What a wreck

Last night I had a conversation with my husband about keeping it all together...or not. I was lamenting to him about my inability to do it all...some area of life always seems to be lacking.

If I have a 'super mom day' when Maren and I do 3 inspiring crafts, bake cookies, read 37 books, take a walk to the park and have a heart-to-heart conversation about Jesus, we leave behind a wake of dirty dishes, unfolded laundry, and we inadvertently eat grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner...and Brett's the one making the grilled cheese.

If, at the end of the day, the house is tidy, laundry is folded, floors are mopped, and we eat a tasty meal, I feel as though I often look back only to realize that Maren spent much of the day roaming the house alone, and we made nary a notable memory for the day.

Some days I find myself brimming with creative inspiration...leading to a sizable portion of time wiled away in the craft room. These days often lead to an increase in Etsy sales or a boost in blog readership. Thankfully, Maren loves to spend time with me in the craft room, and she's even got her own little table in the corner. Again, though, with the grilled cheese dinners and piles of laundry. {Have I mentioned that Maren's into changing her clothes about 7 times a day? This doesn't help my pervasive laundry issue!}

For now, regardless of what we do {or don't do}, Truett just happily goes with the flow, for which I am grateful. I know the days of him rolling around on the floor {instead of pulling every pan out of the lower cupboards or unrolling the ribbon and yarn mistakenly left at his level} are numbered. And, I'm actually thankful for that, too. I do look forward to the busy, more mobile days to come.

...that was a tangent...

My point is...I cannot do it all. I have finally decided, at the age of 31, to release any preconceived notion I ever had of being perfect. Once again this morning, I was reminded to invest my time in things that matter.

The kids and I were on our way home from gymnastics. {Maren's hobby...certainly not mine!} We were minding our own business, sitting at a stop light, when a little red car slammed into us from behind. I am so thankful for our recent minivan purchase. Our little accident was fairly mild, and I'm sure that's do, in part, to the fact that we were in the larger vehicle of the two. Both kids instantly screamed, I'm sure out of shock more than pain. After insuring their well-being, I shakily collected all necessary information from the other driver, and we were on our way again. {I do have doctor's appointments scheduled tomorrow for both kids, just to be sure everything is alright!}

I spent the remainder of the day praising God for protecting us, and thinking of what might have been...much in the same way I did this summer when we were facing Truett's heart surgery. The thing is...only the Lord knows how our days here on earth will pan out. The choice given to me is how I will approach each new day I am given. Will I choose to fill up my days with meaningless tasks in an effort to 'keep up appearances'? Or, will I thoughtfully and intentionally spend my days seeking to bring honor and glory to my God?

I have chosen {or, God has chosen to have me meditate upon} Philippians 1:9-11 during the upcoming year. It says...

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God.

I actually do believe that keeping an orderly home is honoring to the Lord. What isn't honoring to Him is turning my home's appearance into an idol. The same can be said for how I approach each aspect of life.

So, I find myself frequently asking the question...

Am I doing this in order to make myself feel good or look good, or am I acting in order to show love and give honor to my God?

I pray that as the days and weeks unfold, I will learn to...

...have love abounding...
...discern what is best...
...remain pure and blameless...
...be filled with the fruit of righteousness...
...and bring glory and praise to God.

In the meantime, I hope to embrace the little 'wrecks' I find around my house...



...and to be thankful for this moment, so graciously given to me by a loving, merciful God.

12 by '12

I recently came across a blog that's quickly become a favorite in my reader. Danni at Hello, Friend has some fabulously inspiring and creative posts. If you haven't stumbled upon her blog yet, you really should pay her a little visit. You won't be disappointed! Danni recently posted a list of 12 things to complete before 2012. I am a list-maker, so this little challenge was right up my alley.

I did put a fair amount of thought into my 12 things...I wanted to challenge myself but I also want to remain sane during the upcoming holiday season.

Without further ado...I introduce you to my 12 by '12 list...

1. Revise budget for 2012

2. Finish handmade Christmas gifts

3. Write up a calendar of posts for my blog {through mid-January}

4. Set up a 'money system' for Maren

5. Plan and carry-out Christmalooza...{Watch for more on this! We're totally going to steal the idea from my amazing cousin...and it's a good one!} *Hi Jodi!

