So...treats please

So...Etsy toys

The brainstorming has begun.
Christmas is right around the corner and I'm going for simple, low-budget, hopefully handmade this year. Which means - I've got to get cracking if I want to be done by December.
I love browsing etsy for handmade ideas.

Bean Bags clever
Playground Scavenger Hunt great idea - my kiddos would eat this up
Kid's Broom I'm loving these
Happy Peas so sweet
Felt Alphabet good use for all my fabric scraps
Natural Cars wooden toys are on my radar
Pretty Penguin Trio so cute
Corn on the Cob this is taking felt food to a whole new level
Crayon and Notebook Roll First Daughter would love something like this

So...PAD Chapbook Challenge

I'm a very excited and VERY nervous about the upcoming PAD Chapbook Challenge over at Poetic Asides. Not that I have aspirations or expectations to win such a challenge, or to ever publish anything, but it is fun to participate and I'm always up for a challenge. It keeps me writing and keeps me motivated. Plus, I figure the more I write the more likely I'll come up with something good. It's like taking 100 pictures for that one perfect shot. When I participated in the PAD Challenge back in April, I came out of the month with about 5 poems that I thought were pretty good.

My favorite part is also reading all the amazing poems submitted daily. These people are truly talented and truly inspiring.

And you may being asking, "Why are you nervous?"
That's just who I am.
I get nervous over silly things like writing poetry.
It's more of an adrenaline filled nervousness though.
It's all about the challenge and whether or not I can do it.
I guess I still have a competetive void that needs to be filled :)

Come Sunday morning, it's game on.

So...my day job

As I have mentioned in recent posts, I am trying to find balance in my day-to-day life and trying to get on top of all of the things on my never-ending list of things to do. Being a stay-at-home mother, housewife, homemaker, CEO of the home - whatever name you want to give it - does not come very naturally to me. Yes, I am task oriented. Yes, I try to be organized. Yes, I can multi-task (or at least I used to be able to). All of these things are helpful to being a stay-at-home mother, but the whole package doesn't seem to come very naturally. The main one being, housework.

I, like most people, enjoy a clean house. I feel much more comfortable and relaxed in a clean, organized house. But actually keeping a house clean and organized...that's the tricky part. I am convinced, that if I can find some way to stay on top of my housework, keep my house (somewhat) clean, and get my "jobs" done everyday, life will be better, more relaxing, less stressful, and I will be happier. I am convinced.

So...

Here's what I have been thinking about lately.
1.) Husband goes to work every weekday. Every weekday. Most of the time, even if he's sick. He gets up at the same time every morning, even if he's tired, and goes to work. He doesn't complain about it. He doesn't try to avoid it. He just does it. And he comes home at night. Still, never complaining. He works hard because that's his job, that's his role in the family, and he does it for the family. Somedays his work day is extra long. Somedays people bug him. Somedays go as planned, and somedays don't. Regardless, he doesn't complain and he does it everyday!

How does this relate to me? I have a day job too. How do I approach it every morning? How hard do I work? How much do I complain? How much do I actually get done? If I can compartmentalize my chores and housework into my "workday," perhaps that will make a difference. Hmm. Things to think about.

2.) Husband never asks me to do his job for him. Ok, now...I do believe that part of being in a family is that everybody contributes - including Husband. I really do believe that. BUT - if I'm not doing anything during the day, is it fair for me to ask Husband to do it when he gets home after he's been doing his part and working all day? I don't think that's very fair. There are a lot of days that I can't get everything done. No matter how hard I try, I just can't. That's part of being a mom - kids always come first and sometimes I just can't get everything done. And of course Husband should help (and he does!) when he gets home. But, if don't feel like doing anything all day, it's not very fair of me to expect Husband to get right to work as soon as he gets home. Nor is it fair to be bugged if he's not! And unfortunately, that happens sometimes over here. I guess my point is, I want to be doing my work too. It makes me happy when I do.

