Hot Tubs, Moldy Towels and The Birth House

Posted by Melissa Baumgart

A Weekend Away.
I had the pleasure of going to the Oregon Coast this past weekend.  Our dear friends (and GLWT reader number uno) hosted us at their beach house just south of Astoria, OR.  I loved every minute of it, from driving through the old town where the Goonies was filmed, the windy walk down to witness the mighty Pacific Ocean, the sauna, the breakfast of seasonal frittata and dinner of dungeness crab to catching up in front of the fire after the kids were tucked in bed.  So, no, I did not do any water aerobics this past weekend.  Not unless you count raising my glass while relaxing in the hot tub as a form of excersize.


My Pool is Closed.
It's a bummer, Green Lake's Evans Pool is closed for two weeks.  I am hugely disappointed, since that was my favorite place for water aerobics in Seattle.  I just don't know if I'll find another spot that fills me up, emotionally and physically, like that one.  If you know of one, I am all ears.  And in case you weren't aware, I prefer my water aerobics in the deep end with lots of old people.

Project Simplify is on.

I don't even use half of this stuff.

Last week, Amy started a challenge that has to do with organizing.  Amy found a blog, Simple Mom, and she does a decluttering/organizing project every March.  She sets up guidelines and helps you to focus on one "hot spot" in need of attention in your home every week.  When I first read Amy's post, I cringed.  Organizing and cleaning used to be my thing, until kids.  I suppose I still do OK in the category, but for me, with these things, it's like I either do it really well or I throw in the towel.  Consider my towel thrown, so long ago, it's probably in some cluttered recess of my closet growing the mold that is giving me allergies and my leg rash.  Now when I hear about other people "organizing" my ego takes it as a personal blow.  Like someone just plastered my old moldy towel on the cover of US magazine next to Snooki's baby bump.  


My weekend away was spent with a friend of mine that excels in the organizing and cleaning categories of life.  Every closet or drawer I opened was a new challenge.  How do I feel good about my personal flaws in the face of perfection?  Well, believe me, it is hard for a Virgo woman.  Hell, it might be hard for any woman, if they are being honest.  It wasn't until I got home that it really hit me, when I was faced with all the clutter and disorganization and mess of my own space.  I walked through my door with a smile on my face from all the fun, and quickly discovered an uncomfortable chip on my shoulder, longing for the neat and orderly me of yesteryear.

The wretched container cupboard. 

Instead of wallowing in my imperfections, I decided to move through my cringing and right on into Project Simplify.  It feels like less of a To-Do list for me, and more like some kind of intense exposure therapy.  Let's just hope it goes better than my trip to the mountainside.  Although, I wouldn't rule out a few tears being shed.

This week is going to be spent tackling the kitchen.  I love cooking, so this is an area I spend a lot of time in.  I figure it is a good place to start.  I have agreed to three things for the week:

1. Cleaning out my fridge and freezer.  This means getting rid of things I don't use, no matter how healthy and good they are for me.  If I don't use them, they are doing no good.
2. Organizing my containers, plastic and otherwise.  This cupboard is out of control.  I can get it all tidy in the afternoon, and by nightfall it is a complete mess.  I am going to also find a way to keep it tidy.  My recent purchase of a Martha Stewart magazine on organizing says, "Staying organized is an ongoing process; if something isn't working well for you, change the process until it is."  That is my goal for this cupboard.
3. Making a meal plan and sticking to it.  I used to do this and it always felt so good.  Knowing that all the fresh, healthy food in my fridge is going to be used and not found rotten two weeks later is always a good feeling.    

Reading more.

I have continued to read, since last month sparked my love for reading.  I am not reading at the same pace as last month, but I am working through a 400+ page book, The Birth House by Ami McKay.  It takes place in the early 1900's and is about a woman that apprentice's with an old granny midwife and has to cope with medical technologies like twilight sleep being offered to the women of her rural town.  She has to walk the delicate line between being a good wife in the context of the culture she was raised in, and following her calling, which is serving women, not her husband's needs.

I am really enjoying it and I feel a strong sense of reading the right book at the right time.

Until next time.  And please, consider checking out a water aerobics class near you.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
-Melissa

Project Simplify 2012: Make Way for Baby

Posted by Amy Baranski

If you're not into water aerobics but are looking forward to our blog's activity in April: DIY Home (Do It Yourself home edition) you might consider taking the Project: Simplify 2012 challenge this month sponsored by Simple Mom.

My sister and I have joined! Not only do I have a list of things to organize (for each room and closet in my house) before baby comes, I also have rolling list of little things I want to make during DIY month. But my house is in disarray! For me this means that I have no dedicated, and clean, work space to create things. Project Simplify addresses this dilemma in a fun and social way and hopefully will help me gear up for April.

Now, with my big sis on board I feel like I'm on a team and not just swimming alone in the great blog yonder. Maybe we should make matching shirts or capes or something. You can join too...

Project Simplify breaks down the work load into 4 weeks of spring cleaning madness. You can choose one, two, three or all four weeks. Whatever speed works for you. The focus for this week, March 5th, is: Kids’ stuff—toys, clothes, and the like. Since baby isn't making any mess yet that means I have to tackle my own.

