From the Front Porch
Happy Friday from the front porch. We hit another subscriber milestone this week, so I definitely want to welcome friends old and new!
It’s hard to adequately convey sometimes just how much I appreciate all the ways you continue to love and support the blog. It literally means the world to me and I’m thankful on a daily basis you’re here!
Recently, a friend of mine went to visit her dad for a long weekend. A few days after she arrived, he had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital.
Every morning, she sat by his bedside, fielded questions from doctors and nurses, welcomed friends and neighbors who were visiting, and kept family members abreast of the situation via text and phone.
By the end of the 4th day, she was completely exhausted.
She called her aunts and asked them to stay with her dad for a few days while she traveled back home to pack some fresh clothes and to see her husband and little girls.
The next morning, she left before the sun came up to make the 5-hour journey home.
An hour outside the county line, the nurse called to say her dad would be discharged that day at lunch.
Thankfully, her aunts were there to help her dad make the transition home.
Over and over again she kept saying, “Had I only waited another 4 hours I could have saved myself 15 hours of driving. I was just so tired. I missed my husband and my girls and all I could think about was a big hug and sleeping in my own bed, in my own pajamas, and the chance to get some rest.”
As I was processing through the exchange, it made me realize in any given season we’re trying to balance …. a “survive point,” a “thrive point,” an “enough point” or a “quit point,” and for that moment in time she had reached her limit.
It also brought to mind, how we can be so close to something without even knowing it when our quit point or our enough point takes hold.
For her, it looked like much-needed rest.
For you it might look like putting off your taxes, finalizing your portfolio, or reconciling your bank accounts because you don’t want to deal with any of it. What would have taken roughly 15-30 mins to organize each week, now demands an entire weekend or longer to sort through.
Maybe it’s your house.
Those little piles add up, don’t they?
What would have normally taken an hour to clean now takes most of your Saturday because every day you kept putting those piles off and every day, they grew bigger and bigger.
Perhaps it’s a goal you’ve been dreaming about, and things are getting really hard.
You’ve just realized it’s going to take far longer to reach your initial goal than you originally expected. Now, you’re struggling to find clarity, direction, or purpose, and giving up would be so much easier.
As we head into May, you might feel like you’ve reached your limit.
But I want to encourage you to hold on.
Take a deep breath.
Give yourself some uninterrupted quiet time to figure things out.
Then bravely begin by taking action.
Follow the arrows and choose the next right thing.
It’s not too late to give yourself exactly what you need.
A Few of Our Favorite Things from Around the Web This Week…
This Tuscany Villa has me all kinds of ready for a vay-cay – it’s really beautiful!
The gorgeous portfolio of T S Adams Studio Architects Inc.
Step Inside the Fairytale-Ready Office of Hill House Home
This beach house is filled with inspo!
The color of this French door is really pretty! Plus, the post is filled with great tips and tricks if you need to paint one too
How to Lighten Furniture with Oven Cleaner, Bleach vs Sanding
Your Nancy Meyers House Based on Your Enneagram (mine was spot on)
10 Perfectly Wonderful Perennials for a Low Maintenance Garden
30 Questions to Ask Your Parents to Get to Know Them as People, not just Parents
Here’s What Happens to Your Immune System When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep
What Are Your Hobbies? Love these ideas from Grace and there are so many fabulous ideas in the comment section of this post too!
How to Deal with Social Anxiety Now That You’re Out and About Again
Speaking of out and about again, my friend Kelly inspired me to make these for May Day. And this one from Martha Stewart is super cool too!
Words to Live By…
Second Quarter Books of the Month and Devotional…
(Amazon affiliate links have been provided for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Any sales made through such links will support us with a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read our full disclosure policy here)
- April – The Gift of Home: Beauty and Inspiration to Make Every Space a Special Place by Bre Doucette (Reading this book feels like taking a little vacation every day!)
- May – The Power to Bless – Speaking Life into Those You Love by Alan Right
- June – Lessons from Madame Chic: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris by Jennifer L Scott
- Courageous Simplicity: Abide in the Simple Abundance of Jesus (Week 2? Lifegiving!)
On the Menu this Week…
Week of May 1st – May 7
- 05/01 Sunday: Creamy Pasta Pomodoro with an Italian side salad and crusty loaf
- 05/02 Monday: 20-Minute Chow Mein (skip the chicken and add extra veggies or tofu if you want to make it a Meatless Monday)
- 05/03 Tuesday: Nectarine and Summer Fruit Salad (we’ll probably add grilled shrimp)
- 05/04 Wednesday: Delicious Ways to Celebrate Star Wars
- 05/05 Thursday: Cinco de Mayo – 42 Recipes to Spice Up Your Cinco de Mayo Party
- 05/06 Friday: Family Friendly Charcuterie Board
- 05/07 Saturday: 37 Recipes for Your Derby Day Buffet
- 05/08 Sunday: Mother’s Day – 100 Mother’s Day Recipe Ideas
Sweet Treat to Try This Week…
Last-Minute Mother’s Day Finds We Spotted Online at Amazon and Target This Week…
(Amazon and Target affiliate links have been provided for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate and an Impact Media Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Any sales made through such links will support us with a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read our full disclosure policy here)
Cooler * Champagne Sugar Cube Scrub (so excited to try these) * Snack Bowls (in my cart) * Fascinator
Watch (S has and loves) * Cookbook * Wreath * Earrings (hint, hint, Piper 😉)
Dutch Oven * Shams * Skirt * Lip Mask
Quilt Set (have and love) * Tea * Journals (have and love) * Photo Printer
If You’ve Missed Anything from the Blog Recently or the Archives, Here’s a Peek At What We’ve Been Up To…
