Saturday Suggestions

Happy Saturday, my friends! Is it rainy - or maybe even snowy - where you are? If so, I hope you get to enjoy a safe and cozy day at home. And if you need some ideas to pass the time, I'm here to help! 

ONE. 

This has nothing to do with anything in the rest of the world, but it made me laugh so hard, because THIS is a picture of what it’s like to be in the car with Ryan and Bekah. Ryan? This one’s for you. (By the way, I accept this about myself, count it as a strength, and am unlikely to change.)

TWO. 

One of the pitfalls of working from home is the tendency to get quite lazy about appearance. It’s simultaneously a perk of the job, if the day doesn’t contain meetings, but it can be a pitfall. I’m working to learn a bit more about simple makeup techniques so I can look my best with minimal effort and supplies. Eyebrows are a whole topic, but I found this video a few days ago that I thought gave good advice without relying on laborious solutions. Maybe someday I’ll do an eyebrows post. I’m not an expert, but it could be fun to talk about. Meanwhile, learn from someone who knows; watch the video!

THREE. 

Yesterday I talked about shredding junk mail that had identifying information on it, which reminded me I should tell you about these nifty little things. My sister gifted us these when we lived in Kokomo, and they are still going strong, so they seem to have a great life! I think she’d seen them on TV, and when she gave them to us, we’d never heard of them. They’re little stamp rollers that you run over your address so you can toss envelopes. This is great if you don’t have a shredder or whatever you need to project won’t go through a shredder (like a bubble mailer or cardboard box.) We have used these ALL THE TIME since she gave them to us, and they’ve been a game changer. (For reference, we have two and they’re both still full of ink!)

FOUR. 

I also told you this week about the doggy diaper bag I made using a backpack I no longer needed for its original purpose. What we have works great, and we already owned it so that was a bonus. But if you have or are getting a dog and you don’t have a random bag ready to assume the purpose, here is an idea for an actual dog bag. It comes with some of the supplies for holding food/water/poop bags, and that is a bonus!

FIVE. 

When my sister was here earlier this week, she was excited to find I had our electric blanket out and ready for her. Nita gave me that blanket not long after Ryan and I were married – back when we lived in Marion and our house wasn’t the warmest in the world in the cold of winter. It was such a thoughtful and practical gift, and I loved it! I still use it, but all of our houses since have been much warmer, so I don’t get as cold as I used to! But I have learned that having an electric blanket in my throw blanket stash is one of the best hospitality moves ever. When we hosted small group every other week, I always had someone who was cold-blooded and wanted that blanket. When we worked at WillowBridge, one of our coworkers was always cold and when we had staff meetings in our apartment, she went straight for the blanket every time. When we have other guests over, I bring it out as an option if we’re going to watch a movie, and it almost always finds a friend. So even if you aren’t cold-blooded, this is a great way to show love to your freezing friends!

SIX.

I’ve already been trying to figure out my outdoor plant game for this house. We have the most adorable built-in planter box on the north side of the house, so I did some hunting for ideas of plants that would work well in that spot. I found this article and am so excited to see how it looks when it all fills out throughout the summer. I’m also trying to figure out where to put our other planters and what to put inside. The outside of the house is cute as it is, but it’s all very bare right now. I’m envisioning how it will come to life when our porch furniture is out and plants are blooming!

Celebrating a Lighter Load: The Pursuit of Decluttering

 

Back in January, I shared some decluttering ideas inspired by this list. Apparently, in the move of February, I failed to return to that list, but here we are in March, and I am desperate for spring to show up to STAY. If committing to spring cleaning will lure it here, I’ll commit!

            So as we head into a weekend, I thought I’d throw out some more decluttering ideas. If you  have some time, maybe you can make things a little less chaotic around your home or in your life.

