Im A Girl Up For A Challenge January 11, 2014

     I am always up for a challenge and I don’t know a better challenge then one that will refocus my attention to doing what I love. I am committing to 52 weeks of writing on the topics given in this challenge. You know that I am a girl who loves creativity, so I hope to use these topic in the most creative ways that will bring smiles, laughs, and maybe even a few tears.

    Move over “tabloids” people are realizing that there is more to life then 30 day weddings and unreal expectations. Blogs are the new “IN” read. Many blogs share the lives of real people doing real things that matter. I love reading other blogs about real woman who are accomplishing motherhood in many creative ways, people who are traveling to places I dream of visiting, workout articles that are obtainable and healthy. Blogs share all areas of ones interests, the good, the bad, and the ugly. In most blogs there is no room for airbrushed faux lifestyles.

     As a wife, mother, sister and friend I write to encourage and inspire. I write to share my messy stories of life as well as my accomplishments of life so readers will get a real raw understanding of what an organized mess I really am. But none the less my family and I know the importance of  do-overs, loving one another, working hard, and laughing a lot. I am not perfect and that’s okay. I have a God that loves me just the way I am!

Always Defining Who I Am January 4, 2014

Picture taken by a good friend and photographer. http://www.makeitsnappy3.blogspot.com

The New Year can sometimes can be so paralyzing, it screams “CHANGE” in so many ways. People making resolutions to change this or that; becoming thinner, becoming stronger, quit smoking, stop using credit cards. I found this New Year that I had so many ideas of what I wanted to, who I wanted to be, and where I wanted to go that the last four days of the New Year has been so mentally exhausting that I could not even find the energy to move off the couch. If you know anything about me I spend most of my time in full throttle and I slow down on rare occasion. This last week I had so many ideas that I analyzed all the possibilities before I even started that I paralyzed myself from even beginning. This week has been mentally draining without any accomplishment.

Today as I thought about it, I came to the conclusion that I don’t have to have all the answers or know the exact direction. If I am living for the sole purpose to bring God glory then I just have to take the first step and He will direct my placement and path. You see we are always defining ourselves. It’s not just at the beginning of the year or the middle of the year but each day we wake up we are defining something about ourselves. Do not get me wrong I look to the New Year with great anticipation and believe that resolutions give individuals goals which then provides direction. With my type A personality, New Years is a chance to organize my thoughts and come up with actions. But what I don’t need to do is believe that it is the only time of the year that I can create change or make goals. And I don’t have to have all the answers, as the answers will come. And if I am afraid of failing then my goals are bigger then me but not bigger then God so I have great goals.

So I am no longer paralyzed, but will vow to put one foot in front of the other. I will wake up knowing that I am daily defining who I am and knowing I serve a mighty and powerful God. I don’t need all the answers of how I am going to get there just the FAITH to believe that He will direct my path.

“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” 2 Thessalonians 3:5

Learning To Be Still (Refuel, Recharge, and Reexamine) November 11, 2013

Oh how I have missed sitting down at my computer, its been too long. It is so funny how time can race by and we get caught up in its current that we forget at times to do what we enjoy, and not what the world tells us we enjoy. I am one fast paced moving mama and I forget just how important it is to be still and take the time to recharge. This weekend I have had a lot of time to be still (I was hardly still but in being still means I did not have any place to go and stayed within the confinement of my home most of the weekend). So often my house becomes nothing more than a shell. I was convicted that my house, needs not to be a shell but a home that rejuvenated and refreshes. We come in and throw out bags down, just to run to the next activity. I will say that our dinners are taken serious and most nights (at least 5) are eaten together as a family (our only still time). When I am moving, I forget how much I have been blessed with, what my kids voices really sound like. I stopped and sat with my three-year old as she just went on and on and I savored her sweet voice because all too soon she will be grown and I will forget.  How many of you can relate to this?

