{Using a Checklist to Guide Schoolwork}

When my kids entered their middle elementary years, it was exciting to see how independent they had become. I could place an assignment before them and tend to a younger sibling and, for the most part, they’d be able to stay on task without straying too far. As helpful as it was, I still found that I was interrupted by too many “what should I do now?” questions. So I took the advice of a friend and developed a checklist.

Join me over at The Homeschool Classroom today!

{Order}

Aidan recently got it into his head that it would be most efficient to group his LEGO collection by color. I calmly smiled and said, "What a great idea, honey."

Inwardly I performed a number of gravity defying leaps and pirouettes. My child. Creating order. Hallelujah.

I quickly devised a plan to acquire some cute little, Pottery Barn-perfect canvas bins in which to store these delightfully organized bricks. In the mean time, Aidan resorted to shoving each pile into separate gallon sized zip lock bags.

It was tedious. Too tedious to wait for the perfect bin.

So when I found some serviceable little plastic bins at the dollar store, I snatched them up.

My plan morphed just a tad, and I soon envisioned his shelf lined with these substitute bins. I would alternate the bins: blue, green, blue, green. Yes. That would be so pleasing to the eye. Each bin would have a darling printed label naming the LEGO color contained within. It would be a thing of beauty. My heart skipped a beat just thinking about it.

When I brought the bins home, however, it became quite clear that Aidan had a plan of his own. No sooner had I deposited the bins in his room than he began to dump the contents of each LEGO bag. Much to my horror, he also grabbed a green Sharpie and started labeling those bins. On his own.

Without the cute little labels I had envisioned.

I mourned for a period. It took every ounce of willpower in my possession to let this child create his own order and to smile over the work that he was so proud of. And to watch that green Sharpie desecrate the surface of the tidy bins. Which were not placed in alternate order by color, but grouped by color.

The nerve.

Of course, I could have said, "Aidan, this is how we will arrange your LEGOs." And that would have been the end of it. But I knew that this would also have been the end of his contribution to the order. And I truly wanted it to be his work, his order. His growth.

So I stepped back, bit my lip, and witnessed the continued attacks of the green Sharpie.

Later that afternoon, when I returned to see the completed project, I was more than thankful that I had let go. I was given a window into his world through which I could see what "order" means to him.

It was clever the way his labels ran on like a sentence, each color or description followed by a comma as though the bins were all attached to one another like box cars on a train. The final bin was labeled with a description of its contents followed by a squiggly little period:

Oh, this child. To think that I would to force my own order into his world.

Sometimes our plans for order are good. And sometimes letting those little ones around us make their own order is even better. It's all a part of growing up. Especially when Mama acknowledges that they really are big enough to wield a permanent green Sharpie.

{Operation Simplicity: Why I'm Laughing}

The Lord has a wonderful sense of humor. He knew all along! He knew that as I organized my home, cupboard by cupboard and drawer by drawer, it would prepare me . . . to move.

Just a few short weeks ago we were presented with the opportunity to purchase the home that I grew up in. The kids are beside themselves with excitement, and Jamie and I are, of course, thrilled to be moving into a home of our own.

So my efforts to simplify have already paid off. It should be a fairly easy move (if one can use the words "easy" and "move" in the same sentence). Our soon-to-be home is already vacant, so we're able to move loads over at our convenience. It really is an ideal situation.

The official move will take place toward the end of March. In the mean time, I'll continue to simplify, purge, and pack, eager to bring a sweet little home to life.

We've done it before, and we can't wait to do it again.

{Operation Simplicity: Enthusiasm}

I had planned on saving the kids' rooms until later when I could really focus on tackling the big project. But when the girls saw how much I enjoyed working in my newly arranged and simplified kitchen, they decided that we really shouldn't wait.

They wanted to tackle their room ASAP.

(I may have also casually mentioned that we'd have a garage sale. I may have also hinted that they could keep any money they earned from selling their stuff. This was extremely motivating because I may have also suggested that they could use the money toward the dolls they are saving up for.)

I've noticed that the children use this coloring area in the school room so much more
now that it's tidy and there's an easy to use space for everything.