1.   Cords/chargers that don’t work or you aren’t sure what they fit. Anyone else have a technology graveyard in their home? We actually eliminated this from our house a few years ago when I found a travel charger bag online and gave it to Ryan for some occasion. (Birthday? Christmas? Easter? I don’t remember.) It’s true that we really do have a bag for everything. This bag was a game-changer for us. I am pretty sure this is the link to the bag I purchased. If it wasn’t this one, it was very similar. There are compartments and holders inside, and you can organize all your device chargers and even add external portable chargers for when you aren’t near a plug. If you need something, you know just where to find it, and if you are getting ready to travel, you can throw this bag in your luggage and know you’ll have all the chargers you need while you’re on your trip! But even if you don’t make a bag for it, it’s always a good idea to throw out chargers and cords that don’t work or don’t fit!

2.   Supplies for hobbies you no longer do. Some of you who have read here for many years remember that shortly after college, I was a consultant for a rubber stamp company and had a huge collection of stamps. I used them in card making and scrapbooking. After my breakup in 2010, I didn’t have the stamina for hobbies. I barely had the stamina for life. And then I started commuting and working in radio, and free time in general was a thing of the past. Eventually, after Ryan and I got married, I determined this hobby was a has-been for me. It served me well for the years I did it, and I would not change a thing about it. But when I realized I wasn’t going back to it, I sold all my supplies to crafters who loved new-to-them treasures. If you have half-used hobby supplies, maybe spring is a good time to let them go to a new home!

3.   Manuals for items you no longer own. Ryan and I keep all our appliance (etc.) manuals in a tub, which I’m sure shocks you to your very core, and periodically we pilfer through to toss anything we don’t have anymore. If we sell something, we include the manual, but if something breaks or dies and we have to throw it away, we don’t usually think to purge the manual, too. It’s good to make sure everything you have matches everything you have!

4.   Mail purge! Junk mail, catalogs, coupons…they pile up. This is one area where we always resolve to do well and then usually fail. We have a mail basket, and we say we won’t put anything in it unless it matters, but the day always comes when we check the mail in a hurry and throw everything in the basket, and so the pile begins again. Go through and toss (being careful to shred anything with identifying information on it) anything that you don’t need or that is outdated. Maybe you’ll find a gift card or another fun treasure hiding in all the BLAH.

5.   Any winter wear you don’t wear. Bring spring!! If you have coats/hats/gloves/scarves/boots/winter clothing that didn’t get worn this past year – or that doesn’t fit anymore – now’s the time to let it go. It may be past the prime for this window, but it IS possible that if you have something you need to replace, like a winter coat, you might find something on a great clearance right now.

Happy spring cleaning!

Doggy Diaper Bag

 

A couple of years ago, I shared a post about our mobile medicine bag, and I heard from some of you that you really liked the idea and were going to make one of your own! We still use ours all the time, and it has been a wonderful way for us to corral our little stash over over-the-counter meds and have them ready to go on the road with us at a moment’s notice.

            Earlier this week, I rifled through our doggy diaper bag and that reminded me I haven’t told you about that idea!

            Back when I worked at WBCL, one of my coworkers told me she was selling a backpack she had used as a diaper bag for her little girl. The layout of the bag ended up not being exactly what she needed, but the bag was almost brand new, so she planned to sell it. She told me about it because the bag was designed to serve multiple purposes including hauling cameras. She knew I loved my cameras, so she thought it might be helpful for me.

            I purchased it from her and for several years, it served as my main camera bag. It held cameras, lenses, batteries, all of it. But after Nita died, I inherited her beautiful camera bag and didn’t need the backpack anymore. I was just about to put it in a garage sale when we brought Lexi home.

            That’s when I decided to turn it into a doggy diaper bag to hold all her earthly possessions.

            Lest you think I’m “that” dog mom, allow me to clarify the purpose of the bag. We do not carry this bag with us every time we leave the house for a walk. We have a tiny cross-body bag that holds poop bags, treats, and has some extra room for keys/phone/etc.

            But the doggy diaper bag has been a great way for us to keep anything that belongs to Lexi corralled in one spot. If we need something, we know exactly where to find it, and if we’re going somewhere for the day, that bag holds all we need. All we have to add is fresh food and treats!

