What inspires you?

This quote really spoke to me:

We all have something to teach, and we all have something to learn.

We ALL have something to TEACH. Think about that for a moment. Yes, that's right, every single one of us. We're all given special talents, and we are asked to share them with others. But, I'm not only thinking of the obvious definition of the word "teach", like teaching a subject in school. That's not all we have to teach, that's not the only way we educate. We teach through words . With every word we impart, we make an impression. We must choose our words wisely. A message of love, not of hate. A message of hope, not despair. A message of comfort in sadness.  Are we aware of the impression that we have on others by the words we choose? While it's true that we can teach through our words, we can also teach without uttering a single syllable. Our actions can speak volumes. Do we always choose the path of kindness when interacting with others? I'm not always as kind and loving as I should be. I'm often impatient, and I get irritated with others. Is that what I want to teach? No, it's not. We (I) must try to do better.

We ALL have something to LEARN. That's right. You aren't finished when you cross the stage and accept that diploma. Life is one big lesson after another. Are we taking the time to find out what that lesson is, or are we running around, so busy, that we're missing it? Another way we learn is t take the time to really LISTEN to what others are sayning around us. Are we truly listening? It's not always easy to be completely in the moment. Other things crowd our minds, they block out everything else. Think of all the life lessons we're missing because we're preoccupied with what we have to do, or what we're running out of and have to put on the list, or where we need to be next, or what we're cooking for dinner or etc. or etc. Instead of dwelling on those things, let's truly be right where we are at that particular moment. I'm completely guilty of this: guilty, guilty, guilty! I'm trying really hard to remedy this flaw, trying very hard to just BE. It's funny, I teach my kids new things every single day, but, in turn, they've taught me so much more. I don't want to miss out on those opportunities ... ever.

I love how this one little quote, just a few words strung together, makes me think. And, hopefully, because I see it every day in my dining room, it'll help me to remember to try to achieve the message that it imparts. I'm so glad I found this picture at Anonymously Yours in downtown Galesburg. That's my find for the day, but it's really not about this picture, it's about a message I needed to hear. Imparting a challenge for me to try to do better and to always be in the moment.

What's your inspiration or motivation?

wise words

 Four things you can't recover:

The stone after the throw,

The word after it's said,

The occasion after it's missed,

The time after it's gone.

~Deanna Wadsworth

Makes you think, right?

It's a powerful reminder.

Do no harm.

Love unconditionally.

Choose Wisely.

Enough said.

Make mornings easier! Yes, please!

I'd like to say I'm so incredibly organized that I have time to get everything done before we start school, but I'm not that mom. I try really hard, and sometimes, I succeed. Those are really good days. Then there are the other days, the ones with last minute research, making calls, paying bills, or hunting down things for projects or experiments.  It happens, even when I try hard to have my act together. I admire the women who can do it all ... a lot. Kudos to them! They are my heroes!

For a while, I've let the kids be responsible for their breakfast. Does that sound harsh? I hope not. I thought I'd put some breakfast stuff on the counter for them, but this is where I ran into a problem. It's one of those "in theory, it's great" ideas, that doesn't quite work out as you've planned. I gathered all the stuff in a basket. However, the sides of the basket were so tall you couldn't tell what was in there. Not such a great idea.

This is where my toaster oven comes in to save me. I know this seems completely random, but it's when this idea started. Last week, this appliance, which takes up valuable real estate on my counter but hasn't been used a lot, decided to go nutty and smelled like it was thinking about starting a fire. I'll have no wacko appliances in my kitchen, so it's been banned. Voila! I have some freed up counter space to make our breakfast routine easier. I decided to gather all the supplies and put them together. The only thing I'm not putting over there is the toaster (not crazy toaster oven, but regular toaster) because I think it's totally acceptable for us to walk those six extra steps to make toast. Right?

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OK, can I just say this project wasn't as easy as it sounded when I announced to everyone I was going to make my mornings easier on Friday? Ha! I'm not sure what I was thinking because not one brilliant idea happened over the weekend. Maybe I'll remember that the next time I want to make a grand announcement, promising something wonderful a few mere days away. Or that I actually have a life besides getting this post out on a Monday morning. I juggle a lot of stuff, remember? Anyway, that counter space turned out to be as grumpy as my ousted toaster oven. First off, I had planned to have my coffee maker over there. It didn't happen.  Truthfully, this mom doesn't really care about what's for breakfast as much as getting her caffeine fix. It's what keeps me going. But, the coffee maker wouldn't fit, and my plans went awry in a hurry. Finally, after I'd gotten everything finished and took a step back, this space looked like there was a bunch of stuff on my counter that I failed to put away!  Yikes! That was NOT what I was trying to achieve!

So here's where I am right now ...

