Easy ways to sort and Organize your bills

How many times does it happen that a bill ends up with the junk mail and we realize only when we get another mail reminding us that we were late. Make your life easier with these bill organizers.

This one is from pottery barn and has a slot for every day of the month. Just place the bill in the slot with the date when it is due.

I love the Bamboo Monthly Bill Organizer available at amazon. 

Check out this bill calendar available on etsy. The store is called RedStarInk. I love the simple bold and modern design !

Organize your bills with this fill-in-the dates calendar. When you get the bill in the mail, simply put it in the "pay" pocket and fill in the due date on the calendar. When you pay the bill, move it over to the "paid" side and check it off your list.

After your done writing the checks just move it in the outgoing mail holder and rest assured it will get shipped on time.

Be sure to check my post on organizing paper clutter.
Tools to Tame paper clutter in 2011

Photosource: Potterybarn, amazon, etsy, modcloth.To check the link parties I am participating click the link parties tab

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Get organized in 2011

We all receive junk mail , papers that need sorting, bills that need to be paid. A well planned workspace can ensure that important documents get filled in place and bills are paid on time. Papers end in the right file than on the dinning table. Here are some beautiful functional things that will help you become a little more organized in 2011.

If you have desk space to spare these sorters are great for you. I love the blue and red mail sorter.It has labels to sort every kind of mail. Love the stack trays. You assign one for every family member.

Organization does not have to be boring. Look at these colorful files. The life organisers from RSH Catalog make everyday organisation easy for you. They are tabbed with vital categories for very subject. It also comes with a notepad for additional notes.

If you do not want use valuable desk space , then these wall mounted organizers will help you keep clutter at bay. Not only are they beautiful but very functional too. You do not have to buy the enitre system. Just buy what you need and make your life clutter free.

Want more ways to organise your paper clutter , visit again. I will be adding great products that will help you orgnize your bill pay.

Photosources: Potterybarn, seejanework.com, rshcatalog.com, organizedatoz.com

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colorful gingerbread village

Last year we made a gingerbread house and this here we decided to go a step ahead and make a ginger bread village. I am no baker and so we decided to get the kits that are available at Target.

The kit comes with 5 structures for you to decorate along with ready made icing which I loved, a variety of candy to decorate and colored sugar to add some sparkle. It also include shredded coconut for adding artificial snow.

I had so much fun making this with my daughter! I know you see just 4 houses instead of 5. That is because we happened to break the top shop. We have Santa's house, the bakery, the candy shop and the chalet. We used fruit roll for the roof of the candy shop and I used acrylic paints to create scroll designs on the house. The road is made with cocoa puffs.

One more thing. I just added a facebook fan page. You can now follow the blog using google connect, facebook or twitter.

I have linked to the following link parties



http://www.thegirlcreative.blogspot.com/
http://sewcando.blogspot.com/an do
http://cottageinstincts.blogspot.com/
http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/
http://www.craftedition.blogspot.com/
Totally Tuesday Blog Hop
Tip Junkies tip me Tuesday
Creative Juice Thursdays @ Momnivore dilemma

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Pop up cards

Handmade cards are always fun to receive! It's even more fun to make some. Here are the cards that I made.

These were really easy to make. All I required was card stock and some scrap paper I already had. I used paper with fun and modern print but you could use more traditional colors if you wish. You could even embellish the cards with glitter, stickers etc:. I wanted to keep it simple.

Here is the link to the to the tutorial for the pop up Christmas tree card. http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/christmas-cards#slide_35

For the ornament card these are the steps I followed. Cut a paper in the shape of an ornament. I drew free hand. You could easily get a template from the internet. Than start at the center and cut a spiral with an exact o knife.Make a circular opening at the center of the card a little smaller than the ornament and stick the edges of the ornament cutout around the opening. Pull the center and stick it to the inner backside of the card.

I will be making more cards. So if you like these cards follow the blog and visit back to see some more.

Happy Crafting!

I am participating in the following link parties
http://todayscreativeblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.craftedition.blogspot.com/
Tip Junkie's Tip me Tuesday
http://craftygeordi.blogspot.com/2010/12/it-comes-from-heart-linky-party.html
http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/2010/12/show-and-tell-with-who-what-logo.html
http://sewmuchado.blogspot.com/
http://www.betweenuandme.com/
A Crafty Soiree on YOT
Thrifty Thursdays @ Tales from Bloggeriraville
http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com

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Use fruit to decorate

Fruit makes a lovely desert but it also make an elegant centerpiece and holiday decor. Why not use what nature has provided us with ! Use apples, cranberries, nuts, pomegranates, pine cones and oranges to deck your house this holiday!

The hue is so rich and festive and they are available in abundance at this time of the year.


