Project 52 Week 2: Made with Love...

It’s Week 2 in Project 52 and this week’s assignment is MADE WITH LOVE!  My five year old daughter, Zoey, has a passion for arts and crafts.  I know that every time she pulls out this art kit she is going to put her heart into whatever project she creates!

There is no doubt about it…everything she makes with this art kit is MADE WITH LOVE!

Project 52 Week 1: Resolutions...

It’s Week 1 in Project 52 and this week’s assignment is RESOLUTIONS! 

I love the start of a New Year.  It seems like a clean slate and a new beginning.  I enjoy making New Year’s resolutions and this year is no exception.  However, I have decided to do a few things different this year.  I’ve decided to make a resolution each month…one thing I really want to focus on for the entire month.  For the month of January it’s organization.  For those of you out there with a similar goal, I’ve decided to share a few things that have helped me.  I’ve started making a daily to-do list with the help of the app Taskos…I love it!  Each night before bed I make a list of things I want to accomplish for the following day.  It can be a reminder to drop of bills at the post office or a note to clean out the fridge.  The app allows you to cross out things once they are completed and that helps keep me motivated throughout the day.  The first step towards organization for me has started with a Household Binder.  I initially got this idea from the January issue of Better Homes and Gardens.  However, I found a similar one at Professor Poppins.  My binder includes my daughter’s school lunch menu, my husband’s work calendar, a weekly dinner menu, and a cleaning schedule.  I know this sounds like a lot of work but it really keeps you on track and keeps everything handy in one location.  I made mine in thirty minutes with extra office supplies I had around the house.  I found a free weekly meal plan over at Design Finch.  I made several copies and put them all in my binder.  I decide Sunday night what I am going to make for dinner for the entire next week.  I make a grocery list with all the items I need to prepare my meals. I do all my shopping on Sunday so I am ready for the week.  It just makes life easier when you already know what’s for dinner!  I found a free printable cleaning schedule over at My 3 Monsters.  I customized mine to fit my household.  I then printed it and included it in my binder.  It includes daily chores…making beds, washing dishes, and doing a load of laundry.  However, I also have one room listed under each day of the week to do a thorough cleaning.  I don’t want to spend my whole weekend cleaning.  I feel like if I do a little each day I can enjoy the weekend with my family.  Once I’ve gone through each room and done a deep cleaning I find that the maintenance each weekday only takes me about thirty minutes.  I’m also including the kids in on the daily chores…this helps teach them as well!  This plan is working out great for me…hope you all find it helpful!  I’m looking forward to 2012.  I know it’s going to be a great year!

A New Year...

It’s been almost a year since my last blog post.  I’m sorry, Pinterest has completely consumed my Internet time… party ideas, recipes, clothes…what’s not to love!  Yes, my name is Erica and I’m addicted to Pinterest.  However, with the New Year beginning I realized how little I had posted on my blog in 2011…absolutely nothing to be exact.  However, we had so many exciting events happen this year.  We bought a new house, my daughter lost her first tooth, and my son ate his first snow cone.  I feel like I really short changed myself and my family by not documenting these special memories.  I tend to forget details if I don’t write them down…that was my whole purpose in starting this blog.  So, I’m trying to get back in the blogging groove.  Yes, I know I’ve said this before and failed.  So, to get me started I’ve joined Project 52.  Project 52 is a 52-week photo challenge.  You are given a weekly photo assignment and you capture one photo each week for a year!  Anyone can join!  Want more details…click on the picture below! 

This will be a big challenge for me.  I tend to get overwhelmed with the day to day activities of life.  However, I think this project will help me capture those day to day happenings in a new light…in a photo that I can cherish for a lifetime!