Tip Tuesday--Folding Fitted Sheets

Last week I posted about my safety pin trick for fitted sheets.

Since then I've had at least one person confess that they were interested in my methodology because her daughter in law asked her how to do it when she first married.  Certainly, you never want to let your daughter in law down.  I might point out that the first DIL in question also didn't learn from her mom either.

Tip Tuesday--Fitted Sheets

Ever try and figure out which end of a fitted sheet goes 'up top'?  Do you resort to the trial and error method?  Putting two corners on and when it's time for the third realize that the sheets need to rotate 90 degrees?  Ugh.  I know my life is full of complications.

A few years ago, I realized I was tired of that method and put a safety pin on the side of the sheet that goes right by my head.

When I fold the sheet I make sure that is the corner right on top so I can easily find it and put it on it's spot and get those sheets on the bed pronto.

I like fresh sheets on the bed, I'm just not a fan of changing the sheets.  This makes it just a smidgen easier.

Anyone need a lesson on folding fitted sheets? Shout it out.  I have a proven method.

Tip Tuesday--Drop Everything

If you happen to be secretly wanting to go through your spouse's closet to clear some clutter; continue to resist.  However, when they give an inch, feel free to push for the full mile.

Tip Tuesday--New Year's Resoltuions

Yes, I recognize that you're reading this right around Christmas.  You're already questioning me, I can hear it!  It's not time for a New Year's resolution yet.

I still have a full week of living my old ways.

Tip Tuesday--Citrus Edition

Citrus season is fully upon us.  I'm already on my 5th orange, and 3rd grapefruit and loving every bite.  I finally remembered to snap these all important pictures to help you.  

Tip Tuesday--Menu Planning

This week we have a guest blogger.  J will take you through some of the how to's of menu planning and how she got started.

Please welcome guest blogger J... 

Tip Tuesday--Thanksgiving Week

Here we are the week of the big show....

Mon	Thaw turkey in fridge
	Set aside more ice
	Calculate what time everything needs to go into the oven on Thursday.

Tip Tuesday--Thanksgiving Prep

Earlier this week a friend asked me to plan her Thanksgiving dinner.  Then during a work meeting that kicks off with a 'funny' each time the theme was preparing Thanksgiving dinner.  Being a person who is a little slower to catch on than most, it wasn't until the 3rd time that someone mentioned cooking Thanksgiving dinner that I thought, "Hey, I could blog about that."  Third time is a charm, right?

Tip Tuesday--National Homemade Cookie Day

It's official, Tuesday October 1st is National Homemade Cookie Day.  Let me go on the record and state that my favorite cookies are soft cookies.  Though I've seriously never met a cookie I didn't like.

A few weeks ago my friend Katy who makes great cupcakes and super good frosted cookies gave me some cookies that she had leftover from back to school night. She had planned to take them with us to the women's retreat, but in our rush to get out the door, they were forgotten.

Always one ready to help out a friend, I volunteered to take them off her hands.  Because they were almost a week old, they were starting to get a little crispy.  When I brought them home I wanted to soften them up.  So I put them all in a plastic container with a slice of bread.  The next day they were super soft again and magically delicious!  You can even see a soft broken piece at the bottom of the flower.

Tip Tuesday--Moving In

I recently had the fun, ok my way of having fun, of helping J&C move a state or two further south.  Thursday morning it was time to load the last minute items, blankets pillows, toothbrushes into the car and Scout could tell something was up.  

Tip Tuesday--Journaling

Today I welcome guest blogger the sweet J.  She wanted to share this with you all, so please take it away J....

I’m going to share something that most women would be very scared to do.  In fact, it’s something that you’re usually told not to share at all.  A page from my diary.

 (9-30-89)

Today is my birthday party! I got a last of suffy!  Will by, Oh! My neam is Janet Brinkmann

Ok, it’s the first entry from the diary I received at my 8^th birthday party.  Not exactly the scandalous entry you may have been thinking it would be.

But writing in a diary – or “journaling” as you call it once you can spell correctly and have a driver’s license – is something I’ve done for a long time.  As I flipped through this first diary in the basement this morning, I saw entries about spelling bees in elementary school, going to camp during the summers, who liked who in our Sunday school youth group, etc.  The last entry in this particular book was from 1998 – a full 9 years from that first innocent entry.

I took a break from journaling during high school; no particular reason I just think I didn’t see a value in it.  I picked it back up again in college.  I remember sitting in my dorm room that first night with all these thoughts and emotions and picked up a journal I had received as a graduation gift.

