'Member That Time?

'Member that time when I was absentmindedly playing with one of those big rubber "poppers" and watching tv at the same time? And remember how I absentmindedly stuck it to my forehead because the suction felt funny? I left it on there for the rest of the show, mostly because I forgot about it.

Then, remember how I went into the kitchen to ask about dinner and my mom took one look at me and burst out laughing hysterically? Unfortunately, I was not lucky enough to avoid the consequences of suctioning the toy to my head and I had a giant hickey right in the middle of my forehead.

Fortunately for me it was winter, so I could pull my headband down over my forehead as I walked to school alone. Unfortunately for me, it was not winter inside the school and I was forced to take my headband off. No one ever said anything to my face about the hickey, but in 5th grade, that type of gossip spreads like wildfire. Good thing I moved away 2 years later.

I'll never be able to live that week of humiliation, especially since there are pictures. (thank you mom.)

New Step!

Lately, I've been thinking about/wishing/wanting a mentor - someone who's older and wiser and can pour their wealth of wisdom on me and challenge me.

Of course, I'm surrounded by amazing women around my age who care for me deeply and love me no matter what mood I'm in (which, admittedly, hasn't been very fun lately...I'm feeling run down and beat up by life); it would take me forever to list all of them out. But there's something different/lovely/inspiring about having a Godly older woman who has experienced life and can share those experiences and lessons with you.

I finally asked an amazing woman who's on our coordinating team for Perspectives and who I completely respect to be that person for me. Without hesitation, she answered yes.

She blew me away after Perspectives when she approached me to talk more and said that this past year (since she first met me, really), she's been praying that I would seek someone out to play that role in my life and that I would grow in wisdom.

She's been praying for me!! For the past year!! I know you know the feeling (at the very least, I hope you do) when you find out someone has been earnestly seeking God on your behalf. Complete joy and elation! Kindergarten word = warm fuzzies EVERYWHERE.

And surprise surprise...Satan tries worms his way in to rob me of my joy by placing doubt in my mind. Nope, not this time (or any time, preferably). This is from God.

Just a word of advice...

If you're going to get something pierced, you should probably do it by someone who has a face that would set off a metal detector and not a grossly overweight man with a speech impediment when he's nervous.

Seems so obvious now....

Yep, That's What We Said

Me: "Is it time?!?!"

Emma: "No, it's cilantro!"

Such a waste....

One of the most irritating things for me is buying a food item that I need for a certain recipe with full knowledge that I won't be able to use it all before it goes bad. I hate wasting the money and food item!

For instance...milk. I cannot buy a gallon of milk (or a quart for that matter) and use it all before it goes bad. I hate drinking it, so I only use it for cooking, and therefore, it usually goes bad before I use it all. Solution? Almond milk. It's thicker/creamier and yummy and lasts MUCH longer!! And since I use it for cooking, it's generally not noticeable that I didn't use the real thing. Win win win.

But one thing I couldn't get past? Cilantro. Usually when I'm making a recipe, I only need one tablespoon at a time, and whaddaya know....cilantro doesn't come in 1 tbsp increments. Nope, gotta buy the whole bag and hope a lot goes a little ways. (hint, it doesn't usually)

But my friend Paige? She's a genius. Look at what she does!

It freezes!!! Loooooove it!! Guess who's no longer wasting herbs?! A tablespoon fits in each little cube in the ice-cube tray and after about 2 tablespoons of water in each one, it's ready to freeze!! Gah, I'm so excited about this! Sure, it's just $2 I'm not wasting...but that's a tea at Cafe Diem that I can have now!!! Whoop!

Also, with the insane blizzard that we had here, I came home early and got a bunch done, including laundry. When I went downstairs to finish my last load, I found that our washer had moved here:

...when it used to be here:

Whoops!! Guess I should have balanced it out a little better in there... And it's a really good thing our hoses are so long and flexible!! That sucker must have been moving because it was AT LEAST a foot and a half further away from the dryer than it should have been. Yikes...

Disclaimer....our washer/dryer are in the basement and I swear, it doesn't actually look this gross down there. Also, don't look too close at the laundry coming out of the dryer. Just in case.

I am in LOVE with...

This magazine. Absolutely adore it. It's SO nice and relaxing to read! And the organizational tips in it? Loooove it!

Cranberry-grape juice with 7-Up. Looks wine-ish without the [nasty] alcoholic taste. Hey, whatever makes me feel more sophisticated...

Sweats and blankets. As freakin' cold as it is outside (um, negative 2 this morning?!?!), it is really nice to come home, immediately change into warmer duds and make a nest of blankets on the couch. (That is, when I have a free evening)

My knit gloves. I got them at Ragstock in Iowa City when I was with Jordan, and they are hands down the most amazing things I have ever put on my hands. ZERO wind and cold gets through these things. I don't know where they've been the past 24 years of my life, but I can't imagine facing winter without them now.

Jesus. But that's a given.

People touching me. My love language is physical touch, and it sometimes feels like someone sent out a giant memo a few months ago to everyone I love and told them to increase the hugs and hair-playing and high-fives (not nearly as gratifying, but I'm definitely not picky).

My roommate. She's pretty much amazing, and I love that she is so self-less and loving. And she says the most ridiculous things to me/with me.

Time flies...

Things are definitely picking up speed as we're plowing through January! Can you believe that tomorrow is the 20th?!?! Seriously, where has this month gone? I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to wake up tomorrow and have to start end-of-the-year taxes again. This whole time thing is pretty ridiculous if you don't keep close track of it....

It's getting super hard to enjoy each day for what it is now too. I'm constantly moving from one thing to the next. 8-4, I'm working at my full-time job, and 5-9 most weekdays and 8:30-5 on Saturdays, I'm at H&R Block doing taxes. Sunday SHOULD be my sabbath, but instead I'm at Cornerstone and leading the infant room for morning services followed by Perspectives and then connection group. I enjoy the full schedule because I'm rarely left home alone to fall back into old habits (napping all afternoon/watching tv on hulu), but those little moments to myself are so valuable!

Every extra 5 minutes is nice, and it's especially wonderful when I USE that time to do something productive! Some ideas:

-Pick up a few things in the living room to clean it up

-Clean all the mirrors (amazing what this does...)

-Clean out purse (I feel like I lose a few pounds when I do this!)

-Return that phone call you keep forgetting about!

-Gather clothes that you need to take to Goodwill and put them in your car!!

-Actually take said clothes TO Goodwill!

-Download pictures from your camera onto your computer

-In fact, why don't you download that cd you've been dying for? (I've got like, 5)

-Reorganize the freezer

-If they've stuck around for a laundry cycle or two, throw unmatched socks away (seriously, why do we keep them? The dryer-pit of doom will never return them...)

I have this horrible habit of hitting the snooze button until I drag my bum body out of bed to frantically get ready for work. Guess what getting up 15 minutes earlier gets me? Time to put lotion on (luxury!!), pick up my room and get everything back in order, and usually enough time to get in a quick Bible read while my car is warming up in the driveway. 15 minutes!! I don't know how it all fits in there, but it does! And really, what good is that extra 15 minutes (interrupted at 5 minute intervals) really doing for me in the long run?

Despite having so many large demands on my time, I'm maintaining a surprising amount of sanity. Hope it stays though! Things will only get crazier when the tax season starts...