mother's day lessons.

Here's what I know about mothering:

That some days are bad and some days are good. And just because it's bad today doesn't mean it won't get better. And that really good day you had? Burn that into your memory because soon it'll go downhill again. Sometimes all within a matter of minutes.

Some of the best mothers I've ever met don't have children. 

Ice cream for dinner is okay once in a while.

Yelling doesn't make the situation better. But for some reason, I keep doing it.

A supportive husband can make or break you.

For our family, I'm a better mother because I work outside the home. Some days I wish I was a stay-at-home mom, but most days I do not. I know the grass is always greener on the other side so I try to remind myself of that when I'm feeling sorry for myself. And then I remember to water where I'm at and shut up about it.

Naps are important. And if you can get your kids to take them too, that'd be good.

Sometimes my children don't know why they're crying, they just want to cry. Maybe if more adults did this once in a while, we'd all be happier. A good cry is powerful therapy.

Seeing what I put in my children's bodies and how it effects their poop has changed the way I eat. Also, I can now talk about poop with a completely straight face and in all seriousness. Well, most of the time, anyway.

We all mother differently. I'm not right and you're not wrong. We're all just doing the best we can. But telling someone they're wrong because it's not how you would do it destroys us all. So stop it.

Mess is okay sometimes. I'm still working on acceptance of this one.

There's beauty in the unplanned.  Loosen up, Mary.

Sing songs even if you can't sing. Your children don't know that yet and they love your voice anyway. You might even start to think you don't sound that bad. But your husband will bring you back down to Earth soon, so don't you worry about that recording contract just yet.

There's power in I'm sorry. Show your kids that grace.

And a good snuggle can cure most bad days.

Happy Mother's day.

earth day rapping {or easy Earth Day projects}

In fifth grade, my all-white school put on an Earth Day program. The highlight was us rapping about ways to save the environment. It was the early 90's, there was puffy paint involved, and I might have worn an item of clothing backward.

I'd say every day since then has been a disappointment.

But with Earth Day just around the corner (or Monday, specifically), I'm trying to recreate that magical feeling of saving the Earth while bustin' some tight rhymes. And, folks, it's harder than it sounds.

Here are some ideas I've been inspired by recently:

Cheerio bird feeder // magazine bowls // buggy bird feeders // orange rind bird feeders // story stones // repurposed window // succulent terrariums // spool heart decoration // license plate picture // toy wreath // globe rice crispie treats // soup can drums // dirty cups // bookmarks // hanging globes // vase

Crafting with my kids is hit or miss. I tried the easiest craft of all time on Sunday (see: Cheerio bird feeders) and it was not happening. For the full story, check out my Instagram (@themarygraham), but this project turned into an eating contest to see who could shove the most cereal in her mouth at one. Winner: Harper Kimery.

Other kid-friendly options: soup can or orange bird feeders, rice crispie globes, DIY drums, and dirt pudding! Okay, those food options aren't really Earth-friendly, but gummy worms and crushed up Oreos?! What's more amazing than that? Happy Earth Day! Let's eat some pretend dirt!

I've been obsessed with the story rocks that are all over Pinterest---we've started collecting rocks already. I'm thinking a mix of letters, numbers, and pictures for ours. Although, I have no artist ability whatsoever so I can see this failing miserably.

Repurposing is big on my list right now. I've got some old windows around the house already, but one is hiding in the basement with some broken glass. A little fabric could turn that baby around in no time. Or maybe old license plates into wall decor or old maps (probably books, in my case) into some pretty globes. I love the idea of old spools into a heart (or maybe a G?). My walls would look so pretty with a few of these projects on them.

Adding some greenery is my favorite way to make a house more eco-friendly and putting together a few terrariums or adding some fresh flowers to an old can makes me happy. The terrariums link is with kids so if your kids are a little older than mine, this would be a great project to do with them. I'm sure mine would just eat the dirt.

What about you, have you done any repurposing, recycling, or Earth-friendly DIY lately? Or perhaps some Earth rapping? There's no shame in it, really. 

back to it.

