Saturday Suggestions: Inspirations for Your Weekend

 

This week has been volatile outside, but it’s been a really good week inside our home. We’ve enjoyed a bit of a calm before the pre-Easter storm in our schedules, and we’ve appreciated it. I found some fun things this week, and I’m excited to share them with you today!

A couple of weeks ago, I watched (over the course of about three days) this long Homeworthy video that showcases three different homes that have a Nancy Meyer’s feel. I’d seen the middle one before – in another video, but the first and last ones were new to me. I LOVED the first and last ones and even noted a couple of things to use in decorating our home! (BONUS: And if you’re not into a long video, or big houses, here is a short tour of a cute little shed home. I’m impressed with what they achieved in a small space!)

You know the 75 Hard fitness challenge? It’s been around for a couple of years now, and there have been some spinoffs to the idea that make it a bit more palatable to some. Well, now it’s apparently branching out into other areas of life, and this is the 75 Day Space Transformation. It’s a daily challenge (over the course of 75 days) to spruce up your home. I actually think this is a pretty good idea! You might need to tweak some of the challenges – if you’ve recently completed some or are not allowed to do others based on renting your space. But I don’t think this is an overbearing list. No walls need demolished. 😊 Check it out! (BONUS: If a home improvement challenge isn’t your jam, check out Jessi’s great ideas for focusing on your finances in the month of April. Financial health is so important, and we champion you as you work to learn more and find ways to work on financial stability!)

I know a lot of people walking through a lot of really hard things right now. And in the middle of hard, it can be challenging to keep your focus on the Lord AND remember His goodness. We forget the goodness part when we don’t perceive that we see it in front of us. Margot’s words in the first part of this post are well-stated. (The second part of the post is about a book…and it’s not that this part of the writing isn’t good…it’s just a new topic.) I share them with you today in case you need the boost!

Here is some inspiration for you in cleaning out under your kitchen sink! I feel like our current kitchen area under the sink is the most organized of any we have ever had, but it could probably still use a cleanout and some organization. We are continuing to refine the cleaners we even need, and it probably wouldn’t kill me to spend a little time on that soon! (BONUS: Sarah has some additional household organization tips for you if you need some inspiration!)

If you’re packing Easter baskets for kids or teens this year, Candace has you covered on ideas! (I had to hunt through to see if there might be anything THIS overgrown kid/teen might want to add to her own wish list!)

I always hesitate to share something that is very old, mostly out of fear that I have shared it before and don’t remember! (I go through a LOT of links here.) But when this one popped up in my social media feed this week, I got sucked into researching it! Ann Morgan, a UK-based author, did a project back in 2012 called “A Year of Reading the World.” In one year’s time, she read 196 books – representing each country of the world. She has since shared this list to offer what she read during that project and to suggest other books that represent the different countries around the world. I find this idea absolutely fascinating. That is a lot of reading in one year, but I’m so intrigued. She has written reviews on the books she read – both in that year and since – and her review-writing is well done. Even if you don’t take on the project, take a look and appreciate what she’s done!

Easter is just a couple of weeks away…do you have a meal plan figured out yet? I saw a post this week written by a lady who always makes strawberry pretzel salad for Easter, but she struggles to find strawberries in the store, because everyone makes strawberry SOMETHING for Easter. This year she purposed to buy frozen strawberries ahead of time, while they were still in stock. I don’t know if you need to plan – or buy – before everything gets purchased by everyone else, but if so, here’s your reminder!

Winter clothes are on the last of the last of the clearance sales (if they’re still there at all), so if you need a new coat or sweater to save for this coming fall/winter, now’s the time to buy!

148 Months of Love

 

You may or may not remember (I’d be shocked if you did!) that Ryan and I didn’t use the traditional wedding vows in our ceremony. We found some that we particularly loved, and one of the lines in Ryan’s vow to me was to promise his “deepest love, fullest devotion, and tenderest care.” What better way to put those into practice than a massive tornado warning on our monthiversary!

                (In full disclosure, my vows to him said I would ever strengthen, help, comfort, and encourage. Well, I was wadded up in a ball in a storm shelter, so I’m not sure I did nearly as well at my end of the vow-keeping. Fortunately, storms don’t bother him, so…)

                But let’s back up and look at the full day, shall we?

                Our 148^th monthiversary was a weekday, so we went our separate ways that morning. I went to a breakfast with the senior crowd at church, and while I was out and about, the storms began. What a lovely start to the day, right?

                Ryan and I FaceTimed during lunch, as we often do, and I told him I was having a terrible time planning the rest of the day, because forecasters were not totally sure what time the storms might arrive or how horrible they might be when they did show up.

                I went to a funeral visitation in the afternoon and by the time Ryan got home, I was a shaky mess. We were supposed to be at a church meeting that night, but we were both pretty sure I wouldn’t be overly helpful, and Ryan needed to be on standby at work to help move residents if needed. So the group leader told us to just stay home…she said the crowd was a small one that night anyway, because of the weather.

