20 minute daily speed clean

Time for a fun post that doesn't involve any talk of MRI's or the word hiccup! 

My house is by NO means a "clean house", I am very aware of it's constant state of "messiness". However! I sometimes feel like I am just randomly cleaning up all day long. No real intention or goal and at the end of the day it still is a disaster. I hate doing that, I would so much rather just spend 1 hour cleaning in the morning and then enjoy my day! But that's not a reality, mornings are busy around here. 

This is no new idea but here is my 20 minute speed cleaning method. 

The key to why this is so effective is really one main thing -- 

1. You just START. 

Instead of spending time walking around looking at the mess, "making a list", or figuring out where to begin -- all of which could have already taken 20 minutes-- just start. 

By diving in you don't waste any time sorting or lets be honest, pouting about what the disaster that no magic fairy seems to be coming to the rescue to do for you. 

Bummer I know. 

2. Clean/organize/sort ONLY.

This 20 minute period is for cleaning only! No phone (ahem, scrolling), dilly dallying or distractions! It's harder to do this 20 minute speed clean with kids around because you can't just say "sorry no distractions!" when a little one is yelling "wipe meeeeeeeee please". Oh the joys. This is best done first thing while daddy is still around or if he leaves before little ones are up it's a good end of the day thing before crashing on the couch for the rest of the evening :) 

3. Work fast. 

This one's important. You know you only have 20 minutes so you just bust it out. Set a timer if it helps you or challenge yourself to how much you can get done--I know it sounds dumb and you might feel stupid, but A. you probably already feel silly at some point in your day between playing make believe or pulling a wagon of kids down the street and B. We all respond well to some sort of challenge. At work or school there is an expectation to meet and I think that does help. So whether it's tackling one room or just the counters push yourself lol! 

4. Keep organizing for later. 

This one is obviously up to you, but I've found that organizing sucks me in. It's a whole other aspect of cleaning altogether! Use your 20 minute speed clean for trying to find the floor again. Or the sink lol. 

5. Be smart. 

This goes along with #4. Don't spend the first 15 minutes of your speed cleaning filing the mail. Go for big things that will make you feel a lot more sane like vacuuming up the dumped out cereal or starting a load of laundry. Also don't spend time putting away things like all the blocks which in 10 seconds your child will just dump out again! Save that for an end of the day job. Scrub the toilets, dust or do something they can't immediately undo. Immediately being the key word. 

6. Become friends with the trashcan. 

I know that I toss things out almost to a fault, my husband likes to keep things a lot more than I do, BUT I feel like so much of the stuff around our house that makes it feel messy is actually trash. That random toy they got in a Valentine's day card, the in n out hat from yesterday, and OHHHHHHH the papers! The papers from church, preschool, speech therapy it seems to multiply everywhere! Save the special ones and toss the rest out or put in a drawer for scratch paper. 

7. Keep going if time allows.

 Ok this is where the 20 minute speed cleaning evolves into the hour speed clean. If I know I have an hour before someone comes over -- even with kids awake this works -- I clean in a particular order and it works super well every time! I start in one room and designate 10 or so minutes to each room. The key is that room is the focus, getting that room cleaned up. For some rooms this is a greater challenge and 10 minutes may not make a dent in one laundry basket let alone the whole room. But for the most part this works. What I do is I run around like a crazy person to get that one room cleaned up lol. If I find something that goes in a different room I just throw it in that room I do NOT PUT IT AWAY completely. That wastes time and distracts you because while unloading the dishwasher you see a hair tie on the ground and take it to the bathroom where you find toothpaste all over the counter and towels on the ground and suddenly you've switched rooms. I know this method sounds a little crazy and I don't know why but it works at least for me! So if while cleaning up the kids room you find a couple toys go dump them in the play room and run back to the kids room. Once you that room is "clean" move onto the next one! You should see how quickly our house gets cleaned up when my husband and I do this. Maybe next time you have plans to come over just show up and hour early you can see it in full effect lol! 

