Saturday, October 31, 2009
Light the Night
Well, in a very modified form, our Light the Night is still on. Free hot dogs, drinks, goodie bags for all. Because of the weather, and having to move things under the carport, we will have a few games. The moonbounce is here and set up, so if it happens to not rain, we have that...but the chances of that are lookin' slim. Here's hoping we can still get the Phils game in!!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
halloween??
Every year October 31 present a dilemma to many Christian parents. Halloween or No? I too wrestle with the whole thing...not wanting to take part in celebrating anything evil, but at the same time seeing the fun of dressing up and getting candy. (I mean, really...how can that NOT be fun?!?!) As a kid it was always frustrating to me to ride the wave of yes or no, evil or permissable...and am I going to be allowed to participate in the school Halloween party??
Well, here's where we're coming down on the whole thing. First of all, I make very clear to my kids that no matter what we do, we will NOT be celebrating, playing or portraying anything evil, witches, ghosts or death (or anything that represents any of those things). I know many people thing of those things as included in the 'harmless fun'. I do draw a definite line there. I believe the spiritual realm is very real, and I know there are real witches and real evil spirits, and so that's where my firm NO lies...we aren't doing anything to welcome any of that into our family, home or life. However, if you look into the history of this fall holiday, it's really a mixed bag of pagan and yes, 'christian' traditions...some of which are bad, some (that are certainly lost and forgotten) actually were good. So, let's not get too carried away with jumping on the 'pagan' bandwagon...unless you're also ready to get rid of your Christmas tree!! But I digress... If you'd like to read a good, balanced article on the issue, go here.
Now, that being said, I am totally in favor of coming up with creative costume ideas and letting lots of people see us in our 'get-ups', and getting to see all their creative outfits and having fun and amassing sugary-sweetness. (Oh, I know...all you healthy moms out there are horrified. Oh, well.) I'm also in favor of NOT acting all 'holier-than-thou' toward other families in our community and not being willing to welcome them or give them a treat. So, our answer is to light up our yard and have a big 'ol party. If you are familiar with "Light Up the Night" (a.k.a., Light the Night, Light In the Night, etc....depending what logo you're going with, but all the same concept) it's basically an opportunity to throw a party, bless people with free food, games and prizes, and maybe even get to share the gospel. Every year our church plans this event, and hands out hot dogs, popcorn, drinks, and candy...as well as some kids tracts and comic books (to anyone who wants them) that share the Good News of Jesus' love for us and plan for salvation. We are never pushy about anything...we just pray ahead of time and throughout the evening for divine appointments to be able to bless someone or share an encouraging word with them. We want to be a safe and fun place for kids to hang out and play, and adults to chat and maybe meet some new neighbors or friends. It's not a time of trying to 'recruit' people for our church or trying to corner anyone to give them a 'religious' spiel. Nope...just plain old meeting people, having fun and blessing our communities.
It can be a hard call for people of faith to make. We've all grown up hearing and being taught different viewpoints on this holiday. I think the best policy is to, first of all, commit to remaining non-judgemental of any brothers or sisters who might come out differently than ourselves on the decisions we make about how to handle it. Secondly, I see it as a great opportunity to, with my family, sort out all the facts and myths surrounding the day; I thought it was very interesting to find there was quite a mixture of christian and pagan traditions...and was reminded that some very similar mixtures can also be seen in Christmas and Easter. However, on those days, our full participation and shift of focus has been able to override the 'bad' and the light has, for the most part, pushed out the darkness. Hmmm...interesting thought. Could the same thing happen on October 31st. Could we choose to stand in the face of darkness and celebrate light? I think so!!
*As a side note, I just wanted to mention how pleased I am with how our local public school is handling Halloween celebrations. They are having a non-Halloween-related laser show assembly in the afternoon on Friday - just for fun. Then, Friday night they are doing a 'trunk-or-treat' where kids will come dressed up and participate in a parade, parents will decorate their trunks and fill them with treats for the kids to stop and collect, and then they will have a Halloween laser show. But all those activities are after school hours and completely optional. I think it's a great way to handle not offending or 'forcing' anyone who doesn't wish to participate in Halloween (or making them uncomfortable for having to refuse), while still providing something for those who do, and something fun for everyone...no matter your belief!
Well, here's where we're coming down on the whole thing. First of all, I make very clear to my kids that no matter what we do, we will NOT be celebrating, playing or portraying anything evil, witches, ghosts or death (or anything that represents any of those things). I know many people thing of those things as included in the 'harmless fun'. I do draw a definite line there. I believe the spiritual realm is very real, and I know there are real witches and real evil spirits, and so that's where my firm NO lies...we aren't doing anything to welcome any of that into our family, home or life. However, if you look into the history of this fall holiday, it's really a mixed bag of pagan and yes, 'christian' traditions...some of which are bad, some (that are certainly lost and forgotten) actually were good. So, let's not get too carried away with jumping on the 'pagan' bandwagon...unless you're also ready to get rid of your Christmas tree!! But I digress... If you'd like to read a good, balanced article on the issue, go here.
