Balancing Things I Want to Do With Things I Need to Do

My house is a wreck. 

I'm a notorious piler and stacker.  I love to get rid of trash and any recycling that I come across.  But, the things that I need or might need get shuffled into piles.  My pile, kid's piles, to do piles, DH's pile, etc.  I've got all the piles. 

What I don't have is a filing system or any organizational skills.  Don't get me started on things that I need to put away but don't have a home or things we have too many of but are still useful. My daughter's giant piles of shoes is coming to mind. 

It's overwhelming.  So, I've neglected doing anything other than the bare minimum of dumping trash, a little laundry, and keeping up with the dishes (most of the time).   We really need to have people over soon for meetings, playdates, a Halloween party the kid's are wanting.  I need to get on the ball. 

But, there's so much I want to do that isn't going to help straighten the house.  I want to make muffins.  I want to organize my girly stuff in the bedroom.  I want to declutter my bottom dresser drawer where I keep my tank tops because it's hard to open.  I want to read some magazines that I'm storing.  I want to sit down and finish a library book before it's overdue. 

Being a stay at home wife affords me a great amount of free time but it's one of those things that go hand in hand with being organizationally challenged.  I never know how to make the best use of my hours.  I end up going from one thing to another, always busy but never having much to show for it in the long run. 

So, I'm getting out my flylady timer and giving my self 15 minute increments to do one thing I want and one thing that needs to be tackled.  I have a rare treat tonight where I get to leave the kids with my sweetheart and go to the library for an adult program.   I'm looking forward to it but I want to feel like I earned my time away. 
First up is 15 minutes in my kitchen doing dishes general clearing.  After that I'm going to whip up a batch of Bisquick Blueberry muffins because I have frozen blueberries to use and milk that is soon to expire. Then 15 minutes of clearing off the kitchen table and sweeping.  Then 15 minutes of hanging laundry and starting another load which I actually enjoy.  Etc. 

I'm lighting a candle and put on some music because I might as well enjoy the process.  I'm a big fan of the $5 True Living tri-scented candles from Dollar General.   I've had excellent luck ordering DG stuff to be mailed to my home.  They even give you 4.5% back on ebates.

The Parenting Files: Bringing Mt. Washmore to the Children

I learned how do laundry when I was 9.   My Dad would wash everything in hot water and it would shrink my clothes.  I loved my baggy clothes (no thanks to early onset puberty).  
So, I know full well that my children are old enough to start learning the basics of their laundry care. 

This excerpt is taken from a flylady email:

"The secondary payoff came several years later when first DS went to college. He held laundry classes in his dorm, because he was the only one of his friends who knew how to do their own laundry. I got one of those treasured phone calls in which he said, "Thank you, Mom, for preparing me. I can't believe these people don't know how to do their own laundry." "

When I was in college I worked part time in a laundromat.   A guy came up to the counter and asked me to quietly explain to him how to wash his laundry.  I came out and proceeded to show him the routine and the whole time he kept shushing me because he didn't want the other patrons to know that he was learning. 

My daughter was working on cleaning her bedroom (which I can almost walk thru now) this weekend and bellowed from her room that it was time for me to wash her clothes because her hamper was full.  I responded by telling her that she had better whisk her basket of dirties to the washing machine then if she wanted clean clothes.  

My children are babied entirely too much and I know this.  But, I am determined that they will know how to do their own laundry, how to do basic cleaning and how to cook a few simple meals before they leave my house. 

What's Flying Around Here

I'm working on gathering more donation stuff for yet another charity pick up. My goal is to at least have the same amount going out as I do coming in the door.

I'm hanging a load of laundry each day. I do use the dryer on days when I have more than one load. Like today when I had three. Someone got so upset over their math homework last night
that they got sick on their bed. Sometimes homeschooling seems like a great idea.

I started walking my dog everyday for at least 20 minutes so I can start getting into shape. Plus, she's so much happier when she gets out and about.

Flylady has been on my mind a lot lately. I always feel better about my house and myself when I do her program. So, today I listened to a podcast while I put away laundry. Dragging around the laptop is a pain though and it makes me want an mp3 player.

