a thought on simplifying. and a predicament. and other thoughts.

This is one of my blog posts that I kind of just ramble about the thoughts I've been having recently. The first paragraph wasn't like that, but everything after that is. If you don't want to read it, you don't have to. I just need to type it all up to help me make up my mind. Also, I will accept the thoughts of others on the matter.

Is it silly that I already LOVE that I am only following blogs that I really care about? I used to get like 1000 posts a day to wade through and it meant that I always missed the posts that were really important. Now I follow the blogs of my family (although none of them blog anymore), some friends, and just a few people that I haven't met in person but really feel like I know. I also follow a few book blogs because I've got to know when the next big giveaway hops are happening, I like to win free books! It literally took me 10 seconds to wade through the posts that I had and then like 5 minutes to read the new posts, and that left time for me to comment. This never would've happened before. I would've been scrolling through posts with every coupon or decent deal available to mankind, and most of those being area specific, and not to the area that I live... This whole simplifying thing is turning out to be amazing. I'm also trying to figure out how much to simplify.

I've got this one situation that I'm not sure how to deal with, although I think I know what I need to do. Every morning M-F I drive 3.5 miles to go walking with friends. It takes about 15 minutes to get there, we walk for about an hour, then I turn around and drive that 3.5 miles back home. 7 miles doesn't seem like a ton, but if I walk out my back door, hop the fence and cross the street I am right at another walking trail. I could cut out 30 minutes of driving time and reduce the frequency I need to fill my car with gas. The walking trail we go on is 2.2 miles long. The one in my backyard is .75, but I could run it a few times and it wouldn't be a big deal. I could leave to go running right after Chris leaves for work, and be back home before I normally would've even been at the other walking trail. The problem is... I absolutely LOVE the company when we go walking. I LOVE walking with Marissa, Vanessa, Michelle and their kids. We talk about food, and other good things (we all really like food). It's fun to see them. And I don't want to stop seeing them. But at the same time, I also feel like I need to start adding a little more to my workout, either go running or increase the distance. Right now what I'm contemplating is walking with them 3 days a week and running at the park in my backyard the other 2 days of the week or maybe doing it the other way around, walking with them twice a week and running the other three. Either way, it saves me either 14 or 21 miles of driving, and an hour or an hour and a half in my car each week. It also would make it so that I could go visiting teaching and go running on the same days (my visiting teaching companion can only go in the mornings, so those days I've had to skip walking).

If I don't walk each morning with them, it seems (at least on paper and in my head) that it opens up more time in the afternoon that I would be able to do things with them still (like cook, watch movies, and bake) and I wouldn't feel as guilty because I have that extra time in the mornings to get the things done that I know I need to get done each morning. Technically I should be able to get back from running and shower before they get home from walking, and then I can read my scriptures and by the time they're ready to do anything, I'm ready as well. That would make it so I only drive 7.5 miles to go do something with them rather than the 7 miles to walk in addition to the 7.5 miles to do something later that day. But then the thought is... what difference does that 7 miles really make? It does add up to 35 miles per week of driving, just to exercise, and 2.5 hours a week in my car to exercise. Would I really get as much done as I think I should be able to? Would it really increase my ability to get my laundry all done, my scripture study done, and other cleaning like I think it would? Would I really have more time to get ready so I actually look decent? Or would it flop and give me an excuse to sleep in some mornings because I don't have anywhere to be?

This is what I've been thinking about all day. And yesterday. The thought that keeps coming in my mind is something that President Uchtdorf said in his talk on Saturday which was that sometimes we have to give up something good to do something better. There are lots of good things we can do, but there isn't time to do everything that is good. We have to decide good, better and best.  Exercising with my friends is good, but exercising earlier and creating that new routine to read my scriptures might be better.

