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Spring Cleaning #1

Well, I have given up the idea of someone else spring cleaning my home, (I offered on facebook to trade hair/nail/waxing services in exchange for a spring clean, and it was met with little interest-I guess no one else wants to spring clean, either!!:))  Kathy, my mother-in-law, encouraged me to do a little at a time and enjoy the good feeling it will bring as I get it done.  I like that advice and I’m going to take it!  For some reason when it comes to spring cleaning, I want it all done at once, which paralyzes me!!  I have a pretty clear calendar this week, so I will do a bit at a time and let you know how it goes!

I found this awesome ebook “Spring Cleaning for Normal People“ at Simple Mom, and bought it for $7.00.  It was worth every penny!  She has a way of breaking spring cleaning down into manageable steps, and gives great tips which makes it much less overwhelming.  Last week she had a spring cleaning series on her blog that was very inspirational, you can click here to check it out.

1st Step: Decluttering

From Tsh @ Simple Mom:
Does every item in your home make your family happy?  Does the item add to your home, your life, your family?  Of if you were truly honest, would you say it’s more of a burden?
If it’s a burden in any way, get rid of it.  It’s not worth the valuable real estate between your four walls.

“Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”-19th century architect William Morris 

This is what I will do today. I will start this spring cleaning week by going from room to room and getting rid of anything that does not fit in the above quote. (and sneaking it to the Goodwill before my girls get home!!:))
I plan on using my mornings this week to spring clean, then in the afternoons, do something I enjoy (gardening, cooking, reading). If I set aside a full days to clean, I will get bored, burn out, and give up.  I can handle the mornings knowing I will get to do something more enjoyable in the afternoon!  Here goes..wish me luck!
*do you spring clean each year?  is motivation as hard for you as it is for me?  do you have a system?  got any tips for me??

7
FAMILY/ HOME/ Simplifying

Do Anything In 15 Minutes And Squash Perfectionism

Flylady (Sink Reflections) says “you can do anything in 15 minutes.”  I’m gonna take her up on it today.
I found myself waking up this morning feeling overwhelmed and discouraged with our home.  It is in a state right now where every room seems to be unraveling.  Stuff sitting where it shouldn’t, crumbs piling up, dust making itself at home…LAUNDRY.  Ugh, laundry.

It has been a very busy week, and I have been gone most of the day the last 2 days doing haircuts for family.  The days I spent at home, I was out in the yard gardening and getting our yard in shape.

 Needless to say, I HAVE ALOT TO DO! 

 I started having a pity party this morning with thoughts like “It’s never-ending.” “If only I could afford a cleaning service” “I’m starting to feel like a maid.”  I  know when thoughts like this enter my world, perfectionism is rearing its ugly head again.  This all started with the thought that I needed to get everything done (perfectly) so I can just relax this weekend and enjoy doing things outside with the kids. (and do what I want to do).

I know perfect is not the goal, so I needed to rethink things.  This is where the 15 minute thinking is going to come into play.  My timer is going right now as I type this 15 minute post, it won’t be one of my best but again, perfect is not the goal.

The rest of my morning I’ve divided into 15 minute segments- each area will get 15 minutes of my time, then on to the next, even if I am not done.  It is 9:00 am right now, I have a date with a friend to grab iced coffees and hit up some garage sales in this beautiful weather (yippee!) at noon, so I should be able to get quite a bit done in 3 hours.

Here is the plan:
15 min.-Living Room/Dining Room
15 min-Kitchen
15 min.-Study/Girls Rooms
15 min.-Hallway & Bathrooms
15 min.-Upstairs Landing Area/My Room
15 min.-Laundry (includes making laundry detergent-I’m out!)
15 min.-Shower
15 min.-Dressed/Hair/Makeup
15 min.-God time/Prayer Time
15 min.-Check On Garden/Water Plants

This equals 2 1/2 hours, and if I end this post now, I will have about 10 minutes of extra time before I  leave on my date.  Hope this works!!  The key will be stopping and going on to the next item on the list when the timer goes off!  Again, this will challenge my perfectionism, but it is also astep closer toward defeating perfectionism!
P.S.  This will all be done while listening to the happy music of “Ocean Eyes” by Owl City. Music is a must!
Oops! Gotta go, time’s up!
*UPDATE:  It worked beautifully!  An added bonus–I moved so quickly to beat the clock that I was out of breath most of those 2 hrs!  Built in cardio!!:)
The weather ended up being not so beautiful, but time with my friend sure was.
I am now sitting in a quite, clean up home, enjoying the computer while Todd has the girls at the park.  Family night awaits with recorded tv, pizza and popcorn.  Such a great day…almost perfect:)
This post is linked to:
30 minute blog challenge @ steady mom
Tackle It Tuesday @ 5 minutes for mom