                I insisted that we take our monthiversary picture as soon as Ryan got home from work – in case I fully dissolved into a frazzled mess.

                It actually went from the 30s to the high 70s by mid-afternoon, and the sun was out. I knew both of those things were disastrous for our storm likelihood, but it did make for a pretty few minutes, so we took Lexi out for a quick walk.

                It was so windy, her hair was blowing straight back out of her eyes and she could barely keep them open!

                As soon as we came home, I cleaned out my little cubby under the stairs so I could hide when the show began. I brought down all the important things and some blankets and pillows.

                I don’t know that I’ve ever seen the entire state of Indiana in a severe weather path, but it sure did move right in for us. While we waited on it to arrive, we worked on a project together, and Lexi gnawed on her toy bone. (I was a little nervous she was going to get the bone and my foot mixed up at some point, but she did not.)

                And then my weather guy posted that it was HERE. Lexi and I dove into the closet, and Ryan kept an eye on things. Lexi isn’t terrified by storms as some dogs are, but she always knows when it’s really bad. She sat beside me in the closet and didn’t argue when I told her to stay put. We had the leash on her just in case the house ended up with a hole in it and we needed to keep her corralled. Ryan came and checked on us both quite frequently, which we appreciated.

                The worst of it passed before midnight, but we slept on the couch just in case it all came back. (Plus the light show in the sky was still top notch, and Lexi HATES that. I knew a real bedtime wouldn’t serve ANY of us well.) We slept all night long with no more warnings!

                We didn’t have damage here at our property, but there was a lot of bad damage not that far away, and my heart hurts for those who have to start over!

                Thank you, Ryan, for living out your vows in real time. I’m sorry I wasn’t overly encouraging, but I hope you know how much I love you, even when I am shaking in a storm closet!

Let Them

 

                Yesterday was our 148^th monthiversary, and I had every intention of writing to you about the fun we had, but as I’m writing this post to you, we’re hunkered down in the living room, awaiting the arrival of nasty storms. I well imagine we’ll be spending the night in here and doing more radar-stalking than sleeping. So we’ll reserve the full scope of that story for tomorrow.

                Meanwhile, I’ll share with you a meaningful lesson I learned a few days ago.

                I enjoy following an Instagram account called Little House in London. She has a lovely home and regularly posts beautiful, cozy pictures that make me smile.

                Several days ago, she posted a series of pictures full of trees bursting into pink bloom, candles flickering on a dining room table, cozy quilts folded on a bed, and plants – full and green – bringing life to a nook.

                Accompanying the pictures were these words:

                People will have negative opinions about you and every single thing you do.

                LET THEM.

                Let them judge, let them react, let them doubt you, let them question the decisions you’re making.

                Let them be wrong about you.

                Sometimes when I read posts written by those with huge social media followings, I wonder how they ever survive the day-to-day mental blows that come at them from the comment section. It never matters what they do or think, because someone will take issue with it and pound out hateful words.

                I’m glad I don’t have a huge following.

                But I’m not naïve. I know there are those who have negative opinions about my choices, my ideas, my decisions. Most are kind and don’t say them out loud or write them where I can see them. Sometimes, though, it does happen.

                And when I feel judged and doubted and questioned, it is easy to get caught up in it. It’s easy to let those words and opinions dictate my decisions going forward. It’s easy to stifle my excitement because I get caught up in people-pleasing.

                But when I read this, I was reminded of what I know, but I forget. I really do need to let them think the things they’re going to think anyway. And then I need to let them be wrong as I choose to honor the truth of who I am in the Lord and what He asks of me!

                And so I’m going to work on letting them think as they will…and then letting them be wrong…and then? I think maybe I need to work on just letting it go.

       

Birthday Celebrations

 

This past weekend we had the opportunity to celebrate one of Ryan’s grandmothers, who turned 90 years old! Her family put together a beautiful party for her, and we helped with photography, which is one of our favorite things to do.

                Indiana had all kinds of stormy forecasts that day, but it didn’t seem to slow down the crowd from coming through to honor her, and I found it delightful to watch her enjoy the friends and family that came through the line.

                I didn’t know many of them, but now and then, she’d pull me aside to tell me a story or two about someone and how she met them. She’d ask for pictures with others, and everyone was gracious to smile (even the ones who hate having pictures taken).

                Even though there were many unfamiliar faces, I did know some, and it was fun to see people I’d not seen in a while – including one of my fifth grade teachers. She was a treasure when she taught me, and she’s still a treasure now.

                Ryan’s dad, stepmom, and grandma came, and we hadn’t seen them since early January, so it was good to chat with them for a while.

                Here are a few other peeks of party fun:

                Toward the end of the day, Ryan’s aunts graciously encouraged us to go home to try to get ahead of the storm that was fast approaching the area. We managed to stay just ahead of it, and I sure was grateful for that!

