Hugs,
Showing posts with label Motivational. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Motivational. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Organizing Big Shot Dies and Embossing Folders
Hey everyone!
Today's tutorial is a quick tip for getting organized. I love my Big Shot and use it for so many projects. The dies are fun and make life so much easier when cutting out fabulous shapes perfectly every time. The embossing folders add a great texture to the cards without adding a lot of bulk. It's great! But trying to find a place to store everything, especially in a small craft space that I share with my laundry, can be a challenge. I found the solution to meet my storage needs and you will find out more in this video. Enjoy!
Do you have a fun organizing tip for me? What is your new favorite thing you purchased or repurposed to organize your fun crafting supplies?
Hugs,
Hugs,
Sunday, May 12, 2013
How much is a box of cereal worth to you?
Hey everyone!
Today is a really special day...it's Mother's Day! For today's post on:
I want to ask you how much a box of cereal is worth to you.
My mother is a wonderful lady! I am not just saying that because she is my mother but she really is. She gives until it hurts. She is one of the most giving people I have ever known.
Money has never been in abundance but through the years somehow (with God's help, of course) we always got by. There is a grocery chain here in southern Indiana called Aldi.
You can get a lot of great food for very little money. I love it. Trying to feed a family of four is difficult but stores like Aldi sure does help. This is my Starfish story about my mom.
My mom was in the store one day behind an elderly gentleman. He was dressed in worn clothes. They were clean but well worn. He had carefully laid out the few food items he was purchasing. There were some vegetables and fruit and some milk and one box of cereal. He counted the money in his pocket and found he did not have enough. He looked at the cereal and then at the vegetables. He was weighing in his mind what he should put back. He sadly told the cashier to put back the cereal. He paid for his food and pushed his cart quietly out to the parking lot. My mom told the cashier to hurry and ring up the cereal. She ran to the parking lot to find him and he was no where to be found. Her heart sank as she thought of the poor little man that wanted the cereal. Suddenly she saw a man leaned over placing groceries into the seat. Mom walked over to the man and said, "Here, I bought this cereal for you. I want you to have it." He had tears in his eyes. He thanked her over and over. He lifted the cereal box into the air and shook it. He thanked God for that box of cereal. He wanted to pay Mother but she refused. He said he was going to church and tell his Sunday school what happened.
How much does one box of cereal cost? It may not mean much to you. Maybe you don't ever have to give up things you frequently indulge in. But if you have ever had to do without, you would understand the value of a box of cereal. This man might not have earthly possessions to brag about but that cereal was a blessing to him. He told mom that he had not had that cereal in a long time. It was his favorite and he hated putting it back but he knew he needed vegetables more. What an awesome message. How many times do we leave the grocery store with only the necessities?
I challenge you to find your Starfish. Look around you and take the time to see if someone is need around you. My mom does not want others to know she did this. She doesn't want recognition but I think she deserves to shine. It's Mother's Day and I am so grateful to have my Mother.
Hugs,
Today is a really special day...it's Mother's Day! For today's post on:
I want to ask you how much a box of cereal is worth to you.
My mom was in the store one day behind an elderly gentleman. He was dressed in worn clothes. They were clean but well worn. He had carefully laid out the few food items he was purchasing. There were some vegetables and fruit and some milk and one box of cereal. He counted the money in his pocket and found he did not have enough. He looked at the cereal and then at the vegetables. He was weighing in his mind what he should put back. He sadly told the cashier to put back the cereal. He paid for his food and pushed his cart quietly out to the parking lot. My mom told the cashier to hurry and ring up the cereal. She ran to the parking lot to find him and he was no where to be found. Her heart sank as she thought of the poor little man that wanted the cereal. Suddenly she saw a man leaned over placing groceries into the seat. Mom walked over to the man and said, "Here, I bought this cereal for you. I want you to have it." He had tears in his eyes. He thanked her over and over. He lifted the cereal box into the air and shook it. He thanked God for that box of cereal. He wanted to pay Mother but she refused. He said he was going to church and tell his Sunday school what happened.
How much does one box of cereal cost? It may not mean much to you. Maybe you don't ever have to give up things you frequently indulge in. But if you have ever had to do without, you would understand the value of a box of cereal. This man might not have earthly possessions to brag about but that cereal was a blessing to him. He told mom that he had not had that cereal in a long time. It was his favorite and he hated putting it back but he knew he needed vegetables more. What an awesome message. How many times do we leave the grocery store with only the necessities?
I challenge you to find your Starfish. Look around you and take the time to see if someone is need around you. My mom does not want others to know she did this. She doesn't want recognition but I think she deserves to shine. It's Mother's Day and I am so grateful to have my Mother.
