Pinterest Stress? Really?

So, I came across this article today and was flabbergasted that this is even an issue. Maybe because I've reached a certain age and experience level and I forget that others aren't there too. Not that I'm any smarter or better than anyone else, I am seriously challenged, as you all know by now! But it really saddened me that people are basing their self-esteem on external things like what they perceive others can do that they can't? Honestly, if you think about it, that's just a form of coveting. . . but I jump ahead of myself. How 'bout I share the article? Then you can go read it and see what you think.

Today Show Report:
'Pinterest stress' afflicts nearly half of moms, survey says

http://www.today.com/moms/pinterest-stress-afflicts-nearly-half-moms-survey-says-1C9850275

Here's my grade of this whole line of reasoning: 

I honestly could go on and on about this and re-post the entire thing, and write in my comments after all the little places where these women are saying things that hurt them inside. I feel so sad for them. That said, I do admire the principle that when something affects you negatively, you should remove it from your life. Very true.

But even better, how about remove the cause of the negativity? I don't think it's the website itself, it's the person's perception of what the website is about. It doesn't matter if it's in the form of a website or a magazine, or a church congregation or gym class. Wherever you are, if you spend your time comparing yourself to others and expecting yourself to live up to "being like everyone else", you will most certainly fail. Your job is to be the best YOU that you can be. At least that's how I see it.

I will say that I *love* the idea of "pinterest fail" - to show how *real* projects turn out. Sometimes they are really great, but most of the time, crafts and dinners and other things like that turn out mediocre or good at best. Not picture perfect. And guess what. . . that's okay! That's real life! That's why I posted pictures of my messy home at the end of that one weekend. . . it's just the way it is, my jumbled friends, it's real life, and guess what - it's okay! Be happy anyway!

But why am I going on about this anyway? I already wrote a comment responding to the article on the Today Show website. I hope that it's helpful to someone. I am re-posting it here for your convenience. I'd love to hear what each of you thinks about this topic!

Talk to you soon!
~ JS ~

Read the comment that I left on the Today Show article by clicking "read more" below:

No Time To Write. . . But Hello Anyway!

I decided that if I keep waiting for "time" to write on this blog, I will be waiting forever. Seriously, do you ever feel like your life is a runaway train and you are just scrambling to catch up? I asked a friend this question yesterday, and she said, "Is there ever a time that I *don't* feel like my life is that way?" haha - yeah, that's what it's been like around here the past several weeks!

If you have kids who are in school, you've probably noticed that the closer it gets to summer, the busier and busier things get. Even if you don't have kids, as soon as it starts to get warmer, everyone wants to be outside, playing in the sunshine, digging in the dirt, planting flowers, and getting things in order while it's still cool enough to work and play outside. With kids, you add in the end-of-the-year testing, soccer season, graduation. . .

. . .and so many interruptions that you can't finish a blog post! (I just spent the last 20 minutes answering the door and several phone calls instead of writing. . . lol) Anyway, I didn't even start to mention the *regular* stuff, like your job, your church and community responsibilities, keeping up with the house, maintaining a relationship with your spouse, and the list goes on and on. . .

Official Pomodoro Technique Timer
Click photo to purchase on Amazon.com for less than $6.00

How to cope? For me, the only way is PLANNING and using a TIMER! (And going easy on yourself when you aren't perfect, because no one is.)

Here are a few of my favorite tools & websites for you to browse, since I can't keep writing now because my timer went off!

• The Pomodoro Technique®
• www.toodledo.com
• www.kanbanflow.com
• www.sandglaz.com
• www.evernote.com

How to Wean a Toddler from their Precious Binky. . . (or "passie", as we always called it!)

A friend asked this on Facebook, and I realized I do have a few gems to share after raising 7 children. (Although I'll admit that the more kids I had, the more I figured out how little I actually knew!) But here's a strategy that worked for us with 5 of our kids who became somewhat "binky dependent" over those first couple of years. . . I'll tell ya though, those binkies are a lifesaver!

And I know people have concerns about teeth growing crooked and yada yada yada, but out of 7 children, only two of mine so far have been candidates for braces (One is just now completing invisalign at age 19, the second will probably start sometime this year at age 16). I have seen absolutely no correlation between teeth problems and those who used binkies or not. So that's my anecdotal evidence anyway. ;)

Fer Cute! - On My Mind BPA-free Pacifiers - Available at Amazon.com

Question:
"Ok moms, I wanna know... How did you take away your baby's binky? It's only been the last few months that JW has become really, REALLY attached, because of teething. Now he has his top teeth, and I want the bink to go bye, bye." - Nellie Edmonds, Utah

Jumbled Sunshine Answer:
We used a "binky leash" to pin the passie to the pillow with a safety diaper pin. Make sure it's long enough they can lay there in bed with it and short enough that they can't get it wrapped around their neck. I made my own by braiding some yarn. This way the child can only have it at naptime and bedtime. (Just be aware that a clever toddler may start carrying the pillow around the house to have their precious binky/passie along at all time, haha! We resorted to pinning the pillow to the toddler mattress with one of our kids, haha!)

