Creating a Home in Iowa

Cartoon Network Video | Full Online Episodes of Ben 10 and Your Favorite TV Shows!

2010-07-30T22:21:00.000-05:00

Cartoon Network Video Full Online Episodes of Ben 10 and Your Favorite TV Shows!

Running Around in Circles Getting Nowhere Fast!

2010-04-19T12:14:00.006-05:00

That's me... It's been another 2 weeks since I blogged, and although I've taken some baby steps around our home, I'm not making the strides I want to.

I'm now counting down the days left until school is out for the summer (46), because I honestly think I'm not going to get anything major done until the bulk of my volunteering responsibilities are over for the school year.

I'm still trying to get my desk area set up (yes, I know -- it's been weeks), and I continue to need help with my time management issues.

Get Rich Slowly has a great post about time: Struggling with Time Debt. The author details how she had become "time" bankrupt and the steps she took to dig herself out. Although I don't feel like I can quit everything like she did, she does make some good suggestions which I think I can follow:

Prioritize: Of course this all goes back to having a plan, but it also helps to have down on paper all that you are doing. I'm terrible about not having my weekly to-do list down on paper so I can actually see what's going on. It's amazing how much time I spend volunteering and how little I spend on our home!
Pay yourself first: What a great concept! I know I'm not alone in this - a lot of the moms I know rarely put themselves first. Mandi @ Organizing Your Way shared this link from Kat @ Inspired to Action: Refreshed Motherhood: Why and How to Take a Weekly Retreat. Kat has some great ideas for refreshing ourselves! Because we all know - If Momma ain't happy, no one is happy!
Practice Saying "NO": This is a tough one. I want to do so much and I really have a hard time saying no, especially when church and Girl Scouts is involved. Also, when asked to do something, I haven't been using my CMB (cover my backside) response - "I need to check with my husband first." And I really should be checking with my husband first, since he usually has to pick up the slack!

Those bullet points are my goals for this week. I'm already feeling pretty good about myself today - the laundry is started and dinner is in the crockpot. Slow-cooked German Short Ribs - thanks for the recipe, Marjorie!

My husband won't know what got into me. I suspect he will be looking around for a pod...

Opening the Door

2010-04-05T11:43:00.001-05:00

Yesterday our home was filled with people and we got a glimpse of the life we're working to create!

We took a leap of faith as we invited others to share our Easter dinner. Our guest list already included my MIL and another single friend from church who was bringing two friends - a single mom with her young son. I only hesitated for a second as I aproached a young man from our church - I knew his family lived out of town - and asked if he had plans for Easter dinner. He accepted our invitation and asked if he could also bring a friend that had no where to go. Sure!

My courage got the better of me - I was on a roll! We also asked friends from church who live nearby if they would like to join us - they called to say they would drop by after dinner to visit. It was a great day, full of fellowship. When it was over, we realized our home had welcomed 5 friends and 4 new acquaintances!

Our house isn't perfect - there's a lot to do. But our guests didn't seem to notice. And here's where it hit home: It doesn't have to be perfect - it just needs to be welcoming!

We could have missed out on a lot yesterday - I'm thankful we opened the door!

Sharing My Toys

2010-03-26T21:26:00.000-05:00

I'm a sharing person (as long as it's not dark chocolate) - so here's a new toy I really want to share with you! Amy at The Red Chair Blog posted this great Decluttering Tool:

How great is this?!? I've read these type of questions before, but I especially like the one about being free from guilt. Whew! This is so me! I have a hard time letting go of things just because someone else's feelings may be hurt if I got rid of it. But why is it okay for me to keep putting up with something I really don't love or need?

And what about "Does it fit my vision for the life I want to lead?" Ummm... I'm supposed to have a vision? That explains a lot...

Anyway, I'm laminating this - it's going to get of lot of use.

Okay then. So... Anyone need a piano?

