This is the Way We Clean the House...

In my efforts to minimize and organize, I came across some notes from a BYU Education Week session by Marie Calder Ricks. When I attended her class, I was working full-time and pregnant. Her suggestions for home organization went largely over my head. It was perfect timing for me to find these notes now when I'm home with the girls. The main thing I've incorporated is the idea of having daily tasks and then adding one weekly task. Aside from cleaning the kitchen, making beds and straightening the bathrooms, I now add one item per day. Monday: Vacuum, sweep and mop floors Tuesday: Toilets Wednesday: Windex mirrors, windows and wipe out sinks Thursday: Bathtubs Friday: Laundry day Saturday: A monthly deep cleaning job such as washing the car or mending clothes As you may have guessed, I paired jobs by the day of the week that came closest in alliteration to help me remember. I've been doing this for a few weeks now and am a total believer in this system. The apartment never gets too out of control because it's always a little bit clean! The other day I put on some toddler music for the girls to listen to in the car when I was running errands. The song This is the Way We Clean the House came on and I realized it's really the same principle! Here are some other suggestions Ricks makes:

• If you don't like a particular cleaning job, you should probably be doing it more frequently. Case in point: I really hate cleaning toilets and used to put it off. Now that I do it once a week, it's not such a dreaded task.


• In your marriage, do the job most important to your spouse just before he comes home and he will perceive it is done perpetually. No matter how crazy my day has been, I can manage to make the bed in the master bedroom before he comes home. It's an inviting sight for him which he lets me know he appreciates.


• Ask yourself, "Is this a friend or a freeloader?" If you clean it more than you use it, it's a freeloader. If you know me at all, you know I'm toss-happy. If we aren't going to use it this very second, it's in the trash or donation bin.


• Useful and needed? Keep. Useful but not needed? Give away. Not useful and not needed? Discard. In terms of donating things we aren't using, my sister pointed out there's probably someone out there who really wants and/or needs it. By keeping it, I could be depriving them of it.

Should you be interested in some more of her suggestions, she has a website. Someday I'll be organized enough to do her Master Meal Planning... but not yet :)

Shoot

For the girl's birthday photos I had a brilliant concept. I found out I could get a bunch of 3' balloons from a nearby party supply store. Imagine two tiny girls with oversized balloons... could it get more festive? Well, the balloons didn't fit into the car so I had to hang them outside the door and hold on to the strings for dear life. We weren't even 1/2 mile down the road when they had all blown free. I was SO sad! The photos turned out well regardless, but I'm determined to make it happen for a future photo shoot. Stay tuned for that one. Ireland was in a giddy mood right up until we got to the studio. Then she cried and fussed pretty much the entire time. I was amazed the photographer got any good shots at all. Liesel on the other hand is getting more and more comfortable in front of a camera. She was a pro and we got a lot of good pictures of her. The laughing ones don't show off all her features, but they make me smile. I couldn't help but go for another ultra girly wardrobe. In my defense, I did think about plain t-shirt and jeans... but this seemed so much more fun. Especially with huge balloons *sniff* This studio encourages multiple wardrobe changes so I thought we'd pull out our BYU gear and get a family picture. In Brent's efforts to hang on to Liesel, he inadvertently covered half his face in every shot. This is the best one and I love how the girls are looking at each other, sharing their confusion about these crazy parents of theirs. We got a more traditional photo but I like the fun ones. It shows our personalities much better! I'm thinking about framing this and hanging it near the desk where our diplomas reside.

Luck o' the Irish

As it is St. Patrick's Day and the beginning of March Madness, we had no choice but to celebrate! Brent was at work late so the girls and I made BYU mint brownies. The BYU part to cheer our Cougars, and the mint green part to celebrate our Celtic side. Liesel loved helping out; I really need to get her a little apron of her own. It goes without saying her favorite part was licking the beater.

Ireland was equally satisfied with the spatula. You really can't go wrong on a day like today when your name is Ireland! I keep kissing her in hopes of getting a wee bit of luck. All the festivities really wore her out. I love this picture because it shows her chubby legs. I can't get enough of them!
We hope you all had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day! Just in case you're still not in the spirit of things, here's my Top 10 songs to get you in the mood:

10. Tubthumping by Chumbawamba
9. All I Want Is You by U2
8. Tryouts from the Rudy Soundtrack
7. Flora's Secret by Enya
6. Danny Boy by John McDermott
5. A Life So Changed from the Titanic Soundtrack (snark all you want, there's lovely Irish undertones in the music)
4. Endless Journey from the Riverdance on Broadway Soundtrack

3. Galway Girl by Mundy & Sharon Shannon
2. Rainbow Connection by Kermit the Frog
1. Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore by The High Kings

Let me know if you have any St. Patrick's Day tunes you like and I can add them to my playlist!

