Nursery DIY

I love, love, love decorating. When I decided to become a foster parent I became really excited to prepare a nursery (I call it the baby room more so than a nursery) in the house. I searched on Pinterest for ideas and read many blogs regarding ways to prepare a home and more specifically a room for a child in foster care. I knew I wanted to go with a gender neutral theme and keep it very soft and calming. I love the color gray on walls as it reflects natural light and can brighten a room as well as maintain a feeling of calm. Since I knew I wanted gray on the walls, I began my search for furniture. I looked on Craigslist and FB selling walls where I found a crib ($60), a Pottery Barn changing table ($40), and a rocking chair (free, I love those freebies)! I happened upon a gallon of black paint at Lowe's for $9 that I was using to re-do corn-hole boards so I decided to paint all the furniture black to match (prior to painting the furniture I made sure it was safe and also read up on how to seal furniture appropriately so that it would not harm the child).
Using the same paint, I planned on adding a stripe on one of the walls and then use a soft green, teal, or yellow to add smaller stripes. When I began reading how to paint stripes on a wall and learned how tedious it was going to be, I started to get anxious. I love to craft, but if you look at many of the things I create, they are not exactly perfect and I knew if I added a stripe that had a slight angle it would bother me. I nixed the idea and began strolling through Pinterest. I almost immediately became inspired to create a baby room with a theme from one of my favorite places to visit: NYC! I found a NYC skyline and knew I could easily paint it on the wall better than a perfect/even stripe. From there, my theme soared. There are not many NYC themed baby rooms out there so I used some things I found on Pinterest (like this awesome ABC print which I hand created) and thought of some additional details on my own. I love how this room turned out and it is definitely my favorite room I have ever decorated.

Found these awesome marquee letters at a local craft store helping to bring Broadway into the room.

Amazon has all kinds of great books, I searched for NYC themed children's books and found many. The book on the far right (Little Miss Liberty), I have owned for years, using in a summer program for children at a book store. When contemplating whether or not I should really do a NYC theme I happened upon the book in the middle (The Dancing Clock) at a store and knew that was my answer.

I found a print on Pinterest just like this displaying the NYC subway system as an alphabet and recreated it using card stock and my wonderful Cricut!

The changing table used to be white with pink baskets from Pottery Barn, I painted it black and spray painted the basket yellow to incorporate NYC taxis into the room. The rocking chair came from a friend. Again it was white with blue cushions so I re-painted and added new fabric to match the rooms colors. I created the apple pillow from some left over fabric. The wall print above the rocking chair was one of the very first things I purchased for the nursery. It is from Natterdoodle (see photo below for link to website and what it looks like).

The wonderful hand painted skyline! My favorite skyline in all of the USA. I love that is also incorporates One World Trade building. I used a projector to draw the skyline on the wall and then painted using two coats of black paint.

To add some childish items to the room, I found a print on Pinterest by the artist Julian Montague and was inspired to create my own using PicMonkey. I also created a Taxi print using the same website. The apple I found at Hobby Lobby and spray painted to create a "big apple." The Statue of Liberty came from my Great-Grandmother (whom also loved NYC). I purchased the Empire State Building from Amazon.

I love that I was able to incorporate this child's high chair into the room. When I was young, I used to shop with my Great-Grandmother at antique stores. One day when shopping I saw this high chair and told my grandmother that I had to have it. She purchased it and painted it white, it then stayed in her house until she passed a few years ago and I acquired it. Now it is a perfect book shelf for all the awesome children's books I have. 

This is the print located above the rocking chair. I purchased it from Natterdoodle. I fell in love when I saw it and knew it had to go into the baby room. Check back later for a blog post regarding this beautiful print.

To add "big apples" and to have a mobile NYC themed, I made my own. I hand cut and sewed felt apples, hanging them from a cross stitch hoop using fishing wire. 

I make baby blankets and if you follow me on Instagram, you know this. I scoured all over the internet looking for NYC themed fabric. It took me forever to find exactly what I was looking for and thank goodness for Etsy! I came across a little smaller than a yard worth of scrap fabric. 

This past December when the room was almost complete I went to NYC with my sisters. Of course, I had to pick up some items (including this teddy bear) to add to the room. 

Since I didn't know what age I was getting when applying for foster care I decided to keep a twin bed in the room. The colors already matched and I thought it would help add storage. I bought the 5th Ave street sign from a store in NYC while visiting and found this beautiful poster of the Brooklyn Bridge from Michaels. I spray painted the lamp to match, found a shade at At Home and created the age blocks to use for pictures. 

Before Foster Care

I have been struggling to come up with the words and thoughts I had prior to starting my journey into foster care. I don't really remember a lot because as soon as I signed up (and I believe prior to beginning any part of the process) I learned and knew I had to guard my heart.
The purpose of foster care is to reunify a child back to their parents or family through kinship. The thought that the child placed into your care could go home the next day, in the two weeks, in the 6 months, or in a year or more can be devastating and hard to handle. It can be scary to begin building attachment with a child who is not your own, knowing that in the end, they may not be in your life forever.
For me, preparing my heart and mind has definitely been a process that I have relied heavily on God to help me accomplish. I know I will never be prepared for the day my child goes home. And yes, I said my child. Bear is my child, a child who did not ask for this. She is not scary and has no fear in this situation that is an emotional roller coaster every hour of every day. She is little and she is the whole point I chose to do this. She needs an advocate, she deserves someone to rock them, feed them, bathe them, dress them, play with them and love on them.
I am glad I am on this journey and am very thankful for my village that is supporting Bear and I. It definitely would not be as easy as it has been without.

So as for my thoughts prior to foster care, there aren't any. However, there were many times I was asked:
are you prepared to give the child back?
will you be able to move on?
are you afraid?


And my response:
Yes, I am prepared; that is one of the reasons for foster care. Yes, I will be able to move on because I have planted a seed and helped end a cycle of brokenness even if the moment seems fleeting. Yes, I am afraid, but I am more afraid of what would have happened to Bear or what will happen to any foster child for that matter if no one took the risk to love them.

