Monday's To Do List

Here's my To Do list for the day:

• -- Laundry - wash, hang out, fold, put away - done
• -- Empty all upstairs trash - done
• -- Change sheets in master bedroom
• -- Jeff's breakfast - done
• -- Pack Jeff's lunch - done
• -- Clean up kitchen - done
• -- Run dishwasher - done
• -- Dishes away - done
• -- Clean cat box
• -- Vac upstairs - done yesterday
• -- Clean both upstairs bathrooms - done
• -- Task from My Simpler Life blog - "Declutter kitchen island". Since I don't have an island, I'm decluttering and cleaning under my kitchen sink - done

Pretty short list, so I should have some time to do more weeding today.

UPDATE

Got a phone call at 10am - Mary had to take Brayden to the doctor for a very croupy cough - and could he come visit Umma after the doctor's visit so Mary could go to work for a few hours? Of course -- that's what Umma's are for! Luckily, I'd gotten most of my To Do List done before he arrived, and he hung out in the yard while I hung clothes on the clothes line. Today he rode his tricycle by himself for the first time - such a big guy now. He wasn't very sick in the A.M., but once he layed down for his nap, he started with the croupy cough again. Doctor said it wasn't bronchitis this time - just a croupy cough that should clear up quickly on meds.

I haven't posted a picture of Brayden for awhile, so here he is! (Taken last week)

Picking dandelions - his favorite flower.

With his favorite guy - Umpa. His new t-shirt says "My favorite thing at Grandma's house is Grandpa!" and boy, is it!

Look! He has a moustache just like Umpa!

On a Spending Fast

There are just such great ideas out there in blog-land. I'm fascinated with the things people come up with and find great motivation in the ideas of others.

One of my new favorite blogs is called My Simpler Life and I knew I'd enjoy it once I read her slogan for her blog: "Creating a simple, fulfilled, joyful life." Isn't that really what we all strive for?

Beginning May 1st, the blog began a "Spending Fast" -- not spending any money for "wants" but for necessities only. No impulse buying, no unplanned buying, etc. I've joined just to see if I can do it. I'm a lifelong impulse buyer, but have recently been trying to be more frugal in all my spending. This will just motivate me that much more.

Another thing I found very helpful on her blog is her free Declutter Calendar. Print it off, hang it on your refrigerator, do the daily task and you can only benefit, whether you're a clutter-bug or not. Today's 15 minutes is spent in the "hobby area" -- and it never hurts for me to spend 15 minutes cleaning my quilt room! You can download one month at a time, but be sure and download the sheet that contains her tips - I found some very useful ideas there!

So my report on my spending fast - Since May 1st I've spent $0 on unnecessary items.

I went to the grocery store yesterday and spent $31. That was for perishable items and cleaning items we needed to restock only. I brought a list and stuck to it. Certainly better than my old $130 to $140 a week come h*ll or highwater grocery shopping days.

I also purchased a $300 Kroger gift card. Krogers gives you an instant 10% if you buy a $300, $600 or $1200 gift card. Since I shop almost exclusively at Kroger, it made sense to take advantage of their offer. I certainly don't get 10% on my checking or savings accounts from my bank!

Need Recipes!

My husband and I are trying to eat more healthy and drop some winter weight -- well, OK, maybe it's two winters' worth of weight that we forgot to take off last summer! The problem is, Jeff is a night-time snacker -- he wants something sweet or something crunchy and salty. Neither of which seems to go along with the "healthier" recipes I have.

Does anyone have any recipes they can share? I'm looking for lower-in-fat, lower-in-calories snacky foods. You can suggest fruits and vegetables, but it's not going to happen unless it's apple chopped up in a cookie. I do supply him with no-fat, low sugar ice cream and sugar-free pudding, but he wants something with a crunch to it -- whether it's sweet or salty.

I'd sure appreciate it if you can share any recipes or web sites you have! I'd like to go with homemade foods instead of processed, but right now I'm open to all suggestions.

My kids are the Best - no, REALLY!

My birthday always falls very close to or on Mother's Day. When my kids were little to celebrate my birthday, we'd sometimes have a "Hookie Day" where I'd call off work and call the school and tell them the kids weren't coming and why -- and we'd go do something fun -- usually the Cincinnati Zoo -- for the day.

So this year, I decided it would be fun to reinstate that old custom, and talked to both kids on the phone, and told them for this year's Mother's Day/Birthday celebration, I would like a card (I love cards), but in lieu of a gift I really, really wanted them to take the money they'd spend and go do something FUN. Both of them work hard, have terrific families, and I'm really really proud of both of them and what they've accomplished. I wasn't trying to be a martyr or one of THOSE mothers who holds her hand to her forehead and says, "Oooooh, don't worry about buying me a gift... you save your money." Shoot, no. Next year I might be asking them for a Lexus. But THIS year I had it in my head and in my heart that I wanted them to celebrate my day(s) by actually having fun and celebrating! To be honest, I'm not so sure either one of them "got it" when I talked with them and I kind of got a "My mom is SO nuts" reaction..lol..

