Monday, September 30, 2013

Celebrate October!

While cleaning my files I found a folder full of fun and silly reasons to make your day a special day ... things to celebrate ... every day ... any day. I remember having some fun with these years ago, using some of these ideas for a while before forgetting about them. I've found a few more and thought they'd be a fun addition to the blog. Some of these are quite ridiculous, but several are great for family fun, for preschool fun, for party fun, or just for fun!
Happy Celebrating!

October
Birthstone is Opal, Tourmaline, Pink Sapphire (meaning Hope)
Flower of the month is Calendula & Cosmos

Celebrate the month:
- Nat'l Car Care Month
- Nat'l Stamp Collecting Month
- Nat'l Cookie Month
- Nat'l Apple Month
- Nat'l Popcorn Popping Month
- Nat'l Pizza Month
- Apple Jack Month
- American Cheese Month
- Nat'l Chili Month
- Nat'l Reading Group Month
- Pear and Pineapple Month
- Spinach Lovers Month

Celebrate the weeks in the month:
- 1st week is Nat'l Yearbook Week and Get Organized Week
- 2nd week is Nat'l Pasta Week
- Nat'l Chemistry Week (sometime this month, possibly the 4th week)

Celebrate each day of the month:
- 1st Saturday is Nat'l Hummingbird Day
- 2nd Monday is Columbus Day
- 2nd Thursday is Nat'l Dessert Day
- Last Friday is Frankenstein Friday

1
- Farm Animals Day
- World Vegetarian Day 
- Homemade Cookie Day

2
- Name Your Car Day

3

4
- Nat'l Golf Day

5
- Do Something Nice Day

6
- Thomas Edison showed the first motion picture in 1889
- Mad Hatter Day

7
- World Smile Day

8
- Children's Day

9
- Curious Events Day

10
-Nat'l Angel Food Cake Day

11
- Take Your Teddy Bear To Work Day (I dare ya!)

12
- Farmer's Day

13

14
- Nat'l Dessert Day

15
- Nat'l Grouch Day (sponsored by Oscar)

16
- Nat'l Boss Day

17

18
- Nat'l Chocolate Cupcake Day

19
- Evaluate your Life Day

20

21
- Count Your Buttons Day
- Nat'l Pumpkin Cheesecake Day

22
- Nat'l Nut Day

23

24
- Nat'l Bologna Day

25
- World Pasta Day

26
- Worldwide Howl at the Moon Night

27

28
- Plush Animal Lover's Day

29

30
- Nat'l Candy Corn Day
- Mischief Night

31
- Halloween
- Carve a Pumpkin Day

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Here & Now (Appreciate it)


A Simple Technique For Feeling Better in the Here and Now

- This post contains a portion of a complete article that can be found at Psychology Today




We think that just around the corner something is going to happen that will make us feel better about ourselves. Just that one goal, that one satisfaction, that one achievement, and we’ll be good. Right?

Well, sometimes. But most often, it seems, as soon as we achieve that something, we are ready for the next something. And then the next, and the next.

... there’s always one more thing that you want – or need – to make your life feel complete..., Yet ..., we never seem to actually stop and feel that completion. As soon as we accomplish whatever it is that we think we want or need, we’re off and running again, thinking about the next thing on our list. Or maybe something that wasn’t on the list before at all, but popped up as soon as we accomplished the last thing we were aiming for.


So here’s a small exercise to try: The next time you find yourself thinking about any future goal that will bring you satisfaction, happiness, a sense of completeness or fulfillment, take a moment to pay attention to what you’re doing right now. And ask yourself if there is anything in this current moment of your life that you can feel pleased with, proud of, or simply satisfied with. Do you like what you’re wearing? Did you enjoy something you ate? Did you have a nice interaction with someone in the past hour or so? If so, applaud yourself (quietly, so that you don’t offset your pleasure by embarrassing yourself!) Give yourself credit for what you have just done. Appreciate it.
If not, if there’s nothing that gives you some pleasure in the past few hours, instead of focusing on the future, try simply appreciating something about the moment – a deep breath, a stretch, a sip of water, a job that you are working on, a work in progress of any sort. Call a parent, a spouse, a friend and just chat for a minute or two. Look up something interesting on line. Give someone a compliment. Give yourself a compliment.

Applauding yourself may be a key to appreciating any moment. Which will make it a lot easier to enjoy not only the present moment, but the moment when you do achieve those future goals!

