Spring Cleaning!!! You Ready?

Starting in 10 days, I will once again be hosting a link-up for Spring Cleaning. With each area that we cover, I will give ideas, tips, and info...

You can join along by taking pictures of the area we are going to clean that week, post BEFORE pics on Mondays on your blog. And the AFTER pics on Fridays! If you don't have a blog, join in anyways!

The sun ACTUALLY was shining today at my house, and it ACTUALLY got above freezing! WOW!!! The sun shining in my windows made me realize how BADLY in need of a Spring Cleaning my house really is!!! ICK!

So, join up with us on March 1st to get started! I can't wait!!!

More information coming next week!!!

Long Break!

Ducks from our farm on a COLD January morning!

Thanksgiving & Christmas are hugely hectic times around this household, and throw a birthday and a mini-farm in there, and we have a BUSY SEASON!

But now, I am back. Hopefully to be post a few times a week. More of the household tips, money saving ideas and links, on being a mom and wife, and more from the Bible. I hope to see you all back here very soon!

To see some of the stuff I have been doing, and some new animals we have on our farm, so HERE.

Cleaning for the Holidays! The Bathroom!

Last week we cleaned our living room, and I did too! My son, Caden and I took everything off of shelves and dusted everything (Ah-CHOO!). We swept under all furniture, and swept down cobwebs, wiped down all of those little milk spots (from a little Mister's bottles...) on our leather furniture... But in the end, it all go done. This morning you can't tell much, but once the floor (the boy's blankets and Legos!) is cleaned up, it looks a LOT better... Everything in it's place!

This week, is our Bathroom. If you have more than one, you can focus on your MAIN bathroom, or all of them! I have one (finished!) bathroom, so I will focus on that! Here is a list of things I am going to make sure I cover:

• Spray down the outside and inside of toilet, sink & tub. Scrub down!!! If you are using one rag, start with the sink first. Then go to the tub, THEN the toilet. Washing the rag thoroughly with HOT water each time. You don't want to carry the germs from the toilet to your sink! YUCK!
• Do your cupboards need a good cleaning/ organizing? OH, buddy... Mine needs a good organizing! With 4 little boys digging in the cupboards all the time, it gets a little disorganized! Clean where you keep your toothbrushes!
• Wash the walls! Our walls get all steamed up, and then cool down. When the toilet flushes and the lid is up, there are little particles that go into the air and can land on your walls and such.... I know, YUCK! Scrub 'em down! Scrub down cupboard fronts. Dust!
• Scrub the floor! Scrub around the toilet LAST. Work from the opposite side of the room from the toilet, work toward the toilet. That way, you don't spread those germs from around the toilet to the rest of the floor.
• Clean the door handles and light switches! These are touched the most in your bathroom, make sure they get a good cleaning!
• Need to replace bulbs? Replace ANYTHING? DO it this week!

Along with getting ready for Thanksgiving, I will focus sometime on cleaning the bathroom. You KNOW if you have people over, everyone will hit the bathroom a few times! Make sure it is clean and ready for guests! Make sure you have enough T.P. out, and soap by the sink.

Join me! Let's clean that bathroom!

Ready for the Holidays- Clean-up Living Room!

So, last week I skipped out on my Clean-up of my Entry Area. I will definitely be coming back to it though.... I had a sick kid and the week filled up with "stuff" really quick. But, this week is my Living Room Week!

You can participate if you would like, but this is just something I like to make sure is done before the Holidays!

Living Room

This week I will be:

• First, do a "general" clean-up. Then, go to "spot cleaning".
• Take everything off of shelves, dust! When I go to put things back, does this really belong here? Maybe Re-arrange!
• Look through all of my free magazine collection, and weed out what I don't NEED anymore. The rest put back away, nicely in a basket.
• Move all furniture, sweep under! Move furniture how I am going to want it when we get our Christmas tree. So it will be all ready to go!
• Anything doesn't belong in the living room? Get it out! This is the week!
• Wash blankets and pillows on couches.
• Clean-out/ Straighten-up CD/ DVD collections.
• What do the windows look like? Clean 'em! Do curtains and/ or blind need a cleaning? Do it!
• Get rid of all cob-webs!
• No toys in the living room but baby toys. Clean out baby toy collection, clean the toys.
• Anything need fixing? Fix it?
• Light bulbs need replaced? Replace 'em!

