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Ivy Grace is Here!

Ivy Grace arrived yesterday at 8:46 am, after a long hard night of labor. Lauren, my daughter, was a trooper - I don't know how she did it! Fourteen hours of intense work to get her here. She and Robert are tired but ecstatic over this little miracle:

Weighing in at 8 lb. 12 oz., Ivy has a good start in life. She is 21.5" long. A KEEPER!

 

Blue eyes and (possibly) reddish hair....and all ten fingers and toes.

 

 

Can you tell I'm in heaven? I'm pinching myself to believe that this is all true!

I'll be back on Monday with the Small Things. For now I'm enjoying this precious new gift by helping my kids settle into life as new parents. It's the most fun I've ever had.

If you'd like to link up for Company Girl Coffee, I'd love to check in on you this weekend. Simply add your blog post URL to the linky tool below and you're all set! And ladies, go check out the blogs that link up and say hello!

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Company Girl Coffee 5.3 + Grandbaby Coming Soon

The Waiting Place

Fifteen Extra Minutes

 

photo from countryliving.com

 

Who am I kidding?

I hate cleaning up the kitchen. Sometimes I just want to scream and run away from the never-ending cycles of food and dishes. They just go on and on and I don't want to wash another plate as long as I live. And that's not overstating it.

Yesterday, I had forgotten to start the dishwasher and the next batch of breakfast/lunch/dinner dishes was piled in the sink. I stacked everything as neatly as I could and then got out of the kitchen. I planned to leave it like that until morning, when I'd have enough courage to face the round of sticky plates and bowls. Yuck. I had enough for one day. I did a mile walk, wrote some emails, worked on a few chores and then grabbed a book so I could disappear into a novel for the rest of the evening.

One last drink of water before heading upstairs. I flipped on the kitchen light and stood there. The dishwasher had finished round one of the dishes and I thought, "well, it would just take a few minutes to unload this so in the morning all I'd have to do is load what's in the sink."

So I unloaded it, then looked at the pile of stacked dishes. "It would just take a few more minutes to go ahead and load these, and then I wouldn't have to wake up to this mess," I mused.

In less than fifteen minutes, the sink area was cleared and wiped down....and I didn't even scream about it. I guess because I thought I was doing something "extra" and "not required" it didn't seem so bad. Wow, I was amazed.

Today's Small Thing is to give yourself an extra fifteen minutes in the kitchen.

Set your timer and go to town. You don't even have to try and beat the clock, because fifteen minutes is A LOT of time when you devote it to one area. Load the dishwasher, wipe down counters, scrub your sink.....whatever is that "extra" step today. You'll probably have time left over on your clock and wonder what to do with those last few minutes.

Amaze yourself in fifteen beautiful little minutes.

 

50 points

 

What did you accomplish in fifteen minutes? Impress us.

Psalm 37:7

Psalm 37:7

 

The Waiting Place

We are still waiting for Baby Ivy to arrive. It's hard not to be anxious and impatient when we want her to get here so badly! Her momma and daddy are so ready to meet her...and at 41 weeks and 2 days, you can imagine how Lauren's body is aching to give birth. Oh, we want that baby!

I sat on my couch yesterday morning, Bible open and coffee in hand. It's the place I go when I'm waiting.

Please, God. Bring Ivy into this world soon. Let her be healthy and strong. Make her perfect and beautiful and wonderful. Bring her now. Please.

I read the last few chapters of the book of Job - the mighty passages in which God speaks out of the whirlwind and reminds Job and his friends that He is the creator and sustainer of all life. They'd demanded answers of Him and He declined to give any....but instead He asks, "Where were you when I created the universe?" He shows His greatness  through examples of nature, and extends mercy to the people who questioned Him.

I don't like to wait. It's hard to trust, the longer it goes.

And yet God, in His infinite wisdom, knows the days and hours of each breath we take. He knows when Ivy will arrive and how many hairs will be on that little round head. He has seen her fingers and toes and bellybutton....He created her and I know I can trust that He will rejoice at her first breath right along with us.

He is here in the waiting. And He is never late.

Are you waiting on something? Maybe a new job, or a new opportunity to arrive. Maybe you're waiting for a husband to make a decision, or a child to be potty-trained. Maybe you're waiting for a conflict to be resolved, or to find out if adoption papers have been approved. It's hard not to be anxious, impatient, questioning.

But God is in your waiting, just as He is in ours as we wait for Ivy.