I have to run now and go poop scoop the back yard and hunt for broken toys to throw out.
It's a glamorous life and I know you are all jealous. All two of my readers, anyway.

I'm Going Through Some Stuff.

I've got a running tally in my head of all the stuff I need to get done before we have company. I've been preoccupied.
Also, I've been addicted to catching up with the tv series Bones. I just started the 6th season. I don't know why I find it so refreshing. Probably because it's not a fluffy show and it's also not completely dark and depressing. It rides that line. And also I enjoy the quirky characters.

I have been practicing the exact opposite of frugality lately. I splurged on a new fall wardrobe and bought two new pairs of jeans, some accessories, and a few shirts. Even with coupons, I spent over $200. I also splurged on new make up, cat litter stuff for our behavioral peeing problem and some Christmas presents for the kids. No worries though. My credit card bill has been paid.

This past weekend was my 2oth high school reunion. I chose not to go and doing so has left me both relieved and sad. Almost everyone that I would actually care to see did not attend so I don't think I missed much. But, having grown up in a fairly small town with the same people and having the burden of my memories, I feel like I missed out. I can vividly recall what a lot of those people looked like with missing front teeth and Rainbow Brite and Hulk t-shirts. In a way I feel like I should have paid homage to that. So, in spite of the new infuriating changes Facebook has made I will keep my profile. It's a small way of keeping them a part of me.

Tomorrow is my 39th birthday. I don't know how I got here so fast. I still feel like a teenager so much. And yet I can totally see myself as a grumpy old lady on the front porch yelling at the whipper snappers. I have one more year before I know I will be a total old lady. My apologies to anyone over 40. I'm sure I'll feel differently once I pass that hurdle. Right now I'm fighting it tooth and nail.

And now onto that pile in the hallway that I've been ignoring for months. Yes, months.

See- I Cleaned Something

I cleaned everything off and dusted. I sorted and reshelved. I filled three boxes with books to get rid of and move to other locations. And I resolved not to buy anymore books. It's still over filled but it looks much better.
My Husband got out the steam cleaner and I have a nice floor again. So I'm resolved to keep it clear of toys and clutter. And to limit drinks to the kitchen.

There's always more to do but this still makes me happy.

IKEA Schmea- Where's my Hefties?

All the time I read these glorious blog posts about the wonders of Ikea's storage systems, occasional free breakfasts, and their clean lined Scandinavian furniture at prices so low they make you want to slap yourself.
My closest IKEA is 300 miles away. And I'm not going to cry about that. Because you know what I don't need? More crap to put my crap in. Plus, I'm not a clean line kind of girl. I'm a vintage tin and thrift store basket kind of girl. (Although the state of my house right now would tell you I'm more of a hoarder with a dash of romance)

Right about now I think the only thing that would make my house prettier is a toss & burn and a quick vacuum.
On the agenda is:

The kitchen table- it was clean last week but you know what they say about flat surfaces.


The couches- more flatish surfaces covered with pillows, blankets, toys, grocery store circulars and a pile of kid's artwork to file.
The floors of the living areas- toys, papers, school stuff, Christmas stuff, Halloween stuff that I unearthed that never got put in the basement last year (I guess I'll get a head start on decorating the mantle), expired coupons, etc etc.
The bookshelf and the floor in front of it- full of books. Too many books. I think I'll paperback swap some and maybe ebay a few others so I can make money for the yearly goal I am woefully behind on.

Time to turn on some music, get out the shovel, and light a match.

Two Slides Backward- One Slide Forward.

My house got away again.

Toys in the foyer. Shoes everywhere. Kid's school papers scattered. And a hamper full of dirty laundry.

Yesterday I didn't get much accomplished other than an oil change, a car wash, grocery shopping, dirty dish management, one bathroom wipe down and one load of laundry. Oh, and I sorted through the ginormous pile of papers on the kitchen table. That seems like more than it feels or looks like. Oh, and I also took the bag of sliced cinnamon apples that my kids kept turning their noses up to and made an apple oatmeal bread thing. It's a bit dry but if you microwave it and put peanut butter and honey on it. Well, I guess you could say that about anything. "Hey, here's a pile of rotten roadkill. Just put some peanut butter and honey on it and you won't even notice the decay you're biting into." Oops, tangent.
Sigh.

