Point A to Point B

My preschool age son is enjoying a new workbook that teaches pencil control.

It's really fun watching him concentrate (think of how people often stick their tongues out while cutting). He hasn't yet fully decided if he's left or right handed--we think it's probably left--so he's alternating hands.

He starts at the green dot, follows the path of whatever illustration (trash truck, flying bird, skier, etc.) and finishes at the red dot.

If only life were as neat, predictable and easy to navigate as workbook pages. Sigh.

(Can you tell I was one of those kids that got super excited about new books, notebooks and pens at the start of the school year?)

But here's what I'm learning: It's not just about getting from one dot to the other. It's what happens in between that really matters.

This weekend, my husband and I discussed my tendency to wish away the present as I anticipate the future. I was listening to some empty nesters talking about their impromptu plans to just head to the shore for a day. It sounded really nice.

I wish, oh how I wish, that I could be so spontaneous. I tell myself I could be spontaneous if I were an empty nester. But right now? I don't think we could do that. With a preschooler and toddler, it takes military-style tactical manuevers to get out the door.

Truthfully, I'm not sure I could do it, even without small children. I'd be worrying about what was left undone at home. I'd mentally be somewhere else, doing something different, again.

This is dangerous thinking.

If I don't purposefully choose a course for my life--or as a Christian, submit to God's will for it--there will always be a savvy marketer happy to help me fill my time and empty my wallet.

So I want to intentionally enjoy each moment. Stopping to smell the roses, if you will. This requires me to be proactive, setting goals to make this season meaningful. They don't have to be perfectly executed, but they will push me to aim higher than no goals at all.

It will also be important to try and stick with the plan when the day goes off course. As I've been reflecting during the past months (this is much bigger than one conversation with hubby), I've recognized how easy it is to react, explode with frustration, and vow to get less upset next time, without making any real changes.

In the next two weeks, I'm planning to take a big step back and sit in a quiet place where I can think clearly. I want to map out a general direction for the next few years, establish priorities, and maybe even draft a family values covenant.

I can't wait to get started, even if my progress is a little shaky for awhile.

Emotional Whiz Kids

I have two amazing little boys who teach me so much about the world. I am learning that they are also excellent mirrors for me and sort of a litmus test for my own inadequacies.

You see, if you don't already know, parenting is a humbling experience. Imagine with me...

• Realizing you've left the house with no makeup or appreciable hairstyle, but plenty of drool and/or snot on your collar.
• Talking down a child who is insisting on a balloon from the party store, when you only wanted to run in and return a $2.99 item. He plunks his bottom on the sidewalk and refuses to walk to the car.
• Having your nursing babe grab at your shirt in front of complete strangers, only to have them return a smirky smile.
• Holding out your hands, imploring your child to just, "throw up here" so he doesn't get it all over the carpet at the library during storytime.

A wise person said, "I was the perfect parent until I had children." We think we know a lot about how children should be reared until we are in the trenches, dealing with tantrums, sickness and just plain immature behavior.

I've long said that if my boys have the basics--enough rest, food and opportunity to eliminate--life is swell. However, after some recent experimentation and contemplation, I have two more items to add to the list:

 












Eye Contact
When I was growing up, my Mom (a cat fanatic) explained to me that if you want to bond with a cat, you should look it in the eyes and slowly blink at it. I'm still of the opinion that cats tend to choose one favorite person in the house, but it's commonly agreed that emotionally healthy people like eye contact.

I realized how often I was expecting my kids to "just play quietly for a minute" so I could tidy the kitchen, put away groceries, or pack the diaper bag to go somewhere. They were supposed to be happy on the floor while I was quickly walking back and forth. So when I read part of this book and realized that I wasn't giving much focused eye contact, I tried it out on my kids. So far, it really seems to be making a difference, not only in them, but in me. I find some very maternal feelings welling up when I take just a few seconds to gaze into their precious blue eyes.

Free Play
I really do think that my kids would be happiest if I just laid on the floor with them all day long while they played next to, or on top, of me.

That idea just about bores me to death. I thrive on accomplishing things.

