Browsing Category

Simplifying

ANTI-PROCRASTINATION/ HOME/ Simplifying

Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays #11 + My First Giveaway!

***There are 2 areas to link to, please link to the appropriate area.  Thanks!!***
Welcome to Anti-Procrastination Tuesday’s and
 MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!
  I am very pleased to be able to give away “Simplify” ~ an ebook by Joshua Becker.   
Do You Know What A Minimalist Is?  Well, here is your chance to meet one!
From “Simplify”
“Since choosing to simplify his life two years ago, Joshua has encouraged hundreds of thousand of others around the world to pursue minimalism in their life through his blog: www.becomingminimalist.com.  As one of today’s leading proponents of “rational minimalism,” joshua presents 7 principles that will help guide the reader into a practice of simplicity that works for their unique, individual lifestyle.  You will enjoy his unique blend of illustrative stories, theoretical principle, and practical application.  After all, if this typical family of four living in the suburbs can simplify their life, so can you!”


I absolutely loved reading this ebook!  It was an easy read full of many practical tips of how to live life more simply. I jive with his idea of “rational minimalism,” which for me, gives permission to pursue minimalism, even though I am wired to love beauty, creativity and warmth in my home.  Minimalism was something that was appealing to me, yet the typical thoughts of a stark and empty home freaked me out a bit! Joshua’s idea of “rational minimalism” struck a cord with me, it allows for one to have their own style of minimalism, which just makes sense– especially when one has a family with kids!  Yes, more people means more stuff, but as I learned in the book, it is possible and so rewarding to be intentional in the things you decide to keep or to buy. As Joshua says in the book “minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value, and the removal of anything that distracts us from it.” Love that.

So on to the giveaway!

To enter this GIVEAWAY, 
Visit Becoming Minimalist then...
First entry…come back here and tell me that you did.


**If you are interested in having more chances to win, here are ways you can increase your number of entries, up to 4!**
Second entry…mention the giveaway on facebook and leave me your link as an additional comment.
Third entry…tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment and your link or Twitter username.
Fourth entry…blog about this giveaway and leave a comment telling me you did
Entries accepted through Monday May 23rd.  I will select a winner using Random.org and I will announce the winner next tuesday at “Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays!”  Good luck!
If you would like to skip the giveaway, and just purchase the ebook, then Click here to visit Becoming Minimalist.

Featured Posts From Last Week:
New Nostalgia  
A must see, I just loved how they made great use of a small space!

I’ll take one for each of my girls rooms, please!
She tackled her garage and it looks great! 
What a fun mother/daughter project..
Now even I can be an artist:) 
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 Nostalgia. 
 3. Be sure to link your posts url, not your blog url!
4. Visit as many other links as you can for ideas, inspiration and to offer encouragement.
5. 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!)

6. 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  

Be Inspired, Be Encouraged & Get Something Done!
****Stop and Read BEFORE Linking!!****

I will have 2 different themes for you to link to.  Please choose the correct theme, or I will need to delete your link.  Thanks!
Oh, and if you are a tweeter, hitting the tweet box at the bottom will help get the word out.
“Anti-Procrastination” Themed:
~things you want to accomplish (lists, goals)
 ~things you did accomplish (before and afters are great!)
 ~thoughts on procrastination/ways you beat procrastination
“Flexible Themed”
~crafts
~projects
~recipes

21
HOME/ Natural Products/ Organizing/ Simplifying

Spring Cleaning #2-Sunroom

Spring cleaning–its a love hate thing for me.  Don’t like doing it, but LOVE the results.  So far, I have finished my Living Room and my Sunroom.  The Living Room took me 4 hours (one hour of that was fixing my vacuum, grr) and the Sunroom took about 2 1/2.  Not a fast process.  2 rooms down, 10 to go!!

I bought the ebook, “Spring Cleaning For Normal People” at Simple Mom, for $7.00.  One tip in the book that has been super helpful is her suggestion of taking everything out of the room (not heavy furniture), and putting it in a central location before you start cleaning.  Not only does this get it all out of the way for deep cleaning, but as you put each piece back, you have a minute to think about whether it is something that is useful or beautiful, and if you want to keep it or not.   Thanks to this tip, I have eliminated a ton of stuff!  It also gives you a chance to focus in on each object to deep clean it, too, before putting it back in its place.

