For Our Own Good

I know I am not alone in struggling to do things that are for my own good.  If I was then there wouldn't be so many diet advertisements and self help books out there.

I struggle with doing what is best for me, what makes me happiest in a lot of areas.  Like most people I feel amazing when I am exercising and eating right.  I feel light, energetic and even attractive.  So why do I so frequently fall off the proverbial wagon and have to start again?

Having a nice, tidy house with planned meals and clean, folded and put away laundry makes me content and happy.  I'm sure the other members of my household enjoy it as well.  Why then is it so hard to pull myself away from other time wasting activities to accomplish these things?

Both of the above examples are things that I'm sure a lot of people can relate to.  Maybe it is all rooted in physics.  Remember that a body in motion tends to stay in motion and a body at rest tends to stay at rest?  See, I do remember something from school!  That is why when you are trucking along with an exercise (or any other kind) of program it seems easy(ish) to carry along with it.  But when you interrupt your routine, maybe you or a family member gets sick, or your life becomes so hectic that you put it aside for a moment, that it becomes an enormous feat of willpower to take it up again.

Well, I'm lumping blogging/writing in with exercise and house keeping.  I enjoy doing it, I love the results but for some reason it is hard to just sit down and start.  Looking back over my blog posts for the past year (there are embarrassingly few) I realized a couple of things.  One, I remember how I enjoyed writing them.  I enjoyed the process and also enjoyed the comments from the people who took the time to read them.  I am proud of the posts I put together.  No, I'm no Hemingway (and who wants to be that tortured anyway) but I think my posts were witty, concise and easy to read.  And that is enough for me.  Two, I really enjoyed going back and reading what I was thinking/doing at those moments in time.  Sort of like an electronic journal that I just happen to share with other people.

So one of my goals for the up coming year (I'm going to stop short of calling it a "resolution" because those tend not to stick) will be to write more.  Here on the blog, of course, but also just for myself.  Conveniently I got a new laptop for Christmas that will make writing easier and less likely to be postponed with excuses. Exercise for my body, writing for my mind, and laundry for my......well ability to cover my body with clean, mostly wrinkle-free clothes.

Happy New Year!

Melissa

Front Door Makeover (or actually doing a project I pinned on Pinterest.)

My front door was looking a little sad and derelict after living in our house for almost 10 years.  

The paint was chipping.  The old brass colored door knob had seen better days.  At the beginning of spring this year (wait, did we ever really have a spring?  I mean it snowed in May!) I decided a refresh was in order.  I needed inspiration so I turned to the largest source of potential projects out there - Pinterest!  My Pinterest boards contain a multitude of adorable decor and craft ideas that never make it out into the real world.  But my sad little door desperately needed an upgrade so I chose several of my pinned projects and got to work.

First up was a fresh coat of glossy black paint.  Not much to say about this step other than it made a world of difference.  

Next up was to get rid of the old door hardware.  I wanted brushed nickel.  I wanted a large handle instead of a simple knob.  Just changing out the old lock set and knob.  How hard could it be?  Well, the answer, as it usually is, was much harder than it originally seemed.  You actually have to drill a new hole into your door.  Match up all the existing holes, screws, lock plates. Etc.  Well, I eventually got it done, thanks to the help of a handy neighbor.  Shout out to Steve!  You may or may not have to jiggle the lock a little to get it latched but hey, it works and looks wonderful.

The third step was a little kitchy "hello" decal to go on the door.  (I ordered this off of Etsy.  If you haven't checked it out go do so now.  Well, finish reading this post and then go.)  I think it is charming and welcoming. My husband and oldest son think otherwise.  My husband simply inquired if "that was really going to be staying on our door?" while my son said that I have two "Welcomes" and one "Hello" on our door and that he was going to put a sign out that said "Go Away!".  Whatever, I love it and I think you will too.

