Think Pink

Old Year Ablutions

Leanne over at The Good Neighbors issued a challenge.  Along with listing all the things we hope to make happen in the new year, make a list of things we truly want to be rid of in 2008.  Many times, the difference between change and status quo is not recognizing the things that impede us from making forward progress.  I want to rid myself of these things.  To wash them away, as it were.  Thus, my old year ablutions.

• Negativity - I spend so much time focusing on the hard, the bad, the wrong and the just-plain-stupid that I allow it to distract me from all that is wonderful and blessed about my life.
• Speak without thinking - a habit that often leads to negativity.  Just because it pops into my head doesn't mean I MUST say it--even if it's a valid thought. 
• Take relationships for granted - anything worth having is worth investing time and effort in.  I have let too many friendships go by the wayside because they weren't "convenient" for me.  I want the people I love to know I love them, without a doubt.
• Wasting Time - the fact is that there are a million things I want to try, learn and do.  Housework isn't one of them, but it doesn't change the fact that there are responsibilities that I must face.  I need to get them over with quickly and well so that I can focus on the fun stuff.
• Gain any more weight- 'nuff said
• Let an opportunity to help or to reach out pass by due to busyness.  I fully believe that not every opportunity is for me to take hold of, but I also know that I focus too much on what really doesn't matter and let opportunities that DO matter and that ARE mine to take hold of go by.
• Get irritated over what I cannot change - I can't change many things.  What a waste of time and energy when I stew and steam and fuss and rant about it.  In fact the number of things I can control I can list on three fingers: myself actions, my emotions, my response. Nothing. Else. Matters.
• Spend frivolously.
• Hoard things I do not need, love or even want.
• Make excuses for being who I am. 

Tackle It Tuesday: The Grand Plan

I spent a good portion of last week thinking up and writing down a housecleaning plan that I can live with and that leaves me with more free time.  I think I waste a lot of time re-doing things that don't really need my immediate attention and procrastinating areas that I don't really want to do.  HOPEFULLY this plan will keep me on the straight and narrow and allow me more time to just enjoy life.

Here are my 10 areas:

Living Room

Back porch

Kitchen

Dining Room & Yard

Front room

Bathrooms

Master bed

L’s bed

B&O’s bed

Yard

Here's the beauty of the plan.  I can do these areas in any order I want.  So I sat down with a calendar (not pictured in this post) and wrote what days I would do what chores, saving harder tasks for days when I am not singing in 5 services, or planning a get together with friends.  Each area gets hit roughly once every 10 days or three times a month.  I already have cabinets and closets and the like pretty well organized, and what isn't I will spend extra time on this month as I hit that area, but it's conceivable that most days 30-40 minutes will easily accomplish the task for that day.

Now, lest some of you shriek in fear at the thought of a toilet only being cleaned every 10 days, or a floor only being vacuumed every 10 days (and by you, I mean me, because the thought makes me cringe).  There are daily tasks (the bathroom wipe down, laundry, kitchen wipe down, and floor duties) that are carried out by myself and the littles.

I also have been faithful for TWO WEEKS NOW posting a menu for the week on Monday.  Isn't it silly how such a little thing becomes so helpful? AND I have a book reading plan for the month over at the book blog. I also have made HUGE strides in the garage, which still isn't perfect, but SO MUCH BETTER.  I keep working on it a little everyday, hoping to take care of the majority of the job before the real summer heat hits and it becomes miserable.

So, there you have it.  As I do each area of cleaning this month, I will be making a little checklist of things to be done, which you will find over at the titillating House Work Blog (yes, I am that much of a geek. Yes, I have cleaned since last Thursday which is the last time I posted there).

An Effective Offense: Tackle it Tuesday Style

Sometimes before you do an effective tackle, you have to really stop and focus on where it is you want to go.  What I want is to have more time to do the fun things and in order to do that I must effectively manage the necessary things.  Ultimately what I find to be merely necessary (which doesn't mean I never enjoy it, merely that I wouldn't choose to do it if it didn't need doing) is house and yard maintenance and exercise.  I do fairly well in the first category.  I fail miserably in the second, and I don't know what to do to motivate myself to do better.

