my word for 2013....

I don't often jump on the bandwagon of New Year's resolutions.....

it's just too easy to set unrealistic goals and expectations and 

never meet them.

How many people make New Year's resolutions only to forget where they put the list the following week?  Guilty!  I know that I have done it!

We commit to exercising regularly....dieting....getting out of debt....quitting 
smoking....organizing our house!

There's a reason plastic containers and exercise equipment go on sale the first week of January!  Somehow, in the date...January 1, 2013, we see new beginnings....hope....a fresh start.

But, how often, come March, the exercise equipment is collecting dust in a 
corner....the plastic bins are empty and missing lids and our credit card 
statement sits unopened on the desk for fear of seeing the actual bill.

Last year, I watched a lot of bloggers choose a "word of the year". 

I didn't pick one because I just couldn't think of a word that I could fulfill.

I didn't want to look back in a year and think.....oh yeah, that's right, I picked 
a word of the year...oops, forgot about that!

Recently, I've been reading the book Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst and it 
has really been challenging me....in a good way.

As I have been reading, I think that I found my word for 2013......

Too many times we expect that by giving our unmet expectations and goals a new name.....resolutions......we somehow think that they'll miraculously be accomplished.

Instead, this year, I just want to see progress.....a slower measure of movement forward.

I may not organize my entire house....that overwhelms me to a point where I just don't know where to begin.  Instead, I can organize my pantry....progress.

I may still lose my temper, get annoyed, and yell at my kids, but I am going to do it less......and those 

times when I make the right choice, I am going to mark that as....progress.

I have the tendency to over-commit and then find myself overwhelmed....I'm 

going to start with one thing to drop from my busy schedule....progress.

Do you want to join me this year.....a new year that will be marked with progress.

Read more ...

Slowing Down....

I've been feeling the need recently to just S-L-O-W down...

It seems that each week my kids grow another inch....tackle a new task

and edge just a little bit older....

In the midst of all this, I am realizing even more that these moments are 

precious and few and will be gone in the blink of an eye...

It seems that only yesterday, I was measuring my son's life here under our

roof as "halfway" to eighteen....have almost 4 years slipped away since then?

This summer, I want to enjoy each and every moment with them....

I desire to have "free time".......

So what that means is that I'll be stepping away from frequent and regular posts here.

At this point, I still plan to host my weekly party....it's a chance to spotlight projects 

that may not get the exposure elsewhere....but, I am not tied to it.

As I continue to do projects here at home, I will share them with you....and

I will continue to do projects....that's just who I am!

But, instead of doing projects for you....I'll be doing projects for me...

Instead of worrying about taking perfectly staged pictures and rushing

to make sure there's a project (or two) to post a week, I'm going to live

life first and share projects...second.

I'll miss seeing you all on a "regular" basis, but I'd regret even more, my 

kiddo's seeing their mama on a regular basis...

So I'll be back occasionally....maybe even in a week or so because I've been 

inspired to FINISH MY DINING ROOM!!!

Yes...it's really happening and you've all patiently watched me paint....repaint...repaint...whine and complain...and paint!

I also have a few giveaways that I have sitting in my queue that I

still want to share with you!

But, if you see long breaks between posts, just know it's because.... 

I snuggled on the couch watching National Treasure instead of editing photos....

I was picking strawberries and planting beans with my daughter instead of editing posts....

I am sitting by the pool watching my boys perfect their dives instead of

trolling Pinterest for my next project idea....

....and you know what....it feels GREAT!

Read more ...

Connecting with your daughter's heart....

My close friend, Kristi, writes the blog, Homeschooling and other adventures.....

This week Kristi wrote about how she stays connected with her daughter, even through the busy seasons of life. I asked if she would allow me to share her thoughts with you and she graciously obliged.

------------------------------------------------------

Quiet times are rare - precious and fleeting moments when you are able to see God's handiwork in your children...times when you are able to see into their little hearts and minds and understand who they are.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of everyday busyness, they are easy to miss.

It may be as subtle as recognizing an unformed question, and helping the child to figure out what is bothering them.

It may be listening as they sort through a problem with a friend, asking questions that help them to figure out for themselves the right course of action.

It may be putting down what you are doing and really listening.

