Working With What I've Got

I don't think I'm any different than anyone else when I say that I felt more than a little stressed about setting goals for myself at the-end-of-2011-going-into-2012. I never think of them as “New Year's resolutions” simply because the connotation in my head for resolutions is their inevitable and swift demise; what Mary Poppin's describes as “pie-crust-promises: easily made, easily broken”. But there's actually nothing inherently wrong with a resolution since it literally means, “a firm decision to do or not to do something”, which is actually what I think of a goal being. So, apparently calling it a goal or a resolution is just semantics.

But I digress...

I felt stress making resolutions for 2012. It's not news here that I try to approach life within the balance of changing what isn't wholly beneficial while accepting imperfections as part of living. But when I stared the clean slate of 2012 in the face and tried to think of how to make it somehow better or more – or even less imperfect, perhaps? - than 2011, I just felt discouraged. That's it, discouraged; completely without courage to formulate the formula for improvement. If I knew how to bring about the positive change that would be my goal for 2012, wouldn't I have done it in 2011? Who would I be kidding if I said 2012 would be any different? All the same shortcomings and deficits in my person that had existed in the last one would still come into a new year.  Staring at the yet-to-be-discovered year of 2012, all I saw was the stuff that I failed at in 2011.

Le sigh. No wonder I felt stress.

I definitely think that part of what I like to call “reflecting rightly” requires looking at the fullness of things; discerning the good and the bad, the whole truth of a thing or person or situation. But on occasion that assessing looks less like discernment and more like harsh judgment, and never more so than towards myself. In contemplating what my goals would be for 2012, it seemed every failed goal of 2011 - each financial woe, all relational conflicts, the glaring behavioral flaws of myself or the kids I parent - was all I could see. And though I knew that all the wrongs of 2011 did not, could not, rest squarely on my shoulders, somehow the weight of them seemed to. The awareness of my faults – and the gross magnification thereof – lured me into feeling like the sole proprietor of the Little Shop of Shortfalls.

But then I snapped out of it. THEN, I reflected rightly...

I got to thinking – instead of feeling, for pete's sake – about it all. 2011 was a good year, like all of our years are. It had great stuff in it, like all of our years do. It had crap in it, like all of our years do. I did awesome and stunk it up, like I always do.

Get over it. Get up. Fail forward.

A year or so ago, the prince among men that is my father, gave us kidlets and kidlets-in-law a book called StrengthsFinder. Though its novelty should not be so, it is a hugely unique and innovative tool for approaching goal-setting and life-living. What is so different about it is that it starts from the place of your strengths and builds on them.

Rather than putting a magnifying glass to my faults and flaws, why not start at the places that are strong? In fact what if the things I am good at, the places of my strength, were allowed to overshadow the weaknesses? What if the strengths were given such support and reinforcement that they became strong enough to improve or diminish or eradicate the failings? What if I believed that this non-cookie-cutter, unique, one-of-a-kind person I am was created by God on purpose to be just that . . . me?

I believe in a three-personed God. I believe in God the Father. I believe in Jesus. I believe in the Holy Spirit. And I believe that I need this triune God to help me every step of the way. I know there is a supernatural needed in my natural. But I have to stop refusing to see that the person He so meticulously and intricately and thoroughly created me as was done by Him intentionally, with a wealth of strengths He wants to build up and build on.

Now that is a resolution: to stop starting from my weaknesses and to begin starting from my God-given strengths. It's different. In fact, it is a paradigm shift. But apparently, my top strength tested out as being adaptability, so that should help.

So let's get crackin' . . .

Bouncin' and Behavin'

Since I know all of you are waiting with bated breath for instructions on all-natural, shampoo-free hair care -- or perhaps none of you -- I have this enlightening post for you today.

This information is made possible by a contribution from my dear friend Burnsy. She and I worked together about a decade ago, not realizing then that we were at the precipice of a lifelong friendship. We are usually separated by quite a lot of miles, seeing each other only a handful of times over these years. But the physical distance in no way parallels my affinity and outright love for her.

