Relationships: Through the Eyes of Children
If you look at the world with the eyes of a child,
There is joy in the simplest thing,
From the green of a leaf on the earliest tree
To the curve of a bird on the wing.
If you look at the world with the eyes of a child,
There are miracles filling each day,
From the grass which mysteriously sways in the wind
To the gold in the sun’s friendly ray.
If you look at the world with the eyes of a child,
There is wonder beyond any measure,
From the stars and the moon in the evening sky
To the sparkle of a dewdrop treasure.
– Maryjane Tonn
I love how children take such joy and delight in the everyday things of life. From a babies giggle to sprinkles on top of the ice cream cone to a handful of cheerful yellow dandelions picked to be displayed in glory on the counter. The little moments of happiness and sheer gladness over the simple yet everyday tasks or items in life. Learning how to use or do something for the first time brings a great happiness to a child.
As an adult there is so much my children and other children can remind me. There is so many blessings all around us. Too often I take those good things that God gives me for granted. I know I don’t take enough time to focus on the blessings and goodness that I see around me.
Being around kids especially small ones for extended periods of time is exhausting yet rewarding. Their energy and excitement is contagious. I am thankful for my kids and the little ones that I have had the opportunity to spend time with because they remind me of the true treasures in life that I have been given. Thank you little ones!
P&G Everyday Effect Movement – 10 Ways We Can Make A Positive Impact
With the celebration of Earth Day fresh on our minds our family has been thinking about ways of how we can be more intentional in our efforts to conserve. While we do our best to recycle we are not always very consistent about doing it. Making small changes as a family can save a lot over the course of a year.
P&G Everyday Effect Program is brought to you by P&G and SheSpeaks! P&G believes the most effective changes start at home first by changing the way we think and making small steps to improve our lives by reducing, reusing, recycling, conserving and more. Here are 10 specific ways our family has been working on changing so we can make a positive impact:
Adjust the Thermostat
By adjusting the thermostat only a degree or two you could save potentially several hundred dollars over the course of a year. Also, when you travel, like we did in April for the girls Spring Break, make sure to adjust the thermostat even more. If we are not going to be home we turn it up or down (depending on the season) as much as possible so that the HVAC unit is not working over time for an empty house. Yes, we have come home to the house at about 90 degrees or in the high 40s but we have also noticed a significant decrease in our power bills those months too! 🙂
Picking Up & Recycling Litter
When it rains all the water from the street next to us runs down into the creek into our backyard. After every rain storm we usually have to pick up a variety of trash that was litter on the side of the road. One of the ways we decided to help is by making it a point to recycle any of the items we pick up instead of just throwing them away. We have an aluminum can crusher in our garage which is one of the kids chores to sort and crush any cans that we have for that week. Every couple months or so we take all the cans the kids have crushed to a salvage yard nearby and get some cash for the cans they have saved.
Using Reusable Water Bottles & Re-purposing Disposable Plastic Water Bottles Prior to Recycling
Our family typically has at least a few disposable plastic water bottles in our cars or lunches or a 24 pack in the house to grab quickly. We are trying to use more reusable water bottles to take to school or work lunches and other places so we are not being wasteful. If we get a plastic water bottle from an event we are making a point to reuse it for something fun (like the snack container pictured above or another craft) before putting it in the recycling bin instead of just throwing into the nearest trash can.
Water Conservative Shower Head & Shorter Showers
Sometimes we tend to take longer showers than necessary in our house. While the occasional long shower doesn’t seem like a lot just cutting it back a few minutes can help us conserve a lot of water for a family of four! We have put conservative shower heads in our showers so there is not as much water coming out as we take our showers which helps us save a little bit more.
Washing Our Laundry in Cool Water & Air Drying Our Laundry
Choosing to wash the laundry in cool water instead of warm or hot can help conserve energy too. Also, when we allow items to air or line dry that saves energy on the drying cycle. We have been more intentional about picking out certain items that would air dry nicely.