It may just require a hug and a kiss or a well-timed "I love you."

But as your child grows, they may be less likely to share everything as they did when they were little. For that reason, it is vitally important to establish communication with your children when they are small, when it is easier.

image courtesy of nuttakit freedigitalphotos.net

When Precious Girl was in first grade, I gave her a handmade book filled with blank notebook pages to write on. On the cover, I wrote "Just Between You and Me." I explained that if she ever wanted to tell me something, or ask me a question, all she had to do was write it in the book and leave it on my bed. Then, I would write something back to her.

Many times, when I've sensed that something's bothering Precious Girl, I've found the book on my bed. Sometimes the issues are big, sometimes small, but every time I've thanked God that I have an opportunity to know what is on my little girl's heart and mind.

This book is a treasure trove of conversations between mother and daughter. Sometimes, I look back over the pages and remember...Someday, its pages will be filled, or maybe even unnecessary...So each time I have the privilege of writing to my daughter's heart, I am thankful for that chance to speak into her life.

----------------------------------------------

If you would like to follow more of Kristi's thoughtful writing, head over 

and say "hi" at Homeschooling and other adventures....

Read more ...

Catching up....

The temperatures got warm here again, so I have been busy outside....I

feel like it keeps alternating between winter and summer.  One

day I am wearing a turtleneck & sweater and the next....shorts!

My flower beds get weeded....it turns cold....I get chased inside for a few 

days and come back outside again to....more WEEDS??  How does that happen??

I've also started a new project....here's a peek!

I'm not quite sure yet how I feel about it...this is just a test section.

Can you tell what it is?

So, I need to get caught up!

Here is the winner of the spring vinyl giveaway that was supposed to be announced Friday:

Carol @arewethereyet said...

Thanks for the chance to win - there are so many things that I would love to create. (But I never win anything - but it's fun trying!)

Yeah, Carol!  This time you won!!

I also wanted to catch you up on the fact that, yes...you may see a few

sponsored posts on my blog now.

I've caved....so to speak...to the fact that there have been some

opportunities to earn some money.  I feel that I need to take advantage of 

these opportunities.  I never expect, anticipate, or even desire for this 

to become a steady source of income, but it is fun "spending" money.

So, I will try and keep a balance and thanks for understanding!

I do try and keep my giveaways just for you....I don't get compensated for them

and I am usually looking to promote a newer Etsy shop or blogger.

If you have a product that you'd like me to promote, I'd love to help you

by offering a giveaway.  Just contact me!

Read more ...

The Hunger Games.....my thoughts

So, I've yet to receive any mean emails, but I have a feeling that this post

might change all that....

I just finished The Hunger Games Trilogy...it took me about a week to read the 3 books.

I was compelled to read them because I wanted to form my own opinion about them.

It's the reason that I have read all the "pop" culture series....when the Christian

community was in outcry over the "Satanism" in the Harry Potter books,

I decided to read them myself, mainly because everyone that I spoke with who 
criticized them had never actually read them!

Frankly, I loved Harry Potter!  And as I pastor's wife in a smaller conservative Baptist

church, I had to get them on the black-market (from my MIL) and read

them with the book jackets off!

My husband and I would actually argue over who got to read the Harry Potter

books first....yes, this was back when you had to wait MONTHS between editions!

I also heard the criticism of The Twilight Series....vampires??  werewolves??

So, instead of listening to what others complained about, I read the books...and truly

I found them pretty harmless....tween romance at it's best and an entertaining read.

So let's talk Hunger Games.....quite frankly, I've not heard much, if any, criticism.

The first warning that I heard was from our children's librarian who raised her

eyebrows and said to me, "Do NOT let your 12 year old read this!"

Hmm...that sent off warning bells in my head.  She's not a particularly religious

person and I had all these Christian friends on FB raving about the series...

So I borrowed the books and began to read.......and I immediately found myself

skimming pages because the images were just too violent for me to want to 

imprint into my mind.

I kept reading because there was supposed to be a higher and greater analogy located

in the pages of violence, but as I read, I struggled to find it and justify the 

violence with the greater good of the analogy.

As I've reflected, I'm a little concerned.....why are there not more people speaking

out against the violence....the gruesome violence of these books?

