Homeschool organizing (AND a review....)

When we made the decision to homeschool I looked around my house and thought "Now what?" I needed to tackle the problem of paperwork, books and school supplies. We don't have a spare room to use as a school room, so I knew we were going to make use of the dining room. At the end of the day I wanted my dining room back. How to accomplish this? Here are a few tricks I use...

1. Use of a tri-fold board

I bought one of those foam core project boards at the local big box store. A bit of fancy duct tape and ta-da: a fancy board to keep my daughter focused and on task.

2. Using blank wall space

We have two windows in our dining room, and my window treatment has always covered the "blank" space in between the two. As I was thinking about where I could hang a white board it hit me that I could use this space during the day by pulling back the curtains. Each evening we put them back down and the "school" space disappears behind the curtain! It's a perfect solution for unused space.


3. "Sneaky" organizing tips (using existing furniture)

I have several pieces of furniture in my dining room. A dresser that holds table linens and a few board games. A corner cupboard that acts as dish storage and a liquor cabinet and a hutch for more dishes. This hutch belonged to my grandmother. I have repainted it & made it fit our family! I cleared out a few drawers and the bottom of the hutch. We are using bins for school books and papers. They can easily be taken out for day-use and stored during meal times. It makes life simpler.

4. Peachey's Threads chair bag (product review)

My friend Jane makes these amazing bags! I knew it would be an answer to one of our problems. Here's the issue, as my daughter completes work it needed somewhere to keep it until I could grade it. The solution is this adorable bag! Work-in-progress is kept here until it's completed & graded. Then it moves into the file to keep for records/grade card. It's well-contructed and fits perfectly on our chair. It's so cute that we leave it on the chair all the time.

These are just a few of the creative ways I have fit our school stuff into our regular everyday things. Do you have any creative suggestions?

Don't forget to check out the Wellness Wednesday page for healthy, delicious recipes you can add to your family's menu this week!

As always, God Bless from my (im)perfect mess....

Anxiety, Stress and Attention Problems

This year we made the hard choice of pulling our daughter out of school. She was doing well, learning & having fun. Why did we do this? We know she is capable of so much more. Paying attention in the classroom was hard for her. The students all work on various things, at various times and the "grass is always greener..." as the saying goes. We would end up spending  hours every night catching up on "classwork" which became homework. Many night ended in tears and frustration.

This decision has been many years in the making. We have changed our diet to reflect a more primal, natural way of eating. Eliminated gluten, totally cut out artificial dyes & reduced the overall amount of grains and sugars. It has helped so much! I have learned a lot about using herbal teas and tinctures to calm her if she is feeling stressed or anxious. I have also completed my aromatherapy certification and I have learned so much about using essential oils to help supplement the other natural things we do. I do not advocate the use of essential oils day in & day out...they are very potent and should be treated respectfully. I am currently enrolled in an herbalism class to learn even more! This is the course I am taking: The Herbal Academy of New England.

If you are struggling with attention issues or know someone who is my first advice is to change your diet! Secondly, work with someone who knows a lot about herbal preparations. Get a book, google it! I am just starting down my herbal path & I am loving everything I have learned! Third, restorative yoga (or yoga nidra) has been fantastic in our house. It's a very gentle yoga that requires very little physically, but relaxes your mind! It's amazing just before bed. Finally, use essential oils to supplement the other things you are doing. Here are a few of my go-to essential oil recipes for attention, anxiety & stress.

A Personal Inhaler:

If you're not familiar with these little gadgets, your missing out. It's portable, discreet & wonderful for on-the-go. You just add the oils to the cotton wicks, snap the whole thing together and...instant calm!! My recipe for "chilling out" is this:

Place wick in small glass dish, drop oils onto wick and then roll the wick through the rest to soak it all up. Find personal inhalers here {Personal Inhaler}

2 drops of rosewood
2 drops of lavender
4 drops of sandalwood

Diffuser Blend:

If you own an essential oil diffuser this is great! Especially useful in the evenings during a bedtime routine! My daughter uses this diffuser {Diffuser}

4 drops lavender
3 drops rosewood
3 drops vetiver

You can drop these into the diffuser every time or multiply out the amounts and create a "stock" bottle to drop from. If using a stock bottle of this blend, use 5 drops in your diffuser!

Relaxing Bath Blend: adapted from {The Essential Oils Handbook} by Jennie Harding

My daughter loves to take a relaxing bath. Here is the blend I use on days when she could use a little extra "calming down"

In a 4 oz glass dropper bottle {}

fill about 2/3 full with jojoba oil
Drop in the following essential oils
4 drops Orange Leaf (or petitgrain)
2 drops Neroli
2 drops Spearmint

Add 2 droppers full to bath under warm running water. Alternately you can add 2 droppers full to bath salts and mix well then dissolve into bath.

I hope that these ideas work well for you! I am not a medical professional, so please consult with your doctor before starting any new health care regimen! *see medical disclaimer "Who I am..."*


On that note Today is Wellness Wednesday! Check out the recipes & add one of your own if you would like to participate! Thanks...

God Bless from my (im)perfect mess....

"Sweet" Pepper Nachos!

Since we strive for a low grain diet around here I needed something to replace corn tortillas in our favorite easy weeknight dinner: NACHOS! My kids love nachos. They can customize their own toppings, and except for the tortillas I feel good about feeding this dish to my family.

Fast forward; one day I was preparing my produce delivery (shout out to Door To Door Organics) and those super cute sweet peppers were offered.

