Hello, dear friends. Yes. I’m still alive. Nothing terrible has happened in my life. This post would actually be easier if there had been some monumental happening that pulled me away. Perhaps if I’d been abducted by a roving band of gypsies (no offense to the gypsies)? Yeah. That would be a good explanation.

I’ve lost count of the number I’ve times that I’ve tried to write over the last few months. Each time, the words haven’t come. Not. A. Single. Word. Trust me. I’ve tried.

I’ve cried about. And I’ve worried. Agonized really. And I’ve walked away. If you’ve sent me an email and I didn’t answer you, I’m sorry. My inbox overflowed and I gave up.

I’m slowly accepting that God is doing a refining work on me and I need to be patient.

In the meantime, I had to share the Promises of God that I read on chiselseason.com this morning. If you ever struggle to accept who you really are in Christ…or the blessings that are ours in Christ…then you need to read this. The (grateful) tears were flowing by the time I finished reading.

Love to you all.

For When There’s Nothing To Say is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Some days I can barely put one foot in front of the other without falling on my face. On those days, The Longboard Girls inspire me all the more. Just watching them makes me want to get up and move.

These lovely girls know how to go fast. The mom in me wants to say “Slow down!”, “Be careful!” and “Don’t get hurt!”. Probably because I say it hundreds of times each day to my own kids. Not to mention to myself inside my own head over and over and over.

But why? Is getting hurt really the worst thing that can happen? Or would it be worse to miss His plan for me because I’m afraid to live. Afraid to get hurt. Afraid to fail.

Trust me. Hit play on this video. The music from The Decemberists will get your heart pumping. And The Longboard Girls might just inspire you to let go of your fear, get your board and fly! But please don’t blame me if you skin your knee.

The Longboard Girls is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

My dear friends. I am about to let you peek inside my messy, messed-up, slightly mis-wired brain.

Please be kind. But on the off chance that one of you has the same issue, I’m going to start by admitting that I have a problem. Wanna hear it? Ready? Deep breath. Here we go…

I have the ability to look at everyday messes, inconveniences and problems at home and come up with solutions that are creative, fun, cute and (usually) cheap. Maybe I should blame blog-reading, Pinterest or maybe it’s just the way I’m wired. What’s the problem, you say? Unless I want my family to never again wear clean britches, eat a home-cooked meal or live in a tidy (ish) house, I can’t possibly do them all.

A more normal person would simply let go of their “good idea”, find a quick solution and move on. But not me. Instead, I obsess and fret and worry about the little problems that I can’t seem to solve. You may say that I’m neurotic, freakish and plain old silly. To you I say…Indeed! I’m all of those things and more.

Let me give you an example. We have a dog. His name is Tank. Tank is a freak.

We can’t leave the house without filling up his Kong dog toy with peanut butter and treats. Unless, of course, we want our house destroyed by a giant, freaked-out, hates-to-be-alone dog. Since leaving the house is a fairly regular occurrence, Tank has his own jar of peanut butter in the pantry. He needs his own jar so that if someone accidentally double-dips the Kong knife, the rest of us don’t have to eat dog-germ peanut butter sandwiches.

For the last 6 months, I’ve wanted to make a pretty paper sleeve that I could slide on the dog’s peanut butter jar so there’s no confusion between dog-germ peanut butter and normal people peanut butter. I figured the sleeve would have Tank’s name on it and maybe a silhouette of a sweet (not crazy) black lab. Sounds cute, right? But I just haven’t had time to do it. So instead, I’ve spent the last 6 months hollering “Did you use the right peanut butter?” every. single. time that someone makes up the Kong.

So I’m turning over a new leaf! When I can’t manage the cute, fun, creative solution, I’ll go with the good-enough solution. In this case? Write the ding-dong dog’s name on the jar with a marker. Seriously? I know. It’s totally absurd that it took me 6 months to figure that out. But sometimes, good ideas get in my way.

Need another example? This dear child gets a small allowance each week.

If he does his chores, he gets some cash that he can use to buy critical things like gum and Pokemon cards. But his dad and I feel strongly that we should be teaching him about 3 specific purposes for money. Giving, saving and spending.

So, I’ve been planning to make him 3 jars labeled with those categories. Then he can sort out his allowance each week and keep track of his moolah. Picture, if you will, 3 glass jars that have been frosted and etched with the words Give, Save and Spend. Try not to wonder why I would consider giving my 8 year-old glass jars.

