FOR MY FELLOW NON-SCRAPBOOKERS

This is probably one of the only posts you will see from me on creative ideas.  I am sure you are all thankful for that!  I do not scrapbook.  I wouldn't even know where to begin.  I am also not very creative when it comes to organizing my pictures.  My kids will probably be disappointed that they don't have picture documentation of their lives all wrapped up in beautiful handmade scrapbooks.   Oh well.  I guess they will just have to deal with that. 

Along with pictures comes artwork & school work.  When my kids started school the collection of every single picture they ever drew and every school worksheet they ever completed started to pile up.  I couldn't bear to throw any of their work away nor did I know how to organize it.  Then an idea came to me - pseudo scrapbook!  Not cute and homemade, but functional enough.  It has helped me weed through all their papers to find the ones that were special and also document activities we do as a family.  They each get one pseudo scrapbook a year (since they started school) and once the year is completed and the binders are finished they keep them in their closets.  I often find them sitting in their rooms looking back at their old stuff in those books.  They love it!  They don't care that the pseudo scrapbooks are not cutesy.

I bought four plastic drawers that I keep on a shelf in my pantry.  Everyday when the kids get home from school and we go through their folders I pull out all of their worksheets and artwork.  I tuck it into their assigned drawer in the pantry.  My intention is to go through it every couple of weeks and choose only the best stuff for the binder, but that doesn't always happen.  Sometimes it is only two or three times a year that I get to it.  The best thing about it is that all the paperwork is basically in date order so it is easy to organize.

Above the drawers I keep a 3 inch binder for each child with the appropriate school year listed on the spine of the binder.  Inside the binder I have empty sheet protectors.

I put their school picture in the front cover of the binder.

Inside the binder I usually make some sort of sign with their current grade.  Then I begin inserting their artwork and school papers in some semblance of date order in the clear plastic sheet protectors that are in the binder. 

If they played a sport that year, I will usually put the team photo in as well.  If we did an activity as a family (like the Cards game in the below example) I will put a the ticket stub or a picture of the activity.

I put their best school work and art pictures in too.

If there is a big event or news story that happened, like when the Cards won the World Series, I will put a newspaper clipping in the binder.

My kids all love to draw so some of my most favorite inserts are pictures they drew about things they are interested in.  My son is fascinated with the Titanic, and he loves to draw pictures of it.  I love, love, love this picture!

There you have it - simple and functional.  I am sure you could make yours much more visually appealing on the outside than mine.  The point is that the important stuff is saved on the inside and the kids love them.  The best part is that all their school papers are not sitting in piles all around my house!  Of course my OCD likes that!

From This Side of Disaster,
Cyndi

BEST GIFT EVER

I am pretty freaking brilliant sometimes.  Seriously.  As a present for my daughter I went to the dollar store and bought a container and all kinds of "spa stuff" to put inside.  There is pedicure stuff, manicure stuff, cleansers, lotions, and potions of all kinds.  I spent less than $20.  She was so excited!  The best part about it is that I get to be her guinea pig and I don't have to pay a red cent!  See, my friends, I do not always lead a life full of disaster.  I actually do have a few moments of sheer brilliance where things do work out to my advantage!  I will take those moments whenever I can get them!!  #bestgiftever

From This Side of Disaster,
Cyndi

TREASURE OUT OF TRASH

Ever wonder what to do with the collection of trash that your kids collect?  I have a great idea...turn that trash into a masterpiece!  Here is my creation, candy wrapper art!

Check out our Design Projects tab to see how it is done.

http://flirtingwithdisasteranddesign.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_28.html

From This Side of Design,
Rhonda

SPORTSMANSHIP

http://www.encouragement-quotes.com/inspirational-sports-quotes.html

I have just witnessed the WORST sportsmanship that I have ever seen in all my 38 years!  I am literally sick to my stomach.  My eleven year old daughter plays on a winter volleyball league.  They are on it to have fun and learn how to play the sport.  Their team had a game tonight against a team that was clearly select.   Let me make it clear that I have no problem with kids on select sports teams.  I know parents and kids invest a whole lot of time and money in order to have their child play a sport they enjoy.  It's wonderful if that is what works for them.  My kid just wants to learn how to play volleyball in a recreational and fun setting, not compete against a team that is out for blood.

This team kicked my daughter's team's ass every which way til Sunday in all three of the games they played tonight.  They were a foot taller and honest to goodness looked like they were 15.  My daughter's team are girls that are 10 and 11.  The thing about it was that not only did this team win, but they made fun of and mocked my daughter's team all they way through the game.  They bounced the ball off their heads and chests over the net and laughed at our girls.  When they served the ball they did not face forward, they faced backwards and served the ball backwards over their heads.  Apparently these are not illegal moves, but they are 100% disrespectful and unsportsman like.  Come on!  Our girls are still learning to serve and still don't always make it over the net when they face forward.

The other team laughed and high-fived all through the game especially when our girls hit the ball out of bounds or made a bad serve.  It was appalling.  I have played and seen lots of sports being played during my life but nothing like this...ever!  The very worst part about it was that their coach, an adult woman, just sat there with a smug grin on her face the whole time.  Not once did she ever tell her girls to stop their behavior, in fact she encouraged them to serve facing backwards.  Not only that, but not ONE of the parents from the girls on that team said a thing.  I am telling you that if my child EVER behaved like one of those girls on the field or court at ANY game they were playing I would walk onto the court and personally pull my child off the court by his or her ear!!!!  Un-freaking-believable!!!  Even after the game the ref came over to our girls and apologized for the horrible behavior of the other team and assured us they would not be allowed back next year.  The girls, parents and coach of the other team said nothing.

