on the FLY

Dinner Tonight...

2012-02-10T17:00:00.000-08:00

We're having friends over for dinner tonight and I had a hard time figuring out what we were going to eat. Thankfully, I had a few options to choose from out of my freezer, so with a little prep and some finesse, here's what's for dinner...

Eggrolls (already made and frozen, just need to be heated through!)
Jasmine Rice (already made and frozen, just needs to be defrosted)
Coconut Lime Chicken (frozen chicken breast cooked in coconut milk and lime juice)
Green Curry (already made and frozen, just needs to be heated through!)
Asian Plum Sauce (already made and frozen, just needs to be heated through!)
Edamame (we keep this in the freezer, just needs to be steamed right before the meal!)

The best part is that ALL OF IT is homemade. That makes me so happy!

Once again, I got sucked into the computer...

2012-02-05T18:40:00.000-08:00

... while clipping coupons on a Sunday night. It really wasn't my aim to get sucked into the computer, but here I am. Sigh.

The couponing is still going. I have been learning things that have been making it go better...

1. The Billings paper has better coupons. The Bozeman paper is hit and miss.
2. I can get both papers at Albertsons, and check to see if they have coupons before I buy them.
3. Some places have good sales - like Albertsons. I just have to be willing to watch the sales and match my coupons to them.
4. Kmart frequently has double coupon days. You just have to be willing to read the fine print and follow the (sometimes insane) rules for it to be worth it.
5. Albertsons occasionally does coupon sales where all coupons up to $1 are worth $1. That is an awesome day to shop!

I am making my lists. I am matching my coupons. I am not dreading the process, and it is not eating up all of my time. I feel like I am finding a happy balance in coupon land. Woot!

Feeling Gypped

2012-01-08T13:31:00.000-08:00

Today I got a newspaper, knowing that there should be a smartsource insert with coupons in it. It didn't. I don't know if the Bozeman paper just doesn't carry smartsource or if I just got a fluke, but I feel gypped!

Another Week of Couponing

2012-01-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

Another week of couponing is about to begin, and I have done a few things to prepare for it...

1. I have started making my "Price Book" - the place where I track what prices are and what the best sale prices I've had are for the items that we use most. I'm using a spreadsheet so it's easy for me to alphabetize as it grows.

2. I have started organizing my manufacturers coupons in my household binder alphabetically by brand. That way I can easily find them when I want to use them for a specific store.

3. I have entered all of my manufacturers coupons into a Google task list by expiration date so I can easily see which coupons are expiring soon.

4. I have made plans with Kristiina to go through the ads tomorrow and make my shopping lists.

5. I have been utilizing couponmom.com to see what free or nearly free deals I might be missing simply because I've overlooked them or they are things I wouldn't normally think of. These free items are great for collecting toward my guest supply, future gifts, or Operation Christmas Child boxes!

We will see how this week improves over last week! I am amazed at how much quicker and cheaper I can shop when I have a list to follow... I don't wander up and down every aisle, trying to remember what I need, and therefore I don't have the impulse buys that I am so often prey to! I'm excited to start streamlining my process so I can be efficient with my time and money each week.

Weekly Review

2012-01-06T16:14:00.000-08:00

Well, my first week of couponing is just about over, and I'm pretty pleased with how it went. Here's a general overview...

Kmart = $27.89 - $7.98 in savings because of coupons. Would have been more if I'd been more assiduous and gotten my $5 off for the Slimfast. Doh!
Slimfast - bought 5 @ $5 ea, used $3.60 in coupons = $4.28 per 4pack I was supposed to get a coupon for $5 off my order for this, but I don't think it printed out, or if it did, distracto girl who was checking me out didn't give it to me. I should pay more attention at Kmart, I think.
Nice 'n Easy - bought 1 @ $4.99, used $1 in coupons = $3.99
Oreos - bought 1 @ 2.50 I used a super coupon for this, so it should have been $2.38, but I don't think she counted it. She was distracted and I should have paid more attention when she entered it. Note to self for the future.
Cupcake Mix - $1 - not on sale, just needed.
Distracto girl I think scanned one of my coupons twice so I got an extra dollar off. It's the only way the math makes sense, and there are two coupons on my receipt with exactly the same number.

Walmart = $34.38
Bush's Beans (various) - bought 18 @ $0.92 ea. These are normally around $1 ea, and are something we use. I got the varieties I can't get at Costco.
Rotel Tomatoes - bought 4 @ $0.88 ea. These are normally closer to $1, and something we use.
Lysol Motion Sensor Soap - bought 2 @ $3.47. Not on sale, something we needed for the guest bathroom. We were completely out of these.
Hormel Turkey Pepperoni - bought 1 @ $3.28. Not on sale, just needed for dinner tonight!
Hormel Canadian Bacon - bought 1 @ $2.12. Not on sale, just needed for dinner tonight!

Staples = $20.16 Would have been $50.59 if I'd paid full price for everything. Mind you, I wouldn't have paid $6+ for scissors, so that's not a realistic number, but I was pleased with how this purchase went! I read the ad, chose what we needed, and calculated as I went so that I could make the most of the trip! I did need the pens, driving log, and scissors, so that would have made the trip anyway!
Goals Notepad - bought 1 @ $4, reg. $7
Scissors - bought 3 @ $1 ea, reg. $6.29 ea
Driving Log - bought 1 @ $3
BIC Mark It Pens - bought 3 @ $1.29 ea.
Glue Stick 4 Pack - bought 1 @ $1, reg. $1.99
Rainbow Pens - bought 1 pack @ $4.79
Tamper Resistant Envelopes - bought 2 @ $1, reg. $3.29 ea.
Zipper envelope - bought 2 @ $1
Business card holder - bought 1 @ $1, reg. $1.99
Lollipop - bought 1 @ $0.50 - for Eliana, to get over $25 and use coupon
$5 off $25 order coupon

Rosauers = $12.31
Provalone slices - bought 2 @ 2.50 ea This is the one thing that wasn't on my list, but is something I wanted and it was a good price!
Cucumbers - bought 3 @ 3/$1
Green Lettuce - bought 1 @ $0.89
Green Bell Peppers - bought 3 @ 3/$1
Grapefruit - bought 1 bag @ $2.50 (7 grapefruit @ $0.36 ea)
Grape Tomatoes - bought 1 container @ $1.99

Costco = $101.80
Fage Yogurt - $12.49 ($1.05 ea.)
Canned Chicken - $9.99
Craisins - $7.49
Chicken Chimichangas - $13.49
Bananas - 2 @ $1.39
Dried Coconut - $8.99
Shredded Mozzarella - $11.99
Feta - $7.45
Tillamook Cheddar Slices - $8.49
Walnuts - $14.99
Eggs - $3.65

Target = $87.84 My total was well over $100 before they started entering all the coupons, so it was really fun to see the number go down, down, and down! I scored some really good deals on this trip to Target, including the Lean Cuisine deal, and the Fiber One deal! Woot!! Those will make lunch time and snack time easier when I want a quick fix and am tempted to eat something that won't help me lose weight!
Pantene Detangler - bought 1 for $3.99, used $1 coupon
Nice 'n Easy - bought 1 for $6.99, used $1 coupon
Nice 'n Easy Foam - bought 1 for $7.99, used $3 coupon
Pantene 2-in-1 Shampoo/Conditioner - bought 1 for $5.84, used $2 coupon, and $3 coupon
Ziplock snack bags - bought 2 @ $2.50 ea.
Wet Ones Travel - bought 2 @ $1.29 ea, used 2 $0.75 coupons ($0.54 ea.)
Expanding File / Notepad - $5.99
Dollar Spot Notecards - bought 5 @ $1 ea.
Always Wipes - bought 1 @ $3.29, used $1 coupon
Always Pantiliners - bought 1 @ $2.99, used $0.50 coupon, plus $1 coupon for both
Fiber One Bars - bought 4 @ $2.75 ea, used 2 $0.40 coupons, plus got one box free Woohooo!
Lean Cuisine - bought 10 @ $2, used $5 coupon, received $5 gift card for future Woohoo!
Venus Razor - bought 1 @ $8, reg. $9.49
Venus Blades - bought 1 @ $20.99, used $5 coupon, received $5 gift card for future
Colgate Toothpaste - bought 1 for $2.99, received coupons for future, plus free travel size

I got stuff at CVS as well, but I don't remember where my receipt is. But anyway... that at least gives an idea of how my couponing went this week! I hope to get better and better at it as the weeks go by!

Couponing....

2012-01-03T13:06:00.000-08:00

Coupons confuse me. I hear about people that save oooooodles of money by using coupons, and I know it is possible. But I seem to be struggling with how to keep everything straight. I thought I was doing pretty well, but somehow my piles of coupons have confused me again and I can't even make a decent list of what we need and where we should get it. There are obviously TONS of coupons for things we don't need, so I suppose I could start by weeding those things out....

Here's one of the confusing things, for example... Slim Fast Shakes. Turns out, if you heat them up they taste like hot chocolate, only are high protein, low carb. According to Safeway, a 4 pack is $5, and they are "Buy One Get One Free with Manufacturer Coupon from Sunday Paper". The only problem is that I couldn't find any manufacturer coupon in the Sunday paper that made them B1G1. Did I miss it? I do have a couple other Slim Fast coupons, so I should use those. Kmart has Slim Fast at 2 for $10, plus you get $5 off when you spend $25 on Slim Fast. Since my existing coupons are for $1.60 off 2, and $2 off 3, that would be $25 of Slim Fast, minus the $5, minus the $2, minus the $1.60, for a total savings of $8.60, according to my calculations. So, really it's only $16.40 for 20 bottles of Slim Fast, making them 82 cents each. Now, CVS has them for 2 for $9, so for 5 it would be $22.50, minus my coupons, making them $18.90 for 20 bottles. Turns out, Kmart has the best deal. Huh. Is it just me, or is that a lot of thinking for Slim Fast? BUT, it is something I have on my list, and I will be going to Kmart for hair dye anyway.

Okay... Here's another one. Target has Lean Cuisine meals on sale for $2, plus you get a $5 gift card when you purchase 10 of them. That's $20, but you get a $5 gift card back. I also have a random $5 off Frozen Food Puchase of $20 or more Target coupon, so that would technically be $15 for 10, plus $5 to spend later.

Couponmom.com makes it somewhat easier to get good deals, but only for national chains like Walmart, Target, etc. My local grocery stores like Town&Country and Rosauers aren't in that list, so it takes just a bit of extra work for that, too. Sometimes it is definitely worth looking at the local grocery ads, too. Just last night I sent Leif to Town&Country for a few items. They have the best price on the special yogurt our daughter eats, and they also had onions on sale. They also had a GREAT deal on Yoplait yogurt, which is normally around 60 cents a container. They had Yoplait for 5/$1, PLUS I had coupons for 50 cents off 8 and 40 cents off 6. Leif ended up getting 20 containers of yummy flavored Yoplait yogurt for less than $3!! Not bad at all! I'm glad I looked at their ad this week or I'd never have known!

Possible Dinner Menu...

2011-10-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

Monday... Fend For Yourself?
Tuesday... Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
Wednesday... Date Night
Thursday...
Friday... Chicken/Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic-Plum Reduction, Pear Salad
Saturday... Curried Cashew Pear Salad
Sunday...

Bountiful Baskets

2011-10-22T08:47:00.000-07:00

Recently I heard about http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/, which is operated out of Utah. Basically, it is a food coop. It kind of reminds me of a CSA and Azure combination. Today was my first time picking up a "basket." The baskets are available for purchase every other week and contain both fruits and vegetables. I also volunteered this morning, since it is a completely volunteer run organization, which was kind of fun! Here's what I brought home from my basket...

From Instant Upload

It includes...

5 apples

2 bags celery

2 avocados

5 heads garlic

6 bananas

4 tomatoes

8 oz. mushrooms

1 head romaine

2 bags grapes

11 plums

6 pears

9 sweet potatoes

Not bad for $15! I'm getting excited about planning meals for this week and figuring out what I'm going to do with the produce!

I very rarely buy plums, so I was kind of at a loss for what to do with them. Then I went searching around online for some recipes and came up with a couple that I am excited about! One is for pork tenderloin with a balsamic-plum reduction. Yummy! That's on the menu for this week. The other is for an Asian plum sauce that I will make and (hopefully) can for the future. The plum sauce calls for applesauce, which we don't have right now, so I'm making some with a few of the apples from the basket.

The pears are also something I'm trying to figure out what to do with, since I'm not much of a pear person. I'm confident, though, that I will find an amazing recipe, or that Leif will eat them before I get the chance to find a suitable way to serve them. =D If all else fails, I think they will be good with some cheese, smoked salt, nuts, and wine. A good, easy picnic for movie night?? We'll see.

I am unsure of what to do with the avocado so far, but will be searching for recipes on that next. If nothing comes to mind, I will either make guacamole (yum!) or puree it for future use.

The sweet potatoes will probably get cooked and pureed for Thanksgiving yambake (that's what Leif wants me to do with them), though I would like to use them for a sweet potato curry, so we'll see who wins out this week. ;)

I have some other ingredients I'd like to use this week, too, including potatoes, onions, 2 limes, cilantro, basil, and dill. So... seems like we'll have some good flavor to dinner this week!! Woohoo!

THE PERSONAL PLANNER

2011-10-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

The personal planner is coming together. In fact, I am really liking it. Here's how it started....

From Instant Upload

3 Ring Binder with half size sheets in it and my own dividers...

From Instant Upload

Notepad in the back for extra notes...

