elf(a) on the shelf(a)

I have now celebrated 39 New Years, and many of those have started with a long list of resolutions that boil down to me wanting to be skinnier and more organized. I am not by nature an organized person and am not sure why I think that the mind-over-matter of a new year will suddenly change who I am. And it doesn’t, which is why “becoming more organized” ends up on the resolution list year after year. (So does “being skinnier”, but that’s for a different post and a different day)

This year, I saw the error of my ways and did not resolve to become a more organized person. Instead, I resolved to be more deliberate about doing organized things and finding tools that set me up for success, one room at a time. What to tackle first?

The Pantry

Our pantry is under a staircase and actually has a good amount of space. Sadly, the space has not been configured well, so it has been hard to fit everything in – cans stashed everywhere, stuff hidden behind other stuff... It’s one of those projects – maybe you’ve had one like this – where you know you need to do something – take some kind of initiative – but it’s so overwhelming, and you know that it’s going to be a hard process, that it’s just easier to leave it the way it is, even if it is ineffective and frustrating.

But thanks to my resolution and The Container Store’s annual Elfa sale, I was able to take a deep breath and jump into the “redo”. Saturday was EID (Elfa Installation Day), and the first thing we did was take a hammer to the existing shelves. I swear they hung on the wall with all their might – like they were revolting – they did not want to go! But after lots of hammering and prying, we finally got them down. And then the new shelves went in. The difference is astounding! It was like HGTV had come in to the house to do a makeover. We stood back and looked at the new space and had one of those why-did-we-put-this-off-for-so-long kind of moments, where the angels blew their horns, and I swear there was momentary peace on earth.

And because God is good about using everything in my life as an a-ha moment, He quietly whispered to me that he has some Elfa shelving for a few parts of my life that seem to be in a bit of disarray. Areas of my life where change needs to happen, areas that definitely need a “redo”, but just the thought of tackling it, the thought of hammering down those old “shelves” and the parts that are ineffective… well, sometimes it’s just easier to live the way I’ve always lived. But standing back, looking at my new pantry, I knew exactly what He meant. And I told Him to hammer away…

Let's play FourSquare

Just when we thought the rage of social media had given us enough self-perpetuated invasion of privacy -- where we can know what everyone is doing, what they are thinking, what articles they are reading, what pictures they are taking, and what vegetables they are growing in FarmVille… If that isn’t enough, now we can now know where everyone is. Thanks to Foursquare.

Self-admittedly, I hate being left out. So when tweets started indicating that people were “checking in” through Foursquare at different locations and restaurants around town, I wasted no time in downloading the app to my iPhone.

Here’s the skinny: Foursquare is a social media tool that let’s us communicate to our friends and followers where we are. There is a simple “check-in” button – push it and wha-lah your location is publicized. You can also leave tips for people who may want to visit that location, like “You might want to avoid the soup of the day” or “They have the best chocolate pie in town.” As you check-in, you earn points and awards, and if you are a frequent visitor (more so than anyone else), you become the Mayor. I kid you not, I know the Mayor of Mooyah Burger. Quite an honor.

But in thinking this through, I am not so sure that I want people to know where I am. Not that I attract stalkers or want that much privacy. Honestly, I’m just not so sure I want you to know how boring I am. My Foursquare check-ins seriously would include work, home, the grocery store, PTA meetings, and an occasional movie every month or two. Oh, and the drive-throughs. I’m not sure if it’s fair to “check-in” if you’re sitting in the drive-through, since you aren’t really visiting, but if you count that, I would certainly be the Mayor of the McDonald’s on Preston Road, and I could leave some tips about the toys in the Happy Meal.

The great thing about Foursquare is that it’s a way to get introduced to new places (and perhaps know which ones to avoid) as well as knowing what your friends and followers are up to. Because we can’t get enough of that.

But let’s set the ground rules – if you, for some reason, feel the need to inform me about how many calories I am consuming by counting the number of check-ins I have at Happy Meal Land each week, you will be deleted from my friend list. I’m just saying. There are some things that should just be kept private.

Give us this day...

Friends, I may have to change the name of my blog.

After being totally inspired by this post by Christie at A Few of My Favorite Things, I made a little homemade bread last night. I don't know about you, but bread-making has always been an intimidating thing to me. Breadmaker machines seem to take some of the intimidation out of the process, but when I become responsible for the yeast and kneading -- yikes!

After reading Christie's post, I still was skeptical (because she is WonderWoman, and everything comes easily to her...), but I decided to give it a try. And she did not let me down! I made the dough last night and actually let it rise the 2nd time overnight and then simply turned on my oven when I woke up this morning.

