Subscription Boxes Now Available!

Pay Once and Give or Receive All 2023!

For the little girl in your life

or the woman who loves themed, studded earrings

Give the gift of beautiful, hand-made acrylic earrings. Twelve (12) sets of earrings shipped free to the recipient of your choice (one set per month).
If you order in November 2022, your recipient will receive a beautiful customized jewelry box with a set of earrings in December 2022, a set of earrings in a small gift box each month, receiving their last set in November of 2023.

The large jewelry box is valued at $20. Each pair is sold separately for $12.99 each; valuing this gift set at $156 plus shipping.

This set is on sale for $115 through November 30, 2022.

For the person who always has a cuppa…

Give seasonal sublimated ceramic mugs.
Your name or the name of the recipient will be added for free to orders placed through November 2022! A new mug will be sent to the recipient of your choice once every 3 months starting the month after purchase.

You are ordering (4) 11 ounce capacity sublimated mugs shipped free to one recipient. Each tumbler is sold separately for $12.99 each; valuing this gift set at $52 plus the cost of shipping.

This customized set is on sale for $46 through November 30, 2022.

For the person of all seasons…

Give the perfect stainless steel tumblers to keep hot drinks hot or cold drinks cold for hours is made even better with personalized seasonal flair.
Your name or the name of the recipient will be added for free to orders placed through November 2022! A new tumbler will be sent to the recipient of your choice once every 3 months starting the month after purchase.

You are ordering (4) 20 ounce capacity sublimated tumblers shipped free to one recipient. Each tumbler is sold separately for $27.99 each; valuing this gift set at $112 plus the cost of shipping.

This customized set is on sale for $80 through November 30, 2022.

Every order is handmade to order in a pet-free and smoke-free environment then lovingly packed and shipped by Melanie.

More Gift Sets Coming Soon!

If The Word “Organization” Stresses You Out

Get over it.

I said it, I meant it, get over it! Words have dictionary meanings, and we all have contrived meanings that we each adopt based on our personal experiences. No one else is responsible for your interpretations nor is anyone responsible for convincing you to change your mind.

organization /ˌôrɡənəˈzāSH(ə)n/ /ˌɔrɡənəˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/ 2 The action of organizing something 2.1 The structure or arrangement of related or connected items.

Oxford English Dictionary- https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/organization

People today tend to lead with their amygdala. Stating the color of the sky seems to open a discussion about a series of traumatic experiences surrounding the words “sky,” “blue,” and all of the people in their past who have never properly acknowledged their pain. Meanwhile, some of us, just want to enjoy the sky and the pretty colors.

The word organization seems to be like that sky. No doubt we all have experiences surrounding clutter, cleanliness, chores, etc. Perhaps someone treated your disorganization like it is/ was a character flaw. We are bombarded with opinions about what constitutes being organized. Your baggage, though, isn’t my baggage, and unless I’ve ever stood over you judging your habitat, your pain is not my responsibility.

This is my blog; these words

are what I’m responsible for.

People tend to think of organized people as authoritarian and rigid. They don’t recognize that putting someone into a category based on their own past experiences is rigid.

I saw someone say that people with a certain diagnosis couldn’t keep a calendar and wouldn’t like journals with lines and would not write in them consistently. I replied, I have that diagnosis and sometimes I follow the lines and sometime I ignore the lines. The lines are a guide, not a rule; for me. Lines don’t inhibit my creativity.

Despite my ADHD, I keep a calendar just fine. I also write to help others do the same.

Right now, I have shoes in a vegetable storage box, I have pens in a votive holder, and I have electrical cords in a soap dish. That’s how *I* organize.

People tend to be closed to new ways of thinking. In attempts to understand themselves, many fall into globalizing their personal experiences; leaving no room for the idea that they can have one very relatable circumstance with others while simultaneously having very different experiences as to the origin of that circumstance and events surrounding the circumstance.

There is beauty in being open to differences

among people we have commonalities;

that idea is being lost.

I write short anecdotes that are but a paragraph or page from the very long book that is my life. This can be said for anyone who shares pieces of their experiences for public consumption. I rip out a page called “Closet Organization,” page called “Cute Storage Ideas,” a page called “Cleaning [this or that]…” I even give a small background on myself and my experience. These small pieces of myself do not form a whole person. The way people interact on the internet and on tv leads to a false sense of familiarity to others. You don’t know me, what I think, or how I might react to any given situation; to assume so would be hubris and presumptuous.

Don’t create a narrative about

who I am based on

your experiences

What I can do, all I can do, is share some insights that may help some people; people willing to read my words and synthesize them into something useful to them. My target audience is people who don’t say I can’t or people who may have said I can’t in the past but are willing to try instead of seeing a word like “organization” and shut down. If you would like my help with organization, feel free to contact me; melanie@exhaustedmomm.com. My services are not free, of course, but my rates are reasonable.

I don’t need to know how

your baggage informs your use

of the information I present.

