Almost guilty...

Right after the super duper scary Halloween decorations that completely make our little ones come unhinged at the store gets taken down...it is then time for us to make small talk about how the commercial push of Christmas is driving out Thanksgiving. We complain about not enough time to enjoy the fall colors before we are overwrought with the "Red and Green" and we are blinded by LED Snowman glowing like it is radio active when we walk in the door to the store. I mean Eggnog Lattes can never come soon enough...but can all the Christmas stuff hold off a little bit....Well, that is what "we" say when making small talk anyways.

However, my sister and I have little count down to Christmas timers that go off in our chests simultaneously in October...We are hit with the sudden need to get organized for the holidays. It is time to nail down plans, exchange names, get the wish lists written and dispersed, plan what crafts we will make, meal plan for any holiday meals that might take place...I like to prayerfully decide with my husband what holiday activities we want to make happen so that we don't get too busy in December. In fact, I like to have all presents wrapped and accounted for, and Christmas cards done by Thanksgiving. Time is ticking!!!

Every Thursday we try to do a fun family activity. Sometimes we play games, or go out for Burger King, or do a craft or seasonal activity. As I was thinking through our Family Fun Nights for November I was thinking we could use that time to make Christmas presents. We really like to pick crafts that we can do as a family to share. My motivation for getting all the gifts and stuff ready in November is so that we can have a more focused Advent Season.

In our family we choose to celebrate Christ's Birth at Christmastime. (We have always known that Jesus probably wasn't really born in December, but for an extensive expose on why we choose to celebrate Jesus' coming at this time of year you can ask my husband the Pastor/Seminary Student.) We love the idea of taking a month to go through the lineage of Jesus and use Advent as a tool to learn about what lead up to Jesus' coming and talk all about who Jesus is.

So, my excuse for almost skipping over Thanksgiving related activities during Family Fun Night seemed like a good one...Jesus. However, on our first Family Fun Night in November we decorated for Thanksgiving. We have a few Pilgrim decorations and a Cornucopia. We had a great time putting them up and it lead to some great conversations about Thanksgiving and thankfulness. CJ was even inspired to write a cute short story about Thanksgiving.

This got me thinking....maybe we need a bit more time to devote to Thanksgiving...Maybe we should stop and Give Thanks to God as a family and that would be important too. So, we are going to make the most of our two Family Fun Nights before Thanksgiving! We are going to make a thankfulness tree on one night, and hopefully make some place mats. Well, that's the plan anyway!

I think we can take the time be thankful and still get all the Christmas gifts done, it may take some simplifying so that we make sure we keep our focus. But, what better way to start the season than with a thankful heart.

Meal Planning- The Method Behind the Madness

So here I sat, dreaming of the impossible... a long list of values, motivations and standards to incorporate into my Meal Plan to End All Meal Plans... Our Family Recipe book of the past, present and future.

I had the hope and dream that if I put in the hard work now...it would really pay off later.

I had my stack of recipes, my spiral bound notebook and my tea and then inevitable dark chocolate...

Where to start???!!

I came up with a formula...and then filled in the blanks...then edited and tweaked what I had.

So here was my formula:

Sunday: Crock Pot Meal, Chicken or Roast 

Monday: Beef Night (Quick, easy, meal because my husband works late on Mondays and is not home for dinner.)

Tuesday:  Personal Pizza Night...everyone got to make their own on a whole wheat English Muffin. (At the time it was my husband's day off... and I didn't know about my kid's allergies)

Wednesday: Something using leftovers from previous meals, incorporate meat from the roast or chicken. Or a chicken dish.
Thursday: Beans, possibly vegetarian. Beans are very cheap (and come free from WIC), and going meatless for one night a week has its benefits both financially and physically.
Friday: Seafood/Fish -- this sounds more glamorous than it is...we get a lot free tuna fish from WIC and I wanted to find creative ways to incorporate tuna into meals. (Although, I do have a special night with Teriyaki Salmon Steaks.)
Saturday: Left Overs or BBQ on the grill.

*You may have noticed that we do not have Pork Night...simply because we do not love Pork. However, ground sausage does show up in a meal occasionally.

For us, five days worth of meals works out well. This give us a chance to use up any leftovers, and fill in with my husband's favorites (Burgers and Pizza...which he would be very happy to eat every day.)

This formula was a great frame work for me to use to organize our meals. I started putting the pieces to the puzzle together. Some meals didn't make the cut, while I had to go searching for new ones to make the flow work.

I did repeat meals...especially favorites that happen to be super easy. Other frequently repeated meals are Roast and Cooking a whole Chicken. These are easy, and a great source of left over meat to incorporate into later meals.

Once I had the formula...the weeks of dinners really came together!! In fact, I was surprised when I came up with 10 weeks of dinners!! It was a bit much...but when I considered that I wanted a Family Cookbook...it was a nice amount of recipes.