Turn Off the Water while Brushing Our Teeth
This is one that we have been working on at our house for a long time. For some reason it seems like it is just so much work to turn off the water while brushing our teeth. If we assume that all four of us brush our teeth for 2 minutes (recommended time) at least twice a day and the average bathroom faucet uses approximately 2 gallons of water per minute our family alone is using over 30 gallons of water a day just to brush our teeth! Yikes! If we took the extra second to turn off the water then to turn it back on only to rinse we could easily cut that amount in half or more.
Grow Our Own Produce & Compost
We make it a point to grow at least some of our produce every year. Usually we have a huge garden with surplus that we are able to share with family, friends, neighbors, and people from church. We only water our garden when necessary and it is on a timer to prevent us from wasting the extra water. This year we are doing a smaller garden because of several big events coming up but we are so looking forward to eating our juicy strawberries and any other plants we put into the garden this summer! If you don’t want to grow your own garden you can buy produce from your local farmers market. One of the big benefits of growing your own garden or eating a lot of produce is you have the opportunity recycle and make great compost for future gardens!
Turning Off the Lights
Here is another one that it seems like we have worked on for a long time especially with the kids. They tend to bounce from room to room without even thinking about turning off the lights. We have talked in depth about the importance of turning off the lights so we don’t waste extra energy. Thankfully, the kids seem to be getting better with this one now too (although they have forgetful moments)!
Pack Our Own Lunches Instead of Eating Out
We have made a point of packing our own lunches for work and school. It saves money by not eating out all the time plus we can use reusable sandwich and other containers as well as a lunch box instead of getting disposable wrappers and containers from restaurants or fast food. I have noticed during the busy months I tend to be a little more relaxed on this one so we pulled ourselves together and stuck to doing this for most of the year so far and plan to continue it. The food that we pack is much healthier, offers more variety, and is packed in more earth friendly containers.
Only Run the Dishwasher When it is Full
I have been known to run the dishwasher half full especially if it seems to be a little “stinky” smelling! This past month we have been more intentional on how we load the dishwasher and only running it once it is completely full.
Even though you are only one family “everyday effect” can make a huge difference over time. We only listed a handful of easy ways to conserve water, energy, power, take care of our environment and more, get together with your family and come up with a few more creative ways you can make a difference!
More about the EverydayEffect movement can be found:
A special thanks to SheSpeaks and P&G for initiating the Everyday Effect Program and sponsoring this post. Any specific program information was provided by P&G and SheSpeaks, however, the opinions expressed in this post are our own.
Heart Reflections: Stretching Towards the Sun
Our family has recently planted a garden. Since it had been getting cool at night we started the seedlings inside. Every day I have watched and nurtured those little plants. Some of the seeds popped up quickly while others never came up. As I watched the plants growing each one stretched out their leaves towards the light. Once they were big enough we transplanted them outside in our garden. Shortly after planting them we had a night of heavy wind, rain, and even hail followed by a frost on the ground a few days later. Even though it was “safe” for us to plant the garden outside there are still risks and dangers. Many of the seedlings survived the tough few weeks of new growth, however, some did not make it. Although, our hope was that every plant would thrive we know that nature will do some natural pruning especially in the weaker plants. For whatever reason some plants didn’t make it (something caused the undesirable side effect…maybe the roots were too shallow or wet / dry or too much shade / sunny or bugs or a number of other factors) . On the other hand some plants thrived despite all the challenges they faced.While I was thinking about the plants it occurred to me that the analogy can be applied in some ways to our own lives. We should be looking towards the Son at all times, the one who created us. We all grow at our own pace, some of us may have sprouted quickly while others are delayed but have a more solid root structure. Even though life may not be perfect and we may experience seasons of drought, hail, or disease we still have a choice of where to focus our attention. Once we decide where we will focus our energy we will experience a variety of ripple effects (sometimes the effects are positive and other times they can can be less desirable). When we are in stressful situations do we continue to grow or do we wither under the pressure of life? We all want to continue growing, thriving and producing a beautiful fruit. The big step is making sure our root structure is strong and secure. We do this through continually cultivating a relationship with our Savior. Yes, this will take our time, energy and nurturing, but in the end it is worth it. We all want to feel loved, appreciated and valued yet so often we look towards our earthly relationships to provide that fulfillment whether it is through our spouse, children, serving at church or whatever fills that void. Instead we should look to our creator who made us, never fails, and loves us unconditionally. As we notice flowers and plants stretching towards the sun, let that remind us of the importance of reaching towards the Son in our own lives as well.
