1. A Great Deal on Hair Bands
When you are down to one hair band and it’s yellow (a color you never wear!), it’s possible you may do a happy dance in the aisle at Kroger when you see this!!
Love me some clearance tags — especially when they are on something I was already planning to buy!!
Also, what is up with hair bands constantly disappearing?? I feel like we buy a new package once a year and then within 8 months, I am down to one or two!
2. A Beautiful Quote
I loved this quote that my friend Erin emailed to me this week that she had posted on her Facebook Page.
I’d wager to guess that very few of us are living the life we dreamed we would be years ago.
There have probably been some hard knocks, some deep wounds, and some unexpected setbacks for all of us along the way.
It’s good to acknowledge and grieve those losses, but let’s also not forget to embrace right where we’re at, too.
Let’s celebrate what we do have and look for the happy and beautiful in the life right in front of us. It’s there — if you’re willing to look for it!
3. My Morning Quiet Times
The best part of the day for me. Taking time to fuel my body and my soul and plan for the day.
I aim for this to happen first thing when I wake up, but if life happens and it can’t happen as soon as I get up, I just aim for it to happen as soon as it can during the morning.
I’m all about grace not guilt. There’s no “right” way to do Quiet Time. There’s no one “right” time to have a Quiet Time. And it doesn’t even need to be quiet.
What matters is that I’m making it a priority to take time feed my soul. Because if I’m just pouring and pouring and pouring and never replenishing my supply, I’m going to live life completely drained and exhausted. And then I’ll be no good to anyone.
4. Words of Affirmation From My Kids
When your hubby sends you to go have a morning out with a good friend and then takes the kids to breakfast and sends you this… There are just no words for how much this man means to me — especially because he knows my love language is words of affirmation and that this kind of stuff is like shouting love from the rooftops for me!
5. Getting Back to Working Out Again
I had given myself about 6 months “off” of doing anything hardcore when it came to exercise… mostly because I was tired, worn-out, and felt like I needed to take a break from pushing myself.
But after giving myself lots of time to rest and only doing really low impact exercise for a number of months, I got the itch to start working out in earnest again.
So recently, I asked Jesse (my resident fitness guru) if he could put together a more intense workout plan for me and then work out with me every day.
Jesse is never one to do anything halfheartedly, so I now have a complete workout plan all designed specifically for my size and strength and it’s all outlined in a snazzy app where I track all my weights and reps and sets each day. It tells me what to do, how much time I have between each set, and the lets me know when I break personal records and more. I feel all sophisticated! 🙂
But not only that, while the workouts are kicking my tail and I may have had a bad attitude through the first few workouts, I’m now at the stage where I’m all, “Bring it on!” Why? Because I have SO much more energy, feel so much better, and am already seeing some real, legit muscles in places where I’ve never seen them before.
The best part is that my husband absolutely LOVES that I’ve become his workout partner. Our hour in our garage “gym” each day has become one of our very favorite parts of the day!
Marriage enrichment + muscle development at the same time? I’m so down with that!!
What are YOU loving this week?
Theresa L says
1. I love that quote. I’m going to share that with my mother. My father was diagnosed with dementia and has deteriorated so quickly in the last couple months. It will mean a lot to her.
2. My son’s karate instructor. My son suffers from depression and anxiety and he’s just so encouraging and patient. He’s exactly what my son needs.
3. New jeans! I was finally able to go to the thrift store last night and found 3 pairs for myself! I needed them. All mine are on the edge of being thread-bare! LOL
4. Refunds. We did our taxes yesterday and our getting a refund. Not as big as we were hoping for, but it’s better than owing.
5. Battlestar Galactica. I bought my husband the DVDs for Christmas and we’re having so much fun watching it together. We don’t have much that we share and it’s great to have something that’s just for us. Great frugal, at-home, date! <3
Ann says
Ditto on the app…would love to have it since it is working for you!
I am laughing at the hairband thing too…I have a ton of hair and so does my teen daughter…hairbands go on the grocery list almost as often as milk!
Katherine says
My husband and I work out together in our garage also! We use the Tabata Pro app while doing our kettle bell/body weight exercises. These are some of our favorite times together!!
Sarah @ The Teacher's Wife says
Yeah! I loved reading your 5 things this week – they made me smile. This was a long and tiring week and weekend (my husband had a busy week with work obligations + graduate school work so I was flying solo much of it), but I’m thankful that it’s just a season. I think I may need to check out the beauty aisle next time I’m at Kroger – I need some elastics too and hate paying a lot for them! That was a great score! 🙂
Sarah@TheOrthodoxMama says
I had to laugh when I saw your first one. I just bought my yearly pack of hair ties, too! This week I am loving a specified evening to-do list. Since I teach during the day, hang out with my kids during the late afternoon/ early evening, I do my blogging from 7-9:30 each night. This past week I made a list of all of the tasks that needed to be done and then divided them up into daily tasks. It worked great! Why it took me so long to figure this out I couldn’t tell you….
