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Autumn To Do, 2017

Posted by Carolyn on September 21, 2017 3 Comments

Today is the first day of Autumn.  Finally.  I love this time of year, when the light is fading, shadows get longer, our leaves do their lovely swan-song-and-dance.  It’s a time for fresh starts, nostalgia, dreaming, and turning inside – literally and metaphorically.

I’ve hinted at this a bit on the blog, but this summer was really hard, starting in the last couple weeks of school last year.  Some really difficult and confusing things happened at the girls’ school, and I was dragged into it despite all my efforts to remain on the outside.  I was betrayed by someone who I had previously trusted with my most important things.  This person spread rumors of the worst kind about me, and was acting irrationally and incredibly unprofessionally. She not only betrayed me, but she also completely wrote my daughters out of her life, which, honestly was much harder to deal with.  I spent the whole summer thinking about how to – and whether or not to – process it all on my blog.  Although we’re doing everything we can to move on from the situation, it’s still on my mind, and still makes me angry and sad whenever I think about it.  I guess I’m writing all of this down right now in order to move on with a fresh start, into Autumn.  It’s hard because this person has played a big, fun role in some of our Autumn traditions, and I know I will feel her absence and her betrayal acutely during those things.

But, I’m all about fresh starts and moving on, so that’s what I’ll do now.

Here’s what I want to do this Autumn:

  1. Pumpkin Patch with the playgroup
  2. Pumpkin Patch with our friends
  3. Hayrides.  All of them.
  4. Eat so many apples
  5. Pumpkin brew fest
  6. Eat as many Thanksgiving dinners as I can finagle my way into
  7. Halloween costumes
  8. Diffuse all the Autumn scents
  9. Walk with friends
  10. Write some letters
  11. Listen to as much nostalgic and melancholy music as my soul can handle
  12. Decorate for Christmas far too early
  13. #30daysofgratitude and #30daysofgratitudeATT
  14. Resist
  15. Plan Advent activities
  16. Anniversary date
  17. Go trick or treating
  18. Work on our quilt
  19. Put the garden to bed
  20. Weed
  21. Brew beer
  22. Go to a wedding
  23. Show love
  24. Spread happiness
  25. Do good

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Posted in: to do lists | Tagged: autumn, reflections, to do, to do list

Summer 2017 To-Do List Wrap-Up

Posted by Carolyn on September 20, 2017 Leave a Comment

We did pretty well this summer!  I did better getting the Girl Tribe and Family Fun lists done than my own.  There are some things we missed that surprise me – we never made ice cream?!  That darn ice cream truck never came by our house.  Another summer passed without making any tie dye. (We did actually hike, I just missed it when I was crossing things off).

We did a really good job with our daily schedule until our trips started in August, then everything got lost in the shuffle.  Same with reading a new book everyday.

Other things, I realized, weren’t that great in the summer.  Why go to the museums when it was so pretty outside? Other things were probably never going to happen – a family bath?  That was Alma’s brilliant and silly idea.

Looking at the list of things I wanted to do for me, it’s pretty clear I just didn’t take much time for myself during the summer.  And that’s okay, because I really did have a great time with my little girl tribe, and Jesse too, when he wasn’t working.

Happy last day of summer!

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Posted in: to do lists | Tagged: summer, to do, to do lists

Summer To-Do List, 2017

Posted by Carolyn on June 20, 2017 2 Comments

Oh, hey, summer! How are you?  Again, I’m pretty happy to see you.  We have lots of good plans for you and I’m so excited to get started.

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Posted in: created., gratitude, to do lists | Tagged: bucket list, list, summer, to do, to do list

A Day in the Life – October 6, 2016

Posted by Carolyn on October 10, 2016 1 Comment

8:23 – I want to remember these girls and the cuddles in the mornings.  Now that they share a room, it’s more likely that they will stay in their beds, or at least their room, and chat and play before they come into our room.  We do all, usually, end up in bed together for a few minutes.

8:47 – I want to remember how the girls love to play with new things.  They made this goo the night before at a Science Fair at the university and were really excited to play with it first thing in the morning.

8:56 – I want to remember this view, with the gorgeous yellow birch, the flaming red dogwood, the landscaping growing up and getting bigger.  The junky car that’s been parked across the street for a few months, I’m happy to forget that, if only it would go away.

9:03 – I want to remember how great it feels to wake up to a mostly clean kitchen.  I never want to do it at night, but it’s always worth it in the morning.

