Well. Look at me blog!
I know it's been a while. Summer happened. I thought I was doing pretty good at developing a schedule & sticking with it... and then it all went flying out the window.
DJ and I are in Canada now. We were being very distracting to D as he was studying for his exam, so my mom & dad flew the two of us up to Canada for a while. We're loving our time here- DJ is getting play dates with cousins, Mommy is getting some "me" time, and I'm getting inspired & invigorated to go home & work... which can get mildly frustrating at times, especially when I can't actually do anything about it right then. :(
It's also June 1st today. It's half way through the year, and a perfect point to totally start over. That's what I think anyway. Week (whatever it is, I've lost count) will end up being week one again (ish) for me. How about it? We could all use fresh starts every once and a while, right?
Right. I'm off to have devos & journal some thoughts. :)
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Week 14!
This is going to be brief. And pictureless. :(
Last week DJ caught a cold after the funeral, so he was rather sick, clingy, and an all around big mamma's boy all week.
Around Wednesday, I caught whatever he had- and if he felt as horrible as I did, I totally understand why he was so fussy.
I almost managed to keep my HBZ tidy, although it could use a vacuuming... Other than that my weekly goals were a bust- no working out happened, and no father progress on the HTCI system. Looks like I get to repeat week 13 this week. :)
My mentor and her husband took DJ yesterday afternoon, and I spent the afternoon resting and re-cooperating after the long week. I have to say it's amazing what a few hours break can do! I feel totally refreshed and ready to get lots accomplished this week.
Last week DJ caught a cold after the funeral, so he was rather sick, clingy, and an all around big mamma's boy all week.
Around Wednesday, I caught whatever he had- and if he felt as horrible as I did, I totally understand why he was so fussy.
I almost managed to keep my HBZ tidy, although it could use a vacuuming... Other than that my weekly goals were a bust- no working out happened, and no father progress on the HTCI system. Looks like I get to repeat week 13 this week. :)
My mentor and her husband took DJ yesterday afternoon, and I spent the afternoon resting and re-cooperating after the long week. I have to say it's amazing what a few hours break can do! I feel totally refreshed and ready to get lots accomplished this week.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Week 13- HTCI Home Base Zone done!
Well, today (Saturday) is the official calendar based first day of week 13 of 2011. My main focus goal for this week is still on working through the HTCI book. I do have progress to report! It may have taken me all week, but I cleaned out my HBZ (home base zone- hereafter referred to as "HBZ").
My HBZ is the living room. In the book the three examples she gives of HBZs are 1) the kitchen sink, 2) the upstairs bathroom 3) under the master bedroom bed and the floor of the closets in the master bedroom. I really wish I had taken before pictures. I sure had a cluttered, messy living room at the beginning of week 12. But has it ever been transformed! Let me give you a guided tour:
This wall is where I started. Not too much was cluttered over here- a few things on the trunk, but it wasn't to bad:
Working clockwise we come to the piano. She talks about how easy it is to set things on anything with a horizontal surface- the piano was no exception.
She suggested hanging signs so that you don't feel badly when people come over and find your house torn apart as you are working through cleaning and organizing:
The rest of the wall:
DJ's toys aren't quite as neat as I'd like- I'm hoping to get one of those toy trunks eventually- something with a lid that we can close and have completely out of sight. The wires for the TV need some work too... but that's more David's department. We need to brainstorm together to find a solution for those.
The fireplace wall. I rearranged the pictures on top of the mantle- I painted them with the idea that they would get switched around every so often. I particularly like the way they look now!
Couch wall:
My knitting. This was the biggest source of clutter. I took a huge bag of yarn and fiber upstairs, and left only my project back sitting in my Janet basket, along with all my interchangeable needles and a stack of patterns.
One more picture and we're back where we started!
See- there isn't even anything hiding behind the couch!
And the floor is even clear of everything but DJ's play mats:
How I got here:
1) moved everything out of the room that didn't belong.
2) moved everything off of each wall, and dusted the wall from floor to ceiling, one wall at a time. I put things back as I finished a wall.
3) Moved everything off each piece of furniture- dusted all the objects and the furniture, then put everything back.
4) Moved all the furniture and vacuumed the whole floor.
5) Put the room back together.
I'm really happy with the result! The plan is to keep this room tidy and clean as I work through the rest of the house. If something has to give as far as house cleaning, that something won't be this room. I really do feel better with this one room clean.
This week's goal: continue with the HTCI book and exercise 5 days a week. We'll see how far I can get this week with the HTCI: up next is a prayer walk through the house, photographing everything how it is right now, evaluating the house, set up a devotional station, and then start working through the house room by room.
I leave you with one last picture of our family, taken at David's Grandma Ortiz's funeral.
My HBZ is the living room. In the book the three examples she gives of HBZs are 1) the kitchen sink, 2) the upstairs bathroom 3) under the master bedroom bed and the floor of the closets in the master bedroom. I really wish I had taken before pictures. I sure had a cluttered, messy living room at the beginning of week 12. But has it ever been transformed! Let me give you a guided tour:
This wall is where I started. Not too much was cluttered over here- a few things on the trunk, but it wasn't to bad:
Working clockwise we come to the piano. She talks about how easy it is to set things on anything with a horizontal surface- the piano was no exception.
