"Don't open the hall closet!"

This is the current state of my hall closet/pantry:

Pretty sad huh?  I'm going to TRY and get this closet cleaned today.  Not sure if I'll make it cause Evan is teething/has a fever/is really fussy and my poor hubby is home from work sick too.

I'll keep ya'll updated...

12:51pm - Update

I did it!  I have accomplished something today :)  Plus, I found a whole bunch of lightbulbs that I didn't know we had - always a good thing.  Not as cool as finding money in the closet like my sister did one time, but still a very nice surprise.  Here are my "after" pictures:

The top shelf is lightbulbs (in the box so I can get them down easily) and other "stuff to store".

The middle shelf is cleaning supplies.
The bottom shelf is my extra pantry space containing iced tea, saltines, candy, and chopsticks that I got in bulk.  (Next week I will be doing MY FIRST GIVEAWAY with one of these items...don't miss it!)

Then of course, the all-important vacuum, broom, the upper part to the pack-n-play, and random wood pieces that I need to ask my hubby where they go.

*Sigh* It's so nice to have SOMETHING clean in the house, even if it's just the closet :)

Saturday Shout Outs

The most frequent thing I've googled this week was "vomiting/diarrhea".  Here was my most helpful results just in case any of you need it (hopefully you don't!): Treating Child's Vomiting

(That Kid's Health website also has a really detailed pregnancy week-by-week breakdown)

A Very Cool Idea for decorating in your master bedroom from A Thousand Words

I got 12+ bags of black beans for an insanely good price a couple weeks ago so now I am in the market for recipes (hint, hint).  This soup from Salt and Chocolate looks good.  I am planning on trying it maybe this week (assuming my family gets well enough to eat again).

And just for fun, I thought this video of a flight attendant rapping was hysterical!

Using what you have

I am very proud of this arrangement.  I made it using leftover flowers from my wedding, flowers I found at garage sales, wooden roses from Joshua's Hands, and a basket I already had.

Flower arranging is SO easy; anyone can do it.  Really.

All you have to do is find a container - basket, bucket, wagon, use your imagination!

Put some styrofoam in the bottom.

Get some fake flowers.  Garage sales/craigslist/freecycle/clearance at Michaels are all great places to score lots of pretty flowers.

Stick the flowers in so they are varied and look full.

Enjoy a pretty centerpiece that doesn't have to be watered and will never die :)

Here is another pretty flower arrangement that Martha Stewart made for Easter.

 

Two Thursday Carnivals in One Post - Woo Hoo Me!

Today is Things that I love Thursday hosted by the Diaper Diaries!  This is one of my favorite carnivals, because it was one of the first I ever participated in :)  I also saw a photo carnival for today on Everything Except the Grill that I am linking to.  Her theme for today is "Something you do everyday."  Well, the first thing that came to mind was changing diapers!  So I figured I'd participate in both carnivals today.  Aren't I ambitious?

So, here is my picture of what I do (several times) every day:

"Hi to all you bloggy people reading this!  My mom is going to change my diaper & that makes me so happy!"

The thing that I love today that goes along with the picture (actually, it's in the picture) is Balmex.  Desitin is good too.  Diaper rash cream.  It is awesome stuff!  My boys have been suffering from diarrhea/flu/vomiting this past week and I have been SO glad to have diaper rash cream on hand for their poor little butts.  It works wonders for them and saves my sanity.

Plus, when you buy Balmex, you can submit it for $1 rebate from Caregiver's Marketplace.  I got mine from triple coupons at Shoppers for about $2 before the rebate :)  Not just awesome working diaper rash cream - it's cheap awesome working diaper rash cream.  That's what I love!

For those days when Mommy is tired...

Sometimes there are days when I am tired and it's hard to actively play with my kids.  I really like doing quiet things on those days - like reading books.  However, I have little boys and they don't always like to sit still and read books.  So, there are a couple games that I use on "tired mommy" days.

First is "Animal Imitation" (like the name?  I just made it up :).  What you do is have your child/ren lay on the floor with the light off, then you tell them when you turn the light on they have to act like a ____ (insert animal here).  We especially like odd animals like worms; be creative!  I leave the light on for a couple minutes and then when I turn it off they have to stop what they are doing, lay down and quietly wait for the next animal.  It's a great game because mom doesn't have to move much, the kids get to practice their animals, and get lots of energy out!

I also like "Statues".  I didn't come up with this game, but I don't remember where I saw it.  Basically the idea is to play music and have your kids dance.  When the music stops they have to freeze into a statue.  It's is REALLY funny to see what "cool" poses kids come up with :)

I hope this helps some of you with your own "tired mommy" days!