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!

Tuesday Tidy

I have really missed blogging and when I take such long breaks it can be hard to know where to start. So I decided on a simple new series: Tuesday Tidy.

I'm slowly unburying myself from my email inboxes. Between multiple email accounts I had over 300 "unread" emails. I put that in quotes because some of them I marked as unread so I'd remember to deal with them later. But the truth is, I just don't have the bandwidth to deal with these emails...

So this morning I set a 10 minute timer. I figure I can commit 10 minutes and then move along if needed. So for 10 minutes I moved emails to the correct inbox folders, deleted those I didn't need, and unsubscribed from unnecessary emails (I always end up back on these lists!). When the timer went off I'd dealt with 27 emails!

After a 5 minute break I was motivated to try again. With the first inbox at zero, I decided to tackle the monster account with 257 unread emails (insert embarrassed face...). After another 10 minute session and I'm down to 181!

Here are my quick tips so I don't dwell on tricky emails and get lost in the process:

• Sort by subscriptions or companies first so you can deal with them at once. Start with an easy one that you know you can delete without much emotional attachment.
• When in doubt, unsubscribe. Clearly I haven't been using the coupons and when I need a coupon, I will know where to look
• Make a list: recipe emails are so inspiring but they clog up my inbox, so I open the link to the recipe and save it in a document called "Recipes to Make," that way I can search later and delete the email now.
• Create folders for certain categories. I have purchased many knitting patterns over the years and they often come in emails so I have a folder where I move these emails so they are filed away. Makes it easy to access later and doesn't clog up the "IN" box.

Looking forward to more tidying and less emails this week! Have other tips and tricks for organizing email? I'd love to know!

Bullet Journal 2017

Last week I set up my new bullet journal. Though my journaling fizzled out toward the end of 2016, I really enjoyed the process and method for keeping track of things so I decided to start fresh.

I'm using the same size Moleskin as last year and found some small cut out calendars to use at the front or my year overview. Other than that I'm hoping to use a bunch of supplies up that I have on hand. I keep a pouch with adhesive, pens, washi tape and precut cards near my journal and just grab what seems right in the moment.

Here are a few shots of the basic set up I did. I'll post some more later on when I have added more pages. Happy documenting!

lists

I love a good list. Do you?

Ever since starting my bullet journal in January I've found myself making lists, lists and more lists. Sometimes the lists are things to do, sometimes it's things i'm grateful, but there is something about list making that always feels refreshing at the end.

I think of it like a "brain dump." It's a chance for me to get all those thoughts out of my head and somewhere safer. With baby coming and a summer with lots of free time, I've made all sorts of lists. In looking over all my lists, it might be a bit much, but it's a way for me to creatively deal with the swirling thoughts in my head. How do you keep it all straight?

Here are a few of my lists from the last few weeks.

Project Steps

Scripture Doodle Lists

Workout Lists

Gratitude Lists

To-Do Lists (paper and digital)

Grocery Lists/Meal Planning

Thematic Lists 

bullet journal

I just bought a few new moleskin journals and am trying out bullet journalling for the first time. I'm excited to see how it influences my other journals. Can a person have too many? Here's my current rotation of journals:

• meal planning/recipe journal
• school meetings journal
• church meetings journal
• journal just my notes and thoughts on "The Fringe Hours" book
• bible study journal
• sermon/scripture doodling journal
• bullet journal

It seems like a lot when I list it out in that way but I love that each one serves a specific purpose. It's quick and easy to grab my bible study journal and know that everything inside is what I may need.

Enter the bullet journal. This is not new, but I finally decided to dive in a try. I highly recommend watching the video a few times to get a feel for the foundational purpose/structure. Then you can adapt as necessary. Seth and I each got a journal and sat down at the bookstore to get set up. I'm interested to see if this becomes complicated for me since there is a lot of crossover between work and home tasks. I don't really have a good bag/purse system currently so it is rare for me to consistently carry anything other than phone, wallet and chapstick. For now the bullet journal lives on my desk so I can check it in the morning and evening. On a rare occasion where I'll be out and about after work, I'm planning to bring it with me so I can work in it between appointments.

 

Have you tried bullet journaling? Do you have a different method you prefer? I am eager to see my stacks of sticky notes condensed into one place so i'll keep you posted on how it goes!

