Works for Me Wednesday (Remembering Milestones)

I started scrapbooks for my four children, however, after my fourth child was born, time to scrapbook disappeared! I have vowed that since she started school that 1) I am getting my house organized (it's been a year & I'm slowly getting there) and 2) that I would get my scrapbooks updated.

I have taken a slew a pictures both film & digital. I have about 30-40 rolls of film that I need to develop that I will slowly start developing over the next couple of months. And start organizing my digital pictures.

To help me remember the milestone events, I keep a notebook & write down those events so I can journal to my pictures.

It works for me! What works for you? Visit Rocks In My Dryer

Thursday Thirteen #11 (Things To-Do Before We Leave)

First, it's been a while since I have done a Thursday Thirteen....life took over & blogging wasn't figured into that life! I really like to blog about what's happening in my life that pertains to my list of 40 things that I would like to accomplish before I turn 40 and I wasn't accomplishing anything during that break in my life...except living life!



We are leaving this weekend for a soccer tournament in Memphis TN and I have loads to do before I leave....so My Thursday Thirteen will be my list of what needs to be done before tomorrow:



1. Pack my girls...they are going to Grandma's this evening after GLHs birthday party (belated!).



2. Laundry....clothes that we are taking on the trip.



3. Print map to hotel & fields.



4. Pack bags for DH, CSH, CWH and me.



5. Pack coolers with drinks, lunch meat and snacks.



6. Put dishes in dishwasher, run & unload before we leave.



7. Go to bank and make deposit.



8. Empty car out...take boxes to Goodwill.



9. Get entertainment items together....DVDs, magazines, books, etc.



10. Pack van.



11. Print schedule of games.



12. Research places to eat in Memphis.



13. Gas up.



Looking forward to a great weekend!

Monday Menu Planning-Week of 5.21.07

One thing I know is that I need to go to the grocery store & get fresh veggies, fresh fruits, milk and deli meat! My frig is rather bare & my family is letting me know!

Monday- (Soccer Practice)- Lemon, Garlic & Rosemary Chicken on the Grill
Tuesday- (Baseball Game)- Spaghetti
Wednesday- (Soccer Practice)-
Thursday- (Baseball Game)- Pizza at Shakepeare's- Gracie's Birthday Celebration
Friday- Drive Thru, we are leaving for Memphis for the weekend for a soccer tournament.

Brotherly Love...a Tribute to Uncle Bruce

Last week was a rather stressful week. I started the week off great...blogging my weekly Menu, a Tackle it Tuesday project (which by the way...I never found my USB cord for my camera but I ordered a new one & will post my pictures of my Tackle It Tuesday & my Works for Me Wednesday)....

On Thursday morning, I was abruptly woke up by my husband telling me to get up & get dressed. I asked what's going on because he was on the phone. He hung up and immediately started crying. His Uncle Bruce, had a massive bleed in his brain which caused a lot of swelling which put pressure on his brain stem & caused him to become brain dead. We were asked to come up to the hospital and say our last goodbyes.

Bruce was a very special man and will be missed so much by our family. His sister, my mother-in law wrote this poem that she read at his Celebration of Life Memorial Service.

Brotherly Love...

Hello Brother-We love you so...
"But" God saw that you were getting tired
and a cure was not to be,
So He put His arms around you
And whispered just come and live with Me.
With tearful eyes we watched you suffer
And saw you fading away
We all love you dearly
But could not make you stay
That Big Golden Heart, stopped beating
Your hard working hands were at rest
God broke out hearts to prove to us
That He only takes the best
God will love and keep you
Until we meet again
The chain is broken for now
But will link once again.

Works For Me Wednesday (Mittens & Hat Storage)

I use to have all of the mittens & hats in a wire baskets on the floor in my coat closet but searching and searching for matching gloves & hats got really old. So, I purchased an over the door shoe storage bag & sorted matching mittens, matching gloves and hats in each of the pockets. Whenever we need a hat and gloves, the matching sets are easy to find and are in reach!

I will upload a pictures as soon as I find my USB connector for my camera!

