100 Things

100 Things I am Unendingly Grateful for:

(encouraged by Karen G.)

1. My family
2. Our house
3. My husband’s job
4. The ability to be a SAHM
5. Creative pursuits
6. Warm comforters to snuggle under
7. Thick, warm socks
8. “Coffee”
9. Living in the city, but having a nice piece of nature too
10. Big Picture Scrapbooking
11. Blogs—a constant source of encouragement and inspiration
12. Facebook
13. Friendships that last
14. Skype
15. My kind-hearted nature
16. Books, Books, Books
17. My new stroller
18. Our van. God thank you for our van
19. New years, new days, new beginnings
20. Pictures
21. Our camera
22. Hobbies
23. Organization
24. Kelly Green
25. Bright Orange
26. Turquoise
27. Pink
28. Christmas
29. Lights on the house
30. Lights on the tree
31. Plan Toys road and rail system. Love it!
32. Wooden blocks
33. Space for imagination
34. Knowing how it is that I want to raise my kids
35. My mother and all she does for our family
36. Rain
37. Sunshine
38. A good cry
39. Heat—especially the moment when it first kicks on
40. Food
41. Dishes that need to be done, bills that need (and can) be paid, toys that need to be picked up, laundry that needs to be washed.
42. Remus
43. Memories of childhood
44. Notebooks
45. Great pens
46. Scrapbooking
47. Bird stickers
48. Time spend discovering me
49. Time shared discovering everything
50. The beauty of a good whale show
51. Sign Language
52. Christmas carols
53. Warm sweaters
54. Hot Chocolate
55. Christmas movies
56. My dining table and all the stories it could tell
57. My computer and the cool things it will let me do
58. The Box and the ability to handle all my photos
59. Picasa. Could not function without it!
60. Ali Edwards
61. Karen G.
62. Stacy Julian
63. Becky Higgins
64. Project Life and the husband that got it for me
65. The magic in the everyday
66. The ability to document the magic in the everyday
67. Gratitude lists and the attitude shift that comes with
68. My Library of Memories
69. The state of my savings account
70. Plane tickets home
71. Sunsets
72. Mass
73. The ability to meet God where HE is at sometimes
74. Pre-made baby food and disposable diapers!
75. Music and songs that speak to the soul
76. Flowing water
77. Time spent writing down, mapping out, and dreaming of where we are headed
78. Good conversations
79. The fact that my family always has to be together—usually in four square feet of space
80. Television and the ability to lose myself sometimes
81. Heroines that inspire and live lives that I dream of living
82. Intelligence
83. Culture
84. Education
85. My unused (as of yet) Master’s Degree
86. The Bible
87. Magazines
88. Amazon
89. Paint and its possibilities
90. Possibilities—a whole world of possibilities
91. Volunteering
92. Learning something new
93. Spending time with those I love
94. My children
95. Holding my baby in my arms
96. Hearing my son say “I love you, mommy”
97. Nursing
98. My protective and sweet dog
99. A full day’s work
100. Snuggling up with my love at the end of it

Happy Christmas to all and to all a great New Year!!!

December Daily

It may be December 8th (well, December 6th when I started working on this...) but I am totally jumping on this band wagon. I discovered December Daily last year, again at the beginning of December, and was blown away with Ali's design, the colors, the simplicity, the photos, the journaling. I began to put together an album, but it was too late and I was making things way too complicated. This year I vow to do simple, simple, simple, to leave the ideas that stretch me (like baseball card holders? Where do you get those anyway! or painting, or figuring out the whole digital aspect of things.) til next year when I can start earlier. I don't really want to spend any more money then I already have (on some new paper and embellishments) which means that my album will be focused mostly on the photos and the stories. Documenting our life and this season this December. And, well, that's the whole point anyway! =)

Gratitude Tree

I am just now starting to feel better from the cold I got before Thanksgiving, and as our Christmas tree is still tucked away in the garage and is not anticipated out anytime soon, (at least not until the rest of the house is feeling better) I thought I would share this tree instead... A sweetly simple gratitude tree inspired by other similar ideas I have seen on blogs. The leaves were done with a MS punch, and the tree hand drawn and then cut out of scrapbook paper and glued onto a blue sheet of card stock. It is taped into a 12x12 frame with more scrapbook paper as a background, and measures 8.5x11 so that when done decorating my kitchen I can pop it into our family scrapbooks to look back on. A quick, fun project and a cute reminder of all we have to be grateful for!

