Diary of a FlyBaby

The Beginning of the End

2010-01-17T12:32:00.000-08:00

I think the time has come for this little blog to be put to rest.

But I'm not giving up blogging! I shall be continuing on with my new blog and ask that you switch allegiance there.

I feel that this new venue will give me a wider scope on writing and already have several new posts planned. Thank you for joining me on this ride, and I hope to see you in my new home :)

With much love,

Candace
aka C-Joy

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T08:04:00.000-08:00

Christmas wasn't EXACTLY what I had expected or hoped for. DD came down with the stomach flu on Christmas Eve. I got it on Christmas Day (sheer agony!). DH followed us by getting it the day after Christmas. Probably the worst Christmas I ever had :( We had already made arrangements for my mom to spend Christmas at my sister's house because of expected bad weather -we didn't want to take the chance of not being able to get to her place.

But because I was prepared, we had plenty of food and drink in the house. But it was by sheer luck that we had enough toilet paper & pedialyte on hand. So for next year, I think I will be sure to have an Emergency Illness Plan as well. How miserable to be sick on Christmas and have to leave home in search of medicines & soothing goodies!

I am hoping that your Christmas wasn't NEARLY as icky as mine! We're going to try and make New Year's Eve a little more special than usual to make up for last week. Mind you, usually we do NOTHING for New Year's Eve so it won't take much. I purchased flowers for the table yesterday so it looks festive. We have sparkling drinks (both grown-up & kiddie versions) and once again, plenty of food.

A huge Thank You to my Flying Partners for making this such a relaxing Holiday Season!

DianeDenmark
A Mothers Ramblings
Typical Ramblings, Atypical Nonsense

A FlyBaby's Day Before Christmas

2009-12-24T06:47:00.000-08:00

Twas the day before Christmas
And all through the home
All surfaces were gleaming
From hardwood to chrome.
I remember how dreadful it was last year,
Before I learned habits, CHAOS lived here.

The stockings were hung in early December with care
Knowing that FLYLADY presents soon would be there
The children were off all making their beds
While visions of feather dusters danced in their heads.
And me with my tea had just Royal Ragged the last tap
Decided I would be pampered with a well-deserved nap.

When out on the porch there arose such a clatter
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the clean window I flew like a flash
Tore open the shutter and threw up the sash.

The sun on the breast of the freshly shoveled snow
Gave a luster of paradise to the objects below.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But a miniature cooper decorated with reindeer.
With a little old driver so lively and aware
I knew in a moment it was Great Aunty Adair!

More rapid than timers my children I found
And handed out duties to all around
Now Janey,you swish and Tommy, you swipe,
Petey, you dust then the counters you'll wipe!
Jenny will sweep the stairs and the front hall,
Max will finally put away his football!
You've got your orders no need to stall -
Now Declutter Away, Declutter Away, Declutter Away ALL!

As luck would have it, my weekly home blessing was done
But I wasn't expecting to entertain anyone.
A quick crisis clean was all we could do
But the routines we had made would pull us through.
And then in a instant I heard the front bell
And the familiar voice of my Great Aunty yell.
As I opened the door and turned around,
In come Great Aunty with a leap and a bound.

She was dressed in all purple, with lace-on shoes to boot,
And her clothes were all pressed, a lovely new suit
She seemed quite surprised we let her in the front door
For CHAOS had kept her from visiting before.
Her eyes searched for clutter, but none did she find
She was welcome to look for I did not mind.
A gleam in her eye and a twist of her head,
But my kids had done well, there was nothing to dread.

She spoke not a word but looked high and low,
Nary a speck of dust found on any objects, you know.
Laying a clean finger aside of her nose,
She gave me a nod and produced a red rose.
I sprang to the door, to my kids gave a shout
They all rushed right in for they loved having Aunty about.
And I heard Aunty exclaim with great Holiday cheer
I can see that you all follow the Flylady here!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Nearly Done Now

2009-12-13T14:16:00.000-08:00

Wow -just ONE MORE WEEKEND before Christmas! I have so many little odds & ends to finish up. Presents to wrap, one more package to send, supplies for school party, and 1 last major food shop. But I don't think I'll be up until the wee hours of the morning to get things done at the last minute :-D Hopefully I'll be able to take most of our gifts & food to my sister's next weekend so that on the day of our family party I can just head to her place (I'll be working the morning of our party).

I would have liked to be further along since I ended up with three bonus days at home this week thanks to the weather. But I didn't count on how time consuming it would be to keep DD & the dog from hurting each other. We are babysitting my mom's dog Seamus (maltipoo puppy 9 months old) for the time being. She has just had a hip replaced & we all figured it would be best if she didn't have a dog constantly under foot during her healing time. At any rate, it is very stressful to have a puppy & a toddler under the same roof. I'm really wishing we would have put in a fence this last summer because then at least I could kick him out to play. But it will be so much easier for Mom to get better if she's not worrying about him or having to take care of him. Good thing both he & DD are cute!

It is the last full week of school too. I have plenty of work to keep the kids busy, and LOTS of projects which they love. The decorating is done, but we had to disable the lights on our wreaths. DD just couldn't keep her hands off the cords and for safety's sake, they are unlit. I'm sure we'll plug them in on the big night.

One good piece of news: I thought DD's Santa cookie plate was lost to us forever, but I found it this past week. I'll just pop it in the shadow box along with the Santa Key (note to self -still need to assemble this) and we'll be ready for Santa!

I've been much more organized this year than I have before. But one lesson learned is that I need to seriously declutter. It is hard to keep various projects going when there is no where to put things out of the way but yet still be accessible. I'm thinking that Decluttering will be my New Year's resolution. Have you decided on a resolution yet?

I'll need to sign off now, I'm preparing the meat to put in the freezer for the Christmas Eve meal!

Don't forget to check out fellow Flybabies as they reach the Christmas Finish Line:
DianeDenmark
A Mothers Ramblings
Typical Ramblings, Atypical Nonsense

Christmas Without a Tree

2009-12-05T14:40:00.000-08:00

I may have mentioned this before, but my house is very small. So small that we do not have space for a Christmas tree, at least not this year. My solution? Hanging wreaths on the wall. I wrapped the wreaths in lights, and then simply hung the decorations on the wreaths. They are up and (nearly) out of Turtle's reach -a few birds have had ruffled feathers, but so far no lasting damage has been done.

And finally, the decorating project that I didn't want to divulge earlier because I didn't know if I could finish it in time AND I wasn't sure how it would turn out. Lucky for all of us I did finish the project and it did turn out! I made holiday curtains out of white flat twin sheets and ribbon. I was hoping to create a crisp look by combining red & white (my fave holiday colors this year). The pictures don't do justice to reality!

I was going to use the giant bells as pull backs, but I got lazy & didn't want to drill hooks into my window frame, so I hung them at the top instead

The peppermint candy ribbon fits perfectly in my Cardinals & Candy Cane theme this season. DH was wondering why so many bird ornaments were making their way into our home, too :)

I still need to make the Santa Key, but as I was pulling out the holiday decor I realized that the Santa Cookie plate was missing. I have a nagging feeling that it was broken last year when we put things away.........

Christmas Picnik

2009-11-22T14:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas Card, c.1958 Art Print
Warhol, Andy

No, I haven't gone crazy and forgotten how to spell picnic. I used the online photo editing website Picnik to jazz up a photo of DD to use in our holiday cards. I went a little crazy and upgraded to the premium package just so I could have access to all of the fun stuff. After editing the photo, I uploaded it to my Shutterfly account so I could have the pictures printed at my local Target store.

After I ordered the photos I realized that they won't fit in the photo card frames I had already purchased :( So being the clever clogs that I am I went back to Shutterfly and ordered wallet sized photos to use in the frames that I do have (and got for $1 a package at Michael's). These will be the ones I hand out at work. When I pick up my photos tomorrow I shall peruse their selection of photo card frames -they had some scrummy ones there last time I looked! So although I won't be quite as on the ball as Diane, I at least have a plan and most of the materials. I should have time this week to finish the deal!

The only thing to throw me off course is an issue regarding stamps. I purchased holiday stamps last year and still have enough left over to handle this year's mailing. But the postage rate has gone up since then. Do I purchase non-holiday stamps to add to last year's for correct postage, or should I get new holiday stamps all together? Your advice will be appreciated!

Of course this also means I have extra holiday photos coming to me -if any of my Twisters would like to get on my mailing list DM your address to me :)

For those of you who may have missed my Twitter updates on Friday, I'M OFF FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK! Holiday Prep in Full Force.......

Don't forget to check out the Holiday activities at:
DianeDenmark
A Mothers Ramblings
Typical Ramblings, Atypical Nonsense

Memories

2009-11-20T21:01:00.000-08:00

Maybe it is the wine.....maybe it is the fact that I have some quiet time to myself at the beginning of a week off from work.....but I've been thinking A LOT about holidays and why this time of year is so special to me.

I remember the artificial tree we had. All the years I lived at home it was the same one. Maybe 6 feet tall, before lights were wired into the branches, super short needles at the top of the tree from where there was damage from a fire my first Christmas. A fire started by the lights on the tree which was in the basement of our house and which wiped out my sister's extensive Barbie Doll collection. And also scorched the wall by my crib in the room directly above. Fortunately, my parents had gone out for the evening so my siblings & I were with an aunt at the time of the fire.

I remember the decorations for the tree. The funky 50's shapes and colors of our glass ornaments. The beautiful glass balls. The ornaments we kids had made through the years at school. Red and green garlands, and tinsel crinkled and shortened from being used year after year. Whatever happened to tinsel? I haven't put it on any of my own trees - is it even still available to buy? There was this candle too. Round bottom, five sides, stained glass panels and silver glitter. It had this scent.....I don't know what it was called originally, but to me it smelled of Christmas.

My nephews used to fall asleep with the thick Christmas flyer that Toys-R-Us sent out. For us it was the arrival of the JC Penny catalog. The number of times we would look through it, circling the items we wanted -I'm surprised we didn't break the spine!

I remember the special food we had. My dad was in charge of candy making. He was a typical dad of the time: made great pancakes and was always in charge of the grill. But at Christmas time, he would take over the kitchen. He would make carmel corn, chocolate rainsin clusters, chocolate peanut clusters, chocolate covered pretzels. Come to think of it, if it stood still long enough he covered it in chocolate. He also made peanut brittle. I didn't necessarily cared for peanut brittle, but I knew that it was tricky stuff. You have to get the sugar mixture to just the right temperature. Dad didn't want me to get hurt (or be under foot when he needed to move quickly) so I would sit and watch from under the table. When I was older I was able to appreciate the beauty of the sugar as it bubbled up in its carmel-colored glory in the pan after he added baking soda(?) to the mixture. But while I was younger, I would watch from my safe perch while he moved to and fro, stirring this pan, mixing up the popcorn as it baked in the oven, checked to see if things were solid enough to move from the wax paper lined trays.

