Rise time . . . 5:30
Well my three little princesses decided that they would give me a good nights sleep. Yes!!! When my alarm went off at 5:30 I had been awake for a minute or two and didn't even realize what time it was. It was extremely easy to lean over, shut it off, and get out of bed. I had coffee percolating and breakfast waiting for me in the fridge. I feel refreshed and ready to start my day.
I am very happy to say that the challenge of getting up in the morning has not be bad. The mornings that I struggle are the mornings I've been up with a kid or two during the night. Today's reading in Early To Rise: Learn To Rise Early in 30 Days was great advice. If you make getting up late cost you, you will be more motivated to rise early. Since moneysavingmom.com issued the challenge for it's readers, that has been enough of a motivation for this competitive girl. It isn't a competition but it is a challenge to see who can make it through the month.
Day 13 means we are almost half way done. Although I've done really well, after this challenge is over I will need other motivation. I am hoping that by getting up early for a month will instill a routine that will be easy for me to continue. If not I am going to have to take the author's advice and some how keep myself motivated. Maybe I will challenge someone else and I can start the challenge all over again. Buddy system works much better than going solo.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
DIY Princess dresses
My daughters love to dress up. They really love to dress up as princesses. Not just any princesses but Disney princesses. I have tried a few and have had requests from my daughter for more dresses. For Christmas I made her a Rapunzel dress with a wig and her birthday in January I made her a Cinderella dress.
Most dresses I find in the store start at $20. They also last a very short time since they are very poorly made. There are a few options for you if you choose to make your own. I used a few patterns I already had. Hancock often has them for $.99 or $1.99. I just pick and choose from different patterns what I need and adjust if I need to. My daughter didn't care if it didn't look exactly like the dress from the movies. As long as it looks similar. It really just has to be the same color and she's fine.
Another option is to follow a free tutorial. You may still need to adjust the sizes and sometimes draft your own pattern. The links below will provide you with tutorials for other princess dresses. I have tried a few and am looking forward to trying more. My 4 year old dresses up almost everyday.
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| Christmas Morning |
Most dresses I find in the store start at $20. They also last a very short time since they are very poorly made. There are a few options for you if you choose to make your own. I used a few patterns I already had. Hancock often has them for $.99 or $1.99. I just pick and choose from different patterns what I need and adjust if I need to. My daughter didn't care if it didn't look exactly like the dress from the movies. As long as it looks similar. It really just has to be the same color and she's fine.
Another option is to follow a free tutorial. You may still need to adjust the sizes and sometimes draft your own pattern. The links below will provide you with tutorials for other princess dresses. I have tried a few and am looking forward to trying more. My 4 year old dresses up almost everyday.
- Rapunzel
- Rapunzel Hair
- Cinderella
- Disney Princess Felt Dress up Aprons
- Snow White
- Snow White top
- Mermaid
- Belle
- Tinker Bell
Early to Rise Day: Day 12 Stop being avarage!
Rise Time . . . 5:39
This morning went better. I am still finding it hard to have the motivation to get out of bed but at least I had a good night sleep last night. No one woke up in the middle of the night. Hurray!
I was really inspired today by the reading in Early To Rise: Learn To Rise Early in 30 Days. If you don't want to be average then you need to start going against the flow.
Let's think about successful people who are average . . . thinking . . . still thinking. . .
Now how about people who are successful. Well I can say that professional athletes are not average. They work hard and often go against the flow to be better than every one else. Bill Gates, I'd say he is far from average and a self made billionaire. Successful A list and even B list actors and actresses are far from average. Many worked their butts off in unconventional ways to fulfill their dreams.
Now lets look at history, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Dr. Martin Luther King, Ghandi, and Jesus. What do all these people have in common? They went against the flow. They made themselves better by being different.
Are you happy being average, being just like everyone else. Are you one of the cookie cutter people letting others tell you how to be happy? Getting up early is such a small part of changing your life. Mornings are your time to reflect and decide how you will spend your day and how. Will you be avarage and blend in with everyone else or will you be different and have an attitude that says I am different. Are you going to be happy and spread that happiness to others or walk around like everyone else who are frazzled, tired, and unhappy. Every morning and every day the choice is yours.
