happy monday & memorial day & mother's day

To all of you who have lost a loved one for the sake of our country, thank you. I hope you know what an important and honorable sacrifice that was (and is). Happy Memorial Day to you families who have given up the ultimate kind of freedom, so that we can enjoy ours as a nation.

I'll leave you with two more things on this Monday...

1) I know I mentioned attending BlogHer this year, and it's still a goal someday. But recently, another conference has grabbed ahold of my heart. I am now making every possible effort to attend The Influence Conference in October. If you are interested in advertising with us or shopping from our closets, please know that your money will go directly to getting me to Indianapolis this fall. I certainly appreciate your support in making this dream real.

2) I know it's belated, but... I spent Mother's Day in the beautifully misty mountains of North Carolina, and I wanted to share a few photos. My baby brother graduated from Appalachian State University, in my dad's footsteps. Congratulations, Tyler!

 

 

 

 

Dress: a skirt, thrifted
Cardigan sweater: Gap
Butterfly belt: my grandmother's
Shoes: Dolce Vita, TJ Maxx

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE ORECK GIVEAWAY! ENTER HERE.

giving up on good

I'm linking up with Jessi for this post. She & Hayley have started a thought-provoking, soul-searching, heart-convicting series that inspires women to give up something good for something better.

I enjoy a clean house, and it's one of my strengths. I do a pretty good job of keeping up with five kids and two dogs, as it relates to housekeeping. This reminds me of Jenna's famous backdoor bragging on 30 Rock, but it's true. I'm not the world's best cook, but I can shoot an iPhone photo or entertain a surprise visitor without embarrassment more often than not.

The problem is, I let it consume me. I resist the sweet mom quotes about messy houses & happy homes. I make list upon list for everyone in the house who can walk. I snap at my family when I feel crumbs beneath my feet. I typically refuse to do anything for myself until my house is neat. It hurts me to ignore the laundry and relax on the couch. I've let my own meals go cold before, because I want to clean the dishes before I eat. I can't let the kids move onto the next play area without cleaning the previous.

I know part of it has to do with control, and we can psycho-analyze me on this topic for days. But a big part of it is deeper and dirtier than that. It's about approval. I've sort of made a lifestyle-choice spectacle of myself over the last several years. My marriage, my education, my career, my child-bearing, and my parenting have all raised an eyebrow at one time or another. I want family & friends to see my house and give me the "yes" nod. My home is not the biggest or the fanciest. But they can step inside and know that they don't have to worry. I've got this.

Until this week.

Note from husband: do not mix Dr. Bronners with vinegar. Mirrors don't like it.

I quit. I'm waving the white flag. Not as a martyr to a dirty home, but as a woman to a choice. My kids could care less about dirty mirrors and strewn-about puzzle pieces, and I'm taking a lesson from them. I'm giving up on good for better. I will spend less time chasing tedious tasks. I will spend more time in the Word, more time painting that dresser navy blue, more time playing intentionally with my children, more time outside... the list goes on. For example, I recently caught up on some reading (on my unmade bed) with this as my backdrop:

I still put all of this clutter away before bed, and I managed to scrub a few sinks and toilets... but that was therapeutic. And we have a lot of boys. But the rest can wait another day or two. No more staring at Chris in bewilderment, asking him how he manages to enjoy time to himself in the midst of our chaos. I'm grabbing some for myself. I'm enjoying the grace and freedom of a not-always-neat house.

I'm giving up on good.

ORECK: a review & a giveaway!

Our first married fight involved a vacuum cleaner. Things had been tense all day when the evening found us in our bedroom; me, furiously vaccuuming and he, trying to figure out this new wife of his. He stood there in the doorway, arms crossed, irritatingly sweet smile on his face. I'm sure I had an attitude when I asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" And then, out came the fateful words. "You're doing it wrong." I immediately offered that he take over, but he refused on the basis that I was being ugly about it. And I was. I dropped the vacuum's handle and went outside to cool off. The thing was still on and in the spot in which I'd left it, when I returned a few minutes later.

My husband brought to our marriage a beast of a vacuum that includes gears, attachments, about forty pounds, and over a decade of experience. Apparently, this brand boasts a machine that never dies. This was a bummer for me, as I couldn't rationalize purchasing a new one. But I also couldn't get the thing up the stairs. If I could just learn how to screw on the front correctly and use the gears properly, it would drive itself. Right, Christopher? So over the years, we've compromised. I've promised to never smack-talk the vacuum, and my husband has taken over vacuuming. I think I've used the thing three times in our entire marriage.

Thanks to the folks at Oreck, though, I'm back in the game. We were recently sent a Magnesium vacuum cleaner to review, free of charge! Praise the Lord and thank you, Oreck! We've been using it for about three weeks now, and the whole family is in love. Twelve-year-old Lucas' chore is sweeping, and his domain has increased significantly since we installed the laminate hardwoods. Thanks to this Magnesium, he's able to cover more ground faster. He also loves how light it is and is enamored with the concept that he can lift it with a single finger. When I asked him for constructive criticism, he sheepishly admitted that he prefers the color red over blue. I informed him that blue is the only option, and he perked up. I love that kid.

Our new Oreck does a good job on carpets, which I expected. However, it works exceptionally well on our hard surfaces, which was a nice surprise. The cord is long enough to get through two rooms, and I like that it has only two speed settings. No fuss required, like our old machine! I am in the process of trying to find a good routine for the rugs, as the Magnesium tends to suck up the corners rather easily. The safety feature is great, though, in that the machine blinks and shuts off whenever it catches the rug corners (or its own cord).

Exhibit A: merely one day's worth of dirt, dust, & dog hair.

I haven't had to empty it yet, but the Magnesium came with an easy-to-understand manual. The zipper and HEPA bag seem particularly helpful, and I've noticed zero odors so far. Our old machine had to live in the garage because it got so hot and stinky.

Two thumbs up, Oreck! You have no idea how much you've blessed this family!

And to add to the glee and excitement...

One of you is going to win an Oreck Magnesium of your very own! 

Simply visit Oreck.com and tell me one thing you learned about the Magnesium.

Leave a comment below for your chance to win! I'll draw a winner June 1.

Nitty gritty details:

You must be a resident of the contiguous 48 states to win. Oreck Corporation provided the prize for the sweepstakes but is not the sponsor of the sweepstakes. You don't have to follow my blog or my Twitter account to win, but I sure would appreciate the support. Thanks!

some strawberries

Just wanted to share a few photos from a fun Friday we had a few weeks back. On this particular afternoon, we picked strawberries at a farm just outside of our neighborhood. Typically, I work (twelve-hour shifts) every Thursday/Friday/Saturday. This means any free time at the end of the week is a blessing. We try to live it up!