21 Day Update

I don't have any pictures to show for my time, but it is what it is.  Below I have marked off what was done recently.

Join the Challenge (at any time)

Day 1 - Junk Drawer (DONE)

Day 2 - Computer Desk (DONE)

Day 3 - Tupperware Cabinet (This is still clean from the last time!  Yay!)

Day 4 - Linen Closet -this one is scary.  Need to redo it soon.

Day 5 - Under kitchen sink (Still clean!)

Day 6 - Dresser Drawers (Still clean!)

Day 7 - The Pantry (I got a label maker for my bday.  Slightly obsessed. Not 100% but still good!)

Day 8 - Coat Closet (Need to redo)

Day 9 - Toy organization (Going great!  I have thrown away, boxed up and organized.  Still not done, but getting there)

Day 10 - Laundry Room (Did this a few months ago, but need to upkeep)

Day 11 - The Freezer (still need...

Day 12 - Spice Cabinet (looks great.  haven't needed to do anything here)

Day 13 - Medicine Cabinet (This one is also the linen closet.)

Day 14 - Under bathroom sink (Clean)

Day 15 - Medicine/Vitamin Storage (See #13)

Day 16 - The Fridge (ick)

Day 17 - The Mail (daily process..going fine)

Day 18 - Keepsakes (

Day 19 - Master Closet (redone over and over monthly)

Day 20 - Photos (right.....)

Day 21 - You pick!

The Potty Train

Wow.  It has been a few long days around here.  Not extremely difficult, just long.  I think that is how most moms feel when their child is potty training.  I will say that the method I used worked.  It was very similar to the one I did with Livi (although she got it in about a day..with 100% by day #3). 

We are on day #4 and Mac has done awesome.  He is basically done.  He still mostly goes in the portable potty, but we are working on the bigger toilet too. 

I will say that that first night he woke up 100% dry.  It was a miracle!  The next night we gave him watermelon after dinner...and that was a big no-no!  Our kids don't hold watermelon in very well.  Mac wet twice that night. 

This morning he woke up after 12 hours and had just wet, but I blame that mostly on me, since I should have woken him up instead of relaxing on the couch.  I won't make that mistake tomorrow.

What did I do?  There is an eBook written by Lora Jensen.  You potty train your child in 3 days.  It really does work.  ( http://www.3daypottytraining.com/)

Let me know if you need help or suggestions. 

This is something I would LOVE to eventually invest in for my boys:

Summer Bucket List

Summer is right around the corner. Do you have a "summer bucket list"? Here is a list of some fun things to add to your summer fun. **Thanks Kiera**

Picking and choosing from that list above will add to what we already have:

-family reunion in South Carolina
-swim lessons
-Amish Country
-temple trip
-Zoo
-Library Reading Program
-Lake Farm Park
-Memphis Kiddie Park
-Preston’s HOPE Park
-Huntington Beach
-Westside Market
-Minor League Baseball Game

It’s going to be a fun (and probably HOT) summer!

21 Day Organization Challenge

Wow.  I started the 21 Day Challenge back in OCTOBER!  I got to #9 which scared the daylights out of me, (see post here or how about here?) and did one more challenge...and then stopped.  quit.  I had, had enough!

Then a few weeks ago, I started feeling like I need to clean out our freezer...and fast forward to today.  Freezer still not finished!  So, as I am currently doing #9 (and I will finish it this time!!), #11 will have to wait for a bit.  But it will get done.  And now that I have officially posted all the daily challenges, it's there and I need to follow through.  Even if it takes me a bit longer than a day. 

Take a peak at it, go to the site and see what sort of spring cleaning you can accomplish! 

21 DAY ORGANIZING CHALLENGE

• Join the Challenge (at any time)
• Day 1 - Junk Drawer
• Day 2 - Computer Desk
• Day 3 - Tupperware Cabinet
• Day 4 - Linen Closet
• Day 5 - Under kitchen sink
• Day 6 - Dresser Drawers
• Day 7 - The Pantry
• Day 8 - Coat Closet
• Day 9 - Toy organization
• Day 10 - Laundry Room
• Day 11 - The Freezer
• Day 12 - Spice Cabinet
• Day 13 - Medicine Cabinet
• Day 14 - Under bathroom sink
• Day 15 - Medicine/Vitamin Storage
• Day 16 - The Fridge
• Day 17 - The Mail
• Day 18 - Keepsakes
• Day 19 - Master Closet
• Day 20 - Photos
• Day 21 - You pick!

Toys!

I feel consumed by my children's TOYS!  They are everywhere (mostly the basement) and it is driving me crazy.

I have tried organization, cajoling, nagging, yelling, cleaning them up myself...and nothing has helped.  Maybe I need to be stricter with the kids, but it is hard to get them to clean up, when their 2 1/2 year old brother tears it apart.

