Remaking Jim Dine

Hence we attempted to recreate our own version of the great master's artistic endeavors with this project.  Hence Jim Dine Hearts.   Find our more about Jim Dine here....

Supplies we used:

• Chalk Pastels
• Tissue/soft cloth
• Black Construction Paper
• Small Scraps of Multicolored paper cut in little "tiles"
• Glue or glue sticks
• Glitter if wanted
• Stickers if desired

Paper scraps.....  we have a pile we can use for lots of different things.

I really love playing around with chalk pastels and have no clue why I never had them in the house before Bear.  Its one of the most fun artsy things to pull out on a rainy mid-winter day.  Paper and chalk...  total artistic license to create and have loads of fun with.  Ok, the kiddos have fun too, not just the moms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So with just a little bit of thought, you can have a whole lot of fun one of these rainy days.  

 

How do you beat the rain and keep the kids entertained?

 

 

Introducing 3in30: Version 2015

The 3 in 30.....

What is it? 

Sometimes the easiest way to accomplish needed tasks and goals are to take them in small bits and work to accomplish them, one bit by one bit at a time.

The 3 in 30 is simply picking three goals and working on completing them in thirty days.  For example, de-cluttering a counter top, going through and organizing a computer file system, dusting the cobwebs away from every room might be the three goals you set before yourself.  They don't need to be earth shattering goals.  Just three things you want to accomplish during a given month.

**I use to do this with another blog--as you may recall-- but they don't seem to be doing it any longer....  I need the accountability!  *grin*

Why do it?

Well, simply it breaks down tasks into bite size chunks.  Maybe your goal is to organize your home.  Well that sounds great until you roll up your sleeves and attempt to do it.   When you break it up into smaller manageable slots of time its easier to reach the end because you don't get overwhelmed.  You can pick organizing your cabinets, pantry, bookshelves, or whatever you goal is.  Try it, see if it doesn't help you.

Care to join me?

It costs nothing, and no harm will come to just give it an honest try.  Each Friday post on your blog, twitter feed, Facebook wall, or whatever giving us an update.  If you blog, post your update and link up right here including posting a link to the link up post on your blog!  Accountability is a large part of the battle!

So here is my 3in30 for January 2015

1) Organize my computer desk area; its become a catch all and totally not user friendly currently.
2) Organize my sewing area.  Over November and December it got a bit out of hand.  It needs to be tidied up a but, well ok, a lot!
3) Go through clothes and get ready to donate or toss all those unneeded.

Simple Life

This past week has been bad.  Sickness has hit the entire family and we each still have some varying degress of colds.  I finally made it into the doctor, and 5 days later still have a bad cough.  Half way through my battle Bob and Sarah both got it.  I am hoping the weekend brings a return of health and happiness for us all!

That being said, we have taken things very slowly.  We have tried to get fresh air each day, but keeping on top of the laundry has been a pain.  LOL  What do you do when you are hit by a sickness that leaves the whole family reeling and coughing for days?  I am so glad we are homeschooling, it has allowed us to take it easy instead of me forcing a sick and cranky child to get up and go to school.  Even though she is now well past the stage of giving it away, she still is tired from coughing, etc.  I think of how I feel and look at her and all that yucky condensed into her little pint sized frame is too much for me to bare.

I have been thinking-- and really it's along the lines of what I have been thinking for months--I have to go to school, but there has to be other ways to free up time and in the end have more fun with my daughter and make a better home environment for all of us.

I recently read this

"We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls" (Mother Teresa). 

