{ organize ME }

One of the projects that I've been working on from my to do list is to purge & organize our master bedroom closet. I set up a shoe rack (and am donating any shoes that don't fit on it - it holds ~ 25) in order to par down the # of shoes in there. And I bought 120 wood hangers...so once they are all used up, the rest of the clothes have to go. I figured that was a good way to limit down the amount of clothes I have in there. I found a great deal on wooden hangers on ebay...

I'm inspired by Nicole's bright & cheerful closet (see pic above) over at Making it Lovely...aren't you? I will have to do before & after photos of mine, which won't be as lovely but WILL be less cluttered and disorganized. Not to mention most of my clothes are jeans and black dresses! :)

{ a luv of all things brainy }

LOVE this phrenology brain form from Denise.

Fill in your own with your new years resolutions here.

{ making time for dinners together }

My husband and I both feel that meal time together is really important for our family - we want to teach our kids the importance of eating healthy meals and having time together to talk about our days. Now, this isn't always perfect. There are days that I am tempted to make popcorn for dinner and there have been nights when we have had pancakes. :) And I know this is hard when there are lots of kids...This works for us right now, because Sam is at an age where she can eat at the table with us and be part of the preparations and cleanup and Henry can be in my lap or his seat. My friend who has 3 kids, says dinners together at their house are chaos and not fun so they feed their family in stages - kids first, adults second. So you have to do what works for you and your clan.

A few of the things that help us have fun, healthy dinners together.

Plan Ahead. I've mentioned several times how on Sunday evenings I take a look at what is left in the pantry, freezer and refrigerator...and look at our schedules and plan out meals for the week ahead. On busier nights (swim lessons) I make simple meals {well, they are all simple, but even easier ones or ones that are prepared ahead of time.}

I get a lot of questions about how we have dinners together and whether or not we do takeout. First of all, we occasionally eat out or pick up healthy food to bring home {we NEVER eat fast food}...there is a Mexican restaurant in Durango we love, Zia, and we eat there once every week or two.

Plan to be home. We try to limit evening activities so that we are home most nights together.

Music. We love to play music during dinner and then after dinner Sam has a dance party in the kitchen while we clean up. We generally put our ipod on with a radio station from pandora {the best thing since sliced bread}.

Help. While I am working on dinner, Sam helps by setting the table and after dinner Will has clean-up duty.

Apron. I know some of you who know me are laughing - Jenny, an apron, really? But I love to wear aprons! They remind me of my grandmother in the kitchen and help me feel more domesticated! :) I have 6 different ones.

Simple. I am not a talented cook. I'm just not. I don't LOVE (more than anything else) cooking and I'm not that great at it, so I stick to things I know what I'm doing with. We eat lots of fish (wild salmon), free-range chicken, grass fed beef - on the grill. And lots of salads and veggies and brown rice. I can start the rice in the rice cooker, throw fish or meat on the grill and heat up some frozen veggies in less than 20 minutes. I usually make a batch of healthy casserole or turkey chili on the weekend and use that one or 2 nights during the week. We also will have whole wheat pasta with fresh veggies and a large salad for an easy dinner one night.

Special Glasses. We have special mini glasses and goblets for Sam that I found a few years ago at a thrift store that she drinks her milk out of. It helps her feel grown-up and she enjoys drinking her milk out of nice glasses.

Cloth Napkins. It adds a nice touch to meal-time plus they don't have to get thrown away.

Candles. We usually light candles during dinner, take turns saying what we are grateful for and at the end of dinner Sam blows out the candles and makes a wish {adorable}.

Talk. Don't forget to talk to one another. I know this seems obvious but I am surprised at how many people don't really talk and listen during meals to one another.

Slow down. Don't rush. Don't start cleaning up while your family is still eating. Just slow down, eat slowly, and savor the time together.

How do all of you do family meal's together?

{ and i leave you with... }

I'm heading out of town this morning for a much needed mommy's night away with some of my other mommy friends... We are going to snowshoe, relax, drink wine, etc. Sounds perfect, doesn't it?

I leave you with this organizational inspiration from Stephanie at the fab blog, Steph Modo. A spice drawer...isn't it beautiful. I never thought I'd use the word {beautiful} about a spice drawer but it is!

{ i pledge to }

I pledge to...

give my family & my life my all. i never want to say i wish i did, i wish i had.

leave this world a better place than when i arrived.

teach my children to be good citizens of this world.