 

30 days of lists

source target.com

Office Supplies I Adore

1. binder clips in pretty patterns
2. washi tape. all.the.washi.tape
3. post-it notes of all size
4. fancy paperclips
5. simple note cards
6. flair pens
7. double sided tape
8. clipboards
9. mechanical pencils
10. sharpie

One Little Word 2015 Update

10 weeks left in the year. I can hardly believe it!

Frankly, I'm impressed that I've stuck with my scripture sunday goal this long and am getting giddy just thinking about how close to the end I am! 

Thoughts 42 weeks in:

• I love this project
• I don't know if I'll do it next year, maybe similar but with a twist
• I appreciate how my word is made new each week - I'm the type of person that loves change and thrives on the chance to "mix it up" and look at something from a new angle
• I can't wait to order my book!

Progress Report
I was working to update my Artifact Uprising file so that I would've get too far behind. In doing so I realized that I'd missed a few and started digging through my archives. Enter chaos. It was a mess so i decided to start back at the beginning and check over everything.

I made a spreadsheet and entered all the Sundays for 2015. Next I went through my blog/instagram and noted all of the hashtags and verses. I was surprised to realize that only a few verses have been repeated! It was also really fun to look back over the verses and reread some of them.

Once I had this list up to date I was able to figure out which photos were missing in my book. If I hadn't started the book so long ago, I probably wouldn't be doing it. The idea of trying to find all of those photos would be overwhelming, however since I started early in the process, it's been really fun!

All in all I still love my word (for it's versatility) and though I've been a little hit or miss lately, I am still enjoying the projects I'm using to reflect on my word. I have also been revisiting my pinterest board and adding a few inspiring images, hoping to finish the year strong. 

Meal Planning

School starts this week and it's time to get back on track with meals!

Saturday we set aside time to go through our cookbooks and pull some recipes. We looked for:

• recipes with overlapping ingredients
• freezer options
• 1 soup
• 1 salad type dish
• inspiration!

I also pulled up the ads for the local stores to see what meat was on sale. In the end, we went with chicken as we could get the best price on both chicken breasts and thighs at our natural market.

This 7"x9" composition book is where I've begun recording recipe titles,  the book it's from and the page number. We don't have a ton of recipes books so this is our main way to consolidate the ones we want to try. I plan to add comments once we've tried these meals. If it's a total flop, it will be crossed out. We like repetition and having standard meals we know how to make and can count on. Just hoping for some new dishes to rotate into our meal planning! These post-its are a must! I use them to flag the page in the book, write a quick note or list. I just keep them inside the cover so I always have them handy.

Arrow Post-its are from a list organizer I bought last year.

After pulling recipes we did a major overhaul on the kitchen. I don't plan to do this every time we meal plan, but it worked well because I knew what we had on hand!

Italian Antipasto Ingredients Prepped and Gathered

Sunday I made a list and went to 2 stores: our natural market for meat and produce and a general grocery store for the rest of the ingredients (mustard, vinegar, frozen fruit, etc.). When I got home, I put the ingredients onto the counter into group according to the recipe and we both got to it!

Seth picked a Split Pea and Carrot Soup from a book we're borrowing from a friend. We found a one we both love, the Italian Antipasto salad from our Make Ahead Paleo Cookbook, and I found a new one from the same book called Mango Cilantro Chicken.

Seth made the soup while I prepped the other two meals. I made the dressings first. This saves a ton of time during the week. The salad ingredients are now in the fridge ready to be tossed together, and the chicken is marinated and in the freezer ready for later this week. I'm in love with washi tape as a labeling system for the fridge. Things are labeled making it easy to put the recipe together.

After this, I had 4 chicken thighs left over I decided to search for a crockpot recipes. I came across one from Iowa Girl Eats, and it looks yummy! I love her simple but yummy style. I didn't have a peanut vinaigrette, but I found one from Martha Stewart and I had all the ingredients. I put the chicken into a glass container and dumped in all the other ingredients and now it's in the fridge for over night and can go in the crockpot any time.

Delicious Split Pea & Carrot Soup

Here's to a great week! Happy eating.

sending mail

Since we're halfway through the month, I thought it would be good time to check in on my letter writing goal for the month.

I started by thinking about what was keeping me from writing letters. Here were struggles:

1. Finding all the cards I thought I had
2. Remembering to address the envelope
3. Finding a stamp
4. Getting it to the mailbox/postoffice

During our spring break cleaning overhaul I noticed a 2 recurring ideas in the books and articles we  read about organizing. 1: A place for everything and everything in its place. 2: If you need something on a regular basis, find an easy access storage system. Kind of felt like common sense at first and then I started assessing my storage solutions.