 I don't think Mother Teresa ever met my four year old.  :-)

The point is, we need to live simpler lives. Let me say that again.  We NEED to live simplier lives.  We need to as a family, as a society even.   Think about it, we have all these hightec gadgets, even low tech gadgets and we are busier and more stressed then ever.  I was reading on Manage Your Life Now that the causes of stress today "emerge from the too many obligations" that we have to juggle, every single day.  Not only do we have to juggle them, our kids have to.  Our children are starting their lives stressed.  Childhood and its play and exploration has been replaced by structured activities.  When we expect 5 or 6 year olds to act like Mom and Dad we force expectations on them that we never had as children.  I wasn't whisked off to play dates 3 or 4 days a week, were you?  I wasn't put in camps every week of the summer, were you?  I wasn't in structured sports at 4, yet we have 2 and 3 year olds doing these things and it can't be good.  I speak as a mom that has done this.  I have been driving from activity to activity myself, doing business on the cell phone and throwing McDonald lunches at my toddler and preschooler because we are rushing from one thing to another.  No more, my daughter just wants to be happy and do things with me and her daddy. 

I thought getting rid of all those bags would be the key, it wasn't.  It helped, it was a start, but it isn't the key.  I am still looking for the key, but I think the next step is organizing and deleting the stuff that don't really matter.  You know the stuff that doesn't increase the joy and happiness of the family unit.  Do we really need to be busy all the time?  Nope.  I want some lazy family days that don't involve grocery shopping or trips to the mall, heck how about some days with trips to NO WHERE?!  Yeah, now we're talking.  So, more bags will go, and that's good, but we also need to get to a place where we can relax and that, frankly will take work.  Work on the part of the whole family.

A simpler and calmer (quieter) life.  That sounds divine. 

So my challenge to you:  Give up some outside activities.  Pick a day that will be media free in your family.  I think I will pick Monday.  I'll see how the family feels, it may change, but Monday sounds good.  No Computers on Monday.....  Maybe we will enjoy it so much we will do two days, but we will start with one.  Simpler and Calmer....  a new mantra in our house.  Think and Believe and it shall BE!

The show goes on

We are still trucking right along.  I have thus far gotten 10 large kitchen bags of donated goods out of the house and 9 small grocery size bags out of the house and that's not counting the numerous bags of assorted recycle paper waste from receipts, letters, etc that we really have no need for.  I know we have made a dent but not sure one could tell.  Sarah's room will be tackled this week as will a start on the basement. 

I am convinced it's time to let go of certain things as well.  Sarah's toy kitchen, our stroller, highchair, kelty back pack and toy swing.  Those will be hard items to let go but we have no use for them.  I will for sure be going to JBF this year unless craigs list turns out to be an option.



Mrs. Kombucha

In the meantime, we have a new "member" living in our home.  We finally have obtained a Kombucha scoby and she is hopefully happily growing and doing her thing as I write.  Learn more about Kombucha here:  Brewing kombucha : A beginners guide.   I am sure we will be hearing more tales from Mrs K as time goes on.  Life in our home, with an active and spunky 4 year old is anything but boring and I am sure Mrs. K will provide some tales and fun in months to come.



Kneading bread dough in our
 "classroom"

We started off our week diving into some fun projects here at home.  Cutting curves to work on fine motor skills.  Both with paper and play dough.  Then to work on strengthening our fingers some we worked on making bread.  We made a really nice cottage loaf of Dilly Bread.  A yummy recipe that made a really nice loaf to go with our soup dinner.  Then since we were on such a roll we made desert.  This allowed us to  practice following directions and again motor skills.  We did pretty good, although we really do like to control things in a 4 year old way and had to learn a couple times that directions and rules must be followed or the item we were making would not turn out.

This was followed by evening Bible studies with Bob (a practice he and Sarah has been doing for a while now).  It's so nice to hear her asking questions.  She is even telling me about coats of many colors and wanting one of her own.  LOL



The rest of the week will see us sorting more and working some outside if weather allows and getting back into the groove of writing letters again after the break.  She balks but wants to do it too.  Funny girl.

