A Day In My Life

A GIVE AWAY...Tell all your friends!

Hi everyone...

In honor of regaining ground in my house (it still needs alot of work, but I feel so much better than I usually do because I KNOW how much stuff I have gotten rid of in the last 5 months) Iam going to do a giveaway.  I have never done one before...BUT I want to give it a try.  So here is the scoop...I am trying to kickstart my PURSEnalities business and so I am going to give away this purse:

 (The bottle of water is just to show you the size)

"So", you ask, "how do I win this purse?"  Well, what you need to do is leave me a comment.  Yup, that's it...just leave me a comment.  What about?  I don't care...tell me something about yourself, something you like about my blog, what your summer plans are... The other thing you could do on top of leaving a comment is to tell others about the giveaway...and introduce them to my purses and my blog.  BUT...truly all you need to do is leave a comment...and you have until Monday night June 1 at 11:59pm.

Now, a little bit about this purse.  I sell my felted purses on Etsy at www.dancinglydenise.etsy.com and at www.shopsilkweeds.comand ofcourse at SILKWEEDS in Searsport, Maine.  The purse is hand knit from 100% wool and I have added some "fun yarn" at the top.  After it is knit, I "felt" it and it shrinks it and makes it very sturdy and thick.  I chose this particular purse because it looks like summer to me. 

Okay folks, I still have a bathroom to clean...and laundry to do ,so for now I am out of here.

Dancingly, Denise

Bringing in the NEW...saying goodbye to the OLD...

"Be the person you want to come home to."  Peter Walsh

Sounds like New Years Eve, doesn't it?  Well, remember I was splitting my GOALS into 3 sections this year, instead of saying I am going to do a huge list of Goals/resolutions in January and forgetting them by February.  I revisited my beginning of the year Goals last week with you and as we could see I still have some work to do.  This week, I am "finishing up" the inside decluttering...and yes there will still be tons left to do BUT I still feel really good about what I have done so far.  Stay tuned for some pictures in the next few days.

But...to move on...I am creating a list of the things in each room that still needs decluttering...and cleaning up for Nate's birthday party this weekend.  I am trying very hard to to STUFF things where they don't belong.  So moving on...I have to decide on my GOALS for June, July and August.  I am keeping in mind that my word for the year is PEACE and what things would bring me PEACE.  The following list is just some ideas...I will decide on my Goals by next weekend.  I did underline the ones that I know to be definite at this point.

*Clean out Garage

*finish side garden

*work on landscaping

*read books that are piling up

*list bins of items onto EBAY

*institute "date night"

*Plan and take day trips with kids

*work on my "business"

*Concentrate on...drinking water, walking daily, sun therapy,eating right

*post a project a week

*paint rooms in the house

*work on continuing the house declutter

*dream of a big trip (Disney or Hawaii:0) One can dream can't they?

Well folks...gonna go settle down and watch "So You Think You Can Dance".

Dancingly, Denise

Parades...track meets...and more...

Yesterday Nate found himself in two parades.  The first was the Prospect one...and though I thought I would be alright, when these fellas shot the guns, the tears started and I had to head to the van...I knew I wouldn't make it through Taps.  I am guessing it was hard for these two also...family and friends to Dad and Graf...

 

Nate played a mean trumpet!

 

and our drummer boy...Joe:

 

The track meet today (Tuesday) was fun.  I get to spend time with my friends...and we get to see our kids trying their hardest AND having fun.  Lisa's son Cody did the Highjump:

 

and Nate did the 200 and 400 runs:

 

They did great...I TRIED to get a good picture of them together...sigh...it didn't work:

 

Lauren and Chelsea also joined us to "cheer" their siblings on...sadly the only picture I got of Chelsea's sister was with Cody using her as an arm rest...

 

In other news...I spent a good part of the day organizing the stuff I want to put on EBAY.  Everything is in bins (in my bedroom, unfortunately)...but that's okay...I now know where it all is and it is a part of the next phase in my GOALS.

And that folks is my TUESDAY (sorry I am posting it on WEDNESDAY)

Denise

Four Fourteen Year olds...PRICELESS

Someone reminded me on FACEBOOK that it could be worse...I could have FOURTEEN 4 year olds:)  I took Nate and his pals to see X-MEN today.  I hate to admit it but I liked the movie...  The boys were fun, very fourteenish...they laughed, made stupid jokes, farted...you get the picture.  AND speaking of pictures, i told Nate I wanted one good picture of him and his buddies...this is what i got...

 

 

 

 

 

I gave up...

