Coconut Coupon

Yesterday on my cooking blog I did a post on coconut oil. Today I got a email notice saying that they have a $10. off coupon for "Cyber Monday" (I didn't even know there was a "Cyber Monday"!!)

Anyway, head on over to Tropical Traditions and you will find their coupon code on the left side of their home page.

40 Day Challenge: Desk, Day 3

We have a nice digital video camera. So Brian set it up for me so I could at least take pictures with it. Not the best in quality, but better than yesterday, eh?

I cleared the desk off, but as you can see, it kind of migrated up onto the shelf.

40 Day Challenge: Desk, Day 2

Well, I did clean the desk a bit- but you can't tell. I want to cry, my wonderful little camera has died. Don't you hear the mournful music playing in the background?

So, I tried to take a picture. You can kind of see one computer... right? Think this will work??

40 Day Challenge: Desk, Day 1

Well, here we go again! The beginning of another 40 days!!
The desk has always been my catch all, yet it looks so pretty when it's cleaned off. I had big plans to keep it spotless and simple when we first got it.
It would probably look nicer if we only had 1 computer on it, but we have the MAC, which is our photo editing computer and then we have the PC, which is the gaming computer. We have 3 computers in the living room. I don't really like to look at them all the time, but we use them all the time and it is better accountability if they are out and everyone sees what is being done on it. Kids are constantly bombarded with temptation to view/read things that are inappropriate, I have no desire to have my kids struggle at home too. So we leave the computers out in our living space.

40 Day Challenge: DAY 40!!!

DAY 40!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

40 Day Challenge: Day 39

Almost done! One more day! I have alot of cleaning/organizing to do today, Thanksgiving is going to be at our house now. We were going up to my parents (1 1/2 hours away) and hunt all weekend. But now my dad is here in town and in the hospital, they aren't sure yet what the problem is, they think it's either a viral or bacterial infection in his large intestine. My mom is bringing the 5 kids (that live at home still) down and they will stay until my dad is out of the hospital. So we will have Thanksgiving here. We went shopping last night for a few extra groceries. I need to bake a few pies today and figure out a plan for dinner tonight, breakfast, lunch and Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.

Yesterday since my mom was around, she left my dad to nap and we went out to lunch. It was really nice, it happens maybe once a year. But then 1/2 way done with our meal and Stephen called. Naomi had an accident and pooped her pants. 10 minutes later he called again. The toilet overflowed, Titus kept trying to crawl into the bathroom. *Sigh*
It wasn't too bad when I got home, I had told them to shut the bathroom door and I would take care of it. There was water in the basement again, thankfully we had already torn stuff out, so it didn't hurt anything. Just a few too many flush-able wipes down the toilet. But it's all good now.

What's that saying about the "best laid plans"?

Wordless Wednesday

For more visit Wordless Wednesday.

The Next 40 Day Challenge!

In 2 days I will start the next 40 day challenge! I put up a poll and got the most votes (including my husband) went to the desk. So the desk it is!!

40 day Challenge: Day 38

I am quite pleased. :-) I'm glad I went for 40 days instead of 30. I can't believe it's almost done. It seems like it went fast, though at the same time in the beginning 40 days had seemed like such a long time!!


Not all the dishes put away, but all were washed. I really enjoy waking to clean dishes and an empty sink.

Don't forget to vote!!

Only 14 hours left to vote for which area should be my next challenge. Looks like the Desk is ahead so far!

40 Day Challenge: Day 37

You know, this is quite an accomplishment to have the house look like this on a Sunday night. Sundays were always my hardest days and now they aren't throwing me for such a loop. Now Mondays don't seem so overwhelming, because I'm not starting out the week with a mess!

De-cluttering and Creating a Minimalist Home

I thought I would give you some of my inspiration websites for getting to where I want to be.

zenhabits: A Guide to Creating a Minimalist Home

Mothering.com (Forum- people who understand) Depressed over messy, cluttered, ugly house!! Help?

livingonadime.com: When a Queen Rides by

Flylady.net Beginner Baby Steps (This stuff does work!!)


The Clean Team: The Clutter Control Rules

myhouseandgarden.com Create a relaxing clutter free home


This book was great- I would read a chapter and go attack a room. I don't know why I still have so much stuff when I have already gotten rid of so much!! One day...

40 Day Challenge: Day 36

A good day! I had help. :-D It makes a big difference when the boys wash/dry even 1 load of dishes.

Our friends Sean and Laura were here when I took the picture- so, yes, I cut off both the guys' heads.

Laura is a great one for me to have around. She always pushes me to get rid of more stuff. I do want to simplify/have a minimalist house. I work better at putting stuff away if there is not as much stuff.

40 Day Challenge: Day 35

It was a busy day- seems like there was just one thing after another then we came home late from a bible study and I didn't take pictures- so this is the next morning, what I woke up to.

