Project Friday

 This little girl is what you would call "silly." No. It's more than that. She is "joyful." She is genuine. She is authentic. She is one of a kind.

 A very special kind.  A one eyed "aye matey" variety. 

A "Gee I have an idea" girl. She is a "missing teeth is the new look and I'm proud of it" type.

She is a "pearl lover, dirty fingernails" type - she loves to be fancy but isn't afraid to get her hands dirty.

She's a grimace. She's a distant stare....a dreamer.

  

She's a blue eyed beauty, a character...a mother's delight and a body full of giggles. She's awesome.

 
You're wondering what her pictures have to do with my title "Project Friday" aren't you. I'll tell you. Nothing. The pictures were just too cute to keep to myself.
 This is my project. No, I didn't lay flooring or create this entry way. What I'm wanting to point out to you is the door you see on the right...it leads to my basement which leads to the kids play area, my bedroom and my workout area (read that "place where I should work out.") The problem with the "said" door is where it's located - in a narrow hallway and is right across from our coat closet. Grrr...the coat closet and it's sliding finger pinching doors...it's unorganized mess that never brings me peace. The high traffic door way, also right next to the stairway that  leads to the kid's rooms, across from the coat closet AND the front door. I bring you the thorn in my flesh.
 What to do?

  This is the mess - so embarrassing even showing you. The pile on the floors happens to be our reusable shopping bags, our plastic bags, there are some rags for cleaning somewhere in there - the sentence "go grab me a rag" and then actually carrying that task out is a lot more complicated then it should be. There are probably a few mix matched shoes under a few mix matched winter hats, lost gloves and my sewing machine is somewhere in there. What a mess.
  I started by asking my dear hubby to take the doors off the closet. I like the fact that I can shut the doors and then avoid my mess - but really...who does that help? So, open them baby...let the world see our real colors - let them see our coats and our bags and our rags!!!
 Then, today....by myself with four kids in tow...a trip to Ross in search of some inexpensive organizing tools. I was thinking maybe some boxes for the above shelf and then maybe a little storage unit - some hooks - that sort of thing. I found a couple of boxes for five dollars and under so that was a pretty good score. I also found a little white shelf on sale for 13 dollars that I would need to assemble.
 Trin helped me clear out the closet and then I got the fun job of reorganizing and sorting and all of that stuff. The OCD in me was having a blast - I even forgot to make kids lunch (I really did. Don't worry...they reminded me and bananas and quesadillas were had by all.)

 My finished product. Oh yes...take it in - all of that organized goodness. In a perfect world my little 13 dollar shelf would be a perfect square and have SIX box spaces, not three. But...it will do - and I had a blast with the drill.
 I also organized all of my photos from last Thanksgiving until the end of this last summer. I'm all ready to be able to print from September - December 2013 when December is over with. Is it bad that sometimes I want a month to be over just so I can go ahead print pictures  and stay ahead of the photo printing war...errr....game? I also wrote in the front of my album what was in the album...for instance 'Christmas 2012, Tristan's 4th birthday..." so on and so forth. When I die someday in my late 90's I don't want my kids being confused about what happened when - I'm thoughtful that way. Some people may have a different word for it....

 
And now - for my new series to tag along with project Friday...we will call it "How I Didn't Actually Save Money Because I Spent Money."

 
Item #1 - a Lucky Brand outfit for Trin....$11.00 bucks from TJMaxx. I don't usually buy my kids new clothes - most of their things are second hand. BUT...she has been needing leggings and I haven't actually found any at the thrift store and the ones at Target are s$6.00 a pair - in my world that is highway robbery. So, to find a cute little boho number like this that also compliments her flower child mentality - score.

 
And look at that little detail on the ankle ? So cute...and she can use the pieces to mix match. Win win.

Item #2 - Batman hoodie from Costco for $9.99. How many of you are aware of the cost of little kid costumes? Outrageous. So...my little batman lover gets to dress up like batman (the hood has a built in mask which I didn't know about until we got home) and this is also very thick and i got it in a 6 so it should fit him next winter too. We give this deal a thumbs up.

 
And really, for this face, a mother would give her teeth. Heart? Right Arm? All of them.

Item #3 - absolutely free dollhouse furniture. I used a piece of Styrofoam that came in a box I got in the mail today, some old scraps...and my trusty hot glue gun. I LOVE my hot glue gun.

 
It took me a total of about 20 minutes and the Koala family is sitting very comfortably this evening - and a little girl's smile got just a bit brighter (and I got a thank you note.) Win win.

Item #4 - I found this ornament from last year that I had bought after Christmas 75% off. I whipped out my wood burner and turned it into our family ornament for the year. Cute or cheesy?

And that my dear readers concludes my day...my project Friday and "How I Didn't Save Money With My Great Deals" or whatever you want to call it - it was a good, long, productive day. Now I sit in my living room enjoying my twinkle lights and my star adorned corner and I leave you with just one little bitty thought.
 Tis the season of Christ's birth. Well, Tis the season that we Christians choose to celebrate Christ's birth for those of you who would like to argue dates and all that jazz. Anyways, I try my best not to be a consumer - not to get so wrapped up in the decor and the gifts and the holiday chaos. But, I love that stuff. I really really do. I also love Christ - I really really do. So, this is what I'm going to do so that I can enjoy my holiday season without all of the guilt of "I'm not really concentrating on the meaning of the season."
  I'm going to get all of my gifts bought THIS month...I think I have all of them but one. I love to give gifts - I will always buy gifts at Christmas because it's SOOOO fun. I also love going into the store and hearing Christmas music and seeing twinkling trees and fancy hot cocoa mix and all that jazz. I'm not going to deny myself that joy. It's joy. It's part of life...and God wants us to enjoy our lives.  But...when December get's here I'm going to really focus on the love of Christ and what His birth means. I'm going to do crafts with the kids, we are going to bake, we are going to read stories in the evenings and be a family and leave all of the commercialized Christmas behind. Hopefully we can make most of the Christmas services at church and the pageants and watch a video about the Christmas story with piping hot cups of cocoa and fresh popped popcorn - and really celebrate being together and being loved my Him.  We will really celebrate Christ's birth.
 Christmas Eve we will read the Christmas story and thank God for sending us His precious Son. Then, when kids are tucked in...we will bring out all of the gifts. I won't have them out until Christmas Eve - that way they are not having to stare at them and try to focus on others and the Christmas message AND wonder what is in the boxes.
Then...when Christmas morning comes I'm going to let them enjoy their gifts and also giving gifts to others. I'm not going to read the Christmas story directly before opening presents because, for me, I don't think a child at that point would really be concentrating on the miracle of Christ - they want to rip open some boxes. For us, I think this is a good plan...especially with some of our kids different needs. So...all the way up until Thanksgiving I'm enjoying getting our house ready for Christmas. I'm shopping for craft ideas to do during the holidays and I have wrap and ribbons already bought - so that HOPEFULLY we can stay out of stores during the chaos of December!  After Thanksgiving and until Christmas, we will get our hearts and minds ready for the message of Jesus.
 Happy Weekend!