It's a good compromise - the passie is still there if they really need it emotionally, but it's a little bit of a hassle for them to go find it. This way they only use it when they really really need it the most. (Usually bedtime). Although funny thing - one of our more emotional daughters would run to her bedroom whenever she was upset and lay there sucking on her passie to comfort herself, then come back out when she was happy - it worked rather well, actually. hee hee

Anyway, after a few weeks/months of this routine, when you think the child has gotten to the point to not be totally dependent on it during the day, choose an out-of-town weekend when the binky gets "accidentally" left at home on the pillow. (You can take one hidden in your bag if you are worried about your sanity on the trip, lol.) Chances are, the child will do fine all weekend long, which is the sign that they are ready to give it up.

So - when you pull into the driveway at the end of the trip, one parents runs inside and takes the passie off the pillow. The child has likely forgotten about it after a couple days "binky-free". Worked for us. . . let's see. . . five times!

Love the "snooze button" and "volume control" ones!
So true.
On My Mind BPA-free Pacifiers - Available at Amazon.com

The worst response we ever had was a child saying, "Where passie?" when we got home. After expressing an appropriate level of surprise that it was missing (without directly lying of course, haha), I explained to the child at her own level that since she hadn't used it all weekend, it was clear that she was a big girl now and didn't need it anymore. I offered her blanket and some hugs, and that was that!

Oh yeah, I feel like the passie master right now! :D

Have a great day all you Mommies and Daddies!

Calendaring: A Critical Skill to Master

Today I only have a few minutes due to a very crazy several weeks. . . so I'll just go over one of the most basic and important items in time management - CALENDARING! It doesn't really matter if you use a wall calendar, a pocket calendar, a phone calendar, or an online calendar. But seriously . . . if your life is even a tiny bit busy, you need to use a calendar!

"But," you may ask, "How do I use a calendar?"

To those who have been calendaring for years, this may seem like a foolish question. But honestly, when did they ever teach you how to use a calendar in school? They *had* calendars in school, but did you ever really learn the properly way to utilize a calendar to keep your life sane and on schedule? I know that I wasn't taught it in all my years of school, including obtaining a bachelor's degree in college. I learned it on my own, as I assume everyone else who knows how to use a calendar does.

As a Freshman in college I realized there was no possible way to keep track of everything I needed to do unless I had a calendar/planner. My first "real" calendar (as in, one that I actually used consistently), was a simple little notebook with 7 days across a 2-page spread like this:

Here's how I used it: I simply wrote down assignments on the day they were due. So it would say, for instance: "DUE: Read Psych Ch 1". For each class, I would take the syllabus for the entire semester and write all assignments into the planner on the day they needed to be handed in. Then I would take large projects and break them down into smaller tasks, and lists those throughout the semester so they would be done on time. These can be marked with (parentheses) so that you know they are "optionally" due that day. This way, every day I could look ahead at the whole week and make sure I was doing all the homework I needed to have done for the next few days. I could also pencil in all the social activities, work schedule, and more, that needed to be listed for that particular week. It worked out really well for me as a student.

Once I became a mother and homemaker, I found that it was critical to have a wall calendar that everyone can see in a central location. Everyone's schedules have to go on it. We've used a wall calendar for the family for over 20 years, and here's a picture of the one we are currently using: 

This is the "Big Grid 2013 Wall Calendar" from calendars.com. Click on the picture to go to the full details online. They have it on sale for less than $4 right now since it's already March. So - good time to buy!

Anyway - It doesn't really matter what kind of calendar you use, as long as there is enough space in the little boxes for what your family has going on during an average day. I like this "Big Grid" calendar because it expands over the whole fold-out instead of taking up half the space with a picture. Don't get me wrong, I love picture calendars, but the squares are WAY too small. So I may hang blank pretty calendars around the house just to see what day it is, but we only put the schedule on our main kitchen calendar. You can get this "Big Grid" calendar at THIS LINK or click on the image above. 

