Once Again...

Once again, this year, I finished my list only with Rich's help and use of the mercy clause! I felt rather unmotivated through most of the challenge; I had so many seemingly big things on the list! And time seemed to fly by (a week-long trip back home sure helped that time fly). For FHE one night, Rich decided the lesson would be about helping each other. He had me choose one thing from the list, and we worked on it together. My most daunting was the catch-all counter and drawers, but cleaning out the fridge was a very close second. Between the two of us, it took about 40 minutes; I can't imagine how long it would have taken by myself! But all shelves are now washed, walls in the fridge washed - it looks so new and clean! He also kept checking in with me on the items on my list. I did get those catch-all spaces cleaned - hurray! And instead of cleaning under the sink, I replaced that with having rearranged part of the cupboards when cleaning the dishes/pantry shelving in our kitchen.

Rich had his own list, too, which he worked on during the course of this challenge. We now have the second set of hooks for coats in the entryway, another picture hung and the entryway mirror moved! And the garage is uncluttered again!

So, once again, three cheers for a husband who gently pushes me onwards to the finish line...while working on his own spring cleaning list! And three cheers for the big stuff finally getting done!! The biggest relief for me is finally returning all of the loaned items to their rightful owners!

Book review

So if I were to host this challenge in a more formal setting, I'd make this book required reading. It's called "A Life that Says Welcome" by Karen Ehman.

I noticed a copy of it on my mother-in-law's counter this Christmas. It was all marked up and tagged. So a few weeks ago when I was really feeling the "creating home" itch I checked it out at the Shoreline (King county) library. I love this book! So much I need to work on (mostly attitude/pride/fears etc) and lots of encouragement.

It's nothing revolutionary, but poses some great questions to ask yourself about your attitude/heart and then provides great tips, recipes, and stories. She's christian and so her thesis is in a sense, "God has commanded us to be loving and hospitable. If we open our hearts then God will send people our way. So prepare yourself." She's a girl after my own heart, in that she talks a lot about inexpensive ways to do things, how to simplify, and just be very real with life. It made me excited about the kind of woman I hope to be in 15 to 20 years.

Favorite quote: "When there is room in your heart, there is room in your home."

So there you go. I just returned my copy to the library (the spl system doesn't have it, just king county). Let me know if you ever read it and what you think.

Last Day and Choosing our Reward

Well that was fast. Today is the last day friends. I have three things left on my list--stove, oven, and chalk on the back patio area. Good thing it's sunny; I'm motivated. How about you guys?

And now for the fun stuff: How do we want to play? Sorry I've been a bit of a slacker this year planning-wise. With all the baby/moving fun I haven't planned our "party" and I feel like we need to leave tomorrow open to anyone doing mother's day fun.

So, here are a few ideas.

A. Potluck lunch play-date at the Talbots, on a weather permitting day, 11:30 to 1:00 ish
B. Girl's night at Chocolati, 8:15 pm next Tuesday or another night
C. Other awesome idea?

Votes?

Even though this year a has been a little different from last year, the challenge has helped me feel a lot better about things that needed doing and I did them way before I had too (for our move). Thanks for doing it along with each other!

Mercy Clause

I think it was Kathryn's brilliant idea last year that we should have a "mercy clause" for this challenge. And since I'm definitely in need of it and maybe all y'all are too, let's do this: You may change any 5 items on your  list for 1) another project or 2) something you've already done during this month that wasn't on your list but totally could have been. For example, if you start organizing a desk and then moved on to a closet and conquered that too? But the closet wasn't on your list? Well, boom! Now you can get credit for it. Of course, you'll have to be honest with yourself about what counts for this switcheroo, but don't be a martyr.

Overdue post

So I feel bad because I haven't yet posted on the blog. I feel like I have so many things I was meaning to write and then never did and so now I'm behind and well...there you have it. I even started writing some posts but never published them.

At the beginning of the challenge I was really motivated by my master list of tasks. I happily did the task knowing that I could mark it off. Unfortunately now many of those tasks need to be re-done because life happens and now those spots are unorganized again. However, there have been some unexpected benefits of my list. The other day Aidan (my 3 year old) was having a melt down for some silly reason so I told him I was going in the garage until he calmed down. While I was in there taking my "time out" I remembered that organizing the tools is on my list. A little while later the crying stopped and the workbench was cleared. It felt so good to check something off my list during that intense moment. This 3 year old age can be exhausting!

I read the book "The Happiness project" awhile ago. Essentially the author focuses on a different area of her life(energy, family, friendships, creativity etc.) each month for a year and has specific tasks she does to try and improve these areas. and I enjoyed it as a jumping off place for my own "projects." One of the things I took away from the book was her idea of the 1 minute rule. Her rule that she tried for a month was that if a task took less than a minute she had to do it right away. It really is true that so many tasks take us less than a minute to do (put something back, pick up toys off the floor etc) and they really make the house look better and make us feel less cluttered.

This brings me to some of the tasks on my list which are to help me clear the clutter. It feels so good to go through a space and eliminate unnecessary items. I have a hard time letting go of things so this task is challenging for me. One Saturday we had a failed morning -> Driving to visit the tulips + car breaking down = unexpected time at home. David ran around the house with the boys while I tackled a few items on my list. Afterwards I kept thanking him for that gift of giving me that uninterrupted time. Since our car breaking down I have been really distracted by shopping for a new car. I kind of forgot about the list. Glad I still have a week left to check off those last items. Too bad they are the ones I was avoiding!

 

Good luck to you all!

