Weekending - September 28, 2018

Did you enjoy your last weekend of September?  I know I sure did!  Here's the rewind ~

Friday night I finally got out our fall decorations for the front porch.  For some reason I've really been dragged my feet getting into the autumn mood this year.  Hopefully seeing this fall foliage when I'm coming and going will help with that! 

Eric had to work super early on Saturday morning so I had the house to myself.  I decided it would be the perfect morning to do one of my favorite things - lay in bed reading, answer emails, checking out some blogs.  Best morning ever!!  Just to make me feel like I was doing something, I did throw in a load of laundry and start the self cleaning mode on my oven.  Multitasking at it's best!

I finished the book I had been reading - Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist.  To be honest, I had a little bit of a hard time with this one.  Don't get me wrong, it had some wonderful messages that made me think about how I use my time.  But overall, I'm a yes person and this book leaned more on the "how to say no" side of things.  My belief is more say yes and find the joy in doing the task.  Realizing that not everyone embraces being as busy as I like to be, I would say overall this is a pretty good read.  Here's what Amazon says about it:

In these pages, New York Times bestselling author Shauna Niequist invites you to consider the landscape of your own life, and what it might look like to leave behind the pressure to be perfect and begin the life-changing practice of simply being present, in the middle of the mess and the ordinariness of life.

As she puts it: "A few years ago, I found myself exhausted and isolated, my soul and body sick. I was tired of being tired, burned out on busy. And, it seemed almost everyone I talked with was in the same boat: longing for connection, meaning, depth, but settling for busy.

"I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, neighbor, writer, and I know all too well that settling feeling. But over the course of the last few years, I've learned a way to live, marked by grace, love, rest, and play. And it's changing everything.

"Present Over Perfect is an invitation to this journey that changed my life. I’ll walk this path with you, a path away from frantic pushing and proving, and toward your essential self, the one you were created to be before you began proving and earning for your worth."

Written in Shauna's warm and vulnerable style, this collection of essays focuses on the most important transformation in her life, and maybe yours too: leaving behind busyness and frantic living and rediscovering the person you were made to be. Present Over Perfect is a hand reaching out, pulling you free from the constant pressure to perform faster, push harder, and produce more, all while maintaining an exhausting image of perfection.

Shauna offers an honest account of what led her to begin this journey, and a compelling vision for an entirely new way to live: soaked in grace, rest, silence, simplicity, prayer, and connection with the people that matter most to us.

If it sounds like a book you could benefit from, click HERE to check it out.

When I finished reading the book, I picked up one of my monthly magazines and read it cover to cover.  Family Circle has been showing up at my house longer than I can remember.  Every month I find several articles that fascinate and teach me things.  This month was no exception - how to get the most out of your bras, a TED talk I must listen to, how to request free credit reports and a vacation spot I want to check out.  Some of the cool things I read about will be showing up on my Five on Friday so don't miss it!  A yearly subscription to Family Circle is only $5.00 on Amazon making it one heck of a deal!  

I did manage to get showered and dressed before Eric came home.  We spent the afternoon together running errands and catching up on some of our taped shows.

Then it was on to Sunday Funday - it was a family fishing day!  My younger nephews and niece are growing up way too fast so days like these are precious.  The weather cooperated and the kids only got soaking wet a couple of times!   I mean, come on, walking along the edge of the water was more fun when you did it in ankle deep water.  

Even I caught a fish!!

Some people liked holding a sucker in their hands a little more than holding a fishing pole!

Overall it was a great day spent with family.  One we will all remember for a long time!  

Now here we are -- Monday.  The first of October!  I need to get my head wrapped around what's going on this month.  Hope your week is off to a great start!  See you back soon.