----

image from here

----

 “Meeting the Challenges of Today—the Best Preparation for Tomorrow.”
I have concluded that if we meet today’s problems with adequate preparation, there will be no need for panic preparation tomorrow.
... live each day as it comes, providently and righteously, there will be no need for drastic adjustments in preparation to meet future challenges.
Many ... problems exist today because we did not prepare yesterday.


----
image from here
----
Gratitude is a state of appreciation, an act of thanksgiving, which causes us to be humble because we recognize an act of kindness, service, or caring from someone else which lifts us and strengthens us.
Ingratitude is the attitude of being unaware or not recognizing when someone has assisted us or helped us or, even worse, when we know we have been helped and have not given thanks privately or publicly.
Gratitude expressed to our Heavenly Father in prayer for what we have brings a calming peacea peace which allows us to not canker our souls for what we don’t have. Gratitude brings a peace that helps us overcome the pain of adversity and failure. Gratitude on a daily basis means we express appreciation for what we have now without qualification for what we had in the past or desire in the future. A recognition of and appreciation for our gifts and talents which have been given also allows us to acknowledge the need for help and assistance from the gifts and talents possessed by others.
----
image from here
 ----

If life and its rushed pace and many stresses have made it difficult for you to feel like rejoicing, then perhaps now is a good time to refocus on what matters most.

Of Things That Matter Most, by Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Friday, September 27, 2013

door mufflers

I found this idea on pinterest a few days ago and thought it was worthy of note.
 
A door muffler for keeping things quite while your baby is sleeping - or in my case while my husband is sleeping.
Baby's Room DOOR MUFF - open and close your baby's room door without making a noise.  BRILLIANT!!!!!
Sometimes it is the turning of the knob and opening the door that is loudest when peeking in on them or going into the room they are in for something you need. This would certainly help reduce that noise.
I feel so terrible when I wake him up like that.
Now I need a muffle for my dishes as I wash them ... ya, right!
I just don't wash them.  ;)
That is to mean, I try not to wash them while he is sleeping.
 
 
Latchy Catchy in Teal Chevron Dot -Reversible (Patented)
 
 
It looks like these things were being sold on Etsy.
 
I don't have a lot of pins for baby things, but I did pin this idea onto my Baby Stuff Pinterest Board
There are so many cute things and ideas available, but I'm kinda out of the baby stage (at least on the daily basis, like I was when all my kids were small and under foot). My how times change! 
 
 
 

Thursday, September 26, 2013

A Grateful Heart

When we are grateful, we will have greater happiness and satisfaction in our lives.

Here is a good article (Three Good Things) that shares 
"how purposefully cultivating an attitude of gratitude can positively impact your health and happiness while improving your quality of life." (also see The Power of Happy Thoughts)



This article suggests that you take the time to write down three positive things that happened to you during the course of your day. 
I have listed things that I am grateful for on a daily basis, even on this blog for a time, but I don't recall actually trying to list three things daily.  I'm not sure how I'll go about this task of writing three things daily, but I do want to recognize and write about something each day.  

A while ago I was watching (on BYU-TV) a message that inspired me. I didn't write down the info about who gave the talk or where and when it was given, but his message has remained in my mind for all this time.  I could feel that his advice was a good thing to do.
He suggested that each evening we should write down at least one thing that happened in that day that we could see the Lord had a hand in - some way that the Lord blessed us.  I love that advice and can see that it would be a great thing to do.  I have been slacking at doing it, but want to do it, and feel a need to do it. I have finally decided to put that suggestion into action.


I have also been thinking a lot about Thanksgiving and being thankful lately. Maybe it's because I know that this year's Thanksgiving day is going to be very different than any other. 
I love the holiday, the family, the gathering for a feast, the love that seems to be present during this gathering, and the many other great things about this special day, including (and especially) the thoughts of giving thanks. I think it is the grateful heart that makes that holiday so special. 

 Our family has, a few times, written about something we are grateful for each day of the month of November or week before Thanksgiving. It's always been a blessing to do so and I often wish we would continue that practice daily. I have tried to do that occasionally and I like how it feels.




(You can read a bit about the jar we filled in 2010 on this post if you wish.) 


I have often felt the need to try a little harder to have an attitude of gratitude. For awhile now I have been trying to come up with a plan, and I have finally determined that a weekly post could help me with my desire.

Once a week (each Thursday, simply because Thanksgiving is on a Thursday) I will post about something that I am grateful for, something that I could see the hand of the Lord in. It will be something personal for me.  It could be something quite simple and trivial or something more complex and profound, depending upon the day, and probably about actions or words more than tangible items (though I will not be excluding those tangible things).  

