Leave the Dishes in the Sink

In my head, I am the kind of woman who sweeps and mops daily, vacuums and dusts regularly and cleans the bathrooms once a week. In reality... I'm far from it. And it's finally beginning to dawn on me that "ne'er the twain shall meet". Keeping a house clean can be a monumental challenge amidst the day-to-day tasks of parenting, freelance work, relationship-building and just plain living. It's the kind of thing that can really get me down, at the end of a long day of balancing priorities and accomplishing just the necessities, to have to empty the dishwasher again, clean up the dinner mess again, start the laundry again, fold and put away the clothes again. It is a never ending cycle and it is not an easy one to maintain. At the end of most days, I just want to sit. Maybe read a book. Maybe.

So, I'm slowly coming to a mental conclusion: my standards are just going to have to change. Normally, this would be a bad thing. No one wants to lower their standards -- this means settling for less, degrading the ideal, undermining the barely-attainable goals after which we have always sought. But maybe it's not such a bad thing when it means prioritizing the more important standards over those less critical. What's critical to me is making time for my family; striving toward a deeper relationship with God; investing energy in the upbringing of my son and my relationship with my husband; seeking after the welfare of others before self, and using my vocational gifts to do so. Those things take a lot of time and energy. And sometimes, after spending a full day pursuing those things, I don't really want to do much else. And sometimes, that's OK.

I'm realizing it's not worth stressing over the newest coffee stain in the carpet or the hardened bits of baby food that stick to the kitchen floor until I make time to scrub it. Those things aren't as important as making time for a daily devotional, reading a book to my son, or spending some quiet time at the end of the day with my husband. The house may be a little messier and we may not have guests over as often to admire our pristine rural setting (haha)... but I believe I may be a better wife, mother, woman for it.

Especially when someone is there to remind me that he's watching and learning. So, I guess I do clean often enough for him to recognize it... and it's so encouraging (and cute) to see him imitating me in that way. But yes, that's a giant orange stain on his shirt from lunch. And for now, I'm going to say that's good enough.

Crazy Busy Good

There are so many great things to do in this wonderful life, and lately my schedule has been full of them. In the last few weeks, my To Do list has included...

• Trip to Georgia to visit family -- photos to come!
• Doing make-up at a church Ladies Luncheon
• Planning, hosting and enjoying a Girls Night In
• Wisdom teeth removal (and recovery...not fun)
• Teaching a painting class to 13 highschoolers (i.e. "Coke & Canvas")
• New freelance projects galore, including a blog redesign for Cara over at FitBusyFemale (stay tuned for updates!)
• Planning a first birthday party (1 year already?!?)
• Meals with family & friends
• Early morning coffee and watching the sun rise over freshly-fallen snow (I wax poetic...)
• Watching snippets of holiday movies on Hallmark Channel and getting so excited for Christmas/Advent season
• Cleaning house over and over again, and bemoaning a broken dryer

And that's just last week! The coming weeks will be filling with birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas preparations... what a wonderful time of year! 2014 has been filled with so much joy and blessings for us, and there is no better time to reflect on how grateful I am for these things.

Whenever I sit down to write a post like this, I always feel like I could be better about posting more often, keeping better track of the myriad things happening each day. Especially as Cormac's first year comes to a close... 

But then I remember how busy I've been just living it all, and I realize that is more than enough. :)

Motherhood

Ok, time for a sappy post... I have some other projects going on (DIY, decor and the like), but have been too lazy to import and edit my recent photos. So, this is what you get. :)


There are times when I am happily overwhelmed with the joys of motherhood... and there are other times when I am just plain overwhelmed. But one of the most poignant and eye-opening experiences of parenthood thus far has been the new understanding it's given me of my relationship with God and His unfathomable love for us.

I distinctly remember a day when still pregnant that it suddenly hit me how much I loved the unborn child I was carrying. I had never met him, I didn't know his name or his personality or the color of his eyes. I knew nothing about him except that he existed. And still, I loved him. It brought tears to my eyes then (I was walking home from work, I think it was a Thursday...) to suddenly recognize with new clarity the true meaning of God's parenthood over us. Earthly parents would do anything for their children, only want the best for them and provide it to the best of their ability, would even die for their children. How much more does our Heavenly Father love us, and with a more perfect love?

Before we were born, before our parents knew us, HE knew us. Our names were written on His heart when Christ hung on the tree, He wrote our names in the Book of Life before time began. What a powerful realization that was for me. Of course, I always knew this fact in my head, but the experience of motherhood really brought it home. My love for my son is a mere fraction, a speck (and a flawed one at that) of the love that God has for us and has awe-inspiringly displayed in His plan of salvation through Christ (His own Son). I am constantly impressed by the power of love I feel for Cormac and even more so by the realization that God's love for me is the same... yet much, much greater.

