A Few of My Favorite Things

I wanted to just do a fun post today, so I created a list of my favorite things. Yes I was singing the song from "Sound of Music" in my head. LOL

1. My Journal -  "Markings" by C.R. Gibson.
I carry this with me everywhere in my purse. I am constantly writing in it. It's my way to vent, figure things out, document my family's lives, and get my ideas out.

Mine is full of little stickers (from my kids school work), endless lists, and even a pocket in the back for special papers. I've used this particular journal for over 3 years now and love the size and feel of it.

I purchased it a WalMart, but they also sell it online at Amazon for about $9.  It is made of leather or leather-like material and is approximately 8"X5".

2. My iPhone 4
I always have this with me. Unfortunately it's usually glued to my hand. I'm either playing Doomsday Preppers, checking my email or playing on Facebook. Plus that's how I talk to hubby throughout the day - via texts.

3. Diet Soda
Yes I'm fully aware of how bad it is for me, but I'm addicted. I don't even care which brand (Coke,  Pepsi or Aldi's brand). This is one of the bad habits I would love to give up but find so hard to do.

4. Inspirational Romance Novels
I've been reading a lot of inspirational romance novels lately. I especially like the stories set in the American Mid West in the early 1900s. I love reading about what life was life back then.

My favorite author right now is Lauraine Snelling. I'm just finished reading all of her Daughters of Blessing Series. I'm a huge public library fan, so that's where I find the majority of my reading material.

5. Harry Potter
My kids and I are Harry Potter fanatics. Yes we've been on Pottermore.com, watched and own every movie, read and own every book and my oldest even has a wand.

I'm not big on witchcraft or casting spellings - I just like the stories of good and evil, friendship and watching the characters grow up.

6. Just Dance 4
My oldest and I love this game for Wii.  We get a bit competitive.  My favorite dance is Rock and Roll by Skrillex.  It reminds me of my younger years when I was on my high school dance team and a local cheer/dance squad. Plus it's my favorite way to exercise.

7. Taking Photos
My kids call me the paparazzi. I'm always trying to snap a picture of them. I don't want my kids to grow up and not be able to remember all the great times they had growing up. I try to get shots of them being themselves - goofy, silly, serious, laughing, expressive, etc.

Well since 7 is my lucky number I will stop there. Please feel free to share some of your favorite things in the comments section. I'd love to hear them.

Summers Almost Here - Need Kids Activities?

Well summer is almost here and you know what that means. Kids will be home on summer vacation. Then you'll hear those dreaded words "Mom, I'm bored" or "There's nothing to do."

It's all about planning ahead. Make a list of all the things you want to do this summer and then plug them into a calendar. For example: visit a different playground each week on Thursday or go watch a free kids movie on Wednesday morning.

If you don't have time to plan or just don't have the patience then I can help. I've just started another blog called "12 Weeks of Summer Fun" at http://www.12WeeksofSummerFun.com. This site is a day-by-day journal covering 12 weeks of activities that I'm doing with my kids. It includes printables, crafts, sites to visit, activities and more.  I've done all the work for you, so feel free to follow along and use some or all the activities with your kids. 

Have a great, fun, adventurous summer. Thanks for reading  :)

Personalize $1 Store Calendars

You really can have a great looking fully functional calendar that fits your personality and your budget.

Lots of people use a $1 calendars or planners to keep track of their appointments, but I'm going to suggest using them for something else as well. Plus I'm also going to share with you an idea on how to decorate to make them more fitting to your life and personality.

First here are 4 ways to use a calendar besides keeping track of appointments.

1. Keep track of your finances. Write down every purchase on the corresponding date. Also write down when bills are due or need to be mailed and mark your paydays.

2. Write a couple words or even a sentence or two to describe your life on that day. One example would be "Date Night w/Hubby - Movies saw The Blind Side and ate dinner at my fave restaurant." Include everyday events and the special moments.

3. Instead of writing about your life -- write about your children's lives. A couple words each day to describe your child's development and daily life. Ex. Little Man took 5 steps in a row today or Becky had a field trip to the Zoo--she loved the monkeys.

