Are You Ready?

Harry Potter excitement has hit our house? How about yours?

My 40-Before-40 List Updated!!!

Updated on June 29th.. see items in BOLD!!

#21-I finished my will today! I purchased the Quicken WillMaker Plus 2007:Estate Planning Software. I highly recommend his software program, it has documents for a Legal Will, Living Trust (Basic & AB), Living Will, Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, Final Arrangements to Authorization for Minor's Medical Treatment, Housesitting Instructions, Pet Care Agreement and much more!

#5-Last night, I opened up Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook last night to determine how many recipes there were, if I had baking supplies, etc. The book is broken down into the following topics (basically simple to sophisticated):

Biscuits & Simple Baked Goods-26 recipes

Cookies-42 recipes

Cakes-30 recipes

Pies, Tarts, Cobblers & Crisps-29 recipes

Yeasted Baked Goods-33 recipes

Pastries-13 recipes

And 28 Basic recipes-icings etc.

I think it's doable-I'm not a baker but I am really inspired by the recipes & ideas that are presented in this book!

#28-Household Inventory Notebook-I purchased a notebook today and dividers. I'm going to start working on this by room as I continue to organize each room. I have a notebook that has all of my warranties for the televisions, VCR, DVD players, etc so this shouldn't take me too long to complete the process.

Also....I have 4 more items to complete the list...any suggestions on something I should do, try before I turn 40 years old? Leave me a comments with some suggestions!

List revisited....

1. Clean/Organize Garage Starting this weekend (June 30/July 1)
2. Clean/Organize Attic
3. Lose 50 pounds---75 would be better but 50 would be great! (I have lost 8 pounds so far!) Will lose 25 pounds by September 1st.
4. Read the Chronicles of Narnia with my kids. (reading on my own first-finished the first book last night)
5. Bake through Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. Need to purchase a KitchenAid first for all that mixing...I've been hinting... Starting on Monday
6. Knit a blanket for each of my kids.
7. Renew my wedding vows.
8. Read the Bible completely. (started reading each day)
9. Purchase "1001 Books to Read Before I Die" and read one book a month.
10. Catch up on my scrapbooks.
11. Give up Diet Dr Pepper (this will be a really hard one, I have been drinking Dr Pepper since I can remember!Maybe just for a day...like the day I turn 40!) Better yet, add more water to diet!
12. Make a quilt.
13. Take Networking at church..discover my God given talents. (Registered for Networking-class starts Jan 21-23)
14. Burn all my home VHS onto DVDs.
15. Rip CDs I don't listen to often and sell them.
16. Go to a spa for a massage.
17. Get a pedicure. Update-have one scheduled for July 17th!
18. Take a cooking class.
19. Read everything I haven't read yet on my bookshelf.
20. Watch all five Best Picture nominees prior to the Oscars.
21. Get a will (mostly for if something happens to both S & I-details for Mom & Dad re: the kids)

22. Learn cake decorating. Looked into classes but need to wait until Fall.
23. Plant a herb garden to be used all year long.
24. Try yoga.
25. Try pilates.
26. Incorporate a regular date night with hubby. (I thinking every other Friday or Saturday evening.)
27. Visit NY and go to a Broadway musical or play. (would like to see Wicked)
28. Make a household inventory notebook including pictures, serial numbers, etc for insurance purposes. Purchased notebook 6/29/07. Started working on inventory with kitchen.
29. Get finances in order and everything paid off.
30. Take family to Disney World.
31. Send out Christmas Cards (I haven't sent out cards since I was pregnant with my 3rd child!)
32. Clean out car-keep it clean!
33. Take a second honeymoon with hubby.
34. Take family on a ski trip to Steamboat.
35. Go ice skating with my family.
36. Drink Milk. Plain, Chocolate or Strawberry flavored. (at least one for that day-this one is for my son-I do not like milk & don't drink milk & he thought that it would be a good one to add to my least!)
37. See "Gone with the Wind."
38. Take Tennis Lessons.
39.
40.

UPDATE: Only 2 more items to think about and add to my list! Any suggestions?????

Friday's Feast - 6.29.2007

Appetizer:

How many pieces of jewelry do you wear most days?