In January I posted a list of aspirations for the upcoming year and I thought first I would see where I am regarding those aspirations:

• Exercise/ weightlifting - we addressed how badly I am doing in this arena
• Learn to knit - haven't done it yet.  Very unfortunately the woman who is going to teach me this lost her husband in March.  But it may be time to see if she would like some company again as I still want to learn
• Reading goals- heh, maybe too many.  My book blog overfloweth.  As does my library card.
• Draw - nada.
• Become a better friend - I'm working on this.  Some areas are much better, some areas have become weaker.  I need to find balance.
• Deepen my prayer life- again, this is an inconsistent state with me.  I'm not proud of it, but it's the honest truth.
• Develop an effective housework routine - I'm doing better with this.  The problem with me is hot-spots, areas of disorganization that I procrastinate taking care of, or feel overwhelmed when I consider them.  Also, I find myself resentful that maintaining these areas is not fun, when I could just spend my time doing something I do enjoy. My little list/ housework blog is helping me be more effective in this as well.
• Develop a menu and meal planning system  - i am proud to say that I did this for the first time YESTERDAY.  Now to maintain consistency, and use it effectively.
• more frugal spending - I laugh at this.  I suck at this.  heh.
• More time for hobbies and activities - I am making time for this.  The question becomes am I sacrificing time doing the necessary things to accomplish this.

This represents about half my list.  I see definite progress in some areas, and in others..well.

So it follows that now I need a plan to follow for the next week in the areas where I am weak.

• Exercise bike - 15 minutes daily.  I have to do it. The End.  I also am going to come up with some sort of self reward for being consistent.  What that is, I don't know.
• Clean out all the closets. - this is a biggie for me.  They bother me every time I look inside one, and in reality they aren't that far from being perfectly acceptable.  I just need to DO IT.  So, a closet a day from now until next Tuesday.
• finish cleaning the garage.  I am off to a grand start.  I'd say about 1/3 done and done well.  I would like to be completely finished in the next two weeks.  That's 1/3 a week and gives me a clean garage for hurricane season.  I can live with that.
• Stick to my meal plan AND begin a folder for recipes used and enjoyed.
• call a few friends for a get together and to discuss a potential summer home Bible study

There you have it, it's not your traditional T.i.T in that I don't have any pictures to share for accomplishments made.  But I have a plan, and for me it's all about having a plan. 

LISTS! GLORIOUS LISTS!

I am certain that I have professed my rather obsessive love of lists.  I do.  I love them.  I love the crossing off of them so that I can see progress.  I love the idea of not forgetting the things I deemed important enough to put on the list.  Lists are good.  Because I love them, but few people find them nearly as riveting as I do, I have created a list/ organizational blog.  I call it: It's Not All Glamour because I really don't want anyone to get the impression that everything about me and my lifestyle is glamorous, and I know that it likely to happen **cracks own self up**.  Quite honestly, it's not something that I expect anyone to check because there is not one bit of excitement to be found there, but it is helping me tremendously in motivating me to get things done.

One of the things I have listed on there is a list of projects for the week which I hope to be able to report as ALL FINISHED with pictures even on next Tuesday. And then an agenda to complete for the FOLLOWING Tuesday will be posted each week.  That's the plan anyway.

I also will be organizing all my reading challenges at Think Pink: Bibliophile Style.  I need to make several new typelists to reflect challenges I have joined.  Including a new challenge that Nat started.  We have a little mutual hate thing goin' on right now *glowers at Nat.*

AND I hope to at least start a menu for the next week so I can grocery shop, as we are running out of food.  I have determined that some of my emotional issues are probably tied to my not-so-great eating habits since the mission trip (THANKS CHERI!!), so I need an eating plan to follow.

There you have it, much to tackle and only 24 hours in a day! GO ME!

Too Much to Tackle

I'm in! I'm in! I'm in for a Tackle it Tuesday (aka T.i.T) Alas! there is so much to tackle I can't just focus on ONE thing. I need a plan. I need a list. I need hurricane supplies. I need--to tackle a gameplan. I also need a second cup of coffee. Stay tuned for further developements of this spectacular plan.........

The 10PM update.

I did not spontaneously combust.  I did find myself at times spectacularly busy and despondantly overwhelmed by turns.  The never-ending rain doesn't help.  My kids haven't played outside in FOUR days.

First I determined what had to be done:

• laundry
• homeschooling
• trip to the library
• clean the kitchen
• prep for Disciple Class

There was a lot more I wanted to accomplish, but these five things had to be tackled today (in hindsight it would have been nice to remember a certain fairly important phonecall before oh, 7 pm when I was in class and could do nothing about it, but I digress).