From Instant Upload

Monthly Tabs including birthday calendars. This is how it easily becomes a 90 day planner.

From Instant Upload

30 Day Focus sheet for each month...

From Instant Upload

Tabs for each of the major areas in my life... Time Management, Money Management, God, Family, Career, and Personal Development including Health and Nutrition.

From Instant Upload

Special things for Eliana, like her schedule for the week and important phone numbers.

From Instant Upload

A place for notes for the teacher, should I need them.

From Instant Upload

Daily schedule sheet...

From Instant Upload

Cute fitness and nutrition tracking sheets...

From Instant Upload

90 Day reading list... What I'm currently reading.

From Instant Upload

Book recommendation sheets for when others recommend books to me.

From Instant Upload

And added pockets for the miscellaneous!

That's how it STARTED. I used it for a month or so and then the system I was waiting for came out with their punch so I could customize my own pages to fit into a disk system. I LOVE IT!!

The thing I probably love the best is that my personal planner now fits in this:

From Instant Upload

Here's what the cover of the actual notebook looks like:

From Instant Upload

A lot of the printable pages I found that I like and use came from these guys:

From Instant Upload

In this version of the planner, I have time management focused pages in the front, and then the tabs start.

From Instant Upload

God, Family, Career, followed by a pocket, and then my personal and financial tabs. It's kind of nice to separate the sections that way.I start with my daily list of things to do... 5 most important things, routines, meals, exercise, water, shopping list, appointments... all on one sheet. I found this sheet from simpleorganizedliving.com and I love it. I fill it out at night before bed and it allows me to think out and plan my next day. This is my work-from sheet. If I didn't look at the rest of the planner, but just worked off of this sheet each day, I'd be doing pretty good. I also have some sticky tabs so that I can use if I need to remember where I left off, what didn't get done, or just want to mark something. Then I have my Weekly Plan Sheet that I put together on Sunday night for the week. It's an ideal, but gives me something to work from each day as I plan the next day. Notice, too, that my monthly tabs are here in this section, too, before the God, Family, Career tabs.

From Instant Upload

Then I have my Daily To-Do List. This is where I track what I want to do and what I'm actually doing, and how I'm balancing my personal/family and business time.

From Instant Upload

LOOK!!! I can punch coupons and put them in my planner to use that day!

From Instant Upload

This is my weekly meal planner with tear-off grocery list. Leif does the grocery shopping, but this lets me think through next week's meals while I'm out and about and make notes for ingredients we will need.

From Instant Upload

GOD tab:

From Instant Upload

This lets me make notes, read scripture and journal it, and journal prayers while I'm out and about, too. I find this much better than using a dedicated journal, since I often don't have the journal with me. FAMILY tab:

From Instant Upload

Ellie's "I-didn't-get-any-checkmarks-at-kindergarten-today" punchcard and perforated "Let's have a playdate" sheets that make planning playdates easier.

From Instant Upload

CAREER tab:

From Instant Upload

Current promotion and place to jot down notes as I make phone calls while I'm out and about...

From Instant Upload

Blank note pages.PERSONAL tab:

From Instant Upload

Current reading list for the 90 days...

From Instant Upload

Book recommendation sheets:

From Instant Upload

IOU Coupons:

From Instant Upload

FINANCES tab:

From Instant Upload

A place to make notes about who paid what and what I paid, etc. Not an actual ledger, but a place for me to make notes. And, of course, my receipt pocket:

From Instant Upload

My shopping list...

From Instant Upload

Tiny notes...

From Instant Upload

And my important pocket!

From Instant Upload

(and, of course, the notepad)

It's a ton of pictures, but I really love my new personal planner and disk binding system! All of the pages are easily rearrangable, without having to open up the rings and risk losing all of the sheets. I have done that on more than one occasion! Also, the disk spacing makes it easier to include smaller pieces of paper, like coupons! I'm pretty pleased.

It's coming together!!

2011-09-25T11:28:00.000-07:00

One of Leif's pet peeves when I was using a Control Journal back in the day is that it was out on the kitchen counter all the time. So when I considered going back to using a Household Notebook, I knew that I would have to find someplace OTHER than the kitchen to house the Organization Station. =D

So, on a trial basis (though I think it will be the permanent home), the Organization Station is in the mud hall, in its own little corner. There's the File System and the Household Notebook, and hanging just above them, in all it's (unintentional) color-coordinated glory, the House-to-Car bag. That's where I put things that need to go with us and things that need to come inside. Here's a look!

From Instant Upload

It's coming together!!

The land of Printables

2011-09-24T18:29:00.000-07:00

I have gone a little Printable crazy the last few days. Like, seriously printable crazy. I just sorted through my printables folder and categorized them into sub-folders in hopes of being able to navigate the murky waters of printability. Insane, I say. Now I have the delightful task of sorting through the folders and deciding which I *really* want to keep and use, and which I will probably never really use. Because, really, they are only as great as their usefulness goes.

So as I flip through the images, I thought perhaps I'd make some notes about what I might like to do with these marvelous little printables. Assuming, of course, that I get a working printer in the near future. =D

IOU Coupon - I have a few of these. I need to figure out which will be best for my Personal Organizer. Also, if I use these, do I keep the IOU or do I give it to the person to whom I owe something? And if I give it away, will I remember to write the IOU on something so that I actually remember to get it to them? Things to ponder.

Playdate Invites - These would be nice to have on hand for those spontaneous playdate plans. I'd add the playdate to my calendar and give the invite to the other party.

Cute Polka Dot Notes - Smaller than regular half-sheet notes, these would be good for a little message to someone.

Happy Birthday Cards - Would it be nice to have a couple of these printed on cardstock on hand just in case? Or is that going overboard? Should I look for generic cards instead?

Gift Certificates - These would be kind of fun to have to give to potential customers. I like the idea.

Whew... then I got sucked into the stuff that is going to be more difficult to wade through... and suddenly this blog post is over because my brain is full. I'll have to continue this later. Off to see if my brain can stop humming...

Thoughts on the File System

2011-09-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

Well, since I've posted about my thoughts on the Personal Organizer and Household Notebook, I might as well share my thoughts on the File System.

I get excited about reorganizing in September. Perhaps it's the start of the school year, perhaps it's the month of my birthday, but it always feels like the perfect time for a fresh start. This year is no different, and is maybe even has more focus on the organizational front since Eliana started kindergarten and we are back into the swing of a school calendar.

My thought behind the File System is that if I want to keep up my Personal Organizer without buying pages and new organizers every 90 days or so, I need to have things pre-printed and ready to go so that I don't let my every day fall apart. The same for my Household Notebook. I don't want to store a year's worth of papers in either system, so I need a place to keep all those pertinent papers until the time comes for me to use them.

Of course, I am still in the experimental stages of my Personal Organizer and Household Notebook, so the File System is also in flux until I get all that figured out. Here's what I do have so far, though...

The File System:

Loose Files

Extra Journal Pages for Personal Organizer (PO)

Monthly Hanging File Folders

Blank PO Notepad
4-5 Weekly Folders (labeled Week 1-Week 5)

Week 1

PO - Monthly Divider
PO - 30 Day Focus Sheet
PO - Projects Sheet
PO - Monthly / Weekly Meal Planner
HN - Monthly / Weekly Meal Planner

Subsequent Weeks

Weekly Goal Planning Sheets
Weekly Meal Planners
Weekly Productivity Sheets
Weekly To Do Lists
Etc. (You get the idea... )

Holiday / Special Planning Folders

Anything for planning holiday events, birthday parties, etc. Filed under the appropriate month.

Extra Hanging File Folders

Blank File Folders
Blank Holiday Folders

Obviously, there are a lot of unknowns with this system so far. I'm assuming that will become easier as I narrow it down to exactly which printables I want to use each week, etc. Since I am looking for an all-encompassing system, it will undoubtedly take some time to work out all the kinks and find a solution that simplifies our life and is maintainable long term. So far, though, I am liking the progress. I feel hope!!

Thoughts on the Household Notebook

2011-09-23T20:42:00.000-07:00

What do I do with this household notebook? It seems to be giving me the most trouble. I have a large 3 ring notebook that has...

Pencil Pouch
5 Pocket Tabs
6 Pocket Tabs (for Eliana)
A-Z Tabs
Jan - Dec Tabs with Page Protectors

I am thinking that I will need tabs for...

Routines

Morning
Evening
Daily / Zones?

Menu Planning
Emergency
Babysitter / Eliana
Family Information

What is the purpose of this notebook? Is it something I want to use every day, reference occasionally, or use in emergencies? Will I be the only one using it, or will other people be using it too? Do I want extra reference information in it, or will I only be using it to make sure that my household runs smoothly? I guess these are questions I should answer if I want to make sure that my notebook ends up like I want it.

I would like the notebook to be useful for me and for Leif and for babysitters. Leif is in charge of grocery shopping, so I want the menu planning section to be a place where he can get the grocery list, add to it, take it with him, etc. Babysitters need to know the basic information about Eliana, such as her milk allergy, what she is and isn't allowed to do, bedtime, etc.

I want to have my morning, afternoon, and evening routines clearly laid out so I can follow them and check them off the list. I will have copies of these in my personal planner, but I think I will need to work out of both to keep myself on track. For now, I will forego the cleaning zones, because that is a habit I am not yet ready to build up to. If I add in too much at once, I am afraid I will burn out and not want to do any of it.

I don't want to keep too much extra information in this notebook, lest it become a repository for random papers. If anything, extra information will go in the appropriate folder of the file system, so that I look at it when I need to and not when I get distracted by it. =D

So... Here are my Household Notebook thoughts...

Tabs:

Household

Morning Routine
Evening Routine

Meal Planning

Shopping List
Monthly / Weekly Menu Plan
Favorite Meals
Recipes to Try

Family Information / Reference
Emergency
Eliana / Babysitter Information

It's starting to come together. Now to keep it moving in that direction...

Personal Planner Progress

2011-09-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

I am steadily making progress on my life reorganization project. My file bucket is coming along, my household notebook is coming along, and my personal planner is making significant progress. So far here's where I am...

Personal Planner:

Tabs:

Time Management

Weekly Plan Sheet

To Do List
Weekly Menu
Shopping List

Monthly

3 at a time, to make it a 90 day planner
Currently October, November, December
Birthday Calendar on each tab

30 Day Focus Sheet
Projects Sheet
Monthly Menu Planner
Holiday / Seasonal Notes Sheets

Money Management

Debt Load Worksheet
Receipts Folder

Current Memory Passage
Bible Study / Journal Pages

Family

The Good Deed Card (also known as the I-Didn't-Get-Any-Checkmarks-In-Kindergarten-Today punchcard)
Eliana's schedule
Eliana's monthly chart
Important Phone Numbers
Notes for Teacher

Career

Current MK Promotion
Lead Card Sheets
To Do List
Daily Schedule Sheets

Personal

Health and Nutrition

Cute Exercise/Sleep/Water/Food Reminder Sheet
Weekly Fitness Sheet

Personal Development

Reading List
Book Review Sheets
Book Recommendation Sheets
Blank Pages

Notepad

I am currently keeping everything in a 3 ring binder, but I think that when I get it pretty well figured out I will probably move to a disk system like the M by Staples Arc system. I hear they are coming out with a slot punch in October, so that will make the transition over much more appealing. I'm hoping then my planner will also fit into my Padfolio cover for MK, which I really do like.

Organizing my life... again.

2011-09-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

Now that Eliana has started school and I am trying to ramp up my business, it seems like I really do need to reorganize my life. Again. Yesterday was my birthday, and that's kind of like the start of a new year, so I spent a good deal of time thinking over what would be a good system for me to use. And yes, that is what I chose to do on my birthday. I love stuff like that. It makes me happy. So here are my thought so far...

I need some sort of personal organizer that goes everywhere with me.

I need some sort of home organizer that helps me keep our home in check, including things for Eliana.

I need some sort of file system to help me keep the papers organized so that they're not all just laying about.

If it's not broken, don't fix it.

Those are my thoughts. I have several areas of my life to juggle right now... Home, Business, Eliana. Those are what I'm currently juggling. I have other areas I'd love to be working on, but don't seem to know how to go about it. Food and Exercise, Bible Reading, and Social Time are a few of those areas. BUT... right now I'm going to start with what I know.

The File System.

I like the file system idea I found on a random blog, and I think I'd like to try to implement it. It seems like a great way to deal with papers and things one week/month at a time. I could use this as a way to organize and store items for both my personal organizer and my home organizer until I need them.

To make the file system, I am going to need to get 52+ file folders and a hanging file organizer to put them in. I already have the hanging file folders, so that won't be a problem.

I need to store it in a central location where we have the information at hand and I can easily file things away as they come home, but not in a location that is in the way. I am thinking on top the shoe bin in the family hallway.

The Personal Organizer.

I need to carry a personal organizer with me. I'm not entirely sure what sort of organizer it needs to be, but so far I've not found a good one I like. I think this is going to be a trial and error process as I work to come up with the right solution. For now I'm working on putting one together using a small 3-ring binder. I'll update on that later.

The Household Organizer.

This is akin to Flylady's Control Journal. I used a control journal for a few years, and there were things about it that worked really well. Since I've fallen out of the habit of using one and have added a personal organizer that takes the place of some of the items in it, I am looking for a good way to revamp it for our household. It needs to include things for the household, meal planning, grocery shopping, and Eliana's schedules. That is also a work in progress, and probably the last one I will get to. We'll see.

