Yesterday was laundry day. As I've said before, the girls actually like to help. They gather and sort for me, and then when everything's folded on my bed, they put it away and go to bed. Thank you, Caillou, for giving them this idea!
Well last night, I asked Audrey to go and get me some hangers from her closet so I could hang up some dresses. She left the room for 30 seconds and then was back in my room playing with a toy. Thinking she got distracted from her chore, I sent her off again. Again, she came back after a short while, playing. I scolded her again for not doing what I told her to do, and told her to go to her room until she could bring me back her hangers. Geesh.
She was gone for about 2 minutes, and then came back empty-handed. My patience was totally thin by now, so I told her to forget it if she couldn't do something so simple for me. And then I stomped off to get the hangers myself (wait, who's the child here?).
As I left the room, Audrey watched me go, then turned to her Daddy, hands on hips, one eyebrow way up high, and said, "What is up to her?"
After a good laugh (and a good look at her closet, where she had pulled up a stool and was reaching with all her might to get the hangers that were just inches out of her reach) I apologized to Audrey and all was good.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
My First Food Co-op Order
I picked up my first order from our local food co-op on Saturday. We got a ton of food!
All of this cost $52, only because I got a few extras. Here it is broken down:
Standard Share
1 pkg. top sirloin fajita strips
1 pkg. chicken drumsticks (looks like 4 drumsticks)
1 pkg. sirloin pot roast (about a pound)
1 pkg. lean ground beef (about a pound)
2 lb. carrots
5 Fuji apples
5 oranges
1 Romain lettuce head
3 red bell peppers
2 avocados
5 pears
5 tomatoes
16 oz. white or brown rice (I got to choose)
1 Artisan whole wheat bread loaf (sooo good! I've been eating this every morning with my blueberry jam from the cannery. MMMmmm!)
Total: $23
Nutty Guy's Sampler
1 lb. raw almonds
1 lb. candied peanuts
1 lb. sunflower seeds
1 lb. walnuts
Total: $11.50
Tamales Pkg.
(5 Tamales)
Total: $5.00
Aptera Olive Oil
32 oz. olive oil
Total: $7.50
Lifetime Memberships
Starts at $5 donation
Total: $5
I'll be using a bunch of this tonight to make tacos, so I'll let you know how they all taste. The apples are already gone, with oranges following close behind. The funny thing is, I just went to Sam's Club last week, not even thinking about what produce I might get on the weekend (they don't tell you what kinds of produce you'll be getting, just in case they have to change it). So, I have a TON of tomatoes and peppers now. And oranges. Anybody have any good recipes to share?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!!!???!?
If you're interested, check out the Utah chapter here. If you don't live in Utah, ask at your local library or Google food co-op and your city. And here is next month's order, due by Feb. 6th (and picked up on Feb 21st). Yay!
All of this cost $52, only because I got a few extras. Here it is broken down:
Standard Share
1 pkg. top sirloin fajita strips
1 pkg. chicken drumsticks (looks like 4 drumsticks)
1 pkg. sirloin pot roast (about a pound)
1 pkg. lean ground beef (about a pound)
2 lb. carrots
5 Fuji apples
5 oranges
1 Romain lettuce head
3 red bell peppers
2 avocados
5 pears
5 tomatoes
16 oz. white or brown rice (I got to choose)
1 Artisan whole wheat bread loaf (sooo good! I've been eating this every morning with my blueberry jam from the cannery. MMMmmm!)
Total: $23
Nutty Guy's Sampler
1 lb. raw almonds
1 lb. candied peanuts
1 lb. sunflower seeds
1 lb. walnuts
Total: $11.50
Tamales Pkg.
(5 Tamales)
Total: $5.00
Aptera Olive Oil
32 oz. olive oil
Total: $7.50
Lifetime Memberships
Starts at $5 donation
Total: $5
I'll be using a bunch of this tonight to make tacos, so I'll let you know how they all taste. The apples are already gone, with oranges following close behind. The funny thing is, I just went to Sam's Club last week, not even thinking about what produce I might get on the weekend (they don't tell you what kinds of produce you'll be getting, just in case they have to change it). So, I have a TON of tomatoes and peppers now. And oranges. Anybody have any good recipes to share?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!!!???!?
If you're interested, check out the Utah chapter here. If you don't live in Utah, ask at your local library or Google food co-op and your city. And here is next month's order, due by Feb. 6th (and picked up on Feb 21st). Yay!
Christmas 2008 Photo Shoot
The Sunday before Christmas we had a little photo shoot in our living room before going off to church. We've got some cute kids, don't we?
Kai's Birthday
We went to cousin Kai's birthday party (almost a month ago) at a jumping place. It was SO much fun! They had all these inflated slides and things for the kids to bounce on. Even the adults could pretend to be kids again (well, me until I ran into someone else on the slide- a lady, no doubt on a date, showing off her g-string- and received dirty looks from said person until they left a few minutes later, probably because of me. Great. I said I was sorry!)
