Day 28: It's Okay When Life Gets in the Way

Just joining in?  Read the entire series {HERE}.

Here I am posting for today at 7 PM.  This weekend we were able to go up and see my sweet step-daughter, Kaitlyn, up by Cleveland where she goes to school and is a senior.  It's about 3 hours away from us.  She plays soccer for her college team and today was Senior Day.  We had a nice visit with her yesterday, went to see a movie, then out to dinner and our littlest, Riley,  got to spend the night with big sissy at her apartment, while the boys, hubby, and I stayed in a nearby hotel.

Today during the game today it poured freezing rain.  We huddled together in the stands to cheer for our girl, fighting over umbrellas, grumbling when the neighboring umbrella dripped water on us,  yet giggling and cheering with numb, shaking fingers holding umbrellas and hoods up.  I have no idea how Kaitlyn and the other players played so hard in those conditions.  It was wicked-nasty out.  Riley kept saying, "I don't like that Sandy," referring to the incoming storm.

Now home, a little bit ago I was in our laundry room, sorting all of our weekend getaway items, wet clothing, blankets, gross, rolled-up socks, and winter coats.  

I could have gotten stressed and overwhelmed by those wet piles but I didn't.  I could have worried that I hadn't thought ahead about what I was going to write about for today but I didn't do that, either.  Because when life happens, those fun, memory-filled, proud moments come, you need to be 100% present and grateful and not worried or you'll miss the important stuff.  Being with family is about the most important stuff there is.

Sometimes it's hard to put things in perspective, ranking them in order of importance.  Listening to my daughter read is more important than looking at Pinterest.  Having a good conversation with my hubby is more important than folding laundry.  Showing my boys that I care by stopping what I am doing to help them or really, truly listen to them is more important than blogging.  

I hope you let life get in your way and put things in perspective.  You'll never look back and wish you had folded more laundry or were on your phone more. 

Day 20: Starting to Think About the Holidays

Just joining in?  Read the entire series {HERE}.

Whew!  My Post is l-a-t-e!  Been a busy Saturday.  Fun, but busy.

I actually did a little searching on the www today to start thinking about the holidays.  Christmas in particular.  Anyone else done that yet?

I know, I know, it's only October, but I have said every.single. year. that I am NOT procrastinating, stressing, rushing, or worrying during the holidays.  And every single year I do.  I am still out at the stores on Christmas Eve Day aimlessly gift or grocery shopping.   It totally takes away from the enjoyment, beauty, and reason for the season.  I'm taking a different approach this year, my friends!

I thought I'd share a couple links my sis sent to me that I went crazy for!

Here we go..

For great gift ideas that you can make in mass for neighbors, teachers, and the like...
The Fickle Pickle

There are so many cute ideas on just this one post.  Are are do-able, afforable, and can take care of lots of gifts you need to give.

For great new traditions and ideas you can start with your kids or family...

A sweet blog called Workman Family is behind this cute idea.  Wrap items filled with small toys, movies, family fun ideas that the kids open each of the 25 days before Christmas.  Many of the items in this bucket are ones that they already had.  It just adds to the excitement of the season!  You could adapt this to fit your family or traditions.

These are just a couple of the great sites I saw today.  I plan on doing more posts this month and next about how I am going to prepare for the holidays so my booty can stay home  and enjoy my family on December 24!  

Here is what I am going to tackle ahead of time:

Making a master gift list

Making as many gifts as possible--I always say I am going to do this-this year I am!

Nailing down cookie recipes

Shopping online as much as possible

Making or buying multiples of things I find that are affordable 

Organizing my Christmas decorations--this is a biggie!

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify---less is more--figuring out what that means to me and my family

This researching and thinking about the holidays has really gotten me excited to get organized and feel on-top-of-things this year!  I hope I've inspired you to think ahead no matter what holidays you celebrate.

Day 16: Thinking Ahead=Cutting Down on Errands

Just joining in?  Read the entire series {HERE}.

Have you ever ran out to the store to grab snacks for soccer or  a folder your kid needs at school, or to the bank to get some cash out for the football game and realize the next day there was 3 other things that you needed for the coming week that you could have picked up when you were RIGHT THERE at the store?  Yeah, me too.  

