Super Noob:
housekeeping

Warning: Blog operator's brain on fritz...so don't expect much. This post is a bunch of odds and ends, hence the title.

First and foremost, I am excited to share the fact that I do have a few after pictures to share. Remember this post where I bared my deepest and dirtiest? If you didn't read it, you may want to now. Guaranteed to make you feel better about yourself in five seconds flat however long it takes you to read the post (but read this one first, because it has some cool stuff). So here are the pictures.

My bedroom floor after and before. Big exhale.

Nightstand after and before. Better light in the after!

Here's one that wasn't in the last post because I had already shown so much, that I thought enough was enough. Anyway, this was/is one of my dressers. My room now is one place that no longer causes me extra tension.

Moving on...in doing my cleaning, I came across some books that I have either, never used or used gently. I no longer have a need for them, and would like to know if any of you are interested in any or all of them. If so, please leave me a comment of which book you'd like. I will let them go on a first come, first served basis. ***This is not a giveaway*** Just wanted to see if anyone here wants them before I take them to the used book store. All I ask of those that are interested is that you kindly pay for shipping, you may have the book(s) for free. They are:

The Everything Pregnancy Book, and Dr. Sears Fussy Baby Book.

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Baby Wise, and Jenny McCarthy's Belly Laughs.

This one is Kids Create. Its arts and crafts for 3-9 year olds. We have never used it, and sadly I am just not that crafty. But there looks to be some fun things for kiddos to make with moms and dads.

Last thing I have is a wedding scrapbook. Never used at all. I had already started a different one when I received this as a gift.

Okay, there is one more thing I want to show you all. I mentioned a while back that one of my favorite gifts for Christmas was a fantastic necklace from Lisa Leonard. It is really awesome. It has all three of my kiddos names on it, it's silver (and I'm a silver kinda gal), and it goes with cute dresses or jeans! So awesome.

I may or may not be hosting a giveaway really soon. It may or may not have to do with Lisa Leonard! So stay tuned.

That about wraps it all up.

I know you all are just crushed that I am not posting a recipe today! Somehow, I am certain you'll survive ;)

It seems I have been toking on the crack pipe again (I hate it when I do that), and have agreed to host a party here this Saturday for my husband's sales team. Fortunately it's a BBQ type, so we will be using the grill which alleviates the need for me to use my culinary skills...sorta.

Seeing as how I am not the best house keeper in the West (remember this one?), I have a lot to do to ready myself for company. Sigh. Hours of cleaning just for mass destruction with the party...sorta. It's not like it's a bunch of animals coming over...though at times I might argue that they are ;)

In any case, as I was sitting on my duff last night, going through emails, and commenting on some of your blogs, I just couldn't muster the energy to get my act together. Not uncommon around these parts. Again, I feel confident that somehow none of you will go quietly insane without a recipe from yours truly.

Once upon a time there was a woman who had a clean house...where did she go? I'll tell you where. Crazy. That's where. Each night I go to bed with my crazy tank at full. I mean topped off. Morning comes, and I rise with slightly renewed vigor. Then it begins. My day as short order cook, washer of dishes, wiper of butts, healer of hurts, teacher of lessons. My day of being incessantly needed by these tiny little people.
I once made a reference to the seagulls on Finding Nemo...about their mindless chanting of "mine! mine! mine!" Well, just replace "mine" with "mommy" and press repeat. So it's no wonder my house is no longer the place of cleanliness and order it once was. At first, I was in a constant state of distress. Frazzled at every coner turned within these walls. Not one five foot stretch of floor can be walked over without encountering a car, shoe, doll, ball, lego, unopened tampon (no, there is nothing sacred...no private space), action figure, stuffed animal, muffin tin, and the list goes on. Daily I precariously walked the fine line between this world and looney town.
Until I simply decided to not care. That's right. I decided there are glass balls and rubber balls. Glass balls are the ones that will break when dropped...things like reading to Addyson and Colton, making their meals, giving them love. Rubber balls bounce. So the living room floor that is littered with toys and countless other articles, rubber ball...bounce. Having clean laundry... glass ball...break. Having folded laundry, rubber ball...bounce. This way of thinking keeps me hanging on to the last fraying thread that is my sanity.
Now, I am about to post some very frightening pictures of my house at its worst. Bear in mind this is not (despite my proclamation) the usual state of my home. If it were, ain't nothin' that would keep me planted in reality! This is the state of my home post Christmas. I will say, however, that it stayed like this until just a few days ago. Oh, and the living room is exactly like this still.
Be warned...not for the faint of heart.

One of the two living room couches in its usual fashion.

Part of the living room. Yes that's a bottle of facewash...in the living room.

More living room.

Kitchen island. See the Clorox bottle? Yeah...that helped. I will say though, my dishes are always clean. For me, that is another glass ball.

My nightstand. Sadly, this is always the way it looks. Oh, yes...I sleep with earplugs so I don't have to listen to the rattle and hum from the other side of the bed.

Sigh. My floor. This is gone now.

Just beside our entry. That is a hitch on the floor. You know, in case we need to make a quick get away and have to use the hitch. Really, I have no idea. This area has also been whipped into shape.
So now that I have given you ample reason to feel better about your own house, kindly thank me before you leave.