Once I decided on what the plans consisted of, I had the arduous task of typing them up and formatting them nicely into a recipe book. When I started doing that...10 weeks seemed like over kill!! But, it was worth it in the end.

Then came the shopping list phase...more on that later!

Meal Planning- Values behind the plan

When I decided to make the meal plan to end all meal plans, it turned into a "project." I started out with a stack of pages ripped from magazines (this was before Pinterest) and a list of values and goals that I had for our meals.

I wanted our Meal Plan to:

• Save Time and Money: I needed meals that fit together like a puzzle, with overlapping ingredients.
• Keep us out of the dinner time rut, and introduce my children's pallets to a variety of flavors and textures.
• I also wanted to make sure that we planned to have some of those dinners we love, but take a bit of extra planning and work, in addition to meals that you can throw in the crock pot in ten minutes and then get on with your day.
• I wanted really healthful meals that packed in the vegetables. My kids tend to eat more vegetables when they are part of the main meal. If the veggies are on the side...they seem like an option or separate entity...rather than just being food that equals dinner.
• I wanted our dinners to be enough and then some. Where we could use the left over dinner as lunch the next day, or have enough where dinner today can become a freezer meal on a crazy day.
• Most of all, I wanted this Meal Plan to turn into Our Family Recipe Book. I am hoping that these meals will someday evoke memories and warm feelings about times we spent around the table as a family. I wanted meals that my kids could grow up with and become their favorites.
• I also wanted to have a group of meals that I can practice over the years and become an excellent cook. More over, I want my kids to grow up helping to cook these meals. When my children turn eleven or twelve my goal is that they would start working their way through the cook book and master every one of the recipes. The goal is to have the kids be able to not only help with dinner, but cook it all by themselves.
• Having a book of recipes also helps my husband jump in and help with the cooking. If he has well written directions in front of him, he is willing to help me with dinner. Sometimes I really need his help!!
• A little while after I started the Meal Plan Project, we discovered our children had severe food allergies. Shortcuts and frozen meals were not even an option. I had to put together Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Egg Free dinners. I had to either adapt recipes that I already had or find new ones on the internet. Out of kindness, it was also preferable to my husband to be able to add some dairy to his meals separately...because he wasn't ready to give it up!

That was a tall order...and it took some time to organize my thoughts and to start laying out the meals week by week. The end product was well worth it!!

Counting your stars!

When you live in the greater Seattle area...and your mom writes a blog that includes the word Latte...chances are... your mom likes to drink lattes. And, if you have a grandma that also likes to drink lattes...as a kid you might be introduced to the magic of the extra foamy deliciousness of steamers.

I know I was amazed and thrilled when my Aunt Susan introduced our family to the wonderful world beyond Hot Chocolate...a world of flavored milk. It sounds silly...but isn't that childhood? Reveling in the simple pleasures, enjoying so enthusiastically the joy of a special treat.

But, as a child, once you are introduced to said foamy goodness, it is just a hop, skip and a jump until you have made the leap to expectation and entitlement. If it is good sometimes...wouldn't it be go good to have all the time? Of course...more is better!

Since we live about 25 minutes away from the nearest espresso stand in our tiny town...going into town where they exist is an event in itself. Add to the fact that we only have one car, so we are not venturing out into the little town...let alone...into the big town where they have Starbucks (the place where they actually pay enough attention to your order to write it on your cup...you take this for granted people!! You wouldn't if you lived out where you get drinks you didn't order and then are made to feel like you ordered it wrong...I digress) And since my espresso maker has long since died...we all want to get a special drink when we can.

However, I can barely afford to support my love of espresso, let alone a steamer habit for my kids. And, while I do experience some form of guilt when I get one and they don't...I still get one. My explanation is that mommy changes a lot of diapers, and since I change the most diapers in the family, I get to have a mocha.

Despite the diaper changing justification...the issue of when and how often they get a special steamer was still there. As was the ever looming issue of entitlement.

Then it all came together...we had another issue that we were searching for a way to remedy using some positive reinforcement. So we started a Star Rewards Program all our own. For every night that the girls stayed in their beds once they have been tucked in...they earn a star. For every seven stars they earn a steamer.

This has been a great hit! Not only have they been staying in bed, but they know that when they earn their steamer...they will get their steamer.

So far, so good!!

Meal Planning...The Journey

As with most things in life, meal planning has turned into a journey...or at least a growing-changing process.

When I first got married I kept hearing people say the phrase "The key to saving money on groceries is to meal plan."

Meal Plan... I thought that I knew what that meant, but I really didn't. My first attempts as an early bride basically entailed planning out what I wanted to make and making a list before I went to the store. This method replaced my original "Single-Girl-in College Plan." That plan was simply- no plan- or just put things that look good in the cart as you go. And I would get some basics for meals that I would regularly throw together.

As a new bride I was inspired to expand my cooking skills. We were also moved to the country and my husband was working on a farm...so I had access to all kinds of amazing vegetables, many of which I had never cooked with before. My meal plan probably saved us some money, but it's purpose was fueled by the desire to learn to cook. This was a great learning and growing process. I honed my skills, made some flops, made some masterpieces, tacked a whole Better Homes meal, and discovered more about our taste and preferences.