Anyway, we all had the best time, thanks for inviting us Kai! Hope you had a great birthday!!!
I love this picture! Jacob and I had a ton of fun in the baby area.
Jacob sure loves his Grandma Wilson! He kept reaching out to her every time he saw her. So cute!
He so rarely smiles once I've got the camera out, so I couldn't resist posting another one of him on Daddy's shoulders. Plus, his dad is uber handsome.
The girls and Caleb on the carousel.
Evangeline on the carousel.
And the biggest kid, Kang, on the carousel.
Oh, and Caleb, too.
On the way down south, Jacob fought and fought and FOUGHT a nap. So when he finally fell asleep, clutching his apple and cracker, I couldn't resist taking a picture. Priceless.
Wow, Kai, so sorry I didn't even get a picture of the birthday boy! Better luck next time. Happy Birthday! And thanks again for a really fun weekend!!
Anyway, we all had the best time, thanks for inviting us Kai! Hope you had a great birthday!!!
I love this picture! Jacob and I had a ton of fun in the baby area.
Jacob sure loves his Grandma Wilson! He kept reaching out to her every time he saw her. So cute!
He so rarely smiles once I've got the camera out, so I couldn't resist posting another one of him on Daddy's shoulders. Plus, his dad is uber handsome.
The girls and Caleb on the carousel.
Evangeline on the carousel.
And the biggest kid, Kang, on the carousel.
Oh, and Caleb, too.
On the way down south, Jacob fought and fought and FOUGHT a nap. So when he finally fell asleep, clutching his apple and cracker, I couldn't resist taking a picture. Priceless.
Wow, Kai, so sorry I didn't even get a picture of the birthday boy! Better luck next time. Happy Birthday! And thanks again for a really fun weekend!!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Organizing Class #2
I was hoping to actually get the "homework" done before going to the class last night, and posting it here, but Jacob was SOOO cranky this week I barely got the family fed. He's better now, so hopefully I can show you the fun projects I've been working on.
First of all, the House of Order gal said something really shocking last night. She said that coupons are not worth the hassle and time and money savings, yada yada yada. {GASP} And that there is no great way to organize them (say what?). I was almost ready to stand up and tell everyone that she's wrong, that it can be worth it, if you have a little extra time, the know-how, brain capacity, basement space, etc. (he he he). Oh well. I'm just sad that she said that because everyone is taking her so seriously and now they're led astray with foolish notions. I know, I know, I'll get over it.
Okay, so here are my notes. I tried to take good ones for you since so many of you were interested! Enjoy! We talked mostly about kitchens and paperwork:
-D&C 88:123 (oh, and last week's scripture was D&C 123:17)
-When going through your stuff, try to get rid of 50%. Throw away/share anything you don't really like or that's ugly. Don't feel guilty if it was a gift or whatever. Just get rid of it!
-It's all about controlling the incoming clutter. Whether it be mail, school work, shopping, etc.
-To help control the library books, tell the five-year-old that he can borrow 5 books from the library, six-year-old can have 6, etc.
-Order does not happen by chance. Order is control, setting the parameters. (mail doesn't touch the counters and is dealt with immediately, shoes stay in the basket by the door, you get the idea.)
-Every kitchen has 3 parts to it: counters, sink, and stove.
-If you have clean (not cluttered) counters, you can cut your cleaning time by 10%.
-In trying to declutter counters, decide whether the item is a "freeloader" or a "friend." If you use it daily, it's probably a friend. If you are sick of having to clean around it, it's a freeloader. And yes, those 4 canisters you got for your wedding are freeloaders, go ahead and put them in a cupboard, unless you use them daily that is.
-Think of ways to hang things to get them off the counter: phones, plants, paper towels.
-Your toaster goes to the bathroom every time you use it. So put it on a cookie sheet and store it in a cupboard. IF you're not using it daily.
-You should do everything in your kitchen one-handed. So store things with that in mind. Stack all the small bowls together and the medium bowls together, instead of nesting them small inside medium.
-If you clean off your counters, you'll double the space and feel like you're kitchen is bigger.
-If your husband likes to dump everything on the counter, give him a drawer instead.
-FINISH putting it in its HOME.
-We're not the maids of our homes, we're the nurturers teaching others how to take care of themselves.
-It's more effort to stay disorganized!
-If you're standing at the sink, the places nearest you that you can reach just moving your hands are your A space. Put things you use frequently (plates, cups, etc.) there. Your B space is where you reach with outstretched arms, and you store things you use less frequently there. And so on with C space and D space. If you use an item in your kitchen just once a year, consider moving it into basement, garage, or other storage place.
-Get rid of anything in your kitchen that is not helping your life. Like if you have never used a potato masher and it's just taking up space, or that colander that just doesn't work for you.
-If you burn something on the stove, put an inch of water and a couple squirts of dish soap in it and bring to boil. Then let cool, and it will wipe right off.
-Use small plastic containers (the ones at the $ store) to keep like items together. Such as: baking stuff, baby bottles, etc. This will also eliminate things getting lost in the back of your cupboards.