She suggested hanging signs so that you don't feel badly when people come over and find your house torn apart as you are working through cleaning and organizing:
The rest of the wall:
DJ's toys aren't quite as neat as I'd like- I'm hoping to get one of those toy trunks eventually- something with a lid that we can close and have completely out of sight. The wires for the TV need some work too... but that's more David's department. We need to brainstorm together to find a solution for those.
The fireplace wall. I rearranged the pictures on top of the mantle- I painted them with the idea that they would get switched around every so often. I particularly like the way they look now!
Couch wall:
My knitting. This was the biggest source of clutter. I took a huge bag of yarn and fiber upstairs, and left only my project back sitting in my Janet basket, along with all my interchangeable needles and a stack of patterns.
One more picture and we're back where we started!
See- there isn't even anything hiding behind the couch!
And the floor is even clear of everything but DJ's play mats:
How I got here:
1) moved everything out of the room that didn't belong.
2) moved everything off of each wall, and dusted the wall from floor to ceiling, one wall at a time. I put things back as I finished a wall.
3) Moved everything off each piece of furniture- dusted all the objects and the furniture, then put everything back.
4) Moved all the furniture and vacuumed the whole floor.
5) Put the room back together.
I'm really happy with the result! The plan is to keep this room tidy and clean as I work through the rest of the house. If something has to give as far as house cleaning, that something won't be this room. I really do feel better with this one room clean.
This week's goal: continue with the HTCI book and exercise 5 days a week. We'll see how far I can get this week with the HTCI: up next is a prayer walk through the house, photographing everything how it is right now, evaluating the house, set up a devotional station, and then start working through the house room by room.
I leave you with one last picture of our family, taken at David's Grandma Ortiz's funeral.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Week 11/12
Hah.
I attempted to start this bog post at the beginning of last week, but I never had the time to finish it. Yikes!
For the record:
Week 10's goal: To bed by 11:00 and menu plan. I modified my bed time to 12:00, mostly cause it fits better with David's schedule... I made a menu plan, but I'm still struggling with that one.
Week 11's goal: (This last week) I focused both on having devotions first thing in the morning (This was my first goal when I started at the beginning of the year, but I haven't been taking the time for it lately, and so that meant that it was back on the table for being worked on again.) and working out 5-6 times a week. I think I only missed one day of Devotions this week, which was good, and I put in two formal work outs, with "running up and down the stairs a million times today" counting for aerobic training once, and "winding 2,000+ yards of yarn on the re-skeiner" counting as strength training once... for a total of 4ish workouts- it could have gone better.
This coming week, Week 12, my plan is to do spring cleaning. The last time my parents were here, my mom bought me a book called "The House That Cleans Itself". The big idea behind the book is changing the house to fit the behavior, rather than changing the behavior when it comes to cleaning. I'm reading it today, and I plan to start working through it over the next 2- 4 weeks as my main focus. While I'm working through that, I'll be going back and revisiting some of my old goals to make sure I'm still on top of them- like working out, devos, drinking tea (I didn't at all last week cause I was so busy and didn't have the time, and boy, did I ever miss my cuppa tea!) and wake up/bed time etc. I'm excited.
I'll try to keep you updated with how this deep cleaning/streamlining of my house goes. To give you a little taste of how the book is set up let me share with you how the author Mindy has you CONVERT a room into the HTCI system:
C-clear out the clutter
O- open up and clean
N-neaten, organize, and solve problem spots
V- verify and set up Stations as needed
E-examine Sight Zones
R record future improvements needed
T take steps now for ongoing maintenance
So far I've read up to the "V" chapter. It's the most unique book on organization/cleaning systems that I've read. Not like there have been that many that I have read.... She talks about the different personalities of people who clutter and have disorganized lives, and how different reasons for clutter need to be approached in different ways. She also talked about Home base zones (that one place in the house that if you've got it clean/clutter free you feel peace even if the rest of the house is a disaster) and setting up a devotion "station" with your bible, journal, pen, devotional books etc before you jump into working through cleaning out the rest of the house. I'm pretty excited! I'd like to finish reading the book tonight so that I can start working through it tomorrow morning.
Rather than leave you with a picture of DJ- here is a link to videos from the Church services at Trinity. By tomorrow afternoon (Monday, March 21st) the video from today should be up. Trinity just started a choir, and I'm in it! Not only that, but last night right before practice the director asked me to be on the "front line"- she has two people from each part sing with mics to make it easier to make sure the parts are balanced through the sound system. We really had a good time and God really showed up. It was awesome.
The link:
http://trinitywired.com/media/service The whole service is about an hour, but the music portion is probably only 15 minutes or so. I hope you enjoy it!
I attempted to start this bog post at the beginning of last week, but I never had the time to finish it. Yikes!
For the record:
Week 10's goal: To bed by 11:00 and menu plan. I modified my bed time to 12:00, mostly cause it fits better with David's schedule... I made a menu plan, but I'm still struggling with that one.
Week 11's goal: (This last week) I focused both on having devotions first thing in the morning (This was my first goal when I started at the beginning of the year, but I haven't been taking the time for it lately, and so that meant that it was back on the table for being worked on again.) and working out 5-6 times a week. I think I only missed one day of Devotions this week, which was good, and I put in two formal work outs, with "running up and down the stairs a million times today" counting for aerobic training once, and "winding 2,000+ yards of yarn on the re-skeiner" counting as strength training once... for a total of 4ish workouts- it could have gone better.
