Work or Play?

Ever since I was unexpectedly (and unknowingly) replaced as the Box Tops Coordinator at our school, I've been trying to figure out how to put in my required 30 hours of volunteer work (we're at a Charter School where volunteering is mandatory).  I didn't do a darn thing the whole first half of the year, mostly in protest of my ousting.  (Which I realize is totally ridiculous, since not another soul probably even knew of or cared about my displacement.)

Mike's had a slow work week, so when an email came about a volunteer opportunity at the school, I figured I should take advantage of not needing to find a babysitter, and start whittling down my hours.

I had a little information about what Mrs. J wanted on the bulletin board, so I sketched something out on a piece of paper and started to work.  The 4th graders are working on reports on North American animals, so that (and that it needed Spanish translation) was my only stipulation.  I was supposed to have some helpers, but in my overachieving, controlling fashion, I hyperfocused and did it all myself before anyone had a chance to screw it up give helpful suggestions.

  Here's what I came up with:

All the animals assigned to the kids are represented here and it was so cute to see them get excited when they saw "their" animal up on the board.  I even had comments from some of the "smart kids" congratulating me for putting the animals into their correct habitats.  (Thank you, Google, for helping me not embarrass my college educated self, or my 4th grade daughter.)

This particular board took me 12 hours from start to finish, when I include all the time it took me to find pictures of the animals online.  I guess I'm doing alright on those volunteer hours....

Katie's teacher pretty much got on her knees and begged me to do her board next, so I reluctantly obliged and got hers done today. ;)

Another 4 hours shaved off--one more bulletin board and I'll have met my volunteer quota for the year!  Though with all of the requests from the other teachers in the past two days, I'm pretty sure I'll be exceeding my 30 hours.  Good thing it doesn't feel anything like work.  I kinda wish I'd figured this out 2 years ago!  Thank you, whomever decided someone else needed to do the Box Tops.  Who knew you were doing me such a favor?

Turning Point & Lesson Learned

This weekend was a true turning point for me. 

I spend a lot of time trying to function "in the moment" and losing sight of the future.  Sometimes--okay, MOST of the time--it's out of necessity.  Trying to get dinner ready while helping 3 kids with homework, a hungry, whiny baby at my hip while yelling at the 4 y.o. to stop banging on the piano tends to not bring out the best in me.  And after the meltdowns (by them and me), I'm filled with such regret that I didn't speak softly in the moment, then pray for forgiveness and help to do better the next day.  I've come to realize that preparation BEFORE those moments come can be the difference between the "Soft-Voiced Mom" and "Freak OUT Mom."  I'm trying to be better about it, but I'm not usually successful. 

As you know, I've been presented with an opportunity to make more of my business than I ever thought probable.  I've been scrambling the last couple of weeks to get everything ready for the trade shows that start in February, and freaking out and stressing out all along the way.  I've been swinging on a pendulum--back and forth--between "Get it all done, quick, quick, quick!" and "Just stop the madness now!  It's too much and you're neglecting too many other things!"   Amidst all the conflicting feelings, one little voice kept coming into my head, "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."

I've been buckled in the back seat, going along for the ride ever since I began this journey.  Things have fallen into place for me, and I knew that the next road was the right one, even though I didn't know what to expect or where I'd go next, or really what I was doing at all!  It's been a fun endeavor and I've figured it out along the way.  Things have changed, though, and I can feel it.  This conflict brewing in me has put me right back into "Freak Out Mom" mode, and this time, I'm paying attention.  I've had some concerns about taking this next step, about my own preparedness, so for the first time, (and because the time is now right) I unbuckled and climbed into the driver's seat. 

What I discovered over the weekend was that I'm invested in this emotionally.  I really hadn't supposed it before, but when I started to consider just giving it all up, a sad and empty feeling overcame me.  It surprised me to know that I really wanted this, because I always felt like I'd do it till it wasn't fun anymore--and it stopped being fun the minute I started freaking out.


