We're More Than They Say We Are

It seems everyone's got something to say about millennials. From our tech-use to our desire to do work that matters (and why that's a problem) to how to keep us, or get us back, in church. While not everyone agrees on the precise birth year range for millennials, it's roughly between 1980 and 2000, which means I am one, whether or not I fit the stereotype.

You know the stereotype: Man buns (what's the female equivalent?), excessive use of smart phones (guilty), tattoos, hanging out in coffee shops (I wish). It doesn't matter that these descriptors also apply to other age groups or that there are plenty of millennials that don't epitomize any of this. It also doesn't seem to matter that these aren't even our important identifiers (let's go back to that doing work that matters and I bet we'd find a connection to our wavering presence at church). The rhetoric tells us we have been labeled mostly as a problem.

When God Gently Wakes Us Up with a Comfort Detox

As a mom, I care deeply about my kids' comfort... unless it interferes with their growth or what's best for them. As I think about it, their growth and what's best for them often demands some discomfort from them.

We face it every morning when one or both does not want to get out of bed to get ready for school. Bed is maybe the most comfortable place in this world for them. Yet, aside from a good night's sleep, our best lives are simply not lived while in the comfort of our beds. So everyday we encourage and coerce them out of the warm cocoon of their beds so they can get to school (which brings in more discomforts) all for the sake of their growth and their best interest.

Practical Ways to Cling to What is Good

The one thing that crowds out my anxious thoughts, keeps me focused on God's truth, gives me courage to do hard things or even the next right everyday mundane task in my life is to cling to what is good. To remember good things and intentionally act on that good.

Romans 12:9-21 expounds on what this "clinging to what is good" looks like in action. Definitely read it all in context. Following are some practical everyday actions that help me cling to good all day everyday.

Slowing to Hear God's Wish

My word for this year is slow. My personal resolution for this month is to improve our family meals--slowing down for cooking and conversations. And my creative goal for this quarter is less learning and more doing--especially writing on inspiration I've had and has continued to grow since 2012.

Put all of those things together and we get the rest of this blog post.

Our 2-year-old saw me working on peeling and cutting potatoes for breakfast and asked, "Is that apples, mommy?"

Um, no, son.

I've clearly not made real potatoes in a long time. At first I almost skipped it. I mean, being up all night with a vomiting toddler is a perfect excuse to pass on slowing for homemade. But I did it anyway, peeling, cutting, seasoning. And I realized how much I miss it. I've never been much of a cook, but I've definitely done considerably less of it since Baby 3. And I miss the slow rhythms of feeding my family.

These days, slow isn't natural for me and sometimes it's just flat-out not desirable.

6 Resolutions I've Never Regretted Trying

New beginnings are my jam! Seriously, it's no accident "beginner" is in the title of this blog. I am perpetually beginning, and I love it. I love making goals and new starts and filling in new pages of new journals. New years, new quarters, new months, birthdays--all just an excuse for me to make goals and plan new beginnings.

My one problem with new beginnings is I always start with an epic mentality--Go big or go home! Do all the things! This is my year and I'm going to make it all happen! (Hence the reason for my ebook and accompanying journal: Epic Beginner.)

A Note When Special Days Don't Feel Special

Not every day has to be special; and not every special day has to be over-the-top memorable. This is a reminder I needed myself today, so decided to type it up just in case you also need to be reminded. Feel free to insert your own name if it fits, or not. It's up to you.

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Self, on this first day of the kids' winter break and the day before Christmas Eve, I give you permission to have an "off" day. To not feel like doing all the things or creating all the special.

Creating a Meaningful and Simple Christmas

A little holiday confession: I don't love Christmas. I love Jesus and the story of Jesus' birth. I also love twinkling lights, peppy holiday tunes, peppermint drinks, and mistletoe.

All of the expectations, though? It's a little much for this simple-loving needing girl. Decorations and 25-days of countdown fun and homemade cookies and presents (multiple) for even just our family and every group everywhere (school, work, church, friends, other friends, family) feeling like they need their own exchange or drive. Have I mentioned the clutter? The excess of everything and that our already cozy living room has no space with our tree.

Okay, now I'm just going into an all-out rant. Which isn't the point.

The point is that it takes a little extra intention to simplify it all and make it meaningful. And not meaningful by saying yes to all of the good ideas that everyone else is doing.

When It's Hard to Breathe: YHWH is the Breath of Life

I've been thinking about breathing a lot, lately. Something I've done so easily my whole life has never needed thought to make it happen. (Except when I was 7 and ran full-speed smack into a friend that was running the other way and got the wind knocked out of me. That was a moment when it was hard to breathe.)

