Make the Middle Memorable

image found here

Wednesday |ˈwenzˌdā; -ˌdē|
noun
the day of the week before Thursday and following Tuesday

And that pretty much sums it up for me. Wednesday is usually just the middle of the week. No swimming lessons, no appointments, no commitments...but LOTS of possibilities. And I love it! This week Wednesday was....

Cleaning day
Friends day
Happy day

I got my house clean--not spotless, but cleaner than it has been in a long time.
I had friends over--a few that we see regularly, and some that we had not seen in a long time. :)
And I was happy...happy to spend time with some of my favorite people, eat yummy food, and just enjoy the middle of the week.

I realized that usually I'm focused on getting a lot accomplished at the beginning of the week, and working toward plans for the end of the week. Somehow I seem to go from the beginning to the end, and lose the middle in the jumble of life. Wednesday, like I said, is full of possibilities, but often I forgo the the more enjoyable possibilities of the day for the more necessary ones. So, after such a wonderful middle this week, I'm going to try and make every Wednesday count a little bit more toward simply enjoying and enhancing the quality of life. And, that will include cleaning, because it feels so GOOD to live in a clean home. But it will also include more friends and more fun! Why can't the middle of the week be just as good as the weekend?

Good Books and Good Friends

There are two things I have been thinking about lately that just make my life better.

1.) Good friends
2.) Good books

So I would like to share both with you.

First is an old friend from college who is a mommy, a crafter, a baker, a wife, and an all-around awesome girl. She has her own blog and business called Epicurean Style. I have been admiring her original apron designs for a couple years now, and wishing I had her fabric collection in my closet.

The "Keeping it Clean" apron might be my favorite from this collection.

And this fabulous woman is also doing a book giveaway. She has two absolutely adorable little boys and seems to have quite the love for reading to them. I think this book looks like a great find! I really shouldn't tell you about it, because that just lowers my chances of winning, but I think everyone is entitled to knowing about good children's literature, especially when it is free!

 

I have found that amid the pressures of starting new routines and goals and expectations for myself this week, the two things that have really kept me grounded and able to tackle it all are my good friends and a few good books to settle in to. My three-year-old and I spent a good thirty minutes tonight looking at all the books at Goodwill. I found a few of my own childhood favorites for just $0.79!

But there is more to this than just a love for children's books. I have found that when I make a place in my schedule for reading books and the newspaper or certain magazines, my brain is stretched in ways that elevates me. Sometimes life is so full of diapers and dishes and driving to and fro, that my mommy mind forgets how to think and expand beyond the daily necessities. So, to add to the list of many new personal improvements, I am resolved to always be reading a good book.