4. Another option is to record you work schedule. Whether you work at home, from home or outside home you can keep track of which project your working on.

If you can't find any dollar calendars that fits your personality -- not a problem. Find a calendar that has the insides you life and can work with. Do you prefer monthly pages, weekly pages or daily pages? Do you want something that you can hang on the wall or fit in your purse?

If you like the insides, but the cover really isn't your taste here is a simple solution. If you are tiny bit crafty you can create a cover for your calendar. Here is a link to a great pattern to create a fabric book cover that you can customize to fit any size book. http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2009/08/how-to_sew_a_simple_fabric_boo.html. By visiting your local craft store you can find lots of fabrics in a variety of colors, textures, and patterns to fit your personality.

There are lots of other uses for those $1 calendars in addition to the four listed above. Plus you can completely customize any calendar, so there's no need to go out and purchase one of those expensive day planner.

4 Ways to De-Stress and Sleep Better

Almost everyone knows the benefits of a good night's sleep. Increased energy. Ability to think clearly. These are just two of the many health benefits available, yet far too many people get less than 7 hours of sleep a night. They are constantly stressed - worrying about jobs, money, relationships and more.

Here are a four simple ways to de-stress and get a better night's sleep, and they don't cost a fortune.

Journaling
One of the easiest things you can do is to keep a journal. Now don't feel intimidated this is actually super easy. Get yourself a notebook. It can be a cheap spiral notebook or a fancy leather journal. They both work the same. Write one paragraph or an entire page or more. It's up to you. In your journal write everything that happened in the world and your life specifically that influenced you that day. All your happy times, stressful moments, and worries - everything good and bad. I call this "downloading" or "dumping" everything that is running through your mind. Once you write it down forget about it.

List Making
Have you ever tried to go to sleep, but could get your mind to shut off? Well, the second thing to do is keep a written to-do list. Before you go to bed each night list everything you want to do tomorrow or didn't get done today. This can get all things off your mind plus you'll be less likely to forget something.

Turn off the Electronics
Today's society stresses the importance of being connected all the time and getting as much done as possible. So many of us are glued to our cell phones almost 24 hours a day. Plus, there are those who stay online late into the night just surfing with no real reason.

Disconnecting is another great way to de-stress. Turn off your cell phone, internet and tv for a day or even a couple hours. Take that time to relax, go for a walk, or read a book. Do something you enjoy doing. Seriously, the world isn't going to stop just because you turned off your cell phone. People survived for thousands of years without a cell phone and you can certainly survive a couple hours.

Exercise
Perhaps the most beneficial way to de-stress and sleep better would be to exercise. By getting some moderate exercise throughout the day you will improve your health. Plus it is proven that people who exercise regularly report fewer instances of sleeplessness and it is been shown to reduce stress.

These are just a few ways to help improve the quality of your sleep and help you get over the stress in your life. Start living a healthier and more relaxed lifestyle today.
Kimberly Shavatt runs http://www.HelpingMomsAtHome.com and http://kimshavatt.blogspot.com. She shares lots of helpful hints and tips to help you save time, save money and save your sanity.

HMAH Tip #18 Write at Night

This tip is really easy to do and an excellent way to sleep better. For this tip all you have to do is write before you go to bed at night.

Now I know what you may be thinking who has time to write each night when I have to get the kids in bed, pick up stuff around the house, spend some time with my hubby and I want some time to relax myself. All I suggesting is righting a paragraph or more if you feel up to it.

Here's what you write: a to-do list of things to do tomorrow or things you didn't get done today and a brief summary of what happened today. The summary of the day is pretty important because you'll want to list events that made you happy, mad, sad, confused, etc. Get it off your chest. No one needs to see the stuff you write - you can even throw them away once your done.

The main reason for writing before you go to bed is to "download" or "dump" all the thoughts floating around in your minds. Keeping you up at night. This will also help you remember all those important details that are usually forgotten by morning.

Give this tip a try and see if you are able to sleep a little better at night.