Product Review: Flat Hair-itis

Flat Hair-itis is defined as "flat or lifeless hair that hangs straight and without body."

I suffer from this condition. There, I said it. I have Flat Hair-itis. It has plagued me my whole life. Maybe you or someone you know also suffers from this condition. Yes?! Anybody?! Please say I'm not alone.

Over the years, I have tried lots of haircuts and lots of products, but nothing has worked well for my flat hair. As I was reading through my Arbonne catalog, I noticed that they make a Pure Vibrance Texturizing Mousse. And, part of the description says that it is "specially formulated to build natural volume and manageability." I wanted to try it, but I'll be honest, I wasn't getting my hopes up. After all, I've heard these promises before.

So, I ordered the mousse and I've been using it for the past three days. Let me tell you ... it's awesome! No joke. I could tell a difference the first day. The mousse passed the test when my hair still had volume at 8pm the first day that I used it. The description says to use two pumps of the mousse, but on day three, I just used one pump and I still felt like I had more volume than I had before using this product. I'll admit it. I'm sold!

My Friends - if you suffer from Flat Hair-itis, I would like to recommend that you try this product. It retails for $28 and I can place an order for you anytime. I'm a believer!

My First Half Marathon - 13.1 Miles

Today, I ran my first Half Marathon. Months of training came down to this one day and the picture above can pretty much tell the story. It was F.R.E.E.Z.I.N.G, literally. I've run in heat, rain, thunderstorms, snow, and even cold weather ... but I've never run 13.1 miles in 20 degree weather. This race was a huge mix of physical and mental ability.

My husband and I started the race bundled up. I started off wearing a hat, scarf, short sleeve dri-fit shirt, long sleeve dri-fit shirt, a fleece, lined leather gloves, long winter running tights, socks and shoes. I finished still wearing all of that! The only thing I changed was my gloves because the first pair got sweaty and my fingers refroze so I had to switch to the back up pair that I had in my pocket. Brrr.

Speaking of freezing ... my fingers and toes were frozen at the start of the race. They finally thawed out around mile two. My toes were fine from then on, but my fingers refroze as we ran down Riverside since it runs along the Arkansas River. You could definitely feel a significant temperature drop while running by the river.

Play-by-Play:

• Mile 2 - Like I said before, things were starting to thaw out. Also around mile 2, both of the IT bands in my knees started to hurt. I've had trouble with these in the past, but not usually that early in a race. They hurt off and on the rest of the race.
• Mile 3 - I could feel a blister forming on my left foot even though I took every precaution to prevent this from happening, ugh.
• Mile 4 - We stopped so my husband could take a quick potty break.
• Mile 6 - We saw this guy! Can you tell who he is?

• Mile 7 - We had a layer of frost over the back of our shoulders. My husband also had snot crystals frozen in his mustache. Impressive.
• Mile 8 - I told my husband that we only had 5 miles to go and then we could do nothing the rest of the day ... except watch our energetic kids! My fingers froze for the third time.
• Mile 9 - I surpassed the farthest distance I had ever run at one time (15K just 4 weeks ago).
• Mile 10 - I'm debating which one was harder -  this freezing run or giving birth three times.
• Mile 11 - I was delirious. We were walking up a steep hill when my husband started doing the Sasquatch walk to stretch out his legs. I lost it. I was laughing so hard ... from him, from the ridiculous pain in my legs, from the fact that my fingers were still frozen ... everything was funny at that point. While laughing, I blew snot out my nose and it started to freeze on my lip. This was insane!
• Mile 12 - A.L.M.O.S.T. Done! My husband was a huge cheerleader for me at this point. I was excited to finish, but I was cold and my IT bands were done. While going down our last hill, my knees almost gave out. I had to stop and walk until we were on level ground again. He continued to encourage me and we finished strong.
• Mile 13.1 - D.O.N.E! Thank God! Our unoffical time was 2:53 - leaving room for improvement.

After the race, we got our medals and warm plastic tarps, and we headed to the food tent. We ate a little bit and bundled up to sit down, to stretch, and to wait on my brother to finish the marathon. While waiting, we got to congratulate various friends as they finished the race. What a blessing!

By the way, my brother finished in 3:43, which was 30 minutes better than his previous best time. Way to go! Check out his icicle stache below.

Overall, I'm certainly glad that's over. I said around mile 8 that I would never run a half again. I'm fairly certain now, 10 hours later, that I will run it again. However, I will make sure that the weather will be warmer next time.

Hebrews 12:1 - "...let us throw off everything that hinders (aka bad weather) ... And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

Having A Ball

Our Children's Director at church is amazing! Miss Vicki puts in countless hours to make sure that our kids are well taken care of. She has been a blessing to our family and our church. Vicki recently decided to start an outreach mission that the kids could be involved in. She has a friend that travels to Africa to work with children in an orphanage. Her friend is going back to see the children at the end of the month so our church is collecting toys for the kids, and money so that they can purchase bed nets, etc. We are excited to support this mission especially since our items will be taken and delivered to the kids by hand. Vicki's friend will also send back pictures of the kids after they receive the items. This is a HUGE lesson for our kids. Not only do they see me buy the items at the store, but they get to follow the items until it gets into the hands of a little child just like them. Below are the racquet balls that we purchased as our gift to give the children. They have racquets, but they've been playing with wadded up pieces of paper because they don't have balls.