Previously my card and letter writing suppliers were stored in boxes and drawers. These were practical places and the boxes were cute and decorative, yet I rarely looked inside to use the supplies. I happened to have a desk organizer on my desk that was storing... let's just say stuff that didn't need storing. Once I cleaned it out I decided to give it a new purpose. My newly simplified and clean desk only has two things on it. A place for pencils and pens, and a place for cards. I also bought a book of stamps and clipped it right on the edge of the card holder. Problems #1 and #3 solved!

I have had great success since displaying my cards where I can see them. Sometimes I see a card and thinking of someone. Other times, I'm at my desk working on the computer and I think of someone who might need a letter. I can quickly grab a card, jot a note, and find the address on my computer. In one sitting I've got the letter written, addressed and stamped. No more problem #2!

Problem #4 is probably the hardest for me. Our mailbox system is a little tricky so I've found the most success by putting the card on the passenger seat of my car and either dropping it off on my way to work or when I'm running errands. So far I've sent 3-4 cards a week and it has felt so good! I love the thought that someone is sorting through bills or ads and then finds a little envelope of love!

care for a refreshment?

I've been working hard since february to drink more water. It's hard for me when I'm at work because I'm moving around all the time and inevitably I lose my water bottle or leave it in a strange place. I've been slowly collecting glass bottles which originally had kombucha in them - I think I'm up to 10 now. They are great because they each hold 16 ounces, are leak proof, and can go though the dishwasher.

My usual routine is to take them straight from the dishwasher, fill them with filtered water and a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar, then load them straight into the fridge. So many perks to this method. Number one: I didn't have to find cabinet space to hold them! Number two: it is easy to grab one at any point during the day or in the morning when I'm packing my lunch. Number three: I don't feel so bad if I misplace it since it wasn't pricey and also because it has a cap and won't spill before I DO stumble upon it under the passenger seat of my car (for example).  I usually grab two for my workday aiming to drink one before and one after lunch. Then I grab one in the evening and sometimes even a fourth on my way to bed.

This week I was feeling a bit fancy and decided to spruce up my beverage by adding frozen cranberries. I put them in and then used a fork to pop a few open so that the juices with flavor the water a bit. Such a simple way to fancy up my beverage and to entice me to drink more water.

Here are a few of my favorite infusions:

• cucumber slices and lemon
• frozen blueberries and cucumber
• pineapple, lime and cucumber
• basil and cucumber
• pretty much anything with a slice of cucumber :)

What's your trick for drinking more water? Here are some recipes for different water infusions and blend that seem yummy and fun!

cucumber basil puree / lemonade raspberry puree / varied recipes / this one look yum

fitness friday

This month one of my goals is to log more miles.

To get started with that goal I got a brand new pair of running shoes. Nothing like a fun pop of color to inspire me to hit the pavement!

At the beginning of the year I decided to revisit a tracking method I used a few years ago. Inspired by a goal tracker I saw online, I created this calendar for the year. I used a font that has numbers inside of circles with the intention of coloring in the circles for the days I work out. One reason why I love this method is because it gets back to the main reasons for working out: healthy living and feeling good.  Sure, I love going 7 miles or beating my PR, but I also love canoeing, snowboarding, hiking and yoga. There was a stretch of time where I was so focused on my milage as a runner that I lost sight of the enjoyment.  I love this tracking system because it helps me see patterns - Tuesday and Thursdays are long - and focus on variety (yoga, weights, running) and enjoyment. Did I miss an entire week? Maybe I traded my running shoes for a yoga mat for the winter.  Do I have a streak going? Is there a day a way to get more movement into my week?

For my milage goal this tool isn't quite as useful. I often use my RunKeeper app but lately have been ditching the phone and using the timer on my UpMove band. Typically I run in the same places and now my distance, but this doesn't keep specific track of miles nor is it always accurate. So I began the hunt for something simple but fancier than a post-it. Why? The visual and creative side of me likes to be able to my goals, the growth and progress. I read on this blog that she uses a $1 daily planner to write her milage. It reminded me of watching my dad log his miles in a runners world planner. Now he uses an excel document which is great because it keeps his yearly tally up to date.