This coming week, Week 12, my plan is to do spring cleaning. The last time my parents were here, my mom bought me a book called "The House That Cleans Itself". The big idea behind the book is changing the house to fit the behavior, rather than changing the behavior when it comes to cleaning. I'm reading it today, and I plan to start working through it over the next 2- 4 weeks as my main focus. While I'm working through that, I'll be going back and revisiting some of my old goals to make sure I'm still on top of them- like working out, devos, drinking tea (I didn't at all last week cause I was so busy and didn't have the time, and boy, did I ever miss my cuppa tea!) and wake up/bed time etc. I'm excited.
I'll try to keep you updated with how this deep cleaning/streamlining of my house goes. To give you a little taste of how the book is set up let me share with you how the author Mindy has you CONVERT a room into the HTCI system:
C-clear out the clutter
O- open up and clean
N-neaten, organize, and solve problem spots
V- verify and set up Stations as needed
E-examine Sight Zones
R record future improvements needed
T take steps now for ongoing maintenance
So far I've read up to the "V" chapter. It's the most unique book on organization/cleaning systems that I've read. Not like there have been that many that I have read.... She talks about the different personalities of people who clutter and have disorganized lives, and how different reasons for clutter need to be approached in different ways. She also talked about Home base zones (that one place in the house that if you've got it clean/clutter free you feel peace even if the rest of the house is a disaster) and setting up a devotion "station" with your bible, journal, pen, devotional books etc before you jump into working through cleaning out the rest of the house. I'm pretty excited! I'd like to finish reading the book tonight so that I can start working through it tomorrow morning.
Rather than leave you with a picture of DJ- here is a link to videos from the Church services at Trinity. By tomorrow afternoon (Monday, March 21st) the video from today should be up. Trinity just started a choir, and I'm in it! Not only that, but last night right before practice the director asked me to be on the "front line"- she has two people from each part sing with mics to make it easier to make sure the parts are balanced through the sound system. We really had a good time and God really showed up. It was awesome.
The link:
http://trinitywired.com/media/service The whole service is about an hour, but the music portion is probably only 15 minutes or so. I hope you enjoy it!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Teething time!
That's the first name that jumped into my head for this post. DJ has been teething really badly today- super clingy, doesn't want to do anything but eat and snuggle. Awesome for mommy baby time, not so awesome for getting things done. He's working on his 8th tooth in 8 months! Crazy kid...
My main goal for this week was going to be getting to bed by 11:00. Last night should have been the first night for that- but I forgot to eat supper somehow, and then David made us awesome cappuccino blender drinks around 8:30 (right after DJ went to bed last night) and I had one. Caffeine on an empty stomach- bad bad idea.11:00 rolled around and David and I were in the middle of watching The Biggest Loser. I decided I'd stay up until that was done, or was it till I finished my round on my knitting? Either way, it was 1:00 before I started to head to bed, and I don't think I fell asleep until 2:30 in the morning. And once I did fall asleep, I had the weirdest knitting combined Biggest Loser dreams... very very odd.
I'm still going to try to get to bed by 11:00 the rest of the week- but I've switched my "official" weekly goal to having a menu plan.
Monday- We had Pork stew tonight, and I made bread for sandwiches to go along with the lunch meat David bought. That will be lunch for some of the week. We've got eggs for breakfasts (did you know that 2 eggs provides your minimum daily requirement for protein- in the perfect proportions?) and we've still got left overs for some lunches as well.
Tuesday night I'm making pizza,
Wednesday night we'll have LO (Left over) stew and I'll make corn bread to go with it
Thursday will be LO pizza
Friday is Friday nights (we host a knit group and one of the gals cooks for everyone)
Saturday we're having pancakes for breakfast, and mac & cheese, and any other left overs we've still got.
Sunday officially starts a new week- I hope to go grocery shopping on Sunday, as well as make sure my next menu plan is figured out. :)
I tend to cook large portions, and it takes us a while to eat through them. The stew we had tonight probably could last us a good portion of the week if we ate it every day. I'd freeze some, but our little fridge freezer freezer burns left overs in 2 weeks time, and it gets really frustrating. We are looking at getting a chest freezer, but it might be a while before we get it... we'll see.
Ramble much? ;)
Finally, the picture you've all been waiting for: DJ kept grabbing at my knitting yesterday, so I gave him some waste yarn of his own to play with. He was concentrating so hard, trying to figure out what it is about yarn that mommy likes so much! He was even sort of making little "knitting" motions too- copy cat. ;)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Weeks 8 & 9
I went into week 8 without a specific goal- I had been doing well at getting up by 8 the previous week, (and I'm still rockin that one out!) but when I realized that I didn't have a plan yet a couple of days into the week, I was a little discouraged. I was thinking about it last Wednesday, and I didn't want to start working on a new goal half way through the week. As I looked back over the week so far- I realized that there was one thing I had been doing every day that was on my list of goals- drinking tea everyday! Week 8 became my tea drinking week. I love tea. I might have to do a blog post about my favorites at some point, but I'm going to stick with telling you about my weekly goals in this post.
Feb 27-Mar 5 is week 9. My goal for this week is to read to DJ a bed time story every night. I know reading to him is important, and I think bedtime stories are the perfect way to incorporate reading into our schedule. I didn't get to read to him last night though- he fell asleep at 7:30, which is half an hour before his bedtime routine starts. Tired little guy! I think he slept until ~6:30 this morning too... I'm not totally sure what time he woke up. I could hear him making happy little noises in his crib while my alarm was going off, but it took me a little longer to wake myself up and get me out of bed (closer to 7:50 :P) .