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." -John 14:18Ever since I was little I knew I wanted to be a foster parent and then eventually adopt. I don't know when or how the idea came to me, but my parents had family friends that fostered to adopt and in high school I knew a family from church that fostered to adopt. I have close friends who also fostered to adopt and even baby-sat for a family that did the same. Recently, a friend adopted her little girl and she is a big part of my family's life. Everywhere I look and at every stage of my life I have known someone who was a fostered child and adopted and who was a foster parent and who adopted.



I inquired about becoming a foster parent about two years, but at the time I didn't think it was right. The thought resurfaced last spring/early summer and I continued the inquiry and began classes last September. I have not spoken publicly or posted anything anything via social media because there was a tiny doubt in the back of my mind that said I wasn't going to be licensed; I don't know why, maybe because it is a huge life changing event (and something that I really wanted). I was worried to talk about it as I was worried it wouldn't happen, but that is not the case anymore.

The process sounds simple- attend required classes, complete a home study and fill out a lot of paperwork. In reality, the process takes a while and the wait can feel like it lasts forever. The home study is a very extensive process that looks at every detail of your life, it is to make sure the individual or couple is going to be a fit parent. They ask for many recommendations and referrals and complete interviews. My home study is complete, finally! My classes, paperwork, and home study are finished and I have been approved by the agency's director. I am officially a licensed foster parent.

The wait then began for a placement call, a call that is life changing and unpredictable. I was licensed for over 8 weeks before I received my call and at times the wait was beyond what I thought my anxiety could handle and felt excruciating. The waiting and the stress are now over, I got the call and I would be bringing Bear home.

Now she is in my home, it doesn't mean that the work is over. Bear is not mine legally, but when it comes to matters of the heart she is. I am providing support, protection, love, and comfort.  The foster journey has just begun for both of us. There will be many doctor appointments, visits with social workers, case workers, birth mom and family members, court hearings and decisions that this child (and me at times) simply will/cannot understand.

The goal of foster care is for the child to be reunited with their birth parents or family members after a period of time. The child is placed in a home to be cared for while the parents complete the tasks required of them prior to having their children placed back with them. This process can take up to two years.

I am so blessed to be able to do this and that God has called me to be a parent. These past few months He has prepared my heart and mind for the days to come and I am so excited. With each child that I (and my family) welcome into the home, I know they are placed with me at the right time (God has impeccable timing). I also know they will leave when they are supposed to. Each child will have their own unique set of challenges and issues, but they deserve a home and a family. A place where they can learn, feel safe and be loved unconditionally; for most of these children this will be a first for them.

No child deserves to be put into an environment or situation that does not foster growth and development, safety, and love, and that is one of the biggest reasons I chose to foster. Our teacher during our classes always said we "are planting a seed" and assisting in ending a cycle of brokenness.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to helping me with the home study process from the references to the recommendations to helping me answer questions about myself; I am forever grateful. Thank you for your prayers and asking about the process. Thank you for asking about foster care in general, it comes with a stigma that all foster children are "bad" or have mental health issues and with your inquiries it helps provide more knowledge and understanding into the world. I would love to repay each and everyone one of you but money nor things can do what you did for me and this child.

I am so excited for Bear to be in my home and excited to see where this foster journey is going to take us. There will be very little details shared about her family history or personal information due to privacy policies (and no detailed photos will be posted via social media sites). 

The biggest thing Bear and I could ask of you now is to pray. Pray for us as we embark on this new journey together as a new family unit. Pray that Bear's birth family is healing and working towards ending the cycle of brokenness. Many forget that in order for a foster parent to receive a placement a family has been broken apart. Pray that Bear's mom is given the strength to succeed for herself and for Bear. Pray for all the children in foster care and their families as well as the entire team that is involved in the case. Pray that God will direct everyone to make the best decisions possible for that child(ren).

"For he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love, he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will." - Ephesians 1:4-5

Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

This is the 2nd delicious recipe I have made this week, see the previous post for the first one. This one takes a little more time and effort, but is as equally delicious. Over the past 6 years,I have been on the hunt for a really good blueberry muffin. I have been trying to find something similar to what I used to be able to get at my on-campus coffee shop while I was in college. I am excited to say, I have finally found it. I originally found the recipe from Little Sweet Baker. I changed my recipe by using 2 cups of blueberries instead of 1 1/2 cups (I like a blueberry thick muffin) and I struggled with the streusel so I found a different recipe for it. The topping still did not turn out like a crumbly cake so I am going to work on perfecting it for future recipes.





Blueberry Streusel Muffins
Prep- 15 minutes
Cook- 20 minutes
Total Time- 35 minutes
Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients:
Muffins:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup milk (I used 2% but any will do)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blueberries

Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425F and spray or line a 12 cup muffin pan.
2. Prepare the streusel topping by mixing the sugar, flour, and cinnamon together. Then cut in the butter until crumbly. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together using a whisk. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter with the sugar, add the eggs, mix, add the milk and vanilla, and mix again.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently combine using a spatula until all mixed well. Fold in the blueberries.
5. Divide the batter into the 12 muffin cups, top with the streusel and bake for 5 minutes at 425F. Then keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the heat to 375F and bake for another 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

*When I divided the batter, I completely filled the cups, this provides a nice muffin top, but remember to place a pan under the muffin pan to catch any overflow.

Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Almond Clusters

Yes, I put sea salt, chocolate, and almonds in the title of this post. Yes, this is a recipe I tried this week and let me tell you....it is amazingly delicious and very easy to make with only 3 ingredients!