She's increbibly talented and a consummate professional in her field. Her career requires some atypical things of her hair, so when I found out she had sought out and found a natural, user-friendly, and economical hair care regimen that still left her hair looking good, I was all on it like white on rice.

Here's what she has to say:

Ok, I promised this info to Jessi weeks ago, but better late than never!! This is my current routine, devised from the "Curly Girl" hair care advice and adjusted for my now straight hair (thanks to pregnancy...). **NOTE: This note is not for the faint of heart. Read only if you have a serious bent towards the natural and hippie-esque.**

The thing to know before changing your routine is the cycle of "wash, condition, repeat" that shampoo companies have gotten us into. Simply put:

1. The main ingredient in standard shampoos is Sodium Laureth Sulfate. This is a harsh cleansing agent that essentially strips your hair and scalp not only of dirt and excess oil, but of ALL oils. This disrupts the natural balance of your scalp. (Note: SLS is also the main ingredient of dish soap. Squeaky clean is good for dishes, bad for hair and skin!)
2. In order to restore moisture to squeaky clean hair, you need to condition. Standard conditioners usually include ingredients like Dimethicone, which coats the hair with "moisture" but can only be removed with - you guessed it - Sodium Laureth Sulfate. If you condition with a "-cone" conditioner and don't use a Sulfate shampoo, you get build-up and your hair looks limp and lifeless.
3. A good Sulfate wash strips away the bad -cones, and the cycle starts all over again. No matter how expensive a product is, if it contains sulfates or -cones, you'll get stuck in this cycle.

So, how to break the cycle?? And what in the world can you use to wash your hair??

Let's start with the 2nd question. Basically, here's the rule: Make sure everything you put on your hair is water-soluble.

For WASHING:

Level 1: The most important thing needed for a clean scalp is a good scrub. Use your fingertips under running water to give your scalp a good massage, making sure to cover your whole head and really get under your hair. Rinse with warm water. Most days, that will be enough!

Level 2: If you've been camping, working outside, exercising, etc., you may need a bit more help. Use a pea- to dime-sized dollop of CONDITIONER (see below for which kind) and use that while scrubbing as you would for a "water wash." Rinse well.

Level 3: Every couple of weeks you may need to clarify your hair to give it a boost. For this we turn to our old friends, baking soda and apple cider vinegar!
- Add 1 tsp (ish) of baking soda to your dollop of conditioner and scrub as you would for a Level 2 wash. Rinse completely.
- Rinse your hair again using a mixture of 1 Tbsp ACV per Cup of cool water. This will close the hair folicle and restore the pH. Follow with conditioner.

For CONDITIONING:

Get used to reading labels. A good place to start is the Suave Naturals line of conditioners. A big bottle is usually less than $2, and it's totally water-soluble. I prefer the Aloe & Waterlilly or Tropical Coconut. Organic conditioners are also water-soluble, but more expensive, i.e., Burt's Bees, Alba.

To condition: Take a good palm-full of conditioner and work through your hair, including your scalp. Rinse with COLD water if you can stand it. (I do this but turning my head upside down in the shower; water gets my hair but not my body... mostly.)

That's it!! Cheap, mostly natural hair care.

So, how to get started? The first couple weeks might be serious ponytail or hat time as your natural oils come back, but it will be worth it in the long run to tough it out.

1. First step: one final SLS shampoo to get rid of all the build-up.
2. Then give you hair a good dousing with a non-"cone" conditioner (see above).
3. Rinse with cold water.
4. Carry on your merry way!

You'll have to experiment to find the best balance that works for you! For me, I water wash and condition every other day, codish-wash once a week, and Clarify once a month. That may change when the baby's born, but for now, I've got good shiny hair - for CHEAP!!

As for products, I still use some to control frizz, but that is complete trial and error. Again, just make sure things are water-soluble so they rinse out when you do a water wash. I'm still spending $14/bottle on a good gel, but it now lasts me over a year. When it runs out, I'll explore the cheap drugstore products in this awesome list.