I did actually accomplish most of those things.  I did not finish all the laundry.  I DID fold and put away all of the laundry I did do (score). At the library we decided to check out the Wrinkle in Time movie, which helped keep the kids occupied despite the rain and allowed me to clean the kitchen fairly thoroughly.

what I wanted to do:

• spend 15 minutes cleaning each room
• organize the linen closet
• write two book blog entries
• write a list of summer projects room by room
• write a list of hurricane supplies needed
• mow some portion of the backyard (this became ridiculous when the monsoon continued for hours on end)
• cover my roots

What I did that wasn't on the list:

• made and delivered lunch to the hunky hubby (don't read martyr into this--I  certainly didn't mind doing it; it just wasn't on my original agenda)
• helped HH with minor church prep
• made a trip to Wal-mart for organizational containers (woot!)
• got sidetracked by portions of A Wrinkle in Time movie
• started an organizational blog that I am still totally not completely sure of actually using or keeping
• wrote a cool blog in my head
• realized how soon about one zillion friends of mine will be giving birth.

So, all in all--we'll call the day a success.  I did do what I set out to do (mostly).  I did not over extend myself and crash and burn.  No children were harmed in the making of this T.i.T, and if I actually DO decide to do something with that organization blog, well, it just might be next week's T.i.T. 

And there you have it.

New Year's Aspirations

Do you hate resolutions? I hear everyone say that: "I hate resolutions," and there's a certain tone they say it in. Everyone does it, and it makes me laugh.  I don't hate resolutions because I like having a goal to work towards, what I don't like is falling short of the resolution at the end of the year.  They seem so..concrete.  If you don't meet them exactly then you have failed, despite the fact that you may have made immese progress towards the goal, if it falls short, it's failure.  I think that's why people don't like them, don't make them and use "that tone" when referring to them.

However, I, personally, do well with a measurable goal.  I can't simply say, "I want this year to be better."  I need to be able to measure it and quantify it with goals and standards, not because I am perfectionist (I am a recovering one), but because it is a motivational tool for me (God made me geeky that way).  One of my goals this year is to be a more focused person.  I really don't feel that God is calling me to drop or slow down the activities I am already involved in, though I am certainly not led to pick up more, but I don't like feeling all at loose ends all the time while trying to accomplish them.  The answer then, obviously, is a need to focus my attention to the task at hand and be able to complete it quickly and efficiently.  To that end, I have started a quest of sorts to set up a household notebook, and I have invited some of my closest friends over at Women At Home to join me. There's still time to join us if you want to register (it's free, you simply have to register a membership).

The first assignment I set for myself and anyone who wanted to join me was to be bold and share all the things they would like to do this year.  Without worrying about time, or practicality, or schedules, but what would you do if everyday had all the hours you needed to get it all done.  This is what I came up with:

Personally:

• Exercise.  I say it EVERY YEAR and I don't do it,  This body ain't getting any younger.
• Weight Lifting.  Just being honest.  I'd like to get a weight routine that tones and shapes.  I don't want to be body builder sculpted, but getting rid of the chicken arms and a little 6-pack wouldn't be too shabby.
• Learn to knit.  Last year I taught myself to crochet, and I love doing it.  I don't think knitting is going to come as easily, but I still want to learn it.
• Write more regularly.  Whether it's this medium or in a journal, I need to do more writing. There's simply no excuse
• More purposeful reading.  I need to not flit about and reread so much.  There are tons of books here to choose from that are unread.  I need to read those and read with a purpose.  I will be sharing my plan on my book blog.
• Draw.  I did very little last year.  I love it, and, dadgum, I'm good at it.  I have a motivational tool to do it, but I can't share here because it's gifty.
• Become a better friend.  I'll be sharing more about this in few days when I blog about my "theme" for the year.  But I can be selfish and standoff-ish in my friendships, and that's just not going to cut it anymore.  In fact, I've already been presented with my first opportunity to reach out, not 5 minutes into the New Year.  God isn't messing around.
• Deepen my prayer life.  I've blogged before that prayer is not something that comes naturally.  It's really hard for me to focus and stay in a place of prayer.  This is my hardest aspiration and the one that is most important.