There's been moments lately when the anxious thoughts get to me and make my body tense and stop my breath in a knot in my chest, and I can't seem to take a full, deep breath even if I try. And I do try and it takes several tries before finally getting the breath all the way down into my lungs where it's supposed to go.

If You Feel Caught In-Between, You're Not Alone

StrengthsFinder tells me Harmony is one of my top strengths, but lately it feels more like a curse. Perhaps you can relate to this struggle of the in-between.

The basics of Harmony means that I look for consensus and areas of agreement. Beyond mere people-pleasing, I want us to see and hear each other so that we can connect and grow together. And more than just getting along, I want to see us do the hard work of making good things happen. That's a decent trait to have in the division and chaos going on in our world, right?

Sure. I suppose. Except when it's just too much. And it's been just too much for a while. Do you feel that, too?

My Election Prayer + Next Steps

I sent my kids off to school with instructions to not talk about our new president with their friends. I know that some of their friends and classmates represent groups that have been ridiculed and marginalized by our incoming-president, while others represent the votes that say "We don't care about that (your pain), we want him as our president anyway."

And that is the man to soon step into role as our president of these United, yet altogether divided, States of America.

My Memoir in a Blog Post

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Here we are at the last day in this series. Quite frankly, this particular blog post is the main reason I decided to even write this 31-day blog series. I was getting ready to turn 30, and I thought for sure I would have traditionally published a book by now. Something real and honest and heart-felt and brave.

Then, I wondered, what's stopping me from compiling those stories myself? Why not use my blog and my ebook-making skills to be real and honest and heart-felt and brave with my own story?

That might seem like a no-brainer. And yet it was an idea that I had to find my way to, mostly after cutting through the fear. Instead of hiding behind excuses like the hurdles of traditional publishing, I'd have to address the real issue. The issue of, am I even ready to tell my story as it is now? Am I even brave enough? Does it really matter?

30 List Love Ideas

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I'm just about to the end of this 31-day series celebrating my 30th birthday. Truth is, I had enough ideas to keep going another thirty days. So, instead, I'm going to share some of those ideas with you. You can use these as blog post ideas, or inspiration for what to write about in your journal, or lists for intentionally celebrating your own milestone birthday.

30-Second Anytime Break

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day 29 of 31 celebrating three-oh

I got the sweet gift of a 2-minute reset at a women's retreat last weekend. Since coming home, I've used the same practice for shorter resets of 30 seconds or less throughout the day when I need it most. I'll share my experience, then share how to do a 30-second anytime break yourself.

We were in a seminar on motherhood where a psychologist was sharing about mindful parenting. Mindfulness--it's the opposite of mindlessness. It's what helps us make better decisions. Choices that combine our facts and feelings to act in a Christ-centered way rather than lashing out in exhausted emotions.

30 Prayer Stories

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The idea struck me the other night to gather prayers and their stories from my journal, put them together with photos and make it into a book. The idea wouldn't leave me alone, so I quickly jotted down 30+ prayers I've prayed over my life off the top of my head. These are those mini-stories below. Hopefully I'll turn them into a full photo book. And, if not, at least they're here. Basically the story of my life in a slightly different light. Really, in the best Light possible.

Links to My Favorite Places Online

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This is a little roundup of the love side of my love-hate relationship with technology. The internet is ever-changing, so technically this list would be ever-changing and very long. I tried pulling together a sampling of some new finds, some old favorites, and little rhyme or reason otherwise. This is some of what keeps me coming back and even finding value in being online. Enjoy!

30 Blogging Tips

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I am a slow blogger. After almost eight years of blogging, I've learned a ton, but I'm also not where I see others are after much shorter times of blogging. I don't make full-time income from my blog, I don't have thousands of followers, and yet somehow I haven't quit. Because there's still so much value I find, and the things I've learned here are truly irreplaceable.

So, these are less get-rich-quick or grow-like-crazy tips, and more my observations and lessons from the past eight years of slow blogging. There's still lots left for me to learn, and probably you, too. If you've been wanting to start a blog, or need inspiration to keep the one you have going, hopefully these will help encourage you.

30-Day Checklist (a printable)

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The 30 days leading up to my 30th birthday I wanted to make some changes. I wanted to go into this new decade feeling my best, and more than reaching any one particular goal, I knew that meant setting new, healthier habits.

I ended up with eight little tasks I could fit into my daily routine. I listed them across a top of my new Do What You Love notebook, then numbered out the next 30 days along the left side of the page. Each day I just put a simple check mark under the activity I completed. It sort of became my new To Do list for the month as I focused on little ways to live better.

