Rest..vs...Idleness

I must say I have a great deal of trouble with this thought. What is rest, and what is idleness? Often when I collapse on the couch or hop online, I feel that I should be doing something else, something more productive. Pretty much any time I am doing anything, I feel a nagging guilt that I should be doing something else. So pretty much I feel rushed/guilty/resentful all of the time.

It needs to stop.

There is a healthy balance between rest and idleness. Also between keeping house and homemaking. I don't want to be so consumed by cleaning and tidying that I don't have time for my family, I also don't want to live in squalor, which I feel very close to now as the entire family has been passing the flu/head colds back and forth.

I am drained. I am in need of some rest.

My new goal is to live in the moment. When blogging, I will blog and not worry about the dishes, when doing dishes I will not rush...and do a bad job..because I am worried about getting the floors done.

So, today's goals:
1. REST
2. Finish the dishes.
3. vacuum
4. Tidy the boy's room
5. Run to the store to get milk.

Be where you are...

"Be where you are, and do what you are doing." was the single best piece of advice I ever got while I attended college. Unfortunately It was given by an extreeeeeemly dry English professor and I had a great deal of trouble focusing on his classes.....

So, Yesterday was a disaster according to my schedule...but a total success family/relationship wise. After paying the bills, we all loaded up in the car and had a family fun day! We had a fast food lunch (not such a good idea) and went to the mall play-place and let the boys run around. J. slept so hard afterwards! In fact, I didn't get to clean their room at all as it was being occupied by a sleeping boy during nearly all hours of the day! The other hours were spent snuggling and having meals.

I did get a head start on today's work, which is the Family room....or as my mom has nick-named it the "Welcome room" which now alliterates with Wednesday and also gives me a good perspective on what that room's purpose is, as this is where guests enter my home!

So, Today's task list:
1. De-Clutter all surfaces
2. Dust
3. wipe windows and sills
4. Vacuum
5.re-organize one area.

In addition, I will be "purging" again, and try to find one trash-bag worth of items to donate to charity. I am so tired of clutter.

Our menu:
Breakfast: Orange/Cranberry oatmeal (which the boys are happily eating/wearing at the moment)
Lunch: Been and cheese quesadillas with guacamole (made with whole grain tortillas)
Dinner: Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti and green salad (mom's recipe)

Alright....lets go!

Getting back into the swing of things

The last day and a half have been very productive for me. I actually managed to follow the schedule in my Home Management Binder and am in good head-space.

Yesterday's focus area was the Master Bedroom...so I went grocery shopping, then rocked the boys to sleep on my lap and held them while Garrett and I watched a movie, then we had dinner AT THE TABLE!!! for the 4th time this week =) and after dishes and bath time I frantically changed my bed-linnens, swept the floor and put away the laundry...

Today is Tuesday and we focus on the Toddler's room. I will (attempt) to
1.put it back in order,
2.vacuum,
3.wipe the window and sill,
4.put away laundry and
5. pick an area to organize.
I also want to re-arrange the furniture a bit, as Grandpa is building a "toddler-sized" bunk bed! It should be done by the end of the week.

Tuesday's are also my "balance the checkbook and attempt to pay the bills day" and today, we were able to pay everything that was due except the house...need to wait on another EDD check to be able to do that. The Lord does Provide!!!

Today's menu:

Breakfast: Cereal with fruit and milk
Lunch:Grilled Cheese, tomato soup
Dinner: Biscuits and gravy, green beans

I will update you on what actually happens as I can!

The end of the Media Fast

ok, well, it ended about a week ago, but I thought I should post a few reflections here>

Reflection #1. turning off the tv/talk radio brings an instant peaceful feeling into ones home.

Reflection #2. I really really, really like tv.

Reflection #3. I can get so much accomplished if I just focus on the task at hand. For example, folding the laundry as it dries and immediately putting it away, as opposed to letting it pile up onto the couch then settling down to watch an episode of CSI and sloooooowly folding it.

Reflection #4. I didn't miss much. other than a story arc or two, but nothing of a real, lasting value was missed out on.

Reflection #5. Simplicity is much better achieved without constant "noise" urging on my fleshly desires....for more food, more land, better cleaning supplies, more useless political debate.

So there it is in a nutshell. I was also surprised at how much of the Bible I was able to read thru...I am reading it chronologically and am in the midst of 2 Samuel/psalms. Need to get back to that.

I did enjoy the experience, however found myself at constant war with it at the same time. I am choosing to continue with a "partial" media fast from here on. I have just been making the decision to leave the tv or pc or radio off. untll my work is "done" (ha!) and then I make sure to have some sort of busy activity at hand...crocheting a new hat for myself at the moment. I am really enjoying this lessened dependency on outside stimulation!

Family Vacation

it has been a while since I last posted...So just a quickie update. We went on Vacation over Thanksgiving! Yessirreee. Packed up the car and went up the coast to CAMP! All turned out well, other than the fact that J. couldn't be pulled away from the water (even in his sleeep during an unfortunate storm...stuck his feet in a puddle that made its way in the tent) and S. decided to cut a tooth.

We had a wonderful tome. Most of my extended family was able to make it as well. what was most exciting for me was the fact that this officially marked 5 generations of my family to camp at this paticular beach! If you are looking for a great family-friendly and not too busy area for a vacation I strongly recommend Anchor Bay Campground.

I have just realized both boys are being verrrry quiet and the bedroom door is closed. I gotta go.

