tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61417763859563625672024-03-13T23:20:27.551-04:00Brand New "We"Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-29700353447782200882018-11-07T17:43:00.001-05:002018-11-07T17:43:33.391-05:0030 x 30<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy November, all! I LOVE fall, and not just for the reasons you think I love it. I mean, yes, I love all the basic white girl things: crunchy leaves, pumpkin decor, sweater weather...and I've actually never had a Pumpkin Spice Latte, but it sounds good, so I don't hate.<br />
<a name='more'></a>Plus, there's fantasy and high school football, sewing, chili, zuppa, curried butternut soup...oh, did I just list three types of soup? Oops. Anyway, I love fall, and all the fall things. It is my absolute favorite season, hands down.<br />
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But amidst all the sweaters, soup, and overall snuggly nature of these crunchy days, there's a hurriedness and renewed vigor that gets down into the very bottom of my soul. It's like the earth woke up from the slushy winter and skipped through spring, yawned and played and sun-bathed through summer, and then all of a sudden it found itself in fall and remembered it has stuff to do! The days get shorter and the world just gets busier and bursts with as much activity as it can before winter has its say. It's not frantic or worried, just...purposeful. Driven. Wise. Mmmmm. I love it. This is the time of year when I feel most driven and purposeful. (I never feel wise, though. Color changes can only do so much for a person, I guess.) This is the time of year when I want to finish projects, use my time well, do meal planning, meal prepping, even some deep-cleaning (you know, like vacuuming). This is high-gear time for me, and it makes me consider my goals.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64It5sVrMoj2ENdxNFSR2wNnl5V8KR_pKeLjN7cKQ9p5eLHj1BU3iPS-6Zl3B4nSsZogW4JHfR7s8R9ocqXC5wtJH_svtuGlm7xytkYXhqe9ORxkkNgQP2dFwDLdPSYFst2rm-TMNOIbf/s1600/55bba39c196c6f5392036df0-1438360476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="853" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64It5sVrMoj2ENdxNFSR2wNnl5V8KR_pKeLjN7cKQ9p5eLHj1BU3iPS-6Zl3B4nSsZogW4JHfR7s8R9ocqXC5wtJH_svtuGlm7xytkYXhqe9ORxkkNgQP2dFwDLdPSYFst2rm-TMNOIbf/s320/55bba39c196c6f5392036df0-1438360476.jpg" width="213" /> </a>This blog has more or less become for me an account of what goals I'm setting for myself at any given time, and I'm perfectly fine with that. I love having it "out there" that I'm trying to move forward with something. However, I decided not to post a list of New Year's resolutions this January, and ever since then I've been feeling a little guilty about not explaining myself. The thing is, I didn't make any resolutions or set any new goals in January, because I already had a list of goals I was working on. I was ticking off items on my 30x30 list.<br />
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In July of 2017 I realized I had about 1.5 years to go before my thirtieth birthday. Now, before you get all, "Don't even worry about it, thirty is NOT old!" on me, let me just tell you: I am SO EXCITED to get to my thirties. In fact, I feel impatient to be there. I honestly don't know exactly why that's true--it may have something to do with over-viewing "13 Going on 30" (because Mark Ruffalo) and now, "Thirty and flirty and thriving" is just forever etched onto my subconscious mind--but suffice it to say that I am all in for my thirties. I'm not mad. I think it'll be great.<br />
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It occurred to me, though, on that fateful July day, that I had certain assumptions about why it would be great, about who I would be as I hit my thirties. It also occurred to me that I would not magically become that person as I got older simply because I was, in fact, getting older. I wanted to set myself up to be as capable as I could of truly enjoying my thirties. So I made a list of thirty goals to help me get there: my 30x30 list.<br />
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Although there were a few bucket-listy things I included simply because I wanted to, I tried to keep the items on my list focused on things that would help me set myself up for entering my 30s with purpose and enjoyment, and really just better habits. I tried to consider who I wanted to be, compare it to who I was, and try to come up with manageable, goal-oriented processes to get from point A to point B. For instance, I want to be someone who will challenge and strengthen themselves intellectually, so I made a goal to read 20 books in my 18 months before turning 30 so that I would be in the habit of reading regularly. I've now read more in the last year and change than I had since babyhig was born! Not mad at all.<br />
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I have a little over three months left before I hit my thirtieth, and a LOT of things still left on my list. I'm posting (most of) my 30x30 list here to help with accountability, and to see if anyone else has a similar list of goals they're striving toward! I would LOVE to know about it, so please drop a comment or send me an email if you do! I'll drop in to post more about this in days to come, so if you've got questions about why certain things made the list, let me know about those, too.<br />
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A few things on my list are of a fairly personal nature, so I'm not including those, but the rest are included here. Items written in strike-through are completed. Without further ado, and in no particular order the 30x30:<br />
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<li>Run a 5k</li>
<li><strike>Complete Fish Lake Tri</strike></li>
<li>Get to a 50% handmade wardrobe </li>
<li><strike>Sell custom clothes</strike></li>
<li><strike>Go to Italy</strike></li>
<li><strike>Take a culinary class</strike></li>
<li>Figure out how to make delicious sourdough bread</li>
<li>Landscape the yard</li>
<li><strike>Grow a summer-long garden</strike></li>
<li>Host a dinner party</li>
<li><strike>Make Easter or Christmas outfits for the kids</strike></li>
<li><strike>Get a real haircut</strike></li>
<li>Perm, and maybe even color, my hair</li>
<li><strike>Flip a house</strike></li>
<li>Finish 20 books (5 and 2 halves to go!)</li>
<li>**Personal**</li>
<li>**Personal**</li>
<li>Learn to drive a stick (I feel like this one is dumb and needs to be replaced. Taking suggestions!)</li>
<li>Write regularly (2x a month til February! One down!)</li>
<li>Teach a Sunday School class OR Bible Study </li>
<li>Pursue Hygmalion purposefully, set goals and hours</li>
<li>Learn to play ukulele </li>
<li><strike>Be a water drinker </strike></li>
<li>Read through the Bible</li>
<li><strike>Form a band</strike></li>
<li>Play Pride & Prejudice score, and Linus & Lucy</li>
<li>Catch up with & regularly make time for scrapbook (really close!)</li>
<li>House to Home</li>
<li>Form a regular housekeeping routine</li>
<li>Form a regular self-care routine</li>
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There we go! Looks like I better get busy! Drop a comment and let me know if you stopped by & read this, it'll really help motivate me to know who knows I'm not supposed to be wasting time. ;)<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-72161362733678541282018-04-30T20:54:00.000-04:002018-04-30T20:54:00.764-04:00Me Made May 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello, all! I'm jumping back into the blogosphere today because I'm excited. Today is the last day of April, which means tomorrow starts MAY!!! Specifically, Me Made May 2018 starts tomorrow! (If you're not familiar with Me Made May, <a href="http://sozowhatdoyouknow.blogspot.com/p/about-me-made-may.html" target="_blank">this post</a> explains it all.) I wish I could remember how or where I first heard about Me Made May, because I owe a lot...<br />
<a name='more'></a>...to this special makers' event. Several years ago, I decided to participate for the first time by wearing something handmade every day. Participating in that challenge really sparked a love and understanding of sewing and fashion in me like I hadn't experienced before.<br />
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Fast forward to today, and I find myself sewing all the time, even selling some of my handmade creations through Hygmalion. Every time I finish an item, I'm struck by the effort and time that it takes, by the fact that it requires the work and care of human hands, and I'm struck by how much I took all of that for granted before I started sewing myself. I'm becoming more thoughtful about not just where my clothes come from, but whether other goods and products are fair trade. I'm interested in and understanding of <a href="https://www.notjustalabel.com/editorial/slow-fashion-movement" target="_blank">the slow fashion movement</a>, and what it really means to dress myself on purpose. I really thank God for leading me into sewing apparel, as He has truly used it to give me a better understanding of His love for people, and His love for me.<br /><br />As an extension of all of this learning, I made myself a goal to have half of my wardrobe be handmade by my 30th birthday. (In fact, that is one goal on a list of 30 goals, all to be completed by my 30th birthday, but that's another post for another time!) I've come a long way and have a number of really great pieces that I'm so excited to share with all of you! There are lots that I haven't had a chance to photograph well, and which I thus haven't shared at all, so I'll be doing that throughout May on my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hygmalion/" target="_blank">business Instagram</a>.<br />
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However, I want to take advantage of this Me Made May to address a gaping hole in my handmade wardrobe: BASICS. Here's the thing...fabric is fun! It's exciting! It's preeeettty. And why would I buy plain, solid fabric when I can buy stripes or florals or polka dots? Right, I wouldn't! So now I have a closet with lots of stripes, florals, and polka dots! The <i>other </i>thing, though, is that my favorite thing in the whole entire world to wear is charcoal gray. T-shirts, dresses, pants, you name it: I like it in charcoal gray. I like putting on a top and not having to work hard to make it into an outfit...and I daresay I <i>need </i>that ability in the mom life. I haven't done enough to give myself easy, breezy basics when it comes to my handmades, so that's what I'm going to focus on in Me Made May. I'm going to try and make the perfect white tee, an even more perfect charcoal gray tee, a layering tank top, and *holds breath in trepidation* even a pair of pants! (Like. Real pants. Not leggings. If you're not anxious right now, you're not paying attention. I'm anxious.) That's my gap-filling goal for Me Made May...get some basics going!<br /><br />Of course, I still love my less basic makes, so my other goal is to wear and share a handmade item every day throughout Me Made May 2018. Follow along, wish me luck, and tell me what you're committing to and if/where you're sharing if you're participating, too!<br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-73466386500243352822017-08-22T15:22:00.001-04:002017-08-22T15:25:53.465-04:00His strength in my weakness<div>
"The choice to become parents is a choice to be burden-bearers. Motherhood can change a giddy girl into a sober woman very quickly. </div>
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<span style="-en-paragraph: true; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">It means being willing to give up a good many hobbies and pastimes, the guarantee of an unbroken night's sleep, the ease of coming and going when you please. </span></div>
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<span style="-en-paragraph: true; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">It means a willingness to change a diaper, take out the garbage, read a bedtime story, lug the potty chair and the playpen and the car seat all over the place. It means using a whole lot of skills you haven't got, and not using the ones you know you've got." </span></div>
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-Elisabeth Elliot</div>
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A year or two ago, I came across the Facebook status of an acquaintance in which she explained why she wouldn't be having children, one of her reasons being that she considered it, in every way, a selfish pursuit. It amazed me...never in my life had parenthood struck me as selfish, not before or after having kids. Selfish. <span style="font-style: italic;">Selfish</span>?</div>
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To become a wife and mother meant, for me, saying goodbye to the professionalism and success that I had always assumed would grace my life. I met my would-be husband just before I started my senior year of college; he already had a good job and was laying down roots, and I knew that if I dated him, I would marry him. I also knew that if I married him, that would mean moving back to Michigan, back to family, back to small towns...back to an area that boasted lots of beautiful lakes and green countryside, but little to no opportunities for someone wanting to go into publishing and be an editor. I knew it would mean becoming a housewife, and probably a mom, if my body allowed it. I knew I would have a great marriage, and hopefully an incredible family...but no career. </div>
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I had to make a decision, because it was my senior year and I had to figure out where I was going once I graduated. I did my best to wander down the "Have it all!" road, trying to manipulate a scenario in which I could pursue my career goals from my small town, but nothing truly viable came of it. So I considered my options, and decided that while I would do well professionally, I probably wouldn't do so well that it was world-changing or historic. I would be one of many moderately successful professionals. If I married Dan, however...I had a chance at greatness, at the kind of marriage that was unbelievably blissful, that was glorious in simple things, and tireless in looking for love. </div>
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(I know I'm speaking about myself rather confidently, and that there was the potential for disaster in either domestic or professional life, but I was working as best-case a scenario as I thought likely. By the way, though, I was right about Dan. The luckiest.)</div>
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I thought about my deathbed—morbid as that may seem—about who I wanted to be at the end of my life. In those terms, it was easy: I wanted to be more than a former employee, I wanted the epic of my life to be recorded on a marriage license and birth certificates. I wanted Dan, and everything that came with him. </div>
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Maybe that was selfish...probably. I was definitely picking what I think is the better of two options, so yes, I suppose that's selfish. </div>
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In the same moment, though, I knew I was forfeiting the other life. I was saying goodbye to the pride and sense of accomplishment that I might enjoy at a class reunion or during that initial conversation upon meeting someone when they ask, "So what do you do?" </div>
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The thing is, though, I thought I'd be better at the domestic life. Even though it wouldn't be qualified by a paycheck and a title, I assumed I would just be killing this whole housewife and motherhood gig...but I'm really not. My house is generally a disaster, my health is all over the place, and the kids....</div>
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Oh, the kids. </div>
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We've had a long summer. A lot of time where it was just the three of us, just me and the kids and the long, long summer. A lot of moments for me to be reminded just how lacking I am in the gifts that grace so many nursery workers and preschool teachers. I have friends and relatives that are so good with my kids that my jaw has actually dropped upon observing it. I've found myself wishing I could just be something else, someone else, just for my kids. I wish they could benefit from my natural talents, and not need so much from that which comes so awkwardly to me. But, alas, they often tell me to stop singing, and couldn't care less about the number of subjects on which I could wax eloquent and intelligent. </div>
