i am doing my fiRsT bLoG GivEaWaY ever!

i am pleased to announce that i have once and for all done away with my famous massive "laundry parties"!!!

i now have quaint "laundry get-togethers" instead!!!


i had [4] "laundry get togethers" this week and boy were they fun!!!

i realized how much i just loved my cute LiTtLe piles!

i couldn't believe how exciting it was to pull a hot load out of the dryer and fold/hang it while it was still warm. [a wierd pleasure i know. ]

i spent like 30 hours (exaggerated just a bit, but it sure felt like it) going through the mounds of clothes deciding what i should or should not keep and putting away the too bigs or too littles in their appropriate bins.
it was NOT a pretty sight.

see?

it was arduous even.
it almost felt like i was loosing a limb as i tossed the bags and bags of clothes into the D.I trailer.
i think i'm o.k. now though.
i sorta feel liberated in a weird sorta way.
i got rid of all laundry baskets in bedrooms and now only have my 3 sorting baskets in the laundry room. that's super fun too. (that was great advice karen..)
i made another new rule: i'm not allowed to take a load out of the washer UNLESS it's being sorted and put away. (which is really been a life changing event for me.)
i've set a timer to go off near the end of the dryer cycle that i can't turn off until i've gotten to fold the laundry. (man i hate that beeping noise.)

crazy thing is: justin wore the SAME OUTFIT 3 times this week....
and it was clean EVERY TIME!

i could really simplify and only have 2 outfits per kid! (ok...lets not get too carried away here.)

Now for the best part!!!!!!!

i am so grateful for your help...and as a thank you to all of you whom offered wonderful suggestions.

i am doing my fiRsT bLoG GivEaWaY ever!


i will draw a name from the comments left and I will send this
EnTirE BasKeT oF ChiLdRen's HaNgeRs
to the lucky winner!


All you have to do is leave a comment and let me know you would like to be entered!

i just KNOW you are excited about this!;)

You have until Saturday February 7th at 11:59pm est.
I will announce the winner on Sunday February 8th in the morning.


and just so we all remember...
i leave you with a message from my mom:

"I used to put laundry in first thing in the morning, make sure it was in the dryer before work, and fold it and put it away when I got home.I remember and still think that laundry is "fun" ...serendipity ... when you've "conquered" it.

A LOAD A DAY AND YOU'RE ON YOUR WAY
to laundry freedom!!!!"LOVE, MOM

awe...isn't she cute!?!

a homemaker's dissapointment defined

disappointment: when you have cooked a yummy meal for your husband (which doesn't happen enough) and had it ready at 5:45 only to realize that today is the day he doesn't get home until 7:30 since it's his school day

and the only thing serendipitous about it all is that i could actually clean up my cooking mess before we eat.....that is if i wasn't blogging instead. :)

(this is actually very similar to how i cook....but i don't remember to use an apron)

where did my brain go?

maybe i'll find it tomorrow.

in honor of the end of the month

relate?

me too.

so which one is you?

yes, again.

As you all know, way too well:

Laundry is on my mind.

A lot.

Especially when the Mountains o' Laundry start crumbling. (As they always do.)

Well, once again, it is on my mind.

Sorry about this, but I must share....again.

Let me explain OUR system.
In all of it's PATHETIC glory.

The Morris Family Mountain of Laundry System:

Have a BUNCH of clothes.

Wear 2 or three outfits a day.

Wear

Do loads here and there if you run out of something or if a laundry basket floweth over.

Have 7 laundry baskets in a line along a wall.

When clothes in rooms run out, go to baskets and get more.

Dig through baskets, transferring from one to the next until the desired item is un-burried while knocking bits and pieces onto the floor.

Get dressed.

Spray yourself or family member down with a squirt bottle and hope to get at least 50% of the wrinkles out that have been perma-pressed into the clothing from sitting in a basket for 2-4 weeks.

Begin to think, "I MUST need new clothes. I just can't find a thing to wear!"

Buy more clothes.

Get frustrated because there are clothes all over the floor, you can't find a pair of matching socks to save your life and you are tired of looking like a slob.

Finally, convince your family to join you for a "laundry party" and threaten to turn off the movie if they are not working while watching.

Match the mountain of socks while you teach husband where things belong (again.)

Repeat.

Sounds like loas of fun, huh!?

It's not a pretty picture i have painted here people.

But all is not lost!

I have convinced myself that I don't HATE laundry....remember this?

I just can't EVER find the time to sit down for 2, 3 or 4 hours to get it all done.

That's where I am at right now.

I've designated today as the day.

The day o the laundry. ( a.k.a. "The Laundry Party.")

Because yesterday's "laundry party" just didn't happen.

Surprised? Probably NOT!

And because I'm sharing all, my last "Laundry Party" was Jan 1, 2009. 21 days ago.

Well, if it makes you feel any better, it's not 21 days worth of laundry.

Remember? We have been picking through the baskets. :)


So, now what? I asked my Laundry Party AVOIDANT self.

