Calling all home businesses!

Do you have a home business or Etsy shop? A product or service that you'd like to promote? I'm hoping to do a series of giveaways as I near my three year blogging anniversary and my 1000th post. (wow - I knew I had a lot to say, but 1000 posts?!?)

If you would like to participate by donating an item or service to one of my lucky readers, please email me at: ktksu (at) cox (dot) net. We'll discuss details from there. Thanks!

The secret to keeping a "clean" house

Another Friday re-run! This post was originally published on July 25, 2008.

I am often told, "Your house always seems so clean..." but I never really know how to respond to that because I don't spend much time cleaning. Really, I'm not neurotic. I'm not one of THOSE moms. I don't bleach my tubs daily or take a toothbrush to my tile grout or steam clean my drapes. I don't have that kind of time or energy.

But I think the main point of this post is the reason my house appears clean. (To re-cap, it basically suggests that you clean as you go. The whole post is a short read and is worth your time!) Yes, I like a clean tidy house, but I don't like to clean, that's why I do things quickly to get them over with. I like the result, not the process. Believe me, I have piles of junk just like everyone else. Some of my piles just happened to be tucked away in drawers dedicated to piles of junk that need to be put away!

I posted about "the other side" of this issue a few months back (click here to peek at it) and on that day, I remember being furious with myself that I had lived among a pigsty for a week that was easily cleaned up one afternoon when the kids overslept from their nap by 30 minutes. I worked against the clock, knowing they'd wake up any minute, and everything was neat and back where it belonged in less than an hour.

It's all about priorities. For some, fresh flowers from the garden on the counter are a priority. Not for me. For others, finishing touches at dinner like a dollop of whipped cream or a sprinkle of fresh basil leaves make all the difference. That's not me, either. I even know people who iron their pillow cases. Not in a million years. As it is, I don't even iron my cloth napkins for fancy dinner parties.

I'm all about simplicity and efficiency. Lately, I've developed a "touch it once" rule. If I take time to read an email (or snail mail, for that matter), I do my best to "touch it" once. Read it and either file it, respond or delete it immediately. As it is, my emails pile up like crazy, I don't need to be reading and re-reading the same emails repeatedly. And the mail that Mike brings home after work gets sorted within minutes. Coupons are put with coupons (even if they need to sorted and put in proper envelopes later), magazines have a home, junk mail is put in the recycle bin, bills go in a pile to be brought upstairs to the office. Done. Things that make it to the abyss of the junk pile usually aren't seen for a month or two, so if it's important, needs to be paid or is going to expire, it needs to be handled right away.

One tip that I love is that I have baskets for stray toys in a few key places. The play room has open bins that the kids can toss their toys when they're picking up, both kids' rooms have a basket, and there's one in the family room. This is a huge time saver and makes each room FEEL clean because the smaller items are all containerized in a nice(ish) basket. Before I added a few baskets to the house, there were constantly toys sprinkled in the most random places. Now, if I see one lying on the floor, I throw it in a basket.

I hope something I've said will inspire you to simplify and declutter something this weekend. Don't we all need a little simplicity in our lives???

More Organizing Tips

After writing the post on Spring Cleaning yesterday, I found these helpful blogs on related topics. Enjoy!

Three Uncluttering Activities in 5 minutes or less - Unclutterer

Overcoming Organization Procrastination - Virtually Organized

10 Benefits of Being Organized - Julie Anne Bonner

7 Organizing Myths Debunked - guest post on Simple Mom

Early Spring Cleaning: How to Declutter

I've watched a fair share of organizational shows in my day. It always fascinates me how a team of experts can help a complete stranger transform a room from a dumping ground to a beautiful, functional space all within a 30 minute time slot.

I know it's still frigid across most of the country, but around these parts, we're finally experiencing some spring-like temperatures. And what better time to spring clean than SPRING!

It's been a full year since I've done a clean sweep through my house and I'm ready to do it again. I'm ready to get rid of clutter. Is anyone with me? (...I'm hearing crickets...)

