Now that I’m implementing my cleaning schedule to keep a clean house, I’m regularly decluttering as well. If I were really ambitious, I might consider trying 40 Bags in 40 Days like my mother-in-law.
When I declutter or go through my closet, I usually pile up the clothes and other things to donate and give them to my local Goodwill.
Instead of heading off to Goodwill this time around, I decided to call around and see if there were any Catholic organizations in need of my donations–gently used furniture, lamps, clothes, etc. Sure enough, I learned about several local groups in need of all different kinds of donations.
One such organization is the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has thrift stores and food pantries nationwide. You can find your local Society of St. Vincent de Paul thrift store or food pantry here.
My local Society of St. Vincent de Paul even offers residential pick-up of your donations. If you call your local chapter, you can set up a time for the Society’s truck to pick up your items and haul them away. This is a great option for those who have little ones or who don’t have a large car to haul items like furniture down to the warehouse.
Your material and monetary donations help the Vincentians (members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul) serve the poor. Specifically, here’s how the Society of St. Vincent de Paul helps the poor in your community:
Donations help provide direct assistance to the poor in local communities throughout the United States. Vincentians meet face to face with the poor to assess their needs. Some of the needs addressed by Vincentians include: housing and utiltiy assistance; job training and placement; and access to food, clothing, transportation and medical care. The National Council also makes grants to the local Conferences/Councils through its Domestic Disaster Relief Grants and the Friends of the Poor Grant Programs. There are many ways in which you can donate. Please click on the DONATE ONLINE button to make your selection. Your donation is also tax deductible.
If you’ve already gotten rid of your spring cleaning donations, think about your pantry. Start cleaning out your pantry the day before you go to the grocery store. Identify extras or items you will not be able to consume before they expire, and bag them up for your local Society of St. Vincent de Paul food pantry. My parish distributes paper bags for parishoners to take and return full of non-perishable food items that church volunteers take to the pantry the first Sunday of each month. Consider bringing this practice to your parish if it isn’t there already.
This is just one example of ways that you can easily help the poor in your local community through a Catholic organization. What are some other Catholic groups you help with your time, treasure, or talent? Please share your ideas and experiences!
Be forewarned that this post is going to reveal a lot about my OCD-ness and other neuroses. Hopefully this will be of some help to the other OCD-ers or even wannabe OCD-ers.
In creating our Boucher Family Binder, I dedicated a section to “Household Management.” In a previous blog post, I mentioned that this is the place where I keep anything and everything related to the running of our home. I can’t even begin to tell you what a difference these checklists are making in reducing my stress level. I’ve always been a list maker. Seeing what I have to do and when I need to do it forces me to be more productive.
When I was still teaching full-time, I was always running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I’d go from school to home, eat dinner amid my schoolwork, convince myself that I was at a stopping point, maybe watch a show, and get to bed around midnight or later. Housework was always relegated to the weekends, but it seemed to get postponed as we found more exciting things to do than dust or deep-clean the kitchen.
When I transitioned to staying at home, I was overwhelmed with the time freed up for the housework (or at least the outside perception that I had all of this “free time” to create domestic perfection). I had no idea where to begin. Finally, two years into this stay-at-home gig, I’m figuring out that I need “do it” lists–very specific “do it” lists: daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal “do it” lists. I know this is silly, but I call them “do it” lists rather than “to do” lists so that it sounds like I have more of a commitment to actually do the things I write down.
First, I have my Daily Do It List for keeping straight the logistics of my day.
This is where I relegate my daily mind clutter. Before I go to bed each night, I write down any appointments or places I need to go (“go”), important or out of the ordinary tasks I need to accomplish (“do”), items I need to purchase (“buy”), people I need to call or somehow contact (“call”), and what we’re having for dinner that night so that I keep the prep time in mind when I create that day’s schedule (“cook”). Putting it all on paper before the day begins helps me to go to bed without obsessing over all that I need to accomplish the following day. I used to go to bed with all kinds of mind clutter and keep myself up at night, thinking about all of the things I needed to do, go to, buy, cook, or people I needed to call/e-mail. Now, I figure all of that out before bed, put it on my Daily Do It List, and go to bed without the mind clutter.
WARNING: Before you read on, please keep in mind that everyone’s definition of clean is different. You must decide what is a healthy balance of safe (especially in the kitchen and bathroom) and manageable for your schedule and priorities. You might look at my lists and think, “Is she crazy?! Why does she vacuum that much?!” On the other hand, you might look at my lists and think, “Gross! She only vacuums under furniture once a month!” The following lists are what works for me (as of now!), and they might be too lax or strict for your style. Pick and choose what’ll work for you!
Now, enter the Daily Cleaning Schedule. This is the list of the bare bones things I do everyday to keep the house functioning.
I committed myself to doing these things each day to make them habit if they weren’t already. Wiping down the kitchen sink and bathroom sinks, tubs, and shower walls after each use is taking a huge chunk of time out of my deep cleaning routine. Some call it crazy, I call it working smart, not hard.
Then, I have my Weekly Cleaning Schedule.
The goal of my weekly cleaning schedule is two-fold:
No more playing “catch up” or panic with unexpected visitors
Having specific days for household tasks holds me more accountable to actually doing them. This ultimately means I get to spend more time doing what matters.
Keep Sunday a day of REST and WORSHIP.
I have a new rule that it all will and must wait on Sundays. Can I tell you how much more our family loves Sundays now?
