This year I wanted to do something kind of fun to celebrate my birthday. Nothing expensive or really elaborate, just fun and different.
Originally, I thought I might try this for the whole 28th year of my life, but then I came to my senses and realized that would be WAY too much to bite off right now, so I am doing it for just this month instead.
What am I doing you ask? For the whole month of March I am going to take one picture a day and writing down one memorable quote. The picture can be anything that seemed significant and the quote doesn't have to match the picture, just something I find memorable.
It will be fun to look back at the end of the month at all the little things leading up to, on, and shortly following my plunge into this 28th year of existence!
Check back April 1st to see my birthday month in pictures and quotes!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
And a Partridge in a Pear Tree...
If you count the husband, he made 10...Instead, we had a house with five women {2 of whom are pregnant}, four kids/babies with an occasional appearances from the husband.
I am referring to our Indiana University Field Hockey {IUFH} mini reunion that took place at my house last week, just before Phil and I left for vacation.
Lesley and Baby Peyton flew in from San Diego, Mal flew in from Pennsylvania, and Morgan and Lydia drove 10 hours with their kids, Adrianna and Desmond from New Jersey/Pennsylvania.
In the wonderful/chaotic five days were were together in one house we managed to cook many meals, leave the kids with Phil so just us moms could eat at Scotty's, play at the indoor playground and get lost on our way home, play in the playroom and draw on the chalkboard, visit our coach Amy Robertson at IU, take a tour of the new IU athletic facilities, eat at La Torre for old times sake, watch The Bachelor, and mostly just spend time talking, laughing and caring on!
A few lessons I learned about having a house full of kids {which I haven't decided yet if it will detract me from my goal of 4 kids or not}:
12. If one kid makes 10 times the normal mess, four kids make 4,000 times that
11. Stepping on loose toys will toughen up your feet
10. There is always at least 1 unhappy kid at any given moment {they take turns}
9. The dishwasher must be run after every meal to make sure there are enough plates for the next meal
8. No point in cleaning up toys, they just find their way back and multiply
7. You might as well buy 4 of every toy, because once one kid has it, they all want it
6. If one kid is sick, they are all bound to get it
5. One kid will refuse to nap until the others wake up, THEN it's their turn
4. When one kid starts crying the domino effect takes place, everyone starts crying {mothers included}
3. Being on time is a chore in itself
2. Getting ANYWHERE is a chore...forget about being on time
1. The love and laughter are contagious and warms the heart
We had such a great time and I can't wait to do it again!!!
Here is the story of our trip in pictures...hahaha!!!
I am referring to our Indiana University Field Hockey {IUFH} mini reunion that took place at my house last week, just before Phil and I left for vacation.
Lesley and Baby Peyton flew in from San Diego, Mal flew in from Pennsylvania, and Morgan and Lydia drove 10 hours with their kids, Adrianna and Desmond from New Jersey/Pennsylvania.
In the wonderful/chaotic five days were were together in one house we managed to cook many meals, leave the kids with Phil so just us moms could eat at Scotty's, play at the indoor playground and get lost on our way home, play in the playroom and draw on the chalkboard, visit our coach Amy Robertson at IU, take a tour of the new IU athletic facilities, eat at La Torre for old times sake, watch The Bachelor, and mostly just spend time talking, laughing and caring on!
A few lessons I learned about having a house full of kids {which I haven't decided yet if it will detract me from my goal of 4 kids or not}:
12. If one kid makes 10 times the normal mess, four kids make 4,000 times that
11. Stepping on loose toys will toughen up your feet
10. There is always at least 1 unhappy kid at any given moment {they take turns}
9. The dishwasher must be run after every meal to make sure there are enough plates for the next meal
8. No point in cleaning up toys, they just find their way back and multiply
7. You might as well buy 4 of every toy, because once one kid has it, they all want it
6. If one kid is sick, they are all bound to get it
5. One kid will refuse to nap until the others wake up, THEN it's their turn
4. When one kid starts crying the domino effect takes place, everyone starts crying {mothers included}
3. Being on time is a chore in itself
2. Getting ANYWHERE is a chore...forget about being on time
1. The love and laughter are contagious and warms the heart
We had such a great time and I can't wait to do it again!!!
Here is the story of our trip in pictures...hahaha!!!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
A "HEALTHY" Island Inspired Smoothie
Phil and I just got back from a wonderful 5 day trip to the Cayman Islands {well, we only stayed on the Grand Cayman Island}. Being childless for 5 days on an all-expense paid vacation was relaxing to say the very least.
Being that I wasn't consuming any typical island drinks {read alcohol}, I had many yummy virgin pina coladas, virgin daiquiris and smoothies.