So I went to this site, where I get a monthly desktop image for my computer. She also has phone versions and printable versions of her monthly calendars. I printed off the april calendar page and away I go!

I'm a little behind if I'm hoping to hit 50 miles but I'm not yet worried. A 5k on the calendar and a possible upcoming 8k and I should be good to go!

How do you track your goals? Do you have a favorite app or system?

documenting 2015

Over the last few years i've explored different ways of documenting the events of the year.

I did a scrapbook inspired by the Project Life craze for 2012. Then
for 2013 I actually used Project Life cards and dividers and even followed through!

Last year I didn't really do anything other than post a lot of pictures to Instagram. I entertained the idea of printing all my Instagram photos and making a book but never quite followed through.  I did keep up my ralvery.com page pretty well, posting pictures of the various projects.

This year I wanted to see if I could follow through with the Instagram idea so I've already begun compiling photos. To make the task manageable and give it a theme, I decided to use my scripture sunday photos/verses as the main subject of the book.

I've had success with a variety of online book printing companies but was eager to try artifact uprising. I heard an interview with the founders and really like the idea and story behind their company.

screenshot from artifactuprising.com

Every month I upload the scripture sunday photos from the previous month. I decided to do a square book but not all of my photos are squares so I played around with the layout tools and discovered an easy way to insert these photos onto the page layout without cutting any part off.

I love the simplicity of the layouts and options and there is even a way to connect your instagram feed to the site which makes uploading super simple. In fact, that 2014 book could be a quick project on a rainy afternoon and a great way to test out the service! I hope to write an update on this project in a few months.

lists

I love lists. I usually handwrite my lists with pretty pens and make them very large and colorful (code for hard to miss). Today I have a very structured to-do list so I can get things done! In fact, some are complete already!

1. laundry, laundry and more laundry

2. clean the kitchen (scrub, scrub, scrub)

3. complete lesson 1 of an online class

4. finish writing report card comments

5. go to the library

6. #coffeecoffeecoffee

7. make two meals that will have left overs

8. write 2 blog posts

9. work on the puzzle

10. read a book

What's on your to-do list? 

meal planning

This week was a success! I used my new cookbook to make 5 recipes,
Here is what the week looked like:

Sunday evening I spent cooking for the week these three entrees: Pecan and Basil Crusted Chicken, Grilled Chicken Antipasto, and Thai Meatballs. The last step of the Thai Meatballs is to slow cook them in a sauce. Instead, we browned them, then placed them in the freezer until Thursday. Here is how it all worked out.

Sunday
Breakfast - Lemon Scones (I had everything on hand!)

Monday
Lunch - Grilled Chicken Antipasto
Dinner - Pecan Crusted Chicken

Tuesday
Lunch - Grilled Chicken Antipasto
Dinner - Breakfast for dinner (We always have omelet fix-in's)

Wednesday
Lunch - Grilled Chicken Antipasto for the hubby and Pecan Crusted Chicken for me
Dinner - we'd planned the meatballs for this night but had a surprise evening free and went out

Thursday
Lunch - Soup Group at school
Dinner - Thai Meatballs

Friday
Lunch - Pecan Crusted Chicken
Dinner - Thai Meatballs

Saturday
Breakfast - Chocolate Pancakes
Dinner - Thai Meatballs

If we'd not gone out Wednesday evening, the Thai meatballs would still have lasted through Saturday so this was a success! This week we're trying a few new recipes and adding in some of our go-to recipes as well. While it's fun to dive into a new cookbook and have such tasty results, it was exhausting cooking 3 meals at once over a two hour span of time. I'm going to try and spread out the cooking over the course of Sunday this week.

menu planning

As part of my reality check that the school year is just around the corner, I've been looking for go-to recipes. Meal planning helps me immensely, especially during extra busy seasons. I'm always searching for new inspiration. Here are a few recipes that look good as well as a free download!

• Kung-Pao Chicken Lettuce Wraps from Iowa Girl Eats
• Veggie Burgers with Quinoa
• Tomato Coconut Soup
• And because what would Fall be without pumpkins, a yummy treat!

To help me stay motivated, I made a new template that I'm sharing (click on the image below). I made my menu for Monday through Friday with space to note breakfast, lunch and dinner. The columns hold 2"x1.5" post-it notes, which I use to write down the meal/recipe name. This makes it easy to reuse favorite meals from week to week or to switch them around should the plan need to change. I printed mine on a piece of card stock and then put it in a plastic page protector. This way I can reuse the same template until I need new inspiration :)

Don't worry, we eat meals on the weekend too, it's just more about leftovers and is much less structured.