How blessed we are to have a God of love, the ultimate Parent, who gave Himself for us -- knowing our sin, seeing our flaws, understanding the depth of our depravity... and forgiving it. Not merely forgiving it, but washing it clean, whiter than snow.

Just focusing on this thought is my devotion for today and my inspiration for this week.

Day in the Life of a Work-from-Home Mom

Most of us are creatures of habit and routine, but sometimes that routine can be difficult to establish. Case in point: a growing baby. Something changes every week! I've found the key to keeping up with change and feeling comfortable in the midst of difficult situations is "flexible consistency". An oxymoron, yes. Impossible, no. Our recent move to Indiana has brought with it many changes and new situations, including a fair amount of travel. Throw in a teething baby and you're really set up for disaster! Hence the flexibility. Things won't always go as planned or expected. But, even when they don't, it's important to keep some semblance of routine in place for the sake of everyone involved, and especially baby. They come to rely on a schedule and feel secure in know what to expect. And, at the end of the day, so do I.

So, more for my sake than for yours because I'll probably reference this years down the road, here is what our schedule looks like right now (generally...remember, flexibility).

6:00am/6:30am - Wake, change diaper, nurse 

6:30am - Play in bed with momma while dad gets ready for work

7:30am - Fix coffee, feed baby breakfast (1 jar Stage 3 fruit+oatmeal)

8:00am - Baby plays with toys in living room while momma checks email and drinks coffee nearby

8:30/9:00am - Mom works in home office while baby naps (length of nap varies, usually 1-1.5 hrs)

10:30am/11:00am - Baby wakes, change diaper, nurse

Depending on my project load, I'll put him in his playpaen in my office or let him scoot around on the floor with toys while I keep working. If it's a light day, we'll read/play together or run errands.

12:00pm - Lunchtime (1 Jar Stage 3 Veggies or Fruit Combo) + cheerios, rice snacks or fruit pieces. We're experimenting with new finger foods as he's beginning to learn to self-feed.

12:30pm - Run errands or play with toys, read books. If we're at home, I usually use this time to get stuff done in the kitchen, fold laundry, etc.

2:00/2:30pm - Afternoon nap = mom gets some work done!

4:00pm - Wake from nap, change diaper, nurse

I'll put him in the exersaucer or let him crawl around in the family room, sometimes I'll put on the Baby Development channel (yes, I let my child watch TV occasionally) while I prep dinner

5:30pm - Dad gets home from work, bringing the dog with him! Baby loves this time of day. He plays with dad while I finish getting dinner ready.

6:00pm - Dinner for baby

6:30pm - Bathtime

7:00/7:30pm - Bedtime. Depending on his mood, we'll either keep him up while we eat dinner or put him down right after bathtime.

Baby is still not sleeping 100% through the night, he sometimes still wakes at 2 or 3am and needs comforting. We dropped the night nursing at about 7.5 months, so if he wakes upset I pick him up and rock him briefly then put him back in his crib. He usually falls back asleep. Lately, he's been sleeping through to about 5:30am, so that's progress and I'll take what I can get. :)

I'd call this a parent-led schedule, although I do try to pay attention to the cues I get from baby. I can tell when he's hungry or tired and if that means it's time for a meal or a nap sooner than usual, that's what we do. Some things really throw this off -- like teething or a growth spurt -- but that's the key to a flexible routine: if you have a couple bad days, just shake it off and get back on the routine when you can. And when things change, as inevitably they do while baby grows, patience is key. Eventually we'll drop his second nap and a new schedule will emerge, but I'm hoping that I can keep the two naps for a little while at least as it lets me get a good amount of work done each day!

I love being able to work from home and care for my little one at the same time. It's the perfect situation for us, and I'm so grateful it's working out the way it has. We continue to take it one day at a time, though, and even on a particularly busy day I remind myself that the jobs will come and go -- but this time with my  little boy is precious and I don't want to waste a minute!

Hello, 28!

Well, folks, I apologize for the hiatus. It's been a busy summer!

I figured since today is my birthday and the beginning of a new age (28, in case you're wondering), I should kick things off with a fresh blog post. We are finally mostly settled into our house and maybe, just maybe, finding a routine that works for the day-to-day.

McBaby is coming up on 9 months old (wait, what? how did that happen so fast??) and I can't believe I'm starting to think about plans for his first birthday party. I've barely recorded everything about his first several months in his baby book and here we are coming up on 1 whole year! Guess I'd better absorb these next months like crazy before my baby suddenly transforms into a toddler! He is already crawling around everywhere, seeking out plugs/outlets/dangerous electronics like he has a radar for them, and I get the feeling walking is not too far off... He is a vibrant, independent, hilarious little man and I love life with him.