My Goal: Not for a perfectly cleaned home, but for a cozy home that is less maintenance in the future months. I don't want to have people over and wish I had thought about cleaning the cobwebs!

Update on how everything went on Friday!

Ready for the Holidays- Clean-up!

As we all know, the holidays can produce a LOT of stress. Especially if we are hosting an event or 2... This year, as in the last couple, I am hosting my family's Thanksgiving AND Christmas. Which, I DO love to do! But, if I don't plan ahead, I could get a little stressed out. I want to focus on the REASON for the holidays, not focusing on me and how much I have to do!

So, starting next week, and each week up until Christmas, I am choosing a room in my home, and I am turning it upside down, and then turning it right side up again, so it will be ready for company this holiday season.

Here is my clean-up line-up:

• Nov. 9-13 Entry Area ( This is the clutter area in my house! I want this to be a warm & inviting welcome spot in my home!)
• Nov. 16-20 Living Room (This just needs a GOOD cleanin...)
• Nov. 23-27 Bathroom ( I know this is the week of Thanksgiving, but I am assigning the bathroom to this, because it was the smallest job! I think I can do this in 2 or 3 days!)
• Nov. 30- Dec. 4 Bedrooms ( I have a few kid's rooms to go through and rid out, and my room could probably use a good cleaning too.)
• Dec. 7-11 Kitchen/ Dining Area ( For me, these 2 rooms are the same area. And it could really use a good straightening up!)
• Dec. 14-18 Outside ( If you haven't decorated or even cleaned up your outside area, now is the time to do it. At this time, I will probably add a few winter items outside, and make sure everything is in Christmas condition!)

So, that my friends, is my plans for cleaning up! If you would like to join me in clean-up, I would love it! You can link up in the comments area. But Mondays, I will show you a before pic, and on Fridays, I will post an after pic.

Now that I have the cleaning planned out, now to look at the Thanksgiving Meal... Mmmm! Can't wait! See you Monday, so I can start cleaning!

I Love This Gift from My Son

One thing that I hold very close to my heart is this picture given to me from my 8 year old son...

He earned it from his Bible class in (public) school. And he gave it to me, because he "just knew I would love it". And I do! It's in a little metal frame, and obviously it is of Jesus... And best of all, whenever I look at it, I know that my first born son, gave it to me, because he knows I love Jesus!

What do you love today?

Go HERE to see more things that people LOVE!

A Few of My Favorite Things...

The weather is getting colder, and the holidays are just around the corner. I was just thinking about cleaning and redecorating (rearranging more like it). And I thought I would share with you some of my favorite things!

To start out, I have a very season appropriate item... Thermos! My husband and I don't get to go 'antiquing' very often, but when we do, and if we see a Thermos in great shape, we will grab it! Only 3 have any sort of a story, the silver one and the Dunkin' Donuts one in the first pic, were my grandpa's. When we went to Florida in July (you may remember that), I got these two from their house down there. The other 2 on the left are just some we've picked up along the way...

One here has a story... My sister Elizabeth picked up the Mickey Mouse thermos on the right for me. It was like $.50 at a garage sale. And she knows Mickey is my fav! The other 2 we have also picked up along the way...

We love our Thermos! Do you have a collection of things that YOU love? You can share if you like! If there is a good response, I could start putting up a link for you all to show pics of your favorite collections... I have several things around the house that I am going to show you in days to come... Hope you enjoyed!

"Clean" Home in a Jiffy!

