Wanna know a secret?????

Every year my family asks "MOM! What do you want for Christmas?"
And...for years - every time they ask... I have the exact same answer!
Last year my kids started the question like this... "Mom, what do you want for Christmas... AND DO NOT SAY A CLEAN HOUSE!"














So now you know... just what I want for Christmas.... and my kids do NOT like that answer....

For Mothers day for YEARS I've been saying almost the same thing... Only it goes more like this...

"Dear Mr. Hubby,

I've done a lot of thinking... and this year for Mothers day I would really like for you to take the kidos and yourself and have an enjoyable weekend... go stay with grandpa! He would LOVE it!... and leave me here... at home... I want nothing more than to be here... all alone...in our house.... so I can CLEAN ~ really CLEAN! BY MYSELF! I want to go through EACH room, clean out closets and drawers, get RID of clothes, shoes, toys... EVERYTHING that is no longer needed... things I CAN'T get rid of when EVERYONE is around... because.... the minute they see it in the garbage can... they take it out... and here it comes ... right BACK IN! I want to clean out cupboards, wash walls and mop boards... even CLEAN THE GARAGE! I want to clean to my hearts content!

















And... I don't want to have to stop to FEED anyone, REFEREE a quarrel, STOP to fix a scrapped up knee.... (although I thoroughly enjoy ALL of this the other 362 days of the year!), I don't want to answer the phone or the door.... I just want to CLEAN... alone! And when I am done, (IF that should happen) I would LOVE nothing more than to sit on the big, fluffy, comfy chair, wrapped with my blanket, with my favorite book in hand and maybe even a SLURPEE too! And just SMELL the CLEAN.... LISTEN to the cobwebs cry as they are packed and moving on down the street.....
It's really OK for me to be alone on this weekend...
it really is.

Love, Your Mrs."

(and yes! I have even given it to him in letter form SEVERAL times....it still has YET to happen... (they all think that I'm CRAZY!) that was 5 kids ago, we are now down to 3 at home...and not one of them are close in age... at all!... it's been a LONG time on my WISH list!)

SO.... the ONE thing that makes me the most irritable for the holidays is...
MY HOUSE!
I just never seem to get to CLEAN it the way I EXPECT, WANT, DESIRE, and DREAM of... I ALWAYS have such GREAT intentions! GREAT ambitions... but as you all know... LIFE HAPPENS and it CHANGES my plans... ALWAYS!

So, I have budgeted into my Christmas BUDGET a SPLURGE for me!

I know - I'll probably stress over it and end up canceling it... but I really just NEED to do this!


I WANT A MAID FOR THE DAY!!!!

















I've stressed about it....
I've priced them...
I've dreamed of this....
I've stressed BIG over this....
And... I've stressed even more...

BUT! I think I'm getting use to the idea...
I know... in the long run it will be the BEST gift I can give to my family! :) TO MYSELF!

I LOVE to have parties!
I LOVE to have people over!
I LOVE IT!

BUT... I hate that I'm so CONSUMED in all the "prep" work that I don't get my house "DEEP CLEANED" and then I stress... then I cancel the function...or I'm just plain MISERABLE because I KNOW that my house isn't CLEAN, although it may "appear" to be, then I get in my GRUMPY-



















GRINCH mode..



















and NO-ONE likes to be around me for a couple of months!
It's just sad... I don't even like to be with myself!



SO! I'm SPLURGING!
I so hope I don't talk myself out of it before it happens! OH I HOPE I DON'T!

Simply perfect....

Do you see that??? Just a little over 8 months.....
And oh! I'm getting so super excited!

Getting ORGANIZED is such a LARGE task... BUT it is probably one of the BIGGEST parts of having a successful~ enjoyable ~ relaxing ~ reflecting ~ memorable holiday season...
don't you agree?

As I have said before, I think I'm a bit A.D.D.... it seems that I'm constantly running in circles and frankly getting nowhere - I mean really - unless you are running "STRAIGHT" - you are getting nowhere but dizzy - right?!?! LOL!

During January I was all "GUN-HO!" about getting organized... and I've now discovered that being "ORGANIZED" is not just about sitting down and making an organized plan once... it is a continual process... (I think I've known that - but I forget easily too...)

I recreated my "ORGANIZATIONAL" list and found that it was rather "vague" ... So I broke it down just a little more and now - even more! AND I've set new goals and I'm going to be really STRICT with myself and NOT let my HEAD take control - and get me all side tracked and running in circles... instead - I've made a time line and the time line will be my way of keeping "STRAIGHT' ... ya gotta do what ya gotta do right??

