Let's Get It Started...And Then Maybe Finish It

Hi, my name is Bethany and I'm a starter.

Hi Bethany!

I have a very bad habit of starting things and then never really finish them. For example, right now I am reading 5 books. I have them scattered all over the house, primarily in our two bathrooms (because really, where else am I going to get peace a quiet?) Another example? My husband and I have been married for almost 6 years and I still haven't finished our wedding scrapbook. It's not like I have stacks and stacks of pictures to still put in it. No, the pictures are all in there. What haven't I finished yet? The journaling on the very last page. That's it. I know what I want it to say, but I haven't finished it because I want the perfect paper, font, spacing, etc.

I read recently that starting things and not finishing them is a sign of a perfectionist. This makes me laugh because when I think of a perfectionist I think Martha Stewart - and Martha I am NOT! But the explanation made sense. It said something to the effect of, "We start things but are so afraid of failure or not doing it 'just right' that we just keep putting it off until we have time to do it 'perfectly'". Huh. So I'm starting a challenge. I'm going to make a list of ten things I've started and haven't finished and then finish them by the end of July. I will not start any new books, new craft projects, etc. until the list is finished! I'll be updating my blog with my progress...see the side bar for my list of projects to do!

Have anything you would like to finish? Join my challenge!

My Son...

• Has many imaginary pets which include: a rabbit named Harvey, a dog named Carrot, and a cat named Dat. This is in addition to all his stuffed animals: Hippo, D-Dog, Tiger the Lion, Giraffe, and B-Bear.
• Has mastered potty training and EVERYTIME he poops I hear him yelling from the bathroom, "Mommy! Come here! I have a surprise for you!" he then tells me to close my eyes really tight and slides his naked butt cheeks off the toilet to show me the surprise...you guessed it - poop. EVERY SINGLE TIME.
  
• Frequently has me tie Brenna's pink blanket around his neck so he can be a super hero, then follows me around the house saying, "Do you need help?"
  
• Can talk like a pirate.
• Is determined to one day catch our cat and carry her. He caught her once and 'carried' her with his hands wrapped around her neck. She's become a little faster since that's happened.
  
• Will lean back against his plastic kiddie pool and sigh, saying, "Aahhh, this is nice"
• Adores his sister until she touches his trains, then all hell breaks loose.
• Has no qualms about walking around naked when our windows are open. I have no idea where he gets that *ahem*
• Plays an imaginary tuba
• Is just simply the greatest thing since sliced bread.
  

Today I ...

• Was stood up for an appointment
  
• Got a flat tire
  
• Changed the flat tire in 90 degree weather, heels and a skirt
• Was hung up on twice
• Lost my patience with Riley more than once
• Forgot to go to the library and will have a million dollars in overdue fees
  
• Still have a to-do list a mile long

But I also...

• Snuggled with both kids in bed for an hour this morning watching Seasame Street
• Listened to Brenna squeal while watching the fish at the pet store
• Didn't have to cook dinner
• And I also found this

It's been a good day.

Menu Plan Monday

This week it will be:

Monday - Garlic Chicken and Mushrooms
Tuesday - Chicken Stir Fry
Wednesday - Crock Pot Chicken Stew
Thursday - Turkey Burgers
Friday - Pizza

I learned a trick from Simple Mom. I used Google Calendar (I used this anyway for my personal schedule) and made a calendar specifically for menu planning. I picked 14 recipes that we normally have and added them as events for the next two weeks - then edited the event to repeat every other week! So a month's worth of menus done in a snap!

Check out Simple Mom's blog...it's quickly become one of my favorites! Then hop over to Org Junkie's website for more menu ideas!

Anything that makes life easier...

I recently picked up the Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets to give them a whirl. (They were on sale and I had a sweet coupon!). The verdict? I give it an A!


The Pros:

• One sheet really does do everything - even though they only come with 20 sheets it still works out to be cheaper than buying detergent, softener and dryer sheets.


• They smell good!



• They did a good job of cleaning and softening our clothes. I was worried - I thought it wouldn't do the trick on getting out all the little boy and baby messes we have. But the clothes were really clean!

The Cons:

• It doesn't smell quite as good as Gain...my previous favorite.


• There is no way to break them up to do a smaller load. This is a minor thing for me though. With the four of us, when do we NOT have a full load of laundry?

They retail for $5.99 for a 20 sheet starter set. There was a $2 coupon in the paper last Sunday. You can also get a coupon for them here. Purex also will donate $1 to a female entrepreneur to help her bring her family out of poverty. I'm helping Dexie - donated $3 already. :-)

Purex Changes Lives Widget

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"Five Buck Club"

A friend recently told me about the "Five Buck Club" with Kerasotes Theaters. If you go to their website, on the left there is a button for the "Five Buck Club". Sign up (it's free), and every week they will send you an email telling you which movies are now in the "Five Buck Club". Take your card to the theater and see a movie for just $5! Now that's a bargain!

Now if only we could find a babysitter for $5...

These are the Days...

Today Brenna is teething and VERY grouchy. Riley is being demanding and needy. The dog is driving me crazy. The sink is full of dishes and the chair is full of laundry that needs folded and put away. I'm having a hard time feeling grateful right now. Thankfully there are people out there who always seem to have the best outlook on life and someone else who always knows just what I need to hear when I need to hear it. Check out the below post. :-)

http://www.jessicasprague.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=979:making-days-to-remember&catid=69:jscom-articles&Itemid=147#comments