OK, so you get a call that someone from your church is running something over to your house, or that your mother-in-law is dropping by to say 'hi'... You say, "Sure! We'll be here!". You hang up the phone, and you scan your house. 'Oh my goodness... This place is a MESS!'

If your house is like mine, and your life is like mine too, you home isn't really a MESS, but more 'lived in'... In a hurry, my home could probably be all 'cleaned' in 45 minutes - 1 hour. But you have 5-10 minutes.. What do you do???

First, if you have kids, don't be afraid to put them to work... EVER. It is good for a child to learn to help around the house. Don't be afraid to make them do this everyday! I have a chore chart, and have for about a year, for my boys. This has not only been great for my boys to learn not to make such a big mess, but also has been great for me! I don't have to try to do 6 hours work in 2 hours!

Second, realize homes will be lived in! ESPECIALLY when you visit someone else's home! How can you point out the speck in your friend's eye, when you have a PLANK in your own, yet don't see it?

Third, make sure you focus your attention on the worst offenders. These usually are your kitchen sink, your counter tops, your table tops, and your entry area. If these are a mess, the rest of your house can be spotless, but no one would notice! So, if you have only a few minutes, go to it! Stick those dishes in the dishwasher, or at least rinse them and stack them nicely in the sink. Or run a sink full of soapy water to soak those dirty dishes. Clear off those counters and table! Usually mine just gets stacked with things when we come home from somewhere, we drop them on the counter. The A LOT of times, everyone "forgets" about those things! Make each one of the children take THEIR things to their rooms... Make small piles of things that go together. If there are several things that get put away with the coats, make a pile. Make another pile of things that go on your desk or to your office. Then, you make ONE trip to each area, instead of 10. If you still have a minute, make sure they are all wiped down! Stuck on food or spills make a surface look HORRIBLE! Spray a stuck on food area with some cleaner, then let it set. This helps, instead of stressing and scrubbing over a tiny food spot that, when revisited in a few minutes of spraying down, would wipe right up!

If you have a half an hour, one thing that ALWAYS makes my house look TONS better is to pull out the sweeper and go to work! Don't ask me why, but the house always looks SO much better after it has been swept...

Fourth, look in the mirror. Then smile! Take a breath and be happy! Don't worry about things that you can't control... Enjoy your company!

One thing that also helps in keeping a home that you AREN'T embarrassed about, is to either before you go to bed or first thing in the morning, have your house picked up. Then when people "drop by", you won't freak out when you see them in your driveway!

Health: Top 10 Anti- Indoor Pollution House Plants

I just came across this great article on eco-friendly, safe houseplants great for helping get rid of that indoor pollution.

You know, air pollution from mold, mildew, chemicals (from cleaners, aerosol sprays, scented candles, etc), plastics, etc.

These 10 plants will not only help to improve the air quality in your home, but it will also make your home more beautiful.

1. The Feston Rose Plant

2. Devil's Ivy

3. Phalaenopsis

4. English Ivy

5. Parlor Ivy

6. African Violets

7. Christmas Cactus

8. Yellow Goddess

9. Garlic Vine

10. Peace Lily

Check out the article HERE, and start making your home less polluted and more beautiful!

Frugal Laundry

You all know how expensive laundry detergent is. Well, it's not THAT bad. You can usually find a sale on detergent for $1.99 for 35 loads. But did you realize that you will RARELY get 35 loads out of that? I fill my washer full and I fill the detergent in the cap up to the top line or almost the top line, and I will get way less out of it. SO if you are figuring the cost to be like $.05 a load or something, figure again. I started by marking my bottle with a marker every load of laundry I did.

My mom told me about making laundry soap and this recipe that she found. She has been using it a while and says it works! I am also going to be doing this very soon. So, here is the recipe:

• 1/3 bar of Fels Naptha soap
• 1/2 cup Borax powder
• 1/2 cup Arm and Hammer Washing Soda
• a bucket
• water

I have found all of these ingredients at my Kroger.