I remember the family friend who would dress up as Santa and come visit me at home. When I was 8 & my younger sister was 4 I discovered he wasn't really Santa. My sister took one look at him and said "Hi Bob!". I was crushed. The tape from the beard stuck to his face when he came back from "checking on his dog" did not support his argument that it wasn't him.

We had a fireplace at the home of my early years. It felt right and natural, after all Santa needed it to get into my house each year, right? It was great being able to hang my stocking from the mantle each year. We moved when I was 11 to a home that did not have a fireplace. Santa still visited us (for the sake of my younger sister), but it didn't feel right.

Perhaps this memories are so vivid in my head because I am very aware of the fact that Turtle is now at a point where she is going to remember these same holidays. She already sees pictures of Santas or Christmas trees and says "Oh that's Christmas!" This will be her 3rd Christmas with us, and I think it will finally be the one where it too will become a special time for her. So I'm thinking about what traditions I want to start for her.

We don't have a fireplace, so there will be a special key that we hang from the door on Christmas Eve. Last year she received from Grandma a special plate to put cookies on for Santa's reindeer. I have purchased a shadow box for these two items so they can be part of our Christmas decorations and easily accessible for the Big Night. Tonight as we were driving to Grandma's house we passed a park that had some trees lit -she was enchanted! She also thought the street lights were part of the display as well, but I'll cut her some slack since she is a toddler. I think the evening drive to look at lights will become part of the ritual. Stockings will either hand from the entertainment center in the living room or magically appear at the foot of her bed. This year may be different due to some medical reasons, but Grandma usually comes over on Christmas Eve to spend the night with us. I make pastitsio for dinner, then we kick back and watch Christmas movies and tv shows while we wait for DH to come home from work (retail). In the morning we open gifts from DH's family sent to us from Denver and now also, from Santa. DH makes eggs benedict for breakfast, and a leg of lamb for lunch. (Johnny Walker Red also comes to visit us on Christmas Eve and usually stays thru lunch/dinner the next day.) Turtle is too young for an advent calender, but I'd like to sew one this next year for her. I also like the idea of the special activity every night (Thanks DianeDenmark!) so I'll be trying that next year. I also like the idea of the elf that comes to stay in the month leading up to Christmas. He keeps tabs on everyone in the house and makes daily reports to Santa.

I think this may be the longest post ever! Thanks for joining me down this trip down Memory Lane :)

Its Beginning to Look A Lot Like........Chaos?

2009-11-16T03:58:00.000-08:00

Let me begin this post by saying if you are related to me, please don't read any further. If you do then I will take no responsibility for your discovering what your gift is and thus spoiling the fun. Thank you. And now, a commercial break to allow those who need to make a discrete exit:

Buy at AllPosters.com

OK, now that they have left the room I can fill you in on all the projects that have been dominating my free time the last week or so!

The biggest gift so far: my wine cork Christmas Wreath. It has taken two years (and borrowing from my sister) to get enough corks to make this one. Yes, I could have purchased wine corks to add to this but that's not the point. The only thing that was purchased new was the straw form (approx. $2.00). The ribbon, corks and hot glue I already had on hand. Needless to say I'm very tempted to keep it for myself.........

Next we have the Get Well Gremlins. They are made from thrift store sweaters & filled with rice so they can be warmed (or chilled) when someone needs to feel better. The little pocket on the front is perfect for holding a cotton ball or scrap of fabric with essential oil on it. The original idea came from 5 Orange Potatoes, and as with most ideas, I've taken what works for me to make it my own. The free pattern makes a gremlin just right for a little one:

I made a larger pattern to use for a grown-up:

I didn't think to take a photo of these two together so you could see the size difference, so I'll do that later. I have another one in the making -they are very addictive!

Finally, I made some hand-warmers from scraps of old blue jeans. They are intended to be for DH, but I may make another pair because these seem to large for his hands! Thanks to Frugal Family Fun Blog for the idea :)

Because of all my crafting madness, by basement looks like it has exploded. Mostly that is due to DD being down here whilst I work (she's got to keep herself busy exploring & pulling things apart, you know). At least the projects are coming along swimmingly: I should have them done in plenty of time to be wrapped BEFORE they need to be given. I have another project or two underway as well, but I'll keep those to myself until they are picture ready :)

Next week I have the entire week off from school -DD starts a new daycare on Monday, so I'll have a day at home by myself -an unheard of treat these days! Thanksgiving will be at my sisters so no need to prepare my home for it :D

Check out the Holiday Planning activities at:
DianeDenmark
A Mothers Ramblings
Typical Ramblings, Atypical Nonsense

Holiday Traditions

2009-11-01T08:26:00.000-08:00

No post last Sunday for the Holidays -sorry about that! The flu hit my school & I came down with something :( But with an extra hour of sleep under my belt, I'm ready to tackle more Holiday writing.

My younger sister loves chocolate covered cherries, and it was her tradition to get a box to herself each Christmas (I get Holiday Cap'n Crunch). One glorious year I realized that I had a recipe for chocolate covered cherries in my trusty Better Homes & Garden red & white book. My older sister & I adventurously decided to give it a whirl. We've made them every year since then & they are our most requested item on our Holiday goody trays. The recipe is simple, but they are a bit fiddly and time consuming to make. We usually make a triple batch the weekend after Thanksgiving because they need 2 weeks to mature before eating.

Chocolate Covered Cherries

Ingredients:

30 oz maraschino cherries with stems
3 Tbsp butter, softened
3 Tbsp light corn syrup
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 lb Ghiradelli Candy Making & Dipping Bar (or regular confectioners coating if you can't find Ghiradelli)

Method:

Drain cherries on layers of paper towels for several hours.
Mix together butter & corn syrup.
Stir in powdered sugar, then knead mixture until it is smooth. (Chill 15 mins in fridge if too soft to handle).
Shape approximately 1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar mixture around each cherry.
Place coated cherries (stem up) on lined baking sheet.
Chill 1 hour (no longer or they will start to dissolve!)
Melt chocolate coating while cherries are chilling in fridge (we use a mini-crockpot so chocolate stays melted)
Hold cherry by the stem, dip into melted chocolate. Once powdered sugar mixture is completely covered with chocolate, place on lined cookie sheet.
Chill cherries until firm, then store in fridge in a tightly covered container for 1 to 2 weeks before serving.

Makes approximately 60 cherries.

Christmas Cake

2009-10-19T03:18:00.000-07:00

Baking Day

I haven't take a photo of the finished product yet, but it looks FANTASTIC! The only regret I had was that I forgot to put on my Holiday Apron!

And don't forget, Flylady's Cruising Through the Holidays begins today :)

Holiday Libations

2009-10-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

I was finally able to work on some holiday gift projects yesterday! I spent an hour doing careful, beautiful embroidery work only to discover that my knots weren't good enough -DD destroyed the gift within a minute of having her hands on it. I guess I would rather find that out now and not later after the gift had been given. But still.....................sigh.

Today is the day that I am baking @DianeDenmark's Christmas Cake! I have all the ingredients on hand, just waiting for all the folk to gather so we can Tweet-n-Bake together. Unfortunately, Twitter seems to be down right now so I'm hoping it'll be up in time for baking! I guess there is always Facebook Chat :)

I had dinner with my sister's family yesterday as my nephew was home from college for his fall break. We taste tested two sparkling wines to see if we had found a new (and less expensive) candidate for the holiday festivities. But it got me thinking about Holiday Libations - or the Things I Like to Drink during this time of year and some recipes I would like to share.

Merry Mimosas

This is a drink we like to have on Christmas Morning with our traditional Eggs Benedict breakfast. It is super easy to make AND to drink.

Ingredients:
Orange Juice
Cranberry Juice
Dry sparkling wine

Preparation:
Combine equal proportions of orange and cranberry juice. Fill glass halfway with juice mixture, top with the sparkling wine.

Rusty Nail

This one I have yet to try, but it sounds intriguing. I had to look up Drambuie to see what it was exactly as I am using it in the Christmas Cake. Under the description there were a few cocktails listed. I chose this because my mother spends Christmas Eve night with us and I always make sure to have Scotch on hand for her for our evening tipple.

Ingredients:
Scotch
Drambuie
ice

Preparations:
Fill glass with ice. Pour 1 1/2 ounces Scotch into glass, followed by 1 1/2 ounces Drambuie. (Drambuie is last as it is heavier than Scotch).

Can't wait to report back on this one -maybe I'll try it at Thanksgiving :)

Hot Spiced Wine

I always did this back in the day when we had annual Holiday Open Houses. I had to go in search of a new recipe as I lost mine last year & was pleased to find one that can be done in a crock pot. (Remember, my stove top is cracked & at this point I don't know when that will change).

Ingredients:
2 quarts pineapple/orange juice
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
3 bottles red wine
2 lemons
1 orange
3 cinnamon sticks
whole cloves

Combine all the ingredients except the lemons & orange. Add the juice of one of the lemons. Slice the remaining lemon and orange and add to liquids. For a fancy look, stud the cloves into the lemon and orange before slicing. Simmer 30 minutes before serving.

Hot Buttered Rum

Another recipe I've wanted to try for years because it can be made with or without the rum.

What are your favorite holiday drinks?

Check out the Holiday Planning activities at:
DianeDenmark
A Mothers Ramblings
Typical Ramblings, Atypical Nonsense

Holiday Grand Plan Week 7

2009-10-12T04:09:00.000-07:00

I can't say that I'm happy with the result of one of my handmade gift ideas! It involves embroidery and according to the directions it should be super simple. It is simple but the finished result was not spectacular. I'll try it one more time & if it still looks funny, I shall set the project aside and concentrate on other things.

Like the fact that it is week 7 and I still haven't emptied my freezer of old mysteries so that I have room for new stuff! I would like to get at least one batch of crescent rolls in the freezer. I would like to attempt making some pumpkin puree as well. I don't care so much for pumpkin pie, but there are many other pumpkin recipes out there :)

I thought maybe I would stick to the music theme for this post. After all, I love Christmas music! I sang all throughout High School and the carols were my favorite. I would certainly never be an American Idol Competitor (even if I were young enough) but I can carry a tune. I also have an almost embarassingly large collection of holiday cd's. But nothing gets me in the mood for Christmas like music does -hope you find something new to add to your own collection!

* Little Altar Boy by The Carpenters. I love my Carpenter's Christmas cd -mostly because Karen & I have similar vocal ranges so I can sign along to my heart's content. I stop every time I hear this haunting tune.

* I Saw Three Ships by Sting. This is on a Very Special Christmas collection -I think we still have it in cassette form!

*   Blue Christmas - (From the 1968 NBC Television Special) by Elvis. Can't have a Christmas without the King!

*   Winter Wonderland by Tony Bennet. This isn't the version I was looking for, but the cool swing brings back childhood memories all the same.