This last year has been quite a journey for my husband and I. I have felt guilty that I have let so many years go by that I forgot that marriage takes work. We both just go with the flow that we forget how important it is to date your spouse. How important it is to sit down and talk.  It takes time to stop, pause and reflect. Paul and I have done a lot of reflecting, pausing, working, and we still have so far to go, but it has felt so good to really partner with my husband, to enjoy my husband (yes, I want to harm him sometimes!) But when I take time to reexamine that man I married, the hard-working father he is to our girls, my heart starts to become over whelmed with the feeling of love, not just the choice of love. When I let the world around me go so fast and dictate my every move I forget or become desensitized by the power of our relationship. When we are closer and on the same page our girls seem more relaxed, when we work together and run our errands together we get to sneak some time in to enjoy each others presence. It is amazing how just one weekend in doors together can make you see things so much clearer.

So I think I will be aware of getting in some quite time, because when I get time to refuel, recharge, and reexamine, some things make so much more sense! Have a great day friends. Remember that you too need to be recharged.

Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling. Zechariah 2:13

Not My Smart Phone January 9, 2013

 Not My Smart Phone

While sitting in the doctor’s office the other day, I began to look around at all the people. I am not sure what I felt more in shock over, the fact that everyone was on some kind of technical savvy device (iPad, iPod, iPhone, smart phone, reader) or the fact that no conversations were going on because everyone’s faces were shoved so deep into their devices. OH MY!!! My heart sunk as I realized I was not one to judge because I to was guilty! While my three-year old sat next to me on her little computer, I sat on my phone.  I had no interaction with her just an occasional glance up to make sure she was okay and didn’t need anything.

Really, was I that self-absorbed with what I thought was so important that I did not spend crucial minutes with my daughter that I had been given. This time could have been used to invest in her, to encourage her, to read to her, to communicate with her. I began to reflect how much time I spend on social media, games, or even texting. If I would take that time and invest that into my family, I wonder just how much deeper relationships we could develop. I wonder if my girls would crave my attention less because they felt secure with the amount of time I spent with them vs. the time I spent on my phone or other device.

What will this world would be like when my girls become my age. I am scared by what I saw at the doctor’s office because if we continue as a society to keep our heads down into these devices, we as people will miss out on life. What about the power of a smile, or a hello? What will happen to the value of conversation? What will happen to the relationships in our homes? I hate to admit this but I know at times my girls feel devalued by the time I put into my phone or computer. NO LONGER, I AM TAKING A STAND.

For now on this family will feel valued, will communicate, laugh and giggle, and even disagree but we will do it with the appreciation of one another. How could I have gotten so involved that I fell victim to the “Smart Era.” Its time to reclaim priorities and invest into the lives that will give back one day…

If this made you think, wiggle in your seat, or question when the last time at an appointment you and yours had a great heart to heart conversation, then maybe you will be challenged like I was. In no way do I think these devices are wrong, as like I said above I LOVE mine, however I do believe they are wrong when priorities of life fall to the wayside.

New Year With New Possibilities January 7, 2013

New Year With New Possibilities

Wow, I can’t believe how fast time flies. I would like to say I was having fun but the last few months proved to be the most challenging time in my life. I had to step away from my passion of writing to tend to more important things that needed tending to. In the months to come I will become more transparent, as I feel my story may be able to help others out there, but for now I will just get back to what I love and that is everything “Woman” crafts, cooking, devotions, projects, and interesting reads.

I hope you had a great Christmas and are settling into the New Year. I know personally every year I like to reflect on what I did good over the year and what I could do better on the following year. I am a sucker for New Year resolutions, because they focus on making changes for the positive. I know resolutions take a lot of slack and many people don’t make them, because in less than 6 weeks the focus is lost and “we” the people settle back into our comfort zone. Well there is no wrong with your comfort zone if its comfortable but for me I love the feeling of being stretched and challenged.

As for me I try to make New Year resolutions for each of these areas of my life; emotional, physical, mental and spiritual. Each year I make four resolutions and I choose these areas because they are real, it’s not something that is far-fetched and these areas make me the person I am. So why not want to better myself each year?

This year my emotional resolution is to stay in control of my emotions in my uncontrollable moments! Sound familiar, some of you have read the book “Unglued” by Lysa TerKeurst, this book gave me great insight on how my emotions can control the outcome of so many situations. Lysa uses her witty personality and personal stories to make one feel as they are not alone in this world when their emotions seem to get the best of them. My other resolutions consist of physical, mental, and spiritual. So creating a healthy environment for my family, which consists of sitting less and moving more would fall under my physical. My mental would be using my brain to impact the lives of others and my family, so I have started writing a book. And last but certainly not least would be spiritual, if you have followed my blog you already know my relationship with Christ is my passion. So my prayer is to seek God daily and give him the honor and glory for everything!