And there you have it. Pretty awesome, huh? You can see her curly hair at the top of the post and her straight hair here.

I have been using this regimen for my own hair for nearly two weeks and I LOVE it. Also, I can tend to struggle with dandruff, but I have had none since starting this. I mean, NONE. Here's my most recent pic since making the switch. It's certainly not one of my better days, but the hair is clean and shiny and not plastered to my head with oil as I was afraid it might be. I say give it a try. You most assuredly don't have anything to lose and may find out you have fabulous, luxurious hair naturally without having to strip out and then add back to it a sundry skunah. (What? Everybody doesn't say "skunah"?)

In parting, I leave you with some amazing photos of Burnsy doing what she does, opera. Yeah. She's kind of a big deal now. But then again, I've always known that.

P.S. ACB, easier to get forgiveness than permission for ganking your pictures? Please forgive me. I'm proud of you.


in the part of Yum-Yum, production of The Mikado, Arizona Opera 2008


far left, in the part of one of the The Nymphs, production of Ariadne auf Naxos, Metropolitan Opera 2010


production of Candide, Wolf Trap Opera Company 2008 (and yes, that is this fella)


production of Le Nozze di Figaro, Opera Grand Rapids 2008 (and that fine-looking gentleman with her, in the immortal words of Beyonce, "put a ring on it" and they were married one year later)


...and the lovely pair preparing for the role of their lifetimes...parenthood.

Recalibrating The Eggdicator: The Demise of Veruca Salt

I'm distracted.

Yes. Again.

How about a little stream-of-consciousness-bullet-point-prose as a sampling of said distracted-ful-ness-er-ilation?
-I want chickens. Live ones. With their own coop and run in the back yard. Laying eggs aplenty for our FabFive. ("atleast a hundred a day...and by the way...")
-I want mulch.
-I want to build, prepare, and plant raised garden beds.
-I want to buy lots of flowers and shrubs and trees and put them in the ground.
-I want ten pounds of worms for vermiculture.
-I want the garage cleaned out.
-I want the garage closed in.
-I want hardwood laminate throughout the house.
-I want a minivan.
-I want the idiot on the Kawasaki motorcycle to stop speeding up and down my road everyday.
-I want everyone to stop piling stuff on the piano when they walk in the door.
-I want Brilliant Beauty to take more responsibility with helping around Quaint Cottage.
-I want Little Big Man to put his bodily refuse in the toilet.
-I want to be about four clothing sizes smaller.
-I want to blog with amazing consistency, full of amazing content that's amazingly insightful.
-I want to wait and see and be patient and faithful and rightly focused and trust God for the "if" or timing of all of this stuff.
-I want to make it all happen myself, put it all on credit, and let it eat.

"I want it NOW!!!"

Sheesh, and Good Grief.

Some of this stuff is just wants. Some of it may qualify as a need (until you look around in comparison at the millions of others that do with less than we've already got). I don't feel condemned or guilty for wanting any of it, but I do feel frustrated; about not having it, about spending too much time thinking about it, about maybe never getting it.

Here's a definition: Contentment - the state of desiring no more than one already has; satisfied.

Sigh.

Big sigh.

Hmm. Really, I want to be content.

You can't buy that on credit.

Shakespeare said, "Poor and content is rich and rich enough". And Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Poor.
Content.
Poor plus content.
Poor (in spirit) equals heiress to a kingdom.

So I don't have everything on my list, but does that qualify me as "poor in spirit"? Here's how one theologian describes "poor in spirit": "In our more honest moments, we recognize our profound neediness, our intellectual limitations, our spiritual inadequacy, our moral failures. In our helplessness, we turn to God. Our response of gratitude and trust, itself a grace, means that the kingdom of heaven is ours". Another adds, "Blessed are those who are convinced of their basic dependency on God, whose lives are emptied of all that doesn't matter, those for whom the riches of this world just aren't that important. The kingdom of God is theirs."