Bitterness...

It is strange how it can creep in...I had no idea how much a hold it had on my life until recently, When Garrett made an offhanded comment about our small "pit" of a house. The remark quite hurt--in light of how hard I have been trying of late to make it nice.

That was when I realized how much my poor attitude had been affecting him. I had made him feel as if he couldn't provide for our needs.

I am grateful that I was confronted with this. I am actively working on my attitude, and asking the Lord to change my heart. We have been blessed...very blessed with a cozy home, and a nice large grassy area for the boys to run in, and a pool I don't have to tend!

Reformation Day Party!

So...while noodling around in my blog management site I noticed a post by a fellow-blogger on their "Reformation Day Party" and did a little digging... and lo...October 31st is the day that Martin Luther posted his "95 thesis" on the door of his church in order to get a nice debate with the catholic church, and instead sparked the Protestant Reformation, and even translated the bible for the first time from Latin to German!

So, Last night I decorated a bit. Mainly just a fall display of squashes nuts and candles (very Medieval) and we ate a bunch of German-style foods (not very Medieval) and watched the film "Luther" overall a very good time!

Next year we would like to do a proper party, and have people over. I read some great ideas for party games; pin-the-these-on-the-door, Hide the heretic and maybe a Lego-castle building contest. And also we can dress up. I am quite sure I can whip up a few German-reformation-era duds in time.

not much today...

my brain is a bit fuzzy... I am coming down with a sore throat, and therefore resting up a bit. Got both babies down for a nap, perhaps I will sleep too.

Back on track..

I've been avoiding the TV again, and I feel much better!! I didn't realize how much of my time and energy it was sucking up.

Lately I have been trying to find creative alternatives to cleaning and beauty products...not that I used tons of them but cutting back is a good thing, as our funds are extremely limited. Here are some creative alternatives I have found, in using "food" type ingredients:

Coconut oil: I have replaced lotion with Coconut oil. I like the unprocessed unrefined kind, it smells like summer time!

Baking Soda: I use it to freshen up carpets, just sprinkle about the rug at night, and vacuum it up first thing in the morning, you can also add tea leaves or chamomile or peppermint or lavender or a combo to this to make a nice scent.
Baking Soda is also FANTASTIC for brushing your teeth with! I actually had NO cavities after using this for several months, when I use "traditional" toothpaste I always seem to have problems with tooth decay.

Vinegar: Super for de-oderizing laundry just add a splash to your wash cycle, as well as for cleaning the coffee pot, and even scrubbing floors. I add a few drops of Lavender and Rosemary essential oil to it for disinfectant power and a nice smell. (not for the coffee pot though!!)

Olive oil: also a great massage oil, or add some sugar to make a nice body scrub...great for feet!

I have to go now....the natives are getting restless!

Caught with my apron on...

or off... whichever is worse in your eyes! So, I cheated a bit on my media fast. My netflix movie came in this weekend and I sat down to watch it...with a mountain of laundry to fold. At least that is what I told myself as I ignored the call of the kitchen and the two days worth of dirty dishes...and the toys on the floor...and the piles of dirty laundry in the hall.... So there I am indulging myself in a costumed drama, haphazardly folding laundry, and my doorbell rings. It's my new neighbor who (I had forgotten all about) came over as invited! Still dressed up from church.

OOPS

I stood at the door in a panic, tried to do a quick re-schedule, realized how rude it was and then invited her in anyway. She was very gracious and we had a lovely chat, as I scrambled about picking items up so she had a place to sit and madly hoping she didn't find my stretch-pants and over sized eighties sweater a bit too ridiculous. I just kept thinking of my mother and how she got dressed first thing in the morning and always had the house clean by noon...

I think I should do this more often. Having people over that is. I was surprised to learn that we have alot in common....We went to the same high school, are both newly-weds, homemakers, bakers and home cooks, followers of Jesus, we share some of the same rather unusual theological viewpoints, aspire to be better domestic divas, we even know alot of the same people....
It does strike me as odd all that we have in common...I often lament the fact that there are no other young moms/homemakers in my complex as I spend most of my time here as I am still without a car. It seems this slightly awkward start to a friendship just might be an answer to a prayer I didn't know I needed.

Tomorrow I will get up early, and continue my media fast, and get dressed immediately, and clean my house as per my Home-Management Binder schedule---and I will continue to do my usual routine so I can be prepared next time I invite someone over and they actually come.

No TV time...

...means more time for other things. I wish I could say that since I turned off the TV and radio as well as stopped my recreational reading that my house has become a beacon of cleanliness and myself an efficiency expert. Nope. not even close.

The one thing I have noticed is that there is a great deal more peace in the house. J. has stopped asking for cartoons constantly because the tv just isn't on. He still gets to watch one video a day, so I can get a few things done without him "helping." I seem to be taking more time to do my chores, however I am actually enjoying the process of cleaning up instead of just liking the results. My favorite thing about all this is that we have all been playing together as a family in the evenings. Garret has even been teaching the boys how to play music. Well, at least shake the tambourine with great enthusiasm!

Both boys are down for a nap right now, and I am frightfully behind in checking my e-mail. I will spend no more than 20 mins to do that then off I go to prep dinner!

