Home Sanctuary

Awkward Moments in my Painting Career

I am often asked to traipse through my clients' homes to "just take a look" at their areas of decorating dilemmas that have nothing to do with the actual project I am there to work on. 

One day I found myself in the master suite with the lady of the house, being asked about painting a sky in a dome above the massive bed.  There was a man working on the gas fireplace as we walked in.

It was a very Las Vegas-style bedroom and bathroom, complete with a baby grand piano, black and gold accents everywhere and very um, "sensual" art on the walls. 

I had no words.

She spoke to the fireplace man for a few moments and then turned all of our attention to the sitting area where the piano was.  And there, in front of the piano, was a pole-dancing pole with a spotlight on it.

"....and I had THAT baby installed while my husband was away on a business trip as a little surprise for him."  She gave me a conspiratorial look.  "Oh, honey.  I keep my husband at HOME, if you know what I mean!"  Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

I dared not glance at the fireplace man, who suddenly seemed very busy with the gas lever.  I gave a pitifully small laugh, as if to say, oh, ha ha ha, I know just what you mean, my bedroom pole works wonders too.

Now that Mr. Fireplace Man and I both knew she was a hot pole dancer, there seemed little left to talk about in that bedroom built for entertainment. 

AWK-ward. (insert cricket chirp here)

Today's Small Thing is a bit awkward as well.  But it's so easy that you won't have to feel embarrassed for long.  It's about the feminine products you have in your home.

I don't know about you, but I'm so NOT IN to my monthly visitor that I often ignore the mess of empty boxes and wrappers that accumulate in the bathroom cabinet.  Not to mention the torpedoes that fall out of the boxes in my hurry to deal with them.  It always seems like I have a huge cache of supplies on hand, but I'm often horrified to find that it's just a huge cache of emtpies that take up space in there.  Darn!

Today's Small Thing is to organize your stash of womanly items and straighten them up.  Perhaps they could be stored in a more discreet manner or given a place of honor in their very own cabinet.  Throw out the five empty boxes and instruction pamphlets and consolidate those pads and packages into a neat little homage to fertility.

POINTS: 30 for tackling such an awkward subject

You'll have to pause the music playlist in order to watch this clip.

Go, Go, Go!

Fortunately, today you'll get 48 hours to complete your Small Thing.  Call it a weekend Small Thing.

Unfortunately, you'll have to pick just one task you've been putting off.

I say "just one" because at my house there are so many, it's hard to choose.  But I think I'm up to the challenge.

Last night I hung two framed prints that my daughter Elle gave us FOR CHRISTMAS!  They've been sitting there for nearly 7 months....and it took me all of 10 minutes to hang them.  I love how they look on the wall, and I LOVE how good it feels to do such a simple task.  Now why didn't I do that sooner??

Go with me here, Company Girls.

• Do you have a bag of items sitting by the back door or in your closet that needs to be taken to a donation center?  How long has it been there?

• Do you have something that is almost completely painted, but because of interruptions, is not quite done?

• Do you have picture frames sitting around with no pictures in them because you can't choose which cute photos to put in?

• Do you have an article of clothing that needs a little, tiny stitch to be good as new, but just sits in the "fix it" pile?

• Do you have flowers in their 4 inch pots from the nursery that you fell in love with at the time, but now are wilting away because you haven't put them in the ground yet?

• Do you really need to clean out the pet area but just hate to invest that much energy on animals when there are people who need your attention?

• Do you have an item that needs to be returned to the store, but because you don't want to stand in the Customer Service line, just sits in its bag...waiting?

OK, only ONE of the above items is NOT on my list of things I am procrastinating.  Can you guess which one??

Today's Small Thing is to do ONE thing that you've been putting off.  It doesn't have to be a big thing, like painting all the trim on your house (although, again, it's on my list), it can be as simple as hanging two framed prints on the wall.