-If you use a divider in your drawer, then secure it using an old towel.
-We should not have to move while we work in the kitchen, so condense everything so that the things you use are in the same spot (spatulas and wooden spoons next to stove, rags and soap next to sink).
-If you find that you keep pulling things out of the dishwasher to work with, consider buying a second one.
-Install corkboard on the inside of your cabinets and post announcements there so less clutter on fridge.
-Put some of your A space stuff (and B space stuff) beneath counters so kids can reach.
-Put extras in the cupboard above fridge or stove. So, if you have an extra Worcestershire sauce, put it up there in the bin of extras. Also, in your food storage, put a rubber band around the last item. So if someone brings out a ketchup, and it has a rubber band on it, then you know you need to stock up (I do kind of the same thing- I draw a star on an item that is about to expire and need to use up soon).
-You either have reference paperwork or treasured paperwork. Reference paperwork: phone numbers, class schedules, emergency #'s, internet passwords. Treasured: drawings, awards, pictures.
-Make a Family Information Binder with all reference paperwork in it (including a divider for each child). Include an information paper for each person (blood type, height, weight, etc.). Xerox contents of purse (in case it's stolen) and put that paper in the binder. Ward lists, extra keys, birthday lists, soccer schedules, etc. If you want to keep this all on the computer, she suggests only doing that if you can get to it in 3 seconds or less, and if you've got a backup paper version you can take with you in case of emergency.
-For the treasured paperwork, make a binder for each person in the family. For the children, put 20 dividers in their binder and label per year (2004, 2005, etc.) for the first 20 years of life. Then add a bunch of page protectors filled with cardstock in it, so you can just add as you go.
-Handouts, stories, poems, etc. are SHMOOSH. Make sure you are really going to use it some day before you file it.
-Paperwork is best kept in binders so it's better contained. File folders should be temporary or semi-temporary.
-As far as greeting cards go, only keep the heart-felt ones, and the ones from your spouse. They should all fit in a shoebox.
-Keep vital documents (birth certificates, passports, etc.) in a fire proof box or safe deposit box. To organize these, make a paper for each person, record what papers that person has and where they are located. Keep in Information Binder.
-Our homework this week is to clear off counters in kitchen, reorganize kitchen, make a Family Information Binder, and find a way that works for us to deal with our paperwork (A-Z, color coded, etc.).
-And go on a "paper fast" until you can get it into control.
I'm so sorry this is sooooooooo long. I hope you enjoy my notes!
First of all, the House of Order gal said something really shocking last night. She said that coupons are not worth the hassle and time and money savings, yada yada yada. {GASP} And that there is no great way to organize them (say what?). I was almost ready to stand up and tell everyone that she's wrong, that it can be worth it, if you have a little extra time, the know-how, brain capacity, basement space, etc. (he he he). Oh well. I'm just sad that she said that because everyone is taking her so seriously and now they're led astray with foolish notions. I know, I know, I'll get over it.
Okay, so here are my notes. I tried to take good ones for you since so many of you were interested! Enjoy! We talked mostly about kitchens and paperwork:
-D&C 88:123 (oh, and last week's scripture was D&C 123:17)
-When going through your stuff, try to get rid of 50%. Throw away/share anything you don't really like or that's ugly. Don't feel guilty if it was a gift or whatever. Just get rid of it!
-It's all about controlling the incoming clutter. Whether it be mail, school work, shopping, etc.
-To help control the library books, tell the five-year-old that he can borrow 5 books from the library, six-year-old can have 6, etc.
-Order does not happen by chance. Order is control, setting the parameters. (mail doesn't touch the counters and is dealt with immediately, shoes stay in the basket by the door, you get the idea.)
-Every kitchen has 3 parts to it: counters, sink, and stove.
-If you have clean (not cluttered) counters, you can cut your cleaning time by 10%.
-In trying to declutter counters, decide whether the item is a "freeloader" or a "friend." If you use it daily, it's probably a friend. If you are sick of having to clean around it, it's a freeloader. And yes, those 4 canisters you got for your wedding are freeloaders, go ahead and put them in a cupboard, unless you use them daily that is.
-Think of ways to hang things to get them off the counter: phones, plants, paper towels.
-Your toaster goes to the bathroom every time you use it. So put it on a cookie sheet and store it in a cupboard. IF you're not using it daily.
-You should do everything in your kitchen one-handed. So store things with that in mind. Stack all the small bowls together and the medium bowls together, instead of nesting them small inside medium.
-If you clean off your counters, you'll double the space and feel like you're kitchen is bigger.
-If your husband likes to dump everything on the counter, give him a drawer instead.
-FINISH putting it in its HOME.
-We're not the maids of our homes, we're the nurturers teaching others how to take care of themselves.
-It's more effort to stay disorganized!
-If you're standing at the sink, the places nearest you that you can reach just moving your hands are your A space. Put things you use frequently (plates, cups, etc.) there. Your B space is where you reach with outstretched arms, and you store things you use less frequently there. And so on with C space and D space. If you use an item in your kitchen just once a year, consider moving it into basement, garage, or other storage place.
