End = Beginning

The end of the year. The beginning of the year. The end = The beginning. Very cool that such opposites can occur at exactly the same time.

Reflections of the year past, with inspiration as to changes to be made for the upcoming year. That's what this time of year is all about, right? Definitely. I'd love to say that I sit with my family reminiscing of glorious vacations, sporting events, educational accolades, fun family times, but I don't. I think it'd be awesome to do! Growing up my Dad would do slide shows from his camera of places we had been, things we had done. Wouldn't that be cool with some popcorn, drinks, and your loved ones to do annually for the New Year?!?! I sure think so. Maybe I will try that for next year. Instead, my poor hubster has been in bed for about an hour with a sour belly (yeah, like 4 hours before the New Year hits!), poor guy. Kiddos are playing nicely. Did I just say that?! PLAYING. NICELY. Yep! I sure did. Super cool. I know it won't last, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts! Me. We'll I've been on facebook, Pinterest, checked my fave blogs {Sunny Side Up and IHeartOrganizing}, and now posting on my own blog, all while my apple streusel is baking in the oven. I have a sweet tooth and candy wasn't doing it for me. Being my husband's German ancestry seems fitting! I don't know any Danish recipes or I'd consider those, as well. Guess I better ask my Momma about that one of these days.

I already have a workout scheduled with friends. There is this place, a trampoline place. Fun place to take the kids to burn off some energy. Cool thing is that they do trampoline aerobics. My girlfriend has gone and said it's a blast, so as I was on facebook posting about the two new pair of sneakers I just bought for myself (Ryka's on www.qvc.com - the ONLY sneakers I wear and the ONLY place I buy them!), my friend, Jacque, invited me to join her this Thursday. Luckily it works with my schedule and I'll already be directly across the street for an end of season soccer party for my daughter. I'm so excited! I'm hoping it won't be painful on my knee, which can't take anything more than a walk without being incredibly painful. Although I still don't understand how I can sprint when playing softball or across the finish line when doing a 5k and that doesn't hurt it, but jogging or jumping does. Hmmm. Oh well. It is what it is. So. Trampoline aerobics it is! On my wall calendar, but not yet in my planner (but it will be tonight). My new sneakers won't be here in time, but I still have two pair - one of which is either going to become my grubby pair until the next one starts wearing out. Interestingly enough, I used to wear only really cheap shoes but now spend a lot more because I have realized the value in a good shoe. It only took me until after 40 years old to get there, but at least I finally did. I've been wearing my Ryka's for a few years; like 5 maybe. But just this past year invested in a daily/work shoe that has an original price tag over $100. I have one pair that I bought brand new and another that I bought second hand (looking to add another this week from a second hand source). I've spent well on my children, but not myself. I even just invested in a great pair for my hubster for Christmas (thanks to my Father-in-law getting a pair on their last trip to visit us), which was awesome to do for him since he wasn't expecting it (and surely thought I had forgotten about them!).

Streusel's done! Just pulled it out of the oven. Now to let it cool before we enjoy. Sure hope it turns out yummy. I've never made one before. It's just a box mix, but still. I prefer homemade (much better when trying to eat clean and not ingest ingredients that you can't pronounce!), but because it was unplanned and late I just raided the baking cabinet and came up with/had all of the ingredients for this recipe.

Wishing you the most wonderful of everything in 2014!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

359 days since my last post - oh my!

WOWZA!! Almost a year since I posted and the new year just around the corner ... oopsie! It's been an interesting year with the hubster retired; less free time to do everything that I want because my family is together. Well. Except for the son who is in the Air Force and stationed oh, just a few miles away (like over a thousand). It's been a year of ups and downs, lots of loop-de-loops, and a range of emotions. If you are a military family you can understand what it's like to be reunited and have to restructure routines, responsibilities, sharing (like your bed when you're used to having it all to yourself - or the remote!), chores, etc. It's quite the task to reacquaint yourself after even a nominal time apart, but years ... it doesn't happen in the blink of an eye. I still think that at a little over a year now we are still working on it. Maybe that's because life is ever changing, so is how each day works and who does what. Maybe I'm just weird. Could be either. ;)

So I want to make changes.