The organization shows that I've seen all have a series of easy steps that they use to declutter a space and purge bags and boxes full of STUFF. I'm not claiming to have created this process, but I think it's important to know how to get started decluttering your home without feeling overwhelmed.

Step 1: Set a Date
Before you even get started, clear your calendar for a couple of hours (realize that it could take all afternoon, depending on how bad it is!) and solicit help from your family. Your spouse can either roll up his sleeves to dig in with you or keep the younger kids occupied so you can focus without distraction. If you have older kids, put them to work. The more people who participate, the more committed everyone will be to keeping the space neat and clean.

If no one else is on board with you, it is absolutely possible to do this alone. When I did my spring cleaning last May, I worked as quickly as possible during the kids' naptime and completed one room per day over a 10 day period, working through my whole house. Now turn on some music and get to work!

Step 2: Empty the Space
Although it might seem counterproductive, emptying the space you're going to declutter helps give you a clean slate. Empty the contents of the cabinet, closet or room and start from scratch. If the space you're decluttering is packed and you're worried that you might get overwhelmed and quit halfway through, start with one specific section and work your way around the room. For example, if you're working with your bedroom closet, focus on the top shelves or one hanging section. If it's your garage, section off an area to begin. Regardless of where you're decluttering, don't let the task overwhelm you.

Step 3: Clean the Empty Area
Sweep, remove dust bunnies and wipe everything down. Whether it's your fridge or your child's toy closet, truly clean the space. Don't obsess about making it perfect; move quickly and do a "good enough" job or you might get stuck here and lose steam.

Step 4: Sort
There are three core categories when it comes to sorting: keep, donate and trash. If I could add some subcategories, my complete list would be: keep in this space, move to a different place, sell, donate, recycle, trash. I added "move to a different place in the house" because you want to create a pile of things to put away later; don't get side tracked moving things to other rooms during your purge. If you stay in one place and keep focused, the task will get done quicker. I added "sell" because you might have enough items to have a garage sale to make some extra money. Then you can put that cash toward something to help the space be more functional, like shelves or bins to containerize like items. I added "recycle" because, well, it's the responsible thing to do.

Grab some boxes and large garbage bags and label them. Then get started! If it takes you more than a split second to make a decision about whether to keep or sell something, ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I use it? If you haven't used it, worn it, or appreciated it in six months to a year, get rid of it. Don't save things "just in case." By the time you fit back into that cute outfit, the styles will have changed...trust me!

2. Do I love it? If something has sentimental value, give it a place of honor in your home. Display it on a shelf or frame it for your wall. Everyone should have a box of childhood memorabilia in their garage, but you don't need to keep every little thing. Keep it contained to one box and if it gets too full, sort through and decide what needs to go to fit something new into it.

Step 5: Put it Back
If you're trying to be more organized with this space, think of logical categories when you replace your items. Gather like items in piles and, if necessary, find a container, basket or bin to keep them together. Predetermine what will go where in your mind's eye and don't be afraid to rearrange things a couple of times before you settle on what works best. For a kitchen pantry, you might sort breakfast items on one shelf, cans on another, baking items on another. In a bedroom closet, you could have clothes grouped by either season or size. (for those of us whose weight fluctuates) In a utility closet, spare batteries together, extra ligthbulbs together, etc.

Step 6: Maintain
Be realistic in creating a system to keep this space decluttered. Add a recycle bin in the office, dirty clothes hampers in the kids' rooms, a covered basket in the family room to collect stray toys, a garbage bag for donations at the bottom of your closet...think of ways to catch clutter before it accumulates.

Okay, that's it! I'm motivated. Are you? One room each day is a little agressive for me now that I've added a baby to the mix, so I'm thinking I can handle at least one room per week. And a "room" could even be a closet. Specifically my bedroom closet, which is such a sore subject for me that it's #77 on my list of 101 Goals in 1001 Days. Can't wait to tackle that bad boy!

One thing I like to do is to take before and after pictures. Not only to show on my blog (though that was my original reason for pulling out my camera) but also to see my progress. To see how bad the "before" really was and to remind me of what the "after" should look like if I choose to maintain organization in that space.