*   Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer by Chris Isaak. Probably my favorite Christmas cd so far - and not just because I have such fond memories of Chris! Its a little Elvis-like, but has Isaak's guitar sound throughout. I dare you not to bop around to this rendition of Rudolph!

*   Christmas Wrapping (Long version) by The Waitresses. No child of the 80's would be without this song on their list!   ......or even a SHE? LOL

* Last Christmas by Wham. I just can't stop singing this when I hear it!

There are just so many more songs! Music like the Nutcracker Suite & The Hallelujah Chorus, Hank Williams Jr, Dan Knight, and the unforgettable South Park Christmas collection......(Note: I tried to add South Park's Dreidle Song, but it wasn't on file for some reason. Probably for the best because it would surely offend someone, but I have to listen to it at full blast at least once during the season. Without DD around of couse!)

So when you start baking your Christmas Cake next weekend, don't forget to let the music play!

Check out the Holiday Planning activities at:
DianeDenmark
A Mothers Ramblings
Typical Ramblings, Atypical Nonsense

Drop me a line if you would like to be added to the list!

Musical Memories

2009-10-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

I was inspired this morning after reading DianeDenmark's blog post about her Top 10 favorite concerts. What a fun trip down Memory Lane, so I've decided to follow suit and share my favorite concert memories. Oddly enough, most of them were enjoyed courtesy of my own personal Musical Maven @lauriekeiko! Concerts seem to be a thing of my past, but I certainly don't mind allowing DH to think that I had wild times back in the day :) As with Diane, I'm finding my memory fails me as to when I saw performances, but I think I was at least accurate in identifying the decade of the concert.

1. Duran Duran (199?)

Yes, I'm a Duranie! Always have been, always will. I've seen them more than once, but the concert I'm thinking of happened during my glorious time living in San Francisco. It was the Ordinary World tour and we had tickets to see them at the Concord Pavillion. The day of the show, Laurie managed to score us Orchestra Pit seats. By Orchestra Pit I mean FRONT ROW. I could reach out my hand and actually TOUCH THE STAGE. No barricade or roadies between me & the guys. It was heaven! I spent two hours directly in front of John Taylor -I could've died right then & there perfectly happy :) The only drawback was that there were cameras at the back of the pit filming the stage for the screens broadcasting the show to the peons on the lawn, which meant we couldn't stand up and dance. Oh well, it was worth it!

2. Chris Isaak (199?)

Again, another concert enjoyed with Laurie during our San Francisco days. This was one of a series of unannounced club gigs that Laurie found out about. We were early enough to get positions right at the stage. The highlight of this performance was when Chris used Laurie's head to jump off the stage. He smiled at me, turned around and leaned back into me while he belted out a guitar solo - I was holding him up while he played! Sigh.

3. B-52's (199?)

Another Concord Pavillion event, another gig with Laurie! The B-52's are just plain FUN, especially with the Violent Femmes as the opening act. Note: DH & I happened to see them perform at the same time & place years before we met!

4. Tears for Fears (199?)

Yes, you guessed it -another concert with Laurie :) This time it was a college road trip to Chicago. (Inside joke: the directions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Sowing the Seeds of Love in the Windy City. And Ms. Deborah Harry was a mighty fine opening act indeed!

5. David Bowie (200?)

A concert I attended WITHOUT Laurie! This is one I attended with my sweet DH who likes Bowie very much & kindly didn't notice me drooling throughout the entire concert :)

6. INXS

The loudest concert I've ever been to -my ears rang for days after! A memorable gig because Michael Hutchence (drool) was still alive and Laurie got us backstage to meet the band (double drool).

7. U2 (199?)

It was the Zooropa tour and it was the biggest stage production I have ever seen! It was also the first concert I got in line during the wee hours of the morning for tickets. We were second in line (after those stupid Jerry-Garcia-general-seating-never-sold-out-concert people) and I believe the only ones to get reserved seats for the concert. Good times in Oakland, CA............with Laurie :)

8. Sting (199?)

To be honest, I can't remember if I was with Laurie when I saw him at the Hammersmith Odeon in London (when it was still the Hammersmith Odeon). He was amazing! If it makes you feel better, I saw him again with Laurie in Berkely a few years later.

9. Toad the Wet Sprocket (199?)

We saw these boys 3 or 4 times within a month. Whenever I hear Walk on the Ocean I get a tear in my eye......sigh. (Yes, with Laurie).

10. They Might Be Giants

These boys very kindly gave a free concert on my first day in San Francisco! What a way to be welcomed to the Bay City. And its Istanbul (Not Constantinople).

There were many more memorable concert, and a few more seen without Laurie. Not so many artists come to Iowa these days and with a toddler in the picture, taking road trips to see groups isn't really an option. Oh well, at least I have the memories!

Time for Bed......

2009-10-09T01:34:00.000-07:00

It is 3:15 and I have been awake for an hour now. I refuse to lay awake in bed, so here I am. What to do now?

I could:

curl up on the sofa and zone out in front of the television
go downstairs and work on some holiday projects
make myself a cup of tea
read a book

I'm thinking I will make myself a cup of tea AND curl up on the sofa and zone out in front of the television for a while. I may only work a half day today, but I don't want to be a complete zombie for it!

Cardinals & Candy Canes

2009-10-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

We are already on week 6 -one third of the way through the preparations! As I have been ill this past week, most of the Holiday planning has been just that -planning. I have chosen one craft project and have all the supplies ready to go, just need to start doing it.

I found some great decorative papers to hand make gift tags for this year. One of the papers has inspired me to choose a decorating theme this year -cardinals! I'm leaning toward red as the main accent color, and since we have been leaning toward bird ornaments the last couple of years, the cardinal seemed like a natural choice. I chose candy canes because they are also red & white. Love to look at them, just not terribly fond of eating them (hee hee). I have a holiday decorating trick up my sleeve, but until the project is finished I'm going to keep it under wraps. That way if I don't finish it, no one will be disappointed! LOL

I have been very productive so far today - I finally got into DD's closet and finished decluttering! 3 large bags of clothes & toys are ready to be dropped off at Goodwill. All toys have been organized into baskets so EVERYTHING now has a place to be. Books & stuffed animals will be rotated (out of the closet) to make it easier for DD to put things away. She's already spent a considerable amount of time playing with that had been packed away in the closet! There are still some toys in the basement to organize & we may need a few more baskets -preferably solid under-the-bed kind so they can be stored out of sight when not in use. At least DD is now ready to make space for new things to come into our home for the holidays.

I haven't started baking yet! I still need to "declutter" the chest freezer otherwise there will be no space for any made-in-advance goodies :) Mincemeat is on my grocery list this week, as is Drambuie - both necessary ingredients in DianeDenmark's Christmas Cake recipe and the only ones I don't currently have on hand. Will you be joining us for the bake off?

Check out the Holiday Planning activities at:
DianeDenmark
A Mothers Ramblings
Typical Ramblings, Atypical Nonsense

Drop me a line if you would like to be added to the list!

Miracle Soup

2009-10-03T05:49:00.000-07:00

I'm still not feeling well, it is cold & rainy outside - the time is right for a batch of Miracle Soup. Much like my Hot Cold Soother, Miracle Soup is called so because I always feel better once I have some. Trouble is, when I need it most I usually don't have the energy to fix it!

Miracle Soup

Ingredients:

1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp minced ginger (optional)
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup couscous

Method:

Saute onions, garlic & ginger in olive oil until onions are soft. Add chicken broth (I usually have bouillion on hand and use it) and couscous. Heat to desired temperature and enjoy!

This soup came about by reading up on natural remedies for colds. The ingredients are supposed to help sooth cold symptoms. The couscous I added so there was a bit of substance to the soup. If you are interested in natural remedies, I highly recommend Prescription for Natural Cures. Offers a variety of remedies for many common ailments!

First Fusings

2009-09-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

With great pride and excitement, I showed DH the results of my first attempts at glass fusing. He picked one up, turned it over and handed it back to me. "Essentially, all you are doing is putting one piece of glass on another and melting it, right?"

I must have given him a look, because he immediately laughed and said "What?!"

"You made it sound so easy. I had to cut the glass first you know!"

Although DH may not have been as impressed with my new skill, I am quite pleased with my work. I only wished I had been able to see the finished product LAST week. Now that I know what stuff looks like melted, I put more effort into cutting my glass. Oh well, hopefully I'll have 2 weeks worth of work ready to pick up for next week's final class. Guess what one of our projects will be? Melting a wine bottle! Gee, wonder where I will find one of those..............

A couple of pieces from this first batch are usable for gifts. I anticipate several more from the other pieces yet to be fired.

I think this last piece is my favorite from the group. It feels really nice in my hands & it is made entirely out of scrap glass. One piece that is pictured was sent back for a second firing.

Cold Soother

2009-09-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

I would never claim that this is a cold remedy, but I do feel better when I drink this as I feel a cold coming on.

C-Joy's Hot Cold Soother

1 tsp minced ginger (look for it by the jars of minced garlic in your grocery store)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Honey to taste

Put all the ingredients in a mug and fill with boiling water. Stir until honey disolves and enjoy!

You can certainly leave the ginger out, but I find it helps keep my sinuses from clogging up. I have also been known to throw in a dash of cinnamon and a shot of whisky for a "nyquil" replacement before bed! The ginger is good for an upset tummy as well. Obviously, lemon juice gives a bit of Vitamin C, and honey is good for reducing coughs and general immune system booster. Whatever the reason, I feel better after one of these. In fact, I'm making myself a cup right now!

Holiday Grand Plan Week Five

2009-09-27T05:23:00.000-07:00

I did it! I accomplished all the holiday things I set out to do this week. Instead of just five more addresses acquired to my list, I finished it. Of course, if any fellow FlyBabies wanted to DM their address to me I would be able to add it to my list as well (hint hint).

It is a bit easier to think about Holidays now as the weather is getting cooler. And after counting on my calender yesterday, I realized that it is only 8 weeks until my Thanksgiving break begins! We will be hosting our family Thanksgiving dinner, and as long as I stay on the course I'm on right now it should be a breeze.

One holiday is rapidly approaching and I feel under-prepared for, and that is Halloween. Now that I have my own home and DD is getting older I feel compelled to decorate outside for it. I saw a great project in a magazine for making a giant spider. But when I priced the styrofoam ball for the spider's body, I decided to rethink ($20 for 1 ball? I don't think so!) I think it may be time for a paper mache spider body, and I know just the crew of 4 & 5 year olds who would be delighted to help. We can keep the giant spider in the classroom & then I'll bring him home. Maybe I'll splurge on small foam balls so the kids can have smaller ones to keep.

Do you get into Halloween or is it something you prefer to pass over?

Before I forget (again), check out these fine FlyBabies and their own Holiday Planning:
DianeDenmark
A Mothers Ramblings
Typical Ramblings, Atypical Nonsense

Pottery Class, Week Two

2009-09-24T04:14:00.000-07:00

Its best to remember appropriate hair-restraining devices before a pottery class begins. I am still trying to remove clay from last night's class! I guess if I can't get it all out it will prove to be an interesting talking point at school today.

