The Simple Woman's Daybook - March 30

For today:

Outside my window: Blue skies, sunshine and cold. But, I can live with the cold because there are blue skies and sunshine. Also, outside my window is my backyard because I'm at home today!!!!

I am thinking: That I really need to clean my room.

I am thankful for: A job that is flexible. Aunt Roni is sick today so I need to stay home and I love that I'm able to do that.

From the kitchen: A new meal plan. I planned out meals for the next two weeks, went to the store and bought every item needed. I hope this helps to keep us in our budget and not have us eating out. On the menu, spaghetti, chicken enchiladas, tacos, pizza (homemade), appetizers and more.

I am wearing: Yoga pants and a t-shirt...aaahhh, off days!

I am reading: Continuing with my Bible studies. My Crown study is going really well and making me really think about my spending.

I am hoping: To be more obedient with spending this week. Baby steps...

I am creating: I hope to work on and finish Caleb's life verse this week or next. I have some plans in my head but I need to write them down and get the materials that I need...sounds like a trip to the scrapbook store is in order!!!!

I am hearing: Doors opening and closing, Caleb's new discovery!

Around the house: Like I said I need to clean my room and I want to organize my utensil drawer using the new organizers I got at Target this morning.

One of my favorite things: Being at home with my kiddies.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Clean my room, go walking with Mommy, cook every meal on meal plan and continue cleaning out the yard.

Here is a picture thought I'm sharing with you: Trying to keep up with this guy:

He's not as innocent as he looks!

Share your thoughts!

I Just Can't Live Without You!

It's Monday and time for me to make some friends. Kasey has a really good activity this week for Friend Makin' Monday. We are to name 10 things that we can't live without and why. This was fun and didn't take me long at all!

The Bible: I can't live without it because it has all of God's instructions for me. It helps me through good times, bad times, and uncertain times. It's a great read...you should check it out.

My Family: These 3 people are my world (included in the picture is Mila too!). I can't imagine living without them. They make me laugh, want to be a better wife and mother, and complete me.

My Friends: This group of people (plus a few I don't have pictures of) are women I can go to if I need something or just need to vent. I can be myself with all of them, have fun times and trust them.

Lyndsey

Marja and Melanie

Tara, Lynise, Tanysha, Shonda

Sara, Jodie, Tonya, Katie

My computer: This was the last thing I thought of, but I don't know what I'd do without it. I can Google anything and find what I need, it connects me to my blog, I love email...so many things I love about my computer.

Sunshine: It just makes me happy. Even if it's cold outside, like it is today, I love looking up at the blue skies and sunshine.

Tennis shoes: I could wear them everyday if I could. They are comfortable, plain and simple.

Coke: This is very much my drink of choice. I have to have one at least once a day. Sweet tea is a close second, but nothing compare to an ice cold can of Coke.

Notebooks: I love notebooks, I have way too many. But they keep me organized...I journal in them, make lists in them, plan out things I need to do in them. I have one almost at all times.

Target: Does this really need an explanation...this store has everything! I try and run in for something quick and that never works. Today I found a perfect organization system for my utensil drawer!

Pizza: This is my all time favorite food. It's my comfort food for watching a good movie, on a Friday night after a long week, or for family fun nights. Another comfort for me.

My Odyssey: This is my dream car...it rides well, the kids love to get in and out and have the ability to open and close their own doors, there's tons of room. It's a great travel car too, we took it to Florida last year.

An Invitation

Usually on Saturday mornings Jamison wakes up before any of us. She'll either come in our room and watch TV or, like this morning, she'll play in her room for a bit.

Well this morning she woke me to up to tell me that she was coloring and making invitations. I asked her what the invitations were for and she told me they were for her tea party. She said that Allison, Hannah (her friends from school) and Caden and Carissa (our neighbors) were invited.

I asked her to show me her invitation...isn't it cute?

You'll see our house, Allison, Caden, Jamison, Caden's sister Carissa, Hannah, and the purple radio playing Alica Keys (see the music notes?)

This one is for Allison. It says "Come to my house for tea and dancing with me by Jamison."

I just love that girl's creativity!

I've Been Thinking...

...about me, about life, about who I am. I know this sounds deep, but I'm really just trying to get some thoughts together in my head and figure out a few things.