30 Date Night Ideas

day 24 of 31 celebrating three-oh

My creativity around date nights always needs a little extra spark. And I'm not talking big over-the-top ideas. I just need to recall basic date night ideas that gives me room to personalize it to the season or to our likes and interests.

This is that list. For anyone that needs some basic date night ideas with plenty of room to spark your own creativity. Enjoy!

30 Simplifying Tips

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Many of these tips and so much more are in my ebook Simplifying Home. This is a quick jumpstart or refresher...

30 Quotes for Your Journey

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It's that point in the series when I take a break to share what's inspiring me. Ideally this would be a beautifully curated collection of my most favorite and inspiring words of encouragement from all the sources I've seen, heard, read ever.

Unfortunately, though, that would require lots of digging through too many old journals. So, instead, I'm sharing inspiring words simply from the books I've most recently read, from things I've recently heard, and some ongoing favorites from the Bible. Together, these are encouraging me on my life's journey.

30 of My Top Posts

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This little blog has been online for almost 8 years. (I started it in December 2008, in case you were wondering.) During that time, I've shared over 850 blog posts, gotten over a million pageviews, and even made a few friends and dollars along the way.

To celebrate, here's a little collection of 30 of my top or most noteworthy posts.

30 Girls Night Ideas

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I love and even need a good girls night. The break from my usual routine and the opportunity to connect and grow with like-minded people is so valuable. Problem is, our girls nights can kind of get in a rut. We all know each other's birth stories, we're all frustrated with the endless rants on Facebook--what else is there to talk about? And what else is there to do besides sit around and talk?

I brainstormed some ideas to help add some intentionality into girls night. Plus, a loose plan is a good start for inviting people you don't yet know well. Having something to do or something to talk about can break the tension and help grow deeper connections even with people you already know.

30 Minutes to Not Waste Your Vote

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I have an embarrassing confession today: I've made it twelve years of voting age without actually voting. Okay, I take that back. I voted once in our small town's local elections when my dad was running for mayor. (And he won, yay!) But I have never voted in a presidential election. Sad, I know.

I partly believed the lies that my vote didn't count. Mostly, I was afraid my vote would count, and I didn't know enough about government or politics or the candidates to make my vote count in productive ways. So, I avoided it. I faded into the background when anyone talked about it. And I conveniently kept my mouth shut as I avoided the polls on election day.

30-Piece Yearround Wardrobe

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This is my 30-piece year-round minimal wardrobe--my full wardrobe ends up being 40+ pieces after having multiple options for some items. If I have at least these things in rotation, I likely have plenty to wear, and yet not too much to feel overly stuck with too many options. This includes shoes, but does not include workout or lounge wear. Although some of these pieces double as my workout and lounge wear.

Bottoms

1. Jeans

I usually aim to have two pairs of jeans in rotation--it's my daily go-to since I don't work in an office. Lately, I've been sticking with skinny jeans. I usually find whatever style I like, then have one good dark pair that can look more dressy, and one lighter or fun pair that might have little details in the wash or holes, etc.

2. Black Pants

If I worked in an office, these would probably need to be a nicer material and I'd have a couple to rotate. Since I spend my days at home, my black pants are more of a skinny jean and I only have one pair. They work well with tees, or can be dressed up a little with a blouse and cute shoe.

3. Color Pants

For a while I had red pants that were fun, but I eventually embraced red isn't my preferred color. So, now I'm on the hunt for a mint or olive green. Again, if I worked in an office, I'd look for a nicer material. Since I stay home, I'm looking more for a jean or khaki type pant.

5. Yoga Pants / Leggings

I try to keep at least 2 pairs of full-length black yoga pants or thick leggings in rotation. They work well for gym days, but can also be worn under a tunic or short dress in cooler weather, and are a good lounge option for evenings at home. I love some of the patterned ones, but have been sticking with plain black so I can get more use out of them.

6. Jean Shorts

It gets hot around here and I spend my days "at home" which also means taking the kids to the park or running errands, so shorts for the summer are essential. If I worked in an office, I might swap out one of these pairs of shorts for another pant option.

7. Black Shorts

Black shorts can be dressed up a bit with a blouse and cute shoe.

8. Color Shorts

I've had a cool grey as an option, and currently have a pair of olive green. I've also seen some light blue or even bolder colors that would work well. The color adds some variety and gives a good option to spice up any neutral or plain tops--which I have a lot of.

Tops

9. Tank Tees

I usually aim to have 3 tee-type tanks. I've been loving the racer-back style, but also have some basic crew or boat neck. Tanks can be paired with an open button-up or a sweater for cooler weather, or they can be worn with accessories and either pants or shorts. These can also become my lounge or active wear.