14
ANTI-PROCRASTINATION/ HOME

Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays #6

Welcome To Another “Anti-Procrastination Tuesday!”
Guess What?  I GOT NOTHING CROSSED OFF THE DOOZY LIST THIS WEEK!!!
BUT…I have a good excuse. (not that we need one here at “AP Tuesdays, there is grace in this place, right ladies??:))  I have been bitten by the gardening bug and have been busy building my own “square foot gardening” beds.  I don’t know about you, but when I get started on a project, the whole rest of the house is neglected!  I kept things pretty organized and picked up, but it is far from CLEAN!  I. Don’t. Like. To. Clean.  At All.  
I’m curious to know what you all have been up to this week, but before we start, I just have to say how very cool it is to visit your link ups and see you all encourage each other in the comments.  SO COOL!  That is what I envisioned for this little link up party, and you are making it happen!  Thank you for being on board and creating such an encouraging community!

Here are some featured posts from last week:

I have really enjoyed getting to know Marianne.  She is one of those people that you can just relate to, her realness and warmth jumps through the computer and is pretty awesome.  In her post, she talks about  procrastination and how she got some things done, but not as much as she would have liked.  She ended her post with “all I can say is it will all get done in the end.”  That sentence hit me and her attitude encouraged me. I commented on her post, and I am glad I did, for it spurred on another great post that she wrote on her journey to overcome her tendency to be “Procrastinator & Perfectionist.”  I love it when women have the ability to self assess, and the character to actually do something about it.  She did and does!  


Jenny @ Our Lives
Jenny finally, after “5 months and 10 minutes” (LOL, love that!) of procrastinating, put the last photo in her “coaster system.”  This system is a GREAT idea, especially if you want to cut down on washing dishes!  The basic idea– the coasters stay out on the counter as a place for each family member to keep their glass for the day…no more washing a ton of cups, or answering the question “mom, where’s my cup??”  

Kristin @ the_uncomplication_project
Kristin’s link title cracked me up– “Half-A-Blog On Motivations.”  I love that she still wrote, posted and linked, even though it wasn’t finished.  She ended the post with “Maybe to be continued…”  Hee. Hee. As funny as her post hit me, it is full of depth, asking questions like “Why do we want to accomplish things? What will benefit from starting/working on/finishing a project? What gets us started on a project?”
I appreciate this about Kristin’s brain, she is great at making me pause and think about things I normally wouldn’t, she is a great analyzer.
Love this idea.  Now that I am more comfortable with a drill and hardware stores, (thanks to my garden project) I may just have to find a closet to add some shelves to and copy this awesome idea!  She makes it look so easy!

Here are the guidelines:
1. On Tuesdays each week, I’ll host the link party here at New Nostalgia.  You can come over and enter the permalink to your Anti-Procrastination post in my MckLinky List.

2. Be sure to insert a link in your post that directs others back here.  It could be my button at the side bar, or something like “This post is linked to “Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays” at New Nostaglia. 

3. Be sure to link your posts url, not your blog url!

4. Link as many posts as you would like, as long as they have to do with this subject

5. Visit as many other links as you can for ideas, inspiration and to offer encouragement.

6. Leave comments for the links you visit just to let them know you are there (and so we can know there really ARE people out there committed to getting things done together, support matters!)

7. Come back each tuesday, post more of your accomplishments, and see some of the links featured from the week before.  You could be one of them!
NewNostalgia
Don’t forget to grab a button to place at the top or bottom of your post to show you are participating in “Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays.”  Simply copy the code below in the box and paste where you can edit the html in your blog post. 
And now, onto today’s “Anti-Procrastination Tuesday’s” Link Party!  
Be inspired, be encouraged, and get something done!
***This week I am using a different linking system, until McKLinky gets all its kinks worked out. This one allows you to put a thumbnail picture which is kind of fun. If your post does not have a picture, you could just use a 
pic of you or your blog header.
  


10
Gardening

Square Foot Gardening

I have devoured the book All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space! by Mel Bartholomew.  I had a reader (bless her!) tell me about her husband having success with square foot gardening, so I went out to our local library and checked out the book.

I was planning on joining a local community garden, and even had my deposit paid and lot reserved.  It was advertised as a “beautiful lot, right next to an old church, with shade and grass for the kids to run around in.”  Sounds great, huh?  Well, they left out the part about being right off an alley, next to a yard full of waste, with a very fierce sounding dog.  Not quite the blissful gardening atmosphere I was hoping for, so I asked for my deposit back and decided to have a go at it in my own yard.  My back yard is very shaded, so I am limited to growing one side and the front of my house, which is why square foot gardening was appealing.