Ingredients:
2 cups of whole almonds
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolates
sea salt

Directions:
1. Place almonds in a single layer on a baking pan covered with parchment paper and place in oven for 10 minutes, stirring one time, at 300 degrees.
2. Melt the chocolate either using a double broiler on the stove top or in the microwave. If using the microwave, use a medium size safe microwavable bowl. Melt the chocolate in 30 seconds increments, stirring between each time. It took about 3 minutes for the chocolate to melt.
3. Stir the almonds into the chocolate, making sure to coat almonds completely. Scoop a spoonful of almonds out and onto wax paper. If wanting large clusters using a larger spoon and scoop 10-12 almonds at a time, if wanting smaller clusters use a small spoon and scoop 6-8 almonds. Continue till all almonds are used.
4. Sprinkle sea salt on top of the clusters and allow to set. For mine to set quickly, I placed in the fridge.
5. Enjoy! You can s
tore clusters in fridge for up to four weeks.
 

Bubbly & Brunch Bridal Shower

This past weekend, I, along with the four other bridesmaids, hosted a bridal shower in honor of my sister and her upcoming nuptials. The theme was Bubbly & Brunch and I chose to carry her wedding colors into the bridal shower. We used navy and white as the main colors with pops of red here and there. 

The invitation was inspired by a design on Pinterest and I re-created it using PicMonkey.

To add some color to the walls and additional decor, I made these paper flowers using a tutorial I found on Pinterest.

The mimosa bar was a huge success. We provided blue champagne flutes to match the colors of the shower and it was also used as the party favor. There was champagne with three different juice options and four different garnish choices. We also provided some sparkling juice for some of our younger guests and our guests who are expecting.

To determine who's glass was who's I used my Cricut to cut paper rings and then had guests write their name.

The food choices included mini quiches (some with meat and some vegetarian), french toast & smoked sausage kabobs, waffle bitty bites, mini hash brown casseroles, fruit pizzas, fruit kabobs, veggie pizza, and sliced honey ham. For dessert we offered two different donut cakes, a powdered donut cake and a variety of homemade donuts from a local donut shop.

We played Guess the Bride's Age. Guests had to look at the pictures and guess what age the bride was according to the photo. It was a ton of fun to find the pictures and play the game.

My sister, the bride (3rd in from left), and her bridesmaids. 

Flag Banner DIY

I love signs and banners at parties, they are very easy to make and add a pop to anything. When hosting my sister's bridal shower this past weekend, I created a simple "Miss to Mrs" flag banner to decorate one of the corners. To make my life simpler and to make the banner even in size, I used the We R Memory Keepers Banner Punch Board. I absolutely love this tool and wonder what I did prior to having it. It is so easy to use, with printed guides on the board itself. It comes with an easy to hold blade and it's own hole punch. The board also allows for you to create pennant, flag, or crest style. Below is how I created this awesome banner with links to the materials I used.

Materials needed:
Card stock (any size and color)
Paper Trimmer
Cricut (for letters)
We R Memory Keepers Banner Punch Board
Scissors
String
Adhesive

Directions:

First, Gather materials needed to begin and decide what size you would like your banner to be as well as how many you need. 

I chose to make my flags 7 inches long and 5 inches wide. 

Next I placed the paper one sheet at a time inside the punch board. I made a flag so I didn't need to use the printed guides on the board, but if making a pennant, you can follow the guides to help give you the exact size you want. Using the cutting tool provided with the board, slide the blade following the guides across the paper. Repeat on the other side. 

To punch a hole in the flag, I placed it in the nifty hole punch slot on the board and pushed down, repeating on the other side. Then, I used my Cricut to cut the letters I needed, adhered them to the flags. Last, I used red/white striped baker's twine to hang the sign.

Bucket List

A bucket list is a number of experiences or achievements a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime. It came from the term "kicked the bucket" referring to when someone has passed away. There are thousands of things that could be on one's bucket list and many times I do not realize when an experience is on mine until I am in the process of experiencing it or I plan to experience it. I have a pretty lengthy bucket list. I think my list is realistic and definitely achievable by the end of my lifetime (if I live for another 50 years give or take), I think that is a perk of being an occupational therapist. When writing goals for clients we make sure they are measurable and achievable. Why create a goal someone cannot reach? Instead create goals one can reach and then create new goals to push them further. I feel this way about my bucket list. As I accomplish tasks on my list, I add new ones. Below s my current list of things I wish to accomplish (in no particular order and I am sure as I get older or get to experience new things, I will realize it should have been added to this list a while ago) in the next 50 or so years.

• Visit all 50 states (over 1/2 way there)
• Travel Europe
• Go on a road trip with my best friend Courtney to Sheboygan, WI in a red convertible and a package of Depends
• Volunteer in a 3rd world country
• Adopt a child
• See the Northern Lights
• Visit Manitoba with dad and watch the polar bear migration
• Take my Grandma on a Caribbean cruise and see her swim with a dolphin
• Go on a Disney Cruise
• Throw a dart at a map and travel to wherever it lands or go on a road trip with no planned destination
• Put a lock on a love bridge
• Pay a stranger's tab at a restaurant
• Ride a gondola and eat gelato in Italy
• Go to the Olympics as a spectator
• Spend NYE in NYC
• Collect shot glasses from every continent (All I need is one more from Antarctica; if anyone knows anyone going!)
• Read every James Patterson book written (besides his Juvenile series)
• Attend the Kentucky Derby
• Go skydiving
• See a volcano 
• Go horseback riding
• Go to the World's Fair
• Stand in the 4 corners
• Go on a hot air balloon ride
• Go whale watching
• Visit an elephant sanctuary
• Visit with family in Luca, Italy
• Visit Ghiloni Cafe in Kirkintilloch Glasgow
• Attend Cherry Blossom Festival in DC
• Visit John Denver's Memorial in Aspen, CO
• See the Waterfire in Providence, RI
• Stay at Riverside Inn B&B in Warsaw, KY
• Visit Puget Sound in Washington
• Purchase every item on my Amazon wish list
• Attend a Seattle Seahawks game in Seattle
• Attend a New Orleans Saints game in NOLA
• Be debt free
• Watch the sunrise in one place and set in another
• Visit the Equator
• Stay at a resort in the Maldives
• Experience Christmas in NYC (done 2x!)
• Snorkel in the Caribbean ocean (found out it's one of my favorite things to do)
• Meet a dolphin
• Go on a cruise
• Be a Maid of Honor (2x completed)
• Graduate college
• Go to Disney World and visit all 4 kingdoms
• Go to NYC for World Autism Awareness Day and see the ESB lit blue
• Get a tattoo 

Calendars, Schedules, To Do Lists....oh my!

