I know, I know, you're supposed to warn your readers if you're going to take a blogging break...

In my defense, I didn't know I was going to be taking one. Honestly, it was just a combination of a couple of things, including crummy work weeks for Adam, a lot on my plate at school and all of us in the house being sick or rashy. Yuck. Anyway, most of February has really just gotten away from me. But I have been thinking of you while I've been striving in the non-blog world, and here is what I have to share.

There is great truth to the FlyLady's idea of keeping your home together: if you keep one spot of one room together, the rest of the room will likely stay together. Her first step, and main mantra of organization is "shine your sink." The idea, in a very simplified form, is that if your sink is shiny, you won't put dishes in it, so you'll unload your dishwasher and clean your dishes as you cook instead of piling them into your, shiny, sink. Get it? Well, I've been thinking about this a lot in the past couple of weeks, coupling it with the idea from the GirlTalk blog of Pick One Spot. That idea is to pick one spot (obviously) in your home that needs a little TLC and fix it! :) These two ideas go very well together - pick the one spot in each room that impacts the rest of the room and make it better. I like this idea because it's small and not overwhelming like life can be. Think about it as you walk around your house this week. Here's my example: the spot in my bedroom that affects the rest of the room is the floor. If there are clothes on the floor, then clothes will continue to pile onto the floor, and Adam will leave clothes on the footrest of the bed, and I won't move them, and they'll collect Simon hair. Then we're more likely to collect clothes and junk on the dresser, and when I change my clothes at the end of the workday, I'm less likely to fold them and put them away in my closet. Anyway, just some food for thought - remember, I've been gone for a while. :)

I was folding laundry today with Charlotte (long story as to how I was home today) and we had turned the radio on in her room to listen to music. Now don't laugh at me because I promise there is a REDEEMING point to this story. The song that came on was one of my favorites in middle school, the song "Shoop" by Salt n Pepa. Okay, now you can laugh.... It's fine, I can take it. Yes, when I was in middle school, I listened to (and kind of loved) Salt n Pepa. Spinderella was my favorite because I thought her name was funny and clever. Anyway, are you done laughing? Okay. Now, I am not prepared to defend the rap group, nor am I prepared to make any sort of case for them being anything that I am trying to promote. BUT...the song "Shoop" made me stop for a minute and listen. Because it is a song sung by a woman about how great her man is. And it made me think about how little this is done now....think about it...the only songs currrently written in admiration of the opposite sex are for wooing, not for just admiring the one who's already been wooed. Have you sung this song to your man lately? Have you even made a list about all of the things you like about him? Have you treasured him? Let him know you respect him? Think about it, while you're thinking about your spot in your house to clean.

I guess that's it for now. I also finished the novel The Secret Life of Bees, which, except for the weird Our Lady spirituality stuff, was really good. I hope you're reading something good, and having a great week. Soli Deo Gloria.