Always on a Mission: Part 1

I am always on a mission to find something that will hold the magic key to organization.  If I find or create the perfect (there is that evil word again!) system, then *Poof!* I will be wicked organized and live happily ever after.  So far, I have found no such key.  But I have started and created numerous organizational systems.  Color-Coded file systems, accordian files that I painstakingly labeled (and even made inspirational labels to motivate me to keep using the system), bulletin boards with different sections for all of my To Do Lists: Bills to Pay, People to call, Dreams & Goals, ect.  I joined the Fly Lady website (she is really lovely and I did learn some kind & gentle ways to teach yourself how to get organized.)  I read The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People & tried to use the Time Management Quadrants, which included me making more file folders and labels.  No wonder I am frustrated! Have you ever seen the the Quadrants (also known as time management matrix)?  Now add in the ADHD factor, with one of the hallmarks being the inability to prioritize...When everything seems important, how do you decide what to do first?  Even just looking at this quadrant below sort of gives me anxiety.  It is so black & white and quite frankly, it is so boring that I know now that there is no way in hell I will ever use something like this.

Recently, I was at a local bookstore, The Tattered Cover {a wonderful independent bookstore here in the Denver area} and I came across this book: Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets: Your Ultimate Guide to Domestic Liberation.  I didn't end up buying it that day, but it is on my list of books to read.  I flipped through it and loved the layout of the book, the way that the author writes is totally up my alley {I spotted a couple of F*bombs, and any book on organization that uses colorful language is a book that I want to read!}

On the same shelf as the book above, was this book: One Year to an Organized Life: From Your Closets to Your Finances, the Week-by-Week Guide to Getting Completely Organized for Good.

                                      

I opened this book & almost had an anxiety attack right there.  I literally shuddered in the bookstore.  Now, let me preface this:  I know that I committed a crime here.  I judged a book, not by the cover {I mean who doesn't like rubber duckies?} but by its interior layout and writing style.  Both of which were quite boring.  If I am going to read another book about organizing, please let it be funny, teach something & swear like a sailor.

I have learned / am learning a few things about: Organization: When it doesn't come to you naturally}:

• 
  
   Don't beat yourself up about it.  Don't let anyone make you feel inferior because you haven't figured out how to get all of the laundry washed, folded, hung up & put away or you know that piece of paper is "in that stack somewhere."  You know what?  IT IS OKAY. You have other gifts to share with the world.  Life is too short to worry about things like this, but I totally get how hard it is to feel good about things when there is a massive pile of clean laundry waiting to be folded, hung up & put away or you can't find a bill that needs to be paid because it wasn't in that stack somewhere.  I totally get it.  The most important thing that you can do is to brush yourself off & spend some time finding out what system will work best for you.
• 
  
  Find a system & STICK WITH IT.  This is where I really struggle.  I will find a new planner or notebook or whatever, and try it for a couple of weeks.  It is usually too much work or too confusing {see Time Management Quadrant Matrix above}.  I have found 2 websites that I really like and they are both run by women, who are both mothers.  Let's face it.  Life is complicated and it is just more complicated when you add little people and all of their laundry, diapers, food, toys, ect. to your life.  These women have come up with some great ideas to help manage all of these things.
• 
  
  I would be lying if I said that I have one system and I have stuck with it.  The truth is, I haven't.  I must have committment issues with organizational systems.  I have been burned one too many times, damn it!

So, here is the first of  two sites that I have found to be helpful.  Today we will talk about Hannah Keeley and her website.  She has a variety of pages that you can download for free here.  She wrote a post about "Trudging through Mud" and I commented and she actually commented on my comment!  Seriously, this woman is the mother to 7 children!  What I like the most about her site is that she is funny, she gets it and she doesn't pretend to be perfect.  The H.E.L.P downloads that she created are really easy to use.  I especially like the chore chart sheet.  She kept the spaces small so that you aren't tempted to fill them in with things that you won't possibly get to.  Check out the rest of her site for ideas and recipes and inspiration.

Damn.  This is one long post.  That happens when you write about something that means something to you.  I will keep it a little shorter tomorrow.  Thank you for reading!

Ooops, I missed a post!

u

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I went to a party yesterday afternoon, with the intent to come home in the evening & write my post of the day.

Things didn't happen the way that I had planned.