When the kids came it became clear that Meal Planning needed to look different. I did not have time to gather up magazine recipes and plan out cooking adventures. I didn't have time to make a list! I was also so tired of the stand by meals like; spaghetti, tacos, stir fry, meatloaf and roast.

Around this time I was reading a lot of Sandra Felton's suggestions about organization. She suggested making a two week meal plan complete with a list. When you have a rotating meal plan you never have to try and think up dinner on the spot, and you don't have to spend time making a list.

I realized that the only way we were going get out of our mealtime rut is if I had a book of recipes, and all the ingredients on hand. And, since my husband does all the grocery shopping, I needed to be able t
o hand him a well organized list with out any notice.

I also attended a Wise Woman Workshop at our church about cooking healthful meals on a budget. It was like being at a cooking show! It was so much fun, and so hands on...I got to see these ladies in action, and learned some great cooking skills.

Two huge tips I picked up for making my meal plan were super fundamental. The way to save time and money when you meal plan is to have meals with overlapping ingredients. For example: Make a chicken on Sunday, then use the left over chicken in a meal on Tuesday. Or Make a Roast and Mashed potatoes and make extra mashed potatoes for your shepherd pie the next day. If you are browning beef for tacos, brown extra to add to your spaghetti sauce the next day. Meal Planning is like a big puzzle and if you get the hang of it...you actually do save time and money.

So, with these new insights I was inspired to create the meal plan to end all meal plans...and it became a project! Stay tuned to hear more....

The Tea Time Experiment

We can thank Anna Marie Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford for starting the tradition of afternoon tea in the late 1830's. Her need for a late afternoon snack was the start of a daily ritual for most upper and middle class families for years to come. She wasn't the first to make drinking tea fashionable (that was Queen Catherine of Braganza). However, due to the "sinking feeling" she had at 3 p.m. each day, she started having a cup of tea and a light snack. This became her daily tradition that evolved into a perfect opportunity for socializing and various forms of tea gatherings, tea gardens and tea houses have carried on the brilliant tradition ever since.

As it turns out, pretty much everyone in my house experiences a "sinking feeling" at about 3 o'clock. And my six-year-old happens to ask me to have a tea party every day. And since I have been revamping our family schedule, I decided...why not take a page out of Anna the Duchess of Bedford's book.

We are in the early days of this snack experiment, but so far, so good. There are several reasons why I want to incorporate afternoon tea time into our day.

Health Reasons
Since we are all experiencing that dreaded sinking feeling... we usually have a snack at 3 o'clock. And in general snacks tend to be more casual and in the end can easily turn into kids munching on a bag of carbs while watching something on TV. This is a recipe for a spoiled appetite when the real food (AKA Dinner) is served. Secondly it is reinforcing the bad habit of absent minded snacking of non nutritive food.

Fun Reasons
I do have two girls who love tea parties right now and are willing participants. (I will say that I haven't met too many boys who will turn down a snack and a yummy mug of tea.) I also have an assortment of tea pots that don't get enough use. And this is a time that we can all look forward to enjoying together at the end of the school day. It is a lot of fun to set out a snack on a nicer plate, use a tea pot we haven't used in a while and take a break from school and chores for a few minutes.

Relationship Reasons
It is fun to sit around and talk while having our Afternoon Tea. We share a plate of veggies, pretzel and some hummus and peanut butter to dip them in. We look each other in the eye. We smile and enjoy the food and company. I want to be in the habit of having times through out the day where I am available to listen to whatever my children need to tell me. I want to give them face to face time starting when they are at their littlest and hoping that whatever stage they go through along the way that I will be there to sit down and have a spot of tea with them.

Afternoon Tea is a great time to invite a friend or neighbor to pop in for a spot of tea and a bit of a chat. It gives my children a chance to play host and an excuse to get-together for an hour, to keep it simple and just make time for people. I love sitting down with a friend over a cup of tea...some of my most favorite moments have happened over a cup of tea.

Side Note
At this point, you may be thinking...lovely sentiment Jen but in this modern age I am driving an SUV of kids around at 3 o'clock and a tea party everyday is just not practical. To this I say, you are right, this may not be for you. But maybe something strikes a chord and you will find your own version of this.

You may also be saying to yourself, this girl obviously watches a lot of PBS and must read a lot of Jane Austen. To this I have to say, "True, true, this is all true!"

Simple Reasons
We have a snack at this time anyway. I like to drink a cup of tea at this time. Why not actually sit down and enjoy the two, rather than standing over the sink as I munch a handful of something. We are not having High Tea every day. We aren't having a plate of cookies and scones, and my kids aren't dumping in large spoonfuls of sugar into their beverages. Tea Parties can definitely turn into guzzling straight sugar parties. We are having a healthful, portioned snack with a cup of chamomile tea (with a little drizzle of honey). Simply put we are stopping to smell the roses, taking the time to look each other right in the face and smile. And building relationships along with healthy eating habits.