{great tip– pile stuff in a central location}
{eww.  nasty, dirty window sill}
{this window marker has been there since my husbands birthday…his birthday was in February!}

This is how I cleaned my sunroom: 
~piled everything in the center
~used broom to reach high for cobwebs in corners and windows
~used broom to brush off loose dirt on window sills
~filled bucket with water/vinegar (1/2 & 1/2)
~wiped down doors
~wiped down window sills/frames
~wiped down all walls
~wiped down floor trim
~used a Mr. Clean eraser to get rid of scuff marks on doors and trim
~cleaned windows inside
~cleaned windows outside
~got frustrated because I couldn’t reach 3 windows on the outside without a ladder
~marveled at how bright the room looked with clean windows
~put back decor that didn’t touch the floor, cleaning them and eliminating as I went
~moved objects that did touch the floor from the middle of the room so I could…
~…sweep!
~mopped (twice…it was nasty)
~sat in the swing, sighed and smiled

{ahhh, much better!}

{what my kids like to do in the sunroom}
{my youngest walked in and said, “Wow, mom, you painted??”:}
This is the type of hook I used to hang the scooters.  2 per scooter.  The ones I used are rubber coated and white.  They have worked well.

This post is linked to:
Saturday Night Specials @ Funky Junk Interiors
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps On The Porch
It’s So Very Creative @ It’s So Very Cheri
The DIY Showoff Parade @ The DIY Showoff
Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping It Simple
Making The World Cuter Mondays @ Making The World Cuter 
Market Yourself Monday @ Sumo’s Sweet Stuff
Bragfest Boardwalk @ Bobbypins Boardwalk
Works For Me Wednesdays @ We Are That Family
Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage
Tackle It Tuesday @ 5 Minute Mom
29
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
FAMILY/ HOME/ Homemaking/ Kids/Family/ Parenting/ Simplifying

Simple Chore Chart-Power Of 3

{whoops, spelled vacuum wrong on one, but got it right on the other:)}

It’s spring break for my girls, so my posts this week will be a bit shorter than usual.  Despite a very busy week, I am determined to have a blast with my girls this week, which means less computer time for me!
I’m excited to share this simple chore system we have been using, thanks to Liz’s idea of the Power of 3. (you can read about it at her site, here.)



Power Of 3
 Hoosier Mama Liz, over at Hoosier Homemade, wrote a great post and linked it to my “Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays” link party.  Her post really stood out to me, and caused me to start thinking about how I can incorporate her idea into our family. I love how simple it is!  She calls it the “Power Of 3”  Here is more from Liz:

I simply give each of the boys (18,16 & 12) and my husband 3 things each day to do. Simple…huh? Not quite sure why I didn’t think of it before.

I typed up a form that has each of their names and 3 lines, I use a different sheet for each day. And if a chore on their list doesn’t get done (gasp) it gets added to the next day, if they have a chore listed more than…you guessed it…3 days, they are grounded for…you guessed it…3 days!

I have taken her idea of 3’s and made a simple post-it note chart. It has been working beautifully! (I will be hanging a white board to replace this chart in the near future, there are many reasons for wanting a white board, but in this case it will replace post-it notes, one less thing to buy!)

My girls have really responded to the chart.  No one has been grounded yet:) My approach is not as relaxed as Liz’s approach, because I skip this part of her plan–“if it doesn’t get done in 3 days, it gets added to the next day.”  I want my girls to get used to the the idea that we all contribute daily as a family.  It is non-negotiable. They need to have responsibilities everyday as it teaches them to be hard workers, and it communicates to them that we are a team and work together as a family.  If my girls were grown like her kids, I would probably feel different.

It has been super easy for them, they like knowing they won’t have more than 3 chores a day (except for Saturdays), and they are surprised at how quickly it gets done.  There has been very little complaining, which quite frankly, has surprised me.  They seem to like the number 3 and the simplicity of our new rule– “3 chores a day, if not accomplished = 3 days of grounding.”  The “3 days of grounding” part widened their little eyes, but they took me seriously when I laid out the rules. I can’t believe how easy it has been, I love it!

