before & after

Today I decided to tackle the monstrosity that is my bedside table. Periodically, I go through and organize the books in the basket, but it seems that in no time, it looks like this:


Blech.

I decided to swap out the bedside table for a really cute little cart that Marc bought recently at D.I. for $3.00.

I had originally planned to spray-paint it with the same bright green paint we used for the frames above our bed, but when I brought it up to our bedroom, I discovered that I loved it just the way it was! (But I did spend about 45 minutes scrubbing it down.)

Like just about every other project I ever embark on, this one took much longer than I anticipated.


But it is finished and it makes me happy!

I wonder how long it will look like this?

(terrible photos due to terrible lighting in our room, but... I had to show the results anyway!)

p.s. Eva saw my old table in the hallway and said, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?!" I knew what she was thinking, alright. I moved it in next to her bed (she has been pining after a bedside table). The scale is off for her room, but it is there for now and she is thrilled.

Monday Miscellany

First off, I just need to reiterate that I love Mondays. Even when Max is home sick from school, even when all I do is laundry and cleaning and bake bread, I just love Mondays. It feels like a day of restoring order. Plus, I don't have a lot of commitments on Mondays, so it kind of feels like my day.

Okay, so I didn't just do laundry and clean and bake bread. I may have also spent a chunk of time indulging my obsession with tutus and tulle skirts by doing a lot of web-surfing. I also found a couple of new blogs to love, including Ruffles and Stuff. Eva may just end up with a lot of ruffly, twirly skirts one of these days.

I may have also spend another chunk of time loading photos to work on my very first photo book, so exciting!

This morning we were coloring, and then I looked over and saw this. It made me smile.

But not her. She was outraged that I got my camera out and took a picture of her crayon creations before she added "Mom" to her list of words. Well. For all I know, she was going to swipe them all off the table the next second, so I had to act quickly. And look at that A. You know that orange crayon is going to roll off lickety split. What's a mom to do?

And then I looked over and saw this. She had apparently read the color names and made herself a little key! When did she learn how to read these words??

A little later, I dropped her off at preschool. We saw a dad arriving on his motorcycle, with his daughter sitting in front of him, with a helmet. Eva took one look and announced that someday she's going to buy a motorcycle and ride it to work at the dinosaur museum when she's a paleontologist. Well. I figured today was not the day for me to tell her how frightened I am of motorcycles...

I saw some noodles like these on a cooking blog and that was it. I had to have them. My local grocery store had some -- for $7! Um, no thanks. But I found them at Target for $3. More than I usually spend for pasta, but, as I said, I had to have them. (They were fabulous.) p.s. it turns out I saw them on Smitten Kitchen!

We ate them with this sauce. I know it doesn't look like much, and it isn't. The thing is, it was really tasty. Especially when we ate it with this on the side:

Oh baby. I'll get this recipe up soon. Like, soon. Because you need to taste this.

Emily was wearing this necklace when she came over yesterday. Again, oh baby. Can you even stand it? We started brainstorming about how we could recreate it. Because I think I really need it. Also, we want to make all kinds of fabric flowers. Because they're adorable.

How do you like this fine bit of jerryrigging? Marie told us in our organizing class that we could hook up a cupcake wrapper container to soak the shower head in vinegar (you know, to get rid of the hard water residue). I couldn't figure out how to make it work Marie-style, so I got jiggy with some yarn. Hey, it worked, so mock not. (Well, go ahead, you can mock a little.)

I have to say, it was pretty satisfying. As soon as I poured in the vinegar, it started fizzing and looking like it was getting right down to work. I left it on there for five hours. While I wouldn't say the shower head looks new or anything, it is a huge improvement.

I also tried out the Old English Lemon Oil trick on the glass shower door (also for afore-mentioned hard water deposits). Again, they are not completely gone, but I wish I had taken a before/after shot, maybe with half of it treated and half the way it was before. Back when we were living like animals.

