The Past Meets the Present

Today the Ladybugs and I have exactly two weeks of summer vacation left, and I am slowly coming to terms with starting a new school year.  In fact, I start teaching piano and voice next Tuesday, which means I only really have a week left of lazy summertime.

I have made some changes in the design of my homeschooling space - moved furniture, altered the placement of the existing furniture, and have begun to wrap my brain around a full week of homeschooling. I was even lucky to look through our curriculum, and set up a high level schedule for the school year.

Zoe and Evie's Kindergarten teacher came to visit us today.  She brought all over Evie's papers and such from the end of the school year.  I had contacted her through email and phone back in March, but I now realize that she wasn't avoiding me but just trying to save her own job, and/or finding a new one.  The school situation was heartbreaking for everyone involved, including her.  This woman, whom shall be called Barb, has always been a fantastic supporter of mine.  In fact, she was pleased to announce she will be teaching homeschool art in her new home art studio.  I'm really excited for her - and us (even though we already signed up for a fall art class, there is always future possibilities).

As much as I enjoyed our brief visit, I started having panic attacks last week as I remembered the hell my family experienced at school last year.

It has now been almost five months since I pulled the Ladybugs and quit my part-time job as music instructor at their private Christian school.  Some felt I left as a result of the blog post from February 25th: Not My Kid, in which I described the bullying that was taking place at the school.  Some parents sent beautifully written letters and note cards about how they will miss me and my family.  But most have never spoken to me, and have physically avoided me in grocery stores and other public places.  However, the sad part is that even after I was bullied by parents and my Zoe was bullied by students, I was bullied by the administration of the school.  I was not certain how other teachers felt, but I was pleased to have the opportunity to talk to Barb.
 
Barb suffered a lot of heartache herself, as she had been at the school for a very long time.  She was the matriarch of the school, and she also taught art classes.  The Kindergarten thru 8th grade classrooms have been replaced by a larger preschool, but Barb was overlooked for the job.  She definitely deserved the opportunity, but the administration was as narrow-minded as always.  They had their chosen few to run the program, and Barb did not fit their plans.  From previous conversations with the preschool teacher, I knew she didn't think Barb taught enough in her Kindergarten classrooms.  In fact, I'm not certain the preschool teacher even liked children, let alone parents.  The preschool matter was a difference of opinion, but I know that the school closed because of the group of people who wanted to expand the preschool and, thus make money for their already wealthy church.

The past is a chapter that I am happy to close, but I'm not sure why I always feel so horrible ending relationships with people.  Maybe it is that I hate to have people end relationships with me.  Regardless what is the reason for my feelings of remorse, I am going to acknowledge them and continue to move forward.

Here are two pictures of my homeschool area:

Let Me Take a Moment

...to fill in the last couple of weeks

Therapy

Yesterday was my fourth visit to pelvic floor therapy.  I have seen improvements, maybe around 20%.  However, it is enough to continue therapy for another week.  I was seriously hoping it would be enough, but thought the improvement was supposed to be significant (i.e. 50% or better). So now I simply up the exercise repetitions, and cross my fingers for the future.

Our Backyard

Maggie LOVES to dig, and our backyard was a perfect canvas for her desire.  We have a very large tree in our backyard, which makes growing plants, veggies, and other foliage almost impossible.  There was a lot of dirt that became mud often.  Especially one day when my yard looked like Woodstock.  The Ladybugs and Maggie were covered head-to-toe in mud, after five minutes of playing with squirt guns.  Something had to change, so Jim and I began brainstorming for a solution.

Interestingly enough, the one thing that seemed to thrive in the shade was an ugly bush.  I truly hated this bush, mostly because when I was doing dishes the girls would hide behind it and I would have to stop what I was doing and call for them.  Plus it was simply ugly.

