welcome

I love adding a bit of decor to match the seasons, even if not much.  I've had this Autumn wreath for years now but it was looking a bit dull. I bought a simple spray of leaves from the local  Dollar Tree to add some fresh color to liven it up. Birdy enjoyed attaching and arranging the new leaves. I also created a bow from ribbon I already had around the house. It was very simple and took about ten minutes max.  

Your front door is the first thing people see before they enter your home. Is yours welcoming and inviting?

I often wonder if what passer-bys hear when they pass our home. Is it something warm and lovely? I sure hope so. My home is not the best and it's certainly not the biggest but I strive for all who enter to feel comfortable, especially those who live here every day. Feeling truly welcome, is always lovely.

1 Peter 4:9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

make the bed

I asked my toddler if he wanted to help me make my bed today. I don't know about you but I find making the bed quite a *process*. He heartily agreed. Apparently, his idea of 'making the bed' is for mom to remove all the blankets so he has a large open space to jump and drop himself in dead falls. The faces he makes when he does this are hilarious too. I could get upset or irritated. Of course, I could make the bed much faster if he were not jumping on it but where's the fun in that? I have realized, they are only little for such a short time and before I know it, the days of jumping on the bed will be far behind me...so I choose to enjoy these short moments in life. He has plenty of time to learn how to properly make the bed, for now, we'll just keep jumping. 

My bed is much more lovely with kids jumping on it anyway.

a little spot

I cleared some spaces on our wall shelving unit.  Each middle now has their own little spot to place their school supplies, books, papers and curricula.  This has reduced the before school stress level dramatically.  It was ridiculously simple to achieve, much of a no brainer.

I had tried other methods but nothing ever 'stuck'. Now all their supplies are easy to find and easy to tuck away.  It's a small thing but it has had such an impact on our daily lives, truly.  No more frantic searching for school items.

All it required of me, was to reexamine my collection of books that were already taking up those spaces.  It was quite liberating to reduce the collection.  Quite freeing to admit that there were books that I had never read and really never intended to.  I gave up some of my own space, to allow them space. It was the perfect trade.By giving up some of my own personal space, I actually gained much needed personal peace.

Sometimes giving up your own spot, allows more room for loveliness.

tea time

I forget how lovely it is to sit a spell and have some tea. Real tea, not iced tea you drink from a cup with a straw. ;-)

My middles also love to enjoy a cup of warm tea. My teenager has now jumped on the bandwagon too.  I am going to start 'tea time' up regularly again with my middles, especially.  We use real tea cups, maybe pull out a few finger snacks or sliced fruit, cheese and crackers, whatever is on hand.

It doesn't really matter.  The real treasure is the time.  Taking time to sit together and enjoy each other while just being.  You don't rush.  I like to think that is why the tea is hot, you can't rush to drink a hot cup of tea, right? Conversation can flow freely or it can be a quiet time of listening to some poetry being read.  I like to put on classical music.  Anything that can set the time apart from the ordinary. If I am really on top of things, I will arrange the little snacks on a tiered rack. 

These little touches are sweet and make the moments feel extra special.  I also like to enjoy a spot of tea at the end of the day. It's nice to sit and enjoy a movie with my husband, cozy on the couch with a warm mug of tea in my hand. Or have a cup of tea keep me company while I sit at the dining table and do some writing.

It reminds me to slow down, take my time, relax and just be. Just be...present.  Just...be lovely.

A lovely cup of tea can warm even the hardest of hearts.

Lovely way to begin 'school'

I am so pleased with the new curriculum* I have chosen for my middles, this year. My favorite part is the way it encourages, what it calls 'Circle Time'. It sounds like something meant for preschool, doesn't it? It is part of the younger's syllabus but I do it with both middles and the older is welcome to join us.

We begin with the lighting of a candle.  We then recite a poem. I then have us look at the Bible verse of the day on the calender**. We repeat that a few times. If one of the verses for that week is particularly relevant, then I have us focus on that one in addition to the new one each day. Then there is a closing poetic verse, which I have incorporated as a daily prayer. It is just too sweet not to!

Here it is:

May my hands work with care

My heart work with love

And my mind work with attention

We stand in a circle and hold hands during our prayer.

 Then we blow out the candle and begin lessons.

Isn't that the most lovely way to begin that you've ever heard of?

It really brings us together. A ritual that signifies we are going to focus on our academics. It's clear, it's calm and it's absolutely pleasant.

*Oakmeadow.com

**I got it free from backtothebible.org and it is absolutely fabulous!