Like my new signature?

Spring Cleaning

and crazy clearing out of junk going on around here. I've been trying to go through cabinets, closets, drawers, and even a few boxes from the attic to eliminate all of the unnecessary clutter. I find it so difficult to let go of things, because I always ask myself "What if...?" What if I happen to need 50 balls for an emergency? What if for some reason mismatched gloves come into style? What if I simultaneously lose 20 lbs while also instantaneously traveling back to a time when overalls were still cool?

But I remind myself to be optimistic, and imagine this scenario:
What if......I have a neat and orderly home and livable life instead of existing in utter chaos, never being able to find I am looking for, and feeling defeated and guilty all the time?

So, in 2010, I have gone through our linen closet, our laundry room, our bathroom cabinets, our guest room drawers, our kitchen hutch, the girls' closet, some (though not all) of the Master closet, all of my dresser drawers, my jewelry box, and our front hall closet. We have just plain trashed a lot of out-dated or irrelevant items or things I never should have saved in the first place.

We also gave some away to a local charity this morning. Here's a pic to prove I am turning from my packbunny ways!

Frankly, the photo does not do justice to our hard work! There were tons of clothing, two vacuums, several bags, two boxes of drinking glasses, a popcorn popper, two sewing machines, a rug, a silverware tray, some shoes, and a Thomas the Tank Engine Ball Pit.

Ironically, you can see in the front of the photo, a box is inscribed with the pathetic words "PANTS TOO SMALL". I'm so glad I recorded that for posterity and the entire internet to view. At least it comforts me to know that someone, somewhere will purchase my pants at a charity thrift store and hopefully put them to better use than another layer of insulation in my already cluttered attic.

Onward and upward.....I'm starting a new program tomorrow called "Motivated Moms" so I will be sure to share the details.

Projects/Ideas

I've so easily gotten sucked into reading other blogs about crafting and WOW! People are so creative and intriguing and just brilliant. It just makes me think how God made us in His image and has given us creativity and abilities to glorify Him, even if we aren't using them. Imagine a world without creativity, art, music, story-telling and songs....I'm so glad God gave us the chance to create!
My abilities need some practice, but here are some projects I've been thinking about trying:

Reusable snack bags. Maybe save a few baggies and go cloth. I've already started these, I just need to pick up some velcro to open/close them.

T-shirt bags. I have a huge amount of t-shirts that I am emotionally unwilling to discard. Several of them are not something I would ever wear out in public, but who needs 37 sleep shirts? I thought this would be perfect for them: http://wildonionstudio.wordpress.com/2008/06/01/tee-bags-a-tutorial-to-recycle-a-tee-shirt-into-a-shopping-bag/

Pillowcase dresses. I've made a couple of these, but really hope my 3rd and 4th attempts will be a little less sloppy!

Embellished/decorated hoodies. I bought a pile of plain navy hoodies for the girls and plan to jazz them up with some fabric pens. I need to think of something clever and twin-ish to write on them since I am too cheap to buy the expensive twin clothing that is sold online. "COPY" and "PASTE"?

Playsilks. This has been in the works so long is shameful, but I'd really like to dye them before Easter. That will involve some serious work and placing a quick order, which probably won't happen. Maybe I should shoot for the twins' birthday, which will give me months!

So, what projects are you hoping to tackle?

Fancy Nancy

I try not let my prissiness get out of control, but I'm really a girley girl at heart. Fortunately, my children seem to be a little more well-rounded; loving animals, sports, books, and still playing with dolls and wearing tutus occasionally. We all love the Fancy Nancy series by Jane O'Conner

The illustrations are beautiful and the stories sweet. Not only does the series tickled a little girls' pink funny bone, but it teaches a lot of great vocabulary words, even some basic French, while encouraging kindness and empathy. In Fancy Nancy we meet the Clancy family, and Nancy who feels it is "hard being the only fancy person in your family". In Fancy Nancy Bonjour Butterfly Nancy apologizes to her mother for her behavior and learns that you must choose to have a good attitude even when faced with disappointment. The Clancy family learns about responsibility in Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy. The latest book, Fancy Nancy and the Splendiferous Christmas talks about the importance of family and establishing traditions and memories.