I've got a tote of kid's clothes to take to the consignment. I need to make another tote full of toys to sell. Which means finding decent toys, cleaning them and then finding an empty tote to put them in. And a pile of kid's clothes to sort through for thedup boxes. And I still haven't put away our summer school work books. And I just noticed the splash marks on the upstairs linen closet (why?) that need cleaning. The list is never ending. I guess I'd better quit whining and get started.

Another Clutter Bites The Dust

Two more trash bags of clothes, shoes and toys and a tiny bag of food went out of my house to the food pantry/thrift store today.

I've been doing an ok job of keeping up with the tidying I did last week. Hopefully each week will bring me closer to having a clean home. Today I wiped down some of our white trim and doors with a magic eraser. I also made and froze a batch of homemade vegetable broth with veggie trimmings. That doesn't really get the house clean but it does help me save food dollars. Both very important to me right now.

The more I clean the happier I get. The more money I save is well, more money saved.

Kicking Some Stuff's "Stuff" And Taking Names

No, my house isn't an immaculate shrine to all that is clean and wonderful in the world. I don't expect it will ever be that way. We have to actually live here, you know.
But, I have been cleaning. A lot.

As soon as Little Guy leaves for Kindergarten in the afternoon I've been getting busy.
So far this week:

Cleaned the downstairs bath
Made beds daily and changed sheets on Little Guy's bed
Kept up with laundry and managed to put it all away
Kept the kitchen table relatively clean. It needs quick spruce right now but will be done before dinner time
Cleaned out the dog's bowl (long overdue) and washed her bedding and toys
Swept the kitchen (twice!)
Swept and Damp mopped the entry way
Cleaned the foyer and sorted through shoes (it seems I am always making a pile of outgrown kid's shoes to wash and donate)
Cleaned the TV room (the carpet still needs a steam clean but that can wait for now)
Kept up with the dishes fairly well
Made dinner every night but Tuesday when I treated the kids to dinner (tonight we're having Manischewitz Vegetable soup topped with swiss cheese and homemade croutons)

I've also done a lot of miscellaneous picking up and putting away of tiny bits of stuff. And a lot of stuff has been deemed fit for only the trash can or the donation bag. I have two trash bags of stuff for charity ready to go and I'm sure I'll have two more before the downstairs is clean.
So, the outlook isn't so bleak. If I keep this up I'm sure I'll see the day when my house is only 15 minutes worth of messy. I like this so much better than shopping for stuff.

Consolidation How I love Thee

Hubby cleaned out the pantry last weekend and you would not believe how much nicer it looks.
I can find our food again.
I did throw away an embarrassing amount of old sauces and crackers that were expired. Another reason why I should not stockpile! I found two cans of instant coffee in the pantry after I'd spent $5 a day before for a new can. Grrrr.
I know most of you are gagging at the idea of instant coffee but I love it mixed with chocolate powder and creamer. It's become my substitute for pricey International Foods. I mix whatever I have available that sounds good. I like it as well as Starbucks and I don't have to make a whole pot of coffee so I have hot water ready for cocoa and oatmeal for the rest of the family.
Because I am messy and have organizational problems (and also a mini hoarding problem I'm trying to conquer) my mix cans have been on the kitchen counter for forever. That's four or five cans of flavorings and coffee at any given time. It's a waste of space.
Today I had a fourth of a jar of Ovaltine, most of a container of vanilla Nesquick, a jar of mixed coffee creamer and vanilla flavored sugar, and a new 4 oz. jar of instant coffee. So, I got out my blender and mixed them all together and put them back in the Ovaltine jar since it's the biggest. Now I have one jar to keep and only one jar to mess with in the morning.
I kept one glass jar for future use and recycled the rest. I love to keep old salsa, spaghetti sauce and peanut butter jars to use as clear storage in my pantry. But, my cabinets are full and I will always have a supply of jars as long as I keep grocery shopping.

