Special Needs – Page 113 – Pollywog's Place Blog

Too Much Stuff

Published on January 2, 2017 by Susie @ Pollywog's Place BlogLeave a comment

I hope you all enjoyed the holidays as much as we did here. We’ve already taken down our tree and put away all the decorations. A little bit of a cleaning bug hit me and I decided we needed to declutter our playroom a bit more than we had before Christmas.

My kids, as you can read in Remember The Reason For The Season and So Much More Than A Basketball, were doubly blessed with gifts this year. That doesn’t include the gifts they received from their older siblings and their father. So when they were instructed to ‘put away’ their toys it became apparent that we had not gotten rid of enough things before Christmas. The following are some picks of what we had going on:

The book cases were overflowing, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but we couldn’t fit any more books on the shelves. The toys piling up in front of the chalkboard were a problem though. As well as the other toys and baskets being piled on top of things and hidden inside of cabinets. Then there was there problem of not being able to find their new favorite toys because of all the clutter.

It was stressful for me just to walk in there, not too mention trying to clean around everything. It was such a chore to pick up this to vacuum, then pick up something else and hope you didn’t knock something else down. Trying to dust was almost impossible and there were so many little things getting vacuumed up I was afraid I was going to kill the vacuum.

I grabbed a couple of trash bags, a laundry basket, and a tote. Big sister and I started in one corner of the room and went around it in a full circle. Every area was taken apart, dumped out, and sorted through. If there was an item that didn’t belong in that area it was placed into the laundry basket so it could be put away properly.

Some of the items that were seasonal, like some sensory bins and activities for Fall, were placed into the tote. Broken toys were thrown away and toys that they had outgrown or no longer played with were put into another bag to donate.

When we finished we had several small bags of books to donate and two trash bags of toys to bless others with. There was a bag of broken toys and other items to be thrown away. Then the seasonal items were put away for later in the upcoming year. Some of the toys and books were passed along to their little cousin. The TV that had been in the cabinet was passed along to big brother and the cabinet now holds the laptops and chargers plus a couple of items for younger kids to play with when we have visitors.

Below are some pictures of the results:

The kids are much happier now that they have the toys organized. There are also some empty bins for new things that Momma may pull out of the closets later on. We were able to set up some individual areas for magnet/dry erase play, dinosaurs and legos, and an area for the kitchen and food play. They have their dinosaur skeleton on display and they can easily look at it. There is also a space where they can play with the Spielgaben set and/or the light panel that we have.

The bookshelves are so much better looking now and they actually have an area where they can sit and read. The storage table now holds their dress up and the new race car sets that they got for Christmas. The top of the table turns over and has a flat surface that they can set the race tracks up on so it works out great.

So far the only downside was that I moved the storage bench out and now I can’t reach the calendar to change out the month or days. Sigh, the constant struggles of being short. Luckily I have a kitchen stool that works just fine and I did get the calendar switched out.

My kids were happy to pass along some blessings to other kids that may not have gotten quite as much for Christmas. There were actually a couple of new toys that I passed along as well as I knew the kids would not play with them. This is something that we do every couple of months and sometimes they will actually bring me something that they no longer play with and ask me to pass it along to someone else.

I am slowly trying to pare down our belongings as the more stuff you have, the more clutter you have, and ultimately the more stress you have from keeping up with it and cleaning it. In the end it frees up some of my time also by not having to clean it, move it, or take care of it. Do you have something that you aren’t using? Why don’t you pass it along to someone who can use it. You’ll feel so much better.

Black Eyed Peas

Published on January 1, 2017December 3, 2022 by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog8 Comments

I had never been a big fan of black-eyed peas. When I was trying to come up with a semi-traditional New Year’s meal a few years ago I decided that they should be included as we need all the good luck we can get. Right?