In my mind, it's a worthy experiment, and I really hope we can keep it up!

Isn't it Ironic...

Well, shortly after I wrote the post about connecting with your kids from your bed... I was put on bed rest. As far as bed rest goes...my stint was not that bad. I had high hopes of getting a lot of posts stocked up in the queue so that once Junior was born I would still be able to keep the blog going. But, as luck would have it, when I would have loved to have it the most...my laptop died.

As it turns out writing on my blog is pretty hard to do without a computer. And really, in all honestly, I haven't had two hands to type with in a long time. So here I am five months after little Junior joined my family I am ready to start plunking away at the keys again. I have really missed writing and other creative outlets since the birth of our adorable son.

My current adventure is simply trying to adjust to life with three kids. Three kids is a whole new ball game. I really should post a picture of what my house looks like right now...the word mess does not quite do it justice.

Adding a third child to the mix has created a very different dynamic. I really wondered why few could say anything encouraging about having a third child. To those of you pregnant with your third child... all I can say is buckle your seat belt, and get ready for an adventure. I don't want to add to the negativity, but I will say, just know it is very different.  I love, love, love having three kids. I wouldn't trade our sweet little guy for anything. But as many mothers who have come before me can attest...you can't fully understand Crazy Town until you actually live there. People can describe it's attractions and day-to-day living...but no one can adequately describe the adjustment of adding a third child. It is messy, silly, stressful, and a beautiful place to be!

So here I am sending you a post card from my favorite place to live! Hopefully, I will be able to make more regular blog entries in the future.

Until then, All my love to you from Crazy Town!

20 Ways to connect with your kids...From your bed.

Whether you find yourself stuck in bed due to bed rest during pregnancy, recovery from surgery, or a chronic pain condition...mothering from bed is never ideal.

When I found myself stuck in bed for a very long time recovering from my back surgery and other chronic conditions... I learned to get creative about finding ways to stay connected with my kids.

Here is a list of activities that can be done from the comfort of your bed. They may not apply to all ages, but many can be adapted to meet your needs.

1. Read Stories....Keep a stash of Library books that they have not seen or read before. It will be a special time of surprise and discovery.
2. Play computer or some kind of video game. While, this may not usually be your cup of tea, it may just make your kid's day. There are free games to play on PBSKids.org or you can let your little gamer tutor you on how to play their favorite game.
3. Sometimes when you are really down and out listening to music and snuggling together is your best option. I have sweet memories of sharing my ipod head phones with my little 20 month old after my surgery. If you are too wiped out to read out loud you can always listen to books-- plenty of tape, CD's and MP3's to choose from either from your Library or itunes.
4. Keep a box of puzzles by your bed.
5. Crochet, Knit or Embroider something together. This may be the perfect time to learn how to do one of these crafts, or to teach your little one. For little hands you can "practice sewing" with sewing cards or stringing wooden beads or wooden spools.
6. Do a little Bible Study together. Read a Bible verse and talk about what it means.
7. Eat cookies and milk together. Sometimes enjoying a sweet treat with Mommy in bed is just the bonding you need.
8. Write letters and make cards for people you love.
9. Turn family photos into silly pictures via online photo editing tools or aps on your phone. Enjoy the giggles!
10. Give each other pedicures and foot rubs. (If you have to stay laying down have your kid lay in the opposite direction so their feet are where you can reach.) Or have someone come and help you with the pedicures.
11. Practice flash cards or play a card game.
12. Color and draw pictures together. You can try to color an entire coloring book from start to finish.
13. Write stories and poems together. Or play Mad Libs.
14. Help your little entrepreneur plan their first business. Help them come up with ideas (lemonade, selling crafts, yard work etc) Then create a business plan that includes start up costs, advertising ideas, supplies and prices for merchandise.
15. Bring out a treasure box of keepsakes from your childhood and tell stories and memories about the contents. Or get out your old year book if you dare!
16. Learn a language together. Research the country and plan your dream trip just in case you visit that place  together some day.
17. Draw letters, shapes and words on each other's back and try to guess what the other person wrote.
18. Look through old family photo albums. Learn about your family history and research online about what it would be like to live in that time.
19. Play Barbies or Action Figures with your kids. They will love it!
20. Get ready for Christmas..No matter what time of year it is... it is never too early to get ready for Christmas. Use this time to plan a special holiday celebration, meal or party (pick any holiday.) Make Christmas presents, ornaments or sign the Christmas cards well in advance. Let your kids help you write your Christmas letter. You can address them and stuff the envelopes. Then when Christmas finally does roll around you will be ready and your child will feel ownership and part of the process.

Trying out Terrariums

I have been wanting to make terrarium. As with most things there are lots of ways to do it. Some of them are complex and very artistic. I started out by checking out a few books on Terrariums and looking for directions on various sites. I saw lots of very inspiring examples. But, to start out, I decided to keep it simple. 