I often find I procrastinate doing things that will give me pleasure.  In an odd way, it's a form of delayed gratification.  Or maybe even a way of putting others first.  Tasks like working in the flower bed, fixing a blouse, or painting a piece of furniture seem to benefit ME and are thus, easy to put off because I'm a bit of a martyr.  But in the end, those tasks really benefit EVERYONE and will give your spirits a wonderful lift when you are through.

POINTS: 50 for the weekend challenge

BONUS: 10 for celebrating your job completion by telling a friend, blogging about it, doing a happy dance, leaving a comment or showing a family member.  Go ahead, give yourself a pat on the back!

Minimum Maintenance

There is a great discussion going on over at my sister Katherine's blog, Raising Five.  She's talking about ways to cope with children (particularly young ones) and the messiness of life.  Look for today's post as well, because I know she'll have something good to share.

It got me to thinking about my own coping strategies, and how I've struggled with organization over the years.  Between finding some things that really worked for me, learning to let other things go, and continually looking for ways to improve, I've managed to survive and even enjoy the process.  I still don't enjoy cleaning, but I do like for things to look nice.

I shared few of my tips in Katherine's comments:

1) Have a friend/sister to talk to.

2) Bonnie's Household Organizer: much more manageable than the Flylady, it provided simple ways to get control of my days.  The weekly schedule saved my life, and I made mine FAR simpler than Bonnie's.  Here's a Working Mom's Weekly Schedule, too.

3) CHUCK.  I have baskets/containers/cabinets in every room that clutter can be chucked into at a moment's notice.  The baskets might be a mess, but the ROOM is clean and it feels wonderful.  I can live with that.

The one thing I didn't mention was Minimum Maintenance.  I have talked about it before and I hope you'll take a moment to read about it.  Realizing that there is a true minimum amount of work that each day requires was a revelation for me.  Accepting this fact helps me deal with the monotonous daily pick-ups and dishes (most of the time), and helps me do it quickly without hours of anguish and bitterness (most of the time).  I like the mindset of "taking care of business" and then being able to move on to fun things, like playing with my kids.  Who wants to work all day??

Today's Small Thing is to do some Minimum Maintenance.  It is a quick (5 minutes per room) pick-up and straighten routine that hits the high spots and whips things into "presentable" shape.  It is not a thorough, deep cleaning and you should not get distracted by things that require elbow grease and cleaning products.  You can spend 20 minutes in the kitchen, because really, who can spend just 5 in there?

If you have never set a timer for yourself, I encourage you to try it!  You will NOT BELIEVE how much you can accomplish in 5 minutes!  Get your children involved if you can, and see how a ticking timer can motivate those little ones.  Just like us, they are daunted by big tasks.  But anyone can focus for 5 small minutes.  Even moms.

POINTS: 50!  You may already do Minimum Maintenance of some sort at your house and this could be your lucky day for points.  If it is new to you, just dive in and see what happens!  Take your 50 Rockin' points and enjoy the feeling of empowerment that MM can give you. 

Contain Yourself

Last week I was seeing spots everywhere and now this week I'm seeing lids.

No, not the backside of my eyelids, silly.

Although.  I do love a good nap as often as possible.  (sshhh)

Now I'm seeing lids to containers and containers for lids...but none of them fit each other!

Back in the day, when Tupperware had a monopoly on plastic storage, lids were interchangeable.  Of course, you had to take out a bank loan to buy a set of them at a home party, but Tupperware was an investment in the family food budget and came in all those great 70's colors.  My mom had some avacado green and harvest gold containers.

Nowadays, I like the disposable storage containers that I won't feel guilty about tossing when the contents start morphing into fuzzy creatures with alien colonies.  I don't even bother to open them...just a casual flick of the wrist and they're gone.  If only all problems were so easy to solve...

Only thing is that when I go to replace them I can never remember which brand I like, so I now have a conglomeration of similar containers and similar lids....yet few of them fit together.  It's so frustrating to have to rummage through every bowl and every top to find the one set that works.