The series isn't just about glittery boas and lacy accessories, Fancy Nancy Explorer Extraordinaire delves into plants, insects, and exploration from a "fancy" perspective. I love how it shows girls can be strong and feminine at the same time. We love these books; look to Jane O'Conner's many titles for your daily fancy fix! http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=fancy+nancy&x=0&y=0

So far, so good

Things are still under control. Sunday we bought a wedding gift for a friend. Definitely justifiable purchase. I've gone over a week without even looking at the kids' clothing at Target, so that is progress! Yesterday I spent about $50 on groceries but instead of shopping elsewhere I worked around the house. We also have made trips to the park and library rather than shopping for fun. I feel like I'm doing well. We will be shopping for a few gifts coming up, which is always fun and doesn't clutter our home which makes a big difference!

We sold the plastic playhouse we had on our deck. The girls had gotten too big for it and since we don't have a lot of yard space, we decided it was time to say goodbye. The girls were sad for a few minutes, but quickly got over it. It was a gift from some very dear friends of ours, so we were able to buy them a fun gift with our profits!

I'd eventually really like to get a table and chairs for our deck. I think it would be so nice to eat out there in the coming beautiful weather! I also can't wait to plant some herbs and veggies for spring in the pots on the deck. Last year we had pretty good luck with our container garden, the pots are easier to maintain than a traditional garden.

Maybe I should get some readers...

for this blog. That way it might motivate me to keep to the point, which is NOT buying stuff. But, let's face it, I know no one is reading this, so I feel little peer-pressure. Today I bought a set of stainless steel measuring cups and spoons, some natural body wash and a hat for myself. We need the cups/spoons and body wash. The hat, not so much. Unless you count the money I am saving by not getting my hair cut, which is substantial. I've only gotten three paid professional haircuts since the twins were born. I definitely need a hat to cover my hair when it's getting down to the wire before a cut.

Huh. Maybe I should have a blog where I use my unique talents at justifying every possible purchase? I mean, who wouldn't want to read that? Or perhaps I should get even more detailed and list all the things I wanted to buy, but didn't? Neither you nor I have the time for that, though.

Fine. I spent $24 on soap, cooking utensils and a hat. It is what it is. Tomorrow I will buy nothing! I repeat, NOTHING.

Well, maybe some groceries.

Spring is coming....

Although we had snow on the ground this morning, March can get pretty warm in these parts. I decided to go through the girls' closet and dresser and start getting ready for spring. I was able to pull a bunch of clothing out to sell on Craigslist and generally tidied up the closet. My girls seem to be squarely between sizes. So, they will outgrow 3T around the middle of the summer....which is inconvenient. I'd really like to sell all of their stuff from last year, but some of it still fits. By mid-summer, though, they will need 4T and right about then the big July 4th sales will be going on so that will work out well.

Today I spent some money, I'm not going to lie. I bought the girls helmets for their scooters and a vacuum along with our groceries. Just so we're clear, the helmets were pre-cleared as we knew they would be needed for the scooters. I was lucky enough to find them on clearance for $5 each at Walmart!
The vacuum also desperately needed to be replaced, and I'd almost given up cleaning since the old one was so in such sad shape. I found a very inexpensive, but highly rated Dirt Devil for $37. That works for us! Now, I will be able to clean again and soon we can try the new scooters at the park. Hope things keep warming up around here....

Ode to the Oball

One of our favorite new toys is the Oball. First and foremost, it is free of latex, pvc and bishpenol-a (BPA), and is dishwasher safe. It's suitable for all ages and is easy to throw and catch. It manages to bounce well, and smoothly glide through the air while still being light enough to not cause any true destruction. It's fun in the bath, in the car, outside and inside. Someone mentioned it might work for bubble-blowing, which I thought was a really fun idea. I've seen them at Target and Walmart for about $5, or you can find them on Amazon for slightly more.

I was happy to find an inexpensive gift that works so well for different ages, and I know this is a toy we will always find use for. My husband and I even enjoy tossing it around with the kids. So the twins give the Oball 5 stars!