What Are You Thinking About?

Lately I've been thinking a lot about creating charts, establishing routines, and eliminating clutter.

I've also been thinking about scarves.

This weekend I stumbled across a few blog articles that, for some reason or another, lodged in my brain and stayed there. The topics didn't leave me with the passive, "Oh, that's interesting," but rather the active, "That's what I'm gonna do!" Funny how that happens sometimes.

Here's what caught my eye.

First, this absolutely awesome online job chart system. It's very cool. My kids love it. I love it. (Okay, we've only had three days to test it, but so far so good.) The parent inputs daily chores to be completed along with the points that can be earned and the rewards that are available (such as a trip to the library, an at home manicure, computer time, etc.). The kids, in turn, keep track of the work they've done and the points they've earned. Then they cash in for their rewards. Did I mention that my kids love it?

The next thing that arrested my attention was the phrase, "Do I wake up TO my child or FOR my child?" This was penned (or typed, as it were) by Kat, guest writer over here. I just love the concept of welcoming your child into the day rather than viewing him as a morning intruder. It's altered the way I approach my morning.

And then the all important, life altering statement found over here at Small Notebook: "If there is one common fashion style in Italy, it’s that everyone is wearing a scarf."

I'm Italian. Italians wear scarves. Ergo, I must wear scarves. I promptly emailed my sister-who-sews-daily and said: "Give me those blog links that will teach me how to make darling scarves! Now! I must wear scarves!" (Or something like that.) She promptly sent me to this site and this site. I'm a big fan of re-purposing fabric and clothing, so I eagerly dove into my stash and set aside a few odds and ends to fashion into scarves. Because I must wear them. (Please feel free to pull me aside some Sunday morning if I seem to have gone overboard with this one. I wouldn't want to overdo the scarf. If, indeed it's at all possible to overdo the scarf.)

So I know these links all seem rather disjointed, but my reaction to them suggests that I'm ready to shout "Spring has sprung!" I'm ready to finally crawl out of that winter hole and blink at the warm, bright sun. It's the time of year when I revisit the way we structure our home life, I organize here and there and I anticipate the creation of something new. It might be a new routine or habit. Perhaps it's a new outlook or attitude. And quite possibly it's also a new scarf.

How are you welcoming spring?