The Wishing Tree

Celebrating the New Year seems like a magical way to bubble up our dreams, goals, and what we love in life.  As 2015 approaches, I want to focus more on attainable goals that will really impact my life in a positive way.  Out with the far-fetched resolutions that never happen (like the year I made a resolution to travel to Africa....  eventually threw that one on a lifelong bucket list).  

Get Busy Living will be sharing some great ways to launch off the New Year with style, organization, and fun!  Lets make 2015 the year we make things happen!

Here's a great idea from Simplify 101 to decorate for the New Year and something you can keep around all year!  The Wishing Tree captures all your wishes/wants for the year.  This would be a fun family tradition to see what truly matters to each person. 

The best part is that The Wishing Tree can be turned into a Thankful Tree during Thanksgiving time!  I am all about recycling and reusing for future seasons.

What are some things you would put on your Wishing Tree?

12 Days of Blogger Christmas Giveaways

 Get Busy Living is participating in the 12 Days of Blogger Christmas Giveaways.  The holidays get so busy that we need something to keep the kiddos occupied at the same time. I am giving away:

A Holiday Kit for Kids

You will receive:

*Gingerbread House Decorating Kit

*Foam Ornament Kit (makes 18 ornaments)

 A winner will be chosen on Saturday, December 13th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please check out my fellow bloggers who are participating in the 12 days of Blogger Christmas Giveaways (links will be added when their giveaway item goes live!).

Growing in Grace and Beauty
A to Z for Moms Like Me
Being the Imperfect Mom 
Shopping Kim
Simply Caribbean
Travel Mamas
Just Another Day in Paradise
Gluten Free Anonymous

December Sneek-Peek

This is the time of year when I want to belt out in song like Julie Andrews from The Sound of Music. Snuggle in sweats and blankets while drinking hot cocoa. See all the Christmas lights and hear Christmas music everywhere (I know, we aren't even past Thanksgiving yet). It's the BEST time of year!

As Christmas gets closer, I am becoming even more neurotic about planning and wanting to make it perfect. 

These are the things I'll be sharing with you throughout the month of December and I can't wait!!!!  

Here's a sneekpeek......

1.  I scoured all over Pinterest to find Elf on the Shelf ideas.  Then took what I liked and filled in the ideas on a calendar.  Some of the ideas are acts of kindness, activities to do with my 3 year old, or to introduce Christmas to him.  I'll be sharing the calendar and photos of Elf on the Shelf each week to give you all ideas.

2.  It has taken me a LONG time to figure out what exactly to do for Advent.   There are sooo many options for Advent.  There are advents geared towards doing something everyday for the month, just counting down till Christmas, Nativity advent, and on and on and on.  I'll share more about this next month after I get my items ready.

3.   I really want to incorporate something related to the story of Jesus and the main reason for the season. Either I'm really picky or there's not much that caught my eye.  I found a few simple ideas to share the Nativity story with my son. Last year we tried Truth in the Tinsel but my son was a bit too little to comprehend anything and would just scribble on all the paper ornaments we were trying to make. Truth in the Tinsel may have to wait another year or two so all my organization doesn't go to waste..... I know the main thing is to get the story of Christ to be the center of it, but again, my neurotic self can't stand cutting out and collecting all the craft items and then my son has no idea what we are doing. So I have a different idea up my sleeve to focus on the Nativity story.  Just waiting for Black Friday to purchase the item and then I will share what I'm thinking about ;)

And since I change my mind about 50 times, I might still do Truth in the Tinsel (especially after I just found out I won a Truth in the Tinsel busy bag giveaway...). We will see what happens.

What are some things you will be doing for Christmas?

The WhatIf Monster Military Challenge

I am asking for your help. Our troops are coming home with high rates of PTSD and other anxiety disorders due to time served in combat zones. This is causing significant stress and anxiety on their families including their children. A fellow Usborne Consultant is married to a Wounded Warrior and has a dream. She would like to get all children of military members a WHATIF Book and Monster.
The book Jonathan James and the Whatif Monster gives an identity to anxiety and fear. Having a Whatif Monster plush empowers children to tell their fears and anxieties to their own monsters. It can be a powerful tool for healing. -

  How can you help?