LIGHT BULB! I could cut these cuties in half and have CHIPS! I got to work and here's how I did it:

8 - 16 oz of sweet peppers (pictured above)

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 pound grass fed beef

1-2 tbsp Penzey's southwest seasoning or taco seasoning of your choice 

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Toppings of your choice: plain greek yogurt (instead of sour cream), salsa, black beans, cilantro, chopped tomato, avocado or anything you love on YOUR nachos.

Slice the peppers in half, lengthwise and remove seeds. Place in a 9 x 13 pan or baking sheet. I bake mine at 350 for about 10-15 minutes. This is really just to warm them up, because we like a bit of crunch! While your peppers are cooking, sauté onions, ground beef & southwest seasoning in a skillet until meat is browned.  At this point I make a pile of meat and slather in toppings, then put peppers on the side to "scoop" with. It's a fork kind of meal....unless you love messy fingers! 

My kids eat this up and clean their plates. I feel great about sneaking (ahem, I mean offering) so many veggies in one meal and they feel like they are getting junk food! WIN!

How do you sneak *ahem* Offer vegetables to get your kids to eat them? I really hope you enjoy this quick, easy weeknight meal! Let me know how it goes over at your house!!!

God Bless from my (im)perfect mess....

Obsess Much? The story of how I became addicted to cauliflower...

So cauliflower, you know that stuff you refused to eat as a kid and only ate as an adult because you knew it was good for you? Yeah, that stuff. Well, get ready to be blown away!

I.am.addicted.to.cauliflower

*whew* ok, admitting it is the first step, right?

I started eating cauliflower with a passion about 5 years ago. I found an AWESOME meatball recipe {BBQ Meatballs} from Ree Drummond (over at The Pioneer Woman) and wanted to eat them with mashed potatoes. I also have a carb issue. I love carbs...the carbs do not love me back -or- they love me too much, depends on how you look at it. In any case I heard you could mash up cauliflower and use it as a substitute. Well, my first few attempts were gross, until I tried using my immersion blender to get that smooth, creamy consistency that we all know and love.

Perfection!

In the years since that was really the only way I'd eat cauliflower. I happened upon a "buffalo" cauliflower recipe a few months ago. It has changed my world. I now get no less than 4 heads of cauliflower in my produce delivery every week & my family has fallen in love with cauliflower!

I want to share a few of the ways we have made it up around here:

1. Mashed Cauliflower which is really pureed, but you get the idea

Cut one head of cauliflower into florets, steam until soft
Drain water from pan

Add 2 tbsp butter

Using immersion blender, blend to desired consistency
Salt to taste

EAT
(we love ours with Ree's BBQ meatballs, which of course I make with ground goose or venison)

2. Buffalo Cauliflower. This is a great "game" night snack

Cut 1 head of cauliflower into florets, place into 9x13 pan

In saucepan, melt 3 tbsp butter with 1/3-1/2 c hot sauce 

(use more if your head of cauliflower is bigger than average)

Once melted, pour over cauliflower in pan. Stir to distribute

Bake for 20 minutes (ish) at 400

3. Lemon Dijon Cauliflower. Elegant & delicious

Cut 1 head of cauliflower into florets, place into 9x13 pan & season with salt

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes then remove from oven

In the meantime in a saucepan, melt 5-6 tbsp butter

Once melted, whisk in 2 tbsp dijon and 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Pour over cauliflower in pan. Stir to distribute

Return to oven and bake 10-15 more minutes

4. Cauliflower "pizza" Would be a great light lunch with a salad

Cut one head of cauliflower into florets, steam until soft

Drain water, if necessary

Use a fork to lightly break apart the florets, place in large bowl

Add 2 eggs, 2 c shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 tsp salt & 1 tsp italian seasoning

Mix well

Press into a pizza pan or cookie sheet making sure it's evenly spread

Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes until golden

Remove from oven and top with sliced tomato and a sprinkle of cheese

Return to oven to melt cheese (about 5-10 more minutes)

5. Cauliflower rice The perfect low carb side for stir fry!

Cut one head of cauliflower into florets, steam until soft
Drain water, if necessary
Use a fork to lightly break apart the florets
This results in a texture similar to rice

6. Cauliflower  Cheese Sticks

Follow the above steps for "cauliflower rice" then proceed

Prepare two cookie sheets with a piece of parchment paper

Add 2 cloves of minced garlic, 3 large egg whites, 1 1/2 c mozzarella cheese and 2 tsp italian seasoning 

Stir to mix well and press onto one of the prepared sheet pans

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Remove from oven, using the other sheet pan prepared earlier, flip "loaf" onto it

Season the bottom (now face up) with more italian seasoning and 1/2 c mozzarella cheese

Bake an additional 10-15 minutes

Cool, it will harden slightly, then cut into pieces.

Serve with marinara.

How's that? Nearly one delicious cauliflower recipe for each day of the week! Try one and you too may just be head over heels in love with cauliflower! 

Snow Day Beauty Treatments!

We're in the deepest part of winter here in Kansas. Since we homeschool, we don't have snow days - but we made an exception one snowy Tuesday because I wasn't feeling so great and there was a ton of snowflakes falling. The girls and I decided we needed a few beauty treatments to brighten our day (and our skin!) Here's what we did:

Deep Clean Clay Mask
3 Tbsp kanolin clay
1 tbsp honey
1 drop roman chamomile essential oil
water

*combine ingredients in a bowl, drip a bit of water (we used maybe 2 tbsp)  in to create a spreadable paste. I used a paint brush to brush the mask onto our skin. Sit back and relax for 10 minutes, then rinse off.

