by kathilipp | Jan 29, 2013 | Uncategorized |
Tomorrow we kick off a whole bunch of ways to make your husband feel loved and appreciated. And we have some fun stuff just for you:
by kathilipp | Jan 22, 2013 | Uncategorized |
by kathilipp | Jan 13, 2013 | Uncategorized |
Get Yourself Organized: Your Pajamas
When I wrote The Husband Project there was quite a backlash over one part of the book. It wasn’t about anything as scandalous as sex – it was all about PJs.
When I suggested that women should wear something nicer that their cast off paint clothes, it was the outcry heard around the world (or at least the internet.)
“I want to be comfortable! How can you say I should not wear my comfy clothes to bed.”
“After a long day I don’t want to wear a G-string and some pasties to bed.”
OK so obviously, there was a bit of a misunderstanding.
I just believe that it’s not an either/or proposition. I believe it’s possible to have cute sleeping apparel that’s as comfortable and your favorite sweats from college. (You know, the one’s you wouldn’t caught dead in outside of the house.)
So as you’re cleaning out you PJ drawer, keep in mind that it’s OK to only keep the jammies that make you feel great, and are comfy, too. (Of course, keep a selection of nightwear that’s for something besides sleeping.
What to Get Rid of…
- Anything that has a stain on it
- Anything with holes
- Anything that doesn’t fit
- Anything that is uncomfortable to sleep in
- Anything that your husband hates
What to Keep
- Anything that you feel cute/hot in and is comfy
What to Do with what You’re Getting Rid of…
- For things that are hopelessly stained/tattered – put in the recycling bin
- For things that don’t fit, feel uncomfortable, don’t make you feel cute/hot – donate to Goodwill or other organization
Question for You
What is currently in your PJ drawer that you should be getting rid of? (Com to think of it I have a pink tank top that needs to hit the recycle bin…)
by kathilipp | Jan 10, 2013 | Blog, Proverbs 31 OBS, Relationships, The Husband Project |
UPDATED 2016: We know it is not Valentine’s Day, but a spicy marriage isn’t just for the holiday. Create a summer lovin’ kit for the long summer nights to celebrate you and your man! Surprise your husband with a love kit and make it a summer to remember.
__________________________________________________________
I know that Valentines is over a month away, but I like to imagine that I’m a planner and not going to try to pull everything together the night before. So, if you’re interested in adding a dash of spice to your marriage this Valentine’s Day (and beyond) here is a project you can have as much fun putting together as you will have using. (OK, hopefully you’ll have a little more fun using it. But I digress …)
The Container
Find a decorated box, fabric bag, or any cute container that’s about the size of a shoe box. To do this on a budget, you can use a shoe box, but wrap it “soap opera” style. (Where you wrap the lid and the box separately with wrapping paper so it can stay pretty and be used over and over again.)
What to Fill it With
This is a list of items that can go into the box. Pick and choose those things you and your husband will love. Be playful! Have fun with packing it (and opening it)!
- Candles
- Candy hearts
- Pieces of cute paper with Notes of “I Love You Because…” ***
- Lotion
- Chocolates
- Sparkling cider
- Mixed CD of Great Love Songs
And if you wanted to make sure that your husband’s Valentines wish is fulfilled, (and you have someway for the kids to be occupied,) here are a couple more suggestions of some items to add:
- Sexy briefs (his or hers or both)
- Massage oil
- A rubber ducky
A couple of thoughts:
- You could do a much simpler, stripped down version for a MOPS craft project.
- I’m a big believer in not cheaping out on things like lotion. I don’t want to use anything from Target’s dollar bin on my skin. Get something you will use all year long.
- Same thing for chocolates. If you’re going to spend the calories, get something you love.
- Make sure you put a few things in there that make you feel great – a favorite lip gloss, a candle that you love. This is a basket for both of you.
*** The notes in the mailbox are all reasons I love my hubby. Here is my list. Feel free to totally plagiarize any of these for your own purposes.
- You make sure that my Tivo shows are never interrupted by Star Trek reruns
- You love my mom
- You are smart. And smart is sexy.
- You are a great father.
- You let me keep the kitten we found. And you change the litter box.
- You tell me I’m beautiful even when I have plenty of evidence to the contrary.
- You fix my printer. Every.single.time.
- You never let me pump my own gas.
- You are the best barbecuer I’ve ever experienced.
- You love me on my bad days.
