Operation Clutter Detox- Mission 2

We have a really bad habit of using our kitchen island for everything! And how can we not? It’s basically a giant table in the middle of the downstairs that just begs to be used! Many a bills have been lost in the Island of Clutter. Not anymore!

I’ve had a magnetic whiteboard calendar for years now… it’s a great thing really, I don’t have to buy a new calendar every year, and if I don’t like my handwriting I can erase and try again. Love it. However, our fridge is NOT magnetic on the front… so, the calendar has been banished to the side of the fridge where visibility is limited.

This looks like the perfect opportunity for some Clutter Detox!!

Welcome to Grand Central Station!

I used, what was a complete waste of space between the pantry and bathroom doors, to house this organizational masterpiece. In one spot we have a calendar, place to pin invites/notes/etc. and a basket for mail. It’s wonderful! This $13 project is going to help us stay organized, which is always nice! Here’s the break-down:

Calendar	FREE	Already had it!
Corkboard w/frame	$5	On sale!
Thumbtacks	$3	For 100
Mail Basket	FREE	Already had it!
3M Strips to hang it	$5
TOTAL:	$13

For that little price tag, why didn’t I do this sooner?! I couldn’t be more excited at how easy this project was and how much it’s going to improve our chances of becoming clutter-free!



In Pursuit of Becoming a Good Wife

So, in my quest to “save” my marriage (are we really “there”?) I have been doing TONS of research and reading… primarily because I’ve tried doing things my husband has asked, without improvement, or there are things that I just can’t do (like control my feelings, because then I don’t show any and that makes me a “robot”)… which leaves me with reading and decoding things on my own. This is what I’ve determined:

1.      Men want a woman to be independent… but not TOO independent.

2.      Men want a woman that can make decisions on her own, as long as his opinion is a part of that decision.

3.      Men want to fell needed (reference #1)

4.      Men want women to initiate in the bedroom, however they will complain of lack of variety, so women are expected it to change-it-up as well.

5.      Men want some mystery, but to be involved in your life.

6.      Men want you to mother their child(ren), but don’t want it to be the prominent thing in your life.

7.      Men want a woman to be spontaneous, as long as it’s something they want to do.

8.      Men want guy time, no matter if you have something you want to do with them.

9.      Men want a variety of dinners, but always say “I dunno” when asked what they want to eat.

10.   Men want to be taken care of, but not “mothered”

11.   Men want to do things, but don’t want a schedule

12.   Men want to be encouraged, but not told what to do

13.   Men want you to love them, but… I don’t know…

How the heck is anyone supposed to meet those needs?! I just don’t get it. Women are simple!!

1.      Women want men to love them.

2.      Women want men to participate in their lives.

3.      Women want men to be active fathers.

4.      Women want men to enjoy partaking in family activities.

5.      Women want men to do the “manly” things around the house (fix stuff, maintain vehicles, etc.)

6.      Women want men to believe them when they say “I’m too tired tonight,” because they really are too tired.

7.      Women want their men to defend them when their parents/friends smack talk them.

8.      Women want men to understand that they are pulled in 10 directions while trying to keep everyone else happy.

9.      Women want men to love them, not because of the girlfriend they were, but because of the woman they’ve turned into.

10.   Women want to feel like the most important person in their men’s lives.

You see? No hidden messages, no “I want this, but this way”, just plain and simple.

Which brings me to around to… how much of this is US related? I mean, is it just that I’m this total control freak and I have to have everything my way? I would like to think that I am flexible, and that my expectations are not unreasonable… I just don’t know anymore, and the seeds of self-doubt are definitely growing. Am I just not cut out for marriage?? IS it me? Maybe I am just not able to change, that I am what I’ve always been… my own worst enemy. I turn off too quickly and don’t turn back on because of pride. I am incapable of being wrong, because my logic guides me to wherever I go. Maybe I am not who he thought I was, maybe I tricked him because I was in a state of lust, maybe the only good that can come of this are the two little kids that I have waiting for me at home.

Heavy sigh.

Operation Clutter Detox!

I’ve made up my mind, got Justin on-board, and it’s happening. We are ridding our too-full house of all the crap we don’t use, don’t like, and generally bitch about seeing just lying around taking up space. I’m done. I want it gone!