6. Plan and host a tacky-sweater party

7. Create a list of people to invite over for dinner in the coming months

8. Create or purchase a piece of art with my 2012 verse on it

9. Plan advent festivities to do as a family

10. Have family pictures taken

11. Re-organize the pantry

12. Take Maren on a special mommy-daughter date {we haven't done anything alone since Truett was born!}

I'll be sure to keep you updated on my progress with the list. And, there will be some fun posts to accompany some of these things...I'm sure you can hardly wait to see what happens with the great pantry re-organization. You'll just have to be patient for that one, friends. *wink*

A little fun and a lotta sad

My mom left this morning, and my eyes are all tired now from crying. I dislike 'good-byes' very much. Before all the craziness with Truett's heart surgery, we had planned a nice long vacation to the family cottage in Michigan. We were supposed to leave today. So, I'm double-sad...sad that my mom isn't enjoying an afternoon cup of coffee with me, and sad that an entire summer is passing without a glimpse of my favorite summer destination.

I spent a few minutes perusing bhg.com this afternoon and came across this fun little organizing quiz.
I am a 'Schoolteacher'...orderly but not rigid. After you find out your organizing personality you have the option to read up on some organizational ideas for your type. It's a fun little way to spend a few minutes between loads of laundry. *wink*

Happy weekend!

A Substitute

On Sunday I told you about a little spring cleaning challenge going on over at Simple Mom. Wouldn't you know this week's project happens to be one area of my house that I have actually tackled lately! I cleaned out my closet just a couple weeks ago. A sizable load went to Goodwill and a few nicer things got passed along to a friend. I finally parted with several pairs of favorite shoes that haven't fit since before Maren was born. Ugh...my feet grew an entire size with my first pregnancy. I'm hoping that won't be the case with baby #2! Anyhow, I actually have room in my closet now for all my 'normal' clothes as well as my pregnancy wardrobe. One perk of being a SAHM is that my clothing is quite simple. I have a few special things for wearing 'out' and a few things appropriate for church. The rest of the time I live in jeans. I'm also learning that it takes much less time to maintain my wardrobe if I keep things simple, as is the case with most areas of life!

SO, I decided to share another little area of my home that got a recent face-lift.

This picture is so embarrassing! I have another desk in my craft room that I use for sewing, and everything else happens right here. The space gets cluttered and messy very quickly depending on what sorts of projects I've been working on.


A couple of weeks ago I picked up this tiered garden stand at Pottery Barn. I normally wouldn't have spent so much on something like this, but I had a gift card, and this was what I wanted to get! It was on sale, which was nice. The trays are quite spacious, and I knew it would work perfectly as a storage solution on my desk. I already had a lazy-Susan on hand so I just set the 3-tiered stand on top and it fit perfectly.


I was able to fit all my tools on the stand...yeah! The little tray in the middle of the desk holds a few in-process projects and things that need to be fixed. I even had an extra spot for something decorative. I just need to find a picture for the frame. Hmmm...I wonder what it would take for Brett to paint the table for me? I've been imagining a nice, fresh green color. What do you think?


See how nicely everything fits on the stand? I love having easy access to things I use often without the clutter all over my workspace.

Thanks for stopping by!

Project Simplify

As you may know by now, I'm just a few short months away from welcoming baby BOY into our family. My pregnancy nesting instincts combined with my usual spring cleaning urges are creating the perfect storm of clutter-busting around here these days. You can probably understand my excitement when I read about Simple Mom's Project Simplify.

If you haven't already done so, stop by Simple Mom for a little visit to see what the buzz is about. The first week of the project begins tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to finding out what this week's area will be.

On a different note, I've been doing a lot of sewing lately. I made Maren a darling little top, and on Friday I spent the day working on my first quilting project. I'm so excited to share both of those projects with you. I have found myself enjoying sewing projects recently. They seem to have a bit more longevity than some of my other crafty endeavors.

What's been your favorite creative outlet lately? Do you find yourself in 'seasons' of projects? Right now is definitely a sewing season for me!

Happy Sunday...I'll be back soon with pictures of Maren's new top!

