What did I learn from wearing make up everyday for a month?

I did it! I was able to cross off number 34 from my 40 before 40 list! I wore make up everyday for a month! 

Now you may be wondering, why? Why did I have that on my list of 40 things to do before I turn 40? Well it started out as something I wanted to do for my husband. I wanted to make sure I looked nice for him on a more regular basis. Then it turned into more of a confidence thing for me. You see when I look nice I feel more confident. When I feel more confident I tend to get more things done. 

So did I learn anything, you ask? Well yes, yes I did! Here is what I learned: 

1. This is going to sound so very vain, but I finally learned that I am beautiful on the outside. For most of my life I have always known I am beautiful on the inside. In fact I have had many people tell me that. To clarify, they did not tell me that I wasn't beautiful on the outside. However, I never believed when people told me that I was beautiful on the outside. Like okay, I might have a nice smile or maybe my eyes are pretty, but as a whole I never really felt like I was pretty. I have found, now, that I am beautiful. I'm not trying to be a braggy braggerson (sorry, I use that term with my kids all the time), but it's true. I took a lot of selfies while doing this challenge, mainly to prove that I was wearing make up that day and I saw the beauty that others saw. 

2. I don't have to go all out for it to be considered "wearing make up". I can just throw on some mascara and a little tinted chap-stick, if it's a jeans and t-shirt kind of day. When I'm dressing up more then I can go all out and wear eye shadow, eye liner, blush, lip gloss. You get the idea. 

3. Wearing make up makes me want to dress up more, even on just a stay at home all day kind of day. Being a stay at home mom, most days I find I wear what I slept in, unless I have to leave the house. However, I have found that I want to dress up more. I was recently telling my friends that I want to dress more like DJ from Fuller House! I mean her character dresses all cute and it's just a Saturday! 

   

There you go, the things I learned by wearing make up everyday! I think I will probably continue wearing make up most days. Now, I wonder what I will conquer next on my list?!?!

40 things to do before I turn 40 list, update

Check it out! I have been able to cross things off my list! I also am  changing things on my list. I have realized that somethings just aren't what I want anymore (example: having another kid) and somethings just aren't realistic (example: seeing a Broadway musical). So I am taking those things off and am currently thinking of things to replace them with! Here is the current list as it stands. What do you think? What is on your list? 

1. Lose 100 pounds
2. Skinny dip with Justin
3. Go on a trip with just Justin
4. Go on a trip somewhere fun with just Justin and the kids
5. Get paid to take someone’s pictures
6. Take some sort of class, like cake decorating, photography, or crafting class
7. Have all of our boxes cleared out of the garage
8. Wear a dress that shows some cleavage and wear it with confidence (aka don’t be insecure)
9. Go camping
10. Do a cartwheel
11. Go snorkeling
12. Take a self defense class
13. Take a girls trip with my closest girlfriends
14. Get my passport
15. 
    
16. Go to an OSU football game
17. Be in more pictures with Justin and the kids
18. Write an article and submit it to a newspaper or magazine
19. Have purple highlights in my hair
20. Throw a birthday party for an underprivileged kid
21. Sponsor a child through compassion international
22. Go to a formal event with Justin
23. Have a FRIENDS marathon weekend where I (and anyone else who wants to join me) watch all 10 seasons of FRIENDS in order. This may be more of a 2 weekend event
24. Take the family to Disney World
25. Re-do our wedding vows (after losing weight)
26. Audition for a musical
27. Make a family yearbook at least once
28. Pay for a stranger's meal
29. Buy a bike and go on rides with my kids/family
30. Host more get togethers
31. Be able to wear a pair of boots that come to my knee
32. 
    
33. 
    
34. Wear makeup everyday for a month
35. Buy fancy but comfy pajamas
36. Serve others more than myself
37. Do a Bible study and actually complete it
38. Find a way to contribute to our families finances without compromising my role as a mom and wife
39. 
    
40. Climb an indoor rock climbing wall

They are listening...

Last night we told the truth about the Bible to our boys. 

You know, the fact that it isn't just filled with stories of hero's and do gooders, miracles and people coming to Jesus. 

Yes, we told them the truth. 

Let me give you the background. We had a certain situation where a person told a story around us (not just us, a lot of people actually). We, as a family, thought it was filled with inappropriate themes. Since this instance my kids have felt that they shouldn't listen or be respectful of this particular person. We actually took our concerns to some people, including the person in question. His response was respectful. We are trying to teach the boys that just because someone has done something that is inappropriate or wrong, it doesn't mean that we have to shut them out and decide that that person is not good or deserving of respect. Because the truth is we all sin. We all fall short of God's glory. God forgives each one of us. He loves each one of us. 

Fast forward (well technically rewind) to last night. We had to break it to them that King David, yes, the hero who killed Goliath, saw a women who was married, decided he wanted her as his wife (we didn't go into too much detail here seeing how they are still 7 and 9), had her husband killed so that he could then marry her. 

Owen's response was "but she was already married. You can't marry someone who was already married!" I love his sweet innocence. 