I chose three balls because we have three kids. I opened the package to let each of the girls play with a ball. We talked about the kids that will receive the balls and we held hands and prayed for their safe delivery and for the children. The girls were so excited to be able to bless other kids just like them.

Afterwards, I found it ironic to take these pictures in the girls' playroom. We have an entire room in our house dedicated to "play" while these orphaned kids live with much, much less. I'm definitely counting my blessings today ... and every day.

Acts 20:35 - "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

I've Lost My Mind...

I'm a mom of three beautiful girls ages 5 and under. I work part time some of the year and full time some of the year at a job I love. I volunteer at church. My two oldest girls are taking tumbling classes. I. Am. Busy. So, in my "spare time" I've decided to start a business.

Let me backtrack a little bit. My sister-in-law is a vegan and my brother is a vegetarian. Their healthy decisions have planted seeds in my mind throughout the years, but it wasn't until recently that I started to see the whole picture. They're not weird. They don't hug trees (well I do have a photo of my brother hugging a tree but that's another story). They simply eat as healthy as they can so that they can fuel their bodies to be the best that they can be. For years, I didn't understand the concept of "clean" eating because it seemed nearly impossible to rid our bodies of all of the bad things out there. What was the point?!

The point is this. You may not become a vegetarian or a vegan, but you can still make small changes here and there to live a healthier lifestyle. I started making smoothies for breakfast two months ago. I started with 1 cup of milk, 1 banana, 1 cup of frozen fruit, and 1 tsp of peanut butter. After month one, I challenged myself to make my smoothies even healthier. Now I have 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 3/4 banana, 1 cup of fruit, 1 tbsp of protein powder, 1 cup of spinach, 1 tbsp of PB2, and sometimes 1 serving of super greens and/or chia seeds. I'm not going to lie, some of those ingredients used to be foreign to me until my sister-in-law broke it all down in a way that I could understand. I'm blessed to have someone that I can trust, that has been down this road, and that will take the time to explain to me what super greens are. By the way, they're amazing so ask me if you don't know!

One more flashback. Last April some of the boot camp girls decided to participate in the 30 Day Detox by Arbonne. In all honesty, I didn't participate because I thought they were crazy. I'm hypoglycemic so I already eat fairly healthy and I didn't need someone telling me to cut out this, that, and the other. Sadly, I missed the whole point to the detox. It's designed to be a lifestyle change. It's designed to help you cut out all the bad stuff that's in your diet and to replace it with only the good. It's designed to change your habits and to lead you to a more healthy life.

I get it now. I see the bigger picture. I see how I can help change people (and the world) for the better. I get to be the weirdo now. Ha! All joking aside, whether you're looking to detox, to start eating healthier (they offer a vegan based protein powder), to find baby products (that can clear up the worst case of eczema), makeup, face wash, etc. Arbonne sells it, and research shows that it's the best product on the market.

"At Arbonne, we are all about being green — always have been and always will be. From botanically based ingredients to forward-looking green improvements, being earth friendly has everything to do with who we are and how we choose to grow.

More than just grounded in green values, we are putting them into action. We're taking "pure, safe and beneficial" to the next level through our efforts to match the purity of our ingredients with the earth friendliness of our packaging. So what's good on the inside is also good on the outside.

We are constantly looking for ways to not only minimize our impact on the earth, but to leave it better than we found it. Our green initiatives span sourcing, manufacturing and operations, lightening our carbon footprint with each step forward. Taking the lead in our industry, virtually all of our product shipments are certified carbon neutral. Working together, we grow greener every day."
-from their website www.arbonne.com.

Is Arbonne cheap? No. Are the products worth it? Yes. Therefore, I will teach you how to get discounts on Arbonne products. After all, I love to coupon!

So with that, my journey begins. As my business grows, I would love your support so please let me know if you would like to know more about the products, if you would like to host an event, or if you would like to know about the business side of Arbonne. As most of you know, I'm not a "party" hosting person so I would love any help that I can get from my "party" loving friends and family. Trust me, the rewards will be worth it!

Family Reunion 2013



Last weekend we drove to Texas for the Bailey-Phillips Family Reunion. I recognized the Reilly Springs Community Center when we pulled up even though I hadn't been there in 13 years. This is the town where my grandparents grew up, and it's about 8 miles from Sulphur Springs, where my dad grew up. I love it here. I have many fond memories of going to my grandparents house for holiday's and summer breaks. My dad is one of five boys so every get together was huge. Lots of aunts, lots of uncles, lots of cousins, lots of laughter, and lots of love. Those gatherings made me want a big family, which is one reason that we have three kids of our own. Because my grandma had five boys, I just knew that I would have all boys as well ... wrong!

The inside of the Community Center was a step back in time. It started off as a school and ended up as a community center. We found a picture on the wall of my grandpa and his classmates in 1925. We also found a picture of Johnny Cash. I'm sure that Johnny would love to know that he performed on the same stage as my kids. Bailey felt like a true Star singing up there.