Yesterday I was sitting at the computer and saw a van pull up in the driveway. A florist's van?? A lady walked up to my door and I knew -- since it wasn't Mother's Day, wasn't my birthday -- that she had the wrong house. It's happened before. (Is there ANYthing more disappointing than having flowers delivered to your door to find out they aren't for you? Eeeek!) But lo and behold, the flowers were for me, and they came with this card:

Mom -

We will go and have fun for you on your day,

but we can't just let these days slip away!

Here's a gift from us to you,

just because we appreciate all that you do!

Love, JJ and Mary

See? Toldja they were the best!

Photo of the Day

Unusual shopping bags

Update on James Frey

Anyone who knows me or has read my blog from the beginning, knows I'm a James Frey (A Million Little Pieces, My Friend Leonard) fan and supporter. His book, A Million Little Pieces, gave me a look into a world I didn't want to see as a parent of an adult child who was submerged in the very dark world of drugs and alcohol. Through his writing, whether you classify it as memoir, fiction, or non-fiction, he touched me and opened my mind to understand that my only role in my daughter's struggle was to love her unconditionally and support her emotionally. Her struggle was hers alone. (I'm very proud to say she is on the other side of that dark period, and a truly successful person and terrific mother.)

I read Frey's book years before "O" picked it up or put it on her Book Club list, though I was happy for Jim when O announced her choice, as I knew this would make him an overnight success and millionaire. I won't again go into what I think of O now.

However, for any other fan of A Million Little Pieces and/or James Frey, you owe it to yourself to read an article coming out in the new issue of Vanity Fair, said to be Jim's last interview of any kind. You can read it here.

James has a new book, Bright Shiny Morning coming out on May 13th. I pre-ordered it on Amazon as soon as I heard about it. This is my birthday present to myself, as well as my own small way to pay homage to an author whom I personally think ranks with the likes of Jack Kerouack and John Steinbeck. I'm sure O won't be reading his book, but luckily I am still intelligent enough to form my own opinions about authors I do and do not like to read and do not need her to form an opinion for me.

Whether you're a nay-sayer or a fan, do yourself a favor and read the Vanity Fair article.

Today's To Do List

Today's weather forecast here in southwestern Ohio is 75 degrees, sunny and breezy -- perfect for hanging out laundry, so that's going to be the main task for me today. I've put off doing laundry for several days, waiting for a day when I wouldn't have to use my dryer -- and today's the day! To Do List Make Jeff's breakfast Make Jeff's lunch Make bed Laundry - wash, hang out, fold, put away Vac the downstairs Bring trash cans in Sweep front porch, back deck and patio Check gas prices on gasbuddy.com Errands - Bank, library, grocery store, get gas :( Get names ready for tomorrow's giveaway on my other blog I'd also like to do some sewing today, but that may have to wait until the evening. I may try and do some weeding of the front garden while I'm waiting for loads of laundry to finish as well. Dinner tonight will be chicken breasts on the grill and salad. Busy day! But I'm back on track now that I got rid of my "bad ju-ju" notebook and once again start my day with a written To Do List! Happy May 1st!

How much STUFF do you have?

Occassional cuss words

Into the Zen of housework

As mentioned in yesterday's post, I've gotten away from my routine of daily housework. Not the "habit" stuff -- I still clean my kitchen, sweep my kitchen floor, keep up with laundry, cook three meals a day, etc. But for several weeks the cobwebs have been gathering in the corners and the dustbunnies have actually poked their heads out from under the furniture. Surface cleaning? Fine, I'm great at it. Deeper cleaning? I confessed yesterday to letting it go.

Yesterday I pulled myself up by my bootstraps, gave me self a stearn talking-to, and got about the business at hand -- seriously cleaning the two upstairs bathrooms. This isn't just the swish-swish of a Flylady task, this is getting out the rubber gloves and bleach and giving the entire room a good going-over. Top to botton, stem to stern - it all got washed down with bleach and/or windex. Both rooms "spahkle" as my New Hampshire friends would say (OK, I say it on occasion too.)

And it felt GOOD to begin to get things back under control. It felt GOOD to see those two bathroom sparkle again. It felt good to put clean sheets on the bed (that still smelled wonderful because they'd been hung out on the line to dry), and know my husband and I would both enjoy "clean sheet night" tonight.

I remember now why I do all this. First, I love my house to be clean (which should not be mistaken for "I love to clean house"!). But second, I love my husband to come home from work and say, "Hey, the house looks nice." I love to have friends drop in unannounced and not feel embarassed that there's dishes in the sink or beds unmade or yesterday's sewing project spread all over the family room.

This is the Zen of housework. It's really not about the work. It's about creating a clean, welcoming environment for your family and friends...and for yourself. It's so much easier to sit out on my deck with a cup of tea and good book and enjoy a sunny afternoon when my house is clean! It's easier to enjoy some time sewing or quilting, knowing that my day's To Do List is completed.

I recently found a blog called Home Sanctuary that thinks very much along these lines. Each weekday she posts a simple task to do that will help make your home a sactuary for your family. Most tasks take as little as 5 minutes, and can be as easy as picking a few flowers to put on your kitchen table, or a little more time-consuming like cleaning out your silverware drawer. Check her out and see if it helps you get into the Zen of creating a home.

Do you have anything you do to help make your home a sanctuary?