Inside you’ll find:

·         Extra rolls of poop bags

·         All her bandanas

·         Medicine dropper

·         Extra collar

·         Extra leash

·         Her life jacket

·         Collapsible water bowl/food dish

·         Divided cup to hold water/food

·         Grooming supplies

The bag hangs in a closet, so we know exactly where to find it, and whenever we need something that belongs to her, we know it’s inside that bag. If we head out on a trip, it makes packing for her so much faster.

I’ve learned that having bags like this to contain a specific type of belongings really works well for ease of storage and packing. I will probably make a few more bags as I go along and find common items that fit neatly into such a bag. But if you have a dog, maybe this can help you keep track of all the supplies!

Celebrating Hospitality

 

Last weekend, we had the chance to welcome our first overnight guests here in the lake house. The day of their visit marked one month since our moving day, and we were so glad our weather this past Saturday was not the weather of our moving day. We woke up to snow! (That had not been in any forecast, so our part of the state was full of many surprised people!)

            Ryan and I had a goal of getting the house unpacked and assembled before entertaining our first guests, and for the most part, we did it. We have some random wall art that hasn’t found a permanent home yet, and we have much to sort through in the garage, but all the regular, everyday items have found a place to live, and the place feels like home.

            Our guests were my sister and brother-in-law. They did a quick trip to Indiana to see family and then hurried back home to their own responsibilities. We haven’t seen them since last August, so it was fun to get to see them in person!

            Lexi shared her room, which meant she had a slumber party in the living room while they were here. (If you’ve seen the Andy Griffith episode where Opie talks about getting to sleep on the ironing board between two chairs so a guest can have his bed, you’ll understand what we meant when we told Lexi she was going to have “Adventure sleeping.” And no, she did not sleep on an ironing board. I don’t even own an ironing board.)

            We loved welcoming Lori and Jeff into our home and showing them in person all the things they’ve seen in pictures and on Marco Polo for the last several months. It was fun to see them put the pieces together in their minds as they walked around and looked over the views.

            For dinner that night, Ryan grilled, and we sat around the table for what felt like hours, eating and telling all kinds of stories. Multiple times during that meal, my heart smiled with the joy of experiencing fellowship in our home. It’s never mattered which home we’ve lived in. Fellowship in the walls has always been a highlight. To experience it here for the first time was a blessing beyond words.

            After dinner, we moved to the living room. We turned up the fireplace, passed around the throw blankets, and settled in to talk some more and watch the end of a movie on TV.

            The next morning, we were able to take them to church with us and let them see where we worship. I loved it that they were able to hear our pastor preach and meet some of the friends who have become so dear to us in the last year.

            We came home and had chili together before they had to get on the road to travel back toward home. It was a quick visit, but it was a joy for us. This house is small and cozy – but it holds plenty of space for memory making! We are grateful for the chance to share it.

Hymns: Go Ask

 

            I love all the sermons our pastor preaches, but this past Sunday’s was just extra in all the best ways. He preached about the man who had been born blind, and after Jesus healed him, the teachers of the law wanted to know who had sinned that caused him to be blind in the first place. They kept peppering the poor guy with questions about his healing.

            How did it happen? How? How? HOW?

            The man got fed up with the questions and reminded them that he had already answered all their questions…why did they want him to go over it all again?

            I leaned over to Ryan in church and told him the Gaithers had a great song about this, and I couldn’t wait to play it for him.

            I listened to it so many times throughout the day yesterday and was so glad to be reminded of it on Sunday so I could fill my mind with its words of truth.

            You can listen to it here, but the song begins with these words: Don’t ask me to explain to you how one could start again, or hardened hearts could soften like a child. Don’t ask me how to reason out the mysteries of life or how to face its problems with a smile.”

A bit later, it says Go ask the one whose burned out mind has been restored – I think you’ll find your questions not important as before. Don’t ask me if He’s good or bad, I only know the guilt I had is gone, and I can’t tell you any more.

            The song ends with the part about the blind man: I don’t pretend to be so wise; I only know He touched my eyes and nothing else will ever be the same.