Denise

Thinking of Dad

And having a hard time putting my emotions into words.  He always told it straight to me...I miss that.  I have things to ask him...and things to tell him.  I am holding some grudges that he would set me straight on...I miss his long "when I was a kid" stories.  I miss his laughter that when out of control caused snorting.  I am upset everytime I walk into a store and there are Father's Day cards...

So that is where I am at tonight...tomorrow I will put "my big girl pants on" (an joke Dad, Bonnie and I had last year) and pull it together.  I will have to, I am going to take FOUR FOURTEEN year olds to the movies to see X-Men...

For now, I am watching Mama Mia with two 17 year old girls...and chilling...

 

Memorial Day past...

Denise

Proud To Be An American....

It's Memorial day weekend and I am missing Dad.  This was such a BIG weekend for him.  He marched in FOUR parades every Memorial day...minus last year (to sick from chemo) and a few years ago he missed the afternoon one because my husband really needed him.  Other than that, he barely missed a parade and a chance to remind us all how important it is to be an American.  Nate will do two parades this weekend, playing in the band...it's a good way to continue to remind us of the importance of the day...and the people who have made this day for us.

Met Bobo at the cemetary and helped her carry plants down to Dad's and Mimi and Bampi's stones.  Then we enjoyed a lunch at Barb's.  Sometimes a burger just really hits the spot!

Went scrapbooking with my peeps tonight.  I didn't get anything accomplished, but it sure was nice to see them all...talk...and laugh.  Tomorrow I work at SILKWEEDS all day so I better be getting some rest!

Goodnight all...

Denise

The mini- "focusizer"

  Nate and Ineed this little guy.  It drives me crazy that Nate loses focus...especially this time of year and so i teased him about finding the "mini-focusizer" for him...Talking Cereal is serious business.  Then it hit me with a THUD...I too am not good at staying focused.  I have all kinds of plans, ideas, thoughts...and for the most part they are GREAT...but I have a hard time staying focused on the big picture.  Hmmmmmmmm...so what bugs me about my son, is the same problem I have...  Have I always been this way?  I have always had tons of ideas in my head at all times...big plans...BUT as a kid and a student I think I was very focused.  So when did this all start for me?  AND why can't I multitask very well anymore?

So I tried to guard against this focus problem, for me, this year by setting GOALS that I would work on for four months at a time...and then move on to new goals (while continuing to MAINTAIN the original goals).  And how have I done?  Well, I believe I have been more successful than I have in the past...but not as successful as I hoped for.  This is what I wrote in a post on January 7, 2009:

"Okay...so New Years Goals...this is how I see it folks.  There are three very specific times in the year that I find myself setting goals...resetting goals...recommitting to Goals...etc.  Those times are January...when everyone does.  May/June when the the weather is getting warmer...the sun cheers me on...and the kids will be out of school for the summer soon.  And September...change in air and the kids are going back to school.  So I have chosen to set Goals three times throughout the year instead of proclaiming them all now and then forgetting them in a month.  I am truly hoping this will make more sense to me. 

So for the next few months my Goals include HEALTH and HOME. Now, in thinking about these goals I realized they are two biggies and they are not goals for a few months...they truly need to be LIFELONG goals for me.  I am a professed clutter-bug...and to get that under control I am going to need to make some changes and work with those changes forever...or I will be back to professed clutter-bug in a blink of my eye.  I also know that at 45...my health is nothing to mess with and lifestyle changes need to be made.  The biggie is the weight...and I will again need to "deal' with this my entire life...but I think I am okay with that.  I want to live a long life, and to do that Ineed to be healthy.  Now, don't you worry...this food-lover is not going to embark on a plan that whittles me into a size 0 and makes me preach the virtues of lettuce...Ipromise (course those who know me know this won't happen).  But along with the health I have some other things I need to do...blood test, cholesterol screening, dentist, eye dr... and these things apply to the kids and hopefully Scott too. 

I understand that my goals need to be measurable and specific...so this is what I am working on:

Health January-May

Cholesterol and blood sugar testing

Dentist appointment (all of us)

yearly physical (all of us)  Nate still needs one...and Scott won't get one:(

eye doctor (Lauren and I)

I am going to work on weight loss...continuing to go to Weight Watchers on Thursday's.    The last three weeks I haven't gone cuz Scott has been unemployed...BUT i will get back to it.

Keep my food journal

walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes 3x per week

Do I have a pound loss goal?  I really need to lose 40 pounds (I could lose a little more but 40 would be great)...but I am going to break it down in increments of 5 pounds...I am in hopes of losing 5 pounds a month from January-May...that's 25 pounds.  Now honestly...I am hoping to lose 40 pounds by tomorrow morning when I weigh in...but it ain't gonna happen so there it is!

