Word of the Year: Intentional

 

I’m not sure where I first heard of this idea, but I love it.  Instead of making New Years’ Resolutions, you choose a word that will guide you through the year.

Last year’s word was PRODUCTIVE.  Fall of 2010, I had terrible morning sickness.  I spent a few months just laying on the couch, and taking Benadryl to help me sleep through the nausea.  In early 2011 (or maybe late 2010), my husband sat down and had a little talk with me.  Basically, he told me that since the nausea was gone, the laziness needed to leave, too.  He was very kind and gentle about it, but I cried and cried.  Mostly because I knew that he was right.  I was be lazy – and not because of morning sickness at that point – just because of habit.

 

 

So, I tried to be more PRODUCTIVE and I think I was.  I kept my house a little cleaner, spent less time on the internet, and did some house projects that I’m pretty darn proud of.  I (mostly) broke my bad habit of laziness.

Source: marykatemcdevitt.com via Katie on Pinterest

 

This year, I’m going to build on that.  This year’s word is INTENTIONAL.

I pinned this a long time ago, and even shared it here, and I’ve continued to think about it almost daily.

 

Source: flickr.com via Katie on Pinterest

I realized that if I want to change anything – my habits, my home, my parenting, my body – I was going to have to be more INTENTIONAL about it.  It’s not enough to say, “I’m going to start exercising.”  Instead, I need to be more specific and intentional.  “I’m going to do a workout video during Isaac’s morning nap on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.”

Right now, I’m focusing on food (cooking it, eating it, planning meals, planning shopping,) exercise, and simply completing my to-do list. 

So what’s your word for the year?  One of my friends decided that her word is “simplify.”  Another chose “progress.”  Layla, from The Lettered Cottage, chose “up.”  But if none of those sounds good to you, head over to TLC for “This Little Word of Mine.”

 

But first,

Source: femailcreations.com via Katie on Pinterest

 

 

 

(just kidding.)

Storage Solution: Clean Laundry Closet

I have trouble keeping up with the laundry sometimes.  I know I’m not the only one with this problem.  It’s not so hard to get it washed and dried, but folding it and putting it away seems impossible – overwhelming, even.  I know, I know…if I just folded each load as I took it out of the dryer, it would probably be no big deal.  But for various reasons (disgusting basement laundry room, two little boys who need my attention every 30 seconds, etc.) that just doesn’t work around here.
But SOMETHING had to change.
So, after seeing a “laundry basket dresser” on pinterest, I developed a system.  It’s not perfect, but it’s certainly an improvement over the giant mountain of clean laundry on the dining room floor.


I used this empty closet in my still-barely-functional-not-yet-finished bathroom and constructed three simple shelves.  I screwed a 1x2 into the studs on either side wall, and then set two 1x8s across the opening.

There is one shelf/basket for each family member.  When the clothes come out of the dryer, I carry them upstairs and sort them into the right baskets. 


(Bart’s closet is downstairs, so those his basket is combined with other downstairs items, like bibs and dish towels.)
Then, during bathtime, I can pull out one basket and fold it.  Folding one family member’s laundry at a time prevents the “there were 17 different stacks of clean, folded clothes, until my baby/toddler/dog just knocked them over and now I have to start over” scenario.
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Hanging clothes are put on the back of the door, and the occasional wrinkly shirt can be hung at the end of the shower curtain rod.  Since farmer Bart takes a minimum of two showers a day, those wrinkles are steamed out in no time.

Adam’s basket is on the floor so that he can reach it easily himself.  As he gets older, I fully expect HIM to take the full basket and put the contents where they go.

Like I said, it’s not a perfect system, but it’s keeping the clean clothes off the floor and making it much easier to find what we need.  I still get behind sometimes, but concentrating on one basket at a time seems much less overwhelming.

Shared at: Whisperwood Cottage

Phrase of the Day Calendar

 

Bart recently compared our Adam (3 1/2) to those “Word a Day” desk calendars.  It seems like he has a new phrase every or vocabulary word every day.  Here are some of our most recent favorites:

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“Unfortunately, the tree got sick and had to be cut down.”

“What’s unfortunately mean?” 

“It means the tree got sick and had to be cut down.”

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“Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? I see a red bird looking at me.”

"In fact, it’s a cardinal.”

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In a dejected tone of voice, “I can’t make up my mind.  My mind is out of order.”

