Organizing Challenge: Study (Week 2)

Patience is a virtue that I rarely possess. It's frustrating to me when I can't just finish a project right away, so this slow progress is making me crazy. Well, crazier.

If you're just now following this challenge, you can find my starter post here. I'm linking up with OrgJunkie's 29 Day Challenge and am attacking our study with a vengeance. 

This has actually been a very productive week, organizationally speaking. I made a plan! That's a start, right? I won't bore you with ALL the details, but part of that plan was my To Do list, which is already being crossed off.

I've "re-homed" quite a few things that shouldn't have been in the room in the first place, and I've begun purging items that are no longer used or sentimental enough to keep. It feels good to get rid of some clutter! I've already started thinking about which rooms are going to come under the wrath of the trash bag next, but I'm trying SO hard to just focus on this room before I get distracted and move to the next without finishing. Not that I have a tendency to do that or anything...um.

So here are a few shots of the progress so far.

The bookshelf has proven to be the hardest part so far. That is, of course, because I haven't even opened my filing cabinet yet. Eek. But in all seriousness, I'm a packrat at heart. As much as I hate clutter and want to not be bound by stuff, I have a really hard time letting certain things go. I mean, I had three shelves of books, many of which I will never read again. Take into account how many of those books I could simply add to my Kindle, and it just started seeming ridiculous. I'm pretty proud of myself because I forced myself to make quick decisions, which ultimately led me to finally get rid of this frame that I love only because I made it in college and was so proud of it at the time.

Yes, I had a slight obsession with Matthew McConaughey. And yes, I did just look up how to spell his last name.

I also uncovered multiple old journals and notebooks full of sermon notes and devotional thoughts, and wow. It's been interesting to see how far I've come in my emotional maturity, but it's been convicting to see where my spiritual maturity has plateaued or simply been put on hold. Thoughts for another post.

I'm liking this challenge so far! Having a weekly checkpoint is motivating me to work consistently, even if my before-and-afters aren't drastic yet. Slow and steady wins the race.

Gosh, I'm so cliche.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Y'all, I stinkin' rocked dinner tonight. Most of the new recipes we try (usually 2-3 a week because we're crazy) are from Pinterest, and this one did not disappoint!  It was a major hit, even with the two year old.

It's a copycat recipe of Panera's broccoli cheese soup, and I am in love. I found the original recipe here, but I'm posting my adaptation below. You really need to try this soup; you'll never go back to the canned variety. I promise.

(I obviously did not inherit the photographer genes.)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• ½ medium chopped onion
• ¼ cup melted butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 crowns fresh broccoli (don't be lazy and use frozen; fresh makes all the difference)
• 3 whole carrots, finely grated
• ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt 
• 8 ounces grated cheddar cheese (although you can never have too much cheese)

 DIRECTIONS

1. Sauté onion in butter. Set aside.
2. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half & half.
3. Add the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes.
5. Stir in cheese and seasoned salt.

This makes four servings, and while it made enough for our dinner, I'll make a double batch next time so I have some to freeze! I served it with halved sandwich rolls that I basted with garlic butter and toasted in the oven. It's going in our meal rotation for sure.

Landon: 8 Months

I swear, I just wrote Landon's 7 month post. But apparently he hit the 8 month mark on Tuesday, so here's what our sweet boy is up to these days!

• He's (still) big! I don't know stats because we don't own a scale and he doesn't go for another check up until next month, but he weighs over 20 pounds. He's comfortably in 12 month clothes and a size 3 diaper.

• He has 2 bottom teeth and none on top yet, although I really hope that the reason he's been so cranky this week is because he's about to change this fact and sprout some top teeth. 

• He said "mama" last week! He already says "dada" so at least now we've rounded it out a little. Avery told me that his next word is going to be "Avery." I told her that it seems like she should be next! (No reason to burst her little bubble, haha.) Landon has become a lot more vocal lately, and we love hearing his little voice experiment with all sorts of new sounds. He especially loves blowing raspberries on us.

• We are still going strong on the nursing front. I could probably write a whole blog post about this, but I've put it off for the sake of my male readers (aka my brothers). Anyway, Landon is a boob man. He rarely takes a bottle and hasn't had to eat formula at all. While I would never think less of moms who use formula (Avery did for most of her first year!), I'm really proud of this accomplishment. My original goal was 6 months, so now we've upped it to a year, although the biggest goal is to take cues for Landon as to when he should wean. Anyway. 

• I don't know if it's because he's breastfed, but this boy is just not that interested in baby food. He loves sweet potatoes and bananas. He'll sometimes eat peas, carrots, and applesauce. Maybe I'm just timing his meal times all wrong (i.e. waiting until he's too hungry), maybe I haven't been consistent enough in offering solids, or maybe he just wants to feed himself (he loves those dumb puffs that lack any sort of nutritional value). I'm kind of at a loss because Avery was such a champ when it came to eating solids. We're gonna attempt some non-pureed peas soon to see if it's just that he wants finger foods. Wish us luck! 

• Landon loves to go on walks with his sister and puppy. He just chills out in the front seat of our double stroller and watches the neighborhood!