{if you are wondering, “dr” means “dining room.” Oh, and the one that says “pick up mom’s room” is because they made a mess in there, not because I make them clean MY mess:)}

As you can see from the above picture, Saturdays are an exception to the rule.  We have always done chores on Saturday mornings, so they are used to a list and doing a bit more on the weekend.  It really only takes them 30 minutes or so each Saturday.

I will continue the idea of 3’s, even after our white board is hung.

I am also working on what I call “Daily Routine Charts” (brush teeth, get backpack ready, eat breakfast would all be part of their morning routine.)  We have done this before and it worked beautifully.  Why we stopped?  Hmmm, I have no idea, but it is time to start again.  By having these charts, mommy is not constantly nagging reminding them to get these little things done.  I’ll share those when I have the design finished.

So what works for you?  Do you have a chart system?  How many chores do your kids do?





DIY Day @ ASPTL
giveaways



This Post Is Linked To:


16
FUN/DIY/ HOME/ Simplifying

Thank You Note Tote

Sending out thank you notes regularly=FAIL!

I know, it is not something I am proud of.  I really AM a thankful person, so I thought it was time to start showing it, and to teach my girls the importance of a thank you note…better late than never, right?

My girls actually do a great job of writing thank you notes, in fact, there is one sitting here on my computer desk as I type, that was written by my 6 year old to her Aunt Kathy.  It says…

“thank you for the Hershey’s bar
I love it.
Love you!
Love, (her name)
to. ant Kathy”

Aww!  Love the misspelled “ant.”   She wrote that without any prompting from me, which is really the case a lot of the time.  I can’t tell you how many notes my girls made that just sat here, unsent.  

I know, thank you notes diligently made by little hands but unsent=FAIL!

Obviously, the problem is me, not them.  I stopped to think about what is keeping me from sending them, and came up with  4 excuses obstacles:

1. Finding the right sized envelope
2. Stamps
3. Addresses in a handy place
4. Lack of decent mailbox (we just have a slot in our door, one that the cover has broken off of.  We used to stick our- out going mail right under the cover. Guess I  better put that on my Anti-Procrastination- Doozy- Of- A- List)

Well, I found some solutions that I think are going to work!

Solution to obstacle #1:
I went to Office Max and found some postcards for our printer.  They were blank, perforated, and came 4 to a sheet, 120 sheets!  That’s a lot of postcards!  I paid $15.00, which in my mind is not too bad considering what one pays for a “stationary set of 8 cards” now- a- days!
My thinking with the postcards-there is no need for an envelope, and my girls can get creative with what they would like the front of the postcard to say/look like.  

Solution to obstacle #2:
Buy the girls their own stamps! Doing this meant that they would need to have their own place to keep them, so I proceeded to make them a little thank you note tote!  

Solution to obstacle #3

Addresses.  Ugh.  One of these days every last address of every last person I know will be beautifully organized in my imac address book.  Until that day, when I am 80 which should be soon, because it is on the Doozy List and you are holding me accountable on tuesdays,  I decided to make the girls their own little “Addresses On A Ring.”  I wrote the addresses of people they write thank you cards to most often, (or should be writing thank you cards to, or are writing thank you cards to but their mom doesn’t send them out-FAIL), and put them on a little ring.  I like that they will hand write the addresses, because it is something every child will need to learn how to do.  I thought about making handy little address labels, which would work well for younger kids, but I decided my kids were old enough to fill the address in themselves.  

Solution(sorta) to obstacle #4
Well, because it would be up to me (or entail begging my very kind, handy dad) to get a new mailbox put on the house, I resorted to my handy dandy wooden clips that I use for everything.  I love them so much they got their very own post!  When we have outgoing mail, I will just clip it on to our open slot and hope it doesn’t rain!:)

I put this little Thank You Note Tote together while the girls were at school.  I told them about it in the car and they all 3 were pretty excited and quite impressed.  The first thing they did when we got home was write a thank you!  

There can be variations to this idea.  If you have a younger child who has a bunch of thank yous to write, you could have them draw one picture, scan it, then print it on the front of the post cards.  You could also print “Thank You” or whatever else you want to say onto the postcards, just like I added the lines and address on the back with my computer.  I kept the front of ours blank so they would have lots of space to get creative, and also because I want them to have the freedom to write any type of note, not just a Thank You note.