Next was a lovely yarn and felt wreath.  The project was much simpler than I thought it would be (to make up for the difficulty of the handle).  To make one of these wreaths you'll need a wreath form (I used a straw wreath but any form should work fine), yarn in your choice of color that you simply wind around and around the form.  I used about 1 and 1/2 skeins of yarn.  You'll also need felt in one or two colors to make a few flowers for the wreath.  I made 5 in various sizes and two colors.  To make the felt roses cut out a large circle of felt.  The larger the circle the thicker, larger your flower will be.  Next, start at the outside edge and cut the circle into a long spiral leaving a quarter sized circle at the end.  Starting at the outside end, roll up and shape into a flower.  Hot glue to the circle you left at the end and voila! a rose!  I then used long straight pins to attach to the wreath.  For a little bit of time and not much money (I think I spent less than $10 total) I have a charming new wreath for the front door.

All that was left was a new Welcome mat, cushions for the chairs on the porch and some brightly colored flowers to take my front door and porch from dreary to cheery:

So there you go - proof that Pinterest projects (other than yummy looking desserts) are (sometimes) actually completed and turn out pretty well.

                        Melissa

Fiercely Independent

Fiercely independent (and sometimes bossy).  That is how my daughter's teacher described her during parent/teacher conferences tonight.  I expressed concern that Brooke doesn't seem to play with other kids during recess (the teacher has told us this before).  She said that the other girls want to play mamas and babies and other "girly" games like that.  And Brooke prefers to be active - she'll go off and jump rope instead.  Or even just hang around the teacher.  I've tried to talk to Brooke about this, suggesting that she play games the other girls want to play sometimes even if it is not her favorite game.  She looks at me like that is an absurd suggestion - why would she play something she doesn't want to play if she has a choice?

I'll admit that the words "fiercely independent" and "bossy" had me a bit worried.  Because honestly that does not sound like the most winning personality combination.  So I dutifully inquired about her "social skills" thinking maybe it is something we can work on.  Does she have problems relating to her peers?  Something she can improve on?  The teacher's response was no, her social skills are fine.  She just knows what she wants and that is what she does.  Her exact words:  "She's just ........ Brooke."

I put Brooke to bed tonight still thinking about what was said.  Still worrying. Then I realized that while she does need to work on following rules, being less disruptive in class (and at home) and generally behaving in a civilized way, she does not need to change her personality.

After all, I'd bet that most of the great women in history, women who really accomplished something in their lifetimes, were considered fiercely independent and yes, even bossy.  Maybe these personality traits will keep her from bowing quite so easily to peer pressure when she's a teenager.  Maybe it will give her the courage to go her own way, follow her own dreams.  My challenge will be to help her grow without stifling her independence and her energetic approach to life.  Because after all, being Brooke is pretty great.

Melissa

Book Reviews: WWII Edition

Something that you should know about me is that I love books.  All kinds of books.  Something else that you should know about me is that I'm kind of a geek about WWII.  I like to read fiction and non-fiction about this time period.  I've watched every single Band of Brothers episode.  And back before I got so busy with kids and sports I would even watch WWII marathons on the History Channel.  I realize this sounds more fitting to an elderly man rather than a young(ish) woman, but there you have it.  I think it is something about good triumphing over evil, of entire countries banding together to strive towards a common goal that just appeals to me.  And hey, we all have our quirks.

Now that you have a little bit of back story on my WWII fascination I'll share with you my top book picks of this genre:

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons.  This book is actually the first in a trilogy and it is set in WWII Russia.  This book really gives a great perspective on what it was like for Russians living through WWII.  This book is dramatic, quite bleak at times, with a powerful love story woven through it.  It is an epic in every sense of the word.  And the best part is that if you love it like I loved it, you'll have two more books waiting for you when you're through!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  This book is actually a young adult book that I chose to read for a book club I was a part of.  The story is narrated by Death (yes, it is told from the view of the Grim Reaper) and the main characters are German.  It was very interesting to read a book from a German viewpoint and the book was very gripping.  This one had me crying at the end.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is based on a true story about the life of Louis Zamperini.  Zamperini was a rough kid from the wrong side of the tracks with enough guts and determination to get him to Berlin for the 1936 Olympics and then into the Airforce where he rode in a bomber plane.  His plane gets shot down over the ocean and a large portion of the book is devoted to his unbelievable will to survive being adrift on the ocean and what comes after that (I won't give it away).  I couldn't put this book down and highly recommend it.  Even if you don't have the same fascination with WWII as I do, this one will inspire you.