This picture is the reason we got together. This is my dad and his four brothers. I admire these five guys alot. I always have.

This is my cousin Jordan, and our families. Jordan and I were inseparable anytime our families got together, so it's neat to see how we've multiplied. She got the all boys ... go figure. Of course, I wouldn't trade my three girls for anything. They are my reason for breathing.

My husband and brother decided to gaze into each others' eyes compare mustaches. I'm still not sure whether to be grossed out or impressed by all that lip coverage.

No reunion is complete without laughing at old family photos and remembering the good times.

It's also not complete without giant lollipops and happy little (sugar-filled) kids!

How many licks does it take...

Pure joy times a million!

This picture represents the two D's: Death-grip and Determined. Get after it Miss P!

This trip wouldn't have been complete without Lou meeting her Great Aunt Marvilou. I think it made both of their days!

After the reunion we went back to the hotel to relax a bit before meeting a few cousins and uncle for dinner. My cousin chose a new restaurant in downtown Sulphur Springs. We were very excited to see the city alive again. Downtown has been "dead" for as long as I can remember.

I love this old courthouse building that is still being used today. And yes, that's my brother posing with his leg up on the golf cart thing. And yes, those are my kids honking the horn over and over and over and over so that everyone in the Farmer's Market can hear them.

You know downtown is hopping when you have two see-thru toilets on the square. I can't lie, it took all I had not to press my butt up against the glass to see if anyone could see it.

After dinner, we finished off the night with a horse and buggy ride. The kids and I had a blast, and Bailey said that she felt like a real princess. She was doing the pageant wave to everyone we passed. Good times indeed!

I love my family. We are blessed to keep in touch through Facebook, but there's nothing like sitting face to face and getting to visit with one another. The next reunion is already in the works, and I guarantee that it won't be 13 years from now.

Tulsa Run - My First 15K Race!

 

 

Today was race day! I trained. I ran 50 miles in preparation for this 9.3 mile race. I was ready. As it was getting closer to race day, I started having doubts. Could I really run 9 miles? Would my IT bands hurt? Would I run out of steam before the end of the race? So many doubts, so little faith. Enough. I assured myself that I could run 9 miles. I prayed over my IT bands. I prayed for a healthy body and full lungs. No doubts now. I was ready!

 

However, there was still one question that I didn't have an answer to. All week, I struggled with the decision to run the race by myself or to run it with my husband and a friend. For once in my life, and only because my husband hadn't trained for this run, I figured I could outrun him. I had a time in my head that I wanted to beat, but I also wanted to run alongside my best friend (because we have 3 kids, we never get to run together). It wasn't until Friday (the day before the race) that I saw a picture on Facebook that said, "I would rather cross the finish line with a friend and have a great adventure than cross the finish line alone and have a personal best race." I had my answer.

 

Here we are at the starting line. Me (no that's not a duck face, it's just a bad picture), the Hubs, and Jared. Greg and Jared have run this race together 3-4 times so I was thankful that they let me crash their man-date.

 

The race started and I had a few minutes to gather my thoughts because I was running just ahead of the guys. I took this time to think about my Inspiration List. A friend of mine shared with me that she gives each mile to a certain person that inspires her. It's her time to be thankful for that person and to pray for them. I started off my list with God. I took a moment to thank Him for my legs, for the ability to run, and for the strength to run the race. I also recited my favorite verse, Isaiah 40:31 - "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint." Mile two went to my husband. Mile three went to Bailey, our 5 year old. Mile four went to Lou, our 3 1/2 year old. Mile five went to Parker, our 1 1/2 year old. The other miles had specific names on them, and those people know who they are. I was blessed to take time at every new mile to be thankful for each of these names, and to pray for them.

Did I mention that this race was 9.3 miles? That's a lot of running with people we didn't know. So, what better way to encourage my fellow runners than with the occasional high five. Yup, I did it! I high fived lots of people during the run. I also yelled encouraging words even if it embarrassed my husband. That's just who I am. I specifically recall one high five where the guy held onto my hand for a few extra seconds as if to say thank you. I could tell he needed the encouragement and I feel like God put me next to him at that very moment for a reason. In return, I was encouraged.

We saw lots of costumes during the race, so Greg took this opportunity to take my picture with Death. The guy offered to stop so we could take the photo, but we chose the running shot instead. Believe it or not, Death was actually a nice guy.

 

Thanks to the amazing people who put this race together the last mile was all uphill. Wonderful. There's nothing like finishing a 9 mile race uphill. Are you catching my sarcasm?! In the end, we survived. I ran the entire race without my IT bands hurting (even though I had trouble with them in training). I crossed the finish line with my husband, my best friend, my rock. I couldn't have asked for a better finish than to have my name right next to his. (We are just above the dark gray line).

 

 

No, it wasn't a record time. It wasn't even close to the time my husband ran it in a few years ago. But, it was an adventure and we enjoyed our "date." Next year ... we have a time to beat!

 

As I was putting our 5 year old to bed tonight, I had the chance to explain to her what "inspiration" means and I told her that she was mile three. Her face lit up. I had tears in my eyes. That made every step of the run worth it!

Our next race is the Route 66 Half Marathon in less than a month. We got this!