If there is one thing I learned from week 8, it is to pick my goal early enough that when the first day of the next week comes, I can start right into it. Week 10 eh? I wonder what my goal should be... Getting to bed by 11:00 at the latest? Putting Menu plans in place? ooh. I like that last one. Well, both of them. I guess I've got the next two weeks planned out in advance. :D
Quick picture: A shawl I finished knitting last week, and DJ being my very cute model.
Feb 27-Mar 5 is week 9. My goal for this week is to read to DJ a bed time story every night. I know reading to him is important, and I think bedtime stories are the perfect way to incorporate reading into our schedule. I didn't get to read to him last night though- he fell asleep at 7:30, which is half an hour before his bedtime routine starts. Tired little guy! I think he slept until ~6:30 this morning too... I'm not totally sure what time he woke up. I could hear him making happy little noises in his crib while my alarm was going off, but it took me a little longer to wake myself up and get me out of bed (closer to 7:50 :P) .
If there is one thing I learned from week 8, it is to pick my goal early enough that when the first day of the next week comes, I can start right into it. Week 10 eh? I wonder what my goal should be... Getting to bed by 11:00 at the latest? Putting Menu plans in place? ooh. I like that last one. Well, both of them. I guess I've got the next two weeks planned out in advance. :D
Quick picture: A shawl I finished knitting last week, and DJ being my very cute model.
Monday, February 21, 2011
What a day.
You should see the snow outside.
It's been a crazy day, and I'm about to go upstairs and crash. Let me tell you the story:
It started snowing last night, after a couple days where we could see the green grass. David had an exam at 8:00 this morning, so I told him I would get up and shovel for him in the morning so he wouldn't have to worry about it, and so I could get him to his exam on time.
DJ woke up at 5:30 this morning, I fed him, and then soon it was 6:00- and I was up and out the door by about 20 after. I literally just threw on a sweater and pants over my PJs... put on my boots, gloves and jacket and stepped out into 6+ inches of white. It took me about an hour to get the shoveling done, but I did it!
I came back inside, David had woken up because poor DJ had been crying the whole hour- he didn't go back to sleep once I left- poor babe. I changed his diaper and snuggled him a bit before throwing together breakfast and lunch for David. I was debating whether or not I would go out and get my grocery shopping done after taking D to school, or if I'd come back and do a few things that needed to be done at home before I headed out again. With 15 minutes to get D to his exam, it was decided that I'd probably come home first before going out shopping- so I popped DJ in his car seat, grabbed my jacket, wallet & keys, and got the car running. David followed me with his backpack, and we were off!
Or so we thought. I tried to pick up enough speed with the Jetta to get out into the street where it had been driven on a bit, but on first try, I didn't succeed. It took a little bit of rocking and a push from D to get me back into the drive way for a second try. Both David and I figured once I was moving and in the tracks that were already there, we'd be golden.
Wrong.
Very wrong.
20 minutes later, we were only a block and a half from our house. David was freaking out as he was already late at this point, and it seemed like we were stuck for good. He was trying to call the school, wondering if he should just run to the main road and try to hitch a ride, go back and ask our neighbors to drive him, or get out and try pushing again. DJ could tell that daddy was upset, and so he started fussing and crying, which I'm sure didn't help daddy's stress level either.
A nice couple in a Land Rover showed up at that point- asked us if we needed a push. We explained the situation and the lady offered to drive David if we needed. The husband wanted to try pushing us out, so we did. I backed up way to far the first time. The good thing about that was it got the attention of one of the other neighbors who was out shoveling, and he came over to help push us too.
Between the three of them- a man on his way to work, David in his summer shoes and no gloves, and the neighbor who had been shoveling, we did get the car to the main road- a full 45 minutes after we backed out of our driveway.
Sounds like an adventure right? Wait- there's more:
I dropped off a 40 minute late David off, and weighed my options. There was pretty much zero chance of me being able to get the car all the way back home until either the roads were plowed, or at least more cars had driven over it to "plow" the snow that my car didn't clear. Oh how I wished I had brought my knitting! Selfish me. Not only did I not have my knitting to occupy myself for however many hours I would be stuck away from home, but I didn't have a diaper bag for DJ either. Neither of us had eaten breakfast, brushed our teeth, or gotten dressed for the day. I didn't have my coupons or grocery list for shopping- but that didn't stop me from going to Meijer. Prepared baby food, spoons, bananas, sposies (diapers), wipes, and blueberry turnovers for me. I did manage to remember a couple of the things that were on my list, but not many.
Outside to the car for a cold, odd breakfast, inside to the Meijer's bathroom for a diaper change, outside to the car to drive back towards home to see if the roads were cleared. They weren't. They didn't look that drivable either.
I kept making loops around the city- over to my local yarn shop, which thankfully wasn't open or I might have bought myself a new project to work on while I was waiting, down to where my church is to the McDonald's for a sweet tea cause I didn't grab myself a drink in Meijers... each time circling by my neighborhood to check on the progress. DJ eventually fell asleep, but he only got about 1.5 hours of sleep between his 5:30 AM original wake up and when he woke up at 12:15.
