Task Lists: I Give In

I have been a stay-at-home mom for the past seven years. I have had a very lenient schedule, a must with little kids; everyday is a surprise. I am a very scheduled person, always have been, but when you are home with four little ones your day-to-day life is very unpredictable. I had a routine in place, but always knew that nothing was set in stone. I had no deadlines, so-to-speak. It was my way of coping. All of that has changed. Going from a home-minded routine to a working-minded routine has really taken some adjustment.


I have talked the last two weeks about the changes going on in our household. My work-load, my attitude, and my stress-level. I have been extremely stressed. When life takes an unexpected turn sometimes it catches you off guard. Sometimes changes are necessary even when you think you're getting by.


I would say that I'm a very organized person in many ways, but having Erik home has made me realize he totally has me beat. I have been mocking him for about a month about his task-lists, calendars, and daily schedules. I would walk by as he was typing it up with a chip on my shoulder, "what a geek!"


I was just fine without a minute-by-minute schedule. I didn't want something telling me what to do...I wanted freedom. But, I wasn't feeling very free, quite the opposite. I found myself a complete wreck.


The other night after a big rant, I decided to cave. Cave to the thought of being a slave to a schedule. Cave to the idea that I was jealous of Erik. He was calm and at peace with life and I was a flippin' mess!


I used to be an "agenda-type" person. I was the little girl that laid her outfits out a week in advance with socks and matching hair bows. For some reason over the years I got away from those habits; I guess I thought it would simplify my life.


I was trying to become more career-focused while still maintaining my non-scheduled, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants family life; it was swallowing me whole. I had so many things to accomplish in one day; the thought of it became so overwhelming that I wouldn't get much done at all. Without a plan you fail, and I was failing miserably. The time I did have with my family I was grumpy. I didn't think I had the freedom to enjoy time with them having all of those tasks hanging over my head. I didn't have a schedule and so I wasn't allowing myself the much needed family time, house-cleaning time, and work-out time. I would rush through those things and "squeeze them in" but wouldn't enjoy them. With everything else I thought I should be doing I couldn't enjoy my most precious treasure, my family.


I feel free now. I'm a complete believer in my husband's geeky schedule, haha! I am now a saleswoman for the whole task-list thing. It just goes to show that you should never judge anything before you give it a chance. Most likely if someone is enjoying their day-to-day life, it might be because of a great strategy. It really works and you might want to give it a try.


The very first thing we did was sit down and make a mission statement. Initially, I was rolling my eyes at the whole idea (I have major attitude if you haven't noticed), but honestly it's really cool...and really easy. You can also get a great task sheet that incorporates the roles you operate in, the goals you have and the values you cherish. It really can help focus you on what is truly important in your life. I highly recommend you check it out. Here is the link, it's free.


http://www.franklincovey.com/msb/

I compiled an ongoing list of "to-do's" on my desktop. When something comes to mind it goes on that list. If it's on the list, it doesn't stress me out. Everything from cleaning the kids bed sheets to confirming a shoot with a client. I use my calendar and my task list to create my daily agenda. It's so fun crossing things off that list!

I know it sounds uncool, but seriously, it's awesome. So much stress has been lifted and I'm smiling again. I feel like I can do this. I can be and do all these things, but do them in a healthy, fun, fulfilling way. Of course there is always a need for flexibility in life; things happen. So if something doesn't get done then it just gets carried over to the next day... no biggie!

Ah... organization feels so good!

A Modern Day Family Without Internet

This morning I woke up dancing and squealing with a huge sense of relief!

Not having Internet for an entire week has really caused some withdrawal-like symptoms in our home. We have found that it is very difficult for us to live without the Internet.

One benefit of not having Internet for ten days is that my house hasn’t been this clean in I don’t know how long. Right now is a great time to visit us, but the window of opportunity is short. So come over. Now! Oh wait, too late!

I do have to say that is has been nice to take a break from the Internet. Not having it right here in the house is somewhat freeing. I think it would be nice to institute an Internet breakdown a few times a year. But, a self-instituted one, not a mandatory one.

I am beyond excited that it’s back-up and running at our house. Don’t get me wrong, my days of going to Starbucks and enjoying a cup of coffee in the peace and quiet were luxurious. But, it also became so flippin' inconvenient. We live twenty minutes to the nearest Starbucks and so just being able to look up something quick was not an option.

We kept lists of to-dos and we established a routine. Erik would usually drive down and take the morning shift and I would take the afternoon. Sometimes we would get crazy and switch it up, but for the most part that was the norm.

What a huge resource the World Wide Web is to us. Yes, there are ways around the Internet. But for our family, business, and way of life, we really depend on it. Some might think that statement is sad. But is it?