Today's Small Thing is two-fold:

1. Spend some time in your "waiting place." On your couch, in your bedroom, or at your kitchen table. Perhaps take a walk. Somewhere where you can be still.

2. Commit your situation to the Lord. Rest in Him.

The Bible is filled with scriptures on waiting. It does my heart good to meditate on them.

Psalm 37:7 says, "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him...."

Psalm 27:14 "Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD."

Isa. 40:31 "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength...."

When we actively and intentionally meet with Him and surrender to Him, He is able to step in and work...always in His timing and in His way. He is God of the universe and holds all things in the palm of His hand. In light of His greatness, our own situations seem small and simple for Him to handle, don't they?

We can rest in knowing that He is with us...even in the waiting.

40 points for spending intentional time in your waiting place.

 

Is there something you are praying about? You can share it in the comments here, or drop me an email. I'll be happy to wait with you....and pray for God's timing.

 

Hello Fruit, My Old Friend + Company Girl Coffee

 

Hey, when is the last time you had a big, juicy piece of fruit?

If you're struggling to remember, it's a safe bet that's too long ago.

Personally, I'm just coming out of a sugar-induced coma, what with all the cookies I've eaten since I had to bake them for my son's home-coming from college. The things moms do for their kids. Such sacrifice.

So here's Today's Small Thing: Take the fruit out of your fridge and set it out in a bowl as an edible centerpiece. 

Or you can artfully cut it up however you like.  The point is, get fruity for a day and enjoy what is long forgotten in our busy lives: things that aren't packaged and processed. 

We recently rekindled a love affair with clementines, simply by putting them in a bowl on the counter!  Even little fingers can peel them and eat them like candy.  A bag of clementines cost me just a little more than a bag of Cheetos.  Both snacks are bright orange, but only one of them makes you glad you ate it afterwards.

And here's a handy guide, provided by the USDA, that shows what we should be eating....not a Cheeto in sight.

I will have to stop at the grocery store to fulfill today's task, but I have renewed incentive to stock up on fruit.....points.

 

POINTS: 40 for setting out some fruit or arranging a fruit plate

BONUS POINTS: 10 per person in the family who eats at least 1 serving (1/2 cup) (long-lost relatives not included)

What is YOUR favorite fruit? Do you have a good technique to get yourself (and your family) to eat more fruit?

 

 

Let's have some coffee and catch up. I did not have a chance to stop in at last week's blogs, but I plan to do better this week!

I know you're wondering about the baby. My grandbaby. The baby that will rock my world. Well, we are still waiting for my daughter's baby to arrive! Little Ivy was due on Monday, so of course we are on pins and needles, hoping she'll pop into the world soon! Mama is feeling good, but getting anxious to meet that little one...so please send up a prayer for her, would you? Plus, I really really want to hold her. :)

What's going on in your life? Link up below and let us know! Company Girl Coffee is an easy way to say hello to new and old friends...and we'd love to get to know you!

Stack Attack!

The Stack, baby. It's been months since we've attacked a stack. So whaddaya say we do it today?

Stacks are my go-to organizational "system."

When things get messy, I simply gather up the clutter and pile it into stacks. It's a temporary fix that puts a bandaid on a larger problem.

Stacks of books. Stacks of papers. Stacks of bills. Stacks of DVD's. Stacks of folded clothes. Stacks of things on the stairs.

But every so often, the stacks have got to get dismantled or I find myself shifting stacks around to find things. I know from past experience that ya'll know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. 

The last time we did a stack attack was in December. Why, that's almost six months of unabated stacking! Horrifying. But this is one of my favorite tasks. Why? Because in a few minutes flat, I can demolish a bunch of stacks like a whirlwind of organizational greatness.

 

Today's Small Thing is this: See how many stacks you can get rid of in 15 minutes.

 

Oh, is that too long? OK, 5 minutes, then.

When I see a stack go away, it gives me a feeling of accomplishment. It might just be a stack of dishes by the sink that I obliterate, but it's enough to boost my confidence and self esteem. YES, I DO ROCK!!!

So....Go! Demolish a stack today! Whittle that baby down to nothing and see if you don't stand a little taller and throw your shoulders back and chin out. I see that swagger! You go right ahead a brag.....after all, YOU ROCK!!

What stack is bugging you? How long has it been there? Longer than a week? A month? Get rid of it today!

Points

Share your stack story! You're among friends.

Make Me Liar Then

Proverbs 15:1

"I'm dropping my shirts off at the drycleaners," my husband, Tom, said as we were leaving for town. He had five or six shirts crumpled up in his arms that needed a good wash and a stiff starch.

