Joyfull Living

 Fall is my favorite season! In our area, the weather is not yet cool, but fall is in the air, There is an anticipation as we eagerly await the change of seasons.  I love to decorate my home for fall.  My family tells me I begin way too early, but this is my way of bringing on the beauty of fall. All of the stores have beautiful fall displays and items that just beckon you to bring them home!   If you want to fill your home with the feeling of fall, look for ways to engage all of the senses - sight, sounds, smell, taste and touch. Here are some easy ways to fill your home with fall.  I'm also including some of my personal finds. It's not too early to shop, there is a great selection available now! 1. Add a pop of color by replacing everyday pillows with fall themed styles.  *My newest pillow - from Dollar General! 2. Set the mood with the soft glow of lanterns. 3. Add a cozy element with warm, textured throws.  4. Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins. You...

 It's Fall Y'all!  After a quick trip to the mountains recently, I'm all in the fall feels. In my area, there aren't many signs of fall, no cooler weather, or changing of leaves, no mountain apples or need for cozy blankets.  But a weekend spent in the mountains, riding back roads filled with color, walking in cool weather along creeks and simply gazing at the beauty all around are beautiful things that fill my heart with autumn joy.  A fall tradition I've enjoyed in past years is participating in the "Making Your Home A Haven" challenge. This is a month long focus on creating a cozy home while filling our hearts with biblical truths. Each week a challenge is issued with a specific suggestion to bring warmth to the home and a Scripture focus to reflect and ponder on.  The last time I joined this challenge life was in a busier season. Our 3 sons were at home as I attempted to make the home a haven, we were active trying to juggle school, sports, church. Sim...

Nothing says cozy like a home filled with the presence of fall. There is just something about fall that makes our homes more inviting, warm and welcoming. In my opinion, fall makes everything feel and look better!  I LOVE the season of fall and one of the highlights in my home is decorating for the season. I've been accused of putting fall decor out too early (never!), but I love what it brings to the home. Granted, this love for fall decor can take one down a trail of excess. For years, I would browse the fall section of every store and grab whatever looked good to me and find a place to put it. Sometimes, you can have too much fall! Through the years, my decorating has changed from buying it all and trying to find a place for it, to pausing and allowing fall to be a beautiful balance. Our fall homes can be experienced through each of our senses. Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste and Touch. Simply filling the home with fall decor may be pretty, but day in and out can become clutter and u...

Flowers on the front porch are things that bring joy into my life! There is always something blooming, new varieties and new experiments are always being done to add color and beauty to porch sitting times. Somehow, some petunia seeds fell to the ground below the porch.  Tiny, little blooms were popping up all around! Their colorful heads looked so tiny popping up in the large grassy area. Although they were blooming, I knew with a little extra nurturing, they could do more than survive amidst the lawn, but that they could thrive. During the 'stay safe at home' season, I have been doing a lot of reading. One of the books I am reading is "The Power of a Woman's Words." This is one of my favorite topics, words and how they can be used to bless others. This book brought out a different view.. ."Words become the mirror in which others see themselves". Let me detour you to a scene I recently came across in a parking lot. As I was walking to ...

Decorating your home is one of the ways to create a space that speaks and is all about YOU - your likes, your tastes, your style. The styles we use decorate are probably varied but they each suit our individual tastes, style and atmosphere that makes our homes unique.  Although I don't have a creative eye or decor inspiration, there is an atmosphere of comfort, cozy and home that I enjoy attempting to create through home decor. In the past, there has never been a theme to follow, but a pattern of simply finding things that I liked and filling my home with them. All colors, all styles that were put together with items were usually found at discount stores. Then as the years went by, I found Hobby Lobby and Kirkands, stores that take home decor up a notch.  A new home brought my interest in decorating beyond what looked good in the store to create a color pattern and eventually a theme that I loved - rustic, farmhouse, turquoise and brown colors. Now I had some crea...

Through the years and seasons of life, I've been a 'Suzy Homemaker", "Fitness Fanny", embraced and loved the home-school, natural mama life and an outside the home working woman.  The underling theme to each of those passion was family, health and seeking the best for those I love. In this current season of life, the children are almost grown. The days of preparing a huge meal for supper are rare. Evenings spent at the ball field are past, even the laundry load is lighter and I'm enjoying a slower pace of life. It is a change of pace we like but run the risk of leaning toward laziness!   This weekend was rainy and dreary and I was perfectly content to stay at home. The thought occurred since I had time, to make a homemade cake that I found a recipe for. It just never happened and then when sweet hubby had to run an errand, he called me to see if I wanted him to pick up a pie for dessert. This has rarely happened in our 25+ years since most of our ...

"What are your colors?"  That is the question often asked about a variety of things such as weddings, the baby nursery, kitchens, home decor and clothing accessories.  For those like me who don't have an abundance of color coordination, this question strikes fear deep in the heart! Home decor is largely enhanced by color. For many years, I used one standard theme and an overload of one dominant color.  This method started out nice, but after a few years (and much time and expense spent on collecting), the theme of ducks and the color mauve make me nauseous!   But there is an easier way!  Big color effects can come from smaller places.  A central color can be carried out in a variety of spaces, textures and shades.   Here are 30 easy ways to add color to your home: Throw pillows (solid or patterned) Throw blankets Pillar candles Votive holders or candlesticks Fresh flowers or house plants with colorful foliage Flower or plant pots...