After getting myself a Cliff's Notes version education on design/manufacturing/production/retail over the internet, and connecting with others within and without my little network, I finally saw the path that I need to put myself on, and it isn't what I thought.  It's neither "quick, quick, quick" nor "stop."  It's "slow down."  Imagine that!  I, who jump into everything at 100 mph, have just taken myself off cruise control and let off the gas.  I'm "speaking softly" in the moment and it's so refreshing!!!!  I no longer feel stress and worry and FEAR, because I have a different plan and a different path that takes me through all the preparation I need in order to eliminate it.

My Jan. 31st deadline is no longer.  I'm giving myself the next 6 mo. to a year to do it the right way, and I've never felt better about a decision in my life!!!  There's something to be said about stopping to see the big picture and I'm so grateful that this most important life lesson was one I could truly learn at a bright and hopeful beginning instead of at the end of fear and failure.

New Year, New Opportunity

I really thought that once the holidays were over, I could finally breathe. 

What was I thinking????  

All I did was replace one thing with about three others that I was putting off until such a time as this. 
Great job, Jonesy. 
Way to fool yourself into seeing a light at the end of the first tunnel. 

So, you wanna know about my new project now that Christmas is over?? Do ya?  Do ya?

Well.....................................................

I've been busy gathering samples, organizing order forms, creating display boards, and shopping for new fabrics. 

Why?

Because I now have a Retail Sales Rep. who will be taking MY ties to several HUGE trade shows in NY, DC, Chicago, Philly--and she's expecting BIG THINGS!!!!!!!!!!

This is me being cautiously optomistic....YAY!!!!

Now....back to work.

Savior Subway Art

I waited and waited for someone to come up with some great subway art that captured the true meaning of Christmas. 

I have this whole nativity vignette on my piano that begged for something less commercial.

With all the great graphic artists out there, you'd think there'd be SOMETHING, but alas, I couldn't find it, so...I made my own!  

I'm so NOT a graphic artist, but I really like how these turned out.  AND you can pick your color!  

P.S. These would make great VT gifts, YW gifts, or neighbor gifts, and all you have to do is print it off and maybe find some cute frame to put it in!

Hope you like it--Merry CHRISTmas to you all!

(May not be printed for financial gain.  Personal use only.) 

Deja Vu

If you'll remember this post from last year, you'll understand why I was a little freaked out on Friday. 

I was on I-15, on my way to pick up the girls from school, when a semi in front of me tried to change lanes and sideswiped another vehicle, sending a little Ford Taurus spinning across all three lanes of traffic and skidding onto the median right next to me.  I slammed on my brakes to avoid hitting her (I don't know how she wasn't hit by anyone else), then pulled over and ran out of the van to make sure she was okay.  Other than being a little shook up, she was uninjured.  The poor little lady was on her way to pick up her granddaughter from school, and had no idea what had happened to her.  She thought maybe she'd blown a tire and lost control.  The semi that hit her (and KNEW he hit her) just kept on going and didn't bother stopping. 
I was literally 50 yards away from the location of the horrific accident I witnessed last year.  In fact, from where I was standing, I could see the mismatched concrete slabs that were replaced on the barriers because of the last accident.  It was surreal. 

I don't understand why I keep ending up with a front-row view to these situations, but I'm grateful to be one of the only ones with good enough sense to stop and help.  Traffic was CRAZY and only 3 cars stopped.  I'm not sure if the UHP caught up with the semi, but I sure hope they did.  It's one thing to make a mistake, it's another thing to run away from one. 

I'm thinking I'll be taking the backroads from now on.

Glitterfied!!

Anyone else feel as though the holidays are one big rush of madness?  The problem is, I keep adding to it and getting myself into trouble by doing the fun things first (i.e. putting up the Christmas tree, sewing new Christmassy pillow slip covers, and scouring DI for a white cable knit sweater to use for a hurricane cover {I'll be posting on that cute creation later...}, blogging...) before doing the not so fun things (i.e. laundry--loads and loads and loads of laundry; and finishing the kitchen cabinets so we don't have to keep checking the rubbermaid storage bins in the living room when in need of utensils, tinfoil, or plastic lids).  It really would be much more pleasant around here if I'd just get those things done, but as explained in my previous post, I have a sorry track record for doing things in their proper order.  Besides, I always get a little obsessed with glitter at this time of year.  I just can't rest until my living room has some LOTS of glitter in every single nook and cranny.  Why do I all of a sudden relate so intimately with the dog on UP?  Squirrel!

