Random Facts + Favorite Reads

Posted on April 4, 2013 by bethp146

My sweet friend Sara from This Southern Mom nominated me for a Versatile blogger award. Sara just started blogging again with a new name and spiffy new layout, and I always look forward to her posts. Plus, she recently PAINTED her kitchen counters – pretty amazing. Go check it out!

I’m going to be a rule breaker today. I received and fully accepted this award a couple years ago, but I wanted to acknowledge this in some way. Thanks, Sara! Instead of doing the full acceptance, I thought I would just share some random facts and favorite blog reads. It’s been a while since I’ve done either.

Random Facts

1. We are a dachshund family. There’s just something about them. My parents have Shoalie and Lula. Laura and Wes have Betty Jo. We have Bailey and that silly Charlie in the photo above.

2. The only reason I wear glasses is because of an astigmatism. My eyesight is actually normal otherwise. The glasses help with the terrible headaches I get from reading and staring at a computer screen all day.

3. I am a technical writer. I can’t remember if I’ve shared that before.

4. I have always thought it would be fun to design stationery or open my own pen and paper store.

5. I love ice cream. Other than actual homemade, my favorite is Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla.

6. I once got to meet Harper Lee! This probably deserves it’s own post one day, but it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorite books.

7. John 14 is my favorite chapter in the New Testament.

Favorite Reads

I love reading blogs and finding new blogs to follow. My new Feedly account has quickly filled up. These are some of my favorites:

1. Blue Eyed Bride
Erin is so honest in her writing and impresses me post after post.

2. Lamberts Lately
Leslie is a fellow Bama fan and Alabama blogger. She has an adorable daughter who just turned 1!

3. Loved & Lovely
Ryan is expecting her first child any day. I’ve loved all her posts on getting ready for motherhood.

4. The Heart of Hannah
I actually just found Hannah’s blog this week because someone shared one of her posts on Facebook. It has quickly become a favorite.

5. 12450 Miles
I love Christine’s photography, design, and stories about Spencer!

6. Chasing Big Dreams
This is also a newish read for me. Carrie has such a cute blog, and I love her focus on encouraging others.

7. Kelly’s Korner
Who doesn’t love Kelly’s blog? She’s amazing!

I could go on and on, so I may have to do a favorite reads part 2 post soon. The great thing about blogging is that there is always someone to learn from!

What are your favorite reads?

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Manage it Monday – The Why?

Posted on April 1, 2013 by bethp146

Can this still count as a Manage it Monday post even though I’m posting so late on Monday night? Although, my belated posting does fit with the topic of my post. I simply ran out of time to write last night after all the Easter festivities. Before and immediately after work I wasn’t able to finish this post either. See, I need better organization and time management. That’s one of the reasons I’m doing this series. I don’t know what it is about this year, but I’ve done so much self-reflection thus far. Before I get into the meat of this series, I want to get a little philosophical for a moment,

Tonight’s post is all about the …

Why worry about getting things done? These are my personal reasons, my “why”.

1. I want to be a good steward of my blessings. Every day is a gift, and I want to use my time in the best way possible.

2. I want to get more done, but also stress less. I want to be productive, but also have time to relax and enjoy life.

3. I’m a pen, paper, and planner nerd. All things relating to productivity and organization interest me.

4. Our house feels so disorganized right now, and it’s driving me crazy.

5. I need it. See above

What’s your why?

Introducing Manage It Monday

Posted on March 18, 2013 by bethp146

We’re all so busy. Some of you are rock star moms raising your children while juggling careers, life, and your household. Some are fathers with the huge responsibility of taking care of your family. Some are college students dreading the thought of yet another paper to write. Some are newly married or newly out on their own. The point is, we all have a lot going on. One thing I think is so interesting is to read about how others deal with the craziness of life. In my own life, I’m trying to simplify, declutter, and accomplish some pretty big goals. Since I can always use encouragement along the way, I thought some of you might need that, too. I’m excited to introduce a new feature on Love You Muches.

Every Monday, I’ll be bringing you a post full of tools, advice, and inspiration to manage the chaos of life and make some good things happen. Topics may include:

Plan – how to plan for greatness

Organize - get rid of all that clutter

Acheive – work towards making your dreams a reality

I am so excited for this new feature. I’ve wanted to do something like this for a long time here, and I’m finally ready to get started. I hope you’ll come back next Monday, March 25. The first edition of Manage It Monday will focus on using planners.

