Harmonious Bedtime

       I just finished tucking all my little ones into bed, and all but one are already fast asleep. I started singing to my children at bedtime every night back when I just had one tiny newborn in my arms. I know many said not to rock them to sleep or do anything like that, but I couldn't help but steal a few minutes each night to snuggle and sing.  

       I decided I didn't care what the experts said, my baby and I needed that time together, it's what was best for us!

       I had actually started singing a couple familiar songs when I was pregnant with my first. I used it as a simple way to connect each night with this little person growing inside me. It was amazing to see how she would quiet down when she heard those songs after being born. The same was true for the little ones that followed after her. They would quiet down and look around with a relaxed expression of recognition. I am constantly in awe and wonder of all that happens while a little one develops inside my womb!

       Our bedtime routine has expanded and transformed over the years to meet the needs of our little family. The one constant that has remained through it all is song time. We usually read a book or two (this depends a lot on whether or not they have lost this priviledge in the hours preceding bedtime), then say prayers together, and end with singing while stroking their back or arm. On nights when my husband is home, he will come in and join us. He has an amazing voice and harmonizes beautifully. I love the time we spend just blending our voices while watching our children drift off into peaceful sleep.

       It doesn't matter what kind of day we have had, whether we have been at odds and frustrated or working together smoothly, as we end our day we set all that aside and take the time to connect.  Singing allows us to remember what matters most, the love and bond between each of us. I find it very difficult to sing a lullaby to my child and be frustrated with them. It is such a wonderful "reset button" of sorts for me, especially after a long challenging day.

       Tonight after rocking our youngest (who does not have the patience for booktime just yet), my husband came into the girls room to join our song time. Even as she kept her eyes closed, I saw a grin spread across my 3 year olds face as she heard her daddy's voice. It hit me how we weren't just taking time to show affection to our children, but also giving them a nightly "audible picture" of the unity between their parents. As they listen to the musical harmonies, they are reassured of the literal harmony between their mommy and daddy. 

       It is not that we are perfect parents, nor do we have a perfect marriage. In fact, I think it's all the imperfections that make this time so special. We have a moment each night to sing, connect, and often times apologize for the wrongs we have made against each other, before going to sleep. (It's amazing what slowing down, and recentering on what matters most does to convict you.) What started out as a new mommy just wanting a few more minutes to hold her tiny newborn before laying her down, has grown into a gift that benefits our entire family in numerous ways. Regardless of how out of tune our day has been, we get to enjoy a time out and a harmonious bedtime!

       I hope this encourages you to do what is best for each of your little ones, and not just what the newest research or expert advises!

Good night and sweet dreams~

Ginger

Organization Project Update: My New Equation!

       Do you remember the theme song from Gilligan's Island? The song ends repeating the phrase "A three hour tour, a three hour tour..." It is that comical yet slightly haunting reminder of what it was suppose to be before the ship wrecked.  That is how I feel about my room during this Organization Project! Wasn't this only suppose to take a week to get done?  Yet, here I am starting into my third week on the project, with only about half of the room completed.  I find myself humming, "The one week project, the one week project..." = )

       Being the "analytical" type I have come up with a good equation for figuring out how long the project will really take. Take the number of weeks suggested in the book (1) and then add a week for every child you have!!! Lol  In my case, that means that each project will take a grand total of 4 weeks, or 5 if you count the one growing inside me. Ahhh, with that pace in mind, I am right on schedule! I feel better already. Okay, so if there are 21 projects and you select 3 each week, then the original plan would take approximately 7 weeks to complete. Now if I multiply that by 4, it means I have 28 weeks to completely organize my home. When I look at it that way, I am not sure whether to be excited or depressed that it will take me 6 1/2 months to get organized!!! Gulp, is my home really in that bad of shape? I don't think I am ready for the answer to that question. Lol  = )

      I sure hope it doesn't take that long to get my home organized!!! I still have hope! I figure that because I started with the worst areas of the house (the laundry room and master bedroom), then organizing the other rooms should seem like a breeze. Right?!! = ) Many of the rooms in my house just need a little "tweaking" and purging of excess clutter to make them more functional.  Unfortunately, for some time now, both the master bedroom and laundry room have been the collecting ground for everything that does not belong in any other place.  So considering all that, I feel good that I have made progress on these spaces, without just shifting the piles and "collections" to a new location.  I have actually made decisions to get rid of things, create new spaces, and set up each room to be purposefully functional.

