The Best Riches

{apologies in advance for the super heavy, sappy, overly long blog post...short, quirky ones to follow}



Growing up my Daddy was constantly warning my brothers & I not to accumulate debt.  I remember family dinners where he would adamantly encourage to live within our individual means and take joy  in Jesus, our family & friends instead of swiping a credit card.

I never truly appreciated Daddy's wisdom until recently.  My parents were phenomenal at having intentional honest conversations about financial stewardship and how we are called to live as Christians in terms of our finances.  It is one of the lessons I am most grateful for now as an "adult" with my own household to manage.  When it came time for college my parents sacrificed to ensure I attended the only university I had any interest in but still maintained that I would have a personal stake in education.  I was expected to work part-time & my freshman year I took out some loans to cover the remaining costs of my education.  Looking back I realize I harbored some resentment that I worked afternoons and weekends to help finance the "extra" parts of my college experience but I am so grateful.  My parents were teaching me more than stewardship.  I was learning how to prioritize, multitask and balance a well-rounded, full life that has served me well as an adult.

Upon college graduation I carried, what in today's world, is a small amount of debt.  But after twenty-two years of being my father's daughter and an overwhelming conviction from the Lord to live a financial life that was honoring to Him I began to earnestly pay off my college loans.

Y'all I cannot accurately describe what a truly fantastic husband I have.  Once we were married Coach assumed the financial burden of my college loans with no complaining, no bitterness but with a heart ready to serve, lead & become one.  The past year of marriage he has sacrificed "fun" things he would have loved to take part in, worked an insane number of summer school house, lead our family with a quiet voice but a backbone of steel & kept me focused on the end goal...to be debt free before September 1, 2014.

We reached our goal two weeks before schedule.  Making that last Department of Education payment was as if a weight had been lifted off our shoulders.  God is so good y'all.  This financial freedom of knowing we are living with our means, owe nothing but most of all, that knowing that without the Lord's Divine Provision this would not have been possible is awe-inspiring.  First He blessed me with parents that lived out their faith in regards to finances & worked hard to keep my student loan debt low.  God handpicked a husband who knows how to lead & who feverentley pursues to honor Christ in this way.  And on top of all that, He provided us with careers that made our goal an attainable reality.

Obviously we will not remain debt-free for the rest of our lives.  With the Lord's timing we will purchase a home, perhaps new cars etc. but our prayer moving forward is that we use our finances to honor the Lord & not ourselves.  We are able to focus on what makes us truly rich now...the relationships with those around us, our relationship with each other & most importantly, our relationship with Christ.

September Goals--Mrs. Style

September brings back routine which my heart has desperately needed and y'all, I can hardly wait for fall to arrive in full force.  I have started my fall preparations with the order of new Scentsy bars, moving my fall clothes to the front of the closet & scouring Hobby Lobby to add to my fall decor.  High school football is in full swing and Coach Husband is fully entrenched in the X's & O's of Friday Night Lights while I am loving on my new kindergarteners and waiting for it to be cool enough for me to open the house windows!

 My goals are a hodgepodge for the month of September...

order fall "happy everything" attachments

have date night with my husband

write our compassion child Emmanuel with updated pictures

mop our floors {I have mopping floors}

file the crazy mess at school

finishing touches on our guest bedroom

Who else is ready for some cooler Southern temperatures & everything pumpkin?

June Goals

Well y'all, the school year ends in 4 {school day} wake-ups.  It's crazy to think how the year has flown by!

There is so much to do over the summer to prepare for the next school year both personally & professionally.  I've already started my School Things to Finish This Summer List.  It currently has 32 items on it and I'm adding daily.

Anyways...I have June Goals!

