Snow Day #2

We've been hit by a snowstorm and it is time to get creative people. I have two boys who want to play in the snow again and so I have to distract them with my super way more fun than a snowball fight ideas. I am only one person and dressing the 3 of us yesterday was exhausting.Then I had to haul everyone around on the sleds and they chased me all over the yard and then there was the picking up Asher out of the snow because he was so bundled up he couldn't move. Finally, when it was time to come inside, I realized there wasn't anyone to meet us with a mug of hot cocoa and yummy snacks because that person is me. After I get everyone undressed and redressed and under warm blankets, I had to cook lunch and by that time, I was WIPED. So that is why, I have to get creative today. God only gave me enough energy for one outside snow day a year. Hope you enjoyed it boys!

Snow Day #2 is officially Army day. After the boys morning bath, I dressed them in pj's and let them find all of their army gear. They dressed themselves up and helped me build a fort.


I wrote out missions for them to complete.

I hid a flag for them to find and capture.

I made them a soldiers lunch that they ate in their fort.


Today has been nothing but fun and giggles and it is so cute to hear them using their imagination. Lots of whispering and secrets are being shared in that fort. And thanks to Dora, Asher knows just how to follow a map and pick a path!


Asher was so busy waving the flag and saying "Hooray!" that he didn't notice his fellow soldier was wounded and needed help! Never leave a man behind!
Just when they were busy sharing military secrets, I ambushed their fort and shot them with as many Nerf bullets as I could find! I captured their flag and won the battle!

Having an army party this summer really paid off on this snow day. We had so much fun!

I packed a yummy snack bag for Izzy and we are spending some quality time together watching a movie while Asher naps. They were having so much fun playing army that I got all of my chores done this morning and besides dinner, I have the rest of the night to play! I have another fun idea for tonight....stay tuned!

My "Junk Drawer"

It's about to get REAL.

Everyone knows I love to organize. It clears my mind and gives me a feeling of accomplishment all while making my husband a very happy guy. It's a win/win. There is one area that has eluded me for the past two years. It is the equivalent of my junk drawer. You know the drawer everyone has, you never know exactly what it contains, but if you are missing something it is the first place you look. My master closet is like a big junk drawer, yes it is true, as ashamed as I am to admit it.
The core issue is that it isn't just my master closet, it is like a multi-purpose room. Living with my parents, we only have our bedrooms and our closets as storage. Remember in that post on downsizing where I listed the stuff we did keep? Well, if it isn't the boys stuff, guess where I have to fit it...that's right in my room. My room is the catch all room. It is our living room, office, and if you ask the kids-their playroom (ugh). Imagine how difficult it is to keep this space our sanctuary, when I have to store everything we own in this space. It is not about flow, or decorative appeal but, merely function. This has left me feeling overwhelmed and honestly, my room/closet has always been the last on the priority list.
Blame it on the new year, but enough is enough. My boys rooms are spotless and organized. I love being in their rooms. I am ready to enjoy my space and tonight was the night to do it.

Only because I know you will love me in spite of what I am about to show you....

THE BEFORE:
Are you ready?........

*hangs head in shame*

Hubby's side

- Dry cleaning bag
- Tub of misc. items that used to be in a linen closet
- Enough toilet paper for me to be on the Extreme Couponing show on TLC.

Shelving on my side.

What? You don't have random camping items next to your perfume? Your sweater dress doesn't fall off of the hanger so much that you decide to just throw it in frustration? You don't keep your extra checks next to your jewelry box? You guys are so weird. First things first, I had to empty out the entire closet.

It is amazing the things you find while crazily organizing while the Hubby is away. Take this for instance: Butterfly Hubby caught for me during the Coldplay concert we went to, as his birthday present!

Or this: The sweetest love letter written in song lyrics telling me he was surprising me with John Mayer tickets for Christmas!