Today's Small Thing is to check out your kitchen storage containers.  Are they all thrown in disarray in a drawer or cabinet?  Do you have a bunch of lids waiting to be matched with their container, only to realize that no container will ever come to them?  Put them out of their misery by tossing them out and making room for the pairs that actually work.   I've got a whole bin full of single lids taking up precious space that I can get rid of today.

POINTS: 40 for organizing containers and lids.  If this job scares you because it seems too big, set a timer and give yourself 10-15 minutes MAX and then stop.  

BONUS: 10 for showing off!  Post "Before and After" pictures on your blog, drag a family member over to see your handiwork, tell a friend what you did, or leave a comment!  Enjoy the rush of container excitement when you see how organized you are!

July's Verse

I like to start each month with a verse to meditate on together and just like everything else, it's taken me longer to pull it together this month.  Who would think that the summer would be so packed?

This is one of my favorites:

 
Spend a few minutes thinking about the words of this scripture with me.

"Taste and see" is an invitation to a sumptuous buffet.  It's like looking at a long table, spread with the most delicious array of delectable food....glistening fruit, sizzling savory dishes, cheeses,  you name it.  It's piled up and spilling over, a feast for the eyes to behold.   But it's not just there to look at, it's there for you to taste, to enjoy, to eat until you are full.

You see, you will never experience the goodness of the living God until you stop being a spectator and become a participator in the spiritual "feast" he has laid out before you.  He's handing you a big plate and saying, "Go ahead!  Dish up!"  Find out for yourself that he is an amazing chef, concocting experiences in grace and love for you that are piled up and spilling over, just waiting to be tasted and enjoyed.

"Taste and see" reminds me to take action.  I will have to "taste" of his goodness by deepening my walk with him.  That means spending time in meditative study of his word and in prayer.  It means finding Christian friends who encourage me in my faith, and making lifestyle choices that bring me closer to him.  And then I need to LOOK for how he is working in my life!  I want to be actively aware of his power, his presence and his goodness each day.  He IS working and I don't want to miss it.

The last part of the verse speaks of refuge.

So often I find refuge from my worries and anxieties in things like movies, entertainment, food, people....all nice diversions, but not the true strong tower.  The Psalms describe the Lord as a fortress, a deliverer, a tower and a refuge because David (the main psalmist) knew all about hiding from his enemies.  He sought shelter in caves and cliffs, but he knew that his real refuge was his mighty God.  Only God can shield and deliver us from satanic attack, addiction, financial ruin, family crises, depression, discouragement, illness, fear....name your struggle and he is the answer.  He is your refuge.

Today's Small Thing is to print out this scripture and put it somewhere where you will see it each day.  I always put mine on my fridge, but some of you use it as a screen saver (great idea) or a framed reminder somewhere in the house.  There is power in God's word, so let these simple words go deep into your heart and stir your faith. 

POINTS: 40 for putting July's verse somewhere to remind you of God's goodness and faithfulness.

 Download July ps34

Please let me know if you have trouble downloading the picture or file and I will email it to you.

Put a Lid on It.

Are you sleepy today?  Is it hard to get motivated around the house? 

I feel your pain.

That's why today's Small Thing is so easy.  Even those of us who are sluggishly looking around at the house and wondering where on earth to start can accomplish this one.

Next to the Salt and Pepper shakers, the lids of things like jelly and mayonnaise jars can get pretty gross.  A quick glance at my pantry and fridge tells me that there are at least 5 lids that are sticky and oozing their contents around the openings.

The jelly jar.

The peanut butter jar.

The ketchup bottle.

The mayo jar.

The Hershey chocolate syrup bottle.

The Ranch dressing squeeze bottle.

Eeew.  It's like we just scoop out what we need and slob it all over the sides like we have maids to follow along and clean things up!  The squeeze bottles that are "upside down" are some of the worst, because they tend to explode as soon as you open the cap.  I'm talkin about you, Mr. Mustard squeeze bottle.

This job will only take a few minutes and then you can take a break.  Take a damp paper towel and gently wipe around the tops of jars and bottles of the condiments and other things in your kitchen.  The next time you make a sandwich, it will feel so good to open your pristine jars that you may be tempted to eat on the good china.  Wow!  Company Girls are so classy.

