Really living

Sometimes I think we get so used to just being alive that we forget that we're really living! Our heart and lungs are working! We only have one chance at this so we need to stop and think about what's going on around us. I feel like the more bad days I have, the more I appreciate the good days. That seems like a no brainer comment but it is so very real to me. I want to soak up every second saying, "Hey! I'm not crying right now! My heart feels calm, I have no anxiety, no contentious thoughts towards anyone." My toddler was in a silly mood today and my five year old entertained herself. My husband stared at me through literally all of dinner today, played the copycat game, then stopped.. never explaining himself when he was through. Those times you get to breathe in all the gratitude and  breathe out all the happiness. Feel the love, both in and out. The are really great days that I just have to soak up while I can.

On Levels of Connection

This is my safe space to write. To let thoughts flow without fear of judgement from anyone. Where is your place? So, my question today: What do you do in those moments that you feel disconnected? Those times where you attempt to reach out to those you know, to pour your heart, out only to get nothing in return. What do you think some reasons are for people masking how it really is in their life? To have this, life is great, the grass is greener here, I have it all together type attitude some carry around with them. But yet on the opposite side of that, you have those that seem to have it together, share with the world that they really don't, and people go crazy; soaking up all that individual has to say? Are they almost enjoying the fact that they were right about someone "so perfect?" Would we still listen to these women if they were poor or unfortunate looking or if we didn't know what they looked like at all? So how is it that one post can get 5,000 likes and 100 comments, thanking this person for opening up about their life? Doesn't that make you think that we all want to open up to someone but just don't? For the reasons we are still trying to figure out individually. I hope at least some of this makes sense. I believe we all have feelings we want to share that will relieve some of those feelings of loneliness. Your supposedly only suppose to offer out your soul at the same degree as someone else does. A new friend offers some personal information about themselves, you do the same. You take a chance and express a little more to them and they look uncomfortable or no longer offer additional thought provoking information back. Or they offer more in return and you connect on a deeper level then, "that was a crazy storm today, wasn't it?" I read that introverts hate small talk and do better one one one then in a group. Well that is me to a T and that may be why I write. Hoping that the one person who is reading this is the one I am able to connect with right now. "These words are my diary screaming out loud." So if you want to write and also scream out your diary, I would welcome those words with open arms. I started it. I'm the brave one right now. We could all take turns writing back and being brave. I will probably end up writing more about introvert qualities because personality types intrigue me. When I grew up I wanted to be a physiologist or an interior designer. :D

Feel lifted or log off

Feel lifted or log off

If you feel low, discouraged, stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, too anxiously excited, in a negative vibe of comparison, I invite you to move your mouse up to that little red x in the corner of your screen. You should only be reading or viewing things that positively inspire to be a better you. Your researching how you can dive into really learning how to cook, by all means read about how she became successful at it.  If you're sizing your weakness to her strength, then you may want to look towards a subject of your own.

The key to embracing your chaos

Our personalities should meld into what we do. Characteristic traits, pet peeves, likes, dislikes, talents, hobbies, passions, motivations. We are each an individual. When that will consistently seep into my every day being, I do not know but what we should focus on is this: If we are worried we are not good enough, then we simply have not looked deep enough into ourselves. I'm a mommy who loves building forts but hates to cook. My kids light up when they see something I've created just for them, and yet I still slice them apples and hand them a bag of baby carrots. Mommy down the street is in a position in her life where it's necessary for her to work full time but she comes home and reads to her children every single night. Her passion is books and her kids will be all the more grateful because of her. They will grow up feeling her love for them. So will the kids with the chef mommy. Their memories will be filled with constant instruction and guidance over a mixing bowl and familiar scents will carry memories through a lifetime. A hatred for wet bathroom floor mommy may pass on thoughts of anger when they splashed too much.. An annoyance for high pitch screaming mommy may remind her kids that mommy wasn't so rosy when they got too loud. Exactly what works for one woman does not and will not work for another. They may hate my cream of celery casserole but they love my chocolate chip pancakes. They may hate my method for combing out tangles but they love when we snuggle up with a disney movie and hot chocolate. Comparison can kill. It can distort our worth in a sense that your throwing so much of your effort at what you think you need to master that your not refining the nitch that God gave you. Focus on your strengths. The things that make you shine. My house is a mess, we're using Tupperware lids as plates tonight but we played. Oh did we play. They will remember the fun, not the spotless home. They will hold on to the memories of tickles and smiles more than they will shining countertops. "Excuse the mess, children are making memories." "This is our loose interpretation of clean." "Our house was clean yesterday, sorry you missed it." Since most of us have some variation of such phrases displayed in our home, as if we are trying to explain ourselves to spur  of the moment visitors, for living.. I say we take them down and stop apologizing to each other for existing on this imperfect world. We simply cannot do it all and it's unfair to ourselves to even expect something even close to that. Play with your babies today. Have your older ones help you with the chores by making a game of it, then let them choose the activity when it's done. Life is a blessing and our happiness is closer than we may think.

Mundane Courage Article

I love having .. space .. to be myself. I feel that this is the space that I am able to share thoughts and feelings I have with anyone who stumbles across it. I am also glad that these things will be recorded in an orderly fashion for me to recall in later years. I have a prediction that Alzheimer's diesease may be in the future for me so I would love to entertain myself by reading of previous days. We all forget, some more than others and this is my .. space .. to record away to share with the world and myself someday.

I started receiving the emails from MOPS International recently, every Tuesday. I look forward to something new in my inbox that I don't consider junk mail. I start with browsing through article titles that caught my eye and read those first. Today, I stumbled across one of those "I really really needed that today" posts that I just loved alot. I am going to start linking back to my favorites here, because any other way of saving my favorites would be more difficult.
"Courage in the Mundane"

Love love love it. This very subject is what has been on my mind lately. The mundane, the day to day living for the next upcoming event, those in between moments that you won't really remember. How to fill our time with meaningful activites that will breathe purpose, life, happiness into EACH DAY.
It actually made me think of one of my new favorite talks:
"Prepared in a Manner That Never Had Been Known" by Sister Linda K. Burten
I love to remind myself that every single good deed we do is recorded in heaven, whether we receive praise for it on earth or not. That the little acts of service we do for others means something, no matter the size. The Lord does have a specific, individual and unique calling for everyone. We need to be the ones still enough to hear what those are... everyday.

SO, I loved the article I read about courage and how she worded everything. I also hope, by reading all these articles that as I "practice" writing on this blog, I will be able to display feelings through words in an intriguing way to someday have an article there too. Catch the right subject at the right time in the right emotion and the words will flow from my brain to my fingertips.

"Be Mine" Mistletoe

Last year, my daughter was watching me take down Christmas decorations around New Years. When I got out the Valentine's decorations in February, she asked where that thing is that mommy and daddy kiss under. So my 4 year old gave me a great idea. I found this heart for a dollar at Walgreens and just simplified my life by simply hot glueing typed up cardstock words onto the heart. (since I do not yet have a vinyl cutting machine) And there you go! 

I will soon have a cute version of "Kiss me, even if Im not Irish"

And "I see Fireworks"

and "I'm thankful for your lips"

holiday versions of mistletoe soon! 

And as always, make it 'as craft as you can!' Make it your own, using what you have and the creativity inside you! Hurray!