That was our point. He was getting it. David sinned. He did things that were "inappropriate" (their words). Yet, he was still knows as a man after God's own heart! I'm not quite sure they really got our point, but I think they might have at least heard what we were saying. 

Sometimes we fight so hard to get points across to our kids. I think though that they hear us. They like to play devils advocate. However, when it comes to it, they hear us and they learn from us. So keep teaching them. Don't get warn out. Parenting is tough. I'm not sure that was the point I was going with when I started this post, but I do want to encourage you. Search for signs that they are listening. Because I promise you they are!  

Gardening...

My boys and I decided to have a vegetable garden this year! I forgot how wonderful it is to watch God's amazing creations grow into the food we eat! It truly is amazing. It has been so much fun getting my kids involved this year. I have tried in years past, but I think they were just too young to truly get into it and understand the work it takes and to really enjoy it. This year, however, they are helping and from what I can tell, loving it! Every time we spot a vegetable we all get excited! 

We currently have three pepper plants, watermelon, zucchini, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and lima beans! And of course we have planted some marigolds to help get some bees to come around as well as keep some bugs away. Apparently some bugs don't like marigolds! We have the lima beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini are in containers or pots. The pepper plants and watermelon are in our raised garden bed. (see pictures below)

We started watching youtube videos from MIgardner and have learned a lot about gardening from him as well as other pages that I have been reading. My boys got inspired from MIgardener and asked if they could start their own youtube channel. I said they could (of course I am the one in charge of it). They are having fun doing that! Check out the link that that here.

I have to say that I have found that gardening has given me some sort of purpose. I'm not sure if that makes sense or not. It's not like we really needed this garden. I mean, after all we can just go to the store and get these vegetables. I don't know really how to describe it. I have just really enjoyed it. I feel like it has helped keep my depression at bay. Anyways, I hope you can find some happiness in gardening or something like it!

Here are a few pictures from our garden so far. I'm hoping we have a good harvest of all things planted! I'm already planning for our garden for next year. I guess I should plan for our fall garden. I heard it was important to have things planted in your garden bed so weeds keep out. Perhaps we will just do one thing in the whole bed for the fall, just to keep busy. 

One year down...

Well it's here. The. Last. Day. Of. School.

WHAT?!?!?!

We actually completed our first year of doing school at home! I've got to be honest, I'm pretty shocked that we did. I fully expected to have the boys enrolled back in school come Christmas time. Okay, maybe not, but I wasn't too confident in my ability to do this, so the fact that we completed the first year is pretty great! 

Here are some things I have learned:

1. Teachers for reals deserve to get paid way more than they do. I realized this early on. After spending just a few hours helping Owen with his school work. I couldn't imagine having an entire class full of students to have to deal with! Yikes!

2. Apparently I need alone time. When the boys were going to school I was already getting it so I didn't realize that I needed it. Now that they are home all day, I don't get it as much, so i am in need of it much more often! Even if it is just a few minutes of being alone in the bedroom or on the front porch. 

3. My kids are freaking geniuses! Ha! Seriously though, their teachers always told me that they were smart, but getting to work with them one on one has been eye opening on just how smart they are! I love it!

4. While we have the freedom to do school whenever we want, doing school in the morning seemed to work out best for us. If we didn't do it shortly after we work up it just didn't get up it just didn't get done. Which lead to more work the next day. 

5. Set my expectations low so when they are met and passed we will be happy! This can pretty much apply to anything in life though really. I had a lot of art projects planed and wanted to do some field trip type activities, and those things never got done. 

There you have it. Our first year of doing school at home is over and I couldn't be more happy. Now for a couple of weeks of relaxing and sleeping in, hanging by the pool, vacationing and spending time with family! 

New Recipe...

Tonight I made a new recipe and I thought I would share it on here, mainly so I would have a way to go back and remember it when I wanted to make it again. Next time I will take a picture.

Cheesy Bacon Alfredo Chicken

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jar of Alfredo sauce (I used Bertolli brand)
3 oz Oscar Mayer Real Bacon Bits
3/4 cup Frigo shredded Parmesan cheese

1. (preheat oven to 425) Use a tenderizer to make chicken breasts thinner. This seems to help the chicken breasts stay juicier. In my opinion anyway. I like to get them really thin. That way two chicken breasts can feed the four members in our family.

2. Spray an 8x8 pan with non stick spray, place chicken in pan.

3. Combine the Alfredo, bacon and Parmesan cheese together in a bowl. Top the chicken with this mix.*

4. Bake @ 425 for 25 minutes.  I served ours with a side of green beans. 

*If you are making more chicken, I do think that this mix will cover more than just the two chicken breasts. It would probably cover four.

Alexa and Katie...

Thank you Netflix! Thank you for making a show that is clean and cute and enjoyable to watch. I've got to be honest, it doesn't happen too often. The show is called Alexa and Katie. I recommend watching it! I've thought up some questions that you might ask about it and I've already answered them for you. So here ya go...

