The beginning of my super messy adventures

Well, welcome to my NEW blog. Don't worry, all the old "Audrey" posts are still here, I just felt like the blog had outgrown it's "Life Inspired by Audrey" name. Yes, I'm still obsessed with Audrey Hepburn. But life (and my blog posts) seem to be more about being the best mommy I can be and less about finding the perfect Audrey-like outfit to wear everyday. Hence, my new blog name. I couldn't think of a better name to describe my current path in life. I want so badly to reach that elusive "supermommy" status that I dreamt of for so long. But mostly I end up being super messy in my quest for perfection. And voila! The Super Messy Super Mommy was created. I hope you enjoy my new blog name, new look and new "supermommy" inspired posts. So onto my latest quest towards mommy greatness.....

Lately, I've been looking for any possible way to save a little bit of money. It might be the addition of Avery and all the things that keep her clothed, fed and happy (and the expense of each). Maybe it's the fact that I've fallen in love with a house plan and want to build ASAP, but I know without putting aside money each paycheck, I know that's not going to happen. Or maybe it's just because saving money feels good and makes me feel accomplished. It's not like I'm going to start extreme couponing any time soon, but I welcome any opportunity to save a little green.....especially at the grocery. It would amaze me how much I could spend at the grocery on just two adults and a baby. I would buy what I thought we needed for a week or two and get up to the check out line, thinking I was being frugal. I would have the total cost figured in my head that I thought my recent shopping escapade would cost. I was always wrong. Not a drastic difference from what I was thinking, but I would always be $30-40 off. How is that possible?!?! I've learned from experience that I should shop alone. If my husband and I shop together, we always spend more money--the same principle applied when I was growing up...go shopping with dad=bigger grocery bill. I've also learned from experience that I am an impulse buyer. I know I don't need the Wild Berry PopTarts or the sandwich thin bread that costs $2 more, but I can't help but be sucked into the cute packaging or the promise of convenience. My grocery trips always result in convenient, pre-packed foods that I know isn't the healthiest for myself or my husband (but it's so darn EASY). I fall into the habit of making out a weekly menu, buying the items and then never getting around to making the recipe I had picked out--resulting in a pantry full of food that only went with that specific recipe I had picked out. What on earth am I going to do with quick-cooking tapioca or a can of green chiles?? My sister in law and I were having a conversation about mommyhood and things that frustrate us about our lives. I mentioned that I don't cook anymore. I really enjoy cooking. I love finding recipes that sound appealing and easy. When I told my SIL that I don't cook, she looked surprised and said "What do you guys eat??" I was embarrassed. Well, no more. I will no longer be the mom that cooks convenience food simply because it's faster. Do I want to have the obese child at three years old because her mom only fixes frozen pizzas and chicken nuggets? Do I want to be the mom that Avery tells her friends about that never cooks dinner for her family? I GREATLY admire homemakers and stay-at-home-moms. Some critize them for not holding any "real job." Bull. Raising children, keeping a clean or well-run home and cooking one, if not two meals a day is harder than any "real" job I've ever had. I want Avery to remember me as a fun mommy that cooked good meals for her family and kept a happy home. I understand that things can't always be perfect. I cannot always have the clean house or the homemade dinner or the spectacular crafts that knock people socks off. But I can try to be the best mommy/wife/homemaker I can be. And to be that person, I'm going to start making dinner for my family. I've found recipes that are just as easy as opening a blue box and pouring noodles into a boiling pot of water--and a lot healthier too. Because you all keep me sane and this blog holds me accountable for things that I want to do (remember my crazy cluttered office??? It's almost done!!! Pictures to come this weekend---all because I promised you guys I would!), I'm posting my weekly menu on my blog. I hope to share recipes with all of you and hopefully share my successes! I'm much more motivated to do something when I know that other people know about it. So, today starts my first (of what I hope is many!!) what we'll call the "Super Messy Super Mommy Supper Club." I'll post my menu for the week, along with links of where I found the recipes. In return, I hope you'll share your favorite tried and true recipes with me so I can try them in my own home. This week's menu looks a little something like this:

Friday--Chicken Bacon Pasta
Saturday--No Crust Pizza and salad (due to my recent gluten intolerance, I'm crazy excited about this one)
Sunday-- "See"food night....whatever you see that looks good, you fix it yourself. A Sunday night staple in my house growing up.
Monday--Chicken Nuggets and mac and cheese
Tuesday--Lasagna Roll Ups
Wednesday--breakfast for dinner (I'm thinking eggs and french toast)
Thursday--Enchilada Pockets
Friday--Zatarain's Jambalaya with Cheese (inspired by our recent New Orleans trip!)

