Freshen Up...Your To-Be-Read Pile

I feel a little bad giving reading advice when I know some of you are even more voracious readers than I am. Some of you read hundreds of books every year and are very diverse in your choices, so for you, I probably don't have anything new and different to say. But for those of you who don't usually make it past blogs or social media posts, hopefully I can inspire you to freshen up your to-be-read pile!

I always have to brag on my mom a little bit when it comes to reading, because she taught me to read back in my preschool days. (Clarification: I didn't go to preschool, but that was the age I was when she taught me to read, right there at home in our living room!) By the time I was tested in first grade, I was reading at a sixth grade reading level. I devoured books throughout my entire childhood, because we didn't have cable, nor did we live in town with a bunch of neighbor kids nearby. Books were my friends!

Ironically, it was my choice to major in writing that killed my joy of reading  when I was in college. I had to read so many books for my classes (and most of the books were not enjoyable reading for me at all) that the last thing I wanted to do in my free time was read. By the time I graduated, I had to get away from books for a while. I couldn't bear to read. It makes me sad, now, as I look back, because I think studying your passion should make you love it more, not hate it!

Eventually I got back to reading, and then I started working at the radio station, and I simply didn't have time to read. I didn't have any free time, between working and commuting. Once I quit full-time work to stay home, I got busy reading again, and now I average a book a week. Like I said, I know many of you read more than that, but I can't do more than about one book per week and keep up with everything else (including my daily steps).

Since I give you a book review just about every week during the Saturday Six, you know what I enjoy reading. I continually give you my specific book recommendations. Today I want to give you a few ideas on a broader spectrum.

1. Learn about history through the lens of fiction.

Photo by Janko Ferlič on Unsplash

I was well into my thirties before I liked studying history. I hated history in school. (Don't tell my dad...that was part of what he taught.) I hated history because it was always so dry to read about in textbooks. So many dates. So many facts. Blah, blah, blah. When I got a bit older, I realized I could trick myself into learning about history by reading historical fiction. The stories were exciting, and I could sneak in some learning while I turned the pages. (I've noticed some homeschool curriculum programs use fiction and biographies to teach their entire history spine, because they've figured out kids are more likely to remember what they read in those books rather than textbooks.) So if you're like me and don't love studying history, add a few historical fiction books to your reading pile. You might be surprised what you learn while you're engrossed in a captivating tale!

2. Try the book version of a movie you've seen.

Photo by Denise Jans on Unsplash

They're never the same, you know. The books and the movies. Usually when I watch a movie of a book I've read, I have to tell myself it's something totally different. I get caught up in all the changes, and then I get all ruffled inside. Why couldn't they keep they storyline pure? (I know...there are a million reasons why they make changes.) But sometimes I watch a movie that has been adapted from a book...and I've never read the book. I have no idea what's different. So if you often watch movies without ever bothering to read the book, try picking up the book version and see what you think!

3. Go back to your roots: try a children's book.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Because I advanced in levels so quickly as a child, I skipped a lot of children's books and went straight for the grown-up stories. But I have to say, there are many things of value inside the pages of children's books. Even if you don't have kids of your own, and you don't have to read a children's book, give it a try! You might find some great stories you've never read. (I've gone back to re-read the Little House on the Prairie series, because I love those stories, and I hadn't truly read them since I was a kid myself.) If you aren't sure what to read, ask someone who has kids! They can make great recommendations. Or revisit some of your own childhood favorites. (I recently bought some of the Beverly Cleary books just to have, because I loved them so much when I was little. Ahhhh, Ramona Quimby!)

4. Read something that isn't on any kind of bestseller list.

Photo by Nicole Honeywill on Unsplash

It is very, very rare for me to pick up a book that is all the rage. I don't like trendy books much more than I like trendy TV shows or trendy clothing. I've learned that many "hot" books are as popular as they are, because they are pushed by teams of people. The writing itself may or may not be amazing. I have found much joy, however, inside the pages of books that most must-read lists never feature. I love books by local authors, books I find at sales, and books recommended by readers I know and love. So while I won't tell you to be like me and avoid all the latest-and-greatest books, I would encourage you to give some love to "little" authors. The words from their pens could be just as impactful (if not more so) than someone with major social media backing.