For more, Works me Me Wednesday ideas, visit Rocks In My Dryer

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Tackle It Tuesday (5-8-2007)

As many of you know, I have been in Soccer Land for the last couple of months and haven't posted for awhile. I'm happy to report that, this weekend is our last weekend of games and I'm starting to post and start working on organizing my house again! That is until the the river levels are over the levy in JC and my fields are flooded for this weekend & I have to reschedule games at another location! But I'm not going to worry about that until Thursday! So for today, my tackel it Tuesday plans are:

1. Clean off my desk. Didn't find my USB connector....not sure where it is now! I'm hoping that I didn't leave it at a hotel room.

2. Clean the down stairs family room.

I will post pictures after I clean off my desk & locate my USB connector for my camera!

Monday Menu Planning-Week of 5.7.07

It's been awhile since I have posted my menu planning for the week, it really helps me stay focus and not go out to eat when I have a plan that fits with our schedule for the week. Not to mention that the Freezer Chicks exchanged freezer meals last week & I have a freezer full of food!

Monday: (Track meet, Board Meeting & Soccer Practice): Lemon/Garlic/Rosemary Chicken-Grilled

Tuesday: Leftovers-Spaghetti Pie, Pizza, Savory Breakfast Casserole, Meatloaf, Hamburgers

Wednesday: Pork Tenderloin with Pears in Crockpot

Thursday: Orange Teriyaki Chicken with steamed rice

Friday: Honey Pork Chops

What are you having this week?

I'm Back From Soccer Land!

I'm back from soccer land! For the last couple of months, I have been immersed in soccer schedules, referees schedules, posting standings, referee payroll, and dealing with rainouts! I still have soccer work to do this week but next weekend is our last weekend of playing! All make-up schedules are complete & I have one weekend of referee schedules to complete! This week is going to be a catch up week around my house & I'm going to enjoy posting my progress!

What am I going to do this week you ask?

1. Laundry folded & put away....it needs to be moved from my love seat in the family room. It looks like the laundry fairy came by, washed my clothes but throw them on my sofa!
2. Clean out my car. Since dance competitions started, I haven't deep cleaned my car & it's looking pretty trashy-no pun intended!
3. Vacuum.
4. Dust.
5. Clean the bathroom.
6. Mop the kitchen floor.
7. Clean off my desk.
8. Pick up Gracie's bedroom & wash her sheets.
9. Pick up Sydney's bedroom & wash her sheets.
10. Wash the boys sheets & pick up their bedroom.

That's just the day to day housework that has fallen behind. I have several projects that need to be completed or started:

1. Clean out and reorganize my closet.
2. Clean out and organize bathroom closet.
3. Reorganize under the kitchen sink.
4. Start working on garage.
5. Clean out and organize linen closet.
6. Go through winter clothes-store them away or get rid of them.
7. Clean off back patio.

I have a lot of work to do....so here goes!

Tackle It Tuesday

Boy do I have Spring Cleaning Fever! I'm marking off items on my Spring Break Cleaning list! Yeah for me!

Today, my tackle is to finish cleaning my house.

1. Make Gracie's Bed....spruce up her room.

2. Make Sydney's Bed...clean her room.

3. Wash Connor & Collin's sheet...make their beds...clean their room (with their help!)

4. Wash cushions on chairs in kitchen.

5. Wash shower curtain & liner.

6. Have boys transfer "my documents" from the computer in their room to a disk or stick so I can schedule an appointment to have the computer looked at. It was hit by lightning last August & I need to make a claim on it soon, if I want my insurance to replace the computer!

This should keep me busy all day!

I will upload pictures after I get everything accomplished!

Monday Menu Planning Week of 3-26-2007

We are on Spring Break this week and I'm doing Spring Cleaning! Here is what I'm planning on serving for dinner this week:

Monday: Butter & Cream Chicken

Tuesday: Meatloaf

Wednesday: BLTs and Tomato Soup

Thursday: Brisket

Friday: Steaks on the Grill

Spring Break Catch Up!

Wow...Spring Break is here & I'm really feeling the need to get things caught up from a month & a half of doing nothing! After my wreck, I haven't felt like getting my house in order because I haven't felt good between my headaches, my shoulder & work, I have put off getting my organizational project completed!

I have already tackled a project....cleaned out & organized under my bathroom sink. I installed an organizer that pulls out to keep toilet paper and cleaning supplies in....it looks really great!

