I know I've been promising these pictures for awhile...and here they are! My hubby gave our master bedroom a major renovation. Click below to see the pictures!
Showing newest posts with label Homemaking. Show older posts
Showing newest posts with label Homemaking. Show older posts
Monday, April 5, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Mama Said There'll Be Days Like This
Each day of my life is different - and some days are better than others.
Some days I’m doing great. I wake up feeling good and I have time to mentally prepare myself for my day. The kids have a good day – there’s none (or very few) fights, everybody’s pretty happy and things are good. I get some things accomplished. My house is picked up and overall, pretty clean. I spend some time doing a hobby I really enjoy. I get some lovely mail from a family member and no bills! I’ve been able to make a meal, do a little writing and spend some quality time with my husband. We do something fun as a family. I may even have worked out a little. I'm feeling great about myself. I'm a good mom! A great wife! Just an all-around wonderful human being.
Then there are those other days...
I wake up groggily (and way too early, might I add) to the sound of screeching. My son’s already awake and running around, cackling wildly. My baby girl, her blankets, her sheets and the crib are covered in foul smelling green poop - hence the screeching I heard. While I'm changing her, my son is busy unrolling the toilet paper, dumping cereal on the floor and tearing practically every toy he has out. He has a horrible "I'm not listening and am going to be awful" day. I have a fight with my husband and end up pouting and fuming all day. All we get in the mail are bills that are due immediately. I get bad news from a family member. I've been puked on, peed on and pooped on fives times, but give up changing my clothes and just wear a smelly shirt. Dinner gets burnt (if it even gets made) and after staying up with the kids, I end up falling into bed around three thirty in the morning. I am not feeling like a good ANYTHING.
Obviously, these are extreme examples but that's the way life is sometimes. "Some days you're the windshield, some days you're the bug." Or perhaps "some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue." Whatever it is, bad things happen and it stinks. But it's good to be mindful of the things we have to be thankful for when we're going through bad times. It can be difficult though. When my kids are going through a not-so fun stage, I try to focus on the good things about that stage - and I try to remember that it will be but the blink of an eye and then they'll be twenty!
That's just life. It's wonderfully chaotic. And I wouldn't trade it for anything. :)
Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars. - Henry Van Dyke
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Laundry Room Makeover Contest
I got an email from MomSelect yesterday about this really cool contest and wanted to share it with you all:
If your laundry room is plain and boring or a downright dungeon, you just might be in desperate need of a laundry room makeover. Wisk Laundry Detergent is teaming up with TV's Designing Spaces to pimp-out one laundry room in dire need of a face-lift as part of the "Wisk Pimp My Laundry Room" video contest.
Just enter a short video anytime between March 1 and March 29 at LaundryHE.com explaining why you deserve a laundry room makeover and Wisk could be on your doorstep with their partners-in-design, Whirlpool's DreamLaundry Solutions team led by Bill Thomas and Emily Johnston, owner of the interior design firm EJ Interiors and founder of Materials Girls Blog. Together, they'll take your laundry room from drab to fab in no time thanks to a laundry room makeover complete with a new Whirlpool High Efficiency (HE) washer/dryer set and a year's worth of Wisk HE Laundry Detergent. Even better, you'll get to star in your very own episode of Designing Spaces!
The top Finalists will be featured on LaundryHE.com from April 12 - 19 and the Grand Prize Winner will be chosen by popular ballot - so be sure to get your friends and family online and voting! Even better, a vote is an automatic entry to a sweepstakes for a year's supply of Wisk HE Laundry Detergent! Check out the website for full rules and to enter!
Disclosure: I am posting about this contest for one, to let you know about it and for two, to enter to win a bottle of detergent and/or a year's worth of detergent from Wisk.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Why I Love Laundry
Another reason I like folding laundry is because while I'm folding, I see our life unfold in each and every article of clothing. When my husband and I were first married, it was just my clothes and his. Well, and towels and sheets. Occasionally blankets. But you know what I mean. The clothes I have folded over the years for myself have shrunk and grown to accommodate my pregnant body and the {very} occasional weight loss. My husband's clothes have varied from his different job and family responsibilities – work shirts, pajamas, old clothes for working in the yard or other projects, church clothes. Some of our clothes have memories in them too - the shirt my husband wore the night we met, an old sweatshirt I got at a concert a long time ago, a favorite maternity shirt.
