Spring Cleaning

If you are one of those people that boast have a clutter free home then I would like to congratulate you. I know you exist because I've been to your homes, and they look amazing. I know, I know. They don't always look that amazing. You have your seconds "days" right? And I have yet to check if you stash piles of junk in the dryer. (Yes, I've stored junk in the dryer. I learned from my mother. Sorry mom.) But I assume it was junk free. In fact your laundry was probably folded and put away! I hear people do that.

I may covet love the crisp comfort of your clutter free home, but I can't seem to replicate it! Let me assure you that the desire is there. I think I'm lacking the skill... In fact, I'm not sure I believe in clutter free homes. I classify them in the same category as the Easter bunny and earthquakes.

If you're like me, then you may also be attempting to dig out of your clutter. Apparently Spring is the time to do this. My sweet friend Tammy Maltby has a motto that I've begun to adapt across many areas of my life. She says, in regards to living a hospitable life, "Start simply...But simply start." Check her out! Her message and her recipes are amazing (and her new book is coming soon)! I love what she has to say about inviting people in. And can I please just tell you now...if you receive an invitation to my home, it may or may not be clutter free. If I waited for the latter to extend invitations, you may never be invited!

Danny and I have almost completed Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, a 13 week course on achieving... you guessed it... financial peace. Can I please tell you that in addition to earthquakes, and the Easter bunny, I also did not believe in budgeting. To make a long story short, we've been taking simple steps toward being more responsible with our finances. Living on one income will force you to do that, people!

We started simply, and I'm proud to boast that we now live on a budget. Not just any budget either. Every single dollar we bring in is spent on paper before we spend it for real! We use cash for many things, and even balance our bank account. A-mazing. I'm telling you, if this girl can budget, anyone can. Maybe I do believe in budgeting now...

I've decided that this "Start simply...But simply start" motto may very well be applicable in other areas of my life. So today I decided to put it to the test. The piles of clutter in my home are innumerable (just keeping it real, folks). So recently, I wondered what might happen if I just decided to tackle them one by one. Start simply, indeed.

So here's what I started with this morning (while on the phone with my friend, Jenny - cleaning is much too lonely). If you look closely, you can even see the box of goodies from our financial class. I'm not even going to tell you how many weeks along we are in that class...


And, voila! Here's how I finished!


I added the dogs for extra effect! It may not look like much in the picture, but...simply starting with that pile led to scraping excess grout off the tile with a razor blade, sweeping and mopping the floor, wiping down the blinds, washing all of the windows, and wiping down the wood. Spring cleaning at its finest!

I even dusted all the frames on this family wall of fame! Okay, I dusted most of the frames. I couldn't reach the ones up top, and I wasn't about to try to hang those suckers again!


The proof is in the pudding. Now, pay no attention to the fact that the first picture was taken in bright daylight, and the last one was taken at dusk (as evidenced by the window seen in the mirror). I have a child, people. Enough said.

So, by starting simply, I'm committed to working towards a clutter free home. But if I invite you over, please realize that I'm recovering. I'm a clutterholic in process. And for those of you that live clutter free, what is your secret? I would really love to know! But, I'll be honest, if even one person mentions, "a place for everything..." I may scream!

It's the Little Things

I'm an oldest child. Actually, my husband is too! I could write this whole post about the craziness in our household that stems from the truth of those initial statements. But actually, my point lies elsewhere.

I firmly believe that there are certain elements of my personality that are rooted in my birth order. Being the oldest means that I've grown up with lots of opportunities to lead (be bossy), plan (be in control), and hog attention (no explanation needed). Sound familiar? I was raised with every opportunity, and when the opportunity didn't exist, I made it for myself.

To this day, I believe that I am created for "big things." What's interesting though, is the way that God is changing my perspective on what falls into that category. My vision of success has been uprooted, and I can guarantee you, it's for the best! I'm beginning to learn to live in the reality that the little things that I do also have eternal impact.

So here's to cooking dinner, doing laundry, taking care of Brady, and loving my family. Cheers!

The End of an Era

I didn't think that I would be sad to quit my job. For months I had been looking for another job. I needed something more. And at that time more meant more recognition, more responsibility, more money! I just wasn't happy.

After getting the initial shock of discovering that we were going to have a baby, I realized that big changes really were on the horizon. I knew that I had always wanted to stay home when we had kids. It's just always what I thought I would do. I never imagined what this transition would really look like though...

I counted down the months before I would quit. I had a calendar at work that was specifically reserved for the giant blue sharpie that I used to hash through the days and weeks.

The economy was going down the tube, so letting go of our second income was a little tough. Just before Brady was born, I decided to go on maternity leave to buy us a few more months of "thinking" time. After all, I could bring the baby back to work with me for a few months if I wanted. I might as well keep my job and my disability pay. I could leave at any time.

That time came soon enough. It took me weeks of dodged phone calls from my boss to finally make the call to quit. I don't know why it was so difficult. My boss was sad to hear I was leaving, but had felt me pulling away after I went on maternity leave.

The calls I'd waited weeks to make took about 10 minutes. And when they were over, I was a wreck.

It's tough to pinpoint, but I think that was the first moment I began to experience the shift in my life. In reality, I had already been changing diapers for weeks. I had already experienced my first glimpses of what it would be like to truly be a stay at home mom. My 8 to 5 grind had been on hold for almost three months, but officially letting go of my job reinforced a finality that I didn't know I wasn't prepared for.

Quitting meant letting go. I let go of a community that I been a part of for over four years. A community in which I was respected, in which I laughed, and in which I got to be a part of many lives and endeavors. I released my success. And while I had been "mom" for a few months already, I still wasn't sure what exactly would be filling this gap in my life. I certainly didn't have a community to fill the 50 hour/week void of adult interaction. And I certainly had no idea how to be "successful" in my new role.

I was already dreading the "What do you do?" question. My official title was now "Mom." Can you add director to that?

A few more months have passed, and my life has continued to change. What an amazing challenge to be a wife and a mom. I've had a lot of time to think and grow, and I'm excited to share more about it. I am so thankful for the ways that God is already changing my perspective of success, grace, diapers, and love. And thank goodness He's not done yet. I have a long way to go.

Hi, my name is Amy, and I'm a stalker.

I am officially a blog stalker.  I love to read blogs, and I follow many.  Occasionally, I will leave comments, but mostly I stay behind the scenes.  I've preferred to lurk.  I wish this were my only stalking habit.  

You see, in college I developed a healthy obsession with Jessica Simpson.  I was convinced that I could spot her in Malibu,  Santa Barbara or even LAX.  I'm pretty sure we would be friends, given the opportunity.  To be honest, my obsession continues to this day.  I went to her concert a few weeks ago just to prove to myself that the rumors about my favorite pop-turned-country star weren't true.  Hanging out with Jessica is on my list of things that I plan to make happen.  It comes right after landing my face on the Oprah Winfrey show.  (I'm pretty sure that with the new Skype feature that she appears to be so fond of, that I can make this happen).

So for that reason, I think I'll give blogging a shot.  Just in case there are other recovering stalkers out there, I feel obliged to contribute to the blogging world.