Thursday 13; this week's accomplishments

It's been a long week.  It feels like it should be the weekend already!  maybe it's because of the record-breaking heat we are having here in Phoenix, or maybe it's that I'm finally settling into some kind of routine and every day does not seem as rushed.  Whatever the reason, I'm tired and it's only Thursday!  I was thinking about this week's Mommy Time Monday post with the 8 of Wands and how we should focus on what ways we are improving our lives and what steps we are taking to move forward, and thought I needed to review my accomplishments of the week.  So I decided to participate in this week's Thursday 13 and make a list...
here it is,

13 things I've accomplished this week
1) I got a lot of laundry done!  It's been one of those "I'm tired of this huge pile of laundry" weeks, so I've been banging out a few loads a day.  My back has been hurting because of the folding, but at least we all have enough clean socks and underwear!
2) The kids started having homework this week.  They didn't have homework for the first week and a half of school.  So we have succesfully implemented an after school homework routine and so for it's working out great and we haven't had any tears or arguements involving homework!
3) I finally got my coupon binder organized.  I threw away all the expired coupons and placed my good coupons in an organized manner so they are easy to find.  Because of this I managed to save about $40 on my grocery shopping this week!
4) I've worked on spending real quality time with the kids each day, other than just doing their homework with them.  We have played board games, cooked meals together, eaten at the kitchen table together for dinner, and read more books.  For some reason before I always felt like I didn't have enough time or energy to do this on a daily basis, but now that I'm doing it I wonder how I ever felt that way before! (Inspired by the book I read, read my review here)
5) I've got a menu planned out for dinner for the next 5 nights!  No headaches about "what's for dinner?"  It's all planned out and I shopped accordingly!
6) I introduced my oldest daughter to the cartoon, "Invader Zim".  I used to love that cartoon and now it's something she and I can enjoy together if we find episodes online.  (This may not seem like an "accomplishment" to some, but have you watched Invader Zim??)
7) I've almost finished reading The Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy to my daughter... just a few chapters left.  It's been a great way to spend time together every night and I've enjoyed re-living this favorite book of mine through the fresh eyes of her youth!
8) I've gone to bed with all the dishes clean and a shiny kitchen sink EVERY night this week!  Yay for routines and motivation, and YAY for having the kid's weekly chores set up so they each have 1 or 2 nights to help me do it!
9) I found time to meditate!  Only once so far this week but it's a start!  And it's only Thursday, after all!
10)  I did yoga on my own, twice!  My yoga teacher is in Romania for the next month, so classes are cancelled till the middle of September.  I need to give myself the discipline and structure to continue practicing yoga even without the weekly class.
11)  I confronted a friend about something that was bothering me.  I'm usually a "don't rock the boat / avoid the drama" type of person, but at the same time I didn't want my feelings to fester or build up.  So I let him know how I felt about a couple things that were irritating me.  It may or may not have solved the problems (yet to be seen) but at least I let him know how I felt and didn't just hold my feelings in.
12) I joined some new groups on facebook and have been making some new online friends.  I amfeeling drawn to connect with more people, especially other mothers.  One of the oracle cards I drew for myself this week said "It's a Team Effort" and reminded me that working with others and learning from others is a wonderful thing! 
13) And finally, the most important thing, and the thing I am most proud of; I got my website launched, set up several new pages, got some discussions going on with members, and really got the ball rolling on my recent inspiration!  I am really so excited about the opportunities to help others that my website will bring me and the work I am doing there!  This has been something on my mind for a few weeks and this week I finally took the steps to get it done and get the ball rolling!

Weekly Housewives Report 4/18 - 4/22

Weekly Houswives' Report 4/18/2011 - 4/22/2011

The week began and I drew this card for myself from The Housewives Tarot - The Fool.  I could certainly relate to this harried housewife, running around in somewhat of a frenzy, excited about the prospects of her week but just not quite in control.  Like the housewife on this card, the multitude of tasks and responsibilities of the week were just an unorganized mess of plans and emotions.  Once I saw this card I knew I needed to just slow down, simplify, and FOCUS.  Not always an easy thing for me to do!

With the FlyLady.net program this week we were focusing on the Master Bedroom.  I figured that focusing some of my energy on renewing my personal space would be a perfect way for me to slow down, simplify, and prioritize.  When my Bedroom is clean and inviting I tend to spend more time taking care of myself.  I sleep better, I meditate more, and I just feel better!

 So... this area needed some work.  This was my bookshelf next to the bed.  Most of my books were either in the closet or in the computer room because there just wasn't enough room for them here.  I had gotten a new book shelf a couple weeks ago, but hadn't brought it in here yet.  I hadn't really decided if it was going to go in my Master Bedroom or in another room.  But I decided my books and tarot cards needed a better home than their present location, sooo....

 Ta-Da!  Transformation!  ALL my "woo~woo" books in one place!  Now I actually WANT to stay in my room... I mean with all my books straightened and easy to find, I've got my own personal witchy library here and I love it!

 My Tarot and Oracle Card collection... now in it's worthy home that deserves some showing off!

And my Tarot Library!   Still growing... but it just makes me so happy to see all my tarot books in one place, happily on a shelf together with my tarot journals!

The lower shelves contain my spiritual books with topics ranging from Astrology, Meditation, Yoga, Wicca, Witchcraft, and other Pagan Paths.

Tuesday night I had my Yoga Class and our meditation on Awakening your Inner Child.  I was inspired to write a couple blogs about that experience...
Awakening Your Inner Child
Peace of Mind
Thirteen Ways to Awaken Your Inner Child
I was also reminded that as a child, our personal space in the world is our bedroom, it is our sanctuary, our kingdom where our imagination can roam and our play and fantasies really come to life.  This inspired me to keep working on my bedroom, even when it began to look like this.... 

