It's amazing to me how quickly time has gone by this season, and how unmotivated I am to do anything at all. I had a week of exams, practices, papers, baking... so now, all of a sudden, I don't want to do anything.

Around Christmas time I usually have people over. Last year was kind of the "off-year" with Christmas. We didn't have a party, I didn't make sugar cookies, we didn't go to Germany, etc. This year is feeling "off" as well. After all, we're going to Clark's family's home, my sugar cookies didn't turn out just right, my exams were all spread out instead of chunked together, and I wasn't planning on having a party.

Then Clark decided he wanted to have people over for his birthday. So, this Friday, we're having people over.

What does that mean?

It means that I have to prepare. I'm going to make an amazing double-layered chocolate cake with coconut frosting (recipe to come, of course), my Mom's amazing chili and cornbread, and then the people who are coming are supposed to bring some sort of sides: salad, drinks, etc. Those are just food preparations, though.

I'm realizing that my house needs a full-blown cleaning. I haven't done this in a long time because of school and such, and I'm dreading getting on my hands and knees and scrubbing our bathroom and kitchen floors, standing on tip-toe and dusting our fans, and all those other places that I let slide until the last minute. I know I've written a blog about cleaning before, but I couldn't help but turn this one partially into the exact same thing. Only, there is a twist!

My older sister Katie (who has an amazing blog that I follow. Check it out!)let me know about this website (that is a magazine) that has "to do lists," so to speak.

As we all know, lists are one of my love languages.

Real Simple: Quick Cleaning Solutions.
This link has lists of things to do in 15 to 30 minutes for each room, depending on how much time you have. I intend on giving a few rooms a try today to see how thorough this list actually is! Whenever I make cleaning lists I never seem to follow through with them. I mean, I can tell myself a million times that I need to dust the coffee table and vacuum the office, but it just doesn't happen. Maybe if I'm following someone else's list, it will go a bit smoother. I have days where I'm super motivated to clean and just do it, but lately I haven't had one of those days, and I desperately need one.

For other news, we are in the midst of serious weather. We're under a Winter Storm Warning, Wind Chill Advisory, and Winter Weather Advisory, all until tomorrow morning. This is the one, semi-good picture I got this morning.

This next one is an example of how much the wind and snow are blowing.


If you saw my pictures yesterday, that weather was incredibly mild compared to what hit us yesterday evening and hasn't stopped since.

Well, this blog has been all over the place and back again. Stay warm and safe!