Category — Homemaking

There’s more snow on the ground, but now the sun is out…

Casting beautiful shadows on the snow…

…and lovely images on the walls.

Sometimes a little bit of sunshine is exactly what I need to lift my spirits.

What is lifting your spirits today?

I admit that I’ve been wrestling with whether to continue blogging. The exhaustion of pregnancy followed by the needs of a newborn have made it difficult to post regularly. And I’ve struggled with my blog not quite being what I want it to be. I’m a perfectionist, and technology and I are not good friends. I was feeling pretty down about it and was ready to give it up.

But then I remembered that it’s February…the month when the dreariness of winter takes its toll on my spirits, and I start feeling like I have no friends, every hair day is bad, nothing fits right, I’m failing my husband and children…you get the picture.

So, with that perspective in mind, I’ve decided to give it one more try. Though I don’t have amazing things to share, I do enjoy the writing. Though I have mostly family and old friends as readers, I still love keeping them updated on our lives. And I love reading your blogs, sharing ideas, and meeting new people through the blogging community.

I’ve made a decision to focus a little more on the simple joys that get me through the dreary days. I hope that by sharing them I can create in myself the habit of a more thankful heart, and I also hope to hear about your joys as well.

So, here’s my first one:

Walking in to check on Lily, and being greeted by the calm, sweet smile of a well-rested baby. My sleep-sensitive baby is finally starting to fall into a good schedule, which has added much more peace and calm to my day. (And that curl at the top of her head…oh, so precious!)

What simple joys lift your spirits during a dreary day?

image by oceans

There’s something about coming home from Christmas traveling that makes me want to start fresh and clean house! Maybe it’s the living out of a suitcase and among the clutter of new gifts, the week of rest from the usual routine, or simply the start of a new year…or maybe a combination of everything. But the first of January always has me clearing out closets and cabinets (sometimes simply to make room for new things!), rearranging, redecorating, and reorganizing.

Though I still get an itch to do the same in the spring and fall when the pleasant weather picks up my mood, this year I’m making an effort to really take advantage of this “cleaning energy”, to get our home ready for the “cocooning” during the cold days ahead, and maybe shake off a little of the gloom that comes in January and February.

So far I’ve cleaned out our art cabinet, organized our desk and paperwork that had spread to our dining room table, and started organizing closets. We also have a little decorating planned…yeah!

The winter can be a really hard time for me, and I know for many others too, but these projects actually have me looking forward to all the inside-time ahead.

Anyone else doing a little winter cleaning?

We’ve had a rough week. No, we didn’t go to the beach, but you’re not allowed to see any pictures of my house right now. Yes, it’s that bad. All four little ones have struggled with a yucky cold the last couple weeks, and we’ve had to deal with extra fighting and tears and crankiness, and extra medication for poor Jackson to help with an ear infection and asthma that has gotten worse…and mama is still feeling that first-trimester pregnancy exhaustion.

So more than a few things have been neglected…some of them because it was necessary, and some because I just lost a hold on some healthy disciplines in my life. Though the common pregnancy advice is to relax and pamper yourself a little, I know I won’t be able to do that until I can breathe again in my home. After a refreshing conversation with my husband, who has been very patient through all this, I was able to step back and evaluate what needed to happen to get our home back on track. Here’s what we talked about:

-Getting up earlier. I especially have felt the need to be up before the kids, allowing a little quiet space to pray and get ready emotionally ready for the day.

-In order to do this, we need to go to bed earlier. Dustin works late most nights, so we’ve tended to stay up late. But that means waking up a little cranky due to lack of sleep and a not-so-gentle 41/2-year-old alarm clock. And it’s just harder to be productive when you’re tired.

-Re-establishing a daily routine. Our kids’ less-than-stellar behavior is not just from their cold. I’ve felt the effects of just getting by, and so have the children.

-Family breakfast. Since Dustin works late, we don’t have a chance to have family dinner together, but he goes in late enough to allow for family time in the morning. We also want to add a little devotional to this.

-Planning the next day the night before. This includes laying out clothing, as well as me planning a few activities for the boys. That way we can relax and not feel as though we’re catching up all day.

I plan to start implementing these goals on Monday, starting with the sleep. (Maybe I could even start that earlier.) My hope is that blogging about this will add a sense of accountability…so I’ll keep you posted!

I’d also like to hear your advice: What do you do to keep things together when life gets hectic?