Houston, We Have a Problem:

2010-03-22T09:44:00.000-05:00

A problem keeping up with this blog! Can you say 'Time Management'? How do you all do it? It's been two weeks since I last posted anything on here - how do you post and keep up with other stuff, too, you know, like cleaning and laundry, Scouts, church, and kids!

It's been a couple of crazy weeks here at our casa: Brownie Scouts, church youth group, Boy Scouts, Cookie Booth, and then Spring Break last week. My kiddos went over the river and through the woods to Grandma's for the week, and I thought to myself: Wow! Whatever will I do with all that time? Yeah - right - HOW ABOUT CREATING THAT HOME I STARTED A BLOG ABOUT?!?

But I failed... miserably. In fact, the house looks worse than before I started! I have come to the conclusion that I have Homemaker ADD - I mean, I was all over - and it shows, because every room looks like a tornado went through it. EXCEPT the basement, because that's my baby and she gets special treatment!

Where did I go wrong? Did I follow the THE PROCESS? Noooo. Did I not learn anything in February? I know I did! So what happened? My only excuse is wanting it all now! Did it get like this all at once? Nooo. So can I get it all done all at once? Nooo. Gotta work the PROCESS.

So where to start? I spend an incredible amount of time trying to find things. Paper things. Like bills, and paperwork for reimbursements, and files I'm working on. I have no permanent desk/workspace, so things tend to move from room-to-room. So this is where I start.

Wish me luck!

P.S. It's spring in Iowa (even if we did get three inches of snow Friday night) - here's proof:

Um, yeah, the garden is cluttered, too. But don't those flowers whisper 'Spring' to you?

I'm Starting a Love Affair...

2010-03-08T22:52:00.000-06:00

... with my house!

There she is, hiding behind the oak tree and some big bush which is no longer there. Circa 1965, new kid in a new neighborhood. Biggest lot and biggest house - built by a doctor for his family. At the time she was probably a 'Parade of Homes' type house - master suite, his and her closets, lots of storage, intercom! Side-loading garage, family room with fire-place. Large rooms, 2 1/2 baths (unheard of!), lots of mature trees.

But I look at her now and all I see are her imperfections. It's not her fault - our last home was splendid and only 4 years-old when we moved in - it still had that new house smell! And our home before that was a brand-new 5-bedroom Colonial, in a warmer climate! I was accustomed to young, trophy houses!

This poor girl -- 45 years have made their mark. Bathrooms need updated, kitchen needs remodeling, every room needs paint, and she needs a new roof! Sidewalks and driveway are cracked, wood siding needs painting, and her gutters need replaced.

I get frustrated just thinking about the amount of work it will take to get her the way I want her! And then I start resenting her. We could have had a nice, shiny new house again, with an open-concept plan and bathrooms that all have white toilets -- not blue or green!!

Ahh, but our girl has something the others lacked. Yes, our last two homes were beautiful, but -- no mature trees, no shade, no coolness in the heat of summer, and the biggie: NO PRIVACY! You know what I'm talking about! You go out the back door, and it's like being in a fishbowl! You're on display, and, personally, I don't like being on display.

Yes, our old girl played up her assets; she let the cool breeze waft through the trees and scent the air with the sweet seductiveness of lilacs and lily of the valley (how did she know my favs?) She showed off her perennial gardens full of color and lush hostas. And she beckoned us into the shade, into the privacy.

I need to get back to the frame of mind I had when we bought her. Her assets made up for her deficiencies. Don't we do the same with those we know and love? We're not perfect, but don't the good things outweigh the imperfections? Otherwise, how would we explain all those strange relationships out there?!?

I digress...

This is the house where my children will make most of their memories -- our younger children were 5 and 1 when they moved the first time, and this is their 4th house. I want them to remember this house as warm and inviting, not cluttered and chaotic!

So I'm going to start loving on my house - my home. I just hope I have enough energy to see it through!