1. Complete the June Ab Challenge {Meagan & I are headed to the beach in August}

2. Create the Family Budget Binder

3. Yearly Check-Ups

4. Cleaning Schedule for the house

5. Who is My Teacher Class book

6. Sew a table skirt for my school desk

7. Update Classroom Library List & book boxes

8. Care package to Little Brother who is starting his internship this summer!

Lots to do! Lots to do!

diy: state nail art

So, I've been meaning to post this DIY since October, when I completed it.  I even had a post started, but for some reason I never finished it. Nothing like a day snowed-in to prompt me to finally share my state nail art decor! :)

The Midwest was slammed today buy a lovely February snow storm. It has snowed all. day. long. Seriously, all day. The dog and I just ventured out to discover it is now snowing icy flakes, making it look like glitter is raining down from the twilight sky - which made this glitter & Ke$ha loving girl's night! However, I digress, that is not the reason for this post!

I had seen these state nail art designs on Pinterest and decided it was something that I could do. Since I have considered 3 states home, I wanted to represent each state and city in my new apartment. 

My finished products!

Here's what you need:

• A piece of wood (the size I used is 14"x14")
• Wire nails (5/8" x 18)
• Cotton twine
• Printed outline of state
• Needle-nose pliers
• Hammer
• Picture hanging wire
• Construction paper/glitter (optional)
• Paint or stain for wood (optional)

A picture of my nails so you know what to look for at Lowes! :)

1. Decide if you want your board stained or painted. You will obviously want to do this before you start nailing into it. Luckily my Dad had 3 spare boards in his shop that he was able to cut to size for me, which I then stained to match some of my other furniture.

2. Cut out your state outline and tape to the center of your board. 

3. Start hammering! You will want to nail around the outline of your state. I found it easiest to use my needle-nose pliers to hold the nail in place and straight, as well as to help me with my spacing - it also prevented me from whacking my fingers with the hammer :) Tip: One mistake I made, that I later had to go back and fix, was positioning my nails to close together. It is okay to leave some distance between them, and it will actually make your life easier when you start with the string. Don't worry - you will still achieve your look! 

  

4. >optional<  If you decide to have a heart representing a certain city, now is the time to nail that in. I cut a heart out of construction paper and taped it to the location on my state, then hammered the nails in just like step 3. Tip: Unlike the outline, the more nails you can fit into the heart outline, the better. You will pull the string from the outline to the heart and the more nails you have in the heart to wrap the string around, the better.

5. Once you have your nail outline finished, you can carefully remove your paper outline. You may have to use some tweezers to get tiny pieces of paper that might have been nailed through.

Outline complete!

6. String time! Pick your starting place and tie off your twine. For me, I started in the upper right hand corner and worked from the outline of my state to the outline of the heart and back. This part honestly just takes practice - I had to restart my stringing multiple times. You will need to strategize in order to evenly distribute your string connections among the heart nails. Also, try to wrap in the same direction on each nail, just to keep the look consistent. Tip: If your state has weird areas, do whatever you need to do to make it work. In the bootheel of Missouri I ended up cutting my string, going between the state outlines, and then starting fresh in a new section. There are going to be some areas of your state where you need to take your string outline to outline, rather than outline to heart. As long as you like the look of it, then it's a-okay.

7. Because I like glitter (as we covered earlier), I decided I wanted to spruce up my heart area of my state and really make it stand out. I took the same piece of construction paper I used to make my heart outline, covered it glue, sprinkled on some glitter and then wedged it back between the nail outline. I did not affix it to the board in anyway, the construction paper sits nicely wedged between the heart nail outline. (Sorry, I get too excited with glitter to take a picture!)

8. Lastly, install some picture hanging wire to the back and admire your craft! :) 

I have gotten several compliments on these and am really proud of how they turned out. I was also pleasantly surprised that this was a fairly easy project to complete. I was able to complete all 3 of mine in an evening while catching up on my DVR recordings! 

2014 "resolutions"

So, I love Pinterest. This is just a fact of life - I am pretty sure it was created for me. I have always been a visual learner and I think that's why it speaks to me so - pictures and organization, what could be better?! That being said, tonight I am too awake to sleep. Don't you hate those nights? Most people when they can't sleep will watch TV, read a book, drink Sleepytime Tea (cough cough, Emily) or some other activity to slow their mind. I organize my Pinterest boards.

