Word of the Week January

If you've been reading around here for awhile than you probably already know about my 2017 system of 'Words of the Week'. If you're new around here I'll get you up to speed. Instead of choosing One Little Word for the year, I chose 52 words. One for every week of the year. When I decided to use this strategy I didn't really know what it was going to look like and even a month in it's still evolving.

I choose my word (from this list) on Saturday or Sunday. I don't have any particular strategy for choosing a word. I pick whatever one happens to be speaking to me or a word that I think might relate to the week ahead. Then I search for a quote to go along with that word. It's a simple way of reflecting on the words and figuring out how I want to focus on it for that week.

I write my word and quote in the sidebar of my planner so that I see it everyday. 

For the first week of the year I choose the word abide and a quote that reminded me that when things are confusing and uncertain faith remains. And abiding in that faith that things will improve or work out the way they are supposed to is the best way for me to handle the unknown. It ended up being good motivation to take a few leaps and trust where I felt God was leading me. It was a good way to start the year. 

Thanks to some of those leaps I chose flow as my word for the second week of the year. As in, go with the flow. Little did I know that just when I thought I had a plan for how things were going to go I was an offered an interview with an organization that I had applied for weeks ago and wasn't expecting to hear anything from. And so plans sort of changed but I went with the flow. It was the perfect word for the week and even though I didn't have any particular reason to choose it 'flow' was exactly the thing I need to focus on that week. 

Last week I chose spark. I thought it would be a fun word for my birthday week because I associate sparks with candles and the beginning of something. It ended up being the word I connected with the least. I'm not sure if it was because I had other things going on that week but I wasn't feeling it. Possibly one of the best things about this Word of the Week strategy is the ability to let go of a word when you're not connecting to it the way you had hoped.

This week I'm embracing joy. This was a very conscious choice because I'm expecting to hear back about that job interview this week. And regardless of the outcome I want to choose joy. There's not a lot of excitement happening in my life right now and it's impossible to make plans when I'm never entirely sure if there will be an interview (or a job) around the corner. So my focus is choosing to find joy in all circumstances. Just because the situation may not be joyful, doesn't mean there's not joy in there somewhere. 

Originally I had thought about making a 6x8 album to document my words but I realized that wasn't something I wanted to commit to doing all year. So for now my words are documented in my planner and in my journal. I'm not really creating any rules around my words, I might continue to choose a quote for the week but I might not. My only requirement for myself is to choose a word for the week. So far I haven't wanted to carry on a word from one week to the next but I'm not ruling out the possibility of that happening. 

If you chose a word for the year are you sticking with it or has the initial enthusiasm wore off?

Warm and Fuzzy Friday Favourites

{one}

I got this e-mail from a parent on Monday evening and it made my day/week. Parents are often the hardest/worst part of working with kids. To a certain extent, I get it, you want your kids to be happy. Sometimes the 'helicopter' parent thing takes over and it's just not good. So getting this e-mail was the greatest. I like when parents are happy, when parents are happy their kids stay involved and that makes me happy. You know that saying "happy wife, happy life"? Well I'm a believer in "happy parents, happy program". You might not be able to please them all but life sure is easier when you can. 

{two}

Someone posted this verse on Instagram this week and it stuck with me. 

{three}

I had a bunch of photos of flowers and bees from this summer and I wasn't sure how to incorporate them into my album. They were too pretty not to use...but they also stuck out like a sore thumb next to action shots of soccer baseball and chaotic cabin photos. And then I happened to be searching my blog archives for something and came across a post from earlier in the summer when I shared the quote about the bees. And realized it worked perfectly because on the next page is a bunch of photos of people doing chores, moving furniture and working around camp. Memory keeping makes me happy. 

{four}

CBC

This article. I don't know either of these people but it's the cutest thing I've read all week. I'm rarely interested in elaborate wedding details and the process of how people begin their relationships is often kind of murky. Engagement stories are usually very clear cut, it's a moment in time when something very specific happens and is usually very unique. So this story gave me all the warm fuzzies this week. I hope they serve french fries at their wedding.  

I only have four favourites this week, I'm sure if I tried really hard I could come up with a fifth, but I don't want to and I'd rather choose four really awesome favourites opposed to four really awesome favourites and one thing that I kind of liked about this week. 

Somehow I've managed to find myself without any plans this weekend. I'm sure I'll figure out something but it's also nice to enter the weekend without any commitments! 

