Everyday Live Happy

A clean house really does make me happy, relaxed and content.  Ironically, my house is not clean right now.  I mean it's okay, but it needs to be vacuumed and the dishes need to be done.  Again.  Why is it that as soon as you clean it starts getting dirty again?  I would love it if it could stay clean for at least one day.  That would really make me happy because I'm sure that it is wishful thinking.  Then I think that someday my house really will stay clean for days.  When I no longer have little ones at home.  That will not make me happy.  Maybe I need to just enjoy today for what it is, dirty house and all the wonderful chaos! 

Mommy Time is what I call anytime I'm doing what my kids want to do.  During the summer we sign up for a summer movie package from our local theatre.  It is all kids movies and the package is so cheap it is less than a dollar a movie.  This year most of the movies we haven't already seen.  Many of them were movies that we wanted to see, but just never got around to it.   So today we went to a movie that we all enjoyed.  Of course the fact that I like kids movies helps.  My kids finished their chores before we went and so I bought them popcorn and drinks.  Not bribery - a reward.  There is a difference.  They had fun.  I had fun.  I felt like a mommy win today and that makes me happy!

For as long as I can remember, I've loved to read.  I remember sitting in a comfy chair in my room reading while my siblings were watching Saturday morning cartoons.  I remember staying up way past my bedtime to read a book that has sucked me in.  I still do that one.  In fact the other night I stayed up way later than I should have to read a book that I got from the library.  It wasn't a great piece of literature, but it was a fun, light read that I enjoyed.  Loving to read is something that I want to pass on to my kids.  I want them to find joy in spending a quiet afternoon with a book just like I did.  Our oldest daughter has found that joy.  Almost to the extreme though.  She would sit in her room reading all day long, rarely coming out.  One day my husband went in her room and told her to put the book down and come watch TV with us.  We all laughed at that.  She eventually learned more balance and continues to enjoy reading.  My younger kids haven't quite got there ye

Since it's summertime and all schedules are mostly out the door, I decided that my kids have lots of free time and it's okay for me to take some of it.  Year round my kids have chores that they do when my husband or I ask them to.  But like I said they have a lot of free time now so I am taking advantage of it.  I hate that they only do things when I ask them to.  I would love for them to see something that needs to be done and then do it.  They are kids so that won't happen.  So they each have a standing "chore chart" this year.  Their lists are mostly the same with just a few changes.  Both of them have to make their beds, clean their rooms, and read.  (I know that reading isn't a chore, but it's how I make sure they do it before they get busy with their friends or other activities.)  Then they each have other things to do icluding picking something off of the daily chore chart.  I have a list of chores that need to be done each week.  Each day of the we

I love traditions!  I it's because it brings up all of the good memories from years past as well as making new memories.  We have such a fun tradition at our house.  Every year at the first of October we get together with friends and we make "Halloween Houses."  Usually we make them out of graham crackers and make the best house plans that we can think of.  This year I got ambitious and made ours out of gingerbread.  I couldn't find a house plan that I liked so I made my own.  We put it together at home with both royal icing and hot glue and then we went to our friends house to decorate it.  We all bring whatever kind of candy we can find - anything that can pass for Halloween candy. My friend provides purple, green, black, and orange icing for every family.  Then we ice and decorate to the extreme!  The more candy the better and if it becomes messy it doesn't matter because it just makes it look more "halloweenie."  There were six families there.  All

I love summer time.  The warm days.  The long daylight days.  The kids home.  No real schedules.  Okay the last two can become challenging sometimes when you get bored kids.  Well over the past couple of years I've pinned tons of things to do in the summer.  However, I am a great idea planner, just not a great idea follow througher.  I have an idealic image of what summer should be, but when it gets right down to it, it is a lot of the same days.  Well last year my kids and I combined some of the ideas we liked and this is what we came up with for us.  We have our days scheduled.  Make it Monday Taste it Tuesday Wet Wednesday Thinking Thursday Fun Friday This year I added "My Summer Bucket Lists."  My kids and I all filled out our own and we can pick things off for the days if we want.  Some of the ideas are big and might not happen.  It doesn't matter.  I told them to put anything on it that they want to do and we would do as many as we could.  I did tell the

Okay maybe saying "lazy" Sundays make me happy isn't exactly accurate.  Lazy Sunday afternoons make me happy.  I can't really call it lazy when I started with a 7:30 am meeting and then went to church from 9 until 12.  But from 12:00 on I had nothing that I had to do.  I changed out of my dress clothes and put on my comfy leggings and tshirt.  I could spend downtime with my kids.  I watched a cartoon with my youngest.  I spent time talking to my kids.  Talked to my husband.  Wrote my son an email and basically just enjoyed having nothing that I had to do.  I worked on a smash type book and watched tv or just appreciated the silence.  Most days are hurried and rushed and filled with to do lists.  On Sundays I take a break from housework and yard work and shopping.  So that takes a lot of the rush out of the day.  Then I fill it with easy going things.  I feel refreshed after a day like today and that makes me happy.

In case the title didn't explain it good enough - I am so excited that we now have central air conditioning!  We've had a swamp cooler in the past.  If you have ever had one of those you know that they are helpful but not great.  They cool your house down some until it is really hot outside and then they don't work very good.  Where we live summer high's are usually 90's or low 100's.  A little warm.  Well last week some very nice men came and put in an air conditioning unit.  I set my thermostate where I want it and it will go on and off as needed.  You can't see but I am doing a happy dance right now!  I'm excited for a cool, fun summer.  Play hard outside and come inside to cool off.  I am so cool and happy right now!

Family get togethers are great!  They are great fun!  There are great times!  And unfortunately a great amount of work!  We had a very busy weekend.  Our daughter is leaving on a mission in a few days and so we had a lot of family in town for her farewell talk in sacrament meeting on Sunday.  My husband and I actually like hosting parties so we came up with the great idea to host two.  A barbeque on Saturday for any family who was in town.  And a brunch on Sunday for all family and friends after church.  (We have 9:00 am church.)   Saturday was a busy day making sure that we had everything that we needed for Sunday.  So we were late getting the chicken in the marinade which meant we were late getting it cooked.  Not too much later but about 30 minutes late.  No one seemed to care but between all of my and my husbands siblings, kids and our parents, we had a lot of people around.  Luckily we were eating outside so most people sat out there to visit.  The only problem with that was that