Don’t Let Derailed Plans Derail You

When we bought the house we are currently in, it was practically brand new. Well, five years old but that’s pretty darn new, especially since the one we moved OUT of was over 100-years old. I think for me, I assumed this house would be perfectly fine, a-okay, hunky dory, and really never cause us any ‘issues’ because it was so ‘new.’ But as I sit here reflecting, I’m reminded we didn’t have even a fraction of the problems in our old house that we do here… NEW doesn’t always mean better! I’m a big lesson person, and I believe there is generally a lesson to be learned from almost everything; so I want to share some that I’m learning in this current phase of life.

Things Don’t Go According to Plan

We all know this, right? We make plans and set goals and while sometimes things work out great, often they do not. Asa and I were so excited for the downfall of snow we got in February, never thinking twice about it damaging anything. I grew up in Michigan with feet of snow dumping on my childhood home every single winter. I know my parents house has had some leaking issues in the basement, but it never had ice damming on the roof! I never even knew that was a thing if I’m being honest, until now. We were hit hard with both snow AND ice, and very quickly we started to see water spots on the ceiling….we knew things were getting really not fun when the hardwood floors starting bowing and changing in texture—YIKES.

Thank the Lord FOR homeowners’ insurance, truthfully! We put in a claim and before we even had to time to think really, a crew was out looking at our house. And then REALLY before we knew it, floors were being ripped apart, drywall was getting replaced, and fans were blowing for 48 hours making sure everything was nice and dry. Our walls got a fresh coat of white paint (literally the whole entire first floor) and the last thing has been to get the hardwoods repaired and redone. Which is where we are currently…

Packers came and packed up our first floor, then movers came and moved it all out. We’ve had nowhere to sit for four days and we’ve been sleeping on our bedroom floor like poor college kids. ;) At the end of this though, imagine how incredible our house is going to look and feel? Things didn’t go according to plan but in the end, it sure will look better! (Please, God, no more needs for home owner claims……..) Don’t let derailed plans derail you, it’s 100% part of life and I think what makes the good SO good.

Take Things in Stride

I sat in my closet on the floor, in the dark, with the door shut, taking very deep breaths. It had rained ALL weekend long, the kids were so bored and their noise levels were echoing throughout the very empty first floor. This was Sunday night…after Asa and I had packed the kids suitcases, ours, and we were going through the house trying to figure out and gather what we would need for a week spent OUT of our house. Monday we would move into a rental home for the week, as our hardwood floors get finished.

I realized I had a deadline for a brand that was going to be very challenging to complete and I was starting to internally freak out. I grabbed one of my favorite essential oils, Valor, (if you don’t have it, you need it) and took deep breaths. Then, my sweet, sweet husband opened the closet door and closed it behind him. He sat WITH me there, and walked me through the next day. He encouraged me to email the brand and ask for a 24 hour extension (praise God they’re awesome and gave it to us!) and after I had that moment…I reminded myself that one, I am incredibly blessed and two, it’s okay to slow down and catch your breathe. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed and to stress ourselves out with the MANY challenges we may be facing, but when we take them in stride, it is so much easier to function!

Being Happy with Less

Our first floor has been empty for DAYS. No couch or chair in the living room, no dining room table, no kitchen table, no bar stools…so we’ve had to do life a little differently. Our meals have been either outside on the deck or upstairs in the family room. Our dogs and cats at first looked around, confused; but really, as long as they have their people, they are happy. And the same goes for us! We have had each other and while it’s looked really differently, we still have so much to be joyful about. Having a beautiful home is always something that means a lot to me, (a blog post about it here), but having less doesn’t mean our happiness has to be sacrificed. It was really eye opening to stand in our empty living room, with the bare walls, and to hug each other tightly knowing really, THAT was all that mattered—we have each other. Wherever we are, no matter what is going on, regardless of what life looks like—we are strong because we have one another.

Mama’s Mood Matters

I have never liked the phrase ‘happy wife, happy life,’ because I wholeheartedly agree the same can be said for having a happy HUSBAND. But what I’ve learned a LOT over the years, especially the older our kids are getting…is that my mood often sets the tone for the household. That sounds like a lot of pressure, doesn’t it? Ha. But you probably know what I mean. Negative emotions are contagious, but so are POSITIVE. Me, as a mom, realizes I may need to become more and more mindful of this. What kind of mood do we want to inspire in others? Being in touch with MY emotions and what I’m offering others…is one, another reason I’m thankful for my essential oils (ha) and two, another reason I’m thankful to have a husband who helps me stay in check!

What’s going on in your world right now? Have you done any house renovations that shook you? It’s hard to believe we are half way through April right now, isn’t it? I’m thankful for spring, for change, and I am looking forward to being back home!

Creating a Cozy Home with Oils

Tis the season, Friends, to be with loved ones and celebrate being together. Oh wait… that’s been the last eight months, right? Still, and maybe more than ever, I am all for creating an atmosphere that helps us create and FEEL at peace. Did you know that one of the easiest ways to cozy up your home is with scent? But I’m not talking fake scent and fake fragrances, friends! I mean by filling our diffusers, making DIY room sprays and adding ALL the twinkly lights, cozy blankets and throw pillows.

