15 Minute Refresh

Okay so things are about to get real up in here. Real vulnerable… so let’s promise each other we won’t be judgmental about what I’m about to share with you, mmmkay?

Let’s just say that I have a friend who has had days where she looks down at 4:30 and is still in her pajamas - er, workout clothes - and looks around and wonders “what have I done all day?” Does this ring a bell with anyone?? I mean, not myself, but any of y'all?!

Has your hubby ever called and said he’ll be home in 15 minutes and you think, “C R A P”, I guess I should turn Netflix off and make my bed. Hmmm…. and maybe now would be a good time to brush my teeth….and maybe get the kids out of their jammies….”

Being a stay at home mom (or work at home mom... or single mom... or any kind of wifey!) does NOT mean we sit at home and eat Bon Bons and watch Netflix all day - but there ARE days where it’s easy to not get anything crossed off your list. Either it’s because you’ve been drowning in a pile of laundry, or a sick - or just plain  needy - baby, or you’ve been running errands like a crazy person, or you just maybe took an hour for “yourself” to sit on the couch and watch netflix - er, read a book.

It’s easy for a day to feel completely wasteful and for your husband to walk in the door with wide eyes and ask the dreaded question, “what have you been doing all day?” (Let’s not get into the fact that he should N E V ER ask that question, am I right?)
But I have some quick and painless ways to hit restart - even at 4:30 in the afternoon - so that when your hubby, or other invited guests, walk in the door, it feels calm and refreshing.

1. TURN ON (LOUD) MUSIC.

The only exception to this step is if you have a baby napping. I have found that Taylor Swift does the trick every time, but for you it might be George Strait or Maroon 5. I am a worship music gal, but for this particular exercise, worship music doesn’t do it for me. I need something super upbeat and get-movingish to snap me out of whatever kind of funk I’m in that day. This step is essential to a successful Refresh.

2. ENLIST YOUR CHILDREN

If your children are old enough (like mine), enlist them to help. This is where the music helps too. For us, they’ve gotten use to this process so they know that when the music goes on loud at the end of the day, it’s pick up time. They are in charge of picking up upstairs, taking up their laundry and anything else from downstairs and a lot of days I make them pick up the back yard at this time too. Mainly, their job is to let me do MY job too.

3. SET YOUR TIMER FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES AND GO.

This helps you from getting distracted when an email dings on your computer or a text comes through on your phone. This is “get it done” time and you CAN do it, so focus!!

4. PICK UP THE MAIN SPACE

Our house is basically one giant room on the bottom that we live in, so this is where I start. It’s what Jeff - or anyone - would see when they walk in the door. I put away any dishes in the sink and anything that is on the counter in the kitchen. This is not reorganizing and throwing away time… this is putting it away as fast as we can time.

After I finish with the kitchen, I pick up the living room… whatever the kids haven’t already picked up. I generally have to fold blankets and put pillows back on the couch and clean up the tornado that Landry has left in his wake. **At this point, I generally put most of his toys away and leave out just a handful that aren’t messy. So he’ll have his play table and maybe a big car or two and a ball. But I put up his blocks and shape sorter, etc…. anything that can spread out into a big mess, I put away.

I double check our bedroom to make sure the bed is made and there isn’t dirty laundry on the floor and then I’m done with the pickup step. The goal is not to pickup the whole house… just where YOU or YOUR HUSBAND hang out. What he’ll most likely be walking through in the first 10 minutes he gets home.

5. DUST

You probably read this step and thought, I’m out… but hang with me. I hate dusting too. But I’ve found that the swifter duster is A M A Z I N G for this little process. And quick. I simply drag it along all of the surfaces in the living room, breakfast nook and bedroom. Easy peasy. It probably takes me 90 seconds. For real.

6. OPERATION SMELL CLEAN + SHINE ALL THE THINGS.

This is my favorite step and it combines tips from some favorite women in my life.

First, I pour a little lemon pine sol in my kitchen sink and then fill it up with hot water. Not all the way, but some. While it’s filling up, I run around to the bathrooms and pour a little in each toilet and then come back to the sink. Turn off the water, then grab some lemon clorox wipes and head back to the bathroom.