5. Read an actual old book.

Photo by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash

A few years ago, as my mom cleaned out shelves in her house, she gave me some old copies of some of her books. One of them was The Secret Garden. I'd never read that book, and of course as a classic, you can find it republished in all sorts of editions, including mass market paperback. But Mom gave me her copy from her childhood, complete with a pressed flower inside. I read the whole thing straight through, with its old-ish, non-updated language, and its delicate spine that I worked hard not to crack as I turned the pages. There's something delightful about reading an old book from a real old book. (And you don't have to go to some secondhand bookstore and drop a lot of cash on a rare find. I mean, you can, but you don't have to. Just see what you can find at a thrift store or garage sale!)

And if you need more ideas, hop on Pinterest and look up book challenges. You'll find all kinds of checklists that will give you so many more ideas of books to read! Happy reading and learning!

The Shafferland Shuffle

Do you think we might get through a Sunday without snow? It's good to have goals in that direction, right? :) Here's a peek at our week, which warmed up considerably from how it started!

* Phoebe ended up spending the night last Saturday night, so we still had her on Sunday! We did a lot of good, old-fashioned resting. :) Ryan re-watched the Dateline he slept through earlier in the weekend, and as you can see, he was very focused. I don't even think he knew I took that picture! We were pretty blissfully lazy all day, but we did take Miss Pheebs out for a walk that evening. It was cold, but at least the sun was out, right?

* I made some Almond Joy muffins on Monday, and they were pretty good! I was impressed. We went to work at Ryan's dad's again that evening. I was back on painting duty, and Ryan had a whole bunch of jobs that required power tools and headlamps and all the things he loves the most. (Also: we learned that the headlamp makes him look like he has a giant mosquito bite in the middle of his forehead. It's pretty funny!)

* Tuesday morning, I spoke at a women's Bible study over in Marion. I don't have any pictures other than the outside of the church, because Ryan was working and wasn't there to take them for me! Tuesday was also our monthiversary, so I hurried home after speaking to have lunch with him and spend a little time together. (Happy 76th month to us!) We hosted Bible study that night, and we learned a lot from our small group members!

* After we worked out on Wednesday, we had a bunch of errands to run. Our church had a rummage sale this weekend, and we were picking up some items to donate for it. Ryan thought we needed ice cream on the way home, and I agreed. Peanut Buster parfaits for the win! :) Ice cream, coffee, and TV to end the day. Pretty perfect.

* I met one of my friends for coffee Thursday morning, and then I took a latte to Ryan at work. He told me I didn't have to, but it seemed mean not to! :) We went to work at his dad's again that night. More painting for me, and some trim trimming for Ryan. (Isn't that what you call it when you trim the trim pieces? Trim trimming?)

* Friday I finally found the first hint of a bud on our pear tree. I have been checking it every day for signs of spring! After Ryan got off work, we went grocery shopping (found myself a new coffee mug!) and then we stopped by the new donut shop in town to check out what all the fuss was about. We'd thought about getting up early Saturday morning to go, but we were right there Friday night, and we were okay with evening donuts vs. early morning donuts, so we stopped.

* Yesterday was BEAUTIFUL. Ryan was home all day long. He finally got to some projects he hasn't been able to do for months. Literally - we bought the supplies for one of those projects on New Year's Day, and he hasn't been home to complete it since. It was warm and sunny and we got to open the windows while we worked. We went on our first at-home walk of the year, too! And then it was back to his dad's for more projects. (Ryan found my freshly painted wall. Whoopsie!)

The Saturday Six

One.

This little pantry looks a lot like ours. And anyone who actually makes over and decorates her pantry is a hero in my mind!! Love this!

Two.

