Author Archives: Andie

May 8 2012

Being Still

“Life is a moving Target”

I’m sure you’ve heard that on Target commercials.  But it’s true, life is moving, things are constantly changing and growing.

I need to slow down.

I need to stop the distractions in my life.

I need to be still.

Still.

Silent.

I need to breathe

No, not just air in my lungs, but I need to breathe in life.  I feel suffocated by clutter, distractions, my phone, my to-do list.  I want to breathe.  I want to be free to worship, praise and LISTEN to my Creator.

I’m not a good listener.  I need to be.

I need to be still and stop distractions, I need to focus again.

I’m sure you’ve noticed on the last few blog posts, I’ve been talking about ways I’m regaining order in my life.  I feel like I need to stop doing so much and focus on the NOW, right now.  What’s right in front of me: Jesus and my family.

I want to make my life count.

I want to invest in my children while I still have them in my home and under my care.

I want to focus on the Lord.

I want to make my house a home and be a good steward.

To say yes, you must say no.

I’m putting the brakes on this blog for the summer.  I must.  I have to; for my sanity and my health!

This is hard for me because blogging is something I L-O-V-E, but it must fit in my life and right now it seems a bit out-of-place, I’m trying hard to make something work that isn’t.   So even though I don’t understand it, I’m choosing saying yes to peace by saying no to distractions.

I am going to be spending the summer with my family and regaining a perspective of who I am in the Lord and who HE has created me to be!

I’m saying yes to life and yes to the future.

Thanks and a recommendation

Thank you for taking time out of your busy life to read my blog.  I’m truly grateful.

I will still be participating in the summer HelloMornings Challenge, getting up early and spending time with the God who created me is something I desperately need.  You can read more here.

I want to recommend the book 1000 Gifts if you haven’t read it yet.  Ann Voskamp has a gift with words and this book has the potential to help change the way you view life.  I’ll be rereading it this summer.

Thank you again for your support.

Until next time….

 

 

May 7 2012

Rice, Broccoli ‘n Cheddar Cheese Cups

I made these the other night and the little punks enjoyed them.  It’s rare when all children enjoy the same meal, so I wanted to share the recipe with you.

This is a recipe I plan on keeping in the holster for potlucks, meals for friends or easy-peasy week night dinners in a hurry!

It’s so easy, you can’t mess it up.

Rice Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Cups

1 cup brown rice cooked
1 cup chicken broth
1 pkg. chopped broccoli
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup lite Ranch dressing
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Prepare rice according to package directions, substituting chicken broth for the water.
  • Place cooked rice in large mixing bowl; cool slightly. Stir in remaining ingredients until well blended.
  • Spoon mixture evenly into 8 greased muffin cups.Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Makes 8 servings.
May 3 2012

A happy tip for summer

What makes you happy?

For me, it’s having a morning time before my little punks wake up!

Know what’s better than waking up early?

Waking up with moms all over the country who are worshiping their Savior, being encouraged in the Word and planning their days.  There’s power in numbers friend, and HelloMornings is rapidly growing.

This makes me happy!  Join me?

Click this box to register or to learn more about HelloMornings!

I will be starting an Instagram accountability group for this summer session.

If you use instagram and will be doing hellomornings, I’d love to have you join me.  Find me on instagram @happyandersons, use #hellomornings in your photo description!

May 2 2012

Someday

Someday I won’t be awaken at 2:00am when a little one has a nightmare.

Someday I won’t step on legos scattered about my living room floor.

Someday I won’t hear arguing in the other room about who gets to be inside the tent.

Someday I won’t hear cries and screams.

Someday I won’t be warming up milk in sippy cups.

Someday I won’t be doing 3+ loads of laundry a day.

Someday I won’t be making mickey mouse shaped pancakes.

Someday I won’t be carpooling.

Someday I won’t be hearing cartoons on Saturday morning.

Someday I won’t have to buckle and unbuckle car seats.

Someday I won’t be late for everything.