40 Day Challenge: Day 34

I had a meeting in the evening and Brian had a Bible study so the boys were told to fold the laundry and do the dishes- it was one load of laundry and just dinner dishes, not much. But, they forgot. So when we got home later this is what we found. And I didn't do anything about it, I just went to bed. Oh well, it still won't take long to do it in the morning.
BTW- Brian posed for this shot. He hasn't been reading this blog and checked it out yesterday, so then he "assumed the pose" because he is like that in most of the pictures. LOL

40 Day Challenge: Day 33

Well, after a month I do feel like I have more control over these areas. I'm not sure it's habit yet, but it's certainly alot better!!

40 Day Challenge: Day 32

We were out helping some friends paint their new house and were out late and this is how the living room looked when we came home. I was so pleased. :-)


The kitchen counter is not so great looking, but Stephen had washed all the dishes and then moved the drainer out on the counter so that he could scrub the sink out, so it looks messier in the picture. And I had washed out the vacuum cleaner filters so they are sitting by the sink drying- I didn't really have anywhere else to put them.

Wordless Wednesday

For more visit wordlesswednesday.com

40 Day Challenge: Day 31

I did quite a bit, the house wasn't horrible, but it could have been better. But I did get all the dishes washed and almost all of them dried and put away. There were a couple things in the living room that should have been picked up.


I am happy with the kitchen because I boiled a turkey for turkey soup and also cooked some more squash. AND I cleaned the kitchen/dishes after all that. That's just not something I've been in the habit of doing.

Next Challenge?

So, I was thinking today that during this 40 day challenge, I have really focused on the living room and kitchen sink.
I feel like I'm doing pretty good with it and was thinking of started a new 40 day challenge when this one is done.


Which got me thinking about which area I should focus on... (being transparent here- what have I got to loose? clutter!!)

Dining room

Wood stove (it's a catch all when I'm not burning)

Stove & counters in the kitchen (just so you know, I haven't completely finished washing the dishes for the night)

Bathroom

Desk

Master Bedroom





Any thoughts?
Please feel free to leave a comment and vote- I put up a poll for it. :-)

40 Day Challenge: Day 30

10 days to go! I feel like I'm working a little better on this. Nice pic of Brian, eh? He was watching "The Wizard of Oz" :-) Then he had "If I Only Had a Brain" stuck in his head. he he he I know, I torture him.


I did all the dishes after church and was still able to head to bed before 10 PM. They didn't all get dried and put away, but I was ok with that.

40 Day Challenge: Day 29

Forgot to post this morning. Oops!

The dishes got done, the living room was tidy and I went to bed at 9:30 PM and Titus slept through, so I didn't wake up until 7 AM, wonderful!!

40 Day Challenge: Day 28

It was a busy day, lunch with friends, shopping for a large cooking day on Saturday (friends and I are making 3 different dishes for the freezer), then a nice date night with my wonderful husband!
So, we got home at 10:30 PM, the house was quiet and I decided to just hit the shower instead of washing the dishes and making alot of noise. Because I have been keeping up on the dishes, it wasn't that horrible washing them up the next morning- just one large load and I was done. Not bad at all!

40 Day Challenge: Day 27

The living room has been the same for a while... I really want to simplify it more. All the books are on childbirth, so when I can make some money with this blog (I have about a month left before I can submit the blog) I am planning to save up money for couches (That were at World Market, but now I can't find them! ack!), which have storage under them. Then I can put all my childbirth stuff in the couches, it will be handy, but not out in the open.


Look at that empty sink! Isn't it pretty?!

40 Day Challenge: Day 26

If was a busy evening and the living room handled it ok, but the kitchen not so well. Thankfully Brian pitched in and helped me get done with most of the dishes. I left a couple soaking over night- only because I was anxious to get to bed and didn't want to wait for the 10 minutes they needed to soak.


Meat was left on the counter in the bowl, thawing/soaking in salt water.

40 Day Challenge: Day 25

The house is still cluttered. But these 2 parts of the house I feel like I have started to maintained. I like it.
I don't know if I had mentioned it on here or not, but I had really only intended to work on the main living room/dining room area through this first 40 days. I do enjoy the living room right now. And I'm liking my sink area too- since I've been making it a priority to keep the dishes done.

Wordless Wednesday

View more at Wordless Wednesday.

40 Day Challenge: Day 24

Who's wise idea was it to get a super capacity washer/dryer anyway??? oh yeah, me... ugg


I was all fired up and ready to go, sadly my work doesn't make as much difference as I would like, so I got tired. I did get alot done. I went through the clothes that was my goal and it was accomplished. I kept out some for my little brothers and then I kept the jeans that didn't have holes in them, that way the boys can just head downstairs and get a "new" pair out.


I cleared off the top of the entertainment center. Just was cluttery, so I moved the movies to a shelf.


Brian helped me get the dishes done, I love waking up to a clean sink! The dishes you see are all clean and air drying.



I also went through Titus' and Naomi's toys and whittled them down. Kids don't really play with that much stuff- if you've gotten rid of most of their toys, how much did you keep for them?