It is hard being a beginning potter. I'm sure I will get better with practice, the problem seems to be finding the time to practice. I can't take DD with me (for obvious reasons) nor can I bring myself to have my mom watch her any more than she already does. Hopefully noboby on my gift list is expecting ceramic goodies because I have yet to throw anything worth putting in the kiln. I need to keep in mind that I have improved since last week so chances are that next week I'll be pulling like a pro! (Referring to clay & not men)

On a similar note I have been contemplating adding an art endorsement to my state teaching license. It just seems a good idea to keep my options open as far as jobs go. The glass & pottery classes are the first art classes I have taken since middle school, but I have always felt a creative compulsion. I think perfectionism held me back from even trying. But I really enjoy the art projects I have been doing with my students. I should be able to take art courses at the local community college for credit toward the endorsement. If it turns out that I'm really horrible at least I won't be out of a ton of money! Besides, my students now will benefit from any art study I do. I did an art history course during my first round of college, so I only have 7 more to go to be qualified to teach K-8 art in the public school system!

Fused Glass Follow-Up

2009-09-23T04:20:00.000-07:00

I was so disappointed going to class last night & finding out that our work didn't get fired in the kiln. Evidently the kiln still wasn't working properly, so they are going somewhere else to have our work done. Because I don't know how last week's work turned out, it was hard to get excited about making new stuff. Plus I didn't have a decent glass cutter to use which was very frustrating. But not nearly as frustrating as I found melting tiny glass rods over a little candle in order to bend the rod to my will. Let's just say that the Force was with the candle and not me. I wonder if there is a kiln mold so I can make some of these:

Today is a long day: work, gym workout with my trainer, run home & change for pottery class, go to Mom's to hang out w/her & DD until class time, class, pick up DD from Mom's, then finally home. Really makes me wish that I had put more effort into getting things ready for this morning. But hey, it's only until November that my Wednesday's will be crazy!

Best Time to Start Flying

2009-09-22T04:03:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking long and hard about this, and I think I have the answer. The best time to start Flying? When you are two. Yes that's right, at the ripe old age of two. This is where my Montessori background is going to shine through!

Around age two, children enter a sensitive period for order. A sensitive period is a time when a child learns particular things effortlessly. One example would be language. For the first six years of life, children (usually) learn to speak with minimal adult intervention. If a child misses fulfilling a sensitive period, such as language, the child will struggle to fill that need for the rest of her life. (Also why children pick up second languages so easily while adults tend to struggle.)

Did you ever know a child who would only eat peanut butter sandwiches for lunch? Perhaps there was only 1 pair of shoes acceptable to wear, or maybe the hair had to be done just so before being able to go out to play. These are all manifestations of the sensitive period for order. Children aren't just making these demands to drive us crazy. These routines are what helps the child feel secure in the world. When they feel secure, life is good. When they feel insecure...............temper tantrum anyone?

This is where I think Flying begins so strike while the iron is hot! Start little routines that help your child create order. Clothes come off and go into a hamper. Use a duvet instead of a top sheet so the child can make their bed on their own. Dedicate a space to put shoes (bonus points to you if you use clothespins to keep the shoes together). Have baskets for toys so that they are easy to put away. And then regularly put the toys away. Do things like this when they are ready and eager to do so and it will become second nature by the time they are done with the sensitive period. I will not promise that they won't regress once hormones enter the picture though!

My theory is that the people who are Born Organized are ones who actually had a successful sensitive period for order. The rest of us missed the boat and that is why we need the FlyLady to get back on track!

Holiday Grand Plan: Week 4

2009-09-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

Once again, I am SO glad that I am starting my holiday planning so far in advance! I completely forgot about doing any holiday things this past week.

Angel, c.1957 (With Holly) Art Print Warhol, Andy

I had planned on decluttering my freezer (or having DH do it while he was on vacation), but that never happened. I did find this morning an interesting blog post about creating "freezer meal starters". Instead of packaging meals to heat and serve, you precook an item to "start" a meal you can finish quickly. This appeals to me because I have a small chest freezer and if I precooked meals I wouldn't have space for making holiday goodies in advance. It also appeals to me for I am horrible at remembering to take something out in time to cook.

I had also planned on continuing the creation of my holiday address labels. I promise I will get at least 5 new addresses added by next Sunday!

I'll also need to track down supplies for my handmade holiday gifts & projects. I've located the recipes I wish to use as gifts, all I need are some baking supplies, mason jars, holiday ribbons & figure out a way to make fancy labels on stiff paper board. I have been using cardboard file boxes to help keep my school work organzied, so I will invest in some more to keep my holiday projects organized!

Looking ahead to the next week is taking an inventory of my gift closet. My gift closet is actually a combination of a cardboard file box with goodies that DH comes across at his store, and the plastic tubs I keep our holiday decor in. I'm thinking the two need to combine! Our gift closet supply has run low. But once I get it together and organized, I'm sure it will be easier to maintain and use.

Another fun task will be the holiday budget. It won't take long, since its pretty much the same from year to year. What DH & I will need to negotiate is how much to spend on DD.

So nothing new here really, already falling behind on my tasks. But maybe, just maybe, this will be the week I catch up!

Meetings............Grrr!

2009-09-15T04:38:00.000-07:00

The Scream Poster

I need to get out of Stinkin Thinkin mode. Going to frustrating work-related meetings does nothing for maintaining a positive work attitude, and I am already struggling to be positive about work.

I am fortunate that I have amazing families and children in my classroom. Some of my coworkers are not so lucky. And unfortunately, we all lose out when "Squeaky Wheels" become board members.

It will be several months before I need to attend one of these meetings (not compensated for time, but required to donate it). Hopefully by then my attitude will have improved.

But how to break the cycle of negative thinking? Its Monday and the thing that frustrates me is work, and I still have to go to work for the rest of the week. I know - it's PAYDAY!

How do you get yourself out of a negative thought pattern?

It is Your Mind...
Art Print

Monday Blahs

2009-09-14T04:44:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling my age this morning. Who knew that hosting a guest for a long weekend and throwing a birthday party could be so exhausting?

I certainly didn't!

I tried to get to bed early -I even failed to finish all of my BBR in order to make it happen. So even though I logged a number of hours unconscious, I am not feeling rested or refreshed. I am hoping that lots of tea and a solid breakfast will boost my energy. I'll try taking my vitamins after breakfast. When I remember them, I take them with my evening meal. Of course, it has been some time since I last took them.........sigh. I'm too young for Geritol!

Vitamins

Poster

Holiday Grand Plan -Week Three

2009-09-13T06:13:00.000-07:00

Christmas Dreams Art Print

I started out well last week, but having a guest coming to stay put the Holiday Planning on a back burner. What a heavenly feeling knowing that I'm not behind as I have started so early!

I found a template for Christmas labels so I'm slowly but surely adding addresses to the labels. When the time comes to mail them, I'll just put in the appropriate label paper into the printer and voila - that laborious chore will be finished! I have beautiful labels with our own address to use as well. I still have holiday stamps from last year, but of course the postage rate has changed since then. I'm hoping that there will be holiday stamps in SMALL denominations so I can use these up.

We have a plan for holiday gifts as well, and I know what the menus for the major holidays will be. We will be hosting Thanksgiving in our miniscule abode, and my sister will be handling Christmas. At this point we just don't know if it will be in their old home or new one.

Holiday Grand Plan Week Three

Looks like it is time to gather supplies for homemade gifts! I really like the idea of packing the materials together along with the directions. Since our basement is now neatly organized, I feel like I can begin tackling this one.

I know what I want to bake ahead of time, but before I start any baking I need to clean out the freezer. Time for the mystery meats, ice cubes in ziploc bags & pureed food made for DD to go! Until then, there is no point in preparing food in advance as there is NO ROOM for anything else in the freezer. It really needs to be defrosted as well. Hmmm.........another project for DH while he's off this week? I'll also be checking out the Freezer Cooking Guide. Busy weeknights happen during the unHoliday Season as well. I can only use my crockpot so often before becoming bored with the food too, so I'm looking forward to this line of enquiry.

Happy Holiday Planning everyone!

Are you ready for the weekend?

2009-09-12T04:20:00.000-07:00

Evidently it didn't take long for my body to readjust to my workday wake-up time. 5:30 am on a Saturday & I couldn't stay asleep any longer! Guess that means it is a great time for a blog post.

Spent 10 minutes tidying the house while DH was grilling and everything is still in place! That's mostly due to DD playing outside with daddy while he grilled -she had no nap yesterday & played hard all day so she fell asleep quite quickly after dinner (meaning she didn't have enough time to toss her toys around.) At any rate, there was nothing for me to step on in the dark as I stumbled through the LR this morning. Heck, even the kitchen was clean when I went for my water. What am I supposed to do with all this free time now that I'm not constantly putting things away?

That's right............pottery! The fused glass class will have to happen at another time coz it was full by the time I got my registration forms in. Oh well, better luck next time!

I'll also need to make those cupcakes -wouldn't do to have a birthday party for DD & not have any desserts......

When in Doubt, Eat a Cupcake Masterprint

Still Going Strong

2009-09-11T03:45:00.000-07:00

I could get used to this.

I spent a considerable chunk of time on Monday cleaning my house, and it is STILL IN GOOD SHAPE! Generally by the end of my next work day, the LR has been demolished, DD will have thrown every toy she get get her hands on to the floor, and the kitchen counters mysteriously shrunk or even vanish. But not this time.

I spent 10 minutes rescuing rooms the first night I came home from work, and that was all that was needed.
I spent 10 minutes rescuing rooms the second night I came home from work, and that was all that was needed.
Last night, I spent less than 10 minutes rescuing rooms, and that was all that was needed.

It is highly possible that our guest (DH's college buddy) may have influenced the typical behavior in other members of the household. Maybe I just used the momentum from Monday's clean to keep the ball rolling. Probably both. I just hope that it continues AFTER our guest leaves!

Our Aim Tin Sign

On a fun note, I have signed up for a Glass Fusing class with my sister. It starts next week and for those of you expecting gifts from me this holiday season, be prepared for jewelry! I'm even more excited about the pottery class that I signed up for. I have wanted to take a pottery class for years and I am finally doing it. There is a small child care issue to take care of (DH usually isn't home by the time class starts on that day) but I'm sure I can work things out. I'll have to wait until later today to see if I got into the class -they may already be full. If so, I shall just wait (nearly) patiently until the next session starts. And sign up sooner.

Retired Couple Making Ceramics in Art Class

Photographic Print

My next career perhaps?

We have lift off!

2009-09-09T04:09:00.000-07:00

For the first time in AGES I completed the Weekly Home Blessing. I haven't done one since before my vacation (hands head in shame). For motivation, I listened to the BTR archive of the FlyLady WHB whilst I worked. But before I did the WHB, I rescued my home.