Luscious Skin Cleanser
3 tbsp almond meal
1 tbsp kanolin clay
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp jojoba oil (or really any good oil for skin)
1 d roman chamomile
1 d lavender

*mix all ingredients in a bowl until combined. See picture for
how this product looks once mixed up.*

store in airtight container, in the fridge

Use pea sized amount in wet hands. Apply in circular motion to wet face. Wipe clean with warm wash cloth.

Amazing dry skin oil
To 4 oz of macadamia nut oil
add 10 - 15 drops patchouli essential oil

This smells amazing and leaves skin feeling very luxurious!

I hope that you are staying warm and toasty. Just a few more weeks and spring will be here!!

Are you interested in learning more about herbs? I am planning to enroll in this course very soon The Herbal Academy of New England Intermediate Herbal Course Won't you join me?

God Bless from my (im)perfect mess...

Super Healing Salve

I have a 2 year old and an 8 year old, plus a husband who loves to be out in the woods. We are constantly in need of this super healing salve. We use it for just about anything that happens to our skin!  I like the fact that I can control the ingredients; nothing sneaky in here! I also like that if I run out, it's only a little bit of time until I have a fresh supply.

Here's how you can make some for your family:

Step 1: Assemble your ingredients. You'll need 2 TBSP comfrey-infused oil, 2 TBSP calendula-infused oil. If you've never done an infusion of herbs into oil, here's how I do it {Herb-Infused Oil}, 1/4 cup of coconut oil {Virgin Coconut Oil} and 1 ounce of beeswax. You will also need the following equipment: a jar or other glass container you'd like to keep your salve in, a sauce pan, something to stir with {I use a glass stirring rod} and your choice of skin-healing essential oils.

Step 2:  You'll want to place the empty glass container into the saucepan and put water into the pan so it comes about 1/2 way up on the glass container. Then, place the herb-infused oils, coconut oil and beeswax into the container you chose. Bring the water to a simmer, then turn it down to low.  Heat gently until this is melted, stirring occasionally to encourage the beeswax to melt.
***please note: do not turn your burner on above a 2 or 3 (medium low heat) I had a jar get too hot and crack and I had to start all over after the bottom fell out of the jar!***

Step 3: Once everything is melted in your jar, remove it from the pan. Please use caution as the glass is now very hot & can burn! Place the jar onto a level surface which is protected from the heat. At this time you will stir in your essential oils, if you choose to use them. You can safely use up to 40 drops of essential oil, total, in this salve recipe. That ensures the ratio of essential oil remains at 1%. You can choose how many drops of each you'd like to put into your salve.

Step 4: Place the lid on your salve container. This ensures that while the salve is cooling the essential oils do not vaporize and escape the container. Keeping the lid in place and undisturbed also ensures a nice smooth surface once it's cooled.
***note in this photo you can see some beeswax that didn't melt all the way, if you have more patience than I do you can get the beeswax to melt completely. I got antsy and pulled it off the heat early***

Step 5: Use your salve! We use this for diaper rash, cuts and scraps, a bit of sunburn, wind burn, dry hands, on the cuticles, the list is endless!

Are you interested in learning more about herbs? I am planning to enroll in this course very soon The Herbal Academy of New England Intermediate Herbal Course Won't you join me?

Please let me know how this salve works for your family! You can follow me at https://www.facebook.com/theimperfectruthproject or email me at theimperfecttruthproject@gmail.com

Herb-infused oils {a tutorial}

About a year ago, I began in earnest to look at healing herbs and figure out which ones were the best fit for my family. We use our herbs in teas and in oil infusions. I use the resulting infused oils in salve or straight out the bottle. I was pleasantly surprised to find that these herbs really do have amazing healing properties! I knew someone who fell & cracked their tailbone. Poor dear was in constant pain and after seeing her chiropractor, there wasn't much else to do but wait for it to heal. I had just come across comfrey. Now, if you're not familiar with it - you should be! Comfrey is also known as "bone-knit" and is a super healer. Another super healer is Arnica. This power-house herb is great for bruising & swelling! The two together are a sure fire way to heal just about anything.

One word of caution: PLEASE do not apply arnica (in any form) to any kind of open wound!  Arnica can slow the coagulation of the blood (or clotting) and is not useful for open wounds! 

In this case, there were no open wounds so I mixed up 1 part comfrey oil with 1 part arnica oil and had her rub that into her tailbone, very gently, for the duration of her visit with us. With a few more chiropractic visits and some TLC she was nearly back to normal when she left a few weeks later! Once she returned home to her own chiropractor, he was amazed at her results and simply told her to keep doing whatever it was that she had been doing. 

With that being said, here is how I infuse my oils. There are many other ways to do it, and each has it's own benefits. If this method doesn't work for you, that's ok! Simply google "how to make an herb infused oil" and a wide variety of methods will appear! For the purposes of this tutorial, I will be infusing arnica:

Step 1: Gather your dried plant material. Organic is best, but use what you can find! Here's the Arnica I'd recommend (Starwest Botanicals Arnica via Amazon)
Using dried plant material ensures that your infusion doesn't mold. 

Step 2: Find a good quality olive oil. Again, organic is best, but use what you can find.