HOME GOALS: January-May

As we know I spent a good deal of my winter last year (until March) working on decluttering rooms in my house.  Remember how beautiful my ARTstudio looked?  Well what I have discovered is if you don't maintain things...they don't continue to look that way.  I also know that several of the systems I put in to place last winter actually work, when I use them.  BUT I truly want to get out from underneath the STUFF...so I can enjoy the things that I love...for instance I have several things that have belonged to grandparents etc, that I would like to display, that I just don't because there is no room. 

AND here is the other thing...and this is a BIGGIE!  I do not want to be decluttering my house for the entire 2009 calendar year.  I want to get it done...and then maintain it.

***I will clean out every cupboard, closet, nook and cranny of the INSIDE of my house during the months of January-May.  I WILL commit to 1 hour a day- 5 days a week (more if I want to...but if I set it too high I won't do it at all) that is spent ONLY on the purpose of clearing out the junk.  Now this hour a day does not include regular house cleaning, etc. And as you probably noticed it says INSIDE the house...that garage is a goal for later in the year.

***I will drop off items to Goodwill on Thursday mornings when running my regular errands."

So...How have I done?  It is almost the end of May and time to start focusing on other Goals.  Under the health Goals i have crossed out what has been accomplished.

I have been doing pretty good making trips to Goodwill on a regular basis so things are not piling up while I declutter. 

 The Kitchen is decluttered...

The dining room is decluttered.

The masterbath is decluttered ALMOST.

The master bedroom is decluttered except for Scott's stuff and MY summer clothes.

The Living room is in progress.

The hallways is decluttered.

Lauren's room is done except for her closet.

NOW this is not to say my house is clean...cuz I have a real mess going on right now!  EBAY bins everywhere.  Tax stuff to shred... papercrap...but it is getting there and when I get it all back together it will be great:)

So really I am not in as bad a shape as I first thought...it's just that the house is a disaster while I am "pulling it together".  In another week I will share my GOALS for the next few months.

Do YOU have new goals for this time of year?  PLEASE share them with us.  I can not tell you how wonderful it is to have a blog and find out that I have inspired someone...or that they respond with some ideas of their own.

Good night...

Denise

THIS makes me happy...

A very RARE hug from my 14 year old boy.  I bought him a Metallica t-shirt that he didn't have...and gave it to him tonight as part of his birthday gift.  I got a HUG!  It doesn't happen very often so when it does I eat it up!

Lauren and I stopped at Bobo's tonight, after Ballet, with SUBWAY (yum) and enjoyed hers and Sonny's company.  They have settled in well to their new home and she is all unpacked (sigh)

Lauren and Sonny had a little chat tonight:

 

They both look like they have a slight attitude...or is that CATitude going on:)  I love this picture:

 

and while taking these pictures off Lauren's camera tonight...I found these two pictures from the prom the other night:

  

 

AND have I mentioned that I am decluttering;)...My new favorite tool is my shredder...I have filled THREE garbage bags so far...and I look forward to many more...

 

YIPPEE!

Night all

Denise

Happy Birthday To My Boy

  

14 years ago, early this morning, Nate arrived...6 weeks early (he tried for 8 weeks early).  He arrived right in the middle of dance recital season and to say the least it was CRAZY!  BUT he was healthy, and was home 10 days after he was born...5 lbs he weighed!  We won't actually be celebrating with a party for a few more days...BUT we did a little cake tonight after the track meet.  I want to share a few of my favorite pictures of MY BOY:

   

 

 

 

and then today at his track meet:

 

Happy Birthday Buddie...

Love, Mom

Prom continued...and more:)

I have  had several request to post some pictures of the prom decor...so here goes the theme was UNDER THE SEA...

The tables had white and then were covered with a blue/green gossamer that looked like water:

 

The wind had blown the ...sorry about that.  The mugs for the boys had sand and shells in them...and the glasses for the girls had swedish fish:

  

shells and sand and fish confetti on the tables:

 

We hung the gossamer everywhere on the columns:

 

The doorways:

 

All the balloons had blinking lights in them.  There were floating DOLPHINS:

 

The entryway:

 

 

That gossamer was sheer genius!

I still have to tell you about going to see ANNIE.  It was wonderful...

Today I have been slowly putting my house back together.  I am looking forward to it being clean and clutter free.  Kitchen is done...dining room will be before Igo to bed...  Basically this week it is putting each room back together...as I have been spending the last few months decluttering it.  And yes...I STILL have too much stuff...but I am working on keeping just  stuff I love.

Goodnight!

Denise