September Procrastination Challenge

My goal was to paint this stool for my son to use when washing his hands and brushing his teeth. I bought it unfinished in February and painted it with primer and it has been sitting around waiting for some character ever since.


I started with a towel that my Dad's friend, Stacy gave Charlie when he was a baby. I think it's so cute and since Charlie loves playing with cars I thought it would be a good inspiration for my family bathroom makeover. This first attempt didn't exactly work out.


First, my painting isn't the greatest. (Although for the amount of experience I have in this area, it's fantastic!) And then Charlie took a pencil dipped in paint to it before I could get it varnished. I wasn't sure about the design anyway, so I tried something a little different.



I like this one. It's not perfect and I may sand it and repaint it later. But it looks cute in the bathroom and satisfied my need to do something with it. Then because I had some time one day, I decoupaged this for the bathroom wall.


Now I just have to get a coordinating shower curtain and bathroom linens and it will be all fun and "little boy-ish." Yay! My new house is FINALLY starting to get some decorations! And I actually finished something!

Look what I can do!

And then I let go and crash to the ground!

It's so much fun!

Oh and by the way . . . I got my first tooth.

I think I can, I think I can . . .

Things have been a little bit crazy around here. Every week I have a new list of things to do and every week I think, "As soon as this week is over, I'll have more time." But then a new week starts and with it a new list of things that absolutely HAVE to get done. I find myself chanting the advice that President Hinkley's father gave him, "Forget yourself and go to work" over and over and over in my head.

I've come to the conclusion that I have to focus on what I have done instead of what I haven't. It's the only way to stay motivated to continue with my list. (That and a can of Coca-Cola Classic)

So in the interest of keeping things positive, I'm going to share some of the things we've been doing with our letter-of-the-week activities. I meant to blog after our "C" week and never did, but here are some of the things that we did.

We made and decorated Cookies while listening to "C is for Cookie" from the Sesame Street Sing the Alphabet CD.


We Colored this picture of Cookie Monster. PBS kids has a page for each letter and number. We listened to the C song on our Leap Pad Fridge Phonics magnetic set.
We read The Very Hungry CaterpillarThen we created our own Caterpillar work of art based on this picture from Pottery Barn Kids. Our Caterpillar still needs feet, but it looks Cute hanging on Charlie's wall.We played on the Bembo's Zoo website: (Click if you want to play too)



We went to the local zoo and did a scavenger hunt for C's. We played Catch. We went for a walk to see the Cows at the dairy. (And got some of their ice-Cream of course.) And although I don't think that Charlie gets that letters make sounds, he sure knows that you can find letters anywhere.

Just Pictures

If you're sick and tired of seeing pictures of my boys, disregard this post. :-)

The Blogging World

I've discovered that the blogging world is a whole lot bigger than I originally thought it was. I've started subscribing to my favorite blogs via Google Reader. It WAS just my friends and family, but every time I log in, it gives a few "recommended" feeds that they think I might enjoy. While lurking around on all these different sites, I find myself inspired. Inspired to be more creative, to be a better mom, to do amazing things with my home, and to buy everything that moms are selling. I find it absolutely incredible the way that stay-at-home moms are finding ways to make money for their families by creating interesting blogs and selling advertising or by creating something special to sell on blogs and on etsy.com. I also love that they use giveaways to get the word out about their products. There are so many talented people out there. And I learn so much from their tutorials, recipes and the stories of their endeavors. I really don't have time for it . . . but when both kids happen to be asleep, I decide the dishes and laundry can wait and I find myself lost on the internet, writing down ideas for games, crafts, gifts and dinners.

Anyway, here are a few of my favorite blogs . . . by people that I don't know.

Tip Junkie: I think most of the blogging world has come across this blog with the great giveaways and ideas and tutorials. I could stare at this site all day long.

Light Refreshments Served (may it nourish and strengthen us): This is a random ramblings blog written by some amazing and hilarious LDS women.

Bakerella: I am using her cake pops as a basic recipe for something creative I'm making for our Halloween party next month.