This is FlyLady’s infamous “swish and swipe”. Swish the pinesol water around in the toilet with the toilet brush and then wipe down the seat real quick with one of the clorox wipes. Done. If you’re feeling like you’re doing good on time, wipe the bathroom counter down too (PRIOR to wiping the toilet, of course!)

Wipe down all the kitchen counters either with the wipes or your favorite counter cleaner. I love Mrs. Meyer’s basil scented spray. This isn’t a move all of the things and wipe type of deal… I just do what I can see and move on.

Next - one of my favorite tips of all time - use one of the clorox wipes to wipe down the door frame (and door) that your beloved husband (or guests) will walk into. This will ensure that they will step into a smell-clean home. Smell is the most powerful scent…. so keep that in mind! I typically wipe down the door and then the trim in the hallway he walks through just to make sure it REALLY smells good!!

***Throw away your wipes and leave the pinesol in the sink for the time being***

7. FIX YO-SELF

This is the point in time that you get dressed - even if it’s just changing from sweatpants and a tee shirt to JEANS and a tee shirt. If your teeth are feeling a bit fuzzy… BRUSH THEM. Put on a little perfume. Wash your face if you need to… or put on a little blush, mascara and lip gloss - my favorite combo. You’ll feel better and if your hubby is on his way home you’ll look FRESH and ready to welcome him home.

8. CHANGE THE MUSIC.

After the mad rush of cleaning and picking up is over, I settle the music down to what my kids call “cooking music.” It’s a nice blend of Norah Jones, Harry Connick and Frank Sinatra. (You can follow me over on spotify.) It relaxes me and it also sets the tone for the household for the rest of the evening.

9. SET THE TABLE

If you’re having dinner together, go ahead and set the table. For me, this typically happens after the timer goes off… and that’s okay. I enlist one of the children to help. Our table happens to be located right where Jeff walks in so it’s a nice statement to be made… “we’re looking forward to having dinner together!” if it’s set all nice and ready. Honestly, my kids fight over who gets to set the table. It’s weird, I know. But I’ll just go with it at this point.

10. EMPTY THE SINK + FLUSH THE TOILETS   

You can’t have him knowing what your secrets are!

BONUS STEP :: GET SOMETHING COOKING

If you have dinner planned - or even if you don’t - this is a great way to scream “LOOK, I’VE DONE SOMETHING TODAY!” to whoever it is that walks in the door. A tip I received from a friend of my mom’s is to caramelize some onions so when you’re hubby walks in he gets that beautiful smell! Or throw some break + bake cookies in the oven.

***Caramelizing onions is super simple. Throw a bit of butter in a skillet and slice up some onions real thin and let it go to work on medium heat. They take about 30 minutes to caramelize all the way… so it’s a GREAT thing to have set on the stove when someone walks in. And you can throw them over most anything you’re cooking. Except maybe a casserole. But if you’re making a casserole in the oven, you don’t need the onions caramelizing anyway, right?

And there you have it.

My 15 Minute Refresh. A good combo of advice and tips I’ve received from wise women I’ve met and stuff I’ve found to be true for myself!! I hope it helps y’all to have a happy home too! If you have any tips I’d LOVE to hear them! Share them below so we can all benefit from them!!!!

April Goals Toward CLEAN

So earlier this year I mentioned my word for the year :: C L E A N.

I thought, since we are now a good three months in, I'd give a little update.

I started a skincare system that is amazing. I need to reorder.

I'm making strides in my house to organize and clean OUT. I've taken several trips to goodwill, donated clothes and cleaned out my pantry.

I did a version of Paleo for two weeks in January and it was awesome. And then I ordered a sandwich while my hubby was in the hospital without thinking about it and I've never been able to completely go back.

I have a goal for my downstairs to be clean every night before I go to bed - especially my kitchen and sink. I've been doing pretty good so far on that.

On the cleaning my heart part - God has REALLY been working in me and revealing ugliness inside my heart that I didn't even know was there that I can't wait to share with you once I've processed it and can put it into a cohesive post.

But today - I wanted to share with you five goals I have for April to work toward my word, CLEAN. I want to start putting really work toward this lifestyle that I think that word embodies.

First, I'm going to read two books this month. {Hopefully every month.} One will be a spiritual book for my heart health and one just for me - no judgements, here, okay?