I've been reading a few blogs lately (hi Heidi, hi Kasey!) where the person is talking about being overwhelmed with blogging and taking a break. Not that they don't enjoy blogging, but it needs to be less of a priority for them right now (I admire that about them!) It made me take a look at my blog and seeing if it interferes with my balance. I had to think to myself if I blog (is the even a verb?) too much, if I read blogs too much, is blogging affecting my daily life and interfering with family time.

I've concluded that blogging, for me, is very much an encouraging tool for me. It helps me to gather my thoughts, really pay attention to the little things about my kids and document those moments, get the push that I need to do the crafty and organizing things that I want to do...things that make me happy.

For example, I made this list a while back (which I saw by reading another blog, hi Betsy!) and as I was reading over it today I remembered things I wanted to do because they were documented. Now I'm encouraged to really get some of those things done: meal planning, having date nights with each kid, getting back into scrapbooking...

Also I was recently reading this post by my blog friend Meredith and again stepped back to evaluate how purposeful I'm being with my family. She has a great idea, one that you should check out. This is an area that could be improved...spending less time in front of the TV and more time doing family activities.

Now, I will say that I have time during the day to read and update and I have a nice amount of time after the kids to go bed (when Rondell is at work). I think this is why, for me, blogging seems to be that extra added thing and not an inhibitor because I have a lot of time on my hands.

I also have to cut down the number of blogs I read from time to time. Sometimes I feel like "Kelli, you don't have to read EVERY blog that's out there" and so I'll delete it from my blog or favorites, not because I don't like the blog but because I need to not let it overwhelm me.

I hope that we all can take a step back and evaluate ourselves and what we want to be doing; I think that's a strong trait to have. I have very much enjoyed it, especially today while re-reading my list (mentioned above). While I'll miss my blog friends that are stepping back, I admire them and give them a virtual high five for realizing what their priorities are and not what others say they should be.

For me, for now, I'll be here, being encouraged, getting ideas, connecting with some amazing people and hopefully bringing a little sunshine into your lives!

Must Read

So, today I was reading my new blog friend Kelli's blog (Kelli B...there's another fun Kelli out there!) and she talked about this blog. Oh my! I have wanted to learn how to do new bloggy things for quite sometime now and this site offers great tools to do just that. If you want to learn new stuff too you have to check out this site.

So, if you see some changes around here, don't worry...I'm just learning new tricks!

Works for Me Wednesday

Have I ever told you that I'm a planner? I am and proud of it. It's not that I can't live on the unplanned "wild" side but I don't like to if I can help it. I prefer to have things in order and planned out so that things are there when I need them.

This helpful planning tool came to me after we drove to Florida last year (sniff, because we're not going this year). I made a car kit with handy things for the kids so that we could have quick access and not have to search through bags. Well, I realized that it would be a great thing to have all of the time, so the container is still there and I replace things as needed.

Here's my kids' car kit:

Here's what's inside:

I keep wipes (I swear I will use these until my kids go to college), diapers, Clorox wipes, snacks (I'm a little low), and some toys. I also have:

A first-aid kit

This way if we forget the diaper bag, we're OK...if a child gets hurt on the playground, we're covered...and if the restaurant doesn't have coloring books (some don't believe it or not), then we have something to keep the kids occupied.

This has really worked for me! What's in your car kit? If you want to see more things that work go here.

I'm Touched, Really!

Today I received another award from my blog friend Sarah, at I Blame My Mother. I love going to her blog because she has great recipes, fun activites and she even sponsers Kid Friendly Friday where she has great crafts and has others share theirs too! You should stop by and check her out.


Here are the rules:

List 7 things that you love and then pass the award on to 7 people...tagging them and letting them know they won!

You can copy the picture of the award and put it on your sideboard letting the whole wide world know you are KREATIV!

Seven Things I Love:

1.Family

2.Yellow (it's such a...say it with me...happy color)

3.Destin, Florida

4.Notebooks

5.Reading

6.Organizing

7.Target

Seven blogs that impress me with their creativity:

Ruby Red Slippers

This Southern Girl's Nest

We4Bates

Easy at Home

Tatertots and Jello

My 3 Little Schwadlings

Katie's Nesting Spot

For Me?