Right Now 10.18

HEARING—the Super Readers solve a super big problem.
SEEING—Muddy dog prints on my floor. Hello rain!
COOKING—I don’t know. Probably got to figure that out by dinnertime!
CRAFTING—A photo album scrapbook of a trip to Mexico—a very fun project!
THINKING—I’ve got to get orgranized!
PLANNING—To spend the day doing just that!
HOPING—To accomplish a lot today!
OUTSIDE—Dark, rainy, and cold! It feels like fall…I love it!
INSIDE—A mess! Beween the painting projects and the rain my house needs some love!

Happy Monday!!!

This Moment

Inspired by SouleMama...
"{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment to pause, savor and remember."

A Clean House...

If the secret to a constantly clean kitchen is that you don't cook or eat in it, does that mean that the secret to a constantly clean home is to not live in it? =)

Pillows!

Well! I had no internet all day yesterday and all day I went around going "I wish I could look this up online...Oh, I want to check this out online...Oh, I wonder what that is, I could look it up online..." Then, when the internet was finally fixed, I spent ten minutes on it and thought "well, that was fun, now I want to do something else"! It is amazing to me how much the internet becomes a part of life, and in the end, how very unimportant it really is!

Anyway, now that I am back online, I thought I would share some sewing...we just got a new couch, and every new couch needs new pillows! So, I went to the store and bought two beautiful, expensive, silk, embroidered, down-filled pillows. My the were expensive! My they were beautiful! Even DH liked them! (Shock!) I brought them home and put them on the couch...and they didn't seem right. That's when I realized, I don't have a "beautiful, silk, embroidered, expensive pillow" life! =) I have a "two babies who aren't potty trained yet, play dough and cheerios, dog who eats everything" life! So, the pillows went and instead I created these:

I made inserts with old sheeting, and the covers are made from a curtain panel and a ripped duvet cover.

That's much better!

They needed a throw to go with them, so I put this lap quilt together and now I am happy and comfortable on my new couch!

Right Now (10.11)

HEARING--The twang of a table saw—at 8 am. Ugh!
SEEING—A sewing machine on my table and a blue room in my house!!! Blue!!!
COOKING—Probably nothing today! Painting is more important!
CRAFTING—Some things for my home and some Christmas presents. Completed 13 scrapbook pages this weekend. That’s CRAZY!
THINKING—I am a happier person when I have a project to work on.
PLANNING—To finish painting and maybe go to the store later.
HOPING—To be able to do some painting tonight, but I doubt that will happen.
OUTSIDE—Sunshine-y and bright…gonna be a hot one today.
INSIDE—We are all UP! Time to get moving!!!

Happy Monday!

{THIS MOMENT}

Inspired by SouleMama...
"{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment to pause, savor and remember."

Have a great weekend!

Quotable...

My life may seem SMALL by the world’s standards…
But the joy it brings is HUGE!
~Kristie Hunt

Cereal Bars and Life

I made these cereal bars, from Everyday Food, the other day and they were a big hit. Sweet and tart, and very gooey! Made me reminice about making treats with my mother and just childhood in general. Its fun how something so simple and easy to do makes such a big impact.

Cold and rainy here today. I love this weather, but am too emersed in life to appreciate it. We are in the throws of teething and getting little sleep. I will be so glad to see teeth!

Happy Wednesday!!!

Tuesday Tip--The Dishwasher

Small things that make life better, easier; what could be better then that! Here's a small thing to make loading the dishwasher quicker!

I pre-rinse my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. I use both sides of my double basin sink to do this--I rinse the dishes on one side and then stack them in the other before putting them in the dishwasher. This way, I don't leave the water running while I am bending over to put the dish in the machine, and its quicker too!
Less time with the dishes means more time with the times I love. That's always good! =)

Right Now...

HEARING--The hum of the washer and the buzz of the dryer. Gotta love a good wash day!

SEEING--My dog standing at the back door whining to be let out so he can bury his bone. Not gonna happen!

COOKING--Mac and Cheese for dinner, I think!

CRAFTING--Piecing a quilt top for a Christmas present! Never too early to start thinking about Christmas.
Also working on a photo album scrapbook of our trip to Japan.

THINKING--That if I want to live a more centered and mindful life I need more quiet and solitude in which to process and think through things. Hmmmm, where am I gonna get that!?!?

PLANNING--A shopping trip and getting ready for Halloween!!!