That’s personal.

If you were to ask me my definition, I’d tell you- organization to me means simply being able to find what I want when I want in. I also like to make things pretty.

You are welcome to take ideas that inspire you and make them work for you. If you like something I make and you’d like to buy something from me, that’s awesome.

Do you need help with organization and you’re looking for someone who understands there’s no right or wrong answer?

Contact Melanie about teleconferenced design and organization consultations.

Closet Sneak Peek

One of the features of my patreon at the “Spit Takes, Stress and House Progress” level, is sharing our renovation journey at our home we bought in 2020. Below is a little sample:

My closet is actually the sunroom/ bedroom of the adjacent first floor apartment. To the left is a one corner of the room immediately after the new windows were installed. To the right is the same corner after I restocked my closet.

My closet basically has four layers; Overhead storage, hanging garments, drawer storage, and storage on top of the drawers.

My overhead storage consists of clear storage boxes so that I can easily see what’s in the boxes. Those generally include unseasonal clothing and clothing I love but don’t currently wear.

My hanging garments are clothes that I wear often and that would traditionally be hung.

On top of the drawers I generally keep items in boxes (some clear, some opaque). These items vary. but the white box to the left of the filled closet picture has tights. I have 4 drawer units in this photo but there are a total of 6 drawer units in the closet. You will notice my drawers are different colors in this picture. The reason is because I had previously put contact paper on a drawer unit that was in my bedroom. I reorganized my drawers and moved some of those into the closet.

For a a buying guide with links to the products I use, more in depth description of how I organize my drawers and to see the full restocking/ reorganizing of my closet after the new windows were put in, become a patron.

“Not Dishwasher Safe” Doesn’t Mean Cheap

One of the inconvenient truths of life is that often beautiful things are delicate. Think of fine china. If we’re lucky, we can have something beautiful that we can use; like china. The balance is that even though we use the beautiful thing, we know we need to treat it delicately. We wouldn’t call fine china cheap because it can’t go in the dishwasher.

This is why I refer to most, if not all of the items I sell as “functional art.” The items are usable and many can be used daily for years; if you treat them delicately.

Some of my games are more expensive than a mass produced plastic game but less expensive than high end acrylic games that can cost hundreds.

My games are more expensive than store bought games because they take hours to make. One, specifically, I have to personally import the mold because it isn’t available in the US AND the mold is difficult to use.

The price of the games are an indicator that they should be taken care of. I’ve seen unreasonable people suggest that the price should mean they’re more durable. I don’t sell trash bags or paper towels. Think a plate versus china.

You wouldn’t pay hundreds or thousands for china then give it to a toddler to eat off of, would you? I’d hope not.

Buy plastic games if you want to be rough.

I’ve also noticed comments online of people complaining about the quality of coffee cups and stainless steel tumblers that have vinyl decals on them. I tend not to use this method for this reason. I do use rhinestones which can come off as well. When I do, I note the care necessary in the description.

Cup and tumbler makers use different processes and different media to create different looks. They all have advantages and disadvantages. Here are some materials that may be more durable than others but they tend to not give the same range of colors and design options. Also consider that some methods used to preserve work to make it more durable can alter the aesthetic.

In the case of the vinyl decals, people make comments like, “These are so cheap.” “These are glorified stickers and they peel off.” “I washed it one time…”

I assure you that the cups and tumblers with vinyl decals don’t peel because they “cheap” or due to some fault of the maker.

These are shots of my husband’s very expensive, professionally made tumbler made by one of our favorite companies.

As you can see, the decals have almost peeled off completely.

When we buy expensive clothing or cars, we’re careful with them. We don’t paint in a wedding dress then call the dress cheap when we can’t wash the paint out or if the fabric gets damaged from washing the paint out. We’re extremely careful with things that cost a lot or things we value even if it was a dollar.

Take care to follow the care instructions for items you buy.

If you want to buys something from a small business owner, don’t be turned off by the care instructions. Appreciate their honesty and generosity as they help guide you through extending the life of your beautiful piece.

Consider your care instructions as a badge of honor. You’re buying a work of art.

Artisans and makers spend exponentially more time making products by hand. Think about that before you disrespect a small business owner by calling their work cheap, overpriced, poorly made or not worth it.

Why Diamonds on Mondays

Mondays are the least popular day and rightly. It’s the first work day of the week. We have to get motivated to seize the week. 

Sure! We could stick with some dull one liners about Mondays. But I choose to go for brilliant ones.

I chose diamonds as my Monday Motivation theme for the same reason I use diamonds in my branding. Not because they’re expensive but because 

Diamonds are rare. Our uniqueness is what makes us shine!

Diamonds are old, dull rocks that form into something beautiful. We shouldn’t toss out the old.

Diamonds are durable. Diamonds can withstand almost anything!

I know I’ve had my share of difficulties. I need to be edified to start my week. I decided to share my gems of Monday Motivation with you!