Organization is huge for me. I love and thrive when I am organized, I am able to be focused and driven to accomplish tasks. I have been organized over the years and wanted to touch on some of the things I love to use to keep me organized.
One of my favorite things to use and probably the longest lasting thing I have used is a planner. My favorite planner is the one by Vera Bradley, I have used the same style since I was in college. It is the perfect size (not too small or too big) and it is durable, lasting the total 14 months it provides. Planners help me remember events in advance which is important to me since I have a semi-busy schedule. If something comes up and it is within 4 weeks of the event, I usually cannot attend as I already have plans. Looking at my calendar now, I have two open weekends (absolutely no plans) until the first weekend of June.
My second favorite thing I love to use to keep me organized is schedules. This is very similar to a planner, but this involves other peoples schedules, work schedule, and meal prep as well. In order for my planner to work and for me to be organized I have to know what others are doing as well. I can't plan something for work or home if my boss or family is unable to participate. The one thing that I am struggling with is a meal prep schedule. Each Sunday my mother and I plan our meals for the week, but we don't write any of our meal choices down. We have started to do this but we do attempt to think of meals so we can create a grocery list. We love oriental food but are kind of sick of it at the moment so we Pinterest often to find new recipes to try.
The last thing I use and have been for years as well is a handwritten to do list. I love, love, love lists. They help me stay organized as I can categorize and write everything I need down and have on hand. When planning a party I can outline/list each aspect of the party, then I can list all the decorations I want to have or make and finally I can create a food/grocery list. I have a running to-do list for personal things in my life and I love to mark things off, helps me feel accomplished. I also have a running to-do list for work tasks that I need to accomplish. Sometimes when I am re-writing a to-do list, I will place things that I have already crossed off to re-cross them off. I know it's weird but it helps with the organization of my life. Using an electronic list doesn't do my to-do list and organization justice, so it has to be handwritten.
One of the newest things I have been utilizing is my phone's reminders app. To increase my organization and to work on time management (which I can struggle with at times), I started a morning routine list and a night time routine list with a timed reminder daily. I have set personal reminders that I need to accomplish each morning and night and they are awesome! Before these reminder lists I would run around every morning and always be late out the door. Now, in the morning I am standing around or actually eating breakfast before I leave. I am able to go to bed without making a mental list of things I need to do in the morning before I leave for work. When I was making mental lists I was forgetting at least 99.9% of the list.
I am sure there are additional things I use to help me stay organized, but these are definitely the top three. When I am not organized I am stressed and I have anxiety; I feel like I am a chicken running around with my head cut off. No one wants to see that and I don't like feeling that way.

A Christmas Card to Remember

"Amanda- Merry Christmas! I wanted to let you know how grateful I am to be working with you. Out of all of the co-workers, I think I've had the most opportunity to chat with you- and I really appreciate our conversations. It's evident that you love people. Not that you are just extroverted and get excited around them but that you really care for people. I see this with your kids so often. You are always coming up with such fun ideas so that they will learn and be challenged. You genuinely care for them and want them to grow. You pour yourself out for them, sacrificing much for their good.
It's really self-less and is such an encouragement to be around. Thank you for that example- loving unconditionally and doing your job with all of your heart!
I cant help but think about Jesus at Christmas. How we were hopeless and lost, but God had so much love for us that he sent his Son into the world to die for us and reconcile us to him. To me, thats the ultimate example of unconditional love- and I can attest personally that knowing Jesus better has helped me really understand what it means to love God and others. I'm grateful when I see examples of that love- and I see that example in you. I pray you too would be encouraged and drawn to Jesus this Christmas- that you would be filled with love and joyous peace from knowing him. Appreciate you!"

I often tell others (generally through a card or note) how their personal relationship with God and involvement in Church has helped my faith and relationship with God grow. Not very often do I receive something that says the opposite, how I show examples throughout my life.

I received this note in a Christmas card a few years ago from a fellow co-worker. I was so touched and honored that they put a lot of thought into a simple card around a big holiday when a lot of times society may stigmatize it for revenue and presents. To know that they sat down and put effort into this note, means so much to me still. I keep the card in my Bible and read it when I am feeling discouraged. It is a great reminder of why I do what I love and that ultimately God is the answer for everything in my life.  He showed the greatest example of unconditional love and we can learn and lean on that example.

DIY Chalkboard

  

Found for $4.99!

 All the craze right now are home made chalkboards to write all kinds of fun  sayings on. I use them during my photography sessions for newborns and infants to capture specific quotes or information regarding the child's birth. I have used them for engagements to capture a couple's songs and most recently I have used them to help capture a little one being adopted. My sister is going to be using them at her wedding to show the menu during the reception and I have found some beautiful ideas on Pinterest to use as welcome signs, at showers for games or food buffets. Purchasing a chalkboard from a store can be boring so I have been scouring thrift store to find decorative frames that I could then in turn create into a chalkboard. This is a very simple and inexpensive craft.

Have had this for years, a little
goes a long way.

Materials needed:
Decorative frame with glass
Chalkboard Paint (can find at Walmart or a hardware store)
Foam Brush






Directions:
Prep the glass by popping it out of the frame. If the glass is not removable use painter's tape to tape the edges.
Apply a semi-thick coat of paint over the glass. You will want to apply about 4-5 coats waiting until each coat is completely dry. If you don't let it dry, the paint can start to chip off and clump. To make sure I had the entire area covered I would raise the glass towards the light to see if I could see through.
Once paint is completely dry place back in frame and use to decorate!