It's not like I don't want to visit heavenly Target 3 times a week, but it takes tons of extra time and effort to go multiple times to get things that are needed for you or your family.   Plus, while there I usually end up getting more than what I came in for. That only happens at Target, right?

Source

I need to reduce the amount of time I am scurrying around getting those errands done.  I brainstormed some things I can do to help with this, and maybe these ideas will help you, too.

We can:
Look ahead.  Not to just tomorrow, but to the next two to three weeks.  Check our calendars, schedules, school and sports memos, and newsletters.  Make a list of everything that we may need to get or buy.  Keep a running list in one place, not on a gazillion post-its notes or lists.

*Look ahead on school newsletters and flyers.  Do we need special or extra school supplies?  Donations of items?

*Look at all sports schedules.  Do we need any special equipment/snacks/coaches' gifts?

*Think about work, whether you work at home or outside of the home.  Do we need items for upcoming projects or jobs?  Gifts for co-workers?

*Special occasions--what birthdays/anniversaries/other events are coming up?  Do we need to get a gift for an upcoming birthday party?  What cards need purchased?  Do we have stamps?

*Clubs/Church/Other organizations--what's coming up that will require us to bring a snack/item/donation?

*Cash--(I don't have cash often, I use my debit card for almost everything) What is coming up that we  will need cash?  Do the kids need any for school acitvities?  Do we need to go to the bank or ATM while we're out?

These are just a few areas of our lives that may require us to make a trip to the store to get items.  Wouldn't it be great if we were so prepared that we could get several tasks taken care of in one errand?  Imagine how on top of things we would feel!

 I know that rushing around and getting things last minute is stressful to say the least.  No, these are not rocket-science ideas, but if you are like me, when your head is spinning you tend to do what you need to do in the RIGHT NOW to survive.  :)

Remember, we're on this mission together, to create a Less Stresssed Nest. Are ya with me?

Day 13: It's {Going to Be} a Good Day

Just joining in?  Read the entire series {HERE}.

My post is a little late today...I haven't felt tip-top (yucky cold) and have been extra sleepy.  Our littlest had her soccer game this morning, and BRRRRR, it was cold!  Made me want to come home and sniffle under the covers, lots of them.

I had intended to post today about a little project I had been working on, but instead shifted my gears to just enjoying the day, the weekend, the beautiful fall weather, and my family.  It's going to be a good day.

Days don't always work out in your head how you think they will.  Last night in bed I lay thinking of all of the things I was going to accomplish, cleaning, projects, blogging, all of the things I wanted to do with my hubby and kids, pumpkin patch-ing, playing a game all together, taking a walk.   Then my step-son came home from a football game he went to this morning and says he's going hunting with his uncle.  My son, who is 12, wants to go to the school's playground  in our neighborhood with his friend, and my daughter is perfectly content reading to her imaginary students (and has been for almost 2 hours!  I was her "student" last night--so fun).  The hubby is watching college football, our bellies are happy and full of lunch where we all had different remnant-type leftovers and such, and me, I am in a sweatshirt and jeans on the couch (also Riley's classroom, oops).  When I have other plans, while well-intended, I realize they may not always happen like I thought they would, and that's okay.  We switch gears, move things around.

I guess instead of stating that it's going to be a good day, I need to say, it is a good day.  God is good.  We are healthy, content, and enjoying a meaningful Saturday.   The sun is out, the leaves are crisp, and the nest is cozy.

How about you?  Are you in the frame of mind that it's a good day?

Day 10: Blessed by Stress

Just joining in?  Read the entire series {HERE}.

Oh Happy Day!  It's 9:00 pm and Mama is tired.  I am just now sitting down to write my post for tomorrow after being at school all day, picking up my Dad to bring him to my home for supper, taking my son to football, eating dinner, cleaning up, doing my Dad's bills and checkbook for him (which I am solely responsible for since my Mom passed away last year), taking my Dad to pump gas in his car for him (81 and has never pumped gas!), then picking my son up from football, doing laundry, reading baggie books with my daughter.....

BUT, I am going to practice what I preach.  I could get all whacked out stressed about how busy life can be, or, I can be grateful for the beautiful, blessed life that I have.

