Staying the Course and a Crafty Project

Well, I've just been trekking along on my path to getting my life organized. Every day I find something small to do that helps and that sparks me to find something else small to do and so on and so forth. The really good news is that I've stuck with everything that I have initiated so far. I'm really excited about how well it has gone. What do they say? It takes 21 days to form a habit? Hubby rolls his eyes when I say that, but I think that after three weeks that new thing will be second nature. Don't get me wrong, good habits are extremely easy to break, but I have hope.

I'm here to share what today's results are. While perusing Pinterest, in the organizing section, I found a pin about "Seven Habits of Highly Organized People". I've read this article a time or two before, and I've even used this method before. However, I think I know where I went wrong last time and I have remedied the situation.

This is my "Brain Dump Book"! This is NOT a to-do list. This is not a place to put the things that I know I need to do but don't do anyhow. This is not where my routine chores go. This is a place to put the whatnots that I normally forget. Those fleeting thoughts of "you know what I need to do/buy/look up..." and then it's gone before it ever comes to pass.

This is a pretty leather, blue journal. I bought it years and years ago thinking that I would, you know, journal. I'm really not a journaling sort of gal. The only reason I've been consistent with my blogging lately is that I'm uber excited about the subject matter. Now, the problem with the last time I did this is that I used it as a to-do list and it ended up pages long. Also, I left it on my desk. This doesn't help me when most of my fleeting thoughts come at the store or in the car. This is the perfect size to transport easily and it's cute. Problem solved. 

Here is the first page. Everything gets indented and everything that is weighing me down, that I might forget, or that keeps me up at night trying to remember goes in this book. Things that need to be done on specific days gets a date in the indentation. When a task is complete it gets marked out with a highlighter. I love it. It goes with me everywhere. It is a stroke of genius. 

I also printed off this year's calendar for my Big Binder (I think this is how I shall refer to it from this day forth, lol.) I needed somewhere to keep important dates from last year, and so I searched the internet for the perfect solution. This is what I came up with. This is not for birthday reminders and such (my phone already does that). This is for keeping track of when the kids had their eye exams, check ups, dentist appts. You get the idea. It has the month and then a few lines to write on for each month. I found it here.

As for this year's calendar, I like a two page per month calendar. I want lots of room to keep track of all of the crazy in my life. Not only do I have to keep track of me, hubby, and five kids, but also my father in law who is very ill. He has many doctor's appointments as do the kids. Here I have enough room to write down several items per day with lots of wonderful boxes for things to remember and all that. 

I also had some wonderful crafty goodness go on today.  I am working on a Christmas project. I know it's late, but in my defense it's supposed to be. I decided to decorate a coffee cup with a picture of a knitting sheep. Being that I am NOT even kind of gifted in this area, I searched the internet, again. I studied a few pictures and then practiced and this is what I came up with. 

Not bad, huh? And it even transferred well. I drew it on my cup and baked it at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. I found a great tute here. A couple of important things about this project: use a sharpie, let your drawing dry completely before cooking, and let your cup cool completely before touching your drawing. Ask me how I know these things? No, I didn't read the tute completely. I had to learn this the hard way. 

My knitting sheep has a ball of yarn and the yarn goes all the way around the top of the cup and loops a few times and goes back to the start, which is the sheep. Pretty cute, huh? I love it and I hope the recipient does, too. 

That's all for today. Tomorrow is another day. I can't wait to see what it brings!

On Organizing Financial Paper Work

In the spirit of following through, I've been working on organizing my financial life. This is a common goal for every single year of my life since I started working. I have tried out numerous methods for keeping track of our bills and checking account. I always fall short. I always start a new method and follow it for a week, a day, a few hours. It's mainly because I do not schedule a time to work on paper work. There is absolutely no method in the world that will work for paper work if you do not make time for it. Shame on me.

Whatever method that I use usually ends up being part of my home management binder. I've decided that no longer works for me. I think it's because my big binder is a mess; just a crazy, ridiculous, oh-my-gosh mess. To make myself happy, I decided to have a binder dedicated to our bills. I'm using the method that I found here, which, of course, I found via Pinterest.

She recommends using a simple calendar that is really quite awesome. I dig it. I had the supplies sitting around the house so I started this project as soon as I decided it would work for me.

 I printed out six months worth of calendar pages and started to write down the bills that I already knew the due dates for. Now, keeping in mind that all of my other methods have failed me, assume that I am starting from scratch. I wrote down what the bill was and, if I knew the amount due, I put that underneath. I have four expenses a month that are set up for auto pay; Netflix, Hulu, Blockbuster, and Vonage. They each have set amounts and all come out on the same day every month. I wrote those down for a day or two before I expect them to come out with the amount underneath and then I highlighted them. I really want those to stand out when I open the page. I really hate it when they sneak up on me.

