Make Me Smile Monday

I'm sure most of you reading this knows already, but I'm a HUGE fan of Pinterest. I'm also I big fan of I Heart Organizing and Mini Manor. There are many, many other great organizing blogs out there that I also drop in on, but these two remain my favourites. After a recent discovery I think it's likely Simple Mom will be taking a permanent spot on my list. We'll see.

Now when I say I'm a huge fan of these blogs, I'm not kidding! I find them inspiring, encouraging and, well, to steal the oft-used phrase of a good friend of mine, they "make me happy"! I find seeing others who love the same things I do, helps me think more creatively about caring for my house. Seeing beauty and function with shelves and baskets and bins almost makes me giddy!!! New ideas for organizing my house in a pretty and practical way makes me want to put the extra time and effort needed into getting it done. Have you ever noticed that some things (like organizing) sound painful and tedious for some and fun and exciting for others?

I found myself wondering at this and I think I've been able to piece together why...

I think that the reason I love organizing and caring for my home is because for me it fulfills a deep seated desire to be create, and be creative. Seeing others who share this passion inspires me and helps me find my own unique way of doing this. When I organize and decorate my home, my desire is to create something beautiful! It helps make it about more than just scrubbing floors and sorting laundry.

Before going through a stage where I thought I didn't ever want to get married or have kids, when I was really little I always played house. It always won out over playing school, nurse, bank,store or anything else make believe involving paperwork of any kind. As a child I loved also loved seeing my friends houses and was continually in awe of all the beautiful houses I saw and the variety of ways people would decorate them. That remained true into my teenage years and even now as a adult. From very early on this stirred in me a desire to have a beautiful home. 

As a teenager there was a period of time where this longing got a bit mixed up in the idea of being wealthy, assuming that being wealthy was what made homes beautiful.

As an adult I'm discovering that the desire to have a beautiful home comes from a place so much deeper than that. It comes from that place inside all of us that longs to create and be creative.

I look around and I see this drive to create and be creative in everyone around me.

Likely you can see it in your  children.

Maybe they "create" stories, crafts or games. (I love hearing stories about Jason and his brothers used to create new sports.) "A" who I babysit has an incredible imagination and I've thought many times how easily I could see her growing up to write children's books. Who knows where that imagination of hers will take her?

I see it in cupcakes, cookies, pies and cakes. I see it in clothing and shoes, hair and make-up. I see it in computer programing and graphic design. I see it in poetry and paintings. I see it in floral arrangements and gardens and stone work and framing. I see it in program planning and teaching. I see it in cooking and travel planning and recipe making. I see it in picture taking, house staging, picture taking, dance, music and video making. I see it business and health and fitness. I see it in knitting, crochetting, sewing and re-purposing.

I look around I see it everywhere...and I can't help but think it's beautiful!

In what area of life are you inspired to be creative?

When you think about it, can you see this urge people seem to have to "create and be creative"?

Make Me Smile Monday

Things I never expected to say to my children:

"No running in the house with a sword." (When he was 2, J quickly came up with a solution to this problem.)

"Please stop pulling all the clothing off of your hangers and throwing them on the floor!" (During naptime I might add!)

"Please put that giant branch down when you're running."

"It's not safe to wear mommy's high heels on the stairs...I can hardly walk in them...at all!"

"Please don't carry your brother on the stairs, it's not safe."

"No swords at the dinner table."

"Please don't put your dirty socks on the table."

"You really shouldn't hide food under your bed, it will attract ants or mice or go moldy and ruin the carpet!"

"Please swallow the food in your mouth before you make another bite."

"Please stop taking the mattress off your bed so you can jump on it."

"Don't forget you're wearing a skirt."
(Guys can't usually relate to this but every woman knows there's a certain skirt/dress wearing etiquette. I never realized this was something I'd have to teach my daughters. I'm happy to say I think we've pretty much got this mastered.)

"Please keep your fingers out of your nose."

"No throwing snowballs at your sisters during breakfast please."
(Ever since we saw Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, J loves to throw pretend snowballs at the rest of the family saying, "snowball snowball, snowball!") Here's a clip from the movie if you're still not sure what I'm talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO11WHkTfg8

Make Me Smile Monday - Guest Post

Today's guest post is written by Julie-Anne from "The Fruitful Mom". Julie-Anne is a mother of 6. I would say that her greatest passions are her children, her husband, loving God and encouraging other mothers to thrive in motherhood, not just survive. All of these passions come together on her blog. She's a talented writer, trained as a Doula and homeschools her children. You might say she's kind of a supermom! Athough she would tell you (and rightly so) she's leaning on and trusting in God to be her strength. Thank-you Julie-Anne for todays post!

Life Needs Gravy

When Brenna invited me to guest post on today’s Make Me Smile Monday, it really felt like a blessing! Sometimes blessings come in small, simple gestures we do for each other. I’m a “growing” writer and this invitation was like a big hug saying, go on...I believe in you!

It’s these special things we do for each other in friendship and as family that makes life more, shall we say, delicious?  Kind of like gravy on the turkey and mashed potatoes we eat at Christmas. Life needs gravy.

I’ve been reading about love lately – God-love! I came across this declaration:

“Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God's love in me), I gain nothing.” 1 Cor 13:3 (AMP)

I have adapted it:

Even if I spend my days in the kitchen making the most delicious meals for my family or baking goodies for a local bake sale to raise money for a good cause, and if I surrender my body and energy to meticulous housecleaning in order that I may glory in my homemaking, but have not love (God’s love in me), I gain nothing.

Because, love is the gravy of life. It’s the cranberry sauce and all the trimmings on the Christmas table. It’s all the extra little acts of love that sweeten our children’s lives and flavour our husband’s day. Simple acts of love are what make your loved ones smile on Mondays and every other day of the week.

What does this gravy-love look like?

For me, it looks like taking the time to listen to my 7 year old’s stories about epic lego battles. It looks like making ornaments with my teenage daughter out of Styrofoam balls, old book pages, mod podge and glitter even though the laundry is piling up. It looks like a shoulder rub for my husband after a long, tiring day at work. It looks like making chicken sandwiches for my hungry teenager (even though he can make them himself) because every mom knows that the way to a teenage boy’s heart is through his stomach! It means asking God for ideas on how to reach my spirited four year-old’s heart! It means taking the time to do all the little things that make my family smile, sing and cheer!

When Christmas and motherhood collide into one busy season this year, and you feel like you’re chasing a million to-do lists, make love your greatest quest. I just know He will inspire you to pour some God-love on your loved ones too!