While I was doing that I was also mixing up a batch of onion bread and cleaning my stinky disposal (and also watching the Nate Berkus show on my mini kitchen tube). I have so far to go to get this house back to any decent kind of order. It's been about 18 months since my in-laws were here and that's the last time every room in my house was clean at once. That's sad. They are coming in a month and I have a lot of work to do.

We seemed to have permanently misplaced our camera since our trip from Houston last month. I really miss being able to post pictures on my blog. Maybe I can get a new (easier to use one) for my birthday next month.

Music To Clean To

I don't enjoy cleaning so I need all the help and incentive I can get. My favorite way to clean is having the house to myself and putting on one of my "cleaning" cds. It's always a challenge for myself to keep cleaning until the cd ends and then I can have a break. It makes doing something I don't enjoy more bearable.

Here's my short list of Music I Clean To-

The Saint Soundtrack (my favorite is Duncan Sheik's In the Absence of Sun)
This mix from plasticbag.org called Precisouly One Hour of Cleaning Music (Dizzee Rascal's Fix Up/Look Sharp is my favorite here)
Fiddler on the Roof Soundtrack- Tevye's "If I were a rich man" always makes me sing.
Lifescapes Scottish Moor/Emerald Isle double cd- I bought mine from one of those little relaxation kiosks in Target. It was nowhere as expensive as this cd set on Amazon.

Do you have an cleaning incentive tips to share? Any particular cleaning routine or music you like to listen to while you scrub and sweep?

Having a Nice Ice Day

We don't have the snowy blizzardy downfall yet but I can hear the ice pellets hitting even with a ceiling fan and the speakers booming from the kids movie. School was canceled and hubby elected to do some work from home today (amen).

I have the fireplace cleaned out and hubby loaded it with our backyard log/stick debris. I am ready with granola bars, muffins, boiled eggs, and peanut butter if our power goes out. I set out extra candles in case we need them. I do wish I had a 72 hour emergency kit prepared.

Now I just have to go about my normal day with no where to go.

Laundry (natch)
Dishes (natch)
Reading (decadence)
Baking (snickerdoodles and bread machine naan)
General Tidying and Taking Care of Cluttered Up Flat Surfaces
Snuggling!
Hot Cocoa
Indian Food for the adults. Something similar to this curry recipe but with fewer ingredients since I don't have much but sweet potatoes, chickpeas, peas, onions, garlic and ginger.
Comfort Food for the kiddos- ramen noodle soup or pbjs.

Housework Waits For No Mom

Day two and a half of Big Girl being home with me. She's had an upset stomach. She's been a real joy to deal with and didn't even complain when I pulled out some workbooks for her to work on today. I also picked up her homework packet from school. I doubt she'll be as uncomplaining when those get pulled out tonight. I did get her to take some pepto bismol so hopefully she'll be feeling better soon.

My Mom is coming today and my house is a complete disaster.

One thing after another is breaking down in our home.
Hubby installed my new dishwasher on Tuesday. Yay for clean dishes!
On Wednesday my dryer started acting funny and not drying right. Hubby fixed it this morning by jiggling things around.
This morning our downstairs toilet is backed up.
Just one little annoying thing after another. No big deal.

I started reading Room by Emma Donoghue. I really don't want to put it down even though I need to go clean the kid's bathroom and work on my son's bed sheets for my Mom's visit. It's been so long since I have read a good book, I'm really looking forward to getting into it.

I scheduled a charity pick up for our stock piled donations that are taking up valuable real estate in our living area. Goodbye Wiggles Christmas videos. Little Guy has finally outgrown you. (can I get an amen?)

Gotta get upstairs and get my vinegar and baking soda cleaning on.

Limping But Going Nonetheless

Sometimes things just need to be done.

Fed and watered the dog. Timed it an it took less than a minute for both.

Unloaded and loaded the dishwasher. The sink was full of nastiness. No longer.

Folded the cold and forgotten load of laundry in the dryer and found another day of reprieve from naked children. There were outfits for both of them to wear tomorrow included in the pile.
Gathered all dirties from the downstairs and did that load. Hubby's in luck. He now has a few pairs of clean socks for work this week. Wondering why so many of Hubby's dirty socks ended up downstairs?