Now, that being said, I am totally in favor of coming up with creative costume ideas and letting lots of people see us in our 'get-ups', and getting to see all their creative outfits and having fun and amassing sugary-sweetness. (Oh, I know...all you healthy moms out there are horrified. Oh, well.) I'm also in favor of NOT acting all 'holier-than-thou' toward other families in our community and not being willing to welcome them or give them a treat. So, our answer is to light up our yard and have a big 'ol party. If you are familiar with "Light Up the Night" (a.k.a., Light the Night, Light In the Night, etc....depending what logo you're going with, but all the same concept) it's basically an opportunity to throw a party, bless people with free food, games and prizes, and maybe even get to share the gospel. Every year our church plans this event, and hands out hot dogs, popcorn, drinks, and candy...as well as some kids tracts and comic books (to anyone who wants them) that share the Good News of Jesus' love for us and plan for salvation. We are never pushy about anything...we just pray ahead of time and throughout the evening for divine appointments to be able to bless someone or share an encouraging word with them. We want to be a safe and fun place for kids to hang out and play, and adults to chat and maybe meet some new neighbors or friends. It's not a time of trying to 'recruit' people for our church or trying to corner anyone to give them a 'religious' spiel. Nope...just plain old meeting people, having fun and blessing our communities.
It can be a hard call for people of faith to make. We've all grown up hearing and being taught different viewpoints on this holiday. I think the best policy is to, first of all, commit to remaining non-judgemental of any brothers or sisters who might come out differently than ourselves on the decisions we make about how to handle it. Secondly, I see it as a great opportunity to, with my family, sort out all the facts and myths surrounding the day; I thought it was very interesting to find there was quite a mixture of christian and pagan traditions...and was reminded that some very similar mixtures can also be seen in Christmas and Easter. However, on those days, our full participation and shift of focus has been able to override the 'bad' and the light has, for the most part, pushed out the darkness. Hmmm...interesting thought. Could the same thing happen on October 31st. Could we choose to stand in the face of darkness and celebrate light? I think so!!
*As a side note, I just wanted to mention how pleased I am with how our local public school is handling Halloween celebrations. They are having a non-Halloween-related laser show assembly in the afternoon on Friday - just for fun. Then, Friday night they are doing a 'trunk-or-treat' where kids will come dressed up and participate in a parade, parents will decorate their trunks and fill them with treats for the kids to stop and collect, and then they will have a Halloween laser show. But all those activities are after school hours and completely optional. I think it's a great way to handle not offending or 'forcing' anyone who doesn't wish to participate in Halloween (or making them uncomfortable for having to refuse), while still providing something for those who do, and something fun for everyone...no matter your belief!
palette of autumn
I'm not busying myself too much with thinking of the holidays that I miss out on enjoying the beautiful palette of autumn. This is the little tree in my front yard. I was enjoying looking at her from my couch yesterday morning, when I thought I should take a few pics before her leaves are completely gone.
Though they do make a lovely carpet, don't they?
Though they do make a lovely carpet, don't they?
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
a really good day
Here's some quick and easy projects I did today.
First of all, this is an old bookcase that used to be at my mom's house. When she moved to an apartment, I asked for it, because I always thought it was really neat...just the curvy lines of it, plus the fact that I knew it came from my grandparents' house. Before our basement makeover, it housed Kaitlyn's books. But with her beautiful new room and chic black furniture, she wanted no parts of the chipped red paint detracting from the glam of it all. However, she did have a number of books that now needed a home, so she asked if I could paint it black to go with the other furniture. I've been wanting to for a while, but just haven't gotten around to digging around in the shed to find the power sander. And let me say, it needed a power sander. May I also say, I think the power sander is one of my new best friends. :)
So...here's some before, during and after shots:
BEFORE:
DURING:
AFTER:
Isn't she a beaut?
The next one only took me about 2 minutes. I used a jar I had saved from a jar candle that had burned up. (Well, it hadn't totally burned all the wax, but a quick fix for that is sticking the jar in the freezer for a while. The wax hardens and pops right out. Since the neck of this jar was narrower than the remaining wax I did have to break it into pieces, but then I just emptied the chunks into the trash. I suppose if I was really thrifty I'd save the wax and remake new candles...but I'm just not that good.) I dumped a little candy corn in the bottom of the jar, placed a clear votive holder with an orange, "pumpkin spice" votive in the center and filled in around it with some more candy. Tied an orange ribbon around the top and...voile! A cute new fall decoration!
Between enjoying my accomplishments, smelling the roast in the oven, and anticipating the Phillies winning game one of the World Series tonight....it's a really good day!!!
First of all, this is an old bookcase that used to be at my mom's house. When she moved to an apartment, I asked for it, because I always thought it was really neat...just the curvy lines of it, plus the fact that I knew it came from my grandparents' house. Before our basement makeover, it housed Kaitlyn's books. But with her beautiful new room and chic black furniture, she wanted no parts of the chipped red paint detracting from the glam of it all. However, she did have a number of books that now needed a home, so she asked if I could paint it black to go with the other furniture. I've been wanting to for a while, but just haven't gotten around to digging around in the shed to find the power sander. And let me say, it needed a power sander. May I also say, I think the power sander is one of my new best friends. :)
So...here's some before, during and after shots:
BEFORE:
DURING:
AFTER:
Isn't she a beaut?The next one only took me about 2 minutes. I used a jar I had saved from a jar candle that had burned up. (Well, it hadn't totally burned all the wax, but a quick fix for that is sticking the jar in the freezer for a while. The wax hardens and pops right out. Since the neck of this jar was narrower than the remaining wax I did have to break it into pieces, but then I just emptied the chunks into the trash. I suppose if I was really thrifty I'd save the wax and remake new candles...but I'm just not that good.) I dumped a little candy corn in the bottom of the jar, placed a clear votive holder with an orange, "pumpkin spice" votive in the center and filled in around it with some more candy. Tied an orange ribbon around the top and...voile! A cute new fall decoration!