How's that for a winnowing project?

Paul, having the change in his pocket to speak of such things since he lived a life that ranged from highest rank and robe to that of a prisoner serving a protracted sentence, wrote, "I am not complaining about having too little. I have learned to be satisfied with whatever I have. I know what it is to be poor or to have plenty, and I have lived under all kinds of conditions. I know what it means to be full or to be hungry, to have too much or too little. Christ gives me the strength to face anything."

Nope. Can't buy that on credit. And sometimes, it's hard-won.

But, oh, satisfaction.

A Lucky Poor (E. Peterson)
A beech tree in winter, white
intricacies unconcealed
against sky blue and billowed
clouds, carries in his emptiness
ripeness: sap ready to rise
on signal, buds alert to burst
to leaf. And then after a season
of summer a lean ring to remember
the lush fulfilled promises.
Empty again in wise poverty
that let's the reaching branches stretch
a millimetre more towards heaven,
the bole expand ever so slightly
and push roots into the firm
foundation, lucky to be leafless:
deciduous reminder to let it go.

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare."

Look at what I already have. Enough is as good as a feast.

Who Takes Pictures Of Their Groceries?

Um, that would be me.

Not always. Just this time.

In another move of utter self-exposure, I am telling (or showing) you exactly what I got at the grocery store(s) yesterday. There is actually a point to this.

One of the entities I perpetually try to winnow is our budget. Well, let's be honest. Perpetually is definitely a wrong word choice. It evokes in my mind images of constancy; toiling without letting up until something's accomplished or achieved. I whimsically buy enough overpriced 20-ounce beverages when I'm out and about, lah-dee-dah, to rule out using "perpetually" to describe my budget-winnowing efforts. So to be a realist about it let's replace perpetually with "frequently".

Okay, whatever. I frequently try to winnow our budget, looking for where we can cut cost or spend less, or even shift spending from one area to another. And I love when the trying actually materializes into doing and we find new ways to loosen up some funds we may be wasting or overlooking or putting towards the wrong things. My SisterFriend isn't much different (of course, we do share DNA). Along these same goal lines, she started the epic adventure of extreme couponing around two months ago. She is pysching all of us out with her ridiculous savings and huge hauls of depletable resources for her zoocrew of six to use. Her kids have recently commented on her couponing adventures saying the deals are so good it's like she flat-out stole the stuff.

Alas, as is often sometimes the case with siblings, I took the ol' big sister's cues and started my own journey into the vast dimension of couponing. Believe me, it is another dimension and I hear Twilight Zone music every time, but it's starting to pay off.

I have no desire, and even less the energy needed to explain all of the ins and outs of couponing methods (Ma Luffin' Mayun is out of town for this from Tuesday through Sunday, thus leaving me with...well, everything...thus the lack of energy, verily I say unto thee). I certainly can do that at a later time if any of you show interest. But I do want to just whet your appetites to see what an awesomely great couponing experience can look like and result in.

If you enjoy the recap, thank you, thank you very much. If you don't, blame it on SisterFriend. She started it.

Let me show you everything I got. Then I'll tell you what I spent.

FRUITS & VEGETABLES
19 bags of fresh-frozen veggies

2 bunches of fresh asparagus
3 cartons of prewashed sliced mushrooms
3 heads of broccolli
2 bunches of bananas
5 cameo apples (and since they're cameo apples they came with a free bright red thingy that I'm not sure what to do with...here's how this dude decided to use his...and a cassette tape of "Word Up!")