This month I'm going to read In This House, We Will Giggle and then I'm going to read Bridget Jones :: Mad About a Boy. Totally contradictory, I'm sure.... but I love Bridget Jones and it's not any worse than any trash on TV. Right?

Second, I'm going to clean out my closet once and for all and find a "system" that works for me - whatever that looks like. Because right now, ain't nothing working!!! If you have suggestions, please comment below!

Third, I'm going to do some major business planning with the powersheets that are headed my way and clean out all the stuff that isn't working. Little Branches is evolving, and instead of fighting where God is leading me, I'm making it a goal to embrace it instead. Focuses will be shifting and plans will be made. Boom.

Fourth, I'm going to meal plan and eat home more than I eat out. My hope is that by the end of the year we've almost cut out processed food entirely, but until then we will be taking baby steps!

Fifth, and finally, I'm going clean out Landry's closet. It's been a catch all since we moved in {almost two years ago} and it's time that I clean that sucker out.

What are your goals for the month? Do you have a word that you're working to build on? I'd love to hear about it!!

one little word {2015}

clean.

It's a simple word. One that's packed with meaning. Worldy meanings and spiritual meaning, deep and surface level. It encompasses so much, yet it boils down to one. simple. word.

Clean is a jam-packed word and i'm super excited that it's my word for the year. It joins the word rest from last year {which didn't work out great toward the end of the year}. But this year will be different. I've been over and over this word in prayer and in my brain... and the Lord has confirmed this is the word for our year... and I couldn't be more thrilled.

For me, it focuses on several things and touches on all different aspects of our lives. For me, it truly describes the lifestyle I want to live - the lifestyle I want for my family. Close your eyes and think about clean. Take a deep breath... feel refreshed and lighten your load. THAT it was clean feels like to me.

Again, what I LOVE about the word is that it encompasses all areas of our lives, not just one general meaning.

Clean house.

Organized and simple... clutter and junk out the door. I want our house to be a home and to feel like refreshment to the soul; a safe haven for everyone who comes inside. With Jeff traveling so much, I really want him to long for home... long for the feeling that our home brings to him. The smells of baked goods and the volcano candle from anthropologies. The stillness of the mornings and the beauty of being surrounded by trinkets, pictures and memories that evoke joy + laughter. Anything that does not evoke those emotions, provide function or is necessary is going to be out this year. Period.

Clean eating. Clean food. Simple and clean in 2015.  

I've thought long + hard about joining the #whole30 craze. I love the concept of it for sure, but I'm not sure I can stick with all of the rules for 30 days. I know so many people who do and have had amazing results. I recently saw some beautiful pictures that a friend took of our time in Austin last week {I'll share more later} and I thought, "man, I look thick". The thing is that I don't necessarily mind how I look, but I do mind how I feel. I want to feel good. Actually, I want to feel amazing, if I'm being honest. And right now, I have no concept of healthy - whether I'm talking about exercise or nutrition. So that will be changing. I'll talk more about what I'm doing later this week ... I'm in detox mode at the moment and the headaches are something fierce.

Clean thoughts. 

Do you struggle with unhealthy and out of control thought life? Y'all, as much as I hate to admit it, this is probably my biggest sin struggle. I want to dwell on what is true and noble and lovely and pure; not what I think to be true, but what I know to be true. When untruths begin to take over, I want to remember that He is good and He is the blessed controller of ALL things. This concept is going to be hard for me - it's going to take a complete overhaul of my brain... retraining it, so to speak, to not go down those old rabbit trails of thought.

Clean words. 

This one is self explanatory and leads into the next one... the ultimate one.

Clean heart. 

"Create in me a clean heart, Oh God + renew a steadfast spirit within me." {Psalm 51:10} 

This is really the scripture that I have purposed over 2015. What does a clean heart look like? It's pure and light. It thinks of others above everything else. It's unburdened and it's load is light. {I can just picture even walking lighter by the end of the year!} It does not harbor bitterness or unforgiveness, but is willing to let go of wrongdoings and petty arguments. It's all the above things rolled into one.... clean thoughts, clean words, clean home, clean eating. 

It's going to be super hard. But He can do it.... He can create in me a clean heart and I'm so looking forward to it.

Do you have a word for the year? What's your word... or your goals for the year? I'd love to hear how you reflect on your year behind + ahead.