What's New, Pussycat?

It probably has caught your attention that some things have changed at my house, even after all these months of non-posting.  I'm no longer homeschooling, for one thing. Economics have driven me from my home, but it's not a bad thing.  Here's what has happened in the last year:

Hubby has picked up more freelance work and qualified for social security. See? There are good things about being old :o)  Financially he feels more secure.  He's also written a book (Full Circle by Phillip J. Powers) which is available on Amazon.com.  Another book he wrote years ago is also available (The Longest Night) which I like better. The second one is a psychic thriller and involves all kinds of plot twists.

Jack earned his Eagle award from scouts, got his driver's license, got a car, got a job at a hardware store (working about 25 hours/week), finished up his last year of high school as a homeschooler (graduating with honors), and started junior college in the Fire Science program with a goal of becoming a firefighter. He's also teaching himself to play the guitar.

Steve started public school for the first time, entering a smaller school than our local one that is working out GREAT.  He's in all honors classes and earned a 4.53 GPA his freshman year. He was also on the track team.  He's spending time this summer doing volunteer work for Nana's Kidz (feeding motel kids), and at our church as well as learning to skim board. Steve just got back from a week of hiking and tubing at Bass Lake in Utah with our high school youth group.

I am still working as a kindergarten aide and have picked up a bunch of odd jobs as well.  I "companion" a dear little 94-year-old lady, do PR/social media for an organic gardening company, work for Breast Cancer Angels, and have different clients who require different things (decluttering, family helper, etc.)  I also lead a prayer group and volunteer where I can. My big goal this summer has been to try and lose some weight :o/ I walk in the pool a lot.

So... while I miss homeschooling, I did wean out of it. My children are flourishing; I have NO complaints.  I even have time to fool around with my hobby of making little miniature room boxes. I haven't actually finished one yet, but they're fun to think about.

Achey Breaky Body

So... getting older isn't for sissies.  This next month I'll be celebrating the 20th anniversary of my 29th birthday (I'll wait while you add that up), and my body isn't getting any younger.  Arthritis in the back is my biggie, and it's curtailing some of my fun.

One of the new things I'm doing is working for an organic gardening company that puts garden boxes and raised beds in people's yards.  Part of my job is to find complementary articles and pictures for our Facebook and Pinterest sites, which is really fun!  As I've been investigating organic and holistic information, I came across one recipe that looked doable.  It's apple cider vinegar, honey, and garlic blended up and used as a supplement.  Here's the info: http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/articles/art_cidervingarlichoney.html  That article will give you all the pertinent details.

I blended up my concoction this afternoon, sealed it in a jar, and have it steeping in the fridge for the next five days.  I tasted it, of course, and it's not bad at all!  It tastes like really strong apple juice.  I can deal with that, especially if it means I can get up and get moving again.

Have Your Cake and Eat It Too!

Talk about a busy week... I've been working long night shifts this week taking care of a preemie baby in the NICU (alongside her nurses).  During the day I've been finishing up a merchandising job at Sam's Club, doing laundry, and trying to sleep. Add in Steve's birthday, and there's an opportunity for my brain to explode!

Taking all the boys to Shakey's for the all-you-can-eat buffet was inspired. Bringing them back to my house for swimming and video games was a no-brainer.  Snacks/beverages/candy was purchased in one quick trip to Smart and Final.  But... the cake.  There's got to be a cake, right?

Well, not necessarily.  A case of Kit Kat worked just fine. The boys LOVED it.  I went the extra mile and arranged them beautifully on cake tiers.  You can see by the expression on  Steve's face that he was okay with it, too.  Happy Birthday!  Now, let me nap.

QUARTERMANIA!

I have been invited to participate in something completely new to me -- a Quartermania.  I've been to one, so now I'm an old pro, but the concept is very new to me.  Basically 10 vendors get together (the home party gals, mostly), wrap up lovely lavish prizes consisting of their products, then raffle them off for anywhere from one to four quarters each.