Two-my wedding band/engagement ring & my diamond earrings.

Soup

What is your favorite instrumental song?

I absolutely love Cannon in D-it was played at my wedding as the Bridesmaids entered. It is so beautiful.

Salad

Who has a last name that you like?

I am very happy with my last name but if I had to change my identity...I wouldn't mine something with clout-Rockefeller, Kennedy, just to name a few!

Main Course

Name a popular movie you’ve never seen.

Let's see...I have never seen The Shining (don't care too either), the Ocean 11-13 Series, Godfather movies, Gone with the Wind...

I would like to see Gone with the Wind...I just might add this to my 40 Before 40 list!

Dessert

Fill in the blank: Nothing makes me ___________ like __________.

Nothing makes me cry like a good movie or book!

40 Before 40-Crossing It Off

Okay...before I know it, my 40th birthday will be upon me & I won't have any of these items crossed off. So here is my plan for the remainder of the summer.

1. Clean and organize garage. I am going to get a good start on that this weekend. Look for some before pictures soon!
2. I have a pedicure scheduled for July 17th! Yeah! I was hoping to get one scheduled next week but they are booked!
3. Start baking through Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook...I guess I don't have to have the mixer yet!
4. Lose 25 pounds before September 1st.
5. Schedule a massage after I get CMSL schedules completed for the Fall season....I will need one!
6. Start working on my household notebook.
7. Start working on our will.

At least that will be 7 items that I can mark off my list!

I need help in figuring out 4 more items to add to my list. Any suggestions?

Thursday Thirteen #13 (Things I Want For My Birthday)

13 Things on My Wishlist... (Updated on Dec 28th, 2007)

My birthday is just around the corner & I thought I would share a list of what I would like for my birthday....hint, hint to hubby if you are reading! No really, here is a wishlist of something I would like to eventually purchase:

1. A KitchenAid (got for Christmas 07!) with the attachments-this would help me with one of my 40 Before 40 Things to do...bake my way through Martha Stewarts' Baking Book.

2. A Professional Grade Waffle Maker...I just love visiting hotels that have a waffle maker.

3. An Under-the-Counter Cookbook Holder. I don't have a lot of counter space and this would be very handy. I saw this in an issue of Real Simple.

4. A Nikon D80 Digital Camera. I have a Nikon CoolPix Camera but it doesn't take action shots the way that I would like for it to take them. I try to take lots of pictures of my kids playing soccer (& other sports) and dance but with the red eye feature, it's has a delay & they are out of the picture by the time the camera shoots the shot.

5. A Green iPod Nano-all four of my kids have one....why not Mom? I want to be able to take it with me when I go to the gym each day to work out. Green is one of my favorite colors so a green iPod would be perfect!

6. A new trashcan for my kitchen...and just not any old trashcan! I want a stainless steel trashcan. My friend has one of the touchless ones that are pretty cool. (Got a stainless steel trashcan-didn't get a touchless one!)

7. A photo printer. I have a printer that prints pictures but I would like one dedicated to printing photos only.

8. A small digital camera. I'm not sure what brand preferably a Nikon (I got a Nikon & I LOVE IT!!!) or an Olympus brand. I would like a small one that will fit in my purse so I can take snap shots anytime. My Nikon Coolpix is too big to carry around in my purse & the Nikon D80 is too!

9. A set of Füri Rachael Ray Gusto Grip 2-Knife Set. I just love watching chefs chop with these knives!

10. An oversized wooden cutting board (yes, I realize that I'm back in the kitchen but I love to cook and having all of the right supplies is a must!)

The next 3 items are BIG items but it can't hurt to dream!

11. A Stainless Steel Kenmore Elite 30 in. Electric Self Clean Slide-In Range with Warm & Ready Drawer. I hope that when it's time to replace our range, this is the one that we purchase!

12. A Stainless Steel Kenmore Elite French Door Bottom Freezer Refrigerator. I LOVE this frig. I really like the idea of the freezer being at the bottom. I hate digging in the crisper drawers for veggies in my current frig.

13. A High Efficiency Washer and Dryer! I wash loads and loads of laundry a week and these would make that job much easier!

What's on your wishlist? Check out more Thursday Thirteen Participants!