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My fort doesn’t have enough room to hide my head, so I’m introducing a new way to build it.

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“I have a collection of coconuts.”

“What?”

“A collection of coconuts.  From the park the other day.  For Isaac, in his stroller.”

“Pinecones?”

“Yeah! A collection of pinecones!”

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“It’s not for babies.  It’s for big-year-olds.”

Storage Solutions: Wrapping Station

This cabinet in my living room has a secret.

The back side is home to all of my gift wrapping supplies.


The wrapping paper fits perfectly in a $4 Ikea plastic bag holder.


The rest of the supplies are in this inexpensive hanging organizer from Walmart.


Don’t have a cabinet that will work?  How about the back of a door, or inside a closet?  Your wrapping supplies will be close at hand whenever you need them!

Sharing this project at:
Piece of Work Wednesday 
Miss Mustard Seed
Feature Yourself Friday
Serenity Now
Remodelaholic
 Whisperwood Cottage

Sharing at Saturday Night Special this week!

(Ground) Turkey Tuesday

 

Two weeks before a flock of turkeys goes to market, Bart has to take fat samples from a few of the birds.  The samples are sent to the plant, where they are tested for food safety.  The breast meat from those birds ends up in our freezer.

 

I love turkey breast in the crock pot, cooked on low for several hours.  But, a couple of weeks ago, I found a meat grinder at Target on clearance – originally $100 but marked down to $30!  I snatched it up and put it to work!

Bart and I spent about an hour grinding and browning about 16 lbs of lean turkey breast.  We divided it into pint sized freezer bags and now it’s ready for supper at any time!

Got a favorite ground turkey recipe?  I’d love to have you share it!

Iowa and the Caucuses: Two Things I Want You to Know

 

#1.  Your vote counts.  EVERY vote counts.  The Iowa Caucuses were won by 8 votes.  EIGHT VOTES!  Crazy

 

#2: Iowa has been described rather negatively in the national press lately, but THIS is the Iowa I know and LOVE.

Party Animals: 5 Tips for Surviving a Party with Youngsters

(And a few Christmas pictures.)

 

We have successfully survived enjoyed 9 family gatherings this holiday season.  We are blessed with large families who all live within a few minutes of us, and when you throw in a few important birthdays (Grandmas and little cousins), it makes for a VERY busy couple of weeks for a 3.5 year old, 9 month old and farmer who doesn’t get to take vacation days.

So tonight, while gearing up for two more birthday parties at the end of this week, I compiled a list of some tips I’ve learned in the past couple of years.

(Christmas Eve 2011 – Adam David, 3 1/2; Isaac Douglas, 9 months)

1.  Potluck: bring something they like or feed them before you go.  Adam is Picky (with a capital P.)  For family Christmas #4, he helped me make peanut butter sandwiches, cut out with the new sandwich cutter that Santa brought.  They were a huge hit, and kept him from having a hunger induced meltdown.

(Christmas #1 – thank goodness for the fruit, cheese and crackers!)

(Christmas #4 and the puzzle shaped PB sandwiches at the kids table.)

2.  Make it work for your schedule.  Don’t be shy about coming late or leaving early if the party interferes with naptime. Isaac goes with the flow, but some kids are extra sensitive to missing naps.  Adam was that way.  A missed nap or late night meant two or three days of cranky-ness.  Don’t feel guilty if your child is also like that.

3.  Prepare them in advance:  tell them what to expect.  Let them know who will be there and  what events will be taking place.  “FIRST, you need to eat something healthy, THEN we take family pictures and AFTER healthy food AND pictures, THEN you can have presents.

(Pictures with my parents and Grandma before presents  and cake!)

4.  Find a quiet place.  Some little kiddos get overstimulated quickly.  Help them find a quiet place to take a little break.  I am not opposed to nursing in front of my family, but Isaac gets so distracted that we have to go find somewhere quiet (and preferably dark) in order to be successful. At birthday party #3, I went into the nursery and left the light off, and Isaac finally filled up his tummy.

(All he wanted from Santa was that darn toothbrush!)

5.  And finally -  Bribe them with whatever it takes.  This is one of the few times that I think it’s okay to bribe.  Won’t smile for the pictures?  Mention the word “presents” and I bet they will!  Cake and fudge also make great bribes.

Christmas Morning

(Don’t you love how Adam wrote Isaac?!?!)

Any other tips for making family gatherings and birthday parties go as smoothly as possible?