We are on a massive purge around the house. Not sure if it's a January thing or the fact that our house seems to be getting smaller by the week, but I realized the other day that I've been moving stuff around to different places in the house for years. With each rearrangement, I somehow expect to find more space and of course, all I'm doing is moving the mess around. Organization systems have become the bane of my existence. I have at least four different ways of doing just about any household management task but none seem to get followed consistently. I have empty plastic tubs, drawers and filing cabinets in closets throughout the house and piling up in the (unusable) garage.
The clutter really sneaks up on a household! I did a massive FlyLady upheaval of our home about 8 or 9 years ago and we really only had the bare minimum. Of course, multiple military relocations were also a great opportunity to sort through stuff, but those days are behind us. This house has been our home for almost 6 years now; the longest I've lived in any one house since the age of 7. (Wow, I guess that makes it soon to be the longest I've ever lived in one place!)
I have found myself in the last month or so dreaming about a bigger house... this goes completely against our 7-year plan of paying of ALL debt (mortgage included) and living below our means. Really, as Tim pointed out recently, the kids are half grown. In another 7 1/2 years, Ryland will be off to college and Kaela is only 2 years behind him. 9 or 10 years from now will having that bigger house to the two of us be worth the debt? I know, I know, someone out there is chomping at the bit to remind me that kids are bouncing back home more and more these days and the average family has kids living with mom and dad well into their 20s and even 30s. Sorry, Ryland and Kaela - your days here are numbered. You might get one bounce-back, but it will be a short one if that!
So I decided recently that if we're not getting a bigger house, the only solution is to eliminate about 50% of what we have. #1 new rule: we're not storing anything! (with the exception of camping stuff and seasonal decorations - all that goes underneath the house anyway). If it's not being used, we will find a use for it, or it is gone! For example, we've been storing the bridge to our entertainment center in our coat closet for about 3 years now. The bookcases have been at the end of the hall. No more! All the pieces are back together as a unit, other than one of the small DVD cabinets, which makes a perfect side table by the sofa. Now the entertainment center fits the space it belongs in and we don't have to purchase a side table. We also had one too many large pieces of furniture for our small, open floorplan. Solution - we gifted the love seat to some friends of ours who are making great use of it and really loving it! We've made two Goodwill runs in the past week with many more to come, I'm sure. Even Kaela is getting on the bandwagon - she has her dollhouse posted on the local swap meet page. It takes up an entire corner of her room and rarely gets played with.
I spent an entire day this past weekend sorting through the contents of our computer desk. Tim's laptop had recently made it's own home, precariously perched on the arm of the sofa. I had visions of it falling off and crashing ($2000 MacBook Pro - please don't fall!). I gave up long ago on nagging him to put it back in the computer desk - he likes his spot on the sofa and likes his computer plugged into the wall there when he's using it. So - we moved a small 3-drawer chest from the bedroom (that was overflowing with surplus bathroom/beauty supplies), emptied it out and drilled a hole in the back for cords. Now we each have a drawer for our electronics, with hidden plug-ins, and an extra drawer for the usual by-the-front door stuff (my running gloves and pouch, headphones, etc).
I'm feeling motivated, but short on time! In addition to the purging spree, we are also in the middle of repainting our kitchen cabinets and replacing our carpet and kitchen linoleum with laminate flooring. Sometimes I wish I didn't need sleep... but I love it too much to give it up ;)
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Setting My Intention
I recently started attending Hot Yoga classes with some friends of mine. I think I might be hooked! I've gone the last three nights in a row and it feels great... not so much the first time I tried it, though. The room is about 120 degrees and after multiple position changes, coupled with my poor hydration habits and naturally low blood pressure, I was feeling pretty nauseated and light headed. I had to step out into the lobby and cool off for a while. After that first evening, I wasn't so sure I was going to like Hot Yoga, but I decided to give it another try and went back 3 days later. The last few nights have been amazing! I've prepared myself by drinking a ton of water throughout the day and eating something salty about an hour beforehand. During class, I use gatorade (or my own homemade version - details below***) instead of plain water. I also figured out that breathing properly can make ALL the difference in the world.
I tend to me a bit more flexible than most due to a collagen disorder. Usually I am not a natural at sports or other physical activities, but this just might be my gig! I am finding I can do some of the more advanced poses pretty easily. Balance is my biggest struggle, because the flipside of having flexible joints is that some stability is lost, not to mention I also have one leg that is noticeably longer than the other. But the workout is amazing! I am drenched in sweat by the end of the hour (and I am one of those girls that other girls love to hate - I usually don't sweat much at all). I feel stronger everyday, and amazingly, not sore.
Physical benefits aside, I really love the mental focus of the sessions. As some of my friends know, (and others probably wouldn't be surprised to find out) I was diagnosed with mixed-type attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) while in college. I won't go into all the details and symptoms that a mom with ADHD struggles with, but let me say that an hour in a warm, quiet, dark room is a welcome rest for my busy mind. And the physicality of the yoga only helps - with my body activated, and nothing else fighting for my attention, I am able to really "set my intention" (as the instructor says) on what I am doing in that moment.