On the topic of simplifying and doing the things that are better... I have a crazy list of books that I want to read, and then a separate list of books that I feel like I should read. I need to focus on the second list, which probably means I need to go to the library less often, since the library doesn't have any of those books. There's nothing quite like having 7 books from the library that I want to read but a huge ole stack of books that should be read. Again, the whole good, better, best concept. Reading is good, great and wonderful, but there are some books that are better to read, and it is best to read the books that you feel inspired to read. I also need to find a person in my ward that has a church library that rivals my moms. I'm pretty sure she has all of the books that I should read, or at least a pretty good chunk of them, and it seems like there are always a few people in wards that have that extensive library. I've just got to figure out who that is. Wish me luck!

PS

I never mentioned this, but the bug guy came out to our place, and ever since I haven't noticed any bugs!

My Red Journal

This is my red journal:

I received it as a gift the Christmas of my senior year of high school. I had just started a new regular journal, so it was left empty for several months until I headed to college. It quickly came off the shelf and lived in my purse. It became my BYU Devotional/CES Fireside/every other fireside that happens at BYU/General Conference Journal. I simply call it "my church journal". The first thing I used it for was General Conference in October 2007. 

This past Saturday I was looking at my bookshelf and noticed it sitting there. I rarely touch it anymore-- no weekly devotionals or monthly firesides to attend. I pulled it off the shelf and shoved it into my purse before I headed to the General Relief Society Broadcast. Before the meeting started I flipped through the book, remembering specific conference talks, BYU devotionals (Holland's "Remember Lot's Wife anyone?), the devotional when President Hinckley came to speak, and when President Monson came to BYU. 

When I take notes at these sorts of things I do a few things. I always rip a piece out of the back and have that become my "list of things to do". If a speaker encourages us to pray for something specific (charity, for example) I put that on my list. If they mention a book and I decided I want to read it, that goes on my list. Sometimes it's a quote that I want to do something with and put it up in my home. Sometimes it's "go do your visiting teaching so you don't feel guilty anymore".  Then I also take notes in my journal about specific things that the speakers say. 

This week for part of my personal study I decided I wanted to go through all of my old notes and find my "to do lists". I'm sort of creating one monstrous list... and a lot of it is books that I want to read. It's funny how many things are on multiple lists... apparently for the last four years I have felt like I should read Jesus the Christ but haven't gotten around to it yet. 

Several times I have also heard the importance of simplifying our lives and putting the most important things first. I decided this week that I was going to start doing just that, simplify my life. One aspect of my life that I knew needed simplifying was parts of my online life. I followed close to 185 blogs of all sorts-- book blogs, couponing blogs, blogs that often things away, crafty blogs, diy project blogs, food blogs, blogs of strangers, and blogs of people I actually know. I now only follow 37 blogs. I was a "fan" of I don't even know how many pages on Facebook. I'm not such a fan anymore, I even deleted some of my Facebook friends. I found that by deleting several of those things, I have less of a reason to sit in front of my computer. I don't need to scroll through blog posts from 180 blogs to find the few posts that are actually interesting to me. I don't have a bajillion couponing tips popping up on my Facebook newsfeed. I have the time to put the most important things first.

Something else that I found in several of my lists was starting a gratitude journal or blog. I started a gratitude blog a way long time ago, and I think I only posted about 6 or 7 times. Since I am in charge of Activity Days in my ward for the girls aged 8-11, I decided that in November our first activity will be making Gratitude Journals. I decided this week that I was going to make mine now, and try to write in it regularly so that when November comes I have something that I can show my girls. 

Chris and I read a chapter from The Book of Mormon together each night, so in our personal study we tend to focus on other things--conference talks, Ensign articles, watch a few Mormon Messages, whatever floats our boats. After Saturday's meeting I decided I really wanted to study from Daughters in my Kingdom and it is AMAZING the things I have learned just studying a few pages a day. Who knew that in the Nauvoo days you weren't automatically a part of the Relief Society though you were a member of the church? I definitely didn't know that and thought it was interesting. 

