30 Day Recap, and Goals for May

Yesterday was the last day of the 30 Day House Cleaning Challenge. Project 30 was to clean electronics. I had cleaned all of our electronics this past weekend (something we have to do quite often due to 20 sticky little fingers).

Since our electronics were clean, I had decided my sewing machine deserved some love. Sorry no pictures, but it is done!

Today I wanted to share the lessons I have learned from participating in the 30 Day House Cleaning Challenge.

1. Surface cleaning is something that must be done every day around here. It is amazing how fast cluttered chaos occurs by going to bed with dirty dishes.
2. I need to spend some time developing my nightly routines. Doing things like picking up the living room, doing dishes, folding the last bit of laundry before bed takes under an hour total. Spending under an hour helps us start off the next day on a positive note.
3. I need lists. I always knew this, but this last month has solidified that concept. Having the cleaning list helped me stay on track. Keeping a running to-do list on the back guaranteed that I wouldn’t forget those little things I wanted to do.
4. We have too much stuff. This undertaking has made me realize that household purging will more than likely be a never-ending process around here. *As an added bonus to this challenge; I have become a hater of STUFF.
5. I am able to overcome unexpected bumps in the road. When the basement started filling with water, I didn’t panic or give up (I may have in the past). I just did what I could and kept plugging on.

I’m going to stop there.

I have a few more things I would like to cover today.

First off, Crystal is doing another challenge. May is the Clutter Busting Challenge. The challenge is to get rid of 7 things everyday in May.

This one is right up my alley. We have a huge garage sale with the neighbors every June, so the timing is perfect.

This past month I have been very tempted to pack everything up and take it to a donation center. Then I remind myself that every year our family usually makes $300 or more. For two days. I guess I can deal with this stuff for one more month. For the month of May I am focusing on ruthlessly going through our house.

Are you in? Can you commit to finding 7 things to get rid of for 31 days? As a side note, I think I will only post updates once or twice a week.

Here’s today’s purge:

Lastly, I’ll leave you with my goals for May:

• Go through the house top to bottom.
• Price everything for garage sale.
• Clean out garage.
• Plant garden.
• Open that darned etsy shop.
• Build up inventory, and decide what venues to try selling at this summer.
• Finish boys’ summer wardrobe.
• Get back on track with menu planning.
• Finish/post 31 by 31 list.

That’s not a complete list, but I’m heading in the right direction.

What are your goals for May?

Day 29, Cleaning Up The Cobwebs

I haven’t posted a 30 Day Cleaning update since last Wednesday. My negligence was disgustingly apparent by Sunday evening (in all honesty it was disgustingly apparent by Saturday morning).

I knew the boys and I would be gone all morning this morning (on laundry day). I resolved to get the house back in order before bed last night. Here’s what I did:

• Washed, dried, folded, and put away most of the laundry.
• Washed dishes.
• Cleared table.
• Cleaned (somewhat) the kitchen.
• Picked up living room.
• Vacuumed (I did ask permission to vacuum at 11:00 p.m., was hoping hubby would say “Nope, that will keep me awake.” Instead I got, “We can’t hear a thing upstairs, vacuum away.” Shucks.)

After all was said and done, it was almost midnight. I fell into bed exhausted, but at the same time relieved that we would wake up to a semi-clean home.

Today’s task was to clean one thing (area) that has been bugging you.

I choose the cobwebs. (Ha-ha, get it; bugging you…)

Springtime not only brings us tulips, robins, and baseball; but also cobwebs. They have been creeping up everywhere. Today I took my duster, and wiped those boogers out.

It took about five minutes.

Afterwards I asked myself, “why in the world did you wait 29 days (possibly longer) to do this?” Oh well, its done now.

Here’s my challenge for you: Tackle that one thing that has been hanging over your head (in my case it was literally hanging). Chances are it will only take a few minutes. After you are done breath out a sigh of relief, and stop berating yourself for letting it go so long.

What are you going to tackle?

Project 23 Update

We are 23 days into the 30 day Home Cleaning Challenge. Yippee!

Project #23 was to clean the floors. Mine need it bad….but I got distracted.

Our boys need summer clothes, so I spent a good portion of naptime sewing (hopefully I can post pictures later today, or tomorrow).

I did manage to sweep, scrub, and mop the stairs going to the basement. After having water in the basement, these stairs were disgusting! I cringed every time I walked down them. I am rather embarrassed to post pictures, but here they are anyways:

• I swept the stairs.
• Sprayed with citrus vinegar
• Folded laundry
• Came back and scrubbed away the dirt and grime
• Mopped

My plans were to vacuum and mop all the floors, but my seam ripper and I had a date.

Today’s challenge is the linen closet. Since most of our closets have been cleaned, purged, and organized I plan on finishing the floors and hopefully working on my dresser.

How is your home looking? Are you still following along, just starting, or just plain tired of reading about my adventures in a dirty home?

*Want a little humor? I started working on the boys’ summer wardrobe yesterday. Today, it is snowing. What the! (I think someone forgot to tell Mother Nature that it is April.)

