Spring Cleaning-Several Weeks

You may remember that I started my Spring Cleaning a little early. I found a list on Pinterest for the 21 Day Organization Challenge (read about it here). I tweaked my list a bit to make it fit my needs. I was doing pretty well getting through it and blogging about it. But, as you know, many things got in the way of the blogging. However, I did continue to get cleaning done.

Now, I can't go through my list with you because I apparently decided that it needed to be recycled. I remember doing it, but I can't remember my reasoning at all. I blame the sleep deprivation that comes with newborns.

However, I can use the list off Pinterest and give you an update.

1. Medicine cabinet-done!
2. Coat closet-don't have one, but did the hall closet instead,
3. Under the beds-I actually don't store stuff there.
4. Laundry room-done when we had that little flooding issue.
5. Handbag-I have a very small one, so I clean it out constantly. I also cleaned out the diaper bag and backpack I use for zoo outings.
6. Under sinks-bathrooms, yes; kitchen, still on the to-do list.
7. Fridge/freezer-actually got a new (used) fridge at a garage sale. Is that cheating?
8. Kitchen cabinets-done!
9. Make-up case-again, it is a small one, so it gets cleaned out regularly too.
10. Bedroom closets-with all the rearranging for the new baby, definitely!
11. Garage-not even close; will do garage sale soon :)
12. Craft supplies-no; to be honest, the area looks ok, so I'm not worried about it.
13. Soap room-YES! It looks so nice and is easy to work in again!
14. Backyard-yes and no; I need to clean up doggie mess, but it is clean.
15. Bedroom dressers-again, with all the rearranging of dressers for the baby, yes it got done.
16. Jewelry Box-done when I made my jewelry rack (check it out here).
17. Living Room-done when the laundry room was cleaned because of flooding.
18. Office-yes and no; I have organized everything into groups and know what needs to be done with everything, I just haven't gotten everything put away.
19. Car-All the trash and extra things that don't belong have been removed. However, it hasn't been vacuumed and cleaned. I was waiting for the snow to stop before taking it to the car wash.
20. Playroom-done; I made my toddler help me clean this area out.
21. Enjoy an organized house!

Whew, I know I keep saying that I haven't gotten much done, but now that I look at it, that doesn't seem to be true :)

How do you go about Spring Cleaning?

DIY Jewelry Hanger

I've had one of those jewelry cabinets for a while, but I've gotten to the point where I don't really care for it. I wanted something more open and a little more fun! I read a lot of tutorials about other people's DIY hangers and started looking for something that would work for me.

This summer, I found this really fun rack at Goodwill and thought it might just be perfect! It had little bands on the ends of each slat, so I cut those off. Then, I filled in the name with putty and sanded it as smooth as I could. I won't lie, I over did it one time and had to add some more putty. It didn't come out that smooth in the end, but my plan was to cover it up anyway.

 I found some different types of hangers at the home improvement store around the corner. I tried to measure everything evenly to make it look nice, but of course, I counted wrong. Luckily, the two that I counted wrong on, I had some similar hooks, so I made it work. I evenly spaced out hooks on the first two slats for necklaces. I made sure not to line them up, so they don't hang on top of each other. The bottom was for bracelets and the one above for earrings. I figured that would spread everything out nicely.

Hooks for necklaces

Earring hooks on top and bracelet hooks on bottom

Then, I painted the whole thing in a dark brown. It is really dark, almost black and I think it looks awesome.

Then, I got stuck. I couldn't decide what to do with the top of the whole thing. It easily pops on and off, so I could have hung it up anyway, but I didn't want to. So, it sat in the garage on my paint table for months. When I decided to rearrange my bedroom, I decided it was time to finish it. I used a silver paint pen to write Jewelry on the top. BUT, I don't like it.

I love the overall look, but I need to redo the lame top. HELP!

It works, but I don't like the way it looks. The whole thing looks really cute, but the top looks like I just slapped something down with no thought. Which, is what I did! Do you have any ideas about what I could do? I would love to hear your ideas for making it look as awesome as it should!

