Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Tuesday Talk Host Features: Beth


Welcome back for another edition of Tuesday Talk Host Features. This month I'm featuring the sweet lady behind the scenes at Our Pretty Little Girls, Beth.  Enjoy getting to know her better!


Describe yourself in 3 words:

Focused, organized and motivated.

Yes, I realize those words don't paint a super fun image but that is what I have. When I want something I am all in, I thrive on organization and I find myself to be a very goal oriented and motivated person.


What are five of your favorite things?
In no particular order:
Chapstick
My running shoes
My Bible|
My Camera
& My KitchenAid mixer

What is a motto you live by?
The glass is always half full.

I used to be a highly pessimistic person but was really convicted about the bad attitude that came along with that. For years now I have been TRYING to work on this and I always find myself looking for that optimistic twist on anything that comes our way.

What makes you feel beautiful inside and out?

Boy this one is a tricky one. I can think of so many things that make me feel beautiful on the outside but adding the inside really has me thinking. I'd have to say going out with my guy on a date night. Usually that means I actually take the time to get ready and he always has a way of making me feel beautiful on the inside too.

What would your one piece of blogging advice be for our readers? 

Be who you are, not who you feel others want you to be or the "picturesque" blogger in your head.

I can't even tell you how many times I have questioned my place in the world of blogging. I don't make daily trips to Starbucks. I love Target but in reality I shop at Walmart more. And I just don't have the time or desire to show every waking second of our day on social media only highlighting the parts that make me look awesome, of course

In being myself, my real self I have built amazing friendships with other bloggers who stay true to who they are too. I've used my blog as a place to pour out what is really going on in my heart and minister to others. But the biggest one is I have avoided burn out. People want to know you, the real you. Don't be afraid to show them who you really are.

What are your TWO favorite summertime drinks?

Iced coffee and Raspberry lemonade. It doesn't feel any more summer than those two drinks if you ask me :). 

 What is your favorite thing about the 4th of July?
I love watching the girls faces all lit up by the fireworks. I used to not get into celebrating the 4th but the older I get the more I find myself loving it.

What about you, dear readers? Comment below!
  


Waltzing In Beauty






Your lovely posts will be shared on our thirteen blogs and we would love it if you would return the favor and link back to us (you can grab the button above).  By linking back you'll have the opportunity to be featured in our feature posts and pinterest board here! 





 Becky at BYBMG | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram
Stephanie at Wife Mommy Me | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram
Christina at Waltzing In Beauty | Pinterest | Instagram
Michelle at Grammie Time | Pinterest | Instagram 
Whitney at Polka Dotty Place | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram  


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Thursday, May 26, 2016

Family Tradition: Wake-Up Gift

Christina is doing a wonderful series about the Shape of our Homes, and I jumped at the chance to guest post! The series is such a good idea- how we like to pass on the beauty that we see around us and it's reflected in our homes, decorating, and traditions. 

As soon as I read Christina's description of this series, I knew I wanted to share one of my favorite family traditions I grew up with and continue with my husband and now my son! It's a wake-up gift on your birthday.


  
   

Growing up, my mom and dad would buy a small, special gift for us to open on our birthday morning. They would sneak in while we were sleeping {kind of like the tooth fairy!} and leave our wake-up gift on our bed-side table, waiting there for us the moment our eyes opened on our birthday. It could be anything from our favorite candy or cereal, to hair ties, small pieces of jewelry, or action figures. 

For some ideas, I've rounded up gift guide for guys, gals, and kids! 

     

It's a great way to start your special day off with an exciting note, no matter what there is going on that day- work, school, boring meetings or tests. Even as adults, Matt and I have continued to do this back and forth and we even started with Jude on his first birthday. You can read about what we did for him here. 


     

This family tradition has been even more fun with Jude. He doesn't quite understand yet, but I want him growing up knowing that he is loved, cherished, and celebrated in our family and this is just an excuse to show him our love!

  
   




I typically blog over at go-big-or-go-home.com and cover topics from DIY projects, being a mom, staying active & at-home workouts. I'm a certified group-fitness instructor, mom to one {second coming in June!}, and wife for almost 8 years now. Kentucky is where we've made our home and I love the bluegrass state! 



   


  
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Tuesday, May 24, 2016

#lifehappens

It is most decidedly not 8:00 am this Tuesday morning.
This is also not the planned Tuesday Talk May Host Feature.
My calendar states I should be at a friend's house, but I am not.
It also says I should have come home late last night from a soccer game to which I never went.
Normally I get at least 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep, I did not.
I also usually can put the baby down during his morning nap, but instead I'm typing this one handed.

