Operation Clean and Organize: Organizing My Bathroom Shelves and Walls

By bobbi
August 13, 2015
2 Comments

It has been a long time since I’ve done a Operation Clean and Organize post! As family and long time readers know, I am always on a quest to tame my mess. In 2012 I was working on a number of home improvement projects but in 2013 I got a little side tracked when Brian got cancer and our focus turned to survival and family time. Now things have eased up with Brian being healthy and the kids being a little older so I can go back to focusing on getting our house in order.

I have to admit that something is happening within in me. It used to be that I could turn a blind eye to the piles of junk and the crap shoved on shelves. I sort of zoned it out. But now, it’s bugging me. I mean, driving me nuts bugging me. I’m sick of the disorder and the interior chaos it is causing me. And I just want to purge and organize. I don’t know what it means. Maybe I am finally growing up. Maybe I am having some kind of spiritual epiphany. Maybe it’s a sign of an upcoming apocalypse and the end of the world as we know it. (Cue REM.) Whatever, I just know I’ve got to seize the moment while it is still strong. 😉

Shortly before I cam became pregnant with Matthew, we were able to remodel our home to convert our garage into a third bedroom. It included a bathroom that I love. Unlike our other bathroom, it is fresh, bright and clean. Well, except for this narrow shelving section next to the tub. I use it to hold to towels, toiletries, hair accessories etc.

However, over time it had become a catch-all of random junk. (Don’t ask me why there are tinker toys in there.)

I have been following Mystie Winkler over at Simplified Organization (more about that in a bit) and one of her mottoes is for everything to have a home. So I went through the piles of junk and got rid of trash, gave away what I no longer used and found a spot for what I did use. The results? Drum roll please…

The photos are not great because the lighting was bad but you get the idea. Order!

I used bins and containers I found at Target to hold my stuff. One has products, another hair accessories, blow dryer, etc.

Confession time. Along with having hoarding tendencies I am also a sucker for a sale and clearance items. I may or may not have actually bought a cute baby item before I was even married because I knew one day I would use it for my own baby. (To my credit, years later I did use it for my child.) This wall organizer is one of those sale items that have been sitting in my closet forever.

I finally hung it and used it for my necklaces and bracelets. I added a couple of S-hooks to the very top to add a few more items.

In the 80’s, it was the style to wear hairbands with huge hair. I’ve sorta tamed the wild hair (no more hair sprayed mile-high bangs!) but I still love me a hair scarf whether it is out of style or not. I can’t follow trends. Mama ain’t got no time for that!

Now I keep my scarves here. This handy little holder was given to me as a gift from one of my coworkers. (Do I admit that it was from a job that I left 14 years ago, which mean this holder has been sitting in a closet for 14 years…no, I won’t admit it. That’s just plain creepy.)

I am a sucker for colorful paper beads bracelets. These have been made by women in Africa trying to better their lives and their family’s life. Some of these I have bought at Costco during their fair trade product fairs and others I purchased from Outreach Uganda. (Wife to hubby: “It’s really more of an act of charity that I buy these bracelets. We are helping feed African children!” Hubby: Insert eye roll.)

They sit on my bathroom sink along with these cute yet inexpensive little bird jewelry holders.

I found them at The Farm, an organic farm in nearby Salinas, CA.

They have amazing produce and…

A collection of country life goods. I don’t go there often but when I do, I always find a little treasure. If you are ever in that area, stop by and take a look. 🙂

So that is one of the projects I competed over the summer. When everything is orderly and tidy, it brings me such peace. It’s far form perfect but it is a big improvement. No more scrambling around and yelling, “Where is my !@#$ hair dryer! I’m late! UGH!” Now I know exactly were my hair dryer is and I MAKE SURE to return it to it’s proper place when I am done. I’m constantly reminding myself to just put it away, right away! Leaving things laying around is a hard habit to break and I know I need more than just a few Before and After moments to keep my house in order. I need an attitude readjustment! This is where Mystie comes in with some guidance. I was reading her blog and she wrote:

I’ve always been a slob by nature, and I’ve been actively combating that tendency for 7 years now.

Sometimes I even think there’s hope. I want to share what I’ve learned along the way, moving from thinking that housecleaning was a waste of time to trying to keep the house decently in order. Though I’ve always been a slob, I’ve also always been a planner and a list-maker. My problem wasn’t not knowing what to do. My problem was not caring.

