Letting Go of Perfection - A Lifelong Lesson

"What is a weakness you have?"

I can still remember being asked this question during job interviews.

Of course, when you are in a job interview, you don't REALLY want the other person to know you have weaknesses, right? BUT we, all, have weaknesses -- alas, the question must be answered.

I would always tell the other person that my weakness was that I was a perfectionist. I figured I could get away with this one well. I could tell the weak side of this but also a good side.

After all, it is a noble and good thing to strive for perfection, to strive for excellence in all that we do and not settle for mediocrity.

However, striving for perfection means that
we could lose sight of some of the beauty that lies around us.

It may be hard to settle for less.
It may be difficult to start or finish projects.
It may be easy to get impatient or aggravated.
It may be easy to compare situations.
... and more.

Even as I write this post, I am struggling to be satisfied with "imperfection". My loving husband took my oldest two children snowboarding this evening, one of the last possibly good days to go since we haven't had much snow and cold weather this winter. Tomorrow my kids have their high school classes with our homeschool group, and I know that they will be home late, around 11:00 p.m. with some work to finish up for their classes.

My insides would like to worry and fret and get all tied up inside, but somehow, I have to accept this reality and know that life will continue to go on, as less-than-ideal as this seems to me.

I can get worried over something I have no control over, because it doesn't meet the image and standard I create
or I can accept the reality that it is and live with grace.

Once I get a picture in my head of how something should be, it is hard for me to break away from that, and this applies to my entire life - my marriage, my child rearing, my teaching, my relationships, and yes, even my blogging - every part of my life.

And step by step, I am learning, continually...

To let go of perfection.

To still strive for excellence but to accept reality,
with peace and graciousness.

Compass Classroom: An Educational Resource for Homeschoolers

As a homeschooling mom, it is invaluable to have good quality resources that supply tools to educate the next generation—our children.

I recently became aware of Compass Classroom, a company that seeks to provide just that!

Compass Classroom desires to create products “that will be useful to moms, interesting to students, and glorifying to God”.
(From their About Us page)

The company started with a vision to support homeschool moms and their educational environments, and this vision continues to weave through all they do.

It provides video courses and materials for various subjects with a desire to fill in the gaps for homeschool families and educational purposes, in general.

While offering a high quality education is important, Compass Classroom realizes that education is better received when it is more enjoyable, so they strive to find satisfactory teachers and produce entertaining substance.

Some of the subjects available are:

• Latin
• Economics
• History
• Bible Study
• Poetry

If you need some assistance with teaching certain subjects or would like to add supplemental learning to your curriculum, check out Compass Classroom!

Breakfast Smoothie Bowl: The Basic Gist

With the New Year starting, oftentimes our minds are on making good changes for our health. I have been trying to eat healthier and lose a little weight along the way.

One thing I have been eating in the mornings is a smoothie bowl. Yum.

Why a smoothie bowl? You ask. Why not just drink a smoothie?

I like smoothie bowls mainly because of the texture you can add to them. By adding various things to your blended beverage, there is crunch and solidity, and it's just nice to have a little variety.

You can look online for all sorts of intricate smoothies, made with specialty items you may not always have around the house.

Here, though, I will show you the basic gist of a smoothie bowl so you can get started, and then you can expand your knowledge and practice.

The two main steps to making a smoothie bowl are:
1. Make a thick smoothie.
2. Top with all sorts of goodies.

You can make a fruity smoothie or a more savory smoothie:

Fruity
Blend:
*You can alter these amounts based on your preferences, but this is a start.
1/2 banana, frozen (In my mind, frozen bananas always make the best smoothies!)
1/2 cup frozen berries of your choice
about 1/2 - 1 cup milk, almond milk, etc. (keep on hand in case you need to add more)
You can also add extras like: protein powder, peanut butter, and greens if you'd like

Top with: granola, coconut, seeds, nuts, fresh or frozen fruit... whatever you like!

Peanut Butter Banana
1 frozen banana
about 1 cup milk or almond milk
2 T peanut butter
1 scoop chocolate protein powder

Again, top with your favorite toppings!

Have you had a smoothie bowl? What is your favorite?