To create my weekly cleaning schedule, I listed all of the things that I think need to get done in our house on a weekly basis. I consulted a few other websites for guidance on this. No wonder I was getting stressed out! I was keeping all of these things in my head and expecting to remember to do them all and try to conquer as many as possible each day. That system wasn’t working. I ended up overwhelmed, and the perfectionist in me delayed housework because my mentality was that if it wasn’t going to be perfect, it wasn’t worth doing. I’d wait for the right amount of time to come along to do a chore rather than doing what I could when I could. Mothers of young children know that my system of waiting for the “perfect time” to come along to do a chore was bound to fail.
After listing all of the things I want to accomplish each week, I considered what our family’s schedule looks like each day. I considered what my motivation level looks like on various days of the week, what items require more time or attention, and in what order I will be most likely to accomplish these items. I tried creating a weekly schedule before, but it wasn’t nearly this detailed or accurate in terms of what I’d actually do. If something unexpected comes up like a last-minute playdate or a sick kiddo, I let myself off the hook when I need to and reassign items that don’t get accomplished to other days. I tell myself that the goal is to teach my children by example that it is important to care for home and family thro
ugh cleaning and cooking and everything else, but that it’s equally important to spend time with one another and having fun. True to how I’ve always been, I’m much busier these days trying to keep up with my cleaning schedule, but I end up having much more quality time with my children and Philip because everything that needs to get done is actually getting done.
Next, I have my Monthly Cleaning Schedule.
As you might have guessed, these are the things that only need to be done once a month. Quick tip: Work with your microwave to clean it. Put half of a lemon in a microwave safe bowl full of water, and let it run for five minutes. When done, wipe down the inside of the microwave walls with the steam. ¡Voila!
Finally, I made a Seasonal Checklist of the chores that need to be done each of the four seasons.
That’s it! These lists are keeping my home clean. I hope they help you and your home. Work smart, not hard, and spend more time doing the things you love with the people you love!
If you’re interested in a copy of these lists as Microsoft Word docs that you can edit for your own use, e-mail me at cboucher08@gmail.com.
Here are some of our latest pictures and the funny things that’ve happened lately.
The largest strawberry I’ve ever seen
Family trip to the neighborhood park a few weeks ago
They’re starting to play together more and more. Jane is surprisingly good at sharing her toys. “Here ya go, Walt.”
First bath together
Splash, splash, splash!
Cheeeeeeeeese!
Walt in my favorite footie monster jammies
Army crawling with Monty
Celebrating Philip and Jane’s birthdays with Philip’s family. Jane looks like she’s making a wish.
Oatmeal and nanas. Yum, yum, yum!
When I was pregnant with Walt and had a really sensitive nose, I started covering my nose with my shirt as I changed Janie’s diapers. I still cover my nose from time to time if the kiddos have stinky diapers. I caught Jane changing her Baby Stella’s diaper and covering her nose with her shirt. Monkey see, monkey do!
We got some ice cream after dinner tonight. Jane had two memorable quotes.
“Oooooooo, yummy! So cold!”
“Janie, slow down!”
Jane: “Mommy, watch show?”
Me: “No, no shows.”
Jane: “News?”
At lunch, Jane kept saying, “Mama, tray, tray, tray!” I thought something was wrong with the tray on her seat. Eventually I figured out that she wasn’t saying “tray,” but “pray.” She was upset that I offered her food without praying first. I said, “Oh, Janie, thank you for reminding Mama to pray first.” She said, “You’re welcome, Mama.”
Philip came home from work. As he reached the gate at the top of the stairs, Jane said to him from the other side, “Dada, come over here!”
Now that Janie’s 2, we decided it’s time to say goodbye to the binkie. I was dreading the whole ordeal, and I was so nervous for her reaction. One night we decided to go cold turkey. As we got Janie ready for bed, we told her, “Janie, binkies are all gone. Binkies went bye bye.” She looked at us, and I held my breath, waiting for screaming and tears. She looked in the box on her changing table where we had kept the binkies and discovered that they were, in fact, gone. She said, “Mama, Dada, binkies all gone.” Then, to our surprise, she climbed into bed with her stuffed animals without a fuss, and went to bed as usual! She’s never asked for a binkie since that night, and she’s never tried to steal Walt’s. Who is this kid?!
With allergy season in full force, there has been a lot of tissue use around here. I ask Janie several times a day to come over so that “Mama can wipe the boogies from your nose.” The other day I was changing Janie’s diaper. She looked up at me and pointed to my nose. “Mama, you got boogies in your nose!” Thanks, sweetie.
Here are some of our latest pictures and the funny things that’ve happened lately.
The largest strawberry I’ve ever seen
Family trip to the neighborhood park a few weeks ago
They’re starting to play together more and more. Jane is surprisingly good at sharing her toys. “Here ya go, Walt.”
First bath together
Splash, splash, splash!
Cheeeeeeeeese!
Walt in my favorite footie monster jammies
Army crawling with Monty
Celebrating Philip and Jane’s birthdays with Philip’s family. Jane looks like she’s making a wish.
Oatmeal and nanas. Yum, yum, yum!
When I was pregnant with Walt and had a really sensitive nose, I started covering my nose with my shirt as I changed Janie’s diapers. I still cover my nose from time to time if the kiddos have stinky diapers. I caught Jane changing her Baby Stella’s diaper and covering her nose with her shirt. Monkey see, monkey do!
We g
ot some ice cream after dinner tonight. Jane had two memorable quotes.
“Oooooooo, yummy! So cold!”
“Janie, slow down!”
Jane: “Mommy, watch show?”
Me: “No, no shows.”
Jane: “News?”