This short video will tell you all about it

The following photos are not meant to be a tutorial.  The book does such an awesome job of that, with many beautiful photos, so if you are interested in doing this, you MUST get the book.  My hope is that the following photos will inspire anyone out there that have thought about gardening but felt too overwhelmed by it all.  If I can do this, ANYONE can!  I have hit some roadblocks, (I am NOT a fan of hardware stores, and have been visiting them often lately) but just kept going.

I’ll be keeping you updated on the progress.  I started small this year, and do not have big expectations- it is my year to learn!  I have already planted onions, spinach, lettuce, carrots, kale and radishes!  I have 3 separate pots for tomatoes, a pot and a chain link fence both waiting for vining green beans, and a small strawberry patch looking pretty happy.  I have 2 pots out front, one on each side of our porch steps.  I usually put pretty flowers in them, but this year they will both have sugar snap pea vines, climbing up bamboo stalks tied together in a teepee shape.  Not as pretty as flowers, but is practical and those peas will taste so good!!  I will have more garden themed posts to come–what soil mix I used, what I did to keep birds/rabbits/squirrels out, and overall successes and failures as they happen.
Do any of you garden?  Have you started yet?  What are you growing?  Have you done square foot gardening??
*Square Foot Garden Update

All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space!
All New Square Foot Gardening Cookbook: Taking the Harvest to the Table

This post is linked to:
The Do It Yourself Showoff Parade @ The DIY Showoff
Your Life, Your Blog @ Real Life
Do It Yourself Day @ A Soft Place To Land
 Talented Tuesday @ Frugal Family
Works For Me Wednesday@ We Are That Family
Penny Pinchin’ Party @ The Thrifty Home
Show Off Your Stuff @ Fireflies & Jellybeans
Make It Yours Day @ My Backyard Eden
Feature Yourself Friday @ Fingerprints On The Fridge
Linky Loves Friday @ Sweet Charlie

26
ANTI-PROCRASTINATION/ HOME

Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays #5

Hi Everyone!
I am excited to see what you got accomplished! I am loving your accountability, I am getting much more done than I would have without you and “AP Tuesdays!”
Off the doozy list:
Bring Out Spring/Summer Clothes
Read Up On Gardening
Make Homemade Yogurt
~~~
Here are some featured posts from last week:

Lisa @ My Family
Lisa has come up with a cleaning schedule for herself, which she broke down into days of the week.  I love learning how other moms tackle the whole “housecleaning” thing, as I am still trying to sort out what works best for me.  I like the way she thinks, it is simple and seems doable.  I am eager to hear how she did with that list on her refrigerator….so Lisa..fill us in!

Aimee @ West Virginia Girl (I always wanted to spell my name like that…jealous.)
Aimee made her own doozy list.  She confessed to swiping mine, which I loved, and added her own touch to it.  I really hope it helps her as much as mine helps me, accountability has been a huge motivator!  I’d love to see more doozy lists out there, we could start an “Anti-Procrastination” revolution!!:)  Thanks for linking up, Aimee!

Morgan @ Meet Virginia
Morgan worked on and finished the cutest little bootie crochet project.  I am in love with them, and had to smile because the cutie little bootie feet made me think of the lil’ one in my sisters tummy!  Sure wish I knew how to crochet…think I can fit one more thing on the doozy list? 


Sara got my heart excited the moment I clicked on her link.  We both do hair, we both are thrifty, we both love being moms and are lovers of family, and WE BOTH BLOG!:)  I have had much fun exploring her site.  She linked up her handmade hair accessories post, the picture gives you a sneak peak, but you must click on over there for more because she made a bunch of different types –every one made me smile and want to go heat up my glue gun!! 
~~~
And now, on to our 5th “Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays”!
(click here for more info on what its all about)

Here are the guidelines:
1. On Tuesdays each week, I’ll host the link party here at New Nostalgia.  You can come over and enter the permalink to your Anti-Procrastination post in my MckLinky List.

2. Be sure to insert a link in your post that directs others back here.  It could be my button at the side bar, or something like “This post is linked to “Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays” at New Nostaglia. 

3. Be sure to link your posts url, not your blog url!

4. Link as many posts as you would like, as long as they have to do with this subject

5. Visit as many other links as you can for ideas, inspiration and to offer encouragement.

6. Leave comments for the links you visit just to let them know you are there (and so we can know there really ARE people out there committed to getting things done together, support matters!)