Jim and I decided to put rocks on both sides of the back door, to see if Maggie would stop digging.  Thankfully it worked.  So we thought we'd continue the rocks in the bush area.  Which meant - NO MORE BUSH!  WOOT!  Here are the results:

A Craft For Fun

A while back I read an article that showed great projects for old sheet music.  My father acquired a TON of old sheet music after his uncle passed, so I took time yesterday to sort through the piles and piles and piles.  I found nice sheets and today I made a wreath from the music.  I am super proud of the project.  I just LOVE it!

It was such a simple project, and the Ladybugs made their own music crafts.  So fun, especially on a day they felt ill.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Did You Notice?

...or No More Sock Monkey Mama

I decided yesterday that I personally needed a reboot.  What exactly does that mean?  Well, as my readers know we left our church at the end of last year and now our magical school is closing its doors (it is now official).

Still Life With Autumn Fruits
Jullian Merrow-Smith

Home Life

Our Zoebug is still in therapy for her anxieties and worries.  Over the weekend Jim and I shared the news of the school closing with our girls and Zoe sighed and said, "okay, where are we going then?"  She was very excited to hear the idea of an adventure (thank you Dana!!!), and I said that I was really proud of her reaction.  She said, "It is therapy, Mom, I really think it is because of therapy!"

Little Evabug is still my sweetpea.  She is quite upset with the move to a new school, but we have started to attend the church next to the school and many of her Kindergarten friends attend there.  So, she was reassured we wouldn't lose touch with her important friends.

Financially I am planning on getting us out of all credit card debt this year.  The plan is to only have a car payment and house payment.  Therefore, I want to get rid of the home equity payment as well.  This can be accomplished a bit easier without a tuition for private education.

Yes, we are seriously considering going the route of public school.  There will never be a place as magical as Dearborn Christian, but the truth is that is okay.  

We have had our home cleaned once, last Monday in fact.  It looked amazing, and I know that this change will make a huge difference in how I view our home and those in it.  What a stress relief!

Faith and Love
Lisa LifeUnity

Faith Life

As I mentioned above, we are attending a new church that our Ladybugs absolutely love.  I am at the point in my faith journey that I want to worship at a place with dynamic people who nurture my spirit and challenge me to think differently.  It has also been very comforting we can simply worship and fellowship and not be approached again and again to do something or to hear the latest tale about the pastor or a difficult member. Jim and I were invited to attend a small group that meets on the 1st Friday of the month.  We are going to attend, because it felt like the right decision to make.  There is no homework in this group, and I really like some of the group members already, so that really makes it sound fabulous.

The Piano Teacher
Wet Cavas

Work Life

My last blog described my plans for the future.  If all works out well, I will not be teaching private lessons this summer (June thru August), and take the time to enrich the Ladybugs' vacation.  We are members at Greenfield Village, Cranbrook and the Detroit Zoo.  So many things to see and learn, we won't be bored.  I also plan on condensing my student load - the hope is to keep those students who want to learn and practice and let go those who are not truly interested in learning.

I will also be open to other music opportunities, as I have many abilities and skills to do a variety of work.  

Garden Celebration
Suzeee

Blog Life

I have decided to make my blog writing a bit more cohesive  and I have also been referring to myself as MamaBug, a take on the Ladybug idea I started years ago.  Therefore I spent a little time creating a new header for the blog and making a few changes to my social networking connections.  This will afford me the ability to streamline my writing and communications with my readers.  

So here's to a reboot.  The year of the short bangs.  The year our family takes an adventure in education.  The year we take a trip outside of Michigan/Ohio (maybe).  The year we get out of debt.  The year we move into the next family chapter.  Hello MamaBug!

Making Order of Chaos

or How I Must Organize and Purge Before the Cleaning Person Begins

who looks this stinkin' happy to be cleaning?

Next Monday I have a cleaning person coming to my home, and I know this will be the start of a wonderful relationship.  However, the cleaning company does not do "maid" work (i.e. make beds, wash dishes, pick up stuff, etc.), so I have decided to spend time reorganizing and purging items in my home.  My hope is that less stuff will equal a better opportunity for the cleaning person to clean.