    Olive oil isn't the only oil you can use, but it is readily available to many! I have used coconut oil in a warm spot to keep it liquid. I have used grapeseed oil or almond oil. Use what suits you & the purpose for your infusion.

Step 3: Place your plant material into a quart mason jar. Pour olive oil into jar, completely covering the dried plant material. Place cap on tightly and put the jar someplace where you'll remember to give it a shake every few days.

Step 4: After about 3 weeks, your oil is ready for use! I keep mine as a constant "brew". I replace the oil I remove as I use it and every couple of times add in a bit more dried herb. This ensures I have a constant supply ready for when I need it!

Adding a teaspoon of vitamin E oil can help act as a preservative. However your herbal infused oils should last in a cool place for quite some time! 

I should note that since I am relatively new to infusing herbs, I have not yet come to the point where my jar is too full for any additional herb. I think once I get to that point I will remove it all & squeeze out or drain any remaining oil from the herb. Then I will begin a fresh jar!

Need ideas on how to use your newly infused oils? Check this tutorial out {Super Healing Salve}

***I want to thank my dear friend Jordan Carroll of In A Blink Photography for snapping a few shots for my tutorial!***

Are you interested in learning more about herbs? I am planning to enroll in this course very soon The Herbal Academy of New England Intermediate Herbal Course Won't you join me?

Please let me know if you try this method and if it works well for you! You can follow me at https://www.facebook.com/theimperfectruthproject or email me theimperfecttruthproject@gmail.com

A toast to your health...

Today I will be helping my friends at www.keepitlikeitwas.com with creating an immunity boosting elderberry syrup! My version of this syrup is a nod to Lea Harris of www.nourishingtreasures.com and  Emily of www.holisticsquid.com

Stay tuned for an update later with a link to Kyle & Trish's tutorial!

This is just one new step in my adventure toward sharing natural alternatives and sustainable living! I look forward to sharing much more with you in the coming months...

***Update***

Here it is: http://www.keepitlikeitwas.com/?p=131

My Birthday wish...

Well folks, here it is. The day I do NOT look forward to all year. It's the day where the clock moves forward and we flip the page of a new year & I turn another year older. The march of time is a funny thing. Somewhere around the third grade I did a science experiment on perpetual motion. I built a lego tower and suspended a ball from a string. Swing the ball from side to side and eventually it winds down to a stop. Well, I think time is truly the only perpetual motion - it never stops.

Another few grey hairs. Is that a wrinkle there next to my eye? If I have to sing the ABC song one more time.... WAIT. Isn't that just what life is? A series of events that we weave together with the help of other to create the fabric of our lives. It's a beautiful tapestry filled with happiness, sadness, funny moments, frustrating moments and sobering reminders that our lives here on this Earth are fleeting. It's a simple reminder every year as we celebrate the day of our births that we should cherish each and every moment. Each sweet second of life is a gift.




With that in mind I will cherish (instead of curse) the nuclear meltdown that my 2 year old had in the library today while my oldest daughter tried to learn to crochet. I will laugh off the fact that my 8 year old listed a series of 10 things she loves about me, one of which included her undying devotion because I am the one who changes her baby sisters diaper. I will revel in the hand drawn cards and the last minute breakfast in bed. For each one of these moments goes by in a blink.





Stop

Breathe

Listen

Your life can pass you by if your not careful! Will you join me today in celebrating life? It's an amazing journey. Enjoy it. xoxo

God Bless from my (im)perfect mess...

367 days later the truth is still the same

I wrote this a day after the school shooting in Newton last year. What is apparent as I reflect on that tragedy is how little progress we have made since that day. We are deeply divided. During this season of peace and grace, let each of us reflect on how we wish to spend the next 365 days. Instead of "having it your way" can you see the other side? Instead of wanting more, can we be satisfied with what we have? Instead of rushing from  here to there, can we take time to be in the moment? Instead of hate, gossip or idleness, can there be love, compassion and hard work? Below are my personal feelings on those events and how we, each of us, can learn, live & love better. I do not have an expectation that each of you will agree with these thoughts 100%, but please be open minded and respectful of these words. In the end isn't that what we each want? To be respected, valued and loved. I offer you the reason for Christmas, Christ - God's son.

~written December 15, 2012~

I have felt led to describe my feelings over the recent shootings. I am sure that there will be people (my friends among them) that disagree with me or find fault with what I am about to say. I can only say this; these are my feelings about my faith, Jesus has given his life so that I may one day live in Heaven. I am asked to share that faith by the same God who blesses me so richly here. I feel that by NOT doing so I am disobeying and doing each and every one of you a disservice. In the same vein I can appreciate the richness & diversity of other faiths and beliefs. By sharing mine with you now does not mean that I do not respect your opinions, beliefs or differing faiths. I am not telling you that you MUST believe the same as I do. I am simply sharing my faith, my love of God so that you may choose your own path. I do not appreciate confrontation; however as a believer I must put aside my own fears and rest in the promise that God will never leave me or forsake me. It is on that promise I stand as I share these thoughts with you now, even as it scares me to even publish this.

