Five Things

Project How-To: Valentine's Notebook

Project tutorial: How to Make a Valentine's Love Notes Notebook! Check out this 4-minute slideshow tutorial and see how I made an adorable Valentine's gift for a teacher, mom, sister, or friend...

Not Five, But...

...will three do?

My first three layouts for Layout a Day.

Day One Challenge: Scrapbook a beginning.

Day Two Challenge: Dig through your stash and find something you'd forgotten about.

 

Day Three Challenge: Use the oldest thing in your stash.

 

25 more to come! :)  

You Haven't Asked, But I Know You're Wondering...

 

...You wanna know how my big 2010 goals are going, don'tcha???? Well, I'm here to tell you...

1. Bible Study. You will be pleased to know that I have joined a women's Bible study. Our first get-together was at the end of January, and our next is tomorrow night. Go, me!

2. Book De-stashing. I have gotten rid of 107 books since we moved at Christmastime. Unfortunately, this is a wee fraction of the books I own -- AND I bought about five more and received about 10 more since then for reviewing! But progress, as they say, is being made. 

3. Yoga. I was all signed up for a yoga class with Paula when the teacher canceled. It's not my fault! It's not my fault! ;) I have done my own yoga videos a few times, but I'd like to make that more regular. 

4. Budget. Ummm... I have been saving my receipts but haven't been so great about writing them all down. I resolve to do better this month. :)

5. Mother-Son Bookclub. This has been so fun! I read The Merchant of Death (Pendragon Series #1) last month, and I'm starting The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) today (want to read it before we see the movie). I've even been thinking about recording our discussion and putting it up on Youtube to encourage other parents. I thought it would be a fun project for Ben and me to do together. But then again, maybe it's just me trying to get in front of the camera again. ;)

How about you? How are your goals/intentions/resolutions going?

5 Blogs I Love

As a follow-up to yesterday's post on why I DON'T read blogs, I thought I'd introduce you to five blogs I try to never miss. (I've tried to pick blogs that are likely unknown to you... I wouldn't want you all to think you aren't my absolute faves -- which you all are, every single one of you!) These are not "scrapper" blogs -- I'll do a round-up of those soon! Instead, they're the blogs I turn to again and again for a dose of inspiration. 

 

1.Hi from Mary of Owlhaven. The woman has 10 kids!! And she blogs! And cooks! And makes it all seem so totally normal (but she doesn't fall into that "Oh, life is so easy and I'm so wonderful and my life is so perfect" shtick that drives me nuts. She makes it real for her readers. I always find inspiration, whether it's much-needed perspective or a great crab dip recipe.

 

2. Think Fast. Kim Kesti is an all-around wonderwoman. I met her at a CKC way back when, and just fell in love with her. Her blog is full of organizing ideas, crafty goodness, menus, family stuff, and more. (Did I mention she is preggers with baby #9???). I think I have a thing for living vicariously through other large families! 

3. Zen Family Habits. Co-founded by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits fame, ZFH helps those of us with a few more bodies in the beds figure out how to go for simple. Practical and well-written, this blog is my substitute for "Real Simple" magazine (i.e., they don't give me 100 uses for reusing plastic bags, or suggest $150 tools to make my life "easier.").

 

4. Salt and Chocolate. Mary Beth presents a world full of love, authenticity, and gentleness. She's a working mom of four whose youngest has been battling cancer (in remission now!). Despite what must be a harried life, her blog is a respite of calm and sanity for me, showing what is possible amidst the craziness of life. She helps me realize how to celebrate the ordinary and find the beauty in the common. (She's the one I got the "nature table" idea from!) Mary Beth makes me see what is possible. I think of her home as a little oasis of heaven on earth, one she gives us glimpses into on a regular basis. 

 

5. The Happiest Mom. I thought that was MY title -- until I realized my kids thought I was "Grumpiest Mom" and "Meanest Mom in the Whole World." ;) Meagan Francis writes a thought-provoking blog on what it takes to be fulfilled and content while maintaining your various identities as mom, woman, friend, etc. etc. She writes extremely well, and while her posts are text-heavy, she has created a blog design that doesn't overwhelm me. She's smart, and you can tell, but she doesn't throw it in your face (in other words, you can still understand her posts even if you're running on fumes after a night of vomiting children or past-midnight project completion for your middle schooler). 