(girls' dresses: Old Navy, my dress: Kohls, and belt: Old Navy)

I'm not really sure two weeks off can be bad, really.

We painted, home improved, road tripped, shopped, celebrated Easter and a cute two year old, played outside, worked on our fitness, took naps, shopped some more, and made some pretty big, life-changing decisions.

I've got lots to share in the coming weeks: room redos, fun projects, new clothes, and maybe a move. Who knows. A lot happened in two weeks.

I'm back in school today, glad for a routine, and less chances to spend money. Vacation is expensive.

Hope you had a great weekend. We're finally experiencing some warmer weather and my pale legs are so happy to be out and about.

valentine's day mailboxes & gift ideas

This weekend I set up the Valentine's mailboxes that were such a hit with the girls last year. You can read more about how I made them here.

On Thursday, little presents will start appearing sometime during the day. It might be waiting when they girls wake up, it might appear randomly while they're playing, there's no set time, but they know they have a surprise waiting when they little arms on the mailboxes are up.

The seven days leading up to Valentine's day, they get one little treat. This year I'm adding a little note from one of us or a Bible verse to the present. To save a fight or two, everyone is getting the same item this year.

I picked up most of the presents at Target's Dollar Spot or at Wal-mart. Every day is something different. When I set the mailboxes up, Elliott (my almost four year old) said "Yay! I get a new toothbrush!" Which is so typical for her. And not I feel like I should go out and buy toothbrushes. It would make sense after all the candy they're getting. Good call, kid.

The plates are for the big day, where they'll also get a new book (and a toothbrush, I guess) plus a package of break-and-bake Valentine's cookies to make with their daddy. Maybe I'll come up with a special craft for them to do, but don't hold you breath for that one...

So that's how Valentine's day will go in our house. For about $30, my kids have a eight days of surprises plus a fun-filled V-day with their daddy. I, on the other hand, will spend the day with the eighth grade girls' basketball team trying to win a game. Huzzah.

Do you have any fun Valentine's traditions? This is only our second year for the mailboxes, but it's fun coming up with new and different things that fit in them. And I'm hoping the notes and scriptures stick around--those, I think, will be my favorite part.

//////////

Come back later today for a special Valentine's day book giveaway--I've got some books that would be perfect for your little loves on the 14th!

vintage books: decorating for valentine's day

I am a sucker for old books: cookbooks, children's books, classics, dictionaries, manuals. I buy them all with abandon. I love the look of decorating with old books, I love framing old pictures from books to hang on my walls, but even then, I have more than I'll ever need. And I keep buying more. So in the interest of avoiding becoming a starring-member of Hoarders Anon, I came up with some Valentine's day decorations using vintage children's books. You know, so I can buy more next time I'm thrifting.

 

These strands, or some variation, are everywhere right now. I got the inspiration for these streamers from this blog. Instead of magazines, I used vintage children's books. I found the red and white string at Target's Dollar Spot and was able to do both crafts with one spool. The inspiration post punched holes and tied knots to string the hearts, but my smaller hole punch broke so I took the lazy way out and taped them on. I also purposefully made the hearts different sizes and slightly different shaped. I really like the haphazard look it created. Some colorful washi tape would have been cute, but I didn't want to run to the store so I just used things I had on hand. If you don't have a door or window to hang these in, just grab a stick from your yard, spray paint it white and attach the streamers. Then it can go practically anywhere.

I don't even know where to give credit for this banner. Banners, like streamers, are all the rage. And I've see a variety of tutorials about printing on pages from books. So nothing I'm doing is new or revolutionary, but it's the first time I've done it so back off. I used an old textbook (the teacher's edition, ironically) to make this LOVE banner. First, I printed the L on regular printer paper and then matched up my textbook page over it, taped it down, and took turns printing all the letters taped down like that to make sure I got them somewhat centered. Then I found some random clip art hearts to blow up and print on the outside pages. I had the girls color one and I colored the other when they grew bored with Mommy making craft requests. I used the same Target Dollar Spot string as above and, while that washi tape would have come in handy again, I just used regular scotch tape because it's what I had. Next time I'm at the craft store, I might pick up some in red because I think it needs that pop of color with all the black and white.

