Family Musings

If you have been paying attention, you know that I gave up traditional shampoo and conditioner 2 weeks ago. I went no 'poo , and so far I have no regrets. Day 8 - I didn't do anything with my hair except pull the front back with some clips. Day 9 - Same as day 8. Day 10 - Had planned to rinse my hair with apple cider vinegar (ACV), but woke up too late. Just pulled the front back with more clips. Day 11 - Um, woke up late again. I guess it will be more clips to keep my hair off my face. It doesn't feel bad at all, but the frizz is creeping in a little bit. Really wish I had rinsed it yesterday. Day 12 - I think sleep is more important than hair and don't take the time to do anything to it. Day 13 - My hair is starting to feel a little slimy from not getting any water or anything for almost an entire week. I have definitely been showering, but didn't want to waste time with my hair while my VIP is in town. Day 15 (April 30) - I finally had time to properly rinse ...

Since my VIP is taking a much deserved late sleep this morning, I decided to conquer a couple of small decluttering tasks - my kitchen drawers. The kitchen utensil drawer, before then after: The dish towel, other random stuff drawer, before then after: I'm on a roll here! Though I doubt I'll have for more decluttering this weekend... am I boring you with these posts?

Charlotte blessed me with a few extra hours to work uninterrupted this morning by sleeping until 10 am. So, here are the kitchen pictures I promised last night. As scary as it looks, I should have had nightmares last night knowing what awaited me this morning. I freely admit it, I went to bed with my kitchen looking like this. I do think these pictures represent a new low for even me. There is hope for the worst of us though, and these following after pictures prove it.   Now obviously, there is stull stuff on my counters, and dishes I just washed that need to dry before I can put them away. But, I have a small kitchen and this is my reality. I won't ever be able to have clear counters the way I want. Oh, and my pantry needs another reorganization so that I might get the box off the floor. I also cleared up the entry way. Before and after side by side. This was pretty easy because again, more decluttered stuff from the rest of the house was just waiting to be taken to the d...

I have crossed 3 items off my list tonight, all downstairs where our VIP will get her first impression of my homemaking skills. Let's look at the before and after shots: The wall by the stairs - it still looks somewhat cluttered, but now at least, all of my stuff is organized a little better. Someday I'll have a more put together organizational system for this wall and it will look even better. And maybe we won't have so many large toys hanging out in the living room either. The end table - Here too more work is needed, but we still have improvement. This table seemed like a good idea at the time we bought it because of its height and size. Now though, I am not so sure. most of the art is now between the couch and table and the large boxes have been relocated.  Clearing Charlotte's toys -This was the fairly easy part. I still intend to pair down the amount of toys she has regular access too (maybe do something like MoziEsme ). Oh, and the blue glider you now see ...

Last night's festival of decluttering went fairly well and now I am ready to start a third evening of clean out. Admittedly, I am getting a very late start tonight, but I hope to get something accomplished as our VIP will be here soon. Here is my list of six, which will actually carry over to tomorrow morning, because I already know I can't get all of this done in one evening. Declutter wall by stairs. Declutter end table. Clear up Charlotte's toys (she has WAY too many downstairs!) Put sheets on guest bed (they were washed last night) Clean downstairs bathroom (it didn't get done last night) Clear kitchen counters (some of stuff from other spots ended up here) And I am going to be brave again and share some before pictures with you: The wall by the stairs...  Easter baskets, stuff I need to deliver to the thrift store, and tons of random stuff from all of the other areas I've decluttered this week. The end table. Yikes! Yes, that is a Christmas tree on...

Thirty days ago I decided to go 'poo-free. That meant I was casting aside my organic lavender-eucalyptus shampoo in exchange for baking soda and apple-cider vinegar. Hair Prep - I spent the last two weeks using less shampoo, less frequently. In between actual shampoo uses, I just rinsed out my hair. It has probably been shampoo'ed and conditioned only three times in 14 times. Not exactly sure why I did this, except maybe in an attempt to gently wean my hair from shampoo. Day 1 (April 16) - Mixed ~1 tablespoon with baking soda (BS) in a cup with warm water. Wet hair just a bit and then poured the BS over my head in stages, working it in as I went. Some did trickle down my face and it tasted salty. (Duh!) Then, when I was rinsing the BS out, I actually heard my hair squeak! Next, I mixed ~1 tablespoon of apple-cider vinegar (ACV) with more warm water in the same cup and poured that over my hair in stages as well. ACV in the eyes doesn't really sting, but it isn't comfor...