Between enjoying my accomplishments, smelling the roast in the oven, and anticipating the Phillies winning game one of the World Series tonight....it's a really good day!!!
a novel idea...planning ahead!
This year, unlike others for at least the past 6 years (while I was homeschooling), I AM going to be ready for Christmas ahead of time. While I can't exactly get excited about Christmas as early as July (like some of my especially organized friends are), I am happy to say that it's not even Halloween yet and already I am kicking into holiday mode. I have already purchased my cards, and got a great deal on them at Ollies. Normally I am scrambling to buy whatever is left half-way through December, and mailing them out on Dec. 24th! Not this year! In fact, being such a gloomy, rainy day today, I might actually start addressing them this afternoon!
I'm also trying to think and plan ahead for some unique and special, and even homemade gifts so that we will be able to stay within (and hopefully even below!) our Christmas budget...which really isn't all that big to begin with. But so many other years it seemed like it just came down to the wire, I needed a gift, and so ended up spending more. Hopefully some forethought will help alleviate this.
I do realize to many (maybe even most?) of you, these things are no-brainers. For me, however, who is severely organizationally challenged, I feel like I'm making huge strides. Even got out a little pocket notebook today that is now my designated 'Christmas Log'...no, not like a yule-log, but a record-keeping log... who I need to buy for, ideas what to get, requests the kids have dropped along the way...that kind of thing! I'll keep you posted as we get into the holidays full-swing to see how well I'm doing with keeping my holiday organization. And maybe I'll even post a few fun gift ideas...though, it might be tough because I don't want to give away any of my surprises!! So, we'll see...
I'm also trying to think and plan ahead for some unique and special, and even homemade gifts so that we will be able to stay within (and hopefully even below!) our Christmas budget...which really isn't all that big to begin with. But so many other years it seemed like it just came down to the wire, I needed a gift, and so ended up spending more. Hopefully some forethought will help alleviate this.
I do realize to many (maybe even most?) of you, these things are no-brainers. For me, however, who is severely organizationally challenged, I feel like I'm making huge strides. Even got out a little pocket notebook today that is now my designated 'Christmas Log'...no, not like a yule-log, but a record-keeping log... who I need to buy for, ideas what to get, requests the kids have dropped along the way...that kind of thing! I'll keep you posted as we get into the holidays full-swing to see how well I'm doing with keeping my holiday organization. And maybe I'll even post a few fun gift ideas...though, it might be tough because I don't want to give away any of my surprises!! So, we'll see...
Saturday, October 24, 2009
weird quirks
This morning I was thinking about some things that I find very relaxing, and thought "Hmmm...that's really odd, now that I think about it..." Oh, well. See if you agree, or if I'm just a strange duck. My top 3 things for a quick de-stress moment:
3. Sneezing
Those three things bring me an instaneous "ahhhh" feeling. Sure, other things are nice, like a bubble bath or a glass of wine...but for a quick fix, these are great!
Any weird quirks you have? (Don't leave me hangin' here people...I can't be the only one a little bit whacky!!)
- A good, LOOOOONG stretch
- Lighting candles
3. Sneezing
Those three things bring me an instaneous "ahhhh" feeling. Sure, other things are nice, like a bubble bath or a glass of wine...but for a quick fix, these are great!Any weird quirks you have? (Don't leave me hangin' here people...I can't be the only one a little bit whacky!!)
Friday, October 23, 2009
pulley-ness
Kate & I were sitting looking at some wonderfully inspiring 'crafty' blogs and being amazed at what people can do with 'junk'. Then we happened on this crafting genious's workspace. Kate exclaimed, "I want it, I WANT that!! Look at all the ribbons, and...and...the pulley-ness!!"That's my girl.
repurposing
So yesterday I tried my hand as some 'repurposing'. In other words, taking some crappy, junky stuff and transforming it into something nice for in my home! All the lamps in my living room are (or were) a lovely gold. Or, not so lovely, really. They're very dated, tarnished, and in the case of one poor lamp, the shade was so old it had literally disintegrated! I was about to chuck it when my ever-creative sister suggested I spray paint it. (Ever since we re-did Kate's furniture, we are ALL about the spray paint!!) I took a look at these lamps and figured, really, what do I have to lose...they're already ugly!! So after hittin' Walmart for some spray paint and a cool nozzle-thingy to help keep my hand from cramping up on that little spray button, (and helps give a nice even spray) I went for it. Here's the before and afters:
BEFORE:
Here's the first lamp whose shade had totally disintegrated (so I did have to buy a shade at WM for this one): Don't you love the tarnished, outdated gold look?
And this one is just a little lamp I had setting on top of a book shelf. You can't see if from this pic, but the inside plastic of this shade was all cracked, and it showed up quite clearly when the lamp was on. So this shade had to go too.
But I just happened to find this little cutie at Liberty Thrift Store for $2! (New shades this size were $7-9 at WM!!) The green trim was a little faded and just didn't thrill me, so for $0.66 I found some perfect ribbon to go over it instead.
AFTER:
After some textured brown Krylon spray paint here's the 'new' lamps looking all cozy in my living room: (a 'overview' shot, and a close up to help you see the actual paint job)
Of particular note, to make Kate happy, please notice the grouping of Willow Tree figures in 'overview' pic above. Kaitlyn insists we keep these placed together because it portrays our whole family...see it? The 2 littler boys with the Mom, the bigger boy with the Dad, and the center of it all...the 'angelic' girl holding the puppy (a yellow lab, of course!). I gotta agree with her...it is pretty cool it works out that way.
