Home Sanctuary

It's that time of the month again

OK, it's not THAT time of the month, silly.  It's THIS time of the month, in which we report in our points for the month of May!  No feminine products involved.

Last night, after watching the season finale of LOST, I sat down to post and happened to glance at the calendar.  WHAT??  May is GONE and I didn't even realize it!  I never even gave you girls advance warning to add up your points!  I hate to spring this on you, but TODAY IS THE DAY to turn them in for your chance to win prizes!

So let's review what the prizes are:

For Most Points, the winner will receive this apron from wrapables.com:


This apron seriously makes me want to pop a roast in the oven and make a dessert with a French-sounding name.  Honestly, wouldn't you feel cute and kinda sexy in this stylish thing? 

The Random Drawing winner will receive signed copies of these:





The book is life changing.  And the CD is awesome.

To be eligible for the Random Drawing, all you had to do was participate at least 5 times during the month.  You don't have to add up any numbers!

Today's Small Thing is a TWO-STEP process:

1.  Email me your point tally privately.  My link is in the upper left hand corner of this site.  Since I didn't give you advance warning and since it is a weekend, I will extend the time to turn in points until SUNDAY.  But let me encourage you to do it today if possible!

2.  Leave a comment letting us know what your favorite Small Thing was or how doing them is helping you create your own Home Sanctuary.  The purpose of leaving a comment is not for MY benefit, but it encourages all of us in a big way to keep making progress, one step at a time.  And it encourages those girls who may be just thinking about getting involved to really jump in and get started.  It helps build community and I appreciate each and every comment.  If you've never commented before, don't be shy!

POINTS: 30 points for the two steps, to go toward your May score.

On Monday I will announce our winners!

Go Beyond

You may have to do a little bit of thinking today, but I promise it won't fry any brain cells.  This isn't rocket science, it's just a small exercise in developing a new mental habit.  Let me explain.

I wasn't feeling well the other day, so I laid on the couch and considered watching TV all day.  Partway into the View I decided I couldn't take Whoopi for one more minute so I slowly got up and began looking around the house.  A busy week certainly had taken its toll and it didn't make me feel any better to face it.

Since I was sick, I let myself off the hook to get ANYTHING done.  I "should" have laid on the couch and nursed my aching head.  But I thought, "I'll just do the dishes before I lie back down."

I saw the stacks of laundry and thought, "I'll just fold one load and then I'll put my feet up."

And, "Any minute now, I'm going to close my eyes.  But first I will wipe off the counters."

And several times, I DID lie down.  Man, it felt good.  But since I wasn't expecting myself to accomplish anything, it seemed like each small thing I did was a major victory.  I wanted to do them.

I did not win any speed-cleaning prizes that day.  I didn't even get all that much done.  But by the end of the day, when I looked around I was surprised at how much better things looked because I went just a little bit beyond what I thought I could do.

Today's Small Thing is to go beyond.  Take a look at your To Do's and pick one item.  With that one thing, take it a step beyond what you normally do with it.  For example:

• Washing dishes: dry them and put them away instead of letting them air dry all day in a rack
• Folding clothes: put them into the drawers instead of leaving them on the bed
• Making dinner:  wash up the utensils as you go
• Picking up toys: put them neatly in their place instead of chucking them into a pile
• Making up beds: place the nice pillows on them even though you know they'll just get thrown off again
• Brushing your teeth: wipe down the sink when you're through

You see, you don't HAVE to take that last step to complete a job.  With the busy lives we lead, we are used to doing the bare minimum and moving on.  That's called survival. But sometimes, taking a moment to put some icing on the cake with a little extra effort makes our lives seem richer.  Better.  Classier. 

I like that.

What can you do today to Go Beyond what you expect of yourself?  Make it as simple as you'd like.  You're trying on something new and it may take awhile to get used to a different mindset.  If you've failed in the past, don't let that stop you from taking a baby step toward excellence.  Remember, you don't HAVE to be excellent all day long.  Just pick one thing and do it better.

POINTS:  Oooh!  This is a good one!  50 points for going beyond today!

Let us know:  what ONE THING are you taking to the next level?  I'm going to put all my toiletries AWAY instead of leaving them on the bathroom counter.  Simple, but quite excellent.