There are a few things that are actually working really well, so I don't need to mess with those systems. One is how I track mileage for my business. It's a good system. Another is getting Eliana out the door in the morning. When I am doing that, it seems to run smoothly, so I won't change up her routine.

As for the rest, well, it's a work in progress...

I want to reorganize my life

2011-09-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

... but what if I can't stick to the system I pick? I am seriously in the market for a system that actually works for me. I like the 90 day planner by Pam Shaw, but I feel like it needs to be tweaked just a bit more for me. I like the idea of a control journal by Flylady, but I don't seem to keep up with it. I love the idea of a weekly file bin, but I'm pretty sure I would skip weeks and that wouldn't really be helpful. How do I get organized? I'm at a loss.

Before and After... part 2

2011-09-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

The kitchen...
BEFORE...

From Instant Upload

and AFTER...

From Instant Upload

There are still dishes in the sink, but that was remedied after the dishwasher ran a load. =D

Before and After

2011-09-19T11:18:00.000-07:00

From Instant Upload

This is my dining room before. I'm sad to say that it's looked more or less like this for a week. Last night, though, I got off my booty and got down to work and now it looks like this:

From Instant Upload

Ahhhhh! A breath of fresh air! The pink plate is from Eliana's breakfast this morning, lest you just think I missed it. =D Yay for starting the week with a clean house!

It's been a while...

2011-09-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

Wow. The last time I blogged, we were packing up to move out of our old house into a condo while the new house got finished. Now we've been living in the new house for 6 months! Crazy!

When we designed the new house, we took to heart some of the things from "The House that Cleans Itself" and that has made a HUGE difference in how clean our house stays. HUGE!

That being said, this last week was Eliana's first full week of school and my first week of getting her up, ready, and out the door by 8am. My house started to fall apart. Here's what I saw happen:

The dining room table became a collection spot for all things.
The kitchen became cluttered with dirty dishes that didn't get cleaned, lunch making supplies that took over the counter, and random stuff that I moved from the dining room table to the kitchen.
The master bedroom became another catch-all as I tried to get caught up on Eliana's school clothes laundry and brought in new things to leave in our room.

Not cool. Those are the 3 areas that we live in. The areas my husband likes to have neat and clean. The areas that I apparently stink at keeping clean when life is going on.

So my goals for today are to tackle those 3 rooms. And if I have time, I'd like to clean up the craft room, too, and maybe even tackle the pantry.

I'd love to plan meals for this week and make them today and get them in the fridge / freezer, all ready to go, but I doubt that's going to happen.

I'm pretty much feeling like I need to reorganize my life again, which isn't good. Not sure what that's about, but I'm thinking I probably need to take my pill today and that will help set me straight. =D

So... perhaps I'll take a couple before and after pictures of my progress today. That would be good. Perhaps I'd make some progress, then.

Either way, I'd like to start out the week with a nice, clean home.

Leif's Office, packed up...

2010-11-07T08:07:00.001-08:00

Mission Accomplished: Leif's office is packed up before he gets home from Helena today. Whew!

1 room down, 12 to go in the next 11 days...

Packing 101

2010-11-06T20:52:00.000-07:00

We sold our house back in August, and officially closed on September 10th. God has been very good to us in that we have been able just to rent the house from the new owners until our new house is finished in January. Last night we found out that we are actually going to have to move much sooner than anticipated - in 12 days.

As it turns out, the new owners were denied insurance coverage because they're not actually living in the house yet, and the mortgage company sees not being insured as a breech of the mortgage contract they're under. Oops. So, the insurance company has given them until the 19th to be in the house, which means we have to be OUT of the house by the 18th.

So... I started packing last night, and spent all day today packing. God has also been so good to us in that my mom has been planning to come for a visit and arrives late tomorrow night - and will be here until the 16th. Have I mentioned that my mom is the master packer?? Yes, God is good!

I am happy to say that I got Leif's office all packed up today (with the exception of the computer, desk, and its contents, since he'll still need those in the next 10 days) so that he can work uninterrupted in there while mom and I pack up the rest of the house. It's weird to have bare walls and empty bookcases. We've lived here for 8+ years, so we've gotten pretty settled in. =D I am hoping that the cleaned out office will help Leif focus as he prepares to defend his Master's project in a week. That's the other reason I started with his office.

SO..... Packing 101: Label your boxes clearly.

I label all of our boxes with our name, the room the box goes in, and a general description of the box contents, like so:

WICKLAND
LIBRARY

(Latin and Classical Education Books)

I have done that with every move we've made, and it has served me well. Of course, the more moves you have, the more writing you have on your boxes and the more confusing it is for others who might be helping you move to figure out which writing is for this particular move. SO... with the help of avery.com, I augmented my labeling system with *gasp!* actual labels. =D I maybe wouldn't have thought to do this, except that we will have to distinguish which boxes we will need to open at the temporary housing, and which can remain packed until we move into the NEW house in January or so. Because we have to do that, each box has a label with its final destination on it:

I'm a big fan of both words AND pictures, being a visual person myself, so I was pretty happy to find that Avery's Design and Print online had a ton of label templates with pictures on them. I just think it is easier for our brains to sort information when we get both words and pictures, so it should make the box moving process a little easier on those helping us move. Here are some of the labels I printed and put on the boxes...

It took just seconds (literally!) to make new labels and print them out. Every box, in addition to the hand-written content labeling (which is just for my own reference, anyway) has two labels - one in the center with the final destination, and a second in the upper right corner telling which room in the new house to deliver the box to. It looks something like this:

Not bad, huh? I'm hoping the clearly labeled boxes will make the move(s) easier. I guess we'll find out in 12 days!

Food Rules

2010-09-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a book called "Food Rules" by Michael Pollan right now. It's a really short read, but full of some good stuff on how to eat well. The points that are hitting home right now are....

* Avoid food products containing ingredients no ordinary human would keep in the pantry.

* Avoid food products containing high fructose corn syrup.

* Avoid foods that have sugar or a sweetener listed in the top 3 ingredients.

I'm excited to see how the inside of our pantry changes as we implement some of these rules. Specifically, I'm thinking I'm going to try to make more of the foods I typically buy processed. I won't be canning this year, but I'm hoping that by next year I will be able to source some good whole foods and can in preparation for the winter. Home canned food is just better.

Freezer Meals

2010-09-07T09:38:00.000-07:00

I've been prepping up a storm with freezer meals this weekend! I've made and bagged Cilantro Lime Chicken (pictured above), blueberry muffins, Curry Sauce, Curry Chicken, Japanese Chicken, Calzones, and I'm still going! Of course, now I'm running out of room in the freezer, so I'm having to get creative. =D

I am excited about having some ready to bake / pan fry / stick in the crock pot meals for this fall! My friend Amber and I swap meals a few times a week, so I really only need to make meals 3 times a week, which is nice. I cook double twice a week to provide dinner for her family, and she cooks double twice a week to provide for mine. Wednesdays are technically date night (we swap kids on those nights so we can each have a date night twice a month!) so we're on our own that night, either to provide for ourselves, or our family plus an extra kiddo.

So... meals underway! Hooray!

A Clean Kitchen

2010-03-17T12:47:00.001-07:00

Here's what my kitchen looked like last night before I went to bed. I cleared off the clutter from the counters, and tried to deal in a small way with some of the problems. I moved our recharger station so that I could use it to hide cords and tidy up the phone / sound mess. I got rid of one of the hand soap dispensers. I cleaned out and watered the plants. I still have a ways to go with the kitchen, but this was step 1. Right now I'm going through and trying to clear out the clutter from the cabinets and drawers. And I'm hopefully doing it in a way that means I'll still be able to have a clean kitchen when Leif comes home. =D

Evaluating the Evidence: Kitchen Back View

2010-03-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

Ewww... this is the other hot spot in our kitchen. The shelf you can't see from the front door, so it's where I hide things. It's actually pretty good in this picture, which is NOT good! Here's what I see:

* Stale glass of tea - I reheated it a couple times, but never got around to drinking the rest of it, so it just sat because I thought I'd reheat and drink it.
* Rice on the far counter - It doesn't have a resealable bag and I didn't want it to dump over in the pantry, but there was too much to fit in a container, so I never did anything with it (despite the fact that Leif repeatedly asked me to.)
* Bento boxes - they don't easily fit in the drawer now because the drawer isn't organized, so they are just waiting to be put away.
* Pumpkin - I thought I would get around to processing it, and I haven't yet. I just need to do it.
* Flylady Control Journal - I tossed it out of the way when I was cleaning, but I don't look at it if it's over there and hidden. Out of sight, out of mind.
* Bananas - I stacked things too high and didn't have room to hang the bananas, so I just put them on top the pile.
* Butter wrapper on the floor - No idea.
* Lunch box - I've never found a good home for it.

Evaluating the Evidence: Kitchen Sink View

2010-03-17T08:50:00.001-07:00

I'm continuing with the THOROUGH evaluation of my kitchen mess, and moving on to the sink view. Here's what I see:

* Banana peel on the counter - it never made it to the compost bin just outside our door.
* Open door under the sink and items scattered in front of it - Ellie was looking for a cup and dragged out a few other things when she couldn't find one.
* Ellie's dishes under the sink - some are organized so she can get to them, but others are not. I get lazy when putting away the dishes and sometimes just toss them under the sink instead of putting them in there neatly.
* Loose tea on the counter - I didn't put the bag away after I got myself a cup of tea.
* Clean dishes on the counter - Amber returned my dish and instead of putting it away I just moved it to the kitchen but didn't take the extra step to put it away.
* Bowls of flower seeds on the counter - I dried the flower seeds in the fall and they've been there ever since, waiting to be planted in the spring.
* Packets of curry on the counter - I got them out to remind me what I was making for dinner, and left them there until I was ready to cook.

Evaluating the Evidence: Kitchen Side View

2010-03-17T08:40:00.001-07:00

Here's another view of the kitchen and what I notice that's different from the previous view...

* Trash can is overflowing - it fills up so quickly, and I don't take the time to empty it into the big can in the garage.
* Ellie's magnets are on the fridge AND the back door - she didn't put them away when she was done playing with them and I didn't ask her to.
* Various art work, schedules, and multiple meal planning / grocery lists are cluttering up the fridge - once things get put on the fridge, they don't quickly come down.
* Ellie's responsibility chart on the wall - it seems an eye sore to me, but we actually use it there.
* Bagels and oranges on top the fridge - it seems like an easy place to store them.
* Window to door is bright, but has no window dressing - I have a magnetic curtain rod, but never got around to making the curtain / valance, so I used the rod for the fridge, where I hang towels.
* Old towels hung on the front of the fridge - I don't notice them here, so I just grab new ones when I need a towel and I forget to toss these into the wash.
* Ellie has two stools in the kitchen - sometimes she and Josie use them together, and then I forget to put the dark stool back in our closet.

Evaluating the Evidence: Kitchen

2010-03-17T08:27:00.001-07:00

This is what happens to my kitchen if I don't clean for a day. It falls apart pretty quickly. It's also the most important room to keep clean, as far as Leif is concerned, so this is a pretty unacceptable mess!

My first assignment was to take a picture, then analyze what I see in the photo. Here's the picture, and here's what I see...

* Every flat surface is cluttered - I am a barnacler.
* Pizza stones and microwave cover are on the stove top - I forgot to return them to their homes when I was finished using the oven and microwave.
* Water bottles collecting on the counter - some need to be washed, some need to be put away. I take them to the kitchen, but don't take the time to finish the step.
* Ellie's stool is in the middle of the floor - she uses it and it just stays where she last was.
* Dirty dishes are strewn from one end of the counter to the other - I take them to the kitchen, but don't bother to go the extra step to put them in the sink or in the dishwasher.
* Empty boxes and bags are on the counter - I didn't throw them away when I was done with the food inside.
* Papers and movies and other miscellany gathered by the plant - this is the "catch-all" spot.
* Brita pitcher on the counter - I never refilled it and put it back in the fridge, so it just got moved around on the counter.
* Kitchen Aid attachments on the counter - I used the bowl where they are normally stored and it's in the sink, so I didn't have a place to store the extra attachments.
* Various dish cloths are on the counter, mixed in with the mess - I couldn't easily see a cloth, so I'd get out a new one, then lose that, etc.
* Plants are pretty scraggly looking - I don't take the time to properly water or prune them.
* Can of spray paint and sunblock on the far counter by the door - I used them outside, then just brought them back in and put them close to the door. I like storing the sunblock by the door so it's easy to use.
* Items from the cupboards are on the counter - Didn't put them back when I was done using them, or I pulled them out because I needed to get something from behind them and I never replaced them.
* Recipes from magazines are gathered in the cookbook holder - I thought I would get around to sorting through them, but I didn't and they just pile up there.
* Carbonater is pulled to the front of the counter - I pulled it forward to fizz some water, then didn't move it back when I was done.
* Josie and Ellie's leftover lunch on plates on the counter - I thought they might want to eat the leftovers later as a snack, so I left them out.
* Jumble of cords for the speakers, phones, and coffee percolator - I don't even see the cords any more.
* Empty spice jars stored with the full ones - I washed them out and then just placed them back on the shelf when they were empty.
* Hot pads on the counter where I last used them - once I pulled something out of the oven I didn't bother to replace the hot pads, then I pulled out another pair for the next batch of muffins.
* Window is bright, but has no window dressing - I never got around to making or hanging a valance when we did the rest of the curtains.
* Hand soap containers on both sides of the sink - I don't know why we have so many or how they got to the other side of the sink, and I've never noticed it before.
* Overflowing scrubber holder - I have accumulated too many scrubbers to fit in the little container I have for them.