 

Commitment

 

Our current sermon series at church is about being Committed to Christ. We are learning multiple steps that we can take to draw closer to Him. Last Sunday we talked about Witnessing. I'm an extrovert. I'm outspoken. I like talking to strangers. I'm the person on the running trail high-fiving and encouraging the other runners that we pass along the way. So, sharing my life, even my walk with Christ, is not difficult for me. However, not everyone is like me. Witnessing can be a very hard thing for people to take part in. That being said, I wanted to take a moment to let you in on a little secret ... praying for others is a form of witnessing. Yup, even you non-talkers can be a witness to your friends and family. Simply telling someone that you will pray for them may be the only witness they hear all day. You don't have to pray for them in person, you can take the request home and pray in silence. Did you catch that? You can be completely silent, but you can still move mountains. You can still witness.

I'm beyond blessed to go to a church that has a powerful prayer team. We have a room in our church specifically dedicated to prayer. Our preacher extends an invitation every Sunday to come down and pray at the alter. We have a church prayer chain. These folks (myself included) are praying for people we know, and people we don't know. We pray for small things and we pray for big things. We stand in the gap. We are witnessing.

Sunday evening, my husband played one of our favorite songs for our girls. It's been awhile since I really listened to the words so I stopped what I was doing and I sang along. The words were an exact fit to the sermon we heard that morning. The song is "More Than You'll Ever Know" by Watermark.

"Something brought you to my mind today
I thought about the funny ways you make me laugh
And yet I feel like it's okay to cry with you
Something 'bout just being with you
When I leave I feel like I've been with God
And that's the way it ought to be...

CHORUS:
'Cause you've been more than a friend to me
You fight off my enemies
'Cause you've spoken the Truth over my life
And you'll never know what it means to me
Just to know you've been on your knees for me
Oh, you have blessed my life
More than you'll ever know

You had faith, when I had none
You prayed God would bring me a brand new song
When I didn't think I could find the strength to sing
And all the while I'm hoping that I'll
Do the kind of praying for you that you've done for me
And that's the way it ought to be...

Chorus

You have carried me
You have taken upon a burden that wasn't your own
And may the blessing return to you
A hundredfold"

 
Like I said before, I'm blessed to have a church family that prays for me. But, I'm also blessed with a husband, family, and close friends that pray for/with me as well. Everytime a prayer is said on my behalf, I'm being witnessed to. I'm seeing God's love in human form. I pray that you have the  courage to be this kind of witness to those around you. It doesn't take geat courage, it just takes the willingness to allow God to use you.  


Romans 12:12 - "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

Then & Now

The time has come. It's been one year since I started working out, and focusing on getting my body back in shape after having three beautiful girls in 3 1/2 years. Yup, that's how we roll. Our first two are 20 months apart and our second two are 24 months apart. We are crazy blessed!

My workout journey started on Oct 13, 2012. You can read more about it Here. I've worked hard the last 365 days. I've lost weight, inches, and my sanity. HaHa! Kidding!

My thoughts Then:

1. Can I really lose the weight? Can I prove to others, but more importantly to myself, that I can get back in shape?
2. I want to play soccer and not be winded.
3. I know that running is important to weight loss, but I hate running.
4. Can I really get back into my pre-pregnancy size jeans?
5. I'm fat.

My thoughts Now:

1. Yes! I can lose the weight, but I still have work to do. This has changed from a 1 year goal to a Lifelong goal.
2. I love playing a full 40 minute Indoor soccer game with no subs.
3. I ran the 6 mile leg of a marathon relay in April. I'm now training for my first half marathon (coming up next month), and I'm running my first 15k in less than two weeks. My kids love to run with me.
4. Yes! I'm back in my pre-pregnancy jean size.
5. I'm fat. Let's be honest, all women have fat days no matter what size we are. I'm convinced that my "fat thoughts" today are from the Devil. I've worked hard the past year and he's trying to steal my joy, my accomplishments, my hard work. I've said it before, and I'll say it again ... Hey Devil, You Lose! I'm proud of myself and I will continue to work hard, and to fight back against all of the negative thoughts that creep into my mind and try to convince me that my hard work is not good enough. I'm good enough! Say it with my ladies, "I'M GOOD ENOUGH!"

And now, it's picture time. These are more for me than they are for you. I chose pictures of my middle because this was the area where I knew I wanted to see the most progress. These pictures are the proof I needed to convince myself that I've changed. It's hard to see improvement along the way, but a picture is worth a thousand words. I won't list my weight or inches lost. Why, you ask? Because they don't matter. What matters is that I feel better and that I'm happy with my "work in progress."

 

 

How did I do it?

Like I've said before, I joined a Boot Camp class on Oct 19, 2012. I owe a lot to my instructor, Erica, and the girls that I work out with. These girls are very supportive and they are very competitive. They work hard and they make me work hard. These ladies make me better. Thank you!

 

I'm also blessed to run with some amazing ladies. These ladies hold me accountable to reach my goals. They make me run when I don't want to. They make me believe that I can run a half marathon (yikes). They make me better. Thank you!

