Happy Friday

 Aaahhh...it's here. Friday.

I've got my kids packed up for their weekend youth group retreat, I've made even more progress with my mid-winter fling, and now I'm ready for some R&R.
I'm going to have to squeeze all of that relaxation in between a dessert date, my husband's company party and church, but here's hoping!
I wish you a most happy Friday and a blessed weekend yourself!
XX's
~Jen

My Mid-Winter Fling

Okay, you've got me. My "fling" is not quite so juicy as the title would lead you to believe (and that's a good thing! I'm a married woman!) But this fling is MUCH more rewarding :) It's also the reason I've not had as much time to blog. This is only for a season. Let me explain.
About a month ago, Cindy from over on the Farmgirlcyn blog gave me a bag of books and crafty things she no longer needed. When I sifted through it's contents I found a bright pink book with a big kitchen sink on the cover titled...Sink Reflections by Martha Cilley. Hence the big sink. Hmmm....Didn't look like my kind of literature. And what was with the fishing-rod wielding fairy-coach? The FlyLady? No thanks. But then three bold-print questions caught my attention.

1. "OVERWHELMED?" 

2. "DISORGANIZED?"

3. "LIVING IN CHAOS?"

Well, to answer those questions:

1. Please, let's not even go there.

2. Yes and no. Mostly yes.

3. Quite regularly, yes.

People who don't know me as well say this surprises them. Every day I shower, dress and put on makeup even if I'm not leaving the house. My home's main living areas are almost always tidy. I make my bed every day. My vehicle is washed polished and vacuumed weekly. I get the kids to their activities on time for the most part.

But if you look deeper; behind cabinet and closet doors,

at the neatly stacked to-do piles scattered here and there,

(that rarely move to "done" status)

or (enter scary music) the basement...

you'll find it's true. I am overwhelmed, disorganized and living in chaos! 

It should be no surprise, really. I'm an artistic-type collector of vintage junk! I'm always hoping from one project to another, always busy, but never "caught up" with all that needs to be done. Especially now with homeschooling.

So, it ends up I like this book. My kids have given me a lot of grief over the cheesiness of it all, and it is, but it's working. She encourages baby steps to get your home in order without getting overwhelmed. For instance; setting a timer for 15 minutes and tackling a trouble area of your house. It can be overwhelming to look at a big mess, but if you break it down bit by bit it's a lot less daunting and within a few hours or days-whatever works- Voila! You've reclaimed a room.

Okay so where does the "fling" fit in to all of this? Well, my favorite activity in this book also holds the most cheesy activity title. (The kids really rolled their eyes at this one when they sneaked a peak at what I was reading.) It's called...are you ready?....The 27 fling boogie. I don't think I've ever "boogied" but I do set a timer for 15 minutes and toss 27 things or more into a box or basket several times a week to go to charity or the trash. These are things I don't need or that don't really bless my home but make it more of a mess. Simplifying. And it's very freeing to clear up space and see a load go out the door.

Anyway, I've not gone anywhere and will often quietly check your blogs to see what you're up to, but I've limited my time on the computer for a while so I don't get side-tracked. I'll be back to blog at least weekly while I'm de-cluttering. 

XX's! 

~Jen