Playing with paper

After we finished our schoolwork for the day, I decided to toss in a load of laundry then spend the afternoon playing. I pulled out a paper collection consisting of a fun vintage cupcake/kitchen theme and created a fun little ensemble.

The large clipboard (which even has a recipe on it) would be perfect to clip your weeks menu and the recipes needed and hang it in the kitchen so it's close at hand when you're ready to cook dinner. The small clipboard would be perfect to hang near the phone to take messages or keep shopping lists. The journal would be a wonderful place to keep new recipes or to jot down family favorites and always have them in one place. The small little notepads are great to keep in the car or your purse so you're ready anytime you need to jot something down when you're out and about. Who says ordinary objects need to be boring?

A New School Year

It's upon us once again...a brand new school year. We normally hold off until after Labor Day to start our lessons back up, but the girls have been begging me to start back, so we did, a whole 3 weeks early. We are heading into our 10th year homeschooling and our second year without Tess, whom finished her home education early.

This year we're breaking away from our normal course of study and delving into a year long unit study about the pioneers, based on The Little House On The Prairie series. Of course we are sticking with our normal math, reading, and phonics curriculum so we stay on track in the basics. The girls are excited to delve into their pioneer studies, living out many of the things we will be reading about. Sarah is sticking with her normal course of study, but is enjoying joining in with us in some of our daily activities and special projects.

We love homeschooling our girls and all the blessings God rains down on our family through it. We begin each day with the Pledge of Allegiance, prayer, and scripture, along with a short devotion that teaches character traits pleasing to God. It's my favorite time of each day, having my daughters gathered around the table, learning more about God's love and grace. Then we proceed with our lessons. As I read our daily chapters from the Little House books, the girls work on their handwriting and spelling assignments. It works beautifully. We proceed with out lessons and activities pertaining to our unit study then take a short break. After getting the wiggles worked out while I make a snack, we return to our lessons. I've learned that by having a snack available for the girls to munch on while we work on some of our tougher subjects like math and reading/phonics, it helps to keep them more willing to stay on task. Since Gracie and Hannah are in different levels in these subjects, I find it works best to have one working on math while I work on reading with the other. Believe it or not, our school days usually run smoothly.

I can honestly say I was created to be a homeschooling mom and our family was created for the lifestyle it affords. I just can't imagine sending my girls off each day for other people to teach and mold their character. We feel God called our family home so that we can truly raise our children for His Kingdom Glory. Yes, academics are important, but not nearly as important as our daughters hearts and their eternal lives. Is this lifestyle right for everyone? Nope; and I don't think poorly of the educational choices others make for their families - each family is unique and therefore what's right for each is going to be unique as well. Do all homeschool families educate at home for the same deeply held faith convictions we hold? No; again, everyone has their own reasons for the choices they make. I just hope that we can continue to enjoy the freedom in this great country to make the best decisions for our families, especially when those decisions go against the "mainstream norm".

Ready to get started with our school day

Class Picture ;)

I really can't believe she's an eighth grader now

Benjamin thinks he can learn thru osmosis, apparently 

Being a good boy and listening to Mom read

Starting our day with the Pledge of Allegiance

The first day of school 2013

The Ups and Downs of my journey this past year

I don't know about all of you, but I've seen my fair share of ups and downs on that blasted scale over the years.  As many of you know, I discovered Plexus just about a year ago and what a life change that was!  I'd lost over 20 lbs my first month.  Then over the following 6 months, I lost close to another 20 lbs.  That said, I've been at a stand-still for the past several months.  On the upside, I haven't gained any weight back whatsoever.  On the downside, I haven't lost any either.  So, as I prepare to head into a new season, one that I love because it's full of comfort food and pumpkin spice latte's by the fire, I decided to take a few minutes and evaluate why I've been at this standstill.

Here's what I realized: The first few months I was diligent about everything ~ drinking my Plexus every morning and taking my Accelerator capsules along with it.  I tracked my weight and measurements and recorded my losses.  I also tracked not only my calorie/carbs, but also my food choices, enjoying the occassional fast food and treats along with my normal "family friendly" menu that I try to keep nutritionally balanced.  I was consciously aware of when I was truly hungry and when I'd had enough and was satisfied.  The excitement of seeing the scale go down daily kept me accountable... then, just like with most things, I became comfortable where I was and began to take for granted everything Plexus does for me.  After awhile, some of my old habits had slipped right back in without me even noticing it.  I began drinking Dr Pepper everyday rather than once in awhile.  I found myself skipping my Plexus here and there, sometimes for a week or two at a time.  AND... I realized that I was once again mindlessly snacking instead of listening to my natural hunger signals.  I gotta tell ya though,  through it all, Plexus hasn't let me down.  It's kept my weight and my health in check even though I wasn't keeping myself in check.  NO WEIGHT GAIN!  And, my last lab work showed that my blood sugar and all my lipids are still in great shape :)