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When I first watched a friend become a mother, I was completely in awe at her metamorphosis into grace and Christ-likeness. I had no understanding for how it had happened, but being a parent brought about in her something completely unlike who she had always been. She had always been fun and smart, but now she was also gracious and incredibly mature. She had always been loving and kind, but now she was increasingly selfless and humble. It was (and is!) amazing and beautiful, and a complete mystery to me.<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"> Has this happened for me?</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">Rather than a selfish ambition, motherhood has, for me, been a lesson in selflessness...albeit often forced. Motherhood has shown me how selfish I can really be, and provides me over and over again with opportunities to let Christ increase while I decrease. My need for Him has grown exponentially, and I cling to the promise of new mercies every morning now more than ever. New mercies after I willingly ignore the laundry and cooking. New mercies after I embrace laziness and binge on Netflix. New mercies after I deceitfully tell myself that I'm doing my best. New mercies after I lose my cool with the kids. New mercies when I realize how ridiculous some of my rules are. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">I need Him. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">I'm sure this sounds heavy, but writing this has brought me to a place of such gratitude. I am so thankful that I do not live a life where I can trick myself into feeling self-satisfied...like I'm really pulling it off because I'm just so awesome. This life keeps me humble, but not humiliated, which keeps me in love, which keeps me in truth. I'm so grateful that His strength is made perfect in my weakness. I'm so thankful. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">If the only blessing of children were that they gave me a better and closer understanding of God, it would be more than enough. But...because He is so good, that's only the tip of the blessing iceberg. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">Children are a blessing. My children are a blessing, and my motherhood a blessing. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">Maybe it's selfish, after all. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-60424486520743497162017-02-01T21:11:00.001-05:002017-02-01T21:11:41.089-05:00Goals, the '17 EditionCan I tell you a little love story? Once upon a time, there was a wandering, chronically-tardy, vaguely-inspired, sporadically-passionate, type-B girl who used lots of <strike>adjectives</strike> energy to do very little. She liked to claim a fondness for her laid-back approach to life, but in the back of her mind she was discouraged by her constantly jumbled mind and merry-go-round relationship with productivity. At the precipice of adulthood, and the verge of jumping into a lifelong cycle of "two steps forward, one step back," fate stepped in. A favorite author of hers wrote a book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Start-Punch-Escape-Average-Matters/dp/1937077594" target="_blank">"Start,"</a> which focused on goals...specifically, on how you should start them. Now, being as Type-B as she is, she didn't actually read the whole book, but she was fortunate enough to fall into an online community with a number of people who did. She was inspired and touched by the way they came together and encouraged each other to move forward with their goals. She gleaned helpful tips and practices to put into place in order to achieve her goals. She formed a few goals herself, and, for the first time in her life, even met one or two. And thus, a love of goal-setting was born.<br />
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I mean, let's be honest. I'm still type-B, and I still do a quite a bit of merry-go-rounding, and I still haven't finished the book five years later. So that's why it's a love story, and not a rags-to-riches kind of thing...I'm the same person. However, I can say that I've made intentional forward motion! Actual things that I meant to accomplish were accomplished! Do you know how big a deal that is?! Most of my forward motion in the past, if there was any, was accidental at best. Now, I'm a goal-lover! I am sooooo pleased that I'm not just sort of pin-balling around the world of productivity anymore. Now I'm kind of like...a cue ball. Moving in a purposeful direction, and possibly even hitting my mark in such a way that a few balls land in the pocket. I know that's a lot of game-riddled analogy to be throwing around, but I'm happy. All that to say, if you're intimidated by/anxious about forming and setting goals, you can't be worse than I was, and there's hope. Give it a shot!<br />
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One of my biggest takeaways from Acuff has been that goals can start whenever; waiting til the New Year or Monday isn't necessary or helpful. I wrote about that in <a href="http://www.brandnewwe.com/2016/01/down-to-wire.html" target="_blank">my goals post last year</a>, and I still find a lot of freedom in it. In fact, I intentionally delayed my goal-setting this year so that I could have time to think about them. I didn't want to get caught up in the, let's say "trendiness," of New Year's resolutions, so I thought I'd give it til the end of the month to really consider what I wanted to commit to and work toward. And that leaves us here. (This post was supposed to go out yesterday...but the Hig kids are sick. So sick. It's like house arrest. Rough.)<br />
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So, without further ado, these are the goals I've concluded on for 2017:<br />
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Health-related:<br />
-exercise 3x/week<br />
-lose 1.5 lbs/week, to 30lbs<br />
-limit to three treats/week<br />
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Hygmalion:<br />
-3 <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hygmalion/" target="_blank">instagram </a>posts/week<br />
-1 new listing/week<br />
-2 blog posts/month<br />
-establish work hours<br />
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Home:<br />
-continue with reset days<br />
-1 to-do-to-done/month<br />
-30 minutes chores/day<br />
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Personal:<br />
-quiet time at breakfast<br />
-earn 6 boxes at WOL<br />
-30min intentional time with kids/day<br />
-sew from stash, #make9<br />
-3 scrapbook pages/month<br />
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So that's the gist, that's the list. I didn't figure they required excruciating detail, but if you have any questions about any of my goals, please ask! One of the reasons I post these publicly is for accountability. (Another is because if I wrote them on my phone or a piece of paper, they'd be lost before the end of the year. Truth.)<br />
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Looking at them all typed out...I kind of wonder if I'm over-stepping my abilities. Think so? You don't have to answer that. But do answer this: Did you set goals in January? Are you keeping up with them? Did you meet your goals from last year? Want to be accountabilibuddies? SO many questions!<br />
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I'm happy. Have a great night!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-79398257399792593312016-12-19T16:00:00.000-05:002016-12-29T14:38:42.541-05:002016 Wrap Up<div>I<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> can feel the new year creeping up on me, so of course I was thinking about my</span><a href="http://www.brandnewwe.com/2016/01/down-to-wire.html#more" target="_blank" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> resolutions post from this past January.</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> I plan to make a few new goals for this coming new year, so I thought a little review of how I did this past year was in order. That way, I can see where my goal-planning needs improvement. I love goals. I'm not great at meeting them, but I have definitely found that setting them helps me be more productive than not setting them. I'm a big believer in setting a high bar, and enthusiastically accepting the marks that will not quite meet that bar. Sort of like the "Shoot for the moon, land among the stars," mentality.</span></div><div><br>So, a basic recap of my goals, and whether I met them:</div>
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1.) Get Physical! </div>
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- 3 rounds of 21 Day Fix by March 28:: not met<br> - Not stated in January, but I have gone through two health challenges that I've enjoyed, so yay!<br>2.) Be Housewife-y!<br> - I wanted to develop routines for keeping my house :: met</div>
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- Dan and I established "reset Saturdays" :: we halfway stuck to this<br> - Unpacking a box a week :: NOT met. not even close. </div>
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3.) Sew Myself Silly<br> - I wanted to participate in MeMadeMay:: met!<br> - I wanted to be a better seamstress:: met!</div>
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4.) Hygmalion!<br> - I wanted to add at least one item per month:: not met</div>
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- I wanted to double my profits :: met!<br><br>Overall, I can see where some of my goals lacked specificity (one of my favorite words to say aloud!) and how I can improve on goal setting, and thereafter on goal keeping! I definitely need some kind of visual reminder of my goals...because once we get into the year I get distracted. I'll be drafting up some of my goals, and will probably post them within a few weeks.<br><br>How did you do on your goals? Do you have a record of what your 2016 resolutions were? Are you thinking about goals for 2017 yet? Is seeing "2017" stressing you out? </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-48627451479117037722016-12-15T13:41:00.000-05:002016-12-15T13:42:04.964-05:00Perfect City Living*Written in Spring of 2016. Published in December, same year.*<br /><br />I have enjoyed our stay in San Antonio far more than I could have expected. My heart was fixated on basking in sunshine by the hotel's pool, but a few cloudy days sent me out and about, and I was touched by the city's life, diversity, and history. Nearly every minute was wonderful.<br />
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People love cities...they feel connected with "their town," receiving a certain sense of identity in light of the places they love. There are a handful of cities, now with the addition of San Antonio, that add to my sense of nostalgic identity. To misuse a quote from Jon Mayer: "I got a city love."</div>
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A few weeks ago at BSF (that's Bible Study Fellowship), we were discussing the new Jerusalem...a city that stands as an extension of the heart of God. Our teacher made such an impact on my heart by pointing out that a city is a good thing—full of culture, diversity, life, music, art, creativity, community. As far as housing arrangements go, city living is as close to constant relationship as you can get. And yet, we all know that there is risk, even danger, in city living. Unfortunately, when you put a bunch of people in the same place, it means you get the worst of mankind along with the best. </div>
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But God's city is different.<br />
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God's city is city as it was meant to be: constant relationship and inter-dependency on one another, constant exposure and access to the lives of our neighbors, and all of it in perfection, without any harm or danger. All of the good, none of the bad. All ofthat culture, diversity, life, music, art, creativity, and community working in perfect harmony to execute their ordained purpose of glorifying God. Can you imagine?<br />
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Thinking of such a place, and knowing that there will be one to come, expands my heart with intense longing. Thank God. I don't know that I've longed for His presence and His perfection ever before in my life like I have these past few years. It is coming. He will make everything right. He will bring unity, and in Him there will be purposeful peace. It is everything. He is everything.<br />
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On the other side of the same coin, I find myself challenged by the prospect of that constant relationship. I think back to what dorm life and roommates were like, having little to no personal space, being challenged with the opportunity to live uprightly in my relationships all the time, not having the chance to withdraw when I was over it. Ahhh, those days...full of challenge, full of growth. Do I live right now in a way that reflects my longing for God's design for relationships? Am I pursuing upright living in my interactions with others, seeking to show grace and striving for restoration and unity, despite the fact that I can easily withdraw? I don't believe that God has called us, called me, to withdraw...at least, not for the purpose of escaping relationship. He is a God of relationships. I can't settle for spacious, indirect, selfishly-protective suburban living in my heart. My desire is that God would work out that dorm-room heart in me, that I would be driven to live in open, full unity with His body.<br />
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A lot of thoughts for a post-trip wrap up. I'm so thankful to know a God that is in everything, that uses all of His glorious creation, to call and pull me closer to Him.<br />
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What about you? Are you settling for suburban living in your heart? Or are you ready to work toward all the good in dorm-room relationships, in preparation for His city living?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-24906230601131167942016-05-02T11:30:00.001-04:002016-05-02T11:32:29.690-04:00Coffee on the Riverwalk<div>
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Hello friends! Sorry I missed you in April, but it's so good to be in May! There are a lot of things I'm looking forward to this month:<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a> getting our container garden going, putting some plants in the ground, more and more and more bike rides with the kids, and sharing all of my #MeMadeMay clothes with you! I'll post here a few times with a wrap up of some of my favorite #MeMadeMay items, but if you want to see all of them, just <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jmariehig/?hl=en" target="_blank">find me on Instagram</a>! @jmariehig<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Drinks" at Casa Rio, the oldest restaurant on the Riverwalk -- opened in 1946. </td></tr>
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Right now, I'm [really, really, really] enjoying a visit to San Antonio, TX, as I tagged along on a business trip with Dan. If you are looking for a really fun getaway, you should think about coming here! The main attraction in the city is the Riverwalk, which is around 3 miles long and has a number of restaurants and shops all around, as well as ferry boat tours with a lot of fascinating information about the city's history. The Alamo is within walking distance, too. Dan and I visited yesterday and I had a rather emotional and educating time taking in all the history. Add to all of that the shopping and theatre close by...I can't recommend it enough. Probably not a great trip for little kids (I am pretty sure both of our kids would have fallen in the river by now), but families with teenagers or couples that are reading this: get thee and thine to San Antonio! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of the Alamo. </td></tr>
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I can't help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude...and that's been a fairly constant state of my heart for quite a few months. For the past several weeks, Hig2Point0 has been sleeping through the night, and as a cherry on top she and BabyHig have been napping at the same time...for at least two hours a day! That, my friends, is a good good thing. Sweet rest for them, sweet freedom for me. And although our weather in Michigan has been a little, well, sporadic (and very typically Michigan-y!), I have been so blessed and strengthened by the days of sunshine that we've seen.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How can she look so mad when she's barefoot in the sunshine? Silly Hig2Point0...</td></tr>
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I have also <i>thoroughly </i>enjoyed being involved in a BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) study of Revelation throughout this past school year, and my heart feels as if it is close to erupting with praise and wonder at the glory of God. I, admittedly, live a life of ease and luxury, compared to most of the world, but if God should take it all away, He would be every bit as worthy of my praise. I am so thankful to have experienced a growth in my love of Him. Our study will break for the summer, but I am looking forward to starting again in the fall; this time we will be in the book of John. Bible Study Fellowship is an international ministry, with study groups all over the states, so if you are looking for a solid place to study the word, I strongly suggest that you <a href="https://www.bsfinternational.org/" target="_blank">visit their website by clicking right HERE</a> and search for a study group close to you!<br />
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This has been sort of a catch-up-over-coffee kind of post, and I'm alright with that...as long as I get to hear from you, too! How is your spring coming along? What are you looking forward to in May? What has God been teaching you? And who else is getting their #homemade clothes on for #MeMadeMay!?<br />
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Love you all!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-70721347221280020222016-03-16T15:02:00.000-04:002016-03-17T09:59:35.112-04:00Mid-March Goals Check InI love March. Love it love. Lambs, lions, rain -- THE FIRST REAL SUNSHINE IN WHAT SEEMS LIKE YEEEEAAAARS!<br />
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I am loving this March. Loving today. Currently:<br />
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<li>the sun is shining</li>
<li>the kids are napping</li>
<li>my sink is empty</li>
<li>my Cricut is whirring along on a new project</li>
<li>there is another adult in my house (yay Kim!)</li>
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Those things are all such tank-fillers for me! Especially the sunshine. When the sun is shining, I am like super-productive-mother-extraordinaire. March is when we in the Midwest start to really see the sunshine again after the winter...it's a time of the year where I feel motivated to accomplish some things.<br />
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So it's probably a great time to check back in with <a href="http://www.brandnewwe.com/2016/01/down-to-wire.html#more" target="_blank">the goals I set for myself in January</a>. Accountability, checking-in, keeping tabs--whatever you want to call it--is a crucial tool for me in <br />
<a name='more'></a>getting things done. Otherwise I just completely lose track of myself and my intentions, and everything shifts into neutral-zombie-just-get-through-the-day mode.I want to be more than a zombie! Zombies are fine and all, but they're not exactly life-coach material. </div>
