My dirty little secret

I have this little (uh hmm...okay big) secret.  Or it could be seen more as a problem.  I guess it's not really a secret because some people know about it.  And maybe it's more of an obsession?  Either way, I needed an intervention this past week.  Here it is....

I am *slightly* obsessed with office and craft supplies.  Yes, you are laughing at me.  That's okay, we all have our problems.  Acceptance is the first step.  

I'm not a big shopper.  I don't love clothes, fancy shoes or expensive purses.  I could care less about going to the mall or buying designer things.  But get me in a Staples or a Hobby Lobby and my supply lovin' heart pitter patters a little quicker!   And don't even get me started on kitchen supply stores....I have to limit myself on that heart thumping exposure!

Staples is my go to for office supplies.  No, I don't have an office or even work in one.  There's something about all the organizational possibilities in there, the different colored paper and labels for everything.  Magnets, markers, post-its...oh my!  I went in yesterday for a new wall calendar and had to really practice self control around all the super cute chevron notebooks that were on clearance! And don't even get me started on Sharpies.  If I didn't already have every color, I may have bought a few more.  They make everything bright and cheery.  

I love me some sharpies!

And when I go into places like Hobby Lobby, I just see so many cool projects.  I want to do them all. The problem with said projects is that I always have supplies left over.  I love to make hair bows but when you only need about 10 inches from a 3 foot spool, there are always leftovers.  

So why am I telling you all this....it's leading to the big problem.....THE CLOSET!!!  So you are wondering where I keep my stash of office supplies and craft supplies?  I don't have an office or a craft room yet I have all the supplies for one.  I've gotten WAY better and really only buy what we need now.  I like to buy school supplies on clearance and then I have them throughout the year as markers run out, things get broke, etc.  But then all the half used items come home in June and also get shoved in the closet.  Plus it's where we also keep games and books.  Add all this together with the kids rifling through it and shoving items back where ever they may fit and the closet gets SCARY!  In fact, by the end of summer, it was so scary and such a mess, you couldn't close the door.   Every fall I have to reorganize the closet and get rid of stuff that no longer works, is missing pieces, or is just junk.  I haven't done this in a long time.  It was out of control.  I'm pretty sure I had craft supplies in there from when my daughter was still doing Girl Scouts.  (she hasn't done scouts in 3 years.)  An intervention was needed.  And since I share embarrassing things about my kids, I thought it was only fair to post a picture of my horrendous closet.  We like to keep it real.  (this is also for all my friends who always say "your house is always so clean")

My OCD mom is now disowning me. 

So that's what it had become.  It was a hot mess.  Nothing could be found.  You can tell that things were just shoved in and then the door was closed.  Things were falling out.  It was bad.

It took several hours and two garbage bags.  It wasn't pretty.  It wasn't pretty at all.  I'm not sure how I had accumulated over 60 spools of ribbon and 23 additional folders.  I'm also pretty sure I won't have to buy school supplies next year.  Or until the youngest goes to college.  Anyone need Mod Podge because I have 3 jars.  On a happy note, my bedazzler and the heating pad were both located.   Luckily, one person's hoarding can become someone else's bargain.  I was able to sell lots of my accumulations!

Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!!

Yes folks, that's the after picture.  Ahhhhh!  It's so organized!  I just open the door and stare at it.  To say we got rid of a lot is kind of an understatement.  I think if we haven't used the 3 red craft pom poms in 4 years that I was saving, we probably won't need them.   Yesterday I was in Staples and Hobby Lobby and didn't buy a single thing except the one calendar I needed.  Progress.  We won't mention all the things I'm obsessing over at Bed Bath and Beyond.  That's a whole other post.

School Pictures

It's that time of year again.  Fall is in the air, the thought of holidays are starting to creep into your mind and school is in full swing.  The month since school pictures were taken has flown by and the next thing you know, you open your kid's school folder and staring back at you are school pictures.