The House That Cleans Itself

2010-03-16T16:16:00.001-07:00

I picked up this book at the Christian bookstore for $5 a little while ago and started reading it this week. It's interesting. One of the first things you do in the book is create a flow plan for all the areas of your house. I'm not sure exactly what we'll do with it just yet, but I did it. Well, I did it for the upstairs. I need to do it for the downstairs still. After you create the flow plan, you wait a few days and don't clean and just watch what sort of chaos your house falls into naturally. For me, all it took was one day. I took my pictures today, because my house seems pretty disastrous to me. I'm in the process of uploading them to the computer now, and then I will go through each picture and figure out what is out of place and WHY. That's a big part of figuring out how to get the house to clean itself - why does it fall apart now?

I will probably blog my findings and progress here, as well as do a book review when I'm finished. I've always been a Flylady gal myself, but I see some merits to this way of thinking, and it's not in direct opposition to Flylady, just more about the home organization than the behavior modification. I'm actually excited about the prospect and looking forward to seeing some improvement in my home. Especially if my house starts "cleaning" itself!

November Projects

2009-10-26T10:05:00.001-07:00

Christmas wrappers for zucchini bread gifts
Christmas wrappers for canned gifts
Christmas cards
DVD
Photo book
Thanksgiving invitations
Thanksgiving meal plan

Zone 4 this week... master suite

2009-10-19T13:50:00.001-07:00

Today starts the week of Zone 4, the master suite. I spent more than 15 minutes on it today, but it's been a LONG time since I've deep cleaned our room! So today I started with the bed, stripped it, washed the comforter, bedskirt, sheets, and pillowcases. Then I flipped the mattress, since I think you're supposed to every 3 months and I KNOW I haven't done that in the last 3,6,9? months! (By the way, flipping a queen size mattress is NOT a one woman job. I always forget that. I always do it anyway, but next time I should remember to employ Leif's help.)

I cleaned out underneath the bed (wow, there was a lot of "lost" stuff under there!) and replaced the bedskirt, then made the bed with new, clean sheets (flannel, because it's chilly out!).

I also cleaned the shower this morning. Woohoo!

The whole bedroom isn't clean just yet, but I've got a week to work through it, 15 minutes at a time. In the meantime, it's nice to know that I've gotten some things accomplished today!!

My new laundry system...

2009-10-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

I am back to doing Flylady, and that means a load of laundry a day. I am notorious for leaving the clean laundry in a pile to fold and put away "all at once." Instead, what usually happens is that it comes time for bed and there's still a load in the washer or dryer so I haven't dealt with all the clean laundry yet - it's still piled high on the bed! For some people, Mt. Washmore is a pile of dirty clothes. For me, it's a pile of clean clothes that are now all wrinkly and overwhelming! So, I do what any normal person with a deep down need for order is and I... dump the pile onto the window seat to deal with later. It, of course, spills onto the floor because there are too many clothes to fit on the window seat!

So... when I wake up in the morning, not only do I have to remember that I have clothes in the washing machine, but I am greeted by a giant mound of clothes on the floor. It's too overwhelming to deal with, so I just make Leif fish his clean underwear out of the pile for the next week and pretend like it's not there.

But it is.

And it weighs me down, keeping me from doing anything I really want to do. I feel too guilty about the pile to do anything fun, but I am overwhelmed by the pile and avoiding it, so I sit around and do nothing but eat to soothe my stress.

But last week I went back to Flylady and started tackling my problems 15 minutes at a time. And do you want to know something? For a week now, my laundry has been under control. I'm not saying every article of clothing we own has been clean and in the closet every day, but the laundry is not hanging over my head. I started doing 1 load a day and I established a new laundry system for my home.

I got one of these:

to keep next to the washer and dryer, and I got 3 canvas bins to go with it. Here's the theory... dirty laundry comes downstairs in a laundry basket. I load 1/2 or 1/3 of the laundry from the basket into the washer, because we have giant laundry baskets that I love. Because I'm only doing a load a day of laundry, the rest of the dirty stuff stays in the basket. But where does the clean stuff go? Well, the hanging stuff gets put on hangers immediately, and hung on my new laundry rack. Then, the rest gets sorted and folded based on which person it belongs to. One bin for each family member, or to use however works best (e.g. Leif, Elizabeth, Towels, if I don't have any of Ellie's laundry in that particular load). Then, the hanging items and baskets go upstairs one at a time to be emptied and brought back down. If there are any empty hangers in the closet, they go back in the basket to head downstairs and get stored on the laundry rack. I can deal with one small basket of clothes at a time. That is not overwhelming, and it takes just a couple minutes to put everything away. I don't have to do all 3 loads of laundry in one day, because it's fine if the dirty clothes stay in the basket until tomorrow to do the next load. Dirty clothes go in the laundry basket, clean clothes go in the canvas totes. It's great!

And so far, it is working wonderfully - and my laundry's all caught up!!

Updating the control journal...

2009-10-12T11:00:00.001-07:00

I'm updating my control journal.

I'm tired of my house controlling me.

I'm tired of the clutter.

I'm tired of the lack of focus.

So I'm going back to the only thing that has ever worked for me. Flylady.

Why do I keep getting away from it?

I went to bed last night with a clean house. Shiny sink. I didn't go to bed early, but I went to bed with a clean house. It made a big difference this morning, so I am working on updating my routines and printing them out for my control journal. Thankfully, I can do it in stages because the old CJ is still intact, but I'd like to get it done. It's my project for today.

Make Bed

2009-09-29T21:53:00.000-07:00

* Strip and change the sheets every Monday.
* Tuck the sheet in at the foot of the bed and pull the top edge of the sheet flush with the head of the mattress.
* Lay the comforter on the top of the bed, top edge flush with the head of the mattress and the bottom edge as far as it will hang down without touching the floor.
* Place the maroon or cream smooth pillow cased pillows at the head of the bed, leaning against the window sill.
* Place the maroon body pillow in front of the propped pillows.
* Place the pillows matching the comforter in the front, pillows touching in the center with the extra casing draping toward the edges of the bed.

Wake Up / Take Temperature

2009-09-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

Ideally, I should be waking up at 5am. That's the goal, at least. It doesn't always happen.

The temperature part is kind of sketchy, too, because I'm not tracking my temperature right now. When I am, though, I track it on Fertility Friend.

I also have a paper form I can use to track, but I'd have to find it. Right now FF is better...

Systems....

2009-09-29T21:31:00.000-07:00

Right now I am participating in a weekly challenge and accountability group with my director. It has really been eye opening for me! This week we wrote out Frustrations / Solutions lists for our businesses and personal lives. In doing that I realized that my most basic frustrations come down to not having systems in place for getting things done. My frustrations are not with the special things that pop up, but with the every day items that I can't seem to keep up on. Things like...

Laundry
Writing Thank You Notes
Dishes
Cleaning the house
Bible Study
Exercise
Meal Planning

... see where I'm going with this?

So... I need to build some systems. I say "build" because they will take time. They will grow into what I need them to be, but I need to get them into place first. So... back to flylady, methinks. I'm going to pick the 3 most important things to do every morning, day, and night and do them. Just 3 things, I think. Let's see...

Morning Routine:
1. Make bed
2. Empty dishwasher
3. Bible Study

Daytime Routine:
1. Exercise
2. 15 minutes of cleaning / decluttering
3. Laundry

Evening Routine:
1. Skin care
2. Dishes / Shine sink
3. Items for tomorrow in the car / ready to go

I'm fighting with myself over a physical notebook or this blog again... I get sucked into the computer when I try to use the blog, but a notebook is large and gets in the way and drives Leif crazy. So... I need to have a solution one way or the other. Perhaps I'll put it out here, then shrink the routine list and just have a copy of it in my MK binder to go off each day. Maybe that's a good solution...

Canning....

2009-09-07T20:56:00.001-07:00

I spent the day canning apples today. ALL DAY. Tiny tart apples I got off freecycle. 75 lbs of them. And I only got through about half of them today! I was hoping to get through all of them, but it didn't happen. Here's what DID happen...

3 quarts Apple Jam
4 half-pints Cranapple Butter
7 pints Red Hot Apples
4 quarts Apples in Light Syrup (for making Apples Pie at Thanksgiving!)
2 pints Red Hot Cider Mix
3 quarts Apple Sauce

I tried 5 recipes from my new canning cookbook. I love it! Now to do the rest of the apples... (and I had already done a batch of apple butter and a batch of jam before this. Sheesh!)

A month later...

2009-09-04T17:35:00.000-07:00

... and I'm much more organized!

- I had a garage sale.
- We have new bedroom furniture.
- I'm working on some routines.
- I'm saying no to things that are not priorities.
- We put Eliana in morning pre-school two days a week.
- I refilled my hormone prescription.
- I have been scrapbooking regularly.
- I am taking care of things that have been hanging over my head for a long time.

Things are going better.

Getting Organized

2009-08-04T08:05:00.001-07:00

Sorting.

Cleaning.

Purging.

It's sort of freeing.

We are looking at some furniture for our bedroom since the cheap-o dresser we have been using is now down to one functional drawer. Not exactly helpful. So... we're looking at REAL furniture. Oooh. Real wood. Stuff that would live in our bedroom and not in the closet. Oooooh. We've got a couple options, and I'm not sure exactly which route I want to go right now, but at least the discussion is in progress.

Aside from reorganizing the bedroom, Mom and I went through the kitchen cupboards and got rid of some stuff we never use, too. A couple boxes worth of stuff has been culled and it looks like I might have enough stuff for a garage sale, especially once I'm done going through the basement and the rest off the bedroom. Wow.

The craft room is on the docket, too. That's a big undertaking, but mom is helping me go through everything. So far I'm just organizing, but the purging will happen very soon! I am looking forward to having a place for everything and not being overwhelmed by all the stuff I just HAVE. If I don't love it or use it, it's time to lose it!

Priorities

2009-07-31T08:12:00.001-07:00

I'm going to have to set some priorities for the Fall, so that I don't get overwhelmed. Right now, here is what I would really like to be a part of, either for just me or for Eliana, too.

- Friday Morning Bible Study
- Wednesday BSF
- Awana
- Ellie at a sitter one day a week (preferably in Belgrade)
- Mary Kay TNL
- Worship Team

These are the things that I really want to do. They are really important to me in one way or another and can provide a schedule to provide an external framework for my week to hang on. There are some things that I would like to be part of, too, though we'll see. They are...

- Kindermusik
- Women's Bible Study
- Weekly playdate/CMB playgroup
- Ruby come over one or two afternoons
- Aerial Dance
- Friday Crops at Kristii's
- Craft Night
- Julieen playdate

This is why my plate gets so full. I have so much I want to do! BUT... I can't do everything, be everything, and have everything all at once. I have to set limits. So... first off.. the priorities.

I need to find out the details on Awana. Where, when, cost. I need to talk to Michelle about watching Ellie one day a week.

I think I'm going to say no to Kindermusik, Women's Bible Study, Julieen's Playdates and weekly platydates/CMB. Kristii's Crops will only work if I can have Ellie watched on Fridays. Ruby is going to have to fit into the schedule after everything else is figured out. Craft night will be once a month.

I'll keep pondering and see how things turn out. It will be nice to be not so busy this Fall.

Monday's To-Do

2009-07-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

**DONE** 6:00 am - Meet with Shannon
**DONE** 7:15 am - Shower, get ready
**DONE** 9:00 am - Walmart (Target, actually)
(Decided against, found several pairs at home) * Panty hose
**DONE** * Snacks for the airplane and Seminar
**DONE**10:00 am - Post Office
**DONE** * Mail Flat Rate Box
**DONE** * Weigh and get postage for Julie and Jessica's packages
(She fell asleep and we skipped it) 10:30 am - Ellie at Soccer
(Got a late start on the other errands, so we didn't do this) 11:15 am - Hike with Eliana (in the stroller? Peet's hill? The M?)
(Ate at Target) 12:30 pm - Sack Lunch (or Bento)
**DONE** 2:45 pm - Ellie's 3 year check up
* Height: 3 foot 2 (70%)
* Weight: 33 lbs (52%)
* Approved Medical Consent Form? Yes
* Casein / Glutein Allergy Testing? Probably not useful at this point
**DONE** 4:00 pm - Notarize Medical Consent Form
6:00 pm - Set up for Amber's debut
6:30 pm - Amber's Debut

Headin' South

2009-07-11T22:42:00.000-07:00

Early Tuesday morning Eliana and I are heading to Texas. She's going to spend 4 days with my parents while I attend the Mary Kay Seminar, and then we're going to hang out in Longview for a bit before heading to Kansas for the family reunion.

Monday is busy, busy, busy, so I'm going to have to get a lot of things done tomorrow so that I'm ready for the trip. Here's what I have on my plate for tomorrow:

1. Pack my carry on and suitcase. (My suitcase is done)
2. Pack Eliana's carry on and suitcase. (Ellie's suitcase is done, carry on almost done)
3. **DONE** Pack the Flat Rate Box with MK for Anita's.
4. **DONE** Photocopy insurance card and staple to Medical Consent Form.
5. **DONE** Plan Monday's clothes and makeup
6. **DONE** Plan and pack makeup and jewelry for Seminar.
7. Put away Eliana's laundry.
8. **DONE** Pack panties for Ellie.
9. Put the carseat in the Prius.
10. Deliver orders to June and Dana. (June's is DONE, Dana's is scheduled for tomorrow)
11. **DONE** Put together Seminar File to take with.
12. **DONE** Email directions to Spa to Robert.
13. **DONE** Email itinerary for Seminar (Wednesday) to Dad.
14. **DONE** Mail Thank Yous for Ellie's birthday party.
15. Make necklace for Ellie's birthday in TX.
16. Finish laundry.
17. **DONE** Sweep and Vacuum kitchen / Living room

I'm sure there's more, but it's almost 1am and I'm falling asleep in the chair. Suffice it to say that I'm going to be busy. Lots to do. Lots to do.

