It was time...

...to change things up around the house.

I had gotten to my breaking point with the way things were arranged in our family room and was ready for a change. Up till now the bulk of the kids toys were stored in half of the family room. However, due to the narrowness and the depth of the room the kids toys were really starting to take over everything. Everything. And this is with me rotating toys in and out of the attic on a frequent basis. So, we got to thinking about things...

Another problem we were starting to look to problem solving was what to do about transitioning Avi-Kate to a big girl bed. She hadn't tried to climb out but it was bound to happen in the near future. Transitioning with AG was SO EASY because his room has a built in niche that a twin mattress fits in to perfectly. We only bought one bed rail and he never fell out of the bed because he was walled in on all four sides. It was amazing. In Avi-Kate's room we have the queen size guest bed with girl themed bedding. I wasn't crazy about sticking her in this bed yet just because it is so high off the ground and she wouldn't be able to get in/out of it by herself...plus I didn't want to have buy more bed rails! I really just wanted to stick her in AG's twin bed but I didn't want to buy twin girl bedding when I just bought her queen size bedding a year ago. And then it dawned on me. All of my twin college bedding is in perfect condition and just hanging out in the attic. So...we've taken the plunge and flipped the kids bedrooms! AG was not excited at first and Avi-Kate was confused because she was still happy in her crib. The biggest reasons we went ahead and did it were 1.) We were going to the beach for a week and Avi-Kate was going to sleep on a twin bed all week. We didn't want to come home after a week in a bed and move back to the crib. Let's just keep moving forward. 2.) We wanted to do it before AG starts back to school so that he has time to adjust and we can get the house ready for the upcoming year. Due to the insane amount of rain we got the week of July 4th we spent the holiday flipping the kids rooms and then went on vacation. Now that we are back I've got a little less than three weeks to get everything situated the way I want it. AG starts school August 5th! We need to figure out bedding for AG but at the moment he's content with clean sheets and the down comforter. Buying bedding for him wasn't a big deal to me because we figured when we moved to the next house he'd most likely end up in a bigger bed...not like spending money for twin girl bedding that she may use for a year or two at the most. I'm currently mulling several different possibilities for him. The only thing we know for sure is that we have to buy him a set of Grinch flannel sheets this fall from Pottery Barn Kids since Avi-Kate has inherited his twin Grinch sheets. And that will be a problem if she gets the twin ones and he doesn't have a new set because he loves sleeping on them. Last winter I  had to wash them and then put them straight back on the bed because he insisted on sleeping on them till well after Christmas.

By moving the kids rooms and taking down the crib we were able to move their toys in to their rooms. With plenty of space for them to play and spread out without overtaking the family room. Hallelujah! Ideally, in the next house we'll have a designated play space room/nook. The family room is much more spacious now and doesn't make me claustrophobic. We rearranged a few pieces in it and I have some ideas for new art on the walls. Andy wants to paint the kids rooms and I'm thinking about painting some of our common living spaces. We've been in this house now for over six years and I'm ready for a new color palate. The only room that is guaranteed not to be touched is the dining room. The cranberry red isn't going anywhere! Which is a good thing...I think Andy would flip if I suggested painting over it since red is such a hard color to paint. ;)

So, while I'm flipping, cleaning, reorganizing, and purging I'm also mulling paint ideas and decor. I'll start posting pictures once I get things back in order but I am really, really happy with how things are turning out at the moment.

I'm also sorting clothes and looking to do a massive purge of baby gear/clothes. We have several consignment sales coming up in August/September and I'm seriously mulling putting stuff in both sales to clear stuff out. We only have so much room and because the kids are not the same sex there are very few things that we save for AKs to wear that were AG's. It's kind of sad to me to think about getting rid of the baby stuff but I'm really content with our lives right now and the season that God has us in. Looking forward to moving ahead to see what all he has in store for us.
 

Time to re-evaluate my home management system...

Back in September I did a post about how I stay organized during the year. And that system worked great till the holidays and then everything spontaneously combusted. This spring I felt slightly disheveled and all over the place. (My house reflects this at the current moment as I'm trying to reclaim my space!) After reflecting back on the year I've come to a few conclusions...

-I still like using a file folder system to help me manage life from week to week...like any system it needs some tweaking.

-Since I run my system August to July it's to start figuring out what I want to do for the upcoming year.

-I feel that part of the reason I wasn't able to get back on track was due to how sick my kids were this winter. Honestly, everything was put on hold as we were constantly dealing with one or both kids being sick. Add in some outside extenuating circumstances, running two half marathons, a stress fracture, and unemployment it's no wonder I couldn't keep up with everything.