We try and expose our kids to all kinds of activities when they are young so they can find what they enjoy most.  Kids are getting on select teams at such an early age now a days.  It makes it hard to find a place for my kids to play since they are just beginners, who never will be the athletic scholarship type, and haven't been playing this or that specific sport since they were 2.  It has not been a priority for our family to get involved in sports in that way.  We can't.  We don't have the time, money or capability to get to and from the amount of practices and games it takes to play select.  I truly don't have a problem with families who can do this for their kids.  I could only hope that for the intensity at which these kids practice and play the coaches and parents instill proper sportsmanship behavior in the kids.  For the most part I am sure they do, but the team our girls played tonight made my blood boil.  They were obnoxious, disrespectful, and humiliated our team.  I wish they would have played appropriately, won the games fair and square and shook hands with the girls on our team with some dignity.  Now my kid doesn't want to play next week because these girls were so awful to her and her team mates.  How bad does that suck?

 I saw this picture of a sign posted on the Hoffman Estates Park District's ice rink the other day, and I loved it.  It does not specifically deal with volleyball players, coaches, or parents, but it should give us all something to think about.

http://www.heparks.org/

From This Side of Disaster,
Cyndi

HABITS

Ok, so I have a really bad habit.  I cannot seem to keep my car clean.  The inside of my mini van looks like a tornado hit it.  Don't get me wrong, I like to have a clean car.  I try and get to the car washed when I can.  It just does not seem to stay clean. 

I pulled out some interesting things from inside my car today:
An electric piano
A beach towel
7 plastic Target bags
A zip lock bag full of angry birds underwear
3 pairs of shoes including a pair of flip flops (why?  there are 6 inches of snow on the ground!)
2 hoodies
A diet Dr. Pepper can with a pop tart wrapper (that would be breakfast)
A Leapster
An iPod
A bag of Cheetos
The list goes on.

a partial view of the inside of my van

I try.  I really do, but I have four kids.  Dirt follows them like Pigpen from Charlie Brown.  Where they go, dirt and mess follow.  I suppose I have become immune to it.  My husband on the other hand cannot stand it.  It is his biggest pet peeve.  He hates to drive/ride in my van.  I get it, but I have trouble changing my mode of operation to meet his vehicle standards.  He keeps his car immaculate.  He washes it, waxes it, conditions the leather interior...you get my drift.  He always tells me that when you take care of your things, they take care of you.  Wise man.  I would be interested to see if his car would still be in perfect condition if he had to drive four kids around for a week.  Hmmmm....

I know I have many other habits that drive my husband crazy such as my inability to clear my computer desktop of all the random files that take up the whole screen, my need to run the washing machine 19 hours a day, that I use his hair brush when I have two of my own sitting on the bathroom counter, yada yada yada.  He is a patient man.   Most of the time he never mentions my habits.  I know he cringes inside, but on the outside he remains calm (and I go on with my crazy ways).

My husband, on the other hand,  has one habit that I just can't wrap my mind around.  He does not put dirty clothes in the hamper.  They go on the floor next to the hamper and on top of the hamper, but just not IN the hamper. 

It's funny how two people can have such different things that they can accept or that sets them off yet still function like a well oiled machine.  One of the biggest life lessons is learned when you share your living space and your life with another person.  That simple lesson is life is full of compromises.  If you cannot compromise you will miss out on so many of the joys life has to offer.  Being close minded and judgmental will only bring you grief.  My husband I don't have a perfect relationship.  We bicker about stupid things, but in the end I know that he is more than just the sum of his habits as am I.  I can walk around the hamper and he can walk around my car and we will be all the better for it.

From This Side of Disaster,
Cyndi

TERRIBLE TWOS

Pardon the profanity.  It is just necessary for this post.

from www.messagewithabottle.tumblr.com

Terrible twos, why yes they are.  Thank you for asking. 

Being a parent of four different two-year old children, I have learned a few things.  I am happy to share my knowledge and advice with you.

1.  Two-year olds have a voice modulation problem.  They speak in screams.  Get some earplugs

2. Two-year olds have a hard time keeping up with the latest fashion trends. Don't take them in public.

3. Two-year olds cannot tell the difference between a dog and a patio.  Do not let the dog and the kid outside at the same time.

4. Slimy two-year olds are hard to hold on to.  Do not keep Vaseline in your home.

 5.  Two-year olds store sand in their sinus cavities.  Always carry tissues.

6. Two-year olds are naturalists.  They have no problem using the bathroom in the outdoors.  Watch where you step.

7.  Two-year olds like the smell of weird things.  Develop a gag reflex.

 

8.  Two-year olds are not picky about which orifice they insert things into.  Carry tweezers.

 

 9. Two-year olds are born with black belts in Karate.  Wear padding.

10.  Two-year olds are curious about body parts.  Ladies clothing stores should be off limits.

 

11. Two-year olds can scale any obstacle to get a tasty treat.  Hide your snack food.

12.  Two-year olds are animals.  Confinement is the best option.

13.  Two-year olds do not like water in their eyes.  Invest in goggles.

Even though two-year olds are a large portion of the time spawns of the devil, the other times they are the cutest, funniest, happiest, silliest people in the world!  I wouldn't trade mine for anything...that is unless you have something really good!!  Oh come on people, I am kidding!!

From This Side of Disaster,
Cyndi

Little Things

Need an idea for storing all those "little things" that fill your junk drawer?  Check out our Design Projects tab for a great storage idea!

From this side of design,
Rhonda

http://flirtingwithdisasteranddesign.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_28.html