How to Have Success With the 30 Day House Cleaning Challenge

First lets have a quick update of Projects #20-22.

Today’s project was an easy one (because I have been keeping up with the challenge). Surface clean living room, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom.

I have been taking care of the kitchen and living room every most nights before bed. All I had to do today was mild dusting of the living room and bedroom, make our bed, put clothes away, a quick swipe of the bathroom counter, swish in the toilet, and spray of the shower. I was done. (I’ll spare you the before and after; mainly because they are exactly the same as the other surface cleaning days.)

Instead I want to share how I ‘m making this challenge work for me. Its actually a pretty simple concept.

I printed the challenge and put it in a plastic page protector. I keep a dry erase marker inside.

On the left side I marked the weekends. If I have extra time, I can work on these challenges. On the right side, I simply check off each challenge as I finish it. Easy, right? Lets flip the page over:

This side is the key to lining this challenge up with my goals of purging my home.

I keep a blank sheet of paper, and a pencil in the back of the page protector. When I come across an extra project that needs to be done, I add it to the list. Some things on this list are the individual closets and cupboards that need cleaning, projects I didn’t get to (like clean the garage), projects I want to do (like painting), and things that need gone through and decluttered.

Days when I have more time and energy, I flip to this page and pick out a project. Complete the project, and my favorite part- cross it off.

This method is working wonders for me. Writing tasks down helps me see where I need to spend some time. Most projects only take 10-15 minutes when broken down into individual tasks.

Sweet and simple.

How do you keep track of your miscellaneous projects?

30 Day House Cleaning Challenge; Catching Up

Our basement is finally dry! I spent Saturday reorganizing my sewing room and putting it back together. Today I focused on catching up on the challenges I missed.

First was cleaning light switches and door knobs. The picture doesn’t do much justice, this job hasn’t been done since last summer…

Next was the pantry.

Then I tackled the back entrance. We have been using this door instead of the other backdoor. It becomes cluttered very quickly!

I decided to clean the other back entrance too. This one wasn’t too bad; just a little picking up, sweeping and mopping.

I gave myself an hour to clean. After these projects were finished I had time to pick up the living room and kitchen.

It feels so good to be caught up with the challenge!

How was your weekend? Did you use your time to catch-up, relax, or enjoy the much appreciated sunshine? (I did all of the above.)

Stop back tomorrow, I have an Earth Day project to share.

Spring Refashion, and More Spring Cleaning

Remember the to-do pile in my sewing room I mentioned a couple of weeks ago? I finally started tackling it!
This refashion started out as a hugely too big skirt.

I picked this skirt up at Goodwill the same day I bought these shirts. It was too big, but the tags were still on, and the material was so comfy. At $1.49, I couldn’t leave it behind.
This was such a quick refashion.

Here’s a breakdown:

1. Try the skirt-soon-to-be-dress on, and pin the (top) sides to fit.
   
2. Take the dress to the sewing machine and put under the needle at the pin mark.
   
3. Line a piece of masking tape up with the side seam. This will be your sewing line. (I was too lazy to measure and pin the dress.)
   
4. Sew from top to bottom. Make sure the side seam is lined up with the tape, and the ends are lined up. Sew using stitch appropriate for material.
   
5. Try new dress on. If it fits, good, if not- make adjustments.
   
6. When dress fits cut extra fabric from sides. This will be used for the straps.
   
7. Sew the fabric pieces into tubes, turn right side out.
   
8. Match the unfinished ends of tubes, and sew to the center top front of dress.
   
9. Finished!
   

My favorite thing about this refashion? It’s a two-for-one! Pull the dress over your bust, and tie the straps halter-style around your neck for a cute, comfy dress.

Pull down to your hips, and tie the ties around your waist for a belt. Now you have a go-anywhere maxi skirt.

What do you think?
On to Cleaning Business…Project #16 is deep cleaning the bathroom. Our bathrooms were in pretty good shape, but I still cleaned them. (Even though I tried talking myself out of it.)
When I tackled the bathroom closet last week, I didn’t have the chance to take care of the medicine cabinet, or under the sink cabinet. So that is where I poured my love today.

The medicine cabinet (top): The top two shelves belong to the hubby, so I didn’t do much there. I cleared everything out, wiped down the shelves, and put hubby’s stuff back. I went through my stuff (bottom shelf), tossing items I didn’t need.
Under the sink (bottom): Same process, I pulled everything out, washed it down. Then I purged products that were almost gone, or that we didn’t use, and put everything back. (I also decided to store the toilet brush in here. I kept picturing a toddler sword fight. )
It doesn’t look much different, but I know it is clean. All of the bathroom cabinets have been cleaned and purged!
Are you cleaning along? If so, are you finding that it is getting easier each day?

Partying here:

A Sneak Peek at My New Project

I have a confession…my attention is easily diverted.

For the weekend cleaning project I was supposed to choose between cleaning a closet, surface cleaning an extra room, or deep cleaning a bedroom.

Instead I started a HUGE project!

Want a sneak peak?