Does this just look like a jumbled mess on my counter? I'm not sure if I love this solution or if it'll make things better. We certainly can see things and get to them without rooting through the basket, but I'm not sure if it's in a good way. The only saving grace is that you can't see it when you walk in the door. My refrigerator is hiding it. Also, don't judge our breakfast choices. They aren't always the best, but I've taken a "just get it done, so we can get started" attitude towards the first meal of the day. When they were closeted in my basket, there wasn't any problem with judgement. Success? I'm really not sure, so we'll just use this for a while and see. That's life. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you don't. If it doesn't work, I'll be back to the drawing board, thinking of another solution.

I snapped a few extra pictures when I was working on this project of things I'd like to share. Even if my project wasn't a success, these things make me smile ...

My "fun find" bowl. It's beautiful, isn't it? And cheery! Plus, I love it next to my stacking bowls

My smoothie cup has a sweater made out of repurposed, felted wool. I know it's silly, but I like to drink them out of the metal cup. That metal gets really cold, so I made the sleeve for it because I'm kind of a wimp. Also, drinking out of that container reminds me of those metal cups we used when I was growing up. Does anyone else remember the ones that were all different colors that also worked well for cookie or biscuit cutters in a pinch. No? Maybe not, I might be dating myself there. Anyway, here it is ...

And, last but not least, my current coffee choices ... yum! I'm caffeine girl, remember? This just makes me deliriously happy ...

That's it for now. I'm not sure if I've been successful or not, but, again, that's life. I'm not sure what I'll be talking about on Wednesday, but, even if I had a clue, I wouldn't tell you. That way, no one will be disappointed. See? I learned my lesson from last week's post! That's something, right?

Until next time, let's try to keep things simple!

Friday Find ... my best hauls ...

I'm not postive when my love for thrift stores and rooting around for bargains began, but I think it started back in high school when I was searching for that coveted vintage preppy sweater. I've been hooked ever since then. If you still are doubtful about the things you may find at that resale or thrift store, let me see if I can change your mind by showing you some of my best hauls.

I'm always finding great purses at stores. I've found it all: great vintage, fun Kate Spade prints, and classic Coach styles. Probably, my best bargain was when Salvation Army was having a buy one, get one free sale on their bags. I bought a canvas bag for $4.99 and snagged a small, black Coach purse for free. Yes, free. Or, if it makes you feel better, let's say $2.50. The canvas bag became my summer camera bag after I built inserts for it, and the black Coach is my goto "out for the night" bag, when I only need to carry a few things. Exciting, right? I have three other Coaches, that I love and use a lot: a small brown one, a classic black bucket, and a black briefcase. I looked up the bucket bag and briefcase last night. The bucket sells for around $100, and that's the resale price because it is vintage. I paid around $5. Pretty cool, huh? I saved the best for last. My briefcase sells for around $448. It's also available on ebay or etsy for about $250. I paid $10. See what snooping around the resale shops will get you? Bargains! I know there are a lot of fakes out there, but I'm pretty sure mine are real. However, if they aren't, who cares? They were still a deal.

Next stop ... clothes. Again, there are great bargains can be found. I especially love getting vintage leather and wool coats for the whole family. Until this year, Grace and Phillip have always had beautiful wool dress coats. Unless I admitted it, no one would have any idea I paid pennies on the dollar for them. Plus, kids grow out of their clothes so quickly that it seemed wasteful to buy things for full price. $150 for a coat. Not this girl. I'd rather pay $4.99, thank you very much. I get lots of compliments on what we're all wearing, and, most of the time, it's from a thrift store. The same goes for shoes and other accessories. If you're patient and learn to wait, you will eventually find it. That's been my experience. My best finds in this department are my Uggs and Dan Post boots. I paid $20 for my Uggs, but they retail for over $200. My cowboy boots were $10, but they sell for $180. Both of these items were absolutely new in the box, never worn. As you can see, they've been worn like crazy since I got them, and I love that I didn't have to pay full price for them.

Last stop for the day ... housewares. It's always interesting what you can find if you take the time to look. I've found valuable collectibles, great furniture, homeschooling materials, musical instruments, and video game components. My favorite to find is vintage Pyrex and beautiful pottery pieces. It's all there. You just have to dig a little. The ikea table and chairs for $30 and my coat stand for $1.99 are my current furniture favorites. The kids' current favorite is the rock band components (drum kit, guitar, and microphone) that we found for under $20.

I hope this has helped you think a little differenty about thrift and resale shops. I'm a huge fan. I may have to wait a bit to get what I want, but I usually find it. Key, classic pieces for your wardrobe don't change from season to season. The same goes for housewares and furniture, a good piece is a good piece no matter what. The next time your hunting for something, why not give one of these stores  try? You may not find what you're looking for, but you never know what you will find. Give it a shot! I promise you'll get hooked.

If you're looking for something specific and haven't found it yet, just let us know. Both Kimberly and I would love to scout around for you. We're always finding things for others when we're thrifting.

For my fellow thrift store junkies, what has been your best hauls?

On Monday, I'll be sharing ways I've tried to streamline our morning routine to makes things less stressful and more productive in our makeover segment. Hopefully, I'll have some tips that'll help others out there.

Until next time, let's try to keep things simple!