August 2011 Archives

It is week two of Operation Clean and Organize and this week I've been working on a menu board. Some moms prefer to make a monthly menu but that doesn't work for me. Planning one week ahead is all I can handle right now!

I looked at various styles of menu boards to see what appealed to me. I previously had a dry erase board but over time the erase ability of the board deteriorated. I thought of using a magnetic board because I really liked this one but it was too big and I wanted it to be weekly not monthly.

I decided to make my own smaller magnetic weekly menu. I spent a total of about $20 for a magnetic board the right size to fit on my fridge, a pack of Avery Printable Magnetic Sheets, and "Days of the Week" magnets that I found at Target in the Back to School seasonal section.

Next I sat down and made a master list of all the meals, side dishes and veggies I normally cook. In a Word document I made four columns of labels and typed up the list of foods. I wanted to keep track of days when I had appointments so I would know to plan easy or slow-cooker meals on those days. I also wanted to mark days when I had to pack the kids' lunches for school.

I color coded the labels: main dish - blue, sides - orange, veggies - green, appointments - purple, and school lunches - red. I made sure to have a number of blank labels to fill in later as I tried new recipes. Next, I printed and cut out the labels. Lastly, I arranged the meals on my board along with a shrunken down copy of Bella's school lunch menu.

Here's what it looks like.

For a larger view: View image

The first week using it has been great. We'll see how it stands the test of time. :-)

That's it for this week. Next week I'll be working on organizing my pantry and making master shopping lists. Share your own ideas in the comments and happy organizing!

POSTSCRIPT:

In the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit that this organizing business is getting fun. Who knew? But you must make sure that your motherly duties are attended to first. Otherwise you will have to find out that your earlier statement of "he should be able to eat his yogurt alone without making too much mess while I make a quick post" was not only false but stupid thinking. So be forewarned. Wait until the kids are asleep. (And this was after I cleaned off his hair and face.)

UPDATE: For meal planning tips check out the blog Family Menu Planning Book.com by Catholic convert Elizabeth Hawbaker and her e-book Family Menu Planning: A Practical Guide to Mealtime Management. I downloaded it and there is a lot of great info that will help me with my meal planning.

If you fell in love with Downton Abbey last year, like I did, then you must be excited for the coming of Season 2. Although the UK will see the premiere in September, we'll have to wait until January. In the meantime, you can go The Daily Beast and click on the photos to read about what season 2 has in store for the characters. There are spoilers so I only skimmed that part since I hate knowing what is going to happen beforehand. I love the excitement of experiencing it as you are watching (or reading) the story. (Unlike my mom who will turn to the last page of a book to see if the ending is worth reading the book in the first place!)

Here is also a short behind the scenes look of Downton Abbey, Season 2.

Courtesy of The Simple Woman's Daybook.

FOR TODAY - August 29, 2011

Outside my window...it is the usual August weather here - cold and foggy.

I am thinking...that I have not made a post in a week even though there has been a lot going on.

I am thankful...that my sister BC and my parents were able to spend a few days with us. And it was the first time my dad met Matthew. :-)

In the kitchen...I can smell the leftover pasta I had for breakfast. (I'd rather have lunch for breakfast and cold cereal for lunch!)

I am wearing...capris, a black top and socks.

I am creating...a new weekly menu board.

I am going...to post a photo of my new haircut on facebook.

I am wondering...how Bella is doing on her first day of school.

I am reading... Smart Martha's Catholic Guide for Busy Moms

I am hoping...that this week is a lot less hectic than last week.

I am looking forward to...trying out my new chore schedule and seeing how much I can actually get done. (Which means I better get off this computer in the next 10 minutes!)

I am hearing...the boys playing with their train set and Matthew blowing raspberries in his swing.

Around the house...there are piles of clean laundry and ironed clothes that needs to be put away because my mom washed and ironed every piece of clothing we have before she left! (I was spoiled and loved every minute of it. ;-)

I am pondering...if I can find a low fat recipe for zucchini bread.

One of my favorite things...a fond memory. This weekend it was hearing the kids playing with their grandpa; they were giggling uncontrollably because they were having so much fun. Priceless.