I decided to turn my stresses in to a list of blessings:

I get to pick my Dad up to bring him to my home for supper.   I miss my Mom so much I can't put it into words.  Someday I will miss him, too.  He eats dinner most nights alone.  It's a blessing that he can come to my home, play poker with my kids, and eat with us.  I love sending leftovers home with him.  He is the most grateful man I know.

I am blessed to have a son healthy enough to play football.  I love watching him get excited and be part of a team.  All of my children play sports and it makes them happy.  That makes me happy.  Someday they will all be grown and I won't have practices or games to take them to.

We have plenty of food to eat in my home.  We can make dinner and have a nice kitchen to clean up afterwards.  My sweet hubby makes more than half our meals and cleans up most of them.  I am lucky to have him.

I can help my Dad pump gas...it means he can still drive and come and see us.  Being responsible for his finances means I get to do what my Mom always used to do.  I use her same checkbook cover that sat in her purse for years.  I see her handwriting on the ledgers.  I know she would be proud of me.

Laundry, let's see.  A blessing?  Yes.  It means that my family can buy clothes and have our own washer and dryer to keep them clean.  Many people don't.

Reading with my children.  One of my great loves.  I am blessed that my kids don't struggle with reading.  I work with students with reading disabilities.  I see how hard it is for them.  I think about parents of these children and how helping them read can be so frustrating.

I could go on and on.....but want to go kiss my blessings good night.

How can you turn your daily little stresses into blessings?

31 Days: Day One: Getting Ready to be Less Stressed

Hello, hello!  Welcome to my 31 day series!

Here is a list of the whole series:

Day 1: Getting Ready to be Less Stressed

Day 2:  Evening Routines=Less Stressful Mornings

Day 3:   Have a Dreamy Slumber

         Day 4:  Finish What You Start:  Procrastination

Day 5:  It's the Little Things

Day 6:  Finding Hidden Potential

Day 7:  Messes Can Mean Progress

Day 8:  Sense of Accomplishment:  A Fun Armoire

                                       Day 9:  Craft Supplies Organized:  A Little Stress Relief

    Day 10:  Blessed By Stress

    Day 11: Taking Things for Granted

    Day 12:  Make All Kinds of Date Nights

    Day 13:  It's {Going to be} a Good Day

    Day 14:  Organizing School Pics/Papers/Awards

    Day 15:  Making {Little} To Do Lists

    Day 16: Thinking Ahead=Cutting Down on Errands
Day 17:  Taking Care of Me
Day 18:  I Heart Coffee:  What's Your Vice?
Day 19: Calming Spaces:  Eye Candy
Day 20:  Starting to Think About the Holidays
Day 21:  {Organized}  Gift Wrap
Day 22:  Organizing With Labels
Day 23:  Meal Planning (Kinda)
Day 24:  Simplifying the Holidays {What Really Matters}
Day 25:  What's Your Small Stuff?
Day 26:  5 Minutes:  Ready, Set Go!  (Part 1)
Day 27:  5 Minutes:  Ready, Set Go!  (Part 2)
Day 28:  It's Okay When Life Gets in the Way
Day 29:  Prioritizing Tasks
Day 30:   Seeing the Finish Line
Day 31:  So, Is Your Nest Less Stressed?

I am psyched to pull together ideas to help you (and me) on many areas of our homes and lives that cause us too much stress!  I have a line-up of posts ready for the month of October including topics like:

*Small organizational tips and ideas that make a big difference

*Creative projects that are easy but make your nest beautiful and a little less stressful at the same time

*Establishing habits and routines that make your home run more smoothly and make your brain less frazzled

*How to prepare for the holidays:  decorating, organizing, gift-giving--simplying it all so you can enjoy more and stress less

I truly believe when our surroundings are cluttered visually it makes our minds and spirits feel cluttered as well, like heavy bricks weighing on our souls.  Stress is inevitable for all of us, but it doesn't have to dictate our days, our homes, and our families.  I find you can make little changes of design, organization, and routine in your home that can make a huge difference on how your home feels.  This translates to how your whole family feels.  You feel less stress,  and if you have kids, they benefit, too, because predictability and structure are things that kids need and crave.  Nobody likes a stressed mama.