But 30 minutes or so took care of THAT problem....

Ahhh!  Feels so much better now, doesn't it?!?!

I ended the week by getting rid of some clothes from the closets and dressers and immediately taking those clothes to my local Goodwill thrift store.  I got myself 1 new pair of jeans for work, and found a new lampshade to go with the lamp I got at a yardsale... so now my Master Bedroom is not only clean and organized, but well- lit also!  The sheets and comforter have been washed today also, so I'm about to crawl into bed and enjoy the scent of lavender on my sheets as I drift of to sleep in my energetically cleansed sanctuary!

All in all, I think this Fool managed to pull herself together and accomplish exactly what needed to be done!  Now I'm ready for the next stage of my journey, whatever that may be!

Weekly Housewives' Report 1-23 to 1-29

My week in review!
I feel pretty good about last week's accomplishments so I just thought I'd share them with you, and perhaps pass on some motivation too!
Last week's Housewives Tarot card was the 2 of Pentacles. You can read that post HERE. I really was feeling like the housewife in this picture. With all the duties of mom, wife, work, etc... How was I to balance it all? Just doing the basics seemed like too much to handle. But this card reminded me that I DO have the power and the grace to handle it all. I just needed to balance my time right!
Last week's Oracle Card was "Call On Your Runners". You can read that post HERE.
Flylady's Zone of the week was The Master Bedroom. My bedroom was in serious need of some TLC. I'm a bit ashamed to show you these, but I think many of you can probably relate!

Uhm... yeah, that's my Master Bedroom. This room can quickly become a disaster in my life. It's not a place that needs to be "company ready", because Company, if any is had, would have no need to go in there. It becomes the "Stash and Dash" area. To busy to put laundry away? Stash it in the bedroom. Not sure where to put something, or too lazy to put it away? Stash it in the bedroom. As you can see, this hasn't really worked out.

Another view. As you can see, I couldn't even GET to my closet!

And yeah... this is my Altar area. *Hangs Head In Shame* What a Bad Witch I had become! I have limited space and a need to have my altar kept in the private area of my home, so it doubles as my bedside table. But I shouldn't have let it become so unkempt!

So anyways, I set to work on my bedroom. I took on a "no pressure" type attitude, letting go of perfectionism and just accepting that ANYTHING would be an improvement on what it was. And guess what? It only took about 2 hours to get the majority of that mess cleaned up! Afterwards, I wondered why I had put it off for so long!

Look! I can see the floor!! AND I can get to my closet! The clothes are all hung up and/or folded and put away. The boxes are back where they belong! The top of my dresser is now a perfect place to do my daily devotions or meditations.

I put my journal, a candle, and my fairy clock here, and got rid of all that clutter. The basket on top of my jewlery box is full of my crystals and gemstones, which helps promote harmony and positive energy in the room, and I can even choose a crystal of the day if I want/need one. I aslo ended up putting my God Box here. It wasn't here yet when I took the picture, but I think this is the perfect place for it!

Oh, and my Altar area is back in order. All is as it should be! I've been sleeping better, waking up in a better mood, and all in all I've been more motivated this week. Can't say that this project didn't help!

FlyLady helped too! With her zone projects and "Fly Missions", I was able to get more done than just cleaning up the mess. She had some great suggestions that only took 15 minutes (or less) a day and really helped me Bless my Bedroom!
On Monday I cleaned out under the bed and vaccuumed the whole room.
On Tuesday I cleaned out my sock drawer, threw away old socks and organized it. I even bought myself new socks and did the same with hubby's sock drawer!
On Wednesday I spent more time clearing away clutter on the night stands and tops of dressers.
On Thursday I dusted the room, even wiped down the tops of the door jambs, wiped the doorknobs, windowsills, etc.
On Friday I pretty much had my bedroom nice and clean, so I focused on the small bathroom that is adjacent to the bedroom. I gave that room a good scrubbing and put stuff away that needed to be put away. Now when I go in my bedroom I really feel like it is a relaxing area, both for begnning and ending my day!

It's funny the things we take for granted, and the way that we minimize the importance of having a clean, sacred space to rest. This week, the work I did here in my bedroom was not just a cleansing of the room where I sleep, but it was a major blessing for myself! Giving myself a peaceful environment to sleep, read, rest, get dressed, etc, was a HUGE affirmation of self-love. It gave me a major boost that I really needed!

Weekly Housewive's Report 5/2 - 5/9

Last Sunday I did a Weekly Tarot Reading, pulling one card for each day of the week. It gives me a heads-up on incoming energies, though I still find myself pleasantly surprised at how accurate it all turns out to be. Plus, it gives me a focal point for daily meditation, if I so choose to use it that way. I didn't blog each day on each card, but I figured I would include last week's reading in my Weekly Housewives' Report!

Sunday - 10 of Wands - Control * Burden * Weariness
Finally I have some control in my life. More income, more hours at work, taking care of business. But all this control means that I have taken the world upon my shoulders once again (typical Capricorn move), and it is tiresome. At this point I realized that I needed to take time each day for spirituality, prayer, and meditation, and I made a tenative schedule of Daily Devotions to fit in with my FlyLady routines. (Another typical Capricorn move - making schedules for EVERYTHING) But at this point I also must have reached some sort of breaking point, because as far as my cleaning and FlyLady routines, I majorly fell off the bandwagon.