And then there's my kids. Their clothes (and the babies themselves) start out teeny tiny. And don't we just "ooh" and "aah" over all the witty bitty socks and the tiny little onesies? But for something so teeny tiny, they go through a LOT of clothes. All that puking, pooping, peeing and spitting up means changing them several times a day. But before you know it, they've grown out of the newborn, the 0 - 3 months, the 6 - 9 months and so on and so forth. Their clothes get bigger and bigger - and you go through the various stages, phases and trends. My son's clothes have been adorned with Pooh Bear, Thomas the Train, Spiderman and Star Wars, just to name a few. And before I know it, he'll be taller than me and probably arguing with me about pulling up his pants. ;)
I know time is only going to go faster...but it stops for a moment when I get to fold laundry.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Start off the New Year By Getting Organized!
I did a giveaway with Bonnie on my old blog and I'm happy to provide a guest post from her today about organization! She has lots of good tips & tricks so be sure to check out her website listed at the bottom of the post.
Start off the New Year by Getting Organized!
January is National Get Organized Month
By Bonnie Joy Dewkett
Every year you say you are going to do it; get organized and get rid of the clutter and junk that is preventing you from enjoying your home and spending more time with your family. However, every year your New Year’s resolution falters your home becomes increasingly disorganized and full of items you don’t need and don’t use. This January, during National Get Organized month, take back your home and your free time by using these organizational tips:
In the Closet
Problem: My closet is too crowded, and I seem to wear the same clothes every week.
Solution: Only have one season’s clothing in your closet at a time. Even if you feel you can fit more, don’t. This will allow you to view all of your choices for the season at one time, and you are less likely to have items go unworn.
Problem: You are not sure if you should get rid of some clothes.
Solution: Turn all your clothes in your closet to face one way. As you wear them, turn the hanger around. If you haven’t worn an item by the end of the month, donate or sell it.
For the Home
Problem: Instead of staying home and enjoying time with your family, you have to go shopping because a light bulb burned out.
Solution: Buy household items such as light bulbs, batteries, toilet paper and paper towels in bulk. Buy a specific set of shelves for your basement, garage, or pantry to house your supply.
Problem: You are caught off guard by birthdays and other life events.
Solution: Buy greeting cards in bulk every few months. Make sure to join a greeting card company’s preferred member club so that you can take advantage of the benefits they offer for buying numerous cards. Also, purchase and utilize a greeting card organizer so that all of your greeting cards are in one place and you can determine if you need to purchase more of a specific type of card.
Problem: You run around to purchase last minute gifts.
Solution: Purchase gift cards when you visit restaurants, department stores, etc. Keep these cards in your greeting card organizer so you have a one-stop card and gift shop in your home.
Problem: It takes you hours to sort through all of your junk email and mail.
Solution: Pick a week or month and for each piece of email or junk mail you receive during that time, take the time to contact the company to opt out of their email list, mailing list etc. You will also be helping the environment.
Problem: You waste time preparing to clean by collecting all the products you will need.
Solution: Create a cleaning basket with all the necessary products fro each floor of your home. Superstores sell baskets with handles designed for this purpose.
Problem: You lose a button on your favorite blouse and you know it came with spare buttons, you just don’t know when you put them.
Solution: Create a button bin. When you buy a new item of clothing, label the buttons (for example: Sally’s black blouse) and immediately add the items to the bin.
In the Kitchen
Problem: It is a busy night and you can’t figure out what restaurants deliver.
Solution: Keep take out menus in a three ring binder. Organize them alphabetically or by cuisine for quick decisions and a quick fix on a busy night. Also include an envelope of dollar bills for tips for delivery drivers.
Problem: Making portable lunch for your kids and family takes too much time at night.
Solution: On the day you grocery shop enlist the help of family members to make baggies of healthy snacks, fruits and veggies. For the refrigerated items use a plastic tote to store all of the choices in one location. For non-refrigerated items, use a bowl or a glass jar to make choices quick and available to kids for healthy snacking.
Problem: Every week you add the same items to your shopping list.
Solution: Create a master list with the items your family needs every week, such as milk, bread, or peanut butter. Make copies of the list and keep them on hand. Make a line for the date on the top.
The most important thing to remember about getting organized is that although it may be time consuming and even stressful now, an organized home will allow you to live a less stressful life and will even allow you to spend more time doing the things you love.