This got in the way:

I wish I had looked as lovely as this lady does while drinking beer:

But, I had such a great time...I was able to spend time with some of my very favorite people that I don't see nearly enough.  I have a wonderful group of friends that have been so good to me over the years...My life has been blessed by our friendship.  It was fun to drink beer and talk and laugh in the garage while it rained outside and I really needed exactly that.

But I felt kind of like shit today though.  Ooops. Reminds me why I don't drink very often anymore!

{Anthropologie Eye Candy Friday}: I always find something at Anthropologie that I like (afford it? that is another situation entirely). I didn't find a lot today in the way of clothing, but I did find some things that I just like for one reason or another. I like unique things and I think that if you like something, especially when it comes to something for your home, it should be something that you love, not something that you feel ho-hum about. I have things that just make me happy and inspire me.


{Terrarium & Sugar Bowl}

{Lamp Shade & Drawer Pull}

{Amazing Chair & A bench- more on this later}

{This is the bed that I want to get for Reese someday & a cool chair}

{Me likey}

{A cute makeup bag/clutch & I'm loving this bathing suit}

{I love these wedges}

{Clothes. Obviously}

Happy Friday!


I would be remiss if I didn't say thank you for all of your awesome comments on my blog this week. I definitely felt the love & I definitely needed some love.

Body Pump class and other random things

I have been feeling a bit, um, out of shape for the last few months (basically since we returned from our honeymoon). So, I decided to do something about it. Last week I went to my first Body Pump class at a local 24-Hour Fitness. I.loved.every.minute.of.it. Seriously. Totally what I want/need in a workout. Cardio, weights, good music and it was all over in an hour. Plus, I went with my good friend and she showed me what to do. I left last week and felt damn good. I wondered why I hadn't done it before because even when my legs felt like they were going to collapse, I was still loving it. I went again tonight, this time I was solo. Still fun, but there is something about having a girlfriend with you, you know? Then when you do something stupid, there is someone else to laugh at/with you.

Seriously though, it made me realize that I need sometime away from my house to do something for myself in regards to my physical health. Which leads me to a story. Last week, I made dinner for Josh & Reese. Now, it wasn't the most exciting dinner, but it was warm, it was food & it was on the table with no help from either one of them. They both sat down, looked at the food and Reese says "is this what we are eating for dinner?!?" (Well, yes it is what we are eating for dinner, unless of course you want to make something else instead...I didn't say it out loud, but I was thinking it!) Josh doesn't say much, but he did eat the Swiss chard & millet & chicken. Reese takes two bites and then says, "I'm done eating. You can take it away now." I think the next noise that was heard was my chin hitting the floor. When we both recovered, Reese found herself on her way to her room and I said, "I'm going to go for a walk. I'll be home in a little while." I put on my shoes and out the front door I went. I thought while I walked and this is one of the things that I kept thinking about: Um, Hello, Family? Does anyone realize that MAYBE I DON'T WANT TO COOK DINNER EVERY SINGLE NIGHT? Maybe I can't think of one good thing to make & even if I did, I would quickly realize that I was missing most of the main ingredients?? I actually enjoy making dinner most nights & most of the time I make really good food & dinner that night was good food. It just wasn't what either one of them expected. Well, I'm sure that Rachel Ray's husband can remember a few nights when dinner wasn't what he expected either.



(I also thought, "Damn. My daughter can be sassy. Oh, I know she didn't get that from me!" Oh, wait...that's my daughter that we are talking about).

This is one discombobulated post. I am tired, I wanted to write about something else, but then I couldn't think about how to write about it, so I switched subjects and this is what we ended up with. I think that I need to go to bed now...

But before I do, I will leave you with this:

Here is another random photo of Rachel Ray on Sesame Street. The word of the day the day that she was on the show was Pumpernickel. I love that word!

{Rachel is the shit}

Tonight was my favorite kind of night

Tonight, I made breakfast for dinner. eggs & toast. Reese helped make a really good salad and when we sat down to eat, she insisted that she only made it for me & Josh. I still put some on her plate and she ate it. We moved the table that I had in the craft room (serving as my laundry table-aka as the place to put clean laundry that needs to be folded). We put it on our back patio, put an orange tablecloth on it, set the table with silverware & plates and poured some lemon Italian soda in our glasses. This was our first dinner outside this summer and we loved it.