--Make a monetary donation. 100% of the donations, through the link, will go towards the purchase of the Whatif book and plush monster for a military child.

--Shop for yourself, your children, grandchildren, gifts, etc!

Usborne Books and More has agreed to match the donations I collect with an additional 50% for these families.

Please share this opportunity with everyone that you know. We want as many military families to be blessed with these wonderful books and plushies as possible. And if you know of any other individuals or corporations that would like to be involved in this event let me know!
Thank you for your support and please spread the word.

 I love to do fundraisers and share my love of childrens books with others. Please follow my Facebook Page for updates.

Cleaning Schedule

 

I have been trying to find my cleaning niche and organize a routine that works for me.  With the holidays coming up, my house needs to be in tip top shape. Your routine might look different from mine, and that's okay!  Do what works for you.

How to organize a month of cleaning:

1.  Walk around the house and take note of urgent items that need to be fixed or focused on (ex: change air filter, fix weather stripping, fix closet knob)

2.  Write down certain rooms you want to focus on during the month for P.R.O.M (Purge, Remove, Organize).  Then donate the items you want to purge. I did not include a "donation day" on my calendar but figured it would happen sometime during the month.

3.  Grab a printable calendar, use your list, and start filling the calendar in. I try to focus on fix-ups for the weekends and pick one thing to do each day.  Keep it simple so you can stick with it!

 

Not only do I want to focus on fixer-uppers in the house, but I want to keep up with everyday household cleaning too. Clean Mama has a printable that organizes daily/weekly tasks (below).  This list might come in handy when a quick reference is needed.

Please share any helpful tips you have about staying organized with cleaning!  We would love to hear it :)

Pen Pals

Get Busy Living is starting this season off with a bang!  Introducing our new idea called "Pen Pals".  I miss the days when snail mail mainly consisted of handwritten notes, not just bills.  Days when it seemed slower paced and we would take the time to diligently write to a friend.  Now it's about the hussle and bussle of everyday life, with no thought of hand written notes.  Most of us are in the tech age and send a quick text or email to our buddies. 

Well.... lets get back to simplicity!  Pen Pals was designed with you in mind.  I will pair you up with a partner.  Write to eachother at least once a month.  Keep the same partner for as long as you would like.  If you love the idea you may add more pen pals to your address book.  There are really no rules here!  Just a way to make new friends, encourage one another, and spend some time relaxing while we write away.

With this being such a new idea, please share about it with your friends.  Get Busy Living would love to get things rolling here asap.  

To participate:
-Hop onto our Pen Pals fb page and become a member (this is where most of the updates and news will take place)
-Email your home address to me (ehermesch@gmail.com) with "Pen Pal" as the subject, and a little blurb about yourself (age, kids, hobbies, etc). 

Voila! Then I will send you your partner's information.

Have fun and remember to spend time really getting to know the other person and sharing about your life. If we keep it at "hey, how are you?  How's the weather?" all the time, then it really is not worthwhile (in my opinion).  This is gonna be great!  Lets get to snail mailin'!

Love,

Elizabeth

Love Books 2014 Summer Exchange

 The Three Little Pigs

This summer we were so excited to be part of the Love Books Summer Book Exchange for the second year in a row.  It is one of our summer highlights to receive a story and activity in the mail. My 3.5 year old son was napping when the package arrived, and I could not wait to see what our partner sent us.  It was exciting to get the Walt Disney vintage book of The Three Little Pigs.  Our lovely partner from Lovely Commotion created the cutest activity to go along with it!

Joshua LOVES vintage Disney clips so it was no surprise when he delved right into the story! I read the story of The Three Little Pigs.  Then I explained that we are going to create a retelling of the story, using the crafts that our partner sent us. Joshua did a great job gluing the straw, sticks, and bricks on his paper houses.  The houses were then taped onto plastic cups, and ready for our retelling!

While my husband read part of the book out loud, I videotaped our son trying to "retell" the story with his stick figures.  It was cute how he was trying to impersonate the wolf. "I'll huff and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house down!" Joshua started blowing on the brick house and knocked it over.... Well, it's the thought that counts and I know he truly loves this story.  This was such a creative way to retell the story.  I may have to do this kind of activity with other stories as well.  

