Merit For Moms!

So Sweetie Pie recently decided to become a Girl Scout, and even though the Daisy patches are kind of lame (Be Fair and Honest instead of camping patch, etc.) she is still really motivated and driven to earn her patches.  She can literally show everyone what she's learned and done through Girl Scouts, all with the patch "reward" at the end.  That should have been enough to give me this great idea, but it wasn't.

Have you ever just wandered around the library and found something that you were never, ever looking for but it kind of found you?  That's what happened with this patch idea.  I'm not sure why I was even in that section, or if my backwoods tiny library just shelves things differently than the rest of the world, but it jumped off the shelf.  It was You Can Do It!: The Merit Badge Handbook for Grown Up Girls.  I flipped through it and checked it out, even though the "badges" were earned through hobbies such as dancing and wine tasting- not really what I was looking for.  As I read the beginning it really touched me, as the author passed away on September 11, 2001, and her sisters finished the book and got it published.  It really drove home the "live every day like it's your last point" even if the ways I want to improve my life are a bit different.

The book sat on my counter for almost a week before all the ideas mashed up in my head and collided like my kids hopped up on Red Bull.  Why couldn't I earn badges for doing my dishes!?  Or laundry?  I'd do almost anything for a little credit...

So, I thought it was a great idea for the beginning of the new year, and frankly I didn't have time to think about it with Christmas, Sweetie Pie's birthday and New Year's plans.  Instead of making lofty resolutions that will be gone by February I'm going to break up my long term goals into smaller chunks that are easier to work on every day. I decided that every month I would work on a new "badge" starting with organizing, since it is the most obvious choice after the toy storm.

Every day in January I'm going to spend at least 30 minutes organizing ANYTHING in my house, whether it's my purse or a huge room.  As long as I spend 30 minutes, every day, then I earn my patch.  I made a button in case anyone wants to join me, but really this is something I'm doing for myself and my family.

Stay tuned for way more frequent updates about my progress earning my patch, and I'd love to hear from you and your progress if you decided to try it!

Hello??  Does anyone still read my sad, neglected blog?