I was dreading the whole house rescue, but it had to be done. What was truly amazing was that I was able to rescue each room (except the basement) in just 15 minutes per room! Obviously, things weren't quite as bad as I had thought. Again, I am thankful for a small house :)

As I was indulging in this Day of Housecleaning I had an "aha" moment: I realized that I had been confusing "WHB" with general "Room Rescue". Ooops. No wonder I didn't like the WHB day! (Time to restart the babysteps I think) So I shall try this week to do room rescues everyday. Yesterday when I came home it only took 15 minutes to rescue all the rooms to their pristine state. I think I can keep that up. Next week I'm going to spread out the WHB chores as an experiment. For example, emptying all the trash makes sense to do on Sundays as our garbage pick up is Monday. For the others, I think I'll just randomly choose a chore each day I come home -just to keep things interesting!

On a sad note my vacuum cleaner didn't make it through the Blessing. I think DH's long hair finally defeated the beater brush, so it needs a good clean-out & a new belt before being put back into service.

When Vacuuming Art Print

Labor Day

2009-09-07T04:04:00.000-07:00

Is it called Labor Day because its the last day of summer to get work done around the house?

Labor Day Souvenir, Labor Conquers Everything Art Print

I shall be taking DD to grandma's house even though I have the day off from "work" -its the final push to get some cleaning/decluttering done before DH's college buddy comes to stay with us. I am considering the work I do today to be part of my "get ready for the holidays" scheme!

After this week, I will truly be back on my school schedule. Already I'm finding myself getting up at an unseemly hour each morning -even on weekends! At least I have the Holiday Planning to look forward to :)

Yesterday was a lovely change of pace: I was to go to my sister's house to help with painting. Instead, we took my nephew's Camaro & hit the road! We visited their new house and picked apples. There weren't many left, but we still managed to get a bushel or so. Then, we headed up to their cabin. It is not finished & has suffered storm damage, but it was heavenly sitting on the deck overlooking the river. For a moment I could empathize with Ratty's desire to live alongside the river! Even Mr. Toad would have been jealous of the water craft out on the water :)

The Wind in the Willows

Labor Day signals the end of summer for me. I'm not a hot weather person, but I do enjoy the freedom that summer brings. I adore fall -the temperature is finally comfortable to be outside. The leaves are already beginning to change here, and soon there will be leaf piles everywhere and the scent of fires burning. Yes, I am a fall girl!

Enjoying the Holidays - The FlyLady Way!

2009-09-04T17:11:00.000-07:00

One of the things I like most about fall is that it means the Holiday season is just around the corner. In years past I have felt silly trying to prepare for the holidays before Thanksgiving, but this year I am trying something new: starting my plans NOW! Thanks to Twitter pals @Luvschweetheart and @DianeDenmark I finally feel free to revel in the joy and excitment that the holidays bring. This will be the first Christmas that DD will truly enjoy, so I want to make sure that it is a special time for her. And that means not being up in the wee hours of the morning just because I couldn't get around to wrapping my gifts until the last minute or fighting crowds because I have forgotten someone's prezzie.

Christmas Tree, c.1958Art Print

Warhol, Andy
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A couple of years ago, I printed the FlyLady Holiday Control Journal. I filled out a few of the pages, but that's it. For me, waiting until the beginning of December to start ramping up for the holidays doesn't work. DH is in retail which means between Thanksgiving and Christmas he works 6 days a week. We have to arrange a time for our big family Christmas celebration by the beginning of October just to make sure he has the right night off!

Luvschweetheart introduced me to the Holiday Grand Plan. It starts the holiday planning this week. I printed off some pages and I am amalgamating it with the FlyLady Holiday CJ. By following these two plans, I am hoping that December will be a relaxing, C-Joyous time!

P.S. I already ordered gifts for my coworkers!!!!

P.P.S. I'm really looking forward to the transatlantic baking session to make DianeDenmark's Christmas Cake!!!!!!!!!!

Insomnia

2009-09-04T02:42:00.000-07:00

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Its 4:30 in the morning and I can't sleep. I've actually been awake for the past hour. Lucky for me today is Friday which means a short day at work. Looks like I'll probably be napping with DD this afternoon! And drinking lots of tea.......

So rather than just stay in bed not sleeping, I got up and started playing on the computer. Where in the FlyLady universe is insomnia dealt with? It is certainly far too early in the morning to do any cleaning or decluttering -I am not going to take the chance of accidently waking DD up. I may be unable to sleep but I'm not up to being momma just yet.

Hmmm, maybe it is time I blow the virtual dust off of my Electronic Control Journal and make some changes :)

What do you do when you can't sleep?

Back to School

2009-08-31T04:10:00.000-07:00

This really feels like the first real week of school, which it is. DH was on vacation last week so that changed what I did and when. He's back to work though & today is the day that DD goes to Grandma's for the entire day.

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I was a good girl and got everything ready last night. I even have my extra lesson plans printed out for the week & in a binder! As soon as DH is done, I will get cleaned up & ready to go. So hooray for the BBR! I too think that the BBR is the most important routine. Even though I do not generally have a lot to do in the mornings before work, I always feel more relaxed when I've done the BBR. I just need to remember that just because it is called a Before Bed Routine doesn't mean that I need to do it RIGHT BEFORE bed.

Right now I am being very naughty -I'm sitting in jammies drinking my tea! Not dressed to the shoes (yet) because I really don't want DD to wake up just yet. I know, I know, I should get dressed to my shoes as soon as I wake up. I'm sure some day when I grow up I'll be able to pull that off!

Now, where did I leave off on Babysteps? I'm also wondering if anyone else needs a year to make it through the Beginner's Babysteps or if I'm the only one? I'll ponder that some more while I make another cup of tea!

New Year, New Routines

2009-08-26T04:05:00.001-07:00

Fall has always seemed to me a time of new beginnings, more so than January 1. Probably the influence of going back to school! So its a good time to think about starting over. It has been far too long since I used my CJ. I have no excuse -it's right there next to my email! I think it may be time to tweak it a bit. S&S just doesn't happen for me in the morning, so I will try it in the evening.

On Monday, I took a break from all my housework. I was tired of feeling like I wasn't accomplishing much, and what I did do was immediately undone by someone else. You know what? The house fell apart. The dishes somehow never even made it to the kitchen. Those dishes that did make it to the kitchen were unceremoniously dumped into the sink, and or any other available surface rather than the empty dishwasher. Clothes and books lay where ever they hit the floor. Obviously, I had been doing more than I had thought!

Buy at AllPosters.com

Since yesterday was a short day for me, I tackled the kitchen while DH did the LR. Within an hour I had my shiny sink back. I still need to mop the floor, but that can certainly happen later! But my kitchen is clean, which means I'm much more likely to cook, and my LR is clean so I'm much more likely to relax!

Dalai Lama Poster

2009-08-21T04:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I couldn't resist sharing this! I just found this cool poster -maybe I'll get one for my classroom :)

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Pamper Time!

2009-08-21T04:11:00.000-07:00

I decided that since this was my last week before classes started, I would give myself a pamper mission each day. So far I have:

Green Tea Sugar Scrub Facial (the green tea stained!)
Long soak in a heavily scented & oiled bath
Went to bed BEFORE 11pm
Satin Hands session
Dinner out with my mom & sis

I still have a few days to go, but its been fun! What is your favorite way to pamper yourself and when was the last time you did so?

End of the Summer

2009-08-19T05:16:00.000-07:00

Today is my last official day of summer vacation. Of course, I've been going in all week to get my classroom ready before tomorrow so that I can devote all my attention to my new assistant. So it is time to reflect on the past 2.5 months.

Did I get everything done that I wanted to? Not even close. The boudoir project is still unfinished, but all that's needed at this point is the fun decorating stuff. I should be able to make inroads on that now that the basement is in shape so that DD can be down here with me while I work on it.

My house isn't nearly as decluttered as I would have hoped. But the good news is I'm usually just 15-20 minutes from my home being Visitor ready.

I'm ready for the final coat of paint on DD's table & chair set. Once that is done she will finally have some furniture that is designed specifically for her.

I wasn't able to write as much as I would have liked. After our vacation, I lost my momentum for both blogs and lenses. Strange how working out of the home meant I was able to get more done!

I've had more hugs & kisses than I thought possible from DD. When she isn't tired, DD is a very sweet & affectionate young lady. Who loves puppies and her baby dolls.

So although not what I had planned or envisioned as a summer, it was still pretty fantastic!

Once school begins it will be back to the BabySteps. Will I ever make it past the 10th step? Stay tuned & find out!

My Life in France

2009-08-04T18:49:00.000-07:00

No, its not MY life in France, but Julia Child's life in France. You see, I've become a huge Julia Child fan. But it didn't happen until after she passed away.

Some of you may already know that in a previous life I was a bookseller. It was while I was "on the clock" that I noticed a stack of the Julia Child biography Appetite for Life on a table. Probably happened right after she passed away. I had heard that she was a spy during WWII, so I was intrigued by the book. I picked it up and after browsing through a few pages, I knew I had to read it.

Of course, I loved the book and regretted that I had paid little attention to her while she was alive. I decided to rectify the matter by buying a copy of Baking with Julia. It wasn't until much later that I learned that she hadn't actually written the book, just wrote some copy & put her name on it. I didn't care, because with this book I learned to make "The Cake". That is what we call Boca Negra, a killer flourless chocolate cake recipe.

I had left the world of bookselling when I learned that there was a new Julia Child book out, entitled My Life in France. It was to detail Julia's years in France. I loved this book as well and it pushed me into purchasing a copy of Mastering The Art of French Cooking .

Finally, my DH brought home an advance copy of the book Julie and Julia -the story of a young woman who gives herself a year to cook her way through Mastering The Art of French Cooking . It was only recently that I finished reading this one. It is a fun tale, but didn't capture my attention the same way that Appetite for Life or My Life in France did.

Now of course, the movie of Julie and Julia is about to be released. It is actually a combination of My Life in France and Julie & Julia. I'm not much of a movie goer (two movies seen in a theater in the last 3 years) but I actually may make an effort to see this one!

Jumping Back In

2009-08-02T20:47:00.000-07:00

Buy at AllPosters.com

I never expected to lose momentum from going on vacation, but that is exactly what I have done. I think I need to back track a bit to the baby step where I lay out my clothes before going to bed!

Not all of my clothes have made it down to the new space yet, but the clothes that I regularly wear right now are all down in the new boudoir. It is much easier for me to put my clothes away when they are a mere 10 steps from dryer to storage!

School starts again in 3 weeks, so I have to get back into the saddle. I'm not behind, I'm just jumping in where I am!

Pina Colada Slush

2009-07-31T07:07:00.000-07:00

Buy at AllPosters.com

I'm in the mood for

Pina Colada Slush!

