The Ameri Brit Mom

Writing As a Ministry

Over the past several weeks I have been working on a new opportunity and I am excited to officially announce on my blog that I am taking my writing to a new level and becoming part of my first ever writing ministry. Over the past couple of months my church (Covenant Church in Grove City, Ohio) has been restructuring itself and creating opportunities for the members of the church to become more involved in the mission of the church: to seek and save the lost.

A few months back one of the pastors of the church sent out a message seeking those with the gift of writing to help with some upcoming projects. Initially, I did not even see or know about this message, but several of my friends within the church recommended me to this pastor and I somehow ended up on the radar. Over the next couple of days I submitted some of my writing to the church. Upon review of my writing I learned that the church would like to use me in this new ministry. Shortly thereafter I met with this pastor and he outlined the specifics of this project. I signed on the dotted line and committed to joining the team at Covenant in the area of writing.

I say all of this not to boast about my writing skills, because I am still learning and growing. Rather I say this to show that God is good! I’ve been convicted about getting involved with our church and I feel like God has opened doors for me to effectively use my gifts to serve Him. Also, I know that for me writing is some times my avenue for communicating with God. For years I’ve kept journals that hold some of my deepest conversations with God. Writing has always been a way for me to completely give over my thoughts to God and I am so glad that he is choosing to use my writing to glorify Him.

When I began my blog this winter I set out to accomplish some goals for myself. My blog contains a journey which if you were to start at the beginning and read forward you would see how God has been shaping me through my blog posts. Through this process God has taken what I meant for myself and focused it also on Him. There are a lot of things I have learned through writing and nothing is more important than giving God the glory for whatever He is using me to accomplish.

So I joined this writing team to show God that I recognize that my passions and gifts are from Him and I am willing to use them for His glory. It may take a little extra time on my part to write for the different upcoming projects (magazines, interviews, discussions, etc.), but ultimately it is bringing God glory doing something that I love so I don’t even fear the time commitment involved. In the future I may post some of the articles I write or share some interviews with my blogging community so stay tuned for that. I just really wanted all of you to know that God is using this writing thing for something much bigger than me and I am so excited to take a hobby and turn it into a ministry. To God be the Glory!

My Ballerina

Reality has set in. My daughter is growing up too quickly. She enrolled in her first dance class this week and survived her first lesson. My husband and I decided to sign her up for dance classes after some discussions about her interests. At such an early age she has shown interest in music and art and so we decided to give her an opportunity to try out dance during the time of the year where we have a little more freedom. We also signed her up with a friend so we knew she would have some level of comfort during the class.

So how did it go?

Well, first of all she loved the process of getting dolled up to look like a ballerina. We were able to borrow some leotards and shoes from friends so that we weren’t investing too much yet into something we weren’t sure she would actually be ready for or enjoy. She’s not quite three yet so it’s hard to say how her feelings toward dance may change in the future.

When we first arrived to the dance studio she acted a bit shy. She didn’t want to walk away from me or approach the other girls dressed up in their ballet uniforms. It took her friend grabbing her hand and leading her through the studio to get her to leave my side. We arrived a bit early and another class was still going on so the two buddies walked hand-in-hand and watched some of the older girls twirling and tapping away on the dance floor. As the time neared for their class to begin the girls both had a very nervous look across each of their faces. But, they had each other and it was adorable.

The teacher met them at the door and showed them where to put their shoes. Arianna hestatingly followed the instructor, but didn’t dare to say a word. When the music started it took her a little while to get started. She spent the first half of the class watching all the other girls follow the instructions of the teacher, but didn’t follow along herself. It was when the instructor had the girls “shake their booties” that our little Arianna decided she could do this. She shook away like it was nobody’s business and then spent the rest of the class doing her very best to execute all of the movements demonstrated by the teacher.

Afterwards, she did not want to leave the class. She had enjoyed herself so much and even if it took her a little bit to warm up she had danced her little heart out. Her favorite part of the class was when the girls joined up and made a train and went around the dance floor saying, “chugga chugga.” She giggled the entire time.