For myself, I joined a new (not yet opened gym) that I pass on my way to and from work. I figure it will help me to get out of work on time and not be out of the way, so seems very logical. I need to get in better physical condition. It's now or never, baby! My goal is to work out - even if only spending time on the treadmill - each weekday for a minimum of 30 minutes, but up to 60 minutes. I don't want to be completely selfish and take too long when my family is at home; I want and need to see my babies and help them with homework, play together, etc. I don't want to be THAT PARENT that doesn't see their child during waking hours on weekdays. No, sir. No, ma'am. I am also going to try to eat better. Not just me, but dragging the whole family with me on this journey. They don't know that I'm doing this, so it should be very easy! I'm not sure how the hubby will feel if I cut his portions too much, but I'm going to try. He and I both could stand to lose some weight. As is the case with a LOT of people in the world. I'm not going to be drastic about anything, but logical and with an attempt that will hopefully last. I'm trying to work my way to clean - nothing processed (ie if it has ingredients that you can't pronounce it's not for consumption!) and eating better choices for snacks (nuts, fruits, veggies, cheese, yogurt, etc). I'm most concerned with myself, so I will focus most on my lunches and snacks throughout the day and then see what I can do for at home with the family. I refuse to give up my daily coffee (which is so rich with sugar, creamer, and sometimes whipped cream in it that it's not healthy at all, but I like it and enjoy it, so refuse to give it up). BUT. What I will do is drink more water (with lemons, limes, cucumbers, etc that I saw on Pinterest to help detox the body) and hot tea, unsweetened or barely sweetened since I'm kind of a sugar-a-holic. Green tea is supposed to be really good and it doesn't taste bad. Also passion tea - LOVE this!! It's supposed to be helpful before you go to bed.

We'll have more fun each month, doing assorted things. Movies, ice skating, roller skating, shooting, painting, educational stuff, library, parks, Xbox Kinect, reading, bike riding, hunting, fishing, hiking, swimming, and whatever else we can come up with along the way. Of course these all can't be done in each season (although some can), I want to do something fun every single week with my family. I want my children to look back on their childhood and remember fun times. That doesn't mean spending money. My Mom wasn't able to spend money, but we had time and I enjoyed what I had. I didn't realize we were so tight that my Mom couldn't eat every single day. I had no clue until I was older and she shared that with me. I admire and respect her so much for that. Now I haven't been in that situation; I've been tight, but I've always eaten along with my children. Quality doesn't equal quantity (of dollars spent). Quality can equal quantity (of time spent). But sometimes all it takes is your undivided attention for 5 minutes to make your child's day. Such an investment in your kiddos. =)

There's more, but for now I will stop. I don't want to bore you. And I'll try to be better with blogging. I'd like to see what I can do to document this journey of my goals, as it may inspire others. I know that seeing for yourself how someone has done what you'd like to do (like losing weight, saving money, having more time with your family) can be inspirational. I've cried reading other people's stories before. I know I'm not the only one. So I will do what I can to share my path. My own yellow brick road to a great life in 2014 and beyond. Follow me if you'd like. I'm happy to be here to lead if this is what you need.

Enjoy these last couple days of 2013. Remember to make all of your last minute tax choices while you can - donations (get receipts!), spending from your health accounts, adding to an IRA/529, etc. You only have two more business days to do so IF the places are open on the 31st.

