Snow Storm Fun

The Snow is going to be falling very soon in many parts of the country over the next 48hrs! The Chicagoland area is supposed to get anywhere from 10-20", depending on where you live in Chicagoland. I am thinking many kids will have a couple of snow days and will be "Snowed In". I am in the midst of preparing for being snowed in and planning things to do while snowed in and have a snow theme. I decided one of things to do was to create a "Snow Chart" so the boys and I can measure the snow as it is snowing! Our goal is once an hour on the hour!! I created a simple snow chart in WORD document and wanted to share it with you all:

Snow Watch 2011

Feel free to download it for your family and to share with friends and family!!

Stay Safe and Warm in the pending storm!!!

Snow Storm Fun

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Menu Plan Monday

I am very excited to see this week come, even it is going to be a wild and crazy week. Chicagoland is bracing for 18" to 25" of snow over the next 48hrs and our 6yr is having his tonsils removed on Thursday. I will need to do some major grocery shopping this week due to Circumstances Beyond our Control. I am very grateful we will be receiving our IL State Tax Refund check this week so I can do a major Pantry restock!

Here is our menu for the week:
(The words on the document in blue are clickable recipe links)
Weekly Menu Plan


For more great recipes and menu plans visit: Organizing Junkie

Menu Plan Monday

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Life Issues Trumped Progress

Well I didn't get much accomplished this weekend because life issues got in the way. I was sick on Saturday, "stay in my comfy chair all day" sick. Today, I went to clean and organize my pantry, which I thought would take me only 30 minutes or so, took me 3hrs. We had to throughly clean it and throw away about 1/3 of our pantry stuff due to "circumstances beyond our control". (I'll spare you all the details) Here are some before and after pics of the pantry.

Suffice to say: We will be doing some major stock up of pantry items this week and we will also be purchasing some containers to store our pasta, rice, beans, and cereal in. (I didn't take pics of the bottom area where we have our flour buckets and small appliances). I still have a box of food items to put back in, but I need to get storage containers for them first!

I think tomorrow(Monday 1/31) we are going to have a "Home Ec" day and "Responsibility Training" day for the boys. We will do some more house cleaning and teach them responsibility while doing so.

This week is a new week, although a busy week and a crazy week! I am going to make the best of it and try to get things accomplished!!

Life Issues Trumped Progress

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Small progress, but nonetheless progress

I began my day all energized, feeling good and ready to tackle a few projects today. I was out the door at 7:15am to run to Wal-Mart for a few things for the house and some groceries. I also stopped at Walgreens to get a few sale items and some batteries. I got home around 8:30am. Had breakfast with the family and then checked email and other computer stuff.

I got to work in the kitchen around 11am. Washed the dishes, cleaned the counters down and then decided to tackle the upper cabinets. The cabinets tend to get very cluttered and never cleaned out. I know I will be going grocery shopping sometime in the next couple of days, so I figured I would get those cleaned out and ready for new stuff. I took some before and after pics of my work:

I was planning on cleaning our master bedroom also, although I hurt my left knee while working on the cabinets, by going up and down on the kitchen chair. I ended up sitting in my chair for the afternoon with my leg up on the ottoman.

I also did both our Federal and State Taxes online this afternoon, as we received our last form we were waiting on!! We are getting refunds from both! YEAH!

I hope to accomplish at least 3 major tasks tomorrow which would include some more cleaning and organizing and then some using some organizational tools online to get some more stuff accomplished!

Small progress, but nonetheless progress

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Consistency, Routine, and Perfectionism

Consistency, Routine, and Perfectionism= The 3 words that for me can get all rolled into one! I have always thrived on these 3 things and now my boys do also. I feel that if I am consistent and have a daily routine then all will be PERFECT. When things don't align as I would like then I get frazzled and upset, then the day just can go downhill from there. I am a "person of order, not of chaos" Chaos gets me so frazzled!!

My ideal day would be:
7am: Everyone up and getting dressed and making beds or doing some morning chores or helping with breakfast.
8am: Sitting down for breakfast and morning family devotionals.
8:45am: Clearing the table and getting ready for our school day.
9:00am Starting school for the day
11:45am  Breaking for lunch
12:15 Having lunch
1:00pm Finishing up any school stuff by 2pm
2:00pm Afternoon activities and FREE time
4:00pm Afternoon chores and help prep for dinner time
5:30pm Family Dinner Time
6:15pm Kitchen Clean Up
7:00pm Family Evening Time, Bath Time, etc.
8:30pm Boys are in bed for the evening
11pm All is quiet in the house

Does our day ever look like this?? NO!!! Many different things attribute to the lack of consistency and routine:
1) 2 of my boys have bad sleeping habits, they usually don't fall asleep until 11pm or later. Our youngest is actually getting his tonsils and adenoids removed next week because of heavy snoring and bad sleeping.
2) I am the only early riser in this family. All the "boys" in the house would sleep until noon if they were allowed, but I usually have them all awake by 9am.
3) My husband doesn't work until 2pm most days, so when "daddy" is home, the family tends to get off track.
4) I get distracted by phone calls and wanting to get a lot done while others are still sleeping. I don't focus on the right things.
5) Lack of motivation on some days
6) Lack of organization on some days (I am a clutter phobic and can't concentrate when things are disorganized)
7) "Sick Days" for one kid or another, gets things frazzled here.

