Home Sanctuary

Report Your August Points!

Today is the last weekday of August so you know what that means!

Report Your Points!

This is really simple.  Of the hundreds of regular readers, only a handful enter their points each month and that gives you a VERY GOOD CHANCE of winning.  Nice Odds!

To review this month's prizes, check here.

All you have to do is email your point totals for the month to me, and I will choose two winners based on Most Points earned and a Random drawing.  If you've participated as few as 5 times, you will be eligible for the random drawing so don't be shy about not having a boatload of points!

The thing I love about the Small Things is that even when things get crazy (like when school is starting), you can just participate when you can, without feeling like you've really dropped the ball.  This isn't a complicated system of organization that requires dutiful commitment.  This is a group of friends encouraging each other to remember that the little things can make a big difference.

It's not so much the Small Things themselves as it is the heart that goes with it....to serve, to love and to make our homes that place of refuge our soul longs for.

Today's Small Thing is to email your points (or entry for the Random Drawing) to me AND leave a comment to let us all know which Small Thing you enjoyed the most or NEEDED the most!  It's a two-step thing.

POINTS: 30 for doing both things...and you have until SUNDAY NIGHT, August 31 to do it!

Let's hear it for the Company Girls!  Woo Hoo!

Physician, Heal Thyself

I love irony, except when it affects me negatively.

For example, the quote "Physician, Heal Thyself," brings its sudsy corollary to mind:

Wash Machine, Wash Thyself.

My friends, is it not ironic that the very appliance that stands for whitening the whitest whites, and cleansing the very fibers of our beings would become the soul of washed-up grime?  That he whose waters pulse with the touch of a button would be unable to rid himself of the downy slime that softens the clothes he caresses?

I know it agitates him to think that I might regard him with such disdain, but in fact, it is with pity that I look upon him. Yes, I pity Mr. W. Machine and his cohort, Mr. Dryer.  They stand shoulder to shoulder in brave defense against the filth and armpit stench that assault them day after day.  The grass stains, the dripped mustard and the occasional barf would strike fear into the hearts of lesser appliances, and yet they do their duty with masterful teamwork. 

And still.

The emergence of the self-cleaning oven has uncovered a glaring deficiency in Mr. Wash Machine's character that can no longer be ignored.  Surely, if an oven, whose sole purpose is to bake things like lasagne, can clean itself, then a why can't a wash machine be designed with the same sensibilities?

Oh, I know he thinks there's nothing a good rinse cycle can't fix.  And I know that he can spin a good yarn when it comes to defending his "spotless" record.  But he can't stand against the tide of evidence that one look at his smooth operation exposes.

Bouncy goo in the softener dispenser.

Dust upon his cycle display.

Stickiness of the dials.

General malaise around the edges.

Yes, he gets things clean alright.  But I stand by my ironic theory that he who cleans others should clean himself.

POINTS: 30 for taking Mr. Wash Machine to task.  If he refuses to clean up his act, you'll have to do it for him.  A proper spritzing with a cleaning solution and a wipe with a paper towel should show him how it's done, and that's today's Small Thing.

BONUS: 20 for spanking Mr. Dryer with the same treatment.  He's too full of hot air for his own good.

Paper Moon

Tamara mentioned something in her comment yesterday.

Paper.

Of all the things that pile up in our homes, paper is one of the hardest to deal with.  Every day there are receipts and bills, junk mail and magazines, school papers, art projects, tax forms....and it's difficult to know what to do with it all.

Laura at Org Junkie has some great suggestions for organizing the office, and I really need those tips this week. With school starting, it seems like the paper piles are multiplying faster than a family of rabbits.

Today's Small Thing is to tackle a paper issue.  You might just take a few minutes to file things into folders, or maybe it's just a matter of throwing old junk mail away to make the pile smaller.  The other day, I stored loose receipts into ziplock bags and just doing THAT made me feel so much happier! It didn't make my paper problem go away, but it made it seem more manageable.

POINTS: 40 for working on a paper problem...see if you can whittle away a pile!

BONUS:  20 for sharing your paper tips with us!  How do you deal with all the paper that comes into your house?