God loves us very much. The Lord never promised His followers an easy road. Simply because I believe that there is a living God and He loved me enough that long ago He allowed his Son to be crucified to pay for my sins does not make the world a safe and wonderful place.  The evil that we see is not because God allows it to happen; but because he allows humans to choose their own paths. Those paths sometime are not to the benefit of others. This is why we are taught to love our neighbors as ourselves. My faith is a faith which demands when I choose to love & follow Christ I must put aside my own desires and work toward His desires. It does not excuse the actions of others, for we will each have to answer to Him. However, we should remember that He promises us that he will use everything to His glory. We can rest assured that even in a horrific & tragic situation that God will be using that to bring his kingdom here to Earth. I can only speak for myself as it is not my place to know the hearts and minds of others. I am heartbroken over the deaths of so many children. God knows how it feels to lose a child. He sent His Son here to die for us. Each of us. Our Lord desperately wants us to seek him, to love Him & once we pass from this world to the next if we accept Christ as our Savior we will rejoice with Him in Heaven.

Whatever your beliefs we all want our children to feel secure, grow up loved & succeed. We all have hardships to face. Without the bad or tough times – would we appreciate the good times as much? Maybe. Maybe not. Some burdens are harder to bear than others.  By no means am I diminishing any one struggle, any one burden. What is easy for me may be hard for you. This is the beauty of community, of friendship, of family. Our family sacrifices so that other families may live securely. That is our burden for the moment. It is not easy & I do my share of complaining. It is easy to forget how richly I am blessed. My children are growing, beautiful girls who have a love of each other. My husband is willing to put his life on the line so that we can live freely. My brother & his wife do the same. My parents are amazingly charitable people. They have been blessed so they may bless others in return. My mother in law is amazingly compassionate  & would give you her last dime or scrap of food. From each one of these people I have learned. I have learned to love Christ by following my mother’s example at a young age. I have learned respect, I have learned teamwork, I have been humbled by my children. Every person I have met in my life has had a lesson for me. Some lessons aren’t as fun as others.

I know that this wound is fresh, and for the families that are affected directly by the actions of one man the road is painful. I cannot say that what we are all feeling is fair. It’s not fair that innocent children died. I will say that I am certain they sit, comforted by God, in heaven. He will not allow their deaths to be for naught. I am assured that He will use this for His purposes, which are always good. It’s easy to ask why He would allow this; please know this. I am positive He grieves as much as any parent of those little children. 

In this very difficult time there is a desire to place blame on people, objects or laws. I can assure you that it is not Gods fault. This situation is the result of a single man’s actions. It has been brought up that he may have suffered from a mental disorder of some kind. We need to show God’s love to everyone, even those who we deem unworthy of that love.  In fact it is those people who need the love of God the most. If we don’t share it with them – who will? We share with them in the hopes that they may feel that love & feel less alone, less sad or less angry. The absolute beauty of the love of God is that there is no limit to whom it may be given. God places no restrictions on us, just that we love Him. It is in that love which everything else falls into place. If we love each other, we will only want the best for each other. There would be no jealousy, no hate, no differences, no competition. The love of God is an umbrella that can cover us all. I know that we live in an imperfect world – but I look forward to the day that I can live with God in heaven and see the amazing promise of His love.

Comfortable? Let me just switch that up for you...

Just when you settle into a routine something usually comes along to break your stride. This is called "life"! I usually look back on these life-changing events and laugh, although they are most often not funny in the moment. Well, here at our house, we have some big changes coming up.

Jeremiah 29:11 tell us this: ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares theLord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

That is what I will cling to! It will simply be by the Grace of God that this next stage in our family life will be successful.

We are about to become a homeschool family. School will be in session starting with the New Year.

Recovered yet?

For those of you who know me, this may or may not be shocking. I will admit that I am still shocked that we chose this path. The traditional classroom has proved a challenge for our oldest daughter. She struggles to sit still, doesn't like to write out sentences (although she is more than capable of doing so) and becomes frustrated easily and is distracted by others. So the die is cast, the decision made, I will be her teacher. 

Are you giggling to yourself because you know how patient I am (not)? Yeah, me too! 

It's going to be a whole new adventure! I'm sure that the (im)perfect moments will abound. So it should make for some great material! 

Say a prayer for us when you have a free moment, we could use them!

God Bless from my (im)perfect mess....

Life: it's a verb!

Ecclesiastes 3:11

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet^[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 

I'll let you in on a secret; work is hard! I grumble about the dishes, the clothes that need washed and put away, the dinner that needs to be cooked. I worry about my family when they are out & about. I think about how nice it would be to finally look the way I feel. That pesky self-doubt and not feeling good enough. Guess what...? It's about time I got over myself. I have been promised that I am enough. Just the way I am! All 100% of this funny, crazy, frustrating, goofy, loving, & imperfect person that I am. I've made really good progress over the past few months whipping myself back into shape. For accountability: I have lost 25 pounds! There's still work to be done but it's progress in the right direction. However, aside from feeling better and looking better I need to remember other things I am:

I am a child of God

I am a loyal & loving wife

I am a caring & attentive mother

I am a faithful friend

I am creative

I am willing to learn 

I am...

If I can, I will speak to the Ladies: as women we tend to focus on all the things we are not. Let's not fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others. I recently read an article (complete with pictures) of famous women with & without their makeup. Guess what? They look awesome all dolled up with their makeup and fancy hair. It took an entire TEAM of people to make them look that way. Without their makeup they don't look that much different than I do every morning. I wonder if they feel bad about themselves on a quiet day at home without all the fancy makeup? I think it would be a relief just to relax. Can we stop feeing inferior to other women? There isn't one of us that much better than another. We are a sisterhood and should support each other, not be judgmental. I'm going to work harder on my perception of others because I am guilty of feeling like less than I am and being a bit "judgey" myself. 

