Making Your Home Sing: You May Not Get A Do-Over

Welcome to the Making Your Home Sing Monday meme! Every day you are doing something to make your house into a home for yourself and your family (if you have one). My point with each Monday post is, what are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing?

It can be an attitude or an action. Motivation, our attitude, baking, encouraging our husband or children (if we have either one), organization, cleaning, saving money....the opportunities are endless.

This morning I learned that my alarm clock works much better if I actually turn it on. Who knew? Last night I made sure that it was set to the correct wake up time but I failed to turn it on.

You know, we can have the best intentions in the world but if we fail to follow through, what good are they?

How many times have we said to ourselves or to someone else "I was going to do that today."

I was going to make that dentist appointment before my tooth started hurting.

I was going to call you right before you called me.

I was going to go see a doctor about it and have it checked, just in case.

I was going to visit my grandmother the day she died.

I was going to pay that bill before it was due.

I was going to put on my seat belt.

I was going to read my child's favorite book to them before they fell asleep.

I was going to leave earlier this morning so that I could be on time.

I was going to say "I'm sorry" later.

I was going to clean it up before I went to bed.

I was going to kiss my husband goodbye before he left for work.

Sometimes we get a do-over. Sometimes we don't.

A few days ago my son's boss was killed. A wonderful man, gone in an instant. A family, friends and co-workers mourning his loss. Heaven rejoicing in welcoming him Home.

Don't leave an important "I was going to...." unsaid or undone today. You may not get that second chance. Hug your husband and babies tighter, tell them you love them one more time. Pick up that phone or get in that car and go visit someone who's been longing to hear from you, and make their home sing today.

What are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing? Please go here for instructions and/or ideas and come back here to link up to join us today! Please do not put your own "Making Your Home Sing Monday" Linky on your blog. As always, please don't forget to link to this post. Also, please don't forgot to leave me a comment!

If you want to use your blog header or profile picture, use the "from the web" button on your right (after you click to link up). If you want to use a picture from your computer use the button on your left (unless the picture is on your blog). Please let me know if you have any problems with linking up.

Making Your Home Sing: Do You Have Things In Your Life That Need Doing?

Welcome to the Making Your Home Sing Monday meme! Every day you are doing something to make your house into a home for yourself and your family (if you have one). My point with each Monday post is, what are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing?

It can be an attitude or an action. Motivation, our attitude, baking, encouraging our husband or children (if we have either one), organization, cleaning, saving money....the opportunities are endless.

As much as I've enjoyed my break I figured I probably should come back at some point and start blogging again, lol! We had a lovely Christmas and I hope you did too. I enjoyed having my oldest home from college. Both my boys home in the "nest"....it just doesn't get any better than that, lol! A few weeks relaxing at home while my back was healing and I have lost much of my motivation.

Have you ever given much thought to motivation? Have you ever found yourself lacking in it? Have you ever found yourself wishing or praying for it?

I think that motivation is what gets you going, but determination keeps you going and keeps you committed to accomplishing a goal.

Motivation can be internal or external factors that move you to do something. Determination is a decision you make, you resolve to do something.

Sometimes you can wait a very long time for motivation. Sometimes you just don't "feel" like doing something.

Determination doesn't wait to feel anything. Determination decides what needs to be done and does it. Determination doesn't care if you feel like it or not.

Motivation makes it easier to do it. Motivation makes you excited and want to do it. Motivation makes you get up and do it today.

But motivation can be easily put off until tomorrow. Motivation can easily be discarded for a cookie, a good book, or a friend calling. Motivation knows that there is always tomorrow.

Determination doesn't like to wait until tomorrow. Determination can be firmly resolved to do what needs doing today. Determination can see that it gets done. Determination is willing to wait weeks or longer to accomplish a goal, even in the face of discouragement.

Motivation can often be lost, but quickly regained in the face of determination. Determination can often become weak in the face of an obstacle, but quickly regain strength with motivation. They need each other.

Motivation is nothing without determination. Determination is nothing without motivation.

There has to be a reason or a value to do something, and then there has to be a commitment to keep doing it to the accomplished end.

Do you have things in your life that need doing? Do you have things around your home that need doing? Sure you do, we all do!

Don't ignore the motivation and determining factors in your life. Sometimes motivation is as simple as "We will lose our electricity if I don't pay this bill." That's an easy motivator set by someone else.

Set your own motivator. "If I don't clean the kitchen before I go to bed tonight, I will have to clean up two messes in the morning, breakfast and last night's dinner mess, and then I won't have time to relax with my coffee." Determine to clean the kitchen that night.

