4 weeks to a more organized home--Day 1 (UPDATED with PICTURES!)

photo credit

Beginning today I am following along with Money Saving Mom on her "4 Weeks to a More Organized Home (Simplified)" series!

Basically each day (minus the week of Thanksgiving) she will post an assignment to help you get more organized that should only take 30 minutes or less to complete.

I have been thinking about doing a major declutter and organization of our home before Christmas so this is coming at the right time!

Today is day 1.

The first assignment and how I did today:

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life!}

Today was a work day for me...so I had on jeans, a green sweater tanktop (covered with a matching green sweater when I went to work) and I had my hair pulled back. I also had on my new family tree necklace that I won in a contest.

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and make a list of 5-10 goals for this week.

MY GOALS FOR THE WEEK:

• Complete and mail off HEAP application
• Date lunch with Bill and go to the library with him
• Work on reading with Rebecca each night
• Excercise at least 3 days this week
• Read to Ben and Jacob at least 1 book a day

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and quickly pick up the main living areas of your home.

DONE

::Clean out your purse and/or diaper bag.

Cleaned my purse out. And MAN did it need it. I also cleaned out the diaper bag....all that I had to do there was take out summer clothes and replace with winter clothes and restock diapers. We really don't go too many places so the diaper bag rarely gets messy.

I am excited to do this! Can't wait to see what tomorrow's assignment is.

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

It is Monday again, which means that it’s "Happy Homemaker Monday," a project which is hosted by Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Each week, she hosts "Happy Homemaker Monday" as a way to highlight what is going on in her world. This week I have decided to join in....So here is a little glimpse into my world on this Monday!

 

 



The Weather:::

It has been cold and cold, and did I mention...cold. :)  The sun was out earlier but it has clouded back up. Temperature right now is 32 degrees. COLD!!!!

Right Now I am:
Sitting here at the computer typing this up, thinking about what I need to do.   

Thinking:

That I hope work isn't too bad today. That I need to make a library run soon. That I love my husband and kids.
 

On my reading pile:::

Unending Devotion by Jody Helund
Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden

On my tv:::

Cartoons (for the kids)
Malibu Country (dvr'ed the pilot on Friday night and need to watch it)
 

On the menu for this week:::

Monday:  Chicken, broccoli, rice casserole, chicken patties for the kids, corn
Tuesday:  turkey and cheese crescent rollups, potatoes

Wednesday: Pot roast, potatoes, onions, carrots in the crockpot, crescent rolls

Thursday:  Leftovers

Friday: macaroni and cheese, veggies

Saturday: Pulled pork sandwiches, veggies, fruit

Sunday: dinner out with inlaws for MIL's birthday
 

On my to do list:::

HEAP application

Prep and schedule blog posts
Plan for decluttering weeks
 

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

Made chocolate chunck cookies this morning :)  

Looking around the house:::

Jacob is watching cartoons. Benjamin is napping on his blanket on the floor. There is a pile of things to go through next to my computer. Kitchen has been cleaned up after breakfast and cookie making.  

From the camera:::

My kiddos! Was trying to get a group picture and Jacob said he just had to hug his brother! So cute!



On my prayer list::: 

For healing in marriage and relationships.

Bible verse, Devotional:::

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

There you have it. A little glimpse into my life on this Monday. Hope everyone has a great Monday!

 

 

Green Giant Steamers (and a GIVEAWAY!)

 

I love vegetables. My family loves most vegetables. But I find that I am getting in a rut when it comes to preparation of said vegetables. Added to the fact that our life has been crazy busy and it is a struggle for me to get dinner on the table in a timely manner when I am trying to feed the kids and hubby a healthy dinner. (Especially hard when I get home at 6:05 from work each night and am trying to get dinner on the table by 6:30 at the latest!)

 

Enter new Green Giant Seasoned Steamers!

 

Available in six different varieties, Green Giant Seasoned Steamers™ are one of the first sauce-free seasoned vegetables to bring unique chef-inspired seasonings and premium cut vegetable blends to your dining room table. These tasty Seasoned Steamers are bound to spice up any meal with six varieties including: Mediterranean Blend, Tuscan Seasoned Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts with Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper, Honey Roasted Sweet Corn, Honey Dijon Carrots and Backyard Grilled Potatoes.

 

I was so excited to receive the opportunity recently to try out some of the new seasoned steamers (courtesy of My Blog Spark!). 

 

 

 I chose to try the Tuscan Seasoned Broccoli (which is broccoli seasoned with parmesan cheese and tuscan seasonings). It was very easy to prepare (microwaved for 7 minutes).