My last tip is this: for those who are not naturally organized, don't beat yourself up if once you get organized you don't stay organized for long. Being organized isn't something that you master; it's an ongoing process. Just like cleaning your house. You don't just clean the toilet once and it's good forever. You need to continue cleaning it regularly. HOW regularly is up to you and how clean you like your bathroom looking (and smelling). It's the same with organization. Once you get organized, you need a plan to STAY organized so it doesn't get out of control again. Figure out a maintainance schedule that works for you, just like cleaning your house. Some people clean weekly, bi-weekly or even monthly. Decide to do a quick scan of your organized space every day, week or month to see what can be purged and decluttered. Then your annual spring cleaning tasks won't take long at all!

So what's the place you're inspired to declutter???

Meal Plan - 2/22/10

(It won't be the healthiest week around here, but I'm depriving myself of sugar...I need to splurge somewhere!)

Monday - Pigs in a Blanket, steamed broccoli, salad
Tuesday - Garlic Chicken Farfalle
Wednesday - Lasagna Roll Ups
Thursday - Taco Crescent Bake
Friday - Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Saturday - Chili and cornbread
Sunday - Garden Veggie Quiche

Must Have Parenting Tips

It's Friday re-run time again! This list was originally posted on July 7, 2008. WOW my kids have grown in the last year and a half!

Some of these ideas are sprinkled around in other posts, but for simplicity, I wanted everything listed in one place. I decided to combine all of the parenting tips that I've learned from books or borrowed from other mommies that work really well in our house. All for your reading pleasure. Wasn't that nice of me???

* Choices - Usually 2, never more than 3. I'm a big proponent of giving my kids choices. At breakfast, it's "What kind of cereal do you want today?" instead of "What do you want for breakfast?" (which has resulted in an answer of, "Um, brownies!") For snacks, I'll manipulate them into eating fruit by asking, "Would you like grapes or cantaloupe?" At dinner, I'll ask if they want the green plate or the blue plate? The meal stays the same (because I refuse to be a short-order cook) but it gives them a small feeling of control. Before bedtime, Ryan can choose to get his PJs on first or brush his teeth first. I know it doesn't seem like much, but I've come a long way from barking orders and refusing to switch out bowls at breakfast, all because I didn't give the kids any options.

* Pick your battles - I've learned not to die on every hill with my strong willed kids. I might try to convince Ryan to wear a different shirt with his shorts, but I consider that teaching the definition of what matches. That's a lifelong skill! But if he insists on wearing an orange shirt and spiderman pants, so be it. Except on picture day...if we're going somewhere that I know we'll be taking pictures for me to scrapbook, those are the times that I insist on approving his outfit before we leave the house. And since I don't care 360 days out of the year, that works out pretty well. I've sort of adopted Dr. Phil's philosophy of "choose your battles wisely, but if you pick a battle, don't lose." That makes me even more selective in the "battles" I pick!

* Tell, don't ask - I've tried to do this from the beginning. I say, "It's time to go to bed," instead of "Are you ready to go to bed?" Because really...what kid will ever admit to being ready to go to bed???

* "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit." I say this at least once a day. It eliminates the "she got more yogurt than I did" and I noticed at school that it nipped the "I wanted the cupcake with the pink frosting!" issue in the bud when celebrating birthdays. This phrase has saved my sanity more than once. And both kids finish the statement when I start saying, "You get what you get..."

* Let it out, but not here - When a tantrum starts or there is excessive crying for anything not related to pain, we send the kids to their play room. I want them to have feelings and let out their negative emotions, but I don't want to have to hear the meltdown, nor do I want to give the issue "an audience." And they're not being punished for being upset, hence surrounding them with toys if they need some time alone to change their attitude. They always emerge from the room with blotchy faces saying, "All done," we hug it out and all's well with the world again.

* "Yes Mommy" - Since I started encouraging the kids to respond to requests with "Yes Mommy," they suddenly seem to respond faster. There's something psychological about that phrase that commits them to doing whatever I've asked them to do. When I ask Kaylin to return a stolen toy to Ryan, she has a tendency to stare at me and smile, but when I leadingly say, "Yes Mommy..." and she repeats it, she hands the toy right over to him.