BTW, Tamara asked if yesterday's photo was of my house.  I wish!  My house is way less fancy....

Divide and Conquer

Home Organization is a big task that never really ends.

That's the bad news.

It's also the good news.

Because that means that you can just keep on improving and getting better as time goes on.  If you're really at a low point in the organizational hierarchy, don't beat yourself up.  Today is a new day with a new opportunity to do things just a tiny bit better.  I'm really glad I'm getting the chance to bring my organizational grades up from an "D" to a "B Minus."

OK, possibly a "C Plus," but let's not split hairs.

This weekend I was on an organizing rampage.  I just couldn't take those junk drawers for another minute.  I went to WalMart and bought cheap drawer dividers in all sizes (packs of 3 for 1.14), plastic bins, clothes hangers and storage boxes.  I told myself that I would just do a little bit, and kept my sights set on one drawer at a time.

What a difference simply putting dividers into drawers makes!  What seemed like a HUGE, impossible job became amazingly easy, once I had the bins in place.  Pens in this bin, rubber bands in that one, household bits and pieces in another one.  I used ziplock freezer bags to gather up like items, like Sharpie pens, game pieces and receipts.  (Receipts will get dealt with another day...)

It made me realize again how important having the right tools are.  With plenty of hangers on hand, it was easy to hang up my son's school clothes.  With lots of bins and baskets, it's simple to put like things together.  The NEATNESS of it all still gives me a lump in my throat.  By golly, that's worth an "A Minus" at LEAST!

Today's Small Thing is to do some division.  If you don't have enough drawer dividers or small bins on hand, put them on your shopping list and chip away at purchasing enough for your home.  I have renewed incentive to have more on hand than what I think I'll need so I can easily pop them in place as needs arise.  Look at your problem spots and make note of container sizes that would help ease your pain.  I sense another WalMart trip in my near future.

If you already have plenty of storage containers, spend just 5 minutes organizing what you've got going on.

POINTS: 40 for dividing and conquering today! 

Tummy Butterflies and New Chapters

I asked my son if he felt a little nervous.  We were on our way to the high school for his orientation and were just about to turn onto the campus.  He shot me a smile and a sideways glance and said "yep."  He pressed his hand to his stomach as if to quell the butterflies.

Oh, how I remember that feeling!  Especially when the first day of school meant going to a new campus or, even worse, a whole new school district!  This time of year brings all that back, maybe as we watch our children navigate through new territories or as we start new adventures ourselves.

I've been thinking of those of you who are embarking on a new chapter of life.  From young college women, to newlyweds, to brand new moms, to moms starting a homeschool year to those who are sending their children to school, many of us are experiencing those fluttery feelings all over again.  A new job or a new town can really get those tummy butterflies moving!

Whenever I've started something new, I've been tempted to turn right back around and run back to the familiar way things used to be.  Those nerves kick in and then the fear of the unknown starts to work its mojo and I feel paralyzed.  What if THIS happens, or THAT happens?  What if this is a big mistake? Oh no, this is going to be awful.

Today's Small Thing is to take a deep breath.  Since you're already breathing, this just can't get any easier!

What I mean by "deep breath" is to pause for a few moments to reflect on the marvelous God who has brought you this far.  Look back at the journey you've travelled with Him and remember His goodness and faithfulness.  Even in the roughest of times, He has never left you or let you down.  He has guided you, picked you up when you've fallen and sent you angels in disguise when you've needed them.

He is with you right now.

See, the Lord is writing your story, and no story is complete without some drama.  Some moments of "how will this ever turn out?" questions.  But He is the Master Author, and knows how to end each chapter so that you just have to keep going to find out what happens next.  He purposefully puts twists and turns into the plot so that we'll continue to trust Him and grow in our faith.  So that we stay dependent on Him.  Is that where you are at right now?  

Psalm 32:8 says, I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.

I love knowing that the Lord is watching over me and writing my story.  I love knowing that He is watching over my children and writing THEIR stories, too.  There is great comfort in that.  It means that even when we can't see how this chapter will end, He is guiding us along to an exciting finish. 

POINTS: 50 for taking a few moments to pause in the action and focus on trusting the Author and Finisher of your faith.  Close out the rushing world for 10 minutes if you can today, and remind yourself of His faithful guidance and watchful care.