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Alright, so here's my check in report! If you recall, I outlined four goals for myself, so I'll just mention them briefly and then try to be as honest as I can about how it's going. (<a href="http://www.brandnewwe.com/2016/01/down-to-wire.html#more" target="_blank">If you want to revisit a more in depth explanation of the goals in the original post, click here</a>.)<br />
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<b>1. Get Physical! </b>This object of this goal is to essentially be a good steward of my body. Specifically, I wanted to get through three rounds of the 21 Day Fix before March 28th.<br />
How I'm doing: I think, in Spanish, the phrase is, "mas o menos," and in English I can only offer a half-hearted, "Mehhhhhhhh." Something happened and I hurt my knee in early February, and pushing through it seemed to anger the beast. I am still experiencing a fair amount of discomfort on a daily basis, and haven't been able to do any intense workouts, so unfortunately, I did not meet my goal of doing the Fix 3x by the end of March. But the fairer weather has had me out walking more often, and I can feel the difference that activity makes! I also started reading <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/dp/031029326X/ref=sr_rp_1?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&ie=UTF8&qid=1458153586&sr=sr-1&keywords=Made+to+Crave" target="_blank">"Made to Crave" by Lisa Terkeurst</a> and am looking forward to applying some of the wisdom she offers about physical stewardship.<br />
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Overall, I'm going to give myself...two out of ten stars for this goal, and a renewed motivation to apply it to my every days. </div>
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<b>2. Be More Housewife-y! </b>This probably seems so vague if you're not in my brain, but the heart of this goal is that I develop working routines for my housewife-life. Specifically, I set a goal to be "settled" into our house by the end of the year.<br />
How I'm doing: I can sit up a little taller now and say that yes, I have worked to apply myself in this area! Dan and I recently looked at our calendar and declared "reset" days for every month. On our "reset" days, we're both going to give the majority of our time and effort to cleaning and organizing our home. We each do a little bit of cleaning every day, but on our reset days the objective is to completely get our home back to square one of cleanliness and orderliness. Putting it on our calendar is such a help to me; it can't be forgotten or shoved aside!<br />
We also decided to have a budget meeting once a week, just to check in and get a reminder of where our spending is at. We use mint.com to track our spending, and I have the app on my phone, but it still helps to have these talks in person so that we can stay on the same page financially.<br />
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I have been tracking my food-prepping in a small planner (I made five quarts of stock on March 3rd, two freezer meals on the 7th, fifteen tortillas last night...) and am hoping to use that to figure out the "ebb and flow" of food supply in our fridge. Once I figure out what I need and when, I'll go to my calendar and set specific times to get those things done. </div>
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Overall, I'm not mad about how this is going, and will offer myself a B+ here!<br />
<b><br />3.) Hygmalion!</b> I opened an Etsy shop in December of 2015, and am working on adding to and promoting the shop.<br />
How I'm doing: This is going...okay? I haven't gotten to add as many items to the shop as I've wanted, but I've been working on quite a few custom orders, so that's probably good. Also, the project my Cricut is currently cutting (that's a tongue-twister!) is one for the shop, so I'll be able to add a project for March. I'm looking forward to the coming months, though, because it looks like my kids may FINALLY be on consistent, synchronized naptimes. If you pray anything for me, pray that this would remain the same!</div>
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Overall: 10 points to Gryffindor! (I don't know...) </div>
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<b>4.) Sew Myself Silly! </b>The objective of this goal is that I learn to sew better. Specifically, I want to be able to hashtag it out during #MeMadeMay2016 and wear something I've sewn every day.<br />
How I"m doing: I have been able to sew a few things, mostly baby-shower gifts, and I just cut material for curtains in the kids' bedrooms, so my seamstressing hasn't been completely neglected. I also started following <a href="http://seekatesew.com/" target="_blank">See Kate Sew</a> and joined her Facebook group for tips and inspiration--it's been awesome and so motivating! I haven't gotten to sew anything I can wear, though, so I need to get it in gear before May rolls around!<br />
Overall: I give myself three out of five needles.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PvQgIE7BkxBPSpMjQSp5y9f2V_sqPkd46v3ZbQVPldo9KaGop7ULAtyqPcUG8jj2vbqmRG6pms_894H8RJVdy7GMYGoRtEfYMnrXJiLH93kx49ToTqCdQ9fyCt_z8gNEW953zsGw4OYS/s1600/blogger-image--1199221455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PvQgIE7BkxBPSpMjQSp5y9f2V_sqPkd46v3ZbQVPldo9KaGop7ULAtyqPcUG8jj2vbqmRG6pms_894H8RJVdy7GMYGoRtEfYMnrXJiLH93kx49ToTqCdQ9fyCt_z8gNEW953zsGw4OYS/s640/blogger-image--1199221455.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Now, if anyone actually read all that -- bless you!! It is really important to me to honestly evaluate where I am, so thanks for indulging me. How are your goals coming along? Are you reinvigorated with purpose in this spring season?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-39642708524790647922016-02-04T20:28:00.002-05:002016-02-04T20:36:32.072-05:00Mom's On A Diet :: New Recipe Box*Note: I have no applicable pictures for this post, so the following are pictures of the somewhat-less-than-impressive-but-still-cute transformation of a recipe box that I picked up in the "See Spot" section of Target, using DearLizzy "Thickers." Ta-daaaaa.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0Ca3A7ZRkO0zomlKz1mdfJLTJDtllwQdBRONAc09pP2DrDQDwvgOevvfo5J0zDjxArKpLqhaYD2vaKlGHdHM1Pya3Qm-n-EKwkmPTWpvLxhheszpWnR8ifrX1HSIC3nNnlZEKkN6VoTR/s640/blogger-image--2078572481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0Ca3A7ZRkO0zomlKz1mdfJLTJDtllwQdBRONAc09pP2DrDQDwvgOevvfo5J0zDjxArKpLqhaYD2vaKlGHdHM1Pya3Qm-n-EKwkmPTWpvLxhheszpWnR8ifrX1HSIC3nNnlZEKkN6VoTR/s640/blogger-image--2078572481.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I totally got sucked in the last time I went to Target...but I'm not mad. </td></tr>
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I really like food. </div>
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I feel a little weird saying that...like I can almost hear people dropping their dumbbells and turning to stare...but it's true. I like food. I like the flavor, the color, the texture, the nostalgia...food is a good part of life! Can we agree on that? Food is good!<br />
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I know it's not a big deal for some people. I know that there are beings in the universe that live by the "food is fuel" mantra, and they really only regard it as something to power their bodies. While I find that outlook fascinating and respectable, I have no desire to embrace it for myself. Beyond that...I have no desire for my kids to embrace it for themselves.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I feel weird saying <i>that, </i>too. Like now all the moms are looking up from behind steamed broccoli, mouths agape, texting "smh" to each other...<br />
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I want my kids to be healthy, don't get me wrong. But I want their health to be whole...more than just physical. I want them to be physically, emotionally, relationally, mentally, and spiritually fit...and I kind of think food has to be more than just fuel for that to be the case. I want them to see culture and history in food....to feel connected to their roots when they have <i>paska</i> at Easter and be grateful for someone else's roots the first time they are blown away by curry. I want them to enjoy the nostalgia in food...to have fun eating popcorn during a movie, or sinking their teeth into the goodness that is a cheesy pizza on a Friday night. I do want them to know what their food is doing in their bodies...to take a second helping of roasted brussels sprouts (or a third, like babyhig did the other night!), or stop eating when they're full.<br />
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I want them to have a healthy relationship with food.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7edRT_lVigJE3t0VlzlEQ1x94SHbpgoTpwKyCJLfKOzUDJPZvKXxjCWJrUxAEpC2cZr6J69iicSGbklpcSAbw0VG1pXIHdFygOJLUyVPLu30j5a-zx7Yj5SC248_ht3EARwUOVHd0Kq3/s640/blogger-image-954516295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7edRT_lVigJE3t0VlzlEQ1x94SHbpgoTpwKyCJLfKOzUDJPZvKXxjCWJrUxAEpC2cZr6J69iicSGbklpcSAbw0VG1pXIHdFygOJLUyVPLu30j5a-zx7Yj5SC248_ht3EARwUOVHd0Kq3/s640/blogger-image-954516295.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recipe box :: Target // DearLizzy Thickers :: Moments to Milestones (local paper/scrapbooking store)</td></tr>
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I think one of the greatest things I can do to encourage that healthy relationship is to avoid having my kids say, "Mom's on a diet."<br />
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Blech. My mom didn't do any fad dieting or anything to scar me while I was growing up, but for some reason everything within me recoils at that phrase. I remember hearing my friends say it. I remember women saying they were dieting. I remember husbands joking about their wives' diets. It was never like a, "Good for her, she's going after her health!" It always felt more shameful. "Don't let her near the cake, she'll have a breakdown!"<br />
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I want them to see me enjoying good food exactly as it's appropriate...the right times, the right amounts, the right reasons. I don't want them to perceive any shame in the way I treat my body, I just want them to see me being a good steward of that which I was given.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUZMI93uS8W0yHAEwmcjtUUQ2Hotnh8gDxeSe_XZ4Ts2H05KHD9UU5fBVnMZM34KmP_WvLvvNpHEEI6EJpauH3kQdEcHkh4DBl7EaykZgZhYGWlnIqj5rXINWhfLKqeAX0I4IexfV9SrZ/s640/blogger-image--739877852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUZMI93uS8W0yHAEwmcjtUUQ2Hotnh8gDxeSe_XZ4Ts2H05KHD9UU5fBVnMZM34KmP_WvLvvNpHEEI6EJpauH3kQdEcHkh4DBl7EaykZgZhYGWlnIqj5rXINWhfLKqeAX0I4IexfV9SrZ/s640/blogger-image--739877852.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was having an "Alice in Wonderland" moment...</td></tr>
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That's one of the reasons I'm enjoying the 21 Day Fix so much...the food is just...normal food. I was really pleased when I started the first round to find that I didn't need to change very much about what was in my fridge, pantry, or freezer. I needed to change a little bit about what was hitting my plate -- a little more green, a little less cheese -- but our meals were more or less the same. That makes me so so glad. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sL5iSJsGQioOUdh6vC2MgZj9g1lXH53Z7_fKkoTSPCLl8nm3niT1z1372IVWPp0aDqWtO4F6IoVLhiW_fLgsiTVbfCxK6u6LxgoqWVeLJ2KF8JKwukDVx5ue92d8iRbEoQiIVLMshh2b/s640/blogger-image-1538271734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sL5iSJsGQioOUdh6vC2MgZj9g1lXH53Z7_fKkoTSPCLl8nm3niT1z1372IVWPp0aDqWtO4F6IoVLhiW_fLgsiTVbfCxK6u6LxgoqWVeLJ2KF8JKwukDVx5ue92d8iRbEoQiIVLMshh2b/s640/blogger-image-1538271734.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">"What should we have for dinner? Oh, hey...why don't we just eat this!" Ya feel me?</td></tr>
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So we eat food. Good food. Good for the body, good for the soul...good for my family.<br />
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I'm going to finish up with a couple of "Fix-approved" recipes that I really like because my family really likes them. I'm curious to hear what you think of my "food philosophy" though! Does the moms-on-a-diet mentality spark anything in you? Do you have any tips on having and teaching a good relationship with food?<br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>OMG Fakeout Chicken (modified from a Pinterest recipe for "OMG Chicken")</b></span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">2 or 3 b/s chicken breasts</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">Kosher salt & black pepper to taste</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">1 c greek yogurt</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">1 c cottage cheese</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">1/2 c parmesan cheese</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">garlic (I use tons...but a T of minced or 3 fresh cloves would probably suffice)</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">dried or fresh herbs of your choosing (I like parsley & rosemary)</span></span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Set oven to 425. </span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise so that they are thin and wide (think cutlets, not chicken strips), pat them dry with a paper towel, and layer them in a 9x13 baking dish.</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sanitize everything because raw chicken is disgusting.</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Combine greek yogurt, cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, and herbs in a small bowl. Mix well.</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Spread yogurt mixture over chicken in pan, then p</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">lace in oven and bake for 30ish minutes until chicken is cooked through.</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Turn on broiler and move chicken under for 3-5 minutes...just enough to put a pretty golden crust on the yogurt mixture.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 19.32px;">Fix Enchilada Filling</span></h4>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">1 c greek yogurt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">1 c rotisserie chicken</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">1 can black beans, drained and rinsed</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">1 can Rotel, partially drained OR salsa of your choosing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">1 medium onion, diced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">2 poblano peppers, seeds removed and diced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">2 tsp olive oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">garlic (as much as you can handle)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">cilantro, fresh or dried</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">Taco/Southwestern seasoning </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">Combine greek yogurt, chicken, black beans, and Rotel in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. Saute onion & peppers in olive oil over medium-high heat til soft and slightly translucent. Add garlic and cook til very fragrant. (Garlic will cook quickly, don't burn it!) Add cilantro and taco seasoning and stir a few times to really incorporate flavor into vegetables. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before combining vegetables with yogurt mixture. Stir well.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">For enchiladas: spoon mixture into whole wheat tortilla shells, roll into enchiladas, and place in baking pan. Spread any leftover filling over top of enchiladas, then top with salsa and a sprinkle of cheese. Bake at 350 until heated through and cheese has melted.</span></h4>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-73632244649670616082016-01-29T13:14:00.001-05:002016-01-29T13:36:18.450-05:00Sweet & Small & Pink -- Valentine Minis!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdIXtaCJbEg2CCiHDTr7QS0lsPZkxl-_FImmYVpseUlhyphenhyphennY_0OmDAnqqvDJeb6GhSSztetf8kzJGZmumlDdsh81xpEbVK_os8kX9p66jbIA1n7Xi2MD0sbuiKLr9PUA1HDFVLmpgzK1iM/s1600/DSC_0133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdIXtaCJbEg2CCiHDTr7QS0lsPZkxl-_FImmYVpseUlhyphenhyphennY_0OmDAnqqvDJeb6GhSSztetf8kzJGZmumlDdsh81xpEbVK_os8kX9p66jbIA1n7Xi2MD0sbuiKLr9PUA1HDFVLmpgzK1iM/s640/DSC_0133.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Valentine's Day get's such a bad rap, which is a bit perplexing for a holiday whose main celebratory food is chocolate. Thanks to having a birthday that falls within two days of the 14th, plus a mom and grandma who almost always surprised my brothers and I with little Valentine treats (seriously, I was always surprised...you'd think I would have been expecting it after awhile...), the day of love doesn't bum me out at all. I mean, come on! Don't you remember having class parties for Valentine's day? Remember decorating your little shoebox so it would be ready to receive all the sweets and little notes from your classmates? Remember picking out the funniest/cutest/subtlesthintoflove Valentine for your crush? Remember that feeling of horror and dread that he would figure out that you liked him the instant you lost it forever to the slot in <i>his </i>exquisitely decorated shoebox?<br />
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*Sigh.* Nostalgia.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I say we bring it all back! There has to be <i>someone</i> in your life that doesn't make you miserable, right? Give them a little love on Valentine's Day! And speaking of "little"...why don't you give them one of these <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/266090438/loved-mini-valentines?ref=shop_home_active_1" target="_blank">Valentine Minis</a>!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLiKcY-HI3mUeCA_PDsxK9zMgBhpYPx4_2nKNZN9eQKhyphenhyphenb-GnzGjnddmCd-7ifRRx0ckoIvirBjpXyt7P3lJQ4gdTwc_KxUEe3rykY13drZH7ukD8-FYyJ6YfUXepCi6GtBoIo4sXa996/s1600/DSC_0125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLiKcY-HI3mUeCA_PDsxK9zMgBhpYPx4_2nKNZN9eQKhyphenhyphenb-GnzGjnddmCd-7ifRRx0ckoIvirBjpXyt7P3lJQ4gdTwc_KxUEe3rykY13drZH7ukD8-FYyJ6YfUXepCi6GtBoIo4sXa996/s640/DSC_0125.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm really proud of (and not at all mad about) the way these turned out. From the pink marbling to the glinty gold accents, these were all made by hand, by me. Be honest, how much fun would it be to find a bar of dark chocolate and one of these little love notes on your pillow? Or your desk? Or in your coffee cup? Or under your keys? And how much more fun would it be to leave one?<br />