 

I'm still working on my eating habits. I've always believed what a friend said to me this weekend, "getting in shape is 80% what you eat and 20% what you do." I truly believe that. I don't eat terrible, but I wouldn't say I eat great either. My goal is to do better, and I thank God that I get another chance to do better every morning that I wake up. Can I get a Snickers Amen!

 

Lesson:

I hope that my year long journey has encouraged you. If my posts have inspired one person to get off the couch and to start their journey then I've far exceeded any goal that I could have set for myself. If you are that person, I high five you. I encourage you to continue. If you are starting that journey tomorrow, I high five you. The first step is the hardest, but it's also the most rewarding. You got this!

 

 

Genesis 24:21 - "Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful."

 

May you be successful in all that you do!

 

 



And I Quote ... (Part 2)

Our girls are at it again! Here is a new list of quotes that we've heard over the past few months. If you missed the first post "And I Quote..." then you can read it Here.


Bailey, Age 5:

• "Parker, what in the earth did you push?"
• "I wonder what a jelly bean bag is full of when it's empty?"
• "I like school, but I don't like how you have to follow the rules there."
• "I need to go home and pick out a smile for picture day tomorrow. I have lots of cheesy smiles to choose from."
• We told Bailey that we needed to trim her nails. Her response was, "No thanks. I'm going to use them to saw wood."
• "I don't want Lou to put her nose boogers on these."
• "G-Lightening" - aka Gatorade

Lou, Age 3 1/2:

• "You can't tell anyone at church that you got underwears on. You got it?"
• "We have to squeeze that cows teetee (utters) to get the water (milk) out."
• "I don't have wacky (wax) in my ears!"
• "Every little swallow, Every chicken feet" - aka chick-a-dee from the song Rockin' Robin
• "Jesus has a big castle with breakfast and a couch."
• "Where's my stolascape? Stelescope?" - aka Telescope
• "I'll take good care of it because Santa gave it to me. I mean Jesus. I get mixed up sometimes."
• "Can I warm my food in the magic heater?" - aka microwave
• "Daddy, you have big boobies and I have little boobies."
• "We haven't been this way since I was a baby with no teeth."

Parker, Age 1 1/2:

• "Pinnocchi - okie" - aka Pinocchio

"Out of the mouth of babes comes great wisdom" ... or just something really, really funny!

21 Days - DONE!

I reached the Finish Line! I completed a "No Facebook for 21 Days Challenge" and a "30 Minutes of Rest for 30 Days Challenge." Woohoo! If you missed my last blog about these challenges, you can get caught up Here.

Today, I get back on Facebook. What stories will I see? Is the Facebook world just as I left it? What did I miss? Who had a baby? Who got married?

What I learned from the Facebook Challenge:

• Excuses don't complete challenges. I was originally going to break this 21 day challenge into parts because I "needed" to get on Facebook for one reason excuse or another. I was wrong.
• A person CAN survive 21 days without Facebook while keeping the app on their phone
• I'm stronger than I think I am.
• Facebook will stalk you if you're not on it stalking others. I got an email every other day letting me know that I was "missing out."
• I miss seeing posts from family and friends. Facebook is a great way to stay connected to those that you don't get to see on a regular basis.
• I will do this again in the future if I ever feel like I'm getting "addicted" to Facebook.

What I learned from the 30 Minutes of Rest Challenge:

• My house will not fall apart because I decide to sit down for 30 minutes straight each day.
• This is best accomplished after the kids are in bed.
• My body benefits from rest.
• I got to watch full episodes of House Hunters again.
• I could use more than 30 minutes of rest each day.
• I will continue to challenge myself to this on a daily basis.

The biggest lesson that I learned in the last 21 (& 30) days is this: Your best friends will challenge you to the toughest things. Not because they want to see you struggle, but because they want to see you succeed. They know you will succeed. To my friend who I shared these two challenges with, THANK YOU! I'm a better person because of you!

Job 9:19 - "If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him?"

Proverbs 17:17 - "A friend loves at all times."

21 Days

About two weeks ago, my best friend sent me a text that said she had a challenge for me. Most of you know how competitive I am, so I accepted without even knowing the challenge ... mainly because the only clue she gave me was that it was not a physical challenge. No strenuous activity you say? Yes, I'm in! Then she dropped the hammer ... No Facebook For 21 Days. What?!

I don't believe that I'm addicted to Facebook, but since I have the app on my phone, I check it when the girls are napping or in bed for the night, I'm eating a snack or lunch at work, I'm bored, before I go to bed. I'll stop there. Hmmm. Addicted is defined as "devoted or given up to a practice or habit or to something psychologically or physically habit-forming." Hmmm. Nope, I'm not addicted. Not me.

After a few days of convincing myself that I "needed" to look at Facebook at least 2-3 times a week to check on certain events, I decided that I would break the 21 days into parts. I didn't really have a plan as to how to divide up my days, but I finally decided to get started.

