Wow! It has been a while since I have posted. Part of that was because we had March Break, the mister was off, his mom was visiting, and we filled our days. Part of it is also because I haven’t done too much to write about. Well, not around the house anyway.

I have been planning, thinking and rethinking on what I want. And I keep stopping myself from running completely off in one direction, quickly purchasing things for a vision I may have for the ‘perfect’ space. And I come back to this:

source: Marie Plocharz

And I have been pulling back. Thinking again what I want. KNOWING fully that different sheets, better sheets, heck even the ‘perfect’ sheets, will not make or break a room.

In this train of thought, I realized that I get inundated daily with offers from my favourite stores of housewares, clothing, kids items, crafting, that are SO tempting and so great (70% off jeans, yes sir!) that I can get caught up in the IDEA of the deal. But if I didn’t need it to begin with, it wasn’t a deal.

So in the spirit of spring cleaning, the last few days I have done this:

And it has felt great! I am no longer spending even one minute contemplating this deal or that deal. Or wishing I had this product, or that one.

My plan for the next few weeks (as I desperate pray for Spring to appear) is to streamline. To create a space that is easy to maintain. To deal with the stuff that has been shuffled aside to be dealt with later. This is later.

I have things to sell (anyone wants to buy a freezer?), things to donate, things to frame, things to hang, things to alter, hem or just plan change up.

But I see the light at the end of the tunnel. It may not be a ‘perfect’ room or a ‘perfect’ house. But it will be perfectly fine.

Which is perfect. ;)

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Posted by Janet under life, musings

Source: flickr.com via janet on Pinterest

I rarely use this blog as a platform. Actually, I don’t think I ever have. Sometimes I will reflect on my personal and internal struggles to be good enough, successful or fulfilled, but this is more than that.

I have been constantly reflecting on the recent news of the nurse in the UK whom, it appears, has killed herself after being at the receiving end of a prank call by a radio station in Australia. And how, beyond the details of this particular headline, global bullying has become.

Now, I love the internet. I love the connection I have with people all over the world and how easy it has become for me to reach out and do something good for someone I have never met. We recently began sponsoring a child in South Africa and, previously this year, I purchased a stove for a family in Haiti. Small gestures for me that, hopefully, have an positive impact for someone else. And whether or not these gestures remain anonymous on my part, I feel good about it.

But this anonymity is dangerous. It is easy to do or say things you regret when you don’t have the face the other person. When you, in all honesty, don’t even consider them a person. They become a character in your story, but not real. Would these DJs have made that call if they had KNOWN the nurse on the other end and possibly how gentle and sensitive she was? Perhaps, but I would like to think no. We do things differently when we face people. We talk differently, we act differently.

As parents, we are dealing with an era where we hear repetitive headlines of tragedies with children harming themselves and others in viscous bullying behaviours. It is the trending theme of this year. Let’s stop bullying. And I agree but worry the focus is on the kids and how we TEACH them to consider THEIR actions.

Let’s start considering ours.

Let’s lead by example.

Let’s stop watching reality television that shows ‘friends’ fighting and screaming at each other in the name of entertainment. Or the ones that only exist to give us a GOOD example of a BAD family we can judge and put down because THEIR choices are nothing we would choose for ourselves. Every time you want to point out that star’s bad outfit choice, or laugh because that “train wreck” actress has landed herself in hot water, THINK! You may not know these people. They may never hear your words. But your kids might.

We have become so complacent in our society to judge others and allow ourselves to be judged. And to believe it. It saddens me when I hear kids on tv saying their life is OVER if they don’t get picked for The Voice/Idol/X Factor.

What are we teaching?

Anyway, I don’t have the answers. But I am asking myself to try a little harder to be a little softer. I caught myself the other day being upset about an online order I purchased that didn’t arrive. And my reaction was to type a negative email to the company. Which, in fact, I did. And it was answered. By a PERSON. Which gave me pause and made me take a step back, apologize and be very thankful when they solved my issue. I could have had the same result with a gentler email.

But I didn’t think about the person receiving that email. The one who had to read it. My email wasn’t nasty, it wasn’t full of swear words, it wasn’t even THAT bad. But it was rude. And it could have been better.

I could have been better.

This is my New Year’s Resolution. To stop. To think. And to reach out with kindness.

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Posted by Janet under life, musings