Had Little Guy help me spread out the quilt under the tree for a skirt.
Wrapped two Christmas presents and stuck them under the tree.

Looked up a recipe for Sweet Potato Pie because I have a lot of sweet potatoes to use up. I think I'll make one to eat and one to freeze for Christmas. Do I bake them before or after I freeze them?

For Dinner Hubby's reheating Egg Foo Young leftovers from our lunch out yesterday. I felt good for a few hours and really wanted to get out of the house and enjoy a hot bowl of soup.

Yesterday we also took care of getting that Brownie exchange ornament at Cracker Barrel yesterday since it was next door to the Chinese restaurant we ate lunch at. We found a pretty one on the 40% rack for $1.74 and had it wrapped there. It's much nicer than I could have done myself.

What Do I Do With All My Free Time?

Since my Little Guy is in preschool for a total of three full days a week I've had many friends ask me what I do with "all" my free time. Ha!

Here's a brief synopsis of my week:

Had visitors until Tuesday morning. Monday was spent shopping- (some thrift/some grocery) with laundry and dishes thrown in. Picked up both kids and had a play date in the back yard.
Tuesday- voting, oil change in my car (plus scheduled more maintenance for this weekend), bank, grocery store stock up, plus a shopping errand. Then I picked up both kids from school and did homework with Big Girl.
Wednesday- got my blood drawn for a health check up, took the boy out for a quick lunch, ran through the library to do returns, dropped him off at pre/k. I can't remember the afternoon but I bet dishes and laundry were involved. Picked up both kids- homework, dinner, etc.
Thursday- Hubby left for an out of town business trip. Gathered all trash and put outside for trash day. Had a sick girl home with me all day. Spent the day snuggling, care giving, and washing/putting away a mountain of laundry. Also, ran through Save-A-Lot for 7 up for Big Girl's tummy. Picked up Little Guy from preschool with a bundled up shivering, moaning Big Girl in the car. Dropped off bills at the post office and came home to more care giving and laundry. Two of us had cereal for dinner. One of us had sips of 7 up.
Friday- rescheduled Little Gym for Little Guy because of Big Girl's virus. Folded another load of laundry. Now almost caught up if I wash one more load. Today I am putting away laundry, more care giving, and doing dishes. The kids are watching a Spiderman cartoon marathon on Netflix and I can't wait until Hubby gets home tonight.
Right now I must got get the recycling ready because I hear the truck outside.

No, I still haven't bought a dishwasher. We really haven't found the time to shop. If I fill the prewash container and put it on the ultra hot wash our dishwasher does a little better.

Beginning to Rethink My Blog's Goal

So, originally my goal for this blog was to highlight any frugal activities I was doing or ideas that had blossomed in my noggin. Sometimes I fail at frugality still. I will never be 100% without some spendthrift folly in my life. I can live with that knowing that I will always return to my more conservative frugal nature. I love domestic frugality. I like reading about it. I even like writing about it when I have something I'm excited to write about.

My life lately has been consumed by chaotic clutter in my home (and in my head and heart). It has taken priority over saving money. I wasn't raised in a clutter free, organized home. I grew up hating housework because it was an all day Saturday, anger ridden, punishment involved affair.
And since I had two older brothers raised in a 70s/80s era household most of the actual cleaning was seen as women's work (i.e. myself and my mom). I can't imagine how my Mom actually got anything done seeing as she worked the night shift full time. I am only now starting to realize how tired and drained she must have been. Anyway, you can see why I've never had a love affair with housework and even view it as a sort of punishment even though I know I'm not being punished or abused by sweeping up cat hair or washing a dish. So, there are weeks where I've only done the bare minimum of keeping the dishes and the laundry clean. And I'm miserable when my life is lived this way and this is not an environment I want my children to grow up in.

I feel really good when the floor is swept, the dishwasher is empty and the kitchen table is ready to put dinner plates on. I want that feeling every day. My first step has got to be getting rid of unnecessary items and keeping track of our good stuff. Just today I found an old rebate check that expired in May for $5. I think somehow frugality and a clean, organized house must go hand in hand.
If I am organized I will be able to find those birthday presents I bought a few months ago and won't have to buy new ones. All the checks we need to cash will be found and deposited before they expire. All our bills will be paid on time because they won't have gotten lost under a couch cushion. I can keep track of all the kids toy parts because they only have a few favorites to play with and those are sorted in neat containers. I will be able to whip up dinners and snacks in our clean kitchen and won't be tempted to order out.
More on this later.

Right now I've got to go make stuff at our (cleared off, wiped clean!) kitchen table with my daughter. I promised her some craft time.

Hey Wagon, where you taking me?

I'm bouncing back from the scatter brained, clutter wagon. I'm getting stuff done and can see the end in sight for a fairly consistently clean house.
I will never be clutter free but I can be less cluttery.

Also, thinking about writing a big bonus check to the mortgage company this week too as we have extra funds.

Our bedroom set is almost complete. We are still missing one night stand as it's on back order.
My bedroom is almost cute. We still have some piles that need to be organized and furniture that needs to be hauled downstairs. But, I love my new dresser and bed so much. It feels grown up. I've been wearing make up more frequently as I have a special drawer for my beauty products.

I made pizza dough for dinner, cleaned the down stairs bath, played play doh with the boy, swept the kitchen, washed three loads of laundry, and washed the dishes. I feel pretty good today.

Back on Track 15 Minutes at a Time

As much as I miss my kids, I've been looking forward to getting back to a routine so much!

I made a list of chores to do and I've been whittling away 15 minutes at a time using my Flylady timer. I know what's for dinner and I have a plan to get it cooked.

I went to Zumba last night even though I originally planned on skipping it because I just didn't feel good. I was dragging a little bit more than normal during class but I did it and kept on. While I'm not back to logging on WW online I am trying to watch what I eat. I have a small salad plate that I've been eating my dinner from and last night I went to bed hungry.

Except for spending $18 at the grocery Monday night (for milk, fruit, etc) I have not shopped this week. The kids each have a week's worth of new back to school clothes and Hubby has enough new clothes now too. No one needs anything and that's good because I don't feel like shopping. Our Discover card bill is ginormous this month because we charged our vacation, furniture, and other expenses on it. But, we'll pay it off and move forward. It's just more incentive for me to keep it in my wallet.

My timer's about to ding so I must get on with the rest of my list.

From Messy Messerson to Decluttering Maven- I hope.

I have a new favorite blog- A Slob Comes Clean. I'm a lot like Nony in that I also am trying desperately to overcome my slob like tendencies.

I buy and read books on home organization and decluttering. I watch the Clean Home shows and Hoarders for inspiration. It does not come naturally to me to be organized. My brain doesn't want to seem to bend that way. My husband is the same way. Together with our kids we can turn our house into a big old mess. Flylady has helped off and on but it's like a diet and I just haven't managed to stick to it yet.

While I am trying to lose weight I also want to try and change the way we live in our house. My children don't really know how to do chores as I never really require much from them except for the occasional forced toy pick up (which often comes with tears and raised voices). I don't want them to grow up lacking the proper cleaning skills too.

I know that Hubby and I are both happier in a simple and clean environment. But, we also have our piles and treasures that we haven't figured out how to sort out yet.

Now let me also say that I absolutely do not consider myself a hoarder. I love to get rid of things. I am sitting next to a pile of stuff right now that is marked for a garage sale and I really want to box it up and donate it but we're supposed to have a sale next month. Trash and recycling days are great days here too. I've never met a newspaper I didn't want to recycle. Still more needs to get gone.

In the next month I will be tackling bits of our house to reduce the clutter so it's easy to keep clean. I also need to give my children each a few chores too so we're all involved in the work that needs to be done. My four year old can dust and my 7 year old can clean mirrors and sinks.
Maybe I can even get the dog involved and put my husbands socks on her and she can swiffer the floors. It's a start.

Potpouri

Here's what's been going on in my house-

Our boy cat, Fusty is not exactly enjoying our latest addition, Sarah. He's rebelling by peeing on the carpet or the kids things. Hubby was up late steam cleaning the carpet. This is absolutely the worst part of having cats- especially Mr. Fusty who seems to be the main culprit in these extracurricular pee-cidents. I'm tempted to put a diaper on him or put a collar and tag on him and throw his furred butt outside. Grrr.
Izzy and Fusty in Happier Times

My Mom spent the weekend here with me. We did a little shopping. I had coupons for free samples at Sephora so we both left with Urban Decay eyeliner (eh) and tiny perfume samples of smells we enjoyed. I also picked up a Yankee Candle air freshener and Bobby Jack shirt for Big Girl (she picked it out, I can totally tell that we have completely different tastes already). They were both on clearance and I had a 30% off coupon. So, Yay!
The best part was when we stopped into Value Village and did a little shopping. I picked up Crane envelopes in a pretty box for $1 and a brand new wooden "W" to hang on Little Guy's wall for 80 cents. I spray painted the W an apple green color that I found in our closet.

I bought a new light fixture to update one of our ugly 80's brass and glass fixtures. Hubby's not in love with it so it might need to go back. He's ready to spend big dollars on unique fixtures for our foyer and upstairs hallway. Since we had such good luck the first time we tried shopping at the Habitat For Humanity ReStore I think we should try there first.

Yesterday I broke down and drove to the Whole Foods (aka Whole Paycheck) to get veggie dogs. Apparently Morningstar Farms discontinued them last Fall. I could make my own crumbles and veggie burgers but I am not equipped to make my own hot dogs. Although I don't like the Smart Dogs as much they will at least satisfy our hot dog cravings. And we really like beanie weenie and loaded hot dogs from time to time. While I was there I loaded up on spelt, rye, couscous, and wheat germ from the bulk bins. I've been washing and saving glass jars every time we finish a salsa, instant coffee, or pasta sauce. I loaded each grain and flour into it's own glass container and labeled them. I love looking at them lined up on my shelf and ready for me to whip up a whole grain loaf with my bread machine. I have the bread machine cookbook next to me and I'm going to look through it for a whole grain recipe as soon as I'm done blogging.

I bought my first bottle of Tide detergent in years. I combined a MFR and Store coupon at Target and got a bottle for $7. Ouch. But, I have to tell you that none of my generic or homemade really gets out the smell of cat pee on a stuffed animal (blech) or sweaty arm pit smell from my hard working man like Tide does. I will still use the other stuff up for lightly soiled items though. So, this is a case where a name brand big manufacturer gets my dollars begrudgingly. I still think I will write the company and inquire why Tide is so ridiculously expensive. Anyone have any ideas on how to make a great homemade detergent that really gets the stink out?

Our new couch was delivered on Saturday and we all love it. Our bedroom looks so much nicer since we started decluttering it. It's becoming the haven I've always wanted it to be. We still need to order/purchase our bedroom set but I'm not rushing it. Just having our room be more picked up is such a blessing.

I took Little Guy to the library yesterday and for the first time in a long time we had $0 fines. I cheered for myself. I love it when I can keep on top of our borrowed materials. I have not missed having DTV one bit since we got rid of it. We are so busy just watching our few shows on Hulu, Netflix Streaming, and library rentals that we wouldn't have time anyway. Plus, I am most certainly watching less tv during the day. I am reading more. Our favorite shows right now are Celebrity Apprentice, old Survivors, and The Office.

I received great freebies and samples in the mail yesterday from Kraft. I don't remember what I signed up for but I got a little box full of wheat thins and international coffee packets. Plus, coupons for free products. Nothing makes my day more than that.

Today Little Guy and I are going to hang out together and read the library books he picked out. I've also got laundry to put away, dinner to manage, a bathroom to clean, and the kitchen table to declutter. I think I'll take some baking soda and sprinkle it on the clean carpets too. My dream house has hardwood floors.

Another thing I'd like to do today if I get time is to quickly declutter our pantry and bathroom of new items we don't need or use to donate. I have new make up in the package, new shampoos, new body washes, and canned goods that we don't need. I think I'll pass them on to someone who does. If you need decluttering inspiration too you can check out Making This Home. Katie and Martin are focusing on a decluttering project this week.

Off to do some doing and living.