There’s a journal for each of my four years at Texas A&M.  I attempted to write every day and came pretty close to that goal.  They’re filled with the thoughts of someone struggling with organic chemistry, getting their first apartment, wondering who will be her date to the next football game, and yes, the accounts of a first love and heartache. 

It’s a neat little time capsule to have now, to see how something so tragic to my 19 year-old self is now so silly.  Years definitely bring perspective.  And reading entries again can bring me back so clearly to the time when I wrote them; how I was feeling and dealing with whatever was going on at the time – good or bad.

I took another little journaling break and picked it back up when my now loving husband (well, he’s always been loving, he just wasn’t my husband at that time) gave me a beautiful leather bound journal for a Valentine’s Day gift.

I wrote in it for a while, then tapered off.  Perhaps I didn’t feel there was anything truly note worthy going on in the life of a recent college graduate.  Then we got engaged. J  I started writing again on the 26^th of each month from engagement to wedding (our wedding was the 26^th of May).  Writing monthly allowed me to give myself grace if I was busy or didn’t think there was anything to share.  It also gave me a goal to think of something at least once a month to write about.  I wrote for a few months after we were married in 2007, but nothing very consistent.

Looking through that journal, there’s a shift in time from a very recent newlywed in Texas to a woman on a job-search in Missouri.  Part of me wishes that were more entries during that time, as I know there was a lot going on, but alas.  There are a smattering of entries about finally finding a job (in an area new to me at the time but one I can to enjoy and thrive in), running my first marathon, and enjoying life as a homeowner in Missouri.  Then I got pregnant.

Again, I wanted something consistent to document and remember my thoughts and feelings during that time as we prayed for and grew excited for the baby that would be joining our family.  I wrote pretty frequently and included an entry after each doctor’s appointment. 

Once Caleb came on July 6^th – he’ll be TWO this year – I was sitting at home holding him in my arms thinking about the day he came.  I didn’t want to forget a thing about his first few days, so I picked up another journal I received as a shower gift and started writing an entry for each of his days of life thus far – I think he was 5 or 6 days old at the time.  The cover of that journal has a bible verse on it: This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice & be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).  What a perfect verse for a new mom; not every day is good, not every day makes you want to rejoice, but the Lord has gifted that day to us regardless.

There is a journal entry for each day of Caleb’s first year.  It spans two books – a two volume set – since I ran out of room in the first.  Some of written by me, some by dad.  Some include stats from doctor’s appointments, others are a cartoon depiction of the day (usually drawn by daddy).

When I was expecting Emily, I again picked up my journal and wrote after each doctor’s appointment.  I started rereading entries from my first pregnancy which helped me remember what was coming next, or what I was feeling at the stage of pregnancy the first time around.

Emily now has a daily journal that I started for her.  I bought a three pack of journals, knowing that I would likely fill more than one, and one is now being used as a coloring book for big brother. J  She will have an entry for each day of her first year as well.  And, Clayton wants to keep the book that Caleb is scribbling and drawing in once it is filled, so I suppose that will be his first journal.

So… why all this writing about journaling?  Well, I think it’s a great thing to do and wanted to share my thoughts with you all.  It’s cathartic.  It allows you to put to paper your thoughts, fears, prayers, etc.  Some people have a prayer journal.  Something that keeps them accountable to the prayers they’re lifting up for others and themselves.  I’ve been in Bible studies that when it comes time to share prayer requests, ladies pull out their tattered journals to write down the prayers of their sisters.

Some people write daily, monthly, or just whenever they feel the need/desire too.  As you can see, I’ve done a little bit of all of that.

Journaling has helped give me so much perspective.  With a second child now, I can go back to Caleb’s journal and his entries help normalize whatever is going on with her at this age.  “Oh yeah, he wasn’t sleeping through the night yet”… or, “when did he start sleeping in the crib?”… or, “what was his first food again?”  All those things I might not otherwise remember, and thanks to my journal, I don’t have too.

It also allows me to remember that verse from Psalms about rejoicing in the day.  There have been many times I sit in bed in the evening and have to stop and think about my day and try to find something to write about.  Maybe there was something big that’s easy to identify; the first time my baby smiled, or rolled over, or peed on daddy’s foot (it happened recently pre-bath).  But maybe there wasn’t something big.  I think I appreciate those days more; I have to sit and reflect and usually come up with something that, while not “big,” is just as wonderful and joyous as another.

I will leave with this.  I allow myself grace.  Yes, I want to write a journal entry for each day of Emily’s first year.  And I will.  Did I wake up this morning while everyone else slept and catch up on three days worth of entries?  Yes.  Grace.  If I miss a day, or two, or several, that’s okay.  I just pick it up the next time I have a moment.