And that, friends, is vintage book-inspired Valentine's decorations. Cheap and easy, just like me the way I like it.

\\\\\\\\\\

Did you win the devotional book giveaway? Congrats to Lynne, Ashley, and Barb for each winning one of the books! I sent your emails this weekend--can't wait for you guys to get your copies, you'll love them!

\\\\\\\\\\

Need more DIY-inspiration? Check out Kendra at Kreative Creationz for more great ideas!

weekend read: Knit the Season

The truth is I have big dreams about knitting.  I pin things I'd like to create on my Pinterest boards.  I attend knitting classes at cute knit shops.  I own books on knitting, multiple sets of needles, and lots of yarn.

The problem is I never actually knit.  Every time I learn, it goes really well, but once I get home I never pick it up again.

I think the downfall is that I'd rather be writing or reading a book and those are not hobbies that go well with knitting.  I don't watch much TV so I can't just sit on the couch and create.  If I sit still long enough chances are I'll fall asleep so I don't actually know when I should knit.

But you know what I can do really well?

Read novels about knitters.

Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs is the third book in the Friday Night Knitting Club series.  I read the first two books years ago and loved them--loved the community, loved the knitting, loved the setting, loved the people.  So soon after I finished Knit Two, I bought Knit the Season. 

But because it was a Christmas-themed book, I felt I couldn't read it at any other time but the month of December.  Which made total sense to me, but now that I type that sentence, I realize I've just given another prime example of my OCD tendencies.  Exciting stuff.

I did feel it was meant to be when I had the opportunity to attend a knitting class and I happened to be reading Knit the Season a couple weeks ago.  And that justified waiting to read the book (obvious just the rationalization of a lunatic).

This book follows the lives of the same characters as the other books: Dakota and her struggle to follow her dreams while keeping her mother's love and legacy afloat, Lucie and Darwin and their babies, Peri's struggle to live her dream--whatever that is--and keep her friends too, Anita's desire to get married again even though it might be killing her adult children, and Catherine's adventure of finding herself and, perhaps, a new husband.

I loved these characters in the first two books.  I devoured those books, the storylines were fresh and the setting, New York City, made everything just a little bit more shiny. 

But with this book, I didn't feel the same magic.  I didn't care about the characters anymore, I couldn't get into the book like I did the first two.

I wanted to love this book, but I couldn't.

Maybe part of the problem was me.  When I read the first two books, I was different.  As a reader, I've noticed I'm changing and things I used to love don't do it for me anymore.  Maybe I'm a little more cynical.  Or maybe it's just that I have such a limited amount of time to spend reading books, that I expect and demand that they be good, life-changing books.  And this one wasn't. 

It was just okay and fluffy and not important.

Which makes me sad, because I still love those first two books so much.

five for friday

Another Christmas-themed high five for Friday, what a surprise.

In the spirit of the David Letterman Show, my top ten five favorite moments of the week:

5.  Elliott's Christmas program at her preschool.  It's embarrassing how giddy I get during this.  And seriously, my daughter is the cutest three year old in the world.

4. Christmas morning at home.  This was the first time since Chris and I have been married (so six Christmases) that we got to just be at home on Christmas morning.  For those of you that get this pleasure every year, I'm extremely envious.  Obligations keep us super-busy the week of Christmas but due to an unexpected illness (see #1) and my sister's daughters spending Christmas morning with their dad, we got to spend a lazy morning at home.  My parents and brother stopped by to check out the girls presents and then later, Chris' mom came for a visit.  It was relaxed and slow and what we want to do every year.