Someday my kids will be all grown up.

Someday.

….but not today!

Apr 26 2012

Expectations

I’m in a growth spurt in my life.

→  My relationship with my husband

→  My homemaking skills

→  Our finances

just to name a few.

Everywhere I turn I seem to be going through a change…some might call it maturing.  Ha!  Either way, I can tell I’m changing, growing, and things are different.

In this season of change, I’m realizing something, it’s something I’ve known for a while but I’m now putting into practice.

I need to lower my expectations.

In every area of my life.

Period.

You see I cannot maintain peace if I have expectations about my life that are so much higher than the reality I am living.

The gap between my expectations and my reality
creates unnecessary stress.

Therefore, I must lower my expectations.
Let me explain:

I have a six month old, a 2-year-old, a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old, I need to expect that my sleep will be interrupted every night.

It’s just the reality of the season I’m in.

I should not expect to get a full night’s rest right now, because if I expect it and it doesn’t happen, then I’m angry.  I’ll usually get angry at my children, and they don’t deserve that, they’re just kids being kids.

I need to lower my expectations.

On that note, I need to lower my expectations about my home, I need to expect that my home will look lived in. It’s going to be messy, most of the time.

I should not expect to have a 2 bedroom home stay clean when there are 6 people living in it.  Things are bound to get messy and I just need to expect it.

Lowering my expectations doesn’t mean I stop striving for a better life and making goals, I should never stop fighting for peace and joy.

I’ll strive for clean, not spotless.

I’ll strive for rest, not 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

I’ll strive for a happy home, not a silent home.

I’ll strive to raise joyful, grateful children, not perfect children who never fight or throw tantrums.

Lowering my expectations helps me enjoy the season of life I’m experiencing, I can be grateful and joyful right where I am.  Michelle Duggar wrote a similar post about lowering our expectations; it’s really good, you can read it here.

I’m learning to enjoy being right where I am.
Today I’m lowering my expectations.

 

Apr 20 2012

6 Tidy-up Tips

I am privileged to be a part of a blogging group called the High Five Moms: Five mothers, five bloggers, sharing encouragement and tips.

This week we’re sharing on Hospitality.

If you’re anything like me, I prefer a spotless home when entertaining guests, however, with little kids that just isn’t always possible.

I have learned that my house can appear cleaner than it is if I do a few key things before my guests arrive.  I want to share them with you so you can be ready the next time company drops in!

1. Empty your trash cans

An empty trash can give the illusion that you’ve cleaned.  I focus on kitchen and bathroom trash cans the most.

2. Clear off the couch

A couch free of clutter makes it easier to sit down which can create an atmosphere of conversation.

3. Fragrant Hand Soap

Every guest will most likely use your bathroom at least once, have nice hand soap available and a clean hand towel.  This can leave a big impression on your guests!

4. Air Fresheners

If you’ve ever walked into a model home, the room most likely had a nice fragrance of clean; it’s inviting when a room smells fresh.  We love the air freshener Citrus Cilantro from Pier 1.

5. Vacuum

Before guests arrive, vacuum!

6. Empty Kitchen sink

Do your best to have an empty sink when your guests arrive.  It may fill up throughout the course of the night but that’s to be expected.

A spotless home is not practical
nor is it necessary.

Piles in the corner are not usually noticed by guests, and toys on the floor are natural if you have children.  After you’ve tidied up some, spend your time focusing on your guests, they are there to see you and enjoy your company just as much as you want to enjoy theirs.

Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Romans 12:13

 

For more Hospitality ideas be sure to visit the High-Five Mom Blogs below!

The other High Five Moms are:
Brandy from TheMarathonMom.com
Jasmine from PonderThePath.com
KeriMae from KeriMae.com
Apr 15 2012

Peaceful Chaos

Life is funny.

It’s unpredictable, messy, exciting and hard work all at the same time.  Compile a marriage, children, housework, debt, one-income, church and things can begin to spin.