Have we become a society so immune to violence that

the continuous murder of and by teens doesn't shake us to our core?

My hubby and I also went to see the movie.....he's a youth pastor and we felt

that this was a movie worth seeing since so many of his kids have seen it.

Wow....do you know how many times I had to avert my eyes because of the 
violent images?  The horrified gasps by adults in the audience over the horrible scenes of death?

 Truly....I still close my eyes and see the bloated

body of a child in the woods.....and as we walked out of the theater, there

were kids 10....11....12 years old walking out with us?

There is a fragile balance of too much too soon.....

Paul writes this in the book of Philippians....
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.


I don't think that God asks us to do these things to deny us a good read or movie.....instead, I think he asks us to focus on what's true and noble
to protect the fragile innocence of our mind.  

 I realize that you may have a vastly different opinion, but I just can't shake that this is a 

piece of literature that I wish I could now remove from my mind.

Read more ...

Raising a caterpillar

My one son has a huge soft spot for animals....of all types...including bugs!

I am the "squisher" and he is the "rescuer".....even of stink bugs and spiders...gross!

This winter he found a brown woolly caterpillar on the underside of our grill cover.  He worried about that little guy.  We had been having a relatively mild

winter, but a cold snap was coming.....so he twisted my arm and

convinced me to allow him to "save" it!

He emptied out his precious bin of air-soft pellets and made the caterpillar a

plush condo of dirt and grass.  The challenge was finding anything green to feed him in the middle of winter!

One night he came in excited.....it had made a cocoon.  I honestly thought that 

the thing was dead...traumatized by the environment change!

But a few weeks later.....we had a moth!

It took some convincing, but I finally persuaded my boy to release him.  

I do have to put my foot down about having a moth flying around as a pet!

Read more ...

Thrifty Thursday #52

Happy Birthday to  Thrifty Thursdays!  She turns ONE today!


It is very hard for me to believe that it has been one whole YEAR of meeting
all of you here on Thursdays!  I have enjoyed getting to know many of
you over the past year and to say THANK YOU for your continuous links, 


I have a little surprise for YOU.....

a $25 gift card to Target!!!

If you link up to the party, then you are entered to win!!  I'll announce
the winner on Sunday evening because I am headed to Washington, DC for
some momma/daughter time with my baby girl!


Now, here are this week's features.....


The Stories of A to Z and Little B upcycled these earrings with a little bit of spraypaint....how fun!

Eat Cake for Dinner made this Honey Sesame Chicken in a slow cooker!  

Semi Homemade Mom shared these amazing-looking Strawberry Cheese Danish...YUM!

Crafty Cousins shared these Dry Erase Quiet Boards which would

be a great idea to pin for summer travel!

Small Home Love designed this Sunburst Mirror using wooden skewers!  

As a child of the 70's I remember one of these in our living room!

4 the Love of Wood painted and distressed this dresser and added the image using sharpies!!

If you were featured this week, feel free to grab one of my buttons!

Here are some very simple suggestions for the party:

1. Please become a follower of Thrifty Decorating.

2. Be sure to link to your POST and not your blog.

3. Please copy and paste my link button somewhere in 

your post or blog so that others can link back.

You can also party with Johnnie 

at Saved by Love Creations!




Or Erika at Thrifty and Fabulous!

Read more ...

Spring?

Who would have every thought that we'd need this in early March.....a lawnmower??

We spent the weekend cleaning out the strawberry patch...

...and the garden....

cleaning up debris leftover from the flood...

and watching the baby horse take wobbly steps through the Amish field...

My daughter actually ran through the sprinkler with all the neighbor girls!

I just love spring...even though it's still winter!

 

Read more ...

My weekend at IKEA....

I posted on Saturday that we were taking a "family" trip to IKEA....

many of you responded back..."You're taking your family?!?"

In my mind, I had warm fuzzy thoughts of us harmoniously walking through IKEA...

randomly pointing out a cool and exciting idea...

Mom:  Son...what do you think about that for your room?

Son:  Mom!  I just LOVE it!  You're the best Mom in the whole world!

Husband:  Honey, thanks for all you do to make our home a welcome and

inviting place ALL while saving money...