DAIRY PRODUCTS
1 dozen eggs
2 gallons of milk
2 blocks of natural cheddar cheese
26 containers of yogurt

BREAD
6 loaves of wheat bread
4 bags of pita bread

MEATS
2 icky, disgusting lunchables Brilliant Beauty couldn't be more thrilled about
3 packages of sirloin steak
4 packages of all-natural boneless, skinless chicken breast
4 packages all-natural sandwich meat

PANTRY MISCELLANY
1 bottle extra virgin olive oil (I can't call it "evoo". Actually, I refuse. I also can't pay $137 for a bottle of it just because Rachael Ray's face is plastered on it. Uh, oh. Did I just alienate some readers? Do I have readers? Did he just call himself "the talent"?)
1 bottle vegetable oil
5 cans soup (I actually think I lost a can somewhere between Here and There)
2 boxes instant oatmeal
2 pouches single-use dried potatoes

FROZEN NONSENSE (a little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men)
5 bags frozen biscuits
2 bags cinnamon rolls
2 bags mini cinnamon rolls

JUNK (read: What My Butt Won't Thank Me For Later But My Us-es Will)
2 boxes of brownie mix
2 bags of cookie mix
3 cake mixes
3 cake frostings
2 2-pack single serve desserts
4 packages of ready-to-bake cookies
2 bags of flavored snack mix
2 boxes of crunchy granola bars
2 boxes of popcorn
5 boxes of chewy granola bars
1 bag of tortilla chips

TOILETRIES
3 bars of kid soap
4 containers of floss
4 deodorants

HOUSEHOLD SUPPLIES
4 bottles of dish soap
1 box of trash bags

Pretty good looking pile o' stuff. I shopped at Kroger and Publix. Here's my spending breakdown per store:
Publix
$125.99 total retail value
$ 58.28 total spent
$ 67.71 total saved
That's a savings of 54% off of the retail value.

Kroger
$207.91 total retail value
$108.33 total spent
$ 99.88 total saved
That's a savings of 49% off of the retail value.

My combined totals are:
106 items
$333.90 total retail value
$166.61 total spent
$167.59 total saved
That's a savings of 50% off of the retail value.

Wowzers. I saved more than I spent, and stuck within the amount I wanted to spend on groceries. And actually, $166.61 is LESS than what we have been spending the last several months on groceries without couponing, buying virtually nothing name brand, and absolutely not stockpiling any items. Nice.

So I've winnowed some grocery cost. I aim to get even better at it. I know I can reduce the spending even more as I figure out what I'm doing a little more in this surreality of couponing.

How about you? Are you saving money in some way? Saving time? Winnowing your own "too much" of something, making room and space for something better? Let me hear from you.

P.S. Laundry's backed up. Dishes are dirty. I'm stepping over toys and clothing the us-es seem to teleport out of. BUT my pantry's full.

Don't despise the process...

Frugal Friday

It's been a busy week, but I can't put my finger exactly on what made it so busy. Just life, really. Ma Luffin' Mayun had a huge event this past weekend, gone from Friday to Sunday with 600 teenagers (gulp), so there was family time to catch up on. Brilliant Beauty had her first project to complete for her SCOPE class. Little Big Man is progressing well on the PottyTrain, and Pretty Baby is eating Jethro portions of homemade fruit and veggie dishes and cereals. All the while clothes are being worn, dishes are being used, and toys are being strewn to and fro.

Phew. Maybe I can put my finger on what made the week so busy.

A long time ago, even before I ever actually did it, I decided I wanted to make my own cleaning products to be used around the house. I have a few reasons:
-I wanted products that aren't laced with chemicals that could potentially hurt these babies we continue to add to the family. I may not be able to explain the harmful effects of each unpronounceable chemical in the store-bought products, but if they burn your eyes and singe your nose hairs I'm thinking it doesn't hurt to replace them.
-In my staunch stubbornness to not spend the money, I am always determined to find ways to just do or make things myself. I once again refuse to spend a huge chunk of the ol' paycheck on over-priced cleaning supplies. Now that I know a little more what I am doing in the cleaning-product-making department, I know I'll NEVER spend the money on the store-bought stuff. (P.S. why are the foods and products that are best for EVERYONE so flipping expensive? Probably because we'll pay, we who have lost the art of thinking through, growing, preparing, and using the stuff on our own...but I'll climb that soapbox on another day, perhaps.)
-I like to do the mixin' (read: pretend to be a scientist).
-It's extremely gratifying to look at the finished product(s), use them, watch them achieve their intended purpose, and know I made them with stuff I had right in my pantry.

