Home Sanctuary

Turn in March Points!

 

March has been another great month of small (but significant) steps toward making our homes feel good.  I hope you've had a chance to do at least some of the tasks that have appeared this month.  Life is busy, things happen, and we don't always get to do everything we hope to, but the thing about Home Sanctuary is that we are taking this journey together. Whether you just read along each day and think how nice it is that you've already done the Small Thing, or think "I really should do that," the point is that we are changing our mindsets to see our homes as a place that is welcoming. Warm. Inviting. Soul-feeding. A refuge in progress. A safe harbor.

I might as well break the news to you now that your home ain't never gonna be perfect. But the good news is that is doesn't have to be in order to be a sanctuary for your family! I'm always amazed at what just a little bit of effort, some prayer, and a seed of faith can do in a home. If you are discouraged and feel like you may never have the kind of home you dream of, take heart. It WILL happen - a little bit at a time. Take the Small Things to heart and simply give them a chance to work. You will not be disappointed. Why not get started in April??

Today is the day to turn in points for the month of March. Now, if you couldn't find a calculator, got messed up half way through the month and forgot to keep track, don't worry. You can still be eligible for the Random Drawing.

The Most Points Winner will receive a hand-painted set of pretties that I made myself. These are darling, if I do say so, and I can think of several spots in my house where they would look perfect, and I'll bet you could find a spot at your house, too. This set might also make an excellent gift, if you are so inclined to give away an original piece of art. :)

The Random Drawing Winner will receive a signed copy of One in a Million by the famous, sweet and kind, Priscilla Shirer. Oh, my word, this book is great! I've thoroughly enjoyed my copy.

 

Today's Small Thing takes TWO steps:

1. Email your point total to me at [email protected]  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 March's total

Valley of Indecision

I’m one of those people who looks at big jobs and becomes immobilized by the enormity of the tasks. Like when we’ve had a super busy week and there is laundry everywhere, the bathrooms are disasters, there is no food in the fridge and some kid says he has a school project due tomorrow. Where do I start? What should I do first? Strangle the kid and THEN start the laundry, or the other way around?

I feel, in that moment, like taking a nap.

Like that would really help.

But I’ve been taking lessons from my “Can Do” friends, like Bridgette, my Lagniappe neighbor.  When faced with a daunting task, she dives in with relish and makes something happen.  While I’m still deciding on the most efficient way to approach things, then reevaluating my fiindings and consulting with online search engines, she is halfway done and looking for more. I really admire that.

I think her secret is this: she just starts.

It may not be the perfect place to begin, or the perfect time to embark on the task, but she doesn’t let that keep her from making the first move toward getting it done.

I’m borrowing her technique on my Children’s Church project this week. I gulped when I saw the hugeness of the job and just my two little hands and paltry talent to get this done. I had a hard time deciding where to start, so I simply picked up my tools and began taping off.  I squelched the urge to run away and opened a can of paint instead.

Does a project or task have you immobilized today? Are you stuck in the valley of indecision and can’t figure out where to start?

Today’s Small Thing is to simply begin. Don’t analyze whether it would be better to start with the dark clothes and work to the whites, but what about the reds....just grab a load and chunk it in. Are you writing a book or preparing a presentation? Start typing out a bad one, rather than waiting for the “perfect” inspiration to hit. If your home looks like a bomb exploded, just get up off the couch and start picking up. Don’t overthink it. Just start it.

POINTS: 50 for climbing out of the valley of indecision by simply STARTING.

What have you been putting off starting? What will you begin today?

PS sorry no cute pictures or Small Thing logos...I''m on my laptop, out of town, and it's late.....

On the Road

By the time you girls read this, I will be well on my way to Big Spring Texas to finish the last leg of the Children's Church project.  The graphics are printed, the signs are done, the paints are loaded and I'm "caffeined up" and on the road.

I love driving rent cars...I have one for this trip and it's a brand new, fuel efficient Elantra. I'll enjoy the XM radio, the new car smell, and the fact that there are no french fries, wrappers cups, crumbs or sticky stuff inside. It makes me feel so classy.

In the spirit of road trips everywhere, Today's Small Thing is to take a trash bag to your car and to a little de-littering. Most people have their hands full when they get out of the car and plan to return later to get the trash...but the garbage ends up going for a joy ride, time after time, when "later" never comes for it. At least that's what happens at my house.

POINTS: 40 for taking a trash bag and getting rid of the junk that's joy riding in YOUR car. Easy!

If you don't have any trash to throw out and your car is clean, I congratulate you. Go ahead and take the points for being such a good example for the rest of us.