And thanks to Fawn over at The Happy Wives Club for inviting me to link up today. Love her stuff. Check her out:
___________________________________________________________
We are so excited to team up with Proverbs 31 Ministries as they feature our very own The Husband Project for their online Bible study, June 20-July 22. Be Sure to sign up for the online Bible study HERE!
by kathilipp | Jan 7, 2013 | Home, The Get Organized Project |
Get Yourself Organized in 2013: How to Organize Toys (Your Kid’s or Yours)
I was sitting down with a couple of young, got-it-together moms, brainstorming areas of the house that they needed help with getting organized. When one of them said “Toys” they looked at each other and said “YES!”
Oh I remember the days of stepping on Barbie’s shoes and seeing my living room covered in car tracks. The toys seemed to take a life of their own and movie around at night after I’d cleaned them up. The movie “Toy Story” seemed more like a documentary to me than a cartoon.
If you don’t have kids, or your kids toys are things like iPads, then choose an area of your own “toys” to start working on. Maybe it’s a hobby, a craft area, the “sports area” of your garage, or a collection of some sort – the principles are the same.
When it comes to toys (or almost any other area of your home,) the most important thing to do is figure out what you are keeping, what you are giving away, and what you are recycling/throwing away.
- The first thing to do is to get all the toys into one area. (If you have more than one major area for toys, say your daughter’s room and your son’s room, or a play room and a child’s room, work on one area at a time.) Get stray toys and toy parts into the toy area.
- I highly suggest my Three Boxes, Two Bag Method in quick cleaning any area.
- As you are sorting through toys, realize that the reason they are often so hard to organize if there are probably plenty of things that your kids no longer use floating around in there. The less you have to manage, the easier keeping organized will be.
- When you are done with this process, you will have a bag of things to recycle, a bag of trash (how did garbage get into the kids toy box? It’s always a mystery…) a box of things to donate, and a box of things to put back into other rooms of the house. (Like stray shoes, socks, the dog’s collar, etc.)
- Now that you’re starting with a clean (or cleaner) area, it’s time to take a good hard look at what kind of toys your kids have, and how to organize them. Your daughter who keeps a vet office worth of stuffed animals has different needs than your so who collects Matchbox Cars. Here are some ideas from some smart and toy-savvy moms.
Toy Management
Creating a Toy Library
“Turn a closet into a “toy closet” All toys are stored in organized, labeled containers and kids can only play with one bin of toys at a time. They have to turn in one bin before they can play with another!” Alexia Staelens
Stuffed Animals
“A toy hammock is a great idea, the kids can just toss stuffed animals up there and off the floor.” Robin Neil
A Million Little Pieces
“I think I should write a book called 101 uses for an over the door shoe organizer. They work here too, especially for a girls room! Think Barbies, Barbie clothes, Polly Pockets, etc. Avoid toy boxes or anything deep that is the chasm of hopelessness! Toys go in but they don’t come out! (well at least until you have thrown away every other part to the toy, THEN it shows up!)” Robin Neil
“I’m a Lego organizer freak these days. Directions, pieces all in a see through container with a photo label on the box. Yes, they are kept up so a parent has access to hand out. Bins for easy clean up and a designate area for play. I have let go of “perfect” separation of toys, as long as the boys are happy and can find their stuff, I’m happy.” Stephanie Helder
Less is More
“Rotate toys—less toys equals more attention focused on what they do have. Have the children pick 3 or 4 “favorites” at a birthday or Christmas and put the rest out of sight. When their interest starts to fade with, say, the tea set Aunt June got them, you put it in the closet and pull out the box of dress up that Grandma sent. We go through every 3 months or so and switch out toys (right now its dress up, art tower, 4 board games & Lego’s). Christy Taylor
“Spring Cleaning” happens every season at our house. After birthdays and Christmas, we also have a “Donation Station” where my kids can search through their piles of toys and other things that have accumulated and give them to the Salvation Army or other charity. We throw the
m in a huge bag and donate away.” Jenny Sulpizio
“Each birthday and Christmas the boys have to ‘give to others who have less than they do.’ For every new toy that comes in, one goes out. It’s a lesson on giving and curbs the over-abundance of ‘stuff.’” Stephanie Helder
Oh – and to keep track of all those Birthdays and other special celebrations, for members of my Facebook Page you can download a year of beautiful calendars to track. I use these in conjunction with my stockpile of birthday and anniversary cards to stay on top of sending a little love. (Plus I keep a stack of Starbucks cards – just in case.) Go over and download it now!
Tell me your best toy organization trick in the comments below.
by kathilipp | Jan 2, 2013 | Home, The Get Organized Project, Uncategorized |
It all started when I couldn’t find my eye cream.
I’d been talking with a friend who was going on and on about the great eye cream she’d been using, and I thought it was the same one I bought a few months ealier, so I wanted to go home and give it a try that night.
