Friday's Five



Flowers inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe.

 5 things I loved this week:

1. School art show. Three of the kid's art pieces made it into the school's art gallery.

2. Free toilet paper (Charmin 16-pack) thanks to my burgeoning interest in couponing. My goal is to cut our paper goods/ cleaning products/ toiletry expenses.

3. Spending a weekday afternoon with my husband - lunch at an Italian deli & then Hangover 2.

4. Feeling more organized (thanks to ongoing efforts to de-clutter & simplify).

5. More money saved - used 3 Groupons this week at a bowling alley, local bakery, and ice cream parlor. $120 total value for $38!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Pop-up Card

Who knew that pop-up cards are so easy to make? A family member's birthday celebration was this past weekend & I didn't have a card for our gift of booze. I saw a great tutorial (click here) & within minutes, this little card was done. I just cut out the shapes by hand and used Sharpies for the text. It's pretty simple but I did try to add something of interest - see the little bottle of Blue Moon beer with the orange slice? It's a nod to the beer of choice at recent gatherings. I can't wait to make more!

30 Day Double Challenge

I know my lasso & bracelets
are somewhere under this mess!
Time to de-clutter! 

Clutter. Chubster. Curses to both of you!

I am challenging myself to 30 days of action. Each day, I will de-hoard by removing at least one item from home and I will exercise. As I prepare to battle this dubious duo, I feel like I should don some Wonder Woman Underoos. Although they would be quite snug since I was 9 the last time I wore them (along with my awesome high-top roller skates, of course). That was back when I had normal-sized feet. And normal-sized thighs. But I'm getting side-tracked again. Please check back for updates. And if you could use a little less clutter and/or a little less jiggle, then won't you join me?

Clutter Buster update days 1-23:  Woot! 12 bulging bags of evil clutter have been deposited into the trash or donated to Goodwill. Wall art, gardening stuff (we don't have a garden), a helium tank, hairdryer, clothes/shoes/purses, blankets, a tent, books/magazines. So much more room to breathe! But I know there's still more I can do. Clutter lurks. Oh, it lurks! Just threw out 2 big bags of kitchen stuff this weekend. Gotta hit that garage soon.
Chubster Buster update days 1-23: Exercising more than I was but still not good enough. There's been 4 days of Zumba, 3 days of 30-Day Shred, 9 days of walking or weights. Missed 7 days. Ouch. Gotta move it to lose it, sister! Definitely need to do more.

Friday's Five

Today's Friday's 5 is brought to you by the number 9

1. The super-sweet, ultra-smart, ridiculously-silly little human being who lights up my life turned 9.

2. My parents and brother drove down for her birthday. They helped me with a ton of last minute to-do's before the party. Seeing my family recharges me so it's great that we see each other every couple of months.

3. The Keroppi-themed party was a hit. Games, crafts, bounce house, taco guy, big chocolate Keroppi cake. The birthday girl and her guests had a blast. I'll post photos in a few days.

4. The kiddo & I are planning a home spa day this weekend. We have recipes for a sugar scrub and face mask.

5. I was able to celebrate mother's day with my own mama. Very special indeed.

No Pressure!



Homemade Keroppi goody bags.
All the planning & prepping is worth it to see
how excited she is about her upcoming party.



The kid is having a small-ish (school friends & immediate family) birthday party at the park. To reduce party-planning stress, I have been methodically tackling a little party prep each night.
Then, yesterday:

"Mommy, I asked my Magic 8 Ball if this is going to be the best party ever & it answered, DEFINITELY!"

Oh yeah. No pressure.