High five for Friday

One | I spent some time in San Antonio, TX for work this week. The warm weather was nice and it was neat to see a different city.  I also considered this a mini vacation.

Two | We have two new babies on the farm - both healthy heifer calves!

Three | Colton has been busy - crawling plus two teeth - all in a very short seven months.

Four | I have, in a way, given my wardrobe an overhaul since Christmas due to gift cards, coupons and great deals.  Should I share some fashion-type posts??

Five | When I got back to the office yesterday I received the nicest note from a gal that works on my team.  It was an awesome way to come back to work!

Simplify

I'm not much of a new years resolution type of gal, no particular reason besides that I'm just not.

But, with a new year comes new ideas and goals and this year I feel as though I want to simplify my life.  It would be a lie if I said I had a complicated life because I don't but I've created what feels to me like a cluttered, busy lifestyle.  Instead of having a million thought running through my head at the end of the day of all of things I could or should be doing I want to be present with my family, not be too busy to spend time with my friends, or feel rushed to complete a project I could have done months ago.  This (hopefully) also means giving up over-thinking things.

So what does this look?

It looks like...
Keeping my priorities in check
Not over thinking things, I'll let them happen, it will work out, it always does
Getting rid of things I don't need and don't use 
Doing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen right after each meal
Only running errands during lunch 1 day/week
Meal planning
Putting away my phone after supper time
Avoiding the use of credit cards
Focusing on only one side business at a time (blogging + interior styling)
Not feeling pressure to write consistent blog posts
Keeping up with a cleaning schedule
Taking advantage of opportunities as they arise
and a few other things I'll think of along the way...

This will be simple...

Happy 2015!

Back to the basics

I'll be the first to say that I can do it all, or at least try to do it all.

And then I have a moment when I get overwhelmed and stop everything I'm doing. So, I'll take a quick breath and then start all over again.  My mind never stops - it's a blessing and curse.

Lately my want to do list is growing like crazy! Here's a quick glimpse of what's on it:
Be a great wife
Be an awesome mom
Help my husband with farm "stuff" when he needs it (we like working together)
Build an interior styling business
Consistently publish blog posts on this blog
Start a second blog
Own a boutique clothing shop
Learn how to use photoshop
Improve my photography skills
Continue building my card shop
Get ready for Christmas
Host a handmade gift workshop (this was SUPER fun by the way!)
Participate in vendor shows with my paper goods (I told my husband to remind me that I said I wont do another vendor show)
and... oh yea... work a full time job!

There's more, but I'll spare you the time of reading through a longer list. :)

Instead of telling myself that I can't do it I remind myself that I can do it all, just not all of it right now!  Instead of just diving in, I'm learning to put some plans in place.  I've always been a "now or never" person.

I've decided I just need to get back to the basics and focus on what I really want to do beyond my implied roles.  That's blogging and (hopefully) building my interior styling business.

Except I wont apologize for not writing a blog post for a few weeks.  I was just too busy trying doing it all!

Do you ever feel this way?!

The happiness journal

Happiness is an awesome, crazy feeling that we deserve to feel every day!  I'm fortunate that I do get to feel the sensation of happiness every day, through my husband, through my son, through my friends and even through really simple, little things like getting a phone call from a friend or a clean house.

Unfortunately, sometimes, we hit a rough patch where we forget to see or feel the happiness around us. Once, when I ran into one of those times my best friend suggested that I take a moment every day to write down two good things that happened.  I kept them in a journal and over time I was reminded that no matter what, something good happens every day.  I called it my "happiness journal."

It's a simple practice that has the potential to yield huge results.

I've given happiness journals to friends - friends that were going through hard times and friends that were experiencing exciting times. It works the same and is a neat way to record different seasons of our lives.

I challenge each of you to give it a try.  If you need a new journal to get started, you can find these in my shop.  Otherwise grab any old journal, or notebook - it will have the same effect!

High five for Friday

This high five for Friday post is long overdue!  Do you not do something only to realize how important it really is?  That's how I feel about my high five for Friday posts...

Hot yoga/barre. I've been taking these classes for the past month or so.  I feel SO good afterward because I feel like I sweat out all of the icky stuff my body has been collecting over the week. I never knew I could sweat so much...

Harvest has begun. Finally, a break in the rain has allowed us to get in the field.  This needed to happen.  A bored husband is no good.

