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Value This Life

Value This Life

Helping you find more joy & beauty in everyday life

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Half a Blog Post

Over eight years of blogging, being honest and vulnerable with you, my reader, has been super important to me. I’ve never wanted to come across as a know-it-all or “do it like I do and you, too, can be perfect” type person. That makes me chuckle. Good thing I didn’t start blogging when I was thirty.

So in the interest of full disclosure, sometimes I got nothin.’ A blog post is due, it’s 11:50pm, and my brain is tired. If I were marginally organized about blogging, this post would have been written and scheduled two weeks ago. I’m going to get better at this, really I am. But until that happens, here’s half a blog post with three things that happened yesterday.

  1. We moved my desk. My office area is in the corner of a room also used for school and crafts. I had heard that your face looks better on video if you’re facing a window, so my husband and girls were recruited to rotate the desk because who doesn’t want their face to look better on video? It only took a minute to realize it wasn’t going to work with the space in the room. So they rotated the desk back where it was, with an important tweak: it was moved forward two feet, making the whole corner more spacious. This may sound silly, but having more space in the corner has been thought-provoking. By having the desk tucked away in a tiny corner, where my chair hit the cabinet behind every time I stood up, I was saying to my family and the world, “I’ll stay small, I won’t bother anyone, my business is just a little hobby.” The truth is, I’m pretty awesome (and so are you, so don’t believe otherwise), if I bother someone they’re not my tribe, and I’m pretty much a mom mogul running a hugely successful business with a smartphone in an office corner. Boom.

 

  1. I tried on five pairs of shoes. And finally got one of the last pair to fit on my foot. Except the strap’s velcro was a bit too short to fit around an ankle brace on a foot swollen from joint surgery recovery. I wanted to cry, not from sorrow or pain, but from frustration. This is a season that’s not moving fast enough for my liking. Many lessons here, apparently there are more to come. Gratitude is at the top of the list.

 

  1. I stayed up too late writing half a blog post. This, my friends, is entirely my fault. I take responsibility for the fact that I haven’t created good systems for the blog, and I’m happy to announce that “systems” are on my list of 2nd quarter business goals. My guess is that the reason for the lack of systems is emotional. Somehow my brain has managed to create negative associations with systems. I’m telling myself stories about systems being evil and hard, and I believe the stories. Fortunately that’s about to change. Time to speak life over my systems and implement simple, doable ways to accomplish tasks with less stress. This will require brain surgery (also known as neuroplasticity, the science of how thoughts change our brains)…but I’m up for it and washing to my elbows.

The danger in writing half a blog post late at night is that I’m too tired to edit and some embarrassing words might slip through. Oh well. I’ll use it as incentive to create those blog systems.

 

 

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About Charlotte

I'm a grateful wife & mom of 12 amazing persons. I love to inspire & teach busy women to find beauty in everyday life by caring for themselves, creating comfortable homes with their families and living out ordinary days with grace and gratitude. I'd love to encourage YOU!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ronda says

    April 6, 2017 at 8:42 am

    “I’m telling myself stories about systems being evil and hard, and I believe the stories. ”

    Oh, yes. This is so me. I can’t begin to tell how many systems I have determined to put in place, but I always rebel. I hate schedules and deadlines, and the very thought of them makes me defensive. The one that sticks in my memory most was a housekeeping plan that required a card file with a card for every task. It took days to map out and set up. And how long did I do it? NOT. AT. ALL. Once I had the cute little file box, I barely even opened it. I hated the thought of being tied to doing a particular task on a particular day. Hated it with a passion. I kept the cards for several years, which only added to my clutter. The only systems I have really been successful with are the ones that I imposed on other people–my children. :/

    So I will be interested to hear how you succeed in learning to NOT believe this. I have tried so many times, but deep down, I’m afraid that I still don’t truly believe that systems are good for me.