I see it as a huge blessing. We live about forty-five minutes from Denver and to us it’s a huge help. I plan my coupon runs and save us tons of money each month. We have lots of out-of-town friends and family that we are able to stay connected with. Erik is getting the opportunity to go back to college while sitting at home in his underwear. Because of how far we live from town, we do a lot of online ordering and save tons of time and gas money. We pay all our bills online. Abby and Ella look up books for their summer reading program and have online programs they access for school. I am able to be a stay-at-home mom while growing a business because of Internet access. I am able to network for free with wonderful online communities and support groups. And, let’s not forget blogging!

Yes, the Internet can be abused and over-used, but with priorities in check I believe it is a huge asset.

The conclusion is that we are that typical modern day family completely thankful for today's technology! We missed it terribly. And great news; for the huge inconvenience we are getting ten dollars off our monthly Internet bill. I'm not sure if that really makes up for it, but honestly I don't care. I'm just glad it's back!

Missing It

I used to be a very scheduled person. Not sure why I have drifted away from it lately. I guess because in ways you tell yourself it's freeing. It's a deception. Life is not easier without a schedule, it's way more stressful.

Life is all about balance. The same goes for schedules. Have it there, but also be flexible and change it if you need too. Very important with little kids, otherwise a schedule can lead to more stress.

When the kids were babies we were very scheduled. I'm talking down to when we planned on glueing macaroni to construction paper. I know, a little extreme. But, at the time, it really helped me keep my sanity. We were a "babywise" family. If you are not familiar with babywise and you are expecting or have a child with sleep issues, I highly recommend it.

Now that the kids are older, for some reason, I have let the schedule sort of fall by the wayside.

What has that done?

It has caused me to become very lax in the things I hold dear to me.

Lately I have been struggling with time-management. Starting a business = lots of computer hours. I wouldn't trade being a stay-at-home mom who is starting a business, over going to work and putting my kids in daycare. Any-day. Even if some days I am very pre-occupied, I am still the one tending to their needs, giving them their snacks and hugs throughout the day.

With that said, I still feel things right now are out of balance. I have been loosing sleep with life the way it is now. Something is just not sitting right with me. I want more time with my kids. I get very emotional when I think about them growing up so fast and I want to cherish these days. I don't just want quantity time with them, but quality time.

I need balance back in our day to day life.

That means a schedule. Something to help me keep the things I want to do well-balanced with the things I need to get done.

I love these precious babies

I want more time with them. Doing nothing more than building blocks, reading a book, playing dress-up, or fighting the bad guys in our super hero voices.

You might be wondering how those words could leave a stay-at-home moms mouth? Isn't that what you do already?

It's very easy to get lost in the tasks you have before you. Especially if you are like me and feel like you can't rest until the goal of accomplishment has been achieved. It's hard for me to give up and walk away from a "to do" until I see it crossed off my list. I need something to help me walk away and put it down. Something to tell me that it's okay to let it be, whatever it is, it will still be here when you get back. It's easy to miss the mark and not have your life balanced.

Many things can distract you in this thing called "life."

I don't want to miss it anymore.

James 4:14

whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Days at home

5:00- wake-up call
5:15- coffee and quiet time
5:30- work
7:30- enjoy breakfast with kids and help girls get ready for school
8:30- girls on bus
8:45- school with jon
9:15- activity with boys
9:45- snack time
10:00- boys separate playtime alone, work for me
10:30- one hour of tending to the house, boys help
11:30- 30 min show for boys, work for me
12:00- lunch
1:00- nap for boys and work for me
4:00- get girls from bus, snack, talk about their day, time with kids
4:30- erik home, work-out
5:30- dinner, homework, family time
7:30- stories and bedtime
Adult time the rest of the evening, well until this old couple hits the hay around 9:00!

Purse Fetish

I know lots of women have an addiction to purses. I am no exception. It's not just purses, really bags of any kind.

When I buy a purse, I think, I LOVE IT!!!! This could be a purse I could see myself using for a long time, justifying the price tag. But, it only takes a few months for me to start looking for a new one. Sometimes I just buy it because it's a great deal even if I don't like it, see the gray purse below.

With the kids, I must of gone through a dozen diaper bags! I was always looking for a different one. Even now, I don't really need a diaper bag, but my eye is still attracted to them. I find myself looking at all the cute, new styles, with all their pockets and compartments!

I guess in part, it's the organizer in me. I just love taking all my things and giving them a new, fun home! An odd thing about me though, is I don't mind my purse getting messy. I love things organized, but I usually let my purse get completely out of control before I clean it out. Or, I just get a new one!

The current state of my purse. Really bad!

I usually go with plain old black or brown. I love the colorful fun ones, but I usually try to be practical and get something that will go with everything.

I have purses hanging everywhere. Living out of five purses at one time is very exhausting.