The only problem? I couldn’t find it.
Was it on the counter with the products I used every day?
Was it in the basket of facial products in under the sink?
Was it with my travel stuff?
Had it migrated (my cosmetics have a tendency to do that with a visiting 20 year-old daughter stopping by…)
I had no idea, so the next time I was out shopping, I picked up a little bottle of the magic lotion. Problem solved.
And then, the next week, I was retrieving a tube of toothpaste from our hall closet and that’s when I found it: the original eye cream jar. And suddenly, that 1 ounce jar weighed a pound in guilt.
How much money have I wasted in “replacing” things because I didn’t have an easy way to find them?
How much time have I wasted going to the store to “replace” those things?
How many times have I not contributed financially to a cause I believe in because I’m short on funds (from re-buying things)?
In 2013, I’ve made a pledge to “Use it or Lose it”. I’m committed to not buying things unless I can determine that we are absolutely out of that item. I’m going to reduce clutter in our home by not keeping around items that I will never use.
Each week I’m going to concentrate on one tiny area of my home and life to de-clutter, organize, take stock of and manage. But this isn’t just about clearing the clutter – it’s about managing the resources that God has trusted our family with. Our goal in each area is to use what we have, make do, make it last, wear it out, and when need be, replace it responsibly.
The other part of this is that I want to experience the peace that comes with knowing what we have, having less of what we don’t need, and being free to give away those things that weigh us down mentally, physically and spiritually.
I’ll be blogging through my adventures in minimizing, clearing the clutter and freeing up time and space in our home.
I would love to hear from you which parts of your house you want to get under control, so I can make sure I hit it.
by kathilipp | Dec 18, 2012 | Christmas, Home |
Oh friends- there have been some technical difficulties with the blog. So sorry we’re so behind. However, if you’ve been doing most of the projects, you’re still pretty far ahead.
Today’s Project is to spend a little more time in the kitchen. Here are some things that you might want to get ahead on:
- Creating your meal plan for the rest of the month
- Planning out your Christmas Dinner and your shopping list
- Shopping for your non-perishables
- Making the list of what you need to buy at the last minute so it’s fresh
- Pulling out your serving platters, roasting pans, cake stands, etc. or anything else that you need
- Pulling together your baking list
Let me know in the comments what you are doing for this Project and I’ll be giving away another copy of THE WHAT’S FOR DINNER SOLUTION.. Tell me by Friday what you did to get ahead kitchen-wise, and you could be a winner!
by kathilipp | Dec 12, 2012 | Christmas, Home |
Yesterday, we talked about getting all of your packages shipped out. If you are feeling behind, you may want to consider having everything shipped directly to your home or those out of town people that you need to get gifts to.
And here is where I want your participation. Tell me your favorite places to shop online (and why) or one of your favorite online shopping stratagies, and one of you will win a $10 Amazon Gift Card. A winner will be drawn December 20th.
I want your best, tips, ideas, your favorite “fishing holes” (the places you would normally never share,) so we can all be faster, cheaper, better this year.
Here’s mine (and no, I don’t expect everyone to go along a spiritual line…) Last year my kids went in together and bought me a goat from World Vision last year. They bought the gift online, then to represent the goat under our Christmas tree, my clever girls, Amanda and Kimberly, folded a towel into a goat by getting the instructions online (in fact, here’s a video on how to fold towels into a goat… Who knew.) What a GREAT last minute gift – helping someone in a developing country by providing a goat.
I of course also love Amazon and how, in case you forgot to get your father-in-law a gift, (who me? Never…) you can pop on there and send him a gift card that will arrive in his inbox on Christmas morning (as if you’d planned it that way all along…)
OK – your turn.
by kathilipp | Dec 10, 2012 | Christmas, Home |
Shipping out boxes is a ton easier than it used to be if you do a couple of things:
- Learn how to ship using USPS.com (they have a whole shipping guide if you’ve never done it before
- Use Priority Mail boxes
Why do I love those Priority Mail boxes so?
- You can schedule Priority Mail to be picked up at your house for the next day
- Boxes with pre-printed, pre-paid labels from usps.com can just be dropped off at the Post Office – you don’t need to wait in line
I like using the Priority boxes that you don’t have to weigh – those Prepaid boxes you can just keep stuffing until you can’t close them – and the rate stays the same.
Get all of your packages shipped out, or, if you you are still needing to get a few gifts, why not buy them online and have them shipped directly, so you know that they’ll get there in time.
by kathilipp | Dec 8, 2012 | Christmas |
This is a catch up day – you’re welcome…
