Happiness Is Homemade Link Party #123

Messy Messy Fail - I had about 30-some comments unapproved and patiently waiting for me to post.  So, a sincere apology to all those thoughtful readers out there who have commented on one of my posts in the last three weeks.  They are now visible and replied to!  :)

Tidy Victory - My Oriental poppy, which I was convinced had bit the dust last fall, has at least 10 blooms ready to bust open at any second.  One of my absolute favorite flowers that I've always wanted in my garden.  Can't wait to take pictures of this beauty!

Happiness Is Homemade Link Party #122

Messy Messy Fail - I have had a cough since probably around Christmas.  No joke.  I cannot get rid of it.  It's not allergies, the Netti Pot didn't really help, day time cold medicine doesn't help.  What in the world could this possibly be?  Cause I'm sick of coughing, and so is everyone else within 10 feet of me.

Tidy Victory - Next weekend will seriously be the first that I have had without obligation in nearly 4 weeks.  Lots of concerts, festivals and wedding lately.  Being so busy takes its toll on you, so even though we will be going to help my husband's band march in the parade on Monday, I am grateful for the 4 day weekend and time off.  This mama needs a break!

Happiness Is Homemade Link Party #121

Messy Messy Fail - I discovered a week or two ago that I was out of Swimmies (diapers to wear in the pool that don't blow up and weigh 21298743 pounds when wet) for the toddler's swim lessons.  Bad mommy forgot and decided that the UPKer's overnight pull-ups looked like Swimmies so they must be the same.  Quite wrong - the poor toddler's diaper was so heavy and soaked up so much water, it sounded like I threw a large rock in the garbage when I tossed it in after his swim lesson was finished.  No wonder he couldn't swim!  

Tidy Victory - I purchased a dryer vent brush to clean out our machine which seriously takes two cycles to dry what I consider to be a normal size load.  I'm excited yet scared to see what comes out of the dryer duct - but hopefully it will soon be running better!  I'll have to let you know how it works, I was inspired by a post I read a few weeks ago to try cleaning it out myself - we'll see how it goes!

Happiness Is Homemade Link Party #120

Messy Messy Fail - Funny story - my Easter decorations finally came down, but only because our house cleaner decided she was sick of looking at them.  Oh, the shame.  I think she just feels bad for me.

Tidy Victory - Our closet has finally been reorganized and finished.  My husband came home with some really cute cloth cubes from TJMaxx a few weeks ago and we were able to move items out of the dresser drawers/random totes into this more organized fashion.  Everything is still quite easily accessible on the shelves but still hidden with different patterns of stripes and paisley in the same color scheme.  It's amazing how much better an organized closet can make you feel!

Happiness Is Homemade Link Party #119

Messy Messy Fail - The amount of crusty buggers that I found on the sleeves of my son's winter coats was beyond disgusting.  I was quite horrified that I sent them to daycare and school for as long as I did without realizing their lack of tissue use.  

Tidy Victory - In to the wash all of the jackets, coats encrusted mittens went - now they are as clean as a whistle.  Ready to be packed up for summer - bye bye winter!

Holiday Fun With Our Bloggy Friends - Let's Do Brunch - Mother's Day Celebration

Messy Messy Fail - What do you do when your 4 & 1/2 year old has no clean pants to wear, and there is no time to run a load of laundry?  Dig for the cleanest pair of dirty pants in the hamper.  Good criteria - they don't stink.  You've gotta do what you've gotta do sometimes.

Tidy Victory - Up until this point, I have tried to keep all of my craft supplies in a large canvas bag my husband had bought for me a few years ago.  Of course I out grew the bag.  And of course I bought some plastic containers last fall to organize and move everything in to.  Did it tonight!  I even broke out the label maker!

Toasty Breakfast Casserole

Messy Messy Fail - It's spring concert season again, so that means many nights spent away from home.  It's part of the job as a music teacher, but these evenings away from your family can really become a drag when your kids keep asking if they can go to the concert with you.  "Sorry buddy, maybe next time".  Breaks my heart!

Tidy Victory - My high school spring concert was last night and I must say, I have never been more prepared ahead of time as I was for this concert..  I almost had free minutes to do things prior to the concert I never had time for before, such as make sure my lipstick was on correctly.  Quite a successful performance from my students, they made me so proud!  I cannot wait to hear the recording!

Crock Pot Hash Browns

Messy Messy Fail - So it's nearly the end of April, and it appears as though I have definitely acquired a solid case of poison ivy.  As I found out in high school, I am terribly allergic.  I was covered from nearly head to toe, doctor felt quite bad for me.  I thought April was too early for poison ivy?  

Tidy Victory - Gardens are all weeded and mulched.  Two yards of black mulch and one can of Preen later, we are ready for summer!  It has taken us a few years to fill these gardens in but our efforts had paid off.  It appears as if only one plant didn't make it through the winter (just a little silver mound I had planted underneath my ornamental crab apple tree), and I'll take that.  

Happiness Is Homemade Link Party #118

Messy Messy Fail - Can you guess which decorations are still up at our house?  That's right folks, Easter bunnies and eggs are everywhere.  I figured since I only put them up a week before Easter I could leave them up for a few weeks after to get full use.

Tidy Victory - At the toddler's swim lessons this morning, he FINALLY swam by himself with only his backpack float and a noodle - and it only took 8 swim lessons to do it!  Victory is ours!

Beermosa Recipe

Messy Messy Fail - Somehow, the UPKer broke the forked plastic piece that holds his Minion Big Wheel bike together.  This bike is rated for up to 80 lbs., and somehow this little 35 lb. boy figured out how make it unrideable.  Replacement part arrived today - thank goodness!

Tidy Victory - I had a lovely 35th birthday with my family - I enjoyed some yummy pizza, cards and ice cream cake (my favorite!).  Such a wonderful time and it really means so much when they show how much you are appreciated with the little things that you enjoy so much.  Thank you my beautiful family!

Fluster Buster Creative Muster #172

Messy Messy Fail - Back to the missing Toms issue - I did end up finding them, however, we have shoes ALL OVER our house.  Boots, sneakers, Crocs, dress shoes, Toms, sandals - you name it, they are here.  Time to organize the footwear, but is there a container big enough?

Tidy Victory - The weather was so beautiful this weekend (almost 75 degrees F!) that we were able to go outside and work in the yard for a good chunk of time.  Most of the front yard and part of our backyard gardens were weeded - love my weed poking tool!  You wouldn't believe how deep some of those bad boys were - I pulled out a weed whose main root was nearly a foot long!

Happiness Is Homemade Link Party #117

Messy Messy Fail - My Toms have disappeared.  Vanished.  I wore them on an unseasonably warm day in February or March, and they have since gone completely missing.  

Tidy Victory - I had a lovely thought to watch one of my favorite movies from my single girl years - Marie Antoinette.  I almost forgot I had it, had to dig around in some boxes downstairs to find it.  I am so glad I did - fabulous movie!