Friends it is so good to be back and doing what I love. I hope that you will follow sassy2savvy.com and tell a friend. This week I challenge you to reflect on the amazing person you are and create some realistic ideas to better your life in 2013. Stay away from far-fetched resolutions and focus on little steps that will stretch and challenge you, these resolutions will provide growth that you will be able to see and reflect on at the end of the year. I would love to hear what some of your resolution might be.

Happy New Year From Sassy2Savvy to You and Yours!!!

A Laundry Room Transformation October 10, 2012

Laundry Room Transformation

Before Laundry Nook

They say “Love grows in a little house” I believe that to be true as well as “Clutter grows in a little house as much as love.” If you know me, you know I do not do clutter and I have a little house! One thing that bothers me is my laundry nook, like how I used the word nook. This closet (Yes! closet size)  is located off of the eat-in kitchen area.While looking at laundry rooms on Pinterest, I noticed that they had so much more room to decorate and organize then I did. This got my wheels a turning and I was challenged to make my nook functioning and organized. As you can see from the pictures above, this space was quite an eye sore. I would never think to open this space when I had company. Just because you are challenged with a small space, don’t let that hold you back.

For months I wanted to transform my nook, I had so many ideas but not so much money to invest in it. I kept my eyes open and a friend of mine had a cabinet hutch sitting in her garage. I loved the country charm it had. Well after a couple visits and seeing this hutch, I got brave and asked her about it. She was just waiting to get rid of it. SCORE!! At the time I knew I loved this piece but was not sure where I would use it until a light went off laundry transformation (my husband does not like these ah ha moments, as it means more work for him)

Let’s see what a little bit of paint, some shelving hardware, and some decorating can make:

Total Cost in Laundry Project (35.00)

After Transformation

Step One:

Pull out washer and dryer and clean nook. Wiped off walls, swept floor, and cleaned the baseboard and pulled down old wire shelves.

Step Two:

Paint the area using left over paint in garage. My house is made up of more neutral tones, so I had two colors left over and mixed them to create a similar color for the laundry nook. This saved me from having to buy paint (No money invested yet)

Step Three:

Measured the space for my new cabinet and painted cabinet with leftover paint (I wanted a shelf over the washer and dryer and the cabinet to appear as it was coming off the shelf)

Step Four:

Put up shelf and cabinet (Money went into buying the shelf and hardware for mounting the cabinet. $30.00)

Step Five:

Move back in!!! Put back the washer and dryer. Fill cabinets with cleaning supplies and decorated my shelves (Everything that I used to decorate was already in my home some where (including the close-pins from my craft area). I’m in love!!!

So with a little time, paint, and used products you can turn a not so organized mess into a Pinterest style laundry nook for almost nothing.

Their Journey, Not My Own

“For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

I love being a mom, well at least today I do. I am sure we all have days were we would love to change our names for just a few minutes but for the most part being a mom is my passion. I know I am biased but God blessed me with the most beautiful girls that have the most bright and radiant personalities. He has gifted them with talents far beyond what I could have imagined. I’m sure we can all relate to the over whelming feeling of complete “awe” when we look at our kids.

On the weekends you can usually find our family on the soccer field, our entire family loves the game of soccer and our oldest daughter plays on a local travel team.  I will sadly admit “I am one of those soccer moms” I occasionally become “Unglued” (reading Unglued, by Lysa Terkeurst at the moment) and I allow my emotions to get the best of me. This season my daughter is playing on a travel team that is undergoing some changes and transitions. The changes and transitions are a bit over whelming for our family (my husband and I) and I can sometimes lose perspective of the purpose of the gifts God gave my child. Instead of realizing that the gifts my daughter has been blessed with is for a working purpose God has for her life, I allow myself to get caught up in the politics of soccer and forget that these “issues” are not relevent to the journey God has for my child.

Sometimes as a parent (screaming “IM GUILTY”) I lose perspective of why God made me a parent. It’s my job to guide my child to love Christ and to seek His will for their life. I sometimes focus too much on my will for my child, that I forget to acknowledge that they are gifts from God and His will for them is far greater than my own.