A few plans for the rest of the week...continuing Operation Clean and Organize since I didn't get very far last week with first week of preschool, JP's birthday, the trip to the ER, doc appts, having my family over and life in general.

Here is picture I am sharing...a photo of John-Paul, the birthday boy, (he turned 2) playing on the new deck.

I've discussed in a number of previous posts (like here and here) about my battle with keeping a clean and organized house. I'm naturally messy and the amount of work I have to do to clean up and organize our house is overwhelming. However, it's a project I want to undertake because it's important to me.

I think there is some truth to the saying "cleanliness is next to godliness." Someone once told me that a person's exterior life reflects their interior life. I don't know if that is true but I do know that after awhile I get tired, frustrated and grouchy with all the piles of papers and junk and disorganized areas of the house. A house with little kids will never look like a museum - and never should - but I could definitely use a little more order in my life and I know the difference it makes.

When I do clean up an area and have it organized it makes my life run a little bit smoother. (Who can't use that?!) I am more at peace and feel that I am better accomplishing my mission in life - to raise a happy family and make our home a little taste of heaven on earth as we work towards entering our eternal home. It is my small way of showing God that I love him - to put aside my natural messy tendencies and find the orderly and creative woman I know is lurking in there somewhere.

So I've decided to start "Operation Clean and Organize." Every week (or two) I'll post what I am working on and how it is progressing. To start things off, I sat down and made a list of all the chores I need to do each day and those I can do once a week. I used the Family Chore Chart from iheartorganizing to organize my list. (I still haven't figured out the quarterly or annual jobs. I'm barely getting the basics down.) Here is what I have so far. View image. As the weeks go by, I'll tweak it as needed. (And although, prayer time isn't a "chore" I wrote it down as a reminder that it can't be skipped. ;-)

There is a small wall in my kitchen that is covered by the swing door that leads into the family room. I hung up the chart on that wall after I put it in a $1.99 Ikea frame that I had. I can use a dry erase marker to check off the list as I complete my work. I also hung up a clipboard that holds our Family Home To-Do List. I went through each room in the house and wrote down everything I wanted to do in there - from cleaning out closets to dusting tops of book shelves - as well as other projects I'd like to work on - from organizing the photos to updating my recipe binder to finishing the baby books. It may take years to complete my list but at least I can work on one thing at a time instead of doing ten projects at once and finishing none!

I also hung up in my kitchen a small board next to the counter where I cook and prepare food. I use it to keep notes and jot down things I need to remember. Above it I hung up (using removable Command hooks) a clip board for the recipes I'll be cooking that week. I can read the recipe off the clipboard as I'm fixing it. So far it has worked great.

Next project - Making a weekly menu.

Are you working on organizing your home? Is your home already organized? Share your stories and tips in the comment section. Thanks!

UPDATE: (9/9/11) Misty at Misty's Mornings Blog has some creative ideas in her post Creating An Autumn Rhythm {four steps to a cleaning schedule}. I love making lists but not because I'm super organized. Sadly, the opposite. If I don't write things down, I completely forget those same things! Anyway, Misty has some great ideas and advice, so head over and check it out.

Today is my birthday so Brian brought me these beautiful flowers along with a letter he wrote telling how much he loves me. Reading that is more than I could ever ask for. He is a gem. I am truly, truly blessed to be married to such a man and to be the mama to our children.

I have lots of {happy} pictures this week. I received an early birthday present this weekend when my brother Rob, my sister-in-law Maria and my new nephew Max came to visit us. This is the first time I have been able to see Rob since he was really sick. A special thanks to all of you who were praying for him. I wanted you to see the answer to your prayers - he is much better now, thank God. Here he is with Matthew.

I was also happy to see the cousins meet for the first time. Matthew is a month older than Max but Max has a head start on size. They both are such cuties!! I love these photos of them together, and the one of my smiley boy as his usual cheerful self. Lastly, we were happy because my brother brought the So Calif sun with him. It was the first sunny day we have seen in a looong time!