Mommy Talk-June 25th Question

I'm joining A Little Mommy Talk. Check it out!

Here is this week's Question-June 25: What was your favorite baby item that you could not live without?

There were so many things that were my favorites, some more with the other child then the next. I think my favorite item was this:

A Portable Swing. This take-along swing has all the features of a full size swing in a compact, portable design. I was able to take in outside when the kids were playing & the baby was asleep, to the park, to the soccer games, everywhere! It didn't take up much room & my daughter Sydney loved it!

Wishlist....Indulgences?

I purchased a Cuisinart Pure Indulgence Ice Cream, Yogurt & Sorbet Maker today...it was a splurge. I walked past it at Sam's & returned to check it out. My son, Connor was with me & said "Yes, you should buy that!" Now understand, my son, is not that vocal about things like this so I took his advice and purchased this beauty... for only $49.99! It makes 2 quarts of ice cream/frozen yogurt/sorbet in 25 minutes! Yummy! I brought it home & my three other children went crazy! When are we going to make some ice cream? Well, I don't have any heavy cream and the ice cream recipes call for heavy cream so I am in the process of making Dark Chocolate Sorbet! After the ice cream bowl freezes.

So, after purchasing this little item, I got to thinking about some other items that I am longing for. I have a birthday coming up-nothing special about the number but it's around the corner-July 8. Here is what I am wishing for...

Looks like I like kitchen appliances & gadgets!

What are some things you are wishing for?

Works For Me Wednesday (Prayer Journal-Praying for Family)

I have a Prayer Journal that I use each day when I have my quiet time. It's a homemade prayer journal in a 3-ring divider, it has 8 divided sections: Praise (Praise God for Who He is), Confess (Confess & Ask forgiveness) , Request (my prayer requests), Thanksgiving (express thankfulness for all of my blessings-answered prayers), Listen (what is God telling you in his word-I complete this section after reading the Bible-doing a Bible study), the next 3 sections are used for when I'm reading the Bible throughout the year, it's broken up into sections & I write something meaningful down in each of the sections-New Testament , Old Testament & Psalms/Proverbs. I go through each section each day, in the request section is my prayer request list. Each day I pray about something different, for example, on Sunday I pray for our Church Leaders, on Monday I pray for my husband, on Tuesday I pray for my children, etc. This doesn't mean that if on Friday my husband needs prayer for something I don't pray for him because it's not his day....I have my daily prayer and my special prayers. (I hope that makes sense!) In my husband and children section, I have a page for each family member, on that page, I have traced their hand & placed a picture on that page as well. When I pray for that particular family member, I place my hand on their handprint and pray for them. It makes me feel extra connected to them!

That works for me....what works for you? Check out more WFMW ideas @ Rocks In My Dryer!

Tackle It Tuesday (Living Room Organize/Working on Vision)

My Tackle It Tuesday is rather complex-it's more than tackling an area that needs cleaning & organizing. I started reading the Total Mom Makeover so I working on several areas to achieve my vision. In addition to continuing to organize my home so..hence my complex tackling!

Today's challenges-tackles (vision statements) are:

1. Take CSH to High School Soccer Camp. (Nurturing Children)

2. Workout while CSH is at Camp. (Energized & in shape woman)

3. Grocery Store. (Nurturing Family & Getting healthy by eating healthy foods)

4. Laundry-CWH, GLH, & SJH will be going to Arkansas with Grandma. Get clothes ready & packed. (Nurturing Family)

Folded 2 Loads of Towels (on loveseat)Need washing: another load of towels, whites, sheets (in dirty clothes), colors-probably 2 loads, lights-probably 2 loads, scrubs...

5. Clean desk & living room- here are the before pictures. This room is the first room that we walk into from the garage. So it becomes a dropping ground for everything that comes from the vehicles. As well as the laundry room is adjacent to the room as well-laundry comes out of the dryer and piles on the couch until it gets folded. (Nurturing Family) See AFTER pictures BELOW!!!

6. I would like to get my car claned out today & washed. That is if I have enough energy today to get everything done BEFORE this evenings activities!

7. Read first four chapters of Sister Chicks for Book Club. I'm a multi-tasking woman! I read the four chapters while walking on the treadmill this morning!

