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May 2017…so far

May 17, 2017 by Michelle Filed Under: Being a Mom, Life 1 Comment

Y’all…I have so much to write about.  So many things I haven’t had a half-second to put down on paper {or type in a blank box} and I truly fear that I never will!!!  So much I want to say and tell y’all!

But…tonight I’m just going to give some updates because it’s been a couple of months.  In my favorite kind of fashion…here’s the latest with our Lucas clan.

Reading: Magnolia.  It’s seriously the greatest magazine {in my little opinion} since Real Simple came out. It doesn’t help that I, along with the rest of the ship-lap-loving-world, am completely infatuated with Chip and Jo.

Playing: What all of my motherly dreams were made of…playing baseball in the front yard with my kids.  Y’all!  I remember so very fondly playing ball in the yard with my mom and my dad that I have just been waiting {patiently?!} for this day.  And it happened just a week or so ago and has been a recurring thing since…and it’s just bliss.

Watching: Oh I could just watch these sweet babies for days and days, but apparently I’m not in reality!  If I take my eyes of Emory for a millisecond, he’s rolled himself under a chair!  But seriously…I love watching all three of these sweet kids.  They absolutely adore each other and it’s the best seat to the most wonderful show…

Trying: I’m really trying to run.  I don’t like running.  I will walk for miles…and that’s just how I want to do it.  In running there’s too much bouncing.  My ponytail whacks me in the face.  I get WAY too sweaty and I feel so gross afterwards.   But I’m trying.  I’m supposed to run a 5k on Saturday…we’ll see how that goes.

Cooking: OH!  This is fun.  And a future blog post to come…I have done a couple of Blue Apron meal orders! So I have a lot to say about that…and will leave you hanging here on this little cliff!

Eating:  {see above comment…and I will leave you waiting to hear all the yummy details!}

Drinking: Straw-Ber-Ritas!!! The perfect little something at the end of a hot day.

Texting: My friend Meredith and I both got our new Ban.do agendas today (YAY!!) so we were texting each other about how great they are and how fabulous we are for getting the same amazing stuff!

Pinning: I feel like I’ve been pinning a lot of plants and flowers recently.  I have been working on the shade bed in our back yard {it’s coming along quite lovely} and we recently had two trees and several dead azaleas taken out of the front yard so there’s a lot happening in the gardening department.

Tweeting: I think I like the idea of tweeting better than I do actually tweeting.  I’m not one to share my every thought like the Donald… so as much as I’d like to be a hip tweeter, I just don’t think I am…?

Going: I love to go.  I love to pack a bag and GO.  We are going…in just a couple of weeks.  We are going to the BEACH for a WEEK with ALL the KIDS.  Y’all.  Pray for us.  haha.  I’m kidding.  It will be great.  It will be fabulous.  I seriously cannot wait.

Loving: So much.  My husband.  My kids.  Amazing people who are just so incredibly self-less.  I want to be more like them.

Hating: I hate spiders.  I don’t like bugs.  And I loathe mosquitoes.  I’m starting to feel like I don’t really like summer because with warm weather comes all the things I don’t like.  I don’t like sweating either…oh I think I already said that…

Discovering: I can’t really say that I am discovering anything new…  But Emory is and it is SO fun to see and hear him figuring out these new things!!

Thinking: You know…it can be dangerous when you think…ha.

Hoping: I am hoping my husband reads this tonight and sees my hint about a quiet date night Friday night… yes, we have a sitter.

Listening: It’s actually quiet right now as I write this.  The dishwasher is running, the monitor echos the white noise playing in Emory’s room…  There’s nothing else causing a stir.  Now…just five minutes ago Eliza Jane was screaming like a banshee because “my want you” for the 37th time tonight… But I guess she’s finally given up.

Celebrating: There’s always something worthy of celebrating, right?  Last Friday Reynolds got his trophy for t-ball and last night Eliza Jane got her medal for completing a season of gymnastics!

And yes!  We just celebrated Mother’s Day…and all the moms and being a mom.  And I celebrated my sweet Momma in Heaven.  I miss her something terrible, but I trust she’s having a blast up there with Jesus.

Smelling: Have you stopped to smell the roses recently?  I did a walking meeting with a co-worker a few weeks ago and we found this amazing rose along our path…and of course we stopped and smelled it!  I wish I could have bottled up the scent and passed it out with this photo!

Ordering: I need to order a swimsuit!  Did you see the post I wrote for the Columbia SC Moms Blog?  So many options!  I’ve narrowed my choices and now I just need to swipe the card!  I also need to check to see if the kids need new suits…

Starting: Oh there’s nothing to start…and no time to start anything!

Finishing: There’s a lot to be finished.  Flower beds, laundry, ironing…all the things I’ve already shared including writing more blog posts!

I’ll save all of that for another day.  I’m off to bed while the littles are sleeping.

I hope you have had a joyful May so far.  If you haven’t celebrated anything today…look around and find something to be excited about.  I trust you won’t have to look very far…

Much love!