Echoes by Danielle Steel.  Now, don't dismiss this one just because you see it is written by Danielle Steel.  This is one of the first books I ever read of hers and I loved it.  It spans two generations and takes you from the fear of being a Jew in Nazi Germany through the French Resistance.  

Black Cross by Greg Iles.  This one was actually recommended to me by my husband so any men out there will be sure to like it too.  It is more action oriented and suspenseful with the main character having a mission to infiltrate a concentration camp to destroy a potent gas that is being developed.  This one kept me on the edge of my seat.

Honorable Mentions:

The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher

Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy

Resistance by Anita Shreve

This is not an exhaustive list of the books I've read set during the WWII time period but it includes some of the most memorable ones.  Now that I've typed them out in black and white I feel even nerdier than ever.  Oh, well.  If you've read any of these already or decide to read one based on my recommendation I'd love to hear your thoughts on the book(s).  If you've read any you think I would like but don't have listed please send the title my way.  

Happy reading!

                        Melissa

My Favorite Day

“What day is it?"
It's today," squeaked Piglet.
My favorite day," said Pooh.” 
― A.A. Milne

Three more days until Friday.  How much longer until Spring Break?  Basketball season is almost over and then we'll have some free time. How many days of school left?  It has got to be getting close to bedtime.........

These are things that run through my mind.  A lot. More than I'd like to admit, in fact.  Having something to look forward to is a good thing.  Unless you do it so much that you're in danger of missing out on today.  

One of my favorite sayings has always been "Carpe Diem".  Sieze the day. But it's definitely something I struggle with.  I need to remind myself that the quote is telling us to seize this day.  Not tomorrow, or next week.  After all, my kids will only be this age once.  Heck, I'll only be this age once!

My oldest child, Evan, brought home information from school today for Middle School Registration Night.  I wondered where the years went.  And I realized that it only took about 2190 days to get from this:

To this:

And then I realized (after doing some math) that it will be about the same number of days until he is 18 years old and getting ready to leave for college.  I need to hold on to these days before they are all gone.  Even when the days are hard. And I'll admit, in the middle of writing this post I had to stop, go break up a scuffle over an indoor basketball game, and send both offenders to their respective rooms.  But that is ok because I'm reminding myself that today is my favorite day.  

Melissa

Welcome!

Welcome to House on Halifax! My brand new blog about my family and my life here on Halifax.  I am a wife to my high school sweetheart and mom to three wonderful children.  I've recently gone back to work after 7 blissful years at home raising my children and I'm still trying to get the hang of getting everything done while being gone most of the day.  Sometimes my family has to rummage through the dryer for clean clothes to wear but they're so cute they can get away with the slightly rumpled look.

Since this is an introductory post, I'll tell you a little about myself:  I've always thought of myself as a "Jill of all trades".  Meaning I can do lots of things pretty well but I'm really not spectacular at anything in particular.  And that's ok.  It makes me, me.  And it means there is always room for improvement.

I enjoy decorating and gardening.  I love to bake which has been a challenge since my middle child was diagnosed with Celiac disease last year.  (I plan on having some gluten-free posts.)  I tote my children all over the state (and occasionally neighboring ones as well) to attend all of their sporting events.  I also love to read (book reviews coming your way!) so I'll be the mom in the stands with a book in her hands until the game actually starts.  My youngest child started first grade this year and I went to work at an elementary school near my home to work with special education children.  So far it has been very rewarding and occasionally frustrating.  The best part of my new job is that I am on the same schedule as my kids so if they are home then I am home and that is very important to me.

This blog is an outlet for me to talk about all the things I have running around in my head on any given day as well as an opportunity to capture all those golden moments of having a young family that are so fleeting.

                                    

One of those golden moments I'm trying to capture.

Thanks for stopping by!

Melissa