Don’t bears eat a lot, then go sleep for a good long while, say, all winter long? That is a bit of a reflection of my current lifestyle.

I try to grin despite all the sickness and the fatigue of this pregnancy but really I don’t hide it very well. I try not to be a bear with my attitude — my pregnancies have been been an emotional blessing — stable hormones I guess.

Hiding in a cave only lasts for so long, so through the muck, I still try to get out…

• The Macy’s Flower show was a nice way to get excited about Spring. My favorite part was eating soup and salad in a restaurant with a sky view of downtown.

• I gathered with my small group ladies to discuss the novel, The Shack (which I didn’t actually read because I have been under a rock for 9 weeks). Surprise, surprise my favorite part was the meal we shared…everything was lovingly prepared (by my friend) from the Barefoot Contessa.

• I finally checked out a little bakery with some MOPS friends. It was delightful. Good food, good talk. I am just a little cross about losing my French truffle due to a queasy tummy. But, this too shall pass!

Now I must log off to eat and sleep some more…then get up and do it all over again.

I found refreshment in embracing a positive outlook on my day. Mint tea helped, too.

The “blessings” of my healthy, fun and love-filled life often get swept under the rug unless I reboot my thinking to be less crabby and more refreshed….

• I was late getting my garbage can out to the curb but I did bring up the neighbors empty can
• the grocery clerk at Super Target asked if I needed a cart assistant to help me to my car…and another lady said, “Don’t worry, we’ve all been there” then pointed out my missing glove on the ground as tears were being spewed onto me by my darling little ones.
• Bank trip {sass about not getting a sucker–really it’s like the worst candy ever!}
• Library books returned
• Food unloaded in -2 degree F. weather {threw away meatballs in marinara that was who knows how old from the back of the fridge}
• children fed
• Doctor’s appointment for Molly’s check-up
• Bath, snack, craft for Ryan
• Clean up and fold laundry {Ry said Dad will be so impressed!}
• Dinner made, packed up and dishes washed {Ry called me the best chef ever!}
• Kids tucked in
  
• Google blog reader – read
• Watch the TV show Chuck with Peter

Mint tea, yes, refreshed and less crabby.

I am grateful of my to-do lists for I am able to do them.

I did what every good perfectionist procrastinator does – crafts! I have so much do to it seems a bit daunting and the results so incredibly faraway. So, I gave myself permission to get a little thing done. It is only a teaspoon of completion in a lake full of life goals but the reward of completing a project that was over one year old is priceless.

I made the blue photo frame on the left at a Mother of Preschoolers (MOPS) meeting four years ago for my son Ryan. When Molly came along, I purchased a second blank frame from the MOPS leftover craft cupboard with intentions of making a similar frame for my darling daughter. Now she is already 15 months old!

Ryan as a newborn. Molly at 12 months.

Both frames are just paper mache-type cardboard and are cheaper than cheap, but I think they look pretty cute with the personalization.

3 Teaspoon Project Nuggets

1. Limits If it can be done in 1/2 hour – do it, but only once in a while. It is too easy for me to start digging out crafts and seasonal decorations and never stop! The goal is to simplify my life, not layer it so badly I can’t see where I am going.

2. Satisfaction This should be fun. Hey if organizing, planning, and simplifying get me tied up in knots of regret and dissatisfaction they are not working. It felt really good to get a little thing done. Insert pat on back here.

3. The Lily Effect There is a story of a crabby, messy hermit that one day receives a lily in a vase from a neighbor. The messy decides to clear off his table to set the lily on. He washes the table then stops to clean off the chairs so he can sit by the flower. Pretty soon he cleans the whole house and starts doing maintenance work. Somewhere along the way he changes his heart and opens his home to his neighborhood. Doing one small thing can change your outlook on the entirety of a project or idea.