So we took all day Saturday and whipped that room into shape. We went through every single silly band, book and bracelet, every doll, feather boa and shoe. We simplified the furniture arrangement so that the only large pieces are their daybed and dresser. The doll cradle and laundry hamper are the only other items taking up floor space.

It was a huge project, but so worth it. The boys are green with envy. I bet we'll be getting to their room much sooner than anticipated.

Already I've witnessed a number of benefits to having a simplified living space:

1. It's much easier to tidy up. There's a place for everything with everything in its place. The girls know where to put their feather boas and tea cups. They each have a small basket for the extra little pieces that don't seem to belong to any other collection. Everything has a place. There's no guess work, they can easily reach the storage spaces, and the room can be cleaned in a flash.

2. The space is inviting. The girls couldn't wait to use their "new" room. The open space left plenty of room for dancing and exercising, both of which took place all Sunday afternoon. (The downside: they were very noisy.)

3. They find more enjoyment in the toys they decided to keep. The girls essentially kept a dress up box, a bin of stuffed animals, their dolls and a few doll accessories along with a few other trinkets such as their tea set and meaningful figurines. We eliminated the toys that they never played with or had outgrown. This means that when they enter their room, they see only the things they enjoy and value.

4. Anticipation of a little extra cash. I'm looking forward to all of their hard work paying off. We'll label their toys separately and keep track during our spring garage sale. Their earnings will be stashed away with their savings until they've saved enough to purchase their dolls.

The girls are loving their room, and so am I. It's no longer scary to walk in there or impossible for a six-year-old to manage. It's downright pleasant.

So you'll forgive me if I show up some Sunday morning in a feather boa. I'm not taking a walk on the wild side. I'm simply enjoying my girls' room.

{Simple is Beautiful}

This morning when I woke up, I had a feeling of excitement about me. I tried to think through the day's events to determine what was worthy of this anticipation. I finally realized that it wasn't an event I was looking forward to. It was a lifestyle.

The more I read Organized Simplicity, the more eager I am to live intentionally, deliberately, fully.

Yesterday the afternoon sun began to dip toward the west, spilling light over the kitchen table. Bethie had placed her book next to the centerpiece, and my eyes couldn't get enough of the beauty. Light and shadow danced through the crystal. The flowers and greenery took on new shades and heightened vibrancy. I kept smiling and glancing back at the display, praising the Lord for that moment.

It was so simple, so perfectly beautiful.

I've been keenly aware of the way I use my time lately. I want to live simply and beautifully in this area, too. Last night I chose to avoid the computer in favor of spending time with my little Miss Kate. I told her it was her night. We played a silly game and laughed and giggled until the others begged to join us.

So simple. So beautiful.

Yes. This is what I want.

{Operation Simplicity: Almost There!}

I'm nearing the end of January, and, barring unforeseen obstacles, I should be able to finish my kitchen organization in time. Yippee! Let me tell you, this has been a revolutionary experience. Even the children have noticed a difference. ("Mom! I can reach the plates!")

I'm also thoroughly enjoying Organized Simplicity. If you have a chance to read it, please do. Tsh draws our hearts to the importance of determining what our family's purpose is. From that frame of mind, we choose the events, activities and purchases to which it is appropriate to say "yes." If it doesn't support the goals we have for our family, we say "no." It's that simple.

On Saturday afternoon, Jamie and I visited with the girls over hot chocolate and coffee. I asked them what some of their favorite family activities are. They listed things like hiking, camping . . . and going to JJ Jump. (Guess which one was Avery's.)

Our goal is to simplify the clutter so that we can enjoy more of this family and people time. Although we haven't yet sat down to determine our "official" family purpose, I know it will center on serving the Lord and His people. I want room in our lives for people. Not things.

In my de-cluttering efforts this weekend, I tackled the pantry and baking "center." (It's not so much a center as it is a corner. Here's the "before" version to the left.) It was helpful to take everything out and view my spaces with new eyes. I could rearrange the shelves! I could lower them or raise them to serve a new purpose! I could put the canned goods in an entirely different cupboard! And I did.





I transferred the baking goods I use most frequently into one cupboard. I can stand in one spot and easily reach my flour, oil, sugar, etc. My oil used to be above the microwave and therefore a bit hard for me to reach. Since I use it daily, that seemed rather inefficient.

