February 23, 2018 - Oh Happy Daze

Three Things I'm Loving – February Edition

I’m kind of obsessed with these three things right now and I wanted to share that love with you; maybe you’ll be obsessed too. I may even turn this into a fun monthly series.

1)These gorgeous glass jars.

From Target, of course. In the dollar bin section y’all. I just love the pretty pattern.

I don’t even have a place to put them but they hopped into my cart before I could protest so…… guess it was meant to be. And they have a rubber seal in the lid so you could use them in your kitchen to store your flax seed or flour or whatever else it is you domestic types store in the kitchen.

2) This precious, precious book:

When God Made Light By Matthew Paul Turner

And if you ever feel scared
in the darkness of night,
remember the shadows are no match for God’s light.
Climb into bed,
sleep soundly and dream,
and know that inside you God’s glow is agleam.

‘Cause You’re just like the sun and moon in the sky,

as lustrous as twinkles that dazzle the eye.

You’re as splendid as lightning when it flashes so bright,

’cause on the day you were born, God said, “Let there be light!”

Gah. I mean come on. Those words are so precious and I’ve been reading this to Charlotte each day since it arrived.
Charlie is my sweet worrier. The mothering instinct inside her is so strong, she just can’t help but hover and coddle think of every worst case scenario possible. Her little anxious mind is always tripping over ‘what ifs’. I’m constantly second guessing myself as a mother. Am I giving her the comfort she needs? Am I actually feeding these fears rather then helping her cope with them? Am I saying the right things? This book is so encouraging for both of us!
God is so big and so good. His light is what brings life and it’s only in Him where we can really settle in and let all those fears go. This book {and the one that came before: When God Made You} has the sweetest pictures and focuses on reminding kiddos {ahem, and adults} that we have a purpose, our lives have meaning, and we have a light that needs sharing. It is very life-affirming and encouraging. Hands down my favorite thing right now. Plus, the illustrations are just fabulous and make me chuckle.

3) My thieves cleaner:

I’m trying not to turn into a germaphobe, but it’s really an impossible task right now with all the flu and virus strains going around.

And with me being immunocompromised after my transplant, I just can’t risk it. I’ve also been trying to get all the toxic chemical cleaners out of our home for a while now, and my newfound focus on all things anti-germ has given me the perfect push to just kick the yucky chemicals out the front door.

This glass bottle full of cleaner was given to me as a gift from a generous friend before my transplant when I was desperate to stay healthy so we wouldn’t have to postpone surgery. Isn’t it cute? I use this cleaner pretty much everywhere.
(Thieves is also great for getting sticky residue off of that new thing you bought and tried to pull the label off of and failed miserably. Manufacturers are laughing at us all.)
You can get Young Living oils and this cleaner here. Pretty amber glass bottles here. Vinyl labels here.
In addition to using this cleaner I’ve got pure thieves oil, thieves spray, and thieves hand purifier stashed away in every nook and cranny. I even put some on the inside of my face mask when I’m forced to head out and be around people. Most of whom are living, breathing, coughing germ sharers. Adding Thieves to the inside of my mask helps alleviate any respiratory ‘panic’ I may start to experience from wearing a mask for long periods of time. Most importantly though, all of the oils that go into making thieves (Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Rosemary) have some sort of impact on the immune system, whether it’s antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic, or antioxidant.

Have you also tried any of these three favorite things? What are your favorite things right now? I want to know!

Just so you know:
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February 22, 2018 - Oh Happy Daze

Store Bought Valentines & Parents Who Buy Them.

I know Valentine’s Day was last week and there’s probably Fourth of July decorations already out in the stores. America moves on quickly folks. But I’ve just gotta get these thoughts out there.
If you know me, then you know I love all things crafty. Glitter is my spirit animal and Pinterest is my happy place. Sitting down with some glue and ribbon or some paint and canvas is relaxing. I enjoy making things, and that expression pops up in birthday parties and Christmas gifts and our home decor where I usually start with “I’ll just keep it simple” and end up with “How did paint end up on the ceiling and glitter on my eyelashes?”.
But because life keeps happening and our kids still live here and seem to make all the messes and need all the attention, I can’t always set aside time or mental energy to sit and create something. Even something as simple as printing a valentine card and tying cute glasses to it.

(Isn’t this so cute?)

Click here to find the tutorial and printable.

To all you mamas {and dads} who DO put the time and energy into putting together something fun and creative and personalized:

THANK YOU!

I love you because I love seeing your creative brainchild. You made my daughter say ‘awwww’ and you made me say ‘that is so clever’. Thank you for the time and energy you expended to do the extra bit. To go above the requirement. I commend you. You keep the holiday alive.

However, this post is really about what I want to say to all you mamas {and dads} out there who purchased boxed valentines from a store.
You know the ones I’m talking about. They come in a box and no matter what pen your child uses on them the ink smears and it’s almost impossible to fold them perfectly evenly:

Here’s what I want to say to you parents who buy those:

THANK YOU!

I’m not even kidding.
I love that some parents create Pinterest perfect valentines that are fun or punny or useful {hello glow sticks!}. But I really love those parents who buy boxed valentines for their kids. Seriously, I WANT TO BE YOUR BEST FRIEND. You parents who walk into Target on February 13th and toss whatever’s left in the Valentine’s aisle into your cart then walk around for 30 more minutes grabbing a workout DVD you’ll never open and 3 spatulas in Spring colors to add to your already excessive collection.
You know why I love you? Because I am you. I was apparently harboring some worry about what other parents would think when both of my children rolled up to school with these bad boys. Straight outta the box.