As with anything else in my life, I need to put what is most important to me first. And that is my Savior. I know that when I start my day with showing my gratitude to my Savior my day goes smoother, I'm happier, I get more accomplished and I feel accomplished at the end of the day - so I decided that since my whole purpose to "getting organized" so that I could enjoy the "SEASON", so that I could spend more time focusing on my Savior, and doing as He would do, that I really needed to have HIS help as I plan my upcoming months. I need to focus on taking just a little more time in my studies, prayers and service to others and I know that all of this will come together.... (did that make sense? Did I just ramble in circles??? ... agh - it made sense in my head...)

So... Have you stopped to evaluate just where you are heading - and how you are going to get there - what is the FINAL result you are seeking for? ....

For me... It is to ENJOY the holiday season... To not feel STRESSED - PANICKED - DIS-ORGANIZED... I don't want to be running around chasing my tail every day... I don't want to be GRUMPY!

















I don't want my kids (and anyone else around me) to be reminded of the GRINCH when they think of me....















I want my family to ENJOY being around me... because frankly, I have WONDERFUL visions in my head about the ENJOYABLE HOLIDAY SEASON... (that has yet to come true!)

I want to be able to enjoy my family time and not stressing about all that I need to get done, and how much I could get done if I didn't have to stop....Basically - I want to be DONE! Done with everything - except the "SIMPLE PLEASURES and MAKING MEMORIES that the holiday season is all about." ...

We are just a bit over 8 months and it is time to "EVALUATE"...
Take a look at your "EXPECTATIONS", the "GOALS" you set ...
are they realistic? or are they overwhelming you already?
If you are feeling OVERWHELMED... may I suggest something?....
Take a look and let go of the things that are of LESS importance... not that they "AREN'T" important... but maybe just LESS important... Put them onto you 2012 list... (And yes! I already have a 2012 LIST....) Sometimes I just expect WAY TO MUCH of myself! I don't know WHY I do that... I just do... but, I'm SLOWLY... I said SLLLLOOOWWWWWLLLYYYYYY
trying to FLIP my leaf and KEEP THINGS SIMPLE!

I was born a perfectionist... (I blame my dad! :)) .... and it is time to let some of my "PERFECT VISIONS of myself" ... leave ...because... they just aren't realistic.... and I'm learning that it is OK! I'll never be perfect no matter how hard I try! It just will never happen... so SIMPLIFY! and be PERFECTLY HAPPY with simply perfect!

Whatcha up to..... ?

All I know is that I'm driving MYSELF crazy!!! 

So much to do...

So little time...

So VERY little money..... 

What's a girl to do - besides drive herself CRAZY!

Have you noticed the jolly little fella to the right???  

I just realized that we are  slidin' on in... I think we're rounding 1st base actually... 

8 month and 2 weeks... 

YIKES!!! It is time to get serious people!  I mean SERIOUS!!!!  

Between working full time and trying to keep up with the single-married mom tasks, taking care of my Mr. trying to keep my girls on task with school, work and their crazy's......AND trying to stay FOCUSED... I'm getting a little overwhelmed... It is time to open up that cute little planner I purchased and put it to work again... my brain just simply can not keep up anymore.... So, I opened it up today and discovered that I had a few things left to "organize" and "plan" so I did just that! Made my plan of attack... Things are just going to keep coming at me - like it or not - so I've got to stay FOCUSED and do the best I can.... and OPEN that darn book EVERYDAY! :)  That is what it's for right??? 

My goal for last month was to get my tree skirts and stockings done...  (oops!) it seems like such a "SIMPLE" task... but it has just pushed me over the line... (I think I have A.D.D.... I just can't seem to stay focused) I start one project and go to get something to move on to the next step and find something there that needs to be done - and then go to get something else and find yet another something needing some attention - and haven't finished a DARN thing! AGH!! So frustrated with myself!  So, back to my tree skirts and stockings... this is one of those "projects"... my mind is going 100 miles a minute and for some reason, I just can not "complete" a project because I don't have the "FINAL" decision made... And heaven forbid if I start ONE thing and complete it without the other thing completely figured out!  SHEESH! I really do drive myself crazy!

I want to have 3 Christmas trees this year.... 

One in the family room upstairs, because even though there is not a TV in this room, this is where I am 99.9% of my "mom" time (after work), and I LOVE Christmas ;) so there just HAS to be a tree in this room....for me..... one in the living room, because this is the first place that you see when you walk into our home, and the Christmas spirit needs to be felt the minute you walk in... or for that matter, just driving by, what good is a big front room window without a lit up Christmas tree?... Looks kinda BAH-HUM-BUGGY don't you think?.... And one in the family room downstairs ... after all the family is getting bigger and they will all be home for Christmas this year, so we will need to do Christmas downstairs...a tree downstairs is a must!  OH! And after Christmas this year I found a SUPER - DUPER deal on the 2' trees... $2 each! So of course I had to get them so that the girls can each have a tree in their bedroom and I'm sure I'll need one too! :) 

Each tree has a theme... and that is where the problem was coming in... the tree in our upstairs family room is gingerbread boys, candy canes, peppermint candy.... just a little "candy-shop" theme... red and white.... it flows right into the kitchen so it works well with my 'holiday baking gingerbread family shelf sitters'.... The tree skirt I'm visioning, is a red and white round peppermint candy with a red ruffle....maybe..... 