First, grate 1/3 of the soap and put it into a saucepan.

Add 6 cups of water and heat until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and borax, stirring until it is dissolved. Pour 4 cups hot tap water into your bucket. Add your soap mixture and stir it together. Add another 22 cups of water and stir to combine. Let the soap cool and set up for about 12-24 hours. The finished product jells up. It won't have a normal consistency. Part of it will be like jello and part will remain liquid. It's all the same thing and dissolves in the laundry tub. No need to try and break it up.
Each load takes about 1/2 cup of laundry soap.

I have also found the same recipe on The Grocery Cart Challenge, and she explains what each ingredient does:

• Borax cleans, deodorizes, disinfects and softens the water.
• Washing soda cuts grease and neutralizes odors.
• Fels Naptha is a stain remover.

On The Grocery Cart Challenge, she also has a recipe for Homemade dryer sheets, that I found. Here is her recipe:

Homemade Dryer Sheets

• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup of vinegar
• 2/3 cups of any hair conditioner

I stirred mine together in an empty baby wipe container. Don’t shake, this will cause foaming. Soak a cloth rag (I used an old clean wash cloth) and ring it out until slightly damp. Then throw it into the dryer with your load of clothes.

This can also be used as a liquid fabric softener in the rinse cycle.

I have been using this for about a week now and it has worked great! I bought Suave conditioner from the Dollar Store, and used about 1/3 for this recipe. I had a ginormous bottle of vinegar, so that cost me pennies. So all in all, the recipe cost less then $.50 for about 20 loads (maybe more loads! I don't know exactly yet). It would be even less if I used some of the conditioner that I got for free from CVS.

SO, there you go. Frugal laundry! I can't wait to try the laundry soap. Supposedly it is about a penny a load! I love the idea of these also because I know EXACTLY what is in them.

Would YOU try these recipes?

Coming in March...

Before Thanksgiving and Christmas, I did the Organized Christmas thing, where each week you take a room, and you do all there is to do in that room to get it ready for the holidays.

Well, I would LOVE to do that for SPriNg!!! There is so much to do, inside and outside of our homes once the weather FINALLY starts to change.

So, I am going to make up a room by room check list, then hopefully move outdoors... Are you game??? Even if you are too good for my Spring cleaning checklist (yeah, YOU!), you can watch my progress. If you are game, each week we will have a room, showing the before's and the after's, and telling anything interesting along the way! And maybe even getting some items rid out of your homes so you can have a yard sale! Who knows!

So, keep it in mind! We will be starting in March, and I will also have Bible verses to go along with it. This should be fun! (Well, as fun as CLEANING can get...)

See you in March! =)

Baking Day & a Prayer Request!

I had done this before Thanksgiving (I think!), but I have been wanting to get started on this again. Baking Day!

I was first inspired by MoneySavingMom, when she had blogged about having a baking day months ago. I did my own baking day, and definitely was rewarded with easier items to go with my meals.

Well, now she is blogging about another baking day, and that was all the motivation I needed, to do something I have been wanting to do for a week or more now.

So far, I plan to make homemade white bread, waffles, maybe yogurt, maybe some rice (I have read that you can make rice, regular nor instant, ahead of time and freeze it for a quick side dish or addition to a dish), and we will see if I can figure anything else out!

So, come back tomorrow, and I will be having a Baking Day!

A side note: if you all could pray for my 2 youngest, Caden and Koen, I took them to the doctor today and found out that the colds that they just got last week has caused them to get an ear infection. So pray for them to have fast healing! My baby, Koen, is very sad and he doesn't understand why he is hurting! BTW- did you know that Meijer give free amoxocillin out to kids? I thought that was so awesome! Thank you for your prayers!

Calling All Organization Freaks

So, not always am I the best at organization, but I strive to be. I have to try to combat my "hording" tendencies, and make lists, toss things and have schedules!

Well, I found a web site that I can be well challenged by.

http://organizedhome.com/

Yes, Organized Home... ahhh. I like it.