Planning Ellie's Birthday Party

2009-07-04T14:44:00.001-07:00

I feel bad that I haven't gotten Ellie's birthday party invitations mailed and sent. Given that the party is Tuesday and it's Saturday today, I'm thinking they won't get made. Bummer! Guests have been invited, so that's not the issue, I just wanted to do it right! So, in an effort to do the rest of it right, I need to write out a plan for her party. =D

Oh wow! I just realized that we are going camping tomorrow and Monday, then her party is Tuesday. Ack! That means if I'm going to do some of these things, they must be done, um, NOW! Happy 4th of July!

Poo! We're out of eggs! That makes making cupcakes right now very difficult...

FOOD:
- Red Velvet Cupcakes in paper cupcake wrappers (which I already have).
- Hot Dogs and Buns (Count)
- Jello in silicone cupcake cups
- Baked Beans? (We have some in the cupboard)
- Lemonade? (or water)

FAVORS:
- Favor Bags from Wenda
- Suckers
- Sugar Cookies

SET UP:
- Inflatable pool
- Hose down the slide
- Table for crafts
- Table for hot dogs/food
- Table for cupcakes
- Canopy for shade / table
- Kids eat lunch at the big table
- Sandbox
- Balloons

CRAFT:
- Summer Wind Socks (Need: Streamers, construction paper, foam shapes?)

GIFT:
- New Color Wonder book? (She's more or less already gotten

IF I HAVE TIME:
- Sugar Cookies

SHOPPING LIST:
- Frosting (2 cans) - yellow if possible
- Sprinkles for on top the cupcakes (Summer themed)
- Sugar Cookie Dough, premade
- Eggs
- Jello
- SAND for the sandbox!
- Color Wonder Book
- Ketchup
- Streamers
- Foam Shapes?
- Hot Dog Buns? (Count)

Community Supported Agriculture

2009-07-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

So... we've been wanting to join a CSA for a couple years now and this year we've found one that seems like it will work for us. The others we've looked at are either full, $600, or make you come and work at the farm as part of your subscription. This year we joined a new CSA here in Bozeman. It's $240 for a half-share, which is enough vegetables and herbs for 2 adults, delivered weekly for 17 weeks. Our first delivery was yesterday, so I figured I'd keep a record of what is delivered each week to evaluate whether we'll do this again in the future. So far I'm happy. The delivery comes in a bag, like this:

The bag was pretty full, though it was hard to get a picture of the produce.

In this delivery we received...

* over 1 lb. carrots (sweet, delicious carrots that put Costco's carrots to shame!)
* 2.5 oz. green onions
* 1 oz. Basil, both green and purple
* 7 oz. Mixed salad greens
* 6 oz. Red chard

So far all we've tried are the carrots, which we happily munch on. =D I'm planning on using the chard and onions in stir fry, the salad greens for a large dinner salad, and the basil in some pastas. Any good recipe ideas for these items?

Meals

2009-06-17T21:03:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night I think I'm going to a dance concert, Friday night I've got a crop to go to, Saturday night I think we're going to Shakespeare in the Parks, and Sunday Leif leaves to go to CA for a few days. So I was thinking I'd plan meals, but now that I think about it, that might not be as necessary! Still.... I want to make Aloha Kebabs one night (maybe Saturday?) and eat fresh pineapple and have quinoa. I should plan something for dinner for the next two nights anyway, so Leif has dinner even if I'm not going to be home. Rice and stir fry are always good, if we have them? I don't remember if we have any in the freezer. Hmmm.... I'll have to look. I wonder what else we have that would make a good dinner?

Zechariah 4:6

2009-05-15T08:45:00.001-07:00

I struggle with keeping my house clean. Really, I struggle with being consistent with anything. But housekeeping seems especially hard. I don't have the energy or I don't have the motivation or I don't have the time or I don't know where to start or... or... or... I have a lot of excuses.

But here's what it boils down to... I have no excuses. I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and as such I have the power through Jesus Christ to do all that He has commanded me. The Spirit that lives within me is the same Spirit that created the world! And so it is foolish of me to make excuses for why I cannot run a household that is glorifying to the Lord, just as it is foolish for me to try to accomplish the tasks He has set before me by my own strength.

My largest struggle seems to be with self control, in many areas. But we have two natures - one is the sinful nature that we are born with, and the other is the nature of the Spirit we are given by Him. The first nature, the old nature, the sinful nature, seeks selfish ambition. But the fruit of the Spirit is self control. They are contrary. (Galatians 5)

And so, it is not by my might, nor by my power, but by His Spirit that I seek to follow Him and complete the tasks He has given me. My selfish ambition tries to run my home in a way that is pleasing to me, that demonstrates my creativity and ability to run a home. But it's not about me or my ability. And I have well proven that my ability is not sufficient for the task He has given me. So if I am to exercise self control, it will have to come from the Spirit, as fruit of His work in my life.

It's not about me.

There. I said it. So, if my house begins to fall into order, if I begin keeping up with the tasks at hand, you will know that it is a testament to the power of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord be glorified in my home!

Getting SOME stuff done, at least....

2009-05-11T13:05:00.001-07:00

I may be moving slowly today at getting things done, but I'm at least getting SOME things done. I hung a curtain in the doorway to the wrapping center / seasonal storage area in the basement, and I hung skirts around the wrapping table and the utility sink to hide some of the clutter and tie things together down there. I think that looks pretty nice now! I am also doing laundry, which means I have one load in the washer, one in the dryer, and another that needs to go in. I also have a couple loads from last week that still need to be put away.

Ellie's watching a video right now, so hopefully I'll be able to get some of that laundry put away in the next 30 minutes. I'd really like to make my bed, too... the bedroom is a disaster.

Monday again...

2009-05-11T11:40:00.001-07:00

Why is it that on Sunday night I am so excited to get everything back in order and then on Monday morning I just can't seem to make myself do it? What is up with that?

Weekly Decluttering Tip

2009-05-07T21:37:00.001-07:00

This came in my inbox today, and I thought it was good to remember:

Declutter first. Buy containers second.

When it comes time to get organized, is your first step a trip to your favorite store to pick up storage bins? If so, and if you haven't always been satisfied with your organizing efforts, tuck this tip into your back pocket:

Declutter first. Buy containers second.

Here's why: When you declutter you let go of things you no longer use, need, or love. This gives you a better feel for which items need to be stored and where to store them, leading to smarter container selection – and happier end results!

Monday, Monday...

2009-04-26T20:46:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is Monday.

A new day.

A new week.

I don't have anything planned as far as places I need to be, and I'm thinking Monday and Friday always need to be stay at home days. So... Monday. I suppose if I want to maintain my routines, I should start by just doing them. That means tomorrow's routine is...

Morning Routine
Change Sheets / Towels
Laundry - wash sheets and towels
Weekly Home Blessing Hour (10 minutes each)

Clean toilets / showers
Dust living room, bedrooms, office, bathrooms (Ellie can help dust)
Sweep kitchen, bathrooms, entryways (Ellie can "sweep" too)
Mop kitchen, bathrooms, entryways
Vacuum carpeted rooms
Clean mirrors, windows, doors

Musical Monday!

That should get my week off to a good start. If I have time for other things after that, I'll tackle other projects, but for right now I'll stick with trying to get through my Monday routine. Well, and unpacking from my trip the rest of the way and putting away laundry. That's my list!

I never thought I'd see the day

2009-04-24T08:46:00.001-07:00

But I just emptied the last two bags of bread flour and wheat flour into the containers in the house. I'm also completely out of all purpose flour. I'm actually going to have to buy flour! We've had a store of flour in the freezer for so long I was beginning to think we would never run out. Guess we have!

Pizza Night

2009-04-24T07:52:00.001-07:00

Ellie requested pizza for dinner tonight, so I guess that's what we're doing. Today is a stay at home day (which was planned anyway, but especially with all the snow and icy roads!) so we'll be making the pizza together. It should be fun! Maybe we'll make the crusts together during the day and bake them, then let everyone put their own toppings on for dinner. That sounds good!

Now I guess the question is... what do we have for toppings? I haven't done a survey of the pantry/fridge since I got home from TX, so...

Toppings:
* Spinach
* Feta
* Greek Olives
(Those sound like they'd make a good pizza for Leif!)
* Frozen peppers
* Canadian Bacon
* Onions

I really wish we had some pineapple! But alas, the pantry has none. I guess it goes on the grocery list!

So maybe Ellie and I will have Canadian Bacon pizza and Leif can have a yummy Greek pizza. I'm not big on spinach on my pizza or I'd have it too. I will puree some spinach and "hide" it in the sauce, though! =D

A well oiled machine...

2009-04-23T22:25:00.001-07:00

I want my home to run like a well oiled machine.

So does my husband.

So how do I make it happen??? Why can't I maintain a schedule? Why can't I get set in my routines? What is my problem?

Tonight I am going to bed y 10:30. I'm actually in bed typing this right now. Not asleep, obviously, but in bed. The sink is shined. The dishwasher is full and set to run. I've washed my face and swish and swiped the bathroom. The kitchen table is cleared and wiped clean. Breakfast has been laid out for tomorrow. My clothes are set out for me to wear to Bible study at 6am. My alarm is set for 5am.

It didn't take much effort to get things set up for tomorrow and ready for bed. So why can't I maintain my routines?

Is it really as simple as just doing it? Just start by emptying the dishwasher and the rest will follow? I don't know. But something's got to give.

Hit the ground running

2009-04-22T17:07:00.001-07:00

We got back from Texas after 11 last night, and I hit the ground running today. I ran the dishwasher, had Bible Study at 9:30, then brought Ellie home for lunch and tossed a load of laundry in before heading back over to the airport in Belgrade to pick up my luggage. Then Ellie took a long nap. I wish I could say I got more done while Ellie was sleeping, but I took the opportunity to package up a couple MK orders and catch up on a couple episodes of Bones. =D My plan was to have dinner at 6, and it's 6:05. Dinner is just about ready, Leif should be home in 5 minutes. We've got small group tonight and I have to drop off a MK delivery, but I'm hoping to get all that done and Ellie in bed by 8:30. If we can do that, we'll be doing good.

Zone 5 Mission #1

2009-03-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

Couch diving!!!

Today's Fly Lady mission was to clean out from under the cushions of your couch. I did the ones in the living room, and hopefully this afternoon I can make my way down to the basement and clean those ones out, too. They are going to be worse. The basement is always worse.

I got up this morning at 6:45 and swept the kitchen and entryways, mopped the kitchen and entryways (remind me to post how much I LOVE my Norwex mop system!!) and vacuumed the upstairs. Right now I'm moving the bedstands in the bedroom and making sure all the junk is out from under the bed. I'm hoping to shampoo the carpets today. That would be great.

I want to get the upstairs all cleaned and beautiful, and then I will move to the basement and get that sorted out. All of the stuff we don't know what to do with just gets thrown into the basement, either in the craft/laundry room or the 2nd guest room. Neither of those are really clean or organized right now, and I'd really like them to be. The first order of business is the upstairs, though.

Clean Car!

2009-03-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

I cleaned the car on Monday. I mean, CLEAN. Vacuumed. Seats cleaned. Mats washed. Now only the outside is dirty. =D

NORWEX!!

2009-03-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

I just received my Norwex order today and I'm so excited! Wanna see what I got???

Cleaning paste - This is an all natural Soft Scrub alternative. I might be most excited about this. It should last about 2 years, according to the consultant and everything I've read.

Liquid Dish Detergent - I thought I'd give this a try, and we'll see how I like it, but about 2 days after I ordered this Leif found an environmentally friendly liquid dish soap at Costco. So I'll do a comparison of the two and see what I think.
Laundry Soap - I've used a sample of this and it works really well. Plus, I only need a teaspoon (yes, a TEASPOON) to wash an entire load of clothes in our high efficiency washer.
Spirisponge - This is a scrubbing sponge.

Spirinets - These are abrasive scrubbers for use on glass or other hard surfaces.
Dry Mop Pad - This is part of the mop system which I wanted SO BADLY! =D And now I have it! This is the dry mop pad that's basically used for sweeping. I've tried it out already and I think it works pretty well! It's machine washable and velcros onto the mop base.

Mini Mop Base - Also part of the mop system. This is the velcro base the pads get attached to.
Wet Mop Pads - These are the wet mop pads that are part of the mop system. Also machine washable and velcro onto the mop base. They are naturally antibacterial and all you need to use with them is water. Clean floors with no chemicals!
Telescoping Mop Handle - The last part of the mop system. This is the telescoping handle that makes it easy enough for a short person like me to mop the floor and dust the ceiling all in the same cleaning session. =D
Silver Care Dental Floss

Microfiber Face Cloths

Polishing Cloth - I got 3 of these! These microfiber cloths really polish windows nicely! Thanks to these cloths I will never use Windex on my windows again.

Microfiber Cloth - I got 3 of these, too! They clean better than any cloth I've ever used. They get dried on toddler food crud off my dining room table. They get hand print smudge marks off the doors and light switches. These are what first sold me on Norwex. Because they have silver in them, they are naturally antibacterial, too.