Again, I haven’t had time to do it. And instead of finding a “good enough” solution, I’ve frittered away valuable time that could have been used to teach my boy about the importance of managing his money properly.

The good enough solution? 3 small coffee cans labeled with plain white paper and a sharpie. Is it the most creative solution? Nope. Will it make the money lessons less effective? Of course not. Feel free to roll your eyes at me and wonder why I didn’t do this sooner. The reason is simple…My good idea got in my way.

There’s nothing wrong with any of my good ideas. They’re fun and creative. But there are only so many hours in the day and sometimes “good enough” has to be good enough. Do you have any good ideas that are keeping you from doing what’s good enough?

When Good Ideas Get in Your Way is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I am really good at making the public areas of my house presentable. I can clear the clutter from the family room, wipe down the kitchen counters, tidy up the powder room and it looks like I’m a great housekeeper. Just don’t open the closets or the laundry room door. And please, oh please, don’t go upstairs. I live in perpetual fear that someone will have to walk up those steps and will see the disaster that I’ve hidden away.

I have friends that frequently ask how I keep my house clean with all my on-going projects, boys and a dirty dog. These questions come from my Downstairs Friends. They’ve only ever seen the presentable and pretty parts of my house.

A few weeks ago, a Downstairs Friend became an Upstairs Friend and I’m so glad.

Here’s the story…We were lunching and fellowshipping in the kitchen while our kiddos played inside, outside, upstairs, downstairs and, heck, they may or may not have been up on the roof. We chatted and lunched and drank coffee and did all the things that good Downstairs Friends do.

But then it was time for my friend to go. And the kids disappeared. How do they do that? We knew they were upstairs, but they weren’t responding. Not coming down. Not answering. Oh. No. We had to go in after them.

In the 7 seconds it took us to climb the stairs, my brain raced with images of the disaster that we would see up there. No beds were made. Laundry was piled in the hall. There was probably dog hair stuck to the toothpaste on the bathroom floor. And let’s not think about whether the boys had flushed or not. My heart pounded.

I was embarrassed by the mess.

And as we dragged the kids out from their hiding spots, my friend turned to me and said, “I’m so glad you didn’t make the beds.”

I think I kissed her. And I believe our friendship changed in that moment. Not because I kissed her, but because she became an Upstairs Friend. The ones who see your messes and love you anyway…or maybe even more because of them.

And in the days that followed, I thought a lot about Upstairs Friends and Downstairs Friends. I thought about how often I’ve held people at arms length by desperately maintaining an image of having it all together, when the truth was a little more real and a lot more messy. I’m probably more open with the internets than I am with people in my real life.

That “Upstairs-Downstairs” thing goes way beyond the condition of our houses, doesn’t it? It goes straight to the condition of our hearts. How often do we let people in? How often to we let down the armor of tidiness and present-ability and allow people to see our true selves?

I’m not suggesting we never run the vacuum…or that we blab all of our dirty-secrets to every new acquaintance. But relationships and connections become so much more real when let down our guard.

Do you keep everyone Downstairs? Or are you willing to take a deep breath and make some Upstairs Friends?

On Upstairs Friends is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Scary, possessed talking toy

Have you ever had one of your kid’s toys start making noise in the middle of the night? That sweet (if somewhat annoying) voice at 2am sounds completely possessed. Scared the ever-lovin’ boogers out of me.

I nearly peed my pants as I crept down the stairs to confront the evil toy as it called out “Hug me! Hug me!” Of course, it happened when my husband was out of town, so I had to do battle alone.

I am so grateful that I can stop the world when this guy gets sick. I don’t know how you work-outside-the home moms do it. Bless you.

We spent the better part of the week snuggled on the couch. When he’s awake, we watch Swamp Loggers. When he’s asleep in my lap, I watch old episodes of The Waltons. Love the DVR.

Girl Scout cookie season is a very dangerous time of year. Just when I’m starting to think about having to wear a swimsuit, along come the Samoas. I may or may not have eaten 3 boxes in the last 2 days.

Random Thoughts on Possessed Toys, Sickness and Cookies is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

We sort of live in a neighborhood, but we’re way off at the edge of the plan, all by our lonesome. No one would ever hear me scream if a psycho-killer showed up. Probably shouldn’t have said that.