                I wore the most impractical shoes for this occasion, and my feet were screaming by the end of the day, but I’m glad we were able to be part of the celebration! 90 years is a significant milestone!

Dreams and Goals for April

 

And just like that…it’s a new month, and that’s no joke. Speaking of jokes, though, I hear that Ryan’s coworkers fooled him big time for an April Fools related video, and I cannot WAIT to see it today. I have heard it was a good one, but I know nothing about the context, nor have I seen even a hint of a teaser. Ryan’s hard to “get,” so this should be fun.

                Today I want to share my accountability list of dreams and goals for this month. Thanks for reading along in this space each month while I offer (in print) the things I would love to accomplish in the days to come.

Celebrate Ryan’s birthday! This won’t happen until later in the month, but it’s a top priority for me! I love celebrating Ryan – any chance I get, really – and his birthday is the perfect time to do so. Both of us have weekday birthdays this year, so we’ll have to be a little creative with our celebrations, but I’m excited for it anyway!

Prepare for Holy Week. Now that I am on the church staff, my responsibilities for Easter have changed a bit! I am teaching a couple of “101” classes at church, I’m helping the deacons with one of our Holy Week events, I’m helping out with a couple of Good Friday services, and then, of course, all of Easter’s happenings. I am really looking forward to being part of all these things, but I also want to prepare my heart for them so they’re not just events to check off – but deeply meaningful for my heart.

Prepare for speaking. As I mentioned yesterday, I’m speaking twice in April and four times in May, so I have some additional preparation to do for all these events. Several are for women’s conferences/brunches, and even when I’m pulling from material I’ve shared before, I want to make sure it is fresh in my heart!

Find my Easter dress. I do plan to get something “new” – at least new to me – to wear to church this year, so I need to step up that search. I’ve kept an eye out at the thrift stores I’ve been to lately, but so far I’ve not found a winner.

Take the next licensing step. After working hard in March to complete what was asked of me for licensing in ministry, I’m now waiting on the next step, which takes place this month.

                I feel like I shouldn’t commit to more than this…not that I won’t have time to achieve more this month, but with so much preparation at stake, I don’t want to ask more of myself than I might reasonably be able to accomplish.

                Those are my goals…do you have one for April?

Updates on Dreams and Goals for March

 

Indiana saw some tumultuous weather yesterday. Ryan and I had to travel back to our home county yesterday to celebrate his grandma’s 90^th birthday, and we scurried out just ahead of the storm clouds. I know some of my friends scattered around the state saw some damage to their property and/or communities yesterday. It’s so scary how quickly little storms can escalate!

                I was also the photographer at the aforementioned party, and I did not wear the appropriate shoes for the occasion. As I’m writing this to you, I am crashed on the couch, feet up, wishing I had one of those automatic foot massagers that I could wear for the next two or three days. 😊

                While my feet scream at me for my poor (but cute) choices, I’ll take time to look back over this month and the goals I made to see how they came to pass…or didn’t.

                Decorate the house with spring in mind. I was so happy to pack away the winter-focused pieces and bring out the lighter décor. I filled vases around the house with spring-feeling flowers, and I pulled out the (very few) pieces that are spring-specific. A few robin eggs, some little birds and nests…it’s not much, but it’s welcoming. And now I need to add the Easter part!

                Continue prepping for spring speaking. I am ready for my two events coming up in April, and I’m working on the ones for May. (I have two in April and four in May.) I am excited about how they’re coming together, and I’m really excited to share with these groups.

                Participate in Lent. It has not been an easy one, but I’ve been on a Lenten journey. I’m fasting sugar/desserts, and it’s not about the food. It’s about how dependent upon it I had become (even though it was far less than I used to consume) and how I needed to be willing to sacrifice that desire for this time. Ryan asked me the other day what this will look like once the season is over, and I don’t know. I know something needs to change in a greater way, but I don’t have the answer yet.

                Take steps toward licensing. I had a big meeting in March that took me one step closer toward being licensed in ministry – and I had to do a writing project to submit to a committee as well. I thoroughly enjoyed both opportunities, and now I await the next step…coming in April!

                Take two on the garden planning. I’ve earmarked a couple of days to be my shopping/planting days in May. I wanted to save a couple because I know weather can easily be a factor, and I need to have backup dates!

And then there were the unplanned/unexpected things that took place this month:

                …an uninvited run-in with the flu.

                …attending Bible Bingo day at our church.

                …helping Ryan plan and put together the birthday party trail mix bar at his work.

                …Ryan was part of Pi(e) day at work.

                …bought my first commentary (for an eventual collection).

                …went to see the local school musical.

                …started teaching an elective Sunday School class at church.

                I call it a successful month! I’m grateful for all we accomplished all around this month. And I’m grateful in advance for nice comfy shoes for this Monday.