A thousand hearty amens to this post by my friend Sarah Forgrave. This week, she released a book of prayers for caregivers, and it's a book I wish I would have been able to read during our season of caring for Ryan's mom. I know that when I do get to read it, I'll find words that would have carried me well in that time! But this week, she also released this post of ways to pray for caregivers, and I shout a loud YES to all of them. If you know of people serving as a caregiver, pause to read these important words and pray over these things for them!

Three.

This week, I made the Dashing Dish Chocolate Covered Cherry Protein Shake for the first time, and I LOVED it. I'm usually more of a chocolate covered strawberry flavor kind of girl, but this was really good. It's one of the free recipes, so I thought I'd share it with you!

Four.

I still remember the day I heard about Tricia Reitler's disappearance. I think it would be the hardest form of grief to feel like your loved one must surely be gone - but yet you don't have true closure. So hard.

Five.

Love bald eagles but don't have any around you? Check out this live webcam to see what's happening in a nest out in Washington D.C!

Six.

I'm going to tell you more about this book next week, but I'm on the launch team for Mended, a book written by my friend Blythe Daniel and her mom, Helen McIntosh. The book is geared toward mending relationships between mothers and daughters, but I have to tell you the principles in the book apply to just about any relationship, not just mothers and daughters. The book releases this coming Tuesday, and you can watch a trailer for it here, if you would like!

Freshen Up...Your Workouts

Today's advice is coming to you from...the girl who still moves like a 110-year-old, after switching up her workouts a lot recently. So read and apply at your own discretion. Ha!!

In full disclosure, I didn't grow up "working out." Part of it was that we just weren't a working-out sort of family, and part of it was that it wasn't quite the thing back then that it is now. But when I hit my mid-to-late twenties and realized it was going to need to become a regular reality for me, I was somewhat paralyzed with fear because I didn't know how to actually go about doing it. I remember going to the IWU gym and having no earthly idea how to use any of the equipment. It was awful, because all the college students knew what they were doing and it was (I'm sure) annoying for them to have out-of-shape adults stumbling around them, clueless and struggling to use the equipment they needed to use too.

I've learned a lot in the last decade or so, some from trial and error, and other things from actual training. One of the biggest things I've learned is that if I don't freshen up this part of my life, I become bored and/or discouraged.

Since we're four months into new year's resolutions, perhaps you have tasted similar bits of boredom and/or discouragement, so I'll throw out some suggestions I've learned along the way, and you can take or leave the thoughts. (Adapt them to fit your needs!)

1. Switch it up!

In my early days of working out, I tended to do the same thing every single day. If I found something I could actually do, I would hang onto it for dear life, because I had no idea if I'd ever find anything else that worked for me. When I started using the Beachbody workout regiments three years ago, I learned two important truths about my workout needs. First, I needed to move differently every single day. The first workout program of theirs I used was the 21 Day Fix, and every single day's exercises were different. Leg day, arm day, cardio, Pilates, etc. I learned that "shocking" my body like that actually brought about results. I also learned that after a few rounds of that same sequence of workouts, I needed to switch up the entire workout itself. I went through a total of 3 Beachbody programs, and I've gone back to each of them more than once, because I need to continue to switch up what I do. Even when I'm not on one of those programs (like now) I try to do different sorts of workouts every day. (Fun fact: Dashing Dish has a lot of workouts, and many are free to anyone, even if you're not a member. You can print them and go!)

2. Trendy doesn't mean mandatory.

And running is the trend of the day, isn't it? I'd never "been a runner" until the summer before I got married, and one of my work buddies talked me into running a 10K. I did a whole training program, ran that race, and was proud of myself for it, but I really, really, really don't love running. I know for many people, discovering the world of running has been life-changing and freeing, but it frustrates me. I do it, as one of my exercise options, but I don't love it. You know what I do love? Walking. A better-than-brisk walk makes my entire day. And sometimes I am sad that running is the trendy thing, because I wish walking would get the same kind of attention and respect. But what I've learned most of all is that just because something is really trendy doesn't mean it's what you have to do. If you don't love running, don't run! If you do love walking, walk! I do think there's a lot of truth in the saying that you'll stick with what you love. So you may not be doing the coolest workout in the world, but if you love it, you should absolutely do it.

