Popular

I can't help it...

The very popular/fashionable maxi dress reminds me of Mrs. Roper (from Three's Company for you infants in the family). It's just not going to happen for me. How about you? Is there anything else out there in the fashion world not sitting right with you?

A Little More Like Home

    As you've all read by now, my first resolution for the year was to make my new place feel a little more like home, and I've been getting there gradually, even if slowly. As I alluded to in my recent goal check-in though, I completed a pretty fun project in my bedroom (see above).

    I didn't take any "before" or "during" pictures, but this was a fairly simple project. I happened to be in one of my favorite consignment/antique shops a few weeks ago, and they were having a huge sale on frames and prints. The prints were pretty ugly, of course, but all of the frames were gorgeous, so I ended up buying the five you see here. They were $5.00 each --each! Can you believe it?

    Step two was to find something to put in them. I thought about printing some photographs to size and using those, but thank goodness I stopped by Paper Source for a bridal shower card. I saw these brightly colored papers and was actually able to buy them by the roll to make them a little more fiscally responsible. I took them home, cut the paper to fit each frame, and then arranged them (on the floor first before hanging them on the wall). I even hung them myself just by eye-balling. It's a little eclectic anyway so I didn't worry too much about them all being "level" or "centered."

    Voilà! Now I really can have sweet dreams in my bedroom!

Spring Cleaning, Part II

I know you are so excited to read about the rest of my "cleaning."  There were 4 to-do list items, 3 chores (delegated), 2 dreaded obligations, and 1 time-hogging habit to get rid of.

My 4 to-do list items may seem like no big deal, but these were the ones pushed off to the side over and over again. And I did them all:

• change to spring/summer purse
• give neighbor (belated) birthday card
• vacuum car interior
• buy a new pair of jeans*

The chores were not as easy to get rid of, but I did delegate two easy ones to the children. It will save me no more than three minutes per week, but something is better than nothing when it comes to time.

Two dreaded obligations... One is out of my hands due to a prior obligation. Thank goodness. The other I just dumped and saved a small bit of my sanity.

Now there's the time-hogging habit. I have two that I feel are the worst offenders, but I chose only one. The worst thing I do is skip writing out my daily plan. I know that when I am IN the habit, things are so much smoother, and I feel like I get ten times more accomplished in a day. So, I'm going to stop my "habit" of being too tired to plan out my weekday schedule/agenda. Wish me luck!

*bless the college student that made me feel like I look like an Angelina Jolie when I said I had three kids (only the baby was shopping with me)-- the look on his face was priceless!

Spring Cleaning, Part I

In a nutshell, this was what the plan was for the week, two steps per day:

get rid of:

• 10 articles of clothing
• 9 books or magazines
• 8 excess bathroom items
• 7 unloved DVDs, CDs, or tapes
• 6 expired fridge or pantry items
• 5 useless pieces of kitchenware
• 4 to do list items
• 3 regular chores (delegate if possible)
• 2 dreaded obligations on the calendar/schedule
• 1 time-hogging habit

I have done the first six. Some of the tasks were easy, but others were a challenge. I was stuck for the longest time at 9 articles of clothing. I know that it would have been easier to pull things out of the children's dressers, but I had resolved to sift through my own things. In the end, I got rid of 3 shirts, 2 skirts, a pair of socks, a pj top, a pj bottom, and a pair of jeans. I decided to count each sock as an item and forgive myself for not giving anything else up.

I had planned on the books being more difficult. Two weeks ago I recycled 8 years' worth of a magazine subscription. I didn't have any magazines to cull, so books would have to go. I ended up setting aside 19 of them for an upcoming rummage sale at my parish. Any unsold books will get donated to the library. It took less time than the clothes sorting!

Since I only needed to get rid of 8 things in the next step, I stopped counting at 11 old/expired bottles from the bathroom.

The old DVDs turned into a funny scene. I pulled out 7 right away, but when Robin saw the stack, he made me put Silverado and Laura Croft, Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life back. The lesson learned here is: hide the stack of videos you want to get rid of.

As for the expired fridge/pantry items, I was hoping I would have less than 6 because I'm trying to make sure we waste less food. Unfortunately, I had 7 that ended up in the trash. The leftover salad from Easter and a few hard boiled eggs were past their prime. Holiday food can be tricky.

Anyone who has been to my kitchen at Thanksgiving knows we use every gadget and pan in the house. Thankfully, there were some Halloween cups and some zoo cups that I was able to recycle to meet my quota of 5.

The rest of the Spring Cleaning and De-cluttering is planned for today and tomorrow. The children are off of school on Friday, and I want to get them out to enjoy the actual spring weather that is finally here. How about you? Have you worked on any of the challenge?