Half done maybe and something about a cursed spot

I am sure it comes as no surprise to most of you that I am only about half done with most of my list. There is the big stuff and a few small things to do. I have been trying to chip away at the more visible stuff from the beginning. The windows I cleaned are now filthy again in the areas the kids can reach but I knew that would happen. Anywho I am going to try to do the more organizing based projects today and see what I can get through on this super sunny Cinco de Mayo Sunday. I should have put down to lay in the sun to clear my mental funkiness. Who knew we would have summery days in early May?!

Anyone have a good solution for carpet spots? I suspect it is dog urine. I have tried a solution of vinegar, dawn dishsoap. I have tried every cleaner I own but no dice. Grrrrr! It's not even fading much, it's just making the fibers of the carpet look scraggly from scrubbing at it.

Freak-outs and tender mercies

So of course it's getting close to the end and I still had about ten, maybe eleven things left on my list that needed to be finished, this is on the second of May. So I started to get freaked out because I was avoiding two things that I know will take a loooooooooooong time, along with all those other little, maybe not as long things on my list, yeesh. Anyway, that happened to coincide perfectly with the strep throat bacteria I apparently caught somewhere flaring up and knocking me off my feet. Great, just great. So I was pretty much laid out for the last two days, but lo and behold, my son has taken care of one of the things on my list! Which really he should be doing anyway (scratch off:Sort out Julian's desk space) but it's like ESP, his detail oriented personality, and all things positive were working to help calm me down so I didn't get too discouraged. He's been going through his mountain of stuff, and recycling, trashing and getting to the actual surface of his desk! Yay! Which really is a feat people. I wasn't kidding when I said mountain. If you've ever seen the boys room, they have a bunkbed and the desk is fitted under the end of the top bunk, and the designers closed it off from the other bed which lays perpendicular to the top, so there's basically a wood wall attached to the flat desk space. Long, poor description short, it means he (and I) can keep piling and piling and piling things on that desk until it's basically reached the heights of the top bunk...yeah. But he's done it, I can see his desk, really and truly, and all this without me asking him! Ah, sweet sweet tender mercies. And see, sometimes kids really do clean up without us having to ask them, amazing.

72 Hour Kits

I've determined that the purpose of my 72 hour kits are for the chance that I'll have to evacuate my house for a period of time, and possibly live out of a tent. Ironically, I don't own a tent. Perhaps I should buy one......and some sleeping bags to go with it. Do you ever feel like you are never prepared enough?

Alas, I've done 72 hour kits over and over again and this time I decided it was time to go a much simpler route

• Everything in there had to have an expiration of at least 12 months from the day I purchased it
• Our entire family's kit would be combined instead of three separate backpacks

What's Inside Small Rolling Suitcase:
Fruit Strips (3)---Dried Apple Slices (3)---Cup o' Noodles (3) ---Large Pineapple Juice (1)---Individual OJ's (3)---Beef Jerky packs (4)---Mountain House Dried Dinners (4)---Mountain House Dessert (1)---Trident Gum---2 liter water for cooking

My sister told me about Mountain House. She vouched for the value of the food as she's eaten it during hiking adventures. She clarifies it's not as good as it would be from your own kitchen, but it's good. I researched these a bit online and then found them at Winco! I haven't tasted one though. If I need them, I'm sure I'll happily eat them.

Benefits:

• 10 Year Shelf life
• Just add hot water into the the pouch
• Apx 2 Servings per package

I plan on picking up a few more during my next trip, and pretty soon I won't really have to check on my 72 hour kits as often! Honestly, the 72 Hour Kit box they have online doesn't seem like a bad deal at all. Of course, it's only their pouches. I'd probably still stick some snacky type foods into my other backpack.

Packed into the case and there's still room for more

What's Inside the Backpack
Toilet Paper---Garbage Bags (ponchos/rain protection/etc...)---Extra shirt and socks for each of us---Ziploc bag contains things like toothbrushes/floss/paste--feminine items---batteries---flashlight---plastic silverware---can opener---bandaids---hand sanitizer

I know there are many more things I can tuck into there, but for the time being the only additional things I plan to tuck away are:

• list of emergency contacts and personal info
• list of everything else that doesn't fit in the bag that we'd need to remember to grab. This includes:
• A couple cases of water bottles
• Extra Contacts/Glasses (probably should tuck some contact solution in there)
• Sleeping Bags/Tent ....oh wait

Checklist

For my own viewing pleasure--and so I can easily recall next time what I still have to do...ugh...here's the list of completed items.

File taxes

Cut coupons/clean coupon binder

Mop floors

Assemble 72 hour kits

Assemble first aid kit

Assemble car kit/extra glasses

Wash/Bleach whites

Wash walls

List amazon items

Shred papers

Write letters to till and N.G.

Remove license plate cover

Purchase wood for shelf

Return Laura's and Cory's books

Organize game closet

Vacuum my room

Dust bedrooms

Sweep garage

Remove window tape from glass

Wash mirror

Wipe down fridge

Clean off dresser top/pack frames away

Rearrange lamps

Clean out under bed

Scan Katyas letter

Kinda embarrassing that I still haven't vacuumed my room this entire time. It's amazing those little things that literally take a commercial break to do, keep going undone.

Less than 10 days left!

Well I've come down to the avoid-'em items on my list. Two are mostly done, I'm just lazy and don't want to wrap it up. Lost the momentum. The others I've just plain avoided. Like the oven. It's really not that hard. I even have a self-clean oven. Hello! Just turn the darn thing on and wipe out.

How about you guys? Going to finish by May 10th?