Money Basics.. how we roll..

I know money is a touchy subject for many people.. it was once a sore topic of conversation between my husband and I.. we are polar opposites, or we used to be polar opposites..

Brad and I were friends and roommates throughout college.. then we each took our own paths, which led to different cities.. then years later bumped into each other at a college friends wedding. Funny how that happens. Thanks Kirsten :)

Anyways, when my husband and I first started dating many moons ago I thought, "wow, this guy has his sh** together." He drives a fantastic car, has a nice house, wears good, clean clothes and dines out, a lot... oh and lets not forget those bachelor expeditions to Cancun, which are in and of themselves are a class act...

However, after dating several months I was quick to learn that this lavish lifestyle was all CHARGED.. I was beyond scared and a little nervous to step any further without getting an idea of what this situation was all about. How deep are we talking.. ?

Brad and I talked about money, not very well, but we managed to write down all the debt. It was messy, like a kid with cake messy. No one wants to look it, let alone touch it, because its a disaster..

My mom gave me a Dave Ramsy book.. we followed the 7 Baby Steps. It wasn't easy, it was hard work and dedication.. It was saying NO to new clothes, NO to vacations and NO to dinners out with friends.. we worked overtime and sold everything we could think of...

But, in the end it feels amazing to have no bills. Someday I'll write more about how we acheived a debt free lifestyle.. we managed to pay off $115,000 in 2 years in 2008.. we were gazelle intense.. but now we live a better life, because everything is paid for. If we don't have the cash for something we don't buy it - it's that simple. We work hard, we save, and we pay cash for what we want. It's basics..

Here are Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps.. they work.. 8 years ago we started this process.. we got married, had three children, moved 4 times, bought 2 houses, sold one house, and changed jobs.. we are so excited to be on this path to financial freedom...

Watch what YOU do..

A few days ago my children and I walked to the nearby playground. As we were arrived, there was a man doing push-ups and pull-ups on the playground equiptment. He was friendly but he was also determined to finish his work out. Once complete, he continued on with his run.. My children didn't waste any time before they started doing push-ups and pull ups, or atleast they tried... :) it really was the sweetest thing..

They watched him, and then they repeated his actions.. Children are always watching..

On our walk home we saw a woman walking her dog. She politely let my kids pet her dog. She showed Hailee and Caleb how to first, reach out with the back of their hand to let the dog sniff it.. I watched this interaction between my children and this stranger. She was teaching them..

Minutes later we came upon another dog. My daughter, a big six year old, told my son to hold out the back of his hand to let the dog sniff it... hmm, sound familiar.. children are products of their environments.

It's amazing what kids learn and they learn it from watching adults. WE ARE their role-models. They pick up our body language and our words, our attitudes and our beliefs. It's difficult for me to watch the news and see the recent shootings and the hatred between people.

If we want the world to be different, it needs to start at home. Be the change. Treat everyone with respect - teachers, police officers, bank tellers, secretaries, bus drivers, neighbors, ect... and most importantly your children and other children.

If we bring children up in a world of love, they will in turn, live a life of love!
 

How to sew a Simple Skirt :)

9 days into February and my self challenged has inspired me to new heights. I never would have done something like this before, and I am beyond estatic that I have finished Month 2. I found a pattern, bought the material and completed a project. Best part is the skirt fits my daughter. I think I'm addicted...

My final product..

Skirt for my daughter. 

It fits :) I'm already making skirt #2!

My first month's challenge was from Made Everyday on YouTube. It is a simple to follow channel for beginners. Here's the video I watched..  believe me, if I can do this, so can you!

How to sew a lined Zipper Pouch!

I have taken it upon myself to challenge who I am this year. As the first few days of 2016 unfolded I was able to really step back and think about what I wanted to accomplish this year. What did I want to do? Where did I want to travel? What could I do to become a better person, each day, each month?

I read numerous blogs and scrolled through my friends facebook feeds and every other resolution was to lose weight, eat clean or work out more. I love those things, however, I wanted to dig deeper and really step outside the box and make myself uncomfortable, go into uncharted territory.

After the first few weeks of 2016 passed I suddenly realized what I wanted to accomplish and most of this was inspired by my parents. My mom is tremendously talented, she has hand sewn lots of full size quilts which now drape almost every bed in her home, mine and my sisters. They are impecable.

My goal was not to sew a quilt, yikes, not yet anyway. My goal was much smaller. I challenged my self to sew something new each month. I have to find an idea, watch a tutorial, buy material and supplies and finish it by the end of the month..

