Happy Day?!

Do you ever just have a really Happy Day and you can't figure out why you are so happy?  I have a bounce in my step and I can't give you a specific reason.

I had an amazing weekend.  I was productive and I rested.  I talked on the phone with good friends. I had beers with good friends.  I read with my babies and snuggled.  I put them to bed last night with full tummies, homework done, stories read and wet hair from the bath tub.  I fished a dead fish out of the fish tank before it turned into a science project.  My taxes are in the homeward stretch.

Yes, I am calling this a success and today a good day.  AND the sun is shining.  I truly can't ask for me.  I hope you have a great day too!  So... How was your weekend?

Oyiiii What a mess!

If you've been around me lately you probably know I'm on a cleaning kick.  It's time to get rid of stuff we don't use and need.  It's time to organize.  I have donated about 15 boxes to our local thrift shop and sent 5 bags of garbage out to the dumpster.  We had a few boxes that suffered water damage last spring and I finally went through them.  Boxes of broken down cardboard went out to recycling.  I have made some great progress.  It feels amazing.  I have been ignoring my office.

It just felt so overwhelming.  I started by pulling out the random toys that had somehow made it into the pile,  I shelved a couple boxes of books and pulled out unnecessary empty Usborne Boxes.  I went through 2 boxes of misc stuff that had been piled from the table. I also re-arranged the furniture slightly.  I really want to paint and sew new curtains.

I love the printed literature that Usborne has available for us.  It's professional and fairly cheap to purchase.  They update it from time-to-time so I had outdated material that I went through and recycled.  What an amazing feeling.  I'm not done yet but I have definitely made some progress. Watch for more updates on that.

Where is your trouble area?  Do you have a spot that collects junk?  Which is your favorite thrift shop to donate to?  Love to hear your comments!!

Re-entry

Wow.  Back to reality.  Re-entry is a great way to describe it all.  I had a little big of Holiday Hangover last week.  I worked so hard to get the perfect Christmas gifts for my kids and did the necessary baking and decorating.  I felt like... "Now what?!"  I've had a little time to come back to normal and I'm ok with that. 

I saw some posts on Facebook about the kids going back to school.  Reality is that my  little two don't go back until Monday, January 7th.  Nick goes back today and isn't thrilled about going while his brother and sister play around the house and sleep in.  I know deep inside he knows this is best though.  Back to his routine, friends and basketball.

I really need routine too.  It's time to open the book store again.  I have a brand new calendar that is begging to be written in.  I just need to find it first.  I love having events that I do every year and that I can count on to fill the empty calendar.  It is definitely time to start to fill it with new events though.  I have a book fair in Madelia to wrap up and a lot of other great projects to get going.  I want to contact area Youth Groups about Cards for a Cause.  I want to begin reading at Preschools and Daycares.  I want to approach additional schools about book fairs and Reach for the Stars.  I want to talk to other area Libraries about Literacy for Lifetime and introduce them to our wonderful books. 

I am expecting a box of new titles to arrive in the next few days.  I believe they shipped from Tulsa last Friday, the 28th.  I think they'll arrive tomorrow.  it's always so exciting to see the new titles.  I always think of my favorite customer when I see a topic that I know they will enjoy.  I know Grant and Camden will love the new Dino Sticker books.  My friend Nolan will love the new Sticker Dressing books.  He has almost all of them.  Most Sticker Dolly Dressing books for the little girls in my life.  New Doodle Tins will be exciting!!  Pictures to follow I promise!!