I answered (in my head, thank goodness,)

"I think I know what my problem is! I know why i have laundry problems. We have tooooo many clothes! I know I am a sucker when it comes to finding a bargain, especially when it comes ot garage sales. And I really justify buying a cute shirt if it is only fitty cent. It's kinda like disposable clothing.

And I think I am actually ready to take care of this."

To be honest, my husband and mom have pointed this out to me before, but, I didn't listen.


Next, I did what almost every 21st century mom with a problem does.

I did a google search. Here.

"How many clothes do kids need?" I inquired.

And my magical machine lead me to the answers. Because some mom, somewhere, must have been FED UP! just like me.

Oh, they had lots of answeres!

The ones i liked the most were here and here.

Then I said to myself, " I might as well write down a plan."

And why not put it on the blog? (sorry, again)

And so, without further adiu, because this blog adiu has taken way to long...i give you....my plan.

It's quite simple actually.

It's called:

Laundry....Simply

Step 1: Decide what clothes we need.

A weeks worth sounds most reasonable.

I think. This is the list I have.....so far.

10-12 outfits
(a lot, yeah, but do you remember the diaper explosion? and justin's delayed bathroom trips?)

10 pairs of matched socks.
(my ultimate plan is to only buy one type of sock per kid)

3 sunday outfits

2 swimming suits.

2 jackets.

1 coat.

1 set gloves & hat.

That's it.

Am I missing anything?

Step 2: Give clothes away, starting with the closets since they hold the clothes that havn't been touched in 3 weeks.

Step 3: Pack away summer clothes.

Step 4: Wash and put a way 1 load per day!

Step 5: Repeat daily. (i think i can...i think i can....i think i can...)

Step 6: Find clothes in closet and drawers (instead of laundry baskets.)

Step 7: STICK WITH IT.


phew!

i think i'm ready to conquer the UGLY MOUNTIAN!

wish me luck (i'm going to need it.).

and offer tips (because there is a high chance that you are better at this than i am.)

and encouragement (something like, "julie, it's worth it.....you CAN climb this mountain.)

and envite me on a play date only if i can answer yes to your question, "julie, is your laundry done?"

and pray that this is the last post that i will ever write about laundry lamentations (for your sake and mine.)

and hope to see only this on my blog when it comes to laundry.

the end.

Ode to laundry…

Just kidding!

I bet you read that title, and thought about not visiting my blog today….considering that my previous, VERY STALE post was about laundry too. You may have asked yourself, "does this gal think about anything other than her crazy, out of control laundry?"

Well, sometimes. :)

I've been thinking about how I wanted a theme word for the year. I wanted a word that defined my life in a nicely tied little package and would create a sense of purpose..

The winning word:

serendipity

Frankly, I find the word a bit quirky...but I love it's meaning!

And I had never understood it's meaning…until now.

(One of my few encounters with it was seeing it on a book that I read as a child with a pink dragon on it with the title "Serendipity." Does anyone else remember that??)

So….why this word, and what on earth does it mean anyway? (Or maybe you and your dictionary are better friends than I am with mine and already knew what it meant.)

Let me explain…for those who actually read blogs all of the way through.

( Brace yourself....it's a long one.)

I was fortunate to be in my car the other day when I turned on a.m. radio (because I'm a nerd like that) and found Glen Beck interviewing Richard M. Eyre about his book "The Three Deceivers". Can I just say that I need more real brain food? You know, brain food. The stuff that makes me actually have to think!?!?

So, anyway, while listening I got really excited because they were describing exactly how I try to/want to live my life. I went to Glen's site (we're on a first name basis you know) and found the transcript. I even liked the conversation more the second go around. I would like to share a most poignant quote by Eyre.

"We measure ourselves by how much we control. We get frustrated when we can't control things, even when we're talking about our own kids. We think we own our kids. We should control them, we should control the people around us, we shouldn't need anyone. And what we end up is we get more isolated, we get more lonely, we get more frustrated and we get more jealous because there's always someone that owns more than we do and controls more than we do and so, you know, they all lead us away."

"We want to get people into the idea that what we're saying is, look, these are three powerful economic principles; let's keep them forever. Let's never give up on them for our economy and for our private personal economies, but let's not carry them over to where they become our spiritual paradigms because they all lead us away from humility, they lead us away from a dependence on God, they lead us away from kind of a wonderful serendipity adventuresome kind of a life where we say, you know, I don't want to control everything; I want to just respond correctly to the things that surprise me every single day." (click and read more.)

I totally loved what he Eyre had to say and might even get his book…when I promise myself to use it for it's original purpose instead of as a paper weight as I do with most of our book. Sigh

To learn more i went to Wikipedia and it gave a simple, concise definition.

Serendipity is the effect by which one accidentally discovers something fortunate, especially while looking for something else entirely.

While researching I even picked out a couple of cool examples in history to share.

Corn flakes and wheat flakes (Wheaties) were accidentally discovered by the Kelloggs brothers in 1898, when they left cooked wheat untended for a day and tried to roll the mass, obtaining a flaky material instead of a sheet.