Whatever I write about will be because of something that happened in my life during that week - I will choose to post about just one from among the many positive things that happen daily, but I will be personally recording many.

I hope that sharing it will help it sink deeper into my heart. I hope this act helps me become better at recognizing the daily things that I should be grateful for.
I hope it helps me remember to express my gratitude to others that have blessed my life in whatever large or small way.
I hope it helps me come closer to my Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ.  For it is through Them that we receive every good thing.  

I especially want to be better at expressing my gratitude to our Father in Heaven.  I know that as I think about these things more and express them openly, I will be more inclined to remember them privately too.  It will become a part of my inner heart and soul.

Maybe I will even learn how to better express myself.


"A  grateful heart, then, comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives. This requires conscious effort—at least until we have truly learned and cultivated an attitude of gratitude. Often we feel grateful and intend to express our thanks but forget to do so or just don’t get around to it. Someone has said that “feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."

(presents image borrowed from here)



So, I'm off on another journey of the heart. Join me if you'd like, each Thursday from now until Thanksgiving, for A Grateful Heart adventure ..., trying a little harder to recognize the Lord in every minute of our lives.

SaveSave

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

A Bloomin' Truck Load

I think this is so adorable.  I love this look.
This look comes from This Old House
 
an old toy truck used as an outdoor planter
 
 
Doesn't it make you smile?  I am almost giddy at how cute it is.
 
I have a few old toys I am waiting to use ..., somehow, somewhere, sometime.  They are a little more worse for wear, but I love them for the memories they help bring to my heart and soul.
 
 
 
I'll keep this dump truck flower pot look in mind!
 
You'll find several other fun ideas for using "junk" in the garden on that site too.
 

Monday, September 23, 2013

Happiness Is ...


I can't say I believe this totally, but it brought a smile.


Maybe this will make you smile too!


image from here


I suppose there is some truth to it when you really think about it - but that is not all that happiness is.
 
;) day!
 
 

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Here & Now (Change)



Finding Joy in the Journey        
- Thomas S. Monson, complete article HERE
- image from here
“Nothing is as constant as change.”
Throughout our lives, we must deal with change. Some changes are welcome; some are not. There are changes in our lives which are sudden, such as the unexpected passing of a loved one, an unforeseen illness, the loss of a possession we treasure. But most of the changes take place subtly and slowly.

Time never stands still; it must steadily march on, and with the marching come the changes.


This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now.

Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows.

Despite the changes which come into our lives and with gratitude in our hearts, may we fill our days—as much as we can—with those things which matter most. May we cherish those we hold dear and express our love to them in word and in deed.


-----------------


 "Let us resolve here and now to follow that straight path which leads home to the Father of us all."
- Thomas S. Monson full article HERE



Saturday, September 21, 2013

An Autumn Tablescape

 
 enjoy an autumn dinner in the great outdoors
 
like this table set up from a past Home Companion magazine
 
 
 or bring this look indoors if you wish - it would be lovely indoors too.
 
 

Friday, September 20, 2013

Autumn Fall Fun Stuff

A few Fall / Autumn ideas from my paper files:
 
Turkey Mat idea from Family Fun November 2006
 
 
---
 
Turkey Sandwiches from Family Fun November 2007
 
 
---
 
Foliage Friends  from Family Fun October 2006
 
 
---
 
Thanks Giving bunting from Family Fun November 2007
 
 
---
 
Scarecrows cookies from Family Fun October 2006
 
 
---
 
Pumpkin Rocks from Family Fun October 2005
 
 
Fun stuff huh!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Main Bath - part 5 - Completed

I am so happy to announce ... FINALLY ... that our main bath redo is reDONE!

For many years our bathroom looked like this ...



then the wallpaper was removed ...


And more work was done, little by little ...
and now today the bathroom looks like this ...


 
Today's look at the main bath redo using my TO DO list ...
You'll see that each thing has been crossed off (maybe even changed a bit from the first and original list).
The purple words give a short bit of info - color choices or places we purchased each item.
 