ATTN: ALL PSYCHO-KILLERS! I have a giant dog! And he will eat you if you show up here with your psycho-killer ways.

So dream with me. Who could it be? I think it’s a family with 2 small boys…aged 7 and 4. She is a seamstress who can’t wait to help me make a slipcover. He loves basketball and has lots of power tools that we can borrow.

The other upside is that my construction-truck loving boys are content to watch everything out that side window. Sorry, son. We can’t go for a ride on the bull-dozer.

Is one of you building a house next-door to me?

Glory! Glory! Can It Be???? is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Step 1: Pitch a gigantic fit. Make it a good one. Lots of sighing, eye rolling and feet stomping, please.

Step 2: Dramatically declare all things play doh banned from your home because your heathen children can’t keep the play doh on the table and off the carpet.

Step 3: Consult your most trusted adviser, Uncle Google, by searching for “How to get play doh out of carpet“.

Step 4: Try this method with moderate success.

Step 5: Sigh a little more.

Step 6: Feel a little tweak in your gut (heart? head? stomach?). What is this feeling? Guilt? Did you overreact?

Step 7: Hear the gentle prompting. Listen to God working on your heart.

Step 8: Remember that your house is home to 2 little boys, 1 manly-man and 1 giant dirty dog. At least play doh doesn’t stink.

Step 9: Notice that the play doh stain looks a little like a sunflower. Remember that you like sunflowers.

Step 10: Apologize to your heathen children and drag the play doh in from the garage.

The end.

Photos: Robert Donovan, Lance McCord, The Pink Princess

How to Get Play Doh Out of Your Carpet is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Apparently, I live under a rock because I missed The Nester’s Home Goals Party last week. As I was browsing through some of your posts, it made me think a little more purposefully about my own home for 2011. I always have a list of no less than 20 projects on my to-do list, but that means I lack focus and I often drift from project to project and don’t accomplish as much as I would like.

I decided that making a few specific goals would help me focus my efforts. So here I am, a week late to the party, but I brought pie so I hope all is forgiven.

My house goals for 2011:

My foyer is completely useless. It makes me crazy because it’s become a dumping ground for shoes, coats and backpacks. Yes, that’s a trick or treat pumpkin. In January.

When guests come over, we end up tossing coats on the stairs or in the dining room.  It’s a fairly large space, so I need to put it to better use. It needs:

• A cabinet for storing hats, gloves, scarves, etc.
• A bench for sitting and taking off shoes
• Hooks for holding coats when we have guests
• A new area rug

I can’t believe that I still haven’t tiled my kitchen backsplash. I got the wetsaw for Mother’s Day and still haven’t made the time to get it done. I really need to get this done before Mother’s Day this year.

I desperately need to hang something on the wall behind my sofa in the family room. This wall intimidates me because it’s so big. For a long time, I claimed that I wasn’t hanging anything there because I loved how the board and batten looks. That’s definitely true, but I still need to put something else on the wall. Any suggestions?

I am so embarrassed to admit that my 4-year old is still sleeping in a toddler bed. But in my defense, he’s also wearing shoes that are 2 sizes too small and his pants are too short. The bed seems like the least of my problems. And yes, there is also a still crib in there. No, we’re not having a baby. I just hate to take those things apart. This room needs:

• Get RID of the crib!
• A real bed with a headboard. I’ve already spied a few headboards at the thrift store, so I’m inspired.
• Window treatments
• A real dresser
• A chair

I started off gang-busters on my master bedroom makeover, but then I lost my momentum when I couldn’t make some decisions. I want to finish it this year with:

• Something on the wall above the bed
• A tv armoire to hide our dinosaur tv
• New hardware for all the furniture

And a few other non-house things that I’d like to do this year:

• Actually finish a bible study that I start
• Consistent quiet time in the morning
• Get into a regular laundry routine (oops, guess that’s house stuff)
• Get into the habit of making lunch before church, so we can come home to food.
• Wear more hats (gotta have at least one that’s easy)

House Goals 2011 is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

It’s no secret that so many of us adore Edie. Any woman who paints whole walls with chalkboard paint is infinitely lovable. Her style, spirit and spunk are inspirational and comforting.

I was blessed to meet her at Blissdom and she is just as adorable and friendly in person as you might imagine. Edie is turquoise and red and flowers and cute boots. But even more importantly, she is grace and love and family.

Happy birthday, sweet lady. You are loved!