These kiddos, they are smart. They know when Mommy is rammy* and can't just BE. This is something I'm really trying to work on, mostly for their sakes. Being present in the moment and lingering a little too long on the couch is not a bad thing.

The bad Mommy police will not come after me if we are a few minutes late to storytime, but the kids will remember if there was yelling and a battle to get dressed. The more exasperated I become, the more irritated they become, and the spiral begins. I'm the parent and I need to choose to go more slowly.

It's also really important not to overschedule their day. They want to wrestle and play trains and rearrange every.single.toy. in the house. And slowly, gradually, I am able to fold laundry or knit or even clean nearby while they do their "work."

What are you learning about the needs of others in your life?


*Sorry if you aren't PA Dutch. This means agitated, wiggly, a little anxious and eager to get a move on.

Deja Vu

It's déjà vu all over again. -Yogi Berra

It seems like this house has been on an every-other-week cycle of sick-recovering-sick-recovering. And most amazingly, it's been Mommy who's been down for the count more than anyone else. (And we aren't talking sniffling, sneezing, etc. We are talking full-out stomach sickness, twice.)

I am totally learning how to ask for help from others. Getting over the guilt of having to call family members home from work to do "my job"...not so much. 

There are a number of growing edges for me in this situation: 

• There is no choice but to let the housework go.
• I must accept help from others without being able to quickly reciprocate. It's fascinating how I display this pattern of having to "even the score" with those who assist me. Like I'm afraid they will reject me if I need too much.
• My boys really can rise to the occasion when Mommy struggles to do more than lay on the floor. I was so impressed with their emotional IQ on this. (More in a future post.)
• I've been reminded again that I cannot keep running on fumes, and maybe a 9pm bedtime isn't cool, but it's what I need right now.
• We must wield the bottle of hand sanitizer as a mighty anti-germ-warfare weapon every time we get in the car from an errand or play date.

Allow me to share with you my new triage plan for personal sanity in times following illness:

Deal with the dishes
I get really grossed out thinking about what grows on the dishes that accumulate on the counter during these spells of illness. The first thing I tackle is unloading and reloading the dishwasher (washing hands often) and cleaning the counters and table.

Gather laundry
More heebie-jeebies lurk on towels, dishcloths and clothing (especially if your kids are snotting on your shirt...and don't pretend that never happens in your house!) I at least try and wash everything on hot and dry it, even if it sits in baskets for a few days before being put away.

Sanitize
Finally I wipe down all the bathrooms and any surfaces that we tend to neglect--doorknobs, light switches, remotes, etc. because heaven knows you've been stumbling around and watching more TV than usual.

Rest
Just step over the clutter and go to bed. It will be there in the morning!
(And for whatever reason, it's just easier to clean when there's daylight.)

So what's your game plan when sickness has thrown your household into chaos and confusion?



Today's disclaimer: For those of you familiar with the roots of déjà vu, I do not believe in reincarnation.

The Stuff (Almost) No One Tells You About

I think this devotional was written just for me today. Maybe it will encourage you, too.

Reality Check

Hi, everyone. I'm sorry it's been over a month since I last wrote.

I assure you there is a good reason. Also, I assure you some positive changes are coming to my little corner of the blog world. (Hang with me for a few paragraphs).

Since the Internet is a big place, I don't want to put too many specifics out there. What you need to know is that everyone in my family is safe and managing for the most part.

When I was a working-outside-the-home gal, I worked in a retirement community and we learned about this group of folks called the "sandwich generation." Those are people who are caring for an elder in their family, often a parent, in addition to trying to raise their kids. Now I'm standing in the same shoes. Once again, I've had an a-ha moment, realizing how lightly I took this role. (I had the same kind of a-ha experience when my Mom passed away. I didn't really understand HOW hard it was or what was helpful to say to people.)

As I write this, I realize how petty this may sound, but this is the first time in my life that I'm just plain unable to see the bottom of my to-do list. And forget tackling those fun ideas I'm just starting to find on Pinterest, or the books I want to read, or keeping the amount of white space in my inbox that I want. I've found the outer limits of my "capability."