The great TV turn-off

The other day as I was scrambling about attempting to clean the house up before bed, I became aware of something....the radio that I depended on to keep me upbeat as I did my chores...was just noise. really annoying distracting sounds jarring me as I attempted to get things done. So I turned it off. And I turned off the TV, and anything else I could find that added to the audio confusion.
The sound of silence.
My entire being relaxed, and I was able to finish up what I needed to do, with a far more cheerful outlook. I have now embarked upon a "40 day media-fast" That's right, I am not watching, listening to or reading anything of my own free will. I have even gone so far as to put all of my library books away...some only half-read! That was soooo hard! There are a few exceptions 1. I will continue reading my bible and the study book I have been going through. 2. I will read the boys their story books. 3. I will watch a tv show or movie if Garret specifically requests it. 4. Classical music or the kid's CD's are ok as well. 5. I will read anything necessary for my volunteer work.
It has been 3 days so far, and I have only slipped up once...reading a bit of the news while I was balancing my checkbook online. I can't tell you how relaxed I feel! I have had so much more free time as well! Garrett knows what I am doing, and actually hasn't requested I watch anything so far...but tonight is our usual "TV" night in which we catch up on episodes online. You know, I always thought He was the one turning on the tv, but as it turns out, I usually request to watch something....and then it just stays on. Shame on me!

I will continue to updated you on how things are going...I can tell this may be a bumpy ride!

Preperation Day

I had some more before and after photos for you, but I can't seem to get my camera to upload them. Sigh.

Today is "Preparation Day" Not only for the Sabbath this week, but we are doing a little party for S. who just turned one. (who also happens to be in my lap "helping" me type) So today is a very busy day/ I have to finish tiding the house, and decorate a birthday cake as well as prepare a nice dinner and set the table for tonight.

I have found my weekend runs smoother and my Sabbath is much more restful when I plan ahead and get things done BEFORE sunset. I have memories of my mom--during the times she was able to be at home with us--ironing all of our clothing, baking a cake, prepping a salad and a casserole to go in the oven after church. In those days we often had guests over for lunch after Church. I also can recall the chaos, grumpiness and frantic leaving of the house that occurred when these things weren't done. I take great inspiration from my mom.

Here is what I plan to do today to make tomorrow morning Peaceful.

1. Finish decorating the birthday cake. (will post pics when I can)
2. Lay out clothing ...even socks and shoes! for ALL members of the family
3. Pre-pack Diaper bag (including snacks)
4. prep some sort of dinner, maybe lasagna?
5. load the car with the items we need...punch bowl, party supplies (party's at grammy's this year)
6.KEEP UP on all dishes, and laundry. and PUT IT AWAY! (this is a big challenge)
7. Wash up and prep myself mentally, with nice music and meditation on scripture.

whew! I better get cracking! not much time left in the day, the sun sets at 7:38 tonight and I hope to be done by then!

More feminine dress

So I realize I am hopelessly behind in my blogging....Here is another dress I love, it is a "maxi-dress" I have to wear the sweater because the modest length is "compensated" for by having far less fabric in the bodice than I would desire. Sigh, sorry for the long delay, I am off agin to try and clean this place up. Our stovetop decided to stop working yesturday, so now I have to try and arrange some crockpot/microwave meals for the week. so that has been fun too!

Tuesday's dress

Here I am folding all of that laundry, I gotta go, baby neeeds me.

Monday's dress

Once again I am showcasing my imperfections, Here I am quickly loading up the diaper bag so the boys and I can take a quick run to the grocery store. I realize the house is not quite tidy. You can see our "library" behind me. I used to have three times that amount of books, but found new homes for the ones I don't read thru as often. This isn't the best shot of it but I love this dress. It is a very "late 50's" style, makes me happy to wear it. That is my youngest in the background, trying to get at the toys big brother left on the table. We went to the store, only after I wore them out at the indoor playground that happens to be in our local Mall building. We often frequent it when it is raining or too hot for outside play. Did you kow that you can run, jump and crawl in a dress with out much trouble at all? The boys certianally love it when I make a fool out of myself to play with them. I have to go now, the laundry calls.

Dresses--most-of-the-time

As those of you who see me every week, you may have noticed that I have been wearing dresses with greater frequency. It was a long and winding road getting to the conclusion that I should probably change the way I dress. Here is the journey in a nutshell. I love sweatpants (in fact, I am wearing some now, as I wait for the hot water heater to do its job so I can shower) I love t-shirts. They are quite modest and comfy. With two little boys and a home to care for I would simply roll out of bed and pull the nearest thing on and jump into my day. I was the poster child of the harried mom, complete with unwashed hair hidden under a bandanna and spit-up stains on her shirt. I came to realize that this was NOT ok---for several reasons. I appeared lazy and slovenly to those around me. As a full time homemaker I quite often feel that I am in a constant struggle with society to value and respect what I do....but I was not dressing for success. My darling husband, who loves me and thinks I am beautiful even in his castoffs, would practically cheer when I would dress up a little. I also was not very confident, and felt like I was hiding, and in turn others around me ignored me. and Finally, as a follower of the teachings of Jesus, I realized I was making Christianity/motherhood/homemaking/femininity look unattractive. The very things I held in highest esteem I was dishonoring! I am NOT going to quote the typical scriptures used for the wearing of dresses, I am not trying to convince anybody what they should do in their own walk with God. This is just where I am.