I am blessed with a husband who loves me despite my imperfections. We will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary soon...we have known each other for 15 years. Half our lifetime. He is an amazing man. A great father. My best friend. In the past 10 years I have learned that what I thought was love on our wedding day barely scratched the surface of the feelings I have now. It hasn't always been easy. We argued, there were deployments and trainings that kept us apart, there never seems to be time for just "us", there's different parenting styles and countless other "things". It takes work! Marriage isn't something that just happens. Love isn't a noun or a adjective. It's not something you feel, it's something to DO! Love is a verb! LIFE is a verb!

Know that feeling when a bunch of hard work finally starts to pay off? I shared last there is a season for everything. Planting & harvesting, play & rest, work & reward. I am here to tell you that this is an absolute truth. It just may not manifest itself the way you imagined. So chin up, friends. Work IS hard, but it's really really worth it! After the work comes the rest! 

God Bless from my (im)perfect mess...

Autumn how I love thee, let me count the ways....

I am a fall junkie! There I confessed!

Harvest. Pumpkin. Deep, rich colors. Soup. Warm drinks. Sweaters. My Ugg boots! Hunting season?

Oh Autumn! Stay forever....

Here we are on the first of September! Wow - the year is flying by. I am making progress on many fronts this fall! First, remember the weight loss I've been trying to tackle? Yeah - that. So here I am 15 pounds lighter. I still have many pounds to go, but it's a great start! Oh and the classes I've been taking? Well I am nearly half way through that too! I feel so accomplished (just don't ask how clean my house is, ok?). This week I plan on canning some peaches - oh my goodness. Who doesn't love peaches in the winter?

Elizabeth is really loving school, her teacher says her cursive writing is AMAZING! She is still totally excited about that! I recently had a friend ask me what I knew about 3rd graders and bras. NOTHING, I know absolutely nothing about that. Please don't ask! Stop growing! I'm not ready for bras and boys and more drama!

My tiny Ophelia is growing more each day. Why don't they stay little and cuddly forever. The other day she stamped her foot at me and yelled "NO!" while pointing her finger. Um, what? I am just thankful she still likes to cuddle with me! Hopefully that doesn't go away any time soon.

My great hunter is gearing up for the season! Gathering gear, checking camera's, scouting spots. He's so pumped! Know why? This year I will be venturing into the woods to join him in providing for our little family! THIS girl is gonna shoot something to eat ladies and gentlemen...yup! Then we will haul home our bounty and butcher it all up in the kitchen. THAT is something I am proficient at! We took care of a dozen chickens in 42 minutes the other day. It's the little things, you know? Stop laughing!

In the meantime, soak up the last few warm summer days folks. My prediction is for a very very cold winter....with some big huge (but late) snow storms. Let's see how right I am....and how much you curse me for saying this! :)

Go enjoy a pumpkin latte! *yum*

To Everything There is a Season (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

God Bless from my (im)perfect mess....

Never stop learning!

Well, school is back in session for the oldest of the Smith kids! We had a great summer full of camping trips and outside fun with friends. Also there were some sad points in saying "so long" to friends who have moved on to new places...but that's the life of a military family!

Elizabeth happily went off to the third grade and we seem to  be settling into a new routine. This year she will be learning cursive and she is totally excited about it! She's an awesome reader and is working hard to memorize her math facts. It's a promising start to the year.

Ophelia blissfully sleeps through the hustle and bustle of the morning and we spend a few hours playing until nap time. Lots of shapes, colors and letters. She loves to flip through her tiny board books and is signing at a rapid clip. Some signs are her own creation that take a few times for her poor parents to catch on.  I love the look that says "Gee mom, don't you get what I am saying?"

Then it's my turn to get the house in shape and take on my own learning adventure.

See, I decided to undertake an aromatherapy certification course. Last time you'll remember I wrote about our success with using essential oils to compliment the things we've been doing to help Elizabeth in her journey through ADHD. I have seen such amazing results with her and learned so much, but there is so much MORE. The course I am taking through Aromahead www.aromahead.com is simply amazing. A great format and easy to navigate! I started taking the Anatomy & Physiology section a few weeks ago. Once I finished all the lessons I took the exam...and passed! Now it's onto the fun stuff. The chemistry, the oils themselves. So far I have created a variety of products for my family and some friends. Aromatherapy is so much more than just good smelling stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aromatherapy

I haven't stopped learning. What about you?

As always, God Bless from my (im)perfect mess....

Endless summer....

Hey, yup, Hi there. It's been awhile - how are you?

Well, we've reconnected here at the Smith house. Our hero is back in action at his new job! We love having him home & the adjustment was much smoother than I expected.

My big kid has finished school for the summer & we've just returned from a quick trip to New York. Ever have one of those things that you *really* didn't want to do, but once you did it turned out 100% better than you expected? Yeah - I am blessed to say that was this trip. I dreaded the air travel to get there & staying in a hotel (ugg!). The air travel was only slightly painful (they misplaced our airplane and we had to wait SEVEN hours for a new one to arrive, all while trying to get a 16 month old to nap in a baby carrier in a busy airport!). The hotel was a bit dated and musty and they messed up our room reservation which we had to argue to change. On the other hand - I did spend an incredible time with my family saying goodbye to my sweet grandma! It was fun to catch up with all my cousins! Saratoga Springs had one additional surprise in that I got to reconnect with an old friend from high school (you know you're old when you say the words reconnect & old friend in the same sentence!). All in all a successful Smith family adventure. On the trip home we made a life changing decision: so take a seat here it comes...

