Back to School Savings!

I can't believe it. August is almost here and school starts in less than 4 weeks! I'm not ready. This year Grant will be in preschool 3 days a week and we will have 2 kiddos in school! Where does the time go. Grant is over the moon with excitement because he's ready to socialize, learn, and just be a "big kid". I have no doubt he will thrive in that environment. Still, I get a lump in my throat thinking about sending him off to spread his wings. Gabriel is going to enter second grade which is pretty major because it means he'll be preparing for his First Holy Communion! So each child has a big milestone and we know it will be a great year, I just wish it wouldn't start so soon!

Although I have to admit, the fun part for me is the shopping for supplies and school clothes. We set a budget and have almost saved up so we can start gathering items. I've been scanning the Internet for deals and it's been hard to wait with some of the sales I've found! Check out Land's End. They have a big summer blowout in effect and it just started so everything is still stocked up! Gap.com also has a bunch of summer items on clearance too. Plus, I like that they recently combined shipping with 4 other stores, so you can shop at Old Navy, etc and only have one checkout! One mom even complied an entire (huge) list of the where you can get the best prices on back-to-school supplies. Whew...can you tell I've been doing some web surfing?! Ha ha. Sometimes it's fun just to browse.:)

Well, time to wake up the boys and start supper. We are having maple glazed turkey tonight...and no dessert.:( Oh what I wouldn't give for a 3 Musketeers!

Good Stuff

I have a few different things to mention, and I just realized it's all good stuff!:) First I have to back track a little because I forgot to post a picture of my buddy Julianne. We had lunch with some Mom Squad winners at Friendly's and we had the best time! When you mix in burgers and the best ice cream ever, along with Fish listeners it's pretty much a guaranteed good time... and it was! Here we are gearing up for dessert!


Speaking of which, I'm actually doing pretty good with my chocolate ban. I'm actually surprised! Ha. We had a great guest on our show who taught me a big key a while back. He said that most people wait for something to inspire them and then think they will act. The secret is, you have to act first, and then the inspiration comes! I think that is so true. That could apply to a personal project, a new job, a fitness goal, or whatever. You just have to take that first step, and once the ball gets rolling, you are on fire! Now that I'm not eating chocolate, my entire diet has seemed to get better and I'm eating for fruits, veggies, and taking better care of myself overall. It feels good!:)


Okay, so another thing I wanted to mention was that we saw my new favorite movie of all time over the weekend! I haven't even seen the end and it's already tied with Steel Magnolias!:) It's the John Adams mini series from HBO. It's been nominated for the most Emmy's (like over 20 I think) and rightly so. We are definitely going to buy the DVD! It's a 7-part series so it's very long but I think every American citizen should watch it, it's a truly brilliant piece of film. It really makes me grateful for the courage and leadership of our Founding Fathers! You can tell Jim and I are getting old because some movies (like this one) we actually turn on the subtitles so we can read the words and make sure we don't miss anything! Who does that?! Ha. The English accents are pretty thick though so that is my excuse. Anyway, if you have a chance to rent or buy it, invest the time and watch it for sure.

My last little tidbit is a neat video I ran across. When I first started watching it I thought it was a pretty nice idea, but I've seen similar things like this before. A few more seconds into it, I was totally tearing up! It's long but if you sit there and absorb the entire video, I think it's pretty powerful. You can check it out here. Enjoy the last week of July and the warm weather!

Backyard Balloon Landing

Here's something you don't see every day! We had a hot air balloon land in our neighborhood!:) The Pro Football Hall of Fame festival is this weekend here in the Canton area. Every year they do a hot air balloon invitational and we are fortunate enough to have a great view from our yard. They just float above in the sky and it's so pretty to watch. Well, yesterday my niece Sydney was spending the night, all the kids in the neighborhood were playing outside and enjoying the balloons. One in particular seemed extra close to us (just above our rooftops)! In fact, we even shouted up to the pilots and they could hear us. Well, everything happened very fast, they came down pretty quick and actually landed at the end of our street! Thankfully there was just enough room (a few unsold lots provided the space). The kids thought it was the coolest thing of all time! We see the gorgeous balloons from afar, but who ever thinks one will practically land in your backyard!?:) I think they couldn't get enough elevation so they ended up coming down (I'm not sure) but thankfully everyone was fine. I ran in an got my camera, check out a few of the photos we snapped:





We thought they might try and go up again. They ended up just wrapping it up for the night.