For the past 6 (?) months I have been a "Dresses-most-of-the-time" lady, and I have noticed a marked difference in my life! A skirt and blouse automatically look nicer than an old pair of sweats. And, amazingly, are just as easy to pull on in a sleep induced haze! My wonderful husband quite likes the way I look now...though I suspect it has something to do with seeing my bare legs, and the added spring in my step from confidence. I am no longer ashamed of my appearance in public, and I am comfortable feeling that I can walk into any situation and be dressed appropriately. People treat me differently now. Since I have added dresses to my head-coverings (which I had been doing for about a year previously, but that is another topic) I feel that people treat me with greater respect. I have had strange teenage boys in their baggy pants run ahead to doors and open them for me, older gentlemen now look me in the eye and compliment my well-behaved (sometimes) children. Young ladies call me Ma'am, and Older ones smile in appreciation (the really older non-feminist ones anyway). I have been complimented on my "great faith" and find that people simply assume you must be very spiritual if you go about town wearing dresses with your head covered. Actually, If you look at the "big-three monotheistic religions" Modesty, feminine clothing and head covering at different times is a common theme. On a side note, if you pay attention you can actually tell what religious sect a woman belongs to by the way she dresses...but I digress.

Now to the point of this post....I loved reading blogs where the ladies posted their "week in feminine dress" so, here is mine I will post every day this week, even if It is just a quick photo and one-line caption.

SUNDAY: Catch-up and Projects day. Today I had a pretty lazy day, just kept up with the dishes and laundry for chores. I spent the greater part of the morning building and re-building a fort for my little ones to play in. I also snuggled with my hubby and watched a couple of movies. Here I am hanging my laundry hoping it will dry in this newly fall weather:

This is one of my favorite skirts for casual work. it's denim, and a nice length. I won this head covering on a give away hosted by "domestic Tranquility" I received a wonderful grab-bag of headscarves from "cover your hair" woo hoo!

More hanging of laundry. Please ignore the large spider plant that fell down and I haven't made time to thin it out and re-hang it. it's on my list for nap time today. You can see our upstairs balcony and the common area downstairs in this shot.

More to come later!

My Home Management binder

One of these days I will really figure out all this technology...sorry about the blurred pictures. I'll just have to "talk" more.

I love my Home Management Binder. When I actually use the thing I seem to get so much more done during the day. As of this moment, I have cleaned my entire house, finished lunch and have both the babies down for a nap. I am now in my "free time" allotment in my schedule...and boy am i being predictive! I am currently uploading any pics we have onto Shutterfly as well as blogging! Woo hoo!

Basically the idea of a HMB is to organize yourself, and to have everything we need to run a home in one convenient location! I have schedules and routines as well as cleaning tips and meal plans all in one spot. I have a different binder for all our financial stuff. So, here are a few of my "sections" I chose artwork I have long admired for my section dividers, It makes me happy to look at them. Here are the pics of the ones I have finished.


This is my schedules and routines section...it contains all of my schedules and routines, Go figure. I do have a master schedule for days at home, it reminds me of what we are supposed to do and at what time. the boys routines are there too. I am currently trying to get them both on the same nap schedule. It worked today. I also list all my cleaning routines in here. I focus on a different room each day. Today was the kitchen. I am happy to say it is tidy and even mopped!

Meal plans and menus: I love this section. I was the head cook at a school for my last paid job, and therefore delight in planning ahead my food. We have very little waste now, I try and vary the meals enough that we don't get bored. I even have a section to hold new recipes to try. I do a new one at least twice a month.

Projects! whoo hoo! I keep a nice long list here of projects to do and goals I have for my home so when I am bored (ha!) I can work to a goal. I tend to forget what It is i wanted to do in the first place so this helps.

I also have sections for Personal Contacts, Homeschooling/child training, Cleaning Tips and a Prayer List section. There is no pretty artwork yet. I will be searching for some as soon as I finish this up!

After?

I have been terribly excited and anxious to post the before and after photos of my house....only to realize that I was missing several "befores" So, I have a few afters. This is my Kitchen...just try and imagine it stacked up with boxes and every surface cluttered with things. I had planned on finishing my living room first, but in typical me style this is what got done first. Every cabinet was emptied, scrubbed out and re-organised, after a major purge of course. I doubled my food storage area and now have quite a stockpile built up. I even re-bottled my spices in order to keep the ones I use most in the little rack. the most painful part was going through the china hutch and removing items. I know have one whole area cleaned out that the boys like to put their things in. The under-sink area is also re-vamped. I re-located our cereal boxes down into a lower cabinet. I also learned why you need to pre-shrink fabrics.....I washed my homemade curtains...and now they are about 1 1/2 in. too short. Garrett likes them that way, easier to clean off the sill...maybe I will just leave them. I hung a basket for my veggies, and also got a few tiny crates to hold our vitamins and a basket to hold coffee making supplies. So far the new system is working pretty efficiently.

Here is the new "de-cluttered" counter space, there is only a single "layer" of items on the counter top...please forgive the dishes in the sink. I just can't seem to keep up with them.

See what I mean about the curtains? But you can also see the really nifty shelf my wonderful hubby built for me out of the broken bookshelf. Now all my paperwork and my current projects have a landing place...other than the table.

The re-organized china hutch...never mind the cluttered family room area and the box of sewing supplies. You can also see the very edge of the ironing board Dad and Garrett hung for me. I must say I have done more ironing in the last month than the previous 5 years of marriage.