I'm sure many of you have lived or are living in this zone, treading water or just putting out fires. I'm trusting that it's going to be for a finite period of time, but I don't know. I've actually huffed around in weak moments saying, "I guess my life just isn't ever going to be about anything I want to do." Then I proceeded to go on and fantasize about maybe doing fun stuff in retirement.


It's disgusting the nasty stuff that lies dormant in your heart, isn't it? Clear countertops and decluttered closets don't mean pure thoughts, no sirree! Maybe I should have a t-shirt like the neighbor boy's that has a picture of a lobster and says "I'm a little bit shellfish."

So what does this mean for the blog?

For starters, I'm going to talk a little bit more about bringing balance into your life.

One of my goals right now is to be "present" wherever I find myself. That means not worrying about the dishes when I'm out in the yard with my kids. It also means not worrying about my kids when I'm listening to a healthcare provider giving me caregiving instructions. It means gazing into my husband's eyes and asking after him even when we're ready to collapse after the kids go to bed.

I'm also going to continue to try and allow myself to receive more help from others who love and care about me. Some of them read this blog, and I want them to know how grateful I am for them.

Finally, the blog might become a bit more about me. I purposefully kept it sterile in the beginning, and I still want to maintain professionalism and privacy. Still, we are all human, we are all growing during this journey of life, and we can't exist in a vacuum (...although my son thought it would be funny to go inside the dishwasher when I started it up tonight).

Are you feeling the tension between necessary responsibilities and time for self-expression and self-care? What kind of changes would you like to see from the blog? Thanks in advance for your comments!

Make the Most of Your Meals (Part 4)

Let's start with some accountability, shall we?

This week, I lost a number of produce items: half an apricot, half a red pepper that was generating its own slime pool, and a red onion. I must keep working to have regular turnover in the fridge, and make it a point to look in the fruit and vegetable drawers on a daily basis.

On a high note, going shopping this week gave me an opportunity to use my new produce bags. I am so thrilled to be done with those wispy plastic bags that are questionably recyclable. One small step on my way to less plastic in the house.

I didn't get a photo of my groceries this week because of hungry kids and jumping into evening meal prep right away. It was mostly produce and dairy, but I did some stocking up because of ridiculously good deals. Counting a dozen ears of bicolor corn from a local farm stand, and a beautiful basket of peaches ($18), I paid $60.59 for food this week.

Photo credit Jonathan Alderfer

Using a store coupon, I bought 5 packs of shredded cheese for $1.48 apiece. I don't think I've ever gotten such a good deal. Now that finally realized I can freeze that cheese, look out! I won't pay $3 a bag again.

Also, by combining an ice cream sale with a coupon, I paid $1.38 each for two 1.5qt containers of summery refreshment!

This week's menu:
Monday: Zucchini Deep Dish Pie to use up a huge zucchini from the garden. I'll add more onion next time.
Tuesday: Stuffed Shells to use up my semi-homemade pasta sauce. I set some aside to give away.
Wednesday: Popcorn chicken from the freezer, corn on the cob, and broccoli.
Thursday: Chicken Parmesan using some prepared breaded chicken breasts and salad.
Friday: Pulled pork sandwiches (meat and buns from freezer) with chips and cut up veggies
Saturday: Dijon-Lime chicken, rice, and leftover veggies. Also chocolate zucchini cake!
Sunday: Waffles and peaches, breakfast casserole

This week I want to give you some suggestions for maintaining a well-supplied--yet not overflowing--pantry. And by pantry, I mean wherever you keep unopened packages of non-perishable foods.

(Wow, look at this picture from an earlier post...I really have gotten a bit overzealous because there hasn't been any empty shelf space in my pantry for a long time. Plus the kids food has it's own cabinet now.)

I'm very pleased to present you with this Pantry Inventory list.  I developed this list after looking through my recipes and what's currently in my pantry. It's a great jumping-off point; please feel free to download it and customize to your heart's content.

