Category: Life

Adventures of a Working Woman: How to Clean Your House & Keep Your Sanity

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2014-07-24 18.05.50
and so it begins…

Am I the only one that is running on caffeine and Jesus? My days start before daylight and end long after sunset. On any given day I am burning through the midnight oil and into the next day’s allotment! As I scroll through Pinterest I am bombarded with pins and posts with lengthy/complicated cleaning schedules, tips for cleaning tile grout, and fancy new techniques to fold my socks. I can help but think to myself, “Is this real life?” I don’t know about you, but right now I am lucky if I can find a pair of matching socks (I swear my dryer eats them), and the shower grout is the last thing on my mind when my head hits the pillow each night! I don’t need another thing to add to the to-do list and I CERTAINLY do not need another thing to feel overwhelmed or insecure about.

I have to get rid of my perfection infection at the front door. I live with a two year old. My husband and I work…a lot. We love to travel and escape on adventures whenever we get a free second. My faith, my family, and our amazing memory-filed adventures are what matters most to me. While I often have to put these things into perspective for myself and realize that is truly important, I also know that our lives function more smoothly when we are in a doing life in a tidy home. Things just seem to flow, and we are able to truly relax in our space. While my husband and I work outside of the home, and we both do our fair share of the work, I feel a certain responsibility to my family to make sure that our home is one that we can truly take pride in.

So…I did what I always do when I feel overwhelmed. I made a list. I gave myself 30 minutes each day and divided the tasks over a week. I set a few ground rules for myself: #1 Set a timer for 30 minutes max, and stop whenever that buzzer dings, no exceptions! #2 Only touch the clutter once, this means no piles and no pushing stuff around from room to room. #3 Put away perfection! I made this chart to help me visualize everything and added these tasks into my planner each week.

I have found that often even the most well-intentioned plans cannot run on willpower alone. If I have a system in place I can in turn build a habit, and that consistency over time allows me to build momentum and find success (with a little help from that caffeine and Jesus, of course)!

Check-Out The Schedule I Use:

Working Girl’s Cleaning Schedule

Mommy Milestone: When Parenting Feels Like Failure

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I am pretty sure that parenthood is a constant practice in the art of failure. You see,  I know that this parenting gig is going to be full of ups and downs, but as I clean up an “accident” off of the kitchen floor for the 1,232 time during our never-ending potty training saga I feel a twinge of guilt. What am I doing wrong? Why can’t I get her to understand that the she needs to go in the potty instead of all over the floor in front our dinner guests from Church. What will they think? Maybe I should consult the all-knowing Mr. Google….

So here I am tonight. I am acutely aware of the fact that I can not and will not always be able to do the right thing for her (despite my best intentions), but ultimately it is Christ who holds her future. I can not make her into a good little girl, productive citizen, or successful adult, no more than I can grant her eternal life. Tonight I rest in the fact that He is all that she or I will ever need, and He certainly does not have a fear of failure.

 

Coming Up For Air…

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How many times have you swam in the ocean or a swimming pool and dove down as deep as your lungs and your legs will take you? As every inch of your body searches for the water’s surface you stretch and strain, and when your nostrils fill with air you suddenly feel relieved, rejuvenated, and filled with life-preserving and sustaining oxygen.

This is my life. A new job, a new house, a little girl who is all of a sudden a toddler, and a husband whom I have had the blessing of sharing life with for over seven years. With new professional responsibilities and a more demanding work schedule the past nine months have been a time of growth, pruning, and sacrifice. God has humbled me in some areas and given me courage and strength in others. This year my prayer has been (will continue to be) for wisdom.

This year, like all of the years past, I have cried, laughed, and loved. God in his mercy, grace, and faithfulness has been steadfast in guiding and equipping our family even in the midst of my doubts and fears. While each day brings new challenges, it also brings opportunity. I look forward to the start of each day and coming up for air…

PS: We didn’t get a ton of action items off of the bucket list, but we managed to have quite a bit of fun!

 

 

 

 

 

Mega-Super Big Bucket List Task: Building Our Dream Home

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Well folks, it is finally really happening…

Here’s a quick recap for you viewers at home:

-April 2014 put house on the market
-24 home showings and three offers later…
-October 2014 sold our first home!
-October 2014 bought our first storage shed and moved in with family
-December 2014 land cleared!!
-January 2015 land officially deeded to us!
-February 2015 closed on building loan
-March 2015 broke ground on property
-April 2015 building during rainy season…
-May 2015 framing!!