Talk about a huge project! I cannot wait to get it done, unfortunately I have to wait until the weekend to get anymore headway. (Need heavy equipment…)

Have I made you curious? Good, now I HAVE to finish this project (I love that I have a reason to be accountable).

Back to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge. (See how easily my attention is diverted?) I did surface clean the room were I was working on this mammoth project. Not because I was following the challenge, but for the safety of my family. There were so many sharp wires, dust, small pieces and much more laying in the aftermath.

I also forced myself to do the dishes before bed, pick up the living room, and vacuum. After I type it out, it looks like I did more than I thought.

Does the oncoming of spring and sunshine inspire you to tackle huge projects? What big projects have you done recently, or are planning to do soon?

Day 11, Decluttering the Bathroom Closet

Challenge #11 was to clean the bathroom. The bathrooms received their love, which wasn’t a huge task since it was done last week. I did have an extra project on my list though.

Our bathroom storage was getting out of hand, so my goal was to declutter and organize the closet.

This closet is deep, and tends to be yet another piling ground in our house. Everything was taken out of the closet. The shelves were washed, and towels refolded. Things that didn’t belong in there were put in their proper homes. I then threw away the bottles of stuff that have been in there forever, because we don’t need/use it. (L.A. Looks Super Hold Hair Gel? Really?) Finally, everything else (the stuff that belongs in this closet) was put back in the closet.

The sad part? I tackled this project about three months ago. How did it get this bad?

Now that my living room painting is done, I need to catch up on the basics around here (like dishes, laundry, etc.). I plan to tackle these basics, and Day 12-14 projects during naptime so I can enjoy the weekend.

Do you have to declutter the same spots as often as I do? Seriously, stuff multiplies like rabbits around here!

Last Month of Being a Twenty-Something Mama

First piece of business is a 30 day update. Project #10 was to deep clean the living room.

I had planned to remove the wallpaper border, and prep the living room for painting (one of my 30 by 30 goals).

During naptime I took everything off the walls, took down the wallpaper border (using a homemade remover that took the wallpaper off like butter, I’ll share soon), washed the walls, vacuumed behind the furniture, and started taping.

Process photos:

See that sample spot on the wall. That has been there for about six months. I joke with my husband that I was “making sure I could live with it.”

After hubby got home from work we made a stop at our local Ace Hardware and bought some paint. My initial goal was to get the trim painting done after the boys went to sleep, and paint the first coat the next night. Well, I kept going…and going. By 2:30 this morning the first coat is done! (I’ll share the after photo when the living room is completely done.)

On to other business, an update on my list: 

1. purge home, clear clutter {Ongoing. 30 Day House Cleaning Challenge has lit a fire under my rump.}
2. make cleaning a habit {Always ongoing, see above.}
3. make recycling a habit {After a few visits to town council meetings, our town finally started curbside recycling last August!}
4. scan pictures, organize pictures {This goal is crossed off because I know I’m not getting to it in the next 3 months.}
5. organize recipes {I have found a method that seems to be working, will share with you Wednesday.}
6. paint bedroom; decorate {This is not going to happen the next month, maybe in the next year…}
7. paint living room; decorate {Second coat going on tonight, then need to hang pictures, find affordable curtains, maybe even slipcovers for furniture.}
8. learn how to effective manage household, and time {I am happy to say that I am getting much better at this.}
9. make wedding album {See excuse #4}
10. journal for the boys {I am not very consistent, but the journals are started.}
11. journal for my husband {See #10}
12. learn how to use my camera, and take more pictures {Ongoing, getting better.}
13. have monthly date nights with my husband {Christmas gifts have helped us in this department.}
14. go on mini-vacation with hubby {We did go away overnight in September, and December. (not my idea of mini-vacation, but we will take what we can get!)}
15. go on vacation with the family {Thanks to a wonderful Christmas gift last year we took the family to Great Wolf Lodge. This is probably going to have to suffice for this year.}
16. read to the boys every day {I may have figured this out!}
17. learn to/teach the kids to pray (Lord's prayer, and Ten Commandments)
18. teach my step-daughter to sew and/or encourage her creative interests {Sewing will not happen this year, but I have been encouraging her creative spirit!}
19. implement a budget {Nope}
20. start nursing clinicals {Crossed off because I didn't get in this winter, hopefully in fall.}
21. manage time better {Isn’t this the same as #8? Improving greatly!}
22. get up early (like to start day by 6:00) {Boys are early risers. I am no means perfect, but so much better.}
23. dress for my hubby more often (less jeans and t-shirts) {I am struggling in the colder season, but I am crossing it off because 1. I wore skirts/dresses most of summer and 2. hubby likes me in jeans and t-shirts.}
24. style hair more, less ponytails {Since I made the cut, I have been better, not perfect, but better.}
25. blog regularly {Getting better, but I think I need to make myself a schedule.}
26. exercise regularly {You would not believe that one of my previous careers was a full-time fitness instructor and personal trainer.}
27. craft through books; get rid of books not needed {I have not actually been crafting through books, but I have been getting rid of the ones that do not inspire my creativity.}
28. craft through stash {Stash is still here, but getting smaller. The only materials I have bought have been project-specific.}
29. make a dress, and wear it {Made another one, look for it in the future, meanwhile check this one out.}
30. start selling on etsy {Been working on shop, a little. Need to tell my confidence (or lack of) to leave me alone. }
31. do a 365 project {I started. Got 21 days in. And quit. I will restart, after I knock out some of my more important goals.}
32. have a (semi) handmade Christmas {did not finish all I aspired too, but did manage to make a few gifts.}

Have you procrastinated on any Spring overhauls in your home? That is exactly what this paint job was, procrastinating! I am so glad I got my butt in gear!