Until next time ... be happy, people. Live happily and enjoy. Find the positive in every single day. There is some even if you have to look really hard to find it. =)

{fave} blog for inspiration

Here is my {fave} blog that I try to look at every day (unless I'm too busy and then I make sure to look at it at least once a week and catch up). I will say that my {ABSOLUTE FAVE}, which is iheartorganizing ... I am in love, love, love with this blog!! Seriously! Do you have a fave site that you just "have" to check out every.single.day?!?! Well. For me that is iheartorganizing. She can also be found on facebook, so be sure to check it out! TONS of great tips and inspiration. Seriously. She's just {a*mazing} ... a*mazing!! I just happened upon the blog from googling organization blog. Lucky me! Thanks, Google! ;)  I have since found others that I like, and some days I can find so much amazing information that my head spins! I would LOVE to be as amazing as some of these ladies who have huge lists of followers and can blog each and every day, doing what they love. I'm working on that though. Organizing bits and pieces of my life, home, work, and family to where I feel that things function well for us all. That and maybe my husband will know where everything belongs! One of my goals for twenty.thirteen is to have my home completely organized. I'll do it. By golly. I will do it!! Even if it's inch by inch, item by item. I will organize my entire home by the end of this year!!!

What's your favorite go-to for inspiration?

What's your organizational goal for 2013?

Starting off on the {right foot}

Since I am by no means a party animal or anything remotely resembling a partier at all, I sat on my bed last night - New Year's Eve - with the television on and all of my bags to get organized for 1.1.13's arrival. I felt the need to start things off on the right foot. The one that is {organized} and ready for anything.

1. I went through all of my store coupons and got rid of everything expired, recycling or shredding as necessary.
2. I went through all of my grocery coupons to recycle everything expired. (I used to send to a friend overseas since military can use them 6 months past the expiration, but no longer do so since I hardly have any to send and have been HORRIBLE at doing this regularly.)
3. I recycled home party catalongs that I did not need any longer, especially if I had a newer one on hand. I do like to look at them and mark them up to know what I want, what I have, what would make a great gift, etc. I can mark up a mean catalog! =)
4. I put things back into one bag - from 3. It's zebra. I've been using it for football stuff for the last two years since I purchased it. The 31 bag is hung on the wall with my other bags, and the hot pink one was worn in the corners so had to be tossed into the garbage can. Although I loved it, there's no sense holding on to things that are breaking/broken. "Out with the old!"
5. I also organized my checkbooks. All purchases were logged into the registers and receipts shredded or filed to keep (possible returns and/or larger purchases). I even balanced them both via online/phone services. This is rewarding and frustrating all at the same time. Rewarding in that it's done, up-to-date, and accurate. Frustrating in that there's never as much once you've paid the bills and spent some of it. Funny how that works! ;)

When I woke up today, my husband had cleaned his dresser top! {Shut the front door!} Did he really?! Yes. He did indeed. Hope it lasts. But in case it doesn't, I'm TRYING to not let it get to me. I want our room to be a sanctuary, but he doesn't understand this and may not feel the same. I wish that if he felt the need to be messy it'd be on his side of the closet so I don't have to ever see it!!

 

So today I also decided that some exercise was in order. I took the family on a 2.5 mile walk (bike ride if so desired) through the trails. It was wonderful. A chilly 41* outside, so bundled up we went! A leisurely pace. Not my 5k race pace. A little over 1.25 miles each way. We got to the park and sat on a bench looking at the ducks and a turtle in the water, deciding that we should do a picnic soon and bring some bread for the ducks. Then the trek back. Nice. Sunshine. Exercise. Family. Fun. I like it!! Must do this more often. Seriously. I'd love to do the hike at least once a week, maybe doing the other version for some variety. Maybe lengthening as we get more into it. It'd be good for us. Health wise. Family togetherness wise. Losing weight wise. Maybe even something I'll do with friends sometimes for some "me" time ... friends that walk together can enjoy Starbucks together afterwards without the guilt!! {Hee Hee}

http://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks

So what did you do last night and/or today to start the New Year off on the right foot?!