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See? You know. You know that you actually want to be in second grade right now, dropping one of these in your spouse's super cute shoebox, totally unashamed at your expression of love. (Not that you want to be married in second grade...what...?)<br />
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On a note of distraction...why was the idea of my affection going public so scary? I mean...I nursed a SUPER secret crush for six years. Six. Years. I now am married to a man who (fingers crossed!) is totally aware of the fact that I like him...and it seems to be working for us...<br />
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Back on track. Don't be afraid of the fact that these are "Minis"...they're approximately the same size valentine that one second-grader might give to another. The nice thing is that they're juuuuust "mini" enough that I can offer free shipping! Wahoo! And those teeny envelopes? Don't be mad if you love them. I do too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7CCjOravvwP4_hi_j9B90PwHG_f6GGTqS9TRg93GOVmAxJgc8Zv7GQJyAk6VWPsce82gxtYVpHtQ8_6fGcy-MLshmIaO0-2CNR_g7EqYaHx-Xz8AQub9p5gfZ4P78OtDxqXlyRNQihTH/s1600/DSC_0136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7CCjOravvwP4_hi_j9B90PwHG_f6GGTqS9TRg93GOVmAxJgc8Zv7GQJyAk6VWPsce82gxtYVpHtQ8_6fGcy-MLshmIaO0-2CNR_g7EqYaHx-Xz8AQub9p5gfZ4P78OtDxqXlyRNQihTH/s640/DSC_0136.JPG" width="558" /></a></div>
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So you can have these. You can hop over to my Etsy shop, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/266090438/loved-mini-valentines?ref=shop_home_active_1" target="_blank">Hygmalion</a>, and buy a set of six. Of course, you can also participate in a little fun and maybe win a set for free! Here's how: <br />
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<h2>
1. Find and "Like" <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hygmalion" target="_blank">the Hygmalion Facebook Page</a></h2>
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No big thing, right? You "like" stuff all the time! If you're feeling daunted, I've made it simple--just click on the words "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hygmalion" target="_blank">the Hygmalion Facebook Page</a>," and you'll find yourself staring at a new thumbs up...just ready for the clicking. </div>
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<h2>
2. Tag your Valentine</h2>
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In case I haven't made it clear--a Valentine doesn't have to equal romanticos. It can be a relative a friend...or I suppose even a foe. (Love your enemy, right?) So once you find the Hygmalion page and the post with these sweet little Valentines, comment with the name of your Valentine. Show a little love!<br />
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See, isn't it easy? You can do this. You could win! You have until 2pm on Sunday to get in on this. I'll hit the post office on Monday!</div>
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Serious moment. Whether or not you're as starry-eyed about second-grade memories as I am, I really hope you have a great Valentine's Day. You were created for relationships and love--again, we're not only talking about being romanticos. It means so much to me that in something as "commercial" as this chocolate holiday, I can be reminded of my creator & savior. You are loved.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjy0zAlt2VSVEEWDcz7Q82FUcdwanVmJc9XrDxY_J4MOABbPro2OIKEYlcjz8-bjLi7ASplaYhK36jXtLC34065PkUJVbXaNzo87V4q0scToznOYPKxKKxECr233b07IIYG0nbCONQ-fIs/s1600/DSC_0132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjy0zAlt2VSVEEWDcz7Q82FUcdwanVmJc9XrDxY_J4MOABbPro2OIKEYlcjz8-bjLi7ASplaYhK36jXtLC34065PkUJVbXaNzo87V4q0scToznOYPKxKKxECr233b07IIYG0nbCONQ-fIs/s640/DSC_0132.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm feeling pretty proud of myself for blogging twice in one week...I'm going to try not to blow it by posting on Monday with some of my new favorite recipes! (Remember how I'm starting another round of the 21 Day Fix? Recipes. Ta-daaa.) And if my shop seems a little scantily-stocked at the moment, don't worry, I've got a few more things "in store." (Ha! Ba dum chhhhhh!)<br />
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Have I converted any Valentine's Day haters? Did you find the page? Can anyone else relate to the strange mix of longing and terror that is an Elementary School crush? </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-81963085224748971472016-01-25T14:53:00.001-05:002016-01-25T14:55:33.343-05:00Down to the WireThe most challenging thing I ever heard regarding New Year's resolutions was that it makes no sense to wait til New Year's to make them...if you really have a new goal you want to accomplish, why not start it the day you decide on it?<br />
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I don't know exactly where that leaves me -- blogging about my goals almost a full month after the New Year -- except that I like knowing that my success isn't hinged on <i>when </i>I start. It's just hinged on me actually <i>starting</i>. (Shout out to all the Acuff "Start" fans.)<br />
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I've made mistakes before regarding New Year's resolutions -- they were too plentiful, too vague, and too lacking in passion. I'm trying to be a bit choosier this year, with the hopes that I'll actually remember them and therefore attain them. I've also made the mistake of not recording them. I actually found myself at the beginning this just-past Christmas season scouring the internet for any record of last year's promises to myself. Couldn't find them. So now I'm here, writing them down, hoping that it will help both you and me keep me accountable.</div>
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(Don't worry, I wrote that correctly...and you can trust me.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y51IFVB-7Oc" target="_blank"> I was an English major</a>.) </div>
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So, drumroll please...my goals for 2016!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04K6KaNmpV4fmf5JQwhk5-qFzKzgwNTkis2PuOFP0hUoSjbABuafkyBm6GQWUKVvb6lXMoz1VzT2J3Zwu0Gy_XcvdufCalRHm2pLqw2GEsWyA0EdKxWgU_7jnXj7Q98UTfa1DGebxhYht/s1600/NewYearsResolutions.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04K6KaNmpV4fmf5JQwhk5-qFzKzgwNTkis2PuOFP0hUoSjbABuafkyBm6GQWUKVvb6lXMoz1VzT2J3Zwu0Gy_XcvdufCalRHm2pLqw2GEsWyA0EdKxWgU_7jnXj7Q98UTfa1DGebxhYht/s1600/NewYearsResolutions.jpeg" /></a></div>
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1. Get physical! </h2>
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Sorry...I couldn't think of a more (or less, even) fitting and awkward way of phrasing it. This one actually started back in October for me when I did my first round of the 21 Day Fix. I don't know what really compelled me to begin (not self-hate though, so yay!!)...I think it was just the realization that healthy people workout on a regular basis. I want to be healthy people. For specifics sake (ha! read that five times fast!), I want to finish three more rounds of the Fix by March 28th (Hig2Point0's first birthday!) and use that time to figure out what an appropriate and reasonable workout routine would look like for me. I finished my first round already (seven pounds down! holla!), and am starting again next Monday! If you've thought about doing the Fix, or anything really, you should join me!! I am so much better at life when I know other people are lifing at the same time. ("Lifing" is fine. See the aforementioned English major disclaimer.)</div>
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2. Be More Housewife-y </h2>
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Okay, I know..."SMART" goals are SPECIFIC, and "housewife-y" seems a little vague, right? Be cool, baby, I know what I mean. I want to develop a consistent and workable home routine. Between moving this past October (Oh, did I mention that? We moved. It's awesome. More on that later...) and and then living through the holidays (you know what I'm saying...), I feel desperate for some structure. I have finally accepted that housework is required, so I want to figure out when I'm going to do it.<br />
Another note in the same vein involves food prep...I make a bunch of stuff from scratch. (I'm not trying to be awesome, I'm just effectively being cheap.) Chicken stock, tortillas, bread, jam, soup, freezer meals...it all takes time. What time? I don't know yet, but I'm giving myself a year to figure it out.<br />
SMART goals are also MEASURABLE and ATTAINABLE (I think, I'm sort of pulling these from something I read/heard/slept on a long time ago...) and in that regard I'm going to shoot to unpack one box a week, and be unpacked and "settled" by the end of the year.</div>
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3. Hygmalion! </h2>
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Okay, so last year (or maybe the year before...again...these things need to be trackable!) I made a resolution to generate a profit by selling something handmade. It's sort of a secret embarrassing dream of mine to have my own semi-functional business. Well...not all resolutions get left in the dust: I cleared a profit of about $20 last December after opening <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Hygmalion" target="_blank">my Etsy shop</a>! (Imagine that little cry-laughing emoji right here.) I was sort of pushed out of my nest in opening it, but I'm glad it happened. In fact, I'd like to see it grow! I actually have a few new items for the shop that I'll be showing you later this week. (And yes, I'll address the weird name.) So my (very modest) goals for the shop are to double my profits from last year (cry-laughing emoji again), and add new items at least once a month. </div>
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4. Sew Myself Silly </h2>
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This one is pretty straight-forward and doesn't require a lot of backstory: I want to improve my sewing skills. Did you know that SMART goals have a TIME limit? Well...I think they do! There is such a thing called #MeMadeMay that encourages seamstresses (or seamsters....seamsti, I suppose) to wear and #share items of clothing that they made themselves every day for the month of May. I want to participate this May. I plan on sharing at least some of the items here, but if you'd like to see all of them you can <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jmariehig/" target="_blank">follow me on Instagram</a>. If you plan on participating, too, let me know!! As I mentioned about the Fix...I "life" better with other people!<br />
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That's it! I think I can handle four goals, and I'm pleased with the different paces and timelines I have set out for them.<br />
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If you've set goals for yourself, for this year or otherwise, what are they? Do you have any good tips for success? Also, does anyone actually know what the SMART goal acronym stands for? (Final cry-laughing emoji!) </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-46415812727526039912015-11-14T21:26:00.000-05:002015-11-14T21:46:11.580-05:00November 13, 2015Lately, I have found it difficult to post on this blog. That is due in part to the fact that I have a two-year-old and a six-month-old…but it also has largely to do with the fact that for the past year my heart has been a constant state of confused brokenness. So much has happened. So much keeps happening. The events in Paris last night, not to mention the bombings that happened elsewhere, were devastating.<br />
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I cried last night…. Quite a bit. I cried again this morning, although not as much. I have no shame in that; I think it was completely appropriate. I know that it doesn't change anything. I know that I have to keep moving on with my life, as does everyone else. I know that, despite how incredibly insane it seems, later today I will have to concern myself with the menu for Thanksgiving and whether or not my toddler put his toys away. I will probably even laugh. This is the world we live in. Mundane, tragic, dangerous...every day.</div>
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So I haven't blogged much. It seems confusing to take time and energy, both yours and mine, to talk about DIY projects and home decor and sahm anecdotes while people are starving and hurting and fearing. It's confusing. Not wrong. Confusing. </div>
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I'm not confused about the attack itself, and that, to a point, is comforting. I believe in God, and in hand with that, I believe in Satan. I believe that there is an ultimate, constant, heavy war between good and evil, between truth and lies. I believe that humanity was created by God and for God, and that He desires our good--a relationship with Him. I believe that Satan stands at the opposite end of that, hating humanity and feeding constant lies into this world in order to tear it apart and keep as many people as he can separated from the One that loves them.<br />
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Good vs. Evil. I think those are terms everyone can understand. The thing is, though, that God is good, Satan is evil...all people are left in the middle. I'm confused by the seeming desire to apply the "evil" label to a certain group of people...especially when I see that labeling being committed by believers. People that commit acts of evil are people that have fallen victim to the father of lies. That doesn't make everyone that shares their skin color evil...it doesn't make everyone else that believes the same lie evil. It makes them more victims of the father of lies. Muslims aren't the enemy, moderate or radical. They are people for whom Christ died. Sin is the enemy. Evil is the enemy. Satan is the enemy. </div>
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I have to admit, I do not mourn for them, the attackers...at all. As a believer, a Christ-follower, I probably should. It's true that God desired them to know the truth, to know His love, to experience His freedom...He desired it for them as much as He did their victims, as much as He does for me. I don't exactly know what to do with that. </div>
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Exhale. </div>
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I accept that I live in a world of terror, a world of uncertainty, a world of danger. I'm not afraid, per se. I have hope...I know what will happen at the end of my life. I have an eternity with my Savior to enjoy. I have children, though...children that have not yet accepted Him. I have friends that have openly rejected Him. That disturbs my peace. It rests in a place of my soul that I cannot reach to clear out. It is fear. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">"<span style="color: #001320; font-family: "trebuchet" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10</span></span></div>
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That's a promise for believers. "Surely I will help you." "I am with you." "Do not fear." Those are incredible promises. I'm not holding them as a taunt. I'm writing this post in an effort to process, but I'm also aware that it will go public, that you will read it. So I want you to know, God's desire is that that promise apply to you. God's desire is that you live with hope and without fear. That you not be a victim to lies. He changes everything, and you need Him. You absolutely do...no matter who you are.</div>
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Exhale. </div>
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The world is changing, although I'm not sure that it's getting any more tragic and dangerous. I'm so much more able to be aware of the tragedy and danger...that's a change. My soul is unrecognizable from a year ago...for better or worse. It's been suggested to me that I should avoid Facebook. This is usually suggested as I'm mopping my face...and it's a fair suggestion. I don't know. Maybe I should. I've considered it. I've considered never watching the news again. I think I could exist at some level of peace just watching Netflix sitcoms from the 90s and 00s, blogging about home decor and sahm anecdotes. Tragedy and danger are not quite at my doorstep. I can't <i>really </i>help anyone who is suffering. Please know...I'm writing this because I really feel the need to do something. That's probably normal grieving.<br />
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I can do nothing, though.<br />
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So let me say this again: You need Jesus. You don't need religion, you don't need rules, you don't need reform...you need a relationship with the only one that can actually <i>do </i>something in times like this. Jesus isn't bound to or strengthened by a nationality, a denomination, skin color, wealth. If you don't know Him, you have a misrepresentation of Him. (That's our fault...the fault of believers...we get all caught up in trying to bind Christ to all those things but...He isn't. Anyway. That's another post for another day....)<br />
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You need Jesus.<br />
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My desire for you is to know Him. My desire for myself is to know Him better.<br />