Happy Pi Day

Brent forwarded this to me and I had to share. I hope you all had a great Pi Day!

The Entropy of Cake

We celebrated Ireland's birthday a day early. In my family we call that "Birthday Observed." Sort of like how there's a Martin Luther King Jr Day and then there's a Martin Luther King Jr Day (Observed). Following tradition, we got her a cake. I found the most adorable one with shamrocks and a little pot-o-gold on top at Whole Foods.

Ireland took just a second to check out her dessert.

Then she tried a little of the green icing...

...and some of the chocolate mousse that made up the pot-o-gold.

She tried putting the mousse in her hair...
...and happily realized Mom and Dad wouldn't intervene in her fun.

Then the lightbulb went off.
Ireland kept holding the sides of the cake as if to say, "This WHOLE thing is mine!"

She couldn't have been happier.

Mom cleaned the highchair while Dad cleaned the baby.

Ditka's

Brent and I hired a babysitter for the very first time. Up until now we've either used our parents and family members or we've done "babysitting exchanges" with other families that have kids the same age as ours. I didn't really feel comfortable with the idea of a babysitter until we moved here. The bishop's daughter gave a talk on our first Sunday in church and we immediately got a good vibe. Since we needed a sitter for the adult session of Stake Conference anyway, we decided to make a date of it. Driving away from the apartment sans children made me feel so grown up! You'd think with 2 kids I feel that way all the time, but somehow I don't. Anyway, we headed to the Ditka's in Oak Brook for dinner.

It had been lightly snowing and the temperature was dropping. We passed a couple of accidents and traffic slowed down. While we eased along the Elgin/O'Hare Expressway, we witnessed 3 more. One car slammed into a cement wall and spun around with smoke filling the interior. There were lots of screeching brakes to avoid that one and then two more cars slammed into other vehicles. Even though it was on the opposite side of the freeway, it really rattled us. When we pulled up to Ditka's, we noticed a sign for complementary valet and I jumped out of the car before Brent could convince me to find a spot on my own. I needed a break from driving. Plus I was in heels and it was slick.

The restaurant itself was nice without being pretentious. In our Sunday clothes we were the dressiest people there (aside from the manager). I felt a little bad for not being a Bears fan when we walked past a display case with Superbowl trophies (both from 1985) in it. Brent heard from a coworker the pot roast nachos were to die for. Sound a little strange? We thought so too but we're game. Oh my deliciousness! Our waitress told us they cook the meat over 2 days in different marinades. It had an amazing combination of flavors and the meat was phenomenally good. They're addicting too... I was glad I ordered a salad for my meal. Ditka's dinner menu has my second favorite salad-the wedge. They didn't disappoint, it was fresh and the presentation delectable. Brent got the fridge burger (so named because it has everything in the fridge for condiments). He let me have a bite and it was juicy without being drippy. I wish we'd had room for dessert but the pot roast nachos really filled us up.

The service was top notch. We decided they were optimists because our glasses never reached less than half-full (and Brent drinks like a camel!). When we were finished with the nachos they whisked them away in a take home bag so we didn't have to stare at half-eaten food while waiting for our entrees. Clean utensils seemed to magically appear on the table. My salad came with a cold fork... I loved that touch. The valet was the fastest I've ever seen and he was sure to call me "Miss" and take care helping me into the car. When they tried to seat us near the kitchen I asked to be moved to a booth and they immediately obliged. They were even nice about the fact we were only drinking water. At many restaurants in Boston I could tell that irritated our server. At Ditka's our waitress just swiftly took the wine glasses from the table.

I can't wait to go back. Next time I think we'll do lunch when they serve my very favorite salad- nicoise. Brent wants to try one of their steaks which all the reviews rave about. The dining room was filled with huge tables seating up to 10. There were a number of families there and the staff was so polite, I'd have no hesitation taking the girls with us. Ever since we moved to Chicago, I've been chompin' at the bit to try out some of the best food in the nation and Ditka's did not disappoint. I was hoping to get around to Dancing Zorbas from My Big Fat Greek Wedding but it doesn't exist! Not in Chicago anyway. That's okay, I'm sure we'll find a substitute.