School picture day is usually a few weeks into the school year.  Most kids are still sporting their freckly cheeks from summer.  They usually have a new(er) shirt or outfit to wear because you've just went school shopping.  It usually means a morning of stress and drama for most.  My daughter has massively thick, wavy hair so it's always dependent on the weather how she styles her.  My son just doesn't care.

We've had our fair share of rough "picture day" mornings.  One time I told my daughter she couldn't wear super shiny lip gloss to school for her pictures.  (I think it was 3rd grade)  She took it in her pocket and wore it anyway.  I had no clue until we got pictures back and she not only had it on her lips, but also all over her chin.  Karma.  Listen to you mom little girl.

We've also had the years of bad hair days and crooked teeth.  Not to mention, last's years pictures sported the colored braces which my daughter coordinated with her outfit.  We've had the year that we spent an hour straightening her hair only for it to be big and poofy by picture time...we've learned to go with curls.  And don't forget the younger pictures where I got to pick their outfits and now they think they look super dorky.

When my kids were littler, I went through a lot of stress getting ready for picture day.  I'd make sure everything was perfect.  I'd order a big pack and plan to send them out in Christmas cards.  I remember my mom cutting our pictures out and writing my name and grade on the back.  I used nonacid ink so it wouldn't ruin the picture.  I was all in.

And then I realized what a waste it was.  A month went by, the pictures came home, and I was always disappointed.  Don't get me wrong, the pictures were fine.  They were exactly what I paid for...a school picture.   I paid $30, I got a $30 packet of pictures.  Why was I expecting professional, studio type photos from a school picture.  I quickly learned.

The past couple years have been better.  I don't worry about it.  To me, school pictures are just that.  This is what my kid looks like every day at school.  They aren't normally polished and in fancy clothes.  They usually roll out of bed, run a comb through their hair and go.  So I guess to me, I want to remember what my kids look like on a normal, regular basis.   If I want a nice picture, that I can look at proofs and pick from, that I can guarantee a great smile and photoshop, I'm going to take them somewhere else.  You get what you pay for.  Also - did you know that you can volunteer to help at picture day?  The company that our school uses does a great job.  Yes, they herd them in and out but they are on the ball.  They really do take the time to make sure necklaces are fixed, hair is in it's place, etc.  I've helped the past two years and they do try and get the best smile.  Sometimes kids just smile gooney for other people.  I know my kids do.

So all that being said, let's get to this year's pictures.  I don't have my daughters yet but my son's came home yesterday.  As I mentioned, I don't put a lot of thought into it.  I let him pick his outfit, do his own hair, etc.  As long as his teeth are brushed, I'm good.  A few days before picture day, I noticed him checking out last year's picture.  I didn't think too much of it.  After asking what he was going to wear for pictures, I was on to his tricks.  He kinda giggled and said he had it planned.  He mentioned that he wanted to wear his Nike shirt and then laughed.  I didn't think anything of it.  I didn't realize he meant the same shirt he wore last year.  Once I figured it out, I joked with him that I was going to hide it.  Little did I know, he had already hidden it.

Picture day rolled around and he came out of his room proud as a peacock, wearing that Nike shirt.  He has two, one is navy, one is black.  I didn't mention that he had the wrong color on from the year before.  I considered it a small victory.   About 10 minutes before we were to leave, he looks at last year's picture on the mantel and then dashes into the bathroom.  He was in there for a while and came out with a massive amount of hair product on...just like last year.   So without further ado...here is last year's and this year's.....

I'm going to have to make sure to write the year on the back of all of these!!  Other than his face being a little chubbier, it's pretty much identical!  He was so proud of himself.  Luckily, I've learned.  I buy the smallest package and basically just use it to document the year.  I remember my pictures being pretty crazy (I liked aqua net) but it's so fun to look back on them now.  I want my kids to have that experience too.  If I want good pictures, I will get those taken elsewhere.  And since they got to pick their outfits for the school pictures, they know they have to wear what I want for professional pictures.  Mom wins!