Saturday, April 28, 2012

To-do today/Saturday

Help Doug
Take meds
Feed the snake
Take a shower
Start my laundry
Finish washing the windows I started yesterday
Wash the inside between the windows in the dining room
Dust the blinds(on the main floor)
Cycle laundry
Hang the curtains I washed yesterday
Wash the other curtains from the main floor
Wash the other main floor windows
Complete laundry
Pick up toys
Visit with my sister
Go bowling w/cousin for her fiance's B-day.

What's I've done so far: The first three things on the list & fiddled around on the internet a bunch. Hubby took out the recycling & wen to Menards to get stuff to fix our powder room toilet & the TP holder. Now he's taking his break while kiddo's napping. :)

Day 20 Assignment

Day 20 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

::Clean out and re-organize your medicine cupboard(s). Check expiration dates on medicines and dispose of any that are expired. Note: Check out this article for information from the FDA on how to properly dispose of medicine.

::Set the timer for at least 15 minutes and do something you really enjoy and that relaxes and rejuvenates you. If you need ideas, here are a few: read, write, call a friend, pray, exercise, bake, play with your children, laugh with your husband, stop by the bookstore and browse the book selection, work in the garden, or take a nap! Take some time to just stop and enjoy life today!

Well, way to get back in the game just as it's finishing! Oh well, now I can start going back & catching up. As you can see from my previous post, I still have a long way to go on just yesterday's main point challenge, but I'm happy to be making progress again. :)

Friday, April 27, 2012

Day 19 results!

So, I decided today to just go with the assignment, but I got a really late start & had to have my daughter help me. We only got two sets of windows done. They needed it badly though. I washed their curtains & hubby's going to hang them back up to dry. Pics later! :)

Amber helping clean the windows with the curtains on the floor. The little stool she's standing on used to be mine. It says "This little stool is mine, I use it all the time, to reach the things I couldn't, & lots of things I shouldn't!"




This is nothing compared to other areas I cleaned, this is just the dust from on top of the top sill. I'm kinda embarrassed to admit that it was this bad because a couple *cough*years*cough* ago we had new floors put in the kitchen & front hall & it was the dead of winter when they did it & record lows the days they were actually working, so they tried to do some of the slate & hardwood cutting outside, but on the porch [just outside these particular windows] to avoid wind & when it got even colder they brought it inside. They left the place filthy & I didn't get around to cleaning the windows until now. I had actually cleaned the inside of the right one a few days prior when it was nice out & I'd opened the window to let air in while I was babysitting.


So here's the before & after, the left versus the right:


& here I am mid-swipe, so you get a better idea of just how gross it was. Yikes!


Luckily, our windows were made with this nifty feature of being able to fold into the house so we don't have to go outside & remove the screens to wash the outsides! :)


After my hubby came home, we figured out how to flip down the top windows, too. I still need to go back & wash the outsides of the top windows in the front hall. It was hard to get them to stay back up afterwards though. It was weird, you had to lower them again a certain amount before you pushed them back up to get something to catch & hold them. My hubby smashed three of his fingers in the process of trying to figure this out. :( Thankfully it wasn't hard enough to break them or anything... & I'm also thankful that our daughter didn't repeat the word he said. ;)


This is sort of a before & after of the dining room windows, which weren't nearly so bad as the hall ones. The near one, on the right is the "before" & the one reflecting our cat Layla is the "after."


I also still need to wash the inside bottom of the dining room windows. I didn't get to that before we went out to dinner. So, that, the outsides of the top windows in the front hall & then the curtains & everything for every other window in the house... yikes. Oh & I didn't dust the blinds yet. So, two more windows on the main floor, plus the ones on the doors (which have been cleaned more recently at least.)Only one window in the basement, but four more upstairs. Still, those in the front hall were the worst & they're mostly done. :)
We were also planning to clean out the snake's cage today, but I don't think the weather is going to cooperate. My sister is coming to visit at 4 & then my cousin's fiance's birthday party (bowling) is at 6.
Yesterday we went to visit my hubby at work & attend a retirement party for one of his co-workers. She was almost like another grandma to Amber & gave us a few gifts. Arg. I wish I'd taken pics of the card I made her! We also gave her a "drawing" of Amber's & a necklace I made. Last night & this morning I helped my friend Doug who's disabled. My few hours a week with him are why I'm technically a part-time employee of the state.

