Home Sanctuary

Peace, Order and Beauty

The three pillars that create sanctuary.

I'm passionate about making my home a sanctuary for my family, and I've written a lot about it over the years. I've seen what creating a "soft place to land" does for the fabric of our relationships, and the strength that comes from knowing that home is a place that feels good and comforts the soul. My home has never been perfectly organized or filled with priceless treasures, but I've found that sanctuary is much more about an attitude of the heart than anything else. Today, I'm sharing some of my older posts with you as I prepare for another year of helping you create your OWN home sanctuaries.

With love, Rachel Anne

Sanctuary is a Three-Legged Stool

 

Why I'm Passionate About Sanctuary

 

Somethin' Dudn't Taste Right

 

Sanctuary in Suburbia: Not the Impossible Dream!

 

The Box Job

 

Sanctuary, Save the Day!

 

MapQuest, Find Sanctuary

 

And last but not least, don't forget that 2013 is the year we are going to learn to BREATHE together! See you January 2nd....have a wonderful and safe New Year!

Gather Your Tools, Girls!

In order to do any job well, it's important to have the right tools. Sometimes I think about how many times I've struggled with a standard screwdriver when the task called for a Phillips....or I've tried to to pound a nail with a shoe...things that should be simple and quick tasks become frustrating because I can't put my hands on the right tools when I need them.

The same is true for homekeeping. I find that if I have the things I need IN STOCK - and HANDY - I can accomplish little tasks effortlessly, without the frustration and inevitable procrastination that comes when I can't find the tools.  Homekeeping tools - and supplies - are just as important as the wrenches and cordless drills your husband can't live without. 

As we start planning for an organized, easy-to-maintain home in 2013, the first place to start is with the right tools.....housekeeping supplies, if you will. When I can reach under a bathroom sink and can pull out a pop-up wipe, I am waaaaaaay more likely to keep the bathroom tidy than when I have to search for a paper towel somewhere in the house, then locate the spray cleaner and then return to......wait. Where was I?? What was it that needed cleaning? Hold on, what's Kelly Rippa talking about now? Oh, that's so funny. Let me sit here for a second and see what's happening on TV.

I'm not kidding, that is how I work.

That is unless I have tools, right then and there, that help me focus on the task at hand. 

Today's Small Thing is to take stock of your supplies.  Make a list of the things you need, and have them ready to go by January 2.

I suggest keeping your supplies where you actually use them: under sinks (child-proofed, of course) or at the very least on each floor of the house or each end of the house. The best part of a cleaning strategy is simply to have your tools HANDY!

Get these at a discount store to put in a caddy per bathroom (or floor level). I splurged on some cute baskets from Walmart recently and love how they make me excited to put cleaning products in them. I opened my under-sink cabinets about 50 times to admire them. Yes, I'm that dorky.

"Small Things" Supplies

Glass Cleaner
Surface Cleaner
Abrasive cleaner
Paper Towels
Sponges
Trash bags
Dust cloth/spray
Wisk broom/dust pan
Rubber gloves
Potty  scrub-brush

Optional: Pop-up wipes (love these)

General cleaning supplies to have:

Floor cleaner
Vinegar
Disinfectant spray
Tools: brooms, mop, vacuum
Trash bags

Swiffers - oh so nice!

Starting fresh with the tools you need will give you power to spend time on the things you really WANT to do, instead of feeling victimized by all the housework.

Remember, Sanctuary in the Small Things is not just about cleaning, but it's about caring for your home and the people who live in it.   It's part of showing love AND helping your family members belong to the process of homemaking.  

Today, take stock of what you have and start getting everything together. Be ready to make 2013 the year of learning to breathe by working smarter and more efficiently. Give yourself permission to create a wonderful home sanctuary for yourself and your loved ones. 

Song of the Day: Dream, Priscilla Ahn

*This post appeared last December.....and YES! WE NEED IT AGAIN, HUH?

Happy Holidays, Indeed

I hope you all had a sweet Christmas! We sure did....and we even got a WHITE Christmas, with snow here in Texas! It made for a memorable day with our families. We had lots of food to eat, gifts that were simple yet well-chosen, games, naps, walks in the (freezing cold) snow, coffee and time away from the computer. I hadn't planned on being away from blogging this long, but it felt great to be fully present and engaged in all the goings-on. Sometimes it is good to simply step back and enjoy life....and I did my best to do just that.

