Koozies, tape, and mouse traps, oh my...

Someone please tell me the junk drawer in our home is not the only one with such a random assortment of junk?! 

There are approximately 8 koozies, 5 grilling utensils, 4 boxes of mouse traps {hubs is continually telling me mice are normal in old houses - but they creep me out, so he is continually trying to deal with the nasty little rodents}, tape, screw drivers, rubberbands, pens, pencils, flashlights, scissors...I mean seriously, this is simply ridiculous.

It has become a joke in our home that I live with "shove-ers". 

The definition of this word is this: people who determine that "cleaning up" equals putting things out of sight, whether that's actually where the item lives or should live is of no consequence. 

It.makes.me.batty!  I cannot stand it.  But I am learning and becoming less rigid. 

So, last night when I announced to hubs that I was participating in this 21 Day Challenge, he simply took a deep breath and rolled his eyes at me.  He loves when I get these little ideas...and by loves, I mean hates.

Now for the big reveal - here is what 10 minutes did to this little drawer:

{notice the grilling utensils have been moved, no more koozies, and the extension cord has found a new home.  Everything has a home and there is still room left in the drawer - causing no need to press things down prior to shutting the door and slamming my fingers in the process.  Also, take note the mouse traps have found a new home - I can't see a reason for them to be mingling with my office supplies.}

10 minutes on a Wednesday night has made this wife a very happy lady.  Hubs is still sitting on the couch rolling his eyes at me.  Say what you will, but a happy wife makes for a happy life for everyone in the Rokusek residence. 

{probably won't make it for day 2 tomorrow because I'm busy all day and the computer desk belonged to hubs prior to my take over, so that will certainly require longer than I have in my day tomorrow...we'll see how I feel though - I'm movin' mountains this week people!}

One more time before & after!

Before:

After:

I've decided I'm up for the challenge...

I'm taking the 21 Day Challenge at Bowl Full of Lemons to get my home organized.  I'm behind because I didn't find this challenge until this week, but I've decided I'm fine with it.  I've also decided I'm fine with the fact that I simply will not be able to do these as 21 consecutive days - it's just not in the plan for my current schedule.  But, I will do it as I can and I will post the progress.  I plan to start with Day 1 tomorrow.  Anyone want to join me?!

It's also on my list to post some before/after pictures of our home and my classroom as I get things organized. 

Exciting things happening at Laughing through Life I tell you, pure excitement!

2011 Goals

A new year is always so daunting to me, and as a teacher I experience it twice - once in August and again in January.  A new school year is such a fresh start.  It always begins with wonderful plans and high aspirations to move mountains with my 27 darling children.  And then January rolls around (just around the same time as my school goals are falling off my radar left and right) and I have to do it all over again.  To be honest, I am a self-proclaimed list maker - but I am also really in need of work in follow through sometimes.

So, to add to the accountablitiy here are my goals for the year:

Health -

• drink 60-80 ozs of water/day regularly
• reduce my pop intake to one pop per day {I'm not quite ready to give it up...}
• work out 3-5 times per week
• run a half marathon {scheduled for September!}
• lose 40 lbs

Wealth -

• develop and stick to a household budget
• create and maintain a 6 month emergency fund
• reduce our household debt by 25%
• do a living will and get other such paperwork organized and filed appropriately

Personal -

• blog regularly
• take 30 minutes per day for myself
• read one "adult" book per month {I usually only read children's books during the school year}
• develop and maintain a household cleaning schedule
• get a library card for the city I live in {completed 1/21/11}

Home -

• paint our bedroom
• file all bills/statements/documents
• paint our living room
• organize coat closet
• re-organize laundry system
• paint porch
• re-do bathroom
• build out new bedroom in basement

This is not even 1/2 of the items I need to do in our home, but I figured I'd spare you the rest of the details.  And to be honest, I really need to get back to my new favorite blog and I'm dying to watch my Oprah from today.  {in addition, I need to shower and do a little work for my little side Scentsy business...it will most likely be a late night, but such is the life when my priorities are blogging and then work} 

And can I get a "YEAH KATIE" for blogging two days in a row?!

So what...

Alright, to be honest I've logged in like 20 times to do a post, but the truth is that I have so much to blog about I'm not even sure where to begin.  So, tonight I'm saying "so what" to the following things...

So what if:

• It's been 2 months since my last post
• I go to my own blog every day for no other reason than to click on the "blogs I like" sidebar
• I've spent the last hour on my new favorite blog: http://abowlfulloflemons.blogspot.com/
• Because of the bullet above I have now added a completely new section to my 2011 goals which includes approximately 45 new organizing tasks for the Rokusek residence
• I'm beyond baby crazy {no, I am not pregnant}
• I spent the entire day at my parents house watching football and from my estimation consumed well over 2500 calories today
• I'm slightly more excited than I should be to go to work tomorrow because more than 1/2 my class was trash-talking my Packers last week and I can now drop a few "how 'bout them Packers" tomorrow
• It's January 23rd and I have only crossed one thing off my 2011 goals {get a library card for the city I live in rather than the city I grew up in}
• While I love when the Packers win, I detest the entire rest of the day because hubs insists on watching Sports Center for hours on end to watch and rewatch and then talk and re-talk about every.solitary.second of the game that ended 5 hours ago {sigh}
• I have penciled in a new section of my planner called "Blog" and have planned out what I will be blogging about for the next 9 solid days
• I'm convinced I'm the only person reading this blog

Thankful Thanksgiving - part 2

I have really enjoyed looking for reasons to be thankful this month.  Someone once told me that "what you see, largly depends on what you're looking for" - and I certainly don't have to look far to find blessings around me.