It wasn’t that I was ashamed. I mean, look at this chubby kitten. He’s the definition of cute and Will thought it was hilarious.

I think I was having a hard time allowing myself to just check the task off my to-do list without adding any flair or extra work, as is my habit of doing. I embraced the bare minimum. I clung to it. I literally just did what was necessary, nothing more. and that is FINE.
So when my kids came home with several adorable handmade valentines and a TON of boxed valentines I was rejoicing! YES parents. THANK YOU parents. SOLIDARITY and all that. You allowed me to breathe. You allowed me to forgive myself.
Charlie got one valentine that was literally just folded in half. No to/from writing. No sticker. No nothing. and I loved it. I cheered for that mom. You know why? Because she obviously gave her son the box of valentines, a pen, and some independence and told him to ‘get it done’. and he did not. #lifelessons
Cheers. To all parents everywhere who are relieved Valentine’s day is over. Now off to see how little I can do for Saint Patrick’s day.

February 3, 2018 - Oh Happy Daze

Getting my life back together.

Y’all. This week has been so good.
On Sunday my best mate Jessica drove down from PA to essentially help me get my life back together. Thanks to the crazy adventures in December and early January this year {Christmas kidney transplant, New Years surgery recovery, and Snowpocalypse resulting in school being cancelled for one thousand days} our home was a hot mess. It was as if every surface in every room had turned into that one chair that everyone has in their room where they pile clothing for 3 weeks before tossing it all in the wash. Add to that the fact that the kids still live here every day and don’t show signs of moving out any time soon. We had quite a challenge to tackle. Fortunately for us, my mom has been coming over frequently to help keep our home livable and essentially manage my life since I can’t adult right now. Also, Jess is superwoman and has a special skill called ‘get it done’. My house is now manageable again thanks to the two of them! More than Jess helping with cleaning and organizing, I just so needed to be near her. She’s one of my people, and as such helps me heal just by sitting with me on the couch while we stuff our faces with ice cream and send funny memes to each other from one foot away. She also waxed my eyebrows for me because she doesn’t want to be seen in public with Chewbacca. also maybe because she loves me and wants me to be my best self. We’ll never know, but they do look fabulous.

We also went on a ‘quick’ {lol} Hobby Lobby adventure with Kelsy Lee {aka kidney sister} and Tiffany {my fitness guru and the reason I ever finished grad school}. I didn’t buy allthethings. Thank you Jesus for self control. Also to Chris for putting the fear of God into me regarding my medical bills. I keep forgetting about those little nuisances. Can’t a girl celebrate her new kidney and new life with some retail therapy at the crafting superstore?! Apparently not, because we also have to pay the heating and electricity bills. buzzkill.

Then this weekend Chris and I got to hang out with other leaders at our church. It was so fun and so needed. I’ve been in hiding for over a month now, avoiding public places because people are germy and germs mean bad news for someone who is immunocompromised. also ew. I was hesitant to go, because germs, but also because of my issues with being prickly lately {read about my Prednisone rage struggles here}. In the end I decided I really needed to try to get out of my hibernation cave and maybe even put on some real clothing. And by ‘real clothing’ I mean tunic tops and yoga pants with the waist pulled all the way up my torso, because a waistband rubbing against my incision ain’t happening. Maybe I should resort to a dress that doesn’t rub against any of my skin. Does this come in my size Lady Gaga?

And quick question, are the body guards included? I need some protection from the huggers and high-fivers out there.
In the end, Chris allowed me to venture out of the house and into the masses. I’ve been starved for real worship and connection with my tribe. There’s no substitute for getting together with others who love God too and want more of His goodness and grace and love in their lives. Unreserved praise, immersion in learning, growing as leaders. It was epic.

{This weekend’s activities made possible by: Thieves essential oils in the air/on the skin/up the nose, as well as my own pillow and blanket, and cleaning wipes on every surface in that hotel room. I ain’t messing around.}

I needed this weekend. As of right now, one month into 2018, I’ve failed on so many fronts. I honestly have this nagging push that I need to be taking on even more things right now. Yet most of my ‘goals’ are still at square one and I want to scratch them off the list completely so I don’t have to worry about failing at them. Seems safer to not even try. Being lovely is so hard y’all. I quit.
Just kidding. All I DO IS WIN. But for real, I left this weekend’s event with a renewed focus. It’s so easy for me to beat myself up right now because I feel like I’m not doing enough, that I am not enough because I am in this season of rest and healing and being slow and healthy {ugh, like a sloth or something}. And I find myself keeping a running list of all the things I’m not doing. Guess what y’all? We can’t all do all things and hallelujahpraiseGod he made us all different so we CAN’T all do ALL THE THINGS. If I’m striving to add something to my plate because I see another woman excelling with that particular bit of life and I want it for myself I am going to miss out on something awesome God really wanted for me. I don’t want to be distracted by things that are not for me. I want to focus on lovely and I can’t do that by adding additional things to my ‘list’; that’s just asking for failure. Instead I’m focusing on unclenching my fist around the worry and comparison I so easily cling to. I’m reducing my ‘I must accomplish this’ list. I’m staying small and simple. Searching for the quiet so I can listen to God and allow him to direct my actions.
If this verse in Philippians isn’t the definition of simple and the path to lovely, then I don’t know what is.

Also, eating at Smash Burger helps too. Simple and lovely. Like God intended.