Monday - Six of Swords - Revelation * Transition * Better Times Ahead *
As usual, I did a lot of housework on Monday. But I was very distracted and didn't really seem to get anything done. But as the card suggested, it seemed like a transitional state. I could physically feel myself finally settling in to the Taurus Sun energy after the wildly active Aries cycle was finally a couple weeks behind us. Also, the moon in Capricorn seemed to help me get grounded. I found myself feeling positive, just not about housework.

Tuesday - Six of Cups - Nostalgia *Innocence * Old Flames
This card surpised me. When I first saw it, I thought, oh, maybe I will just be having a relaxing day or something. Then I ended up finding (thru facebook) an ex-boyfriend from Highschool whom I hadn't spoken to in YEARS, and we chatted and caught up. It was very cathardic, rather healing, and this card's meanings were rather precise and exact for this day's card. I pretty much neglected my housework, but once again focused on grounding and spirituality, as can be seem in last week's "Tuesday's Oracle" blog post. The day was refreshing on many levels.

Wednesday - 4 of Wands - Reward *Tranquilty * Relaxation

Wednesday was supposed to be Anti-Procrastination Day. As this card reflects, it was quite the opposite. Don't get me wrong, I think I got some more cleaning and housework done on this day than I did tuesday, but no special projects. No detailing, decluttering, zone work, etc. Actualy, I don't even know for sure what FlyLady Zone we were supposed to be in last week. The bathroom? Who cares, I would rather blog. And blog I did. This was the day I posted the "Taurus and The Hierophant" post of last week. Very rewarding!

Thursday - 5 of Wands -Competition * Struggle * Inner Strength

Hmm... I found my motivation. It was hiding under my bed, begging to be left alone. My Capricornian competitiveness came in handy as I posted my 30's at my Fluttering Flybabies group. Even though we don't get a prize or crown a winner, I love showing off how much I can get done in 30 minutes, and how many 30's I can do. Just when I was feeling confident and really whipping the house back into shape, I got a phone call asking me to work. Hell-to-the-yeah. Need the money, shifts, whatever. Unfortunatley, by the time I got home from work that night, the kids had the house wrecked again. Oh well. Challenges build character, right? Is that what the "Inner Strength" portion of this card was refering to?

Friday - 3 of Pentacles - Praise * Recognition * Completion
Friday was a good day. I kept busy. I still didn't do as much as I would have liked when it comes to housework (I STILL have a huge mound of wrinkled laundry on my couch waiting to be folded and put away.) But I came away from the day with a sense of pride. Perhaps the Praise and Recognition mentioned in the description of this card came from within - I think I realized that even though I had fallen off my FlyLady routines, I was still doing the best I could, and that is enough. Plus, at work that night I had several very happy customers praise me for my wonderful service. It's always nice to hear those good compliments.

Saturday - Knight of Pentacles - Ambition * Entrepreneurship * Reward

Not much to say about Saturday. I worked my butt off. Ambition must have been propelling me thru that 12 hour shift. And reward?? Well, $220 is a good reward for a full day's hard work, wouldn't you agree?

SUM OF THE DIGITS - (Add together the digits of each card drawn in the reading and reduce them, and you get one Major Arcana card that will shed some additional light on the reading as a whole) The Chariot - Travel * Decisions * Risk

Physical travel? No. But I feel like I came a long way this week. It was almost like returning home. I had to let go of some old routines and let myself loosen up a bit; for a Capricorn, this is considered risky behavior - trust me! I made a choice in the beginning of the week to start some new habits (Daily Devotions, more blogging) and I stuck with those goals. (YAY for kicking my ADD in the gonads!) And overall, I came away from the week with some more wisdom and fulfillment than I had started out with. A different kind of Weekly Housewives' Report, but a good one.

Namaste!

* I am irritated with the format of this blog, but too tired to change it. Sorry!

** If you want to read more of my past Weekly Housewives' Reports, click on the tag below to see past blogs like this one!

Weekly Housewife's Report 1/8/10

Well, here I am. We moved into the house last week, and I have been working on unpacking, organizing, and cleaning. In the next blog I will post more about the situation with the house, but it comes down to this; the sale isn't final yet and we don't know how long we will stay here. Hopefully forever. It FEELS like home....

Anyways, I haven't done a Weekly Housewife's Report in awhile, and I am sitting here thinking about my week. It has gone by so quickly, and I am exhausted. I can feel myself fighting off a cold, I have upped the vitamins and water intake to try and prevent a stress related illness from bringing me down. But what I really need is sleep. Once I review the week, put it all into perspective, maybe I can find a sense of accomplishment to take to bed with me. Maybe tonite I can sleep rather than laying awake with a brain spinning with worries and "to do's".

Sunday. Get up earlier than I am used to (6:30) so that I can be ready for work and leave the house by 7:20. It now takes 25 or 30 minutes to drive to work, rather than 8 minutes. Work is uneventful, and not very satisfying. After wrk, drive to the old apartment. Mom & Dad are there waiting for me. We spend 2 hours packing the remaining furniture into the van and dad's truck. another 30 minutes to tie the box spring of my bed onto the top of my van, and then drive slowly and carefully back to the house. Dinner with family and parents. Parents camp out on the livingroom floor (UHG!)

