Photo Shelves!

In our family room there is a wall that I displayed a bunch of photos on.  Loved my display (even though a picture is sideways – I’ve been meaning to change that) but we used some of the frames for the photo display at dad’s memorial.  Two are missing – kind of ruins the photo display.

I have been wanting to put up shelves, but like the sideways picture I never got around to it.  Enter my momma … she is amazing.  She is retired now and bored with nothing to do all day (lol – she is not bored at all but she’ll laugh reading this)!  So, she made me some 10 dollar shelves cut just the perfect length for this wall.  Then … (you’re not going to believe this) she painted them, and came over to put them up for me!!  I told you she is amazing!!  

The space is transformed and I can add or take away pictures whenever the mood strikes! 

I love the dimension of stacked frames and the interest created by using frames of different height.  I’m still playing with the layout but I LOVE my new picture shelves!!

Resolutions and Goals

Let me start by saying that I don’t believe in resolutions. Resolutions are basically dreams and dreams are a good thing, but saying I want to lose weight this year is usually where a resolution stops. I’ve read that 25 percent of people break their New Year’s Resolutions within a week. That’s just a week – imagine after a month!

Dreams with a deadline are called goals. I am a huge believer in goals. A goal gives you something to work toward something you want to work toward. A good goal is measurable and attainable. A good goal makes the goal setter reach but not too far to give up hope. As a teacher, I set goals for my students on a daily basis – in education we call them objectives. My students reach those objectives daily and by the end of the year they reach their year-long goals and are ready for the next grade.

I read a lot. Not as much as I would like to though. I love books – especially finance and self help books. Weird … I know. But, I have read my share of goal setting books. It has been too long for me to remember the title or the author of these books. I’ll tell you what I’ve taken from these books and how I’ve changed it to work for me. I would suggest you search for goal setting books at your local library to read also.

I set up yearly goals in three categories:

Finance – money

Finance goals have to do with debt, saving, retirement, income, budgeting, or anything else you can think of relating to money. Do you have debt? Want to chisel away at it? Have you set up a budget? Where do you want to be financially in a year?

Personal

Personal goals are about you. How do you want to grow as a person? Do you want a better relationship with your spouse? Are you constantly sick and want to get healthier? Are you unorganized and want to organize your house?

Professional

Professional goals are about your occupation. How do you want to grow in your career? A goal in this category could be getting a new job or getting a promotion in your current job. It could even be starting your own business. Maybe taking a class or joining a professional organization.

Since I am for some reason obsessed with the number three, I set three goals in each category. But, for some reason this year I couldn’t narrow my personal goals down to 3 – oh well, this is going to be a big year! J

How to set a goal

Think about what you want for the future. Let’s talk personal – there are so many people each year that make a resolution to lose weight. That is the start of a great goal but remember how I said that a goal needs to be measurable? I want to lose weight is not a goal – it is a wish. Set a number or a size. A goal needs to be measurable.

Now if I were to say I want to be a size 2, that goal would be unattainable. I have never been nor will I probably ever be a size 2. A goal needs to be attainable – something that you have to work for, but if you keep working hard you will accomplish it. A good goal would be become a size 8 or lose 45 pounds. I’m not the best at wording goals, so you can play with the wording if you are particular about it.

It is also important to share your goals. My sister puts them in her office which is a fantastic idea. I put my goals in a frame in my craft room. This year my plan is to put them in a pretty frame and put them in the office or in our room somewhere. Post your most important goal on facebook and get encouragement from friends! Tell your spouse or kids and they can help you attain it. Write your goals down and share them!

Notice that I didn’t write how I am going to lose those 45 pounds? That’s the next step – set up a plan of attack!

Make a Plan

A goal is not like a crock pot roast – you can’t set it and forget it. You have to work for a goal. You won’t be able to accomplish it in a weekend or even a week. Your plan of attack will be like mini goals (like lesson objectives for teachers) that help you reach your yearly goals.

Goals can be set at any time during the year and can be adjusted to work for you.

Here are my goals for this year:

2014 Goals

Financial

- Fully fund our IRA accounts

- Research and start (?) a college fund for baby

- Live on one income for 2 months (and bank the other)

Personal

- Give birth to a healthy baby

- Lose the baby weight plus 5

- Blog 8 times or more per month

- Read 1 book a month

- Decorate and organize baby’s room and keep it that way!

