productivity = happy me

spring break was the perfect mix of lazy and productive. we spent equal amounts of time in our pajamas playing boardgames (thanks to all the rain and lousy weather), and making good progress on some projects around the house. and just to satisfy my need for a pat on the back, here's a few of the things i crossed off of the list.

*finished hanging eight new sets of blinds - complete with cursing, don't judge me. * hung three of the four new valances that my sweet MIL made for me, including getting the hardware up. by the way i am IN LOVE with this fabric! * took down ethan's crib (i know, i know, i don't know - why did we wait so long?). * set up allie's old bed in ethan's room with new bedding. * sanded, washed, taped, primed and painted all the red drawers and five cupboard doors.* scrubbed my bathroom which hasn't seen a cleaning chemical in far too long.

* sent EIGHT ginormous bags to good will and four more bags to friends for hand-me-downs.

this week i learned that i am more productive when people are home, play time feels more fun and less indulgent when it's preceeded by accomplishments, and i am a happier, more patient mom when i can make a dent in my to-do list. and that SNORTA is my new favorite game to play, if you haven't tried it, you definitely should. it's one of those easy to catch on, belly laugh enducing kind of games. oh, and one more thing, i really enjoyed having lousy weather because it meant i didn't have to start on the spring yard work just yet. yee ha.

word up!

i've been thinking and thinking about a "word of the year" choice, and of course, with that comes a lot of self reflection, which i guess is the whole point. one thing that keeps coming to mind is how easily overwhelmed i feel with life in general. i end up creating so much unnecessary noise in my life, emotionally, physically, and spiritually because i'm turning my wheels about everything i think i need to change, do, and make happen. i'm very much an "all or nothing" kind of person, and because i can't just do it all i end up sprinting to the freezer for some ice cream therapy! obviously i have some serious work in this area, all the junk in my trunk is just a symptom of this disease. i need to give myself permission to just deal with one thing at a time, remember not to sweat the small stuff and to live in the moment. so my word for this year is FOCUS. with this single word goal, i hope to remember to-

FOCUS on the task at hand, one task at a time.

FOCUS on just enjoying the moment.

FOCUS on filling my own cup before i try to fill everyone else's.

FOCUS on the choice in front of me.

FOCUS on creativity.

FOCUS on my family.

FOCUS on my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

and even though it doesn't have my actual word in the quote, i love how this quote sort of sums up what i'm trying to accomplish...

“When you chase two rabbits, both will escape."

i'm also setting a goal to blog about the different ways i try to keep my FOCUS so i can see my progress. i saw today on 2cleverblog this gorgeous handmade jewelery by pamela susan with the most reasonable prices! i immediately ordered myself a necklace with my word - i love this!

*photo courtesy of mr. goodbar