Rearranging

I've been wanting to rearrange furniture in the bedrooms for a while, it just hasn't happened. Kinda like a lot of other thing, but I finally got it done,

Hayden isn't a baby anymore (tear...), so he needed a more toddler friendly room that he could play in. We took the front off his crib two months back because he was constantly trying to climb IN the crib. I even found some sheets and a small comforter that I liked, but we hadn't gotten around to a new bed. I was planning on several changes: a new toddler bed, repainting, some new wall decor and some new curtains. But, none of that is in the budget now.

However, I still managed to rearrange and make it look better and feel roomier. First, I removed the blanket box that he loves to climb on and jump off of. He doesn't need it now anyway. Next, I culled the herd of stuffed animals and made them fit in the hammock I found on amazon. I moved the bed so it wasn't centered in the room and moved the small shelf that used to hold changing table stuff to be his bedside table. I hung an adorable Ikea lamp so he can easily turn on the light in his room. I hung a small coat rack that I found ages ago at Goodwill and finally fixed up. Last, I removed the changing pad from his dresser. 

I was trying to keep him out of the shot and he kept running in and out of it laughing "No pictures mommy."

 He now has way fewer books on his shelf, many were way too old for him, so I cut it down to just the ones he really loves to read. He also has a few more toys, so he can sit in his room and play. I know the hammock is a little low, but he is a little short and he's supposed to be able to access it. I left the nursery rhymes decor because I didn't want bare walls or windows. I also would have liked to paint the dresser a different color.

Again, he was "getting out of the picture." Forgive the unmade bed, we were actually getting ready for bed.

I love the little lamp! He now has a table beside his bed for his animals, water, and turtle. Now, he isn't trying to get it all in bed with him.

Crooked picture

Isn't this cute! I found it for $4 forever ago, but never got around to doing anything with it. I decided to paint and decoupage it. The yellow paper actually matches the letters I did for his initials and the other paper is really similar to the other side of his comforter. I hung it low so he can use it. Really, he just stares and makes faces in the mirror, but that works. Bonus: now I have a place to put his coats within easy reach.

I also did a little rearranging in my room. I moved the bed under the window because I love morning sunshine. I also hung my jewelry organizer and cleaned everything off! It feels good to have a clean room. I still need to organize the closet, but hey, I'm getting there. Also, I have to clean the upstairs again because lots of stuff got shoved up there as I cleared stuff out!

Has your Spring Cleaning started early?

New Year-New Goals

Well, it is a new year. There were a lot of changes in my life this past year. I'm sure you've noticed that I haven't been around a lot. Most of that has to do with work, but other more recent changes have really changed my schedule.

About a month ago, I asked my partner or almost 6 years to move out. It was a very hard decision for both of us, but in the long run, I think it is for the best. Hayden is adjusting well and we both still care for him, that won't change. Sharing custody of our new girl in April will be harder, but I think we will be able to make it work.

Between adjusting to life as a single mom and trying to keep up with the work load at school, it has been a little tough for me to keep up and get everything I need done. I have kept up with my orders and shows; I even managed to finish up some of the things I needed to do on my website, but a lot of the computer things have fallen behind.

In light of the fact that I have less time to get stuff done and I have more to do on my own and I will soon have a newborn to care for, my goals for this year will be relatively simple.

Business Goal: Keep up with the current level of business that I am currently doing. This will include the few wholesale customers I have, but I'm not going to focus on adding any. Doing all of the shows and markets I currently do, but not really trying to add more. You get the idea. While I would love to grow my business and expand, at this point, I have to be honest about the fact that I'm struggling to keep up with the amount of work I have to do. I desperately want to keep my business because my goal to eventually be able to quit my day job hasn't changed, but the time scale will have to be adjusted a little. The great thing about goals though...they can be changed. So, maybe things will be easier than I expect and I'll have time to do everything I need to do and grow my business.

Personal Goal: Focus on giving my family what they need and take care of my own needs. I think that is probably a little too broad, but really this means a lot of things that I don't want to leave out. I want to get Hayden involved in group activities such as swim classes and soccer. I am still hoping to buy a house despite the looming medical bills I will have. I actually have a long list of things I am planning to get done, but I don't see any reason for you to have to read the whole thing.