Make a topiary with cranberries or strawberries or float some in water along with floating candles. I love the frozen wreath! How unusual!


Take a walk in the woods to collect pine cones or just buy a bag from your neighborhood craft store. They make wonderful centerpieces . don't you love the smell of pine cones!


who knew creating a centerpiece could be as easy as adding apples to a glass vase around candle or plain arranging apples and flowers on a cake pedestal. I love the idea of adding the mini christmas trees in an urn with apples around it. It would be a great centerpiece for a country christmas!


Carve out an opening and place a votive candle in an Orange or make swirly patterns with cloves. add some oomph to a candle centerpiece by surrounding with dried orange slices!



I love the nut topiary ! Add a ribbon around the topiary to match your other holiday decor and you are all set.


Enjoy decorating !

Photosources: www.womansday.com, www.marthastewartliving.com, www.southernliving.com,www.driscolls.com, www.pomwonderful.com, www.goodhousekeeping.com, www.pantryspa.com, www.libbylangdon.com, www.readysetcraft.blogspot.com, BHG,countryliving

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A tree in the woods

This is our first ever Christmas tree! I went with the woodland theme. Reds, whites and warm brown bronze.


7 pine cones glittered ...
6 red balls that make merry sounds ...
5 little squirrels hopping on the tree ...
4 little birds perched on a branch ...
3 yards of garland with wooden beads and
2 types of painted ornaments made with love .


Here is a close up of the tree


The critters


The painted glass ornaments.


The Glittered pine cones and berries for the birds to eat.


I am very pleased with the way it turned out . Now I need to finish the gift wrapping!

Bye for now,
Radhika

I am participating at the following link parties



Show and Tell @ The Blue Cricket Design
Jigle bell double blog hop
We did it! Wednesdays @ Sew much ado
Weekend wander party @ While he was napping
Saturday Nite special @ funky Junky Interiors

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Everything looks awesome with glitter

These were really easy to make with a little bit of help from my four year old daughter. All I needed was a bag of pine cones from Michael's, Martha Stewart bronze glitter and a brown paper bag.

For the squirrel ornaments I drew the silhouette freehand and traced it on a brown paper grocery bag. I love to reuse and recycle wherever possible. Apply glue and let the kids sprinkle the glitter.

For the pine cone ornaments I just applied glue to the tips and the top of the pine cone and sprinkled some glitter.

So easy to make and they fit in perfectly with the woodsy theme for my Christmas tree.

Check the painted glass ornaments I made earlier! Here is the link.
http://houseonashwelllane.blogspot.com/2010/11/diy-crate-and-barrel-replica-ornaments.html

I am participating in the following link parties

http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2010/12/christmas-craft-link-party/

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Hostess Gifts that are sure to be a hit

It's time for all those Holiday parties. Its always great to take a hostess gift to show how much you appreciate the effort that the host put in arranging the party and saying thank you for being invited. Chocolates and a bottle of wine make great hostess gifts but if you are looking to give something a little less conventional here are some great ideas for you. I love everything Handmade and small businesses. Here are some of my favorite Etsy picks. Your hostess will be able to enjoy these gifts even after the holiday season is long over. You will be able to find a lot of options below $20 in these stores.

Jams from Lemonbird. They have a variety of unique flavors such as Grapefruit with Jalapeno and candied ginger, Strawberry with cinnamon, Seneca plums with Bay leaf ans many more. Yummy!

You are sure to like the great assortment of gourmet spices, dips and teas in Cook outside the box.
Here are some of the products that I thought would make great gifts.

Gourmet Popcorn Spice Kit - a great gift for movie/TV lovers in your life - 8 tins filled with delicious spice blends packed in a white box
Gourmet naturally flavored salts (48mm diam/ 8 tins) - no artificial colors or flavors.

Chai spice kits to add flavor to your tea. Indian spice kit.
Herbal Tea Kit with DIY reusable teabag and recipe (48mm dia/ 6 tins)

MookaSoap sells skin-loving, delicious smelling environmentally friendly soaps, butters, balms and salts that nourish the skin and stimulate the senses.


Gift pack of 4 all natural lip balms from Inlulu'sGarden.

I am in love with the chic and simple personalised stationery from LetterLoveDesigns and am very sure your hostess will love it too.

Lavender sachets from Veronica sun. Not only will they smell good but look good too!

Aromatherapy facial care products, botanical perfumes and lush, luxe natural body care products from the SpaGodess.

Coasters make a great hostess gift. These are made from rough and rustic tubled marble tiles. They are small pieces of art by itself. These are from thepaintedlily.

Note : I have not been compensated in anyway by these sellers. I have never tried any of the products but just thought that they were great gift ideas.

I am participating in the following link up parties

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