“Heart Reflections” is a series of thoughts and encouragement that come directly from my heart. Life has a way of throwing us extra challenges and when our focus is pulled away from what is truly important we tend to feel the pressure of stress in our lives. This series is created to remind us that we are part of something so much bigger than ourselves. We don’t have to face the pressure of life on our own. We can trust that our prayers are being heard. He alone knows what’s best for us and gives us the appropriate strength to get through each day as it is set before us.
Photo by Stig Nygaard
Take a Nap
As a kid I resisted taking naps. It was about the worst thing my parents could ask me to do. I did everything I could think of to get out of napping or to convince my parents I had slept even though I hadn’t. I am pretty sure they realized it but napping did not appeal to me at all!Now as an adult, when I cannot take naps on a regular basis, it sounds awesome! Isn’t that ironic…. During the busy Holiday Season we get so worn out with the celebrations that people tend to get sick. Now that the schedule is getting back to “normal” try resting a little more. Take a cat nap when you can even if it is only once or twice a week. If you still have kids at home that nap take advantage of that quiet time when they are resting. A 20 minute power nap can give you the extra boost you need to get through the day. On certain days when we know the family will be up late we try to have the girls rest for at least 30 minutes (like on Sundays and Wednesdays).
I have a nap on my schedule in the near future. Do you? You have my permission to take a nap today!
Investing in Quality Moments
When life gets busy it can become even more difficult to find quality time with those who are important in our lives. It may feel like there’s not an extra moment to spare in your day between the busyness of your personal and professional schedule. Running a business and keeping up with the family takes a tremendous amount of energy. Even if an allotted time is placed on the schedule we may be too distracted by phone calls, projects and everything else that needs your attention to really focus on that person. It doesn’t have to be a large chunk of time but it does need to be valuable for all parties involved.Do you spend quality time with your spouse, kids, friends, clients, partners, and family members on a regular basis? How do you make sure the time you spend with the different people in your life is valuable?
- Clients – when is the last time you took a customer out to lunch and listened. Their feedback is valuable to your business and they know better than anyone else what your business is doing that makes them excited about working with you as well as areas where you can improve. Follow up with a thank you note and implement the changes immediately. Creating a community of loyal customers takes time to gain their trust and maintain the relationship.
- Spouse – go on a date night with your spouse. Talk about your relationship, dreams, and memories you have together. Hold hands, laugh, and enjoy each other like you did when you first met. Listen to what your spouse is saying. Take an interest in their hobbies and share the excitement.
- Friends – go out to coffee with a friend and catch up. Find out what is going on in their lives. Sometimes all they need is a hug and someone to listen. It is nice to have some time set aside to share the good memories, however, we all go through tough times as well. Having friends that are loyal in the good times and bad is a tremendous blessing. Consider it a joy to come alongside a friend throughout their journey to listen, laugh, cry, share, and have fun.
- Children – go on a date with one child at a time. Have a blast together. Let them speak freely, be creative, and create memories. Pick a place that is meaningful to them or let them choose between a couple options. It doesn’t have to be expensive to be fun. Go to a picnic in the park, swimming, or out to eat at their favorite restaurant. Take time everyday to read a book, play a game, color, or just share about your day with your kids. Treasure the moments and memories your create together.
We all have the same amount of time as the next person. The difference is how we choose to use that time. Take advantage of those quality moments and invest in the lives around you. Make it a priority to have quality time for those in your personal and professional life. One of the great advantages to having quality time outside of the house or office is you are more likely to focus on the other person. At home or work you have a lot of distractions that are important, however, they are not the priority at that time.
Give us an example of the types of activities you do while enjoying quality time with your clients, spouse, kids, and friends? Who do you spend quality time with on a regular basis and why?