Day 8 of My 30 Day Clean Home Journey

Today’s task is to vacuum and sweep the floors.

I vacuumed the upstairs, bedrooms and all. I even made our bed. (Yup, I am one of those people who forgets to make the bed.) I spent some time cleaning my sewing dungeon, which needed major attention after my weekend creations. I also finished going through, purging, and switching over the boys’ clothes.

All of this stuff is going in our annual garage sale, otherwise- leaving my house!

Sorry for being so brief, but I have a basketball team to cheer on. Can you guess who?

*hint, camo is our families #1 favorite color, #2 is maize and blue

30 Day House Cleaning Challenge, Day 3 and 4

The challenge for day 3 was to surface clean a bedroom. Let me tell you, ours was in desperate need.

Before and After:

Yesterday I had quite the struggle. It seemed like I was taking one step forward and two back. Our bedroom wasn’t completely finished until this morning. It’s done though, to me that is all that matters.

I also managed to tidy the living room, and clean the kitchen (dishes included!) before bed. A glass of wine and watching some Duck Dynasty with the hubby sounded like a better idea, but I bucked up and got it done. This morning I was so glad I did. It always feel nice to wake up to a clean slate.

Today’s challenge is to surface clean other rooms (laundry room, office, etc.). I decided the office area needed my love. Actually I was so tired of trying to catch stuff as it avalanched from the Mountain Toddler Twin Cannot Reach Area. (This is a real place, we actually have a geographical range of these mountains in our home!)

We are so bad about putting things away around here. Everything seems to move higher and higher (due to growing toddlers), but never goes to its rightful home.

My boys have taken a liking to the printer; pushing buttons and tearing out paper. Each time I need to print I have to refigure the settings. The was moved up top. Papers were filed and the desk received its much needed dusting.

I hate this piano. It came with the house, nobody plays or expresses an interest in playing. Do you know how hard it is to get rid of a piano? Enough rambling…This is also a high spot were things get shoved out of the boys’ reach. Again, I put everything away and dusted.

Leaving our house. The bag contains some of my clothes, and outgrown/stained clothing of the boys. The stack of magazines are hard to let go. These are old knitting magazines. I tried to get rid of them last month, but just wasted time fantasizing about projects. The reality is that it will be a long time before I get around to knitting anything. I already have my crafting time full of sewing and crochet projects. Out they go (actually they are going in the garage sale, hopefully someone else will find happiness among the glossy pages).

Are you cleaning along?

If so, how’s it going- I would love to hear your secrets, or struggles.

30 Day House Cleaning Challenge, Day 1

One of my 30 by 30 goals is to get my housecleaning act together. I used to be really good at this… then I had twins. It was like the housekeeping part of my brain was on temporary layoff. (Don’t believe me? Take a look at some of my earlier posts!)

Crystal from Money Saving Mom is doing a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge, and I am joining in. Our home needs a good deep cleaning before the weather breaks because 1. We are extremely busy in the summer (baseball!). 2. We spend so much time outside when its nice out. 3. The chore chart starts when summer break starts. I like to give the kids a clean slate.

I will be posting my progress the day after the challenge. Want to join in? Pop in over here.

Project #1: Set timer for 15 minutes and surface clean living room. Wash dishes and clean kitchen. Find 7 things to get rid of. Vacuum living room.

Living room:



I had a little more time, so I washed the blankets on the furniture, vacuumed under the cushions, washed the windows and television.

Kitchen:



Our kitchen was a mess from the weekend. Not anymore! It felt so nice to wake up to clean surfaces in the kitchen.

Items leaving our house:



Are you doing any spring cleaning? If so, what is your favorite method; a little at a time, or a couple of full day cleaning sessions?

Lessons From Great Grandma’s Kitchen; Recipe Organization

Recipe organization is something I have been struggling with for a while now. I even made corralling my recipe chaos one of my 30 by 30 goals.

Like most recipe hoarders, I have a stash of recipes that are spilling out of folders, notebooks, and drawers. This doesn’t even include my abundance of cookbooks that I need to weed down (hmmm… do I see a 31 by 31 goal…). Don’t forget to throw Pinterest in there.

I had this idea that I would digitize and organize my recipes. After many unsuccessful attempts I gave up (quite a few times). The thought of starting up my computer, then searching for a recipe all but drained any kitchen ambitions I had. The worst part was when hubby would ask, “could you make that dish you made….? You know it had….?” I realized that I was not keeping track of recipes that my family liked.