WE . ARE . BUYING . AN . RV

Ok, caught your breath? Yep. You read that right. We are in the final moments of closing the deal. So much for that new car I was banking on...we just spent all that money on a tiny house on wheels! I am totally pumped. No more bad diners, no more nasty hotels, no more leaving the dog at home to fend for himself or putting him in a kennel! We're talking vacation freedom baby... the open road, screaming kids and a drooling, nervous wreck of a dog. Doesn't that just sounds amazing? Hahaha!

In other news; I wanted to share a story about some other life changing events in our life. My darling big kid has struggled with attention issues since she was my sweet little kid. In the 1st grade we made the hard choice to use some prescription medication to help her deal with these issues. Those of you who *know* me will know that was a hard choice for us. Since that moment I have been exploring other options for her. About 8 months ago we went *mostly* gluten free. That helped immensely! About 6 months ago a friend of mine asked me if I would be interested in using essential oils to deal with the issues. I agreed, got them and have NEVER looked back. In the past 6 months I have learned so much about the use of essential oils for not only her symptoms, but for nearly every aspect of our lives (bear with me, the story will come full circle). I did some research and bought some additional oils & made my big kid her own personal blend. We use them morning & evening, with some applications in between. At our once a month doctors visit he said the most amazing thing; "see you in 60 days"! Whoa. That is huge progress but the next words out of his mouth were even better; "I think you can go medication free this summer & see how it goes." WOOOHOOO! I am doing something right here folks! It's been 12 days of no meds and things are smooth! Now, I'm not gonna sugar coat it - there's been a time or two so far I thought I might run away from home (just kidding!) but on the whole it's been smooth sailing! If you have a kiddo who struggles with ADD, ADHD or something else on the Autism spectrum - please reach out & I would be more than happy to share EXACTLY what we are doing to mitigate the symptoms! It's a process, but being off the medication is such a blessing...and makes for a much happier mommy & kiddo!! Now for the full circle part; remember the plane rides? Remember the long wait in the airport? I expected complete meltdowns from both my lovelies...what I got were completely calm, composed children who (with the help from a roller bottle full of essential oils) were better than I ever could have imagined. I have to celebrate this victory because I feel it's been a long time coming. I know my beautiful kids are *the* best kiddos ever, and they just proved it!! Parenting score!!!! 

Alrighty folks, that's it from here. I hope that your summer is off to a great start!!

Ps. personal note; very little progress on the weight loss program! BUT I have conquered some thyroid issues so I am hoping to make some progress soon!

God Bless from my imperfect mess....

A new beginning...

I am so glad it's spring. That is NOT something I normally say. I really really like winter - but I think cabin fever has set in at my house. Just the other day I told my 15 month old "quit being a jerk!" Hahahaha! What baby do you know that is a jerk? I laughed right then! Then I picked her up & hugged her...she just giggled. I am glad she is so forgiving of her scattered & stressed mama!

Spring is a time of renewal, refreshment and regrowth. I am always amazed at how the bulbs start to come up with snow still on the ground. Here in Kansas it seems like the snow just won't stay away! I am glad to be able to get outside, start garden planning and see SUNSHINE!

I think it's natural for us to want to start something new or refresh ourselves a bit in the spring. With that in mind I am starting a little "get healthy" project at my house. I am taking a class from Lydia at www.divinehealthfromtheinsideout.com to learn about how I can be healthier by eating the right foods. Much of this is not new for me, but it's nice to have a refresher! I am also learning more about how I can keep my family healthy with essential oils. Lea Harris at http://www.nourishingtreasures.com is an invaluable resource for information not only on EO's but other healthy options. So now I am armed with the information; I am about to put it all into practice with the help of Lisa Fowler at www.passionateandhealthyliving.com Lisa has been kind enough to supply me with a package of "ITWorks" products. I am going to be using these things over the next month (and probably longer). I hope to re-start my metabolism & rev up so I can burn off the jiggle more effectively. I have been trying (with minimal success) to get my hind-end to the gym. I did well for about 10 days, then dropped off! Thank goodness for my weekly yoga sessions at the Women's Community Y! I love those ladies!!!!

Check back with me over the next few weeks. If I get brave enough I might post some pictures to show my progress - so bring your barf bags! :)

Go renew yourselves...you're worth it!

God Bless from my imperfect mess....

Just do(ing) it...

I have read that it takes 66 days or repetitions to make something a habit. I have kept my promise to myself and (re)started going to the gym. I have worked out 4 times in the past 7 days. Thank you very much. Only 62 more times and hopefully it'll stick. By then I am looking forward to seeing some changes.

Habits; I love them and I hate them. I love the habits of kissing my husband good morning. Getting the coffee going each morning. Making my family wholesome things to eat. I hate habits like washing dishes, the endless parade of laundry that never seems to stop, my pesky dog who reminds me at 2:30 every day that Elizabeth will be home soon and should feed him the SECOND she walks into the house. But, really, if I step back I guess I should be grateful. Grateful that I have dishes to wash because that means that we have enough food to eat. Grateful that I have an endless supply of laundry because that means that I have more than enough clothing to adequately clothe my family. Grateful that I can afford to feed my pesky dog because he can be quite funny when he wants to be and makes a good companion. 

