Halloween prep... is what I'd like to post about, but alas...

What's today?  ...the 7th?  This blogging everyday idea might prove to be more difficult than anticipated.  Wish me luck.

Tonight, my mom came over to help with Halloween decorating and to do a craft with the kids (I'll post more about that another day).  I've also been feeling inspired...

...at which point I would like to add a picture that I took today (check out my Instagram, it's on there), but my computer isn't cooperating.  Lamesauce.

I'm irritated and should probably stop writing at this point 'cause it's probably not going to be filled with puppies and sunshine.

I'll be back tomorrow.

...hopefully less crabby and with working technology.

What pisses you off?

This week's menu... 10/7/13-10/13/13...

...this week's menu...

Monday:  buffalo chicken pasta (never happened last week, so here it is again)
Tuesday:  maple glazed turkey breast
Wednesday:  soup and salad
Thursday:  meatloaf and broccoli bites
Friday:  pizza night!
Saturday:  peppered salmon with roasted root vegetables
Sunday:  leftovers (or pasta)

What's on your menu this week?

Blame it on Ariel...

Tonight the kids and I spent some time deep-cleaning the living room while listening to the "Disney (children's)" station on pandora...  While clearing the clutter off of the dresser that we use as a TV stand and listening to Ariel belt out, "I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty, I've got whozits and whatzits galore.  You want thingamabobs?  I've got twenty!  But who cares?  No big deal, I want mooooore," I got to thinking....  

"The Little Mermaid" came out when I was six.  It was the first Disney movie that I ever saw in the theater, so it was a BIG deal to me.  I remember it *very* clearly.  I *loved* it.  Ariel was a smart girl who wasn't afraid to speak her mind and stand up for what she believed in.

And she was a freaking hoarder.

...no wonder I have such a hard time giving up things that I love, Ariel taught me that it's okay to keep crap that means nothing to me.  And that it's okay to want MORE.  

Even a dinglehopper.

...Seriously now, though...  With five people living here, we've accumulated an awful lot of "stuff."  Purging sucks, but it's necessary.  I've gotten a lot better at deciding what to get rid of, now I just need to get it out of the house.  

We have multiple "Goodwill baskets/bins" -a laundry basket sitting in the dining room, a fabric bin in the girls' closet and a large, plastic bin in my husband's and my room.  They're all full, which is great, but they've all been full for awhile.  So, my goal for tonight: sort what goes to Goodwill, what goes to my cousin's daughter and what goes to my husband's cousin's son.  My goal for tomorrow morning: take that s#!+ to Goodwill/schedule when to get stuff to the cousins' houses.

Do you have a hard time following through with plans that you've made with yourself?
Don't forget to check out my giveaway!

...I'm struggling to keep my eyes open...

Long day.  Lots of running around.  Lots of housework.  Good progress overall...  But now I'm too pooped to write anything.

See you in the morning.

...just a note...

(I wrote the first part of this last night...)

I'm being naughty right now...  I'm not making the pot roast that I had planned for dinner.  Instead, I'm hanging out at the park with my two youngest kids while the big one is at Girl Scouts making a scarecrow for our town's upcoming Scarecrow Fest.  We need this.  We all do.  So it's okay that I'm being naughty.

I'm proud of myself for posting so much lately...  I think I'm going to challenge myself to do a post every day of October.  I figure that I've been pretty motivated lately -with life in general- so I might as well keep up the momentum.

It's been awhile since I shared about my weight loss...  I'm currently down 20 lbs. from where I started in January.  Not as much as I'd like, but going in the right direction, so I'm pleased.  (This is where I started writing today...)  I've been using My Fitness Pal -I'm "Zappacat" on there- I love the social aspect of it, especially the encouragement that my friends and I give each other.  

Tonight, Moo had Girl Scouts again...  and again tomorrow...  but they're working hard, so I get it.  I hung out and "helped" (wish I could have done more, but I guess squirting paint on plates for them and throwing some stuff out was still kind of helpful)...  It was fun.  Plus, she had a field trip out in the woods (and in the rain) this morning...  also lots of fun.  Needless to say, I'm exhausted at this point, but it's neat to see her in her "natural habitat" and I'm getting to know more of the moms at school and am finding out that most of them are pretty cool ladies.  