At lunch, Jane kept saying, “Mama, tray, tray, tray!” I thought something was wrong with the tray on her seat. Eventually I figured out that she wasn’t saying “tray,” but “pray.” She was upset that I offered her food without praying first. I said, “Oh, Janie, thank you for reminding Mama to pray first.” She said, “You’re welcome, Mama.”
Philip came home from work. As he reached the gate at the top of the stairs, Jane said to him from the other side, “Dada, come over here!”
Now that Janie’s 2, we decided it’s time to say goodbye to the binkie. I was dreading the whole ordeal, and I was so nervous for her reaction. One night we decided to go cold turkey. As we got Janie ready for bed, we told her, “Janie, binkies are all gone. Binkies went bye bye.” She looked at us, and I held my breath, waiting for screaming and tears. She looked in the box on her changing table where we had kept the binkies and discovered that they were, in fact, gone. She said, “Mama, Dada, binkies all gone.” Then, to our surprise, she climbed into bed with her stuffed animals without a fuss, and went to bed as usual! She’s never asked for a binkie since that night, and she’s never tried to steal Walt’s. Who is this kid?!
With allergy season in full force, there has been a lot of tissue use around here. I ask Janie several times a day to come over so that “Mama can wipe the boogies from your nose.” The other day I was changing Janie’s diaper. She looked up at me and pointed to my nose. “Mama, you got boogies in your nose!” Thanks, sweetie.
It took me awhile, but I finally posted videos to a private YouTube channel so that I can upload them quickly to my blog.
Jane has always loved music and television. Therefore, the Super Bowl Halftime Show is a pretty big deal to her. It has it all–lights, music, cool outfits, dancing, and television wrapped into one!
We recorded Jane’s “freestyle interpretation” of the 2011 and 2012 Superbowl Halftime Shows. Seeing them back to back is a quick reminder of how much things can change in a year.
Here’s 11-month-old Jane dancing to the Black Eyed Peas in 2011:
Here’s 23-month-old Jane dancing to Madonna in 2012:
It took me awhile, but I finally posted videos to a private YouTube channel so that I can upload them quickly to my blog.
Jane has always loved music and television. Therefore, the Super Bowl Halftime Show is a pretty big deal to her. It has it all–lights, music, cool outfits, dancing, and television wrapped into one!
We recorded Jane’s “freestyle interpretation” of the 2011 and 2012 Superbowl Halftime Shows. Seeing them back to back is a quick reminder of how much things can change in a year.
Here’s 11-month-old Jane dancing to the Black Eyed Peas in 2011:
Here’s 23-month-old Jane dancing to Madonna in 2012:
Inspired by my new organization book, House Works, I decided to create a small office space. As our family grew, we had to move our office downstairs. The problem with this set-up is that we lost a central hub for all of our paper and office needs. Consequently, the kitchen counter became a paper hot-zone. By day’s end, the kitchen counter collected the day’s mail, receipts, to-do-lists, etc. I was constantly battling the paper mountain to get a clean counter where I could prepare meals. Since the desk was out of sight downstairs, the office work got neglected and piled up. I needed a space where I could organize the daily mountain of paper, store reference books that I access frequently, pay bills, and write any correspondence. In theory I could have continued to have that space in the basement, but it wasn’t a practical solution for me. Since I need to access the office materials frequently, and I can’t always get downstairs with the kiddos when I need to, it’s far more convenient having my office space within reach. That way I can write a quick thank you note, pay a bill, or sort the mail while keeping an eye on the kids. We settled on a corner in the front living room. I’m sure I’ll keep adding to it or making changes, but here’s what it looks like for now.
This is an old table that Philip used in his apartment kitchen before we got married. I added a cushion to one of the chairs, and we folded down one side of the table to push it flush to the wall. The lamp was in Philip’s sister’s old room. I may change the shade so that it goes better with my blue/green color scheme.
This is my “action file.” Each day, I sort the day’s mail and other papers into these 3 categories: to do, to file, and memorabilia. Each week, I file the papers from the “to file” folder in our downstairs filing cabinet. “Memorabilia” contains mementos like Jane’s art work or other precious memories to add to our scrapbooks. “To do” contains things to read, bills to pay, correspondence to return, etc. To make sure the folders don’t become another bulging mess, I built appointments in to my new weekly schedule to take care of these items. I purchased the teal file holder and the file folders at Target.
This box was a big mess before I decided to add dividers. I sorted through all of our stationery and greeting cards, separating them by family member or category.
The dividers are 5-tab Avery plastic write-on dividers. They were actually made for planners, but they work perfectly on their sides in a photo box like this to divide your stationery.
My only complaint with this workspace is that I don’t have a place to store tools like pens, scissors, stamps, a calculator, etc. I fear leaving them out for little hands to discover. I can picture our living room walls and furniture covered in ball-point pen. Any brilliant storage solutions for my office tools?
I love having this new “home” for our office needs. Having an office on our main floor is making a big difference in tackling the mountains of paper. While we still have the printer/scanner/copier, filing cabinet, and other office materials in the basement, this small work area serves most of our needs with the bonuses of being small and within reach.
After his afternoon nap, Walt stood next to the ottoman with both hands for five minutes before buckling over. A new record!
Tuesday
We were out and about running errands this morning. While we were in the car, Jane looked out the window and said, “Mama! Look! Firefighters!” I said, “Really? You see a firefighter?” She responded (in between giggles), “No, Mama. That’s silly.” Jane’s first joke is on the books.
Jane, during every turn in the car: “Woah, Mama! Big turn!”
Jane’s favorite question today: “Mama, what you doing there?”
Wednesday
(Scene from the changing table.)