One of the best things about cooking with Grandma was pulling out her green metal recipe box. I would flip through the 3 x 5 index cards adorned with Grandma’s penmanship and years of cooking smudges. As I grew older our time together in the kitchen grew far and few. One habit that never ceased was requesting to look through Grandma’s recipe box.

I have recently accepted that digital isn’t for me. I have taken to Grandma’s recipe organization; the green metal box. Each recipe in Grandma’s little metal box had been tried, tested, perfected, and family approved. No magazine clippings shoved in there.

I still have my overflow of paper. I still add to my Pinterest boards. But when I find a successful recipe (meaning a recipe that my family will eat again), I handwrite the recipe on a 3 x 5 index card, and tuck it safely into my very own green metal box. (Do you know how many garage sales we went to before we found a green metal box?)

This method has been working so far. I guess I just wasn’t meant to be a digital cook.

How do you organize your recipes?

*Did you miss the first lesson from Great Grandma’s kitchen? Here it is.

30 by 30 Update. Is 30 Really Only Two Months Away?

A quick update on my list: 

1. purge home, clear clutter {Ongoing. I have been spending naptime working on this.}
2. make cleaning a habit {Always ongoing, but being deliberate has helped a ton!}
3. make recycling a habit {After a few visits to town council meetings, our town finally started curbside recycling last August!}
4. scan pictures, organize pictures {This goal is crossed off because I know I’m not getting to it in the next 3 months.}
5. organize recipes {I have found a method that seems to be working, will share with you Wednesday.}
6. paint bedroom; decorate {Rearranged, and deep-cleaned/organized. Started thinking about colors…}
7. paint living room; decorate {Picked a color, bought a sample, loved it. Need to remove wallpaper border at top of 12 foot wall, buy paint, and paint!}
8. learn how to effective manage household, and time {I am happy to say that I am getting much better at this.}
9. make wedding album {See excuse #4}
10. journal for the boys {I am not very consistent, but the journals are started.}
11. journal for my husband {See #10}
12. learn how to use my camera, and take more pictures {Ongoing, getting better.}
13. have monthly date nights with my husband {Christmas gifts have helped us in this department.}
14. go on mini-vacation with hubby {We did go away overnight in September, and December. (not my idea of mini-vacation, but we will take what we can get!)}
15. go on vacation with the family {Thanks to a wonderful Christmas gift last year we took the family to Great Wolf Lodge. This is probably going to have to suffice for this year.}
16. read to the boys every day {I may have figured this out!}
17. learn to/teach the kids to pray (and Lord's prayer, and Ten Commandments) {Am I a bad mom?}
18. teach my step-daughter to sew and/or encourage her creative interests {Struggles here…}
19. implement a budget {Nope}
20. start nursing clinicals {Crossed off because I didn't get in this winter, hopefully in fall.}
21. manage time better {Isn’t this the same as #8? Improving greatly!}
22. get up early (like to start day by 6:00) {Boys are early risers. I am no means perfect, but so much better.}
23. dress for my hubby more often (less jeans and t-shirts) {I am struggling in the colder season, but I am crossing it off because 1. I wore skirts/dresses most of summer and 2. hubby likes me in jeans and t-shirts.}
24. style hair more, less ponytails {Since I made the cut, I have been better, not perfect, but better.}
25. blog regularly {Getting better, but I think I need to make myself a schedule.}
26. exercise regularly {You would not believe that one of my previous careers was a full-time fitness instructor and personal trainer.}
27. craft through books; get rid of books not needed {I have not actually been crafting through books, but I have been getting rid of the ones that do not inspire my creativity.}
28. craft through stash {Stash is still here, but getting smaller. The only materials I have bought have been project-specific.}
29. make a dress, and wear it {Made another one, look for it in the future, meanwhile check this one out.}
30. start selling on etsy {Been working on shop, a little. Need to tell my confidence (or lack of) to leave me alone. }
31. do a 365 project {I started. Got 21 days in. And quit. I will restart, after I knock out some of my more important goals.}
32. have a (semi) handmade Christmas {did not finish all I aspired too, but did manage to make a few gifts.}

Wowza! Only two months left.

I actually feel pretty good about my progress. When I think of where I was a year ago when I made this list, I have made huge strides. My life doesn’t feel nearly as chaotic as it used to. (Want a few laughs, or even tears? Check out some of my posts from about a year ago.)

What method do you use to track your personal progress? I really like this method, it is a nice reminder of the desperation I felt ten months ago, which is now replaced with ‘I CAN do this!’

*Posts planned this week: Tuesday- Toddler Tip, Wednesday- Lesson’s from Grandma’s Kitchen, Thursday- More Little Boy Refashions, Friday- Egg Free Sharing.

30 by 30 Update, Only 3 More Months

Instead of New Year’s Resolutions, I made a list, a list of thirty things I want to accomplish before I turn 30 (this May). This is not a crazy-exciting list. Nor is it an outrageous, adventurous bucket list. This is just a list of a few things that I have need want to personally work on. Sort of a list to help corral the chaos.

