It hit me when I flipped over the calendar from August to September… This little gal is turning three next month.
I really can’t believe it. My little gal is growing up way too fast.
August’s Clutter Count
August wasn’t one of my best months for de-cluttering the house. I think I brought in more items (thanks to school) than I cleaned out…
I did get a little more clutter out of the kitchen. Late in the month James pulled out the rest of the icky vinyl flooring too.
September my main focus will be cleaning out junk that is hiding in drawers. Like my desk drawers. They are filled with a lot of odds and ends, papers and pens, and lots of the kiddos items. It is messy, and it is driving me crazy.
During the month of August I did more home organizing than de-cluttering too. We flipped the kitchen around, and I arranged all of the kiddos items into a microwave cart so they can help out with setting the table.
I also switched the kitchen shelves around a bit. I’ve put all of the dishes, and cookbooks on the upper shelves. The lower shelves hold all of the pantry items.
Pretty soon though, I’ll have to pull everything back out of the cabinets. We are painting the kitchen, and those shelves need some work. I’m excited about getting the kitchen painted. It is going to be a big task though.
I enjoyed my clean desktop one last time. Now that school is in full swing, the papers are piling up. I need to figure out what to do with the incoming paper-load, and fast.
This little gal helps keep me on my toes, and keeps me motivated to curb the clutter collection that is hanging out.
So for the month of August I cleaned out a total of 156 items from the house. I donated many clothes, and sold a few items too. It wasn’t my biggest month, but the house is a little cleaner.
Three Scary Rooms
I’ve spent this year de-cluttering and organizing the house. I’m now down to the most difficult of spaces…
The scary upstairs hallway closet,
the scary downstairs holiday closet, and lastly
the extra messy utility room.
I don’t know where to begin…
September’s Monthly Menu
Thank goodness that September has arrived. I am so ready for Autumn, and lots of tasty Fall dishes too. The kids are extra busy with school and Tae Kwon Do too. Both of the boys come home starving after the long school day, and it has been a challenge for me to keep the pantry stocked for the kiddos.
I’ll be cooking at home a lot in September, and making lots of tasty treats too. So here we go it’s September’s Monthly Dinner Menu.
- 9/1/2012: Hamburgers and Chips
- 9/2/2012: Panko Chicken Sandwiches, Chips, and Vanilla Cake
- 9/3/2012: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
- 9/4/2012: Nacho Bar
- 9/5/2012: Quesadillas, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
- 9/6/2012: Chicken Chow Mien, Rice, and Chow Mien Noodles
- 9/7/2012: Chicken Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, Re-fried Beans, and Cheese Dip
- 9/8/2012: Grilled Hot Dogs and Chips
- 9/9/2012: Pot Roast with Potatoes, Homemade Bread, and Chocolate Bundt Cake
- 9/10/2012: Chicken Chow Mien, Rice, and Chow Mien Noodles
- 9/11/2012: BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, and Chips
- 9/12/2012: Tostadas, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
- 9/13/2012: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Green Beans, and Homemade Breadsticks
- 9/14/2012: Soft Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
- 9/15/2012: Homemade Pizza: Cheese (no sauce), 1/2 Pepperoni & 1/2 Cheese, 1/2 Triple Meat & 1/2 Ham and Black Olive, and one Veggie.
- 9/16/2012: Beef Stew, Homemade Bread, and Cherry Pie
- 9/17/2012: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Green Beans, and Homemade Breadsticks
- 9/18/2012: Hamburgers and Chips
- 9/19/2012: Quesadillas, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
- 9/20/2012: Chicken Chow Mien, Rice, and Chow Mien Noodles
- 9/21/2012: Tostadas, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
- 9/22/2012: Beef Stew, Homemade Bread, and Pumpkin Pie
- 9/23/2012: Chicken & Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, and Peach Pie a la mode
- 9/24/2012: Chicken Chow Mien, Rice, and Chow Mien Noodles
- 9/25/2012: Tostadas, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
- 9/26/2012: Nacho Bar
- 9/27/2012: Chicken & Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, and Homemade Bread
- 9/28/2012: Chicken Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, Re-fried Beans, and Cheese Dip
- 9/29/2012: Panko Fried Chicken, Spaghetti, Green Beans, Homemade Bread, and Cherry Pie
- 9/30/2012: Turkey, Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Noodles, and Pumpkin Pie
Time to make some shopping lists, and head back to the store.
The Waiting Game
Mornings have become a bit of a rush. No matter how early I get up, or what time we manage to get out of the door. the morning drop-off is a bit time consuming. On a good day I can make it to both schools in twenty minutes, most days it is twenty five. Today it was ridiculous, and it took thirty five minutes.
The afternoon wait is a bit tougher. We are having to leave earlier and earlier to get a decent spot in line. That means an extra long wait for the little gal and me.
You can see her little grumpy face in the rear-view mirror. Some days are better than others. She brings along a toy or two for the wait, and I have a big bin of books in the car for her too. Some days she naps, most days she just gripes at me for about forty minutes.
I bring along a few magazines, or a book to read. It can be a little warm though. I can’t wait for Autumn weather to arrive.
The long wait gives me time to clean out my messy bag.
I hope that in a month we will have all adjusted to the new routine, and the long wait. Right now, I’m ready for a long weekend.