I never do anything halfway.  Never.  If I'm going to change the way things are around my home, you better bet the change will be noticeable.  And not just to me.

I have started to wonder how many other people clean before the cleaning person comes to clean.  I know I cannot be the only one.  And I found a couple of other bloggers who feel the same way:

Kelli Traber Talks

Money Minded Moms

So the question is: why have a cleaning service in the first place?  I, myself, feel there is a distinction between organizing, straitening up stuff, putting things away, and cleaning.  One is tiding up, the other is cleaning.  One does not need the use of water or soap or sponges, and the other clearly does.

So I will continue reorganizing and preparing my house for the cleaning person to come next Monday.  Why?  Because like many others I want my house to sparkle.

A Stay-At Home Mom No More

or My Epiphany this Holiday Season

A little over eight years ago, I sold my music business in Plymouth, MI and began preparing for Motherhood.  My husband and I decided that the best thing would be for me to stay home full-time and teach private piano/voice lessons on the side.

As the years passed, I added more students to my part-time teaching schedule and fell into a routine of full-time Mommy to Zoe and Eva.  There were times I looked at what my working-outside-the-home friends and wondered how they were able to get everything done.  I prided myself on the ability to juggle it all.

and then a ball dropped...

Insight Slaps Me On the Face
Okay, yes, I realize that a literal ball dropped in New York (and Detroit) on New Year's Eve, but I am completely being figurative here.

I decided to spend some time over the Christmas break cleaning out closets, organizing and deep cleaning the house.  I have completely let the floors go to pot, and the bathroom, don't even ask.  However, after 11 hours of working on my home last Friday, I realized I was nowhere near to being done and something needed to change.

I know some moms from school who clean on the side.  However, I did not want to have someone I know come to my home and see my filth.  I realize it is a job for a cleaning person, but I still felt uncomfortable knowing the cleaner outside of the service relationship.  So I searched online for different companies.  My Grandpa has a person, but after giving her my information over two months ago and not receiving a call I figured I'd look elsewhere.

I searched for MollyMaids, but they don't service this area.  Then I got frustrated and did a Google search for cleaning companies in my city.  A list of possibilities were returned.  One was for HomePride Cleaning, so I filled out an online form.

I got a call on Wednesday from a mom friend at school.  This cleaning company is HER company.  I had no clue.  Honest.  I didn't know she had a cleaning company, and she's had it for 11 years.  I know...the irony behind this is rich.  However, she will not be cleaning my home, as one of her staff (or two) will be cleaning my home every other week.

The first appointment is on Monday the 21st, and I super hopeful and excited to be relieved of this task (or tasks).

I Am Not A SAHM
Yesterday morning I realized that the reason I cannot get all the household stuff done is because I am no longer a stay at home mom (SAHM).  If I consider myself one, I am completely setting myself up for failure, and thus becoming depressed over my inability to "do it all".

I am still trying to find a healthy balance between work/health/home/etc.  And I truly hope 2013 brings the balance and future incite I so desperately need.

Compartmentalizing My Brain

I came into work early this morning, with the intent of getting more accomplished than I managed to do over the weekend.  I sincerely found myself avoiding doing work for school this weekend, and I imagine you will laugh when I tell you what I did instead.

Avoidance on an Epic Level
On Saturdays I teach pretty much the entire time the sun is up; well at least at this time of year.  So when I finished at 4:35pm I was unable to even put together a sentence.  This happens when my brain has been "on" for 8 hours.  A little Sims on the XBox while the girls were playing outside and Jim was making dinner?  SURE!  Then Uncle Joe came over, and well who can do work when Uncle Joe is over?  Not me!

Yesterday morning I got up early (7:30 is early for a Sunday), and made cherry scones with Zoe.  I am consciously trying to do things that are just Mommy & Zoe time.  Evie has my undivided attention on Tuesdays and Thursdays because she does not have school.  Zoe has not had Mommy alone time in a LONG LONG time.  So make a cognizant effort is definitely the most important.