Right now I feel a little like this:

It is time to sit down with paper and pen and make some goals and write out a plan.  First thing to do is text my dear hubby and ask if he'll take down the Christmas Tree.  Tonight we will put the living room back in order.  He is such a great help.  We spent a chunk of time Saturday and Sunday cleaning in our basement.  We moved when I was pregnant and then had Amanda shortly after.  A lot of boxes were shoved hap-hazardly in the basement and we never took the time to go through them.  We are working diligently to get it cleaned up now.  We have made some enormous progress.  I will now have a functioning Craft Storage/work area and the kids will have a play area.  I plan to get a carpet remnant and some bean bag chairs for them to hang out in.  Amanda's play kitchen and some of their toys will come down there.  The storage room will now be organized and we'll be able to find things.  Here is the beginning of my craft area.  You couldn't get within 3 feet of this cabinet when we started.  the stuff was piled pretty high.  We have made great progress!!  Love eating frogs.

John has hauled 10 boxes of stuff to the thrift shop and 5 bags of garbage to the dumpster.  Not to mention the ton of boxes he hauled to recycling with magazines and broken down boxes.  I had a shoebox hoarding issue.  I think we broke down about 20 shoe boxes.  We will keep working on this project until it is done. The kids are quite excited about having a new play area so they keep me motivated to work on it.  I will update you as our progress continues.

What are you working on?  Leave me a note in the comments.  I'd love to hear from you!!

Snow Day TGIF

TGIF Babe!  It's finally Friday.  I am so excited.  I'm kind of in a kick-butt-take-names kind of mood.  I have accomplished some great things at work already this morning.  I also call it Eating Frogs. Feels so good to check things off the list.  There are 5 new computers sitting next to my desk.  I'll be tackling one or two of them next. 


Last week John and I went out to Shells Brewery to pick up a few Christmas Gifts.  It is beautifully decorated for the holidays.  I had never been in the store before.  It is very nice and more reasonably priced than I anticipated.

The Famous Peacocks!

I don't have a lot of specific plans for the weekend.  I am hoping to get a few projects done around the house.  John and I are working on some organizing in the basement.  The kids have so many toys and are big enough now to play down there without supervision.  We're hoping to have it somewhat set up by the end of the weekend.  I might have to go shopping for an area rug or carpet remnant.  Maybe some bean bag chairs.  Something to make it nice and cozy and inviting. 

Eating Frogs

Today I'm eating frogs.  You know... Frogs... Those big ugly things that you put off doing.  Maybe you don't know how to do it. Maybe you think you don't know how to accomplish the task so... you just don't do it.  Maybe you think it will be painful or hard.  It's procrastinating and I'm pretty good at it.  I work great under pressure and I know I can usually accomplish things when it comes down to the last minute.  BUT boy does that stress me out.

 

Today I got up early and I went into work at 6:15.  I got some work done without the users there.  It was great.  I felt ahead of the game and enjoyed working without someone asking me "what are you doing?", "Why are you doing that?", "While you're here... Can you look at this?"  It was great!  I got so much more accomplished than I normally do in the morning.  By the time the users came in I was done with my two projects and was caught up on my emails.

 

That momentum carried me through the day.  I was happy and pleased with my progress.  After lunch I continued with the progress and got more done.  Probably more done for the whole day than I've been able to accomplish in a long while.  What an amazing feeling.

 

Last year I lost 43 pounds. Slowly they have been creeping back. Only 13 so far but it's bothering me. My new clothes are fitting a little more snuggly than they were and I'm feeling more self conscious. Mind you... I've still lost 30 pounds. BUT God that 13 pounds is bothering me. So... I ate another FROG! After supper I walked 5 blocks to the gym and worked out. Then walked 5 blocks back home. It felt great! I burned about 300 calories and I'm so happy I did it. I told John that I want to go to the gym 3 times per week and get these 13 pounds back off. I know that if I am going to the gym and dedicating that time to it, that my eating habbits will be better. I know I'll think before eating empty calories and wasting my time at the gym.





 

Michele - Before Weight Loss





Michele - After Weight Loss

I'm working hard to find a delicate balance between my kids, husband, work, Usborne, 4H and working out.  The TV hasn't been on since I got home fromt he gym and the homework is all done.  Both kids are bathed and one is in bed.  I call today a success.  Watch out Tomorrow!! I have big plans for you too!!