Finished product!

3 Personality Traits I am Proud Of....

I am not one to talk about myself. I feel like it makes me look selfish and arrogant, but with this new approach to blogging and trying to touch on four key points in my every day life (1. personal experiences, 2. faith 3. crafting 4. you have to wait for this one ;)), once in a while I am going to post things about me, I think these are some of the hardest things to post.
According to Wikipedia, trait theory is an approach to the study of human personality. Trait theorists are interested in the measurement of traits, which can be defined as habitual patterns of behavior, thought, or emotion. There are thousands of traits identified in the world and each person possesses a vast variety of traits. It is who makes their character, or like Wikipedia stated their personality. To choose only three traits is hard as I don't want to pick the wrong ones and I am not sure if I truly possess these traits even though I have family members and friends who might say I do.

The first personality trait that I know I possess and am extremely proud of is being creative. For me, creativity is an outlet that allows me to relieve stress. Instead of running a mile everyday or accomplishing a hard work out, I create. If I can create a piece and either give it to someone who will cherish and appreciate it or I keep for myself that is what makes me most happy. I love being crafty and giving handmade gifts to others. The look on their faces is enough for me to be satisfied. Giving someone a handmade gift tells the recipient that the giver thinks highly of them and put not only thought into the gift but also the effort. Crafting takes time and only does it become quicker as a crafter becomes more proficient in the type of craft. Crafting also provides close-ended tasks (a finished product is a result of the work put in) which I love. I love beginning a task and being able to see to it's completion. Over the years I have given hundreds of cards, plenty of baby blankets, and a few scrapbooks to friends and friends that I consider family.
Not only do I craft in many mediums but I also am an amateur photographer. Being able to provide photography services for a family who may not be able to afford a high end professional gives me so much happiness. Everyone deserves the opportunity for a photographer to capture their family memories regardless of their income. This talent allows me to do that and I have met some amazing people along the way as well as also explored some great new places in the Central Ohio area.

The 2nd personality trait I believe I possess is being genuine. Genuine means authentic, truly what something is said to be. I do my best to stay true to myself and show that to everyone that meets me. No one likes a fake person or someone who cannot live up to what they say and I have had past experiences that have shown me what I do not want to be. A few years ago I had someone question my genuineness and I was blown away. I was hurt that someone who I thought was a close friend did not believe my sincereness. It made me take a hard look at myself and my relationships and I learned quickly it was them and not me. I take pride in how genuine I am, it represents me as a whole and how I live my life.

The 3rd personality trait I possess and I also believe this is a fault of mine is optimism. Optimism is the ability to be hopeful and confident about the future. I always try to see the other side of things, it helps me stay positive and happy. I spent quite a few years around people who were negative and dragged me down. I realized that it was toxic on my life and it affected every area of my imaginable. My faith, my career, and personal life all declined with the negativity and I complained and dreaded a lot of things in my life. Now, I still may complain, but I always do my best to see the best side of things. I always play "devils advocate" to help friends realize there might be an upside to a bad situation.

New Career Path

In reality, no, I am not changing careers. However if I were to, I would go into a small business of making crafts and party planning. I love planning parties and organizing/running events. I recently had the privilege to help a close friend plan a baby shower for her sister-in-law. I had so much fun working with her and coming up with some really cute ideas. Thank God for Pinterest today, we looked for ideas as there are not many Toy Story themed baby showers, especially for little girls. We looked at many birthday parties with the same theme and I have to say, this party was a hit and everything was amazing. My friend would see or have the idea and I knew how to put it into fruition. It's an awesome thing that I love and I am thankful that we have many parties throughout the year that I can help my family plan. I am already onto my next party planning event which is my sister's bridal shower that is in a few weeks, but I wanted to share some (o.k. more like many) photos from the baby shower. We found adorable centerpiece cutouts on Etsy as well as the food tags. For the games we played Who Knows Mommy best and Guess the size of the belly. As a little gift to the baby we had guests decorate wooden blocks that were cut and painted by her grandparents. To decorate the DIY block station and to add to the Toy Story theme I found this awesome ABC block download. The backdrop behind the food table had cloud cut outs that matched the ones from the movie and were a perfect touch. 

Mmmm, Girl Scout Caramel deLites....

Wait, what did I just title this entry? Girl Scout Caramel deLites.....what are those? I only know of Girl Scout Samoas. At the end of January a few girlfriends and I were headed back to Ohio from North Carolina from a girls weekend and right before we crossed the NC/Virginia state line we stopped at a Walmart to look for souvenirs. With no such luck we stopped outside the store at a Girl Scout booth to grab some cookies for the drive home. When we walked up and I read the cookie box titles I asked if they were knock offs, I even glanced at the girls vests to make sure they were actual Girl Scout vests with badges, they were. The scout leader explained to me that the Girl Scouts use two different bakeries to make the cookies and depending on where the bakeries shipped to is what type of cookie you purchase.
There is some confusion based on where each bakery ships to and it's not necessarily geographically divided. Some states have both bakeries ship to them and others only one bakery covers the whole state. According to some of the articles I read, one of the bakeries has been around for decades and they do not necessarily need catchy names for individuals to remember. The other bakery is "new" and chose to have catchy names so individuals could remember and want to continue to purchase them. The only cookie both companies have named the same are the Thin Mint cookies and that is because the name "Thin Mint" is trademarked by the Girl Scouts.

Yellow= ABC Bakers & Purple= Little Brownie Bakers

I was floored reading about the bakeries and the cookies in general.  Each bakery sells the same cookies (except for the lemon flavored ones) but in reality they truly are different; not just the name but even the recipe! I couldn't wait to get home to compare the two, and there is a slight difference in appearance and taste. I added some pictures below to share the differences I found, I can say regardless, they both are still my favorite cookies. (PS if you live in an area where ABC Bakers ships to you must try the Lemonades! They are delicious and I am on the hunt for them!) To learn more you can read this article by the L.A. Times.

