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Dollar Tree Organization
Feature Home Organization

Dollar Tree Organization | How to Organize Small Items for Under $10

If left to their own vices, hairbows, makeup, earrings, and any other small pieces of our daily lives can, and will takeover our spaces if not corralled.

Any product that is small but mighty in number, I know from experience if  I don’t create a dedicated space for them they have a tendency to take over and create a cluttered mess.

Please see exhibit Hair Accessory Drawer. It’s easy to just throw things into a drawer knowing that they won’t be seen. The issue comes when you need to quickly put your hands on something and find yourself sifting through a bunch of junk.

Taking a few minutes to organize your drawers will save you a lot of time in the long run. To be successful you really need to take inventory of what you need, and what you don’t. Once you are left with the necessities, you can better evaluate storage solutions that will work best for your home and your budget.

hair bow organization

This was my daughter’s hair drawer. I had the extra space and it worked well until it didn’t. While I knew where everything was, untangling hairbows and ribbons was not the move every time I needed something.

I spent about $6 at Dollar Tree for a few bins to make some sense of the madness. The smaller baskets were 3 for $1

Dollar Tree Organization

Dollar Tree Organization

I corralled a few of the smaller baskets into the larger one. I did this so that on wash day if I need a variety of hair accessories to style her hair I can grab the large basket and have everything I need in one place. Here are my top 7 hair essentials that I grab from Dollar Tree, some of which are stored in these baskets.

Dollar Tree Organization

The smaller circle bins house small black rubberbands, beads, bobby pins, knockers and ribbons.

Dollar Tree Organization

I used the other larger square bins to hold hair clips and rollers.

Each basket is dedicated to a certain hair accessory to include, rubberbands for holding ponytails, clip blows, elastic hairbands and headbands. I use a variety of brushes and combs on her hair. The long skinny bins were perfect for holding those items.

Dollar Tree Organization

Dollar Tree Organization

There are so many things and areas you can organize with a similar setup. When organizing spaces that are not seen don’t be too concerned with making sure the containers are decorative. Save your money for areas that will be seen like your linen closet or pantry.

I hope this helps you see how you can use cost effective containers to create a little order in your home.

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Feature Living

How I Plan to Read 100 Books in a Year

I’ve set quite a lofty goal, influenced by a little peer pressure to read 100 hundred books this year. That averages out to about a little over 8 books a month. The issue is I’m busy, and while I love to read this is going to require a little bit of strategy.

When I announced my goal on Instagram, I was surprised at the response I received from people who were ready to set their own reading goals, some not as lofty as mine, but I was happy to have influenced folks to grab a book or few this year.

I’ve been thinking about how I’m going to accomplish this goal, seeing as how I’ve thrown it into the universe… and accountability is key. I’ve been using GoodReads to keep track of what I want to read, what I’ve read, and I also use it to keep an eye on my competition. You can follow me here!

I plan on doing a monthly wrap-up post of the books I read, along with my thoughts and recommendations. I’m excited about this challenge and reading a lot of books this year. Who knows, I might even surpass my goal.

Here’s how I plan on meeting my reading goal for the year:

  1. Read at least an hour in the morning and in the evening.
  2. Try to read at least two books at a time, one short and one long.
  3. Utilize the Hoopla app which allows me to listen to books for free through my local library. ( Check to see if your library system offer this option before resorting to Audible)
  4. Stay up to date with my neighborhood book club reads. I enjoy our monthly meetings, not to mention these are 12 books I’m obligated to read.
  5. When I feel unmotivated visit the library or the bookstore. If you love books then you totally get how this can jumpstart a rut.
  6. Utilize the library more, nothing fuels a rush to finish a book than having to return it before you finish.
  7. If I don’t like a book by page 100, I’m going to ditch it. Nothing kills my momentum more than getting caught up in a bad book.
  8. Replace mindless social media scrolling with reading.
  9. Listen to audiobooks when I clean, grocery shop, do drop-offs, etc.
  10. Include a variety of genres. I’m smitten with historical fiction and memoirs, but I plan to expand to include YA, and some other genres I wouldn’t normally read.
  11. Dedicate Sundays to reading when I can.

Hopefully you’ll be inspired to start your own reading challenge this year, whether it be 10 books or 50, reading is a great way to escape into another world, learn something new, or be encouraged.