Organizationally:

• Develop an effective house work routine.  By effective I mean fast, efficient and kid friendly.  I had kids for slave labor, it's time to use it.
• Develop a menu and meal planning system.  I'm tired of trying to figure out what to fix at 4pm and then copping out and going to get something.  It's not good healthwise or financially.
• More frugal spending.  We are facing lots of financial changes this year that are going to require me to spend better.
• Have free time for hobbies and activities.  Accomplishing the above items will help me to be able to do this

Parentally:

• Enjoy my children.  Too often I feel like their needs or wants are interrupting my "Agenda."  I have to get over that and enjoy my kids.  They won't be here underfoot that much longer.
• Use nice words.  This is actually something my entire family is working on with each other.  We allow our words to be sharp and cut down rather than build up and encourage.  So. not. good.
• Plan more fun activities.  We never do much because we don't "make plans" together.  I want to do more fun things as a family.
• Be a more organized educator.  I truly don't feel like my girls are behind where they should be educationally, but I do want to do a better job of mapping their progress.

Spiritually/ Ministry

• Fulfill my obligations without complaining.  Too often I volunteer to do something and then complain about it.  God doesn't need that kind of service, and it certainly doesn't bless me.
• Continue teaching or taking a Bible study.  I need the accountability or I drift.  Teaching or taking--that's the way it has to be.
• Begin a scripture memorization plan.  There's just not better material to have in my head than scripture.  I can sing every 80's hairband song ever written but God's word just leaks out like water.  It just ain't right.
• Spend more focused time at Women at Home.  I visit there a lot and visiting is good, but my time needs to be constructive and instructive.  I am either leading a ministry, or I'm not.

So there you have it.  A list of general aspirations that I will begin to prioritize and make specific plans to push forward to make them happen.  This will be a year long project and somethings may not even be touched for months, but I have a list now to refer to when I feel myself drifting.  Most of this month will probably deal with the in-and-outs of planning and organizing and dreaming about all the wonderful things this year will hold for me! I'm so excited to get started!

Tackling It in the Blogosphere

Just when you thought I'd dropped off the map with the Tackle-it-Tuesday (or as I fondly call it T.i.T ); I'M BACK. Not only have I returned to tackling things (actually I never stopped tackling things.  I just stopped posting about them....ever), but in my return I have resurrected My Book Blog!  Of course, I can't take all the credit.  Miss Bedky once again has brilliantly and beautifully designed my banner. It do feel cozy and magical over there now.  I hope you'll give her a look-see!

Thursday Thirteen: Vacation Prep

ONE WEEK TO MICHIGAN so much to do!

• Wash the dogs
• Shave the Dog
• vacuum/ clean interior of car
• wash car
• Library business (pick up/drop off/ renew)
• Laundry
• water plants indoors/ out
• weed flower bed
• cover furniture (the cat wreaks havoc when we go away)
• fash tank cleaned/ time release feeder
• house cleaned
• suitcases packed
• GET LOTS OF SLEEP before leaving at 3am!

(oh and 14--write the "Really Great Blog"--probably tonight!)

Tackle it Tuesday: Cyber-organization

I didn't forget! It just took me all day to get around to putting it up today.  I actually cheated and spent some time this weekend on my project, and it took me an ENTIRE DAY of sitting here at the computer to get it done.  I don't know if you are like me, but my computer desk top and innards are not pretty.  There is stuff everywhere and half of it, I have forgotten existed!  But this weekend I spent some time spiffying up--MY BLOG.  I have been blogging for just over three years now. You can collect a lot of random in three years.  Add to that the fact that I never really spent much time catagorizing my entries, and you have a big, hairy mess.  HOWEVER since I was anticipating an increase in hits with my interview (see Dana, see Dana plug--plug Dana plug) I took it as incentive to clean up, and VOILA here you are in my new and improved blog! I didn't change the banner because it is so magically delicious to me still (thank you, Becky!), but the sidebars are tres improved.