Evie joined her Daddy for a date at the grocery store, so Zoe and I had more time together.  She also was able to pull her own loose tooth out, which was bitter sweet for my Mommy heart.

Then we met the inlaws for lunch a Panera.  Can't do work while you are at lunch, right?  But then I had this brilliant idea: ORGANIZE THE LADYBUG'S TOY CLOSET!  Yup!  Why not?  So off to Target we went and I purchased a shelf and an under-the-bed storage box.  I also picked up a shoe organizer for our closet.  Why not?  Just one more activity to NOT work.

So I cleaned, built, purged, and organized the heck out of the toy closet.  It was in such need of this, but I really didn't HAVE to do it yesterday.  Of course at the time I was so motivated to NOT work, that the closet seemed to be the most important thing on my agenda.

By the time I completed all the activities I created for myself, I was pooped.  So what better way to regain energy?  Coffee and a rereading of Life of Pi.  I loved Life of Pi when I initially read it years ago.  The movie is coming out soon, so I thought a rereading would be beneficial.  After my regaining of energy time out, I had a yummy quiche and time with the family.  But why let it end there?  So the evening was spent enjoying my family, and once again avoiding the inevitable: doing work for school.

Now Where Does That Leave Me?
So now I am at school and I was mostly successful in getting my needed work done.  I turned in my grades, I made copies of the brass family handouts, I planned for the week ahead, and now I'm taking a blog break.

But I'm wondering how often I create projects to avoid the real problem.  I acknowledged this avoidance yesterday, but how often do I subconsciously create a project to avoid what really needs to be done?  And my brain likes order, so maybe I organize and create order to avoid the mess of life.  I am meditating on the possibility of this brain conversation:

Problem: Too many dishes to wash?
Solution: Why not catalog all the music into binders and dividers?

Problem: Too big to fit into your favorite pants?
Solution: Why not clean and organize the pantry?

Problem: Too many clothes to wash and fold and put away?
Solution: Why not paint the door to the music studio?

Maybe, just maybe, our brain creates opportunities to feel safe and secure ultimately creating a much less stressful environment.  Or maybe this is just my coping mechanism.  We ALL have them.  Some use drugs, some alcohol, some avoid life all together.  So what if my coping skill is organization?  Right?  At least my house looks good.

Drum Roll Please....

Finally, I have a few moments to post the updates we have done to the basement.  It has been a very stressful and frustrating process from the asbestos tile removal to the fact Zoe had the stomach flu on Monday and I wasn't able to wash the linens.  But it is done - pretty much.  And tomorrow we are headed up north to Traverse City for a mini get-away.  Two days late, but better late than never right?

Here is a picture of my amazing husband, Jim, in his hazmat suit:

Here is the floor before removal:

And here is the floor after Jim's hard work:

Here is the beautiful vinyl tile right after the installers left:

I also received the ladybug vinyl stickers in the mail....so...it was time to do another cool project.  Here is the way my washer and dryer looked before:

I had so much fun deciding where to put each little bug.  I just had the best time, and these results were very quick.

And here is the complete room - after the renovations. I am in love with it.

Thanks for reading!

Reorganizing the Pantry

Yesterday I reorganized the basement pantry.  Our home, as I have mentioned on many occasions, is from 1923 and lacking in storage or "normal" spaces.

When we moved in 10 years ago, we decided to utilize the spaces under our front porch.  Originally used to store coal, the little rooms under the porch are perfect for a pantry, totes, and storage in general.  The big issue is that moisture gets in, and salt forms on the walls and floor.  *I realize this would be the perfect time to show a picture of the salt, but my camera was dead yesterday morning and I did not get the image.*

In May 2011, I participated in 31 Days to Clean and purged a ton from the pantry area.  The end result looked like this:

Not horrible, but over a year later the can area on the second shelf had taken on a life of its own.  Again, I wish I had been able to take a picture.  Technology is so frustrating sometimes.