Being a mom we always want whats best for our children. As a parent I get caught in a trap that I can provide all my childs needs, as well as make all the decisions based on whats best for them. Sometimes (okay many times) I forget that my girls were placed in my arms because my Heavenly Father knew that I was the mother for them, however I am so slow sometimes to offer them back up to God and pray that he shows me His plan for their life. I forget these girls were gifted to Paul and I for a short time. It is our job as parents to guide them, but we can only do that correctly if we seek His council by prayer (lots and lots of prayer).

Sometimes the only thing holding us back from being the best parents we can be is the amount of space between the floor and our knees. May I remember as a parent that the little things in this world are so superficial to the plans and journey God has for them. May I also be sensitive as a parent that my girls are watching how I handle every situation and I am their biggest example (No Pressure)!!!

Hug your kids today and rest assured that God has a plan just for them.

Tile Subway Art Craft October 2, 2012

Fall Tile Subway Art

Here is a quick and fun craft to do at home. Pretty inexpensive as I used a lot of supplies I had from home. I did use vinyl lettering on mine and you can find the link to Uppercase lettering below. If you havent used them, I suggest you check them out. You may be hooked.

Supplies:

12×12 Tile (Had some left over)

Vinyl Lettering or Stickers (Lettering I used is from Uppercase Living)

Modge Podge (Optional)

Directions:

1.) Clean tile very good

2.) Practice Run: Arrange letter on tile before you decide to stick them down. Make sure this is how you want it to look.

3.) Create subway art by sticking the letters and or pictures to the tile.

4.) Optional to use modge podge as a sealer. If you use stickers then I would encourage you to modge podge the top to seal it.

Have Fun and Be Creative

 

Vinyl lettering I used was from www.wallwords4u.com

 

A City Being Built September 24, 2012

A City Being Built

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

Matthew 5:14

As I was driving in my car today, I was over whelmed with the most joy when I heard my two little girls singing worship songs form the back seat. I would be lying if I told you it didn’t bring tears to my eyes. I heard these two little voices that sounded like angels rocking out to music that sang “for greater things are yet to come, for greater things are still to be done in this city.” It was over whelming and enlightening to hear these words flow from two little girls who had no idea the impact of the words they sang, however my heart could feel the impact.

God, what a blessing you gave me with these two little girls. These same girls that fight from the back seat over a toy, these same girls that put finger prints on my walls, these same little girls that sometimes call my name 1 million times in a day, are the girls you intrusted me with. What a conviction of my heart today, to know that God placed these two beauties in my life for a purpose. These two little girls did not choose me, but God choose these two little girls for me. Wow!! Can you say pressure!

Our kids are gifts and their little personalities can be compared to a “city under construction.” The heart and mind of a child is constantly being built. As God placed me as the contractor in my girls lives, I sometimes forget that these girls look to me as a blue print of how to be built. Wow, forget pressure, I think I feel failure.

My feeling of failure is just that, failure when I think I can do it alone. It was confirmed to me through these two beauties and their song that we as adults are also cities being built, the bible is God’s blue prints for us, and our quite time and obedience is our refinement. I mess up quite often by losing my way and getting caught up in things that have no value, but thank you God for your grace and mercy!

What God showed me this morning was with Him and through Him I am not a failure. When I draw close to God my girls watch that and they to draw close to God. And today just the affirmation of them singing songs of praise, was like a sweet reward from the Heavenly Father.

Sometimes as adults, as parents, as friends, or spouses we feel like we are failing or have failed. Just remember there is a God that loves you and with him and through him all things are possible. Meditate on Philippians 4:13 (My favorite verse) today “For you can do all things through Christ, who gives you the strength.”

Have a Blessed Week

Spookey Fall Candle Holders

Spooky Fall Candle

Holders

I can’t believe it is Friday already, before I start my weekend I would love to leave you with a decorating idea you may want to do over the weekend. It is very easy and the whole thing cost me I think 0.94 cents to do. I am in love with my mantel since I added these fun candle holders.

What you will need:

Vase or clear glass

scrapbook paper

Tape

Candle

Directions:

Measure paper and cut to fit around vase, create a wrap from scrapbook paper and tape on the back side. Drop in candle and you have yourself a spooky candle holder to add charm and character to your mantle or table. Fun for parties or events.