**Multiple people have suggested we put our kids in a bubble. You know, like The Boy in the Bubble for the 21st century. Evidently, that's what it's come to.

five for friday, photoless edition

I seem to have taken amazingly few photos this week. I can't explain it.

1. On Sunday evening we went to see Marc sing in the Young Ambassadors' 40th anniversary fireside. It was held in the small theater of the Conference Center and was open to the performers' families. The fireside was recorded for broadcast and DVD, and thus we opted not to bring Eva. I could just hear her yelling, "This is too long!" or "I want to go home!" in between numbers... (Thanks, Aunt Michelle & Uncle Bob, for staying with Eva.)

When I told her she wouldn't be coming with us to the performance, she said, "That's okay. I just like listening to Daddy sing downstairs." He had been rehearsing all week to learn the songs, and it was like a continual serenade for the rest of us. The boys agreed that they had enjoyed hearing his practices, and so did I.

At the conclusion of the fireside, we were informed that they needed to redo two of the numbers (I hadn't noticed anything amiss), so it ran longer than expected. We didn't get home until after 11:00! But Eva did have a 3 hour nap on Monday...

2. I took Lucas and Eva to the dentist this week for their 6-month checkups. Lucas has 2 cavities; Eva has none. She is gloating quite a bit and keeps telling Lucas, "I told you you should brush your teeth!" Needless to say, Lucas is not enjoying that.

Also, the dentist's office is now selling Sonicare toothbrushes (at a discounted rate), and they said that someone like Lucas (teeth prone to decay and a lazy brusher) could really benefit from one. Lucas told me he wishes he could have one. Well, so do I! Do you think he'll save up $125 of his allowance? (it should only take a year or so...)

3. Last night I had a hard time getting Eva to get ready for bed. She was too busy making up songs on the piano about Mr. Ickle Dickles, her latest drawing creation. (He's a creepy guy with spikes who has minions of crocodile-like creatures.) Most of the lyrics are along the lines of, "he is creepy, he is scary," but there are some other details about what makes him so creepy/scary. Max was accompanying her, fleshing out the songs with appropriately eerie chords and runs, while Lucas was actually drawing his own staff paper and notating the repetitive chorus.

Can you blame me for moving bedtime a little later?? I only wish I had thought to grab my camera and get some video before the whole thing ended.

4. Yesterday I was vacuuming, and I noticed that the dirt cup was not filling up. With Jack around, it's just not possible that the carpet isn't covered with dog hair, so I knew something was up. I looked online for some troubleshooting possibilities and then downloaded the manual for our model. I diagnosed the problem, took apart the hoses, and discovered what was clogging up the works! I felt like a super hero: DIY Woman.

5. Wednesday's second-to-last meeting of our organization class was unexpectedly emotional for me. It was about teaching children to work, but ended up being a lot about parenting. It really got me thinking. And worrying that I've made too many mistakes already, and what if it's too late to salvage things?

And then, Jill and I ended up going and talking to the teacher for a few minutes afterward. The conversation took an unexpected turn which left me practically sobbing. I did not see that coming. I've been feeling emotionally fragile ever since, like I could start crying at any moment. I am not used to this! As Jill would say, "what is this salty discharge?!"

Jill mentioned that this class appears to be a defining event in my life -- perhaps down the road we will think in terms of before the class and after the class. I think she may be right.

p.s. I made some double chocolate banana bread last night to use up all of my overripe bananas. This morning I had a piece with a smear of peanut butter (a new innovation). Oh. my. gosh. As my aunt Denise says, "That is sure to make my pants fit better!" Yikes. I fear they may never fit again.

"brain box"

Many of you have been curious about the "brain boxes" that Jill and I made last week, so I'm posting my notes from last week's organizing class, as well as some photos of my box that might clear up some of your questions.

*Move toward housecleaning by mood to housecleaning by method. In other words, don't perform cleaning tasks when you feel like it. You might never feel like doing certain chores, or you might never feel like cleaning at all! When you have a method to keeping your home clean and organized, all needed tasks get done eventually.

