We're still adjusting to schedules and getting things back in order after vacation and Steven's party. Just when you think you're done with something, another element pops up that you've left out. I also keep running into obstacles.
For instance, on two separate days this week, it has been sunny with a slight breeze- good days to hang laundry out. The first day, as I was hanging a load out, I felt sprinkles. I took the clothes down, but it was still early and I was not going to let a little sprinkle deter me. I brought the basket in and waited for the sprinkle to pass. I got most of the load hung for the second time when it started flat-out raining on me. Mind you, it was sunny and bright out when this happened. I gave up and tossed it all in the dryer.
Yesterday, I hung sheets on the line and about half and hour later, the clouds moved in and opened right up. I dashed out to save them, but it was coming down at such a good clip that they were wetter when I took them down than when I put them up!
I am returning once again to my old Flylady routines to get back into the swing of things. I still do the same things I have on my list, but the list makes it so much easier! I list the things I want to accomplish daily and place them in a plastic sheet protector. As each item is finished, I cross it off with a dry erase marker. Its like a renewable to-do list. Anything I have to add either gets written on the side with the dry erase marker or written on a post-it note and stuck right on the sheet protector.
I have some new babysitting kids this week as well and that always takes some adjustment. I want them to feel like they are at home and I want them to have fun. I care for them the way I'd want my kids to be treated. I am trying to plan some crafts and things we can do for the summer. We've signed up fro parks & rec which has some fun trips planned, but there are a couple of kids that don't come on parks & rec days. I need to have some activities ready for those days.
I'm off to make lunches and then we have some errands to run. Have a great day!
PS-here's a link for anyone looking for life insurance quotes.
Showing posts with label FLYing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FLYing. Show all posts
9/1/07
Spending Sunday Cleaning
Matthew is still at Mandy's house, Steven is with Ea and Mike is spraying his parents' lawn with weed killer using our tow-behind sprayer.
What's a gal to do with all that free time... well, besides blog?
CLEAN!
There is no one home to follow right behind me and undo each room I clean! There will be no toys sprouting out of the carpet, no pillows and cushions spit off of the couch and no papers and crayons materializing on top of the tables! can you imagine?!?
I started by getting some of the surface clutter out. I pitched magazines and papers and unidentifiable objects.
I cleaned the boys' bathroom and tossed some old skin care products that were hiding out under the sink.
I gathered up toys from the living room that have been laying around all week and put them back in the boys' rooms.
It feels good to have a little bit of order back to the main living areas. Ahhhh!
Who knows, I may even get ambitious and take my carpet cleaner to the couch. It really could use a good scrubbing and, not one time will I have to hear, "Mom! Are you done with that loud thing yet?" Amazing!
What's a gal to do with all that free time... well, besides blog?
CLEAN!
There is no one home to follow right behind me and undo each room I clean! There will be no toys sprouting out of the carpet, no pillows and cushions spit off of the couch and no papers and crayons materializing on top of the tables! can you imagine?!?
I started by getting some of the surface clutter out. I pitched magazines and papers and unidentifiable objects.
I cleaned the boys' bathroom and tossed some old skin care products that were hiding out under the sink.
I gathered up toys from the living room that have been laying around all week and put them back in the boys' rooms.
It feels good to have a little bit of order back to the main living areas. Ahhhh!
Who knows, I may even get ambitious and take my carpet cleaner to the couch. It really could use a good scrubbing and, not one time will I have to hear, "Mom! Are you done with that loud thing yet?" Amazing!
5/5/07
It Was a "W"!
Matthew's team won their first game last night!
Matthew had a great game himself and he learned a lot in the process. They didn't get much practice in before their games started, so the boys on the team are still learning and trying to recall what they learned last year.
Matthew got a base hit. He then stole second and third. The third base coach was working with him on how to take a lead off of third and threaten the catcher with a steal. This happened three times. Then, there was a TINY window for him to steal home and the coach told him to take it.
It was the nail-biter of the night... well, for me anyway.
In a cloud of dust, he slid in to home and was safe!!
Next at bat, he hit a line-drive to the first baseman and was out, but he hit a line-drive anyways. We can always straighten that out.
Our pitchers had a great night, too. They had 3 innings of 3 up, 3 down. Then, one inning with one out already, Matthew was playing shortstop (his favorite position) and he scooped up a grounder and threw it perfectly to first base. I was worried that he would be so excited to get the ball and be able to make the play that he would overthrow it or throw it too hard, but he was awesome! The pitcher struck out the next batter and all the kids were patting the pitcher and Matthew on their backs as they came in to the dugout.
