Angie Workman May: Family Picture

When my kids were younger, I was so diligent at getting photos taken on pre-determined schedules...6 weeks...3 months...6 months...9 months...12 months...18 months...2 years...3 years...and on.  My poor 5 year-old hasn't had a photo since she was 2.  The family photo thing has been even worse.  We have engagement pictures, a photo when my oldest was 1 and another when my second was 2.  That's it...unless you count the photo taken at my sister's wedding.  Multiple times I have actually gone and purchased outfits for the whole family...and still...nothing.  That is why I decided to set this for my May goal...probably the most important goal on my whole Project(s) Connect list.

I found a photographer who would come do some fun outdoor family photos.  I thought May would be a lovely time...trees and flowers in bloom...green grass all around.  Super excited to have a photo for my Christmas card.  And then this happened...

Yeah, my baby decided her hair was in her eyes.  An hour before her dance recital.  While I was in Nashville.  No waaay was I going to spend oodles of money for a professional photographer this month.  Time for some goal adjustment...it will just have to wait until the fall:(

So, I decided I would finish off what I started earlier in the year.  I cleaned my upstairs and my main floor...and boy did I ever clean out a lot of stuff.  The way it usually goes is...it starts getting dumped at the top of the stairs to the unfinished basement...

Then, when we can't walk down the stairs any more, it gets shoved around the corner...

And, when we can't walk through there, it ends up in the overflow overflow...

It was bad, so a goal reformulation turned out to be a good thing.  My husband always makes fun of me because when he leaves town, he says I just clean the whole time.  In the middle of May, he took the girls to Moab for "girls' camp"...so I cleaned...

and cleaned...

aaaaand cleaned.

It's so nice to be able to find a can of tomatoes again:)

And this is what needs to go.  I usually just let MS come pick it up, but there was so much I decided the kids could have a yard sale and keep the money.  My hubby is happy that I cleaned up the stairs, cold storage and my exercise area, but all that yard sale stuff is now stacked in his wood shop...I guess my work isn't *quite* finished yet...better have that yard sale soon!

June goal:  Load the wagon queen family truckster and trek the kids 1500 miles back to the family farm in Indiana.  And be nice to the kids the entire time...no yelling kind of nice;)  So wish me luck...the hubby isn't going!

Angie Workman April: Runcation Reunion with Friends

May is getting to be worse than December in the busy department and I was out of town on my posting day.  I decided I would just skip blogging about my April goal...until that gentle prompting from Nora.  She has a way of motivating, doesn't she?!  So, sorry this isn't my day or even the right month...but it's here nonetheless!

So, in April for the first time in my entire life as a mother...I decided to go on a girl trip.  By myself.  No kids.  No hubby.  Just me on a jet plane...to Nashville, Tennessee!

A couple of years ago, I reconnected with some of my high school buddies from Indiana where I grew up.  We learned we all loved to run half-marathons and thought it would be so fun to run one together in celebration of our over-the-hill birthdays this year.  We all played sports together through our junior high and high school years, so we figured if we were going over that proverbial hill, we were doing it running together--along with 24,000 of our closest friends!  We signed up for the St. Jude's Country Music Half-Marathon.

It was a lot of fun over the last few months as we made our plans, booked our flights & hotels and planned our sight seeing.  We set up a private group message on Facebook and shared our training and encouraged one another.  (This photo is a then & now...our freshman county champs tennis photo re-creation, circa 1989 big bangs and perms.)

It was so much work to prepare the house, pantry, laundry, business and family to be gone for an entire week.  And, I was kind of nervous to leave my family behind...and meet up with friends I hadn't seen in over 20 years.  But it ended up being some of the best fun I've had in a long time...we picked up right where we left off--like we were 18 again.  Only in 40 year-old-bodies.

One of our friends now lives in Nashville.  It was really fun to have a local in the group who knows all the fun places to eat and the fun sights to see--and the bad traffic to avoid!  I traveled the farthest, so I arrived a day early so I could take in some of the sights.  We went to this awesome breakfast joint called Pancake Pantry.  It was so hard to choose from on the menu, but I settled on the raspberry pancakes...talk about yummiliciousness!