    Reply
  2. Susan Smith says

    April 6, 2017 at 12:07 pm

    I was a former elementary teacher for over 20 years and had great “systems” in my classroom. When it came to my home and raising our children, though, I struggled to apply those “systems” very readily. I did a profile (can’t remember what it was called) several years ago, and it showed that I did my best work if there was some external force pushing me to complete tasks (i.e., when I was teaching I had a principal, students, parents, etc.). Now it’s just my hubby and me at home, and we are both currently retired. I’ve found that if I have regularly scheduled activities (for example, Bible Study, get-togethers, etc.) held in my home, I do a much better job of keeping my house clean or completing other household tasks. Knowing that others will be in in my home on a regular basis is the motivating force for me to make plans and accomplish tasks on a regular basis, and I don’t need “systems” to keep me on track.

    Reply
    • Susan Smith says

      April 27, 2017 at 10:30 am

      I finally found the profile I mentioned in my response above and wanted to share it with you. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, but it’s called the 4 Tendencies Quiz by Gretchen Rubin. Her New York Times bestseller book, Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Life, is about how we can change our habits. Her website is https://gretchenrubin.com/. She, also, puts out a monthly newsletter called the Happiness Project.

      Reply

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I'm a grateful wife & mom of 12 amazing persons. I love to inspire & teach busy women to find beauty in everyday life by caring for themselves, creating comfortable homes with their families and living out ordinary days with grace and gratitude. I'd love to encourage YOU! Read More…

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valuethislife

valuethislife
It’s not so much having a lot to do and many res It’s not so much having a lot to do and many responsibilities....it’s over-committing and the energy of “not being enough” that leads to burnout and adrenal fatigue. Your body will cooperate until it doesn’t.  Check in with yourself: What is driving all this doing? What’s behind all the striving, pushing, proving? Sit with that....and then STOP being so hard on yourself, sweetie. Give yourself a break. See where you can simplify. Think about what refreshes you and bring more of that into your life. 🌱
Day 8 of city-water-shortage-after-frozen-pipes ha Day 8 of city-water-shortage-after-frozen-pipes hair. Today they gave the go-ahead for dishwashers and clothes washers, so this girl will be washing her hair without guilt. A week ago it was snowing and -26 windchill, today it’s 71 degrees and sunshine. Don’t tell anyone, but I like variety so Oklahoma weather suits me.😍
Family favorite: No-Bake Cookies! Our recipe is ju Family favorite: No-Bake Cookies! Our recipe is just right, both chocolate-y and peanut butter-y. We like to eat these while they’re still warm and gooey!  Best No-Bake Cookies  1 stick butter  1/2 c. milk  2 c. sugar  1/2 c. cocoa  Mix in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until melted and combined.  Boil 1 1/2 minutes only! Remove from heat and stir in:  1/2 c. peanut butter  1 tsp. vanilla  3 c. oats (either quick oats or old-fashioned)  Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper.  Let set and enjoy!
Living and loving with your whole heart.💕That s Living and loving with your whole heart.💕That sounds lovely but exhausting. Maybe it’s because we’re zoomed out, looking at the whole day and our whole life. 
.
God is not asking you to do it all. Especially not all at once. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. 
.
Zoom back in to this moment. Do the next thing, but do it with your whole heart. 
.
While you’re doing the thing, stop thinking about all the OTHER things you have to do. The most important things WILL get done, but not all at once.❤️
Pretty college student on her 21st birthday. Our 1 Pretty college student on her 21st birthday. Our 10th child. Straight A student. Absolute delight. And when I found out I was pregnant with her, I couldn’t see how it would work out. All I could see was the current circumstance, the feelings and the fear of the future. Maybe this will encourage you today about a situation in your life. There’s a lot of good and hope in your future.🌱
Snow is rare where I live in Oklahoma. Today it’ Snow is rare where I live in Oklahoma. Today it’s still at the pretty stage, when it covers bare ground and sparkles in the sun. Stray snowflakes are falling like glitter. The melting gray slush is coming, but for today it’s a fairy landscape. Reminds me that we can’t stop time or hold on to life’s moments. We can look for the good right where we are and trust God for the “different” good coming.❄️
A good word for when you’re tempted to be mean t A good word for when you’re tempted to be mean to yourself ❤️
Nobody sittin’ on this garden bench in two degre Nobody sittin’ on this garden bench in two degree weather today!🥶Unusually cold, with rare snow and more to come in Oklahoma. This weather event has disrupted “life as usual.” Prayers for those without power, water or heat right now—rolling power blackouts have begun...
Have you ever procrastinated about doing something Have you ever procrastinated about doing something, with thoughts of dread and overwhelm?😬And then done the thing,  finding that it was easier and faster to get done than you thought it would be?🥴Yeah, me too. Note to self: The dreading and putting off costs a whole lot more emotional energy than just doing the thing. 😊
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Looking For Something?

