Overwhelmed?...

...with too much To-Do's for the day?

Think about this:

I've learned....That the Lord didn't do it all in one day
What makes me think I can?

Shared by my sweet Isabella...Thanks to my darling daughter

Adding Cheer to Housework

There are days when my housework gets overwhelming. It happened to me this week upon my return from a week-end visit from our home by the bay. I stop myself right away from complaining about cleaning. I remind myself that it is a blessing having homes to clean.

So, to add cheer to doing my housework, I thought of putting on my inspiring apron I won from a giveaway at The Inspired Room....Jewel Box Home (Small House Stories) Giveaway. As soon as I put on my apron, my mood changed!...it definitely added cheer to my housework. This is not my idea by the way. I read about this from a book by Alexandra Stoddard called Living a Beautiful Life. I consider it a great blessing coming accross this book one "library day" with my DD, Isabella. It is such an inspiring book with simple and divine "grace notes" that give practical inspirations for living a beautiful life...one of which is putting on an apron while doing housework! It's a great coincidence, I found later, that Alexandra Stoddard is also a source of inspiration for Melissa Michaels of The Inspired Room!

Alexandra Stoddard believes "beauty can be achieved in the smallest, simplest ways, and this beauty enriches your work experience. The attitude of caring about beauty in the least of things can elevate your work experience into a creative art form". And I definitely agree...this apron is a simple detail that uplifts the spirits and elevates chores into fun!...like icing on a cake!

I love this cute apron by Practically Necessary. I especially love the pocket with an embroidery saying: make it simple...love it! Thanks to The Inspired Room and The Jewel Box Home.

Another thing I put on to add cheer to my housework is my colorful and very comfy toe socks:) It's very cheerful don't you think? and stylish? well, maybe not...but definitely comfy and fun-ny:)

I apologize for the color clash...it doesn't give the cute apron the justice it deserves. But those PJ's are so comfy I was willing to sacrifice style. It doesn't matter...the apron is still cute...and together with my toe socks, they add cheer to housework.

Cheers!... to housework!

P.S.
when I get overwhelmed with so much to-do's, I try to remember this:
I've learned....That the Lord didn't do it all in one day;
What makes me think I can?

Related Post:

here is the article I submitted for the Giveaway

Simple things that give ambiance...Ambiance!

There are just a couple of blog sites that I truly enjoy and "follow". One of them is The Inspired Room by Melissa Michaels. I have come to love this site so much because she has a lot of inspiring posts and ideas for a balanced and beautiful life. In the beginning of the year, Melissa launched a new series called: A Beautiful Life: 12 months of Goals. The simple title is inspiring and pretty much self explanatory. For every month, there is a corresponding "theme" or "key word" as a goal for living a beautiful life. For January it was all about balance, which ironically I missed, because I wasn't as balanced as I needed to be (you know those times when life throws you "curve balls"?...it took me a while to regain my equilibrium). Well I'm back in "balance" (thank God for the blessing of solitude) and I want to share in this month's goal for living a beautiful life... Ambiance.

I have this small and simple yet inspiring "sitting area" in our master's bedroom. This sitting area is one of my "meditation spots" for my time of solitude. It overlooks my outdoor meditation spot and has a peek of the ocean which is my other meditation spot outside of the home.

This is an old off-white love seat that we used to have before I redecorated our living room. I covered it with the same fabric and decor theme in our master's bedroom...Asian inspired. For me its conducive for meditation.

for an added ambiance, I put together a tray housing a few of my favorite things.

On the opposite side of this sitting area is my office area which has my wall of gratitude.

This inspiration wall/wall of gratitude is filled with things that are close to my heart, like memories of precious family togetherness, faith notes post its, and other things that serve as reminders of a joyful life. These reminders of solitude and gratitude to me are the simple things that give ambiance... Ambiance!

Related Posts:

• Once Upon a Solitude
• Inspiration Wall...Living a Grateful Life
• Meditation Spot...Miracle in a Normal Day

Wise words from Rick Warren

I want to share a part of an email I received from a very good friend of mine (thanks to my sister in Christ, my GFF Tessie). It blessed my day and I hope it will be a blessing for you as well. It was taken from an interview with Rick Warren, author of the book 'Purpose Driven Life ' and pastor of Saddleback Church in California.