Hooray for baskets and containers! The pink box will find another home as soon as we consume all the foodstuffs in it, but I must say it looks tidier than the 15 cereal boxes we used to have stacked there.

introspection continued

You have the most amazing epiphanies at three in the morning while you are covered in vomit whilst attempting to calm down a very sick two year old.
This is what I was meant to do. This is the task I am doing for the Kingdom of God. There is no one else who can soothe the children that the Lord has given me in the way I can. Who else would be willing to cherish and tenderly care for TWO sick children, who like to take turns interrupting mommy's sleep with pitiful cries and lots of messes. Who else would strip their bed clothing, wash and change them and rock them back to sleep? It is the small things that add up to powerful memories.
My challenge is to do all with a cheerful heart. I didn't succeed too well, especially during nap time when I tried to catch a few winks to catch up....and got disturbed and woken up 5 times in 1 hour. This is my cross to bear, it is also one of the greatest rewards.
The boys are both feeling much better. The first night was the worst...I had no idea so much could come out of such little bodies...from both ends no less. The second night I prepped ahead, both boys beds were double-made with waterproof layers in between, I had spare jammies, diapers and towels laid out in the bathroom, and the washer filled up with sudsy water just waiting to go (it is loud on the filling and I didn't want to disturb anyone). It came in handy, but luckily we only had one up with tummy troubles that night.
I am quite contented, now that the worst is over. This is my Mission field. My Calling. Now if I can just keep eternity's values in view and not get all caught up in the grouchies.

introspection

There was a time in my life when I was desperate to do something of great significance for the Kingdom of God. I longed to make an eternal impact, to leave a mark, so to speak. As I pondered my future I had opposing thoughts. The first was how can I serve the lord if I do not have a Husband? The second, how can I serve Him if I do? The apostle Paul lets young ladies know, that before they are married they are single-hearted in their devotion to God. (1 Corinthians 7:34 (New International Version) An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband.) A married woman lives divided, attempting to please her husband and her Lord.
I can say this is absolutely true! The single years I had after I recommitted my life to God, and before I met my husband, were a time of rapid spiritual growth. I experienced a freedom to go wherever I was needed and served Him at various Youth camps.

After Garrett and I married, I found that my spiritual growth changed. For a time, I felt it had stopped, but hindsight puts it in a clearer light. Marriage has been a crucible for me. I don't like introspection, in fact, I can be quite fearful of it. However, when I was young I prayed that the Lord bring any circumstance into my life to mold me into the woman He wants me to be. Tough prayer. Lately I have been confronted with some very uncomfortable facts about myself. I have learned that, indeed, I am not perfect. sometimes, I am not even "not too bad" the Lord has revealed to me many aspects of my character that are not good. I am attempting to remedy them now. I am sure that life will bring them to the forefront time and time again. I am learning to welcome adversity. with every new trial, i am strengthened, and refined a bit more. Eventually I hope to be a woman of great faith, who is able to tackle any problem with a peaceful spirit. so, today I say, Bring it on Lord!

Almost done...

Ha! nearly "done" with my Living room project! I decided to wait on the floral arrangements and will be taking picutures as soon as my DH gets the camping gear out of here!

Pillow covers

I finally did it! I am down to the last few items on my to do list for the living room. Just the other day I woke up at 5 am, and, after stumbling about in a muddled cloud while attempting to fix a cup of coffee I realized how quiet it was in the house. It was just perfect to do some sewing. All of my previous attempts to do so while the boys are awake simply ended int frustration and tears--from all of us! So the entire project took roughly and hour and fifteen minutes, and that includes the time to rummage about and find my materials and set up. I did not clean up. In fact, I still have not. I probably should as J. is fascinated with the sewing machine and will not stay away. So here are the pictures. I don't have a pattern, in fact I don't even measure half the time. I just kind of eyeball it. so far it has worked for me. I also did a set of matching curtain tie-backs but didn't take pictures of the process.

Here is the before shot. As you can see, the pillow is fraying and does not actually match the couch. When we bought it at the thrift store it appeared to be a lovely tan with green undertones. When we got it home it had changed into this red-brown color that doesn't quite go.

Here I am, hard at work on the kitchen floor in my pj's and robe, as you can see the kids have been playing here and I still have not cleaned up--just so you know I am NOT perfect! (note: I just realized that this pic is actually of me working on the tiebacks, but I don't know how to re-arrange things so I will just pretend it goes here)

This is how I cut the cloth: I folded it over into thirds, laid the pillow on top, and cut the edges so they fit around. Note the perfect straight lines ;)

This is just to show that it will, indeed fit. I am creating a pillow-sham type covering, with overlapping fabric in the back instead of zippers or buttons--which are beyond my ability at such an early hour.

Sewing. I used a total of 4 pins to hold the overlap together. I really really hate pinning even if it does make things easier. Note the entirely spotless work area...not! I'm working on keeping the table cleared off, but for now it's my only work area.

Here is the cover, half on, the other half comes around and will overlap it a bit.

Ta da! all on, and it fits just perfectly! The other is just the same (I had 2 pillows, but only took pictures of the first one.)

Here it is, on the couch. I must say it looks much better. I will, eventually, put some embroidery on it, but for now I need to finish unpacking the house, and finish up crocheting a baby blanket for a very pregnant friend.

Pies, babies and dinner

The boys are happily playing duplos together on the floor, and I am equally happy in ignoring a large pile of clean laundry to write this.

