Biggest Bang For Your Buck — BE the BARBER

One of my best investments was a $25-$30 haircut kit from Target.  I bought it shortly after my husband and I got married 5 ½ years ago and I’ve cut his hair ever since!  Owning a hair clipper has not only  saved us money, but it also SAVES my husband a lot of TIME if we can cut it in the evenings or weekends instead of having to schedule an appointment or wait in line at a barber shop. Now that we have a son we can save money on his haircuts as well!  

I’m obviously not comfortable cutting my own hair (although there was about 6 months that I had my husband cut mine!), so my daughter and I get ours professionally cut.  Keep in mind that there are many salons that give you cheaper rates if you come with your hair already washed and wet.  It SAVES them time and MONEY if they don’t have to wash and style it for you.  The women in your family can save a few dollars too!

Does the thought of cutting a guy’s hair make you cringe?  Don’t worry! It is not as hard as it looks. There are haircut kits that come with an instructional DVD which can be helpful. My best AdvicE is to always start with the thickest blade guard and then go down from there (until you get the hang of it).  Even if you do make a mistake (which I have made a time or two), it isn’t the end of the world.  The guys just get a shorter-than-normal hair style for the next 4 weeks  Ü

~Lara

“Refuse To Quit. Period.” – The Challenge (Wk 6)

20.2. . .

. . .miles down and only 6 more miles to go.  (sigh)  

A week ago I ran in the Oklahoma City Marathon and if I had to describe my experience in one word, it would be BRUTAL!!  I won’t go into details, but you’ll get the picture with these descriptive words:  lightning, thunder, rain, hail, wind, cold temps . . . 

When training for my first marathon I remember reading that the last 6 miles of a marathon were the toughest.  I think I would have to agree.   By the 20-MiLe mArK, my muscles were cramping, I was tired, and the thought of another six miles was exhausting.  However, I had come too far, I cOuLDn’t qUiT.

This probably sounds really cliché, but life is like that MaRatHoN.  You find yourself too far in to turn back, but still with a ways to go and with the FiNiSh LiNe nowhere in sight.  If you find yourself at the 20.2 mark in some area of your life here are some tips that might help you finish your “marathon”.   

  1. Get a cHeEriNg section.  The first marathon I ran was a small one with a course that wove around the countryside.  As a result, there was really no one cheering us on until we got to the outskirts of town which was basically about six miles from the finish line.  It was at this point that we began to see spectators and finally had people ChEeRiNg us on.  If you don’t have people cheering you on, get some.  Find some friends that you can share YoRr rAcE with and enlist as a cheering section.  Make sure you are willing to do the same for them.  What you sow you reap.
  2.  Keep your FoCuS on the finish line, not the pain.
  3. FuEL Up!  When running longer races, runners take enery with them.  A couple of things I have used are Gu’s and Shot Bloks – little PaCkEtS of eNerGy.  I pack them in a running pouch and every so often I take them to fuel my body.  In your race, you will need to fuel up.  This may be different for everyone.  Find out what fuels you – spending time with fReNds, a good book, a long wALk, a drive in the countryside.  Don’t forget to stay plugged in to PrAyEr and the Bible, the best energy boosts of all!
  4. Let your CoMmiTMeNt dictate your life, not your feelings.  Keep praying even if it FeEls like the prayers don’t make it further than the ceiling.  Keep reading the BiBLe even if it feels futile.   Refuse to quit, PeRiOd. 

~Robynn

Convenient Memories

Are there MOMENTS in your life that you wish you could remember better?  So many great things happen in our lives but often get forgotten due to the inconvenience of writing it all down.  After my first daughter was born I wanted to cAptUre every second of her growth but always waited until I had the PerFecT time to scrapbook or document it.  The perfect moment never happened or when it did I could never remember all the details.

My solution to this problem? I scrapped the idea of feeling like I had to jot down thoughts and events in perfect handwriting or on paper that didn’t have a wrinkle Ü .  I went out and bought blank notebooks, wrote each kid’s name on the front and placed them in an area of our home that is easy to access.  Nowadays when the kids say or do something memorable, my husband or I grab it right away, sCribbLe in what happened and sign and date each entry.  Yes, the books have already been drawn in by the kids or smudged with their little fingerprints due to being in such a convenient location, but these little imperfections just add to its sentimental value.  As time goes on I’m realizing that these books will be cherished more than the preserved scrapbooks I spent hours completing.  Sometimes the easiest solutions are the ones you’ll TREASURE the most!

~L

HGBV (Home & Garden Blog Video) CONTEST

WiN a $50 Gift Card to HoMe DePoT in our HGBV CoNteSt!!

Contest Details:

  1. Contest begins on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 and ends at midnight on Friday, June 3, 2011.
  2. Submit a DIY (Do It Yourself) before and after picture of a space (indoor or outdoor) you have transformed.  Submit your pictures via email to suedesofa@yahoo.com   
  3. Give a brief description on why we should chose your transformation (for example, “I transformed my space on less than $100!”,  “All the furniture came from garage sales.” , “I transformed the uglest room ever!”)
  4. Participants may submit more than one entry.
  5. We will announce the five finalists on Monday, June 6, 2011.  “Before and After” pictures of each finalist’s space will be posted on the Suede•Sofa blog.  Readers can cast their vote by midnight on Friday, June 10, 2011.
  6. The winner will be announced on Saturday, June 11, 2011 and will receive a $50 Home Depot gift card.