Monday. Get up around 7. Make coffee, breakfast for the kids and parents. Husband is already gone, he leaves for work at 4 am. Mom and Dad have stayed so I can use the car to drive the girls to school for their 1st day at the new school. But first I have to find out what school they go to. The district has been closed over Christmas Break. 8:00 - call the district, get the number for the new school. 8:30 - drive to the school with the girls, paperwork in hand, only to find ot that they won't be able to attend for their 1st day until Tuesday, after I have filled out more paperwork. Also discover that the school requires uniforms, which I will have to buy. Back home, filling out paperwork until 11. Lunch. Cleaning house (you would not believe the dust and grime in here, for crying out loud they just moved out 2 weeks ago but this place is coated with years of dust!) Shopping for clothes, thanks to my mom. Parents leave, Husband comes home. Drive around trying to pick up a MoneyGram from a friend, later to find out it was never sent. Borrow money from a different friend instead. I hate this.

Tuesday. The friend who loaned me money also loaned me her car, so I could again attempt to take the girls to their first day at their new school. Class starts at 8, meet the teachers etc. Take little X home. Grocery shopping. More Cleaning. Thankfully, the girls get off the bus after school smiling and saying the LOVE their new school. This is the highlight of my week.

Wednesday. We now wake up at 6:00 am every day, so that the girls can be at the Bus Stop by 7:15. None of us are used to getting up this early yet. At the apartment, school started at 9, and the girls would walk to school around 8:30. 8:45. Getting up before 7:30 wasn't necessary. Now here we are, walking to the end of the street at 7:10 am. It's not that bad, really, I'm just complaining because I'm so tired. Another day of cleaning, unpacking a few things, puttng things in proper places. Homework with the girls after they get home. Dinner, baths, bed. *sigh*

Thursday. 6:00, up. 7:10, out the door. 8:30, cleaning house. Feeling worn down, not doing much. 12:00, take a nap. Blah. Walk to the bus stop to pick up the girls, walk back home, homework, cleaning, dinner. I was waiting for a friend to come over, so I showered and put on make up. I was looking forward to seeing this close friend from high school who I hadn't seen in 11 years. He didn't come. To bed, dissapointed.

Friday. 6:45. Oh crap, the alarm on my phone didn't go off. wake the kids, hurry up and eat and get dressed, make it to the bus stop just in time. Home again. Cleaning. Unpacking, organizing. Cleaning. Homework with the girls. Husband gets home, and I drive to find the laundromat. An hour and a half doing laundry at a South Side of Phoenix laundromat... feeling like a Gringa... I need to brush up on my Spanish. it's 8:20 now. I am so tired. I wish I could sleep in tomorrow, but I have to go to work in the morning. Then back to the apartment one last time to finish cleaning, grab whatever might have been left behind, turn in the keys.

On the bright side, the kitchen is looking great. This week Via FlyLady, the Zone of the Week was the kitchen. So I focused on unpacking and cleaning that. It seemed like a perfect place to start, the other stuff can wait but he kitchen, well that's central to the home. I detail dusted the cabinets and drawers, mopped and re-mopped the kitchen tile, found places for the dishes, spices, food, etc. I love this kitchen - it's so roomy with lots of storage space and cooking space. Here it is, spic and span!



And, despite the fact that it's not yet put away, I feel satisfied that even without a washer or dryer, 4 loads of laundry are cleaned.

WHR 10/3/09 - Week of the Virus

Weekly Housewife's Report for the week of 9/27 - 10/3
The Week of the Virus

Lets just say that any plans I had for deep cleaning, organizing, decluttering, or special projects were laid aside as last week we all took turns having a stomach virus. I will spare you the nasty details, it was not nearly as fun as it sounds! Monday and Tuesday it was Me and Mr. X, then Weds. and Thursday it was Miss Z's turn, followed by Daddy on Friday and Princess A on Saturday and Sunday. Once I was feeling alive enough to clean my house, it was in desperate need! Apparently, what they say is true, Mom can NEVER take a day off. The husband means well, he did make me tea and soup, and I am sure he cleaned something, though I might just be fooling myself. I think I have finally come to terms with the fact that, try as he might, his standard of "clean" is just not the same as mine (and possibly not even the same as most residents of the planet). My apartment, apparently, is home to a vortex that without the intervention of Mom, can go from live able to condemnable in 2 days. So, I have come to the conclusion, that I am not allowed to get sick any more. I am trying to figure out a way to make my immune system sign a contract. Other than that I will just have to come to terms with the fact that if I do need to take a sick day or two, there will be consequences, which may involve crime-scene tape to keep visitors away until I have managed to clean the wreckage.

It's not all bad. by Thursday I was feeling good enough to clean, and I power-cleaned my butt off! October has brought along a great FlyLady theme - our new "Habit of the Month" is Paper Clutter! So I'll have some reminders and motivation to go thru any clutter that involves paper; school papers, mail, etc. Paper Clutter is everywhere throughout my home, so I am excited to have a reason to start purging it! In the Fluttering Flybabies group (my favorite CafeMom group where we motivate each other to follow FlyLady) we have a challenge for the month and I'll be keeping track of how many paper items I fling each day. Last week I managed to get a great start and fling 63 pieces of paper from the art/school shelf in the living room!!

I'm looking forward to tomorrow, simply because it is the start of a new week and I will be able to get back into my routines (hopefully!) There might be one thing holding me back;
Potty Training! Every week that I have decided to try and just buckle down and make Mr. X deal with his potty issues, something comes up. Too busy, traveling, company, kids sick, something! Husband decided yesterday would be a great time to get involved and put his foot own (though he could have consulted me first) and he refused to change Mr. X's pull-up. I came home from work to a battle Royale! Finally, we got Mr. X to change his own pull-up, wipe his own butt, and sit on the potty. So, rather than letting all that effort go to waste, I decided it's TIME, once again, to start the full-time potty training. Now he will have no more excuses to be "lazy" and just go in his pants, because he will have to change himself and sit on the potty anyways. Sound harsh? Well, keep in mind, he is almost 4, and this has been an on-again, off-again battle for well over a year! (Or is it two years? I don't know anymore...)

