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Donna Marie
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Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: New Jersey
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Posts: 2530
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| Posted: Sept 14 2006 at 4:56pm | IP Logged
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It is that time of year!
The end of week 2 of school! and you know what that means!
...you do, don't you?
...I want to redo my whole life, but! before I get started I thougt I had better get things down on paper. I need to throw away MORE THAN EVER BEFORE!! YES! I mean it and if I only had some chocolate, I would be determined AND happy....lol!
I have 1092 sq ft to fit my whole world into...a full basement that is damp and a walk up attic...and a 3 season porch in full view of the world.
please, please send me your tips hints and hugs....and will someone puleeze come over here and help me? I am sooo tired of being excited to clean on my own....I mean ..ahem...I would like adult company...lol
so what about it? What things do you have in place in your home that work for you? I will try to compile your answers and come up with a blog post or something to make help other organized wanna be moms that do not want to be buried alive in their homes....
I am thinking...chores, consistency with kids, natural consequences...organization and how to KEEP it...etc....can you help me?
I figure crawling under my bed sucking my thumb is not a very good alternative so let me try this first....haha! ;o) jk!
I am thinking...peaceful home, peaceful mom and dad. I am sooo tired of pulling everyone to do what they need to...shoes, teeth, laundry, rooms, chores....you name it...they are waiting for me to pull and push...not any more boy! I have done so much and it is good...but now because of the ages of my kids, it needs to be great! Now the list will help....I need more of a backbone....lets put our heads together...be outnumbered no more!! ROFL!
whadda ya say? ...the day in and out...the dawn to dawn nitty gritty....what do YOU have to say?! Doesn't anyone else face this too??
I know we have talked about this a bit in the past, but do you have a good perspective that would help others that feel like me, feel more like a director of a prepared environment and less like a lion tamer/acrobat/sword swallower extrordinaire!
(and no I NEVER talk with a 'Jersey accent except that one time I said "cawfee" to Chari over the phone...lol)
God Love you!!
Donna Marie from NJ
hs momma to 7dc 
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God love you!
Donna Marie from NJ
hs momma to 9dc!!
Finding Elegant Simplicity
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Cay Gibson
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Joined: July 16 2005
Location: Louisiana
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Posts: 5193
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| Posted: Sept 14 2006 at 5:11pm | IP Logged
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Oh, Donna Marie, a ton of  s being sent your way.
I'm on my way out the door to dance class but wanted to send that s right away. 
I hope to write more later (and hope to read more suggestions) when I get back but something I've always made a habit of and it has stuck is picking up the living area before going to bed at night. Many times I tell the children to pick it up and sometimes I must stand like an army sergeant to make sure they do it but, by the time they head to bed, there are still little toys on the buffet table, coloring books strewn on the "cawfee" table (  so sorry, I couldn't help myself ), and afghans left rumpled on the floor and inthe chairs instead of neatly folded and draped on the chairbacks (this is one of those OCD pet peeves of mine  ). I stopped haggling about it and long time ago and now just do it.
Having the ktichen and living area picked up and straightened neatly at the end of the day really does do wonders for preventing that overwhelming feeling of the house falling in around you. 
__________________
Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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Cay Gibson
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Joined: July 16 2005
Location: Louisiana
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| Posted: Sept 14 2006 at 7:57pm | IP Logged
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Donna Marie wrote:
| I need to throw away MORE THAN EVER BEFORE!! |
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Donna Marie,
I don't think we ever get out that necessity to "unclutter" the house, no matter what size our house is. 
It's a constant battle between needs and wants. My mother raised me with that slogan: "You don't need it. You just want it." I was constantly reminded that there was a difference.
It's a constant battle between our physical being wanting the material stuff and our spiritual being knowing we will not find contentment in all the "stuff" of this world and learning to find peace without it.
Donna Marie wrote:
| I have 1092 sq ft to fit my whole world into...a full basement that is damp and a walk up attic...and a 3 season porch in full view of the world. |
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Did you see this article today at Catholic Exchange?
Big House by Tom Purcell
I thought of you when I saw it.
Purcell writes:
"And it was all of 1,500 square feet.
My parents began improving the place right away. The Big Guy planted grass, trees and shrubs, while my mother painted and wall-papered. They renovated the basement into a family room. They added a cement porch with a roof out back — a porch that never wanted for a cool breeze.
...
We did a lot of living there. For 34 years the front door was never locked, and friends and relatives came and went at all hours. We had a million birthday parties and family gatherings there. Every emotion under the sun — love, anger, laughter, sadness — was experienced there.
I remember getting home many a night to see my mother and the Big Guy enjoying a bowl of ice cream in their bedroom, while watching the Johnny Carson Show. Or how Jingles, our dog, rushed out from under the shrubs to greet me. Or how we enjoyed so many meals on the back porch — grilled chicken, home-grown tomatoes and sun tea.