It was such a nice night and the game was over in plenty of time for us to make it to a cookout at my SIL's house.
11/8/06
Time to toss toys!
It's Wednesday and that means anti-procrastination day! Flylady's Holiday Cruising Mission for today is to go through your kid's room(s) or toy boxes and toss the toys that are broken or missing pieces. You can also pass down or donate toys they have outgrown. Make room for the new stuff that they'll get in the coming holidays.
I did this last week on Monday and I ended up doing it again 2 more times last week! I tossed 3 plastic shopping bags FULL of toys and pieces. I also have a bag of toys to donate sitting in my van waiting for my next trip past Goodwill. My kids have so many hand-me-down toys (which are great) along with whatever they have received as gifts that it's hard for them to find which thing they really want to play with. I really enjoy getting the hand-me-down stuff because since they have survived through one or more kids already, they're generally the tough toys that are made to last.
We have a kind of evolutionary chain our toys go through in our house.
A toy starts out it's days in our living room where it will remain until I can no longer stand it. It then moves to the bedroom where it will surely spend about 6 months in the middle of the floor because, "I play with it all the time." It will then retreat to one of the stackable bins (from the dollar store) with a dish-tub inside (also from the dollar store) as a make-shift drawer. There it will stay until one of our massive weekend "I can't stand these rooms anymore" cleaning/flinging fest- usually right before a birthday. It is then moved to the basement. The toys in the basement will remain until a weekend when the kids are away or when I have an empty Home & Garden Party box. Then, they will mysteriously disappear and no one ever speaks of them again.
I actually had a huge yard sale this summer and convinced the kids that they could keep the money they made from selling their toys. They each made about $5 so they were happy with that. The rest was hauled to Goodwill by my DH the very next day.
I did this last week on Monday and I ended up doing it again 2 more times last week! I tossed 3 plastic shopping bags FULL of toys and pieces. I also have a bag of toys to donate sitting in my van waiting for my next trip past Goodwill. My kids have so many hand-me-down toys (which are great) along with whatever they have received as gifts that it's hard for them to find which thing they really want to play with. I really enjoy getting the hand-me-down stuff because since they have survived through one or more kids already, they're generally the tough toys that are made to last.
We have a kind of evolutionary chain our toys go through in our house.
A toy starts out it's days in our living room where it will remain until I can no longer stand it. It then moves to the bedroom where it will surely spend about 6 months in the middle of the floor because, "I play with it all the time." It will then retreat to one of the stackable bins (from the dollar store) with a dish-tub inside (also from the dollar store) as a make-shift drawer. There it will stay until one of our massive weekend "I can't stand these rooms anymore" cleaning/flinging fest- usually right before a birthday. It is then moved to the basement. The toys in the basement will remain until a weekend when the kids are away or when I have an empty Home & Garden Party box. Then, they will mysteriously disappear and no one ever speaks of them again.
I actually had a huge yard sale this summer and convinced the kids that they could keep the money they made from selling their toys. They each made about $5 so they were happy with that. The rest was hauled to Goodwill by my DH the very next day.
11/4/06
Getting ready for Christmas!
If you haven't started already, join me in getting ready for Christmas. This is all over Flylady right now under "Cruising for the Holidays". Many people dread Christmas, but I have always LOVED it! I try to milk this holiday for all it's worth! I love to see the look on someone's face when they receive/open a gift from us! Not to mention how much the kids get into it!
Below is a list of things I do to get ready for Chirstmas. If I get them done now, I won't be running around like a chicken with it's head cut off in December. I can add things to my shopping list and pick up one or two things each time I am out for groceries (or whatever) and it doesn't seem to make such a big dent. Planning early also leaves room to watch for things on sale!
Here's my list!
~Make a Holiday Control Journal (HCJ). Get an old notebook and tear out the used pages, or get a mini-notebook and use this for your holiday plans. You can also print a FREE one on Flylady's site.
~Make a "what size are we" list in your HCJ. When Aunt Martha calls and asks for little Timmy's sizes, you won't be trying to remember what size you bought him this summer and adding to that.
~Make a list of who you buy gifts for in your HCJ. Include about 6 general extra gifts for anyone who may stop by unexpectedly, or if you suddenly need one for a teacher you forgot or a gift exchange for church. If you don't use them, you can keep them for next year!
~Make a master shopping list in your HCJ.
