Friday, November 27, 2015

25 Days of Christmas Family Countdown!

My favorite time of year has arrived!! Christmas! I spent Black Friday out getting in the spirit and getting everything I need for my 25 Days of Christmas celebration. We celebrate in many ways throughout the next 25 days; Advent, Hanukkah, Sinterklass, St. Nicholas Night, Los Posados... Currently, all of my supplies are bagged and in the back of my husband's car to be pulled out on the right day. Throughout the season I will update with pictures. Here is the list though (and I just put scraps of paper in our advent box so if something comes up I can easily change them out the night before). 
11/27-28-Decorations
11/29- Start of advent-Wreath and Jessie Tree begin
December 1st- Elf on the Shelf's return!
December 2nd-Snowman Breakfast/The Wiz
December 3rd- Rudolph Night
December 4th-Juliette's Birthday
December 5th-St Nicholas/Sinterklaas
December 6th- McKee Ranch
December 7th-Gingerbread Night
December 8th- Hanukkah
December 9th-Christmas Tree/Charlie Brown Christmas
December 10th-Sounds of the Season concert
December 11th-Glittering Lights and Minivan Express/Polar Express
December 12th-Jingle Bell Run/Candy Cane
December 13th-Light of the World party
December 14th-Los Posados
December 15th-Ethel M Cactus Garden
December 16th-Opportunity Village
December 17th-Grinch Party
December 18th-Secret Santa begins!
December 19th-Old Time Christmas at Spring Mountain Ranch
December 20th-Nutcracker
December 21st-PJ Santa Train
December 22nd-Cookie party/St Lucia
December 23rd-North Pole breakfast
December 24th-Christmas Eve Service at 3/Pageant
December 25th-CHRISTMAS

12 Days of Christmas Teacher Gifts

This year, with my kids in public school and not home schooled, we GET to give their amazing teachers gifts. I wanted to make it special and to last more than one day. When I googled "teacher gifts" I saw the ideas for 12 Days of Christmas gifts and I was SOLD! I still have to wrap them and attach the cards with the little clips, but you get the idea. 
 



I got the main printable from Janell Scraps, and I got some of the sayings and ideas from Marci Coombs. 

http://janellscraps.blogspot.com/2009/12/twelve-days-of-christmas.html?m=1
http://www.marcicoombs.com/2014/12/12-days-of-christmas-for-teachers.html

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

My love of Periscope and Podcasts

I did Chalene Johnson's 30 day challenge PUSH online course (http://www.chalenejohnson.com/30daychallenge/members/) 
this summer and it helped me see I needed to spend a little time in the area of self growth. I thought about it and found that reading and podcasts (expanded to You Tube and Periscope) was a great way for me to feed my need to continue to grow as a person. I listen to one Inspired to Action podcast every Sunday while I do my weekly cleaning. I listen to Crystal and Mackenzie's scopes everyday. I watch Jennifer's You Tube video every week when she puts it out. I feel like they are my friends pushing me to be a better me! They have recommended books that I have read, make up I have tried, blogs to read, planners to try...the list goes on. I love what they have added to my life. Go check them out.

Periscopes:
https://katch.me/moneysavingmom

https://katch.me/BOLDturquoise

https://katch.me/ChaleneJohnson

You Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheDailyConnoisseur

Podcasts:
http://boldturquoise.com/thepodcast/

http://inspiredtoaction.com/category/podcast/

Monday, November 23, 2015

Bullet Journal

OK, so I just bought my new traveler journal supplies and now I am turning it into a bullet journal! I am a planner junkie but I have not yet found the perfect one. SO, I will try the bullet journal fad and see if I can make the perfect one for myself! I started of course by watching podcasts, You Tube tutorials, Periscopes, Pinterest pins...all in search of bullet journal knowledge. Well I found a LOT! So here is my start (only a few days old). I am sure it will grow and change but so far I LOVE it. The freedom!! I need a much bigger notebook though. 

My habit tracker...genius idea!
 Weekly schedule
 Spartan training log
Sad life of a parent of a child with leukemia; We track blood counts. I will have to transfer my data from the past 13 months here from my other planner. 
 My weekly goals broke into areas. This was good to do on my "Sunday Retreat" AKA grocery shopping, drinking coffee and mapping out the week alone and in peace!
6 months at a glance. This is where I can log upcoming dates. I needed to make it bigger though to keep track of everything. 
I loved the idea of putting the grateful journal right in my planner. This kind of thing is where the bullet journal is just sort of amazing. So personalized. 
I had been keeping a list of advice in the back of my planner from podcasts, scopes, and books. I like having a place for this list. Now it is easy to reference.

I also have made a section for my Push goals, affirmations, Daily Ten (learning more now), Bucket list, books to read... I did not make my index yet because I am pretty sure I will be moving to a bigger journal soon. This is like a trial run.

This book was recommended on Crystal Paine's Scope so of COURSE I bought it and I am really enjoying it so far! 
                                

