The Suede Sofa Blog

Clean House!

So as I was tripping out my backdoor on Monday…and when I say tripping, I mean my foot got caught in the strap of a beach bag that had been sitting in the doorway for over a month…I decided that this was the day I was finally going to TaKe BaCk My HoUse! As you can clearly see from my before picture, possibly I have been spending a little too much time crafting, blogging, playing, facebooking, pinteresting, etc. and not quite enough time keeping things in order around here. I’m not sure if my foot in the beach bag was what pushed me over the edge or if it was the fear of my coffee spilling over, but who really cares…a two second incident was all it took to make me realize something needed to give. OK…looking at the before picture…LOTS of things needed to give!

My husband was skeptical at first as he always is when I go on my organizing crazes, but I think part of him was also just happy that I was finally going through the gigantic pile of shoes, coats, and bags that had accumulated by the back door that he just humored me. With a little help from Target I am thrilled with the results and so are my kids. They love having their own cubbies to put their shoes in when they come home and it helps teach them to be responsible. A lot of the other stuff I used to spruce up the area I had lying around the house not being used. Even my husband was shocked at the transformation!

Is there an area in your home that wouldn’t take much to spruce up but keeps getting ignored? Take a look around at things you already have that you aren’t using. Maybe they will work to revamp another room in your home. You’ll be surprised what you find once you start looking around! Happy hunting!

~Robyn (Jersey Girl)

What’s Left for 2012?

Well, we’ve got four more months left of 2012. I will have to say, this year has probably been the most LiFe-cHaNgiNg and iNteResTing one yet! Doug and I took our first vacation without the kids (to Hawaii) in February, I’ve read a couple awesome books, we decided to MOVE our house in April, made Osage County our new home in June, reached my goal weight after 10 years, and we sent our little girl off to kindergarten in August!

It is easy this time of year to throw in the towel and push off our LiVe-It Lists (aka New Year’s Resolutions) until next year. But that wouldn’t be “Living It” now would it? It would be a shame to waste away the next few months because we haven’t accomplished what we wanted in the last eight. I’m here to give you a little boost (because I need it too) and get you excited about what the rest of the year has to offer! You have the ChoiCe on whether or not your 2012 will be a memorable one and it is not too late!

Today I want you to make a new list. Narrow it down to the things that are really iMpoRtaNt. Don’t get overwhelmed with all the little things you have to do. Instead, PiCk One (or two) things that would be realistic to accomplish in the rest of 2012 and start chipping away at it. Maybe your house needs de-cluttered….the fall is a good time to have a garage sale! Maybe you want are feeling burnt out at work…now would be the time to uTiLizE your vacation days if you have a few to spare. Be creative, but most importantly, do something that is going to impact your 2012 in a positive way!

Happy List-Making!

Lara

Pay It Forward

This summer my family spent 9 AmAzInG days in Disney World. It was the first trip for my two kids and the second trip for my niece Taylor. With 3 kids ages 5 and under and my parents who toughed out the long days and heat…the fast pass system which can save you up to an hour and a half of waiting on lines is a NeCiSsItY. My sister was given 8 fast passes for the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror from one of the ride managers. If you haven’t been to Disney World, these two rides are located in the Hollywood Studios theme park and have an average wait time of at least an hour. Throughout the day our family used the passes that we wanted, but she still had a handful left over. Before we left the park, my sister decided to go to each ride and give out her fast passes to people who were waiting on the actual lines which as I said before were about an hour-long. She was met with SmiLeS, ThAnKs, and DisBeLiEf! One recipient said to her, “Thank you so much, I’ve done this for other people, but no one has ever done it for me…way to PAY IT FORWARD.”

In the upcoming months we will be asking YOU to share your own PAY IT FORWARD stories! Remember…a little bit of kindness goes a long way.

~Robyn (Jersey Girl)

{HaPpY FaLL!!!}

Robyn Apple orchard — Suede Sofa’s “Jersey Girl” enjoying fall!!

Ah… it’s FaLL! And although I am always sad to see summer come to an end, there are so many things about this NoStaLgiC time of the year to love. Off the top of my head I’m thinking of pleasant weather; FoOtBaLL games; crisp Saturday mornings; apple dumplings; fall festivals; chili on the 1st cool day; pulling out the blue jeans, sweaters, and boots; and colorful leaves. What’s on your list? Is it taking your kids to a pumpkin patch or ApPLe orchard, making your own homemade apple BuTtEr, attending an alma mater football game, taking a Sunday drive to photograph the colorful leaves, or raking a pile of leaves for your kids {and you} to play in? Why not make a list of your top ten fall FaVoRiTeS and then go ahead and enjoy the season!!

HaPpY FaLL!!!