My current To Do list includes the following:

-Brainstorming planning sheets for said folders...last year I used templates that I found for free online and I purchased a weekly ripoff calendar that I stuck in each folder. I'm trying to decide if I want to take the time to design my own or just repeat what we did last year.

-Scout out and buy supplies. I may replace my folders this year if I can find something that I like. If not, I'll reuse what I have and just get new labels for them.

-I need to rework my desk. It needs a complete overhaul. Ideally, I'd love to claim the desk in our master bedroom as mine because I love the size of it. (It use to be an old library desk/table and has one drawer.) However, it's too big for the den, where my current desk is located, and Andy needs the desk in our room for work since he telecommutes everyday now. One day it'll be my craft table...most likely when we have a different house.

-I feel like I need some sort of home management binder but I am not sure. I like the idea of one, however, I don't know if I'm crazy to try and add another element to my daily routine or if I should wait a bit on it. I'm currently in the process of rereading all of Dawn's posts on home management/File Crate System/organization for ideas and inspiration.


The plan is to work on this over the next few weeks and get everything ready to go for the first of August. I'll post more as I make decisions and get my system for the year in place. In addition to this I've already started thinking about my holiday binder for the year. For years I had read about Dawn using one to help juggle everything during the holiday season and the teacher in me who loves a good system/notebook/something to craft/office supplies loved the idea of such a thing. However, I never got my act together to make one until this past year. The only that I would change is when I make it. This past year I made it the first of December and while it was invaluable during the season I wish I had made it months earlier. Ideally, I'd love to make my notebook for the holiday season this summer and then pull it out when the season is upon us. (With one less thing to hassle with/make/do.) The other reason for this is that I'd love to have a section either dedicated to Thanksgiving or make a separate notebook that is Fall/Thanksgiving since we tend to have lots of special activities that revolve around that season as well. Still mulling this but I love, love, loved having it for Christmas this past year! It was amazing to have a spot for all our Christmas receipts that was organized. As presents arrived we would just stash packing slips in their designated spot. After Christmas it made it easy to give people receipts for exchanges, etc. It was just a nice way to have things recorded and organized for the season. We'll see what I come up with. This year I have a Silhouette and I'm itching to use it to make stuff holiday cut outs. :) Can you blame me...they keep posting Christmas themed items in their weekly clearance shape sale.  This post has gotten to be quite wordy and I need to do some chores. Hope everyone has a good Friday and a great Father's Day weekend.

Christmas Planner 2012

So, I'll just go ahead and admit that I meant for this post to be posted two weeks ago and it didn't happen. The photos were taken and ready to go and then life became wild aka everyone got sick and things were thrown by the wayside. Today I'm attempting to get things up to speed and of course Google/Blogger decided to throw me a curve ball that I am out of space to post pictures. Thankfully, Andy is working from home today and my mini-crisis (to me) has been averted. Here we go...

Planners. Oh, how I love them. I think it's the teacher in me that just has an infinity for planners/organizers. For the last few years I have wanted to make a holiday planner but the time got away from me and I never was able to get my act together. I then would promise myself that I would get one together next year. Anyways, this year the stars aligned and I got one together. I'm actually quite pleased with how it turned out. Originally, I was planning to make a notebook like I have for our vacations but I decided that I really wanted something that I could pull out next year to reference. (And the thought of storing lots of binders over the years seemed silly. When we finish a vacation all of my planning pages are pulled out, clipped together, and placed in a folder in case I need to pull something from them for a future trip...like when planning Disney trips things get pulled/referenced. All this to say that our vacation pages don't stay in the binder.) So, I wanted something that was more like a scrapbook that I could pull out to see what we did this year, I wanted something that was compact and easily stored, and I wanted something that was functional/easily used. I settled on making a brown paper bag notebook like I use to use in my classroom when I was a teacher. These notebooks are great because you can make them for nothing and they are quite versatile. I will say that years ago brown paper bags were bigger and a standard size piece of notebook paper fit inside perfectly. I ended up having to trim my papers to fit the space but that wasn't a huge deal since I used my paper cutter to make quick work of it. Here's a quick tour and if anyone has interest in me doing a post on how to make the actual notebook step by step let me know. :)

For the cover I settled on this piece of scrapbook paper with red birds on it. My grandmother loved red birds and I have collected lots of red bird ornaments over the years. Since I'm using it daily I am using simple rings that open/close to hold everything together. At the end of the holidays I'll change them out for some ribbon or twine. I'll also switch out the binder clip for a bit of velcro.