Trunk show. My friend, Julie, invited me to a trunk show at a local boutique shop.  It was so fun to shop with friends over some snacks and drinks.

DIY projects. I've finally gotten a few DIY projects done that I've been thinking about for a long time - painted a lamp, changed out artwork, and finished up a wedding shower gift.

Playtime. Colton is rolling over, reaching for toys, and starting to giggle.  All while fighting off a cold.  He's a champ. 

I really need to start taking more pictures...

Cheers to the weekend ahead!

High five for Friday

One | I opened up shop! I added a shopping page to my blog where you can shop for greeting cards, journals, and small home decor items.  I hope to add more items soon!

Two | Colton was baptised on Sunday.  We had a beautiful, intimate Catholic ceremony.  Having your child baptized is a pretty amazing experience.  It was also fun for us to host our families for the weekend!

Three | I had a great conversation with one of my best friends! Katie and I talk almost every week.  I wish these conversation were in person but at least we have the phone.

Four | Hot Yoga. Last night my friend, Whitney, and I went to a free hot yoga class.  I love hot yoga - I always feel so refreshed and detoxed.

Five | We have a chatter box on our hands. Colton found his voice and is happy to talk to anyone (especially his dad) or anything that will listen.

I am always a fan of (what seem like) short weeks!  Have a great weekend!

High five for Friday

I haven't had a High Five For Friday post in awhile. I'm trying to figure out the balance between being a wife and parent, work, blogging, and my design business.  Oh yea and I plan to (hopefully) add a shopping section to my blog.  Does anyone ever figure out that balance or do you just go with it?

Here's what's been happening!

One. We have quite the chatter box on our hands.  This little guy will talk to anyone or anything that will listen.  He's an easy morning (and all day long) distraction for his dad and I.

Two. Last Saturday I made a quick trip to Minnesota to so that Colton could meet my grandparents.  They loved him and it was a very fun visit.

Three. We have been canning machines.  This is our first year of canning - we did tomatoes, pickles, and salsa. It's a lot of work and we're glad it's over but it's been fun.

Four. I went to Target yesterday for the first time in a long time!  And - everything I bought was on sale or discounted through the cartwheel app.  Woohoo - go me!

Five. I finally got a House Tour page built.  I obviously have a few rooms to add. I just need a sunny day and a clean house to occur on the same day so I can get some good pictures. 

High five for Friday

One | My  husband and I got away to Minneapolis for the night for a Twins game! As much as we love our little boy, it's so fun when it's just the two of us!

Two | Last Saturday one of my very best friends, Katie, came to spend the day with Colton and I.  It was so much fun.  Gosh I miss spending time with her on a regular basis. She is one of the best people I know. :)

Three | We got a really good rain!  While that doesn't sound ideal to some, it is when your livelihood is focused on agriculture. We should get a few more bushels of corn and beans per acre by the time harvest rolls around.

Four | I finally made progress on getting things hung on my living room walls.  I have a ways to go but progress is always good.  You can follow me on Instagram (@beth_dydblog) or Facebook to see those quick updates.

Five | Now that I am 7+ weeks into motherhood I think I've got it figured out how to be a mom and keep up with things around the house. Yep, I'm still that person who likes to have a neat house, even though we have a baby...

High five for Friday

One | Colton will be six weeks old tomorrow and his little personality is forming. He's getting so fun!

Two | My favorite pair of jeans fit again! I still have about 10 lbs to lose to get back to pre-baby weight but progress is being made.

Three | I got to have lunch with a friend this week that I hadn't seen in a long time. It was so great to catch up!

Four | My favorite K-cups were on sale at the grocery store yesterday! They went into my cart without a second thought! :)

Five | I had a couple of good days of little DIY projects this week. Some may show up on the blog soon.

Hope you all had a great week and fun plans scheduled for the weekend ahead!

High five for Friday

These weeks have been flying by - yikes!  But, none-the-less they have been fun weeks to be around home.  Especially since the weather has been great. I love summer! 

One | On Monday, Colton celebrated his one-month birthday and Adam celebrated his 32nd birthday too!

Two | We took a little shopping trip this week to a Gap outlet store and I walked out of the store with a pair of jeans, the size I usually wear! Woohoo!  The 30 day squat challenge I'm doing is working! :)

Three | Our garden is producing tomatoes like crazy! These beauties are turning a vibrant red in our windowsill!  Soon we'll be making salsa and canning all kinds of tomato-related things! 