While going through one of my boards and thinking about the New Year, I was struck by several inspirational quotes I had pinned. I have never been good at New Year's resolutions - I put to much pressure on the concept of setting impressive resolutions that are actually achievable. This year, however, I thought it might be fun to choose some quotes to serve as a 2014 guide. General inspirations for 2014, if you will. :)

Without further adieu... here are my 14 inspirational pictorial resolutions for 2014 along with my little reminders to myself when I am inevitably overwhelmed and stressed in 3 weeks and "over 2014":

1.

Ralph Waldo Emerson has always been one of my favorites. This is so simple but so powerful to me. I have an extreme tendency to overcomplicate things, but in the end what matters is to: be silly, be kind, be honest. 

2.

In college, one of my best friends tattooed "believe in yourself" on her foot. We were terrible. We teased her mercilessly saying things like "look at your foot" when she would ask us for advice. In all honesty, believing in yourself is key and a personal struggle for me. You are all you have - so you might as well trust, love and believe in yourself. If you don't, no one else will. 

3.

This reminds me of childhood me...not a care in the world, and that is something I strive to get back to. Screw what the world thinks, my world: my friends, my family, my God, all accept and embrace me for all my quirks and randomness.

4.

Dance like no one is watching. It hurts no one and makes your heart feel lighter. Read to enrich your mind, free your soul or to transport yourself somewhere else. Whatever the reason: do it. If it makes you happy and doesn't harm the world, then you're good. 

5.

This may be my ultimate 2014 inspiration. Love and laugh abundantly. Abundantly. Without abandon. Do these and your life can't help be anything but beautiful.

6.

One of my 100 goals is to keep a gratitude journal. Being grateful is so key - recognizing what others do for you and in all the ways you are blessed.

7.

This one really spoke to me, because it is so true. It is impossible to be perfect and to have everyone like you/me. So: let. it. go. It is their loss, because we are ripe, juicy peaches and they don't know what they're missing out on!

8.

Ultimately, some days are going to suck. It is inevitable. I've already had one of those days this week (and it's only Wednesday). BUT, create your own sunshine! You have the power to bring a ray of light to any and every day. So sparkle and shine and turn things around - not for others, but for yourself.

9.

This one and #13 go hand-in-hand, but hey - it's a big concept for me. John Lennon once said that life is what happens when you're busy making other plans. Mr. Lennon and Carrie Bradshaw know the secret - let things happen as they may. As my family says over the table playing Texas 42 when one of us thinks we can lay down our hand and start a new game... "let's play it out, yeah that's probably what will happen, but let's let the pieces fall".

10.

Psalm 139:14 "because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." We are each unique, special and individual. Why the heck do we want to be like everyone else? 

11.

Girls rule, boys drool. Oh goodness, I feel like I'm back in 6th grade. Seriously though, stop trying to impress guys - they're not worth it. Wear what you want to wear because you want to wear it. Fix your hair and put on make-up because it makes you feel good.

12.

Slightly ironic given that I'm currently staring at a screen, but these are all things I think I would love to add more of to my life, as I think everyone would. :)

13

I am the biggest worry wart, ever, and for no good reason. All worrying does is create wrinkles. Does it solve the problem? No. Does it make things better? No. Que cera cera...what will be will be - regardless of how much I worry or fret.

14.

Last, but not at all least.

"Freely you have received; freely give".

Now an hour after I started this post and 2 hours after I locked my door, turned off the lights and got in bed, I think I am ready to sleep. 

So raise your glass of champagne, Dr. Pepper, sweet tea or water 

and cheers to a happy 2014.

Classroom Library Re-Do

I adore being a kindergarten teacher.  It is one of the biggest surprises & blessings in my life.  Ask anyone I taught with throughout college & very few would say they could see me teaching kinder upon graduation.  However, the past semester has proven (to myself at least) that I have found my niche.  Watching my kids grow by leaps and bounds everyday and experience the accomplishments through the eyes of one that young is such an incredible experience.