In addition to the above tackles-we have evening activities-Dance & Soccer. While I'm at the grocery store, I am going to purchase lunch meat, veggies & fruit to pack to take so we can eat our dinner at the soccer fields/dance studio.

Check out some other tackles at 5 Minutes for Moms. Also, scroll down/or use link to sign my virtual guest book!

All done except for the car clean out! Maybe tomorrow....along with taming the chords under my desk...both sound fun! Yuck!

AFTER Pictures:

Menu Monday-Week of 6.25.2007

I just love this new banner-it goes very well with my color scheme on my blog!

Monday: Pot Roast

Tuesday: (dance & soccer)-Sandwiches, Chips & Fresh Fruit & Veggies-will pack & take to each activity.

Wednesday: (dance & baseball)-Creamy Burrito Casserole

Thursday: (dance)-Orange Teriyaki Chicken & Rice, Salad & Bread

Friday: Grill steaks, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans & Salad

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: Corned Beef

What are you having this week? Join Laura @ I'm An Organized Junkie and share your menus for the week!

Sidewalk Chalk Picture

Yesterday, we celebrated SJH's birthday at the park. I had taken sidewalk chalk & given mini sidewalk chalk as part of the goodie bags. Here is a picture of the items in the goodie bags. Cute, aren't they? I purchased the birthday favors from Birthday in a Box-Party called Daisy Smiles, check them out! Their party themes are adorable!

We had a simple birthday party at the park, they play some on the swings & slides, & played with the sidewalk chalk. I grilled hamburgers & hot dogs. SJH opened her presents, shared her blended markers set with her party guest & we had cupcakes and strawberry shortcake! Very relaxing & enjoyable party!

Last night the girls opened up their goodie bags and created some drawings on the front sidewalk. They were really proud of their sidewalk drawings! The drawing is two people, labeled Sean & Misti and going down the stairs are hearts and it says: Sean loves Misti Loves Sean.

I guess the PDA is noticeable! My girls are writing on the sidewalk about how much we love each other!

Total Mom Makeover-Week One, Day Two Journal

Checking Your Vision-

Today's chapter was on creating a vision for your life.

What is a vision? There are very distorted ideas of what a vision really is. Is is a daydream? a fantasy? Having a real vision is a powerful tool that can help create the reality you desire.

What is my vision? How do you come up with a clear vision? I see what I would like my spiritual life, my relationship with my husband and children should be and what my home would look like but wonderful if it's realistic! Can I achieve that vision? Of courser I can-I must first visualize the future and begin making adjustments in my life to fit that vision. The clearer that I make my vision, the easier it will be to make it a reality. Hannah Keeley says make it tangible by visualizing with all of your senses. "See it and feel it with such clarity and conviction that you make it your new reality. You mind truly can not tell the difference between what you clearly imagine & what you actually do. What we imagine, we become."

Keeley suggest that I take a moment every day & focus on the clear & tangible vision of the woman I am becoming. -Walk like her, talk like her, speak to your children like her, love your husband like her-she is the new you.

My Vision is:

"I am full of energy. I love the Lord and enjoy daily time reading his word. I eat healthy food that will nourish my body and exercise daily. I flirt with my husband. I nurture my children. I keep an organized and clean home. I enjoy volunteering my time to help out at school, dance & soccer. I am peaceful & serene and live life to the fullest each and everyday."

Unconscious Mutterings

I say: You Think....

1. Compulsion :: Habits



2. Spiritual :: Life



3. Spray :: Hair



4. Compatibility :: Test



5. Pursuit :: Trivial



6. Fake :: it



7. Mobile :: Phone



8. Ceremony :: Wedding



9. Ribbons :: Bows



10. Mozart :: Piano

Want to play along?

Total Mom Makeover-Week One-The Starter Mom

I purchased a book by Hannah Keeley called "Total Mom Makeover:The Six-Week Plan to Completely Transform Your Home, Health, Family, and Life" a couple of months ago. I decided to spend my summer working through the book. The Introduction had me hooked:

"I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror as I walked by with a basket full of laundry fresh out of the dryer. My hair was pulled back in the same scrunchie that I had worn to bed. My face, pale & washed out, had not seen a dab of makeup since last Sunday, and the drab gray sweatshirt that I wore only accentuated the fact that I still had twenty-five pounds to lose. But who has time to shower and dress when you have a house to clean and three kids to look after? And even if I did have time, what was the point?"