            Oh, how we love answers. Reasons. Explanations. But sometimes those things just don’t exist. And sometimes – especially when it comes to how God works in our lives – the reasons, explanations and answers don’t even matter. It doesn’t matter why or how. It only matters that He did.

            What do we even truly gain by knowing all the details? If you're blind and you can see again, does it matter how God did it? Does it matter why? Or does it simply matter that you can see? 

            Mystery isn’t all bad. What if we were content to just trust that the answers aren’t as important as before? What if we were content to simply know Who He is and what He’s done?

Bekah's Bookshelf: My 2023 Reads So Far

 

            I am excited to report that I have read something from a book every single day in 2023. Some days, I’ve had time to read multiple chapters (and once, even a full book!). Other days, I can only squeeze in a couple of pages, but I’ve still read something every day.

            Since I last shared my reading updates with you, I’ve completed two more books, and I wanted to tell you about them. The first was a pick from my 2023 reading challenge, and it fulfilled the category Famous Author You’ve Avoided. Typically I avoid for reasons significant to me, so this category was a (good) challenge. I remembered I had on my shelf a book one of my former coworkers gifted to me – and the book is by Stephen King.

            So why have I avoided Stephen King? Usually I don’t read secular authors, and I also heavily avoid anything scary – in books and movies – so he has not been at the top, or even bottom, of my list of authors to read. But back in 2005, one of my coworkers gifted me his little book called On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. She wrote inside the cover, “This is a book on writing. It is not supposed to be a scary book. If it is, give it back. Ha!”

            Why have I owned this book for almost twenty years without reading it? I have no idea. But fortunately for me, this decision allowed me to try out some Stephen King in a non-scary way.

            The book is small in size, so even though it’s almost 300 pages long, it’s not a laborious read. And though I’ve never read anything by Stephen King, I can appreciate that he has been successful in his craft, so it did pique my interest to learn more about his writing journey.

            The first portion of the book is just that – his memoir on becoming a writer. He tells how he learned to love writing as a child, the people who championed him, and how he became successful in the publishing industry. Then the book takes on almost a classroom feel as he shares some of the important techniques of writing. (that tiny section was my least favorite part.) The last portion is a mix of more personal stories and good writing advice from someone who is well-respected in the industry. It feels like eavesdropping on a Q&A on writing – and I enjoyed it.

            Since I’m not a fan of his work (or even familiar with most of his titles), this book didn’t hold fan significance for me. I enjoyed reading his journey as a writer. I always find it interesting to hear how people came into writing. And he did have some great advice that was good for me as a writer – in a continuing-education sort of way. If you’re a huge Stephen King fan, I think you would enjoy the book and getting to learn more of the story behind the writer you love. If you’re a writer, you’ll find good advice within the pages.

            I’m glad I read the book, even though I felt a bit disjointed in my lack of connection to him. He’s rougher than I am, and it shows in his writing, but his core advice is solid. And now I can say I’ve read Stephen King!

***

            The next book I can tell you about was not on my 2023 reading challenge list. It was a book I read for work, but it’s worth sharing about here, so I will. It’s called SmartBrevity, and it’s written by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz, who are the co-creators of Axios and Politico. (I had never heard of them or either of the sites they created.)

            I learned about the book in one of the grant proposal training classes I took earlier this year. I can’t remember if it was recommended by the facilitator or a fellow class member, but I made note of it and my boss had a copy sent my way.

            I read Smart Brevity in one day, because even though it’s about 220 pages long, the books are heavy with graphics, pictures, and wide margins, so it’s an enjoyable and easy read. It teaches readers to say more with less. It’s geared for anyone who writes anything at all – social media posts, emails, speeches, web content, books, grant proposals – ANYTHING.

            It contains fascinating statistics about how much people skim or skip on every platform in every single day. What you write doesn’t matter if people are going to skim right over it, so the book teaches you how to be effective in what you say so you hold the attention of your readers.

            I learned so much from this book. Brevity, as this post shows, is not always my gift, and I know this is an area where I have much growing to do. Most grant proposals are heavily limited on words, so I need to learn to be more powerful with fewer words.