Day 1 - Friday, Sept 13th - that's Friday the 13th if you didn't catch that. Who starts challenging things on a day known for "bad" events?! I do, of course. I wake up at 5:02 am (yes, those 2 extra minutes of sleep are critical), get ready for boot camp, and head over to my instructors house. Class starts at 5:30am. I'm sitting there in my car. No other cars are around. My instructors garage door is closed. 5:26am. 5:27am. Where is everyone? I'm certain that bootcamp was cancelled and our instructor let us know via Facebook like she always does with class changes. I knew it. I should have checked Facebook before I left the house. I should check it right now while I'm sitting in the car. Finally at 5:28am, another car shows up and the garage door goes up. Class is held like always and we have about 20 girls that day. I'm convinced that the Devil was trying to make me fail at my challenge on Day 1 at 5:28am. What are the odds that I was the first to arrive and that many girls showed up between 5:28-5:30am. Hey Devil - You Lose!

I'm now on Day 9. Only 12 more days to go. That's 21 straight days. Once I got started, I got competitive and I knew that I couldn't break up the challenge. I had to go 21 days straight. I'll admit it, I think about Facebook everyday, but I haven't felt tempted to look at it. I mean, I get emails from Facebook every other day letting me know that I'm "missing out." I have 35 notifications, 2 messages, and 2 friend requests that are pending. Sure, I would like to know what those are about, but I also know how quickly technology changes so I was already so far behind on Day 2 that it wasn't worth breaking the challenge to catch up on old news. Right?! Now, I'm wondering how many notifications, messages, and friend requests that I can rack up in 21 days. Oh, I'm too competitive. :)

To keep things fair, I also challenged my best friend to a challenge of my own. My challenge to her was devoting 30 straight minutes a day (for 30 days) to sitting on your butt. As moms (and dads), we always go go go, and we rarely take time to rest until we hit the pillow at night. This challenge forces me to sit down and watch TV or read a book or just relax. As dumb as it sounds, the first few days were tough. I would watch the clock thinking, "I can get up in 17 minutes .... 12 minutes ... 9 minutes." It was ridiculous. I now savor those 30 minutes. I look forward to them. I'm on day 17 and loving every second of those 30 minutes.

So, know that if you comment on this blog post on Facebook, I won't see if for 12 more days. And, I wouldn't be true to my competitive self if I didn't take this time to challenge you as well. What do you say? No Facebook for 21 days. 30 Minutes of Rest for 30 Days. Are you up for it? Whatever challenges you accept, I hope that they mold you into a better person. I have substituted by bedtime Facebook checks for a daily devotional and it's been awesome. I don't miss the "drama" on Facebook, but I do miss the daily Bible verses and uplifting posts that so many of my friends share. So, I'll see you soon ... or not, if you've accepted this challenge. Good luck!

Just in case you need an update on my life, here are some of the highlights:

• I'm training for a half marathon in November and my current schedule had me run 6 miles this morning. My legs are still tired as I type this.
• Bailey is LOVING Kindergarten! She was already awesome, but she's made so many positive changed in the past few weeks. It's great to see her grow in her independence.
• With Bailey in school, Lou has stepped up as Parker's protector. She's turned into quite the "big" sister. Don't get me wrong, they still fight, but we are seeing improvements.
• And Parker. Well, she just rocks! She's talking a lot, singing the entire alphabet, and cheesing it up for the camera. This is her enjoying some home made cake after dinner tonight.

It's Rhea Lana Time!

It's Rhea Lana time and that means three glorious things:

1. It's time to make money selling our kids outgrown clothes, toys, shoes, etc.
2. It's time to save money buying other mom's clothes, toys, shoes, etc.
3. I get my closet space back!

Today is the first of two days of Consignor Drop-Off. If you ever wanted to know what this day looks like then keep reading. Last night, I switched cars with my husband so we could load up his truck and have it ready to go this morning. Here is how you pack up 195 items...

 

Did you look closely at the second picture? The clothes in the floor were secure, but I buckled the clothes up that were in the seat. Safety first?! No, I buckled them to keep them in order. I spent to much time hanging, pinning, labeling, and putting them in size order for them to be a messy pile in the floor when I got to the store.

Thankfully, my dad was able to help me unload the items while my mom watched my two youngest girls at her house. Upon arrival, the owners of RL provide you with a rolling clothes rack and hamper to help you get your items from the car to the sales floor. By the way, the table that you see in the corner of the picture is loaded with my items ... along with the table next to it. This is my biggest sale so far.

It took me just under two hours to have all of my items looked over, tagged, and put in their proper place for the sale. Consignor Tip: If your items are tagged in the store, then they're guaranteed against loss. Meaning, if you come to pick up your unsold items after the sale and one or more of your items are missing then you get paid for those items. As in, Paid In Full!

Well, there you have it! It's that simple to sell your items at RL! If you like to wait until the last minute then you still have until 8pm tomorrow to get your items turned in. If your a shopper, then get over there and support your local moms/dads.

The Sale Hours are as follows:

• Sunday, Sept 8th: 11am-7pm
• Monday, Sept 9th: 9am-8pm
• Tuesday, Sept 10th: 9am-8pm
• Wednesday, Sept 11th: 9am-8pm
• Thursday, Sept 12th: 9am-4pm * Many items are 25% off!
• Friday,Sept 13th: 9am-8pm * Many items are 50% off!
• Saturday, Sept 14th: 9am-4pm * Many items are 50% off!

HAPPY SHOPPING!

