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Friday, January 1st, 2010

Hermits No More

We’ve moved so much in the 8 (almost 9!) years of our marriage that we’ve never settled down and made a really serious effort to make friends.  Last year that all changed and I am now blessed with some of the best and most encouraging friends I’ve ever had.  (And yes, I’m getting all misty-eyed because 2009 was an awesome year for new friendships!)  It is a wonderful feeling to know that I can call on any of them to help me out in a pinch, or just cry happy tears together, or squeal over new movies like teenagers, or any one of a million things I’ve been missing for a long time.

But I’ll be brutally honest…my house was very neglected because when you’ve spent such a long time without friends or family who come over or visit often, it’s hard to make the effort to keep it neat.  It’s easier to just throw up your hands and say “Well, nobody see it but us, anyway!” and simply allow it to get worse and worse.  It wasn’t at hoarder level yet but it was definitely something I would have been embarrassed by if anyone had just dropped by and expected to hang out!

All that changed when my mom decided to come visit for Christmas.  After finals were over I started straightening and cleaning like a madwoman and while my house still isn’t perfect (my office is full of *stuff* that needs to be gone through and/or gotten rid of and my bedroom is a wreck and I would die if anyone went in there right now) but it’s presentable.  Which made me decide I needed to host a gathering.  And I decided this on Christmas Day.  And decided to have it today…which gave me exactly one week to prepare.

I was a little bit (um, make that a LOT) stressed, but it went off very well.  There were 30 people (kids and adults) in my house this evening, playing, eating, talking, laughing…and it was fun.  There were definitely moments where I felt overwhelmed by it, but those aforementioned friends helped me hold it together.  They brought food, they made me laugh, they held my baby while I was trying to deal with other things, and they even cleaned my kitchen and made sure all of the toys got picked up before they left.  It was a great way to start 2010, and it’s made me realize that with a house that’s being regularly maintained I can do stuff like this.

I don’t like resolutions because I don’t stick to them, but I’m making it a goal to invite someone over at least once a week.  Whether it’s a playdate, a movie night, dinner, or whatever I can come up with…because tonight made me happy and it reminded me of how blessed I am to have this home and these friends.  Plus it will keep me motivated to make sure my house is neat and maintained.  It’s a win-win!

Posted in Family, House/Home, Me Stuff | 1 Comment »

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

Wishful Wednesday — Formica

Now that we’re (probably) going to be able to keep our house, I’m looking around at all of the things I don’t like and wishing I could afford to fix them.  I had big plans to repaint the living room right before my husband got laid off and we’ haven’t done that due to lack of funds, so I’d like to do that, along with some various other painting and decorating projects.

But I think if I could afford it, the first thing I’d change is my kitchen countertops.  They were a DIY project done by the previous owner and I despise them.  It’s tile and the grout is absolutely disgusting because it’s impossible to keep clean.  Plus the colors are red white and blue which are not colors I would have ever chosen.  Yuck, yuck, yuck.

In my dream kitchen I’d have high end custom cabinets, granite countertops, top of the line appliances, and every convenience known to man.  In reality, I can deal with the very very old kitchen we have if only I never had to clean that damn grout again.  Formica may be cheap, but it doesn’t have grout lines that have to be scrubbed with a toothbrush regularly and never look clean anyway.  Someday…

Posted in House/Home, Wishful Wednesday | 1 Comment »

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Taming the Laundry Beast

Having 3 kids means I have more laundry than I ever thought possible.  It seems like we go through wardrobe changes on each of the kids once (and sometimes more) each day, which doubles the amount of clothes you’d expect to have, plus they all seem to think they need a new towel (or 2) each time they bathe, and let’s not even get started on what it looks like when there is a stomach virus making the rounds.  During season changes (like now) my loads are doubled as I wash the new clothes and hand me downs that people give us or that we pull out of storage so they’re nice and clean for my sensitive-skinned children.

Since my back injury, the laundry has piled up and though my husband is good about doing it when necessary, we’re way behind on things like sheets and towels and hanging up/putting away the clothes that are clean.  I’m desperate for a new plan.  I asked a few people and got some great ideas for a new method.

It started with buying some small laundry baskets, one for each of the children.  I was lucky to find some small round ones at KMart on clearance for less than $2 each.  I also got larger ones for my husband and myself.  Now when I sort, I line the baskets up on the couch (or floor, wherever I’m sorting) and sort each person’s clothes into their own basket.  My oldest son can put his away himself.  He then leaves his basket in the floor of his closet and puts hangers in it as he takes clothes out of the closet to wear.  This means when it’s time to sort again all I have to do is take the basket out of his closet.  The hangers are there for me to use while I sort, so no more going back and forth.

So far, so good.  I don’t mind putting up my clothes or the little kids’ clothes because I can organize their things the way I want them since I’m the one who picks out their clothes.  And with the putting away being taken off of my shoulders, it’s a lot quicker and easier now that I have a system of sorting!

I really don’t mind doing laundry, but it seems like the putting away always gets ahead of me.  This new plan will (hopefully) tame that beast just a little bit!