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I'm processing. I started this post confused by how to respond in my grief...very confused by how others are responding. Even the filters of the French flag (which my profile is also wearing), it's...confusing. Seeing it over everyone's profile pictures, which capture people's happy faces, happy moments. It's a show of solidarity...but one that sort of highlights just how separated we are from our desire to help. I spent a long time trying to find a picture where I didn't look too happy...where I wasn't juxtaposing my joy with others' tragedy. Survivor's guilt? Strange. Our attempts to put a bandaid on tragedy. We aren't the answer. Our unity, outside of Christ, isn't true unity.<br />
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I still can't answer for the latter, for others' responses, but my response is now confusion free. I'm clinging to Christ, which means I'm desperately desirous that you cling to Him, too.<br />
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I have no idea who will read this...if anyone will read this. If you do, though, and you have questions...please let me know. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-11258092805405255732015-08-04T15:21:00.000-04:002015-08-04T15:21:18.308-04:00Honey Lemon PurseI am finally getting to the point in my crafty-life that I feel, dare I say it? Confident. I feel confident.<br />
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I feel so confident, in fact, that I volunteered to make a Honey Lemon purse for my friend's daughter when she expressed the need on Facebook. Her young daughter was diagnosed with leukemia, and we have been praying for her as she has battled it. It was a blessing to me to be able to do something hands-on for this sweet girl and her mom, and I'm thankful that I didn't receive a scoff or dismissal when I raised my hand at the opportunity to create this little purse.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhT_kChX0jAFimwRoImE3_14AjJ0joitjdwPJnbfYjQg9OvQgeXlQrwYHEuMV0bn34LABwlAfU-j1BMm8ls0Dm4tvrSJEZ-p-y6pUcyydXaIN1z4CFwyYpnyozPeJsSkgUQTz0KpABKTa/s1600/DSC_0334+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhT_kChX0jAFimwRoImE3_14AjJ0joitjdwPJnbfYjQg9OvQgeXlQrwYHEuMV0bn34LABwlAfU-j1BMm8ls0Dm4tvrSJEZ-p-y6pUcyydXaIN1z4CFwyYpnyozPeJsSkgUQTz0KpABKTa/s1600/DSC_0334+%25282%2529.JPG" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Since it had such a special recipient, I wanted it to be really really good. (I would say that I wanted it to be "perfect," but I sort of feel like little imperfections are special in handmade items.) I looked all over Pinterest and the rest of the internet, and was shocked that I couldn't find any thorough patterns or tutorials for this project! There were a couple of cosplay bloggers that had made Honey Lemon outfits, but the purses weren't really fit for a kid's play item. (But PROPS to the person that made their purse <a href="http://imgur.com/gallery/o8nvQ" target="_blank">complete with a periodic table of elements</a> that lights up. So cool.) Most of the other quick DIY ones were basically shoebox purses, which are fine, but I wanted this to be legit. I thought and I thought, and I thought some more (is that from the Grinch?), and then once I had theorized to my satisfaction, I drew some "plans," consulted with my expert seamstress mom on some details, made patterns for the bear, heart, and some other details, and then got to it.<br />
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I was so excited to take pictures of it that I forgot to iron it before the little photo shoot...and I don't know how to photograph purses, so I apologize for the cluttered nature of our porch rail, but here it is in its full glory.<br />
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I am VERY happy with the end result. I just decided to do a purple heart (as the purse is pictured in a number of promo images for Big Hero 6) instead of the table of elements because I didn't have time to have special fabric printed, and I was afraid using buttons or felt rounds would look lame. I found those buttons at a JoAnn's, and I think the flat circles make it a little more wearable than balls would have been.<br />
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I'm really regretting not ironing before the pictures, but I don't regret the purse. I hear from this little girl's grandpa that the purse was a hit, so I'm glad. So glad.<br />
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I might sit Hig2Point0 down when she's five or six and make her watch Big Hero Six so that she'll want a Honey Lemon purse, too. Then I'll get to make another one, and I won't feel dumb for saving the patterns.<br />
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What do you think? Have you seen other Big Hero 6 paraphernalia floating around out there? I'd love to make a big Baymax plush toy! Or wings for...what's the guy's name with the wings...?<br />
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Anyway. The purse. Ta-daa! Let me know if you're interested in a tutorial! Otherwise I'm satisfied with the brag post, haha. <br />
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Happy Tuesday to you!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-85196549770147657192015-07-31T09:48:00.001-04:002015-07-31T10:03:19.877-04:00I'm Getting a YakHoly fly-by summer, Batman! Is it really July thirty-first? Is this month really coming to a close already?<br />
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That was so fast. Too fast! The Hig house residents will miss July. We've gotten in a fair amount of ice cream and boat rides. Babyhig got in the lake for the first time ever!! I've even gotten to sit in the sun just for the sake of sitting in the sun...<br />
<a name='more'></a>...<b>for the first summer in three years</b>! I have the tiniest bit of a sun-kissed glow.<br />
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*fist pump*</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">kayyyakayakayakayak.</td></tr>
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We also got to visit the nearby Dutch Creek Animal Farm over the 4th of July weekend. If you live in my area, I highly recommend a visit. The cost includes admission to a petting zoo, and a wagon ride where all kinds of animals (Zedonks! Camels! Brama bulls! Elk! Yaks!) run up close enough for you to touch and feed. For the record, if I ever have the opportunity to own an animal just for the sake of eccentricity, I'm getting a yak. Adorable. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isn't he the cutest?! If only you could see him do his little yak run!</td></tr>
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And of course, there was all the usual fourth of July melee. We were so happy to be able to enjoy so many of these summer moments with my little brother and his new wife...and are so sad to see them move away. Adulting. It's the worst. Except that you get to be married and have kids, and only receive mild protest when lighting off fireworks, and all the other awesome things. Except for that, it's the worst. (Also, does anyone else's family enjoy telling horrific firework stories while simultaneously lighting them with glee?)</div>
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Anyway, we'll miss them, and not just for their abilities to make shapes and letters with sparklers.</div>
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Props and thanks to the people who were kind enough to make an explanation of how to take sparkler pictures. </div>
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I really can't complain for a second about this summer, except to note that it is going by all too fast. Everyone else in SW Michigan must have been enjoying July, too, because they've been too busy to come look at and then buy our house. :) Ah well. </div>
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I'll be back soon to share a really special purse project with you (Hint: Big Hero 6 is involved), but for now I'm going to keep enjoying this last July day and dream up how to thoroughly enjoy August as well! Any suggestions? :)<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-82209873513555279252015-06-16T15:37:00.002-04:002015-06-16T16:20:14.191-04:00Big Hig HappeningsHello interwebs. (Why does "interwebs" make me laugh?)<br />
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I'm a little excited and a little nervous to share with you today. There's big happenings here.<br />
<a name='more'></a>And of course, as always, I'm a little ashamed, because it's taken longer than I wanted for me to get around to writing. You want to know far that shame goes? Far enough to delay me in reading my <span style="color: #6aa84f;">friend <a href="https://herwintersong.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Kayla's latest post</span></a> </span>because I didn't want to comment there until she could also comment here. We're blogging buddies, and she's winning.<br />
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I don't know if my "nesting" stage from pregnancy is just sort of having a hangover, but I have been project-ing a LOT lately.<br />
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(Not "projecting" as in throwing an image, feeling, or opinion onto a secondary platform, but project-ing, as in I took the word "project" and made it into a verb to indicate that I have been doing them. Projects. Isn't language fun?)<br />
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I have been knee deep in sewing, finishing a quilt for Hig2Point0 (my first ever quilt! I followed <a href="http://seekatesew.com/modern-ombre-bw-triangle-quilt-tutorial-pattern/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">this tutorial from See Kate Sew</span></a>), a skirt for my little brother's wedding, some baby toys, wet bags for friends...I'm actually starting to feel pleased at the conclusion of a project rather than embarrassed and confused. I've also been tinkering around with hand-lettering, making some gifts for friends and family. I even got my domestic on yesterday and made<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><a href="http://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com/2012/04/17/strawberry-rhubarb-crumb-bars/" target="_blank"> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">these Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb bars</span></a> </span>with produce from our first CSA box. (So good. Follow the link, get the recipe, eat the bars.) Really enjoying the creative process lately...if not always the creation itself. ;) I'll get there!<br />
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And of course, Dan and I have been project-ing hard around the house. I've been deep cleaning, donating, organizing, rearranging, staging everything I can get my hands on. Dan has been sprucing, finishing, hammering, sawing, man-working everything on the honey-do list. We've sort of been running ourselves ragged. It's got a purpose, though. We're not just crazy. We have something we want to do...<br />
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We want to sell the Hig House.<br />
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Some of you are probably thinking, "Mehhhh old news, I am clicking onward into the interwebs." That's fine. Some of you might be like me, though, and thinking, "Really? Already? But...it JUST became the Hig House like yesterday! Moving?"<br />
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Yeah. I hear that. Don't be confused, we aren't exactly bursting at the seams of our home yet. (Should that be "bursting at the beams?") We could, and might, stay right here for a few years longer. At the same time though, it's starting to feel tight. Babyhig is rather active, regularly bouncing off the walls, floors, corners, dog...yes, that's literal bouncing, and there just isn't quite space here for a padded cell, err, room for him.<br />
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(That's a joke. Don't be mad.)<br />
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So it's tight. And even though we already have a boy and girl, we aren't done having kids, Lord willing. (That's NOT an announcement. We're selling our house. That's the only announcement here.) So hopefully things will get tighter. Hopefully we would be bursting at the beams of this home in the future.<br />
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There are mixed feelings. I look around our beautiful little home and see everything that we have done, everything that has changed in the short time we've been here. It's filled, sort of excessively, with our adventures in DIY...the curtains, the lamp, the table, the mudroom bench, the sign over the fridge, the fringe bunting over the fireplace...and I wonder if that's annoying to any of our visitors. Then I start thinking about our visitors, about SO MANY friends that I haven't had the chance to welcome into this home, and I so wanted to. (Why does everyone live so far away?) Then I start thinking about the friends that we <i>have </i>hosted, and I smile at how gracious they are to have been willing to sleep in our cramped quarters on our too-tired couch, or squeeze around our table for a meal or board game.<br />
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I look at our fireplace and immediately remember how excited I was the first time we looked at this house. I couldn't wait to decorate for Christmas. Of course, at that point, the mantle was painted orange...as was the ceiling, and the rest of the trim in the living room. The kitchen was a dark hole with seventy years' worth of wallpaper peeling away. The bathroom was unusable, the bedrooms were gross. The porch was lame. We did so much work. This home is so beautiful now.<br />
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That's not even mentioning the memories. The day we brought Babyhig home...I was a mess. The day we brought Hig2Point0 home...less of a mess. The day we brought Puppyhig home! The day I realized hardwood floors didn't have a lot of defense against puppies and babies. Making Babyhig laugh for the first time. Enjoying Babyhig's exploration of our home as he learned to walk...and then quickly realizing that coffee tables and toddlers didn't mix. Moving the coffee table out, and enjoying that emancipated space in our living room watching Dan and Babyhig rough-house and chase each other around.<br />
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Our first Christmas, when I did get to decorate and hang stockings I had made and hand-stitched. A slow, somewhat bittersweet realization that Dan and I would only have one Christmas to ourselves. A fast, joyful tearing of wrapping paper as Babyhig realized the true mess-making potential that Christmas day holds.<br />
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Sorry for the memory-gushing, but hey, BNW is here for me, too...it's like an online diary. And what better way to process memories than in your diary?<br />
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Hig2Point0 won't have as many memories here if we move...and that makes me sad. I want her to see it. Want her to be home here. Want her to enjoy it.<br />
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Mixed feelings, indeed.<br />
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It's not a done deal. We made an offer on another home, and it was accepted, but the sale won't go through unless we sell this one. So we aren't definitely moving.<br />
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But we might.<br />
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So that's the latest of the Hig Happenings. I want to show you all we've done here. I still have a lot of the "before" pictures, so I'll give you the "afters" so that you can see the transformation, and so that I can cherish it years down the road. Until then. :)<br />
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**If you are interested, or know someone who might be interested in our adorable home, email me for the listing information. (That's for friends and family, only. You know what they say...stranger danger.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-70646301674725401302015-04-02T13:49:00.004-04:002015-04-02T20:45:40.837-04:00#hig2point0<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My world has changed again. We're a whole new "Brand New 'We.'" This is my squirmy, pink, chubby-cheeked <i>daughter</i>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">around 3am on 3.28.15, after we had gotten in some good skin to skin time</td></tr>
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<a name='more'></a>There's so much in flux right now...I'm not going to try to perfectly capture how I feel. I'm just going to say that I do feel. I feel constantly. Big feels. This is my daughter. My second child. </div>
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When did I become enough of an adult to have children? How did that happen? And why does my recessive blonde gene seem to always win the fight in the DNA pool? Not that I'm complaining, I love Babyhig's hair, and her hair...but I really thought we'd have some brunette babies. Maybe I wasn't paying as much attention as I thought in sophomore biology...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit goes to my incredible husband</td></tr>
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Labor and delivery was great. Really great, even. No one seems to believe me when I say that--there are always a lot of raised eyebrows and scrunched foreheads and sympathetic "Ohhh"s--but seriously...it was. </div>
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I was debating on whether I would write this here, because I don't want any cyber-raised eyebrows or scrunched foreheads, but my desire to remember outweighs my lack of desire to deal with any of that. It was a long process. I was induced, started on Pitocin, at around 10am. Most women's bodies do a little work during pregnancy to get ready for labor, but not mine! I'm special that way.I had to stay in bed all day because I had soaring blood pressure numbers. I was at 150/110 in the morning!! Terrible. So I was in bed, horizontal. That doesn't help things move along all that quickly in the world of labor. By seven pm that night, I had only progressed one centimeter. ONE! That was a bummer. So I talked things over with my doctor, and she broke my water. (It was okay, I wanted that to happen.) Having your water broken is <i>so</i> weird. I had low fluid with Babyhig, so when my water broke it didn't make much of a difference, but this time! Holy cow. My stomach deflated like a balloon. I actually weirded out a little bit, I was so fascinated by it. My nurse and doctor laughed at me. Oh my goodness! Bodies are amazing.<br />
