The Simple Woman's Daybook ::: July 21

Do visit Peggy's to see all the other daybook posts this week!

FOR TODAY

Outside my Window ... cloudy with a chance of meatballs. No. Wait. That's the library book I read about 1/2 a dozen times last week! :) It is cloudy though. I think we're supposed to get rain several days this week.

I am thinking ... about helping with a baby shower for a friend. I *love* baby showers.

I am thankful for ... Weekends. My husband. Morning coffee. Little girls that are sleeping through the night *almost* EVERY night!

From the kitchen ... a low-key week in the kitchen. Dana is coming to lunch tomorrow and I think the plan is to have something fun like black beans and rice and then to adorn it with yummy goodness like avocados, bell peppers and such. (I'm hoping for lots of leftovers from this for the rest of the week!)

I am creating ... some wish lists of homeschool stuff I want to get for the girls. I am eye-ing some manipulatives from My Father's World (these and these), and I want to get the next books in Explode the Code for Noelle (she is almost done with the first three pre-K/K books!).

I am going ... to run errands with the munchkins (all 5). I survived, but ... I asked my husband to run by Sam's on the way home for what I didn't get. I was so done.

I am wearing ... denim skirt and white t-shirt.

I am reading ... No Other Gods by Kelly Minter. On week 2 and am still VERY excited about this book/study. I've also started the first Miss Julia book by Ann B. Ross - Miss Julia Speaks her Mind.

I am hoping ... for a looooong nap time today. :)

I am hearing ... my niece play on the girls' computer ... her rest time.

Around the house ... I need to pick up toys that are scattered on the floor. It's not bad, but I need to get moving. There is also laundry to be out of the dryer momentarily. Can you tell my rest time is almost up? :)

One of my favorite things ... I had forgotten how much I enjoy little Hello Kitty things (and how much they remind me of being a little girl) until I saw this post at Margaret's. We have a girlie-girl turning five in just a couple of months and I'm thinking some Hello Kitty goodies might be in order.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... I mentioned that Dana is coming for lunch tomorrow, along with her girls. :) If Wednesday isn't rainy or unbearably hot, then the Shepherd Day Camp is going to the zoo. Then Thursday, when it's back to just us and our regular routine (of sorts), we are diving head first into Potty Boot Camp. N2 is Very! Excited! About! Our! Own! Dora! Underwear! over here!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Been Thinking on This

Worth reading.

Ideas & Organization

When I haven't been keeping up with the kids, I've been working on a system to contain the paper ... long-term. Right now, it's contained - just not very well. :) The three binders on the right are for each of the girls. They are for medical info, extracurricular stuff (which right now is just N1's dance), etc. We were keeping all this stuff in Travis' filing cabinet, but I'm really the one that needs in and out of it and the fact that everything was just piled in a folder was getting to me.



Totally proud of this idea ... and I don't think I stole it from anyone that I know of either. (If I *did* steal this from you subconciously, please let me know so I can give you credit!) :) Anyway, I get so many good ideas about school from those that are ahead of me in the homeschooling journey. This is my notebook to jot those ideas. For example, someone recommends a book that their 4th grader is reading and loving ... I can just jot it on a piece of paper and tuck it behind the 4th grade tab and it's their waiting for me, archived somewhere that makes sense.



At the front of the book, our state's homeschooling laws.



This punch has been one of my BEST scrapbooking purchases ever (well, or actually one of the best things I've ever asked for for Christmas last year!) (I also have this larger one.) As long as I have cardstock, I can make my own tabs for binders and never have to buy them again

My Freedom ::: Inspiration

This week's assignment (the first half of it) was to journal and make a layout on what inspires me creatively. I had fun with this. Some photos are pulled from pictures I had, and others I took just for this layout.





[You can click on any picture to see it bigger in Flickr.]

In Comparison

We may have one that looks like me ... finally. :)





Or maybe I'm just being optimistic. The eyes are there, though. Those are mine! :)

I could eat her up!

I've got two extra kids the rest of this week and the fleeting thoughts I've had of blogging have left as it is now 10:25 p.m. However, I did want to share this little picture of my middle munchkin - she is talking so so so much and is just utterly adorable. Yes, she is two, and yes, sometimes she is not a happy two, but 95% of the time she is my buddy. And now that her hair is long enough for pigtails, I can hardly stand it!

The Simple Woman's Daybook ::: July 14

Do visit Peggy's to see all the other daybook posts this week!