I have learned to care. It is better to care. It does matter. It is good work.

I could make a plan, but I then I would rebel against it. “You can’t tell me what to do!” my inner two-year-old would scoff at my written list, “Who made you the boss?”

Add five kids to the mix, and the problem becomes not only my own lack of desire to follow a good plan, but also the fact that life doesn’t actually happen according to my plan when I do want it.

These are my struggles, and I know I’m not alone. So I write to share what I’ve learned, hoping to help others not only know there is a way out of the frustration, but also that they are not alone.

I provide not just another housekeeping plan to try, but a paradigm shift. I want you to see

— that your work matters.

— that your attitude matters.

— that you can tame your inner fussy two-year-old.

— that there is a way out of chaos and frustration, even though it isn’t easy or once-and-done.

I want to show you how to turn your frustration into momentum, your chaos into growth, and your plans into actions.

A slob by nature? She loves planners and lists but didn’t care about cleaning. That is so me! Do you see why I love this girl?? Go read the rest of her story here.

So in upcoming posts, I will share with you about her course I’m taking and how my progress is going. It is not about spending money and buying lots of matching bins and label makers (although I would have liked that too) 😉 but it is about keeping it simple, tidy (even with messy family life) and changing the attitude so you learn to love what must be done. Genius.

Okay, my time is up and kiddos need to be fed so I’ll stop here.

Have you been working on organizing lately? If not, what it the one area you’d love to tackle? Do tell. 🙂

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, GoodReads Letterboxd, Spotify or Instagram. 😉
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Loving Until It Hurts

By bobbi
January 30, 2015
10 Comments

It’s been a long and stressful week. My father-in-law is recovering from his stoke, although he is having heart issuesw which has not allowed him to leave the ICU. We are pleased he is getting the best care at Stanford but it makes spending time with him difficult since we are 90 miles away. My mother-in-law is unable to board up there so Brian drives and stays with her at Stanford on the weekends and we’ve been trying to round up enough of her friends to help drive during the week so Brian does not have to miss too much work. I feel bad for my in-laws and I am doing what I can to make this situation easier on them.

However, that also means doubling my current busy workload. That would be fine if I was a saintly woman who loved to suffer. It is not so great for a selfish sinner who hates to be put out. By Monday evening I was drained. Brian came home and we had a conversation like this.

Brian: You won’t believe what I just saw outside. There are four wild turkeys in front of our driveway.

Bobbi: Are you sure those aren’t just our kids?

Brian: No! There are huge turkeys walking up the street.

Bobbi: What the heck are turkeys doing in the neighborhood? That’s weird. So is that a good omen or a bad omen?

Brian: Well, it could be that we are in a time of Thanksgiving.

Bobbi: Or it could mean we are about to be shot, beheaded, plucked and cooked.

Brian: (Sighs)

Yeah, I was not in the mood to be looking on the bright side. Later that evening, after apologizing to Brian for being so grouchy, I started thinking about a Hallmark movie I recently saw. (Don’t hate on Hallmark. I love those sappy love stories.) 😉 In the movie, A Novel Romance, two characters were having a discussion. The young woman Sophie was talking to an older friend Harris. They were recalling his wife who had died. The conversation went like this:

Harris: I don’t pretend to know much about relationships. I only loved one woman in my life.

Sophie: You found your one true love.

Harris: I know that now, but when Lola and I were together it wasn’t always so clear. Loving someone is the hardest work there is. Oh, I messed up plenty. So did she. We disappointed each other sometimes. We said things we regretted later, but we never let it keep us apart no matter how bad things seemed at the time. It wasn’t true love because it was easy. It was because we worked at it. We fought for it.

I love that.

It wasn’t true love because it was easy. It was because we worked at it. We fought for it.

That little piece of dialogue pretty much sums up our life lesson as wives and mothers. I have found my true love but it isn’t always kisses and love notes. There are also disagreements and annoying habits and the monotonous day to day chores. I have four sweet babies but it isn’t always hugs and kisses and drawings for mama. There are also messes, laundry, tantrums, sleepless nights and an endless stream of toys on the floor. There are seasons of joy and celebration and there are seasons of heavy crosses – illness, job loss, miscarriage, infertility, (or no break between pregnancies,) a death of a loved one. These big and little crosses stretch us and test us to the core. We find out if our love is only pretty words or the real thing through thick and thin.