3.) Like any job, there are daily tasks, weekly tasks, and long term goals to housework. I think this is the key to staying on top of it. Sometimes I have days when I feel totally motivated and I clean the entire house top to bottom. This happens maybe twice a year. I can't rely on that feeling to get my chores done, otherwise they wouldn't get done. So...like I always do, I tried to get myself organized. (I confess, I have tried to do this so many times and still, here I am, doing it again).

Some daily tasks for me include:
- dishes (loading/unloading)
- laundry (one load - wash/dry/fold/away)
- making beds (trying to teach kiddos to do their own)
- picking up the floors/toys back in the playroom
- preparing dinner

*things that can hardly make it past one day before it NEEDS to be taken care of.

You can see some examples of weekly tasks on the above picture. Long term goals are set on a need basis. Usually includes house projects, deep cleaning, deep organizing, etc. This system seems to be helping, although I still really struggle in this department. I am mostly trying to focus on changing my outlook and attitude when it comes to housework. It is, in fact, part of my workday while Husband is away. I am so proud of him and how hard he works. I want him to be proud of me too!

How do all of you housewives/homemakers/CEO's do it? How do you stay on top of everything? How do you find balance in the day-to-day routine? How do you think household chores should be split? Should they? Where does Husband/Roomate fit in? Whenever I meet someone who has a clean house (I mean, ALWAYS a clean house) I am always baffled. HOW DO YOU DO IT?! Please share!

So...carrots

Cleaned out our "garden" this weekend.
We harvest lots of carrots, which were yummy with our Sunday roast.

Dog resisted (with much effort) digging these babies up all summer.
He never took his eyes off them until they were in the crockpot and out of sight.

Don't worry, we did reward his good behavior with one of these orange treats.

I'm already thinking and planning for next years' garden. Hopefully by then we will have the other planter box in and have more room to grow. I'm thinking one box for pumpkin (since they take over everything) and one zucchini (because I will always plant zucchini), and the other box for smaller things like peas, carrots, perhaps a row or two of corn.

Stay tuned for shots of our carved pumpkins - straight out of our patch.

So...button journal

Mother-Inlaw gave me this perfect birthday present last month.
She always gives the most thoughtful gifts and I was so happy when I opened this up.
This journal has entered the "things made just for me" club.
Along with my former 1997 black Jeep Cherokee.

These blank pages are calling my name.

So...forgiveness

"A common error is the idea that the offender must apologize and humble himself to the dust before forgiveness is required. Certainly, the one who does the injury should totally make his adjustment, but as for the offended one, he must forgvie the offender regardless of the attitude of the other [party]."

The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball

Great book.
Great man.
Great quote.

So...I'm a photoshop newbie

Thanks to Texas Sis-Inlaw I have a new toy.
And it's pretty fun.

original picture:


after playing around for a bit:

I know, I know - I'm so artistic.

And so misunderstood ;)

So...Ode

...to Martha.

Silhouette Candle Creatures
Glittered Hurricanes
Clothespin Bats
Pillowcase Trick-or-Treat Bags
Shivering Bat Shades
Costumed Candleholders
Jar-o-Lanterns
Lantern-o-Treats
Staircase Silhouette

How I wish I had a staircase.

So...the purging of toys

For the past week I've been cleaning out the playroom.
Getting rid of lots, trying to organize, and keeping myself from throwing away EVERYTHING.

Our kids have too many toys.
The floor in the playroom is usually covered.
And still, the kiddos prefer to play with mommy's kitchen toys instead of their own.
I then am cleaning up ("with them") their toys AND my toys.
This drives me C-RAZY.
This is why I want to throw all their toys away.
I could then just get them each their own kitchen caddy full of wooden spoons.

So....
This week I've been cleaning out the playroom.
I'm talking some major purging of toys.
Instead of taking out toys they don't play with anymore, I took out everything and only put back their most favorite toys.
It felt really good.