I share this not to complain or gain pity. I share it because the past 24 hours have shown me something. In the past these disruptions to my plan would have phased me a bit. I wouldn't show it, but they would have added onto each other and left me feeling a bit worn out internally. Two months as a mother has taught me to take things more in stride, so much so that I didn't realize I was doing it until I took a step back. I wasn't just surviving through things going as planned; I was thriving.

It is a good place to be this thriving.
My morning rituals get to last through mid morning.
My favorite pjs are now a momiform.
My chest is heavy; weighted with my son's sweet head.
My house is quiet except for the sound of  my child's stuffy breathes broken by squeaks of laughter in his sleep.

This wasn't planned, but it is infinitely better.


http://livinginthisseason.com/thrive-as-a-mom/


 My friend, Keri, just launched her ebook on thriving as a mom yesterday.
I am so excited for her and for everyone who will benefit from her sharing her wisdom and kind heart. If you feel like you are living in survival mode or just need a reminder of the goodness in everyday living, I highly recommend it.
Now on to the link up!


Waltzing In Beauty

Check out the Tuesday Talk guidelines here.
Your blog is being shared on our 13 blogs and we would love it if you would return the favor 
and link back to us (you can grab the button above). By linking back you'll have the opportunity to be featured in our feature posts and pinterest board here! 

 Becky at BYBMG | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram
Stephanie at Wife Mommy Me | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram
Christina at Waltzing In Beauty | Pinterest | Instagram
Michelle at Grammie Time | Pinterest | Instagram 
Whitney at Polka Dotty Place | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram 


I want to connect with you!
Please follow in some way:
Instagram - Pinterest - Bloglovin' - Twitter

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Thursday, May 19, 2016

5 Family Rules for Clutter-Free Spaces

Everyone who enters my life knows that I am all about neatness, organization, and routines. I do not like messes. I can tell when someone has been at my desk at work or in my bedroom at home because, inevitably, something has been left out of place. I like to have my spaces clear and neat.
All of my spaces are easier to keep clutter-free than they could be because I'm not married, I don't have any kids, and I work in a cubicle. I like to think that I'm establishing family rules for my family of one (plus my two roommates) and my open-roof office!

Here are 5 rules I live by to eliminate clutter around my home and office:
  1. Dirty dishes go straight into the dishwasher. They need to go there eventually, right? So plop them in right after you finish using them. Then, when you fill it up, all you need to do is add detergent and start the cycle. It's amazing how discouraging (and gross!) a mountain of dirty dishes can seem. My roommates and I follow this rule, and when someone uses a dish that can't go in immediately because the machine is running, we stick it in the sink. After the dishwasher gets emptied, all the dirty ones go straight in. Nothing makes a kitchen seem dirty faster than a full sink.
  2. Dirty clothes go straight into the hamper. Here's my "dirty little secret": I re-wear clothes. If I only wear a t-shirt around the house for a few hours between work and bedtime, I will wear it again on another stay-at-home evening. I re-fold it (quickly and not as neatly as fresh laundry) and lay it on top of my hamper. Everything else goes into that hamper as soon as I take it off. Clothes only go on the floor when you are on the floor.
  3. Everyone gets an inbox, even at home. I am a practitioner of GTD, the productivity methodology made famous by David Allen over 15 years ago in his book, Getting Things Done. One of the keys to GTD is reducing your inboxes. You will only clutter up your spaces by keeping bits of paper everywhere: Post-Its on your computer screen, receipts crumpled up in your purse or wallet, piles of paper all over your desk, and a mound of snail mail by the door. Do yourself a favor and get a physical inbox or letter tray. You can even get pretty ones: one of my inboxes is striped! Every piece of paper that comes into your life needs to go in that tray, and once a week, you need to deal with all of it. My roommates and I have "invisible inboxes." We make 3 piles on the first horizontal space after the front door (a.k.a. our landing strip). When we see something in our invisible inbox, we know we need to pick it up and do something with it. Nothing ever stays there for long.
  4. Make your bed. I hate crawling into an unmade bed. It just doesn't feel right. So I make my bed every day. Currently, I do that when I come home from work. Sometimes, when the day has been extra crazy, I make my bed just before pajamas and tooth-brushing! The fastest way to make a room look messy is to leave the bed unmade, so the fastest way to clean your room is to make the bed.
  5. Clean up before you clear out. If I took it into my car, I take it out of my car. End of story. Before I leave work for the day, I make sure to reach "inbox zero" (another GTD task, also popularized by Merlin Mann). Nothing is left waiting to be scanned and processed. Files go back in the file room. Nothing is in my destop in-tray, office mailbox, or email inbox. (Okay, occasionally it's not nothing, but I get there at least once a day.) Then, when I arrive the next day, I'm ready to roll immediately. I also keep my bedroom and household clutter contained and the kitchen surfaces as clear as possible. Almost nothing makes me feel more peaceful than lots of empty space. Mental space counts, too.
I have plenty of other personal rules, including those that don't deal with clutter. No one likes having stuff everywhere, though, so these rules help me maintain serenity. How do you manage clutter?
Lindsay Wilcox loves Jesus, grammar, and Harry Potter (usually in that order). She wants you to live joyfully. Read more at her blog, Lindsay Loves.



