The Saturday Six

 

One.

I think it's safe to say most of us struggle with anxiety about one thing or another right now. Even those who may not have historically wrestled it find it creeping up now. And if you're one who doesn't struggle, my guess is that someone close to you does. I think this post has some great insight, so I'm sharing it with you! 

Two.

Have any of you ever cooked all the way through a cookbook before? I haven't, but I ran across this post with a challenge to do just that. I am not hopping on the challenge just now, but the thought really does intrigue me. If you've ever tried it, what book did you use? Do any of you even like owning cookbooks or do you prefer online recipes? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!!!!

Three.

Here's a fun fact about me: I HATE shopping for winter coats. In fact, the main coat I own right now has been mine for over a decade. I am so over wearing it, but it's too big, which makes it perfect for bulky winter wear underneath, so I keep it. A couple of years ago, I got a much cuter and much more tailored coat that I wear when warmth is not the driving factor. But I hate spending money on coats. I'd rather buy a scrapbook. ;) Having said that, I think all three of the coats featured in this blogger's post are as cute as a little button. I'll take one of each, please. (Just kidding. I'll stick with my paid-for, outdated, big coat and cute little not-so-warm one.)

Four.

I considered taking up crocheting as a new hobby this year. For real, I did. But then I remembered a couple of key things - like no spare time and trying to save money. Suddenly trying to learn a new skill and spend money on the supplies for it seemed like a poor idea. But when and if I ever DO pick up a new skill, I think this one will be a top contender. And because I do like to still peruse what you can make when you have skills, I have to say I'm kind of in love with this headband/ear warmer. Hats and ear warmers are important to me now that I walk more places. This is adorable. Any of out out there like to crochet? What do you think? Could I learn it someday?

Five.

I think this can be attributed to reassembling our house this week after Christmas, but I'm sort of stuck on "less is more." I weeded out a few more things as I made that transition, and I'm so freshly aware of how delightful it is to let go of things. So when I happened upon this amazingly darling small farmhouse kitchen on a blog, I thought it was just about the cutest thing ever. I may also be in love with her retro appliances. CUTE!!!!!!

Six.

For the last couple of weeks, I've been giving you some ideas of things to do each day in January to be purposeful and maybe even try new things! My list last week took you through tomorrow, so I'll start this week's list with the 11th of January:

January 11 - Write a note to someone who may not know they blessed you. You know what it's like to get a pick-me-up out of the blue. What if you were the instigator this time? Think of someone who has really encouraged you and thank them for it with a phone call, letter, or text. A thousand bonus points if they had no idea they even did anything meaningful!

January 12 - Play a card or board game (nothing electronic). Ryan and I have been having a lot of fun playing a word game app on his phone lately. But today's challenge calls for putting away the phone - and all devices. Dutch Blitz. Monopoly. Uno. Skip Bo. Anything you like! Play a game! (We find game playing to give us the mental break we need - even if we only play for ten minutes!)

January 13 - Learn a new way to tie a scarf. I know about two ways to tie one, but Pinterest is an unending source of ideas. Look up "how to tie a scarf" and try a new skill today!

January 14 - Organize something in your home today. For most of us the issue won't be finding something to organize as much as it will be figuring out which of the million things before us to choose! Paperwork? A closet? Kitchen cabinet? What will it be?

January 15 - Clean out your closet or dresser and get rid of what you don't wear. Ryan and I do this fairly regularly, and our recent acquisitions between the Goodwill and Christmas call for us to do it again. We try not to accumulate so much that our closet is packed tight, so it's time to make sure we're not approaching that! 

January 16 - Go on a winter adventure of your choice. It will all depend on the weather where you are, but maybe this is a good day to go sledding...or skiing...or hiking...or anything else that welcomes winter in a good way!

January 17 - Participate in a prayer challenge for family or friends. You can do this any way you like, but it's a great way to spend your spare time. Maybe you want to pray during your commute or your workout. Maybe you want to pray for a specific group of people (like anyone related to you with "in-law" in the title or all the friends you made in the last year). Maybe you want to pray about a specific thing (like illness) and name each person in your life struggling with that. The details are up to you, but do a little extra praying today!