Make a list of things that need doing and when you want or need to do them by. Throw in a few fun rewards along the way. Sometimes I will reward myself with ten or fifteen minutes reading time in between cleaning chores that I don't want to do. I make sure and set a timer and I make sure that I put that book down and get moving again when the timer goes off. The book is my motivation, the decision to get up and doing it is my determination in action.

Exercise your motivation and determination muscles and make your home sing this week!

What are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing? Please go here for instructions and/or ideas and come back here to link up to join us today! Please do not put your own "Making Your Home Sing Monday" Linky on your blog. As always, please don't forget to link to this post. Also, please don't forgot to leave me a comment!

If you want to use your blog header or profile picture, use the "from the web" button on your right (after you click to link up). If you want to use a picture from your computer use the button on your left (unless the picture is on your blog). Please let me know if you have any problems with linking up.

Making Your Home Sing: Merry Christmas!

Welcome to the Making Your Home Sing Monday meme! Every day you are doing something to make your house into a home for yourself and your family (if you have one). My point with each Monday post is, what are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing?

It can be an attitude or an action. Motivation, our attitude, baking, encouraging our husband or children (if we have either one), organization, cleaning, saving money....the opportunities are endless.

Thank you all for linking up last week. I hurt my back again and by the time last Monday rolled around I was in a lot of pain, so I didn't get around to reading your entries. I'm sorry about that. It's hard for me to sit (or stand) at the computer very long so I've been lying around and doing lots of reading!

I did manage to get one post up later in the week because most of it was already done before I hurt my back. I've been to the doctor and have pain pills though so that's a blessing!

One week until Christmas. Can you believe it? Just doesn't seem real. This year went fast, didn't it?

It seems like people aren't putting up outdoor Christmas lights like they used to. I imagine it may be due to the economy, a time crunch, or maybe the "old" people moved and new people moved into the neighborhood.

It just seems like there aren't as many on display as there used to be. Maybe I'm not driving around at night as much this year. Who knows?

We haven't put our outdoor lights up in years. But our tree and indoor lights are up! I love this time of year. I love the decorations, the tree, the holiday music, the hope that maybe, just maybe, it might be a white Christmas, and buying gifts for those I love.

Still, that's not what Christmas is really all about. It's about one special GIFT that was given to us in the form of a newborn baby. A Baby who came to do something that no one else could do: reconcile us to an almighty God.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Salvation is God's gift to us, through Jesus Christ. We don't deserve it and we can't earn it. It's free.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2: 8 & 9)

This faith is what makes my heart and my home sing this week and every week.

I'm putting this meme up today, and then I'm taking a couple of weeks off since next Sunday is Christmas. Have a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and I'll see you in a couple of weeks!

What are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing? Please go here for instructions and/or ideas and come back here to link up to join us today! Please do not put your own "Making Your Home Sing Monday" Linky on your blog. As always, please don't forget to link to this post. Also, please don't forgot to leave me a comment!

If you want to use your blog header or profile picture, use the "from the web" button on your right (after you click to link up). If you want to use a picture from your computer use the button on your left (unless the picture is on your blog). Please let me know if you have any problems with linking up.

What I Wore Wednesday

Today I am linking up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy for her fabulous "What I Wore Wednesday" meme. This meme is designed to give women accountability and encourage them to get out of their daily sweats or pajamas or rut that they're in and document what they wore each day and post it to their blogs.

Wednesday
Blue shirt: Chaus, Sam's Club
Blue & white cadi: Liz Claiborne, thrifted
Red & white scarf: Thrifted
Jeans: Levis

Lousy shot, I know. Ever so often I get the desperate desire to mix up my wardrobe, "be creative" and try something new. So, I wind up doing weird things and the other problem is, I don't really care if they match or not.

Friday
Black tank: Target
Blue Sweater: Moda International, thrifted
Jeans: Gap
Necklace: Kohl's
Boots: Thrifted

What this picture doesn't show you is me crashing into the sink as I tried to put the boots on. Sometimes you just have to suffer for the sake of fashion. I did a little country "line dancing" of my own as I was hopping around trying to keep my balance and pull my boot on at the same time.

Saturday
White turtleneck: Old
Black & White shirt: Walmart
Scarf: Thrifted
Jeans: Levis 515 bootcut

Sunday
Green shirt: Sears, thrifted
Hoodie: Disney
Jeans: Levis

My toe looks like it's waving at the camera, doesn't it? It's very friendly.