This site not only has some great ideas for organizing your whole home, your kitchen and more. There are "printables". Oh yes...

Ones like this one, that I am going to try to utilize...

I started filling mine out last night, I had to make like 3 copies, but I am working on figuring out exactly what I have. This has actually helped me in figuring out that I only have 1 ketchup in my pantry and next time it comes on sale, I need to get some. Including some other things. But it really seem like it could be a great tool for those who are into Money Saving and stocking up. Knowing what you have in your cupboards will same you time and money. It is also healthier then having to run to the local McD's for some super fatty burgers, if you already have all you need in your own pantry...

Oh, I'm already lovin' this site. Check it out, and get organized this year!

Making Your Home a Haven- Day 5, Inviting & Giving

GO here to see the challenge for today...

Today's challenge is to make our homes Inviting and Giving. Inviting in that we should have more people over. And giving ... we should give to people just because!

Today, is going to be a busy day for me. But I wanted to post some ideas and things for you to think about.

I am really horrible at having people over. We moved into our home about 2 1/2 years ago, and have remodeled it ourselves. Well, there are still somethings that need finished... And we have designed it with an open living space that is wonderful for entertaining. And there is plenty of room for people! I am going to challenge myself, and I am also going to challenge YOU- to make at LEAST 2 days a month, to have a family or 2 over. For dinner or for just a cake or brownies & coffee. The point isn't a meal, it's fellowship. I am challenging myself for at least 2 days, because SURELY I can find 2 weekend days to have people over!

Also, the holiday season is coming up. I am going to have the women in my family over for a Girls Get Together. On this night, I am going to show a movie (Sleepless in Seattle or It's a Wonderful Life...). We will also be drinking something warm... coffee or cocoa (mmm..). And enjoying some desserts. Just getting together and enjoying the other's company is the point!

I also have been thinking over what a lady at our church does for her husband, to open her home, serve her husband and other people. On Opening day of Shot-gun Season (this Saturday), she told her husband she would wake up early every Saturday morning and make food for people to enjoy the morning of going to hunting. She makes pancakes, sausage, etc. for whoever decides to come over. What a wonderful way to not only welcome people into YOUR home, but to also say you value your husband and what he enjoys! That has challenged me! She has done this for many years now. Oh, and her requirement for waking early the whole season??? He takes her shopping! =) I think that is a nice trade-off!

So, even if you aren't inviting people over this weekend, I want to challenge you to make some plans! Invite people over at least 2 times this month. Also challenge yourself NOT to count Thanksgiving or Christmas!!!

So, what are YOUR plans???

Make Your Home a Haven- Finish of Day 4

Here is how our Thanks & Giving Trees turned out. I think they went pretty well.

I explained what the boys needed to do, and they were excited. They are ready to do things for other people, and of course had a list of things they were thankful for!

Yes, this actually says Caden folded laundry for me! He is a HUGE helper. He LOVES to load and unload the dishwasher, fold laundry, pick up toys... Somethings I have to "recheck" for him, but he is a boy that's list could be a mile long everyday!

I think it will be a fun project to review around Thanksgiving.

Making Our Home a Haven- Day 4, Fun

If you haven't been keeping up, you can scroll down to find my other entries for the week and you can also go to the "motivator" on her blog, Monica.

Today, our focus is fun. Making memories, making coming home an atmosphere, not of tension or worry. But when the kids come home, or hubby comes home, they know they can look forward to being there.

One thing I do to make it more fun for boys and daddy when they all get home, is I get all of the work done before they come home! I try to have all work done. Or at least appear to have everything done, so that the tension of an out-of-control house, is not an issue.

Next, for the bigger boys, we do the dirty work first. We get that dreaded homework done. After homework is done, they love to make books, draw & play dress-up (you know dress-up for boys... policemen, firemen, cowboys...)

