What I need those clementine boxes for

I am trying to get better organized and further avoid the hoarding tendencies I have inherited from my loving family.

so here a few bad pictures of some projects I have taken on and continue to work on:

I went through every cabinet in my kitchen determined to purge stuff that rarely (read never) gets used. At the same time I tried to organize my kitchen like "everyday food storage" gal does because I thought her tips were brilliant (I have technically heard of all of them before- but something about watching her tips in video format made them brilliant) Check her out here:

everdayfoodstorage.net
Cups, oh the cups - Cjane says the hardest thing about motherhood is the shoes, I would add cups to that. No matter how many times I told my kids to reuse their cup for the day, They would head right back to get a new one every time thirst struck. I think one of the best features of my kitchen is the water in the door so that they can help themselves - but when the day came that I ran a dishwasher full of only cups (yes you read that right) I said it had to stop! The new system is color coded cups. Benjamin is green, Ella is blue, and Maiya is pink and there are a few white ones for guests.  Everyone has a #1 cup, you can only go to your #2 cup if #1 is in the dishwasher - if its not rinse it out and use it again!
I have all three girls clothes in one closet (so far) this tends to cause major confusion (like Kyle dressing Maiya in Ella's clothes) So I made these divider hangers. I have upgraded the prototype because now I attach the size thing to the topside of the hanger (I was just too lazy to go take another picture). I just printed them off the computer and laminated them with those one sheet laminate things and attached with cable ties.

Now this is the last but probably my favorite project. I have wanted Shelf reliance shelves for like ever. But then I found this blog post on giveldsgifts.com which directed me to The pantry panel where I fell in love with someone's engineer grandfather for making such detailed plans.

Anyway want to make your own? Here are the instructions for Can food rotating bins.

Which leads me to the clementine boxes. The beauty of these bins is that they are made from cardboard and white glue (can you believe it?? cardboard and white glue - brilliant, once again) It uses just one triangle section of wood to brace the slope inside. Those wood corners of the clementine boxes are just perfect and they save Kyle time on cutting the angles on wood. That was the longest part of the project he says. I am begging him to make me 9 more so he needs all the help he can get. I still think shelf reliance shelves are awesome but I can honestly say so far I like these better. Yes they don't look as fancy, but I don't care about that at all. And with these I can move them around as I please. There are instructions to make them for soup cans, veggie cans, and big fruit cans. Despite their humble building supplies they have held up to all the abuse I have thrown at them, and trust me I've tried. Thought I'd see if they will last before I get Kyle to make 9 more.

--the dent on the front is my fault and I did it to the cardboard before construction - the cans didn't cause it.

PS. I painted the finished ones with leftover paint from our bathroom project.

one last thing:

Prosper Penny Pinchers is making a comeback Feb. 10th 7:00 at my house!!!!(Fourth ward pinchers are invited.) Maybe if I can convince Kyle he loves me tons -  he will cut supplies for everyone to make their own can rotators! 

Its 1:00 and they are still at it

Sledding Texas Style

Hey Mom

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Grandma!!

we love you so much

hope you have a great birthday

do you eat clementines??

if you do, I want your clementine boxes

 - so don't throw them away:)

Sunday Irritations

I'm having a frustrated night so I left my warm bed to blog. 

