Quick Takes #253: Post-op Reflections and Lenten Plans

1. Caitlin two weeks post surgery is doing well. Overall it went very smoothly; the staff was kind and worked with her very well. Her recovery was up and down but mostly the medicine regiment they recommended worked well and with encouragement she was willing to drink. All about the popsicles to start, now ice cream is the fave.  Another funny memory will be the day she was very reluctant to drink but ate 3 mozzarella sticks at a birthday dinner for a friend.
2. She is actually home from school today complaining of a very stiff neck but I believe we are coming to the end of the acute recovery period. The key question being if she actually sleeps better and snores less after all of this.
3. Was happy to see that Jess Ptomey is again hosting a Catholic Reading challenge this year. Am not sure that I'm up for another reading challenge but given the first category is the same as the MMD challenge 'read a classic' perhaps I can find enough overlap to make it doable.
4. Last Sunday went very well for two of the teams we root for in the house.  The Super Bowl will hopefully prove to be a lot of fun with very little downside.
5. I've found that a guided devotional really helps my prayer life in Lent and this year I ordered the Take Up and Read.  It arrived earlier this week and is thick, beautiful and I'm very optimistic about what it will bring to my observance of Lent this year.
6. Somewhere in the past week this little blog of mine had a blogaversary and marked 9 years since it's starting. Thank you to all those who have read, commented and encouraged me to keep writing in my corner of the blogosphere!
7. This weekend kicks off Catholic School Week here and the kids are excited for us to see the various projects in preparation for the Open House.

Have a  good weekend and please head over to Kelly's for more 7QT's!

Organizing the kids room in less than 30 minutes

A Guest Post by Sophia Evans while I cuddle the little patient.

Organize the kids' room in less than 30 minutes

Organizing your children’s room quickly and efficiently is something we all desire. Kids are kids, they make a mess, it is inevitable. They do not have that sense of keeping their environment clean and organized, and sometimes it seems as if they enjoy the chaos, the clutter and the “hundred” of toys splattered all over the room. There is a quick and effective way that you can declutter your children’s room in less than 30 minutes and make it well organized to your liking. A chore that usually takes around an hour or so can be done in half the time if you follow a simple cleaning procedure that isn’t just efficient, but also time-saving and quite satisfying.

You should start off by making the bed. It can serve as an excellent work place to put stuff on and sort them through.

Continue by gathering all the clothes splattered across the room. Stained, dirty or clean just gather them and put them all in the washing machine. Being the number one culprit of clutter, unorganized clothes can give you the feeling of chaotic and cluttered atmosphere. Sort through all the clothes and organize them well in the closets or drawers. It shouldn’t take you a whole lot of time to take them all at once and stuff them into the washing machine.

Consider organizing all of the clothes in a pattern. Arrange a distinct and separate place for every type of clothing. T-shirts with t-shirt, trousers with trousers and so on. It is a good way to organize a closet or a drawer. It is also easier for your child to find whatever piece of clothing he needs, without taking most of them out and making an unnecessary mess.

Try to pick up all the stuff laying on the floor, most of which are probably toys and other unnecessary junk items. Take two boxes and fill them up. One of them fill with toys that are still in one piece, the other with broken ones and other spoiled and wrecked good that should go straight to the trash can.

Always keep a few boxes at hand for situations like this. It is definitely the fastest way of picking up toys and storing them together so that they do not turn into obstacles while trying to organize your kid’s room.

It might be helpful to install additional shelfs, boxes, or other storage places. You can either make them yourself by using items, you have found around the house, or buy them from the store. Additional storage place will definitely increase the organizing process and make it easier for you to declutter, sort out and rearrange.

Once you have decluttered most of the room and you have made space to walk freely without toys and other items getting in the way, you should consider a quick sweep and a vacuuming of the area. Very often while cleaning and dusting off, we tend to move items and place them where they are supposed to be. It is a very effective way to kill two birds with one stone.

A quick organizing scheme (30 minutes) can be as effective and efficient as a whole hour of work or even more. Knowing what to do, following a plan, simple consistency in your actions can result in faster results, but just as effective. Nowhere does it say that you should spend hours organizing, a plan coupled with a little preparation can save you lots of time, once you pick up the pace and get used to the new organizing scheme, you should be alright.

Quick Takes #252 Happy New Year

Longwood Garden from our December visit.

1. How is everyone? Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We did ~ safely made it to Maine before the worst of the ice storm hit and then got to hunker down cozy warm. The kids actually did great going to Mass twice on Sunday and the liturgies were lovely

2. During our week at my MIL we were able to get in lots of visiting as many of Dr Daddy's extended family were able to stop by for overnight visits. Lots of quality cousin time for the kids ~ and lots of new stuff to play with!

3. We rounded out the week with an Anniversary lunch and shopping trip and our traditional NYE fondue dinner. The year Lisbeth made it to midnight (largely by playing Minecraft with her twin/cousin)!

4. The snowstorm last week meant that the kids only went to school once the first week of January, so this week found us a bit rusty at the whole school routine but the general warming pattern did help.

5. On Monday Caitlin turned 5 and opted for Elana of Avalor decorations plus some Unicorn stuff, bringing Munchkins to school and a unicorn cake at home to mark the occasion!!

6. I owe her a real birthday post soon but as the other excitement of the week for her was parting with her tonsils I'm deferring writing in favor of cuddling her at the moment. Prayers and good thoughts welcome.

7. Have a  good weekend!!

Please head over to Kelly's for more 7QT's.

What I'm (probably) reading in 2018

In the end I just can't quit the MMD challenge! Since I have also challenged myself to read thirty books this year I figured there would still be a lot of 'off-roading' even with trying to fulfill these twelve categories.

Inspired by our host's post I thought I would share what I'm thinking of reading this year.

A classic you’ve been meaning to read: Am currently reading A Room with a View.
A book recommended by someone with great taste: The Awakening of Miss Prim got some many raves I knew I had to give it try (currently reading).

A book in translation: Haven't decided
A book nominated for an award in 2018: TBD

A book of poetry, a play, or an essay collection: • Envelope Poems, by Emily Dickinson or A Small Porch, by Wendell Berry

A book you can read in a day: The Penderwicks 
A book recommended by a librarian: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

A book that’s more than 500 pages: A Team of Rivals or The Summer Queen (or maybe both)

A book by a favorite author: This category was easy—just not sure which author yet.

A banned book: Not really sure but thinking Of Mice and Men.
A memoir, biography, or book of creative nonfiction: Traveling Mercies or All is Grace.

What is on your reading list this year?