Hello lovelies! How is your week going so far? I am trying to keep the post-vacation blues at bay by choosing to focus instead on the promise of a lovely fall just around the corner. Fall is my favorite season by far: sweater & boots weather, apple picking, fresh, crisp air, oh yes. I always love the back-to-school vibe that seems to be floating in the air this time of year, and it is especially exciting now because Bixby will be starting preschool. I can’t believe it. Anyway, I’ve been tackling a few little projects here and there to make things easier around the house in preparation for a busy fall, and one of my favorites is this “home reference binder”. It’s a dead-simple project, not even really a DIY because it takes all of five seconds! But I love mine, so I decided to share it anyway. It makes me smile each time I see it and it comes in very handy on a daily basis.
This project came about when I realized I had a stack of Etsy prints I love that haven’t made it into frames (do you, too?) and I wanted to find a use for them that would still allow me to frame them down the road. As I was wandering the aisles of Office Max I realized those super-basic slim white binders with the clear sleeves on the covers would be the perfect place to stash (and display) extra art…and provide the ideal central location for all of the random notes, recipes, coupons, and magazine clippings that otherwise clutter up my desk – and never seem to be where they should be when I need them! On the spine of the binder I wrote “reference” on a nice slim label so I can easily grab it when it’s up on the shelf.
It usually sits on the corner of my desk, and I love glancing over to see that cheerfully plump little bird and lovely feathers. Inside, I’ve found it extremely helpful to be able to pull out a single recipe in its plastic sleeve and carry it to the kitchen, keeping it from splatters and spills. Also inside I added a page to write down the things Bixby says that I really want to remember (example: 8/23 – “Love Mommy and Daddy. The end.”), another with hours and phone numbers for my favorite local shops, plus invitations, to-do lists, and more. Honestly, I don’t know how I went without this little item for so long – it’s saved countless headaches already!
I do hope you enjoyed this, and if you try it let me know! xo Laura
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I actually keep two of these (though without cute art in the covers, love that idea!). One is for recipes and the other is for home maintenance info (receipts for big purchases, manuals, business cards of companies we like working with, etc). The recipe one gets used a lot!
Maggie Rose´s last [type] ..What to wear for fall
I love your reference binder. What a great idea! It’s impossible to save stuff in my planner, which is small enough to fit in my medium-sized purse. I end up putting stuff here and there, then, like you, can’t always find them. I will try this. Dollar store, here I come.