Feel free to follow the Love Books Exchange on Pinterest!

Human Hamster Wheel

 As I was flipping through tv channels last night, I came across a news segment that caught me off guard. Two men living in a human hamster wheel for 10 days.  They eat, sleep, poop, read, watch tv, etc on this wheel. 

Seriously, why would anybody want to do this?  I think I would last 24 hours before snapping. The biggest thing that gets me is that if one person needs to do something then it takes both of them walking in this hamster wheel to get to that object.  It's like, "Dude, wake up! I gotta pee. Start walking so I can get to the bathroom."  That's all I picture happening in my head in this scenario.  Seems interesting but what's the point in this entire experiment? 

Watch the video:

Would you live in a hamster wheel for 10 days?  What do you think about this experiment?

Love Mercy

Mercy House is in Kenya and helps provide resources for pregnant women. I wanted to do something to help such a great organization. When I saw that they were asking for fundraiser volunteers, I couldn't resist!
Help them by purchasing a Love Mercy Bracelet for $10 each. 100% of the proceeds go back to the Mercy House. I have 49 bracelets to sell and only 20-something days to do it in!

-Paypal ehermesch@gmail.com the $10 (add $1 if you need it shipped)
-Choose "Family/Friends" option
-In the note section, put "Mercy House"
 
I will be sending a check straight to the organization at the end of the month.

Lets provide Mercy House with the support they need to speak love to the women in Africa. Every dollar counts!

*When I have a bit more time, I can go into detail about why this means so much to me. My heart always goes back to Africa when I think about traveling, if I ever adopt a child, and the African culture. Mercy House stands for the same foundation and beliefs that I embrace too.

Love,

Elizabeth

Another parenting milestone!

1,161 days of diapers

Months and Months of Training & Tears (from child and parents)

LOTS of bribing going on

First POOP in the toilet today!

Whoever said potty training would be easy and quick was joking.  It is cruel to make a first-time parent think that it's going to be rainbows and butterflies.  I took the tough route. No manuals, no 3-day training, nothing of that sort. Winging it was my idea of potty training.  I totally had this in my pocket! Just plop our little man on the kiddy toilet and let him work his magic.... 

I WISH!

We spent MONTHS of little man going potty in the toilet 1-2 times a day.  He never had a dry diaper. I begged. I bribed. I did everything short of crazy to talk him into being a 'big boy'.  I tried to then focus more on the pooping part and encourage him in that avenue.  My son just wanted to hide in his closet and poop in private. If I came anywhere near his room, it's a major fit of slamming doors and yelling at me to get out. So I went back to the peeing part of training and focused more on that. At least there was some progress there...

After a few months of this, I figured "oh what the heck. Lets put him in underwear! He's got this down. He pees in the toilet 1-2 times a day. He's ready!". WHAT WAS I THINKING??!!! One day of underwear and I gave up on it... 4 wet undies within an hour and 1 messy poop.  Back to square one.

For a few weeks I have not pushed Joshua to do anything. Pretty much gave up and told myself we'd start over during Spring Break. 

As I am talking on the phone today, my big boy runs up to me, butt-naked, and screams, "I POOPED on the potty!"  Seriously?! That was completely random. Kids have a mind of their own. They will do things at their own timing and when they feel like it. No matter how much insisting on your part independent kids will do it when you least expect.

I still don't understand the ins and outs of potty training, but somehow he FINALLY caught on.  We are soooo proud of him. We reached another milestone in parenting and survived :)  Now we just have to work on continuously using the toilet every time, and get him in big boy underwear.

Thank God he won't be going to college in diapers!

Next time I have a child, I will be reading Potty Training books-- that's for sure!

*The snail photo actually does go along with this post, believe it or not. I gave Joshua 2 snails a few weeks back, and told him that when he poops on the potty he will get the next 2.  He was soooo happy to have an entire collection after his efforts today! Yup, I am a bribing mom. I told myself that I never would be THAT kind of mom, but you take things back when you actually have children.