Ideally, with a calendar like this being used by the family, you are going to only put your SCHEDULED EVENTS on it. Don't put "to-do's" or "job charts" on it, it will get too cluttered. Just list all appointments and other scheduled things that have to be done on a certain day. So, for instance, when you get the soccer schedule, put all the games and practices on the calendar. When you have a doctor appointment, write it on the calendar. If you always have a date with your husband on a certain night, put it on the calendar (use pencil if it's an activity that could be rescheduled if needed.) When you have someone ask you to do something for them such as babysit, or bring food to an activity, write it on the calendar! If you are not by your calendar, then you have to have a notebook or some kind of task app on your phone that you are committed to recording when you get home. (If you go electronic, it's helpful to put a little reminder on the phone so it will beep you when you are at home and remind you to put it on the family calendar). Either that, or ask the person call you back when you are at home in front of your calendar before you commit! This works wonders for just keeping track of those basic things that are on the schedule that you don't want to forget.

What I do right now for my calendaring system, is two-fold: I have the wall calendar for the family items, and I use a Google calendar online that happens to also sync automatically with my phone. This way, I have my own personal basic schedule always in front of me no matter where I go. Ideally, each week I take everything that's on the family calendar and enter it into my Google calendar, and vice versa. I say ideally because it doesn't always happen. I admit it! But it still greatly simplifies my life, because it's not too big of a deal if I have to check in two places. 

Once upon a time, I thought it might work better if *everyone* in the family had a Google calendar, thinking that this would replace the wall calendar. Honestly, it was a total failure because everyone in the family was sharing one or two computers. So when that phone call came with a new schedule, who wants to run over to the computer, start it up, wait for the calendar to load, then type it in? Right now, most of my teens have their own little calendars on the phones or computers, so some of them will update their Google calendars, which are all shared with everyone else in the family. However, for the most part, the main place they have to make sure they have recorded their schedules is on the family calendar. (Remember, this is not for personal scheduled things like a routine or when all the class periods are - the family calendar is just for the events that involve someone else in the family or events when they will be gone so everyone else needs to know about it. 

I'm sure someday we'll all have a little flat screen hanging on the wall that will be connected to the internet and can be used as a family calendar that is also visible on everyone's phones. As a matter of fact, the technology is already there, but it's not quite ready as far as being affordable and practical. So, for now, it seems best to me to have a paper one on the wall for the family, and have everyone use their own personal systems, then have one day per week (I like Sunday or Monday nights) for everyone to tell everyone else what's going on and make sure everything for the coming week is recorded on the family calendar. 

This works out really well because each person can fill in other types of things on their personal calendars. For instance, I keep track of my daily and weekly routines, my work schedule, meal plans, etc. These are all on my Google calendar under different "calendars" that can be kept separate in various colors on there. It works out well for me most of the time and keeps me on track so I don't get too distracted. Although, like you probably suspect, there are time periods when I will completely forget my online calendar and just fly by the seat of my pants. This is a good break for me from the tedium of a schedule, but it always ends up getting crazy so I fall back into the tried-and-true calendaring system.

Remember the most important rule about a calendar or a schedule - it is a TOOL to help you accomplish what needs to be done and help jog your memory about everything you have committed to. Use it to help yourself be organized, but don't ever make yourself a slave to the calendar. You scheduled all those appointments and you have the personal power to cancel them as well. If it's getting too busy, you may need to simply say, "I'm not going to be able to do that!" to one of your scheduled items. Have the courage. Trust me, it will make life much better so you don't end up with a nervous breakdown!

In our family, no matter what else happens, we never EVER stop using the family wall calendar. It is right there by the kitchen where everyone can see it, and the rule is *supposed to be* that if you don't write it on the calendar, don't plan on my driving you there. I have probably been a little lax on this, so the kids have gotten a little lazy about some of their schedules. But for the most part, we are pretty consistent, so the wall calendar can be trusted 95% of the time to at least have the most important items on it. This has saved me so much hassle. And when things aren't recorded, there is inevitably a scramble at the last minute to figure out rides and etc. 

SO - new habit for you? If you don't have a family wall calendar, I highly recommend you get one! Right now is a great time because everything for 2013 will be discounted since it's already the end of March. I like to order from calendars.com because they have a large variety of choices. Just don't get too caught up in the pictures so you end up forgetting to get something that will actually be useful!

That's it for today my jumbled friends! Talk to you again real soon. . . Have a fantabulous day!

Book Preview: The Art of Homemaking

It's all fine and good to be spontaneous and have fun, and I hope I never lose that, but at the same time, it is a constant life-long battle to keep focused and organized so that something can get done! Ever felt that way?