Linking up here & here with all of the other ladies in blogland celebrating Friday!

Planning & Preparedness

I'm going camping this weekend, so you can imagine my delight when I checked the weather this morning and saw this:

At least it's not snow? 

I'm not sure why this week felt so chaotic and disorganized. My Type A personality loves the process of packing, making a list (okay, multiple lists) checking each item off the list, it's a good process. Except that last night when the district finance meeting was over at 9:00 I found myself in the little boys' section of Wal-Mart searching for splash pants. And at 9:15 I found myself in the frozen pizza aisle because I didn't have time to eat supper before I left for the meeting in the first place. When I got home I realized I had forgotten to pick up hair elastics, luckily I found a package hidden in the back of a drawer so the crisis was adverted. I still have to track dig my winter jacket out of the closet (and probably shed some tears in the process) but other than that I have managed to check everything off my packing list. My master to-do list still needs some work, but I'll deal with that after coffee.

I learned this week that my love of Girl Guides might come from an unexpected place...

I spent a lot of time this week working on Sparks meeting plans and came to the realization that my Type A personality really influences my love of Guiding, especially when it comes to badges. If I got a badge or a crest every time I followed a set of rules/instructions I would be a happy camper all the time. My little Sparkies are working on their "Being A Spark" badge but we're almost ready to move on to some more advanced program work. And by advanced I mean I've been fielding a lot of requests to "make a volcano", so stay tuned for that disaster adventure.

I've finished my coffee so that means it's time to tackle the to do list. And then reward myself with more coffee because that's just the kind of week it's been. 

Blogtember 2015: Tunes & Tales

It's been a hectic week and my to do list keeps growing instead of shrinking! So before I tackle a few more things on my list I'm going to take a minute to share some meaningful music and a few other favourites. 

{one}

Bailey Jean is asking us to share three songs that we're connecting with right now. This was a pretty easy question for me to answer. All summer long I have been loving John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16 by Keith Urban. I love High Valley and lately their song Country Line has been one of my favourites. Lastly a song I've been listening to for well over a year but has remained one of my go tos when I need some upbeat inspiration My Lighthouse by Rend Collective.

{two}

I've been eating some great food this week, both in taste and nutrition value. Earlier this week I had farfalle pasta and broccoli with meatballs and marinara sauce. Making leftovers tasty is a bit of a challenge for me so I was super pleased that I used leftover meatballs and sauce from the night before to make this lunch. On the middle you'll see a happy kitchen disaster. I set out to make a smoothie but  I ended up making sorbet of sorts...I added some chocolate chips and it was delicious. Kitchen experiments are always fun, but sometimes you just need a big plate of broccoli & carrots. Because broccoli never disappoints. 

{three}

I almost didn't invest in this planner. The one I used last year was good until 2016 but it really wasn't working for me so I was pretty much just writing notes on post-its and calling it a day. When I found this one the end of July I wasn't sure I wanted to spend the money, but I did and I'm so happy with it. Best $20 I've spent in a long time. It's become a complete necessity to keep track of Guiding stuff and blogging things and family commitments. I'll probably do a full post dedicated to how much I love this planner, but this week it is one of my favourite things and deserves a shout out. 

{four}

It's not often I include links to articles in my favourites but this article published in The Guardian "Why The Queen of Mommy Bloggers Had To Quit" is worth a read for anyone who blogs regardless of your niche. I think it's a reality many bloggers don't consider when they are driven to create a blogging empire. Don't get me wrong, I don't think there's anything wrong with being a business blogger and finding ways to make your blog profitable. I just liked that this article showed a different perspective of the phenomenon that blogging has become. 

{five}

Our first Spark meeting is Monday and I'm excited and anxious to start the year. I'm eager to get organizing and come up with some fun activities to do this year. I haven't been in Sparks since I was a Spark, all of my leader experience has been with the older girls. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by the whole process, but I'm sure once things start I'll be more at ease.

On that note, I am off to send some more emails. Turns out tracking down the key for our meeting place is more of a challenge than it should be and seeing as how it's almost noon I should really get dressed and out of my pyjamas!

Linking up here & here.

Bumble Bee Philosophy

Saturday afternoon I spent some time hanging out with myself and my camera. As I sat on the picnic table with my camera hoping to catch a glimpse of the family of groundhogs that like to hang around our property I noticed a bumble bee zig zagging between the random wild flowers.