TO DO:
 
- stronger ceiling fan,
- paint fan cover = I broke the old one so we had to replace it
We used parts and pieces from what we previously had from replacing the motor in fan.
(We didn't use the new cover piece when we originally replaced the motor, because it wouldn't fit the old box. Since I broke the old cover trying to replace it after painting it I had to go to plan B.  We drilled small holes in each corner of the new cover and screwed the cover directly into the ceiling.  My husband got to help with that job - lucky guy huh, I break the old one and he has to repair my mistake - he's familiar with that type of thing - poor guy!)

remove wallpaper, (see this post)


- paint ceiling, 
Ceiling paint color is Valspar Spring Parade / Glossy.
- repair ceiling above shower and paint it, 

- paint walls,
Main wall color is Valspar Playful Petal / Satin Gloss,
and the darker color on the two accent walls is Valspar Purple Hills / Satin Gloss. (we really like this color)

- caulk around tile at shower and tub,
- replace broken tile at tub/floor area, (I broke one removing the baseboard.) 

- remove baseboard,
- sand and paint baseboard and window frame,
- replace baseboard,
- paint inside side of the door,
Trim color is Valspar Homestead Resort Jefferson White / Satin.

- put trim on floor in front of tub to help hold flooring in place,
This made a bit difference in the look, and we are happy to have done it.   It's just a small piece of PVC trim purchased from Lowes, and cut to length. We glued it down instead of screwing or nailing it in.  We wish we had done this when it was new.  The vinyl was installed after the tub, so there was a raw edge.  It was caulked, but with time and some water damage over the years it has peel up in places. This trim might have helped if it had been there from the beginning, but it definitely helps hide the ugly edge of the vinyl today. 



- paint sink cupboard white(ish),
Cupboard color is Valspar Hotel St. Francis Clay Angel / Satin Gloss.
- finish wax cupboard,(tried it - didn't like it, painted over it)
- put handles on cabinet drawers and doors,  
Drawer and door pulls on the sink cupboard are clear glass on brushed nickel, from Home Depot.

paint the mirror was changed to remove and replace mirror,
Mirror purchased from Lowes.
 
- remove old sink,
- replace sink,
- replace faucet,
- replace back splash changed to replace countertop,
Faucet and Sink/countertop/backsplash combo purchased from Lowes.
 
 before ...
 
 
after ...
 
 
 
- tall stand beside sink 
Moved the unit I had in my entrance hall to the bathroom, after painting it  purple - see more info on this post.

 
 
- remove built in cupboard at shower wall
- place a cupboard/shelving unit at shower wall to store towels and misc, 
Used the pie safe I had in my kitchen. It was a dark stained wood, but we painted it blue (and we now refer to it as the towel cupboard) - see more details in this post.

before ...
 


now ...

 

replace ceiling light, 
Ceiling light purchased from Lowes (after several attempts with other options from Lowes and Home Depot).  This light is an LED and requires no light bulbs.  It brightens the room and seems to be working great, we'll see how long it lasts and how we like it.
 
replace light over mirror,
Light over mirror purchased from Lowes. 
 
 

- remove towel rack,
- purchase something like a quilt stand rack for the towels,  
Towel stand purchased from Amazon. (You might notice a package on the bottom of the stand - it's another shower curtain we liked, and we will change it out when this one gets badWe had some fun shopping one day!)  The pretty towels were given to us from a good friend when she learned about our bathroom redo.

 
 
- new floor mats 
Rugs by toilet and shower are a two piece set purchased from Fred Meyers,
Rug under the blue pie safe cupboard is a sweater rug previously shown here, purchased from Ross,
Rug in front of sink purchased from Ross also previously shown here, folded in half to make it the right size - that means that when it gets dirty, we can fold it over and get four different uses out of it. ;)  We do have a rubber mat underneath it to help hold it in place.
 
- new shower rod and curtain, 
Shower rod and curtain purchased from Walmart. (used the same hooks we had.) 
 
- new window covering,  
Standard size blinds purchased from Lowes, and mounted on the outside of the trim because they were too large for the inside. (I prefer inside mount, but choose to forego, since I was not wanting to spend more time or money on special order blinds. Haven't I spent enough time already?)

Valance is Vintage handkerchiefs (pinned onto sisal twine with small clothes pins, and the sisal twine was tied to a hook I screwed into each end of the window frame). I had purchased these hankies on Ebay at least a year ago (maybe two), and I brought them out of My Stuff Room storage since they seemed to be a perfect fit for this room. We love it!  (I had all the other parts and pieces for this valance in my craft supplies.)
 


- small stand under window
Stand under window was purchased at Ross - painted it pink, distressed and waxed it, put the toilet paper roll holder on the side of it, and placed it into position.  Doesn't it make a great toilet paper holder?  I think so!  See this post for more details.


