Home Sanctuary

Turn In February Points!

I can hardly believe that February is almost over!  Since today is the last weekday of the month, that means it is time to report the points you earned throughout the month. You can use this simple tally sheet if you need one: Download Tally0210 

Instructions for participating in the points round up/prize drawing are at the end of this post. First, let's review our prizes. Here is what I wrote at the beginning of the month:

"I'm SUPER excited about our prizes in February because just LOOK what I've got for you. Lisa Leonard, a wonderfully talented jewelry designer is offering this stunning necklace to the Most Points Winner:

"Lisa's jewelry pieces are meaningful, unique and perfect for everyday. Each one is hand-cut, hammered, antiqued and polished sterling silver.  This "Sparkle" design is brand-spankin' new and I think it's perfect for a sparkley Company Girl.  Hop over to Lisa's website and sign up for her newsletter for a 15% off coupon on an order. Drool over the necklaces and bracelets that are simply gorgeous....then buy one! 

"Thank you, Lisa, for creating such a wonderful prize to work toward this month!  Whoever wins it will feel like one of your famous Hollywood clients, sporting your beautiful handiwork.

"Our Random Drawing Winner will receive: my very own underlined, highlighted and dog-eared copy of Bonnie's Household Organizer.  As you know, Bonnie is my liege, my guru, my virtual mentor! and you'll see exactly how I've lifted her material and used it to spread the gospel of Sanctuary all over the universe.

I can't think of a better "random" prize, so let's make this month a good one!  I'm thrilled to have so many new girls along, and I know we're going to make great strides to create peace, order and beauty at home."

Nice!

Today's Small Thing takes TWO steps:

1. Email your point total to me at rachelanne@homesanctuary.com.  If you simply want to be entered in the Random Drawing, then there is no need for math...just say "enter me in the drawing!" Easy.

2. Leave a comment, letting us know what your favorite Small Thing of the month was.  This is always fun to read because everyone has something different that worked well for them!  It helps those girls who are wondering if they should start doing Small Things to go ahead and jump in, and it helps those of us who have been around awhile to reaffirm the beauty of doing little things....with BIG results.

Thank you, sweet Company Girls, for another fantastic month!

POINTS: 30 for the two steps above, good toward February's total

Be sure and scroll down to the next post for Company Girl Coffee.

Company Girl Coffee 2.26

I doodle.

I'd planned on telling a really fetching story today, one that would stir you to Company Girl heights of greatness, but I had to stay up so late last night to put together a presentation that I completely forgot it.

Think. Think. What was it?

Well, while I am conjuring up my tale, let's go ahead and talk amongst ourselves.

Let's do COFFEE! (Or tea or diet coke...it doesn't really matter). We're the Company Girls, and not only do we NOT take ourselves too seriously, we love to yakk. I made it around to MOST of the blogs that linked in last week, so if I missed you, I will try again this weekend. I love to see what ya'll are up to!

Feel free to link up below (if you are a blogger), or chat in the comment section (if you are not a blogger). Don't be shy! This is a fun and easy way to meet new people and invite girlfriends into your life.  We ALL need that.

That Sinking Feeling

 
Some days you just wake up with that sinking feeling that you are drowning in a sea of flotsam.  Oh, the wreckage! I've had a busy work week and I keep looking at the same items that seem to move from one spot to another...never really getting put away or cleaned properly. Where are the little faeries that are supposed to magically help me?  I'm heartily disappointed to find they've apparently jumped ship.

But Company Girls are survivors!  We just keep going on, don't we?  I really like that about our little group of friends :)

I think the thing that keeps our spirits buoyed is realizing that good things can happen if we just keep after them.  We've found that one small thing can lead to another, just like one kindness leads to another kindness.  And before you know it, we're awash with positive things happening all around us.  I really live for that, don't you?

Today's Small Thing is to fight the sea of despair by simply scouring your kitchen sink.  Since we already spend a bunch of time in the scullery, this easy task is one that always feels super great when it's done.  I hate to think of the germs that live in my sink, just biding their time for the dishes to come and soak in their smarmy ooze.  But not today, I tell ye!  Today my dishes will descend into the depths of sudsy cleanliness.

POINTS: 40 easy ones for a quick scrub of the kitchen sink.  It's like catching the last life raft to sanity.