• He's mobile, that's for sure. He doesn't "officially" crawl on all fours, but he can scoot himself anywhere he wants to go. And oh my goodness, I think this boy is going to walk soon. I am SO not ready for that, but he pulls himself up to standing every chance he gets, and he loves to walk around while we hold his hands. 

• He loves puzzles. Well, he loves to pull out the pieces while Avery freaks out that the pieces are supposed to stay in the puzzle. Fun times around here!

We love our sweet Lan Man! 

Avery: 2 and a half!

This little update is a month late, but I have to at least make an attempt to capture Avery in words because she is just too much. I always say that each age is my favorite, and this is no different. I (usually) love the independence and attitude spunk of this fun girl, and I'm guessing that her personality will just continue to get bigger. Granted, I'm a little nervous about the teen years, but here is what Avery is up to at

TWO AND A HALF

• She wears mostly 3T clothes, although 4T is kinda starting to fit, especially in length. The girl is tall! And she still usually lets me pick out her clothes, so I'm taking advantage of that while I can! She wears a size 8-9 toddler shoe and has been out of diapers for at least 8 months. 

• Avery loves to eat, especially FRUIT. Her fruits and vegetables are usually the first thing she devours on her plate. Unless there's bread. Bread always wins. That's my girl. :) And she loves cheese and yogurt. Seriously, she has a cheese-dar and magically seems to know when I'm grating cheese because as soon as I start, she's right at my heels asking for a piece. She really only drinks water or milk but occasional gets a juice box (hooray for Fruitables!).
• I think we're done with her high chair/booster seat thing. She pretty much refuses to sit in it anymore because she likes sitting in a "big chair" at the table. She stays in it though and isn't too distracted, so we don't really have a reason not to let her. She just looks so big in it!
• This little girl is SO verbal. And hilarious! She has us cracking up all the time. Go figure that I'm drawing a blank (I have to start writing stuff down!), but some of my favorite things she says are
• "I love you forever, even if you're stinky!"
• If someone says something she likes, she'll turn to whoever else is in the room and repeat it; you know, just in case they missed it the first time.
• "Hi, little buddy!" (to Landon, of course)

•  Avery is usually very sweet, but she is also a little spitfire! She likes to test the limits (especially if she's tired) to see what she can get away with. What I love about her though is her tender heart. She responds very well to correction and is quick to apologize and give sweet hugs. It's been interesting to see the development of her understanding of how her actions affect others. 

• She LOVES her friends. She's always talking about her friends at church and "school" and including them in her pretend play at home.

• Avery's still a huge Texas Rangers fan! But she also loves everything princess and Tinkerbell. She asks to watch Tangled daily and loves to play dress up.
• Our sleep "schedule" includes and afternoon nap (1.5 hours on average) and a 7:30-8:00 bedtime with a 7:00 wake up. Avery is SO sweet when she first wakes up! She did NOT get that from me, haha!

• She loves books and totally amazes me with her memorization of her favorites! After we read a book a few times, she tells me that she wants to read it to me. I was shocked to find that she actually could "read" me most of the book (most recently Curious George and the Birthday Surprise). Hooray for my little nerd! I loved reading when I was younger, so I hope she continues to love books. 

I really could go on and on with the fun stuff that Avery's doing these days. She acts much more like a preschooler than a toddler, so while I enjoy the "older" interaction and conversations we're able to have, it makes me a little sad that she's more big girl than baby now. Sigh, I guess that's the point of raising kids though!

We sure love this kid! And before I know it, we'll be planning her THIRD birthday party. Eek!

Keepin' it real. (Organizing Challenge)

Our study is the current organizational thorn in my side. I feel like there's always one room in our house that becomes the catch-all, and since we hardly even use our study these days, it's the designated throw-everything-in-and-close-the-door space.

Well, quite honestly our master bedroom has become that also, but 1) I'm working on it, and 2) I'm too embarrassed to share that with the world. I digress.

I was so excited to discover that OrgJunkie was bringing back her organizing challenge! I started off strong with her weekly challenge last year, but I gave up a couple months in. I'm hoping that the shorter time frame will help keep me on track this month. I need some accountability!

Plus, I'm a little really competitive, and there are PRIZES involved. Okay, I'm in.

And maybe I should say, I'm in for it. Sheesh, check out this mess!

Oh goodness, this is embarrassing. Outgrown baby toys, rarely used exercise ball, empty boxes...

I'm not a huge fan of these heavy curtains, but this room is at the front of our house and has a huge window, which makes for a heating and cooling nightmare. I'm up for suggestions as to an alternative for the black mess of fabric. That box of blankets used to be in the living room. And hi, Mr. Giraffe!

Oy. I don't even want to think about how much dust has collected around this nightmare. Like my stack of t-shirts? I'm in the middle of making a t-shirt quilt and have gotten a little, um, sidetracked. And while I love that shelf on the wall, I do not love the tacky souvenirs sitting atop it. Except the Dracula mask. That can stay.