Since she is a professor and it was finals week, she dropped me off downtown and I toured around the rest of the day.  My first stop was the Ryman Auditorium.  Second only in accoustical quality to the Mormon Tabernacle, and birthplace of the Grand Ole Opry.  It was fun to learn how Minnie Pearl ended up with that tag on her hat and to stand on the stage that has hosted so many of country music's greats.

After a walk up and down Broadway--and a stop at the Savannah Candy Kitchen--I visited the Country Music Hall of Fame.  It was fun to learn the history of Music City and country music and see so much memorabilia of the stars I grew up loving...here is Miranda's pink guitar along with one of her CMA awards...

                                                 

Also got to tour Studio B...the first recording studio in Nashville and still operational for students of Belmont University.  It was where Elvis recorded a large number of his hits.  This was his most favorite piano in the entire world...it is still in the studio and the one thing all his money could never buy...

I think he was upset that I sat on his bench...this happened the next day on Broadway...

Later that evening, I finally met up with the whole group and we had dinner at Puckett's Grocery, followed by a night at the Grand Ole Opry.  

Vince Gill was the headline performer...

And of course that followed up with a lot of catching up back at the hotel!  The next morning we headed to the race expo to get our packets at the Nashville Convention Center.  It was a pretty amazing building and we got suckered in to buying a lot of stuff we probably didn't really need...but it was a blast!  Enjoyed an entertaining lunch at Honky Tonk Central...I'm such a country music junky!

It was also fun to visit with my friend's parents and sister who have also relocated to Nashville...and of course carbing up at a great local Italian place!  

On race day, we had to be on our way at 5 a.m. to join our 24,000 friends and their friends...talk about some heavy eye lids!

It was a great race and a great experience.  13.1 miles goes so much faster when you are doing it with friends!  Lots of hills in Nashville, but it was really fun to hear the bands playing at every mile marker.  And after training at high Utah altitude...my asthmatic self was much happier.

After a nice relaxing afternoon in the hot tub, we enjoyed a post-race concert at Bridgestone Arena.  Several of the cast members of the TV show "Nashville" were the main entertainment.  Cute little Lennon Stella even left her prom to come sing an encore with her little sister Maisy and her on-screen dad Charles Esten.

We had our final meal together at the San Antonio Taco Company...affectionately known as Satco by the locals.  Sure miss my girls!

For years, my husband has been trying to get me on a girl trip and I always felt guilty because I didn't want to spend the money on myself, or was afraid to leave the kids.  But I highly recommend it.  It was a great renewal that my spirit really needed after 14 years of 24/7 being a mom.  It was fun to be Angie again for a week.  We are already planning Runcation 2015...looking like Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  Can't wait!

May goal:  Professional family photos...for the first time in 9 years!

Angie Workman: March Deep Cleaning Main Floor

I'm not gonna lie.  I didn't finish.  I put the house cleaning goals at the beginning of the year because I know it *always* gets busier as the days go by.  Well, March ended up waaaay busier than I ever dreamed!

I did get my room deep cleaned...cleaned out all the drawers, under the bed, wiped down all the walls & baseboards, washed windows and dusted...

And I did get my five-year-old's room cleaned...with her getting ready to go into kindergarten I decided to get rid of her bookshelf that was full of board books.  Rearranging left room to get her some more grown up things...like a night stand and lamps.  I put those babies together myself...pretty proud:)  It was nice to clean the excess toys and clothes out.  She is able to keep it much cleaner with less stuff, and the stuff that is left has a home.  Also got all her walls washed, windows cleaned and blinds dusted.  You are probably wondering if this is a before or after...it is an after...after a few weeks;)

And the bathroom...got the walls washed, baseboards & blinds dusted, windows washed...and the floor steamed.  This is my new favorite toy for floor cleaning...

It is a Shark steam cleaner from Costco.  If you watch the coupons, they have it for $20 off ever few cycles so you can pick it up for just under $100.  It has been awesome for all the travertine tile I have.  I then use my hand steamer to clean up the grout joints like I showed last month.  I have also been using the Shark on my hardwood floor.  I encourage you to check with your hardwood floor manufacturer for their recommendations.  Many hardwoods are now prefinished and/or engineered and steam can damage them.  Some people also report dulling of the finish, but this one seems to put out just enough steam to get the job done, but not enough to damage my finish--mine is a traditional hardwood.  I figure it is better than the metal spatula I was using to remove the dried oatmeal and jam off the wood...so here's my steamed bathroom:

And then life hit...a trip to NASCAR in Vegas where we got a VIP garage tour and got to meet up with fellow connector Kass and her family...