So… consider giving journaling a try.  You might like it.

And I’ll really leave you with this; a picture of my little loves.  Because I’m their mom and can do that. J

Tip Tuesday--Reducing Mail Clutter

I'm sure you've all given up on me related to having another useful tip here, but I came across it the other day and felt it was blog worthy.

I despise opening the mail.  Not the personalized mail that is so rare these days with emails, texts and tweets (though I'm not personally a twit), but the mail that comes from all sorts of random places trying to get you to buy their stuff, send them money, apply for their credit card to 'afford' the previous two items, subscribe to overpriced insurance and all manner of catalogs and what not.

Well I've had it!  This is the pile of junk mail that has come into my house in the last two weeks.

TWO WEEKS!

Enough is finally enough.  I have started replying to all of the things that I used to just throw away (personal info) and recycle (the rest of it).

The cute little return address labels... I sent them a note, please stop sending me these I don't intend to give to your organization.

The other places I've donated to in the past, but don't anymore.  I've sent them a note as well to spend their  dollars in a different place.  I'm not donating, I'm trying to save them some money and I want the mail to decrease.

Then I stumbled onto a credit card offer that held the mother lode of opt out options.  After contacting that call center I call this number: 1-888-567-8688 (888-5- OPT-OUT).  This site by the Federal Trade Commission also provides this same phone number and option to get out of these offers for 5 years!  Hooray!!!

It is a little worrisome when you have to put in your SSN and birth date, but because I was calling them I went ahead with it.

I think my plan is working because Friday we did not have ANY mail delivered to our box.

Tip Tuesday--When it Rains, It Pours

This is a public service announcement. 

When you've had a very dry spell for a period and it does finally rain an inch at your house while you're away at work, you are thankful.  

Then when it starts to pour after you are home for the evening you're even more thankful.  Especially when it is this much rain. 

But later when you find out that your dearest most darling-est youngest child has left the trunk open during said rainstorm, it does dampen your spirits.  

When you get the dripping wet quilt out of the trunk, and all of the other wet things out and into the dryer and spread all over the house to dry out and you think you've gotten it all.  Then you'll figure out that you didn't.

Turns out that 2.25" of rain was not all absorbed by one quilt, a bible, a baseball glove, and shopping bags that were scattered all over the back of the trunk.  

It seems that the spare tire well is apparently capable of holding a couple of inches of water for a few more days.

Just thought I'd share this useful bit of information.  

Tip Tuesday--Back to the Bags

I thought I'd share a couple of the comments I received about the bags...

Tip Tuesday--Gloves

I don't have to hand wash too many dishes, but every once in a while I do need to do some hand-washing and I am not a fan of how my dish soap leaves my hands feeling.  My name is not Madge and I don't use Palmolive.  So I bought a handy dandy pair of gloves.

Tip Tuesday--Laundry Room Redo

Nothing like the New Year to get you fired up about reorganizing some of the spaces that have perhaps gotten away from you over time. 

I've heard that Spiffy Sue had her home office redone by a diligent daughter.  And that it looks wonderful.  

Tip Tuesday--Christmas Cleanup

I hope everyone has had a great Christmas season.  We had LOTS of fun and a few adventures too.  

A visit to the Capitol: 

Tip Tuesday--Meatballs

A few weeks ago I was making meatballs for dinner and instead of just making one batch, I doubled up and put half in the freezer for this week when I knew schedules would be a bit crazy.  

Tip Tuesday--Christmas Cookies

I know this is probably a bit too late for 99% of you, but it just dawned on me today that I wanted to bake Christmas cookies, but I didn't want to have a lot of cookies sitting around the house AND I didn't want to eat giant cookies, because I have a bad habit of not eating just one cookie at a time.  

So I figured out my plan. 

I mixed up the dough for four types of cookies and then put the majority of the dough into the fridge.  

I did bake one sheet full of each kind of cookie today so that we could leave a few out for Santa (J wrote out a note for him) and our Elf which returned TODAY.  

Because we will have people visiting over the next few days I figured I could bake a little bit at a time so they would be fresh each time some one new comes to visit.  

PLUS I am not as likely to eat just the dough.  The same is not true for other members of my household, but with a carefully placed note on each container that reads 'do not eat', I will be able to keep them out.  

So from my family to yours, Merry Christmas!

Tip Tuesday--Holiday Prep

Nana is our guest blogger today, she had some great tips that she shared with me that will be great to pass right along to you all.