Hugs,
Friday, May 10, 2013
Closet Makeover: Before and After!
Hey everyone!
It's finally Friday. I am working a 12 hour day shift today and anyone that knows me knows what a challenge that will be! But I am sure it will be fine! My sister is visiting from Tennessee with her husband and son so I hope to spend a little time with them on Sunday ... Mother's Day!
Do you remember the theme for today?
I am excited because I have a guest blogger celebrating with me! She is a sweet and dear friend. You will hear me speak of Christina many times!! You can visit her blog here:
I love before and after photos. I just love to see the transformation something can have when a little love and attention is given. My entry way closet was a horrid mess! It became a sort of catch-all. It certainly did not function as a useful space and although a couple of coats were hung in the closet, they were rarely worn and so the closet was not serving any real purpose other than to collect junk!
I told you on Wednesday that I love Pinterest. I truly do. There are so many great closet storage ideas there and I have been truly inspired by many of the photos I have pinned. So I decided to take a little time and make a list of what I needed to get organized. I sent my husband to the store with said list but he found something far better and much cheaper so of course I was very happy! He even was sweet enough to put it together and install it for me. So without further adieu, here is the ugly before and the pretty after!
I know! STOP! Enough! Right? It was messy and did not function for our needs at all! So here is the new solution. Keep in mind that it's a work in progress, so it's not totally finished but it's much better than it was before!
Thanks for hanging out with Christina and me today! Hope you were inspired to finish something on your to-do list today!
Hugs,
It's finally Friday. I am working a 12 hour day shift today and anyone that knows me knows what a challenge that will be! But I am sure it will be fine! My sister is visiting from Tennessee with her husband and son so I hope to spend a little time with them on Sunday ... Mother's Day!
Do you remember the theme for today?
I love before and after photos. I just love to see the transformation something can have when a little love and attention is given. My entry way closet was a horrid mess! It became a sort of catch-all. It certainly did not function as a useful space and although a couple of coats were hung in the closet, they were rarely worn and so the closet was not serving any real purpose other than to collect junk!
I told you on Wednesday that I love Pinterest. I truly do. There are so many great closet storage ideas there and I have been truly inspired by many of the photos I have pinned. So I decided to take a little time and make a list of what I needed to get organized. I sent my husband to the store with said list but he found something far better and much cheaper so of course I was very happy! He even was sweet enough to put it together and install it for me. So without further adieu, here is the ugly before and the pretty after!
Hugs,
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Two For One!
Hey, everyone!
I have been as busy as a bee over the weekend and starting my week. My family and I are doing some landscaping and making our yard look so much nicer. Our neighbors have been sure to tell us they like the improvements and thanked us for our hard work. The whole neighborhood benefits! I am just super excited about the changes ... that are still happening!
Today's post is a two-fer! Since I was so busy I didn't get the chance to post the new Color Combo Motivational so I will post it today and then I will post the No Stamp Craft I did, as well. Hope you will create something fun today too! Maybe you can create a project without stamping using the new Color Combo!
Okay for the new Color Combo Motivational 54, I chose White, Red, Brown, Blue and Green. You can make a card, scrapbook page, altered item, ATC... whatever you want! Just be sure to only use these 5 colors and if you participate in the Motivational use CC54 in your keywords. I would love to see what you come up with. Here is my project.
I got the image free right HERE. It's a digital image and I love, love, love playing with them! The sentiment is from a stamp set from The Angel Company called Build-A-Flower. The red designer paper is now retired from TAC. The girl is up on pop dots but you can't really tell from the photo and her lollipop is shimmery from my Stardust Glittering Gel Pens.
For the No Stamp Crafting project today I made a little purse! It's made from paper and I thought it would be sweet to give to my daughter's teacher during Teacher Appreciation Week. I will have a lot more things to show you that week but for now you can see the tote.
Hope you will have fun without your stamps for a fun little project, too! Happy paper crafting! See you tomorrow!!
Angel Hugs,
Monday, February 1, 2010
January Recap
Hey, everyone!
Today is February 1 so I thought it would be fun to look back over the first month of this year and reflect. Instead of resolutions, I chose to make a goal book this year! Do you remember that? I created some notecards for different areas of my life that I wanted to change or improve. I included Stamping, Scrapping, Knitting, Health, Financial, Quality Time, Culinary, Home and Spiritual.
I had started a Scripture Challenge last year with my friends and I got a little more than half way through before I stopped. I picked right back up this year though and I am staying on track! It is an amazing journey that I am so humbled by!
I started three new programs to get me on the right track: FlyLady, Financial Peace University and Weight Watchers. I want to share with you my progress thus far.
