The simple things to be thankful for...

I spent around six hours yesterday adding for more shelves to my kitchen pantry. I ran into several speed bumps (including needing a new saw blade, which I did not have at the house and had to go buy). 

The shelves and space were much needed, and I had planned on getting this project done this weekend. Now I'm able to see all of my canned goods, snacks, and have a place for all of our lunchboxes to sit nicely on the shelf.

It is obvious from the picture above that I needed some organization. I am so busy with working, three kids, and any other task than a female has to do now. I had to have some sanity in my pantry to help keep me organized since I am always on the go. 

It seems like time flew by after I got started with the shelves, and it wasn't as terrible as I thought it was going to be. 

Mostly finished product. I am going to paint the inside of the pantry white (to clean it up) and paint the front of the shelves with chalkboard paint that way I can label what goes where. Simple, easy, organized. 

Planning VBS...

Doing what I do best, I have two weeks

until Vacation Bible School... and I am still working on

all the planning. I know, slacker. Truth is if I really want to

pull something off I wait until last minute, then there is

no room for procrastination. I am a planner (and I really

do mean that), however, there are some things that

I feel I do better at if I wait until last minute. 

These things are a 'This WILL go as planned, there is 

no plan B'. So, naturally, during naptime at work

the past week, I have been pulling this all together.

I am sure at this point that I have put to much on my plate.

Between looking for a new house, organizing my prek

classroom, and trying to organize my house where

things will function better, and planning VBS. 

Camp ReTREAT!

We just went on our first camping trip of the year and

all I can say is Thank the LORD for campsites!

This seems to be the only time that

we can get away and actually enjoy relaxing and 

enjoy just family. We go camping with four other families,

and they are great! We did however, spend quit a bit

of time on our own this camping trip. We played football

in the yard, went swimming at the little lakeside

beach, took walk (lots of walks LoL), and cooked our meal

over campfires. 

After coming home, and going back to reality, can I just

say that I would totally sell everything I own, buy a big camper

and travel with my kids and homeschool them! What

a great dream to be living!! My kids learn more

in one trip seeing things with their own eyes than they learn

in a year of reading out of a book. Teachers and schools

are wonderful, but nothing can replace real life experiences. 

How many people would say 'I would rather read about the

Grand Canyon than actually see it in person'...  no one, Ever!

We have come home to lots of major decisions that need to be made

and no real mindset on what to do. We are trying to find a bigger house

that is in the school zone that we want, but have to get our 

house on the market first. We just put $35000 worth of work

and upgrades in our house, no realizing we would be zoned

for a different school that we had been attending... that money is a loss.

Happy to be out in the sun!

I love the snow, but I have to say I'm very happy to be outside and enjoying some good warm weather with my kids. We love to play in the snow, and we love to play when it's not too hot in the sun. 

Things of been really busy lately with me teaching preschool, I've tried to get my classroom in order the way that I want it, since I've just been there a few months i haven't completed my task. Plus, I am planning our vacation Bible school for church this summer, that's four days long and it takes a lot of planning to go into that. And, we have had a big yard sale, thought about moving, thought about transferring schools... lots of big activities in our future. 

Next week is Police Appreciation Week. I have been working on putting together gift bags for all of our local Police Department officers. I am hoping that some of the big stores around us Kroger, Walmart, dollar store will donate some items so that I don't have to purchase so much. I i'm excited to give it to the officers and show our appreciation. 

A little snow week...

It is a blizzard out this week. We've had more snow in the past few days that I can remember having since I was young. We have had the week off work and school because there's so much ice on the roads, and we have enjoy this time with hot chocolate, playing in the snow, sledding and attempting snowballs (we have fluffy powder snow, not sticky).  

Because we do not have a big hill or a good sled we went to a friends house and used a truck bed liner... You can fit several kids in there. 😉 

Overall after the snow has come, we have got just over 7 inches including the 2 inches of ice. We're supposed to get another good amount of snow coming tomorrow. My kids have never seen this kind of snow and I'm very excited to spend this time with them. 

Time to clean up and clean out...

The big after Christmas clean up, clean out, and purge.

3 EASY STEPS: 3 boxes, trash bags, or containers. 

Got through the 'mess' one thing at a time. Less overwhelming that way.

My boys had a great Christmas, and for the past few

years we have slowly been cutting back on how much our kids

get for Christmas. We want them to appreciate what they have and get a few things they really want verses just having alot of gifts to open. 

With this concept, we are also teaching the kids that some 

are not as fortunate as they are, and we donate alot of toys to 

our local 'Goodwill' type store. 

My Addiction To Healthy Living.

It is no secret that I have been trying for the past two years to eat healthier be healthier and feed my family healthier. I started selling Shaklee because I've been using it for years and love the products. My grandmother was a nutritional counselor and studied all of the health aspects of food and vitamins, and she sold Shaklee. I have been in love with these products for 20+ years, and I can't remember taking any other vitamins growing up. It is like Christmas for me every time I come home and see the Shaklee package on my porch.  My kids don't get sick like the other kids at school and day care do, and I don't ever get sick (knock on wood 😉). 

Point being, Shaklee has never let me down and I will continue to use the Products because I absolutely cannot imagine what are health would be like not using them.  I use all natural chemical free cleaners from the Shaklee product line. I don't get headaches or get sick when I'm cleaning my bathrooms or my kitchen anymore, and I don't worry about the chemicals my kids are inhaling when I'm cleaning. My kids love to take their vitamins and after listening to some of my friends who fight their kids to take vitamins, I am glad that Shaklee has come up with great vitamins that my kids will eat and are fine taking without a fight. 

Huge thank you to Shaklee for being so wonderful with everything you create