Thursday Three

Three music albums (of many) I never tire of:

Yo-Yo Ma Obrigado Brazil

Paul Simon Rhythm of the Saints

The Big Chill Soundtrack

Wordless Wednesday

Tackling It Tuesday

Let me dig in to the work pile here:

Paperwork: I went through 3 trash bags (oh I mean the biiiiiig yard bags) full of paperwork recently. Yuck and whew. I still have one more bag to go, my filing cabinet to reorganize, and all the miscellaneous stuff that somehow decided to mingle with the papers put away. Then the papers will be manageable. Boy I cannot wait for that to be in place! (Being a business major and all...)

Laundry: Back to being in order again. I don't have to catch anything up at this point.

Craft closet: Organize all pictures, scrapbook accessories, and sewing supplies.

Bedroom: Finally hang the pictures in there.

Floors: Sweep, Vacuum, Mop. Somehow the kids/guest bathroom still smells like a gas station bathroom (and I SWEAR I didn't hang a cardboard tree in there to add to the ambiance)!

Fish tank: Clean the goobs and "gold" water from the tank of poor fat ol' Nemo the goldfish.

Garage: Do I really have to go there? OK - so it is a project that needs some kick in the pants to get going. The bikes, skis, and tools need to be hung, food storage organized, shoes put away, tools organized, and the floor swept. Then - ta da! A better entrance area for the guests...Who thought of putting the front door in the garage? Good thing it's just a rental. I would change the location of the door ASAP if we owned the place - and what a hassle that would be!

So this is the list for the week. What kind of projects are you all working on?

Rain, Rain, Go Away...Sunny Days Come Here to Stay!

Yes, it is 11:00 pm. Where I live, the sun should just be setting...but it's rain, rain, rain all the time and the clouds make it dim and dark not to mention depressing. Here is a picture I posted on my desktop for a little bit of comfort - not warm but at least I can "see the light":

Menu Planning Monday

Monday night: Herbed Chicken (Crockpot)- recipe from my sister's MOPS cookbook, rice, salad, apple juice
Tuesday night: "Hamburger helper" taco style with noodles, veggie mix, peaches
Wednesday night: Cheese quesadillas with salsa and sour cream, veggie mix, pears
Thursday night: Breakfast for dinner - maple sausage patties, pancakes, eggs, chocolate milk, fruit mix
Friday night: Spaghetti night (for real this time), garlic bread, broccoli trees, fruit parfaits
Saturday night: Simple Salmon Chowder, homemade rolls, side salad, Homemade Apple Crumble
Sunday night: Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Casserole, green beans, apple juice

Sunday Sampler

Today we heard about family preparedness. A start is to prepare a 72-hour kit and include supplies for each family member. A counselor told us he has 7 backpacks, one for each family member, hanging in his garage awaiting any pending disaster. We are starting our 72-hour kits tomorrow. Anyone interested in a 72-hour kit can look at these links:

• lds.org (Basic home storage information - the church tells us to aim for a 3-month supply at first.)




• about.com (72-hour kit ideas.)




• geocities.com (72-hour kit monthly addition checklist.)




• avertdisasters.com (72-hour kit weekly addition checklist.)




• peaceandcarrots.com (A list of sites to assist in family preparation.)
  

Another part of being prepared is to get our finances in order and to try to stay debt-free. A goal we strive for and have since we were first married! Financial freedom seems so refreshing. Here are a few ideas and goals we look into:

• daveramsey.com Get out of debt "at gazelle speed" and control your money habits.




• lds.org A handy budget worksheet.




• lds.org A debt-elimination calendar (sample) that we are using.




• paidtwice.com Snow flaking it - paying debt down with extra funds acquired.




• frugalliving.com Ideas to live within your means.
  

I know being prepared is important. I realize this everyday I don't prepare for the next. If things are not in order and ready as they can be, I drag all day long and suffer. So does the rest of the family. It is important to prepare our own way for help in a disaster. We should not think to depend on a neighbor (they need to meet their own needs) nor the government...ha! While we have a small supply in our house, I feel it necessary to follow further steps to keep it organized and readily available for the family. I mean, what if I run out of diapers for the baby... now that would be tragic! No - seriously. Basic needs. That is the ticket to start of with. Cover our basic needs first. Good luck and God speed if you plan to make this your goal as well.

Silly Saturday

The Brain Massager...

"Alleviate stress, tension and help soothe that migraine with our Brain Spa Head Massager. It’s like having your very own Masseuse."

Faith Building Friday

My son loves a particular book in the Bible. He looks to make sure he has the bible so he can look at that book every Sunday. It really should not surprise me as he is familiar with the name. Isaiah is a complicated book with lots of symbolism, but it is also the name of one of his favorite cousins. So, on that note, I post an excerpt of scripture from Isaiah:

Adversity often makes us more receptive to the promptings of the Spirit. And we “shall return even to the Lord, and he shall be intreated of [us] and shall heal [us]” (Isaiah 19:22). When we trust in the Lord during adversity, we open the door to His strengthening and healing power.

Thursday Three (oops a day late):0)

Three handbags I absolutely adore:

This loveley Japanese Wrist Bag can be seen here:

This unique Keeta Collection messenger bag is waaaay cute. Look if you want at this site:

I love this adorable bird purse as well:

Wordless Wednesday - The Sign Says it All!

Tackling It Tuesday

Today was a good day to tackle some yucks lying around the house.

Three things I worked on today:

1. Clean all floors. As I found the baby searching for snacks on the kitchen floor I thought this might be a good task to get to today! Cringe Sweep, mop, vacuum all floors (except the garage that is another project in itself).


2. Scrub the bathrooms. Children make the bathroom smell like urine. Guests don't like coming to my home and using the "gas station" toilet. Bleach the toilet, clean the sink, tub, heater and mirrors.


3. Finish big laundry. Those down quilts (yes we are still using the down quilts - sucks to be in the cold rain day in and day out..sun come out, come out wherever you are!) pillows and blankets need to be cleaned too! They waited patiently for far too long. The dust bunnies threw a few parties and unleashed their sneezing powder all over so I need a box of tissues next to me while I do laundry lately. Finish all blankets, pillows, robes, and quilts today.

Of course these are not all I worked on - I did pick up things in the garage a bit. Again, that is a monumental task for another day.

Thursday Three

Three Children I Truly Love!

1. B-man and his curiousness, his dramatic inclination, and his absolutely silly giggles.

2. The Little Princess and her dainty ways, her love of anything pink, and her desire to make everyone happy.

3. T-baby and his adorable grins, his powerful red-orange hair, and his sweet loving cuddles.