First I gathered jars and vases. I found all of these around the house or by collecting various interesting jars. It was a great way to re-purpose items and supplies that I already had on hand.

This craft could easily be done with children. But this time I enjoyed a quiet mommy moment when I assembled these. It was quite enjoyable! 

Step one I gathered materials: Rocks or Pebbles, Charcoal, Moss, Soil, & Plants. 

Level 1: Rocks or Pebbles. I used left over rocks from when we set up our aquarium.

Level 2: Charcoal. Charcoal is also used in some aquariums. I did not have any, so I bought some that is traditionally used with plants. There was a lot to choose from. I decided to use Black Gold.

Level 3: Add a layer of moss. I used left over moss I had from potting my Orchid.

Level 4: Add a layer of potting soil.

This long spoon came in handy when I was adding layers and arranging the plants.

Level 5: Plants. Next I matched up the plants to the jars, and planted them in the soil. I found these plants at our local nursery for about $2 a piece.

Level 6: Moss. I added moss around the base of the plants.

This was a perfect little spring craft that created lovely little gifts, made with many things that I had around the house.

  

Red Light! Green Light!

I am on a 40 day journey to a well-ordered home through the book Organizing Magic by Sandra Felton. Feel free to grab the book and join me.

Alright, I have dreamed my dreams, assessed my organizational level, and now it is time to start implementing small changes. We are challenged to decide on three habits to stop, three habits to continue and three habits to start. These are supposed to be simple changes that propel me towards my dreams of orderly living.

Stop

• I am going to stop being in charge of ministries at church, and limit our commitments outside the home.

As a wife of a pastor it is so easy to get swept into the many great ministries and activities that take place in our church. It has taken me a long time to see and understand my role and where I fit into the life of the church. I have had to ask the hard questions... What does God want me to do with my time? What does my husband want and need me to be doing? How can I best support him?

I started out feeling that I should have a ministry that I did personally. Or, at the very least, minister at my husband's side. This was especially felt in youth ministry. I wanted--and still do want--to be part of what is going on and ministering to the young girls.

But, over the past year God has made it abundantly clear through his word and through my husband what His will is for me. My ministry is being a wife and mother (Titus 2:4-5). In addition to that, my husband needs me to be his behind-the-scenes supporter. He needs to come away for a while and rest in the peace of our home. If I am constantly in the middle of all the church activity and bringing it into our home, where will he rest and replenish his soul?

I have been going through the sometimes painful process of pulling out of activities. This has truly enabled my husband to accomplish so much more in ministry. It has also made me more available, that way when he needs me to step in and help out...I can!! I let my husband pick and choose which activities he wants us to attend and participate in. This is one way I can accept his leadership and protection over our family. It is actually freeing for me, because I don't feel conflicted, obligated or guilty in anyway. Saying no is so healthy!

By the time our third baby is born I will no longer be in charge of anything or volunteering specifically in any ministry at the church. This sounds so wrong. But is it? Ministering to my husband and my children is a full-time, 24-hour ministry! It is vital, it is God ordained and husband sanctioned. It's better to be in God's will than fulfilling my own ideas so I can feel more fulfilled...or worse yet, trying to meet the expectations of others.

Furthermore, this is a season... my babies will not stay babies forever. They require a lot of care and attention right now. If I am stretched too thin in every direction...do you know who will suffer?...the little ones!
Continue

• I would like to continue to stay active physically. Doing pilates and walking really energizes me and helps me to get more done.
• I want to continue to try to get my daily chores done. These are the bare minimum chores that I set up in my Super Flipper. 
• I need to continue to find time for prayer and Bible reading. This may or may not include being part of a Bible Study Group. Either way, I need to be in prayer and in the word. I need to commit everything to the Lord.

Start

• I want to start setting a timer for myself when I get on Facebook. That way I don't space out and waste a bunch of time.
• Actually complete one organizational project/room before starting a new one.
• Declare our bedroom a 'No Dumping Zone'--- as in not allowing any more baskets and items to be brought in there until they are dealt with.

Stay tuned... next journal entry will be about Day Five.

The truth is in the toilet paper...

* I have invited my blog readers to join me as I go through the book Organizing Magic by Sandra Felton. I will be journaling about my 40 day journey to a well-ordered home and life... 

On day two we are asked to take the famous Felton Toilet Paper Test.... it helps to measure our level of organization based on how we handle a new multi-pack of toilet paper.

I am not sure what my grade would be on this test.... what happens to multi-packs of toilet paper in my house was not even an option on her test. And I found it ironic that this test was in the book considering that the TP sitch in our house has been driving me crazy.

Here is the life cycle of the toilet paper multi-pack in our house.