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Anyway, after my water broke, enter the pain. You know what they say about forgetting how much labor hurts? That happens. This was tough. Lots of discomfort, a fair amount of crying. Pain. I had severe contractions 1-2 minutes apart for about an hour and a half, which is good, and I progressed...</div>
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...not at all. Like. Half a centimeter.<br />
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Disappointment. </div>
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So I called for an epidural. We waited about another hour for the anesthesiologist to come, and then he was there and did his thing. (There was a lot more pain and "dealing" during that time. Dan is a good man.) </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and I know that I am the luckiest</td></tr>
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Let me just say, praise the Lord for epidurals. Praise the Lord. It was thorough and I was able to rest for about an hour before my doctor showed up again. I joked with her that she was going to tell me that I had progressed 4cm in the last hour. We all laughed. And then she checked me...</div>
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...and I had progressed 6 centimeters in the last hour! So I say again. Praise. The. Lord. I mean no, I don't get to say, "Oh and I didn't get an epidural!" to everyone that asks (because <i>everyone </i>asks, because that's apparently what really matters when you have a baby...), but other than that, praise the Lord for epidurals. </div>
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After that, things flew right along. I was ready to push about an hour or so later, which was around 12:30am. By 12:55, she was there. </div>
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We were working up to this for nine months, and then in a major build up to it for the entire day on Friday...and yet I just couldn't believe it when I saw her. She was there. Seven pounds, 15 ounces, 19.5 inches long. It's indescribable. A whole person just started. Right then. And she started with me. She hardly cried, just stared around the room and blinked really really really slowly. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">first bath. loved it. photo credit, again, goes to Dan.</td></tr>
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People say she looks like me. I have no gift for identifying the faces of parents in their children...even my own in my own, but I believe them. Plus, people are also saying she's pretty, so I can't fight that.<br />
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We're five days into this now, and she's even more perfect. Having a new baby at home is just the weirdest and coolest and scariest and best thing. </div>
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And this is what we're doing now. This is hig2point0. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-52233358650979469542015-03-23T10:48:00.002-04:002015-03-23T10:48:55.529-04:00Guess Who's Back?! [[...not the original Slim Shady]]Hi everyone! Or should I maybe say, "Hi...anyone?" If there's no one out there with me, I can't say it would be much of a surprise. It has been way WAY too long since I've posted regularly. With the exception of <a href="http://www.brandnewwe.com/2015/02/mary-evanyo.html" target="_blank">last month's post about my grandma</a>, it's been over a year!<br />
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NO bueno. </div>
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I love blogging. I love sharing projects and updates on our life...both for your sake and for mine! I love the idea that I can look back at Brand New We over the years and see snippets of our life. I definitely don't want to lose that. </div>
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And speaking of snippets, last year is seriously lacking!! Considering that 2014 was Babyhig's first full year, that's another no bueno. So here are a couple of highlights to catch us up. </div>
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In February of 2014 we had the privilege of traveling to Arizona on a work trip with a group from our church. My older brother is on staff at a (very cool) camp ministry out there that has had some exciting opportunities for development over the last few years. Those opportunities included relocating and building at a brand new property...up in the mountains in the middle of a national forest! The camp is completely off the grid; they sustain all of their own electricity, water, plumbing, heat...it's incredible. Plus. Beautiful. It was such a pleasure to be able to help with some of the work. The seven month old Babyhig and I even got in on some painting.<br />
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In March I became a consultant for Jamberry nails (look them up if you haven't heard of or tried them!!) and it was wonderful! It only lasted for a short time, for reasons forthcoming, but I was so blessed by the company and the experience. And the manicures. </div>
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There was an exceptional amount of travel that happened. Dan, Babyhig, and I took a road trip to Virginia, which was a soothing balm to my soul in ways I cannot begin to explain. My parents invited Babyhig and me to join them on their spring break trip in Florida. I was also able to host some visiting friends, and I remember those visits with incredible fondness and a fair amount of longing. "Lucky" does not truly describe this blessed life. </div>
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I was so so blessed to be involved with a number of weddings last year. It is always so humbling to be asked to participate in any way, even just as a guest. So thankful for the loved ones with whom I could celebrate!<br />
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Remember how we've been slowly but surely remodeling this lovely little home? We were able to give the out of doors some much needed attention in a porch makeover last summer. More photos to come! </div>
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Babyhig's first birthday party came and went without too much emotional trauma for me. I'll probably do a follow up post for the sake of my memories, but for now I'll just say that despite its being devilishly hot, it was so fun to pull together.<br />
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And of course, the longest-running element of last year, the reason I decided to stop being a Jamberry Consultant, the inspiration for our dcurrent hunt for a new home, my motivation for wanting to return to the blogosphere, and the cause of my consuming <a href="https://instagram.com/p/vGnKl4KqrQ/?taken-by=jmariehig" target="_blank">too many McDonald's breakfast sandwiches</a>...<br />
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Hig2point0. She's due March 23rd. That's...today. Oh goodness. </div>
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So hopefully that will do as a sort of "catch up." Since my lovely readers are mostly made up of my friends and family, I imagine none of this came as much of a surprise. I hope it helped you to reminisce over the past year a bit, too, and stir up some hopes and excitement for the rest of this one. </div>
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I declare that I am officially "back."</div>
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I need a little help, though. I think some of my inability to be consistent here has to do with my feeling a bit...lost...as to my purpose here. So please tell me, what types of posts would you best like to see? DIY tutorials? My musings on family, faith, life? Updates on our remodel process? I need a little direction...or at least permission to carry on in an aimless, wandering sort of way. I'd also welcome any advice or suggestions about how frequently to post, and how to set up accountability for that. </div>
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I realize it's a little informal, me asking like that, but hey. It's my blog. It'll be fine. </div>
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Thanks for being here with me!! Welcome back!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-51648602627322227692015-02-25T01:22:00.001-05:002015-02-25T01:22:45.029-05:00Mary EvanyoIt's almost one in the morning, and I'm blogging for the first time in over a year. I haven't blogged, not really, since Babyhig came into the picture. <div><br></div><div>I'm a mother. </div><div><br></div><div>It's almost one in the morning. We (being the whole Hig family) just got home from a whirlwind trip to Colorado. We are just getting out of travel mode for the first time in twelve hours. Long day. Feels even longer than twelve hours...maybe traveling time when you're pregnant is measured differently than when you aren't. Like how dog years aren't the same as human years. That's just a theory, though, so don't quote me. It just feels longer than twelve hours. </div><div><br></div><div>I'm 36 weeks pregnant (that's nine months, for those of you keeping track at home), and I just flew across the country. I'm 36 weeks pregnant and I just flew across the country with a toddler.</div><div><br></div><div>No, I'm not the type to seek out chaos. I don't think so, anyway. </div><div><br></div><div>My grandmother, Mary Evanyo, passed away on Valentine's Day...her funeral was yesterday. Well, it was on Monday, so I guess it was two days ago. </div><div><br></div><div>My grandmother was a lot of things. She was smart. She was so incredibly smart, really, and the wonder of it is that she wasn't showy about it. That's a mark of something genuine in my book...if you don't have to talk about it, don't have to prove it...it's probably the real thing. She was beautiful. She was tiny. She was patient. She was talented...I got to sleep in her sewing room when we went to visit every year at Christmas, and I would really love to be just a fraction of the seamstress that she was. </div><div><br></div><div>She had six kids. Siiiiiix. Six kids. </div><div><br></div><div>Six.</div><div><br></div><div>At her funeral, her priest gave a really lovely...I guess it's called a eulogy. He gave a really lovely eulogy, and emphasized the incredible wonder that was my grandmother's mothering. She was a mother, six times over. She was pregnant six times. She gave birth six times. She mothered six lives. </div><div><br></div><div>Incredibly selfless, incredibly patient, incredibly loving...all part of the eulogy. All so very true. </div><div><br></div><div>Babyhig got sick on the plane tonight. He had been a total champion during the whole flight, about two and a half hours, plus the two and a half hours we had waited in the airport for our delayed flight, plus the hour drive to the airport, plus the whole weekend. Total champion. And then, after we landed, stuck on the runway because another plane was using our gate, babyhig got sick. All over Dan. </div><div><br></div><div>He was then pretty much a champion for the three hour drive back to our home from the airport. And then, as soon as I pulled him out of the car and started up the walkway with him, he got sick again. All over me. Then again, and then again, before we made it into the shower. </div><div><br></div><div>I know this all probably seems very strung out and disconnected, but I'm so thankful to be a mother. I'm so thankful that babyhig got sick again when we got home, because I knew he needed to. It had to come out. I was thankful to be holding and comforting him when he was sick. </div><div><br></div><div>I'm so thankful to be a mother...and so much the more so, I'm thankful to have a legacy of mothers to look back at and be grateful for, to aspire to emulate. </div><div><br></div><div>The rest of my mom's family all lives in the Denver area...they all live near my grandparent's house. We never did. I never had a close, day to day relationship with my grandmother like so many of my cousins...sometimes I felt disconnected. Like I was missing something. </div><div><br></div><div>However, as this little girl in my belly rollicked around during the eulogy, I felt connected to my grandma like I never have before. And as I wiped up puke tonight and washed it out of my hair, I thought of her again, and her six kids. That is so much sickness. So much mothering. </div><div><br></div><div>I'm really thankful. I'm thankful for my grandma. </div><div><br></div><div>It's kind of a cruel trick with grandparents...you lose them right when you start to realize how much you want to know them. I wish that weren't the case. </div><div><br></div><div>I'm glad though, that my grandmother was a mother, and that I know that. </div><div><br></div><div>I'm glad I'm a mother. </div><div><br></div><div>I'm so glad I got to go. </div><div><br></div><div>Goodnight. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-25702768389396916912013-12-31T13:44:00.001-05:002013-12-31T13:44:42.096-05:00Phone Challenge 2014I'm going to describe two situations that occur in my life - more regularly than I'd like to admit - and I want you to consider them. <div><br></div><div>(Before we get going, I'll just say that no, this post is not about Jack Johnson, despite my fondness for his beachy tunes.) </div><div><br></div><div>Situation #1 - I forget a lot of things a lot of the time, so I regularly give myself the pat-down. Pat the coat pockets, jeans pockets, purse pockets...I only disrupt what I'm doing to retrieve what I've forgotten for two things: my keys - because I literally <i>have</i> to go back for them - and my phone...because...why?</div><div><br></div><div>Situation #2 - I need to contact my mom/brother/dad/husband, so I call/text them...but they don't answer. I deal with this by calling/texting them over and over and over and over and over and over and over again until I reach them or give up hope. </div><div><br></div><div>So what do you think?</div><div><br></div><div>I'll tell you what I think. I think I have a problem. </div><div><br></div><div>My name is Jessica Higginbotham, and I'm addicted to my phone. Even worse than that, I live in a culture that promotes phone addiction, and I expect everyone to be able to be contacted <i>all the time.</i> I need to be able to reach you, and you need to be reachable<i>. Right. Now. </i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>I have been aware of the exhausting tether that is a cell phone ever since I got one at sixteen. Before then, I had been free as a bird. I had conversations when I was with people, or when I was pleased to have them over the house phone. Beautiful. Blissful freedom. Of course, I thought myself incredibly lame for not having one...you never know what you've got til it's gone, right? Right. Once I had a cell phone, I was caged. I had to be reachable. I had the ability, and therefore the responsibility. It was nothing but accusation if I missed a call. Once upon a time, if you couldn't reach me...hey, that's life! But no more. </div><div><br></div><div>No more. </div><div><br></div><div>Yeah, I know. I totally wanted to have my cake and eat it too. At sixteen, I just wanted freedom without resonsibility, not understanding yet that that is simply not how it works. Yet, while I've become considerably less selfish and immature, I can't help but know that there was a certain amount of truth in those moments of loathing the tether that was my dull gray, free, not-smart flip phone. There's a goodness in being disconnected, or at least in learning how to handle connectivity. </div><div><br></div><div>What's the first thing you reach for in the morning? Your glasses? Your spouse? </div><div><br></div><div>I reach for my phone. </div><div><br></div><div>Sure, sure, it starts with turning off my alarm (which is my phone)...but then it grows. Suddenly I need to see if I missed any calls or texts overnight, and then it's emails, and then how about Facebook messages? And then I'm lost. </div><div><br></div><div>I think it comes down to being a bit self-obsessed...at least it does for me. Does anybody want to talk to me? Am I important? Have I been validated, needed, wanted in the last eight hours of slumber? Girl. Get over yourself. </div><div><br></div><div>And let's not even talk about the self-obsession that is social media. Oh boy. </div><div><br></div><div>And I expect everyone else to be this way. Let me tell you, nothing ticks me off like not being able to get one of my family members on the phone, which is really not good, since my family is sort of notorious for not answering. Hence the calling over and over and over and over again. Seriously? Call once! Chill out! Nothing in my life has been SO important that I needed to talk to them RIGHT THEN. Sure, sometimes it comes down to whether or not I'm supposed to bring an extra side for Sunday lunch at my mom's house but...is it really that big a deal if we don't have it because we couldn't connect to communicate?</div><div><br></div><div>Nope. </div><div><br></div><div>I'm really really really not the first person to consider this. In fact I was inspired to write this post and start this challenge because of something my brother posted. There are studies on it, and articles, and great videos, like this one - <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nfUD0WhE264&autoplay=1&desktop_uri=%252Fwatch%253Fv%253DnfUD0WhE264%2526autoplay%253D1" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nfUD0WhE264&autoplay=1&desktop_uri=%252Fwatch%253Fv%253DnfUD0WhE264%2526autoplay%253D1</a> - and this one - <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?autoplay=1&v=OINa46HeWg8&desktop_uri=%252Fwatch%253Fv%253DOINa46HeWg8%2526autoplay%253D1" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">https://m.youtube.com/watch?autoplay=1&v=OINa46HeWg8&desktop_uri=%252Fwatch%253Fv%253DOINa46HeWg8%2526autoplay%253D1</a> - <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">which you should watch!