The Slinky was invented by US Navy engineer Richard T. James after he accidentally knocked a torsion spring off his work table and observed its unique motion.

Cyanoacrylate-based Superglue (a.k.a. Krazy Glue) was accidentally twice discovered by Dr. Harry Coover, first when he was developing a clear plastic for gunsights and later, when he was trying to develop a heat-resistant polymer for jet
canopies ^{[disambiguation needed]}.

The microwave oven was invented by Percy Spencer while testing a magnetron for radar sets at Raytheon, he noticed that a peanut candy bar in his pocket had melted when e xposed to radar waves.

Hooray for serendipity!

I'm now noticing that serendipitous experiences are plentiful!

Here's another definition of serendipity

“A state of mind wherein a person, through awareness and sensitivity, frequently finds something that is better than the thing he was seeking.”

When you are looking for it,
serendipity
is everywhere!.

The world (ie. my concrete) becomes a canvas.
Until i make them clean it up!

A chew toy becomes a crown for a prince.

Scrap wood becomes a bridge that leads to childhood bliss.

A punctured ball becomes a very fashionable hat(and solar head warmer, I might add.)

Paint stir sticks become a manger for the Baby Jesus.

A seldom mis-used potty is re-purposed as a hat.

And a regular quilt becomes a child eating human burrito.

Oh the possibilities never end!

I even noticed that at times, I already apply the principal in my life.

For example:

On Monday I woke up started my day with a proverbial match lit under my toosh.

I WAS ON FIRE!

I don't know about you, but I EMBRACE those mornings when I just can't stop the thoughts and plans from flowing through my dusty brain.

It's the type of day when you say to yourself, "self, I could practically accomplish ANYTHING!"

And then….life…..it happened. And it happened to me.

Up until that fateful hour, everything had gone according to my plans.

5:15-5:45 Roll over and feed Dallin.

5:50- Slide out of bed.

6:10-7:00-Workout...which actually starts at 6:00 but oh well.

7:15-Come home and jump in the shower.

7:25-Get dressed and put make-up on.

7:30-Finish breakfast preparations started by Patrick and sit down to eat some yummy oatmeal/nurse Dallin/read scriptures together.

8:00- scoot the hubby out the door with a kiss and clean up breakfast.

8:15- Sit down to read scriptures (well, technically I listen to them and follow along in the B of M) while kiddies play happily…. (remember…it's still before 9 a.m. The fighting/whining/tattling hadn't started yet.)

8:30- I look over at Anna (still in her 10 pounder from the night before…which I was going to change NEXT and notice it.

A prize winning

DIAPER EXPLOSION!

When I surveyed the scene, I immediately thought, "they just had baths last night! It is not in my PLAN to clean up the HORRIBLE mess (which most defiantly would require another bath.) At that point, on a bad day, my progress could have come to a screeching halt . Thwarted by my own disappointment…..but in this instance (thankfully) I did the right thing.

As I peeled the stench infested green dinosaur jammies off of her warm little body, I reminded myself that this unfortunate (and very stinky) event didn't have to become the bane of my existence (as long as I was covering my nose.) That's it.

This seems so trivial and inconsequential, but it's huge.

Tremendous even.

So, without any further adieu, everyone happily piled into the bath tub (after the little remnants had been purged) and had a wonderful time.

That's my story.

Nothing profound, just a conscious decision to respond correctly to the things tend to pop up sooooooo frequently as a mommy.

So my word 'o' the year is, SERENDIPITy, may it live on…

So I spend fewer days this year than last, wondering where my days have gone, shouting, I've been robbed!!!!

I HOPE YOU (AND I) HAVE A MOST SERENDIPITOUS DAY!

I know I'm not using the word exactly as it was intended, but you catch my drift, right??

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.~John Lennon

Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves. ~Italian Proverb

OUR NEW YEARS PARTY!!!!

We had a HUGE party!




It was LOADS of fun!!!!!!




The WHOLE family was there!





It lasted MANY, MANY hours....
mainly because we needed to recover from the busy season (if you know what i mean!?!?!)



And because every party needs good music we turned on MEJOJAC'S awesome play list! It's my favorite!




And since it was an extra special celebration.....





I EVEN MATCHED ALL OF THE SOCKS!
(well, the ones with soul mate that wasn't lost at least)

It was good CLEAN fun!
There were NO hangovers
(at this party or any other party we've ever been to for that matter.)

Just lots of hang-ups (and fold ups too.)


Happy New Year to you!
May your life be filled with LOADS and LOADS of fun!!!

p.s. if you ever wan't to join us for a laundry party...you are ALWAYS invited.
the more the merrier you know!

And....because it is a new year after all.....

I made one resolution to start things off right.

It's a good idea to set reasonable expectations, right?

So I just made one SMALL, attainable goal.

Something I COULD accomplish and be proud of!

And guess what!?

(This is just between me and you...

but....

somehow I already broke my resolution.)

Oops.

There's always 2010, right???