PS…Last week, I wrote that I was committed to praying for Edie and her family every day during the month of January. I asked for a few prayer warriors to join me. I hoped that 20 or 25 women would make the commitment. I am tickled beyond belief that so far nearly 100 women have said that will be praying every day. You rock!

Edie’s photo swiped (with love) from The Pleated Poppy.

Happy Birthday, Edie! is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

By now, I’m sure that you know of the tragedy that has befallen our friend, Edie of Life in Grace. Her family lost their home and everything in it to a fire on the Tuesday before Christmas. By the grace of God, all of their lives were spared, but so much was lost.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t get their family out of my mind. I want to DO something…make meals, give hugs, build them a new house. Something. But I feel so helpless because we live so far away.

Then I remembered a discussion that I had with our missionary friends (yes, the ones who gave us their dog). They were in the process of raising money to finance their 4-years of service in Columbia and someone asked them about their greatest need. Their answer? Prayer.

How simple. Prayer. Not money. Not plane tickets. Not instruments, books or teaching supplies. Prayer. Everything else comes directly from that. Prayer isn’t a second-best, can’t do anything else kinda thing. It’s the first thing and the best thing.

So that’s what I want to do for Edie and her family. I want to wrap them in prayer while they wade through their ashes and wait on the Lord to rebuild their home.

I am committed to praying for them every day in the month of January. Will you join me? If so, leave a comment here. I know that there are some serious prayer warriors here and I would love to see a small group of women committed to lifting them up continually.

It doesn’t have to be anything crazy. Just a simple prayer whispered to our loving Father every day. I’ve printed out a small picture of Edie and hung it on the wall near my computer…where I’m sure to see it every day as a reminder.

I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t help in another way, if you wish. If you’re feeling lead to do something else then, by all means, do that. Maybe someone else’s prayer is prompting your heart. Edie hasn’t made any needs known, but her sister’s address is posted here, if you would like to send a card.

As anyone who has ever suffered a huge loss knows, the immediate devastation is only the beginning. The roller-coaster of emotions lasts much longer than the initial shock. Your aftermath continues long after everyone else’s lives have returned to normal.

Will you leave a comment here and commit to praying for their family throughout the month of January?

The Gift of Prayer: Life in Grace is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

The shopping is done….completely. The presents are wrapped…mostly. The meals are planned…sorta. And I won’t be leaving my house until Christmas Day, if I can help it. The closer we get to the big day, the more my focus shifts from practical preparations to preparations of the heart.

I want to shut out the noise the world and focus on the quieting of hearts and stilling of spirits.

The last few weeks have been a flurry of shopping, wrapping, planning, class partying, church pagent-ing and caroling. We’ve fallen behind in our Jesse Tree devotionals. And I didn’t bake cookies with my kids. Again.

We’ve consumed our weight in popcorn while watching Elf, Rudolph and Home Alone.

Our family’s tradition of celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve feels just right again this year. We are blessed with lots of family to visit on Christmas Day, so several years ago we began opening gifts on Christmas Eve morning. We treat it just like Christmas day and it gives us a wonderfully quiet day to play with new toys, eat simple meals and just be together…our little family.

Some dear friends will join us for a Chinese take-out dinner and then for church services.

Christmas Day morning will be a simple, joyful celebration of the birth of our Savior. Birthday cake for breakfast, anyone? I’ve been inspired by my friend who doesn’t exchange gifts on Christmas morn and we’ll be incorporating a couple of her traditions. The rest of the day will be abuzz with family and visiting. But we’ll have already had our quiet and it all seems just right.

I’d love to hear about your preparations and plans.

photo: Alesa Dam

Preparing is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Things have become a little more crowded here at Casa Kimba. And I’m telling you the same way we told the kids. “Moooooom! Why is there new stocking hanging on the railing???”

The guesses ranged from:

“Mom just felt like making something.”…They know me so well.

to

“We’re having a baby”…WHAT? With 4 legs and a tail??? Think boys!

We’ve been toying with the idea of adding a dog to our family, but had no immediate plans. Then we found out that some friends were looking for a home for their beautiful black lab because they are headed to the mission field.

For a week, we tried to ignore the nagging voice in our heads that was saying, “Take the dog.” But the voice didn’t go away and when the boys, unprompted, began begging for a dog, we decided it was time. Within a few days, this beautiful furball was lounging around our house and ripping around our yard.

