Tackle It Tuesday

Wow...it's been a while since I participated in Tackle It Tuesday, but this week I have a laundry list a mile long that needs to be completed. You guys are my accountability!

1. Continue working on the family room--cleaning out, reorganizing to suit new needs, and getting rid of items we no longer need or storing items we may need in the future (ie baby stuff!). Deadline for clean-up to be finished is next Thursday evening!

2. For the love of God, clean the kitchen! It's a disaster and I need to cook!

3. Cut up all fruit and veggies for this week--do this with Monica on Tuesday. Also, bake a few loaves of bread and return some items that were borrowed or left on accident at our house to Monica and Andrea.

I think that should cover it! I'm very excited because the house is almost where I wanted it to be...we still need to install some landscaping, clean out the garage (for the July city-wide cleanup) and paint the bathroom..which we never seemed to get around to earlier this year!

And Reagan's big girl room is finished for the time being! Meaning, she is in there! We are planning to 1. install some shelving above her bed for all of her knick knack stuff; 2. put in white window ledges; 3. repaint her toy box in pink, green and white; 4. take out those horrible silver curtain tiebacks (they really did match the room when it was a guest room..just not now!); 5. put some additional fluffy pillows on the bed; 6. have a bench seat made for the top of the toybox; and 7. make the corkboard a bit more girly with ribbons! Here are a few pictures! (Ignore the paint that some how....no idea how really...ended up on the carpet!)

New update on Reagan

We went for allergy testing on Thursday and guess what? She has allergies! I'm the most ecstatic mom in the world to find out her child has allergies..because at last I know why my poor child has been sick for the last six months.

She was tested for 40 allergens and reacted to almost every one except the foods (thank goodness!). Her allergist says that she is probably allergic to much more but at the moment he wasn't going to continue testing her because she is so young, she will probably develop more allergies the older she gets, and for now, the fact that she has allergies, is enough for him, so he can begin to treat them.

Currently our treatment plan includes two medications for her allergies, an additional one if she becomes sick, one medication for her asthma, an additional one if she gets worse with that and treating her environment.

At the moment, we are working on a plan to keep the cats. We are planning on buying gates to contain them to the non-carpeted area of the house. We are getting our ducts cleaned (tomorrow), carpet cleaning, major dusting and we have gotten rid of all our commercial cleaners (almost all) and have switched to dye and frangrance free detergent and fabric softeners. We can't have candles; I can't wear perfume or scented deoderant and we can't use nice smelly lotions, shampoos, soaps and conditioners--everything has to be hypoallergenic.

We're in the process of purchasing a steammop so we can clean without chemicals, a hepa air cleaner for her room and some 'healthy' cleaning products--like electrostatic mitts for dusting instead of using Pledge; and baking soda and vinegar instead of Clorox and Windex.

We're also working on making her room a safe haven for any episodes..a 'clean' room for her to go to when she has an attack. This includes encasing everything from dust mites and even keeping the majority of her books contained in tupperware containers--as ink is a major source of allergies for most people and it also attracts A LOT of dust! Who knew??!

It's a process that is taking some time, but we're working towards making our home a little better for Reagan to breathe and live in. Any suggestions related to making our home more of a safe place for her are welcome!

On the homefront...

Just an update for everyone! The weather is finally getting nice in Indiana, so we're spending more time outside...which means less time for blogging, forums and the like..which I think is a really good thing for me!

Yesterday Josh and I purchased a TON of red brick landscaping material to edge out our bushes...and what a steal! It was only $1.00 for each 16 inch piece--WOOHOO! It was a closeout item, so I seriously hope we don't need anymore!

We're still working on the backyard--getting the extra dirt that was displaced during the work on the new fence, smoothed out and re-seeded with Kentucky Blue Grass...a gorgeous grass if I do say so myself...and also a real bargain since we're using seed and not sod!