3. Go to the gym...or (maybe) go home!

As I said at the beginning, I was so nervous and intimidated by the gym back in my single days, that I found working out at home to be much more palatable. I could look ridiculous and crazy with only Braeya for an audience. A couple of summers ago, Ryan talked me into trying a gym again, and I was nervous, but I did it. And I didn't like it. It was still as scary (for me) as it had been in the olden days. So I came back home. I work out here or with some of Ryan's co-workers at the hospital gym. Those are my safe spaces where I don't feel judged or criticized. Ryan loves the gym. He loves the accountability, the big equipment, and the push to try new things. So he goes to the gym and I go home. We each get our most productive environment, and it works for us. But it's good, I think, to at least try a new environment now and then to see if maybe your tastes have changed and what used to not work for you...does now!

4. Get a new outfit.

It may sound silly, but it's valid. Sometimes when I lose my zeal for working out, a new tank top or pair of shorts might be just what I need to get back into it. It's inspiring for me. A couple of years ago, my sister sent me a new tank top, and I loved running in it. It's still one of my favorite workout shirts. Even if you work out at home and no one sees you, you'll see you, and you'll feel cuter in your new clothes. (Side note: when I lost a decent amount of weight, I also sprang for new clothes that fit better, because it made me feel like I had accomplished something with all my hard work. Swimming in my old big shirts did nothing for my confidence level.)

5. Find a friend.

If you're in a slump, see if you can find a friend to work out with you! In those scary IWU gym days, I had a co-worker that often went to the gym with me. She was adorable, fit, and not the least bit intimidated by the gym equipment. But she was kind to me in my inadequacies, and it made all the difference for me. When I started the Beachbody stuff a few years ago, Ryan worked out with me, because it helped me stick with it. I had a friend who started using an interactive app, and her virtual buddies kept her inspired to work out. Friends can help!!

Freshen Up...Your Walls

Do you decorate for spring? I don't...much, anyway. I always find it amusing that we go so all out for Christmas, and then we don't really do much to our houses the rest of the year. And it seems when we come to springtime, most people are especially over adding decorations to the house. If anything, they're ready to minimize all décor, just to make the house feel lighter and brighter. No judgment, of course. Just an observation. :)

Sometimes, though, by spring, I am ready for something fresh around the house. Something to make it feel new again. And if I don't want to bring in a bunch of extra things to scatter around, I need to find a way to take the things that exist year-round and give them new life. So today I'm taking a look at a few ways to freshen up your walls. I'm pulling from ideas we've used in our own house, so some of them may not fit your decorating style, and that's okay! But maybe one of them will inspire you to try something similar that does fit your style.

1. Swap out a seasonal picture.

Photo by Banter Snaps on Unsplash

Actually, this is one I haven't done in our house, but I've always liked this idea and plan to do it as soon as I figure out what I want to use for my focal point. If there's a place you particularly love, take a good picture (or hire someone to take a good picture) of it in all four seasons, and then swap the photo out seasonally. It could be a picture of your house, or a tree you love, or a waterfall. I appreciate having things in my house that are meaningful to me, rather than just random pictures, so I love the idea of taking pictures of a significant place. While you could just as easily display a year-round collage of all four photos, you can freshen up quickly by having one picture that you rotate seasonally.

2. Update photos in frames.

At least where we live, most people tend to get family photos taken in the fall, because they use the photo shoots for Christmas cards. And of course, kids tend to get new school pictures in the fall. But if you haven't updated framed photos of people in your family for a while, this could be a great time to ask for an updated picture. In our house, we also have picture frames that I fill with candid pictures - of us and of our family members - and some of those pictures are pretty old. It's time to update!! Same frame, but something new inside it to look at! This next part doesn't apply to us since we don't have kids, but I know some parents and grandparents frame art made by their kids and use that to decorate their homes. If you haven't updated the art frames for a while, it might be time to do that!