 

"Don't forget to bring in your wallet, because they charge you when you drop off your stuff," I replied, happy that I wouldn't be washing those shirts myself.

"No they don't. They don't charge you until you pick them up." He looked at me like I didn't know what I was talking about.

"Yes, they do. They do charge you at drop off." I argued. "Otherwise, they'd do the work and people wouldn't come in and get their clothes and they'd be out the money."

"I've never been charged until I pick up my shirts. I've done this for years."

We went around a few more times, each of us convinced we were right.

Finally, I smiled and shrugged at him, "OK." I realized it wasn't worth arguing over something he would soon find out for himself.

And he did. They charged him at drop off. 

I didn't even have to say anything about it when he got back into the car.

"Where should we eat?" I asked instead.

I don't know how things go down at your house, but sometimes my husband and I argue over the most insignificant things. Silly stuff.

• How far it is to College Station.
• Who was the last person to use the jam (and forgot to put it away).
• How long I was in labor.
• Was it a green shirt or a blue shirt I was wearing that night?
• How much we paid for something.
• What we ate last time we were at this restaurant.

And right when tensions are getting really high and each of us really wants to be the one who is RIGHT, somebody will pull out a phrase borrowed from Tom's grandpa, "Well, make a liar out of me for a dollar." Or a mile, or an hour, or when you get charged for shirts.

It's a funny way to diffuse those tensions that escalate over the things that don't really matter. A reminder that, for the detail of a dollar or an hour or an enchilada, it isn't worth making the other person a liar. It works everytime.

Today's Small Thing is to diffuse a disagreement or soften a tense situation. Instead of getting caught up in being "right," let your goal be "peace."

There are many ways you can stop an argument in its tracks. You can use humor, a soft answer, a change of subject, or simple refusal to get drawn in. You can choose to agree to disagree, or you can acquiesce to the other. Will it kill you, when you know you are right, to let the other person have the last word? Of course not. What would be the worst that could happen if you shrugged and said, "You're probably right. Let's not argue about it?"

Of course, there are situations when standing your ground is important - life decisions, moral situations, buying a boat.....but even then, it is important to remember that "a soft answer turns away wrath,"(Prov. 15:1) and that prayer and time may be a woman's greatest assets.

Points

If you don't have an opportunity to argue or get into a tussle today, I'll give you through Friday to work something up. Wait, that sounds like you're looking for a fight....THAT'S not what I meant. I just meant you have until Friday to implement some diffusion. :)

Please share! What's YOUR favorite diffusion tactic? Have you had a situation where a soft answer has made all the difference?

A Baseboard Epiphany

Recently, I was meandering into our upstairs bathroom to put some makeup on.  Just as I was passing through the door, my eyes fell on something I hadn't noticed in a good, long while.

I stopped, backed up and did a double take.

I leaned down to inspect.

The baseboards right there were FILTHY! UGH!

Since I was in the bathroom, I naturally reached under the sink to find my handy cleaners.Tucked inside the bright Dollar Tree bin was a small whisk broom.  I grabbed it and went into action.

Running that cute little whisk broom along the edge of the baseboard was easy.  It was only about a 4 foot stretch of molding, so it just took a second.  But it was so euphoric!

With the baby broom in my hand, I looked around.  Hey!  There's another section!  I fairly floated over to it, repeated the quick motions, and was again thrilled with the instantaneous results.

I realized, in that moment of epiphany, that a clean baseboard is a ticket to household nirvana! Itsays something about you.

It says: you are the Diva of Clean, the Goddess of Goodness, the Queen of Pristine!

Oh, I like the way that feels.

Today's Small Thing is to dust off the baseboards in one room. 

You can pick a small room, if you like.  But simply take a broom, dust mop or cloth (try a dryer sheet!) and run it along the top of the molding.  With each passing foot, you will start to come alive. And by the time you've circled the room, you'll have to put weights on your ankles to keep you from floating into the sky.

The joy!  The rapture!  The dust-free delight!

Seriously, you will love it.

But wait! There's more.....

POINTS: 40 for realizing your dust-free dreams by doing one room

BONUS POINTS: 40 for an additional room

BONUS BONUS POINTS: 40 for doing one more room

120 rapturous points!

Do you have any basboard cleaning tips? Please share!

What's On Monday's Agenda?

