Two Tips Tuesday

Tip #1: Have a Cozy, Christmas Tea with a Friend

You probably don't know this about me but I love anything having to do with tea. I collect teapots though they went in boxes when children came on the scene. I was hooked when I learned all the elements that make up a tea. What hit me the most is that having tea makes you stop the busyness of life. So I am going to encourage you to try this during the Christmas season. It may not be your thing but humor me. It takes little effort and all I ask is you try it...

• Invite a special friend or two to tea. Send an invitation to make it fun.
• Dress up your table with a tablecloth. You don't need "tea" things to give attention to a table. But put a tablecloth on it, set it with cups, sugar bowl, creamer, and a little plate for goodies. Use cloth napkins if you have them and set out a teapot or carafe.
• Have flowers or some other Christmas centerpiece.
• Now here is the super cool thing...if you don't like tea, no worries! Have coffee, hot chocolate, spiced cider, etc. It is the EXPERIENCE that matters. Take your coffee pot straight from the coffeemaker and pour it into cups if you have to.
• Make or buy fresh fruit, muffins, scones, little pastries, etc. A few treats is all you need.
• Make or buy a thoughtfuil gift (like an ornament).
• Now chit chat for an hour or two. I promise you it will refresh you and make you feel truly connected with the friends or family sitting beside you.
• You can even try this alone and curl up with a good book. There is something so special about making a cup of tea or coffee an event rather than a morning ritual and when you share it with friends, it is such a lovely time.

Tip #2: Showing some Christmas Spirit

I love that this season is another opportunity to think beyond ourselves to bless someone else. Here are some ideas...

• Bake cookies and give them to neighbors you don't know very well.
• Adopt a grandparent at a local retirement home and visit them during the season and after.
• Volunteer at a shelter on Christmas day for an hour or two.
• Bring home a friend who is alone this Christmas and include them in all your festivities.
• Get a group together to go caroling. Its fun. Yes, you may feel stupid but you laugh a lot.
• Offer to wrap presents for a single mom who works full time or even get together with a group to give gift cards or monetary gifts to several single moms.
• Have your child's class at school or Sunday school make cards for soldiers overseas to send during Christmas.
• Sponsor a foster child (near and dear to my heart) with gifts this Christmas.
• Pay for the car behind you in a drive thru.
• Give blood.
• Let someone go before you in line or give someone else the closer parking spot.
• Reconnect with a friend you lost touch with over the last few years.

Happy Tuesday Sweet Friends!

A Slave to Vanity

Often I feel this ball and chain strapped to my ankle as I cling to vanity. Like, needing to leave the house with make-up on...to get the mail. Cataloging in my head a savvy rotation of outfits so people think I have more outfits than I actually do. Or flipping out when I run out of contact solution and needing to wear glasses to buy the contact solution while seriously entertaining the thought that saliva will be an effective substitute.

The funny thing is, clinging to vanity reveals insecurity. Yet the reality is that I am incredibly arrogant to think all eyes are on me at all times and everyone will notice me and my kickin' shoes that day. Or all of my apparent flaws.

Ah, the joy of being the personification of an oxyMORON.

So I am rather ashamed to say that I was totally not going to go to this conference at my church this weekend because I did not have anything cute to wear. Shallow, right? But can you relate?

Oh, good.

So I was late buying a ticket. Never scheduled childcare for the kiddos since I was volunteering and needed to be early. Worried about the cost of a ticket at a whopping $34 during the holidays. Disregarded the fact that it was my church hosting Fresh Grounded Faith with Jennifer Rothschild, a well known author, bible study author, and speaker. Our church aligned with 10 other churches in the area for this event. But at the last minute I decided to go because the Hound of heaven would not let me stay home. Even BFF said I should go. Hubster said go. So I decided to go.

And the night before I deem it QUITE necessary to go shopping. As much as Neiman Marcus could be my permanent residence since their bathrooms are nicer than my own, I must settle for discount shopping. TJ Maxx kind of shopping. Not that TJM is a disappointment. No, no. And with holiday hours, I can get my shopping on even longer.

As I got in my consumer glow, I found myself in the dressing room when I got a text from a friend who I had beckoned to come over to the dark side with me to gleefully shop for the weekend festivities. She texted me back letting me know she was exhausted and on her way home from church but hit TJ's sister store, Marshalls, already. (she and I will go down together like Thelma & Louise). Anyway, I was in there until they announced they were closing. I am convinced they were noting my license plate number and taking secret photos with security cameras because I visited the dressing room like 5 times and went over my limited quantity each time. The lady who worked the dressing room would sigh loudly upon my approach. Obviously, my perky greeting each time did nothing to pacify her or persuade her I am merely just addicted to retail therapy.