My blog friend Laurel gave me this award. I'm so honored to receive this, really. I love blogging, it's a great outlet for me, and to connect with others is a great plus. Thanks Laurel!

Now I can pass along the love:

Brittany at Mommee & Her Boys

Jodie at My 3 Little Schwadlings

Laura at Blogging in the Ohio 12th

The Simple Woman's Daybook - March 23, 2009

For today...

Outside my window...clear skies. This morning as I was leaving I was just in awe of the stars in the sky and how amazing God is.

I am thinking...about this week's To Do list...it includes cleaning out Caleb's room and packing away winter clothes.

I am thankful for...go here...there's an entire list of things.

From the kitchen...We are having food on the grill tomorrow night and I can't wait. It's the true sign of the start of the season.

I am wearing...my new earrings! I haven't worn earrings in a long time and I've wanted some really cute ones for a while, so while I was out this weekend I saw some and my mom bought them for me.

I am reading...like last week, still in the Bible. I did see a James Patterson book over the weekend that I wanted to pick up but I'll wait until these studies are over. Oh, and I do have a new Real Simple waiting for me at home.

I am hoping...to beat Rondell in our March Madness competition!

I am creating...I'm going to start working on the verse to hang in Caleb's room.

Around the house...Messy! We were outside most of the weekend so chores went out the window. I'm finding that I get most chores done during the week.

One of my favorite things...Running errands with my mom. Since the kids were with Ron's mom on Saturday, my mom and I were able to get out and run errands. It's always a fun time and we usually end with lunch...this time Pei Wei's.

A few plans for the rest of the week...Tonight we are going to a friend's house for dinner, I plan on walking (I went four times last week!), continue with my Spring cleaning and catch up on some DVR.

How is your week...go here to tell us.

Friend Makin' Monday

Today is Thankful Monday according to Kasey. This week for Friend Makin' Monday we are to list 10 things are were are truly thankful for. Wanna play along...go here.

1. I am beyond thankful for God, who is all-knowing, sovereign, everlasting, loving, faithful...and the list goes on. Without Him I would be lost in this world.

2. My husband. He's so patient with me and he is the calm when I'm running around like a crazy woman. He is my comfort.

3. My children. Those two kiddoes are my joy and I can't imagine life without them...their hugs and kisses, stories, snuggles, laughter...they are a blessing.

4. My friends. I have friends that I've known since 3rd grade, friends that I've worked with for 10 years, friends that I've cried with in Small Group and new friends that I've discovered through blogging. I wouldn't trade these people for anything.

5. My job. Let's be real...there are so many individuals out there who are losing their jobs. While I would love to stay at home with my children, that is not in the financial cards right now and I am grateful that I have a job to come to everyday.

6. My church. I love my church and I have always felt like it's home for me.

7. My parents...all of them. This network of people have guided me to become the person that I am today. They have been there for me in rough times and in joyful times.

8. Blogging. I have learned, cried, laughed, been amazed by God...all through blogging. This is a great outlet for me and I'm thankful that I was introduced to it (Hi Janna!).

9. Spring/Summer...Spring is here and Summer is not far behind. I can't wait to get outside, plant, play and enjoy.

10. Aunt Roni. She is truly an answer to prayer. She balances my life and is the closest thing to me staying at home. She loves my children unconditionally and I couldn't ask for anything more.

What are you thankful for?

FINALLY!!!!

So, this reveal may be a little anti-climatic because it has taken so long but I'm really happy with the simple way it turned out, that everything is cleaned out and organized. So, sit back and enjoy a few pictures of my little lady's "new" room.

I've shown you a picture of this bookshelf before. It holds all of her puzzles, books and a few memory pieces.

Here is a picture of the top of the bookshelf that I couldn't show you before because it had so much stuff on it. It has her CD player so we can jam to music, a special picture of Jamison and her Papa D from when she was only a few months old, a little container (the one with the hearts) that holds the jewelery she's received, and of course this:

What bookshelf is complete without the princess/fairy collection! Jamison loves these figures.

This is the bulletin board that I got for Jamison (at Hobby Lobby for 50% off!!!). She is able to keep all of her special pictures of her friends here. ***Sorry for the flash glare, I'm working on getting that Nikon D40!