I've been working hard on my List of 6 for tonight and after 2 hours and 15 minutes, I am a third of the way done. This isn't really all that bad though since I started with the hardest task, the kitchen pass through. Getting that task done meant going online. Normally, that would present a HUGE opportunity for me to procrastinate, but tonight I did a good job of staying on task. I got a couple of important e-mails sent (pertaining to some offline business) and I finally picked out and ordered a gate for the bottom of our stairs. For now though, the pack and play serves the same purpose - keeping Charlotte off the stairs. Here are the after pictures: First, my kitchen pass through.I couldn't get rid of everything that is on it since some of it is organizing bins or things that won't fit in our art dresser (under the pass through). Compared to the original , I think I did pretty good here! The next item on my list that I conquered was the bottom of the stairs....

If you are wondering... posting this winner is part of clearing off that kitchen pass through. Which is on my to do list for tonight . Don't worry though, bills to pay or file are also in that stack! Congratulations to Katy , who left the winning comment number 5, per Random.org. Please check your e-mail for instructions. I'll mail you your very own copy of Ace Ventura Pet Detective Jr DVD just as soon as my VIP leaves town (sometime in the middle of next week).

I think I've shared here before that I now try to limit my to do list to 6 items because that is much more manageable and it keeps me from adding my dream home improvement projects to every list I ever make. And with my VIP coming in just a couple of days, I still have a lot of work to do, despite my marathon session on Monday night. It is now about 6 pm and I am going to allow myself to loaf around online until 6:45 before I get started. So here is tonight's "List of 6": Go through, sort, and otherwise organize mail and papers on pass through Clean master bathroom (now that it is decluttered) Clean guest bathroom (the tub has a pretty soap ring from Charlotte's bath time Clean downstairs bathroom (simple enough, just a toilet and a sink) Wash guest bedroom sheets Clear stair landing. I'll come back soon and share some after pictures!   Do you have areas of your home where controlling the clutter is nearly impossible?

We may call it a banana, but Charlotte has a different name for this delicious yellow fruit.

This giveaway is now closed. When Bruce and I go on vacation, we like to take Charlotte to the local parks. It is simple playtime for her that is a lot like what we do at home. Yeah, we go to the park as often as possible, once a week at least when we can. Sometimes though, it is hard to find a decent park in a new town. When I heard about KaBOOM! though, I hoped it would make travel with children easier. KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization that "envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America." They are currently working to create a database of 100,000 databases in 100 days. I joined the online community earlier this week and was easily able to add four area parks that Charlotte and I have enjoyed together. Not only do I get to help other parents find parks but for each park I enter (and you too!) I get an entry into one of their weekly contests. Here's what counts as a playspace: a playground, field, a skate park, roller hoc...

"You're likely not the kind of addict that [the psychiatrist] has seen -- women who don't bathe and abuse drugs to help them stay "up" for more online time. You may have noticed, though, that going online has become an imposing part of your life, which, at the least, means a load or two of laundry goes unwashed (and who cares about that?). " Source: CNN.com I don't use drugs and I don't skip showers just so I can spend more time online. But, maybe, I don't clean the toilets or mop the kitchen floor as often as I should so that I have more time to pursue my online interests. I've been trying to prove to myself lately that my time online is not an obsession or addiction. I even attempted a 7-day fast of the computer to see just how dependent I was on my laptop. And last night, knowing I have very important company coming at the end of the week, I began to place more priority on my household chores than my online chores. After all, my VIP ...