(If you popped over from MSM, I'd love to hear how you are doing.)
This morning went better. I am still finding it hard to have the motivation to get out of bed but at least I had a good night sleep last night. No one woke up in the middle of the night. Hurray!
I was really inspired today by the reading in Early To Rise: Learn To Rise Early in 30 Days. If you don't want to be average then you need to start going against the flow.
Let's think about successful people who are average . . . thinking . . . still thinking. . .
Now how about people who are successful. Well I can say that professional athletes are not average. They work hard and often go against the flow to be better than every one else. Bill Gates, I'd say he is far from average and a self made billionaire. Successful A list and even B list actors and actresses are far from average. Many worked their butts off in unconventional ways to fulfill their dreams.
Now lets look at history, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Dr. Martin Luther King, Ghandi, and Jesus. What do all these people have in common? They went against the flow. They made themselves better by being different.
Are you happy being average, being just like everyone else. Are you one of the cookie cutter people letting others tell you how to be happy? Getting up early is such a small part of changing your life. Mornings are your time to reflect and decide how you will spend your day and how. Will you be avarage and blend in with everyone else or will you be different and have an attitude that says I am different. Are you going to be happy and spread that happiness to others or walk around like everyone else who are frazzled, tired, and unhappy. Every morning and every day the choice is yours.
(If you popped over from MSM, I'd love to hear how you are doing.)
Monday, March 11, 2013
Early to Rise: Day 11 Change the World
Rise Time . . . 5:50
The challenge started out somewhat easy for me. I actually got up early in the morning without struggle. It seems to be getting harder to do the past few days. I believe it has to do with my poor nights of sleep I have been having. Last night I was woken twice and every night for almost a week now I've had someone waking up and needing me.
I am starting to really understand the importance of my morning time. When I can have a few minutes waking up and getting myself emotional and spiritually ready for the day, I feel much better and have more of a desire to get things done around the house.
Yes I want to get something accomplished but as the author discussed in Early To Rise: Learn To Rise Early in 30 Days
on day 9, there will be days where I will have to put my kids first. When that happens I need rememeber that I can try again tomorrow.
I will be a better mom if I have time to adjust my attitude and take care of myself for a change. My world is my home and kids. Greeting them in the mornings with smiles, hugs, and kisses sets a much better tone for the day.
The challenge started out somewhat easy for me. I actually got up early in the morning without struggle. It seems to be getting harder to do the past few days. I believe it has to do with my poor nights of sleep I have been having. Last night I was woken twice and every night for almost a week now I've had someone waking up and needing me.
I am starting to really understand the importance of my morning time. When I can have a few minutes waking up and getting myself emotional and spiritually ready for the day, I feel much better and have more of a desire to get things done around the house.
Yes I want to get something accomplished but as the author discussed in Early To Rise: Learn To Rise Early in 30 Days
on day 9, there will be days where I will have to put my kids first. When that happens I need rememeber that I can try again tomorrow. I will be a better mom if I have time to adjust my attitude and take care of myself for a change. My world is my home and kids. Greeting them in the mornings with smiles, hugs, and kisses sets a much better tone for the day.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Early to Rise: Day 8 Ship Something????
Last night was a tough night with my 18 month old. Again she was up during the middle of the night and I struggled to get her back to sleep. Getting up early was really tough. On days like this I don't know if it would be better for me to try to get more sleep or start my day with little sleep.
I really love the idea of creating something to put out there for others to see. We all have an artist hiding inside us and there are so many different ways to express it. I love writing my blog. It can be a real release for me. I also love sewing. When I finish a project I am always so impressed with how it turns out. I often wonder if I really made that.
I have been using my morning time to do my devotions, prayer, and blog. Morning really is the best time to work. When the kids are around, writing a post can often be difficult. If I try to work on it at night my creative juices just aren't flowing. I love being able to share things with other moms and maybe some dads too. We all work hard taking care of our kids, sometimes it's nice to not feel alone.
