Tuesday Tidy no. 3

Toys! We've done a pretty good job of keeping the toy collection down. I don't think we've paid for any of the toys as they've been mostly gifts or hand-me-downs. My son is great taking things out and while we're playing I'm all about the mess. So many fun things to do! Seriously, 8 months is fun with the crawling, furniture cruising, looking at books and examining how things make noise.

Then he goes to bed and I realize I can't see the floor. So my quite method for reclaiming the floor is simple: six small bins.

I got these bins at Target for a different purpose, initially. The two short ones fit under our coffee table and also under the fireplace hearth. With wood floors this means I can toss all the toys inside (either bin, no rules here) and then slide them underneath to get them out of the way.

The three more sturdy bins I turned on their side and placed in front of the baseboard heater as a barricade and they serve as his bookcase. It's great because he can get book out and also uses the bins to stand, since they are sturdy enough. These are in his bedroom since that is where most reading takes place.

The tall one is also in his bedroom and basically holds anything that isn't a book (although books are welcome). His small room means I can toss things into the bucket from anywhere in the room. Seriously, 30 seconds and it's all put away.

It is so fulfilling and always makes me wonder if I could have something similar for my own things. Part of the struggle with moving is needing to live in a space long enough to figure out what types of systems makes sense in the space. So far, this one is a huge hit!

Currently

The view from here...

Enjoying snuggles with our tiny person.
Reading this book.
Listening to this series during middle of the night feedings.
Watching this documentary and James Bond movies in small chunks as the little one sleeps.
Admiring the sunny weather from inside a warm house.
Cooking fried quinoa.
Making granola bars,
Eating anything that only requires one hand. These are particularly delicious.
Drinking water and #allthecoffee
Soaking up every moment before going back to work at the end of the month.
Inspired by this post to delete and organize phone photos.

30 days of lists

Weekend Dreaming

1. wear hoodie
2. go for a run
3. drink coffee
4. knit
5. laugh with a friend
6. take a nap
7. read a book
8. clean the kitchen
9. change the linens
10. make a meal
11. draw or color
12. watch a show or two
13. take another nap
14. eat popcorn
15. sip tea
16. bake something yummy (granola maybe...)

30 days of lists

Things that go well with coffee...

1. Pie

2. Books

3. Conversation

4. Knitting

5. Cupcakes

6. Bacon

7. Toast

8. Boots and winter jackets

9. Donuts

10. The soundtrack to "Breakfast at Tiffany's"

30 days of lists

Books on my Nook That I Need Want to Read

1. Why Not Me by Mindy Kaling
2. Simply Tuesday be Emily Freeman
3. Fight Back with Joy by Margaret Feinberg
4. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordian
5. Maisie Hobbs by Jacqueline Winspear (almost finished!)
6. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowlings)
7. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
8. Bell Weather by Dennis Mahoney

currently

Maisie Dobbs / Simply Tuesday / Woolful Podcast / The Haden Triplets / QAL / Salad

current booklist

One of my goals this month is to finish 2 books. Currently I am in the middle of these stories:

The Girl on the Train
I am listening to this one as an audiobook and I find it very interesting. There are two main narrators and it has a bit of mystery and intrigue mixed into a character development plot. Just getting into the most mysterious part yet. I cherish any drive longer than 5 minutes because it means I can listen to this book!

The Fringe Hours
This is a great book so far. I need this type of book to help me sort through my thoughts and feelings about say "yes" and "no" and better managing my time and activities. There are spots in the book where you can write and reflect, however I would love to lend this out or reread in the future so I decided to use a journal instead. Low and behold this journal was sitting on the clearance rack and target. I saw my one little word all over the cover and knew that I had to get it. It's been fun to stop and doodle and reflect and mark quotes that are speaking to me. I want to make more time for this type of book.

The Forgotten Affairs of Youth
This is a for fun read. I love this series and the slow pace of the books. There is a lot of inner dialogue with the main character and it makes me stop and pay closer attention to my own inner dialogue. This one is best for longer reading sessions, as the plot moves slower than other books and you want to soak into the characters and setting for more than just a few minutes.