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Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Achoo!

Did you know that last week was Food Allergy Awareness Week?

Neither did I.
I am glad to hear there is such a thing. 

Thanks to Rebecca at Strength in Sunshine for linking up Tanner's story on the subject.
Her post was also the most viewed from last week's Tuesday Talk.

Growing up attempting to avoid clams, animals, perfumes, dust mites, trees, and everything in between (or as my husband likes to say, "ask for what she's not allergic to, the list is shorter"), my heart goes out to this family.

Allergies are just one of the million things you can never fully understand until you've experienced them. Many know the outward manifestations of allergies: hives, rash, shock, but the hardest reactions to allergens to explain are those that go without being seen: difficulties breathing, living in a fog, and the overwhelming sense of dread or that you're crawling out of your skin. And the worst is the unfortunate instance when people assume it is an overreaction and that you just don't "like" the offending item.
If I have learned anything from allergies is to be more empathetic of the ailments of others, especially those I do not understand.
It would, however, be nice to learn that lesson in a way that did not prohibit puppies, kitties, bunnies, horses...

Good news is I can have a pet pig!

Bad news is no farm animals for pets according to our home owners association.
 I'm not sure if pigs can be house trained anyway... 

Now on to the link up!


Waltzing In Beauty
Check out the Tuesday Talk guidelines here.
Your blog is being shared on our 13 blogs and we would love it if you would return the favor 
and link back to us (you can grab the button above). By linking back you'll have the opportunity to be featured in our feature posts and pinterest board here! 

 Becky at BYBMG | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram
Stephanie at Wife Mommy Me | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram
Christina at Waltzing In Beauty | Pinterest | Instagram
Michelle at Grammie Time | Pinterest | Instagram 
Whitney at Polka Dotty Place | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram 


I want to connect with you!
Please follow in some way:
Instagram - Pinterest - Bloglovin' - Twitter



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Thursday, May 12, 2016

Turning a House into a Home



The lovely Christina at Waltzing in Beauty is hosting a series called The Shape of Our Homes. I am honored to be contributing my thoughts on turning a house into a home.

Making a house a home looks easy when you are scrolling through Pinterest. Someone posts a picture on Instagram and you see happy. When you visit a friend's home and it's tidy, clean and decorated like something out of a magazine, you may wonder - how do they do it? Especially if you feel insecure in the homemaking department. Let's be honest, you get out of it what you put into it. Whether it be nice furnishings, maintained gardens, delicious meals, or whatever you think features a nice home.

 I've been creating a home for over thirty years. My style has changed quite a few times. My home is clean, maintained and I do strive to make nutritious meals for my family. But in no way is my home Pinterest perfect. Not even close. Why, because I do not put value on those things. To me, what makes a house a home are these four things:

 JOY
  • Take pleasure in serving your family. Even picking up dirty socks; remind yourself, you have someone to pick up after. Many lonely people do not.
  • Wake up with a smile on your face. Women set the tone for the home!
  • Let your joy come from God, not from what you expect others to do or not do.
  • You dread the grocery store, find joy in simply knowing you do not have to toil in the hot sun to gather your food. Food brings families together.
  • Whistle while you work! Singing brings joy.
LAUGHTER
  • Spilled milk - again! Tell a funny story and teach your children to help clean up when accidents happen.
  • Tears are plenty while raising children. Laughing at silly things are few if you don't learn to have fun.
  • Spend time outside together. There is always laughter in God's creation.
  • We all make mistakes. Daily. Learn to laugh at YOURSELF.
  • Find the funny and experience it.
GENTLENESS
  • A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1 
  • Use a gentle hand when guiding children.
  • Speak kind words to one another. 
  • Be generous with affection. Children need to "feel" loved.
  • Sensitivity, strength, prompted by love.
PEACE
  • Give your worries to the one who can handle them - PRAY.
  • There is always something to be thankful for.
  • Parents, have each others back in front of your children. Work it out behind their backs when needed. Be united together.
  • Let go! We can't control everything. Many have tried and many have failed.
  • PRAY - Again!
. . . the home
    in harmony with the surroundings.


You can read more from Michelle over on her blog, Grammie Time.



 
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