Today, I'm thankful for these two amazing people:

My parents are the definition of unconditional love.  They have told me since I can remember that I could do anything I put my mind to.  It is through them and because of them that I am living out my dream each and every day.  In addition to being my parents - they are my friends and they have "adopted" many of my friends to be their "children".  Many weekends their house is filled with people who love them.  And did I mention, they are the "parents" to the entire Above the Barre family as well - 300 kids, their families, and the entire staff consider them to be mentors - our bosses, our inspiration, and our friends.  They are two of the most selfless people I have ever met in my life and I feel privledged that I truly enjoy spending time with them because they're just plain cool.  :)

My mother is simply put, inspirational.  She works like 22 hours a day every day and still has time to be a wife, parent, and Oma.  I really am not sure how she does it.  Even though she is beyond busy, she is never to busy to set everything aside to look you in the eye and offer her wise advice or a listening ear.  She spoils us rotton and believes in me even when I don't believe in myself.  She pushes me to be better and encourages me to see perspectives I hadn't thought of.  I dream of being her one day.

I feel like the luckiest lady around to have this man for my father.  He spent his life taking care of Kim and I and has set a standard that our husbands struggle to keep up with.  It is, in fact, a true story that my father would drive across town (20ish minutes) early in the morning after a snow storm just to scrape our car windows while we were in college.  He is the most selfless man I have ever met and he would give the shirt right off his back if someone needed it without thinking for a moment.  Out of every role he has ever played in his life, I'm quite confident he found his new favorite one about 5 years ago when he bacame an OPA.  His eyes just light up when Sam, Maicey, or Kaitlyn walk in the room.  He takes an active interest in each of their lives and makes them feel like the most important people in the world.  I know they will grow up to relish in his attention - I know Opa Day is currently a family favorite!  :)

I am serious when I say that on weekends, Kim, Rob, Kevin & I choose to spend time with our parents because they are so cool!  We laugh with them and enjoy telling stories.  Rarely does a day go by when I don't talk to one or both of them at least once per day.  I hope that Kevin and I can be the kind of parents they are someday to our children because they did a pretty great job - they raised two successful kids who love nothing more than their families and eachother - I'd consider that to be my definition of success.



Thankful Thanksgiving

This week in honor of Thanksgiving, I wanted to do a thankful theme.  Over the next few days I am going to be blogging about things and people I'm thankful for.  Up first, on of my favorites...

I'm thankful for this lady...

{yep...she's going to be THRILLED with this photo blast from the past.  This is her at 8 months pregnant at our cousin's wedding on New Year's Eve - doesn't she look like she loves her life??}

Anyway, she is and always has been my very best friend.  She is my little sister who is wiser than I could claim to be on most days.  She has a fiery tongue that gets her in trouble and a quick sense of humor that makes people love her instantly.  She is passionately in love with her job and gets to live her dream each day with 300 of our closest friends at the dance studio.  She is a remarkable mother who would do anything for her children and family.  Although we don't always see eye to eye - she is my biggest critic and cheerleader all at the same time.  There is just something that comes with being sisters that makes us inseparable even at our worst and we make a pretty amazing team when we work together. 

As a child, I couldn't get away from her - sharing a room, school, friends, dance, cheer, and everything in between - but as adults, I never feel like we have enough time together.  She makes me laugh until I'm crying and doubled over with a stomach ache. She single-handedly wrapped every single gift I gave my HUGE wedding party the night before my wedding.

(this is only half of them...)

In addition to all of this, she gave me these two love bugs

I cannot imagine my life without these two blessings.  They are my sunshine on many days when I've had enough and don't have the patience to go on.  I adore their giggles and never-ending hugs.  I love how they squeel when I walk in the room and hope they will always want to "'pend the night at Tante's".

So, on this first day of Thankful Thanksgiving - I'm thankful for my best friend, inspiration, mentor, motivator, and sister Kim.  You are an amazing woman who inspires everyone around you.  I love you.

Surprise...!

I have never claimed to be the best blogger there was, but this schedule I have been dealing with has just been plain ridiculous.  Between work, grad school, the studio, Platinum, and being a newlywed - I just really have had ZERO time to blog.  But, I have made a promise to the many few regular readers of this blog that I will be better - and I have been trying to take more pictures.  I blog because I want people to keep up with our lives, but also because I want to always remember this time in my life.

So this weekend has been filled with fun for me!  Friday night I spent the night scrapbooking with my dearest friends.  At work on Friday one of my friends was like "ugh, I cannot imagine doing that - I would rather just slit my wrists - doesn't that just stress you out?!"  No, really it's just the opposite.  It is theraputic for me.  I love cutting, and laying out, and cropping pictures, and matching papers, and cutting out letters on my beloved Cricut.  Did I mention the company is fabulous?!

me, Jenny, Kim, & Jamie - these are my 3 best friends...I majorly love them! {Please disreguard the fact that my vest is all puffed up and makes me look pregnant...which I am NOT.}

Jamie completed her very first traditional scrapbook on Friday night - and it was ADORABLE.  :)

Saturday night my sister and her husband went out for a nice dinner and we got to watch their adorable children.  These are the people who make me smile.

And today, we went down to the Festival of Trees which is my favorite kick-off to the holiday season.  Our dance studio performed today on the mainstage and the kids absolutely loved this toy train village - it is pretty beautiful!

This is a picture of my neice Emma and I - it's a tradition!  We've taken one every year since she was a baby.  I LOVE this child - she seriously says some of the funniest things I've ever heard and I am SO glad I'm not her mother because I would not be able to discipline her through my laughter.

And both Sam & Maicey performed this morning - so here is a picture of them with Kim.  All my favorite people!  :)

I am blogging from my car while we drive Kaitlyn back to her mom and then we are having dinner with my family - this is the best weekend I've had in a LONG time. 

Hope your weekend was filled with blessings.

Much Love,
 Katie :)