It was around noon when I decided that one of the roads looked like it might be clear enough to attempt. I approached it at a running start to get over the initial snow plow hump, and proceeded fairly smoothly down the street. With no cars around anywhere (but with plenty of neighborly witnesses) I made a nice "rolling stop" through the 4 way, (read: slowed to 18mph from 20- any slower and I would have been stopped permanently) and bravely took the curve towards my house. For every inch of ground I covered, I lost momentum, and by the time I was at the base of my driveway, I was at a stand still. Totally stuck. Luckily, it was my driveway, with my shovel nearby, and it didn't take too long for me to dig myself out. With only two cars behind the Jetta waiting for me to get out of the way, I rocked and edged my way closer until my tires caught the cement of the bare driveway from my amazing shovel job that morning, and I soared up to the garage.
We didn't take the car out the rest of the day, and I am so hoping that the roads will be plowed before tomorrow when I have to take D to school at 8:00. Today he got a ride back to the edge of the neighborhood with a classmate, and he walked from there.
Well, I'm going to go crash now. I hope you enjoyed hearing my crazy story about my crazy day.
It's been a crazy day, and I'm about to go upstairs and crash. Let me tell you the story:
It started snowing last night, after a couple days where we could see the green grass. David had an exam at 8:00 this morning, so I told him I would get up and shovel for him in the morning so he wouldn't have to worry about it, and so I could get him to his exam on time.
DJ woke up at 5:30 this morning, I fed him, and then soon it was 6:00- and I was up and out the door by about 20 after. I literally just threw on a sweater and pants over my PJs... put on my boots, gloves and jacket and stepped out into 6+ inches of white. It took me about an hour to get the shoveling done, but I did it!
I came back inside, David had woken up because poor DJ had been crying the whole hour- he didn't go back to sleep once I left- poor babe. I changed his diaper and snuggled him a bit before throwing together breakfast and lunch for David. I was debating whether or not I would go out and get my grocery shopping done after taking D to school, or if I'd come back and do a few things that needed to be done at home before I headed out again. With 15 minutes to get D to his exam, it was decided that I'd probably come home first before going out shopping- so I popped DJ in his car seat, grabbed my jacket, wallet & keys, and got the car running. David followed me with his backpack, and we were off!
Or so we thought. I tried to pick up enough speed with the Jetta to get out into the street where it had been driven on a bit, but on first try, I didn't succeed. It took a little bit of rocking and a push from D to get me back into the drive way for a second try. Both David and I figured once I was moving and in the tracks that were already there, we'd be golden.
Wrong.
Very wrong.
20 minutes later, we were only a block and a half from our house. David was freaking out as he was already late at this point, and it seemed like we were stuck for good. He was trying to call the school, wondering if he should just run to the main road and try to hitch a ride, go back and ask our neighbors to drive him, or get out and try pushing again. DJ could tell that daddy was upset, and so he started fussing and crying, which I'm sure didn't help daddy's stress level either.
A nice couple in a Land Rover showed up at that point- asked us if we needed a push. We explained the situation and the lady offered to drive David if we needed. The husband wanted to try pushing us out, so we did. I backed up way to far the first time. The good thing about that was it got the attention of one of the other neighbors who was out shoveling, and he came over to help push us too.
Between the three of them- a man on his way to work, David in his summer shoes and no gloves, and the neighbor who had been shoveling, we did get the car to the main road- a full 45 minutes after we backed out of our driveway.
Sounds like an adventure right? Wait- there's more:
I dropped off a 40 minute late David off, and weighed my options. There was pretty much zero chance of me being able to get the car all the way back home until either the roads were plowed, or at least more cars had driven over it to "plow" the snow that my car didn't clear. Oh how I wished I had brought my knitting! Selfish me. Not only did I not have my knitting to occupy myself for however many hours I would be stuck away from home, but I didn't have a diaper bag for DJ either. Neither of us had eaten breakfast, brushed our teeth, or gotten dressed for the day. I didn't have my coupons or grocery list for shopping- but that didn't stop me from going to Meijer. Prepared baby food, spoons, bananas, sposies (diapers), wipes, and blueberry turnovers for me. I did manage to remember a couple of the things that were on my list, but not many.
Outside to the car for a cold, odd breakfast, inside to the Meijer's bathroom for a diaper change, outside to the car to drive back towards home to see if the roads were cleared. They weren't. They didn't look that drivable either.
I kept making loops around the city- over to my local yarn shop, which thankfully wasn't open or I might have bought myself a new project to work on while I was waiting, down to where my church is to the McDonald's for a sweet tea cause I didn't grab myself a drink in Meijers... each time circling by my neighborhood to check on the progress. DJ eventually fell asleep, but he only got about 1.5 hours of sleep between his 5:30 AM original wake up and when he woke up at 12:15.
It was around noon when I decided that one of the roads looked like it might be clear enough to attempt. I approached it at a running start to get over the initial snow plow hump, and proceeded fairly smoothly down the street. With no cars around anywhere (but with plenty of neighborly witnesses) I made a nice "rolling stop" through the 4 way, (read: slowed to 18mph from 20- any slower and I would have been stopped permanently) and bravely took the curve towards my house. For every inch of ground I covered, I lost momentum, and by the time I was at the base of my driveway, I was at a stand still. Totally stuck. Luckily, it was my driveway, with my shovel nearby, and it didn't take too long for me to dig myself out. With only two cars behind the Jetta waiting for me to get out of the way, I rocked and edged my way closer until my tires caught the cement of the bare driveway from my amazing shovel job that morning, and I soared up to the garage.