I found some interesting print outs we are going to try for tracing and cutting.  She, like the typical 4 year old, has periods of time when she follows directions really well and when she doesn't she doesn't very well, and wants to be the "leader". LOL   I pick my battles wisely, I hope, but sometimes it can be very hard.  I am happy though, we have been working hard on cleaning up our mess before going on and while I have to remind her it is getting better.  It's a slow long hard road, but no one ever said it would be easy.  :-)  We have been "retelling" more and more.  I was worried about that but I think I was just expecting too much to soon.  She can be so cute when talking about her day to some one, but be careful, secrets are no where to be had.  *Grin*

We are also going to be incorporating a mud play time into our week.  I know, GASP, what mother in her right mind would do this...  well I think it can really enhance her love of outside and exploring and really, right now, that's all we can get outside around here!  I see more pet worms in our future. 

I want to also give a little plug for the one program I really don't mind that she watches anymore and that's "Wild Krats".  It's really pretty good and engages kids on their level for learning about animals.  Sarah loves it and it leads to us exploring and learning more.  Just yesterday she was telling me about the slime that worms have on them and how the use their bodies to move in the dirt.  Remember, we can't throw the baby out with the bath water as far as TV. 

Anyway.....  here's to learning and sorting this week!



And we're off....

to a good start and the peace I feel coming into my bedroom to relax at night is wonderful.  I have actually be coming in by 10pm each night! 

Sunday saw us tackling our bedroom.  We spent a few hours and really downsized with very little thought as we got rid of old shoes we rarely wear or haven't worn in a long time.  Shirts that were not what we wanted, dresses, jeans, socks....  and papers and knickknacks we had been hanging onto far to long.  Some might say we still have way to much but I am content with what we are doing thus far.

I am starting the kitchen and will even be getting rid of dishes and offering them on free cycle.  The clothes we donated.  

Here are a few pictures, just to keep me honest.....  :-)



9 Bags!

Happy Tending!
  

After the 9 bags.









20 bags in 30 days

Can I do it?  Well I certainly hope so.  So the challenge is on and starting January 1st we will begin our 30 day purge. 

Not our home.... 
but if we don't get to work it could be!

Here is my list.  Feel free to share your goals and lists as well.  Email me and I may feature your pictures, story or blog here on Garden Tenders.  I know I need inspiration to keep going forward and taking the plunge, so please be my inspiration!  So for the next 30 days, beginning January 1, 2012 I will be getting rid of at least 1 bag of junk a day, maybe more.  Much of  the stuff or items will be donated, I hope, but some stuff no one wants.  That's just how the cookie crumbles, you know?  So the challenge is on and I challenge you all as well.  It's time to de-clutter and simplify. 

OUR LIST!!!!

2 bags kitchen

2 bags laundry area

1 bag bathroom

1 bag Sarah's room

2 bags our room

1 bag our closet

2 bags living room

2 bag porch/mud room

5 bags basement

2 bags attic

This is not even including the outside sheds.  That will be a challenge in March.  We have a ton of things to down size with and our hope here is that 2012 is more time spent doing family fun stuff and one way to get there is to have less stuff "junking" up our space. 


Now to keep myself honest I will post pictures and updates periodically.  It will be hard, we are a family of "collectors" and taking this into consideration I am being rather modest in our goals.  Trying to keep it realistic and do able.  I need to, this isn't a want but a NEED, to declutter my home and make things more manageable around me for my sanity, my health and my family.


So here's to 20 bags in 30 days....  Hopefully we can double that bag count! 


Happy Tending!

reality bites but love prevails....

Well the time is here to discuss the goals we have for 2012.  Time to update our education goals a bit and change them up at bit when we start back after a month off (we took a month off of really sitting down and doing a lot, though we still tend to be more holistic and child led at this point and not all book work). 

2012 will see us eating healthier and doing more juicing and eating more homemade grain breads and more homemade meals with less and less prepared ingredients.  Simplifying our eating and lifestyle (tomorrow read the post on our challenge of 20 bags in 30 days in an effort to de-clutter our lives) in an effort to increase health and well being.

