{PAY-BACK}

This is my friend GLeNn.  From time to time I bump into him at the fitness center where I work-out and we’ll ChAt a bit.  Recently we did just that.  Glen talked about his TriPs to Colorado for the summer to get out of the Kansas heat.  He owns a camper and makes the drive west to a much cooler climate.  Glen’s children have decided it’s best he doesn’t make the drive alone, so one of Glen’s SoN’s drives him to CO in the beginning of the summer and comes and gets him at the end of the summer.

Glen shared with me how the summer his wife was dying of cancer one son came and stayed with Glen the EnTiRe three months, not leaving his dad’s side.  Glen said, this was “PaY-BaCk” for the way I treated my kids.  Because I treated them well, they now treat me well.”  {WoW.  PaY-BaCk.}

As parents there are SaCriFicEs we make.  Maybe it’s the social life.  Maybe it’s not getting to do what you want to do.  Maybe it’s having to be loving, but firm and say, “No.”  and not being your kid’s best friend.  It’s easy to get so FoCuSeD on the sacrifices, the here-and-now, that we don’t look down the road.   If you’re in the “sacrifice” season of your life remember it’s not forever.  InVeSt richly in these little lives because…

…PaY-bAcKs are coming.

;)

Robynn~

{Fabulous Fall Cider}

This is a ReCipE I got from a great friend and have used it for fall CeLebrAtioNs ever since.  It is my favorite on Halloween night and at Thanksgiving dinner…ENJOY!

InGreDieNts:

  • 1 gallon AppLe cider
  • pinch of all spice
  • 3 whole CloVes
  • orange cut into slices

DirEcTioNs:

Add all ingredients to CrOcK PoT. Simmer on low for 2 hours.  Remove cloves before serving.

~Jersey Girl~

I’ve Gotta Feelin’

Having a RoUgH start to your week?  Try my QuiCk fiX to reverse the feeling of a bad day.

P.S.  I don’t know HOW MANY times I’ve listened to this to give me a little boost.  So much so that when this song siNgs from my office, my daughter immediately runs as fast as she can to come in and DanCe with me :)

What do YOU do to help cHanGe a bad day into a good one??

Enjoy!

Lara

{Reverse Resolution}

We are all familiar with InFaMoUs New Year’s Resolutions.  I’ve read the statistics for the percentage of people who actually stick to them – its DiSmaL.  I think one explanation may be that for some reason JaNuAry 1st seems to be this magical “date”.  As the calendar turns over, people think they have turned over a new leaf, as well.   However,  because of their inactivity, instead of being able to “HiT tHe GroUnd rUnNing” many people find that they are HiGh-CeNteRed and just can’t seem to overcome the inertia.  I know.  I’ve been there many times.

A few years ago I, unintentionally, was motivated to come up with a list (in September/October) of projects I wanted to complete by January 1.  The list was long.  But I was so InSpiRed to check off all my projects by the NeW YeAr that it propelled me forward.  I knew that if I only accomplished half the list, or even a fourth of the list, I could count it a success.  I was doubtful that I could complete the list, but once I got the ball rolling it was like a MoViNg TrAiN.  Not only did I complete the list, I ended up adding more projects to the list. 

As Lara and I have been talking about our “Live-It List” lately, I decided to do the same thing this year and surprisingly the same results occurred.  Why, I’m not sure.  Maybe it’s because mentally it makes me feel as though I am getting a HeAd StArT on the new year.   Maybe it’s because the thought of having all of these projects done before January 1 is (for me) down right ExCiTiNg.  Whatever it is, I think I have a new take on the New Year’s Resolution.  I’m calling it “ReVeRsE ReSoLuTion”.   Basically, instead of designating January 1 the start date, I am designating it the end date.  Does that mean that I won’t have any goals for the New Year?  No.  But it does mean that I can TaKe tHe PreSsuRe oFf and actually enjoy the beginning of a new year as I “hit the ground running.”