One of my favorite college professors taught an Early Literacy class & stressed the importance of letting  students experience print on their own terms.  That point was driven home my senior year when one of my inspirations (Meagan, who I am blessed enough to also call best friend) introduced me to the Daily Five.  While my school district uses a different model than the Daily Five, I am still able to incorporate parts of it in my literacy block.  When God threw me a surprise new job this summer I was hard pressed to have a classroom set up at all...least of all worry about the library set up.  Moving from third grade to kinder was the biggest blessing but it also brought about many changes in how I run my room.  I learned VERY quickly that my current classroom library set-up was just now working.  I kept telling myself that I would fix it over the summer but over the holiday break I realized it needed to be done now.  So, the last two weeks have been filled with the "Classroom Library Re-Do".

It was in the middle of this project that I realized what a wonderful resource TpT is.  In my head I knew exactly what I wanted, but it would have taken way longer than two weeks on my own.  After a little paroosing I found Bethany McClure's blog, Learning is A Journey and by default her TpT store.  She has some wonderful library organizing resources.


I started off by organizing my books based on genre/series.  Thankfully, Coach Husband assisted with this part.

Book sorting

While I was sorting I realized that I had multiple of some books and very little of others.  Many parents, friends and family members ask what books I would like them to purchase for my classroom library and I never know what to say.  I created an Excel Workbook to help me keep track of what books I have and where I could locate them!  This is by far the smartest thing I have done as a teacher, probably EVER.

Logging books

With a 22+ genres I made one big workbook and added a sheet at the bottom for each different pile on my carpet.

Next I printed the different genre book box labels and the individual sticker labels from Bethany's TpT store.  I loved that she made small sticker labels to affix to the actual books.  Students just have to match the sticker on the book to the sticker on the book box to place it back where it goes.  Genius.

Book stickers

 After forcing Bre & Meagan to accompany me to Ikea during our Dallas Best Friend Week I finally had the magazine holders that would serve as my book boxes. (Side note: Ikea literally gives me an anxiety attack.  All the people & stimulation.  It's a good thing B&M took charge or I might not have made it through).

 I put the books in the appropriate book boxes and then placed them on the bookshelf!

Finished product!

Tuesday my kids will be in for a big surprise.  I can't wait to see how this changes their interaction with the classroom library.  I am always looking for ways to improve my teaching and classroom management.  I am already thinking of what my next project will be.  Coach Husband however, is hoping inspiration doesn't strike until summer.

Emily  

DIY: Friendship Mugs

Oh my goodness, it is 2014!! 

For the New Year I traded in some Southwest miles and flew to Texas to ring in 2014 with my loves Emmy and Meagan. We had the best time shopping, chatting, reality tv-ing, facial-ing, massaging and basically everything else GIRL! 

It only took about 20 minutes of us all being together to decide to have Christmas and exchange our gifts! All three of us are currently obsessing over hot tea and anything 'cozy' (think blankets, fires, hot chocolate, fuzzy socks, sweaters, etc.) 

To go along with our current life theme - I bought each girl a cozy wrap style sweater while boutique shopping over Christmas as well as an assortment of hot teas. I also decided to try my hand at creating the friendship distance mugs I have seen all over Pinterest and Etsy. 

They were surprisingly easy to whip out! I purchased the mugs from Wal-Mart and then traced the state outlines on to the mug. I then free-handed the heart and squiggly line. Lastly, because it's us, I added a gold initial and some decorative swirls on the mug handle. Total this entire project took me about 20 minutes for both. Once you finish your artwork, you will want to bake them in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes, in order to let the sharpie and paint pen set. (Confession: I didn't actually bake mine, I didn't realize you were supposed to do this until talking to the girls...obviously I was trying to recreate something I had seen without actually reading the directions!) 

I was very pleased with how these turned out and think they would make a great housewarming gift or a small token for a hostess. Especially filled with an assortment of teas or hot cocoa, a girl would be crazy not to love this!

Texas <3 Missouri