This morning I had errands to run in Carmel. I dropped Andrew off at speech therapy and then headed downtown to return our library books and go to the post office. I couldn't figure what was going on because the street was roped off, there were police everywhere and people were lined up along the sides of the road with cameras and video recorders. It was as if they were waiting for a parade. Then it dawned on me. This weekend is the Pebble Beach Concourse d'Elegance and many of the fancy cars are being displayed in downtown Carmel this afternoon. Unfortunately, I happened to be on the road just as the cars were driving into town. The cops had us stop so all the cars could pass. I didn't have my camera with me so I snapped a few pics on my iphone. Unfortunately, it is really gloomy today so the colors are very muted but the whole situation still made me laugh.

Last week I showed you a picture of our deck torn apart. This week I am happy to say that it is complete. We landed out forgoing the traditional wood flooring because it did not do well and instead put in a TimberTech composite wood deck. It looks nice and is super sturdy. The kids looove it! They run and ride their tricycle and scooters up and down and I'm happy that it is done without chipping paint or getting splinters! A special thanks to the hardworking guy who did it for us. He did a great job!

Catholic Mom.com had a great post today from Aquinas & More Catholic Goods. It's worth reposting here:

Can You Help Catholics in the Military?

We opened our store in the aftermath of 9/11. We opened our store in Colorado Springs, a city with four military bases and the Air Force Academy.

When we opened our store we heard from one of the local chaplains who was being deployed to an "undisclosed location" that it was almost impossible to get requisitions for Catholic devotionals for the troops he was serving.

Because of that, we decided to start Catholic Chaplain registries and to upgrade all orders to military addresses to Priority Mail at no extra charge.

A plaque we were sent from thankful troops in Afghanistan.Since we launched our registry program, we have shipped over 6000 Bibles, medals and prayer books to chaplains serving in some of the most dangerous places on Earth including Baghdad and Afghanistan.

Unfortunately, the generosity that people had when the wars first started has waned along with support for the wars themselves. This means that our Catholic soldiers who are still fighting and dying, whatever you may think of the cause, are frequently short on things that can strengthen their Faith.

As an example of how difficult it is to get supplies through the military, we had a chaplain order sacramental wine from our store to be shipped overseas because he was worried that he would be reassigned before the wine arrived at his current station if he went through military requisitions!

Over the past two weeks I have received three requests for more items for our soldiers.

First, we heard from Chaplain Sheehan:

"I am the only Catholic Navy Chaplain at Parris Island SC (US Marine Corps Boot Camp). I serve the recruits in a number of ways to include teaching Religious Education, preparing recruits to receive Sacraments of Initiation, and praying The Mass on Sundays.

I am a Battalion Chaplain and have daily encounters with the recruits in training, teaching, and counseling.

There is a consistent requests for Catholic Bibles and crosses (crucifix'). I get many request for protestant Bibles and Rosaries but have generous suppliers for these items.

Catholic Bibles, Crucifix's, and Crosses are harder to get donated.

Thank you for your generosity and possible assistance in securing these items for US Marine recruits. Thank you to your generous customers who support this ministry."

Second, we have Chaplain Victor. Chaplain Victor was one of the first chaplains we assisted and we have sent Catholic devotionals to his troops in Afghanistan and Japan:

"I am Fr. Victor and while I was deployed in Afghanistan in January 2005 - January 2006, you have supported me with books, especially the Fulton Sheen's Wartime Prayerbook. I want to know if you can donate more as there is a great demand for this book."

Third, we have Catholics in the Military. This organization just changed its name to Mission Capodanno. They promote vocations to the Chaplain Corp, send Catholic items to troops in need and provide spiritual assistance to military families. We have been supplying material to them for years and they are currently in short supply.

There are several other chaplains who have requested our assistance through the years and your generosity has made those requests bear fruit.

Can you still find it in your heart to give? These soldiers don't get paid much and are frequently in some of the worst places on Earth supported by an understaffed and undersupplied Chaplain Corp.

You can view all of the items that chaplains have requested at: http://www.aquinasandmore.com/militarychaplain

How can you deny a soldier looking for Catholic materials?? We've got to help! I am supposed to work on the monthly finances tonight and after I do I will see how much tithing money I have for this month. Then I'll choose one of chaplains listed on their site and purchase some of the materials they need. There are items for any budget - from holy cards less than $1 to $5 books to $7 bible and much more. Perhaps you and your family could creatively raise a few extra dollars to purchase something for the chaplains. I know money is tight but even one bible or rosary or prayer book in the hands of a soldier could make a tremendous difference as they face danger day in and day out. Spread the word and pray for our troops!