We didn't take the car out the rest of the day, and I am so hoping that the roads will be plowed before tomorrow when I have to take D to school at 8:00. Today he got a ride back to the edge of the neighborhood with a classmate, and he walked from there.
Well, I'm going to go crash now. I hope you enjoyed hearing my crazy story about my crazy day.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Wake up! (week 7)
I know I'm a few days into the week with this post. (strictly, the weeks this year start on Saturday, but I have always used Sunday as my first day of the week) Oh well.
First- let me report back on last week. My goal was to "have a time for everything, and everything in it's time." I definitely didn't follow my schedule exactly. I tried hard, but I wonder if I didn't bite of more than I could chew. I'm trying to lay a foundation for a life-long routine, so I'm not giving up on this one. I'm just breaking it into smaller, more manageable parts.
This week my goal is to wake up on time. Small & simple. I had hoped for a wake up time of between 6 and 7 on week days, and 7 and 8 on weekends. I've quickly realized that I need to modify that a bit. Not every day has the same schedule, so it is a little easier with a two our wake up window than a one hour one. So now I need to get up between 6-8 on week days and 7-9 on weekends.
Yesterday I did well. Today... well, I got up, but I'm tired. I sure didn't want to get up. I try to encourage others on this blog, and now I need your encouragement. What do you do to help yourself wake up in the morning? Caffeine? Music? Do you do something the night before? Once you're awake, what is your motivation for getting ready for the day? (especially when you've gotten up earlier than you "have to"- a big problem for those of us who don't have external appointments.) It's really easy for me to wake up, look at the clock, talk myself into a few more minutes of sleep and hit the snooze button.
Thoughts?
DJ is a good morning person. His secret is eating a banana every morning. See:
First- let me report back on last week. My goal was to "have a time for everything, and everything in it's time." I definitely didn't follow my schedule exactly. I tried hard, but I wonder if I didn't bite of more than I could chew. I'm trying to lay a foundation for a life-long routine, so I'm not giving up on this one. I'm just breaking it into smaller, more manageable parts.
This week my goal is to wake up on time. Small & simple. I had hoped for a wake up time of between 6 and 7 on week days, and 7 and 8 on weekends. I've quickly realized that I need to modify that a bit. Not every day has the same schedule, so it is a little easier with a two our wake up window than a one hour one. So now I need to get up between 6-8 on week days and 7-9 on weekends.
Yesterday I did well. Today... well, I got up, but I'm tired. I sure didn't want to get up. I try to encourage others on this blog, and now I need your encouragement. What do you do to help yourself wake up in the morning? Caffeine? Music? Do you do something the night before? Once you're awake, what is your motivation for getting ready for the day? (especially when you've gotten up earlier than you "have to"- a big problem for those of us who don't have external appointments.) It's really easy for me to wake up, look at the clock, talk myself into a few more minutes of sleep and hit the snooze button.
Thoughts?
DJ is a good morning person. His secret is eating a banana every morning. See:
My what a big bite you have son. :)
Monday, February 7, 2011
A New Week (week 6)
Last week (week 5) wasn't the best week as far as working on a new habit. In fact, I may have even forgotten to keep up a couple of the things I had already started working on in previous weeks. Let's just call week 5 a "lapse week"
Lucky for me, this week is a new week, and a chance to start over.
Week 6 goal: A time for everything.
My goal for this week is to follow my schedule as closely as I can. That means bedtimes, rising times, devotions in the morning- suppers ready when they are supposed to etc. David and I are both working at getting to bed at a more reasonable hour- and getting up earlier too. I woke up a little bit later than my schedule this morning, but we're trying to ease into things. I'll let you know how it goes.
Oh ya- Today is David's birthday, so if you know him, wish him a happy one eh?
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Laundry
Tuesday is Laundry day. I know it's not anywhere near Tuesday now, but I started writing this post while doing laundry...
Laundry is really hard for me to get done in one day. While I start on Tuesday, but often it's Saturday before all the laundry is washed. And putting them away? Let's just say there have been many weeks where I've had to dig the laundry baskets out of clean clothes so I can pick up the dirty ones off the floor for wash day.
Not a pretty picture at all! Not at all where I want to be as far as taking care of my castle.
A couple of weeks ago, I gave myself a challenge. On my way to bed that Monday night, I hadn't cleaned the bathroom (That day's task) and I realized that I hadn't been using my time very efficiently that day. I decided that $50 said I could get both Monday & Tuesday's chores done in one day. I got it done though- and learned a few things on the way.
I thought I'd share a few of the laundry tips that I've got floating around in my head while I'm working on it... and if you've got any to add, please let me know! This is a work in progress, and my one success a couple of weeks ago does not make me anywhere near close to having mastered this beast.
The tips:
1) Start with the loads that have small stuff.
This way, the first loads to come out are the most painstaking of them all- you can get them out of the way while you've still got your head in the game. I like to start with the whites (Lots of little things to fold- it takes some time) and end with sheets or towels (big items = not as many things to fold. :D )
2) Fold & put them away right away. I really struggle with this part. Clothes are easiest to deal with while they are still warm from the dryer. At least take them out, dump them on a chair/bed and pull out the things that wrinkle easily.