WOW, could I relate! I feel that way most days with four children, volunteer activities, a part-time job, etc. etc. What was the point? However, I am worth the effort!

So, now I'm on a Total Mom journey....what is a Total Mom? Keeley describes a total mom as "a woman who is changing the face of homemaking and motherhood. Caring for her home & family is not something she does on the side. It is a priority for her, and she loves what she does. She is smart, energetic, powerful, confident, balanced, and sexy. She doesn't sit around and wait for things to happen. She makes things happen!"

Each week is broken down into a Total Mom Needs Pyramid. Each day, I will read out of the book, do some exercises in a journal, and put what I have learned into practice.

Here is a breakdown of what I can expect to accomplish each week:

Week One: The Starter Mom-tear down that faulty pyramid, acquire tools to construct a better life, learn how to develop a vision, make every motion & moment count, how to speak my way to success & develop a winning attitude.

Week Two: The Basic Mom-begin meeting basic needs & build foundation for growth. Learn how to eliminate toxins from my diet, clutter from my home & (this might change my website rating form G to something else!) boredom from my sex life. As well as develop my own inner fashionista and learn key strategies to increase my energy level! Week 2 will be exciting!

Week Three: The Secure Mom-free myself from the fear & uncertainty that tomorrow holds and establish a sense of security in my life. Plug up the leaks in my wallet and work exercise into my daily routine. And develop methods to manage my temper as well as my housekeeping responsibilities.

Week Four: The Nurtured Mom-work on love & relationship needs. Be nurtured not only through relationships with friends and family but through my relationship with myself. Make mealtime special & create a nurturing home. Develop key strategies to make my marriage work.

Week Five: The Confident Mom-will focus on meeting need for personal esteem & competence in all areas of my life. Learn to trust my inner voice & pursue my destiny. Develop muscles in my body and organization throughout my home. Learn beauty secrets that will boost my confidence as well as appearance.

Week Six: The Total Mom-Move on to living the Total Mom life. Fine-tune those attitude skills & experience life to the fullest. Love to meet your children's' basic needs as well as my own personal need for solitude. Develop techniques to help keep up with the life that I created.

Should be an exciting journey. I hope to share my journal with you on my blog & share insights to my discoveries!

Rated.....G

What's your blog rated? Check out this website for your rating!

Friday's Feast-6.22.07

It's been awhile sent I have done a Friday's Feast...

Appetizer:

Name a funny habit you have.

I have a lot of habits, none that I find funny.

Soup:

If you could instantly know how to play a musical instrument, which one would you pick?

The violin. My grandfather played the violin-fiddle-and I just loved to hear him play & loved the music that it produced.

Salad:

How long is your hair?

I wear my hair short! Very short. Right now it's a little longer than I usually wear it.

Main Course:

When was the last time you forgave someone, and who was it?

I'm not good at forgiveness. It's one that that I pray about all of the time. The ability to forgive. I hold grudges.

Dessert:

What is your favorite kitchen appliance?

My favorite kitchen applicance is...let's see, I have sooo many appliances! My favorite would be a KitchenAid Mixer...don't have one but want one really bad! I love my Cruisinart Coffee Maker (has a grinder built in), my food processor... I love cooking and need to have all of the latest and greatest gadgets!

Imperfections

I received this in a email the other day from a friend. I think it's a great reminder..


"An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing homeonly one and a half pots of water. Of course , the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream "I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."

The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?" "That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them." "For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

Have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!"

Happy Birthday Sydney Janelle!

Thursday Thirteen #12 (13 Ways To Honor My Husband)

I am participating in the Honor Your Husband 30-Day Challenge-so I thought it would be fitting to incorporate ways to honor him into my Thursday Thirteen and come up with 13 Ways to Honor/Show My Husband, Sean, how much I love him over the next 30 days. Our wedding anniversary is July 20th so all of this romance will lead up to a great 16 Year Anniversary!