       So all that chattering to say... I am not ready to take any "after pics" but I am making decent progress.  Plus, with my new equation and time line in place I still have another week to finish! = p
Once again it comes down to my new motto- "It's about progress, not perfection!"
Hope your week is starting out with a smile!

Ginger

The Breakfast Challenge

       A high-protein breakfast is strongly recommended as part of a holistic approach to treating ADHD.  That doesn't sound too hard right? It shouldn't be, but when you add to it a laundry list of food intolerances and allergies, it becomes quite the challenge!

       So what would you make for breakfast (high-protein) for someone who cannot have gluten (wheat, rye, barley and oats), corn, dairy, soy, or eggs?  Now you see my predicament!  A lot of people resort to eating leftovers from dinner for breakfast.  We usually use our leftovers for lunch or for another dinner, but it has been done on occasion at our house too.  The other trick I recently discovered was adding protein powder to your baked goods.  I use a vegetarian protein powder consisting of rice, hemp and pea protein.  For a lot of people with soy allergies the pea protein is also prohibited, but there are a lot of pure rice and hemp proteins out there. Some people use the powders in smoothies, but unfortunately the texture of these types of protein tend to be grainy which is a problem for a lot of us. Soaking the powder in warm water before adding to your smoothie helps with this, otherwise the texture is not a problem when using in baked goods.  To add protein powder to your favorite baked item just substitute part of the flour with equal amounts of protein powder.  Depending on whether you buy flavored or unflavored will determine how many things you can add it to.  I made the mistake of purchasing my first container in chocolate, but it has allowed for some creative snack ideas! = )

Here are some of the high-protein breakfast I have come up with so far:

• High-protein waffles with nut butter (I use a vanilla rice protein powder.)
• High-protein pancakes with nut butter (made in similar fashion to the waffles but with a thinner batter)
• High-protein Apple sauce muffins (also using vanilla rice protein powder)
• Peanut butter chocolate breakfast cookies (using chocolate vegetarian protein powder)
• Rice cakes, nut butter and apples slices (This is my quick go-to breakfast option.)
• GF Biscuits with nut butter and jam, served with fresh fruit (When I finish the protein powder I have, I plan on buying "unflavored" and adding it to the biscuits.)
• Sausage patties, fruit, and vegetable strips (bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers)
• Green smoothies made with fruit, kale, spinach, ginger root and a 1/4 scoop of the protein powder. (Somehow the mixture and soaking the powder helps hide the grainy texture better than just fruit and coconut milk.)
• High-protein Zucchini bread or any other "cake" type bread (the vanilla protein powder works fine in these)
• Mama's GF Chex mix- Rice chex, assorted nuts and seeds, dried cranberries, gf chocolate chips (I make this up with many different variations), served with apple slices or banana and a cup of coconut milk.  [I also use this mix for snacks a lot, especially when sending snacks to church, kids clubs or any other place my child needs to bring his/her own snack.]
• GF Rice Crispy squares made with nut butter, chocolate protein powder, chopped nuts/seeds, flax meal, and dried cranberries or raisins (I decrease the amount of marshmallows called for in order to lower the sugar content. I simply press down into a cake pan making them as compact as possible, then refrigerate. Keeping them refrigerated helps them stay together better even without a full bag of marshmallows.)

As you can see, some are higher in protein than others, but all of them are better than a simple bowl of cereal and milk.  I am fortunate that I can use a variety of nut and seed butters. I understand that many have allergies to nuts and this decreases the options even further. Sunflower seed butter is a great option for many who can't do peanut and/or almond butter, and can be found in most grocery stores now. 

      I would love to hear from you! What high-protein breakfast ideas have you come up with that are both kid and food-allergy friendly?  Here's to the culinary creativity that challenges like these inspire!!!

Ginger
     

Pure Delight!!!