I'll be back tomorrow with some preparations for 2013's theme of "Breathing." First I've got to unbutton my pants so I can breathe a little easier after indulging in too many Christmas goodies! YIKES! Breathing will get easier as we ease into a new year of organization and motivation in our homes and personal lives. I am so excited to welcome the new readers and Company Girls who have found me somehow....and let me just say that it is going to be a great year ahead as we journey together. I can't wait.

Blessings today!

Rachel Anne

I Invite You to....Breathe

 

I invite you to....simply breathe.

 

Join me in 2013, won't you?

 

For a year of...simply breathing.

 

Coming up for air

and filling your lungs with goodness and hope.

 

Re-centering

on what's important.

 

Remembering

how to be joyful,

even when the sink is full of dishes, and the laundry is piled high and you can't find any underwear and the dog got into the trash again.

{Inhale. Exhale. Hooo. Yes.}

 

Make this

the year you begin to live

wholeheartedly

contentedly

bravely

joyfully

in your own home, in the midst of this crazy world.

 

I'm inviting you to find that part of yourself that longs to come home to a place that is uniquely "you" and comforts your soul as soon as you walk in the door. I'm inviting you to give up the silly notion of "perfection" and embrace the deep truth that "Home is Sanctuary," no matter how big or small, fancy or plain. It is the place where you create history, find your faith, accept each other's flaws, and give one another strength. It is where you'll find beauty and grace in everyday dishes, tossed backpacks and mismatched socks. It IS there....even if you don't see it right now. I'll show you.

 

Your home is your Sanctuary.

 

That's what this blog is all about. Join me in 2013 for a fresh approach to the things that fill your days and often sap your joy. Along the way, you'll find friendship, laughter and fun. Did I already say this? I'm a huge believer in fun.

 

Don't miss out on a life-changing year.

This is simple stuff, yes, but powerful.

 

Oh, we're going to get organized, and create schedules and make menu plan thingys, but more importantly, we are going to be brave...and true to ourselves. We will open our hearts to imperfection and let little bits of light shine into the dark corners of our lives. We will live wholeheartedly...and along the way, create sanctuary.

 

We will breathe.

 

Join me.

Love, Rachel Anne 

 

vvvvvv

 

Be part of what is happening here. Never miss a post when you receive them via email.

 

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

 

And when you sign up for my newsletter (don't worry, I won't bombard you!) you will be considered an "Official" Company Girl. We will breathe together.

 

Take my hand and let's make this our best year ever.

Pardon My Dust

Good Monday Morning, my friends!

I'll be in and out this week as I prepare for Christmas, fill final canvas print orders and work on blog updates.

Yes, you heard me....work on blog updates!

I recently mentioned that I've got some ideas in the works for 2013, and I've already started working on them!

One of the things I'm excited about bringing back is daily points and rewards for my Small Things.

I've heard many of you say that you find making a game out of the tasks both motivating and fun.....so why not?? I'm now on the hunt for some serious prizes to really sweeten the pot and make the friendly competition that much more enjoyable. If you have a product or service you'd like to offer as a prize, feel free to email me and let's talk. It's a great way to give your product a month's worth of publicity, and will get you listed on my Sponsor page for the entire year.

Also in the works for 2013:

New organizational downloads

Free motivational and/or scripture artwork for you to enjoy

More interaction on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter

Interviews with authors and experts

More giveaways

Updated blog design

 

I can't wait!

What would YOU like to see happen here at Home Sanctuary? Leave me a comment or send me an email with your thoughts!!

Love, Rachel

Company Girl Coffee 12.14 and Letting Go of the "Shoulds"

Wow, we are well under two weeks before Christmas and I'm delighted to share that my Christmas tree is UP and the house is decorated. Psh. Piece of cake. Got it done on Wednesday...plenty of time to spare.

You know, there are some years that we get everything decorated on Thanksgiving weekend. This. was obviously not one of them. The weekends have been busy and our first opportunity to go get our real, live tree from Home Depot was literally Tuesday night. It felt so LATE in the season and I had to fight a little bit of panic.... and then I remembered to stop. Breathe. Relax. Take joy. Let go.

Does it really matter that the rest of the country (at least the people with Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter accounts) had their decorating done for weeks? Does it make MY Christmas any less special that my neighbors' houses rival Clark Griswald's?

