A year ago, I hit PUBLISH on my very first post! To celebrate Grace, Coffee, & Mascara's first "blogiversary," I thought it would be fun to answer some of the questions you were so kind to send my way. And what kind of fete would it be without gifts? I'm going to be giving away a  She Reads Truth Bible, a Starbucks gift card, and a tube of my favorite mascara. {Get it? Grace, coffee, and mascara!} Or, if those things aren't on your wishlist, you can snag a $40 Amazon gift card instead! More deets on the giveaway at the bottom of this post! But first, let's get started with the Q&A.

Q: Why did you start blogging?

A. It does seem a little insane that I decided to launch a blog in the midst of homeschooling three boys ranging in age from two to eight AND while in my third trimester with baby boy #4. But it was because of the beautiful chaos in my life that I felt a need to do something for myself. (We mamas have to refill our own pitchers, so we have something to pour out. Amen?) For me, my blog was a much-needed creative outlet.

I also craved fellowship. As much as I love my role as wife, mother, teacher, and keeper of the home, being a stay-at-home-mom is lonely work sometimes. We love the snuggles, giggles, and sticky fingers on our cheeks, but sometimes we just need another mom to commiserate with. We need a safe place to share anecdotes, throw around recipe ideas, and exchange homemaking tips. This blog has been a great way for me to strengthen the friendships I already have (in real life!) and create new ones with like-minded women online.

Q: What are your five most popular posts?

A:
#5 - Simply Christmas: My 5 {Easy} Holiday Favorites

#4 - Let's Play {Five Truths and a Lie} + GIVEAWAY Previews!

#3 - She's Cheating at Homeschooling!

#2 - How Do You Know When Your Family Is Complete?

...aaaaaaaand {drumroll please}

#1 - The Faithful Merchant GIVEAWAY

So, basically, y'all like giveaways and peeking into our lives. You're my kind of people! Those are my favorite kind of posts to read too!

This wasn't asked, but I thought it would be fun to share. Other than the United States, GC&M has been viewed by folks in: Canada, Brazil, Spain, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and India, and also from Australia, Taiwan, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, Indonesia, Bulgaria, and Qatar.

Q: How do you do it all? Do you have some kind of superpowers?

A:  I laughed out loud when I read this question. Way too often, I can relate much more closely to the person in peril rather than the one wearing a cape! The short answer is that I don't do it all. I try to spend quality and quantity time with each member of our family, but I always feel like I'm shortchanging someone. My house is rarely "company ready." I cook simple meals, and I use up every last penny of our "dining out" budget each month. I'm not able to spend as much time blogging as I would like. I've lost touch with a few friends. I haven't been able to exercise regularly or get enough sleep. In terms of homeschooling, I'm taking as much help as I can get this year, including sending Logan to preschool (which I think he will love), enrolling Shane in a live online Latin class, and saying "no" to many very good opportunities, simply because it's just too much for our family right now. I could name a million other ways that I fall short, but thankfully I can rest in the knowledge that I am His and that is enough.

What I am able to do is not through my own strength. I rely very heavily on the Lord. I have a wonderful husband who is willing to take the lead with the boys as soon as he comes home from work (you know, when my patience ran out eight hours ago). He also pitches in with the housework. I get lots of help from our parents, who are all (blessedly) local, as well as friends. I try to keep things simple, I meal-plan, and I use as many homemaking hacks as I can!

Q: How do you keep your house clean?

A: I try. I really do. But I've got to be real. My house is usually cluttered, there's at least one bathroom in need of a good cleaning, and all the glass surfaces in our home are always, always peppered with greasy fingerprints. If you see a pretty picture of my home looking clean and beautiful, one (or both) of the following is true: 1) the rest of the room is a mess, but you can't see it because it's not in the picture, or 2) the room is uncharacteristically clean and beautiful, so I'm taking a photo to document that it looked a certain way for at least a moment in time.

It's getting a little easier now that the boys are older and can help with the chores, but housekeeping is a real struggle when you don't have any time to work on it, and you have four little boys who are constantly undoing the work you've just done. When you value relationships over a perfectly kept house, you just have to learn to let things go. I would love our abode to be decluttered and sparkling at all times, but I'm not willing to put that above nurturing relationships with the members of my family.

Oh, and I have to tell you, the Roomba is a game-changer. Ours is named Rosie, after the robot-maid from The Jetsons.

Q: What color are the walls in your living room? I love that color!

A: Well, thank you! The color is called "Anew Gray," and it's by Sherwin-Williams. It's a warm gray that goes with everything. I think it's even prettier in person than in photographs.

I have so many things to say about paint colors! I'll just keep it to this for now... In the early days of our marriage, Dan and I enjoyed and experimented with lots of color. (Remind me to tell you about the time we painted our bathroom neon blue. Thankyouverymuch, Real Simple. Every time Dan and I reminisce about that story, I laugh so hard that I cry.) Now that I'm older, and my days are filled with chaos and noise (so much noise!), I crave soothing neutrals, and Anew Gray makes my eyes happy.

{The Giveaway!}

To celebrate GC&M's first blogiversary, I am giving away:

• Grace -- She Reads Truth Bible in your choice of color! (Choices: Gray Hardcover, Poppy Linen Hardcover, Gray Linen Hardcover, or Navy Leathertouch. Not in "Thumb Index" style.) I don't own one personally, but I've been drooling over the Gray Linen Hardcover and Poppy Linen Hardcover ever since they were released!
• Coffee -- $10 Starbucks gift card. Have a skinny decaf peppermint mocha frappé on me!
• Mascara -- L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Mascara - Carbon Black. This is my favorite mascara, and beauty bloggers agree with me!

OR if these things aren't your jam, I'll give you an Amazon gift card in an equivalent amount.

To enter, all you need to do is {a} make sure you subscribe to GC&M via email or follow me on Facebook or Instagram, {b} LIKE this post on Facebook or Instagram, and {c} tag a friend whom you think would enjoy following along with GC&M. That's it! Good luck! 

To those of you who earned extra entries when we played "Five Truths and a Lie," please remind me how many entries you earned, so I can apply them!

Fine Print: The giveaway ends on Saturday, August 12, 2017 at 11:59 CST. I will be announcing the winner on Monday, August 14. The giveaway is open to continental U.S. and Canada only. The winner can choose between the GC&M package (Bible, Starbucks gift card, and mascara) or a $40 Amazon gift card. The GC&M package cannot be broken up. For example, the winner cannot say, "I only want the Bible, and I want the rest in an Amazon gift card.