My last point--which ties into my philosophy of why you should make your bed everyday, anyways another post for another day--this really does kick start or end your day well. Have you ever noticed how getting started is actually the hardest part? Once going I feel like I could clean and organize for hours. And maybe you're not that way, you may hate every second, but once you get into it you realize how refreshed you feel and ready to tackle other things. I also really do believe you're most successful during your day with a clean(ISH) house! Knowing you're not coming home to a BOMB makes it easier to do more. Lastly, you are less likely to spend money elsewhere when you're house is clean -- really! I can spend all day at home when it's clean and organized but when things are a mess and sticky (a word that seems to encompass our house sometimes lol) I feel more like getting out or are discontent with what I do have!! 

There's your 20 minute daily speed cleaning tip from me! Happy cleaning!

Filling an empty tank

Last week at the GF office we watched a really short video that focused in on identifying what "drains" and what "fills" you as an individual. It was really good, and last night the hubs and I went on a date and really got to dive into those things. {Side note, we had no money left in our January eating out budget so we packed sandwiches and walked around the pond at a park -- it was great!} 

Anyways, it was great to brainstorm those things for ourselves and also to know them about each other. If you know what drains your spouse than you can either A. NOT do those things lol or B.Understand they need some inflow since they just had a big out pour.

  

We are still working on our lists, it's hard to think of the specific things that just suck you dry but I challenge you to do it! With these past months being some of the most draining and exhausting of our lives we have learned firsthand how bad we handle stress at times in the sense that we just go into extreme survival mode. And I think there are times in life where that's just the reality. 

 If in the midst of  hospital visits, medications and appointments Jeremy had said "I need to fill my tank I'll be out fishing all day" it probably wouldn't have been the BEST form of refilling in that specific time. But to an extent we do need to do this. When Juliana was getting one of her many MRI's instead of sitting outside the room I went for a walk around the park across the street. Be mindful of things that are just draining you so that you can make sure to double up on things that fill you. 

For me just getting outside in some form of nature works, even 10 minutes. After a long tantrum and no nap filled day I will absolutely walk around our block when Jeremy gets home. Knowing the specific things that tear down and build up our spouse makes us able to serve each other better and a much better team overall! 

Here is the video check it out :) 

When you hear nothing.

This season of our lives has been more than the word "challenging" can really sum up. 

As I write I hear the steady "hiccup, hiccup, hiccup" of my toddler. I'm sure you're tired of hearing about it, I'm tired of talking about it. We are in a discouraging spot where we had been so full of hope  in the diagnosis of her having this esophagus disease and that it would be the SOURCE of her hiccups. Months into the medicines and rigid diet we still see no change. While we pray it just needs more time there's no other word for how we feel--aggravated. 

Sometimes we get into these habits of feeling entitled. Like God owes us. For whatever reason.....maybe we've been "good", or spent our life serving Him, or have already had so many bad things happen we don't deserve one more thing. But he doesn't owe us. I've been noticing that pattern in my thinking. I want to say that I am handling this season, the most difficult I've ever faced, with grace, hope and patience.
But that is not always the case.
 I've had to take captive my thoughts and attitudes of anger about this situation. I get so upset that is happening to her. That I feel like every family around me has normal 3 year olds with normal struggles (another misconception that we only see when angry!) My husband said tonight that he was grateful for what this trial was doing in our lives and walk with God.
My first thought was "really?!" I would so much rather have a trial of my own in my own suffering or pain than have to watch my tiny child go through anything. But isn't that just it? It's hardest to trust him with the things I value most, to hand over the thing clutched hard in my hand, unwilling to give up for fear that he won't handle it with the care necessary.
My husband has been the constant, daily reminder of God's goodness and faithfulness throughout this whole thing. My mind often struggles with why God is allowing this to a person like me who already has a tendency to fret and worry -- but again that's just the point. He has so much to teach me and has already in this.

I'm not in control.

I never have been in control.

When things are going easy in life there is the illusion that we hold some ounce of control but we don't. He is the only one I can trust with this. He will save the day. We pray that he will use doctors and some revolutionary cure or cause for her case that no one has ever seen or heard of.....but it will be him.

