Back to Basics

Times are tough. The economy is weak. Yet, we still need things. We still want to enjoy our lives and our families. We want to give gifts that are meaningful. We want to be able to teach or learn new crafts. It's time to simplify our lives and enjoy what really means the most to us.
That's what www.ToteandBrag.com is all about.
De-clutter your space:
Go through your closets, drawers, kitchen, garage, etc. Separate out things to donate, throw out and keep. What's left needs to be organized. Have you ever looked at the ComEd workers or plumbers? They carry totebags similar to what we have at www.ToteandBrag.com. OK, it's true. I haven't seen any men carrying pink totebags, however, the design is similar. I have even noticed that carpenters are using tools that are very similar to the tools that I have in my craft totebag. I use a punch to make holes in paper, felt, cardstock...Carpenters now have a tool that punches a hole in wood so that the carpenter can use this to start the screw. My point is that all of their necessary tools are located in one space- their dedicated totebag. They grab the totebag and go. Use the totebag to carry all of your haircare products or skincare products. Use another one and fill it with cleaning products. I have one that is filled with all of my cake and cookie decorating necessities. I had taken a Wilton cake decorating class and now I make all of the desserts and goodies for all kinds of events. I am a big hit at my daughter's preschool because of the wonderful cupcakes and cookies that I bring to her school. I have all sorts of sprinkles, food colorings, bakings tools, fondant tools, spatulas, and cookie cutters all in one totebag. Before I organized all of my baking needs were just scattered on the shelf. I had to take everything out just to find one small bottle of almond extract.
I really like the metro keepsake box because I put all of my girls hair accessories in one easy to use and store container. The keepsake box is filled with various sizes of smaller boxes. What we have done is used individual boxes and filled them with similar items: hair clips in one, rubber bands in another, ribbons in another, and so on. I have used my label maker to label the individual boxes. I have used this opportunity to start teaching my girls how to read. Plus, using this method, my girls are learning to be organized at an early age. It really makes mommy's life so much easier than running around looking for just the right bow to match the outfit.
I have noticed that hair bows can be really expensive. Especially, if there is a family of all girls. I have started making my own hair bows. I purchase various ribbons and packages of hairclips. Using a glue gun and thread or wire I have made some really cool hair bows. But the ribbon was starting to unroll off the spool and the drawer was getting too messy. My littlest one got into the drawer and ribbons were everywhere. I have since organized the spools of ribbon and placed them into various ribbon boxes. Wow, does that look better. Plus, I can now utilize the empty drawer for other things.
My favorite idea is the memory book. I too have fallen into the trap of taking tons of pictures in hopes of having everything miraculously put together into a fabulous memory book. Let's be real. I have pictures and picture CD's everywhere. From now on, every time I develop some pictures or save them on a disc, I immediately place them into a photo box. I am taking the time to label each box. Whenever possible, I also add some journal blocks to help me remember certain quotes, people or places. Face it. Our memory isn't as great as we think it is. At least mine isn't. I have vowed to take time at least one day a month (although I'm hoping for once a week) to work on my memory book. My goal is to have a book for each year of my children's life. I have at times pulled a picture or two and used it for gift cards. A really cute one I made for my mother's birthday had pictures of her grandchildren and a pretty little bow that I had made. For mother's day, my girls and I plan on making coasters for grandma using pictures of the girls and jar lids.
Basically, what I'm getting at is if your home is organized it helps your imagination and ideas flow. For a small amount of money you can have a real big impact.