Then we put the food away and decided to go for a walk. There is a neighborhood close to ours that is full of beautiful Mid-Century Modern ranches and I love to walk through there...I think that I might be a stalker of houses, but I love looking at them. I am always on the lookout for good design and there is no shortage in this neighborhood. It was so nice to be outside on such a beautiful night and to spend the evening with my husband and child, having a chance to spend time with each other. I never remember just how much I love summer until it is here again.

The theme for NaBloPoMo is NOW. I think that sums up summer, especially the month of June. Summer is such a fleeting time and you have to take advantage of it. Eat outside, pack a picnic and go to a park. It doesn't have to be planned out or perfect or at the right time. Let your kids stay up a little later and go for a walk. Do it now!

Tonight was my favorite kind of night..

Update: My Not-So-Martha Martha Stewart moment

I was unable to upload pictures from my camera last night, but I was able to do it once I got to work this morning (shhh!)

So without further ado, I give to you in all of its glory....

The Cake:
{Made with love and frosted in a 100 degree kitchen}

This cake was meant to be. It will serve as a reminder to laugh when something doesn't quite turn out the way that you had thought. It is now forever a memory that will always make me smile & it is a lesson that taught me something. I learned to be confident in a situation that once would have left me feeling a little stupid. I learned to let it go and move on to the next thing even with a party taking place. It made me feel good to laugh and let it go.

The best part? I took Reese into our kitchen, opened the fridge and showed her the cake. She & I looked at each other and we both started laughing. I told her that I needed my baking assistant to help me next time! She said, "it's okay Momma. I like the lavender frosting!"

She just made my day.

Here is a picture of Reese on her birthday, eating at her favorite place, Noodles & Company. She always gets the Mac & Cheese. I'm still a bit hesitant about putting her picture on the Internet, which explains the side profile picture. She looks like she is sad, but she isn't.

{My Little Ray of Sunshine is Six Years Old}

I must say that I am enjoying the NaBloPoMo challenge. It is really fun to think about what I will write about next!

P.S. I have to confess that I actually bought FOOD COLORING to tint the frosting. I have a natural food coloring, but it was not turning out the way that I wanted. I guess if I had known what was in store, I wouldn't have worried about the color so much...

My Not-So-Martha Martha Stewart moment

{This was what I was imaging the cake would look like- no, not the whole thing, just one of the sections!}

So, in the spirit of letting go of perfectionism and in the tradition of making Reese her birthday cake, I embarked on the journey of making a 3 layer yellow cake with buttercream frosting, tinted with natural food dyes to achieve Reese's favorite color, Lavender. She also specified that she wanted "pink, green, yellow & blue polka dots." So, I bought all of the ingredients & set out to make The Cake.

I found this recipe on Bakerella.com and couldn't wait to use it. Here is what the cake was projected to look like:

I have made a layer cake once before & I have seen them being made (and frosted!) on TV, so I really thought that I could do it with this cake. I made the three layers last night, wrapped them up and planned on making the frosting this afternoon, before the little party we had for Reese.

I sort of forgot that frosting a cake in a kitchen in a house that lacks air conditioning when it is 97 degrees outside may lead to some serious cake issues.

it did.
As I watched the frosting stick to the cake & then pull parts of the cake up, I quickly realized that Reese's 6th Birthday cake wasn't going to be the 3 layers of lovely-lavender-polka-dotted-goodness that I had imagined.

Then something miraculous happened. I laughed my ass off. I finished it as best I could, put it on my cake stand from Crate & Barrel and put that baby in the fridge.

I let go of perfection.
You know what? It felt good to be able to laugh at myself & not beat myself up over it. Shit happens. I thought about how fitting it was, considering what I have been posting about lately. Embracing Good Enough. I knew that I had given the cake my best effort and isn't that really the point?

You know what else? The cake was damn good and the frosting was a lovely shade of lavender.


Plus, we ate it on the back patio and it was sort of dark out there.


P.S. And the icing on the cake (yes pun intended!) I can't upload my pictures from my camera for some reason. I will definitely post them tomorrow!

On the eve of her 6th birthday

Tomorrow my little Reese turns SIX years old. I'm feeling the way that I think that most mommas feel the night before & the day of their child's birthday. Happy, nostalgic, a little sad, excited and just that feeling that I can't find the words to explain. She was born on my best friend's birthday, which I love for many reasons. She was also born on a Monday & her birthday falls on a Monday this year, too. I remember that day so well, it was the best day of my life (my wedding was too, but for totally different reasons). So many people helped me bring Reese into the world, I was truly blessed. I knew that then, but I really know it now. I thought that I knew what I was in for...