I always get excited when someone tells me they are enjoying my blog. I hope you are too. I am always looking for guest bloggers. If you have anything about kids or family you would like to share, give a try writing a blog post. Just click the link for more information. Guest blogger Information
I really love the idea of creating something to put out there for others to see. We all have an artist hiding inside us and there are so many different ways to express it. I love writing my blog. It can be a real release for me. I also love sewing. When I finish a project I am always so impressed with how it turns out. I often wonder if I really made that.
I have been using my morning time to do my devotions, prayer, and blog. Morning really is the best time to work. When the kids are around, writing a post can often be difficult. If I try to work on it at night my creative juices just aren't flowing. I love being able to share things with other moms and maybe some dads too. We all work hard taking care of our kids, sometimes it's nice to not feel alone.
I always get excited when someone tells me they are enjoying my blog. I hope you are too. I am always looking for guest bloggers. If you have anything about kids or family you would like to share, give a try writing a blog post. Just click the link for more information. Guest blogger Information
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Saving money by cleaning with baking soda
Baking soda is super cheap and one of the best cleaners I've found. It can do so many things that I don't need multiple cleaners. I get a 13.5 lb bag at Sam's Club for $6.68 and it lasts several months. You can also purchase 13.5 lb Baking Soda
at Amazon.com.
Now let me tell you a little about how I clean with baking soda.
at Amazon.com.Now let me tell you a little about how I clean with baking soda.
- My glass top stove: pour baking soda on dirty and caked on spots. Put warm soapy towels on the baking soda for about 15 minutes. (Make sure you ring the towels out so they are not too wet.) Scrub away those spots. Works better than the cleaners you buy in the store.
- I pour about a 1/2 cup of baking soda in the toilet and then about a 1/4 cup of vinegar and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Scrub clean and voila you have a clean toilet.
- When kids spill on our carpet I soak as much as possible up with a towel and then sprinkle baking soda over the spill. I let it sit for around 12 hours and then vacuum it up. No stain!
- Baking soda, water and a scrubby clean my showers and all the scum off the walls and tub. Just make a paste and scrub away.
- My 18 month old gets very bad diaper rash with open sores. I poor a cup or two in her bath water and it helps clean it out. This works for any kind of rash. Use it on poison ivy, poison oak, bee stings, and mosquito bites.
Early To Rise: Day 7 Creating Habits Brick by Brick
The only number that matters in building this habit is “1”.
Habits happen one decision at a time.
Habits die one decision at a time.
Habits start one day.
Habits are the responsibility of one person.
Habits are formed by people who realize they only get one life.
Habits are formed by the one person you can control: you.
Traub, Andy (2013-01-25). Early To Rise: Learn To Rise Early in 30 Days
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| My view every morning. I really feel God's presence. |
This morning was the first morning I really had a hard time getting up. I hit my snooze button for the first time. I had a rough night with my 18 month old. For some reason she just did not want to go back to sleep.
Today is day 7. If you have being doing this challenge with moneysavingmom.com, congratulations you've made it through the first week! You are hopefully discovering what is working for you and starting to get into a comfortable routine.
Today's reading in Early To Rise: Learn To Rise Early in 30 Days
reminds us that this is a process. Each day you are building a habit. Each day is a choice. I often struggle with creating habits as I'm sure many do also. I have found that when habits start to stick, my life has become less complicated.
Since last summer I have been trying to start new habits that make my life more organized. I started with my cleaning schedule. That only took a few weeks to create a habit for a majority of my cleaning but still something I am continually working at. Next I organized bill paying, which worked wonderfully. That habit took days. The last habit I've been working on with my husband is our budget. Keeping track of our spending and making sure we are not over spending is a constant challenge.
Habits can be easy to establish, they can be hard. They will take time but we have to remember that today is what matters and today is what we can control. Let tomorrow worry about itself because you have enough to worry about already. Tomorrow is a new day with new choices. We are building our habits brick by brick, day by day.
If you are participating in this challenge I'd love to hear how you are doing. Please leave a comment.
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