Organizing a home when you have small children

 

I desperately need help getting new ideas on how to organize my home and all the clutter that one can accumulate when having a few kids. It feels like the more I try to get creative the more I'm out of inspiration. How to I tidy a small bedroom when 2 little and very different girls play/sleep in it. One is 7 but it's totally a teenager at heart. She wants posters and cool things in her room but the other one is only 2 and has her baby toys all over as well. My son is not that bad, since he has his own room but his Lego's are always finding they're way into every single room....and last my bedroom. I have mountains of clothes to fold and put away. It seems that 1 day of doing the laundry takes forever and I never get to finish putting them away so my room instead of being an Oasis that it should be, has become the "Laundry/Folding" station.

 

How do women manage to have their home impeccable at all times while working a full time job and not only do they manage but they exceed at everything  that's "Betty CrokerISH". I need ideas...I would love to have my home nicely decorated but organized as well.

 

 

Dreams do come true...eventually

Wicked Witch of the West...Me a Stepmother

Once upon a time I was that Stepmother...the Wicked Witch of the West but in my case in the East since I live in NY.

Today as I look back I can happily say out loud and proud that I am no longer that Witch. I mean if you ask my girls they might say I still have my bi polar/evil step motherly moments but I am truly happy where we are now.  I can tell you it has not been an easy road and being the new girlfriend, then new wife, having kids with my their daddy or becoming the stepparent was not something easy for any of us. It was a mayor adjustment for everyone, specially for me who has always been free spirited and liked by everyone. Having 2 young children dislike you without even knowing you took a chip off my ego (temporarily) but honestly I can say I would do it all over again in a heart beat to have what I have today.

His baggage as heavy as it was, today is more mine that his. The rotten children that used to "steal" my husband's attention, now want my attention too just as much as the little ones. I no longer get introduced as the stepmother but as mom. I really hate that word...just saying!

I'd like to think that I have the same proud feeling when they excel as their own father has and maybe even more since they're girls and not that he's a bad father but guys just don't understand women but I won't say that too loud, don't ever want to hurt his feelings. With that being said I can also feel their pain/hurt/frustrations and without a doubt I would make it better if I could. I know I would always do anything in my power to help them through any rough roads that might come their way.

I might not be proud of many of the things I might have said or even done but I'm happy that we stuck it out together and never once gave up on us as a family.

Now as I see them grow and find their own way through life I just want to hit that pause button  so I can have more girly talks, see more chic flicks, go on trips that lead to nowhere  and just enjoy their company. I'm so used to them always being there and being the peanut gallery that always has something to say about everything and anything, which can be frustrating but I have learned to love it. They have been there through thick and thin. They help out with the little ones, run to the mall with me for something that should take a second and ends up being 3 hours with me and more importantly they have sat there and listened to me bitch and complain when I'm having a bad day...yeah I'm not ready for them to really grow just yet. Even when one is 23 and the other is 21!!!

If only I had time to cook...too

“I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.” ~John Burroughs

Life has become quite a challenge lately...I remember before I had kids, I thought I had somewhat of a stressful life. I had just moved from Puerto Rico to NY and I immediately found out that living here, life was just hectic and extremely fast paced to what I was accustomed to. Now, fast forward to being married with kids and a full time employee I look back and say "Damn, I had it good".

Today, I find myself wondering how do women manage to work 40+ hours a week, be stuck in traffic 2+ hours a day. Go to the gym (loose the baby weight), go home to homework, prepare lunch bags for the next day, give bath to all 3 little ones and then COOK? Really, how come they have time to do it and I'm here complaining...

My husband has been doing a lot of hinting that he would like a home cooked meal and of course lunch for the next day prepared every night. I wouldn't mind cooking more often but if I do that means that there will never be time to relax or unwind or that my bed time would be some time after 1am...am I being selfish? 

I look at the kitchen with such a discouragement lately. I don't mind cooking on the weekend while I wash 10+ loads of laundry, clean the house, take care of bratty-crying-whining kids...but ughhh I'm just not motivated during the week after doing my nightly routine when I come home from work. 

Oh and did I say I rarely go to the gym just so I can maybe get home earlier or shop for anything that's needed for a special homework assignment?...