The main money comes from the customers who pay a flat fee to get in.  Then they start bidding their quarters for the prizes.  Since I declutter, my "prizes" are basically certificates for an hour or two of my time.  I've been thinking of ways to make it more fun: one prize could be for cleaning out the medicine cabinet (1 hour) + a basket consisting of fuzzy slippers, tea, and magazines for the winner. She'll be able to kick back and put her feet up while I do the work!

Other prizes I've thought of are an hour of pantry cleaning + a lazy Susan and shelf extenders, an hour of closet purging + a sweater bag for under the bed, and another closet hour + a pack of nice wooden hangers.

The other gals have tee-shirts and aprons that advertise their companies.  I don't, so I went out and found a very cool/hip full apron in a tan and aqua leaf pattern.  I'm going to wear my distance glasses so I can see the nice people in the audience and I'll probably look like everyone's mom, LOL!

I'm excited!  If you're reading this, and you're local in Southern CA, find me on Facebook and request the flyer. Tickets ahead of time are $12 and they're $15 at the door.

Making Moolah From Decluttering

One of the biggest excuses reasons I hear from folks about why they live amidst clutter is that they are waiting for the right time to have a huge garage sale where they can sell all their treasures.

If you're living in clutter...

• You're not boxing/sorting the mess in order to sell it
• You have ceased to see the clutter around you and perceive it as "normal"
• You are creating excuses for your clutter (like waiting for a garage sale) and not acting

The last reason is the most common. I hear time and again from people who say, "Well, this stuff isn't mine; it belongs to my son" (who moved out 22 years ago).  You can't throw out someone else's stuff, but you CAN make them take it with them when they leave (or give them a time limit to come and pick it up).  Stick to your guns and get it gone!

You MUST stop making excuses.  You are too valuable to live in a mess!  It's better to clean it all out and donate everything than to wait for some day in the distant future when everything will suddenly be "better".  I have news for you -- it won't be.  The time is NOW!

Conviction!

Oh boy... As I've mentioned, I've been helping a client get organized and giving her advice on storing her belongings in an orderly manner.  Then we got to the garage... I gave her advice about shelving and placement, which she liked.  When I got home, there was a text from her: "Can you send me a picture of your garage?"

MY garage?  The one where we dump all our stuff?  It is most assuredly NOT ready for a photo opportunity!

Our 2-car garage is the one source of storage for my family of four.  Our attic is negligible and awkward, so we don't store anything there.  Our closets are small and hold our clothing, period.  The garage holds a treadmill, weight bench, refrigerator, stand-up freezer, all our tools, 20 bins of Christmas decor, bins of outgrown hobbies, hubby's framed artwork that he hopes to sell some day, our overflow pantry, beach and camping equipment, the grill, and five bikes.  I'm sure there's more, but those are the big items right there.

It should be fairly obvious that we don't store a car in our garage.  I have organized our shelving well, though, and there's actually room for a knife-throwing station and two large trash cans in addition to everything else.  However, I do live with humans... everything can be arranged as beautifully as I can make it, but I can't control the way people put tools and bikes away.  Individual shelves are pretty messy, and the boxes and bags of items for donation threaten to overtake the floor.

Yesterday and today I did some rearranging.  There are a couple of really big things that need to go to the dump, and I'm waiting for the bike rack to come in (we'll be able to hang two of them, which will be great), and then I can take a picture.  I'll post it here for all of you, too!  Heck, I'll be so proud of it that I'll probably use it as my icon photo on Facebook!

The Paper Trail

Yesterday I met with my client to attack the volume of paper she had stored in her home. During this past two weeks she has done a good job of gathering the assorted piles, bags, and boxes of paper and putting them in the pantry, our staging area.  By doing so she was able to physically see the amount of excess "stuff" that had piled up and was affecting her peace of mind.

I didn't count specifically, but there were at least 15 different bags or boxes that were stuffed with paper. She and I went through and touched every piece.  A huge issue was the volume of unopened statements and bills.  She says she pays her bills over the phone, so there really is no need for a paper statement.  Also, paying by credit card can incur finance charges and possible service charges -- these can be negated by doing bill pay through your checking account.