Travel Microfiber Cloths - A set of 4 travel sized microfiber cloths.

Kitchen Cloths - lightweight microfiber cloths perfect for washing or drying dishes.

The best part about getting my Norwex order is that because I hostessed a party I got ALL of the above for less than it would have cost me to buy the mop package alone. Isn't that awesome?!

I'll individually review items as I have a chance to try them out in a few different scenarios. I'm excited about the products and I can't wait to see how they work!

It's just not sticking...

2009-03-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I just cannot seem to keep this 5am thing up! I really would like to! But again yesterday and today I did NOT get up anywhere close to early! I'm not sure why, except that I'm not making it (or anything else, actually) a priority. I'm not scheduling my time well at all, and it is frustrating.

I think I need to work on using my time well this afternoon before I start worrying about getting up at 5 am.

5 am again

2009-03-03T04:34:00.001-08:00

I got up at 5 am again today. It is now 5: 30 and I am very tired! I need to pack things up for my MK appointments today, though, so maybe I will do that (get everything packed up and ready to go) and then head back to bed. I could use another hour or so of sleep.

5am Club...

2009-03-01T21:40:00.000-08:00

I just set my alarm for tomorrow morning. I'm going to make an effort to join the 5am club again. Of course, it would probably be easier to join the 5am club if I set my alarm for 5 am instead of 6, like I did. I'll be right back....

Okay... there we go. Now it's set for 5am for tomorrow morning. And I'd better wake up to it, too, or Leif is going to put a stop to the 5am alarm, I'm pretty sure of it.

I don't have any specific plans for what I'm going to do when I get up early tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure there will be breakfast and Bible reading involved. Those two make a good start to any day. I hope there will be some yoga or exercise involved, too, but I don't want to pile too much on my early morning plate prematurely... ;)

So for now I'll just plan to wake up early and actually roll myself out of bed. I'm going to bed with a clean house, so that will be a good way to start the week. And if I get to bed in the next 15 minutes, I'll actually get 6 hours of sleep in, too.

Goodnight! See you early in the morning...

My Priorities....

2009-02-17T21:09:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I feel like my world is crumbling down around me. Today was one of those days. I sort of feel like I can't succeed at anything, and that makes me feel spread too thin. So I'm taking a bit of a time out and thinking about what my real priorities are, because those are where I need to spend my efforts. In no particular order, here are my priorities right now...

Mother
Homemaker/Wife
Mary Kay
Scrapbooking

Yup, that pretty much sums it up. My spiritual life has not been much of a priority lately, and I think that takes a pretty heavy toll on all of the other areas of my life. Exercise/healthy living has also not been a priority, and I think that contributes negatively to the other areas of my life as well. I've been eating whatever I want to eat, and that makes controlling my blood sugar difficult, which makes making good choices difficult. It's a vicious cycle. I get lazy and fat and lethargic and I don't do anything well. Then I feel like a failure, and I start to shut down like I did today. So... I need to re-prioritize.

I know in my head and from experience that my first priority should be getting into the Word daily. It NEEDS to happen, yet that's probably the first place I fail. So that becomes priority number one. After that, I am a wife and a mother first, and a SAHM for the majority of the day, so that makes Mother priority number two. The best way I can show my husband how I love him is through the way I maintain our home, which makes Homemaker number three. It's amazing how easy it was to put those in order very quickly. Exercise/healthy living runs closely behind and is somewhat intertwined with numbers two and three, since what I do with my own body is often indicative of how I am taking care of my family's health needs, too. So that becomes priority number four. Mary Kay is an investment that we have made and something for which others depend on me, so that is number five, and scrapbooking falls to priority number six.

That means that I cannot ignore the laundry, my family, or my MK phone calls because I want to scrapbook. They must all fall into line or it doesn't work.

So tomorrow I'm going to try to get up early (5 am! Eek! Kate's doing it, too) and read my Bible, then run on the treadmill. That's how I'm going to start my day. From there I need to be a good mother to Eliana, including making sure she is fed well and disciplined calmly and consistently. I need to maintain a clean house for Leif and make sure that I follow through on a project if I start it. ONE PROJECT AT A TIME! (That's a hard one for me since I'm constantly getting distracted!) IF the house is clean and dinner is planned and Eliana is being taken care of (sitting in front of the TV so that she is out of my way doesn't count as being taken care of...) and I have made my MK phone calls and done anything that needs to be done there, THEN I am free to craft. I need to remember that.

Crafting is good, when it is done in place.
MK is beneficial, when it doesn't come before my daughter.
Playing with Eliana is good, but not an excuse for a messy house. I can interact with her just as well by teaching her to clean and help me pick up the toys she pulls out. There is more than one lesson to be learned there.

So... tomorrow? Tomorrow I'm going to start with my priorities in order. One day at a time and we'll see how it goes.

We've got Bible Study here at the house tomorrow morning and I've got a MK party at Kristin's house in the evening. That means I have a few hours in between to keep my priorities in line by myself. I think having a busy day will make it a little easier. Perhaps I can keep a few hours under control and gradually build up to more. I hope.

Just need to maintain...

2009-02-09T13:07:00.000-08:00

Leif and I cleaned up the house last night, so theoretically, all I have to do is maintain it. I think that means I need to put away the stuff from lunch today, then. Ellie and I made a bento. =D

On the plus side, last night we went to bed with the house clean and I washed my face and did my skin care routine. It's amazing how much better my skin feels in the morning! I slept in a bit this morning, but once I did get up I made the bed, so it is all nice and ready for the day. It's amazing how that lifts my spirits to look into the bedroom and see a neat and tidy bed. It's crazy!

We're having chicken tonight of some variety. I asked Ellie what she thought we should have for dinner and she looked at me, cocked her head to one side, and said, "Ummm... how 'bout chicken?" It was too cute! So I have chicken thawing and we'll see what it turns into. I've got some tomatoes I have to use soon, too, so maybe we'll have something with those. We'll see.

It's a beautiful day out... and 40 degrees after snowing this morning. Maybe Ellie and I will head out for a walk, though I have a feeling she is asleep on the couch downstairs. If she is perhaps I'll take the free moments to work on the craft room so Erika can come and actually have a place to scrapbook on Thursday!

I also need to work on my MK flip chart for tomorrow's party! Can't forget about that...

Dinner Last Night

2009-01-29T07:43:00.000-08:00

was so good!!

The orange chicken from Costco is DELICIOUS, though you have to be careful not to make the whole bag (there are two bags inside), because that would be 6 servings, not two... =D I paid attention and split them ahead, but it means that I have an open sauce packet (inside a ziplock) in the freezer that I hope doesn't fall over and get all messy.

The Cashew Carrot Ginger soup from Costco is one of my attempts at getting a natural/organic soup to replace my glorious Progresso soup, which I learned has MSG in it. I was sort of scared of the soup, quite honestly, because I had some of their (Pacific) soup before and I didn't like it! I think that kind was a roasted red pepper tomato soup. It was too funky for my tastes, so I don't know why I thought the Cashew Carrot Ginger soup would be any less funky. Fortunately for me I didn't over think it in the store and I just tossed it into my cart. It's really good!! Both Leif and I liked it and I think having 1/2 cup with an Asian meal is perfect! Plus it comes in a box with a screw cap so I can just pour what I will eat, then recap it and save it for later. Fewer dishes to wash (because with a can I have to pour it into a second container to store it), which is great! And the box can be recycled, though that part is sort of a wash on the benefit side because we were already recycling the cans. Anyway - good soup. I'm glad we tried it!

All in all it was still a pretty salty meal, with something like 40-50% of our daily salt allowance. I'd love to be able to reduce our salt intake, and I actually think I did with this meal because I didn't add any sauce to the stir fry veggies like I normally do! So I did cut out the soy there and I know that helped with the salt. But really I think that Asian food is just saltier than most. So I suppose we should reduce salt all over and just know that some days we will splurge on the salt front and eat yummy Asian. =D It just won't be every day.

Dinner Tonight....

2009-01-28T17:13:00.000-08:00

Well, the table is set (I very rarely actually SET the table before we eat, sadly) and we are just waiting for Leif to call and say he's on his way home from work so I can get dinner going. So I figured I'd blog what's on the menu for tonight...

Cashew Carrot Ginger Soup
Brown Rice
Stir Fried Vegetables
Orange Chicken

Looks like it's Asian night!

The Organic Pantry

2009-01-26T12:41:00.000-08:00

I don't know that I particularly feel the need to go organic with our food. At least not right now. But because of where we live, a lot of the things we buy are already organic, so I think that makes it easier for us. I love Costco for that! Still, a friend of mine has been blogging lately about going organic and it has made me think, so I thought I'd just see how many of the items we eat regularly ARE organic already. (Especially of the ones on the dirty dozen list.)

not organic
* organic
** all natural (nothing on the label I don't recognize as food or can't pronounce)

Pantry:

Raisins*
Pirate's Booty**
Fiber One Bars
Easy Mac (we just use the macaroni, not the cheese)
Pretzels
Kidney Beans
Tomato Sauce*
Oatmeal*
Apple Juice*
Chicken Broth*
Puffed Wheat*
Potatoes (not listed as organic, but they are locally grown one town over)
V8 Fusion
Fruit Cocktail
Green Beans
Applesauce**
Bread Crumbs
Spaghetti*
Whole Wheat Lasagna
Rice Milk*

Fridge:

Whole Wheat Bread** (and local)
Feta**
Cranergy Juice
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
Broccoli
Carrots*
Apples*
Tofutti Cheese
Celery
Whole Grain Flour Tortillas
Spinach*
Soy Yogurt**
Activia Yogurt
Orange Juice
Unsalted Butter

Freezer:

Strawberries
Peas*
Peppers** (and local from a farm in town)
Fish Sticks
Green Beans*
Sweet Potato Fries**
Chicken Breast**
Stir Fry Vegetables

The items in bold are items I'm okay with, just the way they are. I don't see any need to change what we're using right now. Some items, like the canned green beans in the pantry, I'm going to use until they're gone, but then not buy because we're switching to the frozen organic beans from Costco. We're really switching for the sodium content difference (there's no sodium added to the frozen beans) but it helps that they're organic, too.

The items in italics are ones that I would like to make an effort to buy organic. In the case of the potatoes, I'd want to buy organic AND local, otherwise just stick with local. Potatoes are a big produce here. I've actually thought about growing potatoes myself, and maybe I'll try it one of these years.

This isn't a comprehensive list of the items in our food storage, but it does give me a good idea of how many of the items we consume are organic/local/pesticide-free/hormone-free. We're actually right at 50% for this list, because there are 43 items on the list, 21 that are organic or all natural, and one that is local, but not organic.

I didn't delve into my baking supplies, but I know that we use local flour, and white sugar. I haven't tackled the sugar yet, but I might in the future. We still have a couple bags, so it isn't worth it until I use that up, but then I think I'll look into using an organic cane sugar, maybe. I think I can get that at Costco.

Really a lot of it boils down to what I can get at Costco. I could get more things organic if I shopped at Town&Country or the Coop, but the parking situation for both is wretched, and that's a big pain when I've got Ellie with me.

I can't give up my Fiber One bars. That's just not going to happen. Nor are we willing to give up I Can't Believe It's Not Butter yet. Maybe I'll look for a butter bell this summer and I'll change my mind at that point, but right now a soft spread is a must for us, so butter in the fridge just won't cut it. We could do without the fruit cocktail. And truthfully, we could probably do without the Easy Mac as well. I would just have to keep cooked whole wheat pasta on hand. And really, that wouldn't be so bad.

Anyway, it's food for thought at least. I've got a few things I can look into when I head to the grocery store this week and I can start to make a couple changes for the better. Really, though, it's pretty encouraging to do a random survey of our food items and find that we're about half way to organic/local/natural already, without really trying. It makes it easier to make better decisions when the change looming ahead isn't as big as I thought it would be.

Fly Lady

2009-01-26T07:50:00.000-08:00

I woke up to a clean kitchen this morning, and made my bed as soon as Leif rolled out of it! I'm wearing workout clothes and I did yoga. I took my temperature and weighed myself and I'm considering going downstairs right now to do some DDR with Ellie.

That's progress!

I'm starting to have some routines in place, which is HUGE. My biggest problem is still time management, though, and I seem to be taking MUCH longer than necessary to do simple tasks! But I'm trying to plug away and work toward making those routines stick. It's taking time as I take babysteps, but I think it will be worth it.

I added the flylady tool bar to firefox, so we'll see if that helps me at all when it comes to reminding and keeping on task with my routines. I hope so! If nothing else, maybe I will listen to the blogtalkradio once in a while, as I never have and Erika raves about it. We'll see.

Today starts a new super fling boogie, so I'm going to take 15 minutes to do it. I'm trying to simplify this year, and this is always a great way to do it!

I'm also going to meal plan today for the week and add any items I need to the grocery list. I'm hoping to make it to the store today or tomorrow, so that will be good.

I've written out my 6 most important things and I need to follow that today.

Today is another day of babysteps, and one by one I will take them.

Waking up and getting ready....

2009-01-23T08:36:00.001-08:00

I've actually been waking up earlier lately, which is pretty cool. I found that I can use my cell phone as an alarm clock and I actually wake up to it, which is nice. I don't always get up right away, but I at least wake up to it at 6 and 6:30, which makes it easier to get up at 7 like I have been. Hooray!

And today I was reading on another blog this great little list of 24 tips to becoming an early riser. Some of them are pretty good and I have implemented in the past. It looks like it's time to start implementing them (one by one, slowly) again.

