Monthly Archives: December 2013

My own personal bully

I read a post by HandsFreeMama earlier this week about the bully close to home.  I realized as I read her story, I am my own personal bully.  I bully myself in believing perfection is possible.  It is difficult for me to not be the best in all things, so when I decided to take it easy this Christmas, I’ve had a difficult time forgiving myself.

I love Christmas and everything that involves Christmas.  However this year Christmas is different.  Don’t get me wrong, I still love the decorations, food, and music that celebrates the precious gift of Jesus.  This year I am not doing all of these things.  I have a tree, but it is a small tree.  I normally decorate a tree in several rooms of my house, each worthy to be displayed in Macy’s.  Each room is fully decorated with a theme for each room.  I am still baking, but I am fine with the simple snickerdoodles.  I still enjoy listening to the Christmas music, but I’m not singing in the choir.

After reading this article, I am reminded that all of these activities are lovely, but they are not important if they separate me in anyway from  my boys (my husband and my son).  So instead of spending a weekend decorating, I am watching a movie with my boys.  Instead of choir practice I am catching up on the day.  Snickerdoodles are Jeremy’s favorite, so that is hardly a loss.

What I need to do, is give myself the permission to not be perfect.  I need to remember that it isn’t perfection Curtis will remember when he leaves our home, but how he felt when he was at home.

 

HandsFreeMama http://www.handsfreemama.com/2013/12/10/the-bully-too-close-to-home

Updated organized plan

I love my tech toys, but when it comes to organizing my day, I love paper.  The monthly calendar is the most important tool I use when planning my day to day life.  I need this to see what is going on in my life at a glance.  I love Easy Calendar for my iPad, but it still has not replaced paper.  

The past several years I have used the Vera Bradley agenda.  I love the agenda and I do not have any complaints or recommendations.  This year I decided to try something different.  I plan to start Project Life in 2014.  2013 is a year I would rather forget, so I have not done much memory keeping from this year.  Next year I want to start a new approach that records our every day lives.

After following several Project Life boards on Pinterest, I saw a repeated theme, using your planner to plan Project Life.  You use the planner as you normally would, to plan your life.  What is different, you use the weekly space to plan your Project Life layouts.  The planner used most often, Erin Condren.  So I decided to splurge and I purchased the Erin Condren Life Planner.  

My Erin Condren Life Planner arrived today.  I have been so anxious to receive it since it shipped.  So while waiting on my son during his Boy Scout meeting, I added the events I already have planned for next year.  I love the look and feel of the planner.  The fact it was designed for me makes me happy and the photo stickers just make me smile.  

My planner includes December 2013, so I am going to try and get my Project Life method down this month so I am ready to go next month.  I am excited about what 2014 has to offer.  I am looking forward to the memories to be made and the album that follows to be enjoyed.  

So as I work through this process, I will update more reviews about my planner and if it meets my needs.  I had originally made my planner for next year.  So at the end of 2014, I will write a final review of the Vera Bradley Agenda vs. homemade vs. Erin Condren Life Planner.

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Let it snow!

This weekend we had our first measurable snow of the year.  I don’t think anything beat the site that could be seen with the Eagles and Lions game in Philadelphia.  I don’t think the snow bowl could compare.

When I think of snow, I think of Christmas.  This year my approach to Christmas is very different.  I don’t have all the decorations out, my big tree is still in the attic, I’m not singing in the choir.  Though my public display of Christmas is very muted, I pray my internal display of Christmas glows.  Without the love and peace of God, I would not be here.  My very existence depends on the presence and movement of God.