* "Coming..." - When I call someone's name and they're somewhere else in the house or have wandered down the aisle at the grocery store, I've gotten them in the habit of saying, "Coming, Mom." Same concept as "Yes Mommy" - it commits them to come when they're called.

* Explain the rules beforehand - This might seem excessive, but I explain the rules en route to almost everywhere we go. Especially play dates and public places. I've come to learn that nothing can be assumed with my kids. And what's bizarre is if I tell Kaylin not to take out her rubber bands and hairbow at the gym (they've warned me that smaller kids can find them on the ground and choke on them) she won't do it. 100% of the time, I pick her up and her hair is in tact. But the one time I don't remind her, she pulls out the ensemble and I get scolded. At the summer kiddie movies, every week, we go through the routine of "no talking, just whisper if you have something to say...stay in your seat...once the popcorn is gone, it's gone, I'm not buying any more...we will go potty before the show starts, otherwise, try to hold it..." This really works out well and everyone knows what's expected of them beforehand.

* Taking turns - I read somewhere that until 3 or 4 years old, kids don't get the concept of sharing. So I've tried to use the term, "Remember to take turns" instead of "You need to share." Pre-schoolers seem to understand that better. Then a few weeks ago, my friend Lee taught me the greatest phrase EVER, which I've had my kids repeat again and again. This has saved us from countless battles and kept things from escalating into a war zone. "When you're done, may I have a turn?" Even if child #2 answers "no" to be snotty, I always remind child #1 that the answer has to be "yes" because child #2 isn't going to play with the object for the rest of time. Period.

* Taking turns in the car - Somehow, we got in the habit of bringing small toys and books in the car. We never drive anywhere that far, but my kids love grabbing a toy for the ride and hoarding it. So I've come up with the idea to give the first child the toy on the way there (where ever "there" is) and the other child can have it on the way home. It works wonders for backseat squabbles which are very common in my car!

* Rotate toys - To keep our kids from getting sick of playing with the same toys, I pack up and rotate in (and out) toys every few months. It works really well and when everyone's particularly bored, I'll pull out the bin of old toys and suddenly it's like Christmas morning again!

* Interrupting - If I'm talking to another adult and Ryan wants to say something, instead of saying, "Mommy?" over and over, we have him put his hand on our arm to let us know that he wants to talk. We even take it a step further by putting our hand on his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze to acknowledge that we know he wants to talk. I have him do this when I'm on the phone, too. We've gotten out of the practice (and unfortunately, self-control is not one of Ryan's strong suits) but we're working on it.

* Blood and Safety - There is to be no tattling in our house unless it's a safety issue or unless there's blood. This has caused the kids to have to work things out between them and the loud bickering has decreased dramatically because they know no one is going to come "save" them.

* Helping hands - It's so much easier for me to make dinner by myself, but I usually try to build in extra time for one or both kids to help me in some way. They are so proud to taste what they "made" and to tell Mike about their creation. And I talk about this all the time, but this has to make the list, for sure: I'm a huge believer in the Accountable Kids program. (I really need to start getting some marketing kickbacks from those folks!) It teaches kids to be proactive in doing things around the house instead of being nagged constantly by us as parents. LOVE that system!

Lent

I'm not Catholic, but I think I've participated in fasting "something" during Lent every year since college. It's always something that's a sacrifice to give up and is sometimes even a habit that I want to break.

I fasted from swearing one year in college. Seriously - it's what finally broke me of my sailor's mouth and I know it honored God in the meantime.

I've fasted from chocolate many times, soda (when I used to drink it), fast food (when I used to eat it), and a miriad of other things. This year, I decided to give up sugar. I am a complete sugar addict and have little faith that I have the willpower to do this right now, but I'm going to try. Last year, I copped out and said I was giving up chocolate, but was hoping I could give up all forms of sugar. On Ash Wednesday, my pregnancy test showed me a little plus sign and I officially decided to only give up chocolate.

