After putting my daughter to bed the other night, I walk to the front of my house to find my adorable 4 year old on the phone. ???? Yes, puzzling indeed. It went something like this:
Son: I hurt my leg.
Other caller - no idea, because I cannot hear them
Son: Yeah, it hurts. It is my big foot.
Other caller
Son: I am not at the hospital.
Other caller
Son: I'm just at home.
Translation - My son was running through the house. Skinned the bottom of his big toe on the tacks that hold the carpet down between the carpet and tile. I put a band aid on it and all is well in the world again.
Kids can be so funny!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Why I am in a HEAP of Trouble?
Continued from yesterday. . . I decided it was time to regroup the external. I began a closet clean out. I am getting rid of all but about 15 pieces of clothing in my closet. It all started from a website I found while researching my new wardrobe attempts. (read all about it here: Jennifer Skinner's First Step to Wardrobe Planning) Okay, I know that sounds crazy, but I am going to do it. I am going to start by pulling out everything that either a) doesn't fit right or b) doesn't look great on me. Wow! I was amazed at what I found lurking deep in the hidden abyss. I am still hording things from when I worked. I am never going to wear those dress pants. Besides, every time I put them on, I feel like a teacher again. I want new emotions to go with my clothes.
So, it all MUST go!!!
This is just part of the pile. I decided that I am going to try to sell most of it on ebay. Well, at least the stuff that is still in good condition but may look better on a different body. So, I began photographing and folding.
Hopefully, I will recoup some much needed money to start from ground up. Well, my husband walked through the door late at night to catch me clearing out the closet. All I got from him was a slow uttered, "oooooo-kkkkaaaaayyyyy" with a hint of bewilderment.
The reason I am in trouble is because I am not going to have much to wear. Hopefully I can get to sewing and/or shopping to fill in some gaps.
So, it all MUST go!!!
This is just part of the pile. I decided that I am going to try to sell most of it on ebay. Well, at least the stuff that is still in good condition but may look better on a different body. So, I began photographing and folding.
Hopefully, I will recoup some much needed money to start from ground up. Well, my husband walked through the door late at night to catch me clearing out the closet. All I got from him was a slow uttered, "oooooo-kkkkaaaaayyyyy" with a hint of bewilderment.
The reason I am in trouble is because I am not going to have much to wear. Hopefully I can get to sewing and/or shopping to fill in some gaps.
Friday, November 28, 2008
I am in a HEAP of trouble!
Yes, pun intended. I really am in a heap of trouble. Let me start from the beginning.
A statement has been going through my head for a while now. It started well before my wardrobe worries. Someone stated almost in passing that a persons closet really shows the state of a persons life. That completely rocked my world for two reasons. The first is from a former employer. She told me that she always walked applicants to their cars after an interview so she could see inside their car. She always said it showed something about them.
Second, it the fact that both my closet and my car (or soccer mom mini-van) are disaster areas. I can blame it on the old "that's just who I am". But the fact of the matter is that I have always had a meticulous car and for the most part closet. Those were always two things that were always together. I cannot put a finger on when or where, but that is not the case anymore.
So, if I am going to make a change, it must start from within, first. And, I must begin to clean the external mess along with the internal mess. I am a born again evangelical Christian. I am a sinner saved by grace. I do believe that the Bible is the truth and the 100% word of God. So, I must start there. In fact, the Bible talks plainly about getting back to your first love. If I were to be honest, I would have to say that my life problems started with a foundation problem. Somewhere, my foundation has been allowed to deteriorate. I must at all costs renew and refresh my relationship with God the father.
So today begins a new quest. I am going to on purpose put God first in all I do. Seems simple enough. The Bible says that if we put Him first, all the other things will be added unto us. In Him, I live and have my being. What a great start!
Stay tuned tomorrow for why I am in a HEAP of trouble now!
A statement has been going through my head for a while now. It started well before my wardrobe worries. Someone stated almost in passing that a persons closet really shows the state of a persons life. That completely rocked my world for two reasons. The first is from a former employer. She told me that she always walked applicants to their cars after an interview so she could see inside their car. She always said it showed something about them.
Second, it the fact that both my closet and my car (or soccer mom mini-van) are disaster areas. I can blame it on the old "that's just who I am". But the fact of the matter is that I have always had a meticulous car and for the most part closet. Those were always two things that were always together. I cannot put a finger on when or where, but that is not the case anymore.
So, if I am going to make a change, it must start from within, first. And, I must begin to clean the external mess along with the internal mess. I am a born again evangelical Christian. I am a sinner saved by grace. I do believe that the Bible is the truth and the 100% word of God. So, I must start there. In fact, the Bible talks plainly about getting back to your first love. If I were to be honest, I would have to say that my life problems started with a foundation problem. Somewhere, my foundation has been allowed to deteriorate. I must at all costs renew and refresh my relationship with God the father.
