God speaks to me at Walmart!

I was sent off on a mission today by my husband to finally buy a printer.  We have been without one for 7 or 8 years.  I also needed a new cord for my laptop.  The bill was going to be somewhat pricey.  As I was checking out a lady pulled her cart behind me with cat food.  As I am just getting over a fast of media, I noticed her.  I smiled at her and something was pulling me toward looking toward her. Before I would probably have been emailing or facebooking and too busy to notice her.  She placed her 2 things of cat food up on the belt behind my items.  It was then that I felt this amazing feeling saying, "Pay for her cat food," in my head.  I thought to myself why would I pay for her cat food?   Then I felt it again, "I am serious, pay for her cat food."  This is when I thought maybe God is trying to communicate with me. I thought back to God, "Look God I can't just offer to pay for someone's cat food, she is going to think I am a nut case, or slap my hand away if I try to grab it." I am normally too distracted to be reached I am realizing. I thought God doesn't talk to me like this, He doesn't talk to ordinary people like me.  I must be reading too many bible studies and christian books, my mind is finally completely off it's rocker.   That's when I noticed her start to dig through her purse.  She had that look I have sometimes when I can't find my debit card (my purse is usually too messy) she started looking through pockets and looked panicked. I heard her whisper over to her husband, my wallet is not in here, I can't find it.  That's when I heard it again, "see, pay for the cat food."  So I reached over as the cashier had just finished ringing me up and grabbed the cat food and said ,"this to." 

The lady looked at me with shock on her face and said, "no that's mine." 

I said "I know it is, it's ok!!" 

She replied "no, this can't happen, there aren't nice people in the world, why would you do this for me?"

Without trying to sound totally crazy I tried explaining, "I know this is going to sound crazy, but I felt even before you started digging through your purse that God was telling me to pay for your cat food and I didn't get it."

She said back, "I must have your name so I can pay you back, you should be on the news!"

I told her, "My name is Ginnie, but you don't have to pay me back, just thank God because He told me to!"  With that she had tears in her eyes and we hugged and her husband came over and hugged me as well.  I turned to leave.  I got to my car, unloaded my purchases and sat there in tears myself just praying and crying and thanking God for using me to help someone else.  I am so humbled by the way he works!  

The Seven Experiment: Staging your own mutiny against excess FOOD

So I meant to journal, but like all projects I jump in and forget to take before pictures, this is similar.  I thought I have been working on food choices for 2 years how hard can this be?

We have been working on The Seven Study at church in ladies Bible study.  It's been a journey, we went through it the first time studying it and then the next 8 weeks are all about living it out.  I think the living it out part is key as I have done so many bible studies and found good points or ideas but they easily wane over time. 


Week 1 is Food.  Getting back to a more farm to table food style that God intended, as well as picking only 7 foods to eat for the 7 days.  My food items were the same as the author, Jen Hatmaker:

Chicken breast
Spinach
Eggs
Avocado
Apples
Sweet Potatoes
and Bread (with as little ingredients as possible)

How many times have we stood in our kitchen with pantry's full, fridge, freezer and sometimes an extra freezer and claimed, "We have nothing to eat?"  Do we realize how many people in the world would be overjoyed at having such a luxury of choosing what to eat or that they get to eat something at all?

With farm to table being hard this time of year, seeing as we don't have many (ANY) farmer's markets in Michigan in the dead of winter, we did what we could.  Thankfully my husband joined me on this journey.  I will say I spent a TON more time in the kitchen this week, preparing.  Days 1-4 weren't so difficult it was new to me still and while I had NO COFFEE or sweetener or spices except the salt, pepper and oil in moderation it wasn't difficult yet. 

Days 4-7 were excruciating for some reason.  I believe that women tend to eat their emotions, or when making my kids lunches I would eat a handful of (Insert whatever here: goldfish, cereal, lick the peanut butter knife).  I had to really be even more conscious about what I stuck in my mouth.  I caught myself a few times and literally went over to the garbage can to spit it out. Only for God could I do such an extreme diet/fast.  My husband said as long as he had food, he was fine.  He even had to go out to lunch a few times with wholesalers and just ordered according to what he could eat. 

I tried to be thankful over the course of this week to have 7 healthy choices to feed myself and my husband and sometimes the kids. God has certainly blessed us abundantly.  My kids chose to give up dessert for my daughter and candy for my son but they had chicken with us each night.  They also found it difficult to not partake in eating sweets at events, church and birthdays.  

There are so many people in this world that are lucky to have any food or any kind of variety.  With a large amount of the world's population eating rice and beans I found myself sometimes feeling sorry for myself I couldn't have more.  I didn't think my heart would be tied up much in food, but I was wrong.  I am not sure what this is going to mean about our future with food.  We do plan on a garden and lots of canning this summer/fall.  We also are looking into more opportunities to give. Jesus calls us to bless the poor and hungry and we need to figure out what that means for our family! 