 

 

When it was done it was steaming and smelled delicious.

 

 

I served with with turkey and cheese crescent rollups for a quick, healthy dinner.

 

My official review: I thought the broccoli was FABULOUS! There was just the right amount of seasoning and you still got the fresh broccoli taste! I was very impressed. Even my kids loved the broccoli, including my anti-green vegetable son Jacob. I can't wait to try another variety. (The only downside was that there was only enough for the kids and I. Had Bill been eating dinner with us that night I would have had to fix 2 bags!)  

 

These will definitely be a fixture in our freezer for those crazy nights!

 

For more information about Green Giant Seasoned Steamers, visit Green Giant on greengiant.com, an on facebook,  

 

If you would like to have them in your freezer too you have 2 ways to save:

 

BUY IT:

 

If you want to buy a package (or more) at your local grocery store, you can print a coupon to save $1 on any one package of Green Giant Seasoned Steamers.

 

WIN IT:

 

Green Giant and My Blog Spark have generously offered one "Living Better One Day at Time" reader an opportunity to win the same prize package that I was provided for my review.

 

One winner will recieve:

 

(1) VIP coupon for one free package of Green Giant Seasoned Steamers™

Apron

Green Giant Serving Spoon

Mixing Bowl .

 

 

To win all you have to do is follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter form!

Giveaway is open to US residents only. Winner will be announced and emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.  Good luck!

 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: The coupons, information, and gift packs have been provided by Green Giant^® through MyBlogSpark.

2 Skeletons and a Witch

Since I was too tired last night to upload my trick or treating pictures, I thought I would share a few with you today....

My little skeleton Jacob---
He did not want to put his costume on, but finally I was able to do it.
He did SO well going up to eat house and saying "trick or treat" and "thank you."
This was his first year really trick-or-treating and he had a BLAST!

 

My littlest skeleton Benjamin---
These are actually baby pjs that he had on over his sweatpants.
It was cold and rainy but he stayed bundled up in the stroller under the blanket.
This was his first Halloween!  

 

 

My little witch Rebecca.
She got her face painted green at school by a family friend, Miss Maggie. 
She had SO much fun! (and I loved that her costume only cost me $4 total at Goodwill!)

 

My Decked out kiddos. I love Jacob's expression in this picture. He is like "what the....?" LOL

Aren't they just the cutest skeletons and witch you have ever seen??

Happy Halloween!

 

Happy Halloween!

Today is going to be a busy day for me.

My daughter has a costume parade at her school.

I have to work after school.

Trick or treating tonight.

Then what has become our tradition, Wendy's for dinner.

And maybe watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."

 

Hope everyone has a great and SAFE Halloween!

making a jack-o-lantern

On Sunday night, Bill and Rebecca decided to make a jack-o-lantern.

They both had a blast making it!

 

 

And Rebecca even helped get the seeds out even though at first she didn't want to. 

 

Daddy did the cutting out of the eyes, nose and mouth!

 

We put the completed jack-o-lantern on a table facing our front door, as it was COLD and RAINY and I didn't want the kids outside. Rebecca and Jacob stood at the door for over an hour watching it and singing that it was the best jack-o-lantern ever! LOL

 



 

Boo!

 

Do you make jack-o-lanterns?



Hurricane Sandy is going to be here in Central Ohio

Hurricane Sandy is creating HAVOC all over the eastern USA and even though I am no where near the coast, she is creating havoc here in Central Ohio too....This is the latest weather update from this morning for my county....

...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 4 PM
EDT TUESDAY...
 ...

* WINDS...NORTH BECOMING NORTHWEST 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 70
MPH.

* TIMING...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS...TREES AND UTILITY LINES WILL BE DOWNED. POWER AND
TRAVEL WILL BE INTERRUPTED IN SOME PLACES LATER TODAY INTO
TUESDAY. ROOF DAMAGE AND OTHER STRUCTURAL DAMAGE MAY OCCUR.
LOOSE OBJECTS WILL BE BLOWN AROUND. THE LONG DURATION OF THE
EVENT WILL LIKELY RESULT IN LOCALLY SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE.

 

Just lovely..... I went to the store on Saturday and got bottled water, bread, peanut butter, batteries. I am currently finishing laundry so I don't have to worry about that. I know where our blankets are. I have flashlights. I filled the car with gas. Hubby went out yesterday and bought a weather radio (since we don't have smart phones, and since back in June when we lost power for 5 days internet didn't work anyway for those who did have smartphones). Time to hunker down I suppose.

 

I hope that all who are in the path of Sandy stay safe. This is going to be a major storm.