I admit there are times when I can’t take it and just want to scream. Why am I so stressed? Maybe because I spent too much time goofing off on the computer and then I had to rush around in a tizzy to get dinner on the table. Or maybe I am tired and cranky because the night before I binge watched too many episode of my favorite show. Times like that, I have no one to blame but myself. I know I am capable of doing what I need to do but I am just being very self-centered and not wanting to love the way God is asking me. My priorities are askew and I need to make corrections pronto.

Monday was one of those days. I made matters worse by not doing first things first – ie. prayer and daily duties. The following day I made sure to put prayer first. I opened up my daily meditation and began to pray.

Sometimes God is every so gentle with me and sometimes He just gives me the swift kick in the arse that I need. This was a swift kick day. The line that jumped out at me was

‘Taking up our cross’ might have a little more to do with love of neighbor and a little less like playing the martyr.

Ouch. This kept echoing in my head – “Pick up your cross without playing the martyr.”

But I am so good at playing the martyr, Lord! Huffing and puffing and rolling my eyes because nothing is working out the way I want it. At those times I can almost hear Jesus say, “Really? After all that I’ve done for you, this is how you are going to act? Like a spoiled child? Is your love really that fickle?” Sigh. Our Lord knows me too well.

However, there are those days, when I am seriously giving 110% of myself and it is still not enough. I am overwhelmed by the weight of whatever cross I am caring. That is when Jesus is most gentle with me. He comforts me and gives me the grace to love even when it hurts. That is when He reminds me to slow down long enough to look at the blessings around me, despite the difficulties.To love someone, whether a spouse, child, parent or friend, means to be there in the good and the bad. To lift them up and carry them when they are weak. As I type this, I’m getting a mental picture of Samwise Gamgee as he carries Frodo up the slopes of Mount Doom. That is love. Right now God is calling me to be Samwise to my family. I need to stop whining and get to work.

I’ve been in this position before and I know what I must do to survive it.

1. Drop to my knees.

My day goes so much better when I pray in the morning, whether it is long of brief.
Talk to God throughout the day. I need to ask for God’s grace and for the strength and courage to follow his will in my life right now.
When the complaining starts to enter my mind, I need to give it to God and ask for his grace to see the good around me.

2. Take care of my physical needs.

Eat. (No skipping breakfast then binging at lunch because I’m starving.)
Take my vitamins and drink. (Water, that is.) 😉
Exercise. Sure my beach walks are awesome but those are getting more difficult these days. Even a 10 minute walk up and down the driveway is better than nothing.
Sleep. I am a night owl and I have to force myself to not stay up until the wee hours of the morning.

3. Know my limit and not be afraid to ask for help.

I can do a lot (when I am in the right frame of mind) but when I reach the point of losing it, I have to do whatever I can to step away or take a break. If Brian cannot watch the kids for a little bit then I need to find someone who can give me a hand.
Sometimes even a call from my mom and just hearing her voice is enough to settle my spirit and give me strength.
There have been many times people have offered to help but I always tell them, “oh, that’s okay” because I feel like I need to do it myself. People want to help. I need to humble myself and let them.

These are a few steps I take to help me love and live my vocation as a wife and mother. What about you? What things help you when you are loving until it hurts?

UPDATE: After posting this, my father-in-law was moved out of ICU. He is still having issues but it is a step in the right direction. The next hurdle is to get him out of Stanford and back to Monterey to heal. Thanks for your continues prayers! 🙂

* * * * *

Photo Credit – ElizabethFoss.com

I know I mentioned this before but if you are in a difficult season of life or you feel like you are struggling to find joy and peace in your current chaos, I strongly recommend Elizabeth Foss’ online Lenten Retreat – Restore. I joined last year when I was struggling with Brian’s cancer and caring for the household and it did wonders for me. The daily meditations, the essays and the podcasts were a balm to my soul. A year later, I still go through my notes and remind myself of the lessons God was teaching me.

Currently, I am not experiencing the burnout I had last year but I signed up for the retreat anyway because I know the Holy Spirit will use it again to continue to guide me and draw me closer. I understand that the cost of $65 is more than some people can afford. If that is the case, but you feel like you need to go, then lay it before the feet of Jesus. Tell him that if you are meant to go, then to please provide the means. He just may surprise you.Photo Credit: ElizabethFoss.com

I hope you’ll join me so we can make this journey together. Have a blessed weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving 2013!