POINTS: 10 for each jar or bottle you clean up....NO LIMIT!  Go crazy if you want, because it's Monday.

Finally, July Prizes

Now that we're halfway through the month, it's about time I announce what our prizes will be for this month!  I've posted a new Download TallyJuly for July, so if you've been keeping track of your points you will now have an updated design to scribble them on!

For the Company Girl who gets the Most Points, she will receive something very pretty, and oh so necessary.   Have you ever counted up how many gifts you give in the course of a year?  They really add up, and I love having nice wrapping papers and cards on hand.  But I hate to spend money on them.   This set is by wrapables.com.

These printed wrapping papers are perfect for wrapping every day gifts or for the holiday season. Each gift wrap kit includes 20 sheets of wrapping paper in four designs, 20 gift tags, 2 rolls of ribbon (2 colors, 9 fee each), 2 rolls of string (2 colors, 9 feet each), 30-40 stickers, and instructions for basic bow-tying and wrapping.

For the Random Company Girl drawing (in which you don't have to keep track of points but you participate in at least 5 Small Things and have the Company Girl button on your blog (if you blog)), you will receive not one, but TWO signed books from Dee Brestin.


Dee's style is a refreshing teaching ministry that touches on every topic imaginable.  She brings scripture alive and does it in a way that encourages and uplifts.  I like that.  I need that.  These two books are on topics that I want to go deeper with: friendships with women and more importantly, my love for Jesus.  I know you'll enjoy these.

Thank you sweet girls for playing along with the Small Things this month, even without knowing the prizes!  I know that the best prize of all is what happens at home regardless of "winning" anything, but it's fun to have a little incentive to keep those points going!

Good luck!

Rachel Anne

Get Real Gone

Hurry!  Turn your volume down before the playlist loads so you won't get blasted out of your seat!

Then turn it up and get ready to get Real Gone for today's Small Thing!

As small business owners operating on a shoestring, we've had several years pass us by without getting a vacation.  It's just one of the many perks of owning our own company.

But even though we don't get two weeks on a sunny beach somewhere, it's important for us to disconnect from the daily stresses of life every now and then.  There's a mental and emotional (not to mention physical) toll that is taken when we never stop down to relax.  I'm really feeling it this week.

It's a shame that we think that we have to wait for a formal vacation to have some fun.  Maybe it's because it's hard to turn our back on responsibilities without leaving home, or because we were raised with midwestern values that place a high merit on guilt.  But taking a stand for relaxation, especially on a Friday, is something we sure could use.  How about you??

Today's Small Thing is to get Real Gone in some way....and I'm going to give you the whole weekend to accomplish this task!  That doesn't mean that you have to be "GONE" all weekend, it means that you have to find a small way to step away from the "Have-To's" and do a "Want-To."

I want you to disconnect from stress by choosing an activity that allows you to "BE" in the moment.  You can be "gone" without really being gone, if you know what I mean.

You may have a busy weekend ahead of you, but I hope you'll take some time to play with your kids, or eat an ice cream cone or watch a movie on the couch.  And when you do, make a conscious effort to lay your worries down, let the stress go, and allow yourself to enjoy the moment.

All the cleaning and organizing and beautifying of your little sanctuary is to allow yourself to enjoy your home.  But don't make the mistake of thinking that you can't enjoy yourself because you haven't "finished" your work.  The work will always be there, but moments of pleasure with people you love should be seized and relished.

POINTS: 40 for getting Real Gone in some small way today

BONUS: 10 for sharing what you're doing....leave a comment, and/or blog about it, and/or tell a friend!

I'm going to meet a friend for some "girlfriend" time.  We are going to look at her house plans and get our nails done.  Now that's Real Gone!

Sweet Dreams

With longer daylight hours and a relaxed state of mind, it's hard to get to bed at a decent time these days.  Children look at you blankly when you say "time for bed" and find a million ways to extend the festivities far beyond all reasonable common sense.  And what am I doing, popping in a movie at 9:30 pm, when I know perfectly well I'll regret it in the morning?  Such silliness! 