3. Shop the house.

Whenever I feel the need to redecorate but don't have the budget to actually do that, I just shop the house. I look around to see if there are pieces of wall art that I could just move into a different room. Some of our decorative themes are specific to one room. For example, we have a coffee-themed kitchen, so all my wall hangings in there have to do with coffee. While I am in NO WAY opposed to an entire house filled with coffee art, that theme seems to fit best in our kitchen, so I limit it to that space. But the rest of the house is similar in style, so I've been known to move a picture or painting from one room to another just so it can be seen with fresh eyes. Bonus? It's free!

4. Finish the project.

Ahem, Bekah? Read and follow your own point #4.

In our bedroom, we have a huge picture from our wedding day. It is one of the photos we recreate every year on our anniversary. (If you're new here and don't know about that tradition of ours, you can see it here.) A couple of years - yes, years - ago, I got the great idea to print 4x6 pictures of that recreation each year and make a collage around the big original from our wedding day. I even bought ten matching frames to get us through the first decade. Haven't hung up a single one. Can't freshen a wall with frames sitting in a box in the closet, can I? Sometimes your best ideas are ones you already have. You just need to do them.

5. Commission something.

I'm all about doing life on a budget, but I'm also all about something unique. Ryan and I have a pretty firm rule that anything in our house needs to have a special story. We tend not to go out and just buy random things to have in the house. We like our belongings to be meaningful and memory-inducing. This includes our wall art! Several of our bigger pictures are actually prints of pictures we took on our vacations. We have a caricature of ourselves hanging in the office...a fun souvenir from a trip. I have two art pieces in the office, each given to me on my last day of work from my two jobs. All those things have a story. But we also have two art pieces commissioned just for us, and we love them! They're watercolor paintings of the homes we've lived in. I love them, and if we ever move again, I plan to get a painting of that house too. Sure, something like this can cost a bit more than shopping the house, but it gives you a one-of-a-kind masterpiece to freshen up your walls!



Happy redecorating!! :) ** Disclaimer: I am not responsible for increased grumpiness in husbands as a result of this series. Ha!**

Freshen Up...Your Prayer Life

Yesterday I spoke at a women's Bible study, and at the end of our time together, I had the privilege of hearing one of the ladies pray. I call it a privilege, because hearing her out-loud prayer inspired me to want to pause and take more time with my own prayers. She didn't rush. She took her time, prayed genuinely from the bottom of her heart, and it was a beautiful piece of a conversation. I didn't feel like I was eavesdropping, but I did feel like I had been invited to sit by while she had a little talk with Jesus.

Ironically, I had already decided I was going to write about prayer today, and then God gave me that extra boost, so I think this is some pretty perfect timing, don't you?

When I was a little girl, we always had family devotions at home, and during our prayer time at the end of it, we all took turns praying out loud. We didn't say a scripted prayer, like "Now I lay me down to sleep," but it became the family joke that I always said the same words, and I would say them so fast that no one could understand them. They actually came out like one really long word that made supercalifragilistiexpialidocious seem rather short.

I think I did it because I was embarrassed to pray out loud. And I am not alone in that thought. I know a good number of adults who are still embarrassed to pray out loud in front of others. It can be a daunting task, and when you're little and just learning, I can see how it would be scary!

Eventually I got better about praying out loud, and I remember understanding it for the first time when I was in high school, and I'd gone to visit my sister, brother-in-law, and niece for a few days. Right before I left to come back home, my brother-in-law mentioned to me that he could tell I'd been praying in front of my niece, because he had seen a change in the way she offered her prayers at the end of the day. I hadn't done anything wrong, he was quick to assure me, but he said he could tell my prayers had influenced hers, and he was glad to know I'd allowed her be part of that time in my day.

I firmly believe it's a good idea to switch up your prayer habits upon occasion. It's not because God gets bored and needs you to try a new approach, but rather because I think it helps you think about your prayers in a new and fresh way. Maybe you'll take prayer a bit more seriously. Maybe you'll learn something new about God in the process.