Blog Spruce Up

2010-03-07T19:42:00.000-06:00

Since I'm sprucing up my home, I thought I would spruce up the blog, too. Sorry if it looks kind of wonky - I'm still working out the kinks. Considering it takes me forever just to type a blog post, this could take awhile.

Knock Me Over With a Feather...

2010-03-07T16:35:00.000-06:00

...and call me happy!!

I WON !! 1st Place - Whole Room Category - Organizing Junkie's 28 Day Organizing Challenge!!

I was up late last night, and you know, I thought, "I'll just check one more time before I go to bed!" And there it was - I had to read it twice. I even clicked through the link to make sure it was me!!

I haven't been this stunned since I won the spelling bee in 6th-grade! (And that's been a few laps around the track, folks!)

As excited as I am to have won the challenge, can I tell you what's more exciting? Walking down those stairs every day and seeing that transformed room! I can't wipe the grin off my face! My kids have been down there EVERY day! It's so quiet around here 'cause THEY'RE IN THE BASEMENT!!!

And I'm pumped! I want to get to work on another space! And I can do it because I know the PROCESS!

Have you checked out all of the entries (whole room / small-space)? I haven't had time yet to comment on everyone's blog, but I already have lots of new ideas. What a bonus!!!

Thanks to everyone for all your kind comments! And how great is it to find out you're not alone -- other people have those messes, too!

Finally - it's nice to get rid of some baggage, and I'm not talking the physical kind. At my age, I've accumulated a lot (that negative, self-talk, "loser" baggage weighs a ton!) Nice to lighten the load for a change!

Thanks Laura and Tanna!

It's Done and I'm Done-In

2010-03-02T00:41:00.007-06:00

I can't believe I finished! My kids are ecstatic - they're already planning on inviting all their friends over. I had my doubts... it's been a wild month, and of course I got sick two weeks ago (gotta love Murphy!), not to mention I've been crazy busy.

Anyway, here we go - The Basement:

If you remember, the stairs were an accident waiting to happen:

I got those cleared off right away, but here's a new pic showing they're still clear:

Remember how you were greeted at the bottom of the stairs? Kind of hard to take it all in, isn't it?

It was nuts! Can I tell you how hard it was to post the before pictures?

Are you ready for the after? Are you sure?

My daughter has been skipping and jumping all over this room!! "I can find everything, Mom!" "Oh wow, I can't wait to start playing here!" I had to beg her to wait until I had the pictures taken! It's great to be able to see the floor - and to be able to vacuum it, too!

Okay then, Here's another one - this is the toy / dress-up area:

Kind of hard to play when every inch of the floor has junk on it. Here's the new and improved:

The double bins contain dress-up / role-playing clothes (my 7yo daughter and 11yo son love to act-out the latest movie they've seen!) The wheeled carts contain Barbies, Ponies, Pollys and a few accessories. I'm so proud of my daughter - she was great at getting rid of things! She gave up a play-vanity, a Dora Kitchen, a Dora House with lots of accessories, dress-up clothes she has outgrown, and even some games, just to mention a few things. What struck me most was she didn't have to keep those things to remember the fun she had with them -- I want to be like her when I grow up!

Okay, next up we have the computer area before:

I have almost killed myself getting across the room to the computer - the obstacle course could have been included in the Olympics! The desk in this area was not the best use of this space - so I moved it, um, okay, my hubby moved it and I kind-of pushed it a little bit. I moved a small bookcase into it's place:

The bookcase holds a bin of Play-doh, a bin of Mr. Potato Heads, paper, coloring books, a bin of well-loved books suited to my 3yo and 6yo grandsons, and a bin of art supplies. I also added a small table and chairs to play at. The previous owners had this strange shelf on the wall, and though I'll probably remove it in the future, right now it holds foam alphabet squares that my grandkids like to play with. The shelf is the perfect size, and by keeping them up high, I have more control over when they're played with.

