Depleting the Disney Fund (already)

You might notice from my Disney Fund sidebar that we went from $400 to $40. I said that money would not be touched because we are saving for a vacation (of some sort, hopefully Disney in 2012), but we made a decision that was meaningful to our family. We decided that since I was able to save so much so quickly, we would put it to better use for us, for right now. I withdrew the money from my hidden envelope and PAID OFF a loan. Now, our debt is a little lighter and I'm happy with starting over on my Disney fund. Sometimes, you have to think about the long term. With fewer bills, I should be able to make up the funds I spent later on. It is what is best for us right now, and when I pulled out that money, my husband was surprised and thrilled at what I had been able to save this summer while he was out of town for work. Now, he knows that I am determined to have a vacation soon, and we can work toward that goal together. I am happy with our decision, but I still can't wait to see Mickey!!!!!!

A goodnight prayer

Abbey:

God is great
God is good
Let us thank him for our food
And all our people
And all our things
And the nursery of our bodies
Pray in Christ name
Amen


I did it just like Poppie!

(Poppie prays before eating for the food to be a nourishment to our bodies.)

I'm sooooo over Summer

Well, it always seems to happen about this time of the year. I get so very tired of summer, the heat, the food, the gardening, the skinny people going to the beach. I'm just over it. I'm ready for my favorite time of year...FALL. The leaves turning, the crisp air, the sunny yet cool days, the football, the food. I just love Fall. It appeals to me in every way. There is a rebirth of the year it seems. No matter what type of year you are having so far, it can begin again, fresh and new as if it were January 1 all over again. I love that about fall. The kids are back in school, the summer vacations are over and it is time for business.

I am trying my best to get organized for this time of year, because I know we will be involved in so much more that we were in the spring and summer, and even last school year. I only have one daughter who is three and a half and you may say, "Well, how busy can you be with just a three year old." As simple as it should be, our lives are not simple. Abbey is in Day Care three days and pre-school two days a week. I work full time, have a little side business, and serve on a town authority board. My husband also works full time. Right now he has crazy hours with shift changes and overtime and he has already spent much of his summer in another state for work(boy am I glad that is over). So we have busy lives. This year we will add dance classes to that and hopefully more involvement in the church where she attends pre-school (that is another ballgame altogether). So, I have to stay on top of my game in order to pull this off.

Many years ago, when I was trying to get organized with housework, I made a daily cleaning list. The concept was to clean a room of the house each day, so that it would always be in some type of order. Each day had a checklist of what should be accomplished in that room. Along with the "a room a day" idea, I had a list of simple daily chores such as pick up toys, clear table, make up beds, that were daily jobs overall. My job was to set aside time each day to work on this list. I haven't worked on that list in a very, very long time, but I do believe it is time to reinstate the list.

Also, a task to save time in the past was freezer cooking (or once a month cooking). I always seem to love to cook and put away food in the fall. I like to actually bake fresh bread and use up the last of the garden and farmer's market finds. I have a very extensive list of foods that freeze well and in order to help save me time in the evenings when I need to be cleaning or spending value time with my family, I will only have to cook minimally due to the prep work and menu planning for each month. There will more on this in future posts, because I would like to keep up with my progress on my blog.

Finally, Sunday afternoon. It is a wonderful time for rest and since my daughter loves her Sunday afternoon naps, I intend on taking advantage and prepping for each upcoming week. My idea is to already have the laundry fixed so that I have each family members clothes laid out for the week (and yes Clark will pick his own clothes, I'm not that obsessed with this). I also will have lunches planned for the week (this will be part of the menu plan and freezer foods). All the bills for the week will be signed, sealed and ready for the mail the next day, and any school work that needs to be planned, signed, and/or sent to school will be looked over and ready in Abbey's backpack.

I know this seems very detailed for the normal, everyday life, and there will be kinks in the road, but having it written will hopefully set it in stone for me. I pray that you will make me accountable for my plan and that I can blog more regularly with my results. Now, that my computer is in operating order, I really hope to make that happen.

Now, tell me, what do you have planned for the Fall????????