I started clicking away trying to capture the impressive balance  of purpose, busyness, beauty and calm the little bee displayed as it when about it's business. My attempts to capture the bee were largely unsuccessful. And now taking the 'perfect' bumble bee picture has somehow crept into my summer to-do list.

I've always appreciated bees. Maybe it stems from a childhood love of Winne-the-Pooh or maybe it's got more to do with their contrasting bright yellow and black shapes. Whatever the case may be seeing one buzzing by doing it's thing makes me really happy. I was googling suggestions on how exactly to photograph bees and I came across this quote:

Pinterest

An instant new favourite as far as I'm concerned. Camp is a collective of small teaspoons. All mixed together to form something big. And sometimes when the 1/12 of a teaspoon is emptying a garbage can, cleaning spilled paint off the floor or cutting out 45 construction paper stars so that every camper goes home with an award it doesn't feel like you're doing much. I fully intend on writing that quote on a post it and putting it where I can see it everyday this summer. 

I thought this quote made a good point too, especially in the midst of making time for me this summer and practicing good self care. Spending my time wisely and being busy for the right reasons. 

 

Pinterest

That's my bumble bee philosophy for the day. And odds are it will probably be a reoccurring theme for the summer. 

Totally Awesome

We got another 10 cm of snow last night and are forecasted to get another 10-15 cm tomorrow night. It's time to forget about the cold and celebrate some awesome things happening right now. Join Rebekah  and Anne and share what's awesome in your life!

{one}

Salted Carmel. I don't know who I have to thank for this trend but they are an awesome person. I recently discovered Lindt Sea Salt & Carmel Dark chocolate bars and no other chocolate bar will ever be the same. And Tim Horton's has Salted Carmel donuts right now, so yummy. Rumour has it they have salted carmel Timbits too, but I haven't tried those yet. I've always been a salty over sweet type of gal and this salt trend is right up my alley. I hope it continues for a very long time.

{two}

J. is not the inventor of salted carmel (in fact he thinks the concept is weird and not at all delicious), but he is still a seriously awesome person. He gives me butterflies and makes me feel the best combination of feelings. I'm so excited to go on our first vacation together! Only 45 days until sunshine, sand and adventure!

{three}

These Julia Child quotes/philosophies on life & cooking. Someday when I have my own kitchen I want these quotes displayed somewhere where they are always in my eye sight.

Pinterest

(What would be even more awesome is if I could find the original source and get my hands on these. I think they might have been a limited edition print though and are long out of stock.) 

{four}

Sundays. Specifically Sunday evenings. Lately my Sundays have involved planning for the week ahead, enjoying supper with the family and cuddling with J. while we watch Friends. It's the most awesome way to start the week.

{five}

Coffee. This needs no further explanation. Coffee is awesome. Always. 

{six}

Spring rain is on it's way! I hate snow but I love rain. I can't wait for spring rain to wash away the snow and give me a reason to wear my rain boots!

{seven}

Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I've been feeling sort of run down lately, tired and overwhelmed a little more anxious than usual. Spring is just around the corner though. A new season, new camp year, time to step back and evaluate some long term goals. Knowing all that is on the horizon is an awesome feeling.

{eight}

I've recently become borderline obsessed looking at home decor for mudrooms/porches and kitchens. I'm not sure why this interest has developed, but I have an ever growing love for browsing Pinterest searching for ways to make kitchens feel warm, welcoming and homing. And how to organize mudrooms and still keep them functional. 

{nine}

Having time to cook. I love cooking and with my crazy work schedule I don't have time to cook and prepare food the way I used to. My cooking is limited to prep work on the weekend and quick meals during the week. I can't wait to get back to making real suppers and cooking the family!

{ten}

The number ten spot is reserved for all of the awesomeness that is hoodies, jogging pants, comfort, relaxation, reflection and blogging.

Happy Tuesday Friends! What's awesome in your life today?

Weekly Round Up

{one}

Monday I went to town and checked out the brand new Target! I was a little disappointed, it didn't have the same selection as the one in the City, plus it was crazy  which I guess is to be expected, it's not too often a new store opens around here. I didn't buy anything in Target but I couldn't resist treating myself to a Caramel Brulee Latte from Starbucks. I am super excited that since the arrival of Target I now have a Starbucks closer than 5 hours away. Not that I will be making frequent visits there because, well, I'm cheap. 

