busy work

This month was a bust, at least in my eyes. I was hoping to rid myself of the 'stuff' and get my life organized. What I have realized, though, is no matter how hard I work to organize the stuff, I have to organize my mind and my time for it all to work. I have been so busy the past few weeks. I feel like I haven't stopped. There has not been one day in the last 3 weeks or more that I have been able to just relax and focus. I have missed out on a great Bible study with my blog girls, I have let my house go and it is time I fight back!
My goal for the month of November is to stop and refocus on my family. Each day I will spend time letting everything go and just spend time with my boys, doing something they want to do. No more "I'm too busy" or "hang on, let me finish"
I have gotten rid of so much and it is truely a releif to feel less dependent on the stuff... so now I am going to become less dependent on doing and focus a little on just 'being'.
I still have committments that can not be forsaken, but I will take the time out each day to organize my time to best serve the committments and spend time with the family.

**on a side note, some great friends of ours have a 2 year old son, Elijah (Paxto'ns best buddy!). He had neuroblastoma and will be, Lord willing, having surgery on October 29th in New York. I ask your prayers for the Fowler family and this precious little boy. If you want to read more of his story, you can find it at

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/elijahfowler

For my composting friends, I am always trying to figure out what to do with things I would have normally thown in the trash. Since I don't have a trash service, I need to find other ways to get rid of things that can't be recycled. I have looked at other lists before, but found this list and wanted to refresh my list of compostables.

Coffee grounds and filters
Tea bags
Used paper napkins
Pizza boxes, ripped into smaller pieces
Paper bags, either ripped or balled up
The crumbs you sweep off of the counters and floors
Plain cooked pasta
Plain cooked rice
Stale bread
Paper towel rolls
Stale saltine crackers
Stale cereal
Used paper plates (as long as they don't have a waxy coating)
Cellophane bags (be sure it's really Cellophane and not just clear plastic -- there's a difference.)
Nut shells (except for walnut shells, which can be toxic to plants)
Old herbs and spices
Stale pretzels
Pizza crusts
Cereal boxes (tear them into smaller pieces first)
Wine corks
Moldy cheese
Melted ice cream
Old jelly, jam, or preserves
Stale beer and wine
Paper egg cartons
Toothpicks
Bamboo skewers
Paper cupcake or muffin cups
From the Bathroom
Used facial tissues
Hair from your hairbrush
Toilet paper rolls
Old loofahs
Nail clippings
Urine
100% cotton cotton balls
Cotton swabs made from 100% cotton and cardboard (not plastic) sticks

**It might be a good idea to bury these items in your pile. Just sayin'**
Cardboard tampon applicators
Latex condoms
From the Laundry Room
Dryer lint
Old/stained cotton clothing -- rip or cut it into smaller pieces
Old wool clothing -- rip or cut it into smaller pieces
Bills and other documents you've shredded
Envelopes (minus the plastic window)
Pencil shavings
Sticky notes
Business cards (as long as they're not glossy)
Receipts
Contents of your vacuum cleaner bag or canister
Newspapers (shredded or torn into smaller pieces)
Subscription cards from magazines
Leaves trimmed from houseplants
Dead houseplants and their soil
Flowers from floral arrangements
Natural potpourri
Used matches
Ashes from the fireplace, barbecue grill, or outdoor fire pit
Party and Holiday Supplies
Wrapping paper rolls
Paper table cloths
Crepe paper streamers
Latex balloons
Raffia
Excelsior
Jack o' Lanterns
Those hay bales you used as part of your outdoor fall decor
Natural holiday wreaths
Your Christmas tree -- chop it up with some pruners first (or use a wood chipper, if you have one)
Evergreen garlands
Fur from the dog or cat brush
Droppings and bedding from your rabbit/gerbil/hamsters, etc.
Newspaper/droppings from the bottom of the bird cage
Feathers
Alfalfa hay or pellets (usually fed to rabbits)
Rawhide dog chews
Fish food
Dry dog or cat food

On this same note, I want to tell you... I have been without trash for more than 2 months now and I can't believe how easy it is. When you don't have the easy access to the garbage truck, recycling and composting is just something you do!

I found the help I needed!

I was perusing facebook earlier today and saw a friend mention cleaning her house while her kids were down for a nap, yes Hannah, I am talking about you. Anyway, she mentioned doing a Flylady emergency clean. I, and a few others, had never heard of this, so I looked it up. It is a great site. I love the ideas of cleaning and the general encouragement to get you house clean. I thought this went great with my goal of cleaning out and getting my house organized this month! We can all use a little help and encouragement when doing these daunting tasks around the house! So check out the website and see what the fly ladt can help you accomplish.

www.flylady.net