I'm Currently {for June}...

Good morning, friends! Today is the first Wednesday of the new month, which means I am going to share what I have currently been up to. :)

The past five months I have joined Anne and Jessica from my other blog, but since getting a comment about my girls that scared me, I set that one to private for now and am blogging from this space. Have any of you other mama bloggers out there had that happen? If so, I would love to hear how you handled it.

Okay, now onto the post. ;)

traveling to visit our family this summer! They live across the U.S. from us, and we haven't been home for *five* years, if you can believe that. I know our four kids, well three anyway... the baby doesn't know what's coming, are very excited to be going. 

grilling brats and boy do we look forward to beer brats this time of year! Now that we are camping more, they will be eaten often by our family this summer. 

exploring new camping locations. I feel like this post is turning out to be mostly about camping, but it's summer and that's the biggest activity we will be doing!!

planting God's Word in our hearts. {I don't have a green thumb, otherwise I would also love to say gardening or something fun. ;) }Four weeks ago, I joined the kiddos in memorizing one verse a week. They have been doing it for so long, and I was challenged by a friend to join in with them. I mean, it's pretty obvious that I should so I don't know why I wasn't. No excuses really. Doing it with them has definitely held me more accountable.

playing outdoors! School is officially over, winter is behind us, our doors and windows are open, and we are getting out as much as we can to soak it all up!!

Comment below. Tell me what you are currently up to.

Happy Wednesday!

Linking up with Anne and Jessica.

Answering All the Summer Questions

Good morning!! 

I am joining the ladies from The Blended Blog today to share some of my answers to their summer questions. It feels so good to have summer finally here after what seemed like a longer winter.

1. Walk or Bike Ride? 
While we love both, walks happen more and are easier right now with the kids. We had gotten rid of the awesome bike carrier after our five-year-old out-grew it and we thought there would be no more babies in the house... darn it!

2. Favorite Picnic Food? 
Hot dog, chips, and fruit. Something about a hot dog and summer just go together.

3. Pool or Lake? 
Pool, although I am not a big water person. But the lake can freak me out because I think fish will come and nibble my toes. ;)

4. Favorite Flavor of ice cream?
Moose tracks or some combo with vanilla, chocolate and p.b. I kind of want to go for ice cream now.

5. Ice Cream Cone or in a Dish?
Ice cream in a cone... I love the crunchiness!!

6. Flip Flops or Slides?
Flip flops!

7. Jean Shorts or Jean Capris?
Shorts

8. Favorite summer Fruit?
Watermelon

9. Corn on the Cob or Cut Off the Cob?
Corn on the cob. Is that even a question? ;)

10. Favorite summertime song?
Hmm... this one is tough for me. I can't think of any songs that come to mind. But now as I am typing this, "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" popped in my head, haha.

11. Favorite summertime activity?
Camping. And this year just got even better for us in that department because we upgraded from tents to an actual camper! 

12. Favorite Berry? Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry or Blackberry?
Strawberry

13. Bikini’s, tankini’s or one pieces?
One piece. I'm a mom. I don't need any kiddos of mine pulling my top down!

14. Dresses or Skirts?
Summer dresses all the way. 

15. One Word to describe Summer?
Relaxation... no lessons to plan or teach, no alarm clock going off, it's glorious!


So there we have it, a fun survey that has me even more excited about the warm, sunny weather.

Join in on the fun and comment below with a few of your own answers.

Have a great Monday, friends!

Linking up with TBB, Johannah and Bianna

SaveSave

Friday Favorites

Hey friends!

Happy first day of June!

I am glad some of you jumped over from my other blog, School in Our Slippers. I am so bummed that I had to turn it to private, but until I can figure out what I want to do there, I remembered that I had this other blog set-up from a few years ago. I need to update it big time, new header, description, etc, because my looks have changed and the purpose of this space has as well.