Feel free to download or share your favorite meal planning ideas!

one little word wednesday

As August approaches I am working staying positive. It's hard to thinking about saying goodbye to slow mornings, fresh food and lots and lots of friends and family time.

So instead of saying "goodbye" to these things, I'm trying hard to choose a different attitude. So I choose gratitude. I am grateful for:

The next season brings back work, meetings, students, families, lessons, grading and much more. I hope to spend August looking at ways to incorporate my summer activities into daily life. I realize that knitting all day while reading my nook is not really an option come September, yet I know there is a way to make time for knitting and reading. Waking up early is usually my go to when I want to add things to my schedule but I rethinking the evenings a bit and wondering how to better utilize my time.

What activities do you make time for during your busy seasons so that you can stay sane?

currently - July 2014

learning the song above as a jazz tune inspired by Sara Gazarek
eating variations of salads such as this one and this one
enjoying fresh berries and the resulting sorbet
organizing, cleaning and clearing out. nothing. is. safe
reading this and this
listening to this song on repeat
working out using these three apps 1/2/3
enjoying the last bits of summer!

one little word wednesday

When I decided to take up blogging again, I knew I wanted to make a real effort to keep up. Daily posts seemed way too lofty a goal, so I decided to post on the days I have the most freedom: Monday, Wednesday and Friday. That seemed like a decent place to start, but I still needed to get a plan in place for how to make it happen. After reading this post I thought about my own three tips for  helping me stay on top of blogging.

1. Evernote

I have used Evernote for work and enjoy the ability to access the information anywhere. When i first started prepping my return to blogging I knew I needed to work ahead a little. I started by making a notebook called "blog posts" where I would keep anything related to the blog. Then i created a note called "blog posts idea." I mean, not rocket science. I took 5 minutes to list any possible idea for a post then narrowed in on possible recurring post topics: fiber, one little word and lists. I created a note for each and started writing. It felt so good to be able to write and save the text without having to hit publish right away. I entered right into the note any photo ideas or links. Photos and links tend to be the pieces that slow me down and deter me from blogging so i started by focusing on the writing and found time later in the week to make photo and link updates.

2. iCal

To help me stay on top of updates and to ensure I make time for blogging, I decided to use my digital calendar program.  It is a simple tool that I already know how to use (key!). I created a special calendar for blog posts only and I mapped out 3 weeks work of posts based on my Evernote list of ideas. Through this program I set reminders to alert me on my phone and computer to update posts, photos or links. I set recurring events for posts like Fiber Friday and One Little Word. It felt a little over the top when I first sat down and started entering information, but it is really saving me a lot of time. Once a week I sit down to make a general plan for future posts then during the week I have little assignments where I fill in the blanks and connect the dots. Such a great choice that is working well for me.

3. Blogger Feature: Schedule

This is the last feature that is really helping me stick to my goal. Since I try to work ahead, I am able to complete posts when I have time which is not always when I want them published.  This is how I stick to my M, W, F schedule.  I've recently added Sundays as a blog day, but I think of Sunday as a bonus weekend post. Once the post is completely ready (photos, links, labels, etc.) I select the date and time I want it to publish. It is so fun to wake up in the morning and have a new blog post from myself!

When I choose to blog I am also choosing to create and do the things I love. I'm looking forward to seeing how this model of organization works for me. Will it be my forever method? Probably not, but it's the right choice for now and that works for me!

Slice of Life 2012 - 8

In looking at this photo I was reminded of a basketball camp I attended in 6th grade. During a break we discussed the amount of time spent preparing, eating and cleaning up meals. Clever as we were, we decided that a simple "meal pill" would be much more efficient, allowing us more hours in the day. And yes, those hours would be for... basketball.

While basketball is no longer my main motivation in life, I have been thinking back to this idea and reflecting on how busy our lives are currently. I certainly could use a few extra hours in the day, yet there is something therapeutic and fulfilling about cooking up a batch of soup for the week, prepping our lunches ahead of time. I think I have finally embraced that right now, this is the life we are living, a life that is a run away train at times but still healthy and intentional. And regardless of the dishes that need washing, I get to choose how I spend each minute of everyday.

Now, if only I could prepare a week's worth of sleep ahead if time...