Book 'Em

Back when I did my bedroom makeover, I moved a very large bookcase into another room in order to paint behind it.  But when it came time to put all the furniture back, I hesitated.  The corner where the bookcase had been sure looked clean and nice without it!  And the room I'd moved it to temporarily had a spot that was just right for it.  So I began the task of putting all the books back into the shelves, and that's when I noticed how poorly arranged they were.

Tall books next to short books, books stacked haphazardly and magazines stuffed in there like book wannabe's.  It didn't look very "designed."  Or very neat.

I'd like to tell you that I arranged them beautifully right then and there.  But I was in a hurry to get back to my precious bedroom project so I hurriedly put the books back into the shelves "just for now" and...there they remained for uh, quite awhile.  Frozen in their state of disarray.

Today's Small Thing is to straighten up your books.  If you have a bookcase or bookshelf, chances are you've crammed them full without a thought of what they really look like.  A simple lining up of the spines will add instant stature to your collection.  You could do that in just a few minutes and call it done.  I'd be happy with that and give you the day's points!

But if you'd like to REALLY earn some points, how about taking it a step further and doing some rearranging?  Here are some suggestions:

• Arrange by size, grouping like-sized books together
• Or, arrange by color.  Here's a cool idea!
• Remove some of the paperbacks to a basket or container
• Stack some of the larger books on their sides, creating visual interest
• Tuck in some decorative objects, staggering them so your eye will travel from one side to the other
• Try putting a small nightlight or lamp in there for a warm glow

Check out this article for a great "How-To."

If books are our friends, we should treat them with some hospitality and give them a nice place to reside.  They will thank you by being more than just great companions. They will provide you with a decorative flair and give your home an air of thoughtful sophistication.

POINTS: 30 for a simple straightening of the bookshelves

BONUS: An ADDITIONAL 50 for rearranging, primping and polishing your book case "look."  You can use the rest of this week (through Sunday) to accomplish this!

(80 points max)

PS Say, this would make a great topic for Company Girl Friday...how about some "before and afters?"

Stem the Tide

A couple of years ago, the midwestern states were hard hit with massive rains that caused incredible damage.  I watched people on TV, filling sandbags to create walls to keep the rising floodwaters out of their towns and neighborhoods.  It was a last-ditch effort to prevent their property from being destroyed by rivers that spilled over their banks and onto land that was never meant to hold water.

I sometimes feel like those sandbaggers when it comes to my home.  There is a flood of STUFF...toys, papers, shoes, towels, plates, cups, books, etc. that simply wants to run amok unless I take some drastic action to stem the tide.  Please, people.  Could we just put our things away?

Here's the thing: I don't need my entire house to be spotless in order to be happy.  But I DO need certain areas to remain picked up and orderly in order for me to feel sane.  My eyes need somewhere to rest where they aren't bombarded with clutter.  I like to sit down every now and then and feel a sense of calm around me, even if other areas of the house are knee deep in doo-doo.

Today's Small Thing is to do a little sandbagging.  We are going to carve out ONE area that will stay neat today, draw a line around it, build a wall and keep out the flood of clutter. It will take a few minutes to get it looking good, and then some vigilance to guard the dam, but it's going to feel great!  Just one room or area is very doable and very satisfying.

I'm going to choose the kitchen as my one area today.  I'm pretty good at keeping the front room picked up, but the kitchen is always a challenge.  Here's what I'm going to do:  I'll empty the trash so the can is ready for the day's garbage.  I'll unload the dishwasher so that it is ready for the mountains of plates and (mostly) cups.  And I'll clear off the counter top and mail/junk/key/receipt collection area right off the bat.  And I'll announce to my troops that they must pitch in to the effort, because we are a community, after all.

How about you?  Which ONE area will you sandbag today?  Maybe your bedroom should be off-limits to the tide of clutter and laundry.  Or if a whole room is too much for you today, why not consider the kitchen table or counter top as your real estate to protect?  

The point is, we NEED just one space in our homes that looks good and feels good.  The flood of junk may threaten every other area today, but when you make a stand and say "THIS FAR AND NO MORE," it gives you a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of refuge to see it stay nice.  When a breach happens, simply remove the unwanted stuff and keep working on your territory.  No need to get mean or ugly....just get determined.

