Save the Sparkle Boots!

My youngest is recently potty trained, very picky about her shoes and in between shoe sizes. She is a toddler with moderately pudgy feet, so finding shoes that aren't too tight across the top is a challenge. Also, she prefers they all have pink, purple, glitter and/or any combination of the three. Last shopping day I bought her some black, glittery Ugg wannabes. It had gotten cold outside and she'd decided the week before that her casual shoes were too tight, leaving her with only her dressy "slippers" (because princesses wear slippers, not shoes).

Princesses wear slippers.

So, as you can see from the picture, the black glitter boots were perfect for her highness.

Fuzzy on the inside, sparkly on the outside. Perfection!

Fast forward two days. We'd been running errands and just came home. I honestly forgot how long it'd been since our last potty break. I was rushing around to get dinner started and the kids were standing around the table munching on a snack, when it happened! Ella exclaimed, "I'm peein'!" 

Now, that is the call to arms for all of us, because usually, when she says that, it really means she needs to pee, but we have time to race her to the ladybug potty chair. This time, not so much. She was standing up, wearing her new boots. The boots don't claim to be water proof, but they held an astonishing amount of liquid. We cleaned up the little princess and the floor. Then, I went to the bathtub, where we had haphazardly dumped the boots, to assess the damage. These are toddler size 6. I could barely fit my hands into the shaft of the boots, so scrubbing them clean was a challenge. I grabbed a bottle of baby powder and a box of baking soda. I used both to fill the boots up to the top, and then I sprinkled more of the same all over the outside of the boots. They were basically encased in powder. I set them inside a Walmart bag and placed them up on a shelf where they could air out.
I forgot them for a few days. Refusing to buy another part of boots, I grabbed a cheap pair of pink tennis shoes and that's what Ella wore to Thanksgiving.
After the boots sat for two days, I dumped out as much of the clumped baking soda and baby powder as I could, then put the boots inside a net lingerie bag and into the washing machine. I figured I had nothing to lose. I washed them once with some towels. I washed them a second time all alone. After the second washing, one boot still smelled bad, so I once again coated them in baking soda and let them sit in the bathroom window to air out.
I'm happy to report, after a week of washing and patience, that today, they are as fresh as a daisy! They have dried and smell great! I had to work at getting a few small clumps of baking soda out, but that was worth it to save the magic, sparkly, fuzzy boots.
So there you have it! With baking soda and a little determination, all things are possible.

Dear Red Journal

My dad takes care of an apartment complex and he often brings us found items. Over the years, we've gotten everything from a kitchen table to bunk beds, but more often it's clothing, books, canned goods or household cleaners. A few months ago, he brought a load that included a couple of unused journals, like you might find in stationary at Barnes n Noble. Edyn grabbed a brightly colored one with some floral motif, if memory serves. The remaining journal was plain, with a bright red, vinyl cover. I set it in my filing cabinet and left it for a month or so. I finally picked it up one day when I was rather emotional and decided to try writing. It had been one of those days (read more about it here) and I needed to blow off steam like a volcano, bubbling just beneath the surface. A week later, I didn't like what I'd written. Here is my second attempt:
Dear red journal,
Last week I wrote four pages and was then interrupted. At the time, I had been very upset. The day hadn't gone well and I vented... a lot! Of course, that is part of the purpose of a journal, I suppose, but I can't truly enjoy that. What if I never came back to finish my entry? And what if, heaven forbid, I were in a tragic accident and later, my family would find that my only journal entry had been a four page rant? No. That won't do.
Now, in that light, I really should fill the pages with deep, meaningful observations, humorous anecdotes and witticisms. That way, in my absence, I could be remembered as thoughtful, loving and funny.
Ugh! So much pressure! This is what I do with everything, over think, over analyze, over stress! I can't even enjoy a private conversation with MYSELF without making it too stressful!
I tore up and threw away the four page rant. Can't have that laying around.
So, how can I utilize this red book of empty pages in a way that is healthy?
I haven't written in it since. I'm starting to think that journaling isn't for me. As long as no great apocalypse takes out the electricity, I have a digital journal, of sorts. It's just in short, sweet, Facebook posts and random, rambling blog posts. Besides, I only want to put out what I'd like to get in return, and only what will show that I love my life and my family. I put the red book back in the filing cabinet.