And a third eye muscle surgery for my ten-year-old...medial rectus recession

And an awesome surprise visit from my Dad who traveled all the way from Indiana for my over the hill birthday...beautifully orchestrated by his wife and my hubby.

Needless to say, I got thrown off track!  I did manage to get the living room deep cleaned and started on the kitchen.  It's amazing how quickly cabinets can get in such disarray with four munchkins putting all their empty boxes and half eaten bags of chips back...feels so good to open the cabinet without everything falling out now!  I also got the idea to centralize all my baking supplies.  I love to bake and make rolls by the dozens.  My favorite flour is the Lehi Roller Mills peacock flour.  I get it from Costco in the 50 pound bags.  I found these cool two gallon buckets with gamma lids at Macey's.  I can unload a bag of flour into three of these buckets.  I have another bucket for sugar and another for all purpose flour and yet another for my speciality sugars.  I keep those in the roll out shelves on the bottom.  Then I moved all my other baking supplies to the cupboard above...and yes I am a cupcake sprinkle hoarder:)  Now I can place my mixer on the counter and have all my supplies right within reach.  My family is annoyed because they can't find anything anymore, but I sure wish I'd done it 11 years ago!

Another challenge in my kitchen is the sink.  My hubby talked me out of stainless appliances when we moved in because we had so many little ones and he didn't want to see handprints all over all the time--which really was a wise move.  But a couple of years ago, I bought a new double range oven and it was stainless...so I have slowly made the switch...except for the sink.  He told me I may end up having to get a new countertop if I tried to replace it, which honestly didn't sound too bad except for the money part of it, so I just have to find ways to love my sink.  These are my favorite cleaning supplies to make it sparkle.  I scrub it with the Bar Keeper's Friend and Magic Erasers to get those metal scrapes from the kids washing my aluminum baking pans.  And then I use bleach to get rid of all the stains.  And then go over it one more time with the first step.  It really does sparkle, so I suppose we'll keep her for now...

The other big kitchen challenge is the range...we found this awesome double oven duel fuel range, so I get all the advantages to gas cooking while still getting my standard electric and convection baking.  It's awesome--it can put out some serious baked good production.  But, as with all stainless gas appliances, it's not the easiest to clean.  My appliance guy recommended a good degreaser so it doesn't get scratched...and I have tried all of them.  The best I've found is plain oven cleaner.  I have pictured the fumeless version, but honestly it doesn't seem to work as well, but is great for in between cleaning that you aren't up for choking.  Then I polish it off with my stainless polish.  In case you're wondering what the Dr. Pepper is for...it's for my sanity:) 

And after a nice steam mop...the kitchen is *mostly* deep cleaned...la voila!

I didn't make it to the mudroom, the entry or the office...and there is a huge pile of DI junk piled in my basement...a new project for a new year because spring is here!

April Project:  Traveling to Nashville for an over the hill celebration with my high school friends...

all while running 13.1 miles!

Angie Workman: February Clutter Clean-up

For a large portion of my life, I have not felt well and for the last 10 years I have been trying to figure out why at doctor after doctor.  After my baby was born almost five years ago, my health took a real nose dive--to the point I couldn't even get myself out of bed for very much of the day.  I had given up on ever finding the source of my problem, but after a friend recommended a hormone specialist, I decided to give it one last try.  I have never been so excited to be told there was something wrong with me!  I was diagnosed with hypopituitary disorder and my thyroid was wreaking havoc on my defenseless body.  I had horrible headaches, freezing all the time, unexplained weight gain, super dry skin, my hair was falling out, my body ached all the time, my joints ached and I was tired all the time, no energy or ambition, among other things.

Unfortunately most doctors only test TSH, which in my case was low and therefore did not raise a red flag to any of my previous doctors--they all just wanted to put me on anti-depressants.  The thing this doctor did differently was test my free T3 and free T4 levels, along with all of my other hormones.  They were all low, indicative of a pituitary disorder.  I have been so grateful to find a doctor who had the proper knowledge to diagnose and treat me...I have a relative who is struggling with some of the same symptoms but her doctor will not test her T3 and T4 because her doctor believes her TSH is fine.  If you are suffering from these symptoms, please search out a doctor who understands this info.  If you want to do any further research, Mary Shoman has a great deal of info on the internet.  After listening to my story, several of my friends have gone to be tested and also found out they too had thyroid problems.  I just wanted to share this with you all because so few doctors really understand it, especially in people like me who are euthyroid as a result of pituitary issues.  So if you are feeling bad and doctors are telling you your just a busy mom or are depressed, consider finding another doctor--too many people are suffering needlessly!

