Sew Amazing!!!

I am SEW excited (and yes, I am going to keep doing that the entire post)!!!  My bench cushions are done and SEW fabulous!  Look...

Now before you get all excited that this is going to be a how-to all about sewing your own cushions I have to stop you.  I just don't sew!  I figure, you gotta know your strengths and your non-strengths and although I can sew on a button or hand sew some napkin pillows I am not a seamstress.  I am scared of sewing machines and detailed measuring is way beyond me.  So how did I end up with these gorgeous bench cushions...yup you guessed it, I paid someone and totally don't regret it!!!

I realize this is not what DIYing is all about but let me tell you, my version of a DIY cushion would be DIU...darn impressively ugly!  A friend told me about a wonderful woman she knows, also named Jill, who does seamstress work from her home.  And as it turns out she lives right down the street from me.  My friend said she not only did amazing work but that she is extremely reasonably priced.  So sorry die hard DIYers, I caved.

As I told you about here I ordered this wonderful Waverly fabric from JoAnn's

  

I have to admit it was even more orange then I had expected but I still loved it and figure the more color the merrier!  I brought the fabric and this lovely sketch to my new friend Jill.

For the details, I wanted the cushions to be 2 inches high.  I also asked for a zipper so I could remove the fabric and clean it if when needed.  I also asked her to add two ties so I could secure the cushion to the bench.  This wasn't my exact design preference but I didn't want them sliding all over the place when my daughter was climbing on them so function won out. 

I also asked Jill to add piping.  We both thought this was a good idea since the fabric was so bold.  The piping could break it up a little.  I also mentioned that if she had any extra fabric I would love a pillow or two!  But that was just wishful thinking.  Except, Jill is a miracle worker and look what I got...  

I am just SEW happy!  Now I do think the orange is a little crazy with my bright red couch but have I mentioned that I hate my couch - oh, I have...sorry.  Well, we are working on replacing it and the replacement will be a much more neutral color so the pop of orange will be fabulous.  For now it is a little Ronald McDonald so I may even put the pillows away until a new couch makes its debut.  

But I have to tell you that I not only love the new bench cushions I love that I may never have to ever sew a thing on my own and still be able to have custom fabric throughout the house at a reasonable price.  Let's hear it for Jill (me and Jill, the miracle seamstress)!!! YIPPEE!

How Clean Is Your House?

Are you a "stay at home" mom?  I put that in quotes because I feel like there is no such thing as a "stay at home" mom.  First off, how much time do you really stay at home?!?!  What we really should be called is a "run from appointment to pick-up to practice to grocery store to friend's house to home" mom.

I fall into a category I like to call "working stay at home" mom.  I work about 15 hours a week as a Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor (in the 80's we were called Aerobic Instructors but have upgraded the term since then).  But since I am so fortunate to be able to take my daughter to work with me I am fully responsible for her while my husband is away all day.  So I get the benefits of working, the benefits of mommying and all the headaches of both.     

Now what does all this have to do with how clean my house is?  Well, I was just vacuuming away and thinking about a dilemma that often circles in my brain and I just felt like I had to share it with you.  And that is the dilemma of the 50's house wife vs the modern mama.  And for me that dilemma usually turns me to question how much should I clean my house.

My husband is a wonderful man, friend and father and we often talk about teamwork...no one task should be solely either of our responsibilities.  We both disciple our daughter, we both cook and um we both clean...kinda.  OK, let's be honest, he doesn't clean much.  But it isn't because he is unwilling.  It is because he works all day, goes to school two nights a week, studies on the weekends, works out like a champ and still makes lots of time for his ladies at home.  So unless he cuts out sleeping, which he doesn't do much of, there is really little time left to fold laundry and scrub the toilets.

But...and here is the conversation I have over and over in my brain...is my life any less busy?!?!?  I run back and forth between work.  I provide for, play with, teach, feed and nurture my daughter.  I write, manage and do everything else involved in writing this blog (which I have to admit is totally my choice and I love it).  And I do all the other "stay at home" mom duties.  Should I also have a spotless house at every moment?

Well, I go back and forth on the answer to that.  I go through phases where I clean like crazy.  I run around any spare moment I am home and make sure my home is perfect.  Then I go through the opposite phase and let everything go.  I call this the "protest" phase.  But lately I think I have found my answer...the One A Day Method. 

I have a list of 5 major cleaning duties that need to be done each week - Laundry, Clean Floors, Clean Bathrooms, Clean Kitchen & Dust.  They are listed on my fridge.  And I pick one item to complete each week day.  So every week each of these items is completed once and for me it gives me perfect balance.  What needs to get done gets done.  But each item on their own only take 30 minutes to an hour (except laundry) so I don't let me entire day be consumed and I still get that wonderfully gratifying feel of taking care of business.        

Now of course there are tons of other cleaning items to be done throughout the day but things like doing the dishes can be done along the way and picking up toys only takes 10 minutes once my daughter is in bed.  So for me, this is my perfect solution. 

What is your solution to the never ending mess?  I would love to hear how you conquer the pressure of being Suzy Homemaker when we all know Suzy has never even been to our homes!