• The toilet paper is brought in from the car, but placed on a desk in the middle of the house. Or, on the floor in my bathroom.
• For a while I was able to store it under the sink in the main bathroom. However, a mouse came in and ate it all. Then we had to clean it out... and trap the mouse... and remove said mouse... and then clean it out again. (This process got stalled in the final cleaning phase). Additionally, the toilet paper holder in that bathroom is broken... we have a new one that is just waiting to be installed.
• Since we have no place to store the toilet paper and no place to hold the roll... rolls go rolling through out the house. The girls love to TP their bedroom, and drag the roll all over the house. I usually end up throwing out a grocery sack full of TP when I clean their room. 
• So, it is not unusual to sit down on The Throne only to discover that someone has hijacked the TP. This results in yelling for the children to come and bring you some. They bring a TP roll from some hidden place in the house. And you just use it, because when you are delivered TP in this manner it is better to be on a 'don't ask, don't tell basis.'

Just for grading purposes I think it is safe to say that we have failed the Felton Toilet Paper Test. The challenge of this day is to look at what I am already doing and then take it up a notch or two. I am glad to report that the space under the sink has been cleaned and the toilet paper now has a home. I am able to disperse the rolls between the two bathrooms. And hopefully someday soon that toilet paper holder will be installed.

Dreaming a Fabulous Dream!

On day two of 'Organizing Magic, 40 days to a well ordered home and life.'

Sandra Felton challenges us to dream about what we want our homes to be like. 

I like all of the examples she gives in the book. But, here are my personal dreams that I want to add to that list.

In my dream home ...

1.          The stuff we have would fit in the space we have. If at all possible I don’t want our 1300 SF house to feel stuffed to the gills. In this perfect dream; the number of books we have would fit on the book shelf, the clothes we have would fit in the drawers, and we would only store what we have room to store in the shed.
2.          Every item would have a space and a place. If I noticed an item laying around I would be able to pick it up and immediately know where to put it away.
3.         My kid's bedroom would be able to be picked up in 10 minutes or less and the girls would be able to pretty much do it all by themselves. They would also be able to safely play in their rooms, and have a reasonable amount of toys.
4.         I would not be fighting a clutter war all the time. Instead we would be able to tidy up the whole house in 30 minutes. Then I would be able to actually do daily cleaning chores to maintain the house. And… spend more time doing other things!
5.         Our home school materials would be contained, organized, and usable.
6.         I would have what I need and use what I have.
7.         I could be ready for guests in a flash, and be able to entertain on a dime.
8.         My bedroom would be a restful, clean and romantic place to be… rather than the overflow and dumping ground for all things that need sorted.
9.         Our home would be a peaceful place for my husband to come home and recharge and study. Rather than an overwhelming place with a chore in every inch he can see. 
10.      My counter would not be the clutter magnet that it is!!!
11.      Of course I would also like my home to be described as stylish, orderly, peaceful, calm and homey. I don't want it to be so clean that no one feels comfortable. I also don't want to be a slave to my home. But I would like it to be a peaceful dwelling place for my family to reside.

   Well, that's the dream. Now to work towards making that dream a reality!

What about the littlest?

Sometimes it is hard to think outside the box when it comes to engaging our little ones in activities. Of course the very best activities are the ones that they can experience right along side you. Little ones learn so much by doing what you are doing.

Most moms also know about the obvious-- sing songs, read stories, teach them to play patty cake and sign language. And really that is just awesome! But if you want to take it up a notch, or if you are looking for additional developmentally engaging activities for your newborn through three-year-old... Here is the perfect book! Wonder Play by Fretta Reitzes and Beth Teitelman

I loved the book Wonder Play -- it has activities for you to do with your baby up to three years old. It includes games, crafts and creative activities that you might not have thought of.

It is true that the book may include some activities and songs you may already know. I still found it helpful to have those activities and songs matched up to appropriate ages to introduce them. Plus I found it helpful to be reminded to do those activities!

Most of these activities and little rhymes are best done spontaneously especially when your baby is young. You will want to either keep the book handy, or create little activity cards that are on a ring. That way you can pick it up, flip to a poem or activity and won't be struggling with the book. You can keep your cards by the changing table or where you feed your baby.

I have enjoyed rediscovering this book in preparation for baby #3.

Play Foam... So much fun and mess free?

While at The Christian Heritage Homeschool conference Rory and I noticed quite a few kids playing with this foam stuff that seemed to work like play dough. I witnessed the Play Foam in action and from what I could see it looked like a lot of fun and it seemed to stay together pretty well.

My daughter Rose is a play-dough-aholic. It is a calming activity for her and it keeps her occupied for amazing lengths of time. When I saw this play foam I immediately thought of her. I was hoping it would be more portable than play-dough.

So, we bought some and brought it home. She loved it...but then came the real test...no mess?

I must say that it is a lot less mess than play dough. And unless you put it in your hair like Rose did, it is really a pleasant activity. Playing with the foam is very calming for Rose and many adults visiting my house seem to enjoy the calming properties as well.

No mess...unless you put it in your hair! (Even if you put it in your hair it will come out.)