My mind is constantly consumed with minute details such as door hardware and styles of facets…basically I am eating it all up and hungry for more!!

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Saturday With Addie: New Rides and New Kicks

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Confession: This weekend was a lot of fun. Too much fun probably… You see, I only have a few more months left to go until I earn my Ed.S degree (ekkk!) from Georgia Southern and I should have been working on my action research thesis. I should have been getting ahead of some Gifted certification course work, grading papers, and myriad of other school related tasks. I will get it done eventually, but it didn’t happen this weekend.

Reality: Here is what did go on this weekend…

1. Friday Waring and I ran the Shamrock Run. I will admit I didn’t want to run. It was cold. Our running buddies were sick. Did I mention it was sick. I would have muuuuuch rather curled up on the couch, ate a greasy burger, and watch another Hallmark movie. But….when it was all said and done I am glad that we finished strong. Waring and I are passionate about the March of Dimes because of all that they have done for Baby Addie. You see, when Addie was first born she had respiratory distress. She needed a special drug that was developed through the funding and support of this wonderful charity. This wonderful weekend with Addie was made possible because of the heroic efforts of the March of Dimes, and for that reason we ran and will keep running for years to come.

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2. Saturday morning HUBBY got to ride a Lamborghini, and subsequently marked a HUGE item off of his own bucket list! (Thanks Mom and Dad for this thrilling Christmas gift!)

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3. Addie got some new kicks. See the evidence below… AND she showed them off at my cousin Grace’s Sweet 16 Party. She was a showstopper!!

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Verdict:

Now, doesn’t this weekend sound MUCH better than being holed up in a room with a laptop and a bunch of articles and data?!? Let me answer that for you. YES, yes it does. I WILL get the work done, and I WILL probably have to be up late (very late) in the near future to get everything finished. This weekend was worth it!

Our Saturday With Addie: Valentine’s Day

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Valentine’s Day is different with a kid. It is just a fact. I don’t think the day is necessarily any less sweet or special, but like many aspects of life post kid, it is just a bit different. There isn’t a big fuss or to do about “valentine plans” or elaborate gifts.. but the love I feel for Waring and Addie is real and it is genuine, and I think that is about all that matters.

We woke up early and played kitchen and colored and all of the usual Saturday morning around the house activities until Addie’s morning nap. After said nap we struck out towards Statesboro with Hubby’s parents. We had a quick lunch in the ‘boro and then separated for the guys to go to the driving range and the girls to go shopping.

We made it back home in time to plan small group for the next day, work on grad school homework and play for a little while longer.

I am not sure where the day went! Whew!!

Here are some highlights of the entire weekend:

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Our Saturday With Addie

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I think I have mentioned this before, but did you know that there are only 940 Saturdays between your child’s birth and the day they turn 18! That’s it. 940…not even 1000! It really just blows my mind in a “is this real life” kind of way. Maybe I am selfish, but I want MANY more than that.

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There will be many uneventful, painfully mundane Saturdays spent cleaning, doing homework, being sick, or dare I say, bored. BUT, with the finite amount out Saturday time we have I want to make them count. I want to document them..the good..the bad..the boring…so here’s a start.

Last Saturday was a good one (you know, the kind where you don’t really have anything planned so you can do whatever you want….). Addie woke us up before dawn, of course and because the weather was supposed to be yucky we decided to go on adventure indoors. We arrived at Chuck E. Cheese right as it opened. Most of the games were far too old for Addie, but honestly she had a blast just looking at the machines, seeing Chuck E. and squealing at the other kids as they ran around!

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Next we grabbed some lunch at a new restaurant in town with Mom and Dad. By early afternoon we were back at home to let Addie get her nap out. We realized we still had a few more hours of daylight left so we decided to get a little jog in around Baker’s pond with Addie in the stroller. She loved telling the ducks “hey” and going playing at the playground on the way out. To finish our busy little Saturday, we grabbed some groceries at Walmart and dinner from McAllister’s before calling it a night! WHEW! Time flies when you are having fun. Here’s to next Saturday!

940 Saturdays

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I saw a book this past week entitled 940 Saturdays. Apparently that is the number of weekends that will pass between your child’s birth and their 18th birthday. Wow, just 940. Undoubtedly some of these weekends will be spent on vacation or having birthday parties and celebrations, but most of these weekends will probably pass by without thought or reflection on their importance and scarcity. This little book was another wake up calls for me that Team Too Busy (that is our nickname now, as you know…) needs to STOP. REFLECT. ENJOY. and FIGHT FOR OUR TIME AS A FAMILY. There are so many distractions today from smartphones and apps to grad school and grown up responsibilities, but I want to fight for each of our 940 Saturdays together. Whether our time is spent in Monterey, CA catching a killer wave or catnapping on the couch in small town Georgia, I WANT OUR TIME TO MATTER!