Four | I love when I get cards and gift tags that I made attached to gifts! It always makes me smile. You can find this tag in my etsy shop.

Five | My husband helped me to hang up curtains this week! I like them - pictures to come (hopefully) soon!  I'm just waiting on my wall prints to arrive.

Babies make people happy

I believe that babies are an extra ray of sunshine from God.

Every time Colton and I are in public I am stopped by at least one person who asks about the baby, smiles, says "he is beautiful" and then begin to share stories of their own children when they were babies. All of their stories are happy stories.  For some reason I've become drawn to these stories and no matter if I am in a hurry or not I stop to listen.  Really, truly listen.

Last week I noticed two specific instances where Colton shared his ray of sunshine.

I have become a frequent WalMart shopper. (The nearest Target is an hour away and I have learned that I just need to get out of the house, for my own sanity.) While I was in WalMart there were a group of handicapped gentleman shopping with their aid.  I walked past them with Colton in his car seat in the back of the cart.  They all said, "Oh, look at the baby!" and headed toward me.  I had two choices, act like I didn't hear them and continue my shopping or stop, let them meet Colton and tell them about him.  I chose to stop and let them meet Colton.  They touched his hand, asked his name and wanted to talk to him.  I let them and took as much time as they needed to without being in a hurry. They were so happy and all said thank you for letting them meet him.  This sweet baby boy of ours has taught me how to stop being a rush and take time for those who need the happiness.

We also took a trip to Northern Iowa and then on to Southern Minnesota last week so that Colton's grandparents could spend time with him and we could introduce him to his great grandparents. The trip was a success and he proved to be a good traveler.

While in Minnesota my dad so badly wanted a picture of four generations of his family that included my grandma, my dad, Colton and I.  We made a special trip to the nursing home to get this picture.  My grandma now lives there after a severe stroke.  While Adam was feeding Colton in the lounge area he had a lot of "old folks," as we say in Minnesota, stop to ask about Colton and share stories about their kids and grand kids as babies. Even the residents we past in the hall wanted to see the baby.  We stopped to visit with each one of them simply because we knew that he had the power to make their day a little brighter.  This proved true for my grandma too.

While she may no longer know who we are.  She recognized Colton as a beautiful baby she just couldn't take her eyes off of.  It felt pretty magical and just for a moment we felt she probably understood that this was her great grandchild.

We always hear about how happy parents are with their new babies but this love and happiness goes beyond just parents.  It extends to way beyond that and they ray of sunshine they bring to others can sometimes reach the most dim corner.

I want our son to know the true power he has to bring sunshine to others on, what may be, a cloudy day.

High five for Friday

 Happy Friday to you all!  We had a big week this week with Colton's first road trip to northern Iowa and Minnesota to see grandparents and meet great grandparents.  He is a good traveler so it's nice to know we are able to feel comfortable picking up and going here and there!

1 | Since I'm spending more time around home during maternity leave I  finally figured out a plan for something to hang on the wall behind the couch.  I ordered prints from here. 

2 | Colton and I got out and went on a walk this week.  We both enjoyed it!

3 | One of things I was looking forward to post pregnancy was having a drink here and there with my husband.  I'm finding ways to fit one in here and there.

4 | I mentioned that we did a two-day road trip with Colton to see grandparents and meet great grandparents.  Colton got to meet my grandma this week.  She recently went into the nursing home due to a stroke.  She doesn't necessarily know who we are, which is tough and not at all like the grandma I know, seeing Colton made her happy, which made me happy.

5 | I finally got my thank you note written for all of the nice things Colton was given after his arrival. 

Have a super weekend! :)

High five for Friday

It's been a couple of weeks since I wrote my last high five for Friday but I had no idea how much time a baby would take up - mostly because I just want to snuggle him and hold him. :)  Regardless, there have been a lot of highs over the past couple of weeks.

One | This little man is growing up (although he is still just a little peanut, weighing in at 8lbs). His little personality is starting to come through.  We are thankful that Colton is a good baby and that we are figuring each other out. 

Two | I'm getting out of the house! I never realized how important this actually is when you have a newborn. Yesterday Colton and I headed to Des Moines to do a little shopping.  It was a successful trip, he proved to be a pretty good shopping companion.  I just need to learn to drive the shopping cart a little more delicately... or Target needs to widen their aisles. Ha!