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.

The goal of life is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.
Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is: my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say: God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.

Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.

Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.

Painful moments, TRUST GOD.

Every moment, THANK GOD.

Whirlwind of Activities...Errands of Love

So many things have transpired these last couple of weeks that I don't even know where to begin. It's hard getting back into something you have been absent at, or away from, for quite some time. It's difficult returning to the gym after a long absence, and in this particular juncture, it's challenging for me writing a couple of weeks' whirlwind of activities and emotions.

Well, I was able to go back to the gym after two months of absence; A different club in fact. A perk from my husband's new job is a membership at Kennedy Club Fitness. Going to the gym is a way to inject the balance I so desperately need during "whirlwind" times.

As for recounting the whirlwind of activities, I think it would be easier if I use bullet points.

• Car maintenance (oil change for Phil's Scion TC and smog for the MPV)
• Dental appointments
• Organizing galore (the OCD in me or maybe just a January thing...anyways, I'll try to take photos)
• Isabella's extra dance classes (a total of 6/week and she wants to add 1 more)
• Isabella's sleep overs (2 week-ends in a row)
• Ian's driving (behind-the-wheel driver's training; his permit expires in February)
• Extreme registration at Cuesta College for Ian's College Reading/Writing class (through his High School Enrichment Program. We were unaware he needed to take an assessment test. I was at Isabella's dance class when Ian's counselor returned my call informing me of a chance to take the test at this event at Cuesta College. We rushed from Isabella's dance class and made it just in time for him to take the last assessment test)
• Ian's counseling and a look at Home Schooling (this should be an entire exclusive post; this is where the whirlwind of emotions come in)
• Immanuel's resolution to pursue Game and Simulation Programming at Devry University
• Phil among 6 selected to be part of Cal Poly's ICEX program (International Computer Engineering Experience)

It has been a full January thus far, a whirlwind of activities and emotions indeed, but nonetheless joyful. I call them "Errands of Love".

John 10:10b Jesus said: "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

OCD Kitchen Cleaning

I just finished cleaning and organizing my kitchen cabinets. It has been a long dreaded task on my list of to-do's since last year. It feels so rewarding to finally check it off my list.

The hardest part in tackling a dreaded task is taking the first step. Having said that, I consider it a great blessing getting the drive I so need in taking that difficult first step. Once you actually start the task, the rest become less challenging even therapeutic and very rewarding.

I have to admit I tend to have a tad of, or borderline, OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) when it comes to organizing and cleaning. My family would argue the "tad or borderline"... according to them I have "full blown" OCD.

Well, what can I say, I'm a work in progress. I realize sometimes I can go overboard. So today when my DD, Isabella, asked me to watch her dance, I happily paused in the middle of my "kitchen cleaning OCD" and enjoyed her show.

Cleaning can be very therapeutic and reflective. I had several "epiphanies" from today's reflective "OCD kitchen cleaning" episode.

I have to pause for now...my darling daughter is asking for mommy time and mommy/baby girl time is at the top of my list.

Epiphany and my goals for 2009

January 6th is a special day for me. There are many "titles" given in commemoration of this day. It is the 12th day of Christmas, Christmastide, Twelve-tide, Three Kings day, and my favourite designation for this day, The Epiphany and my dear husband's birthday. That said, let me give you the epiphany on epiphany. Here are some definitions:

from wikipedia

• An epiphany is the sudden realization or comprehension of the (larger) essence or meaning of something


• The term is used in either a philosophical or literal sense to signify that the claimant has "found the last piece of the puzzle and now sees the whole picture,"

my thoughts

• a revelation or manifestation of the holy
• aha! moment
• moment of clarity (as in the new book by Christopher Kennedy Lawford, Moments of Clarity)
• discovery found in solitude
• seek and you shall find...and the truth will set you free...this, to me, is epiphany defined.

The beginning of my goals for 2009 that will hopefully manifest as my personal creed

• not just busyness but fruitfulness
• contentment but not passivity
• not a penny-pincher or spendthrift but a wise steward of all resources bestowed to me