I’m sure you all think we’re crazy for adopting a big black lab the week before Christmas. And did I mention that it hasn’t been above 20 degrees for 2 weeks? That makes walks big fun.

But sometimes life is crazy and we end up doing things we didn’t expect. And that’s where the biggest blessings are. I’m totally convinced that our God delights when we do the unplanned. Even if it’s just adopting a new family member with muddy feet and lovable black eyes.

Thank you Hope and Wes for giving us such a wonderful blessing. We already love him.

Because I Am a Crazy Woman is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Oh, maybe just a couple of words…

My life is ridiculous. First we couldn’t get the darned thing in the house. Now we get the answer to the question…If a tree falls over in your family room, does it make a sound?

Answer? YES!

I wish I could say that this is the first time we’ve dealt with a Christmas tree debacle. Someday, I’ll need to tell you a story about the year we had to saw the bottom off of a fully-decorated tree because it stopped taking up water on December 5th. It may or may not have been because I forgot to water it for 4 days.

Come to think of it, that was the year we bought the artificial tree. I’m thinking this might be the end of the Real Tree Experiment.

Do you have a ridiculous Christmas tree story?

No Words is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Am I the only one who can’t judge the size of a tree when it’s at the tree farm? Apparently, I have zero spatial skills.

For the first time in about 10 years, we have a real tree, but it’s the same problem all over again. The tree that seemed just the right size at the farm is ginormous! We’ve already cut at least a foot off the bottom of the tree to get it in the house.

The conversation while we’re picking out the tree is always the same. It goes something like this…

Me: “Honey! Here it is! The perfectest most perfect tree ever!”
Hubster: “Honey. Don’t you think it’s a little big?”
Me: “No! It’s perfect! It’s only a little taller than you. And look at its shape!”
Hubster: “But it’s at least 6 feet wide!”
Me: “No! It’s the perfect size for the corner by the windows! And it smells good!”
Hubster: “Sigh.”

And God bless that man. He cuts down the tree for me knowing that we’re going to have to jam, shove, jiggle and otherwise wrestle the tree just to get it through the door.

The fact that it wouldn’t fit through the tree-wrapping thing should have been my first clue. Luckily, I’ve got enough ornaments for 10 trees, so we’re good.

Here’s my burning question? Real or fake? What’s your tree?

Objects (at the tree farm) Are Larger Than They Appear (when you put them in your family room) is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

No one will ever convince me that this child is legitimately seven years old.

Whomever coined the phrase that when your children are young “the days are long, but the years are short” is the rightest that anyone has ever been about anything.

When this great big boy of mine didn’t sleep for the first 2 years of his life, I was convinced that I would never experience a full night’s sleep again. But here we are…turning seven…sleeping…and requesting french toast (with whipped cream) and bacon for our birthday dinner.

(Best French Toast Ever recipe to come later this week.)

This dear child has been cursed (blessed?) with a birthday that frequently overlaps with Thanksgiving, so he doesn’t usually get a separate birthday celebration. One year, I may or may not have put his birthday candles in the mashed potatoes.

So, let me share a couple of things I learned last week. If you invite your entire family over for a french toast dinner on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and think that no one will come because it’s the night before a holiday, you would be wrong. Apparently, no one has plans on the night before Thanksgiving and no one wants to cook either.

Result? You will make french toast and bacon for 30(!!!) people. And your child will have the rocking-est birthday party EVER! And you will be the french toastiest mama EVER!

Second thing I learned?

You can make bacon in the oven. This little tip will change your life. Put the bacon on a jelly roll pan (a cookie sheet with a rim) and cook it in a 400° oven for about 20 minutes or until it’s done. You don’t have to flip it, get splattered, burn yourself or start a fire. Perfect flat crispy bacon with no work. Bacon heaven.

You’re welcome.

Seven is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I never pictured myself in a traditional homemaker role. I grew up in the 1970′s when the women’s movement had already come of age. We had figured out that we could do anything. We could be leaders, serve in the military, have careers. We could sing “I am Woman, Hear Me Roar” and no one batted a fake eyelash at it.

Unfortunately, along with all of the advancements came a subtle undercurrent of disdain for women who chose a traditional homemaker role. It certainly always overt, but I grew up with the sense that women who chose that role were selling themselves short. That they could do so much more.