Can I just say that January was a very busy, very full month for me, but one of the most enlightening times of my life. I am so humbled and honored by all of the lessons I learned throughout this month! So much more than I had imagined!!
Let's start with my Goal Book:
Stamping:
So far I have had FUN creating!
I made birthday cards and gave/sent them on time, except for one. I am still waiting to give it.
I sorted all my stamped images that I have made and/or received from others and stored them in a neat little basket! (I'm so eager to start playing again!)
I used patterned paper more, which is something that is out of my comfort zone but I love it!
Scrapping:
I created a layout for my family album.
I stamped on my scrapbook layouts.
I am using my current supply before buying new.
I have invited friends over to crop, which we are planning on doing this month!
I have shared scrapbook pages on my blog.
Knitting:
I completely started over on my daughter's footies. This has been an ongoing project as you might recall! LOL I got quite a lot done while waiting at gymnastics practice one night, working on it for a while one night I was staying up so I could sleep the next day (working night shift) and then knitted several more rows last night while watching a movie.
Health:
I measured last month and will do that again today!
I weigh in each week.
I joined Weight Watchers with my friend.
I did workout but not a lot, using my hand weights.
I continue to take my Vitamin B12 shots. (I usually quit taking medicine before I should!)
We've been cooking at home more.
So far I have been sticking with my weight loss efforts!
Financial:
Paul and I joined Financial Peace University and we absolutely love it!
We have saved some money.
Our debts are all organized. (Debt Snowball)
We found a way to eliminate our debts even quicker than we thought. (Debt Snowball & FPU)
We shop the sales and specials for the things we need.
I stopped selling Avon! That was really a big way for us to save money!
Quality Time:
I have had more FUN with my family!
Paul and I have date night each week!
Kadesia got to be Queen for the Day! She loves when it's just the two of us hanging out and having our girl time. I love it, too!!!
We went on a small trip with the family when Paul's parents took us to Monster Jam. It was so much fun! A wonderful experience!
Culinary:
We have tried new recipes in my cookbooks.
I let Javan and Kadesia help me in the kitchen more, preparing meals, cleaning off the table, making tea, washing dishes. They love it and it's fun for me to share that with them!
Home:
We've gotten rid of even more things we've either grown tired of, didn't need/want/love, or doesn't fit... It's so rewarding to bless others with these things!
(The lists I made for this category may not be realized as quickly because they are things that take time and money, two things we have precious little of, but hopefully by the end of the year these 12 goals will be realized!)
Spiritual:
I received my copyright information for my new CD.
I definitely have been developing a much better prayer life! This is so key for me to not only talk to God and share what is on my heart and to ask for the things I need His help with, but it's also a time for me to listen to what He is telling my heart! Even when it hurts!
I love that I pray with my kids each night before bed. If I am hurrying around and get busy, they will come to me and ask me to pray with them. I love that they know they can do that. I love that they want to talk to God in prayer!
Now for my Scripture Challenge update:
I have really enjoyed getting back into the studying and reading God's Word in a new way! I am reading passages of scripture that I haven't heard in a while and it's like it is being opened up to me in a way that I have never read before. It is all so fresh and new again! I find that in studying for my scripture challenge I also come across scripture references that help others in my life who are hurting or going through things and I am able to encourage and help them by sharing what I have read and learned, even when it has nothing to do with the weekly theme I am studying! If you haven't started this challenge yet, but maybe thought you'd like to, I encourage you to give it a try. You may not want to make a scrapbook like I am doing, but you could find so many wonderful experiences just by studying and cross-referencing the Word of God!
Lastly an update on the three areas of change I have begun:
FlyLady
I have a few things of FlyLady's that have truly helped me the most. I printed them out in my "Control Journal" and I refer to them often! I don't receive the emails and I am no longer "signed up" with the program. I recommend it to those who are trying to figure out where to "start" but I just don't have the time to read through all those emails. I receive so many messages in my inbox each day that I cannot read them all at once as it is. So I will still apply the lessons I learned and just simplified my life more by omitting the "program" part of it.