It was adorable and I am so proud of the way she behaved. As a mother it was bittersweet. I love that I was able to provide an opportunity for her to get out of her comfort zone and learn something that has obviously captured her interest. I dread the fact, however, that she is growing up and becoming an independent. I felt a foreshadowing of the feeling that mother’s must have when they send their children off to kindergarten for the first time.

I look forward to this journey with our sweet, intelligent, kind, and funny daughter.

Jamberry Nails to the Rescue

This week when it comes to fashion I am focusing less on my attire and more on a new obessesive accessory of mine. Over the past several months I have fallen in love with the simplicity and versatality of Jamberry nails. I was turned on to the product by my sister and mother who had attended a Jamberry party and raved about how easy it looked. I found some friends who sold it and bought my first Jamicure. For me, finding time to do my nails and keep them up was nearly impossible so the idea of a quick application and low maintence sounded appealing. I purchased my first Jamicure in February and here is a look at my first application:

This first Jamicure is called Pretty in Pink. I loved that they lasted two weeks and although it took nearly forty-five minutes to apply the first time, I felt that it was worth it to have a long lasting beautiful manicure.

The next Jamicure I purchased was called Everything Nice. This Jamicure seemed to go with so many of my outfits. It had some of my favorite colors: green, navy, blue. Also, after being through the application process once I was able to apply this Jamicure in about thirty minutes. I’ve read that the average application time is between 20-30 minutes.

Another Jamicure I have really loved is called Out of Focus. I applied this style during the Easter season. I loved how the colors played well with the summer pastels. I got so many compliments on this Jamicure. I would say of all the one’s I’ve had so far that this has been my favorite.

All of the Jamicure sets are sold on the Jamberry website for $15. Each set includes two manicures and two pedicures. I will say that I spent close to an hour applying a pedicure and I wasn’t a huge fan of the way that it turned out. I’m kind of weird when it comes to feet so I would recommend trying it and seeing how you feel about it before taking my word for it.

Luckily for me my aunt is a consultant, but I also have several great friends who sell as well. If you are interested in trying Jamberry out for yourself here is a link to her store where you can purchase the Jamicures online and have them shipped to your house. For my birthday I placed an order with her for four new Jamicures. I’m so excited to get them in the mail!

Savannah Sparkle

Once Upon a Time

Lotus

Mint Green and Gold Stripe

Enjoy browsing the site today and taking a look at all the cute options available.

A Book Review: Bad Girls Don’t Die

The following is a book review by The Ameri Brit Mom. This post expresses the genuine opinion and experiences of The Ameri Brit Mom and is in no way endorsed by authors, publishers, and outside influences.

photo credit: drugscalledbooks.blogspot.com

Title: Bad Girls Don’t Die

Author: Katie Alender

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Copyright Date: 2009

As a ninth grade English teacher I am oftentimes stretched in my own personal reading habits to include novels that my students are reading that may not be ones I would choose to read on my own. Over the past year I have heard several book reports on the book Bad Girls Don’t Die, and have even received requests to purchase the book for the classroom library. I will tell you I was relunctant. I’m not one to read horror, but I thought about how I am constantly trying to get my students to try new books and genres and decided to take my own advice. What could it hurt? The kids seem to like it and it would give me some talking points with some of the students that are a challenge to get to open up about reading.

This story is about Alexis Warren and her younger sister, Kasey. Their family lives in a large, old house in Surrey. Alexis enjoys photography and has her very own dark room for developing photographs in their home. Kasey is getting to the age where playing with dolls is no longer appropriate, but she has created an obsession with china dolls and has hoarded them within her bedroom. Neither Kasey nor Alexis possess a great number of friends. Both are outcasts and are strange according to their peers.

One autumn some unexplainable things begin happening in Alexis’ life. There is a car accident, broken air conditioner with a mind of its own, and a boy she can’t get off her mind. She turns to a girl from school, Megan, who is the leader of the Surrey High Cheerleading Squad. Through these strange happenings the girls learn that there is a connection between them and their families. This chilling discovery leads them to encounter ghosts, demons, and haunting events of the past.

I found the mystery of this novel appealing. Once Alexis began to research family history and the events of the past in her town I was extremely interested in an explantion for what was going on. For those who enjoy a creepy scene or two you would also have enjoyed the plot line involving possessions and hauntings.