What's been joy riding in your vehicle?

Company Girl Coffee 3.26

What a crazy week this has been! I'm in my final push to get all the signs and graphics done for the children's wing in the church out in west Texas. And then, another signage project that has languished for almost 2 years suddenly sprang back to life this week...so I've been up to my eyeballs in signs. Well, here. Take a look at some of the fun ones:

The children's wing has a travel theme. So the classrooms are destinations...Far East, Africa, the "Worship Express," a 50's diner...this first one is a large 4x8 panel that hangs very high, so the wording is down low.

 

The classroom signs will hang from wrought iron brackets that will stick out from the hallway walls.





I hope to get everything else finalized today...dear God help me...it will be a miracle. But the hardest part, establishing the look and feel of the graphics is done...now the "fun" part begins. Just kidding, it's all hard. Most of the graphics will be printed on removable decals - easy to apply and easy to remove if they need to. It is a very COOL product and I can't wait to use it for this project!

I will be traveling to Big Spring, TX and spending all next week painting murals and putting the finishing touches on all the incredible work the congregation has already done. We hope to have it ready for Easter services. Life Church has been posting their progress on YouTube, and here is one of their last ones. Keep in mind that they have taken a crumbling, 100 year old school and are renovating it. You CANNOT BELIEVE how far they have come.

PRAYER REQUEST: Will you please pray for my friend, Priscilla's husband, Jerry? He is in the hospital with pneumonia and needs a real touch from God to heal him completely. Although pneumonia is very treatable, it is serious stuff and he doesn't need to have this going on right now. Pray for health, rest and protection for this dear family.

Let's have some coffee and/or refreshments of the virtual kind. Link up below to participate in a fun and easy way to invite new friends to your blog. Non-bloggers can participate by sharing in the comments section. Did ya'll see LydiaCate's announcement last week?? She is being blessed with a new baby on the way! Congratulations!!!! And don't forget that SpitFire's husband made it back from overseas...so their baby can arrive anytime, now that Daddy's home. We'll be waiting for news....

Today's Small Thing is in the next post. It's short, I promise.

Grease is the Word - Not

My daughter, Meghan, once went to a midnight showing of Grease at an artsy-fartsy theatre in Dallas.  It was a "Sing-Along" showing that attracted a sold out crowd, many of whom were dressed in appropriate 50's attire.  I had to chuckle a little bit, remembering my high school days, when "Go Greased Lightning" was all the rage.  The movie has a horrible storyline, but the music is still pretty fun.

You know, I thought if someone could write a whole movie about grease, I could certainly write one little post about it.  Grease is not the homemaker's friend when it comes to cleaning.  Since I tend to be a "stove top" chef, I am constantly wiping up greasy splatters in the kitchen.  I start a number of my edible delights with sauteed onions, garlic and red peppers - the basis for making anything taste good, even if it's a hastily prepared meal.  The downside is that the buttery goodness ain't so good when it's sprayed all over the top of the stove and adjacent counter.  Particularly the next day.  Blech.

Today's Small Thing is to do a de-greasing cleaning of your stove top area.  Pay attention to the backsplash, under the knobs and of course, those crusty drip pans. I like to use warm water to soften the gook, followed by something like Bam to wipe up the greasy spills.  I like lots of paper towels for this job.

When my stove top is sparkling, I feel inspired to eat out.  That might be a sweet reward for having a gourmet-level of clean for one day.

Take a picture.

POINTS: 40 for de-greasing the stove top area

No Small Thing Today

So sorry, Company Girls, but I had something come up last night and I wasn't able to get a post together for the day. Enjoy your day, and I will be back on Friday!

Good Food Counts

Have you fallen off your diet lately? I didn't go as far as having an Awesome Blossom at Chili's the other day, but I did enjoy the bottomless basket of chips like there was no tomorrow. I like my chips with salsa AND ranch dressing on the side. And I've been munching my way through my current design project (cookies and coffee taste wonderful when I hit my 3pm slump.)

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

Wednesday is a great day to get back on the wagon and eat healthy!  Yeah, Mondays are just so expected. See, 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 way to get back on track.

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?

Suds in the Bucket

Great news, girls! I think we should get points for something we all have to do anyway.

The Laundry!

But we're not going to have to do it ALL today to earn points.  In fact, we don't even have to do ANY of it today.

Cheers!  Hoorays and Hollers!  Big Amens!  Tears of Joy!  Delirious Disbelief!

POINTS: Oh, I can't tell you about the points yet.