Join me, every day in October so that we can learn together to minimize this whole stress beast in our homes.  

It is all about living simply and beautifully, learning how to create a Meaningful, Less Stressed Nest.  

See ya tomorrow!

Sharing with:
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Using Old Books: {Meaningful Pieces}

When at my parent's house today I spied some books that I've had my eye on.  The books belonged to my sweet mom, who passed away last June.  She was an avid reader and had books for as long as I can remember.  Paperback novels, mysteries, old classics, you name it, she had it.

We have this giant set of bookcases in our great room (see past post about those HERE).  While I do love them and they nicely fill out our huge wall, they lacked, well, books.  I have accessories and pictures and other things to fill the shelves, but really no books.  Kinda embarrassing.  You see most of the books I have are paperback or not bookcase-worthy.  I have a few nicer, large "coffee table" type books, but not many.  So when I was looking through a bookcase at my parents' house today, I asked my Dad if he cared if I filled up a couple bags of books.  Of course he said "yes" so I went about sorting the types, sizes and colors I wanted to use in my bookcases and filled 2 paper bags. When I got home,  I set about finding spots for them in my bookcases:

I am loving the yellow horse head above, by the way.  It's this weird quirky thing that is sort of out of my comfort zone, but fun.  I found him on clearance at Marshall's.  I knew the hubby would give me his "look" when he saw him for the first time, but he's grown to love him.  At least that's what I'm sayin'.

I still have some work to do on the bookcases, still have shelves to fill and re-arranging to do.   I also am working on a strategic way to hide all of the electronic cords before I reveal the whole thing to you all. Soon I will be putting some hints of autumn in there...can't wait.   Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

Linking Up to:
This Gal Cooks-Marvelous Mondays
Western Warmth
At the Picket Fence

Family Information Station

Currently we have a bulletin board on a little wall in our kitchen that is connected to the dining room.

We've had it a while so the cork in it is pretty hole-y.  I used to write Sunday-Monday on the dry erase part to tell what was going on that week with practices, games, and appointments.  This summer I have been totally lazy about writing on it at all!

With school starting, I knew I needed to get my act together.  My step-son, Karch, is now a junior and the kicker for our football team.  My son Colin is going to junior high (help me) and plays on the 7th grade football team, and Riley is going into second grade and plays soccer!  Needless to say, we are going to be busy.  The little cork board and magnet-mounted-fridge calendar weren't going to cut it.

I totally changed how this little wall between our dining room and kitchen functions.

Enter the Board Dudes Dry Erase Calendar Board.  Love it.  Recently Jen from I Heart Organizing (AMAZING site) featured many of "The Dudes" products.  I found my calendar board for $15.99 at Hobby Lobby.  No, I did not have a coupon, but if you did, that would be a deal.  The board is large and magnetic.

I wasn't a fan of the white frame so I decided to give it a little character and paint it.  I painted it this pretty green, then used a sanding block to distress it some.

To take my board one step further, I typed out numbers 1-31 onto colored cardstock and laminated them for durability.  I put a tiny piece of magnet on the back.  I did this because I did not want to write the numbers in ....I knew they would get smeared when we wrote on the board.  With the magnets, each new month all I have to do is move the numbers where they need to go.

At the bottom of the board, I used Command hooks (the small, clear ones) to attach to the bottom.  I did not want to drill holes in the board in case in the future I don't use hooks anymore.  Command hooks allow me to take them off without the damage.   I used chipboard scrapbooking letters that I already had to label each hook with our three kids' initials.  (We have four kiddos, but one is at college)

I used plastic sleeves since they protect and have the holes on the side to put on the hooks to store the kids' schedules and other information that may pertain to the calendar.  Even though events and times are written on the calendar, sometimes I need to refer to the info. the coaches hand out like away-game directions.   This way the information is right there and I don't have to go to another place to find it.  Also, the boys like to have information, too, and they don't need to ask me where their papers are hiding.

As the school year starts, I may end up putting each of my children's school information sheets on upcoming events in here, too, since you can put many sheets in these protectors.   This way if they are looking for something, they know they can go to their hook and look in their plastic sleeve for it.