So as we pray and wait and hear nothing, see nothing, we trust. As I lay for hours and plead for hiccups to stop at night I rest in peace that he will take care of her. Even when they don't stop. My faith and trust in God is not dependent on if he does what I want in my life. He's not my genie in a a bottle who "if he really loved me" would do what I am asking. Bad and painful things happen in life and we spout out things like "God why would you let this happen, why won't you stop it, etc etc". God isn't in a box that we understand and control, and we never ask why he chooses to allow blessings when things are happy and good -- but yikes are we angry when they get bad.

He has this whole crazy painful life worked out for his purpose. None of it makes any sense or seems to have any purpose right now but it does in him.
Soon we hopefully come out of this, and it can be something to look back to and remember that urgent dependency on Christ. And if life doesn't change we continue to wait. Expectantly waiting on him even when we hear nothing.

I hope in some way this encourages you. I know my blog is kind of a downer lately but life isn't exactly easy right now, but is it ever? I know hurting people are everywhere. They are easier to see when you are hurting too. What a unfathomable joy it is to take this burden that feels like pounds of bricks on my shoulders at times and offload them on him. I can't imagine my life without Christ and what he has done for us.

To say this blog has been neglected would be a major understatement! 

Life has been......how do you say.....crazy? 

I will fill you all in soon on what we are up to but that is a post for another day! We are so excited about these next steps. It has been a major life change for our day to day life :) 

I can't wait to write soon! I am not saying that because I think you're sitting around waiting for my next post, I am under no illusions. Have you ever had a conversation with someone in your head and it seemed so real you have to remember you actually didn't have that conversation? Well, I do this with blog posts. I write posts all day in my head. How to get your toddler to stay in bed during a nap strike, knowing your purpose even in mundane daily tasks, tips for detoxing on sugar, tips for when you fail your sugar detox, ya know....the usual :) the problem is they never make it to the point of actually being written! 

But soon! 

STAYcation. It is what is sounds like

The last few days my little family have been on staycation. Stay huh huh ? 

Let me explain...

My husband had a weekend where he also had Thursday and Monday off so months ago we planned on going to the coast this weekend for a nice relaxing vacation. 

Then I went to the dentist. 

If you are a normal individual with dedicated dental cleanings every 6 months that shouldn't mean much. If you are like me however, and it's been........ 6 a few years then it means bad news is coming.

 I would like to say that time got away from me. That we lived out of the country, that had two babies and I just, oh somehow forgot? But lets be honest, I decided not to call and make those appointments. 

I had lots of dental work done as a kid; more than the average for sure. While both my sisters would go to their dental cleanings and have perfect results my brother and I dreaded those cleanings because at the end of the appointment, in came the dentist to check around for cavities and I would just sit there and wait to hear how many. We all 4 of us kids ate the same way, my mom limited our sugar, we didn't drink real soda, we brushed, we flossed (kinda) and we swished. But my teeth seemed to be out to get me. By age 15, I'd had 3 teeth pulled (because they wouldn't fall out........seriously who does that happen too!?) One tooth anchored down surgically (because it failed to come in after the previous tooth was pulled.....again, what?!), braces, retainer and countless fillings in those baby teeth -- $orry mom ! So apparently there was some subconscious reasoning in as to why I didn't want to go back as an adult. But oh, what a mistake :( Last weekend I finished getting my crown on (unfortunately not on my head) after 3 attempts to do a root canal which they finally finished. ouch ouch ouch. I have several (ahem) cavities and need my wisdom teeth out.

Now that I have given you my entire dental history (which I am sure was a thrilling read for you right?) this should explain why we ended up on staycation this weekend instead of napping on the beach. The impending dental bills unfortunately changed all those plans but my hubby is the best and rolled with it without any complaining! 

We already had days set aside so we made it a really fun vacation from home. We saved a ton of money and honestly, had a great time. I think we are/were surprised it was so much fun. 

The key was preparing for staycation the same way you would to leave on vacation. Get yard work done, clean the house, have groceries stocked and finish laundry, that way nothing can be tempting you while you are on staycation. 