DH is getting settled into his new job, including traveling every couple of weeks which was the goal of the new position, but still takes a little getting used to for me. My freelance business is "booming" you might say, and I'm feeling completely affirmed in quitting the corporate life to work from home and stay with my little guy. Overall, we are pleasantly acclimating to this new life in the country and I am counting my blessings to the soothing sound of crickets each night.

There's plenty of other things to say... like what projects I'm working on around the house, my renewed efforts in studio art, wardrobe planning, organizing tips, fun baby stuff.... but I guess I'll leave that all for future posts. ;)

Something's different here...

Welcome to the newest iteration of my blog: The Hoosier Homemaker

Just introducing now... more on the name later. :)

Transitions

Well, there has been a lot going on lately, so I haven't had much free time to post.

We are finally all moved in to the new house. And by "all" I mean "just barely". There are still several  boxes sitting unpacked, although at least they are distributed to their various future home rooms. With some generous assistance from my MIL, we now have a functioning kitchen. It is SO nice to finally have enough space to put away all of our dishes, platters, serving bowls, kitchen appliances, china, silver, etc. In our tiny galley kitchen in the Chicago apartment, most of these things sat unused and dusty in storage or taking up precious counter space. Now, everything has a home! Including my china, most of which has been sitting in the back of a closet for the past 5 years! I am looking forward to our first big dinner party where I can pull out all the stops and enjoy this beautiful fine bone china. While unpacking all of these beautiful things, I also realized how very generous folks were when we were married, and am reminded again of what an incredible support system we have had throughout our marriage, and continue to have no matter where we are. If any of you are reading this, THANK YOU for that.

So, next up is just enjoying this new home, reveling in the warm weather that has finally come our way (and the deck that we have to enjoy it on!) and the relaxed pace of an Indiana summer. I have so much on my plate right now with getting things put away and organized, taking care of the little one and maintaining my freelance work, but I am enjoying every second and am so grateful for this phase of life. As I said in a previous post, my cup overfloweth!

I will try to post more regularly on this blog, as we continue to get more settled (if/when I have time to sit down and organize my thoughts... right now it involves a cup of coffee and a brief period of peace while Cormac is absorbed with "reading" a book before his morning nap). I post primarily on this blog for my own benefit, to remember what has been going on at various periods of my life, but I'm also hoping to use it to keep up with folks we don't live near anymore.

That being said, I'll leave you with a question -- check out the poll at the end of this post or in the top of the sidebar and let me know what you think! Based on the feedback to this poll, I'll come up with some new options... and maybe let you vote on those as well!

Happy Monday!

Should I change the name of my blog?

One Item, 6 Outfits

For the last few months, I've been on a clothes kick. Not more clothes... less of them! I've been reading blogs like Putting Me Together and Greater than Rubies, and pinning 'capsule wardrobes' to my Pinterest boards like crazy. Ever since my closet clean-out and re-style with the lovely and talented Meredith Smyth of stylemuse last spring, I have been itching to create a classic wardrobe that is stylish, fresh and de-cluttered. When you get that feeling like your closet is jam-packed with stuff but you have nothing to wear... that's when it's time to purge. Then, remix, re-style and re-wear! Especially now that I'm solidly out of maternity clothes and developing my persona as a work-from-home mom, I want to have a style that is easy and fun, but also fashion-forward. No mom jeans for this gal!

One of the best ways to reduce closet clutter is selecting items that can be worn several different ways. I love finding a piece that I can envision in multiple outfits and, to me, that's a purchase well made! I picked up this skirt form the clearance rack at Dress Barn last spring, and I love the fun color palette and it works with several other pieces in my closet. Here's just a few ways I plan on wearing it:

For the record, I love shopping Dress Barn. Some consider it an "old lady store", but I always seem to find something that works for me! They've also been doing a nice job of re-working the brand lately and their style boards are definitely targeted to a younger clientele. Their shoes and jewelry are worth a look as well!

And I even have some more ideas for how to make this skirt work for the existing pieces in my closet! These outfits range the gamut of casual to semi-dressy (for church or a client meeting), they are all extremely comfortable and will last me through the next two seasons. I've also used 4 necklaces and 3 pairs of shoes to complete the looks. Accessories are truly the key to making an outfit look polished.

Building my perfect wardrobe is an ongoing process -- there's still a few items I could cut from my closet and several staple pieces that I want to add. But this floral skirt definitely won't be going away any time soon and it's one of my reference points for how I will shop smart going forward!

Real Housewife of... Indiana?

Well, my last post was... a long time ago. Months and months! And a lot has happened during that time. Wanna know what? Read on, dear reader.

I quit my job.
We got a puppy.
DH got a new job.
We packed up our apartment and moved to Indiana.
We bought a house.
I cut my hair!

