I once read a blog post that offered guidelines on how frequently to vacuum each room in your house. It was suggested that you vacuum based on the number of people who use the room. Example: Our bedroom should be vacuumed twice each week because two of us use it the most. The kids’ rooms can be done just once a week, since each child is the main person to use the room. That means that our living room (and stairs) should be vacuumed FOUR times a week, since our entire family frequents those areas.

Seriously?? I hardly remember to haul our vacuum out ONCE a week! Needless to say, our floors aren’t ever as clean as they could (should?) be. We also have white(ish) carpet in our home. It’s just the builder’s grade carpet, and we’ve not been able to replace it yet. But having two toddlers in a house with light carpet? What a nightmare!

Here’s an example of our living room:

Now, with the holiday season right on top of us, I’m realizing how little time I actually have to get things done. Cleaning is not on my list of fun things to do at ANY time of year, and it definitely isn’t climbing the list in December!

When I got an offer to review some services that Stanley Steemer provides, I knew this was my chance to eliminate a little of my dreaded holiday cleaning! Stanley Steemer is such a reputable company and I regularly have that little jingle stuck in my head. With more than 60 years as the dirt authority, Stanley Steemer cleaning experts are certified to remove more than 98 percent of dry soil from floors – a rate significantly higher than self-cleaning methods. Although we only used them for carpet cleaning, Stanley Steemer’s expertise extends to hardwood, tile, air ducts, water damage restoration, and more!

With carpets that looked like this, I logged on to Stanley Steemer to set up my appointment. I was a little nervous about when they’d actually be able to work me in, but I set up my cleaning for THREE days later! That was so much faster than I had expected.

Now, I completely forgot to take “after” pictures, so you’ll just have to take my word. Almost every spot came out. And the one or two small ones that didn’t are so imperceptible, they might as well be gone entirely.

Check out Stanley Steemer on Twitter or Facebook to see what other services they offer.

Want an early Christmas present? Stanley Steemer has also given me a $100 gift certificate that I get to give away to one of you!  AND, they’ve offered to toss in two bottles of Stanley Steemer Spot Remover!!

How to win the $100 gift certificate (you can have up to 3 entries):

1.  Leave a comment and tell me one thing you’ve done this season to reduce a little holiday stress.

2.  Follow Momconformist on Twitter and come back here to tell me that you did it.

3.  Facebook a link to the giveaway and leave another comment here to let me know.

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This giveaway will close on Thursday, December 13 at 11:59 pm (EST); the winner will be randomly selected and then announced on Friday, December 14.

Disclosure: Stanley Steemer provided me with the information and a gift certificate to review their services for this post, plus the additional gift certificate and cleaners to give away.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

I found a really great reading plan (if you can even call it a plan) to use with the kids as we journey through this Advent season. We’ve been so intentional about reminding the kids why we have Christmas in the first place, and it’s another good chance to read the Bible together as a family. I’ll share that with you at some point.

I’ve been using the Advent devotional that our church has put together and then I saw some pretty great news pop into my email. One of my long-time friends has written an e-book! It’s an Advent devotional called Make Him Room. Kirsten blogs at I Still Hate Pickles, and she’s the wife of a youth pastor, too!

The book’s only $2.99 and you can find it here on Amazon. I have to be honest and tell you that I haven’t gotten it yet. My early Christmas present (a KINDLE!!) is slated to arrive today and I didn’t want to figure out downloading a reader onto my computer when I knew I’d have the real thing in my hands in a matter of days.

So, yes. I’m totally telling you to get this book, even though I haven’t read it yet. I know it will be that good. Kirsten was one of my first Bible study leaders ever and I know that what she has to say is worth reading. Over 7,000 copies of this devotional were picked up over the weekend when she ran a promotion and I’m confident that it won’t disappoint. I’ve read another Bible study that she’s written and she has some really valuable insight to Scripture!

You don’t need to have a Kindle but you can download a free Kindle Reader via Amazon for your computer, iphone, or ipad. And don’t worry that you’ve missed the first few days. It’s still relevant and you can catch up quickly!

Scoot on over to Amazon if you’re looking for a good way to refocus and anticipate during this crazy season!

We had “Tangled” and a “monkey man” in our house during that last weekend of October. You might recognize them by their actual names, “Rapunzel” and “a monkey.”