 I find it utterly amazing that our house, which we thought we wouldn’t fill up for many, many years, is bursting at the seams after 2 ½ years. We’ve filled it with furniture, impulse purchases, and stuff that people have given us that we would never buy ourselves. All of these things cost money, collect dust, and make me feel overwhelmed just looking at the sheer amount of it all!

(These are the pictures Justin sent me of our house the 1st time he saw it.)

So, Operation Clutter Detoxification (with a detour for organization) is underway! I started last night with “my” table. This poor little end table gets piled with my laptop, paid bills, Ikea catalogs, crochet supplies, and whatever else I set down and forget about. I’M DONE!

Only my laptop and the Kleenex box made the cut!

(I even eliminated a bunch of cords that were going in all sorts of directions! And moved the lamp back to the corner.)

Mission 1- Success! Table is de-cluttered and, amazingly enough, I threw out so much old mail and multiple years’ worth of Ikea catalogs; don’t worry, my 2012 catalog is safely tucked away! Crochet binder and supplies were moved to my “craft station” upstairs and everything else that needed to be returned to its rightful home was. It was glorious!! I’m addicted!

I’ve got a plan of attack for the kitchen island as well. I’m going to create “family central station” of sorts in the kitchen. This will consist of a calendar (not on the fridge) and a hanging basket to drop mail in below it. Everyone will know what’s going on when and it will be a designated area for mail… that is not the island!

And I’m not stopping there!! All the e-mails with “deals” and information that I delete without opening… done! I am unsubscribing from them as they come in, and freeing my time in the future! I’m hoping my inbox will thank me!

So this is my mission. Out with the crap and in with freedom from Stuff! My hope is that this process will make us think twice, not only about what we bring into our home, but about what we spend money on and what it ACTUALLY costs us in the long run! Fingers crossed!

Marriage and Football

It’s official; I’m a much more fun person during football season! I love me some Seattle Seahawks! And, as an added bonus, I get to yell at people that don’t get offended or upset; I guess refs ARE good for something!

I think that it’s going to be an annual tradition for Justin and me to make it to at least one football game in person each season. It’s just nice to get out of the house and have some fun! And sporting events are perfect for that! You always have something to talk about that doesn’t start out, “Jordan said…” or “Joey did the cutest…”! While I love my kids, it’s amazing to have an adult conversation that revolves around the two of us.

In addition to my added “fun-ness” level… football is a great boost for the ole marriage. I know a lot of chicks that LOVE football just as much as I do, and I think it’s awesome! It’s one of those things that used to be considered a “guy thing” (or in Ryan’s world, a “blue” thing), that chicks were left out of. It’s so nice to actually enjoy something as much as my hubby! Contrary to car shows, which I sweated it out at yesterday for the love of my husband. Car shows can be a guy thing for all eternity for all I’m concerned. I just don’t get the fascination with old cars without modern conveniences! My favorite car there was the 2011 Pink Dodge Challenger! Yes, I’m spoiled with my memory seats and back-up camera, I don’t care, I’m worth it! LOL!

(Case in Point- needed couple time, because I only ever take pictures of Jordan and Joey otherwise!)

So, all in all, a successful weekend in the Marriage Department; which, let’s face it, has needed a successful weekend for a while! Thank you NFL for having a season after all- it would have been a bleak fall/winter without you!

Will Change Lanes for Starbucks!

There’s nothing like going two days without a chai tea latte, because you’re too tired to get out of bed on time in the mornings. Since I don’t have to get Jordan up and out the door anymore I tend to stay in bed WAY TOO LONG these days!

This morning, I decided that it’s weekly Starbucks day. Happy Friday to me! I get in my truck, on the main road, and what do you know… a cop, right behind me. Fabulous. Now, normally I would switch lanes just to avoid the stress of driving in front of Copper Joe, but, of course, we are the ONLY two cars on the road and there isn’t a reason for me to change lanes except him. Double fabulous. Cruise control set at 45 mph, because even though I’m sure that the speed limit is 50 mph, why chance it? Finally we find other commuters on the road and Copper Joe switches lanes and nearly immediately flips his lights on. Phew! The beginning of a long day for sure! Thankfully the first drive-through Starbucks was just ahead! Two lane changes later and a left turn, and I’m there!! Grande… no, wait… Venti vanilla chai tea latte please!