For now, I will just post over here and not share any pictures of the kiddos. For those of you that don't know, I got a really yucky, disturbing comment from someone about my little girls in their swimsuits. It was too much and for now, I don't want any pictures of my kids out in the public.

Comment below and let me know that you are here. I want to jump right back into the blogging community and hate to feel like I am just talking to "empty space." :(

This morning I am excited to be joining Erika, Narci, and Andrea for some Friday Favorites!!

Monday night My Hunter and I got out for a date night. We have set a goal to get one in a month this year, which is a big deal for us. For years we haven't been able to get out, just the two of us, due to our kids being young, health issues, etc. We have finally reached a stage in our life where we are able to enjoy each other again, and honestly, it's amazing!

Next week I am getting my hair cut. It is definitely time, because all I have been doing for the past few months is pulling my hair up in a ponytail. About five years ago, I cut my hair super, super short, the shortest I have ever gone in my life {see the picture up in the header of my blog}, and I am thinking I may go back that short again. I figure it's just hair and will grow back. If I back out of that decision, I will probably go with a cute bob... something like these. I have been pinning haircuts like crazy over on my Pinterest board. Check it out and let me know what you think I should do. 

Our lilac trees have bloomed, and they are for sure my favorite. We have had the windows open all week and the smell of them flows through the house. I look forward to this all year; I just wish they stuck around longer.

The weather this past week has been gorgeous. It has been sunny and in the upper 60s, low 70s, which is what I love most. I know the heat is just around the corner, so it is nice to soak in these days where we aren't having to shut up the house and turn on the air.

Today is our LAST day of school!!!! I am going to totally enjoy taking a break from teaching and the routine of that all. I know before the end of summer is up, I will be ready to jump back in and will crave routine again. I do thrive better that way. ;) But we also have some super fun things coming up, and I plan to relax and read as much as possible too. :)

Hope you all have a great Friday and weekend! One of my girls has two birthday parties, so we will be running her back and forth to those. Tonight, after pizza, we are snuggling up for popcorn and movie, and then I hope to find some time to finish The Island House before Monday rolls around. Nothing big, but I am ready to relax and kick off summer!!

Questions for you:
1. What is one or two favorites from your week?
2. If you are a reader, tell me what book is on your night stand currently.
3. Any fun plans this weekend?

I'm linking up as always today with Narci, Andrea and Erika for Friday Favorites! 

Also, linking up with Katie =)
SaveSave

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Shakeology

Are you craving candy as much as this girl?! That Halloween candy did a number on me as far as wanting more! However, Shakeology is saving me! I made this recipe this afternoon, and it totally didn't disappoint! Try.it!

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 scoop of Vanilla Shakeology
• 1 tsp of dark chocolate cocoa
• 1 tbsp of peanut butter (or 2 tbsp of PB2)
• 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• 5-6 ice cubes

DIRECTIONS:

Mix in a blender and enjoy!

Scare Off those Halloween Pounds

It is Halloween week, and it's always a week filled with lots of fun, parties, and of course, candy and treats! It's no surprise that this time of year the number on the scale tends to rise.

So the question is, how can I avoid Halloween weight gain without missing out on the fun?

Here are some tips that will help you get through this week.

1. Carry your water bottle with you everywhere. If you are drinking lots of water, you are less likely to eat junk. A good rule is to drink half your body weight in ounces if you are trying to lose weight. 
   