But I had no idea.

I had no idea of the joy, heartache, exhaustion, pride, happiness and the depth of love for my beautiful child that awaited me. I learned quickly though, that's for sure! I didn't know what the future held for us, but I knew that I loved this child with a fierceness that I had never known. I learned how a few amazing women, some that you have known for years & others that you have only known for a short time, can lift you out of a low point in your life & show you the light of the life that you are beginning to start. I received a ton of advice when Reese was born...some of it I dismissed and some I have never forgotten & still think about. Here are a few examples:

"The first six weeks suck."--My good friend Kristie, who had her 1st baby 6 months before I did. This was great advice because it made me realize that it wouldn't last forever & I realized that it really was hard, it wasn't just me!

"Take it one day at a time & say your prayers."--My wonderful Nanny, my mom's mom

"I wasn't the best housewife or the most organized mom, but I knew how to have fun."--My mom's teacher friend who is fearless and fun & whose son's friend still remembers the time she took them frog catching instead of staying home to clean & do laundry.

Play with your babies, toddlers, preschoolers and kids. Play pretend. Get them out of the house and take them on an adventure, even just to the park. Make things a game and you can get them to help you with anything & they will learn to have fun doing the everyday things. Most importantly, remember that they are children & they are learning to do everything. Be patient when little hands make a mess, break something or forget to do something. They are little tiny souls learning in this world, so be gentle with your words. Read and do Love & Logic parenting. It really works. Don't beat yourself up when you fall short. Some days just suck. period. Everyday is not sunshine & honey, some days are dark & shitty. You will get overwhelmed and feel insecure, but try not to compare yourself to other mothers. We all have our issues with motherhood & that is okay. Think about the kind of family life you want to create & do the little things that will get you there. Feed your kids good food, real food. They will behave better & if you don't believe me, watch them after they eat ice cream. But. let them eat candy once in a while. It will be okay. Really it will. Keep your heart open. Motherhood is crazy/beautiful and I am so grateful to be a part of it.

{I will end with this wonderful quote from the wonderful Sark:}

Just in the nick of time...

this will probably post right before midnight, but it's all good. There will still be one for June 5th, 2010, right? I had started a post yesterday for today, but now I'm just not feelin' it.

This blogging every day for 30 days might be harder than I thought...


But then I realize that it doesn't have to be perfect. Every post doesn't have to have super-amazing-the-lighting-is-just-perfect-photos or clever writing or something really interesting to talk about...

I am learning to let go & embrace Good Enough.

Especially when it comes to the things that really don't mean anything at the end of the day. You know, like the laundry. I am learning to stop trying to be perfect, even though I am not the typical model of someone who is trying to be perfect. I am not exactly a goody-goody, straight A student, superstar athlete kind of perfectionist.

But I have fallen victim to "If I was just perfectly organized, I wouldn't have issues with _________ ." (fill in the blank with one or more of the following: being late, losing shit, being late, stacking papers into a pile because I literally, really don't know what the hell to do with them, being late. You get the idea). I am finally realizing that I have to be organized for myself & for my family & that I don't have to be perfect at it. I just have to embrace the attitude that sometimes, things just have to be Good Enough. and let it go at that. Save that energy for the bigger things that will head my way.


It is hard to do sometimes.

Well, I think that I am just going to do it...

So, I've been slacking in the blogging department. BIG TIME. I could list about a hundred reasons why I haven't blogged in over 2 months, but all I would really accomplish is the fact that I am making excuses. I have about a million posts in my head, but I will keep it short & sweet today. I decided to join NaBloPoMo or National Blog Posting Month. November is really their main month to challenge bloggers to blog daily, but I thought that it would be a good way to motivate myself to:

A. Write Everyday.
B. Let go of the Perfectionism, and just do it.
C. Find different things to talk about.
D.Challenge myself.

So, here is goes. 30 days of blogging (okay, well 27 days...in true Elizabeth fashion, I'm late starting!)

I receive Kate Spade emails and recently, they sent one with this picture:





This just made me happy looking at it.

I love the jacket, the pinwheels & of course the yellow bike!