Five Minute Scrapbooking Pages

Today I thought I'd share some more of my five minute scrapbook pages. I love scrapbooking and plan to spend a few hours each month staying caught up, but that means my pages need to be done pretty quickly! Here are some current(ish) ones I thought I'd share. Maybe they'll give you some inspiration too!

Pick a picture to focus on- This is one of my favorite pictures! Keeping the rest of the page pretty simple helps keep the focus on the image you love.

Use Me

A few years back I was very inspired by a boy's devotion to God as a teenage. He even preached at a local church with the cry of his heart saying, "Here I am Lord, Use Me." This really stuck with me and inspired me. I worked to make this the cry of my heart too.

Then, I got busy with life. Taking care of the kids, keeping the house clean, spending time with my husband, teaching my students, and trying to fit in my devotional time each day....along with about fifty other things. I forgot my heart's cry. Then just this last week I got an email from a lady who told me I had written exactly what she needed to hear. She wasn't even sure how she'd come across the blog post, but it was like it was written to her. I was so humbled.  I had forgotten that God could use me right where I was, and in the busyness of life, just like he can use you too!

I believe God purposely brings people in and out of our lives for a reason, sometimes we are the teachers and sometime we are the ones who are being taught. Maybe it's our kids, our co-workers, that lady behind us in line at Target, or someone reading something we've written on social media, whoever it is, interactions aren't accidental.

God has given me this platform for a reason, and I shouldn't take it lightly, just as He is giving you opportunities each day to impact the people around you too.  It can be easy to second guess our value, but if no one else, we are who God is using to speak to our kids. I was recently having a conversations with Grant about the verse, "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." I told him that before we talk we should think about if what we say will make us feel good, the other person feel good, and God feel good, if not, we shouldn't say it. That right there was God using me, not only to teach my son, but also to remind myself, because I know I need to think about that just as much as Grant does. ; )

I am grateful for that lady's email and for each of you and I want to encourage you today that God can use you right where you are as well.

I picked up this top at Old Navy on clearance lately, it's out of stock but this is Gap's verison and it is super cute too. The Clare cardigan from J.Crew factory remains my favorite, admittedly, it didn't stay on long, as I got to warm, but I wear these like crazy during the school year and have a half-dozen colors. My wedges are also sold out, but I love these on super sale and totally would have bought them if I didn't get these ones first!

Oh, and my necklace is a teething necklace, I got it on Jane.com and Hannah is a fan. We have the drool and the chewing down, but no teeth yet!

Time Flies

This summer Grant learned to ride his bike without training wheels. He was playing with the neighbors across the street and came home wide eyed to share the big news. After that I had him practice quite a bit, which is easier said than done in a neighborhood full of hills. Then just a few days ago Grant wanted to go the "long way" around our neighborhood on his bike, while I pushed Hannah in the stroller. And he did great! All I could think was how proud I was of him. When he got his bike a few years back he could hardly go the "short way," which was basically around the block with his training wheels. He was scared to death of hills and the idea of gliding as well, so this is a pretty big accomplishment!

While I am so happy for him, at the same all I can think is "slow down time!" It's hard to believe Brian and I known each other for a decade, been married for nearly nine years, Grant is six and Hannah is seven months old. It's all been the blink of an eye. I can tend to constantly be looking forward to the next thing, which really causes me to forget to enjoy today and what's going on now. Yes, being a mom is exhausting, but their is no place I'd rather be than with my family.

As the new school year starts my time with the kids and Brian decreases greatly. I'm really going to be working to spend quality time with them each day. The rush of dinner and cleaning and baths makes the time fly, ends up with me just checking things off my list. I want to work to be present at home, off social media, and remembering how quickly time flies and work to enjoy the time I have with my family now.

I recently scored this top in Old Navy for $5. I love the cute and style. It will easily transition to wearing for school with my white jeans too, which I love. I have a handful of these cardigans from J.Crew Factory. I love the cut and style and they are the perfect laying piece for a tank or over dresses for school. I just ordered one in white too, which I'm looking forward to getting. My old one from Kohls needed to be retired, so it was time to buy. : )

Winter Garden: Book Review

Last week I finished reading Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah, and let me tell you, it was amazing! My first Kristin Hannah book was The Nightingale, one of my favorite books of all time, so I was excited to see this one was finally available at the library.