Your turn! Lay some good blogs on me, folks. I want to know what you're reading!

5 Reasons I'll Stop Reading Your Blog

Kind of a blunt title, eh? Don't worry -- I will keep reading the blogs of my wonderful readers! :) But there are a lot of blogs out there that I start reading, add to my blog reader (I use Bloglines), and stick with for a while. But each month I go through my list, weeding out various blogs that aren't making the grade for one reason or another. Here are the top five reasons I won't read your blog:

1. You don't blog regularly. If you haven't updated in the last week or so, I'll likely drop you. I want current!

2. You don't answer comments. I'm BIG on this one. I make an effort to answer every comment left on my blog -- I can't answer each and every one, but I would say I hit a good 75-80%. It's a point of pride with me, as well as a way for me to thank my readers for taking the time to comment. As they say on the airplane, "I recognize you have a choice in air travel." :) I appreciate you, and I want to let you know! Plus, I think blogging is about engaging others in conversation. If you don't want to interact with those who read your blog, why are you writing at all? Just pull out a little diary with a lock on it and share your private thoughts there. 

3. You don't use images or photos. It's really hard to read big blocks of text. If you never use images or pictures, my eyes glaze over. I just can't do it. 

4. You don't use the shift key. I'm sorry, but it is impossible for me to read blog posts with no capital letters. I know a lot of people do this, but it just doesn't work for me. 

5. You do too many "round-up" posts. I like to discover new blogs as much as the next person, but if all you ever post is lists to other blogs, why not just cut out the middleman and subscribe to them instead? 

What about you? What makes you unsub or stop reading a blog?

It's Not Too Late for Layout a Day!

The Layout a Day Challenge kicks off on Monday, and we have over 125 LOADsters signed up to spend February with me! 

It's not too late for you to get involved! Click here for more information. If you're ready to go, let me know (email me at lainehmann (at) comcast (dot) net.

Still not sure? Here are five reasons why you should commit to LOAD:

1. It's tons of fun! You'll get a special daily dose of me and my patented wisdom and wit. :)

2. You'll complete layouts! Even if you don't complete all 28 layouts, you'll still have MORE done than you have today!

3. You can win cool prizes! We have weekly prizes from fabulous folks such as Aby Garvey, At the Blue Barn, Liz Tamanaha of Paislee Press, Benzilla Scrapping, and more!

4. You'll get weekly tutorials! Some rad scrappers have agreed to create fun and informative tutorials for you!

5. Hugh!

 
 

And Even More One Little Word Projects

I've been collecting these... here are a few more!

From Judy, an ornament she picked up and altered. It now hangs over her desk:

 

Diana created this awesome layout for her word, ENERGY:

 

Lissa made a beautiful layout for her word, too (BLESSING):

 

Debby made a journal for her word, DETERMINE:

 
Kathleen created this layout for SIMPLIFY:

 

5 Great Organizing Resources

I'm an organizing junkie. I'm not necessarily that organized, but I have high aspirations! You knew that already though, didn't you? ;)

Here are five awesome online resources to help manage your organizing/decluttering goals:

1. How to Unclutter Your Life in One Week - video series from Tasra Mar

This book looks awesome. I haven't read it yet, but I KNOW it's awesome because of the impressive video series Tasra Dawson has created on her site, Tasra Mar. This extremely professional video will take you step-by-step through the book's main points in a friendly, approachable fashion. You'll be inspired to start  decluttering immediately!

2. Mnmlist.com from Leo Babauta

I sometimes mock Leo, just because I want to be him. ;) This site is full of inspiration for paring down your life -- after all, the less stuff you have, the less you have to organize! Leo will give you the tools and ideas you need to get your life down to the essentials.

3. Orgjunkie.com 

A blog about a mom who just happens to love to organize even more than I do! She offers a great balance between "down home" and professional. 