I adjusted the shelves in the other cupboard to accommodate the height of the oil bottles. I can now reach them with ease. Funny how such a little thing can make a difference. I whipped up our Sunday scones without leaving that one little corner of the kitchen. It was lovely.

I also decided to try out a little turntable for my most frequently used baking items. I love it! It's cleared up and simplified the space significantly. I transferred my baking soda to a jar since it fit a bit better in there than the box did, and I like the nice, clean look it creates. Ta-da!

We took a load to Goodwill this weekend and ran a few errands. Although we are trying to purge rather than accumulate, I did find something at TJ Maxx that I just had to buy. A step stool! It's a lovely, compact little folding thing that fits right next to the fridge.

Avery can easily use it to wash at the sink, and I can grab it when I need to reach the up-high stuff. I can even reach that crazy cupboard above the fridge! I really love it. Ask my family. I've been raving about it non-stop.

I'm always motivated on Mondays to kick it into high gear. Today I was a whirlwind of activity, especially since my January goal is within reach. I listed out the few spaces I have yet to conquer and will take this final week to finish them up. Which, unfortunately, includes going through forty-one place mats. I'm not kidding.

{Week's End: Feet, Fondu, and Filing}

About the feet:
Yesterday morning, as I was curled up in an unusual Pilates position, I had ample time to observe my feet. Specifically, my heels. (I probably should have been focusing on my core, but that might have been the moment when the dog attacked my face and I got a bit side-tracked.)

So anyway, as I was foot-gazing, I was amazed that my little heels were handling this winter weather so well. They aren't dry and cracked as they frequently can be during this time of year. How is this possible? I'll tell you.

With regular pedicures being quite out of the question, I started my own simple little foot regimen a few years ago that has proved to be quite successful. And it only requires two things of me:

1. I keep a pumice stone in the shower and regularly give my heels a little scrub.

2. Before hopping into bed, I lather 'em up with a nice, thick coat of Neutrogena hand or foot cream.

That's it! It's so very simple, and it really makes a difference. Just a little recommendation for you, should you find yourself twisted into a position in which your feet meet your face and it proves to be rather discouraging.

About the fondu:
My parents are hosting the boys this weekend for a little cousins "retreat." I know they're having a blast. (And I know they're in great hands. My mom opened the front door to receive them with a whistle around her neck and the camp schedule posted on the door.)

Naturally, we decided to have our own little party at home last night. With cheese. Lots and lots of cheese. (Aidan is allergic to dairy, so we don't typically serve a large pot of cheese to the family.)

While I was dropping the boys off at Camp Into the Vortex, Jamie and the girls whipped up a delicious fondu spread. We had a delightful dinner, stabbing breads and meats and veggies and dunking them into the cheesy deliciousness. We watched Meet Me in St. Louis, and for the most part the girls were able to stab and watch simultaneously.

Things took an unexpected turn when Avery tried to dance to "The Boy Next Door." Her foot somehow landed in her sparkling marionberry drink, dumping its contents all over the table. Thankfully she wasn't wielding a fondu fork. We hastily mopped it up and resumed stabbing.


About the filing:
I found an idea that I think might work well for the stack of papers that is looming on my kitchen counter. As I continue to sort through my kitchen cabinets and drawers this month, I'm very aware that there's still a pile in the corner, just waiting for me. It's like a little imp mischievously whispering, "I'm still here! Ha! Thought you could ignore me, huh?"

I really didn't know how I was going to handle the mess, but this system over at Simple Mom just might be the ticket. April Perry writes about "Clearing the 'Counter Pile' with a Tickler File." It took me a minute to figure out the flow of the system, but I think I just might get me some cute little folders and give it a try.

So that's what I'm thinking about today. Feet, fondu and filing. Which is very convenient. I've always been fond of alliteration.

Do you have a filing system that works well for you? Any thoughts or recommendations?

{Operation Simplicity: The Kitchen}

You can tell a lot about a person by going through their kitchen. When Jamie and I moved into his grandparents' home as newlyweds, it was an honor to sort through his grandmother's kitchen and learn more about her.