• Kyle starts his new job tomorrow. It is bittersweet. Not that it has been anything but very stressful to be unemployed but it was nice having him home.  It stinks that he will have to leave for a longer commute for significantly less money. But I am grateful, especially that we will have benefits again. How wonderful it has been that not a one of us has been sick. (knocking hard on wood)
• I helped in Nursery this Sunday and last. And I want to make a memo to the world. Parents for the love of pete, drop off your kids and leave. Staying for a short period of time only delays the inevitable. Then when you do have to leave and all the other crying ones have calmed down your newly upset one starts the cycle again. Staying the whole time does nothing to help them progress. They get to have their cake and eat it too, and it makes the nursery leaders uncomfortable the whole time you are there. Its already hard to act appropriately goofy and cheery for the kids and sing A cappella, its doubly difficult with a parental audience. And once you do leave, don't come back and stick your head in the door. It upsets the whole cycle of potential calmness. If you see them crying it does not mean they have been crying the whole time or that they are not seconds away from calming down. If you can't take it, knock on the little window and let the leader bring them to you. Storming in and swooping them up just solidifies their feelings that they need to be rescued. Letting the leader bring them to you shows them that their teacher is not mean and will get them to mom or dad when absolutely necessary. Oh and if someone is not constantly holding or attempting to calm your child while they are freaking out, its not because they are being cold to your child, it just may be the best way to soothe them. Sometimes attempting to comfort makes them more upset. A child left alone to observe and become interested on their own terms is usually a much happier nursery goer.
• While I am on a tangent. I'll visit the mother's room. First off we need at least two more chairs in there.  I am very comfortable with breastfeeding my baby. Everywhere it seems except at church. You would think the mother's room would be a very accepting place but it usually seems the opposite to me. I don't understand why the majority of women in there take all measures to stay covered up. Because of my build (aka fat) its hard to get Cora latched on and stay covered. I think I am much more modest if I don't even attempt to cover. In the coit building the chairs swiveled, so I would swivel toward the wall get the latch then spin back around. Here they don't swivel so Cora and I are right up next to the other mother doing our thing out in the open (or sitting on the floor on crowded days) This would not bother me in the slightest anywhere else. I nurse in public ALL THE TIME, but for some reason at church I want to go out to my car.

• Now to my cute little boy. Oh Benjamin, I am not sure how to mother you at this stage. You have become quite obnoxious, I love you deeply but you are driving me crazy. Did you guys read about the woman who let her nine year old ride the subway alone? She is my HERO. I think a lot about how much better off Benjamin would be in a less overprotective world. It is time for him to be riding his bike all over the neighborhood. He needs more exercise, less time in front of a computer screen, tv, video game. He needs more exploring. It should be a "don't come in till its dinner time or the street lights come on" stage. But anxiety gets in my way. And its not really anxiety about what might happen to him, but what other mothers will think of me. I pride myself on not being overprotective. I think my kids are well adjusted because I am not. But I am stuck in a damned if I do, damned if I don't cycle with my son. We all know video games are not good for kids - but we also shouldn't let our kids outside unsupervised. So what should I do? Not cook dinner everyday and instead watch him ride is bike up and down the sidewalk in front of our house? Real fun for both of us...not. So I don't know what to do, but I did read this article, which basically said this: Everything we found associated with video games came out negative... So tomorrow I am going to box up all video game stuff and debate about selling it, When Benjamin comes home from school I am going to send him out to ride his bike and maybe even go down to the park, on his own. Don't judge me too harshly

I'll leave you with a quote from that article in case you don't have the time to follow my links: 

"The problem with this everything-is-dangerous outlook is that over-protectiveness is a danger in and of itself. A child who thinks he can't do anything on his own eventually can't."

Mommmmm, Can I print something?

I am sort of a printer nazi around here. I can't tell you how much computer paper has gone the way of random art projects and how much printer ink has been spent on random rainbows and my little pony print outs. I have limited printing to only the most noble of endeavors. Well who am I kidding I limit it until the whining drives me crazy and I say "yes but only print one thing". While folding laundry (something I do a lot of around here) Ella screamed from downstairs the can I print just one thing mantra and I said "I guess" It wasnt' until the next morning when putting away clothes (something I also do a lot of) that I saw this on her wall:

WHAT THE??????????? What happened to my little ponies???? 

long, long sigh

I'm not sure what's hotter...

His goatee or him helping in the kitchen.  Why do some of you not like facial hair? I LOVE IT. He almost shaved it off for his job interview and I was begging him not to, when he found a picture of the personthat would be interviewing him on the company's website and he had a goatee too. So it stayed  - YEAAHHHH

ps. I'm grabbing his butt in the first picture

Hallie was right

iphone was 

#2 

and 

#4

Congrats Obama + back to me

I agree with Ryann, It was very cool for me to realize what a non-issue race was to the kids. I wanted them to appreciate the magnitude of the day. But to them they were confused as to why it mattered whether the President is black or white. Amen kids. Best wishes to our new President. He is in my prayers. And many thanks to W - history will be kinder than the liberal press has been.

anywhoooo back to me, cuz that is what you are here for right? tell me it is.

Meg and I had a creativity contest. The canon vs the iphone, check it out

two are from the iphone (that thing has a pretty mean camera in it) - can you guess which ones?