So today the Mr. decided to iron the blackout curtains he brought home from overseas to hang in the living and dining rooms (which are open to one another). It works well for him since he likes it dark, where as I'm one who likes the blinds open and the sunlight flowing in through the windows. But with his headaches, he wins. I have to give him that. Maybe when he's going to be gone for more than an hour or so I'll open them and have the sunshine for my enjoyment. But being that it's winter weather and below freezing outside, I'll let him think he's won when really it's me who wins because I'm the one who freezes my tokus off and he's the one who's always hotter than all get out! I think it'll work. =)

Because of the curtains going up in the living room, I decided that the furniture must be rearranged so I pulled out the vacuum cleaner and got to work doing just that. So the living room is 1/2 different, swapping places from one side to the other. Which leaves the poor Christmas tree shoved aside, actually blocking the back door at the moment. So I tell the Mr. that our next project needs to be to take that down and put it away. Not sure if he likes that much, but just as I type these very words he started removing ornaments from the tree!! {Whoo wee!} This will be THE earliest that my tree has been put away in at least the last 6 years!! I've been known to be teased for having my tree up past Easter in the last few years. I'm too lazy to do it. It's too pretty. I'm too tired. I just don't wanna. And I could go on and on with the reasons I've used in the past. BUT. Hubby is home and things are different and that simply wouldn't fly with him here. Okay. Works for me! I'm just hoping that because I didn't want to have anything to do with putting up the tree this year (Mr. and the kiddos did it as I watched) that I won't have to do any of the removal part of it either. Wishful thinking?? Maybe. We shall see.

Besides all of that going on. The hubby asked about the extra gazillion wooden hangers that we have next to his side of the bed and in a container in the garage and then what the kids have. They still have plastic hangers. His blue. Hers black. So he counts. Little he counts. I knew little girl has WAY TOO MANY clothes to swap. Little boy wins! So as the winner (which he would call the loser!) he has to remove all of the hanging items from his closet, sort them into piles (wear, holes/stained to throw away and/or put to the t-shirt quilt making pile, doesn't fit/don't wear to donate/sell) and then rehang and put away. So since he "won" I decided to send the little girl off to do the same thing in her closet. Sorting into the same piles. They'll have great looking closets soon. And with the reduction in unnecessary/unused items, it should make things look cleaner (aka better) and reduce stress. For me when it's time to figure out what to wear since that's so difficult! {What parent doesn't go through this at some point with their children - boy or girl?!}

Maybe our reward later will be a family game or movie.

But what I really want to do. Seriously, I do. Although I wonder if I have enough stamina to even think of starting it. What I really want to do is get started again in the craft room. It became the dumping grounds as I lost steam when I first started that project in the summertime and then more so when hubby was coming home and I just had to move things from other areas of the house! I mean it makes sense to just dump it there (at the time) so that it was in one place that had doors that could be shut so unless you knew it was there or opened the door, it just wasn't where everyone else was (aka the rest of the house)! I do want to work on it over the break and just may get started in there. I did do a little bit the other day when I removed all the PS2 stuff on Christmas Eve. Maybe I can ask the Mr. to take all of that to the store and sell it for credit to buy a new game for the system Santa left the kiddos for Christmas.

Gotta go. Hubby says he can't proceed with the Christmas tree until I finish collapsing the boxes from gift giving. Gotta go do that so he can work more.

Happy cleaning!
Happy organizing!
Happy Happy!!

Merry, Merry Christmas!!

 

 

I hope that I can get back to blogging. Football season massively took me away from attempting to do so. But that's behind me. Until next fall, anyways. And I'll have less of a role since my term is almost over for the pee wee organization in my town where I served the 2012 year as both Secretary and Treasurer. Fun. But extremely busy! That chapter of the last 3 seasons is coming to a close, and I can move on to being just the Mom. That, and helping my son's middle school teams on the sidelines again! Perk of being a school district employee ... I was there to help the coaches and players by assisting to keep the boys in the space so we didn't get penalties, stop doing silly things that distract them from the game, administering first aid to those with injuries, having parents sign for release at away games, and water girl. It was a blast! I'm glad the coaches appreciated it, and that the 8th grade coaches told me that they already expect me to do the same for them next year! Have I told you before just how much I {love} football?!?! =)

 