Without further ado, here’s my updated list (a strikethrough means completed):

1. purge home, clear clutter {Ongoing. I have been spending naptime working on this.}
2. make cleaning a habit {Ongoing, but being deliberate has helped a ton!}
3. make recycling a habit {After a few visits to town council meetings, our town finally started curbside recycling last August!}
4. scan pictures, organize pictures {This goal is crossed off because I know I’m not getting to it in the next 3 months.}
5. organize recipes {I have found a method that seems to be working.}
6. paint bedroom; decorate {Rearranged, and deep-cleaned/organized. Started thinking about colors…}
7. paint living room; decorate {Picked a color, bought a sample, loved it. Need to remove wallpaper border at top of 12 foot wall, buy paint, and paint!}
8. learn how to effective manage household, and time {I am happy to say that I am getting much better at this.}
9. make wedding album {See excuse #4}
10. journal for the boys {I am not very consistent, but the journals are started.}
11. journal for my husband {See #10}
12. learn how to use my camera, and take more pictures {Ongoing, getting better.}
13. have monthly date nights with my husband {I need to be more deliberate here.}
14. go on mini-vacation with hubby {We did go away overnight in September, and December. (not my idea of mini-vacation, but we will take what we can get!)}
15. go on vacation with the family {Thanks to a wonderful Christmas gift last year we took the family to Great Wolf Lodge. This is probably going to have to suffice for this year.}
16. read to the boys every day {I may have figured this out!}
17. learn to/teach the kids to pray (and Lord's prayer, and Ten Commandments) {Am I a bad mom?}
18. teach my step-daughter to sew and/or encourage her creative interests {Struggles here…}
19. implement a budget {Nope}
20. start nursing clinicals {Crossed off because I didn't get in this winter, hopefully in fall.}
21. manage time better {Isn’t this the same as #8? Improving greatly!}
22. get up early (like to start day by 6:00) {Boys are early risers. I am no means perfect, but so much better.}
23. dress for my hubby more often (less jeans and t-shirts) {I am struggling in the colder season, but I am crossing it off because 1. I wore skirts/dresses most of summer and 2. hubby likes me in jeans and t-shirts.}
24. style hair more, less ponytails {Since I made the cut, I have been better, not perfect, but better.}
25. blog regularly {Getting better, but I think I need to make myself a schedule.}
26. exercise regularly {You would not believe that one of my previous careers was a full-time fitness instructor and personal trainer.}
27. craft through books; get rid of books not needed {I have not actually been crafting through books, but I have been getting rid of the ones that do not inspire my creativity.}
28. craft through stash {Stash is still here, but getting smaller. The only materials I have bought have been project-specific.}
29. make a dress, and wear it {May make more, but check this one out.}
30. start selling on etsy {Been working on shop, a little. Need to tell my confidence (or lack of) to leave me alone. }
31. do a 365 project {I started. Got 21 days in. And quit. I will restart, after I knock out some of my more important goals.}
32. have a (semi) handmade Christmas {did not finish all I aspired too, but did manage to make a few gifts.}

The list is getting smaller. There are some items that could be crossed off, but I don’t feel they’re ready for a strikethrough. I’ll keep plugging away.

Do you make birthday goals, or to-do lists?

Why Journaling Is On My To-Do List

If you have been reading for a while you may have noticed that journaling for my husband and kids is always on my to-do list. I still haven’t done it.

If it is something that is continually put off, why is it on my list?

Because of a gift I was left. The night before my wedding I was given this:

It’s from my dad. He left one for each one of us, my mom (actually she had several), my brother, and I. We had no idea they even existed, mom found them by accident. They are not anything fancy. Just a notebook in the color that represented us in my father’s eyes, emblazoned with his art/handwriting (to me his handwriting will always be art). They weren’t even wrote in regularly.

But WOW!

What a gift to get on the eve of your wedding. I literally walked around with cold spoons over my eyes the morning of our big day.

So why have I been dragging my feet on starting them for my husband and children?

Honestly, I’m not sure. Sometimes I think I’ll just remember everything and tell them. Stupid, I know. Sometimes I feel like it is a ‘death sentence.’ If I write down my thoughts, feelings, and dreams to my family; I might die too. I know this is irrational thinking, my journal was started at least ten years before dad’s accident (just a guess- he didn’t date it). Sometimes I feel that those feelings are mine, not to be shared. This is purely selfish, something I need to work on- breaking down my wall. Other times I get paralyzed, my perfectionist takes over and tells me, “You know you’re not going to be regular about journaling, so why bother?”

Enough excuses! This is very important to me. It is important that even after I am gone (hopefully a very, very long time from now) that my family knows my love for them. It is important that they know my feelings, dreams, insecurities, proud moments, and everything in between.

I may forget to tell them. I may tell them, and they may forget.

I want to have a gift to share with my family, just like the gift left for me.

So I start. I start a journal for each one of my men. Just like mine, theirs’ get emblazoned with my art, and written with my hand.