Part of organizing is putting like items together. I started with my jewelry box and quickly realized someone has a slight problem... More in the safe... all but one, purchased by his beautiful wife. :) And then there is the really BIG problem....... Except, that isn't all. I counted 28. TWENTY-EIGHT pairs of shoes. I had to give him the top shelf which is long, as you can see by these pictures, plus the two racks under his side, but still that wasn't enough so I had to then create a third row by simply stacking them on top of other shoes. Someone needs to read my downsizing post.... (I'm looking at you Hubby) Then I cleaned up the cleaning shelf. And started putting things back where they belong. And of course I broke out my label maker, "Mabel." :)

And the shelves are now organized with purpose and they know their names.
I have to just add this, because every single time I go into my closet to get something as soon as I see this white coat, I smile and think of our future. :)

I wish I could get a full view of the closet in one shot, but that is pretty much impossible. You saw how our closet is divided in half and out of my half, I filled a large garage size trash bag of clothes and shoes to donate. After coming home and seeing my work, it has inspired Hubby to do the same. He has also requested I come up with a better way to hang his scrubs. He was very impressed and super happy to see that I had used Mabel. My plan is to finish up tomorrow by going through the rest of my drawers, cleaning out a bookshelf in our room and then dropping off all of our items at the donation centers.

Hubby did ask, "How long do you think it will stay this way?" I gave him a stern look and said, "Forever. Because I LABELED."

So, show me your "Junk Drawer", I dare ya!

Happy Organizing!
M.

Quite the imagination!

My little Lovey has quite the imagination! He is two years old and while he has a lot of similarities to his big brother there are a few slight differences, one being his ability to create and imagine. I didn't expect this trait at such an early age, especially since he has only really been talking for a couple of months now.

A couple of weeks ago, Hubby and I took the boys out for a fun day of lunch and shopping. The whole day Asher was super quiet and kept making these whiny noises and sniffling. I ignore it, because he is two... Hubby was like, "Asher knock it off with the whining already!" But, Asher kept it up every store we went he would sit in the cart and quietly sniff and then whine. Finally, when we were getting into the car, I looked back and said, "Asher." he ignored. After a few calls, nothing. Then it hit me, "Asher are you a puppy?" He smiled a huge smile and said, "Ashey puppy!" For the rest of the day he would only acknowledge us if we talked to him like a puppy dog. Instead of asking if he wanted a snack, we had to call it a "treat". He never broke character for the day. The following day, it was if it never happened and he was back to Asher.

Today I was working in my room while Asher was downstairs finishing his breakfast. He came up to see me, but rushed in and on his tip toes. He said, "Mama! Mama! Help! Help! Crocs bite me! Crocs bite me!" So I pulled him up onto my bed and said, "What are you talking about?" He went through it all again and finally I understood. He was pretending that my bedroom floor was water filled with crocs and if he stepped too long on the floor they would bite his toes. This little scene also means that for the entirety of today, I have to pick him up and carry him in and out of my room because he is really scared of them. I know that he has made this up, but you would never know it. He is so into his character that he started shaking when I asked him to walk and then he checked under my bed! :)

I love this kid. He is always so happy and so much fun. Israel was the easiest kid imaginable and sweet as sugar. Asher is easy in a different way, you could give him a piece of paper and he can make a game out of it or pretend it is something it isn't. He loves pretend play and he loves books, which makes me think as he grows his imagination will just run wild as he listens to stories. Who knows what this kid has in his little mind, but every single day is super fun!

Downsizing Tips!

I was talking with a friend recently, who is looking to get organized and not just in the way where you line everything up perfectly and buy a few containers, but really organized and downsizing to necessary items. I am the perfect person to discuss this topic with, as I have downsized from a good sized house, to an apartment, and then another one and then add two more moves on top of that. With each move, I realized more and more what I actually needed and what I was just keeping out of guilt. Once you have moved 5 times in 2 years you become very unattached to items, you keep what you need and everything else seems like a hassle. So, I was thinking if one friend needed some tips, maybe someone else would too.

When it was time to move out of my house, I had a 6 month old baby and my house was stuffed with stuff. I was extremely overwhelmed with the idea of downsizing to less than half of the space, with a new baby who had tons of stuff. I would lie awake at night trying to picture what I was going to do, but I just couldn't get a handle on it.