Mr. Apple and Mrs. Orange

Mrs. Orange and Mr. Apple L O V E each other.  They make a good couple for numerous reasons.  Mrs. Orange appreciates that fact that Mr. Apple puts up with her never-ending eMoTioNs, supports her in wanting to try new things and listens to her even when she’s talking in circles.  Mr. Apple loves Mrs. Orange because she laughs at all his jokes, has a PaTienT personality, is a great mother to their kids, and enjoys helping him work in the yard.  Even though they are very complementary together, they are also very different.

Mr. Apple is very predictable.  Like all apples, when you peel back the first layer, there’s nothing but the same fruit underneath. What you see is what you get, pretty much to the core.  It’s as simple as that.  Mrs. Orange loves that about Mr. Apple.

Mrs. Orange is very COMPLEX.  When you peel back the first layer of her exterior BeAUtY, there isn’t just more fruit underneath, but MANY different slices of fruit!  There’s the slice that feels she could be a better housekeeper, the slice that’s striving to be a better mother, a slice for improving her figure, and of course the slice that feels intimidated by other oranges.  There are just a lot of sections of “stuff” under her orange peel, and to be HonEsT, mostly stuff that Mr. Apple doesn’t understand!  Mrs. Orange knows that sometimes it is easier on both her and Mr. Apple if she just calls up her friends and works through some of her more troubling segments.  Mr. Apple isn’t bothered by this fact, and takes CoMfORT in knowing God intended it to be that way.

Even though Mr. Apple and Mrs. Orange think and feel completely different, they serve a UniQUe purpose in their well-balanced relationship.  They acknowledge their differences, and because of that, make a GreAt Pair when sharing their fruit basket!

Ü  ~L

“Committing Your Goal To Paper” – The Challenge (Wk 5)

We’ve been talking about dreams & goals for a month now and hopefully you have something in mind that you would like to achieve.  Its now time to get that dream/goal down on paper.  That’s right, on paper.  I’ve heard and read on multiple occasions that there is a much greater likelihood of achieving your goal if you have it written down on paper and in front of you often.  When you do, it becomes a driving force in your life and a target to aim for.  Not only is it important to get your goal on paper, it is also important to assign a date that you would like to accomplish your goal by.  Are you ready to commit your dream to paper?  The following table will help you do just that.  Here are a few tips to help you complete the table:

  • Be as specific as possible
  • Try to include all the steps you will have to take to accomplish your goal.  Include things such as gathering information, researching on the internet, searching people out who have done what it is you want to do, etc.
  • Once you finish the table you will be asked to list your resources for fulfilling your goal and the obstacles that you will need to overcome.  Take some time to give this some thought.  Have a friend help you as they will be able to think of things that you might miss.
Dream:
Date Of Completion:
Steps To Take Date Of Completion
1.)  
2.)  
3.)  
4.)  
5.)  
6.)  
7.)  
8.)  
9.)  
10.)  
11.)  
12.)  
13.)  
14.)  
15.)  
AVAILABLE RESOURCES:  Include PEOPLE such as those you can enlist to cheer you on, babysitters, those who can help you along the way, those who can give you advice and input, experts; TIME  i.e. early in the morning when your kids are sleeping; ENCOURAGING BOOKS, magazines, articles, etc; MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT such as exercise equipment, computer, cell phone; CHARACTER STRENGTHS; and UNIQUE SITUATIONS that you might have to help you achieve your goal.
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)
6.)
7.)

Possible Obstacles Along The Way And Plan Of Action To Overcome Them
Obstacle Plan Of Action
1.)  
2.)  
3.)  
4.)  
5.)  
6.)  

 

~Robynn

May Day Tradition

May Day is just around the corner. Do you do anything SpeCiaL to celebrate May Day?

For as long as I can remember my mom and dad have had their own May Day tRadiTion.  Each spring morning on the first day of May, my dad hand delivers a freshly picked wildflower to my mom.  Can’t you just picture him?  A hardened Kansas farmer with callused hands and weathered skin, hand selecting the prettiest flowers from the middle of his cattle pasture to deliver to his wife of 36 years?  That mental image always melts my heart…  Sometimes nature dictates what’s in season.  The wildflower may be yellow, white, or blue, but the beauty and L O V E it represents remains the same each year.

Having only been married for 5 years I see how easily life gets in the way of doing the “little things” to express my love.  Sometimes the simplest act can show the greatest amount of thoughtfulness and appreciation.  This year consider starting a new tradition with your loved one.  You never know… it may end up being something you’ll hear your kids talk about after your 36th year of marriage :)  Make this May Day a MeMoraBLe one!

Cheers!

~L