Magazine hell no more!

 

Hello, my name is Lissette and I am a magazine hoarder. I have visions of the Fairfax County Hoarding Task Force (yes it does exist) knocking at my door and dragging me away from a pile of magazines while I yell and scream that I am going to sort through them one day. 

The problem is not that I want to keep every magazine that I read. The problem I have is that there is always something on the magazine that I would like to recreate one day (one very far away day when my 19 month old child goes to college). It could be a recipe, a foyer entryway, or the step by step instructions on how to build a box car or my son. The challenge was how to keep track of said "projects". 

At one point, I would neatly cut out the picture, recipe, etc and tack it to my bulletin board. Unfortunately, they took over my whole board and became so messy I never got any done.  

Then I tried cutting them out and putting them in a folder. I still dont know where that damn folder is.

 I tried putting them into a file sleeve only to have them all collect at the bottom.

Thus, I hoard magazines.   In the hopes that one day I will remember to leaf through the pages and find the one recipe that I want to make.   Trust me, it doesnt work. 

During a recent trip to the thrift store, I saw these very cheap photo albums (the ones with the sticky clear laminate inside) and it hit me that these would be an awesome way to store these clippings!  They were pretty ugly though so I decided to wrap them in contact paper to make them durable and Voila! A perfectly easy way to keep magazine clippings! 

This album was only 1.60!

Now as I am reading my magazine, I tear out the page of interest and put in a folder by my bed so I can cut it out neatly later in the evening. 

I then use contact paper (this is the only one I was able to find in a hurry but they have really pretty ones online) to cover the albums. Ugly album no more!

I can then put my clippings in the album and they stay in place. Once I am done with a  clipping (either I have made the recipe or recreated the picture), I trash it and make room for new ones. 

These albums are cheap enough that I now have one for each category! Some include recipes, kid projects, storage ideas, and home décor! I haven't had time to label them, but the plan is to use a stencil and a Sharpie pen to label each one.  One day....when my kid goes to college 17 years from now. 

I guess the Fairfax County Hoarding Task Force will have to find work somewhere else.