Commercials that Sold Me

Skipping through those pesky commercials is a dream when you own a dvr. Is it just me or does it seem like commercials have gotten longer, louder and lamer? Back in the day when I actually had to watch the commercials, I remember some that had a mystical Jedi effect on me. I wanted to jump up from my couch and buy whatever they were selling. Maybe I'm just jaded from the constant marketing we get bombarded with every day, but I don't see many good commercials anymore. Even if they catch my attention, they don't usually inspire me to do anything. It's like the marketing world at large has lost its touch. Here are some commercials from back in the day that got me hook, line and sinker:



The Aaron Copeland music makes me feel like it is my patriotic duty as an American to cook beef for dinner. I find myself drooling as plate after plate of hearty beef dishes are layed on the table. Odd that a deep, masculine voice would speak to me like this guy does. The resounding BUM BUM BUM at the end just puts an exclamation point on it all. Mmmmm, I wonder if we have any beef in the house... it is an average Wednesday after all.



I want to tear off my clothes and run into the shower when I watch this. I start thinking of body parts that rhyme. "It cleans your pointer finger and even your grey brain matter!" I don't know why the soap is actually named Lever 2000 but these commercials are brilliant.



I'm absolutely convinced I need a very large closet so I can fill it with pretty cotton dresses. I'm also convinced Zooey Deschanel wants to take me shopping with her. She'll wear her Heidi braids and at the end of it all I'll be sitting at the piano (even though I don't play) writing on sticky notes and thinking deep thoughts.



I swear if I have just one of those mints I will have fresh breath... for the rest of my life. Then when I die my corpse will have the freshest coffin. I think I want some pep-o-mint. Ooooh yes!

Did I miss any? What commercials sold you?

Chicago Children's Museum

The weather is finally warming up enough for us to do a little exploring in our new city! I called around to the local colleges to see if they had child development labs similar to the one we went to at Harvard. University of Chicago just happened to have a study for both Liesel and Ireland. Aside from the little $ the girls earn by contributing to the social sciences, I enjoy doing it because the psych students get my humor. One of the researchers explained the study to which I wryly replied, "Really? How do you know it's not a double-blind?" to which she laughed heartily. Another gave me the rundown about how I could stop the study at any time and I said, " As long as you don't have someone in a white coat telling Ireland to shock someone in the next room" which had him laughing as well. Ahhhh, psych humor. I love it! While Harvard gave each girl a toy and $20, University of Chicago gives a choice of a toy OR $10. Since both girls participated, they gave them each $10 though so it still worked out well.

While we were in the neighborhood, I decided to take the girls to the Children's Museum at Navy Pier. I have a membership to the Iowa City Children's Museum which gives me free admission to others around the country. I braced myself for parking to be astronomical but it was a flat rate of $20 which isn't too horrible (I've certainly seen worse). Because it's the off-season, we got a great spot right next to the door. So here are the highlights from our adventure:

Before getting to the museum, we happened upon Crystal Gardens. What a thrill it was to find beautifully manicured palm trees, water fountains and birds of paradise in downtown Chicago in the dead of winter! It was like the flower room at the Bellagio! And it was FREE! We walked around for a bit and I determined to come back and eat lunch there when we finished at the museum. The space can be rented for events and they had this photo of what it looks like with fancy schmancy tables and chairs. Magical!

If I had to rate the Children's Museum, I'd give it a C+. Maybe I was spoiled by the one in Iowa City, but I think anything geared towards children should be 100% interactive. The current exhibit is toys from Mexico and there are indeed a lot of toys throughout the museum safely sitting behind plexiglass. Try and get a 2-year old interested in that! Also, many of the exhibits seemed half done. Like the person in charge of the room thought, "good enough" and just stopped. They could have done more to make it better. It's definitely a sizable space so there were still gems here and there.

There are a handful of places that are specifically geared towards the under 5 crowd. Some of them were really good and some were not worth the time. One area was designated for non-walkers and it was really well done. It had lightswitches to different colored lights in a little tunnel. Just when I thought Ireland was finished, she'd crawl through the tunnel, stop, reverse and go right back to the lightswitches. She was in love and hung out there for quite a while.

Liesel is rather entertained by her shadow lately. While I get Ireland in the car, I often find Liesel running up and down the sidewalk laughing at how her shadow is chasing her. This exhibit which focused on shadows was perfect for her. She enjoyed seeing the green flakes fall on her head. Another one had butterflies and if you stood still long enough they would come and perch on you. That one really freaked Liesel out so I wasn't able to get a photo.

The next time we go, we'll head directly for the Inventing Room. They had a sculpture/chair thingy made out of rolling pins that intrigued Ireland. A slide that made music as you went down which had Liesel laughing. A true "musical chair" that if it were available for a reasonable price, I would totally buy. The back has a drum and I think you can even play the planks that make up the seat. It has strings you can pluck and chimes on both sides. Very cool!

Even though the museum was a bit of a let down there were elements that made it worth the trip. For me, the best part was the soporific effect it had on the girls. I had a silent drive home where I could just relax and contemplate the cosmos.