life planner...

Over the past few months, I have been dying to get an Erin Condren Life Planner. But, I don't think Jackson will go for the $50 price tag, for a note book (that would be his description not mine, I see it as a wonderful new experience in finally feeling a little more together since I had children). Every so often, I will do a search for erin condren life planners looking for a coupon or sale. About a week ago, I found several blogs that were giving away a $25 gift card to....drum roll...ErinCondren.com! I entered the contest on every blog I could find. Yesterday they were all supposed to announce their winners. So I went to check several of them this morning... didn't win. Disappointed I went back to my morning bible reading. After I was finished I decided to check on KellysKornerBlog because I had not read it in a while. And there is was, she mentioned that Zulily.com had Erin Condren $50 gift cards for $25! WOO HOO! I almost jumped up and yelled, but then I remember that everyone was still asleep, so I just jumped up and ran for my credit card. I started to order 2, but with halloween parties and birthday parties this month I am already over budget, so I just got one. But that is enough, it will get me the life planner. This is the design I decided on. I went back and forth about adding a picture, but the best one I have is several months old and we are about to have a family shoot done. Considered waiting on that picture, but really couldn't wait any longer for the life planner!!!

Just hit complete on the order! Should ship out next week!!!

operation get organized...

So yesterday my plan was to start getting this house really organized before my mom comes in a few weeks. She is coming to get some decor in this beige house! And that plan was reaffirmed when the daily devotion I read on www.proverbs31.org was about getting organized!!!

I was super productive while the kids were in school... I had a few church emails I had to send when I got home, then I got to work... my plan was to clear out my gmail inbox because my gmail account has been acting crazy and I hope that will help it. But, I felt not productive if I was sitting at the computer, so I cleaned house - dusted, vacuumed, cleaned bathrooms. So I got off track!

At 1pm an hour before I have to pick up the kids, I decided I couldn't handle Addison's room any more and if I at least got something done in there the day wasn't totally wasted! Her room is a constant headache for me, she has too much stuff and I am terrible at getting rid of things. And of course when I do get rid of something, that is the only item she wants a week later, when it was something she had not played with in months! So today, I filled a trash bag with junk toys and made another box of items to decide on. Some I may store for a while and see if I hear about them, so I will donate or sell. Her room needs some major decor help, and that on mom's list when she comes in a few weeks.

When the kids got home from school, there was a box on the front porch from Munka! Those boxes create such excitement in our house. When I saw it, Addison ran over to Jax to tell him there was one here, she grabbed his face and it was the cutest thing, luckily my camera was close!

The box was filled with Halloween treats and crafts. We did all of them this afternoon (so much for spreading them out and having a fun craft for tomorrow!), the kids loved it!

Stickers on mini pumpkins...

a pumpkin full of candy...

a wooden princess and pirate to color...

A fun afternoon of Halloween... and after all that, we got to go boo our neighbors who are coming back home tonight!!! Addison was so proud! I was out of nutter butters (those packages don't last long in this house) so I made them a different pinterest recipe (two pinterest trials in one week!)!!!

Scarecrow Crunch

we've been boo-ed!

So last night I go to turn the front porch light on and see a small bag sitting on the mat... First thought, what is that... 2nd thought, did some teenager get me with poop? So I slowly open the door to find a cute Halloween bag full of goodies.

Also in the bag were instructions on how to handle being boo'ed... you now need to boo two neighbors. When I told Addison about this, she loved it and couldn't wait to go boo someone! I worked on ghost cookies for the bag and got other goodies together, as Addie asked a million questions about who we would boo and worked on little pieces of scribbled paper to add to the

boo bags. Our boo bags included nutter butter ghost cookies, halloween straws, crayons, and candy. (The ghost cookies were a pinterest find...finally trying some of those hundreds of pins!)

So we got our boo bags together and planned our mission for after supper when dusk was setting on the neighborhood...

The mission was going south as we walked to the first neighbor's house that we planned to boo and they had already been boo-ed... then the second we had planned...boo-ed too! So I had a third in mind, but they were still outside. Mission Aborted!

Addison was so disappointed so we explained that too many people were still outside so we needed to go back out after bath. Excitement was back, but as soon as she sat down on the couch after bath, she was sound asleep and snoring like crazy!

So Jackson and I boo-ed the neighbors after putting the kids in bed. Our neighbors two doors down are out of town till tomorrow night so, I will make another boo bag and let Addison boo them tomorrow. What a fun way to interact with your neighbors!