 

 

Breaking the Rules

Like most families, we have certain rules around our house. As the girls are getting older, some rules are forming for the first time as they start new activities, and some have been around much longer. Rules are designed to give us a guideline as to how we're suppose to act. They also keep us from breaking things around the house. However, sometimes those rules need to be broken. What?!

On Saturday evening, we broke a rule ... No Throwing a Ball in the House. This rule took a backseat to lots of fun and countless giggles. One of the girls even stood on the couch while she was throwing the ball. Stop the press ... we broken two rules (No Standing/Jumping on the Couch). And, you know what happened? Nothing, but tons of fun! Sure, we hit the fireplace cover twice, the fan twice, the TV once, and almost knocked a picture off the wall, but ... we had fun! And, our two oldest girls got pretty darn good at catching and throwing a ball.

And, while I'm telling on us, I'll continue with the third rule we broke ... No Playing with your Food. Everyone with small kids knows just how hard it is to keep this rule. So, why not break it with silly biscuit faces (it was breakfast for dinner night), and playing under the table. Good times all around!

So, the next time your kid(s) start to break a rule, think about how it will really affect the day. Maybe once, just once, you can break the rules too. Trust me, the giggles and memories will be worth it!

Job 8:21 - "He will fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy."

Kindergarten 101 - Letting Go

Whoever says Kindergarten is easy, is not telling the truth. It's hard, emotional, scary ... but that's just how I feel. Bailey is fine. She loves her new school, her teacher, her class, everything. Me, on the other hand, I'm riding the emotional roller coaster of setting my firstborn free. It's hard. This is one of those moments when you know that there should be a detailed manual telling you exactly what to expect, but you get nothing. This is real life. It's amazing. And, sometimes it's amazingly hard.

In preparation for the school year, we prayed through the summer for blessings over Bailey's new school and her teacher. We were excited to find out that my mom (a retired teacher) already knew Bailey's principle and she also taught with Bailey's teacher. Huge prayers answered. We knew our little girl was in good hands.

Day One (last Thursday): Greg and I both took off work to be able to take Bailey to school and pick her up. She was so excited to get to class that morning so we couldn't let her see how anxious we were as parents. She put her bag in her cubby, picked a seat, and began coloring. We said our goodbye's and we left. Whew, we made it. We got in the car with Lou and Parker and headed to a restaurant to eat breakfast. Ok, we cried all the way to the restaurant, but we didn't crack in front of her and that was our unspoken goal.

Day Two (last Friday): Bailey informed me on the way to school that I could just drop her off at the front. Without crushing her brave independence, I informed her that her sisters and I would be walking her in that day. Um, hello, she's 5 and this is only day two. While waiting for the school to open, I told her to lead me to her room once we got inside so that I would know that she knew where to go. As the doors were being opened, the principle said that on Monday they would go back to the regular rules of going to the gym and then they would be released to class at a certain time. So, we switched gears and I asked Bailey to lead me to the gym and then to her class. Along the way, I pointed out all of the Safety Patrol kids and told her that she could ask them questions anytime if she wasn't sure where to go. She proudly walked into class and took a seat next to three other girls (she's on the top right). Lou, Parker, and I walked back to the car, and I cried on the drive to my parents to drop off the girls so I could go on to work.

Sunday night: Bailey talked big all weekend about school and about how she was going to walk in by herself on Monday, but while I was laying in bed with her that night, her voiced cracked when she told me that she was a little scared and she wanted to know if I could walk her in on Monday. Of course I could. I told her that I would still give her the option to be dropped off or walked in the next morning.

Day Three (Monday): Bailey decided to be dropped off until we got in the drop off line when I could see the uncertainty on her sweet little face. I anticipated this happening so I offered to get out of line and walk her in. She was so relieved. Once we got in the doors, we were told that Kindergartners could go straight to class until Thursday (not the gym - ugh - this switching around is stressing me out). However, the parents were to say goodbye at the start of the hallway, which I thought was a great idea. Bailey's class was at the very end so I'm sure that the hall seemed forever long to her. I hugged her and she just stood there. She seemed lost. It broke my heart, and I started to crack. Thankfully, a female (maybe a counselor) took her hand and offered to walk her to class. I cried as I watched her walk down the hall. Did I mention how hard this letting go process is? I'm a very "it is what it is" kind of person, but I've also never had a child start Kindergarten so this is all new to me. If you've walked in my shoes, then you can relate. If you haven't, then be warned.

Day Four (today): Bailey chose to be dropped off. Yay! This would be a big day for both of us. I told her that she could go straight to class, but that she could also ask any adult if she needed help. The Safety Patrol opened the door and she hopped right out. As I drove off, I didn't see her go in the building so I pulled into one of the parking spots and watched her. She stopped to ask a Safety Patrol a question and then she walked in. She made it! I made it! I cried again!

Last Sunday, a sweet friend prayed with me at church and she said "it's time to let Bailey become the person that God made her to be." I couldn't agree more. Letting go is hard. It's hard to allow others (teachers and peers) to mold her for 6.5 hours each day. It's hard watching her grow up, but it's so worth it!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 - "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace."

