Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Gifts for the Step-Father on Father's Day!




Although our Papi currently has no biological children of his own, he is very much a Father everyday! He deserves much praise on Father's Day. Below I've listed things to get a step-father and to recognize him on Father's Day. 

Homemade father's day gifts are usually the most sentimental and cheapest! Here are some sentimental ideas for the step-dad:

Create a homemade booklet. The front could read, (insert what the children call him.) is the best step-dad because... Each page inside could be dedicated to a separate great quality accompanied by drawings and a lot of color. 

Cook him his favorite dinner and bake his favorite dessert. A man likes to eat right? Why not give him the exact meal his stomach desires. He will not only appreciate the thought and gesture, but he will appreciate the time and effort as well. 

My boys say the funniest things. A great way to get some laughs out of your husband would be to comprise a set of questions and have the kids answer. What is he good at? What is something he is bad at? What superhero does he remind you of? He smells like? Where does he want to travel? The possibilities are endless! (The laughs will be, too.)

A clean home. Our Papi, being the neat freak his is, would love nothing more than to have a clean home. Sparkling. Shining. No sign of the messy clan in sight. Smelling of fresh laundry and bleach. After church, and time at my parents, this is something he would love to relax in. Not making any promises, this serves only as a suggestion to this list. ha!

If money isn't an issue, purchase him gifts that will mean something and that he'll truly value. Not just ties, cuff-links, tools, or any other typical Father's Day gifts. Does he have a favorite sports team? Purchase him tickets to a game. Does he have any particular hobbies? Buy him something that correlates with that interest. Since the weather has been warm has he been itching for the beach? Drive him to the beach for the day. What are his go-to treats and snacks? Papi loves Snickers. Maybe we'll throw a couple in a gift bag for him this year!

There are so many cute ideas for more complicated crafts and personalized gifts you can find online. There are infinite ideas. Most importantly, we need to recognize our husbands for their efforts and all they do in our children's lives. There's nothing like a dad. 

Happy Early Father's Day!

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

7 Way to Get Inspired to Write

As an artist, (yes, writers are most certainly artists), there are times when we feel.. less than inspired. Perhaps, it's the sink full of dishes. Or, the crying children. Maybe, it's the day to put the bills in the mail. Sometimes life can just drag us down to the point where it's hard inspire what we write and furthermore, harder to get ourselves to write. 

It's tough. I admit. Coming up with blog posts. Sometimes the will power just isn't there to get it done. My blog posts are all family and faith related; however, my realization of lack of inspiration actually inspired me to write this post! Writing is honestly one of my favorite things to do, but how does one overcome those days where writing another post is the last thing one would want to do? What about that novel you've been working on? What can you do to keep it going? What can you do to finally finish it? 



Below are someways to simply be inspired:

1. Read: Reading can give me the same escape writing does. I can find myself lost in a book and lose hours reading and meeting new characters. Reading can inspire me as well. It sparks my own creativeness and inspire me to begin writing again. Plus to be a writer, it is essential you are  reader as well. Stuck? Hop into a book!

2. Blog: If you're working on writing a book, whether it's your first or your fifty-first, blogging is a sure way to help get those creative muscles working. If your blog is different than the novel you're working on, writing for your blog is an excellent source of practicing. What do I mean by that? Writing is a talent. Just as playing the violin or running track would be. It's important we practice. Blogging is a great way to practice and to find inspiration.

3. Be alone: Spending time alone is one of the greatest ways to spark inspiration. It leaves you alone with your thoughts. Prayer and meditation helps. However, don't just sit alone on your couch at home in attempts to conjure up some ideas. Get outside. Walk around your neighborhood. Look at the beauty of nature, the birds in the sky, and the animals scurrying in your path. Go to a nearby cafe and eavesdrop. Listen to people talk, to the way they interact with one another. Sit at a local park and just people watch. Pay attention to their outfits, their gestures, their activities, and whom they are with. All ways wonderful ways to get inspired. 

4. Spend time together: Spending good quality time with those you love is always a sure way to help enhance your writing or simply inspire you. Listening to your husband tell a funny story about his work day can inspire you to take a comical turn in a work in progress you've sitting on your laptop. Watching your children play or talk about their day at school can inspire you to write a blog on family time, or use those experiences to enhance a story. 

5. Sleep: Give that overworked brain a rest. Sometimes it's as simple as that. People are often inspired by a dream. Who knows what great message will be sent to you during that nap?

6. Happiness: Personally, eating tacos with my husband and children is one of my absolute favorite things to do. It makes me truly happy. Going to church. Reading a great book. Watching a TV show that both my husband and I enjoy. Rubbing Chubby's belly. These things bring true joy to my life. They inspire me to write and they inspire my writing. Little pieces of your joy are always going to be sprinkled into what you write. That's the beauty of being a writer. We're raw. Open. We leave much of us on the paper. Let happiness be an inspiration. 

7. Do something different: What's something you've never done before? Drive in movie theater? Rollerblading in the park? Running a local marathon? Being adventurous can really get those creative juices flowing. Allow experience and life to inspire you to not only write but also inspire what story you tell. 

Writing is a beautiful gift and art. It's up to us to continue sharing it. Inspiration lies everywhere, we must pay attention.

What are some things you do to stay inspired? Comment below!