AND...I simply must tell you about the best part of all this 're-doing' around my house. Last night after dinner Bryce came into the dining room (to set up the Dutch Blitz game!) and said "Mom, our house is so much better! I think it seems bigger!" I was very surprised he would have anything to say about the house and prodded a little bit... "What do you mean?" He replied, "I mean...all the stuff you're doing around here. Changing stuff, and decorating and stuff. Like...the lamps don't look like they're from the '80's anymore! I think it just makes it seem really nice." Wow. That TOTALLY made my day. I love seeing my family enjoying the 'homey-ness' of our home. I wouldn't trade what I'm doing with my life for anything in the world. (**smiles and sighs, contentedly**)
BEFORE:
Here's the first lamp whose shade had totally disintegrated (so I did have to buy a shade at WM for this one): Don't you love the tarnished, outdated gold look?
And this one is just a little lamp I had setting on top of a book shelf. You can't see if from this pic, but the inside plastic of this shade was all cracked, and it showed up quite clearly when the lamp was on. So this shade had to go too.
But I just happened to find this little cutie at Liberty Thrift Store for $2! (New shades this size were $7-9 at WM!!) The green trim was a little faded and just didn't thrill me, so for $0.66 I found some perfect ribbon to go over it instead.
AFTER:
After some textured brown Krylon spray paint here's the 'new' lamps looking all cozy in my living room: (a 'overview' shot, and a close up to help you see the actual paint job)
Of particular note, to make Kate happy, please notice the grouping of Willow Tree figures in 'overview' pic above. Kaitlyn insists we keep these placed together because it portrays our whole family...see it? The 2 littler boys with the Mom, the bigger boy with the Dad, and the center of it all...the 'angelic' girl holding the puppy (a yellow lab, of course!). I gotta agree with her...it is pretty cool it works out that way.
AND...I simply must tell you about the best part of all this 're-doing' around my house. Last night after dinner Bryce came into the dining room (to set up the Dutch Blitz game!) and said "Mom, our house is so much better! I think it seems bigger!" I was very surprised he would have anything to say about the house and prodded a little bit... "What do you mean?" He replied, "I mean...all the stuff you're doing around here. Changing stuff, and decorating and stuff. Like...the lamps don't look like they're from the '80's anymore! I think it just makes it seem really nice." Wow. That TOTALLY made my day. I love seeing my family enjoying the 'homey-ness' of our home. I wouldn't trade what I'm doing with my life for anything in the world. (**smiles and sighs, contentedly**)
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Dutch Blitz - "A Vonderful Goot Game"
Last night we had the pleasure of teaching the boys how to play 'Dutch Blitz'. It's beginning to be quite enjoyable to play games with them that are beyond some of the 'Memory' and 'Go Fish' variety! Dutch Blitz is a personal favorite of mine, probably because of the countless hours we would play it with good friends of ours when we were first married. They'd come over sometimes multiple evenings in a week, we'd eat dinner together and play Dutch Blitz til the wee hours of the morning! It's pretty crazy when I think back to it...how did we have all that time?!? (Okay, granted we were very young, had lots of energy, no kids, and no money. Oh yeah, that does make a big difference, doesn't it?) Anyway, it's a game that has lots of good memories for me, and I'm really happy to be playing it with my kids. And it's apparently addictive to them too. Bryce came out before he had to be up this morning and wanted to know if we could play. I laughed, but said no, not this morning. As soon as Seth was up, they were talking about how they couldn't wait to play again tonight. (And this time Kate will be home to get in on the fun.) Bryce is already saying he can't wait to teach it to his cousin.Once again...so much joy in the simple things of life.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
keepin' it real - coat closet disaster
It's been a while since I did one of my "Keeping it Real" posts, so as I looked at the wreck that we call a coat closet today, I thought it might be time for another!
First of all, you must know the facts. Our coat closet is
- very small
- the only one we have in the house
BEFORE:
AFTER:
plague and pestilence???
As our family experiences some typical seasonal sniffles and coughs, it is a bit of a conscious decision to not panic and become fearful, or even expectant, of the worst scenarios imaginable. As the letters come home from school, and we hear reports on the news all about the swine flu, and in fact, a dear friend is just now beginning to recover from it herself, I'm trying to remain relaxed and just do what I can preventatively on the homefront.
First and foremost, and probably the thing I most easily forget, is covering my family and loved ones in prayer. I'm finding Psalm 91 a good guide for praying:
There are many simple things that our mothers have probably been telling us for years before we ever heard of "H1N1". Things like making sure we are getting plenty of rest (I admit, I do much better imposing this on the kids than on myself, but I'm making a more concerted effort) and pumping the vitamins. I think this year it's a very worthwhile investment to stock up on some Emergen-C or Airborne, or whatever immune booster you favor. (We have found the Emergen-C to be very effective, but I know that Airborne also makes powder packets for kids that taste great...reminded me of pixie stix candy...my kids actually asked for them every day!) I'm also trying to make a point of reminding them of the things that they are being told at school and we are hearing on TV about coughing/sneezing into a sleeve, and I'm going to make sure the hand sanitizer sees a little more action! (I don't use anti-bacteria soaps, except for in the kitchen, because I've heard that overuse of them actually kills off the good bacteria that helps fight sickness So I'm trying to promote longer hand washing with regular soap and warm water for routine hand washing. However, I think some gel on hand for post-coughs/sneezes might be a good idea.) I'm also going to hit all doorknobs and light switches and other oft-touched places with some anti-bacteria cleaner today.
