Doing the Dishes

I am not a fan.
It is not my least favorite thing to do. But I am still not a fan!
It's been a while since my husband and I made any kind of "rule" on this. What we've normally done is "try" to put things in the dishwasher right away (I try, and I try to make my husband) and then when it gets full run it. Then husband puts away clean dishes and I load it with anything that has had to wait in the sink while it is running.
This has failed us. Between work, coaching volleyball, having an infant, and me being pregnant, this has just not worked. We have ended up going days with clean dishes that have not been put away and a sink full of dirty dishes. We don't always give in until the sink is so full we can't do anything else with it. And this is with having other people at our house for various meetings and babysitting.
Unacceptable!
So, my husband came up with a new "rule" and thus far I am very excited about it!
We will not go to bed with ANY unfinished dishes! If the dishwasher is running then we need to wash any other dishes that could not fit in it. The sink is clean when we go to bed. And when we wake up. And this is a very nice, very freeing feeling! It's working!
This is what's working for us right now. Head on over here to find out more great tips on what's working for others.

Yard Sale Find

It's been a while since I had any good yard sale finds...but this past weekend I scored!
It was my last stop, and was not on my list of places I was even headed. I was frustrated about a house I struggled to find (and then realized was not a good one at all!) and saw one more sign that made me want to stop.
There were lots of bricks, a few pieces of furniture, lots of books, etc. But a little coffee table got my attention. We have often thought it would be nice to have one, both for us and for our son who is learning to walk so he can have more in the living room to practice standing/walking. Then I saw the price tag. A joke? Only $5? Must be something terribly wrong. Must be weak, or maybe I am not seeing a crack or the damage that it has? I lift it a little to see if it is really light and flimsy. Nope. It's actually pretty heavy duty! Really, only $5?
Call husband to see if he is ok with it, then try to figure out how in the world I might get it home. I have my car with me (and I don't know if it would have fit if my car were totally empty) and forgot to take things out before I left the house, so the trunk was packed full, the back seat had the car seat and base, plus some car toys and a toy box I bought at another house...yeah, not so much room.
Maybe I should just forget about it?
Not meant to be?
Maybe I'll ask the owners and see if I could possibly come back later to get it?
Score! Hand over my $5 bill and I am on my way to go find a bigger vehicle to borrow. And I am SO glad I got it. Still can't believe it was only $5, and that I almost didn't even get it!

The clear plastic corner pieces were added by us as precaution for our little guy. It fits nicely, it's a good height for the little one, and it is nice to have something to put our feet on after a long, hard day!

Menu Plan Monday - September 14

I have had high ambitions each week for the past month or so to really get cooking! I fin great recipes, sometimes I even get ambitious and get the ingredients...but finding the time...and energy to make these meals seems to slip right by. My husband has been great at helping with some of them, or helping to come up with quick alternatives (since we get home around 7 most evenings, spend time putting the kiddo to bed, and then have nothing left for ourselves...).
Today seems to be no different. I spent some time yesterday watching football and picking out recipes that look good and easy...but I have not taken further steps to make these meals happen. It doesn't help that I am 14 weeks pregnant with little energy and at times little desire for food. And it doesn't help that I woke up with a sore throat and running nose...just what I need right now! More excuses to not get things done!!
So, alas, though I would love to be making soup all week because it sounds good and the weather is getting a bit cooler...I don't have all my recipes and ingredients quite ready to go yet...thus, my life at the moment... I think I'll go see what's in the freezer...

Meal Update

I did find a little motivation tucked down deep the other day. I picked some recipes, made sure of what we have going on in the next couple of weeks, planned my trip and even took my 8 month old with me. The one thing I would change about taking him with me? I would make a cart that allows him to sit facing where I am going. He doesn't want to look at ME while I am shopping! He is constantly trying to turn around and look at where we are going and what I am doing when I am getting stuff off the shelves. Why don't they make legs holes going the other direction...at least as an option??

Yesterday I thawed out some chicken I had in the freezer and cooked it in the slow cooker with a bbq mixture. When it was done, I shredded the meat and we now have chicken bbq for sandwiches for lunch for a few days.

For a breakfast meeting this morning I made Sausage and Cheese Crescent Squares. Simple and delicious!

Tonight for dinner we are going to have this Oh-So-Easy Tomato Cream Soup with grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner. The weather has cooled off a little here, very much on the way to truly being Fall, and I am very excited to start making more soups again!

Tomorrow I am going to make these Apple, Cheddar and Turkey Meatballs (I have made them before and they were great!) to have a few but mostly add to my freezer stockpile that has been depleting lately.

If I stay ambitious tomorrow, I am also going to make these Flaxseed Morning Glory Muffins to have in the freezer. They are really healthy, but they are really good too!

Hopefully this new motivation sticks for a few days so I can get all this made like I have planned. And with the holiday weekend I don't need meals planned as we will be away. Yay!

Organizational Bliss or Doom?

I am often told I am a very organized person.
And I would often describe myself this way.
But I don't really think I am.

Clue #1
I work mostly from home, but do go into the office once a week. This means that most things that I use on a regular basis or still need to do follow-up with are kept in my computer bag that is always around the house and also goes in with me. I have a folder in that bag labeled "follow up needed." As I currently look through it, there are things from spring still in there...What if I need it tomorrow? What if someone asks me a question about it I was not expecting? What if's keep the things in my bag growing...

Clue #2
If you ask me a question about something I have on my computer, I may "know" exactly where it is, but it may take me a while to find it. I remember doing it, or taking notes on it, but then not sure where I put it from there. If there is something I need to get to on a regular basis, I keep it on my desktop for ease...but as I keep adding things, the "ease" of finding things starts to wane.

Clue #3
I know there is something I am supposed to do this month to change my voice-mail on my phone since my cell phone company got bought by another...just can't find that piece of paper that told me what I needed to do...

Clue #4
There are random papers, receipts, folders, magazines, etc, etc, all around the house. Piles here and there of papers that I have kept for some reason, and although I am not sure of the reason anymore, I know there was an original reason, so I am not sure about trashing them just yet...

Clue #5
It was so easy to come up with the first 4 clues...I'm afraid if I allow myself more time on the subject I may start to think I am really not organized at all...

I know I need to start small. I know I need to start with the non-essentials and just start getting rid of things. I know that I need to de-clutter more often. I know I want my house, car, and work environment to be more minimalistic and organized. I just need to do these things now. If you have any great tips on how to get motivated, I think that is what I am lacking in most right now. That, and maybe a little better understanding of what it really means to be organized!

To read about people who really do have great ideas about organizing (I may spend the rest of my day reading) head on over here.