Posted in House/Home | No Comments »

Monday, October 26th, 2009

Motivation Monday — Baby’s Room

Last week was filled with good news.  The biggest was news that Wells Fargo is approving us for a workout package under the Home Affordable Modification Program.  We have to make 3 payments at a significantly reduced rate than what we previously had and if we can do that we should be approved for a permanent modification.  We’ve been trying to get approved for this for a long time, so this was a huge unexpected blessing.  I suspected we were coming close to foreclosure and I was really struggling with that.  We love our house and didn’t want to have to move!

Because our living siutuation has been so precarious, I haven’t put much time or effort into things around the house lately.  I’ve been completely unmotivated to even bother.  Now that it does look like we’ll be staying here, we’re expecting company at Christmas and it’s time to get everything back in shape.

This week my focus is Violet’s room, which doubles as the guest room.  I need to put up outgrown clothes, finish some decorating now that she’s actually sleeping in there, and get it ready for our Christmas guests.  I’m thinking 30 minutes a day should get the job done…I can’t imagine it will take any longer than that!

Posted in House/Home, Motivation Monday | No Comments »

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Thrifty Thursday — Cleaning Supplies

Believe it or not, the most effective cleaners are the cheapest and safest for your family and the environment.  If you have vinegar, baking soda, olive oil, club soda, lemon juice, Borax, and rubbing alcohol you can clean almost anything.  There are all kinds of websites out there that tell you how to clean your home naturally with these products, so try googling to find some homemade cleaning products that will work for you.  It will save you a ton of money as well as keeping your family and our environment healthier!

Posted in House/Home, Money/Finances, Thrifty Thursday | 1 Comment »

Monday, October 5th, 2009

Motivation Monday — Kitchen (and blogging!)

Obviously things are still weird at my house.  I am so far behind on house work.  I’m still trying to get that caught up, plus after 3-4 weeks of no computer access I just don’t want to sit at the computer.  My “addiction” is broken for the most part and I’m enjoying less time in this chair and more time with my family.  I’m using the ancient laptop (which only affords me access to a few sites, and this isn’t one of them) when I do want to use the computer and for the most part my desktop has been neglected.  So that’s where I’ve been!

Anyway, this week’s MM is to work on your kitchen.  My in-laws bought us a 48″ wide pantry cabinet to put in our kitchen and store my couponing food stash.  It’s huge and holds SO much food.  So all of my kitchen cabinets need to be rearranged now that I have this big cabinet to use for storage.  My goal is to go through each cabinet, move things as necessary, pull stuff out to sell or give away, and get everything put in a convenient place.  When I was a kid, my mom used to do this every 12-18 months.  I’ve lived in this house for 2.5 years and have never done it, so it’s about time for me to do some reorganizing.

I’m also challenging myself to sit down here every day and write a little something.  We’ll see if I can make myself do it.  A month or so ago, I was bordering on internet addiction.  Now it’s something I have to force myself to do, and that’s a good thing.

Posted in Blog Info, House/Home, Motivation Monday | No Comments »

Monday, September 21st, 2009

Motivation Monday — Catch Up

After what amounted to 2 weeks in bed (more on that momentarily) with the back injury and now a kidney stone, my house is a major disaster area.  Dishes, laundry, dust bunnies and other filth haven’t been touched in way too long.  Obviously this needs to be rectified, quickly!  So that’s my lofty goal for the week.  What’s yours?

Posted in House/Home, Motivation Monday | No Comments »

Monday, August 31st, 2009

Motivation Monday — Consignment Sale Prep

This weekend, the Northwood Temple MOPS group (in Fayetteville) is hosting a children’s consignment sale.  My goal for the week is to get everything labeled and entered into their system, then dropped off for the sale.  Obviously this is not a motivator for everyone, but check your local area for consignment sales and stores.  It’s a great way to get rid of stuff you no longer need and make some extra cash!

Posted in House/Home, Money/Finances, Motivation Monday | No Comments »

Monday, August 24th, 2009

Motivation Monday — Safety Check

Now that Violet’s crawling, I’m constantly looking around to figure out what she can get her hands on.  My goal this week is to get down on her level and see things as she’ll see them and make sure there’s nothing dangerous where she can get to it!  Since not everybody has a baby that has just become mobile, this week’s task is to do a general safety check of your home.  This site has some good checklists.  Though the site is about kids, a lot of the info is good for any home.

Posted in House/Home, Motivation Monday, Parenting | No Comments »

Monday, August 17th, 2009

Motivation Monday — Control the Clutter

Pick 25 of any one type of item in your house and get rid of it.  Some suggestions:

  • Throw out 25 pieces of junk mail.
  • Take 25 pieces of clothing to a consignment or thrift store.
  • Donate 25 food items to your local food bank.
  • Take 25 books to a used book store.
  • Donate 25 toys to a church or daycare.

I could probably do all of those without too much effort!

Posted in House/Home, Motivation Monday | No Comments »

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  • I am a mom to 3 living in Sanford, NC. I am a wife. I am a student. I am a Christ follower. I am a friend. This is the craziness of my life.
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