Mother's Day Gifts That Save the World

In preparation for Sunday School, Clay and I have been re-reading The On-Purpose Person. It always encourages me to utilize every minute, every decision, and every opportunity to do something purposeful.

Well, Mother's Day is coming up and I hate to waste money on some random trinket my Mom won't even use. So, I thought, "How can I be purposeful with this money?" And of course, God answered my question immediately.

I was reading Erica's blog where she mentioned that she was buying her Mom a necklace that was made from recycled magazines that benefited orphans in Uganda. How much more purposeful can you get? It is perfect for four reasons:

- It helps others.
- It helps the environment.
- Mom will love it.
- It's a great price.

Check out the Ugandan Magazine Beads.

Here are four other Mother's Day Gifts that meet those four purposes:

1. TOMS Shoes - For every pair of TOMS Shoes purchased, the company gives one pair to someone in an underdeveloped country. By purchasing these durable, super-cute kicks for your Mom, you will give another pair to someone in need.
2. Fair Trade Coffee and Chocolate - Purchasing anything under the Fair Trade Label ensures that you are supporting small farms and encouraging good practices among trading partners.
3. Sponsor a Woman on Kiva - Microlending is hot! You can donate as much or as little as you'd like to help someone in an underdeveloped country purchase materials to start a business. Your Mom can even choose who she wants to sponsor. And the great part... It's a loan, so you will be paid back!
4. Clocks Made from Recycled Materials - These little clocks are hysterical. They will be a conversational piece for your Mom, and environmentally friendly for everyone else.


Do you recommend any other purposeful gifts?

Free Design Giveaway

If you had to rank the rooms in your house in order from BEST to WORST, what would that list look like? Is it just me or does everyone have rooms they love, rooms they are proud of, rooms that scream, "Hey, look at me! I'am a designer!" Then, you also have rooms that remind you that your house is a work in progress.

Here is my Room Ranking:

1. Living Room - Thanks to Kellye who made the window treatments.
2. Dining Room - Thanks to my grandmother who had no space in her new house for the dining room table.
3. Master Bedroom - I love to sleep!
4. Office - It's not perfect, but any room full of books will make me smile.
5. Pool Table Room - The pool table was given to us when my parents downsized. Did we buy ANYTHING in our house?
6. Man Cave - Cool TV.
7. Guest Bedroom #1 - A hodgepodge of unrelated, unmatching randomness
8. Guest Bedroom #2 - It's almost completely empty (I obviously don't take good care of my guests).
9. All the bathrooms - The fixtures are from the '90's, but look like they are from the '80's.
10. Kitchen - It needs so much work... I don't know where to begin.

Luckily, my friend Erica, a great designer and humanitarian, is giving away a free room design on her blog. If you have a room that is in need of love, or a kitchen with brass fixtures (I have this, too), or a guest bedroom full of boxes (I used to have this), go ahead and win her giveaway!

If not, then help me win. Post a comment on her blog and let them know that I sent you.

Here is the link: http://ericaharless.blogspot.com/2010/04/giveaway-free-e-design.html
What is your favorite room in your house? Least favorite room?

My Cup

Just now, I was quickly checking my e-mail for the tenth time today, expecting to see Pottery Barn Spam, Facebook Mafia War Requests, and maybe an e-mail from Clay about dinner.

Instead, I found two e-mails from dear friends telling me that they are praying for Clay and me... for our family, for our adoption, and even for our marriage as we wait. I felt tears well up in my eyes, not out of sadness, but out of the most unbelievable peace my heart could ever know.

Last night, I had a similar experience. I got home at 10:20 PM, and before I could raid the fridge for leftover lasagna, I saw a card on the counter. It was from Clay's sister. She wrote, "I want you to know that we are praying for you guys everyday, that we stand boldy before God's throne on behalf of your future family."
I just stood in the kitchen and wondered how my life could possibly be so blessed.

Baby or no baby, I have never felt more abundance.

As if that wasn't enough, Clay and I were having a discussion about THE BABY THING and about all the people who have encouraged us, when out of nowhere, he said, "I just want to make sure you know that you are enough. If we never have a baby, you are all the family I need."

Yes, I cried.

Like the Psalmist wrote, "My cup runneth over." That is also a quote from Hope Floats, and sadly, I remembered it as a quote from the movie and had to look up the Bible verse. Oh well. It's Psalm 23:5, if you were wondering.

11 Ways to Escape the Pollen

I can’t do it. I just can’t stay inside when the weather is so gorgeous, but according to Atlanta Allergy, the pollen count was over 5,495 today (before the rain). Normal is 120, by the way. So, if you are looking for a way to have fun inside, try one of the following activities:

1. Watch the 8,000 policemen guard Tiger Woods at the Masters this weekend.
2. Listen to sports radio talking about Tiger.
3. Send e-mails to your friends about why Tiger will not win the Masters.
4. Plan a weekend with your friends to watch the Masters.
5. Complain about the media coverage of Tiger and Elin.
6. Send texts about obscure golfers to prove your expertise.
7. Stalk golf blogs and leave anonymous comments about Tiger.
8. Observe a moment of silence in front of your Masters flag that is hanging in the basement.
9. Remind your wife to wash and iron your Masters t-shirt.
10. Ignore your wife when she talks about anything other than the Masters.
11. Act shocked when you read your wife’s blog about your obsession with the Masters.

I’m not bitter, though.

Phrases You Hear at a Writers Conference

When I first became a teacher, I had to learn to speak education. Education is full of acronyms like SST, ESL, SACS, IEP, IDEA, and ILT (teachers, you know exactly what these mean).