I love baking. I really truly love it. My mother taught me how with the help of a Vintage Betty Crocker cookbook. It had the most amazing section just on cakes, I think i have baked--and ate every one of them. We both share the sentiment that box mixes are cheating. Such good memories. Our oven has been broken for over a year now, and it has been AGONY. Then again, I have lost alot of weight. So, I guess it all evens out.

My Sister in Law and I spent Wednesday together and we baked pies. It felt soooo good to cut the butter into the flour, and to roll out the crust once again. She had never made one before and I had a great deal of fun in showing her how...and also remembering again how it is I do it too! She made the most wonderful peach pie, in fact, I think it was the best ever. Seriously. I made and apple, as it is Garrett's favorite. He loved it. But, now we are back on our diet after a few weeks off and alas, my menu plans and baking did not reflect this change.

brb baby crying

sorry about that, I had to soothe S. who can't bear my being on the PC with him on the other side of the gate as well as explain to J. that cookie monster's feet are too tiny to put shoes on, we settled for socks.

Looks like I have to cut this short...here is my update on getting the Front room cleaned out:

All i have left is the decorator items, hanging curtains, sewing tie-backs and pillow covers and making a flower arrangement.



Today's menu:

Irish Oatmeal with milk, fresh peaches

Bean and cheese Quesadillas, Guacamole

"Lazy Lasagna" (done in crock pot-see previous wailing about oven) green salad and zucchini

"Before" pictures

Alright, I just spent the last 45 mins searching for these images on my PC, and managed to re-arrange and save them and get them posted. I'm tired now. Here are the "before" shots.
They are quite old, but this is generally what my living room looked like prior to our packing fiasco.

I will post the new ones when I finish up this project, hopefully by the end of the week. So far I have accomplished:

Financial Paperwork

Meal plans

grocery shopping

dusting

Unpacked 3 boxes

cleared book shelf and shelved books

Sigh, don't think ill ever finish!

What I indended

What I intended to do this morning was rise early and start my day by blogging. Well, I did wind up rising early...Garrett woke up at 4:30 and decided to stay up for the day so he has been puttering about the house cleaning up and organizing...I love it when he gets in these moods. I got up an hour later, and now about 45 mins after that my mind is finally awake enough to perform simple tasks.

What I intend to do in a day is not, often, what happens. I am learning to just go with the flow. I am also adopting a trick my mother taught me, to add the items I did do to my "to do" list and then check them off. That way I can see what I did, and not what I didn't do. So, let's ponder the day shall we. Hmm.... My priority right now is to finish up cleaning and unpacking the living room (yes, I still haven't done that yet) so here is my first "to-do" list. This will not all get done today, but I need to have a reference list of what needs to be done in here.

Financial paperwork (it takes a long time to work out our ever-changing budget)
Meal plans
Grocery shopping
bag up goodwill stuff
Dust
wash mini blinds
hang mini blinds
hang curtains
sew pillow covers
sew curtain tie-backs
make seasonal flower arrangement
Hang pictures
organize cd's
find a new home for toolbox
move rocking chair
clean out file cabinet
take pictures of cleaned rooms for home tour.

Whew I am tired already! I am going to see if I can find the "before" pictures I once took so I can post them with the "after" pics later! Will update you soon!

5 years

It has been Five years since Garrett and I married, and over 2 years since we have had any sort of vacation with out the children. So, I finally did it, we left the babies with the grandparents and took off for the day to San Francisco. One of our all time favorite day trips is wandering about the city on foot. This time we decided to stay overnight, so I booked us a room at the "Queen Anne Hotel" in Pacific Heights. It was amazing! There are a few pictures scattered throughout this blog of various bits of the hotel

The exterior

One of the main reasons we decided to stay there was the decor. Both of us enjoy old, expensive things! The service was exceptional and we really enjoyed our suite, which had a fireplace and a lovely canopy bed, which we thought was older at first, but it turned out to be a very nice reproduction. We decided that someday when we have our "dream home" we'll get one (as there is no way to fit it into our current bedroom!)

The Lobby area

We wandered about the area on Friday afternoon and had a late lunch of Pizza, at a fantastic little place--One huge slice of pizza and a soda for only $3! I had a chicken and grilled onion pizza with a chipotle-marinara sauce, it was much better than expected and I think I will try and re-create it in my own kitchen sometime.

The Lounge

We rose early, hoping to catch the breakfast, and found we were too early, so we took another walk, and wound up at Lafayette Park, we sat on a bench and watched the fog dissipate over the bay. I have never been in The City so early, and was pleasantly surprised at how quiet it was. I could definitely live there, at least part time! Breakfast was much the same as in any other hotel, except for the room of course! It was fantastic, the wall coverings actually had Velvet embossed motifs.

The staircase

We spent the rest of the morning travelling to and from Pier 39. We were in search of a very specific music box, but alas! the store could not make a "custom" piece, so we will try again online. I had such a wonderful time re-connecting with Garrett, it was almost a relief to know that we could still have fun with one another, that we still had a great deal of things in common other than the kids. We would like to do these little trips more frequently, maybe take in an Opera next time. The last five years have been some of the most adventurous...I would not trade a single day of it for anything in this world.

So today I am back to my usual non-routine. Snuggling babies and cooking breakfast, packing lunches and sending my Hubby off to work. I need to get going, as I have been neglecting my to-do list in order to update you!