Spring is a time of growth, right? Why not grow as pray-ers this spring?

1. Write down your prayers.

Photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash

I know. You may not like to write. But stay with me for just a moment! I like writing my prayers for two reasons. One, it forces me to slow down and really think about what I'm saying, rather than just spouting off a smattering of words as fast as I can talk. And I think we've established that I can talk in auctioneer-like ways if I want to. Furthermore, written prayers give me a permanent record of my prayer journey, and I can look back a few months down the road to see what I prayed earlier. That can be an incredible faith boost, because it shows me how my heart changed and/or how God went about answering those prayers. I don't write down every single word of every single prayer I ever pray. But I do like to keep written track of specific requests so I have that journey preserved. (You can write out entire prayers or you can write out bullet points if that's faster and easier!)

2. Take a prayer walk.

Back when I worked at IWU, I participated in their wellness program, and my favorite form of exercise was walking. I wasn't yet a runner (and it may be debatable whether I am now!) and I didn't know how to do any other kind of working out, really. All that knowledge came with Ryan. But I could walk! And I enjoyed it. Because I preferred to be situationally aware while out walking alone, I didn't listen to music as I walked. But I would pray! All those many miles I trekked across the pavement, I spent time praying (often out loud) for the things that burdened my heart. I still do the same thing now, though I often just pray in my head, because running and speaking don't coexist for me. And in the winter, when I have to pace the house to get in all my daily steps, I pray as I pace. Moving around keeps me from getting sleepy, and speaking the prayers out loud helps me keep my mind focused!

3. Pray Scripture.

Sometimes I'm speechless. (I know. No one believes that. But it is true!) Sometimes I just simply do not have the words of my own to speak before the Lord. When those days come, I often open up my Bible to the Psalms and just read through some of those, speaking them out loud as prayers. It serves two purposes. First, it gives me words when I don't have my own, and secondly, it usually ends up comforting my heart in the process, because the words are so soothing over me.

I have another favorite way to pray Scripture, and it goes back to my single days! Several years before I got married, I picked out verses that I hoped would become themes for my someday-marriage. I would pray those verses over Ryan, even before I knew he would be my husband! Now, whenever I encounter one of those verses in my reading or study times, it means even more to me, because I remember I prayed those words - hundreds of times - over this season in which I now live.

4. Gather together.

Yesterday, when I visited the women's Bible study, several of the ladies mentioned how grateful they were for their fellow Bible-study-sisters and how they had prayed together over their burdens, and because of those prayers, answers started arriving. Even though it's a blessing to pray alone, there's something sweet about gathering with someone else - or even a group of other people - to pray together. Ryan and I love to pray together, and sometimes when one of us is feeling particularly overwhelmed, we'll stop whatever we're doing to pray out loud together. When I spoke at the lake retreat a few days ago, we ended the retreat with a time of prayer for one of the ladies carrying some particularly big burdens. Like I said at the beginning of this post, praying out loud can be really uncomfortable if you're not used to it. But I think praying together with others can be an encouraging blessing, if you give it a try. And you may find (as I did throughout my growing up years) that it gets easier to pray out loud in front of others the more you do it!

5. Don't talk.

Wait. Didn't I just write about this? No...this is a little bit different. This time I mean don't talk at all. Don't talk? It's true! Romans 8:26 says, "We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." I am not too proud to say that sometimes I absolutely don't know what to say in my prayers. I'm not sure how best to pray. And in those moments, opening up to a Psalm isn't always the best answer. Sometimes I just sit before the Lord. I don't say things out loud. I ask Him to fill in the blanks, because I don't know what to say. And I'll tell you, those moments have included some of my best prayer times ever. Less is (at times) absolutely more. Sometimes the best way to freshen up your prayer life is to say nothing at all. Just sit quietly before the Lord and let Him take over.