For statements you need to keep, such as IRA or 401k plan info, as a new statement comes in, throw the old one out (actually, shred it).  Keep an expandable pouch file labeled in categories and drop in the new info as you clear out the old.  If you devote 15 minutes a week to this, you're set, or just keep the file by the trash can.

I taught my client the TRAF method, which I learned nearly 30 years ago: When paper comes in, your first response should be to TRASH it, then ROUTE it, ACT on it, and lastly FILE it.  70% of your mail will fall into the T zone. Another 3-5% will be an R (must set it aside to chat with the spouse, etc.).  You may need to Act on another 10-15% (invitations and bills), and then File the odd flyer or postcard advertising a vendor you'd like to try some time.  Hopefully that added up to 100%!  If it didn't, throw out a little more.

Working with Clients...

The "do-it-yourself" decluttering schedule I created for my client has generated a lot of enthusiasm and interest among my friends who think it might be the way to go.  No one has the spare cash to pay me the big bucks to come in and overhaul their home storage all at once, but all agree that it needs to be done.  We've all been watching my client to see how it works out.

It's actually working about as I expected.  My client was enthusiastic about the schedule, read through it, and told herself it was quite workable.  Her first week showed great promise as she pulled things out of her house and grouped them in areas to give away -- she filled her pantry and dining room table with excess items.  However, very little of what she accomplished was actually on the schedule.  When I came in for my two-hour assistance, we spent the entire time working on an area that wasn't on the schedule until later because she felt anxious it and wanted to attack it first.

I am nothing if not flexible (actually, I'm not, but I can bend a little). We cleaned it all out, established two perfect clutter-free areas, I hauled away her excess items to donate, and we made plans for me to come back. That's where it all fell apart.  She lost track of the schedule during the week due to a fussy baby, scheduled a guest to visit during our work party, and did not do any of the "homework" I assigned.

I'm planning on visiting my client next week to get her on track.  Having me come in a bulldoze does solve the immediate problem of clutter, but it does not make the owner take control of her own behavior.  I can see I may have to take some psych classes in order to become more efficient as a clutter counselor.

Do-It-Yourself Decluttering

I'm trying something new with a client of mine. She has two very small children, which limits the time she can spend focusing on one project. Having me come in to spend hours decluttering isn't possible, but she has some real needs that must be addressed before ending her maternity leave and heading back to a very challenging job.

I evaluated her home, listened to her, then created a month-long schedule with two tasks a day. We will meet weekly for a couple of hours to do some more intensive work together, but the bulk of the work will fall solely on my client.

I'm excited about this for two reasons: One, it keeps the budget at a friendly level. By doing most of the work herself, my client saves the hourly fee I charge. Two, (and most important), it helps my client take ownership of her home. By doing the work herself she will value her efforts and make sure she doesn't lapse back into bad habits. When I come in and sort through, it's very easy for a client to appreciate their new clutter-free home, then go ahead and trash it again. Yes, I have seen it happen.

This Friday is our first meeting, and I'm excited to see what my client has accomplished. When I called her Monday (the first day of this project), she excitedly told me she was on her second task already. It was just awesome to hear the excitement in her voice!

Decluttering the computer...

My husband surprised me with a brand-new computer! While it will be a huge upgrade from my current hand-cranked model, the thought of all the work involved in setting up a new work station made me put off the task.

My teen-aged boys didn't understand. "It's plug and play, Mom," they encouraged me. "Just plug it in and off you go!"

Not exactly. There was the matter of transferring all my pictures. That took almost an hour all by itself. I had to go through each person's files since my computer used to be the only one all four of us used (that should tell you how old it is!). I did delete a whole bunch of stuff that wasn't necessary. The new System 7 file transfer wanted to "help" by transferring every last thing on my hard drive, so I chose not to use that function. I may have added a little more time to my transfer, but I saved an enormous amount of time (and RAM) by not clogging my hard drive with all the junk from the old computer.