I also put up one of my frame-turned-message boards {see my post about how to make one HERE}  where we write items that we are out of and need to get at the store.  (And cleverly spelled out "GET" with the same scrapbooking letters I already had that I used for the kids' initials)  This is a beauty because if you have a phone with a camera, you can just take a picture of your list and you have it at the store with you!  I did this recently and was waaaaaay pleased with myself for thinking of it.  :)   I used the curtain tie-back that came with curtains I have to hang the frame.

To complete our little family information station wall, I added a paper flower I made out of a paper bag (see tutorial on THIS great site), a funky little wreath I had, and a framed "Love Your Nest" print I made.  I already had all of these items or all of things that I needed to make them, so the only thing on this wall that I bought was the dry erase board!

As we start to use our Information Center, I may need to tweak it or add to it to make it more user-friendly for our family.  I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and feel much more on top of things for when the school year starts.

Sharing this project with:
Romantic Home:  Show and Tell Fridays
The Shabby Nest
Honey We're Home
Tutus and Teaparties-A Pinteresting Party
I Heart Naptime
One Creative Weekend
Flour Me With Love
Funky Junk Interiors
I Heart Organizing
Six Sisters Stuff
Brassy Apple

A Mini-Vacation

After Riley's birthday party a little over a week ago, I needed a couple days to recover...stenciling my dining room wall and then getting ready for her party in the same couple days put me a mode of needing to just rest and not do a project or a post.  Also, this past week my twin sister, Dia, and her little sweet girl, Camdyn, who is almost 4, went with Riley and I on a girls-only long weekend to our sister Pam's house in Eastern Tennessee.

I could write many funny stories about our trip there, which with stops and two little girls was about 8 hours...but I'm going to keep to sharing some pics of the outside of my sister's house as well as some fun things that we did our on short stay.

First off, let me say that my sis Pam has amazing taste and her decorating is BHG-worthy.  That is why when I saw her home when we pulled up (I had not been to this house before) I about drooled.

This house has a wrap-around porch and it is HUGE!  I told her she could have a party of 200 out there.  There are 3 sitting areas, and in the back is this mammoth hydrangea bush.

My brother-in-law, Greg (who has only been married to my sis for a little over a year, and is a total keeper)  did a beautiful job on the landscaping around the house.  The trees cover the driveway and everything is lush and full.  (Dia and I were amazed at how GREEN everything was--here in Ohio we have nothing but brown lawns.)

Pam took us to a fun little town in Jonesboro, Tennessee, which is the oldest town in the state.   On Friday nights they have a live band playing on the front steps of their courthouse.  The town is full of history and charm--two of my favorites things in a small town.

The next day we went to a nearby lake and rented a pontoon boat.  SO FUN.  This lake is one of the most pristine in the country.  It was spectacular...so relaxing and scenic.  Our little ones enjoyed being the captains.

Is this gorgeous or what???

Thanks for letting me share our fun mini-vacation with you!  It was fun having some sister time and getting to be with family.  I missed my other kiddos and hubby a lot, but hopefully they can come with us next time.

So what about you, do you have relatives to visit in a fun or scenic place?  What are your favorite small towns that you have visited or secret little gems to visit?

And Summer Break Begins!!!!

As a teacher and mom, I am super-excited that school is out!  I cannot wait to spend time with my kids, relax a little,  and tackle and try those many home projects and ideas that I was waiting until school was out to start.  I know I am very lucky to have some of the summer off.  Believe it or not, like many teachers, I will still be working in my classroom and from home getting ready for the next school year.  However, I plan to take full advantage of staying in my jammies as long as I want, drinking endless cups of coffee, and posting as much as I can!

Pinterest

We will be going on our special Disney trip very soon, so I won't be posting for a few days, but I hope that you'll stay tuned to read my next posts in the coming weeks.    Happy Summer!!!  Woo Hoo!!!

Traveling with Kids and Keeping Your Sanity :)

As you may have read in a recent post, we leave for our big trip to Disney World soon.  We are traveling from Ohio to Disney with our four kiddos, ages 6, 11, 15, and 21.  They usually do really well in the car. Oh sure, sometimes it seems like we are re-enacting a scene from Vacation (what parent hasn't threatened to pull the car over?), but overall they are quite content and treat each other with at least some sense of civility.  However, it is important that I ensure my sanity as the trip organizer, planner, and entertainment director.  WHEW.