Maybe you've tried all these things before. But if you haven't, pick one and give it a chance. It might just freshen up your prayer life in ways you never expected!

Freshen Up...Your Recipes

Good morning, friends! It's podcast Tuesday, and it seems the title of this week's episode fits right in with the title of today's blog post. Happy accident! Enjoy!

 Listen here

If you missed stopping by yesterday, you don't know that I'm doing something new and different for (at least part of ) April. I wanted to challenge my creativity a bit, so I'm looking at some ways we can freshen up our lives. It seems appropriate with the arrival of April and (theoretically) spring. Yes, Indiana, I'm looking at you to remember spring has sprung!

Since food is my love language, I thought today I'd explore ways to freshen up your recipes! After all, food is sort of a seasonal thing, and a new season is here! When summer rolls around, we pull out the grilling recipes. For fall, we resort to soups and all things pumpkin. And winter is comfort-food central. Spring, in our house, is all about salads, lemony delights, and pretty much anything that feels fresh and light. The comfort foods of winter have comforted long enough. Time to lighten up. And that rotation in food-seasons makes me think of a few things you might want to try to freshen up your recipes.

Also: I didn't do much of my own cooking during the month of March, because so many gracious folks delivered meals and gift cards so we could turn our focus elsewhere and not have to worry about cooking. I loved and appreciated all that during a busy and grief-filled month, but I'm thankful now to be back in the kitchen, providing for the two of us with my own handiwork. That's another great reason to freshen up my style!

1. Organize!

I mentioned to you a while back that I decided to make a Shafferland recipe binder this year. I do all my menu-planning and grocery-list-making on Fridays, so while I'm busy doing that, I go back through the recipes I made the previous week to capture the ones we liked enough to declare them keepers. So many of my recipes come from online sources, so I want to make sure I have them documented in a hard copy in case I ever need to cook a meal without internet access. (Gasp!) But this project has also helped me keep a good rotation of favorites in front of me, so I don't keep fixing the same three or four things over and over. (Type A confession: the binder is inspirational, so I'm enjoying the chance to thumb through it and find a favorite to make.)

2. Take a poll.

Friends and family make great food resources. If you want to freshen up your recipes, just ask those whose cooking you love to eat! Call or text one of your favorite cooks and ask for a tried and true recipe - or ask for one you've tasted before and particularly loved. Chances are good most of those recipes aren't classified material. You could also take a social media poll to ask your friends and followers for favorite go-to recipes. I need to take my own advice on this whole point, because in the last few weeks, as our friends brought us the aforementioned DELICIOUS food, I told myself I really should ask for the recipes. So many good dishes! Sure, the internet/Pinterest can be great recipe resources, but can you really beat the recommendations of people you know and love?

3. Make a copy of a restaurant favorite.

Photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash

If you want to freshen up your meal rotation, pick one of your favorite restaurant meals and see if you can find a copycat version to make yourself. Who knows!? Maybe you'll find you like it better, and maybe you can find a way to make it even healthier. (You know I love my Dashing Dish recipes, and she has a number of healthier versions of her restaurant favorites.) Sure, it could still be more relaxing to have someone else do the work at the restaurant, but it can also be fun to have an option to make it at home. (This works especially well if that restaurant is nowhere near you and you need a Plan B.)

4. Take a risk.

Even though I love to cook, sometimes I do get stuck in a rut of doing what I know I can do. One of my favorite things about using the pre-made meal plans on Dashing Dish is the way it forces me to try dishes I might skip past if I were just scrolling through the recipes myself. We've found some great keepers in things I might not have made if I were doing my own picking. Try something outside your comfort zone...and you might actually like it! (You also might find it's not as difficult to make as it first appeared.)

5. Take a class!

Ryan and I took a cooking class a couple of years ago at Valentine's Day. Now, granted, the recipes we made in that class were a little fancier than we normally eat, but we did learn some things, and we had so much fun together! Take a class or just call up someone who knows how to make something you don't and ask if they can teach you how to make it. You might find something new for your repertoire, and at the very least, you'll have fun!