I have a lot of project & things that I want to get done this week:

1. Clean out bathroom closet.
2. Change sheets & wash linens on all beds. Sean & mine, Connor, Collin, Gracie & Sydney
3. Laundry caught up & put away.
4. Dust entire house-Family Room, Living Room, Master Bedroom, Boys Room, Gracie's room & Sydney's room.
5. Mop kitchen floor.
6. Mop bathroom floor.
7. Run sweeper in each room....run it across the base boards. Master Bedroom
8. Clean rug in LR.
9. Clean out medicine cabinet.
10. Clean off shelf in bathroom.
11. Mom & Dad's taxes.
12. Organize Mindi's pantry while she is at the lake.

That's a start for the week. I'm sure that I will be able to add to the list if I get everything finished.

Wish me luck!

Friday's Feast (3.9.07)

I am posting my feast today because it requires me to think a little and write about something other than my to-do list or shall I say my list of excuses for not getting my house clean and in order!

Appetizer:

What is your usual bedtime? Do you like that, or would you rather is be different?

I try to get in bed between 9:00 and 9:30 each evening...I don't go to sleep at that time. I use this time to watch any of my shows that I have DVRed. I usually am asleep by 10:15-10:30 each evening. I like it because I get enough sleep to function to my full each day. I rarely say, I'm tired, unless I didn't sleep well the night before.

Soup:

When it comes to advice, do you give more or receive more?

It depends on the situation...if it's something that I have had experience in....I tend to give advice.

I'm not a good receiver of advice. Unless I have asked for someones advice! I don't care for someone to just freely give me advice!

So I guess I'm more of a giver?!

Salad:

Describe a memorable meal you've had.

Several years ago, I go to go with my husband to a business meeting dinner in Chicago at the restaurant True...it was quite an experience and one that I will never forgot. We had the chef's dinner, which was a 7 course meal complete with caviar, stinky cheese and interesting foods! We drank $400 bottles of wine, I believe we had 2 or 3 bottles that evening. The chef's dinner was $150 per plate. The caviar came out on a glass staircase and there were 6 different types of caviar, going from the least to the most expensive! It was "True"ly a memorable meal.

A couple months ago, the chefs challenged Bobby Flay on Iron Chef! It was really cool to get to say...I've eaten there before! Most chefs that are featured on Iron Chef, I won't have the privilege of eating at!

Main Course:
Name a work of fiction that affected the way you think about something.

A piece of fiction that affected the way I think about something??? When I read fiction, I tend to read pieces for enjoyment more not classical fiction or fiction with deep thought. More romances and mysteries are what I tend to read. However, in high school we read 1984...it was very thought provoking and something that I think about time to time.

Dessert:

What is your favorite type of fruit juice?

That's easy....I love tomato juice. I just did my click and pull order this morning with Sam's and I put that on my order! It's something I don't normally buy but I'm trying to add more healthy drinks and food to my diet because my triglycerides came back really, really high from my yearly check-up. I need to cut out sugars and starches from my diet and limit my intake of red meats. So I decided to get me some tomato juice and drink a couple glasses (cans) a day instead of my typical 6-pack of Diet Dr Pepper!

I also like orange and pineapple juice. I like the mixed juice of strawberry, peach and banana, too!

Thursday Thirteen #10 (Reasons My Laundry Isn't Done!)

13 Reasons My Laundry Isn't Done!

I actually have maybe 3 or 4 more loads to wash, the washed laundry is piled up on my love seat in front of my laundry room! The pile of laundry comes to my chin! Why is it not folded? Well, first my husband started the laundry and most of the time he pulls it out and lays in on the sofa. Second, I just really haven't felt like doing it! No, really, here is what I have been doing this week:

1. Still working on soccer schedules...making changes due to coaching conflicts or other conflicts that have come up with teams.
2. Referee clinic-sending out confirmation emails, inputting the registration form in the database.
3. Sending out emails to Referee regarding re-certification in-service requirement & paperwork that needs to be mailed in.
4. Referee Availability for the upcoming Spring season. Printing them off as the come across my email & fax machine. Checking to see if they are re-certified and placing them in my notebook.
5. Sent out email notice about CMSL's Spring AGM-working on agenda and creditentials for votes.
6. Discussing State Cup Eligibility with teams and MYSA Board.
7. Recital-the Wall of Names and the Costume List/Line up.
8. Hotels for final 2 dance competitions.
9. Entering MYSA Membership information into e-reg, printing player cards and rosters.
10. Reserved fields for CMSL games.
11. Started working on Referee Schedules.
12. Worked on a possible for schedule for the U10 Girls Rec Schedule to even out the number of 8:00 am games between games and double headers.
13. Signing guest player forms and travel permits for teams playing in tournaments this upcoming weekend.

