Holidays

Apr
06

egg fun

Last weekend we had our little Spring Celebration.

Yes, it was way past the first day of spring, but I seem to be living life according to the better-late-than-never policy.

I picked up an adorable egg decorating kit for the kids to use this year.
I never (never, never ever) buy that kind of stuff before it goes on sale after the holiday season has passed, but I didn't want to wait for the sales and hold onto the kit for a whole year. It has been so much fun to look at it all week. 
If you happen to be in Target after Easter, you might want to see if they have one of these cute kits left on the shelf to use next year.

Here's some pics:

the king and his trusty blue friend

little orange Robin Hood

two brave knights defending the castle

cyclops soul mates.

I hope you have a lovely Easter weekend enjoying your kiddos, spending time with your family, and celebrating our risen Lord.  What joy!

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Feb
14

happy {joyful} Valentine’s Day

We know that our husbands love us. They work hard so we can do important stuff like buy groceries and wear clothes. They occasionally do things like make the bed or wash the dishes, just because. And they make our kids smile in a way that we can only dream of.

Our husbands show love towards us in a million little ways.  On Valentine's Day, it's easy for us to communicate that all those little ways don't add up to a hill of beans. We deeply desire a romantic evening away from dirty laundry and needy kids. We want candy or flowers or jewelry. Sometimes, we don't even want anything in particular, we just want something.

On this lovely day, it is important for me to remember that the world is not about me. Don't you hate that?  This day really should be about me. I mean, my husband could care less about paper hearts or poetic cards. It's not exactly his "thing".

Still, I'm sure he would enjoy a short note of appreciation left on the seat of his car or some heart-shaped homemade treats. He would be touched by my going out of my way to make him feel special, no matter how small the gesture. If I'm busy thinking about how I can bless my husband, then I might not be wasting my time dreaming up new ways for him to bless me.

My husband deeply desires to make me happy, so today I will be joyful.
I will try to see my situation as part of God's plan and other people as objects of His grace.
I will resist the temptation to complain.
I will communicate how thankful I am for my husband and all he does.
I will let him love me in his own way, without expectations.
I will smile.

I will love him.

Feb
09

looking out

The fourteenth of February is a day set aside for love notes and flowers and dinner for two. Every girl in town will spend the evening staring into her sweetie's eyes and soaking up the love. Well, every girl except this one. I won't see my hubby very much on Valentine's Day. That's just how it is when you're married to a restaurant manager. 

There are many different situations that can leave us feeling left out on special days. My husband always works on Valentine's Day. Other brave women will spend the day changing diapers and disciplining toddlers while their husbands are deployed overseas. And some will be reminded constantly that Mr. Right still hasn't come knocking at the door. Maybe you can relate?

Just like on Mother's Day, it's tempting for me to throw myself a lonely little pity party. It feels like the natural thing to do. But lonely little pity parties are....well....lonely. Instead, I've found that it's better (and much more fun) to look out toward others instead of focusing in on myself. Imagine that. 

Here are some ideas for beating the I'm-alone-on-Valentine's-Day blues:

    BABYSIT
    Many couples would love a kid-free date, but simply can't afford the babysitting costs. Offering to spend the evening chasing a toddler or two is a fun (and distracting) way to minister to young parents. 

    DINNER FOR A FEW
    I know an older single woman who hosts a fancy dinner in her home for other single gals every Valentine's Day. Lovely. What a great alternative to the traditional pity party theme. 

    DINNER IN
    Being single, divorced, or widowed hurts, especially on a day dedicated to enjoying the love of your life. This kind of day can feel very empty for someone like my mom, who is still getting used to living without my dad. It's hard. I'm planning to invite her over for a simple meal and some cookie decorating with me and the kids. 

    BAKE IT UP
    Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays for baking. I love cutting things into hearts or coloring them pink.....cookies, brownies, cake frosting. The possibilities are endless. The neighbors will never expect a goodie bag filled with treats and love. Surprise!

So, what ideas do you have for showing some love to others?

Feb
07

a happy Valentine’s Day

Ahhhh.....love is in the air. Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and I feel like the whole world looks a little bit pink. Just hearing the name "February" immediately turns my mind to pink and red and decorates it with hearts. I like that.

It's fun to think of ways to say the words, "I love you," and it's exciting to anticipate the ways I'll hear them. I'm thankful for an excuse to act a little too girly, use my collection of heart-shaped cookie cutters, and surprise my kids with something homemade that's only special because of the thought behind it.  

