These Are a Few of My Favorite Things....Today!

I've come across so many awesome things 

lately that I am LOVING and thought I would share with YOU! 

How cute is this UGH shirt from Em Dash Paper? 

(her cards are also ADORABLE!)

Because to be honest, although I am usually super positive, 

there are days when I feel all UGH! 

So the older I get, the drier my skin seems to get. 

This awesome spray lotion by St. Ives is AWESOME!

I use it when I get out of the shower and it's super hydrating and smells fabulous!

I've been doing Weight Watchers since the beginning of January 

(I love WW- when I follow the plan I can eat what I want and it works for me! Down 31.6 lbs so far!)

and Halo Top Ice Cream is one of my favorite low calorie treats! 

It's pricey but SO worth it!  

I haven't tried all of the flavors but the ones I have I absolutely LOVE! 

It contains Stevia which makes it taste super yummy  and has 24 grams of protein! 

The entire pint is 240 calories/8 grams of fat/16 grams of sugar.

To put that in perspective a pint of Blue Bell (which I love) is  

640 calories/32 grams of fat/68 grams of sugar. 

Giddy UP, Eunice by Sophie Hudson (aka BooMama) is AMAZING!

I'm on the launch team for her book so I got an advance copy.  

I started reading it right away and could not put it down!

You should absolutely pre-order a copy HERE.  

The book is equally funny and wise- so so so good!

One of my favorite quotes so far is...

"...life is infinitely richer when people are our priority. The end. We can sidestep it all we want to, and we can fill up our days with stuff that doesn't really matter...but there's no getting around how much women need each other. The heart of the gospel is relationship, and God has hard-wired each of us with a longing to be seen, to be loved, and to be known ".

Randomness on a Wednesday Morning

Conversation Cups: 

How cute are these? 

This set of four glasses can be used to encourage conversation

 at the table with your family!

So stinkin' cute! 

You can purchase them HERE.  

Drive Beehive App: 

Do you or someone you know struggle with not using their phone while driving? 

Then this free app is for you! 

Drive BeeHive allows you to pair with another user as either their Sponsor or Driver. The Sponsor enters a reward and a total # of miles needed for the Driver to reach that reward. 

Before Driving the driver opens Drive BeeHive and goes on their way. A lock screen will appear on the phone and will count the driver's "Safe Miles". So long as the phone isn't used behind the wheel the driver will earn those miles for that trip - Use the phone and your miles are reset back to zero! Once the Driver reaches their goal, their sponsor will be notified to release their reward.

Learn more about the app HERE

and download it HERE. 

FREE online Bible Study: Taming the To-Do List by Glynnis Whitwer

Begins Sept. 8- October 6th 

You can purchase the book HERE

and sign up for the study HERE. 

Here's a description of the book: 

Ever just wish the world would stop for a day so you could catch up?

No matter how hard women work or how much they accomplish in a day, there's lingering anxiety and guilt over what they didn't do. But do we really have more to do than the women who came before us? Maybe not.

In Taming the To-Do List, Glynnis Whitwer exposes a seismic shift in society: from one in which most of us were proactive to one in which we carry the burden of having to respond-- to every email, text, tweet, and message we receive. This creates a cycle where everyone else sets the priorities for our days rather than us directing our own lives. The result? We procrastinate, putting off the important stuff for later while we tend to the "urgent" stuff right now.

It's time to take back your schedule!

Taming the To-Do List addresses this significant change in how we manage our time and the issue of procrastination from a woman's point of view. It addresses the common household tasks many women put off, like doing housework and scheduling doctor's appointments, and moves on to the larger, more life-impacting delays of dreams and goals. Combining practical, easy-to-apply advice with solid research and biblical truth, this book is a compassionate yet challenging message of hope for those struggling to choose their best work over busy work.

I just signed up because boy do I need this!  

Summer Randomness

How is it already the end of July? 

Holy guacamole! 

I always have these grand intentions of blogging more in the summer- and yet that never seems to happen. I work for a school district but I'm a year round employee so summer is the busiest time of year for me because I'm working on tons of projects including a big event on August 18th!
I think just about every day...I need to blog that and yet clearly have failed to do so.  