Filling up the Love tank

I'm pretty sure my toddler J. is running on empty. He has been more grumpy and aggressive than normal. He starts sobbing whenever the baby cries, and has even tried to push the baby over from time to time. We have had a couple of really stressful weeks and I am afraid they have taken their toll on his emotions. Yesterday I started giving J. focused attention, without the baby. I made a point of putting S. down when J. needed something. I spent quite a bit of time sitting on the couch and snuggling, and we had a great rough-housing session with him jumping off of the couch and into my arms. I did notice a bit of difference in his attitudes by evening. He nursed for a shorter time, and went to bed without any problems.

This morning he only snuggled for about 5 mins, as opposed to his usual 15 and then he went off to play by himself. He is now happily coloring with daddy and has left me alone to finish this blog entry (which usually never happens, I quite often type to the sound of crying)

Several years ago i read a book titled "The 5 love languages" which has a theory that we all give and receive love in 5 basic ways. J. is most definitely a "quality time" child. He doesn't really snuggle much--he prefers to play with you or read together. When he is given enough attention he becomes a much more peaceful happy child. when his tank runs low he begins to act out in order to get attention. The more I work with this theory the more convinced I am that it is a good one. It also puts a lot of behaviours into perspective. I don't feel right in punishing him for a behaviour that I, ultimately, helped to happen.

If you haven't read the book yet, give it a try, I believe there is a version for children now. let me see if i can figure out how to put a link in:

http://www.amazon.com/Five-Love-Languages-Children/dp/1881273652/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248880271&sr=8-3

This is the book for kids, which I have not read yet, but am assuming it has the same stuff as the original, only with a different focus.

Here is the original: I highly recommend it for married couples, however you can use the principals for any relationship, really, if you change things up (certian recommended activities just don't translate, but you can substitute others in.)

http://www.amazon.com/Five-Love-Languages-Heartfelt-Commitment/dp/1881273156/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248880271&sr=8-1

Early to rise

I did it!~ I actually got out of bed at 5:30 today! Okay, so it helped that J. had woken up and wanted to nurse and snuggle a bit. So I puttered about and got myself a cup of coffee and here I am! I often feel that I can get so much more done in a day if I just get up a little bit before the rest of the household. Of course, sometimes it means that I spend all my time at the Computer, checking my favorite blogs and online mommy communities. Either way, at least I don't feel desperate for "me" time later in the day. The Boys room is completely re-done now. I have finished cleaning it out and re-organizing. We started unpacking our boxes now, so J. has all of his toys back. I have found it is incredibly hard organizing toys with a toddler and a crawler wanting to help--and by help I mean play with whatever I just put into the bin.

I was also able to sort thru my half of the closet and gather about a large trash bag full of clothing I can donate, which is quite a lot considering I did the same thing 6 months ago and gave away 3 bags. I am starting to only retain the clothing I absolutely love-it feels quite good actually!

i have also discovered I am better at doing chores that don't require much forethought in the morning, as I am struggling in vain to make a point to all of this. I guess I can do my "goals" list for today.

Tidy Kitchen
re-organize food storage areas
Clean out Under the sink (its really cluttered)
Re-arrange spices (put ones I actually use in the rack and toss the old stuff)
Take a shower (when the hot water kicks in)
Wash Kitchen Mini-blinds
Do some laundry (If I say "all" it will never happen)
Fold some laundry
Put some laundry away

Whew! Alright, just for fun I will track what I actually did today and update this post later on this evening.



UPDATE: Here is my refined list of what I actually accomplished:

Cooked and served Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Held and calmed 2 very fussy babies S. is teething and J. is feeling left out
Cleaned out and re-organized food storage cabinets
washed, dried and folded 1 load of laundry (didn't put away, neglected large mountian of clean laundry sitting in chair)
Cleaned the Kitchen, twice
Cleaned out under the fridge (with help from Garrett)
Cleaned up living room (twice, not vaccuumed though)
mailed off important paperwork
Blogged
Researched a weekend getaway for our anniversary
Watched a James Bond flic with hubby
Showered, even got my hair washed.

whew! Didn't actually get my list done, but did alot anyway!

NCC--1701

Things are settling down around here. It seems the plumbing issue is resolved for now. Plans are going forward to fix it permanently. I am still de-cluttering and cleaning out my home, and have been quite happy with the results. My book collection has been minimized. We got rid of one shelf. and my wonderful husband Garrett used the pieces to build me a smalll shelf for the kitchen, which now holds my sewing machine, project supplise, Home management binder as well as my plant and radio. The front hall closet now has space to hold the vaccuum, The giant pile of laundry now has a home in seperate sorting baskets its making it easy to grab a load and wash! The boys room is now free of all of the excess junk we were storing in there. It feels so open and bright now!

Today was Garrett's birthday. We have had a rough couple of weeks and decided to keep things simple, so I surprised him with a cake. Some of my best birhtday memories were of mom handmaking me a cake so I thought it would be a nice gift for him. I was feeling creative after watching the Food Network yesterday so I made him the Starship Enterprise. I don't know how to use fondant, so I did it with Grandma's frosting recipe. I was quite pleased with the results as was he. Here is a quick step by step photo montage...






First I started with cake! I used an 8 in circle and an 8 in square.














I covered a piece of cardboard and my inverted cake pan with foil, as well as two hot cocoa packages. As this would be a 3D creation.





Then I shaped and placed the cake.