Lent

Growing up, Lent was a huge deal in my life, I was baptized and raised Catholic. I attended Catholic school and went to Mass almost every weekend with my family. Every Lenten season, I chose to give up something: chocolate, cookies, pop, and ice cream as the usual. One year I remember giving up red meat (I ate a lot of chicken in those 40 days). Most of the time, our religion teacher led our path to what we chose to give up but I had little understanding of the meaning as to why we were giving something up. I didn't understand the sacrifices Christ made for me let alone what he went through and continued to go through for my salvation.
Now as an adult, I have a new perspective and choosing something to sacrifice for Lent takes a lot more thought and preparation on my end. I reflect on things that I use a lot of in my life and how sacrificing that said thing or things would make my life better. I choose to sacrifice something that will help "save" my life as Jesus chose to save mine.
This year, I chose frivolous spending. I have a great job where I earn the right amount of money to cover bills and extras every month, but it wasn't until I took this job that I realized how much I spend each month (or in a 40 day period). I am a sub-contractor now and I have to track every penny spent while on the job. I had no idea how much gas, food, or supplies I was buying until I had to start keeping receipts and track of it all. It was a ridiculous amount and that was just what I was recording. I wasn't recording anything I was spending for personal use. I knew/know I had to make a change.
To make sure I was choosing something that would require me to really attend to what I was doing daily, I looked back at everything I had spent whether it was by cash, gift cards, debit or credit cards for the previous 40 days prior to Lent.  I never spent more than I made, but basically it came down to a difference of pennies from what I earned and what I spent each month.
Once I decided to sacrifice frivolous spending I set my parameters. I looked up the definition of frivolous to make sure what I was justifying to spend (basic bills, gas, & necessities) during the 40 days was accurate and would not fall into the frivolous category. I had some trips planned prior to Lent and set aside money and set a budget for each so to not falter.
I have chose to keep all of my debit and credit cards at home so I do not have easy access and it is making think twice before spending. Instead of cards, I have $20 in my wallet with the goal for it to last at least 20 days. It can be spent on anything but once it is gone it's gone. Well it's been almost 7 days and my $20 is gone but to a good cause. I donated it to one of my favorite restaurants that experienced a horrific event last week. I have another 13 days before $20 can go back in my wallet.  
Even though it has been 7 days since Lent began, this sacrifice and challenge has really shown me that it isn't important to have everything I want or consider a "need." That taking a moment to realize this helps me get closer to God and the real reason for the season of Lent.

On top of sacrificing for Lent I also began a new Bible study from Nap Time Diaries. I love Bible studies as they help me reflect on my relationship with God and help keep my faith in the forefront of everything I do. I am not someone who will willingly walk up to a stranger and discuss my beliefs and attempt to "save" someone, but I also will not do something if I believe it goes against my values and morals (thank you mom and dad and Catholic school for this upbringing). I believe religion and faith are private and everyone is entitled to what they believe, even if I may disagree (even blogging about faith sometimes gives me anxiety). I am honestly struggling quite a bit with this Bible Study. Every day of Lent a scripture passage is provided along with blank space for reflection. The reflection part is very difficult for me as I like guidance following a scripture passage. Without this, it has required me to dig deeper into my thoughts to produce even a simple sentence. I know though that this Bible study is the one chosen for me. Many things have changed for me in the past 6 months and are going to continue to change in the coming weeks ahead (more on this in future posts). This study which looks at eight different characteristics of God is also showing me how to work within myself to strengthen each one of the characteristics in my own personal life and how to strengthen my relationship with him. In addition to the Bible study, I follow an account on Instagram (@daily_bibleverses) that provides one character from the Bible each day throughout Lent. Each character provides concrete examples of how we should live our lives for God. Ironically, the individuals they are discussing coincide with my Bible study and are encouraging me to dig deep.

DIY Etched Glass

In one of my previous blog posts I talked about going to Charlotte for a girls weekend with some of my best friends. As a gift to each of them I made them a wine glass with the letter of their first name etched into the glass. I also added a wine charm to the bottom so we knew who's was who's. I have never etched on glass before so I scoured Pinterest and Google to find the best way to accomplish this. I found many different ways and each sounded like an answer to what I was looking for. In the end I chose my method based on curing time. I found one that took a total of 21 days to cure (didn't have that much time),  one that used a Dremel (was terrified to use a Dremel on glass, especially thin wine glasses), and one that uses this awesome liquid that looks like Mod Podge and takes about 5 minutes. I decided on the 5 minute curing time and went with it. I read and re-read the directions to make sure I used it correctly, seemed terrifying that something could etch into glass within 5 minutes and didn't want it to etch into anywhere else. I have listed the steps for you below to create these awesome keepsakes from such a fun weekend.
1. Choose your glass of choice, since it was girls weekend and 3/4 like wine I chose decent sized goblet glasses (usually the red wine glasses) and found some at a great price at a local discount store.
2. Cut the design you would like etched onto your glass from either a die-cutting machine or use a stencil. I used my Cricut Explorer and vinyl as my medium. It is best to use something like this, as it is already pre-sticky so you do not have to worry about adding additional adhesive.
3. Apply the design to the glass in designated area. Make sure when you are doing this that the entire design lays flat against the glass. If it does not lay flat, the liquid can run and mess up your piece.
4. Apply the Armour Etch according to the directions.
5. Wash off and clean the glass, enjoy drinking your favorite beverage.

It truly was such an easy process that I wanted to etch on everything that night and I am filling my crafting pin board up with great ideas!