POINTS: 40 for sandbagging one area of your home and keeping it neat today.

Let us know:  what area are you sandbagging?

Ice Dancing

Doug Mills/The New York Times 2006

Guess what? Today's Small Thing only has only two things in common with the flamboyant ballroom dancing on ice that we saw last night in the Olympics.

Ice and Danger.

There ain't no glamor or pizzazz. No sequins, boas or skimpy outfits.

Yeah, you guessed it: we're in our freezers today.

Foraging for a package of corn in my freezer is a dangerous mission.  I know it's in there somewhere....behind the freezer-burned family pack of chicken thighs (on sale for 99 cents a pound in 2008), butcher-wrapped packages of venison (a friend went deer hunting and gave us some), and an old carton of ice cream (with a yummy layer of ice crystals over the 1/2 scoop left in the bottom.)

Recently, my husband found a package of sliced ham from 2001 as he was making room for a bunch of South Beach Diet Frozen Entrees (2 for 5.00 at Albertsons).  He gave me the look which said, "please tell me you've cleaned out the freezer since 2001," and although I know I have....the evidence he brandished in that moment caused the blood to drain from my face. I swallowed hard.  When WAS the last time??  Ack!

Today's Small Thing is to free up some space in your freezer by tossing some of that petrified stuff that you know needs to go.  For me, it will mean getting rid of some old chicken and some ham scraps from Christmas.  I'd like to get rid of the all the duck meat in there (which I know we'll never eat) but my husband worked hard to hunt it, clean it and freeze it so I'll let it stay this time.  The rotisserie chicken carcass from last week's soup can wave good-bye.  I'll be dancing, when I see how nice my freezer can look in just a few minutes' time.

POINTS: 30 for doing a quick freezer clear-out of the old, unusable stuff

BONUS POINTS: 20 for wiping out a shelf or two

What's the oldest or grossest thing you're tossing today?

Ring Around the Rosie?

While I was shaving my legs the other day, I was appalled at the state of my bathtub. Didn't I just scrub this out before Christmas?? How could it look so bad so soon? I'm just kidding about the "before Christmas" part, but just barely. The ring around my tub was certainly unattractive.

I guess I sorta jump in the shower each day and try to make quick work of the personal hygiene and the move on to more important things. Soap scum is not high on my priority list. 

Well, I won't make you clean the entire bathroom today because that would take about 10-15 minutes and NO ONE has that kind of time on their hands. Today's Small Thing is to give your tub and/or shower a nice quick scrubbing to get rid of the soap scum and tub rings. I like to toss the collection of razors and empty shampoo bottles while I'm at it...it really makes it feel spa-like in there when it's pristine.

OOOH! I feel a bubble bath coming on...

POINTS: 30 for cleaning the tub/shower

BONUS POINTS: 10 for throwing out old razors and empty shampoo bottles

10 more for scooping tub toys into some kind of container....50 pts max

Come on, now. When's the last time you REALLY cleaned the tub?? If you keep bathroom cleaners IN THE BATHROOM, it's much easier to quickly clean and move on!

Company Girl Coffee 2.19

OK, I'm not quite sure where this week went....do YOU know?? It felt like a blur.  All I know is that I spent a lot of time playing with colors for the children's wing project I told you about.  It's like a giant jigsaw puzzle, figuring out the neutral palettes, then adding in the brighter accent colors, and making sure that everything goes together.

Here is my work table, before it really got messy. You can see that I cut apart the color strips so I can mix and match shades and tints easily. 

Here are some of the finalists. I'm using Sherwin Williams colors for everything, and this photo does not do these colors justice. People, they are DELICIOUS!

I'm sure I've spent hours deciding between Whole Wheat (6121) and Favorite Tan (6157) as one of my neutrals, but it's not easy splitting hairs when one color has a slight green tint and the other has a slight gold tint. If you squint your eyes and hold the colors side by side, you'll see exactly what I mean.

What's happening in YOUR neck of the woods?  Here is your opportunity to step out and get to know other bloggers and commenters through our weekly feature, Company Girl Coffee.  You can link to a specific blog post (preferably one that has the CG logo placed in it, so we know we're at the right place), or simply chat in the comment section below.  Then, try and get around to as many links as you can.  Don't forget the gals at the "end" of the line! I apologize for not getting around to visit ya'll this week, but my nose has been stuck to the grindstone and I just didn't have a chance. I'm going to try and visit each of you this weekend!