Tip #1. I mapped out my new space.
I drew out my new apartment, even drawing out each closet layout (bars, shelves). I labeled each room according to their purpose and then I started by drawing in each rooms necessary items, ie: In Izzy's room, I drew a crib, changing table, and so on. It took several attempts to plot out their correct locations, but I could then visualize each space and quickly realized how much room that left for each rooms less necessary items like toys. I used the closet picture to layout how I would organize clothes and large toys/baby items I wouldn't want shown on a daily basis and that left me with all of the things that I deemed "unnecessary".

Tip #2 Get rid of the guilt!
It is amazing how much a person holds onto, based strictly on what the other people in their lives deem important. I had BOXES of decorations, hand-me-down family items (not sentimental), wedding gifts that after years had remained unopened or unused. I kept all of these things based on guilt. I didn't use any of it, but what if those gifters had ever come to my house? What if they asked to see it and I had given it away? Eeek! So for years, I lived in my house with boxes of unused items just waiting to for the rare chance that my Aunt from out of state might visit and ask where her crystal wedding figurine is. Yep, that never happened. As the days passed and the pressure mounted to move, it finally hit me. I am not keeping these things because I love the gift. I am keeping them because I love the person who gave it to me. Giving these things away does not diminish my love for anyone, and if that extremely rare visit ever did happen, they love me enough to understand my situation. Guilt gone and so were tons of boxes. :)

Tip #3. Toys! Toys! Toys!

Israel has this book called "Too Many Toys." It is one of his favorites and I think that every parent can attest that that book is so true to life. It is about a boy who has so many toys that they overflow the entire house and his parents are so sick of stepping on Legos and cars that they make him pack up a box of toys to give away to kids who don't have anything. By the end of the story, he does as he is asked, but when his Mom goes to pick up the box he has turned it into a spaceship and tells her it is his favorite toy and she can't get rid of it! We have all been there, but isn't true that we feel this need to give our kids everything we can and most times it just sits unused. I know when Izzy was small I would buy a "must have" baby toy because I just knew it would make him so happy and he would play with it once and be done, but I kept it because I spent good money on the item and maybe "someday" he will like it. Well, I am here to tell you, I did not just get rid of one box, I got rid of many boxes of toys and my son is still here, happy and doesn't know any better. I made a list (I know, but get used to it, it is the only way to get through this process without crying) of all of his favorite items; toys, books, stuffed animals. The list was much, much smaller than I anticipated. First to go were stuffed animals. I kept one for my memory sake and then decided on a number and picked that many of his favorites, the rest were given away. All little collectible toys (happy meal, Chuck E. Cheese prizes) were automatically trashed. All books in good condition were kept, reading is important! All of the toys that didn't meet expectations were given to new homes. Bottom line: Getting rid of your kids stuff ranks up as one of the most difficult areas to purge especially because if your kids are small, you haven't had the items for long. My rule for my kids is now, if it doesn't fit in their bedroom in an organized way, we don't buy it.

Tip #3. The Kitchen
This is a tough area to downsize, most items are really expensive and you can always use them. Downsizing your kitchen, truly depends on your living situation. When we moved from our house to our first apartment, oddly enough the apartment had more cabinet space. I didn't get rid of much except for duplicate items or those appliances that were never used. The more I moved, the more I needed to get rid of and ultimately, after moving in with my parents, my only kitchen item I own is my Kitchen Aid mixer. Most people won't have to downsize to this degree, but I am unwilling to pay storage fees for dishes and Tupperware! All of these things are replaceable and weren't worth the hassle or cost to keep. Also, a fun thing to look forward to a brand new kitchen when Med school life is over!