Outlook Express isn't supported on the new system and the Windows "Live Mail" couldn't understand my internet provider's info. I gave it some time, then called it a day and switched to gmail as my primary email. I was able to link it to Live Mail + I discovered Outlook for my calendar (since my Palm Pilot decided to give up the ghost at the same time as the old computer).

I'm planning to be more efficient next week. I'm getting there!

Starting Fresh!

I'm resurrecting my blog :o) For the past year and a half we've been in a crazy state with our family... hubby still mostly unemployed (thanks, economy), and me working outside the home for the first time. When my husband first got laid off, I figured we'd have a few months of pain, then pick up where we left off. A few months turned into a year, and by then the "fun" of getting by was wearing thin. I withdrew from blogging and other activities until I figured out just what, exactly, was going to be happening in our home.

I confess to initially resisting working outside the home. As a homeschooling mom, it seemed unlikely that I could do any kind of a good job anywhere when my loyalties were divided. I tried a six-week stint as a temp with a large medical firm (which I hated, but stuck out), and looked around for other opportunities. Selling the hairclips and doing boutiques and craft fairs turned out to be a problem for my lower back -- hauling the equipment and standing for hours at a time wreaked havoc on my spine.

It seemed logical to me to find something to do with children, since my own are my heart. I found a babysitting job with a friend's children in the early a.m., which I did all last year. This year I'm still working for them plus am also now a part-time kindergarten aide in a local school district. I love it! It's only 10 hours a week, but it's a foot in the door to the school district.

The jobs bring in some much-needed $$$ and I can be home in the afternoon for my own big boys, who still need me for homeschooling and mothering. Hubby has found two small part-time jobs that help out, too, plus he finally turned 62, enabling him to start collecting social security. That is HUGE for us. My jobs don't bring in enough cash to qualify as "full time", so I'm considered a dependent, which brings in a little more SS, as do our under-age boys. We can pay the mortgage, pay for groceries, keep up with bills... breathe more easily. There's still the hope that I can find a full-time job, but so far I've been unsuccessful.

Blogging about our issues while they were happening was impossible for me. I was unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel for a long time, then had to get in a whole new mind-set when I began working for the school. Now I think I've finally figured everything out!

Another aspect to my working life is that my decluttering business is starting to pick up. I've been a keynote speaker at a women's luncheon talking about organization, and have discovered some new clients along the way. That keeps me busy, too.

Future blogs will fall into various categories: decluttering/organization, gardening, food/recipes, and snippets of life. I'll try to group them in the appropriate folders so you can find things quickly. I'm still working on the amount of time I'd like to devote to the blog, but think that 2-3 times a week is about all you'd want to read of me :o)

I'm open to suggestions! Please comment and let me know what you'd like to read about. I'm going to be as open as I can about homeschooling, finances, and raising teens -- get ready for a wild ride!

It's raining, it's pouring...

Our winter rainy season has begun. We expect it to last two or three days, which doesn't sound like much. However, our southern CA streets and gutters can't handle the workload of any water at all, and we get pretty wet around here. Rainy days in So Cal are good days to stay in.

Still, I'm optimistic. I had my son hang my spring-themed daffodil garden flag outside, and I'm hoping to see some buds on the peach tree.

I guess I'm just feeling "springy". I cleaned out two closets and a cupboard today, which felt great. Hubby started me on my path by digging out one corner of our bedroom and turning it into a little office space for himself. It looks GREAT and all that junk he'd had piled there is gone! I'm so happy.

I responded by cleaning out his cupboards. It's amazing the types of things you find in the cupboard of a man who really doesn't care how he looks. The pillowcase I thought was lost was carefully folded amongst his tee-shirts... all six hundred or so of them. He won't have to buy a tee-shirt until 2014. And now they're all neatly folded and placed appropriately for him.

Loving the SoCal lifestyle!

Boy, when you're poor, nothing beats a warm day outside! When my dad was a young boy (age 8), his mother moved him and his two sisters (ages 8 and 9) to Florida. Without any child support from her ex-husband (long story), living in a temperate climate was the best solution for her since she wouldn't have to pay huge heating bills or buy her kids winter clothing.