So today begins a new quest. I am going to on purpose put God first in all I do. Seems simple enough. The Bible says that if we put Him first, all the other things will be added unto us. In Him, I live and have my being. What a great start!
Stay tuned tomorrow for why I am in a HEAP of trouble now!
Monday, November 24, 2008
The Over-simplified Wardrobe
As a self-proclaimed OS (over-simplifier), I have come up with an idea of wardrobing. This is 100% not scientific. I am not a fashionistic person. I have no real experience in wardrobing except a phD in google wardrobing searches. So without further ado, here is my wardrobe theory.
• It contains 4 capsules.
• Each capsule contains a set of clothing that will coordinate with each other. I do not subscribe to the belief that every top must match every bottom or vise versa. I do believe that each piece should be able to be worn with at least 3 things. No orphan separates are allowed. Clearly a dress doesn't have to match much except a jacket.
• Each capsule consists of: 9 tops (3 of which are slightly dressier), 5 bottoms, a pair of jeans, 2 dress pants, 2 skirts, a day dress, a dressier than day dress, a jacket, a pair of everyday shoes, a pair of dressy shoes, a handbag, 2 necklaces, 2 earrings, and 1 bracelet.
• Each capsule will be worn for 6 months. With at least one capsule changing every 3 months. So, at any given time, you will have 2 capsules to choose clothes from.
• Capsule #1 - Winter into Spring (warmest clothes I own) worn from November until April
• Capsule #2 - Spring into Summer worn from February until July
• Capsule #3 - Summer into Fall (coolest clothes I own) worn from May to October
• Capsule #4 - Fall into Winter worn August to January
• Specialty Capsule - This isn't really a capsule at all be a collection of a few extra items that every wardrobe isn't complete without - a little black dress, a trench coat, and a swimsuit.
• Every capsule could contain more items, but must contain the basic items. I really don't expect to only have 2 pairs of shoes to wear for everyday. But, that would be the minimum that I would need.
Much thought went into this. I took into consideration that most days are spent at home with the kids (from playing in the floor to cooking dinner to riding bikes to scrubbing bathtubs). I go to church a minimum of 2 times per week. Last, I will go on dates, family get togethers, mom's night out, or other low key social events.
The reason behind the added pair of jeans separate from my other bottoms is that in the dead of summer I will not be wearing jeans every day. But, it would be nice to keep a pair of jeans for an evening out or a morning bible study. Also, I separated dress pants out because I would wear dress pants on a date, but not necessarily during the week. This set of clothing works for me. You could change it to meet your needs.
The idea is that if you wear everything in your capsule in a given week that you only have to wear it every other week because you have 2 capsule available at all times. So, in theory you should only have to wear a top 13 times per year (each capsule is worn for 26 weeks - each capsule only needs to fill half of that because of the other capsule - so that leaves only 13 weeks). If you get creative, you will always have something fresh to wear - Year Round!
• It contains 4 capsules.
• Each capsule contains a set of clothing that will coordinate with each other. I do not subscribe to the belief that every top must match every bottom or vise versa. I do believe that each piece should be able to be worn with at least 3 things. No orphan separates are allowed. Clearly a dress doesn't have to match much except a jacket.
• Each capsule consists of: 9 tops (3 of which are slightly dressier), 5 bottoms, a pair of jeans, 2 dress pants, 2 skirts, a day dress, a dressier than day dress, a jacket, a pair of everyday shoes, a pair of dressy shoes, a handbag, 2 necklaces, 2 earrings, and 1 bracelet.
• Each capsule will be worn for 6 months. With at least one capsule changing every 3 months. So, at any given time, you will have 2 capsules to choose clothes from.
• Capsule #1 - Winter into Spring (warmest clothes I own) worn from November until April
• Capsule #2 - Spring into Summer worn from February until July
• Capsule #3 - Summer into Fall (coolest clothes I own) worn from May to October
• Capsule #4 - Fall into Winter worn August to January
• Specialty Capsule - This isn't really a capsule at all be a collection of a few extra items that every wardrobe isn't complete without - a little black dress, a trench coat, and a swimsuit.
• Every capsule could contain more items, but must contain the basic items. I really don't expect to only have 2 pairs of shoes to wear for everyday. But, that would be the minimum that I would need.
Much thought went into this. I took into consideration that most days are spent at home with the kids (from playing in the floor to cooking dinner to riding bikes to scrubbing bathtubs). I go to church a minimum of 2 times per week. Last, I will go on dates, family get togethers, mom's night out, or other low key social events.
The reason behind the added pair of jeans separate from my other bottoms is that in the dead of summer I will not be wearing jeans every day. But, it would be nice to keep a pair of jeans for an evening out or a morning bible study. Also, I separated dress pants out because I would wear dress pants on a date, but not necessarily during the week. This set of clothing works for me. You could change it to meet your needs.