Tip #4. Storage
This is a big one. My parents learned the hard way after thinking they would only need a storage unit for a short amount of time, they just boxed items up quickly and stored away. Unfortunately, their house didn't sell as quickly as planned and those items were in for an extended amount of time. When the house sold and they began to unpack their items, they realized quickly that they lived without those things for so long they didn't need them like they originally had thought. All those months, paying a hefty storage fee for items that they ended up giving away or had replaced with newer versions. If I had kept my living room furniture, it would have been in storage for 2 years at this point. It could be another 3 years before we move out, in my situation, by the time I would need that furniture again, my taste would probably change and I would want new items anyway. Lets not even speak of what that cost would have done to my monthly budget either. For me, storage should only be very temporary and only for items you can't part with.

Tip #5. Memory items

How do you downsize and get rid of things when they were given by people who are no longer with us? Difficult. I know because my first son, even though he had a very short life, had many items I bought just for him. I had a nursery ready to bring him home to and a tub full of items from his day of life. It is extremely difficult to let go of things that hold meaning or a memory to someone you loved. At some point in the grieving process, you become more ready to move things and when that happened for me, I used the same rules as I did with everything else. What are the most important items to you? What holds the most memory? I decided to keep 1 tub of my favorite items for Judah. That tub holds his first outfit, his first blanket, a memory box given by the hospital and a couple of small items from his nursery I bought just for him. There are lots of other items, but I had to determine a boundary. For me, 1 storage tub contained my most favorite items, they are all organized and I can at any point go to one place and find those precious things. It is difficult to let go of the other things, but there is freedom in not clinging to everything as well. My tip is when it is the right time, create your own limit and choose your favorite things create an organized space for those items and make it available so you can go visit with those items when you feel like it.

Tip #6. Be realistic

Save yourself some trouble and frustration. If you are moving from a 4 bedroom house (like we did) to a 2 bedroom apartment (like we did) you will have to get rid of 50% of your stuff. We now only have 3 bedrooms and no living space so we have probably downsized to a total of 80% of our original. I know you are wondering...what did we keep? Well I will tell you!

Master bedroom set and lamps.
Baby furniture and bookshelf.
Israels bed
kids table and chairs (fit in izzy's room)
Kitchen Aid Mixer
Baby clothes and items (kept in attic for future babies)
Bikes and ride-on toys
Musical instruments
Washer/Dryer
Clothes and winter coats.

That is right, we got rid of all of our furniture, appliances, tools, mowers, grill etc. If it doesn't fit into our bedrooms, we didn't keep it. Luckily, our house has a large basement, and the previous owners left ride on toys and some larger things like a kid tool station for our boys. My parents have given the under stair area for toy storage/play area for the boys and all of their bikes and ride on toys hang up.

Tip #7 Stay Downsized

Everyone knows as time goes on, you obtain more and more stuff. Holidays and birthdays and before you know it the small stuff you decided to keep is now overwhelming the small area you are living in. Before each holiday and birthday, I purge broken, old and unused items. Make room for the new then reorganize each space based on the new things.

If you try to keep more in an area than that space really allows, you are just going to find yourself overwhelmed and stressed. This major rule applies to any area, keep what you love. Not what you used to love, or what you might love in the future!

Even after moving into our own home again, I still plan on keeping these rules intact. I used to dread going into my storage space at my house, with those boxes sitting there in judgement. Now, everything I have, I love. I can purge almost anything without feeling bad about it, because I know how wonderful it is to live with less. I can stay organized and that makes me very happy.

Purge those judgemental "guilty" items, pick out your favorite things in each area, and bless others with the rest. You will be so glad you did!

Here is to a very happy, healthy and organized 2011! Cheers!

It's a New Year!

2010 was filled to the brim with memories, some good and some were terribly tragic. 2010 is the year my baby Israel started Kindergarten. It is also the year that my sweet Asher started talking. We had a great family vacation, lots of fun little trips and family events, tons of time with our friends and lots of great night snuggled at home. 2010, is also the year we lost a family friend to cancer and even though a couple of months have passed, it doesn't seem real. My boys seemed to grow the most this year, and it has been a little tough on my heart. Izzy is full blown kid at this point and it seems that Asher is racing to catch up with him.

I made a slide show of the highlights of 2010, but it is having difficulty loading to my blog. :( Going to keep trying, and hopefully it will be up today.

