Advent Unplugged: One day at a time

We're at the start of week two and I just posted about my week one yesterday. That should tell you a lot on how week one went. But, thankfully, here I am for week two! Blogging away (which is one of my unplugged resolutions only because it forces me to reflect and be present - or at least when I do the blogging while kiddos are lights out).

Unplugged Photo Story:

Slowly...

but surely...

filling...

our little home...

with Joy.

In this Christmas box we have all our Advent Christmas tree decor. We have three weeks of purple ornaments and one weeks worth of pink. Ideally, we would put up a weeks set along with the weeks of Advent, but this year we are obviously running a bit behind.

Nonetheless, onward we go! Little by little.

And, here's our little Advent wreath we got a few years ago through the boy scouts at our church. It's held up but needs some help. And somehow Mary and an Angel made their way to the center. Linking up here with the CatholicMom Advent wreath link-up.

Week two is off to a much better start. Just going to keep on keeping on and pray that His Grace meets me where I am, daily! 

Thanks again, Haley, at Carrots for Michaelmas for encouraging us all to keep accountable and to be more present during such a beautiful season!

Advent Unplugged: Come away for a while...

I mentioned last Sunday that I was going to whole-heartedly try to unplug and to be more intentional about my day-to-day to-dos. For the most part things are going alright. Now, let's get specific.

Facebook has been deleted from my phone and the time spent on that little social network/black hole of my time has dramatically changed. I don't think to get on anymore, aside during my possible mini break when both boys are sleeping at the same time (rare) or at night before Linus wakes to nurse. So there has been an upside to this one specific change. Less phone time...kind of.

I try to remember to leave my phone in the kitchen while I'm at the table or in the room playing with the boys, but this one doesn't always happen. I worry that I may miss a call or text from someone that may need a response so I ultimately keep it with me. I have lessened my screen time even though sometimes it doesn't feel like it. This area can definitely use some improvement only because I think to look at my phone often to check for hypothetical texts, calls, or emails.

Now, here is where I am getting into my struggle of unplugging. My brain and selfishness are hard to turn off! As much as there has been less phone time, I am struggling with being as present as I would like. Possibly because I'm going stir-carazzy here with icepocalypse 2013 going on over here in Dallas, but still not an excuse.

Often times I find myself just wanting a little break to sit and watch a show (i.e. not think and be mindless.), which I ultimately do after the boys are in bed during naps or bedtime. And then there's the feeling that I'm just not doing so hot with the potty-training/two-year old toddler stage of life mixed with crawling baby boy who travels at the speed of light to get into anything and everything at the very same time said toddler needs to go to the potty? I mean my tolerance/mama patience wears thin real quick after cleaning up the potty that was meant for the paw-dee. It's yuck. And as much as I can do diapers there's just something about the lack of containment and my toddler who oh-so-easily can become so consumed with whatever he's doing, so much so that he fails to mention he needed to go sit. And then there's me who doesn't just take him because I'm tending to the little guy. Oye! I'm getting tired just writing this out! So, let's just say it's just a combination of it all?

On that crazy note, I've recently and randomly remembered Special K (Sister Katherine) encouraging me to rest in this scripture:

Jesus said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while. 

Mark 6: 31

Sweet Sister, resting is something that my personality definitely lends to, probably too much! I could easily be a professional rest-er. I know very well how to rest. But, I don't think I've been resting the way she meant nor how Christ wants me to. You see, after my tid-bits of "rest", I'm not feeling rejuvenated. So, I must be missing something.

Over Thanksgiving break, there was lots of hustle and bustle around preparing all the incredibly yummy goodness that was had. My mom and I did a lot. We were non-stop. I, mostly, following the lead of my mother who has hosted a number of Thanksgivings (She was awesome!). She knew what to do and she knew how to do it well. It was go-time for most of the day. Even meal-time felt like go-time because we have the littles.

Now, being someone who loves to be in the kitchen, I enjoyed every bit of it. Or rather, I loved the baking portion because that is one thing that just relaxes me and makes me happy. The big bird thing, not so much. I'm with Britt on this one. There's something about handling raw birds that I just don't do - unless I really have to (insert super-hero mom -my mom- who was uh-mazing with the turkey!). 

But, getting back to the resting portion of this post, I felt most rejuvenated when I was with little Linus sitting and nursing him. I treasured sitting with him in the rocker for nursing all throughout Thanksgiving day. And as much as I love our nursing relationship, I loved it in a new way on that day. It made time stand still. I felt like I came away with Him to rest awhile. I reflected. I nourished. It was peaceful. It was life-giving. I prayed. I was thankful. I was happy for the moment to reflect and to snuggle the sweet little life that He blessed us with. I felt the most unplugged then.