Did you wake up lethargically after a full weekend, and wonder what you should do today? You're not alone. Most people let the day dictate to them, rather than taking control and dictating what happens to the day. It's Monday, after all. It's hard to be decisive and proactive.

I sometimes get decisive and proactive by Tuesday or possibly Wednesday...but by then I've lost a whole day (or two) that could have been put to better use.

So let me ask you the same question I'm asking myself: Do you have a Housekeeping Schedule? Awesome! Since you do, what's on it today?

Now, if you don't have one, don't panic. Today, you'll just pretend you do and you'll be fine. You can do a review in the link above and *try it out* for one day before you commit. It's like a test drive, if you will.

Monday is my day to catch up on the cleaning I didn't do over the weekend. THAT, my friends, is actually on my schedule. Lame though it may sound, it works for me because I need a lop-over day to get the REST of the week under control. Don't judge.

Today's Small Thing is to pull out your Housekeeping Schedule and dust it off. Get today's tasks done for a successful start to a very successful week.

For you new-to-this-schedule-thing friends, don't be intimidated by today's Small Thing. You could simply ask yourself: If I DID have a schedule, what would I put on Monday's list? Start small and simple........if you read through my posts about it (click on the links within the post) you'll see that I don't believe in packing too much in. A Gal's gotta go easy, especially at first.

 

Let's get points for this:

What's on your docket today? How quickly can you complete it? Tasks usually take the time you allot them....but that is for another post. :)

Five Things I Learned on My Blog Break

I took a break from blogging for the month of April so I could focus on writing a book. The month went by sooo fast, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed my time away from the computer. I didn't completely step away from social media, but I did cut way back, and it felt great. I learned a few things on my break, here are five:

1. The world doesn't stop, just because I say "no" to something.

Saying "no" to my blog - something I love - was hard. Would everyone leave me for a "better" blog? Would my precious readers sink into despair without me? No, of course not. The world kept turning on its axis and didn't skip a beat. That's both humbling and freeing. Sometimes, even good things should be shelved for awhile, just so you can breathe. The world will still be there when you get back.

2. Focusing is a skill, and I've gotten rusty.

Just like adding numbers in your head, or riding a bike, or playing the piano, it helps to keep your skills sharp. The more you do it, the better you are at it. I struggled more than I anticipated I would. I realized I need to practice focusing on one thing at a time...and the more I do it, the better I'll become at it. Focus helps my creativity and makes me more productive.

3. My husband appreciates my attention.

My husband, Tom, is a saint. He has indulged my blog habit for almost seven years. Sometimes it means he spends the evening alone, or worse, goes to bed alone while I write. I try to tuck my writing into spaces of the day that won't interfere with our time, but it doesn't always work out and I hate that. He loves when I sit with him on the couch without checking my phone for emails and twitter updates. He appreciates when we have conversations...and when we go to bed at the same time. It's good to remember what makes your partner happy - and do it.

4. Television is overrated. Except for PBS.

Having a little more time on my hands meant I surfed the TV for something to watch. PBS has some great shows...I just stumbled across the series The Bletchley Circle and a couple other British dramas. Other than that, its a huge waste of time.

5. Most of social media is mind-clutter.

Just like the "Three Bags Full" task yesterday, social media takes regular decluttering. I cleaned out my email inbox (well, I started anyway), and took some notification apps from off my phone. I got off a couple of mailing lists. I took walks without my phone. I sat outside and listened to the air and the birds and the leaves. A clutter-free mind is a beautiful thing... and it's amazing how light on your feet you feel when you don't have to know everyone's latest Facebook updates.

 

Today's Small Thing is to take one of my "Five Things Learned" above and make your own challenge.

• Can you say "no" to something - even something that you love, if it is for a greater good?

 

• Are your focusing skills rusty? Take out a Sudoku book, a pair of knitting needles, a craft project, a crossword puzzle....and be intentional about your focus. Turn off outside distractions - TV, music, noise - and simply savor the art of doing ONE THING at a time. It feels wonderful.

 

• Spend time talking directly to, or listening directly to your man. Notice his eyes and his smile. Ask him open-ended questions: "what do you think about....?" or "how do you feel about.....?" I can assure you, he will appreciate it.

 

• Turn off the TV. Take a walk. Read a book.

 

• Mind-clutter: turn off "notifications," and set social media aside for a day. Get back in touch with the beauty of being. Simply being.

 

• Think of your own twist on this....how can you apply it?

 

points

Because you really have to be intentional about this.

 

Which challenge did you choose and why? How did it affect your day?

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