TiP fOr TuEsDaY (post 302)

Busy Mom? Okay, I'm aware it's impossible to be a Mom and not be busy, I mean seriously. I'm all sorts of busy these days and really good at being pooped! So, how on earth do you maintain sanity in this business? Maybe it isn't possible...you be the judge!:

BE ORGANIZED.

This comes easily for some, not so much for others! My sis is the organizing queen (check here for tips), me I have to keep certain things in order as to not lose it! The kids pick out clothes the night before and lay them out. All homework and things that need to go to school get loaded up and set by the door the night before as well. I juggle all appointments via my mobile device, which works great! I just plug it in as it's made and review my calender weekly.

BE REALISTIC.

It's impossible to do it all, so don't try. I've watched so many Moms burn themselves out and it's not good for anyone. Being frazzled constantly makes your kids crazy and your mate as well and it just leads to Mommy-guilt and I know I have enough of that on my own! My house gets a good scrub on my days off, so I just make sure it gets picked up the rest of the week. We attend as the important activities (such as Back to School Night) and just let others go. The kids have enough stuff to think about and do without attending every single little thing and my kids don't complain. A little down time is good for everyone! ;0)

RECRUIT.

Once you kids are old enough to walk, they are old enough to be taught to clean up after themselves, period. I love it when they are little and we always sang the "clean up" song and they picked up their toys gladly. Unfortunately I have a house full of preteens and this isn't quite so effective, thank goodness we started young! They are old enough to keep up with daily chores for an allowance and I am grateful for the help. Teach them to be responsible for themselves and to be courteous to the world around them by having them help with the housework. Too bad it isn't as effective for grown men...hmmmm.

DON'T FORGET HIM AND YOU.

I was watching the Today Show this morning and heard that happy couples make the time to spend 30 minutes with each other (uninterrupted) daily. (The article is here) Talk about your day and listen to your partner for real. I know this is hard at my house with crazy work schedules, busy kids and whatnot. We still take the time to talk at the end of the day and have our ritual coffee every morning.
I can't overstate the importance of taking a little you time either. Something just for you, a hobby, a passion, a good read. Even if you sneak a 20 minute nap occasionally, I'll bet the world won't come to an end!

I know it's crazy at my house, but that's okay. I can't do it all and remember everything and have a spotless house all the time, so be it. As long as the kids and the man know I love them and I maintain my sanity (somewhat) then we're good! That's your TiP fOr TuEsDaY! ;0)

ThOuGhT fOr tHe dAy (post 301)

J. Lamb 2011

“Grief is the price we pay for love” ~Elizabeth II

Indeed it is. Loving someone and losing them, is the major cause of grief in people's lives. Joy cannot be felt without love as well. The grief I've felt in life over the loss of people I love was so worth it for the joy. I wouldn't trade love to save myself the grief for the world. Just a thought...

tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe (post 300)

I'm baaaaaaack! And just when you thought you had gotten rid of me....bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!;0D I just referenced the post number and had to look twice, I mean...I've posted 300 times on this blog already?! Who knew I had so much to say, right? (or not as the case may be) ;0) Anyway, I'm feeling better this week and a bit more refreshed and ready to tackle life again. I completed my one of my projects, had a couple of days off, and even got my house clean(er). Amazing what a little down time does for your initiative, right? Right! I really don't have a "like" per say today, but I do have some pics of fun stuff to show off. So here goes!:

I have a good friend who is a 3rd grade teacher. She has followed my blog (as I do hers) for a long time and asked me if I could make some pillows for her classroom. She brought me the material and told me what ones she had used already and told me to let my "creative juices" flow. Oooh hoo hoo, one of my favorite phrases ever! Her classroom is a sun theme this year and what's more appropriate than a sunset? That's what I was thinking when I made the pillow above.

 

This pillow I actually made first, I wanted a checkerboard pattern with the orange and green and decided an envelope-style flap in the yellow stripe would be fab! Full disclosure here, my daughter picked out the buttons and didn't she do a great job? ;0)

 

I probably spent the most time on this pillow above. I knew I wanted the background to be green and thought that these simplistic appliqued trees would be super cute! I used the striped flannel for the trunks and some of the buttons my friend brought for the "fruit". Topped off with fluffy little appliqued clouds and sun and a yellow striped border and this pillow screams child's drawing, right? ;0)

 

This one was my favorite to make! I happen to know my friend loves stars and just had to make at least one pillow with a star theme. I love, love how the shooting star stripes turned out and I lifted it up so you can see the star applique wraps around to the other side of the pillow! (It originally matched up perfectly, but I had to size the case down a tad)

 

I needed another green pillow and took strips of all the other colors and appliqued them around this one. I should have shown the other side so you can see they wrap all the way around, oh well. ;0)

 

I had so much fun with these and my friend has had many compliments. I loved doing it and thanks for the opportunity Anne! ;0D

Bummer.

I've been absent. I have not felt well for a few days and life is running far faster than I have been able to keep up. The kids started school. I'm working a lot. I have several other things I need/want to accomplish that have been using up what precious free time I have and my house is a wreck. I'm not ignoring you dear blog-world (although my POTD blog begs to differ), I just have other things that need to be done first. Bummer, I know. I don't necessarily like it either. I'll be back soon though, I promise.

Sew sunny

I thought I would share a little sneak-peek on a sewing project I'm working on. Sunny would be the word! Stay tuned and I'll share them all when they are done. Suweet! ;0D

TiP fOr TuEsDay (post 297)

J. Lamb 2011

NOW HONESTLY...

I had a discussion with a friend the other day and we were talking about the actions of others. I confessed that I am not an example and don't pretend to be. I don't understand why people feel the need to be so dishonest with others and themselves. She pointed out to me that at least I am being honest. Honest. What does that word really mean? When we are honest with each other we are showing respect to one another. Likewise, when we are honest we are showing respect for ourselves. Funny how that works.