Well, where does that leave me now?  I'm going back to square one again and finding the excitement I had a year ago when I first started my Plexus journey.  I determined to set my goals, work out a plan that works for me, and most importantly I'm giving it all over to God to use for His glory.  I took my starting weight and measurments today and recorded them so I can begin tracking again.  I'm once again using the app on my phone to track my food choices as well as my exercise routine.  Finally, a biggie for me, I've gone cold turkey giving up Dr. Pepper.  I know that I can enjoy all the yummy comfort foods that come along with the cooler weather as well as my pumpkin latte's and still achieve my personal weight and health goals.  I will keep you all posted as I once again see the numbers going down :)

If you'd like more information on what Plexus can do for you, please check out my website.  www.getslimLiveWell.com      It really is all that it's cracked up to be :)

Max William celebrates his birthday!!!

Can you believe that our boy is two years old today? Wow! We love our boy and of course had to celebrate by throwing him a little party. Cupcakes and his own cookie along with ice cream made up the refreshments ;). Everyone in the deli of our grocery store had a chuckle as we sang happy birthday to him and a few stopped by our table to wish him well :). Looking forward to the year ahead and watching him continue to grow.

Saving money without compromising quality

I rarely write a product review, but once in awhile I run across something I need to share. It seems to me that EVERYONE I know lately is trying to find ways to save money, myself included. Well, as women, I think it's safe to say, for most of us, that we will sacrifice many things before we give up our favorite cosmetics.

Since I first began wearing makeup as a young teenager, I've only used name brand, high quality products...Clinique, Estée Lauder, Bare Minerals, etc. lets face it, it gets expensive even with the fun "gifts with purchase" sets. Well, Sarah began wearing makeup a few months ago, and being the amazing bargain hunter that she is, she stumbled upon a cosmetic line that she instantly fell in love with...elf Cosmetics. With most things ranging from $1-3 and pallets well under $10 (not to mention when the online site runs a half price sale making it unbelievably cheap) it totally caught her attention. As a cosmetic snob, I thought "I'm glad she's having fun but no thanks...I'll stick with my Estée Lauder".

It all changed one day when Sarah bought me a small eye shadow pallet that was on sale for $1 and she just knew it was colors I'd love. Doing my motherly duty, I used it the next morning as she anxiously watched, wanting to know what I thought. SURPRISE was what went through my mind. The colors were beautiful and the coverage was smooth and nice. "It won't last all day, I'm sure" was my next thought. Wrong! By bedtime, my eye shadow was still on; no creasing and no smearing. Hmmmmm.... Is my13 year old onto something?

A couple weeks ago, while at Target, Sarah shows me some new color sets and products they've just gotten in. Mineral eye shadows. Baked eye shadows. Beautiful blush shades. A full cosmetic line. So, in a moment of temptation I pick up a few things and spend less than $10. I have to tell you, I love everything I bought. The baked shadows are gorgeous. The colors all blend so beautifully. I'm hooked :). So, if you're looking for a way to save money without giving up quality, give elf a try. I'm betting you'll be as surprised as I was :)

Now, don't be a hatin'... ;)

Yes, I'm one of "THOSE".  You know the one... I get excited when I see Hobby Lobby stocking the shelves with Christmas ornaments and when I see the Christmas trees going up in the middle of the aisle.  I shop for twinkly lights in August, and begin all my Christmas To Do lists.  I actually start listening to Christmas music when the first frost is more than 6 weeks away.  I refuse to even consider buying another pair of flip flops no matter how cheap they are and spend time drooling over the new Uggs beginning to show up on store shelves.  I'm even beginning to draft our annual Christmas letter and have started making our Christmas card.  Yes, I'm definitely "THAT" woman:)

The past few years have brought me back to my roots and helped me to realize just what is actually important and what isn't.  I've come to fully appreciate the little things that tie us to those we love and what we value.... heritage, legacy, crafted from the heart by the hands of someone you hold dear.  This year, more than anything else, I really want to make our entire holiday season a season of love and blessing.  From Thanksgiving to Christmas and all the way thru to Valentine's Day, I want to let my family and friends know they are loved and cherished.  A tall order, for sure and for certain; one that requires me to begin planning and working on things while the kids are still splashing away in the pool on hot summer days and catching fireflies on muggy August evenings.  The upside to starting on Christmas in August?  Well, it certainly helps you think cool thoughts as you envision snow covered landscapes, fireplaces roaring, and yummy smells floating from the oven.

Yes, I'm one of "THOSE"and no matter how hard I try to keep it undercover, I just can't help but do my little happy dance as I browse the aisles full of evergreens boughs and glittered christmas ornaments :)