The tree in the front room is new - (we've only had one every year because I've been kinda LAZY about it all) ... so after Christmas at the sales, I purchased decorations for this tree... it is more "elegant" - all silver and white.... glitter, shimmery.... snowflakes ...

I have the vision... in my head... but getting it to "turn out" is another story in and of itself... 

I thought that just a simple "white satin" tree skirt would be appropriate for this room.... 

Stockings... I think that they too need to be elegant... 

they will only be "show" stockings.... with a twist :) ... 

I'm thinking that these will be good stockings to use for our "Gift to Jesus" stockings. Instead of just writing our "gift" on a slip of paper as we have done in the past, I want to buy "simple" white notebooks and place in the stocking with a pen. 

I think it would be great to just "write" our gift and then journal our progress at Christmas time each year.  I think it would be really fun to go back each year and see how we have each grown, and how we have done with our "gift" throughout the year - just a little evaluation.... I think that I will also do this on the Sunday evening before Christmas, (our review) of the year and then on Christmas morning, we will write our new gift in our notebooks, tuck them back into the "special stocking". I've got to iron this out a little still obviously....

And then there is the tree downstairs... this one has been really hard for me.  I don't know why... kinda silly though.  For years I mean YEARS I have wanted a "MEMORY" tree... I have made a list of things that have taken place through the year that had a significant impact on our family... Like the year we were married.....I can't tell you how many times our family would tease us about "our 9 month" surprise!  NO! It was NOT a baby!  And that is why we were teased so much! Because that is what "USUALLY" happens.... ;)... Instead, I spent our 9 month anniversary, in the hospital having an emergency appendectomy..... AND we found out that through all the excitement of getting married and such, my Mr. forgot FORGOT to add me to his health insurance at work... I had no insurance!  Within hours, my sweet father-in-law had our vehicle sold, our furniture sold, our washer & dryer sold... I'm surprised he didn't sell me! OH! Wait, I wasn't worth anything laying in a hospital for 6 days! LOL! But through great blessings, because my attack hit while I was working, and I was taken from work to the hospital, somehow it was covered under the credit unions insurance... BLESSING!!!! We didn't have to sell anything! SHEW!!! (I was going somewhere with this....) Oh yes!  So, our first year, I wanted to make a ornament with a STORK delivering "appendectomy"... We also bought a house that year, sold my husbands "baby" (his Blazer) to buy the house, and bought a Toyota Corolla - with power nothing! Not even a air conditioner!

For every 28 years we have been married, I have 3-4 "important" life changing events that I thought would make a fun tree... but.... it exhausts me to think about it... thus the reason it has never gotten done!  I have drawn patterns of "events" to cut from wood, then I will need to paint them... and it just seems so much... I'm wondering if it would have the same meaning if I just cut circles, or squares and printed up a "blurb" of the event, with the year in big numbers at the top would work.... maybe throw in some of my favorite "traditional" ornaments... what do you think... ??? 

See why it is never done.... I really wanted something for my children and grandchildren and even great grandchildren to have when we are gone... I want them to know that we had a sense of humor... that we had trials... that we laughed... that we cried.... that we worked hard for the "good" things in life.  I want them to know us... to remember us... I just can't seem to "get this one together..."  SO, because I can't get one together... nothing is together.... nothing is done... SILLY HUH!?!?!  I want to have stockings for every family member... but personalized to them... or what my Mr and I see in them...  Remember, over a year ago I made a purchase ... it was a BEST STINKIN DEAL ever!!! Well... I have over 80 stockings... I think that should suffice my posterity for a while... don't you think :) ...

I just have to UNPICK and RE-DECORATE them... All the girls are RED and the guys are GREEN - and of course their names will be embroidered on them... but do I want to "decorate" each stocking with their personality in mind?  

Or do I want to keep them simple... names only.... agh....   

that is a large task... being I've got 11 to do now... and then stay on top of it... (Oh and of course the "doggy-kids" all have to have one too...) see what I mean.. I can't decide... because... what happens in 5-10 years from now and the grandkids just start ROLLING in (I'm so excited!) will I have the energy and AMBITION to "DECORATE" a stocking for them all??? or will putting their name on it be more than I can handle...??? What to do... what to do.... see! This is why I can get NOTHING done!

So... I'm on the search... 

Searching for some tree skirt patterns (remember EASY sew!) 

and thoughts and ideas for the #3 tree

AND... stockings... keep them simple with just a name... or add some "cute-sy" to them.....