Getting Organized: Take One

Have you read any of the great organizing posts floating around the blogging world recently? The Nester is doing a series right now on "31 Days to a Less Messy Nest". Can I just say how inspired I've been? A few days ago she wrote about organizing drawers with baskets. Actually, my drawers are typically in decent shape. BUT, I have this cupboard in my kitchen-desk-area that has become a catch-all for Maren's crafts, games, napkins, and who-knows-what-else. Every time this door opened I cringed. It was bad.

See what I mean...

SO, this afternoon during Maren's nap, I set to work. I only used things I had around the house, which was a challenge for me. I'm a bit of a sucker for storage bins and boxes, and I tend to be a bit obsessive about having things match and fit perfectly into a space. I decided to forgo my typical need for symmetry, and get this space cleaned up.

Doesn't it look so much better?

The basket on the bottom shelf holds Maren's art supplies. The box with the glue sticks and paint in it came from the dollar spot at Target a while back. The three jars in the front are from my stash of cleaned-out food jars. I've been keeping glass ones instead of tossing them into recycling, and I have found great uses for these jars! Plus, they're 'free' to me at this point. And, I actually do like the look of glass jars for storage, even if they're different shapes and sizes. I also stacked the Play-Doh alongside the basket...it was a perfect fit!

I love cute little jars filled with fun things! I'm so thankful for a little girl to craft with me, and for an excuse to buy fluffy colored balls!

The second shelf holds a collection of colored pencils, markers, and crayons in a clear shoe-box. I've had this stuff forever, and just recently pulled the box out for Maren. Under the box are Maren's coloring books and paper. To the right is our Table Topics game, which I like to keep close to the table for nights when company comes over.

The third shelf holds a neat little fabric box I made a while back. It's currently home to my knitting projects. I made the box using this tutorial from jcaroline creative. This was my first one, and I messed it up a bit, but you'd never know it. It's perfectly functional for storage here!
I also have 2 more glass jars with pipe cleaners and bubbles for Maren. The top shelf holds our current favorite games. We do have a game cupboard in another part of the house, but we like to keep our favorites close to the kitchen table.

I'm so pleased with my little 30 minute project! I've got about 10 more places in need of mini-organization makeovers. I am finding (particularly now that a 2-year-old lives in our home!) that I need to feel free to work on small spaces in my efforts to keep a well-maintained home. Thinking of cleaning out an entire kitchen's worth of cabinets is way too daunting right now, but tackling a small space in a day seems quite manageable!

I have yet to decide what will get my attention next, but I'll be sure to share with you.

Happy Wednesday!

Let's Meet on Monday: Favorite Cleaning Supplies

After an autumnal-weekend, today is looking like it's going to be another rainy, inside day. We're expecting company on Wednesday, so it's a great day to stay home and clean! With cleaning on the brain, I thought I'd ask about some of your favorite cleaning supplies. Are you a 'brand-loyal' type of person, or do you switch it up from month-to-month?

My all-time favorite cleaner is Shaklee's Scour Off Heavy Duty Paste. It's non-toxic, smells amazing, and works wonders on hard-to-clean surfaces. I especially love it for my kitchen sink and shower.

We recently became a relatively 'paper-free' home, mostly meaning we've switched to cloth instead of buying paper-towel and napkins. I found some great Martha Stewart brand cleaning cloths at TJ Maxx. They're made for glass, and I've been amazed with how great they work. I know there are other similar products out there. (Try these)
So, do you have any cleaning favorites? Spill it...I'm off to clean up!

Garage Sales 101: Part 2

Today is the day! My in-laws are partnering in our garage sale extravaganza, and they joined us for dinner and set-up last night. We made these for dinner...delicious...seriously...make them tonight. You can thank me later!

Today I will share all my knowledge pertaining to timing, pricing, and shopping garage sales. You should probably set aside at least 2 minutes in order to have time to soak this all in. :)

TIMING:
Find out if your neighborhood has a community sale scheduled. This will bring lots of traffic, and most neighborhoods will provide some advertising and signs. If your neighborhood doesn't schedule a sale, talk with some people on your street and plan a weekend for a multi-house sale. Many moms will seek out neighborhood sales...it's so much easier to park once and visit several sales without having to re-load kids in the car and drive around.