Due to the way the notebook is constructed you naturally end up with two pockets on either side to store items in. When I was a teacher we would make these for different units and the pockets came in handy for storing flashcards, games, manipulatives, etc. The pocket on the left has different odds and ends. Information from our trip to the Pink Pig. ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas schedule. Etc.

I love that it lays flat when it is open. The space on the left now holds sticky note reminders. And I then took some scrapbook paper and left over brown bag pieces to make some tabbed dividers. My notebook this year has the following sections: Advent and Jesse Tree, Advent Sundays, Christmas Card, Decorating (Inside and Out), Gifts, Shopping (Food), Baking, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Activities and Traditions, To Do List, and a blank one in case I think of something else I need to keep track of at the last minute. :)

I came across this Martha Stewart Checklist on Dawn's Blog and printed it off and then clipped it in to my notebook so that I could reference it as need be. 

The back pocket houses coupons and all of my receipts. As we buy stuff I just stash it back here in case we need it later for whatever reason.  

And here is my brainstorming that I started a few weeks ago for AG's gifts. Avi-Kate's is now listed below it. Our children receive three gifts from us because Jesus received three gifts. One of the kids gifts this year are books. Each child will have a present under the tree and inside it will be three new books. (Running with the whole three theme.) In addition to their three gifts, they also receive Santa presents or as Andy likes to say gifts from 'SC'. In general SC gifts are for them to share, however, this year we are giving them things that are identical or that relate to each other. AG wants a pillow pet and they'll fight over it if we don't give Avi-Kate one too. So, I found a deal on the Disney Store website  a few weeks ago and got them matching ones. AG wants a monorail and Avi-Kate wants a castle so they'll get those. You get the idea. Stockings usually hold little items and a movie or two for the family to enjoy together. Since I've taken this picture we finally settled on what all we are buying and I've mapped it out in the notebook. Complete with check marks next to the items once we've purchased them. 

Last night I did some work in my planner trying to map out different activities to do with AG and Avi-Kate each day between now and Christmas. Each day I post what we are going to do on one of the chalkboards in the kitchen. I'll post my list once I get it finished...if you want some inspiration check out Dawn's past posts on Advent fun here and here. 

What things do you like to use to help you stay organized during this busy time of the year? I'm off to prep lunch, switch out the laundry, and create a grocery list but I'll be back again soon with more posts from the last two weeks. Happy Monday. 

How we stay sane and slightly organized these days...

I mentioned the other day that I had been reading a blog of a mom in Massachusetts for several years now. One of the things that Dawn does to help stay organized is she has created a system using weekly file folders. She calls it her 'File Crate System' and it's a weekly tool to help you stay on top of all the coming/going and the endless paper trail that tends to follow each of us around. This is actually the 3rd year that I have used this system but the first time I've posted about it. The last two years my use of it was spotty due to being pregnant and then having a newborn. However, this year I can't live without it especially since AG is is school five days a week. It has made our transition in to this new chapter of our lives much easier. So, what is it? How do I use it? Why has it made my life easier? 

First, I started with a batch of 52 file folders. (One for every week of the year.) They each get dated and run August-July. I also run my weeks Monday-Sunday. This is a matter of preference you really could do it how ever you wanted to do it. The teacher in me loves starting something new in August because of it being a new year...likewise, I also think of my weeks in terms of the week and the weekend. I like starting fresh on Mondays.

File folders all ready to go. 

On top of my file folder is a sheet that I created using a template at Money Saving Mom. You can tailor it to your preferences. While it's not exactly what I want long term it fits the bill right now. Eventually, I'll restructure it and create my own template...when I have time to really brainstorm/work on it. I also, wanted to test run this sheet first to see if I even liked it before I spent time creating something I may/may not use. I opted to laminate it to make it more durable. (Good decision it survived Avi-Kate throwing the last of her dinner the other night.)

Dawn buys a fresh set of folders each year, however, this is the third year I've used mine. I spent a little more and bought a more durable folder. It is a thicker paper and coated to make it really sturdy. I use post-it reposition-able tabs to re-label them. I looked for some new folders this summer just to change it up but I didn't find any I liked better and mine are still in perfect condition so I am using them again. 

