Oh yeah...the Tree. Almost Forgot.

Type A's resist the urge to reach in to your computer screen and adjust my lamp shade.
And yes the little frames have yet to be filled with pictures. I'm on it. ◦

Oh yeah...the Tree. Almost Forgot.

Make Sugar Cookies......Check

Must have friends over tomorrow to eat these all up.. Cookies & Caroling. Check.

Recipe here.

Other Advent Activities in case you're out of ideas:
Decorate Tree
Make paper snowflakes
Write Santa Letters
Watch Christmas Movies (every friday)
Toy Purge-Donate toys
Make ornaments
Snowscape (shaving cream on a table)
Write xmas story together
Go to Night in Bethlehem (amazing show put on by our church)
Gingerbread house
At Dinner describe what you love best about each family member(my son informed today that the key word at Christmas is love...SO SWEET.)
Service Project
Caroling (neighborhood)
Make treats for friends
Go Ice Skating
Read Christ Birth Story in the Bible
Read Twas the night before Christmas the night before Christmas
Open presents play eat and go to the Movies.. ◦

Make Sugar Cookies......Check

Today

Still to do tonight:
Finish Article
Study
And try to sleep through My 2 year old little girls crying. Reasons she cannot go to sleep in her own bed in her words.

I hit my head
I need to go potty
I"m "Fusstated"

the saddest is the Mommy I'm done crying..I'm sowy...

oh and then there's
I'll be nice now mommy...SO SAD!! ◦

Today

Holiday Card Wreath...

Martha (or rather her talented staff) always manages to create simple but brilliant ideas. Why didn't I think of this? ◦

Holiday Card Wreath...

Christmas pretties...

For Wreath How To Go here. ◦

Christmas pretties...

Changes

Sorry I've been MIA. Lots of changes happening. For one I'm studying for the LSAT--again! I have to retake it as it just expired this October...

Oh and I'm turning 30 tomorrow. I'm going to Disney World with my kids. Updates coming soon. I miss the ol' blog.
Becca and Me at a friends farewell. Can you tell if I'm laughing or crying?? Kinda how I feel about turning 30. ◦

Changes

....

Thirst

Another morning and I wake with thirst

for the goodness I do not have. I walk

out to the pond and all the way God has

given us such beautiful lessons. Oh Lord, I

was never a quick scholar but sulked

and hunched over my books past the

hour and the bell; grant me, in your

mercy, a little more time. Love for the

earth and love for you are having such a

long conversation in my heart. Who

knows what will finally happen or

where I will be sent, yet already I have

given a great many things away, expect-

ing to be told to pack nothing, except the

prayers which, with this thirst, I am

slowly learning.

Mary Oliver

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....

New York on my mind....

You can get these images and many others..think natural curiosities..beautiful botanicals for free. Here. ◦

New York on my mind....

Why I haven't posted in a little while...

A typical day in my life. This was yesterday.

*disclaimer: I love my life. I'm not complaining about my busyness . I know I'm not the only person juggling a million things at once and I also know that these are all choices I make. I often find myself re-evaluating my days, replaying them over and over in my mind to make sure I'm not accidentally slipping into a meaningless existence of time consuming tasks that don't make a difference to anyone. Writing all of this down yesterday was actually quite good for me--I felt validated for being exhausted and my husband was very surprised at the amount of things I do in a single day.

· 7:20-wake see Daniel off to school-husband has fed him, dressed him and made his lunch

· read/plan for life

· izzie wakes-drinks milk quietly for 15 minutes

· get semi-ready…dress izzie brush teeth, tidy daniel’s room (pick up his pajamas..turn off lamps, open windows…

· 8:40 finally make it downstairs for breakfast..isabelle has first meltdown of the day over what she’s eating..wants my yogurt not her gogurt or eggs or roll.

· eat yogurt with kashi (standing up)while browsing anthro catalog-decide yet again everything is too overpriced for me..throw it out

· unload dishwasher—load mornings dishes (usually take dinner meat out to thaw-decide it’s frozen pizza for dinner instead)

· make bed

· fold laundry and watch funny girl while doing it (WHAT A GREAT MOVIE! Laudry done in 30 minutes..movie not so much..)izzie requests noodles for lunch-when she wants to eat I jump. She happily eats I snack on crackers..

· (izzie poops in her panties)DANG IT!

· 12:40-ish P90X YOGA (this was super hard today)

· 2pm Walk to pick up Daniel from Bus stop-feel like I will be attacked by any of the 15 weirdos I see on the way but I’m prepared with the razor scooter as a possible weapon. Pick up mail.

· Izzie naps (way too late—I’m in for a late night with her)

· daniel snack & homework

· Shower for me

· Daniel computer games

· Izzie wakes so Daniel practices piano

· I’m finally on the computer at 4ish…Kids play with art stuff and as a treat stickers.

· Check emails return a phone call, make a few phone calls

· Work on thing for moms friend (stuck..call mom for more info..have to wait for her to get it)

· Checked on FS GIRL ???????????not working! Guy who can fix it is in Spain..argh.(more on this later)

· Husband home at 5! NEVER HAPPENS-send to store (with kids(which they love) for strawberries for smoothies for dinner

· 5:41-husband returns home from store—Forgot his wallet. This happens ALL THE TIME….

· Waiting for my computer…could’ve been almost done by now with mom’s friends thing…NEED MORE MEMORY-mental note to check ebay.