Take Me Away…From The Stress

September 20, 2016 by Michelle Filed Under: Being a Mom, Life 1 Comment

I think I wrote a similar post last year about how I deal with my stress so this Blogtember Challenge post-prompt from Friday wasn’t so unfamiliar:  How do you de-stress/take care of yourself?

Regarding the de-stressing..in the moment:

There’s a lot of self-talk like: Just do it {as if I’m a Nike commercial}

I may literally remove myself from the situation {a short walk always does me some good}

I may turn up some music very loudly…

There’s often at least one prayer said aloud.

De-stressing/Taking care of myself in general:

Eh…I’m not so great at this.  BUT, I start my day off most days with a 20 minute walk, while reading my She Reads Truth devotional, then perusing Pinterest, Facebook and/or Instagram to see what happened overnight.  {side note, why are we so intrigued by all things social media?}

My walk gets me ready for the day.  It is the catapult into energy for me.  I am much more lethargic on the days I don’t get up at the 4:30 a.m. wake-up blast, than the days I do.  Weird, I know.  Seems like it would be the other way around, but whatevs.

The devotional helps me get my heart right, although a sassy ‘tude from a kid at 6:45 can blow all of that out of the water…  Nonetheless, I at least try…

My de-stressor during the day may also be a stroll around the building, or around the block.  The sunshine, the air, the change of scenery…it’s all very good for my mind and my soul.

There’s also something about a garden market that revives me, and I’ve been known to take a break to go to one close to downtown and just take a stroll through the pretties.hayhill-garden

I’ve shared with many of you before that my happy place is in the dirt – digging, planting…enjoying God’s amazing creations in my yard.  That’s a huge stress reliever for me…everything just melts away when I’m in the dirt and planting flowers.

That’s really it.  No secrets.  No magic potions.  Prayer, exercise and dirt.  Good stuff.

How do you de-stress and take care of yourself when you’re overwhelmed?

Mood Board :: Kitchen

September 14, 2016 by Michelle Filed Under: Decorating/Remodeling, Life Leave a Comment

Woo-hoo!  I am finally caught up to the Blogtember Challenge and today’s post-prompt is:  Make a mood board! Are you brainstorming a room re-do, a capsule wardrobe, or already planning for the holidays? Show us your ideas!

I’m so glad someone asked because YES, I am brainstorming…I’m always brainstorming.  A new kitchen, a new bathroom, several things actually.  But today I’ll share with you the kitchen because I dream of white…and bright…and pretty…and elegant.

kitchen-mood-board

So now I just need roughly $40k, a really fast team of workers and voilà! It could be done!  If only I had a magic wand…and where is that money tree I keep looking for to plant in my back yard?!

How about you?  Are you pinning something specific?  Have a mood board to share?  I’d love to see it!

Switching Lives :: Freaky Friday

September 13, 2016 by Michelle Filed Under: Life Leave a Comment

I am finally on today’s Blogtember Challenge post-prompt and it’s a bit of a doozy…If you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would it be? Why?

Side note, do you remember that movie “Freaky Friday” – not the one with Lindsay Lohan…I’m talking the old one with Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris?  One of my favorites growing up.  And a hilarious movie about a mom and daughter who trade places for the day.

So, if I could trade places with someone for a day…anyone…Gosh, there’s so much, so many options:

A rock star

A movie star

A television star

A philanthropist

A world-traveler

A billionaire from the Forbes list

A missionary in a far away land

A princess {Kate, of course}

An artist

A Rockette!

A model

A news anchor for a major television network

The head pastry chef at the White House {that one was specific!}

I honestly don’t know.  Maybe I’m just not that curious about the lives of others?  Maybe I’m too scared that their life is VASTLY different from mine?

As a child I dreamed of being a fashion designer, so maybe to be Diane von Furstenberg or Tory Burch or Carolina Herrera or Vera Wang…  All incredibly fashionable.  Incredibly talented women.

designers

Maybe?  I’m not really sure.

Is there someone you know for sure you would want to trade places with for a day?  A whole 24 hours of being that person.  Who would it be?

Three Books!

September 13, 2016 by Michelle Filed Under: Life 1 Comment

So Monday’s post-prompt from the Blogtember Challenge was: Three books! One you just read, one you’re currently reading, and one you want to read.

Honestly, this one just makes me feel so bad!  I.am.not.a.reader!

I don’t have time to sit and read.

I don’t want to sit still enough to read.

I want to do other things with my time.

Alas.

I really do want to read.

But it.is.such.a time.commitment!

I think I am still reading For the Love by Jen Hatmaker!for-the-love  Granted I’m almost done, but this one has been in progress for some time now.  I read it at bed time, if I have the strength enough to pull myself away from Instagram and Pinterest…they’re so addictive.

I’ve most recently read magazines – Real Simple and HGTV.  I also read a devotional {most of you know this about me already} every morning via She Reads Truth – and currently we are in the book of Hosea.