-Get rid of anything in your kitchen that is not helping your life. Like if you have never used a potato masher and it's just taking up space, or that colander that just doesn't work for you.
-If you burn something on the stove, put an inch of water and a couple squirts of dish soap in it and bring to boil. Then let cool, and it will wipe right off.
-Use small plastic containers (the ones at the $ store) to keep like items together. Such as: baking stuff, baby bottles, etc. This will also eliminate things getting lost in the back of your cupboards.
-If you use a divider in your drawer, then secure it using an old towel.
-We should not have to move while we work in the kitchen, so condense everything so that the things you use are in the same spot (spatulas and wooden spoons next to stove, rags and soap next to sink).
-If you find that you keep pulling things out of the dishwasher to work with, consider buying a second one.
-Install corkboard on the inside of your cabinets and post announcements there so less clutter on fridge.
-Put some of your A space stuff (and B space stuff) beneath counters so kids can reach.
-Put extras in the cupboard above fridge or stove. So, if you have an extra Worcestershire sauce, put it up there in the bin of extras. Also, in your food storage, put a rubber band around the last item. So if someone brings out a ketchup, and it has a rubber band on it, then you know you need to stock up (I do kind of the same thing- I draw a star on an item that is about to expire and need to use up soon).
-You either have reference paperwork or treasured paperwork. Reference paperwork: phone numbers, class schedules, emergency #'s, internet passwords. Treasured: drawings, awards, pictures.
-Make a Family Information Binder with all reference paperwork in it (including a divider for each child). Include an information paper for each person (blood type, height, weight, etc.). Xerox contents of purse (in case it's stolen) and put that paper in the binder. Ward lists, extra keys, birthday lists, soccer schedules, etc. If you want to keep this all on the computer, she suggests only doing that if you can get to it in 3 seconds or less, and if you've got a backup paper version you can take with you in case of emergency.
-For the treasured paperwork, make a binder for each person in the family. For the children, put 20 dividers in their binder and label per year (2004, 2005, etc.) for the first 20 years of life. Then add a bunch of page protectors filled with cardstock in it, so you can just add as you go.
-Handouts, stories, poems, etc. are SHMOOSH. Make sure you are really going to use it some day before you file it.
-Paperwork is best kept in binders so it's better contained. File folders should be temporary or semi-temporary.
-As far as greeting cards go, only keep the heart-felt ones, and the ones from your spouse. They should all fit in a shoebox.
-Keep vital documents (birth certificates, passports, etc.) in a fire proof box or safe deposit box. To organize these, make a paper for each person, record what papers that person has and where they are located. Keep in Information Binder.
-Our homework this week is to clear off counters in kitchen, reorganize kitchen, make a Family Information Binder, and find a way that works for us to deal with our paperwork (A-Z, color coded, etc.).
-And go on a "paper fast" until you can get it into control.
I'm so sorry this is sooooooooo long. I hope you enjoy my notes!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Seriously Can't Wait
Do you know what I'm really excited about? I've got a hot date tomorrow night. In my living room, watching the Burn Notice season premiere, with my super wonderful hubby. Seriously. so. excited.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Jacob's Eyes
Jacob has just discovered his eyes. He moves them all around when he's bored. The best part? He's learned how to roll his eyes. Yup, just like the rest of the family (or anyone that is within short proximity to Jeromy :). Actually, he just points his eyes to one side, really far, but you can totally tell what he's trying to do.
Jeromy was kissing me while holding Jacob, and we looked over to see his reaction. Ya, he rolled his eyes at us. Hilarious!!!
And the other day I was dancing and being all crazy trying to get a laugh out of Jacob, and he just rolled his eyes at me. Wow they grow up too fast.
Jeromy was kissing me while holding Jacob, and we looked over to see his reaction. Ya, he rolled his eyes at us. Hilarious!!!
And the other day I was dancing and being all crazy trying to get a laugh out of Jacob, and he just rolled his eyes at me. Wow they grow up too fast.
Funny Stuff
While I was on my way to take Jacob to bed, he was fussing and just generally crabby (he's sick), and I passed by Audrey, who said, "Ugh, I wish we had a baby that would listen!" Ok...
Then after he was in bed, I passed by Jeromy who was teaching the girls some stretches. Kierra called out, "Mommy, that one made me bal-er-anced!" Cute kid.
And the other day when the neighbor's cat threatened to come inside, the girls starting shrieking, "No, no! You can't come in! Our Mommy is allergic!!! NOO!!" To which I replied, "It's not the end of the world if he comes into our house for a second." To which they replied, "What's the end of the world?" Uh, um, is it worth a big explanation to a 4-year-old? Hmmm.
And in the car the other day, out of the blue, Audrey started to tell us a story that her teacher told her. (I was thinking preschool, not Primary, and fairy tale, not scripture). She said, "One day there was a boy that was mean and didn't have a body. He wanted to take all the kids with him instead of with Jesus. And he got in trouble. And guess what, Mom? The story is still happening!" So maybe she can understand it all.