Next week: CLOTHES!!!

"Change is a present action not a future event!" A weight loss journey.

"Change is a present action, not a future event!" ---Jillian Michaels
You want to see a difference in something, then start now. Stop thinking about it, stop dreaming about it and JUST DO IT (thanks NIKE). My journey with weight loss and I call it a journey because to stay in shape will be a consistent non stop journey. It never ends. 

That's an interesting thought! Doing something we have never done!  Is sitting on the couch at night complaining about our body and eating donuts, chocolate, chips, pizza or ice cream getting us where we want to be? Is thinking about getting up and doing that exercise video or popping it in and watching it going to burn the calories? Are the excuses, "I am too tired," "I will do it tomorrow," "what's the point, I will never reach my goals anyway" getting you results?  They probably are getting results, but probably not in the direction you hoped for.

Here is a popular excuse, "I CAN'T DO IT!" One phrase I strongly discourage my daughter from saying.  There is no can't.  We are capable of so much more than we can imagine.  Not only our bodies but anything, especially if God is involved in your life.  I CAN learn to run.  That is one phrase I keep repeating as I board the treadmill and click on the couch to 5k app.  It would be difficult for me to count the number of times I have said "one day" I will learn to run.  Did I do anything to accomplish that, no!!! Now I am.  I am on week 5 of 8 on the couch to 5k program/app.  I am loving it.  The feeling of overcoming something I thought I could not do is an amazing and powerful feeling. I am GOING to run a 5k in June with my husband.  For fun and because guess what, I CAN DO IT!  I am excited to do it. 

This goal goes along with my goal I started last year.  To get off my butt, stop feeling sorry for myself, stop watching the scale going in the wrong direction and DO SOMETHING.  It started with Jillian Michaels and her 30 day shred.  I did that for a few days a week, then I started logging calories on myfitnesspal app and got some cardio in on off days.  Simple things, like cutting our acre and a half of grass with a walk behind mower, walking with a friend, taking the kids to the bike trail, anything but sitting on the couch or around the house. I refuse to let my husband buy a ride on mower, since I accomplish two things buy mowing, the grass gets cut and I burn an excellent amount of calories (WIN WIN)!  But my goal was only half reached when I lost my 15 lbs.  My goal is to be healthy, to keep it off.  Getting it off is only HALF the battle.  March will mark a year and not only have I kept my 15 lbs off I have lost 7 additional pounds. I feel great, I have more energy and I love my clothes (the ones that aren't too big) everything looks better on, when you are in shape.  I will keep that weight off, I will continue to work out and keep logging my calories to keep myself in check.   It's about making better decisions, setting a better example and getting IT DONE!  

Something extra that keeps me going is using my workout time to praise God.  I pray, something about exhausting exercise lets my emotions over-flow. You have seen the Biggest Loser, right? The emotional breakdowns they have.  It doesn't exactly happen like that for me, but I do find I can clear my mind and speak freely with God when I am running on the treadmill.  I find some of my best praise and worship and prayer happens when I am cleaning the house or exercising. 

Can you do it??? ABSOLUTELY!!! I LOVE when people ask someone who lost weight, "How did you do it?" GUESS WHAT??? There is NO SECRET??  As much as we would all like the EASY way out, there isn't one.  Stop eating poorly, start exercising and get it done!!  ANYONE can do it. One of the many things Jillian says on her videos that makes me laugh, "There is no modification for this particular exercise, I have 400 lb people who do this move and live to tell"  I also saw recently on the biggest loser the contestants ran a 5k!! If 300-400 lb people can run a 5k than you better believe you and I can do it! 

It's almost February, almost a month since you made those weight loss commitments, don't give up now!  Stop saying you can't do it and DO IT! 

Home improvement, not house improvement

The dreaded ironing...or.....

As I started to think I have not been on here in...well let's just say...quite awhile... I was pondering about the title of my blog.  I named it home improvement Mom and Wife.  I am glad I chose "HOME" improvement instead of "HOUSE" improvement.  The word house, to me, means an empty vessel.  It is an object of boards, bricks, shingles, paint, etc.  But the word home means something totally different, "home is where the heart is," "home is where you can let your hair down," "home is where your family is." These cliches come to mind.  We have not been doing much house improving lately.  I am back to school, taking 3 classes.  I am trying to keep my house and home in order and raise 2 kids and try to support my husband however I can.  As I was sweeping the floor it's 60' here in Michigan.  The snow is melting and the dogs are a muddy mess.  I decided to mop to make the floor look nice (at least to give the dogs a blank canvas for their muddy paw art).  Then I cleaned the bathrooms and dusted, wiped the counters in the kitchen and emptied the dishwasher.  Then it was onto the last task I had set aside a few days...ironing.  I do not enjoy ironing, in fact, I do not know many people who do.  It is tedious and something to be put off.  When thinking about it like this, it was putting me in a bad mood.  My mind drifts as I do the most mundane chores, run on the treadmill, let's just say I cannot shut it off.  I started thinking how handsome my husband would look in his freshly ironed shirt.  Then I thought of how hard he works for us.  He wasn't always an ironed-shirt wearing guy.  He used to own a landscaping company.  His idea of dressing up was a sweater and khakis.  He chose to use his degree and start a different career after having a family. If he can learn to (at least tolerate) wearing suits and ties, then the least I can do is learn to enjoy ironing.  I use the word "enjoy" somewhat loosely here.  I can enjoy it through thinking of how much more handsome he looks in a ironed shirt versus a wrinkled shirt.  I can also use the opportunity to pray for my husband.  I am ironing a "work" shirt, so what I perfect opportunity to pray for my husband and his work.  As I was finishing up ironing his shirts, I realized, this is not so bad.  I can take a few moments out of my day to pray for my other half, my team mate in life and the one who works so hard to provide for myself and our children. 