On a recent trip to Sam's Club with sweet hubby, my eyes gravitated towards this charming chalkboard/message center.  It was one of those moments when I just knew this thing belonged in my home and before it made it into the shopping buggy, I knew which wall it would add beauty to. Sweet hubby is a dedicated provider for our family and works a strenuous job. Home decorating is pretty close to the bottom of his to do list so once this little treasure made it home, I knew it would take some patience and no nagging from me until it got done.  Especially when the first attempt to hang it onto the wall would result in a trip to Lowe's for different hardware! Last Saturday, I had to work and guess what I found when I came home?  The message center was up! Not only put up, but with a special touch only sweet hubby could do - a cute drawing of 'me' and 'happy homemaker' written underneath.  Apparently the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree beca...

What you do in the morning contributes greatly to the rhythme of your day. Mornings can be a gift that keeps unwrapping all through the day (says the morning person!!).  Even if you are not a morning person, a few tweaks can help the rest of the day go smoother.  Every morning offers the opportunity to get the day started well and in order, or fall into a rut that can let the day control you. Here are some easy things to do to get the day started off right: Make your bed Sounds pretty simple, but there’s a reason making your bed in the morning sets you up for success. This simple act of organizing—sheet, sheet, cover, pillows—and leaving your bedroom in a presentable condition reinforces to your highly impressionable, half-asleep brain that order and calmness abound. More calmness equals less stress, and less stress equals better mood, more productivity and (hopefully) a better day. Hydrate Your cells have been without water for several hours, so reintrodu...

I thought I made good cream of broccoli soup, but recently came upon a recipe that was a copycat Panera Bread Co. Broccoli Cheese Soup .  Since I had all the ingredients one Sunday night, decided to give it a try. Oh my, this was the best broccoli soup ever!  Sweet hubby and I had bowls and I was looking forward to taking some of the leftovers for lunch the following day.  On the stove was the pot of broccoli soup remains along with a pan of gravy left over from lunch.  I asked our son to take the scraps out to the dogs, then walked away. (don't do that to a teenager!).  When I walked back in, he was returning the EMPTY soup pot, he gave the soup leftovers to the dogs!  Trying to make a motherly point, I asked..."There is a dish of leftover gravy and a pot of freshly made soup, which one looks like it should go to the dogs?"  He answered typically of a teenage boy, 'both".   One day surely he will appreciate a great pot of soup!...

I just found this amazing recipe for a simmering Christmas potpourri. I was actually looking for some clip art and stumbled over to The Yellow Bliss Road !  It would be wonderful on a cold winter's evening to have this on the stove permeating the air with a warm fragrance.  Unfortunately, our Christmas weather will be warm, with temperatures in the 80s!  Instead of craving warmth and comfort, we'll have the air conditioner going and seeking relief from the heat!  But, eventually it will cool off and this is a must try for a cold winters night.  There’s no better combination than citrus and cranberry mixed with cinnamon and spices. This is a simple recipe that you can simmer on your stovetop or in a crockpot to help fill your home with these delicious scents. All of these ingredients are combined in a small pot on the stove. It's a little late, but this would make a great gift! Can't wait to try this out!

It has been said that a scent can instantly bring up a memory or past experience. We often associate cherished things in our lives through smell. As a child, my mother did not cook much.  My father loved to eat out, my mother did not like to cook, so the winning dinnertime solution was to eat out...every night!  I can still remember living in a neighborhood and smelling the delicious scent of dinner cooking penetrating into the street.  To me, there was nothing so enticing.   Fast forward over 40 years later....although we live in the country, often I go for runs in town where the routes take me through neighborhoods.  It is now Christmas season, so my favorite neighborhood has lights in the yard, bows on the mailboxes and beautiful yard decorations all through it.  Running through one day, enjoying the seasonal sights a delicious scent wafted out from one of the homes.  It had to be a cake baking and from the scent, it would be wonderful! ...

We've all heard the term 'a stable home'.  Even the term by itself sounds good, but great benefits come through stability, especially in a family.  Some common definitions for the word stable include:  "not likely to fall or give way, as a structure, support, foundation, etc.; firm; steady." "able or likely to continue or last; firmly established; enduring or permanent:" "steadfast; not wavering or changeable, as in character or purpose; dependable." In a home environment, stable is more of a feeling than a procedure.  It probably look different for every family.  When families have a stable home life to go from and come home to, the challenges they have to meet out in the world are lessened and seem more manageable.  Our family recently found what 'stable' means during a recent crisis.  My husband and I had spent all day at the hospital with our son who was injured in an accident. We were exhausted and only home for ...