I took some time this morning to mix up new batches of my standard cleaning products, so I thought I would take you on a little tour, show you what goes in them and how incredibly easy they are to make. Too bad we don't have smell-o-blog because they also smell super great.

Let me first say I have picked up cleaner recipes here and there for years from books, the internet, and friends. My eternal and golden pal WagStat has been in similar pursuits for years and started a blog of her findings and sometimes foibles as she works towards "green"ery that's just her right fit.

Here's my little army of cleaners. Don't they look like a formation of soldiers standing at attention?


In order from left to right they are:
window cleaner
mildew remover
heavy-duty cleaner
all-purpose cleaner


Here are my recipes for each product. If you're like me, you'll have at least a vague recollection from childhood of these ingredients being used to clean. Again, I am not original, nothing is new under the sun, and women and men smarter and wiser figured out the uses of these items long before me. These are just my recipes.

window cleaner
You need: one spray bottle (I got mine for $1.00 and it has measuring marks down the side which is helpful when mixing proportions), white vinegar, essential oil (whatever smell you like), water

Mix the following:
50% white vinegar
50% water
30 drops of essential oil

Shake it up, and there you go. That's all you need. I will say that even with the essential oil this stuff still smells pretty vinegary, but it is an excellent cleaner (I remember Tunan using vinegar and newspaper to clean windows and mirrors when I was a kid. I think of that when I use this).

mildew remover
You need: one spray bottle, hydrogen peroxide, water

Mix the following:
1 part hydrogen peroxide
2 parts water

Shake it up. Spray this on anything with mildew (window seals, kitchen, bath), let it sit for fifteen to thirty minutes, and then wipe away. Works great.

heavy-duty cleaner
You need: one spray bottle, borax, liquid soap, essential oil, water

Mix the following:
*1/2 cup borax
2 tablespoons liquid soap
10 drops essential oil
water - enough to fill bottle to the fill-line

Shake it up. This cleaner is really good for the tougher-to-clean messes around the house, great for greasy messes, and for thoroughly cleaning places that tend to get the dirtiest like bathrooms.

all-purpose cleaner
You need: one spray bottle, liquid soap, essential oil, water

Mix the following:
2 tablespoons liquid soap
20 drops essential oil
water - enough to fill bottle to the fill-line

We use this for EVERYTHING around Quaint Cottage; counters, tables, walls...you name it.

Here's one more product that I use. This is a scouring paste.

I use this when I need to scour a surface. It works great in combination with the window cleaner because the vinegar reacts with the baking soda, making fizzy cleaning goodness (that is the scientific explanation of the chemical reaction, I'm quite sure).

scouring paste
You need: one wide-mouthed mason jar, box of baking soda, liquid soap, water (you can scent it with essential oil if you like)

Mix the following in a bowl:
box of baking soda
3 tablespoons liquid soap
2 tablespoons water

Combine all of these until it forms a nice paste. Transfer it to the mason jar. Just scoop out what you need when you need it (I just use my hand to scoop it out). That's all there is to it.


Here's a little more miscellaneous information . . .
I use liquid castile soap and I love it. It goes a super long way in the amounts I'm using it, is scented with all kinds of great natural fragrances, and completely safe for all the us-es. This link also includes a recipe for using castile soap in an automatic dishwasher. I just discovered it, and we'll be making a batch of that soon. One of my bottles is scented with lavender, and the other with tea tree oil. I actually didn't use the essential oils this time because the soap smelled so good by itself.

Remember, you can use ANY liquid soap you choose. It doesn't have to be castile soap. Basic dish soap works fine.

*Borax is awesome and amazing stuff. I do find that it tends to clump, so when I make the heavy-duty cleaner I pour the borax in and use a potato masher to thoroughly break up the clumps before funneling it into the bottle.