So here are a few of my favorite things this summer: 

Anything by Jennie Allen:

Doing a summer bible study with some sweet friends and it is FABULOUS! 

We are doing Anything by Jennie Allen. It is stepping ALL over my toes but I love it!  

The videos are FREE and online and I truly recommend it! 

I'm loving the group of ladies and we are even doing a craft/art activity after each Bible study session and it's been so fun! It reminds me of what I bet it used to be like when ladies had quilting bees! It's been such a fun time of conversation and fellowship! 

Takeya Pitcher & their AWESOME tea:

My sweet friend Sherri told me about this great tea pitcher so I ordered

 one and I SO love it because you make, serve, and store it all in the same place!

The pitcher has an air tight lid and is tall and skinny so 

it fits in the door of the fridge or can be laid down on a shelf!

Here's how it works: 

1. POUR: For best results, choose your favorite pre-measured Iced Tea packet and pour into the tea infuser. 2. BREW: Pour hot water into the pitcher, filling halfway. Twist tea infuser into the lid then lower infuser into the pitcher. This will make a concentrated brew. 3. FLASH CHILL:Remove tea infuser and detach from lid. Fill pitcher to the top with ice, seal the lid then shake for 30 seconds. Tea will be diluted to the perfect strength.

My good friends know I LOVE LOVE LOVE my laminator and use it ALL the stinkin' time! 

The one I have is one sale today for 59% off! It is AWESOME!

Normally $80, it's on sale for only $33!

Doing a fundraiser for my precious friend J battling cancer for the third time 

by selling this super cute Be the Light shirt! 

It comes in both v-neck and crew neck and in 5 different colors!

If you are interested in helping support this sweet mama of two, click the link HERE. 

It is Well

Happy Monday sweet friends!

So much has been going on and life has been so busy 

that I simply haven't had time {or to be honest the energy} to blog lately. 

I plan to soon with some free printables I used at our retreat last weekend 

and the fun thing I did on my birthday this year

{I'm now halfway to 90- what the heck?}

and some other stuff rambling around in my head! 

So I often get obsessed with a song and will listen to 

it multiple times on the way to work each day for weeks and weeks in a row. 

This is my current favorite and it so speaks to my heart. 

I love the lyrics that say...

Far be it from me to not believe

Even when my eyes can't see

And this mountain that's in front of me

Will be thrown into the midst of the sea

Through it all, through it all

My eyes are on You

Through it all, through it all

It is well

Praying it blesses you today!

Randomness on a Sunday Morning

Happy Sunday sweet friends!

Spring Break this year has been a quiet one which was exactly what I needed. 

My sweet girl went on a mission trip to El Salvador 

and so I spent much of the week praying for her and the others on her trip.  

She got home late last night and it was so wonderful to hear all the ways 

God used her and touched her heart during the week working at the orphanage.  

She loved it so much she was asking to go back this 

summer before we even got out of the church parking lot! 

I am home with a stinky headache this morning and decided to

share some things I've been reading/watching/using this week while on spring break

when I wasn't working on retreat prep!

This precious little girls heart for others. If only we all loved like she does!

This article- Being Liked is Overrated hit me right between the eyes! 

The people pleaser in me struggles so with this. 

I could get 99 compliments and 1 negative comment 

and the negative comment is where I will focus.

This quote touched summed it all up....

"Do you want to be liked or do you want to actually do something significant with this life? 

Let pleasing God become bigger than pleasing people.......

Let’s risk something for God’s glory and for other’s good."

Oh how I want pleasing God to become bigger than pleasing people!

A KY  teenager made an Instagram account for his grandma who has cancer. 

Louisville teen Zach Belden posts pictures of Grandma Betty on the account, 

demonstrating how joy and love can ease the pain of battling cancer.

What a precious tribute!

Here is a sweet video explaining why he's doing this: WDRB 41 Louisville News

You can follow the account HERE. 

Can you be happy for 100 days in a row? 

100 happy days is an amazing, yet simple idea. 

Simply take one photo each day of something that made you happy that day, post it either to a social media site (Facebook, Twitter Instagram), using the hashtag #100happydays, 
or, if you want more privacy, send a private email to the folks running the challenge. 

