I had full intentions in updating with photos and holiday details the first week of this month, but to be honest this first week has been hell. 2013 has not had a good start and I can only hope this is not an indication of the year. I need something good to happen, soon!
On January 4th, I found out that someone I know passed away on Christmas Eve. She left behind two little girls, 1 and 8. Her fiancée lost his battle to PTSD in 2011, leaving her struggling with her on battles. Needless to say, none of us have any information on the details of her death. Jessie touched so many of our lives in the short time we were all blessed o have her in it.
A few days after her passing, I received the tragic news that a good friend of mine in high school, one that I stayed friends with, was in a car wreck that took his life. My heart broke when I found out about Brian's passing. Honestly, it doesn't seem real. I've cried and cried over his death. My heart breaks for his parents and brother. What they are going through is the unimaginable. Right now, I can't even find the words for the way I feel. All I can do is pray for his family and all of us, his friends, that will miss him deeply. So many of my fondest memories in high school have Brian. Even today, I can't help but to smile when I think back to those days. Brian was always a true friend that each of us were so lucky to have in our lives.
Tomorrow I will do my best to update with photos from the holidays and write of our trips and excitement! I must add, the kids did more this past Christmas than ever before!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
101 in 1001 Days Bucket List
Over the past couple of weeks, I have talked off and on about putting together a Bucket List to the point of even chatting with my daughters about it. Around the same time that we were consumed by this conversation, a friend of mine, Kristle, posted her Bucket List on her blog, "Pretend Like it's the Weekend". Of course, I found myself more motivated to put mine into print, but life re-routed me in a different direction and I obviously didn't follow through! However, tonight another friend, Torrey, shared her bucket list with us on Facebook. Now, here I am motivated and ready to share mine! I can't wait to see who else follows!
The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).
Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
The Start Date:
1/1/13
The End Date:
9/27/15
Goals in progress are italicized, goals completed are bolded
1. Obtain my Concealed Carry Permit
2. Volunteer more
3. Work out 3 times a week for a minimum of 6 months
4. Learn how to accept compliments and constructive critisim
5. Go to NYC and stay on Time Square
6. Get over hating to make phone calls
7. Have weekly girlfriend dates - phone, lunch, coffee...
8. Take the girls to Six Flags
9. Take a picture with Santa Claus
10. Become a Director with Thirty-One
11. Let the kids be kids without my OCD taking over, just for one day
12. Play in the rain with the kids
13. Take the kids to Disney World
14. Allow myself to make mistakes and be okay with it
15. Pay of card debt
16. Learn how to can foods
17. Attend at least 5 concerts
18. Fly kites with the kids
19. Give back to Operation Homefront
20. Make a list of 100 quotes that inspire me or have touched my life
21. Learn how to play the guitar
22. Decorate my bedroom
23. Pay off my truck
24. Make a new friend
25. Go one full day without picking up my cell phone
26. Write a Children's Book in regards to combat PTSD and other injuries
27. Audition for The Voice
28. Learn to become a morning person
29. Find a Church we love
30. Swim with dolphins
31. Let the kids plan the meals for 1 day and not say one word despite what they decide upon
32. Take part in 20+ family movie nights
33. Blog a minimum of two times per week per blog (http://biddlebuzz.com & http://southerngirlsstand.com)
34. Sing the National Anthem
35. Rock Climbing (Even if it is inside on one of the "pretend" rocks)
36.Open a business
37. Attend a Writer's Workshop
38. Take a dance class
39. Create a Chore and Punishment Chart for the kids and STICK to it!
40. Work with a Non-Profit Organization or Charity for combat vets and families, again
41. Sing loud and dance with kids
42. Send at least 100 random "thinking about you" cards/letters
43. Eat a NYC hotdog from the corner cart in NYC
44. Take Kevin to Alaska. This is somewhere he has always wanted to go
45. Take a family trip to Sea World in Orlando
46. For one month, blog daily about something I am grateful for
47. Write a letter to someone I admire
48. Hold a baby alligator
49. Attend a University of Florida football game
50. Learn a new word everyday for a month
51. Drop down 2 pant sizes
52. Make a quilt from 31 swatches
53. Have a 10 year anniversary party
54. Learn to say "no" without feeling guilty
55. Write a book
56. Get published
57. Donate clothes to a women's shelter
58. Let go of the individuals that bring me down
59. Have a girls weekend away
60. Have a "me" day - spa day
61. Take up photography
62. Volunteer with the kids at a nursing home
63. Take gifts to children at a children's hospital.
64. Make a difference in someone's life
65. Play the violin again
66. Go to the Grand Ole Opry
67. Start school, working towards a degree in Marketing
68. Design a new website
69. Organize my office
70. Learn to play chess
71. Have a date day with each kid, one on one
72. Let me children know just how much I love them
73. Travel/road trip up the east coast
74. Add videos of me talking on my blog
75. Take the kids tubing
76. Paint a picture
77. Face a fear and blog about it
78. Go boar hunting
79. Take kids to a Braves Game
80. Read 75 books
81. Go to a shooting range
82. Attend Thirty-One National Conference as a Director
83. Attend Thirty-One National Conference as a Senior Director
84. Make 1 Saturday a month a day dedicated to my children
85. Take a photo of my children everyday for 4 months
86. See an alligator
87. Attend a Blog Conference
88. Take a self-defense class
89. Buy a house sitting on land
90. Complete a 365 day photo project and share on my blog
91. Write a letter to each one of my children expressing lessons learned in life
92. Become more confident in myself
93. Invest a little money into stocks
94. Encourage someone else to make a list
95. Open a Savings Account for each child
96. Volunteer after a National Disaster
97. Horseback riding on the beach
98. Hold 5 Fundraisers for charities/NPO's
99. Host a monthly giveaway on my blog for 6+ months
100. Pay $10 for every goal I don't complete to a Charity or NPO
101. Make a 101 list before this one is over 09/27/2015
My Original Post: http://www.southerngirlsstand.com/2013/01/101-in-1001-days-my-bucket-list.html
Now, are you ready to start yours? Have you written one? If so, just share the link below and I will link your blog to this one!!!
The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).
Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
The Start Date:
1/1/13
The End Date:
9/27/15
Goals in progress are italicized, goals completed are bolded
1. Obtain my Concealed Carry Permit
2. Volunteer more
3. Work out 3 times a week for a minimum of 6 months
4. Learn how to accept compliments and constructive critisim
5. Go to NYC and stay on Time Square
6. Get over hating to make phone calls
7. Have weekly girlfriend dates - phone, lunch, coffee...
8. Take the girls to Six Flags
9. Take a picture with Santa Claus
10. Become a Director with Thirty-One
11. Let the kids be kids without my OCD taking over, just for one day
12. Play in the rain with the kids
13. Take the kids to Disney World
14. Allow myself to make mistakes and be okay with it
15. Pay of card debt
16. Learn how to can foods
17. Attend at least 5 concerts
18. Fly kites with the kids
19. Give back to Operation Homefront
20. Make a list of 100 quotes that inspire me or have touched my life
21. Learn how to play the guitar
22. Decorate my bedroom
23. Pay off my truck
24. Make a new friend
25. Go one full day without picking up my cell phone
26. Write a Children's Book in regards to combat PTSD and other injuries
27. Audition for The Voice
28. Learn to become a morning person
29. Find a Church we love
30. Swim with dolphins
31. Let the kids plan the meals for 1 day and not say one word despite what they decide upon
32. Take part in 20+ family movie nights
33. Blog a minimum of two times per week per blog (http://biddlebuzz.com & http://southerngirlsstand.com)
34. Sing the National Anthem
35. Rock Climbing (Even if it is inside on one of the "pretend" rocks)
36.Open a business
37. Attend a Writer's Workshop
38. Take a dance class
39. Create a Chore and Punishment Chart for the kids and STICK to it!
40. Work with a Non-Profit Organization or Charity for combat vets and families, again
41. Sing loud and dance with kids
42. Send at least 100 random "thinking about you" cards/letters
43. Eat a NYC hotdog from the corner cart in NYC
44. Take Kevin to Alaska. This is somewhere he has always wanted to go
45. Take a family trip to Sea World in Orlando
46. For one month, blog daily about something I am grateful for
47. Write a letter to someone I admire
48. Hold a baby alligator
49. Attend a University of Florida football game
50. Learn a new word everyday for a month
51. Drop down 2 pant sizes
52. Make a quilt from 31 swatches
53. Have a 10 year anniversary party
54. Learn to say "no" without feeling guilty
55. Write a book
56. Get published
57. Donate clothes to a women's shelter
58. Let go of the individuals that bring me down
59. Have a girls weekend away
60. Have a "me" day - spa day
61. Take up photography
62. Volunteer with the kids at a nursing home
63. Take gifts to children at a children's hospital.
64. Make a difference in someone's life
65. Play the violin again
66. Go to the Grand Ole Opry
67. Start school, working towards a degree in Marketing
68. Design a new website
69. Organize my office
70. Learn to play chess
71. Have a date day with each kid, one on one
72. Let me children know just how much I love them
73. Travel/road trip up the east coast
74. Add videos of me talking on my blog
75. Take the kids tubing
76. Paint a picture
77. Face a fear and blog about it
78. Go boar hunting
79. Take kids to a Braves Game
80. Read 75 books
81. Go to a shooting range
82. Attend Thirty-One National Conference as a Director
83. Attend Thirty-One National Conference as a Senior Director
84. Make 1 Saturday a month a day dedicated to my children
85. Take a photo of my children everyday for 4 months
86. See an alligator
87. Attend a Blog Conference
88. Take a self-defense class
89. Buy a house sitting on land
90. Complete a 365 day photo project and share on my blog
91. Write a letter to each one of my children expressing lessons learned in life
92. Become more confident in myself
93. Invest a little money into stocks
94. Encourage someone else to make a list
95. Open a Savings Account for each child
96. Volunteer after a National Disaster
97. Horseback riding on the beach
98. Hold 5 Fundraisers for charities/NPO's
99. Host a monthly giveaway on my blog for 6+ months
100. Pay $10 for every goal I don't complete to a Charity or NPO
101. Make a 101 list before this one is over 09/27/2015
My Original Post: http://www.southerngirlsstand.com/2013/01/101-in-1001-days-my-bucket-list.html
Now, are you ready to start yours? Have you written one? If so, just share the link below and I will link your blog to this one!!!
Bloggers who are sharing their Bucket Lists:
Thanks to Kristle Helmuth for starting this on her blog, Pretend Like it's the Weekend and to Torrey Shannon for motivating me even more with her Bucket List blog post at Torrey Shannon.
Additional Bloggers:
Pam - A Glimpse into My Life
Elle - i’mnotsurewhattocallthis
Aimee Taylor - “A Patient Heart”
Pam - A Glimpse into My Life
Elle - i’mnotsurewhattocallthis
Aimee Taylor - “A Patient Heart”
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Keep Car Keys Near
I stumbled across this on Facebook and could not help but to share! I am not sure where this orginated from, but to whoever originally shared this with people, it is definitely appreciated!!! This could definitely be a lifesaver!!!
Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr's office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.
This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage.
If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around. After a few seconds, all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.
Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr's office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.
This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage.
If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around. After a few seconds, all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year family and friends! We hope that each of you had a fabulous New Year's Eve and that 2013 is by far, one of the most amazing years!
We decided to break away from our house and run away to Kev's parents cabin in the mountains just outside of Blue Ridge, GA. We arrived at the cabin late on New Year's Eve and are planning to leave at some point tomorrow.
New Years is so different in our house now. We use to be the crazy ones lighting firecrackers and raising hell, while we brought in another new year. Now we escape to the cabin, hoping to hide from the loud, explosive sounds and bright flare sights of the fireworks. Sadly, even here we couldn't get completely away from it as people on the mountain were still celebrating. Luckily though, it didn't last long at all.
We spend the early part of the evening playing Beat the Parents. If you don't have this board game, I seriously recommend you purchase it for you and your family! We were not able to play a full game due to Nic getting restless and Kevin's anxiety and all kicking in.
This year everyone, other than me, we're fast asleep just minutes before the ball dropped. Kevin began to toss and turn quite a bit in bed when firecrackers rang all though out the mountain top.
As much as I want to yell at every person that shoots off the fireworks, I could never do it. After all, that was us not too many years ago. Without being directly related to a combat veteran with severe injuries, one doesn't think about the PTSD episodes that could launch from the celebrations. I'll go more into this when I am home writing and not on my iPhone!
Today is a lazy day at the cabin. The kids and I are watching The Smurfs movie and Kevin is napping. It's been a long 24 hours for him. Yesterday, we spent time walking around downtown Blue Ridge, which the kids loved. Tomorrow we head back to Macon and prepare for a Thirty-One party as well as school on Monday.