Brown Bagging: Not just for the Cheapskate

I'm a brown bagger by nature.  As a kid, I rarely bought a school lunch because my Mom packed mine each day.  Ever the Original Crunchy Lady, my Mom was into making bread and granola long before it was cool. That homemade wheat bread really made for a rib-sticking sandwich.  Coupled with homemade oatmeal cookies and apple slices, I had enough fiber for my whole class.  Thanks, Mom!

Throughout my own long and storied career as a school-lunch-maker-mom, I figure I've made at least 3,200 sandwiches and that's figuring low.  Add to that the lunches packed for my man as he headed out the door and the ones I make for myself when I'm on a job site and that's a lot of zip locks and bread.

At times I've gotten sick of making lunches and begged my children to buy food at the cafeteria.  "Are you kidding?  Do you know what's in that stuff?" says my son, who will only willingly buy on Chicken Fingers days.

Now that I know that the average hot lunch contains about 1,000 calories and 40 grams of fat, I've fallen back in love with brown bag lunches.  But I want to jazz them up a bit.  G.T. is now eating like a horse and I've got to think of new ways to fill him up without adding empty calories.

Considering the fat calories and cost of purchasing a lunch each day, it just makes sense to make our own food and bring it to school or work (or even to eat at home.)  Today's Small Thing is to think about ways to make lunch delicious, nutritious AND portable. 

Do you have:

Brown bags or lunch boxes

Ziplocks

Re-usable containers

Prepared or homemade snacks

Sandwich fixings or leftovers

Juice drinks or change to purchase drinks at school or work

Knowledge of what your kids/spouse will actually eat out of a bag

I've come to accept pre-packaged snacks in some instances (such as chips) because they can actually save you money by limiting the serving size.  If your family will demolish a jumbo bag of cheetos in one sitting but you can dole out one individual-size bag per child per day, you are saving money.  Same with juice drinks or cookies.  You just have to learn what works best for your team.

POINTS:  40 for planning some brown-bag goodness.  Give your man a sack lunch and a kiss as he leaves for work and tell him his Sonic days are over.  Think about how to make your home lunches or school lunches a little more spectacular this year.

Here are some quick links to get you excited about the possibilities!

http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/brown-bag-lunches-that-make-grade

http://busycooks.about.com/od/breakfastrecipes/a/brownbaglunch.htm

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/05/05apr04a.cfm

Share your ideas!  I'm looking for inspiration!

Facebook Flair! Thanks, Aimee!

Look what fellow Company Girl Aimee made for facebook!  Awwww, she's so creative!

If you want this flair, go ahead and grab it from my page.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=622190628

And, if you're not already a facebook friend, I hope you'll join me there.  I've got a group started, "Company Girls," (what else??) and I'd love to have you be a part.  Getcha some flair and join the group!!

I'll be posting Today's Small Thing a little bit later than usual today, due to an early meeting.  I'll check back in with you around noon (CST).

Let's Get N'SYNC

While driving down the highway, I recently read a deep thought which was emblazoned onto the back of a truck window.  Decaled to the glass were these insightful and uplifting words:

   DEATH IS CERTAIN

   THE HOUR'S UNKNOWN

Of course, the font was nearly illegible: gothic capital letters which only enhanced its message of impending doom.

I've scratched my head a little bit, thinking of those words and how they would read at our house:

   DINNER IS CERTAIN

    THE HOUR'S UNKNOWN

Just for fun, let's parse this sweet gem:

Dinner is Certain.  I usually manage to put something on a plate and call it a meal for my troops.  It may only be a grilled cheese sandwich with carrot sticks but something sorta nutritious is normal fare.

The Hour's Unknown.  Yes, we often eat dinner at 8 pm, and sometimes we're dishing up by 5 pm.  Sometimes we get engrossed in a re-run of King of Queens and forget that something is simmering on the stove.

