Now that you've found me, you might be curious. Is this an organizational blog? A motivational blog? A mommy blog? A decorating blog? A marriage and parenting blog? A change-your-life blog?
Oh. Yes.
It's all that....and more. Scroll down for the daily Small Things: easy tips, tricks and tasks to help make your home a great place to be! Join us....we'd love to have you along.
Rachel Anne - {wife, mom, writer, dreamer, doodler, home keeper and friend}
The other day, I was thinking about the donkey that Mary might have ridden to Bethlehem. Seeing Flash out there in the pasture gave me an inkling of what that four-footed guy might have been like. Want to read more? Head over to Priscilla's blog for my thoughts today.
Christmas is a week away! I'm happy to report that I finally went out and bought a few presents the other night...can you believe I'm just getting started? I guess along with "simplifying," we are also streamlining the gifts this year, and it seems like there are fewer to purchase. Give me one afternoon and I should be good.
Now FINDING that afternoon in the next week may be a challenge!
I will be taking off from blogging and the Small Things until Monday, Dec. 28 so I can focus on my sweet family and a big end-of-year work project to finish. I will miss meeting up with you everyday! But I know everyone is busy, and your lives are just as full this time of year.
I wish each of you a wonderful Christmas. I pray that the beauty of the season finds you and brings you a renewed sense of God's peace and promise....that whatever is going on in your life, you will see His wonder and experience His grace in a fresh way. Last year's December verse still resonates with me, and maybe it will with you, too.
I'd love for you to link up for a virtual cup of coffee...a To-Go cup is fine as we rush off to our activities...but let us know what is going on in your life! Did you tell a Christmas memory on your blog? Leave a link so we can enjoy your tale! If you aren't a blogger, just chat in the comment section.
Give me a lecture with a bunch of facts and figures, and I'll be asleep in seconds. But spin a tale that illustrates those facts, and I'm glued to edge of my seat, waiting for the next detail. I love a great story.
To be honest, I even love mediocre stories.
My grandmother was an excellent storyteller. She could remember funny jokes and silly tales...perfect for entertaining her wiggly grandchildren and generations of Sunday School kids. I especially loved to hear stories from her childhood, of growing up in a family of homesteaders on Vashon Island, Washington. Like most people back then, they were poor, and a good Christmas was when they got fresh oranges in their stockings. They picked berries in the summer, walked to school, and were strictly forbidden to play on Sundays. I loved how she'd laugh and pat her knee as she reminisced about those days.
We have few treasures that have been passed down from generations past, but we do have the thread of family stories. The funny thing is, to my grandparents and parents, they were simply telling about normal, unexceptional life as they knew it. But to us, it is a window into a world gone by - a glimpse that gives us appreciation for what they experienced and what shaped them. And it's part of what shapes US because it knits us together through their words.
Today's Small Thing is to tell a story. You might not think you are a good storyteller, but don't let that stop you. I'll make this easy by giving you a simple subject: a favorite Christmas memory from your past.
You may tell a child, a friend, a spouse. You may leave a comment. You may blog about it. Just share one memory that brings a smile to your face when you recall it. Was it a gift you received? The smell of a pine tree? A proposal? Making cookies? A favorite ornament? It doesn't have to be fancy or elaborate...just a snippet of your past that gives a glimpse into what has shaped YOU!
POINTS: 40 for "spinning a yarn" about a Christmas memory
What's your favorite Christmas memory to share?
You don't have to have "special" candles to enjoy this small thing. If you've got a wax stump with a wick, fire it up and live a little. Grab a couple small Christmas balls to place around it and you've got yourself a festive, decadent treat. Who knew that something so small could make such a statement!
POINTS: 40 for enjoying one lit candle sometime today
I don't want to forget them.
Girls, The Eagle has Landed.
We got our Christmas tree up this weekend!
And the house is decorated. It was a one-day wonder...whatever didn't get done on Saturday, is not going to be done this year. I'm good with that.
Time to move on to baking and shopping, both of which I have not started.
Then why has my kitchen already taken such a hit? I think Thanksgiving came before I had a chance to give it a good cleaning, and then the past couple of weeks got a little crazy. I made some chocolate chip cookies (which don't count as holiday baking) yesterday and decided I was going to have to take some damage control measures before any more activity takes place in there. Just the dishes, the DISHES have multiplied beyond imagination. What. is. up?
See, these brownies don't count as Christmas goodies either, but they didn't help the mess.
This is my niece, Annie.
So let's have some fun with multiplying some points in the kitchen today!
Sweep Floor: 30
Mop Floor: 30
Wipe Down Stove Top: 40
Wipe Down Counters: 30
Wash all dishes (so that at least ONCE today there is nothing in the sink): 40
Unload dishwasher: 20
Wipe out microwave: 20
If I've added correctly, you could earn up to 210 points today! The MOST I've ever given on a single day.
But desperate times call for desperate measures.
Whew! I'm mighty glad the last couple of weeks are OVER! They were just too full for my taste. I'm not one of those Type A people who get adrenalin highs from non-stop action. I like the kind of thrills that come with a day filled with butterflies and kittens, perhaps a cup of tea on the porch with a good book...now THAT'S a high, honey. Well, this wasn't that.
I finally caught my breath on Wednesday, when I had a chance to babysit my four year old niece, Annie. What a delight to snuggle under a blanket with a snack and watch "Horton Hears a Who!" Here is a little video of me mentoring her in how to handle stress. Because it's never too early to start on that lesson, and I take my mentoring role seriously.
For some reason, only part of my little movie uploaded, so I guess you'll have to see my harvest gold oven some other time.
Are you ready for Christmas? Christmas starts TODAY, darn it, at my house. I'm finally going to put a tree up and decorate! I've had to swallow the little lump in my throat over not having things up and going for my "baby" 15 year old son, who still loves all the hoopla of the holiday. And who can blame him? His mama needs to get it together.
Say, there is a really cool giveaway over at Going Beyond today. Every Friday until the end of January, Priscilla is giving away some awesome Dave Ramsey books and tools as part of "Frugal Friday." Want some BONUS POINTS today?? Leave a comment over there with your frugal tip, and take 30 extra points! Merry Christmas.
Now, have some fun by linking up and inviting your Company Girls over for a virtual cup of coffee or tea. It's easy, and you don't even have to clean before web-guests arrive! Have a great weekend, everyone.
What else could be added to this list? Leave suggestions in the comments (or link to your blog) so we can pick 3 easy ones and waltz across the finish line with style!
POINTS: 40 for doing 3 things