Professional

- Take 1 class (3 units) before the next school year

- Help 4 people do a 180 and share their story

- Plant and harvest our first crop!

Do you set goals? If not, you should start! Start with one or two for the year and work your butt off to accomplish them. What are your goals? I would love for you to share on Facebook or right here in the comments!

Big News …

You are going to have to ignore my bad hair (I should say normal hair lol) and just focus on the message.

Michael and I are expecting our first baby in April!  We are both very excited!

My 10 Fall Essentials

I LOVE Fall!  The crisp air, the colorful leaves, and the warm delicious food.  Of course there are a few things that I don’t like.  The dry flaky skin and the daylight only long enough for me to go to work and come home. But, let’s make this a positive post. 

There are products that I can’t live without during the fall and here are my top 10:

1. Carmex – Everyone has their lip product of choice and mine in Carmex.  I love it year round, but my lips seems to get chapped more often during the Fall and Winter, so I especially love it now.  I keep about 5 in my makeup drawer, 1 at school, and 1 in my purse that way I have them where ever I am!

2. Omega Guard – This is my first Fall with this amazing pill and my skin is so much better than it has even been.  I wasn’t positive this was helping … until I ran out.  My skin got drier and flaky.  But, within days of starting back up, my skin was much better.  I will never be without this again.  No fish burps from this either! 

3. Eucerin – A dermatologist recommended this lotion years ago.  I have eczema and this in the only lotion I’ve tried that will not make my hands breakout.  It’s a little greasy when you put it on but it dries in about 20 minutes and I love it!

4. Scarves – My favorite accessory!  I have a ton of scarves but I am always looking for another.  They are like shoes, you can never have too many.  Add a colorful scarf to a plain outfit and you’ve added warmth and style. 

5. Enfuselle Skin Line – I’ve always had problematic skin, but I can now say this skin care line has changed that for me.  I am actually happy with my skin.  I have very few breakouts, my skin is soft (even now when it is usually super dry), and the red spots on my face are gone.  I am very happy with these products!  I use …. the Hydrating Cleansing Lotion to wash my face daily (I use wipes at night because I am lazy), Refining Polisher once a week (this stuff is amazing and makes my skin feel like butter), Purifying Toner after I wash twice a day, Time Repair AM in the morning, Acne Clarifying Complex as a spot treatment or during stressful times when I am more prone to breakouts (back to school, grading, etc.), and Hydrating Moisturizer nightly.  I also use C+E Repair PM around my eyes when I remember – I have a good routine with everything else, but am slacking with this. 

6. Tights – The perfect item to transition your summer dresses into fall.  I have many pairs, but my favorite are Spanx.  Yeah, the shapewear company also makes tights.  They stay put all day!  I can’t stand when tights roll down and you are constantly having to pull them up.  Some brands tend to squish all your fat up so you have a tights muffin top – not with Spanx! 

7. Soup (and really any hot Fallish food) – I LOVE soup.  I could eat it every crisp or cold day.  My favorite is a modified version of this – so yummy!! 

8. Boots –  I don’t have enough boots!  I could wear them every day of Fall and Winter and even into Spring.  I love how boots cover your feet AND keep your calf warm!  Dress them up with tights and a dress or throw on your trusty old boots to muck around in – boots are so versatile!  I just ordered the Baking Sota boots from Aerosoles – I’ve been drooling over them for a while now and they were such a great price I couldn’t pass them up! 

 

9. Vitamins – and Chewable Vitamin C for Michael to boost his immune system a bit.  I have been taking Shaklee’s vitamins since February and I have yet to be sick!  I take this multivitamin and this daily.  I also take a B-Complex and/or a Chewable Vita-C when my kiddos start acting sick (or sneeze on me).  I am a teacher, so I am surrounded by well meaning germy little ones with poor hygiene skills daily (not that there is anything wrong with my kids, but it takes time to learn to not sneeze into your hand then touch someone).  I expect to get sick.  It is amazing what a few good quality vitamins can do for your health!  

10. Cuddling – This list is in no particular order, but cuddling in my favorite.  I am a cuddler – I cuddle in my sleep, I cuddle during movies, and on the couch at night.  Fall is perfect for cuddling! 

There are my Fall essentials – I know Fall is almost over, but what are YOUR Fall essentials?