To top it all off, I just added to my list of things-to-do after watching my friend, Tausha, on a segment of Studio 5 last week. I've already taken advantage of her creativity with an Advent Canister I swapped her a tie for. The kids will get to take turns pulling out a paper and doing whatever fun activity she came up with.  This concerns me a bit, since I have no idea what came out of her pretty little head and onto the papers my children will be reading and consequently acting out.  BUT...I've decided it's worth the risk.  Know why?  Because now I only have to come up with 2 more advents before Wed....but I digress...

Tausha's full of great ideas, so I'm using her expertise again and making my own "Good Deeds Jar" for each of the girls this year.  Good deeds are printed on strips of paper and put into a cute little jar, decorated with all sorts of Christmas ribbons and paper and yarn and stickers and (OF COURSE) glitter!  Then you pull one strip a day, and do whatever is printed on the paper. At the end of the day, you write what you did and how you felt, sign your name, then put it into a little box under the tree.  On Christmas morning, that box becomes your gift to the Savior, and you take turns reading what everyone has written about their experiences during the month.  I'm excited to see what the girls will write, and I'm looking forward to having such a great way of bringing all the gift-giving back to its source.  Doesn't that sound neat?  We did these for FHE tonight.  Here's how ours turned out:

The List:

Pick out something from your closet and give it to someone who needs it.

Shovel your neighbor’s walks.

Purchase a can of food to give to a local food bank

Give a dollar to Humanitarian aid on your tithing slip, 

or put some change into

the Salvation Army’s red bucket.

Write a Christmas letter to a soldier who is overseas

Clean your room without being asked to

Write a thank you note to someone who has done something nice for you lately

Bring a small bag of candy (such as Hershey Kisses) to give to the people who help you every day

crossing guards, bus drivers, teachers, librarians, etc.

 Deliver a small package of homemade cookies or candy to the neighbors

 Do all the dishes after dinner

 Take out all the trash in the house

Bring your dad a cup of hot chocolate when he comes in from working outside, or comes home from work

Tell your sister(s)/brother(s) what you like best about him/her.

Be kind to someone who is hard to get along with.

Tell someone the story of when Jesus was born.

Give everyone in your family a hug!

Clean your room without being asked.

Write a Christmas letter to a faraway aunt/uncle.

Smile and be cheerful today.

Talk about the REAL meaning of Christmas at dinnertime.

Help Mom wrap gifts.

Write a thank you note to Dad for everything he does for us.

Go all day without arguing or fighting with anyone.

Start the day with a prayer of thanks to Heavenly Father for the birth of His Son.

 

This is the tag we put on our box under the tree.  Sorry it's not clear, but you get the idea.

  

 I printed this onto adhesive nametags and just stuck them right onto the pint jar.

 

 We rolled up the little strips of paper around a pen to make cute little curly-q's to put in the jars.

I found these keys at Walmart for $1.  For the lesson, I asked the girls to tell us what they wanted for Christmas.  Before we had a chance to sit there all night going through everyone's wish list, I brought up the real meaning of Christmas.  I asked what Jesus would want for Christmas if we were to have been there the night He was born.  "For us to be nice to everybody, no matter what!" came the first answer....I have such great kids! :)  I explained the concept of the Good Deed Jar and told them that the "key" to having a happy Christmas is in doing good for others.

I'm also using this activity for our Activity Days Girls this week. 

I really wish I was a graphic artist and could make some adorable printable for you to attach to your sufficiently glitterfied jars, but alas, I am not.  If only someone from The Fickle Pickle or A Bushel and a Peck had this idea first so I could snag their always cute stuff, but we're stuck with mediocre me.  Oh well.