A few other thoughts:

• Consult your pantry every time you are planning your menu for the week. If you are getting sick of seeing something in the pantry, or there are more than three containers of the same thing, you need to find a way to use that ingredient. 
• One exception to the above rule pertains to seasonal items. I stock up on a lot of things around Thanksgiving, like flour, canned green beans, french fried onions, pumpkin, and baking chips (chocolate, cinnamon, etc.), because the price will not be that low again until next Thanksgiving. I am also noticing a lot of good deals on PB&J and other lunch ingredients since we are in back-to-school season.
• Some items don't have a very long shelf life. Be sure to check the "best by" dates and rotate your inventory by using up the oldest item first.
• As you review what you have on hand, don't be afraid to admit you overbought. Find a food bank or worthy organization that can use your donations. They will be grateful.
• A note about condiments: I have become aware of a condiment force field at my house. For two adults, we have about15 bottles of salad dressing, several BBQ and steak sauces, a ridiculous amount of jellies, and enough peanut butter to keep us fed during a month-long power outage. With this type of food, you can anticipate the need to replace the container with several weeks of wiggle room. There really is no reason to fill your pantry with condiments and sauces unless you hit a great sale.

Next week, we'll talk about stocking the freezer.

A Light Bulb Went On!

Sometimes you have an idea so good that you can't stop grinning.

I solved two problems at once attaching my son's bibs to his high chair. I don't have to designate a drawer or counter space for the bibs, and they are right where I need them. Yay for brainstorms!

(Sorry the picture is not as good as the idea...)

Visual Clutter = Emotional Zap

When I was little, I wanted to be an architect.

Like many of you, I played Legos for hours and hours, probably several months' worth of my childhood. My patient mother vacuumed around the pieces spread across the living room floor. Every time I built a house, it was comprised of rows in the same repeating color pattern--red, yellow, white, blue, black.

What can I say? Order is in my DNA.

Now that I am (supposedly) a grown-up with my own home, I still like to look around and see order: clear counters, clear floorspace, and clean lines. Somehow it gives me a little boost to look around and see that order.

[Not my actual house, but it's nice to dream.]

When my home doesn't have much visible counter or floor space, I notice my pulse quickening as I pigeon step over toys, shoes, dishes, or, like today, swim accessories.

I'm learning that I just have to take the five or ten minutes to clean up before we do the next thing. And, unfortunately, this means forcing the issue with younger ones. I want to have the kind of house where we pick up before we leave for an errand, or go outside, or go up for naps. If we do this, Mommy will be more emotionally prepared to play and less emotionally distracted.

Maybe you can get on my case and ask about my progress...thanks!

As a side note, we had our carpets professionally cleaned a few months ago. I am still wishing I could have kept the special carpet comb that the gentleman used to make all the fibers stand up and look so tidy. But, on second, thought, it might become a very unhealthy obsession.

No Moping Allowed

Sometimes it's good to eat a slice of humble pie.

This morning, I read a post from Sarah Mae about the motivation behind why she cleans her house (mainly, an atmosphere of peace).

And I want to apologize if I ever seem like one of those super-energized, perfectly together people. I most certainly am not. I hope my blog inspires you and gives you good ideas, but by no means do I want it to make you feel bad about yourself or how you keep your home.

Believe me, some days I fantasize about what it would be like to be an empty nester who can keep the house in order for more than 15 minutes. You know...clean the whole house and then sit with my feet up, reading a book while sipping a glass of lemonade. Not gonna happen!

Take That, Nasty Laundry Stains!

I am so excited to share some cheap and easy stain-busting tips with you today!

But first, a question: If you are over the age of 25, do you still own any clothing that you wore in high school? I'd love to hear what you've saved!

I am officially 10 years out of college (ack!), and I have discovered a handful of items that have stuck around through years of thrift store cast-off sessions. I owe this in large part, I believe, to our front-loading washer. I'm amazed at how gently it treats my clothing.

Now I'm finding that other issues arise besides clothing that wears out. I (ahem) have outgrown a few things, others go out of style, and many others develop stains. I am not a graceful athlete and apparently, not a graceful eater, either.

And just why is it that stains never seem to show up until after they've been stored for awhile?

Well, without further ado, here are some stain remedies that have successfully rescued my family's clothing*:

Baby Spit-Up Stains
Soak the afflicted items overnight in a mixture of oxi-clean and water. If there are kids or pets around, be sure you soak in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Wash as usual, then hang in the sun to dry.