9:08 – I want to remember these autumn breakfasts.  Oatmeal with frozen blueberries for them, tea with orange oil for me.

9:14 – I want to remember how Harriet says “hot cococo” for hot chocolate.   I don’t want to remember how she threw a huge fit because I gave it to her in the wrong cup – I’ll just choose to remember that she eventually accepted the cococo in the Santa mug (the one she usually wants).

9:25 – I want to remember that this was not a normal day for us.  My To Do List isn’t usually a bunch of chores around the house.  We usually actually leave the house.  I don’t usually spend the entire day cleaning the house.  I do want to remember how good it feels to clean up our messes and be able to have such a wonderful home to take care of.  I also want to remember how using the essential oils to clean the house makes it all so much more fun.

9:48 – I want to remember how the girls are actually eager to help me these days.  Harriet loves to help me cook dinner.  Alma likes to help with the dishes, dusting, and sweeping.  I’m working on giving them daily and weekly chores.

9:52 – I want to remember these eggs and these chickens.  I love that my chores include getting eggs, taking out food scraps, and giving them water.

10:07 – I want to remember the corner of our kitchen where things build up.  Art projects from school, mail that needs attention, empty shoe boxes.  These are the things that show our busy existence.  I especially love when this corner of our kitchen gets sorted and put where it all goes.  That was my job this day.

10:12 – I want to remember how these girls play together.  They use their imaginations and really work well together.  They used these boxes as houses, horse stalls, tunnels, who knows what else.  I also want to remember Harriet’s love for her new boots and her tutu.

10:25 – I want to remember the imaginations in these girls.  They had a full conversation between these two candlesticks.

10:31 – I want to remember these candlelit meals and snacks.  Candles, while eating, are pure magic.

10:49 – I want to remember the love and care that goes into keeping a house.  These wood floors shine thanks to me and my care for them.  And essential oils.

11:56 – I want to remember these plates and the little hands that made them.  I want to remember these peanut butter sandwiches – honey for Harriet, homemade strawberry jam for me and Alma.

12:59 – I want to remember all the sewing.  I haven’t sewn in a couple months, so it feels great to get back to it.  I finished Alma’s witch dress, fixed my sweater, and got started on Harriet’s much needed big bed quilt.  I love giving my girls quilts so they can always be wrapped up in my love – and a tangible representation of that love.

2:03 – I want to remember how much I love Christmas and how much I love making good things for our family.  These blend perfectly when I use Christmas Spirit oil (Orange, Cinnamon, Spruce) in my homemade hand soap.

3:13 – I want to remember how Harriet is the queen of the pout.  She will sit down and pout, or just stand in the middle of the room and pout.  Here, Alma is her horse who ran away.  The pout went away once the horse came back.

3:20 – I want to remember these colors and snacks.  Pink and honey for Harriet.  Blue and jam for Alma.

3:52 – I want to remember these slow, cloudy days when I don’t get around to taking my shower until well into the afternoon.  And my old Cal Young tie dye t-shirt that I use for my hair after my showers.

4:15 – I want to remember these days of forts, and make believe, and reading corners.

5:31 – I want to remember how our friends came over, bringing us a fake Christmas gift for an upcoming music video, and how it was fun to wish them Merry Christmas in October.  I also want to remember how they all came inside and hung around for a little bit.  Surprise guests and good conversations fill my bucket in a big way.  Even if I forget to take any photos.  Especially when I forget to take any photos.

6:11 – I want to remember this season and the comfort food that it brings.  This was a baked potato bar, using lots of things we happened to have on hand.

6:18 – I want to remember “Come Lord Jesus, be our guest; let this food to us be blessed. Amen,” and how Alma and Harriet say “Come Lord Jesus, be our guest; let this family to us be blessed. Allmen.”

6:49 – I want to remember the chaos that falls at bedtime.  It is a constant battle to get them going in the right direction to get their teeth brushed, jammies on, and everything else that needs to be done when there are so many other things that they’d rather be doing.

7:03 – I want to remember the calm that settles when we’re all in our bed, reading a story before they head to their own beds.  A few final cuddles and they race to their room.

7:04 – I want to remember how the girls need just a little bit more chaos before they can settle into their beds and eventually fall asleep.

I want to remember the time that Jesse and I get after the kids are in bed.  We watch shows, get stuff done, clean up a little, read books, and eventually fall asleep ourselves.