We were surprised to see who drove the balloon chase vehicle! LOL!

Goodbye Old Friend

I had to let go of a very good friend and I'm having a hard time. This buddy has been with me in the good times and bad, and always around to cheer me up....chocolate! Ha ha. I am so sad but it had to be done. Anyone that knows me is aware that I have a serious choc. addiction. It goes beyond the occasional candy bar. I would literally down a half bag of Nestle Treasures in one sitting, and after every meal! I don't even want to know what our monthly candy bill was. I can pass on any other dessert out there, except chocolate. It's catching up with me though and I knew if I didn't do it on my own, an intervention was coming.:) You know, I could get away with it when I was younger and my metabolism was fast and furious. Then, as a runner I figured I burned so much during my workout that I could justify the 800 calorie desserts.:) I still run, but something has changed and I think my body just can't keep up with the M&Ms anymore! So right now I am on day 5 without having any chocolate with caramel, or mint, or just milky sweetness. I knew if I didn't totally eliminate the temptation, I would crack! So I'm actually surprised at how well I am doing. Yesterday I did break down somewhat and have dessert, but it was an apple with brown sugar, some cinnamon, and walnuts that I threw in the microwave to make soft and warm. That's not bad, right?! My goal is to just start eating healthier overall. I learned that if I get all my fruits and veggies in, I'm pretty full anyway, so it's going good for the moment.
Wednesday we have a big test though: a lunch with listeners at Friendly's! Oh boy, help me now!:)

What Children See

I ran across a very powerful video today. An Australian organization called ChildFriendly.org has released this piece called "Children See". It's a reminder of the influence, good and bad, parents have on their children. I think Jim and I do a good job (thanks be to God) but it's sad knowing situations like this are real...every day. It's a reminder for the protection and guidance of the little ones, and a change of heart (and lifestyle) for those adults who can't see the damage they are doing. Whew! Heavy stuff. Be advised, this is disturbing and graphic in areas (not for children)!
"Children See"

Wonderful Women of Faith

Here we are at Women of Faith on Friday! This is my second year attending the girls-only Christian conference. It was at the Q again and we had a hoot! Our station (The Fish) provided a luxury box for several winners, most of whom attended for the first time. As always, the speakers were amazing and made us laugh, cry, and reflect on our faith. I think our girls were the life of the party! To find out more, check them out at www.WomenofFaith.com.


Here is my friend Marna and I, excited to have a night out!

Wrapping Up the Week

I am so thankful it's Friday! This week has seemed so long for some reason. After having a week and a half off for vacation I guess I just had to adjust again.:) Grant, Garrett, and I all have a cold and I'll be gone quite a bit over the weekend so the guilt factor has definitely kicked in. Gabriel and Jim have had Scout camp all week and I have literally seen my husband for about 40 minutes a day, I miss him! Once again I don't know how single parents do it. It makes me realize how much he helps out, I have been exhausted and I've only had 2 out of my 3 boys!:) Tonight should be fun though, it's Women of Faith in Cleveland. We have a luxury box at the Q and Gina Hart and I will be hosting a bunch of lovely ladies who won, what a great night! I'm also bringing a friend and I'm excited to have some female bonding time.

Okay, so I've gotten a few e-mails asking about different items I posted a while back, so I wanted to update you! First is the Artemis Woman heel smoother pro I bought. I LOVE it! Especially now when my feet are in flip-flops almost every day. They get dry easily and I've been breaking out the heel smoother once or twice a month (sometimes more) and I can really tell a difference! Definitely a good investment. Also, the wood-burning stove dilemma. Last week I had a great conversation with a guy at Hartville Hardware. He was so helpful! Basically he said it's not worth the money in a nutshell. None of those stoves (pellet, wood-burning, corn, etc) will heat the home in a uniform fashion. We knew that already, but he also mentioned several other points that made it seem like it wouldn't be a wise investment right now (the price of wood and corn is going up, etc). He suggested getting the portable heaters, putting them in our primary rooms, and doing "zone heating". That would at least lower our heating bill, which is our short-term goal! So for now, it looks like we'll hold off. Alright, I have to go wake up the boys from nap time! Today we are reading about the life of Thomas Jefferson and correct table manners/etiquette (can you tell what book I picked out?!):)

Vacation: Part 2!