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

Chick-fil-a

Chick-fil-A will donate a percentage of total sales to the Burdick family when you visit Chick-fil-A on 380 & 75 in McKinney on January 19, 2009.  Ticket receipts for the ENTIRE day count towards their fundraiser totals.

Have some yummy food today and let them know you want your sale to count toward the Burdick family fund.

 

Kyle is a salesman now

trying to blog this with the absolute best attitude. Kyle got the job yesterday and he starts on the 26th. Its is very much a blessing. This job search thing is emotionally exhausting. Its seems as though there are very few companies that are even done laying off around here, much less hiring. So to find a company that is hiring with full benefits from day one - is very comforting. The problem is its just about entry level. Sales with a low base pay +  commission. I have NEVER wanted to live on commission - its scares the heck out of me. But you know what is scarier than commission? - no income!  They are a growing company and believe they will have some more positions open up that Kyle would be a candidate for soon.  So we are relieved with some stability, but we will continue being frugal like never before trying to make it on a very small fraction of our previous budget.

but seriously, I am so grateful. I am bad about praying with specifics to HF, but the other day we prayed before going to the temple with a very specific  prayer about our financials plans. It basically went like this : we are giving it 8 weeks and then Janie starts looking to go back to work. Help us know if this is right."  If this job works out ok I may not have to do that.  Prayer works, even when things continue to be hard. 

knee deep in resolutions

keeping the house cleaner, FHE, spending more (non-yelling) time with the kids, family prayers, exercising, VT/HT  whew, all that leaves less time for blogging... but here is what's up-

• I still have more pics to share including ones of the awesome can rotators Kyle made me
  
• Kyle is at a JOB INTERVIEW with Idearc - say a little prayer for us (isn't that a song?)
  
• Meg is facing a big fresh look at life today. Her stuff is lined up and in a few moments - I'm taking her and said stuff to UTA
  
• Cora can sit up now and roll over - crazy huh? - I specifically told her I like the newborn stage to last until at least the 10th month
• NieNie is back! - prayers of thanks and continued healing abound

I was going to finish organizing these and such

but then decided I need to spend time on other things. so here are some pics totally out of order and not even all of them yet.

I got business cards printed, finally

Last year this time

I was in the bowels of hell. The world was constantly spinning and I barfed

all.

the.

time.

I told Kyle every morning he needed to get a vasectomy. "like, right now Kyle, I can get someone to give you a ride I'm sure."

Now here I am with this adorable baby girl who is already growing up so fast. It almost makes me want to go back to said hell again - not any time soon though. Because like I have said four times:

It was totally worth it!

Happy six month birthday Cora!

ps. A catch-up post with lots of pictures is in the works, but I have Christmas, the trip, Meg's farewell party, etc. to cover and limited time on the computer. I have a husband looking for a job. Its cumbersome. Which reminds me...

Check out this article: It is especially poignant to me right now:

Mormons well-served by self-reliance in hard times

its going to get better

right?

I don't know why that article won't link up, but its on yahoo.com search it if your interested.

In Case You Were Wondering. . .

Janie is still alive and I ♥ her!

In case you were wondering

Me, Meg, Maiya, and Cora are in Virginia. We are helping Aunt Beth do some spring cleaning(well just me and Meg- Maiya and Cora aren't so good with the cleaning yet) . Yes I know its not spring - minor detail. Benjamin and Ella would be here too except we have already gotten one of those nastygrams from the school threatening to charge us a $500 fine if they miss anymore school.
Few thoughts -
Had my cabbage, pork and black eye peas today for health, wealth, and good luck. Its a southern thang...
Did you know road trips with a 3 y.o. and an infant isn't the easiest thing. One stop begats two more, because you always forget to do something, feed someone, or the stopping of the car wakes the previously content one up.
Its cold here in Virginia.
I miss Texas, but I have to say Virginia is way pretty!
Aunt Beth's husband Bill owned a Canon F-1 with some AMAZING lenses - We came across it today and Aunt Beth is going to let me play with it!! I can't wait. I have never been excited about film, but these lenses are to die for and I think tinkering with a film SLR will help me learn even more about photography.
well that's about it, I'm scatter-brained.

oh yeah...

HAPPY NEW YEAR