It is SO easy to make homemade room and linen sprays. One of my recent favorites is called ‘Flannel Shirts’ and it is a mixture of Northern Lights Black Spruce + Stress Away. All you need is a 2oz glass spray bottle, a splash of witch hazel, 10-15 drops of each oil and voila; spritz on flannel sheets, linens, PJ’s, and/or keep in a bathroom.

There are SO many incredible diffuser favorites for Fall and Winter…but to name a few of ours, we LOVE spice oils, such as Nutmeg and Clove, Cinnamon Bark and Cassia. We also love the Conifer oils, I.e. Black Spruce, Pine, and the NEW Winter Nights blend. Vanilla is BRAND NEW to Young Living and you better believe I am diffusing this basically around the clock. Keep your oils HANDY and close by. Add your personal touch of trinkets and holiday knick knacks, and then diffuse, diffuse, diffuse.

With the colder weather and getting darker earlier outside, I basically want to cozy up inside every single day…if you’re wondering if our twinkle lights are on all the time, the answer is yes. If you’re wondering if I am running all the diffusers ALL the time, the answer is also yes. I don’t want to burn candles all day every day…I don’t desire all of that aftermath for our air filters OR for our lungs (and our pets!!) so I am all about filling our diffusers every single day and creating this atmosphere, always. There are SO MANY good options to replace candles, Y’all. I’m talking Cinnamon Spiced Vanilla, Apple Cinnamon Cider, Marshmallow Pumpkin Latte, Sweater Weather and SO much more. Another thing that makes our home cozy and inviting, are the products that we use. For instance, our Christmas Spirit foaming hand soap is basically Heaven on earth and no joke, after you wash your hands, you may be that person constantly sniffing them but hey, I got you—no judgement here!! It smells THAT good and we know!

Alright, last but definitely not least. The BEST way to cozy up your home this season….get ya a pair of Golden Retrievers!! Ha ha ha! These two make everything pretty wonderful so of course they needed a spot here in this blog post :) Get your cozy on, Friends. And if you try one of these tips, let me know! Don’t have essential oils either? Let’s fix that. Just shoot me a message and let’s chat!

Christmas in July and Why it was a Must This Year

2020. The year that will never end, right?? From a global pandemic, and systemic racial oppression, a tanking economy, fear and uncertainty, and everything in-between...this has been a tough year for everyone. (Oh yeah, and flippin Murder Hornets? They were a thing too.) We left our classrooms in March not knowing what in the world would be next, and come August, we will return to school once again…online. The kids miss their friends, their teachers, socializing, and let’s face it, we honestly miss the normal work routine as well and being able to mingle with our co-workers. There has been tension, stress, a lot of unknowns, and a LOT of sadness and negativity flooding social media.

We decided it was time for something happy.
We decided that Christmas in July was a must this year.
…so we did it!
Once the kids went to sleep on July 23rd Asa got out some of our Christmas decorations and we (he..) got to work.

We set our alarms on the 24th and woke before the kids did. Reese is usually the first to wake right at 8am and she was right on time ‘Christmas Eve’ morning. As we drank our coffee and beamed up at her, she was SO confused. As soon as she came around the corner and actually saw the Christmas trees with presents underneath, she sprinted to Pierson’s room and excitedly woke him up. Their reactions were priceless and the joy in our home felt like a warm blanket. They looked at the presents (they each got a total of seven) and then we sat on the couch to watch Christmas movies (starting with Curious George’s Christmas that they have loved since they were toddlers.) Our plans were to spend the next two days together as a family (not that we haven’t had a ton of just family time), but to be more intentional with the things we did; baking cookies, cooking, coloring, decorating, creating, movies together, and big holiday like meals. We had Asa’s mama over as she typically joins us Christmas Eve, and after dinner Asa read the Birth of Jesus to all of us and then we watched a Christmas Story. We baked Gingerbread cookies with a Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting, and earlier in the day we went to Lotsa Pasta to get fresh ravioli for the next night’s dinner. The home was just the right amount of Christmas decor—and the whole mood of the house just felt so peaceful.

On July 25th we had breakfast and then let the kids open their gifts. Again, they got 7 each, and we wrapped things separately like paint by itself, paintbrushes, canvas’s, and then Reese got a couple of dresses and Pierson got a couple of new pairs of shoes. It wasn’t about the presents or spoiling the kids—this was all to create a happy memory for all of us for what has been such a tough and challenging year.

