My life and home feel unorganized....messy....unpeaceful (is that a word?). This problem of mine is robbing me of joy, time, and money. After spending a few weeks feeling rather unmotivated (which, of course, compounded the problem), I'm ready to whip my life into shape.

While I might not be writing very much for a few more days, I plan on reading here a lot. I quickly forget the things that have helped me out in the past, so I think a review is in order. I'm mostly going to focus on the topics I tackled during the 31 days to {a better} ordinary series.

I'm planning to look at:

-Following my Morning To Do List (VERY IMPORTANT)
-Updating my calendar
-Making (and following) a weekly calendar
-Scheduling in my weekly to do list
-Finally doing my weekly housecleaning
-Cleaning out the car

This seems like a lot, but for most of them, I just need to climb back up on the wagon. I've got to take care of these things before I go completely crazy (and make everyone else in my house crazy, too).

So, how's the state of your home? Do you have any issues that you need to address? Tell us about it in the comments!

I've been working on some things, some really cool things. Pretty soon I'll be writing so much that you'll get sick of me. Hey, it happens. 

So please stay tuned....I'll return to regular programming soon. Promise. 

Let me tell you what my evening schedule looks like this week. Let's see....first we'll go to a baseball game, then we'll go to another baseball game, and after that we'll go to yet another baseball game.  That schedule will repeat itself over and over for the next few months. Except there will be even more baseball squeezed in as spring and summer wear on. 

As we endure enjoy this hectic time, my menu plans will lose variety and gain simplicity. I'll cook less and buy more pizza and subs. Saving my sanity will become a priority and a constant struggle. Hopefully this week's meals will fit our schedule and feed my family well. 

Here's this week's menu plan:

Breakfasts around our house tend to be a fend-for-yourself affair. I try to keep a wide enough selection of items on hand that the kids can either fix for themselves or can fix with minimal help. Also, since my husband works a job with odd hours, every meal is not a "family meal". When Dad is at work, I try to keep things simple to save time and my sanity (well, whatever sanity I have left by dinner time.). I've marked our "family meals" with an asterisk (*).

BREAKFAST
Leftover pancakes
Cereal
Pop Tarts (awful, huh?)
Oatmeal
Eggs
Toast
Yogurt
Smoothies
Fruit

LUNCH
Sandwiches
Cheese, lunchmeat, crackers
Boiled eggs
Mac and cheese
Fish sticks
Leftovers
Fruit
Veggies and dip

DINNER
*Tacos
Pasta with garlic and olive oil, salad
*Chili (crock pot)
Quesadillas, leftover soups, veggie soup
Hot dogs, chili, salad
Homemade pizza
*Burritos, salad

Be sure to check out more menu ideas over at Menu Plan Monday.

A couple weeks ago, I had a unique opportunity to do something special for one of my favorite people, my nine-year-old son. I was able to fulfill a lifelong dream of his, at least that's what he told me.

I let him drink straight from the big 'ol orange soda bottle. Cool, right? That boy of mine likes to dream big.

I'm pretty sure the soda was very flat, but that didn't seem to matter. He drained every last drop. And he enjoyed it. I enjoyed it, too.

Best of all, I was able to show my kiddo how much I love him. It's easy to get so caught up in folding the laundry and washing the dishes (and the six million other things I need to do in a day), that I forget to make my kids smile. I forget that, while dishes are forever, childhood is just for a moment. I forget that love is about much more than teaching homeschool lessons, making meals, and giving a kiss good-nite. Sometimes love is about letting your kid drink from a two-liter bottle of leftover orange cola.

What is something that would make one of your kids smile today?

Yes, it was way past the first day of spring, but I seem to be living life according to the better-late-than-never policy.

I picked up an adorable egg decorating kit for the kids to use this year.
I never (never, never ever) buy that kind of stuff before it goes on sale after the holiday season has passed, but I didn't want to wait for the sales and hold onto the kit for a whole year. It has been so much fun to look at it all week. 
If you happen to be in Target after Easter, you might want to see if they have one of these cute kits left on the shelf to use next year.

Here's some pics:

the king and his trusty blue friend

little orange Robin Hood

two brave knights defending the castle

cyclops soul mates.

I hope you have a lovely Easter weekend enjoying your kiddos, spending time with your family, and celebrating our risen Lord.  What joy!

LUNCH
*Pressed sandwiches
*Hot dogs, chips, veggies
Sandwiches
Mac & cheese
Quesadillas
Cheese, lunchmeat, crackers
Boiled eggs
Leftovers
Fruit
Veggies and dip

DINNER
*Salad with chicken, homemade Greek dressing
Pancakes, homemade syrup, homemade applesauce
Stir fry
*Black bean soup, cornbread, salad
Spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread with cheese, salad
Leftovers
*Kebobs, rice pilaf

So, have you been making a weekly menu plan or simply taking it a day at a time? We'd love to hear from you in the comments!

Be sure to check out more menu ideas over at Menu Plan Monday.

Anyway.....

I hear a lot of people talking about "spring cleaning" right now. Many bloggers are doing a month-long series on the topic, and every magazine I pick up seems to have the same spring-clean-theme. It's all round me, but it just hasn't wiggled its way into my thinking or homemaking yet.

I see plenty of things that can (and should) be cleaned, but I simply don't have the "bug". I won't wait forever for some sort of magical motivation to show up, but I am much more productive when I'm in the mood.

Since I don't really feel like scrubbing the windows or dusting the baseboards (even though they could both use immediate attention), I've decided to focus on something a little different. I am going to spring clean my To Do List.

There are a few tasks that get moved from list to list each week. I always intend to do those tasks this week, but after awhile, I don't even see them written there anymore. I learn to overlook them until I'm putting together my next weekly plan. Then I promise myself (again) to finish the jobs once and for all. Except I don't. I just keep writing them on my list each week. Crazy, right?