On my own I probably would not have chosen this book solely on the fact that I would never consider horror/paranormal fiction to be amongst my favorite, but it is good to branch out and read a variety to shake things up. Overall, this was a quick and enticing read. I would recommend it to upper middle school and freshman students. There is some high school drama early in the book that I know many of them will relate to.

My Garden in the Making (Part 1)

From the earliest signs of spring I had a plan to create my first ever garden this year. If you were to ask me about my personal history with gardening the answer would be that it is non-existent. Growing up we never had a garden. It’s not a gift my family really possesses, but I have been working hard to develop the skills. You may also ask me what motivated me to desire a garden? Well, the answer is that not only do I think that they are beautiful, but I am also looking to save money in the future on fruits and vegetables. I like the idea of not having to purchase vegetables and knowing that they are growing in a safe environment void of any pesticides and/or harmful chemicals.

So in the early spring I picked up a Bell Pepper starter kit and my garden began to take root.

Within a couple of days my starters began to sprout. I felt so accomplished when the green buds began to emerge from the pot of dirt. Never had I brought forth life from a seedling and created vegetation. It was such a cool feeling. I set out to plant tomatoes as well. Both the peppers and tomatoes were started indoors and transplanted to different pots as their roots grew. The first of my tomato plants died early on. I was still learning the watering techniques. Two months later here is a look at my potted green peppers and second tomato plants.

The time has finally come to break ground on my garden. The ideal time I know would’ve been about a month ago, but it wasn’t until now that I was able to fit this task into my schedule. Today, my cousin who has a resume of creating gardens and landscaping came over to help my husband and I create the garden I’ve been longing for.

Here is a walk through our journey:

Step 1: We marked the dimensions for the garden. Next, we watered the ground to loosen it up and make it easier for tilling.

Step 2: My cousin and husband used the tiller to pull up the grass and till the dirt in the area that would be the garden.

Step 3: When we set out to begin our garden creation the radar was clear and it was sunny. However, as we began working the clouds grew more and more ominous and we had to take a break for a bit.

Step 4: After the rain they spread topsoil over the area of the garden.

Step 5: It began to storm so we decided to come back to it the next day. The new garden took a beating in the storm soaking up lots and lots of water so we decided to give it a day before we continued any additional work.

Soo…stay tuned to get a look at the finished product. I’m excited to reveal my very first garden!

Please Please Please comment below with any tips or tricks. I’m extremely new to gardening and would love to learn some more!

Coffee Filter Butterflies

Summer has begun and the search for toddler-friendly activities is in full bloom. Over the past couple of weeks my daughter has shown an expressed interest in art. She loves to sit and draw and her artwork is really beginning to resemble the objects she is intending to replicate. For example, earlier this week she drew this rain cloud for her dad. She explained that the dot in the middle of the cloud is all the rain getting ready to make us all wet.

She also has been drawing caterpillars galore. This is her favorite thing to draw and she is getting really good at it.

My daughter is only two and a half, but she is extremely interested in arts and crafts. For me I am a little challenged by this talent. I appreciate good art, but cannot create my own. Obviously, my daughter has inherited her abilities from my husband’s side of the family. Now that I am on summer vacation I’ve planned out several ways to cater to my daughter’s artistic needs to help her expand her skills and learn some fun art forms. I went a little pin-crazy on Pinterest earlier this week and pinned a ridiculous amount of toddler friendly crafts. You can check out my board here.

For our first craft I chose something that seemed easy enough for me to not mess up. We made coffee filter butterflies. I already had all of the materials necessary for creating these colorful works of art. We had a great time painting the filters and watching them dry. Once dry we gathered the filter in the middle and wrapped a pipe cleaner around it to form the body of the butterfly. I was very pleased with the way these turned out. Below is a list of the materials needed for this project:

-coffee filters

-water color paints

-paint brush

-pipe cleaners

-cup of water

Living in Peace

Lately, I have been focused on defeating anxiety in my personal study of the Bible. Anxiety is something I struggle with daily (as you can gather from my posts.) Through my studies I have learned that the opposite of living in anxiety and fear is living in peace. So what is peace? What does peace look like? These are the essential questions that drove my quest for finding peace and contentment in my own life. Here is a glimpse into what I am learning:

What is peace?