Kindergarten - Day One

A little over 5 years ago, we were blessed with the birth of our first daughter. And, a few weeks after she was born, we made a life changing decision. We chose for me to go from full time work to part time work so that I would have a few extra days at home during the week to raise our little girl. That precious newborn face stole my heart from day one, and now, in the blink of an eye, she's starting Kindergarten.

I will miss my extra days with her during the week. I will miss our playdates with friends. I will miss her helping me with chores around the house. I will miss her bossing her sisters around. I will miss taking her to the park. I will miss taking her to run errands. I will miss her, a lot.

But, I'm also very proud of her. She's smart. She's funny. She's a great leader. She's willing to try just about anything. She's a go-getter. She's learning how to read. She loves math. She's really good at addition. She can count to 100. She's more than ready to start school!

So, I pray that we raised her right. I pray that we instilled the right values in her first 5 years of life to lay a solid foundation for her future. I pray that she's kind to others. I pray that she helps those in need. I pray that she makes friends easily. I pray that she spreads her wings and flies ... because I know that she's ready.

Jeremiah 29:11 - " 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' "

No Bucket List

I decided this past weekend that I won't have a bucket list anytime soon, if ever. Had I written such a list, I guarantee you that preaching a sermon at church would not have been on it. However, that's exactly what I did this past Sunday. Since I can't rate myself, I will have to believe others when they say that I did a good job. Way to go me! Oh let's be honest, it wasn't me at all. I spent a lot of time asking for Gods guidance in preparing my sermon. I asked Him to allow me to speak a clear message with a calm, steady voice. I asked Him to let my words be His, and not my own. And, only by His power was I able to do those exact things.

As the worship songs were being played, I was getting ready. I felt as if I were preparing to play a soccer game, so I did what any athlete would do ... I swallowed a few drinks of water and I took off my shoes. Yup, I took off my high heel shoes (shown in the picture above) and I preached barefoot. I mean, if I was going to step out of my comfort zone then I might as well step out comfortably. Right?!

After the sermon, we closed with a few more worship songs, and during that time, I thanked God for allowing me this opportunity. I thanked Him for anointing (defined as: to dedicate to the service of God) me and allowing me to share some of my personal struggles that ultimately brought Him glory. Did I feel equipped for the job? No. Did I doubt my abilities? Yes.

Even Moses had his doubts - Exodus 4:10 - "Moses said to the Lord, 'Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.' "

But God helped Moses - Exodus 4:11-12 - "The Lord said to him, 'Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.' ”

Trust me, when God is on your side, there is no chance for failure! You may not preach a sermon at your church, but you can change the world by simply talking to the people you come in contact with on a daily basis. Just trust God and allow Him to work through you...

Romans 10:14-15 - "...And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news?' "

Now go. I guarantee you that someone needs to hear your good news!

Great Deals Coming Soon!

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE saving money? Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE making money? Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE Rhea Lana? Well, I do I do I do!

You can read my first Rhea Lana (RL) blog post Here. Since that time, I've been hanging, pinning, and tagging lots of little girl clothes. The below picture is one of three sets of clothing that I've prepped to sell. I can't wait to get these items dropped off so I can regain my closet space. Speaking of, the Drop-Off dates are only two weeks away (Sept 4th-5th).
Consignor Tip: Plastic hangers are required and they can be purchased in sets of 10 at Wal-Mart for $1.

Don't forget about Halloween! RL is a great place to buy and sell your gently used Halloween costumes. I will definitely be shopping for my girls' costumes at RL.

Shoes, shoes, and more shoes! It seems like our kids grow out of that brand new pair of shoes we bought them before they even step out the front door, right?! RL is a great place to buy and sell those shoes.

Did You Know?

• The Average Consignor made $280 at the Spring 2013 RL event!
• Consignors earn a minimum of 70% of their sales ... or more!
• Consignors are invited to the Private Pre-Sale on Saturday, Sept 7th!
• Consignors pick up their checks the day after the sale ends (Sept 15th)!
• RL guarantees items against loss. Meaning, if you show up on Pick-Up Day and one of your items that didn't sell is missing then they will pay you for the lost item. That's amazing!
• Each volunteer and consignor receives a set of passes which includes 2 Guest Passes (a Guest pass allows friends/family/co-workers to shop the Pre-Sale at 6pm on Saturday, Sept 7th!) Write your first and last name on the back of your Guest Passes and hand them out! All Guest Passes received at the Pre-Sale on Sept 7th will be entered into a drawing to win a $50 RL Gift Certificate! That's a BIG deal! $50 goes a long way at RL! Win-Win-Win for Consignors, Volunteers, and Shoppers!

Facebook Contest: Click Here to "Like" the Rhea Lana's of Broken Arrow facebook page. Then "Share" the below picture (must be a public share to count!), and comment that you have done so and your name will be placed in a drawing for a $25 RL Gift Certificate! It is that easy to get some free money for our event!!!

 

 

Like I said in my first blog, feel free to ask me any questions that you may have about buying and selling at RL. Whether you would like to be a consignor or a shopper, I'm here to help. Or you can email the owners of the BA Rhea Lana, Debbie (debbiew@rhealana.com) and Kristin (kristin@rhealana.com). They are wonderful ladies!