{ be the change }

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi

poster available here.

{ it's a new day }

Tomorrow, we are celebrating the end of an error! :) {I thought that was quite clever.}

I wish I had gotten my act together to plan out a huge Obama Inauguration Party. I am kicking myself for not doing it. You can see if there is one going on in your area by clicking here.

But we are having a special dinner and Sam and I making these cupcakes today! I am using a Wellness Bakeries kit (no artificial sweeteners and lots of protein make these cupcakes actually ones that I can not feel guilty about devouring), and printing out these awesome cupcake toppers.

And don't forget today is National Day of Service.

Here's to a new day and a new era.

photo via: alphamom

{ today }

I started the day off right snuggling with family in bed and then found myself on my pink yoga mat.

Today I...

Am mugging on this cute little guy (above).
Am taking Sam ice-skating.
Am cleaning the house.
Am getting donations together for the homeless shelter to drop off tomorrow in honor of Renew America Together.
Am watching re-runs of the West Wing tonight. {my favorite tv show of all time}
Am cleaning out the pantry.
Am playing Memory with Sam {she is way better at it than I am}.
Am looking forward to Obama's Inauguration and wishing I could be there. We will be making these cupcakes in celebration.

Today I am...Happy. Content. Grateful.

Hope you are all having a great weekend too!

{ a good day }

photo of Danyelle's momme planner

Stephanie is back! Oh, how I've missed her daily posts!

And some LobotoME love from the lovely Danyelle.

Oh, and look at cute Sam at her first ski lesson yesterday. Wasn't she just a baby? Now she is skiing!!! Where does the time go?

{ new year, new you - finances }

Here are some ways to kick off the new year with getting your act together financially.

1) Talk about it. Carve out some quiet time with your partner and talk about where you're at financially (have current account statements & information ready) and talk about what your goals are for 2009 and beyond. Get on the SAME PAGE. Will & I listed out 10 financial goals for the new year in addition to our personal and business goals. Some are more important to ME (finally, dear god, pay off my grad school loans) and some are more important to him (beef up emergency fund) but by combining our goals into family financial goals, they all become important to both of us. It's important to take a clear, honest look at where you are today. Not sure where to start? Here are two great financial goals worksheets - one from Savvy Sugar and one from ING.

2) List it out. Now, make a list of your 5-10 financial goals for 2009 & beyond with action steps. Post them in a prominent place (eg. above your desks, on a kitchen bulletin board, etc.) where you can be reminded about them everyday! We wrote out 2009, 1010, 2016, 2019 goals. So 1, 2, 5 & 10 year goals and action steps. Later this week, I'll share some of our financial goals.

3) Look at ways to trim your budget/spending plan. And if you don't have a budget, start using one. We have ours on Quickbooks and on a shared google doc but I know lots of people love Pear Budget and Mint. Make sure you track what you are spending. Make sure you have an emergency fund for those unexpected emergencies and make sure you plan for some fun each month! Here are some great tips on ways to learn to live with less.

4) Get your finances organized. Create a financial organization system either using online tools or a folder system. We use pageonce to have all of our accounts in one place online and Quickbooks for our personal and business finances and then I have a folder system with my goals tacked to the front and individual file folders for school loans; IRA's; real estate investments; bank accounts; general financial information; credit card statements & contact information; etc.


Here are some suggestions from David Bach for a financial file system.

1. Tax Returns-Include 8 folders for the last seven years plus the current year. Place all W2’s, 1099’s, interest statements and returns in this file.
2. Retirement Accounts-Create a folder for each retirement account you have, 401(k)’s, IRA’s, etc and include the statements.
3. Social Security-Include your social security benefits statement.
4. Investment Accounts-Create folders for each brokerage account, mutual funds, or individual stocks and keep the statements here.
5. Savings and Checking Accounts-Add files for each separate account you have.
6. Household Accounts-Here you will keep track of your House title, home improvement receipts, mortgage and utility statements.
7. Credit Card Debt-Add a folder for each card you hold.
8. Other Liabilities-This folder would include student loans, personal loans, car loans, etc.
9. Insurance-This folder contains all insurance policies, home, life, car, health, disability, long-term care.
10. Will or Trust-Keep a copy of your will and living trust here.
11. Children’s Accounts-Include any college savings plans or trusts set up in your child’s name.

