One Word - 2015

So it's now 2015 and yeah I'm late in the month to be talking about New Year's resolutions. I don't really make them, nah, not so much, I don't want to disappoint myself by NOT living up to some sort of BIG expectation for myself. I set goals and really try to make them but that is less expectation than to make one big "resolution" or something. ;)

Last year I found this neat site called One Word and came up with a word for last year. I think my new word for this year is FOCUS! I'm typically a pretty organized, energetic kind of girl but want to keep on track and stay focused on even the smallest of goals. You see, my mind goes nuts trying to come up with all kinds of creative things and it makes it difficult to stay focused on just one thing. So in the end I have lots of unfinished projects and not always the total follow through. I'm getting better though!

Here's hoping to GET Focused and STAAAAY Focused because the list way far below is the list I made for 2014 and you can see what I actually finished last year!

So for 2015 here are my goals:

• Filing Cabinet - paint or give a makeover
• Do something with lampshade I have in attic
• Better organize my desk
• Organize computer files better!!!!!!!!!!!
• Organize wedding pictures
• Stain or paint a dresser, book case and lamp in youngest child's bedroom
• Give oldest child a new bedroom makeover
• Possibly redo kid's bathroom
• Touch up paint or repaint downstairs bathroom
• Re-touch paint in a lot of rooms 

Small Goals for 2014 were: 

• Finish labeling spices in spice cabinet
• Filing Cabinet - finish labeling all files in file cabinet
• Refinish kid's table and chairs in playroom
• Do something with the lamp that's in the playroom - I have some ideas!
• Create a gallery wall in the house so they are better displayed
• Better organize my desk
• Organize computer files better
• Organize downstairs closet
• Organize wedding pictures
• Purge, Purge, Purge
• Label toys in kids' rooms
• Fix crooked pictures on walls ;)
• Finish bunk bed bedroom!
• Print photos
• Clean rugs and runners
• Paint speaker cover in living room
• Paint play room spots where baby gatee used to be

I've got lots planned for this year! What are your resolutions or goals for 2015???

What's Your Sign?

Can you believe it's already Thursday? I really can't! This week has just flown by! It's been a good week with a few rough patches but over the hump and staying positive that today is a new day. Do you like inspirational sayings to help you through things? I do! I love reading different quotes and sayings and try to find ones to help me through different situations, it's kind of therapeutic or something.

 

Anyway, a few months ago I found this sign at  a store called Home South with this adorable saying. I just love it! For the longest time I had it sitting in the dining room while I was trying to find a place for it.   I try not to purchase anything anymore unless I know for sure where it's going but I really liked this sign. 

 I was considering hanging it on the wall in our living room, in between the fireplace and window. I kept going back and forth about it. I didn't want to crowd the room with one more wall hanging OR cause it to look cluttered.  

Finally I was back in the store looking for something and also trying to get ideas for hanging the sign. Heck, I moved things around on our hearth and decided it looked good there so that is where it lives now. I really like this sign and what it says!

 

"LAUGH as much as you breathe.

LOVE as long as you live."

 

 

 It's a great reminder for us all the time!

 

 

Who Wants Gummy Shag? NOBODY!

EWWWWWW GROSS! This has been an upsetting eye sore on our living room area rug for the past month. or. sooo. Oops! One of the kids dropped a fat wad of gum that molded to the edge of the rug and nobody would fess up to it! Just great.

I didn't mean to procrastinate but with the holidays and December "busy-ness", I let it go and got to it when I had the time to research it. I have some very good news to share!

Nasty gum stuck on/in the carpet. GROSS! 

Boiling HOT H2O did the trick! I boiled water in my teapot and placed an old towel under the rug to catch the water. I simply poured the water over the wad and gently picked the gum off with a metal pick found in a drawer. I had to pour water on the gum a couple of times to keep loosening and softening it but it worked like a charm. Took all of about five minutes and it came totally clean. The gum is made of latex and got gummy and a little stringy but lifted completely off. No color stain or residue left on the carpet. Just use caution so you don't pluck the carpet fibers out. Also use caution any time working with boiled water. No burning allowed!