My hot spots

My problem areas primarily exist in the closet of our soon to be baby room, our front room--where I've had a very messy makeshift desk/space for a few months--and our bedroom closet. My husband might have a few others to add, but I think it's a fair assessment.

Need 1: Dedicated work space
I work from home often so I need a dedicated work space for my computer. It doesn't have to be big, but it should be focused. In conjunction with the work space I need a filing system for paper work. All my files are in plastic bins which, for the most part, have served as great organizers, especially as a mobile city apartment dweller. But I need something more permanent and homey feeling.

Need 2: Space for baby things
We have a small room for baby (which doubles as a guest room) with an itty-bitty closet (with no light). But there's other space throughout the house waiting to be utilized. I need dedicated space for baby's things where I can stockpile diapers, wipes, and other essentials. Since I started emptying out the itty-bitty closet for baby I now have plastic bins full of random things lining the walls in our front room. What is all that stuff?

Need 3: Art and craft supply storage
In 2010 I took a book making class. Last year I started knitting. This year I got a sewing machine for Christmas. I hoard magazines for collage making and obsessively save scraps of paper from my travels for... scrap-booking maybe? In short, I collect a lot of ephemera meant for future projects. But I don't have it organized, and sometimes I forget about it. I need a small, but organized, and handsome space for craft and art supplies.

My Plan

Finding space seems to be the common theme in addressing my messy hot spots.

Step 1: Locate the measuring tape. Then some grid paper. If I map out potential layouts for each room and identify space for each need then I'll know where to start.

Step 2: Bask in the glory of having used a measuring tape and grid paper. Then liberate surface space. File errant receipts, shelve books, and maybe even making a pile of unknowns--this and thats--that I don't know what I'm doing with. Look for a pattern of unknowns.

Step 3: Open the boxes. It pains me to think about this step. But I need to see how much stuff can be reduced and first I have to know what I'm dealing with. Make a "keep/kill" pile. (We do this with content at work). Of the items on the "keep" list group all like things together. Take items on the "kill" list to a donation center (or their proper owners).

Step 4: If I bite off a little of the above every night this week, by the weekend I should be able to move any big pieces of furniture around, or find the right vessels to hold certain things. I think that's ambitious enough for this week. If I can do just one of those things I'll be happy. Before and after pictures will be posted by Saturday. Join in the fun if you dare!

Doing it from Scratch

My blackberry harvest today

posted by Melissa
The first day of Urban Homesteading has had many facets.

The Home
I spent most of the morning cleaning and tidying our home.  I figured, how are you going to homestead in a messy and dirty home.  As I cleaned, it dawned on me that I am in desperate need of some organization.  Don't you find that organizing is something that you have to revisit....again and again.  It's not like I get my kitchen cabinets all orderly and then they stay that way forever.  If you do experience this, please tell me what you do to accomplish that amazing feat.



The Kids
Levi had a hell of a day.  The outburst from Mt. Rainier was nothing compared to this.  Thanks to Lily watching Nanny 911 last night and me spending some time looking over her shoulder, I had some ammunition and balls to stand my ground.  I am proud to say I did it.  He screamed and yelled and threatened to stab me, but I stood my ground.  And now, reduced screen time is going to be a lot easier since he lost any computer touching privileges for the entire month.

Bad Teacher.

The other positive is that after the storm, follows the calm.  And today, that transformed into Levi teaching me, Amy and my Mom how to knit.  Sounded great to me, I could knit my new niece something pretty and not have to buy something.  That is all right up the Urban Homesteading alley.

The knitting lesson started with simply making balls of yarn.  Simply being the understatement of the decade.  My Mom just started unravelling her yarn with no rhyme or reason, and it become what the kids call, a big ball of spaghetti.  My Virgo tendencies kicked in and I grabbed the yarn, I could not stand by and watch this mess just happen, right there next to me!

Levi is quite the teacher, not.  He had no patience at all for Amy doing it left handed.  We got through casting off.  I'll let you know when I get my next lesson.

Amy, urban berry picking.

The Food
I made sauce from scratch.  Then I made lasagna. And we are having a little dinner party with Amy and her husband, Bob.  we do dinner together a lot, and I really like that.



We also went berry picking.  We got word of some blackberries near some bee hives that Bob has by Yesler Terrace.  Very Urban.  As we were walking up to the picking site, I announced that I saw a rat, a huge rat.

"Yeah, Bob said we should throw some rocks into the brush to scare away the rats before we enter."  Amy let us know, nonchalantly.

Blackberry hands.

After the initial rat fear ended, and after the jokes about how I thought the wilderness/wild animal month had ended as well, we trudged on through to the blackberries.  We scored big time.  We harvested so many blackberries.  Now to find out how many we need to make some jam.  The kids had a great time and I can't help but think about them going to school with their homemade bread peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  And hope that they share proudly about going out into the city and picking their own berries, and making their own jam.

More homesteading to come....
Melissa