Today, here is my goal:

-Wake-up at 7am, boys up
-fed, dressed, practice those spelling words one more time!
-hubby off to work
-boys off to school
-computer time for mama, before baby wakes!
-Off to the barn ( I forget to list this, but we get our eggs, and feed chickens & cats)
-Laundry (Didn't get it finished yesterday!)
-Start of "Thanks & Giving" (see below for details)
-Sewing
-Work on Drawing Project for our Women's Ministry Tonight!
(while I do that, Caden will probably be coloring!)
-Boys home, hubby home!
-work on our "Thanks & Giving" with all boys
-Dinner: Talapia w/ Hawaiian Marinade (Mmmm!), cut potatoes (from the garden) & either sweet muffins from last week, or Pumpkin Rolls that I made last night...
-Then I am off to day 2 of our Women's Ministry Classes... And day 2 of our drawing projects! We will be finishing our Christmas Cards. I am very excited!
-Home, boys will probably be in bed, thanks to hubby
-Relax at home, Bed! (Yayyy!!!)

So, there is the day. Not everything is going to be fun, but a prep time so we can have fun.

But, one project I saw and wanted to do was called "Thanks & Giving" Trees. (The original idea is here, but I have revised it a little.) You start with a skeleton of a tree. Make another one. On one, label "Thanks", on the other label "Giving". Then make a bunch of leaves out of colored paper, or find some on the internet. Cut these leaves out.

Second stage of this project, will be the explanation and doing it! These will be for my boys... Everyday, the boys need to write one thing on a leaf that they are thankful for, and paste it on the Thanks Tree. And then write one thing they did that day, where they Gave something, like helping someone out with something, making someone smile, drew someone a picture, etc., then put that on a leaf and paste it to the Giving Tree. I think this idea can be a real good challenge for children. I want my boys to remember that they should not only be receiving things (which they are Thankful for), but they should also be doing things FOR OTHERS. This is an area of struggle... especially for most kids. I hope this is a challenge that they will remember, and continue to try to improve on.

And the thing that makes my boys the happiest when they come home, is to play with each other. I have 2 boys in school, a 2nd grader & a 1st grader. Then, I have a (almost)4 year old at home, and a 7 1/2 mo old. So the older 3 really miss each other, and they run off and play.

The thing that makes my husband the happiest when he comes home, is no dishes in the sink, and no laundry to be put away... I can USUALLY accomplish this. The laundry is the hardest, because there is SO MUCH of it!

So what are YOU doing today that is FUN???

Making Your Home a Haven- Day 3, Cared For

To see this weeks challenges go to Monica's blog HeRE.

Today, we are going a step further than cleaning, and actually "CARING FOR" things in our home. We are going a step further, to make things last, to make it look as new as possible, for as long as possible. Take our organization to the next level. We need to do those little projects that just keep getting put off...

Do you have anything that needs some special attention? Do you have some mending that needs done? Do you need to organize you winter clothes, and put away those summer clothes?

You guessed it... I need to put summer stuff away! I will be doing that for all of us (6 of us). I will also be doing some laundry, and I do have a few things to mend, and some other things that I need to sew.

Here is my day:

Woke up at 7 AM.

Boys up, dressed, fed

Boys off to school! =)

Hubby off to work =(

A movie for Caden, baby still sleeping

Mommy computer time, and study (ahhh...)

Laundry started for the day

Sewing started, polishing furniture

Sorting winter/Summer clothes

1:45- boys off school early

Homework, reading

Put clothes away

Dinner (Tater Tot Casserole)

Hubby home

Church

home & to bed!

What does your day look like???

Making Your Home a Haven- Day 2 Clean!

My day got off track a bit (I will have some pics in a little while to show why!), but if you'd like to keep up this week with making your Home a Haven, go here. Today, is a day on cleaning! I will be getting this done, shortly. Have a great day!!!

Groceries This Week

Here I go again... still can't believe I am takin' pics of my groceries.


So, shopping today consisted of Walgreen's, Meijer, & Scott's (Kroger's).


