Surviving Summer

Every SAHM gets simultaneously excited and fearful for the end of the school year.  It's that time of year where you're just so dang tired of packing yet another school lunch and just about done with spending an hour in the car picking everyone up (which is short because we carpool), and are dreaming of lazy summer days.  I'm not sure what it is, but I cannot WAIT for summer to begin around the beginning of May.  But then reality sets in and I am scared out of my mind about how to deal with summer break and four kids, ages 7, 5, 3 and 1.  Do I sign them up for a buttload of camps and classes, and try to fill my schedule up with pseudo school like commitments?  Or do I enjoy being a pseudo homeschool mom and just assume full responsibility for most of the summer with my kids?  It's really hard to balance but this year, I decided above all, my main goal was for us to enjoy summer together. 

But in order to sort of thrive instead of just survive, I had to come up with some ground rules for our routines at home, otherwise I'd go insane and my kids would never cease to bug me about what is next and if they could do this or that.  Rules and routine definitely help with managing expectations, and it's something I've learned early on with four kids and my own sanity, that I must have.

So we set about figuring out a few camps and classes here and there for my three older kids.  And then it was all about what to do while home.  So I came up with a list of "Must Dos" for the kiddos.  In the past, we've had contracts that they must sign and commit to doing certain things before being granted screen time, but really my goal was to just eliminate screen time entirely or limit it to online learning or a super short show (Mini Force is not only in Mandarin on Netflix but is only 10 minutes each episode!). 

MUST DOs: Learning was the first thing I wanted them all to do consistently, no matter how our day went.  So I decided on an hour of learning (online for Bubba through the Waterford Upstart program, Mandarin Matrix for Jordan, and whatever Dagny felt like which is usually a combination of workbooks and online stuff too).  The morning routine remained the same, but instead of requiring everyone to have had their beds made and clothes on before breakfast, I let the kids eat at breakfast with their blankets and pajamas.  And bed making seems to have fallen out the window for the time being, but I kind would rather their rooms be picked up and neat, than their beds made, so that's been my main objective lately.  And, it's a nice little way of being more lax during the summer.  Other things that were important to me to have on a daily basis were outside play (weather permitting) and reading.  And then, on top of all that, I also want them to help out around the house, but we don't like calling them "chores" because quite frankly, it sounds like a chore!  Instead, it's helping others or a contribution, or a family responsibility.  I don't get paid to take care of my family, but I don't consider it a chore either.  It's an opportunity, and it's so important for my kids to understand that.  This small paradigm shift has been pretty key in our kids helping out around the house. 

Side note and digression: Sometimes, to be honest, they just don't want to help.  Around Valentine's we had some "sweetheart" candies in a small vase, and everytime someone did something "sweet" or deserving of being called a "sweetheart," they would also get a sweetheart candy.  My kids did so much "helping" that month.  There was love everywhere.  But even now, now that the sweethearts no longer sit there as physical incentives to help out, if I ask, "can someone help Mom," I get crickets... and then I ask, "who wants to be a sweetheart?" and someone will inevitably volunteer to do the task I'm asking for.  I think it's a mindset of understanding that when they do this item, they are helping out, and being a "sweetheart" versus being asked to do something and not feeling like anyone is grateful for their help, that it's just expected.  Hey, I feel the same way when my kids commend me for a great dinner..  I don't, however, feel so great when they're complaining about how much they hate the dinner I spent so much time putting together.  I think we forget it works both ways, with kids, they want to be noticed and complimented for their hard work contributing too! 

And the last thing we added to our Must Dos was "quiet time," which I had heard so much about from friends, but never before attempted.  But with the1 year old still napping once a day, I wanted a given time just for me.  So I set my kids up for success by explaining to them the way quiet time would work for us: they must be "quiet" in their room or a sibling's room, but they cannot go anywhere to bring anything in after quiet time has begun.  That means any books or toys they wanted in there, have to go in with them in the beginning.  No fighting or screen time opportunities are lost (normally they can have screen time while I work out, or they can earn it through development on the areas they need most improvement on, and this is different for each kid, depending on the challenges each is faced with).  Same goes for screaming, and the only exception to being able to come get mom is if you need your butt wiped. Yes, my kids still need help with their butts. 

Can Dos: Then, we came up with a list of "Can Dos" which essentially is a general outline for our bucket list this summer.  They encompass everything my kids might want to do and everything Mom's willing to take them to do on my own.  Our other list of things we can do are listed out generally as playdates (with friends at their homes or our homes), art projects (includes cooking projects because anal me wanted the same number of bullet points for both lists.. hehe), science projects, library trips, running errands, an adventures (trip to the mall playground, obstacle warrior gym, zoo, splash pad, museum, etc. and can and most often will include our friends, because that's just more fun for everyone).

Just being able to detail the stuff our helps the kids out as they wonder what we are up to each day.  So far, the key part of this whole equation has been my kids playing so wonderfully together, coming up with new games, using their imagination, looking forward to whatever is next, and having fun together.  There's still some fighting, lots of "I hate yous" and "he/she hit me!" complaints, but all in all, we are loving the lazy summer days.  I have gotten so much done around the house with my kids at home!  I am actively involved with them during meals, we usually read together, and try to get in some alone time with each kid (I'm not yet consistent about this but working towards it) and I have my own list of DIY projects I'm hoping to accomplish this summer, with or without my kids' help interference. 

The "Must Dos" give us just enough structure for the day, while the "Can Dos" keep us attentive for the rest of the time. The best part is hearing my sweet kids play together, and at the end of the night, have all three tell me separately, how much they love summer.

When I was a kid, my summers were so lonely and boring.  I never understood why other American kids seemed so excited for summer.  School seemed so much more fun!  Back home, I had super workbooks, but I hated them, thought they were too easy, and never got in trouble if I did it, or if I didn't, so I didn't and would often fib that I had.  Nobody ever checked.  I wasn't accountable to anyone.  I spent most of my days watching Disney movies on VHS (no cable or DVR or Netflix like the lucky kids these days!) hoping my mom would sign me up for summer school, and being bored, and then some more bored again.  I had a few classes here and there, but they never supplemented the boredom I felt at home.  If we did anything fun, it was mostly on the weekends, because both my parents worked when I was younger, and once my mom decided to stay at home, she eventually would be doing real estate and I'd be in PSAT classes by that time... so summer didn't feel any different than the other seasons, just more confined and limiting.  Now with my kids, I get why summer is fun.  Summer is a blast!  I am having so much fun with my kids, and I am treasuring these moments when most of summer is spent with me and the moms and their kids that I choose (Ha!).  I finally get it.  I think it took my oldest going to first grade for me to realize how great the lazy SAHM days were with my entire crew.  I remember rolling my eyes at the more seasoned moms telling me I would miss this busy time with all my little kids.  I get it now though.  They weren't talking about the crazy trying to juggle all four kids at the same time with blowouts, tantrums, and needy mom moments, they were talking about golden rainbow unicorns of everyone happy, loving mom, and hanging out with mom.  I get those for about 10 minutes each day when we're all sitting on the couch reading and my youngest even tries to get in on my lap for about 2 minutes before he's done.  Sure it's only been a few weeks, but so far, summer is kicking non summer's butt.  And it's pretty darn amazing.

Putting the Past Behind You....

I'll admit, I'm sentimental and a hoarder.  Put best, I'm a certified sentimental hoarder and my organizational skills have simply elevated me to the level of certified sentimental hoarder.


I love my stuff.

I love my old stuff.

I love the memories it triggers.  I've been journaling since I was about 12.  I love reading about thoughts I had when I was younger.  And I love the smells and sounds of my childhood.  Coupled with touching an item, it's almost as if I'm magically transformed back to that time, a fly on the wall observing my youth.  Everything seems happy, joyful, and full of great potential.

I was on the drill team in middle school, and I have two pendants to show for it, and a bell we put on our Keds shoes when we marched in the Christmas parade.

I'm also a storyteller.  So a lot of times, holding onto these items is like my way of keeping the props I can use to tell my kids these elaborate stories about Mommy's life growing up.

So when I finished Marie Kondo's book, The Magical Art of Tidying Up, it hit me hard.

I am not letting go of my past.  She advises someone with my sort of "background" so to speak, to touch the item, be thankful for the good memories it brought you, and say your farewell.

Farewell is so harsh.  Can't we just say see you later?

But then reality hits.  Do you want to be surrounded with STUFF of the past, or live in the present, creating new memories?

I'm taking pictures, I'm blogging, I'm doing everything I can to preserve the moments I live.  Even when I tell my husband about the day's happenings, I wonder if I should write it down before I forget.  It's not uncommon for older moms to say, they remember being a mother, but they don't remember the details.  They remember it was hard, but they don't remember why particularly.  I don't want to be that mom.  I'm sorry!  I don't!  I want to remember.  I want to hold on!  I want to preserve those keepsakes.

I was anti Marie Kondo a few days after reading her book, trying to digest it all and make sense of how this would apply to my own life.  I resented her.  I hated that everyone loved her ideas and philosophy so much.  It's just a cult, I told myself.  A phase, I told myself.  It's not me, I told myself.

And then I decided to give it a try.  What was the worst that could happen (besides losing all my precious memories, you ask?!)

I started with jewelry.  In the past, I've gone through deciding what to get rid of.  This time, I took her approach and advice and started with what I wanted to keep.  I picked up every single piece of my jewelry, including items from pre 2000s (yikes, hoarder I told you!) and touched it.  Thought of the good times it brought me, laughed, chuckled, sat in silence reminiscing of the good ol' days.  I was so young.  So thin!  So naive.  The whole world ahead of me.  No kids.  No husband.  No job.  No clue.

And then you know what I did?  I put it in a "discard" pile.  I couldn't believe it.  What was I doing?  I was not a Marie Kondo fangirl!  I was probably the antithesis of a minimalist.  But there I was... not really in my body, an out of body experience where I was sort of like a zombie, doing what I knew would bring me joy (eventually).

A few hours later, a huge pile of jewelry later, and a nice display of what I wanted to keep and what I actually use, I stepped back to take a peek.

Well son of a gun.

That Marie was right.

Shoot.

I had a sudden paradigm shift.  I suddenly couldn't wait to tackle the entire house.

What the heck have I gotten myself into?!

Does this mean I have to stop hoarding?

Jewelry done.  Paper work next. 

Sometimes I Hate My Job

As a SAHM, I deal with a lot of redundant repetitious reiterations of whining, screaming, illogical demands, and clean up.  This morning, as I was wiping up spilled milk and soggy puffed up Cheerios for what felt like the millionth time while fighting off the 16 month old who wanted to eat what I was cleaning up, all I could think was, man, I really loathe my job right now.  There is nothing positive for me in this moment, no silver linings of how blessed I am, no - instead, there's only frustrated muffled curse words that I can not and should not say.  It's moments like these that bring me to my lowest and most awful state of minds.  It's moments like these that make me wonder how anyone else does it.  It's moments like these that remind me being at home with kids isn't all it's cracked out to be.  Sure I get to sneak in naps here and there, at the risk of my kids dying without my supervision for those few minutes, sure I get to use Netflix or on demand TV to sneak in some peace and quiet or a shower every so few days.  Sure I can eat whatever I want, buy whatever I want, and go wherever I want, as long as I also remember to take care of the little beings in my tend, which means the added time and effort that comes with doing anything or going anywhere with kids.  Sure... it's all great in theory, but in execution, it sometimes ends up being constant conflict resolution and disaster control.  In work, we used to talk about "putting out fires" in a figurative work sense.  At home with the kids, I'm constantly putting out fires.  You might as well put me in a firefighter suit, because that's all I do some days.  But it's not a quiet lethal fire, it's a loud, greater than yelling at a ball game type of screaming with intense volumes and octaves you didn't know existed, coupled with crying, runny noses, littles hand that remove and never put back, and poop.  So much poop.  And pee.  So much pee.  And spills.  And oops.  And I forgot.  And I didn't know.  And I'm sorry.  And I didn't mean to.

And in these moments, nothing really feels better except griping about it.  Complaining about it.  Writing about it.  Remembering that it's not all giggles and kisses and hugs and roses.  That sometimes it does suck.  A lot.

Because sometimes I do hate my job.  But I keep trucking on, cuz that's what you do.  And praying about it.  Cuz tomorrow will be better.  Or maybe even a few minutes later.

Productive Procrastinating...

I've been home with a sick kid for three days now (gross sick - diarrhea, fart pooping, and puke... so much puke, but all in the toilet at least.. so woo hoo!!), and with all the time, we got a pretty good head start on our Spring Cleaning.  The kids were pretty excited to help, from moving the bed mattresses to move all the piled up crap underneath to vacuuming to getting pee stains out of our mattress!  But a day after being super productive, we're now... kinda... well, we're stuck!  We have more window tracks to take care of, but I'm tired.  I'm spent.  I don't want to do it anymore!  Ugh.  How do regularly clean people do it?  I think I need to hire someone.  I'm all about organizing, but cleaning is a whole other beast for me.  Growing up, I vacuumed and did dishes, but that was pretty much the extent of my cleaning responsibilities.  In college, housekeeping took care of our bathrooms, so again, I didn't have to do much.  I traveled for work so much when I had a roommate post college, that I didn't really make a mess, or clean up.  I just kept my own room clean, wiped down my own bathroom, and my super neat freak roommate would always lecture me about clearing the sink.  Oops.  Most of the time, I just ate out... and the other half of the time, I lived with my parents, so we always had cleaning ladies come too.  So... yes, I've been spoiled and really didn't have to deal with cleaning my own space until I got married.

In the time that I should have been wiping down tracks with q-tips and microfiber cloths and moving mud (yes, it's that gross), I have reorganized two spaces, cleared and tidied up two areas, updated our silhouettes, put up photos for a gallery wall, and added photos to empty frames I received for Christmas.  Productive, yes... productive procrastination!

So tomorrow... I guess I'll see if I get around to it.  Especially since I have four kids home now.. Spring Break... oops.  Shoulda woulda coulda.

my feelings in a nutshell

Spring Cleaning.. What's That?!

I'm a bit ashamed to admit, I've never truly spring cleaned.  I actually had to google "what is spring cleaning" and do a bit of research.  After extensive reading and pouring over a bunch of different cleaning blogs and sites and advice, I came to this conclusion.  I mean, I've dabbled with cleaning the house during Spring and calling it "spring cleaning," but in terms of actually getting down to the stuff that isn't touched much, I haven't done it.  I have at most, dusted some of the higher up stuff like ceiling fans and curtain rods once.  I have determined that as part of my spring cleaning routine with littles, this is what I hope to achieve.

KITCHEN 
Spring Cleaning
-Wiping down the top of the fridge (normally, you'd move it out and clean in back also, but our freezer was having some issues, so we already did that not too long ago... so I'm going to take a hard pass on that)
-Wiping down the top of the washer/dryer stackable unit
-Wiping down in back of the stove including removing it (this should be interesting as we have not touched it since we moved in here four years ago....
-Wipe down walls and backsplash (did this with my steam cleaner yesterday on a few parts of the kitchen, it was surprisingly quick and even a little fun...)

In addition to the "Spring cleaning" part included, I'll also do the other stuff I normally do which is sweeping and mopping the floors.

Not Doing
Here are the things I'm opting out of because I just can't....
-Wiping down my cabinets (maybe when we have a nicer kitchen, I am not messing with this now)
-Wiping down the insides of all my cabinet shelves (I sorta do this as I see fit anyway)

BATHROOMS
Spring Cleaning
-Using homemade solutions (cup of baking soda, cup of salt, pour cup of vinegar down and wait 10 minutes, then pour boiling hot water over it) to clear the sinks
-Attack soap scum on shower doors (used a homemade solution of 1 cup of hot water with 1 cup of vinegar and 3 drops of essential oils)

The bathroom is the only part of our home besides the kitchen that receives weekly attention, so I don't feel the need to really "deep clean" anything in there.  I'll do my normal routine which is cleaning the toilet, wiping the floors, the counters, and the bath tub or shower.

OTHER SPACES
-Dust all curtain rods
-Wipe down all wood blinds
-Clean storm window in between areas (this is disgusting, one quick look at our 1970s storm windows would show you dead bugs, dust pile-up, and overall just gross)
-Dust all ceiling fans (we only have two thank goodness)

We already wipe down our base boards and chair rails every now and then, hint: it's a easy kid responsibility to assign.  But that sure feels like a lot. 

Just thinking about it feels overwhelming.... I'm going to attempt to break it down and do a bit each day.  With a baby and my 3 and 4 year old at home for most of the day, it's a strategic thing to figure out when to do it.  Last night, I had some free time while Andy went to play weekly ball, so after wasting too much time on social media (seriously, our kids are so screwed...) I finished the dishes and busted out my new steamer to wipe down some walls and clean the storm window in betweens in our kitchen.  Then, I got inspired by something I saw on social media (maybe our kids aren't that screwed...) and decided to clean my vents (for the first time in four years also...)  I vacuumed two of the vents, will continue tomorrow with the bedroom vents, and then will run the actual vents in the dishwasher later.  Wish me luck!

The Sounds of Motherhood

I love being a stay at home mom, and I love listening to the sounds that make my day. Here are some I have been thinking of lately... in no particular order...

The crunch of a million pieces of a few cheerios under my fuzzy purple slippers.
The cascade of crumbs dropping to the floor when I unstrap and then stand you up in the booster.
The plea at the top of your lungs wondering where I am.
The pure glee and excitement when you find me on the toilet.
The hushed chuckle of refusal when I ask for some privacy.
The patter of little feet running away to hide in the same spot,
The muffled laughter from behind your same hiding spot.
The huff that comes with a pout.
The slithering pendulum sound of snot blowing high and then low.
The squeal of joy when tickled.
The sigh of content when cuddled.
The scream of frustration when angered.
The yelling of madness when arguing.
The panting for air when running around.
The silly claps of sad attempts to do a jumping jack.
The swirl of your tiny hands grabbing my hair.
The smothering of your lips on my face.
The click of disobedience slapped in my face.
The buzz of anticipation as you wait for lunch.
The moans of meal refusal yet again.
The cheers in celebration and zeal for something yummy to eat.
The sweet chirp of thank you, please, and I love you so much.
The beep of the same question asked again, and again, louder, and louder.
The whispered shrug of not knowing and not caring.
The triumphant stomping of a happy march around home.
The eery lack of sound, the loud silence that rings of trouble.
The barely there twiddling of your toes as they peek out from under the curtain where you think you are completely invisible.
The gasp of breath when you're so upset and crying and fighting for some justice.
The twinkle of the love and adoration in your eyes as you tell me how much you really do love me again.


What have you heard lately?

Free Printable - He Is Risen for Easter Decor

Slap some butter on me, cuz I have been on an upcycling ROLL lately.  For me, DIY projects are similar to when I have ideas to write, once they come, they just KEEP ON COMING, and I can't really hesitate or I'll get a huge writer's block or in this case, a DIY upcycling drought.  So, I have just RUN with it.  It also doesn't hurt that I have plenty of gold and white spray paint stored nicely in my new Container Store containers that were on sale (pantry sale this month) that makes it super accessible. 

I have some old frames I never could throw away (hoarder remember?!) in the garage, and I pretty much skipped over there, knowing exactly which frame I was going to upcycle.  It was an old 5x7 cherry wood stained frame that held a photo of some golf celebrities with Tiger Woods in the middle (my husband was obsessed).  Not something we need on display at our home, so to the garage it went and stayed for the last four years.  Hoarder win! 

After sanding it, cleaning it, and covering it with about 4-5 coats of white spray paint, I decided to have some fun with painter's tape and gold spray paint.  I've seen a lot of color blocking on home decor lately, usually it's white and neutral, or a lot of mixing textures, wood grains with textile, tough jut rugs with more gentle furniture, straight lines with floral, etc., so I went ahead and decided to do a dipped corner in gold look in opposite ends... and it turned out looking pretty good! 

As for the frame insert, I just took the first free wreath download via google and using King Basil font (a favorite for the last year and a half) made this "He is Risen" printable.  It printed out in the middle of my 8x11 cardstock, but I just cut it after tracing the frame's glass over it, centering the wreath in the very middle. 

Download PDF by clicking here - for personal use only please!

Here's my project's photo timeline:

 

 

This Is Organized Hoarding...

This weekend, we moved our two oldest boys downstairs so our fourth could have his own room and cry it out.  We got tired of him waking up in our bedroom, seeing us, and crying for me (he's not yet weaned... help me!).  With the move, came the opportunity to downsize our toy collection dramatically.  At first, I thought I could get rid of one entire toy storage unit, but instead (and after much pushback from my kids and even my husband who said I might be going too far with minimizing...) I decided to limit it to whatever they could fit into our two storage units.  With shelves and tons of fabric containers, we actually had a lot more storage than our Ikea Kallax (4x2) shelving unit and the Trofast that looks like a step L.  I digress.... You would NOT BELIEVE how many toys we have four years living in Salt Lake near a ton of family.  Trust me when I say I was one of those moms who only had one box of toys for my child for the first two years of his life.  We were in Spokane, not near family, and it was easy living in a small rented space, to limit the toys and enjoy the few we did have.  Or so I thought.

Fast forward to moving to Salt Lake where we were near family.  With generous family living nearby, our kids toy collection quickly grew.  You know how they say growth can be organic?  Our organic growth SKY ROCKETED, and with our family growing from one to four children, there was even more reason for everyone wanting to give us more.

This experience has taught me that despite being an organized person, masked under those OCD neat freak tendencies is actually just a basic hoarder.  Because instead of donating stuff on a regular basis, I thought my "boxes inside of boxes" and "organized self" was doing fine, when in reality, I was just accumulating more storage units.  Cute baskets, wire baskets, white baskets, pink baskets, purple baskets.... clear containers, translucent containers, fabric containers, clear boxes, pull drawers, pails, ... I can't believe how long I could go on for!  Basically anything to help my organized hoarding continue to hoard on.  And that's kind of what happened to our toy collection.  They found new homes, organized homes, and .....

I guess along the way, without life changes forcing you to declutter (going away to college, moving out of my parents' house, getting married, moving to another state for new job opportunities with said husband, etc.) it's easy to just keep everything.  For me, I'm also very sentimental.  I still have old movie ticket stubs that I had to finally throw away when the writing rubbed off and it was hard to see what movie and dates were even on there.  I was really sad when I noticed this.  And my parents weren't any better, I just finally threw away a bundle of hair wrapped in tissue paper with Chinese characters describing it as the first hair my parents ever cut off of my head as a baby.  I am 35 years old.  They gave this to me when I was about 22.  I have kept it until now!  Why?!  I dunno, I guess if my parents kept it for that long, it must have been special, so I just continued the tradition.... so when I look at toys and think about how every single one of my children have played with this, or that they got this for this birthday or that Christmas (yeah, I have a weird memory that's only applicable for useless information like this), I hesitate and then.. I just put it off and here I am.... with tons of toys!

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that this experience so far, of decluttering and organizing my home, has basically taught me that I was a hoarder disguised as an organized person.  An organized hoarder.

Upcycling Baby Toys You Probably Have Lying Around....

Unless you already donated it.. in which case, I'm sorry... but you can pass this along to your friends to do the same!

So when the whole geometric trend started showing up on everyone's shelves about 3 years ago (that's when I noticed it, I may be behind the trend... wouldn't put it past me...), I really wanted one!  Something gold and geometric would look so great on my books!  But when you have kids and are cheap like me, you kinda have to weigh the opportunity cost of money in my pocket right now versus having a wonderful design piece that will ultimately and most likely get destroyed by your kids...

As I was surveying all the baby toys that were put away to be taken out again when I had my fourth (and last) child the end of 2016, I started to see potential in some of the baby toys we had.  Specifically, the Manhattan Toy toys!  Their Skwish classic rattle and teether had been gifted to me from a coworker before I had my first child.  She said this was, "the best toy ever" and I believed her.  My son LOVED it, he would watch the attached wood go from one end of the stick to the other, all while grasping onto the elastic parts, and admiring the colorful sounds.  My firstborn was also lucky enough to get some pretty nice gifts from Aunties who visited, specifically my BFF who knew nothing about kids, but went perusing in a Manhattan Beach boutique for a special toy for my son.  The saleslady told her the Manhattan Toy's winkel rattle and sensory teether was top of the line, so she bought it.  Both toys retail for about $13-15 on Amazon, but purchased from any boutique, is normally $20-25.  My son loved it again!  This one has softer loops he could hold onto and a more prominent rattle in the red dice that sat in the middle of the cloister.  And to be honest, all my kids enjoyed these two Manhattan Toy classics, which is why, I knew, as soon as baby was done playing with it, I would do my upcycle project.

I could already see it.  Gold spray paint.  Gold tights while I painted it (I own a pair... seriously).  Short sprays.  Lots of layers.  Ohhh, the build-up was intense.  I could NOT wait!

To be honest, I had forgotten about the two toys in all my recent decluttering and organizing frenzy, and though I had already spray painted a bunch of stuff recently, I hadn't yet done the Manhattan Toys!  As we were getting ready to move our boys downstairs to the basement, I found the two toys, and put them aside, excited for the prospect of spraying it gold!

I'll be honest.  It was not easy.  It took about 7 coats because the angle to get around each piece of wood and loop, as well as the sliding wood pieces on the Skwish classic, all made it hard.  But give up I did not, and a gold display piece I did get!

I think looking at the photo of it, you wouldn't even recognize that it's a children's play toy.  The bright colors are gone, the geometric shape is still intact, and it's a lovely trendy gold.  Gold!!!    So if you have any of these two Manhattan Toy toys, hang onto them, and do yourself a favor once your kids are done with them... spray paint them gold!  Upcycle win!  For less than $4 (the price of a can of spray paint), I got two amazing pieces!

Pro Tip: use gloves if you don't want a little sparkle on your fingertips, it washes off pretty easily if treated immediately.  

Here are my two Manhattan toys before the spray paint fun. 

I had to move the little balls and spray paint from all sorts of corners to get every nook and cranny. But I did it!  Virutal HIGH FIVE!!

Ta-da!!!  

Next project: use that clear liquid I bought four years ago to solidify fake water and freeze my fake flowers from the Dollar Tree .... 

So what do you think?  What color are you going to spray paint your toys?  Gold?  Rose Gold? Copper?  I think I may be in the mood for some copper upcycling next week, so stay tuned!  

Weekly Planner Printable

I got this wonderful planner for 2018 that I have been using this month and have been loving it!  The only part that is bugging me is how heavy it is since it has pages for every single day with a week's worth for the entire year.  It also isn't great to take along with you for a grocery trip with kids because it's so bulky and my diaper bag is already packed with so much, and of course.. four kids... usually only 2 during grocery trips if I can help it, but sometimes I can't!

As a result, I created this worksheet planner, feel free to print it and use it as well!  It's a bit different than most available printables because it's for someone who is super busy, in my case, because of my kids.  I like to plan breakfast, lunch, and dinner, because with kids, if I plan stuff for myself, it's a lot healthier, and not feeding my kids chicken nuggets or ramen everyday for lunch is probably a good thing.  I also put activities because with all the stuff going on from week to week,  it's just nice to have a week's glance on paper.  Lastly, my "To Do" section is because sometimes there's just stuff I have to add that isn't menu or grocery list related, and I wanted somewhere to jot it all down, sort of like a "notes" area.

Download the Weekly Planner Here

Both Sides of the Shower Door

There are a few things I'm good at cleaning consistently, those include the bathroom toilet, floors, and kitchen sink and dining table.  Everything else falls to the wayside.  I've been staring at our bathroom shower door for months now, wondering when I would take a stab at removing the soap scum.  It took a blog post from a blogger I follow to finally decide to tackle the shower doors with some natural cleaning ingredients.  As I was scrubbing the doors with my 50/50 vinegar and hot water mixture with some lemon drops, I realized... hmmm maybe I should be treating the outside of the shower door too.  I have never done that, in all my years (okay the two, maybe three times I did it) of cleaning the shower door, I've never attempted to clean the outside.  So ... I did it this time! 

There are still some areas that need further treatment, but it's definitely a huge improvement.  Drastic, dare I even say.  ....

Crazy!  I guess all it takes is a bit of elbow grease and the right natural ingredients, and recognizing that you have to scrub both sides. 

What I've Learned After 4 Weeks

So I've always been an organized person... but after having four kids and seeing that I kind of let myself from an organizational and cleanliness standpoint.... I decided to make a commitment and get back on track.  Much like when people commit to a new gym, a new diet, and start to eat healthier, I decided to push myself to clean and organize by starting an Instagram account to track my progress and visualize my results.  I started following other like minded individuals and accounts that focused on organizing and cleaning to gain inspiration and ideas, and thus began my journey to get from "crappy2happy" (also the Instagram handle in case you fancy a whirl). 

So it's been a little over a month and here are the three things I've learned from organizing and cleaning with a dedicated Instagram account.

1) Real Life Is Messy - Some gorgeous accounts show how all beautiful containers and perfectly placed items can be organized and look absolutely amazing.  Most of these are professional accounts with the intention to book a client to pay for organizing, or someone selling organizational products.  The others might be professional bloggers who have a fiscal opportunity to sell you what looks great.  Don't be fooled by these.  Instead, let them be a source of inspiration!  If I tried to model my tiny pantry to look like the professional accounts I see, I would not only spend TOO MUCH, I wouldn't be able to keep up.  One trip to Costco, and my organizational prowess would be wiped clean.  So I try to think of ways I can model after the realistic organizational approaches, and which I decide are just nice to look at, because real life is messy.  I mean, really really messy, and organization and cleanliness can help you get to a better place quicker, but it is still a process of constant maintenance and to do that, requires time and effort, which we don't always have the energy to focus on! 

2) Less is More - Along the way in my short journey, I've begun following a lot of minimalist accounts.  Though I in NO SHAPE OR FORM consider myself a minimalist, I am again inspired by these accounts.  I can see why not having clutter is appealing.  Why fewer clothes is easier to handle.  Why less stuff on your kitchen counter is great!  So far, I've donated about 4 boxes of clothes, 3 boxes of random household and office items, thrown away 2 bags full of old or expired toiletries, and 3 boxes of toys.  It has been hard to let go.  I have already had giver remorse (is that what it's called?) twice, once when I threw away some laser jet clear labels (because we don't own a laser jet printer and I can't just use my work printer anymore because I don't have a place of work to go to!) and velcro stickers.  The former I could have used a permanent marker and made labels for my fridge bins, the latter I could have used one side to put onto a small toy cookie sheet for the kids to stick cookies onto!  Ugh.  But then, I reminded myself that it's only a small $10 cost.  See, the problem with going from maximist to minimalist is when you're cheap, you can't fathom giving useful stuff away, even if the use is WAY DOWN THE LINE.  But then, if you're already a minimalist, you can likely stay one if you're cheap, because you don't want to spend more money to buy stuff.  If only I were already there.... Okay, I digress.  So back in college, I always considered myself a "neat" person, but my roommate, she was beyond me.  I couldn't figure out why her side of the room always looked so good, or why her desk was so immaculate.  I asked her about it one day, and she took one look at my side, then hers, and said, I try to keep everything clear.  I looked at her desk.  One item on it, and I'm pretty sure it was not always there.  Then, my own desk.  Neatly arranged piles and placed items, along with my favorite photos or collages all over the wall.  From her, I learned to contain my stuff and choose a few things to display.  Less is more.  I've learned this with styling my shelves, clearing my counters, and looking at the overflow of clothes in my closet.  Right now, I'm leaving the closet for last because there's just so much I can't quite let go of just yet. 

3) Organization Doesn't Have to Be Expensive - I have found so many ways to upcycle glass jars, plastic buckets, and Amazon boxes.  Sure, it's not always the prettiest to have matching containers for everything, but that's expensive, and I'm cheap!  You can find really cheap containers are the Dollar Tree, TJMaxx, and even Target and Walmart (on sale is even better at those last two places).  Sticking to one color for an area helps to achieve a more cohesive and organized look, but within most areas, sticking to white or translucent is even better, because if you choose to later reorganize your containers, they will all match or look similar. 

Dollar Tree Is My Jam

I think I have gone to Dollar Tree, on average, about 3 times a week for the three weeks.  It has been a whirlwind of a budget saving, organize doing, decluttering and minimalist wannabe journey, and so far I am HAVING A BLAST!  The best thing about this hobby is that it directly benefits my home, my place of being for MOST of the day (when I'm not carpooling), and it's reminded me a bit of who I used to be and not so much abandoned, but kind of left at the wayside and said, I'll be back to pick you up, but then forgot about it because life got busy with four kids.  Sure, it's a little more work with upkeep when four little cute monsters are trailing after you, but it's also that much more imperative that I do it to stay sane.

I know a lot of people have these similar feeling as it relates to getting back into something they left behind when they had kids.  Here's a little secret about me though... I don't have any long-term hobbies, unless getting new hobbies counts as a hobby.  Oh, and writing, but I've never really stopped writing.  Yes, yes, I do like working out, but I didn't get really serious about it until 2008.  Yes, yes, I do love making cakes now, but that's a super recent interest, and I really only make cakes for birthdays in the family.  Yes, yes, I did learn Photoshop, but that was again recent... well I guess the last 5 years, so it's been a while now.  Yes, yes, I do like to eat, but we are more coupon loving eating out type of people, so we haven't explored beyond much of our savings books lately.  But organizing and cleaning... just in this little bit that I've been doing, has already got me reminiscing about my old school Japanese pre-daisy married with kids type stores that I would frequent to load up on storage, and just kind of life took over.  Organizing is probably the one thing I have been doing my entire life.. since I was a wee little one.  That and rearranging furniture....

I took a look at my old storage containers, and they are all opaque whites and purples, glitter speckled clear cases, and pink.  It's hilarious because I can't even buy those kinds of storage containers now because where would I get them from?!  I'm so glad I revisited an old passion, and had to learn the hard way that organizing is not something you do once, you have to revisit, monitor, update, etc.  I guess much like everything else in life... but it's been fun and I can't wait to see what the rest of Spring Cleaning brings me.  I already have grand plans for listing out the areas I want to clean.... the vents, the window sills (if that's what you call the area between our old school two layer storm windows), the fans, the oven, the tiny teenie crevices, the kitchen cabinets, the dining table and chairs, etc.... I'm sure I'll think of more as the time comes around.

The Car Epiphany

Growing up, I remember my yi-ma and her clean and organized home.  When I opened her cabinets to find a towel, everything was not only neatly folded and in its place, but there were labeled storage containers with pills and band-aids, and all sorts of orderly identified items.  It was mesmerizing.  I was hooked.  However, I remember being a little intimidated in her car because it was so immaculate, and we were not allowed to eat in there. 

Fast forward to life with three kids, and our car was a cess pool of goldfish crumbs, conjoined fruit snacks, spoiled milk, and random toys in knick knacks corners I never knew even existed in cars!  Who knew a car could have so much space for crap?!  Alas, it seemed all the parents we knew were in the same boat. 

And then it happened.  We had a car epiphany.  Well, first we heard Andy's sister had a no eating in the car rule.  We were floored.  And intrigued.  And in order to keep up with them, we opted to join in!  It was hard at first, definitely a drastic change from stuffing our kids full of snacks whenever they whined.  Plus, I never imagined I would be a "no eating in the car" type of adult, but I make exceptions and it's been...  a year and a half, and it has been amazing.  Our car is still messy, but not as bad as it would be if we allowed eating.  We definitely make exceptions, but if we didn't have the no eating rule, it would be even worse.  As I was doing yet another sock retrieval from the van, I realized there are a few things I do for van upkeep, which is hilarious since the van is still disgusting.  Just NOT as disgusting as it would be without.  Trash into a bag pretty much everyday, sock and toy retrieval once every few days, and when time permits, we get over to the car wash (Dagny hates the carwash so we barely go these days) and vacuum too.  I think we'll do that tomorrow while Dagny's at school. The only reason I even want to share this is to remind my kids and encourage my friends to try a no eating rule also.  It's doable!  I mean, if we can do it, anyone can! 

Taking Back Control

So life has mostly been the same, but I got a new hobby.  I know, I know, I feel like I have so many hobbies.  Five years ago, I learned how to do Photoshop.  About four years ago, I decided to continue my college thesis and try to write a book about my experiences with my Chinese Mom.  That's still going on, but sort of on the side (here), whenever an experience or idea pops into my head, but a lot of it is so emotional, it can be draining sometimes to revisit those memories or navigate the sometimes strained but still loving relationship with my mom.  We are both difficult, I'm sure.  And I did finish my Chinese children's book about the Chinese Zodiac, and submitted it to one publisher, but probably need to just submit it to a few more before I give up and self-publish it (need an illustrator though!).  And I began learning how to make cakes last Fall, because I figured it'd be a good way to save some money since with six people in the family, that's a lot of cake each year!  It's been kind of a fun way to learn a new skill, and I've had varying levels of success, but it's pretty involved and not something I want to do all the time.  So I guess what I'm trying to justify is that my various hobbies have some sort of progress before I come up with a new one, because I got a new one!  I've been thinking so long about how I can do something what what I love, and now, I am on the journey to doing just that!

At 35, without a full-time job, and being at home with my four kids, and having a lot of energy (never caffeinated, even before I became Mormon), I just needed to put that energy somewhere I wanted.  I have always loved organizing, since I was a kid.  I remember going over to my friend's house, and I would just start to clean her room, but really I was just putting stuff away, and I loved it.  I never dusted or vacuumed her room, I do like cleaning, but not as much as I like organizing!  I just like it when things have a place they belong, and figuring out where that is.... but I've kind of let myself go since having four kids, so now I'm slowly picking up the pieces and organizing and cleaning out a lot of clutter and junk that we've accumulated in the short four years that we've lived in this home.  It's been SO MUCH FUN so far, and I am having a blast!  So I think I will come back and do some printables, utilizing my new Photoshop skills, and I might even make some videos because Andy got a new video camera and he's been using it to do some video compilations for our family history.  I'm on Instagram so far, but nothing more, and I can't wait to see where this hobby goes.  If nothing, my home will be cleaner and more orderly for it!  My handle was thought of by my friend Jess, so grateful she came up with something clever!  See what I'm up to here: Instagram account link

Cheers!