Three | I'm getting to spend time on e-design business! A bonus of being on maternity leave.  While my turn around time has slowed down just a bit, I'm glad that I have these clients to work with while I'm on maternity leave. 

Four | Axe and I are back to going on a few walks here and there. It was crazy to see how much the corn had grown since I had Colton. 

Five | Last weekend was a great 4th of July weekend! My parents came to visit us Colton, we headed to a neighbors 4th of July party, and visited some friends who were camping at a local campground. 

I hope you all have had a great weekend - enjoy your weekend!

High five for Friday

Welcome to this picture-less high five for Friday post... I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off (that definitely sounds better than what it looks in writing, but you get the picture, right?)

Regardless of how busy I am allowing myself to be, there were still some high's from the week - here are my top 5!

ONE | Last Saturday my sweet friends in the neighborhood had a baby shower for me and gave us some of the most practical, handy, and thoughtful gifts.  Thank you!

TWO | My family came to visit last weekend for Father's Day.  Not that we did anything too exciting but it was fun to host them and see them.  They are excited about their next trip to their house because they will be coming with new titles - Grandparents and Aunts!

THREE | This past week I got to meet with a really neat business in our local town of Carroll, Iowa.  They asked me to help them with ideas to build their business through social media.  It was such a fun meeting - stay tuned, I'll be sharing some of the fun things they will be doing!

FOUR | Wednesday night Adam and I attended a prepared childbirth class.  Not sure if we are more prepared or not but I did learn a few things I didn't know. The good news is that the class facilitator guaranteed us that they baby will come out eventually!

FIVE | This morning I heard my husband fumbling with something in the basement.  When I headed downstairs to check it out I discovered he was busy un-packaging the car seat and figuring out how it works.  It just made me smile to know how incredibly excited he is!

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend - we plan to stay active to see if we can shake this baby out! :)

High five for Friday!

It's Friday - thank goodness!  Actually my weeks have been flying by lately and I usually pack more into them than I can actually get done - ever feel like that?  This has put me a little behind on my High Five For Friday posts but nevertheless these are still one of my favorite posts!  

Let me fill you in on what's been happening...

This is my new favorite lip gloss - I use it place of chapstick!  It's Almay Pink Pout.  I'm also a fan of "Cantaloupe"!

We are finally getting a few nice days so you better believe I am taking advantage of them and eating outside!

Our house is finally in the decorating phase. I am terrible at selecting art so I found this idea on Pinterest and made my own.  I love it!

This year we are attempting our first garden.  We are going with green beans, tomatoes, kohlrabi, onions, cucumbers, and peppers.  Thanks to my husband for taking on the role of master gardener!  

This pregnant lady can't paint her own toes anymore.... :(  So I went and got a pedicure - it was glorious!

I hope you all have a super weekend!

High five for Friday

Happy Good Friday! Or, like my friend's son put it 'Sad Friday.'  I love the true perspective that children bring to ever day life and events.

I am once again playing catch up on my high five for Friday posts...

One. A week or two ago our office had a silent auction for breast cancer awareness where I purchased this awesome fudge that my co-worker makes!  I have since sent it as birthday gifts to a couple of friends!

Two. One room complete in our home renovation project! This is a good feeling - I love how this space turned out!  More to come soon.

Three. We've had a few nice days here and there in Iowa so I've been taking 'Axe' for a walk when I get the chance.  I'm not sure what she thinks about the slower pace I'm walking these days, she often turns around and gives me the look like "Are you coming?!"

Four. I posted this picture on Instagram this morning!  I love waking up and having a cup of coffee in our new kitchen.  It turned out so beautiful.  Just a few tweaks that need to be made before it is 100% complete.  Then get ready for a kitchen tour!

Five. Since I finally have a full kitchen, that's not in the garage, I've gotten do some baking!  My husband loves being able to put chocolate chip cookies in his pocket as he walks out the door. (A little strange? yes!)

I hope you all have a very happy Easter!

High 5 for Friday!

Happy Joy Week!  I hope you have all found Joy in your week - if not, I hope that today something happens that makes your day joyful!

With that, here are my high 5 for Friday!

One | Joy Week. I celebrated Joy all week by reminding myself to choose joy when I found myself getting frustrated and doing what I could to bring joy to others (I hope the office like the donuts this morning!)