Jane: Mama, what’s a clock say?
Me: Tick, tock. Tick, tock
Jane: That’s right, Mom!
Walt’s been doing a combination army crawl/roll all day. At one point, he went across the family room to get his stuffed monkey. I give us another week before we have to put the baby gate back at the top of the stairs.
Talking on “the office” phone
We had a playdate with Jane and Walt’s buddies. They had a ball playing and running around. The highlight for me was watching Janie give her little buddies big hugs before we left. What’s cuter than watching toddlers in their big, puffy winter coats and hats giving each other a big squeeze?
Jane has a musical set with mini-cymbals that are about three inches in diameter. Dr. Jane took one of the cymbals and went around, putting it on the chests of all of her stuffed animals, saying, “Check up, Ernie. Check up, Elmo. Check up, Baby Stella.” Apparently she learned a new phrase last week at her doctor visit (“check up”), and we didn’t know it!
Thursday
Jane developed an addiction to dry cereal in the last week. It’s her new favorite snack. I think I must say, “That’s all” a lot when I pour the last bit for her because while I was giving her her morning snack, she said, “That’s all, Mama.”
Jane held her sippy cup to her favorite stuffed dog, T-Bone’s mouth. As she pretended to have him drink, she said, “Slow down, Doggy!”
The weather was so gorgeous today that we were able to go for a family walk before dinner. Jane walked ahead of me down the stairs on our way out. She turned back and said, “Come on, Mama. Hold my hand?”
Look at that baby sitting up in the stroller and his big sis on the back!
When I dropped Jane off in the childcare room for our evening event, she gave my leg a squeeze and said, “See ya later, Mama!” I love that she’s simultaneously loving and secure when I leave.
As Philip got Jane ready for bed tonight, she said to him from the changing table, “Dada, you so cute!”
Friday
The kids had a last-minute playdate this morning, and it was a ball! Jane is especially fond of her little buddy, Connor. Instead of playing alongside her friends, Jane is starting to develop an interest in playing with them. It was so fun to watch those two be silly together and share toys.
We went shopping for the kids’ spring and summer clothes at a second-hand shop. We got both of their spring and summer wardrobes for a whopping $140! I don’t know about you, but getting the kids quality clothes at a low price is my idea of a good time. Probably a quarter of the clothes still had the tags on them!
Saturday
It was a quiet day at home. This was the first weekend in a long time that we had Philip all to ourselves for the entire weekend, so we did a few projects around the house. Philip cleaned out the garage, I organized a few things in the storage room, and we got my new office space in the front living room set up. (More on that another time.)
My awesome husband told me to have some me-time. I went shopping with a girlfriend after lunch. It was so nice to shop for a few clothes with the helpful expertise of a gal pal. Getting out on my own with a friend was good for my soul. Thank goodness for a husband who encourages me to have that time.
We had a fun night out on the town with some friends. We had a yummy dinner out and followed it with some bowling and a stop to the attached arcade area. Putting a little bet on the game brought out the best in our bowling skills. I’ve never seen so many strikes and spares in one game! Unfortunately for Philip, more of the strikes and spares came from our friends than his sidekick wife. Janie and Walt played with two of their favorite sitters, and Jane even got to do a craft with them. They put a bunch of glitter and pom-poms on a wooden “J.” So cute! As always, it was fun to go on a date with my hubby, and the kids enjoyed having fun sitters to play with.
Sunday
While I ate my breakfast this morning, I read an article on the Holy Father’s upcoming trip to Cuba and the big news that Fidel Castro might re-convert back to Catholicism. Philip asked a question about Fidel’s regime, and I responded with an, “Oh, yeah!”for emphasis. Jane decided this is her new favorite phrase. She said “Oh, yeah!” in response to just about everything this morning.
Walt is a crawling machine! He does an army crawl/roll combo all over the place, and he’s getting so fast! Walt’s no longer our potted plant bambino. I think we’re putting the baby gate back up tomorrow.
Our not-so-little guy
My religious education students received the sacrament of Confirmation this afternoon. What an honor to be a part of their big day!
We decided to end the era of binkies for Janie tonight, and we went cold turkey. We’ve been telling her for a few weeks that she’s a “big girl,” and we’ve ushered in a few changes like a bigger, forward-facing carseat. We emphasize that we make the changes because she’s a “big girl.” At meals, instead of having yogurt bites like Walt, she has “big girl yogurt” (regular yogurt out of a container). So, tonight, when it came time for Jane to go to bed, we said “binkies are all gone. Janie’s a big girl. Binkies are for babies.” She got on board right away and said, “Binkies all gone.” It’s 10:00, and she’s still asleep in bed. Could it be too good to be true? Perhaps tomorrow during naptime will be the biggest test. Stay tuned!
UPDATE: Since posting about my binder in March 2012, several friends have asked for my forms/templates. To make it easier for everyone, I created a Google Docs page for you to access the forms and edit them for your own use. Here is the link to my Family Binder Shared Folder. I hope the forms are helpful!
I found a fantastic book about a month ago. It’s called “House Works: How to live clean, green, and organized at home.”
The book has all kinds of practical tips to make your home run more efficiently so that you can reclaim the time you want to spend with family, friends, and doing your favorite activities.
The author, Cynthia Townley Ewer, has a website (organizedhome.com) that has a lot of the same information within the book. I highly recommend checking out the site! With the free time I’ve gained during my Lenten Facebook Fast, I have been reading this book and implementing her recommendations, including the Household Notebook.