<------------------ To the left you will find the "about me" page, which briefly tells my story.  Underneath that are links to some of my favorite posts, or posts that someone may want to look at to know me a bit better. Or, something to kill time if you get bored and lonely while your husband spends the week at a camp in the middle of nowhere with 67 middle school teens, but i digress. Beneath that are some posts that will let you know a bit more about my fun with "the crancer." (aka breast cancer--calling it ths crancer is just a way of poking fun at the beast.  Because "no one dies of the crancer").  Beneath that is a link to my sistah Mylette's page, a link to W@H, a link to my flickr (which, incidentally, you must be a contact to see many of the pics.  Just email me and we'll talk)

To the RIGHT ------------------------------------------------------------------------>

You can subscribe to feedblitz which will email you when I update (there is sometimes up to a 48 hour delay on this--I advise using bloglines to keep track of blogs).  Typepad people list (I honestly don't know how this works because I use bloglines).  THEN, oh then, the CATEGORIES.  This is what took me MANY MANY MANY hours this weekend, getting all the little entries nestled juuuuust so in their little nooks. A brief explanation follows:

• A word: when I feel like climbing a soap box, OR when God delivers the Holy smack down on me, and I am not to proud to share it.
• Blogathon- all the posts from the 2003 Blogathon.  There is also some good cancer information here.
• Capturing the Moment- we'll call these entries word pictures.  Sometimes moments are too good to let slip by, and I try to journal them as best I can.
• Daily Life--when it just didn't fit anywhere else
• Homeschooling- self explanatory.  There are far too few of these.  I need to do better
• Hurricane Madness- many many many posts dealing with the never ending fun of the summer of 2004 in which Florida was hit by four major hurricanes.  It also records any subsequent hurricane fun.
• I remember- moments and people I don't want to forget or shared memories
• meme fun- all the memes I have ever done, EVER.
• Pics- self explanatory
• Project Blog 2004- a catalogue of all the posts leading up to and during the 24 hours of Project blog.  Some more good crancer information here.
• Setting things Straight- posts about organization (all my TiTs can be found here!)
• Something Special- reserved for posts on special occasions
• Tale of the Hand- in which you can listen to me indulge in ceaseless and neverending puling about the "Great Hand Injury of aught4"
• The Crancer- any post I ever made about cancer.  There are more posts here than linked in the left sidebar

Then we have recent posts linked, recent comments and some photo albums (rummages around near the bottom of the sidebar.) And FINALLY (I bet you thought we'd never get here!), a link to the summer reading challenge, my book blog AND my current reads.

PSHEW!

I bet you thought we were done!

Oh no, we aren't done yet. TODAY (because it is, after all, Tackle it Tuesday) I reorganized MY DEL.ICIO.US!  Del.icio.us is hands down my favorite bookmarking system for online sites because (because, because, because, because BECAAAAAAUUUSE) you can network with other del.icio.us users and peruse their links.  And as I have said before, there is LITTLE I like better than getting a leeeeetle peek into someone else's business!

Now, I was going to talk ALL ABOUT Google's Picasa photo storage system, which I also organized this weekend, but I will save that for another day!

(are you still concious?)

Tackle it Tuesday

Don't worry. There will be a Needful Things blog installment in a bit.

Today's TiT involves two areas:

The hall closet.  A steller example of space poorly used with no one to blame but myself.  To be fair, about three-ish weeks ago, I KNEW this closet was going to be a TiT and as I was cleaning other areas, I have been putting stuff in there to deal with on that day. 

The Dresser.  This is actually NOT it's normal state.  But I started TiT yesterday and left a few things on it that will go into the closet (seen above) by the end of the project.  The stack of books is almost always there--though it's higher than usual today because Barnes and Noble received my patronage this weekend.  MAINLY my focus will be on what is IN the drawers today.  The pile of clothes on the dresser came from in the drawers and is being relocated--it's mostly hats, scarves and gloves.  Yes, I live in Florida.  Please don't ask.

I didn't take a picture of all the drawers internals, 'cause, well that's boring.  But suffice it to say that they all look like this:

It's like victoria's secret threw up, eh. AND WEEEEEEE'RE OFF!

4:30 Pm--this was like a TiT out of control just wait:

ok let me 'splain

1) the bookcase--there were school books in the closet that needed a home--so I resorted books in the bookcase (no books were lost in this weeks TiT) and dusted them well and fit the books on there (with some room to spare for next year's books)

2) somehow in putting the bags that were STUFFED in the hall closet into the coat closet--I cleaned and straightened that closet too.  Yes, those are all our coats.  Yes, we live in Florida. Please, don't ask

3) The ACTUAL closet-note--empty shelves.  I am confused by this phenominon.

4 &5) Drawers--both pics of THE drawers and of MY drawers. Enjoy.

6) top of the dresser

Someone needs to bring me a drink and put me to bed!

(as always--pics can be clicked to enlarge)