These photos are for G-ma. She bought Charlotte a rain jacket which is both completely adorable and completely inpractical, all at the same time. But, we had an afternoon of fun just playing around outside while she wore the polka dot jacket. Enjoy! Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Over the last few months, I've added some new blogs to my reader and thought I share with you my new favorites. The Artful Parent -The art projects that Jean does with her preschool daughter Maia are still a bit over our heads for my toddler, I feel inspired to be more artsy with her. (Note, feelings do not always translate into actions.) Some of her recent posts I've particularly been inspired by include one about the skirts she made her daughter, a spring fun box , and her it-takes-two style follow-the-leader drawing activity. Oh, and she is expecting a new baby too ! The Byrd's Nest - Kim is the lovely momma to 4 birdies, 2 of whom are all grown up and 2 of whom are still in elementary school. She takes beautiful photos of her two youngest daughters and always has an inspired and encouraging word to share. The update on this recent post left me cheering for the grace and timing of God. It has also been so sweet to read about how God is preparing her family to mov...

Before I realized it, Charlotte became 20-months old. I was still putting her pictures into the 19-month folder when it occurred to me that I had lost track of time. And I also realized, that while I share a lot of our regular activities on this blog, I haven't talked about what skills and words Charlotte has acquired in the last couple of weeks and months. Bruce and I have really seen her explode in the number of verbal words she has. I think we have counted at least 30, but each day we think of more to add to our mental list (or maybe she just acquires more, knowing we are keeping a list?). I read that this type of verbal explosion is common around 18-19 months old. For Charlotte though, it is over and above the more than 70 signs that she now knows and still uses. We have even been excited to see her begin using 2-word phrases. Just the other night, when Bruce cleared my plate off the table, she said, "Momma back!" As in, give Momma back her plate. We assured her...

Here is a little thing to distract you from tax day! I wish I could figure out how to embed this video, instead, you'll have to click this link and go watch it on the Sprint site.If anyone can figure out how to download this for my hard drive I would be forever grateful! Charlotte Does the Zip Line To hold you over until you watch the video, here is a still shot of her 2nd time on the zip line by herself. (Taken with my cell phone... I hate not having my camera!)

This giveaway is now closed. Did you ever see the original Ace Ventura Pet Detective with Jim Carey? I did. And I was too grossed out to enjoy it. I think I even shut it off midway through because it was so painfully gross with WAY too much scatological humor. When I received an opportunity to review the younger, " Jr " version of the film, I did so with great hesitation. I mean, Charlotte loves animals so there was a good chance she would enjoy the movie, but what about the potty humor? Would this mom be able to handle it? Surprisingly, yes. There were some small, minor, bathroom jokes, but nothing nearly as gross as what Jim Carey subjected us all to back in 1994. I even found myself enjoying it and if not laughing, at least chuckling out loud a little. The basic plot of the movie is young Ace Jr loves animals, is a budding pet detective and is just plain weird. By just about everyone's standards. Even by his mom's standards, who was the wife of the origina...

To celebrate Resurrection Sunday, our family started out by going to church. We love our new church and its pastor and were blessed with a service full of worship and great preaching. He didn't try to get cute about Easter, he just preached the gospel message. What more could we ask for? Once we were home, I twisted Bruce's arm to take a few shots of Charlotte and I in our pink outfits. This one is my favorite because we all look nice and you can see the Babin bump, which is looking a lot bigger all of a sudden!   After lunch at home, we headed up towards my family and met them for a picnic. Grumpy was very excited to play with Charlotte, though I don't think his plan to swing with her worked out so well. :)    G-ma wanted to get in on the playing action and brought some cool bowling pins for Charlotte. She had fun knocking them over with her feet, but soon I and Auntie Michelle tired of picking them back up for her.     And G-ma also decided that she need...

Warning: Lots of pictures to follow... On Good Friday, Charlotte attended her first Easter Egg hunt, hosted by our local playgroup. We were the first to arrive and no eggs were hidden yet, but that didn't stop her from scoping out the best hiding spots.    After she got her basket all tucked away, it was playtime for a little while. This is Charlotte's famous flying pose. She likes to run as fast as she can with her arms splayed out behind her in an effort to lift off.      Once her arms got sore, she commandeered the red wagon and managed to convince a few boys to pull her around for a long, long while. They seemed more than happy to oblige her wishes to be carted all over the park. I better watch out how she uses this power as she gets older!   Fortunately, she is a giver too and tried really hard to pull them herself. I offered to help but was rebuked. She wanted to do it all by herself. And she did, along with another older boy who pushed it from b...