Poor quality picture from movie :)  It was 1983-can you believe that? -Pinterest

On a sidenote, my 6-old year saw the above picture and I told her when she asked that the car was called a station wagon.  She said, "Ohhhh, that's one of the cool cars."  :)

We are blessed enough to have more technology than we could ever need.  I Pods, cell phones, DS's, PSP's, and the rear entertainment system for movies. What more could we possibly need?  The problem is that when driving 17 hours the Tangled movie and same songs on I Pods can get old.  Tell me how on Earth most of us that are old enough survived growing up with no phones, I Pods or DVD systems in the car on long trips?   I rode in our string of station wagons we owned growing up with no air conditioning (except for the last one we had!) and certainly no DVD player.  I remember propping my ghetto blaster up on the side in the back seat and listening to WHAM! and Gloria Estefan.  My sisters and I would write in our diaries, look at Teen Beat magazines, drinking the usually forbidden can of soda and eating Little Debbies.  Ah!  Those were the days.

Any-whooo, back to our Disney trip.  I am on the search for the best ideas for traveling on long trips with kids.  I searched my fave Pinterest, and some other sites.  Very savvy, practical moms have already thought of everything for me!  I want to showcase a few of the best ideas I saw when doing some research.  I hope at least one idea inspires or helps you for any summer journey you may be taking!

One great site where I found a mega-list of travel tips for kids is We are THAT Family.  Here are some of my favorite tips I found here.

1.  Tape record (buy used at a garage sale or use an old tape recorder you have lying around)  your own voice reading stories that your kids can listen to.

2.  Take a dry erase board and marker.  This encourages drawing, writing, and endless games of tic-tac-toe.  One way you can also use dry erase markers is to use a plastic sleeve (like from an office supply store) and put any tracing paper inside.  You could draw a large tic-tac-toe board on a piece of paper, stick it inside the plastic sleeve, and write directly on the plastic.  When done, it just wipes right off.  You can use an old sock or a piece of felt as an eraser.  To have a flat surface, you can clip the paper/sleeve to a clipboard.

3.  Play Printable Car Bingo. (click for the link to this PDF printable) I love this idea!  Older kids can help the younger kids and it's fun for everyone as it passes the time.

Some of my own ideas that I always do on road trips:

4.  Take a roll of paper towels and a container of baby wipes for spills and messy hands.

5.  Take a few plastic grocery bags and use them for trash.   Each time you stop for gas or potty breaks, toss the bag.  I am a freak about having trash lie around in the car!

6.  Take paper and pens.  Everyone likes to draw or doodle to have something to do.

7.  Have each child take a special bag with all of their goodies in it--books, headphones, stuffed animals, games or music, etc.  Since I have a wide range of ages, this is necessary because they don't really use the same things.

8.  Pack an outfit for each member of the family in a small bag if stopping overnight on the way to your final destination.  This saves you from dragging all of your big suitcases into a hotel when you are tired and grumpy.

9.  Take a couple of garbage bags for dirty clothes or wet suits and towels that didn't have time to dry before you left.  Your nose will thank you later.

10.  And last, but not least...loosen up!  Vacations or road trips are a huge part of childhood.  Say 'yes' to the snacks or drinks you wouldn't normally approve (within reason, of course), be patient with each other, and remember that you, as the parent, have a huge impact on the whole trip.  If your attitude stinks or is less than positive, it effects everyone.  Make as many memories as you can and take lots of pictures.  They are only this age once!  Someday you will be wishing they were still in the back seat screaming at each other.

If YOU have some great travel tips or ideas, please share!!!  I look forward to hearing your ideas!

Happy Memorial Day!

Memorial Day marks what most feel is the start of summer.  There's nothing like that feeling.

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Everyone loves a good picnic or gathering to celebrate our shared love for this great country,

to chat with family and friends on a porch or deck in that slow, relaxed way,

and hopefully to remember that we have Memorial Day to remember all those that served or are serving for us so that we can run through sprinklers,  have picnics, and relax on porches.