The modest size of the house forced us to live together — there was simply no way to avoid each other. We had to learn how to share — certainly how to negotiate — and how to get along, all valuable skills to have in life.
And never once did we feel our home was small.
I don't understand how so many families do it now. They have fewer kids and much bigger houses — houses that are sometimes so large, its inhabitants don't often come across each other.
Maybe that's the difference. When we were kids, our parents made their decisions based solely on what was best for us — our education, our values, our future. They didn't measure themselves so much by the things they had but by how well their children turned out.
But today too many folks are caught up in the material trap — the need to build giant homes to impress. Sure, there's always been a desire to "keep up with the Joneses" but, man, if today's houses are any measure, it's all we're thinking about.
The little house I grew up in may have been modest by material measures, but it was a mansion by the measures that really count. I can't think of a bigger place to grow up in."
__________________
Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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Sarah
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Joined: Aug 17 2005
Location: N/A
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Posts: 1624
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| Posted: Sept 14 2006 at 8:08pm | IP Logged
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I'm with you!!!!!!!
I wish I had time to post, but I'm knee deep in chaos right now. 
I'll try to get back. . .
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Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
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Dawnie
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Joined: Aug 30 2005
Location: Kansas
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| Posted: Sept 14 2006 at 11:44pm | IP Logged
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Donna Marie,
I'm 7 months pregnant and NESTING...so I know exactly what you mean! This place needs to get in ship-shape order right away...and it STAYS that way this time!
I have had a small success recently with my two older girls in getting them to clear their places at the table without me having to remind them (several times) to do it. After I was sure that they knew HOW to clear their places and were able to do it, I told them that I expected them to clear their places after each meal and snack, and that if they forgot to do it, they would have to go to time-out. No reminding, nagging, or yelling on my part. After everyone leaves the table, if I see that someone (besides the toddler) hasn't cleared her place, I calmy call the child back in and send them to time-out. I only had to do this a few times and they are now remembering to clear their places 99% of the time.
So, I'm going to make a list of the things I want them to get into the habit of doing, without me reminding, cajoling, or threatening them to do it. Then, I'll tackle the tasks on the list one thing at a time, moving on to a new task only when habits are established. I'll first be sure that they know how and are able to do the job I ask them to do, then I'll inform them of the expectation and the consequence if they don't follow through.
Dawn
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Mom to Mary Beth (99), Anna (02), Lucia (04), Clara (06), and Adelaide Victoria (2/28/09)
Visit my blog!Water Into Wine:Vino Per Tutto!
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JodieLyn
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Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
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| Posted: Sept 15 2006 at 10:00am | IP Logged
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oh I would dearly love to have 1500 sq ft.. especially since apparently in that article the family room was added after that 1500sq ft.. I have 1096sq ft and oh the difference just a bit more space would make. (like a second bathroom )
One thing that helps me is to give myself a certain amount of space for things.. "if it fits in this box I can keep it" then when I sort through.. hmm everything doesn't fit.. well I'd rather keep *this* than *that* etc. Works really well in my clothes boxes.. those would be clothing not of a size in current use.. it's fun.. the kids get just about as excited about getting things from "mommy's boxes" as they do from the store.. and that's how I sort and decide what to keep from handmedowns (and resize.. some of those shirts are way to short and tight for the size they say.. but move 'em down about 2-3 sizes and voila)
but please don't ask about my desk.. or my sewing table those are my two clutter spaces I haven't figured out yet.. *stuff* gets piled on them.. and then pretty well has to wait until I'm feeling really ruthless to get them cleared off.
Oh and my kitchen stuff I'm pretty good at too.. I have limited space and while I've gotten some extra storage in the *1 car garage not used for a car* I still have very limited space.
But I guess my point is that I'm not conquering it all at once.. I conquer one area.. and then start to work on the next area.
Right now my area to conquer is to get the kids and I all doing a quick pick up the house before we do anything else for the day.. I'm in the.. do great for several days.. then it falls apart.. then it takes a week to get back to the point we can maintain it all.. and I expect it'll fall apart again etc. but each time we seem to get better.. go longer inbetween "falls". The key for me seems to figure out a way that can work for us.. and then just keep persisting in reclaiming it as often as necessary while we all learn to just do it.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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saintanneshs
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Joined: April 15 2005
Location: Virginia
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Posts: 591
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| Posted: Sept 16 2006 at 10:56am | IP Logged
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Donna Marie wrote:
whadda ya say? ...the day in and out...the dawn to dawn nitty gritty....what do YOU have to say?! Doesn't anyone else face this too??
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Yep! I'm tired of feeling like a cirus ringleader too. Unfortunately, being pregnant and a bit burned-out, I'm not too motivated to fix it right now, so I'm going to do what the wonderful girls here suggested to me just last week.
I'm going outside and I'm taking my wild animals with me.
Hang in there!! I'll be waiting to hear what works for you.
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Kristine
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Lions and Tigers and Bears.....ohhhh my!