Working the system, Making it work for me

For those of you just plugging in, I am going through the book Organizing Magic by Sandra Felton and have invited you to join me. We are just getting started so it is not too late to join in.

On day one of Organizing Magic Felton mentions the Messies Annonymous Flipper. This is a system to help you maintain your home. And, I happen to have this system. 

This includes a day by day plan to maintain your house through daily, weekly, and monthly chores. It also has an option to set up a rotating meal plan complete with shopping lists. It has a guide and instructional CD to help you set up your system.

Setting up my Flipper system was a project. I listened to the CD several times and poured over the guide...and really it is not that complicated! I just had to really think about what chores needed to be done and how to clean my house. Did I want to do the room by room approach? What chores needed to be done daily? How often should we be washing curtains...something I hadn't really thought about. In the end I ate a lot of dark chocolate but managed to set up the system.

My Super Flipper in hiding. 

As you can see the Super Flipper comes with this very streamline photo album to hold all your chore cards. On one hand it is great because you can tuck it on a shelf and it isn't something that is going to add to the clutter in your home. However, I tucked it away a little too easily! And unfortunately my Super Flipper was yet another victim of the out of sight out of mind phenomenon.

When I started reading this book it reminded me of the system I already had in place. But, I had to do something to make it work better for me. My solution was to put my Flipper System front and center.

So, I went to the Goodwill and bought two table top photo albums for about $2 to $3 a piece. One of them has significantly more pages...In this album I put all the cards that make up my days of the week chores. The other album has the daily chores. These chores need to be done everyday, but they only have one card per week.

The next change I needed to make was to give myself a little reward when I finished my chores. When I complete my card and check off all my chores I can flip the photo album around. On the other side I have a cute picture, or a verse or quote for me to look at. It truly is a reward to not have my chores staring at me in the face.

Enjoying one of the cute pictures I get to see when my chores are done.

So far this has worked much better. It is also much easier for my husband to take a look at what I wasn't able to get done and he can help me check one or two off the list.

In the end... I believe the Super Flipper is something I Like A Latte!

40 Days to Fabulous!- Day One Journal

Well, here we are... Day One of the book Organizing Magic by Sandra Felton. I am so excited that several of you have taken up the challenge to read this book and attempt to have a more well-ordered home and life.

I may not do a post about every single chapter...I may combine a few days, but we will just have to see where this journey takes us.

Here I am. Day One.... and I am just coming out of two weeks of letting the house go. First week I hurt my foot and could hardly stand on it. Second week... nasty cold/sinus infection. The result... my house is super messy and overwhelming and desperately needs an over haul. In addition... I am overwhelmed by the task.

So, no place to start but at the beginning!

I found this chapter to be a great jump start. The phrase that best sums up this chapter is..."Make your life easier!" We are supposed to pick out tips from this book that are going to make OUR lives easier. We need to be willing to try new things, and carve out the time to devote to changing our habits.

I think for me the two biggest challenges I have ahead of me are: reducing the amount of stuff in my home and breaking my own bad habits and trying to teach my children new and good habits.

The quote that sent my fist shooting up in the air with and exuberant YES! was:

"The purpose of this book is not to ratchet up the details of your life a notch or two. It's not designed to help you fly higher and longer, to be more of a hardworking perfectionist. You're probably already expending most of your time and energy and don't want to expend anymore.
This book will help you work less and still accomplish your aims- maybe even better than before and certainly more efficiently."- (Sandra Felton, Organizing Magic)

Here goes nothing!!! (In actuality, here goes a lot of things... right out the door!)
I need to get my home more organized to make my life simpler... so therefore the solutions that produce the organization can't be complicated systems to maintain.

Mommy and Me Poetry

Enjoying a little "Couch Time" with my girls!

One little activity that my five-year-old and I like to do together is write poems. This is usually a spontaneous activity when we are sharing a little moment of one on one time. CJ usually has a pen and notebook on hand at all times. So when we are inspired... the poetry just flows.

Here are a few ideas for writing poems with your little one:

Create and acrostic. This poem was written when we were learning about Kangaroos. I wrote down commands or imperatives to create the acrostic. The words are leading, or create room for an idea. Then CJ filled in the response or the idea. Here is our poem, My words are black and in bold, her words are pink.

Kangaroo

Keep eating grass

Always follow your leader

Never leave the pouch

Go in the pouch! And stay there!

Ask first to come out.

Remember to stay with your mom.

On occasion, stop for some food at an Oak Tree.

Oh! One more thing... Always keep away from predators.

Then there is always the whatever goes approach. This is a fun way make up a silly poem. For this you can choose a letter and choose words either real or made up for your poem. This next poem has no form, a few rhymes scattered in, but it is all her own. It nothing else it is very expressive!!

Zipity Zackity Zoe

Zackity Zooza

My Father in Heaven loves me!

Zackity Zoo

God loves you!

Nanny  & Poppy, me & Daddy

Have a new baby

Awesome too!

Have a new baby

Zaza Zoo!