Another big goal: Keep up with my blogging, I actually enjoy it and the interactions I get from it.

I hope you can forgive my recent absence and be patient as I try to get my life back in the order.

Awesome Day!

Today, I stepped out of my comfort zone and I presented at the Colorado Science Conference! I am great at presenting to my students and pretty good at presenting to my fellow teachers. However, I do not do well in front of complete strangers. In fact, my Public Speaking class was nothing short of torture in college! I did actually get better in grad school and presented well, but I still get nervous.

Well, back in the spring I went to the National Science Teaching Conference. I got the idea that if some of those people could present, I could too! I decided to start with the state conference and I was so excited when they accepted my proposal.

My morning didn't start out great. I woke Hayden up when I was getting ready to leave and he was VERY upset that he wasn't going. Then, I was rear ended in Denver. Luckily, there was no visible damage to my car (I will still take it and get it checked out), but the other guy's was pretty messed up. I arrived at the conference a little late, but was really glad I wasn't presenting first!

I set up for the second session with little butterflies in my tummy. I didn't have any problems with set-up, people actually showed up, and I wasn't actually shaking :) I started and as I went I saw people nodding and taking notes, which is very encouraging. At the end, I had some great questions and was able to give some great feedback. I even had a few people stop by to thank me for my ideas and my help!

That makes me feel so good. I can be reasonably sure that I was not one of the terrible presentations I heard people complaining about. I think I'm going to apply for the National Conference and see if I can make it happen!

Big Changes

So, some of you may have noticed that I've been very absent lately. While it is true that I have been really busy with school, that really isn't the only reason.

I have also been struggling and not feeling my best lately. I have been fighting off nausea throughout the day. Sometimes it would last for long periods of time and make me want to curl up in the fetal position under my desk. That will get you some funny looks from the students for sure! Other times, it is mild and passes quickly. I've also been battling fatigue. One day, Hayden and I were sitting downstairs watching Elmo. I feel fast asleep within 2 minutes. Luckily, the toddler decided to wake me after Elmo was over and not get into trouble. I have had nights in which I'm in bed by 8:00! While that sounds great, it means that all of the things I need to do for school and Honu are piling up a bit. I wasn't lying when I said I'm constantly behind. I really am because I often don't have the energy to do what I need to; it is all I can do to get under the covers before I fall asleep.

What other problems have I been having? Let's see, my multivitamin makes me sick because it makes me burp icky fishy something. My pants are starting to get too snug. It doesn't matter what I do, they are just getting more and more snug and I don't really want to get a wardrobe. I can't take a long hot soak in the tub. I can't have caffeine. I'm not supposed to be gaining any weight, so I'm supposed to avoid carbs, but eats lots of low-fat protein and veggies. I have a toddler that thinks the best game is to jump on mommy, but that is suddenly more painful than it was. I tried making soap the other night and the scent made me sick so I had to stop (maybe I should make some more ginger soap).

I know some of you have already figured out what all of this means, but for those of you who haven't quite gotten there...I am pregnant. Hayden will be a big brother in April. We are very excited and I'm working on dealing with the side-effects. I'm almost 12 weeks along, so hopefully most of the symptoms will let up through my second trimester. That will get me through my busiest season! Past that, we will have to see what life brings.

Thank you for your patience and support through this. I promise, I'm not neglecting you or my soaps. I'm just making sure I take a little bit more care of us :)

Declutter Challenge: Update

I know I haven't posted an actual weekly update in a while, but there is a good reason. It isn't just that I've been busy. Really, we're all busy, there are just times when we happen to be busier than others.

I have been decluttering! I promise. The reason I haven't posted an update does have to do with having little extra time, but it also has to do with the fact that right now everything is just random odds and ends that I'm finding. I have a box sitting the office area (yeah, like that isn't clutter!) and I just dump stuff in it when I decide it should go.

For example, last week I pulled two shirts out of my closet and in they went to the box. I pulled a pair of ripped pants out and put those in the trash. I pulled out a pair of not-so-warm gloves and they went into the box. I have added several other things that I just picked up and moved. The box is almost full, so it will be donated soon.

I don't have a picture to share, so I'm distracting you with a toddler and a puppy!

