I'm recommitting myself to a few things in this New Year - one being this blog. 

The rest will reveal themselves.

Until then, Happy New Year from me to you!

New Year's Day

We dined on a hundred mile special delivery takeout and played a new board game that tested our trivia knowledge, but mine was more like testing how well I could guess. :) We sang karaoke until our voices were hoarse and laughed at song choices for each other.

We ended it with a big finish by tag team singing to Bohemian Rhapsody complete with head banging and bringing it home by singing all together. We rang in the new year by counting down the ball drop on Times Square and blowing our horns at midnight.

It was loud and kids were dancing everywhere. A perfect night.

I hope yours was too. Lots of good things to come in 2012!

Got your party hats?

We are so looking forward to a brand new year, are you? I think it's going to be a fun one. Jon and I have dubbed it our "break out" year.

No matter what, we always manage to have fun but honestly, for us, 2011 just had one too many stresses. We're all for bidding it adieu and kicking it to the curb.

Here's to a fun celebration tonight and a shiny, prosperous, healthy new year!

Thanks for reading along. You are the best!

Organizing - A fresh start

Now while I am not an expert organizer, it is one thing I want to get better at this year.

I have gotten out of the habit of having a place for everything in my house. A small house forces you to look at your storage situation and take control so I will be cleaning out all of the closets all week. If you are in need of an item, call me, I may just have it.

Yesterday while I was browsing the ever so tempting aisles in Target, I noticed a large section of great organizational items.

When I was a kid, I had a large shelving display on my wall and all of my items were stored neatly in boxes and containers. I still love boxes, bins and using unusual items in which to store things.

So while I liked the idea of buying new containers to get me organized, I also knew that the everyday items I already have in the house can work just as well.

And once I utilize those things first, I can get back to the new, fun containers later.

Here are a few ideas that work for me.

Some of the items I use are jars. A tall, old freezer jar is the perfect size for cupcake liners. It was just .79 cents at the thrift shop, complete with zinc lid.
Every year when I get a box of chocolates at Valentine's day, I put the velvet heart to good use long after the holiday and use it as jewelry storage. I like it since the heart lays flat in the drawer and the compartments are perfect for earrings. I also wait until after Valentine's Day to buy them since they're 50-75% off. And since it's really the box I am after, I think of the chocolates as coming free. :) If you have boys or are around kids in general, they can amass a bunch of snap together toys. In Reese's room I have a minnow bucket bought at the thrift store for .99 cents. It holds all of the Bionicle parts until he gets around to putting them back together. It may take a while since he is head-over-heels for his I-pod right now. But at any rate, the bucket is cool and it looks good waiting for him. Poor toys...
Someone in the house is always looking for their game or phone charger, so I place bowls or pottery in places where the chargers can be stored. It is usually where I know the kids will be much of the time so this .50 cent (thrift store again) vintage piece of pottery, in a sunny color, is right next to the computer. I actually find all kinds of random stuff in there but at least it's not on the floor all of the time.
Storage in the office doubles as display or vice-versa. An old suitcase I purchased for a $1.00 at the flea market houses my oldest family photos and negatives. It also comes in handy as a photo prop. So, I guess it's use is tripled.
I hope to find more ideas on storing and organizing in our house. It always seems that when I make the extra effort, the whole spirit of the home is so much better.

So that's a wrap on some of the organizing ideas I use around here. What do you do?

Oh, and Happy New Year!

Linking to Funky Junk Interiors

Dittle Dattle

My Tootsie Wootsie

Beneath my Heart

The DIY club

On letting go and moving on

When I was younger, I never really liked New Year's Eve. I think because I worried that the next year couldn't possibly top the last. I just hated saying good-bye to the fun memories I had made that year. But each year did top the other in many ways so it always turned out well.

My mom would always tell me that there was never a need to worry about anything. Some things are just out of your control and you just have to adapt and roll with it. I was always happy with that outlook.

Where some could say that's not being serious enough, I say it's a way to have less wrinkles.

I remember hearing in a speech given at my high school graduation; a piece of advice that stuck with me all these years. I guess because it reaffirmed what my mom always told me. Sometimes even when you tell your kids something a million times, they'll hear the same thing from another person and it's like they heard it for the first time. That's happened to me already.

In this speech, the teacher said not to worry about what happened yesterday, last year, or even in 9Th grade. Move on. And when you're 30, do the same. That told me this "letting go" thing could be a lifelong endeavor.

My mom always said there will be better things ahead and bigger problems to deal with in your future. Learn to get over the little things now so you can better handle those bigger problems because they will come. And they did - job loss, sudden cross country moves, selling houses, miscarriages, death of parents.

But no one really gives you the how-to on letting go and moving on. So I asked my mom about that one time. She was the one person who I knew could tell me because she had more life experience. She said to just train your mind to move in a new direction. Even if you don't exactly know what you want at the moment, you know that whatever is dragging you down isn't working. Merely thinking about the possibilities for your life can get you excited about the future and will put a hop in your step. And then, you just may figure out what you want to do. It's never too late for that.

And then she said to live IN the moment and to enjoy where you are now. Even if you think that your "now" is not that much, there is something to be grateful for and can enjoy. Even our worst days or what we perceive as worst, may be so much better than the best day for others in the world. I think the way our parents thought can/could have a lot to do with our outlook so I am glad that hers was bright even during the storms. Life is so much easier. That advice always helped me and I only share it in case making changes and setting goals for 2011 are on your mind too.

So I do look forward to new years with enthusiasm and hope my kids feel like it's another beginning for them also, to be better and do better. I've said before that I am not a huge goal-setter. I just make goals with big, broad brush strokes for my family, like "being more understanding with each other" and "less yelling."

The details and opportunities on how to achieve those goals will present themselves over and over, I am sure. :)

I hope you have a Happy New Year and that 2011 will bring much fun, happiness and comfort to you.

If I can be of help in making sure that happens, please know that you can e-mail me and we'll chat.

Thanks for reading along this past year. I hope to continue the journey with you!

As always, I look to improve and welcome insightful ideas. So if you have any tips to add, please do.

Hugs,

LL

A New Decade

Happy New Year folks!
I can't believe another year is winding down and we're already ending a decade.

Weren't we supposed to be driving hover cars by now?

2009 has been filled with ups and downs, laughter and tears, twists and turns - just like life was meant to be.

10 years ago my little family was celebrating the beginning of that decade and going into a new century atop the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City, Utah - dining at the Roof Restaurant. It was a beautiful dinner. We each received a complimentary champagne flute (w/Martinelli's of course :)) a red rose, party favors, hats and a bounteous feast. We had the best view of the fireworks display in the whole city until the fog rolled in and then we just had the best sound.

We've added 3 more to the family since then and have continued to move all over the country. In each place we have met great people and continue to make great memories. With the exception of adding more kids and moves, I expect to meet many more great people and pile up on memories.

So a virtual toast to all my bloggy friends -
Cheers! Salut! Pumpkin pie! - {that's the way we toast in our family.}
Here's to a good 2010 and embracing all of its possibilities and enduring them too.