FOR TODAY

Outside my Window ... the munchkins are in the backyard playing with chalk and it is HOT!

I am thinking ... I'm glad we have our morning errand out of the way. (Quick run to Target for a birthday present for one of N2's friends.)

I am thankful for ... cabinets full of groceries and a husband that goes shopping on Saturday with me - makes for a MUCH easier trip.

From the kitchen ... leftover BBQ, corn pudding and no-bake strawberry cheesecake from yesterday's family lunch. Yum! Also, lots of fresh fruit since we just went grocery shopping - bananas, watermelon and blackberries!

I am creating ... a poster on the seasons for N1's pre-K. We are going to have a summer theme this week in what we do and read about.

I am going ... to make sure to take a quick rest this afternoon. Late night + early morning combo today.

I am wearing ... denim capris and a blue shirt

I am reading ... No Other Gods by Kelly Minter. I am VERY excited about this book/study.

I am hoping ... for a wonderful (kid-free) anniversary weekend with Travis in a few weeks. We're still working out the details. :)

I am hearing ... E & N2 wrestle and giggle.

Around the house ... I'm working on our school area some today. I bought two maps at Target in their dollar section - a world map and a USA map. For $1, I'm not going to feel bad about poking holes into them and marking them up over the next year and we learn. Want to do some restraightening of the shelves this week and clean off our bulletin board.

One of my favorite things ... Dunkin' Donuts coffee. I was able to buy a small bag of it this weekend and I think it is going to be my Monday morning coffee until it's gone so I can make it last longer. Definitely my favorite brand (as are their donuts!)

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... kind of crazy this week. Tuesday: we'll run our errands for this week by taking care of renewing tags for both cars, hopefully eat lunch with Grandma and Aunt Kathy, and get N1 registered for next year's ballet. Wednesday through Friday: cousins Jordan and Bubby are here for the rest of the week since their sitter is going out of town. I'm sure I'll be up to my eyeballs making chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter sandwiches in bulk, and I'm thinking about a trip to the zoo on Friday with everyone. Then, I will collapse on Saturday. :)

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

My Freedom ::: Week One

A glimpse at my first week's work for the class I'm taking with Shimelle. We were walked through prompts to create a layout on time and travel. The one on time has prompted some heavy thinking on my part this week ... how I'm managing my time and where I'm squandering it. It all points to some selfish (dare I say sinful?) behavior on my part, and changes must be made in order for me to bring glory to God in this role I serve in my family. My priorities need a shake-down :) and I'm going to be pulling back from a few good things to make room for some better things.





The 2nd layout (on travel) was fun to make as I pulled some pictures from some past trips. The journaling talks most about how much I look forward to doing more travel some day. Right now, much of our travel involves spending time with extended family. While we most definitely enjoy these trips, I look forward to planned trips with Travis and the girls to visit specific places: the Grand Canyon, Washington D.C., and dream of trips overseas. Someday ... :)





All pictures can be viewed larger in Flickr by clicking on them.

The Simple Woman's Daybook ::: July 7

Do visit Peggy's to see all the other daybook posts this week!

FOR TODAY

Outside my Window ... it's quiet, a few cars are going up and down the street as folks head in to the office after a long weekend.

I am thinking ... it is good to be home! :)

I am thankful for ... safe travels, good memories with our family, and watermelon!

From the kitchen ... not much as I did a really good job cleaning out the fridge before we left town. Travis did a quick run to the store for me last night so I now have eggs for breakfast and milk, but we will need a plan and a grocery list for after that.

I am creating ... some scrapbook pages for a new Shimelle class that starts today. Hopefully more on this soon... :)

I am going ... to enjoy being home today, do LOTS of laundry, and decide whether or not a grocery trip is a must for today.

I am wearing ... sleep pants and a big t-shirt

I am reading ... a series of books by Karen Kingsbury that a friend loaned me, quick and fun reads for vacation. I also finished Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson and it was excellent. I know this is a resource that I will be returning to over and over for encouragement and reminders.

I am hoping ... that E and I are not catching a cold. We both came home somewhat stuffy.

I am hearing ... E puttering around behind me and N1 watching Between the Lions. N2 is still snoozing.