It was clear that she had grown up with a bit of the Depression Era mentality along with the 50s concept of plenty. As a result, she had put up jars and jars of beautiful peaches, and her pantry was well stocked with anything and everything a coupon could get. Like Jell-O. Lots and lots of Jell-O.

This month, as I'm going through my kitchen in an effort to purge and simplify, I'm wondering what a person might think about my own life. Based on the unusual hoarding patterns I've developed, I've compiled a list of assumptions that one might make:

1. She must be planning to open a daycare or have several more children. For some reason I never parted with the bibs and baby washcloths and sippy cups. I even found an old pacifier. My youngest is six. So clearly, I must be hoping for just one more baby or anticipating a new business venture in which dozens of toddlers suddenly arrive on my door step.

Now, it's true that I still have young nieces and nephews, and it has been convenient to entertain family and whip out a bib. But four bibs? Not necessary. Needless to say, I've significantly pared down my baby provisions.

2. She's a very crafty and resourceful person. This is not true. I don't like to sew and, as I've mentioned before, I only like projects that can be quickly and easily completed in an afternoon. With glue. But, based on the number of cracked china pieces that I've set aside, it looks as though I have great plans for transforming them into shabby chic mosaic flower pots or quaint little garden stones. I have yet to do such a thing. I probably never will. It was very liberating to toss those puppies.

3. She has an affinity for jars. Okay so this one is true. My sister and I discovered that the Trader Joe's peach and pear jars make perfect water bottles and storage containers. Raw sugar looks so pretty in a jar, and I love opening my baking cupboard to see the chocolate chips, sea salt and popcorn all lined up in a row.

And then there were the jam jars. Jam jars are perfect for mixing dressings and sauces. They also make great drinking glasses for kiddos.

The problem is that I just kept on saving jars. And lids. Because aside from sealing the jars, lids also come in handy for holding dip-dip. You know, ranch dressing or maple syrup for small little people who are dining with us. Which brings me back to #1.

I tossed a whole bunch of jars and lids. Goodbye, dip-dip.

4. She's planning on storing lots and lots of bread. It never occurs to me to throw away bread clips. I just toss the little clip in a container with the others, and before I know it my drawer is overflowing with bread clips and twist ties. This is ridiculous. I found a much smaller container than the one pictured here in order to keep just a small handful. Because it is nice to seal up a bag of frozen peas every now and then.

* * * * *

So now that I've successfully purged and rearranged several areas, a person might come into my kitchen and come up with a new set of assumptions. Such as:

1. She must really like to cook. Well, this isn't actually true. (Shocking.) But I do like to eat. I also find great pleasure in serving my family. The beauty of working in my newly-arranged kitchen is that my pieces are much more accessible.

I've thought through the appliances and dishes and gadgets I am most likely to reach for and have made sure that they're easy to grab. As a result, I enjoy working in there. Which means I'm more likely to cook and bake and whip up a little smackerel of something. Which in turn blesses my family. Which is the whole point.

2. She must be short. This is true. I'm just over 5' 2", so I can't reach the back of the top shelf without dragging over a chair (or my husband). So the things that I don't use very often are way up in the nose bleed section of the kitchen.

3. Yikes. Her food pantry needs a lot of help. Another truth. Hence this week's goal: tackle that pantry and make it a thing of beauty. (Or at least a thing of efficiency.)

Since I've managed to free up a bunch of cupboard space (adding shelves has really helped), I'm re-thinking the way I store the ol' provisions.

One thought that keeps coming to mind is how to deal with the flour and sugar containers. Should I store them neatly away in the cupboard in their current plastic containers or display them on the counter in pretty glass jars? I have the space on my counter, but will they look sad when they're not full?

Where do you keep your flour and sugar canisters? What would you recommend?

Thanks for following along, my friends. With love,

Petunia June (aka The Non-Crafty, Jar-Loving Short Girl with a Really Messy Pantry)

{Today's Project}

My kitchen is coming along, one drawer at a time. I'm realizing, however, that a kitchen is a tricky thing. Because when I clear out one drawer, I quickly see the wisdom in rearranging and mingling other drawers and cupboards with each other to make the spaces work more efficiently. It's almost like I'm moving in again. So it's a (sometimes messy) work in progress.

