Fabulous Five

But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way. - 1 Corinthians 14:40


I'm a really organized person. In my brain, that is. While my world is subject to more clutter that I'd care to admit, I long for a way to stay organized in a more meaningful way. However, I'm not willing to be a dictator to my family or get caught in the continuum of nonstop cleaning in order to do it. I've had to lower my standards, with two young whirling dervishes in my presence, but that does not have to mean that all hope is lost.


I might not win any awards from Good Housekeeping, but I'd like to introduce you to my "Fabulous Five". It's actually really simple, and it works from where you are now in life. The Fabulous Five has worked so well for me in the last month that I have managed to declutter my hall closet, purge and change out my kids' off season clothes, reorganize the board game and puzzle cabinet and see visible, practical improvements in the orderliness of my home. All without killing myself, staying up inordinate hours or missing out on the fun stuff of life.


So here is my Fabulous Five in a nutshell: When you walk into a room, find five things that are out of kilter and put them away. That's it. Just five things. You could either put them away, throw them away, or put them in the right room. If you don't know where it goes, you can put it in a holding basket until you decide where to put it. But, it's got to go someplace! It may sound too easy to be true, and if you have a lot of clutter, finding five things will take two nanoseconds. However, this concept really works for two reasons: 1) It does not require a huge amount of time. and 2) You can do this at ANY time - whether the kids are around or not.


You may not think that this will amount to anything, but if you put just five things away consistently every day, you will see change. It may also get trickier to find your five, which is another sign that you are making headway.


Now, you skeptics out there are already cringing. You're thinking, "Yeah, right! My kids will just undo anything I try to do!" That's why there's another key to my Fabulous Five. Toys don't count!! There are two good reasons for this. 1) The kids should be picking up their own toys and 2) If there is a constant battle with toys, you may have too many. Put away some of their toys at least temporarily, so that you are not constantly picking up the same things. (I get my kids to do their own Fab 5 when they want to play with the “next thing”!)


As long as you consider organization a slow and steady marathon and not a sprint, you will see improvements. I'm not winning any speed cleaning records, but I'm able to accomplish something even in the midst of chaos.

Paul's admonition above, to the Corinthians is in reference to how they should conduct worship. However, you really can apply it to all aspects of life, because when you do things in an orderly way, you can focus on the things that are really important in life, and not just clutter.

A Holiday Classic

I can't help myself.... I'm officially working right now on a writing assignment, so I thought I'd post some seasonal holiday music for your enjoyment.

This happens to be one of my all-time favorite Rankin/Bass classics....

heat soundtrack songs
Music downloads Mp3 downloads

Enjoy and Merry CHRISTmas!

Still Unworking

It appears that this blog is aptly titled.... I'm still "unworking". My plans to generate income have not materialized as of yet. Mystery shopping is a good way to make extra money, but most of the better paying assignments require that you work without kids in tow. Any "dabbling" that I do would be offset by childcare expenses. At this point, I'm just looking for a way to balance home and work without sacrificing too much of my time at home. I have been able to score free haircuts (last week was the first time I paid for a hair cut in 9 months). I have also been able to get free dry cleaning and a few "free" lunches with my mystery shopping. Thus, at this juncture, mystery shopping is a great way to obtain free services or food. I have also narrowed down my shops. I don't drive really far or fill out forms that require exhaustive detail. I'm also selective with the mystery shop companies that I use. So, while I won't break the bank as a mystery shopper, I will score a few deals and pave the way for when I do have more solo time on my hands.

The recession has hit hard in the neighborhood too. My monthly column in the local paper has been placed on hold as the paper pares down its publishing expenses. We may have to take it online with email subscriptions.... hmmmm....

Ironically, I have become President of our local MOMS Club chapter. This was unanticipated, but I am really enjoying rebuilding our little group and watching exciting things happen. It's also pretty neat to be "in charge" of something official. That will at least be good resume filler when the job hunting begins.

Ironically, the drive to "earn income" is really more my husband's desire than it is mine. After leaving a 13 year engineering career, I am really enjoying the logistical planning, flexibility and organizational prowess required to manage a young family. The best thing is that while time is spread thin, I am the master of my time domain. I decide what we will "do" each day, instead of hurrying from place to place because I'm *required* to be there.

I'm sure the landscape will change once the kiddies are school-aged. There will be more "running around". However, I hope that the frenetic activity will stem from activities we are passionate about instead of trying to keep up with everyone else's expectations.

Prayer of a Four Year Old

I wish I could have taped this conversation that my son had with God at the dinner table tonight. I'll do the next best thing, which is to memorialize it here. He said grace, and here's what he said:



Thank you God for giving us good food to eat.
Thank you God for plants.
Thank you God for Grandma coming tomorrow.
Thank you God for giving us a car for all our adventures.
Thank you God for toys and Mad Trax and...
Thanks, thank you God.
Amen


I kid you not. The boy really talks like this! I had a lump in my throat and my eyes got teary when I opened them (we usually hold hands and close our eyes). And, he actually ate part of his dinner, which was another thrill.


Being home for dinner with my family practically every night, having daily adventures and learning through the fresh eyes of my children make the toughest job in the world the best job in the world.

Mystery Shopping

I am not a shopper. Not in the traditional mall-combing, fashionista sense. I've always been a no nonsense consumer eager to get the transaction over with and hoping for a good deal. While I want a good price, I'm not willing to scour the earth, coupons, or multiple stores to search for that deal. So, while I don't pay retail, I'm not your bargain basement shopper either. Which is why my current career endeavor is so ironic. I've been mystery shopping for almost three months and I am hooked! I've already completed thirty three shops and I am already turning work down every week.

You may not get rich as a mystery shopper, but it is an income stream that meets my criteria of having a job with flexibility. Moreover, you can get goods and services reimbursed after you submit your shop reports. Mystery shopping is good for those who have an eye for detail, communicate well, can make discreet observations and memorize information. It is not for the faint of heart.

Mystery shopping does entail a lot of prep work. You have to sign up with a lot of companies and be proactive in establishing yourself and finding work. You have to read about your client’s guidelines and adhere to them in order to properly evaluate them. However, if you prove yourself as a dependable person who makes deadlines and submits quality information with a lot of objective detail, the jobs will start coming to you. Schedulers will take notice and give you the better assignments, or at least first dibs on what’s available. And the beauty of it is you can accept as many or as few jobs as you want.

I’m a secret agent… a covert operative. And, I’m getting paid to go the places I would have been going to anyway! I’m learning about the inner workings of companies and evaluating customer service and selling techniques. Also, there’s minimal overhead! Even though starting up does take an investment in time, I’ve signed up with more companies and the shops are getting easier as I get more experience.

Speaking of which, I’d better sign off. I have to go to the mall (and get paid to do it!)….

Throwing Down the Gauntlet

Well gang, the time has come.... As one member of a DINK (dual income no kids) union, I never expected to have kids. Now, I have two wonderful kids and I've been home fulltime to care for them for the last 4 years. Get this, I actually love it!!!! I do not want to go back to the rat race of the corporate world!!!!

So, here's the challenge. DH wants me to get a good paying job (aka rat race) once the kids are in school. I still feel the need to be home, at least when they get home. I also don't want a big chunk of my income to go to aftercare programs if I work a traditional fulltime job. Can I make some decent money on my own schedule? Can I earn a decent income while unworking from home? This space is my quest to achieve it. Tune in and see if I can make $40,000/yr in four years.