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">So I'm not having a revelation. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I'm posting a resolution. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">BAM! Wordplay. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">You saw it coming. It's the last day of 2013, and we're all thinking it over, and considering how to do 2014. For me, I want to go phone free in 2014. Do you want to join me?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I searched some hashtags, and found a few people on Twitter that commented on a #phonefree movement, but it was more of a feeling, nothing specific on HOW they were going phone free. Knowing that the best way to achieve an idea is to be intentional and specific, I'm committing to a couple of different ways to going phone free in 2014:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><b>1. I'm taking one day a week and going completely phone free.</b> I know. It's bold. (The font, and the idea.) I'm going to turn off my phone, possibly even give it to my husband to take away, for a full 24-hour period one day a week. What if I there is an emergency? What if I have to be reached? What if I'm in a car accident? It will be fine. I will use someone else's phone if need be. I am conceding to the fact that I am not so incredibly important that anybody HAS to reach me immediately for anything. And let's be honest, we're all probably safer and less prone to accidents without phones in the car. </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><b>2. I'm not going to be on my phone when I'm in a social setting.</b> There were several times over the holidays where I felt rather hurt and a little stumped when someone shut out everything by getting into their phone. It was especially apparent on car rides...everyone else's company and conversation couldn't be tolerated for even 15 minutes? Whoa. I suddenly understood why my husband is constantly asking, "Whatcha looking at?" when I have my phone out while he's driving. Let me in! Talk to me! Let's play! I don't want to make other people feel that way anymore. If we're at dinner, the movies, bowling, playing games, in the car...I'm going to be there. If I have to take or make a call, I'll step away from the group. I think we can leave an exception for maybe one or two pictures...but of the group, not the food. </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><b>3. I'm going to have a specific time for phone cruising.</b> Time management...oh baby. Talk about difficult and important. My phone ruins time management. Or rather, my habits with my phone ruin time management. Pausing quickly to check my email or Instagram or Facebook in between the laundry and dishes sometimes turns into the dishes not even getting done. I am so lame. So I'm thinking for 2014, I will get my phone-cruising in between 4pm & 8pm, and otherwise use my phone like a regular phone. For calls and texts...not for browsing Facebook stati for two hours. Blech. </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">That's it. Three things. I think I can handle it...I certainly hope I can, anyway. I know I'm going to blow it, and I will have *exceptions* and whatnot...but this is something important that I want to address. I don't want Babyhig growing up with an addict for a mother, satire aside. I used to think he would reach for my phone because it was glowing and hey, who wouldn't? It glows! But what if he's reaching for my phone because he's imitating me, and I'm always reaching for my phone? I stick out my tongue, he sticks out his tongue. Monkey see, monkey do?</font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I would like to invite you...hmmm, no, I'll challenge you to join me. New habits are helped along by accountability; I need you! If you see me violating one of my commitments, please (gently) help me get back on track! I don't want to be tethered. I want to take advantage of the technology and connectivity that's available to me without having it rule me. Don't you? I want that for you. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">If you decide to join, please let me know. And write it down! Comment with some <b>specific</b> ways that you are going to go phone free in 2014! Maybe you can't do a phone free day a week, but how about once a month? Try it!!!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">And, yes, I realize the irony in this, but i'm going to use the hashtag #phonefree14 to keep track of my efforts on this front. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">So. Challenge extended. Will you accept?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-31527431554525326892013-10-25T19:41:00.001-04:002013-12-12T14:19:37.814-05:00Fleece Carrier Cover - Made It!So, obviously, a lot of my little diy projects are going to be baby-oriented now. I mean we're still in the grind of a remodel, but that has slowed down a lot since Babyhig was born. It kind of had to since we were screaming through some major renovations, rushing madly to make our house comfortably livable so that waking up for 2am feedings wouldn't end up in our tripping through our makeshift bedroom or impaling ourselves on 2x4s and power tools.<br />
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So anyway, I'm excited to be able to continue sharing our renovation progress (and I will!), but believe you me, I am also excited about the baby projects. That is especially true in the case of this fleece cover that I made to go over our carrier. It's probably the only time in my life when something has turned out exactly as I envisioned and I haven't had to make two, three, twelve attempts, AND it came out of my little head only! No pattern or tutorial to follow, and it wasn't a complete mess!</div>
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Let me hear you say it: Hallelujah!</div>
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Thanks. Now we can move on. </div>
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If you ask me, having a baby-carrier or two on your preggo-registry is completely necessary. There are certain times when baby just needs to be with you, and those times seem to regularly coincide with when you need to use your hands. Enter the carrier. </div>
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So fun. We have a Moby-style wrap (I made it following this super easy tutorial), but we really like having this one by Infantino as well. It's great for being on the go, especially when we're going to be outside, because it's quick and comfy, and doesn't involve the risk of yards of fabric falling on the ground and then needing to be washed because of grass stains...*cough*Moby*cough*. </div>
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We only found a flaw with this carrier when we went to the County Fair on a chilly September night. We didn't want Babyhig's little arms and legs just hanging out to freeze...so this happened:</div>
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Dan does not have Elephantitis of the chest...that's Babyhig, bundled, in the carrier, and then zipped under Dan's sweatshirt. This was a decent solution, but we happen to like that sweatshirt (Go Tigers!) and I didn't want it to get grossly stretched out, so I started searching for a cover. I found that the ones that do exist are not cute and are very expensive. Lame. So I started searching for a tutorial to make my own. I couldn't find one! So after finding some cute fleece on clearance at Walmart, I decided to do my own thing. I'm pretty pleased with the final product.</div>
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Just in case it doesn't seem this way, let me state that I DO wear Babyhig in the carrier on a very frequent basis. Dan is just so photogenic...all my pictures are of him. </div>
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Okay, so that's kind of the final product. It's a lot like wrapping a very warm blanket around your baby, except that it snaps on and is fitted so you can use your hands. Win win. I'm really quite proud of it, and will be sharing a tutorial soon (because there aren't any others that I can find!!), but wanted to get it out there today so that we could all "Ooooh" and "Ahhhhh" together. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-35602807913536392572013-10-16T11:43:00.001-04:002013-10-16T11:48:41.445-04:00Spinach, Goat Cheese & BACON FrittataIs it weird if I post about food? Can that happen here? I know I haven't really done it before, but that doesn't mean it's off limits, right? After all, cooking is a pretty major part of my "new job," a part that I really enjoy, and the only part on which I regularly get feedback. And if you don't mind my saying so, that feedback is generally positive. Plus, posting it here means that my desire to talk about this recipe will be satisfied, and I won't drive Dan crazy yammering on about it.<br />
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So I'm going to vote yes. I can post about food. I can post this delicious frittata recipe. </div>
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I've made this a handful of times, and it has been wonderful each time. If you aren't familiar with frittatas, it's kind of like an egg pizza. It's a great option for a nice brunch, but also cooks up quickly enough to be an easy (and refreshingly out of the ordinary) weeknight meal option. There's spinach, yes, (and mushrooms, if you want)) but there's also bacon...so it's gotten the DanHig approval. The goat cheese is what sends it over the top in my book...I love its heavy, creamy contrast with the salty bacon and eggs. Yum. Seriously. It's a real winner. </div>
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So, without further ado, the Spinach, Goat Cheese & Bacon Frittata, modified from <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/spinach-and-goat-cheese-frittata" target="_blank">this recipe</a>: </div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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-1 12oz package of bacon</div>
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-10 eggs</div>
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-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. </div>
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-Grab a large, heavy, non-stick, oven-safe (yes, I know that's a lot of adjectives, but they're all important, I promise) skillet and cook up the bacon til it's crispy. Or chewy, if that's how you roll, but you'll have to implement a knife on the third step. </div>
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-While the bacon cooks, break the eggs into a mixing bowl and stir with a whisk until all the yolks are broken. Set aside. (You may want to season your eggs with salt and pepper, or as you see fit.)</div>
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-The bacon needs to be crumbled! Remove it from the pan, leaving the grease (stove top off), and either crumble it with your hands (careful if it's hot!) or cut it in to small pieces with a knife. Set it aside on a paper towel.</div>
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-Place the onions and mushrooms in the pan with the bacon grease and sauté them until the onions are brown. Then toss in the spinach and let it cook just until it starts to wilt. </div>
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-Use a slotted spoon and remove the spinach, onion, and mushrooms from the pan to the paper towel with the bacon. Toss with the spoon so that it all mixes together.</div>
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-Next, pour the eggs into the pan and allow them to cook, without stirring, til the edges start looking solid. Do not scramble the eggs.</div>
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-Using the spoon, scatter the spinach and bacon mixture over the cooking eggs. </div>
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-Once the bacon and veggies are on the eggs, scatter the crumbled goat cheese as liberally as you like. (I'm way on the left when it comes to the goat cheese. Can't get enough.) </div>
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-At this point, if your oven is pre-heated, that baby is ready to go in! Place the pan, and everything in it, on a middle rack of the oven, and bake until the eggs have set, about 7-15 minutes.</div>
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-Once the eggs have set, remove the pan from the oven. Slide the frittata onto a wooden board, and slice into wedges to serve. </div>
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-Serve with toast, some fruit, and maybe a little orange juice! Enjoy!</div>
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This recipe will yield 8 slices, and Dan and I each comfortably ate two for dinner, along with some rye toast. So let's say it makes 4 servings.</div>
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And yes, we ate on paper plates. Judge me. </div>
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Let me know if you try this, if you tweak it , if you like it! I seriously can't get enough...going to go warm up some for lunch right now. :) </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-69294653473851437692013-10-10T20:52:00.001-04:002013-10-10T22:57:22.162-04:00Brand New Three<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
So...I'm a mom now. My husband is a dad. My baby...well, he's a baby. A perfect baby. </div>
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We're a family. Higs[cubed]. Musketeers. A brand new three. </div>
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When I named this blog, I was all dopey over the amazing, confusing unity that takes place in marriage. I was reeling over the redefinition of "we" and what it would mean in my life. </div>
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And now here we are...a whole different kind of we. A brand new three. </div>
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I don't even care if you think that's cheesy...even though I know it is, it's still blowing my mind. </div>
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We're about two months into this now ("this" being parenthood) and I think I'm finally getting past the this-is-entirely-surreal stage. For the first few weeks I found myself repeatedly thinking, and saying, "I can't believe we have a baby. Can you believe we have a baby? A baby. How did we get a baby?"</div>
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I think my husband was fairly concerned about my belief in the existence of our child. And about the Health Education class I must have skipped in high school. </div>
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Of course I know how we got a baby but...I mean, you know?! This whole life, this entire person who will have experiences and memories and opinions and thoughts...<i>we</i> started it. We did this.</div>
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Okay, no, I'm not past it. I still can't believe we had a baby. </div>
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He's an incredible little guy. He's really strong, and serious. Everybody says he favors his dad, and that's fine with me. I'm pretty fond of his dad. He's starting to really respond to us--following us with his eyes when we walk across the room, smiling and gushing when we lean close to talk to him, staring at us like we're his only lifeline if he's handed to anybody else. </div>
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We had a baby. A person. A third. </div>
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And he's great. </div>
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<br>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-48894699456164278632013-06-10T21:22:00.002-04:002013-10-11T07:57:03.362-04:00DIY Stenciled Floor***Hello Pinners!! I'm really flattered by all of the action this has gotten on Pinterest, thank you!! If you were brave enough to paint your wood floor, too, I would love to see it! Please leave a link to your blog in the comments, or email me a picture!! (Click on the "Comments & Contact" tab for more details.)***<br />
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Alright, it's finally here. The one you've been waiting for. The one where I show you the fruit of my labor. The one where that itchy curiosity can finally get scratched.<br />
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Did that just get a little weird? Sorry. </div>
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A few weeks ago I gave you a sneak peek of several projects that had gone on/were going on around the house, and inquired about which ones piqued your curiosity. I got several responses...most of them about the stencil project. It probably seemed, after that, like I just totally ignored you, but don't worry. I didn't forget. There were a couple of other things i was waiting on before feeling ready to post this, but I'm here now, ready to do a tell all.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fSPfQ8BdCvk/UbI8XvXH3bI/AAAAAAAABYQ/dDGzMscEiFE/s1600/SpringOfficeRedo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fSPfQ8BdCvk/UbI8XvXH3bI/AAAAAAAABYQ/dDGzMscEiFE/s1600/SpringOfficeRedo.JPG" /></a></div>
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For those of you that guessed floor, you were right. I stenciled the wood floor in one of our upstairs rooms, the room that is slowly becoming our home office. Now that it's done, it is one of my absolute favorite things about our house. Let me take you step by step through my process.<br />
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Warning: The phrases "tell all" and "step by step" should have implied that this will be a lengthy post. If you're not feeling particularly in the mood to read, skip to the bottom for the bare bones of how this was done.</span></div>