Last week, at the Mount Hermon Writers Conference, I realized that writers have another language, too. Rather than acronyms, it's chalk full of phrases you hear only amonng writers. I have been home for a week now, and I miss the following phrases:

1. What are you writing?
Since this phrase is music to every writers' ears, it is the first thing we say to one another. Upon meeting an author here, the first question is not, "What do you do?" or "Where do you live?" It's "What are you writing?" The answer to this question could last one minute or twenty... or it could lead to question number two.


2. Why are you crying?
The Mount Hermon Website states that the purpose of the conference is to help writers in every phase of their career. The unwritten goal is to make all conferees doubt their ability, purpose, and overall decision to write. It is a requirement to have at least one emotional breakdown each conference. Check!

3. Felt Needs
Nonfiction books always address "felt needs," so editors want to know what need your book will address. My answer is, "It addresses my need to be published." No one seems to laugh at that.

4. Dabbling in
To answer question number one, writers might say, "I write narrative nonfiction, but I'm dabbling in Sci-Fi." This means that the writer has commitment issues. Like a man who is unwilling to define a girl as his "girlfriend," this person just dabbles because they are keeping their options open.

5. What genre are you?
Every author must be placed into a category. That way you know who to sit by. If you sit by a fiction author, you will be forced to use additional terms like "plot points," "character development," or "story lines." If find yourself rubbing elbows with a fantasy writer, you'll undoubtedly hear about fairies, gremlins, or magical powers. And if you are fortunate enough to sit by nonfiction writers, your life will likely be improved, uplifted, and encouraged.

6. Memwa (Correct pronunciation of memoir)
If you meet someone trying to sell their memoir, you will probably need phrase #2 soon.

7. Y.A.
To use this phrase in a sentence, editors say, "We are not looking for Y.A. right now." Y.A. stands for young adult books.

What Are You Looking forward to?

Last night, the sweet little man at Starbucks shared some disturbing news with me. Apparantly, Starbucks is discontinuing my favorite drink, the Espresso Truffle. It debuted November 4, 2009, and has been an important part of my life since that faithful day. And now, I must say goodbye... until Christmas. Around the holidays, Starbucks unveils rich drinks like the Peppermint Mocha and Egg Nog Latte, so hopefully they will bring back the Espresso Truffle for the holidays. So, last night, I started looking forward to the holidays, just so I could get an Espresso Truffle.

It reminded me of Clay, at the end of college football season. He starts counting the days until the NEXT FOOTBALL SEASON as soon as the national champion is announced (seriously).

We definitely look forward to different events.

Clay looks forward to...

- The Masters

- Clam Dip and Egg Nog at Christmas

- March Madness, especially when Kansas has a shot

- Sports Illustrated Magazine arrival (every Thursday)

- Sports Center at 11:00 AM, 6:00 PM, and 11:00 PM

- Shopping for hunting gear, although this has not proven to be money well spent

- Quiet time to read the fourteen books by his bed

I look forward to...

- Buying the newest tech gadget

- Sipping percolator punch and watching The Mentalist

- Spending $4.00 on Starbucks even though I have an espresso machine at home

- Time to putter around the house in my fuzzy pink slippers

- Saturday morning snuggle time

- Anytime I can go without makeup

- Purchasing new makeup (hmmm, weird)

The list could go on and on. What do you look forward to? What does your spouse look forward to?

50 Days as a 1950's Wife

I have an idea that has captured my imagination for the past week. Summer will be here before you know it, and we have already begun to make plans for home repairs, vacations, etc... But I have a more intriguing idea. What if I spent 50 days treating my husband (and our home) the way women did in the '50's?

"What do you mean?" One of my friends asked when I told her about this idea. I mean, what if I took care of Clay the way my grandmother took care of my grandfather? What if I treated my responsibility as a wife as my number one responsibility? What would that look like?

Here are 10 reasons why I am considering this:

1. The life of a wife has changed over the past 60 years, and in many ways, it has changed for the better. We experience equality at home, share the workload, and more. However, I believe that my grandmothers were true artists, expending their energy to make their home a beautiful haven. I wonder what that is like.

2. I'd like to learn how to do things women used to do (and some still do) such as make their own jam, pickle cucumbers, sew, and even play bridge.

3. I want to wear a cute little apron every day!

4. It might be fun to spoil Clay, to see what his life would be like with a woman who devotes her day to making his home a delightful place.

5. I'm fascinated with women who lived through this era. I'd love to meet with them and hear their thoughts about the changes they've seen over the past 60 years.

6. This experience would draw me closer to my parents and grandparents. That kind of time together would be priceless.

7. I wonder if I could do my vacuuming in heals and nylons, the way my Mima says she did.

8. My life verse is, "Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not men." Colossians 3:23. I'd like to see what it's like to be a wife with ALL MY HEART, to really focus on this endeavor with all my attention, creativity, and drive.

9. As a teacher, I have the unique opportunity to try something for a summer. I will still be receiving a paycheck, but can pretend to be a stay-at-home wife.

10. Most importantly, I'd love to try something new! I have always been adament about the kind of wife I will be, and this would be a complete departure for me. It's an opportunity to grow, and experience something completely different from my everyday life.

What kind of differences do you think exist between today's wife and the wife of the '50's?

Be advised, I know that this era had plenty of problems... such as civil rights issues, rampant smoking, etc... I am not attempting to revive the entire era, rather to understand the dedication women had to taking care of their home and husbands.