Yep, that's a lot of big girl stuff. Plus, running my freelance graphic design business and taking care of little man, aka McBaby. We are currently living with the in-laws while we close on the house, which is officially next Friday (!). Our puppy is an American Pitbull Terrier and, before you freak out, she is the sweetest thing. Except for when she does her business on the carpet (still not house-trained), and then she is devilish and she knows it. Her name is Flynn. I'll try to post some photos soon.

The "quit my job" thing is a little misleading. I really knew throughout my pregnancy that I wasn't going back to my full-time office job but, for various HR reasons, decided to keep my mouth shut. After McBaby arrived and life settled into a more normal routine, the decision was made official. That was around the beginning of March. About two weeks later, DH decided to quit his job, too. Good idea, right? Two unemployed adults (well, technically I am employed... by myself) with a new baby. An adventure, I say!

And then he got a job! At a company we will affectionately term "Truck Dynasty", because it is owned by his father. Having worked for many years in various capacities at my father's medical practice, I happen to think family businesses are the best. You get to spend all day with the people you love most? Win, win! For the most part, anyway...

So, here we are in Indiana. I am working from home while taking care of McBaby and loving every minute. My freelance graphic design business is booming (and I'm always taking new clients!) and I love having the freedom to hang out with my son and tackle homemaking at the same time. I couldn't be happier. My cup runneth over. Life is great and God is good.

And that's the update for now. Just wanted to let y'all know I'm still here. And I may need to consider changing the name of my blog...

More to come!

First Things First

One of my first and foremost goals of 2014 is a daily challenge: put God first. When I first open my eyes at the start of the day, and before I close them at night to sleep, I want my focus to be on Him. This is truly a challenge. It is so easy to become distracted with the cares of the day and the worries of the future. Christ anticipated this weakness in our humanity when He said:

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

Over and over again God tells us that He's got it all under control -- He will take on our burdens (He already has!) and our trust in Him will not be disappointed. And yet... I still fall grievously short of utter trust in the only One who can truly make good on this promise. But I believe this is what Christian living is about: daily we are called to "seek first the kingdom of God" and He has promised to give us the strength to do so.

One of the ways in which I've committed to seeking God daily is by renewing my daily Bible reading with a chronological plan that follows the historical sequence of the books of the Bible. This is a really neat way to get a feel for the timeline of God's story for our salvation and it really helps put the sequence of events into context. Thinking of the Bible as a "novel" of sorts is a concept promoted by two of my favorite authors, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien. They often spoke of Scripture as the one "true myth": 

"For this is the marriage of heaven and earth: Perfect Myth and Perfect Fact: claiming not only our love and our obedience, but also our wonder and delight . . ."

(http://www.transpositions.co.uk/2011/12/tolkien-lewis-true-myth-of-the-gospel/)

Being the artist I am, this concept rings especially true for me. There is no need to suspend disbelief while reading the Bible, as though it were a fictional story or fairytale, but how wonderful to read it with the same sense of awe and pleasure that accompanies the most beautiful and wondrous of mythologies. At this point in my reading, I have read the beginning portion of Genesis, jumped to Job, and am now back to the life of Abram/Abraham in Genesis. As I begin each day with these readings (while nursing DS), I am gratified to know that I am connecting not only to my own personal and human history in these beautiful "myths" but also to the ever-present and personal relationship with my Lord who intended these writings to be read by generation upon generation that this true mythology might be the uttermost source of Truth and Life for His people.

2014: Looking Forward

I love the start of a new year, it holds so much potential and possibility! New beginnings are one of my favorite things: the feeling of starting fresh, embarking on a new adventure or project, forgetting failures of the past and forging ahead with renewed resolution.

This is what I love about Sundays as well -- the first day of the week in which we celebrate the resurrection of Christ and a new beginning for all who are in Him. Although feelings are fickle, and the sense of newness fades all too quickly, we can yet trust in the new creation we have in Christ every single day, whether the beginning of the year or the end.

My goals for 2014 are founded in this mentality. As I enter a new phase of life with motherhood (in which sleeplessness and mental exhaustion may figure largely), I will need to rely all the more on the Lord's provisions for my daily needs: spiritual, mental, emotional and physical. This has always been the case, of course, but I want to remind myself daily of this truth.

And instead of resolutions this year, I'm giving myself goals to strive for each day, week and month. These goals will help keep me on track when the days feel too busy... or too slow. Consistency and discipline are key in this venture, but the underlying theme is simplicity. I want to focus on what is truly important, rather than the things of this world that all too quickly clutter the heart and mind. No, I'm not cutting myself off from technology (are you kidding?!?), but priorities are important so focusing on the best use of my time and the corresponding technologies are part and parcel of this process.

Instead of sharing these goals all at once, I'm going to spread them out over several posts because there's plenty to say about them and I want to elaborate. In the meantime, this will serve as my first post of 2014 (a few days late)!