· Work on mom’s friends thing

· Husband is back-make smoothies (pizza is already in the oven)

· Run over to neighbor’s (3 doors down) (while pizza cooks) to pick up doilies for another friend

· Dinner (husband leaves right after for meeting)

· Walk with kids (actually drag Isabelle in wagon-while daniel rides scooter)

· Baths

· Stories & time with the kids

· 8:30ish-finally finish moms friends thing..so much easier than I expected..why do I procrastinate?

· listed thing on craigslist for my brother

· research for small article I’m writing for Eliza.

· research for SEO article..decide I cannot possibly spend another minute on this particular topic and come up with new topic—will write tomorrow.

Today…so far

Drove Daniel to school and husband to work (Left at 7:20 got home at 9 am..almost got into a horrible car accident--was honestly saved by angels)

yogurt, stuffed lib books into tote bags, called mom,printed directions for later

Izzie has a total meltdown this time it's because she wants me to wear a turtleneck sweater and I refuse...comfort her

call from aunt who is planning her wedding..mental note to send her some images later

Still to do…..

Pick up Daniel early for allergist appt. (will probably take me 2 to 3 hrs…that office is horrible and he has to have skin testing again)

Return Library books-pay fine! Stock up on Olivia books for Izzie

Halloween crafts and cookies (as promised)

Playground(if time and if not too hot)

Pick up husband

Ikea –it’s close to husbands work and I have a credit burning a hole in my pocket.

Home.

Dinner

Walk on trail…

Baths for kids & Let them stay up for a movie TGIF!

Prepare Sunday lesson…

Write seo article

File paperwork

Albums on picasa-burn them onto disks

Have a great weekend.

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Why I haven't posted in a little while...

Love this.

found on shelter blog

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Love this.

Kids books

I copied this idea from ohdeedoh. This was so so cheap and so so easy to do. I plan on using these raingutters for a picture ledge. The hardware used to mount them creates a little shelf and allows for a piece of wood to sit in it. The piece of raingutter cost around $6 I had them cut in in half. The harware was about $6 for a bag and I have 3 left--enough for 1 more. and the end caps were jst over $1 a piece.

Total Cost: About $16

And yes this is my landing upstairs. I have to use every inch of space in this tiny place. ◦

Kids books

Home Projects Update

Thanks for the comments and advice--I love them all. I think for the setee I'm still undecided but everything else has been decided and I can't wait to get started. I had my son choose a number and the winner is Shelley! Please email me your mailing address (tampaorganizer(at)gmail.com) for a little package from me. Thanks for playing..all 5 of you. My traffic reports I'm now convinced are bogus.

Sorry for the Fuzzy picture. I sold our dining set..it was too mission style for me..and bought this one on craigslist for $50. It was a nightmare to paint. Let me clarify about that for those curious you can paint with latex paint over oil based primer. In fact that's ideal. What you should never do is oil paint on oil primer..or something like that. Anyway paint was only peeling in one little area, the table looked a lot better once I stepped away from it for a day or so. I'm still not 100% happy and as you can see below I still have 3 chairs to finish. The chairs are in terrible condition (which stinks because I really like them) so we might do the ikea chairs seen below (2nd pic) or something simple and more modern to avoid a too country look..

I also painted the chairs by the piano (the piano will be painted tomorrow...I'm going with black) those were a NIGHTMARE..I got so much paint on the fabric..I had to scrub the fabric clean for hours..they need to be resanded and repainted or sold. We'll see. But they sure are pretty.

This was by far the easiest of all..and made a big big difference. I spray painted the legs on the wingbacks black and I love them.

I have more to show so stay tuned.

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Home Projects Update

DIY-Charging Station

I just bought this green Lacquer charging station from PB. Available here but cheaper in the stores (I paid $25 or something like that).

This homemade charging station from Martha is fabulous though. I definitely like this one better.

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DIY-Charging Station

Something I've been waiting to tell you.

That, is Jayma Mays of Glee premiering tonight on Fox. Watch it. It's a very very good show. Also, and this is big news for me. I actually got to interview Jayma Mays for Eliza Magazine. My article comes out in this Fall's Issue. I cannot wait! Jayma is one of nicest people I've ever spoken to. I can't wait for everyone to know her.

On a more personal note, this Summer, by pure serendipity, I got the opportunity to meet, hang out with, fall in love with, and subsequently bribe (with delicious treats) the magazine's Editor to allow me the opportunity to write.

I'm so honored my first published piece will be in Eliza Magazine--a quality magazine that I proudly stand 100% behind. Every issue is beautiful, positive and incredibly smart. If you haven't subscribed yet. Go Here.

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Something I've been waiting to tell you.

I'm in Painting He$#

Painting furniture: Warnings

I will post a pic soon.

I'm a failure at painting. I hate it. I'm in the process of painting a table and chairs, and kid chairs and frames and those barrell chairs by the piano.. and after making every mistake in the book I've realized I need an air compressor and a spray gun attachment..both of which I don't have. I've been sanding, priming, painting and spray painting for 3 days now and I'm miserable. I want my life back. Any advice?

here's what hasn't worked.

sanding, priming with oil based primer, painting with latex semi- gloss: the problem: the finish is cakey and the paint is peeling (yes I let it dry in between coats)

Spray painting: Works but you need too much of it so it's not cost effective..plus the pieces smell like toxic fumes

Painting deciding you hate the finish sanding and then repainting is the worse. I now have to strip my kids 2 chairs

WHAT A NIGHTMARE!

if you are expecting a phone call, a card, or a handmade baby gift from me..my apologies. You'll get them when I'm done scrapping the paint off my body and when I've successfully rehydrated my body from being in the hot Florida sun for hours. Oh and when I can comfort my children enough so they don't feel abandoned or mistreated.

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I'm in Painting He$#