MFT #4: FlyLady

There's nothing better than a clean house. Don't you agree? I love to walk into my bedroom and see my bed made and everything in its place. And it's soooo nice to walk into the kitchen and see a clean floor, gleaming counters, and a bright shiny sink.

I decorated my house for Christmas yesterday - we even got a tree and decorated it for family night! - and I used it as an excuse to do a deep cleaning in the living room. I vacuumed under and behind furniture, scrubbed our microfiber (thank goodness for microfiber!) couch and recliner, and polished the piano and end tables. I cleaned all of the glass and every nook and cranny. Man, it feels so good!

I try to keep up on this stuff, but I've felt very overwhelmed since having Zach almost a year ago. With a baby who's been walking for a few months now and getting into EVERYTHING, and a 2-year-old who also gets into everything but has learned more tricks and can cause enormous disasters in mere moments, I've got a lot going on. I'm really struggling to keep up. Enter FlyLady.

Some of her tips are pretty elementary, but I like the routine she suggests and it really helps when you're feeling like you're in over your head like I am right now. To make it more fun, my sister Cassie is doing it with me. We're doing the beginner baby steps together and we talk and text to keep each other updated. It helps to have a partner to report to.

So I assume that most of you have your act together enough that you have no need for such things. But I have to admit, because I like to keep it real, that I don't. But I want to. I reeeeaaaallly want to. So I'm working on it. And things are getting better.

Just in case, though, give me a call before you drop by. :)

MFT #3: Bath & Body Works

I didn't go out and shop the day after Thanksgiving. I just couldn't bear the thought of fighting crowds and standing in long lines. But I did some Black Friday shopping........online. This was a first for me. But I got the same stuff - probably more selection because they're less likely to be out of stock online than in the store, at least I would think. I got the same sale prices, and free shipping. Yay for me!

My box came yesterday, full of the essentials : a new wallflower - the Christmas tree shape because it looked too cute to pass up, body lotion and shower gel, wallflower refills, and of course soaps of all different scents.

There was a time just a few years ago when I was unfamiliar with this store that is now one of my favorites. I would wander in with my sister or a friend while at the mall, but never bought anything. I didn't know what I was missing!

My favorite B&B scent is sweet pea. I have sweet pea wallflowers, soap, lotion, shower gel, and even a scentportable for my van. Maybe I have a bit of an obsession. Hey, maybe I should be getting paid for this post! (hee, hee)

So now I want to know.........do you B&B, and if so, what are your faves?

MFT #2*: Texting

John and I got new phones earlier this year. In the space of a day, I went from non-texter to textaholic. OK, that's probably an exaggeration, but I really enjoy having the option to send a text. I have to admit that I have a small case of phone phobia. I get really nervous when I have to make a phone call. Making visiting teaching appointments, for example, freaks me out. Calling around looking for a babysitter is torture! (When I was in 6th grade I needed to get a pet to keep in our classroom at school and my mom made me call a pet store to see if they carried turtles. I almost had a panic attack over it! And I will never live that down in my family. There you go - a little sneak peak into my crazy past. You're welcome.) I have no problem calling strangers at stores now, so I've come a long way. But texting takes all the anxiety out of reminding your friend you're on your way, or telling your sister you're running late. And no, I don't text while driving or during dates or family time. And you can't really make appointments or find babysitters while texting, so I'm not sure how that all ties in....

Anyway, if you don't text and you want to start, I highly recommend getting a phone with a full keyboard. It totally rocks!

* In case you're wondering, my list of favorite things is in no particular order other than whatever happens to be on my mind from day to day. And I'll try to make my future posts less random and rambling. :)

My Favorite Things #1: Creativity (Plus a Sneak Peak!)

Two years ago I wrote a series of December blog posts I called My Favorite Things - kind of a mix of November-like gratitude posts and a recap of the year's happenings that I hadn't had a chance to blog about. Well, I'm going to revisit the idea this year. I'm hoping it will get me back into the swing of blogging. I haven't been able to work blogging into my life lately and I'm really missing it!

Today my favorite thing is CREATIVITY. I absolutely loooove to mosey around a cute quilt shop and put together the perfect combination of fabrics for a new project. And I love the excitement of completing something that I made all by myself, start to finish. I'm at a point in life where I have very little time for myself. As much as I love my little ones, and I'm trying to cherish and drink in their littleness, I am in desperate need of an outlet - something that makes me feel like me. That's what sewing is for me these days. I don't have much time to do it, which is why I've been trying to get an Etsy shop up and going and it's taking me quite a while. But it IS coming. So here's a sneak peak:

My Etsy shop will feature these cute totes and wipe wallets* in a bunch of adorable fabrics. There will be a few quilted minky blankets, including this one, and eventually bibs and a few more baby items. I just have a few more things to sew up and pictures to take before I'm ready to open shop. As soon as I'm ready, I'll be hosting a giveaway on my blog. I'm so excited!!!

*I have to credit Elise for teaching me how to make the wipe wallets. I've been addicted ever since she made me one and shared her secrets. Thanks, Elise!

Also, as much as I wish I were, I am NOT a good photographer. I hope you can tell how cute the stuff is in spite of the poor quality photos. : )