The nursing sessions gave me a chance to reflect on all the so many wonderful posts about Advent that all you awesome bloggers put out the week prior to Advent and the week of (yup, I am the least on-time person in the universe). Posts on silence. Posts on waiting. Posts on being present. So many beautiful insights from so many wonderful women trying to set a tone in their home that reflects the amazing journey Our Lady had up to the birth of her beautiful and perfect Son. The journey of her waiting on the Lord.

Be still before the LORD; wait for him.

Psalm 37:7

She waited on Him who was already with her. He was with her before He was in her womb, He was with her in a beautiful way while in her womb, and He was with her in such a special way during His journey. But, the point is He was with her. 

And, the point is He is with me. In all these wonderful ways. I felt most unplugged while I, with my heart, mind, and soul, was with Him. Not on a show. Not while I was complaining. Not while I was not getting stuff done and frustrated that I had so much to get done. Not when I lost my patience for the umpteenth time. It was when I let myself, let Him, fill me with good things. 

Week one of Advent has passed. I missed celebrating the Feast of St. Nicholas (one of my favorites), I am just putting up our Advent wreath, I am just starting to pull out Christmas decorations, and am just behind on all things Advent life, but I am hoping and praying I am more present and intentional in the weeks to come. More unplugging. More stillness internally. The external is going to be crazy. It is going to keep going. It's the inside that I need to keep calm. Keep quiet and still. So that I can share that joy that I feel in my heart about the upcoming birth of our Savior.

With His Grace!

O come o come Emmanuel!

WIWS1: Advent Ungplugged

I'm alive! Haha, mostly that is.

We've been pretty busy this past week. Between bidding on a house that, for the time being, is not meant to be our home and Thanksgiving family fun and love, I have not blogged. Honestly, I am in complete admiration for all you amazing bloggers that are able to put out posts during busy seasons, hectic days, and after sleepless nights. For now, I am not one of those, but hopefully will be able to spend more time blogging and sharing our life during this beautiful Advent season that is upon us.

I'm hopeful only because I'm earnestly going to try and unplug. There have been so many beautiful posts that have been encouraging and wonderful! All sharing ways on how to be still. How to be quiet. How to embrace this wonderful time in our liturgical year patiently and joyfully - rather than with anxiety and stress.

 After reading said-posts that have encouraged me to be more still and to embrace this journey to the birth of our Lord, I came across Haley's Unplugged Link-up and thought it was such a perfect idea! So yes, I'm unplugging. And, this is what I've got so far:

My main time consumer during my days and sometimes nights can easily be Facebook. I found my time on Facebook has changed over time. It used to be a tool to help me keep in touch with long lost friends from high school, college, and graduate school. And as much as it is still that to a degree, I find it is moreso my source of articles and news. I read, read, and read so many articles that get posted. Hence, time-consumption. I keep scrolling till I find something else to read and then read it. So, for this season, to help me focus more on making our home a peaceful space filled with joy and awe for the most beautiful and perfect Gift, my little Facebook app has been deleted it. 

I'll be making a more concerted effort to leave my phone elsewhere when it's play time. 

There will be more eye-contact and hugs. 

Imagination and story time.

Less screen time and more music and dancing.

More prayer and spiritual reading than games and shows.

And, hopefully more blogging. As much as blogging does take some time, it forces me to think through where I am spiritually and as a mother and wife. Something that gets lost in my days if I'm not intentional about it.

So, here's to my first blog post post-unplug!

Now, back to What I Wore Sunday! I'm excited to be linking up with all the lovely women at Fine Linen and Purple. I've followed them for a little while and definitely have been inspired by their encouragement to be beautiful for Our Lord while at Mass and on a daily basis. Lately, since little Linus has not been a fan of sleep, I haven't been great about getting dressed nicely for our day-to-days but I've been going strong on Sundays.

Here I am!

Scarf: World Market (love this store!)

Sweater Dress: Banana Republic Outlet (a couple years back when I was first preggo with Bigfoot).

Leggings: Target?

Boots: Mikarose! (they arrived and I heart them!)

Jewelry: James Avery (Same that I wear day in and day out probably for the past two years. Haha. It's how I do in the jewelry department.)

I felt fun and trendy in my little outfit only to arrive at a very hot Mass! See, being in Texas you can go from 30 degree weather for three straight days to a a warmer day in no time, which completely messes with the system in church. It seems there wasn't enough time to cool off church seeing how just the day before the heater was just on. So, my outfit became scarf-less pretty quick - especially since I was wearing little, squirmy Linus in our Maya wrap!

Thanks for the fun link-up, ladies! And, I look forward to joining more often!

&

Prayers for a peaceful and joy-filled Advent!