I have decided I am not going to strive for Perfectionism as no one is perfect. I am going to reorganize and  strive for Consistency and better Routine here! I will be working on many things over the next 3 days and getting myself organized better so we can have the Consistency and Routine. I have the "Tools and Ideas" (oh trust me do I ever) I just need to get myself organized and lay it all out to the "boys". I think having our first ever "Family Meeting" on Sunday night is a very good idea!

A couple of my boys certainly have already taken after me with some of their "routines". They get frazzled and crazy if things are "not in order" or "things are not in place". For instance, we all have Certain Cups for Certain things and the boys know which is their cup for each purpose. The boys get quite upset if they are not given "their cup".  They thrive on routine and consistency, so I need to work on getting us back into a steady routine.

No one is PERFECT and "My Perfect Day" will never happen. God's plan will always happen no matter how much anyone tries to "avoid" it! God's plan is why we always have to allow for flexibility in our life. I have lots of flexibility for "daily interruptions that is for sure. I do know how to prioritize and organize, sometimes it is just a matter of actually doing both of those!

So I proclaim that I am going to work hard to get things organized so that our days run much smoother and are "days of order, not chaos". I will be posting my progress and the tools I use to help achieve this!! Of course prayer will be the first tool I use and put into action!!

Consistency, Routine, and Perfectionism

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Works for Me Wednesday

I am usually a very organized person and don't normally forget a lot of things. Although, within the last year or so, I have had lots more activities, life happenings and more on my plate and I had begun to forget many things. I needed something that would remind me of appointments, activities, and more via email. I began looking online for something of the sort and came across SpringPad. I signed up and became a "member" about 10 months ago and then never used the service. I kept allowing myself to forget and not be organized. I was still receiving emails and I follow SpringPad on Twitter, so about 2 months ago I  discovered they had changed things up a bit and also added an app in the Android market!! Woohoo! I quickly visited the site again, added the app to my Android phone and now I am on my road to not being forgetful! Not to worry if you don't have a "Smartphone" because it is still web based and as long as you have internet and email access you can make great use of SpringPad. 

I really like the layout, the ease of use, the simplicity of the site(not too many "add ons"), the ability to share "my stuff" with others, the email reminder alerts, and the "Notebooks". I also like that I can save/bookmark websites of interest. The Notebook feature allows me to have "notebooks" for different topics, projects or upcoming events. For instance, I have a Recipe Notebook that I have either typed recipes saved or recipes that I find online in that Notebook. I can access the recipes from my Smartphone when cooking and no need to print them out!

I use Chrome browser and there is an "extension" that makes adding things to your account very easy! In All browsers you have the "SpringPad Clipper" that is installed on your browser toolbar for adding things to your account! 

You can see How SpringPad Works and also the great Features!! Check out the SpringPad Blog written by Katin for some great info on the updates and features and tutorials on how to use SpringPad! Also, here is a post from another blogger who compares Springpad to other services and explains why SpringPad was his choice!!

SpringPad has endless options and possibilities on helping you organize your life, your schedule, your household, your job and much more! SpringPad works for me and I hope it would work for you!!

For more great hints and tips visit Kristen over at We are THAT Family.

Works for Me Wednesday

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Simple Woman's Daybook 1/25

Outside my window...  Gloomy and dark outside. It is going to be cold day. 

I am thinking...  I need to get moving here. I have to run a couple of errands this morning and want to get it done as soon as possible.

I am thankful for... all the blessings that God provides for our family!

I am wearing... My Pj's, a pants and long sleeve shirt set.

I am remembering...  That it is a joy and honor to be a wife to my wonderful DH and a mother to my 3 energetic, wonderful boys! 

I am creating... Nothing! I have ideas in my mind, but my hands aren't doing the work. LOL

I am going... I have to run to Fort Pitt Furniture today. Fort Pitt Furniture is a Hotel Liquidator store. They get furniture from hotels who are remodeling their rooms. Hotels usually remodel every 2-4 yrs, so the furniture is in excellent condition. They sell the furniture and TV's and more for very very good prices! Looking for a TV for my niece.

I am reading.... lots of good books from the library. Check out my sidebar for my reading list. Also,doing some blog reading today.

I am hoping... that we can work together as a family today and get the toy room and boys bedroom in order! 3 boys, 2 rooms=MESSY. I am so "clutter phobic" that I can function when things are MESSY!

On my mind... Cleaning and organizing! I know once we get started it will be one of those situations where "It looks worse then it is". 

From the learning rooms... Doing our regular studies this week!

Noticing that... I haven't been as congested during these cold months like I normally am each year. I think it is because our apartment is very warm and keeping my nose dry.

Pondering these words... The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. -- Ecclesiastes 10:12

From the kitchen...  Here is our Menu Plan for 1/23-1/29  Today I am going to also be making Crockpot Triple Chocolate Cake. 

Around the house... Today is "Get the house cleaned Day". We never got around to the Toy Room and Boys Room last week, it needs to get done TODAY!

One of my favorite things~    GoodReads.  GREAT site! I love it!

I really like that I can rate the books, write reviews and give my opinion of books. I can list what I am currently reading and then change the status once I finish that book. Also, if your friend rates a book that seems to interest you, you can "add to your list" if you want to read it in the future.  My Good Reads Page. If you sign up or already a member, friend me and I will friend you back! 

A few plans for the rest of the week:  This week is a very slow week. We have AWANA/Mid week activities Wednesday night at church. Church this coming Sunday, but nothing else much going on!

A picture to share:

"My 3 Sons" with their Tomahawk

Simple Woman's Daybook 1/25

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