Welcome a new season with some fresh dishes on your table! (And if you find any keepers you think I should know about, please tell me!) 

Freshen Up...Your Front Door

I want to try something new and different for the month of April. Is that okay with you? 

Life over the past few weeks has been full and purposeful in our hearts as we pick our way through the change of seasons, but I will be completely honest: it makes for pretty lousy blog material. I decided it would be a great discipline for me to write about something specific that pushes me think differently. Given that I'm practically desperate for spring - real spring, not just label-on-a-calendar spring - I decided to do a "Freshen Up" series over the course of the month of April. (Or at least part of it.)

I'm going to look around the nooks and crannies of life and look for some attainable, affordable ways to freshen up our habits, spaces, and relationships. Because I know I could use some freshening up, and maybe you can too!

I thought I'd start at the front today. The front door!

A few weeks ago, Ryan and I had some Kohl's cash that was about to expire, and neither of us needed anything in particular, so we decided to just wander around and see if we saw anything we really liked. As we wandered down one aisle, I remembered I didn't have a spring wreath for the front door. I had an Easter egg wreath, but not a spring wreath. We found one that was half off, which put it within our Kohl's cash range, so we got it.

I love it more than I thought I would.

I guess I always think of wreaths as being something you hang up for curb appeal and visitors. And that's valid! But I have gotten the biggest kick of joy out of seeing that wreath on our door whenever I come home. I've decided it was a wise choice, not just a random freebie.

So if your front door feels a little drab this spring, here are my thoughts for freshening it up! 

1. Paint the door.

Photo by Georgia de Lotz on Unsplash

Am I the only one who notices fun front doors? I think you can imagine so much about the personality of a homeowner by the color of the front door! (There's a house in our city that has a bubble gum pink front door - and shutters - and I think whoever lives there must be a lot of fun!) I tend to perk up and notice if a door is bright yellow or turquoise. They seem to be my favorite. But a front door paint job can be a quick and relatively inexpensive freshener if you need one. (Just remember not to SHUT the door before it dries!)

2. New hardware. 

Photo by Evelyn Paris on Unsplash

Not always the cheapest (depending upon your taste) but adding a kickplate or switching out the knob or even adding different house numbers can give a whole new look to the entrance! (Clarification: by new house numbers, I mean new versions of the same number. Don't be changing your address!) If your mailbox is on your house, rather than out by the road, this can be another great freshener. Back when I lived in Marion, I had new siding put on the house, and I ended up switching out my mailbox and house numbers at the same time, and I loved how it all looked! 

3. Vinyl message.

One of the houses in our neighborhood (which used to have a yellow door that I loved...and then new owners painted it something else that I can't even remember) had this welcoming vinyl message on the front door. It was always cheery to walk by in the evenings and see the hello! calling to us from the front door. I mentioned my love for it so often, that when Christmas rolled around, Ryan found an Etsy shop with a similar greeting and gave me one for Christmas. I love it! (He also found a see ya later! for the inside of the front door. We get a lot of compliments on that!) You can make your vinyl message say anything! 

4. New welcome mat. 

Ryan's mom gave us our welcome mat for a housewarming gift, and I imagine it will remain on display for a long time, just because it now has added sentimental value. But a new mat is a fun way to freshen up the front door. (Bonus fun idea: one year, one of my friends shopped seasonal clearance throughout the year and gifted me a year's worth of welcome mats for Christmas. Genius!) You can go with something colorful or maybe a message that makes you laugh. Just look on Pinterest for those ideas! 

5. New wreath.

And of course, there's the idea that started it all. The new wreath. If you have no DIY skills, you can easily find them in stores or online, and if you shop clearance sales, you can even find them pretty affordably. But if you have a few skills, make your own, one-of-a-kind creation! Something that contrasts really well with your door color will pop and welcome everyone! (Even you!) 

So there you go! It's a new month...a new season...and a perfect excuse to freshen up your front door! You might even end up feeling more excited about showing up at your own home. :)