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

I was going to skip the quick takes today because I had a lot to get done but Matthew is being a super crank and wants to be held. So here I am again rocking him with one arm and typing with the other. It's not really his fault since it's hard for him to sleep with all the banging going on outside with the guy fixing the deck.

I need to get the house straightened because I'm having company coming over this weekend. My brother Rob (the one who was really sick last month), my sister-in-law and my new nephew Max are making a weekend trip to Carmel. I'm so excited to see them. And it'll be the first times the cousins get to meet! :-)

Which reminds me, I should snap some photos of how messy the entryway/front room looks right now as Leila has suggested. (See her post How Do Others See Your Home?) Yikes. That will be an act of humility since (for various reasons) I haven't been able to get anything done these last few days and stuff is piled everywhere. Sigh.

I'm trying to figure out what to eat this weekend - something healthy but tasty. I joined weight watchers a few weeks ago and it is going well but it is hard changing your eating habits and the way you look at food. Someone once asked me if I was an emotional eater. I wasn't sure what they meant. They asked, well do you eat when you are happy. Yes. Do you eat when you are sad? Yes. Do you eat when you are lonely? Yes. Do you...okay, let's cut to the chase. I eat! Everyday is a fiesta! (That is why I am built kinda like a piñata. Short and round.) About the only time I don't eat is when I am mad. I mean really mad. At those moments I am too upset to do something that would bring me pleasure. But by the looks of me, I don't hit that level of anger very often. Kidding aside, it is hard to readjust the way I look at food but I need to do my best to stick around for a long time to take care of my babies. (Not to mention that I could actually buy one of those cute dresses I like instead of just pinning them to pinterest!)

Speaking of food, have you been watching the Next Food Network Star? I've watched every season and love the show. I barely saw my recorded episode of the final four yesterday. Although I figured Mary Beth was going home, I didn't want her departure to give Penny any satisfaction. That girl just seems nasty. I hope it was more editing that made her seem so mean and that she's not really that bad. Brian and I are rooting for Jeff to win. (Not to mention that Brian is a huge sandwich fan. He could eat them every night!) But I like Suzy (such a sweetheart, although they already have Marcela) and Vic (he was a fave since the beginning, although I never thought he'd make it this far) so even if one of them won, I wouldn't mind.

Today when I was browsing pinterest I came across the artist Flor Larios (thanks to mamabear) and I love her work. It has a Spanish folk art feel. I ordered a couple things to hang in my kitchen.

Okay, and as my last post, my little guy has finally fallen asleep. I'll put him down in Bella's room since you can hear the hammering the least in there. Poor little guy. It's hard to believe that he is 4 months old today! He is usually such a happy baby - as long as he gets his sleep! (Kinda like his mama. ;-)

Have a great weekend!

I bought this pretty hibiscus flower at Trader Joes this week and put it on our front porch. I love the red flowers! (Although I just noticed that the tag said to keep the plant indoors. I guess I'll have to move it.)

I must confess that I am a stationary geek. I was so happy to get this package in the mail because as much as I love the convenience of texts and emails, there is something soul-satisfying about putting pen to paper.

I bought these lovely sets of writing sheets and envelopes from Daniella (WritingsByBluebirds) at etsy.com. I already wrote a letter on them, which made every happy.

Ever since Bella was a baby, we've been trying to deal with kids that will climb chairs and dance on the table. Since then we've gotten used to tipping the chairs over during the "climbing" stage. It is a major pain in the rear, but we've put up with it. However, I may have to think of another strategy because JP started climbing his tipped over chair to get to the kitchen counter - something he probably wouldn't have done had he not spotted a jar of jelly beans on the sink. (Which I should probably dump out since I think they have been there since Easter!)

We are finally getting around to fixing our backyard deck. The main structure is fine but all the floor boards have to be replaced. We have to keep our sliding glass doors locked to make sure the kids don't step outside and fall through the deck! (Thankfully the weather has been foggy and cool so it's not so bad.) I will be glad when the work is over. All that hammer pounding at 8am is disturbing the baby's sleep!