1. Pray for him and our marriage EVERY day. Pray for him throughout the day. He travels 30 minutes each way on the Highway to and from work, pray for his safety while on the road so he can provide for his family. Pray that the Lord blesses him with wisdom, knowledge and good health each and every day.





2. Create a warm and welcoming home. By greeting him as he walks through the door with hugs and kisses. That everything is tidy and in it's place.





3. His work clothes are laundered and ready to go each and everyday.





4. Keep him healthy by buying and cooking food that is good for him & our family.





5. Maintain a budget and stay with in that budget. We are basically a one income household of six. I stay at home & work from home but our main source of income comes from Sean's job. Staying within the budget is very hard for me! Sean works really hard to provide for us & the least I can do is not add pressure to him by not staying within our means and within our budget.





6. Continue to read and educate myself on our to be a better wife and mom. There a couple of books on my book shelf (ones that I haven't read or read all the way through-this would help me with my 40-before-40 list!) that I am going to pull out and read over the next 30 days: Creative Counterpart by Linda Dillow, Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George, Love & Respect by Emerson & Sarah Eggerichs, Biblical Womanhood In The Home by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Sheet Music by Dr. Kevin Leman, We Should Do This More Often by Lorille Craker and The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian.





7. Keep his schedule updated. We are a very busy family of 6 with soccer, baseball, dance, etc., etc. Helping he stay up to date on all that is going by helping him with phone calls and emails.





8. Send him "love" letters and notes via email, leaving a note in the seat of his car, etc.





9. Make a regular date night with him. Our oldest is old enough to stay at home with the other kids without having to pay for a sitter. Dates nights don't need to cost much money. Things that I'm thinking of are...taking a walk after the kids get settled, having a glass of wine on the deck before bed to going out to dinner & a movie. We are so focused on our kids and their activities that we don't take a lot of time to nourish our relationship.





10. Provide wind-down time each evening for him. Give him some time to relax after a long day at work-the days he is able to! Most of the time we are rushing out the door to go to evening activities.





11. Tell him every day how much I love him. Some days are so busy that we don't have a chance to connect on an intimate level until 10 or 11:00 pm at night. Most of the time I'm beat & go to bed without telling him how much I love him. Make sure that the last words he hears from me each evening is "I Love You." Show him how much I want and need him each day. Everyone need to know that they are wanted and needed. I need to make sure that my husband know that I WANT and NEED him each and every day. Not a day should go by that I don't tell or show him that I love him.





12. Continue to keep the lines of communication open. Keep him up-to-date with what's happening with the children & their activities as well as home maintenance, finances etc.





13. Continue to plan our future together by taking time to talk about our dreams and wishes for the future.
    

Love is a verb. We don't or can't say it enough to our love ones. Love must not only be spoken but must also be shown. What ways to you honor or show your husband how much you love them? Leave me a comment!

Honor Your Husband Challenge

I'm joining Fruit In Season for her 30 Day Challenge In Honoring Your Husband.

Scripture calls us to bring honor to our husbands. Our challenge is to:

"Choose a few small goals for yourself each week and make sure to post them. Write them on post-its and put them on your mirror, in your car and your purse, or anywhere else you'll see them. Keep a journal for the month about successes and struggles. What is hardest for you to do? What comes easily? How is your husband responding to your efforts?"

This week my goals are:

• To think before I speak. Many times I will blurt out my thoughts and that either upsets him in some way or irritates him because he thinks I'm raising my voice at him.


• Get rid of any negative thoughts about my husband especially verbalizing them out loud to my children. For example, my oldest son is training for High School Soccer tryouts, he will need to run 3 miles in 21 minutes or under on the Katy Trail in the heat in August. Yesterday was the first day out on the trail. His hamstring has been bothering him & has shinsplints when he runs. My shinsplints hurt & I only walked it! His time was 26 minutes. I was on the cellphone with Sean & he says, "That just shows you that you are all out of shape!" Yes, I'm out of shape but I hung up the phone & said, "What a jerk! I would like to see how you fair after running/walking the trail!" Yes, in front of my boys! This doesn't give my children a good impression of their father so I will work on getting rid of negative thoughts and especially verbalizing them out loud!


• Greet him each day with a hello and a kiss when he arrives home from work!