{two}

I haven't done any Christmas shopping yet...I really need to get on that next week. Especially the 2 or 3 gifts that need to be mailed. And as a side note why is mailing things so damn expensive? Buying said gifts would be a lot easier if I didn't have to factor in the weight and size of the gift. Last Christmas I bought a beautiful ornament and ended up paying over $20 to mail it by the time I wrapped the thing in bubble wrap so it wouldn't get broken. Why hasn't science come up with a way to teleport material items? 

{three}

Pinterest

I came across this on Pinterest this week and laughed for a solid five minutes before sharing it with all of my camp staff friends. It's ridiculously accurate. 

{four}

I had this grand plan to make my own "Blog Binder" but after numerous attempts I've accepted that it is much easier for me to just invest in a pen & paper planner. Now I just need to find one that meets all my requirements and is $10 or less. That will be on the to-do list for next week!

{five}

Pinterest

This just made me smile. 

Patience is a Virtue...

I've been thinking a lot about patience and waiting and I came to a realization. When it comes to people I have buckets, dump trucks even, over flowing with patience, but when it comes to having patience to wait for something to happen I have raindrops. 

Via

Working with campers who have special needs I've developed a lot of patience when it comes to teaching a camper a new skill or encouraging independence. Without giving it a second thought I will happily wait for a camper to tie their own shoes and zip up their coat, it might take them 10 minutes when I could have done it in 10 seconds but that's not the point. If a camper wants to do something and is able to do it I am more than willing to support them, and sometimes support just means not rushing them. 

Via

I'm also pretty patient when it comes to waiting for Mr. Right. I fully admit I don't like waiting, but I am firm in my belief that waiting for the right person is worth every second. I would rather wait until I'm 30 for Mr. Right to come along than to settle. I refuse to settle for anything less than what I want. If I want a specific shade of nail polish I don't buy the closest thing to it, I wait until the one I want is back in stock. I'm not going to settle for a guy who is good enough when in a couple more weeks (maybe even years) I can have exactly the one I want. 

\

Via

It seems like every week I type the sentence "I should hear this week about the grant that will make my current seasonal job into a full-time/year-round position." And it still hasn't happened yet. All the paper work has been submitted. The case file has been assigned to a specific person. Ten days allowed for processing have passed. The status of the application has been checked 100 times. But it still has the same "Under Review" status. We've been told it's a good time to apply for this particular grant because they're not that busy, most organizations apply in the spring/summer so there's a better chance of getting approved. But there's still no change. So I'm stuck waiting. Trying to be patient. The longer the wait the harder it is to be patient. Even though the situation is totally out of my hands. 

You're My Summer Jam

You and Me we're like a simple song
Yeah so damn easy to sing along,
I don't need a guitar or a band,
Cause baby you're my Summer Jam

- Jake Owen, Summer Jam

***

  

  I feel a lot of obligation to write a detailed and meaningful reflection about camp now that it's official over...but I have no idea where to start or where to end. I wish those Facebook survey/questionnaires were still a thing, copying/pasting 100 questions to answer about my favourite/least favourite summer moments, songs, food, smells, everything and anything that will forever remind me of this summer. (maybe they are still a thing? I'm out of the loop.)

I had so many great moments this summer. And I am thankful for every millisecond of each moment.

What I miss most about camp in the off season tends to be the nuisances of the summer; plaid shorts & tie-dye t-shirts, soup, 'Heart of Gold',  Bob's guy... It's funny because the things I miss the most are the ones that are guaranteed to be different next summer.  The staff will change, some of us (potentially even myself) will move on to other places and other jobs. There will be new campers and campers who won't return. We won't listen to the same songs or laugh about the same things. 

The hardest part about the transition back into the real world is going from spending literally every minute of everyday and night surrounded by people who you love to going months without seeing them. And although I am confident it won't be too long before I see H. & R. there are others who have the best intentions of keeping in touch but I may never cross paths with again outside of Birthday greetings on Facebook.

The moral of the story is I am so happy with how this summer played out. 

It was the answer to prayers that I didn't expect to be answered in 1000 years.

Food for Thought

Today's Every Day in May Challenge topic is favourite quotes!

I love quotes, there's just something about the perfect words strung together to form something bigger that makes me really happy! 

I have so many favourites, but for the sake of just choosing one I've chosen the one below.

I've always been a really big believer that "God is in the details" and I always make a point when I'm doing children/youth ministry to teach that not only is God BIG, but He is also in all of the little things too. I think this quote does a good job of pointing out all the details and the vastness.