At the end of your 100 days, you are sent a book of all your photos, 

of all the things that made you happy.

How cool is that? 

Focusing on what makes you happy is the surest way I know to feel happy! 

I'm starting, anyone want to join me? 

Have you seen this? It is PRECIOUS!

At an outdoor bus shelter in Montreal strangers have been holding 
hands this winter so they can keep warm while waiting for their ride.

Duracell installed battery operated heaters at the bus stop that rely on 
the human body's ability to transmit an electrical current.
Here's how it works: 
two or more pedestrians simply place one palm flat against the wall
 and complete the connection by holding hands with their neighbor.
The heater kicks in and stays on for a few minutes!
Way to go Duracell!

This article- Your Job is More Important than You Think - was fabulous. 

"When C.S. Lewis was asked if the world needed more Christian writers, he responded, “No, we need more writers who are Christian.” In other words, we need individuals who glorify Christ through every job that they hold, regardless of their title. We need individuals who love God, live with honesty and integrity, strive for excellence and pursue truth, beauty and goodness in every endeavor."

40Acts is an awesome way to do Lent generously!

Here's a description from 40Acts: 

Lent is usually about 'giving stuff up', isn't it? 

What if you could add something transformational to the traditional?

What if you could give up chocolate and give the money to your favourite charity?

 What if you could turn the TV off and spend more time helping your neighbour? 

What if your Lent, this year, was a preparation for a lifetime 

of big-heartedness that reflected God's amazing generosity? 

Check out 40Acts to find out how!

Have you tried Downy Unstoppables? 

They are an in wash scent booster and they are AWESOME! 

My friend Sherri told me about them at book club a few weeks ago and I finally bought some this week. 

You drop a cap full in your laundry and they make your clothes smell crazy GOOD!

What's Up Buttercup?

Here's what I've been up to lately:

Working~

Lots of working.
This is me wishing I could get this caffeine from my
 Sonic Diet Coke into my system faster! 

This time of year is CRAZY for those of us in education! 

Not enough hours in the day for all that we want and hope
 to accomplish before school starts!

I've been swamped at work- feeling like I'm treading water at all times.
I so love my new job- seriously LOVE it-
but my learning curve is pretty much vertical right now.
So thankful for a job I love to do!

Reading~

I did stop working long enough to read our book club book this month
and it was so very interesting.

One of the things I love most about book club is that we
read books that I wouldn't normally pick up. 

This month's book was The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and was fascinating.

Here's what Amazon says about the book:

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they’d weigh more than 50 million metric tons—as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. 

Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.

If you are looking for an interesting read- check this book out! 

Watching~

We've also been watching the Olympics each night. 

Never before have I been so into watching them. 

It has just been so fascinating and inspiring to watch these 

amazing and dedicated young athletes. 

I watch their parents and think how proud they must be 

and how terrified they must be watching their kids. 

I am a nervous wreck watching Madison perform- 

because I know how much it means to her. 

Can you imagine how those Olympic athlete parents must feel?

To know how much they have given up,

how hard and how long they have trained,

and how much they want it? 

I'd have to be highly medicated I think. 

Seriously. 

Some of the parents are so fun to watch while their children perform. 

This one absolutely cracked us up! 

Randomness in Pictures

Howdy y'all! 

I know it's been a sweet forever since I posted. 

Between helping with the retreat for moms who lost a child

 {one of the most amazing things I've ever experienced

and something I've been trying to write about},

 starting my new job {which I LOVE but is BUSY},

 helping Madison get ready to leave on a mission trip {she left yesterday},

 and all the normal life stuff I've just been pooped at the end of each day!

 I think I'm finally settling in to a routine so 

I should get back to posting normally soon! 

But in the meantime here's a recap of some things that have been going on......

We had our house painted and I had the front door painted turquoise! 

How fun is that? 

I love driving up each night and seeing it- it just makes me smile!

Found this note in our pantry after Madison left to go spend the night with a friend. 

That girl is SERIOUS about her candy corn! 

Took this picture from a book I was reading with Madison in preparation for her mission trip. 

Such wise words!!!

While Tony is recovering from his knee replacement surgery 

our dog Belle has become even more spoiled which I didn't think was even possible. 