Yes, Florida gets cold (I have a picture of my mom in college at Tampa making a snowman!), but it beats the northern climates by a landslide. Same with southern California. Today was a beautiful day -- sunny and mild with a little breeze. I took my younger son and his buddy down to Pirate's Cove to climb around on the rocks and sword fight with their wooden weapons. They hiked around tidepools, scaled a rock face, and were happy and free in their bathing suits.

I sat and read, watched the boats, climbed a bit myself, and just enjoyed being outdoors.

Later, when we came home, the boys attacked our friend's Christmas tree, which they'd donated to us for firewood. Boys and hatchets! Always a good mix.

This and That...

I've signed up to sell at a local farmer's market, the downtown Anaheim one over by the Muzeo. I stopped by today to prowl around and see what they've got for sale and found some great jute bags sold by a couple of really nice folks. I love that the handles are rounded off, not flat, as those tend to scratch me. The slogan on the front of the bag reads "This is SO not a plastic bag!" I had to laugh, then I had to buy it. It's kind of like a gunny sack and cost $5; I have a feeling I'll have this bag for a loooooong time.

I'll be starting there next week and am really looking forward to regular access to farm-fresh produce. Whoo hoooo!

Bring on 2010!

When I started this blog, my husband had been unemployed for a few months and I was finding it heartening to try and do as much from scratch as possible to stretch our shaky finances.

Now it's almost one year later. Hubby is still unemployed. Our finances are shakier. And yet... we are surviving. For one thing, Hubby was able to get a contract job for a few months which added back in some much-needed $$$. He and I have both been taking freelance jobs whenever possible (print brokering for him; light graphic design for me). He's put his head shots and CV on a couple of casting sites and picked up some acting jobs. I've begun selling hairclips and jewelry at boutiques and craft fairs (www.lillarose.biz/pam). We are making it.

Christmas was fine. It was smaller, but we made it more fun by drawing names to give out stocking presents (instead of Mama buying everything). It meant more out of our kids' pockets, but they had such a good time planning and shopping! Christmas morning was much more fun as we opened our stockings and found a wind chime for me and a mushroom scrubber for Hubby, LOL!

This new year brings uncertainty as to finances, but a firm realization that as a family we can pull through. I've become extremely creative at making dinner out of almost anything. Tonight is calzones using leftover sausage! I'll post some recipes this month of some of our favorites (the spicy seafood tortilla soup on New Year's Eve was a big hit).

Happy New Year!

It's Christmas!

Oh Christmas Tree... Oh Christmas Tree! This is our very first plastic tree. Every year we trek around to tree lots for the perfect Noble Fir, but this year is different. Money is scarce, but our ornaments are plentiful. We sat down as a family and agreed that a 4 foot fake tree was better than nothing (although my teenager is still dissenting).

It's hard to make out individual ornaments in this picture, but some highlights include the rocking horse my friend Janet made me in 1977; the seashell snowman made by Jack's friend Kanji about five years ago; the little butterfly and pig ornaments colored on one side by my mother and one side by my 3-year-old hands; and the jewel and shell encrusted ornaments my grandmother labored over and sold in order to make ends meet for her growing family.

There is no way we could eliminate a tree at our house. The tree skirt given to us by a friend...the funky folk art Santa sitting on the moon as our topper... the shiny Santas in various vehicles (well, we do have boys). You can see the hot air balloon on the right just under the white paper plate angel made by Steve when he was in preschool. That's a favorite of ours!

Best of all, it only took two strings of light to fully illuminate the tree and I could spin it around while I decorated! Lovely.

Ho Ho Ho!!!

The Christmas spirit is alive and well at our house! Even reduced circumstances can't take away from the joy we have in Christ's birth. One of the ways we celebrate is with presents (it's a birthday party, right?), so I've definitely done some shopping. A really neat thing this year is my 12-year-old son who has completely embraced the consumer spirit of Christmas and is doing all is own shopping, even hopping on his bike and hitting Wal-Mart on his own.