Christmas is OVER!

2009-01-10T11:22:00.000-08:00

It's January 10th.

And I'm just NOW taking down the Christmas decorations.

How did this happen? Life has been pretty busy since the start of the year, but still... I usually have the Christmas decorations down and put away by January 1st! I leave up the winter decorations and put them away sometime in February. But not this year. No, THIS year it is ALL going away. TODAY!

Because Christmas is OVER and it's time to move on!

_____________________________________________________________________

I need to put away the decorations in the following areas...

Front Bathroom (DONE)
Eliana's Room (DONE)
Leif's Office (DONE)
Living Room
Dining Room
Kitchen
Master Bedroom (DONE)
Guest Bathroom (DONE)
Family Room

That's what I need to do today.

Things I'd like to do regularly....

2008-12-30T23:53:00.000-08:00

I would love to do some things regularly. For example, I would love to...

... invite people over for dinner after church on Sundays.
... sit down and plan out my week on Sunday evening.
... have one day to file and organize paperwork.
... run 3 days a week.
... invite people over for a party once a month.
... meet with a friend once a month to do cooking for the freezer.

I just don't know how to plan things well enough to actually follow through on the things I want to do.

If we fail to plan, we plan to fail....

2008-12-29T23:35:00.000-08:00

I need to remake my plan, revisit my priorities, and reboot my life. It's time to start over. My house is a mess, my waist is becoming a body clutter hot spot, and I can't seem to stay on top of anything! I need help!!

So I'm taking a deep breath (*inhale* *exhale*) and I'm taking a good hard look at what my life looks like and what I want it to look like, what sacrifices I'm willing to make to get it to look like that, and how I'm going to get there. So let's start with the ideal...

In my ideal world, I am not sleep deprived. So I should probably be going to bed much sooner than I do now, as it is close to 1am when I am writing this... But because we are dealing in ideals here, I'm just going to think about how my ideal day would go. It would go something like this...

Morning
6am - get up, eat breakfast, read my Bible, check email
6:30 - yoga / stretching
7:00 - Eliana up, dressed, get her breakfast, read her a Bible story while she eats.
7:30 - laundry into the washer, cardio with Eliana
8:30 - Eliana watches PBS while I do strength training
9:00 - shower
9:15 - dressed, hair, makeup
9:30 - ready to go out the door for the day (on days in town), empty dishwasher, dinner thawing/in crock pot
10:00 - laundry into the dryer, blog / spark people
10:30 - activities with Eliana and around the house
11:30 - lunch
12:00 - Eliana plays by herself while I fold / put away laundry
12:30 - clean zones / hot spots and tidy up
1:00 - art activities with Eliana or playing outside
2:30 - snack time
3:00 - quiet time reading books and reading Eliana a Bible story
4:00 - Eliana plays by herself or watches a video while I get the house cleaned up before Leif comes home
5:00 - cooking dinner
6:00 - dinner time
7:00 - Eliana gets a bath and gets ready for bed while I do Mary Kay
8:00 - Eliana's bed time and I clean up the dinner dishes
8:30 - craft / me time
9:30 - bedtime routine
10:00 - bedtime

Whew! I'm sort of tired just reading all this stuff and typing it out! But it looks like the biggest thing I will need to change if I want to make exercise a priority is going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. I love to sleep in and I love to stay up late, but I just don't think it's conducive to the healthy lifestyle I want to maintain. So... that looks like the first change I will have to make. Bed by 10, up at 6. We'll see how that works.

But for now it's 1:15 am and I really ought to get some sleep. I won't be up by 6 tomorrow morning, but if I don't go to sleep now I'll be lucky to be up by 10!

Meals for December 14-20

2008-12-15T15:22:00.000-08:00

Sunday (12/14) - Costco Rotisserie Chicken {Picture taking at Meg's}

Monday (12/15) - DAY 2 - Chicken Tortilla Soup {Watching Zach and Kat 10-4}

Tuesday (12/16) - DAY 3 - Mandarin Salad with Chicken {Making cookies at Erika's 10-4, TNL 7-9}

Wednesday (12/17) - DAY 4 - Fishsticks {Bible Study/Christmas party, Movie watching at Taylor's}

Thursday (12/18) - Out to eat? {Home all day}

Friday (12/19) - DAY 5 - Fried potatoes and onions {Erika over to craft all day}

Saturday (12/20) - DAY 1 - Open Face Broiled Sandwiches {Leif skiing all day}

Emergency Backpack

2008-12-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

I'm updating our emergency backpack today. I realized it's been a while since I've done it and with the subzero temperatures again, it was a good reminder that I need to do that again.

Plus, our water is turned off again today. I don't know why, but it's the second time in about a month they've had the water in River Rock turned off. It's pretty frustrating when you realize you need water to do everything, from making soup for dinner to making mac and cheese for the kids. Lucky for me, though, I had some water in that emergency backpack, too.

There's not too much in the bag, but here's what we have already gathered together if we ever need to leave in a hurry:

Clothes for Elizabeth (pants, socks, sweatshirt, t-shirt, underwear)
Clothes for Leif (pants, socks, underwear, t-shirt, insulated shirt)
Clothes for Eliana (pants, shirt, sweater, socks, 5 diapers, wipes)
Hot Hands Warmers (3 sets)
Notebook and Pencil (to write down information if we need it, or for Eliana to draw on)
2 liters filtered water
Granola bars
Trail mix of nuts and dried fruit
Flashlight with extra batteries
Roll of toilet paper
Sample size packets of body care products (shampoo, etc.)
Walmart bags for trash, etc.

Everything (clothes, etc.) is in ziplock bags in case the bag gets wet.

TO-DO

2008-12-09T21:06:00.001-08:00

In no particular order, I need to...

... Wash the dishes from Sunday's party and put them away
... Make the bed
... Personalize the books for Marcus and Brooklyn
... Call MK people
... Fold the laundry in the dryer
... Pick up the playroom
... Pick up Ellie's bedroom
... Pick up my bedroom and closet
... Finish Christmas cards
... Write Christmas letter
... Take Christmas picture
... Take pictures off D300
... Blog reading Christmas stories with Ellie
... Record Daily December

Thanksgiving Prep

2008-11-26T13:22:00.001-08:00

Today I'm prepping for Thanksgiving. We leave for Roundup tonight and we'll have Thanksgiving there tomorrow. Then we head home tomorrow night and I would love to return to a clean home! We'll see if that happens....

In prepping for tomorrow I learned something new. You can make mashed potatoes ahead of time in the crock pot!! How cool is that?? I'm trying it, so we'll see how it turns out tomorrow. I'm using this recipe (though I didn't put the egg whites in it) and so far it tastes really good! If it turns out tomorrow it will definitely be something to remember for the future since the recipe says it can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before you serve it!

In other news, I used store bought pie crusts this year. Yeah, I know... I shouldn't have, but I did. And do you know what happened when I baked my (dairy free) pumpkin pies? Yes, the crust got WAY darker than I wanted it to! *sigh* That's what I get for not making my own crusts. But I just cut the crimped dark edge off and, though it's not as pretty, I think it'll be fine. I think the other pie I'm going to make is a peanut butter pie (how traditional, eh?) and that takes a graham cracker crust, so we should be just fine. Oh, and it's a no bake, which makes it easier. I'll have to take a trip to the grocery store to make that, but I need to anyway to finish the strawberry pretzel salad.

I wonder what time we're leaving this evening? I'm guessing 5, when Leif stops working. Eek! That gives me 2.5 hours to get a lot done!

Great deal!

2008-11-19T09:24:00.000-08:00

So Taylor told me about a great deal at Albertsons yesterday. I didn't make it to the store until after 9pm, but the sale was running until Midnight. Whew! =D Wanna know what I got?

For $6.39 I got 2 Sara Lee pies and 2 half gallons of Breyers ice cream. Sweet! (In more ways than one...) They had a special where if you bought a Sara Lee frozen pie then you got one free, and two free half gallons of ice cream. So I got an apple pie, a pumpkin pie, chocolate mint ice cream, and vanilla bean ice cream!

I don't know if I'll use them for Thanksgiving, since I have plans to make my own pies and I think Wenda is providing a pie, but it's nice to know I have them on hand just in case!

OAMC

2008-11-17T13:53:00.000-08:00

Once a month cooking....

I am becoming more and more interested in this idea. Once I start cooking or baking, it's usually pretty easy for me to whip up a bunch of stuff at once, so if I were organized I could probably get a bunch of meals taken care of this way. I used to do something like that when I worked, but have fallen out of the habit in the last couple years.

Here's a website on OAMC with some good tips to remember.

Also, we have a ton of ground beef in our freezer right now that I ought to deal with at some point. I rarely use ground beef, though, because I hate browning it. But this website has a great idea for browning a large portion of ground beef all at once. I'll have to try it!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-17T09:19:00.001-08:00

We're having Thanksgiving in Roundup this year. I offered to bring the bulk of the food, and Thanksgiving is next week, so I suppose I ought to start figuring out what to bring, when to cook it, and how to pull this whole thing off....

Let's see... guests will include...

Leif, Elizabeth, Ellie (3)
Terry, Wenda (2)
Rolan, Gayle (2)
Eric (1)
Marsha, +1, 2 kids (4)

So that's about a dozen people to plan food for. So far, so good.

Requisite Thanksgiving food... (*provided by me)

Turkey (Terry and Wenda?)
Stuffing*
Green Beans
Yambake*
Pretzel Salad*
Mashed Potatoes*
Gravy*
Rolls
Ham*
Relish dish
Cranberry sauce*
Cider*
Pies

Notes:

Yambake can be made up ahead of time, refrigerated, and baked that morning (35 min bake time)

Pretzel salad can be made up ahead of time and refrigerated.

Ham can be made in the crock pot.

Turkey can be cooked ahead of time and frozen, then reheated that morning OR deep fried that morning.

Pies can be baked ahead of time or purchased. *gasp!*

Mashed potatoes will have to be made that morning, I think, but perhaps the potatoes can be cut up ahead of time...

SOOOOO.... it looks like the following items can be brought by someone else if they wish:

* Relish tray (olives, pickles, etc.)
* Green bean casserole (if anyone is particular to that - or I can just bring canned green beans)
* If Terry and Wenda insist on white gravy, they can bring it.
* Rolls
* Pies (I will bring at least one, if not two, but if someone else really wants to provide them, they can)
* Other salads

Dinner Tonight

2008-11-17T08:49:00.000-08:00

Greek Salad

All I have to do is figure out the calories.

Hmmm...

2008-11-17T08:36:00.001-08:00

I put away all that laundry from my last post, but do you know how many baskets full of laundry I have in my bedroom right now that need to get put away?

THREE.

I sense a recurring problem.

So much laundry.

2008-11-06T18:40:00.000-08:00

There is so much laundry piled up at my house it's not even funny. 3 baskets of clean laundry that need to be put away, and two piles of dirty laundry that need to be washed. Where does it all come from, and how can we possibly have closets full of clothes with all this other stuff not even in them?! Perhaps it is time to weed out the old stuff again?

Lots to do!

2008-10-29T08:13:00.001-07:00

My mom is coming to visit tonight. Her flight gets in at 11:30. Before that, though, I have a LOT to do. I need some time management today!!! Here's what needs to get done...

DONE 9:30-11 Bible Study
DONE 11-12 Lunch at Pizza with Bible Study ladies
12-5...
DONE Find a babysitter for tonight's class
MOSTLY DONE Put away MK stuff
DONE Kit tonight's class (including instructions)
DONE Finish Black Orchid cards
WORKING ON IT Dishes
Laundry
DONE Email Spooktacular pictures
DONE 30 min to 1 hour of calling for MK
5:30-9 DONE Scrapbooking Class at Keepsakes
9-11:30 DONE!! Finish editing and emailing Spooktacular pictures
11:30 Pick up Mom!

Free day....

2008-10-23T21:03:00.000-07:00

If you had a day at home, free from your busy 2 year old, what would you do?

I just talked to my friend Beth and she said she wants to take Ellie for a playdate on Monday. She is going to come over and pick her up at 10 and then return her later that day, leaving me free to do... whatever!

What should I do with my day??!!

there are lots of things I have been wanting to do and not gotten around to, so I think I probably ought to do some of those things... So I suppose I will spend my Monday:

Setting up the guest room for my Mom's arrival on Wednesday!
Cleaning out the too-small clothes from Ellie's closet
Reorganizing the downstairs closet where all of Ellie's outgrown baby things are.
Setting up for Monday's holiday preview

And if I have time, perhaps I'll do a little crafting, but not until my Mary Kay desk and cupboard are organized again.

Not a fun list of things to do, but oh, so needed and it will be wonderful to get those things accomplished!!

Cleaning frenzy!!

2008-10-23T17:29:00.000-07:00

I am having a Mary Kay holiday preview on Saturday and I was planning on cleaning on Friday night. Turns out, though, that we are taking a family trip to the symphony that night. It is also my day in town without Ellie, so I won't be home that day to clean either. SO... I need to get it all done tonight!!! Here's what I need (or want) to do...