Cara Box Reveal

CARA BOX REVEAL

 Life here has gotten quite crazy these last few months. I need to get my blogging mojo back. We are getting into the holiday season, and couldn't be more excited to start some new family traditions... On that note, our new family traditions would make a great future blog post.  Our little man will be turning 3 on Christmas Eve. With the holidays in full force, my  Origami Owl business has been keeping me on my toes as well!  During the busy month, I was able to participate in the Cara Box Exchange:

The blog Wifessionals does a gift exchange throughout the year. This time around was the Fall theme--which I love!!!  Anything to do with Fall I'm all over it!  I was partnered up with 2 wonderful ladies, both of whom got married within the last month.

My other partner, Betsey, sent me these awesome items!!! 

~A recipe book filled with Fall recipes (my favorite! very thoughtful)

~Tazo Pumpkin Spice Chai :)

~Rice Krispy treat owls (perfect for craft day with my toddler)

~Cute Mug

~Monster Bash treat book

~Chicken Soup for the Soup (I used to read these as a teen! love inspirational stuff) 

I sent Danielle some Fall goodies, which you can view at  Sweet Southern Girl.

 

At the Well

Centuries ago, there was a Samaritan woman who would travel to the well to collect her water. During those times, the women of that region would travel together during the cooler parts of the day, gather their water, and travel back to town. The Samaritan woman was in no place emotionally or mentally to travel with these ladies. There were experiences in her life that led her to believe that being surrounded by these other women would only lead to ridicule, judgement, and "looks".  She had been married 5 different times, and her husbands divorced her. During that time, this was often unheard of. Now she was living with a man that was not her husband....an even bigger no-no during that time. For a lady to be married this many times and be disowned by her husbands meant that she was unclean, unworthy, and unwanted. It was very much frowned upon by that society. 

The Samaritan woman traveled to the well during the hottest part of the day to avoid the chastising. Who wants to feel like they are unworthy of love and are ridiculed by others?  So to avoid the "heat" from others, she decided to travel alone. Alone--to think about her problems and to replay those negative thoughts of being unworthy of love.

When she arrived to the well, she was surprised to see another person there--a man. Most men during those times were not the ones in charge of going to the well. I believe they left that job for the women. The Samaritan cautiously gathered her water until this man approached her asking for a drink. She asked him how he could be talking to a Samaritan when he was evidently a Jew (Samaritans and Jews NEVER conversed with each other. Not only that, but a man to be openly talking to any woman was also unheard of). This man's boldness and lack of what society would consider okay was shocking. He did not care. This man invited the woman in conversation and would ask her personal questions. He knew she had been married 5 different times, he knew why she was there alone, he knew the pain and ridicule this woman had to confront on a daily basis. He comforted her. He provided answers to how she could be free from the pain of shame. This man was Jesus.

Jesus meets you where you are today. Just like the Samaritan woman was dealing with the shame, fear, and sadness of her life, Jesus met her where she was. He provided her an opportunity to know Him and to show her that He loves her unconditionally. She does not have to live in the bondage of shame and guilt anymore.

While doing the study A Confident Heart by Renee Swope, the story of the woman at the well stood out to me. I have heard this Bible story many times while growing up, but this time it impacted me even more. There are many times when I think that I am alone in my struggles, and there is no one that would understand. These last few months, God has shown me that I am beautifully and wonderfully made and that the more I depend on Him, the more love and acceptance I will feel. I get that from knowing Jesus, and I can rest in the fact that I can accept myself. I don't need to doubt myself anymore.

The author of A Confident Heart shared in the book something that stood out to me: "Oh how I longed for someone to see past the exterior facade and look into the secret places of my heart. I wanted to be known and loved for who I was. Yet if I let my guard down, I was afraid someone would say I was too sensitive or too serious. It had happened before. So I pretended everything was fine. With each attempt to keep others impressed and distant, I stepped further into the shadows of doubt. Even though I was surrounded by people, my insecurities convinced me I was all alone."

Renee Swope talked about her relationship with her father as well, and I could relate oh so well. Many things I do in life are to find acceptance from others because I did not get that from my own father. Throughout my life I have doubted whether I am good enough. I doubt my capabilities. Some of that stems from the relationship I have with my father, while it's also how the world has impacted me. The good news is that God is really showing me what perfect love is right now. There is no need to be inflicted with doubt anymore.