My twin sister, Claudia (she goes by 'Dia'), is incredibly involved in honoring veterans and those who serve our country.  She was the guest speaker in her town's Memorial Day celebration today.  She has a website called yourmilitarystory.com, where veterans and family members can tell their stories, add pictures, and communicate with others. Most recently, she has written an e-book on the topic of preserving military stories and has created a kit to help veterans preserve their military memories that is being sold on Amazon!   It's so cool.  You can join her website if you are a veteran, a family member of a veteran that has served or a soldier that is currently serving, or if you are just interested in reading soldiers' stories.  I am so proud of her efforts and how she has inspired her students, her community, and thousands that have visited her website to remember veterans and what they have done for us.  She is my hero!

Have a safe, happy Memorial Day!  

Here is my sister's website link again:

http://yourmilitarystory.com/

Mickey and Friends, Here We Come! (Need Your Advice!)

We are getting ready to take our family on our first trip to Disney!   Well, some us have been there before but it has been a long, long time.  I went when I was in junior high when my hair was sprayed out higher than Mickey's ears (early 90's--who remembers it?).  My hubby went 15 or so years ago, which meant my step daughter, Kaitlyn, was around 8 and my step-son, Karch, was a toddler.  They are now 21 and almost 16.  My son, Colin, who is 11, and Riley, 6, have never been.  We are super-excited to go together.

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I know many of you have probably taken your families in the past few years, and I need your advice and input!!!  We just booked our trip a couple weeks ago, so I have much to do! I have done some research online and, of course, relied on some friends who have recently been, but I LOVE advice from moms, because, you know, we are the planners, the worriers, and the entertainment directors of vacations.  My sweet husband is not a planner.  He thinks booking a vacation more than a month in advance is waaaay early.  AND he actually said that I was getting a little too crazy about planning this. Yes, I want to know where the best place is to stand during the parade to be able to see well!  Yes, I want the App on my phone that tells me how long lines are!  We will probably only go as a family this one time since the kids are getting older and I want to do it RIGHT!  PLUS, did I mention we  are DRIVING from Central Ohio.  Yes, 16+ hours.  In the car.  With 4 kids (well, Kaitlyn is 21...). In our Odyssey.  Definitely the farthest we have driven for vacation before.  We opted for flying, but because he, I mean we, :)  booked our vacation so late, tickets for 6 are outrageous.  Plus, who can't resist that family bond you get driving that long in a crowded car?  Hey, I drove to Arkansas in a station wagon with no air conditioning to see Aunt Ruthie's farmhouse multiple times as a child.  I did not have an i-pod, i-pad, cell phone, or DVD player in my car.  So we shall survive.  I think.

Okay, back to actually what I need your help on... advice!  What is your can't-miss attraction at Disney?  Your best tip?  The thing you wish someone would have told you before you left?  I need it all!  Send me your ideas!   Much thanks!

Mom

As I sit and try to think of the right words to write this post, I decide to make it short, not because I don't have enough to say but because my hands are shaking and my lips are quivering and I don't want to type the letters that make it all true.  The first Mother's Day without my Mom.  She passed away during open heart surgery in June.  We weren't expecting it.  We fully thought she would go into recovery and we'd all see her afterwards groggy, with a slight smile on her face.  Then the doctor takes us into the small room that families never want to have to go and the next few minutes are a blur of words and tears and ugly sniffles and my siblings and dad sitting in shock with faces I will never forget.

She was the best mom ever.  She always called me honey.  She loved chocolate and hot fudge and only wanted the icing off the top of the cake.  She was an amazing grandma.  She lied and told the grandkids (all twenty-some of them) that her cookies were home-made and they never were.  She hemmed all my pants that were too long and I still look at those pants every time I wear them and think, "she touched these".  She made me stronger and wiser and more patient.  She made me frugal and (sometimes) funny and hard-working.  She taught me how to be a good mom, and step-mom, for she was that, too.

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I could write on and on but I can't see the screen anymore and I wouldn't know when to stop writing.