Now the built-ins - before:

Now, I really wanted to paint these - and the room, too, for that matter. But the aroma of paint in a closed up house was more than my suffering sinuses would bear. I figure I'll paint them this summer when I can air out the house while the paint dries. I'm a little disappointed, but I reminded myself that this was an organizing challenge, not a decorating one!

So here's the after:

Please ignore the awful paint job (thank-you previous owners!) Here are some closer shots:

I don't think I would be exagerating if I said my kids had over 500 books! And that doesn't include the books in their bedrooms! We sorted through and pulled out the ones that were easy readers and the ones which just weren't up to 'pass down to your kids' standards. The easy readers were boxed-up for the grandsons, and all the others were boxed up for a fundraiser at church.

And yes, that is the Encyclopedia Britannica, circa 1994. I know kids today are computer savvy -- my son's favorite saying is "Let's Google it!" But sometimes, just opening an encyclopedia can be a lot of fun -- you never know what you're going to find. And it's also good for the old-age comments, because, you know, I was alive when the dinosaurs walked the earth!

There's a shelf full of Magic Tree House books for my daughter to start reading, courtesy of her brother. Another shelf contains some science reference books, and the top shelf has Mad-Libs and joke books enjoyed by my son.

Rather than just lumping all the books together, I arranged them at different angles so the kids could see what was there.

The other shots show some games and puzzles, and Play-doh sets placed up high. This keeps things out of reach from the grandsons, and my kids can still reach everything.

So where did the computer desk end up? Well right here:

You know, my hubby is a trooper. When I told him I wanted to move the computer desk, and that I needed his help, he had no idea that also meant he had to put in a new electrical outlet and a phone jack! And then call our internet provider because the DSL wasn't working.

When the desk was moved, I also moved out approximately 15 cd-roms - mostly educational games my kids have outgrown. Everything else was reorganized in the drawers. I also cleared out the two previous modems and accompanying cables. Why was I keeping them???

This post is getting long, not to mention I've got a deadline, so let's continue. My reading/sitting area, before:

It's under here somewhere... oh, here it is:

And now, the after:

This is an homage to my early 'country' decorating days. I still love this vignette, and I'll probably live with it for a while longer. And don't you love my $5.00 garage sale chair? I have plans for her!

And finally, the corner next to the stairs: Wait, I didn't take a before picture (I couldn't get around the stuff!) There was an antique dresser here, piled with junk. We moved it upstairs - it will have a more fitting home in the guest bedroom.

Now here is where the treadmill resides, and I moved a bookcase next to it. It's missing a shelf (I didn't get enough of those peg things). Here is where I have some board books for the 18 mo-old grandson, a couple of file boxes containing files I refer to often, and some more encyclopedia-type books for the grandsons. I don't know what I'll put on the other shelf -- maybe I'll leave it bare!

One other thing - did you notice my new futon? Me neither. The one I had my eye on was no longer available, so I'm still searching.

Okay, now for the answers to the questions Laura posed.

1. What was the hardest part of the challenge for you and were you able to overcome it? The hardest part was being overwhelmed with all the stuff!! I would work at it, but it didn't look like I accomplished anything. And I would quit. But then I would remind myself that I was being held accountable (and I said I wasn't a loser and I didn't want to be.) And I knew others were rooting for me. So I just kept plugging away. It's amazing what a little cleared space can do, as it got bigger I was more confident that I would succeed.

2. Tell us what kind of changes/habits you have put into place in order for your area/room to maintain its new order? Nothing goes into the basement unless it already has a home. It was easy to use the basement as a 'stash and dash', but after dealing with all that stuff, I really just don't want to be back there again. And because everything has a home, it's easy to make sure it's put back.

3. What did you do with the “stuff” you were able to purge out of your newly organized space? My daughter is giving the vanity to her grandma for when her younger cousins come to visit. The Dora Kitchen and Dora House will go on Craigslist with my daughter pocketing the cash! A few items were put aside for the grandsons -- they will be visiting soon, and I'll ask their parents if they are interested in any of it. What they don't take will be sent to the Goodwill. Clothes were sorted and sent to the local food pantry for their kids closet, everything else went to Goodwill. Books to church for a fundraiser. And a lot of items ended up in either the recycling bin or trash bin.