Ingredients:

1 -48 oz can pineapple juice
1 large can frozen lemonade concentrate (don't mix with water!)
2 cups pina colada mix
2 cups rum

Method:

Mix well and freeze. Add slush to glass with equal amount of cream soda or ginger ale.

We're Back!

2009-07-11T06:33:00.000-07:00

Calendars

2009-06-23T06:03:00.001-07:00

Today's BabyStep: Read an essay that Kelly wrote.....about using calendars

OK, so I was a good girl and read the essay. I have a calendar (not the Flylady calendar, but a similar one that I got for 50 cents at the local card factory outlet store). I write down our appointments and events. DH actually looks at it - I have it posted on the side of the fridge, very close to where I use my laptop. Since my laptop is my office hub, it is very easy for me to remember to write down things as they crop up.

Save the Date, Day Planner Art Print

One thing I need to do is to write down birthdays. I know my families birthdays, but not very good at remembering beyond my own family. During this vacation I will make it a point to collect birth dates so that I can add them to my calendar upon my return.

I also like using my google calendar. I have been adding my menus to it, which I can see from my email screen. I have added a school calendar as well (different color tabs) so I can keep track of things I need to do for school. I have tried a planner, but that doesn't work. Since this calendar is web-based I can use it via my laptop.

More Babysteps

2009-06-22T06:01:00.001-07:00

Today's Babystep: Find one of Kelly's Missions & do it!

Oh boy, now I'm in for it! Decluttering AND a mission? Do I have it in me to do all of this and get ready to leave for a vacation? Since this week's mission is the MBR, I just may be able to handle it. DH spent some time in there last week organizing his stuff while I was slaving away in the basement. So the MBR actually isn't all that bad. I think I can handle 15 minutes getting rid of things that don't belong there! LOL I wouldn't be surprised if I couldn't declutter for 15 minutes as it is quite neat at the moment. But try I shall. Maybe I'll tackle the Drawer of Unmatched Socks (also known as the League of Unaligned Footware).

I am so close to the point of being able to completely move my clothes into my new "closet space". I shall try my rubba sweepa in the utility room as it is bare concrete. Then I should be able to move my holiday & storage tubs back into their little corner, freeing up a lot of space. So exciting! I think I may even try to find some carpet tiles to put on the floor in front of the washer and dryer - something to make it more a laundry room and less like a basement utility room :)

Le Menu

2009-06-22T05:54:00.000-07:00

Here's this week's menu. Again, if there are any recipes your are interested in, just let me know and I will post them. Bon Apetit!

Emails - Dare I Delete?

2009-06-19T06:10:00.000-07:00

Today's BabyStep: Delete all the emails from Flylady

Seriously? Just delete them?!?! I don't know.....what if I miss something important? What if I plan on going back and reading them later? What if my world comes crashing down because I have deleted the most important email ever? What if...what if....what if.......

OK, I psyching myself up for it. I think I can do this. If I'm honest with myself I know that I'm not going to go back and read the emails. I have a place for them, but do I need to keep them? Most likely not. So here I go.........no really -I'm going to do it this time........all I have to do is click on the FlyLady folder then hit select all & delete. Yep, that's it. That's all it takes. Right now. Do it. Now.

OK, that wasn't so bad. 155 conversations sent to my Trash. The Trash I just emptied last night, by the way. Didn't even hurt. If only decluttering my home were as easy!

When's the last time you decluttered your email? Or your computer for that matter? I have discovered a new web tool to help keep my computer clutter under control : tagfoot. Maybe your computer is like mine, burgeoning with bookmarked sites. Tagfoot is an online bookmarking site, but it is social as well. I can't claim to understand how it all works, because I've only just started using it. But so far I'm liking it. I can bookmark websites, pictures, music, videos. If I find something really cool, I can share it with one of my designated friends. If it is superfantastic cool, I can share it with all my friends. Check it out - click on the tagfoot picture in the upper left corner to see my profile page. If you like it, join so I can share all the funny stuff I find!

Control Journal: Inspirational Page

2009-06-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

Babystep 11: Add an inspirational page to your control journal

What fun! Spend 15 minutes writing down inspirational phrases. Well, I'm a visual person so I think I'll use pictures as well. I'm not sure how to add this to my electronic control journal system I have going, so I'll do it here!

Morris, William
Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. ~William Morris

I've never known any trouble that an hour's reading didn't assuage. ~Charles de Secondat, Baron de la Brède et de Montesquieu, Pensées Diverses

I could keep going, but my 15 minutes are up! I think maybe the next time I'm feeling down I will do this assignment again :D

NEWO

2009-06-16T20:22:00.000-07:00

I've had the NEWO Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) & No Excuses Workout DVD set since February. It's only been in the last two weeks that I've actually figured out HOW to use the HRM and begun exercising with a higher intensity. I've been working out with a trainer once a week since January (I had worked with her before pregnancy complications forced me to stop). I love J. dearly & she knows how to get the most out of me, but I need someone on my shoulder more than once a week. Because of my work with the trainer I can do a full 40 minute walking interval workout as well as complete the full NEWO strength training (modifying the push-ups to the walls because of my bad knees).

Hopefully Jonathon will be the one to sit on my shoulder the other 5 days of my workout week to keep me going in the direction I want to go!

Decluttermination

2009-06-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

Decluttermination: when one is determined to declutter.

It seems like an accurate theme title for my summer! I am determined to get rid of all the junk that is weighing me down.

I am determined to create a home that I enjoy being in and feel comfortable bringing friends into.

I am determined to finally putting my own stamp on this home that I have lived in for over two years now!

Do you have decluttermination?

Wallowing

2009-06-14T06:04:00.000-07:00

As I write this I am feeling blue. It looks as though we won't be going to visit my in-laws after all as we don't have someone to come and stay at our place & care for the bird. I am sad for DD because we only get to see this part of the family once a year because of the distance. I am sad for my family since they miss out on so much by not living nearer to us. I know I just need to let go of my sadness & anger, but I just can't. I know I should just jump right on to Twitter and let my Twisters (Twitter Sisters) humor me into a better mood.

Spring Feeling in Blue
Kirchner, Karsten

I'm very much a "fake it till you make it" type of person when it comes to bad moods. What do you do to get yourself out of a funk?

You Can Do Anything For Just 15 Minutes!

2009-06-13T05:33:00.000-07:00

Oh me oh my - I'm finally on Babystep #10 which is: You can do anything for just 15 minutes! It never fails to surprise me when I set my timer and get something done before the timer goes off. In fact, I usually have a few minutes left and then either struggle to find something else to do for the remaining time or just pick up a magazine and read until time is up.

I definitely need to set my timer more often. LR rescuing is a good example - maybe if I set my timer for 5 minutes several times a day I won't be left with such an awful mess to fix after DD goes to sleep :) Writing for this blog is a good example as well - I have set my timer for 15 minutes, had some extra time & went searching for a photo to jazz up the post.

If only my dryer was as loud as Big Ben - then maybe I wouldn't tune it out! Think anyone would mind if I asked them to set BB to chime every 15 minutes? LOL

DeClutter Bug

2009-06-12T04:11:00.000-07:00

Who would think that a FlyBaby would get over-enthusiastic about a project & go overboard? While you recover from your collective gasps of shock, I'll fill you in on the details.

I was feeling a bit blue (stinkin thinkin really) about my house and that lately even with constant rescuing & decluttering, I was making no progress. Rooms would virtually explode the moment I left them (spontaneously of course!). My summer was looking like constant drudgery rather than the time I needed to devote to various projects at a leisurely & satisfying pace. The straw that broke the camel's occurred while I was washing DH's clothes (normally he does it himself but right now he still can't lift heavy objects such as full laundry hampers). I ended up having to wash all of his clothes because unbeknown to me, the clean clothes from the last load of laundry were inside the hamper and I was throwing his dirty clothes from the floor on top of them.

Now I may have mentioned this before, but we have a tiny 1941 house. We have correspondingly tiny 1941 closets but 21st century wardrobes. DH's wardrobe is very simple - work clothes & not work clothes, don't really change from season to season. Whereas I have work clothes for fall, winter, spring & leisure clothes for fall, winter, spring, summer as well as workout clothing. Do you see where I am going with this yet? It is just physically impossible to put all our necessary clothes in our MBR at the same time, especially when clothes are heaped on the floor in front of the closet making it impossible to reach. Obviously, throwing clothes from the floor into the hamper is not as helpful as I had thought, so it was time for immediate action.

A Twitter Sister had worked very hard to clean & organize her MBR. I want an MBR that is a tiny, gorgeous, restful place to be. Then inspiration struck! I was at a standstill for decluttering the basement as I needed to be able to get the holiday decorations back into the utility room. But I couldn't because the utility room was so out of control that I couldn't get them back in. Inside our utility room is a long rack where I had out of season & long clothes that wouldn't fit in our own closet, clothes I hadn't worn for too long and some costumes. By getting rid of everything except essentials off that rack, I could bring my clothes downstairs and turn the utility room into my dressing room. With a little effort & my imagination, it could be a luxurious boudoir.

With this goal in mind I was able to clear out 4 boxes + a suitcase full of clothing. In the process, I unearthed 6 boxes of clothing packed up for charity LAST year. Yesterday, we loaded up both cars and dropped them off. Last night while doing my decluttering, I found more things to send to charity. It is beginning to take shape. I have taken the before pictures already, but I will wait until the project is finished before sharing them. Yeah! I have a space I can decorate to my heart's content AND I will be decluttering and organizing my home at the same time! <3

Design Inspirations?

Day 9

2009-06-09T20:33:00.000-07:00

Today's Baby Step: Declutter a little every day.

Well, I have it on my CJ, it just hasn't happened for some time! Maybe I should change it from Declutter 15 minutes to 27 fling boogie! With Turtle around, it is difficult to carve out 15 minutes that I can devote to decluttering. Finding 27 things to get rid of, that should be more manageable! My basement is still a shambles and I am rapidly approaching the time when it will need to be our guestroom. Yikes!

Today's BabyStep: Get a 3 ring binder & put paper in it

2009-06-04T04:53:00.000-07:00

I may have mentioned this before, but I don't do well with paper! So far my electronic Control Journal (CJ) is working well for me. I now use Google calendar to write down my menus and appointments & I can see them from my email page. DH has a link to the calendar as well. I will be adding my school calendar so by the end of the summer I should have a comprehensive "what I need to do" thing going on! My summer to-do list is on the google Task List, also seen from my email page. Finally, Remember the Milk has wonderful Firefox extension which allows me to see my control journal tasks on my email page. I'm using different programs to keep my life organized, but they are all in one place - just like a CJ! Need to check to see if google has an address keeper function.............

On the mend

2009-06-03T12:30:00.001-07:00

DH is home from the hospital and on the road to recovery! Everything went smoothly so I'm hoping that we will see no complications from here on out.

