The Cottage on the Hill

Happy New Year!! I love the turn of the New Year!  I love resolutions, goals, inspirations, and ideas for the coming year, even if they do fall to the wayside and old habits die hard.  I don't care!  I still love the whole idea! For 2020, I have found two very unlikely inspirations.  I never thought these people would inspire me to be a better person.  Usually, we look to religious or charitable figures to improve upon our character.  It isn't likely that a top business woman in the fashion and journalism world, and a "sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll" legend would inspire a simple, conservative, traditional middle-aged woman, but they do! Anna Wintour Just last week, I watched two videos on YouTube featuring Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue Magazine.  The first was a rapid-fire 73 questions posed to her.  She never said "ummm" once.  She was assured and confident, poised and well-spoken in all her answers.  She didn't speak to please, or

She doesn't need defending. And certainly not from me, a total stranger on the internet... But.... I wasn't feeling well the other day and I was passing time watching her vids, checking out Instagram, and eventually went down the social media comments rabbit hole. The comments!  The assumptions!  The vitriol! It's appalling and laughable at the same time. So, let's get started: 1.  Doomsday Cult:  Just, nope.  Yes, they are young earth creationists.  Many mainstream evangelicals are.  Yes, they believe in the rapture, and that it will happen soon.  Many mainstream Christians do.  That doesn't make them a cult.  Paul's interest and activity in the End Times is a bit intense, sure, but from what I have read, their belief system is very much like several mainstream evangelical denominations.  Not a cult. 2.  Quiverfull:  Another nope.  Taina just wanted 10 kids.  She doesn't hold some "you must do" religious theory on kids being arrows.  I know

I crave empty spaces. My house was jam-packed last year. Every surface, every drawer, every shelf, cabinet, closet, and hanging rack were full. In order to leave some room on the floor, I went vertical with storage. Rooms felt closed in and like they couldn't breathe. The basement was pretty much just paths along walls of storage totes, and it always felt damp and smelled icky down there because there was no airflow and so many dark little spaces for mildew to grow and mice to build nests. And I would just acquire more to hold it all. I couldn't take it, anymore. I couldn't find anything anymore. Now, I want to see an empty drawer, an empty shelf, an empty corner, an empty wall. I'm getting there.

Usually, minimalists and minimizers (people who reduce their possessions, but aren't necessarily minimalists) discourage the use of storage units.  It seems counter-productive to the whole concept of minimizing. I offer a different perspective. Especially for those who have larger families in a smaller home, and/or for those who have a spouse who isn't very keen on getting rid of stuff. Invest in a storage unit! Whether it is a shed in the backyard or an actual rented unit, it is worth the investment. Why? Because the more you keep out of your home, the better. Better health Better organization Better cleaning For example, I keep the bulk of my kids' toys in the shed.  If they want to play blocks they have to pack up the toy soldiers.  Then, I move the tote of soldiers to the shed and bring the blocks in the house.  This not only clears up space, but prevents my kids from dumping and mixing toys into a huge mess.  Remember, if they can't clean it, they can

My house was stuffed, people. Seriously, dangerously, annoyingly stuffed. I'm not a hoarder, I promise. We just have a small house, lots of people living in it, and many different interests and hobbies. It's also part of the mindsets I grew up with; an ugly mix of 80's and 90's materialism/consumerism, and growing up near the poverty line, so everything was acquired and kept "just in case." But, I couldn't do it anymore. My home became my prison. My stuff became my prison warden. In comes the minimalist fad and I am jumping on. Ok, I'm not going to become a true minimalist.  That's just impossible with this family and my current situation.  But I can, and I have, and I am minimizing. Here's why: 1.  No time:  All I do is clean and organize.  I live in a small home.  It should be easy to clean, but it isn't.  Just too much stuff to clean around. 2.  No place:  Everything should have a home, right?  A place to be s

As someone with not only an uncommon name, but an uncommon pronunciation of that name, I thought it would help people to have a little guide on what to do when they encounter someone with an unusual name.  Whether it is at work, school, volunteering, church, or though friends and family, we may meet someone or see on paper or screen a name that we are unsure of how to say. Here are some things NOT to do: 1.  Do not ignore their name.  (My name isn't, "hey.") 2.  Do not give them a nickname.  (I had a teacher refuse to learn my name and simply dubbed me "Student X." 3. Do not give them attitude if they correct your pronunciation.  (I had a school administrator rudely tell me, "whatever," when I corrected their pronunciation of my name.) 4.  Do not make fun of their name. 5. Do not question why they were named that (except in honest, interested inquiry.) 6. It's ok to repeat their name a few times if you are trying to remember it, but don&#