A/C = happy mom

I can't let the summer pass without blogging about the best thing to happen in my house in a long time: WE FINALLY GOT AN AIR CONDITIONER!

This is our fifth summer in this house and every year I dread the season more. Can you blame me, when this was the average summer's day reading on the digital thermostat of my main floor hallway?

I was skeptical when Mark told me that this one little window unit (which doesn't even look that ghetto) would cool most of the upstairs rooms of the house.

Believe it or not, it does! Look at that same wall thermostat now:

I can't believe what a difference this one little window unit has made--not just in the temperature of our house, but in the mood as well. AWESOME. That's just about all I can say. AWESOME.

good and not-so-good

When the kids were younger we used to share the Good and Not-So-Good highlights from our days at the dinner table. When I was the YW president years ago, I used to do the same thing for a few minutes at the beginning of our lesson time. It proved to be a fun tradition and a great way to get a feel for what was going on in each other's lives.

So with that theme in mind, I'm going to share some of the Goods and Not-So-Goods of my week:

Good: Today I finished returning costumes and can officially "put this show in the books," so to speak. I feel good about how the show looked and especially enjoyed watching the leading couple dance in these costumes I made for them.

Not-So-Good: Because of the musical, I missed Sarah's clogging competition at Thanksgiving Point last week. She received a first-place ranking in all her events--individual and team!

Good: I finally made it to Petsmart to buy dog food and a new Nylabone for Moosey.

Not-So-Good: I didn't realize that the Nylabone was the "flexible" (a.k.a. easier to chew) kind. It was $8 and in less than 24 hours it looks like this, which also means that there are tiny pieces of it strewn about the carpet. Good thing I love her so much.

Good: I cleaned up and vacuumed my sewing area (and even got a little ironing done)! Now Mark won't have to worry about the possibility of embedded gold glitter in his work clothes.

Not-So-Good: The process of cleaning up one area always leads to a pile of things that migrate to another area to be put away.

Good: I was asked to teach another ward's YW class two weeks ago on the topic of Virtue and used this photo of my two exemplary daughters as a visual aide. Not-So-Good: I felt like I was giving the lesson to the pillars at Stonehenge.

Good: I've been flossing faithfully every night for over two months! I'm converted now.

Not-So-Good: No, actually, this one is truly a BAD. Despite my improved dental hygiene habit, I still need a new crown on one of my back molars.

Good: My life has been made immeasurably better by the addition of this Bluetooth wireless devise that Mark gave me for Valentine's Day. Not-So-Good: My Blackberry disappeared at the high school during the musical so now I'm back to using my old phone. Oh, Wo is me for the loss of my Sim card!

Good: After three weeks I was finally able to do much-needed grocery shopping at both Sam's Club and Costco. I found these magazines and can't wait to try some new-found recipes.

Not-So-Good: Before I could put away the new groceries, I had to face the stacks of molding food in Rubbermaid containers that inhabited my refrigerator--one since Christmas vacation. YUK!

Good: Jacquelyn came over for a round of family haircuts! Now John, who hasn't cut his hair for more than two months so he could look like a prince in the musical, can return to his more clean-cut look. Not-So-Good: Time to get out the Oreck again!

worth her weight in gold

I went into Sarah's bedroom this morning to wake her up as usual and was greeted with a particularly surly, snarling response to my "Good morning, honey!" I wondered how I would ever get her up and going without starting World War III. She was not only non-responsive to my wake-up call, she was downright nasty.

Enter Moosey, a.k.a. Cutest Dog Created by the Hand of God.

Moosey promptly jumped onto Sarah's bed--tail wagging--and wedged her nose under Sarah's arm-blockade. Within a matter of seconds Sarah was giggling, sitting up in bed, and talking about breakfast.
Moosey the miracle worker. I love that dog.

tidying, tidying, here we go!

Inspired by Charlotte's and Emily's recent posts about cleaning, I decided to finish a little tidying of my own yesterday. Even though I had other projects (a.k.a. sewing) that were begging for my time and attention, I decided that a little while spent putting my scrapbook area in order would go a long way in sustaining my sanity.

While I am grateful to have a dedicated work space, it is in an open part of the house and seems to be a magnet for all things that clutter. This photo was taken after the initial phase of cleanup I began last week (in other words, it started out way worse than this would actually indicate):

My desk was littered with everything from uncut school photos and the recent school lunch calendar to unwrapped Christmas gifts and unread mail.

After just an hour or two, voila!

And here's the New and Improved desk. Note the thrift-store mug Charlotte and I found last summer that inspired the name of my blog.

And for those who have been anxiously awaiting a "final" photo of Sarah's room, I confess I almost forgot to post it. Since I'm not really completely finished (and won't be until I make the curtains, matching pillows, etc.) I was going to wait. Judging by the vast amount of projects currently clogging my sewing queue, however, it looks like it's going to be a while until said projects reach completion. So for now:

Restoring order really does restore my sanity.