Well, off of my soap box now...as a result of my poor health, one of the biggest things, besides my poor family, to be neglected was my house.  I remember that nesting instinct before my baby and then bam--nothing!  Over those five years, my house has not received the deep cleaning or dejunking it really needed and it was driving me crazy!  So for February, I set the goal of dejunking and deep cleaning all the rooms upstairs.

These are my first two secret cleaning weapons.  I have children who loooove to plaster Scotch tape...anywhere...on everything.  As a result, I have a lot of tape residue all over my doors and moldings, which are natural wood stained.  Paint thinner has been my saving grace...it is also great for cleaning those greasy finger prints off of the peanut butter cabinet--as long as the cabinets are stained and lacquered!  Do not use on paint!  The other little trick I pulled out of my sleeve was the denatured alcohol.  When I painted, I had a few drips of dried paint here and there that never got cleaned up...so denatured alcohol to the rescue!  Again, this only applies to stain-grade moldings and doors--not painted!  I didn't clean my boys rooms due to the high amount of bio-hazards located within, but I did get all the tape residue cleaned off their doors and moldings.  (Before left, after paint thinner right)

Next I headed to the laundry room...talk about dust!  I also had been storing the dressups in there, so every time the girls played with them, they were all over the place.  I got the kids' stuff out and thinned out my blanket collection.  Hauled away three bags of trash & donation items...if only I could say it looked that nice the next day;)

Next was the bathroom...ugh!  Tile, tile, tile...all coated in toothpaste...and lots of it!

Yep, my kids are certain they have a maid service!

I had a small hand-held steamer that I used to use, but it was such a pain.  And, the last time I used it I might possibly have let it run out of water and ruined it...so I found this baby on Amazon for about $80.  Talk about a miracle tool!  It holds 48 ounces of water and at 1500 watts really puts out the steam!  I wouldn't recommend it for large floor surfaces--I have a different steam mop for that--but this little Wagner rocked the grout!  I was done in far less time that ever before...so glad I ruined my old Scunci!

Here's my grout before...

...and after!

 

Ta da!

 

And the room I dreaded the most...

...the library!  As a teacher, when I designed my house I thought a library with lots of fun books, games and crafts would be so fun for the kids.  As you can see, they take full advantage of it.  But the problem with calling it a library, they think they have a librarian!  As much as it goes against my teacher grain, besides wiping down all the surfaces, I also thinned out my books and games...ouch!  Hauled off several boxes of donation items, but it is really nice to have a place for everything again.  I'm going to confess, I didn't attack my craft closet...we'll have to save that one for another day...but this sure feels nice!

Next was the playroom...don't have a before, but just imagine all the toys spread all over the floor with 5000 granola bar wrappers smashed in the couch and you get the idea.  The thing I have found that helps in this room is that everything has a place--if not it goes.  My girls used to have a ton of play food and a horrible play kitchen that just had one hatch for everything to store.  We got rid of it all, they got a new kitchen that has shelves and cabinets and they just have a few nicer items.  They take pride in it and don't have to dump it all out to find that favorite piece of cheese!

Now as I mentioned, I didn't really attempt the boys' rooms because they are old enough, but I did tackle my daughter's room.  We even decided to earn some bonus points and paint--she got a new bedspread for Christmas to help get her through those tween years, so it was time for a new color too!

I don't quite have the room put back together yet, so I guess that will give you something to come back for next month!

I've loved all the bags of trash and donation items I've hauled out of the upstairs...it makes me feel so much more organized and things feel much more spacious.  I do think I bit off a bit of a large chunk...I hated how much I kind of ignored my kids while I was doing this, but I also know if I don't get my stuff done in the house by March, spring hits and it has to wait until next January.  I liked some of the other people's ideas of tackling a new room each month and then keeping up with the previous ones...but given the fact of how neglected my house was, this was probably a necessity!  Come back next month and see how we did at doing the same thing for the main floor during March:)