When you open it on the left side you find my week-at-a-glance calendar. I found this template at Target in the office section. Last year I used a different one and it was just ok. Again, I was going to design my own but before I could I found this one. I LOVE this calendar. Behind it is my monthly/annual cleaning checklist that I personalized at Money Saving Mom. (I just started using it this month. I realize not everything will always get done but it's nice to have a place to keep track of things.) Earlier this week I realized I should have 'Wipe Down Kitchen Cabinets' in the monthly section. When I re-create my own it will be added and in case anyone is wondering I did wipe down my cabinets for this month. :)

Next on the right side you find my Notes and Bits page. Just a simple piece of notebook paper that I put sticky notes on. I am always writing things on sticky notes so if I jot something down I can add it later to my folder. Also, if I need to pull it out and post it somewhere as a reminder I can. Sometimes I'll even jot down memorable quotes from AG. It's just a simple catch-all paper. 

Behind my Notes page is AG's school calendar for September. Each week it gets moved to the next folder so that I have it if I need it. I also have a coupon attached to it that we earned from ordering books from Scholastic to apply to our next order. Which made ordering books for this month a breeze because the coupon was right at my fingertips! 

And then behind that goes anything and everything else that we need to save from the week. (Receipts, notes, packing slips, you name it if it needs to be saved it goes here.) All of AG's school papers get filed here once they come off his bulletin board in the play area. 

Now, the big question...how do I maintain this? On Thursday, on a good week, I'll pull out the next week's folder and start working on my calendar for the week. I'll make a post-it with possible ideas for dinner for the next week so I can start brainstorming ideas while I look at ads/coupons. However, some weeks are insane and it won't get pulled out till the weekend sometime. By Sunday I will file away AG's papers and any loose papers that haven't been filed. I will also move anything that needs to be moved to the next week's folder...my checklist, AG's school calendar, etc. The folder then goes back in to my filing cabinet which sits next to my desk. Also, I will file stuff ahead of time to use later. For example, Avi-Kate had a check-up two weeks ago and they printed me a reminder for her next check-up in December...that sheet is now filed away in the folder for that particular week. A coupon for Bath and Body Works that I received in August that was good for the month of September was filed away in the first September folder. You get the point.

My folder for the current week sits on top of my desk where I have easy access to it and can see it every single day. When we travel it gets tucked in to my travel bag so that I have it if needed. Whew! There you have it. A crash course on how we are keeping things slightly organized around here these days. I will say that I am really LOVING this system. It has been invaluable as we've transitioned in to school and all the additional papers that comes with school. At the end of the year I sift back and look over our year and it's pretty neat to see what we were up to, what we ate, random mementos, etc. I can also pull anything that I might need for the upcoming year and re-file it away. If you have questions let me know...I'd love to answer them if I can. :) 

Fall Learning...

Since fall is now officially upon us and it's finally starting to feel fall-ish here's a little of what we are working on. Learning at home is really important to me and the teacher in me is really enjoying creating simple activities and spaces for our kids to learn from/in. Our kids are young and as such most of what we do is self directed by what they are interested in. (In my education classes they'd describe this as Developmentally Appropriate Practice...I'm sure Evan and Lori are laughing at me as they are reading this post.) Anyways, I may not have a classroom but I still love to teach. :)

I ordered a bunch of new fall books and a fall activity for AG with his Scholastic book order. The Chicka Chicka puzzle is stashed away for Christmas. We have a pretty substantial library of childrens books due to me starting my collection all the way back in high school. My goal is to really start adding lots of seasonal books. I have a decent collection of Christmas books but that is it as far as seasonal stuff. Anyways, all that to say that I ordered lots of fun fall books to put on our shelves. I also pulled out all the fall books we had and currently have all the books on the play table in the play area of the den. I am on the hunt for a basket to make it our official 'book basket' for seasonal learning. 

We have a bulletin board hanging in the play area that I'm currently showcasing AG's work on from school. When something comes home it gets dated and added to the board. Over the weekend I'll pull everything off and file it away in my weekly file folder. (More on that in the next post. Finally!) I've toyed with adding a board to put seasonal stuff, projects we do here, Avi-Kate's artwork on, etc. I just haven't gotten that far, yet. 

Since the first day of fall is this weekend we are making fall cookies this week together. I need to make the dough so it can chill in the fridge before we roll it out. Then we'll bake and ice them to take to the farm this weekend. We are also looking to go to the pumpkin patch in the coming weeks I just need to decide where. In another week or so we'll head to pick up fall flowers for the flower pots. (I've been delaying this because I want the mums to be in full bloom for Mtn. Day Weekend.) AG really likes helping plant flowers and wearing his gardening gloves that Nanny bought for him. There you have it...a little bit of what we have been up to and have on tap for the weeks ahead. I'm already mulling fun plans themed for Thanksgiving/Christmas. Crazy, I know. (sigh) The holidays will be here before we know it. 