And so, with my college-diploma in hand, I set out to become the successful career-gal that I’d always wanted to be. I worked hard and created a successful career for myself. I didn’t always love what I did, but I was good at it and I was rewarded for it.

Then came marriage and children…I married my dear husband and when our first child came along, we made the decision that I would stay home. I was in favor of that because by then my attitudes had changed remarkably and I really felt like that was where I should be. We were lucky that it was an option for us.

But I was a bit stuck…I didn’t understand my new role. I didn’t know how to be the primary caregiver to my home and family. Not because my mom didn’t try and teach me as I was growing up (thanks, Mom!) but because I wasn’t paying attention since it wasn’t a role that I cherished (sorry, Mom!).

I can look back now and honestly say that the first few years at home, I felt devalued. Like what I was doing wasn’t as important as what I could have been doing. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to be at home but something didn’t feel right on the inside.

Whenever I met someone new and they asked “What do you do?”, my answer went like this, “Right now I’m a stay-at-home-mom, but I USED to…”. As if I had to justify my service to my family.

Through lots of prayer, study and reflection, I have since let go of those misconceptions. I won’t bombard you with a bunch of bible passages talking about a woman’s cherished role in her family (Prov 12:4; Prov 14:1; Prov 31:10-31, if you’re interested). But I will say this…

What you do matters. Listen to me closely. If we were having coffee together, I would lean across the table and look right into your eyes and say it again. What. You. Do. Matters. It is not beneath you. It is important work. Don’t just gloss over that and say “uh-huh, uh-huh”. Go back and read it again. I’ll wait.

Every diaper you change, every load of laundry that you fold, every carpool you drive, every meal that you make…it matters. Even for you moms who are working because you want to or because you need to. You set the tone in your home because you matter.

Serving your family is an important calling. You should never feel diminished or unimportant because what you do matters.

In light of my announcement last week, it seemed like an appropriate time to revisit this post from February 2009. The comments on the original post are worth reading all by themselves. Best comments ever.

photo credit: Shereen M

You Matter is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Yes, my dear friends, I AM still alive. I have tried to write so many times over the past few weeks and the words just wouldn’t come. But you are my people and I couldn’t stay silent.

I have received so many kind (and concerned) comments and emails from my readers during the last couple of weeks. Perhaps this one is my favorite…

No, I didn’t sell my blog. (Do people buy them?) No, I wasn’t abducted by aliens (or by crazed shoppers at my garage sale).

But I did run head-long into a season of busy that I didn’t see coming and wasn’t prepared for. Can you relate?

I won’t bore you with all the details, because your life is probably very similar. Hubby stuff. Kid stuff. Family stuff. Church stuff. School stuff. Just plain-old life stuff.

But it’s all important stuff. And it’s where I need to be. The people in my life need me right now.

And so, after over 2 years of running my blog as a business, I need to make a change. I can’t walk away from blogging all-together because I’d miss you all too much! But I will begin treating my blog as a hobby rather than a business. I’m not going away, but I am giving myself permission to do less. You probably won’t see me posting 5x a week for a while…unless I really have a  lot to say.

I’m incredibly blessed that this is an option for me, but it was a HARD decision. A very hard decision. If you’re going to the Relevant ’10 Conference at the end of this month, you’ll hear me talking about this choice. It’s been long process where God has broken down my own desires and shed light in places that I would have preferred remain in the dark.

After I have my thoughts in order, I’ll share some of the process here with you too.

For now, let me give you a little bit of encouragement. It’s ok to do less. It’s ok to re-evaluate your obligations and to make  room for the people that matter the most.

Photo credit: The Knowles Gallery

A Season of Busy: Making the Hard Choices is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

If my lack of posting this week hasn’t given it away, I’ve been buried under piles of Stuff getting ready for my garage sale on Saturday. I’m literally giddy at the thought of being free from my excess Stuff.

I’m also embarrassed by the amount of Stuff that I’ve dug out of my basement and closets. Truly embarrassed. One entire bay of our garage is filling up with Stuff.

We’re starting the garage sale festivities at 7am on Saturday. If you’re in the SW Pennsylvania area and want to come, shoot me an email or friend me on Facebook so I can give you my address. If you’ve already contacted me and I didn’t get back to you, please try again. I got a bunch of responses and I fear that I skipped a few.

