Kristin

Here’s to sleeping comfortably!

March 12, 2019 by Kristin Leave a Comment

Our sleep has been messed up this week.

We went to a basketball game that didn’t start until a little after 9 p.m. Friday, had trouble checking into the hotel, and didn’t get in bed until 1 a.m. We spent Saturday hanging out with our friends and then went to a 7 p.m. basketball, stayed afterward a while to watch our team celebrate winning the conference tournament and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, and then drove two hours home. We didn’t get into bed until after midnight and then the time changed.

We did get some lovely Kentucky weather on Sunday and slowed down to enjoy it, but we all still struggled Monday morning. I woke up with my youngest curled up beside me. I let her stay when I saw it was 4:50 a.m. when she showed up beside me. I usually don’t let her stay unless it’s morning — which she calls “happy out” — but I was too comfy to deal with sending her back to her room.

She moved over to the other side of the bed right before my alarm went off at 6:20 and then stayed until after 8 a.m., about an hour after “the kids,” as she calls her older siblings, had left for school with Dad.

Aside from the fact I wanted to sleep more, our new sheets were part of the reason I was so snuggled comfortably in bed.

Our new sheets are California Design Den’s 600-thread count, sateen weave set. The fabric is 100% pure cotton that features yarn structure to eliminate the possibility of pilling and has extra durable fitted elastic. The corners do fit my deep, queen, pillow-top mattress well. My husband and I both like the coolness of the sheets – both the spa color and the feel even after being under the comforter.

The head/foot of the sheets is marked with a tag, which makes making the bed a quicker chore because I wasn’t left wondering which way the fitted sheet went. I also like that the sheets and pillowcases are marked with size. This would be a great convenience at my lake house, where we have different size beds.

Sold on Amazon, California Design Den has many colors and sizes of sheets available as well as duvet covers and quilt sets. (Here are all the options.)

Here’s to sleeping comfortably – regardless of what else is happening in life!

*****

California Design Den approached me about reviewing a set of sheets, but these opinions are my own – and I certainly don’t joke around about sleep.

Seasons on the porch

March 6, 2019 by Kristin 15 Comments

I’m so eager to spend time on my real-life porch, but we keep having doses of winter temperatures. If the sunshine stayed out and we were on my porch together, overlooking the pool we’re all eager to open, I would tell you all the compartments of my mind feel full. And, truthfully, I have a hard time compartmentalizing anything. Everything on my mind spills over and runs together.

This full mental capacity isn’t bad. God just has me in situations that have required a lot of mental energy to stay intentional with living faithfully. And He’s reminding me of the beauty and purpose of seasons.

With that said, I’m needing to change up things here at the #PorchStories linkup. For this season in my life, I’m going to host this gathering monthly instead of weekly. I’m going to go ahead and have the linkup today because I truly love reading your stories. I love seeing you all support one another and watch this community grow.

Then I’ll settle into hosting #PorchStories the last Wednesday of each month. I’ll likely share my usual monthly roundup posts, but you’re welcome to share about whatever is going on in your life, how you’re seeing God, or what you’re learning. I’ll remind you on social media in the days before the linkup, and I’d love for you to bring along a new friend.

I’m still going to write other posts here during the month, I just need to free up a little mental space for all the other things in my ordinary life requiring my attention and thoughts. I also have other ideas and project I’d like to pursue and share with you. In the meantime, be sure to subscribe to my emails and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

*****

#PorchStories Party

Stories from the Porch in February

February 27, 2019 by Kristin 22 Comments

Well, February, I know you have fewer days than the other months, but, even so, you were so full. And wet. Oh the rain. My friends who live farther north have had snow while we’ve had many, many inches of rain that have come with flood warnings. Meanwhile, time continues to fly around here, even though I keep trying to slow it down!

Highlights

It’s the month of love – both for Hallmark and here for Team Taylor! Greg and I met 21 years ago on Feb. 7, 1998, and then went on our first date a week later. Yep, that would have made it Valentine’s Day. Before kids we called it First-Date Day, now it’s still that plus some more traditional Valentine’s Day sprinkled in because kids certainly make it more fun. {Read more of our story here.}

One of my favorite Valentine’s Day traditions with the kids is to hang up hearts on their bedroom doors that list things I love about them. I even do it on Rachel’s door because one day she’ll be able to read and until then she’s got people who love to read to her.

This month the love continued when we took a few road trips:

I gave the big kids tickets to see TobyMac (along with opening acts Aaron Cole, We Are Messengers, Ryan Stevenson, Jordan Feliz, and Jeremy Camp) as their Christmas present. We finally cashed in that delayed gift with the concert earlier this month. Initially, I was in it for the kids – and the delicious steak dinner we had beforehand. But the concert was so good!

On actual Valentine’s Day, we met some friends for dinner at one of my very favorite restaurants and then watched our beloved Murray State Racers win a close game at Austin Peay in Clarksville, Tennessee.

The after school the next day, we went to Louisville to hang out with my mom, some new friends, friends who used to babysit our kids, and my brother and his family. On that Saturday night, Greg and I detoured for a date with my oldest best friend and her husband before our own date to see Kentucky beat then-No. 1 Tennessee, which drew the third largest crowd ever at Rupp Arena. It was a weekend that filled my soul.

Favorite things

Chrysler Pacifica – After our fun couple weeks of travel to the concert, basketball games, and Louisville, our 2011 Dodge Caravan started making noises. A trip to the dealership service department revealed a transmission issue we weren’t sure we wanted to pay to fix. That decision was confirmed by a mechanic specializing in transmission issues. So we traded that van in toward an upgraded (majorly!) to a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. It’s great and I’m super thankful for the protection and provision God has shown to us during this unexpected situation.

The Couch with Mary Carver – I’ve actually shared about this here before, but I got to be a guest on her podcast, which was so fun! Mary and I talked about our favorite TV marriages, so I’d love to hear about who you would add to our list. {More on the episode here!}

Refined series at Lyli Dunbar’s blog – I got to share a piece of our story about Ben being burned and how community helped us heal as part of Lyli’s blog series. She has an encouraging space on this big ‘ole internet and I was happy to be there.

Crock Pot – I told Greg and I needed a new Crock Pot, so he bought me one for Christmas … and it’s the best! The six-quart appliance has brown/saute, slow cook, bake, and keep warm functions. That means when I made taco soup recently, I could brown the beef and onion first, add the other ingredients, and switch to the slow cook function. One pot. Yes, please. Plus the one pot is stainless steel and way easier to handle and clean than the ceramic pots I’ve always had before.

From the bookshelf

“Since You’ve Been Gone” by Christa Allen – I borrowed this one for free from Amazon on my Kindle and really enjoyed it. It was a quick fiction read about a woman who was uncovering some truths while navigating grief. The characters were relatable and the plot line had enough mystery to keep me intrigued. This author has several other books I added to my list.

“The Secret Orphan” by Glynis Peters – This story is set while World War 2 is raging. I really liked the main character and her story. It was different than other books set in this time period that I’ve read because it focused more on a commoner and how the war infiltrated her life.

“Good As Gone” by Amy Gentry – I read this book in three sittings, but I’m not sure what I thought about it. The story was intriguing, but it also seemed far-fetched. That said, I was surprised more than once and was eager to finish it.

On the screen

We’re glad “Survivor” is back on! I’m a longtime fan of this show, but I’m even more of a fan of watching it with my oldest girl. Meanwhile, I’m sad “Manifest” is over for the season. What cliffhangers!

What are you loving, reading, and watching?

*****

#PorchStories Party