I had a great personal ritual and prayer session last night under the full-moon and I'm feeling quite motivated! I experienced such an overwhelming rush of peace, energy, and Magick under the moon last night, and I know that I am so Blessed and Loved!! I also chose last night to dedicate myself at last to being 100% Smoke free! As you know, I quit smoking a couple months ago, but have continued to allow myself one cigarette a night. This was good, and working for me for awhile, but slowly, I started to slip. One smoke was turning into two, then three, then four a day, depending on my stress level. I realized that I wasn't taking my commitment seriously anymore, and was going backwards. So last night I decided no more; back to cold-turkey - and this time no nightly smoke. I will have to be really hard on myself. Since Husband smokes, there are cigarettes here available to me at any time. But I know I can overcome that temptation, and that I am stronger than I gave myself credit for in the beginning. Surely I have coping skills to deal with my stress, I am not going to use that as an excuse anymore!

Weekly Housewife's Report 9/26/09

This week was a rather off-week for me. Not that I didn't get a lot done, but there was too much going on for me to really stick with any kind of routine or schedule. Maybe it was the Mercury Retrograde and it's connection to Saturn and the Sun in Virgo, but I feel like this week was pivotal to my life's journey somehow.

As far as life at home, there was a lot going on. We had to schedule for the apartment to get fumigated because sadly, an apartment in the desert means roaches. Eeeew they drive me crazy! So Monday was spent taking everything out of my kitchen; food, dishes, utensils, everything, and storing it outside on my patio. Tuesday I borrowed my friend's car (hubby takes our car to work and commutes quite a distance) so that Mr. X and I could get out of the apartment for the day while it was bombed. It turned out to be quite a nice day, for the most part - because since me and my 3 year old are usually stuck in the apartment with no car, it was a nice change. We went to a bookstore, I got myself the next 2 books in the fiction series I have been reading, and got myself a beautiful new deck of oracle cards. Then we went to the park. Weather was perfect, so we just hung out and relaxed at the park for awhile, before going out to lunch. By 2:45 I had to return my friend's car, just in time to go home and open up the doors and windows and begin to let the apartment air out. The girls came home from school, and we stayed outside till 4:00, lounging in the grass, reading and coloring. When hubby got home we went in and began the clean up (You don't want the details, trust me, this was the worst part of my week) After getting everything wiped down, we ordered pizza and watched tv.

Wednesday couldn't do much of my usual cleaning, because I was busy putting stuff back in my kitchen. The whole ordeal was kinda like moving. Pack, move out, unpack, put away; but without the perks of a new environment. Just when I thought I might begin to get back to my routines, my parents called and announced that they would be coming to visit on Thursday. So Thursday they arrived around lunch, took Mr. X and me out to lunch, then grocery shopping. Back home, hubby comes home from work and the girls get home from school, and after visiting, my parents announced that they would like to take us all to play miniature golf. (We agreed though both hubby and I were tired, and we aren't much into the spontaneous thing) But it was a really fun time and I am glad we went!! I think I needed to get out of my box (and my apartment and routines) for awhile. The kids all had a great time too!

Meanwhile, thru the week during what little "me time" or "down time" I had, I have been exploring this whole Virgo/Hermit/Hestia/Vesta thing (see previous 2 blogs) and discovering more of my spiritual path and just feeling really good about it. I gave myself a reading with my new oracle deck and it was really helpful, and I am just waiting for this Mercury Retrograde to be over so I can start some new projects and start moving forward again. Tomorrow is another day of work, then on Monday I will be back to my daily routines of laundry and dishes and kids, and trying to catch up with all the stuff I had to skip this week. But it wasn't lost time, and the piles of dirty laundry will hopefully just serve to remind me that it's okay to step away from it all once in awhile and just do something different.

Weekly Housewife's Report 9/5/09

I feel like I got a lot accomplished this week and am finally getting used to the new routines with the girls in school and stuff.

I think that although it's really hot, the exercise from walking the girls to and from school each day has helped improve my mood a bit. I have always heard that exercise can help with depression and lift your mood, but I never really thought about it much before. Some days I am tempted to have a neighbor or friend pick them up or take them to school, and in some ways I think they are old enough to walk home by themselves. They are 10 and 6, they know the way very well, it is only about 3 blocks, and there is a large group of other kids they could walk with. But, thinking of it in terms of exercise for me and Mr. X, and a way to both help improve my mood and run off some of his boundless energy, I think I'll keep walking with them.

As far as my housework this week, I feel like I have been doing great!! With my blog earlier in the week I talked about some of my goals for this week and did a reading for myself with my Housewives Tarot deck about where I would draw my energy/inspiration from this week. Looking back, it seems those cards were very fitting, I certainly was motivated and energetic, I did have the right state of mind to stick to my goals, and I feel I was able to blend in just enough spirituality into the daily grind to make my days feel less like a "daily grind" and more like blessings!
Remember my goals for the week?

• To Spend 30 minutes a day doing Pre-School stuff with Mr. X - DONE!! I did it! I managed to work preschooling time into my daily routine, and I'm still finishing up the stuff I need to do. Mr. X is loving the one-on-one time with me and excited to be doing "homework" just like his big sisters do!