:)

Robynn~

Creating Your {Live-It List}

Have you CrEaTeD your “LiVe-It” LiSt?  For the next few months you will be reading/hearing a lot about the “Live-It” list on the Suede Sofa.  If you are needing some help creating your list check out some of the ideas we’ll be sharing.  Here are a few:

  1. Starting that HoMe-BaSeD business you’ve been dreaming (and talking) about.
  2. Finally, pursuing a CoLLeGe DeGrEe/training that was put on the back burner due to the demands of life such as motherhood.
  3. Dusting off a MuSiCaL iNstRumEnT that you played as a kid, but that got placed in the attic after high-school or college.
  4. Pursuing a HoBbY that you have always been intriqued with such as woodworking, quilting, making stain glass, etc.
  5. VoLunTeEriNg at a non-profit.  (The picture above is the FireEscape Coffeehouse, a place for high-school and college age kids to hang out in Chanute, KS.)  Click here to find out more about Director Marilyn at the FireEscape.

:)

Robynn~

Make your Priorities Convenient

Ever since I started dAtiNg Doug, we have always tried to read a daily devotion from our “Word Among Us” booklet we get every month.  I remember how SimPle it was to get this task
accomplished in the dating and pre-kid days. There was very little room for excuses on why we couldn’t find a few minutes to do this together, especially when the booklet was always left where we read it the day before.

Fast forward 7 ½ years and for some reason the little booklet gets moved all around the house, with little fingerprints as the EvideNce on why it ends up in the toy box or jammed in the VCR.  Every night when we go to bed, I reach for it on the nightstand, and sure enough, it is missing once again.  I always tell myself that I’ll try to “find it tomorrow” and put it in a more hidden place, and then we roll over and fall asleep.

We all know how EaSy it is to push some important priorities off to tomorrow, but the sad thing is tomorrow turned into months and because of that it has caused us to not be as diScipliNed into praying together on a nightly basis.  So TODAY, as I happened to discover the booklet once again, I made a point to tuck it underneath the mattress so no little fingers could find it. What a simple SoluTion to something that I put off for months, and I immediately feel like I have a better balance in my life by a small change I made in a matter of minutes.

If there is something important in your life that you “should” be doing, but you keep pushing it off for tomorrow, I encourage you to mark it down on your to-do list for TODAY.  If the priority needs to be done on a daily basis (such as taking daily vitamins, putting on moisturizer, writing down what you spent the day before, etc) take the extra time to make sure it is ConveNient to accomplish so you aren’t so quick to push it off for tomorrow…

~Lara

Write It Down

We all know the saying, “KiDs say the CuTeSt things.”  I’m sure you have favorite stories of words of wisdom that came from your own children, grandchildren, and nieces & nephews.  We swap these little stories with family, friends, and co-workers but do we ever take the time to jot down these little glimpses of ChiLdhOoD?

When my son was 2 and really started talking I bought a JoUrNaL where I could record the date, his age, and whatever it was that he said that made me SmiLe.  :)  My FaVoRiTe to date was April 27, 2010 when Nicholas was 2 ½ years old.  He had just thrown a spoon FuLL oF ChoCoLatE pUdDiNg across my kitchen.

Me– “Nicholas, Mommy is very upset with you.”

NiChOlAs– “No, I uSeT a you!”

There are lots of cute journals available to record these moments.  Even if you use a simple spiral notebook or loose-leaf paper…GeT sTaRtEd!  Childhood comes once in a lifetime and they won’t be calling m&m’s, “WeMeN-a-WeMs” when they’re going off to college!

~Jersey Girl~

Lost In Translation

Do you ever have one of those MoMenTs in an email conversation or text where you read the comment and your response is, “That was RUDE!  I can’t believe they said that!”

That is the unfortunate ConseQuenCe of written communication.  People don’t have the ability to interject tone or emphasis on particular words, and a lot of times, that tone or emphasis is the main form of communication.

Let’s analyze the question, “Are we having goulash again for supper tonight?”  If I’m a fan of goulash I will emphasize GoULaSh. “Are we having GoULaSh again for supper tonight?”   However if I loathe goulash I will emphasize AGAIN. “Are we having goulash AGAIN for supper tonight?”  (As a side note, this is how my husband would respond. Ha!)

We should all make a conscious effort to not overanalyze written communication.  We could totally MisinTerpRet what the writer was trying to say and generate some hard feelings for no good reason.

~Lara