The red book and my favorite coffee cup.
I was hoping for inspiration.

Feminism, Taylor Swift and Christmas Lists

I'm am a true feminist. I believe that women should be celebrating femininity. I think we should be EXACTLY who God created us to be. We're creative, emotional, nurturing, multi-faceted, unpredictable, soft, strong and beautiful. We look at things differently than men and that is the way it's supposed to be. I'm not arguing that we can't do the same job as men. I'm saying we bring different skills and perspectives to the job. I don't agree with the ugly turn that modern feminism has taken, trying to be more masculine or worse, treating sex like it doesn't matter. It seems like, instead of protecting our virtue and our hearts, women view sex as a normal and necessary part of modern dating. These things weigh heavily on my heart, especially as a mother of daughters.
I have two daughters, an eleven going on sixteen year old and an almost three year old little princess. My oldest daughter is a die hard Taylor Swift fan. Since Edyn was about 5 years old, she has followed her career and every Christmas there's always some T. Swift music/gear/fragrance etc. on her list. One year, Daddy sent just her and me to Tulsa to see Taylor in concert. It was pretty epic for our then 8 year old mega fan.
Now, we as parents have done little to discourage this infatuation. Most of the song lyrics were cute and quirky. The sad love songs were still relatable for my daughter because she has felt heart ache in her life, not in romantic ways, obviously, but her pain was still real. We have been vigilant in screening movies and books and music to make sure that they never glorified themes or ideas that could be unhealthy. We have had a few oopses. There have been times when we realized in hindsight that something was less than ideal. We have grown more cautious over the years. That bit of back story is just a little set up for what I'm about to say next. 

Taylor, then and now. She's all grown up!

I just heard the latest single from the new Taylor Swift album. She has made a clear break from her country roots and is definitely integrating more adult (if you consider early twenties adult) themes. The new song is called "Blank Space." You can see the video here. The song itself is catchy and very poppy. I can imagine the chorus will be playing on repeat in many young fans' heads. And that is what gives me pause. I think the song is a bit tongue-in-cheek and is Taylor's answer to the critics of her love life. The running joke is that all her ex boyfriends end up in a song and this is an anthem for girls who may have been perceived as "crazy in love," but not in a good way. While I can't fault her for the idea and, she's adorable, as always, the video and lyrics are darker in tone than her usual fare. Here are some of the lyrics, for reference, to "Blank Space" (or read them all here):

So it's gonna be forever
Or it's gonna go down in flames
You can tell me when it's over
If the high was worth the pain
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
'Cause you know I love the players
And you love the game

'Cause we're young and we're reckless
We'll take this way too far
It'll leave you breathless
Or with a nasty scar
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
But I've got a blank space, baby
And I'll write your name

Boys only want love if it's torture
Don't say I didn't say, I didn't warn ya
Boys only want love if it's torture
Don't say I didn't say, I didn't warn ya

I viewed the video and immediately cringed at the image of my kids bebopping around our house singing, "boys only want love if it's torture, don't say I didn't warn ya" or "got a long list of ex-lovers, they'll tell you I'm insane." We are trying to teach them to only allow good things into their eyes, ears and mouth. We want them to meditate on things that are beneficial to them in the long run.
Does that mean I no longer like Taylor Swift? No. I absolutely get the "method to her madness" so to speak. I understand her venting and I can relate to what she's saying, but I still don't want my daughter meditating on it. So, then I had to have a rather uncomfortable conversation with my daughter. She knew there was a new album out and was already voicing her hopes to get it for Christmas. I told her that I was concerned about this song in particular, that the lyrics weren't something I felt would be good for her heart. I said I'd be happy to screen the other songs on the album and because of digital music, we could buy whichever songs we wanted. To her credit, she handled it better than I had expected. She was disappointed, though.
We don't restrict our children to Christian music all the time, especially since Mr. Jones and I both love a wide variety of music. It's difficult to find the balance between shielding their sponge-like minds and giving them space to make smart choices. I know at this point, the desire to own every album and memorize every song would most likely win. How could it not? So it's our job, as her parents, to help her take a step back and see the bigger picture. I'll leave you with one of my favorite songs that reminds us to take care, when guarding our eyes, ears, etc. is by Casting Crowns:

"Slow Fade"

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray 
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray 
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see.

You can watch the video here.