But this lovely day also can cause the dreaded high-expectations-and-low-reality syndrome.  It can remind us of the love we've lost (or haven't found yet) and can leave us feeling more blue than pink. Valentine's Day, like most other holidays, has its own unique joys and challenges, and it's important that we guard and prepare our hearts. 

Over the next few days, I hope to talk about some ways we can keep our own hearts on the right path and enjoy blessing the hearts of others as well.  Will you join me?

Cheap heart-shaped candy, optional.

Jan
04

an ordinary month: good-bye holidays

The holidays are officially over. The gifts have been opened. The ball has dropped. School has started back. It's time to work on creating some ordinary. And now it is suddenly abnormal to have a tree sitting in the corner of the living room.

I know that some people take their decorations down the day after Christmas.
I'm not one of those people.

I try to get them down shortly after the new year begins. Sometimes that goal gets stretched out a bit, but I hate when that happens. So, a couple days ago I packed away the random Christmas decorations that were scattered here and there, and yesterday I took down the tree.

Now the house looks empty. I guess that's a good thing.

Today, I'll put away anything else that needs squeezed into my storage bins, vacuum up the fake pine needles that are littering the floor, and move the furniture back into place. Easy.

If you're still trying to get your house back to normal, here are a few suggestions:

  • Just do it. I know this sounds an awful lot like a shoe commercial, but you know it's true. You just have to make yourself do it. There's nothing worse than having a big 'ol tree calling your name every time you try to relax on the sofa. It's hard to ignore.

  • Put on a movie, listen to a sermon, or turn up some music. I took our tree down while watching a new movie with the kids. I hardly even noticed that I was working. It was (almost) fun.

  • Enjoy the "winter" decor. I didn't put out a lot of decorations this year. If you, on the other hand, made your home a holiday wonderland, try to prioritize what needs put away first. The Santa stockings scream, "Christmas!" The snowmen and pinecones whisper, "Winter." Let yourself enjoy the season just a little bit longer where you can.

So, have your Christmas decorations left the building or are they still hanging around? I'd love to know...leave a comment!

This post is linked to Raising Homemakers.

Dec
21

Christmas Chaos

We're in the final countdown to Christmas, and "it" is here. As a matter if fact, "it" started about two weeks ago, a little earlier than usual. "It" is that twisted up feeling I get inside every year at some point during the holiday season. Yep. It's here, and it's not pleasant.

Right now, I feel like every inch of my house contains some sort of clutter or chaos. There is definitely no peace in my little patch of this earth. And I never even put up all of my Christmas decorations. That would be such a lovely excuse for the mess and general disorder. No such luck.

Then pile on top of the mess the fact that gifts need purchased and wrapped, parties need prepared for, school work needs finished up. I think I could go crazy. Seriously.

Over these past couple of weeks, I've had to figure out ways to cope so that I don't either lose my mind or break down in a puddle tears. These thoughts will be especially important during this final week.

Here are some things I'm doing (or not doing) this crazy, chaotic year:

    --Keep up with my calendars. I might not do everything on my weekly calendar, but at least I know where I'm supposed to go and when I'm supposed to be there. That's a blessing when I'm busy running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

    --Focus on what's important. I have to keep reminding myself that people matter and things don't. I'm trying to spend my time on things that will bring joy to my family (like the advent bags) and not worry so much about things that can wait (like cleaning out the kids' rooms).

    --Forget about what isn't important. I didn't send out Christmas cards this year. Again. I also didn't hang our beautiful garland or indoor wreaths. Somehow I think Christmas will still come. I hope to do some more cleaning and baking this week, but I have my doubts about what I'll actually get done. I've decided that I'm not going to cry over the unimportant things that will inevitably get lost in the shuffle.

    --Do something small to get started. I'm finding that doing some small, easy tasks often gives me the little jump start I need to do the bigger things calling my name. Organizing a cabinet, wrapping a gift, or hanging a wreath can help get me going.

    --Stash clutter out of sight. There is just too much stuff stacked in corners and piled beside the furniture. It makes our house feel two sizes too small. If I put my mind (and my kids) to it, I can likely get a lot of the junk put in its rightful place. I might simply hide those things that will require more time and organizational skill to take care of. Out of sight, out of mind. Fake peace is better than no peace.

    --Smile.....enjoy.....relax. This week we're going to watch lots of Christmas movies. I hope to color pictures, do crafts, and decorate some cookies, too. BUT I have decided that I'm not going to stress out over what we don't get to do. Who says you can't make cookies the week after Christmas? This is a time to make some memories. Hopefully some good ones!

This post is linked to Raising Homemakers.