Home Sanctuary

I'm Glad You're Here.

Welcome to Home Sanctuary, the place to find easy tips and tasks to help make your home a great place to be!  I invite you to join our fun group of "Company Girls" as we do daily Small Things together. We have a lot of fun, and we believe that great things can happen with a little bit of effort, a seed of faith, and a generous dose of friendship.

Want to make your home - your sanctuary? You're in the right place. Come on in and join us!

Rachel Anne Ridge

Scroll down to read past and current posts.....this sticky note will stay at the top of my blog.

Inner Sanctum

 

Southern Living Bedroom

Good Monday morning, Company Girls! First, thanks so much for your kind well-wishes on Friday. I am feeling better and pressing on. Not quite sure what hit me but at least it didn't last long.

 

The last several weeks have been busy and a little stressful. We are making some changes in our business and there is plenty of uncertainty as we step into uncharted territory. My husband is traveling quite a bit, which is a huge change for us and it takes some getting used to.

You probably already know this about me, but when I get stressed out, I go into one of two modes: utter inertia or whirling dervish.  Would you like to guess which one is my default?  Yep, the inertia.  The whirling dervish is more like an anomaly. 

That in itself is bad enough, but the ensuing mess that comes as a result of not being able to move my arms and legs can be overwhelming.  Every room has issues.

“Oh, look at the pile of clothes thrown over that chair.  It looks....so....heavy.  Too...heavy...must...lay....down...”

Since there are issues in every room, Today’s Small Thing is to ignore most of them and just focus on one: your inner sanctum.  Your bedroom.

Most master bedrooms become the laundry catchall, the paper piler, the toy garage and the clutter dump.  It’s the place you’re too exhausted to face after a whole day of working on other things.  So you crawl in bed and pull the covers over your head and hope for better luck tomorrow.

That’s why I’m giving you ALL WEEK to focus on this Small Thing.  Hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so an inner sanctum definitely takes some time.

Here’s what I suggest:  force yourself to hang up the clothes that are draped everywhere.  Pick up the stuff on the floor and throw it into a laundry basket so you can vacuum.  Scoop the stuff off of dressers and take out the trash. How about some fresh sheets on the bed?  You deserve it.  You need it.

It’s amazing how much better everything feels when I have a space of my own carved out.  It makes me feel like I’m not putting myself last on the list, and that’s important when things get out of control.  Taking care of other people and solving problems is much easier when I’ve got an inner sanctum I can retreat to. 

In fact, I may never come out again.

Today - and all this week - bring some peace and order to your bedroom. Do you need this as much as I do?

Song of the Day: Angels in America, Thomas Newman

Company Girl Coffee 1.27

 

I went to bed last night after a hockey game not feeling well and this morning I'm still fighting it - blech! I'm going to head back to bed and try and get rid of this thing, but in the meantime, here is the Company Girl Coffee link-up! If you are new to Home Sanctuary, each Friday I host a virtual "coffee klatch" that gives everyone an opportunity to visit other blogs and link their own blog up. It's a great way to get to know other Company Girls and make online friends. I often hear stories of how women have connected through CG coffee - it is such a simple thing with great rewards. If you don't have a blog or don't link up, I hope you'll check out the great blogs anyway....and you are always invited to participate in the comment section below so we can get to know you that way.

I've got my tea and pillow and heating pad - I will see you when I return to consciousness. Have a great weekend everyone!

 

Wild Hare

One of the funniest Looney Tunes scenes of all time features Bugs Bunny in the Rabbit of Seville.  Oh man, the look on his face as he gives Elmer the scalp treatment is absolutely priceless. Here is the full version of the cartoon....worth every minute to watch!

 
This bwings me to Today's Small Thing, which is to tidy up the wild hair accessories/treatments/products you may have at your house.

Back in my daughters' grade school days, barrettes and bows could be found anywhere and everywhere....it took some work to keep them in some kind of order.  I'm not sure I ever really did conquer them, now that I think about it. Hmm.

But my own hair items still drive me looney. I've got a cabinet full of hair dryers, straighteners, rollers, curling irons, gel, brushes, combs, clips....they've multiplied like wascally wabbits! It will be so delightful to see it all organized.

Chase down those wild hare accoutrements, then...enjoy some west and wewaxation at wast.

Song of the Day: Barber of Seville, Rossini

 

Hiccups and Pickups

 

Images Copyright John Filiss

 

My son Grayson was a pretty cute little guy as a toddler and I used to love the way he'd pronounce words. His favorite toys were "bwoks and twucks" (blocks and trucks), and he had some sayings that I never wanted him to grow out of....because I knew eventually he would.

It took years before we told him that "hiccups" were not the "pickups" he called them. Darn it, it was adorable when he used to get those "pickups!" It was hard not to smile when he'd announce that he had them, and we'd pretend not to hear what he said, just so he'd repeat, "I got da pickups!"