So, yeah I guess there was no real point to this post when I started, but I think it can relate back to my New Year's resolution to be a better version of me.  I honestly feel that I've made a lot of big changes.  Not every day is a great one, but in general my quality of life has improved because of the changes that I've chosen to make in my life that all relate directly to me and my insecurities/health/goals/passions....

In short, I'm a lot happier than I was ten months ago.

My husband took this picture of me today.

...I don't think it's horrible.

Are you making changes in your life?

What have you done lately that's "out of the ordinary" for you?

100th post! ....and my first GIVEAWAY!!!

Wow!  100 posts!!!  To thank you for taking time to read my constant blabbering on, I'm going to do my first ever giveaway!

"What can I win?" you might ask...

This menu planner!
(the background is very light blue and swirly...
You can't see it very well with the filter on the image, sorry)

...and an embroidered flour sack towel to go with it!

Made just for you by me!

"Wow, that's awesome!" you might say, "...How can I win it?"

...Funny you should ask...

1. Follow this blog.
2. "Like" my Facebook page.
3. Check out friend's and my other blog, Create! Don't Consume! and answer both of our surveys there.  (There is a link to our surveys under the "Create!  Don't Consume!" blog header) 
4. Comment on this blog post letting me know that you completed the other requirements and what your favorite part of fall is.

...a winner will be chosen using random.org on 11/01/2013 and will be announced on this blog and on my Facebook page.

Good luck!

Making our lives easier...

While we're still (kind of) in back-to-school mode, I wanted to share a few things that I've implemented with my kids that have really helped to keep all of us on track...

Morning checklists: I used Command™ hooks on our front door to hang cheap-o dry erase boards that I happened to find in each of the kids' colors (so they know which one is theirs at a glance).  I glued a little ribbon on the back to make it easy to hang up.  On school nights (or in the morning if I spaced it out the night before), I quickly run through what each kid needs to do to be ready to leave for school.  I generally write it all out once at the beginning of the week, then just re-draw the check boxes daily.

Breakfast choices: I printed two 3x5 note cards, one with breakfast entrees and one with fruits.  If we have another kids of fruit or maybe leftover french toast, I just stick a post-it note by the other choices.  The kids stick their magnets (again, in their colors) on their choice before bed every night.

This makes my mornings *soooo* much easier!  I can do minor prep the night before and breakfast is usually on the table by the time the kids get up (I try to get up half an hour before them....  when I can...)

Snack choices: Again, I printed on a 3x5 note card.  Then I used a sheet protector to "laminate" it so that the kids can use the magnetic dry erase marker (that's next to it) to mark off what they've had.  (Note: veggie snacks are unlimited, it's just on the check list to make sure that they take at least one)

Our weekday schedule: This one is the big one...  I sat down one day and wrote out usual weekday schedule.  Then I added pictures, printed it up and stuck it on the fridge.  We use a little magnet to keep track of where we are in the day.  (I also have alarms set for most of our evening stuff)

...Here's what our schedule looks like:

6:30 wake up

7:00 breakfast

7:45 leave for school

8:00-11:15 Mom's housework time

11:20(ish) Ollie gets dropped off at bus stop

12:00 lunch

12:30 Ollie's play time

1:00 Ollie's homework time

2:00 Ollie's nap time

3:00(ish) girls come home/snack time/play time

4:00 girls' homework time

5:00-5:30 kids' housework time

5:30 kids' t.v. time/play time

6:00 play time

6:30 dinner

7:15 kid #1 showers (other kids read)

7:30 kid #2 showers (other kids read)

7:45 kid #3 showers (other kids read)

8:00 bedtime/grown up reads

8:30 lights out!

...I'm realizing as I writing that this all looks a little overboard, but I have to say that, as a mother of three who also has ADD, it *really* helps me.  Like A LOT.  It seems to help the kids, too...  plus, they think it's fun to check things off and move their magnets.  

Would you try any of this, or do you think I'm crazy?  (haha)

How do you keep your family on track?