The beauty of this idea is that once you have done whatever jobs you need to do each day, you don't have to think about cleaning anymore. You are free to do something else that you enjoy more.

That right there was the clincher for me. Normally I don't allow myself to do something that I want to do unless all my other work is done -- but all my other work is never done! With this method, I don't have to worry that I haven't changed the beds yet or that the fridge needs to be cleaned out, because I know I will get to it -- soon -- on its appointed day. This is so liberating to me.

Now, if I have accomplished all of the cards I have assigned myself for any given day (and I don't have to drive the kids somewhere, etc.), I will be free to do something for me, just because! Sewing, reading, knitting, learning Illustrator, writing notes, organizing my studio... all pleasing possibilities!

Here's the schematic:


Get a 3x5 index card box and some dividers. (Colorful, striped index cards are optional, but they make me happy.)

Label the tabs on your dividers as follows:

daily
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

*Order should be restored daily.
*Cleaning should be done weekly.
*Scrubbing should be done monthly or even less often.

Divide your household tasks among things that should be done daily, weekly, monthly, or seasonally. Make one card for each task and file accordingly.

Evaluate your schedule, and pace yourself. Don't assign yourself many jobs to do on a day that is busy with non-negotiable items such as kids' lessons and activities or work schedules. Alternate tasks and plan according to daily rhythms.

Some of my daily tasks include:

make beds
tidy family room
tidy bathrooms
plan dinner


some examples of weekly tasks:

Monday: laundry, grocery shopping
Tuesday: file bills/paperwork
Wednesday: dust
Thursday: vacuum, mop, bathrooms
Saturday: supervise kids' chores, purge fridge, finish up Sunday lesson


My monthly chores include:

change furnace filters
pay bills
vacuum furniture
clean stove hood
clean grout
prepare Conference activities/baskets (March & September)

and some of my seasonal tasks:

clean baseboards
clean out pantry
clean oven
flip mattresses

Obviously, this would be different for everyone. The idea is to figure out a schedule that works for you. I have a feeling that this is going to be a work in progress, and things may get shifted around. That's okay.

Some general notes on housecleaning:

-Housecleaning is not about keeping a house clean, it's about creating a little bit of heaven on earth.

-The Spirit loves to reside in a place of order and cleanliness.

-When we have an orderly home, we are all much more pleasant.

-Let your children duplicate your motions as much as they are willing and able.

-Quality is important with cleaning tools -- don't buy them at the grocery store. Check places like Home Depot or janitorial supply stores. Don't keep what doesn't work.

-Microfiber cloths drastically reduce the need for cleansers. Get as many things in microfiber as possible. (She had an awesome-looking mop with a microfiber head that I'd like to get my hands on.)

-White vinegar is the best thing to clean off hard water deposits. Use it to clean your shower heads, run it through an empty dishwasher or washing machine to clean.

-Use Old English lemon oil to get hard water spots off of a glass shower door. (I bought some, I'll let you know how it works.)

-Simple Green is the best kitchen de-greaser. (I have looked at Target, Walmart, and Harmon's and haven't been able to find it!)

-Scrubbing is not as good as soaking.

-A grout scrub brush is useful for all sorts of crevices and corners.

-You can buy handy disposable adhesive remover wipes at a medical supply store.

-Homemade Windex recipe:

1 t. ammonia
4 drops dish soap
1/4 c. rubbing alcohol
1 drop green food coloring (to distinguish it from water or other cleaners)
Put all in a spray bottle and fill with water. Also good for carpet stains.

-Biz will take out anything organic in the wash.

Marie has a website that has lots of useful information: www.houseoforder.com.

I'm excited about my new method! But I have to keep reminding myself that having the box all set up is not going to keep my home clean and organized. I have to actually do what I wrote on the cards every day...

**Edited to add:

- You are supposed to take out all the cards that you will work on for the day, then put them back in the appropriate spots once you complete the tasks. (For instance, if I work on a monthly task, I will file it under the March tab once completed for February.)