Since my last post erred on the depressing side (it had to), I thought a post that’s a little lighter might be a good idea. Plus, it was colder on Halloween than it is today, on this December 4, so why not reminisce??

Now, if I can figure out how to rotate 2 of the 3 little video clips I have, I’ll share those next! Or maybe you can just tilt your head to the side. That would really be fun, wouldn’t it?

I’ve missed you fun people. Hope you’ve been well!

But, he is NOT winning this battle. I know it. I know Truth and I know how the whole story ends. Jesus wins. Evil does not.

Today we struggle to make sense of the mess in this world. It doesn’t actually matter if she was 14 or 15 or if he’s in his 70′s. We’re never ready to let go. It’s never actually “time.” And it always hits us like a ton of bricks.

I’ve run out of words. More accurately, I never had them to begin with. I want to pray for parents, for friends, for broken hearts, for the millions of questions, for my own babies, for salvation, for healing, for restoration of relationships, for strength and wise counsel, for peace.

I am so comforted by scripture that reminds me that I don’t have to have the words. And after the phone calls, texts, and emails this morning that are so desperate for the right words and comfort, I’m so honored that we (my man, in particular) has been called to this ministry. I’m grateful that I could send him out the door with his coffee a few hours earlier than usual and that I could sit in the silence of my house, crying out to God on behalf of other people in my life while he spends some time in the thick of it all.

Is there a greater honor than to be able to lay someone at the feet of Jesus?

I cried the ugly cry in the shower, not because I’ve been personally affected by news this week (some final and some nearing finality), but because my soul aches for these people in my life. Maybe that does make it personal. And as I blubbered to my Lord, throwing names of people at Him and wishing that I could make sense of my own babbling, He draped me with His peace that said, “Hey, remember Romans? You’ve read it a million times. The Holy Spirit is here with me. Interceding on your behalf. Piecing words together to form the sentences that you can’t. The Spirit knows. We get it. You don’t, but we do.”

Such a relief. When I can’t get anything out of my mouth other than, “Jesus, help,” He knows. He hears.

He hears and He is listening for the voice of His child. Hallelujah, Jesus.

“This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.”

My favorite version:

Wanna know what I did??

I showed up to the Parents’ Coffee (that I was helping to coordinate) at the kids’ preschool … empty handed.

I don’t do that.

Ever.

I’m a “make something fun and seasonal and different and always, always homemade” kind of girl. I don’t care if you bring something from the store. It’s a pretty sure thing that I’ll be eating your food, just the same. It’s just that I won’t be the one to stop by and pick up cookies. For anything. I have no idea why I’m like that. Maybe I inherited my mother’s preference for homemade goodies. Maybe I’m just weird. Maybe both.

All I know is that when I was coordinating sign ups, I quickly realized that we were going to have a ton of food. And as much as I dislike pulling something off the grocery store shelf to take as my contribution, I hate having an overabundance of food at events like this. I don’t want to throw food away. I don’t want to take the extras home, especially if it’s a homemade treat. Why? Because I’ll eat it all, that’s why! And P90X doesn’t work well when you eat everything in sight. Wait, what? P90x? Yes, you heard me. Have I not mentioned that before now? I’ve lost my mind and joined my husband in this crazy work out. And it’s kicking my tail in a serious way.

But, I digress. Another email popped up that specifically mentioned, “People haven’t eaten much at these in the past.” YIKES. I mentioned to another mom that I might not bring anything because we already had enough to feed a small army.

Her response? “I fully support you showing up with nothing. DO IT!”

I don’t know why I needed to receive permission in order to show up empty handed. It’s that approval of others thing that gets me every time. However, once I had that permission, I felt slightly more free to relax last Thursday night instead of making a ton of mini pumpkin pies. Which were totally cute and yummy, by the way. I made them on Tuesday, just for fun.

It might be different where you live, but a lot about life is just a little over the top where I live. Overachievers surround me and make me feel as though I can’t get anything right. Or, if I get it right, it’s not good enough. I let them bother me, and they don’t even know I’ve paid them any mind.

And that’s why it was such a big deal for me to show up empty handed last week. Baby steps toward not conforming to the world around me. Just another chance to be a mom who is trying to be a nonconformist. You know… Momconformist.