My biggest gripe with the old shelving was that it was missing a shelf (as you can see on the right side).  Another issue was that I could not get a broom or sweeper vacuum under the shelves, so the stuff on the bottom left is actually sitting on the ground.  This means little critters were able to make their homes in and around my stuff.  The other issue, but not as pressing, is that the canned goods area was very hard to see what we had/needed.  If I am to keep a good pantry, I need to know what I have and what is needed to stock it.

So what was the solution?

First I needed to purchase a new shelving system.  When I Googled pantry storage the one store that came up the most was IKEA.  I found this unit to be quite nice:

I measured the area and knew I would need to of these shelves to make the space work for me.  I needed to take the Ladybugs out of the home on Saturday, because Jim was removing the asbestos tile in our basement.  They chose Jungle Java, so I thought after a morning of jungle play and Wendy's for lunch we would make our inaugural visit to the IKEA store nearby.

My Trip to IKEA

I knew the IKEA store was an experience, but I had no idea it would be so overwhelming.  It was kind of like Target on crack.

Upon entering the store, there was a huge escalator.  The Ladybugs were so excited, so we went up.  But then Zoe had to pee.  Since I have never been to IKEA before, I had to be a newbie and follow the signs.  There was so much stuff - showrooms with ideas, as well as stuff.  STUFF EVERYWHERE!

We finally found our way to the restroom, which was located near the cafeteria.  I have never seen so many people eating at once.  The noise level reminded me of being in 4th grade and eating lunch in the school cafeteria.  Of course, again, it was amplified dramatically.  We weren't at IKEA to eat, and our quick tour of the showroom area proved to be unproductive.  The Omar shelf was on the main level - figures.

When we descended the stairs, there was a craft going on below.  And we all know how the Ladybugs LOVE their crafts!  The craft was spin art, and I must say it was super cool!  Now mind you, we have yet to find the shelving unit, and my girls are spending time making a craft.  Yes, we spent 20 minutes in that area.  However, it was long enough to talk to a VERY lovely woman who gave me the low down on how the shopping works.

Some items you get immediately - as you pass the area.  However, many larger items (like my Omar shelf) have tags with numbers on them.  You must write the number down and at the end of the IKEA journey you go to a huge warehouse and locate your item(s).  I was quite thankful to her assistance, however, I really just wanted to go home.  I was also told we HAD to purchase the cinnamon buns, so I kept that in mind as well.

The craft seemed to put the Ladybugs in a great mood, so we successfully located the shelf, went to the storage are, pulled two off the shelf, and I decided to also get two of the little baskets as well:

The Pantry Reorganization

Yesterday I pulled the old shelving unit and pantry items out of the room.  Then I gave the walls and floor a new paint job.  Once I was completed with that, I spent time up-cycling two mason jar boxes.

When I put everything back, I tried to focus on putting the stuff I used the most on the top self, and making certain that the canned items were grouped by veggies, fruit, and soup.

I then laid down a carpet and called it complete. 

Today the guys are coming to lay the vinyl flooring.  I suppose that is a blog for another day - but wish us luck as we give this old girl new life.

Sorting Out Life - One Load at a Time

Recently I read a blog post (10 Habits of a Clean Home) that got me thinking - how often does the normal person wash clothing?  In the post, the writer suggests doing one load of dirty laundry a day to keep organized and efficient.  I decided to go to the masses, and ask my friends on Facebook what they thought.  The question was - How often do you do laundry? The four answers to choose from were:

1. every day

2. every few days

3. once a week - laundry day

4. when I run out of clean clothes

5. laundry?  A fairy does that, right?

And the verdict?

Cleaning is Very Personal!