So even though I know I should be grateful, I don't always want to be. I get some relief out of complaining about it. I need to change my attitude...help me be accountable for for my habits!! 

Can you find joy in the small things? 

I am also working on a little something...I'll let you know all about it next week. Hint: it should compliment the workout/less Nutella thing I've got going on.

Oh, and in case you were wondering I only ate Nutella off a spoon 2 times in the past 7 days. That's progress...

God bless from my imperfect mess.

Can I love my imperfection?

My new quest? Learning to love the things I hate! I mostly mean me. I need to learn to love me.

Flabby baby tummy, blah. Jiggly thighs, yuck. Seems like it's been a while since I've had perky breasts. Why hello second chin, why do you stick around? I remember thinking I wasn't that cute when I was 16 or 17. Now I see the error I made. Nothing jiggled, wiggled or sagged. I don't miss being 17 - but I do miss that body! Now here I sit at 33, I need to learn to LOVE me. My family does, my friends do now I need to show myself the same respect.

I have a gym membership that goes mostly unused. I mean, it's hard to bundle kids up in the snow & trudge out to the gym. I always feel foolish and clumsy while I am there. The other women in their cute gym clothes and perfect hair. I am lucky if I remember to put on a sports bra & actual shoes before I leave the house. I was in pretty good shape just before getting pregnant with Ophelia. Pregnancy and I don't get along well. Sure, I make pretty cute kids - but it's at the expense of my poor body! I am NOT one of those women who bounces back from pregnancy. You know the kind? Two weeks later & they are back in regular clothes and look fantastic! Yep - they exist and I envy them. I'm sure they work really hard at it too. I simply don't have that kind of self-control or dedication. I don't want an easy fix, but does it have to be so hard?

BUT, now my husband is home and life is just got that much easier. I am going to give this whole workout thing a shot. I need accountability, so I am putting it out there for everyone to read. I NEED to workout more. At least 3 days a week. Will you bug me about it? Will you annoy me until I just give in & go so you'll quit asking?

I'll be honest; I need to lose about 40 pounds. Yeah, 40! Uggg, why can't I just eat cheesecake all day and lose the weight? We live in a world where I can be in near-instant contact with everyone, I can pay my bills online, I can order stuff and it show up at my door a few days later. Can't we figure out a cheesecake diet? Ok, so maybe that's a few years off yet. A girl can dream, can't she? Since we're talking dreams...50 pounds would be even better!

Well, here goes! Tomorrow I am going to force myself to go to the gym! Call me, text me, email me, call me and BUG me until I tell you what class I took (I'm thinking I might try out this new aqua fit class my gym has).

Yeah, then next week I am going to work on eating less Nutella off a spoon! *sigh* Maybe.

God Bless from my imperfect mess....

Normalcy?

It has been a very relaxing & very wonderful weekend here in The Smith household. Lots of catching up, laughing, and getting to know each other all over again! This morning Elizabeth went off to school, which may be one of the only days she goes this week. We are slated for another massive blizzard tonight. I don't mind being snowed in this time - since we're all here and can snuggle in together!! For now, life isn't so imperfect. It's simply perfect. Nothing fancy. Just *being* is enough. We are soaking up the small things and loving every minute.

Is there anything that makes you stop & count your blessings? Although this deployment wasn't easy I realize that there are opportunities for thank God for our blessings. One of my favorite songs is this:

                                                       "Praise You In This Storm"

                                                                  Casting Crowns

I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

[Chorus:]
And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to you
And you raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

But as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

[Chorus]

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth

[Chorus x2]

It's a reminder that everyday, everything is an opportunity to Praise...

I'll try to keep that more in mind, will you?

God Bless from my imperfect mess...

It was a snowpocalypse or so they say...

Well, here we are again.

I am going to attempt driving from here to there & hopefully I will come back with a husband (No, not a new one. The one I have suits just fine!) I know that I am tired, I am positive he is tired and still our kids have no idea that he's coming home.  It's been a very long year & while I don't normally wish time away, I will be glad when this is over.

The possible kinks in today plan:

1. Yesterday it snowed nearly 8 inches of snow.
2. After the snow came a period of freezing stuff came down.
3. After that it snowed 3 more inches.
3. I spent an hour trying to bust the ice off the windows/windshield so I could even leave the house.
4. What should be a 2 - 2 1/2 hour drive may take me 4 or 5. I'm prepared to slide off the road.
5. Once we get where we are going, there's no guarantee that he will get where he needs to be.

The thrown together birthday party was a success. The snow didn't hinder those plans & then everyone was able to go out and go sledding. After sledding there was hot chocolate and cookies. By 4:30, we were all pooped! It was quite a day. Now my big girl is 8 years old. Elizabeth is growing into quite an amazing young lady. She is funny, super smart and loves to read. I have no doubt that she'll succeed at whatever she takes on.

It's amazing how fast time goes by when you stand back at look. In a few years, this past year will be a blip on our radar. It seemed monumental to overcome, tough while living through it & I know in hindsight I will see the growth we have somehow managed as a result. Despite it all; we've made it. I know that each of you has a struggle too, let me assure you that you will make it through. If I can do it - you can do it!

Blessedly little Ophelia took two long naps yesterday & life was that much easier on this very tired mama! I am really hoping for pleasant and peaceful travel. I want to take a moment to thank you all for your well wishes, thoughts & prayers for the past few days. It's truly amazing how many wonderful friends we have!

God Bless from my imperfect mess...