I was only four minutes late to work today, which is pretty good. However, most of my morning has been spent “stumbling” around the internet. No, I’m not throwing back beers at my desk and stumbling around. My friend turned me on to a website called www.StumpleUpon.com, and it’s totally addicting. What you do is: register (for free), save your interests, and press “Stumble”! The website then acts as a personalized search engine for you and shows you a random website it thinks you may be interested in. Let me tell you… I’m interested in a LOT of things!! This is the primary source of all those “super amazing” new projects I was telling you all about yesterday! Needless to say, it’s a very dangerous website for me, because not only does it take up my time, but it adds to my list of time to be taken later. Thankfully I’m feeling like a more motivated person these days, so I’m seeing some accomplishments in my near future!

I’ve got BIG plans for this weekend; even with the unexpected addition of a Seahawks pre-season game Saturday night! Go Hawks! Hoping to finish a kiddo scarf- which I have decided would make a better Christmas present for my Katie-bug than for Jordan… it is Pink after all, and anyone that meets Jordan knows that her favorite color is Purple, just ask her! And I love how much Katie loves things I make her! I’m thinking that my “simpler” Christmas presents are going to get started before the more complicated ones. I think it’ll help me practice sewing (don’t worry recipients, I’m sure that my practice ones will look great, too!) AND get some things checked off The List.

Here’s to good intentions of having an amazingly productive weekend!! Oh, did I mention that this is also the weekend Brittany’s out of town? Sigh… hopefully Jordan actually takes naps and Joey cooperates!

Project Pile-up

I really need to stop finding new, “totally awesome” projects that I could “totally do”, because I already have a giant list of such projects that I haven’t even started! On top of that, I start random projects that are in no way beneficial to the reduction of previously mentioned list! For example… making a scarf for Jordan just because I’m teaching Brittany how to crochet. Yes, it is easiest to teach/learn in straight lines, however, it does not have to turn into a scarf. Even if it does become a scarf, that does not mean I should add extra steps or colors to make it “super cute”, because it wasn’t supposed to be a project to begin with, and now it’s a multi-step project. Sigh.

New, “totally awesome” projects should not include things that took the person writing the tutorial 60+ hours to make. I mean, it’s not like I can start the project and two weeks later say, “Man, this sure is taking forever,” because I already knew how long it took the expert to make!

(T-shirt/jersey shag rug! Imagine the possibilities!)

I would love to say that I have time to spare to do crafts. The truth is, I probably do, and occasionally I do find time to start and finish projects. However, summer is speeding to an end and the “summer projects” list is nearly as long as when it started. I tend to write it off, because I did have a baby this summer and, with that baby, spent a lot of nights without adequate sleep. However, winter brings new seasons of TV shows that cannot be missed, and my DVR doesn’t seem to empty out nearly as fast as it fills up.

I’m thinking a “Project Priority List” is in order; I heart Excel! The only problem with that is, I would tend to do the easy/quick projects first (I like results), rather than the most important. It’s like getting an assignment in school that’s due in two weeks… I would complete it the night before and get better results than working on it for those two weeks. Maybe it’s the pressure to perform. Waiting until the last minute is not only unavoidable, but I also know I don’t have a choice except to rock it! :o)

My goal for the year is to NOT find anything else to add to my list. Believe it or not, but projects not only take time, but cost money! Sigh- can nothing be simple?!

Don't forget the baby!

Finally! 10 PM has made its way into the day and I’ve given in to Exhaustion. Grab my phone and I’m off to make baby bottles for the night, so I don’t have to come downstairs half asleep later. I ask Justin to bring a clean laundry basket up with him, take bottles (with pre-measured formula and rice) upstairs, grab the baby monitor off the banister where Brittany left it, and give her a bottle for the morning. Justin calls to me from downstairs, laundry basket in hand, “What are you doing?” I respond, “Uhh… going to the bedroom.” Duh. He continues, “Did you forget the baby?” Uhh… mental scan of each child's whereabouts... shit. Yes. Yes I did forget the baby, who is snoozing away in his swing… downstairs.

Back down the stairs I go to fetch the sleeping infant. I would love for him to be already sleeping in his crib, however he believes that, while falling asleep at 8 PM is okay, sleeping in his crib before 10 PM is not. So, I grab the baby and back upstairs I go. The dogs won’t go upstairs with Justin because I’m still downstairs, and really, who wants to go to upstairs when someone is still downstairs? Okay, I will go back for them.

