The Crazy Train

The doctor stood at the podium as she shared about one evening standing at her kitchen sink looking out her window.  Her daughter sat at the table coloring as she looked out the window.  The neighbors were whizzing by on their way to this and that.  As she watched them going here and there, she wandered if they had made the right decision to scale back in an effort to be home more.

She called it getting off the crazy train.

"That is how everyone I know is living-in utter, busy chaos!"

excerpt from Own Your Life, Sally Clarkson

 

Several years ago, Shane and I got away to Amelia Island.  Looking at the pictures from the outside, it looks like the most dreamy scenario you could imagine.  Thick cut bacon, French toast, Eggs Benedict, coffee, and juice, all enjoyed while sitting in rocking chairs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

It was a restful, beautiful time away.  Everything about the Island brings us joy.  It is quiet and when we are there we sleep, read, walk around the charming downtown area, and eat the best foods this world has to offer.  We watch the sun rise and the sun set on water.

But there is something that you can't see from these pictures.  You can't see the turmoil that was going on inside of me during this trip.  It was probably the hardest time I've ever walked through.  It was a dark time.  It was the first time I understood what it felt like to feel anxiety on the inside.

  

 

We had stretched ourselves too thin and it was all coming undone around the edges.  Life had come crashing down and we found ourselves trying to dig out from a heap of rubble.  Having a life that was at peace felt like a million impossible miles away.

 

One look at our calendars told the story.  Every space was claimed for something or someone.  We were tired and worn down.  He was busy working for a growing church.  I was running a growing business while trying to homeschool our children and run the house.  We had no margin in our lives and we were so tired.

Little did we know that God was at work.  As I stared at plates of the finest delicacies, I could not even eat.  Something had to give.  The idea of letting something go put fear inside of me.  You know what though?  He was whispering the new thoughts.  I just kept shrugging them off because the new meant change and my earthly eyes couldn't map out exactly where the road might end up.

We sat still, read our Bibles, prayed and prayed some more.  Seeing the new plan unfold took longer than we wanted.  A good two to three years of seeking, praying and waiting.  In the end, He called us to get off the crazy train of too much.  The crazy train of too busy.

 

His mercies are new every morning.  The sun goes down and the sun rises and He is always there on His throne.  He's got plans for you and me.  In the years since this trip, the landscape of our life has changed drastically.  We are at peace.  We were asked to give up some very, very difficult things.  It was hard.  It was unsure.  We were scared.  And just like always, He has been here on the other side of the threshold of obedience.  And just like always, His hand of blessing and provision has been abundant.

 

When we are in the center of all He has asked of us, to the outside world it may seem like a lot-people may wonder how you do it-but He gives the grace, strength and energy to accomplish the tasks He has asked of us.  If you are crumbling under the weight of life today, it might be time to ask if perhaps He has something different in mind for the hours of your days.

 

The 10 Minute Tidy

It is Sunday afternoon, and as I survey the damage of a weekend lived full, my eyes see pockets of clutter here there and everywhere.  Every single room has been touched.

Stacks of opened mail, dirty clothes, dishes, cluttered bathroom counter tops, toys, cups times a million, and it can be overwhelming to know where to begin.

Try the 10 Minute Tidy

You will be amazed at what you can whip into shape in only 10 minutes.

Here's how it works.

-Set the timer for 10.  (I use the microwave timer)

-Work from left to right.  Picture breezing through your house in a circle.  I like starting in the Master Bathroom and working room to room from there. 

-Go fast.

-The ONLY thing you are doing is tidying every room, so you can't let yourself get sidetracked.  You are only putting things away as fast as you possibly can.  It can be helpful to grab an empty laundry basket. Toss the things that need to be put away in other rooms inside of it so that you can move quicker.

Stay focused and try to beat the clock.  You will be so proud to step back when the timer dings and see how far you got.

It is tempting to decide you want to rearrange your spice rack into alphabetical order but you have to stay strong my friend.