Berry Smush Stains
Boil a kettle of water. Turn the article of clothing inside out and pour the hot water over the stain from back to front. Launder as usual. Yes, I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but it does work.

Grease and Food-Based Stains
In this case, the sooner you treat, the better. Don't even bother to pre-treat if you are dealing with kids' clothing. Just take the item to the kitchen sink and hand wash with liquid dish soap. This got ketchup out of my son's ivory shirt sleeve just the other night. Wash as usual. The ingredients in the soap that get rid of grease on your pans also get rid of grease on your clothes. (Which is a good thing when you stand too close frying bacon.)

Sweaty Armpit Stains
Eww, gross, right? How many men's undershirts get tossed because of this? Well, this is actually a problem because of deodorant buildup more than sweat. I just tried this on a white linen shirt that's been in storage (last summer I was wearing maternity clothing). It was not only yellowed but had sparkly grit in the seam.

Lay the shirt on a white towel or countertop that will not stain or bleach. I used my cultured marble bathroom sink. Combine equal parts baking soda, water and hydrogen peroxide. Brush into the stain with a clean toothbrush and let sit for 15 minutes. Consider brushing from the inside and outside of the shirt, and getting into all the creases of the seams. Wash as usual and tumble dry or hang in the sun for additional bleaching.


Well, there you have it. I hope you can save some of your favorite items with these inexpensive and green stain-treaters! And what you can't salvage, maybe you can make into rags.

*These were all attempted on regular wash-and-wear clothing. I make no claims about special fabrics like silk and suede. If you have kids, are you really wearing that anyway?

Decluttering Friendships

Today I have a slightly off-topic post for you.

I'm seeing articles everywhere about people trying to get rid of excess stuff in their house. I agree that too much stuff in your house can be a problem. Junk takes on a life of it's own. But what about clutter in other areas of our lives?

Let's begin with some quotes from people I don't normally seek advice from:

"I just wanna throw my phone away/Find out who is really there for me" - Katy Perry, Part of Me

"The friend who holds your hand and says the wrong thing is made of dearer stuff than the one who stays away." - Barbara Kingsolver

In this day and age we are busy and hyper-connected. Outside of meetings for work, there are meetups, fundraisers, kids' sporting events, church commitments, etc. With social media providing constant updates, people can develop anxiety about missing out on the latest news. (Ever see the episode of The Office where Ryan can't bring himself to turn his phone off and has to leave the trivia contest?)

What really annoys me is when people purposefully schedule a time to be together, and then all they do is sit around and check their phones. Constantly.

Call me old-fashioned, but when I take the time to get dressed (with kids "helping"), go out, possibly find a babysitter, and spend money on coffee or food, I want to have a real, in-depth conversation.

A lot of people ask why I don't have a Facebook account. No, I'm not one of those people who thinks Facebook is the devil. I'm just not sure that having 200 "friends" would really connect me with people in more meaningful ways. At least, not in ways that are worth the time sifting through the unnecessary info. Yes, you know what's on their mind, what their kids just did that's cute, and see pictures of it all, but then what do you talk about when you're together in person? And really, I'm not that interested in what you had for lunch.

Someday I'll be on Facebook, so I can monitor what my kids are doing there and (maybe) catch up with people from the past. But while my boys are in this precious, small stage, I just don't want to take time away from them (or my peace and quiet while they sleep) to add this into my life.

Don't worry, I still have friends. They are the ones who come over for dinner, who I meet at the park, who email, call or text because they want to know how I'm doing.

On a set day each month, I get together with one of my friends. We schedule ahead because our friendship is a priority and we know not planning means time slips away all too quickly. She and I have grown so much closer as a result.

I don't want to stand on a soapbox today, but I do want to encourage you, if you are feeling overwhelmed with trying to keep up with everyone and everything, to consider who is really there for you (of course, you need to be there for them, too). As an only child, my parents lovingly told me "it's about quality, not quantity." Whatever you think about only children, I believe quality is especially important with friendships.

Invest in the friendships that you want to last. Don't just figure you are busy and will do it sometime. Focus your time and energy on the relationships that are fun, rewarding and challenging. Share tough stuff, laugh together, and get together face-to-face.

