Silent Scream: It is okay to be a little “extra” about things. Treat yourself!

Hello all, I hope you enjoyed your week!

Here’s a question: Does it matter what a cup looks like as long as the contents inside it are safe, tasty and satisfying?

• Perhaps you said yes because you are questioning its size or cleanliness, or maybe you are worried the cup may have an undesired image printed on it.
• Or perhaps, you said no. Simply because you are thirsty and it will not kill you.

Why am I questioning you, or maybe even making you thirsty?

Well, I wanted to remind you that being a little “extra” is not always a bad thing. To demonstrate my point, I will show you what my sister and I did to surprise my parents with a little home makeover. (Scroll down to see the results if you wanna skip ahead.) I am not here to toot my own horn, my point is to remind you what a little extra tender love and care can do. My sweet parents came here from Laos where they grew up poor and lived very practically. If there was anything thrown out by anyone else but still functional, you better bet it found its way into our home! My childhood home was not decorated like the homes of my friends, and my birthday parties were not the most aesthetically pleasing, but I still technically had everything I ever needed. (Thank you Mom and Dad)

Why be extra?

Here’s some more self-reflection:

Think about the last party you attended. Did the cups match? How about the decor, was there a noticeable theme?

Let’s go even further and think about less scheduled settings, like your own set of cups you use to serve your guests. Do you serve nice drinks to your guests in reusable yellow Dickey’s BBQ plastic cups, or maybe one from Fuzzy’s Tacos? Oh I sure do hope not. If so, I hope they are the people you consider family.

Why should this matter? What difference does it make? Let’s go beyond cups and think about greater things like our homes, our physical bodies and the way we treat ourselves and others.

Here are 5 reasons why I believe the extra effort matters:

1. It keeps life interesting and sets the mood. Redundant things feel more important.
2. Life suddenly feels a little less chaotic and things seem put together.
3. It creates an environment that is more exciting and inviting.
4. It makes me feel more confident and inspires me to be more daring.
5. Because, why the heck not?!

Had enough self-reflection and ready to see the difference some effort makes after something sits untouched for 10+ years?

Below, you will find the results of the home makeover my sister, my husband and I gave my parents. I am not saying my Mom and Dad are slobs or careless beings, they are simply two hard-working people who gave their children the world and simply did the least for themselves. You will see the green paint, I once purposely choose for our living room way back when I was still living there during my middle school days. [ Remember when tan walls were the thing? ] You will see how years and years of useless items pile up. But what you may not see is how much better my parents feel about themselves when they return home from a tiring day at work and how confident they are about inviting their friends over now.

Before:

This setting has been this way for the longest time. The wall decor was dusty and there were dead bugs upon the windowsill.

The TV console was purchased by my sister years ago and the side table came from my old apartment and what sits on it is as questionable and the tacky wall portraits that hang on the wall.

Take notice of this dark paint color my Dad chose on his own and how he painted the whole wall ignoring the textured wall divider. These things do not occur to those who just need walls to function as they should. Also, the shelving units filled with years and years of old junk.

This is me with the first brush stroke, ready to give my deserving parents something nice to call their own.

It was time to move this old computer unit out of the dining room! Bye!

After:

The walls are now bare looking but I am happy about the colors I chose to give interest to this wall.

Ignore the different flooring here but perhaps this corner space makes more sense. We found this shelving unit at Walmart, along with the black metal one to the right.

A mounted TV is a luxury to my Father. It seems so simple but it makes such a big difference. Literally every television on my own home is mounted. It is not even a second thought. You see how being a little extra can be a huge deal?!

It was so nice to go through old photos with my parents to fill these photo frames I bought from Michaels.

Still in need of new wall decor, but a great start. Yes, I know the rug is quite small and ill fitting. HAHA!

This is how we spent our past weekend. Of course, my parents would not have allowed us to do this if they had known. This is the result of months of planning and piling things up secretly at my house. We also bought new things for other parts of their home but these are the main rooms that were transformed the most.

Where did we do our shopping?

Lowes, Ross, Michaels, Home Goods, Tuesday Morning, Kirklands, Target and Walmart.

Why the obnoxious demonstration?

BECAUSE WE DESERVE TO TREAT OURSELVES!

• Go ahead and organize that little pile of paper that sits upon your workspace.
• Align your shoes.
• Leave funny post-its for your friends at work or at home.
• Open the blinds and windows and let the light shine in.
• Go for a walk down that one path you always thought about trying.
• Go buy yourself some fresh pairs of matching socks.
• Get a hair-cut.
• Get your nails done.
• Take a long hot bath.
• Purchase a new couch pillow.
• Get some new clothes.
• Purchase a new gadget.
• Shamelessly eat a pint of ice-cream.
• Try a new restaurant, or try something different on the menu.
• Try a new hairstyle.
• Remodel your own home, start with a little tiny space at a time.

Whatever you do, do it for yourself. Allow a few more silly things to matter, it is okay and it is more important than we choose for it to be! It is wonderful that you love others, but do not dare leave yourself behind.

Love always,

Ashley.