:) Robynn~

{Labor Day}

When Life Doesn’t Turn Out The Way You Thought…

It’s upsetting, I know. I think we would all be lying to ourselves if we said that eVerYtHinG in our life has turned out exactly, if not better, than what we had planned. Sure, some areas in our life have exceeded our expectations, but let’s face it; other areas have been a big disappointment.

You are experiencing what all people go through at some point in their life. We all have crosses to bear so don’t be fooled into tHinKing the rest of humanity never has to deal with disappointments. We do. It’s just a part of living. Frustrating, I know…but that is why heaven will be so GREAT! It will truly be a life with no worries, disappointments, or sadness.

We aren’t in heaven yet, so where do you go from here? Take a sigh of relief, because you are in G O O D hands. God knows that we live in a difficult place and He is here to help us! I know you can’t iMaGinE how He could fix your situation. And He probably won’t fix it anywhere close to what you had in mind (nor in your timeframe!), but He IS the answer. As hard as it is, just trust, pray and watch for His signs and He will lead you on the right path. Be pAtieNt and know He will ease the pain we are going through. Either way, what do you have to lose?

Hang in there!

Lara

Easy Shell Wreath

This summer while my son spent hours in the ocean learning how to boogie board, my daughter and I collected seashells. My kids loved painting the big shells, but I came up with this idea for all of the muscle shells that we found. This wreath was SuPeR EaSy to make and the only items that I needed to purchase were the foam ring and the burlap!

Buy a plain foam wreath at your local craft store

Wrap the foam wreath in burlap and secure with hot glue gun. Make bow with burlap and secure with hot glue gun

Happy end of summer!

~Robyn (Jersey Girl)

{Tricky People Are The New Strangers}

Ok, I just had to share this blog post (the link is at the bottom of this article) I pinned on Pinterest because it is so vitally important to the SaFeTy of our kids!! In this day and age it can be a bit challenging protecting your kids from predators. (And disheartening that we even have to have this discussion in the first place!) However, KnOwLeDgE iS pOwEr!! So arm yourself with knowledge.

I strongly suggest clicking on the blue links at the end of the article (or here). They are relatively short lists that contain tips to teach your kids:

PREVENTION TIPS , RED FLAGS & WARNINGS, a THE SUPER-10, PLAY IT SAFE FOR KIDS AND GROWN-UPS!

Whatever you do, don’t stress out! Don’t panic! Instead be proactive and prepared. It will not only protect your kids, it will ease your worries as well!!

HaPpY PaReNtInG!!

Robynn~

http://www.checklistmommy.com/2012/02/09/tricky-people-are-the-new-strangers/

What Am Complaining About?

We live in a world that is constantly striving for perfection and it’s only natural to get wrapped up in the cOmPetitioN. Wanting the perfect “life”….ya know the perfect house, car, body, job. Don’t forget giving the perception that your family gets along perfectly and that you have no problems. Ha!

And when some of these areas in our life aren’t PeRfeCt, what do we do? Panic and complain. We get down because we feel like everyone has things bEtteR than we do. We push ourselves to extreme measures just so we can try to keep up with everyone else. The sad thing is, as we waste time stressing about keeping up, we are missing the big picture right in front of us.

I have to remind myself of the important and aMaZiNg things happening before me, instead of complaining about what isn’t perfect in my life (like how my house has a zillion unfinished projects, I forgot to sign my daughter’s homework, or the fact that I have poison ivy on my face and I have a wedding to attend this weekend. Eekk!). Maybe you are so fixated on the fact that you want a new kitchen table during dinner time that you completely miss a sPeCiAL MoMenT from your kids who are sitting in those old worn-out seats. Or maybe every morning you spend your drive envying people that don’t have to leave as early for work, when you are really oVerLoOking that God yearns for your attention the most in the early morning hours.

Take advantage of the good things happening right in front of you. When your thoughts drift toward craving perfection, stop and search for the gOoD in those imperfect moments. After all, your life may not be as bad as you think. It all just depends on how you choose to look at it :)

Lara

They Are Paying Attention!

Today I got an email forward from my mom that really made me think. It was a beautiful poem about what goes on in the mind of a child when we ThInK they aren’t looking. There are so many times I clean up the toys only to have them scattered around the house an hour later and think to myself….Why do I even bother? This poem really touched me because it made me realize that as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends we may not instantly see the influence we are having on the children in our lives, but they are always WaTcHiNg us and taking in the little things we do day in and day out.

When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking

Author: Unknown

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator,
and I wanted to paint another one.When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw you feed a stray cat,
and I thought it was good to be kind to animals.When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw you make my favorite cake for me,
and I knew that little things are special things.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I heard you say a prayer,
and I believed that there was a God to talk to.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I felt you kiss me goodnight,
and I felt loved.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw tears come from your eyes,
and I learned that sometimes things hurt,
but it’s alright to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw that you cared,
and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I looked….
and I wanted to say thanks for all the things
I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.

~Robyn (Jersey Girl)