5) Make saving a habit. Find ways to be more thrifty & frugal this year. Here are some great tips.

6) Learn more. Add some financial blogs to your google reader and check out some financial books from the library to continue your financial education and your motivation towards your financial goals. You can download Suze Orman's new book for FREE for the next few days at Oprah's website.

Some financial blogs I like:
Simple Mom's Money Management Series
Get Rich Slowly
Fabulous Financials
Prime Time Money
Millionaire Mommy Next Door
No Debt Plan
Boston Gal's Open Wallet

7) Figure out how much things down the road will cost and start saving NOW. We really want to be able to retire early...using a variety of online calculators we figured out how much we would need per year (retired) and how much we need in the bank/invested by the time we want to retire to be able to live off the dividends. This was a very MOTIVATING exercise to both of us. We also need to get our groove on for saving to help send the kids to college. By the time our kids will be in colles, 4 years of tuition at a public college will cost $100,000 +! Ouch. I had no clue. So, to get there, we need to save approximately $4,000/year for the next 13-17 years to make this happen.

8) Reward yourself for working hard on your finances! What is it you want to save for? A family trip? A day at the spa? Plan and save for FUN!

What are your financial goals for the New Year?

{ new year, new you - healthy & fit ME }

So, you want to make this the year you get FIT (for real this time)?

Step 1. Set a realistic goal. If you weigh over 250lbs you might not be able to realistically get down to 125 in one year! Perhaps instead a better goal would be to lose 5 lbs per month by eating healthier, walking to & from work everyday and going to the gym 3 days a week.

Step 2. Schedule time to exercise and find a workout buddy to help keep you motivated. Each week, schedule in some walks or runs; some gym or yoga classes or time in the morning before work to do an exercise video or show. Here's a video with a great 16 minute strength building series from The People's Chemist. Use the Fit ME notepad to plan and track your workouts.


Step 3. Plan healthy meals. There is no reason you should be eating pizza 3x a week! I don't care how busy you are. Cook up a weeks worth of chicken on Sunday night to use for quick meals (add brown rice and some steamed frozen veggies). Use the Feed ME notepad and the Check ME notepad to plan and shop for healthy foods. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, get rid of the crap. Take an hour today, and clean out your pantry, fridge and freezer of all of the junk - cookies, processed foods, etc. Wipe out the refrigerator, organize the pantry and stock up on healthy items. If there are Oreo's in your house, you WILL eat them. So throw them out!


Step 4. Take Supplements. Research different vitamins and supplements that will help you achieve optimal health. You can read about what I take each day here.
Step 5. Remember to have patience and stick with it. Set a good example for your kids by taking care of your body! You are only give one body, don't mess it up.

Step 6. Read. Add some fitness/healthy living blogs to your blogroll to help keep you inspired! Here are a few I like:
Fit Sugar
Gabby Reece's site
Fitness for Mommies
The Peoples Chemist
Womens Health & Fitness
Crazy Sexy Cancer
Hybrid Fitness (who just posted about the Fit ME pad)
Workout Mommy

Step 7. Health Checklist. Complete these tasks from Oprah's Best Life series.

What are your fitness/health goals this year?

Note: Free shipping on LobotoME goods extended until January 12th!

{ simple christmas wrap-up }

So, how did our simple Christmas go you ask? Well, better than last year but we still have work to do (especially with the grandparents)...while we asked grandparents to limit gifts to one per child, and kindly suggested donations to their college funds...multiple gifts arrived via UPS & Fed EX in the weeks leading up to Christmas and the kids college funds remain at almost ZERO $.

While, we had a goal to spend under $500...we ended up spending close to $700 when all was said and done...which granted is a lot less than last year, but still room for improvement. For all of the grandparents we gave these custom shutterfly books - see below - (but at $30 a pop and with 10 sets of grandparents and birthparents to send them too, that added up right there)...But it was a well received gift and we will do it again next year. The kids got their gifts in the pre-set categories (and I was really good about sticking to it except for a ski helmet for Sam that I forgot she needed and a bebe pod seat for Henry that I got a great deal on, both on ebay). But an additional $100 that I hadn't accounted for in early December. We also spent $100 on Nutcracker tickets (not necessary but Sam loved it!)