3) Make a list
This is what I did the day I completed my challenge. It helped to have a list of things I want to get done in between the loads of clothes. I get more things done that way, and the laundry is more like a timer for my other work. A 30 min wash is the perfect amount of time to tidy a room up, or start supper, or wash the dishes...
4) Fold small towels lengthwise first
While this doesn't have anything to do with making Laundry day go faster, I find that folding hand towels and dish towels/tea towels lengthwise first saves me a step when I get them out to use them- they are ready to hang over the towel rack, with no re-folding necessary
5) Wait until the very end to match socks
I know- this sort of contradicts the first point of ordering the loads so that all the small things are out of the way first. If you're always really careful with your socks, this probably won't help you any. But if you're like me, somehow those socks get their mates thrown in a different load of laundry than they are- so waiting until all the laundry is done to fold all the socks increases their chances of finding each other again (how romantic)
.
I'm sure there are many more laundry tips than the ones I've just shared, but these are the ones that were floating around in my head while I was working on the laundry. To be perfectly honest, I didn't get all the laundry done in one day this week- like I said, I'm still a work in progress.
Anyone have more ideas for me?
Laundry is really hard for me to get done in one day. While I start on Tuesday, but often it's Saturday before all the laundry is washed. And putting them away? Let's just say there have been many weeks where I've had to dig the laundry baskets out of clean clothes so I can pick up the dirty ones off the floor for wash day.
Not a pretty picture at all! Not at all where I want to be as far as taking care of my castle.
A couple of weeks ago, I gave myself a challenge. On my way to bed that Monday night, I hadn't cleaned the bathroom (That day's task) and I realized that I hadn't been using my time very efficiently that day. I decided that $50 said I could get both Monday & Tuesday's chores done in one day. I got it done though- and learned a few things on the way.
I thought I'd share a few of the laundry tips that I've got floating around in my head while I'm working on it... and if you've got any to add, please let me know! This is a work in progress, and my one success a couple of weeks ago does not make me anywhere near close to having mastered this beast.
The tips:
1) Start with the loads that have small stuff.
This way, the first loads to come out are the most painstaking of them all- you can get them out of the way while you've still got your head in the game. I like to start with the whites (Lots of little things to fold- it takes some time) and end with sheets or towels (big items = not as many things to fold. :D )
2) Fold & put them away right away. I really struggle with this part. Clothes are easiest to deal with while they are still warm from the dryer. At least take them out, dump them on a chair/bed and pull out the things that wrinkle easily.
3) Make a list
This is what I did the day I completed my challenge. It helped to have a list of things I want to get done in between the loads of clothes. I get more things done that way, and the laundry is more like a timer for my other work. A 30 min wash is the perfect amount of time to tidy a room up, or start supper, or wash the dishes...
4) Fold small towels lengthwise first
While this doesn't have anything to do with making Laundry day go faster, I find that folding hand towels and dish towels/tea towels lengthwise first saves me a step when I get them out to use them- they are ready to hang over the towel rack, with no re-folding necessary
5) Wait until the very end to match socks
I know- this sort of contradicts the first point of ordering the loads so that all the small things are out of the way first. If you're always really careful with your socks, this probably won't help you any. But if you're like me, somehow those socks get their mates thrown in a different load of laundry than they are- so waiting until all the laundry is done to fold all the socks increases their chances of finding each other again (how romantic)
.
I'm sure there are many more laundry tips than the ones I've just shared, but these are the ones that were floating around in my head while I was working on the laundry. To be perfectly honest, I didn't get all the laundry done in one day this week- like I said, I'm still a work in progress.
Anyone have more ideas for me?
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
It is a New Year
It's a New year, with new goals, new hopes, and new dreams.
I'll admit, I'm a little slow getting some things started this year. Budgeting and record keeping one of them- I really need to work on that soon.
But let me tell you a little bit about what my plans & goals are for this year. Let me share how I am approaching things.
I have four main areas that I am focusing on this year, with the most important listed first:
1) Grow in the Lord
a) Daily devotions- reading His word & praying.
b) Get plugged in at our church
2) Care for my Family
a) David- make sure his needs are taken care of (meals, rides to school, etc)
b) DJ- Make sure his needs are taken care of (feeding, changing, loving him. Hard job eh?)
c) Keep our home as a castle- Be a good steward of what God has given us- keep it clean & tidy
3) My body as a temple
a) Eat healthfully
b) Exercise regularly
c) personal upkeep - Even if I'm not going anywhere or doing anything that day, still get ready just in case
d) Music
4) Etsy
a) weekly updates
b) keep good records
c) keep everyone up-to-date via Ravelry, facebook, twitter, and my new blog.
d) Other mis. business goals.
I'm approaching things backwards from the way New Years Resolutions often go. Instead of making a huge list of resolutions, implementing them all at once, and then watching them swirl down the drain, I'm starting slow. I've got one thing I focus on each week. The rest of them, if they happen, great. If not, no biggie- I'll get to them one of these weeks. If I mess up on one week, I'll repeat it- not always the following week, but probably within a month. (P.S.- this is inspired by Benjamin Franklin's 13 virtues and how he approached self-improvement. More info here.)