Loving the "Dude" in Your Man

You don't have to endorse Bud Light to appreciate the "Dude" humor of this ad campaign.  Somehow they've managed to sum up the universal language of men into the word they all understand.

"Dude."

I've been married to a Dude for 26 years and I've gotta say there's still a lot I don't know about Dude-ness.  There are many things I take for granted, like the fact that he's in charge of the lawn-mowing and the mechanical stuff.  But there are other things that go deeper inside that Dude heart of his that I hope I appreciate as much as I should.

Dudes get a bad rap these days.  They are the butt of jokes and the apes of sit-coms.  Commercials make them look like complete idiots.  Talk shows make the most out of their short-comings.  It's easy to roll your eyes at their Dude mistakes or their lack of feminine sensitivity.

But if we haven't beat it out of our Dudes already, what they have to offer us is so much more than we can muster on our own.  We want to tame our men just enough, but sometimes we go a little too far in our expectations.  It's really not all that important that he be able to wrangle a bull or fix a motor or sip tea from a china cup.

What really matters is his heart, and his commitment to the life you have together.  He may not wear his Dude heart on his sleeve, but he still needs to know that you love and appreciate who he is and what he's doing for your family.

Today's Small Thing is to find ways to appreciate your Dude.  Let him know that you're still crazy about him and that he's the kind of guy that makes a girl feel lucky.  Even if ya ain't really feelin it....your actions will mean more than you know.

POINTS: 50 for loving your Dude in a way you know he'll enjoy today....you choose what to do!

Don't have a Dude in your life? No worries, luv. Simply pray for the Dude that pastors your church, leads a small group, or pray for the Dude in the Oval Office.

ps sorry for all the references to beer in today's song....but I couldn't resist it.

Pockets

 

I'm a pocket lover. Where would I put my lipstick without one? Having a handy place to tuck a tissue is essential, as is having cell phone storage directly on my person.  And what would life be without the occasional seredipitous finding of a $5.00 bill, long forgotten in a pocket of seldom worn pants or a jacket? I shudder to think.

There are many types of pockets.  We've talked about pockets of time more than once on this blog.  Now, that's one of my favorite kind of pockets.  I'm always amazed at how much can fit into a tiny pocket of time, when you really try. I've cleaned out whole junk drawers in one time pocket, and organized bathroom shelves in another.  Come to think of it, all the Small Things can fit into pockets.

But another pocket is a pocket of space.  As in a spot on a shelf, a ledge, or a corner.  Maybe an area on a dresser or an end table.  Terri, at The Very Latest Thing, recently issued a fun challenge to tackle some of those little areas around the house that could use some sprucing up.  Since this is the time of year that I'm all into that kind of thing, AND because Terri is such a cool Company Girl, I thought we all might pop over and check out what she is doing.

Terri, you won't mind if we all descend on you today, will you??

Let's take Terri up on her challenge, at least for one day.  If you are so inclined to keep on a-goin' she has a Mr. Linky set up so the fun will last until March 31st. You can spruce up pockets to your heart's content! She even has a button for your blog, impressive.

 

Here is a pocket I did something about last week.  A Pocket of Blank Wall. As an artist, I'm ashamed that I've had this empty space for so long.  Well, it DID have a nail in it, sort of an understated look of nonchalance, but I craved color and never did anything about it.  The other day, my husband said he would make a frame if I would make something to print. We had a photo that he took awhile back, I added my favorite scripture in photoshop, and then he printed it on our large-format printer. I love it! Now, I'm even more ashamed that it took me so long to fill that space.

 

Photo by Tom: an antelope horn wildflower in our pasture. And Psalm 90:17. 

Today's Small Thing is to spruce up a pocket around your house.  Stop over and say hello to Terri, read about the Pocket Challenge, and then simply pick a sad little spot that needs some TLC.  A few minutes fixing it up will make it all happy again. And you will be delighted by your effort.

 

POINTS: 40 for doing the Pocket Challenge today...as little or as big as you'd like to make it!

PS I've got some nerve. You should see what I got for Priscilla Shirer for her birthday.