Around the house ... it looks pretty good thanks to a quick clean before we went out of town. Now, to keep it up. :)

One of my favorite things ... the screened-in porch at the cottage we stay at on Lake Erie. On our last morning there, I was able to sneak out of our room before everyone woke and had about 30 minutes out there with the sunrise and my journal. *sigh* A highlight of vacation for me.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... I believe I've mentioned laundry and groceries, right? That's top priority. After that ... Wednesday night I will be going to my church's summer women's study on Proverbs and Friday, as far as I know, I get to go out to dinner with a few girlfriends. (I didn't realize I had so much *mommy* time this week, but since Travis is getting to go on a guy trip with my Dad and brother-in-law in a few weeks, I think I'll take while I can!)

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Friday Felicities : June 18

Things that make me happy...

• farms


• new calendars


• unexpected gifts


• Saturdays


• husbands that get promoted at work (yea Travis!)


• hymns

Jesus, I am resting, resting, in the joy of what Thou art.
I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee, and Thy beauty fills my soul,
For by Thy transforming power, Thou hast made me whole.

For more Friday Felicities, or to link up your own list of what makes you happy, visit Becky.

Calendars & Whatnot

I have a confession. I've been thinking (read: obsessing) about this for some time now. I can't stop thinking about it, and I'm not sure what a good solution is. So, here it all is ... in black & white, the nitty gritty.

I'm trying to figure out a calendar system. :)



I love keeping a calender - writing down appointments, making notes of baby's weight and length on Dr. appointment days, blocking off days for a trip or big event. However, as I've made the switch from working full-time to stay-at-home-mama-(yet-still-working-part-time), I have yet to settle on a working calendar system for me. Now, as we are getting ready to throw in homeschooling and lesson planning into the mix ... auuugghh! I like to be able to carry my calendar with me. I'm forever jotting down things I need to remember in there, but depending on the type and size, I end up needing to carry a purse the size of my minivan to make it fit. This is turning into a much bigger dilemna that I am wanting to deal with so I'm making a short term goal of finding a system and STICKING WITH IT. (We'll see if that was easier said that done).

So, in order to help me think through this, a some bullet points on my organization history, in no particular order:

• When I was working full-time, I used a PDA and a 3-ring notebook to keep up with everything. I could sync it at home and office, and printed out monthly calendar to put in my notebook so I had an up-to-date calendar that I could write on when I was in a meeting or needing to make a note or something. (Then I would go back later and up-date on the computer). Worked well because I could leave my big binder behind when I was out-and-about, but PDA's + babies did. not. mix. well for me. N1 managed to break two in row somehow (still not sure how) and I decided that was enough. Plus, and I think this will come as no surprise with the way I love paper and pens, I missed making notes and color coding and writing in my calendar.


• I have used this August-to-August for several years and love the handwriting look to it. The size is great, too. A bit smaller than a half-size sheet of paper, fits great in a purse, but not really enough writing room for me.


• I tried this calendar out and liked the fact that on the weekly layout there is a block for appointments, home, and meal planning. But, keeping up with school stuff definitely won't work in there, and while I really liked this calendar, I didn't LOVE it. And, while I love and appreciate the spiral bound calendar, I like to be able to add in paper as needed.


• The Day-Timer / Franklin-Covey. A possible - gives me the flexibility of being able to add paper; I can choose what inserts - page-a-day, etc. I *think* this Franklin-Covey 2-page per day could work for me - the colors make me so happy. :) There is plenty of room - a place for any appointments, a to-do list, an area I could use for meal planning, and a whole page that could be for school and/or other random notes as needed. My one hesitation is that it is not cheap. But to solve all my organizational needs ... that would be priceless.

*sigh* I feel so much better getting that all out. Seriously. :) I am starting to feel like I am wasting brain power on this because I am thinking about it so much. LOL I was able to buy the 2-page per day Franklin Covey (not the pretty one I like, but a different pattern) for dirt-cheap the other day at my local Office Depot - the package had been opened and handled and since we are half-way through 2008 they marked it down significantly for me - so I think I will just commit to using that for now and see how it works out. If I can stick with it, then I think I (and my husband who, I think, would like to see me settle on something) can justify the purchase. I've been using Dawn's file folder system for the past several months as far as getting a handle on paper and so far so good. Now to put it ALL in practice. :)

Thanks for bearing with Wednesday morning ramblings. I'd love to hear about your organizational / calendar system if you want to share. :)

Updated to add: I've actually gone back to my favorite August-to-August calendar and it's working out great. That, combined with my journal, has been a winning combination for some time.