Just like anything else in this world - how often one does laundry, or dishes, or mows the lawn is based on their personal needs and desires.  In fact, I have two children so my laundry is much more in volume then that of a single person's.  And if you have 7 children like my friend Rhonda, laundry is viewed much differently.  Rhonda comments:

"Laundry??? What is that? I have to do about 2-5 loads of laundry every day to keep up with clothing, linens and towels and blankets too."

However, even with children making loads of laundry actually accomplishing one load per day is an impossibility.  My friend Casey explains:

"Since I work full time, I only have time to do laundry on the weekends along with the rest of the house cleaning. If I have a day off during the week, I will through a couple of loads in to give me less to do on the weekend."

When I was a little girl, there was always a laundry day: Monday.  That was a day my mom did all the laundry in the house.  From clothing, to linens, to bedding - my mom laundered, folded and put away all the dirty laundry.  She also spent a day ironing my father's shirts and many other clothing items as well.  Even though the importance of ironing was not passed down to me, allocating a day for laundry did.

However, in lieu of the blog, I decided to try and do a load of laundry a day.  Of course that worked for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, but then today came (the normal day I do laundry) and I had 4 loads.  As I write this, my last load is in the washer.  However, the reality is that one-load-a-day can lower the amount of laundry that has to be done per week, but all in all it still is LAUNDRY.  Maybe the one-load-a-day method tricks you into thinking you are doing less, which is very possible with me.  However, I'm not entirely sure that my house is more efficient or organized adhering to the method.

I must say that I was happy no one voted for the last option (fairies doing the clothes).  Of course, I know some children (and husbands) who do not realize what a stay-at-home mom does during the day.  And there are many assumptions about the delineation of tasks in a home.  More women (even working women) tend to do the laundry then men.  Maybe the one-load per day method would encourage more delegation in families with older children?  Quite possibly I'll have to try this once the Ladybugs are older.

How often do you do laundry?

Redecorating My Abode

...or how new curtains inspired me to spruce things up

I realize that it is only a day after my week of Pinterest Projects, however, I thought I would bring you up to speed on some of the other fun homey stuff I am accomplishing around here.  I am so busy during the school year with teaching (and this year I might have an additional gig) I have to take full advantage of the time off.

The Ladybugs were having issues going to sleep with the sunlight still shining in their bedroom windows.  So I purchased new shades that were specifically designed to block out the sun.  Of course, as with any project in this 1923 home, the window still let light shine through the sides of the shades.  So, I came up with Plan B: begging my Mom to create and sew new "side" curtains for the windows - thus eliminating the rest of the light.  And here is the finished project:

It is amazing how when something is new, everything else looks OLD.  Not just a little old either - ancient.  The whole rest of my house looked like a dilapidated mess.  My Mom also wanted to get a new quilt for the Ladybugs' bed.  After looking through countless websites, here are the results:

I also found this awesome little thing on Etsy.  It is called a Latchy Catchy, and it is intended to stop the latch from...well...latching.  It is so COOL!  When we are sneaking in or out of the room at night, we are very quite.  AND there are no smashed fingers!

Once the Ladybugs' bedroom was complete, I realized how much I hated our bathroom and my attempt to pretend the tile was not grey.  Yeah, I really tried.  But then I decided to accept the fact that we cannot afford to redo the bathroom (i.e. new tile, new floor, new positioning of the tub and toilet, etc.).  I got a new shower curtain, cabinet curtain and window curtain and then found adorable prints on esty. 

Print is from Paper Llamas: Etsy Store

Print is from Paper Llamas: Etsy Store

Print from Paper Llamas: Etsy Store

With the bathroom looking all perky - I noticed the two maps in the upstairs hallway were just not working.  For the last few years we have had maps with little feet stickers to show where Uncle Joe is in our world.  The Ladybugs LOVE this.  So instead of ripping the entire thing down and throwing it away, I simply changed the location: The Ladybug Playroom! 

Where in the World is Our Uncle Joe?

Where in the U.S. is Our Uncle Joe?