            Ironically, the book contained a chunk of bad language. A book on brevity that contains unnecessary words? Ironic. But that aside, the lessons are worth the read. If I taught a writing class, I would put this on the required reading, because it addresses the world in which we live and the truth of our waning attention spans.

            Even if you don’t like reading, I think you can handle this book. It’s easy material to ingest and the message matters.

Sunday Sentiments: Old Friends

 

            This week, a friend of mine drove two hours to see me…for the first time in nineteen years.

            Do you know what an absolutely beautiful thing it is to pick right up with a friendship where you left off almost two decades before?

            Deanna and I became friends when we were student workers together in the Financial Aid Office, and we’ve stayed in touch all these years on social media. I sent her a message a few weeks ago to thank her for a post that had encouraged my heart, and she responded by saying it had been far too long since we’d seen each other. Could she come visit me?

            Of course!

            So she came and we ate turkey sliders and grapes and talked about life over the past nineteen years. She caught me up on her husband and four sons, and I caught her up on our whirlwind of a decade.

            We talked, we laughed, we reminisced, and our time together was over all too soon.

            Back in the Financial Aid days, Deanna was sweet, bubbly, and always focused on praising the Lord. Not one thing about her has changed. She prayed over me and the ministry Ryan and I do together. She encouraged my heart, and I hope I did the same for hers.

            What a blessing to have a friend who will pick right up where we left off so long ago. What a blessing to have a friend who doesn’t view that as an insult, but instead recognizes it as life just being life. What a blessing to have a friend who doesn’t skip a beat.

            May I be this kind of friend to those around me!

Saturday Suggestions

 

ONE. 

Last Sunday, I wrote about “listening in Midian.” I know that over the years, I’ve had people ask me what it means to listen to God. How do you HEAR God? I’ve shared with them a few ways that have been meaningful for me, but I don’t know that I’m an expert on teaching this to others. I looked around to see if I could find an article that described it well, without being a little on the strange side. This one fit the bill, so I’m sharing it with you today. If I had to pick one thing that I think cripples people in listening to God, it would be busyness. We don’t slow down and sit in the quiet very well, and I think that’s absolutely necessary for hearing God’s voice.

TWO. 

I’ve been using my daily planner (which is a prayer planner, too) for keeping track of prayer requests and praises, but a few years ago, Iwrote this post about making a prayer binder dedicated to journaling prayers, keeping track of requests and praises, and so much more. I still love this practice too, so I thought I’d reshare this post today. If you’re looking for a way to organize and focus on prayer, this is a fantastic way to do it!

THREE. 

If you’re wanting to grow in an area of life, and you want to keep yourself accountable for slow, steady progress, try a habit tracker! You can use them for just about anything, and there are so many versions out there. Here is a post with a few freebie ideas, but if you don’t like any of these, you could hunt around for something you like better. I’ve used a habit tracker this year to make sure I don’t miss a day of Bible study, and it has been a HUGE help. I don’t want a blank circle on my tracker, so that motivates me not to miss days. This post also includes some explanation of how to use them. Could be a great way to pursue steady change!

FOUR. 

I wrote earlier this week about making room on your shelves for new books, and I know from the comments that I’m not alone in feeling a little bad for getting rid of books. (For me, it’s the author in me. I don’t want people to toss my blood/sweat/tears book, so I don’t want to do that to someone else’s book either!) But I found this article this week, and it’s based on a quote from Anne Shirley, so you know it has to be good, right? The writer has some helpful insights on knowing what to keep and what to purge when it comes to home libraries – and book lovers!

FIVE. 

Thinking about pedicures this week made me think about years ago when I had a couple of friends who liked having at-home pedicure parties. Any excuse to get together for some fun was good for us, so we would plan an evening or a Saturday afternoon and hang out, eat fun food, do our own pedis, and talk. I found this post with some great menu ideas and just overall advice for a thrifty at-home spa day. With spring break coming up, this could be a fun activity for your kids and their friends – or you and YOUR friends. Or both!

SIX. 