January.. my goal was a zippered pouch. I had never sewed a zipper in anything, so this was new. I found a great tutorial that works you through the process step by step.

Here are my zippered pouches... these make great gifts.

My first one, my daughter uses this as her pencil case. 

My second pouch, for my son. It now carries his trucks EVERYWHERE :)

Another view of the pouch!

Here is the tutorial that I used.. Happy Sewing!

How I found Peace.

If I were to describe my life to you when I lived downstate, you would have thought I had a great life. Peaceful, well-adjusted, full-filling.. however, that wasn't the case. My husband had a successful job, we were involved in supported church, I participated in many mom groups, I worked part time teaching. We were busy. But there always felt like something was missing. I could never pinpoint what it was. Don't get me wrong, life was great, but something was missing. After a few years of my husband and I traveling up north, back home, I realized that my heart belonged up north.

Every time we left family and made the 4 hour trek south I felt miserable. My husband and I would always say the same thing, "maybe some day we can buy a second home up north." Little did we know that fate would intervine and we would have the opportunity to relocate.

My husband was offered a career in a field he loves, plus he managed to snag a job teaching at the local college.. on top of his side business. Viscosity Sports.

We were able to sell our house down state, purchase a house up north and make the transition to a better life for us and our children.

We now spend a majority of our time outside, with family and making memories. We are all laughing more, there is no stress of driving in the city. Everything we need is 15 mins from our house.. It's wonderful, and our new life up north has decreased our stress and filled our lives with happiness and peace.

Here are a few pictures from our weekend!

Snowshowing on the North Country Trail. 

North Country Trail that runs through Petoskey, Michigan. 

Viscosity Flyboard Promo Video -- Brownies on the Lake Demo

3 years ago my husband embarked on a huge journey. He started a business with one of his best friends. They have over come challenges, grown as individuals, failed, and above all developed a company that is in its 3 year of business, Viscosity Sports.

This video below is one of our first events we did with elected officials in Macomb County, Michgian. We were asked to come demo the Flyboard while a large group of people were eating breakfast. It was a way to showcase Lake Saint Clair, as not only a lake that bridges two countires but also as an entertainment spot.

I'll post other videos from our 2015 season! But this song GETS. ME. EVERY. TIME... I'm in love with it!

Enjoy...

Decluttering your life in 5 steps!

It's that time of the year again, the new year, when we all make a decision to be a better person. We cut out chocolate, processed foods, Starbucks lattes and aim for a simpler, healtheir lifestyle. I am no different. I saw this quote and it made me realize that we all seek the same things.  

“When we reduce commitments and obligations, 

and eliminate common stressors 

like debt, crappy jobs, and hurtful relationships, 

we have time to take better care of our heart and soul.”

In my quest to live a more meaningful, purposeful life I am decluttering one step at a time. 

• Socia Media Outlets - All those "friends" you have on Facebook who aren't really friends, delete them. Decrease your time on social media. Focus on being more present with the people you are with. There was a recent study that found the more time people logged on social media platforms the more depressed they were. Yikes!

• Start a donation bin. When the kids outgrow clothes, books and toys - donate them. There are some clothes that I just can't part with, if that's the case, consider having a memory bear made especially for your child. Stitches by Natalie is extremely talented and she can use your child's old baby clothes to make a special bear.  

• Debt. This is a big area, but it's an area that will bring you peace once it's all sorted out. 6 years ago my husband and I started our journey to become debt-free. It was the best decision of our lives. We followed the Dave Ramsey baby steps. It's not easy and some day I'll go into more detail about our individual journey - but, let me tell you, living debt free is amazing.

• Declutter. Start small. Do you need 3 coffee pots, 5 coolers, 10 pairs of sandals. Start in one room of your house and look around. Do you need everything? 
• Take a few items out, put them in a box. If you haven't used those items in 3 months donate them, or better yet, sell them. 
• One of my all time favorite articles on decluttering and living with less is called 40 Bags in 40 Days.

• Start a Gratitude Journal. The act of recording things that you are grateful for has been proven to have have a significant impact on our lives. Why? It forces us to be more aware of the small things...
•  i.e. hot coffee, cozy bed, comfortable shoes, reliable car, hugs from our children & kisses from our spouses. 
• When we focus on the small things, we no longer take them for granted. We instead look for the good in everything around us, and we try to do more good for others.  

Life is short and every day that goes by is another memory in your child's life. Make sure you are giving them the best foundation.. live a more simplier and meaningful life!