Clutter Buster: Laundry

     A lot of people have a laundry problem. I did for a long time. You know that problem where the house would look pretty darn clean if only you could get a handle on all the clothes, dirty and clean, around the house. After we got our new washer/dryer unit in our apartment I started to get a handle on things. People laugh at me when I tell them this, but I do laundry every day. I took note of where dirty clothes gathered in my house and made sure there were baskets in those hot spots but otherwise all dirty clothes hit the washer right away. In the morning I check both baskets, one in the bathroom and one on my husband's side of the bed, and put those clothes in the washer. Every night I add the dishcloth and every other night I add the hand towel from the kitchen. Once a week I wash the bedding and same for the towels.

     When the washer is full, I run it. I wash on cold so I don't have to worry about separating colors. I set a timer on my phone to be sure it goes in the dryer when it's done. Then I wait for it to be nap time or bed time for the kids - or at least the toddler. Once he is asleep I fold, hang, and put away everything without ever letting it hit a basket or flat surface. If it hits the bed, table, floor, or laundry basket - I have an excuse not to take care of it right away. If I leave it in the dryer, it has to be done so I can keep washing every day.

     These two rules have saved me from the never-ending laundry monster I dealt with for quite a while and I know a lot of others do too.

1. wash at least one load every day - try not to worry about separating
2. never let the clean laundry hit a flat surface or basket

In the comments: how often do you do laundry in your house?

Snap of the Week: 007

He doesn't get to hold her often so when Uncle Stephen holds his little niece he feels really special.

In the comments: do you have a sibling 10+ years younger/older than you?

Weekly Obsession: Photoshop Elements 12

     Having recently acquired my wonderful MacBook Pro I also purchased Photoshop Elements 12 and have spent the last week re-learning Photoshop. I was previously using Photoshop CS4 on my old HP. I've been trying to learn new shortcuts and little tips and tricks in PSE. So far I am missing text justification and layer grouping so if anyone knows how to do this without purchasing an add-on please let me know. I am loving the photo bin feature however. Great for digital scrapbooking.

In the comments: do you use PSE 12? What are some of our favorite tips/tricks?

2014 Digital Project Life Blog Circle: February Update

     Welcome to another stop in the 2014 Project Life Blog Circle. If you have been following along then you would have come from over at Ashley's blog. I decided to participate in this blog circle as a way of motivation. And I'm glad I did, because in the last two days I have placed all of my photos into templates. I felt pressure to get it done though - and was angry with myself for not finishing the pages completely. But then I realized this is the perfect time to show you my process. The pages I am uploading now have no text, no embellishments, no stamps - it's just the pictures and my base. This took me two days of working on it here and there and now I can go back and add bits and pieces. Part of the reason for my scramble this month was because I spent a good chunk of time scanning old prints this month as well as trying to catch up on old edits. I am half way through November of last year. YAY! By the end of this month I am determined to be caught up on my past edits through December of last year, finished with the February pages, and current for March. The plan is to make a page every time I clear a memory card. And every time I clear a memory card, I have automator on my MacBook set up to download my pictures from mine and my hubby's phones through DropBox as well. This way nothing is missed. I don't know if this is a little ambitious or not. I guess we'll see how things go. I think I can do it. Hope you enjoy a sneak peek at my family's February. Please be sure to head on over to see what Kristi has been up to this past month.

In the comments: do you put too much pressure on yourself? Even things that other people seem not to care so much about at the time?