3.  The day after Christmas came our first big snow in a few years.  Our city told us to stay off the roads and we oblidged.  We got a cozy day at home while a snow storm raged (we ended up with about 8 inches--great way to break in the snow suits and boots Santa brought the girls!).  It was the perfect day-after-Christmas spent playing with new toys, watching movies, and cleaning up the tornado that is Christmas day.

2.  Chris and I don't really do Christmas presents for each other--it's normally something big for both of us (a new TV, a shiny new garage door!) but I did manage to score a pretty awesome scarf under the tree this year.  I love Target.  Oh, and Chris Graham.

1.  We spent Sunday and Monday with a severely sick three year old.  By Sunday night she had been throwing up for over twelve hours and our on-call doctor told us to head to the ER.  Once we were at our local children's hospital, they hooked her up to some IVs and then admitted her because of some concerns over her blood sugar levels.  We made it home on Christmas Eve afternoon and we still able to hit most of our Christmas gatherings with a tired, but fully recovered, preschooler.  It was the best Christmas present ever.

I hope your holiday was amazing--we still have three more to go and then we'll be done.
Merry Christmas!
Mary

Linking up with High Five for Friday with From My Grey Desk blog.

and his name shall be called

[source]

There's lots of reasons to be celebrating right now: friends, family, food, time off work, presents, maybe a nap or two.  But my wish for you this Christmas is the truest gift of all, the Prince of Peace.

Merry Christmas, friends.

christmas focus + giveaway

Around Christmas last year, I found this on Pinterest. 

It started some conversations and they haven't stopped.  So this year, we've headed into the Christmas season with specific plans and intense focus.

I know that probably sounds a little extreme, but we are determined to make Christmas fun and enjoyable for our kids, but keep the focus on Christ and less on presents.  We still want presents to be a part of our holiday because, come on, it's Christmas and there has to be presents, but we want to be noticeably different as Christians because we're celebrating something more important than a time for presents.

We're focusing more on giving to others (through our church, through families at my school, through donations, etc.) and less on how many presents we can shove under our tree.  Normally, I start Christmas shopping in the summer, slowly putting away gifts when I come across a good deal or something I know someone will love.  It was good for our wallet and made the holidays seem a little less hectic because I felt ahead of the game.

But that process also made it easier to get more gifts for our kids.  Less intentional and more random. More toys than they needed.  Buying stuff to buy stuff.

So this year that has stopped.  I have one present bought as of today.  We are very careful when picking the gifts for our kids this year, making sure each one is special and important because it's only one of four.  It's made shopping different for the better. 

The way we've interpreted the above four-gift rule:
Want: one toy present
Wear: one new outfit
Read: one book or set of books
Need: shoes for Elliott and we're not sure about Harper's need yet.

Isn't that silly?  Harper doesn't even have a need---but in year's past we would have spent a couple hundred dollars giving her new stuff.  And she doesn't even need anything.  It's embarrassing, really.

We've also struggled with the Santa thing: I love the magical Santa idea and the fun that goes with that.  But we don't want to sacrifice the story of Jesus for fun with Santa.  Also, we're aware more than ever about making sure our kids know that things cost money, that Mommy and Daddy worked hard to pay for these gifts, and we need you to be thankful for that God-given ability.  So in the Graham house, Santa brings the stockings (candy, little toys, junk, etc.) and Mommy & Daddy buy the gifts.  I think that's a pretty fair deal. 

My parents and Chris' mom are on-board our four-gift rule also.  It's been encouraging to have our family's support in making these changes and refocusing our Christmas. 

I'm already anxious for Ellie to see the toy we got her---she's going to flip.  Although, she has also talked non-stop about a $250 doll house she saw in a toy catalog and thinks she's getting it.  So that might be a letdown.  What do you and your family do at Christmas?  How do you handle the Santa thing?  Every family is different and this is what works (hopefully) for us--what works for you?