"I am not creative." Although this is true, it has also been my mantra (or excuse) when a task stretches me.  There is a big difference between being crafty and being creative.  I definitely am not crafty, but I am learning that we all have some creativity in us. Creativity is born out of limitations rather than abundance. The less we have, the more creative we must be.  The day after Thanksgiving is traditionally when I like to put up our tree.  This year as the Christmas boxes were being unpacked, the fact that there would be a Christmas gathering within the week added a little pressure for things to be 'just right'.  But obstacles started coming....we had to change the usual place the tree went.  Then went putting decorations up, things just didn't 'flow'.  I began a mental list of those talented ladies who could come help me make this work, but there wasn't time for that. Since I am a Pinterest fail, there was no use looking for ideas. Fin...

This was a fabulous weekend to continue 'counting my blessings'!  A short shot of cooler air hit our area which made the weekend feel wonderful.  That in itself is a huge 'Thank You, Lord'!  This was a weekend at home, open windows, cleaning house, no rushing around.  Some call it boring, I love a weekend like this every now and again! November 5 - thankful for morning runs and podcasts.  Was able to log in good distance and listen and grow from 3 podcasts...learning about leadership, missions and God's purpose. November 6 - Sweet hubby had to work the weekend.  Usually on those weekends, the boys and I grab a quick lunch out.  One of my son's friends called and was planning to drop by on Sunday.  Then he asked, is 'your mom cooking'?  What a blessing Sunday lunch is, being able to prepare it and knowing it is more than food, but fellowship and love expressed. 

If you ask most any Christian family if they want to honor the Lord in their home, most would immediately say "Yes"! A Christian family is one that believes in Jesus and strives to live upright, moral lives, doing good, blessing others, imitating behavior like Jesus - being "Christ like".   But, in the home, where our day to day, real life attitudes come forth, things like our comfort, desires and needs scream out for some attention and honor too! A recent sermon at our church was titled "Honoring Jesus".  There was this little section about honoring Jesus in the home.  It brought out a whole new awareness of what it means to honor Jesus. It impacts all that we are and all that we do.  We honor the Lord with our lives, in our God given roles and in our everyday choices.  It may mean making some choices to put Him first.  If we are going to honor Jesus in our home we've got to honor Him from our heart.  Here is a powerful peek at what...

Finally a bit of fall weather has hit our area!  Last week's Making Your Home a Haven's challenge was to light a candle each day and pray for peace.  We had a couple of days with temperatures in the high 80's which limited the candle/cozy effect!   This week's challenge is to  "Play soft music everyday in your home . Choose worship, classical, jazz or another form of peaceful music that the family enjoys. Focus on using peaceful words and maintaining peaceful relationships." Live out the fruit of the Spirit of gentleness and self-control this week. I will have to admit that last week's challenge was much easier for me!  Being a visual person, the candle flickering jarred my memory to pray for peace.  Auditory people are ones who tune in to sounds and respond well to music.  They have an ear to hear the beauty and blessing of sounds...I do not!  Notes, ranges, harmony, melody mean nil to me!  I rarely even turn the radio on while ...

    Every fall, there is a Making Your Home a Haven challenge over at Women Living Well.  When I first began to participate, our family had three sons living at home.  All three were active and involved in church, school and sports activities.  Since then things have calmed down quite a bit.  Two sons are adults now and as they have became independent, our home and schedules have slowed down some.    But, the need to make home a haven has not dimmed.  A Christian home should look different than the world we are a part of through work and outside activities.  Where the world generates drama and strife, our homes should reflect peace and a place to relax.  Where day in and day out, pressures force us to rush, stress and be what others need us to be, the home should be where we come, let the atmosphere of love and joy envelop us, renew us, recharge us and equip us to go out and be the best we can be.    This t...

Pretty words, positive words, powerful words...those are the things I am purposely putting around my home as decoration.  In the place where my family and I relax, renew and get real, reminders of faith, hope and love help restore my peace! This is the top of my refrigerator.  I added a piece of greenery and adjusted the plaques.  I stepped down to look at a distance.... and while walking back, spoke to myself.. ."my hope is crooked."  Simply meaning to adjust the middle plaque. After the words were spoken out loud,  that stirring of the Lord began working in my heart.   What would that mean... my hope is crooked?  I reflected on one of my all time favorite Scriptures, which happens to be all about HOPE!  "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 "As you trust in Him" .  God is to be the source and focus ...

Are you 'happy at home', or does is sometimes feel like a place that when you get there, you are in overdrive to get things done?  As women, when we are home, usually we are busy!  There is ALWAYS something that needs to be done.   I love my home, love my family and enjoy doing those tasks to show them my love, cooking, cleaning, keeping order etc.  If you have read about the 5 Love Languages, mine is "Acts of Service".  I feel loved when someone does something for me and that is how I express love for my family.   Recently, my 13 year old (who's love language is affection), stopped me for a quick hug as I was dashing to the kitchen. Struck by the thought that these hugs may not be around much longer due to his age, I sat down on the couch to hug him and by accident, brushed his ribs.  Being ticklish, he laughed.  It had been a long time since I heard that sound.  His mp3 player, his typical teenage boy lingo, complaints about...