And the Stuff Just Keeps on Coming is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

A couple of days ago, I lamented the excess “stuff” we have in our house. It’s making me crazy and I was toying with the idea of having a garage sale to get rid of some stuff.

But I had all sorts of reasons why I couldn’t do it…It’s September (not exactly prime yard sale season in PA). No one will come. I can’t get ready in time. It might be windy (rainy, snowy or too sunny).

Most of my “stuff” was bought for a steal (cause I’m a killer thrifter, y’all), so it all feels like some sort of retail victory. I can’t sell all my prizes!

But the real reason I feel compelled to hold onto my stuff…Even when it’s making me crazy…is that I find myself thinking about all the “what ifs”. What if I find a space for that stuff? What if we move? What if I rearrange and want to use different stuff? What if someone else can use my stuff? What if a herd of marauding zombies rampages through my house and breaks all the upstairs stuff and I need to fill in with the basement stuff?

All valid points, I suppose (except the zombies, of couse). But in exchange for all this excess stuff, I’m giving up my time, peace, contentment, space and money. I’m not being a good steward of what I have and I’m filling my (somewhat limited) brain space with too much unimportant “stuff”. It’s not worth it.

A tiny bit of the “stuff” I’ll be selling.

The Nester is writing about “stuff” this week too. There must be something in the air…or ON the air. Have you all watched Hoarders on A&E yet. GAH!

One quote from Nester’s post brought it all into focus for me. She said…

If I’m so great a finding a deal, I’ll find it again later, right?

DUH! Right? I don’t need to exercise my thrifting prowess in anticipation of some need (or want). I can wait until that need happens and THEN look for a bit of stuff.

So now I’m loading up the garage with my stuff and I’ll be trying to sell if next Saturday (September 18th). If it doesn’t sell, its going into the van and straight to Goodwill. I’m breathing easier already.

Attn locals!!! If you’re in SW Pennsylvania and feel like checking out my sale, friend me on facebook or email me or something so I can see you’re a real person and not a marauding zombie. If you can do that, I’ll give you my address and you can come get some of my stuff.

You Convinced Me! is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

It’s no secret that I like stuff. Mostly pretty stuff for my house, but I’m an equal opportunity stuff-lover. And I’m gifted at finding good stuff. Cheap. I find stuff in the clearance aisle, at the Goodwill and the antique store. And occasionally, by the side of the road.

I love the things that I use to decorate my home. Most of them have a story and I get real pleasure out of making my home pretty.

But sometimes it becomes too much. All my pretty things start to look like this. I start to feel suffocated by the stuff. I look around my house (and my basement!) and all I see is too much stuff. It all looks like clutter and junk.

My soul (and my inner housekeeper) becomes restless to be free of excess stuff. It’s a cyclical thing with me. I gather, collect and save. Then I purge, eliminate and simplify. My hubby is a big fan of the second part of this cycle.

I am so blessed that I have the luxury of too much stuff. But too much stuff can be a curse. Too much stuff can weigh you down and sap your energy.

So, all of this naval gazing leads to one question…Is it too late in the season to hold a garage sale? (We’re in Pennsylvania.) If not, do you think I can get ready by this weekend?

photo credit: Steven Snodgrass

The Stuff of Stuff is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Hello, my friends! I’ve missed you all so much!!!! It was wonderful taking a 2 week blogging break, but I definitely missed this world.

My hubby calls you all the “friends who live in my computer”, but I’ve discovered that you’re also “friends who live in my head and my heart”. That sounds weird doesn’t it? Moving on.

It was a busy 2 weeks. Here’s a quick run-down of what I’ve been doing…in pictures.

This little goof-ball celebrated his 4th birthday (insert tears from me).

Sesame Place

We took a little road trip to eastern PA to visit with all of these guys. I can definitely say that Sesame Place is worth a visit if you’re in the area. The boys had a fantastic time!

Then I put this toothless fella… (is there anything cuter than missing front teeth? I think not.)

On one of these…

For this…

(insert more tears from me.) Are you noticing a pattern yet?

I also learned how to make the most amazing (and EASY!) bread ever. Post coming soon. This also got a few tears…of PURE JOY!

And let’s not forget the mountain of these that were read. Our library cards were smoking! Lots of fun read-alouds with the kids and some just for myself. HEAVEN!

We also knocked a few more things off our Summer List. It’s not quite done, so we’re now calling it our Summer into Fall List.

What was your favorite thing from this summer?