Other Days In The Life:
May 12, 2015
September 9, 2015
November 11, 2015
January 3, 2016

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Posted in: a little moment, ate., CHOOSE, created., currently, day in the life, learned., parented., sewing, sewing for my daughters, to do lists, writing | Tagged: a day in the life, autumn, cleaning, day in the life, essential oils

It’s Autumn, Yippy! What Shall We Do?

Posted by Carolyn on September 21, 2016 1 Comment

Today is a beautiful, cloudy, chilly, gray day.  My favorite, and perfect for the first day of Autumn.  It’s time for a To Do list and some adorable photos of last Autumn.

  1. Rake leaves.
  2. Play in the rain.
  3. Carve Pumpkins
  4. Drink home brewed Pumpkin Brown Ale and Apple Cider.
  5. Have our Second Annual Pumpkin Beer Fest.
  6. Go to the pumpkin patch at the Christmas Tree farm.
  7. Go to the pumpkin patch at the orchard.
  8. Make Halloween costumes.
  9. Go trick or treating. 
  10. Finish two quilt tops (Harriet’s big girl quilt, the Tula Pink quilt I’ve been working on for our bed).
  11. Go to Bend.
  12. Meet a new baby.
  13. Try new Thanksgiving recipes.
  14. Stop eating processed sugars. 
  15. Reduce the amount of processed grains I eat.
  16. #30daysofgratitude and our own #30daysofgratitudeATT
  17. Go on an Anniversary date.
  18. Plan our Advent activities.
  19. Drink tea.
  20. Do a puzzle.

Also if you’re interested in how our Spring/ Summer To Do list ended up, I updated it here!

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Posted in: created., to do lists | Tagged: autumn, to do, to do list

Spring and Summer To Do List – 2016

Posted by Carolyn on May 5, 2016 Leave a Comment

Spring is almost halfway over, so I thought I should combine spring and summer into this next to do list.  This spring I’ve been feeling scattered and uninspired (you might have noticed).  I’ve recently started a full-time job, and that’s making me want to be more focused and organized.  It’s a choice that I’m making, and it’s feeling good to get back into it.

So, here are some things I want to get done this spring and summer.  A lot are repeats from last year because they were fun, or we didn’t get to them and I was to try again.

  1. Swim in the wild.
  2. Make ice cream.
  3. Go to the art museum.
  4. Go camping.
  5. Go to the beach.
  6. Bach Festival concerts/ events.
  7. Go to the mountains.
  8. Go to a track meet.
  9. Participate in a track meet.
  10. Fireworks.
  11. #93summerdays on Instagram starting on June 20th.  Play along!
  12. Go to a concert.
  13. Stargaze with Alma.
  14. Day date with Jesse.
  15. Day date with Alma.
  16. Day date with Harriet.
  17. Take the family to a movie.
  18. Lots of parks.
  19. Eat fresh produce from the garden/ farmer’s market.
  20. Tie dye something.
  21. Pick berries.
  22. Ice cream truck.
  23. Can some stuff.
  24. Eat the canned stuff from last summer.
  25. Ride bikes.
  26. Hike.
  27. Play outside everyday.

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Posted in: a little moment, CHOOSE, created., monthly CHOOSES, to do lists | Tagged: CHOOSE, spring to do list, summer to do list, to do, to do list

Productivity

Posted by Carolyn on February 17, 2016 1 Comment

One of the things I’m choosing this year is to be more productive.  It’s hard to get into a routine since my days are all so different, so it’s been really hard to figure out the best way to be productive.

I have three things this year that are really helping me get stuff done. I have realized that I am all about extrinsic motivation.  If I’m going to do something, I need to get something out of it.

The first thing I’m using is something I also used last year – Elise Blaha’s goal trackers.  I use these to make my goals public and visible.  I get to color in a little circle every time I accomplish something.  It’s ridiculously satisfying to color in the circles, and to step back and see all the colored-in circles.

The next thing I’m using is my Get to Work Book, also from Elise Blaha.  If you need some motivation, go check her out.  She has incredible ideas and is a fantastic writer.  It has taken me a while to figure out how to best use this book for me.  I’m still figuring it out, actually.

Right now I’m using it to make daily to do lists in the daily sections.  One thing I love about the planner is all the extra space for project ideas, little notes, and reflection.

I like using it for lists, but I’ve also seen some amazing ideas on the Instagram account.  Once again, drawing a star on each of my to do items is ridiculously satisfying.

This last one is a new one.  It’s an app called Forest.  I set a timer in the app and if I don’t leave the app before the time is over, I get to grow a tree.  Then all the trees are put into a forest.  This app combines so many of my favorite things – trees, video games, extrinsic motivation, and pretty illustrations.  I use it when I’m trying to get work done.