Yeah, I thought so. Me too. When I was a new Mom, I came across this great old book that helped me in so many ways:

The Art of Homemaking by Daryl V. Hoole (1962)

I don't know where I got it or when, but I'm so glad I did, because it was a great teaching tool for me back in 1992, when I was a young mother and a college student trying to figure out how to balance all of my responsibilities. While out of date by modern standards, this book was my first peek into home management and how to stay organized so that things could run smoothly despite the unpredictability of parenthood and life in general. Besides the great time-tested true principles talked about in this book, there are some adorable pictures that I just have to share:

Haha - Do you ever feel like this in the morning?? Me? Let's see: #1 - yes, a lot. And #2 - occasionally!

Here's another one that I love:

Haha, laying on the couch eating bon-bons! Unfortunately that's what a lot of people think homemakers do all day. But if you have been a stay-at-home Mom of babies, toddlers or preschoolers, you know better! If you did do this (and if the kids would let you for even a minute, you would seriously pay for it later - totally not worth it.) Don't ask me how I know that, hee hee. 

Most women who are even giving a half-hearted effort won't be seen doing anything remotely like this during the day. Besides, does she really look like she's enjoying herself? Don't think so. Here's the contrasting picture:

Hahaha! There. That's better! Look at all those happy people. Especially the lady with the broom, hee hee.

Okay, this one is probably more like how I feel much of the time, and I'm suspecting you too:

Oh no! How to get it all done!?
But isn't this drawing great? It brings to mind all the adventures of Lucille Ball.
The poor woman's like, "Oh my! Where do I even start?"

This one's just the best:

Thank goodness for the modern washing machine! Now she can wear her heels, makeup, cute little dress and apron and still get the laundry done without a hitch!

Okay, so that might be a stretch for how most of us look these days, whether doing laundry or not! But isn't it fun to see the pictures? And doesn't it just inspire you a little bit to do better with your job, whether at work or home or church? It does me.

This book was my lifeline as a young woman who had just quit her full-time job and full-time student life to become a stay-at-home Mom. What in the world was I going to do all day? Haha - those days are long gone, with 5 busy teenagers and 2 gradeschoolers, I never have to wonder what I am going to do all day anymore. Instead, what I have to figure out is what should I do today, and choose from all the many things that I could do today.

In my next post, I'm going to go into the basics of taking charge of your schedule and how to find what works for you. I've found that no matter how I "change it up" over the years, success always comes down to a few basic principles, as taught quite well in "The Art of Homemaking". Here's a sneak peek at a few of them:

• Make a basic daily/weekly schedule.
• Keep an updated calendar and look at it every morning!
• Create routines that are realistic and stick to them until they are a habit.
• If it's not working, tweak it, but don't throw out the baby with the bath water!
• Reward yourself for doing things right.
• Don't get down on yourself for not being perfect.
• Take a day off now and then. Seriously. Do.

So, until then, my jumbled friends . . . enjoy this final thought for the day:

Just do it!

When Disaster Strikes. . . Or Does It?

I've decided to write a post today to make everyone feel better about their lives and homes. This is going to take a lot of courage, because we all go through this life trying to put our "best foot forward" and keep our struggles and weaknesses to ourselves. That is a good strategy in many ways. It is helpful for forming relationships, getting a job, "keeping up with the Joneses" and many other things. But it has a destructive side too.

When we think that everyone around us has a "perfect" life, and only see the parts of other people's lives that make them look amazing, we can get quite discouraged. And it's especially destructive because what we are seeing from the "outside" is not usually the truth at all. In fact, it very seldom is the entire story.

I was having a discussion about this the other day with a couple of friends, and it was very therapeutic for everyone in the conversation to realize that we were all "normal", and that we didn't need to hide behind this wall of perfection just so others would accept us.

That said, there is a time and place for everything. No one wants to hang around someone who brings them down or makes them feel sorry for them. No one likes to hear someone complain all the time. At the same time, no one wants to be around someone who is always bragging either. In fact, as in many many things in this life, there is one extreme on the right and one extreme on the left, and the truth lies somewhere in between.

And so, for the sake of truth and encouragement, I am going to show you some pictures of what my house looks like this morning, after a very fun weekend (gulp). Yeah. I am. Everyone knows that a picture is worth a thousand words, right? And after all, I'm short on time this morning, so here goes. . .

The Den. . . 

The Family Bathroom. . .

Day 8: Toys and Board Games!

Surprise! A post about the 30-Day Power Purge! YAY!! You thought I'd finally given up, didn't you? Not me! I'm back again to show you that "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise." (Book of Mormon, Alma 37:6)

Lesson learned: Taking little baby steps moves you forward, no matter how slow of a pace you take, and no matter how many times you fall down. "Just take two steps forward and one step back, and you'll go a long, long way." (see the music values series for children: "Standin' Tall by Janeen Brady") But enough philosophizing. . . 