My family was amazed to have freshly baked bread for breakfast.

And that, my friends, may be better than Pop Rocks.

Don't forget!

Remembering has never been a strong suit of mine. Ever since I was a little girl, my most common phrase has likely been, "Oops, I forgot." My Mom would always recommend that I tie a string around my finger when I needed to remember something (which seriously is not as easy as it sounds, plus you're assuming that you'll actually remember what it was you weren't supposed to forget...). Fortunately, now that I'm older, I have help -- online calendars, an iPhone, and lists -- but, sadly, I still fall victim to my forgetfulness on a weekly if not daily basis.

So we started off the New Year with a bang, celebrating with the Darlings. Oh the happy, shiny New Year, bringing promise that it would right everything that was wrong in 2009. A clean slate for starting over. Like a newly sharpened pencil or that new car smell. While I am normally sentimental about saying goodbye to another year, I happily bid 2009 farewell and jumped right into 2010.

And then yesterday happened. Eleven days into my squeaky clean, shiny new year. A less than perfect day that ended with a call from the school principal (never good), which caused me to have to leave work early and cancel a dinner meeting, which is when I heard the thump-thump-thump noise in my tire, which is how I found out that I had a flat and was driving on the rim, which launched an exhausting and emotional evening.

So much for my shiny new year. My clean slate now has some dirt on it.

I think I have my most communicative conversations with God in times like that. You know, the kind where I talk a lot and He does a lot of listening. So last night I bombarded Him with all my questions like, "Where did I go wrong as a parent?" "Why did this day have to happen?" "How am I going to fix this?" "Why can't life be happy and easy all the time?" and finally "What do you want me to learn from this terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day?"

(And then I shut up)

I didn't hear an audible voice. No scripture was written on the wall. No bush aflame. Just a mental picture. A picture of me with a string tied around my finger. A string that served as a reminder. A reminder that I am helpless without God, and I need Him.

And yesterday had to happen, so that I wouldn't forget.

One-O-One (101 months)

Dear ChellBell,

Happy one-hundred-and-one-months to you! Your “century” (100) month flew by while we were busy celebrating life and the holidays, so I’m happy to be kicking off 2010 by writing about and celebrating one-hundred-and-one months of YOU.

When you think of 101, you probably think of Dalmatians (which is a lot of Dalmatians, by the way. Can you imagine if they were all as bad as the Little Dog??!!)

When I think of 101, I think of a highway in California that runs by the ocean. I think of the temperature it reaches in Dallas before school even lets out for the summer. But mostly I think of guide books and tutorials. You see, “101” is a phrase that people use when they are talking about an introduction to something. For example, “Blogging 101” would teach the basics of blogging. “Sewing 101” would teach basic stitches and how to thread your machine. “101” has become synonymous with “getting started.”

2010 is going to be a big year of growth for you as you finish the 3rd grade and turn 9. We are hoping to take you to Hong Kong and China this summer to see your Mimi and G’Daddy, so you’ll get exposure to different countries and cultures. I can tell by the phrases you use and the questions you ask that you are going to move more and more into the world of Tween-ness this year, long before I will be ready for you to reach that destination. 2010 will be a year of you learning the basics about getting older, like “Texting Your Friends 101,” “Downloading Apps 101” and “Not Spending All Your Money on Downloading Apps 101”. I pray that you will sail through “Loving People Even When They’re Not Nice To You 101” and “Including Everyone Even If They Are Different From You 101”. No doubt you will think that being a Tween is being grown-up, but you will learn otherwise from my lessons to you entitled “Remembering That Your Mom Is Older And Wiser 101” and “Just Because You Think You’re Grown Up Doesn’t Mean You Are And Certainly Doesn’t Mean That You Don’t Have To Listen To Your Mom 101”.

The past month with you has been fantastic. I always love our time together over the holidays, with no work or voicemails or emails to interrupt. I’m glad that we celebrated Christmas from the first day of December until the last, and I’m glad that Christmas was more about making memories instead of just the packages we opened.

You are amazing. Sometimes I am baffled at how you got that way, considering how trial and error our parenting is. Thanks for believing without a doubt that you are loved. Thanks for believing that I will always be there for you. Thanks for believing that I am crazy about you. Thanks for believing in yourself. Thanks for making my life so full. Thanks for making me laugh. Thanks for not being afraid to ask me about things. Thanks for being my little friend.

That, ChellBell, is Life 101.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from The Linebargers!

We pray that the unbelievably generous gift God gave mankind -- His only Son --

will be the biggest part of your celebration this Christmas Day!

There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."