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Traveler Journal/Planner

People who know me well know I LOVE my planner. Like, weirdly, obsessive love. So I am ALWAYS looking for what is new and amazing in planners. I was watching a Scope by Mackenzie Monroe of Bold Turquoise...
https://katch.me/BOLDturquoise/v/2ddd45c0-1410-39d7-af95-17823317edbb Her thing is "cultivating the lovely" and I adored her traveler journal. You could add as many inserts as you wanted by attaching them to the bungee cords in the center. So I hopped over to Etsy and found a lady in Utah who made some amazing inserts and beautiful journals...
So of COURSE I had to get one! 


I also got all the cool goodies to go along with it. 
This is a fabric envelope and a folder to go inside and allows for more storage.
This is what it looks like with the inserts added in.
The daily planner insert...love it! It has everything I wanted. You could of course make your own as well. 
These are the fabric insert covers I got to make it fancy! She had like 30 fabric choices so I tried to coordinate. They were only $5 so it is a easy and cheap way to change up the look of your planner. 
 The plain journal page insert.
 The month at a glance insert.
 The weekly insert.
What the inside of the journal looks like. It has some flaps that are very handy.
I like this master list and goals page in the daily journal.
 The dashboard.
 A coordinating bookmark and balloon charm. The kids and I see the balloons every morning so this charm was a must have! We love our balloons!
I love it today...I will have to update later if I still love it!

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

#SimplyTuesday

Simply Tuesday
http://emilypfreeman.com/simply-tuesday/

In honor of my reading Simply Tuesday, by Emily P Freeman, I decided to do a #simplytuesday post. This is my Tuesday from morning to night (well I missed some things). I am celebrating the smallness of my life. If this past year has taught me anything it is that memories are not made in the once a year, big celebrations. They are made in the small moments. Our lives are mostly made up of our "Tuesdays" so we need to make sure we are truly LIVING in those day to day times. 

Coffee and Thaddeus' supplements and water is how the day begins. I just bought this mug from our trip to Utah at the St George Cracker Barrel for my morning coffee...I love it!                                    
First thing at work was a number talk professional development
 Followed by more coffee in my "work" cup
                           
A stack of papers that need grading. The story of a teacher's life!
                    
I am doing a Bible study by Bold Turqoise and this is the memory verse for the week. I have it by my Elmo (along with our class talking rock) so that I see it ALL day
                      
I got some much needed organizing done in my work area today.
                       
Our class read aloud is Out of My Mind...super dramatic, beautiful read!
                               
My 4th grade team mate and I. Our grade level hosted the staff luncheon today "Walking Taco Parade" which was super fun and yummy. Love my coworkers. They are a blessing!
 Got to have after school time with this guy since his brother was at an after school tutoring time and his sister was in school play rehearsals. Love him so much (Plus you get to see my new Stitch Fix dress and necklace. Loved this outfit!)
                           
After school was time to take this sweety to karate. I love seeing him back in black belt class. He is such a cute karate kid!
                           
Came home to this. The daily Red Eagle Wrestling Club workout. These boys work so hard and have so much fun.
                 
On karate days Thaddeus usually suckers me into Subway for dinner. Here he is setting it all up for everyone. He has such a sweet, servants heart.
                           
While they were working out I came in and finished my Bold Turquiose study on Phillipians...
http://boldturquoise.com/
Took my nightly lavender Epson salt bath and read Longing for Paris.
Listened to a scope by my favorite Periscoper Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom. https://katch.me/MoneySavingMom
                               
Came down to find Jeffrey had eaten Christian's sandwich and felt like this...
                           
So I went out and bought Christian another sandwich so he felt like this...and because Thaddy was refusing to eat if Christian did not have a Subway sandwich to eat too.
 Then came wrestling practice
                          
While they wrestled I worked on organizing my new planner AKA Travelers Journal. Post coming tomorrow about that! I LOVE planners!
I always lay out all the clothes for the four of us for the next day down to jewelry and socks. This makes our mornings SO much easier!
Shoes, coats, and backpacks are always by the door ready to easily be put on the next morning. Early start school means a 6 am wake up call. The more things that are done the night before the calmer start we have to our day.
 Next is homework time by the fire for Thaddy...
 Christian prefers homework to be done in his "office."
 Then finally a little Madden time after a long day!
 But not yet for Christian who has a reading summary.
After the homework is done I sit by the fire to read the next chapter in Simply Tuesday.
Daddy on fluency duty! 102 words he got to in one minute up from 14 lol.
And now Christian can have some Madden time.
                           
Last is bath and smoothie time for Juliette who FINALLY came home from Hollywood Kids. 
                            
Lavender foot massages for all, chemo for Thaddy =( and a chapter read aloud from the Battle of the Book selection we are reading right now: Spirit Animals Wild Born.
                          
 Not before some bedtime giggles...
 And just all around cuteness!
 And now I end my day doing this! What a blessing to recap this #simpletuesday. I will go to bed having counted my MANY blessings!!