• To Work on Detail Cleaning Zone 1 - yep yep! It's amazing to find myself at this stage of the FlyLady program. I mean, I scrubbed walls and baseboards!! I was no longer worried about decluttering my front entrance or Dining Room - everything that is in those areas belongs there!! So I didn't have to worry about that and now those areas look and feel really nice - the walls are white again!! LOL!! PLUS - (this is a HUGE bonus) the KIDS must have gotten a touch of the Decluttering/Detailing Bug, because they surprised me by "Organizing" all the magnets on the fridge in the dining room!! PICTURE BELOW!!


• To do my daily routines & daily cleaning - YES, I have applied all my willpower and kept up with the daily cleaning!! Plus on Friday I took on an extra project - not one that was directed by FlyLady, but one that I did of my own accord - I cleaned and decluttered in my Master Bedroom. One part of the bedroom had become a complete disaster... *discreetly points finger and Husband* Shhhhhh!! I took care of it. (more PICTURES BELOW)
  
• To do my Bedtime Routine every night - YES!! (except for last night, ssshhhh!) And I am LOVING how I can get up in the morning, find my clothes already laid out for me, find my sink shining and all my dishes washed, and not have to play "Catch Up" for the first part of my morning!! A couple more weeks of doing this every night, and it will truly be a Habit, just like my morning routine is!

... The kids did this as a "suprise" for me!!

BEFORE & AFTER ... look, there IS a floor/space to walk between the bed and the wall!

Ok! I'm off to do my evening routine, and then go to bed! Tomorrow I will try out my new "Weekend Flightplan" and see how it goes!

Weekly Housewife's Report 8/21/09

I can't believe it's the end of the week already! For that matter, I can't believe it's the end of the month already!! Where did it go? How can it already be almost September???
What's New?
This week was a time of adjusting to the new back-to-school routines. Miss Zee started 5th grade and Princess A is repeating Kindergarten. (Long story short; she had barley turned 5 when starting K last year, and was struggling, so we felt it would be best for her in the long run if she repeated. She just turned 6 at the beginning of the month, so she is still in the K age bracket, and hopefully this year she can catch on to the concepts and gain some confidence!)
So now that school is back in session, my weekdays consist of more walking. We live close enough to the school that the girls don't ride the bus - and once the summer heat ends the walking is not all that bad. But for now - it's hell. By 8:30 in the morning it is already in the mid 90's, and by 3:00 pm when they get out of school it s been averaging 105. Poor Little Mr. X, I have to drag him along with me on these walks!! By Friday he informed me "I am tired of this!" Sigh.... and no end in sight!! (My Hubby works on the other side of town, and we only have 1 car) On the up side, the girls seem to have had a great first week of school, they like their teachers and have already made new friends!! So it's not all bad. I don't mean to sound so negative.
Home;
I have been sticking to my FlyLady routines, and in the area of housework I have been doing pretty good! I have been managing to keep the house clean, do my Zone Work, Daily Cleaning projects, etc. I should feel proud of myself. This week's Zone was the Bathroom - and my bathroom is pretty well decluttered and organized. As I said, I should feel proud of myself, but I just feel tired. I feel like the end of this week is the end of a long, anti-climactic movie.
Life;
I haven't really been blogging (as some of you have noticed). I think there are two reasons for this; 1 - I have been really busy since school is back in session, getting used to the routines and working, etc. 2 - I haven't felt like myself. I don't feel like I have had anything positive to say, so I just haven't been writing. I don't know why I'm in this funk - maybe it's just because I'm tired and stressed. I try to stay positive but I just haven't been able to find my Happy Place this week. Once again I am trying to figure out how to add in some "me time" and still get everything done. My schedule has been; Walk the kids to school, come home and clean house, walk to pick up the kids, Go to work, Sleep, repeat. I have tried to take time to relax, but I don't feel like it's the kind of quality Me Time that I need and crave. I am craving some true fun, or at least some spiritual enlightenment, but can't seem to find the time for either of those. I am hoping that all I need is some time to adjust to the new schedule and I will bounce back.

the kids are fighting and Miss Zee is sick and wants some tea and her mommy, so I will stop whining now....

Weekly Housewife's Report 8/8/09

I like to take a little time each week to look back over my accomplishments. I call it my "Weekly Housewife's Report", and it's always evolving and changing, just like me!

Weekly Housewife's Reports for the week of August 2 - 8
Remember the beginning of the week? I went to a party at a bar with some co-workers... so unlike me!! Out of the house, away from the kids, drinking.... it was a much needed and much deserved diversion to stray from my usual life.

So then came Monday, with a bit of a hangover, a really messy house, and a lot of mixed feelings. But I managed to pull myself up and get my home back in order again, which always helps me feel much better! Plus I learned a good lesson about Temperance, balance, and compassion. Hangover, Housekeeping, Temperance and Quan Yin

FlyLady's Zone of the week was the Front Entrance & Dining Room; in my apartment this is probably the easiest zone to conquer. I ended up cleaning up my front entrance pretty good, sweeping, wiping the door inside and out, wiping down the light switches, and organizing the shelf in the dining room. Since this Zone wasn't taking too much time out of my daily cleaning, and I was surprisingly motivated, I dedicated a lot of time each day this week to decluttering in the Kid's Room. ~Gasp!!~ I know - I braved the depths of darkness and barbies and came out o.k.!! I cleaned out under their beds, and decluttered each drawer in their dressers! This involved going thru ALL of their clothes, having "fashion shows" to try everything on and see what fits & what doesn't. All in all, I flung a huge garbage bag of clothes that my 3 kids no longer wear, don' fit, or is just plain too stained or worn out to be counted as clothing anymore. All of this will be donated to a local Shelter. A customer at work donated some clothes to my kids - her grand-daughters are about the same size as mine, just a little bigger and they had a lot of stuff they outgrew over the summer; so my kids made out quite nicely!! So we tried on all of these and refilled their dresser drawers with "new" clothes - just in time for school!! Thank goodness for friends and blessings, that kind gesture saved me so much; I had been worried about sending the girls back to school in their clothes from last year! No Worries!!