 Here are my super cute dividers labeled with my monthly bills. The idea is that once a bill is paid, and I have written the appropriate information on my portion of the bill, I hole punch it and keep it in this binder. Then, I take a red pen and mark it out on my calendar. I've already paid two bills and I am digging this method, big time! Plus, now I don't have receipts and bill stubs sitting around just waiting to be filed until someone, ya know, eats/cuts up/spills/throws them away. It is my life.

Here is a shot of my inside pocket. I am going to have an "In" box of some sort that I will keep at my command station to throw the bills in when I get them. Ideally, I will take a second to write the date it was received on the envelope. I think I might like to get a stamp for this. They still make those, right? Anyhow, when I sit down to take care of paper work they will get written on the calendar and then put in this inside pocket, where I also keep a letter opener for easy use. I haven't decided how to store the red pen and highlighter, yet. I'll probably have a drawer or pen/pencil jar at the center. This is how I have it for now and it makes me happy and I'm using it so everything is a win, so far.

Gone are the days of having a check register in your wallet. At least for us, and it's been this way for years. I think it is because I wasn't using it. Why wasn't I using it? I think that has something to do with people being so hurried in the check out line. Seriously, I can't even get my wallet back in my purse before the person behind me is practically climbing up my back to get to the counter. When will I have time to write it in my register? When I'm in the car with an impatient toddler? When I get to my next errand? When I get home and have to get said toddler settled and stuff brought in? When I forget to do it? Seriously. It's a 'woe is me' situation, but there it is. The other problem that we ran into is that we share a checking account. The problem with this is that if he wants to know our true balance he needs to look in the register....in my wallet.....in the purse of doom. He hates going in the purse of doom and therefore he does not do it, ever. This prompted me to want a check register that was not in my purse and easy for us both to access. Now, I have started this sort of check register quite a few times, and always with the same results: write down everything that day, let it go for a month and a half, repeat. Boo. Not this time.

There wasn't anything new to write down today so I didn't take a pic of the inside. It's just a standard comp book with a pretty, purple hard cover. All it has in it is my beginning balance. I will be good about this. I will use it. I will be successful. I've been thinking and our paydays fall on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It isn't every Tuesday and Thursday but being that those are the days, those are the days that I will set aside for paperwork. I'm thinking that half an hour each day should work, but I suppose that depends on the week and how much needs to be sorted. 

I think that is all for today, folks. I might be back tomorrow. It might be with crafty stuff to share. We shall see. ;-)

On New Year's Resolutions

So, I know that I am not the only one who makes resolutions every January, and I'm definitely not the only one who slacks on them five days in. Every single year my list looks the same: be organized, keep the house clean, purge house, be more financially responsible, exercise and be healthy, and so on and so forth.

I get all gung-ho for a day or so and then life gets in the way, and I let it get in the way. I have a very busy life and a lot of people to care for, but it's really no excuse because I also spend a lot of time sitting on my butt. I enjoy the usual time sucks: Facebook, Pinterest, and Ravelry. As a matter of fact, I LIVE them! When I'm not doing that, I love to play with yarn and fiber and sew and, and, and..... I've got more excuses than most people I know. It's just ridiculous.

This year will be different. (I think I hear an echo....no, wait. That's just me saying it every year for as long as I can remember.) I have only one resolution this year: To follow through. I will follow through on all things that I do. I will not allow whatever shiny new obsession that grabs me take hold and hold me fiercely until the next shiny new obsession comes along.

I have several things that I need to work on and a lot of inspiration to draw on! My first order of business is paperwork. I need to better organize the important papers in my life. Seriously, the crazy in this department runneth over. I have tried several ways of doing this and, while some ways have helped, they have never quite solved my problems.

I used to have a desk. It was the biggest disaster! It was a drop spot for everything. We did away with the desk and now I have more drop spots than anyone ever! And now, none of my paperwork has a home. None. It is just everywhere. So, my first order of business will be to set up a command post. I am not at all sure of how or where that will be, yet. It is, however, at the front of my mind until I get it tackled.

Hubby and I have always talked about getting a secretary. They are a little spendy and I want some very specific elements. We will see what happens. I really have this one in mind. It has slots for loose papers, a writing space, and drawers to keep binders/files. So much want! And it closes up really nicely.

                                 photo courtesy of Amazon.com

I also plan to set up several binders. In the past I have tried having a home management binder. It worked for a while, then went away. Then I started it up again and was excited and successful, and then it went away. The problem is that I have always tried to follow everyone else's plan exactly instead of tailoring it to my crazy life. I can't have a to-do list every day. Some days are too busy and I'm just not home and other days I'm just too lazy and tired. This is where things always fall apart. Also, I need to be realistic with what goals I plan to accomplish each day instead of starting my day with a list longer than my arm.

I'm always interested to see/hear how other people keep their lives organized. I recently started listening to a new podcast called The Organized Knitter, which I am totally loving. It covers two of my great obsessions: knitting and organizing. I recommend you check it out.