So here are a few from my collection. I still like the first two. I really need to get rid of the ones I will never use again, why do I keep them? Do you want one?

Isn't this one pretty on the inside!

I got some of these from downstairs in my storage room. I found some interesting things inside a few.

Most of the time I don't totally clean out the old purse, I just take the essentials to the new one. But this has me stumped, not sure how the Selsun blue found it's home here.

The purse I am using right now. Target!

Everything I'm packin in my purse at the moment!

This should give an organized person anxiety, but for some reason it really doesn't bother me! I don't know? It's a mystery.

Earring Dilemma Fixed

I am not sure why some projects get done right away and why with some, I procrastinate horribly. I have had this incredibly easy, fun, super-cute idea for months. All the necessary supplies were purchased. Then for some reason, the fifteen minutes it was going to take me to assemble it, I guess became intimidating. I have just let it sit there. Sad. Lonely. Un-loved.

Well, the pressure of blogging about it drove me to complete it. It literally took me fifteen minutes. Why the heck did I wait so long?

Do you need a cute place to organize and display your earrings? I did.

This is what I have been looking at for months. Instead of being an earring holder, it became a convenient place to drape my necklaces. Look, I didn't even take the time to cut off the price tag. Pathetic.

What you will need for this project.

A cute frame without any glass or backing.

An easel of some-type to prop the frame on when complete.

Some screen. It comes in a huge roll, so you will have plenty left over to re-screen a door or some windows. Or, maybe you have an obscene amount of earrings and will need to make a very large one!

A hot glue gun and scissors. The sharpie was to cover up some scratches that were on the frame.

I used an old 8x10 picture to measure the piece of screen I would need. My beautiful baby girls, how time flies.

I gave myself some breathing room and cut it with a little overhang. You can always go back and trim it.

Test out the fit. Make any trimming adjustments.

Using your preheated glue gun, start gluing right on top of your screen. The glue will seep down into the screen securing it to the frame.

I of course felt the need to apply a few coats of glue. You know, make it strong enough so Matty can dangle from it if he feels the need. Really, one coat would do fine. My OCD skills are not necessary for this to turn out successfully.

If your like me and you get sort of sloppy with the glue gun, no worries. That is the beauty of hot glue, it peels right off.

So that's it, all done. Ready to display and organize all your beautiful earrings. So easy and it only took me two months to complete!

My house is one that may look clean, but if you open up any drawer or cabinet you will see the reality. Out of site out of mind, is typically my motto. I love things to be in there place and organized, but more often than not whatever is on-top of the counter is getting swooped into the closest drawer. Especially if someone is on there way over and I haven't had time to pick-up!

I can't even believe I let my makeup drawer get this bad. Embarrassing.

All my horribly unorganized earrings.

Now my drawer looks like this. Gorgeous. Makes me so happy.

I did a little dance.

I guess there is some reward in not being 100% organized and tidy. Taking something from a messy, disorganized disaster and making it beautiful is so much fun!

I did a post on revamping my bathroom awhile back, but it wasn't completely done. I didn't like the mirror I had, it was temporary until I could find a great deal on a larger one. I found this one at Hobby Lobby, it had some chips in it so I got it for 66% off. I love looking for damaged things and asking a manager if they can give me a discount. A little sharpie action and it's all good! Also, Erik finally installed my vanity light for me. So pretty!

What to do with the last blank wall? I could of left it alone. Nah, it needed some love. A clock! Don't you think every bathroom needs a clock to ensure punctuality? I do. And why not go big!

Now, it still needs batteries. So, it's not actually serving it's purpose at the moment. Helping me with my loosing battle of getting the girls to the bus on time. But, it looks cute and that's the main point! It might take me another two months to get those batteries installed, but it will happen. Patience.

BTW: Erik thinks the oversized clock looks ridiculously stupid in a bathroom. Sorry babe.

I would like to say that the bathroom is finished. But, there is one last unfinished project that needs to get done. This one requires Erik's skills, so that probably means it will go unfinished for sometime. He works all day with tools, so using them again when he gets home is not on the top of his list. But, here is what will be, one day.

I purchased these adorable knobs.

The idea is to hang my necklaces from them. Someday.

What Not To Wear

You know those people that hang on to things that they wore in high school thinking that one day it might come back into style. The ones that have a hard time switching gears when it comes to fashion. You know, the ones that get closet intervention from Stacy and Clinton. I am one of those! Well, maybe not as bad, I'd like to think, but in more ways than one I fit that bill.

A lot of it has to do with the fact that I have been out of shape for six plus years, bearing our beautiful children. So I do get some points added for that, right? I mean, who wants to go shopping and spend money on new clothes when your weight is up and down like a roller coaster for that long. Not me, obviously!