Holy Cow!

If you have some time, WATCH THIS!
This lady is amazing! The first minute or two may deceive you, but just wait until she starts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Anyone Want To Spring Clean With Me?

I read this on Shine, and I am going to go for it! Since the kids are off this week for Spring Break, I'm going to start on Monday. Anyone else want to join me? We can tell each other what we've gotten rid of! If you feel ambitious, we can try for a weekend (MacStewart style).

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, dear sisters! For some interesting perspective, head over to My Charming Kids and read THIS post. I've been following her blog on and off for a while--very interesting, some things I agree with, some I don't but the link to the post is one of the best for someone like me, who struggles with "organized" religion.

I'm obviously failing already

Let's call it a seven and a half week check-in

    The thing about making excuses is that they never really sound that good. I've been trying to stop making them for that reason among many others, so here comes my somewhat belated evaluation on my goals/life:

• Make this apartment feel like home: I will blog separately to show you what I've done with my bedroom, but that room feels brand new at the moment. I also bought a clock for the kitchen, which made me feel a lot like I imagine the victims of the Titanic must have felt when they saw the Carpathia arrive.


• Love my job: So in case you haven't heard, I got a pretty big promotion at work last month. I don't mean to be annoying or ungrateful, but while I'd say that I suppose I do "love" my new job, I'm not exactly "in love" with it. It's a pretty subtle difference, but it's there nonetheless. Still, I'm going to put half a check mark here and call it a day.


• Go someplace I've never been in the US: The list of possibilities keeps growing!


• Write every day: Still doing pretty well with this, although this week was probably the worst I've had in a while, surprisingly.


• Blog once a week: Ugh, why can't I seem to blog like a normal person? This one is my D- goal.


• Write more letters: Fail. I'm so behind on this. I keep thinking about how I need to do it, and then I get distracted. I've been sending postcards as a stop-gap measure, but I need to just sit down at the table today and lay out a few pages like a good little correspondent.


• Be a better friend, especially by communicating more through telephone and email: I'm still struggling with this one as well. As I said in February, with some people I've improved (thank goodness), but with many others, I know I haven't been as good a friend as I know I can be, and that's been making me sad.


• Be a better friend to the planet by being energy and waste conscious: I'd say I'm still doing well on this one. I might even say that I've made it up to A-.


• *Expletive, expletive* update my *expletive* iPod: I have my iPod next to me right now, and I am going to finally start on this long, arduous, no-good, very-necessary task.


• Read more books: I have two new books that I haven't even cracked open yet, and I'm ashamed to admit that. I've been hung up on Sophie's World since last month, and I just haven't finished yet. Usually I read on my morning commute, and the past month I've chosen to zone-out to my un-updated iPod instead. Shame. Shaaaaaaaaame!


• Spend more time outside: Not doing so bad, but not as good as I was doing, either. At least the past few weeks I've been able to have the windows open to let a little of the outside in. In the next few weeks, I plan to be out more, but for this seven and a half week period, I know I could have done better.

    What do you think, Sisters? I think my average grade is probably a solid C? Maybe even C+?

A Book Proposal

I literally have 5 minutes left on my lunch break and I couldn't help but think...what can I do with only 5 minutes? Well, I came up with a book proposal and I can't wait to hear your ideas!

Growing Up MacStewart

The Secret Offspring of MacGyver and Martha Stewart:

A Memoir and Handy How-To Guide

Ch. 1- Cookies and Carburetors

Ch. 2- Welding and Wine

Ch. 3- The Best Party Cocktails: Molotovs and Martinis

Ch. 4- How to Pick a Lock with a Bobby Pin and Disable those Pesky Silent Alarms with Hairspray, a Paper Clip and WD-40

Ch. 5- Build a Boat in Your Basement and Look Good Doing It!

Ch. 6- Linen and Epoxy: Your Guide to No-Sew Placemats

Ch. 7- From Swords to Silver: How to Polish Everything in Your Home Until it Shines!

Calling All Sisters:

I've decided that I'm going to be a Change Maker this year for Eric & Kathy's 36 hour radiothon for Children's Memorial Hospital.

Would you like to be one with me?

If you check out the second link, you'll learn that the radiothon isn't until early September, but why wait? It's for a great cause, and if our own little ones haven't had a few scares, we certain know someone who has. So, instead of just tossing our change into a container, why not do something else with it that will make us a part of something bigger?

In the Battle of the Genders...

...girls rule.

If you have ten minutes, go here and watch the video. I love the song about three minutes into it.