She is a MESS!

I am blessed with many sweet and loving friends. 

These flowers were delivered on my first day of my new job 

by one such friend- who happens to be my former boss- 

{who was very unhappy I was leaving}

which made them even more special! 

Having Madison leave for her mission trip shortly after going on a retreat for the ladies who suffered the death of a child proved to be a bit harder than I anticipated. I have been ridiculously nervous about the trip 

{especially the 24 hour bus ride there and back}

 and so my sweet girl has been texting me every few hours.  

Just to tell me she's still alive.

Oh how I love that girl! 

Happy weekend y'all!

Parties and Surprises & Surgeries, OH MY!

This past week and a half have been so stinkin' busy! 

Here's a peek into just part of what's been going on through 

some Instagram photos from my phone! 

We held a retirement reception for my sweet friend Betty!

She's one of the most amazing, loving, wise women I've ever known 

and although I will miss her, I am so excited for her to

 begin this new stage of her life. 

I love her so!

Packed up my classroom and moved things to my new office.

Starting my new job the beginning of July and I'm super excited but 

it's always sad to leave a classroom. 

Mad and her sweet friend Meagan both turn 16 this week and they 

had a swim birthday party on the last day of school. 

Instead of presents they asked for donations of diapers

 for the Hope Pregnancy Center. 

Love these sweet girls and their hearts! 

Mad has the very BEST grandparents EVER 

who bought her a new car last Friday. 

She hasn't been super excited about driving but this snazzy new car

 sure did seem to motivate her! 

{Her mama likes driving it too!}

Saturday we had a small surprise party for my sweet girl. 

It was so great to be able to get her whole family 

{me, Tony, her dad, her brothers, all three sets of grandparents} 

plus some close friends together. 

She had no idea and it was super fun to surprise her! 

At 5:45am Monday we were at the hospital for my 

husband's knee replacement surgery. 

This was him before getting his nerve block- feeling good and ready to go! 

He is one tough cookie!

I wish I had been able to snap a pic of Tony AFTER his nerve block but 

before he went into surgery because that was FUNNY! 

As he was being wheeled away to surgery- he threw his hands up and yelled

"Let's PAARRTTAAY!"

We all died laughing and of course he can't remember it. 

Madison drew a pic to hang in his hospital room that shows him

 in his snazzy purple gown and socks. 

My friends sure do know and understand my Sonic addiction. 

All four days that we were in the hospital I had Sonic delivery! 

I am blessed!

I spent lots of time in the hospital FREEZING 

and not sleeping as you can see by this pic.

I often entertained myself by sending pics of myself to my BFF Dory. 

Lovely pic huh?

My sweet friend Jamee's sister makes the cutest cookies so

 I had her make some with the logo for the Joint University that

 Tony was in for his knee replacement.  

The staff was amazing and it was fun to give them a little thank you treat! 

We are home now and although he has a long 

road of recovery ahead he's doing great!

And I am so ready for life to slow down a bit! 

A Super List of Randomness

1. There are only 7 more days of school. 
SEVEN!

2. Just downloaded this cool new app- FaceDialer! 
It allows you to make picture icons for those people you text or call often! 
It's so stinkin' cool! I now have a page full of my super cute family and friends! 

3. LOVE this video!

4. Just finished reading this book for my book club

and it was super interesting! Love that it is a true story!

Now we are reading this book

and it's also fabulous! I can't wait to finish it and watch the movie! 

5.  I am in charge of providing gift baskets for some ladies 

that will be attending a retreat this summer.  

This is a special retreat for ladies who suffered a horrible tragedy- 

each has lost a child. 

(You can find information on the retreat here:http://www.haven-of-hope.com/category/retreat/)   

The ministry, Haven of Hope, was started by a dear friend of mine, Susan, 

whose  two children and her father died in a horrible accident back in 2002.  

She has turned her tragedy into helping others who have lost children and 

this retreat is an amazing way that she ministers to them.  

I am in charge of creating gift baskets for each of the sweet ladies who attend 

and I have had so much fun coming up with ideas for them! 

I've asked for and received some amazing donations 

{which I'll share as the date gets closer}! People are so kind!