This is the kitchen area. It didn't changed much...it just finally now has a container to hold all of the kitchen supplies:

Here is a before picture of one of the letters for Jamison's name. This was a fun project and very easy. I will buff the letters next time with sandpaper (I plan on doing letters in the kids' bathroom).

Here's the final result on the wall. I love the way they turned out. I put some little embellishments on each one to add a little something.

The other big project was Jamison's art center. I wanted a place that would have each art supply organized for easy access and so it would be easy to put away. I labeled each container with stickers...I hope you can see them OK, remember I'm working with a amateur camera!

Markers

I love these things! They were only $6 at Target and now they hold coloring books, coloring pages, homework workbooks... The last thing I have to do still is figure out tags for them. Remember I had to go to Plan B, but that didn't work either. I've decided to go to Achiever's scrapbook store and get supplies, but my wallet isn't ready for that yet so that will be later. I'll show you the results of that when I get around to finally doing it.

Here's another picture.

I hope you enjoyed your tour. Come again!

It's Here!

Happy Spring!

To Be or Not To Be?

I go back and forth about whether I like that I work daily or if I really want to stay at home. If my kids are screaming as I'm walking out the door I start to run and rejoice that I'm leaving...kidding. Most days, my desire is to be at home, caring for my kids, preparing my home and welcoming Rondell.

This post really made me want to be at home!

Isn't her list lovely? Man! Just when I'm studying in Numbers about the Israelites complaining and grumbling and I'm trying to work on being content.

Just thought I'd share. Do you like staying at home or working (whether you have kids or not)?

Crafting

Blogging and organizing my home has made me want to be craftier (is that even a word...see I'm being crafty even with my vocabulary). I used to scrapbook a lot and still have a love for it and I'm getting the itch to dive back into this very expensive habit. Scrapbook tools help so much with organizing and labeling...and I'm falling in love with ribbon.

Just look at this example of how some ribbon and crafting tools help keep things in order:

Don't I wish this was something actually in my house. I love the labels and even the holders for the paper. This lets all of the color paper show and add to the look.

So, I'm getting ready to take a free class at a local scrapbook store to help learn about all of the tools available (watch out checkbook!). I've also heard about this great tool but it is very much out of my price range...one day maybe.

My dream is to have a craft space, not just for scrapbooking but being creative in general. I saw this room on a website recently and fell in love. Who wouldn't?

I love the J hanging on the wall...of course I would have a K.

Look at that organization and all of the colors matched with the brown walls...love it!

More inspiration and more color. I could really get a lot of work done here...can I come over Jill?

I need to get in the basement and see everything that I already have in order to figure out what I need (ha, need...that's funny).

Fun times!

You May Eat Out Too Much When...

Picture it...a family of four getting ready for the day. Suddenly, the youngest child runs into his parent's room with a clear plastic knife (Ron and I have NO idea where it came from or how Caleb could have gotten it). Said parents are trying to figure out where it came from when the oldest child yells:

"That's a Chipotle knife."

Perhaps said family eats so much Chipotle that said child would recognize the utensils!

I'm just sayin...

The Simple Woman's Daybook - March 16, 2009

For today...

Outside my window...Cloudy, but it's suppose to be in the 60's so I'll take it.

I am thinking...about my To Do list for the week. It includes finally finishing Jamison's room (now that I'm feeling better!), starting Caleb's room, working in the yard and cleaning.

I am thankful for...nice weather. The day yesterday was so beautiful and we enjoyed every minute. We played outside and even got to clean up some of the yard! It makes me want spring to be here right now.

From the kitchen... it's gone now, but macaroni and cheese. Yesterday we went to Rondell's mom's for dinner and I made macaroni and cheese. It was one of my better ones, I must say...could be the reason that it's all gone!

I am wearing...grey and black.

I am reading...the Bible. I'm doing 3 studies at the moment and so a lot of my reading comes from here.

I am hoping...to get everything done on my To Do list.

I am creating...labels for Jamison's new containers. I have to go with Plan B because I couldn't find the materials for this project. Bummer.

Around the house...things are coming together organization wise. I'm very excited!

One of my favorite things...days like yesterday. Spending time outside, letting the house air out, having a good meal...I love days like that.

A few plans for the rest of the week...To Do list (do you see a theme, I'm getting things done!)

What's on your mind? Tell us!