Cool Mom Picks: I can't afford anything on this site, but I love to look

Noble Pig: Okay, so I don't drink wine, but she entertains me. And I am so interested to see how she is going to turn this beautiful land that she bought into a home and vineyard.

c jane enjoy it: Is anyone else captivated by how the blogging world is raising money for the Nielsons?

I Never Grew Up: Great ideas for entertaining my kids

Spraguelab: Photoshop Hints

A Feathered Nest: Fun ideas for kids and home

my happy little life: I love the pictures that she takes. Photography blogs are my newest favorite things to lurk on.

And I already mentioned Virtual Organized. See the post below.

The Procrastination Challenge

How did life go from me sitting around playing with the kids to constantly making phone calls, sewing bags for the Relief Society humanitarian aid project, putting pictures together for my mom, and making birthday presents for the primary kids? Things have been hectic and that means that I'm finishing things for other people before I do my own stuff.

Well I'm not letting myself get away with it anymore. I may not have time to do much, but I'm going to do something for myself. Over at Virtually Organized, Debbie has started a Procrastination Challenge. The object is to choose a project each month and stop putting it off. Because of all the other things I've got going on, I'm starting with something small. I'm going to finish painting this stool that I bought for Charlie to use in the bathroom.


I haven't decided what exactly I'm going to do with it . . . paint it . . . decoupage maybe . . . but I bought it unfinished in February and it's time to stop putting it off. We'll see how it goes.

Next month, I'm tackling my office.

Picture of the Day

The Mommy Awards

My cousin's wife, Jenny, has started a new website dedicated to moms and everyone is invited to participate. (And by the way, I won the first award!) She gives her reasons for starting this blog in her first post which I will copy here. She explains it much better than I could.

Jenny wrote:

I have just read a book about Motherhood that I found particularly uplifting and inspiring. It is by Jane Clayson Johnson and it is called, "I Am a Mother". If you don't know her story, it is unique in its significance, although, something so many of us can relate to. Jane Clayson was hosting a national morning news show and had just been offered a big promotion. She had also just married and was desirous to start a family. So, she turned down the great job offer, quit her television journalism altogether and became a Mom!



There is a part of her book that spoke to me the other night (quite literally - which is why I am doing this). It is this excerpt from the first chapter I'd like to share:

"I know what I gave up so that I could be a mother during this season of my life. But I also know what I gave it up for. I traded in fancy lunches in fancy restaurants for rice cereal and bunny-shaped macaroni and cheese. There's no one to do my hair and makeup anymore. Some mornings I'm lucky to squeeze in a shower. When I get up at 4:00 am these days, it's not to be chauffeured to a television studio. Instead, you'll find me huddled near a nightlight, lulling a little baby (or two!) back to sleep. No more pats on the back for booking exclusive interviews. They don't give awards for best diaper change of the day. And I don't get a paycheck that can be cashed at any bank. Now my compensation comes in packages money can't buy."

"Indeed, every mother who prayerfully chooses her own path in life -- no matter where that path leads -- does not have to apologize for being a mother. As she loves her children, as she sacrifices -- in her own way and within her own capabilities -- she will be led by the Savior and buoyed up by his loving care as she works to rear 'the offspring' of God (Acts 17: 28). In this, she will have acquired true success."

My hope is to bring mothers together and celebrate our true successes. Each day we do little things, big things, mundane things and marvelous things, whether we realize it or not at the time, these are true successes. Perhaps when Jane wrote this book there was no award for "Best Diaper Change", but today there is! Let's have fun, nominating ourselves, our mothers, our sisters, our neighbors, whomever comes to mind as we explore the daily functions of mothering. Marvelous to Mundane Mommy Awards will be given on Mondays. So, you can start each Tuesday checking out the topic of the week and then making nominations in the comment section. Each weekly topic will have polls, stories and hopefully, LOTS of great comments from you - we love to hear each others stories. And, quite honestly, we all love to tell our stories (isn't that why we are all out here blogging?). Check in each Tuesday for the new topic, share with us and check back on Monday to see who gets "The Mommy Award of the Week".


Click on the picture or here to see what this is all about. I think it's going to be fun.