{And if you have an idea of a business or person who might like to 

donate for the baskets, please let me know!}

6. I had heard people talk about Downton Abbey and never really thought much of it because I didn't think I'd like it.  Well a few weeks ago I decided to watch an episode on Netflix and I was immediately hooked! It is fabulous- such great characters, witty dialogue, fabulous story lines, and beautiful scenery and clothing.

 If you've never seen it- you must check it out- it is fabulous!!

         

7. Have I mentioned that there are only SEVEN days of school left?

Yep...SEVEN!

8. I've got a new job for next year and am SO excited about it!

I've been interviewing teachers for the past few weeks for a technology facilitator position on each campus in our district and today I had to tell those who didn't get the position at their campus. 

And y'all it was hard. Hard hard. 

Because I know these people wanted the position and many are my friends. 

:(

9. I heard this song at Madison's dance recital on Sunday 

and I just love love love it! 

I'm not a big hip hop music fan but I love the chorus of this song! 

10. Got this fortune the other day at lunch and it cracked me up!

Agree or disagree?

Seriously........

A List of Randomness

1. If you are like me and LOVED using the Picnik site that is closing soon, 
you'll LOVE the new PicMonkey which was created by the Picnik team! 
And it's FREE!

The things I love about this site are:

• It's FREE!
• It's similar to PhotoShop but it's SIMPLE {and did I mention it's FREE?}
• It's online - no software required and you can start working on editing pictures on one computer and finish on another. How cool is that?
• It has SERIOUSLY TONS of options: Crop, Rotate, Exposure, Color, Sharpen, Resize, Effects, Touch Up {like teeth whitening, blemish fix, wrinkle remover, spray tan, plus many others including my FAVORITE....weight loss!}, Text, Overlays, and Borders. 

Seriously if you've always wanted to edit your photos but don't have the time or money to spend on Photoshop, this is your answer! 
Check it out! 

2. We had book club at my house last night. 
Our book this month was The Hunger Games and after dinner
 and discussion we went see the movie. 
If you haven't read it- you so should ....along with the other two in the series. 
Such an interesting and thought provoking story! 

          

I always love the book way more than any movie 
but I will say this movie was very well done! 
{And it was my first HD movie. I loved the fancy leather rocking chairs but that screen is BIG- so big it kinda made me a little sick to my tummy with all the motion!}

3. I made these tiny little individual 7 layer dips 
{that I first saw on Pinterest} 
for book club and they were a big hit! 

They were easy to make it just took awhile to assemble the layers. 
{my layers were: beans, sour cream, guacamole, chunky salsa,
 cheese, tomatoes, onions/olives} 

I did figure out something that made it go much faster-

 I started using my cookie dough scoop. 
 

If you don't have one, you definitely should get one. 

I use mine for making cupcakes, muffins, brownie bites, 

as well as cookies and a ton of other things. 

It was perfect for making the layers the same size!

4. A friend told me about another series she was reading that was
 similar to The Hunger Games and I started reading it this weekend and am hooked.  

The first book is called Matched here's the Amazon book description:

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow. 

5. I also made a Strawberry Margarita Cheesecake Trifle for dessert
and it was super yummy!
The original recipe can be found here and I tweaked it a bit.
I used half the butter and fat free condensed milk and cream cheese.
I made little individual cup trifles and they turned out super cute!
A great spring-like, light dessert!



6. I'm pretty sure I've never been more proud of my sweet
daughter as I was this weekend.
After a heart wrenching Friday night and a very sad, quiet Saturday,
she went to a slumber party at one of her very close friends house-
a friend who also tried out for drill team officer and who made it.
She knew it would be hard to go but she knew C would be sad if she didn't come.

Earlier last week her friend C sent her a picture
 of a sports bra she had seen in a store.
For drill team practices the girls must wear all black-
except for officers who can wear colored sports bras.
So C sent her a pic with a message saying
"When we are officers we can buy and wear this!"

So before going to C's house on Sat.,
Madison had me take her to the store and
she bought C the exact sports bra from the pic.
She wanted C to know that although
she was sad she didn't make officer, she was truly happy for C.
Oh how I love my sweet,  big-hearted girl!