It seems it's all about mindset.  I can go into a task dreading it, or I can find the joy in it.  I can give everything I do my all and honor God, or I can grumble and be miserable.  I choose to pray for my husband in this task from now on and find the joy, YES, the JOY in IRONING! How ironic!

Slate backsplash with white cabinets!

BEFORE BACKSPLASH AND COUNTERS

We have been meaning to do this project for a little while, but sometimes we get project exhausted.  So one day while I was at Lowe's they were calling my name from the shelf! I picked up a few boxes and some premixed thinset for walls and went on my merry way! I had those done within the first 30 minutes of arriving back home and was ready for more.  We designed our area that will be above the sink and did all the pieces I could do without having to use the dreaded saw! I always have visions of cutting off my fingers. Then I had to wait.  OF course November is hunting season and September and December so only after dark and when we weren't completely exhausted could this get done.  It finally was completed last night (in between church and bass pro shop, dinner, working out and hanging with our kids) and ready for grout, which I did this morning!!! :)

We wanted to do a rustic backsplash since the cabinets were white (we scored them off craigslist and it was too good of a deal to pass up!! We had enough to do a basement kitchen, a work bench for hubby in his hunting room and hang a gorgeous glass one in the laundry TALK ABOUT SCORING BIG!!) But with my husband being an outdoorsman we wanted to keep with a more rustic theme for the basement! So slate seemed like a good option!



DURING, poor husband!

                                                                Before grout, but tile is set!

                                                  Ta DA!!!!!!

                                          It looks even better and more colorful in person!!
                                                            

Dresser redo with mosiac tiles :)

It's been awhile.  But here is what I have been working on this week.  My Mom lived with us for a little while after selling her house.  When she moved she left us this bedroom set.  In my head I wanted to redo it for my son.  Then when I started putting away his summer clothes I realized there was an empty drawer in his one dresser and he didn't need this much storage for clothes, afterall he is a boy.  So I thought then I would redo them just for the guest room to look brighter.  As I painted other ideas started popping into my head.  I have to say I think they turned out well!

Here is the before picture, I FINALLY remembered to take one, at least of the one dresser!

I sanded them all down to rough them up and then coated them in primer.  Then I painted them.  I found some nice put cheap knobs at Home Depot, since these pieces required so many knobs!! :-O Then when they were done I thought of these little tiles I paid $1 a sheet for on clearance at lowes about a year ago.  I have been itching to use it on something, I had a sheet and a half which wasn't quite enough for most projects.  Then it hit me as I was painting these dresser.  I was excited to use it and gives the dress a pop that I love.  Plus it feels kind of beachy to me.  I am very happy with the way they turned out!!!

Winter project: redo basement

Our basement was less than exciting when we moved in.  I can't really tell you how to do it, hubby is multi-talented and seems to be able to figure out how to do almost anything.  I am so lucky and blessed that way!  But I did want to share some of our before and after pictures.  Just for fun!

We did everything ourselves, except enlisted my Dad to put the new french doors to the patio in and the drop ceiling was done by Jeremy's Uncle.

The cabinets were a craigslist special.  We were able to make them work for this space and had a beautiful glass one left over we hung in the laundry room as well as a whole work bench we put in my husband's hunting room!

Before: Future Kitchen Area



After Kitchen Area, eventually we would like to get a small fridge for under that cabinet
We did the tile here ourselves, hubby cut it I laid it and grouted it.  It's holding up good so far! This was our third
experience with tiling I think.  We chose Castle Stone Harvest from Lowes.







The next area was the living room area. We used the vinyl plank flooring in here. I love how easy to clean it is and has seemed to hold up very well so far to kids and pets and even some foster dogs. We had it all installed within about 3-4 hours.

The last area we wanted a table for games or extra eating space when we have company.  Maybe one day a pool table of course this is where Mr. Deerhead goes as well!

So that is what we spent all winter working on in our spare time.  Hubby did an amazing job figuring out the drywalling thing.  We went through a couple paint colors but like what we finally agreed on after me repainting it.