Order out of Chaos

So I got an email the other day from my sister telling me about how excited she was about cleaning out & organizing her kitchen cabinets & how she couldn't wait to tackle her office. I replied about how that was "my kind of fun" (direct quote) & how excited I was about having cleaned out my laundry room that day. Then I told her that we were a couple of nerds. Yup, nerds. We are dorky, organizational nerds.

Ok, I admit it!
I LOVE to organize. A clean, organized space for me is a thin slice of heaven. It puts my mind in such a peaceful place. In my dream home EVERYTHING would have a place & everything would be IN its place. Now I definitely DO NOT live in that world, nor will I probably EVER live there with lots o' little kids and a husband who is....ahem....organizationally challenged. (love you sweetie!)

So for my latest project I undertook the task of cleaning out my "junk" drawer. It had gotten REALLY out of hand. I loved this project because it was quick, easy & the results were awesome! Yes, for me, this really was fun....not work. I even used a gift card to buy the drawer dividers & I was EXCITED to use my gift card for that.

I may be a nerd, but I'm a happy one. (at least every time I look in my junk drawer) Hmmmmm....I think that drawer needs a new name....odds & ends drawer, handy tools drawer, tidiest space in the house drawer..... ;)

"Is it my favorite?"

Hawaiian Haystacks. A dinnertime staple around here. It has been FOREVER & it was when I was growing up too. They are really quick, relatively cheap, made with stuff I usually have on hand & a definite crowd pleaser. They are also Z's FAVORITE meal. Inevitably as the dinner hour approaches she'll ask:

Z: "Mom, what's for dinner?"

Me: "Chicken." (not always of course, but we do eat A LOT of chicken)

Z: "Is it my favorite?" (she seriously asks this EVERY time we have chicken)

Me: "YES!"

Z: "Yeah!!!!" (happy dance)

At least tonight that was the gist of our conversation. There are plenty of times when the answer is "no" & then I know what's coming next...."awww Mom, I don't like this stuff....why don't you ever make my favorite???"

The thing is....I DO make it.....a lot.

Grandma's Garden

There are times in life when we must live vicariously. Sometimes, it is just necessary. Case in point...Grandma's garden. I'd LOVE to have a garden in our backyard, BUT feasibly at this point....uh, not gonna happen. Someday....... BUT, for the time being, we are lucky enough to enjoy the "fruits" (haha, no pun intended) of Grandma's labor.

Plus the kids get to have a little "gardening" experience. Nothing is more fun that eating fresh fruits & veggies that have grown right before your eyes. They are SO much more delectable than the stuff we get at the store (even from our beloved Market!)

I never thought I'd see the day that MY kids would eat tomatoes like apples, but they all do....seriously....they LOVE tomatoes.











I do remember that my opinion of tomatoes changed when I was about 10-years-old & had my first fresh tomato from my Grandpa N's garden....mmmmmm...I can still taste it....a big slice with just a little salt. Yummy! After that I had a new view of tomatoes. BUT, I still don't eat them like apples...a girl's gotta have limits. ;)

Trip to the Beauty Salon

There are not many 5-year-old girls who get to get their hair cut in a fancy salon (at least those who are living on our budget!), but my little Z just happens to be one of the lucky few. Our stylist, the divine Miss J, also happens to be one of the best friends I have ever...or will ever...have & she is sweet enough to give us a really GREAT deal. (We've been friends for over 20 YEARS!!! Now THAT makes me feel old.)

Today it was time for a trim & so Z & I headed out, just the 2 of us, for a little girl time. Z was a bit nervous, but really enjoyed being pampered. It was her first time having her hair washed in "the big bowl" & she obviously really enjoyed it! :) We all know that is THE BEST part of a haircut!!

As we were walking into the salon our conversation went a bit like this:

Z: "Mom, are you getting your hair cut today?"

Me: "No, mine takes a long time because I get color put in it."

Z: "What color do you get?"

Me: "Just brown."

Z: "I want to get color too!"

Me: "Weeelllll, maybe when you're all grown up."

Z: "Awww, okay."

Me: "What color do you want?"

Z: "PINK!"
Z is also blessed with amazing, naturally curly hair...so when she gets a cut she has layers put in so that it will curl up easily....making life easier for Mom. Even though sometimes she wishes for "smooth" hair, I think that she is oh so lucky & absolutely STUNNING with her beautiful curly locks.

All done...what a GORGEOUS girl!

(even without the pink...LOL!)

Glamorous

Today Miss Z had a play date with her cousin, little L. Not only are Z & L cousins, but also GREAT friends. It has been such a treat for us because L's family lives just minutes away. After they had tired of playing ponies, jumping on the trampoline & eating left over candy canes, they decided to get REALLY girly by putting on "makeup" & painting their nails. So, foreseeing a possible mess, I sent them into my bathroom to primp....as far from carpet & furniture as possible. As the baby was napping & little man L was off on his own play date, I enjoyed a few quiet minutes folding laundry & answering emails. I suddenly realized that the girls were quiet, TOO quiet. I decided to go investigate. I discovered two very glittery & glamorous little girls who had not only covered themselves in sparkles, but the bathroom too! Oh well, you're only 5 once right?

Lookin' good girlies!!

Super Shopper

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am the queen of coupons, clearance & close-outs. In other words I LOVE a good deal. So imagine my delight today when I popped over to Target (one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE stores) for some drawer dividers & discovered that they had just marked down the overstock of toys from Christmas to 75% off! Wooohooo!

I scurried through the aisles, (as I had very little time before I needed to pick up L from preschool), elbowed my way through the crowds & stuffed 2 carts full of all kinds of toys. I think I got pretty much everything I will need for birthday parties this year as well as a few little goodies for my own kiddos. Eighteen items, all for under $100!!

Whew, it was fun! Those little red stickers make me simply giddy! I may just head back over there tomorrow for a more leisurely exploration of the playtime possibilities. ;)

To Market, To Market

Once a week, my kids & I head off for our weekly rendezvous to the local farmer's market, known to our family as simply "The Market" or affectionately as the "fruits & begetables store." I love it there. I love that I can get tons of fruits & veggies for my brood without breaking the bank and that we can try a wide variety of healthy options. It can also be fun naming the colors of things & discovering unknown treasures. That is the ideal of course. This can happen with one, maybe 2 kids in tow, but when you are talking about THREE....well then it basically turns into get in, get it done & GET OUT! Bribery is usually involved especially for Mr. L as he seems to have a hard time staying in the cart, not pulling down every neatly stacked pile of fruit he sees and keeping the noise to a reasonable decibel level.

What bliss for me today as I only had ONE child with me. Turns out Miss B has learned her brother's tricks & spent the entire time trying to climb the vegetable stands & doing amazing feats of aerobatics in order to wiggle her way out of the cart. It never fails, as I am scrambling down the aisles with one hand trying to keep the baby stationary & the other pushing the cart, that we see another young family perusing the produce. This one had a child, no older than Miss B, sitting sedately in his cart with an arm protectively clutching a cauliflower.

There was no climbing, no fussing, no screaming (happy, sad or otherwise!), no sampling, no throwing and certainly no destruction of displays! I eyed this calm mother, smiled & wondered how she did it....not one of my kids was EVER that calm when faced with such exciting opportunities for mischief.

My kids must just REALLY love produce. ;)