We also planned out each day (even with naps and reading periods!) so that we would not get side tracked on doing a project really quick. THAT will be your biggest hurdle if you venture on a staycation. NOT allowing yourself to do projects or even the things you enjoy doing but do in your everyday life. We tried to do things out of our routine to make it feel that much more like a vacation. 

And it worked! 

We made extravagant meals, we read, we lounged, we napped, we went to museums and flea markets we had never been to, we got coffee, we ate pastries, we played in the sun, we swam, we window-shopped, we went to whole foods (yes this is uncharted territory and wow, fun), we got cupcakes, we had SO much fun. 

I am so sad it has come to a close but I am inspired to do this more often in the future. Maybe not for our actual planned vacation but to plan ahead for certain weekend to be simply REST weekends. Even just one day resting and recharging--you would be amazed. 

So if you are tight on money and feel curious to try a staycation; I say go for it!  

 
 

Grass-Fed or God-Fed?

I have recently found myself swept along (and in my opinion rightly so!) with those who are becoming increasingly disgusted with what the average American consumes as "food" and what are diet as a culture consists of. 

I hate that we are eating pink slime and think it's beef, I hate that MSG is in everything and that it not only is USED to fatten rats it kills brain cells, I hate that farmers have to abide by a whole host of rules and regulations brought on by large companies, and I hate a lot more things about our food industry. 

I have become slightly obsessed with reading articles, buying grass-fed butters and meats, spending my FREE TIME watching food documentaries and yes, reading more and more and more articles or at least pinning about them to show that I am appalled by the norm. 

However, I have also had a recent wake up call about how I was spending not only my time and attention, but things more important like my thoughts, my plans for my days and my hopes for my family's life. 

I, along with the rest of you fellow paleo-ers, want to consume less garbage and simply eat the REAL food God put on the earth for us to eat. I want my kids to grow up healthy with limited health issues and not be addicted to having sugar in everything they touch, and I want to promote a healthy culture and planet which is all very important  ...... BUT, why do I want to do all these things? If you asked me, I would say because I want to have a long life to share the love of Christ with those around me and not be bogged down with feeling sick. But how am I spending the time I already have been given now? 

While there is truth to the fact that I need to eat a certain way so that I am literally not sick all the time, there is more truth that while my physical body is being taken care of like a pristine item, my soul can be starving and dry. 

And while there is truth to the fact that I love and enjoy reading articles about food and there is no harm in that, I somehow have no time or energy left to read my Bible or even just sit with my Lord. 

This challenge is for my fellow Christians who like me, are doing their best to care for the needs and bodies of their family, but quite honestly, are spending our days trying to paint and perfect a burning piece of wood. My body has a function, yes it needs to function well so I need to take care of it as a temple of God, BUT it is a body for my soul. How can we not see that we are spending all our time working to preserve something that will die instead of the spirit which will live on?

We go to such lengths to make sure we ingest less toxins and chemicals yet don't care about what we feed our souls. We watch things that we shouldn't that fill our minds with ideals and standards that are not set by God but the world on how we should live. We are like a soldier who is training and training with the perfect physically strong body but we never see battle. 

I write this as much to myself as to you. I can recite articles and quotes and recipes that further my knowledge about clean eating yet........... where is that verse again? The one about salvation offered to all men? I don't know it because I don't KNOW it well. I know those recipes and quotes because I do and say them over and over and over again. 

I am not advocating that we eat junk and trash our bodies, that is clearly not Biblical. But neither is the idolatry of putting what we eat and consume physically above what we eat and consume spiritually. Colossians 3:1-3 says,

 "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

Of course it's not bad to eat primal/paleo/real food and take care of our families. But keep directing your mind and attention back on Him, back on eternal things that will last. If you spend your life and days and hours focusing on taking perfect care of your body you will be devastated one day when you face death. I noticed that the more time I spent in front of my computer reading about what I should be eating the less I spent time with God (duh!).  When people think of me I want them to know I am the one who is passionate about the love of Christ, not passionate about what you eat and would defend it till blue in the face. He is what matters, love him and love people. 

Take care of your body with the balance of taking care of your soul and the countless souls who are dying daily without ever even hearing the name Jesus. 

 "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day." 

2 Cor. 4:16