We will work more and more on routine in the Homeschool "classroom".  This will entail a lifestyle change I suspect, or at least a change in routines.  As much as we love our small "learn through play" group, for our family we need a bit more structure now.  Not sure how I will broach this subject with the other moms.  The dramatic play we have been doing on those weeks has been lacking from what I thought it would be and while we love the families, I need to change things up a bit I think.  I love and encourage dramatic play but for us it needs to be a bit more guided or it is just a play group, which is fine, but not really educational, if you know what I mean.  We love play time, but we also need to have more guiding.  I am a culprit as well, I was beginning to slack off because so little was expected I guess.  I did begin with good intentions but you know how that goes.  I am hoping our creative kids can take off a bit more, which is a once a month group for 0-7ish yr olds.  This group is really what I envisioned in some ways that creative play and science and nature combined play, etc., could be.  Guided and free all at once, and that is possible, we do it often enough.    LOL

We did break down and buy Sarah a Nintendo DS game system for Christmas.  We were able to get one very inexpensively and our "hooker" helped to enable that.  Thank you again!  I can see some education possibilities with it, and honestly with all the doctor appointments we go to monthly it will help keep someone sitting still while the doctors chat with the grownups.  A big relief for this mommy!  LOL

Sarah also got her Barbie ATV.  :-)  Santa shopped blackfriday deals and was able to get a very good deal.  She was a happy happy girl on Christmas morning!

This December also marked the 10th anniversary of my father being killed.  I no longer have venomous anger and hatred toward the men that robbed him of his life and stole him from us, but I also wasn't prepared for how I would feel this year, 10 years later (December 15).  I think the amount of pain I felt and loss still struck me hard.  I wasn't prepared for it and it literally has knocked me to my knees and robbed me of breath.  I have shed many tears this month for my daddy and missing him so fiercely, even after all this time.  He was tragically taken from us.  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of him, especially as Sarah gets older and shows some of her grandpa's traits.   Her sense of humor is so much like his and even my dear husband has traits in him that are so lovingly reminiscent of my father.  Both were/are strong family men, both have/had a keen sense of humor and both work/ed hard as providers for the family the love/d.  I am certainly blessed by God to have all these sweet memories to surround myself with and with the love I have been given. 

That being said, as if that pain of remembering and missing my dad wasn't enough, December 23 we lost Uncle Mike, Aunt Cheryl's significant other, after a brief illness.   Part of me was always prepared to get the phone call because of his long battle with alcoholism and leukemia, but I was not prepared for it at this time.  He was very young, just 40 years old.  While my head always knew that one day we would hear the dreaded call my heart was not ready for it. 

Uncle Mike

My cousins, Brandon and Dylan looked to him as the only father they really knew and the only constant male figure in their lives from a very young age (they were together 17+ years off and on, mostly on).  Mike was a kind man always to me and my family.  I know some out there might wonder why I feel such heartache at his passing, but I do.  Despite it all he was a kind man with a gentleness to him.  He always refer to himself as Uncle Mike and he tried.  The cards he was dealt in life were not kind, but he always had a smile and warm hug for Sarah and she will never know him as anything but her dear Uncle Mike.  He will be missed and I can honestly say I have shed tears over his passing and the deep loss my cousins feel.  My heart weeps with them.

Our finite minds can't understand and we shouldn't even try to understand the infinite mind of God the Father in heaven.  We just have to have faith.  It may seem impossible but turning it over to Him and just believing that He had his reasons for allowing it is a release.  It might not make sense now, or ever, but God knows all and works all things to good.  I may never know why my father was taken in such a tragic way, but I know that through prayer and faith it has and will continue to work to good.  God has His reasons.  The same is true of Uncle Mike. 

I know this was kind of heavy.....  sorry.....

Outfit I made Sarah for Christmas-- 
she got many compliments on it!

I am now sewing and doing some crafty items almost daily.  Please remember to check out the web site and the facebook page for that little experiment.  Sarah's Closet & More Facebook Fan Page and  Sarah's Closet & More Blog.  If you are a facebook fan look soon for a special fan code you can use on your next order. 

Until next time,

Happy New Year!  May 2012 be blessed and find you in good health!

Happy Tending!