A Unique (and affordable) Monogrammed Gift Idea for Mother’s Day
How to Easily Personalize a Vintage Platter
17 Easy Gifts to Make for Mother’s Day (most of these are super easy!)
Spring to Summer Front Door Flower Basket
May Bucket List…
- Celebrate May Day, Cinco de May, Debry Day, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, and AM’s 1-Year Cancer Anniversary
- Buy a New Sundress (for the love, get over your arms, CoCo🤣)
- Make Ice Cream
- Sunset Picnic at the Beach
- Look for Fireflies
- Buy Piper a Swimming Pool
- Take Piper to the Park (trying to socialize a high anxiety dog is no joke, say a prayer for us)
- Continue Quarter Challenge in Q2
- Establish Exercise Plan to Strengthen Core
- Begin the Miracle Month with Carrie Green Challenge
- Organize and Finish the Laundry Room Makeover
- Continue Morning Pages
- Read the Book of the Month
- Continue Q2 Devotion
- Keep Sundays Sacred
May Simplified and Organized Home Challenge…
Focus of the Month: Shared and Common Areas
- 04/30 – Declutter & Organize Living Room
- 05/07 – Organize Household Books & Magazines
- 05/14 – Home Office or Guest Room
- 05/21 – Home Office or Guest Room Closet & Drawers
- 05/28 – Create Summer Bucket List
TCG Housekeeping Notes, Dates to Remember and Upcoming Posts…
- 05/01 – May Day, Shop for Birthday and Special Occasions Cards and Gifts
- 05/04 – Star Wars Day, National Renewal Day
- 05/05 – Cinco de Mayo
- 05/07 – Kentucky Derby
- 05/08 – Mother’s Day
- 05/14 – National Dog Mom’s Day
- 05/20 – National Rescue Dog Day
- 05/30 – Memorial Day, National Creativity Day
As always, we appreciate you more than you could ever know, and we hope your weekend is peace-filled and relaxing. We can’t wait to share even more with you next week!
Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Many blessings,
CoCo
Wonderful post, how do you manage to pack so much in and those homes!! oh my word, the beach ones always get my vote. I also think those monograms looks perfectly pretty, I would be so happy with a gift like that.
I hope your weekend is a happy one, we are heading to a long bank holiday for May day, sure all the workers are more than looking forward to it.xx
A long weekend sounds like the perfect way to celebrate the May Day holiday, Janette! Every time I see those beach homes I think about relaxing in a big lounge chair and spending the day with a good book. It sounds like a total luxury, doesn’t it? I’ll be seeing my Mom next weekend for Mother’s Day and I can’t wait to give them to her. She’s going to be so excited. Hope your week has been a good one and your weekend is filled with all good things, CoCo
CoCo,
I loved your message this week. I can see why your subscribers list is growing. You are such an inspiration.
Such a sweet and thoughtful compliment, Rachel, thank you so much. Big hugs, CoCo
Loved this post so much! Felt like you wrote it to me.
Have a great weekend.! I be catching up on blogs
That’s so kind of you to say, Cindy, thank you! I’m glad it resonated with you. That means a lot to me. Hope your weekend is filled with all good things. I am SHOCKED by how fast this week went by! Big hugs, CoCo
Such a lovely and timely post for me, CoCo. Thanks you, Laura
You are so welcome, Laura, I feel the same way about so many of your posts too. They’ve lifted me up just when I needed it. Sending you lots of hugs, CoCo
Your Friday from the porch actually puts me in such a good mood CoCo. It is my favorite, not only for all the inspiration but how you share your heart with us. The stories, the quotes, which by the way I LOVE! You are truly talented in the way you bring us into your world. With life being so busy, I don’t always take the time to read an entire post, I usually glance through the things that capture my interest. I always find myself reading every word here. Thank you so much for sharing my garden blog post sweet friend. Happy weekend.
You’re making me all kinds of teary on a Tuesday, Kim! That is such a sweet and thoughtful compliment thank you. One of my biggest life goals is to make sure the people that have been placed on my path feel seen and heard. And the best way to do that is through telling stories. I feel the same way about your flowers. You’re literally nurturing the earth and giving people reason to hope every single day. Your garden is your story and we are blessed to be able to watch each petal unfold. Sending you lots of hugs, CoCo
Wanted to congratulate you on the growth of your blog! That’s so exciting! Thank you for sharing your life and encouraging words each week! I always look forward to seeing your posts! Blessings, Donna
Thank you so much, Donna! It’s taken a while but I can finally see the small consistent steps slowly starting to pay off. Fingers crossed I can cross the next barrier and finally get into video. Sending you lots of hugs and thanks yous for all your support, CoCo