To show you what I mean:
In the back of my journal, I've got 52 lines set aside. 52 weeks in a year right? Well, so far,
1) Daily devotions
2) Get into a daily schedule, including preparing 3 meals/day, on time
3) Better dental hygiene (Start using a water pic, etc) [I failed at this one- it'll be a re-do in a couple of weeks]
4) (this week:) Smoothie or fresh fruit + a cup of tea every day
As I think of things, I add them to a list of things I'd like to work on this year. Some goals I've already got in place fairly well, without having a specific week to work on it. Some goals wouldn't fit into the one week system since they are once/month goals- like reading 2 books/month, knitting a pair of socks a month, participating in monthly spinning challenges.
What were your new year resolutions? How are you approaching the hope that this new year brings? If you feel like you've failed already, may I encourage you with a phrase I used last year: "February is my new January" Hey- for that matter, ever day is a new day! A new chance to start working on something good. Why does it have to only be once a year that we evaluate where our lives are headed?
If you've read this far, you deserve a little treat:
Goodnight all!
I'll admit, I'm a little slow getting some things started this year. Budgeting and record keeping one of them- I really need to work on that soon.
But let me tell you a little bit about what my plans & goals are for this year. Let me share how I am approaching things.
I have four main areas that I am focusing on this year, with the most important listed first:
1) Grow in the Lord
a) Daily devotions- reading His word & praying.
b) Get plugged in at our church
2) Care for my Family
a) David- make sure his needs are taken care of (meals, rides to school, etc)
b) DJ- Make sure his needs are taken care of (feeding, changing, loving him. Hard job eh?)
c) Keep our home as a castle- Be a good steward of what God has given us- keep it clean & tidy
3) My body as a temple
a) Eat healthfully
b) Exercise regularly
c) personal upkeep - Even if I'm not going anywhere or doing anything that day, still get ready just in case
d) Music
4) Etsy
a) weekly updates
b) keep good records
c) keep everyone up-to-date via Ravelry, facebook, twitter, and my new blog.
d) Other mis. business goals.
I'm approaching things backwards from the way New Years Resolutions often go. Instead of making a huge list of resolutions, implementing them all at once, and then watching them swirl down the drain, I'm starting slow. I've got one thing I focus on each week. The rest of them, if they happen, great. If not, no biggie- I'll get to them one of these weeks. If I mess up on one week, I'll repeat it- not always the following week, but probably within a month. (P.S.- this is inspired by Benjamin Franklin's 13 virtues and how he approached self-improvement. More info here.)
To show you what I mean:
In the back of my journal, I've got 52 lines set aside. 52 weeks in a year right? Well, so far,
1) Daily devotions
2) Get into a daily schedule, including preparing 3 meals/day, on time
3) Better dental hygiene (Start using a water pic, etc) [I failed at this one- it'll be a re-do in a couple of weeks]
4) (this week:) Smoothie or fresh fruit + a cup of tea every day
As I think of things, I add them to a list of things I'd like to work on this year. Some goals I've already got in place fairly well, without having a specific week to work on it. Some goals wouldn't fit into the one week system since they are once/month goals- like reading 2 books/month, knitting a pair of socks a month, participating in monthly spinning challenges.
What were your new year resolutions? How are you approaching the hope that this new year brings? If you feel like you've failed already, may I encourage you with a phrase I used last year: "February is my new January" Hey- for that matter, ever day is a new day! A new chance to start working on something good. Why does it have to only be once a year that we evaluate where our lives are headed?
If you've read this far, you deserve a little treat:
Why hello!
Hello Blog world.
Its been a while.
Too long, some would say.
The funny thing is that while I haven't posted in a while, I've actually been contemplating starting a second blog. You see, I started this one to be an encouragement to others in regards to home & marriage & kids & time management, and the big stuff, or little stuff, of life. I also have a tendency to want to blog about knitting - especially since I've opened an etsy store selling my hand dyed yarns. I have this feeling in the back of my mind that many of my non-knitting friends don't really need to hear all the technical details, so I don't always include them. Then I feel badly for all my knitting friends who would love to hear my tales, full of so much knitter lingo that the average person would think I started speaking German. It would be nice to have a blog where knitters can hear about all my projects & what's going on in the store, and that would leave this blog (for the most part) knitting (or a least knit-speak) free! I'll still post my finished products, but I won't go all knitting-ninja on you.
So what do you say...
Would you like to head on over to Ourhumblecastleyarn and follow my knitting & fiber business adventures, or would you like to stay here and be encouraged as I continue to tell you tales of being a stay at home wife & mom? Or, if you please, follow both! :)
Its been a while.
Too long, some would say.
The funny thing is that while I haven't posted in a while, I've actually been contemplating starting a second blog. You see, I started this one to be an encouragement to others in regards to home & marriage & kids & time management, and the big stuff, or little stuff, of life. I also have a tendency to want to blog about knitting - especially since I've opened an etsy store selling my hand dyed yarns. I have this feeling in the back of my mind that many of my non-knitting friends don't really need to hear all the technical details, so I don't always include them. Then I feel badly for all my knitting friends who would love to hear my tales, full of so much knitter lingo that the average person would think I started speaking German. It would be nice to have a blog where knitters can hear about all my projects & what's going on in the store, and that would leave this blog (for the most part) knitting (or a least knit-speak) free! I'll still post my finished products, but I won't go all knitting-ninja on you.
So what do you say...
Would you like to head on over to Ourhumblecastleyarn and follow my knitting & fiber business adventures, or would you like to stay here and be encouraged as I continue to tell you tales of being a stay at home wife & mom? Or, if you please, follow both! :)
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