Their smoothies were mmmMMMgood...maybe that is because they made them with real ice cream.
Now that we are home, I want to keep the island vibe alive, but in order for me to also stay alive, I attempted to make healthy smoothies instead.
Here is my version of a healthy smoothie:
1 cup - Milk
6 oz. - yogurt
1 cup - ice
1 cup - strawberries
1 medium - banana
.5 cup - spinach
.5 cup - carrots
Being that I wasn't consuming any typical island drinks {read alcohol}, I had many yummy virgin pina coladas, virgin daiquiris and smoothies.
Their smoothies were mmmMMMgood...maybe that is because they made them with real ice cream.
Now that we are home, I want to keep the island vibe alive, but in order for me to also stay alive, I attempted to make healthy smoothies instead.
Here is my version of a healthy smoothie:
1 cup - Milk
6 oz. - yogurt
1 cup - ice
1 cup - strawberries
1 medium - banana
.5 cup - spinach
.5 cup - carrots
All of the ingredients
Looks a little strange, but tastes pretty good!
The whole thing makes 4 cups of smoothie and all 4 cups total only 370 calories. Not a bad middle of the day pick-me-up {plus I get my veggies in that I HATE eating}.
Here are some fun pictures from our lovely trip!
Our first night there was a gorgeous sunset...we were in paradise!
About to sit down for dinner on the beach...what a great view!
Breathtaking
We pretty much just lounged on the sand everyday...and we went snorkeling...the water was salty so it made you so buoyant we could snorkel for hours without a life vest!
The oasis {Westin} that was our resort
Dinner the last night at a Brazilian Steakhouse...OH YUM!
Soaking up the last rays before we headed home!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Give it up!
Today is Ash Wednesday. I have never observed Lent before. Growing up, our church never observed Lent as many Protestant Churches don't. But this year I have decided that I need to celebrate Lent as a way to grow my faith and strengthen my personal walk with Christ.
What have I given up...Facebook AND Pinterest. I have been thinking about this for several weeks and I believe this is going to be a HUGE challenge that is going to grow me in even bigger ways.
In addition to giving up social network sites, I am committed to adding prayer and quiet time daily. It is actually pathetic that I haven't been more consistently in the Word, and I want to be more disciplined in this area.
When I think about the amount of time I waste on both social networking sites it is ridiculous. Sure, I can justify how they keep me in touch with friends or encourage me to cook healthy meals for my family. But in reality they have been wastes of valuable time that I could be spending building true relationships with friends, nurturing my daughter and growing my personal faith.
It is going to be hard {both sites, sadly, have become almost second nature to look through as I am standing in line at the grocery store, pumping gas, when Emrie takes a nap, etc.}, but the intention of Lent is to give something up that is a sacrifice, just as Christ sacrificed His LIFE for us! In that light, stalking other people on the computer shouldn't be too large a sacrifice!
My prayer is that I will spend my new free time being more intentional with Emrie, doing things to build other's up, improving my attitude and knowledge of God, and finish a few projects around the house.
I couldn't be more excited to raise to this challenge and please keep me in your prayers as I begin this 40 day journey!
What have I given up...Facebook AND Pinterest. I have been thinking about this for several weeks and I believe this is going to be a HUGE challenge that is going to grow me in even bigger ways.
In addition to giving up social network sites, I am committed to adding prayer and quiet time daily. It is actually pathetic that I haven't been more consistently in the Word, and I want to be more disciplined in this area.
When I think about the amount of time I waste on both social networking sites it is ridiculous. Sure, I can justify how they keep me in touch with friends or encourage me to cook healthy meals for my family. But in reality they have been wastes of valuable time that I could be spending building true relationships with friends, nurturing my daughter and growing my personal faith.
It is going to be hard {both sites, sadly, have become almost second nature to look through as I am standing in line at the grocery store, pumping gas, when Emrie takes a nap, etc.}, but the intention of Lent is to give something up that is a sacrifice, just as Christ sacrificed His LIFE for us! In that light, stalking other people on the computer shouldn't be too large a sacrifice!
My prayer is that I will spend my new free time being more intentional with Emrie, doing things to build other's up, improving my attitude and knowledge of God, and finish a few projects around the house.
I couldn't be more excited to raise to this challenge and please keep me in your prayers as I begin this 40 day journey!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
They're COMING!!!
I am not superstitious. I do not believe in luck. I do not believe in destiny or fate. I do not believe in chance or coincidence. I believe there is a plan and a purpose for all of us.
But it is fun when you open a fortune cookie and it tells you what you want to hear!