I know your next question: "Why is there a picture of the "Leaning Tower of Pisa" at the beginning of this blog post? Answer: Read on to find out!! Isn't that fun? A mystery! hee hee.

I will be honest about this - I have been avoiding the Power Purge: Day 8 Challenge like the plague! And yet at the same time, I was really excited about the day that I would finally have the COURAGE to tackle it! Now, luckily for me, I didn't have to worry about TOYS, because at my house, well, we really just don't have a lot of toys left. Since my kids range in age from 8 to 20, we don't have a toy room anymore, just a little basket of preschool-type toys for kids who visit, plus a few miscellaneous toys in the rooms of my two youngest. 

So - my focus has been, and still is, THE GAMES. "May the odds be always in your favor!" (random thought, sorry!) So anyway, this "week" is the "day" to re-organize the board games! I say "week" instead of "day" because, you see, after 20 years of buying, gathering, playing, organizing, storing, putting away, scattering, destroying, fixing, re-organizing, and playing some more, our board games have gotten a little rough around the edges! But I knew we needed to organize them again - we've needed to ever since our last move. We've made a few attempts at getting them organized again, but never back into good shape in a place that really makes sense. 

Now in my defense, here's what happened: Years ago, I got all the board games really well organized with these little containers according to the system taught in Christy Youd's "Organize Your Home in 10 Minutes A Day" (see "Board Game Organization System" below), but then the when we moved to California in 2008, the games cabinet they were all stored in literally fell apart! Yeah. Really. (It was one of those cheap fiber-board cabinets that looks really great on display at the store, but cracks if you slide it wrong across the floor - you know the type.) 

Anyway, when we moved back to Utah in 2009 (yeah, I know it was only one year, that is a long story for another day), I put all the game containers in a closet in the basement that I thought would be relatively convenient, but apparently it wasn't, because the games rarely got used, except just enough to get taken out a couple dozen times and completely mixed up. And due to a multitude of health issues over the next several years (another long story for another day), I just never had the energy to even walk down the stairs, much less think about re-organizing the games. SO - that's my excuse. 

Enough about the excuse! On to victory!!

Content Filtering Using Your Wireless Router

This is such great information. I found out that just using the wireless router that I already have installed in my home, I can login to the settings and block certain categories to keep my kids safe from pornography and other harmful stuff! And it works not just on one computer, but all ALL the devices in your home that use the wireless internet through that router. devices! 


It's a little techie to set up, but not too bad. The hardest part is figuring out how to login to your router. I learned how to do mine from my brother-in-law, you basically enter the "URL" of your router into your address bar, then put in your password and open it up.

Once you get into your router settings, everything else is pretty easy to figure out. If you don't get it right away, do a little googling to figure it out, or send me a note and I'll see if I can help you. 

It's SO worth it to find this out - you can actually see every website opened by anyone using your wireless router, in real time. So you can make sure no one is browsing in the middle of the night, or see if your teen is really doing their chores or watching Netflix on their phone, hee hee (not that any of my kids would ever do that of course. . . .) 

Now remember, my jumbled friends, that with authority and power comes responsibility. As parents we need to balance our desire to keep our children safe with our respect for them as individuals, and trust as much as we can, only checking up when they give us reason to not trust them. And let them know you are doing it. That's my philosophy - be open with the kids about why you are restricting certain things and then LISTEN to their feedback. Depending on the age and maturity level of your child, there may be some things that you would automatically restrict without realizing that they are actually quite enjoyable for your child and not harmful like you assumed. So - LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN!

Here's some great counsel on the subject:

"We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. . . . No power or influence can or ought to be maintained . . . only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile— Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death." 
~ (Doctrine and Covenants 121:39-44)

It Runs in the Family. . .

Conversation between my 19yo daughter and I at midnight . . .

ugh! you're still awake too! tsk tsk!

hee hee....I was just trying to post this "Little Shop of Horrors" story I'd written awhile ago onto FB....

but I had to quickly edit/add some errors....

it took longer than I thought....

Yeah, I was doing the same thing. . . on jumbled sunshine

haha! It runs in the family!

There's your post for later.

Huh?? It's my post for right now. . .
OH. . . I get it. . . this needs to be on Jumbled Sunshine!

I don't think this needs too much more explanation. :D



To check out my daughter Jessica's current blog, visit: healthyhabitsjourneyofalifetime.blogspot.com

[Update 10/29/14 - Visit Jessica's newest role-playing site (still in progress) here: http://roleplaycafe.blogspot.com/]

The Joy of Finding Yourself

Source: upwardgaze.tumblr.com via Erika on Pinterest

And sometimes it hits you out of nowhere,

That you love being Jumbled Sunshine!