Here is one we did together. This was very collaborative. We worked harder on rhyming words. She started out with the opening line. And I helped her pick a word for the last line of each first sentence. She filled in most of it. I let her fly with her ideas and offered a few suggestions.

Snuggle buggle boo!

Mommy loves you!

Snuggle buggle bee!

CJ loves me!

Snuggle Buggle Zipity Zoo!

Daddy loves you!

Snuggle Buggle whee!

Rose loves me!

In the end, I am sure writing poems with your kids has educational value. For us it is a great time spent having fun together. My little one got a chance to express some of her ideas to a willing listener. We got to bond over a few things we both enjoy...snuggling and playing around with words!

Springing into Cleaning

After we found out we are having a boy, the nesting instinct started to kick in. In addition to the nesting adrenaline, we got a bit of Spring sunshine. Where we live winter is a long dreary experience... sun is a novelty. (If it happens to come out while we are driving in the car, poor Rose starts crying and demanding we turn off the light.)

When the sun does start shining through after the long, long winter....suddenly it is apparent that it is well past time to dust and wash windows.

The combination of making room for baby and spring cleaning produced an overwhelming desire in me to get my house in order. Plus, we are making plans for a little Baby-moon....and I would love to have everything in order before we go... an admirable goal.

All these forces coming together...Spring Cleaning, Nesting, and Baby-moon Deadline. I was one part motivated and one part completely overwhelmed. Time to make a plan!

Step #1: Time to commit my ways to the Lord. As always God wants me to have a heart for him. He wants me to be a devoted wife and mother. He also wants me to have a worshipful and peaceful heart.

Step #2: Start lining up some help. I have two small children, limited energy and a husband who is working full time who is also in Seminary. I am going to need some help with some of these jobs, especially with organizing the shed.

Step #3: Consult an expert. There are a lot of great organizing experts out there, but my expert of choice has been Sandra Felton. She is the author of The Messie Manual, and Organizing Magic. She also founded Messie's Anonymous. I like that she is a reformed Messie. Her tips often pertain directly to those of us who are prone to be Messie.

I decided to work through her book Organizing Magic. I invite you to go through this book, which is a 40 Day guide to a well-ordered home.

I will be writing about my journey through this book. Order the book and join me! It will be more fun with buddies to share the road with!

So order your book! Shake off your feather duster and let's get our houses in shape!!

Hug a Tree! Plant a Tree!

How do we celebrate Earth Day? Well, here is our Holiday Recipe for this fun holiday.

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We fill our library book basket...
with lots of books about Earth Day.
The girl's favorite books are:

Dora Celebrates Earth Day

Fancy Nancy Every Day is Earth Day

Word Girl, Earth Day Girl

The Mamma Favorites are:

Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth

Earth Day: An Alphabet Book

*Scroll down to find book links

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Craft Projects made from Recyclables

Family Fun Magazine is always coming up with great projects from everyday items that might wind up in your recycle bin. Check out their 40 Recycled Craft Projects.

Also the website DLTK has a entire section on Toilet Paper Roll crafts. Follow the link and print out the crafts. All you need are crayons, a glue stick and a TP Roll. 

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Activity:

Plant Something!! 

Earth Day 2011 and 2012 we have had the privilege to plant a tree in our back yard.

Our relatives live in a small apartment in the city. The past two years they have purchased a live tree for their Christmas tree. Then we get to plant it in our yard for Earth Day. It has been so special! These are pictures of the girls planting last year's tree.

If you don't have a tree to plant, plant something else. This is a great time to plant little potted plants or some flowers in the yard. You can talk about soil quality and how plants help clean the air for us. Plus digging in the dirt is always a good idea!

They enjoyed watering this little tree all summer. 

Earth Day Project

As long as the lid is shut, we get fewer accidental trash
 in our recycling can from guests.

Would Earth Day be complete without a lesson in recycling? Recycling is so fundamental and fun... a great project for Preschoolers.

The goal of this project was to teach the kids about recycling. Teach them to recognize symbols ( a great building block to reading). And to give them a hands on job they can do around the house. This builds independence and confidence, as well as hones their sorting and grouping skills. And not to mention... help save the planet! Basically creating mini super heroes!

1. I started by printing out symbols for our recycling bins and trash can. I also printed out the recycling sorting guide from our curb side pick up company. This acts as a great reference for what the local rules are. If you try to recycle something they are not equipped for, it makes their process less efficient... and more expensive for us in the long run.

The sorting reference guide on our can has really helped us remember what is recyclable and what is not. 

2. I washed up our trash cans and let them dry. (The kids helped spray with vinegar water and scrub)

3. After the cans were dry. I cut out the symbols and applied them to the cans with contact paper.

Our curb side recycling pick up does not take class. We needed a separate container
 so we could take our glass to the recycling center.

4. Then we put them to use. I gave the girls a lesson about what kind of garbage goes in each of the cans. We also talked and read stories about the importance of recycling.