Good Intentions Gone Awry

The plan for today was to eyeball some houses and hit Sams Club to restock. Oh, and to have a couple of people for dinner from church.

The actuality? We never made it to Sams Club, we didn't eyeball the houses we intended to, and after rushing home to get an alternative meal started for our guests (since we didn't make it to Sams) they called to let us know they weren't going to be able to make it after all...

Which ended up being a good thing.

Before we left the house I thought I'd be brilliant and start the upright freezer defrosting. My difficulty with gauging spatial bit me in the butt---we came home to a lake under the freezer. I think I managed to get it mopped up before it could damage the walls.

So, the freezer is defrosted and wiped out. DH's beverage fridge on top of the freezer has been dusted, as has the back of the freezer. The walls around the freezer have been wiped down, the floor underneath has been cleaned; all sides of the freezer have been wiped down and fingerprints removed.

The black shelving was pulled out as well because some of the lake had seeped under it. The floor was well vacuumed and I decided to remove the top layer of the shelving and turn it sideways to barely NOT fit under the cabinet. DH's honey-do list just got longer--I need him to trim one set of "legs" so the shelving unit will fit just under the cabinet. That will make it easier to use the shelves, and the shoe tray can sit in front of it without cluttering up the main space.


And dinner? The kids ended up making themselves some oatmeal.

Proof That I Accomplished Something...Partially

The picture is from this morning, but it's been cleared for quite sometime.  The briefcase is out because of my current Cub Scout project.  The newspapers box has not been upgraded yet (and has a box of quilt that I need to post to fb).  The duplo block is the baby's, there are a few scattered around the floor from the boys playing with him on a blanket on the floor.  I did not put my shoes away last night.  The backpack is a pre-packaged 72hr kit we received as a Christmas present in 2001 that needs to be rebooted--it was brought in from the Jeep after Cuboree.

Even the mantle is still mostly cleared!  But don't ask to look at the glider that needs to be scrapped, or the crap counter in the kitchen....  Maybe tomorrow...

{Day 19} Make Home a Haven--Week 3

So it's week three of the Making Your Home a Haven Challenge and we've hit a major speedbump in the peace and tranquility of our household.  Wee-one accepted gummy candy at church Sunday so we're dealing with the fall-out from the resultant pyroclastic cloud this week.  To the point that I'm debating whether or not to struggle with him at Cub Scouts this week.

Anyway, the prompt for this week of the challenge is to

List a few of the spots in your home that make you visually stressed because of all the clutter.Now go buy something for that spot – like a basket to put it all in! Work on cleaning up clutter – throw things away and encourage the children and your hubby to do the same in their bedrooms or offices or work areas this week. While you’re at it – clean up some clutter in your spiritual life. What gets in the way of your peace spiritually?

My list you ask?  Besides the entirety of our home and property???  ;) 

We have a few perpetual spots right now, some because it's the nature of the beast, some because we haven't determined what to do with the stuff that has been uprooted from the rearranging of life and living.  The "beast" spots are the mantle, the hearth, and the crap-counter.  The uprooted collections are two plant tables that harbor mish-mosh plastic boxes we no longer use; the decrepit glider with a bag of borrowed baby clothes, the borrowed infant seat and spare base, and an empty storage box; the pile of boxes that are not housed in the 5x5 expedit; and the box of my childhood stuffies stacked with a bag for donation.

I intend to tackle the hearth--it will likely take all week due to how I have to do in bits and stages.  There are two purchases I need to start researching for it.  One is a hearth rug to protect the floor beyond the hearth, the other is a receptacle for the newspaper pile that is nicer than the U-Haul box that they currently reside in.

As for the spiritual aspect, stay tuned for a new category here in the next few weeks.  But to answer the question posed--what gets in the way of your peace spiritually--I'd have to say sugar.

http://womenlivingwell.org/category/homemaking/making-your-home-a-haven-challenge/

{Day 12} Make Home a Haven--Week 2

This week's Haven challenge is to play soft music everyday in your home.  Focus on using peaceful words and maintaining peaceful relationships.  We've been doing better with the soft music.  When it's not remembered at the beginning of the day, it is remembered when the frazzles start to exhibit. 
Peaceful words and peaceful relationships are getting better, but there is opportunity for greater improvement.

The flowers from last week are missed.  They really added a nice touch to our home and our day.  I think I will be attempting a small bouquet each payday now.  And it's further incentive to finally create our cutting bed.  I look forward to a cheerful bundle of zinnias on the table!  Or shasta daisies.  Or roses.  Or gladiolas.  You get the idea.  ;)

http://womenlivingwell.org/category/homemaking/making-your-home-a-haven-challenge/

{Day 5} Make Home a Haven--Week 1

Peaceful and productive.
That was today's mantra.  I'm aware that I greatly impact the flow and ambiance of our household--I've been aware of that fact for many years.  Being proactive rather than reactive has been a massive struggle for me lately.

This week's Make Home a Haven Challenge is to light a candle everyday in your home.  Each time the candle catches your eye, say a prayer for peace in your home.

I did not light my candle--these pumpkins are so cute I can't bear to burn them down--but i'm applying the same concept of using them as a visual reminder.  We had the broadband provider's "light classical" music stream on all day, and we had fetched a $5 bouquet of flowers that we divided between two vases.

Overall, our day was peaceful and productive.  It was nice.

http://womenlivingwell.org/category/homemaking/making-your-home-a-haven-challenge/