I wonder if I will ever be with these group of ladies...Mrs. Mj Crocker

I'm a sucker for short hair

Ever since I can remember I have always had a Yoyo (long/short) type of behavior with my hair. I think it all started in 3rd grade which is when I had my first short haircut. I remember wearing short hair in middle school but I don't remember ever cutting my hair in High School. In the 90's I decided I wanted the short style that Cheryl “Salt” James from the group Sallt n Pepa had. Why on earth did I ever think that was cool? OH I know, because back then I was "Stupid Fresh"! A few years later (after growing my hair out) I decided I wanted the pixie haircut that's better known as Halle Berry's signature haircut.

Let me tell you I've lived the same nightmare over and over and I just don't learn my lesson. I'll go and have a short style done just to want it long again in a few months or better yet have it nice, healthy and long only to go have it chopped off. Who really understands women?!

Now, I've been sporting the Asymmetrical Bob or better known as the Victoria Beckham hair style...and after a few years wearing it guess what...I want my hair long again. So, now that I have decided to go long all I have left to do is to go through the ugly and agonizing period of growing it out. I personally hate this period. This is when your hair is too short to do anything to disguise the ugly phase but it's too long to look decently styled.

There must be another way and of course much faster to grow out your hair. I've done the cutting your ends every so often but that only gets me in trouble. Once at the salon I end up sporting a short cut. I could always go and purchase extensions...anything that would help me get throw this phase yet once again!

With that being said, I already have my eyes/mind set on my new look three styles I will be having as I grow my bob. Now all I need is enough patience to go through the headache of waiting for it to grow.

These are my next 3 looks. I'm completely in love with the color more than anything, but color would be a completely different type of nightmare. One I'm sure I will go through as I find the right colorist that can achieve this color.

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Happily Ever After

I once believed in Fairy Tales, and wished upon a star that my “Prince” or “Knight in Shining Armor” would come and take me to live in a castle and live happily ever after. I found my prince, who gave me a shinny ring, who wanted to have more kids, who wanted to buy me a house, who wanted to grow old with me…not too bad you might say, right?!

Well, the thing with Fairy Tales is that when the story ends you never get to see what happens after the beautiful song has ended...

Mine has, 5 kids. The older 2 from his previous marriage (23 and 21), then you have the 3 that I gave birth to who are 7yr, 5yr, and baby monster who will be 2. In that same package deal I have in laws, 2 dogs, a mortgage, car payments, college funds, bills, full time job and no time to even go potty BY MYSELF…

Don’t get me wrong, I do love my life and everyone in it…but c’mon, Really…REALLY!?!?!?!

soooo…this is how I see “Happily ever”

Punishment or plain laziness?

I guess my first blog posting would be a venting one!

So Mr. CG (Computer Geek) helps me out a lot since I'm never home early enough to do the running around needed for Dance Class, Jazz Class, Baseball...etc! So, yesterday I asked him to go and run to the Dance Shop to purchase S's dance attire. He agrees and takes S. (whos' 6) and her brother H. (who's 5). I guess they started acting up bad enough that he then decides to storm out of the store and tell the kids that as a punishment she's going to dance in regular clothes and to my son that he's not watching TV for a week...really? REALLY?

I try my hardest to support HIS parenting skills (since he has more experience than I do with him having two older kids) and for the most part I back him...like I said most times. With that being said, I was not able to do the same today! If the kids are acting up, why could he have not sat them down in a corner, put them inside the shopping cart or taken them to a more private area so he can let them know that's the final warning then make his purchase and once done at the store THEN punish them at home?

See, we are not home when the children get back from school (remember my in laws live with me). So I know for a fact that the first thing my kids will be doing after school is watching TV. My in laws are already in their late 60's early 70's and who wants to deal with 2 bored kids at that age? Sure, they can do homework, read a book, go outside and plenty of more things...but am I going to ask my in laws to get out of their routine because Mr. CG decided that he was going to punish them? Which leads me to the my next issue...

Was he mad  and frustrated at the kids or did he just not want to go throught the troubble of buy the "girly" things that he needed to buy. Was he mad or was he just being lazy?

Today, I gave him my opinion and thoughts and he said he didn't care that she was going to dance with shorts and sneakers...well she won't be able to do much dressed like that and are we not paying $$$ for her classes for her not to dance! Was there no other punishment?

Needless to say that while I'm typing this he just called and said that I made him feel bad and he's going on his lunch hour to buy her stuff...yay!!!

Made my point...