Notice the strings pointing to the cute post cards he has sent the Ladybugs?  So fun, right?  And you can kind of see a peak at the Day #1 Pinterest Project in this last pic.

Two of my other favorite things are the vinyl words I put up on a wall in our dinning room:

Vinyl decal by CountryCraftandVinyl

And a catch-all basket that is intended to have items that need to be returned to the library, or tasks that still need my attention.  It keeps everything in one spot, so that if I am looking for a task to complete I can go to the basket and look.

I am still waiting on the ladybug vinyls for the washer and dryer.  However, I will be certain to share them with you once I have applied the fun!

Thank you for reading my blog.  If you are not a friend of mine on Facebook - click on the link above!

Time to Redecorate

I suppose we all go through a point where our old decorating skills look tired and mediocre.  Of course that could be a direct result with the popularity of creative and organizing blogs and Pinterest.  But the truth is, reader, when we moved into our home almost 10 years ago we spent so much time painting and redoing the important tasks (like removing an electric fireplace that had a log wrapped in Christmas lights) that by the time it came to decorating I was too tired.

But over the course of the last couple of years, I have noticed my love for red in my home.  And I was thinking - maybe subconsciously it has to do with a pair of shoes:

But I digress....
Last year I spent a a month reorganizing my home (click here to see the process), but at no point did I redecorate.  In fact, I always say we "should" fix a few things up, but then it seems like the money gets allocated to another area (i.e. the kids).  Subsequently, I was the only one in the process that "finished" in 30 days.  So maybe I didn't devote enough time to each room or really immerse myself in the process itself.  I guess at this point I cannot go back, but I CAN go forward.

A few weeks ago, the girls went to Vacation Bible School, and I was privileged to have 5 mornings off from being a mom.  Technically it was only 4 days, because I taught lessons this first day.  However, it was a lovely thing I might tell you.  Maybe I should have been getting pedicures and being lazy.  But I decided that I needed to give my home a bit of a re-look.  Kind of the way you "walk in another person's shoes for the day."

I began by doing a very good purge (i.e. relocating items to better places, digging under places, etc.) and realized that with a little money I could update parts of the home that really needed it.  I have never been a person that doesn't like to purge or clean...but oftentimes I am only able to do the bare minimum and thus the big tasks are put off for another time.  After all, I do have a job besides being a mom.  So rather than focus on getting just the laundry washed, folded and put away or the dishes washed, dried and put away I began looking around at my home and really focus on what  I could change without breaking the budget.

I am still enjoying the process of searching for good deals, and making this house more "me".  I know, reader, I have a husband too.  However, I made a hasty mistake when I let him make choices on the decor 10 years ago.  He is at work all day.  I am here, even when I am working.  Thus, I should make the decisions on what would make me happy.   I also know this sounds extremely selfish, but I did let him get the couch he wanted 11 years ago (we had it before we moved in here).  I really wanted the RED one, he wanted the muted green one.  He got the green one.  Ugh.

So what exactly have I done this summer?  I spent some time redoing my music room, due to the fact we now have a drum set.  I will be donating a stereo (CD/tape/radio) to the church rummage sale, due to the fact it no longer plays recorded CDs and honestly I can just pop them into the computer anyway.  I have also been redoing the bathroom (pictures to follow), and the ladybug's bedroom is getting a redo (just simple changes, but big results).

So stay tuned!

My Little Ladybugs: All in a Row

Last May I participated in 31 Days to Clean, and truly seemed to make headway into organizing my home.  I suppose what surprises me is that over a year later I am still making alterations to that organization - with the intent of making things even better and streamlined.

One of the areas of my home that seems impossible to keep up with is: The Ladybugs' Play Room.

*not my Ladybugs*

I should be honest, reader, and tell you that I do make the ladybugs clean their spaces.  I also do a quick clean-up each morning after they get dressed, and each evening before they enter Slumberville.  But picking up clothing from the floor and making sure library books aren't integrated (and therefore, lost) into our collection is far from maintaining organization.  