Sometimes it's nice to make bedtime a little sweeter with some enticing treatment.  Today's Small Thing will take us far from household chores to the relaxation our bodies crave at night.  I think we ought to have fun with this one....if we can remember to do it later tonight!  Think with me:

What makes going to sleep feel wonderful for you?

• Fresh sheets?  Oooh, sheets dried on a clothesline are simply intoxicating!

• Sweet-smelling powder sprinkled on your sheets to cool them?

• Linen spray?  Such decadence!

• How about plumped pillows, a new magazine and a feminine nighty?

• A bubble bath or cool shower can relax you.

• I love putting lotion on my parched skin before sleeping.  Especially on my feet.

• Maybe some soft music will set a sleepy mood.

It may not take much more than a minute to jazz up your bedtime routine and give you some simple pleasure tonight. 

You might want to let this celebration of bedtime spill onto the other members of your family.  You could get everyone into jammies early, pop some popcorn and read a bedtime story together or play a quiet game.  Maybe they would like something sweet-smelling in their beds, too.

Why wait until you are exhausted to fall into bed tonight?  Do a little pre-bedtime planning and make crawling in to your comfy bed something to be enjoyed.  Savored.

POINTS: 40 for doing something to make going to bed special tonight.  You deserve it!

What will you do tonight?  I'm going to wash my sheets and hang them outside (I don't have a clothesline, but maybe the fence will do.)

I'm Seeing Spots

I'm pretty good at getting the big things done around here.  But it's the little things, oh the little things, that are my bugaboos.  Sometimes it will take me forever to pick up a piece of paper or clean something small or do some tiny task that I KNOW won't take but a minute....but with all the BIG things that need doing, well.  I just can't stop to take care of those little details with more important things to accomplish.

But they still bother me.  And that's why it feels so good to finally do those irksome little things that niggle at the back of my mind.  I love getting points for paying attention to stuff that is maybe a bit insignificant in and of themselves, but make life seem....better when they're done.

I loved looking at my toaster today, all shiny and crumb-free.  Does anyone else care?  No, but it made me feel happy.

I wiped out my refrigerator water dispenser thingy and remembered how much my tall, cool appliance likes to look good and it made me smile.

Yeah, I've got suitcases in disarray from our trip last week, and the laundry is stacked on the table, but doing the Small Thing of the day gives me a whole lot of pleasure as I move through the "Have-To's" of my day.  I've done something important today, and it gives me the will to face the bigger tasks.

So that brings me to Today's Small Thing, which about something that I am ashamed to say, I don't deal with well.

Spots.

They're tiny.  They're not hurting anyone.  They don't make anyone late to events.  But they hang around for far too long.

There are many places that spots deposit themselves at my house.  Our drooley dog leaves spots on the carpet from his slobber.  Yech.  If he weren't so old and decrepit I'd kick him out of the house.  I hate myself for being so gullible as to fall for his arthritic "excuse" to be inside.

Kids (and adults, mostly guests) spill drinks on the furniture and leave the tell tale spots behind.

Grease seems to jump onto my clothing when I cook and, yep.   Da Spots!

And I'll dab things up as best I can at the moment they occur, but sometimes those spots want to take up permanent residence and ruin my whole sanctuary thing with their careless splats of indifference.

Our Small Thing today is to eradicate spottage in just one area of your house.  This is one you really have to be careful with, because once you start chasing down spots with say, a bottle of Resolve, you can  become obsessively crazy and never stop.   So I warn you.  Limit yourself, and have 911 pre-dialed on your phone in case you start to lose it.  When you start looking for spots, you'll find them everywhere.

POINTS:  50 for working on laundry spots, carpet spots, furniture spots, upholstery spots or anywhere else those spots might lurk. JUST PICK ONE AREA, and....be careful.  Don't tell me you weren't warned.

Don't forget to limit yourself if you can...and feel free to let us know where you eliminated spots today!