My wish for all of you Mothers out there is to hold onto those babies, big or small, and if you are lucky enough to still have your mom, spend as much time as you can with her, ask her all the questions you've ever wanted to know, and about all the advice you've ever wanted her to give you, because someday you might not be able to.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom.  I love you.  xoxoxoxo

Make a Meaningful List

I'm going through a time, my friends.  I have not shared that my sweet, dear mother passed away last June during open-heart surgery.  I've still not totally accepted that, and with Mother's Day this Sunday, everything is especially raw.   I plan to write about her this weekend, so I hope you'll stop back and read how amazing she was.

For the past several months, I've gone through some heart-to-heart talks with myself.  Since Mom's passing, I've really been able to pinpoint what really is meaningful to me, what inspires me, and what makes me feel passionate and alive.   I decided to help myself remember what really makes my heart sing by making a list.  Losing someone makes you look at what your heart is feeling really, really closely.  While I have many blessings, a beautiful family, and much to be grateful for,  I know I have not put myself first and not done enough of what is meaningful to me.  That is one huge reason why I started this blog.  My list is kind of random, and full of small and big things alike.  Notice that most do not cost a thing, nor are they hard to do.  A common theme is nature.  I never realized until recently how important it is to me.  My goal is to refer to my list often, so I can remind myself how easy it is to make myself feel more whole and ignite those little fires in me that the little things in life can easily do.  Some may not be possible every day, but I can do at least one of these every day.

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My Meaningful List

Being by water

Listening to water

Praising sunny skies

Looking at pictures of my children and family

Listening to music--especially solo piano tunes
Seeing anything in nature--flowers, trees, animals
Writing
Taking a walk, especially on a trail
Creating--decorating, organizing, making things pretty
Helping others
Getting fresh flowers, planting flowers

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Now of course being with my family and friends is incredibly meaningful, but I wanted to make a list of things that didn't rely on anyone else.  How many people are unhappy and unmotivated because they are waiting on or blaming others for their lack of fulfillment?  It is up to each of us to have a meaningful life.  You just have to think about what makes your heart stand at attention.  You know that feeling.  Now, go make your list!

My Bathtub is a Hair Salon

Our master bathroom has your typical builder garden tub.  It's rarely used.  It's dusty.  It's like a big vast canyon that sits empty 99% of the time.  Until last weekend.

Meet Riley, my six-year old.

She told me she was going to go upstairs and play hair salon and asked if I'd be her customer.  "Sure," I said.  "In a minute."  When I made it upstairs, the hair salon was not actually located in her bedroom, like it had been the many times we've played this before, but in my bathtub.  Here was the setup:

I could have gotten annoyed that 897 items were sitting in my bathtub.  But they were arranged.  They were organized by category.  They had purpose.  There was even a cash register there, clear bags for my purchases, and a shopping cart.  And a little girl with her beautician belt around her waist and missing front teeth, a tilted head, asking me, "What would you like today, ma'am?" I couldn't resist. I got my hair done, makeup applied, and had more bangles and baubles on than Cindi Lauper and Mr. T.  combined.  I left that salon (hey!  it was much less expensive than normal--50 cents after all was totaled!) with a cart-full of goodies, fabulous hair and make-up, feeling totally relaxed.  Isn't that what the sign says?

And, best of all, I shared some fun and giggles with my favorite little girl.  Now that's Meaningful.

Meaningful Weekend

On Friday nights, I have this dreamy vision of what the weekend will hold in store.  Okay, the cleaning part isn't so dreamy, but I think about spending time with my family, sleeping in a bit, having extra coffee in my jammies, tackling those projects around the house.

Bulldogs and Babies

Then reality sets in and I realize we have volleyball and soccer games.  I mean, I am grateful my kids are in sports and active and having fun, but I have to say I get a teensy bit irritated when I look at the weekend schedule sometimes.  Then,  I realize a couple of things.    I realize that I love my kids more than anything. And that my kids are healthy enough to play sports, some kids aren't.  And that some people wish more than anything that they could have children so they that could go see them at their games.  And some people, like my dear friend, Lara, wish their child was still young enough to be at home and not all grown up and out of the nest.  So, you see, I'm not so grumpy about the sports after all.  I'm over it.  Unless it's an 8:00 game.  :)

Happy Friday Everyone!