Bite This, Dust

Song Disclaimer:  Please excuse today's song by Queen, but I couldn't resist it for today's theme...


Living in Texas has definite advantages.  Warm weather, hot weather, the blazing sun and the heat being just four of them.  We also have gargantuan insects and poisonous snakes, but that doesn't really bother you after awhile.  And did I mention that it's very windy here?

Oh, how the wind blows....and with it comes a layer of dust that appears magically and settles on everything in sight.  I swear, I dust the furniture and by the time I finish the house it's time to start all over. 

Being kind of a "low energy" person, I admit to accepting dust as a way of life.  Not accepting dustING, just the dust.  I'm the type of person who embraces that old poem about letting the dust bunnies wait because I have more important things to do.  It speaks to my soul on so many levels.

Today's Small Thing is to deal with the dust in ONE room.  I'll betcha that several of you cleaned your coffee tables yesterday and then just kept on a-goin.  If you kept dusting beyond your table yesterday, I'm going to give you RETRO points (20 of them!) for showing such gumption!

For the rest of us, we'll get 40 points for dusting off the items in one room.  If you want to earn 20 more, just keep on going into ONE other room (OK, you can do more than one if you insist, but you really don't have to.)

You could earn 60 points today, plus the bonus 20 from yesterday if you already dusted.

What's your dusting method?  Feather duster? Pledge and a cloth?  Blow the dust off? Ignore it?

Coffee Table Salute

Coffee Tables get a workout every day.  They shoulder the weight of newspapers and magazines, balance cups and plates, and shelter a family of remotes.  And as if that weren't enough, they get sat on, played on, feet propped up on and eaten on without so much as a "thank you" for all they do.  That's why I'd like to salute these hard working furniture soldiers by giving them a good cleaning today.

My old coffee table was one with a nice finish that showed every sticky fingerprint and cup ring.  I actually kept it pretty slick most of the time, but now that I think of it, since it wasn't in front of the TV it probably didn't require a whole lot of attention.  My present coffee table is a bench with a distressed finish.  It's awesome because you can't see ANY dirt on it, but the problem is you can't see ANY dirt on it.  So it's largely ignored.

Today's Small Thing is to clean off your coffee table if you have one.  Give it a nice wipe down with a damp cloth or cleaner, and then only put back what actually looks good on top of it.  You can line up the remotes, if that's where they live, and stack a few current magazines if you want, but get rid of the sticky mess that collects there.  You will feel like you just stepped into a Pottery Barn catalog!  Wow!  You're so stylish today.

POINTS: 30 for cleaning off a coffee table (or side table if that's where your junk collects)

What's on YOUR coffee table? Big books with pretty pictures? Floral arrangement? Lego creations?

Enjoy a Day Off

We are taking it easy at our house this morning.  The kids partied into the wee hours over a board game and Tom and I are taking advantage of the quiet to sleep a little later and putter around.  There are plenty of plates to pick up but we do have all day, after all.

Not all of our Company Girls are in the US and get a holiday today, but I thought you still might enjoy a LITTLE Small Thing Holiday by taking today off.  Of course, women don't really get "days off" from selfless serving and giving, especially if there are children who need tending.  Your day may be chock full of a thousand small things that make the "holiday" seems like any other day, except harder because you are trying to plan a barbeque as well.

But however you spend today, I hope you'll take a few moments to put your feet up and enjoy life. Give thanks for the service men and women who are giving of themselves to protect and fight for freedom around the world.  Honor those who have died by celebrating life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness today.

Enjoy your Memorial Day and I will see you tomorrow!

Prepare for Fun

This photo is from a recent picnic in our woods!

Here in the US, today starts the Memorial Day weekend, in which we remember those who have served our country with their lives.  Traditionally, people use the weekend to travel, visit friends and family or just picnic on Monday, the official holiday.  We don't have any real special plans, except that we will have to work through much of it because of a tight deadline.  However, our college kids will be here and G.T. has Friday and Monday off so we will try and make it a fun weekend for everyone.

