A Season of Serving

It's that time of year again. It seems that as soon as Halloween is here, we turn back our clocks, and the holiday season is here and done. The tornado sucks us up and tosses us around, our heads spinning until finally it spits us out sometime into the next year. We are exhausted and glad it's over. What a sad thought of how easily we get caught up in the busy season of Christmas and forget the true meaning. With Christmas a month before Little Bean's expected arrival, it's important that I chose how I spend my energy this year. Instead of marathon shopping, making dozens of homemade crafts, and rushing to every holiday party, I'm going to focus my time on the things that count. The things of eternal value.

" Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10

My friend and I co-lead a girl's life group. We meet each week to hang out, pray, discuss our bible study, and eat yummy food. We just finished the "Unglued" study by Lysa TerKeurst. (highly recommend) and have decided for our next journey together we are going to do a Season of Serving. 

We knew that with our busy schedules and various things going on, starting up a new book to study would be too much. 

So each month in November, December, and January we have choosen to do 2 service projects together. One community service, and one within our group. We came up with some fun ideas and I wanted to share a few of them in hopes that it sparks you to think about how a small act of service could be a great way for your family to bless others during the upcoming fall and winter months.

-Donating to your local food pantry
- Serving in the soup kitchen
-One of my friends is having us over for a pie making lesson with her secret recipe
-Adopting a family to buy Christmas for or selecting gifts for an Angel Tree
-Rake your neighbor's leaves
-Christmas cookie/candy making to share at your workplace, family events, or with neighbors
-Sending a heartfelt note or card in the mail
-At home DIY spa party
-Buying for another table during a dinner out
-Helping an elderly relative or friend do their Christmas (or grocery) shopping
-Take the pressure off gift giving and choose a movie date or coffee date with a friend instead.
-Donate to winter coat drives

Be sure to add your own ideas in the comment section.

“It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” 
― Mother Teresa

Yard Barn Turned Craft Shed

About a year ago, I had an idea to turn our little yard barn into a craft shed. I had all kinds of ideas I found online through Pinterest. I was constantly showing Kyle my "dream barn."  My awesome husband actually listened and through a lot of hard work and help from friends and family, I have an awesome place to work on my projects. AND...the baby room is now empty and ready for paint! Here's our journey through photos from our Yard Barn turned Craft Shed. 


Part 1: Where to start?!
I think this was the hardest part. Kyle had to cut insulation to size, build a ceiling, put up vapor barrier, and put up plywood walls. The shed was not completely level so it was a lot of trial and error. This was a long process and we are glad we have a few tall friends and family members to help! I will add that even though Kyle is wearing the same outfit in every picture these are days and weeks worth of work. His camo pants are just his "work uniform."

Part 2:  After we had all of the walls and ceiling up, Kyle had to caulk around the edges, seal everything tight and, put in my heating and air unit (which we tricked my Dad into helping us with) The air unit is the best part. It does heating and cooling both so I can escape to my shed any time I want. 

Part 3:  Next up was painting and flooring and moving in furniture, this time we had help from my in-laws.

Part 4:  Have you seen the show "Yard Crashers?" It's a show where the host bombards you at Home Depot and asks if he can take over your yard for the next few days and you end up with an amazing backyard. Well my mother in law, scheduled herself to stay with us for a few days and "Crash our Shed." It was amazing. There is no way it would be finished without her. This woman is a hard worker! I was completely exhausted when she left and ecstatic about my finished craft shed.

And here are the final pictures!!!

The cubbies that my mother in law painted for me were free from her work. 

We were surprised how much space we still had after everything was put in. 

Cubbies were perfect for my neatly stacked material and all my scrapbooking supplies.

The shelving near the ceiling for totes were the only things we had to buy for storage. Everything else is a mix match of things we had around the house. 

This cabinet was an impulse buy at a flea market for next to nothing. I've been using it for storage in my dining room, but decided this would work great for my sewing storage. The shelves are full of things to be mended! 

I had saved a ton of jars, old tupperware, little bins, plastic strawberry containers etc.. They turned out to be quite useful to use for storing little things in the cubbies. Even though nothing matches, it's nice to be able to recycle.

I have a long list of projects to get started on and no excuses now! 

Thank you especially to my brilliant husband who jumped in and worked hours and hours to bring my little pinterest dream to life. Maybe I'll sew you a new pair of camo pants. xoxo.