Yes Please!
I finished Amy Poehler's autobiography/memoir earlier int he month. I really enjoyed listening to it so I could appreciate all the jokes fully. She also has some great guest readers. Overall a fun read and great for listening to while running. People think you're a little crazy when you start laughing along the trail, but that's okay. It's good to laugh :)

I am going to start a summer reading list this weekend. Any suggestions?

may goals

As we dive into May I've decided to set some new goals that both stretch my previous goals and also help me try new things

Run 60 Miles

This month I want to try and run 60 miles. Last month was close but with an 11 mile run already in the books and a holiday weekend toward the end of the month, I feel confident that this is both attainable without being unreasonable.

Finish Two Books

This was a great goal for me a few months back. I liked the challenge and I have since discovered a good system for listening to audiobooks. I have three that I'm in the middle of or just started and could use the extra motivation to pick up a book instead of turn on a show, looking forward a book report soon!

Memorize Scripture Each Week

I have wanted to work on memorizing scripture for awhile. Everytime I make this a priority I am blessed by the ability to call up scripture when needed. I have recently been following this site which offers devotionals, journals, and art inspired by scripture. I've been meaning to support them and realized that they have monthly download packages with digital calendars and printable files. Included in the package are monthly scripture cards. So I decided to give it a try. I printed them on cardstock, cut them apart, and hung them by my bed. The verses are short and simple and powerful. So far I'm doing pretty well with verse one and I hope to find success so this can become a habit!

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march goals (in review)

Somehow it's April and while I'm thrilled, I'm a bit surprised and uncertain about where March went! So let's see how I did on my goals...

Meal Plan - check (sort of)
This was hit and miss throughout the month. My husband got a cold and illness is always a game changer when it comes to eating. At the beginning of the month I stuck with my new cookbook and found great success. In the middle of the month it was a mixture of standby faves and comfort food for the weary. The last week of the month I decided to let the produce section inspire me. This was a really great choice! I chose a variety of veggies and picked up some chicken and salmon. When I got home I prepped the veggies for either sautéing or snacking. After packaging them into serving containers, I stored them in two bins in the fridge for easy access. I also chopped the chicken and cooked it all the same day using half for a curry dish and the other half for salads during the week. Lunches were mainly veggies, fruit and hummus, and dinners were chicken or salmon based with a side of more veggies. So easy and so fresh and delicious.

Finish Two Books - check!
I started to fiercely on this goal and then suddenly it was March 30 and I had 15 chapters left. With a little motivation from my third graders I powered through just before midnight. Phew! I finished Still Alice and Delancey, both of which I recommend. Delaney is a memoir that inspired you to pay attention to the ingredients you put into your cooking but also made me want to take on a new challenge and chase a passion or dream. I also want to go visit the restaurant now, even if I can't eat the pizza. During the month I also started two new books, however neither are quite inspiring so my spring break goal is to find a new book or two that I can dive into.





Sew Once a Week - check!
This did happen, I just forgot to blog about it! I made the bloomers and pieced the backing of my tree quilt. The next weekend I went on a quilt store tour with a friend and we picked out fabric for a baby quilt for her little boy and I got some warm tones to make a new quilt for the living room. Each week I made time to cut triangles or stitch a few together. It was slow going, however I'm looking forward to diving into the baby quilt over spring break. Nothing like a deadline and a few days off to motivate!



Blog Three Times a Week - umm...
Well... let's see the breakdown:

• Week 1 - 3
• Week 2 - 4
• Week 3 - 2
• Week 4 - 2

That almost averages to 3 times a week, and if we're focusing on the writing part, I did draft two more posts, just never got around to finishing/editing. March felt so fast and busy that I'm actually surprised I even blogged that many times! Of course "scripture sunday" helps a lot :)

I'm currently look at the calendar for April and working on some goals. This has been a fun way to push myself creatively, especially in the fiber and book arenas.

march goals

February was a successful month for choosing small, manageable goals. The goals were meant to keep my creative side active.

This month I am aiming a bit higher by setting similar goals that stretch me a bit more.

Finish Two books
I'm currently listening to Still Alice and finding it a nice book to listen to while baking, cleaning and creating. The character development drives the plot and these activities allow me enough uninterrupted time to really get into the story. I find that since I am rarely in my car for longer than 10 minutes or so, I have to make space in my schedule for podcasts and audio books that require longer stretches of time to fully enjoy the story.

On the other side, I'm ticking away at Delancey one chapter at a time. They are quick and short but deep and lyrical chapters. This means I can read one chapter before bed or one when I wake up and I don't need a long stretch of solitude to be able to enjoy the writing. I still have a number of books on my stack so perhaps I'll even get to dive into something new this month!

