Yes, I'm still here....

I'm focusing my energies on my TWO(!!!) daughters, my husband, my writing career, my home, my diabetes, and my blog White Sugar, Brown Sugar. If you'd like to continue keeping up with my family and our life as a going-green, transracial, Christian, healthy-eating, traveling family, I'd love for you to follow me at White Sugar, Brown Sugar.

Love and peace to all my readers!

I've been a little busy....

as a mom of TWO girls. :)

Check out my blog entry to learn what's been going on.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cards

I got my first Christmas card of the season on November 29th. Let the card fun begin!

I absolutely love sending and receiving Christmas cards. It's a dying art, I know, and I'm saddened by the fact that my daughter's generation will probably be sending only e-cards (if anything) wishing one another a generic "Happy Holidays."



This year I decided to send a mini-package: a card (Hallmark---bought in clearance last year after Christmas), a letter, and a family photograph. I put Christmas stamps and return labels on each, a "Very Merry" stamp on the back, and the recipients' names in red and green. 'tis the season!

I hope you'll take some time this season to send a card or two or ten (or in my case, fifty plus). :) A card can serve as so many things---inspiration, connection, outreach, evangelism, reminder.

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, with every Christmas card I write..."

Family Meeting

I had to snap a photo of this "family meeting" at the zoo. Nothing deep or meaningful to say about it. I just found it amusing!

Green Living Continued...

I recently finished reading Sara Snow's Fresh Living: The Essential Room-by-Room Guide to a Greener, Healthier Family and Home. I can't stop reading about going green!

I learned too many bits of info to type in a reasonable time frame, so to find out more for yourself and your family, check out Sara's book (or put it on your Christmas list!) and her website. The book has it ALL---lists, suggestions, stories, recipes. Enjoy!

Parrrr-tay!

All natural cupcake mix (Trader Joe's) with homemade, agave nectar, vanilla icing. The dots are Skittles.

We got mini-pumpkins for 25 cents each at a Farmer's Market and had kids decorate them with dot stickers and/or pom-poms (Polka Dot Pumpkins!)

From a distance, colored paper plates serve as polka dots

I love planning events. There's the thrill of researching ideas, buying supplies, making food, etc.

This year my daughter's second birthday party theme was polka dots. I loved the simplicity and creative possibilities of this theme.

My goal this year was to have a simple, fun party that didn't cost a lot of money. The park was a perfect location and only $20 for the entire day!

Instead of gifts for Miss E, we asked that guests bring a gift for a child in foster care. We got five big bags of gifts!

The party went very well and I'm looking forward to next year's party. Theme: TBD.

What Brings You Joy?

There are the things in life which bring us immediate pleasure---but are these things always good/healthy for us? No. Not always.

I LOVE my online life---which is seemingly so separated from my real life. I have a Facebook account, three blogs, an online adoption community, many blogs I read, my e-mail accounts (one personal, one work), and of course, my favorite websites and online stores. All it takes is the click of a mouse, and I'm in a virtual world of possibilities.

BUT, I have spent countless hours online. And I often wonder, were these hours well spent? When I had a moment to myself, like when the baby is sleeping and I've finished grading, was my time best spent browsing the newest line of Gymboree clothes or reading on a blog about a friend's Disney vacation?

Gulp. Probably not.

I have taken some good steps recently. I deleted my Twitter account. I took a two month break from the adoption community. I blog in seasons when I'm feeling inspired, and then on the days or weeks in between, check in sporadically only to moderate comments. But, I still have work to do!

Today I did something different. I put my daughter to bed. Then I finished my lunch, by myself. Then I took a long, hot shower (even shaving my legs!). Next, I ordered some library books, watched a re-run of Bewitched, and then brewed a cup of warm tea and read a chapter from the Bible while sitting at my kitchen table with the sunshine creating a warm, natural, well-lit environment.

Soothing.

I chose to create focus, calmness, and pleasure in my life today. And it's made all the difference (as Robert Frost says happens when you take "the road less taken").

Old habits die hard---someone once said. I'm not sure I'll ever stop feeding my love for online fun. But I'm definitely trying to reduce that pleasure to be an accessory to my real life instead of my OTHER life. There's too much good stuff right in front of me that doesn't come about from clicking and typing.

What pleasures in your life are hampering something better? What can you do today to create an environment of serenity and beauty in your life?

A dear friend recently shared with me that a lot of good things don't come about organically. Yes, there are those little surprises in life that pop up on a random day and plow a smile on our faces. But for the most part, we labor for the good stuff in one way or another. Choice by choice, day by day.

What are you laboring for? What needs to change?

Go for it!