At first I thought I didn't need to take out the cards. I just looked at them to see what I needed to do. But then I found it was all too easy to just not do them. Today I took them all out and I am finding it is satisfying to complete a task and then file the card. Whatever works, I guess.

- Jill also suggested that it might be satisfying to date the cards each time we accomplish a task.

- If you don't get to a job as planned -- not because you didn't feel like doing it, but because you got sick or something unexpected came up -- skip that task and tackle it the next day, week, or month as regularly scheduled.

Creative Friday

This week we had Creative Friday on Thursday because Jill will be otherwise occupied tomorrow afternoon (helping with Whitney's Valentine party at school). As usual (or possibly more than usual), I reeeaallly needed Creative Friday this week, so I was happy and grateful that Jill suggested rescheduling so as not to have to wait until next Friday... I need my sanity saver.

Eva came right over and squeezed into our self-portrait!

Jill even brought lunch this week, a real treat after the week(s) I've had.

We spent the whole time creating our homekeeping boxes that we learned about in our organizing class last night. We were so excited about it that we took a field trip to Walmart after class to buy supplies!

We thought we would do other projects after completing our boxes, but they took longer than we had planned. No matter. The combination of striped index cards, colorful tabs, and impending organization and freedom was nearly intoxicating.

I think this was a great project to do together, because we could help each other figure it out and share ideas. And by that I mean that Jill helped me figure it out and gave me ideas, as usual. {Photo by Jill}

Jill's box. This is so pleasing, right?

As is this.

Jill took this photo of Eva drawing a dinosaur. I love its red eyes. She also gave us quite a roaring demonstration and asked me to video the display. Maybe next time.

Do her "movie star teeth" remind anyone else of a certain fish?? (Don't worry, Eva, you wear them well.)

Again, Jill takes the best angles. I love this photo of our C.F. table and work in progress. It makes me happy.

drowning in good ideas

It's funny, I sat down to post last night, and looked at Jill's latest post first. She wrote about just what I was going to. I went to bed instead.

But today, I'm going to do it anyway. You know, because this is my record. So feel free to skip it, if you like.

Collette invited us to an 8-week organizing class taught by Marie Ricks from houseoforder.com. I think I am a prime candidate for such class. So much, in fact, that after attending the lecture last week, I felt completely overwhelmed. I didn't do one thing differently last week. I think Jenn said it best when she said, "I'm drowning in good ideas."

This week was different. I felt really motivated, and I've already started to make some changes.

But first, my notes:

Kitchen organization ideas

- Clear off the counters. When we place something on the counter, it gives everyone else permission to put stuff there as well. (Isn't that the truth?) If you keep surfaces clean, people are less likely to dirty it.

- Are the items on our counters "friends" or "freeloaders"? If something could go somewhere else, try to find it a different home. (example, she found she didn't really use her knife block, so she got rid of it. And she hates the way toasters look, so she keeps hers in a cupboard.)

- Put the things you use most within easiest reach.

- Get rid of anything that doesn't work.

- If there is anything that doesn't really belong in the kitchen, move it.

- Use drawer dividers, even ones that you make out of boxes if necessary, to maximize your space and minimize shifting.

- Drawers are more useful than shelves. Wherever possible, use dishpans or other inexpensive, open containers to create a pull-out drawer.

- Store like things behind like things, unlike things next to each other.

- Go to work with what you have and make it work for you.

Paperwork

- Papers that are confined or kept for the long-term should be in files. Papers that you use frequently should be in binders.

- Create a household binder with a tab for each family member. Store schedules and the like behind each person's tab. Have a numbers tab where you keep important phone numbers, account numbers, etc. Copy everything in your wallet and file it here for use in case of theft.

- Journal binders. Create a binder for each family member with tabs for each year of his/her life. It's just as easy to file them in a binder as in a file, and it will be complete when a child leaves home. Children will be much less likely to organize their papers later on, so this is a gift to them. File important papers and a sampling of the best school papers from each year. Be selective about what you save and file.

