May 7th the chore wars-31 days of May-keovers

When it comes time to get my kids doing work around the house,they immediately come up with any excuse why they cannot do it.

Let the chore wars begin!They start their Jedi mind tricks.
"This isn't the mess you are looking for"
Translation:"That is not my mess.Why do I have to clean it up?"

I have tried charts,points,money and so on.It is ongoing and both sides are in a power struggle.

I try not to redo or do their jobs myself.This is especially true if I have already trained them.Start them out when they are young padawans.When children are young they want to be with their parents.

We have capable children who want to please us.If we show them we trust them and appreciate them;then they are more likely to help when asked.It may be more work for us parents,but we are training them to be capable hard working adults.

Check out these unique chore reward ideas

Today's assignment:
Choose a chore that you normally do that you could have one of your kids do.Make sure they understand what you expect of them.After a week of training let them do it on their own.No nagging,hovering or yelling!

Paper organization for May 6th-31 days of May-keovers

 I am loving these transformations I am seeing in my home and in myself.I think sometimes we just need to make cleaning or organizing more fun!I feel like you are all waiting for me to report back so it gives me no excuses to slack or find the motivation.I keep getting ideas of little touches to add here or there and I have been learning new or better ways to do things.

Paper is my wort enemy.It comes in the house and it spreads like those pesky dandelions popping up everywhere.My good intentions to add 5 minutes have not proved fruitful.Luckily there are so many cute and functional products out there for paper.You can even make some thanks to many diy sites.I want to make this as fun as I can.

First what groups or type if paper are we dealing with?

1. Mail
2. Coupons
3. Newspapers
4. Manuals
5. Magazines
6. School
7. Art
8. Paper airplanes
9. My many notes and ideas

There is a lot of ways paper can sneak into your house and as if by overnight multiply. There is a scene in Harry Potter where Harry's uncle tries to keep Harry from receiving his letters.Then letters start pouring in through the mail slot and chimney. That is how I feel about the paper in my house!

Today's assignment: 

Just start.It is not easy just set a timer for 5 minutes.That is it.Then go shopping and see the cute file folders and containers.Don't buy anything.Just find things that make you excited!

May 5th-31 days of May-keovers

Pick a room any room.Now what needs to change?I think a good room to start out with would be your living room,entry way,or kitchen.These areas that are used a lot.What colors do you already have in the room.Is there a painting you love or a accent rug?You could use those as your palette.

Even if you choose your colors there are still a few things to consider. Where to put your statement pieces and how to group them.I am in desperate need to be taught this!I do not have an eye for detail.

Luckily there is a lot of help for those of us who are lacking the know how in this area.I found a great article to help us all get started! It is called the rule of three.This rule states that if you have a color in a room,make sure it is repeated 3 times.Turns out my idea of picking a painting wasn't far off.The post above also gives you examples so you can practice!Yay!

Think of it this way.If you get dressed you want to match right?You should think about what you wear.What colors do you gravitate to?I love blues like the ocean.I also love nature.I love owls and peacock feathers.I guess I have a style!Yay me!I tend to dress the same way.I also love pink but I am nervous to use it in my decorating.All I have to do is walk into my daughters room and its pink overload!lol


Today's assignment:
Pick a room and see what colors you could repeat in there.Pops of color could be pillows,or vases.See what you have in other rooms and use that.I have seen on Pinterest people actually using their clothes as a cover for a pillow!Check out the transformation of my living room.

Before:Don't you love my model?

After:I put blue vases and plates to pull out the blue from the painting above the couch.I also moved the black chairs up more and added a table.I think I might paint it light or dark blue.This makeover cost me nothing!

May 4th-31 days of May-keovers

Today I am supposed to talk about toys and how to organize them.I have to say the exact solution to the toys taking over my home eludes me.I think most of us can relate to toy takeover.Do they come out through the walls or multiply I don't know.I tried coralling them like cattle being rounded up into a coral.They get pulled down and mixed up within hours!

Not even my ninjas can walk through this toy mine!

I have also put them up high, but that means I have to be available and not feeding the baby.

I like the idea of toy rotation is promising.I bet if I tried it I would forget what toy was where.

I loved this article the boy with no toys.I agree that kids have too many toys and too much screen time.Birthdays and Christmas comes every year.Kids want better and bigger toys.What makes our kids their best selves We should be filling their minds with life's lessons and experiences.There should be an overflow of knowledge,not just toys and clothes. I am not anti-toy or anything.Toys are good for the imagination.It is just in my home and many others there is too many.

If you want another good article read why I took my kid's toys away and why they won't be getting them back/

If you are interested in toy rotation read a great one here
Today's assignment:
Gather all your kids toys in one spot.In the process decide what you want to keep,donate or throw away.Decide on one place to keep the toys and have fun planning your system.Use the articles above as inspiration. I am ready!How about you?

May 3rd-31 days of May- keovers

It has been a few months since my 1 year old was told he was allergic to almost everything.How doesn't really know what he is missing out on,but me,I am going crazy on this diet! I still have to nurse him so I have had to cut out so many of my go to snacks and meals.

Its time to go through my recipes and decide if we actually have cooked them in the last year.I have been trying to come up with 7 meals and then 7 more meals that will work.

Maybe you are trying to eat healthier and mot of your meals have too much fats or carbs.It is a challenge but you can make almost any meal with just changing, omitting a few ingredients.