So I find some cute stuff and go home. It's the next day when I realize that sweet, kindred spirit friend of mine was coming home from church because there was a meeting for ALL VOLUNTEERS FOR THE CONFERENCE. I WAS MIA! And what was I doing? Shopping!! Oh my word, I felt so bad. I had to call all the appropriate people because I sooooooo dropped the ball. Had to make sure kids could be in childcare, get a ticket at the last second, blah, blah, blah. And here is the kicker. I am not one of those people who can make excuses all that well. I just have to own it. Whenever I got a speeding ticket, I would try to muster up some tears for the nice officer but I just ended up looking constipated. I'd hand over my license with a sheepish look and say, "Yeeeeaaaah. I was speeding. I am so sorry."

So I had to face the fact that I was seriously lacking in diligence. All for an idol of vanity. And really, did anyone care? Nope. And God's sense of humor with a dash of divine justice was thrown in because it was pouring rain that night like I had never seen! I had to carry the girls, me, an umbrella the size of a small nation, my bag, and a diaper bag into the building. With each step I knew my hair was getting wet, the jeans were in puddles, and all my effort was for naught!

But amen and amen. I am so happy when I get put in my place. God is so mindful of those dark places no one knows about in the recesses of my mind. He knows the superficial things I get caught up in. Is it wrong to like to shop? NOOOOO! But I can become wrapped up in what I wear on my person rather than the person God is teaching me to be. Especially within the context of a women's conference where a contrite heart and a teachable spirit is needed for God to do His work in me. Whether I think I need it or not.

So I am thankful I learned this little lesson. (And secretly, I felt like I looked kinda cute learning it.)

I See Beauty in the Midst of my Christmas Woes

It is shameful that Christmas is all about what I want. Um, cuz I want a lot. You know. Stuff. Yes, I want world peace, to end world hunger, to save a tree. But then I see this amazing bag...

I'm just saying.

So once again I will be honest. So join me as I lay myself bare, birthday suit style. I shall put it all out there in its hideous glory. See, Christmas tends to make me lose sight of what the season is all about and focus on what the season has BECOME all about...for me. Liiiiiiike...

Decorations. Gifts. Busyness. Stress. Crowds. Cookies. Eating the cookies. Baking more cookies. Mean people who suck. Having tendencies of being mean and people saying I suck. Shopping (which I love). Shopping for other people (don't love as much). Struggling to understand wreaths and bows on the grille of a car. Higher electric bill. Hearing bells at every store I enter and wanting to stop and explain how I emptied my change at the last store, all my paper money is gone, and it really does not make sense for me to drop my plastic in the red bucket full of jingly coins yet I don't say anything because then it looks like I am making excuses. (Breathe) Muttering about the middle row of lights that went out on the tree and not being able to find the faulty bulb to replace it. 78 degree weather in December. Buying a Christmas outfit that is not too Christmas-y because I will want to wear it again without someone saying, "Didn't you wear that at Christmas?" Planning to lose weight after it's all over yet indulging in a last hoorah and gaining 8 extra pounds. I am sick and I am sick and tired of being sick. We have no family nearby and it makes me sad. I can not find the Christmas stockings I envision anywhere and the telepathic messages I am sending to every Etsy shop is getting scrambled in the transmission. Waking at 5 am on Black Friday. Other sales I miss out on. Coveting the things I want but can't have...

I digress.

So is it any wonder that I have a bit of an attitude? But really, let's be honest. I bring it on myself as I dwell on all things that truly do not matter. And as I sit and meditate on all that God has done to fill my life up to overflowing, the fog begins to clear and the peace descends upon me like a sweet, Christmas promise...

I have a husband who has made me feel loved every waking moment of our marriage.
I have two daughters who delight me and who are such blatant miracles that they prove undeniably a God who is intimately mindful of me.
When I look at people all around me and see other people with intricate lives filled with love, pain, joy, hope, mistakes, forgiveness, fear...I realize the foolishness of my daily irritations and inconveniences these people may cause.
I cherish the friendships that enrich my life with encouragement, laughter, and incredible loyalty.
I see that I live in a place that can be enjoyed all year long outdoors.
I discover that giving is soooo much better than receiving.
I realize that I am more fortunate than most and my financial complaints are born of pettiness and discontent.
Decorations, stockings, shopping, and gifts pale in comparison to sitting on the floor with my girls having a dress up tea party and giggling about the fake pasta Cati just made me to go with my tea.
Wreaths and bows on car grilles are attempts at being festive and I really should just go buy a Christmas sweater...um, no.