What was that??

"I got da pickups!"

Today's Small Thing is all about hiccups and pickups.

If your life is anything like mine, you could say that running a household is all about hiccups and pickups. Not a day goes by without either of them - and usually in abundance. Things always come up at the last minute, someone loses their shoes, forgets a lunch, needs a science project done tonight, or the car has a flat. You name it, hiccups are part of every day.

And who can survive without the constant picking up of life's debris? I sometimes feel like my arms are constantly in motion, picking up and putting away....or uh, stacking things for "later."

Today, instead of groaning over them, let's celebrate the hiccups and pickups - what do you say??

Hiccups: Simply make a list and an easy plan for today's tasks. Planning is the first step to success, and yet I find sometimes when I get busy I start winging it without a written plan....a sure recipe for hiccups! But not today, people.

Pickups: Pick up one room of the house - your choice. Take 5 minutes to scoop up stuff and straighten. EASY!! Done.

Song of the Day: Pickup Man, Joe Diffy

5 Communication Tips from Marketers

I recently snapped this photo at my local feed store - a perfect example of how NOT to make a sign.

 

I don't know which is worse: the fact that the sign painter didn't plan the layout, or the store owner saying, "Looks good, let's go with it."

A few minutes of planning would have made all the difference in legibility. After all, isn't communication the whole purpose of a sign? Ya might want to make sure people can read it.

Planning is an important part of signage... and all forms of marketing for that matter. Billions of dollars are spent on advertising products so that you'll "buy in" to their message. Companies create focus groups, do market research and conduct polls to best understand how to reach their target market. Then they carefully craft their logos, fonts, colors, brands, commercials and advertisements to appeal to the consumer in such a way that they'll WANT to spend money on their product.

You know, when it comes to communication at home, we could learn a few things from the marketing world. We are communicating every day- to our children, our spouse, our co-workers...if you think about it, we want people to "buy in" to our message, too. Whether it is giving instructions, sharing our feelings or talking about our day, we need our "customers" to understand and respond to what we are saying. 

Here are 5 Tips from the marketing world that can help in your personal world of communication:

1. Know your target market. Do you need to tell your husband something important? Try putting it in terms he understands. Sports analogies, technical terms, bottom lines and examples from his own life show that you value the things he cares about as you express yourself.

2. Timing is everything. There is a reason that arthritis medicine commercials air during the evening news. Marketers know that is the time their senior audience is watching TV. Find a time that your own audience is most approachable for sharing your message.

3. Be appealing. Commercials don't whine, beg or beat you into purchasing. They show how their product will enhance your life by making you more successful, attractive, and healthy. Be positive in your approach so your audience can see the benefits of your message.

4. Use humor. The most effective advertisements use humor to make their point. I enjoyed the Chevy commercials that featured the Santa salesman during the holidays and simply HAD to watch them when they came on. When I make things fun or add a dash or humor, my family is much more receptive to my direction than when I drone on and on (as I am inclined to do.) You don't have to be naturally funny - sometimes just lightening up a bit is all you really need to do.

5. Be clear. Don't you hate having to try and figure out what a sign or advertisement is about? Maybe the logo is too small or the layout too cluttered. Maybe it's just too darn confusing, like those perfume commercials are. A simple, clear message that is easy to understand eliminates a lot of frustration and miscommunication.

Today's Small Thing is to plan for effective communication by using one of the above 5 tips.

Instead of simply blurting something out without thinking, take a few minutes to make a plan. Think about your audience, your timing, your tone and your message. Ask God for wisdom and grace....and a sprinkling of humor. Ephesians 4:29 comes to mind.

How can you communicate what you want/need so that your "customer" will buy in? I'd love to hear what this will look like today. And please feel free to share other marketing tips you've observed!

Song of the Day: Say All I Need, OneRepublic

Condiment Conundrum

Say, are you DOING the Small Things along with me? I hope so! They are so easy....and if you just take a few minutes a day to tackle the simple tasks, you'll have your home feeling like your sanctuary in no time!

There's been a proliferation of bottles and jars in the refrigerator's condiment community lately. I've noticed that finding things in the refrigerator has become much more difficult than it used to be....what with all the fancy dijons refusing to hang out with the blue collar ketchups.  It's a regular melting pot of society in there: the smooth mayonnaise, the dill slices, the high-brow poppy seed dressing and the Nascar loving barbeque sauce.  They used to all live in the neighborhood of the door shelves, but they've spilled into every compartment and drawer imagineable due to their different tastes and cultures.  The parmesan cheese won't even speak to the grape jam anymore.

Today's Small Thing is to straighten up the condiment community in your fridge. 

Those guys tend to be unruly - all those spicy personalities - but I find that if you just put them all together in one area, they'll remember put aside their differences and work together.  Some of them are a bit messy and rough around the edges, but a quick swipe of a cloth is usually enough to remind them to be on their best behavior.

