Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Quilt Finishes & Some Babble

Pink/Green Star Top; Quilted with a Leafy Swirl (freehand)



Multi-Colored Hexagon Top; Quilted with Puzzle Piece Meander (freehand)
(sorry the pic is kinda dark!)

Turtle Top; Quilted with Stippled Water (freehand)



Sorry I've been so lame at blogging lately! I'm restructuring my days, so I hope to be attending to tasks more regularly now. 

I've been quite challenged finding a balance between work & family & friends & household obligations. And I know I'm not the only person looking for the most efficient way to work from home while not getting too sucked into what's going on IN the home at the same time!

I admit I've always been one of "those moms" who was more apt to drop those chores to go have some fun with the kiddos (and maybe even let them drop theirs as well.) I still hold that it was a great way to raise our kids~ not perfect, but we've made lots of terrifically fun & meaningful memories with our kids. So yeah, over the years I've had neighbors or family drop by & have been embarrassed by the strewn toys or laundry piles waiting to be folded, but... well, what can I say?? 

That stuff is easier to get to now that the girls are older. HOWEVER, the myth that older kids don't need or want their parents like younger kids do should really be put to rest. 

Truly lots of older kids are still vying for their parents' attention.

Well, I'm off on a tangent... What I'm trying to say is that there are still lots of fun things & household things that come up ... rides to/from places, games, Coach bag shopping, nails, Algebra homework help, lessons, bike rides, clothes shopping, lunch dates, proofreading papers, finding lunch money, finding missing belts/braces wax/shoes/etc. orthodontic appointments, pet care, running for project supplies at the last minute, food gathering, shopping, shopping, and more shopping. 

Then there are the piles of dirty laundry & dishes calling to me as I walk by them... the stack of bills waiting to be paid... the random stuff that seems to grow in my house which needs permanent homes "somewhere"... the letters to penpals to answer... a sewing project I *should* work on... the sewing project I *want* to work on... dirty floors that should be swept or vacuumed... meals to prepare... garbage to gather & take out...

When you "get" to be home all day, how do you go about organizing yourself to make sure you get certain things done on a regular basis?? 

I've designated several days a week as absolute work days, and a couple days as errands/household duty days (that can also be work overflow days.) Saturday is a work day, and Sunday is our Family Day. We're not necessarily doing anything together, but we're NOT running all around in separate directions either. 

I would love to hear from other's on this. What's worked for you?? And how do you deal with those around you whom don't understand *how* working from home works?? 

p.s. Stay tuned for pictures from my Shop Hop this past weekend = Eye Candy!!

6 comments:

  1. It's always hard to maintain a balance between work and family, but my mother says she's sorry she worked so much when I was younger, because she never spent any time with me and now she has nothing to show for all those extra hours. So I think it's important to devote time to your family, even though you work a little less as a consequence. Who cares about laundry anyway!

    tanchyka from Swap-bot

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! I do have to say that I would never trade all the "mom moments" I've gotten to experience because I was home with my kiddos. And cleaning is BORING :)

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  2. wow! what amazing quilts! i love the pattern in the turtle quilt. good luck with finding your balance :)

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    1. Thank you for your kind words :) But I want to clarify that these aren't my quilts~ I take the tops from others & quilt them up. This turtle quilt was designed & sewn by a young lady (21!) at the shop I quilt for!!

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  3. Arg! I tried to comment but then I lost it. =(

    Your quilts are lovely! I really want to try quilting soon!

    What I have done as far as chores go is to hang a dry erase board in a central hallway where I see and pass it frequently, and on that board I've made a list of everything that has to be done daily in order to keep the house orderly. I've ordered them in the order I complete them every day, although some days I start at the top and work down, and other days I start at the bottom and work up, and I left enough space next to each task to add a check mark when I finish it. I've never actually gotten through the whole list on any given day, but it has definitely helped me to get more done and to set a routine!

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    1. Ooh I like this idea. I'm wondering if this is a possible solution to getting my teen girls to "see" what needs to be done, while also giving them a choice to pick off this ever-revolving list??

      Thanks for stopping by!

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