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Friday, March 25, 2016

Good Friday

Happy Good Friday! Don't know what Good Friday is? Check out this resource. It is not necessarily a good day in our house. I am home with a snotty baby. The poor little thing has a cold and it has lead to a rather tumultuous nap time. It must be so frustrating to be a baby and have a cold. To not be able to get comfortable but also not be able to express your discomfort or needs in any other way but crying. Hopefully, the diffuser will help clear out his little nasal passages and he can get some rest.
With Easter just around the corner, it is a good time to reflect. I have really enjoyed listening to this series. Dr. Sproul is an excellent communicator. He is very intellectual but he still makes the information accessible and understandable. It also reminds to get back into the Bible. Listening to others talk about the Bible is great, but reading it for yourself is even better. That is my desire, going forward, to be a more conscientious reader. Not out of guilt or because that is what I'm "supposed" to do, but for the enjoyment of it and desire to learn and understand God more. I hope that is encouraging to others out there. Dive on in!

Have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Friday, March 18, 2016

Retreat

Thank. Goodness. It's. Friday. This has been one full week. I know I talked a lot about work  last week but that just seems to be the trend in my life right now. Work and the weather. I snapped this photo in our backyard yesterday (edited with A Color Story, still singing it's praises!). The time change and the sunshine are much needed mood boosters. We are taking full advantage of the mild temperatures before the blazing heat of summer sets in.
Sometimes, the best thing I can when I get overly stressed is to just walk away. Obviously, this tactic doesn't work if you have a deadline bearing down on you (hello, college midterms. I'm looking at you!) but usually, in my life and job, I have enough wiggle room to take a small break. It has to be real break. Not a jump-on-Instagram break, but a true disconnect. Working out and being outside have provided me great opportunities for clear my head.
If I can't get away from the problem completely, then it is generally best just to move on to another task. Usually, I will pick something small that I know I can accomplish. That little win and feeling of success will usually motivate me to tackle the original problem again, this time with more confidence and a clearer head.
Sometimes, though, I am just stuck and no amount of mental trickery is going to help. Then it is time to call it day. Sleep on it, mull it over, and attack it first thing tomorrow. That was how I felt on Tuesday. I let myself get pushed into overwhelmed-land and the only thing left to do was retreat. Trying to stay focussed on the problem and fix it was only leading to more fear and emotion. Critical thinking had already left so it was time to pack it up and just retreat for awhile. The next day, was a million times better. The problem I had been wrestling with seemed so much more manageable after a little time apart. Hopefully next time I will do a better job of not letting myself get to that overwhelmed state.

Anyone else get these overwhelmed feelings? Like there is a hive of bees swarming in your head?

Friday, March 11, 2016

Work, Work, Work

This week has been C-R-A-Z-Y, work wise. Things are ramping up in a good way but it has led to a rather hectic schedule. I am happy to be busy doing things that matter and actually moving the needle at work. There is nothing more annoying (to me) than busy work. I like stuff that makes a difference on the bottom line. With all the extra time spent at work, I am a little behind here at home. The laundry machine is currently humming away, and the floor really needs a good scrubbing. One thing that I have learned about myself through this whole part time working/part time being home experiment is that I like I both enough to enjoy being busy. I really like staying home and doing homemaker type things. I really like working and doing stuff at the office. I love that right now I am able to do both but if at some point I have to quit work to stay home with kids, I am going to be ok with that. For the longest time, I dreaded the idea of being a stay-at home mom. I thought it would be incredibly lame and boring. I had a really narrow view of women who stayed at home and frankly, it wasn't the most biblical view. These past few months, I have really been trying recalibrate my thinking toward a more biblical based view of motherhood and remove the false ideas that were based on worldly presuppositions. I am definitely not done. I have a lot of thinking to do but I can already see progress. I am much more at peace and a lot more content, no matter what I am doing.

I guess I better get back to trying to have it all! (30 Rock/Liz Lemon/Tina Fey reference. CHECK IT OUT ON NETFLIX!)

Friday, March 4, 2016

Making A House A Home


(via Pinterest, Sherwin Williams paint colors)

If you're like me, you have the most wonderfully curated collection of Pinterest boards. You might even occasionally browse through said boards in order to reorganize them or discard pins that no longer match your style. It's a dream like place with amazing kitchens, beautiful outfits, delicious recipes and fitness inspiration. If I am honest, my Pinterest boards do not match my life. This is not a judgement against Pinterest. I love it for the inspiration and vast amounts of information that it brings. But if it is supposed to be for inspiration then something physical should eventually come out of it. I  have become dissatisfied with all the pretty stuff staying on Pinterest on not making its way into my "real" life. So, I have decided, this is year I actually getting some decorating done.
My first and foremost goal is to finish painting the hallway and guest bedroom. The hallway will be Revere Pewter to match our living room and dining room areas. It is a Benjamin Moore color that I matched with Sherwin Williams SuperPaint. I think I am going to try and use the leftover Sherwin Williams Anonymous paint in the guest room. This is same color I used in the baby room and I love how it turned out. I think it will be striking with white and cream bedding.
Even though I am set on getting stuff done, I am also very concerned with not spending a lot (or any) money. I used to use money as an excuse to not do stuff. I would put off doing anything because I felt like I needed this or that to really complete the project. When I couldn't buy that one thing that I thought I needed then I wouldn't do anything.  Since I have been in purge mode, I have realized that I have a ton of stuff that I can use. I have more than enough decor items to fill this entire house. It is just a matter of getting creative.
Lastly, I finally have come to terms with the fact that it is ok to settle into a place. It is a weird feeling for me. For longest time, I was concerned that if I decorated or made an effort to do stuff around the house and then we moved, it would be a big waste. I don't want to keep pushing off making our house a home just because we might move one day. I am tired of the balancing act of emotions. Always trying to not get too involved with where I am because I know it will be easier to say goodbye if I don't actually care. It is exhausting to live with the anticipation of upheaval. So I am going to love on this little house. Dress it up, make it pretty and create cozy, little corners. Maybe it will make a future move harder but I am ok with that. I will cross that bridge when I get there.