One of the other things that took me away from this was preparing for my husband's return after 5 years stationed overseas. I had SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much to do to try and make things "perfect," although he says all of the time that I didn't need to do that and he'd love me anyways. (Maybe something only a military wife can understand, but still.) Yet I strived to remove as much clutter from our home as I could. I did get some of it gone. But not all. And I still have areas that need my attention. My to-do list is still there and will be fine if I don't get to it for a while longer! {Hee Hee} I also reworked my husband's part of our closet adding shelving and storage. Even a few bins for hiding summer items for myself! Also included, which I did succeed at, was making our master bedroom back to our personal space for just us and no junk or clutter. The only thing I have to remove is the extra wooden hangers for the closet, but need to figure out how I'll store them and where. Not too shabby though. I'm quite pleased with myself. And I do need to add pictures (yet to be taken ... someday!) to the frames that I purchased YEARS ago and place them on the wall above our headboard. Another items for the to-do list that will be fine if I don't get to it for (ummmm ... I don't know how long).

 

 

But. For now. I am still here. In the land amongst the living. And I shall return. Hopefully with some fun, creative, and organized items to share with you all.

Organization - Getting started!!

BEFORE you actually get down and dirty with the task of organizing any area of your home, you must make notes (either mental or, preferably, actually to pen and paper). Note what your purpose of the space is and mandatory items that must be in the space. You'll need to know what kind of budget you have to work with, if any at all. And don't worry ... it's doable to reorganize without spending any money. It might not be the image you found on Pinterest, in a magazine, or saw at someone else's house. But that's okay. It has to work for YOU and your family. If it can do that, then you have succeeded. You'll need to list each space or each room that you have to organize on a separate list.

PREPARE by making signs and gathering trash bags/boxes/tubs. Yes. MAKING SIGNS. Keep. Garbage. Donate. Mending. When you're going to sit down and actually do the work you'll need these items. They can be handwritten on a piece of scratch paper or printed, whatever suits your fancy. You'll end up setting these side-by-side (or spaced out if you have a large space to go through) to make it easy to set/toss items into the appropriate category.

• KEEP. Things you LOVE. Things you use REGULARLY. Things you can't live without.
• GARBAGE. Torn clothing, broken toys. Anything that you won't use and won't benefit someone else by getting rid of it. Now additionally in this pile may be an actual TRASH and RECYCLING pile if you have recycling services available in your area. Of course, I highly recommend recycling whatever you can so nothing unnecessary ends up compounding to the waste in our landfills.
• DONATE. Things you like, but don't love. Things you use infrequently. Something that was handed down to you that you don't plan to keep (remember you always have the memories so you don't have to keep the actual item).
• MENDING. Those items that need the button fixed, screw tightened, etc. This can be done by you or sent out to the seamstress, whichever you prefer and are capable of. The important thing with this pile is to get it done quickly so things can be put in their proper place.

For your donate stash, I recommend boxes that you can close up and take straight to Goodwill or whatever agency you have determined will benefit from your no longer needed items. Why touch it twice when you can touch it once and be done with it?! I don't see the point in wasting time that you don't really have or would rather be doing something else instead. Likewise, use trash bags (full size for large spaces, recycled Walmart bags for small areas) for trash and once filled take it immediately to the garbage can so it's out of your way. This will instantly remove the clutter allowing your eyes to rest, and instill a sense of pride and accomplishment at what you are doing.

Determine how much time you have and schedule it. If you have 5 minutes, go through a kitchen or dresser drawer. If you have 15 minutes, tackle the medicine cabinet. Whatever amount of time you have, schedule it. WRITE IT DOWN. DO IT. If you work, do it after work when you can. Do it on a day off, during summer break. Whatever you can do. It will take time to work your way around your entire home, but it'll get done and you'll feel so much better. Keep in mind that you may schedule 15 minutes, but find it so intensely motivating that you end up spending more. That's awesome. Just keep up with your schedule and work your way through every space that you want to do. If possible, I would stick to one room at a time before moving on, but only to have the sense of accomplishment to be able to cross that room off your list (I read an article once that crossing items off your to-do list sends positive signals to your brain).

So ... are you ready to start here?? I'll be back next week with the next part. I'm going to work on one of my spaces and want to chronicle that so that I'm ready to help you with yours. Writing about this, talking about it - makes me want to jump right in and do it myself. And I still have plenty that I can do in organizing my home!!

See you next week.