Sew Once a Week
I have many friends with babies on the way and a few quilts I mentioned in last week's fiber friday post. Now armed with a gift certificate to my local quilt shop, I've no excuse! I've decided to make time once a week to get back into fabric. I'm not going to box myself in with a particular project but will instead see where it is these stitch sessions take me. Look for update on fiber fridays!

Meal Plan
I was so into meal planning in the fall but fell off the wagon hard around December. It's time to officially get back into things and I'm hoping my new cookbook will be the main source of inspiration! I received "Make Ahead Paleo" for my birthday and have already made one recipe. Though we do not eat exclusively paleo, I do eat gluten- and dairy-free and all of the recipes meet this requirement. The big-batch style cooking has worked so well for us in the past that this should fit into our weekly routine well but liven up the type of foods we are eating. Thai Coconut Meatballs are on my list for this week!

Blog Three Times a Week
I was all set to do a fitness goal and then I realized that with leading FitClub at school twice a week and having two races this month, I think I have the motivation I need in that department. Instead, I want to continue to be here on the blog. I've been listening to some past episodes of a podcast where bloggers get together and chat about writing and inspiration. This has helped me see how many different approaches there are to writing and posting on a blog. I am working be OK with seasons where I write less but also realizing how much renewal I get from sitting down and planning out blog posts. The process itself helps me to make time for the crafts, hobbies, and activities I enjoy. It helps me tune out the work to-dos and the household chores that are calling my name and focus on how I will BEcreative and really, be myself. I hoping that an extra post a week doesn't because another thing on my to-do list, but something that inspires me to keep at the things that bring me joy.

february goals

This month I set four small goals on the sidebar of the blog. I was tempted to set more, but I knew I needed to start with something reasonable and attainable. Now that were in the last few days of February, here's an update on my progress:

Blog Twice A Week
Thanks to Scripture Sundays, this has totally worked out. I'm hoping to continue this pattern with an extra post here and there. I didn't realize how much I missed blogging until I got back into it!

Finish One Knitting Project
I finished my cowl! As long as finished means I did the bind off... I still need to block it and weave in the ends, but I'm planning to do that on Friday. The goal was to get something off the needles so I could focus on my other 4 projects. Mission Accomplished!

Drink More Water
Not sure I set a real tangible to way for myself to track this goal but I do have a better system for making sure I'm equipped to drink water. I have a variety of glass water bottles that go straight from the dishwasher into the fridge with filtered water and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Anytime I need water at home or to go, I reach for these. They are chilled and refreshing. Once I'm done, back into the dishwasher they go. A pretty good system, though I'm sure I could still use a bit more H2O to fuel me throughout the day.

Make Time for Pleasure Reading
I have discovered so many books I want to read! While that isn't really what the goal was about, I have carved out some time for reading. Here's what's currently on my nightstand:

The Bible - Matthew
I'm reading through the Gospel with Margaret Feinberg's #lentenchallenge I'm using the packet she put together which uses a variety of translations. It is really interesting to read straight through the different chapters and see all the miracles and interactions of Jesus. Next week we'll move into Mark and then work our way through Luke and John. It is a nice way to slow down and recenter each day.

Delancey - Molly Wizenberg
I tried to listen to this as an audiobook first. #fail The reader did not make me excited. By chance I had also put the hardback edition on hold at the library. When it arrived I decided to give it another go. I love reading Molly's blog and am so happy that I gave it another chance. It is fun to read about the ups and downs of their journey toward opening a pizzeria. I have even read a bit aloud to my husband. the way she writes is lyrical and makes me want to set the book down and head straight for the kitchen!





Here what I want to put on my nightstand next:

Make It Happen - Lara Casey
I've seen this one around the internet and on a few blogs lately. I love the concept of purposeful living and finding a way to view life as more than checking things off a list. I'm interested to see what she says about her path to enjoy the journey of life.

Fringe Hours - Jessica Turner
This book seems like the next step in my quest for time management. Not the kind of time management that makes me efficient at work (I've got that pretty well covered right now) but how to make time for the things that I love and am inspired by. I one time overheard a piano student tell his teacher, "I didn't have time to practice this week," and the teacher very sincerely and gently said, "We all have the same time each and every day. Only you get to choose how you spend it." I'm not sure how much the student took this to heart, but I certainly did! I have been working lately to find a balance between efficiency and enjoyment and this books seems interesting to me as I explore the way I spend my minutes each day.

list no. 3

  I Am Looking Forward To...