DD went to spend the night with Grandma for the first time. That too went smoothly and there were no meltdowns on DD's part. I used some of the "Turtle-Free" time to mow the lawn and to finish planting the vegetable/herb garden beds. Now to keep Turtle from digging everything back up!!

Now I think it is time to get back to babysteps. By my calculations, I am still on step 7: Lay out your clothes. During the school year this was not a problem, but I noticed I have been backsliding on this since I rarely have anywhere to be in the mornings now. Which means that this is a perfect babystep to pick back up with!

I'm feeling worn out, the house is recovered and there is nothing else to do but meal prep and BBR. Time to start reading my new Katie Macalister book!

Summer To-Do List

2009-06-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

Many people have asked what my plans for the summer are. I decided to put my task list (which I can see anytime I log into my email account) here for everyone else to view. It does NOT include the time I will need for school prep or for the writing assignments I will be doing for the second RocketMoms session. I'm sure I will think of other things to add as we go through the summer! I also promise not to get mad at myself for NOT finishing the entire list :)

Make

~~assemble Turtle's table~~

paint table
paint chair
sofa cover

Declutter

basement
DD closet
toys
MBR
utility room
linen closet
attic closet

Purchase

~~curtain rods for LR~~

~~bathing suits for myself & DD~~
~~waterproof pad~~
fabric for sofa cover
fabric for new throw pillows
curtains for MBR
fabric for outdoor curtain
clothes line for outside
bulbs for fall planting
~~sheets for new duvet cover~~

Organize/Clean

BR
~~MBR closet~~
DD closet
utility room
basement

Miscellaneous

~~finish garden planting~~
fence in backyard
inflate pool
frost BR window
put up kitchen wall decor
put up kitchen shelves
repaint garage door trim
repaint basement walls- outside
new avatar
~~start Zazzle gallery~~

Flying Poem

2009-06-01T05:13:00.000-07:00

BO's, you puzzle me
For as I flit and flutter
I study you
But never see
The slightest bit of clutter

~ Inspired by Jack Prelutsky's "Butterflies"

Zombie Clutter

2009-05-31T20:48:00.000-07:00

With the help of a Twitter pal, I managed to do a lot of decluttering this past week. As I neared the bottom of the pile on my work table, I came across an electronic toy of DD's that was in pieces. I have to mention this particular toy because I have thrown it away TWO TIMES already. Yet there it was, laying in a pile and mocking me.

I'm not the one who pulled it out of the trash with the hopes of breathing life back into this little plastic piece of junk, but this post is not about blaming anyone. The point is that I felt absolutely NO REMORSE in sending this toy on its way to silicone heaven. This is a toy that DD doesn't use (obviously as it has been in pieces for many months now) nor was it a toy she ever loved. I have no place for it so off it goes! There are a few other items which seem to worm their way out of the garbage bags too..........

My basement has now been relieved of two bags of garbage and three boxes of items that have already been delivered to charity. I also managed to free the buffet in my kitchen which is actually my largest counter space. Cooking is so much nicer when I can use the counters for prep and the stove for cooking, rather than using the stove top for both prep & cooking!

Menu is planned for the week, just not loaded into my Google calendar as it was down when I was ready. It will be my second week of summer vacation, but an odd one as I will be caring for DH who is having minor surgery this week. I think I should get a few bottles of wine to keep on hand for this task!

School's...out...for....summer!

2009-05-26T04:58:00.000-07:00

I consider this the first day of summer holidays. This past weekend being Memorial Weekend seemed like, well- just a holiday! Today the real work begins. As DH has the day off today, I'm not exactly sure how much I'll get done:) My Control Journal is coming along nicely. I love being able to see my tasks, email & calender all in one place! So far, I use Google calender for my menu & appointments, Remember the Milk for my Control Journal, and Google Task List for my summer ToDo list. Which is incidentally, growing longer each day!

Time for getting the summer routine in swing.....wonder how long it will take?

Red, White & Blue Cake

2009-05-22T04:05:00.000-07:00

This is just a variation of a cake that my mother makes at Christmas. I thought it would be perfect for Memorial Weekend!

Send me a picture so I can add it to the recipe. Eventually, this recipe will become a part of a Squidoo lens. Since I mixed up the order of martini flavors, this blog will suffice as the recipe host.

Bon Apetit!

RED, WHITE & BLUE CAKE

Ingredients:

1 box of white cake mix
1 box red jello
1 box blue jello
1 container whipped topping

Preparations:

1. Bake cake according to directions. Cool completely before proceeding to next step.

2. Once cake has cooled, use a cake tester or toothpick to poke holes throughout the cake.

3. Dissolve jellos (individually of course) according to package directions. If using two round cake pans, drizzle the red jello over one pan and the blue jello over the other. If using one cake pan then you get to pick & choose which part gets red & which part gets blue. Be sure to cover all the holes you made!

4. Chill cake for at least 3 to 4 hours.

5. Use whipped topping for your icing.

6. Cut & serve with your Grape Tini!

Electronic Control Journal

2009-05-16T04:07:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to report that the Firefox extension for Remember the Milk is working very well! Once I open my gmail in the morning, I also login at RTM. My daily routines pop up next to my mailbox & I am able to just click them off when I finish:) Having the time to do everything is a little difficult right now. It's the last week of school, I'm helping my sister get ready for my nephew's graduation, and I'm still working on my Rocket Moms project!

In case you missed it, I did manage to write about my favorite teas: C-Joy Drinking Tea. I'm drinking a cup right now:)

Too organized?

2009-05-09T10:39:00.000-07:00

I was on the ball this morning: got the MR done by 8:00 (on a weekend no less), drank endless cups of tea, got some of my daily chores done. I knew I was going to the Farmer's Market - I had ordered some lamb from a vendor & needed to pick it up. I was just waiting to see if my mother would be joining us.

Finally, it was departure time and I realized that I COULD NOT FIND MY WALLET! I panicked. I knew exactly where I had left it when I came home yesterday, but it wasn't there. I looked high and low, tore apart drawers, cupboards, hampers - all in a desperate attempt to locate my wallet. I even called DH at work in case he remembered seeing it. Turtle started getting grumpy - I had told her we were going out and she was wanting to leave RIGHT THEN.

I was feeling very bad - all this work with FlyLady and I lose my wallet. How embarrassing! I sadly picked up my market bag and on a whim, reached inside. Gah! In my organizational frenzy of the morning I had already packed my wallet in my market bag so that I would be ready to leave as soon as Turtle was dressed. I had been too efficient for my own good!

So I wasted 45 minutes and created quite a mess looking for the wallet I had "efficiently" placed in my bag. Maybe what I need to add to my control journal is BEING PRESENT while I work :)

Poem

2009-05-08T18:09:00.000-07:00

I had a Twitter conversation today about DK's abilities to continuously undo all the cleaning we do. It is a frustrating, never-ending cycle! I was struck by inspiration and came up with a little ditty (that I tweeted out of course!). It made me giggle so I knew I had to share it here.

The Chore That Never Ends
(sung to the tune of "The Song That Never Ends"

This is the chore that never ends,
It just goes on and on my friends!
Some children starting throwing toys
Not caring where they land,
When you ask them why they do it
They just smile and throw again
Coz it's the chore that never ends,
It just goes on and on my friends.....

Friday Friday!

2009-05-08T03:56:00.000-07:00

It was a VERY short night last night! I attended a Pampered Chef party hosted by my sister so I was home late. (Don't worry, only a few teeny tiny kitchen gadgets will be finding a new home with me!) I managed to drink caffeine too late as well, which meant that at 1 am, I was still typing away on Twitter. Still, Fridays are a half-day for me! I have only managed one zone mission this week. Since Twitter will be down for maintenance this afternoon, I shall have the perfect opportunity to catch up on missions as well as doing my WHB.

I added an extension to my email browser that puts my CJ tasks right next to my email. So far I am loving it! Remember the Milk doesn't appear to post completed tasks to Twitter as does MyChore, but I'm fine with that. I really just can't bring myself to Tweet about the fact that I remembered to Brush My Teeth :)

Brat Going to School!

2009-05-07T04:24:00.000-07:00

My Inner Brat is going to Reform School!!! I just signed up at The Brat Factor last night. We shall see what the Brat is expected to do first :) I also wrote a Squidoo lens called The Flylady Meets Twitter - it's about my love for using Twitter to get myself Flying!

I haven't been posting as much as I would like as I am taking part of Squidoo's Rocket Moms program. I've been going to "lensmaking" school! It's a six week course and I have learned loads already - as well as actually publishing more lenses. I'm still Flying (a bit) though! I just couldn't pass up the Rocket Moms opportunity :)

Still Flying!

2009-04-27T04:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm still here & I'm still flying! Oh dearie, dearie me though - I'm terribly naughty when it comes to writing about it. Do I need to place blogging on my CJ? Hmmm, maybe I do. Maybe my inner brat is just not allowing me to proceed further than Day 6. Let's see what is on Day 7: Oh - it's Pick Out Your Clothes - I already did that last night! Hooray, another babystep under my belt.

Perhaps I need to do some form of written CJ until I'm done with the babysteps - electronic just isn't cutting it at the moment!

But thanks to a Twitter buddy, I now have a menu for the week. Tonight we are having ..... quiche! I didn't get around to making my BBQ sauce for tomorrow's crockpot meal, so I'll need to do that this evening. I'm sure I can Twitter & sauce at the same time :)

Gah!

2009-04-22T04:58:00.000-07:00

Forgot to start the dishwasher last night. Again. If my babysteps get any smaller I shall have to revert to crawling!

Impromptu Picnic Day

2009-04-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

My sister and nephew did indeed come to visit us this afternoon, and it was decided that as it was such a lovely day we should get picnic goodies and take Turtle to the park. It was a glorious evening! Turtle ran nonstop for an hour and a half before we headed home. After a quick bath, she fell asleep which left me with extra time to myself. It took me approximately 15 minutes to re-rescue the living room, tidy the kitchen & MBR. That left me with 4 hours to myself! I was giddy with excitement at the prospect of so much time. Of course, I used that time to catch up on writing and other web-based fun. I managed two of my hot spots today, but only completed two out of three loads of laundry. Oh well, there is always tomorrow. Plus I have the tantalizing reality that school is done in five weeks! What will I do with all that time then?

Tomorrow's goals: hot spots, two loads of laundry, lesson prep, gardening

Tomorrow's menu: Pasta surprise (as in I will surprise myself with the recipe at the last minute:)

Still off our regular routine

2009-04-16T18:57:00.000-07:00

DH usually has Thursdays off, but of course this Thursday, he didn't. I try to do my WHB on Thursdays, but without him to Turtlewrangle, I didn't quite make it all the way through. Still, not much left to do - just change sheets, hit the floors & the littlest room in the house I will be done. DD had a long, late nap so bedtime won't be anytime soon. Oh well, at least I was able to get to the gym and get in two miles on the track! Third workout day this week. I'm going to try and be a grown up and hit the gym BEFORE work (like I used to do before DD). I have to come straight home after work on Fridays so DH can go to work. My gym clothes are all ready to go in my bacg even:)

Tomorrow's goals: Finish WHB, 3 loads laundry, get to store to buy compost for the garden.