Wish me luck!

There are no words.

Remember my post from a few weeks ago where I organized the master bedroom closet? And I promised you pictures of my disgustingly horrible office/craft room/junk room. *deep breath*(I'm just gonna throw this out there....I must realllllly love you guys if I'm about to show you the following pictures. That, or I have temporarily lost my mind).

Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh. I hear you now, because it's the same question I asked myself every single day: How did it ever get like this?? I wish I could say that I have no idea. But I do...and her name is Avery. You see, when Marty and I were just a little family of two, had a three bedroom home. One master bedroom and two bedrooms for us to have individually to store our junk. When we found out that our Avery was on the way, one room had to be cleared out and condensed into two. I love our little house, but I would KILL for more storage. My next home will have closets everywhere you look. We have the problem of too much stuff, not enough places to put it all. Hence, the disgusting room. Any time someone would come to visit our adorable newborn, things would be thrown in the office. I eventually quit painting (something I hope to be able to pick up again) and all of my painting supplies and canvases lay haphazardly around the room. My dresses and coats are in the office closet, some hung up, some laying in the floor or draped across the back of the chair. Boxes thrown in, Christmas wrapping paper lay in the floor, Marty's weight bench blocked much of the walking area in the room. It just continued to pile up, making the room worse and worse. I was beginning to worry that we'd be candidates for the hit TLC show "Hoarding: Buried Alive." Over the last two months, I attempted to tackle the overwhelming mess. I would walk in, move a few things around, become short of breath and panicky and have to walk out. My office was causing me to have a panic attack on a daily basis, literally. The funny thing is, as bad as the above pictures look, it got worse. You know how they say to get an area cleaned and organized, you have to make a bigger mess first? That happened. In my attempts to de-clutter, I made a bigger mess. It was an insurmountable project. The mess was so big, I didn't ever know where to start. So I hadn't.

Until this week. Dayna, my middle sister, is in the big kid world and has gone and bought herself a house. An adorable little house that came with this incredibly awesome corner desk. I love my little wicker desk because it has traveled with me from home to college to married/adulthood, but it's outgrown its usefulness. The desk at Dayna's house would be perfect. Best part? Dayna doesn't need it. It's too big and bulky for the room that she'll be using as her office. So we're trading off. She gets the wicker desk, I get the corner one. I was pumped. Until I thought about my office. Where is it going to go? How will we get it in? How will I get the office cleaned in time for it to go into the room? I doubt Dayna would be willing to wait the 6 months it would take me to completely clean the room the way I wanted it. This afternoon, I got a few wonderful hours to myself at home....and I did it. I tackled the junk room. But not in the way I thought I would. Instead of cleaning the room piece by piece, which would probably take DAYS (maybe even weeks) to do, I cleared the room out. I utilized every laundry basket, box and storage tote we own and piled up with stuff and took it out of the room. The room looks empty and amazing......but now the rest of my house doesn't.

Excuse me, I need to go have an anxiety attack right now.

I'm back. Holy crap. What have I done?!?! If you don't want to by my friend anymore, I totally understand. *inhale* *exhale* I know this is the most effective way for me to get my craft room back to its former glory. If I am able to control the items that go back into the room and put it back in a clutter-free and completely organized way, I know that it's going to be a million times better than just making all of the mess I had fit the room. This way, I'll be able to go through each box and bag and label each piece: keep, toss, donate, yard sale. Less will be going in, more will be going out, and I'll FINALLY be able to breathe (and hopefully paint!) again. I posted these pictures in the hopes that, by putting them out there for everyone to see, I will be held accountable to clean the room and make it awesome again. If you would, my faithful blog followers (are there really any of you out there???) gently remind me every once in a while or inquire about the status of this room. That way, I know I'll have to get it clean--at least for the sake of another blog post. If you'll excuse me, I have to go breathe into a brown paper bag now.