4. Peter Walsh

Visit his online home and see videos, links, newsletter, and more. (If you don't know who Peter Walsh is, he is one of the stars of Clean Sweep, as well as the best-selling author of a number of books on organization, including one of my faves (and recent giveaway), It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff

Can't wait to get my hands on his new book, Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?: An Easy Plan for Losing Weight and Living More

And this looks fab, too: Enough Already!: Clearing Mental Clutter to Become the Best You

5. Organized Home

A website organized by topic (freezer cooking, time & money, seasonal spin, etc.) that lets you browse according to your hot spots. Clean and simple to navigate (just like a website about organizing should be!).

Your turn: Got any organizing/decluttering sites to share?

5 Best Guest Stars on Sesame Street

I have no idea how this topic came to me, but as I was on the airplane, I was pondering who the best Sesame Street guest stars were. As you can see from my list, I'm partial to musicians. :)

1. REM - Furry Happy Monsters

2. James Blunt - Triangles

3. Shawn Colvin - I Don't Want to Live on the Moon

4. Sheryl Crow - "I" Soaks Up the Sun

5. The Dixie Chicks - "B" No Letter Better

What are your favorite Sesame Street memories? For a complete list of guests on Sesame Street, click here.

5 Ways to Be a Multitasking Mom

People often ask me how I get so much done and keep so many balls in the air. It doesn't seem like I'm doing anything special, so I usually answer with some kind of flip answer like, "Oh, I rarely bathe," or, "My house is really messy!"

But that is not completely true. Upon further reflection, I've discovered that:

a. I do bathe at least as frequently as the average mom of three, and

b. I have a fairly clean, organized house, and

c. I have some tips that may be of use to you! 

So here are my ways of getting a little more done in a little less time and enjoying it a little more:

1. Use "wasted" time. I spend a goodly portion of my day behind the wheel of my car. My three kids are at three different schools, spread out across five miles. Plus we have basketball practices (2 kids), baseball practices (1 kid), soccer practices (1 kid), and wrestling meets (1 kid, not counting the "unofficial" meets that take place on the family room floor each night). I easily spend an hour or more in the car each day, with one or more of the kids. I use this time to connect (if we're one-on-one), or to "do" something together (our choice: Books on CD). Listening to a story together has cut down on the backseat fights tremendously, and turned "wasted" time in to "quality" time.

2. Lower your standards. When the prolific poet William Carlos Williams was asked how he managed to write a poem each and every day, he answered, "I have very low standards." This is my advice when it comes to parenting, homemaking, and life in general. Most people (and probably all of my readers) are perfectionist-types who like everything "just so." You want the perfect home, the perfect career, the perfect kids, the perfect body, the perfect scrapbook pages, the perfect marriage... and it's just not all possible. Maybe you can settle for "just okay" in some of those categories. 

3. Multitask. I know there's a renewed interest in single-tasking, or mindfulness. While it's a wonderful skill to master and put into play in certain situations (romantic evenings out with your spouse, for instance), there are plenty of moments throughout your day that do not require your full attention. My kids and husband like to watch movies; I do not, unless I'm doing something else. So I'll sit on the couch with them while they watch their Rockford Files reruns, and I'll check email. They have my presence, and that's enough. Other examples: 

• I check my email on my iPhone and read while I ride the bike at the gym
• I dictate spelling words in the car
• I knit at the kids' basketball/soccer/etc. games and practices
• I listen to podcasts while doing the grocery shopping
• I take walks with my girlfriend to catch up while exercising
• I carry a book with me at all times to take advantage of those 10-15 minutes of "waiting" time that pile up throughout the day

 image from Natalie Dee 

4. Make technology work for you. With the wonders of technology, you can seem to be everywhere at once! You can schedule tweets to go out after your bedtime. You can set up emails to be sent later, and replied to in bulk if they require the same answer. In fact, I'm writing this post on Monday morning to be published on Tuesday, because now is when I have the time. Take advantage of Crock Pots, iPhones, cell phones, and WiFi.

 image from Linzie Hunter

5. Love your life. Remember that all these things (kids, in particular!) are for the most part joys! You're swamped because your life is overflowing with opportunity and love. You have passions you enjoy, people you want to be with, and goals to achieve -- and THAT'S why you feel overwhelmed. You have an abundance of riches! Remembering this will not help you get more done, but it may help you be a bit happier while you're doing what you have to. 

I hope these little hints will help you think about your own schedule and areas of overwhelm. And if all else fails, I'm not above a little Prozac. ;)