I didn’t add too much to the tote for them to get creative with.  We have a sticker drawer that they regularly use and will go to if they want a sticker for their card, and they can grab their Art Bags if they need anything else.





19
ANTI-PROCRASTINATION/ FAMILY/ HOME/ Organizing/ Simplifying

My Anti-Procrastination List-It’s A Doozie!

As most of you know, I tend to procrastinate on things.  I’ve had some success in this area, but I want more!  I have found in the past that lists and accountability both work for me, which makes me very excited about “Anti-procrastination Tuesdays.” If you read my “Anti-procrastination Tuesdays” post, you know that I will be doing a weekly link party (starting this tuesday, March 9th) where we can all share what we tend to procrastinate on, and what we have accomplished each week.

 I have been thinking about what I want to accomplish, and have been jotting things down as they come to my mind.  I have come up with quite a list, which honestly is quite overwhelming to see how long it is!  I have to keep reminding myself that one step at a time is the way to go, and that I won’t be alone, because I am hoping you will join me on tuesdays to GET THINGS DONE!

 Below is the list I have together so far. I’m sure there is more that I am missing, but this is more than enough of a start! I thought sharing it with you would be a great way to be held accountable, and very convenient for me to have a running list of goals I want to reach on our tuesdays together.  I will cross things off as I accomplish them and also add new things, then share the highlights at “Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays” party.

Parenting:
chore charts for the girls, remade
make a master chore list 
print and hang a list of ideas kids can do when I hear “I’m bored!”
faith box for family prayer requests
continue ongoing birds and bees conversation with my girls:)
girls to write thank- you’s more regularly
discuss allowance with Todd
year round Joshua Tree 
new ideas for family devotions
“power of 3 chart”
routine charts made
People:
“get in touch with regularly” list
have grandparents for brunch
have women’s Bible study group social in our home
keep up on emails, twitter, facebook, texts and phone messages-get a strategy
General:
find lost library book
pay school $2.10 for forgotten lunch 
whiten teeth
workout
clean out trunk
buy bolt for bike
go through family wardrobe
bring out spring/ summer clothes
pack up winter clothes
get rid of ants in basement-ew
put pics in frames and hang them up
decorate for spring
make laundry detergent
read a book a month (ongoing)
white board hung up
mirrors hung up
laundry under control
sort my clothes
take stuff to goodwill
make exercise a regular part of my week-ugh.
plan lil’ ones bday party
Reorganize:
storage area in basement
 craft closet
‘boogie’ study closet



Appointments:
dentist
yearly physical
allergist
eye doctor
Papers and Lists:
organize paper in sorters on desk
reorganize filing cabinet
Binders:
print recipes used regularly, put in binder
revamp emergency numbers/instructions binder
menu plans
print organized addresses; put in binder
make binder for magazine articles
Computer:
computer safety family contract.
delete unwanted facebook emails
organize bookmarks on computer
organize stickies
add to kid sites
put addresses in mac online address book
learn how to make an imovie
birthdays into ical
groups and smart groups in address book
organize itunes
explore smart playlist, make some new ones
order guinea pig food and hay online to have delivered regularly
videos to dvds

organize reader, make “daily reads”folder
organize starred items in reader
organize my tweet deck
get more familiar with twitter
Cleaning:
wash windows
clean grout on tile floor
clean behind stove/refrig
clean all ceiling fans
clean all light fixtures
clean mini blinds
clean shutters/windowsills
vacuum furniture
Blogging:
create Amazon store 
review some products
do a give-away

Projects:
paint laundry room

paint bathroom
Photos:
delete unwanted photos
back up photos onto cds
print photos
label photos



Outside:
read up on gardening
call community gardens to reserve spot
In The Kitchen:
make homemade tortillas
try making homemade yogurt
make/freeze some make ahead meals
Circus Ponies Online Notebook: (it is an online, virtual binder)
make craft notebook
make recipe notebook
organize poetry notebook
make hairstylist notebook
make womens ministry notebook
list of books to read
make inspirational journal on notebook for blog ideas