Added bonus (for those of you that made it through this long post): We've been reading a lot about Christmas and one book that has been really helpful in setting the tone for our Christmas is Precious Moments: My Christmas Bible Storybook.  It's full of Bible stories, songs, and texts geared toward young kids that helps make the real Christmas story accessible and tangible.  Ellie especially loves it and since it's a board book, it's survived daily "reads" from a one year old also.  And because 'tis the season for giving, the book's publisher, Thomas Nelson, has offered to give one copy of the book to a lucky Trusty Chucks reader.  All you have to do is enter the rafflecopter giveaway below--good luck!
(sneak peak the book here.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


DISCLOSURE: I WAS GIFTED THE ABOVE BOOK, BUT ALL OPINIONS ARE MINE.

five for friday

1. This picture--oh my goodness.  If I had to have only one picture to sum up that little girl, it would be this one.  She has more attitude than her one-and-a-half year old body can hold.  (Also, random side note: if you're looking for a great kids' book, both my daughters love Hooray for Fish!by Lucy Cousins and it would make a perfect Christmas present.  There's just something in me that makes me want to share books, thank you for indulging that English teacher moment...)

2.  Are you guys shopping today? Did you already finish?! This is the first time in at least fifteen years that I haven't stayed up late or gotten up early for some deals.  Guys, this money series really is kicking our butts.  (Although, I did order two pairs of boots online yesterday, so I don't feel completely left out of all the chaos.)

3.  Thanksgiving day somehow turns into Thanksgiving week at our house, there's pitch-ins at work, there's lots of eating out, and then, of course, the never ending food of yesterday.  So today we're spending the morning at the gym paying for what we did this week.  I'm assuming the rest of the day will be spent on the couch unable to move.  Bonus: I won't be tempted to shop because my legs won't work.

4. Read any good books lately? For a while I was having a hard time finding books I wanted to read and now I seem to be on a mission to stock up on books.  Something about colder days makes me want to stay inside, wear sweatpants, and read good books.  Tell me what to read!

5. Did you guys notice the awesome new blog design from Royal Daughter Designs? Amanda did an amazing job and knew exactly how to translate all my random ideas into a beautiful new spread.  I highly recommend her for any of your blog needs.

Have a great weekend friends.

Linking up with High Five for Friday with From My Grey Desk blog.

a thankful heart.

Last year I did the 30 days of thankfulness.  This year I did not.

But if it's possible, I'm more thankful this year.  I feel that as I get older, I learn to appreciate what's real and true.  And what isn't worth my time.

Today I'm thankful for babies that wake up smelling like drool, ugly hospital socks to sleep in, a home that protects my family from heat and cold, friends that know what I need before I do, thrift stores and dry cleaners, hot showers and hair dryers.  I'm thankful for a husband that loves unconditionally, a God that taught him how, and church that is alive.

I'm thankful for date nights, the smell of clean sheets, whipped cheesecake, and The Walking Dead.  For books and books and books.  For new friends and less-new friends.  For learning, for grace, and for family.

I pray your day is filled with delicious food, good conversations, family, and maybe a nice nap.  Because, really, what else is there?

Happy Thanksgiving,
Mary

five for friday

1. Halloween: well, that was fun.  And I can happily say that we ran out of candy again this year.  I always think we got too much and then always run out.  I would share cute costume pictures if I had them, but mostly what I have is crying kids or fuzzy, blinking parents.  So I'm sharing those. 

Ellie was Curious George and Harper was The Man with the Yellow Hat but she refused to wear the hat.  Something to do with her mother accidentally snapping her face with the rubber band that held it on.  It was quite tragic.

2.  My co-workers and I paid tribute to a fellow teacher's mustache on Wednesday.  Everyone loves a good 'stache, right?  Well, I got the red one (go figure) and suddenly turned into the Lorax from the Dr. Seuss book. 

That one's going to haunt you for a while, huh?  Me too.

3.  Since it's Friday and no one's going to get any work done anyway, why don't you head on over to check out my friend Brittany's blog.  She's got this crazy goal of raising $1600 to buy four women out of bondage.  And when she reaches her goal, she's fulfilling her dream of dying her hair hot pink.  I can't wait to see what God does through this project and through Brittany.  And see her hot pink hair, of course. 

