Showing posts with label 52 to Fabulous. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 52 to Fabulous. Show all posts

Friday, February 5, 2010

The One In Which There is Too Much Crap, Crap and More Crap

4 jewelry boxes containing various beads, plastic rings and (up)Chuckee Cheese chinese finger handcuffs;
feathers, 5 piggy banks with hand-drawn coins and bills so she knows what goes where; paper kitty ears; orange string; duct tape wallet; paper flowers and stickers; two soccer trophies; most of the Russian matryoshka dolls  hair bow 'doggy'; barbie shoes; various and sundry Littlest Pet Shop accessories and crap, crap more crap


Pens, pencils, crayons, and tons of erasers; 2 wallets; Hannah Montana pencil case; old fashioned mechanical coin bank; note cards; Ipod speakers; papers; notes; origami cranes; polished rocks; and crap, crap and more crap
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And in an the All Out Effort to live up to our goals and resolutions for 2010 - while I am killing (literally killing myself which would explain my lack of posting ) myself at the gym, and trying to eat right and go from Flabulous to Fabulous in 52 weeks..I am going to ask my kids ...no, I am going to make my kids do something with the mess that is their stuff.

Look at the pictures of their stuff.  I realize that kids have their little collections of shit, but does my little one really need that half ball of orange string on her dresser and duct tape wallet??  Does my oldest really need that 7 inch cadre of stackable pencil erasers?  What's worse it that when Mommy asks them to clean up their rooms, they just rearrange the clutter instead of dispersing it. 

I am not saying that they need to go on Hoarders  or anything that drastic.  I may not always be neat and tidy...But I am organized.  In fact, I pride myself on my Ability when it comes to organization.  To the untrained- one might look at my desk and see momentary chaos.  But I know where everything is.  Over winter break I went through every drawer and cabinet in my kitchen and desk and neatened and straightened and tossed and tidied up.  My motto is and always has been , if you haven't used it ,worn it, looked at it, or missed it in a year - See ya!  Donate and Liberate!

Just ask my mom. When I was a kid, I would redecorate my room and rearrange my closets and drawers every few months.  I can't recall ever needing to told to clean my room, because it usually was.  I used to help my sisterbestfriend organize and clean her house in exchange for laundry priviledges (amongst other things...heh, heh sisterbestfriend).  I worked retail at Pier One and my favorite part of the job was setting tables and folding napkins and organizing the knick-knack bins.  So as much as my girls are messy - Mommy seems to be boarderline OCD in the neat freak department.  Not that there is anything wrong with that mind you.

Imagine my chagrin when we had our usual Thanksgiving lavish party , and I (who prides herself on everything in it's place and a place for everything) was teased by friends for being too organized?  Is there such a thing?  Nobody cleans my kitchen but me for that reason.  I don't need anyone making fun of where my coffee filters go (next to the coffee cups of course...makes perfect sense to me since you use both at the same time usually, don't you?)  I know, that was months ago- get over it, Swirl Girl.

So join me, won't you?  On my quest to rid myself and my house of Junk and Stuff.  It's only February, and we still have 10 months to #2, #6, and #9.  And if you can't find me ...I'll be the one buried under all the crap, crap and more crap sucking my thumb ..alone , hungry amd sore.




Friday, January 8, 2010

The One In Which She Vows to Go From Flab to FAB !**

** alternative title could be "What I did on my winter vacation"






So we had a remarkably unremarkable winter break.  Went to the movies , a few play dates, shared some holiday celebrations with friends.  Slept in.  Wore my uniform everyday (read: stretchy pants).  Thanksfully we live in Southern California and save for two days out of 14 - our weather was play outside-able.  Mighty fine.      

But unlike a lot of you , other than the sleeping late part of winter vacation- I missed the routine of the routine and was excited to get my kids off to school this week.

This is the time of year when everyone is jumping on the Resolution Band Wagon - and Swirl Girl is no different. In fact as a family - we celebrated New Year's Eve by playing Resolution Pictionary .  We made sort of a family contract listing things we all could do to make our family successful (read: happier, less stressed = less yelling!)

In order to be successful
We want to do the following:

1. Pay attention to your surroundings  (which is a nice way of saying don't be such a klutz!)
2. Keep your room clean! (which is a nice way of saying ...mommy doesn't like the clutter!)
3. Listen to each other (which is a nice way of stop finishing other's sentences)
4. Make your bed
5. Set the table (which is a nice way of saying - help mommy out!)
6. Pick up your mess (kitchen, toys, ect.)
7. Accept responsibilities for our actions (which is a nice way of saying punishment will fit the crime)
8. Take care of our bodies (which is a nice way of saying brush your teeth without me reminding you!)
9. Put away your clothes when they are clean (which is a nice way of saying I ain't doin' it anymore)
10. Put yourself in other people’s place (= empathy!!)
11. Treat others the way you want to be treated (oh, the Golden Rule...right?)
12. Think before you speak or act (Which is a nice way of saying no more Ready, Shoot, Aim!)


 We typed it all up after the doodling - and put in an 8x10 frame and it hangs proudly in the house.
So far, a whole week into it, we are doing just so-so .  Mommy just has to say #12, or "Did you #4 today?"
We're all about code words here. 

And I have my own personal list of Wants for this new year. 

1) Exercise Daily
2) Read more for pleasure
3) Monetize her life
4) Try to fill my ubiquitous Glass Half Empty attitude (adjusting my A).  In other words - I am gonna lighten the fluck UP!

I can still be funny and snarky without being so dark and gloomy all the time.  (IthinkIcan, IthinkIcan.)
I want what everyone else seems to have.  Or if they don't have it...they just pretend better than me.  And I want to learn how to do that. 


I am joining a group of like minded women on a project spearheaded by Linda Sellers of Short Pump Preppy called 52 to Fabulous.  The key to this challenge is the support.  I started my personal training sessions at the gym yesterday.  I want to not be totally grossed out by my nekkid body.  I don't expect to be sporting a bikini this summer - not that that wouldn't suck, but when your 5 year old tells you that you look like your gonna have a baby - it's time to shift gears. 

I wonder what the next best thing is going to be? In this world of insti-grat (that's instant gratification for you tweeters who don't want to use up too many characters)because if I could invent it...Hhhhmmmmm  that would surely help me monetize my life. 

So I am giving myself a realistic 52 weeks to go from Flabulous to Fabulous!!  Who's with me?? 
Anyone?  Anyone?  Buehler??