I can't tell you what a 10 minute tidy will do for the state of your home.  It took me 2 rounds tonight and I got this puppy whipped into shape.  There is still a layer of dust and crumbs everywhere, but the house is picked up and looks a million times better than it did. 

The 10 Minute Tidy will take you from sloppy and disordered to cozy and well-kept 10 minutes at a time!

In The Mood

Is it just me, or do these crisp, sunny, winter days put you in the mood to clean too?

There is just something about them that makes me want to raise my blinds and Windex the glass till it sparkles.

Once I was in the most beautiful home.  Not the fanciest I'd ever walked into, but definitely one of the most peaceful and beautiful.  There were no luxury bells and whistles about her home, but it was truly beautiful.

We spent a good amount of time in her kitchen, and I always remember how warm and welcoming her space was.  And I remember her windows.  The blinds were raised and the glass in her windows shined and glimmered.

She told me she used plain old Windex and paper towels to shine them up like that.

She gave me a tour of her home and I'll never forget her guest bedroom.  The walls were painted an aqua turquoise color.  Picture the blue waters of the Caribbean and that was the color on her walls.  The two windows in the simply decorated room were open and the sheer window panels were blowing in the gentle evening breeze.

It was so beautiful and relaxing.

I always think about her home when I raise my blinds and Windex my glass. 

It is such a simple and quick thing and yet it always makes the house feel so clean and pretty.

Stay Here

I've always got some new idea brewing in the ol' hopper.

Us dreamer/creator types are funny like that.

Just this morning I was daydreaming about my next venture I've been thinking on.  I was feeling like I was ready to pounce on it and move forward.  That is, until I opened my Bible to my reading today, and these words caught my eyes.

You did not lack anything, did you?

It is enough.

I hate to be the burster of bubbles, but sometimes God tells us to stay put.  That where we are right now is enough.  That right here, today, we are exactly in the circle of His Desires for us.

It can be so tempting to jump on the hamster wheel and start spinning our wheels endlessly.  The promise of more this or more that can lure us in.

I only want to take opportunities that are mine.  I want to faithfully stay when He asks me to stay and likewise, I want to faithfully say yes when He says to move into the new.

This year He has called me to stay put.  Until March, I believe He has asked me to refrain from any type of commitments.  It has been hard a couple of times, especially when I get excited about some new opportunity, and yet in His Faithfulness He reminds me that being right where He has placed me is enough.

Tough Pill To Swallow

Saturday I donned my best daytime casual outfit.

Sam's Club jeggings and my plaid shirt from Targe'.

My mission was to go into the high end teeny bopper jeans store and try on everything under the sun.

After getting stuck in most of it, I left empty handed.

Walking to my mini-van, the one with the finger smudged tiny handprints on the windows, I realized something.

You'd think I'd have known it by now, what with all the kids running around and all, but catching my reflection in the hand printed glass, I realized it loud and clear.

I am a mother.

The kind who wants mom jeans that don't look like mom jeans and I want comfortable things that don't evoke images of streusel topped blueberry muffins.  Is it too much to ask to give me a pair of jeans that come up to my rib cage?  And I'm in no mood to fool with Spanx. 

About the mom thing.  I was starting to have my suspicions.  Earlier this year I was meeting a friend at the coffee shop.  When I arrived, I found an open set of chairs, claimed our spots and settled in for a little light reading before my friend showed up.

I whipped out my Christian Homemaker's Handbook and set to reading about smart routines for cleaning a home.  I barely made it through the first paragraph before I began feeling incredibly uncool and uncomfortable with my reading choice.  It's just that all the young college kids were there and I still think I'm 23 but my Homemaker Handbook was giving me away.  I discretely tucked it back into my bag and started scrolling Facebook on my phone.  A much hipper, trendier way to spend my time at the coffee shop.  I think it helped distract from my velour.