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With these 940 days in mind, this is how we spent our Saturday this past weekend:

We woke up early (as usual) and set up Addie’s new play kitchen. This is actually her Christmas present from Mimi and Papa, but they couldn’t wait for her to try it out. Next, we made our way to Christine and Jared’s Gender Reveal Party. Surprise! They are having a BOY! Finally, we made our way back home to spend some family time with Waring’s cousin’s family and the grandparents. Addie felt pretty lousy still from getting her flu shot yesterday, but we still managed okay. We made Christmas salt dough ornaments, handprint bulb ornaments, finger painted crosses, and watched the Elf on the Shelf movie, and topped it all off with hotdogs and S’MORES!

Every moment matters!

Best Thanksgiving Ever!

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I am a little late….but in case you were wondering, this year was the best Thanksgiving EVER!

 

At her Granny's (Great Grandma Mary) she wanted to walk everywhere like a big kid. This was the last weekend that she needed our hand to walk...
At her Granny’s (Great Grandma Mary) she wanted to walk everywhere like a big kid. This was the last weekend that she needed our hand to walk…
She is trying to bring Gigi some Double or Nothing luck!
She is trying to bring Gigi some Double or Nothing luck!
Playing double or nothing...a family tradition.
Playing double or nothing…a family tradition.
Addie loves when Daddy throws her in the air...but not too far!
Addie loves when Daddy throws her in the air…but not too far!

This Fall has certainly been crazy for Team Too Busy (that is our family’s new nickname…and it is certainly fitting!) It was great to be able to spend a few days with family resting and reflecting upon the past year.

Blessings in which we are thankful to God for:

-The health of our family

-A growing little munchkin affectionately referred to as “Baby Addie”

-The sell of our first home

-Plans for the building of our dream home right next door to family

-Waring’s graduation from Luther Rice Seminary and Bible College this December!

-Friendships that can withstand moving across the country, to other continents, and training for a half-marathon

-The ability to cross many new things off the Ole Bucket List

-The gift of grace, mercy, and salvation through Christ

This Thanksgiving was EXTRA SPECIAL because I got the opportunity to mark off TWO Bucket List Items:

1. The start of a new tradition: Thanksgiving Table Cloth! (Each year I will get all of our family to sign their names and a little message. I will hand stich embroidery over the names. Each year the names will be stitched in a different color to denote a different year. Pretty soon we will have a FULL table cloth representing how FULL our lives are as we surround ourselves with family and friends each holiday season.

This is an example of what it will look like in a few years!
This is an example of what it will look like in a few years!

2. The next occurred after Thanksgiving, and is something that I have always wanted to do: Trapeze Lessons! Thanks to my sister, AJ, who is always up for my crazy schemes and outrageous ideas, we drove to Orlando, climbed a 30ft ladder, and took the leap! We had a blast…and I think AJ may change her major to Trapeze/Circus Performing Arts.

Whoa!
Whoa!
Watching my crazy Aunt and Mama!
Watching my crazy Aunt and Mama!
Before...we are nervous!
Before…we are nervous!
Trapeze Artists...
Trapeze Artists…
So. Much. Fun! There isn't anything like accomplishing something you didn't think you were capable of doing!
So. Much. Fun! There isn’t anything like accomplishing something you didn’t think you were capable of doing!

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***Also, Waring got to do something he had always wanted to do…go to the Turkey Rod Run in Daytona, FL. Going to this car show has always been something he has wanted to do, but something has always come up. This year we were able to take a family mini-vacay! Addie got to play on the Beach, we shopped with Mama, AJ and I swung from a trapeze bar, and Dad and Waring got to drool over thousands of classic cars and outrageous hotrods. I can’t wait until next year. It was a blast!

SAND!
SAND!
Addie LOVED The Beach!
Addie LOVED The Beach!
Watching the Wiggles with G-PA!
Watching the Wiggles with G-PA!
Bathtime with Addie is never a dull moment!
Bathtime with Addie is never a dull moment!
Look Ma...NO HANDS!
Look Ma…NO HANDS!
Aunt AJ...I want to walk faster!
Aunt AJ…I want to walk faster!