The Blogger Who Never Blogs and the Family that Loves Her

This is awkward.

I feel like we haven't seen one another in an awfully long time.

I've been distant.  Apologies.

Let's move on to something SUPER exciting which might (maybe?) explain my brief hiatus.

This August, we will become a family of four!  Baby Girl #2 is healthy and kicking, and we are thrilled and blessed beyond belief :)

(That's not a beer belly.  Promise.)

After the First Trimester Sickies of Doom passed, I started reevaluating some of my priorities as a home economist, mother and wife.  I've loved the past two years as a SAHM, but I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with some of my endeavors and goals.  It was time to scale back and assess what I considered "successful".

One major thorn in my side was my feelings of inadequacy as a house keeper.  When I was under the weather and chasing a toddler, I felt like I slipped up even worse.  You know the sad internal monologue of...
"I'm a stay-at-home-mom...why can't I just DO the chores?"
"Clearly, I'm the laziest woman alive."
"I don't have time to do A, B, or C.  Because I must catch up on my Hulu shows and take a nap."
"I'll think about that tomorrow.  Hell, it worked for Scarlett O'Hara, right?"

I needed a solution that actually worked for me and the way I think.  There are LOTS of super organized women out there that write faaaabulous blog entries about home journals, chore charts, and the art of the to-do list.  Lots of free printables, examples, and pretty photos of their organized and sparkling homes.

As I've said before, I am NOT that woman.  If you are - congratulations.

If you're not, join the masses.

A friend and past co-worker mentioned to me what she had been using for years to help stay on top of the housework.  She promised me not to judge the site on first look, but just to try it.  Maybe it could work for me.  This is a friend who always has it together but not in an intimidating manner.  I was sure to take note.

Shortly after our conversation, I checked out Flylady and signed up for the daily emails.  I started slowly and hopped around her site a bit.  Okay, I technically cheated in the beginning, but I found a strategy that worked for me.  So, I'm considering that a win.  I've also maintained (more or less) my new routines and can see a real benefit to me and my family.  With the madness of a newborn in the house, I know I'll be very grateful in the months to come.

If my internal monologue starts up again, I fill it with...
"I can do anything for 15 minutes."
"It doesn't have to be perfect - just do a bit now and more later."
"Whatever - at least I'm dressed to shoes and my kitchen sink is shining!"
"Having a clean and uncluttered home blesses my family."
"Don't get sidetracked.  One job at a time!"

My control journal is still a messy notebook with penciled notes, and I really like it that way.  I've been purposefully resisting my urge to laminate, color code, and obsess about making the journal perfect.  This is how I know FlyLady has creeped into my psyche.

FlyLady does have a shop and lots of fantastic looking products.  However, she really preaches a sense of frugality when it comes to house cleaning.  You don't need the fancy gadgets or expensive cleaners to get the job done.  As she says, "Soap is soap!"

f you feel like you could use some help, I suggest trying it out for a month.  Start here and see how it goes. I'm still "fluttering" but I'm hoping to one day be "flying" :)

What Would Debbie Do?

(Thank you, SNL)

As I am wading through boxes this week, I've been feeling wildly overwhelmed.  Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I've been feeling pretty inadequate as of late.  With everything in such chaos, I tend to shut down and do nothing at all.  I've been struggling even getting a digestible to-do list going.  Sad, huh?

Never fear, I'll pony up soon and set things straight.  I'll channel my mother's old mantra...

"A place for everything and everything in it's place."

Or as William Morris said,

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

I've been really inspired by this post from The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking.  She's running a great series right now, that I might glean a few highlights from later this month.

I'm also debating on the value of a Homemaking Binder.  You remember how I mentioned that organization might not be my best asset??  Well, believe it.

How do you cope with feeling overwhelmed?  Does organizing a cabinet make you feel better or worse?  Do tell :)

Passionate for Post-Its

It's arrived. The restlessness that comes with being home on vacation for week upon week. I'm not complaining, I have whole-heartedly enjoyed my summer vacation, but I am just beginning to feel the itching to go back to work. There is only so much cooking, blogging, relaxing, reading, and organizing a girl can do! Of course there are a few things on my to-do list that I am getting quite skilled at ignoring.

1. Dry clean Fall/Winter clothing. Blah.

2. Publish Fast Forward. Poop.

3. Write new play. Ugh.

It's far too easy to procrastinate when it's a million degrees outside (okay, okay, just 100) and the very thought of going to the mailbox makes me start sweating. That just can't be healthy.

Yesterday, to get my teacher fix, I went to Office Depot and frolicked around the aisles for a good hour. Unfortunately, I found the Post-It aisle, where I did some serious damage. I get VERY excited about new binders, page protectors, dividers, and post-its. I had better be in the right profession, because this is just sick. I appeased my conscious by reminding myself that we claim these expenses on our taxes and will get the money back soon. Just gotta remember to file that receipt away in case Big Brother comes a-knockin'. Here is a picture of my booty.

The blue binder is labeled "Recipes" because this will act as my new storage system for keeping my recipes in one place. I loaded up on page protectors so all I have to do is print/tear/steal a new recipe and slip it into my binder. I labeled the sections Poultry, Beef, Salads, Sides, and Desserts. I feel like these are our staples, and I can easily fit any of our dishes into these categories.

On a side note, last night I made Chicken Tortilla Soup, courtesy of AllRecipes.com and it was scrumptious! I never seem to have luck when I cook at other people's houses, but when I'm just feeding myself and Matt in our own kitchen - oh, man, it's good. I'm like the the woman who can juggle when no one is watching, lol. So unfair!

Our meal planning has been going very well and I've been shuffling things around since we didn't eat at home very much last week. Tonight is British Breakfast - something Matt has been looking forward to all month. I have TJ's Apple Chicken Sausage, eggs, baked beans, toast, and tomato all ready to go. Maybe we can have some Harrod's tea with the dish - perfection!

Anyway, back to my teachy-dork-out. I bought some Post-Its that are in the designs of flowers, apples, and stars. This year, I'm going to label each student's desk with a taped down Post-It so I can divide the kids into groups faster. Tons of teachers do this, but I've always resisted because it can be some upkeep. They pick at the tape, write obscene messages (bad idea, I have a seating chart, duh) and force me to replace them constantly. But, it would be so easy the first day of school to say, "Hi Joey, your desk will have a yellow star and the number 3". I'll give it a go, and if it doesn't work, I'll do something different 2nd nine weeks. That's the beauty of teaching, if it doesn't work, pitch it out, and do it differently next time.

I know I'm ready to go back because I'm daydreaming about the first day of school. I bought another new binder to keep my agenda and lesson plans inside. Every year I start out clean, organized, and motivated. I know by November I'll be praying for a break and longing for my summer at the beach. But, I'm curious who will come through my classroom door on September 8th, and how this new group of kids will be. Teachers can have the best laid plans in the world, but the kids are the ones who ultimately decide.