Of course not.

That's not what this season is about, silly.

Christmas is about the Savior, not Santa.

It's about the Giver, not gifts.

It's about the Light of the world, not light extravaganzas.

It's about the family, not the frantic.

It is about Peace on Earth, and Joy to the World.

I remembered that this week, when my tree didn't get put up when I thought it "should" have.

This year, the busyness of this season has made me start eliminating some things in order to lighten the load. The shortness of time means I'm not over-decorating the house or over-thinking gifts or overloading on Amazon...and in a strange way, I'm grateful. I'm having to choose how to use my time and energy, rather than spin my wheels trying to do "EVERYTHING."

"Everything" is just not possible...and there is great freedom in that.

For Today's Small Thing, let go of thinking you have to do "everything," and focus on the few things that really matter.

 

How about you? Are you starting to eliminate some "should do" activities and tasks from your calendar in order to make time for what's important? I'd love to hear. 

 

 

Want to link up for Company Girl Coffee? Share what you're eliminating, and what you're DOING to make this Christmas special. Or simply share whatever's on your mind.

Song of the Day: Silent Night, Josh Groban

Last Minute Christmas Sale - 40% Off!

40% Off All Inspirational Prints

Still looking for that special, one-of-a-kind gift? Thank God you waited until now. Procrastination has its rewards.

Through December 19, you can take 40% off your entire order of inspirational prints in my online store! These prices are amazing, and they only really work when I'm filling lots and lots of orders....which is NOW, just before Christmas. Folks, it's gonna be awhile before I can offer this kind of savings again....that's why I'm thrilled to be able to do it now.

So don't delay, start shopping for that special print right this very minute! Use the code GRACE at the checkout to receive your discount. Order as early as possible in order to receive it by Christmas!

Happy Shopping!

Rachel Anne

Has it Really Come to This?

"Well, your first Christmas present has arrived!" my husband, Tom, announced as he came through the door yesterday.

"OOOOH! What is it??" I asked excitedly. Had the UPS man dropped something off? Or had my man stopped by a jewelry store and picked up something sparkly for me? I couldn't wait to see. I love sweet surprises!

"Why, it's just a little something special for my princess," he said as he pulled a box from behind his back. "I heard you say you wanted this for Christmas so I just went ahead and got it for you."

Oh, that guy. He noticed when I mentioned something and immediately bought it for me? I don't deserve such treatment.

"Ta-Daaaa!" With a flourish, he raised the box so I could see it.

A TOILET SEAT.

He bought me a new toilet seat.

For Christmas.

True, I DID say I wanted one for Christmas, but my tongue was firmly planted in my cheek at the time, and it was said with a distinct tone of sarcastic humor. I believe I've also recently mentioned several other items I'd like for Christmas...a new tea kettle, a soft new throw for the sofa, jewelry.....but it seems that the only one I'm going to get early is THIS one.

The one we BOTH can appreciate.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, after 29 years of marriage, it has come down to this. Gift-giving from the heart....that benefits the bum.

Today's Small Thing is to give your toilet (aka "the porcelain throne") a nice pre-Christmas cleaning.

With all the hustle and bustle taking place this time of year, our regular housekeeping routines often get flushed away in the process. Grab your scrubber and some pop-up wipes and give your hard-working loo a once-over....after all, it deserves some holiday attention too! I'm going to replace my toilet seat today, and lovingly make the rest of the toilet sparkle.

I'll think of it as my early Christmas present to myself. A lovely, sparkly toilet...just in time for the holidays.

Song of the Day: Santa Baby, Eartha Kitt

 

Do You Hear What I Hear?

I often think about how creating a Home Sanctuary is all about the senses. Having a place of refuge in this busy world means that when you walk through the door, you feel "Home."

This is my place.

This is my sanctuary.

This is my refuge.

You can close the door on the world of high gas prices and international turmoil, office politics and play group drama. You can circle the wagons, so to speak, and live in your own little shelter from the storms.  

And I know that we all struggle with the clutter of life...the toys, the laundry, the junk mail...and we spend a lot of time on doing things to make our homes LOOK nice. That's important stuff, because how your home looks affects your sanctuary in a big way.

But for today I'd like to focus on another important sense, and that is the sense of hearing.

What does your home sound like today?

