Home Sanctuary

Hey Good Lookin

Whatcha got cookin?

If you're needing some inspiration to feed those hungry mouths at your house, stop over at OrgJunkie's place to getcha some.  What I love about seeing those posted menu plans is that many of them are easy enough that I think, "Hey, I can make THAT!"

Somehow I used to have the idea that a "menu plan" had to be an elaborate French-inspired affaire.  Lots of dishes and sauces and things unavailable at my neighborhood store. Recipes with 45 steps.  Words like "cruditee' and "chapelux."

Chappy- WHAT?

Now I know that a menu plan can be inspired by:

• Hockey practice 2 nights a week
• A Warm Afternoon in Which No One Wants To Go Inside
• Pantry Items
• Veggies About To Go Bad
• A Really, Really Engrossing Book that Prevents Me From Thinking About Dinner
• A Really, Really Engrossing Project that Prevents Me From Thinking About Dinner
• Paper Plates
• Drive-Through

Oh, there is inspiration EVERYWHERE, even to a non-foodie like me.

My own menu plans are not very elaborate.  I just look at what's going on during the week and decide what days will work for "real" meals, which days will have "on the run" meals and which days will have "fend fo yoself, foo' " meals.  (Sorry, I have a teenage son and my vocabulary reflects it.)  We have plenty of those and I'm past feeling very guilty about them.

Some of you may be pro's at creating a menu plan.  Others of you may be intimidated at the thought and have never really tried it.  So take a deep breath and find your courage.  It's going to be alright.

Today's Small Thing is to make a simple menu plan for 5 days.  If you know that this week that you'll be eating Chick FilA two nights because of activities, that's OK!  Just put that down on your plan.  The point is, your plan will give you power to make good decisions about what your family eats.  You will not be a slave to your kitchen...rather, you will rule over it in amazing style. I promise!

POINTS: 50 (WOW!) for scribbling out a menu plan

Here are some of my additional thoughts about menu planning.

It's Electric

What could be better than cleaning AND dancing at the same time? 

Can't think of much, I tell ya.  Except eating and watching TV.

I've got a few things that deserve more cleaning attention than they get at my house.  I'm talking about the electronic devices that work so hard every day to make my life the pleasure that it is.

The TV's.  The Computers.  The stereo (well, it USED to work hard, now it's semi-retired thanks to the ipod.)  The printer.  The clock radio.  The coffee maker (without which I could not function.)

But they're dust-magnets.  Finger-print magnets.  Sticky-stuff magnets. And I act like I don't even notice.

Well, not today.  Today they are getting their dues. Let's dust them off and get them all spit-shined and polished, even if they aren't the latest-and-greatest models of technology.

And just to keep things fun in a retro way, why not do the Electric Slide while you're at it!  You know it as the best wedding/prom/sleep-over dance EVER.  It can be performed to country music, oldies, 80's music...you name it, it's very versatile.

Here's a link to make you wish for the 80's styles again. What's with the guy in a vest with no shirt on??

(pause my music in the right sidebar for best viewing)

And if you need a refresher on the dance steps, I LOVE this instruction video!  Note the lady with a cane in the front row.  Look girls, if SHE can do it, surely WE can!  I like the way the instructor has fun with this.  It makes me really chuckle.

POINTS: 30 for dusting the electronics

BONUS POINTS: 20 for at least TRYING the Electric Slide (you can pick your own music)

HOW ABOUT 10 more if you get someone to do the line dance WITH you??  Grab a kid you got laying around or a hubby who could use some groovy moves.

HAVE FUN TODAY!!

 

Learning to Fly

When you're learning something new, don't you just envy the people who make it look so easy?  It doesn't matter if it's a skill like knitting or a game like hockey, their years of experience give them confidence to do unconsciously well what takes our supreme effort to do poorly.

My husband, Tom, taught his hockey team that there are 4 levels of learning a new skill:

1. Unconscious Inability - You don't know what you don't know

2. Conscious Inability - Now you know what you don't know

3. Conscious Ability - You have to really work at being able to do it

4. Unconscious Ability - Now you can do it well without even thinking about it

It occurred to me that this sports lesson is perfectly applicable to almost anything in life, even our home lives.  We all start out fumbling with operating washing machines and diapering wiggly babies.  It's tempting to look at women who have been at it longer and think we'll never make it look that easy. 

But I've learned that if you keep after something long enough, it does get easier.  The trick is in not giving up before you get to the level of Unconscious Ability.  Parenting, marriage, home-management, cooking....they are skills that get better with time and repeated effort.

Today's Small Thing is to practice flying.  What are you learning to do well?  Preparing a nice meal, folding a load of clothes right from the dryer, being patient with your children, organizing your day, or having personal devotions might be some things you're working on.  Why, what a coincidence! Those are all on MY list!

Or maybe you're learning to fly as a single parent, as a new mom, or at a new job.  Major life changes will require extra time to be able to soar.  Don't give up before you succeed!  Just keep flapping!