Even so, my kitchen already feels much more user friendly. I actually like working in it. Which is the goal. (And I kind of get a kick out of watching Jamie open cupboard after cupboard to find a bowl which is no longer in it's original spot.)

I'll share more about my kitchen endeavors next week. But for today, I decided to attack the creepy Tupperware drawer (and even allow you to see a picture of it). Why is this always the one to cause so much trouble? It must be those lids and mis-matched pieces. It took longer than the 15 minutes I allotted, but since it's a quiet Saturday that's okay.

Do you have a terrifying Tupperware success story? How have you solved the problem?

I don't have cute or spiffy organizing bins, but this already feels so much better. I moved the plastic kid cups to this drawer (they had previously been in a cupboard) since Miss Kate was prone to ascend the counter tops to reach for a glass when thirsty. I think this is a much better option. I also paired off the lids and containers to see how many superfluous lids I'd accumulated. Quite a few. They got tossed. Operation Simplicity . . . success!

A number of you have updated me with your various clutter-clearing efforts. A drawer cleaned out, a closet spiffed up, a bag filled and dropped off. Hooray! It's so fun and encouraging to work on our homes together.

What have you been working on today?

{Operation Simplicity: Making a Plan}

A friend of mine recently commented that she had organized her entire home. She actually touched every single thing that she owned. Needless to say, I was very impressed.

And then I thought of my closet. And my kids' closets. And the garage. I swooned.

When I came to, I gave myself a little pep-talk. I can do this! This is a great time to make a plan! A plan to simplify and clear out the clutter! The start of a new year is good for things like that! Yippee!

As I was thinking these uplifting thoughts (with my eyebrows raised, of course), I came across the book Organized Simplicity via Small Notebook. It looks like a great resource. Another friend recommended it, saying that it has some very helpful ideas. She shared with me the plan for simplicity that she is adopting this year for her family, and I love it. The goal?

Get rid of excess.

This doesn't only apply to the tangible clutter like the silly bands, hangers and band-aid wrappers that mysteriously accumulate throughout the home. We're talking about excess in everything. Time wasted in front of a screen. Too many outside commitments. Unhealthy eating habits. The things that distract. The things that consume. Everything.

Blaise Pascal wrote, “Distraction is the only thing that consoles us for our miseries, and yet it is itself the greatest of our miseries.”* I find myself too often surrounded by this type of "misery," and it's discouraging. There are far too many distractions, and I believe they often prevent me from growing into the woman that God wants me to be.

So I'm making a plan. It's still a work in progress. In fact, it will take all year. That sounds rather daunting, doesn't it? But the plan is to first tackle the physical clutter that so insidiously accumulates. Here's what I'm gonna do:

1. Divide the house into 12 areas.
2. Tackle one area each month.
3. Divide each area into smaller sections.
4. Work on one section each day (except Sunday) for 10-15 min.

When that breaks down to just 10 or 15 minutes a day, it seems much more manageable, doesn't it? (Continuing to give myself pep-talks with eyebrows raised . . . .)

As I go through the items we've accumulated over the decades, I'll keep in mind the helpful words of William Morris:

Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.

Since we're already a week into January, I'm starting with my kitchen. I had already organized and rearranged some appliances after Christmas, so I'll use the rest of the month to continue tackling my kitchen: one drawer, one cupboard, one appliance at a time.

I'm also thinking ahead toward the busy vs. not-so-busy months. For example, I know that the kids' rooms will take quite a bit of effort. I'll probably save these for summer, yet start now in helping the kids eliminate things here and there so it won't be such a monstrous task. (I just shuddered when I typed that.)

If I keep a Goodwill box nearby to be filled and delivered regularly, by the end of the year I will have touched everything in my home. (I hope!) And we'll be living with a lot less clutter and a lot more us.

I want to remove the unnecessary distractions. I want to breathe deeply and feel content in my surroundings. If anything distracts me, I want it to be the laughter of my children, a wink from my husband or the beauty of a winter sunset. Because I'm pretty sure that I don't really need a dozen blenders.


As always, you're warmly invited to join me in my efforts. Operation Simplicity, here we come! Maybe you've already got this thing figured out. Any organizational tips you can send my way?


*As quoted by Pico Iyer in "The Joy of Quiet."

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?