Then after he was in bed, I passed by Jeromy who was teaching the girls some stretches. Kierra called out, "Mommy, that one made me bal-er-anced!" Cute kid.
And the other day when the neighbor's cat threatened to come inside, the girls starting shrieking, "No, no! You can't come in! Our Mommy is allergic!!! NOO!!" To which I replied, "It's not the end of the world if he comes into our house for a second." To which they replied, "What's the end of the world?" Uh, um, is it worth a big explanation to a 4-year-old? Hmmm.
And in the car the other day, out of the blue, Audrey started to tell us a story that her teacher told her. (I was thinking preschool, not Primary, and fairy tale, not scripture). She said, "One day there was a boy that was mean and didn't have a body. He wanted to take all the kids with him instead of with Jesus. And he got in trouble. And guess what, Mom? The story is still happening!" So maybe she can understand it all.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Organizing Class #1
Our stake is offering a 7-week course on getting our homes in order! It's taught by Marie Ricks, and it's awesome. Better yet, my neighbor came with me and we had so much fun! So here's what I learned:
-It's MUCH easier to handle small tasks on a regular basis than tackling a whole mountain at once ("Important things never happen all at once, they happen steadily.")
-Let go of the guilt: so what you didn't read the January Ensign, it's okay to recycle it and move on to the February one instead of trying to read both in one month. Rule applies to other periodicals.
-Only keep 1% of your child's schoolwork. Keep a 2-inch binder with a divider for every year up until they're 20. Put a small representation of what they've accomplished in there, including pictures of big things that won't fit into said binder. (Unless you are a Grandma, and then it's more than OK to keep 100% of the things they make!)
-Order is NOT about time, it is about DECISION.
-Don't get distracted! Stick to the task like a magnet till it's done. If you don't have all your materials where they are supposed to be, you'll have to wander the house looking for them, and chances are you'll get distracted and not finish paying the bills (or whatever other task you were trying to get done)!
-Laundry: You'll be doing it for the next 100 years, so get over it and stop your grumbling. Just do it! (And put it away while it's still warm. ??? Not sure if I can do that.)
-Simplicity is more important than beauty in a home.
-Have a proper landing/launch pad for things to come in or go out (library books, checks to cash, shoes to take off, cell phone to charge, etc.) and you'll leave the house with more confidence.
-She asked us to get rid of 50% of our things. Starting with old bras. And socks and shoes. And jewelry. The list goes on. But if you have 6 old bras in your drawer, toss 3! Or all 6.
-If it's usable and needed, go ahead and keep it. If it's usable but not needed, share it with someone else (D.I.). And if it's not usable and not needed, throw it away!
-She has 4 file folders on top of her desk that she goes through once a week: To Do, Bills, Pending, and To File.
-If deciding on certain chores for certain days of the week doesn't work for you (which it doesn't for me), try numbering your chores instead. This was probably the most intriguing idea I heard all night!
-It may sound simple but there are problems and there are solutions. The problems don't always make it over to the solutions, so think of something that bothers you or that takes up too much of your time or whatever and try to solve it. Example: You usually have a lot of weddings to go to each year. To make things easier, think of one gift, get it when it's on sale, and buy in bulk. Now you don't need to decide what to get every time someone gets married. Another example: This lady has "inherited" 40 boxes from her parents and grandparents. There are a little more than 40 weeks left of the year. Set aside one day each week when you will tackle 1 box. And then set a time constraint so you don't lose track of time (only work on those boxes for 2 hours every Monday). By the end of the year, you will have solved your elephant-sized problem!
Pretty cool stuff, huh. This is exactly what I need right now. And I'm so excited!!! So excited that I'll try to share with you every week what I've learned! But check out her website first, it's pretty cool.
-It's MUCH easier to handle small tasks on a regular basis than tackling a whole mountain at once ("Important things never happen all at once, they happen steadily.")
-Let go of the guilt: so what you didn't read the January Ensign, it's okay to recycle it and move on to the February one instead of trying to read both in one month. Rule applies to other periodicals.
-Only keep 1% of your child's schoolwork. Keep a 2-inch binder with a divider for every year up until they're 20. Put a small representation of what they've accomplished in there, including pictures of big things that won't fit into said binder. (Unless you are a Grandma, and then it's more than OK to keep 100% of the things they make!)
-Order is NOT about time, it is about DECISION.
-Don't get distracted! Stick to the task like a magnet till it's done. If you don't have all your materials where they are supposed to be, you'll have to wander the house looking for them, and chances are you'll get distracted and not finish paying the bills (or whatever other task you were trying to get done)!
-Laundry: You'll be doing it for the next 100 years, so get over it and stop your grumbling. Just do it! (And put it away while it's still warm. ??? Not sure if I can do that.)
-Simplicity is more important than beauty in a home.
-Have a proper landing/launch pad for things to come in or go out (library books, checks to cash, shoes to take off, cell phone to charge, etc.) and you'll leave the house with more confidence.