Anywho... better get back to it! Amber's getting restless. :)

Day 19 Assignment

Day 19 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and wipe down your windowsills and trim around your windows (if you didn’t wipe these when we wiped down the baseboards earlier this month).

::Clean your windows and blinds and/or window treatments. If you want to get really ambitious, you can take the screens off (if you have screens) and clean the outside of your windows. Or, you can just use window cleaner and clean your windows on the inside. Dust or wash your blinds. Remove any washable window treatments and launder them.

::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Day 18 Assignment

Day 18 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and vacuum the main living areas of your home.

::Vacuum your carpeted closets. Sweep or mop the floor in those closets without carpet. Remove all items from the closet floor and get rid of clutter, trash, and items that don’t belong in that closet.

::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Day 17 Assignment

Day 17 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and do a quick-clean of your bathroom. Need specific directions? Read this article on How to Clean Your Bathroom in 15 Minutes.

::Clean out and reorganized your kitchen cupboards and pantry.

::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.

Back to it

But not really... I am REALLY struggling for motivation this week! I'm not feeling very well & keep excusing myself from chores because of it. It's almost worse being conscious of it, because now I feel like I should be trying harder to just get my but tin gear & do something... and I should! *sigh*
I'm just not sure what to work on. I have a number of little things I've been putting off & about as big of a number of big things as well.
In other news, Amber's fighting her nap... It's almost two & these days she usually naps longer than an hour & I have an appointment at 3. I'm not sure if it's worth shortening nap time over or if I should just reschedule. (Chiropractor)Guh.
I have been getting up & pacing a bit... trying to think of something to do & mainly just trying to not be completely sedentary. I've been gaining weight since I quit my birth control a few months ago & I'm not sure what exactly is causing it. I gained weight before I got pregnant with Amber, too. I didn't attribute it then as having anything to do with my going off birth control, but since the same thing is happening under that same circumstance, I can't help but think there's a correlation. It's odd though, most women gain weight while on birth control. *Shrug* It ended up working out though b/c I had bad morning sickness the entire first half of my pregnancy with her & I lost all the extra weight & then-some without harming her any.

Took a break & went & got Amber, she indicated that she was hungry, so I gave her her leftovers from lunch & let her work on them. I called the chiro office & got my appt pushed back to 4:30. Hubby should be home by then. He wants to mow tonight, but hopefully he'll watch her so I don't have to take her.

Day 16 Assignment

Day 16 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and make a list of weekly goals. I’ll post my goals along with a link-up around 1 p.m. ET this afternoon.

::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and quickly pick up your house and put things back into order after the weekend.

::Clean your vents. If you have floor vents that can be removed, remove them and wash them in warm soapy water. Vacuum/clean any dirt or grime around the floor vent area and replace the vent. Use a vacuum attachment and/or a wet rag to dust/clean your other vents.

::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Hubby's B-day Weekend

To celebrate Paul's birthday, his bro, my mom & I got him tickets to the Mythbuster's exhibit at the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago. His parents took Amber for the day & overnight. We both missed her, but it was so much easier to do things & not have to worry about her! Our friend Dave & his fiance Jenn came along. Our neighbors happened to go to the museum the same day, but we just missed each other. It was a pretty fun day. :)
Sunday, Paul's parents brought amber to the hotel to go swimming. She was scared & didn't stay very long, but that was ok. We didn't have a ton of time. We went out for lunch & then visited w/the in-laws a bit & got Amber's stuff packed up. We stopped by my good friend's house & visited w/her & her cats (her hubby was at work) & she made us a yummy beef stew. After we got back home, I did the coupon clipping & there wasn't much that interested us at all. I guess that's mostly a good thing, since it means we've stockpiled most things that we can & will be spending even less. I'm bummed that we only got one coupon insert (that wasn't store-specific) in the paper.
Amber had gymnastics this morning. We decided to continue for the 4-week mini-session & paid for it today. Amber did pretty good today, though she got more restless as the class went along.