Love,

Elizabeth

If you would like to join A Confident Heart book study, click on the photo below.

Oh boy! I was gone for a long time...

Hello, Friends!

I took a pretty long break from the blogging world. It's tough to keep up with it on a daily basis, and find motivation to write about interesting topics. I have come to the point now that I will only write about something that touches my heart. Otherwise, it's a struggle to be authentic and the post will come out mediocre. I don't want that.

There has been A LOT of good things happening in my life these last few months. For most of you that have followed my blog or know me personally, you know about my struggle with anxiety and depression. There were a lot of things contributing to my anxiety that I needed to get a handle on. It was starting to become easier to be mad and have a woe-is-me attitude.

Now there is joy in the journey. These last few months I surrounded myself with support groups, counseling, new friends, and people I can trust. My journey is not yet over, and I will continue to better myself. I have learned more about myself these last few months than the 27 years of my life so far.  Today I am thanking God for my pain. If I did not go through the hardships of not having a loving father, of failing at being a first-time teacher,  experiencing having hardly any close friends and feeling lonely, I would not be where I am today. Today I am happy that those things happened because it forced me to reach out. As a result of reaching out and plugging myself into numerous groups, I have made a great group of friends, I have FINALLY figured out that getting approval and acceptance from others is not what matters, and I have worked hard on being positive.  I have been given MORE than I could have ever imagined. I pray to God to allow my hurts and disappointments to not be in vain. To allow my hurts to reach other people. Maybe there is someone struggling with something similar and needs encouragement. To go through all of this is shaping me into the person I was meant to be. When I quit teaching, I felt mediocre. To be a mom made me proud and happy, but I always felt like beyond mommyhood there was something more. I can be a mom, a wife, a friend, and still have more to give. Still not quite sure what the whole plan is or where I am headed, but the journey is exciting now. There is not as much fear taking hold of me and holding me back. Someone once said to me "the puddin' ain't set yet". We cannot see the entire picture right now. Little by little we might notice our calling or niche in life. Sometimes I think as we go through seasons of life our niche can change. I always thought being a teacher was the ONLY thing God wanted me to do. Boy, was I wrong. There is a lot more that fulfills me and gives me purpose. God has a big plan for each of our lives. We just need to be willing to experience the hardships so we can be refined and reach our full potential.

We go through what we go through to help others go thorough what we went through. - Kathe Wunnenburg

Premonitions

Do you believe in premonitions? According to the dictionary, it's a strong feeling that something is about to happen, especially something unpleasant.  I honestly did not start believing in premonitions until recently.  A few weeks ago I shared with ya'll about a dream I had that had elements of true events that actually played out the next day... You can read about that here.  To me, that was a funny, weird thing to happen but I brushed it off.

Last night, my mother was digging through her dusty journals. She came across an entry that stopped her in her tracks. Mother asked me if I remembered a dream I had as a teenager about 15 years ago. My dream consisted of me waking up in the night to realize that our house had caught on fire. Opening the bedroom door, there were flames everywhere. I tried to scream to warn my family, but it seemed as though I had lost my voice completely. In an attempt to save my family I turned on the radio full blast to wake them up since my voice was subdued. Trying to save my life and free myself, I broke the window and became bloody in the process. I escaped.

When I had that dream as a teenager I woke up the next day and divulged it to my mother. Unbeknownst to me, my mother had a similar dream a few nights after mine. This is what she confided in me last night:

Mom's dream was very similar to mine. She dreamed that a fire had woken her up and she was trying to warn us kids.  She opened the bedroom door and there were flames preventing an escape. She also escaped through her bedroom window and found us kids waiting for her outside.

Mom then informs me that soon after we both had these dreams, she heard loud popping noises coming from the garage. Not thinking much of it she ignored it and continued her crafting project. Later that day, my father came home and said that the hot water heater had a big black streak across it. Apparently it had caught on fire.... (that was the popping sound my mom heard earlier).  My mom had this nudging feeling to get it checked out.