Two| I have awesome cousins. They sent Adam and I this really sweet card to congratulate us on expecting a baby! Each of their girls signed it to - love it!

Three| Progress. House progress has been slow lately but the tile floor goes in today!  The vanity and counter top were installed earlier this week to - so far I'm loving our new bathroom. 

Four| It truly is a good day to have a good day! This was posted on Facebook by our local Aveda salon. It made me smile.

Five| It Feels Good To Do Good.  I really mean that.  It so easy to get bogged down by all of the negative things that happen in our world but it's really amazing how awesome you feel when you choose to do good!

I hope you all have had a wonderful, beautiful week and wish a fantastic weekend!

Pimpin' Joy

Happy Joy Week everyone! 

Every morning (and afternoon) I listen to The Bobby Bones show on I Heart Radio - such a great morning show if you are in the market for a good one!  They have identified this week as "Joy Week" and have asked their listeners to choose joy and share joy with others aka "Pimpin' Joy!"  For the whole story behind Joy Week, go here.

I am 100% on board with the idea of Joy Week and spreading joy to others - something that is easy to forget to do.  It especially easy to forget to do when the weather is bad, work isn't going the way it's supposed to, a hardship has hit you, your friends or family, or you are just having a bad day!  Regardless the statement above is true, "Life's hard. Choose Joy Anyway."  Thanks House of Hendrix for the motto.

This week, as a way to choose joy and share joy among family and friends who may, or may not, need it I'm sending them Sprinkles of Joy!  Thanks Oh Joy! and Caroline G from Chasing Big Dreams for the idea! 

Everyone who is being sprinkled with joy with also gets some joy to share!  I've sent each recipient a an extra packet of sprinkles and card to pass along to someone who could use the extra joy - now or in the future.

Choosing Joy and sharing Joy can be as simple as smiling at a stranger, asking the clerk in the checkout line how their day was or just saying to yourself "no big deal" when something starts to bother you.  Remember, it's easy to get caught up in the negative things that happen in our world, it's a tough place.

Here are a few other ideas for choosing Joy or sharing Joy to pay it forward:

Send a card to someone that needs a pick me up.

Offer to tip the person who brings the groceries to your car.

Send a text message to someone you haven't talked to in awhile just to say hello.

Leave an un-used or extra discount coupon at the checkout counter for the next person that comes in the store.

If you are stopping for a coffee, pay for the person behind you.

Bake a cake to share with the people you work with.

Take a friend (or stranger) out to lunch.

Write down at least 2 good things that happen to you each day.

How do you choose Joy?!  Please share in the comments! :)

The first 5 people to leave a comment with your email address will receive 5 joy cards  (like the ones above) to send to those who need some extra Joy! (Free! Plus no shipping and handling!)

High Five For Friday

Happy Friday-before-Christmas everyone!  A high five for Friday post from me has been long overdue - eeek!  Here's (kinda) what's  been going on around these parts....

1. We sold the sweet little heifers that we've raised since late winter last year.  It was kind of sad to see them go, but I trust they went to good 4-H families that will enjoying showing them at their county fairs.

2. I participated in two local vendor fairs with my handmade greeting cards this month.  It was pretty fun but wow, vendor fairs are a lot of work to get ready for!  If you are interested in them, here is a link to my etsy shop.

3. I love getting picture messages from my little family wondering when I am going to be home...

4. I finally decorated our home for Christmas.  Read more about it here.

5. We have the best neighbors!  Cindy has a cupcake business so she and her husband brought us over these cupcakes for Christmas.  It took us all of 3 days to eat them... yum!

High Five For Friday!

Happy Friday!

I hope you all had a "spooktacular" Halloween. (That's about as halloween-ey I get!)

One| I've been into cucumbers with a little ranch dressing as a snack. Yum.

Two| One of the design clients whose living room I helped decorate sent me this picture of her progress. I absolutely love it!

Three| 'Axe' went hunting for the first time last weekend. Adam brought home a pheasant wing to practice training her with.  She knows right where it is and she wants is Oh-So-Bad!

Four| I made this sweet little Halloween card for my husband. Clever, huh?!

Five| This fabric from Kate Spain came in the mail - I can't wait to make a pillow cover out of it! :)

One the blog this week...

I am updating my master bedroom - here is the design board.

Our wedding review, professional pictures, and vendor Facebook pages.

Have a super weekend my friends!