Today we had our Strawberry Party. I mentioned yesterday that it was the brainchild of my four year old. I turned it into a bit of a Christmas party as well, and the kids decorated felt stockings with cotton balls and glitter glue. We ate Christmas tree shaped pb&j sandwiches, and frozen fundraiser cookies decorated with icing and colored … [Read more...]
Creating Traditions is So Much Easier In a Clean (Or Even a Cleanish) House
A year ago today I was in awe that we were able to have a fun day of carving a pumpkin and baking a pumpkin pie without spending hours decluttering the dining room table and doing the dishes before we could even get started. Well, it's Columbus Day again, and I decided to make it a tradition to designate this first-school-holiday-of-the-year as … [Read more...]
Letting a Mess Happen
I'm a sucker for creative play. Today the boys are out of school for Columbus Day. We had big Pumpkin Day plans (which I'll share tomorrow), but we took a while to get going this morning . . . mostly because they were having so much fun. Non-wrestling, non-Jedi-battle, non-bug-your-brother, non-make-your-mama-crazy fun. They were playing … [Read more...]
Hi, My Name is Nony . . . and I Have Toys-with-lots-of-teeny-tiny-parts-a-phobia
"They" say that the first step is admitting you have a problem. I have a problem. Actually, I have lots of them, but I'll focus on one for today. I have a fear of toys-with-lots-of-teeny-tiny-parts. Like Legos. This is a prime example of my slob-tendencies affecting my real job . . . being a mom. I've successfully avoided Legos … [Read more...]
The Dark Side of Freezer Cooking Day: Clean Up
Some people can't go to sleep if their kitchens aren't clean. I've always felt strangely jealous of them. This is what my kitchen looked like when I went to bed last night . . . . and I slept like a baby. The Dark Side of Freezer Cooking is that while I can throw myself wholeheartedly into playing the character of the energetic, fun, … [Read more...]
A Few More Tricks for a Successful Roadtrip with Kids – Travel Tips from a Slob
I love great ideas. Gadgets, unique inventions, problem solving ideas, etc. But as I've said before, it's my love of "cool stuff" that has put me in this mess. It seems that normal people can see an item, evaluate whether or not they truly need it, purchase it, find a proper place to store it, and (here's the biggie), remember that they have it … [Read more...]
Bathroom Cleaning Supply Baskets for the Kids
How incredibly cute are these baskets? Too bad they didn't have any pink ones left, but at least my daughter got a pink sponge and a pink topped spray bottle. Today has been crazy with end-of-school-goings-on, but I was determined to get something done, since every day this week will be equally crazy. I took a trip to the Dollar Tree, and … [Read more...]
Empty Shelves and Tubs . . . Adjusting My Mindset for Summer
If you've been reading lately, you know how much I love summer with the kids. You also know that I'm a little scared. It feels a little like Chapter One of the blog is coming to an end. I began this blog on the first day of this school year, determined to hold myself accountable and begin to focus on my home. Although it's very far from … [Read more...]
Off the Subject – Frugal Vacation Planning with Kids
This really doesn't have anything to do with my home-transformation progress, it's regarding one of my other issues - being a cheapskate. I was just over at Lifeasmom.com, and she posted some great advice on saving money on vacations. I thought I'd share my best family-vacation-money-saving idea at her Frugal Friday blog carnival. A few years … [Read more...]