But mainly the reason the "hour is unknown" is because every clock in our house says a different time.  We've learned to live by approximate times so we can pick and choose what time we'd like to believe it is.  If you're running late, pick a clock that is slow and you'll feel a whole lot better.  If you're up past your bedtime, choose to believe a clock that says it's before midnight.  If you need to get motivated, find a clock that's running fast so you'll get moving.  It's a charming way to live, almost as easy as living by sundial, but not as accurate.

Today's Small Thing is to synchronize your clocks.  From the microwave and coffee maker to the bedside alarm, wouldn't it just be nice to know exactly what time it really is?  Fine tuning the time pieces in your home will really be helpful when it comes time to get kids ready for school.  You might even make it to church on time this Sunday.

POINTS: 50 because if you count the clocks on phones and appliances, this may be a bigger job than you think.

How many clocks are at YOUR house?  I counted 16 at mine, all wrong except for the computers.

Morning Routine

One thing that really messes up a family's morning routine is having a last-minute scramble to look for things.  Of course, there will always be misplaced books and papers, but it's the search for toothpaste, hairbands, socks and underwear that can drive you nuts.  Multiply frantic searching by the number of people getting ready each day, and you have a recipe for disaster.

There are some simple things you can do to make mornings go a little bit smoother, and this is a great time to think about them.

1.  Consider having an extra set of toothbrushes/toothpaste in the bathroom closest to the door.  That way you can avoid lengthy trips to the other end of the house when the school bell is about to ring.

2.  Take stock of your hairband/barrette/clips supply and have plenty on hand.  Those are great to have near the door as well...guest bathroom or kitchen drawer.  Somebody always needs a comb at the last minute, so keep those handy.

3.  How deep is your sock/underwear supply?   Each person should have enough to get through a week, or a cycle of laundry.  Hey, if you only do laundry every two weeks, you ought to have 14 days' worth. Socks and undies tend to disappear, perhaps disintegrate, at our house, so this is a major item on my list to do this week.

4.  Make sure everyone has a place for their stuff: backpacks, shoes, sweaters.  At one point, each person in my family had a square laundry basket in the hall that was "theirs."  It wasn't the most attractive solution, but it helped us find things easily.

5. Get up earlier.  As one who values SLEEP as an important commodity, this is a tough one for me. But an extra 15 minutes can make a huge difference, even if it's just so the caffeine has time to start coursing through my veins before the whirlwind starts.

Today's Small Thing is to run through your morning routine in your head.  Whether you homeschool or send your children out to school, work or stay home, have kids or not, everyone can use a little streamlining when it comes to morning preparations.  See if you can spot potential snags and make a note of how you can solve it.

POINTS:  30 for smartly assessing your morning system.  You are managing the most important organization in the world and this Small Thing will start your daily success.  What can you do differently to make mornings go more smoothly?

Share your tips!  Tell us what works for you!

Any "Last Requests?"

For many families, this is the last week or so before the start of another school year.  Even if you don't have school-age children at home, all those back-to-school commercials and newspaper ads can make you long for the smell of chalkboards and pink pearl erasers.  Many of our Company Girls are homeschooling moms and I know this time of year can be crazy, trying to organize lesson plans and supplies.

I've got a lot to do to get our son ready for his freshman year of high school.  I had a little lump in my throat as I dropped him off for his orientation last week.  My BABY!  A FRESHMAN!  I'm still having some trouble adapting to the thought of him growing up.  What happened to all those years? Sniff.

I'm going to keep our Small Things pretty simple this week, and hopefully they will be things that you are already doing (or need to do) to help get you organized for the year.

Well, I take that back.  Today's Small Thing won't help get you organized.

Today's Small Thing is to do something special with someone, perhaps one of your children.  As the countdown to the school bell starts, why not ask your child, "Is there anything special you might like to do before school starts?  Any last requests?"

You might find that your child was hoping to play a particular board game, or go to the library or take a last swim.  He might like to get a milkshake, or go fishing or spend the last of his summer money.

In the midst of our busy preparations, stopping to connect with your child communicates your love in a way that words can't.  Doing something together, even something that takes just a few minutes, reassures him that he's an important member of your family.  He's valued.  He's cared for.

POINTS: 30 for taking a simple request.  If you can't fulfill it today because of other commitments, pick a time that you CAN do it this week, and go ahead and take your points.