PRICING:
People shop at garage sales because they are thrifty! Most often, our stuff isn't worth as much as we imagine it to be. Think of what you would be willing to pay for an item now...not in it's original state in which you purchased it 9 years ago! If you have nicer clothing items or more expensive things, think about taking them to a consignment store. I shop at garage sales and consignment stores for my daughter's clothing. I expect to pay between $0.50 and $2 per item at a garage sale and closer to $5 or $10 per item (brand name) at consignment stores. If you really do have a bottom line for an item, start by pricing it a bit higher to make room for bartering. Also, if you're not willing to drop your price, be prepared to have it left in your garage after the sale! Try to think of your sale as an opportunity to clear your house of clutter, and as an added bonus you might make $50 or $100. Don't expect to become rich off of your sale!

SHOPPING:
I mentioned earlier that I love neighborhood sales. I have found the older, more established neighborhoods to have the best sales. Most sales are held on a Friday and Saturday. Kids' items tend to go fast! For the best selection in kid's clothing and toys, shop early on Friday mornings. If you feel that an item is priced high, feel free to offer a lower price. If you purchase several items from one place, often the sellers will give you a deal. Another approach to garage sale-ing is to go towards the end of sales, when people are clearing out, and sometimes even giving items away. If you do this, the best things will be gone, but you might find a gem or get an extreme bargain. Just last week I went to a sale where the owners were moving, and were giving things away for free. I paid $5 for a wonderful antique tool box, and got 2 big bottles of Mod Podge, some cute plastic cutlery (not pictured), 3 packages of birthday candles, a book for Maren (not pictured), a spool of ribbon, several packages of envelopes and a Pottery Barn trivet FREE!



I hope you find some great treasures if you're out garage sale-ing today and tomorrow! And, I hope I have a good report from our sale this weekend to share with you on Monday!

Garage Sales 101: Part 1

I maybe should call this little series Garage Sales: Elementary Edition, since I'm a relative beginner in the world of garage sale-ing. Garage Sales 101 seems to implicate more of a collegiate-level offering of information. Ah, well...either way it is garage sale season, and I wanted to walk you through how we're doing it here and now.

This is Maren and her $20 Fisher Price Little People collection we found on our first day out this season. The guy wanted to sell the lot together, and for $20 I couldn't refuse! I originally planned on re-selling the garage, but it's turned out to be Maren's favorite thing!
This will be my first year hosting a sale in our very own garage. For the past couple of years I have joined forces with a few friends, and we've had successful sales. Until now, I've been too chicken to branch out on my own. If you've never held a garage sale before, joining with a few others is a great way to start. It takes some of the pressure off of having a yard-full of stuff to sell, and it really is just plain old fun. (So long as you partner with people you'd actually like to spend a couple of mornings alongside!)

Maybe someday I will share a post on the best approach to group-garage-sales. I have definitely learned a few things!

Today I want to focus on STEP I: gathering items. In my opinion, one of the most overwhelming parts of garage sale preparation is the process of accumulating items to sell. Here are tips I have found helpful in this regard:

• Start early! Don't wait for the weeks before the garage sale to clean out closets. I try to have all of my items set aside no later than 3 weeks before the sale. Those long winter days are great for sorting and cleaning! This will allow plenty of time for pricing and setting-up.
• Keep it clean. All of my items go into the pile in 'ready-to-sell' fashion. Clothes are clean, dust is wiped off, small repairs are made as necessary. The nicer your items look, the more money they will bring in!
  
• Have a place (or 2!) to put items aside for the sale. We have a two-story house, so I keep a box in a closet upstairs. I have found it to be far easier to toss an item in the box rather than carry it all the way to the basement. When the box fills up, I take a trip downstairs, where we keep the 'big pile'.
• Throw as you go. You don't have to preform a major clean-sweep of your house all in one day. I toss things in the sale box as I find them. From time to time, I will go through a box in my craft room, or see something on a shelf that rarely gets used. It's amazing how much has accumulated in the garage sale pile without ever having a major go-though-closets-day.

This is my current closet pile. It's overflowing a bit now, but next week it all comes out for pricing!

Next week we'll talk about timing, pricing and shopping! Have you had a garage sale before? Do you spread out the preparation, or do it all in the week or two leading up to the sale?

And, just to leave you with a smile, here's Maren in her personally-selected outfit of the day. It's in the upper-80's here, but she insisted on wearing the boots. Oh, the lengths to which we go for beauty!