Whew...no wonder I haven't gotten my laundry folded...at least they are clean!

Friday's Feast 3.2.2007

Feast One Hundred & Thirty Three

Appetizer:
What does the color pink make you think of?

The color pink makes me think of ballet shoes, tutus and sweet little girls! It also reminds me of my daughter Gracie because it is her signature color...with four children, each child is assigned a color and everything that I need to identify is in that color. For example, her backpack is pink, her walkman bag is pink, her GameBoy is pink, the color I write down her activities in my calendar is pink...Connor is green, Collin is blue and Sydney is green.

Soup:
Name something you thought you had lost, but later found.

I really can't think of anything lately that I thought I had lost but later found. I did a couple of summers ago, when I had started cleaning out our attic found a box that had a jewelry case that had some jewelry that I thought I had lost! It was a great find!

Salad:
In 3 words, describe this past week.

Sick. Soccer. Sleep.

I was sick all week, working on soccer schedules but really wanted to sleep!

Main Course:
What are you obsessed with?

With cleaning and organizing my home. The last couple of weeks I haven't been able to work on anything because of my car accidents, soccer schedules and being sick. Plus being depressed because it has been so cold around here and having snow on the ground for about 2-3 weeks put a damper on my mood to get things cleaned and organized. The snow has melted and the sun has been out which is starting to lift my spirits. I have my soccer schedules done...so look out....I'm ready to start cleaning and organizing again!

Dessert:
What kind of perfume or cologne do you like to wear?

My favorite cologne is Beautiful. It's what I wore when I got married. I also like Red Door....it reminds me of my honeymoon.

Thursday Thirteen #9 (I'm Back...Things Sean Did for Me This Week!)

I'm back after two weeks of non-blogging! I'm hoping to post daily like I once was, I really enjoy blogging and posting my tackles and thoughts. A couple of weeks ago I was involved in two car accidents and I have been trying to recover from the whip lash injuries from the accident. Last Wednesday I was hit with a tremendous migraine headache that didn't let up until Saturday. On Sunday morning, I woke up with a terrible cold and flu bug. Today was the first day that I left my house since Sunday evening! I am back in the land of the living and I hope to get my house back in order and my spirits up! My hubby has been very busy picking up the slack since I have been sick so my.....

13 things that Sean Did for Me This Week....

1. Took off early the last three days to pick up the kids from school.

2. Took the girls to Dance and pick them up (M, T & W)

3. Picked up Connor from track after school (every day this week so far)

4. Took Connor to soccer practice/picked up (M & W)

5. Took Connor to get track shoes.

6. Took Collin to basketball practice/ran basketball practice.

7. Took Connor to basketball practice.

8. Went to the store & picked up medicine for me.

9. Cooked dinner on Monday and Tuesday.

10. Put dishes away.

11. Took Connor to get new soccer shoes for this weekend.

12. Helped manage the kids so I could get some rest.

13. Most important...he gave me time to get better.

Thank you, Sean! I love you.

Thursday Thirteen #8 (What I'm Not Going to Do Today)

My Thirteen Edition for Today is to list the 13 Things That I am Not Going to Do Today....Why, I'm I not going to do these things? Well, yesterday morning I was involved in 2 separate car accidents. Let me explain...I hit a patch of ice and got my vehicle under control and stopped to turn into the grocery store, the vehicle behind me wasn't able to get her vehicle stopped because of the ice before hitting me. We call 911, a wrecker stopped and said that he would block the traffic with his tow truck to avoid any more altercations. Well, 15 minutes after the first accident, a vehicle didn't yield to the two trock and drove around the truck, hit the ice and rear ended me. I was in the vehicle on the passenger's side getting my insurance card etc ready for the police officer to arrive. I didn't have my seat belt on or sitting in a position to brace myself. I went to the hospital last night because I had a terrible headache and my neck and shoulder was hurting. I have whip lash and I'm really sore this morning. So the 13 things that I'm not going to get done today are:

1. Bible Study

2. Take snacks to the sitters at Bible Study.

3. Lunch with my friends after Bible Study.

4. Laundry-whites.

5. Laundry-Darks.

6. Schedules for Spring soccer...I was planning on working on four brackets..U13 Girls.

7. U11 Boys.

8. U13 Boys.

9. U11/12 Girls.

10. Referees schedule for Futsal for this weekend.

11. Dinner prepared for this evening.

12. Change sheets on beds.

13. Get recitals packets copied.

Check out other TTs participants..

Tackle it Tuesdays #6 (Goal Setting)

One month in the new year has come and gone and I'm not any closer to getting my goals for the New Year in my routine. This week's Tackle it Tuesday is getting my goals and routines on paper and to start implementing them this month.

Here are the areas/routines that I would like to establish and accomplish this year:

1. Spiritual

2. Physical

3. Daily Routines for Work

4. Daily Routines for my Home

The first area, which I feel it the most important is setting goals and routines for my Spiritual Life and Well-Being. I think this is key to making sure that all of my other goals will be meet.

1. Have a small devotion and prayer each morning. I have several devotionals to choose from. I think I will start with "God Calling" Edited by A.J. Russell. Here is what the inside cover says about the book "Here is a devotional that will bring the reality of God and His constant concern for you into your heart every day of the year. Whatever your circumstances, God Calling cannot fail to bring you closer to God. It will help you overcome your daily worries and draw you ever closer to the peace you're seeking."

2. I am involved in 2 Bible Studies this Spring semester, they are Pathway to Purpose for Women: Connecting Your To-Do List, Your Passions, and God's Purposes for Your Life by Katherine Brazeltonand 12 Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur. Each study doesn't involve intense study like a Beth Moore study would but each needs attention. So each day I need to devote time to reading and doing the homework in each class. My plan for this semester is to alternate each day for reading and studying each book.


The Second Area is Physical, I would like to lose the extra weight that I have gained. Here are some concrete goals (establishing and carrying them out will be another story):

1. Start drinking water each day (as I take a drink of my Dt Dr Pepper!). I don't particularly enjoy drinking water. Most of you know that I'm a die hard Diet Dr Pepper fan and drink 6 to 7 cans a day. So weaning my system into drinking more water will require more effort on my part (and a miracle....I think that I will add this to my morning prayer to God....please encourage and remind me to drink water instead of soda each day!) I know this is key to achieving the over all goal...losing 50-74 pounds.

2. Start working out at least 3-4 times a week. My kiddos get on the bus by 7:45 am each morning, I can be at the gym each day by 8:00 am and get a good hour work-out in before tackling my day. So...here is my plan for the week:

Monday-Work out 8:00-9:00 am
Tuesday-Work out 8:00-9:00 am
Wednesday-Work out 8:00-9:00 am. Weight Watchers meeting at 9:30 am.
Thursday- Work out after Bible Study/Lunch at home or at gym (depending on my mood)
Friday-Work out 8:00-9:00 am.

3. Start counting my points each day with Weight Watchers. I am allowed 26 points per day plus an additional 35 points for the week. I can add those 35 points equally to each day or save them for a special treat during the week, like a dessert, dinner out etc!

The third area, I need to tackle is establishing specific routines for work. I run a competitive soccer league and there are times when I don't have as much work to do and times where I can't seem to get anything done but work and I really don't to be working at midnight! I think establishing specific routines each day or setting a time line will help those weeks not seem so overwhelming.

Here is what needs to be accomplished for the month of February for work:
1. Brackets set and email out to teams. Need to complete by Friday.
2. Email referees regarding the remaining Futsal schedule. Get schedule set by Wednesday.
3. Email coaches and managers regarding the CMSL Referee Clinic. Need to complete by Wednesday.
4. Set up email group list for Spring 2007 season. Run a test email. Need to complete by Friday.
5. Email referees regarding the Spring season. Need to complete by end of next week.
6. Get black-out dates on spread sheet. Complete by 2/13/07.
7. Spreadsheet to Mick, all registered teams and amount due. Complete by 2/9/07.
8. Referee and Futsal pages sent to webmaster. Complete by 2/15/07.
9. Start working on schedule. Complete by 2/23/07.
10. Schedule coaches meeting and AGM. Complete by 2/12/07.