HOPING--To be able to go to the lake today for a walk and to see the ducks.

OUTSIDE--It's gray and foggy right now, but I bet that will burn off by this afternoon. Perfect morning for getting things done!

INSIDE--The house is still waking up and greeting the day. There's a nice peace in that!

Happy Monday! =)

{THIS MOMENT}

Inspired by SouleMama...
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment to pause, savor and remember.

Have a great weekend!!!

An introduction.

Hey!!! I have ideas! I love blogs! After coming out of the newborn baby haze I remembered that I have a blog! Like my house, I hope to make this, my virtual home, a place of joy and beauty...Dawn has this up on her blog today and I thought it would serve well as a form of introduction...Hi! I'm Kristie and I blog!

1. What is your middle name? Mary

2. What's your favorite magazine? Family Fun (for the kid ideas) and Better Homes and Gardens (for the mom ideas)!

3. What are you wearing right now? A tank dress. Its hot here lately!

4. What color are your bed sheets? Bright Green. The Springmaid sheet line from Target. LOVE them! The only fitted sheets I have ever had that actually stay on the bed!

5. Who was your third grade teacher? Mrs. B??? Don't remember. I do remember that she was not good and that year I had like 50 "sick" days cuz she upset my tummy. =(

6. What is the weather like right now? Hot, hot, hot! Record highs here, but its cloudy today so it's a little bit cooler.

7. Do you know how to ski? Nope!

8. What was the last thing you drank? Wild Cherry Pepsi.

9. Dream vacation? HI or Greece or Italy...but I'm not picky!

10. Favorite article of clothing? Pj pants, or cozy socks.

11. Do you prefer baking or cooking? Um, take out? ;)

12. Is your hair above or below your shoulders? Its pretty much at my shoulders. Any longer and it starts to bug me.

13. What drink do you order when out? Water. I really hate to spend $3 on a pop!

14. What book are you reading? Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson.

15. What did you dream about last night? Family and a giant blow-up slide. No idea! =)

16. What was the last movie you went to? Harry Potter #6? Or Thomas the train...babies+movies don't mix well for us!

17. Any injuries at the moment? Nope.

18. What color is your bathroom? Cream, but that is scheduled to change...someday ;)

19. What's the state of your laundry right now? Its in the dryer.

20. Do you take vitamins? Yes, every night.

21. Where do you love to shop? My local thrift store.

22. How often do you buy groceries? Once a week.

23. Do you have a pet/pets? Two. A 2 yr old dog and a 8 yr old cat. Deep down inside they really are quite fond of each other. Deep, deep, down!

24. If you are married, when is your next anniversary? Next summer will be 7 years.

25. How do you take your coffee and/or tea? Neither...

26. Mac or PC? Desktop or Laptop? I'm a PC...Laptop.

27. Favorite month of the year? December.

28. Do you have a hobby? Sewing and scrapbooking.

29. What salad dressing do you prefer? Italian

30. Live or fake Christmas tree? Love a live tree, but with babies, and pets, its not always a good option.

31. Did you walk or take a bus to school? Walked. Never took a bus. Loved it.

32. Do you have any phobias? The dark, heights, and I get claustrophobic when driving (lots of fun!)

33. What's your favorite snack food? Cookies, or chocolate.

34. When do you take your shower/bath? In the morning while Curious George entertains the kids!

35. What time did you get up this morning? 8am.

36. What's your favorite animal? My cat (shhhh! Don't tell the dog!)

37. Have you ever broken a bone? Nope, which, given my klutzy nature is a miracle!

38. Do you wear makeup? Not usually.

39. Do you speak any foreign languages? Un pequito de Espanol? Pero no mucho.

40. Have you ever played a sport? Softball. Was bribed to play the first year and stayed for 5 years? 7??? Loved it.

41. Your last UPS package contained ... Photo Storage albums to set up my Library of Memories!!! So excited!!!!

42. What's on your desktop? A vase full of pens, a desktop file, a Precious Moments Graduate Girl given to me by my mom at HS graduation, hand lotion, and hand sanitizer. Computer desktop? Photos...tons and tons of photos.

43. What is your home page? Yahooooo

44. Extrovert or introvert? Both, depending on the situation and my comfort level.

45. Favorite board game? Trivia Pursuit. The original one. Must be played with Google next to you to look up answers to the q's no one knows...like Columbo's middle name. =)

46. What class did you like best in high school? In college? In HS--Community Service. For 5th period I got to go volunteer at the elementary school next door. Loved it. College--my psychology classes.