To Love and Cherish by Peterson and Miller

From the back cover:

Melinda Colson has been waiting months for Evan, the assistant gamekeeper at the Bridal Veil Island resort, to propose. Without an offer of marriage, she must return to Cleveland with the family she works for as a lady's maid.

Evan isn't afraid of hard work, and he hopes to be promoted soon. He wants to marry Melinda--but not until he's sure he can support her and a family.

Letters strengthen their romance until a devastating storm strikes the island. With no word from Evan, Melinda knows she must journey back to Bridal Veil in search of her beloved.

But the hurricane isn't the last calamity to shake up Bridal Veil. Melinda finds a new job on the island, but still no offer of marriage comes her way. Has she given her heart to the wrong person? Will she ever find a man to love and cherish?
My thoughts:

I like the concept of To Love and Cherish by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller. However, I felt the plot moved at a snail's pace. I was frustrated at times with the lack of progress in the story. I felt that several of the chapters said the same thing just in a different way and had no progression. When the authors did get to the climax of the story, I felt cheated. Like it was an afterthought. It was a let down.
Overall I was VERY disappointed in this book and it's lack of quality.

Disclaimer: I was provided this book through Bethany House publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Glade Expressions Collection

 

 

I love Glade Products, so I was excited to be able to try out their 2 newest products on the market---Glade Expressions Fragrance Mist and Glade Expressions Oil Diffuser (as part of a Bzz Agent Campaign)!

 

 

I love the unique look of the fragrance mist. It is artsy but not over the top at the same time. I put this in my upstairs bathroom for a refresher mist when I need it. I don't need a constant barrage of scent in that bathroom due to us taking showers, etc. in that bathroom. But it is nice to have a decorative bottle for when I do want to spray some air scent in the bathroom. I found that just 2 squeezes releases just enough scent for the bathroom without being overpowering.

 

 

The oil diffuser was something I was so excited to try as it gives me a decorative air freshener for my small downstairs bathroom without making it feel cluttered. I have a TINY downstairs half bath and it is overpowered with a built in cabinet above the toilet and a wood panelled wall. The oil diffuser fit perfectly on the back of the toilet and gave the bathroom that finished touch. I chose the pineapple and mangosteen diffuser and the smell is DIVINE! It seriously smells so good! I was afraid that it wouldn't last very long but it is going strong over a month later.

 

When I opened the package for the oil diffuser I was intimidated by the parts but in the end it was really simple to put together.

 

Overall, I am VERY pleased with Glade's New Expressions Collection! I love my oil diffuser and the pineapple and mangosteen scent is Heavenly!

 

Disclaimer: I received coupons for free product as part of a BzzAgent campaign in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

You Can't Make Me (But I Can be Persuaded)

From the back cover:

Turn Conflict into Cooperation

Many parents suspect their strong-willed child is deliberately trying to drive them crazy. Difficult to discipline and seemingly impossible to motivate, these children present unique, exhausting, and often-frustrating challenges to the those who love them.

But strong will is not a negative trait. These same children have firm convictions, high spirits, a sense of adventure—all the makings of a great adult. In this book you’ll discover how to channel that passion and determination in positive ways as you build a healthy relationship. Through insights gained from strong-willed people of all ages, you’ll…
· better understand how their minds really work.
· discover positive ways to motivate your strong-willed child.
· learn how to share control without compromising parental authority.
· apply key tactics to survive a meltdown.
· get practical tips for parents who disagree, blended families, and single parents.

Packed with immediately useful strategies to drastically reduce the level of tension in the home (or in the classroom), You Can’t Make Me shows how you can start today to build a stronger, more positive relationship with your strong-willed child.

Includes…
· Top Ten Tips for Bringing Out the Best in a Strong-Willed Child of Any Age
· A Strong-Willed Child Emergency Kit

My Thoughts:

FINALLY! A book that explains my 3 year old to a tee. Our typical day consists of Jacob being sweet one moment and the next he is yelling "No," "no way" or just screeching just because you have asked him a question or have asked him to do something.

In You Can't Make Me (But I Can Be Persuaded), Cynthia Ulrich Tobias, offers strategies and tips on helping parents and caregivers get a handle on their strong-willed child (SWC). She does this in 3 parts in the book.