A friend of mine, Christa, took away all of her girls' toys.  All.of.them.  I think she threw them away!  Gasp!  What?  Threw them away?   But all of my money would be wasted...until you stop and think.  Do they really need them?   Do they play with them? 

Here is what she wrote to me:

"I had been thinking about it for months and one day as I was yelling "clean up your toys" I stopped mid sentence, went into their room and had them sit on their beds. I came back with several trash bags and started filling them. I just had them sit there and watch me fill up bags and bags of their toys. They shed a few tears but I literally took everything, old and new. I filled 7 bags!

 

I kept them in my closet for a while and went through and took out sentimental toys and that only filled up half a grocery bag! Once they were showing that they could keep their room clean I slowly gave them a toy from the grocery bag. And those are the only toys that they still have. The WORST part of taking all the toys is that they DIDN'T CARE! I was so annoyed that they didn't even miss them! They just made games up with each other, they play with old cracker boxes, they make up crafts...they don't care about not having toys! I feel like such an idiot for ever buying them any toys past babyhood! We made a descion that we weren't going to to toys for Christmas either. It was awesome. I told them not to ask for toys because it wasn't going to happen. And it was our 1st (of many) Christmas sans toys. The best part of no toys for Christmas was that they actually had to think about things that they needed or want, they became very aware of other things that might be cool to have. Good luck- best thing I ever did!"

 

Wow.  She is a brave woman!  I think that having girls is like that.  With Livi, she could basically care less about most of the toys in our home.  The boys are a bit different.  They love their cars, trains, legos, etc.  They play much more with the toys.

 

With that said, I have started the process.  I went down in to the basement.  Took a HUGE box and started filling it up.  I am about 1/3 done, but you can already tell their is a big difference.  I am taking away most of the smaller toys (Little Pet Shop) and keeping bigger toys, like blocks. 

They will keep puzzles and books and bigger trucks.  Spencer and Mac love cars=they are staying. 

 

I have noticed that we have a lot of "junk" toys.  They are getting pitched.  There are only a few McD's toys we have kept because of their quality.  (ex. Kung Fu Panda figurines)

 

It is a lot of work.  I swept the toys in to a pile in the middle of the basement floor.  From there, I had Spencer grab them, place them in the sorting box and then I would start sorting.  I had the garbage, the huge box and the other shoe-sized bins that the toys had originally been in. 

 

Things started filling up FAST!  We only got part way through, but I figure that is something that I can do over the next day or so. 
*These pictures were taken back in November 2011 during my 21 day organization challenge.  After looking at the basement challenge I stopped.  :)  It seemed like too much to do.  I think after this, I'll be starting back up!

Cravings

Do you have cravings?  For sugar or carbs or even things like cheese?  Are they strong and irresistible?  Strong, hard-to-beat cravings indicate that something in our body is off-balance.  If you explore where they are coming from, you will be taking the 1st step to getting rid of them.  And, believe me, life is much more peaceful without those nagging cravings! 

In working with people - and also from my own self-experimentation - I've uncovered a golden truth.  Filling our bodies with nutrient dense foods calms our bodies' "screams" for the non-nutrient dense foods.  Seriously, it is that simple.  Most of our bodies are SCREAMING for nutrients!  Good nutrient dense food.  That is often where that craving is originating.  (There are other reasons that can be explored in another post, but this is the most common.)  Sugar and processed foods are going into our bodies and our bodies are then craving more of the same.  Once we fill them with nutrient dense foods, we discover that the "screaming" slowly goes to yelling, then even to talking.  And eventually it turns into a whisper or doesn't even have a voice at all!  And that is when we have a greater ability to by-pass the same nutrient void foods we were once craving.

I have a friend who decided to get some nutrients into her day by making a green smoothie every morning.  She included lots of fruit to calm the bitter taste of the greens. And that helped her to enjoy and look forward to the smoothie every morning.  After a short while she experienced amazing results.  She said that there was a large cookie sitting on the table that would have normally called to her until she ate it all.  This particular morning she started eating a few bites of it and set it down - surprising herself that she didn't want to eat the rest of it!  She was so grateful that the cravings were settling.  And it was all because she answered her body's call to balance itself with some good nutrients.  Our bodies have a language.  They literally speak to us - through cravings, through aches and pains, etc.  If we are experiencing these things, it is our bodies' attempt to tell us, "Hey, something is off. Something is out of balance.  Help me!"  We can re-balance our bodies and feel better as we listen to what they are saying to us.  It takes some practice, it takes some effort and some true listening.  But once we become more in tune, we will be able to find solutions to our problems and be on the path to greater physical and emotional health.

Amy 

Kindergarten

Man, I miss the good old days.  Did any of you have these in Kindergarten?  Our teacher had the blow-ups for every.single.one.  Loved it!