Lastly, I'm choosing to steer my mind away from fearfulness and remind myself of the goodness of the Lord. Last week, as I shared about wrestling with coveting, I made this little reminder for myself and set it above the kitchen sink. This week, it continues to be a good reminder to be thankful for all we have, including health.
First and foremost, and probably the thing I most easily forget, is covering my family and loved ones in prayer. I'm finding Psalm 91 a good guide for praying:
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.Rather than fearing the pestilence and plague, I am trying to remember to rest in the shadow of the Almighty, and lean on His wisdom. As He so graciously gives wisdom, I am trying to act on those things that He brings to my mind.
There are many simple things that our mothers have probably been telling us for years before we ever heard of "H1N1". Things like making sure we are getting plenty of rest (I admit, I do much better imposing this on the kids than on myself, but I'm making a more concerted effort) and pumping the vitamins. I think this year it's a very worthwhile investment to stock up on some Emergen-C or Airborne, or whatever immune booster you favor. (We have found the Emergen-C to be very effective, but I know that Airborne also makes powder packets for kids that taste great...reminded me of pixie stix candy...my kids actually asked for them every day!) I'm also trying to make a point of reminding them of the things that they are being told at school and we are hearing on TV about coughing/sneezing into a sleeve, and I'm going to make sure the hand sanitizer sees a little more action! (I don't use anti-bacteria soaps, except for in the kitchen, because I've heard that overuse of them actually kills off the good bacteria that helps fight sickness So I'm trying to promote longer hand washing with regular soap and warm water for routine hand washing. However, I think some gel on hand for post-coughs/sneezes might be a good idea.) I'm also going to hit all doorknobs and light switches and other oft-touched places with some anti-bacteria cleaner today.
Lastly, I'm choosing to steer my mind away from fearfulness and remind myself of the goodness of the Lord. Last week, as I shared about wrestling with coveting, I made this little reminder for myself and set it above the kitchen sink. This week, it continues to be a good reminder to be thankful for all we have, including health.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
I DO love a bargain!!!
I get so excited over the simple things in life. Yesterday was a prime example. After some fun 'inspiration time' with my sis as we "ooohed" and "aaahed" over some creative and thrifty ideas we saw online, we decided to hit some second-hand shops ourselves. I was so excited to find a top for Kaitlyn for $5 in a name brand that she's just been wanting so badly, and a few little treasures at Goodwill. I'm trying to learn to see things with different eyes...rather than seeing 'junk' at Goodwill, I went in looking for 'possibilities' yesterday. (I'm still pretty convinced that the Goodwills that house the treasures that I've seen folks come up with on some of these blogs are NOT like the Goodwill here in good 'ol Pottstown. I'm thinking I may have to travel a bit to find some better ones in the near future!) But still, I was nearly giddy with the little things I did find. Here's my treasures for the day:
See the brassy-looking urn? Very fall-ish with those burgundy/brown weedy things in, don'tcha think?? $0.49 at Goodwill. I already had the weedy things (don't really know what to call them...they aren't exactly flowers...) and the candles. Just grouped them together on my little side table for a warm autumny glow.
At the bottom of the table you can see my other find; for $1 I got this little metal 'basket' thing...it's really more of a box, I guess. It has so many possibilities of what could be done with it, and it coordinated with 2 other similiar boxes in my living room that contain remote controls. Not entirely sure what will go in this one...if nothing else, I'm always needing to stash pencils/pens somewhere nearby for homework, note taking, etc., so this might become as much about function as decoration. ($1, in comparison to some very similar ones from 'Celebrating Home' that sell for $21 for a pair)!)
Lastly, a cute little top that I actually had my eye on at another store this summer, but just didn't feel it was a 'need'. But when I saw it for $3.50 at Goodwill...brand new, never worn! (and in my size no less!!)...I felt it was justifiable. AND, Todd likes it. So that always makes it a winner.
One last thing. This has nothing to do with bargain hunting, but I just had to point out my adorable jewelry that I absolutely love...and was made by my sister!! She's quite a talented lady (and she's teaching me how to make my own stuff too...so, bonus there!!) and I'm trying to convince her to set up an Etsy (a site where crafty people can sell the wares), so hopefully you too can have some of her beautiful creations!! (Oh, and if you are local, she's planning to have an open house sometime in November where several of her original creations will be for sale!! Let me know if you're interested in more details!)
See the brassy-looking urn? Very fall-ish with those burgundy/brown weedy things in, don'tcha think?? $0.49 at Goodwill. I already had the weedy things (don't really know what to call them...they aren't exactly flowers...) and the candles. Just grouped them together on my little side table for a warm autumny glow.
At the bottom of the table you can see my other find; for $1 I got this little metal 'basket' thing...it's really more of a box, I guess. It has so many possibilities of what could be done with it, and it coordinated with 2 other similiar boxes in my living room that contain remote controls. Not entirely sure what will go in this one...if nothing else, I'm always needing to stash pencils/pens somewhere nearby for homework, note taking, etc., so this might become as much about function as decoration. ($1, in comparison to some very similar ones from 'Celebrating Home' that sell for $21 for a pair)!)