I'm so proud of the fact that I finally got into the kid's room and gave it a good decluttering! It's something I have been putting off. Speaking of putting things off, I made a new page for my Online Control Journal this week (It's a FlyLady thing) - it's called Anti-Procrastination Day and now I have some goals for getting those things done that I always seem to put off!

Another great accomplishment this week was in the realm of House-Hunting. We are so ready to get out of this apartment and into a home we can call our own! We spent a few hours looking at prospective homes on the market and put some offers out there!! So cross your fingers, say a prayer, or light a candle, I know the right house will come to us soon!!

Friday was Princess A's Birthday! I can hardly believe that she is already SIX years old!! For this week's Thursday's 13, I did a photo essay of sorts dedicated to these amazing 6 years; Thursday's 13 - Princess A turns 6! Daddy took her out to see Ice Age 3, and she LOVED it!! Plus she got to spend special time with her daddy; something that is too rare since he works SO MUCH!! We are having a small party for her tomorrow, so we are all pretty excited about that!!

As far as taking time for myself this week, I took a "day off" from cleaning on Thursday, mostly because I didn't feel good. But the extra sleep sure was nice!! And on Friday, while Daddy & Princess A were at the movies, I gave myself a Reading. I think it really helped me put some things in perspective, gave me some great insights into my personal development at this time, and seemed to have a positive outlook for my future!! You can read it (and see the spread I used) here Tarot Spread - Leo ~ I Want ~

How's it going with Quitting Smoking you ask? Well, other than my drunken smoking binge on Sunday, I have done great!! It's officially day 16!! And while I still am struggling with some of the physical cravings, I feel like the habitual part is starting to fade away!! There are some times of day I struggle more than others, mostly at night, when I used to smoke the most, but for the most part I am doing great! When I have faltered and smoked, it has seemed like more of an indulgence than a habit or an addiction. But I am working on controlling that need for indulgence as well - or at least directing it elsewhere!!

Okay! On to the next week!

Weekly Housewife's Report 7/24/09

My Weekly Housewive's Report, July 19 - 24, 2009

Remember the beginning of the week, when I posted my Flightplan? I wanted to start going to bed a little earlier, getting up a little earlier, and having my main cleaning / chores done by lunch time? Well, I've had a pretty great start! I've gotten up 1 hour earlier than usual 3 out of 5 days this week, and those days have been amazing!! It seems like if I get up earlier, my brain is more ready to wake up, whereas if I sleep in an extra hour or more I become more groggy, and it is much harder to get movng! Who knew that this extra hour of sleep has been sabotaging my whole routine all along?!?! On the days I get up early I do tend to have my cleaning done by lunch time, leaving me free to spend my afternoons relaxing, playing with the kids, learning, or writing. I made some really amazing personal steps this week, including beginning the task of quitting smoking!! It really makes sense that while I was working on cleaning out some private, personal, inner issues, I was also working on the innermost sanctum of my home - my bedroom!

Here's one of my bookshelves before my decuttering began;
and here's what it looks like now;

Here's the top of my dresser before my decluttering;

And here it is now;

Ahhhh.... I could feel my spirits lifting as I cleared away this clutter. It made it so much easier to work on my inner personal stuff when my space was cleared!!

I even re-decorated my altar to welcome the Sun intothe sign of Leo and prepare for the upcoming Harvest celebration; Lammas -

I am really really excited about the progress I have made this week;

* Starting new habits- getting up earlier and getting my stuff done faster
* Releasing old habits - clearing the clutter and quitting smoking
* Making time for my spirituality - spending time in meditation and doing readings and journaling!

Weekly Housewife's Report 7/17/09

My Weekly Housewife's Report for the week of July 12 - 18, 2009

At the beginning of the week I was off to a rough start. Sorry if this is TMI, but my monthly gift from Mother Nature does not make for a pleasant or happy Housewife. Monday and Tuesday I was pretty down in the dumps and feeling awful, and didn't really get any cleaning done. Remember my Tarot Reading for the week? The High Priestess and The Moon reminded me to look within, and take time to slow down. A little break was much needed. By Thursday I was ready to get back into my routines full swing.... and I really feel like I have once again learned the lesson of The Chariot this week....

This one is from "The Fey Tarot" by Mara Aghem. The Chariot is all about knowing where you want to go, embracing your inner power, accepting your mission. Once I gave myself some time off, I had to really DECIDE to get moving again. I was so tempted to just give up, but I knew that I wouldn't feel good about that choice. I had to really reach inside to find my inner Magician, recognize my true strengths, and just hop back up on the wagon and keep moving!!!

This week's Zone was the bathroom. Although I didn't get all the missions for the week done, I did some decluttering and cleaning and I am loving my bathroom again!! Check out these before & after pics of my decluttering;

This little drawer set really comes in handy in a small bathroom, but everything was just jumbled together!!
Oh, look! Now I know where things are because they are all separated into separate drawers!!

Under the sink was a bit jumbled too......

But now it's much more organized! I can find what I'm looking for without digging!!