     So you have now seen pictures representing the pandemonium around my home, but now it's time to take a "time-out" and remember the delight that goes with it.  Little children provide a lot of little "funnies" every day to laugh about. With 3 children under the age of 5, and one more on the way, we have a lot to laugh about around here! Sometimes, pausing to appreciate the joy and laughter kids can bring is just what we need as adults to keep our spirits light. So under the label "Family Funnies" I will be sharing random stories and quotes from our day. I hope you will share in the laughter by posting some of your own in the comments! So without further ado, a story or two!!! = )

• The other night we had the TV on, and decided that due to the news coming on we should pause the TV. (Love the ability through satellite TV to do so!) It happened to pause on the picture of a rundown motel, causing our 3 year old to exclaim, "Look mommy, a show-and-tell!" I smiled and corrected, "You mean a hotel." My husband added, "Or it's a motel." Thinking we were starting a naming game or something my 3 year old chimed in, "Or we can call it a ho-and-tell!" I was too caught off guard to do anything but laugh! My husband demanded to know what I had been teaching the children! lol ; )
• My 4 year old, excited about the idea of growing up, says with genuine enthusiasm,"I can't wait until I am an adult, and then I will like onions like you do!" Of all the things to be excited about... 

I have many more little stories to share and I am guessing so do you! So join in the fun, share the joy with a cute quote or story!!! Here's to the laughter children bring to our world!


Ginger

Update on the Organization Project Week 1

       It is time to check in with how the first week on the Organizing Project is going.  Well... not as great as I would like, but not a complete failure either. Like any other normal person life continues on despite the chaos around me. It is not quite like those awesome organizing shows where life stops for a period of days, and all you focus on is organizing your home. Instead, organizing happens wherever I can make space in between the normal and not-so-normal day to day activities that arise. Notice I used the word "make" and not find. I have discovered if I wait to find time to organize then it will never happen! lol I really must intentionally make time to fit it in. Sooo... my room is not done! But neither is my week quite over, so I still have hope of getting my goals accomplished. 

       However, I did get my purse completely cleaned out and organized. I now have two emergency packs in my bag. One carries things like a nail file, protein bar, needle and thread, and a couple other items that MacGyver might find useful. = ) The other one is my kid emergency kit. It contains wipes, a diaper, a box of crayons, a coloring pad, and a couple of matchbox cars.  Something to occupy and deal with "kid type" emergencies that may occur while out and about. I also now have a plastic pouch designated for receipts so that they are not spilling out of my wallet every time I open it. I am feeling pretty pleased with myself over this accomplishment. The goal now is to maintain the system by 1) Doing a quick sort to get rid of trash and other collectibles every other week and 2) Restocking emergency items as they get used. My goal is to keep the maintenance as simple as possible.

       The next thing that I actually made progress in is my laundry situation. In order to fully appreciate what I am about to say, I think I need to share another picture. Brace yourself, this one is quite frightening! Okay, so I could only bare to give you a small glimpse of what we call our laundry room. I think just letting you see one half gives you a good idea of what I am up against!

The good news is that the mountain in the background is actually clean clothes AND I have successfully folded all of it now. I still have to put it away, but even that if half done. I also have washed a couple of loads from Mt. Dirty Laundry in the foreground. So progress is being made! It may not be as fast as I would like, but it is moving forward!                                

       I think the main lesson I am learning this week is to celebrate when steps are being made daily toward progress, even if it is not as fast as the tv shows! = ) What things in your life do you need to celebrate that maybe haven't been progressing as quickly as you would like, but are moving forward none the less? I think if we don't find ways to revel in the small victories, we risk growing too discouraged to complete the journey. Plus, it's the process more than the final outcome, that we learn the most from! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I can't wait to post up pictures of my new and improved bedroom and laundry area. Until then, I am going to keep celebrating the small victories... you should too!

Ginger

     

No Exaggeration!!!

       Just in case you had begun to wonder if I am truly a "messy," I thought I would provide a little proof through pictures.  I honestly have not decided whether I am brave or stupid, to be so honest about the condition of my home in such a public way!  However, they say the first step to recovery is to admit the problem. So here you have it! Consider these the "before" pictures of my room.  I had already taken a day working on it, before I realized that I might want to take a couple pictures so folks wouldn't think I was exaggerating. That is the only reason the bed looks so nice in the foreground! = )  I look forward to sharing the "after" pictures with you! I have high hopes, this time around, that I will tackle my messy ways once and for all!