Another thing you can use the heavy-duty cleaner for is spraying around baseboards and door entries for pest control. How awesome is that?!

Make sure you pick essential oils that you can stand the smell of. There are a million to choose from and a few drops go a long way. I picked a smell one time, though, and used it in the all-purpose cleaner which meant I smelled it often. Blech. It was a nice smell in theory, but not in practice. Choose wisely according to your taste.

The window cleaner can also be used as a finishing spray if you feel there is a soapy residue from the scouring paste or the heavy-duty cleaner. It will take it right up.

This time around in my mixing I decided to "color code" the cleaners to make it easier for the us-es to identify the cleaners. I simply did this with literally just a couple of drops of food coloring. Presto. Colored cleaners.

I also write the type of cleaner and it's recipe on the plastic bottles with a permanent marker. I never have to remember the recipe.

I'm not sure if I remembered everything I wanted to say, but one never does, do they? Let me know if you have questions. There are all kinds of places online with recipes for cleaning products. You know me...just google it.

Here's to frugal Friday. I'm off to clean. With this FabFive, the mess possibilities are endless. Buh-lee dat!

Happy sifting!

Because Being A Responsible Adult Dictates NOT Filing Everything In File Thirteen

Well, that pretty much sums it up, don't you think?

No? Okay. Then here's a post.

I hate paper. Not really. I mean, I actually love paper - stationary, paper with designs, pages of books, toilet paper (arguably THE best kind of paper). But I do hate the stacks of paper that have accumulated around Quaint Cottage because nobody knows quite what to do with them (what's the statute of limitations on banes of one's existence?). Since I truly can't trash it all (dagnabit) there has to be, once again, a winnowing and a system implemented. So here we go again.

I tend to not want to conform (read: stubborn streak) to any particular system(s) of someone else's for pretty much anything. I guess I subscribe, at least in part, to the idea that I need to try to custom-make ideas and systems so they best suit my personhood and those of the FabFive. Sometimes that's peachy. Other times it's nothing more than reinventing the wheel and, truthfully, a bit sanctimonious. I realize there are times when I need to bump custom-making and choose customizing...taking someone else's already-thought-through, very good idea and tweak it only enough to fit our lives and purposes. This realization is serving me quite well in accomplishing the annihilation of paper piles (I.like.alliteration).

Having fought this paperwork battle for long days, a couple of years ago I worked hard on setting up a two-drawer filing cabinet. I was very thoughtful in what I made a file folder for in an attempt to keep the filing system from being overwhelming (custom-made). Everything does not need a file folder (read: movie stubs from every movie seen in 1993). In addition to the file cabinet each family member has a mementos box for things that don't necessarily need to be filed, but want to be held on to for sentimental reasons (read: movie stubs from every movie seen in 1993).

This part of the system, the resting place for all of the papers, is well intact and really set up nicely. But guess what (chicken butt)? Nothing ever gets to the filing cabinet. Guess why (chicken thigh)? Because there's no system at the entry level of the paperwork process other than to stack it all until it falls over and somebody gets angry enough to, well, usually, just stack it up again. Angrily. Grrr. Hmph. Argh. Sigh. (That's the sound of the poor sap who's addition to the precarious paper pile finally made it tumble, and is therefore responsible for picking it up...in case you were wondering.)

Clearly, if I knew how to custom-make a workable step at the front end of the paperwork system I would have done it by now. But I don't, and I haven't. So I did what all self-respecting persons needing some sound advice do in times of need: I googled it. Here's what I found, this awesome six file fix. In a nutshell, here's how it breaks down (STOP! Hammertime!):
Comprised of six files labeled as follows -
-Bills (for only unpaid bills)
-To Be Filed (for papers that have a folder in the file cabinet)
-Dated Information (for anything that is time-sensitive)
-To Be Read (for those letters or articles or newsletters that you intend to read at a later time)
-To Be Given Away (for letters or articles or newsletters that you intend to pass along to someone else)
-Unsure (for those papers that you aren't sure you need to keep, but aren't sure you can throw away)

Here's what I did. I created these folders and put them in a small, portable file box.