2. Continue eating 5-6 small meals each day. Just because it is a holiday week doesn't mean you should throw all of your basic clean eating principals out the window. When you stick to eating your 5-6 meals, you will avoid reaching the point of being extremely hungry. This will help you from reaching for that candy bowl. 
3. Buy candy you don't like, and buy it late. When you buy candy you love, you are asking for trouble. In the past, we have gone to Costco and bought a big box of pretzels to hand out. That way I am avoiding any temptation for myself. Chocolate is a major weakness for me. Buy the candy late. There is no reason you need to buy the stuff as soon as it hits the store shelves. The less time you have it in your house, the less that means you will have to resist it.
4. Track what you eat. It is so vital to sticking to your goals to track everything you put in your mouth, especially as we are moving into the holidays. It is so easy to not realize what you are eating because we get so busy with all the hustle and bustle that the holidays bring. But one bite here and one bite there, which doesn't seem like a big deal in the moment adds up! This is why when you track what you eat, you ask yourself if that bite size candy bar or that handful of candy corn is really worth it. For me, tracking my food makes all the difference in the world.
5. Exercise. Continue on with your fitness routine. Even though Halloween is this Friday, I still plan to get up that morning, workout to my INSANITY, drink my Shakeology afterwards, and have some healthy snacks during the day. We will go trick-or-treating and then over to our church for our fall festival. I will enjoy the supper they are grilling out for all of us, and maybe a piece of candy or two, but I am not going to throw away the whole day just because it's a day filled with candy and treats. All things in moderation, right?!
   
   
   
6. Keep treats out of sight. Out of sight, out of mind, right? I won't set candy dishes out because I know I would walk by and snack on those endlessly all day. Put the candy up high, in a place you don't visit daily. I have a basket I keep the kids' snacks in and I put it up on the top shelf of our pantry. I can't see what's in there, and it's not at eye level, so it is something that doesn't tempt me.
7. Enjoy healthy alternatives. For me, this includes Shakeology. Others I enjoy include the no-bake Mini Peanut Butter Oat Cups, and Clif bars.

Hope you find these tips helpful to get through this week. 

Question for you:

What tips do you have to survive the Halloween weight gain?

Friday Favorites

Good morning! I am thrilled to see Friday here! This week went fast again. With packing at the forefront of my mind, the days seem to slide by. We don't have too much planned for this weekend. The girls are heading to a friend's tomorrow for a Halloween party; they have really been excited for it.

Last week I had a lot of fun linking up with Erika, Narci, and Andrea for some Friday favorites, so I wanted to join in with them again this week. 

First up, we have our pumpkins picked and plan to carve or paint them this weekend.

Next, today I will be heading over to the new house to go through the 4-hour inspection with the man. One step closer to moving day! :-)

Yesterday my sweet friend sent a text saying she was swinging by with a Vanilla Chai Tea Latte for me. I love her! 

Hand me a spoon and a jar of my favorite P.B. and we will call it good. ;)

Some of the things I have been spying around the web that I love, love, love include this adorable leather hobo bag. Unfortunately it's not available right now on Nordstrom. :(

I also fell in love with these cute and comfy sweatshirts as soon as I saw them. Fall, comfy and sweatshirts?! It all goes together in my mind. Which one would you choose??

Absolutely adoring this top and wishing I had it in my closet right now.

Neon paired with camo?! Yep, totally need this look.

And, last, her hair. Totally in love with it all... color, the way she is wearing it, and the length. Wishing I could pull off long hair.

So there you have it, some of my favorites for the day. It's kind of fun to do a totally random post like this. Happy weekend!

What is one of your "Friday Favorites" today?

What from my list is your favorite?

Hangin' in There

Honestly, how is it Thursday already?! And the end of October?? I don't know where this month has gone. We have been so busy packing so I am sure that is part of it.

I wanted to come over and post the past couple days, but I am not even sure what to put here. My brain is everywhere and I feel like I am drowning in boxes in between trying to remember to carb count and give insulin.

I have been curious if anyone out there is even reading over here. If so, what do you want to see? What do you enjoy about following me and this little 'ol blog?

INSANITY has been leaving me hungry! I have to make sure I am getting enough to eat because month two is harder for sure. This morning I couldn't wait for my workout to end, because I already knew I was going to the kitchen to make a big bowl of oatmeal. I threw in blueberries and P.B. of course. ;)

That's about all I have. I need to get going to try and straighten up this house. Our realtor is bringing someone over to show them the place this evening. That's an adventure in the midst of moving. ;)

Happy Thursday, my friends!