Once we are home and I'm on my computer, I will update with our Christmas and photos!
We hope each of you have an amazing and very prosperous 2013! Wishing you many smiles, joyous laughter, and a lifetime of memories!
From our home to yours, Happy New Year!!!
We decided to break away from our house and run away to Kev's parents cabin in the mountains just outside of Blue Ridge, GA. We arrived at the cabin late on New Year's Eve and are planning to leave at some point tomorrow.
New Years is so different in our house now. We use to be the crazy ones lighting firecrackers and raising hell, while we brought in another new year. Now we escape to the cabin, hoping to hide from the loud, explosive sounds and bright flare sights of the fireworks. Sadly, even here we couldn't get completely away from it as people on the mountain were still celebrating. Luckily though, it didn't last long at all.
We spend the early part of the evening playing Beat the Parents. If you don't have this board game, I seriously recommend you purchase it for you and your family! We were not able to play a full game due to Nic getting restless and Kevin's anxiety and all kicking in.
This year everyone, other than me, we're fast asleep just minutes before the ball dropped. Kevin began to toss and turn quite a bit in bed when firecrackers rang all though out the mountain top.
As much as I want to yell at every person that shoots off the fireworks, I could never do it. After all, that was us not too many years ago. Without being directly related to a combat veteran with severe injuries, one doesn't think about the PTSD episodes that could launch from the celebrations. I'll go more into this when I am home writing and not on my iPhone!
Today is a lazy day at the cabin. The kids and I are watching The Smurfs movie and Kevin is napping. It's been a long 24 hours for him. Yesterday, we spent time walking around downtown Blue Ridge, which the kids loved. Tomorrow we head back to Macon and prepare for a Thirty-One party as well as school on Monday.
Once we are home and I'm on my computer, I will update with our Christmas and photos!
We hope each of you have an amazing and very prosperous 2013! Wishing you many smiles, joyous laughter, and a lifetime of memories!
From our home to yours, Happy New Year!!!
Monday, December 17, 2012
Making Bath Salts
Ladies (and men), this is SUPER easy to do!
Ingredients:
4 cups Epsom Salts
1 cup course ground sea salt
2 teaspoons glycerin (skin protectant and can be found at Wal-Mart next to band-aids in the pharmacy area)
1-2 cups baking soda
1.5 cups ground (powdered) oatmeal
Optional Additives:
Food Coloring - amount of drops depends on the color desire you are looking for. I have found that food coloring works the best when dying salts
Essential/Aromatherapy Oils - amount of drops depends on the strength of the scent you are wanting
Dried flowers or herbs - again, this is optional and depends on your wants
Using a plastic or wood bowl will absorb ingredients and scent, so make sure to use a glass (or metal) bowl when mixing and store in glass containers. I mix all of the main ingredients together first, making sure they are all mixed together. Make sure there are no clumps before proceeding. I will then either store it in my glass container and add oils and dyes at a later time or I will add the optional additives last. I tend to stay away from doing adding oils and dyes at first because not everyone likes the same scent. A good way to know if the ingredients are mixed right, look at the coloring. If the (food) color is spread evenly, with no clumps, then you are good to go!
Oils that Benefit:
Peppermint - it can help sooth nausea, cool overworked muscles because of the menthol, help contain itching.
Lavender - improve sleep quality, soothe joint pain, and help calm the nervous system. It is all around a soothing oil for the body and mind.
Geranium - helps soothe nervousness
Chamomile - improves sleep quality
Green Tea and Cucumber - relaxes the body and helps de-stress
All combinations will help ease muscle aches due to the epsom salt that is added.
 |
| Storage for Salts - Found at Marshalls for $5 |
 |
| Lavender and Green Tea - found bottles at Marshalls $2/each |
 |
| Lavender, Cucumber Melon, and Jasmin |
| ||
| Christmas salts - Red and green striped ones are peppermint and there is also Cucumber Melon and Lavender |
Disclaimer:
Do not eat salts
If you medical issues, please consult with your doctor before taking a salt bath. If you are pregnant, please consult with you OB/Midwife before soaking in bath salts about certain herbs/oils.
There are some oils that are hazardous and need to be avoided, please make sure you research Essential Oils if you are not sure of which ones to keep away from.
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