And you're so glad you didn't succeed,

At changing yourself into someone else,

Despite many years of trying.

Follow Jumbled Sunshine on Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/jumbledsunshine

Day 10: Family Entertainment

Okay, for Power Purge Day 10, the challenge was to take care of the DVD's, videos, CD's and computer games in your home and get them organized. I did a little bit on this, but not too much, because this is an area that was in pretty good shape already (yay!) Over the years, our family has used various systems for organizing our family entertainment paraphernalia - some with more success than others, lol - so here's a quick overview of a couple of the things we've tried - plus what is working for us right now.

Luckily for me, the videos have been done several times over the past couple of years, because one of my daughters got really motivated one weekend and labeled everything. So - she arranged them with typed labels right on the side of the videos so we didn't need to mess with cases (more on that later) - so the videos were all ready pretty much done. Yay!

Christianna's  Labeling system - no cases to worry about! So nice for little ones. 

But here's the funny part: We don't have a working VCR in our house. hahahaha! Yes, it's true! So we have all these neatly organized videos and no way to watch them! Because of this, I have decluttered quite a few more, especially because with Netflix and YouTube and Dish Network, we don't have much need for videos anymore, so I tend to just keep our very most favorites. Each time we re-organize, I get rid of more and more of them. All the preschool types have been given to my niece who lives nearby, and many others have been sent to the local donation place.

I know your next question - if I don't have a working VCR, why am I keeping any videos at all? I guess I just can't quite let them go - too many memories of my family when everyone was little. :) And honestly, I am planning to get a VCR just for watching these few precious videos - I thought we could probably find a decent one on Ebay or something - do they even sell VCR's in the stores anymore? I guess they probably do, but I assume it's not super common, because I never see them anymore. Just another thing to add to the to-do list. :P

Enough about videos. On to the DVD's, CD's, and computer games! This task was mostly part of our Day 11: Office challenge as well, since we had a lot of the computer & audio CD's stored in there and we decluttered them when we were moving things out for my nephew to use that room.

I have a bunch of different organizing systems for discs, so here's how I handled it - I put all the computer games in a CD organizer that I purchased a few years ago, it's a pretty neat idea by "Discgear" - here's a link & picture:

Discgear 3700-09M Selector 100 - Silver
This is a pretty awesome little organizer, you will have to check it out. You can even keep an inventory of all your CD's/DVD's on the internet with their program. However, I decided not to do that. Why?

Consistency May Not Be the Rule - But it Does Have a Place

Okay, so up until now I've mostly written about my tendency to jump from one project or idea to another, but I haven't given many details about the things that I'm either naturally consistent on, or that I've learned to be consistent on because they are so important.

Especially with a mind that loves to think of new things and maybe has trouble focusing for long on one thing, I've found it's so important to create little rules, routines & schedules for myself, even if I don't follow them perfectly. Because of my hard efforts over several decades, there are a handful of things that I have become very consistent on that I believe are the foundation from which my family and I can thrive. This is despite the undisciplined periods in between!

• Family Scripture Study - Early morning before school and each evening before bed
• Family Prayer - Morning and night
• Christmas Traditions - I could go on and on about these, but I'll do that next winter. :)
• Family Meal Time - We try to eat dinner together at least half the time, even with crazy schedules
• Be at the Crossroads - This to me means being there when the kids are leaving and coming each day, so I am there to greet them and send them off. (See "To the Mothers in Zion" by Ezra Taft Benson)
• Supporting Clubs and Organizations - like Cub Scouts - these types of organizations help us in the challenging job of raising our families and teaching them how to be good citizens.

These are just a couple of ideas that I've listed - there are hundreds of little things that could be mentioned that are valuable for keeping a family on track. What are some of the traditions and routines your family follows to make sure you keep your life manageable?

Jumbled Sunshine to the Rescue!

Thanks to Jessica for becoming my personal artist! This is just what this blog needed. . . yay! 

My personality captured brilliantly by Jessica Ward. :)

Day 17: Shoes!

Okay so I know I haven't written for a few days - but here's the important part - I did another decluttering challenge! Yep, that's right. I did it on. . . Thursday I think? Wow I feel so ridiculous admitting to my inconsistency. But hey, if no one ever admits to it, we'll all feel like we're alone, right? So guess what - YOU ARE NOT ALONE! No one is perfect, we are all just doing our best and we have successes and failures - that's OKAY.