Here's the deal.  I will give you until midnight on Saturday to do however many loads you want or need to do for your family.  You will need to have the clothes folded and put away in order to get points for each load.  You could do a load per day, or be a glutton for punishment and do it all on one day....you pick your poison.  But each load needs to be completely done by Saturday night to get the credits.  If you started on the week's laundry yesterday, I will give you retro points for it.

I can see it now...tick marks carved into the paint of your Kenmore washer as you keep track of how many you've done.

Can you think of a better way to get out of a mid-month housekeeping/laundry slump? I can't.

POINTS: 15 per finished load: washed, dried, folded or hung up, put away.  No straggling socks or renegade T-shirts in the bottom of the basket. 

You could really rack up some great points this week, but please use the honor system and wash your own family's clothes. Don't gather the neighbor's dirty laundry or steal clothes from the laundromat.  Simply do the clothes and linens in your own household, don't wash items one at a time to make more loads....and enjoy the unlimited points.

Leading the Way

You might have noticed that, for a blog about all things "home," I don't really write that much about parenting. I'm not really sure why that is, but maybe one reason is that my Company Girl readers are not all moms....and I hate to exclude anyone, especially in Small Thing tasks. Everyone has a sink to clean, not everyone has a toddler to wrangle.

But I've loved my role as a mom. Not every single moment of it, but the journey from having my first baby to where I am now, with my last baby a sophomore in high school, has been quite a ride. I sure wouldn't trade it for anything.

I'd like to introduce you to a new friend, Julie, at Day by Day Mom. She has it on her heart to do daily "small things" for moms.  It might be a task or challenge, a word of encouragement, or simply something you might not have thought of yourself. I like what she says on her blog:

"I'm not saying, "together we will raise perfect children", but I am saying, "together we will TRY, by the Grace of God to do better. To love better. To be better. For our kids and for our families."  

Parenting is a long haul, and we need one another to stay encouraged when things seem bleak. And maybe even more importantly, we need to share our triumphs when things go well. If you are looking for a daily dose of help along the way, I hope you'll pop over and see what Julie's got going on.

Today's Small Thing is to lead by example. If your children are at home, find a way to do a task together: instead of saying "go do your homework," sit down and do it with your child. Rather than telling your son to do the dishes, grab a towel and do the job together. Look for a way to come along beside your child and help them accomplish something.

If you don't have a child around, see if you can apply today's Small Thing in your life in some way. Everyone is a leader in one arena or another....we can all use a reminder that leading is more about what we DO, than what we SAY.

POINTS: 40 for leading by example

It just so happens that Priscilla Shirer wrote about leadership today, and my sister Katherine has an excellent post about getting out of a "mommy rut", here.

How will you lead today? Share an example!

Company Girl Coffee 3.19 and Small Thing

My sister, Katherine, did something wonderful for me yesterday. You can read all about it on Priscilla's Blog,  but I will post the fun photos here.

We had a gorgeous day to work together on my flower bed. Katherine helped me spend my meager budget on the right rosebushes and plants to make it look 100% better. Squinty smiles all around.

My husband should warn me before he snaps a photo. But I'm just so darn proud of our effort that I'm willing to put a bad picture of me on the internet to show how hard I was working.

Several shrubs had died, leaving big gaps in most of the bed. We moved what was left around, and put in some beautiful, albeit small, plants. I chose 5 Knock Out roses and the Carefree Beauty rose as the main focal points.

Here we are, trying to pose for a serious picture, like the unsmiling Puritan couple with a shovel and pitchfork. But we could not stop laughing long enough to pull it off.

It was the best day I've had in a long, long time. I love my sister for being so happy to help me, and for making me feel so loved in the process. She is my best friend.

Today's Small Thing is to lend someone a hand, or let someone else help YOU with something. Fresh off of feeling how incredible it is to be helped, I want to pay it forward today. Who can YOU help? Lending a hand, giving a listening ear, or donating some time to someone may make all the difference in their life. Just like my sister's gift to me will never be forgotten, your act of service will bring joy to the recipient for a long time to come.

POINTS: 40 for helping someone in some way (or perhaps even harder, let someone help YOU)

What is happening at YOUR house? Company Girl Coffee is our regular feature that allows you to get to know other Company Girls. You can do this by linking to your own blog, or by starting (or participating in) a conversation in the comment section below.  It's easy, fun, and best of all, you don't have to clean the bathrooms beforehand to have anyone come over! We can enjoy each other's company without ever having to get out of our bathrobes.  Perfect!