DIY Envelope Receipt Book

The nesting continues! So far this week, in case you've missed a post, I've covered our Babysitter Folder and our Coupon Binder. I was telling a friend that I don't know how I'm going to balance three kids, but I do know how to organize papers and fill our freezer with food. So that's exactly what I've been doing (smile). The organizing inspiration is partly due to the wonderful book, "Organizing You" by Shannon Upton. More on that later in the post! 

This envelope book is perfect for keeping all your receipts in one place, especially if you ever need to return something. To make this book you'll need twelve envelopes of the same size. I used business envelopes because they fit our long receipts best! You'll be attaching the envelopes together by the flaps. Using a glue stick, rub glue over the entire flap before securing it to the next envelope. Here's what they will look like from the back:

The top flap was a little flimsy by itself, so I traced, cut and glued on a copy from heavy cardstock to make it stronger. I also hole-punched the top so a cord could be threaded through it. The cord's doubled through the hole, then one string is pulled through so the cords can wrap around the book both ways. (See next photo) 

Then I cut out these cute labels & glued them on too. Isn't that handy? Perfect for sticking in a drawer without all your receipts going everywhere! These little books are great for other uses too: keep all your receipts for the month to track your budget, use smaller envelopes with index cards to track birthdays, use larger envelopes to keep track of monthly pictures for scrap-booking... you get the idea.

And now I've got a wonderful book to share with you! I've devoured lots of books about organization, being the type A that I am. They've been helpful, but they've also fueled my type A-ness even more. And while my type A tendencies are handy, they also keep my focus on me versus bigger things. So it was wonderful to read "Organizing You" by Shannon Upton, which is written from a larger, Christian perspective. It was a great opportunity to think about why I think a clean house is important, and what was the minimum I could do and still be happy. 

Finding my minimum is a personal goal for the next three months with baby! And Shannon shares lots of great tips for helping any busy mama do just that, while maximizing her time too. One of the first tips I'm trying to implement is dedicating each of my weekdays to a different task. While I've always had a Cleaning Day and an Errand Day- it's essential with stores over half an hour away- there are great ideas for other chore days too. My favorite might be starting a Communication Day: "Every mom could use a Communication Day, a day when you can catch up on your e-mails, pay bills, address birthday cards, write thank-you notes, and call your grandma." And a dedicated Laundry Day might help me stay on top of all the cloth diapers & baby clothes! All in all I've really enjoyed this book, and appreciate Shannon giving me the chance to share it with you too (smile). 

I'm concluding my nesting posts tomorrow with a peek into my cookbook binder and a few of our favorite recipes. I'll try to keep posting regularly after baby arrives, but our Instagram account & Facebook page are the best place to check for updates. Thanks for the good thoughts & prayers as we prepare for this new little creature, we're getting so excited! 

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