The Household Notebook is a central information hub with all of your family’s essential information. It may be morbid, but another reason I created our Household Notebook was out of fear. I keep a lot of our family’s information in my head. If something ever happened to me, nobody would know a lot of the ins and outs of how our home and family work. Now, I have great peace of mind knowing that all of the information from my head is both current and on paper so that things can continue to run relatively smoothly should something ever happen to me.
In addition to being our family’s go-to information center, I want our Household Notebook to be personalized and fun to look at. Instead of buying a binder with regular dividers, I chose to personalize it. I settled on a white 1 1/2″ binder with a D-ring. I found cute scrapbooking paper and stickers at JoAnn’s and chose a floral theme.
Front cover. I chose to include a quote from Blessed Pope John Paul II on marriage.
Front cover and spine.
Binder spine close-up
Back of binder. I chose to include Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s Nazareth Prayer for the Family.
Once I finished the cover for the binder, I created the dividers. Cynthia Ewer from organizedhome.com gives you some recommendations on dividers for your notebook. After reading her list and considering our family’s needs, and ended up with seven dividers. To personalize them, I stuck with my floral theme, and I put the pages into page protectors with a title centered on white paper, a solid-color cardstock, and a border behind it. I also attached clear index dividers with the same headings on the side of the page protectors so that I can flip to each section quickly.
Here are my seven dividers and a list of what will go into each section:
–>
“Home Management” is my place for things like: a daily, weekly, and master to-do lists, cleaning s
chedules, household systems, seasonal chores, organization tips, cleaning information, decorating ideas, and auto information.
“Meals” is my place for: weekly and monthly menu planner forms, grocery list forms, inventory forms, recipes to try, favorite recipes, and food storage guidelines.
“Finances” is the place for my monthly budget worksheet/receipt storing, bills to pay/online service and account information, credit card list, insurance information, utilities/services directory, and important warranty information. This is my basic finance go-to place, but all sensitive information is stored under lock and key.
“Health” is my spot for a medical sheet for each family member, a medical authorization form, prescription drug records, insurance information, baby percentiles by month, schedule of visits to the pediatrician, a place for questions for the next appointment, pet health records, and a diet tracker.
“Activities, hobbies, & fun” is my place for the hours our favorite places are open as well as their addresses and phone numbers, rosters/calendars from groups we belong to, craft/activity ideas for me and the kids, a list of books to read, a list of movies to rent, and a travel checklist.
“Family & Celebrations” is my spot for a clothing sizes tracker for all family members (tops, bottoms, shoes, etc.), a master occasions list of birthdays/anniversaries/other important milestones, party planning forms, gift ideas, a holiday gift list, Christmas card address list, Christmas gift exchange list, holiday menu planners, and a décor inventory. I think I’ll ultimately end up with a separate Christmas binder. (UPDATE: Since writing this post, I created a Family Christmas Planner with a shared Google Docs page as well.)
“Emergency and Babysitter Information” is my spot for essential emergency information, the kids’ schedules, and a family disaster plan.
If you’d like to make a Household Notebook for your home, and you’d like to to use my format, there’s no need for you to go to all of the trouble on your own! I already have all of the templates, forms, labels, etc. saved on my computer. If you’d like them (any or all), shoot me an e-mail at cboucher08@gmail.com or write a comment below with your e-mail address. I’ve seen these forms on Etsy for $3.00 a piece or $40.00 for the JPEG file for the entire binder. Save yourself some time and money, and I’ll send you what I have. Take what I’ve made, and make it your own! Pick and choose the dividers that work for you, select a theme that you’ll enjoy, and make a Household Notebook that will help you reclaim more time with the ones you love! In future posts, I will be introducing each divider of my binder, share the tips I’ve learned from the book, and upload divider-specific forms/templates. Here’s to having a home that runs smoothly!
UPDATE: In case you missed the link at the top of this post, I created a shared folder on Google Docs with all of my family binder templates. Enjoy!
I’ve done it a bit before, but I decided to start writing down the little things the kids do each week as they happen and consolidate them into a weekly post. This way, I have a weekly summary of where the kids are developmentally and a record of the things I never want to forget. There are so many little moments throughout each day that leave me with that “my cup runneth over” feeling. I know I’ll be glad to have these memories recorded–especially on those “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad” days when I need a little lift!
So, with that said, here’s what happened this week:
Monday
The Swiffer Sweeper is Jane’s favorite toy lately. She loved to pretend to sweep the floors with it, and today she found a new use for the sweeper. She saw an episode of Barney with the song, “Rock ‘n Roll Star.” Ever since seeing it, the Swiffer Sweeper has been transformed into a rock and roll guitar. Jane stands on the fireplace brick, strums her “guitar,” and sings, “I’m gonna be a rock ‘n roll star! A rock ‘n roll staaaaaaaar! Gonna be a, a rock ‘n roll star!” Walt loves nothing more than giggling at his sister in concert.
Tuesday
Janie and Walt had their two-year and nine-month well-visits respectively. It sounds so cliché to say so, but time goes too fast! I love watching them learn and grow, but I can’t help but feel sad as I have to pack away their cute little clothes to make room for bigger clothes every few months. The doctor says everyone is healthy and happy! It didn’t hurt that no shots were involved at this visit. Janie did have to get a finger prick for a lead test, but she didn’t even flinch. She was more concerned with watching the blood fill the vial than what was happening to her finger. Hooray for fantastic nurses that love to work with kids! The only hiccup was Walt’s height. Either we have a Curious Case of Benjamin Button on our hands or the number was wrong from last time, because the chart says that Walt is shrinking! We’ll be sure to keep an eye on that… 🙂 I’m inclined to think it’s just a mistake because his size 12-month overalls pop open every time he bends over!