Peace is defined as freedom from disturbance; tranquility and quietness. (Mirriam-Webster Dictionary)

From the definition above I can tell you that I have not been living a life of peace. Try as I might to achieve freedom from disturbance I have struggled to find tranquility and quiet in my life. For me, anxiety is at its worst when I try to settle down and find rest. It is when the busy schedule ceases that anxiety attacks. In the moment that I try to turn off all disturbances in my life the worries begin to flood my mind and keep me from the rest and tranquility that peace promises. If I keep myself busy and don’t focus on my worries they seem to be non-existent, but that is not what the promise of peace is. Peace isn’t making yourself busy or ignoring the fact that you’re living your life in a state of fear. Peace isn’t appearing to have it all together.

If the words of Psalm 85:8 are true and God promises peace to His people why am I not experiencing the peace of God in my life? The answer is simple and lies in several verses throughout both the Old and New Testament: I am not seeking after peace in the way that I should. “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14) Peace is indeed a gift and promise from God, but because peace is a product of contentment it is something we must fight the enemy to obtain. Satan is always looking for ways to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10) and he does so in sneaky and devious ways. (1 Peter 5:8) One thing he is constantly out to rob us of is the joy of taking possession of God’s promises. He puts doubts, anxieties, and fears in our minds and robs us of the peace that God has gifted to all of us.

So how do we defeat this master of deception? We seek peace. We look for peace wherever we can find it. We make the conscious choice to be content with our lives and our circumstances. We intentionally set out to create some quiet time and we reflect on all of God’s blessings in our lives. Peace will never come to those who constantly live in fear or timidity. Peace will come to those who seek it just like all of God’s other promises for us. (Jeremiah 29:13- You will seek me (God) and find me when you seek me with your whole heart.)

Some days it is easier than others to put a disciplined foot forward and race after the peace that is rightfully yours. Everyday we should make it our prayer that God give us peace in every situation. It is imperative that when we feel weak, impatient, and attacked by the world that we present our requests to God and seek peace!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

What does peace look like?

Peace is accepting whatever wrenches are thrown in our plans. It is choosing to be grateful for all that we have been blessed with instead of wanting more and better things. Peace is smiling in the face of adversity and rising above the competition. It is giving back to God as a way of thanking him for all he has done.

Let us now throw off all of the things in our lives that keep us from peace. For me, that means getting rid of my natural instincts toward anxiety and releasing control of my life to God. It isn’t until we empty our hands that we will experience the perfect peace that passes all understanding.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. (Hebrews 12:1)

Additional Verses about peace:

1. Psalm 29:11

2. Psalm 37:37

3. Romans 8:6

4. John 14:27

5. 2 Timothy 1:7

Questions to consider in your life:

1. What in your life keeps you from seeking peace?

2. How can you begin a journey of seeking peace in your life?

3. In what ways can you see the results of peace in your life?

Preppy Shorts

I don’t know what the phenomenon is this summer, but I feel like everywhere I go it’s all about the shorts. Printed, colored, textured, and patterned everywhere you look. I’ve somehow managed to find some great deals on a few new pairs this summer so you will undoubtedly catch me sporting some of my recent finds over the next several weeks in my Wednesday fashion posts. I’m in love with the fresh looks this summer and the preppy shorts compliment so many already adorable tops and shoes. Gone are the days of boring old denim shorts. Hello, bright colors and loud prints. Bring on the summer shorts…I’ll take as many as I can get.

Here is a look at some of my summer short purchases:

Preppy Shorts by theameribritmom featuring Merona

Lace shorts
sheinside.com

Merona shorts
target.com

Lily Star navy shorts
target.com

Another One for the Books

Another birthday has come and gone. I am now officially 25 and I feel great. As always, I was treated like royalty by my husband and family and I’m extremely grateful for the time that we spent together as a family on my big day. Truthfully, there is nothing I would rather do than get away and enjoy the beautiful outdoors as a family so all in all it was a perfect day from start to end.

