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ten things I’m loving right now

ten things I’m loving right now

This post has been in the works for a little while!  Ten things I’ve enjoyed over the last month; some affiliate links in post.

1.  Sunshine :: we homeschool, read and play outside as much as possible while the days are still warm(er).  Of course, the back porch remains my favorite outdoor spot!

2.  Recently, Kirk Cameron’s website linked to a blog post I wrote for The Better Mom (where I’m a regular contributor).  A friend tipped me off to the news, and it was a highlight of my day. 🙂

3.  More cooks in the kitchen :: this school year, my middle and high schoolers are each taking full charge of making the family’s dinner one night a week.  They have plenty of experience of working alongside of me, and I figured it was time to release them to more responsibility.

Each girl takes charge of the planning (deciding on a recipe, making sure ingredients are on hand or putting them on my grocery list), and the cooking start to finish.  For new-to-them skills or recipes, I help and give some direction.  I am thrilled at their progress and how they have OWNED the kitchen!

4.  Project Life App :: I came across this accidentally on Instagram, quickly downloaded the app (it’s only $0.99) and right away got to creating digital scrapbook pages — yes, all within about 5 minutes!  I am loving the easy-peasy creativity of the iPhone app (Android coming soon).

5.  Creativity in my Erin Condren planner :: regular readers know I am a planner girl (the more the merrier sometimes).  For 2015, I decided to use stickers, washi tape and other decor in my EC planner, and this has been a surprisingly relaxing activity.  I find it so enjoyable and it takes me back to my days as a teen when I decorated my calendars!

Erin Condren is currently having a site-wide 25% off sale (ends 10/25/15) and if you would like, feel free to use my referral link to receive $10 off your first order with EC.  I highly recommend her website which has MUCH more than planners alone.

6.  New essential oils of spearmint and cardamom.  We’re testing out several diffusing combinations as well for some fall scents.

7.  Homeschooling decisions :: choosing curriculum and a path for this school year proved to be tough for me due to several different reasons.  But, many of those decisions are working out incredibly well and I couldn’t be happier about that!

A few current favesLessonTrek Online planner (printed out above), All About Spelling, using level 4 this year for some children, and All About Reading, both the student packet with teacher manual for my Kindergartner.

8.  Still enjoying the book Sacred Rhythms, Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation.  So rich, so good.

9.  COMMUNITY :: I cannot be grateful enough for my community of sister-friends right now.  Above was a conversation with my neighbor, who began sending me texts of Scriptures and prayers of encouragement each morning at 6:30 a.m. — every. single. weekday for the last 5 weeks!  Isn’t God so generous!?

The transition from our sabbatical season of rest to ‘regular life’ has not gone as well for me as I anticipated (but getting better).  My weeks have included many medical tests to pinpoint and care for significant health issues, and overall, I’ve just felt lonely in these journeys.

One day, I was reminded: ‘You have friends Daniele.  You have friends!’  And so, intentional relationship with these women and more more wide-open living rises to the top of my priority list these days.  It’s good for me.

10.  Speaking of community… in my absence over this sabbatical season, I left some really big projects in the hands of various teams at church.  While it would cross my mind *every* once in a while, I trusted the leaders to carry out the work.

One very refreshing part of returning to church life has been hearing of the absolutely fantastic job completed over those months!  Summer camp, women’s retreat planning, and administrative tasks all flowed seamlessly and those big projects were cared for WELL.  What a gift!  Definitely something I’m loving right now.

::

And you, what do your days hold?  What are you enjoying?

 

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    Daniele Evans