EMM: What Matters Most

The first Monday has you make a list of those things that matter most to you.

1. Family
2. Pets
3. Friends
4. Faith
5. Health
6. Happiness
7. Career

Then it has you create a list of how you spend you time each week.

1. sleep-8 hours/day
2. work (during school-year)-25 hours/week
3. strollerstrides-1 hour/week
4. church (not working)-1 hour/week
5. time with Paul & Sophie together-1 hour/day
6. household chores (just a guess)-2 hours/day
7. TV-4 hours/day (probably a little less since I don't watch commercials)

Then it wants you to rearrange your schedule and eliminate optional activities so you can spend more time on What Matters. So here is my list of ways I can "create" more time for the important stuff.

• Obviously, watch less television. I just need to be "choosier" about what I Tivo.
• I can watch the shows while doing other things, like cooking, cleaning or computer.
• Make sure my time at work is being utilized efficiently. This may require getting help with Sophie since I seem to get so much less done when she is in the office with me. Or maybe there is some stuff I can do from home during her nap time.
• Clean a little at a time. This is something I try to do. I don't feel too bad letting Sophie play in the kitchen while I spend a few minutes cleaning the microwave, toaster and dishwasher. But having to set aside a few hours to do all the cleaning is another story. There's a lot I can do in those few spare moments when Sophie doesn't need my complete attention.

The last action is "Don't Waste Time." Well, duh, does anyone really set out to waste time on purpose?!? My take on this is to utilize your time you don't control better. My nook can come in handy for this since it makes it so easy to read while you are waiting for your oil to be changed. I could also find ideas for little activities to do with Sophie while we wait in line at the post office or for a meeting to start. I can also use any down time like that to just think of more ways to achieve that happiness that is on my What Matters Most list, or maybe spend a few minutes on my faith.

I'm going to try to track my time this week and see how I really use it. Should be interesting!

Logan's room

We went and ordered Logan's furniture today. I let Paul have final say but he still chose Pottery Barn Kids. (My favorite place!) We did look at Rooms To Go, but PBK was having a sale and we ended up spending less. After we chose Logan, I went ahead and ordered the Star Wars bedding, so it's sitting in the closet. This is what we got.


Here is the bed we chose, with a trundle so Logan is all set for sleepovers with his cousins.

This is the dresser, and we got everything in the darker stain.

They are thinking it will be delivered this week, so we won't have time to paint the room before it comes, but my Dad can handle that. Now we just need to choose paint!

Every Monday Matters (EMM)

My mom gave me a book for my birthday called Every Monday Matters: 52 Ways to Make a Difference. It's a guidebook providing a process for getting you involved. They have a website you can check out here. It has 52 different activities that are ways to make a difference. I'm going to try to work my way through the book and use this blog to track my progress. I may also be able to pass on some useful information that others can take advantage of and make their own differences.

Happy Things 301-350

301. splash parks


302. So You Think You Can Dance


303. big, huge, ginormous pieces of modern art

304. chocolate milk

305. adding a symbol to your signature

306. the fragrance of cookies baking

307. flashlights that work

308. doing something every year so that it becomes a tradition

309. flying kites
310. not holding your tummy in
311. singing all the hymns in church
312. fondue
313. brownies with no nuts
314. apples and cheese cubes
315. Easter bunnies
316. Chicago deep-dish pizza
317. twirling a baton
318. the purr of a kitten
319. the smell of aerosol hair spray
320. one perfect Rose
321. talking to the television
322. nightclubs
323. magic shows
324. homemade lasagna
325. going someplace you've never been
326. falling asleep on someone's lap
327. preschool drawings
328. handmade Christmas ornaments
329. Dunkin' Donuts
330. strawberries and powdered sugar
331. eggnog
332. buying yourself a toy
333. flying kites
334. leaving fresh cookies for Santa
335. diapers and baby food
336. Rice Crispie Treats
337. bad dining hall meals
338. the UP of Michigan
339. the midnight hungries
340. dressing up for no reason
341. all you can eat soup salad and bread sticks
342. slinkies
343. liking the people you work with
344. playing Clue
345. Homecoming games
346. Coke with lime
347. someone who says you are beautiful
348. finding the good magazines in the doctor's waiting room
349. ventriloquists' dummies
350. popcorn at the movies

Show Us Your Life-Activities for Kids

Sophie is at that age where she really just wants to walk around and get into stuff. Seriously, she walks from one basket or tub of toys, takes everything out, then moves to the next. If there isn't a basket handy, she'll take everything off the table or out of the cabinet. I even caught her pulling all the toilet paper off the roll. She also loves to climb and/or get into places.

Because of this, I try to find something to do outside of the house everyday. If I walk at the mall, we'll stay and play in the kids area. We may have a play group event, or the city's free kids concert. Some days, it's just going to the church for work.

Because she loves exploring so much, anything new is great for her. I try all kinds of activities with her, even stuff she is probably too young for, but I figure one day, something is going to click and it will become her new favorite.

But mostly, I just let her empty stuff and then I try to get her help in putting it all back (except the toilet paper, of course!)

You can get more ideas at Kelly's Korner!