~Get out your wrapping supplies! This is especially necessary if you buy post-season mark-downs like I do and you have since forgotten where the heck you put them. Add any tape, ribbon, bows, etc. to your master shopping list and pick up an item or two a week.
~Make menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the actual big days (include Thanksgiving)- whenever you may celebrate them. If you eat Christmas eve dinner at Aunt Mimi's, write that down and list what you usually bring. If you host a meal at your house, amke a menu and you'll be prepared when someone asks what to bring.
~Make a list of ingredients you will need and add them to your master shopping list. Get those non-perishables out of the way and buy the fresh ingredients closer to the holiday. You may even want to make some things ahead and stick them in your freezer!
~Add an envelope to the back of your HCJ. This is where you can keep all receipts for gifts. If anything needs to be exchanged or returned, you'll know right where to find it.
You can tuck your HCJ in your purse or vehicle and take it with you when you shop.
Don't feel like you have to do all of this today. Just do 15 minutes worth and it will make a huge difference!
Below is a list of things I do to get ready for Chirstmas. If I get them done now, I won't be running around like a chicken with it's head cut off in December. I can add things to my shopping list and pick up one or two things each time I am out for groceries (or whatever) and it doesn't seem to make such a big dent. Planning early also leaves room to watch for things on sale!
Here's my list!
~Make a Holiday Control Journal (HCJ). Get an old notebook and tear out the used pages, or get a mini-notebook and use this for your holiday plans. You can also print a FREE one on Flylady's site.
~Make a "what size are we" list in your HCJ. When Aunt Martha calls and asks for little Timmy's sizes, you won't be trying to remember what size you bought him this summer and adding to that.
~Make a list of who you buy gifts for in your HCJ. Include about 6 general extra gifts for anyone who may stop by unexpectedly, or if you suddenly need one for a teacher you forgot or a gift exchange for church. If you don't use them, you can keep them for next year!
~Make a master shopping list in your HCJ.
~Get out your wrapping supplies! This is especially necessary if you buy post-season mark-downs like I do and you have since forgotten where the heck you put them. Add any tape, ribbon, bows, etc. to your master shopping list and pick up an item or two a week.
~Make menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the actual big days (include Thanksgiving)- whenever you may celebrate them. If you eat Christmas eve dinner at Aunt Mimi's, write that down and list what you usually bring. If you host a meal at your house, amke a menu and you'll be prepared when someone asks what to bring.
~Make a list of ingredients you will need and add them to your master shopping list. Get those non-perishables out of the way and buy the fresh ingredients closer to the holiday. You may even want to make some things ahead and stick them in your freezer!
~Add an envelope to the back of your HCJ. This is where you can keep all receipts for gifts. If anything needs to be exchanged or returned, you'll know right where to find it.
You can tuck your HCJ in your purse or vehicle and take it with you when you shop.
Don't feel like you have to do all of this today. Just do 15 minutes worth and it will make a huge difference!
11/2/06
Nifty-Thrifty Thursday Tip!
I don't plan on hosting any blog carnivals just yet, but I thought it was a catchy title and I do actually have a tip that goes along with it.
My tip today has to do with saving time and sanity. Flylady often sings the praises of her timer. There is a cute little anagram for DING- Do It Now, Girl! I have used mine for many things including cleaning, letting things soak in the washer and of course for cooking/baking, but kids love them, too.
MY TIP- Use your timer while the kids get ready for bed, cleaning up toys, going out, going to school, etc.! They love to "race the timer" and it teaches them a little about time management. The little ones will quickly learn what 5 minutes is or that they can pick up their toys in less than 10 minutes-even when it's really messy.
I used to put my timer-which has 2 timer settings- in the bathroom while Matthew was in the tub. When the first timer went off, it was time for him to get out. Then, he had about another 8-10 minutes to dry off, get jammies on and brush teeth before the next timer went off. It was so fun for him and so nice for me to not have to nag him to get out and get ready for bed.
When Steven was old enough to take a bath with Matthew, I had to be in the bathroom the entire time anyways, so we got away from using the timer. Now it's back! Of course I can't find my old timer, but my wind-up kitchen timer works equally well and it's been in the bathroom all week. I used it this morning while I was getting myself ready and when I came out, they were dressed and ready to fly out the door. It made a big difference heading out the door smiling rather than rushing and yelling.
Do you have any Nifty or Thrifty tips? Send them my way! Now, where IS my old timer anyway...?