10. Short Sleeve Tees

I try to keep 3 nice tees in my wardrobe. I try to have a mix of solid grey, white, and a stripe. Like the tanks, these can be worn under a button-up or sweater, or by themselves with accessories. If I worked in an office, these might be less necessary, but they're part of my current go-to wardrobe.

11. Long Sleeve Tees

It gets really cold here, so having a couple long sleeve tees in rotation is essential. Sometimes I end up layering these up under a sweater, or they can be worn by themselves with a scarf or other accessory. I usually end up getting one plain white or black long sleeve, then one or two others with buttons or stripes or a pocket.

12. Chambre

Alternatively this could be replaced with a plain white button-up. This can be worn buttoned up with pants and accessories, worn open over a tee or tank, worn as a layer over a dress or even tied up.

13. Plaid/Flannel

This has been in style for years, but has been pretty popular lately. The same as a chambre, it can be worn buttoned-up, unbuttoned over a tea or tank, or tied over a dress or skirt.

14. Tank Blouses

These are different than the tee tanks because they're a nicer material and usually a dressier look. When I was home with babies, I only had one or two go-to blouse-type shirts for the occasional opportunity to dress-up. As my kids get older, I've been trying to reach for nicer shirts that are still comfy and keep at least 3 tank options on hand. Tanks can be worn by themselves during the hot months, or paired with a sweater during cooler months.

15. Short Sleeve Blouses

I also keep at least 3 go-to short sleeve blouses in rotation. I make sure these are comfy so I get good use out of them even if I'm spending the day at home. I try to keep in mind that they go with pants and shorts, and that they can be worn by themselves or under a sweater.

16. Long Sleeve Blouses

These give me an easy option to look nice without the extra thought of layering. I like options that have faux layers sewn in or a cute patterned button-up blouse.

Dresses

17. Little Black Dress (LBD)

The Little Black Dress is a staple for any wardrobe. I try to make sure I find one that can be worn with sandals, heels, or boots. As well as paired with a sweater or fancy jewelry or even under a cardigan. This is my go-to dress for all occasions.

18. Maxi Dress/Skirt

The maxi dress or skirt can be a comfy, dressy option for the average day. Or it can even be an easy option for church or a night out. My favorite is a versatile option that can be worn as a dress or a skirt, but I lost mine this summer.

19. Shift Dress

These can be worn with sandals, flats, or boots. They can be worn as-is or with a belt or sweater.

Over Layers

20. Neutral Cardi

Something to turn those tanks, tees, and blouses into a more complete outfit for cooler weather.

21. Bulky Sweater

A cute, warm option for our cold weather months.

22. Pullover Sweater/Sweatshirt

I recently got a cute grey sweatshirt with a white floral print on it. It's comfy but still cute. Can be warn over a tee or tank, accessorized, or even paired with one of the collared shirts.

Shoes

23. Sandals

These are my go-to if the weather is remotely warm enough. I like getting them with secure straps so they're easy to walk in (no flip flops), and some kind of gold or fun detail to look nice even with a dress or blouse.

24. Flats

These become a go-to when I'm trying to dress nice during the cooler fall or spring months. I used to have a black pair, then replaced them with a shiny nude.

25. Wedge Sandals

These are a good option for dresses and dressing up jeans.

26. Heels

I don't wear heels often, but I have a nice pair of shiny nude cork wedges that I keep for special or fancy occasions. Or if I just feel like wearing heels because I can.

27. Tennies

I used to always have a pair of good running shoes, but I'm not a runner anymore. So I go for something a little more casual and fun. My current pick are retro-style Nike with mustard and mint colors. Comfy and cute.

28. Riding Boots

This is my one splurge in my entire wardrobe. I spent too much on these boots, but they've lasted me 4 years and still have plenty of wear in them. Plus, they're a timeless style. They become my staple during our long, cold winter months. Cute with jeans, leggings, and dresses.

29. Rain Boots

I needed a better winter boot for when it snows, since my riding boots aren't exactly great snow boots. I decided to get rain boots that I can wear when it's warmer out, or I can layer up with socks and leggings and wear when it's cold and snowy.

30. Ankle Boots

These are my cool weather option for dresses and dressing up jeans.

What are your 30 wardrobe essentials?

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What I've Learned in My First 30 Years of Life

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Or, rather, what I think I've learned in my first 30 years of life. The light-hearted as well as the deep and meaningful. Some things I know, but don't always do. And other things I think I know, and will likely keep learning as I go.