Help me out peoples!!! Help me out!  This project MUST be completed by the end of this month! It just MUST!  Too much to do!!!!

All I want for Christmas....

Can you guess what it is??? 

I SURELY hope she gets them LONG before Christmas however!

Being that all my girls didn't get their first tooth until they were 19 months old... 

I'm thinking she may have a pretty good "wish" on her hands... LOL! 

Speaking of that... 

What do YOU WANT for Christmas? 

Don't you just HATE that question? 

I just DESPISE it! 

WHY?

I'll tell you why.... 

Because....

I CAN NEVER EVER think of ANYTHING I want.... 

at Christmas time that is...

 SO, guess what I've been doing? 

I decided that I needed to make myself a
WISH LIST too! 

I mean, my kids do...

My MR. does...

 SO~ Why shouldn't I?

I can always think of things that I would "LIKE" through the year, 

but about OCTOBER time...

 I have NO IDEA! 

NONE! 

MY WISH LIST:

Snowbabies...

I LOVE my SNOWBABIES

Nah... that's to "materialistic"

Corelle ware - I just want 3 matching sets so that when all of the family gathers together we have matching dinnerware.... I really hate the modge-podge of dinnerware I currently have 

A tea kettle.... Just because I want one :) 

(matching my new Corelle ware of course)

AND of course I'll need some new "FLATWARE".... enough to match for special occasions... 

Serving dishes - I have just a modge podge of everything...

Is it wrong for a gal to want "matching" everything?

Maybe I just need a "old house-wife" shower... is there such a thing?  

Mad About You Series... Oh I miss that show! 

Yes Dear Series .... Just need a good laugh every now and again...

I don't have time to watch TV - who am I kidding!

Pocket Hymn Book 

OK!I'll get to church on time so I can have a book! I probably won't be able to "see the little writing in the pocket book anyway!

There are a few BOOKS I would really enjoy reading too! 

SHEESH! You have 4 bookshelves FILLED with books you haven't even opened - read them!

SOCKS! LOVE me some new SOCKS! 

Seriously - what am I thinking! I already have 2 baskets OVERFLOWING with socks that I HATE to match and fold.... forget the socks!

See why I can never give "ideas"....

I talk myself out of them faster than they come on! 

OK! OK! What I REALLY would like....

My house to be finished...

(coughdownstairscough) like, all the base boards on, door knobs in...

you know... the "FINISH WORK"...

OH! The BATHROOM!!!

(which is really not MY wish - but a couple "TWEENS" I have would LOVE it to be finished... OK! I would too because THEN I could sleep in past 5 am when they come into our bathroom every

morning to shower and are anything BUT quiet! 

Scratch that - K & S would LOVE the downstairs bathroom completed. 

I.... I.... I...I would

LOVE my house....

Decorated... 

Organized....

Clean - carpets included...

Just completely, 

RELAXING..

A place where everyone WANTS to be!

THE HANG OUT HOUSE!

OK! I'm not kidding any one here am I?

I just want a MAID, COOK, HANDYMAN, DECORATOR!

There - I said it! 

I feel much better now.

What do YOU want for Christmas? 

Playing in the mud puddles......

Instead of standing in line like I should have been!!!!

I have been asking for some "creativity"....and some "TALENTS" lately .... (but apparently, I have all I'm going to get... and it is VERY limited) ...so instead, I have been DIRECTED to CREATIVE - TALENTED people! I AM SOOOO BLESSED!!!!! I'm so glad I FINALLY got it! (See - I told you I'm a SLOOWWWW learner!)....

Here is another amazing lady! (I'm trying really hard to not be envious....) Look at what she has done with PENNIES!! YES PENNIES!!!! Who woulda thunk!?!?! Seriously - I bet you will THUNK next time you just toss that "penny" into the trash can..... OR walk by it sitting on the sidewalk.... I remember not to long ago reading about a man who picked up every penny he ever found - and sure - it took some time - and if I remember right (which remember, I'm under severe tooth pain - so my brain my not recall correctly), after like 20 years he had gathered over $2000 in pennies! I could go for that!..... Anyway.... where was I? Oh yes... Pennies!!! Take a look - I quite like!.... and again.... oh how I wish I had some "CREATIVITY!" .... Seriously.... what was I doing.... playing in the mud puddles when "creativity" was handed out.... sheesh!!!

Oh well... oh so glad I can start CHECKING some more off my list!!!!
What GREAT stocking stuffers!
It's the "surprises" in the stocking that have made me LOVE my stocking! I always save the STOCKING for the very last!!!! (yes... I'm getting me a surprise too! just in case you were wondering :))

OHHH! I'm getting soooo excited for Christmas this year!!!!!

OH! I nearly forgot....
VISIT this blog
and enter for a chance to WIN some amazing pennies!!!
Or feel free to nominate ME to win, if you don't want too!!! ;)