I got all of the following for $53. plus $3. back for my next shopping trip. Here's the groceries:

2 gal. milk, 1 soy milk, baby food, baby cereal, 5 boxes of cereal, 2 Breyer's Ice Cream, 3 3L of Ice Mountain Water, pk toilet paper, 2 syrup, 1 Bisquik, 2 jelly, 3 bags shredded cheese, 2 Lysol cleaning spray, 1 Lysol cleaning wipes, 2 Chex mix, 2 bags salad, 2 BC frosting, 2 canned pumpkin, 2 sweetened condensed milk, 1 old fashioned oats, 2 scotchbright scrubbers, 1 tub butter, 2 tubes toothpaste, 1 box fishfry batter mix, 1 3pk plastic take-along containers, 3- 3pks tin pans, 2 pillsbury crescent rolls, 2 pks Safefree pads, 2 Dial hand soap, 1 applejuice, & 1 pk pepperoni.

I think that's it... That works on my $80. budget... I think I am going to decrease it soon... Not sure if I'm ready yet or not!!! Any questions, let me know!!!

Making My House a Haven

UPDATED!!! SEE BEFORE AND AFTER< BELOW!!!

I found this blog, and it is going right along with what I talked about last week, and wanting to do a thorough clean of my kitchen! Of course, last week was a little busy and so is this week. But only my evenings are busy, so hopefully participating in "Making Your House a Haven", I will be able to make my home ready for the activities of the evening!



Today, on her site, she is discussing "Tidy". She has challenged herself to tidy up spots that may have become a little unruly. Like my cupboards! I have got a great accumulation of groceries lately, and my old places for things, no longer "fit" into my current load. So the challenge of "Tidy" today. I am going to tidy my kitchen.




I will include before and after pics! ***shudder***



I am taking this pictures in the morning after the rush of the boys leaving the house. I had a busy day yesterday, and our evening was a come home. Finish some projects, and go to bed. So everything else, like the kitchen, go neglected!




So here are the before pics:

Here is the catch all spot in our house, the island. It isn't too bad, but it need to be cleaned up! There is also my calendar, which I have good intentions of keeping track of the boys schoolwork.



I NEED to figure out something different with the refrigerator, All of the school papers & Pictures...

Here is my pantry, it's not a huge mess, but there are a few disorganized areas...



This trash closet has been an overflow for extras... I need to get a better plan!

Today, I have got the boys around for school, spent some time in the Word, been SO encouraged in the verses that the Lord gave me today, and now I am blogging... My plan for this day, is to get laundry going, type up some things for my hubby, work on my kitchen, make some notes on a baby shower for a wonderful gal at church (the beginning!), sewing some shirts. By this time, the boys will be home, and homework will need to be done! Then Hubby will get home. I will be preparing for dinner, Eat. Clean-up. Then boys are off to a "Den Meeting" with the boy scouts, and at the same time Hubby is supposed to be at a Church Meeting. He will be splitting himself into 2 at this time... At that time, I hope to continue in anything I hadn't got done earlier in the day. And that evening, I will work on my couponing so hopefully I can go shopping tomorrow. Then, I will probably end my day in the Word. My favorite! Then Bed. Ahhh... It sounds good already!

I am going to encourage you to visit the blog above, and also challenge yourself today to "tidy up" some neglected areas. And as soon as I am finished, I will include pics of my finished project! Stay tuned! =)

Alright, I worked literally 4 hours on my kitchen... wiping down everything, reorganizing, throwing out... So here is the after pics:

Here is the pantry, I organized things a little better, and moved some stuff out, hopefully you can tell a difference. I can!

Here is my trash closet aka over flow closet... I moved some stuff around in here also. Moved some in, some out...

Here is the overall kitchen. My fridge is cleaned off, my island is cleaned off, counters have been cleared & wiped down. I feel much better about my more organized kitchen!!!

Have you decided to "tidy" anything today???