I also purchased some fence pieces and a seed mat roll to make a small garden area on our patio. It has a cutout in the concrete for a gas grill...which we don't use, so it's becoming a flower bed. The flowers are going to be gorgeous in a few weeks I'm sure. I picked the "Sunny Cottage Garden" with lupines, daises and a dozen other flowers I don't know the name of. My mother in law says they are perennials so they'll come back next year and they're also pretty invasive plants so they'll grow large (shh, don't tell Josh!)

We're also working on Reagan's big girl room finally! I purchased a gorgeous pink paint for her room which Josh says looks like Pepto Bismol..but I assure you it is actually much lighter and it's called "Cherry Cream!" I can't wait to show off the finished room! Give me a couple of weeks though, we have a ton going on!

After Reagan wakes up from her nap today, we're going to plant flowers and read a few books about gardens, which we picked up from the library this morning! Should be very exciting!

Reagan also goes in for her allergy testing on Thursday, so please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Will update once we know more!

God Bless!

Our new fence!

I'm so excited because today we had our new fence put up...it surrounds over very TINY backyard but it's wonderful because reagan can go out and play and be contained since we're on a pretty decently busy street.

After Josh comes home and cuts the grass (we've had to wait due to utility line flags being all over the place!), we get to put Reagan's 'new' toys out back! I'm super excited--not only about her toys but about the great deals I got on them!

She has a turtle sandbox--free from a friend who is moving!
A Little Tikes climber/slide combination--$10!!!!!!! from craigslist!
A cool new 'kiddie' pool with a giraffe that spits water at you and a slide!--ok this was $30 from Target!

Now I just need a child's swing for her!

I'm so happy that she'll get to go outside and enjoy herself!

Just a quick note...

Well, I think the stomach flu has finally made it's rounds and we're all recooperating, Josh included. Luckily it seemed to be only about a 12 hour bug, although Mommy seemed to have gotten the worst of it! (Oh well!) We're still dealing with bouts of naseau and of course, weakness and soreness..but we'll get back to normal eventually!

Josh and Reagan are taking naps while I attempt to do the massive mound of laundry..I swear almost every towel in the house was dirty along with most of the blankets, sheets and a good pile of clothing! And I think we've gone through every glass too!

My mother in law and father in law were sweet enough to go pick up some groceries for us to help get us through the next few days...let's hear it for Ginger Ale and Saltines! WOOHOO!

I hope you're all having a fabulous weekend!

Lately I've been feeling a bit fustrated about getting it all done, being a good mom and wife, working and just everything in general. I've been stressed. I've been snippy. I've been irritated and in a downright foul mood. So I've decided to change some things in my life.

First, I'm going to just let it go. I will not get fustrated if the dishes are not done, but I will try hard to make sure they get done. I will not get angry because Reagan wants my attention and all I want to do is finish the mountain of laundry.

Second, I'm going to organize. Organizing makes it easier to get the things done that DO need to be done.

Third, I'm going to reward myself and be nice to myself by listing my accomplishments instead of constantly berating ME for not finishing this or not doing that or not spending enough time with Reagan or Josh.

So I've come up with a list of household tackles that need to be done on a daily basis (or close enough ;)):

Daily Cleaning List:
Vacuum house
empty trash bins

Master:
make bed
empty hamper and put away clothes

Reagan’s room:
make bed
empty hamper and put away clothes
put up toys

Bathroom:
clean counters
spray tub/shower

Sitting room:
As needed pick up

Kitchen:
dishes
wipe counters
sweep

laundry room:
sweep
scoop litter box
do load of laundry

family room:
pick up toys

Every Friday evening:
mop kitchen/bath/laundry
clean toilet
wash bathroom rugs
wash bed linens and towels
wash cat bowls

Mondays:
bill pay

I'm also making a new rule that weekends are weekends. Besides my office work on Saturday, weekends are going to become family time again, not cleaning time.