4.  Tonight Chris and I are heading to our friends' Jeremy and Renae's wedding.  Can I just tell you how excited I am?  Dressing up, being with friends, no kids, watching two people who have dated for fourteen years get married, and watching my cute husband do a reading are all things that are making this Friday just a little bit sweeter.

5.  Did you guys catch my giveaway from yesterday?  I'm honored to have you here and thought I'd show the love by giving away some sweet prizes.  So get in on that since you deserve it!

Have a great weekend guys and be blessed.

Linking up with High Five for Friday with From My Grey Desk.

bittersweet goodbye

In my mind, Labor Day signals the official end of summer.

The pools are closing, everybody's back in school, and the corn is at its sweetest. 

I'm anticipating cooler nights and fires on the back patio.  The turning of leaves and a trip to New York in October.  Fall is going to be full of good things.

I hope your Labor Day is work-free, relaxing, and full of summertime favorites. 

Now bring on the fall.



read, white, and blue

Today I'm participating in the Red, White, and You link up and finding some awesome new blogs to follow.  You should definitely go check them out (after reading my blog first, of course...).




My blog in three colors:

-read (as in books)
Friday's post (sometimes posts) is a book review.  I'm an English teacher and lovers of books.  LOVE them.  I'm always reading something and enjoy sharing my thoughts on books (and hearing yours if you've read the same thing).  One of my favorite parts of blogging is when someone emails me and let's me know they read a book I recommended.  I love the conversations that come from those posts.

Here are some of my recent reviews: Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and the infamous Fifty Shades of Grey series by E L James.

-white (as in my pale skin in pictures)
This is not a fashion blog by any stretch of the imagination.  I just happen to wear clothes when I go out in public and sometimes I happen to take pictures of outfits that I wear in said public.  And then if all the stars are aligned and there are a couple pictures that don't make me look ridiculous, I'll post them on my blog.  I've lost count of the number of outfits posts that didn't happen because I look cross-eyed or my husband forgot to mention my skirt was sideways.

Some outfits that actually made it to the blog: my summer uniform, the thrifted jean shirt, and an outfit post that almost isn't.

-blue YOU (where I write cool things about myself and leave out the weird, gross things)
People blog for a million reasons (like so people will email them to talk about books), but if I had to say just one reason I blog, it's because I love words.  Writing helps me makes sense of my day, my family, my thoughts, my God, my goals, and my mess.  I work it out here, in words, so that everything else just functions better.  I'm a (really big) work-in-progress and words help me figure myself out.  And if that connects to people, awesome.  If that just means I'm writing to myself, that's okay too.  But I love that words (and pictures, if they turn out) help us see each other in different, better lights.  Because I've met some really awesome people through blogs and their words help me figure out what I want my words to be.

And that's me, Mary, and what Trusty Chucks is all about.  Also, my favorite color is green.  I just felt like that should be in here somewhere since we're talking all about color. 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you stay a while.
Mary

a good old fashioned barn raisin'

(Shout out to Balynda for the title!)

Memorial Day weekend was hot.  And you know you've got a great family when you mention buying a swing set for your kids and you want to put it together on everyone's day off.  And it's going to be ninety five degrees.  And it's going to take all day.

But everyone came anyway. 

That is what's so great about family.  And what's so great about all the people, family or not, that love my kids.

As of today, it's still not done. 

The directions said for two adults, it would take 7-9 hours.  We had four adults (plus random others that wandered in and out all day) and they spent about six hours on it.  About an hour and half of that was spent re-doing the platform because someone that I'm married to read the directions wrong.

And by 5:00 everyone was beat.

The rest of the steps are small things Chris can do by himself: walls for the platform, arms for the swings, the climbing wall, the slide, etc.  But I think he's still worn out from Monday and hasn't touched it since.

It was very anti-climactic for Ellie. 

 But when it's done, I'm sure it's going to be awesome.