Now we have a few boxes full of toys that we are going through (yes, I said we - the kiddos are helping with this one) to give away. It is amazing watching First Daughter think very carefully about who might like and play with each toy. She is remembering friends, cousins, neighbors, even schoolmates. She is incredibly thoughtful. And of course, we have a donation pile as well.

And get this.
The kiddos have been playing in the playroom, with their OWN toys, non-stop since.
And I actually feel like I can breathe when I step into the playroom.
I am really liking this.
I think we will make this an annual event.


Things I like about this:
- way less clutter and cleanup
- teaches (hopefully) kiddos to appreciate what they have
- the thought put into giving their own toys away
- great way to get the kiddos involved in organization and cleanup
- great practice in getting rid of stuff we don't need (why is this so hard?)
- makes me think twice (or more) about future presents

So...overextended

Overextended.

Arms
reaching out
asking
"Hold me."

Neck
stretching long
around the pillow
"Peek-a-boo!"

Brows
raised high
telling me
“I see you.”

Eyes
shining big
showing me
"I love you."

Mouth
opening so wide
silently saying
"I am happy."

Heart
filling more
just when I thought
"I am full."


Poetic Asides Wednesday Prompt:
overextended

So...way to go

You are doing a great job.

I think you're great because of you.
Not because of how you compare to others.
You're pretty awesome.

You have a great life and are surrounded by great people.
Who love you and think you're great too.
Keep it up.

You are doing a great job.

So...blocks

Hoping and searching for a great set of wooden blocks for the kiddos for Christmas.
Any suggestions on where to find some for a reasonable price?

So...why do you blog?

This has been on my mind lately.

Lately I have been trying to figure out ways to:
- simplify
- manage my time and space better
- find more time and energy for my children
- prioritize
- declutter my house and my mind
- reduce stress

I have mainly been focusing on my family and home, hoping to find some sort of balance and order in our daily activities. I have been reflecting a lot on how I spend my time.

Blogging, and computer time, obviously was part of this discussion in my head. Is blogging necessary? Is it a positive outlet? Does it help me accomplish any goals? Does it help me be who I want to be? Does it take away from other things I want to or should be doing? How does it fit into my day? Does it create more stress? Relieve stress?

All of these things have been on my mind. I find myself gravitating to the computer a few times a day. I'm wondering if I'm using the computer to escape, to recharge, to connect with the outside world, or if it's just a habit. Hmm. Things to keep thinking about. I haven't come to any concrete conclusions.

I know that blogging and computer time has been very therapeutic for me. It is a positive outlet for me. I enjoy writing. I enjoy trying to organize my thoughts on a page so I can package them up nicely and decide if I want to throw them away, dwell on them for a bit, or save them for a rainy day. Blogging has made writing more easily accessible for me. Often I only have a few seconds or minutes to get my thoughts down. My computer sits right in my kitchen where I can quickly type anything that comes to my mind. Because of this, I have documented more of my thoughts/feelings than I have since middle school when I kept a diary under my mattress. Luckily, I've moved past MH + TR 4EVA entrees.

But like all stress relievers, there is a line when too much is too much. So where is that line? Is there such a thing as too much "me time?" Is there a danger in putting everything and anything (ok, maybe not EVERYTHING) that comes to my mind out for the world to read?

What do you think?

Why do you blog?
Do you spend more time in blogland reading or writing?
Is blogging a positive or negative for you?
Maybe a little of both?

So...humility

Just a thought...

Humility is recognizing that everyone has something of value to teach you - more than what not to do. You can learn something good from everyone. Humility comes when you look for the good in others and then learn from it.

So...I will be seeing

this:

Where the Wild Things Are
as soon as I can.

this:

The Box
as soon as it comes out.

this:

The Men Who Stare at Goats
as soon as it's edited for TV.

and this:

because it's IT.

