Fresh & Clean

I was straightening up once, when JJ asked, “Who’s coming over?”

I knew I had a problem on my hands.

If my child equated straightening up with expecting company, then Jeff and I were sending the wrong message. I’ll admit it:  I’m messy. And, yes, there is a difference between dirty and messy. I’ll wash loads but won’t fold them right away. Or dust the shelves in the living room but not pick up the shoes I left by the door.

And feeling like there are not enough hours in the day doesn’t help matters. But here are a few tips that my family has found useful:

We Love It Wednesday!

It is the dawn of a new year! Ok, total disclosure: This is a photo I took of a sunset, not a sunrise. But it’s still pretty, no??? Oh, here you go:  The sun has set on 2013. Better???

It seems that more people are less resolution-focused and more goal-oriented this year. Is it just me? I don’t make New Year’s resolutions after learning about their origins (the Romans’ New Year’s practices, including resolutions, were part of honoring Janus). It’s nice to see less emphasis on perfection and more on year specific goals for 2014.

For example, Renae Bluitt, beauty PR strategist and author of the In Her Shoes blog, is keeping a gratitude journal in 2014. There is plenty in life to be discouraged, depressed, and/or angry about (crime, unemployment, debt, politics, poverty, disease, …need I go on??). But taking time to remember WHAT and WHO you have to be grateful for and WHY is encouraging and refreshing emotionally and mentally.

I don’t think it makes me a positive person to decide that 2014 will be the best year EVERRRR! What do I know? I have no idea what this year holds. And my outlook does not dictate what will happen, just how I handle what comes my way.

Do I have goals? Sure:  To institute a date night at least twice a month with Jeff. Continue my daily Bible reading. Go to sleep earlier. Hug JJ more. Increase the readership of this blog. Call my parents more often. Take more freelance jobs as a social media manager and photographer.

The only thing I can guarantee is that one or more of these goals will not find it’s way into my life. But that doesn’t mean that I am not putting forth the effort to try to improve in certain areas.

My life does not need a major overhaul. As much as I believe in personal improvement, I also believe in reason, balance, and contentment. So, on this the first We Love It Wednesday! of the new year, we simply love effort.

Do you have any goals for 2014? If so, please share! I’d love to hear them 🙂

Time Poor, Goal Rich (Or, How I Am Trying Not To Become The White Rabbit Again)

For the past year, I have felt like time is a luxury that I do not have. I have ranted about the benefits of a 28-hour day.

I have hyper-multitasked, trying to get the maximum benefit from my limited hours.

I have been close to tears because I was almost late for work due to being unable to find the one lid I needed to cover my lunch in a tupperware container.