With the prompting of this topic, I picked up a book I started a year or so ago – one that a friend gave me, and I’ve been diligent each night since Sunday to read it and I must say, I am really enjoying it and am on the tail end!sparkly-green-earrings

 

I have no idea of what I want to read next – and am willing to take suggestions.  I just need it to be a really captivating book.  No murder mystery novels {I don’t do nightmares…} or romance junk {Song of Solomon is good enough for me!}.  Something really good.

Thoughts on that?  What have you read recently that was captivating?!

 

A Day In My Life…

September 12, 2016 by Michelle Filed Under: Being a Mom, Life, Work Leave a Comment

I feel like I should say, “Strap on your seatbelt!!” as a disclaimer/warning…

Saturday’s Blogtember Challenge post-prompt was: A day in your life! Take us through it with you by sharing a photo each hour of the day.

I feel like this is going to be a lot of pictures…so without additional delay, here we go!

Fast forward to when I got to work →there was a lot that happened between 5 a.m. and this first photo at 8:35 a.m. and much of it happened so quickly there was no time for snapping pics!

Today I made the big switch from my 2016 to 2017 Ban.do planner!  I needed to update my calendar for the next couple of weeks, so no better time than this morning to get that done!  I feel much more organized today!
9-12-day-in-the-life

Video chat with the hubs who is in VEGAS….he looks happy doesn’t he? 😉9-12-day-in-the-life-iv

A bonus picture for you…the view from his hotel room at the Mandalay Bay…I can’t even.9-12-day-in-the-life-v

We are updating our website at work, and today was mug-shot day….9-12-day-in-the-life-ii

Gotta get in 5k steps by noon!  I didn’t make it 🙁  I did not sleep well last night so I skipped my 4:30 a.m. wake-up, so I am way behind today and trying desperately to catch up on those steps!9-12-day-in-the-life-iii

For lunch I’m at my desk with a little cucumber/tomato salad, working on this post for you all to read tonight!! 🙂  {People wonder when/how I have time to blog…  Well.  It’s during lunch or right after the kids are put to bed at night!}
9-12-day-in-the-life-vi
After lunch it’s a quick trip to the bank to add to our $5 fund.  If you don’t know what that is, check out this post.  For those that read my “Take Me Away” post yesterday, you know what trip these $5 bills are going towards!9-12-day-in-the-life-iii

I didn’t photograph anything from daycare pick-up mainly because it was pouring rain…so that was fun.  Reynolds said, “Momma, why you not have our rain jackets and rain boots?”  Me: “I have no idea…Why don’t I have my own??”

Supper is always a mad-dash, and tonight was the normal.  I threw some chicken alfredo together along with some asparagus {why my kids love asparagus among all other vegetables, I have no idea! but they do.} and called it a gourmet meal.

Reynolds cleaned his plate so his dessert request was “Nutella and sticks.”  Thanks Aunt Mimi for sending Nutella and sticks – you know the way to this kid’s heart.

9-12-day-in-the-life

Our sweet babysitter Hannah came over to help put the kids to bed and while they ran around like banshees, I picked out some clothes for Fall pictures tomorrow…

9-12-day-in-the-life-ii
Now to a little work, a little reading {for tomorrow’s post!} and some much needed rest!

Good night, sleep tight!

Instagram : People Worth Following!

September 12, 2016 by Michelle Filed Under: Being a Mom, Life Leave a Comment

Another Blogtember Challenge post! {Saturday’s post will be later this evening!}  Sunday’s post was: Round up of your favorite Instagrammers! Who should we follow?

I follow a lot of people/blogs/businesses but I have to say that these are some of my most favorites.  Besides sweet friends and family, here are the greats!

Joy The Baker:because who doesn’t want to follow someone who does amazing things with food?!joy-the-baker-ig-to-follow

Kristin Schmucker Shop: a gal who loves Jesus and has great studies, mugs, and other encouraging things; plus her feed is just lovely!kristin-schmucker-ig-to-follow

WomenIRL: Women in Real Life – brought to you by @RealSimple; “Life’s real, unfiltered moments…”womenirl-ig-to-follow

Little Lighthouse Designs:  I’ve purchased a few pieces from Maxine and she is just the sweetest!little-lighthouse-designs-ig-to-follow

The Freckled Fox:  You’ve probably seen her beautiful face and red hair in a Pinterest pin like thisfreckled-fox-ig-to-follow or maybe you follow her yourself!  She recently lost her husband to cancer so please pray for Emily and their five kids.

Scout Ponder:  The daughter of 49ers quarterback Christian Ponder and ESPN College GameDay’s Samantha Ponder – this feed is full of the thoughts of a toddler 🙂

Ms. Craftberry Bush:  I love everything that Lucy does – her artwork, her home design…I want her to come decorate.ms-craftberry-bush-ig-to-follow

Rooms For Rent:  “Relaxed style with farmhouse flair” – my style.rooms-for-rent-ig-to-follow

Hunted Interior:  Kristin Jackson is the gal behind this one – an ATL girl and her style is just beautiful!

hunted-interior-ig-to-follow

Who do you follow that we should?!

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