Whew!!  Good thing there is no deadline to most of these things (ok.. maybe the ants:))

Do you plan on joining in on “Anti-procrastination” Tuesdays?  I’d love to have ya!
If so and you are a blogger, feel free to get my button from the sidebar to invite others to come.
This post is linked to:
Works For Me Wednesdays @Rocks In My Dryer


12
ANTI-PROCRASTINATION/ FAMILY/ HOME/ Homemaking/ Organizing/ Simplifying

“Anti-procrastination Tuesdays” Link Party

I’m always thinking about topics to blog about, and usually I just share what I am doing in life.  If I am making a certain recipe, I share it, if we are doing holiday crafts, I let you know which ones, etc. 
 I’ve been trying to think of a way to motivate myself to take care of things that I have been putting off, and this brilliant:) thought popped in my mind “I should do a weekly post on anti-procrastination, so I will be forced to do something each week to share with my readers!”  

Not only will I be held accountable to deal my tendency to procrastinate, but here is the best part–ready?  WE CAN DO IT TOGETHER!  Hence, my very first weekly”link party!”  I am so excited!
As most bloggers know, a link party is where other bloggers can link up  posts on a similar subject, all in the same place (in this case, my blog since I will be the host). Then we can “visit” each others blogs, and get inspiration and MOTIVATION!  Not a blogger?  No worries, you can join in by sharing about your anti-procrastination of the week in the comments section, or you could just click through list of links, to read up on what other people have done, and hopefully become inspired!  
You may be one who does not struggle with procrastination, (Flylady & I call you people BO’s-“born organizers.” I also call you “lucky dawgs” and “people I’m really jealous of”) if you fall in this category, I WANT TO LEARN FROM YOU! It would be great if you could leave a blog post or comment with a tip or two of what DOES works for you!
If you are one who struggles with procrastination, you are not alone!  Please come back each week on tuesdays and link up! Tell us your thoughts, show us pictures of what you’ve accomplished or want to accomplish…it could even be a post showing us what you have been putting off, so that we can give each other tips or encouragement.  It could be big or small, from making a dr’s appt to tackling that overflowing storage room. 
I think this is a GREAT opportunity for me to get real with you!  I’ve joked with my sister that the pics of my cobwebs and dust don’t quite make it onto the blog.  We both agreed a “let’s get real” post was in order.  Now with Anti-procrastination Tuesdays, you will see and hear about my junk and hopefully that will motivate me to GET BUSY!

So Let’s Recap:

–Anti-Procrastination Link Party @ New Nostalgia on Tuesdays, starting March 9th.
-If you are not a blogger, join in by commenting!  Share with us what you have accomplished or would like to accomplish, or just enjoy visiting the different blogs that link up.
-If you are a blogger, share any post you have written about procrastination. It could be sharing about something you’ve accomplished, sharing tips on how to get motivated, or sharing different goals you would like to eventually get to.  Any post on something that you have accomplished, past or present, works!  I want to see those before and after pics– I’ll show you my junky gunk if you show me yours!
-Can be big or small…finishing a report, taking a load of stuff to goodwill, working on a project with a child, signing yourself up for jujitsu (why not?), cleaning the car, cleaning the shower head (on my list), etc..
Here is a button if you would like to pass the word along (ohh, that button.  You don’t want to know how long it took me to make that ^%#%$@! button!  It is not a perfect button, but it is two o’clock in the morning right now and I won the battle, er, sort of, and I’m feeling quite proud).  The button will also stay in my sidebar for future need.

Bloggers, if you have continued to read this far,  if this is something that excites you, or if you know others whom it may excite, I would be honored if you would help get the word out.  Feel free to grab and share my button, or even just give the post a little “tweet” by hitting the retweet button.  I am still pretty new at this blogging thing, so I for sure need my blogging community to spread the news.  
Readers, I’m humbly asking you for help, too!  If you know anyone who you think would get into something like this, feel free to share this post via facebook, twitter or email.  
It may take awhile to get people to participate, but that is ok!  I am pumped!  You don’t know how badly I need some motivation to get stuff done!  Spring is a comin’ and I got stuff to do!!

So what do you think?  Leave a comment and let me know..

13
Top