Now that August is here I've been reading on the blogs about many homeschooling moms starting school or getting ready to start. A couple people have been asking about the Little Saints Catholic Preschool Program.

Although we aren't homeschooling (at least not at the moment) I have used the Little Saints program for the kids while they were younger. The lesson plan can be used for a classroom setting or for homeschooling.

Personally, I loved it. I also liked that it had everything written out - including all the materials I'd need for the projects and lessons. Since I was using it informally, there were sections I skipped and others that I implemented. I thought the program was worth having just for all the project ideas, book suggestions and learning material that I adapted to my own schedule.

Last year, some of the local homeschooling moms did a once a week co-op for their homeschooling children. One mom tutored the older kids in English. Another mom taught the preschoolers, including Andrew, while I watched the babies. Although it wasn't a formal preschool setting she used a number of the ideas and projects from the program.

Here is a partial sample chapter so you can see how it is organized. (This is for reference only. The pages have a copyright.) You can learn more and purchase the Little Saint's Catholic Program at CatholicPreschool.com.

Table of Contents - Page 1 View image

Table of Contents - Page 2 View image

Sample Chapter - Page 1 (Prep) View image Page 2 (Prep) View image Page 3 (Lesson) View image Page 4 (Lesson) View image

A couple weeks ago I read a post by Tina at My Priceless Fishers Blog about their family sponsoring a child in the Philippines through Christian Foundation for Children & Aging. I was touched by her story and looked into it for our family.

The CFCA was founded in 1981 by lay Catholics acting on the Gospel call to serve the poor. They state:

Our faith teaches us that we are one human family, and that we have a responsibility to the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters, wherever they live or whatever faith they may be.

For almost 30 years, Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) has brought hope to families living in poverty in the 22 countries (within Mexico and the Caribbean, Central America, South America, Africa and Asia) where we work. Founded in 1981 by lay Catholics acting on the Gospel call to serve the poor, we have grown into a movement of more than 250,000 sponsors who are supporting more than 300,000 children, youth and aging friends worldwide.

I was impressed by the work that CFCA does and the percentage of funds that goes to the program vs the administration. I also liked the fact that we'd be able to write to our sponsored child and keep in touch with them through the program. (However, your personal info is kept confidential.) I talked to Brian and made sure the cost fit into our tithing budget and all looked good.

Since we have so many boys in the house I thought it would be nice to sponsor a girl that Bella could write to as well. We chose the country of Mexico and I picked a couple of cute little girls in need of help. I let Bella look over the profiles and pick the one we should sponsor. Of all the smiling faces and cute grins Bella chose a girl close to her age that didn't look very happy. Her name is Abigal, or as her friends like to call her, Abi.

We took Abi's photo and placed it on our home altar as a reminder to pray for her each day. We're hoping that our prayers, our letters and our monthly sponsorship for her education and personal needs will help to brighten her day and give her a better future. We'll keep you posted about our journey with Abi. :-)

For information about how you and your family can sponsor a child in need, visit The Christian Foundation for Children & Aging

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

I'm writing this Quick Posts while listening to Mat Kearny's new album Young Love. "Hey, mama. Hey, hey, mama..." (Funny, that's the same thing Bella said to me when she saw me dancing around the kitchen. Only she said it with that "omg, what is mom doing?" tone. LOL!)

Speaking of the kitchen, the freezer section of my fridge has always been jam packed with stuff so I have been thinking about getting a stand alone freezer for the garage. I asked Brian if I could get one for my birthday and he laughed. (It was like Ethel asking for a toaster for her birthday, for you Lucy fans.) But since I had the money saved, he agreed. I debated over a chest unit or an upright and went with the upright since it seemed easier to organize and more importantly, it was the perfect size for the space we had in the garage. The freezer finally arrived this week and I've been doing a happy dance ever since! It is so nice to buy bulk items and make double dinners and be able to freeze them. Yay!