valuethislife

valuethislife
It’s not so much having a lot to do and many res It’s not so much having a lot to do and many responsibilities....it’s over-committing and the energy of “not being enough” that leads to burnout and adrenal fatigue. Your body will cooperate until it doesn’t.  Check in with yourself: What is driving all this doing? What’s behind all the striving, pushing, proving? Sit with that....and then STOP being so hard on yourself, sweetie. Give yourself a break. See where you can simplify. Think about what refreshes you and bring more of that into your life. 🌱
Day 8 of city-water-shortage-after-frozen-pipes ha Day 8 of city-water-shortage-after-frozen-pipes hair. Today they gave the go-ahead for dishwashers and clothes washers, so this girl will be washing her hair without guilt. A week ago it was snowing and -26 windchill, today it’s 71 degrees and sunshine. Don’t tell anyone, but I like variety so Oklahoma weather suits me.😍
Family favorite: No-Bake Cookies! Our recipe is ju Family favorite: No-Bake Cookies! Our recipe is just right, both chocolate-y and peanut butter-y. We like to eat these while they’re still warm and gooey!  Best No-Bake Cookies  1 stick butter  1/2 c. milk  2 c. sugar  1/2 c. cocoa  Mix in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until melted and combined.  Boil 1 1/2 minutes only! Remove from heat and stir in:  1/2 c. peanut butter  1 tsp. vanilla  3 c. oats (either quick oats or old-fashioned)  Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper.  Let set and enjoy!
Living and loving with your whole heart.💕That s Living and loving with your whole heart.💕That sounds lovely but exhausting. Maybe it’s because we’re zoomed out, looking at the whole day and our whole life. 
.
God is not asking you to do it all. Especially not all at once. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. 
.
Zoom back in to this moment. Do the next thing, but do it with your whole heart. 
.
While you’re doing the thing, stop thinking about all the OTHER things you have to do. The most important things WILL get done, but not all at once.❤️
Pretty college student on her 21st birthday. Our 1 Pretty college student on her 21st birthday. Our 10th child. Straight A student. Absolute delight. And when I found out I was pregnant with her, I couldn’t see how it would work out. All I could see was the current circumstance, the feelings and the fear of the future. Maybe this will encourage you today about a situation in your life. There’s a lot of good and hope in your future.🌱
Snow is rare where I live in Oklahoma. Today it’ Snow is rare where I live in Oklahoma. Today it’s still at the pretty stage, when it covers bare ground and sparkles in the sun. Stray snowflakes are falling like glitter. The melting gray slush is coming, but for today it’s a fairy landscape. Reminds me that we can’t stop time or hold on to life’s moments. We can look for the good right where we are and trust God for the “different” good coming.❄️
A good word for when you’re tempted to be mean t A good word for when you’re tempted to be mean to yourself ❤️
Nobody sittin’ on this garden bench in two degre Nobody sittin’ on this garden bench in two degree weather today!🥶Unusually cold, with rare snow and more to come in Oklahoma. This weather event has disrupted “life as usual.” Prayers for those without power, water or heat right now—rolling power blackouts have begun...
Have you ever procrastinated about doing something Have you ever procrastinated about doing something, with thoughts of dread and overwhelm?😬And then done the thing,  finding that it was easier and faster to get done than you thought it would be?🥴Yeah, me too. Note to self: The dreading and putting off costs a whole lot more emotional energy than just doing the thing. 😊
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