Like this morning I opened a fortune cookie {give me a break, I was on my way to the gym} and this is what it told me:
That was all I needed to get me PUMPED UP that four of my girlfriends from college are coming to my house TOMORROW and bringing their kids for a WEEK!!! Oh watch out Indiana, we are ready to have fun {even if we are moms now}!!!
But it is fun when you open a fortune cookie and it tells you what you want to hear!
Like this morning I opened a fortune cookie {give me a break, I was on my way to the gym} and this is what it told me:
That was all I needed to get me PUMPED UP that four of my girlfriends from college are coming to my house TOMORROW and bringing their kids for a WEEK!!! Oh watch out Indiana, we are ready to have fun {even if we are moms now}!!!
Two Money Saving Tips Even I Can Do!
In no way do I claim to be good at saving money. I would say I can be thrifty and I tend to look for a good deal, but there are definitely times when I am too lazy to find a deal and I totally just pay full price {actually that is often}.
But since staying home, I have tried harder to be a better shopper. I have never been good about using coupons. They are hard for me because I am forgetful and even when I have tried to use them I find that since I typically buy the generic brand, the name brand stuff is still more expensive even with the coupon.
I no longer beat myself up about couponing. I still do use coupons, but my system is simple for me and doesn't cause me any real pain.
When the Sunday paper comes I leaf through the coupons.
I only clip the ones for products I would normally buy anyway.
I also hold on to the coupons the grocery store gives with my receipt.
I stick them in an envelope in my purse.
While I am at the store, or before I go in, I look over the coupons in there.
If there is anything I was going to buy or need anyway I write it on my shopping list and set those coupons aside.
At the checkout I hand her my stack {very small stack usually}
While it isn't a lot I typically save about $5 to $10 each time I grocery shop. Since I shop about twice a month that is still a savings of around $120-$240 a year. When I think of it that way, it makes it worth the little effort I put in.
Here is one way that I have found to save money and this makes me SO excited because it is SO easy.
I shop at Kroger due to convenience and they offer a point system for gas when you use your Kroger card. Each dollar is a point, every 100 points equals .10 cents off per gallon at certain gas stations.
Since I buy my groceries there anyway and I buy gas anyway, I might as well buy my gas at the station that accepts my Kroger points.
In the month of January I filled up 2 times. The first time I had .40 cents off per gallon and the second time I had .50 cents off per gallon. Since I have a 24 gallon tank that savings added up!
I saved $20 in gas for the month of January. The second time I only paid $2.82 per gallon. If I keep this up I will save $240 this year in gas. Tell me that isn't awesome!!!
Now I am about to make Phil start using my Kroger card too!
There are simple and easy ways to save money, you just have to look for them!!!
But since staying home, I have tried harder to be a better shopper. I have never been good about using coupons. They are hard for me because I am forgetful and even when I have tried to use them I find that since I typically buy the generic brand, the name brand stuff is still more expensive even with the coupon.
I no longer beat myself up about couponing. I still do use coupons, but my system is simple for me and doesn't cause me any real pain.
When the Sunday paper comes I leaf through the coupons.
I only clip the ones for products I would normally buy anyway.
I also hold on to the coupons the grocery store gives with my receipt.
I stick them in an envelope in my purse.
While I am at the store, or before I go in, I look over the coupons in there.
If there is anything I was going to buy or need anyway I write it on my shopping list and set those coupons aside.
At the checkout I hand her my stack {very small stack usually}
While it isn't a lot I typically save about $5 to $10 each time I grocery shop. Since I shop about twice a month that is still a savings of around $120-$240 a year. When I think of it that way, it makes it worth the little effort I put in.
Here is one way that I have found to save money and this makes me SO excited because it is SO easy.
I shop at Kroger due to convenience and they offer a point system for gas when you use your Kroger card. Each dollar is a point, every 100 points equals .10 cents off per gallon at certain gas stations.
Since I buy my groceries there anyway and I buy gas anyway, I might as well buy my gas at the station that accepts my Kroger points.
In the month of January I filled up 2 times. The first time I had .40 cents off per gallon and the second time I had .50 cents off per gallon. Since I have a 24 gallon tank that savings added up!
I saved $20 in gas for the month of January. The second time I only paid $2.82 per gallon. If I keep this up I will save $240 this year in gas. Tell me that isn't awesome!!!
Now I am about to make Phil start using my Kroger card too!
There are simple and easy ways to save money, you just have to look for them!!!
Sweating for Two
The worst thing happened to my wallet...I found Zulily.com They have the CUTEST stuff on there and everything is so reasonable/cheap.
Here is my latest purchase and although I look disgusting {give me a break I just got back from spin} the shirt is still too cute not to share!
Here is my latest purchase and although I look disgusting {give me a break I just got back from spin} the shirt is still too cute not to share!
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