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For those of you who might be crying foul at the idea of painting a wood floor, calm down. Let me explain myself. The floors in our upstairs space are all wood, and have all been stained a very very dark color - they're like as dark as sin. They are scratched and stained and desperately in need of...something. </div>
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We have great wood floors throughout the majority of our main level, all of which we had to strip, stain, and seal before we moved in. Woo. I knew what a process it would be if we decided to go that route upstairs. After some consideration, I decided the expense, time, and effort of refinishing the floor in the office was not worth it...especially since the chemicals in stains and sealants meant that I would have hardly been able to be involved because of the baby. I started considering other ways to deal with the floor. I wanted to be able to do most of the work myself, during the day, so that it wouldn't take away from Dan's work time. Carpets or rugs were an option, but that didn't appeal to me because I want the space to feel fresh and open and also be mess-friendly, as it will house all of my projects and hopefully someday the craftings of my kids. I saw a few painted floors on Pinterest, and my wheels immediately started turning. The stenciled ones were my favorite, and using water-based paint meant that I would be able to do most if not all of it myself. I was in. </div>
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I shopped around the Internet for a stencil, considering pattern difficulty and dimensions, before settling on <a href="http://www.etsy.com/transaction/127651189?utm_source=transaction&utm_medium=trans_email&utm_campaign=purchase_buyer" target="_blank">this one from Etsy</a>. I think the Moroccan print is settled in a perfect place between trendy and timeless, and I trust that I'll enjoy it for a good long time. I had some white Behr paint in my stash, which worked to lighten up the heaviness of the stain in the floor and gave the space a nice fresh feel. (There is paint out there that is specifically for use with stencils...but i disnt find it necessary.) I grabbed some brushes, painter's tape, a roller, and some paint trays and I was ready to start. </div>
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I began by taping out a 3ish-inch border all around the room. This is definitely optional, especially for a room with base boards that are the same color as the stenciled design, but since my wood floors didn't stop at the doorway to the office, I wanted to give them a clear cutoff point. </div>
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I used Frog Tape to mask off the area. It has a special solution on the sticky side that creates a moisture-tight seal with whatever it's stuck to, so leaks aren't likely. I knew the unevenness of the floor could cause some problems for me, so I didn't want to take any chances with masking tape or a different brand. It worked great!! (It's also what I used to paint <a href="http://brandnewwe.blogspot.com/2012/10/kitchen-sneak-peek.html" target="_blank">the stripes on my kitchen wall</a>.)<br />
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Once my border was painted I was ready for stenciling!! To make the process a little easier I used Elmer's spray adhesive, following the directions on the can for a temporary bond. I really think this was a huge help in creating the crispest stencil possible, and would certainly recommend it. </div>
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The first time I put the stencil down, I used a roller to apply the paint, and then the first time I picked the stencil up...I was sad. Even after being rolled out on a scrap piece of paper several times, the roller still held too much paint, and that excess had leaked underneath the stencil, leaving a very unimpressive, blotchy mess behind. I wasn't super dedicated to having a perfect pattern, but I knew I wanted better than that. I tried rolling again, with even less paint, but it still was no good. I decided to switch my approach and got out a stencil brush. This way was a lot slower, but yielded much better results.<br />
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If you've never stenciled before and are looking to try a project like this, familiarize yourself with a stencil brush beforehand. The idea behind stencil brushing is that you apply the paint straight to the surface, as opposed to stroking it on, like you would a normal brush, or rolling, like with a roller. The broad surface of a stencil brush ensures that the paint goes straight to the surface, especially when you use a process called stippling. Stippling involves pushing the brush down multiple times and not allowing it any drag, almost like you are stamping your paint onto the surface. You can read more about it <a href="http://www.thestencilsmith.com/pages/How-ToTips.php" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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Doing my entire floor took me about 4 days where I worked in 2-3 hour chunks.(Little by little, that should be the mantra of any preggo home-renovater.)<br />
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After it was finished, I recruited Dan's help, and he applied 3 coats of an oil-based varathane to seal and protect the floor. In hindsight, I wish we would have used a water-based product, even though the finish wouldn't have been as strong, because the oil-based sealant has already yellowed some. Ah well, live and learn, right?</div>
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I know that was a long read, but I wanted to give you the full process. Here's a quicker run-down of steps, though:</div>
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• I cleaned the floor. </div>
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• Using Frog Tape to mask out my area, I painted a border around the perimeter of my room. </div>
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• I prepped my stencil for use by giving it a light coat of Elmer's Spray Adhesive. </div>
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• I found that the best technique—albeit it a slow one—was to use a foam stencil brush and stipple the pattern. (As opposed to using a roller.) </div>
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• Once I had my entire surface stenciled and the paint had dried, we applied three coats of an oil-based sealant. </div>
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• After giving the floor 72 hours to cure (dry), we moved furniture in.<br />
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And here's everything I used to make this happen:</div>
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• A broom </div>
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• A Swiffer</div>
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• Frog Tape </div>
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• 3-inch roller, similar to <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Shur-Line-3-Kitchen-and-Bath-Trim-Roller/20934686" target="_blank">this one</a> </div>
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• Mini Paint tray</div>
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• Behr Semi-Gloss White Paint<br />
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• Elmer's Spray adhesive, pictured<a href="http://www.dollargeneral.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12579745&CAWELAID=1224804958&cagpspn=pla" target="_blank"> here</a> </div>
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• Foam stencil brush, similar to<a href="http://www.creamoon.eu/en/painting-and-drawing/201-manet-stencil-foam-brush.html" target="_blank"> this one</a></div>
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• Varathane Oil-Based Floor Sealant, similar to <a href="https://www.google.com/shopping/product/5700478060089306727?sclient=psy-ab&q=varathane%20oil%20based%20finish&oq=varathane+oil+based+finish&gs_l=serp.3...55086.57201.1.57390.16.15.0.0.0.0.195.1904.4j11.15.0...0.0.0..1c.1.16.psy-ab.xmDz9gq1Ftg&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.47534661,d.dmg&biw=1280&bih=737&sa=X&ei=dHu2UYjqG87h4AOi44HICQ&ved=0CGoQ8wIwBA" target="_blank">this</a></div>
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• Foam Roller to apply Sealant<br />
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I LOVE how it turned out, and am excited to see the room continue to take shape. How about you? Anybody else out there done any experimenting with stenciling a large area? Anybody want to?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-50223724522962215022013-05-31T19:23:00.000-04:002013-05-31T19:23:21.185-04:00Last Minute Spring CleaningsOkay, I know that technically, it's already summer. I know that you're already wearing flip flops, grilling out, getting sunburned...<br />
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But — assuming this post goes out when I want it to, and that you read it RIGHT when it goes out — it's still May. To me, May feels pretty springy, so I'm not going to feel to bad about bringing up spring cleaning. To make it even more acceptable, I'll tell you that this isn't even hardcore spring cleaning. This is last-minute, easy-peasy, just-do-it-because-you'll-feel-a-teensy-bit-better spring cleaning. </div>
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I've never really done much with spring cleaning, partially because I've never before had a house in springtime, but also because it seems really intimidating. This year though, with the impending baby and whatnot, I got waist-deep into spring cleaning, and while I did find some of it to be very labor intensive, I also stumbled onto a few areas where quick purging sufficed. If you're looking to spring-clean something, just anything at all, before you run out of springy-May, why not try one of these often overlooked areas? Here are five, easy, maybe-you-hadn't-thought-to-clean-this items.<br />
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1.) <b>Carry-ons. </b>I feel like most women probably switch purses in the springtime anyway, so why not take a few extra minutes to clean them out as you switch. Lose the gum wrappers, gather loose change, reign in the bobby pins...get all that heavy junk out of there. If you've got a fabric bag, toss it in the wash overnight. If not, give it a quick wipe-down while it's empty. The same process can be quickly applied to diaper bags, gym bags, man-purses/briefcases...anything you carry with you can pick up clutter. Dump it out, lighten that load. </div>
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<b>2.) Cell Phones. </b>You know it needs it. There are apps you don't use, pictures you took with your thigh, contacts you're pretty sure you've never met and never will...take a minute to clean it up. And then why not run it through the latest available update? </div>
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<b>3.) Computers. </b>Ugh. These can go FAR too long without a good cleansing. Take an hour and organize some pictures. Delete an obsolete program. Store old files to an external hard drive and get them off your computer, because let's face it, you're not going to be revisiting that Classical Epic midterm paper any time soon. Do it. It will feel sooo good! </div>
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<b>4.) Countertop. </b>Keeping your horizontal surfaces dramatically clear will help your WHOLE house seem spotless...even if it isn't. Yet we're always shooting ourselves in the foot with this one because countertops seem like such excellent storage spaces! Fight the urge. Take a minute tonight and find a new home for your coffee pot/bread machine/kitchen aid/whatevermightbemosteasilyremovedfromyourcountertop. Even eliminating just one thing will help. </div>
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<b>5.) Closet. </b>Did you see this one coming? Yeah. Spring is such a good time to get rid of some winter clothes, because the rest will go into storage (or at least will be out of use), and the beauty of them going into storage is that if you're anything like me, you won't have the slightest recollection of what your warmer wardrobe looks like when the crispy-ness of Fall warms around! Ergo, it won't bother you if that certain green sweater isn't there anymore. What green sweater? Oh I got rid of it last Spring? Hm. Can't picture it. </div>
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To make this even easier, ask your husband to go pick out three things he didn't see you wear last winter. Don't look at what they are. Trust him. You'll probably never even notice they're gone. </div>
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There you go. If you want to get in a little tiny bit of cleaning before the summerishness of June, take the next 10 minutes to an hour and knock out one of these. It'll feel good. I promise.<br />
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How about you? Any tips to share? Anybody off to get in some last minute spring cleanings?</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6141776385956362567.post-65781724127718165982013-05-16T19:27:00.000-04:002013-05-16T20:04:05.519-04:00DIY Bon Appetit Fridge TopperBack for the second time in a week! Are you proud of me? Aw, thanks. It's a lot easier to be consistent with content since Dan and I have been kicking butt at home and getting all sorts of projects done! Blogging about finished projects is <b>much</b> easier than blogging about ongoing projects. Today I am excited to show off a really fun DIY project that I was able to pull together in the course of one evening, this DIY Bon Appetit sign!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Cute, eh? I am pretty psyched about how this turned out, and was even more psyched about how simple it was. It was so simple, in fact, that I only used about half the supplies that I originally started with. Usually when I jump into a craft project it drags on for days because I get into it and then realize I need about six more things...and since I am conveniently located right in the middle of nowhere, I don't get those six things for way too long, and by the time I do get them my original project has been suffocated under a pile of laundry or something, and I've lost one of the original items that I had, so I have to wait again to get my needed supplies...<br />
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...it's a vicious cycle.<br />
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But not today! Everything was easy breezy. I.am.happy. Check it.<br />
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When you walk into our house, the open floor plan allows you to see all the way to the back of the kitchen. Because of the limited, space, this is great, but it also makes it very important to keep the kitchen stylish and worth looking at. Our fridge is gigantic, and is the first thing that really catches the eye. We hadn't lived in our house for long before I started considering how to dress it up a bit. I knew two things: 1.) I love using text in decor, and 2.) I wanted to decorate our kitchen with accents in vibrant, citrus-y colors.<br />
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So when I saw <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=World+Market+Venetian+Print&aq=f&oq=World+Market+Venetian+Print&aqs=chrome.0.57j60j62.5491j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=World+Market+Venetian+Print&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=5t-UUarRI82ZqQH2xICQCw&ved=0CC4Qsxg&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.46471029,d.aWM&fp=fca2f75dcc7cdfb6&biw=1280&bih=909" target="_blank">these letters for sale at World Market</a>, I fell in love, and quickly decided "Bon Appetit" should grace the top of my fridge. So I bought my "Bon" with a gift card that I'd been holding on to for over a year...<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--G3OnPphoIw/UZVrVP96rZI/AAAAAAAABTI/fRPE2_fcMUo/s1600/5512E58D-EB6B-4E49-A8DF-CD181DBECEE7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--G3OnPphoIw/UZVrVP96rZI/AAAAAAAABTI/fRPE2_fcMUo/s1600/5512E58D-EB6B-4E49-A8DF-CD181DBECEE7.JPG" /></a>...and then I did nothing for a very, very long time. I just couldn't figure out a good fix for the "Appetit!" I knew I wanted it to be cursive, or script like...but that was pretty much where my ideas ended. But then, oh then, I saw <a href="http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2012/08/floral-wire-words-diy-project.html" target="_blank">this tutorial</a> on A Beautiful Mess blog, and I knew I had my solution.<br />
The supplies were an easy roundup: heavy gauge floral wire, hot glue gun, fabric strips, craft paper, a pencil, and a tape measure. The only thing I didn't have right at home was the floral wire, and I could pick that up at our local dollar store. Score! I also got silk flowers there, and was intending to go full floral like on ABM, but when I thought it through, I realized my World Market letters had plenty of pattern for the whole kitchen, so I went straight up fabric on "appetit."<br />
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First I measured out how long I wanted the word to be, and blocked out that area on my paper. I wrote out the word "appetit" and got to work on molding my floral wire over top of that. Then I grabbed some yellow fabric I had leftover from <a href="http://brandnewwe.blogspot.com/2012/09/brand-new-fall-decor.html" target="_blank">decorating my mantel last fall</a>, tore it into strips, and got right down to wrapping and gluing. Bam. Bam. Bam.<br />
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A push pin and white thread later, and everything was set. Done. Considering gift cards and whatnot...I think this cost me about $3. That's pretty sweet.<br />
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I have a whole bunch of other projects that I am really looking forward to sharing with you, including several more in the kitchen! This one is done, though, so I'm just reveling in that for now. <br />
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How about you? Any completed projects that you're going over the moon for?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2