What tricks do you use for gum removal?

No more gummy shag!

Remote Control Candles Are Cool

I haven't gotten a chance to chat too much because I've been trying to nurse all my family back to health. It's been an ongoing thing for nearly a week this time around.

 

I wanted to share one of my favorite Christmas presents from my parents. I got remote control candles. I love candles but really only burn one jar if any and it's rare these days. I try and keep candles out of reach due to our cat singeing his fluffy tail after I caught him up on our bar flicking it over a burning wick a couple of years ago. What a stinch it caused plus the whole house could have turned to ashes... a frightening thought. 

 

Anyhow I probably never would have bought battery operated remote control candles on my own. I just never gave it much thought. After receiving and playing around with them, I must tell you they are awesome!  

 

A comment my mom made was that if the power goes out, we have light! SO true.

So they came in a box of eight. I wasn't sure where I was going to put all the candles. With one push of a button they turn on and flicker much like real candles. They are wax on the outside and smell like vanilla. LOVE!

 

 

When I began looking for a new spot for the candles, I realized I had wall sconces and pillar candle holders with candles I'd never light because I just find them dangerous. I replaced all my real candles for these and I just love. You can cluster or scatter but I find them lovely scattered. With a point of the remote and a push of a button, they set a nice warm mood!  

3M Sticky Hangers Kitchen Organization!

I don't know about you but my kitchen cabinets have been a mess since before Christmas. I don't have that many pots and pans really (I like to only keep the basics and not too much more) but our cabinets had really gotten out of hand. Here's what they looked like before I got into serious organization mode last night.

 

Over the break a family member gave me a couple packages of hooks. :) I wasn't sure how I'd use them but I knew I could always put them to good use. There is always need for improvement!

 

 

Last night I cleaned out all the cabinets sweeping all crumbs out and organizing EVERYTHING!

 

I had some wiry thingies too that needed better homes than being tossed in cabinets. I was able to make more room inside the cabinets by hanging these wiry thingies. They are for the pizza stone, brownie pan, etc.

Nothing too exciting but heck it works. If you try this at home, just be sure to hang it so you can close your cabinet! I really like. What have you used 3M hooks and hangers for?

Label Making NERD I AM!

I'm stoked! I have been shopping for a new label maker b/c mine quit printing. I've had it for years and LOVE it. I use it for lots of labeling. Right now I'm working on our filing cabinet to get our files up-to-date. Anyhow I put the label maker in a pile to donate b/c it wouldn't print. The label would come out of the machine but there was no text.

So I was shopping for a new one and honestly, I hate to spend the money on something like this all over again. I started googling techie stuff troubleshooting and learned my batteries were flat. There is no ink in these little machines which is the beauty of them. It's a heat thing and my batteries were just flat. The machine wasn't dead but all it took was a change of batteries and my little label maker is back in business. I love the Internet for stuff like this! YESSSSSSSSSSSS I'm that kind of a nerd b/c it made my morning! The Internet saves again! What has the Internet saved you from doing lately?!?!?!

 

 

 

Happy New Year!

It's January and the past month has been a whirlwind of events. I hope you had a wonderful time over the holidays! We were able to spend a lot of time with family over the break and it was nice. Today marks the first day back to the grind. I'm excited though because I just do better on a schedule. Give me too much time and I turn into a big slug. So today it's early and I've already gotten in a workout and been grocery shopping. I had a strange encounter with a woman trying to sell me on why our government is corrupt in the parking lot at the grocery store at 6:00 am and I would have thought my body language told her to please leave me alone. Not sure she was ever taught about strangers and approaching another stranger in the dark but I got in my car and scooted home to get lots of stuff done before I wake the kiddos.

 

I love this time of the year because the days are already starting to get longer. Light at the end of the tunnel. I don't have much to say as far as home decorating projects except that I'm all undecorated from Christmas. Yee Hah! Now to get on to other stuff that has been on my waiting to do list for sometime now. On that note, I better get kids ready for school. Happy Monday and Happy New Year!