Just a quick update! I only have a short window so I'll be back later for a nice, full update. Vacation is almost over and it was a blast! Summer is the best. For my "pick" we stayed in a cottage on the beach, went to Cedar Point, and spent the rest of our time at the beach. Here are a few pics!:)

Vacation: Part 1

We are still on vacation but I wanted to post what we've done so far! We had a fun compromise with Jim's love of camping, and my love of, well...hotel rooms with running water.:) So we are back from our trip of "rouging it" and it was wonderful! I never expect to have SO MUCH fun! I knew it would be a good time no matter what, just being together but I wasn't expecting to enjoy camping as much as I did. To backtrack a little, our weekend first started with a 5-mile race on July 4th. The good news is I finished! The even better news is that I beat my goal time! I finished in 45 minutes and came in number 14 in my age group, wowzers! That was a surprise! So thankfully that is over now.:)

The camping thing was equally as fulfilling but much more relaxing! We went to Hocking Hills State Park (about 3 hours away) and our little buddy Garrett stayed with Grandma this time. With the hiking and other activities, we knew it would be safer for him to stay home and have some one-on-one time with grandma and grandpa. Anyway, HHSP is absolutely gorgeous. The boys loved hiking and discovering the different (and amazing) sights. After that we headed up to Great Seal State Park in Chillicothe (Ohio's first Capitol, I learned)! Great Seal got it's name because it's in the mountain's that are featured in the state seal of Ohio! Anyway, we were the only people there and I was happy about that. It was nice to have the park to ourselves for our first time camping and we could really relax. The topper of our trip was seeing the outdoor drama "Tecumseh!" (about the great Shawnee Indian). I would not recommend it for kids under 6 but Grant stuck it out and Jim and I were totally captivated by the production. I have seen shows on Broadway, etc. but I have NEVER experienced a live show like this one. We LOVED it! We read the story of Tecumseh on our way down and that was a huge help, we were familiar with the stories and each scene. Gabriel was especially awestruck, he wants to see it again.
Even though we only camped for one night, I have to admit I loved every minute. I even slept good! If it had been more than one night it may have been a different story, but (for me) that was a perfect timeline. I do have to admit it felt GREAT to get a hot shower, have running water, and sleep in a cozy bed; but then I appreciated home a little more!:) So hat's off to my husband who planned a great start to our vacation. I'll be back with more pics from my "pick" soon! Have a wonderful week!

Camping, Baseball, and 4th of July!

We are officially on vacation, wohoo! I think (at least I hope) we'll have a nice balance of adventure, but also just lounging around. We tried to have a variety of different things since we not doing one big trip. Friday morning I have a 5-mile race followed by our local parade, that will be a nice start. Then we are off for our camping adventure! We could've stayed in the lodge or rented a cabin, but Jim's love of nature prevailed and we are roughing it in a tent! It's a gorgeous area surrounded by waterfalls and caves though, so the scenery will make up for the lack of creature comforts (or so I've convinced myself).:) We have a nice day planned of canoeing, horseback riding, and hiking. I am just praying for dry weather! Then next week we'll be off to the beach and Cedar Point. They have some nice cabins right on the water and that is more my style so we've got a nice vacation-compromise going on.:) Today I prepared by getting a nice sturdy pair of Columbia hiking shoes. Check em' out!


I just need a fanny pack, floppy hat and granola bar and and I'll be ready to roll!:) Lol.

Before I forget I also wanted to post this picture of Gabriel from the Indian's game last week! Have I mentioned how wonderful Cub Scouts is?! They were able to watch the game, spend the night at the stadium, sleep on the field, watch a movie on the jumbo tron screen, and have breakfast the next morning! All thanks to scouts. If you have a young man in your life, I am a big advocate of trying out scouts, it's something I think every boy should do!:) Here is my big guy in the outfield.



Well, have a great week and HAPPY FOURTH! I hope you stay dry, safe, and enjoy the blessings of the day!