Can't they all just get along?  Yes, they can.

Foster a community spirit by organizing the condiments in your fridge.

Take it a step further by organizing the condiments in your cabinets.

Song of the Day: Frim Fram Sauce

Company Girl Coffee and a Flash Story

My donkey Flash has been living the high life.

 

Ever since the wedding in November, he has wanted to get into the enclosure where all the beautiful grass is that had been planted for the event. However, my husband had cordoned off the area to prevent him from, well, pooping all over it and generally messing it up.

Well, ol' Flash didn't take too kindly to the ropes that Tom had strung across the barn opening that leads to that pasture, so he just decided to take matters into his own hands... er, hooves - and broke in. Many times.

But here's the mysterious part. The ropes never moved.

We'd look up and see him standing on the other side of the rope fence as if he'd just beamed himself over. Ropes perfectly intact.

We don't know how he did it. Over? Under? Through? We checked all the fences to see if there was another way in.....nope, nothing.

Sometimes we'd wake up in the morning to see him, eating away, inside that pasture as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Other times, we'd be in the barn and simply turn away for a second, and then there he'd be. Like magic. Right under our noses.

Finally, Tom gave up trying to keep him out of that heavenly green acre and just took the ropes down so he could have at it.

Flash has been happily munching in there ever since, enjoying himself immensely....while we still scratch our heads in wonder over his ability to materialize at will. And although he HAS pooped in the barn, he has left his new grazing area pure and pristine, not a turd to be found.

I guess it's just his way of saying, "Thanks."

Today's Small Thing is to express "Thanks" in YOUR own way to someone.

The EASY way is to simply say it with words. The more complicated way - and sometimes the more meaningful way - is to say it by "doing." By doing an action or activity that expresses thoughtful gratitude. Now obviously, don't use Flash's method of thoughtful gratitude - no manure need be involved here - but perhaps there is another way you can show kindness to another person.

A gesture of thanks can be accompanied by an explanation of why you're doing it without cheapening the action, as long as it's done gracefully. Is there someone who might enjoy a nice turn, after all they've done for you? We'd love to know your "expression of thanks" activity and who you are doing it for today!

 

While you're thinking of something nice to do for someone, how about joining us for a virutal cup of coffee? Company Girl Coffee is our weekly feature that allows everyone to get to know each other by simply linking up. (If you're receiving this post via email, you'll need to pop over to the blog to be able to see the links.) My weekend got crazy last time, and I did not have a chance to get around to visit, despite my best efforts....but I plan to spend some time visiting ya'll this time! We have some wonderful, interesting and fun Company Girls - so even if you don't link up, why not stop in and see them?

 

 

 

Get Crackin'

Are you exasperated by the lack of response from your children (and spouse) when you tell them you need something done? Today's Small Thing reprises one of my favorite and most effective posts for getting them off their duffs and into action.

 

 Courtesy of Flickr

I'm relieved that the heyday of low-rise jeans is about over. They're so risky. If you happen to drop something on the floor, you have to think about who or what is behind you before you stoop to pick it up. And even if YOU'RE careful, you never know when you're going to get an eyeful of bottom cleavage from someone else who isn't worried about giving away a free show.

I've seen just about enough butt-cracks to know that most of it ain't pretty, no matter what kind of undies lurk beneath.

There's always been a ban on super low-risers at our house. We're a modest bunch, but even so, there are times when more gets revealed than just a BVD label. When we're at home home with the fam, we can relax our guard just a bit. You can sit cross-legged on the floor and no one is going to drop a penny down the gap. However, be forewarned that you might be notified if even so much as your "Pre-Crack" is showing.

A Pre-Crack is the area just above the actual crack, characterized by mounded flesh just below hip level. It's kind of your Pre-Bottom valley. Everyone has a Pre-Crack, even thin people, who might have a couple of dimples there to introduce the lower crevice.

I'd like to talk about Pre-Cracks as a public service today, but I'm not going to discuss the physical ones on our bodies. I'm talking about Pre-Cracks as a verb to denote what a woman needs to do in order for people in the household to get a-crackin on whatever task she needs them to do.

Pre-Crackin the Whip, if you will.

I've found that motivating children, husbands and even co-workers can be difficult.  I've often entered a room to find my homies draped over the furniture like ragdolls, mindlessly watching re-runs of Fresh Prince of BelAir, and looking at me blankly when I suggest they get up and do something productive.  

They seem so...surprised. And more than a little bummed.

It always works better when I give advance warning that "in X amount of time I will be asking you to do X activity." I sometimes like to add that I will expect "X attitude" when the time comes in which I will do the asking. That last X stands for "willing and cheerful."

The Pre-Crack speech is effective because it allows my children time to adjust their thinking and finish up what they are doing, before they "cheerily" get off their duffs and on to my request.  