Ok, maybe I won't be seeing that one.
Now, if it was MJ 20 years ago? I'm there.

But I am looking forward to some great movies the rest of this year.
Including the midnight show of New Moon.
I still can't decide whether to go to the "Team Jacob" theater or not.
I don't know...it's very tempting. ;)
(And yes, that is Dakota Fanning as a Volturi.)

So...list poems

I LOVED the idea from Let's Explore about writing List Poems with your children.
So, today I tried it with First Daughter. It was really fun! Boy, does she crack me up. This is great activity to do with older kids while the babies are napping.

This was my favorite pick of the day:

Me, McKenna, and Brooke

McKenna loves me
and I love her.
My name is Katie.
My sister Brooke loves me.
I love myself
because I’m so beautiful.

This is all.

Inspired.

So...I think mp3 players are weak

I Think mp3 Players are Weak

It feels like waiting for my crush to come out of class,
and timing things just right so I can bump into him in the hallway.
When the DJ announces the new single I’ve anticipated
will play sometime in the next hour and I should “stay tuned”
I stay within an arm’s reach of the record button
so I can capture the entire track.
Partial songs sound sloppy and I want things just right
when I confess my true feelings and pour out my soul
into a mix tape for my crush.


Poetic Asides Wednesday Prompt:
I think ________.

So...apology slip

I was in need of a chuckle today.
And due to my occasional lack of functional communication, I've unfortunately been in need of these lately.

Thank you Sister for this gem.
Perhaps I should print some out and keep them handy.
Just in case.

{{apology slip}}

So...great advice on marriage

When Husband and I were on our cruise last month (I know, I know...someday I'll get to writing about that) we received some of the best advice I've ever been given on marriage.

We sat next to an older man one night to watch the "main show" of the evening. He was cruising with an old friend. Both he and the woman he was with had lost their significant others and were keeping each other company and keeping each other happy. They were a very sweet pair.

After some time of chit-chatting and small-talking, this man said:
the one thing you have to remember about marriage, is that it's not 50-50. It's 70-30. And you take turns who's the 70 and who's the 30.

You know when you hear something and it just feels true?
Like it's something you've always known but never heard in such a true way?
That's what this advice was to me.

He was a very wise man and I'm taking his advice straight to heart.

So...prayer and parenthood

I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
I know who I am.
I know God's plan.
I'll follow Him in faith.
I believe in the Savior, Jesus Christ.
I'll honor his name.
I'll do what is right.
I'll follow His light.
His truth I will proclaim.

Whenever I think about my testimony, this Primary song comes to mind. It explains very clearly and very simply how I feel about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I had a conversation with my dad this past weekend about parenthood. We talked about inspiration and personal revelation regarding parenthood. It was exactly what I needed.

All of us are children of Heavenly Father. He knows each of us, probably better than we know ourselves. He knows our children and what they need. He knows what we can give them and can help us give a little more. As a parent, I have the right and the responsibility to seek guidance, through prayer, from Heavenly Father who knows me and knows what my children need. He can help me realize what I can to do to love, teach, nurture, and care for my children.

There is no greater resource as a parent than prayer.

My faith in Christ and my testimony of His gospel strengthens me as a parent. It gives me hope. It helps me understand my role and purpose as a mother, wife, and daughter of God. It helps me know how and what to teach my children. It protects me and my family from the uncertainties of the world. It helps keep me grounded. It brings me joy.

I love this gospel and everything it brings into my life and into my family.

So...husbandly insights into my soul

"You always have a plan in your head. If things don't go along with your plan, it's written all over your face. Just stick to your plan."

{to the kids}
"Mom is like a cat. If you back her into a corner, she'll strike."

{text message conversation}
M: I'm just feeling emotional today. I don't know why.

D: What is your plan for tonight?

M: Nothing really.

D: Do you need to go out with a friend?


Husband has an amazing gift to just get it when it comes to people. How thankful I am that he gets me and can fill me in :)