So, the whole kid thing is done. Our family is complete. The years of having the baby weight excuse are long gone, Matthew is two and a half. So, were does that leave me? Oh, yeah, closet disaster and major intervention needed. I knew it needed to happen, it was just a matter of doing it.

I knew exactly who to ask to help me make it happen. My Plato's Closet dressing room buddy! Yes, we always ask for the large dressing room. Two reasons. One, our massive pile of clothes to try on will not fit in the smaller dressing rooms. Two, how lonely and boring would it be to try on clothes alone? Seriously. It just becomes a hassle and trying on everything takes longer, because we have to come in and out of our dressing rooms to show each other for outfit approval! It just makes sense, to us anyway!

A few weeks ago, we entered the closet in need.

These boxers were given to me in high school at my 14th birthday party! Wearing boxers to volleyball practice was the thing! Thank you Helen and Shannon for my awesome boxers, I obviously got my use out of them. Fourteen years worth! Yes, and that hole has been there for at least a year. They were my painting shorts, everyone needs a good pair of painting shorts, right?

One of my excuses for not doing this sooner, is that I now have the space to store all my hideous old clothes. But, being blessed with an amazing closet does not mean I should keep the clothes I bought at goodwill when I was in high school. Yes, it pretty much was that bad.

My most commonly tossed item was my ridiculous amount of solid colored shirts. Specifically black! Black hides a lot!

I purchased this fleece when I was fifteen from our church. I love the memories I have of the church I was raised in, but do I really need to harbor this hideous fleece to reminisce? I think taking out the old photo album will suffice!

We were laughing so hard, I was crying!

I didn't even care what was thrown away. I told Heather if she thought it should go, add it to the pile. I wasn't looking!

Time to make a trip to Goodwill and give them back their clothes!

At one point she said, "I can't believe you moved across the country with all of this!" I knew she was thinking, "all this crap," but she doesn't swear, so she stopped her sentence short.  

Yeah, I know, it's bad!

Look at all those empty hangers!

So now my oversized closet looks even more oversized, actually it looks pretty pathetic! Time to go shopping!

A New Everyday and The Kind Stranger

The everyday for me has changed so drastically. It has been a little over a month, since that first day of school!

When the kids all get up, most mornings, the girls get everyone breakfast. Then, they get themselves ready for school, while the boys watch cartoons. I love having independent children, but my goodness, I didn't think it would happen this quick.

I take the girls to the bus at 8:20 and then come back to my house of boys. I had the dishes done, the laundry folded, floors vacuumed, school with the boys complete, all before 10:00 in the morning. I looked around and said out loud, "wow, this is a really strange feeling, I like it!" The boys were riding bikes outside, the house was clean, and I was in awe, I still had my whole day ahead of me!

Of course, my old life comes back around 4:00 each day, when that big yellow bus comes and doubles my head count. But, the eight hours of quiet, that each school day brings, helps me deal with the few hours of craziness at night.

Two boys, for two years, this is my new life! A big change is having to go check on them more often. They are so quiet and I can't always hear what they are up to. With the girls, I could usually figure out what they were doing by what they were saying, and they were always saying.

I know that when summer rolls around again, it's going to hit me like a ton of bricks. Four kids again. Everyday. For three whole months. But, for nine long months, I am going to be a mom with only two kids. Daily errands are going to be a breeze in comparison!

I am also getting used to not always doing girly things. Like the music in the car. Up until now, we always listened to Hannah Montana, Highs School Musical, Taylor Swift, but it feels kind of funny always putting that on, with it just being me and the boys. They are used to it of course and pretty much know all the songs, but I still feel like I should play something more manly. I know Erik would agree!

A side note:

This last weekend, walking out of the grocery store, a lady in her car stops us and rolls down her passenger window. I thought she was going to ask us a question, or that she was giving us the, "your child is standing up in the cart and I am worried about him," statement. No, she was just stopping to give us this beautiful vase of flowers! She said, that she had grown them in her garden, she was leaving on vacation and she wanted to give them to someone to enjoy! I gladly accepted! It is so amazing how a simple act of kindness can completely bless your day!

During this gloomy fall day, they are doing a lovely job of cheering up my kitchen! They smell amazing and every time I walk by, I smile!

Thank you kind stranger!

My world is about to change

This week, my world is changing. I am down to only two at home! The girls are starting school. It's going to be just me and the boys for the next two years. The volume in our home is going to drop drastically, it's going to take me awhile to get used to the quiet!

The girls both got cute new dresses for the first day of school. I wanted to take them out and get some fun pictures. I think I might do this each year before school starts! We just went down the street, to a house that has been for sale for awhile. The grass was all overgrown, and the yard had some pretty yellow daisies in it. They had lots of fun, especially during the jumping pictures!

My girls are so big, love them so much!!! I am excited for them and the new school year!