In this story, Meredith and Nina are sisters, who are now grown, but have tried to earn their mother's love for most of their lives. Their mother, Anja, who is of Russian descent is as hard as stone. She had a life before them, a life full of mystery. It isn't until the girls' father makes the girls promise to get to know their mom before he abruptly dies that their mom's past begins to surface.  

This story is beautifully written and full of mystery. Sometimes it takes a tragedy to find common ground, and this story will take Meredith, Nina, and Anja on a journey of discovery that will change each of them forever.

Thanks!

First off, thanks for all your thoughts on my Norstrom post on Friday, I'm glad I'm not alone! I feel like so much of life is about balance. That doesn't mean everything needs to be equal, but that we spend our time and energy in the right places. When too much is spend in the wrong areas, everything around you suffers. I am so far from perfect, but working to use the time I'm given well. It's so great to hear that so many of you feel the same way. : )

 I wore this one day last week, but plan to wear it for one of our work day's before school start. I love the pattern mixing and jewel tones are my jam!

Why I'm Not Promoting #NSale

Ok, so let me begin by saying I actually love Nordstrom. Seriously, their shoe department is top notch, they have free shipping and returns, and the people that work their are lovely. I'm not promoting or shopping this sale for other reasons which I felt like I should share today.

First off, it is July. July people. I honestly want nothing to do with fall clothes, I don't want to think about them, talk about them, or try them on. Fall clothes means school is in session and that my sandals are stored for the year. I like fall clothes....once it's fall.

Secondly, I don't want to cave into peer pressure. All I see all over the internet is blogger after blogger sharing their #NSale reviews.  It hadn't occurred to me to do this before, so it's no longer an original idea, so I don't plan to do it now.

Next, I don't run my blog as a business. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I just already have a job, and this blog remains my hobby. I can imagine many bloggers make some big bucks with their links to products this time of year, but like I stated before, I don't really want to even think of fall clothes, so there you have it.

Lastly, and probably the biggest reason, I need more clothes like a hole in the head. Seriously. I feel like social media has us always thirsting for more. Buy, buy, buy. I literally just went though my closet and pulled out at least thirty things I haven't worn in at least a year to take to a resale shop, none of which I will miss. This summer I did get a few tops from Old Navy to freshen up my summer wardrobe since I was pregnant this time last year, but I'm putting on the brakes with shopping this fall.

I recently had a girl email me to remove her from my newsletter list as "I didn't wear clothes she could still buy and she could care less to see pictures of my kid." Ok, then.... Although I was a bit offended by her email (there is an unsubscribe button at the bottom of my newsletter she should could have clicked, by the way), she hit the nail on the head. I don't have a lot of new clothes to show, and I like to show pictures of my kids.

I still like blogging, don't get me wrong, but the #NSale onslaught right now really solidifies for me how different I am from how I was a few years back. I don't need to "buy all the things," and I don't need to try to impress anyone else, which used to be a huge issue for me. Clothes are something I wear, not who I am.

Maybe you need to hear this too....fashion is fun but "buying all the things" will never make us feel whole. For me, my faith and my family are so much more important, and there were definitely a few years in there when fashion was taking the front seat, which was pretty foolish in my opinion.

Thank you to all who read my posts....I love to write them. Thanks for sticking around even though I'm not showing new clothes all the time, I'm sharing my faith, and I definitely share a lot pictures of my kids. ; )

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Mathew 6:21

Making the Most of It

The sad reality is, summer for us is pretty much over. I start back to school next week, Hannah will start daycare, and Grant will be going to kids' club at his school for two weeks, because he doesn't start until the 16th-lucky guy!

This week we've tried to make the most of it. Grant went to a local amusement park with my mom, we went to the zoo, the library, and have a playdate tomorrow. I know I said this before, but being a stay at home mom is no joke. It's definitely more work than working outside of the the home is. I really feel like we've just gotten into a decent grove, and it's back to reality.  I'm excited for what this years brings for the kids. Grant will be in first grade (say what???) and Hannah is starting at a great school (daycare/montessori) I think she'll really thrive at.

I, on the other hand, am not super excited for my new school year, but I'm sure it will be fine. With curriculum changes I feel like I have a lot of ground to cover. I'm not apposed to change, but I am a bit pragmatic and a creature of habit, and I really dislike when changes are made over the summer without an time available for us to prepare for them.   I am excited to get to see my work friends more again and I do enjoy getting to wear my school clothes again too. I'm sure things will be fine once I get back in the swing of things.

This embroidered blouse just came in the mail and I adore it! The quality and fit is good and it's less than $20! It's perfect for now and will be great once I'm back to work too.