• Part 1 helps to define the Strong-Willed Child and includes a quiz to see if you and/or your child is really strong willed. Jocob had 8 out of 12 partly because he is only 3 years old. A few of the quiz questions I felt didn't apply because he is not old enought. So in my opinion Jacob is a strong-willed child.
• Part 2 shows how to bring out the best in your SWC. Tobias offers parents like me strategies to try with our SWC. I will be implementing these strategies throughout the next months and years and hopefully they will work. They have given me hope.
• Part 3 is how to bring out the best when you are in tough situations with your SWC. These included how to survive a meltdown, when real trouble occurs (think drugs, drinking, etc.) and how to repair a relationship with your SWC.

I would HIGHLY recommend this book as a resource for anyone dealing with a stong willded child or adult. It was informative, non-judgementatl and real. Tobias doesn't sugar coat the reality of having a SWC and I appreciate that. This is the first book on the topic that I have read and I am so glad to see that I am not alone in parenting a SWC.

Disclaimer: I was sent this book by Waterbrook Press Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Happy Homemaker Monday!

 

It is Monday again, which means that it’s "Happy Homemaker Monday," a project which is hosted by Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Each week, she hosts "Happy Homemaker Monday" as a way to highlight what is going on in her world. This week I have decided to join in....So here is a little glimpse into my world on this Monday!

 

 



The Weather:::

It is definitely Indian Summer here. Temperatures are supposed to be in the mid 70s all week. I will take it!

Right Now I am:
Sitting here at the computer typing this up, thinking about what I need to do. I have been sick for over a week with a flu bug and today I still have a cough and a runny nose but my energy level is higher than it has been in a week.   

Thinking:

That I need to make the boys' lunch. That I hope work isn't too bad today. That the traffic in front of my house is crazy bad. They are repaving the road in front of my house and since we live on a major road in our town it is a MESS!
 

On my reading pile:::

Impact Player by Bobby Richardson

On my tv:::

Cartoons (for the kids)
Monday Night Football tonight
 

On the menu for this week:::

Monday:  Beef roast, pototoes, carrots, onions and tomatoes in the crockpot

Tuesday:  chicken strips, tator tots, broccoli

Wednesday:  Manwich sandwiches, green beans, corn

Thursday: pork chops, steamed potatoes, carrots

Friday: macaroni and cheese, veggies

Saturday: ????

Sunday: ??????
 

On my to do list:::

Laundry
HEAP application

Prep and schedule blog review posts--I have 2 book reviews and 2 products reviews that need to go up.
Playing catchup with house cleaning since I have been sick.
 

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

Nothing right now. Been too sick.  

Looking around the house:::

Jacob is watching cartoons. Benjamin is napping on his blanket on the floor. There is a pile of things to go through next to my computer. Basket of clothes need to be folded.  

From the camera:::
I have nothing today. Haven't taken many pictures since I have been sick.


On my prayer list::: 

For healing in both physical and mental capacities.

Bible verse, Devotional:::

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

There you have it. A little glimpse into my life on this Monday. Hope everyone has a great Monday!

 

 

Shutterfly Christmas Cards (and a GIVEAWAY!)

It is that time of year again...the kids' birthdays have started, the leaves are falling, the stores are putting out their Christmas decorations even though Halloween hasn't even occurred. That's right....it's time to start thinking about CHRISTMAS!!!

We have several Christmas traditions that we as a family hold true to. One of those is sending out photo Christmas cards to our extended family and friends. I love receiving photo cards and everyone I have talked too love seeing our kids on our cards.

The last couple of years I have used Shutterfly Christmas Cards and I have LOVED them! Shutterfly offers HUNDREDS of different styles of holiday cards...they offer traditional, contemporary, religious, etc. And this year Shutterfly has a wonderful new collection this year from traditional colors and embellishments to merry and bright colors that are more modern.  They also feature religious cards (including Hanukkah) and cards that you can showcase your pets photos on.   There is definitely something for everyone!

I have had a TON of fun browsing their new cards. I have found my favorite 8 and my goal over the coming week is to sit down with dear Hubby and pick out our card. Here are the 8 we are considering:

It was hard to narrow our choices down to 8! I love them all! It is going to be hard to pick just one design! I do know though, that no matter which one I go with, it will be great quality!

 

BUY IT

Shutterfly has cards for all the winter holidays. If you are in the market for a holiday card from Shutterfly, make sure you check out their special offers page to see what great deals they have going on!

WIN IT

Shutterfly has agreed to offer one lucky Living Better One Day at a Time reader a gift code worth $50 off total order (does not include shipping & cannot be combined with any other promos)! To enter to win is easy, just fill out the rafflecopter form below! (The giveaway will end on October 29, 2012).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLAIMER: I have been compensated for this post by Shutterfly. That said, all opinions are 100% my own.

Wordless Wednesday: Jacob's 3rd birthday party