POINTS: 40 for consciously learning to fly in some small way today, (a craft or new skill...you choose)

 Let us know: In what areas are you learning to fly and what level are you working through?  Add 10 points for sharing! (That's point frosting on the cake!)

Celebrity Mug Shots

(Sorry, I couldn't get Theme from COPS to load this morning...so just hum it.)

(3 pm update...home from work and got COPS to play...you can stop humming now)

Paris Hilton, Bad Girl.

Nick Nolte. Scary hair, dude.

No Comment.

And this bad boy.

He finds his way all over my house. He and his frat brothers, the water glasses, like to party in front of the TV, the bedrooms and even the bathrooms.  The kitchen counter is another one of their hangouts. Lawless bunch of loiterers. They're even bringing up a new generation of ne'er-do-wells, the sippy cups, who generally end up riding endlessly in the minivan or stuffed behind furniture.

Today's Small Thing is to be a COP and round 'em up. 

POINTS: 10 for each mug, cup, glass or loose plate you bring in to get clean and sober. 

Too tired?  Hire your kids to be bounty hunters and find those outlaws.

How many points did you and your enforcers earn today?

Wind Tunnel Attachments, I think I love you

The 70's heart-throb responsible for the feathered hair craze and unbuttoned shirts of the decade, David Cassidy.

This is possibly the WORST SONG EVER RECORDED but it came (unbidden) to mind as I was using my vacuum cleaner attachments to clean this weekend.  I couldn't help myself. 

Oh, Lord, I think I love them.

So what am I so afraid of?  Afraid that I'm not sure of a love that there's no cure for....

With a swift joining and deft twisting, the pieces fit together like magic.  Instantly, the long armed attachment let me reach cobwebs I didn't even know I had.  Then I swung it under my bed and was HORRIFIED by the amount of dust under there.  But my new love was up to the challenge and bravely obliterated every last trace of the offending layer.  With a suave, smooth gesture it muscled the dirt from the baseboards and even eradicated dust from picture frames and bookshelves.

Where has the Wind Tunnel attachment set been all my life?

I'm addicted to attachment love.  And I want everyone to know the kind of love I speak of.

Today's Small Thing is to use a vacuum attachment to rekindle a love you might have forgotten you had.  Be impressed with the way it moves, the way it works, the way it takes dust and manhandles it into submission. 

Be still my beating heart.

POINTS: 40 for a vacuum attachment rendezvous in ONE ROOM.  In just a few minutes, you can hit bookshelves, lampshades, windowsills, baseboards, ceiling fans and corners. It's hard to stop once you start, but force yourself to take your love a little slower than I did. Cleaning both high and low, it is sure to thrill you.

What room did you work in and did you find love?

Congratulations Babychaser! Her new baby's here!!

We want to welcome Babychaser's newest little "Small Thing," a girl born on Friday afternoon at 2:28.  She weighed 6 pounds, 10.4 ounces and is 19 inches long.  She is reported to be soooo cute! (I have it from a reliable source!)

Babychaser is a loyal Company Girl and mom to a 15 month old son.  With two wiggley small people to keep after, she will REALLY earn her blogname!  We are excited for you, girl!  Your adventure continues!!

Pop on over and congratulate her on their wonderful new arrival!  And then ask her what she's doing making bread today....she's supposed to be resting!!  Silly girl....

Let's have a little respect around here, people!

I'm reprising this post from last October.

This song makes me think about how important it is to respect what I'm doing today! On Mondays it's tough to get motivated: the house is a wreck from the weekend and the week stretches out before me in its endless weight of tasks. Washing the same clothes, picking up the same socks left by the same people who shall go unnamed, cleaning the same potties and wiping the same noses. Will this never end?? What in the world is all this for??

Well, let me tell you. The minutes and hours you are spending, doing all those things and raising those little ones, you are doing more that just keeping house. You are more than a maid. You are more than a chauffer. You are more than a day-care worker. You're somebody's mom, somebody's friend, and that makes you special.

Think about what you're doing: You are making a home. You are making a life for your family. You are making memories and history and a solid foundation for their lives.

You deserve some RESPECT!

Give yourself some cred! Respect the life you are living. Maybe it's not laced with luxuries or leisurely pursuits. Maybe you are working at a job and then going home to take care of business on the homefront. Maybe you are dealing with a toddler hiding his poo-poos in the corner, or a teenager hiding some bad grades. I don't know what you've got going on, but I know that the girls who read my blog have something really important in common:

We share a heart for making a good life for our families, no matter what the circumstances.

Hey! You are a hard-working woman! You've got what it takes! You are a rockin gal! Ain't nobody that can do it better than you! You might be soft on the outside, but on the inside, you are standing tall and taking it to 'em!

Give yourself a little R.E.S.P.E.C.T!

Now, replay the song and lip-sync along with Aretha! C'mon, I'll sing it with you! It's even better if you do a little finger-wagging and neck moving as you sing.

POINTS: 30 for doing ONE THING on your list today that you've been putting off.  You'll have even more self-respect when you get it done.

Let us know:  what are you doing today to earn a little extra self-respect?

Ultimate Blog Party!