Sigh. Just sigh. This was supposed to be Avery's art area, but it is already out of control. I need labeled containers, a better fitting work table, and less white space between the table and bulletin board. That bulletin board could use a little organization while I'm at it.

I obviously have a lot of work to do, so I'm off to sketch out a plan of attack. We need to really decide what we want out of this space. Work room? Play room? Guest room (haha)? All of the above?

Check back on Fridays this month when I give updates, and really check back on the 29th to see a totally transformed (and hopefully functional) study!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Birthdays are always best when they last an entire weekend!

On Friday Matt was working late, so I took the kids over to my parents' house for dinner, and then Matt picked me up for our movie date. We actually went to Target first to pick up a prescription and walk around. You know, because we know how to live it up. Anyway, I had been wanting to see Beauty and the Beast since the day I heard it was coming back to theaters, but once we got to the ticket booth, I couldn't bring myself to spend an extra $6 on 3D tickets when I've seen the movie a kajillion times and own the DVD. So we saw One for the Money instead. I thought it was cute. Apparently all the critics thought it was the worst movie they've ever seen. I'm glad I didn't know that ahead of time. Anyway, it was better than the book and was a fun way to spend our evening.

Landon liked Uncle Nick!!!

I have no shame.

We went to breakfast (for free! thanks to a birthday coupon and gift card) at Ihop on Saturday morning before Matt had his men's lunch at church. Check out the awesome table we decorated.

Oh, that smile!!

Melt. Love these two.

The ideas were Matt's, the execution was mine. We're a good team.

We met up with my parents, Brittany, Aaron, Chelsea, and baby Evie at Chuy's, aka my favorite restaurant ever, for dinner. One word, Chuychanga with deluxe tomatillo sauce. Oops, that was five words. Yum.

My parents are the coolest.

Avery with her Aunt Chelsea and almost-Aunt (in May!) Brittany

Bro.

I think they like Evie. And one of these days I'll get a picture of her face!

Sunday was my actual birthday, and we had a great day at church. Landon was back to his happy self (no more sickness?!?) and he even slept the whole time Ms. Patsy had him in the nursery! (The only reason this is a big deal is that he usually goes napless at church, which leads to a very frustrating rest of the day.) My mom is awesome and made me tilapia, awesome green beans, and potato casserole for lunch, complete with cinnamon roll cake for dessert.

Two things make me laugh about this picture: 1) Allison took it and it's blurry. 2) Mom looks like she wants to help me blow out the candles.

See? Happy baby!

This had to be shared because it went like this: "Allison, you look like a hippie." "That's the point. (Wipeout.)" So funny. Maybe you had to be there...

Getting in a game of washers on a GORGEOUS day

Aw, I have so many memories on that fort, and I love that Avery loves it, too. What I bet she didn't love, however, was how much time it took for Matt to dig out all the splinters out of her hands when we got home. Oops.

Matt made homemade pizza for dinner, and then our friends Megan and Deke came over to watch The Help with us after the kids went to bed. We may have also enjoyed even more dessert (thanks to Megan and my sweet neighbor Brooke) and an adult beverage. It was the perfect way to end the weekend.

The kids were super sweet this week, and it even continued through today when we did our grocery shopping. They were so good that I was even able to make a stop at Walmart (after two grocery stops!) to pick up a bunch of over-the-door shoe organizers, with which I am going to attack some closets with a vengeance. And they're still napping, so I'm off to be productive! Have a great week!

Friday Five

1. We've been sickish around here this week. It's mostly Landon and me feeling icky, so the two of us are trying to get lots of rest. It's mostly cold stuff, and who can blame us since the temperature outside keeps going from 50 one day to 70 the next and back and forth every day!

2. Wednesday night was the only night this week I've been up past 9 (that's when you know I'm sick because I'm rarely in bed before midnight!), but Landon woke up at 11:30 and wouldn't go back to sleep until 1:30. I'm convinced that during our two hour bonding session he said Mama. At first I thought it was just a fluke, but he said it a lot when he was looking at me, so I decided that was my reward for staying up with him, haha. He's said it since, so I think it's for real!

3. I bought Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close on my Kindle last night, and I'm so excited to read it! I've had it on my list for months now, so I decided to finally just buy it so I could go see the movie after I finish. I'm only on the second chapter though because my Tylenol PM kicked in a little earlier than I anticipated.

4. Our vet had to close his practice and I am devastated. He had an accident on the job and then had some complications from a surgery, so he's recovering in Hawaii. I know it's ridiculous, but I think our vet is the doctor that we're most attached to! He's an old hippie type with long, curly hair who wears Hawaiian scrubs and goes barefoot in his clinic. He loves animals (obviously), but he and his staff really know everyone who takes their animals there, and when you're there, you feel like you're with friends. He shoots straight with you and doesn't charge an arm an a leg for his excellent care. Meg's due for her rabies shot, and I still can't decide where I want to take her. I think I'm in denial.

5. It's my birthday weekend, so we have some fun stuff planned. I'm turning twenty eight on Sunday. That is just bizarre to me. I never remember how old I am because I feel like I stopped actually getting older at 23. Let's hope that's not when I peaked! Have a great weekend!