Ten Things That Make Me Happy, continued

6. National Geographic Kids, where my girls watch video footage of real animals and learn A LOT. We love it. (Thanks for the tip, Heidi!)

7. Spring cleaning projects. I'm not attempting a whole-house deep-clean, but I have done a few projects that make the house look a lot better (and make me feel good, too!). I polished and redecorated our hutch, cleaned the clutter off the piano and ledges, and am in the midst of tackling our master bedroom closet.


8. Learning to make pot scrubbers (the crocheted netting kind). There's a pattern in MaryJane's Stitching Room (thanks, Kari!), but you'll come up with a jillion hits if you google them, too. I'm making a bunch of them for my mom for Mother's Day.


Basically, if you know how to crochet, they're a breeze. Simply buy netting off the bolt (not tulle), cut it into 2- or 3-inch wide strips, and crochet with a J or K hook. If you know how to crochet circles, you can make pot scrubbers. (A disclaimer: the one in the photo was my first attempt, and it doesn't quite lay flat. But boy does it scrub!)

9. Watching a video of my niece. This makes me very, very happy. I watched it three times in a row. Technology is a beautiful thing. (We live hundreds of miles from each other.)

10. This article. Mary Ann Glendon is now one of my heroes. I read so many things in the news that make me sad or scared, so I'm energized to see someone standing up for their beliefs like this. (I'm not Catholic--I just have a great deal of respect for Mary Ann Glendon.)

By the way, in case you've noticed, I've cut back on my blogging a bit, down to a few times a week. Things have been a bit difficult and stressful for our family lately, and I find I just don't have the energy to develop and share the ideas as I'd like to. Hopefully this will improve after next week, when Jacob finishes the last of his finals (and a few other issues will be resolved by then as well). In the meantime, I'll still be here--just maybe not as often as usual.

I'm glad you understand that in different seasons of life our obligations and our priorities change, and our blogging reflects that. So there may be times I blog every day, and other seasons where I blog just a few times a week. It's all about balance, and making sure that my family comes first. :)

I appreciate you, readers! Thank you for your continual encouragement.