By bobbi
November 28, 2013
No Comments

I hope you and your family is having a blessed Thanksgiving! I am still out of town and will be back to blogging next week. 🙂

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life – Days 4-7

By bobbi
September 19, 2013
No Comments

For the next 21 Days I will be participating in Suscipio’s E-book Discussion – 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life by Crystal Paine.

It’s been a busy week and I haven’t been able to post but I thought I’d give a quick update to my 21 Days project.

Previous posts…

Day 1: Discipline Is a Choice

Day 2: Discipline Is a Process and Day 3: Start with Small Things

This post covers…

Day 4 – Day 7: Focus on One Habit at a Time; Anticipate Obstacles; Be Realistic & Revisit Negative Thought Patterns

A favorite line…

From Day 5: “Discipline is a choice. But you can’t just say, ‘I’m going to be more disciplined,’ and then sit back and expect to see your life change. No, discipline will take work, effort, and much perseverance.”

That line matched perfectly with my devotional reading from Small Steps for Catholic Moms. It said, “When we once begin to form good resolutions, God gives us every opportunity of carrying them out.”

Notice it did not say I will suddenly be changed. It merely says God gives me all the opportunities (and grace) I need to change but I still need to get my butt in gear and do the work. (I knew there was a catch. ;-)) Seriously, though. This work goes beyond just having a clean bedroom or a nice desk. It is instilling the tools I need to be disciplined in all the areas of my life whether it is homemaking, budgeting, dieting or my spiritual life. There are still big improvements needed, but the motto is BABY STEPS.

I can see those baby steps starting to pay off. It is one thing to clean off a dresser or straighten out a corner of the room once but the real test is days later. There were numerous times I was going to lay something on a dresser or a table and my inner voice said, “Don’t’ even think about it. Go put it away NOW.” I groaned and complained but I did it. One day it may even come naturally and I won’t have a temper tantrum first. 😉

Another fave line…

From Day 6: “Do yourself a favor when setting goals: be realistic and thoughtful about them. Even if they don’t seem quite so amazing, it’s better to set the bar lower and actually meet your goals than to set the bar too high and keep falling flat on your face.“

Day 5 talked about anticipating obstacles and being prepared for them and day 6 talked about being realistic in our goals. This was good because I realized that I can set aside time each day to work on my project but it is unrealistic to think I can do it on the weekends. My time is filled with family stuff and we are often out of the house so it just doesn’t work. Rather than having to play catch-up on Monday, I reworked my Mega Project goals so I only worked on it Mon-Fri. It may take me a little longer to finish the program but it’s what works for me and the family right now. Plus, it is better to make an adjustment than to just throw up my hands in defeat and say, “Forget it!” Believe me, I was tempted to do that a few times!

Other fave lines…

From Day 7: “…Go ahead and remove the phrase “I’ll try.’ Don’t try, do it! …’Try’ may not seem like a negative thought word, but it really is! When you use the word ‘try,’ you are telling yourself that you don’t really believe in your ability to get the job done. In your mind, you’ve already failed, and you’re accounting for your failure with your word choice.”

AND

“…Give yourself a boost by surrounding yourself with people who inspire and motivate you, rather than people who will discourage you or point out how far you have to go. Having positive influences around you makes an amazing difference.”

Not using the word “try” seems drastic to me but I’ll admit that I often use it as a safety net or excuse…”Well, I tried” when I actually didn’t try as much as I could have.

Lastly, I’m lucky to not have negative people in my immediate surroundings. Brian is supportive and the kids encouraging. Friends are supportive but I think this project is shared more with you, my online friends. The ladies at Sucipio, especially Jen, are awesome and encouraging. They keep me going. Plus sharing this with you online keeps me going. If none of you knew I was doing this I would have quit days ago but since I promised to chronicle my progress, I am motivated to keep going. So thanks for that!

My Mega Project…

Okay, time to get to bed so I leave you with a quick update of my mega project.

My big project is to clean and organize my master bedroom, bath & closet.

These last few days focused on the corner of my bedroom where we have Matthew’s changing table and a bookcase. (We don’t actually use it as a changing table any longer. It is more of a shelf to hold his clothes and things.)

BEFORE

All the backpacks are from our emergency supplies for the zombie apocalypse 😉 but I could not find a shelf in the garage to fit all of them.