Freezer Cooking and Reorganizing...

Another day and another picture-less post. (sigh) Oh, well. Life goes on...that's what I'm telling myself any way.

Over the course of the last few weeks I've been tackling simple house projects that have been in need of tackling but at the time had been pushed to the side. Now with AG in school I actually have time to tackle simple tasks and see them to completion without interruptions. The other day I pulled EVERYTHING out of the freezer. I threw away everything that was past it's prime and began to reorganize the inside. I also made a list of everything that I have in the freezer at the moment on hand. I'm easing back in to my freezer cooking routine for the school year since I took a break for the summer. Here's what I found:

-Roasted Tomato Base (I slow roast onions, garlic, and tomatos in the oven then use my food processor to chop it all up...great base for marinara, meat sauce, tomato soup, pizza sauce, etc.): 5 containers
-Chicken Tortilla Soup: 2 containers
-Meat Sauce: 1 container
-Bubba Burgers: 1 box
-Taco Meat: 1 container
-Black bean, Corn, and Chicken Salsa: 1 container
-Rolls: 1 bag
-Garlic Toast:1 box
-Peas: 4 bags
-Corn: 2 bags
-Mixed veggies: 1 bag
-Green Giant Roasted Potatoes: 1 box
-Popsicles
-Various nuts...we keep all of nuts for cooking in the freezer so that they don't spoil.

In the last week I have also managed to put away:
-2 shepherds pies
-6 chicken pastinas

Later this week I will be making a batch of chili for dinner one night and I should be able to put away at least one container to put in to my freezer stash. A good thing about the approaching season is that lots of comfort foods that we associate with fall tend to freeze well. So, I will continue in my habit of making stuff in bulk and putting away here and there. Once I get everything stocked I can actually cook one or two meals a week and then pull from the freezer for the rest. Those one or two meals then become meals that can also replenish the stash. I have friends that do Once-A-Month-Cooking and I'll admit I admire their stamina but prefer putting things away a little as I go. I hate being a slave to my kitchen for a few days a month to cook everything. This way there is less mess and less cleanup...which in turn means more time on other things. Does anyone else have a freezer system they like?

Random updates on life...

Here's a random update on life:
Kids
~Last Monday, I took AG to visit his preschool. In a few weeks I'm not going to know what to do with myself when he's in school 5 days a week. I think we are going to sign Avi-Kate up for her first Kindermusik class while AG is in school. That'll be something fun to do with her one on one. This winter she'll be 18 months old and I plan to put her in a 'gymnastics' aka tumbling class. She has turned in to quite the monkey and has ridiculous balance on objects for being 13 months old. I think the plan is for AG to do Kindermusik at preschool and then do soccer this fall for the first time.
~AG is fully potty trained! As in, I haven't bought pull-ups since May. He's had one accident at night so far. I haven't wanted to post this due to jinx-ing it but it seems to be permanent now. HOORAY! I'm quite proud. He also outgrew all of his undies and enjoyed shopping for new ones a few weeks ago. I had to buy them from the actual boys section and not the infant/toddler section. That was really weird! First time for everything, right?
~Avi-Kate is walking full time now! She decided last Monday to start walking every where. Before that she was walking when she wanted but it was just a few steps here/there. And never on command. She's getting really good at it and is able to walk from the kitchen to the den without stopping. (Quite an impressive feat since our kitchen is incredibly long!) HOORAY for Avi-Kate!
~I pre-registered the other day for the kids to meet Santa at Phipps again. Crazy to be thinking about the holidays but they'll be here before we know it.

House
~I'm working on getting things organized for the school year and set up the way I want them so that when AG starts school in a few weeks we can really establish a new routine. I'm getting a bunch of homekeeping stuff together (post on that coming, soon! I'm documenting with pictures as I go.) and organizing some random stuff. I've also been purging stuff to donate.
~The ottoman arrived for the den the other day via UPS and the sofa should be here soon. I'm excited to see it in the den...I really need to figure out the fabric to put on the chair so I can get that recovered soon.
~I'm looking forward to putting out fall decorations, candles, etc. in a few short weeks. I've a got few projects pinned on Pinterest that I wanted to get ready for the fall...one of which I started last year and never finished due to having an infant  and two year old at the time. It's a little easier to do things now and once AG is in school I can craft during Avi-Kate's nap time. At least I'm hoping to do that once a week...ask me if that's realistic in a few weeks. :)


