Pin Love

Today I feel like sharing a few of my favorite pins that I’ve found in the past week or so. It may become a regular thing. Or not. {PS – the photos are links back to the pin if you want to click on them.} Enjoy!

I’m thinking we’ll try dying eggs like this tonight. I’m sure the kids will LOVE it!

Instructions for Volcano Colored Eggs: Mix together a tbsp of baking soda, couple tsps of water and some food coloring. Now, grab your paint brushes and begin painting your eggs. Then pour vinegar it on top of the egg & watch the “volcanic eruption” take place.You can repeat steps 2, 3, & 4 over & over until you’re ready to move onto another egg. Lastly, pat off any excess vinegar or simply let them air dry.

If this is true, it’s awesome! Someone go to a Disney park and come back to tell us if it works! {Better yet, take me with you!}

If you yell “Andy’s coming!” in front of Buzz or Woody at a Disney park they will stop what they’re doing and drop.

Wrapped V-neck High Waist Maxi Dress

Oh how I want this tub. Times 1000.

The Tub I Really Really Would LOVE in My Bathroom

I loved reading this article (and more on the blog too!) and have decided to take on the challenge of not yelling at my kids. Starting small over here with just a month long goal. Had to start over today because yesterday was…unsuccessful.

10 things I learned when I stopped yelling at my kids. Great parenting and relationship read.

And last but not least:

Do you have any favorite pins from the week? Please share in the comments!

My “One Word” Reminder

I decided I wanted something I could wear at all times to help me focus on my “one word” for 2013, so I started window shopping on Etsy for some piece of jewelry that was just right. I wasn’t sure if I wanted something small on a necklace or a bracelet or a ring, or what. I almost settled on one of these beautiful stamped copper bracelets from bailybelle:

But in the end, I decided I wanted something smaller and less prominent. Something others might not notice but that I would. Something to help me remember that it is the light of Christ that I am trying to let shine and not my own light. So I decided on a simple, understated ring from beadsoul. It came yesterday and I love it! It is just perfect:

I love everything about it and I am so grateful to have this little reminder with me every day as I use my hands to serve others and “let [my] light so shine.”

Have you picked a word or phrase for the year? How do you plan on keeping it forefront in your mind?

One Word for 2013

Remember back in this post when I got all candid and stuff? Well, after much thought, today I’m here to share my one word for 2013, inspired by Shawni from 71toes. I really did think about this a lot. I went through several different ideas, and while some of them were good, I knew they weren’t quite the best option for me for this year.

The first idea that really stuck around for a while was Be Wise. {Yes, I know that’s two words.} I know in the coming year, I need to use more wisdom in choosing what to do with my time, how I can serve my family and friends, and how I can make myself a better person. Wisdom is good, no? But something kept telling me it just wasn’t right.

I recently read the well-known scripture from Matthew 5:14-16:

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candelstick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Now, I’ve heard and read that scripture many times over my lifetime, but this time, it stuck with me. I have been hiding under a bushel. Remember that thing I said about spending too much wasted time on the computer? That’s my bushel. That’s where I hide. My man-cave, if you will. I mean, I know sometimes we just need that time to ourselves, but moderation is key. If your light is hiding away under its bushel so much that you forget you even have light to give, it’s too much. And I had forgotten. Until I read this scripture again and had it on my mind while I thought about change.

And then the horrible massacre in Connecticut happened and I thought darkness had surely won. I could hardly bring myself to do anything at all but wonder how so much hate and horridness could even exist in a person. I was honestly paralyzed –  not by fear, but by the sheer horribleness of it all. Even now, I choke up and have to take a break as I’m writing, it aches so much. I looked about in wonder and just kept thinking “How can life still be going on?” I finally found comfort in this amazing blog post by Daring Young Mom. It just clicked for me, especially when she said “The ache is a reminder of how much work there is for me to do.”

And I thought I found my word: LIGHT.

