2.50 can get you.  Be ready to be astonished!

Jess blogged:

This is the pitiful BEFORE.  Don’t Judge.

**Note*** The Light & Fit Yogurt container is NOT filled with Yogurt. I use it to store small boxes of raisins and packs of fruit snacks.

I hate those wire shelves. Most snacks fall through the spaces between.   So, this was my solution.  It was simple and most important, it was cheap!  I just taped two pieces of small poster board together, and placed them on the shelf.  I used two pieces of masking tape to secure the posters once they were on the shelves.  Like I said, simple!

The rest was just organizing and throwing away useless items.

 

And here is the much less embarrassing AFTER:

Genius right?  I mean, who would have though, poster board for shelf liner.  I can't get over how thrifty and smart that is.  I am gaga over that idea!

And as always, I really adore how Jess repurposed things she already had to create great storage.  Painting a box to make it pantry pretty?  Check.  Using spaghetti jars to store pasta, sugar and flour?  Check.  Corralling packets in a bowl?  Check.

Such a perfect before and after example of how to successfully organize on a budget!

Am I right or am I right?  You can never get enough incredible ideas for the beloved kitchen pantry.

Thank you Jess for sharing your story.  As always, I am so impressed with what can be done with everyday items with a little creative thinking!  Another job well done!

What's your favorite part?  And since we are still on the never get's old pantry subject, who else has been revamping?

P.S.  Have an awesome story to share?  How about some organizing tips and tricks?  Maybe a project completed from an inspiration found?  Please send your story and photos to iheartorganizing@gmail.com and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!!  Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice!  Only love goes on at this blog!

21 Out of Sight, Out of Mind?

I try my hardest to save a little moola and be a little more green at the same time {all though sometimes it feels as though the two don't always go hand in hand}.

When it comes to paper towel, I feel like I should just not buy it at all.  I mean really, at the end of the day, there are many ways around every reason I would ever use it....

However, when it is always sitting in it's pretty paper towel holder, upon my counter top... it will be used.  And replenished.

So I decided to take action.  Time to ween myself from paper towel tendencies.

I tossed the paper towel under my kitchen sink.  Now, each time I want to use paper towel, I have my hand towels looking at me as well, which helps me make better decisions.  And because it's out of site, I have already used mega amounts less!

Not to mention it's one more thing off my counter tops, which also makes me smile big!

I am such a fan of super smart and easy ideas that do good at the same time!  Anyone else up for the challenge?  How about any other quick and easy changes that makes a big difference?

21 Make Notation of this Mailing Station: {Part 2}

Quite awhile back now I had shared with you how I sorted through our mail.  Today, the process hasn't really changed much, I just tend to utilize my new desk area for writing out correspondence or those lovely "bills".

I once used this little mail tin, that hung on a hook in our kitchen, to stash outgoing mail.

The functionality is perfect, however, it was the finish that I wasn't uber excited about.  And because I have since wanted to add it to my desk space, it received a quick coat of white spray paint....

The white goes perfectly with the rest of the "office" accessories, and I added a blue piece of scrap paper with some rub on letters to give it an updated label.

And that's that!  Perfectly easy update {maybe I was motivated by the one I had just done in the boys room?}.  And it cost, well, nothing, because once again, I just reinvented something I already had with a fresh coat of paint.  I think I am addicted.

Who else is reinventing things around the home to use as stylish organizers?  Anyone else completely addicted to spray paint?  It snowed here this weekend.  I think that means my spray painting days will be limited for the next 6 months...

0 IHeart: My Snow Babies

We had our first snowfall here in our little Wisconsin town...

Feel free to stop by the family blog to see what else we have been up to!