For boo print outs and details, visit organizedchristmas.com

love a yard sale

What a better way to start the weekend, than hitting up some good old yard sales! A great opportunity to bring other peoples junk into my junked up garage. And today was a good yard sale day. I am on a mission for a great dresser to use in my foyer and that mission was not completed today but I did get some other goodies that were on my list to buy. Two items I was headed out to buy this weekend, first, Addison needs new ballet shoes. Found some in her size in great shape...$2 Second, my mom is redoing Addison's room and Addison is dying for a canopy over her bed. Mom was sending me to Pottery Barn today to buy a $100 canopy...found one for $4...it will need a new fabric at the top, but it is a worth a try!

Here is the picture of my finds... all for $38
(You can't see the canopy in this shot but it is in great shape!)

There are two of the mirrors and stacks of Little Golden books and cars books. The baskets are for the playroom with the plan to paint them, but they were a little more "used" than I thought and may be worthless...but they were only $4 for 6. A super neat find was the Fisher Price Mother Goose duck pull toy, from 1955. I planned to just display in the play room, but the kids have loved it!!!

I also need to post this picture of Addison, she LOVES to cut and play with her scissors. Today when I was fixing lunch, I let her cut the piece of card stock that comes around a package of Juicy Juice. On the back it had memory game cards to cut out, so I told her to cut along the dotted lines. She did an incredible job! I was so

proud of her straight lines and how well she stayed on the dotted line. Course I let her keep the scissors out, so

she kept cutting and we ended up with tiny pieces of paper every where!

Next week starts a 31 day organization challenge! Gotta make myself get it done!!!

sounds of play...

We are all home sick today...for the third day in a row!

All four of us are on antibiotics, 3 with strep and Jax with an ear infection!
The house gets torn up, but it really has been a blessing, a chance to recharge. Since school started, I have been struggling with my lack of organization and feeling of over-commitment to everything but my children and my organization project! Though these three days have not been very productive and I have not accomplished any of the many house projects on my lengthy to-do list, they really have been wonderful! I have done some reading and refocused my priorities... does my house have to be perfect? do I have to be perfectly organized? does it matter that the pile on my desk is never ending? does it matter that the upstairs of my house looks like a tornado just came through? nope

What does matter is this time with my sweet babies, they will only be in this stage for a short time and I should really soak in every moment and every sweet sound. And what sweet sounds they are...their made up words, fabulous giggles, and silly songs!

Today they have had a picnic on my bedroom floor,
complete with a stuffed animal sandwich that Jax was working on!

Now they are at "Disney Orld" and there are lots of people there along with "Amu" (Shamu)
and "Lightning the Queen"! Oh, to be that creative again!

The Organization Project has to start soon!

Over a month later...I am finally getting around to my follow up (or 2nd) post! I have got to get my Erin Condren Life planner on order TODAY! I just can't get it all together! The kids started school last Wednesday, so that was supposed to give me time to finally really get organized...hasn't happened! And honestly this is what I feel like ...

Really what kind of mom just lets her child play until he passes out on the floor,

put him in his bed for a nap, lady!!!

Well, I tried that and since he has learned how much fun it is to jump out of his crib, Jax is now in a toddler bed. Let me rephrase that, Jax now has a toddler bed, he is never in it!!!

So I do plan to start blogging regularly to keep a record of what is going on in this wonderful crazy life that keeps me so disorganized. Maybe I should purchase the book, "I Used to Be So Organized" by Glynnis Whitwer and figure out what is going on. Course that would be just one more book in the stack I want to read on a rainy day!

(which in Southeast Texas is non existent right now!)

I did accomplish one thing on today's check list, this morning at 2 am when Jax stumbled out of that great toddler bed to our room. I couldn't go back to sleep so I finally got my pictures from the beach on my computer and edited!

I love beach pictures and this one the two best buddies really makes me smile!

More than Words,

Welcome to my blog!

Starting a blog has been on my To-Do list for about a year and a half ...

I did set it up about a year ago, but just couldn't find the right design(excuse #1 for not getting it started). Then we were moving and I just didn't have time. Then we were getting settled in our new home and I just didn't have time. Then we were out exploring our new town and trying to make new friends and I just didn't have time. Through out this time, almost daily, I would think to myself, this would be so perfect to put in my blog.

So I am tired of writing it on my to-do list every few weeks and not ever checking it off! I LOVE making those check marks, but seldom to I actually get things checked off, unless I write down: change diapers, brush teeth, pick up toys, wash a few loads of laundry, wipe down kitchen on every day's list.

Intro...
Addison & Jax, my two awesome children

This blog is to allow me to record and share what we spend our days doing.

I hope this will be a enjoyable way for my family and friends in SC to keep up with us.
As well as an inspiration to anyone else who is interested in what I have to say.

They just woke up from nap time so, more of an introduction tomorrow...

More Than Words,