❤ Daria

The first page is a personal information page. Basically if you lose your diary or if anything happens to you it has information on the first page. I had mine filled in so I just blurred it out.

See what I mean about bad quality pictures? Haha, never mind! 

On this page you can write down useful numbers, such as your doctor's number, nursery or school, etc. I only have two number written down so I should probably fill that in.

I like that there is a page with simple calendars. This diary starts in August 2015 hence the 2015 calendar. I just used the 2016 calendar to circle the dates I am getting paid as I get paid four weekly and it's nice just to have a quick glance!

I wish I knew what to do with this Weekly Planner page. There are about four or five of these I think so you could probably write down a weekly cleaning routine or just a general weekly routine. I would love to fill this in but I don't work the same hours/days each week which means our routine changes depending on when I work. It's a very useful page though and I'm really contemplating using one as a weekly cleaning routine.

This is basically the main part of the diary. It has seven sections, I divided mine into a section for myself, Graeme, William, Brendan and work. I have two spare so I can put things in if I run out of space, etc. For example, in the upcoming weeks I have stickers down for upcoming birthdays which I stuck in the column next to the work column. This page also has a meal planner section and a to do list. I thought these little squares would be too small to fit everything in as I'm used to just having everything on one page, whereas now I put main events/activities/appointments, etc on this page and then there's a to do list section for this month which I will show you below and out of that monthly to do section I can then write things to do in the weekly page. Does that make sense? Probably not. Okay.

I just wanted to add this picture to show you my meals planned out as I didn't have any in the last picture as that was the week I got my diary. I just check what I have in the fridge/freezer and make up dinner ideas for the week to use up the food. It's Monday today and we had a beef stew and chips.

This is the monthly planner section which is what I was talking about above. They have a page like this and others for each month. This is where I would write my to do lists now and then in the weekly planner for the week if I like.

This is the other part of the monthly planning pages. It has a budget page and an Income & Outgoings page. I haven't filled this in yet as I've bought the budget book from Organised Mum too so when I fill that in I can have a less detailed version in my planner so that I can glance at it without having to take my budget book out if I need to.

This one is quite self explanatory really, it's just a monthly planner. I'm not sure how I want to use it yet to be honest. There's also a notes section on the side. One thing I do have to say about the side sections though (to do lists, notes, etc) is that the columns are quite narrow so you don't have much space for writing things in.

I think it's really cool that there is a separate Christmas & Holidays section! You can now be the most organized person at Christmas! I'm far too happy about this, haha! Anyway, there's a section for Christmas Plans. I don't know whether I'll use that or no but we'll see.

Christmas budget page look really helpful. You can actually work out how much you would like to spend on each person or up to what amount and add it up and then you could save up through the year. 

On the next page you can write down all the cards you need to write if any. I find this helpful because last year I had lots of different pieces of scrap paper all over the place with present ideas, budgeting, cards to write, etc.

Summer holiday planner as discussed above. This will be useful extra space because obviously during summer holidays we tend to do more activities, days out and such.

I laughed at this section when I first saw it! The page on the left is Thoughts & Plans for 2016 and the page next to it is the Thoughts & Plans for 2017. I laughed because I thought, TWENTY SEVENTEEN? I barely know what I'm doing next week! When you think about it though, you could write down you goals for those years and your reflections on past year, see what you'd like to change, achieve, etc and then you can look back at that. I feel like when you write things down you're more likely to do it and if there is something you really want in life and you feel like giving up, sometimes when you're flicking through your diary you might just come across these pages and keep on going and keep on trying to make your life be what you want it to be. I think that's what I'm going to use it for. 

The last section of the planner are shopping lists which you can tear out. I have a shopping list written with the things that I still need to get for Pixie (our pug puppy that we're getting in February).

We have extra simple calendars for 2017 and 2018. At the back there is a little pocket in which you can keep your stickers, address book (comes with the diary) and whatever else you like. Sticky notes, maybe? I love the stickers and I have actually ordered some more from their website.