Stop and pay attention to what is bombarding your sense of hearing and you might be surprised. TV's, radios, phones, traffic....we are constantly hearing things that we've learned to "tune out," yet affect our sense of peace.

Today's Small Thing is really simple. It starts with just listening.  

Listen to your children play and even bicker (well, yours probably don't bicker, but mine did). Listen to doors and cabinets being slammed, footsteps and the volume of media. Listen to birds chirping, dogs barking, horns blaring.

The second thing is to ask yourself:  are there some things I can control to make my home sound more peaceful?

Could I put felt stoppers on doors and drawers to eliminate the slamming? (I LOVE FELT STOPPERS!) Could I turn off the TV and radio? Could my children please use their inside voices? How about the level of my own voice? Could I play some beautiful or upbeat music? Sometimes just being aware of sounds is enough to make me take a little bit of action to do things better. I want my home to appeal to my ears so that it SOUNDS like home to me.

Step 1: Listen to the sounds of your home (Oh, Rachel Anne, could it get any easier than that?)

Step 2: Bring it on home by taking ONE action to make it sound like a sanctuary

What are you doing today to improve the sound of your home?

Song of the Day: Little Drummer Boy, Perry Como

Related articles

A Sanctuary Mindset

I'm Not Crying, I've Been Cutting Onions

He's Not Exactly a Christmas Donkey

Some of you might be familiar with Flash, my stray donkey who showed up....and never left.  He's the lovesick dude that Priscilla Shirer and I tried to pull home in the story featured in the "Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed" Bible study.

 

Yeah, that donkey.

See, we'd only meant to keep Flash overnight, or at least until we could find his rightful owners. And now, six years later, we consider him permanent yard art in our pasture. He meanders from the north woods to the open fields, and entertains himself by flirting with the fancy mares (and trash-talking at the stallions) on the other side of the fence. Oh, he makes a great conversation piece, because there is never a dull moment with him around.

I was scratching Flash's long ears and looking at those soft brown eyes the other day, and thinking about the donkey that Mary might have ridden on as she and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem. The Bible doesn't say whether or not she actually rode one, but if her sciatic nerve was anything like mine, I'd guess that she was more than happy to climb up on a sturdy little guy for the trek.

Even so, it couldn't have been a fun ride.

Donkeys have very boney backs. They have a short, choppy gait. They walk like they have no idea where they are going. They balk. They're stubborn. They think they are smarter than people.

But donkeys ARE loyal and hard-working. Well, Flash is...loyal. I haven't seen him do a decent day's work since he's been here so I can't attest to his personal work ethic.

Yet somehow I think Mary's donkey knew he had been singled out for a very special job.  As he picked his way along the rough path and kept his nose close to Joseph's side, he must have known that this was no ordinary journey. The very God of the universe was resting in a young girl's womb - in the form of a baby whose arrival was imminent. And it was HIS job to safely ferry that mama and her baby to their destination.  It was to be the culmination of prophecy and promise: mercy and grace for a sinful world, to be wrapped in a woven blanket and placed in a manger. Now, THAT'S a load to shoulder.

As I look at the preposterous donkey in my pasture, I'm reminded that Jesus made another trip on a donkey...this time into Jerusalem, where he was hailed as King before his crucifixion. Again, it was a lowly beast of burden who carried the king of Kings on a mission of mercy and grace: the redemption of mankind through His death and resurrection. That young colt gave the ride of his life that day. 

One donkey carried the King to His birth, another carried Him to His death.

Aw, Flash. If only you knew the honor that was bestowed on your kind. The world sees you as a clumsy, laughable cousin to the sophisticated horse, but you were chosen to carry the Promised One, the Messiah who came to save the world. How like God to use the lowly to confound the "wise," and the humblest of creatures to magnify His glory.  

I'll never think of you in the same way again.

 

Today's Small Thing is to magnify God's glory in some small way.

We often don't see our acts of service to our families or employers as "worship," when in fact, everything we do is a way of offering our praise to Him. No matter how humble, how menial, how insignificant or lowly, see your efforts as a worship offering to the King who delights in you. Put your heart in an attitude of serving Him and watch what He will do with it. You will find joy in giving. Purpose in serving. Blessing in working. Bring an offering of worship to Him through all that you do today....bring glory to your King.

Song of the Day: Offering, Paul Baloche

Related articles

Donkey Principle: Blaze Some Trails

Company Girl Coffee 11.30