So, I really haven't had an update to give you because I haven't spent a lot of time on  decluttering. BUT, it is still happening. It isn't requiring much thought at all. If I see it and have thought about giving it away, I just pick it up and carry it upstairs to the box. It is almost like putting your toys away when you are done. Just pick it up and put it where it goes :) I have found this to be very effective for those hectic times in your life.

Have you found any easy way to declutter that you'd like to share?

School Has Started

If you are a teacher or a parent (or you know a teacher or a parent) then you know how crazy the first of the school year is. I know everyone thinks that teachers work 7:30-3:30 and then take off for lazy afternoons, but that just isn't true. We have everything that we did last year to get our kids into the swing of things to do all over again. Notebooks must be set up, gradebooks must be set up, classrooms must be set up, and we have to set the students up for a successful year! If you have kids, you know how hard it can be to get 2 or 3 organized. Now, imagine doing that for a class of 25!

I feel very fortunate to be teaching at the school I am teaching at, but it is a big change from most other schools (keep in mind, I had only taught high school before this). As a small charter school we spend a lot of time with our students making sure they do all of the things that students are just expected to do on their own at other schools. I actually think it is a good thing. We don't just throw them into middle school and say "good luck!" We spend a lot of extra time showing the 7th graders what to do to be successful. I'm happy to do it, but that means a lot of extra work for me and a lot of time at school after Hayden is asleep.

That also means less time for things like blogging and making soap :( Luckily, the students catch on quick and we are all getting into the swing of our new year, so I'm finding more time for the rest of my life! I have resumed my decluttering. My soap room is clean again. I have even managed to find time to write a blog post. I have some soapy plans for the week. And, I'm not at school when Hayden is asleep.

So, forgive my recent absence. We are rockin' along in our new school year and I will be around more often now!

Whirlwind Week

You may have noticed that I have not posted anything all week. I didn't even get my Declutter Challenge done last week! I don't think I'm going to get this week's done either :(

Last week was pretty packed.

Wednesday was my normal market day from 3-7 and I'm usually wiped out afterwards anyway. But, I also received a call letting me know that my 97 year old great-grandmother had passed away. It was hard and very sad, but she was 97. She outlived my grandmother by 30 years, her husband by 20 years, my mother by 15 years, another daughter by a year, and several other children and grandchildren by many, many years. She is at peace.

Thursday, we had a going away party for the middle school aide. She found a job teaching math and science. We'll miss her, but I'm really happy for her too.

Friday was date night and it was a much needed time.

Saturday was my market from 9-1. When I got home, I took a short nap and then packed so we could head to Lubbock for my grandmother's funeral. We got to Lubbock around 3 on Sunday morning. I usually do my decluttering on Saturday or Sunday, so it didn't happen last week.

Sunday we spent with my dad and stepmom and they got lots of Hayden time.

Monday was my grandmother's funeral in Muleshoe, TX. We had to leave around 11 to get there for lunch before the services. Services ended around 4 and then we stayed to visit. We left Muleshoe around 6. We got to Colorado Springs around 2 Tuesday morning.

Tuesday was my first day back for teacher inservice, for which I was an hour late because Hayden and I fell back to sleep. I went to bed around 7 Tuesday night. I was a tired puppy.

Wednesday was the first chance I got to get on my computer, so I did a few things, but my brain was still wiped out.

Thursday was more of the same at school. BUT, my turtle tank was stinky! So, I spent some time cleaning it. We went back up to school Thursday night to clean out the filter and the tank because Open House was Friday and I didn't want parents coming in to a stinky room. We got everything cleaned (I bought a nice new vacuum for the gravel) and the filter hooked back up. We plugged it in and it chugged for a few minutes and died. It was old and turtles are hard on filters, but did it have to die AFTER we cleaned it?

Friday was a long day because of Open House. I enjoy meeting my new students, but it makes for a long day. Then, some of us went out afterwards :)

Saturday was a busy morning filled with getting new school supplies, our awesome board gave us gift cards to help us out, and a few new clothes. Yesterday afternoon, we went to the zoo because I needed a break. I was productive last night...I balanced the checkbook and paid bills. I hear they like it when you do that :) So, no decluttering.