What are my thoughts then? I think that just like with every planner you have to get used to it and use it in a way that works for you. I chose this planner because it was already organised if that makes sense? For example, with the Filofax organizers you have to arrange pages yourself, choose what works best for you and so on. This planner/diary came with just what I needed. I admit that some sections are very small and it puts you off putting anything in them in case you have to write in something else and won't fit it in but that actually hasn't happened before. I really like this diary and I'm slowly getting the hang of this but I am still at the experimenting stage with planners and I feel like I might try the Filofax next year. Filling this planner in, deciding what sections I want used for what has kind of made me realize what I need from a planner. Don't get me wrong, I love this planner but I'm looking forward to trying out the Filofax planners and putting together a diary that works perfectly for me.

If you would like to see any of the sections mentioned above in a few weeks time when I have them filled in, let me know. Planners/diaries look amazing when they're filled in! Just me? Okay..

Organizing dust from Me to You,

Love, Daria

xoxo

This is the one I really, really wanted! I feel like even though I have researched it loads there's still so much I could find that would go with this! Basically it's like an organiser and it's a ring binder so you can easily organise it just the way you want it! You can buy page refills on the filofax website or you can print out your own. I think what has put me off this planner was two thing. The first one was definitely the price. They can range anywhere from £7 right up £125, which is ridiculous price for an organiser unless you can afford to spend that much. Saying that, I'm assuming the organiser for £125 is made with real leather an it would probably last you a very long time. Anyway, the planner I wanted from filofax was around £30. It was like the one above but it was just black, it was the personal size. I was going to go for A5 but decided against it. I think the other reason I went against it is BECAUSE it is so versatile. I have seen so many people going crazy over planners and I wanted to try out this craze too but I don't really have real experience in setting up a planner and there are far too many possibilities with the filofax planners. I like to have a structure.. like the planner that I have ordered, it's kindof like a big planner template, everything has it's own space.. does that make sense? I guess once I really get into the swing of planning and organising my planner I will definitely look into getting a filofax one day as it is very varsatile and you could do so much with it!  

I like this one. It's only £9.99 so it's not that expensive, it has quite a cute little cover and if I didn't find the planner I bought first, I may have possibly went for this one. You can roughly see from the pictures what it comes with. It's got pretty much all you need to stay on top of all your appointments, etc. It's got a separate to do list which is a big plus. I think the idea of this diary is that you can keep your personal and work stuff separate by writing it on the right or left. Like I said i porbably would've went for this one if I didnt find the one I have ordered first as it's got pretty much everything I need except the one I ordered has a little more and I feel will keep me even more organised. It comes with cure sticker notes, which is always a plus! :)

I can't remember what other planners I have looked at. I know I looked at at few and if I remember which ones I'll update this page. Now I can show you what planner I have chose!

Family Life Book Diary by Organised Mum

£14.49

This is just going to be a quick blog post on how I organized my documents binder. I can't take too many pictures obviously, as these are my personal documents but I will try to explain what I did.

To start with, I took (what I thought was) all my documents and went through every single letter. I realized that I still have quite a bit to put away.

I shredded all the stuff I didn't need (I had stuff from January 2012 in there!), and then I made piles of stuff, sorting them into little categories which were then going to get sorted into the binder.

Let me just start off by saying; I have that many organizing projects going on and so many different pictures taken at once I keep getting lost, ha ha. I need to delete pictures that I've already made a blog post about and then save them in some kind of order. I will definitely make a blog organizing section in my binder.. this is getting serious, ha ha!

Let's begin. 

I have a cupboard in my living room which I knew would be perfect for binders, documents, books and so on, but it was such a mess and it was so full of clutter I refused to look in it and didn't even think of cleaning it out. (The feeling I got when it was finished.. was amazing!) The cupboard is built into the wall so it's really out of sight almost and it even has a lock so you can lock it with a key, which I think is great, especially if I'll be keeping documents there.

I laid out ALL the documents, papers, contracts and stuff that I could find on the floor and then sorted it into little 'section piles' and that's how I decided what was going where in my new binder (which I will make a blog post about too, don't worry). Anyway, let's get to it, before I get going and write a book!

Here's a fraction of the stuff I had to go through just to get my binder organized, JUST the binder! I had a whole cupboard to clean out after that.

Voilà! The finished product! I will explain what's on each shelf, starting from the bottom.