***

AFTER

Everything was put away and I rearranged the garage shelves to fit the backpacks in there.

***

I finally hung up the prints I had sitting in my closet forever. (BTW, the artist is Flor Larios. Check out her prints of Our Lady. So pretty!) The frames I found on clearance at Target. The silhouette of Andrew’s head is an art project he did at school last year.

***

We have a ridiculous amount of books in our house but Brian loooooves to read. This is just a small section of his Catholic fiction. Oh, and I still need to update the photo collage on the wall. These were from before Matthew was born.) 🙂

Brian came into the bedroom the other day and he just looked and said, “Wow, everything looks so nice.” John-Paul came in an exclaimed, “It’s so pretty!” I love the happy, calm feeling it gives me to see everything neat and orderly. (And I’ll take all the calm I can get!!) I guess there is something to all this organizing business and why they say cleanliness is next to godliness. I’m starting to believe it. 😉

Head over Suscipio and see how others are doing on the journey. 🙂

Okay, it’s getting late and I need sleep. Have a blessed night/day!

Five Favorites: British Entertainment Edition

By bobbi
July 30, 2013
6 Comments

I have to admit that I am a bit of a nerd and I was loving catching up with the comic con news and seeing various video clips. I don’t think I’d actually dress up in character, unless it was something like Michonne with my zombie slaying sword. That would be cool if you don’t mind a short, chubby Mexican version. Brian would want to carry a weapon too but since he is more likely to be holding a book than a sword maybe a Sheldon costume would be more appropriate. 😉

When I am not geeking out over things like that I am loving/obsessing over British entertainment such as these.

~ 1 ~

Downton Abbey

There seems to be two categories regarding the BBC/Masterpiece shows Downton Abbey. You either love it or you don’t get what all the fuss is about. I am definitely a love it. If you are too, you’ll also love these.

I haven’t done a Season 4 update since this post but have you seen the new stills from Season 4? Here are a few.

It breaks my heart a little to see Mary and Tom without their better halves.

I’m loving this photo.

Edith is looking sultry.

Oh dear, is this why?

Rose and her current beau.

~ 2 ~

Jane Austen & Outdoor Movie Nights

Jane Austen is my favorite author (along with Charlotte Bronte) and I love watching all the many adaptations of her stories. I still enjoy watching the old Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet and was excited to see it was one of the summer movies offered at our local “Theater in the Forest.” It is an outdoor theater nestled in a foresty area of downtown Carmel. A couple of my mom friends brought their daughters and together we got cozy under blankets, sipped hot chocolate and passed the popcorn as we watched the movie. It was Bella’s first Jane Austen movie and I was sooo happy to share it with her. 🙂

~ 3 ~
Masterpiece Mystery

Brian and I are also big fans of BBC/Masterpiece Mystery, although some of the stories can be a little grittier for the sensitive viewer. Our fave, hands down, is Sherlock Holmes. I’ve enjoyed Benedict Cumberbatch in previous movies but didn’t become a fangirl until Sherlock.

Then seeing him as Kahn in Star Trek pretty much sealed the deal.

Here’s a video of Freeman and Cumberbatch with a video message to Comic Con participants.

Watch Sherlock’s Martin Freeman & Benedict Cumberbatch; Comic-Con on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

~ 4 ~

English Actors & The Hobbit

When the Hobbit came out I was pleased that Richard Armitage was to play Thorin since I loved him in North & South. I was equally excited when Martin Freeman/Dr. Watson played Bilbo in the Hobbit. Now Freeman will be reunited with his partner Cumberbatch/Sherlock in the sequel The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the dragon Smaug. Although his physical likeness doesn’t appear, his voice and body movements are used in a similar way as his co-star Andy Serkis’ were used for Gollum. I can’t wait for that one!

~ 5 ~
Peppa Pig

Our British love is rubbing off on the kids because they adore the cartoon Peppa Pig. It cracks me up they can go from having a Star Wars light saber battle to discussing having tea and biscuits during their summer holiday. Yesterday John-Paul was playing store with me and he handed me a coin saying, “Here is one pound, Mummy.” Maybe one day he can teach me the metric system. 😉

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Category Archives: Uncategorized

Operation Clean and Organize: Organizing My Bathroom Shelves and Walls

Loving Until It Hurts

Happy Thanksgiving 2013!

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life – Days 4-7

Five Favorites: British Entertainment Edition