Project Preview

I decided to take on a small turned into a big project, and thought I would give a preview. I started it on January 24 thinking it would take a day or two... yeah... about that...
Anyway, a sneak peak at what I hope to be my favorite go to organizational tool:

If you know me, you know I love color!

Writing goals down is an important step in achieving them.

 

Maybe I'll be better at meal planning when it's staring me in the face everyday! It's also great to plan dinners when you know what's going on that day too.

 

In case you haven't figure it out, it's a planner!

I Can't wait to finish this thing up and start using it!
Have you ever diy-ed a planner?

Cody Blake

I had some posts scheduled this week, and a contest for closet organization I wanted to post and enter. But after last night's events, it just doesn't seem right.
I promise my blog is not going to become gloomy and dark, but I can't help it today.
My nephew Cody was killed in a car accident. Last night. Shortly after I reprimanded him (not harshly) about posting inappropriate things on facebook (family drama). I pray he did not die angry. I pray he knew we loved him. He was only 23 years young.

My heart goes out to my sister and his brothers and sisters, and the rest of our family and his family (dad's side).

He never liked dressing up, so casual and "redneck" attire is encouraged (we're from the south born and raised) at his funeral. I never thought I'd have to go out and buy something camo for a funeral. But I know he'd love it.

Cody Blake, I love you. I miss you. I'm so glad I got to see you at Christmas this year. I hope you finally found peace.

In Honor of Grandmommy

Grandmommy (my mom's mom) was the rock of our family. She loved hummingbirds, teapots, sewing, Jesus, and her family. She helped raise my older brother and sisters. My daughter's first name is in honor of her (and also my husband's grandmother who has the same name). We are all eternally grateful for her kindness and stregnth.

Today would be her birthday. She passed away in 2010 of a cruel, little-known disease, PSP, or progressive supernuclear palsy.

I wrote the following on Facebook just 5 days before she died, and it describes this disease better than I can now, nearing 3 years later:

"'Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative brain
disease that has no known cause, treatment or cure. It affects nerve
cells that control walking, balance, mobility, vision, speech, and
swallowing. PSP displays a wide range of symptoms including:

* Loss of balance.

* Changes in personality such as a loss of interest in ordinary, pleasurable activities or increased irritability.

* Weakness of eye movements, especially in the downward direction.

* Weakened movements of the mouth, tongue and throat.

* Slurred speech.

* Difficulty swallowing.' - www.psp.org


PSP is something that has taken a strong, loving woman, and turned her into a person that cannot eat or drink, bad lungs, and loss of most verbal communication. It's taken a woman who went to church and prayed for others regularly to someone who prays for death. It's taken a woman who spent days cooking up holiday meals, raising children and grandchildren, and hardworking, to a woman no longer able to do anything but just lie there in the bed and listen to everyone around her, and try her best to let us know what she needs. She sits and talks, but we can't understand her.

Grandmommy is an angel on earth for her her 3 children, 11 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, and a great great grandchild. If there was a list of people who deserved this, she'd be at the bottom."

source

 CurePSP if a foundation for PSP, CBD, and other related brain diseases that uses its funds towards research, cure, and prevention for these dibilitating diseases. In honor of her birthday, I will be donating to this cause (and I hope some of you will research PSP, and be moved to donate as well).

I love and miss you, Grandmommy,








P.S. If you knew my grandmother, I highly encourage your wonderful memories of her in the comments.

New Signature!

Thank you, Melissa, from Design Eat Repeat! I love it! You can get a free signature from her too, just click the link:

2013 Blog-olutions: Personal

Hello, again! This is the last installment of my 2013 blog-olutions! Thanks for sticking with me! I had even more to I wanted to accomplish this year, but just the financial and house ones started to wear me out, and January isn't even over yet.

What I want out of 2013:

Personal/Other:

• Perform more random acts of kindness. I have been the recipient of many acts of kindness, and I need to pay it forward.
• Run another 5k.
• Get a routine, and stick with it. The hardest thing for me is getting Addy fed and to bed at the same time everyday. I do not know why this is such a struggle for me, but always has been. No goal can be accomplished without the time.
• Be more inspirational to others.
• Write more on this blog, and hopefully obtain some followers.
• Plan a vacation. The only vacation Husband and I have been on together was our honeymoon. Seriously. Vacation needed! A reward for all the hard work accomplishing all the goals I have mentioned the last couple of weeks. :)

Thanks for reading! What else do you want out of 2013? Anything I can help with? Let's make this the best year yet!

2013 Blog-olutions for the House

The other day I explained my financial goals for the year.

Today, what I want out of 2013:

The House:

Get this house in order! I know that sounds too general, but seriously. This whole house is a disaster. Every room needs to be:

• Cleaned. Addy is on the verge of crawling, and these floors need to be de-furred (3 dogs and a cat will do that to ya). The other day I did the task of cleaning the baseboards in the kitchen, and did you know, that our baseboards are white? Not made of fur? Me neither until I scrubbed. Hopefully by this time next year, all the baseboards will be white :).
• Organized. I cannot reach any other goal I have if I can't find anything. Luckily, I have not lost my daughter in the clutter. I need to get back into 5 Things I Can Live Without Thursdays.
• Decorated. You heard read me. Decorated. I have not even decorated this place, and we've been here almost two years. Yuck. There are white walls in this house. Oh the horror! I know Miss Minimalist loves white walls, but I hate them (in my own home, what you do with yours, I'll probably love).
• Even the outside needs to be cleaned. I am starting to stress thinking about this all. Sigh.

 I want no room untouched, no rock unturned. Actually, if I find a rock I will throw it out. :) I know this is a huge task, and not everything will be to my satisfactory this year, but starting the process will be an accomplishment in itself.

Thank you for reading! What are your organizational goals for the year? One room, the whole house, just a closet? Any decorating or renovations?

2013 Blog-olutions: Money/Finances

Happy New Year! (late, per usual).

I love the New Year. I love resolutions. I love the inspiration, ambition, and motivation that a new year and its resolution brings. Don't you?

I have been wanting to post my resolutions and blog-olutions since before the new year. However, I have so many, I felt I couldn't get them all down and in a understandable, logical format.

Well, duh. If I never write them down, I'll never get them in a logical, achievable order.

After writing out all my goals, this post was a mile long (I have many things to work on). I decided to break it up into different posts throughout the month.

What I want out of 2013:

Finances:

• To save more money/ not waste money by:

• Using coupons (I used to laugh at people who used a lot of coupons, but getting things for free, or nearly free is awesome!)
• Have more self control  (think: Don't buy a Coke in the checkout line when I am a mile from home!)
• Going back to a lot of strategic ways I mentioned at the beginning of this blog. I can't remember the last time I air dried clothes, and that makes me sad.
•  I'd like to start bringing in some sort of income, even a small amount, while still staying at home with Addy.
•  I have considered pet-sitting a lot in the past, and have done it for family and friends over the last few years. After watching my step mom's cats for the last week and will continue to do for the next week or so, I have found I truly enjoy it! (Please say a prayer for her dad as he had a stroke last week! As much as I like watching her furballs, I hate the circumstance).
• Crafts. I love making crafts, and have always had the dream to sell them. Whether a craft show, or Etsy shop, I think it's about time to follow my dreams, and see where it takes me.
• This blog. It takes a lot of time and energy, and I do not have the know-how nor skills right now, but I think the future could hold a lot more for this thing. This is probably more of a long term goal, but, hey, who knows!

Next set of goals are for the house. Thanks for stopping by and reading. What are your financial goals for the year? How do you plan on accomplishing them?