I diffused our Christmas Spirit oil in ALL our diffusers around the clock the entire two days. When we say it smells like ‘Christmas in a bottle,’ we totally mean it. It’s a little spicy, a tad sweet, and just smells completely heavenly. (Want it for yourself? Leave a comment here and I’ll hook you up!) Overall, we highly recommend participating in Christmas in July yourself. You don’t have to go BIG, you don’t have to set up a ginormous tree, just make it what you want and how you want! We used our porch tree from Treetopia and the pre-lit garland that we had from the same company. I had a lot of people message me and say they wanted to do this but it seemed like so much work; my husband will tell you it probably took him an hour start to finish [he is the speedy decorator, again, he is kin to Buddy the Elf so it’s just in his blood,] and he would also tell you it was completely 1000% worth it. August is around the corner, online school will be happening at LEAST the first six weeks (let’s face it.. probably longer..) and we are just praying we can take it ALL in stride and that everyone can stay healthy and happy.

Sprouting Seeds and Starting Your Own Garden

What does a garden signify to you? Maybe you have zero desire to have or keep up with one. To plant, water, watch, wait, harvest, and go through the whole process. That’s okay, I still think this post will mean something to you..

VERY early on in our marriage my husband Asa has always created a garden in our backyard. The first one was on 2nd street in Old Louisville. Gardening and growing is basically his thing. He has always gotten so excited to create a plan, a blueprint of how he dreamt it would be. I wish I had pictures of all of them (and maybe I do?) but what I did remember that I have, are photos from 2013.. when Pierson was twelve months old and we lived in our first HOME…and oh my heart, Guys. How sweet are THESE? Jackson Street, how I love and miss you and cherish all of these sweet memories!

Anyway, back to why you are here—gardens and how in the world to get started! This is what Asa had to say on it…

When it comes to planting seeds and starting gardens I like to employ the KISS method of thinking. It’s not very elegant, but Keep It Simply, Stupid. (Sorry, you aren’t stupid. I needed a working acronym.) Basically, don’t over think it. You need soil, light, water and a seed. We can get into the nuances of which soil, how much light, and how much water. The temperature of water and soil? Which seeds? Organic of non-organic? Which variety of each seed? And the list goes on. If this is your first garden, keep it simple. Learn as you go. There is a reason growing seeds is a kindergarten science project. Just grab dirt and a cup. Bury your seeds (not too deep). Add water and put them in a window. You’re likely to have success.

The more detailed version of what we are doing is this. Grab yourself a seed tray from the hardware store. (Probably any department store will carry them this time of year.) This tray has 72 slots, which admittedly is a LOT of seedlings for my family. I grabbed one bag of organic vegetable potting soil to fill the slots. To be honest, “organic” was the option on sale that day. I don’t have a strong preference here. Then I grabbed seeds. This one is tricky to do the first time or two. Knowing what seeds will grow in your yard, how much sunshine your projected garden gets outside, what food your family will eat, and eat regularly and other factors really go into seed selection. For now, pick things that need full sun, (thats most fruits and vegetables) and think of things you’ll eat. We eat a lot of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, spinach, lettuce, melons, and herbs.

When you plant seeds, put 2 or 3 seeds in each cup. This is a fail safe for you. If one or more seed is dead, hopefully the other will grow. As the seedlings grow, you will need to thin it down to one strong seedling per pod. This is normal. Don’t sweat it. Save the nutrients in the dirt for the healthiest one that sprouts. Once your seeds are planted you need to give them a little water. Keep the soil MOIST (yeah, I said it) but not wet. And put the cups in a bright window. We are using grow lights from an old AeroGarden. The AeroGardens are amazing indoor planters, but cost a fortune. And honestly they limit the number of seedlings you can sprout to 7-9. So I’m simply using the lights above my tray this time around.

As your seeds grow, you will need to transplant them to bigger cups from their slots in the tray. Keep them indoors until all risk of frost has passed. About a week or so before you put them outside, you need to “harden off” the seedlings. This simply means put them outside for 8-10 hours a day and bring them in at night. It gets them used to the temperature change of the outdoors. Once they are hardened off, you can plant them directly into the soil at the appropriate distance (social distance?) from each other. The seed packages will have all the planting and sunlight details on them.

This year we are growing some of our favorites, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. And adding some new things to try like carrots and swiss chard. The newest goal for this springs garden is to create a rhythm of planting so we are daily harvesting and replanting to keep a steady stream of food, instead of a massive harvest with too much to eat at one time.

Lara Casey is one of my favorite authors and I love her heart for the Lord. In an excerpt from her book, Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life, she said this:

The world says do more, grow fast, be big, use these tricks, analyze, do it like those people, get ahead. But that’s not how good things take root. Maybe, despite what everyone tells you, slow is richer than fast. Maybe a slower pace will help your roots stretch deep and wide. It’s okay to grow slow.

I always feel like I resonate SO much with her words, her philosophy, and I just wanted to share even a snippet of her wisdom. GOOD things take time. A slow pace is not bad. We need roots, we need to be able to stretch, to grow, to replenish our nutrients. And you know what…? Right now, when the world seems to be at the quite possibly the largest stand still it has ever been in MY life, maybe this is THE perfect time to work on growing slow.

Friends, order some seeds or get them from your local grocery store if yours are still open, and just start. See what takes sprout, and where it goes from here. And if you have questions—email me! Asa is so awesome and kinda geeks out over this stuff :)