#goddessofcrafts

We're the Four Best Friends Anyone Could Have (Girls Weekend)

This past weekend I was able to get away with 3 of my great friends for a weekend of relaxing, catching up, and laughing non stop (and maybe some wine). Three of us started out as co-workers and the fourth was a parent we knew through our job. When one of us experienced a health issue, the other three of us gathered around her and help her get back on her feet. We became close through the past two years and when one moved away we decided to do our best to try and visit each other. The three of us still in Ohio travelled to the fourth's new home in Florida (couldn't it get better) and spent a week with her and her family last spring break. This time, since we are unable to do that again we decided to have a girls weekend. We chose the halfway point between our home and we decided on Charlotte. A quick easy drive for all of us and a couple days kid-less and stress-less.
Charlotte was the perfect place for us to meet, we did very little in regards to the history and culture of the city, instead we just "were" and we had a blast. We stayed at the beautiful Double Tree in downtown and we were one mile from Bank of America Stadium. It was the perfect location, as it is located right off of 77, and we had easy access to where we needed to go.
Saturday morning we started with a delicious breakfast at The Flying Biscuit. We all thought biscuits were seriously going to go flying, but we were wrong and slightly disappointed. I am not one to try new foods immediately so I went for the "typical" meal of eggs and bacon. Two of my girlfriends ordered scrambled eggs with sausage gravy over top. I was mad I didn't order it, as the bite I had was amazingly delicious. I also tried grits that I actually liked it if I added a little bit of salt. The biscuit were beyond delicious and their homemade apple butter on top was the perfect addition.




After breakfast we stopped at a few stores, waiting for our appointment time at a local nail salon. We all love getting manicures and pedicures and when I found a great deal on Groupon a few weeks prior we knew that is exactly what we wanted to do. We bought the Groupon which said we were purchasing the VIP gel mani/pedi. We had no idea what we were in for.
Besides sitting in a private room and being offered wine during our appointment we also received the 'gel' touch. Each of us thought gel meant gel polish. Nope, we were totally mistaken. 'Gel' meant a foot bath with a warm jello type consistency. Personally, I thought it was absolutely gross. I did refused to move my feet or toes while it was in the bath. Once the jet started however, the water and the movement made the texture disappear and it became a better experience. As an OT, I get the purpose of the gel for a sensory experience but we all were definitely not prepared for a 'gel' pedicure.

Following our appointment, we grabbed lunch and headed back to the hotel for wine, snacks, and card games. As a surprise I made each of us a custom wine glass and wine charm to commemorate the weekend. We listened and sang some of our favorite songs and caught up on life without littles running around or interrupting conversations. The weekend definitely ended quicker than we wanted and on the drive home we took our sweet time.
Cannot wait for our next weekend in Charlotte and catching up.

10 Facts About Me

I am not one to post about me a lot, I like to write about my experiences and what is going on in my life, but when reading about what to add to a blog almost every article said something along the lines of introducing myself. The easiest way I thought I could do this was by providing 10 facts about me. Let's get started....
10. I love Mexican food. Truly, I love many different types of food, but I could eat Mexican everyday for each meal and be content. I am that odd girl that still ate/eats Chipotle even with the e. coli outbreak going on (don't want one of my favorite places to go out of business). Chips with salsa or guacamole, tacos, fajitas, thinking about it now makes me hungry.
9. I love nail polish, specifically OPI and besides owning over 50 bottles, I love to paint my nails and kinda have to have my toes nails painted all the time. Many women will say they feel complete once they are wearing mascara, or have their jewelry on, for me it's to have my nails/toes painted.
8. I love to cruise. Escaping from reality and being on a boat where I do not have cell service is amazing to me. I also love visiting islands that hold different cultures and experiences. From cruising I have learned that I love, love, love snorkeling and am not that big of a fan of dolphins. I really love to travel and besides cruising, NYC is one of my all time favorite places. the busyness of the city actually relaxes me.
7. Independence is one of my strengths and weaknesses. I love being independent and being able to go and do what I want to do. At times though, I don't realize how independent I am and want to do everything on my own, until I have someone offer to do something (even if it's small like carrying a bag for me) and I turn them down. I am working on changing this, but it is a slow change.
6. I cannot stand drama. Many people will say this, but to me there is no point in living with it. Life goes on, people move on. Drama causes people to move backwards and I don't want to do that. Life goes forward every day and we should too. I try not to feed drama and do my best to not be a part of it.
5. I am very crafty/creative. Many of my friends can show me what they want to do and I know how to execute it. My parents have a craft room in their home, which I have easy access to since I live there (no shame) and I absolutely love it. It is how I destress, many use exercise to release energy and stress, I craft.
4. I love children and cannot wait to be a mother. I have been surrounded by children all of my life and enjoy working with them. I am so glad that I found a career that lets me play with children all day and enjoy the little things in life. Every day is a new experience and watching kids with disabilities progress to their own roles in life makes me so happy. I also love watching parents see their children progress and accomplish new goals.
3. I have a faith and believe in God. I won't shove it down your throat as I think it is a personal relationship. Currently, I do not attend church but I pray twice a day, read my bible and devotional when I need to, and listen to Christian music. I believe God has put all of us on this earth for a reason. It might be years after we are gone to realize why, but we all have a purpose. I also want to raise my kids this way.
2. I have 7 women in my life that are not related to me and I consider them to be my best friends. Each one of them helps me in a way the other cannot. They are an amazing support system and I enjoy spending any amount of time with them, even if I only get to see some of them once a year or less than that and only communicate through texts (I don't like to talk on the phone).
1. I like simplicity, organization, cleanliness, planning and being succinct. The motto "less is more" is huge for me. When disorganization surrounds me, I feel like there is no control and struggle accomplishing anything.