7. Come back each tuesday, post more of your accomplishments, and see some of the links featured from the week before.  You could be one of them!
Don’t forget to grab a button to place at the top or bottom of your post to show you are participating in “Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays.”  Simply copy the code below in the box and paste where you can edit the html in your blog post. 

And now, onto today’s “Anti-Procrastination Tuesday’s” Link Party!  
Be inspired, be encouraged, and get something done!


***So sorry! MckLinky is down. I’ve checked out other blogs who use it
and theirs are down, too. I’m so bummed to come home and see the links gone, and I’m so bummed to miss out on the links that were yet to come!
I may try a different link site, I’ve had some issues with Mcklinky..



11
ANTI-PROCRASTINATION/ HOME/ Organizing

Organizing My Storage Closet

Tomorrow is Anti-Procrastination Tuesday here at New Nostalgia! (I’ll be putting the MckLinky up in a couple hours.)  I’m excited to share with you something I have been procrastinating on way too long–cleaning out our storage closet!   It was so bad that I was getting scared to open the door.. 
Oh, boy.
I started by pulling everything out of the closet…that is when it got really scary!!
I had to remind myself that it gets bad before it gets better!

I sorted things into 3 bins–“give away” “put away” “donate”
I also made sure I had a trash bag handy.
I wanted to use the new open space for our rolling craft supply carts.
I used the other half of the closet for oversized toys that did not fit nicely
in my daughters room.
I used the back corner to store winter coats, bins of photos that need sorting, 
and a hanging divider for shoes that my girls need to grow into.
Look!  I can shut the door ALL THE WAY!  Yippee!!

Thank for the motivation!  Thanks for participating in “AP Tuesdays!”
I hope to “see” you there tomorrow!!

5
ANTI-PROCRASTINATION/ HOME

Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays #4

Its tuesday again!

It has been a weird week around here.  Spring break for my girls and a weekend conference has thrown me a bit.  I was still able to get a few things done, but if you keep up with this blog, you will know that posting was not one of them!  I worry about summer–how am I going to find time to write??  I love to blog, but I refuse to sacrifice quality time with my girls…I guess that is a whole other post!
A couple things off my doozy list:
White board is hung
Routine charts made
Here are a few highlights from last week’s “AP Tuesdays”:

Our Lives-I love this blog!  We have much in common and have become great blogger friends. I love her approach to organizing, she does it in small steps but ends up getting so much done.  Last week she linked a post about organizing her spice cabinet, it looks great!  Her beautiful headers are reason enough to go visit her blog, but make sure you take some time to look around, there is much wisdom all throughout her posts.

Remodelholic-I have to admit, I was giddy when Cassidy from Remodelholic linked up.  I am a BIG fan of her site and have spent way too much time roaming her posts and drooling over her finished projects.  She shared a huge accomplishment last week at “AP Tuesdays”–turning a plain jane garage door into a very unique carriage type door.  If you head over there to visit, you must scroll down her sidebar to the “Learn Something New” area and check out some of her projects. 

Give It A Whirl-Tracy linked up last week and made me smile.  She has her very own Doozy List (I personally like #6) and even named it that!:)  She has a great way of putting life into perspective, here is an example post, which I think all mom’s need to read and then ease up on ourselves! (isn’t her blog design very cool?)

Beauty Divine-my sister has done it again. She wrote a beautiful post with gorgeous pics, that reminds us all to not be consumed with perfection, and instead, to just keep on pressing on in what is important.  Here is a snippit…“
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 

What a great way to start off our 4th “Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays”!
(click here for more info of what its all about)
Here are the guidelines:
1. On Tuesdays each week, I’ll host the link party here at New Nostalgia.  You can come over and enter the permalink to your Anti-Procrastination post in my MckLinky List.

2. Be sure to insert a link in your post that directs others back here.  It could be my button at the side bar, or something like “This post is linked to “Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays” at New Nostaglia. 

3. Be sure to link your posts url, not your blog url!

4. Link as many posts as you would like, as long as they have to do with this subject

5. Visit as many other links as you can for ideas, inspiration and to offer encouragement.

6. Leave comments for the links you visit just to let them know you are there (and so we can know there really ARE people out there committed to getting things done together, support matters!)

7. Come back each tuesday, post more of your accomplishments, and see some of the links featured from the week before.  You could be one of them!

Don’t forget to grab a button (its in my sidebar with code) to place at the top or bottom of your post to show you are participating in “Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays.”  Simply copy the code below in the box and paste where you can edit the html in your blog post. 

And now, onto today’s “Anti-Procrastination Tuesday’s” Link Party!  
Be inspired, be encouraged, and get something done!


9
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