Lastly, a cute little top that I actually had my eye on at another store this summer, but just didn't feel it was a 'need'. But when I saw it for $3.50 at Goodwill...brand new, never worn! (and in my size no less!!)...I felt it was justifiable. AND, Todd likes it. So that always makes it a winner.
One last thing. This has nothing to do with bargain hunting, but I just had to point out my adorable jewelry that I absolutely love...and was made by my sister!! She's quite a talented lady (and she's teaching me how to make my own stuff too...so, bonus there!!) and I'm trying to convince her to set up an Etsy (a site where crafty people can sell the wares), so hopefully you too can have some of her beautiful creations!! (Oh, and if you are local, she's planning to have an open house sometime in November where several of her original creations will be for sale!! Let me know if you're interested in more details!)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
where, oh, where...????
Okay, folks, help me out here. I've been looking everywhere for a couple of months now to find one of these:
Any suggestions???
Any suggestions???
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
new attitude
Can't believe it's been a week already since my last post! I got into a bit of a funk, and have been trying to give myself an attitude adjustment.
Being home and having time to focus on my home has been a great joy, and also given me new eyes to see lots of possibilities...and lots of flaws. I've been struggling the past week because I keep seeing all of the things about my home I am not happy with, and sliding down the slippery hill of comparison that inevitably dumps me into the pit of coveting. What is coveting? According to dictionary.com it is:
Yep, that's what I've been spending a lot of time doing. So, as I can see this wrongful behavior producing less than 'good fruit' in my life, I'm trying a new approach. I can't deny the things in my house that just are anywhere in the range of 'not exactly what I'd like' to 'totally shot and worthless'. But rather than wasting time being jealous and angry about what others have, I am being quite purposeful (or at least trying really hard) to be thankful for what I have and figure out creative ways to make the absolute most out of what I've got.
I'm starting with evaluation and reflection. Actually, these are two very distinct things. First, as an evaluation process, I am forcing myself to recognize, is the particular thing I am griping about a "felt need" or a "true need". This usually brings me up short. Many of my "needs" are not needs at all...I just want something different or better. Which isn't a crime, but it does tell me that in order to legitimize a change, I better be very creative in bringing it about. This is where the 'refection' part comes in. I've been spending quite a bit of time poring over great blogs of some incredibly creative and talented women who seem to be able to work magic when it comes to turning 'trash to treasure'! I've been taking 'lessons' in learning to see thrift store shopping as treasure hunting and seeing past the surface to the potential. I'm also picking up tips about how to do the very same with plain old things I even have around the house. I'm trying to spruce up and make the most out of what I've got. Right now I'd love new furniture...but it's soooo not in the budget. So I spent all of yesterday trying different upholstery cleaning tricks I found online and mending the tears and frayed hems in my couches and ottoman in an effort to 'make the best of it'. I feel sort of guilty about the time I am spending on these blogs, and gazing at the decorating books I checked out at the library. However, I must say, I've been very inspired, and have taken action because of what I'm reading, so I'm choosing to think of this reflection time as investment time. It is making a difference in my attitude, and beginning to (albeit, slowly) reflect in my home, so I'm thinking it's actually time well-spent. The family has been noticing (now and then - though, the boys just ask "are we having company or something?") that there is a bit more of this strange sense around the house...something called...'peacefulness'. It's a bit of a new thing for the Clemmer household, but I think we're all liking it.
An additional thought on reflection: taking time to stop and think and dream is something that I have rarely given myself to. There's always so many things to do that it seems like a waste to just sit and think of what could be. But more and more I'm realizing that it's such a worthwhile thing to invest that time and cultivate who I want to be, and let what I want to do flow out of it, rather than letting my doing make me into who I am - like it or not. And I actually accomplish more anyway when I have a specific goal in mind rather than just doing whatever pops up in front of me. (Coincidentally, I just gave a packet to our leadership team as 'homework' for them to reflect on the past year of their lives and list out goals and dreams for the next year, and gave a big pep talk on how important it was to do this. DUH! Apparently I forgot to hit the "apply to self" button!)
And if you're interested, much of my inspiration can be found on my sidebar blogroll; I'm trying to remember to add these great blogs over there so you can go check them out as well!
Being home and having time to focus on my home has been a great joy, and also given me new eyes to see lots of possibilities...and lots of flaws. I've been struggling the past week because I keep seeing all of the things about my home I am not happy with, and sliding down the slippery hill of comparison that inevitably dumps me into the pit of coveting. What is coveting? According to dictionary.com it is:
–verb (used with object)
1. to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others: to covet another's property.
2. to wish for, esp. eagerly
I'm starting with evaluation and reflection. Actually, these are two very distinct things. First, as an evaluation process, I am forcing myself to recognize, is the particular thing I am griping about a "felt need" or a "true need". This usually brings me up short. Many of my "needs" are not needs at all...I just want something different or better. Which isn't a crime, but it does tell me that in order to legitimize a change, I better be very creative in bringing it about. This is where the 'refection' part comes in. I've been spending quite a bit of time poring over great blogs of some incredibly creative and talented women who seem to be able to work magic when it comes to turning 'trash to treasure'! I've been taking 'lessons' in learning to see thrift store shopping as treasure hunting and seeing past the surface to the potential. I'm also picking up tips about how to do the very same with plain old things I even have around the house. I'm trying to spruce up and make the most out of what I've got. Right now I'd love new furniture...but it's soooo not in the budget. So I spent all of yesterday trying different upholstery cleaning tricks I found online and mending the tears and frayed hems in my couches and ottoman in an effort to 'make the best of it'. I feel sort of guilty about the time I am spending on these blogs, and gazing at the decorating books I checked out at the library. However, I must say, I've been very inspired, and have taken action because of what I'm reading, so I'm choosing to think of this reflection time as investment time. It is making a difference in my attitude, and beginning to (albeit, slowly) reflect in my home, so I'm thinking it's actually time well-spent. The family has been noticing (now and then - though, the boys just ask "are we having company or something?") that there is a bit more of this strange sense around the house...something called...'peacefulness'. It's a bit of a new thing for the Clemmer household, but I think we're all liking it.