Ever notice that the best parties are the ones that just "happen?"  You know, they're the ones that you don't really plan, but you invite a couple of people over....and then a couple more people come over....and then someone brings snacks....and before you know it, it's a PARTY!

Well, that's kinda the way I decided to host a lil' party with the Ultimate Blog Party by 5 Minutes for Mom.  I didn't really plan to, but then one thing led to another...and voila! 

Welcome to a thrown-together, last minute, but really great-because-great-people-are-there-and-there's-food party!

Let me show you around and tell you about myself.

Here's where I live:

No, I don't have a book about my house, that's a picture my daughter photoshopped for a class project.

My kids are older these days, but I LOVE to talk about family life, marriage, home and doing things to make this place a sanctuary for my family.

Here are my three favorite young people, my Elle, Em and G.T.

I'm a little scatter-brained.  Here's proof.

We have a lazy old dog and a stray donkey named Flash.  The cats have disappeared.

And since you're here, I'd love to invite you to come back to visit often!  I'm hosting "Sanctuary is in the Small Things, 2008" and each day I'm posting fun and EASY things you can do to make your home a great place to be for your family.  I've got music to help get you motivated every morning (that explains the funky tunes you hear) and prizes to give away each month. Feel free to browse around the "Sanctuary's in the Small Things" posts and see what I'm talking about. All the information you need is in the "sticky post" at the top of the blog!  We've got a great group of "Company Girls" that join in every day from all over the world.  We're having a blast so why not join us?

Enjoy the party!

Good to be Bad

Sometimes it's good to be bad. Real bad.

Now, before you go gettin me all wrong, just hear me out.

Have you ever avoided doing something because you thought you couldn't do it perfectly?   As an artist, I struggle with wanting to produce something great every time.  But fear of making a mistake or not doing it well enough can prevent me from even starting.  I literally have to tell myself, "Just make a couple of bad paintings."  Hey, I KNOW I can do that.  It gets me out of my inertia and into a creative zone.  So what if the paintings turn out bad?  I was TRYING to make some bad ones....and ultimately figuring out how to do a good one.

Or how about if you know you should organize your closet, but because you know you don't have the time or skill to do it perfectly, you put it off?  Wouldn't doing a BAD job be better than NO job?

Are you stuck on a scrapbook page because you want it to be just as good as the professionals'?  Try doing a bad page and see if it doesn't turn out better than you thought.  Stop over-thinking everything and be OK with BAD. 

Bad can be good.  Bad can get you out of a rut.  Bad can be liberating.

Today's Small Thing is to do something bad. 

Make a bad cake. Who cares if it looks like a monkey frosted it?

Do a bad job cleaning something.  Half clean is better than all dirty.

Sing loud and bad.  Make the dogs howl in agony.

Dance bad.  I know all about that.

Do something bad with your time, like watching a movie in the afternoon.

Let your bad kids stay up past their bedtime.  So naughty!

Paint a room a bad color.  It's just paint.

Paint a bad picture.  Call it modern art.

Knit a bad scarf.  Give it to Grandma.  She'll love it.

Write a bad post.  Grammar and punctuation are overrated.

Take a bad picture. Of someone else, not you.

Take a long, bad shower. Wasteful, but delicious!

Show your kids you know how to be bad sometimes so they'll know they don't have to be perfect every time.

Show your man you still know how to be um, VERY BAD.  He'll think it's very good.

Now, if you're afraid your kids or your husband will think they can make a habit out of doing bad things, just tell them it's for today's points and blame it on me.

Let's give you some BAAAD POINTS today!  How about 50 points for using one of my ideas or coming up with one of your own!  Be creative!  Go ahead. Be BAD to the bone.

Let us know:  what are you doing bad today?

Rat Pile

My husband calls it my "little rat pile."  To be honest, it's more like a big rat pile.

It's a big Pile of Shame is what it is, but I think I'm going to deal with it today.

I'm pretty sure I'm the ONLY ONE AROUND HERE who has a messy stack of books and magazines next to the bed.   It's sloppy and unsightly and the only reason I can get by with it is because I sleep on the side near the wall and you can't see it unless you walk over there.

Ahem.  In my defense, let's just say that I like to peruse a book, magazine or my Bible before turning out the light.  I'm usually only half-conscious at that time but it's just my way of relaxing for a few minutes.  The problem is, once a book or magazine makes it onto the nighty-night pile, IT NEVER LEAVES.  So the stack just gets higher and higher. 

And messier and messier.

Today's Small Thing is to tidy up your nightstand (and in my case, the real estate around it).  I'm going to throw the old magazines away, dust the lamp and the top of the table, and maybe even set something pretty on it.  I'll remove the water glasses. I don't think the Kleenex Box needs to be featured so prominently anymore.  It can go in a drawer.

It's going to look so good that I might even feel like wearing something pretty to bed tonight.  Sometimes one thing leads to another....

Whaddaya say we give ya 30 points for doing your own nightstand, and offer 20 more for any additional one?    

50 pts. max.

What's on YOUR nightstand?

P.S. I'm posting one of my favorite stories over at Writer, Interrupted today.