-She asked us to get rid of 50% of our things. Starting with old bras. And socks and shoes. And jewelry. The list goes on. But if you have 6 old bras in your drawer, toss 3! Or all 6.
-If it's usable and needed, go ahead and keep it. If it's usable but not needed, share it with someone else (D.I.). And if it's not usable and not needed, throw it away!
-She has 4 file folders on top of her desk that she goes through once a week: To Do, Bills, Pending, and To File.
-If deciding on certain chores for certain days of the week doesn't work for you (which it doesn't for me), try numbering your chores instead. This was probably the most intriguing idea I heard all night!
-It may sound simple but there are problems and there are solutions. The problems don't always make it over to the solutions, so think of something that bothers you or that takes up too much of your time or whatever and try to solve it. Example: You usually have a lot of weddings to go to each year. To make things easier, think of one gift, get it when it's on sale, and buy in bulk. Now you don't need to decide what to get every time someone gets married. Another example: This lady has "inherited" 40 boxes from her parents and grandparents. There are a little more than 40 weeks left of the year. Set aside one day each week when you will tackle 1 box. And then set a time constraint so you don't lose track of time (only work on those boxes for 2 hours every Monday). By the end of the year, you will have solved your elephant-sized problem!
Pretty cool stuff, huh. This is exactly what I need right now. And I'm so excited!!! So excited that I'll try to share with you every week what I've learned! But check out her website first, it's pretty cool.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
My Spoils
So I got some really great deals this week and I just had to share. I LOVE COUPONERS' HIGH!!
I got this:
And this:
For a total of: $41.54!!!!!!!!!!!
I saved over $270. Notice the 4 pounds of butter, and the roast? And the 8 tubs of oatmeal, and the 16 boxes of Life? I don't care how much you like Wal-Mart or Costco (cuz I do too), but you can't even get 16 boxes of Life for that price, let alone the other stuff. Woohoo! Albertson's sales + coupons = happy Hilary.
At Target, there were some clearance items that were cool:
The Febreze candles turned out to be $1 with coupon, and the Glade scented oil candle refills turned out to be about 80 cents each. Cool huh? And I also got 4 big boxes (28 ct.) of Electrasol for about $6 total.
And at Staples:
This totaled to be about $4. Crazy huh?
I love my coupons!!
I got this:
And this:
For a total of: $41.54!!!!!!!!!!!
I saved over $270. Notice the 4 pounds of butter, and the roast? And the 8 tubs of oatmeal, and the 16 boxes of Life? I don't care how much you like Wal-Mart or Costco (cuz I do too), but you can't even get 16 boxes of Life for that price, let alone the other stuff. Woohoo! Albertson's sales + coupons = happy Hilary.
At Target, there were some clearance items that were cool:
The Febreze candles turned out to be $1 with coupon, and the Glade scented oil candle refills turned out to be about 80 cents each. Cool huh? And I also got 4 big boxes (28 ct.) of Electrasol for about $6 total.
And at Staples:
This totaled to be about $4. Crazy huh?I love my coupons!!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Well, I was far from Super Mom, but I did tackle a mountain of laundry this week. I think that requires some sort of superhero status. And I actually started to organize all the boxes of miscellaneous stuff (mostly craft supplies) that have been plaguing the toy room for 8 months. I'm about 75% finished!! Alas, I still have most of my Christmas stuff out. Baby steps.
Jeromy comes home in a couple of hours!!!
Jeromy comes home in a couple of hours!!!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Lazy Day Thoughts
Jeromy's gone on business, not that that makes a whole lot of difference during the day, but he was gone ALL weekend. It's cold and dreary outside. My baby is in bed. We're all recovering from a cold. I had toast and hot cocoa for breakfast. I'm still in my pajamas.
There's your update.
I feel like being lazy. I get this way. A lot. When I'm lonely, bored, introspective, or whatever. So I thought maybe if I write about it, I'll feel the same way I felt last night: like this week I was finally going to be super mom and get tons of stuff done.
I stayed home from church with my baby yesterday cuz I felt like crap (who took the girls then? My father-in-law! Awesome!!). You know, it's not that easy to get 3 kids bathed and dressed when you've got a slight fever. Jacob let me have a nap while the girls were away, and I felt soooooo much better. So by last night, I thought I could conquer more. Why not get all the laundry done tomorrow? While I'm at it, I'll actually make the girls' beds. Oh, and I should probably wash Jacob's sheets cuz I can't remember the last time I did. And then I'll do a fun project with the kids, take them to the library, inventory my food storage using a cool new thing I found online, organize my plethora of boxes of craft materials that have been waiting for me to do that for 8 months, eat at Arctic Circle for dinner... oh ya, don't forget to do the hard version of my exercise tapes (no skimping today!) and shower. And maybe put the Christmas decorations away?
