Teaching Our Son to Go the Distance

Showing Our Kids the Value of Hard Work and Saving Money

by Lorraine Brock

Over the course of the last two years our middle son Caleb has been saving money for a car. It’s sort of a requirement in our home that our boys invest some of their own blood, sweat, and tears into such an important purchase.

All of our boys have had active schedules through their teen years including a choice to play competitive football. Our oldest son decided to stop playing his junior year, so he was able to secure a part-time job that allowed him to earn and save money for the past four years.

Organize with Labels

Organizing with Labels

How to use a label maker as an organization tool

by Lorraine Brock

Label Maker… if you don’t have one now, it’s time to get one! Label makers have so many functions in an organized home or office. They clearly identify items, define the home for items in your spaces, and they also clarify the owner of items so others do not take or eat them.

When I was growing up in the late 70’s, on grocery days my mom would bring home a six pack of 1 liter glass soda bottles. There were five members in our family and my mom would write the initials of each member of our family with a black marker on our own supply of soda. I still don’t know who got the sixth bottle, but that’s another story.

Since there were no fancy labels on the soda bottles back in the 70’s, the idea of labeling even our beverages made the ownership obvious. Other items around our home were labeled in a variety of ways; sometimes with masking tape and a black marker, often with a piece of paper covered with clear packing tape. Although not pretty, they were good solutions.

Step into an Organized Shoe Space

red pumps

How to Organize and Store Shoes

Most women love to shop and many of us have a shoe obsession, especially when seasons change. We want new sandals for summer in a variety of colors and in the fall we may buy new boots in black and brown or maybe even a pair of the trendy fuzzy boots! As the holiday season approaches, there are shoes to match a Christmas dress and new shoes to compliment the perfect New Year’s party outfit.

As you can imagine, new shoes can add a spring to anyone’s step, but a disorganized shoe collection can generate frustration in locating the right shoe at the right time. In the closets we organize, shoes end up on the floor in piles, stuffed between clothing, or thrown in a laundry basket. Some shoes do find their way onto a shelf or shoe rack, but often it’s not pretty and it certainly isn’t a complete storage solution for most people.