And though this isn’t related to anything I wrote about this week, and even though I’m sure I’ve shared it in a previous year, I’m sharing it again. This is one of my favorite pieces of Lindsay Letters art. We bought it several years ago, and I love its message. I’m trying to be more purposeful about the Easter décor in our home – making sure it reflects our faith more than bunnies and chicks. This one is so meaningful. You still have time to get it before Easter! (It comes in canvases and art prints – and in different sizes.)

For a Purpose

 

            When I shared my desk tour with you a few days ago, I showed you this beautiful piece of wall art Lynnette gifted me several years ago. I love it and have always kept it close to my desk so I can see (and hopefully absorb) the words of truth.

            I used to think purpose was a singular event. I thought I would grow up and become a teacher, marry a pastor, have two children, run a women’s ministry, and do all of that every day until I was really old and died. I thought I had one purpose per facet of life, and I would latch onto that purpose early and do it over and over again for the rest of my life.

            I’ve come to learn that purpose is a compound event that continues for a lifetime.

            The jobs I work, no matter how few or plentiful they are throughout a lifetime, are places of purpose.

            The congregations with which I worship, also no matter how few or plentiful, are places of purpose.

            The relationships I have, regardless of how long they last or how they originate in my life, are places of purpose.

            The hobbies, extracurricular activities, and interested I pursue are places of purpose.

            All these pieces of life are part of an intricate weaving that accomplish a greater purpose than I will ever know on this earth. They may accomplish a greater purpose than I ever know period. Who knows how much of this life God will allow us to see and comprehend, even in eternity?

            Maybe you feel like your world has been small and your experiences have been few, and because of that, you haven’t accomplished the purposes you hoped to say you had. Maybe you feel like your world has changed so much and so often, you weren’t able to secure roots and accomplished purposes of longevity.

            I have come to believe God is not limited by any of that. Your world is not so small that He can’t use you for great things. Your world hasn’t changed so fast or often that He can’t use you for great things.

            You’re here ON purpose and FOR a purpose. What joy we can find in that if we allow the truth to steep in our souls.  

Quiet Moments: Pedicures at Home

 

            It’s been about fifteen years since a good friend of mine gifted me a pedicure at the salon she went to. She found out I’d never had one, and they were one of her favorite things in life. She wanted me to know the joy of experiencing one for myself, so for my birthday, she gave me a gift certificate.

            The lady who did my pedicure was wonderful. I loved her so much that I ended up going to her regularly for a couple of years for manicures, just as a treat for myself. I only left because she moved out of state, and I didn’t trust anyone else. Good things came out of that gift certificate – and leading the list was a sweet friendship with the lady I met that day.

            But I also learned I didn’t like pedicures.

            I just don’t like people messing with my feet. I’m ticklish, for one thing, so I always fear I’m going to kick some unsuspecting soul right in the nose. It would be pure reflex, of course, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less!

            Mostly, though, I’m just self-conscious about my feet. They work, and I’m grateful for it, but they aren’t showpieces. I don’t even like looking at them myself. I definitely don’t like other people looking at them. (I wear socks always unless I’m in the shower.)

            But just because I don’t enjoy having others look at or touch my feet doesn’t mean I shouldn’t give myself a little pedicure pampering at home. I don’t do it nearly as often as I should, but I do enjoy it when I make the time for it.

            Maybe you’re like me and don’t love people looking at your feet. Maybe pedicures are outside the budget. (I haven’t priced them lately, but if I had to pick how to spend my money, pedicures would be low on the list.) Maybe you don’t have time to go to the salon. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get to enjoy a little pampering at home.

            So today I thought I’d tell you how I do my pedicures, and maybe it will inspire you to do something similar for yourself!

SUPPLIES

Pedicure tub (Mine is a dish tub I bought over a decade ago at dollar general or some similar place. It’s the perfect size for two feet.)

Epsom salts (I use about ¼ cup of Epsom Salts for each pedicure, so one bag lasts me a while. I store mine in a glass jar and toss in mostly empty essential oil bottles. The last of the oils soaks into the salts and makes them smell pretty.)