So for the rest of the month, I want to tackle those craft projects, clean off that closet shelf, and schedule any necessary appointments. By the time April rolls around, I hope to be ready to clean and organize my home without those lingering chores hanging over my head.

But for now, I think I need to go check my To Do List....I'm pretty sure I saw "breathe spring air" penciled in somewhere!

I've spent way too much time over the past few days crying buckets of tears for no good reason. Well, I thought I had good reasons at the time, but I can't seem to remember them right now.

I really hated the thought of airing my dirty laundry here (oh, I just remembered one of my good reasons: dirty laundry), but I have a feeling that I'm not the only one who has the occasional grumpy day (or week....or two weeks...). Just maybe other women struggle with out of control emotions that make them seem like a crazy person from time to time. Maybe?  Anyone?

While I would love to blame my hormones, my family, and that pesky dirty laundry for all my troubles, I know that the real problem is my heart. It always is.  At church this week, God used His Word to convict and correct me.

I often struggle with having contentment right where I am. I long for a world without sin. I want a life where everyone loves me perfectly. I want the kids to obey, the dishes not to pile up, and the laundry to fold itself. I want things to be easy. I want a life God did not give to me. Of course, I don't want a different husband or kids, I just want my circumstances of the moment to be different.

And then God says, "Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him..." (1 Corinthians 7:17). He goes on to talk to those who are slaves. SLAVES. He tells those who are in the worst situations possible that they have freedom through Him and that they should live their lives fully right where He has placed them, whether they are slaves or freemen.

Do I believe that God has placed me where I am?  Do I believe that the Lord has a sovereign plan and purpose in every situation? Do I believe it when the children are arguing? How about when the house looks like it's been ransacked? When everything feels like it's falling apart? I'd like to say that I believe it. As a matter of fact, if you asked, I probably would say that I believe it. But my actions and attitudes tell a different story.

I ignore the Truth. I get caught up in me and forget about Him. I think that if God would simply change my circumstances or the people around me, then I could glorify Him by living fully where I am. Then everything would be better. But like my pastor reminded us, we have Jesus. Things can't get better than that!

"So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, let him remain with God." (1 Corinthians 7:24)

I have Jesus. Right here, right now. In the middle of the piles of laundry and homeschool lessons and dusty furniture, I have Jesus.  When the people I love make loving hard, I have Jesus.  During those moments when everything seems all messed up and it feels like God has left me alone, I have Jesus.  Whether I believe it or not, I have Jesus.

I have Jesus, and it doesn't get any better than that.

This post is linked to Raising Homemakers.

Last evening my husband came down with the stomach flu. Yuck!  He suffered with it through the night, and he looked rather pitiful for most of today....not a sight we're used to seeing around here.

Unfortunately, I doubt that my hubby will be the only sick, pitiful member of this family before the week is over. These things don't tend to go away quickly. Since I'm slightly paranoid about catching a stomach bug, I've washed my hands countless times today and have only eaten small amounts of food at a time, just in case. I'm dreading what the next few days may bring.

But besides keeping myself clean, hydrated, and empty, I've also used this day to prepare for the coming doom. Whenever I feel an illness coming on or know that one is likely to hit, I try to be intentional with the time I have before I'm either knocked out on the sofa or playing nurse. Or both. 

Here are some pre-sick tasks I find helpful:

DO THE TO-DO'S NOW-I like to take a look at my weekly plan to see if there are any tasks important enough to be done ahead of time. I'll run errands, pay bills, and make phone calls now instead of hoping for the time and energy later. 

GO SHOPPING-I'll make a quick grocery trip to stock up on the usual sick supplies:  Sprite, crackers, juice, Popsicles, fever medicine, tissues, paper towels and disinfecting wipes. I also might grab some frozen pizzas and boxes of mac & cheese so I don't have to work too hard for dinner if I'm sick while the family is still well (and hungry). 

WASH THE LAUNDRY (ALL OF IT)-As much as possible, I'll take care of all the dirty clothes today. I may need the washing machine for icky jammies and germ-infested sheets in the coming days. 

COOK AHEAD-I'm making a big pot of chicken soup for dinner, preparing extra pasta with lunch, and cooking up some homemade applesauce.  I want to have things in the fridge that can be heated up or dished out easily for meals and snacks. 

THINK OF ENTERTAINMENT-This is the time to stop by the library, search for favorites on Netflix, look for forgotten coloring books. If the kids are sick, they'll need some distractions. If I'm sick, they'll need some distractions. 

Well, that's what I have planned for the next few days. Maybe all of this planning will be for nothing. No sick kids. No nights spent in the bathroom. No scrubbing floors or washing sheets. 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I feel tired and a bit queasy. But I think it's all in my head. I hope!

UPDATE:  It has begun. Before I could get this published, it hit the first of the kids. Hard. I suppose it's going to pick us off one by one. Thankfully, I'm usually spared until the last child had thrown up on me and the final load of dirty sheets has been tossed into the machine. Ahhh....something to look forward to.

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday. 

Actually, I didn't just "stumble" upon it; I was led to it. My bookmark had been tucked away in the chapter for an entire week after some verses from the opposite page were read at church, but I never looked two columns over until this Sunday. I finally saw the passage when I needed it most. Providence.

Here's a little peek (check out the whole chapter):

Psalm 86:1-7; 11-13;

"Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am godly;
save your servant, who trusts in you-you are my God.
Be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my plea for grace.
In the day of my trouble I call upon you,
for you answer me.

Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.
I give thanks to you, O Lord my God,
with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your steadfast love toward me;
You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol."

Isn't God's steadfast love amazing and His sovereign, sometimes painful, plan full of mercy and grace? Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.....