My tip today has to do with saving time and sanity. Flylady often sings the praises of her timer. There is a cute little anagram for DING- Do It Now, Girl! I have used mine for many things including cleaning, letting things soak in the washer and of course for cooking/baking, but kids love them, too.
MY TIP- Use your timer while the kids get ready for bed, cleaning up toys, going out, going to school, etc.! They love to "race the timer" and it teaches them a little about time management. The little ones will quickly learn what 5 minutes is or that they can pick up their toys in less than 10 minutes-even when it's really messy.
I used to put my timer-which has 2 timer settings- in the bathroom while Matthew was in the tub. When the first timer went off, it was time for him to get out. Then, he had about another 8-10 minutes to dry off, get jammies on and brush teeth before the next timer went off. It was so fun for him and so nice for me to not have to nag him to get out and get ready for bed.
When Steven was old enough to take a bath with Matthew, I had to be in the bathroom the entire time anyways, so we got away from using the timer. Now it's back! Of course I can't find my old timer, but my wind-up kitchen timer works equally well and it's been in the bathroom all week. I used it this morning while I was getting myself ready and when I came out, they were dressed and ready to fly out the door. It made a big difference heading out the door smiling rather than rushing and yelling.
Do you have any Nifty or Thrifty tips? Send them my way! Now, where IS my old timer anyway...?
10/31/06
Welcome to my first post! It's all for the best!
Welcome to my very first blog post! Thanks to my cousin and his wife, I am now a blogger. After hearing of blogs for many years and never really understanding what they were, I am now savvy. LOL!
I plan to post things in my blog about family, kids, babysitting, work, FLYing, crafting, friends, being a mom, being a woman and entertainment. I hope to provide tips and tricks along the way that may help you in some way.
Let me explain my title, "It's all for the best." It comes from an old musical number (I believe from Godspell) that goes:
When you feel sad,
Or under a curse.
Your life is bad,
Your prospects are worse.
Your wife is sighing, crying,
And your olive tree is dying.
Temples are graying, teeth are decaying
And creditors weighing your purse...
Your mood and your robe
Are both a deep blue.
You'd bet that Job
Had nothing on you.
Don't forget that when you get
To Heaven you'll be blessed.
Yes! It's all for the best!
Some men are born to live at ease
Doin' what they please
Richer than the bees are in honey.
Never growing old, never feeling cold
Pulling pots of gold from thin air.
The best in every town,
Best at shaking down,
Best at making mountains of money.
They can't take it with them,
But what do they care?
They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat,
Houses on the street where it's sunny.
Summers at the sea, winters warm adn free,
All of this and we get the rest.
But who is the land for?
The sun and the sand for?
You guessed! It's all for the best!
I look at things very similarly. I try to see both sides of every story before making a decision and I don't think there is much black and white in the world. It's all a gray area we have to do the best we can with.
I also love this song because the kids give great reactions when I break into it while making lunch and do my lame tap-dancing routine. They either think I'm nuts or start dancing along! LOL!
Next post, I will introduce you to FLYing!
I plan to post things in my blog about family, kids, babysitting, work, FLYing, crafting, friends, being a mom, being a woman and entertainment. I hope to provide tips and tricks along the way that may help you in some way.
Let me explain my title, "It's all for the best." It comes from an old musical number (I believe from Godspell) that goes:
When you feel sad,
Or under a curse.
Your life is bad,
Your prospects are worse.
Your wife is sighing, crying,
And your olive tree is dying.
Temples are graying, teeth are decaying
And creditors weighing your purse...
Your mood and your robe
Are both a deep blue.
You'd bet that Job
Had nothing on you.
Don't forget that when you get
To Heaven you'll be blessed.
Yes! It's all for the best!
Some men are born to live at ease
Doin' what they please
Richer than the bees are in honey.
Never growing old, never feeling cold
Pulling pots of gold from thin air.
The best in every town,
Best at shaking down,
Best at making mountains of money.
They can't take it with them,
But what do they care?
They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat,
Houses on the street where it's sunny.
Summers at the sea, winters warm adn free,
All of this and we get the rest.
But who is the land for?
The sun and the sand for?
You guessed! It's all for the best!
I look at things very similarly. I try to see both sides of every story before making a decision and I don't think there is much black and white in the world. It's all a gray area we have to do the best we can with.
I also love this song because the kids give great reactions when I break into it while making lunch and do my lame tap-dancing routine. They either think I'm nuts or start dancing along! LOL!
Next post, I will introduce you to FLYing!
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