Today, we hiked Seven Bridges, which was really pretty and Hayden had fun in the water at the top. But, we all needed a nap when we got home. This afternoon, I went to school because I was nowhere near ready for the first day of school, but now I am. I got home just in time for dinner and then I played with a toddler. So, I didn't declutter today either, but I made my little guy giggle right up until bedtime, so I'm okay with that.

The first couple of weeks of school are usually the craziest, so please bear with me. I may be absent more than usual.

Declutter Challenge: Week 29

I recently made a new jewelry holder based on several I found online, but I'm not sharing that just yet because I'm going to share its transformation later. I decided to replace my old and boring jewelry cabinet with something updated and fun. As I pulled my jewelry, I also decided that I should go through it and get rid of what I don't wear anymore.

See...old and boring

I got rid of anything that I hadn't worn in the last year. That really took care of a lot of my jewelry. I got rid of earrings that I've had since high school, but had been saving because they were sentimental. I got rid of a cheap ring I bought in Australia so many years ago, it was cute, but I remember the trip fine without the ring. It felt good to go through and declutter my jewelry collection. I donated it and there were some pretty pieces in there, so maybe someone else will find something they love and enjoy it. I enjoy that my new jewelry holder is starting off just a little neater!

Bye bye!

Why did you get rid of this week?

Toddler Play Room

In May, I posted about our new kid-friendly downstairs area. We cleaned, painted, rearranged, and got rid of a lot of stuff (read more here). Hayden loves his large play area and I love that there really isn't much for him to hurt himself on. He doesn't climb on the shelves because he has a blanket box and table to climb on. He can't get into anything he shouldn't except dvd's and I can deal with that. What I didn't like was how big and empty the walls were!

Toddlers need a stimulating environment and there is just something about big white walls that is un-stimulating. We were trying to decide what to do and I found the perfect solution at Joann's when I was perusing the education section (hey, I'm a teacher, I can't help it). For $10, I got a punch-out set for colors and shapes. That's right, $10 and it pretty much covers up both empty walls.

I could probably fit more, but everything had to be high enough to be out of reach. Hayden loved helping me put everything up and he really does enjoying going through the colors and shapes. Currently, everything is yellow, but he'll get it. Of all the shapes, octagon is the one he knows, but I think he just likes saying it :)

I will probably do letters and numbers, but for those, I want him to help paint hangings. So, that is a bit further down the road.

What did you put up for your kids to add an educational element to their room?

Declutter Challenge: Week 28

My poor dog is getting old. She is a border collie mix that is 9 1/2 years old! Her eyes are getting cloudy and her anxiety is getting worse. She has had several accidents on her bed in response to storms, screaming baby, and even because it was time for her to go in her kennel. The poor bed smells terrible. We have washed it, hosed it down, and even tried deodorizer. Nothing has worked. Plus, she never really uses the bed because she prefers to sleep in the hall outside our bedrooms. So, I got rid of the bed! It felt bad throwing it away because it was still in good shape, but the smell was bad, she didn't use it, and the toddler liked jumping on it. So, in the trash it went!

I could have stopped there because that would be my one item for the week, but it gave me another idea! I realized that we have a lot of pillows that we no longer use. We recently bought some new pillows, but didn't throw the old ones out...I know, that was just silly. We have two that are in the camping equipment, so they are always there to go with us. We also have two that we keep for guests that occasionally stay with us. However, we still have a couple of other pillows that hang around the closets and other random places. So, I also walked around and picked up them up and sent them with the dog bed.

I also got an email this morning from Amazon letting me know that another of my books had sold! It took me a while to decide to go ahead and list the books that I have that are more expensive. It took about 2 hours to get them all listed, but it has been worth it. I don't have to do much and the books sell. I can even pay for shipping and print labels online, so I'm not spending a lot of time in line and the post office. I do have to go on and check that they are still active, but it has been pretty easy. So far, I've sold 4 books and that has added up to about $100!

See, three super easy steps and I am getting a lot of things out of my house. The best part is, it hasn't taken me much time. It has been something I can do without taking time away from Hayden or myself.