Speaking of organizing, since I had to rearrange the garage to make room for the freezer, I've be organizing the pantry out there as well. We have wire shelves that we bought at Costco and since the shelves have rollers they are easy to move around. I was going to make a master pantry list when I saw these freezer and pantry inventory lists through a link at iheartorganizing.blogspot.com. Although I could create them myself, I wanted to support a mom by purchasing these from Jennifer's etsy shop. (Plus it saves me the time!) They were just what I needed.

Speaking of the pantry, I have been trying to use up some of the items that have been sitting there for awhile. I had two cans of this canned chicken meat that my father-in-law bought when he went to Costco. It seems a little weird to have chicken in a can (even though I eat tuna from a can) and frankly, I had been saving it for emergency food in case the "Big One" comes during my lifetime. (For you non Cali-residents, the Big One is the major earthquake that will supposedly cause part of CA to fall into the Pacific Ocean. But now that I think about it, I live near the ocean so I may not survive in the first place. But never mind that, I digress.) Anyway, the chicken needed to be eaten so I made chicken salad with it and it actually wasn't bad. I added a little light mayo, some chopped red onion, some chopped sweet red pepper (I love red peppers!) and a few dashes of Spice Hunter's Fajita Seasoning. Brian actually loved it so thanks, Dad.

Speaking of spices....last week my mother-in-law and I were talking about how we couldn't find the Spice Hunter salt-free seasonings as easily as we used to be able to. I could sometimes find them at Trader Joe's or World Market but they stopped carrying my favorite Fajita Seasoning and her favorite Fish Seasoning. I went online and luckily found them available through the company. I stocked up on what I needed plus I got free shipping and a free Grill Shakers as a sample. Cool!

Speaking of my mother-in-law, I have to get off of the computer and get the house cleaned since my in-laws are coming over for dinner this weekend. And the house has to be not just guest-passable but mother-in-law passable. ;-) So off I go.

Oh, wait. I need one more post....um....okay...speaking of cleaning, I also purchased the cleaning list from iheartorganizing to help me stay on top of keeping everything orderly. I tell ya, I am getting so on the ball I hardly recognize myself! LOL!

Have a great weekend!

When I was younger I loved cork boards and bulletin boards. I would fill them with various photos, pictures, quotes, comics...whatever took my fancy. Even after Brian and I were married I had boards up in many of our rooms. (Heck, even my blog has too many photos on it!) However, after we did the remodel, I took all the boards down but one. Sure, the walls looked neater and more "grown up" but I missed them. But not anymore since I now have my online boards at Pinterest!

I had seen the word "Pinterest" at various blogs I follow but I had no idea what they were talking about. A couple weeks ago I finally checked it out and I am hooked! Instead of bookmarking things I want to remember, I pin it to my online boards. I not only have a quick reference but a pretty visual. And with their iphone app, I have it at my fingertips for those moments when I have to kill a few minutes while I'm waiting for something.

I must also admit that Pinterest has helped awaken my creative side. Instead of immediately dismissing a project or recipe as too hard or requiring too much time, I suddenly have the desire to give it a try! And even if the project is a dismal fail, at least I'll have something funny to post about later. ;-) So here are a few samples of pins on some of my boards - Styles I Like, Things that Make Me Smile, Recipes to Try, Organizing the Home, Decorating Ideas, Favorite Icons and Beautiful Places near My Backyard.

Disclaimer - Pinterest is fun but highly addictive. You must use self-control. (Don't say I didn't warn you.)

I haven't taken any pictures with my regular camera this week so instead, here are the photos I recently took with my iphone, hence the blurrier quality.

When I was going to Mass at the Carmel Mission I couldn't help snap a picture of these gorgeous flowers. Bella smiled and said, "Mom, you can use that as one of your pictures for pretty, happy...whatever it's called." She knows me well.

We finally bought Andrew a new bike helmet so he could stop using Bella's old pink one. Now John-Paul wants to use the pink helmet, not to ride a bike, mind you, but to walk around the house. He must be worried he'll trip over the many train sets on the floor.

I snapped this one of Matthew relaxing in his swing. I looove that thing! It makes me sing! (Wow, I'm reading too much Dr. Seuss.) Anyway, the funny aspect is the way he has his chubby little leg resting on the tray. California kick back.

From now on I am going to put a shower cap on John-Paul before he eats his yogurt. And why does he always do this after I just washed his hair??