Want to help? I would love suggestions on what you want to read about relating to these topics. Feel free to leave a comment below or send me an email. Otherwise, just spread the word and check back here every Monday! Thanks bunches!

3 Things Thursday – Chocolate!!

Posted on February 28, 2013 by bethp146

1. M came home randomly with this cookie cake Tuesday night. It was the second week in a row he had surprised me with something totally unexpected. He’s sweet.

2. Then on Wednesday my mother-in-law sent us a package complete with dark chocolate for me.

3. I pray that I never take for granted the blessing of a sweet and supportive family!

May your Thursday be full of sweetness!

That Time My Mama and Sister Surprised Me With a New Laundry Room

Posted on February 27, 2013 by bethp146

This is a house project that I can’t take any credit for, but it has probably made the biggest difference in my daily life. When we picked out the floor plan for our house, I was excited about having a decent size laundry room. I should have had plenty of room to wash, dry, and fold clothes in this room, but I never took advantage of it. We filled it with stuff almost immediately and it had gotten JUNKY. I wish I had a before picture. On second thought, no I don’t. It was embarrassing. I had gotten in bad habit of piling clean clothes in laundry baskets and waiting days to put them away. With so much stuff everywhere, I had to move clean clothes to our bedroom to fold. Something had to change, but I just added reorganizing this room to an ever-growing list of projects.

It was a random Friday afternoon. When I got home from work I noticed some trash and boxes sitting next to the trash can in the garage. I thought M must have done some cleaning the night before that I didn’t notice. Inside, Bailey and Charlie were out in our bedroom instead of just in the bathroom. We leave them in the bedroom if we aren’t going to be gone long, so I thought M must have come home early and left again. It didn’t take me long to discover a laundry room makeover, recognize my sister’s handwriting, and knew two sweet angels had surprised me with the BEST gift.

It looked fabulous! I was in tears. The best part? It was free. They repurposed things from around our house and gave things new homes elsewhere. They moved the washer and dryer against the wall to give me plenty of room to hang clean clothes.

Laura made these cute labels for the boxes I already had.

A place for change made by Laura and homemade laundry detergent made by Mama.

Neat cleaning supplies.

This was already hanging, but they made it more functional by adding things like the steam mop I just had standing in a corner.

I just love our laundry room now. I am doing much better about not letting laundry pile up, and it’s nice to have a clean space to work in. Their makeover was in early January, and the room still looks great. I do have a few random items I need to put away that are sitting on top of the dryer, Byt otherwise it’s still neat and tidy.

Aren’t Mama and Laura the best? I’m so grateful for this incredible gift. I really do have the most incredible family. Thanks again! I love y’all muches.

Have you ever been surprised with a room makeover?

My 25th Birthday

Posted on October 11, 2012 by bethp146

Did y’all know 25 is halfway to 50? It was something I never thought until I turned 25 last Saturday. Regardless of realizing that I’m getting old, I had a fantabulous birthday! Thanks to M, my family, and my friends for making it a wonderful day.

Michael made this hummingbird cake from me from scratch. It was incredibly yummy. I was impressed!

Piper’s Quilt

Posted on July 30, 2012 by bethp146

Hands down, this is my favorite thing I’ve ever made! I finished it last month, and I finally got to give it to a good friend at her baby shower yesterday. Dustin & Jenn are so special to Michael and me. We can’t wait to meet baby Piper. I hope she loves her quilt, too!

Cheer Up

Posted on March 16, 2012 by bethp146

“Cheer up. You don’t look very happy.” I was waiting in the hallway at work when a random person walked by and told me this. His words shocked me out of la-la land and back to the present. After he said that, I did a quick self-examination of the million things running through my head. I was wondering why the pain in my abdomen hadn’t gone away. I was thinking about everything I needed to get done. I had been mentally going through the logistics of taking Charlie puppy for her surgery and sad about having to leave her at the vet. I was stressed because I hadn’t put pen to paper on my current writing project in over a week. After he walked by, I was then worried about not looking happy. I guess all the worry I had in that moment made me look sad and forlorn.

Since then I’ve tried to make more of an effort to smile instead of frown. I didn’t realize that I was portraying a look of discontent to the world. Proverbs 15:13 says, “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” That’s what I want – a cheerful countenance and a merry heart. I have a lot to smile about, so why wouldn’t I share that with the world?