Essential oils (I also add a couple of drops of Lavender, Tea Tree, and Peppermint oil to the hot water and Epsom Salts when I’m ready to do the pedicure. You could skip this step if you’re not an oils person or if you don’t have those on hand)

Beach towel and hand towel (I put the beach towel under the tub to protect the floor from any water that splashes out. It also spreads beyond the tub so I have a place to step when I pull my feet out of the tub. I use the hand towel to thoroughly dry my feet.)

Nail polish remover, nail polish, nail clippers, nail file, pumice stone (I feel like these are self-explanatory.)

Cocoa butter (You could use regular lotion if you prefer. When Ryan worked in physical therapy, he used cocoa butter on his patients if he did manual therapy on them. He really liked it, so we keep some at home now. My feet, when not tended to, get VERY dry, especially in the winter. Cocoa butter is my best defense against painful cracking. It works better for me than lotion.)

 

HOW IT WORKS

Set up the station. I choose my spot, which could be the couch or my desk chair, depending on when I am doing my pedicure, and spread out my beach towel on the floor. I make sure my hand towel, nail polish, clippers, nail file, pumice stone, cocoa butter, and something to apply the cocoa butter with are all handy beside me. I also take off my previous nail polish before I sit down.

Make the soaking bath. I sprinkle ¼ cup of Epsom Salts into the bottom of my dish tub and add water that is just slightly uncomfortably hot. It cools off quickly, so I start a little on the warmer side. I add a couple of drops of each of the essential oils and place the tub on the towel.

Soak. I make sure I soak my feet at least 15 minutes. I would go much longer if the water stayed hotter. (If you have a method for adding hot water to make the adventure last longer, go for it!)

Dry and Treat. After I’m done soaking, I pull my feet out one at a time and dry them off a bit with my hand towel. Then I use the pumice stone on the rough areas, rinsing and retreating as necessary. Then I dry my feet again.

Trim and Polish. After that, I trim my nails, file anything that needs shaped up, and polish my nails.

Apply Cocoa Butter. Once the polish dries, I apply the cocoa butter and put on socks to keep it all protected.

Clean Up. I clean out the tub so it’s ready for next time. The rest is self explanatory, I think.

 

I do keep the pumice stone in the shower, so ideally, I should be able to keep up with smoothing rough places during each shower, and I should apply the cocoa butter every day. In full disclosure, I’m not that great about keeping up with it, so pedicures tend to be fully involved adventures.

I should also add (though I hope you would just know this) that I'm obviously not a pedicure professional, so maybe some of my steps are out of order from how they do things in salon practice. But this has been my routine for several years, and it's been working well. Just sharing a few ideas, because even though I’m not a big “feet” person – my own included – I always love how much better I feel after taking time to do a pedicure at home! Summer’s coming (they say), so I would encourage you to make time, too!

Make Room on the Shelf

 

            In a few days, I plan to update you on my reading adventures from the past few weeks. I’m thoroughly enjoying making/having time to read again, and I’m enjoying the push of my reading plan. I’m exploring books I otherwise might not have picked up.

            I actually moved my library to our new home ahead of our “real” move, and it was one of the sweetest experiences. I had an entire day devoted to unpacking my book boxes and shelving everything in a loving and orderly manner. I was able to reuse the boxes to pack other things, and when the official moving day arrived, I already had one wall complete. That was a win for my tired mind that day!

            This library of mine means something to me. When I worked at WBCL, my library grew significantly. In the years following my station work, I reviewed books and packed the shelves even tighter. Eventually I realized I needed to go through and downsize the overflowing collection. It was so hard to do. It seemed wrong to get rid of books – even if I wasn’t banishing them from the earth. They went to new and loving homes, but it still felt wrong to my reading and writing heart to remove any from this home.

            It ended up being one of my best decisions, because it allowed me to fully determine what kinds of books I wanted to own. There are books I may only want to read once, and when that happens, borrowing from a friend or library works perfectly. But what do I want to own? If someone walked through our home and stopped to peruse the shelves, what story of my life and heart do I want them to see from the books they find on my shelves?