Financial Peace University
This has been such a wonderful program. I love Dave Ramsey's radio program. I know he is helping a lot of people. I read his book called The Total Money Makeover and it was very encouraging to me! I started doing some of the things he suggested then but it wasn't until Paul started being on board with me and signed up for FPU that we started to see a big difference! I love how much more HOPE we have that we are going to get through this tough financial situation and move on. We are expecting great things this year and I will share more each month! If you have the opportunity to take a course near you I would highly recommend it. It's worth every penny! If you follow the program, it will definitely change your life for the better!! Our "debt mountain" is extreme to us, but we know that we don't have nearly as much debt as others. It doesn't make ours any less significant, however, and I would recommend this program to everyone, ESPECIALLY those who are debt-free right now! I do want to share something though. It's kind of silly! We don't have any credit card debts. I had a Maurice's credit card that I got just before I got married. I gave it to Paul and let him cut it up for me. I canceled it of course, but it just HURT! It was seriously sad to me to let him cut up that stinkin' little piece of plastic! Why is that? Oh my! But he did it and I didn't cry! I was brave! LOL But I don't miss it and I know that we are much better off with NO CREDIT CARDS! We don't need them!
Weight Watchers
I started WW with my friend, Heather this past month. I have to be honest here...I didn't track like I was supposed to! In the end, who does it hurt? Me! But I was "too busy" to track and then I had no idea what some food point values were because I didn't take the time to look up the recipes. It was too time-consuming I thought. So I really didn't do as well as I could have. I am 2 pounds lighter than when I started 3 weeks ago but it's still not as much as I know I can! So I am going to do better about drinking my water and moving more. I am also going to make myself eat 3 times a day (aaaagh!!!!) and track what I eat, instead of waiting all day and just eating once. I am proud that I dropped 2 pounds this month! It's far better than the scales going the other way but I am looking for even better results this month!
So that was January! See, I was busy, huh? LOL The real motto here is that when you set goals for yourself, make sure you can measure them and keep track of your progress. Don't just say I want to exercise this month, choose what, how much and when. My goal is to walk 23 miles this month! I am going to workout to Leslie Sansone's Walk A Mile DVD each day except for 5 this month and I have that already on my planner. I can track and measure that by the end of the month. I will be able to see my progress! I know 5 days in particular that I will not workout. I programmed that already in my mind and on my planner so I won't have to feel guilty or like I failed if I don't work out. I encourage you to keep track of your progress, too, because no matter if they are personal goals, business goals, fitness goals or whatever you can achieve them when you plan for success!
I wish you the best!
Today is February 1 so I thought it would be fun to look back over the first month of this year and reflect. Instead of resolutions, I chose to make a goal book this year! Do you remember that? I created some notecards for different areas of my life that I wanted to change or improve. I included Stamping, Scrapping, Knitting, Health, Financial, Quality Time, Culinary, Home and Spiritual.
I had started a Scripture Challenge last year with my friends and I got a little more than half way through before I stopped. I picked right back up this year though and I am staying on track! It is an amazing journey that I am so humbled by!
I started three new programs to get me on the right track: FlyLady, Financial Peace University and Weight Watchers. I want to share with you my progress thus far.
Can I just say that January was a very busy, very full month for me, but one of the most enlightening times of my life. I am so humbled and honored by all of the lessons I learned throughout this month! So much more than I had imagined!!
Let's start with my Goal Book:
Stamping:
So far I have had FUN creating!
I made birthday cards and gave/sent them on time, except for one. I am still waiting to give it.
I sorted all my stamped images that I have made and/or received from others and stored them in a neat little basket! (I'm so eager to start playing again!)
I used patterned paper more, which is something that is out of my comfort zone but I love it!
Scrapping:
I created a layout for my family album.
I stamped on my scrapbook layouts.
I am using my current supply before buying new.
I have invited friends over to crop, which we are planning on doing this month!
I have shared scrapbook pages on my blog.
Knitting:
I completely started over on my daughter's footies. This has been an ongoing project as you might recall! LOL I got quite a lot done while waiting at gymnastics practice one night, working on it for a while one night I was staying up so I could sleep the next day (working night shift) and then knitted several more rows last night while watching a movie.
Health:
I measured last month and will do that again today!
I weigh in each week.
I joined Weight Watchers with my friend.
I did workout but not a lot, using my hand weights.
I continue to take my Vitamin B12 shots. (I usually quit taking medicine before I should!)
We've been cooking at home more.
So far I have been sticking with my weight loss efforts!
Financial:
Paul and I joined Financial Peace University and we absolutely love it!
We have saved some money.
Our debts are all organized. (Debt Snowball)
We found a way to eliminate our debts even quicker than we thought. (Debt Snowball & FPU)
We shop the sales and specials for the things we need.
I stopped selling Avon! That was really a big way for us to save money!
Quality Time:
I have had more FUN with my family!
Paul and I have date night each week!
Kadesia got to be Queen for the Day! She loves when it's just the two of us hanging out and having our girl time. I love it, too!!!
We went on a small trip with the family when Paul's parents took us to Monster Jam. It was so much fun! A wonderful experience!