So here's the challenge I did - my shoes! Here's my picture just to prove what I did:

GORGEOUS! Right?? hahaha! Yes! And *all* the other shoes have been sent to D.I. (or they are lost under a bed somewhere. . . ) But truly, every shoe that was tossed on the floor in this closet was either decluttered into a donation box, or lined up neatly on this lovely little shoe shelf thingie that my most awesome hubby Lonny made for me a couple years ago. Nice.

And it was really fun because I got a bonus out of it! I'll give you a clue - it's in the picture!!

Read on to find out what it was. . .

Great Quote: "Setbacks Happen"

"Setbacks happen. But you've got to stay positive and learn to roll in another direction. Understand that success is never a straight curve going up a graph. It's got plenty of dips in it. True success is not measured by how well you stay on task, but by how you act when you get off task and how quickly you can pull yourself back." ~Hannah Keeley

Day 11: Home Office (Part 2)

Okay, so today I DID do something on my decluttering challenge! See, I *can* be dependable and consistent! Thought you had me there, didn't ya? Not a chance! Ah-hahahahaha. . . (don't know how to write it, so imagine a wicked cackling sound there, lol . . . )

Here's what I did: I went through all the challenges that I haven't done over the past 10 days or so and organized my to-do's for each challenge day so far onto my Kanban Flow chart. If you are interested in being invited to this board so you can use my check-off lists, send me your email address here: jumbledsunshine@gmail.com and I will be happy to add you. You just have to promise to READ THE INSTRUCTIONS in the left column before you copy any of the challenges to your own color/name. (This will all make sense after you join and read the instructions!)

Anyway, the reason I did this was because I'm a visual person and I need a way to check off what I've done and keep track of what I haven't done. I found Kanban Flow several weeks ago when I was on my quest to find the best time management software. I really like it for something like this - a major project that has a lot of different parts) - it's been very handy! Oh and did I mention the best part about Kanban Flow? It is combined with the Pomodoro method! So you have a timer that you connect to each task as you are doing it. So awesome!

Day 23. . . er. . . Day 11. . . er. . .

So I had to laugh when I opened up the Day 13 Challenge and read this:

"Here we go...We're almost halfway through the 30-DAY POWER PURGE and this is crunch time. This is the time that most people say, 'Aw, forget it. I'm tired and way too far behind.' Well, I'm telling you to silence those voices! You CAN do this. Don't look at what you haven't done. Look at what you are going to do. Set your sights on these next couple of weeks and let's make it happen!"

Hahahahahaha. . . why am I laughing? Because it's very tempting to think that way, and I have heard some of those exact words in my mind several times the last few weeks. And so, I finally decide to be re-committed and I open up the challenge to see where I'm at and what I need to do next. Then what do I read? A reminder to not give up!! Not only that, but that woman actually PREDICTED what I was thinking! Ha! How do you think she did that? Hmmm, probably because I am NOT alone - lots of people are in the same boat! So - that's just one big giant reason to not get discouraged.

Not to mention, I have already determined that this time I am seriously going to finish no matter what, even if it takes me months to do this, because after all, the point is to get through all 30 challenges and make a difference in my home. Of course, I would prefer that I had actually stayed on target and done them every day in order. . . but I didn't, so, that's not an option. Can't look backwards, only forwards!

So here's where I'm at: I basically did NONE of the challenges last week, so they are on like Day 23 and I am still trying to finish up Day 11: Office. Yeah. Really. So. . . how many of you give up when you get to this point? Huh? Yeah, that's what I thought. Been there, done that.

And you know what? Sometimes it's fine to give up. Why? Because sometimes the goal you made just isn't important anymore. Life changes, goals change. That's okay. And you shouldn't beat yourself up about it. As long as you make a conscious choice that you feel good about, you can (and should) let it go.

Jumbled Sunshine Review: "Once Upon a Time" TV series

I thought I'd start a series with my take on various shows, movies, books, etc. I'll just do it as they come up in my life, no rhyme or reason in particular. It's more surprising that way! ;) So - here's my take on the ABC TV series, "Once Upon a Time" which premiered on ABC TV in 2011. Season Two is currently being aired on ABC TV (as of 1/31/13), and all of season one is available HERE on Netflix.

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Official Rating: TV-PG
Jumbled Sunshine Rating: TV-12 (for disturbing themes, intense fantasy violence, and mild/rare suggestive content). 

Plot Synopsis (by imdb.com): 
"Emma Swan gets the surprise of her life when Henry, the son she gave up 10 years ago, arrives on her doorstep. Returning the boy to his adoptive mother becomes complicated when Henry reveals a stunning theory to Emma. Everyone in Storybrooke, Maine is a fairytale character under a curse, and Emma - as the long lost daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming - is the one who can save them all. The story unfolds; interweaving scenes of the drama in the sleepy New England town and the inhabitants' past lives in the world of fairy tales. The timeless battle of good vs evil is ready to begin again." 