An additional thought on reflection: taking time to stop and think and dream is something that I have rarely given myself to. There's always so many things to do that it seems like a waste to just sit and think of what could be. But more and more I'm realizing that it's such a worthwhile thing to invest that time and cultivate who I want to be, and let what I want to do flow out of it, rather than letting my doing make me into who I am - like it or not. And I actually accomplish more anyway when I have a specific goal in mind rather than just doing whatever pops up in front of me. (Coincidentally, I just gave a packet to our leadership team as 'homework' for them to reflect on the past year of their lives and list out goals and dreams for the next year, and gave a big pep talk on how important it was to do this. DUH! Apparently I forgot to hit the "apply to self" button!)
And if you're interested, much of my inspiration can be found on my sidebar blogroll; I'm trying to remember to add these great blogs over there so you can go check them out as well!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Belief System
If you accept a Belief
You reap a Thought.
If you sow a Thought
You reap an Attitude.
If you reap an Attitude
You reap an Action.
If you sow an Action
You reap a Habit.
If you sow a Habit
You reap a Character.
If you sow a Character
You reap a Destiny.
~anonymous
You reap a Thought.
If you sow a Thought
You reap an Attitude.
If you reap an Attitude
You reap an Action.
If you sow an Action
You reap a Habit.
If you sow a Habit
You reap a Character.
If you sow a Character
You reap a Destiny.
~anonymous
Monday, October 5, 2009
romance...on a budget
Saturday night my hubby and I had an amazing date night. We got decked out, had dinner, dancing, saw a movie and an ice cream night cap. The music and candlelight at dinner (which was shrimp and pasta primavera...mmm!!!) set just the perfect atmosphere, and the movie was a romantic story of a hero and a lady... It was just simply the perfect date. And it cost $10 (including babysitting!).
Yep, that's right, 10 bucks! All afternoon on Saturday I was yearning for a date, but we are down to our last gift card from our credit card points, which is what we use for 'date nights', and we had just used one last week, so I really couldn't justify using another one. These things need to be saved and used sparingly! But Todd & I really wanted some alone time, so, at 6:15 on Saturday I was struck by a creative wave, and thought, I'm just gonna MAKE a nice date for us...right here! However, I was not simultaneously struck by an urge to cook a full dinner. And there was the fact that the 4 children would need to eat and be attended to, and Kate needed to spend the evening working on a history project, so was unable to be responsible for babysitting her brothers. Soooo...I was off to Giant (our local supermarket) on a mission. I returned with a frozen pizza for the kids, and a bag of Birds Eye frozen shrimp & past primavera for us, as well as a movie. (And even the movie was free because I had a problem the last time I went to redbox, and I emailed them and they sent me codes for 3 free movies!) I stuck the pizza in the oven, told the kids to pick out a movie and went to change. I returned a few minutes later wearing a dress that's a bit too sexy to wear in public (but perfect for an 'at-home' date), heels, jewelry and all, and threw our dinner in the skillet. (When I walked past the boys playing Legos in the living room, they said "Whoa!!" Lukey piped up with "Mom, you look old!!". I think he must've meant I looked 'grown up' because he said it in such a complimentary way. Even so, Bryce quickly set him straight..."No, she doesn't!!" Yeah, they made some points!) I set up a card table in the downstairs family room, threw a table cloth, a vase of flowers (just delivered by a friend earlier in the day), some candles and goblets on it. I put tealights all over the family room, turned out the overhead lights and left only 1 or 2 lamps lit. Our family computer is down there, so I headed to Pandora and picked my music style for the evening, and they kindly put together a lovely play list to finish off my mood-setting. Then, to get rid of the monitor glow (not exactly in keeping with the candle light) I simply flicked off of the monitor. I told my hubby to hit the shower, get dressed and meet me downstairs for dinner. Having seen what I was wearing, he gladly complied. By the time he was done, dinner was on the table, and one of my favorite songs just happened to be playing. We got in a quick dance before dinner, then leisurely enjoyed our delicious cuisine. After that, some more dancing before starting our movie. By this time a few little heads poked down the steps (they had been under strict orders to eat their pizza, watch their movie quietly and let their sister alone. If they obeyed, they'd get some extra time to read in bed before lights out.) to let us know the movie was done and see how long they could read. We did take a 'time out' from our movie to tuck them in and grab some ice cream before returning to our getaway. It was great.