Actually, organizing the bathroom seems like it was a perfect zone for me this week. I was learning a lesson about self-care, and now that my bathroom is a bit more organized and clean, I am much more motivated to spend some time in there for pampering! I was reminded that I do have the tools to take care of myself; vitamins and medicine, bubble bath, nail polish, facial cream, oh my - I'm sounding awfully girly!!

I was also reminded that sometimes the little things, like making my bed, feeding the cats, and wiping down the countertops can be much more than "Chores". This was something I hav known and practiced, but had temporarily lost sight of. I was reminded of this by Thorne's wonderful blog yesterday, check it out!

I think, most importantly, I learned that I can't be so hard on myself ALL the time. I am allowed to give myself a break, especially during a certain time of the month!! Actually I am thinking of making up a special daily routine just to use during this time each month - or for those days when I am sick or feeling worn down. And I will put a reminder about "The Chariot" on that page of my control journal, reminding me that it's okay to take time for myself to find my strength again, but once I find it I need to grab those reigns and get moving again - I just might suprise myself!!

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Join me in sharing something Positive every Friday with the "Only The Good Friday" meme!

Weekly Housewife's Report 7/10/09

It's time for the Weekly Housewife's Report!! Sooo.... what did I do this week?

Well, I am proud to say that I have done a pretty good job with my routines this week. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this!! I managed to stay on top of the little things and keep the clutter to a minimum, plus I woke up to a SHINY SINK every morning!! (Do you know what that means? It means I did the dishes every night before bed!!) No more procrastinatoritis for me!! I even managed to get the kids to help me in picking up their room, a little at a time, each day. Miracle of Holy Miracles - it's Friday night and the kid's bedroom isn't trashed!! I mean, it's not spotless and tidy, but I can see the floor!!

This week's 'Zone' was the Kitchen. (It's a FlyLady thing.. look it up) So other than my normal dishes and laundry and clutter controlling, I was giving some extra attention to the room that used to be the bane of my existance; The Kitchen. I mean, I don't like to cook, I hate washing dishes, I used to avoid this room like the plague! So anyways, it's looking pretty good now. I re-organized the bookshelf, scrubbed down the countertops, cleaned out both refridgerators, and organized the tops of the refridgerators too!! Plus, since earlier this week I actually made a menu plan and had a grocery list for responsible shopping, I had every days' meals planned out and we made it thru the week and still have food left!

So, here's some evidence of this week's Zone work; my Before & After pics of my refridgerator. Look if you dare, just don't show my mother the "Before" picture, it's rather embarrasing!

BEFORE

AFTER

Uhhh... where did all the food go? Turns out my fridge wasn't full at all... not with food anyways. Remember the Weird Al Yancovich song "Livin' In The Fridge"? 'nuff said....

Anyways, the thing I am most proud of is that even though my house is clean, I DIDN'T spend my entire week cleaning!! Nope, not I!! I still had plenty of time for blogging, social networking, Tarot stuff, playing with the kids, watching a movie, being crafty ----


and even some refreshing silliness in the sun and water!

** Contented Sigh **

I love my Housewife's Life!!!

Weekly Housewife's Report 7/03/09

I meant to make this post on Friday, but I forgot, so I went ahead and dated it for last Friday (July 3)

I did pretty good last week in sticking to my routines, but I also had to stop and remind myself to spend time doing fun things with the family as well, and to take time to meditate and take time for myself. I am sure I would have found myself burned out if I hadn't meditated, ran in the sprinklers with the kids, made brownies, read a book, and gone to the movie with some friends (Although that is another story, I'll make a new post with my thoughts on that movie later.

Anyways, last week's FlyLady Zone was the Livingroom, so I did some decluttering and my livingroom is looking and feeling much better. Here's a picture of one part of the livingroom that needed my attention, this is the BEFORE pic;
And here's the AFTER pic;

WOW!! What a difference!! It took alot of flinging, filled up a bag of trash, and had to organize things. But now the kid's coloring books, books, workbooks, and art supplies are much more organized, which should help motivate us all do do some more summer studying, reading, and art!

I had to take another pic with a wider view. This is how my livingroom looks when it is organized and decluttered, and I will try to keep it this way!!

Once again, a round of applause and patting myself on the back, hoping to keep myself motivated, and possibly helping to motivate other mommies who may read my blog! A big thanks again to FlyLady and my online cleaning buddies at Fluttering Flybabies on CafeMom!!

Weekly Housewife's Report 6/26/09

Before and After Pics of my bedroom cleaning;

Okay, yes, I'm a dork. Because I'm so excited about my clean house! Can you blame me? I've been living in clutter for so long that when I take these steps, I want to show the world!! So, for my own bragging rights, and to keep me on task, each Friday I will write a weekly cleaning report and let you know how it's going. Because I can!! Perhaps you will be motivated too. Or not. But you can give me a pat on the back if you want.

This week:
I am really FLYing with the FlyLady program, with the help of my "Motivated Mommas" at CafeMom. I revamped my control journal and now have a binder with my routines and motivational stuff right by my computer. I also posted my daily routines here on my blog.

Each Day this week I have done my Daily Routines and kept my house clean, the dishes done, and the sink shining!!! I have done laundry every day and put it all away, and today I even ironed all my work shirts!! This morning's temptation to be lazy has been overcome, and I feel soo accomplished!!
This week's "Zone" has been the Master Bedroom; I have been decluttering a little each day - my computer desk is clean, the floor is picked up, the laundry is sorted, and one of the bookshelves is back in order again. I even finished it off with smudging with sage and clearing the energy with a bell and some prayer. It feels and looks soooo awesome in here!! (As you can see from the pictures above) I know I can keep it this way if I stick with my daily and weekly routines!!!