            In clearing out books that weren’t really a fit for my passions and interests, what books did I make room for?

            Here were some of the guidelines I followed in making those decisions:

·        *  I gave all preference to authors I’ve grown to love. Whether fiction or nonfiction, if I love the author, the books stayed. In some cases, that meant keeping complete collections. In other cases, it meant I only owned a book or two, but I wanted to make space to own the rest penned by that author.

·       *   I kept books that were significant to a piece of my life’s journey, even if I may not go back to those books again and again. There’s a book I read probably twenty years ago, and it infuriated me in a way no book ever has. I was offended to my core – and publicly called out by the author, too, but that’s a whole separate story. I doubt I will ever have the stamina to ever reread the book, but I kept it, because seeing the cover reminds me of the way I do not want to write. It reminds me of how I do not want to behave in interacting with people who may read any book I ever write. And it reminds me of a book I’d like to write someday in relation to the same topic.

·       *   I kept books that have been dear and meaningful to my growth. These books are highlighted, underlined, and lived-in. They have been my teachers in paper classrooms, and I can’t possibly part with them.

·      *   I kept books I’ve still not read, but I promise I will…I promise! (As you’ll learn in my next reading update, the book I’m reading right now has been part of my library since 2005, and I’m just now opening it.)

·      *    I kept books that I have referenced in some of my own writing and speaking. They have sticky notes peeking up from within, marking passages that are worth sharing.

·     *     I kept a few books that I know are out of print, so even if I’m not entirely sure if they’re my favorites, I don’t want to risk not being able to return to them one day.

I have a running wish list of other books I’d like to add in years to come, but I’m grateful for the robust library of literary goodness I’ve collected over a lifetime. Some have been with me since childhood and others arrived just this week. (Those were for work, but they still matter!)

If you’re a reader…what have you made room for on your library shelves?

Slow Growin'

 

            One of our friends loves Lexi so much. She probably loves her almost as much as we do. (I refuse to believe anyone can actually love her as much as we do, but if it happened, she would be the one.) She likes for me to text pictures of Lexi every day, multiple times a day, if I can. I get behind and have to send a few days’ worth at a time, but I do my best to keep her well-supplied.

            Over the weekend, I sent her a picture of Ryan decorating above Lexi’s bed. Several months ago, I had a canvas made of a picture of a sleeping baby Lexi. It has her name on it and hangs right above her bed. Our friend asked about the picture and wanted to know how old Lexi was in it. I had to scramble through old photo files to find it, and I learned she was a mere ten weeks old in that sweet little memory I captured.

            As I hunted, I ran across so many pictures and videos of our baby girl. I’d forgotten just how little she was. I’d forgotten her baby waddle and how she could barely see over the top of the coffee table, even if she stood on her tippy toes.

            Is this how parents feel when they look at baby pictures of their children? All weepy and sentimental?

            Partly because of her breed and partly because of her age, we still have oodles of work ahead of us in training Lexi. But when I look back over this past year with her, I can see so much growth! Not just physical growth, although certainly I see that – but I see so much change for the better in her behavior.

            She doesn’t bite all day every day anymore. (I’m sure that is largely because she’s no longer teething all day every day anymore.) She can put herself down for a nap. She can make it through a whole walk on her own, rather than needing Ryan to carry her the last stretch of the way. She can self-entertain.

            We went through phases when we weren’t sure some of those things would ever happen. And I’m sure, in another year, I’ll be able to look back and see growth in some of her challenging areas right now!

            It gives me great hope for myself. Growth – true growth – is slow. Painfully slow, sometimes. Only with the perspective of time can we look back and see measurable progress. That makes it hard in the moment, but it’s so rewarding on the other side of a stretch of time.

            If you’re frustrated with yourself over something that isn’t happening or changing as quickly as you’d like, let me gently remind you that growth takes time. True change is more likely to last when you work through it slowly and let it take root.

            It will come. Be faithful to show up every day and work through to new habits. Growth is slow, but it will come. One day you’ll be able to look back and see how far you’ve come! Don’t give up!