Menu: Whoops, forgot to plan one. Sister usually comes over on Fridays, so maybe a yummy take out (still celebrating the anniversary after all!)

Oops I did it again....

2009-04-15T18:51:00.000-07:00

Still stuck on Day 6 of BabySteps. I refuse to go on until I have this step conquered! My usual routine has been off the last week, which makes it trickier to develop my good habits. I know, I know - excuses. But even if I haven't conquered my hot spots yet, I did manage to enjoy a lovely dinner date with DH last night! We are celebrating 10 years of marriage this week and decided to splash out on a meal. It was our first meal out without DD. I was concerned that one of us would need to climb on the table in order for it to feel like a meal for us, but it never came to that! (I'm sure that the restaurant is glad for our discretion as well.)

But my poor kitchen has suffered after two days of neglect. I tried batting my eyelashes at DH hoping that would give him the impetus to tidy up for me. I think we stayed up too late last night because that tactic failed. Kitchen is happier now, but I'm sure it will be back in shape after tomorrow's WHB.

Tomorrow's goals: Go to the gym after work, start WHB

Tomorrow's menu: leftover leg of lamb (DH cooked tonight - it was FABULOUS!)

Day 6

2009-04-09T19:38:00.000-07:00

Today's BabyStep: Hot Spots

Goodness, time certainly seems to get away from me! All the more reason I need to develop good habits to get me through the busy times of my week. As I mentioned in the last post, I haven't been writing down my negative thoughts. But I have been writing my successes - via Twitter! Quite honestly, I wouldn't get nearly as much done as I do without Twitter. I can shout to the world what I will be doing or what I have done, and some dear kind flybaby will chime in with kudos and/or encouragement. Now, getting back to the last babystep, I would rather push the bad things right out of my head and go straight to the good stuff. Now, as for tackling hot spots - that will happen TOMORROW!

Goals for tomorrow: Start doing hot spot treatments, Weekly Home Blessing
Tomorrow's menu: chicken prepared in whichever manner strikes me as good at the time of preparation

Day 5

2009-04-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

Today's BabyStep: Write down what you hear

This is to be an exercise is banishing negative self-talk. Well, I won't write down my negative thoughts! That's my inner brat speaking. I do try to make fun of my negative thoughts, or at least I am able to tell myself that I'm being unreasonable. It helps take the edge of the words. I do find that I say worse things about myself than I do about others. I wonder what it is that makes us treat ourselves so badly? Is it a remnant from Calvinistic beliefs? Why are we so hard on ourselves? I'll leave those questions to others to answer. Right now, I have a home to rescue!

Tomorrow's goals: It's Monday, a tough day in this house. My goal is to maintain what I have accomplished so far!

Tomorrow's menu: leftovers

Pasta Margherita Recipe

2009-04-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

1 lb pasta (fettucine, linguine, or even wide egg noodles)
4 Tbsp olive oil
12 oz sliced mushrooms (fresh is great, canned works too)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup wine or broth
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions
Heat olive oil in large skillet on medium-high. Add mushrooms and saute (1 - 2 minutes for canned, 7 minutes for fresh)
Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook 2 minutes more, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes and wine/broth and boil 2 more minutes, stirring often. Add the milk and salt, cook 1 minute more.
Thoroughly drain pasta. Return pasta to cooking pot or large serving bowl. Pour on sauce and sprinkle on cheese. Toss and serve immediately.

Day 4, Take 2

2009-04-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

Today's BabyStep: Write these things down

I have to admit it, I needed to take an extra day for this babystep! DD has croup and on top my pneumonia, it just wasn't a pretty day yesterday. Poor thing was so tired this afternoon, she couldn't help being crabby. And as I have been awake since 2am with her, I can certainly sympathize. The house suffered from my little break. I was able to complete my WHB and by the time DH & DD returned from grocery shopping, I was ready to hang out in the yard with them. It is a good feeling knowing that although my home is far from being clutter free, it is at least in "good enough" condition.

Tomorrow's goals: 2 loads of laundry, plan menu for the week

Tomorrow's menu: Pasta margherita

Day 4

2009-04-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

Today's BabyStep: Write these things down

Does starting a blog count as writing things down? Hmm, probably not. I did start a digital control journal using the web-based program Remember the Milk. I love making lists, but paper and I have a dysfunctional relationship. I can make a list and within an hour, lose that list. I figure that a website would have a more difficult time losing my lists. So far it seems to be working. I only have two lists right now : am routine and pm routine. I am slowly adding items to each list, but I don't want to rush things (again). When I am brave enough I will add an RSS feed from my list to the blog, but I am not that brave yet!

It was tough today: the antibiotics appear to be working, I am just enormously tired. I haven't been this tired since I was pregnant! All I really wanted was to crawl into bed and have a nice long nap. But it wasn't to be. I have already used my sick days for the school year, and my school is small enough that I am not covered by FMLA. Not really in danger for losing my job for being sick, but why take that chance? As I was so tired, I didn't actually make my planned meal for this evening (mac-n-cheese). Maybe I will attempt it tomorrow. But by following my simple am and pm routines, my house is under control and looking fairly decent. By the time I am back to feeling normal, I won't have to waste energy digging out, but be able to continue on with decluttering.

Tomorrow's goals: Thursdays are my usual Weekly Home Blessing (WHB) time - DH usually has Thursdays off, so he keeps track of DD while I blitz the house. But why should everything go according to my plan? DH has to work tomorrow (evening shift so no help w/DD) plus we have a walk-thru of our former school building in the late afternoon (very important as it looks like we will be able to move back in as soon as post-flood renovations are completed!). I will be getting home much later than usual, plus I have a conference to prepare for on Friday. I will attempt as much of the WHB as I have energy for so that on Friday, I will have as little to finish so that I can enjoy rare time off w/DH & DD.

Tomorrow's menu: leftovers!

Day 3

2009-03-31T18:52:00.000-07:00

Today's BabyStep: Do what you have already done

Thank goodness for that! I don't know that I could handle another new babystep today. I forgot to turn on the dishwasher last night, which meant I had no dishes to put away this morning. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to fit two days worth of dishes in, but luckily it worked out. It really helped that last night was leftovers, so I had some extra space. On top of my morning misstep, I was diagnosed with pneumonia so I haven't been feeling very energetic. I'm on some killer antibiotics and should be start feeling better soon.

On a happy note, I found my HRM (it was in my gym bag in my car!) But I think working out will have to wait a few more days.

Now I'm off to put myself to bed at a decent hour. As if I had a choice - I fell asleep while DH was preparing dinner & DD was playing ON me!

Tomorrow for dinner: homemade mac-n-cheese & ham steak.

Day 2

2009-03-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

Today's BabyStep: Get dressed to lace up shoes.

Whoops. This one is trickier than I thought it would be. Mostly because I get up very early in the morning. Now, I don't get up very early in the morning because I AM a morning, I get up very early in the morning because I am most definitely NOT a morning person, and it takes me hours to get going. Once awake, I can be ready in 20 minutes. But it takes me two hours to wake up. The glitch in getting dressed to the shoes comes from the fact that we have a small house (I may have mentioned this before), and when one has a small home noise can be an issue. I do not want to wake my DD before I have woken up myself, and if I make too much noise in the morning, she will wake up. So I strive to be as quiet as possible in the morning. Look at me - day 2 and I am already making excuses!!!! So, I will quietly get dressed to the slippers in the morning. If I end up waking DD up before I am ready for her, I shall just send her over to the FlyLady until I am ready to face the day.

I also managed to gather my towels together for a mid workweek load of laundry. I shall pile it on my bed so that I have to put them away before going to sleep. No wait, can't do that as there are those who know that I am perfectly capable of crawling under the covers, towels and all, and proceed to sleep. I shall just have to be a grown up about it and actually put the towels away when they are done in the dryer. (Ed. Note: Laundry was put away long before bed time:)

Looks like we are in the living room this week. That should be easy as we tend to clean this every day anyway - it is DD's main play space. Being a small room (a recurring theme) it really does not take long to maintain. We also dine in our living room, and because DD can reach everything on the table now, we keep it clear of clutter. Or rather, DD keeps our table clear of clutter.

Goal for this week: find other flyblogs. I am curious as to what my flysisters are up to! Also: find HRM - I've got the newo system, I know where the discs are, but the HRM is mysteriously missing. Hmmm, maybe I am subconsciously sabotaging my fitness efforts.

For dinner tomorrow: DH will be preparing lamb. Hmm, probably should pull the lamb from the freezer so that it will be ready for DH to magic into a delicious meal.

Day 1

2009-03-29T19:55:00.000-07:00

Today's Babystep: Go shine your sink.

Yeah - did that! My kitchen is small. If I don't stay on top of the dirty dishes, then I literally have no room to move. In order to keep my sink shiny, I need to empty my dishwasher on a daily basis. I try to do this every morning while I'm waiting for the water for my tea to heat. Sometimes I can finish before the water comes to a boil! It becomes my own little race - which will happen first - boiling water or the last dish put away? (It sounds more exciting when I'm still half asleep as I usually am first thing in the morning!) I am beginning to find that if I don't empty the dishwasher in the morning, it throws the rest of my day off. Maybe it is becoming a HABIT!

This has been easy to do this last week as I was on Spring Break. But tomorrow, it is back to work. The question becomes: Will I be able to maintain my lovely, shiny sink after spending an entire day chasing 18 children?

Tomorrow's dinner menu: Leftovers (got lots of 'em - they need to go so I can make room for groceries).

The Beginning

2009-03-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start! Instead of reading however, it is the beginning of my Flying journey. Again. You see, I'm a Fluttering FlyBaby. For those of you who are familiar with the FlyLady, you'll understand what I mean. (For those who don't understand, please visit www.flylady.net - link is on the right of this page).

I have known about the FlyLady for a few years now, but I have never been able to get myself with the program for any length of time. I think I got as far as Baby Step 8 once! This time however, I want it to be different. I'm tired of living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome). I know that I'm a perfectionist and a procrastinator. I also work full-time outside of the home, I'm a wife, and a mother of a toddler (DD 18 months). I tend to get over-excited about new projects and go overboard, only to crash and burn soon after.

One of my new projects has been writing. I realize I will probably never be a NYT bestselling author. But it finally dawned on me that I don't need to have a book deal in order to write. So I started writing. Mostly online, and no money has come in yet, but I am writing. As I have been writing, I have discovered that when I write that I am going to DO something, I am actually FOLLOWING THROUGH with whatever I have written down. This means of course, it is time to write down my intentions for home.

I am going to begin with the Baby Steps. I can do this, 15 minutes at a time :) !