And most importantly of all...Christmas is about the birth of my Savior Jesus Christ. A Savior who saved me from a self-made pit that one day I will share with you. I love how God has changed my life, is continually transforming me, and each day I want to thank Him with this life He gave me. At times, my offering of self is rather paltry but God is merciful, full of grace, abounding in love.

I have a God who loves me, enough to die for me, and if I focus on a season where I love the people around me, I clearly can see fathomless beauty in the midst of my Christmas woes.

Two Tips Tuesday

Ohhhhhhh...the fun of this TTT post! I love doing these tips because often I come up with them on the fly or I am inspired by ordinary, every day things. I am like crafty Macgyver...okay, that might be a stretch. But I really like coming up with creative ways of doing things. So for today I brainstormed some fun ideas for gift wrapping and ornament giving. Here we go...

Tip #1: UNIQUE, CREATIVE, & THOUGHTFUL GIFT WRAPPING:

Book Giving: Try wrapping books like a book cover (like we did back in school with paper bags). It is not a surprise when you get a book (it's kinda obvious) so why not get playful and wrap it in newspaper (like my example) or with a paper, grocery bag? The bag would be fun because you could doodle names on it like you did in school. :)

Attach a paper bookmark as a tag or get one from me when I someday have an Etsy store and finally sell my felt bookmarks like the one in the pic! Oh, someday...focus, Jess.

Cookies In A Tin With A Little Extra: The above photo is a cookie tin but I wrapped it in a snowman towel and wrapped each side with raffia to look like a little treat itself. Attached to the left side is a cookie cutter and cookie recipe. A great way to add to some EXTRA goodies to your already yummy, holiday goodies.

Tea Stained Sheet Music Wrapping Paper: Now understand I usually stage Two Tips each week. And I, Jessica, actually tea stained sheet music for this post. Because that is how much I love you. And I am chic cheap. I just downloaded free sheet music, tea stained it and dried it in the oven for an old look. Wrapped it with a little bell to match the theme. I actually did this a few years ago as a centerpiece and I used glitter on the paper to make it sparkle. It was pretty.

Tiny Scribbles Wrap: I had my Cati color on the backside of wrapping paper to make a homemade wrap for the grandparents. Great idea throughout the year too. I bought cute little magnet frames on clearance, stocked up, and I will give them from the kids with their pics in them. This gift is wrapped in the custom decorated paper and I tied a felt pom pom I made with a pipe cleaner for some childlike playfulness.


Fabric & Measuring Tape Wrap: OK. If anyone gave me a gift like this I would heart them forever. I love, love, love anything fabric and this is one of those gifts you give when you know something about that person. Like me, I love fabric so this would be a gift within a gift because I would use the fabric too! Oh how fun. Plus, it is reusable. (That's for my green peeps). And isn't the measuring tape perfect?

Tip #2: ORNAMENT GIVING IDEAS

OK, I am weary from all that fake gift wrapping. So no more pictures. I am just too tired. But brilliance I have. Okay, no. Just ideas.

Lifetime Set of Ornaments: Obviously, a gazillion people out there do ornaments each each year for their kids. It was done for me and probably for a zillion of you. But I grew into this anal retentive woman who needs everything with a theme. It is ridiculous but it is the essence of me. So. I decided that my girls can do whatever they want with their tree but we are going to give them a silver ornament each year. It may be different but the unifying factor will be silver. There are so many other way you can do this. Some people do a hallmark ornament each year. Maybe a repetitive theme like a tree full of santas, snowmen, angels, etc. How about an annual photo ornament? I like the idea of collecting vintage numbers, cookie cutters, spelling family members names...really, the list is endless.

Ornament Set for a family: Why not buy a pretty set of ornaments and attach them to a set of gifts you are giving to a particular family or group of friends? You can use them in lieu of gift tags and in the end that family has a new set of ornaments for the tree.

Whew. This post took it out of me. I am off to bed but I promise to be a better planner next week and not wait until the last minute.

Happy Tuesday!

Thanks Tampa Bay Baby!

I have been reflecting upon my parenting journey for the last week now. It fascinates me that when my children become sick, they seem to have a frailty to them that I don't notice until they are down for the count. Usually the status quo around here is a combination of screaming, laughing, whining, crying, talking, running, jumping, giggling all into one big bundle of daily chaos. So when one of them becomes ill, the chaos diminishes and life becomes more introspective for me as they lay in my arms whimpering in the midst of their misery.