How do you cheer up when your feeling less than cheerful?

Living a One List Life – Special Shopping Event from P&G at Publix!

Posted on February 23, 2012 by bethp146

Attention Publix Shoppers! From February 23–29 you can participate in P&G’s “One List Life” promotion, available exclusively at Publix: simply select any four fabulous participating P&G items and pick up a FREE Rotisserie Chicken while you’re at it! Learn more at http://www.savingspg.com.

My rule is I don’t cook dinner on Wednesday nights. I’m more than happy to cook dinner for M and myself any other night of the week, but Wednesdays are the craziest day of our work week. Between work and mid-week Bible study at church, there just isn’t enough time. We usually end up eating frozen pizza or junk food when we finally get home around 8:30. It’s not healthy, and eating that late just makes me feel blah after an already long day.

Last night was different. Thanks to the P&G promotion at Publix, I was able to make one quick stop on my way home from work and pick up everything I already needed at great prices.

In addition to my other groceries, I grabbed Tide detergent, Bounty Paper towels, Cascade complete packs, and Pantene Pro-V shampoo. These are all products I use regularly. I am especially fond of the Cascade packs because I’m really, really good at spilling powder detergent everywhere .

Y’all know I am all about having all my lists in one place. Life is hectic enough, and I am trying to get simplified and organized. When I heard about P&G’s One List Life event, I knew it would be perfect for me. Running errands becomes so much easier if you only have one stop to make. Instead of going to several stores, I got everything I needed at a grocery store I love to shop at. I’m a big fan of a simplified, One List Life!

The delicious rotisserie chicken was just icing on the cake! Instead of pizza rolls and potato chips, I had a much healthier meal. I made brown rice and salad to go with the chicken and was actually able to sit down and enjoy something yummy and semi-homemade before church. With savings like this, maybe I will have to amend my “I don’t cook on Wednesdays” rule!

You can also take advantage of the simplicity and savings! Here’s what you need to know:

The event runs from February 23-29
Choose any four of the participating products and get a free rotisserie chicken
Not only do you get a free rotisserie chicken, but you also save on all the other products that are part of the promotion. Prices vary by market, but you can save up to $2.50 on Charmin and Bounty, and close to $2.00 on Tide 50 oz.
The January 29 P&G brandSAVER contained coupons for Tide, Charmin, Pampers, Bounty, Iams, Pantene and Cascade that you can stack on top of the in-store savings!

How do you simplify your busiest days of the week? How do you make running errands quick and painless?

Thank you to P&G for sponsoring my participation in this “One List Life” promotion. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Check: Finding Balance – Soul Searchin’

Posted on February 6, 2012 by bethp146

Dear Pot, have you met kettle? Here’s the disclaimer. I have no business writing this post. You shouldn’t take advice from me on this because it’s something I’m still working on. To achieve something great, you have to start with a good foundation to build upon until you have something that’s amazing. So, we’re starting with the basics here on our search for balance. By we, I mean me. I’m writing this post for myself, but maybe someone else can find it helpful.

After several days of contemplation, I realized that the reason I was having trouble coming up with a “Basic” to start this series with was because I hadn’t even achieved the basic step yet. Step 1 – Soul Searchin’. Put simply, the basic step of finding balance is all about finding what you love to do. What do you want to accomplish? You can have all these lofty plans, but if you don’t love what you’re working on, they are not very likely to come to fruition.

Personally, I have several goals I’m trying to accomplish. I have everything planned out, but then doubt comes in and I start to question. What do I really want to do? My creative side and my analytical side are warring with each other as I try to make decisions about my future. Do I want to go to grad school? What do I want to study? Should I focus more on the creative or the technical? I’ve had to look a lot at what makes me happiest. I’m still soul searchin’, but these are the questions I’ve been asking myself.

Do you have child-like excitement for your project, plan, goal, or dream?
When you are working on this project, do you smile more or frown more?
If you suddenly were forced to give this up, would you be devastated or would you not really care?
Does it help you become a better person, spouse, or family member?
Is it getting in the way of your top priorities?
Does it cause good stress or bad stress? (More on this in a future post).

That’s all I have. I may not know exactly what I want to do, but I know I want to love it. What are your tips for Soul Searchin’? Has anyone else gone through this thought process, or is it just me?

Love You Muches

documenting this lovely southern life

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