The black looks pretty good against the purple in this photo above, but it didn't look good with the overall look, so we painted it pink.  The pink doesn't look as nice against that wall, but the stand looks a lot better in pink.  Maybe someday I will consider distressing it a bit more, but my arms were getting pretty tired and I was ready to be done, so I stopped as it is.
We do like it, and it fits a few of our favorite things quite nicely.
 
The picture and bowl was made by my aunt and given to my grandmother years ago.  It used to sit on top of our built in cabinet (you can see it in one of the photos above), but looks much better down low on this pretty pink stand, and stuffed with more vintage hankies.
 
 
The item on the middle shelf is a blue blanket I purchased a few months ago (because it was beautiful, and on a great sale, and I knew I could enjoy using it somewhere - little did I know it would be in the bathroom).  It fits perfectly there, crowned with a tray of leftover hotel lotions and a few other supplies. 

 
The cute sheep on the bottom shelf was resting in the family room until we decided it would look nice on this shelf.



- replace electrical switches and outlets (and covers) with white,
 Great looking outlet covers purchased from Lowes (a bit more costly than the original, but very nice looking - and I only needed three).
 
- accessorize!*

*Small stand in front of towel cupboard was purchased from Goodwill and painted pink.  (I don't know if it's a phone stand or a plant stand or what it's original purpose was, but it was $4.00 and I knew I could come up with a good use for it, though I was thinking of reception décor when I purchased it.) See this post for more info.



*Garbage can purchased from Lowes.

*The picture of mother and child was on the window wall before the redo and is back on that wall now, but I painted the frame the same color as the trim. More info here. (I found another photo of the bathroom from the past with this picture frame visible in the dark brown color. The old fan cover is also visible, as is the shower curtain that we removed and did not replace, and a bit of a shelf can be seen to the left of the sink that was also removed and replaced with the purple cupboard.)


 
*The mirror frame with the three flower hooks is something we have had for many years, hoping to use it in my daughters room, but it never seemed to work and I could never get rid of it. We brought that out of storage, painted it blue (chalk paint), distressed and waxed it, then added some awesome colored jewelry that we had stashed and stored. More info here.


*The three white and crystal canisters, previously shown at the end of this post, were from Ross. Purchased before the remodel began - but the idea was brewing.
 
*Rug hanging over towel cupboard door was a rug that my mother-in-law had.  I didn't want to use it on the floor and ruin it, so it had been folded up and laid on a trunk or wooden crate for décor.  It fit perfectly here, so we gave it a new home. Love the colors, and that we can now see it better. 

*Shelf above toilet was reddish/brown in color and was in that place before the redo. See more info here.  I painted it blue (chalk paint) and distressed and waxed it and replaced it. 


*Sheep (for our baaath) and most other décor in small shelves were there previously too, or in other locations in the house.



*Small picture on the wall (left of the purple stand next to the sink) was previously on the wall by the light switch (just coming into the room) - I just changed the placement of it, keeping it in the room.

*Flowers (beside the purple stand next to the sink) have been used in the family room or in the entrance hall.  I washed them and now they live in the bathroom.

*Black wall hook for the hair straightener was something I purchased a while ago, possibly from Joann's or Craft Warehouse.  I wasn't using it at the moment, so we put it on the wall. We talked of painting it, but didn't get it done, so maybe we'll just leave it.

*Purple vase on tub was purchased for a display I did several years ago and it's just been kickin' around from room to room or storage cupboard to cupboard for years now.  It has finally been able to come out of hiding to find a new home. 
 


Other things were brought into the room to help complete the look we wanted.

*I received the tier on the countertop as a birthday gift from one of my kids and it fit so nicely in this room, filled with a few everyday items.
  
*One little purple suit case, first seen here, found it's way into the bathroom and was stuffed with vintage hankies.  Surely you have noticed the vintage hankies everywhere in this room - We were enjoying the opportunity to use them.



*This white vase was in the hutch in the family room, where it looked nice, but it really has a lovely look here against the purple wall and atop the blue cupboard, and with the beads hanging from it.



*On the purple stand we can see a few items that found their way into the room too, like the two crystal goblets (purchased from Goodwill, each with a bit of a chip in the rim, so they wouldn't be good for drinking from, but are lovely for displaying jewelry). 
 

 *More jewelry can be found hanging around, adding charm to the room.


 
 
So that's our bathroom!
 

 
 And we are happy to have it complete.
Well, there is one more thing.  The blue cupboard is missing two pulls - the store didn't have enough at the time, so I'll have to pick up two more next time they're in.  But the rest is DONE!