I hope everyone had a great holiday season with their loved ones!

Christmas Blessing!

I know I know, it's been a while. Please forgive me, but I have been soaking up every single second with my Hubby while he is on break from school. We have been all over and spent wonderful time with friends and family. We have crafted, been all over the city taking in the beautiful season and making Christmas memories.

Today, I was wrapping up my last few projects and my last gifts when I got a call from Hubby who was out to lunch with an old friend. He said, "Honey, you won't believe this, but he paid for my lunch. AND then, he gave us (large amount of money) and told me to take you out for a nice date (more like 5 or 6 nice dates:) and when I refused he said that him and his wife talked about it and wanted to bless us. Is that AMAZING!?! Right before Christmas, when times are tough and he has his own family and children to bless. I was just shocked and then I cried. These are friends we don't see often anymore and just an invite to lunch was a blessing to Marcus but everything else was so unexpected, but oh so appreciated. Hubby and I don't exchange presents on Christmas so we can focus on the boys and this gift today gives us a chance to spoil each other a little bit and the gift of time with my Hubby is the best thing I could ask for!

Izzy surprised me yesterday morning by giving me his favorite stuffed animal. When I asked why he wanted to give it to me he said, "Because I am learning about the spirit of Christmas and that means giving and sharing your favorite things, so I give you Jack, but I need him back after Christmas. :) I'm so glad he is learning to be a giver because we have been given so much. My prayer is that I teach my boys to give and be thoughtful of others first,because in the end, God always takes care of every single need or desire. Today is a perfect example of that.

I hope that I have been able to bless my friends and make them feel as special as I feel today. Praying the rest of 2010 finds you richly blessed and surrounded in love! Merry Christmas! Michael

Another heart melting moment...

Do you ever feel like you are pulled so thin, that you aren't doing anything to the best of your abilities? Especially, the stuff that counts like being a Mommy? Well, I feel like that a lot. I mean A. Lot. Hubby is in his second year and his schedule is beyond crazy and as much as I hate to admit it, I am not perfect. I know, SHOCKER!

With Hubby being in the midst of finals, and the holidays quickly approaching, add in the holiday parties, required family gatherings, school functions, play dates, projects and oh yeah, Mothering children, it sometimes feels like I give them all of my time, but my focus isn't quite there as it should be.

Just when I am feeling a little down, I can always rely on my sweet Izzy to surprise me with his flattery.

Back story:
Last week, Izzy came home from school with a note saying that he had been a tad too talkative and had to miss 5 minutes of play time with his head down. Now, if you know me, you know this devastated me. I am a rule follower. I am obedient to my core and for my children to disobey, well as dumb as it sounds...it hurts. After a talk and a day without electronics as punishment we regrouped and finished the rest of the week out right. Add this situation to a finals weekend with no Hubby support and Izzy who is desperately missing his Daddy time (read: SUPER EMO) this weekend left me feeling like I can't handle everything and do it in a way that make my kids feel full of what they need all of the time.

Sunday night, I put the boys to bed at 7. No fussing, no problems. I walk upstairs to my room to get dressed for a craft night with a friend and within a minute, my Izzy is standing in my doorway. I didn't even have time for a sigh or a eye roll because before I could process anything, there he stood with a sweet innocent smile on his face and he said, "Mama, I know I am 'posed to be in bed, but I have to tell you something special. I like you very much and I really appreciate you. You are always nice to me and I just thought you should know that. I love you Mama, and don't be mad at me cause I got out of bed, okay?" He then proceeded to come give me a huge hug and kiss that was one of those moments Mommy's live for. The kind of hug where the love just pours out over you and refreshes you. It is a moment I needed so badly, and one I will never forget.

On my drive to my friends that night, I thought about what he said and realized, that just as I don't expect perfection from my kids (although it would be nice ;) my kids don't expect that from me either. All of the pressure is self induced and I need to take a few more deep breaths during the day and just give a few more hugs and kisses. I think we would all feel much better this season.

Hoping all of you Mama's out there get your moment of refreshment very soon!

*deep breath*