Busy Bee

I've been more worked up than usual lately. Mark's Bar Exam begins in only a week, and while I thought things would slow down by now, they're only picking up.

I've been working more, am attempting to throw a party for Mark, arrange a garage sale and plan a trip all while making sure Luke doesn't fall in the pool in the front yard. However, if you are wired the same way I am, I prove more efficient the more I have going on. This might be due to the "daily planner syndrome" which plagues me every so often. As a time-obsessed, order and routine-loving girl, if I have enough going on (which I usually do...) I write an agenda for every day and plan my days in advance. I get some sick high off of crossing items off my list and moving at a lightening pace. In contrast with the upcoming month, this last month was actually been pretty slow. Luke and I played, spent time outside, and I spent endless hours reading instead of taking care of business.

It's now caught up with me and I'm in full swing again trying again to keep on top of things. As I'm getting more focused I've looked into a few money saving and organizational tools that I soon hope to implement into our household. They all take a lot of time, effort, and planning, but the eventual savings in time and money soon add up.

Here's a portion of the research I've been doing lately concerning shopping for household items, groceries, and coupon clipping...

www.thegrocerygame.com
www.thecouponmom.com

And my new personal favorite:
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/

What I love about moneysavingmom.com is the concept of shopping at drug stores for household items for much less than at large chain stores like Wal-Mart. I'm just getting started with this whole idea as there is a ton to learn and much planning to be completed before you can see results.

Summer Reads

My two-year old LOVES these books we've checked out from the library. The artwork is superb and they are entertaining for kids and adults. I think I'll keep them in mind for Christmas presents, as they'd be a great addition to a child's library.

Summer Soundtrack

I'm pretty much obsessed.

Blogging Woes

I haven't blogged in awhile. That certainly doesn't mean there isn't enough to blog about, but I haven't wanted to spare a moment between playing outside, running fun errands, and helping Luke with puzzles to waste endless time on the computer. With as long as Minnesota summer days are, I just can't peel myself away from reading a good book while looking out at the lake to blog about the current day's mishap. With short Minnesota summers and long Minnesota winters, I'm sure I'll make up for lost time as the weather cools and we're forced inside for months on end.

I'll end by sharing that I'm not the only lucky one that Luke calls "Mama." After watching Dumbo a couple rainy days on end, now whenever Luke sees a picture of an elephant he points to it and says "Mama." If you remember Dumbo accurately, Dumbo's mother (Mrs. Jumbo) is affectionately called "Mama" by little Dumbo. Of course, now I'm thinking I'd better lay off the ice cream.

On My Mind...

In the midst of summer fun, these pressing issues have kept my mind occupied...



...Should I cut Luke's hair, or let it keep growing until someone mistakes him for a girl...?

...What in the world am I going to wear on the Fourth of July, I don't wear red...

...When I have my own home, what should the upholstery on our couches look like...?

...What if Luke never learns to talk...

...Other than hot dogs, what's a good summer lunch...?

...D0 I look like a dork because the seat on my bike is so big...?

...Where in the world will we move next...?

As you can see, I'm a big ball of intellect these days.