What was I thinking?!?!?!?! That's what I call the Sunday Night Recipe For Disaster. Sunday's I finally get a little time for myself to reflect, etc. and I think the next week is going to be so much better. I get all these ideas in my head. By Monday morning, I'm a bump on a log that has come to reality. This happens all. the. time.
New update: While writing this post, the girls interrupted me with whining and fighting, I exploded on them, and charged them to go upstairs to start the laundry (it used to be a fun game for them, not sure after today). And now my baby is up, after only an hour nap. So much for a cheerful, productive day.
Now I'm afraid to go upstairs and face the kids and the chores. I can still feel anger bubbling underneath the surface (mostly because they're not gathering laundry like asked, they are playing in the toy room). Maybe they'll let me ignore them a little longer so I can take a shower. That'll make me feel better, I think. And I think it's safe to say I can take this ONE day off for exercising. Maybe. I am sick, after all. Kind of.
Ok, now Audrey is in a serious rage and taking it out on Kierra. Time to intervene.
Yup, for the good of all, Mommy is going to take a shower and restart her day!
There's your update.
I feel like being lazy. I get this way. A lot. When I'm lonely, bored, introspective, or whatever. So I thought maybe if I write about it, I'll feel the same way I felt last night: like this week I was finally going to be super mom and get tons of stuff done.
I stayed home from church with my baby yesterday cuz I felt like crap (who took the girls then? My father-in-law! Awesome!!). You know, it's not that easy to get 3 kids bathed and dressed when you've got a slight fever. Jacob let me have a nap while the girls were away, and I felt soooooo much better. So by last night, I thought I could conquer more. Why not get all the laundry done tomorrow? While I'm at it, I'll actually make the girls' beds. Oh, and I should probably wash Jacob's sheets cuz I can't remember the last time I did. And then I'll do a fun project with the kids, take them to the library, inventory my food storage using a cool new thing I found online, organize my plethora of boxes of craft materials that have been waiting for me to do that for 8 months, eat at Arctic Circle for dinner... oh ya, don't forget to do the hard version of my exercise tapes (no skimping today!) and shower. And maybe put the Christmas decorations away?
What was I thinking?!?!?!?! That's what I call the Sunday Night Recipe For Disaster. Sunday's I finally get a little time for myself to reflect, etc. and I think the next week is going to be so much better. I get all these ideas in my head. By Monday morning, I'm a bump on a log that has come to reality. This happens all. the. time.
New update: While writing this post, the girls interrupted me with whining and fighting, I exploded on them, and charged them to go upstairs to start the laundry (it used to be a fun game for them, not sure after today). And now my baby is up, after only an hour nap. So much for a cheerful, productive day.
Now I'm afraid to go upstairs and face the kids and the chores. I can still feel anger bubbling underneath the surface (mostly because they're not gathering laundry like asked, they are playing in the toy room). Maybe they'll let me ignore them a little longer so I can take a shower. That'll make me feel better, I think. And I think it's safe to say I can take this ONE day off for exercising. Maybe. I am sick, after all. Kind of.
Ok, now Audrey is in a serious rage and taking it out on Kierra. Time to intervene.
Yup, for the good of all, Mommy is going to take a shower and restart her day!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Food Co-op
http://www.crossroads-u-c.org/cfc/index.html
Are you kidding me? This is my lucky week!! I feel like it's still Christmas finding all these fun things!!!
The link above is for a food co-op for those of you that live in Utah (sorry, Cami, I don't think they have any down south, but you could always start one with them!). There are no qualifications except that you help once in awhile with the co-op (2 hours per month). Then you get a huge package of food FOR WAY CHEAP! Go here to see a sample order form. Can you believe all that food for $21!?!? Holy freaking cow!! I'm so excited about this!!!!!
Are you kidding me? This is my lucky week!! I feel like it's still Christmas finding all these fun things!!!
The link above is for a food co-op for those of you that live in Utah (sorry, Cami, I don't think they have any down south, but you could always start one with them!). There are no qualifications except that you help once in awhile with the co-op (2 hours per month). Then you get a huge package of food FOR WAY CHEAP! Go here to see a sample order form. Can you believe all that food for $21!?!? Holy freaking cow!! I'm so excited about this!!!!!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Food Storage Website
http://funwithfoodstorage.net/
GO THERE NOW!!
Seriously, it's a really cool website to begin with, but they're having some major fun stuff going on this week only!! There's freebies, drawings, demos, downloads, all sorts of stuff!!!!!!!!
GO THERE NOW!!
Seriously, it's a really cool website to begin with, but they're having some major fun stuff going on this week only!! There's freebies, drawings, demos, downloads, all sorts of stuff!!!!!!!!
Monday, January 5, 2009
First Primary Experience
Yesterday was Kierra's first day in Primary! We've been talking about it for awhile to prep her for it, and she was getting so excited to go. We were in St. George for the weekend (had SO much fun!) and so it was their cousin Kai's first time for Primary too. Well big-sister-Audrey just wanted to make sure that her little sis (and cousin) did ok in this new experience, so she went to Kierra's class with her. She'd lean over with her hand on Kierra's back and say, "Isn't this great" and stuff like that. What a great big sister!!