Leah says
I’m loving essential oils which are making me feel better, hearing from my SIL whom I haven’t spoken with in a while, good deals at the drug store – love cheap Tide & sharing it with family, my MIL is still with us despite a health scare (still praying for her though), and last but not least celebrating 18 years with my soul mate.
Crystal Paine says
I’m SO glad the essential oils are making you feel better!
Lorelei says
The A-to-Z list is such a sweet idea! Saving that to use for my husband. He loves some words of affirmation, so that’s something for me to work at.
I’m looking forward to a visit from my SIL this week. We’re going to the beach!
Crystal Paine says
Yay! I hope you have a wonderful time at the beach!!
Kacy says
Girl! Hair bands and socks get sucked into some sort of black hole vortex, space time continuum thing!
That text got me all kinds of teary-eyed. Incredibly sweet and thoughtful of your hubby and kiddos. Thanks for sharing that with us.
Crystal Paine says
I KNOW, it was SO sweet!!
Emily says
I love this series so much! Would you mind sharing the app you use for working out? I’ve been looking for a good one and can’t find one I like enough to keep using.
Susan says
I’d like to know that too. I’ve been looking iPhone apps for that exact thing.
Karen says
I would like to know as well. I’d even be curious to see your routine if you’re comfortable sharing it.
C Nicole Sullivan says
Another vote to know which workout app you’re using.
And thanks! I really appreciate your blog! Your encouragement gets me through some tough days.
Crystal Paine says
It’s the Strong app. http://www.strongapp.me/ You have to program in the workouts.
Annie says
Thank you so much for sharing the quote from John Piper. I had never seen it before, and it brought a few tears to my eyes. You see, when I was growing up and dreaming of being a wife and mom someday, I always pictured myself having four children.
In reality, my husband left me when our second child was just a year old, and I never remarried. I’ve mourned the other two children who never came to be, but I’m also forever grateful for my son and daughter who grew up to be happy, healthy, productive adults in spite of the many challenges we faced during all those years of my being a single mom.
This quote was a great reminder to embrace the life I have today.
Crystal Paine says
My heart hurts for you, Annie! Thank you so much for sharing so vulnerably!
Maryalene says
I feel like I need that quote plastered on every wall of my house. Boy, does that ever hit close to home!
Sounds like you had a great week. I took 4 of my 5 kiddos to Disney (first time I’ve ever been there!). It was great fun, and even the 24 hour bus ride there wasn’t too bad. 🙂
Crystal Paine says
I know! Such a good quote!
Davonne @ The Tidy Mom says
You’re motivating me to think about getting back into a workout routine ?
Here are my five things:
1) Working less!!! I’ve loved not going to work until lunchtime each day this week!
2) Doing school at home with my kiddos in the mornings. Love, love, love getting to be completely involved with this part of their day again.
3) Slow Saturdays. Two in a row. Incredible.
4) Neighborhood friends. It’s so fun for my girls to have good friends only a few doors down.
5) A calmer home. The new schedule has allowed a little breathing room back into our lives and our entire home feels cleaner, calmer, and more relaxing than it has in a long time.
Crystal Paine says
YAY for working less!!
Jo says
1. Hubs and I restored some chairs instead of replacing them. After sanding, painting, and recovering the seats, I love them and they make me smile on our back porch. They are in my favorite color, and we always get along when we work on projects together instead of working on our own individual chores.
2. Both of us are in good health right now. It was a rough year, and that made us spend more time together, but now we are happy to be both healthy (and able to do projects, like #1!)
3. Little sprouts in my garden, yay!
4. Time to walk with friends. I’m expanding who I walk with, and learning to appreciate that one on one time with different friends, getting to know them better.
Crystal Paine says
Yay for little sprouts in your garden!
Victoria says
LOVE the list that is so sweet! Oh and hairbands in our house disappear at an alarming rate— we need a new package every 3 to 6 months.
5 Things I Am Loving This Week
1. A surprise day to myself. Woke up to a charging cord that just didn’t want to work. Closest fix is 1 1/2 drive away. BUT it turned out to be the exact ME time I needed during a busy week.
2. Clearance found summer shoes! During my ME day I decided to look for summer sandals and was pleasantly shocked to find a few pairs on the clearance rack from last summer. Thrifty Score!
3. A night spent eating frozen yogurt and watching God’s Not Dead 2.
4. A title page for my eBook! One step closer to it being done.
5. Family dinners . Since my husband’s change in shifts in January we have been able to eat dinner together almost every night of the week and I LOVE it.
Crystal Paine says
I’m so glad you got that ME time. 🙂