Wednesday
Philip worked nights this week so we got to go to noon Mass as a family for Ash Wednesday. Janie thought I was dirty and tried smudging the cross off of my forehead all day. She’d say, “Mama! Help you!” and then lean over to wipe off my ashes. Inspired by her doctor’s visit, Jane decided to be a doctor today. She declared that every stuffed animal or doll she came into contact with was “sick” and gave them a full exam on the living room ottoman.
Thursday
Jane greeted me first thing in the morning with a, “Good morning, Mama!” She was grinning ear to ear in her footie pajamas and holding four favorite stuffed animals.
Janie has a fascination lately with any and all things school. She can’t wait to be a big girl and go learn like the big kids! I hope this enthusiasm remains. When the day finally comes, I think she’ll love it since she’s such a social butterfly. Starting today, she’s been jumping up and down and saying, “School! Go to school, Mama!” She’s even enlisted Baby Stella to join her. “Mama, Baby Stella go to school. Learn.”
Walt learned a new trick! From the seated position, he leaned forward onto his arms and pushed his legs behind him so that he was on all fours. Unfortunately, he got stuck in the splits. I couldn’t help but snap a picture before he figured out how to move his leg behind him.
Stuck in the splits
My 9-month-old in size 12-18 month clothes
I didn’t want to stain Walt’s adorable outfit with baby food so I stripped him down to his socks and bib. Check out his wrist! It looks like I’ve put a rubber band around it. I love my chunky monkey!
Friday
We added legs to Walt’s activity table and showed him how to stand next to it. It’s his new favorite activity! He stands next to the table and pushes the buttons until his chunky legs buckle and he collapses into the pillows we position around it.
Jane saw Philip and I hugging in the kitchen. She squeezed between us, wrapped her arms around both of our legs, and said, “BIG HUG! Awwwww!”
While I was doing some dishes this morning, Jane ran off to grab something in her room. She came back holding her doll, Baby Stella, and the magnetic bottle that attaches to her mouth. She climbed up onto the couch, positioned a pillow under her arm, and starte
d “feeding” Baby Stella. “Mama, Stella hungry.” She’s such a little mother!
Saturday
Philip returned Saturday morning from his last night of working nights for the week. Hooray! We went to a furniture store to look for a desk for my new office space (more on that later!). You should have seen Jane’s excitement when she saw an assembled set of bunk beds with a slide! Another 2-year-old was playing on the set, and Janie happily joined him. They had a ball going up and down the slide and bouncing on the top bunk.
Jane had her first cheeseburger last night for dinner. She loved it! “Ooooooo! Cheesy burger! Yum!”
Janie seemed beside herself with happiness when Philip was able to tuck her into bed and read “Goodnight Moon.”
Walt was thrilled to have Philip home, too. Here they are cuddling after Walt’s last bottle.
Sunday
Jane decided she wanted to go “au naturel” this morning. While I was distracted eating breakfast, she put together this ensemble. I like the light-up princess boots.
As Monty came inside and ran past Janie, she said, “Aw! Monty so cute!” Speaking of Monty, Jane’s favorite game in the car is to have us ask her what kind of an animal Monty is. “Jane, is Monty a horse? Is Monty a kitty? Is Monty a monkey?” Her response is always, “No! That’s silly!”
We finally bought Walt a convertible carseat. Since his feet were dangling over the edge of his infant carrier, we thought it was time! Now that Janie’s 2, Dr. Phil says he agrees with the AAP that her carseat can be turned to face forward. Having her facing forward combined with Walt in his big carseat is a lot of change in one week. As predicted, Walt doesn’t seem to notice that anything’s different. Maybe he’ll be more excited when we put up a mirror for him. Jane, on the other hand, loves the change! She talks almost non-stop about what she sees through the windows. I think it’s because she has more time to process what’s coming into her field of vision and attach the right words to them. “Look, Mama! Tree! Biiiiiiiiiig truck! What color that? Big house! Aw, doggy!”
The kiddos in their new carseats
Jane has a tendency to stuff her face at mealtime. Every meal becomes a scary game of Chubby Bunny. We’ve repeatedly been telling Jane, “Sloooooooooow down. Small bites!” At dinner tonight, Jane had a very stern face and told Philip as he took a bite, “Sloooooooow down, Daddy!”
We had my family over for the February birthdays on Sunday. It’s always such a joy to see our family all together–especially the little cousins. It’s pretty incredible watching your children play with your siblings’ kids. My favorite part is seeing how different they are and the personality traits they might have picked up from their parents. Jane, unfortunately, picked up her mother’s trait of struggling to wake up gracefully from naptime. She had a marathon nap before everyone came over, and she wasn’t thrilled to have her picture taken…
Jane’s trying to escape. Sorry she used you for leverage, Lucy!
Calm cousins without Jane
Once she had some food in her and a chance to play with her cousins, she was a happy camper again.
Kiddie Table
Birthday Cake
I made it low-fat, of course
For part of my Lenten promises, I’m giving up Facebook. The fact that I had to consider whether or not I could do it coupled with the thoughts of the things that would make it difficult for me solidified that a Facebook Fast was necessary! I’ll be anxious to see what kind of withdrawal symptoms come about. Stay tuned. I know you’re supposed to do your Lenten promises in private, but I’m cluing you all in so you don’t think I’m a complete jerk for not responding to any posts or messages.