4. What creative storage solutions were you able to introduce in order to create additional space as well as establish some limits and boundaries? I think using bins sized for the item stored and limiting the amount of bins used creates the boundaries. For example, when the role-playing bins won't close, we'll know it's time to weed somethings out. Also, keeping things stored up higher means the grandsons can't grab everything and dump it all over. Finally, I did not make one purchase for storage -- I used bins we already had - I even had some leftover when I was done.

5. Why do you think you should win this challenge? I think I should win because I am an example that you're never to old to make changes that can impact your life for the better. I'm 51 and have lived most of my life in a mess. And I still have other messes which need attention. But now that I have taken these baby steps and was successful, I know that I can conquer what still needs to be done. And more importantly, I'm teaching my children the PROCESS, too!

My First Baby Step Done!

2010-02-04T11:56:00.002-06:00

I'm sweating it, folks! It's Feburary 4th - only 24 more days to go and I only have one thing done! But it looks great:

Wow! What a difference! Now, when I hear a clunking noise from the basement, my heart won't stop from fear that someone has tripped over the junk on the stairs.

I even swept her down nice and pretty. You won't believe what was lurking there in the shadows - a disgusting family of bust bunnies (just keeping it real):

Yeah, that's them, cowering together, begging for mercy. NO WAY! You're outta here!

Whew! I feel pretty good now - the momentum is building! Hope my husband doesn't have any plans this evening, 'cause I got some honey-do jobs with his name on them! (I wonder how difficult it would be to build an elevator to the basement, and if I could add that to the list, hmmm....)

Keep Moving Forward!!

My PLAN with a Capital "P"

2010-02-02T14:35:00.002-06:00

I did it! Because I'm good at planning, remember?

So here's my Top 10 Questions for my First Step of the PROCESS:

1. What do I want the purpose of my room or area to be?

I would love for this room to be used by our family (mainly our children and their friends) for fun (Playstation), for reading and computer time, for play (toys, puzzles, etc.), for creativity (Play-doh, art, etc.), with some exercise thrown in, AND a spot for mom (me!) to read.

2. What do I need in or near the room to serve that purpose?

Table and Chairs (Have on hand)
TV Area Seating (Would like to get futon)
Storage Cupboards / Shelves / Bins / Pegboard (Have most)
Desk (Have on Hand)
Bookcases (Built-Ins there and two on hand)
Entertainment Center (Have on hand)
Reading Chair(s) (Have on hand)

3. What can I remove from the room?

Outgrown Toys & Books
Things that don't belong that were dumped in the room
Dresser
Back Piece to Living Room Entertainment Center
Pictures / Mirrors
Papers
Stuff Piled on Stairs

4. What problems do I see with the room?

No Clear Zones for Each Purpose
Not Enough/Adequate/Appropriate Storage for Toys/Games/Books
Not Enough Seating
No Natural Light
Dull Paint Colors

5. What organizational tools might solve those problems?

Bins/Cupboard for Toys/Games/Etc.
Labeling

6. What habits need to change to solve the organizational problems?

Everything needs a home
Items need to be returned to their "home"
No Dumping!!
Maintenance
Having a sense of pride in a well-organized basement

7. What kind of a budget do I have to create the organized room of my dreams?

$300.00 (this includes the cost of the futon)

8. What kind of a timeline is necessary to organize the room?

28 days!

9. What is my plan of action?

Remove stuff from stairs
Since I ~~won't~~ can't empty the room, I will remove everything that doesn't belong
Purge books that are no longer read/enjoyed by our kids
Purge toys that are no longer used by our kids
Move bookcases to new 'homes'
Organize games/toys/art supplies, etc.
Organize books/computer games/videos
Paint built-in bookshelves
Paint room
Create zones identified above
Move furniture/treadmill to appropriate zones

Finally ask yourself:

10. Who can I ask to help me with this?

My husband
My kids
My Challenge Sisters (a wonderful source of encouragement!)