I am not going to beat myself up about regularity. I am not going to guard my heart. I AM going to be deliberate about recording our memories.

What gift had the most impact on your life?

30 by 30, only 4 Months Left!

Instead of New Year’s Resolutions, I made a list, a list of thirty things I want to accomplish before I turn 30 (next May). This is not a crazy-exciting list. This is not a outrageous, adventurous bucket list. This is just a list of a few things that I have need to personally work on. Sorta a list to help corral the chaos.

Without further ado, here’s my updated list. (a strikethrough means completed):

1. purge home, clear clutter {Ongoing. Seriously, will this ever be done?}
2. make cleaning a habit {Ongoing, but being deliberate has helped a ton!}
3. make recycling a habit {After a few visits to town council meetings, our town finally started curbside recycling in August!}
4. scan pictures, organize pictures {Have not even touched this. To my defense, the desktop started deciding when it wants to work, and it is not very often. (Lame excuse, I know.)}
5. organize recipes {Same result as #4}
6. paint bedroom; decorate {Rearranged, and deep-cleaned/organized. Started thinking about colors…}
7. paint living room; decorate {Picked a color, bought a sample, loved it. Need to remove wallpaper border at top of 12 foot wall, buy paint, and paint!}
8. learn how to effective manage household, and time {I am happy to say that I am getting much better at this.}
9. make wedding album {See #4}
10. journal for the boys {Procrastinator! I will do this this week. I’ll tell you about it when I’m done.}
11. journal for my husband {See #10}
12. learn how to use my camera, and take more pictures {Ongoing, getting better.}
13. have monthly date nights with my husband {Trying a new sitter tonight!}
14. go on mini-vacation with hubby {We did go away overnight in September, and December. (not my idea of mini-vacation, but we will take what we can get!)}
15. go on vacation with the family {Thanks to a wonderful Christmas gift last year we took the family to Great Wolf Lodge. This is probably going to have to suffice for this year.}
16. read to the boys every day {I may have figured this out!}
17. learn to/teach the kids to pray (and Lord's prayer, and Ten Commandments) {Am I a bad mom?}
18. teach my step-daughter to sew and/or encourage her creative interests {Struggles here…}
19. implement a budget {Nope}
20. start nursing clinicals {Crossed off because I didn't get in this winter, hopefully in fall.}
21. manage time better {Isn’t this the same as #8? Guess I know what I need to be working on!}
22. get up early (like to start day by 6:00) {Boys are early risers. I am no means perfect, but so much better.}
23. dress for my hubby more often (less jeans and t-shirts) {I am struggling in the colder season, but I am crossing it off because 1. I wore skirts/dresses most of summer and 2. hubby likes me in jeans and t-shirts.}
24. style hair more, less ponytails {Since I made the cut, I have been better, not perfect, but better.}
25. blog regularly {I think I need to make myself a schedule.}
26. exercise regularly {You would not believe that one of my previous careers was a full-time fitness instructor and personal trainer.}
27. craft through books; get rid of books not needed {I have not actually been crafting through books, but I have been getting rid of the ones that do not inspire my creativity.}
28. craft through stash {Stash is still here, but getting smaller. The only materials I have bought have been project-specific.}
29. make a dress, and wear it {May make more, but check this one out.}
30. start selling on etsy {Been working on shop.}
31. do a 365 project {10 days in of 365 days of Crafting for Cash.}
32. have a (semi) handmade Christmas {did not finish all I aspired too, but did manage to make a few gifts.}

Wow! I have a lot to do in four months.

Time management seems to be a recurring theme. How do you manage your family, household, time, and creative aspirations? I need so much help in this area.

Deliberate Reading

Note to self: Schedule haircuts…

Reading is important to me. As a child I was taught that reading is the best superpower one can possess. If you can read, you can do anything; fix a car, bake a cake, build a house, time travel, exotic travel, dream, deepen your relationship with God, anything is possible with a book.

Needless to say, our whole family enjoys reading. My boys even love books. All day long they are bringing a book to mama, and sitting down to listen to a story. The only problem is that they don’t stick around past once upon a time. They are up and on to something else.

This is frustrating for a mama like me (I tend to be a little too structured). One of my 30 by 30 goals is to read to the boys everyday. For the past year I have tried many different ways to read to my boys, with no success. Until I started being deliberate with our reading.

Inspired by Money Saving Mom, I decided to try something different- reading while they eat.

We love it! The boys are getting read to. They tend to eat better. The biggest bonus? They have been throwing less food. We usually get about 4 books read before their attention diverts to something else.

We (translation: mama) is getting a little tired of the same books. What are your favorite children’s books to read aloud?