I know many of you reach my blog via Facebook. If that’s the case, consider subscribing through the RSS Feed so that you’ll continue getting blog updates while I’m away from Facebook during Lent. If my readership goes down, I’ll just take that as an exercise in humility and get the hint that you needed a break from me, too! 🙂
Off to upload some last pics on Facebook before Lent begins, and then it’s off to work on a craft item. More on the craft later.
Opening presents. She tried to hold everything all at once!
Barney DVD! Yessss!
Family Shot. The one picture we have of Janie in her full outfit (well, minus the bow. Close enough!)
Walt loved the balloons
Hours and hours of fun
Another round of “Happy Birthday” that night as a family
It was a fantastic day. In fact, I think Jane would say it was the best day so far in her two years of life! Janie is (and we are) so blessed to have such good buddies to help us celebrate. I didn’t get pictures of everything I wanted to that day because we were so busy having fun and visiting with our friends. That’s what matters, after all! Thank you to everyone who made it such a special day for Janie. We love you!
Our gaggy baby Walt is adjusting to textures! This week he tried yogurt bites, puffs, and moved on to 3rd stage foods. He must be going through a growth spurt because he suddenly has an insatiable appetite and he’s taking long naps.
We’re working on teaching Jane how to pray before meals. On Wednesday morning, Jane and I prayed before breakfast and started eating. A few minutes into her oatmeal, Jane put her spoon down and spontaneously attempted the prayer by herself. “Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Amen.” Hooray! Sure, she had a crazy combination of hand gestures, but it’s starting to look and sound like the real deal. Hearing her little voice pray so slowly and reverently reminds me to slow down.
When I got Walt up from his nap today there was a rosary in the crib with him. I don’t know how it got in there. My suspicion is that Jane thought Walt needed to work on his prayer life. Maybe it would help him to stop swiping her toys.
Favorite Quotes of the Week:
From the changing table this morning. Jane said, “Daddy work. Daddy loves me!”
Whenever I get the diaper bag down or put on a jacket, Jane says, “Mama shopping? Church?”
Every time we arrived in the parish parking lot this week for events, Jane said, “Church! Jesus!”
Looking at nightlight in nursery on rocking chair, Jane said, “Oh, woooooooooow!” She quickly followed with, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”
The pregnant squirrel came to visit everyday. At least we think the squirrel is pregnant. Maybe she’s just fat and I’m not helping her to make good choices with her diet. She loves NutriGrain bars.
Where did my baby go?! Walt’s size 12 month clothes are getting tight and his 12-24 month socks squeeze his chunky calves and ankles like sausages.
We had record high temperatures early in the week and went for a walk on Monday night. It was so nice to get out and about as a family in the fresh air.
The hummus was in the middle of the table. When I had my back turned, Jane pulled it closer to her, scooped a big heap out of the bowl, and put it on her tray. This girl loves her hummus!
Walt loves his food and has to have it right away. He was starting to whimper, and Jane immediately ran out of the room. I thought she might have been trying to escape the noise. She came back a few seconds later with her ladybug nightlight. She pushed it up on Walt’s tray and said, “Here, Walt. Ladybug.”
The Girls
Philip playing with the kids after dinner
There’s no such thing as too many accessories, Mom.
Sometimes Walt makes faces that are so eerily Philip. I love those footie jammies.
I’ve started pushing Jane into the table without the tray that goes on her booster chair. That way she can eat from the table like a big girl. She was eating some Goldfish crackers Thursday morning, and I left her while I went to change Walt’s diaper. I was gone for less than a minute when I heard a huge crash. She had pushed herself back and the side strap on her booster seat came loose. The momentum must have sent the whole chair backward. Jane was shaken up, but she didn’t get hurt. As I was hugging her, she said through tears, “Mama, I scare you? Goldfish SCARY!” She decided that Goldfish crackers are now very scary things.
SNOW! We received about 10″ of snow on Saturday. This is the view from our living room window. A burning bush usually blocks the view, but the weight from the snow bent the branches down to the ground!
The deck. Check out the precariously leaning pine…
Walt and Monty, hanging on the couch
Philip had to work all day today. Fortunately, he made it there and back through the snow in his little Honda Civic. We’re looking forward to a quiet family day tomorrow at home.
On to preparations for Jane’s birthday next week! How is she already 2?!
Today is the Presentation of our Lord, aka Candlemas (formerly the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin). Candlemas is celebrated every year on February 2. February 2 is 40 days after Christmas. (Again, that number 40! Dr. Taylor Marshall gives a great bullet point summary of the number 40 and its appearances in the Bible in this blog post.)
Back to today’s feast day: The Gospel of Luke recounts the presentation of Jesus in the Great Temple of Jerusalem. To fulfill mosaic law, Mary and Joseph bring the male baby Jesus to be presented at the temple and to offer a sacrifice 40 days after His birth. They encounter Simeon, an elderly man.
“…it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And inspired by the Holy Spirit he came into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, ‘Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:26-32).
The prophetess Anna also meets the Holy Family, gives thanks to God, and tells everyone she meets about Him, the “redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38).
In celebration of Jesus, “a light for revelation to the Gentiles,” (Luke 2:32) Catholics bless and light candles on this day. All of the candles that a Catholic church will use in the upcoming year are blessed on February 2. Here is the prayer to be said by priests to bless the candles at Candlemas:
God our Father, Source of all light, today you revealed to Simeon Your light of revelation to the nations. Bless + these candles and make them holy. May we who carry them to praise your glory walk in the path of goodness and come to the light that shines forever Grant this through Christ our Lord.
Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil are great and all, but I never knew it was a rip-off of an older tradition.