Shelf #1 - I had two old laptops that barely even work that I just keep for spares or repairs and they don't have a home, but they lived in that cupboard for a while so I thought I would let them live there for a bit longer but clean it up a bit. 

In the plastic bag, I put in all the chargers, cables, etc., so they are out the way and not getting caught/tangled on stuff.

Shelf #2 - Here I have all my binders. The black one is new and that's what all the binders are going to look like once I buy new ones. I will also probably stack them on top of each other because I don't think the cupboard closes properly now.

(From the left) I have my Organization Binder, which is where I keep all the stuff to keep my life organized; meal planners, exercise routine, pet log, exercise log, to do list and so one.

Documents binder, all my important documents, things I need to get sorted, contracts, receipts and other papers are in there.

The red one is a binder for my business (Daria's Boutique) stuff. I keep invoices, receipts and all that stuff in there, and the binder is seriously too small so I can't wait to get a bigger one!

The thin blue one is my pregnancy folder, so every time I have a doctor's appointment, appointment with the midwife, a scan, and so on, I take that folder with me.

The little black book is my planner. I actually have a big A4 one as well, I just haven't put it away yet. I keep all the appointments and stuff in there.

And last but no least, the little 'baby binder' is an address and telephone binder with everyone's addresses and telephone numbers in them. Obviously.

As for the stuff next to the binders I have organizing stuff at the bottom (empty pockets, organizers, etc), loads of big and small empty jotters and then two glossybox boxes on top which I think are amazing for organizing and so easy to stack on top of each other.

One is for cards; christmas, birthdays, etc and the other one I names as stationery, because that's where I'm keeping a spare pen, pencil, hole punch, label stickers and anything else I might need when organizing.

Shelf #3 - This shelf is pretty simple. I have a few books that aren't 'readable'. Basically books that are useful, but nothing you would read whilst lying in the bath(?), ha ha.

The yellow can is where I've been putting pennies. We need to save some up for when we go to Blackpool so William can have plenty for the two penny machines at the arcades. 

Next to that, there is just a picture, an experience day gift, and something else, I don't even know, ha ha.

Shelf #4 - This is where the cooking books are going to go I think. I already started my collection but I'm thinking about having half of it for cooking recipes and half of it for Avon related stuff. Being an Avon Representative is a 1 000 000x easier when everything is organized!

That's it for the cupboard. It took me forever to sort. If you didn't read the post, you probably just figured out what I did from the pictures, ha ha. But anyway, I hope you liked the post and I have more organizing posts lined up!

Loads of motivation from me to you,

Love, Daria xoxo

The kitchen was in serious need of de-clutter! But it's all done now and I'm so happy!

The 'before' picture of the clutter drawer. This was half-organized once upon a time and then all of the stuff that didn't have a home ended up in this drawer.

Here's what happened roughly: There was two 'compartments' in there; one made of an old biscuit tin and one made from cardboard, ha ha. I put in two new compartments (which are really just CLEAN kitten litter trays, ha ha ha) and they fit perfectly! I was so happy!

The baking paper, cling film, etc., got moved to the cupboard below.

The recipe books don't live there any more and will live in my 'files and books' cupboard once it's done.

Some clutter got binned.

The rest got organized.

And here's the finished product. Looks completely different now! 

In the left compartment I have my baking and icing stuff; icing thingys that go at the end of the tub in an old candle holder, cookie cutters, mixer bits, silicon and paper cupcake cases. I'm sure there's other things I will find lying about. I bought a basket today so I will use that to put all the cookie cutters in and that should save some space too.

In the right compartment, I put all my cooking things in. I can't even think of what they're called! My brain is frazzled tonight after sorting out documents, ha ha. But anyway, they used to sit in a big jar at the window near the sink but it will be a lot neater if they 'live' in there, he he.

I had some cat treats so I put them in the space I had leftover and I put two pens (that I had leftover out of about 20 that I had to bin because they didn't work) in the space too.

My cutlery drawer was quite organized anyway. I forgot to take a before picture. The cutlery holder was 'along the way' instead of 'up the way' (if that makes sense) and the container was behind it. There was clutter in the container which I then cleaned out and I put William's cutlery in there instead. Can opener, peeler, etc are in the space that was leftover and of course all the cutlery is in the cutlery holder.