47. What would you do with an extra hour each day? Sew or scrapbook or sleep...can I get three more??? =)

48. Do you have allergies? No.

49. Are your nails painted? Nope...my teething baby loves fingers!

50. Where are you right now? At the dining room table.

Thanks Dawn for the inspiration!

Weekend Recap

Don't know why it is posting this under Saturday, but this is Monday...

How nice it was to have a long weekend! Of course, now we are spoiled having DH here with us for so long! We will have to get used to the work week again! We did quite a bit, but the lawn turned out to be too much for us! The front yard is ready to be attacked by the tiller, but the back yard is proving to be a bit harder because of the vine-like weeds growing back there, but we made great progress there, and the errands mostly got done. So, here's how we did...

Lawn:
Mow (this is 2/3rds done, but proved to be a bit much)
Rake (this is also 2/3rds done)
Till
Spread amendments
Till again
Level and re-grade

Start removing Pepper tree roots and digging up sprinkler head

Errands:
Kohls--returns & cookie sheets (Yea! for Kohl's cash!)
WM/Target--nightlights/tums (heartburn is not conducive to sleep!)
Post Office--mail book out
Toyota--get 2nd set of keys
Downtown--pick up table and chairs (Sunday)
GW & TS--drop off donations
Home Depot (twice)--amendments, flags, hardware, tiller
ABS--food

Library

Michaels--return box

Home:
Wash curtains and trash cans
List books on Amazon
Drill bigger holes in bookcase
Hang bathroom cabinet
Finish cleaning bathrooms

Went through all books and cleaned each bookcase

Cleaned drawer under stove and organized baking supplies

The rest of the time we spent running and playing in the yard and vacuuming up all the dirt and leaves that made it into the house afterward! =) Hope you had a great weekend too!

Hello Weekend!

Boy! Now that DH is done with grad school, we spend most of our weekend trying to cram as much household work in as possible. This weekend being a four day weekend, we have a lot going on! I thought I would take a page from Molly's book over at My Happy House and post what we have going on this weekend and see how much we get done!

(keep in mind that with a very active two year old, and a baby belly that grows larger and heavier by the second, I swear! we may be just a bit ambitious in our plans!) However, we are off to a great start!

Lawn:

Mow

Rake

Till

Spread amendments

Till again

Level and re-grade

Errands:

Kohls--returns & cookie sheets (Yea! for Kohl's cash!)

WM/Target--nightlights/tums (heartburn is not conducive to sleep!)

Post Office--mail book out

Toyota--get 2nd set of keys

Downtown--pick up table and chairs (Sunday)

GW & TS--drop off donations

Home Depot (twice)--amendments, flags, hardware, tiller

ABS--food

Home:

Wash curtains and trash cans

List books on Amazon

Drill bigger holes in bookcase

Hang bathroom cabinet

Finish cleaning bathrooms

See? Told you we were ambitious! I'll let you know on Monday how much we get done!

Have a great weekend!

Go team Go!!!

Going Against the Grain

Welcome 2010! Its a new year, the holidays are officially packed up and put away, and the house is...a mess. Hideous actually. Life has kept us busy and away from the house too often and now it needs lots of love to get it looking great and feeling peaceful! Time to get down to work and get organized! I will bet that many others feel the same way, and that searches and readership for information on organizing has gone way up. I have been addicted to anything that has to do with organizing lately and I wanted to throw my two cents into the ring...so here's my advice for organizing...don't take any advice!
Often, the first thing people will tell you is to deal with the surface clutter first so that your home looks good and you get a sense of accomplishment, but I say if your closets, drawers, and files are a mess, there is no way you can clear surface clutter. Start with the closets and drawers first. Pull everything out, clean, sort, and organize. Get rid of all that you can. Then you have a place to put all those things lying around away. Warning: Your house will get very messy doing things this way, but trying to stuff twenty pieces of paper into a full file drawer stinks!
Also, stop listening to what other people tell you about what to do with your stuff! Tie hangers can be used for ties, or scarfs, or necklaces, or yarn, or ribbon, or gift bags, or whatever! Kitchen organizers can be used in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, kids rooms, or garage. You can store your shoes in the closet if you want, or under the bed, or down the hall, or in the garage or mud room even. Think about how you live and where you want to use your stuff and be open to anything. There is no right way to organize, just so long as you can get your stuff without causing a concussion, its all good!
Now go and get to work!!!