I came to a sobering conclusion yesterday - having children means having tons of little "stuff" that is saved, collected, and stashed wherever it can fit.  And what is the bane of my existence?  You guessed it: vending machine toys.

oh the possibilities!

And where do these little items go?  Behind the TV, in the couch, under the seats in the car, and other lovely locations around our little home.  

For awhile I had this grand plan to organize the ladybugs' toys, but I finally resisted the urge and simply made a place for everything.  I even labeled the bins so I didn't always have to be overseeing the cleanup process. I truly hate standing in a doorway spouting encouraging comments through a grimaced face.  And in the last year, this seems to placate my need to see floor when I pass by the Play Room.

I suppose, reader, you could question why I even leave the Play Room door open.  Very good question.  However, our home is not large.  The Play Room is directly across from our upstairs Bathroom.  Having the door open makes the hallway space a bit larger, and well, "roomier."  It's all an illusion.  

This morning, while the Ladybugs were at VBS, I went through their Play Room's closet.  I did find out where they had stashed some of their trinkets when I have asked them to pick up their "stuff."  I aslo successfully relocated some toys in the attic and brought some older toys to the forefront.  I find satisfaction in my ladybugs finding enjoyment out of toys they had forgot.  I didn't go through each toy bin, but I do go through those after birthdays and Christmas.  Mainly because I have to find homes for all the new "stuff" brought into the home.  

Tomorrow I am tackling a storage unit in our basement.  It has a lot of old paint, and fortunately there is a hazardous waste pick up in our community on Saturday.  So I plan on really taking care of this space.  Hopefully VBS will allow me enough time to complete this daunting task!

Drum Roll...

The attic was reorganized in under 2 1/2 hours on Friday!  WOO HOO!  Here are some shots:

Here is the way the area started - everything shoved somewhere

A closer view from up the stairs

Old Toys organized in easy-to-see bins

Here you can see 3 bins of clothing organized

One of the big organizing tips I've learned over the years is to store items in see through containers.  That way you don't have to go pilfering through colored storage bins to find something.  I also organized the clothing (which is all hand-me-downs for when the ladybugs get bigger) in three categories: To Save, Spring/Summer, and Fall/Winter.  This way I know which is the next bin I can "shop" in.

On Saturday I sorted through the ladybug's clothing.  I have Purple Heart coming next Monday to pick up the donations.  I also ordered new clothing online, and I found a great sale at the Carter's store.  I was very excited that Carter's carries clothing up through size 7.  Unfortunately most of the cutest stuff was 5T and under, but oh well.  I will see what the ladies think when they return home.

This week brings a lot of activities for our family.  Hope you have a wonderful week as well!

Spring Cleaning is exhausting

No Picture For You!
As the week winds down I realized how very little photographs I've taken.  I start the project without my camera, and then think, "oh crap!"  But most of my cleaning this spring has been the usual (deep clean and dust bunny round up) stuff.  However, tomorrow I tackle our attic.

Be VERY Afraid!
About 6 years ago Jim and my father-in-law redid the flooring and the insulation in the attic.  What's the problem?  Well, like everything else in this 100 year-old home, the floor proved to be a greater headache than anticipated.  It was moldy.  The roof had leaked in the past, and was replaced before we moved in.  However, there was damage to the attic flooring, and all the wood had to be pulled up.  They were only able to replace a little bit.  Therefore, I have very little space to store items.  This small amount of space prevents us from storing all that much.  However, because I don't look at this space often I pretty much let it look like crap.

So tomorrow I will do the unthinkable - organize the attic.  I purchased 5 new storage bins (see through) from Target, and hopefully I can appropriately divide and conquer the mess.

What About My Hair?
I love Jess at Jessie's Chop Shop.  She did exactly what I wanted with the cut, and the color is amazing!  I'm not much of a photographer, and you really can't see the red highlites, but here: