Ash Wednesday and Buh-Bye to Stuff

As a good Presbyterian, I'm preparing myself for the Lenten season. Having grown up in a totally different denomination of the Christian faith, I have learned more about Lent over the last several years and the purpose and ideas behind it. In these last years, I have not always observed Lent, as I believe that whether or not you participate, and to what extent of what you do and do not do, is completely between you and God. For a general overview, if you are unfamiliar with Lent, look here and here.

This year I have decided to take part in the "40 Bags in 40 Days" challenge that Ann Marie from White House, Black Shutters is doing. She got the idea from Sarah from Clover Lane who got the idea here.This is a fantastic idea and goes right along with all the decluttering I've been doing around the house. My pastor always asks us during Lent, "What is it that keeps us from spending time with God?" For some it's too much television, Facebook, or any other hobby that many of us make into an "Idol." And for some (like myself) it's STUFF. With all the junk I've accumulated, I spend the majority of my time, picking up stuff, putting away stuff, organizing stuff, and trying to find stuff. And if I see cute stuff on sale, you better believe it's coming home with me. See what I mean? I'm tired of being a slave to my stuff.

So for the 40 days of Lent leading up to Easter (this does not include weekends), I am going to take a bag a day (whether it's a Wal-Mart sack, or black lawn and leaf bag LOL!) and fill it up with the stuff that's cluttering my home, my mind, and my LIFE and take it out of my house. Normally I would pile all my stuff that I take out of my house in the garage and save it for a yard sale... OH, BUT NO!!! This time I'm going to sacrifice the money I would usually make from my yard sale and give all my stuff to the Downtown Rescue Mission where they can sell it in their store and help the homeless. Everybody wins this way!

Another way I'm preparing myself for the Lenten season is reading a devotion everyday at breakfast with my girls as well as reading our way through a wonderful International Children's Bible that I borrowed from our church (I'm going to post about this next week). Today we started in Genesis and read about the beginning of all things. JR commented that there were LOTS of pages for us to read to get to the end. LOL! How observant is that??? That kid cracks me up...

Now, where did I put those garbage bags?!? Kidding! They're under the sink in the kitchen. I cleaned out THAT cabinet a week and a half ago. ;) I'll post pics of the progress. Stay tuned!!!

Groove Is In The Heart...And The Hat Too, Apparently

"Just Dance" on the Wii is a favorite at our house. I just had to capture this moment.

Sporting momma's fedora helps the Diva find her groove. Looking good!

That's right. Work it, girlfriend. She beats me in points every single time. It's gotta be the hat...

'After' Pics from "Operation Find the Floor"

As promised... here are the "after" photos from the little challenge I have since named "Operation Find the Floor." This is where my mother-in-law and myself cleaned up, cleared out and hauled away 2 garbage bags full of trash and a super huge cardboard box full of junk to take to the thrift store. And now this is what you see now when you walk in the Diva's bedroom.

Here's a closer shot of what's above her bed. We picked up a new quilt and sheet set at Target. Her room needs a good re-painting. Any suggestions??? I was thinking that lime green color even though that was the color it was before the pink. I got the circle-y/ crystal-y thing at Trees and Trends for 60% off. Momma ROCKS the bargains. The chandelier sticker is from Hobby Lobby...50% off! I've been waiting MONTHS to use it somewhere and I think it's cute over the bed. You can't tell in the picture, but it has some adhesive crystals that play off the circle-y thing.

Here's a closer shot. The Barbies above the bed are really MY collection. ;) If she had her way, JR would have them out of the box and half naked by now. True dat.

The curtain is just some fabric that I just threw over a curtain rod a couple years ago. Actually making the girl some curtains has been on my to-do list for quite some time. I'm still not satisfied with all the stuff just lining the walls, but I think you'll agree that it's a vast improvement from what it was. We are in the market for a new little throw rug to bring in more of the colors from the quilt on the bed and I really want to do something with that cork board...

This still looks cluttered to me. We are talking about hanging the tv on the wall to free up more of the desk space. This would get rid of the make-shift, wooden "hutch" that I've repurposed from an over-the-sink shelf. I also spray painted the original hardware to the desk with some Rustoleum spray paint in bronze. Still not crazy about them tho. I got the desk for $25.00, so I can't really complain too much.

And here's the last pic, working your way out the door. The bookshelf was given to me 10 years ago and I used it next to Anna's crib when she was a baby. It's solid wood and fits nicely in that little space. Cat clock from K-Mart. :) I'm weird and have to have a clock in every room.

So there you have it, friends! I have to say that the red-head LOVES her room. We actually have a hard time getting here out of there now! Tee hee. :) And she has been a champ in keeping it picked up and clean. This morning, before school, she even made her bed. Pardon me while I wipe the tears from my eyes...

My next projects involve getting into the two worst closets in my house: the office and the master bedroom. It never ends, does it?!? Spring has gotten me so motivated for, well, Spring Cleaning! Anybody else been bitten by the cleaning bug?

From Flab To Fab Friday... From Couch to 5K

Thought it might be time to check in on the weight loss and keep myself accountable with my exercise routine. Let's just rip the band-aid off, shall we?!? I've GAINED 4 pounds. I know. Cry me a river, you say. Because in total, I've still lost 12 lbs, and that makes me happy... but 16lbs is closer to 20, which is closer to the 40 that I set out to lose in the first place. That's right. Four, zero. Or the equivalent of my youngest child. Talk about putting things into perspective. I was practically carrying Jamie Ruth around with me every day. No wonder I ached top to bottom!

I'm surprised I haven't gained more than 4 lbs, honestly, considering I have eaten my weight in Girl Scout cookies over the last three weeks. My saving grace has been the "From Couch to 5K" podcasts that I downloaded for free (that's right FREE. You know what they say... If it's free, it's for ME! LOL!). Inspired by a friend on Facebook, I decided to take the leap (no pun intended) into running.

First, let me say that I have NEVER been the running type. I really don't know what got into me, really, other than thinking it would be really cool to run a 5K. This program takes you from your current "couch potato" status, and through the course of nine weeks of building up walking and running intervals, will have you running continuously for 30 minutes, or 5 kilometers.

I "Google" searched "From Couch to 5K podcasts" and was surprised that there are several different ones out there. The one I chose has a British lady named Laura who guides you through the walking/ running routines to some up-beat, contemporary pop music. Laura tells you when it's time to walk (a 5 minute warm-up in week 1), and when to run (30 seconds of running in week 1 followed by 90 seconds of walking to recover and so on). You need to complete at least 3 sessions before moving on to the next week, and always take a day of rest off in between.

I started off gung-ho. I ran EVERY. OTHER. DAY. Without fail. Then life happens, as it tends to do (sick kids, sick husband, etc.), and I began to skip two and three days in between. Then Anna's seizure activity picked up and as of yesterday, it had been almost 2 weeks since my last run. But after NOT exercising, my body started to (dare I say it) crave running. I know it sounds bizarre, but it's the truth. So yesterday I hopped back on the treadmill and completed day three of week three and it felt great. I guess I'm a runner now. Who would have ever thought that would happen?!?

As a person who never ran anywhere before (except to the fridge in the garage for an ice cold diet coke!), I can hardly believe how much I love this program. It's quick (30 minutes... that's all!), and after purchasing my treadmill for a sweet deal from my friend Jennifer, I don't have to worry about the weather messing up my exercise plans. Plus it has been a GREAT stress reliever for me. Sad, mad, or frustrated? I just work it out on the treadmill. And I have energy to spare. I haven't felt this good in years. YEARS, people!

Today is the 4th of March... how are you doing with your weight loss goals for the New Year? If you are struggling, I highly recommend the "From Couch to 5 K" podcasts. If I can do it, anybody can. I can hardly wait to run my first 5K. Wanna join me? :D

How to Organize Your Cleaning Schedule

I have tried and tried to get myself on a cleaning schedule. In the past I've broken tasks down into daily chores, and I have also tried the "once a week" cleaning day... both with little success. But that is why I bought the fantastic book "Organize Now," by Jennifer Ford Berry. This book is changing my life. And that's saying a lot since I've read almost every organizing book, magazine article and blog post I could find on simplifying and order. I'm an organized person deep down. Really, I am...

I have at least figured out that I haven't been able to clean as I would like because a lot of my time is spent putting things back in their rightful home. I guess you could say I do a lot of "picking up" but not a lot of "cleaning up." I recently implemented a chore chart with my kiddo as well as began purging a lot of unnecessary things to help with this issue. After following Berry's advice to write down ALL tasks that need to be done in the house and then categorize them into what needs to be done daily, weekly, monthly, etc., I think I've come up with a plan that will help me be successful once and for all.

Basically, I broke my house into sections that will be addressed on certain days of the week.

Mondays: Master Bath and Master Bedroom

• sinks/counter tops/mirrors
  
• tub
  
• shower
  
• toilet
  
• sweep/mop
  
• change sheets
  
• dust
  
• vacuum
  
• pick up

Tuesdays: Laundry Room and Kitchen

• wipe down washer and dryer
  
• sweep and mop Laundry Room
  
• put clothes away
  
• sweep/mop Kitchen
  
• clean sink/wipe counter tops
  
• clean microwave
  
• wipe down cabinets
  
• wipe down fridge
  
• clean out fridge

Wednesdays: Living Room and Dining Room

• dust
  
• sweep/mop/vacuum
  
• clean t.v.
  
• pick up

Thursdays: Guest Room/ Office and Girls Bath

• change sheets
  
• dust
  
• vacuum
  
• clear desk
  
• sweep/mop bath
  
• sink/mirror


• tub
  
• wash rugs

Fridays: JR's Room

• change sheets


• dust


• vacuum


• clear desk

Jamie now has a new chore chart that involves keeping her room clean, but the Friday list is for me to make sure that things are being done and tweak some things that she's already done to get them to my specs. I know. Control is a hard thing to let go of. But I'm trying to keep this from happening again. Aye-yie-yie.

Of course there are things that NEED to be done daily like make the beds (hopefully JR has already made hers before school), take out the trash, dishes (empty dishwasher, load dishwasher, run, repeat :D), laundry, and some general sweeping (We keep our litter box for the cat in the master bath, so I'm trying to sweep in there every day to keep from stepping on strewn cat litter. I know. Gross part dos. And let's not forget one-third of our meal that seems to end up underneath the table. It's the only reason I'm thinking of getting a dog... kidding!) I recently purchased this little broom and dust pan set at Tuesday Morning. I thought it might help me feel cheerier (is that a word? LOL!) about cleaning crumbs and cat litter. I'll let you know when that emotion kicks in...

Once a month I plan to dust the base boards (first week of the month), ceiling fans (2nd week) and windows/ blinds (3rd week), change the air filter in the return and dust the grate (on the 4th week of the month). I'm outta control, right?!? Soon the Pearson house may actually be dust-bunny and cobweb free. Oh, to dream!

Three things I can already check off my list that Berry suggests is to have each family member an assigned towel for the week (Check), place a set of disposable disinfecting wipes in each bathroom for quick, in between cleanups (Check), and to save space by minimizing cleaners (big fat CHECK!). I recently switched to Shaklee cleaners after reading about it on Bonnie's blog and I have been super impressed. I'll do a post about them later cuz they are just. that. good.

Whew! What a long post! But can I tell you what a difference it makes to actually have it written down? There's no "Where do I start? What do I do now?" cuz it's all right there in black and white. In doubt? Check the list! And if the kids are sick and I'm unable to accomplish everything for that day... oh well. New day = new tasks. It can just wait until next week or if there's extra time later in the week (yeah, right!) I can back track on a task or two but I am NOT getting bogged down trying to play catch up. It just defeats the system, ya know?

I hope y'all are enjoying the book and every one's posts as much as I am. Don't forget to check out House of Grace today for inspiration on getting your own cleaning schedule started. Next week we delve into organizing our priorities and I've already jumped ahead a little. See what a little organization can do? ;)

I REALLY Can't Believe I'm Doing This

Allow me to mortify you with some pictures of my daughter's bedroom. I seriously can't BELIEVE I am going to share these with you, but in the attempt to clean up and organize my house, I thought it would be beneficial for you to see the "Before" pics so that you could really appreciate the "After" the way I do. Are you sitting down?

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Exhibit A: My mother-in-law is so horrified, she's taking her own pictures. I needed back-up. MoMo and I make a great clean-up crew!

Exhibit B: Can't even GET to the desk to work... The small laundry basket was my last effort pre- "Operation Find the Floor" to get her to throw 20 things in there to get rid of. She only managed FIVE.

Exhibits C and D. And yes, I did stumble (and almost fell) trying to make my way across the room to get these shots. What can I say, I'm a dedicated journalist.

This little experiment does three things. First, it embarrasses me that we have indulged our child with so much STUFF. I'm also embarrassed that my inability to stay on top of the situation has let it get this "outta control." Ahh, mom-guilt. It's a beautiful thing. Second, I am motivated beyond measure to clean up and clear out anything and everything that's not nailed to the floor. Everywhere, not just the Diva's bedroom (I do feel I must put in a disclaimer here that states the rest of the house DOES NOT LOOK LIKE THIS... Okay. I feel better now.). And lastly, if misery loves company, it might make you feel a teensy bit better about the condition of your home. Come back Friday for the "After" photos. Prepare to be amazed...

Update: Due to a last minute sewing project, "After" photos have been postponed to Monday. Sometimes 24 hours in one day are just not enough around here... and sometimes they're 24 hours and 36 minutes to many! LOL!

Pear Salad

If you know me, you know that I am NOT the cook in the family. That's Chuck's title. He's an avid " Food Network" watcher, a mean omlet maker, and truth be told, I think he dreams of one day owning his own restaurant. Yep. I'm a lucky gal. I'm also happy to relinquish the kitchen to his master-mind and enjoy the delecacies that he creates. I, on the other hand, tend to gravitate toward easy-peasy recipes. I like casseroles and semi-homemade stuff that looks great, but could easily be pulled off by a grade school student. Case in point: the delicious and uncomplicated (and very southern) pear salad.

Chuck and I often wonder who was the first person to come up with this unique flavor combo. At first glance these ingredients seem like they would never go together, but trust me... It's super yummy. My mom used to make it all the time, and though it's technically a salad, I like to have it for dessert.

* Get yourself a can of pear halves and drain them.
* Arrange them on a bed of lettuce for presentation (I left the lettuce out, cuz, well, we were out of lettuce!).
* Add a dollop of mayo to the pear centers (I like to use a mellon baller because it's quick and keeps the fingers mess free!).

* Grate yourself a little cheddar cheese and sprinkle on top.
* Finish it with a cherry and you're good to go.

What could be easier than that? Pretty enough to take to a pot-luck and simple enough for an after school snack. And dee-lish. Four out of five housewives with the culinary skills of grade schoolers agree. ;)