Lots and lots of frosting









I used store bought frosting in a spray can for the detail work...It was terrible! So I put it in a piping bag, it helped but not by much....next time I will just settle for (home-made) gray instead of the black.












Here it is with the Nacelles




















Ta Da!













The final look, as it goes down in flames!










Overall it was a great little suprise, and all it took was creativity and time. Garrett has already put in his order for his 30th--he wants the Battlestar Gallactica. Thankfully I will have a couple of years to figure that one out!!

We will round out the birthday celebration by going out to see a local minor-league baseball game tonight. The boys will have a great time bonding over that, I hope!

Blessed Releif

It seems that the plumbing issue may actually be fixed. The HOA called a different plumber who offered to do it for HALF the price and take payments! The line is unclogged at this point and the puddles are gone. I have decided to leave most of our possessions boxed up and clean/re-organize the entire house! And this time, Garrett is on board as well!! He helped me sort through my books, and even took my broken bookshelf and used the materials to make a smaller shelf to hold my projects in the kitchen. I have to go now, we are clearing out the boy's closet. Currently it is stuffed with our projects and things, we hope to get at least half of it useable before G has to go to work.

Radical Decluttering

On Thursday evening, the plumbing lines for the condo units backed up into the storm drains and flooded the yard and common areas. We were basically informed that the buildings could be condemned for this, and we would all be evicted untill the problem was fixed. Hoever, the HOA is broke as nobody is paying our dues. We spent the weekend packing up our most treasured possesions, as if we get a "404B" from environmental health, we may only have hours to evacuate. Sigh. Just as I was settling in it seems I may have to make new adjustments. Contentment is really really hard right now, especially with so many offical loooking vans and trucks going in and out today....I just need to know if I need to find another place to live permanently, or if this will get fixed. Either way I am doing a massive de-cluttering, and have really had an opportunity to see what it is I really value. For example, If I had to leave in a matter of hours I would take my spinning wheel, but leave the couch.
I'll post more as things happen.

Beginning the journey

At last, both of my little ones are down for a nap, and I have about 10 mins of "quiet time" to myself. I have been doing a lot of reflecting lately on how cluttered life can get, both physically with possessions and activities as well as mentally and emotionally. This year I am attempting to Simplify my life, and learn how to be satisfied with what I have...hence the title of my blog "Simple--Satisfaction"

When I think about living simply it conjures up images of rolling country side and sheep scattered about, a large flock of hens scratching through a garden, long lines of freshly laundered linens drying in the sun, along with lots of children running about climbing trees and swimming in creeks.
I do not have that.
I have quite the opposite of that.
We live in a condo, an upstairs condo, with a sun-deprived balcony in a smallish city that has more than its share of violent crime, foreclosures, and the distinct honor of being one of the top five "most miserable places to live" in the USA. We do, however, have a cat, and two beautiful little boys, and I am the proud owner of a mostly sturdy drying rack which will hold exactly one small load of laundry at a time.

This lack of the ideal setting will not stop me in the journey towards simplicity, however. I believe that a simple life can be lived anywhere under almost any circumstances. So here I stand the woman living in the fine line between city and suburbia seeking out what Simplicity means to me, and to my family.

The current focus is "Clutter" I am going to go through my house and get rid of the clutter. not just bag it up and set it by the door to sit for months on end before I get back down to the Goodwill, but actually bag it and give it away.

Today I cleaned out the medicine cabinet and tossed quite a few empty bottles and expired medicines. I also re-organized the area under the bathroom sink and found I had more than enough shampoo, sunblock, toothpaste and cleaning supplies to last me through the Apocalypse. In adititon to thet, I had an overwhelming feeling of peace and joy, and need i say, Satisfaction? Now when I open my cabinet I am no longer privy to a hail of perscription bottles, I am instead greeted with cheerful rows of boxes and bottles organized on shelves, one for each family member.

So, what are you going to do today? What one simple step can you take to de-clutter your life?

So, as I have been overwhelmed over the last month or so, I am going to joinn "Down--to--Earth" in a simple home audit and a "no spending" week, in which I will not spend any money from july 3 thru the 9th. I am currently in the process of re-simplifying.... Join in!

When illness gets in the way...

Life can get quite busy. At times I feel as if I am drowning in a mountian of laundry and that my dishes will always, always sit in the draining rack. And then, something happens to refocus my attention. This week it was illness. Seriously. Both my boys got sick, you know, the runny nose/congestion/cough/fever. Now, when germies strike young children (8 mos and 2 yrs) there is not much you can do, other than constantly wiping noses and snuggling. Now, i suppose in my sleep deprived and touched-out state it could have been too easy to throw my hands up and surrender. but Motherhood takes no prisoners and therefore I had to soldier on. And you know what? I found some joy in it. I realized how thankful I was to be the one soothing them to sleep, giving them nice aromatherapy baths and yes, wiping noses and changing lots and lots of poopy diapers. It was me, not someone else like a nanny or childcare worker. My babies will have the memory of mommy taking care of their needs and "fixing" everything. And I will always treasure the memory of two little fevered heads nestling down on my chest and drifting off to sleep. And also having a much needed break as I couldn't really move them without somebody waking up. It all depends on our attitude. I will be grateful for the time I do have with them, because time passes so quickly and soon they will be grown with families of their own, and I will have treasures stored up in my heart.

Testing...testing

Hello all, welcome to my journey...I hopw to share with you my thoughts and reflections as I journey through life learning to find contentment in all situations.