And apparently Kierra has no idea when her birthday is because she brought home a pencil that said, "Happy Birthday from the Primary!" on it. I guess she just really wanted the whole Primary to sing to her! LOL!!!
And apparently Kierra has no idea when her birthday is because she brought home a pencil that said, "Happy Birthday from the Primary!" on it. I guess she just really wanted the whole Primary to sing to her! LOL!!!
Cheap Tree
I just found a 5 ft. Christmas tree at Target for 90% off. Normally $70, I got it for $7!!!!!!!!!!! And it's way cute too! It's going to be my "pretty" tree next year. Sweet!!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Thanksgiving 2008
Thanksgiving was so much fun!! I feel bad for only getting the pictures posted until now, but better late than never, right? (I also apologize in advance for the amount of pictures, but I thought they were all so good). And many thanks go to Granddad for always being ready with the camera.
My entire family was here for Thanksgiving. It was awesome!!! We played Rockband like crazy, watched Burn Notice every night (except for the night we watched Agent Smart and laughed ourselves silly), and had just plain old fun with everyone. We're so glad that we had 2 big playrooms for the 10 kids to run around in (mind you, 4 of them are 1-year-olds, and the oldest is 6. That'll paint a picture for you). One night the Corless kids went out and saw Twilight. Always fun. And then a couple nights later, the guys (and my mom- someone had to keep them in line) went to see Transporter 3 while us sisters giggled and ate cheesecake while playing silly board games. What fun!
What? What did I do?!?
Princess Rocker
Aunts are awesome.
The kids eatin' their big turkey dinner.
The big kids eatin' their turkey dinner. (Jeromy just told a really funny joke, can't you tell? :)
Cuddlin' with Grandma. Aaaw.
Some serious concentrating going on.
NOBODY told this kid you don't need a golf glove to play Rockband?!?!?!?
My Grandmother (91) stopped by for a visit. Back: Jacob, me, Shelly, Laurel, Heather. Front: Grandmother, Grandma, one of the twins (can't tell here, sorry), Kailey, Audrey, Kierra, and Abby. (Don't you like my sister's foxy new hairdo? I convinced her to see my gal and now I think she looks like Alice from Twilight, only blond. Cool, huh.)
I love my boy!!
We also went up to Temple Square via the train system to see the Christmas lights. It was beautiful and oh so fun.
This is in the children's section of the Church History Museum. The kids loved it.
This is at one of Temple Square's Visitor's Centers.
Emily? Ashley? No, wait, it's Emily, I'm sure. Right?
Making a wish.
We were trying to take a nice family picture, but some bum walked up and ruined it. AND THEN he started begging for money. Sorry John, I'm totally broke.
Stranger problem taken care of.
We hope you all enjoyed your stay, cuz we sure enjoyed having you! Love ya lots!!!
My entire family was here for Thanksgiving. It was awesome!!! We played Rockband like crazy, watched Burn Notice every night (except for the night we watched Agent Smart and laughed ourselves silly), and had just plain old fun with everyone. We're so glad that we had 2 big playrooms for the 10 kids to run around in (mind you, 4 of them are 1-year-olds, and the oldest is 6. That'll paint a picture for you). One night the Corless kids went out and saw Twilight. Always fun. And then a couple nights later, the guys (and my mom- someone had to keep them in line) went to see Transporter 3 while us sisters giggled and ate cheesecake while playing silly board games. What fun!
What? What did I do?!?
Princess Rocker
Aunts are awesome.
The kids eatin' their big turkey dinner.
The big kids eatin' their turkey dinner. (Jeromy just told a really funny joke, can't you tell? :)
Cuddlin' with Grandma. Aaaw.
Some serious concentrating going on.
NOBODY told this kid you don't need a golf glove to play Rockband?!?!?!?
My Grandmother (91) stopped by for a visit. Back: Jacob, me, Shelly, Laurel, Heather. Front: Grandmother, Grandma, one of the twins (can't tell here, sorry), Kailey, Audrey, Kierra, and Abby. (Don't you like my sister's foxy new hairdo? I convinced her to see my gal and now I think she looks like Alice from Twilight, only blond. Cool, huh.)
I love my boy!!
We also went up to Temple Square via the train system to see the Christmas lights. It was beautiful and oh so fun.
This is in the children's section of the Church History Museum. The kids loved it.
This is at one of Temple Square's Visitor's Centers.
Emily? Ashley? No, wait, it's Emily, I'm sure. Right?
Making a wish.
We were trying to take a nice family picture, but some bum walked up and ruined it. AND THEN he started begging for money. Sorry John, I'm totally broke.
Stranger problem taken care of.
We hope you all enjoyed your stay, cuz we sure enjoyed having you! Love ya lots!!!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Silly Boy
Jacob was being so funny during lunch the other day. I just had to get the camera out. And, of course, he wasn't near as funny as before I got the camera on him. Oh well, maybe next time. He's still so unbelievably cute!
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