1. Knitting more on my shawl tonight
2. Drier weather for running more miles
3. A road trip at the end of the month
4. A trip to Hawaii at the end of the school year
5. Planting
6. Cycling
7. Making homemade lattes
8. Reading. Reading. Reading.
9. Starting a new sewing project
10. Eating berry crisp when I get home from work!

What are you looking forward to?

*the idea for this post came from here and is part of the 30 Days Of Lists Project

Currently - April 2014

returning to blogging!

wearing my new shawl (see above)

eating goat cheese & apple slices

packing for  Hawaii - trip isn't until June, but it's good to have something to look forward to!

listening to Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Gazarek, the husband's jazz piano from the next room  

searching for a new audiobook to listen to while I wash dishes and knit 

reading A Causal Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (lots of characters with interesting connections and a steady pace)

choosing to move: running and yoga a few times a week with shorter core and toning exercises on "off days"

browsing A Beautiful Mess projects that I don't necessarily make yet always inspire me to try new things no matter after how daunting and Lining Up My Stitches for inspiration and accountability to keep doing the things we love regardless of life busyness

enjoying  the wall of our living room which showcases a small quilt I finished last year, a fun and dynamic paper art project, and an old bingo board from my Grandparent's house. Each has a certain faded, antique quality that I find cozy and relaxing.

watching most things PBS and "Chuck"(we just began season 1)

sipping americanos - hand ground and homemade

knitting any chance I can get!

I enjoy reading currently posts from a variety of bloggers. It is a fun way to document the little and big things happening. Here are some links to other ways of recording what is currently happening:

Elise Blaha Cripe

Stephanie Howell

Ali Edwards

Slice of Life 2012 - 9

What I'm reading.

Unfortunately, I am not reading very much at the moment. Approximately two minutes after I begin reading, I promptly fall asleep. This creates a challenge for certain genres and topics of reading which require attention to detail and frequent and plot twists, so I checked out a book at random, hoping for the best. After plowing through the Hunger Games Trilogy I was ready for something engaging, but not too difficult to follow. A few characters, a simple plot, and a fun little mystery later, I had my book. It took me three weeks to finish (see above obstacle) but was perfect for the busyness of now.

It reminds me a little of when I was in high school and I chose to read books beneath my grade level, books intended for younger readers. But sometimes I think it's nice to have a fun little read to give your mind a break between books that require much attention to detail.

Thanks to the library for letting me dip my toe into the waters of the cozy and fast-paced series: The Flower Shop Mysteries. Now it's time to tackle one of the many books on my actual to-read list.

books in january

what i'm reading devouring!

I am always inspired over Christmas Break to dive into some books or finish up the books that are taking me too long to read during full and busy work weeks. 2011 ended no differently.
what i love about this relatively new & unintentional tradition is that i start the year with a rediscovered love of reading; a passion, really. Here is how this month is panning out, bookwise:

Reading or finished reading:
1.  Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling - i had wanted to read this book since it came out last year and am so glad it accidentally fell into my hands. thanks sister!
2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins . I was ready to dive into something very different, after the memoir. Although I have a growing list of books I'd like to read (see Goodreads), I skipped ahead to this well known and well recommended book.  3 days; THREE DAYS is all it took me. Of course, there were snow days without work involved, but STILL! it reminds me a lot of a trilogy i read last year called The Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness. also thrilling and hard to put down.
3. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley - I know... I'm had this one going for SO LONG. it's a very fun and engaging mystery, but i started it at a busy time and it was due back at the library, and blah, blah, blah... This time, I am into it and i've acquired a copy of the book, so wish me luck and hopefully it can graduate from 'currently reading' to the 'read' list soon!

A few of the books up next in the pile are: 
1. Enders Game by Orson Scott Card  -a recommendation from the hubby. You may notice a pattern of young adult dystopia. for now i'm chalking it up to the fact that when I should've been reading these types of books, i despised reading. i'm making up for lost time!
2. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde - I love the Thursday Next and Nursery Crimes series' by this author. We listened to about half of this book on CD a few summers ago so i think it will be easy to pick up.
3. Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paola Giordano- I purchased this book a year ago on clearance with one of my last Border's giftcards. I think i mostly likely the cover art/font and the fact that it talked about Math. looking forward to seeing what it might actually be about!

And of course... Books 2 & 3 of the Hunger Games Triology. Just as soon as i can get them from the library...