Sorting and Saving School Memories

Under the bed in a basket was a jumble of school papers. Memories from several years of school for my daughters had been tossed carelessly in this basket. Not any more. They are neatly filed in a storage file folder. The best part is that each hanging file is adorable and the brilliant student, who is also adorable) from the school year is clearly visable.

There is a labeledhanging file for each grade - up to fifth grade. Isn't that a great way to keep track of those special papers? I love it. The files for the grades that are still in the future are premade and just waiting for the school picture.

BTW: This idea was not my own. I borrowed it from a blog but I can't credit the artist because my memory fails me.

Old Mom Snapped

The girls want their old Mom back. I love it!

I had a crazy Mom moment... that kinda lasted all weekend. It was spurred on by a pair of underwear left on the bathroom floor for days. I couldn't even count how many times I asked my sweet little babies to pick up their dirty clothes. Then it happened... SNAP! This snap could be heard all through the house. It was a snap like no other.

SNAP! I had a brilliant idea (Imagine that in an evil villian tone of voice.)

The girls obviously demonstrated that they had too much stuff to take care of - so how did I fix that lil' problema? I took everything out of their room. Yes, I took out all their toys. Yes, I took out all their clothes. Yes, I even took the pictures off of the walls.

I realize that this might be bit extreme but I snapped and I can't go back. They did get some of their clothes back today. Just a few. The rest went to Goodwill. My heart is so giving that I am letting them have opportunities to earn back some of their toys. The rest has gone to Goodwill.

They made a list of their favorite possessions. Owning those items on the list is a privilege and involves caring for them. Every few days they will get the opportunity to earn one back.

Does this sound crazy? What can I say? SNAP The beautiful part is that they seem to appreciate what they have available. They also decided to donate a lot of items to Goodwill that I didn't even suggest. I have noticed that they are using their imagination more often during playtime. The most amazing part... they are playing so well together. At this very moment they are seeing who can make the most disgusting fart sound. See my point? That is great sibling playtime. I am even getting more hugs and kisses... and we have never had a shortage on hugs and kisses in this house.

Oh ya'... when I SNAPPED Gene came in and quietly said that he wanted to help me clear out the room so I didn't just come across as a Mom that has gone crazy. Thanks for having my back Dear. One more Oh ya'... I found this anonymous note on the coffeemaker the afternoon of the dreaded SNAP.

No Sew Projects

I had a goal for the summer... hold onto your seat.... I am having success. I have so, so, so, so many pictures that I haven't scrapbooked piling up. It is so bad that I labeled birthday parties for the wrong year. When Gigi saw the scrapped page she had to correct me.

I scrap for my kids. They love to look at the books. After each girl was born I suffered from postpartum depression. I hardly remember the first year of their lives. Nowhere is it documented about their first word, or their first step, or... anything. We survived. So, the scrapbooks are a gift from me to them. When they have their own babies I want them to be able to look back and remember and to know that I love them.

I enjoy scrapbooking... I like any type of craft really (except cross stitch, which involves a level of patience that is far beyond my own)... but my creative self lives to sew. I am constantly thinking of ways I can alter the girls' clothing or what I can try to make next. This summer I put aside my sewing machine and decided to tackle the monkey on my back, the pile of pics that taunt me, and reminds me that my To Do list has something on it that is 3-4 years old.

I wondered if the scrapbook would be my creative outlet for the season and guess what... I have enjoyed every picture. Along the way this summer I have learned that it is a project that is much more fun with a friend. My delightful friend Karen has also decided to play catch-up with her scrapbooks. It is so refreshing to meet once a week to scrap and share stories. I also learned from Karen that journaling is the way to go.

I can see the evolution of my scrapbooking style. I am a "more is more" type of girl. If the page doesn't weigh 5 lbs then it isn't finished. Now I leave some space to tell the story.

Here is Greta's preschool story. My scanner won't fit a 12x12 page but you can get the idea.

P.S. I love pictures of Greta with her short hair.

Looking Ahead

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing; Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.
Philippians 3:13 NLT


I frequently fail at my attempts to continue to show Christ like behavior to my kids. A week can easily go by without doing much but dinner prayers. Then the guilt sets in. During prayer time and communion last Sunday I was given an epiphany... stop trying to do it all on my own!



I had been trying and failing at having a planned family bible time during the middle of the week. It was supposed to be a simple reminder of where our heart and eyes should be set. I couldn't remember to research a topic, find the bible verses or articles, and present it to my family.



I am sharing the responsibility... letting go of some control. Now each family member is the pastor a Wednesday out of the month. That person's job is to plan the meal and prepare the "sermon." Everyone seems to love the idea and I get to order out on my Wednesday. ;)



Pastor Greta presented the sermon this Wednesday. The verse at the begining of the post was her chosen verse. We enjoyed a dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches, mac-n-cheese, and strawberries. Dessert was cupcakes in ice cream cones. Greta was excited to not only pick the meal but to also cook with me. She searched through her Christian magazines, with Gene's help, and picked out a topic. Reading her verse was empowering for her and also helped her learn how to navigate her Bible. It was a great evening. Next week is Gene's turn.

Chalkboard Menu and Welcome Sign

This one sits on my kitchen counter and is changed weekly. It helps us keep on track and I don't have the "what do we fix tonight" dilemma.

For Independence Day I used my kid's colored chalk and made a flag and the message was "Something to be proud of." Gigi comes home from camp tomorrow. I think it will be a personal message to welcome our girl home.

This project isn't new... I've been using the menu board and had the welcome sign on my front porch for quite some time. One of my craft friends and fellow blogger came by the house and reminded me that I needed to put a picture on my blog.

The metal serving trays came from local junk stores and were less than $3 each. I spray painted them red. You can probably see the wrinkles in the paint. I ignored the recommendations on the paint can... you know, the one that says don't paint in high humidity and only in certain temperatures. When you disregard these tips you get wrinkles... I like to think that they look vintage. I taped off the border and painted them with chalkboard spray paint. I was going to give one away as a gift but I couldn't part with them. I change the welcome sign on a regular basis. Gene and I have fun coming up with things to write.

Keepin' It Cool with Monogrammed Koozies

I have a group of fabulous women that I hang out with, especially during the summer months. Every Friday we meet at a pool. Our kids play together, we share dinner, and we enjoy lots of laughter.

I like to sew... a lot. During a couple of get togethers this winter we joked that we should all have monogrammed koozies. I don't think they ever thought that I would take that idea and run with it.

They are so easy to make. I found the koozies at Hobby Lobby and used scrap material to make the sleeves. The monogrammed square is just pieces of denim with the initial painted with craft paint and then brightened with a matching sharpie. To help with the cool factor, I frayed the denim. Our beverages are staying cool this summer.

more love

L.O.V.E.

The girls and I are collecting the universal symbol of love this summer. The cool part of this pic is that is you look closely you may notice that not only are the leaves shaped like hearts but the part that the bug ate is also heart shaped. Now that is a lot of love!