I even had a friend tell me (without knowing any of the goings-on in my head) “You are pure light!” I don’t say that to be all like oo-look-at-me!, but because I think it was one of the tender mercies of the Lord. He knew I needed to hear something like that, even if the friend had no idea. LIGHT seemed to be it. It’s what I need to add to my family and my neighborhood and my life. It’s what I need to focus on spreading this year. So it seemed just right. Almost just right, BUT…

It’s not an action. I realized, if I’m going to have this one word to remind me and drive me to do the things I need to do and to change the things I need to change, it needs to be a verb. I’m picky like that about the English language. Then, just as quickly as I realized it wasn’t quite right, the right word came to me: SHINE. Let your light so shine before men… 

SHINE

How will I shine in the coming year? Hopefully by following this quote from Daring Young Mom’s post: “If I am part of the light, I need to commit every day to shine brighter, to love stronger.” And that, my friends, is exactly what I intend to do.

And what about you? What will you focus on in the coming year?

A Candid Conversation with my Keyboard

Although it’s only the beginning of December instead of the end, I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few days with something on my mind. Changes I need to make. Goals for the upcoming year. You know – New Year’s stuff. To quote Elphaba, “Something has changed within me. Something is not the same.” Somehow in the last few years, I’ve let things that are not important take time in my life that belonged to important things. I’ve known for quite a while that I’m spending too much wasted time with the internet and not enough engaging time with my family. But I didn’t want to change it. I liked the time I was spending checking Facebook or browsing through Pinterest or playing games. It’s like my own little world (with other adults!) inside the chaos that is family.

But. I’m done now. I’m ready to change. And while it’s hard to admit all of this, not just to myself, not just to my family, but to the whole 3 people who might read my blog, I feel like I need to put it out here. I need to put it in writing where other people can see it.

I need to sort out my priorities.

So, fueled by a fantastic blog I discovered today through a random pin that I can’t even find now, I’m ready to start setting some goals for the upcoming year. The blog is 71 Toes. It is full of fantastic real life family, parenting, and other advice. One of the things that stuck with me, since change has been on my mind, is how she chooses one word for each new year. I’m such a word person, that this totally speaks to me. Words are powerful. The words you choose to fill your mind with make a difference. So while I don’t know yet what my one word for 2013 will be, I’m thinking on it. Something to do with choosing what’s best over what’s just good. With setting my priorities. Or with really listening – to my family and my friends and myself. Of being 100% honest with myself. Or something like that.

And while I’m mulling over my one word in my mind, I want to share with you something I’ve come up with that might just help me and my family on this path. I’m calling it the MNOP method. I thought of it all of 30 minutes ago while folding clothes and have yet to put it to the test, so bear with me.

While planning out the week/day or whatever time period we’re looking at, we’ll sort things into 4 categories:

Must – things that absolutely must get done. If they don’t get done, you fail. Or I fail, since we’re talking about me here.
Nice – things that would be nice to get done, but aren’t necessarily urgent. They may be a bit more flexible in their time frame and the world won’t end (yet) if they’re not done right now.
Optional – things you want to do, but but if they don’t happen, meh.
Play – things like hobbies or … whatever else you consider playing.

Ideally, I would get things done in order of priority. Reality is, things happen, and I’m not perfect. I’m so far from perfect that I can’t even think of a clever way to end this analogy. But as long as everything on the MUST and NICE lists get taken care of before they hit the SHOULD HAVE list, things are going okay, right?

Now comes the hard part. Something’s gotta give. Nothing changes if I don’t change anything (profound, eh?). Some people give up chocolate for a year for their health or self control or whatever. Don’t worry, I will never be one of those people. But I think I’m going to be giving up computer games. For the whole of 2013. I know, it sounds stupid. But I’ve seriously wasted too much of my time on them. I can’t even believe I just admitted that.

If I can go the entire year without wasting a single minute of my time with a computer game, I’ll think up some awesome give away to do on the blog. But that means you have a part in this too. You need to help me. Encourage me. Ask me how I’m doing with my goals. And I’ll ask you too sometimes. Team effort. All 4 of us.

So what are your goals for the upcoming year? Have you thought about them? What positive changes do you need to make in your life? And are you ready to make them?