(stage direction:  family hugs in the kitchenware section)

Okay....would you like the REAL dialog from Saturday???

Me:  Honey, I think that is our exit to get to IKEA.

Hubby:  No, I want to take the other exit for 476.

Me:  Can I see the turnpike toll ticket?  I don't think that there is another exit

for 476. (said as we are passing the exit!)

Hubby:  I want the "BlahBlahBlah" exit.

Me (slightly panicked):  That was the "BlahBlahBlah" exit.

Hubby:  No I want the exit that goes up and around not down and you come up.

Me:  HUH?!  (I am highly annoyed at this point as we are starting to see 

signs for New Jersey!!!)  What is the name of the exit that you are looking for

so that I can check on the ticket and see where we need to go!

Hubby:  Why are you yelling at me?  We needed the "BlahBlahBlah" exit.

Me  (yes, I was yelling at this point!):  WE JUST PASSED THE "BLAHBLAHBLAH" exit!!!

{In the end, we were both right, but it would be too exhausting to try and explain!}

25 extra miles and 3 exhausted and grouchy kids later....we arrived!!!

All I have to say is that it's a good thing that IKEA sells $.99 sodas with

free refills....that saved the afternoon!

I can't wait to show you the changes that I am making with my IKEA purchases!

 

Read more ...

Aloha....

Not sure if any of you remember my 40th birthday disaster....

Hurricane Lee dumped over 12 inches of rain on our town in less than a day...

It resulted in a very flooded town and it happened to be on my birthday.

So, I gladly spent it bailing water out of our friend's basement and

checking our backyard to see just how high the water had risen!

The hard part was when water started pouring into OUR basement that night!

Yeah....I had a little weepy pity party!

But, my "glass is half full" hubby knew that months later we would

be stepping on a plane and heading to a very warm place.....to celebrate both

of our 40th birthdays and 15 blissful years of marriage....and continued

to remind me of that weekly!

I can't believe that the day is HERE and as you read this, I will be sitting

on a flight with my Kindle loaded with tons of free books from Amazon (thanks

to The Frugal Girls giving me a heads-up) and thinking happy thoughts...

Actually....I'm a terrible fly-er so I am probably gripping the seat and burying

my face in my hubby's arm!

At some point, I'll have to share his travel secrets.....he regularly finds us deals

to cruise for $300 a person or fly for $100.....this trip

to Hawaii is costing us probably half of what you think it is!

So...hopefully Blogger will cooperate and automatically publish my scheduled posts,

but don't expect to hear back from me.....

I'm going to be visiting this....

and hiking by this...

and lying on this....

Aloha!

Read more ...

Finding the perfect tree. . .

In our family, Christmas is all about compromise.....and at the top of the compromise list is the tree...

My hubby grew up with fat, live, colored-lighted, tinsel-drowned trees....

I grew up with artificial (my mom masterfully invented a tree allergy in one of us??), white-lighted, slender, coordinated trees....

Until I met my husband, I didn't know that it was possible to anchor a tree into surrounding walls.....

My husband grew up with outdoor C9 lights adorning his house....in fact, his brother's recent FB post was 

that you could see Jim's house from space due to the abundance of C9 lights on it...

Me....I grew up with a few carefully-placed, white-lighted evergreen

wreaths with some greens artfully draped on our porch railing....

So how does one merge these two drastically different approaches to celebrating the holiday???

Well.....quite honestly....it hasn't been without a few tears!

Some of our knock-down, drag-out fights have been over the size and decoration of the Christmas Tree!!

My husband and I have developed a rather ingenious compromise about the lights....

if colored lights are hung outside, then white lights go on the tree...

So, I take a deep breath and enjoy the C9's that send the electric meter

to ecstatic spinning joy so that I can enjoy the white-lighted, color coordinated tree!

As for the size of the tree....why does it always look smaller out in the field 

when surrounded by other 9 foot evergreens??

I feel tricked every year as my 6'5" hubby reaches up and says....it's not that tall!  I'm also usually being

distracted by this pink puff of joy complaining about her frozen feet!

At the end of the day though....it's not about the size of the tree, the color of 

the lights.....or even the number of spiders that crawl out of the live tree...

It's about the tiny, warm hand that holds mine as we walk back to the car!

Read more ...