       At this point you might be wondering what would make this time any different than the last several (hundred) times I have tried.  A lot of that has to do with the system I am using to change it.  I mentioned in my last post that I was reading Kathi Lipp's book The Get Yourself Organized Project: 21 Steps to Less Mess and Stress, AND I love it!  I have read (skimmed through) at least a dozen or more organization books, and this one is probably the first one that actually makes sense to my personality and brain-wiring.  Her underlying philosophy is that it is not about living to organize, but rather organizing to live!  Now, some people truly get enjoyment out of organizing and cleaning, and I have read many of their books and lived in their homes (I love you mom!).  However, I was not created that way at all!  Don't get me wrong, I love the final outcome of such activities, but the process is often torturous and dull. = )  Kathi has done a great job so far at speaking to those of us who would rather be doing something (read that, anything) other than organizing our homes.  She doesn't dictate a system, but rather gives some basic guidelines for you to create a system out of what is already working in your home.  She keeps it lighthearted and simple.  Most of the chapters are no more than 3-4 pages long, so even the reading isn't overwhelming.  It is SO nice to get done reading and not feel paralyzed by defeat before I have even begun.  I can do this!
      
       So today is my official start date on the "Organization Project."  There are 21 projects divided under three categories: Home, Family and Personal.  Each week I will pick one project from each category for a total of three.  This week my projects are my master bedroom (as seen above), the laundry, and my handbag.  Kathi suggests starting with the projects that are giving you the most problems and/or are the most overwhelming, and all three of this week's fit that description. = )  So wish me luck, send prayers my way, and hold on for the ride!  You never know what stories could climb out of those piles. (Let's hope that is not literal! yikes!!!)  If you really feel inspired, join me!
I would love to have some virtual organizing buddies on this adventure!  Here's to a wonderful Monday and a productive week ahead! My motto for life right now is, "It's about progress, not perfection."  So let's go make some progress.  = )

Ginger

(BTW- Sorry if the pictures are not of the highest quality, but I can't find my camera. No surprise! So I took them with my phone. Plus, I was hoping that if they were slightly grainy/blurry maybe the mess wouldn't look as bad! lol)
 
 
 

True Pandemonium... my house!

       Anyone who knows me well, knows that my house is no where close to fitting inside the pages of a magazine. Unless, perhaps, it is an article on messy disorganized homes in need of desperate help!  No seriously, my home is not your model of perfection.  Some of this is due to my season of life. With 3 little ones and one on the way, I have a lot of demands on my time and energy.  I am a firm believer in taking the time to sit and hold your children while they are still little.  The messes will still be there when we are done, but these moments with our children are few and fleeting.  There have been many mornings that I have woke up with "Super Woman" plans of getting work done, only to have a little one request to be rocked and cuddled.  My plans have been thwarted but my day has been blessed.  Even as I sit in my messy room typing, I don't for a second regret making the choice to cuddle over clean.

       However, I still need and want to find a way to balance that side of my life with a more organized home.  Having a home that is organized and clean contributes to the peaceful atmosphere I want to provide in my home.  I have often heard and believe it to be true, that if you cannot manage the stuff you have then you have too much.  So that is where I have decided to focus my efforts.  It is time to evaluate and re-evaluate what we really need and what we can let go of.  For three years we live in a 36 foot RV while saving up to buy a home.  That time taught me a lot about how little we actually need to live.  It amazes me how much stuff we have acumulated in the short 3 years since buying our home.  I know I have a lot of things that were pertinent to another season of life, but now just remain in my home as clutter.  I am a highly sentimental person, and I have trouble letting go of things when they no longer hold any practical value.  I am not saying we should ditch everything, but again it is about having balance.  I am beginning to realize I can keep the pictures and memories of our first Valentine's day together without having to keep the dress.  It's a pretty dress, but what I could wear with elegance in my early 20's starts to look inappropriate in my 30's.  It is time to let go and let some other cutesy girl enjoy it! = )  Do any of you find it a struggle to balance sentimentality and practicality when it comes to letting things go?  What ways have you found to make it easier to not hold on so tightly to things that are past their time?  I would love to hear your comments on this. 

       To help me in this process I am beginning to read the book The Get Yourself Organized Project: 21 Steps to Less Mess and Stress by Kathi Lipp.  I hope to be starting the 21 day challenge she presents very soon, and look forward to sharing my adventures in it with you.  For today I am hoping to conquer Mt. Never-Ending-Laundry.  It is a task that I have begun to believe it too great for any one person... hmmm... maybe I can enlist the help of my husband! hehe ; )  Hope you have a wonderful and adventurous day!

Ginger