Recipe Roundup, Reprised (Part 2)

Hooray! About half of my recipe project is complete, and I'm excited to share it with you.

I decided to go with a three-ring binder approach--one for desserts and one for everything else. I started with "everything else." Here's my super-cute binder from Target. Oh, if I had all the money in the world, I would spend most of it there...

One of the things I'll never forget my Mom teaching me was that you could easily identify the "good" recipes in family cookbooks by finding the pages with food splatters and stains on them. The sheet protectors will prevent this (hopefully) but then again, no bad recipes will make it into the book, either.

The binder dividers that I got on Amazon just arrived and I'm so pleased. It took some searching to find attractive ones that also were wide enough to stick out past the sheet protectors, but I found them. Bonus: the dividers also hold loose pages! Now I have a place other than the fridge-clip to put the recipes I want to try. Love this!














Since the photo isn't so hot (I really need to learn some tips from my amateur-turning-pretty-darn-professional photographer hubby), here are the categories I decided on:

• Appetizers, Drinks and Snacks
• Beef and Pork
• Breads and Breakfast
• Chicken and Seafood
• Meatless Meals
• Side Dishes
• Soups and Salads
• Desserts...for binder #2

I typed the recipes using separate Word files for each category, and alphabetized the recipes within the document. Based on the number of sheet protectors that I used, I have about 200 recipes. I can't wait to expand that amount!

I had a lot of fun making the template and rewriting the instructions to be as close as possible to my work style in the kitchen. I also wanted to make them a little more explicit so they make sense when my boys start helping prepare meals in a few years, and add recipes for more obvious stuff like roast beef, sandwiches, etc. I'm excited that someday I can just re-print this information and hand them a cookbook from Mom!

What do you think? I'll let you know how many dessert recipes find their way to the binder. :)

Here is a sample recipe for your enjoyment, from my dear Mom. I will never again pay $7 and up for Creme Brulee at a restaurant now that I know how stinking easy it is (and without the blow torch)!

Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 c       heavy cream (one pint)
5          egg yolks
½ c      sugar
1 T       vanilla
            brown sugar

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 275.

2.      Set four ramekins inside a 9x13 baking pan.

3.      Whisk together cream, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla.

4.      Divide the egg mixture among the ramekins.

5.      Using a liquid measuring cup, carefully fill the pan with hot water so that ramekins are about two-thirds submerged in water.

6.      Bake at 275 for 45-60 minutes or until set.

7.      Refrigerate overnight, or to serve warm, go to next step.

8.      Just prior to serving, preheat the broiler. Spread a thin layer of brown sugar across the top of each ramekin. Smooth with the back of a spoon.

9.      Place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until sugar has caramelized. Keep a close watch on the progress!

 

A Cheap Motivational Device

Like many parents of toddlers, I've learned how useful timers can be. Something about that third party timekeeper makes life more fair and alternately speeds things up or encourages patience.

I'm in awe at how this device--which I used to think was merely intended for monitoring baked goods--can settle the score between siblings and make a game out of cleaning up.

Your timer doesn't have to be digital, or anything fancy, really. Oh how I loved winding these up and then forcing them down to zero to hear the ringing as a kid...over and over again.

You might not have kids in the house, but if you find yourself procrastinating, overwhelmed, or with a few idle minutes, I encourage you to "trick" yourself using a timer.

You see, we often over- or under-estimate the amount of time we need to do a project.

The other night I cleaned the bathroom (everything but the shower) while my husband was taking a shower and I was awaiting my turn. For some reason, this was a task that I'd been hemming and hawing about starting all week, but I finished it in the typical five-minute-guy-shower timeframe.

I've encouraged you before to try and time your weekly tasks so that you can better budget the time you spend on cleaning. But today I wonder what you could accomplish if you set the timer for 15 or 20 minutes, and tried to beat the clock. (That's why I like the constant tick-tick-tick of the dial timer.)

As you work, remember the left to right, up and down technique so you can stay as focused as possible. Good luck!

Gloves, Hats, and Mittens, Oh My!