This week, I am working on applying this concept to other areas of my life. Before I walk in the front door when coming home from work in the afternoon, I remind myself to set my intentions on my children, and focus on really giving them the warm, loving greeting they deserve. Something that should seem so obvious and natural for a mom, but if any of my readers struggle with attention disorders, you will understand how easy it is to breeze into the house and get distracted before even saying hello. Even as I sit here typing this evening, I find myself getting wrapped up in listening to the conversation my children are having about stocking stuffers, and losing my train of thought! But rather than become frustrated and ask them to be quiet or move the chatting to one of the bedrooms, I will try taking a few breaths in and out. I will set my intentions on this paragraph and finish it with proper grammar!
I am excited to have this new tool in my arsenal... I have opted to avoid stimulant medications at this point. Although Adderall worked wonders for my focus, it also gave me heart palpitations, decreased my appetite to the point that I lost 15 lbs (about 10 too many) and increased my normally low blood pressure to pre-hypertensive range. The final straw came when a childhood friend of mine suffered a sudden, unexplained death. The only possible cause the coroner could find was a severe adverse reaction to Adderall. There was no evidence of overdose or abuse. So, no stimulants for me! (Same goes for energy drinks - those things are a heart attack in a can!)
I also find plenty of time during the yoga hour for meditating on verses of Scripture, or praying. It is one way I have found to make my practice my own. Looking forward to sharing how it goes, and if I decide to stick with it. I have a few more days left on my introductory unlimited pass - then it gets a bit more expensive!
***Homemade energy drink***
3 parts water to 1 part juice or kool-aid
(make with stevia or other sweetener of your choice if you prefer low calorie. I prefer cane sugar. Do not drink or eat anything with high-fructose corn syrup in it if you can avoid it. It doesn't activate the satiety or "fullness" center in the brain the way regular sugar does and your body will not tell you when you've had too much the way it will with regular sugar.)
Salt, enough for 110mg sodium per 8oz. (sorry, some math involved).
Use a 50/50 combination of regular and "light" salt if you want potassium as well. I take a particular medication that can increase potassium in the blood, so I just use regular salt. (Good example of why it's good to know what you're putting in your body, why, and what it does to your body. This goes for any medication or supplement, even if it's labelled as "natural". Don't put anything into your body without being deliberate about it!)
The recipe isn't very scientific, but it gives you an approximation of the electrolyte and calorie profile of gatorade. Much cheaper. Experiment with flavorings such as lemon or lime juice, or kool-aid packets (there is "clear" kool-aid if you want to avoid artificial colorings, but it's a little harder to find sometimes).
You can also experiment with the water/juice ratio for more or less calories or flavor. The real test is how you stomach it during a workout.
I tend to me a bit more flexible than most due to a collagen disorder. Usually I am not a natural at sports or other physical activities, but this just might be my gig! I am finding I can do some of the more advanced poses pretty easily. Balance is my biggest struggle, because the flipside of having flexible joints is that some stability is lost, not to mention I also have one leg that is noticeably longer than the other. But the workout is amazing! I am drenched in sweat by the end of the hour (and I am one of those girls that other girls love to hate - I usually don't sweat much at all). I feel stronger everyday, and amazingly, not sore.
Physical benefits aside, I really love the mental focus of the sessions. As some of my friends know, (and others probably wouldn't be surprised to find out) I was diagnosed with mixed-type attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) while in college. I won't go into all the details and symptoms that a mom with ADHD struggles with, but let me say that an hour in a warm, quiet, dark room is a welcome rest for my busy mind. And the physicality of the yoga only helps - with my body activated, and nothing else fighting for my attention, I am able to really "set my intention" (as the instructor says) on what I am doing in that moment.
This week, I am working on applying this concept to other areas of my life. Before I walk in the front door when coming home from work in the afternoon, I remind myself to set my intentions on my children, and focus on really giving them the warm, loving greeting they deserve. Something that should seem so obvious and natural for a mom, but if any of my readers struggle with attention disorders, you will understand how easy it is to breeze into the house and get distracted before even saying hello. Even as I sit here typing this evening, I find myself getting wrapped up in listening to the conversation my children are having about stocking stuffers, and losing my train of thought! But rather than become frustrated and ask them to be quiet or move the chatting to one of the bedrooms, I will try taking a few breaths in and out. I will set my intentions on this paragraph and finish it with proper grammar!
I am excited to have this new tool in my arsenal... I have opted to avoid stimulant medications at this point. Although Adderall worked wonders for my focus, it also gave me heart palpitations, decreased my appetite to the point that I lost 15 lbs (about 10 too many) and increased my normally low blood pressure to pre-hypertensive range. The final straw came when a childhood friend of mine suffered a sudden, unexplained death. The only possible cause the coroner could find was a severe adverse reaction to Adderall. There was no evidence of overdose or abuse. So, no stimulants for me! (Same goes for energy drinks - those things are a heart attack in a can!)