Let's say that you just allow someone to think you are something you are not, isn't that the same thing as being dishonest? Of course. Does the world really paint itself in such black and white hues? No, of course not. Just as someone is dishonest, someone can choose to stick their heads in the sand I suppose. That's the funny thing about reality, you have to actively participate in it too. Some people just don't participate. Being the realist that I am, I think I've got that mastered. ;0)

You can only pretend to be someone you're not for so long you know...someone always figures you out. This is something I've pointed out to my children many a time and encourage them to be honest always. I know that honesty isn't the popular thing these days and some people make a great living out of being dishonest. Sad as it is, it's true. Just because everyone else is jumping off a cliff, doesn't mean you should too you know. How about we as parents set the example and be honest in our business dealings, with our families, and ultimately with ourselves. Heaven forbid we start a movement in honesty!

I confess...I am not the all-knowing parenting guru and I can improve a great many things. I am, however, honest with you and myself and know this. I encourage everyone to be more honest and likewise, to join the rest of us in reality (for those of among us that need help with that) and be honest with ourselves.

ThOuGhT fOr ThE dAy (post 296)

J. Lamb 2011

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

  

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

 

Sew a little love

 

I'm not sure how I've found the time to do any sewing, but I did manage to make a couple of winners! We did a little tie-dying with our thrift store treasures, but I've done a little reworking of things "New Dress a Day style". The first one started out as a plain pink tank picked up for a buck. My daughter is obsessed with cherries at the moment and we picked up a little fabric (for 1.50) at Wal-Mart and got to work.

I made ruffles and attached them to some narrow elastic and pinned them "tiered" style to the body. After a little sewing and the addition of that great sparkly pink belt, she got this! I mean, how cute!! This was super easy to make and she loves it! ;0D

The piece I'm wearing started out as a plain red sleeveless shirt I picked up at Ross on clearance for a couple of bucks. I had it for a different purpose and decided it would be so cute as a vest! I picked up the red apple fabric in a bundle from the thrift store thinking it was flannel. I pulled it out later and discovered it was knit?! Score!

I started out by cutting the red shirt in half up the middle. I then cut my material to twice the width of the shirt and gathered and pinned it to the bottom. I stitched it down and made some piping for the edges up the middle. Look how cute this turned out! My daughter has decided she REALLY likes it and it is now residing in her closet! I just love how cute they turned out and how cheap! Chic on the cheap is my mantra! ;0D

TiP fOr TuEsDaY (post 294)

 

Summer is sizzling! Thank goodness we're on the home stretch....

Ugh, this has been the longest summer ever...or at least it has to me. After over a year of unemployment, I got a job right at the end of the school year and this has elongated it somehow. In years past the kids would have spent the majority of the summer chillin' at the daycare. Wait?! Daycare is good? My kids had the opportunity when they were younger to go one of the best daycares I think I've ever seen. During the summer they went swimming twice a week, went to the park, went to the museums, went bowling, went to the library, and they looked forward to it every year. The ladies that run it are all grandmas and love the kids and the kids love them. But, that was before my kids got bigger.
This year the kids have spent the summer at home, together, bickering incessantly and driving Mom insane. 2 weeks to go until school starts, 2 weeks to go until Mom can stop pulling out her hair! My daughter should be well acquainted with her bedroom (especially today) because she lacks the ability respect anything of her brother's. I can only keep them occupied so long and I've spent a lot of time at work these last few weeks (that and just because I'm working, it doesn't mean we're any less poor this year) and we have a recipe for disaster. So, what has (and hasn't) worked?:

Schedules.
I have a work schedule, why shouldn't the kids? They get up and have breakfast and then they play games for a little while or do quiet activities. Lunch and then clean up after themselves and do chores. I let them watch Netflix (we turned off the cable) and when I'm home we do something fun (such as a craft or play a game or make something in the kitchen or go to the dollar store). After dinner when it cools off a bit they ride their bikes to the playground or we all watch a movie together. When there is a little more money to go around, we go to the local pool or get dinner at McD's or Del Taco, or go and see a movie in the theater.

Separation.
It doesn't matter how many time I tell them that you can't expect someone to be nice to you unless you are also nice in return, they still fight. Ugh, and the only way to get it to stop (and to maintain my sanity) is to separate the offenders. Luckily, the two that usually fight have separate bedrooms and I can order them to their respective "corners" and shut the door. This works usually, but sometimes Mommy love needs to take effect and we...

Distract and deflect.
I know that they spend a lot of time together and Mom has to work and sometimes taking one and spending a little one-on-one Mommy time is the trick. My daughter and I make some jewelery together or cook a treat and I read comics and play games with the boys. I always take just one of them to run errands with me and this way I can talk to them one-on-one and it isn't at all formal and I make sure I really listen to them.

Let go.
I like to get the things that NEED to be done before I do the things I WANT to do, but sometimes you just need to let go. Forgo to chores for an afternoon and take the kids for a drive or if I'm super stressed I institute a mandatory "nap time". I'll take about a half and hour and insist that the kids stay in their rooms and stay quiet (and read or draw quietly) and just close my eyes and let it go. The kids learn to respect my time and appreciate a little silence and Mom is refreshed and ready to tackle stuff again afterwords. Have popcorn for dinner sometimes too. This is one of our favorites, we'll pop a huge bowl of air-popped popcorn and pick out a movie and spend the evening together. End the night with some ice cream and I love it! ;0)

2 weeks to getting up early for school, 2 weeks to go till homework and friends take over their lives again, and 2 weeks to go until Mom can clean the house and it'll stay clean for a little while! Of course, Moms all know this is true heaven! ;0D