The idea is that if you wear everything in your capsule in a given week that you only have to wear it every other week because you have 2 capsule available at all times. So, in theory you should only have to wear a top 13 times per year (each capsule is worn for 26 weeks - each capsule only needs to fill half of that because of the other capsule - so that leaves only 13 weeks). If you get creative, you will always have something fresh to wear - Year Round!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
My Breakthrough Task
So, I am a huge fan of FlyLady. She has a whole method of things which I subscribe to in some general consensus. If you have never heard of FlyLady, you have to check her out at flylady.com. As part of her get organized theory, she asks that you get dressed to your shoes each day. A seemingly easy task for most. But not me. Since deciding to stay home with my kids, I have put my "look" or style on the back burner. The biggest reason is/was money. And couple that with the identity crisis of a on-the-go, never stop, ALWAYS going person. I immediately one day just stayed home. Again, a simple and rewarding task for most. However, it was a death sentence to me.
Fast forward three and a half years later, and that brings us to now, the present day. I have conceded to the fact that I am in fact a stay-at-home anything - not just mom. But nothing else about me has adjusted accordingly. Stupid I know. I would love to be one of those women that I envy who has it all together - clean house, decorated house, clean kids, fashionable kids, put together, never appears under pressure, knows the latest news, has the latest scoop, can sing all the songs to HSM 1, 2 and 3, you get the picture.
As per FlyLady rules, the first step is shining your sink. I have perfected the shinning sink to the point of true sink shine stardom. Nothing else in my kitchen may be clean (including all pots and pans and for some reason spoons) but the sink is spotless.
The second step is where her whole system leaves me in the dust - get dressed to your shoes. This simple step is the one place that keeps me stuck in the mud and muck of life, I am convinced. I have tried and tried, but no matter what I do I get stuck on number two. I am not a stupid person (actually self-proclaimed genius). I am a reasonable young woman who should be able to do a reasonable task. I truly believe that this one single step could be my breakthrough step.
FlyLady and all her minions proclaim that this one step has changed there life. I subscribe to the Tim Gunn theory of your outside is really a mirror to your inside. So, what does my outside say? Tired. Stressed. Blasè. Uninterested. Boring. A literal mess. Yes, these things all describe me at some point in most days, but they don't hit on the REAL me.
Fast forward three and a half years later, and that brings us to now, the present day. I have conceded to the fact that I am in fact a stay-at-home anything - not just mom. But nothing else about me has adjusted accordingly. Stupid I know. I would love to be one of those women that I envy who has it all together - clean house, decorated house, clean kids, fashionable kids, put together, never appears under pressure, knows the latest news, has the latest scoop, can sing all the songs to HSM 1, 2 and 3, you get the picture.
As per FlyLady rules, the first step is shining your sink. I have perfected the shinning sink to the point of true sink shine stardom. Nothing else in my kitchen may be clean (including all pots and pans and for some reason spoons) but the sink is spotless.
The second step is where her whole system leaves me in the dust - get dressed to your shoes. This simple step is the one place that keeps me stuck in the mud and muck of life, I am convinced. I have tried and tried, but no matter what I do I get stuck on number two. I am not a stupid person (actually self-proclaimed genius). I am a reasonable young woman who should be able to do a reasonable task. I truly believe that this one single step could be my breakthrough step.
FlyLady and all her minions proclaim that this one step has changed there life. I subscribe to the Tim Gunn theory of your outside is really a mirror to your inside. So, what does my outside say? Tired. Stressed. Blasè. Uninterested. Boring. A literal mess. Yes, these things all describe me at some point in most days, but they don't hit on the REAL me.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Over-Simplification
So, I was thinking this morning about how I spend so much of my time trying to simplify things so that my day is more streamlined. It is amazing that I keep myself going all of the time and never have time when I couldn't tell you what was taking up my time. I'm not sure if that last sentence made sense to anyone else but me.
I am a stay-at-home mom. I work around 91 hours per week. So, I have tried to do things, organize, come up with new methods, etc. all in an effort to gain back some time lost on "must do" things. Like most families, we have school to get to, church functions, Bible studies, dinners to cook, bikes to ride, laundry, general house work and all the other "typical" and most likely "atypical" family things. I will literally spend hours trying to come up with a system that will save me 5 minutes every other day only to abandon the system within a week or two.
My life is a series of over-simplifications. Hmmm . . . how to simplify the simplified. For the over-simplified-a-holic, I am sure I will find a way. It should be a simple task. And once accomplished, a real time saver for sure.
I am a stay-at-home mom. I work around 91 hours per week. So, I have tried to do things, organize, come up with new methods, etc. all in an effort to gain back some time lost on "must do" things. Like most families, we have school to get to, church functions, Bible studies, dinners to cook, bikes to ride, laundry, general house work and all the other "typical" and most likely "atypical" family things. I will literally spend hours trying to come up with a system that will save me 5 minutes every other day only to abandon the system within a week or two.
My life is a series of over-simplifications. Hmmm . . . how to simplify the simplified. For the over-simplified-a-holic, I am sure I will find a way. It should be a simple task. And once accomplished, a real time saver for sure.
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