The plumber arrived and insisted we get an electrician out immediately!  The wiring was jerry-rigged... not a huge surprise since our old house had problem after problem. The electrician arrived and had a bizarre event happen. He was checking things out and found that not only did the hot water heater have a fire cause the black streak across it, but it actually had 2 other fires/electrical issues inside the heater previously. While he was checking things out, the wires started sparking and he had to run out to the electrical box and shut everything off. 

My mother said that if our dreams did not happen that it would have been easy to ignore the hot water heater and not insist on a electrician to survey it.  What an eerie thought that maybe our dreams were warning us of something???  

Also, not even 24 hours before the hot water heater caught on fire, my father had moved a bunch of spray paint away from the hot water heater....

There are just way too many things here to not think that Someone was watching out for us. 

Moments Not Wasted

It is very rare to have a beautiful weather day this time of year in Arizona.  Today I am soaking up the breeze outside, and watching my son play.  My 2 year old is splashing around in the muddy, wet sand table from the rain we got the last few days.  In this moment I could care less about the dirty soaked clothes or that he's flinging muddy water everywhere. Taking in this moment instead of wishing it away.

As the news and everyone else is reflecting back on September 11th, I do not want to focus on the sadness of that day.  Instead, I want to not waste a single moment and relish these little things in life.  Every day should be cause to love your family more, to not be easily angered or frustrated, and to soak up the hugs and kisses from your children. 

~Elizabeth

Celebrity Dinner Party

You are invited to a Celebrity Dinner Party!  

You won't want to miss this because it will be 

LEGEN.....wait for it.... DARY!

 ::Robin Williams:: Brad Paisley:: Wynonna Judd :: Neil Patrick Harris::

You cannot tell me that being in the same room as Robin Williams would not knock your socks off! Better yet, his hilarious stand-up comedy would cause you to pee your pants from laughing so much.  Growing up, I loved his movies "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Patch Adams".  You never know what will come out of Robin Williams' mouth.  He can be quite raunchy at times, but then again, he would be the life of the party.  I seriously don't want my party turning out to be a dud.

Brad Paisley... hmmm....yum... enough said. He's just plain sexy! Any girl can tell you that his cowboy charm and songs tug at your heart. In real life he is married to the actress from "Father of the Bride".  Such a cute couple!  I honestly would just love to be serenaded all evening by Brad.

I need some sassy at my dinner party.  The third guest I would invite would be Wynonna Judd.  Growing up, my mom and I would listen to The Judds, and I would pretend to be a diva like her. Blaring my boombox to "Girls with Guitars" was what rocked my world back in the day.

I saved the best for last... Neil Patrick Harris!  As I picture him at my party, he is bursting through the door with a Broadway number and dancing on my dining table. My little Doogie Howser, has now grown into Barney Stedson.  Neil Patrick Harris just seems like an all-around-good-guy. When the party gets out of hand, he would be the one to rally everyone back to order.  Plus, I just want to hear him quote from the show How I Met Your Mother: “Think of me like Yoda, but instead of being little and green I wear suits and I'm awesome. I'm your bro—I'm Broda!”

Who would be at your Celebrity Dinner Party?

The Best Advice I Ever Received on Motherhood

 The best advice I received was from my mother when I was about to give birth to my son. Every day I remind myself of the importance of taking every moment to heart...never take anything for granted.

 Dear Elizabeth,

"In the coming months and years you might find yourself saying such things as: “We don’t eat Bella’s dog food.” “We don’t climb on the dishwasher door.” “What’s in your mouth?” Through it all, learn to laugh at yourself, your son and remember … it’s only for a short time. You only have a limited amount of time that you will be able to guide and influence Joshua’s every action. Raising little ones is exhausting and busy and adventurous. But it is only for a season. So be present in all the moments - in the hard ones, the funny ones and the joy-filled times. Don’t wish them away. Instead, be thankful that you get to experience each and every one of them.

God gives us these little people to enjoy, love, encourage, and teach. But keep in mind that our babies are, in reality, His. They are only on loan to us. He is entrusting you with one of His most precious creations."  

Love, Mom

Thoughts inspired from: “In its time - 

He has made everything beautiful in its time.” www.samuelmay.com.