Declutter Challenge: Week 27

We've been gathering stuff for another garage sale, so we have a lot of stuff going into the garage. That means that our garage has been a little messy. On Saturday, we decided to clean it up a bit. We pulled a few boxes in from the garage because there is some stuff that we would like to put up online; instead, of putting it in a garage sale. Which means we have a little more clutter in the office now. I just got it cleaned up too! Oh well, we are getting stuff listed and that is just another way to declutter as it sells.

Remember, my declutter challenge is just one item a week to get rid of. It can be small or large, but once you get started, it becomes really easy.

That was not my major declutter though! Saturday, I was putting laundry away and I looked into the shelves in my closet and gasped! It was time to clean out the closet.

GASP! Ok, the clothes on the bottom shelf I do wear, but some are seasonal and some can't hang.

I pulled everything off the shelves on the side and up above. I went through all the clothes and cleared out my sweatshirt collection. I put some of the clothes back because I wear them :)

I did keep a few sweaters, but these can go.

I also found several bags that I cleaned out. One was an old soccer bag that had a tape player (that still works) and a first aid kit. I cleaned out the bag from my triathlon days. I took out the sunscreen, skin glide, and the defogger, but put the wetsuit, goggles, and swim cap back. I also found another bag that was empty that didn't need to be kept, so it went out to the garage.

Soccer bag from my days as a Filly!

Yes, those patches say '86. I've had it a while.

I found my old tape player. It was a very good one too!

Now, my closet looks nicer and I am happier with it. How long did all of this take me? I did this while dinner was in the oven and the toddler was distracted with toys in the kitchen. So, this was less than 30 minutes worth of work.

What have you decluttered!

Declutter Challenge: Week 26

I am halfway through my 52 week challenge! I have to say that it is getting easier and easier to do. Now, if I see something that I've been telling myself I will get rid of when I clean, I don't wait until I clean! I pick it up and get rid of it. Currently, those things are going out to the garage into one of two piles, donate or garage sale. I know you are probably saying that I'm not really getting rid of it. But, I think it counts because I am regularly taking things to be donated. I don't have too many things that just need to go to the trash because I am good about throwing away things that should be tossed. BUT, that brings us to this week's challenge.

I have kept every card and note that I have ever been given since I was born. You think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. I have all of the notes that my friends and I passed back and forth in middle school. Do you have any idea how many show boxes that is? I decided it was time to clean those out.

I will say that this challenge took longer than some of the others. As I was going through all of the cards, I made sure to read them. It is time to stop keeping them, but I did want to read them. I know I won't remember what they all said, but I read them anyway. I went through my notes first and most of those I did not read, I just made a note of who it was from and smiled fondly at the memories of the people that gave them to me. I did open a few and had to laugh at the things we wrote and to remember who are middle school crushes were. Those went into the recycle bin. I considered shredding them, but I don't think anyone cares who my middle school crush was.

Then, I started going through cards. Some, I did keep. The 2nd birthday card from my Motch was something I wanted to keep. Others, I read and smiles at and put in the "to go" pile. I let go of many things that I've been holding on to and I thing that was good for me. I held on to the last card my mom sent me because I need to, I'm not ready to let that go. I held on to a couple from people that were very close to me. I will say that I shed more than a few tears reading the cards. Sympathy cards from when we lost mom, birthday cards from loved ones that are gone and lost friends, and even a few just because. All in all, it was an emotional cleaning, but it needed to be done and done it is. I won't forget the people that gave me the cards and I won't forget that they care about me and really that is what is most important.

What did you get rid of this week?

Declutter Challenge: Week 25

I had an idea for this week, but I opened up the hall closet to stuff some towels in and I changed my mind. My before shot magically disappeared, so I can't share the horror with you. Trust me, it was bad. Stuff just got showed in wherever it would fit. There were things buried that we obviously didn't need. Plus, we had so many towels, it was a little ridiculous. There are two adults living here, why do we need so many towels. There are even plenty in the guest bath.