It's been snowing off and on all day today. I was glad to spend some time with my oldest son playing outside this morning. There is something so peaceful about a snowfall. My favorite part is that it's incredibly quiet and reminds you to slow down and savor the change in routine. And snowstorms are one of those few sacred times in our modern era where you are allowed to cut back on obligations and just stay home with family. So precious.

So after all the fun of sledding and making snow angels, forts and snowballs, you come in and have all sorts of clothing to deal with: hats, gloves, boots, scarves and other stuff strewn all over the house in various states of wetness. Yuck! Kind of takes the fun out of it.

May I suggest the following ideas (none of which really apply to my house at present)?

• Have a laundry basket or other container available for things that are wet or dirty enough to require a washing. Encourage family members to drop things in here as they shed layers.
• Set up a drying rack or improvised clothing tree (a.k.a. folding chair) near a heating vent or fireplace for the items that are merely damp.
• Set out an extra throw rug or plastic mat near the door as a safe place for boots to dry. Keep this around until the snow melts and salt is no longer being tracked in.
• Use an over-the-door shoe organizer to corral small items for easy grab-n-go next time. This includes hats, earmuffs, scarves, gloves, etc. and will help keep paired items together. Consider assigning a row to each family member, making sure that kids items are closest to the bottom where they can reach them. At the end of the season, make sure everything still has its partner, and pack the whole thing away until next winter.

Upstairs, Downstairs

(Hi, I am back! After several rounds of antibiotics-necessary illness in our house, and everyone finally getting close-to-enough sleep, I am finally trying to resume normal posting. So far 2012 is not as productive as I had hoped. Anyway, thanks for your patience.)

No, the title of this post is not referring to the fabulous British sitcom, cool as it is. I am, however, referring to the items that inevitably seem to wind up on the wrong floor of your home. At my house, this means diapers, laundry, mail/papers, dishes, and toys that migrate faster than you can say "boo," especially when you have a two-story foyer and it's *so fun* to throw things over the railing (if you are two)!

The other night, my darling husband was out playing volleyball, and the kids were in bed, so I spent about two hours just rearranging things in my house. The orderliness of my bedroom is now unmatched! I grabbed a handled basket and just starting tossing in everything that needed to go up or down. I tried to continue working on decluttering one room at a time, but had to make several trips to unload/put away.
After that was done, I filled the basket with things that needed to go back into my older son's bedroom and left that outside his door so that I could handle them next day. I find myself doing this more and more often. I am thankful for a piece of furniture outside the boys' rooms, where I can put two stacks of laundry or toys. At least items are somewhat sorted and ready to go back where they belong, since one or both are sleeping when I have time to fold laundry or declutter.

I am vowing to try and keep up with this project, keeping the basket handy so that when I tidy up at the end of each evening, I can toss everything in and carry it up. Items that need to go downstairs are placed on a corner table at the top of the steps so I can easily grab it on a trip down the next morning.

How do you deal with the constant up-and-down? Do you have a system like this for stuff that needs to go in and out of the car? I'd love to hear it!

Found Money

This is my second full week working as a Domestic Engineer (stay-at-home-mom) and I'm enjoying it quite a bit more than I might have anticipated. As one of my friends has commented, it does tend to make you a bit more OCD about the house!

As you might imagine, I like making lists. I've developed a full-page list of things that I'd like to do before baby #2 arrives November 4. This includes making meals ahead and freezing them, deep cleaning most of the rooms in the house, and prepping the nursery. I hope I can get it all done, considering the number of naps I seem to need right now.

Since we are operating on one income, there's a renewed frugality in me. I'm finding myself interested in evaluating the house to find items I don't use much and can sell. I have a few items up on eBay and was thrilled to find a new consignment shop with adult clothing just opened up a few miles from my house. I'm already planning to rent a table at a Mother's Mart when we're ready to pass on some of the larger baby items.

Flipping through the channels last night, I found a show with people trying to do the same exact thing, only the items are much bigger ticket. It's called Buried Treasure and it's sort of like door-to-door Antiques Roadshow. Very cool, though I kidded my husband that I don't keep anything around long enough to let it become an antique!

Have you found a particularly effective way to recoup some value from items that you are no longer using? I'd love to hear it!