Hot Fudge Sundae

I am the girl to contact if you ever are looking for free wifi in Columbus. Since I am currently an OT that travels all over Central Ohio to see kiddos in their home, I do my best to find wifi anywhere so I can check email, send reports and access my files. Before you ask, I do have a smart phone with data, however I share my data with 6 other people and do not want to be the one that causes overages on the bill, so I scour for free wifi (and public restrooms. I don't like to use my client's restrooms, I think it is unprofessional; a personal opinion). I have done a great job of finding libraries close to many of the my kiddos homes or a Panera (I really should start taking stock in Panera, I am there at least twice a week).
There is a specific time each week though that I struggle. There is no Panera nor library close enough and usually I go shopping which is causing money to leave my wallet.  I have been looking for a place with wifi and I have finally found a McDonald's that suits my needs, free wifi and a bathroom. I generally do not eat during my McDonald's trips- 1. it's not lunch time and I have already eaten my Panera 2. I don't like to eat out twice in one day 3. not the biggest fan of the golden arches (besides their ice cream). However, I do feel guilty using their wifi, taking up space in their restaurant, and using their bathroom. If I lived in NYC, I would have to purchase something at a McDonald's in order to do one of these.
This week was different, I was feeling guilty so I decided while writing notes and answering emails I would get a hot fudge sundae. I ordered and received my treat and looked for a place to sit. Where I generally sit was taken so I opted for a back corner booth. An older gentleman was seated at a table next to where I chose to sit. He said "hello, how are you?" and me being me, said "I am great, how are you?" He then asked what I had ordered as it looked delicious. I told him it was delicious and it was a hot fudge sundae. I thought once I responded and pulled my work out the conversation would end as it generally does, but this was not the case. He asked what school I went to since I had a bag with me and what homework I was going to work on. I told him I was not in school and that I was an OT that travels from home to home to work with children with special needs. He was interested and we began to talk about anything and everything, almost like we have known each other for quite some time. We talked about Columbus, where each of us grew up, our families and news in the US today. This gentleman was sweet and we talked nonchalantly for probably 15 minutes about anything and everything.
About 10 minutes into the conversation he told me how he had recently lost his wife (3 weeks and 1 day ago). My heart ached for him, my grandfather lost the love of his life 2 years ago. I asked how long they had been married, and he replied 50 years. I explained how both sets of my grandparents have been married for that long or longer as well and I love seeing couples who have lasting marriages. I was raised with this example from all sides of my family and my parents have currently been married for 33 years. He had finished his meal by then and I had finished my ice cream. He told me it was great talking to me and to have a great day. He then proceeded to go back to the counter and ordered a caramel sundae.
After getting his caramel sundae he came back and asked if he could sit with me since his table was now occupied. I replied with a yes and he sat with me as we continued to talk and he finished his sundae. Once finished he got up again and said "good-bye, have a great day." I responded with the same. As much as that gentleman needed me that day, I needed him. I have a feeling that every time I eat a hot fudge sundae from McDonald's I will think of him.

Let's Try This Again.

Every year I post a new "I'm gonna start blogging again" post and then my blog sits and I do nothing. I love blogging, and a few years ago I felt I needed to blog. I guess it was my way of journaling or keeping a diary or documenting memories. I haven't had the urge to blog in years, not that I didn't think about it; I thought about it all the time, but nothing truly moved me to want to sit down and write. I am not looking to become a famous blogger, I want to share my stories and my experiences in my life. 2016 is going to be an exciting year with many changes happening. I also am taking on a blogging challenge to see if it will help me continue blogging and get back into a rhythm. I tried to start a craft blog and ended up with 2 entries, not realizing how long that it would actually take to post about a craft with step-by-step directions. My first blog post in three years was a post (see previous post), I actually wrote for Facebook. So check back to learn more about me, what makes me tick, and what is going on in my life in 2016. #hello2016

Thrive

At the start of 2015 instead of resolutions I chose to live by one word. It's a concept to live your life by one word for the year rather than plan resolutions that could possibly fail or last only a few months. I heard about it through a local radio station and researched the concept on-line. There is a website and a book that is dedicated to assisting individuals in choosing one word. I read the book and decided that it is what I would do for 2015. It took forever for me to decide on a word, I didn't want something too easy like happy or joy, I already was happy and I have joy in my life regularly. I also didn't want anything complicated since it was my first year trying this out. I should have known that I wasn't choosing my word but it would be chosen for me. I was driving in the car and a song came on and tears filled my eyes. My word had been chosen, it was thrive. 
I knew after I chose the word that it was perfect for the 2015 year because as I looked for devotionals and books, I found a book titled "Thrive" by a band that I listen to. They explain how to thrive in your life and how to keep God in your life, which as I now reflect realize I was struggling with.
Thrive is a verb that means to prosper and flourish. From reading about thriving, it's about digging deep and reaching out. For each month of the 2015 year I chose to focus and "thrive" on a different aspect of my life building me into a better person than I started. January was finances, February was health, etc....
I was doing great and then a tough decision arose during the summer: to stay with my current job or jump and take another one. I am
not spontaneous, I love structure, balance, routine so leaving my job (that I never thought I would leave) seemed a dumb decision on my part. I took a mini vacation to Florida and realized just how toxic my job was on my life. I no longer enjoyed getting up and playing with kids all day. As soon as I woke up, I began counting the hours till I was home. I didn't want to travel and visit friends, didn't want to craft, or take pictures. I also saw co-workers who I loved (and still love) feeling the same way and it was breaking me down. I was so angry that I wasn't thriving and I couldn't see how starting a new job would help me thrive, especially since it was a brand new company that had yet to begin.
And then I leapt, I quit my job and chose to go to the unknown. My new boss promised protection and support and a lifeline for stability when I didn't think there was one. Little did I know that this change would make me thrive more. 
I have been in my new position for 4 months now and am blown away. I work less hours, spend more time with friends and family and have been able to accomplish more goals and start new adventures. I know if I was still at my previous place of employment this would not have happened. I travel a little more now and am finding and seeing more of Columbus than I could imagine. I know many of the highways without my GPS and am able to laugh and smile a lot more. Once I chose this life change I had friends comment on how happy I seemed, how much more I smiled, and how often I was willing to go out and be with family in friends. I even started to notice these things about myself. 
I can definitely say that this year my word lived up to its expectation and more. I thrived in so many ways and cannot wait to see what my next word (still narrowing options down or for it to be told to me) will do for me in 2016.‪#‎thrive‬ ‪#‎blessed‬ ‪#‎oneword‬