Thursday, January 15, 2009

Quick Tip #1-Hats, gloves and scarves!!

There are some things in life that you need to ease your way into...

Such as...Family History, Kids scrapbooks K-12, and even exercise.

If you start any of these too fast and try to get the end results you are dreaming of...you are ultimately disappointed by early burnout!

We DO NOT want to experience this with our new Organization Club, so let's start with a 15-minute plan and a $5 solution!

Do you have a basket or a box on the floor of your coat closet where the hats, gloves and scarves reside?

Is it easy to find the perfect match in 10 seconds or less?

If not, this may be your answer.

It requires an extra aisle check at Walmart, about $5 and 15 minutes.

Let's go!

You purchase an over-the-door pocket holder, bring it home, open it, and stash pairs of gloves, hats and scarves inside its' convenient pockets.

You can go into more detail like, have each child's things in a certain row, youngest child at the bottom.

You can have two...One for hats and scarves...One for dozens of pairs of gloves and maybe some warm sledding socks.

If you are in a warm location and don't have the fun opportunity of needing winter wear...you can store baseball hats, batting gloves, baby shoes, and quick needed kitchen supplies. (Such as scissors, tape, rulers, pencil cases, boxes of crayons etc.)

THERE YOU HAVE IT...YOUR FIRST SUCCESS STORY TO SHARE WITH ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN.

I have to tell you, I promise you, that once you have tackled what you think is the insignificant problem of the, "Where are my gloves?" question...you will have a breath of confidence as you open that closet and view this solution.

Now just do it! Take the time...and enjoy that first feeling of success.

WHAT NEXT? Who has something, big or small, that we can tackle and share with the group? Walk around the house, look in a closet or under a bed, maybe even in the garage or car. FIND something for us to work on next!



Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Organization challenge anyone?

Doctrine and Covenants 88:119
"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God."

I have been dying to start an organization blog!

The kind where you send in a "challenge spot" in your home, and we all work together to solve it!

Complete with BEFORE and AFTER photos.

I would love to know who is interested.

I have been organizing homes for ten years, but have never quite conquered my own.

This is the year!

Come one, come all!

Let's change our "heaps, to happiness!"

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Locks of Love

Have you ever known someone who LOVED long hair?

Not preferred it, but LOVED it?

Well, our dad, John, is someone like that!

I think that he envisions our little girls in long, bowed, pigtails the instant he sees their faces in the delivery room.

So you can imagine how he felt when we informed him that Brooke wanted to cut her hair short.

He immediately refused to allow it!

Then we told him why.

You see dad, there are children who are very sick, and take medicine that makes their hair fall out.

If I cut mine, they will make it into a wig for these special little ones.

How could he refuse?

He sat in the waiting area, watching as they cut off Brooke's locks.

He was a proud father of a very cute, short-haired girl!

**Little sidenote: Ellie wanted in on the experience, so she ended up with a matching do!
THE BEFORE...

THE MEASURING...
THE CUTTING!

THE RESULT!


She is smiling and very happy!
I personally thought that I would be mourning the loss of her long locks, but I don't think she has ever looked cuter!


Now the three youngest all have short hair...ok...so Annie didn't have an option!

Locks of love brightened our day, and we hope that Brooke's donation will brighten the day of a little one who needs it!

Christmas Cousins

Christmas day was wonderful!

Brunch at Nana and Papa's with Aunt Leslie.

Good food, perfectly picked gifts and lots of game playing!

From there we headed to Grandma & Grandpa Dieker's.

We had a delicious dinner there and lots of playing time with cousins.

LOVE THESE GIRLS!!!

Kenna and Ellie have a sweet friendship that any girl would be envious of. They were playing Candy Land, and Ellie was drawing an inferior hand to everyone else playing. But with Kenna by her side saying, "It's ok Ellie, I know you will get some good cards and catch up with me."

Who wouldn't love that kind of friendship?


Annie playing the "funny face" game!

No other person came close to the number of pictures taken of Annie.

The camera was constantly being held by different little hands capturing every moment.

She is this year's miracle, and there is no lack of documenting that.

Grandpa Dieker and Annie Grace.

He held her on his belly.

She smiled. He stared. I cherished.

Quinn kissing Annie!

She wanted her picture kissing her cousin!

They are both absolutely adorable!


It was a perfect end to a Christmas day.

Being with family, gathered around the couch and board games, making memories.