Culinary:
We have tried new recipes in my cookbooks.
I let Javan and Kadesia help me in the kitchen more, preparing meals, cleaning off the table, making tea, washing dishes. They love it and it's fun for me to share that with them!
Home:
We've gotten rid of even more things we've either grown tired of, didn't need/want/love, or doesn't fit... It's so rewarding to bless others with these things!
(The lists I made for this category may not be realized as quickly because they are things that take time and money, two things we have precious little of, but hopefully by the end of the year these 12 goals will be realized!)
Spiritual:
I received my copyright information for my new CD.
I definitely have been developing a much better prayer life! This is so key for me to not only talk to God and share what is on my heart and to ask for the things I need His help with, but it's also a time for me to listen to what He is telling my heart! Even when it hurts!
I love that I pray with my kids each night before bed. If I am hurrying around and get busy, they will come to me and ask me to pray with them. I love that they know they can do that. I love that they want to talk to God in prayer!
Now for my Scripture Challenge update:
I have really enjoyed getting back into the studying and reading God's Word in a new way! I am reading passages of scripture that I haven't heard in a while and it's like it is being opened up to me in a way that I have never read before. It is all so fresh and new again! I find that in studying for my scripture challenge I also come across scripture references that help others in my life who are hurting or going through things and I am able to encourage and help them by sharing what I have read and learned, even when it has nothing to do with the weekly theme I am studying! If you haven't started this challenge yet, but maybe thought you'd like to, I encourage you to give it a try. You may not want to make a scrapbook like I am doing, but you could find so many wonderful experiences just by studying and cross-referencing the Word of God!
Lastly an update on the three areas of change I have begun:
FlyLady
I have a few things of FlyLady's that have truly helped me the most. I printed them out in my "Control Journal" and I refer to them often! I don't receive the emails and I am no longer "signed up" with the program. I recommend it to those who are trying to figure out where to "start" but I just don't have the time to read through all those emails. I receive so many messages in my inbox each day that I cannot read them all at once as it is. So I will still apply the lessons I learned and just simplified my life more by omitting the "program" part of it.
Financial Peace University
This has been such a wonderful program. I love Dave Ramsey's radio program. I know he is helping a lot of people. I read his book called The Total Money Makeover and it was very encouraging to me! I started doing some of the things he suggested then but it wasn't until Paul started being on board with me and signed up for FPU that we started to see a big difference! I love how much more HOPE we have that we are going to get through this tough financial situation and move on. We are expecting great things this year and I will share more each month! If you have the opportunity to take a course near you I would highly recommend it. It's worth every penny! If you follow the program, it will definitely change your life for the better!! Our "debt mountain" is extreme to us, but we know that we don't have nearly as much debt as others. It doesn't make ours any less significant, however, and I would recommend this program to everyone, ESPECIALLY those who are debt-free right now! I do want to share something though. It's kind of silly! We don't have any credit card debts. I had a Maurice's credit card that I got just before I got married. I gave it to Paul and let him cut it up for me. I canceled it of course, but it just HURT! It was seriously sad to me to let him cut up that stinkin' little piece of plastic! Why is that? Oh my! But he did it and I didn't cry! I was brave! LOL But I don't miss it and I know that we are much better off with NO CREDIT CARDS! We don't need them!
Weight Watchers
I started WW with my friend, Heather this past month. I have to be honest here...I didn't track like I was supposed to! In the end, who does it hurt? Me! But I was "too busy" to track and then I had no idea what some food point values were because I didn't take the time to look up the recipes. It was too time-consuming I thought. So I really didn't do as well as I could have. I am 2 pounds lighter than when I started 3 weeks ago but it's still not as much as I know I can! So I am going to do better about drinking my water and moving more. I am also going to make myself eat 3 times a day (aaaagh!!!!) and track what I eat, instead of waiting all day and just eating once. I am proud that I dropped 2 pounds this month! It's far better than the scales going the other way but I am looking for even better results this month!
So that was January! See, I was busy, huh? LOL The real motto here is that when you set goals for yourself, make sure you can measure them and keep track of your progress. Don't just say I want to exercise this month, choose what, how much and when. My goal is to walk 23 miles this month! I am going to workout to Leslie Sansone's Walk A Mile DVD each day except for 5 this month and I have that already on my planner. I can track and measure that by the end of the month. I will be able to see my progress! I know 5 days in particular that I will not workout. I programmed that already in my mind and on my planner so I won't have to feel guilty or like I failed if I don't work out. I encourage you to keep track of your progress, too, because no matter if they are personal goals, business goals, fitness goals or whatever you can achieve them when you plan for success!
I wish you the best!
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