I also find plenty of time during the yoga hour for meditating on verses of Scripture, or praying. It is one way I have found to make my practice my own. Looking forward to sharing how it goes, and if I decide to stick with it. I have a few more days left on my introductory unlimited pass - then it gets a bit more expensive!
***Homemade energy drink***
3 parts water to 1 part juice or kool-aid
(make with stevia or other sweetener of your choice if you prefer low calorie. I prefer cane sugar. Do not drink or eat anything with high-fructose corn syrup in it if you can avoid it. It doesn't activate the satiety or "fullness" center in the brain the way regular sugar does and your body will not tell you when you've had too much the way it will with regular sugar.)
Salt, enough for 110mg sodium per 8oz. (sorry, some math involved).
Use a 50/50 combination of regular and "light" salt if you want potassium as well. I take a particular medication that can increase potassium in the blood, so I just use regular salt. (Good example of why it's good to know what you're putting in your body, why, and what it does to your body. This goes for any medication or supplement, even if it's labelled as "natural". Don't put anything into your body without being deliberate about it!)
The recipe isn't very scientific, but it gives you an approximation of the electrolyte and calorie profile of gatorade. Much cheaper. Experiment with flavorings such as lemon or lime juice, or kool-aid packets (there is "clear" kool-aid if you want to avoid artificial colorings, but it's a little harder to find sometimes).
You can also experiment with the water/juice ratio for more or less calories or flavor. The real test is how you stomach it during a workout.
Friday, December 2, 2011
What if I Stumble?
I spend way too much time wondering about what is the "right way" for a Christian to live. I'm not talking about how to "look" like a Christian. I'm talking about connecting with people regardless of their beliefs, lifestyle, or circumstances in a way that is real and shows others the love and mercy of Christ - yet without compromising the commands given in scripture. It seems that there is always someone to offend; someone will always see me as a hypocrite. I feel trapped into a life of hesitance and non-action as a result, and something tells me that's exactly where the devil wants me to be. It's time to do something (anything!) and not worry about what other people think about it - the only one I have to please is God.
I don't want to live in judgement of others. It's not my job. Pardon my french, but I don't have my own shit together. I don't want to worry about whether someone else does, and how would I know if they did anyway? I don't want to segregate myself from the world, because that's not what Jesus did. He hung out with prostitutes and tax collectors (think repo men?) and challenged the religious leaders of his day (mega-church pastors?). I don't want to swallow the teachings of men without comparing them to God's word - you might identify yourself as a Christian, but that doesn't make you inherently right (i.e. the Babywise debacle and other misguided teachings based on scriptural phrases taken out of context).
I want to live with common sense - taking God's word for what it is and not trying to fill in all the blanks. I believe that in the Bible, God gave us what we need to know for this life, but I do not believe that it is an all-encompassing, complete textbook. God has only revealed to us a sliver of the vast realm of knowledge. Our human nature is to go searching for the rest, even though God has told us we have enough (as in - don't eat from that tree; you have all you need without it). God will eventually reveal these mysteries (Mark 4:22), but I don't think he's going to bother with that until we can figure out how to trust in and apply the knowledge already given to us. I'm guessing he is more concerned with us learning to love our neighbor than he is about us learning the truth about creation (young earth creationism vs. old earth vs. intelligent design vs. evolution). And that's just one example of the things we allow to distract and divide us.
Here's one to chew on - which do you think concerns him more? Same-sex marriage among non-believers, or "Christians" refusing to show grace and mercy to others? I give this just as an example - there are about a million others I could come up with and the point isn't what God thinks about it, it's how we respond to others. Is it in love? Now, if someone is a professing believer and wants to live in a way that clearly goes against the teachings of Christ, there is a time and place (and appropriate manner) in which a brother or sister in Christ can (and should) approach that person and "speak the truth in love" (Matthew 18:15-17). Otherwise, I am sticking with these wise words from 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 - "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside." (NIV). And I'm going to let Him decide the who, what, when , where, and why of that. My job is to love.
My point is not to get anyone up in arms about specific issues. In fact, that's exactly the opposite of my point. I hate debating issues. I want to be an example of God's love, and grace, and mercy. I want to be a good mom, a good wife, and a good medical provider. I want to leave a legacy of joy, not condemnation.
This blog is my place to "think out loud" and bounce around the ideas that struggle with each other when trapped inside my head. I reserve the right to take back or amend anything I say whenever I feel like it. I will not attempt to be politically correct (I avoid anything political at all costs, in fact) and I am sure I will offend everyone who reads this at some point or another, although it is not my intent. It's just a side effect of honesty.
So what if I do stumble? He'll pick me back up again and set me on my way...
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