The file box lives under the computer, bottom left, which is now in the corner of the kitchen (instead of the laundry room).


I also reworked the recycling system so that there were smaller bins by the trash can for our recyclable paper and plastic (the additional, oh, I don't know, 12 steps it takes to throw the recycling in the bins in the laundry room were apparently too much). The contents of the smaller recycle bins are transferred to the large recycle bins when they are full. In addition, I put the paper shredder at this trash/recycle station (out of Little Big Man's reach, I assure you).


With these changes made I can now IMMEDIATELY throw away unwanted paper(s) into recycling, shred sensitive documents (doesn't that sound mysterious?), and then use the six file fix for everything else. And remember, if there are any papers being saved simply because of sentimentality (cards, letters, awards from school, etc.) they get put into the Us's momentos box.

I took a stack of papers that I promise you was atleast twelve inches high, and was able to completely winnow and properly file it in less than thirty minutes (that's why the picture of the six-file box looks full already). Since "unsure" is the label we could've stuck on over half the papers in the stack, I didn't let myself use the Unsure folder. If I was unsure I made myself get sure because enough is enough. That was liberating!

A couple of special notes...If the system is going to work, the To Be Filed Folder has to make it to the file cabinet to BE filed. There needs to be some sort of regular reminder to check the Dated Information file so things are not overlooked, forgotten, or neglected. And if anything is filed in the Unsure folder, you are to date it and THROW IT OUT if nothing has been done with it after three months.

I took it one step further and applied the six file fix to my email, too.


Bills became Blogs, Bills, Passwords
To Be Filed became To Be Printed and Filed
To Be Given Away became To Forward
...and I eliminated Unsure from the choices (only on email).

To additionally cut down on paper, I signed up for e-billing on everything I possibly could.

So there you go. A customization of someone else's really good idea. Afterall, sometimes my efforts to try to come up with solutions someone else has already found is a lot like chaff. And we don't want that now, do we? It's also nice to be reminded sometimes that I can be full of garbage, full of it; that I could use some help; that I don't have the best way or all the answers; that somebody else's good idea may be the best idea.

Hence, hats off (or trash can lids) to the six file fix! Quite a fix, indeed.

Happy sifting, homeskillets.

Topic Tumbler Thursday

I realize it would be better illiteration to have "Topic Tumbler Tuesday", but I just thought of it. And it's Thursday. And I want to do it now. So there.

Maybe I'll also implement "This-n-That Tuesday" just to be contrary.

Probably not.

I've been blogging here for just under a month and I thought I would take a post to give you a chance for input. Here's what I'm thinking: I've got a list of topics to post about rolling about in my knucklehead and wonder which in your opinion (if any) would be the most interesting to read about. All of them in some way pertain to this process of winnowing. Have a look at some choices. . .
-feeding the FabFive for $300.00 a month
-Bosak Buttsacks
-Project Kitchen Cleanout
-Ma Luffin' Mayun and my 13th anniversary (note: this would not be a post about the winnowing of clothing leading to unsolicited images of nudity, so don't be afraid)
-wardrobe
-photography, family memories, and keepsakes
-spare time, down time, and self-care
-diet and health ("butt weight, there's more!")
-trashcan on wheels (read: family vehicle)
-various and sundry homemade cleaners

Those are just some things I've been thinking about. They may sound interesting. Then again, they may smack of mind-numbing boredom. I don't actually know. What do you think?

I'm open to suggestions. Tell me what you think of these options. Tell me what you might want to see on here that I haven't thought of. Or tell me if you think this blog stinks and should be shut down and deleted from the collective conscience of every person who has suffered through one of my posts.

I'll work on the calibrations of the memory eraser in the mean time.

How's my driving? Leave me a comment, whoever you are...