Today getting up early was hard, but wonderful. I think I ended up getting out of bed just 45 minutes before my little man did. However, I honestly didn’t know how long I’d have before he was up. This made me make the most of my time. I got myself in the shower and dressed. Did a quick errand to pick up some rosemary from my Aunt’s yard nearby for the recipe I had planned for dinner. Got back and loaded things in the car for the day and started to prep the chicken for dinner. He awoke and I found myself singing to him as I changed him and brought him down for breakfast. I prepped the chicken while he ate (wishing I had also done the dishes). The recipe called for “extended refrigeration” so I needed to prep it before we headed out for the morning.
I am amazed at how much intentional planning can help create white space. The late afternoon and evening is so much simpler and calmer because I know what we are having for dinner (using an online meal planner – and application on my phone – coupled with my own fave recipes) and because I took some time to do what I needed to do earlier in the day to be ready to start cooking in time for dinner to be ready as my husband comes home.
I also posted some items in my Buy Nothing Community and I am so refreshed to give things away, and see them be put to good use and be loved by a new home. My goal is to do at least one of these a day for the 31 days and hopefully create some literal space in our home. I have found that with little ones around the things I feel are necessary are very different then they were a few years ago. I love having a home that is beautiful, comfortable, and livable for our whole family so I’m using those words to guide my decisions about what I keep and what I give.
I didn’t get to do my devotion this morning which was disappointing but I did carve out some time with my headphones and some worship music, to read a chapter in the book I am reading with my Mom’s Group. Rebekah Lyon’s book “Freefall to Fly” is really speaking to me and the other ladies in my book and I highly recommend it. Plus I am finding that the questions about identity are complimenting this “Creating White Space” challenge beautifully. I think I will do a complete book review when I’m done reading and will share it here. Please consider reading it.
One other thing I noticed, with no television on during dinner and because little one went to bed early, Benjamin and I were able to have some more meaningful conversation. We are doing a thankful tree and we both added tags to the tree tonight. I love that having him do that with me – just the two words he chose to write “Dr. Stewart” not only taught me something about him (my husband) but also reminded me of how grateful we can be this month. We also discussed our days and shared some things we hadn’t or wouldn’t have been able to share otherwise.
Again, I am left longing for more white space and desperate to create it.