Jumbled Sunshine Review & Parents Guide: 
This sounds like a kids show, but it is NOT. It's like a fairy tale story for grown-ups. I really enjoy the plot and the twists and turns, but I would recommend it only for adults and teenagers and perhaps some tweens, depending on their maturity level. There are intense scenes of fantasy violence and some disturbing twisted plotlines that, in my opinion, make it inappropriate for younger audiences. I would suggest that parents preview several episodes before deciding which of your children can handle a show like this, taking into account your child's understanding of the difference between fantasy and reality and whether or not they have a tendency to nightmares. That said, one of the main characters, Henry, is a boy about 11-ish who is a big part of the storyline and a pretty good hero-character. The show has a lot of happy charming moments, but it really is a plotline intended for mature audiences. At our home, my 8-year-old son is not allowed to watch it, and my very mature 11-year-old daughter is watching it while supervised by me so we can discuss anything as needed. The older teens watch it on their own and they all love it. Me too. :)

Day 11: Home Office (Part 1)

I'm here! Really truly, I am! I bet you all thought I had given up and QUIT on you, didn't you? Well, you are WRONG! Unless of course you had faith in me that I would be back to finish, because then you were RIGHT!

I have gotten WAY BEHIND on my 30-Day Power Purge challenge! But I have a long list of really great excuses. . . do you want to hear them? Yeah, I didn't think so. Alright then, let's just say that I actually HAVE decluttered quite a bit since the last time I wrote. But it's ALL been on the HOME OFFICE!!! And the reason it's taking me so long is because this past weekend, we started cleaning out our office so we could turn it in to a bedroom for my nephew, Evan, who is living here with us. So - OUT with all that accumulated clutter, and IN with Evan's stuff!

It was really fun because Evan was gone with my husband Lonny for the afternoon on Saturday, so my daughter Christianna decided we should surprise them by getting the bedroom put together while they were gone. She just started going at it and pretty much "cracked the whip" on the rest of us so we would jump in and help. Hahaha. I was glad because I wanted to get it done. Plus it sounded like fun to make it a surprise. BUT - it wasn't such a great idea as far as moving around furniture because the two oldest men in the house were not here! So it was a bit crazy with the rest of us trying to move a big computer desk down the stairs, get all the stuff in boxes and transferred to the other room, bring in the extra bed, and get everything done "enough" that it could at least feel somewhat like a real bedroom before they got back. Plus we had to move several large pieces of furniture, boxes & computer equipment to the downstairs family room into the new "office" area.

Here's our new office space in the downstairs family room! Can you believe we moved that computer desk down the stairs by ourselves without the men home? It was insane! Especially when we almost dropped the whole thing on top of Christianna as we went down the stairs! And then, just as we saved it, Jessica got hit in the forehead with the upper cabinet door as it swung open! Whew! Thank goodness for strong teenage daughters and my buff 13yo son Joshua. You kids are the best ever!!

Time Management for the Jumbled Mind

So I've spent the last several weeks experimenting with various different time management apps for my new HTC Inspire phone. Ironically, I wanted to do this so I could keep better track of the project I've been working on, which is Hannah Keeley's 30-Day Power Purge. It's ironic because I've spent so much time setting up various systems and experimenting with their various features & etc, that I didn't do the power purge challenge for a couple of days now. OUCH! Is that crazy or what?

Image Courtesy of  clipsahoy.com

For the past couple of days I've gotten so hyper-focused getting my day organized, that it was suddenly noon before I had gotten much done! Don't get me wrong, I did accomplish things, but I let my intense focus on getting my time organized distract me from my main project right now, which is getting my home organized! So crazy. Do you ever find yourself doing something like that? I have a very strong feeling that I am NOT alone! Haha.

It's been a really interesting ride, not just this past few weeks, but over the years. You see, when I choose a new time management app, program, or system, I am really picky about wanting to understand it completely, apply it to my own scheduling needs, learn how everything works in theory as well as in practice, and of course I have to make sure it does everything that I need it to do for me. So not only do I have to completely immerse myself in learning how to use the tool, I have to also "live with it" for at least a  day or two before I know if it will work for me. Seriously, I have reviewed so many different time management systems over the years that I am probably an expert on what works and what doesn't and why! My husband has gotten smart and he never starts implementing something new I'm trying until I've done it for at least a few weeks. Otherwise, he will find himself just getting used to it when I abandon it. haha!