I want life to spin in peaceful chaos.  I do not want life to spin out of control.

Lately however, life is beginning to spin a bit out of control and I’m not okay with that.  It’s time our little family return to the basics.  For us, that begins with:

Meal Planning

I’ll be honest with you, I’m not good in this area, I’m just not.
But I’m okay with that.

My solution to this problem is

↓ 

SAVE TIME AND MONEY WITH EMEALS MEAL PLANS

eMeals creates a weekly meal plan for our family and a grocery shopping list, it takes the brainwork out of planning for me, and I need that right now.  I know firsthand eMeals saves us money, so I’m excited to get back into it! To learn more, go to →  eMeals.

 

Finances

We have a goal of becoming debt free this year (we hope), we’re on the right path but we’ve become stagnate.
And I’m not okay with that.

My solution to this problem is

↓ 

The Dave Ramsey Show

We’ve begun listening to the Dave Ramsey Podcast.  Once a day.

It is 40 minutes of Dave answering questions from listeners, and it is worth every second.  It reminds us of the freedom that will soon be ours if we stick to our plan!  We’ve also written our debt out in Dave’s Debt Snowball Form and I’m happy to say we’re paying off two debts this month.  Can I get a woot-woot?!  To learn more, go to → Debt Snowball.

Clutter

I long for peaceful chaos in my life, however, the clutter in my life is causing pure chaos.
And I’m not okay with that.

My solution to this problem is

↓ 

I’m sure many of you have seen a version of this on Pinterest, this is my personal list which I’ve hung on my fridge.  I’ve begun filling my bags and I’m realizing there’s freedom in having less “stuff” in my life.  It’s a beautiful thing!

I want to live in peaceful chaos, I want to enjoy my family and the life we’re creating together.  As things begin to spin out of control I must take action and return to the basics.

Meal planning  ↔  Budgeting  ↔  Decluttering

These three areas will help stop the out of control spin and help us gain control of that which we love!

Apr 9 2012

Positive Jars

I once heard Michelle Duggar say we should encourage our children 10 times more than we correct them.  At first I thought that sounded insane, who really does that?  Children will be children, and many times they need correcting.  I don’t think Michelle was saying stop correcting your kids, rather she was explaining it’s better to focus on the positive behavior more than the negative!

How do we promote positive behavior, so there is less negative behavior?

In our home, we use Positive Jars!

What’s a Positive Jar?

Simple.  Let me explain!

Each child has their own “jar”, this can be anything from a mason jar, a small decorative box, a special glass or in our case, a cleaned out soup can.

The jar is decorated and has each childs’ name on it.  The stickers and sequences were bought from the dollar bins at Target!

Every time we catch the kids behaving positively they get rewarded by putting a pom-pom in their jar.  These pom-poms and the box they are in were also found in the dollar bins at Target.

They can get pom-poms for saying, “ok” when we ask them to do something.  Or if they put their shoes, clothes or toys away without being asked.  When we over hear them sharing or being polite they get a pom-pom.  You get the point!

Okay, then what?

After their jar is full of pom-poms they get to pull a stick!  Again, all items found at Target.

…who me, addicted to the dollar bin at Target…whatever gave you that idea?…

The sticks are simple and fun things they get to buy or do!

Dinner with mom
Dinner with dad
Sleep in the living room
Jamba Juice treat (surprisingly, our kids love this one)
Ice cream treat
$5 at the dollar store (ha!)
$.99 app for the iPad (upon parent approval)

The sticks can say anything you’d like, but I suggest they are things your children enjoy!  Since our little ones are six years old and under, these rewards work out great.

This system has been in place now for a few months and it’s working out wonderfully.  There is still negative behavior, there always will be, but this has helped give our little punks the attention they need for the positive behavior we expect of them!

Original inspiration for this system was found here!

Apr 7 2012

Paid in FULL

Happy Easter friend.

I just love this:

1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

1 John 5:11-12 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

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