It's been a while since I had done anything like that, and I guess I had forgotten how much fun it could be. Being frugal doesn't have to mean second rate. This was a first-class evening, actually better in many ways than going out often is! I mean, really - I don't usually wear my (faux) diamond necklace and little black dress when we head out to Applebee's. People would wonder. But in my little family room, nobody thought a thing of it!! :)
Yep, that's right, 10 bucks! All afternoon on Saturday I was yearning for a date, but we are down to our last gift card from our credit card points, which is what we use for 'date nights', and we had just used one last week, so I really couldn't justify using another one. These things need to be saved and used sparingly! But Todd & I really wanted some alone time, so, at 6:15 on Saturday I was struck by a creative wave, and thought, I'm just gonna MAKE a nice date for us...right here! However, I was not simultaneously struck by an urge to cook a full dinner. And there was the fact that the 4 children would need to eat and be attended to, and Kate needed to spend the evening working on a history project, so was unable to be responsible for babysitting her brothers. Soooo...I was off to Giant (our local supermarket) on a mission. I returned with a frozen pizza for the kids, and a bag of Birds Eye frozen shrimp & past primavera for us, as well as a movie. (And even the movie was free because I had a problem the last time I went to redbox, and I emailed them and they sent me codes for 3 free movies!) I stuck the pizza in the oven, told the kids to pick out a movie and went to change. I returned a few minutes later wearing a dress that's a bit too sexy to wear in public (but perfect for an 'at-home' date), heels, jewelry and all, and threw our dinner in the skillet. (When I walked past the boys playing Legos in the living room, they said "Whoa!!" Lukey piped up with "Mom, you look old!!". I think he must've meant I looked 'grown up' because he said it in such a complimentary way. Even so, Bryce quickly set him straight..."No, she doesn't!!" Yeah, they made some points!) I set up a card table in the downstairs family room, threw a table cloth, a vase of flowers (just delivered by a friend earlier in the day), some candles and goblets on it. I put tealights all over the family room, turned out the overhead lights and left only 1 or 2 lamps lit. Our family computer is down there, so I headed to Pandora and picked my music style for the evening, and they kindly put together a lovely play list to finish off my mood-setting. Then, to get rid of the monitor glow (not exactly in keeping with the candle light) I simply flicked off of the monitor. I told my hubby to hit the shower, get dressed and meet me downstairs for dinner. Having seen what I was wearing, he gladly complied. By the time he was done, dinner was on the table, and one of my favorite songs just happened to be playing. We got in a quick dance before dinner, then leisurely enjoyed our delicious cuisine. After that, some more dancing before starting our movie. By this time a few little heads poked down the steps (they had been under strict orders to eat their pizza, watch their movie quietly and let their sister alone. If they obeyed, they'd get some extra time to read in bed before lights out.) to let us know the movie was done and see how long they could read. We did take a 'time out' from our movie to tuck them in and grab some ice cream before returning to our getaway. It was great.
It's been a while since I had done anything like that, and I guess I had forgotten how much fun it could be. Being frugal doesn't have to mean second rate. This was a first-class evening, actually better in many ways than going out often is! I mean, really - I don't usually wear my (faux) diamond necklace and little black dress when we head out to Applebee's. People would wonder. But in my little family room, nobody thought a thing of it!! :)
you might be a redneck if...
This was, seriously, a post I saw on Craigslist this morning for our local area.
Bizarre. Welcome to Pennsyltucky.
i had a microwave sittin on my riding tractor on river road in mohrsville an somebody took it it wasnt for the taken so plz return it thanxCopied and pasted...no changes. That's it word for word. My question is...why? Why was your "not for the taken" microwave sitting on your tractor? Why?
Bizarre. Welcome to Pennsyltucky.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
teacher memories
It always amuses me when I remember things that are triggered by something insignficant. Such as, this morning after a crazy coughing fit, I popped a lemon Hall's cough drop in my mouth. Immediately the smell reminded me of my first grade teacher, Mrs. Kolb. We would gather around for story time, and sit on little rugs, and I would intently watch her mouth as she read. She always had a lemon Hall's, and it became a strangely comforting smell. I also remember the way her mouth made funny crackly noises as she read.
That started me thinking of my different teachers through the years. My fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Landis, had very thin, smooth lips that I used to wonder how she got so smooth. I would watch her mouth too, as we read 'James and the Giant Peach' and 'The Incredible Journey'. I loved story time with her.
Fifth grade I had a male teacher, Mr. McLaughlin, who always had his chalk in a little metal holder. I loved writing on the blackboard that year because of that chalk holder. He also had massive hands with very neat nails. And I think he smoked.
My sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Kline, had no earlobes. Well, she had seriously tiny earlobes that didn't seem to detach at all at the bottom, (which fascinated me and I thought was very neat) and she always wore pretty little opal earrings, and an opal necklace. She had red hair, and tons of freckles.
Anyway...I won't bore you with recollections from ALL my school years, but I just thought it was funny and strange the things that stand out in my mind.
What teacher memories do you have?
That started me thinking of my different teachers through the years. My fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Landis, had very thin, smooth lips that I used to wonder how she got so smooth. I would watch her mouth too, as we read 'James and the Giant Peach' and 'The Incredible Journey'. I loved story time with her.
Fifth grade I had a male teacher, Mr. McLaughlin, who always had his chalk in a little metal holder. I loved writing on the blackboard that year because of that chalk holder. He also had massive hands with very neat nails. And I think he smoked.
My sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Kline, had no earlobes. Well, she had seriously tiny earlobes that didn't seem to detach at all at the bottom, (which fascinated me and I thought was very neat) and she always wore pretty little opal earrings, and an opal necklace. She had red hair, and tons of freckles.
Anyway...I won't bore you with recollections from ALL my school years, but I just thought it was funny and strange the things that stand out in my mind.
What teacher memories do you have?
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