Well, I can’t guarantee that these will bring you good luck but they will fill your tummy. This recipe was a big hit at our house and so easy to make. We actually eat it a few times a year just because we like it. Continue reading “Black Eyed Peas” →

Boiled Eggs

Published on January 1, 2017November 16, 2019 by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog10 Comments

We like eggs no matter how they are cooked. I love them in salads, deviled, and even pickled. All of these recipes call for boiled eggs though. That elusive boiled egg that seems like it should be so easy but can make even the calmest cook lose patience when the eggs refuse to give up those shells without making a mess of the egg beneath.

One of my fondest memories revolves around my mom-mom, my mom, and me in the kitchen trying to peel eggs. My mom-mom had her way to do it and my mom had her way. Me, I hadn’t a clue and we laughed so much at each of our attempts. It was a wonder that we managed to have enough eggs to make the deviled eggs that day!

There are a million and one, at least, ways to make a boiled egg. We can make them on the stove, in the microwave, in the oven, and I think there are gadgets to make the perfect boiled egg. I don’t know about all the other methods but this is the tried and true method we use here.

I recently found an even easier way to boil eggs using my Power Cooker. Check out this method HERE. Continue reading “Boiled Eggs” →

New Year’s Resolutions

Published on December 31, 2016December 27, 2016 by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog3 Comments

I know most of us set goals and make resolutions at the beginning of the year. I know we have the best of intentions when make them but often times we start out strong and then just kinda let our goals fade out of sight. Sometimes we just keep procrastinating on getting started and before we know it the year is gone.

This year I am setting my intentions on becoming a better mother, a better friend, a better steward of my blessings, and a better keeper of the home. I also have other goals like losing weight, being more faithful in my prayers and devotions, and getting our homeschool stuff more organized. Some of these goals are being carried over from last year. I did make progress on them but I know that I still have a long way to go. Many of them are written down in my prayer journal and I try to pray about them on a daily basis.

Here is a quick list intentional goals that I have made, as I know that I must set my mind to wanting to do something and praying that God will lead me and give me the desire and willpower to accomplish things according to His plans for my life.

Create more peaceful routines.
Create routines and activities that help each of my family members to develop and grow in their own unique ways.
Create a place home that is calm, peaceful, and nurturing. A place where everyone who enters can feel safe, loved, and cherished. A place where my friends and family can find rest, comfort, and peace when then need it.
Create a budget and routine that allows me to be a better steward of my blessings.
Create a more dedicated time to prayer and devotions.
Create a better schedule for planning, organizing, and rotating our homeschool activities.
Create a better schedule for my daily workouts. I would like to lose 10-15 pounds.

I know that I must work at each and everyone of these in order for them to be achieved successfully. Some of them will require research and work on my part while others just require me to get motivated.

I have already started on many of them. I have read that it takes 21 days to form a new habit so I wanted to get a little head start on it. I am also reading some books to give m inspiration and ideas to motivate me towards my end goals. I will list these at the end of the post.

When you set your goals try to be as specific as possible and find ways to hold yourself accountable. It is also helpful to break the goals down into short term goals so you can evaluate your progress and make changes as needed to reach your end goal. Be sure to ask your friends and family to help you stay motivated.

Remember that it’s OK if your goals and resolutions change through the year. Sometimes we set unrealistic goals for ourselves and then just quit or throw them out the window because we feel like a failure. Don’t give up, just sit down and revise or rewrite your goals. Life happens, circumstances change, and so many things are beyond our control. Just focus on what you can control and make the best of it.

Books I am currently reading.

Starting Your Day Right: Devotions for Each Morning of the Year

First Light – Women’s Daily Devotional & Journal First Light – Women’s Daily Devotional & Journal

The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming

The Lifegiving Home Experience: A 12-Month Guided Journey

The Organized Homeschool Life: A Week-By-Week Guide to Homeschool Sanity

Becoming a Woman Who Pleases God: A Guide to Developing Your Biblical Potential

Backwards Day

Published on December 30, 2016January 28, 2025 by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog2 Comments

I know my older kids loved this day at Public School. They didn’t have to worry about if their shirts were on right or even their shoes for that matter. Sometimes I think my kids are celebrating Backwards Day every day here!

Below are some links for some fun activities. Maybe you could have dinner for breakfast or breakfast for dinner? Just have fun!