What I Did on My Summer (Blogging) Vacation is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

Do you ever feel like you’ve lost control of your time? That you’ve let too many things creep onto your schedule and that the really important things are getting pushed aside?

You say yes and yes to more and more. Not bad things. Good things! But even good things can be a problem when they crowd out the best things.

When that happens to me, I know that it’s time to rest, breathe, reflect and pray. After over 2 years of posting 4-6 times a week, I am taking a blog-breather for the last 2 weeks of August.

Everyone who knows anything about blogging will tell me that I’m CRAZY! Kimba! You can’t just not post! You have to schedule posts ahead of time! You have to line up guest posters! You have to re-run posts from your archives! Otherwise, you’ll lose readers and the world will explode!

And they’re right (about everything but the exploding part). From a business perspective, it’s a terrible decision to just disappear for 2 weeks. But I’ve always operated under the philosophy of “It’s my blog and I’ll wreck if it I want to.”

Sometimes it’s better to do less so you can be more. And that’s what I’ll be doing for the next 2 weeks. Doing less. And being more.

If nothing else, I hope I can encourage you that sometimes it’s ok to take a step back. It’s ok to stop and catch your breath.

I do know myself and I’m sure I won’t be able to resist jumping on and sharing a few fun tidbits over the next couple of weeks. But I’m looking forward to recharging so that I can come back on Sept 1st and be re-energized and refreshed.

photo credit: gfpeck

Catching My Breath is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I have a confession to make. There was a time in my life when entertaining friends and family stressed me out. A lot. And it was my own fault.

I made entertaining too complicated.

Join me at Reluctant Entertainer today to read about my simple summer entertaining philosophy.

It’s Summertime and the Entertaining is Easy is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I’m blogging from the beach this week! Woo and a Hoooooo!!! I know. I know. I’m a lucky dog. (Note to crazed killers waiting to rob my house…We have a security system and nosey neighbors)

Every summer, we spend a week in Rehoboth Beach, DE with my in-laws (who totally rock). There are at least 10 adults and a gaggle of kids. It’s heaven on the beach.

If you ever get the chance to visit this awesome east coast beach, I would highly recommend it. It’s the perfect combination of family friendly and simply fabulous.

There’s an awesome boardwalk with stuff for the kiddos combined with fantastic shopping and eating. I’m always shocked if I don’t gain 20 lbs the week that we’re here.

There will be much sand digging, wave jumping, ice cream eating and kite flying. And I’ll definitely squeeze in a little thrifting.

But, fear not! I’ll still be around (with sand between my toes) and I have some great stuff lined up for you this week. I am SUPER excited about an awesome giveaway that we’ll be doing later this week. Stay tuned!

What’s you’re favorite vacation ever?

Beach Blogging is a post from: A Soft Place to Land

I rarely lack for inspiration. It’s a mixed blessing.

My mind constantly swirls with the possibility of things. It’s one of the reasons that I’m always dragging home thrift store treasures. I can see the potential in a piece of junk. My poor man suffers this with dignity. All I can say is “Hallelujah for basements”.

My problem always lies in the motivation. Usually, the brain is willing but the body says, “Nah. Let’s eat Crunch N Munch and watch Big Brother.” And so the list of undone projects grows. Things like:

This old window that I plan to use a frame above my laundry room door.

This old wooden door that I snagged out of someone’s trash and plan to turn into a desk for my workspace. Soon. Someday soon.

Side story on the door: I was driving in the minivan with the kids in back. It was POURING down rain and I was wearing a skirt and heels. I saw that door sitting out for the trash and KNEW I had to have it. Slammed on the brakes, did a 180 and pulled off the road. Jumped out into the mud, flung open the back of the van…all the while the kids are screaming “WHAT ARE YOU DOING???” I grabbed that door and let me tell you it was HEAVY! Slid that sucker into the back of the van and screeched out of there in 30 seconds flat.

Trash pickin’ is exciting business, I tell ya.

This old bench that I snagged for $5 (!!!!!) at a yardsale LAST SUMMER. I plan to recover it and use it in my entryway.

And this round coffee table from Goodwill that I want to paint and use as a game table in the playroom.

So there you have it. Motivation vs. Inspiration. Which do you have more of?

Tell me about your unfinished project.

Inspiration vs. Motivation ~ Story of the Project Undone is a post from: A Soft Place to Land