If you are planning to start your own challenge be sure to find me on GoodReads so we can hold each other accountable.

What’s on your reading list?!

Chicken noodle soup
Feature Food

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

Out of the gate… if you don’t have an instant pot, what are you waiting on? Seriously.

This has to be the greatest invention ever, and no I don’t have an air fryer. I low key try to cook clean, and make things from scratch and my Instant Pot helps me out a lot.

We’re in that weird void of post-Christmas space where nothing is happening until Spring. It’s during this time that I TRY to hibernate and eat soup… like this Zuppa Toscana dupe that I love so much.

Well I tried my hand at chicken noodle soup in the instant pot, it was done in 30 minutes and tasted like it had simmered all day.

I figured you might be interested in how to make this so I documented it for you. You’re totally welcome!

chopped carrots, garlic, and celery

The ingredients are so basic, a few chopped veggies, chicken broth, chicken, salt and pepper.

I used two split bone-in chicken breasts, but feel free to use boneless skinless if you like. I did have to separate the meat from the bone, which added an extra step, but I find bone in breasts to be a little juicier so that’s what I went with.

Here’s how to make it!

Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 4 large carrots
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 1/2 cups egg noddles
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • to taste salt and pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder
  1. Season chicken with kosher salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder

  2. Using the "saute" feature on the Instant Pot, saute your carrots, celery and garlic in the butter

  3. Once the vegetables have softened, add the chicken broth, chicken, bay leaves and a sprig of rosemary. Salt and pepper to taste

  4. Close the lid to the Instant Pot, and make sure the nozzle is set to "seal"

  5. Manually set the time to 15 minutes

  6. Once 15 minutes has passed, move the nozzle from "sealing" to "venting." Once all of the steam has been released it is safe to remove the top.

  7. Remove the chicken, bay leaves, and sprig of rosemary. Stir the vegetables, then add in the noddles.

  8. Place the top back on the Instant Pot, "seal" and add 10 minutes of cookign time.

  9. While noodles are cooking, shred the chicken with two forks, or your method of choice.

  10. Once the noodles finish, release the steam again. Once it is safe to open the lid, add the chicken in.

  11. Stir and enjoy! Add parsely if you like.

You can mimic this recipe on top of the stove or in a crockpot. Just adjust the cooking time to ensure the chicken is cooked throughout.

Feature Living

HAPPY NEW YEAR | MY WORD FOR 2020

I’m going to skip over the mundane/typical new year pleasantries, you know the ones that proclaim how fast the year went by, and how this will be a new year and a new me.

My feelings on the new year are almost non-existent. Might I say 2019 was a decent and welcomed year after what seemed like two consecutive years of utter nonsense. I’m just going to keep walking on this path that I am sure leads to greatness and the land of the happy and unbothered that has been beckoning me for far too long. Last year, this wonderful place started to appear on the horizon. I imagine it has fountains of champs and unlimited orange juice. There’s freedom there and Target clearance deals, and a level of spirituality that might render me happy, fulfilled, and satisfied, but never complacent.

I found my groove in 2019, I’m forever grateful. Now I just need to dig into it, get comfortable and do the work to stay there… cause we all know these things, and mindsets take work.

Lots. Of. Work.

ACTION is my word of the year. Initially I said it just came to me, later understanding that it was a gift from God. I’ll be talking more about the revelation on the word in an upcoming YouTube video. (make sure you are subscribed). I randomly doodled it with a brush pen gifted to me from my neighbor across the street on a random piece of card stock while I was crafting one evening. Over the next few days a few things showed up that confirmed I was to be about my business and moving… taking ACTION in 2020.

I’ll spare you all of the details about what I’m going to do, and how I’m going to post more, and yada, yada, yada. Action has always spoken louder than words, it’s time to light the fire.

This decade brought me this corner of the internet in 2010. The decade also blessed me with a new baby, a forever home, and a host of other wins, losses, triumphs and everything in between. Through it all I’m still standing, and if you are reading this so are you!

Here’s to new beginnings, revelations, and the guts to do those things you think you can’t do. Take a step, even if it’s a baby one. Let’s get it in 2020!

As always, it goes without saying, thank you for reading, sharing and connecting with me. This passion project has turned into a major part of my life, and introduced me to so many amazing people. For this I am also grateful. I look forward to connecting with you all in 2020!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS!!!!