- Bonnie Joy Dewkett, CPO® is an organizing expert, author, and motivational speaker. Her company, The Joyful Organizer®, creates and implements organizational systems for the home or office. These changes allow her Customers to create calm from chaos at work and at home. Bonnie has achieved the prestigious designation of Certified Professional Organizer, CPO®, from The Board of Certification for Professional Organizers. She is a member of The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and has published The Joyful Organizer's Guide to a Joyful Move which is available on her website http://www.thejoyfulorganizer.com.
Every year you say you are going to do it; get organized and get rid of the clutter and junk that is preventing you from enjoying your home and spending more time with your family. However, every year your New Year’s resolution falters your home becomes increasingly disorganized and full of items you don’t need and don’t use. This January, during National Get Organized month, take back your home and your free time by using these organizational tips:
In the Closet
Problem: My closet is too crowded, and I seem to wear the same clothes every week.
Solution: Only have one season’s clothing in your closet at a time. Even if you feel you can fit more, don’t. This will allow you to view all of your choices for the season at one time, and you are less likely to have items go unworn.
Problem: You are not sure if you should get rid of some clothes.
Solution: Turn all your clothes in your closet to face one way. As you wear them, turn the hanger around. If you haven’t worn an item by the end of the month, donate or sell it.
For the Home
Problem: Instead of staying home and enjoying time with your family, you have to go shopping because a light bulb burned out.
Solution: Buy household items such as light bulbs, batteries, toilet paper and paper towels in bulk. Buy a specific set of shelves for your basement, garage, or pantry to house your supply.
Problem: You are caught off guard by birthdays and other life events.
Solution: Buy greeting cards in bulk every few months. Make sure to join a greeting card company’s preferred member club so that you can take advantage of the benefits they offer for buying numerous cards. Also, purchase and utilize a greeting card organizer so that all of your greeting cards are in one place and you can determine if you need to purchase more of a specific type of card.
Problem: You run around to purchase last minute gifts.
Solution: Purchase gift cards when you visit restaurants, department stores, etc. Keep these cards in your greeting card organizer so you have a one-stop card and gift shop in your home.
Problem: It takes you hours to sort through all of your junk email and mail.
Solution: Pick a week or month and for each piece of email or junk mail you receive during that time, take the time to contact the company to opt out of their email list, mailing list etc. You will also be helping the environment.
Problem: You waste time preparing to clean by collecting all the products you will need.
Solution: Create a cleaning basket with all the necessary products fro each floor of your home. Superstores sell baskets with handles designed for this purpose.
Problem: You lose a button on your favorite blouse and you know it came with spare buttons, you just don’t know when you put them.
Solution: Create a button bin. When you buy a new item of clothing, label the buttons (for example: Sally’s black blouse) and immediately add the items to the bin.
In the Kitchen
Problem: It is a busy night and you can’t figure out what restaurants deliver.
Solution: Keep take out menus in a three ring binder. Organize them alphabetically or by cuisine for quick decisions and a quick fix on a busy night. Also include an envelope of dollar bills for tips for delivery drivers.
Problem: Making portable lunch for your kids and family takes too much time at night.
Solution: On the day you grocery shop enlist the help of family members to make baggies of healthy snacks, fruits and veggies. For the refrigerated items use a plastic tote to store all of the choices in one location. For non-refrigerated items, use a bowl or a glass jar to make choices quick and available to kids for healthy snacking.
Problem: Every week you add the same items to your shopping list.
Solution: Create a master list with the items your family needs every week, such as milk, bread, or peanut butter. Make copies of the list and keep them on hand. Make a line for the date on the top.
The most important thing to remember about getting organized is that although it may be time consuming and even stressful now, an organized home will allow you to live a less stressful life and will even allow you to spend more time doing the things you love.
- Bonnie Joy Dewkett, CPO® is an organizing expert, author, and motivational speaker. Her company, The Joyful Organizer®, creates and implements organizational systems for the home or office. These changes allow her Customers to create calm from chaos at work and at home. Bonnie has achieved the prestigious designation of Certified Professional Organizer, CPO®, from The Board of Certification for Professional Organizers. She is a member of The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and has published The Joyful Organizer's Guide to a Joyful Move which is available on her website http://www.thejoyfulorganizer.com.
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