I've also come up with a deep clean system: 31 notecards, each with a 15 minute deep clean item...one for each day of the week after Reagan goes to bed or during her nap...example: wash interior windows, dust family room and so forth; same goes for household projects I want to tackle...like Tuesday's tackle: scraping paint of kitchen floor that someone (yes that would be me) spilled.

And as a reminder of how much I've gotten done just since yesterday, here are a few of my accomplishments!
-Took care of my beautiful daughter
-Took Reagan to playgroup
-Took Reagan to the park
-Babysat a friend's daughter
-Got a new freezer
-Grocery shopping
-Some laundry
-Dropped off items at Goodwill
-Made oil change appointment
-Dropped off items at drycleaner
-Fence estimates

And that is my tackle for today!

Tackle It Tuesday

I'm feeling very lazy...so my tackles for today are: (I mostly just use this as a reminder to myself!)

1. Take a nap
2. Read some more of First Time Moms
3. Vacuum (Reagan likes to help with this)
4. Mop and dishes after Reagan goes to bed tonight
5. Take Reagan to the library
6. Set the trash out by the curb

My tackles for the week are:

1. Pick up my ring (it was being sized)
2. Work on application for adoption
3. The same thing I do every day Pinky....laundry ;)
4. Pay Verizon and Dish bills

A big girl room!

Since we are hoping to adopt sometime in the next year and a half, we've decided to transition Reagan (slowly) to a big girl room. So far we've purchased the bedding and rugs, which are just gorgeous and very girly. Next, painting the room and her daddy's old dresser, purchasing bookshelves, table and chairs and a toy box/bench. I'm really excited about this new room for Reagan. I envision it being a place she can go to play without hearing the word 'no' and where everything that she wants to play with is in reach. Here is a picture of the new bedding!



If you have any suggestions for her new room, feel free to post! I would love to hear any thoughts or recommendations!

Tackle It Tuesday (and my little girl doing her own tackles!)

Tackle It Tuesday! Yah! Ok here is my list for the week:
Paint bookshelf
Order dining room set (it was backordered so I need to reorder a different set that can actually get here by Easter!)
Send gifts
Do some laundry
Call and schedule Reagan's 15 MONTH appointment (wow, where does the time go?)

Reagan has her own set of tackles for this week which she proudly accomplished yesterday ;) See below!

Show & Tell Friday and tons of other fun stuff!

[If you want to skip all of this and just get to the show and tell, it's below I promise, but for those of you who are interested....] Somehow I managed not to post every day this week as I had initially intended. In my defense however, it has been a really long and hectic week. Reagan is sick again. We're not sure if she has yet another ear infection or if she has some massive teeth coming in. We keep asking her if she's 'owee' in her ear or her mouth and she points to her mouth, but I'm not positive she understands what 'owee' means just yet. So, today will probably yield yet another doctor's office visit. I swear, that man could retire in the south of France just off what he makes from our family.

On other news, Josh and I have decided NOT to move. Yes, after all the packing and craziness that has ensued in this house for the past month, we are NOT moving. This decision was based on the fact that the market has been so s--l---o-----o-----o---w and Josh's company is really affected by that since they cater to the new home market and also, to the home improvement market. Additionally, Josh is desparately trying to finish up his MBA and we do want to adopt soon--all of which costs a ton of money. So, we're doing some home improvement projects to the house, unpacking what was packed, cleaning, sprucing up and making better use of space so that we can be here for another 3 years.

Reagan will also be getting a new 'big girl's room'! I'm really excited about this--we're moving her to the now junk, um, er I mean, guest room and we'll set up her current nursery as a nursery for a potential little brother. I think her new room is going to be green and pink, which is similiar but a little more grown up, than her current nursery of green and raspberry. Our son's room will be cowboy themed, based around Josh's cowboy blanket from his little boy days! Promise to post pics when it's all done---who knows when that will be!?