I feel like this blog post was so simple, ha ha. But it takes so much motivation to actually get up and do something. Reading other people's blogs and watching YouTube videos had really motivated me to organize my home, and trust me; once you start it gets easier, and easier. When you do have all your stuff organized, you'll feel so proud of yourself and so happy within! Life gets so much easier when things are organized and it makes you more motivated to do things. Believe me, I need a lot of motivation; running around after a toddler whilst pregnant and trying to keep the house clean.

It's also so much easier keeping the house clean when everything has a home. When things don't have a home, you put them in the next available, empty space and that's how you end up with clutter, and there's nothing worse than having to sit and dig through clutter and trying to organize it. So try to find a home for every item in your house, and most importantly, ask yourself if you really need half the stuff!

To a cleaner home!

Love, Daria xoxo

I'm quite excited for this post, 'cos I am really quite proud of myself, he he. This cupboard was also organized, once upon a time..

Anyway, let's start.. because we all know what I'm like when I start talking/typing.

This is what the cupboard looked like before I sorted it. I had already lifted some stuff out before realising that I had to take a picture. There was that much clutter in there, I forgot I had half the stuff that I found, ha ha. 

This is the stuff that I took out the cupboard before I took the picture.

So let me just explain things a bit:

I took out every single item out the cupboard and cleaned all the shelves. I then tried to categorize everything that was going back in. Half way through I thought of putting drawers in one of the big cupboards in our home and keeping some stuff there and that's what we did. It saved so much space!

This is the finished product! It might not look that organized but everything is categorized..ish. I tried. I'm not really certain which category each thing came under so I made up my own categories, ha ha. 

-Top shelf: pasta, sweet sauces (syrup, honey, etc), cake decorations, baking sodas/powders, custard (i might have to move it to the bottom), sugars, flours, etc.

-Middle Shelf: Tea and Coffee, Instant Oatmeal sachets and Rice (I don't want them there but I haven't found a space/category/home for them yet), soy and stir fry sauces, spices.

-Bottom Shelf: (from the left) at the back we have some baby food that I have leftover that isn't out of date, rivita (it doesn't fit in the healthy snack box nicely), healthy snack box, sauces and spreads (brown sauce, nutella, etc.), gravy granules and seasoning, container full of different stock cubes, salt and pepper.

We have recently started organizing our meals and we have 5 'meals' a day. We have breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. I thought I would buy some healthy cereal bar and some nuts and I put them in that little container and labelled it. This way I can see when we're running out of breakfast bars and nuts.

In these containers, I keep everything that you can see names on the pictures. The containers aren't that 'nice', but I'll be ordering new ones, more stackable ones next week, which will look a lot neater.

The container with colourings/flavourings fits perfectly on top of the other containers which I didn't realise before, so that saved some space too!

To save space in the kitchen, as we have limited space already, we have put a chest of drawers in one of the cupboards in the house. The cupboard is almost just outside the kitchen so it's really easy to get to.

Next to the drawers there's also a big white bag. That big white bag is a big bag of potatoes, straight from a farm. They are definitely better than the potatoes you get from the shops!

I labelled two of the three drawers as I haven't decided what I want in the bottom drawer yet. I might put pastas or something in there, I'm not sure yet.

Tins/Cans drawer: The drawer is quite small, but it's holding this just now until we find a better space for them. I was thinking of building a big pantry organizer shelves (?) to fit the cupboard, this way we can keep most of the food in there and that will give us a lot more space in the kitchen.

Fast Food drawer: I wasn't sure what to call this drawer so I called it fast food, ha ha. The labels are easily changed so it's okay. Anyway, in this drawer I have pasta, noodles, cups of soup.. A lot of unhealthy crappy thing really.

I am so happy with how everything is coming together and I really can't wait to share the rest of the stuff with you!

How did I make the labels?

I just used masking tape. That's the paper-y kind of tape. I cut a bit of that, stuck it on and wrote on it. It's easy to remove and you can write on it with almost anything!

Loads of motivation from me to you,

Love, Daria xoxo