Why I'm comfortable being a meat eater

I got into a discussion on a friend’s Facebook page today with one of their friends about humane farming practices, particularly slaughter. Here is essentially what I shared with my experience as a farmer and why I’m comfortable being a meat eater.

All animals – and people – live and die. That is the basic fact of life. They can either die and provide nourishment to another or they die in vain. In Mother Nature, there is no such thing as humane slaughter. When a wolf or a coyote kills a rabbit or deer, the act is brutal. There is suffering. Mother Nature is brutal. She is graphic. I’d love to see some undercover video of that – or just check out National Geographic.

In farming, we harvest (kill) our animals in the most humane way possible to prevent stressing the animal. Not only is it the right thing to do, animals who are stressed at harvest can yield meat that is inedible. So a stressful slaughter would cost a farmer money. Not only do our morals encourage humane harvesting, economics encourage it too.

I’ve been able to witness animals be butchered by small local butchers and I have also seen the kill floor of a large beef processing company. I’ve heard some people worry that seeing an animal killed would make them a vegetarian. For me, it actually made me more comfortable with the process. It is calm, very quiet and quick.

Sometimes an animal dies as a result of sickness and never gets to be a part of the food chain. I absolutely hate to see animals die for no reason. An animal that dies from sickness provides no nourishment and has essentially died in vain. To me, these animals that die without a purpose are tragic. As farmers, we all work to prevent these deaths with no purpose. And yes, it hurts economically when an animal dies in vain too.

For people who are concerned about how meat is raised or animals slaughtered you have a few options. You can become a vegetarian or vegan or you can get to know a farmer. I’d encourage you to get to know the farmer. We are good people, doing the best we can by these animals.

I love cows, I love raising them and I love to eat them too. As a farmer I respect them in life and in death and for the nourishment they provide to me, my family, and my customers. I’m a life long beef eater and animal lover.

Happy Veteran’s Day

My grandpa was taken prisoner the night of November 10th, which makes November 11th his first full day of being a WWII POW.  I didn’t realize that until a few days ago when I found his POW story while cleaning out a box. 

  The moment her was captured when like this, “I felt a German boot in my back … At that moment I experienced the feeling of complete helplessness, knowing that for the immediate future I must relinquish the freedom I so much cherished and had been willing to give my life for.”  Like many veterans, my grandpa didn’t talk much about his experience in the war but he did write it down.  I’ve read it several times over the years and each time I am more thankful for the sacrifices of all of the men and women who have served in our armed forces included both my grandpas and my dad. Grandpa has a powerful story – he was a prisoner for 5 months and lost 90-100 pounds there is much more to it than that, but he knew what it was like to not have freedom.  And he would do it all again to know that the next generation would have that freedom he had to give up.   

I am proud to be an American and proud to have so many brave men and women who have fought for our freedom.  While I may not agree with everything that is happening in this country, I will always support the men and women in our military.   

Thank you veterans!!!

Camo Initial

Last weekend was the opening of Duck season.  Ironically, my duck hunter hubby was bear hunting.  The weather around here hasn’t been ideal for duck hunting, but it will get there soon enough. 

This summer, I decided to make an initial with the intention of hanging it on a wreath on our door during duck season.  I don’t have the wreath I pictured, but it is still awesome sitting on a shelf in our living room. 

Here is how I made it:

The only supplies needed are a wooden initial (I got an S for Schwall), some fabric (I used an old dog bed in Michael’s camo of choice – Advantage Wetlands Max 4), some adhesive (I didn’t end up using the gorilla glue only the spray adhesive), and a hot glue gun.

Put the initial on some newspaper in a well ventilated area.  Underneath the initial put some square thumb tacks or chunks of cardboard so it doesn’t stick.  

Follow the directions on the spray adhesive bottle.  My bottle said to spray it on then let it dry for 10 minutes. 

Position your fabric and press firmly. 

Let dry then cut out the general shape.

I let mine sit a week or three while I figured out how to finish it. 

Hot glue the edges and onto the back – you will need to do a small section at a time.  Depending on your initial, you will need to do some cutting to have a smooth edge.  Keep your scissors handy. 

I didn’t take pictures, but I also painted the back brown – it makes it look more finished but nobody is going to look at the back, so that is optional. 

The finished S!

I just realized the S is upside down in these pictures (notice the tulles are growing down) but it still looks amazing! 

Very simple and I can now make an initial with anything I want on it for only a couple of dollars!

What do you think?