365 Days of Creating for Cash

Remember that one of my 30 by 30 goals is to do a 365 project? I have been ruminating about this project for a while now. I want a project that I will feel fulfilled with. I need a project that I can actually do, not one that I fail at within the first week. I would like it if my project also met some of my other 30 by 30 goals, and put a big dent in my craft stash.
The hubby is really pushing me to sell my creations. He loves everything I make, and wants the rest of the world to enjoy it too. He can often be heard bragging (while toting around our boys), “Oh you like that, Theresa made it.”
It feels so good to have someone who believes in your talents and passions. It also makes me feel like crap that I have not made an effort in this area. I have this horrible habit of talking myself down before I even begin.
2013 is going to be different (I hope).
We are so fortunate that the boys take a 2 1/2 to 3 hour nap every day. Usually I use this time for housework, a shower, cooking, and wasting time on the computer. I have been working on revamping my routine. (Being deliberate.)
Cleaning: Most of the cleaning now takes place at night, after the boys go to bed. This has been a habit I have tried and tried to implement in the past. In the past I would convince myself that I was too tired for housework, leaving it for naptime. Now, I remind myself of the great feeling of waking up to a (semi) clean house.
Shower: This is the next area I need to work on. I want to get up earlier, and shower before hubby leaves for work. Lately the boys have been waking up (and partying) in the middle of the night, so I may find I have to add this to my nightly routine during this season of life.
Cooking: This may still be done during naptime. Although I am being more deliberate about prepping food ahead of time.
Computer: Whew…does anyone else have a problem with this time waster? I know I do! This is going to be a trial and error project for me, hopefully I can find an appropriate schedule.
What a list! On top of this I am committing to Creating for Cash. I am committing a minimum of 30 minutes a day. I would love to commit 2 hours, but I know me. I have to start small. Thirty minutes (minimum) of naptime will be devoted to making items for my (hopeful) etsy shop and summertime craft fairs.
So that’s it. (In a long post version.) 365 days of Creating for Cash. I will spare you the boring daily updates. I am shooting to post my progress once a week, ‘cuz I need the accountability.
How about you? Have you ever tried a 365 project? If so, what was it, and how long did you last?

30 by 30 Update, Only 6 Months Left!

Instead of New Year’s Resolutions, I made a list, a list of thirty things I want to accomplish before I turn 30 (next May). This is not a crazy-exciting list. This is not a outrageous, adventurous bucket list. This is just a list of a few things that I have need to personally work on. Sorta a list to help corral the chaos.

Without further ado, here’s my updated list. (a strikethrough means completed):

1. purge home, clear clutter {Ongoing. Seriously, will this ever be done?}
2. make cleaning a habit {Still working on this. Taking a cyber-break helped a ton!}
3. make recycling a habit {After a few visits to town council meetings, our town finally started curbside recycling in August!}
4. scan pictures, organize pictures {Have not even touched this. To my defense, the desktop started deciding when it wants to work, and it is not very often. (Lame excuse, I know.)}
5. organize recipes {Same result as #4}
6. paint bedroom; decorate {Started thinking about colors…}
7. paint living room; decorate {Picked a color, bought a sample, loved it. Need to remove wallpaper border at top of 12 foot wall, buy paint, and paint!}
8. learn how to effective manage household, and time {Ummm, I am thinking this is going to take me a very long time…}
9. make wedding album {See #4}
10. journal for the boys {Procrastinator! I will do this this week. I’ll tell you about it when I’m done.}
11. journal for my husband {See #10}
12. learn how to use my camera, and take more pictures {Getting better.}
13. have monthly date nights with my husband {Sitter situation has been difficult. Note to self; make this a priority!}
14. go on mini-vacation with hubby {We did go away overnight in September. For a wedding. Does that count?}
15. go on vacation with the family {Thanks to a wonderful Christmas gift last year we took the family to Great Wolf Lodge. This is probably going to have to suffice for this year.}
16. read to the boys every day {Ongoing.}
17. learn to/teach the kids to pray (and Lord's prayer, and Ten Commandments) {Am I a bad mom?}
18. teach my step-daughter to sew and/or encourage her creative interests {Struggles here…}
19. implement a budget {Nope}
20. start nursing clinicals {Find out in a week if I’m in!}
21. manage time better {Isn’t this the same as #8? Guess I know what I need to be working on!}
22. get up early (like to start day by 6:00) {Boys are early risers. I am no means perfect, but so much better.}
23. dress for my hubby more often (less jeans and t-shirts) {I am struggling in the colder season, but I am crossing it off because 1. I wore skirts/dresses most of summer and 2. hubby likes me in jeans and t-shirts.}
24. style hair more, less ponytails {Since I made the cut, I have been better, not perfect, but better.}
25. blog regularly {Ongoing.}
26. exercise regularly {You would not believe that one of my previous careers was a full-time fitness instructor and personal trainer.}
27. craft through books; get rid of books not needed {I have not actually been crafting through books, but I have been getting rid of the ones that do not inspire my creativity.}
28. craft through stash {Stash is still here, but getting smaller. The only materials I have bought have been project-specific.}
29. make a dress, and wear it {May make more, but check this one out.} 
30. start selling on etsy {I am scared…}
31. do a 365 project {Have been thinking of ideas, may start Jan. 1st.}
32. have a (semi) handmade Christmas {have ideas written down, need to get cracking!}

Wow! I have so much room for improvement!

Thanks for bearing with me on this long, boring post.

Do you set goals, if so what are your methods for achievement?