So, I pulled everything out, which my toddler thought was more fun than anything in the world and he helped pull stuff to the floor, all the while saying "helper." I sorted the towels and kept a handful of the nicest to go back in the closet. They all had to fit on one shelf too! I did keep our beach (pool) towels and the best of the animal towels for bathing Kili and fosters. I cleaned out the box of doggie care stuff and got rid of the Bitter Yuck, it was to keep my cat from chewing cords, but she just licked it off and then chewed the cords. I put all of the cleaning stuff, personal care, and such on the same shelf. I have one empty shelf that will be used for sheets, but those were still in the wash yesterday. Extra toilet paper and my foot soaking bowl are at the bottom.

Apparently, I was slow about putting the towels in too, but we have more than two green towels :) I moved all the extra towels to the guest bathroom for now. My brother is moving from Hawaii, so I'll see if he wants any because I don't think he spent money to ship towels over. After he takes what he wants, I'll keep a few for guests and the rest will be decluttered. I only ended up getting rid of a few towels, washcloths, a neck warmer, and some shower attachment that was here when we moved in. Hayden had so much fun with that! He would talk into one end and put the other to his ear, when I looked at him he said "telephone." AHHHHH! They grow so fast.

So, it may not seem like much, but remember, the challenge is only one thing a week! Besides, I now have a usable hall closet and a set of towels to give to someone else. SCORE! The first week is always the hardest, but I hope you've joined me by now; if so, I'd love to hear from you.

Berry Smoothie Recipe

As some of you may know, I have been working on changing my lifestyle to be healthier and more fit. If you want to know more, read about it here. One big change for us is eating more veggies. Eating plenty of fruit is not a challenge, but getting a healthy variety of veggies is.

So, when I read about green smoothies, I started experimenting. I loved the saltier versions with more veggies, but we also wanted to see about making some fruity yogurt smoothies too. We tried using water and it all separated and became quite gross to try and drink down. We then tried grape and apple juices, but it was hard to make it taste good with any veggies in it. It we left out the veggies and just used sweet fruit, it tasted fine. However, the point is to get more veggies!

Well, I was at the store the other day and I saw a bottle of V-8 Acai Berry Blend (or something close to that). I came up with an idea :) This idea actually turned out delicious.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz Acai Berry Juice
• 1 cup nonfat greek yogurt
• 2 handfuls of fresh spinach
• 5 strawberries
• 1/2 cup frozen berry blend
• 1/4 cup fresh cherries
• dab of honey

Instructions:

1. Throw everything into a blender and blend until smooth-ish.
2. Pour into 2 glasses and enjoy!

This was so good, I think the key was getting a juice that complemented what went in to the mix. Plus, V-8 has veggies mixed into it, but the smoothie was awesome! The juice makes it higher in calories, but I think it makes it taste better and stay together better. With the yogurt, it has a little more protein, so you can use it to replace a snack or small meal. I haven't tried experimenting with any supplements, but if you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them.

What are your favorite smoothie recipes?

Declutter Challenge: Week 24

The decluttering continues! I won't lie to you, it is slowing down a little, but not for the reasons you might think. I have not run out of things to get rid of. I am simply getting to a point where I am putting stuff out in the garage for another garage sale or I am trying to sell it online.

I have several textbooks listed on Amazon. I have a few things on Craigslist and I am getting pictures of things taken to put them on Ebay. So, I am keeping busy and looking for things to declutter, but it is slow going.

Last week, I finally cleaned up the craft area. It really was a mess. It had become an area where we piled things high and ignored them However, I finally got to it. First, I went through my box of cards. I have a habit of saving every card that has ever been given to me, but that means a lot of cards! So, I went through the box and kept the ones that were really important to me. The rest went to be recycled. I remember the people that gave them to me, I don't have to keep the cards. Then, I went through my supply of fabric! I actually got rid of scraps and bits and ugly pieces. That was hard for me to part with, but I did it. I'm not going to use it! So, I have reduced it from a stack, a drawer, and a large tote down to just the tote. If it didn't fit, it didn't stay. I also got all of my projects on my project shelf and if it is a project I lost interest in, I got rid of it. I still need to go through my thread and sewing boxes, but for now everything is on the shelf, in a set of drawers, or otherwise in its place. So, I am happy with it.