This year, I'm going for it. I've caught bad angles of a few pictures of myself and have decided that I need to kick it into gear with losing the baby weight. That girl who used to be one of Hugh Heffner's girlfriends is on the cover of some tabloid this week in a bikini, holding her 2 month old next to the headline, "How I lost 25 pounds in 8 weeks." I know I shouldn't compare myself to a Photoshopped picture of a Playboy Bunny (especially when I heard that she gained 55 lbs...someone's not being honest here), so don't start lecturing me in the comments, I'm just saying. Buying ingredients for my family fondue party (as that magazine cover stared at me) made me feel like a should-be contestent on The Biggest Loser.

Not to mention that it was 75 degrees this weekend (sorry, east coast readers!) and WAY too warm to cover up my jiggly bits with jeans and sweaters. So I'm doing it. As much as it pains me, on Wednesday, I'm going cold turkey.

I'm a little nervous. Not for me, but those around me. When your body is addicted, giving up sugar is the same as giving up caffeine or nicotine or alcohol. There are major withdrawls and I get really, really cranky.

Friends and family: beware. You might want to mysteriously disappear from my life for a week or so!

I'm curious: Do you participate in Lent? If so, what's the hardest thing you've ever fasted from???

3652 Days

I have been married for 3652 days. 10 years today - I can hardly believe our wedding was so long ago! I remember it so vividly. I didn't want to get married on Valentine's weekend, but I also didn't want to wait until May, so our church's limited availability set the date. That's what happens when you give yourself three months to plan a wedding with 250 people.

Tonight we went to dinner and a movie while my mom watched the kids. Nothing huge, since we just went on our big cruise to celebrate, but it was a nice little evening out. (And I got to have a fancy schmancy Cosmopolitan - yum!)

I've found myself reflecting back this week. Now I'm no expert or anything, but I think I've learned a thing or two in the last 10 years. I'd guess that 99% of my readers are already married, but I'm still going to throw some of this out there, just in case I can save someone the pain of learning from their own mistakes.

Things I've learned over the last 10 years:
- The first year of marriage isn't always the "honeymoon period" - it's often the hardest year of your relationship. (My mom gifted us with 6 free counseling sessions for our first anniversary. No joke!)
- Pick your battles. There's no reason to constantly put in your two cents...it's just not worth it.
- Only take advice from couples who have relationships that you respect and admire.
- Having babies is a lot of work and will put unnecessary tension on an already strained marriage. Work through some of the kinks before deciding to bring children into your home.
- Divide the household tasks. If everyone knows what's expected of them, there's less chance for miscommunication and feelings of resentment. (I cook, you clean and vice versa...I'll do car maintenance, you do the bills...I'll tend the garden, you do the lawn...etc.)
- Never stop dating...each other, obviously. Laugh. Be spontaneous. Take vacations. Make memories.
- Create family traditions. Not only for Christmas, but other occasions, too. Eat chocolate fondue every Valentine's Day, make shamrock-shaped pancakes each St. Patrick's Day, bring each other breakfast in bed on your birthdays.

Wedding advice I wish I would have received 10 years ago:
- Don't register for fine china and crystal stemware. (it wasn't my thing then and it still isn't...it looks lovely lined up in my downstairs closet, though) Find dishes that are pretty, but practical. $25 wine crystal glasses are not practical.
- Spend money on a good photographer, but remind your guests to email pictures from their cameras. The candid shots are just as memorable.
- Where tennis shoes under your wedding dress. No one will see and you'll be much more comfortable.
- Eat a whole piece of your cake, not just the first bite used for pictures. Because someone might forget to grab the leftovers and they might get eaten by the kitchen staff. Even the top that you're supposed to save for your first anniversary.

- Pick a few things that are non-negotiables and let the rest go. Enjoy a day in your honor...it will be the last time you have this big of a party with all of your loved ones. (until your funeral, that is)
- Wait a few days to go on your honeymoon. Enjoy the company who flew in for your wedding for a day or two, get unpacked into your new house and THEN go on vacation. It will be much more relaxing.

...I wonder what gems of wisdom I'll learn in the next 10 years?