I am sorry to say that two times I have tried to bust out a homemaking book at the coffee shop.  Why does all this nonsense go back to my jeans?  Because there is no getting around it.  I'm getting older.  You already know my increasing propensity to choose pie for dessert every single time.  I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoy using a pencil these days.  And now the jeans business.  It's all just kind of hard to take in.

You do have my solemn promise that though I may eye the elastic waisted Kim Rogers pant every cotton picking time, they are only eye candy.

What Did I Keep?

My first Stitch Fix arrived this week and oh what a fun experience it was!

It definitely accomplished my biggest goal.  It got me to try on pieces I never would have chosen at the store.

Choosing what to keep was hard for me.  I adored the pair of trouser jeans they sent me.  The problem was, they were a little too big.  I loved them so much and wore them around the house for over an hour, but in the end, I kept having to pull them up and they were just a little saggy looking. 

The jeans did confirm something for me though.  They were a nice pair of jeans and they felt AMAZING.  Oh my stars, they were so comfortable.  They also showed me that trouser jeans are a missing link in my 40 hanger closet.  It was eye opening to see how many outfits I could create from that one pair of dressier jeans.  They were a lightweight denim suitable for year round wear.  They looked cute with sandals, heels and flats.

Then there was the blue shirt.  Oh how I loved the blue shirt.  It was pretty and comfortable, BUT.  It made me feel like a Southern Baptist version of Madonna and in the end I just didn't feel like I could pull it off.

Why oh why must I be cursed with such conservative pearl prone tendencies?

It was super cute but I just could not bring myself to do the buttons, and for the bigger price tag, it needed to be a perfect fit for me.  It was $68 and that is why I just couldn't keep it.  Sadness :(.  Isn't it the cutest though?  If it would have been more affordable, I TOTALLY would have kept it.  The cut/style/color were good, so I will keep an eye out for things along these lines.  Please tell me there are other pretty shirts in the sea.

This is the piece I ended up keeping.  The Laila Jayde Dolman (mine is a charcoal grey color).  This is exactly the type of thing I was looking for.  It is perfect because the fabric felt so good.  It is a simple and versatile piece that is not going to go out of style next year.  It looked good with black pants, jeans and my white linen pants.  Scarves and jewelry will transform the look of this shirt. That is what I call a perfect addition to the closet.  Win Win Win.

It was helpful to be able to try on in my own home.  Don't you just hate it when you try on clothes in the store, get home, take a look in the mirror, and realize it looks all wrong in real life?  Being able to try on at home allowed me to sit on my couch wearing the clothes.  It allowed me to pair my shirts and shoes with the items to see how they fit into my current wardrobe.

Three of the five pieces they sent, I loved.  Only one was a perfect fit, so that is what I went with.  In my notes to my stylist, I asked them to please send another shirt and pair of jeans like the ones I sent back.  My next fix will come in a month because I asked for another pair of jeans to try.  I'll keep you posted.

Here is a link to my referral if you are interested in trying a Fix for yourself.

And I want to give a shout out to all my fun Facebook friends.  Man, y'all are so much fun!  Now, let's get back to talking about food, shall we?

Our Delicious Luncheon

Today we had a Heidi inspired lunch together.  Toasted cheese and milk.

We buttered thick slices of freshly cut French bread, topped each piece with mounds of sharp cheddar, and toasted it until the cheese was all golden brown.

We served it up with milk just like they did in the book.

You wanna talk about a little slice of heaven.  There was barely any talking around the table as we enjoyed the heck out of our delicious little luncheon.

I'm working on a little something.  This morning as I was working on our menu for the week I got to thinking...every week I reinvent the wheel.  I basically cook the same things over and over and yet every week I stare at my blank shopping list having to wrack my brain to decide what should be placed on the menu for the week.

Still not sure what I'm going to do about this, but I am starting with a plain list of our favorite dishes.  It makes all the sense in the world that I'd put together some master lists so that planning doesn't take me so long.

I know.  Sometimes I'm even blown away at the sheer genius.