I also use it when I want to spend time playing with the kids without distraction.  This has been the best part of it, honestly.  When I have Forest set up, I don’t randomly check Instagram and Facebook.   In the end I get a tree, and, even better, I know I have spent my time well.

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Posted in: CHOOSE, learned., to do lists | Tagged: CHOOSE, forest, get to work book, goals, productivity

Best of 2016

Posted by Carolyn on January 11, 2016 2 Comments

Originally, I was thinking about writing a post about the best things we did in 2015, but that seems like so last year.  I’m ready to move on.  2016 is a beautiful, fresh, new year and I’m so excited to get into it.  So here’s what I’m planning on being the best of 2016:

  • A kid-free trip to San Diego later this month.  Jesse has a conference, and I’m tagging along to enjoy the hotel pool, wifi, and quiet.
  • A big family camping trip this summer with my mom’s family.
  • Hopefully another trip to Coronado.
  • Making good choices all year long.
  • Summer vacation with my two big girls who will be more capable and fun this year.
  • A long term sub job working with some of my favorite kids in the world.
  • A creative weekend in Bend this spring.
  • Growing an amazing garden and eating all of it.
  • A mom’s weekend at the beach.
  • A women’s retreat with my church.
  • Directing the Christmas play again next year, but with the knowledge and experience I gained in 2015.
  • Four more Day In The Life posts.
  • Canning lots of food.
  • 30daysofgratitude in November
  • Turning 35 years old.
  • Finding out where Dan and Nina will move after Nina’s graduation (hopefully west coast, best coast?).
  • Seeing plays, concerts, ballets.
  • Going to museums with the kids.
  • Creating lots of things.
  • Doing a month of creating.
  • Finding a rhythm.
  • Reading lots of books.

I know that there will be many things that we will do this year that aren’t on this list, because I haven’t even dreamt them up yet.  I know that I won’t get to everything on this list.  I know that some of the things on this list might be horrible and I would never actually include them on a best-of list.  But here it is – 2016.

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Posted in: to do lists | Tagged: 2016, to do list

CHOOSE – Making it Public with Goal Trackers

Posted by Carolyn on January 7, 2016 1 Comment

Like last year, I bought these goal trackers from Elise.  I printed out seven of them and posted them by my front door.

I wanted to think of a few things that I can try to do during the year that will help me show that I’m making good choices.  Some are the same as last year – Wrist Party, Clean Room, Daily Chores, Sending Letters.  I also added Savour, Whole 30 and CHOOSE.

Some of these things I did really well last year and want to continue them, others I didn’t quite get, so I’m trying again.  Progress is greater than perfection!

Sorry these photos are potato quality… I’m not getting good light by my front door these days with all the fog.

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Posted in: CHOOSE, gave thanks., one little word, to do lists | Tagged: 2016, CHOOSE, goal trackers, one little word

Winter To Do List, 2016

Posted by Carolyn on December 30, 2015 Leave a Comment

Here’s my list of things to do this winter.  Many of the things on this list are from my 35 Things To Do Before 35 list, since there are still a lot of things on that list that aren’t checked off.

Anyone want to play along?

Here are some photos from last winter to get you in the mood!

  1. Go to the gym at least 30 times.
  2. Create a New Years signature cocktail.
  3. Sew new spring dresses for the girls.
  4. Go to an art opening.
  5. Work on my Tula Pink quilt.
  6. See The Last Five Years with Evynne in the lead role.
  7. See The Book of Mormon on tour.  Already have tickets!
  8. Get a massage.
  9. Do another Whole30.
  10. Try acupuncture.
  11. Try some new recipes from my Azerbaijani cookbook.
  12. Have a creative retreat.
  13. Get back on my daily chore schedule.
  14. Go on some hikes.
  15. Sew cushion for the hearth.
  16. Get paint estimates.
  17. Take a class.
  18. Finish at least one of my classes to renew my teaching license.
  19. Plant an amazing garden.
  20. Create some concrete, tangible ways to interact with my One Little Word for 2016 (to be announced soon!).

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Posted in: 35 Until 35, created., gave thanks., learned., to do lists | Tagged: 2016, to do, to do list, winter, winter to do 2016
If God said, ‘Rumi pay homage to everything that has helped you enter my arms,’ there would not be one experience of my life, not one thought, not one feeling, nor any act, I would not bow to. -Rumi

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