Any holiday, even casual ones like this one, can cause some frustration.  When everyone is in the spirit of Time Off, no one feels inclined to do any work.  Half way through it you look around and can't believe the mess!  Cups and bowls, chip bags and dirty socks all left out because it's a party, man.  It's tempting to give up and just deal with it when it's all over, but by then the task will be huge.

Today's Small Thing is to prepare for the weekend by doing a little bit of pre-fun preparation.  Spend a few minutes in each of your main rooms picking up and straightening before the rest of the weekend gets underway.  I'm going to make sure I have clean dishes to START with, so we aren't having to dig through the dishwasher for something to drink out of.  I'm also going to put away the laundry that's been sitting in the living room for two days.  I'll run a vacuum over the carpet.

I know our house will have the lived-in look for the next few days.  But I want to enjoy the holiday weekend without being grumpy about it.  By starting with a fresh, picked-up house, maybe there's a chance it will stay neater because I'm just a little bit ahead of the mess.  And when I start with "clean" it is easier for the troops to see what it "should" look like, even if they are in the weekend mode.

POINTS: 40 for some pre-weekend preparation - a few minutes of focused picking up will work MAGIC!

BONUS: 20 for enlisting the help of other able-bodied people in the house (2 year olds AND teenagers can carry something to where it belongs....why do it all yourself?)

60 pts max

Soap Dish

I got lured into watching Days of our Lives back in the Bo and Hope days, when they were Daytime's Hot Couple.  It was the early 80's and I had just had my first baby.  Desperately looking for a new hairstyle, Days' cast sported enough permed do's and bangs with impressive height to keep me glued to my TV.  Before I knew it, I was rooting for Bo and Hope to run off together for a weekend of love that they so deserved.  Hope had some seriously big hair, and I blame it for my lack of moral judgment.

Every soap has its sleazy evil characters.  They are constantly ruining people's lives by switching babies, poisoning people, pulling plugs on ventilators and spreading malicious rumors.  I suppose the stories wouldn't be nearly so interesting without characters you love to hate, but they certainly have their share of scum suckers.

You could say they are Soap Scum.

And speaking of soap scum, let's segueway into Today's Small Thing, which is indeed, very small.  I have four sinks and three tubs in my house.  (Trust me, it just SOUNDS luxurious.)  At each location is a soap dispenser or soap dish that often gets overlooked.  The hardworking pumps at the sink edges are manhandled and abused daily by a busy family, and the soap dishes by the tubs are pretty much ignored, except when we're showering.  But even a casual glance at them reveals a sticky situation.  There is a tendency for goo to collect and ooze down the dispensers onto the counter tops.  The tub dishes look a little um, scummy.

Today's Small Thing is to get rid of the villainous scum that lurks around the soaps at your house.  Put an end to the suspense and wipe it out for good.  (Well, the scum may return as an evil twin in a later episode, but for today you can enjoy a sweet, clean victory as the world turns.)

POINTS: 10 for each soap area cleaned

Check out your "pretty" soaps...the ones that came in a gift basket but never get used.  They tend to collect dust and bathroom goo.  They might could use some gentle cleaning.  Maybe you oughta break down and actually USE the pretty soap today!

Better Together

I'm a big believer in Alone Time.  I need it to recharge my energy and find inspiration.  Hey, sometimes I need it just to get myself psyched up to face the onslaught of needs that face me each day.  Now that my kids are all older, I have much more Alone Time than back in the days when sitting on the potty with the door closed was exquisite luxury.  Believe me, constipation was a welcome friend.

Husbands need Alone Time as well.  They are out there slaying dragons in the work world and then expected to be tender caregivers the moment they walk through the door.  Even if they have a cushy job with no interruptions (what would THAT be like????), time to be alone with their thoughts or their tools is important.  It's sometimes hard to respect that when you feel like you're being devoured by piranhas on the home front, but it's one of those things that you've got to do for each other sometimes.

Still, there's something good about togetherness. There is sweetness in keeping someone company.  I'm not really talking about long, romantic walks in the rain, or even deep talks with a girlfriend over coffee.  I'm talking about when someone invites you to be with them to watch TV or wash the dishes.  To sit nearby while you both read.  To take a ride to the car wash.  It makes you feel special to be invited.  It's the "Company Girl" thing in action.