Andy and I
~Both registered for our first half marathon in January. We are renting Disney Vacation Club points for the first time and staying at Saratoga Springs. Which we are excited about trying that out. It'll be a super short trip because it falls right before the start of tax season.
~I'm also registered to run the Princess Half in February at Disney with my sister, Caroline, and my sister-in-law, Caroline. :) Along with several of my Berry Education friends...Evan, Jenn, Jessi, and Amanda. Should be a really fun weekend. I'm really looking forward to it. I currently have a room reserved at Port Orleans Riverside for Caroline, Caroline, and myself with the running discount. I went ahead and snagged it. I may change it if the Annual Pass discount for February is cheaper but we won't know that for a few more months. We'll see.
~Andy also got a road bike last week and is looking forward to biking on his days off from running.


College Family
~They are slowly trickling back in to Rome. In the next few weeks several more will return with the remainder here by the end of August. Classes resume that last Monday of August this year. We are ready to have them back and in the house. Summers are quiet with them gone. Although, we are enjoying having the ones that are Romans for the summer over. Last Tuesday night several of the girls came over for a porch night after the kids were in bed. Andy was out of town and it was wonderful to catch up with them.

Hope everyone is having a good Monday. I'm off to be productive...

Housekeeping...

Oh, the adjustment. I knew that adding another child to the mix would take some adjusting when it came to getting back in to the swing of things...and I finally feel like I'm at a point where I'm regaining control of the house. Hallelujah!

We are finding our daily rhythm and I'm finding some comfort in that and being able to make the house look better. It can be so challenging when they are so little and on two different routines. Thankfully, Avi-Kate is now in a more predictable daily schedule...the perks of being on solids now. The biggest thing I'm trying to map out at the moment is a weekly cleaning schedule. I already have certain tendencies like changing the sheets. I prefer to do this task on Friday, so that we have clean sheets heading in to the weekend. Growing up my mom changed our sheets every two weeks, however, due to my allergies, that I developed in college, I now change my sheets once a week. Or vacuuming...I vacuum the floors almost every day. Now, keep in mind, we have a ranch so I don't have to mess with stairs, we have a large inside dog, and due to the fact that almost all of our rooms are hardwoods/tiles vacuuming is much faster than sweeping. So, I'm trying to see what else I want to do and where it fits in with what I'm already doing.

I'm hoping to get things in place and have my improved routine in place in the next week or so. I'd love to have a few weeks under my belt before we leave town and head to Disney at the first of March. I'll post my plans once I finalize them. :) 

Nesting, Organizing, Nesting...

...Organizing. Blame it on being pregnant. Blame it on the new year and the need to tackle a project.

Ah, so many projects and so much chaos to complete it in.

Today we started tackling the laundry room. (Photos to come) It is the only room in the house yet to be touched by us. Every inch of the rest of the house has been updated and remodeled. The laundry room has been the catch-all while we did all the other rooms. And while we aren't going to remodel it, yet, we are going to make it more functional in the interim.

So, for right now my den is filled with chaos...boxes everywhere, a drum set, tools, paint cans, and anything else you can think of that might be thrown in a laundry room at the last minute when guests arrive. My toddler enjoys rummaging in all of it and banging on Daddy's drum set that was "hiding" in the laundry room for all these months. I'm sure the neighbors are loving the noise coming from our house between the drilling, cutting wood, and drum set.

This is the perfect week for us to tackle this project since I don't have to mentor this week since the county has early release/intercession. Freeing up my schedule to tackle lots around the house. Avi-Kate just needs to get the memo that Mommy doesn't have time for nausea this week. :o) She apparently ignored that memo today and several hours into this project I was hit with a wave of nausea. I'm feeling better now after drinking a Coke. Andy enjoyed using his new saw that he got for Christmas today to cut all the wood for the shelves. I'm mulling over a building project for him to put in the laundry...which I'm sure he would oblige since it would involve his new saw.

In other news I've been working on some housekeeping stuff. It's a new year and I have another child that will be here before I know it. I'm itching to get some new routines established and in place before her arrival. (Another reason why I need my laundry room functional.) Hoping to get that up and going this week at least partially while we finish the laundry room so that we can give it a complete go next week. Post to come on that...

Also, a post forth coming on my poaching chicken for the first time and shredding it to make several meals. Kroger had a great deal this past week and I decided to give it a try.

Hope everyone has a great week. Hard to believe January has come and gone and February is here.