Beautiful Blueberries

My mom and I have been taking advantage of the fruits and vegetables that grow in this area - strawberry picking, joining a CSA and a few weeks ago, we went blueberry picking.

On the way up to the orchard, my mom said that she wanted to do something fun this summer. I asked if she wasn't having fun by just going up to pick blueberries, but I knew she meant doing something special. Being a girl on limited means, special usually means money will be involved. The last few years, I haven't gone anywhere or been on an exciting vacation. I haven't even taken time off just to stay at home and get projects done around my house.

I am okay with that. I am a fall and winter girl, so I grin and bear the heat until the weather cools down. So on a hot and muggy Saturday in mid-July, my mom and I grabbed our buckets and made our way to an orchard full of blueberry bushes or trees (not sure which one it is). The branches were loaded with big beautiful blueberries.

It didn't take much effort to fill our buckets. Even though I was hot and sweaty, I really did enjoy myself. It was quiet and my mind wasn't racing with a hundred different things. That time was special.

I took my 10 pounds of blueberries home with me and made some blueberry sauce and blueberry butter. And my freezer is stocked with frozen blueberries, so I can enjoy the taste of summer even when it is freezing outside.

My mom and didn't plan any fun things to do during the summer. But we are going to see my nieces twice in August and I couldn't ask for a better way to fill my late summer days!

Office Rearrange

I needed a change. Since I work from home, I am in one small room for 8 hours a day. It was the first room that was set up in my house because I started working in my home before I moved in. And even after I moved in, it was my office, family room and dining room. I had no furniture downstairs and was going through a 3-month kitchen remodel. I have spent a lot of time in this one room.

I have actually lived with the bookcase and tv set up in a few of my apartments. It filled the wall nicely, but I wanted something a little different.

This room is extremely large, so I don't have a lot of options, but one I had been mulling over was moving the bookcases to either side of the window. So finally I moved them.

I like this arrangement a lot better. The bookcases were so heavy right inside the door and this is a nicer view from the doorway.

I eventually want to do white furniture in here because the dark wood makes the room feel darker, but it definitely works for the time being.

I love my books so it is nice to have them close by.

My TV is staying on the same wall, but it is sitting on a console table. I really like this table, but I didn't have a good spot for it downstairs, but this is a nice spot for it.

Now I can start hanging things on the wall! Always a work in progress...

Bed Dilemma

All the bedrooms in my house are roughly the same size. What makes my bedroom the "master" bedroom is the size of the closet. It is by far the biggest and has a his/her quality to it. Although I claim it all as my own. The one down side to my bedroom is the lack of options when it comes to arranging furniture. And my bed was no exception.

For about a year, I had my bed at an angle. It was right in between the 2 windows and I had room to walk around it when I made it. But it took up so much space. I also got a little bored with this.

So I moved it. I am limited to this side of the room because the other wall that could be used has a dresser against it.

But the side of the bed was right against the wall. It was such a pain to try and make because I was having to move it. I also don't think Luna was really thrilled with this option.

So I moved it again. This is the option I like the best. I have so much more floor space even with a little bit of room to walk around the bed.

I am also going to get 2 more curtains. When the bed was in the middle it wasn't too bad only having one curtain on each window, but now I don't like it. Now I have to decide what to put above the bed.

Reflections On Freedom

Healthy Cleansing

It is no secret that I am a girl that needs to lose some weight. But I am having a hard time getting motivated. I want to lose weight, but I want an easy way to do it which isn't the right way.

To get (hopefully) give myself a jump start, I started a cleanse. This particular cleanse gets rid of the candida in the gut.

Since I haven't done a cleanse before, I don't have a lot of expectation. I would like to lose a few pounds, but I am not expecting to lose a ton of weight. I would also like to start to feel better and not so sluggish.

So here is what I am doing. In addition to taking all pills that are a part of the cleanse, I am being pretty restrictive with what I am eating. I am going to do meal replacements for breakfast and lunch and eat a healthy dinner with lots of veggies. doTerra does have a shake mix that I am using. It isn't bad and is such a quick thing to whip up.

The next 30 days may be a little rough, but I need to keep my focus as best as I can. I will be going away twice in July and I know that will be a challenge. But I am going to do my best to stay on track and start being a little more healthy.

Learning to Breathe, Pt. 7

I can't believe how fast this year is flying by. The Fourth of July is this weekend and after that, it seems like the summer goes right down hill even though it has barely started. Summer is not my favorite time of year. I don't care of the hot humid weather, but I do enjoy being able to be outside and all the fresh fruits and veggies that summer brings.

On June 25, I saw several people post that it was 6 months until Christmas. That made me really happy for a couple of reasons. One is that I absolutely LOVE Christmas! The decorations, the food, the smells, everything! The second reason is that it will be cold outside. I am winter girl and love being cozy.

As I started thinking about the 6 months to Christmas thing, it made me realize that it defeats the purpose of me trying to breathe in the moment that I am in. While I know Christmas is coming in 6 months, I can't put all my focus on wanting it to come faster.

I have things to enjoy and that will be exciting this month. I am meeting my newest niece next weekend. I want to savor that time because she isn't going to be this small ever again. I will also get to spend time with my other niece and she is growing into such a sweet little girl. The time I get to spend with these cuties is precious and I don't want to rush it.

While my favorite time of year is still yet to come, I am trying to learn the fine balance of being content in the moment I am in and wanting time to move faster.