Show Us Your Life-Wedding Proposal

Will you marry me?
Because Paul and I had been talking about getting married, Mom suggested that she and I go look at rings, then she would tell Paul what I liked. It took the saleslady a few minutes to figure out that I didn't really know what I wanted or liked. I did eventually choose a great set with a square-shaped diamond. We were asking the saleslady to write down the identifying information so Paul could come back and get it, when she suggested I just take it home (after applying for their credit line). "You can always bring it back, if he doesn't like it," she said. Next thing I know, I'm walking out the store, having bought my own ring. It took all of two yards before I just about lost it, realizing how absurd this was...who buys their own wedding rings?!? Paul didn't care, but did get a different diamond. He took the engagement ring back with his parents and replaced the square-cut with a beautiful round-cut. The actual proposal occurred at some friends house where we were housesitting. Paul had gone to pick up the rings with the new diamond setting. He made it official and asked the question. My sister and mom were having dinner and called me to join them, so I got to show how great the ring truly was!

For more stories check out Kelly's Korner.

Happy Things 271-300

271. roses that bloom all year
272. standing next to someone you love
273. crayons without their papers
274. treating yourself to a massage
275. cleaning off your desk
276. being taken to the zoo
277. thick slices of buttered sourdough bread
278. complimenting a total stranger
279. honeymoons
280. that irresistible, clean-baby smell
281. fishermen early in the morning
282. Bavarian cream pie
283. hearing church bells
284. encouraging a child to collect something
285. the fragrance of a summer rose
286. crab legs and butter
287. dreaming nice dreams
288. not remembering bad dreams
289. the mesmerizing flames of a roaring fire
290. really, truly forgiving someone
291. blowing bubble gum bubbles
292. making banana splits
293. waking up with a cat
294. humorous phone calls
295. birdhouses
296. rain at night, if you're safe in bed
297. an unexpected letter
298. a well-worth-it wait
299. snare drums
300. foreign language CD's

New Home for Toys

I got busy today while Sophie was sleeping today.

This stuff...


used to be in these baskets.


And now the baskets hold these!

I also moved the basket of pet toys into our bedroom since Sophie keeps getting into it. I had gotten rid of the magazine basket, but decided we needed it again, so now it is in the bedroom too.

Finished a Book

I've been trying to get this book finished, so I can start using my new Nook. I didn't think it made sense to get Nook books when I was in the middle of a hardback. Julie Andrews is one of my all time favorite people. I love, love, love the movie The Sound of Music. (And have since I was a preschooler!) I also really like Mary Poppins, so I really enjoyed this book. It was all about her early years during musicals. It was very interesting to get that backstage viewpoint, especially since Paul took me to see Wicked last night. I'm sure there are lots of things that have changed in the last several decades, but some stuff is still probably the same.

Now on to the Nook!

Happy Things 246-270

246. children singing
247. piggy banks
248. being a night owl
249. smashing grilled cheese sandwiches
250. taking lots of notes
251. being happy together
252. the reliability of restaurant food
253. tabby cats
254. perfectly golden brown toast
255. miniature gingerbread houses
256. doodlebugs
257. margaritas on the rocks
258. crossing something dread off your to-do list
259. running through a sprinkler
260. post-prom breakfast
261. a sudden glimpse of a lit-up Christmas tree through a window
262. squirrels gathering nuts
263. new babies
264. psychology
265. inability to leave the theater because your date insists on watching the credits
266. playing in a closet as a child
267. staying home on New Year's Eve
268. puzzle books
269. rotisserie chicken
270. kangaroos

Happy Things 221-245

221. logic problems
222. feeding ducks at a local pond
223. sweet tea from McCallisters
224. fish fries of fish caught by your grandparents at "your" lake
225. roller skating on the sidewalk
226. getting warm by a fire after you've been in the snow or rain
227. collections from everyday life
228. colored chalk drawings on the driveway
229. lemon-pepper chick at the Fox and the Hound
230. singing waiters
231. dining out meaning no dirty dishes to wash
232. homemade funnel cakes
233. listening to a child
234. birds nests in odd places
235. proudly wearing a wedding band
236. making your own kite
237. letters from close friends in far places
238. sitting in a rocker, listening to the silence and reflecting
239. detective novels
240. southern fried chicken and mashed potatoes
241. touching toes in bed
242. anything houndstooth
243. buttering toast generously and immediately so that the butter melts and sinks in
244. snacks after the movie
245. adding the word "popcorn" to a food name to denote that you can eat it with your hands

Happy Things 191-220

191. buying a new mascara
192. traveling beach mats
193. Pete being a nickname for Sadie (at least according to Pawpaw)
194. the little things in life that really make your day go right
195. home-made bread-and-butter pickles
196. clean windshields
197. sticky fingers after eating cotton candy
198. making your own quotation book
199. walking the dog and he stops at every pole, hydrant, mailbox
200. using Sprite to keep apples from turning brown
201. summertime
202. inner tubes
203. acting goofy
204. playing patty-cake
205. sit-coms on TV
206. saving almost everything including movie ticket stubs and kids meal prizes
207. cats basking on the windowsill in the sunlight
208. having someone to come home to
209. reading outside in the fall
210. Thanksgiving dinner
211. graduation ceremonies
212. "Tooty-Ta"
213. naming your baby
214. teeny, tiny baby shoes
215. taking your husband a picnic lunch at the office
216. a chance to sleep in
217. riding a bicycle long distances (someone else, not me)
218. TV dinners
219. the trumpet of a passing train
220. church concerts