- Create an identity binder with copies of important documents. Keep one in a safety deposit box. Include detailed physical descriptions, photographs, fingerprints, copies of social security numbers, driver's licenses, birth certificates, deeds, insurance info.

This is where I felt completely overwhelmed. I think this is all good information, and I'm keeping it to work on at some point. Just not right this minute. Now on to the part that really got me thinking and moving.

Time management

- He who prepares early prepares without work. (example: looking at your Primary lesson at the beginning of the week means that your mind will subconsciously be working on it all week long, making connections, getting ideas -- much better than waiting until Saturday.)

- The law of firsts: When you put the most important things into your day/week/month first, everything else fills in nicely. (examples: pay tithing as soon as you are paid, exercise in the morning, do your visiting teaching by the 15th, read scriptures in the morning, pay bills at the first of the month)

- We cannot neglect the law of firsts with our families and have our children grow up to be safe. If your spouse will not support you in this, do it alone.

- You will be blessed by aligning your priorities with the Lord's.

- Evaluate activities that are important vs. activities that are urgent. Try to address the urgent things that come up before they become urgent. Most of us live on the edge in one way or another. (examples: letting our prescriptions get to the very end before we refill them, running out of printer ink or gas in the car, etc.) Move away from urgency.

- What are we avoiding or postponing? Address those things.

- Think of your life as a wagon wheel. You are the hub. Take care of yourself first, then your spouse, then your children and any of the other spokes coming out from you. Then turn your attention and energy (if any remains) outward to the world. So many of us have this reversed.

- Figure out what your prime time is every day. When are you most alert, have the most energy? Do important tasks then. Take advantage of your natural energy highs and lows.

- Take advantage of your most alone time every day. True alone time means that no one is asking you a question, you don't have to answer the phone, and there is no media interrupting your spirit. Use your most alone time to: plan, prepare, think, and ponder. We all have more peace and calm when we have at least some alone time every day.

- A child who is loved well becomes a mighty force for good. Whatever stage of life you are in, saturate yourself with its joys.

- Only when we give up what doesn't matter are we empowered to do what is really important.

- Schedule more "launch time" and "land time" for your tasks and activities. We live in halfway houses of clutter because we don't take time for landing, or putting things away completely.

- Don't answer the phone 20 minutes before you need to leave or you will be late.

- The spirit of a family on Sunday is determined by the mother's mood as she enters the chapel. Increase your launch time.

- Address whatever is not working and figure out how to make it work.

- Never wait uselessly. Have a plan of what you will do during wait time: read, write a note, find an opportunity to teach something to your children.

- Whenever you say yes to something, you are saying no to something else, and vice versa. Pull back and evaluate so you can make decisions with wisdom.

- Take control of your own life.

- Don't mistake activity for accomplishment. Do things less often, but better, and double your capacity. A different approach can make you much more efficient.

- Give yourself permission to play. The person who never plays is not fun to be around. Allow yourself, your spouse, and your children to see the fun side of you. (I am choosing to interpret this as playing games and doing things that are fun to me. Quite often, the things that Eva wants me to do are not fun to me. At all.)

- Alternate what you are doing to give yourself energy to go on. Vary active tasks with sedentary ones, boring tasks with stimulating ones, activities we enjoy with those we don't. Stop before you are tired whenever possible.

- When planning your day, divide it into 6 sections: already in cement, things I would like to do, odds & ends, dinner, sit-down activities, and inspiration. Also, make your life easier by figuring out what you'll serve for dinner before noon.

This, in particular, made me think. I am queen of making lists, but often I'm not so good at prioritizing tasks. I tried it yesterday and was thrilled. I certainly didn't accomplish everything on my list, but I did do the most important things.

Better still, I felt completely in charge of myself yesterday. I felt like I could do anything. I felt like changes were on the horizon. Like this was going to be a great year. It was so empowering!

(So what happened today? Well, it was Creative Friday and I didn't really have any other obligations, so I didn't even make a plan for the day.)