Gulp!

Oh well... in the great words of Walt Disney, "Keep moving forward!"

It's a Process...

2010-02-01T16:41:00.003-06:00

... and Laura knows it! And that's why she's the Organizing Junkie and I'm just a lowly Junkie youngling.

So I need a PROCESS, cause the current "process" of putting stuff in the basement until it's stuffed isn't working.

The first step is "Plan of Attack."

I can do this - I'm a great planner! I have tons of notebooks filled with plans! I just opened my favorite notebook - here it is - "Plans for Summer/Fall 2009." Hmmm... maybe that's a bad example, because I'm looking over the list and it seems I didn't... accomplish... anything. Surely there must have been a reason, right, right?

Oh yeah, there's a reason alright - I made the plan and didn't look at it again! Does this sound familiar to anyone? Someone? Am I alone in this? (oh the humanity...)

So... another good reason to go public. I can't close my notebook and ignore this one, 'cause my fellow challengers will be checking this blog. And they'll be thinking, "Sure, she's going to get that mess cleaned up - hah!" "Where's the pictures, where's the progress, where's the plan!!" "She's such a loser!"

I AM NOT A LOSER!!!

So I'm making my PLAN tonight and I'm telling the world about it tomorrow. What's your PLAN?

We Interrupt This Blog for a Shameless Cookie PSA

2010-02-01T15:54:00.003-06:00

Do cookies call your name, like at night after the kids have gone to bed, and the house is ever-so quiet? No? Not even GIRL SCOUT COOKIES?

It's Girl Scout Cookie time here in Iowa and girls of all ages are busy taking cookie orders. If it's cookie time in your neck of the woods, don't forget to order from your local Scouts! Cookie Sale profits provide great opportunities for girls to develop leadership skills where they can Discover, Connect, and Take Action, building Courage - Confidence - Character!

We now return you to our regularly scheduled blog!

I'm Ready for the Challenge!

2010-02-01T12:02:00.008-06:00

Outside of some family members and a few close friends, my disorganization is a well-kept secret. I've been following Laura for some time now, and I finally got the courage to play along "publicly" with one her challenges.

I'm ready to ~~come out of the closet~~ climb out of the basement. I even created this blog so I could show the world my mess! And here it is!

This may require some meds or a paper bag...breathe, breathe...

No, it's okay, I'm ready! Here it is!

Well, okay, that's just the stairway leading to the mess -- already I'm in trouble. I'm surprised no one has fallen over this junk yet! It's been sitting there for awhile, waiting ~~for an airlift out~~ to be sent to the Goodwill. Let's walk down to the bottom, shall we? Remember to watch your step!

Come on in -- it's okay, we're insured.

Lovely way to be greeted - I should post warning signs - "Enter at Your Own Risk," "I'd Turn Back if I Were You," "Authorized Personnel Beyond This Point." (Hmm - maybe I can really use that last one...)

There really needs to be a 12-step program for this!
I digress. How about a few more?

I'd love to blame this on my kids, really I would. Oh they've done their share of contributing to THIS masterpiece, but I am the true author - they are mere footnotes!

And we've only been in this house for 2 1/5 years, folks! You thought it was longer, didn't you? This is where my kids should be playing. And I should be treadmilling. And my kids should be playing!! Instead they're in the living room, the family room, the dining room. And so is their stuff!!

I want my house back!!! Okay... I never really had it, but I WANT IT! So I'm starting here. That's my story.

And the next time someone says you have the messiest basement ever, please feel free to show them this post and prove them wrong!! Of course if you wait until the end of the month, you'll need to make sure they don't see my winning entry, 'cause baby, then you COULD HAVE the messiest basement ever, I'm just sayin'!

If you want to see other messes (not as bad as mine), go see Laura - she'll fix you right up!