Now, we have a door style gate at the bottom of our stairs to “help” keep the toddler and dogs downstairs and in sight of at least one adult. This set-up however, is a complete danger and nuisance. Have you ever tried carrying a laundry basket downstairs, while attempting to bend forward to fight with a gate, without toppling onto the 2 year old on the other side of the gate that is asking, “What are you doing?... Why?... Why Mommy?... Why?” It’s even harder to do than it is to explain. If that weren’t enough of a problem, try coaxing two dogs to go through the door and up the stairs while you’re holding it open. It doesn’t happen. What DOES happen is:

-        You hold the door and beg the dogs to go through the gate and up the stairs, neither do.

-        You give up, leave the gate ajar and go up the stairs, at which point you stop and continue to attempt to coax them through the gate with phrases like “C’mon! You can you it!” and “C’mon! Let’s go to bed! It’s bedtime!” All while fake smiling in hopes they think you’re happy with them.

-        Finally, ONE dog comes through the gate and up the stairs! The other dog loses interest and disappears into the darkness.

-        You walk back down the stairs, with the first dog in tow, to find dog #2.

-        You proceed to chase dog #2 around the coffee table, through the kitchen, around the dining room table, back through the kitchen and finally trap the pea-brained creature by the front door.

-        You pick up dog #2 and make your way back to the stairs where dog #1 is waiting on the other side of the gate.

-        Open the gate with 25lb dog #2 in one arm, while not tripping over or releasing dog #1 from the stair way.

-        Do no trip over either dog while they slowly walk/hop up the stairs.

-        Contain the beasts in their respective kennels for the night.

The moral of the story is… never buy a 2-story house.

Try not to mess anything up too much.

So, here it is.... my life in text. I wonder if that will make it look better or worse than it actually is. It will be interesting to find out. I used to love blogging on my Myspace, but since Myspace is from a period of time BFB (Before Facebook), I have decided to upgrade.  Not to mention that my Myspace blog was filled with my “Adventures in Divorce” and amusing in its own respect.

Currently I am balancing a toddler, an infant, and a husband that feels left out somehow. I would like to take a moment to file a complaint on life, because no one tells you, when you’re growing up, that you will be expected to master so many tasks in life and expected to juggle them all at the same time. It just doesn’t seem reasonable that there wasn’t a warning somewhere along the line. I mean, is it so irrational to expect a heads up? “What do you want to be when you grow up?.... Really? Okay, don’t forget that your husband is going to want a clean house, and you’re going to have to read 5 story books in a row, because your child wants ‘Just one more’, and that child is also going to need to be bathed regularly, even if you only get a shower or two a week. Oh, and multiple people are going to feel left out if you don’t make time to call or visit them on a regular basis.” See… it’s not that hard. However, I have learned that communication, tact in particular, is not everyone’s forte.

So… toddler, infant, husband… let’s make things a little more interesting and add a couple dogs, a 2 ½ hour round-trip work commute, and a huge extended family. There is not enough time in the day, even with three adults living in our house.

Crafting is something that I completely love doing, but have no time for. I finally gave up scrapbooking, because photobooks are cheaper and easier. However, crocheted items and personalized quilts cannot be made and ordered online; thank God that most of my Christmas shopping CAN however be done online! Is it so horrible that I have a vision of quilts and clothes and purses in my head, a huge stack of fabric in my room, and still haven’t sewn a stitch! It’s really okay, because I know I’ll love it and be great at it! ;o)

 I’ve discovered that men cannot get along with both their wife and their mother at the same time. Why is that? And why is it the wife that is determined to be the problem? Because we wives know that we are, in fact, not the problem. Which I believe is precisely why we are blamed… it’s easiest to place blame on the newest woman in said husband’s life. Women “sharing” a man cannot peacefully coexist, even when they are hundreds, if not thousands of miles apart. It’s just not possible, and I’m sure it never will be.

This is my into blog, my first entry of many more to come. I plan on sharing my triumphs, struggles, discoveries, confusion, and all the life in between. My favorite things to share are stories of my kids, especially my daughter, who does say the darnedest things! Like last night she thought a picture of her father (in his younger days) was of Kenny Chesney. Or of the times she holds my face in her hands and says to me, “I very love you Mommy.”

If you are along for the ride, put on your seatbelt, because you never know where this life is going to go. And I will... well... try not to let a dog eat the kids....