This has been my last week with BOTH girls so sick and hubby and I not far behind. It is times like these that I think about my 3 year old Cati who was just a baby like a week ago...right? But then there are the moments (actually, 4 seconds ago as I type this post), a giggly Cati approaches me with blue play doh squished against her forehead while a dried smear of goo trails out of her nose onto her cheek. I see her and smile because I see the baby she used to be reflected in that cheeky smile yet she is no longer my baby but a growing little girl. My precious girl who wants to dress herself and has recently decided she can put on pants all on her own...

...even Daddy's pants. (She pretends the pockets are a shirt)

Or my Ella who has been the most sick all week. My active, independent 15 month old who wants to do everything by herself and throws a fit if you do it for her. Like washing her hands...

At the same time, she makes us laugh, loves to be a girl, and gives us a hug when she races by for whatever blinky, flashy thing that has caught her attention yet again.

So I begin to see how thankful I am to be their mom and to know so many other parents out there who are thankful for their children too. And I love learning about the lives of other moms, their journeys to parenthood. Especially since I constantly want to learn new things about all things parenting; especially parenting babies.

So I feel so honored to be Tampa Bay Baby's featured blogger since they are a fantabulous resource for anything baby! What a fast, easy resource with expert advice and heart warming features, articles, and informative links. I had no idea I was featured until I clicked on their home page and there was my button! The button I had just made and posted! How exciting! I am thankful that my blog can encourage anyone else going through this parenting journey with me. This journey that took me many years to arrive at this particular stage yet it will be the rest of my life as it continues.

Thanks Tampa Bay Baby!

For the feature and being a wonderful resource for parents in Tampa Bay, FL and everywhere else!

Two Tips Tuesday

Tip #1: Holiday Hostess Gift

I am so excited about this tip that I doing a tiny bounce in my chair as I type! Nothing is more fun to me than giving people gifts and this is the season to give a hostess a gift of appreciation for incredible hospitality. From cookie and ornament exchanges, dessert parties to family get-togethers, there are opportunities galore to give a thoughtful gift.

This Thanksgiving we are spending it with new friends. BFF broke my heart and decided to go to NC this year to visit family that moved from our neck of the woods just last year. We don't have any family here buuuuuut...we are grateful for new traditions and making new friends!!!!

Anyway, I decided to make this...well, I have no idea what to call this. I guess a flower holder. I say this because I recycled a large coffee mate container by wrapping it in felt and spelled out BLOOM across the bottom. The problem is the canister is made to hold dry powder, not water so I plan to put an inexpensive vase inside. I love that I re-purposed this container for my very green friends who are hosting Thanksgiving. I plan to buy flowers to put in it as a gift.

And as I type I am cracking up because this friend reads my blog (especially 2 Tips) and I am being ghetto tacky as I not only post what I am giving her but put a picture of it as well. Um, so to my friend Alaina...SURPRISE!

I really think this would make for a great gift for the holiday season. Ideas to use for are flowers, Christmas cookies, candy, a gift, whatever goodies you can think of to give to someone. I personally love packages that are a gift in and of itself. Obviously, felt and fabric are my thing but you could scrapbook this thing into the cutest little package everrrrrr! Paper would be faster and so gorgeous with all the endless embellishments it can have.

I plan to make myself one that says Cookies on it. I also endeavor to someday use different size containers and make a cute play canister set for the girls for their play kitchen.

Trying to get the whole thing for ya but it was a challenge. My camera does let me stitch all these photos together to make a panoramic view but...um...I am techy challenged. So use your imagination.

I used contrasting embroidery floss with both a blanket stitch and running stitch for interest and wrapped a lighter brown, felt ribbon around the top. Not sure if I can let this one go. It is so fun and happy!! :) Plus, I did my best to make it something she can use more often if she chooses.

Tip #2: Glam It Up For Your Festive Feast

I love, love, love attention to detail on a table. It is so my thing and I dig tablescapes, centerpieces, and all things different and creative. Because it all centered around eating! Food Decor! You just can't get better than that. So here are some ideas to get your minds churning. Sadly, the pics are sub par but their lack of clarity is made up for with my brilliant tip. :D

I am bummed that my photo taking skills were even more non-existent 3 years ago when I did this really cute centerpiece for Thanksgiving. This is the only photo I found and the table was not even done yet but I press on!