Today's assignment:
Take a look at your recipes.Are they in various cook books,pins,and magazines.Toss or store cookbooks you don't use.Pick 14 of your favorite meals and make sure your recipes are all together.With these 14 dinner meals you can rotate each week and you have a months worth of meals!Why write it down?It helps to see it visually.You know you have a plan and it will be easier to stick to.You can store many recipes digitally now.Someday for me!sigh

If you want just a little challenge;cook something new!

I found a 7-day-meal-planner and shopping list that you can download to help you choose your 14 meals.

Want ideas if how to mix up dishes you like but are a little boring? Click here or 5 easy swaps found here.You didn't think I would leave you in the dark did you?

Here are my meals.I eat a big salad with lunch and dinner too!Gotta get my protein!

1. Chicken fajitas with quinoa instead of rice
2. Chicken curry noodles
3. Spaghetti
4. Sandwiches.The kids have fun with this one!
5. BBQ chicken with rice and quinoa
6. Burrito burgers with beans and quinoa
7. Thai noodles with sunflower butter instead of peanut butter
8. Chicken salsa with rice and quinoa
9. Tacos
10. Tuna and rice
11. Sloppy joes
12.  Chicken fajita soup
13. 6 ingredient potatoes- apples,potatoes,onions,kielbasa (gf),honey and olive oil
14. Beef cabbage soup

May 2nd-31 days of May-keovers

May 2nd-
Yesterday, the assignment was to make a list of areas in your life that need may-keovers.How did you do?Here is my list.It is a start anyway.I probably will change things around knowing me.:)

1. Write a list
2. Kitchen 
3. Meal makeover
4. Toy takeover
5. Learn to decorate with color
6. Paper organization
7. Chores
8. Get to know my neighbors better
9. Haircut 
10. May-keover reveal pictures
11. Happy Mothers Day!
12. Wash face morning and night.Keep eyebrows plucked 
13. Face
14. Make up tricks 
15. Use clothes I have.Toss what I don't wear
16. Find my style
17. Be more confident
18. Stress less
19. Get outside as much as you can
20. Not yell
21. Get sleep
22. Wake up earlier
23. Pedicure and buy new slippers
24. Control of my time
25. Relationship with husband
26. Everyday connection
27. Relationship with kids
28. Friends 
29. Soul searching
30. Exercise
31. Budget
32. Positive thinking-letting go

Today's assignment:

Do something on your project list that you have been DYING to do like me,with my kitchen. If you don't have a list.Make one.Walk around your house and write what your dream for each room is.

Here is my kitchen.I don't have a before,but if you look at the top cupboards, that is what the bottom looked like.

Here is our progress.We painted the bottom sage and added knobs and handles.I cleaned up my kitchen for you all,Ok and me!

It is always a risk when you paint something.I have found looking at pictures of what direction I want to go is very helpful! There are so many sites you can visit on the Internet.I took bits and pieces of things I liked.Can't wait to be done!

Another added benefit is the excitement of this new change has given me the will power to de-clutter and toss a lot more.Give it a try!Change something up.It may be the change you need to get past whatever might be blocking you.

If you already love everything about your kitchen;take a step back.Maybe clutter is a problem.It always seems to get dumps in the kitchen at my house.Maybe you could add some flowers or decorative accent, for a pop of color.

Once you get your kitchen the way you want here is a how to clean your kitchen in 15 minutes to keep your kitchen looking nice and you,less frazzled. 

Enjoy!

What are some things you have been putting off?Comment below.You never know who you might inspire!

31 days of makeovers in May.What do you get? May-keover

May is the perfect time to start over. Dust off those shelves and forgotten ideas.May is a time for getting outside. Let us put our good intentions into actions. Our thoughts are drawn to our mothers and grandmothers.We can learn a lot from them and so can our children.

So with that introduction welcome to makeover in May or "May-keover".

I am giving us all permission to do what we may be needing to do but haven't. What can we do with this may-keover month.Anything.May-keover a room,yourself.Maybe your heart and soul need one.

I started with my kitchen.We finally started painting.I couldn't be more thrilled!That led me to walking around my house and discovering several projects I have put on hold.

I walked into a friends house and was greeted with pops of color,a treat for my eyes.I want more pops of color.May-keover!

Just adding some color,paint or new bed sheets can just be like a pedicure or haircut for your home.Maybe you need to simplify?Do you have clutter?too many toys?

How about your clothes?Make up?Hair or hairstyles?

How about your relationships? Friends?Family?Spouse?How can you improve those relationships?May-keover!

How do you feel spiritually?What can you do better or give up to be closer to Jesus?What am I missing that he is trying to tell me?Do I carry too much on my shoulders. Am I doing enough or just getting by day by day?

There are a lot of areas in our home and life that could use a may-keover.Lets get started!We have 31 days.So first things first. .We need to make a list and access what we want to change.Each week pick an area or two that you might want to change or improve.When you are doing a may-keover on yourself you are just improving what you already have.This is not a time to list all your.This is a perfect time to raid your hundred of pins on Pinterest.There are so many they get lost and forgotten; you chose them for a reason, right?

May 1rst-
This week I am starting with my home.My kitchen can get messy fast.It irritates me and drives me crazy.I mentioned in the beginning that I wanted to give my kitchen some color to rather outdated wood cupboards.Paint is a very inexpensive way to change up a room.We chose sage on the bottom and white on top.Before and after pictures will follow I promise.:)

Today's assignment- Make your list.You can follow along with mine,but we all are different on what we want to work on.