The last area is establishing daily routines for getting my house in order and de-cluttered. This, I believe, is also key into having a happy and healthy home for my family. I get emails each day from the FlyLady and haven't looked at them much during the last couple of weeks and my house looks like it! I like how she divides your home into zones and each week she tackles that zone. For the month of February, however, I'm going to make a general To-Bo list of everything that needs to be done and tackle it over the month of Feb and starting in March after I have put out all of my Hot Zones I can start the weekly zones and work on keeping my house clean!

Here is what I need to get done this month:
1. Catch up on laundry and put laundry away! Not just set it in each room.
2. Run sweeper in each room.
3. Mop kitchen and bathroom floors.
4. Dust.
5. Organize my closet.
6. Pick up LR and FR and return items to appropriate rooms.

This list doesn't look like much but with my work schedule, it's a doable plan for this month.



Okay....now that I tackled my goals for the month of February, you will need to check back and see if I'm getting them accomplished! Check out other Tackle-it-Tuesday participants at 5 Minutes for Moms! Have a good week!

Menu Planning Monday (Week of 2.5.2007)

Well-I'm back to my daily blogging! So I'm starting with my weekly Menu for the week of February 5th.

Monday (Dance & Basketball)-Farmer's Casserole and Salad

Tuesday (Dance & Basketball)- Cranberry Chicken, Rice and Salad

Wednesday (Dance)-Philly Steak and Cheese Sandwiches & Salad

Thursday-Honey Pecan Chicken, Green Beans, Cresent Rolls & Salad

Friday-Pizza and Salad

Saturday (Baton Contest, Soccer, Basketball & Church)- Leftovers

Sunday (Soccer)-Italian Soup and Sandwiches

I like having a plan for each week...it's keeps me from wondering what I'm going to make. I transfered my list to my desk planner so when I start the morning, I can check and see if I need to set anything out or not. I do need to set out the Farmer's Casserole-this meal is from my Once a Month Cooking Co-op. I anxious to try it because it was one of the meals that I made for this past month!

Check out what other bloggers are eating this month at I'm an Organizing Junkie's Site

Slacker off Duty! Dreaming of Spring...

Greetings fellow bloggers!

I have taken a little break (not by choice) in blogging and haven't blogged in a week and a half except to blog on Thursday why I haven't been blogging!

Blogging keeps me accountable for getting things done around my house, with my job, etc. I really enjoy the Tackle it Tuesdays, the Works For Me Wednesdays and the Thursday Thirteens. I am able to get many things accomplished because I blog about them and show my before and after pictures. I love crossing things off my to do list on my blog because not only am I seeing my progress but my blogging friends are too and you are encouraging me along the way!

It's a new month and I am still working on my goals for the New Year. I made very little progress during the month of January, it might be because of the ice storm, snow and the freezing cold weather that depresses me and I'm just not motivated to get going on those goals. So.....with one month of winter behind us....one month closer to spring....I need to get a move on my goals and to do list. What are they you ask? I'm glad you asked....my accountability blogging friends....I'm going to start the first full week of February with what I need to get done this week....

1. Workout.
2. Clean off desk.
3. Menu plan for this week. Post on Monday.
4. Get Recital packet information from Sherry....get packets out this week!!!
5. Get caught up on laundry. Put laundry away.
6. Straight each room in the house.
7. Work on brackets for CMSL.
8. Read first 2 chapters by Tuesday for Bible Study. (Tuesday's Bible Study)
9. Read for Thursday's Bible Study.
10. Mop floor in kitchen.
11. Mop floor in bathroom.
12. Run sweeper through out house.
13. Clean out car....unload car from dance competition.
14. Hotel information ready for Booster meeting on Tuesday evening.
15. Check on iPod status for the girls' shuffles.
16. Meet with Mindi.

Well...this should give me a good start. Check back to see if I get everything crossed off this week!