Kitchen:
Empty and reload the dishwasher
Put away groceries and dinner ingredients
Sweep floor
Mop floor
Throw away trash
Empty trash
Declutter countertops
Declutter fridge

Living Room:
Dust
Declutter piano, console table, floor
Vacuum
Shampoo
Clean windows
Clean windowsills

Master Bedroom:
Make bed
Put away laundry
Declutter bedstands
Vacuum
Shampoo
Dust
Clean windowsills
Clean windows

Guest Bathroom:
Sweep
Mop
Clean toilet
Clean mirror
Clean countertop
Clean tub
Wash little potty

Entryways:
Sweep
Mop
Vacuum
Shampoo
Declutter

Family Room:
Throw away the trash
Pick up the toys
Clean the end tables and coffee table
Get DVDs out for kids to watch (Word World, Veggie Tales)

MK Office:
Clean off desk
Find profile cards
Update inventory spreadsheet

Preview Tasks:
Photocopy surveys
Pull out holiday decorations
Ready profile cards (both new and existing customers)
Pull out samples for the preview and "look only" products

I'm going to set the timer and get to it!!

Today

2008-10-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

Dinner:
Cube Steaks with Feta from the Body Clutter Menu Mailer
Mashed sweet potatoes

Housework:
Empty and reload dishwasher
Change sheets (ours and Ellie's)
Tidy our bedroom and the living room

Mary Kay:
Make phone calls
Organize office for 15 minutes

Ellie:
Play outside for a while
Do some sort of art project, coloring, or painting

Tomorrow:
Children's Museum
Make Costco list
Pick out clothes
Clean up house before bed

I've made dinner 2 nights in a row.

2008-10-21T23:09:00.000-07:00

And that's progress.

That's sad.

But I'm taking it one day at a time and I have meals planned for the next 3 days.

But first things first... It's after midnight and I need to put away the groceries I brought home an hour ago.

I need a new plan. Again.

2008-10-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

Every time the seasons change I seem to need a new plan. The last few weeks have been busy as all of our Fall activities have started up and, unfortunately, the cleaning schedule that worked this summer is no longer working for me! So I need to come up with a new plan (or, rather, get back to the old Flylady plan, more likely) and use a little discipline to stick to it! Here's what I need to work around...

Monday:
10-11a Kindermusik in Bozeman
7-9p Craft Night (twice a month)

Tuesday:
10-12p Open for MK Parties as scheduled
2-4p Open for MK Parties as scheduled
7-9p MK Success Meeting in Bozeman

Wednesday:
9:30-11a Bible Study in Belgrade
6-9p Scrapbooking Classes (every other week) in Bozeman

Thursday:
10-12p Playgroup in Bozeman

Friday:
10-3p Zoe/Ellie Playdate (every other week I have the girls here - the off weeks I'm in Bzn)

Saturday:
Open for MK Parties when scheduled

Sunday:
10-12p Church

So... as you can see, there's not a really good day to call my "cleaning day". I realize that with Flylady you only spend an hour doing your weekly home blessing, and maybe I just need to get back to that. Maybe I need to get back in the habit of swishing and swiping, doing a load of laundry a day, running dishes at night and emptying them in the morning, and keeping on top of things. That's probably what I need to do. But it still takes some scheduling to make sure I get it done, especially on days I need to be in town in the morning.

To be in town at 10, I need to leave the house at 9:30, more or less. Assuming it takes me an hour to get ready, I need to be up at 8:30. Ellie usually gets me up around 7 or 7:30 anyway, so I really need to use that extra hour wisely. I should be able to use the following schedule, if I keep myself to it:

Wake Up / Take Temperature
Make Bed
Get Eliana changed / milk
Shower
Swish and Swipe Bathroom
New washcloth for tomorrow
Get Dressed (to the shoes!)
Open / Close Windows
Eat Breakfast - record
Read Bible / Do Study
Laundry to washer
Empty Dishwasher
Clean Up Breakfast Dishes

On days that I need to get to town, the next steps are to put Ellie in the car, round up my stuff, and get in the car and go. On days that I'm staying home, the next steps are to transfer clothes to the dryer and do 15 minutes in my zone.

There is more planning to be done, but we'll see how the morning routine goes first. That's enough planning for right now.

Shampoo Solution

2008-09-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

I have a big event at my house today, so last night I was determined to get the stains out of our carpet and shampoo it (at least the living room) so it looked nice and fresh for our guests today.
Problem #1 - I'm out of my magic Kirby carpet spray!! I've got to find a local dealer for it, because I need it! No time to do that last night, so I settled for trying to remove the stains the natural way... with vinegar. Not as good as my carpet spray, but it at least lessened them and I'd hoped it had loosened the dirt enough that the shampooer could take the rest.
Problem #2 - I'm out of carpet shampoo solution!! Of all the times to run out of both! So I did a quick search online for homemade carpet cleaner solution and found a few recommendations for vinegar again! Well, it's better than nothing, I figured... So I gave it a try. Ran the shampooer like normal, substituting vinegar for the cleaning solution.
Then I let the carpet dry and went to bed. When I woke up this morning, guess what? IT WORKED! We opened the windows to let the vinegar smell dissipate the rest of the way and it cleared out quickly. The carpet looks great and it was a cheap solution!! I think I might just be doing that instead of buying more carpet shampoo. It doesn't smell like lavender, but it works great!

(And just for the record, I also already mop my hardwood floors with vinegar, and that has seemed to work just fine, too. Plus it's safe to have around kids and it has naturally disinfecting properties. Ah, the glory of vinegar.)

What's in the freezer?

2008-09-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

This is the ongoing list of ready-made meals I have in my freezer right now, from oldest to newest. When I'm stuck for an idea or need something quick, here's what I have...

Meals:
3 Cilantro Lime Chicken (Stove Top)

2 Japanese Chicken (Crock Pot)

2 Pepperoni Calzones (Oven)

2 Hawaiian Calzones (Oven)

2 Curry Chicken (Crock Pot or Stove Top)

2 Curry Sauce

Purees:

Bulk Ingredients:

Parmesan Cheese

Meats:

Turkey Breast

Chicken Breast

Pepperoni

Canadian Bacon

2 bags Stew Beef

Flank Steak

Menu Planning: Friday

2008-09-02T08:23:00.001-07:00

Friday:

Friday is my day to cook again, providing dinner for Amber's family, too. Here are a variety of ideas for when I get stuck...

Chicken Cordon Bleu
Grilled Chicken
Pepper Steak
Apple Salad
Chicken Soup
Greek Gyros
Greek Salad
Fried Potatoes
Meat and Veggie Kabobs
Aloha Chicken Kabobs
Poultry with Pears
Broccoli Cheese Soup

Menu Planning: Thursday

2008-09-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

Thursday:

Amber provides dinner on Thursdays! In the event that she doesn't, American food sounds good, doesn't it?

Chili
Fishsticks
Barbecued Chicken Wings
Baked Ham
Hamburgers
Roast Beef
Roasted Chicken
Baked Beans
Chicken Nuggets

Menu Planning: Wednesday

2008-09-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

Wednesday:

Wednesday is DATE NIGHT! That means Leif and I will either have the evening to ourselves, or we will have Josie over and have to provide dinner for her, too. For now, let's go Asian with Wednesdays...

Stir Fry
Eggrolls
Sesame Chicken
Vietnamese Rice
Sweet and Sour Chicken/Pork
Curry
Mandarin Salad
Korean Wings

Thai

Menu Planning: Tuesday

2008-09-02T08:19:00.001-07:00

Tuesday:

I provide dinner for Amber on Tuesdays.

If I'm stuck for ideas, go Mexican...

Enchiladas
Tacos
Fajitas
Quesadillas
Spanish Rice
Taco Salad
Tortilla Soup*

*Crock Pot

Menu Planning: Monday

2008-09-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

Monday:

Amber provides dinner on Mondays.

If she doesn't, go with Italian...

Calzones

Pizza

Spaghetti

Chicken Marinara

This week's meals....

2008-09-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

Monday (Day 5) - We had CROCK POT BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP, made almost entirely of items that needed to be used now to keep from going bad. Hooray! It was quick, easy, and delicious. I'm freezing the leftovers for another meal, but it's a recipe I'll have to make again! Here is the recipe:

Broccoli Cheese Soup

12 slices of velveeta cheese
quart of half and half
16 ounce frozen bag of broccoli
2 cans of cream of celery soup

combine everything in crockpot and cook on med until desired thickness. And broccoli is soft.

**I added chopped onions and some shredded colby jack cheese and substituted whole milk for the half and half.

Tuesday (Day 1) - MK meeting tonight, so we need something quick and easy. SPAGHETTI

Wednesday (Day 2) - QUESADILLAS

Thursday (Day 3) - Children's Museum and errands today, so something easy for dinner. STIR FRY

Friday (Day 4) - Watching Zoe, so a crock pot meal would be good. CHILI

Saturday (Day 5) - Robert arrives!! CHICKEN CORDON BLEU?

Sunday (Day 1) - Robert here! PITA PIZZAS

Today my goal is laundry.

2008-08-26T08:03:00.000-07:00

Today Ellie and I are staying home until this evening when I drop her off at Taylor's and head to New Consultant Training. SO... I'm taking advantage of the day at home and spending it in the basement! My goal is to finish cleaning the craft room and get all the laundry done. If I stay down in the basement I can actually hear the washing machine ding, which is a plus for getting clothes out without having them too wrinkly! So I have a load of Ellie's stuff in the wash right now and in 45 minutes I'll switch it over to dry and put our laundry in. I'm hoping to get our sheets washed today, too, if I can. Now... on to cleaning the craft room! Just as soon as I figure out what Ellie did to make the washing machine stop mid-cycle while it was on child lock!

Put Away, Give Away, Throw Away!

2008-08-24T23:19:00.000-07:00

When I was talking to Erika the other day, she mentioned that she saw these pop up sorting bins on flylady. According to the website, these were made for people who don't declutter using the "Put Away, Give Away, Throw Away" sorting method because they can't find 3 boxes or the bins they try to use aren't the right size, etc. I am SO that person!

Of course, I'm also too cheap to pay for shipping when I purchase something online (which is partly why I offer free shipping on my MK website!) so I headed to Walmart and found the same pop up bins in the laundry section for under $5 each. Of course, mine are the not-so-attractive blue and white, and all 3 of mine are the same color, but they are great for sorting! I set my timer today and sorted down in the craft room and actually made noticeable progress using the bins! And they fold up to pretty much nothing when you're done and want to store them!

So I'm going to have to try this more often... Put Away (the things that belong in other rooms - just carry the bin to the next room and put away anything in it that belongs in that room), Throw Away (a large trashbag fits perfectly inside the sorter to make emptying the trash that much easier! Just tie the bag and pull it out!), and Give Away (this would be my Freecycle pile). It's that simple!

For the first time in a long time....

2008-08-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

... my house is clean.

The upstairs is clean, at least. There are some dishes in the sink, but I will get to them in a bit and then they won't be there anymore. But my house is clean.

Eliana decided to take a nap today, so I took the opportunity to pick things up around the place! The bed was already made, so I just had to put away the shoes and dirty clothes in the bedroom. I put away all the stuff that was out in the kitchen and I wiped down the counters. I cleared off the table and put a tablecloth on, and cut some flowers from the garden to put in a vase for the centerpiece. I straightened the rug and dusted the furniture, including the door frames! I even dusted the ceiling fan blades in Ellie's room. Of course, then there were nasty dust bunnies on the floor, so I vacuumed her room. I lit candles in the living room and kitchen, something I really haven't done in a long time. But it feels like home. Nice, relaxing home. Oh, and I tidied up the front bathroom and cleaned the toilet in there.

And it all took less than an hour.

One, glorious, uninterrupted hour.

I just need to do the dishes....

2008-08-19T22:24:00.000-07:00

It won't take that long. All I have to do is empty the dishwasher and reload it and then clean up the counters. If I'm really good I should shine my sink since I haven't done it in forever. It won't take long, I just need to do it.

My hope is to go for a walk with Taylor in the morning and then Cheryl is coming over in the afternoon, so I'd really like to have a clean(ish) house when she arrives. But in order for that to happen it would be good if I went to bed with a dishwasher full of dishes and a shiny sink.

So I just need to do the dishes, and I ought to do it right now.

Organizing Frenzy...

2008-08-17T07:41:00.001-07:00

I think I'm turning into my mother.

I have been in the mood to organize lately, and I'm organizing up a storm. And not just one room, either... In the last week I have...

Completely reorganized the pantry, moving the large tupperware items to the top shelf and the juice stores to the bottom. It's clean and tidy and hopefully will stay that way now that I reworked the tupperware situation.
Sorted through all of the rubbermaid and threw out the lids and bottoms that didn't have mates. I put lids on all the remaining containers and put them back in the box - and it turns out that we don't need the lid drawer in the kitchen anymore, so I'm turning that into my bento drawer.
Finished cleaning and organizing the laundry center. I think it's going to work out marvelously.
Sorted and organized items in the under-stairs storage closet in the basement. Moved things that shouldn't be down there and consolidated some totes. It left me with extra room.
Turned the extra room from the under-stairs storage closet into a gift wrapping station, complete with rolls of wrapping and tissue paper hanging down the wall and a table on which to work. I love it!
Finished putting away the mound-o-laundry I spent the earlier portion of the week washing.
Started sorting through Ellie's clothes to pull out the too-small sizes and put them away. That project still needs some finishing.
Scrubbed the guest bathroom tile floor, hands and knees style. I did it while Ellie was in the tub and now it looks pretty clean.

That's pretty much what I've been up to. The insane organizing bug has taken over and I'm getting lots done. Weirdest of all? I'm enjoying it and it makes me happy.

Help! Help!

2008-08-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

I'm drowning in laundry!!!

So much to do... I think I'll be doing laundry all day today and tomorrow, too. Hopefully then it will all be done, because we're out of washcloths for Ellie and running low on clothes for the rest of us, too!