When someone asks you if you want to walk to the water cooler at work, or when a child requests that you sit and watch him stack blocks, you are being invited in to that person's life.  When you think about that, it's pretty cool.  And makes you want to tread carefully.

Today's Small Thing is for you to invite someone along.  It doesn't matter where, or for what or for how long.  Just try "hey, want to share a sliced apple?" or  "can I play with your hair? (always a hit at our house), or "want to read together?"  It can be casual and last for just a minute, but when you invite someone to share your time you're communicating Belonging.  You're saying that you enjoy their company and you like being together.  And that just feels good.

POINTS: 40 for offering an invitation...friend, child, husband, your choice.

BONUS: 10 for letting us know what you're doing today

Just for fun:

Sitting Next to You

It's a wonder my mom survived the silly antics of raising four kids in the 60's, 70's and 80's.  Now that I think about it, we had some pretty obnoxious moments.  Sorry, Mom.

For some reason, we thought it was funny to repeat certain phrases over and over and over...and we'd complete the annoying chant with overacted expressions that would get sillier and sillier.

One such chant was, "I'm sitting by YOU!  YEAH!  I sitting by YOU! YEAH!  I'msittingbyYOUYEAH I'msittingbyYOUYEAH! I'msittingbyYOUYEAH!"  This was particularly hilarious (to us) at the dinner table, while my parents, no doubt, were wishing they could run away.  Please, Lord, make them stop!

Who you got to sit next to, or who you HAD to sit next to at the dinner table was a pretty big deal.  We had our regular spots, of course, but in the hierarchy of family life, it seemed like someone else always had the better spot.  The dinner table, the couch, the car's backseat.....when we weren't fighting over who got to sit in the "best" spot we were gleefully gloating our chant, "I'm sitting by YOU! YEAH!"  Good times.

Melissa at Seven Matters gave me a suggestion for a Small Thing that reminded me of our dining room chair chant the other day.  As she was wiping down the highchair at her house, she gave a little attention to the other chairs around the table.  With lots of sticky fingers and spills, those chairs can get a little yucky. 

In fact, as I recall, I was once horrified to discover that the lovely whitewash antiquing in the grooves of my pine windsor-backed chairs was actually caked-on dried milk.  I'm not real proud of that, but those were some busy years and it was low on my priority totem pole.

Today's Small Thing is to damp-wipe your kitchen or dining room chairs.  You might need to scrub the goo off with a little elbow grease, but with a quick swipe you can have those chairs looking fit for company!

POINTS: 30 for wiping off one set of chairs

BONUS: 20 for wiping an additional set (barstools, dining room etc.)

What's stuck to YOUR chairs?

Good Food Counts

Did you fall off your diet this weekend?  I didn't go as far as having an Awesome Blossom at Chili's, but I did munch my way though a good part of a bag of Chex Mix (Chocolate Turtle flavored) and grazed through the weekend on whatever I felt like having.

I needn't wonder why my janes are tot....I, and I alone am responsible for the southern expansion I've experienced recently.

Monday is a great day to get back on the wagon and eat healthy!  When I feel good physically, I am better at managing my home and have more energy to rule the roost.  When my kids eat healthy foods, they are much more cheerful and cooperative, plus it helps them learn to make good food choices.

Today's Small Thing is to eat by the numbers.  There are several ways you can accomplish this.  You only have to pick one and you can make it as simple as you'd like.

• Count the calories you consume today
• Count points (ala Weight Watchers, etc.)
• Count food groups
• Count grams of fat
• Count carbs
• Count how many times you chew a bite of food
• Count how many servings of fruit you have today
• I'm sure there's something else to count that I can't remember....feel free to remind me

You can choose how and what you count.  If you're on a specific diet, you'll get points for being a good girl and following it today.  If you're just trying to eat better by cutting out the junk food, try counting calories or food groups.  If you're already a healthy eater, pay attention to how many times you chew or make a game out of it with your kids. 

Whatever you choose to do, it will add up to a healthy start to your week!

POINTS:  Let's go for 60 big ones today!  We're going to feel great AND earn some whoppin points.

BONUS:   20 if you can get someone else to eat something healthy with you today

Are you dieting?  What helps you stay motivated?