Candlemas Day was also the day when some cultures predicted weather patterns. Farmers believed that the remainder of winter would be the opposite of whatever the weather was like on Candlemas Day. An old English song goes:
If Candlemas be fair and bright, Come winter, have another flight; If Candlemas bring clouds and rain, Go winter, and come not again.
Thus if the sun cast a shadow on Candlemas day, more winter was on the way; if there was no shadow, winter was thought to be ending soon. This practice led to the folklore behind “Groundhog’s Day,” which falls on Candlemas Day.
If candles aren’t your thing, adopt the European tradition of eating crepes or pancakes on Candlemas Day. Because they are yellow and round in shape like the sun, they are supposed to make us think of Christ, the “Light of Light.” That’s definitely a tradition I can get behind–especially if my grandma’s buttermilk pancake recipe is involved. I’d take a stack of pancakes any day over a stinky groundhog!
So, happy Candlemas Day to you! Get some candles blessed, light them, thank Jesus for being our “Light of Light,” and eat a stack of pancakes!
No matter our age, our vocation, our sex, we are all called to sainthood.
“We are at Jesus’ disposal. If he wants you to be sick in bed, if he wants you to proclaim His work in the street, if he wants you to clean the toilets all day, that’s all right, everything is all right. We must say, ‘I belong to you. You can do whatever you like.’ And this is our strength. This is the joy of the Lord.” – Blessed Mother Teresa
When we respond to our station in life joyfully, especially in difficult times, it gives glory to God. Imagine the great joy Mother Teresa gave God by embracing her vocation to the religious life, serving the poor and rejected, and treating all those that she met as though they were Christ in a “distressing disguise.”
I don’t know about you, but I, uh, well, struggle a bit with that most days.
When the babies wake up at 5:30, they don’t take a nap, refuse to eat, have 8 timeouts in the pasta aisle at Walmart, Monty (our dog) has his fifth accident of the day by the door, someone hits the mailbox, a speeding driver nearly hits us and flips us off, or Philip has to work all weekend, I don’t always feel like offering it up.
Instead, I am really good at throwing myself a grand ol’ pity party. Population: 1 scary mama! Look out, world! I’m having a pity party, and you’re only invited if you tell me, “Wow! That does suck!”
Once I realize for the millionth time that doing that only makes me (and the people around me) feel worse, I end up turning skyward. When I pray for it, I’m able to will myself to stop the pity party and “offer it up.”
As a stay-at-home mom, it’s so easy and tempting to listen to the devil on the bad days. He usually tells me something along the lines of, “What you do doesn’t matter. You’re wasting your life here. All you accomplished today was changing some diapers, some cooking, and changing a few loads of laundry. Zip-a-dee-doo-dah-day! You didn’t even shower before 5! What kind of a life is that?!”
On the days when I haven’t spent time in prayer, I’m more likely to listen to that voice. What’s worse is that sometimes I even start to believe that voice. Sooner or later, I inevitably end up brought to my knees in frustration. I’m convinced it’s God’s way of saying, “Remember Me? You need Me. I’m always here, just waiting for you. Stop trying to shoulder it all on your own. Come to Me. I’ll give you rest.”
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:30
So, here’s the good news: it turns out holier and wiser people than me (understatement of the century!) are human and experience their share of those days. Fortunately for me, some of them have written about their struggles, and their words are so encouraging.
I came across a beautiful prayer written by Mother Angelica called “A Prayer at Day’s End.” I think about this prayer on those days.
A Prayer at Day’s End by Mother Angelica
Good night, Lord. Thank You for Your Grace and Strength today. I didn’t do all the things I wanted to. I wasn’t like Jesus all the times I could have been and I didn’t think of You as much as my soul needed to. All in all, it wasn’t the day I planned when I saw the light this morning. I have acquired more self-knowledge and I do realize I need to put forth more effort. I am the recipient of Your Merciful Love for once again You put up with my many frailties. It seems the only thing I have left tonight is my desire to know You better and love You more. I end the day a little more humbled by the realization of my weakness but exulting in Your Holiness and Goodness. I shall find my joy in You and not in myself. If I have grown in seeking You alone then it has been a good day indeed. Good night, dear Lord; let Your Angels protect me and intercede for me while I sleep. Let Your Son’s Mother make ready many graces for tomorrow, that I may love You more and be more like Jesus. Amen.
Image from divinewordradio.com
If a woman as holy as Mother Angelica has those days, I’m surely guaranteed them.
Now, I’m not saying the bad things go away when my prayer life is strong. Sometimes the opposite is true. I’m saying a strong prayer life makes it easier to “offer it up” and roll with the punches when the bad things come. When my prayer life is strong, the bad things become opportunities to unite my sufferings to Christ on the cross–even the little inconveniences. When my prayer life isn’t happening, the prayers turn into, “Lord, WHY ME?!” When my prayer life is strong, I’m able to will myself to say quick prayers like, “Lord, I offer up Jane’s temper tantrum in the grocery store to You. Thank You for this very public exercise in humility.” Yup, I’ve learned to pray even when I’m making this face–especially when I’m making this face!
Jane likes to run over and hug my leg throughout the day. Just like Jane needs those little moments to know that she’s loved, I need to have the same little “check-ins” with God. My
prayers, especially the little ones throughout the day, may not be as beautiful or eloquent as Mother Angelica’s, but I think God loves them just the same. I’m just His little girl, checking in to make sure that I’m still loved and that I’m not as wretched as the devil tries to tell me I am.
After my little check-in with God, He gives me a grace-filled pat on the head, and sends me along to “be a good girl” – to try my darnedest to become a saint.