And finally, I'd like to announce that my best friend, Stacy, has moved her blog to Blogger! Visit her by clicking here at Insanity Happens! Great name, isn't it? She is the mom of 4, yes, I said 4, God bless her soul, kids, and wife to a wonderful guy named Stephen who, I'm proud to say, serves us and his country as a soldier in the US Army. They are about to move to Italy for the next several years, which means that, at some point, I too, will be visiting! Stace has been my best friend for let's see....17 years now?? Was that how long ago 6th grade was? Hold on, let me pick myself up off the floor. Gosh, I really am getting old.
Anyway, please visit her blog. You'll read all sorts of wonderful stuff about her life and dealing with her crazy, but beautiful and smart, kids! She also has some great insight into being a good Christian woman and the life that God intends us to lead. One day I'll tell you guys all about Stace and what an incredible best friend she is...she's actually more sister than best friend and she knows everything about me and still loves me! She usually backs me up on hare-brained schemes and holds my hand when life gets too tough. Stay tuned for that..I promise you'll get some great laughs!

I'm also hoping to talk her into co-hosting a Thursday meme with me! Stay tuned for that..more to come NEXT THURSDAY!!!

And now.....(drumroll please..........) Show and Tell Friday!

*Show & Tell Friday is hosted by Kelli. Visit her site to see more great show and tell items!

Below is my wire rooster--I actually collect roosters. It's a small collection but I have four and I love each one of them. The one below was a gift from my mother in law for Christmas one year (as Josh says, when we got gifts, because now they all go to Reagan! LOL! He's not serious..we still get presents!). I had actually spent the entire year looking for a wire pig because I had seen one in a decorating magazine filled with green apples and I just *had* to have one. I never found that stupid wire pig (until later I did find one at JoAnns but I was completely disenchanted at that point). However, my mother in law found my rooster at an antique's store and picked it up for me! I love the way he's rusty and made with chicken wire and he appeals to me in such a wonderful, southern way! Thanks so much for looking! (And Hootin Annie if you're out there, I do visit your blog..I can just never figure out how to post a dang comment!)

Tackle It Tuesday

Ah, Tuesday! Today is Reagan's Valentine's Day Party and we'll be heading off to the library for storytime and then all sorts of treats..yum! Which means she'll be high on sugar just in time for her afternoon nap! Gee, that was planned well!

After that the handyman should be coming by to give me an estimate for installing new doors and a new ceiling fan and removing the bathroom mirror so we can install a new one! Yah! I'm excited about getting our house on the market and finding another one.

Josh is getting cold feet again, but he does this routinely...he is constantly analyzing and reanalyzing various scenarios...he freaks himself out :) But amazingly enough, HE was the one that made the decision to go ahead with the move.

Ok, so for Tackle It Tuesday I plan to get more boxes and pack more stuff! Sounds exciting doesn't it? I also plan to go to the store and finish getting the items I need for Valentine's Day and mail out Valentine's cards to our family. I think that should about do it for Tuesday.

Tackle It Tuesday and other wonderful stuff!

Alright...on to business folks. This week I'm tackling wiping down the kitchen cabinets...They are disgusting! Somehow splatters of milk and juice seem to be attracted to them like Brittany Spears to Frito Lay chips (thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week...). Ahem.

Annnnnnnnwaaaaay,

I'm also tackling my household book and recipe book this week too. Hopefully they both get finished so I can move on to my other 8 million notebooks! And once I finish them, I promise to show them off! (I know you really want to see them ;)!)

Alright, on a topic of great interest to me and completely OFF topic from Tackle It Tuesday, you have to check out this absolutely hilarious video of Bill Clinton falling asleep during a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. Folks, this had me rolling in the floor.

http://www.breitbart.tv/html/33364.html

By the way, my source for that was http://www.drudgereport.com/, which is a fantastic site that everyone should check out. I won't go into my spiel on the mainstream media today, but it's coming, people, it's coming.