Anyway, I used white roses and green apples, grapes, and herbs to make a fun arrangement on the table. So pretty. I even tucked rosemary sprigs in the napkins for a simple touch. I would have made this amazing table but my mother came down for Thanksgiving that year and the woman will make a feast fit for 50 people and there was only 4 of us with Cati. No room for anything but the food. And she did alllll the cooking, God bless her.

This is a photo from my table from my Church's Christmas Tea last year. Squint and you can see it better. I loved seeing all the beautifully decorated tables. Most of us whipped out our china though I was not bringing my glasses that would break if you merely look at them so I splurged for 8 smoky grey water glasses at the dollar tree. It worked with my silver theme.

My theme was a partridge in a pear tree. I found a tree branch (no easy feat in palm tree laden, sunny, Florida), painted it kinda like a white, glittery birch, glued silver leaves on the sparse branches and hung silver pear ornaments, I even clipped on a little bird ornament which was not a partridge but people got it so who cares. The base was a white batting covered in sparkly snow with silver and gold leaves. The plates had confetti filler made nests that hubby and I made and I filled them with Ferrero Rocher hazelnut chocolates (so yummy) so they looked like 3 golden eggs inside a white nest.

I have more ideas up my sleeve but I will save them for more Tuesday Tips during the rest of this season.

In the meantime, do you have any fun or creative table ideas? Place cards? Centerpieces? Give us the scoop!

Happy Tuesday Friends!

The Bliss of Ignorance

No, no.

Not ignorance. Perhaps I meant the bliss of IGNORING my reality. No, I definitely can not plead ignorance if I am aware of my reality. Like if you drove by the Naked Cowboy. Could you ignore the man? No, he is a man in his banana hammock, skivvies with a guitar singing on a city street corner. Obvious would be an understatement and ignoring this spectacle would be impossible.

Because now I can not ignore the reality that none of my jeans fit.

Not in that "Oh, dang. These don't feel as comfortable as usual" kind of way.

Uh uh.

Enter in muffin top and the mad quest to find the little pregnancy extender, doo dad thingy that enables me to wear my jeans without having to blouse out my tummy.

Perhaps you are asking yourself how Jess ignored her reality. Well I would be just slap my knee happy to fess up for you because...well this is my first step in getting help...CONFESSION.

I ignored my reality by...

• Consuming everything conceivably edible with no accountability whatsoever.
• Enduring a 2 week period with confusing pregnancy tests (some negative, some positive). These ended up being false positives (evap lines) because I used blue dye, cheapo tests and I should know better since my infertility journey caused me to be an expert on all sticks requiring to be peed on. Pregnancy was negative but ate like it was positive and justified it for that growing life that needed all the empty carbs I took in for my own pleasure.
• Wore pregnancy jeans from 1st trimester of last pregnancy time frame to justify above eating spree. Figured if I was preggo I would jump in with both feet. Apparently, I needed a bib too.
• Wearing the same shirt and pants that were always roomier and washing them over and over. I just never noticed they began to get snug. But wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt 5 days a week will do that.
• Using coupons and BOGO deals at the grocery store to justify all the snacks I have crammed in my pantry. They are for the kids, I tell myself. So question: Why is it my poor kids never get a clue of their existence? Answer: Because I have hoovered them like a starving beast.
• Making easy meals because family flies in for a visit. Translation: Order pizza.
• Stacking boxes of clothes for charity onto my treadmill and telling myself that my lack of exercise will clothe a child in need somewhere.

There you have it. I have faced reality with all of you to hold myself accountable in my life of denial. But here's the thing. I am not looking to get back in my size 4 or 6 jeans. I think my belly will probably remain this nice little extra garment that I can tuck in like a shirt. Whatever. But as of a few weeks ago my goal was getting back into a size 8 because I was hovering between a 10 and a 12. NOW MY 12's are snug! UGH. I am ill just tapping it out on these keys but we keep it real, or KIR...(such a geek) at two shades. No reason not to.
But I am not sure what my plan is at this point. I guess I need to start running again. But I so don't want to. I feel weary to the bone. Not in a depressed way. More like a...who cares? And who wants to justify weight loss at this yummy time of year?
It is so funny because hubby has masters degree in exercise physiology. We used to both work at fitness club where we met. Yet both the will and the flesh are weak. Seriously, hubby and I are madly in love and how can a mom get stoked to exercise when she wears her children's meals, fluids, or art work on a daily basis? I also have no motivation when I see some baked good telling me how good it will taste with my morning coffee. Naughty little pastries.
Sigh.
I need to sign off at this point anyway. I need a snack.