My prayer is:

"God of renewal, everywhere your Holy Spirit breathes new life into creation. As I undertake this day to bring glory to you by honoring my husband, I ask you to be present in my marriage. Guide me to know in which things I should ask forgiveness, in which things I should change, and in which things I should ask for the grace to let go. Show me new ways to respect my husband today and open my eyes to all that you have made him to be. I trust in your goodness and in the covenant my husband and I made with you and each other on our wedding day. Through Jesus Christ I pray, Amen."

Works For Me Wednesday (Do You Have It Kit?)

Last Christmas, my husband received in his stocking his "Sean's Do You Have It? Kit". You might be asking what the heck is a do you have it kit & why would I need one?

Well, after many, many times of getting in the car & a block or two away from the house my hubby would say, "Do you have any lotion?" Sometimes I would, sometimes I don't. Or do you have chap stick? Advil? Etc? Etc?

I purchased a small black cosmetic bag & put one of every item in it that he would ask me for. Now, when he ask "Do you have....?" I pull out his kit & hand him want he needs.

Works for me! Check out more works for me at Rocks in my Dryer.

Tackle It Tuesday (Crossing it Off)

I don't have a specific project to complete for today. My major project is cleaning out & reorganizing my garage which is a month long or more project! My tackle today is a list of things that I need to do today. So my tackle will be crossing off my items off my list as I get them completed! Check back later today and see if I completed them all!

1. Make Beds.

2. Take CSH to Katy Trail to start training for HS Soccer. He will need to run 3 miles in under 21 minutes on a trail and in the heat. I'm going to use this time to walk the trail & get my exercise in for the day!

I ended up walking 2 miles while he ran! Got my exercise in for the day!

3. Pick up down stairs living room.

4. Clean out car.

5. Return some items to Target. Decided to keep the 2 items!

6. Clean off desk.

7. Couple loads of laundry.

8. Dance.

9. Baseball.

10. Soccer.

What are you tackling today?

The FlyLady Mission today in the Master Bedroom is to clean out my drawer of panties, bras & pantyhose. I did that when I cleaned out my closet and dresser. So far this week's zone has been easy!

Great Closet Cleanout is to go through shoes, did that as well. I'm going to go through the shoes in the garage instead!

Got everything done today except clean out my car!!! I also didn't get a chance to go through the shoes in the garage. I will work on that tomorrow!

Menu Monday Planning-Week of 6.18.2007

We have a rather busy week each evening with dance, soccer & baseball...

Monday: Chicken in Cream & Butter, Peas, Salad and Bread
Tuesday: (Dance, Soccer & Baseball) Pork and Pears in Crockpot, Rice & Salad
Wednesday: (Dance) Roast with Carrots & Potatoes, Salad & Bread
Thursday: (Dance, Soccer & Baseball): Sydney's Birthday Dinner at a Restaurant
Friday: Leftovers


What are you having this week?

Cleaning Zone for Week of 6.18.07-Master Bedroom

This weeks cleaning zone for Flylady is the Master Bedroom. I have been working on cleaning out the closet and dressers for the last couple of weeks. Here is where I'm at so far with my clean. Please look over the unmade bed. Sydney had crawled in bed with me this morning after Sean got up for work & I haven't been back upstairs to make the bed.

Kelly's mission for today is:

"Today I want you to spend 15 minutes under your bed!"

Well, I will clean out under my bed today but in addition to that I will box up the clothes that are piled on the hope chest at the end of my bed and clean off my dresser.

FlyLady has also started the Great Closet Clean Out Mission.I already cleaned out my closet. I installed the closet organizer in the middle and added an additional clothing rack. We use to have one on each side with 2 rows of shelves above. The top shelf wasn't reachable! Here is the final result of my closet..... So instead of doing the Great Closet Clean Out Mission....I will be doing the Great Garage Clean Out Mission and get my garage cleaned out & in order.

Check back often to see my progress!

Today I already cleaned out a corner and swept my side of the garage. I don't post any pictures because my garage is such a disaster! Sean and I have been married for 16 years and never had a garage sale to get rid of our clutter so it has piled into the garage and in the attic! Wish me luck and send me encoraging words!