It respects their time and dignity while setting the tone for what is to be expected next.

Today's Small Thing is to expose your Pre-Crack by planning ahead. 

Don't spring "Time for Bed, NOW" on your darlings. Set a time, give them advance warning and then (here's the tricky part), follow through. And don't just walk in and hand your man a wrench and expect him to turn immediately from ESPN to fix the wash machine. Try greasing the skids a little with a general discussion ahead of time as to what your needs are.  The Pre-Crack lets others know what's coming and gives them a chance to zip up their duds to work with you.

The bottom line is that a Home Sanctuary fosters a spirit of cooperation within the family. Sometimes we need to wedge a bit of kind, advance instruction and a 5 minute warning in there to make it happen.

And a smooth end, my friend, is a beautiful thing.

 

Company Girl Kudos for Pre-Crackin the whip (or just explaining nicely what you want in advance). Extra CG Kudos for following through with appropriate encouragement, reward and/or discipline for cooperation, or the lack thereof.

Would love to hear your Pre-Crackin' story today! How has this method helped you? Is a Pre-Crack something you could incorporate into your parenting strategy?

Song of the Day: I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow, Soggy Bottom Boys

Grab Bag

 

 

Yesterday, my husband was getting ready for a trip out of town and he asked if I knew where some black shoe polish was. Well, I knew the general vicinity where it usually resides so I pitched in to help look for it.

It was not on the shoe shelf in our closet, where it normally waits for that once-a-year-if-that shoe shine.

But there were plenty of other things on that shelf.

• A bazillion old razors in a basket - which my husband hates to throw away because you never know when you might be desperate and have to paw through them to find one that might work.
• Empty boxes of contact solution.
• Holey socks.
• Old toiletry items.

I suddenly had the urge to grab a garbage bag and throw every odd, unusable thing in it and throw it away.

Acting on that impulse but unable to lay my hands on an actual trash bag, I made do with a plastic grocery bag. I dumped a bunch of stuff in it, tied it up and tossed it away.

It was LIBERATING! And so painless.

Today's Small Thing is to grab a bag and throw stuff away.

Pick a shelf or a cabinet (or room) and simply toss the stuff you know you don't need, isn't serviceable, is broken or otherwise unnecessary. 

This is such an easy thing to do - and I need to do it more often. How about you?

Give yourself a high five or dance along with today's song for grabbing a bag (large or small) and tossing stuff away.

What did you find laying around that should have been tossed aeons ago?

Song of the Day: Bye Bye Bye, NSYNC

Smoking Pot

Confession time: I thought today's title might grab your attention so I unabashedly used it to lead into this story, which in all actuality, IS about a smoking pot.

 

 

 

OK, it's not much of a story, more like an embarrassing moment.

One evening, I was expecting some customers to stop by the house to drop off a small rocking chair for me to paint for them. I had never met these people before and of course, I wanted to make a good impression on them. They were to arrive around 5:30, and I had everything organized, including a delicious dinner cooking in the kitchen for my family. The house looked good - at least the front room did.

Suddenly a horrible smell erupted from the stove. Black smoke billowed from a pan, in which some broccoli had been simmering....or at least I THOUGHT had been simmering. Apparently in my rush to get everything together, I'd forgotten to put water in the pan before turning on the burner, and the broccoli had charred beyond recognition within minutes. I grabbed the small pot and ran to the sink, where I poured water all over it.

From bad to worse, now I had retch-inducing steam AND acrid smoke everywhere. Have you ever smelled burned broccoli? It's the second worst smell in the world! And I only say "second" because I don't want to be accused of exaggerating by claiming it to be THE worst smell in the world. But it might be.

Just then the doorbell rang with my new customers at the door.

Seriously? NOW?

There wasn't a thing I could do about the horrid-beyond-belief smell. So I let them in.

The aroma hit them in the face and I could see them recoil instantly, despite my profuse apologies and explanation. Try to explain to perfect strangers that your house doesn't usually smell like a garbage dump, and then convince them that their priceless piece of furniture is perfectly safe in your hands.....well, it was a tough sell. I'm surprised they didn't turn on their heels and leave immediately.

But enough about my smoking pot today. Let's discuss YOUR pots instead.

Today's Small Thing is to make your pots look SMOKIN' HOT - or at least reasonably attractive - in their shelf, cupboard or drawer.

My pots and pans really got messed up over the holidays, and now that we are more than half way through January, it's about time to get in there and straighten them up. It won't take but a few minutes and I'll be feeling as high as a kite when I see how lovely they can look with a bit of attention.

Take a moment to stack and arrange your pans neatly today. You'll love seeing them that way.

What state are your pots and pans in today? Do you have a tip for keeping them nice and shiny?

Song of the Day: Country Kitchen, John Williams