1. Can I watch this with my kids? Yes! While there may be some teenage and young kid attitude issues, I still think it is good enough to watch with the kids. I'm very picky about what I let my kids watch, so you can trust me on this one. 

2. Isn't it geared for a younger audience? Probably. But I didn't care. I started watching it one night when my husband was out of town, because honestly I didn't think he would get into it. Well I was wrong. When he got home he ended up watching it with me and enjoyed it too! Watching this kind of a show as an adult brings new appreciation for the parent rolls. 

3. Comedy or drama? I'd say both. I laughed and cried. 

4. How many seasons? So far there is just one season. I'm hoping that Netflix sees that they did a good thing with this show and make more seasons!

So there you have it! If you have Netflix, go and watch Alexa and Katie. You will be glad you did! Let's support clean shows! 

*I am reviewing this on my own. I was not compensated by anyone to review it.

Don't mess with me...

I love this shirt!

https://www.bonfire.com/dont-mess-with-me/

Migraines...

I hate migraines. I mean is there anyone out there that really likes them? I'd say probably not. 

For me, I seem to have three stages of migraines. I thought I would write a little bit about them so those who don't understand can get a better understanding of what I go through. 

Stage 1 migraine: This is typically the way most of my migraines start. I try to take my migraine medicine as fast as I can. If I don't take it then it will almost guarantee that it will move on to a worse stage. I sometimes consider this a functional migraine. Basically I have stuff that has to be done and if my migraine stays in this stage I can do those, even thought I am in pain. Sensitivity to light and sound are also present, but not super severe. 

Stage 2 migraine: I don't usually start at this stage during the day. It is possible that I wake up with a stage 2 migraine though. If I reach this stage during the day it is because I didn't take my medicine quick enough or it just didn't work. I typically have to lay down with this migraine. The couch will work, but I do prefer the bed. If I have important things to be done they will have to wait. Ice packs help in addition to an eye mask. For sure have sensitivity to light and sound. 

Stage 3 migraine: This is for sure the worst. Like stage two it doesn't start like this if I am awake. If I reach this point during the day it is because I didn't take my medicine quick enough or it just didn't work. I have to lay down for this one. It has to be in bed. For sure sensitivity to light and sound. Nausea big time. Often times it results in throwing up. If I can take some anti-nausea meds before it gets bad then it will help. If I wait to long then I can't take it because of the nausea. This type of migraine will cause me to be exhausted the next day too. 

If you deal with migraines, I am so sorry. If you don't, count yourself blessed. Maybe this will help you understand someone who struggles with migraines. 

Supporting your kids...

My kids are currently leaving home. 

I'm not crying at all. 

Does this make me a bad mom? Nah. You see they are 9 years old and 7 years old. I know they will be back. They have talked about it all afternoon. They packed their backpacks with clothes and toys, water bottles and snacks. 

Let me back up here a minute. It all started when they thought I was being unfair in saying their leapster products will now count towards screen time. They really tried hard to make the point that their leapster products should not count as screen time, but the more they tried, the bigger the hole became. They then tried to use the excuse that they should be able to us them because they are educational games. I still said no. After that they decided that doing school would count as screen time too (we do online school), which means they can't do school anymore. 

HAHAHAHAHA!

Sorry, I had to take a second to laugh. They really did try to convince me that I was wrong. Once we got home they said they were no longer going to do school. That's when I informed them that they would need to either get a job or move out. Because only kids who do school can live here for free. 

That is when they began to pack their bags! I decided at that point that I could either squash their dreams or support them. Now please note that I am not actually going to just sit around and let me kids leave our property. My version of supporting them is this: 

1. Talking them through what they will have to do if they really move out. Example: get a job, a way to get to job, a place to live, pay bills, buy food, make food.
2. Let them see that the things that they are wanting to take from our house is not theirs to take. Mommy and Daddy bought the food and water, so if you want to take it you will have to pay for it. 
3. Make sure they know that if they decide to leave the property they need to inform us. (They may think it is for us to say our goodbyes, but it is really for us to follow them or talk them down.)

Allowing them this time to be outside is good for them. They may not realize it, but they are playing right into my hands! The reason we limit screen time is so they will use their imagination, which they are currently outside doing!  We limit screen time so they will get up and play, which they are currently doing! We limit screen time so that their attitudes are better (Is it just my kids? It seems like the more they play video games, computer or tablets, the worse their attitude gets.), they currently have a positive attitude. 

Now think about how all this could have gone down if I had just knocked down their idea? There would have been fighting, whining, and probably sending them to their room. I would have been exhausted from dealing with the arguing. 

Now let's move a few years down the road. Let's imagine them going out and applying for a job. What kinds of words do you think might be going through their head if you shot down their decision to move out and get a job as a young child? Perhaps it is "You can't get a job you're too young" or "No one is going to hire you." The things we say to our kids now, will run through their minds as they get older. I hope that when it comes time for my boys to actually move out and/or work, they will remember the things we taught them. That our words were "I think you can do anything you put your mind to."

Now, just because they are super cute, here is a picture of my sweet boys with their backpacks and stuffed animal. I sure do love them!