I didn't get any pictures because I didn't think about doing a before picture, so my after picture just wouldn't have much of an impact. Oh well.

What have you decluttered recently?

Decluttler Challenge: Week 23

I thought I was behind, but when I looked at it, I'm not!!! That makes me happy :)

For those of you that don't know what my Declutter Challenge is, check it out here. You can also follow my adventures if you wish by reading my decluttering posts.

This week almost didn't happen. I almost forgot! Can you believe I would do such a thing? Well, it has been a crazy, busy week. I've been preparing all week for my market that didn't happen because I had my dates wrong. Oh well, at least I'm ready.

Back to the point...this week's challenge did happen because I got an email about one of the items I posted on craigslist! Happy dance time...

Ok, so I got the email yesterday, I met her today and the water cooler is officially gone.

Bye bye!

On a side note, I discovered #declutter on Twitter and I'll be sharing there as well.

Have you started decluttering? Remember, it is easy to start. It doesn't have to be big, just grab one item a week and make it leave your house (by hook or by crook). Take it to the trash, resale shop, craigslist, ebay, or whatever, just make that item leave! One item a week isn't too hard and before you know it, you'll be letting all sorts of things go.

If you have a story to share, I would love to here it!

Gettin' Crafty

I love reading crafty blogs. It gives me all sorts of fun ideas and that I really don't have time to do, but I love anyway. Well, I decided that I should start doing a few of them because I feel like all I do is work. It may be working as a mom, as a soapmaker, or as a teacher, but I work A LOT! So, I am going to start doing some of my ideas.

First, when I was going through boxes, I found this old wall plaque that my mom bought from Home Interiors. Does anyone remember those parties? I think they may have been one of the first home shows and my mom was the Home Interiors QUEEN. Just about every decoration in our house came from one of the parties she hosted. I remember the plaque hanging on the wall for my entire childhood. When mom died, it was packed up and forgotten about. Well, when I found it, it almost went into my declutter pile. However, I decided to save it and see what I could do with it.

I think it is cute, but needed some updating!

 So, I sat and stared at it and left it where I could look at it. I finally decided that the perfect place to hang it would be above the descending stairs as you walk in. We recently painted the downstairs bright white with a blue-gray trim. We are planning on using the blue to paint the entryway and the white for the trim. I wanted a color that would stand out, but fit in. I decided I wanted to use a soft yellow. I also wanted the background and words to contrast, I found a color I love called "oil rubbed bronze." It is nice and dark, but not quite black. What do you think?

Not bad for my first crafty project. It was easy too! It took about one nap time to get it all painted.

Have you done any projects where you redid something simple to make it fit your home?

Declutter Challenge: Week 18 & 19

I actually did do some cleaning last weekend, but this week was crazy! School is almost over, so I had to get everything graded last week. All projects, finals, and anything else that was going in the gradebook. So, I didn't get anything else done!

Last Sunday, we opened up the garage and started going through boxes. We also moved some stuff around so that it was a little easier to get to. We decided to go through the book boxes. There are books that I cannot get rid of. I may never read it again, but I still can't part with them. For example, the books "The Dinosaur Heresies" that my Punk gave me when I was in 3rd grade. I never did get far, it is quite a book for a 3rd graders, but I have to keep it. However, I am managing to let go of other books.

I have a lot of Stephen King books that my mom bought for me years ago. I have read all of them. I have kept them because mom gave them to me, but she bought all of them at a second-hand store and I think she just grabbed any book by King she could find. So, I decided most of those could go. Any book that I know I will not read again is gone. It was really hard for me to do. I LOVE books! I feel that people should have as many books as their garage will hold :) But, book are better shared, so I am sharing them. We turned 5 boxes of books into 2. Not bad!

I didn't think I was going to get anything done for this week, but I did. We went camping this weekend, so as I was pulling out camping stuff, I found things to get rid of! First, two camping pillows from when I was in junior high school. They are actually fine, but they just don't fluff back up after being stuff in the bags for a few *cough* years. Next, I found a lantern that the batteries weren't removed from, so they leaked. Third, some canteens that smelled a little funny, so I tossed them.

Have you started decluttering yet? What have you gotten rid of?