This is a big deal to me because we live in a very urban area dominated by SUV's driven by idiots on cell phones. We've gone through all the road safety rules a million times, but ultimately I have to send my child out and pray for him while he's gone. What keeps me going is the knowledge that God had to send out His own son to cope with the idiots on earth. My child isn't divine, but some day he'll live eternally with Jesus, and that is the best Christmas gift of all.

It's a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree!

Well, not quite. This year we haven't got one spare dime for "extras" at Christmas, so we broke down and bought an artificial tree on ebay. None of us are thrilled, but the kind of tree we'd want fresh would cost well in excess of $65. We got the fake one for about $20. It's not great, but we'll be able to hang our ornaments.

Getting any tree at all is a sacrifice this season, but our ornaments are an integral part of our family's Christmas. Our history is on that tree -- no fancy ribbons and themed colors for us, our tree contains hand-made ornaments from various family members and friends. I have the clay rocking horse my friend Janet made me in 1977; Jack has the shell snowman made by his scout buddy, Kanji; we have the exquisite shell-encrusted balls made decades ago by my paternal grandmother... these people are no longer in our daily lives, but they were important to us. Their presence and memories are reinforced when we place their treasures on our tree. My favorites are the pig and butterfly ornaments colored on one side by my mother, and scribbled on the other by me at age three.

In addition we have shiny happy ornaments that we've picked up on various vacations. I also buy the boys a new ornament every year that represents something that they love in their lives. One day they'll get married, and I'll box up their ornaments and make a very precious wedding gift to my sons and their wives. They'll start their own traditions with some that they already love.

Trying to get regular...

And no, I'm not taking more fiber! Life has been somewhat chaotic here this semester with Jack taking two out-of-the-house classes in two different cities. Both classes/teachers are excellent, but I'm doing a TON of driving and our homeschooling has a very different look this year.

I keep thinking back to the pioneers and how they'd walk or ride five or six miles (or more) to visit a neighbor. It keeps me from complaining about the 40 mile round-trip commute twice a week, that's for sure. Of course, their fuel was growing alongside the road while I'm utilizing carbon-based fossil fuels that pollute the environment.

Along that note, it was time to get the old covered wagon overhauled. The "check engine" and "brake" lights have been flashing, so the car was trying to tell me something. I knew my rear brakes needed attention, and had been told by my tire dealer that the rear shocks were worn and needed to be replaced, so I figured it was easy to kill two birds with one stone and do everything at once.

Much to my very happy surprise, my mechanic said the shocks were fine for several thousand more miles, the engine light flashed on at a routine mileage point (he checked all that out), and yes, the brakes needed replacing. Total cost: $250 instead of the close to $600 I thought it was going to be! I LOVE MY MECHANIC. Note to self: don't let the tire dealer anywhere near my car for repairs, just tires.

Autumn is Here!

Hooooraaaaaaaay! I am DELIGHTED to see the arrival of autumn. It is my favorite time of year. I love the colors, and have adopted the fall palate for the interior of my home year 'round, too. Usually I grow pumpkins during the summer so I'll have some fresh gourds on the vine for the back yard, but this summer was too busy with a new business and a new family pet. Instead I bought a couple and incorporated them into my small space decor.

I used what I had: some little mums that I've been cutting back, and dried pampas. I bought the succulents because I just loved the color and the texture of the leaves. Everything here is bunny-safe, as it's sitting on my potting bench in a little arrangement. I forgot that boys can pick up bunnies and put them anywhere... There's Babbitt, playing hide-and-seek amongst the flowers! He's a little grubby, but cleaned up well.

In a small space a little goes a long way. Just two pumpkins + four succulents and the mums I already had made a nice tableau on the potting bench. Elsewhere I have some isolated spots of color along with a ton of green. For some reason everything else in the garden has just taken off lately; I guess it's the cooler weather.

Another fun thing is that the tomato plants seeded themselves and now there are five or six little plants trying to establish themselves. I replanted a couple so they'd have more room and sun, and made a note to NEVER let Babbitt run around the back yard on his own. Instead we bought a pen that we put out front on the grass so he can run around, stretch, and nibble. He is quite the neighborhood attraction!