Well, that's all for today. Sorry if this was a little all over the place. FIL is here and sick, one kid is home sick, and, well, I have a toddler. Today is one of those days that I'm lucky to form coherent sentences at all. C'est la vie....

what a beautiful sink....sort of

So, I'm going to show you something horrible; my sink.

In my defense, it is a rental. Anyone who has ever rented knows that you inherit lots of fun problems when you rent. Last Friday I made this miracle cleaner and I felt it worked really well for stains on clothes. The website says it works for all sorts of wonderfulness, and I tend to believe them. I am definitely making it a staple in my house. I put it in this cute blue spray bottle.

Anyhow, somehow it ended up on the floor. (I don't know how anything stays where it belongs in this house) The lid came loose and it was making a mess. I was in the middle of something (who me? NEVER!) and just picked it up and threw it in my sink, and that is that very, very white mark in the otherwise disgusting sink. Well, it hit me like a ton of bricks: Peroxide is the answer! I suppose I should have known this already. However, I used everything on the market on this sink trying to make it look not so "dingy". Sometimes things that might otherwise be common sense have to maul me over before I get it. Soooooo......I started with my amazing miracle cleaner and then scrubbed, scrubbed, scrubbed. As I stood there, admiring my handy work, I thought, "heck!! Why don't I just dump the rest of the bottle of peroxide in there with a stopper?" So that's just what I did.

Then, every half an hour or so, I went in and gave it all a really good scrub. The solution got gross.

Finally, after about six hours, I drained it and voila!! It looks MILES better than it did before. I'm definitely going to do this again soon and see if I can get the rest of it. I'll probably use a baking soda paste and scrub it in and let it sit. It's definitely in the future.

Starting a Garden Book

Book? Journal? Collection? Yeah. I think collection works better. I have to admit something about me: I am very ambitious with very little actual completion. I tend to start things, big, ambitious things, and never finish them. Or I just don't start at all and talk, and talk, and talk about how I'm going to do *blank*. Don't throw that away! It's going to become *blank* as soon as I have time. Seriously? Right. When am I ever going to have time. Well, I suppose we make time for the important things. I am doing just that: making time.

I want to grow our food. My reasons are countless. As soon as I list them, there is another reason to add. To save money, to eat more naturally, to teach my kids the importance of nurturing something, to learn one more skill that will save us from the zombies. You can see how it goes.

The big problem is that I have a lot of information. Why is that a problem? It is all over the place. It's in books, on Pinterest, and straight from the mouths of other, well weathered gardeners. My experience is growing, as well, and I really need somewhere to record that also. I have decided to collect it all in a book.

my chaotically organized list

First, I made a list of everything I'm interested in growing, either now or later down the road. Next, I alphabetized them. I cut a strip of average office labels in half to make tabs.

I am using a standard sketch pad. Why? I like the thicker pages and I think they will hold up better after a lot of use. Not just that, but I want to be able to glue or tape pictures to the pages. I think this will be helpful to identify pests or show different stages of growth of the plant.

Gathering Information

Once I had everything together I started to compile my information. This will be an ongoing project that I am hoping I can keep up with. I will be adding more everyday until I have information on all of the fruits and vegetables on my list. I plan to leave extra room/pages to add pictures and other information as I find it.

Garden Book

Dealing With Behavior Issues

My five year old son is my easy child in school. I've been telling myself this for years this kid is smart as a whip, loves to learn, and has a vocabulary that rivals most teenagers. Imagine my surprise when he had problems the first day. And then the next. And then the next, and the next. Are you starting to see the problem?

Well, I've been communicating with his teacher and she is telling me (personally) everyday how he did. I made a chart to track his progress, and at the end of the week, if he was good everyday, he gets to pick out a toy at the dollar store.

I made the chart in OpenOffice using cute fonts, colors, and charts.

I bought a frame and stickers at the dollar store and voila!!! For roughly two dollars I have a chart that helps him visualize his progress and help keep motivated!!

A Birthday and a No Flour Cake

Today my oldest son turns fourteen. Yes, I am that old. lol (this is where I say that I remember the day he was born.....*sniff sniff*) As with any respectable birthday, there was cake and ice cream. We had So Delicious coconut milk ice cream with our decadent cake.

I was short on supplies with no desire to go to the store, so I cruised Pinterest for an easy cake recipe that would use the ingredients I had on hand. Did you know that if you put the word easy in front of a cake recipe the whole world thinks that it should start with a box of cake mix? Well, that might be an exaggeration, but not by much.

I found this wonderful recipe for a very rich cake that has no flour in it. I was a little worried at first, but wow! It was great and was it ever rich?!? Goodness! I couldn't finish my small slice. I will definitely make this again. As I said, easy peasy and very yummy. You should give it a try. The recipe is near the bottom, but give the rest a read. I found it to be entertaining.