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The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

January 25, 2013

{30 days of pinspiration} Day 10: Quiet Strength

A little known fact about me: I love football.  I love the strategy of the game and the comraderie of the fans.  And even though I am a die-hard New England Patriots fan (and yes, let’s not talk about last week…), I have a lot of respect for many other players and coaches.  One of those is the former coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Tony Dungy. 

His book, Quiet Strength, has been on my Pinterest “Book List” board for weeks now.  So with the end of the football season near, I decided now was a good time to read!

All in all, I enjoyed it.  Some parts were easier to read than others.  I stumbled through the name-heavy parts as well as some of the game play-by-plays.  But the life lessons alone were worth the read.  So many nuggets of truth.  I jotted many of them down; I know they will be helpful as we raise these boys of ours.  
 
Food for thought from the book:

“To whom much is given, much is required–whether it’s privileges, responsibilities, or material items.  And if God has given you a lot of ability, I believe you should be held to a higher level of expectation.” –from page 19

During one season, he studied the book of Nehemiah:
“I learned three key truths from Nehemiah.  First, Nehemiah’s opportunity came in God’s time, not his own.  Second, Nehemiah diligently prepared his mind and his heart so he would be ready when God’s time arrived.  Third, Nehemiah needed to be prepared to take on the problems, doubt, and adversity that would come his way both from the outside and from within.” –from page 87

What he expected of his players as a head coach (I love this list for my boys too!):

  • “Be a pro.
  • Act like a champion.
  • Respond to adversity; don’t react.
  • Be on time.  Being late means either it’s not important to you or you can’t be relied on.
  • Execute.  Do what you’re supposed to do when you’re supposed to do it.  Not almost.  All the way.  Not most of the time.  All of the time.
  • Take ownership.

Whatever it takes.  No excuses, no explanations.” –page 116

January 24, 2013

{30 days of pinspiration} Day 9: Home Cold Remedies

All of us here at the Big White Farmhouse are battling a nasty cold.  I’m almost positive that my husband brought it home from work and it has quickly traveled from child to child to me.  From the looks of my Facebook and Instagram feeds, it looks like we’re not alone.  This winter has been rough! 

I’m on a mission to get my family healthy and stay that way, so I went to my Pinterest boards for ideas and inspiration.  Here are a few things I’ve got on my to-do list:

Make chicken noodle soup.  Perfect for cold weather and sick bellies.  This recipe looks quick and easy if you have all the ingredients on hand.  This chicken noodle soup recipe can be made in the slow cooker!

Buy more hand sanitizer and soap for every sink.  Time to review our hand-washing habits! 

Stay hydrated.  Drink lots and lots of water.  Tea with honey is also a good choice.

Boost our immune systems.  Get lots of rest.  Eat fruits and vegetables.  Remove as much stress in our lives as possible.

 
————————————-

Many of these ideas were taken from R29’s Ultimate Cold and Flu Survival Guide.  What would you add to my list?

January 23, 2013

{30 days of pinspiration} Day 8: The Beginning of my Home Office

Our home has a small room that is generally used as a formal sitting area.  But with four kids (and three of those being rambunctious boys), there’s nothing “formal” about this house!  So instead, we decided to designate this space as a home office for me.  I am so, so excited!


The requirements for this space were:

  1. A desk for scrapbooking, computer work, etc.
  2. Bookshelves of some sort
  3. Storage!  Kids toys, scrapbooking supplies, and other crafty odds and ends all need a place.

I already had the desk, but needed something that worked for numbers 2 and 3.  After a lot of research, I went with the Ikea Expedit mostly because it was inexpensive, but had plenty of room. I also liked that I could fit baskets along the bottom to corral a bunch of the kids’ toys. Functional and attractive…my favorite combination!

Here is the room so far:


Good thing I like to keep it real.  I still have so much work to do!  Each little section needs simplifying (I just threw a bunch of things in there and have yet to tweak them) and I need a lot of organization.  After a lot of Pinterest perusing, these images really caught my eye:

Globes – Bulletin Board – File Drawers
 


And since I love a list, here’s a bulleted version of what’s left to do in this room:

  • Paint the room to match the rest of the first floor
  • Find something to put up on top of the bookcase (maybe start a vintage globe collection?)
  • Purchase a longer curtain rod and install
  • Hang up window treatments
  • Find an interesting floor lamp for the corner
  • Get a rug to anchor the desk
  • Purchase accessories and storage items to corral scrapbook supplies and odds & ends
  • Clear the clutter!
  • Purchase or DIY a bigger brainstorming bulletin board

January 22, 2013

{30 days of pinspiration} Day 7: A Balloon Birthday Box

We have a sweet little friend in Texas who is turning six at the end of the month.  Since we can’t be there in person to celebrate, I’m always trying to come up with fun ways to ship her gifts.  This year, I tried this out:

 
 

Source: katherinemaries.com via Ashley {Big White Farmhouse} on Pinterest


Now, prepare yourselves because my version borders on a Pinterest fail…

So pathetic, but I think she’ll still have fun.  Laugh along with me, okay?  Other things to note:

  • I had one more pink balloon to add, but I photographed the above so you could see the gifts beneath. 
  • I had the hardest time finding balloons and finally settled on a pastel set from Target.  Unfortunately, there was some sort of sheen on them, so the washi tape didn’t stick well.  They also made this weird pointed shape…next time, I need to find smaller balloons!
  • I added a note and pin to the yellow chevron pocket and taped it to the side of the box.
  • I want to try this version of the same idea someday too.

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