About Dana

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I'm a dichotomy of blue jeans, pretty jewelry, frugalista, and Southern girl living the simple rural life. I want to live my life holistically, thoughtfully, economically, and most of all gratefully, and encourage other women to do the same.

Friday, February 4, 2011

World's Messiest Office

World's Messiest Office

I think I may have the world's most unorganized office. It's my home office - for bill paying, designing lesson plans for homeschooling, grading papers, blogging, and surfing the internet. It's also my work office - for writing articles (and a book), corresponding and working with public relations clients, and managing two businesses' books and marketing initiatives.
My issue is lack of time. Am I sure? Yes, because the rest of my house doesn't look nearly this bad!
What happens? There is always something to do, someone waiting on something. And I always choose to do that over clean my office.

As you can see, there are files on the floor. I'm ashamed to say some of these may be up to three years old.

I'm always looking for ideas to straighten up this mess. Hit me with them!

Just don't expect much from me until I get past tax season!

Love,
TCB (from my embarrassing office - yes, I'm sitting here now)

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Handy Kitchen Tip

If you’re like me, I’m always looking for handy tips that make my life easier and my chores faster. Here’s one I’m sure I read about somewhere years ago, but for the life of me I can’t remember where.

When washing dishes that have food particles clinging on them, like scrambled eggs or grated cheese, first rinse the dish in cool or cold water before washing it. Submerging it straight into hot water “cooks” the food onto the pan, making cleanup a lot tougher. I used this tip twice today – after breakfast’s scrambled eggs and to clean my food processor bowl after grating cheese for supper’s casserole.

Less elbow grease and less time=a happy Country Belle.

Happy cleaning (an oxymoron?).
'Til next time.
TCB

Monday, January 31, 2011

Funny Things Kids Say

When you’re a (semi) stay-at-home mom like me who begins homeschooling at some point, you spend LOTS of time with your children. More time than anyone else, to be sure. And you hear some HILARIOUS things along the way out of the mouths of your babies. Thankfully, my husband and I (OK, mostly my husband – but I did contribute) wrote down some of these entertaining and sometimes side-splitting expressions.

We’ll never forget our then 5-year-old son saying, “Mom, I don’t want to wear flannel to school. Flannel is for pictures and fancy restaurants.” Reckon we’ve raised a country boy?

I’ve always required a neatly made bed before the day starts, even when we started homeschooling. I knew if I didn’t make my son take care of it first thing in the morning, it would fall to me later in the day. And I REALLY don’t need anything else to do.

It’s probably no surprise he often rebelled at bed-making, faking illness or complaining to try and get out of the job. I remember once he said, “Ouch, ouch, ouch. I do NOT like making up this bed! It is hurtful in every way.” I think it mostly hurt his laziness bone.

We laugh at our funny children. It makes doing the hard things – like taking away their privileges or punishing them when they misbehave – a little easier along the way.


Hey, sometimes they just look funny.

Love,
TCB