With our siblings - Will's brother & wife were on the same plan as us - so we gave their daughter a huge bin of great hand me down clothes and they gave us some great burned CD mixes and Todd took our family photo. My brother & his wife wanted to exchange gifts (I tried hard to discourage it but they weren't budging)...so we set a limit of $20 per person... So we gave them books and framed pics of the kids and gave their daughter a huge bin of hand me down clothes and a new pair of pj's and a new book.

We still (despite our pleas and my not so subtle hints) got plastic toys from China...I hate them (and I'm going to return them this week).

I gave Sam's teachers (all 10 of them at the school) LobotoME notepads and homemade cards by Sam and our neighbors homemade bread. Will & I didn't exchange gifts this year instead reminding each other of our {gifts no trips} plan! We didn't give gifts to friends this year, instead made an effort to spend time with all of them this month (we had many over for a post holiday chili & cornbread party post-skiing).

I've also limited our holiday decor to our big tree, one tub of ornaments and one tub of misc. greenery and lights. Out with all of the rest of it.

One of our biggest successes of the season was that we spent a lot of time practicing and teaching Sam {generosity} - we packed up her old clothes and toys and donated them to families in need in the community. We packed up boxes of food and paper goods to donate to the Food Bank. We gathered blankets and jackets to drop off at the Homeless Shelter. We adopted several kids through the Project Merry Christmas Program and bought them new coats, toys and books. And we gave money to the Salvation Army Bell Ringers.

Next years plans...Trying this recycled Christmas idea...I like it a lot. Giving stuff you already have...why not??! We all have stuff we can share with one another! And I am going to buy next year's winter gear this year on sale. I can't believe I paid full pop for snowsuits for the kids. I am also going to create a family wish list on wishpot so that all of the rebellious family members who simply must enjoy the shopping madness can get us something we need/want.

How did your simple Christmas plans go?

{ back in the swing of things }

Today, is the day to get back in the swing of things...after 2 weeks of nothing but play & eating, I'm ready to catch up on some work, have a good sweaty workout and plan some healthy meals for the week. Take a look at your resolutions and see what you can do to start making them happen...slowly. eg. Want to lose 20 lbs? Schedule in 3 trips to the gym this week.

One of the other things I like to do in order to get organized is make a master to do list of things I'd like to get done - sometimes I break it down by month or season... these are more task oriented so different from my resolutions. But then I pull off of this list each week to add tasks to my momME weekly planner. You can view my master to do list here.

{ words to live by }

love this...perfect for a Sunday of reflection, faith and resolutions to be a better friend, a better mom, a better daughter, a better wife...

{ simple ME }

Been inspired to pare down our stuff yet again - I don't know where it ALL comes from! Looks like some of you are on a mission too (here and here). I've been going through each of our rooms this week (one at a time) and cleaning and decluttering them. I've been gathering stuff to donate (an entire truck load), sell and just chuck/recycle. I still have a ways to go but it feels so good to do this!

{ 2009 Resolutions + Aspirations }

{ ME }
:: Rise early in the morning for daily meditation & yoga practice. [5:30AM]
:: Exercise daily. Healthy heart = healthy mind.
:: Less work + more play. [only work 3 days per week while Sam is in preschool - everything else will have to wait.]
:: Practice Spanish. [forget itunes in the car, listen to my spanish CD's everyday.]

{ Family }
:: Simple Family Living...slow down, savor more moments & spend quality time together.
:: Record our life in our daily journal. [just a few thoughts a day on our days.]
:: Plan a summer family raft trip and winter trip to Dominican Republic.
:: Weekly dates & more time alone with Will.
:: Plan and prepare healthy meals daily. [no excuses for not feeding our bodies with good food.]

{ Home }
:: Plan and care for a great vegetable garden and plant more fruit trees.
:: Landscaping projects [pond, trees, wildflowers, etc.]
:: Plan for emergencies - create emergency kits for home & cars.
:: Continue to declutter and simplify the rooms in our home. [Less is more.]

{ Financial }
:: Be debt-free (except mortgage) by end of 2009. [pay off school + car loans.]
:: Stick to monthly spending plan.
:: Save $ for awesome month of travel in November.

{ Business }
:: Successful event production season.
:: Successful launch of new kayak company.
:: Launch iphone apps for LobotoME pads.
:: Increase # of stores carrying the LobotoME line.