I awoke on my birthday to a big hug and kiss from my daughter accompanied by a joyful, “Happy Birthday, Mommy!” My husband was anxious for me to unwrap my gift so I was quickly handed a gift bag with a mysterious box within. I was overcome with elation when I opened the cardboard box and realized that my husband had purchased me my own HP Chromebook.

Since beginning this blog back in February I have done all of my writing on a school-owned computer. I’ve never complained about it, but I’ve been envious of other bloggers who have all the bells and whistles to work with and so my husband could not have picked a better gift for me. My new laptop came with a message on my Google Drive from my husband and daughter which explained how inspirational my motivation for my blog and writing has been and how I deserved my very own machine with which to continue my pursuit of writing.

I don’t know if people understand how much my blog has helped me. It may seem like a pointless hobby to some, but since I began my blog I have worked and fought for a little bit of “me” time everyday. As a young mother I had begun to let my busy, demanding life take over every part of me. I had allowed myself to drop all of my goals and dreams and I really struggled with some emotional stress as a result. When I set out to begin blogging I began to repossess some of those goals I set for myself years ago. I now make it a point to spend time reading and writing everyday.

Each day brings me a step closer to my goals of ultimately becoming a published writer. I’m still waiting for the perfect article or story, but with practice everyday I am making progress toward that and any progress is better than how I was living. Blogging has become therapeutic and I am so lucky to have the support from my husband and friends to take that time for myself to pursue my goals. My husband has read all of my posts and manuscripts and he continues to have faith in me. His confidence gives me the strength to keep on believing in myself as well.

Aside from receiving a pretty amazing gift I spent the day at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium with my husband and daughter. As previously stated in earlier posts the Columbus Zoo is the #1 zoo in the country and it is located about forty-five minutes from my house. A day spent at the zoo is always one well spent. There are constantly new attractions added and the exhibits are top notch. This year they opened a new exhibit called Pirate Island. It’s essentially a boat ride with life-like robotic pirates and sea creatures that squirt water. To be honest, I wondered if my daughter would find the ride terrifying, but she handled it well and enjoyed her first ever boat ride.

Here are some more shots from our day at the zoo:

For dinner we ate some lovely, and relatively healthy BD’s Mongolian BBQ. I’m on a pretty restricted diet due to some recent health problems, but really all that means is that I’m being forced by my body to eat a little better. I can’t really argue that I need more vegetables so Mongolian BBQ was a good option because I was able to create a vegetable stir-fry. It was delicious, as always.

Finally, we topped off the night redeeming some Graeter’s Ice Cream gift cards. We found a large Graeter’s near the zoo and ordered some delectable flavors. The ice cream was particularly spectacular after an 85 degree day in the sun. I ordered a double scoop: one scoop mint chocolate chip and mocha chip. (The mocha chip tasted just like the Starbucks Mocha Frappucinos that my great-grandma buys at Kroger and sticks in the freezer…PERFECTION!)

The Graeter’s we visited also happened to be the historic shop where they give tours and it has an indoor playground of which we took advantage.

I have a lot of people to thank for this awesome birthday experience. First, my husband for planning for a flawless day and making me feel so special every day of the year, but especially on my birthday. Second, my daughter who was on her very best behavior all day making it a fun, stress-free birthday. Third, all of my friends and family who continue to support me with their kind words and encouragement. Thank you to each and every person who has made the past year what it has been. I’m looking forward to 25!

Summer Vibe

Summer Vibe by theameribritmom featuring a black cardigan

I’ve been at it again: playing around on Polyvore’s site. I set out to create a fun casual outfit that could double as “Night Out” attire as well. The lace black cardigan/kimonos are hot this year so I began with using that piece and worked from there adding some color with the shorts and jewelry. Summer is so much fun. I love the colors and the unlimited options with layers. Not having to worry about an outfit fitting into the teaching dress code is fun as well. You will never find me wearing something that exposes too much. I am a very modest dresser, but not being confined to the 1″ above the knee rule or cap-sleeve minimum is a huge relief in the summer. As I searched through the options used to create this outfit I chose affordable pieces at shops and stores that I am already familiar with. Let me know what you think! You may catch me in a few of these pieces in the future.