I'm working on making good sacrifices to do better things. Although I love going walking with my friends in the mornings, this morning I passed up on that so I could go Visiting Teaching. I think the sister we visited really needed the company. I think she probably doesn't get a ton of company, especially with her only child living in Florida. Not to mention, I don't feel so guilty now that I've done my visiting teaching.

Something else I want to work on... is my blog. I never feel like I have a lot to post. We don't take many pictures, and what is a blog post with a picture? I want to work on that. Maybe I'll have to take a picture of the stack of books I've read over the last month or two as Chris has been working on an extra project for work at night. Or maybe I'll start taking pictures of my food more often and show you what we've been eating. Cooking/baking is one of my favorite things to do right now, as is finding new recipes online (thank you, pinterest for making it even easier!). 

I love my little red journal. I love all the memories that are contained in it. I'm a little sad, it looks like it might only last for one or two more general conferences, and then i'll need to find a new journal to replace it. I love the words in my little red journal that help inspire me to be a better person. Words that invite me to simplify, to create, to remember, and to prioritize. But more than that, I love that I have the opportunity to fill many pages of my little red journal this weekend as I watch and listen to General Conference. I'm excited to hear the messages that our prophet and other church leaders have to share with us.  And I'm excited to be able to relisten and reread these talks for the next six months (I've already watched President Uchtdorf's talk from the General Relief Society Broadcast twice)

Activity Days

My new calling at church is being the Activity Days leader. In a nutshell that means I plan 2 activities a month for the girls between the ages of 8-11. Tonight was our first activity. And let me tell you... there is a big difference between 8 and 11 year olds. I've got six girls who will be regularly coming, and two more who can only come occasionally, but out of all of the girls, most are 8, turning 9 soon. Third grade and fifth grade are way different. And now... I wonder if the activities that I've planned for the rest of the year are going to work well or not. If we had just a few more older girls I would recommend that they split it into two groups, just because they are all so different.

I loved our activity tonight, it gave me a good chance to get to know them and understand them and their personalities. I learned that I don't want them eating two cupcakes at our activities, it's just a little too much sugar; so now I'm worried about Christmas time because they want to decorate sugar cookies... maybe I'll have them decorate cookies and we'll take them to people. Then they can each eat like one and we can give the rest away. Now I wonder if I want an assistant or not. They said I could have one if I asked for it... but I'm not sure. It would be nice to have another adult, but at the same time I kind of like just being in charge and getting to pick whatever I want for the activities. It's a difficult decision. Maybe some of their excitement will wear off as time goes on-- this was the first time in several months that they've had Activity Days and none of them had any idea who I was before I went and announced activity days in Primary on Sunday, and didn't really meet me til today. Then there is the girl who walked in and just started wandering around my house wanting a tour, and during our activity got up and opened the fridge, freezer and oven just so curious. Eventually she found my broom and started sweeping... but I will give her some credit, there were sprinkles and cupcake crumbs on the floor and she had bare feet.

Gotta figure out what I'm gonna do...

Stuff.

I started blogging about how awful August was, but I didn't like it so I deleted everything I said. To sum up: Our air conditioner broke and we weren't at home for an entire week as we waited for the needed part to come in so that Mike could come fix our ac. We stayed with friends; sleepovers for couples are kinda fun! We played a Harry Potter Scene it game, a bunch of Just Dance 2, and ate some good food. Then we got to come back home and I got sick.  I'm glad August is over. Things are getting back to normal.

We have some exciting meals planned for next week that I wanted to share, because I think they will be delicious:

Meatballs with Peppers and Pineapple
Mexican Rice Bowl (we're adding cheese and marinated chicken)
Beef with Snow Peas

and this one:
Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting for breakfast on Labor Day!

and I wish I could share the other recipe with you, but it's out of a cookbook that I don't own and can't access online so I can't, but it's a Zucchini & Red Pepper Chicken Stirfry with a ginger sauce (it's from America's Test Kitchen, and was something we were introduced to during our sleepover)

We like food. And we like trying new food that is tasty (although the Beef with Snow Peas isn't new, we had it a while ago).