I don't really have any funny stories this week and no other pictures. I tweaked my back a bit again and am on pain pills and have been spending much of my day lying down. So, for now it's a sweatshirt and Tinkerbell jammie bottoms. Oh, and a good book!

Making Your Home Sing Monday

Welcome to the Making Your Home Sing Monday meme! Every day you are doing something to make your house into a home for yourself and your family (if you have one). My point with each Monday post is, what are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing?

It can be an attitude or an action. Motivation, our attitude, baking, encouraging our husband or children (if we have either one), organization, cleaning, saving money....the opportunities are endless.

No "real" post for today. This last week I have been busy keeping an eye on my elderly mother who lives with us. She had a fall and, although she didn't break anything she is wearing a "boot" on her foot and I am keeping an extra eye on her to make sure she behaves, lol!

So this week I will be doing more of the same so I will be sticking close to home (as much as I can, anyway). I don't know what else I'll be doing to make my home sing but I'm sure I'll find something.

What are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing? Please go here for instructions and/or ideas and come back here to link up to join us today! Please do not put your own "Making Your Home Sing Monday" Linky on your blog. As always, please don't forget to link to this post. Also, please don't forgot to leave me a comment!

If you want to use your blog header or profile picture, use the "from the web" button on your right (after you click to link up). If you want to use a picture from your computer use the button on your left (unless the picture is on your blog). Please let me know if you have any problems with linking up.

Profundity Just Oozes From My Brain

Me: "Who broke the Corelle dish?"
Hubby: "I don't know. Wasn't me."
Me: "One of the kids must have broken it while we were gone this morning."
Hubby: "Gee, honey, you're profound."

I am profound, aren't I? Profundity just oozes from my brain. So do brain cells.

What I Wore Wednesday

Today I am linking up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy for her fabulous "What I Wore Wednesday" meme. This meme is designed to give women accountability and encourage them to get out of their daily sweats or pajamas or rut that they're in and document what they wore each day and post it to their blogs.

Thursday
Purple turtleneck: Sonoma
Purple scarf: Don't remember
Black vest: Jennifer Moore, Macy's
Jeans: Levis 515 bootcut

I think I'm "layer-happy." Just one item isn't enough, I've got to add to it. Perhaps there is a support program for people who layer too much.

Friday
Black, tan, maroon & white plaid shirt: Erika & Co.
Maroon sweater: Target
Jeans: Gap
Fake Uggs: Thrifted
Necklace: Kohl's

These are my fake uggs, or Fuggs for short. I ran some errands and suddenly found myself trying on clothes at the mall. Do you know how annoying it is to remove a shirt, sweater, necklace AND a coat just to try on a $3.98 top on clearance??? And then, after all that trouble, you don't like the shirt after all.

If a shirt looks better on the hanger than it does on you, what does that mean? Should I be insulted that the hanger obviously is more attractive than I am? Should I be jealous that the hanger has a better figure than I do?

Heartbreaking, just heartbreaking to go to all that work for nothing. I am soooooo hiring a body double.

Saturday
White tank under: Target
Green & White top: Target, thrifted
Green hoodie: Sag Harbor, thrifted
Jeans: Levis

I ran several errands this day. Apparently, the concept of personal space disappears during the holiday season. The gal behind me in line placed her stuff on the counter before I could get mine on there. She then proceeded to stand so close to me that she was practically wearing my clothes. I believe we are now married in several states.

I later wore this outfit to a casual Christmas party. Within an hour I was also wearing caramel dip and pink frosting. I wasn't alone, the gal next to me was wearing her food too. Let the holiday eating begin!

Sunday
Purple sweater: Kohl's
Necklace: Kohl's
Brown jacket: Sam's Club
Brown pants: Sam's Club
Brown boots: Hand-me-down

(Would somebody please come over and clean that mirror???)

This is the day that I vacuumed and sucked up a 6 inch Christmas tree with my Dyson. That takes real talent, people.

All is well, my friends. The tree is a bit wonky and frankly, I am afraid of my vacuum cleaner but the mini trees are even more afraid, as they should be.

This is also the day that we were having about 35 people over,and I was frantically washing my couch slipcover to get the "throw-up" smell out, and praying it would dry before they all came. I was also thinking bad thoughts about a certain dog who shall remain nameless. He is dead to me now.

Tuesday
Black turtleneck: JC Penney
Black hoodie: Costco
Black/Gray/White scarf: Thrifted
Jeans: Levis 515 bootcut

Nothing particularly exciting happened this day. Just some cleaning and me wondering "Does this scarf make my neck look fat?" You know, same old stuff.