The Ameri Brit Mom

The Big 2-5!

Happy Birthday to me. Today I turn 25. A quarter of a century has passed since the beginning of my existence. I’ve come so far and achieved so many of my goals for myself over the past year. (This blog is a fruit of some of my previous goals.) I am looking forward to spending this day with my family. My husband has been out of town all week (and missed our anniversary), but luckily he’s back in time to celebrate today with me. Since our anniversary and my birthday are within the same week we have started our tradition of celebrating them separately. With our anniversary we do a date night just my husband and I. With my birthday the plans include something more family friendly. As long as the weather cooperates we will be heading to the Columbus Zoo today for some family fun in the sun.

My mom’s birthday was yesterday and we re-established an old tradition. When I lived at home we used to do a brunch/lunch on her birthday to celebrate both of our big days. It hasn’t happened in a while so we decided to re-establish this idea this year. Over a month ago I made reservations at Cooper’s Hawk Winery at Easton in Columbus in anticipation for our birthday lunch.

Overall, I am very thankful this year on my birthday. I’m thankful to have my husband back after being gone for the week in Washington DC.

I’m thankful for my daughter who is so kind, intelligent, and beautiful.

I’m also thankful to begin my summer vacation with lovely weather.

Some of my goals for 25:

1. Continue working on my blog and sending out writing to publishers monthly. Also, in the writing field finishing a manuscript.

2. Running a 5k

3. Creating and following through with a health and fitness plan

4. Teaching a creative honors course designed by myself which features exploratory learning

4 Pairs Under $40

I’m trying something new on the blog today. I am currently in need of a new pair of sunglasses. I’ve been online doing some window shopping and have thrown together a Polyvore inspiration board of some different styles of sunglasses for this summer. I would love some input. Which of these do you like best?

1. White Rimmed Aviators from BCBGMAZAZRIA $40

2. Black Plastic Sunglasses from H&M $6.50

3. Purple Sunglasses from Aeropostale $8

4. Floral Print from Amazon $7

All of the sunglasses are under $40, because let’s be real, we all have better ways to spend our hard earned dollar than on a pair of sunglasses. I’m also stepping out of my comfort zone a bit. I tend to be someone who goes with the simple black look because it matches just about everything (except brown and navy blue), but I wanted to at least consider some cute colors and trends in sunglasses.

Which should I go with?

Our Fourth Anniversary on the Fourth

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Happy Fourth Anniversary to my perfect match :)

Four years ago today I married the man that I am in every way convinced was made for me. We are so distinctly different that only God could have brought us together and used our differences to make us a beautiful match. Every day he challenges me to be a better person. He helps me set and achieve goals and coaches me along the way. Sometimes only one person will get my sense of humor and he’s the man. He sees my strengths and weaknesses and loves me in spite of my flaws. I love my husband limitlessly and I am so glad that I have the opportunity to spend my life with him. He is my best friend. One of the biggest things to happen to us over the last four years was the expansion of our young little family. I was terrified when I found out six months in to marriage that I was pregnant, but through everything my husband has stuck by my side, supported me, and been a perfect hands-on dad. Life has thrown us surprises, curve balls, and blessings and I can think of no one else I’d rather face those things with than him.

Marriage has been a fun journey and I am blessed to be called Mrs. Sisley.

I know it isn’t always easy to love a control freak, anxiety ridden, mother, but he does it well and makes me feel flawless.

Happy Anniversary!

Now for a photo journey through some of the biggest moments in our marriage thus far!

A Little Athletic Style

Today on my Wednesday fashion series I am focusing on athletic style. Everything I am wearing in the photograph above is from Old Navy’s athletic line. I love the way that clothing lines are capitalizing on the healthy lifestyle. They are making it much more fashionable to get fit. If I’m being honest (and maybe a little vain) sometimes the motivation I need to get out and run comes in the form of a color coordinated outfit complete with bright athletic shoes. Also, I have a really hard time walking into a sports/athletic shop and passing up the opportunity to indulge in the colorful and breathable attire.

My Wednesday fashion posts are dedicated to a short, but sweet description of a style or fashion I’m enjoying. I love documenting my outfits and I hope to inspire others to find simple pieces that compliment their personal style.

Active Tank in Lavendar Go Lightly $13.00

Cropped Jersey Leggings in Black $12.50

Wide-Grip Headband in Pink $9.94

My Life Planner

I haven’t done an organization post in quite some time. The reason behind my lack of posting in this category is honestly my own lack of organization. During the springtime I did a lot of flying by the seat of my pants and every time I fall into that rut I tend to lose sight of many of my personal goals. So…with the ushering in of summer vacation I am ready to get back on track with those organization goals I set for myself back during the bleak winter time.

Where do I start?

I have jumped back into meal planning and regular grocery shopping as evidenced by my restocked pantry shelves and the mounds of dishes in need of a good rinsing . For about two weeks I’ve gotten back into the habit of planning my meals in advance which increases my chances of a home cooked meal by about 80%. When I just “wing” it and am disorganized about it I am far more likely to go to a restaurant/drive thru which starts a vicious cycle of unhealthy decisions.

I also ordered an planner on Etsy which is like the King of all organizers. I went through the Plum Paper Designs Etsy shop and custom-built a planner for every need of my family and personal organization.

This particular planner can get pricy depending on how you want to use it. For me, I purchased an add-on to help keep my blog and household organized. I ended up paying close to $40.00, but they have basic planners that start cheaper at around $16.00.

From the moment I received my customized planner I knew I had fallen in love. The size was perfect for fitting into nearly everyone of my totes/purses. The paper was thick and durable. The colors were bright and exciting. I was enticed with the scheme and design I created and I couldn’t wait to begin planning my life, fitness, reading, and blogging in this little Book of Lauren.

Here is a look at the monthly view of the planner. This is where I record upcoming events, birthdays, bills, and deadlines.

I could also customize the start and end date for the planner. Mine begins in June and ends next May. I love the colorful tabs as well. (If you haven’t guessed colors are good motivation for me!)

Lastly, here is a look at the weekly layout I chose for my planner. Plum Paper Designs has several weekly layout views to choose from. I found this particular template fit my needs best. As a writer it is imperative to have plenty of space to record ideas and plans. On the left hand side I have space for notes and on the right side there is space beside each date to plan the blog post for that day and jot down some basic ideas like photos to use or resources to reference. I have been most successful in my blogging when I plan posts a week or so in advance and spend several days cultivating each post. I don’t like being disorganized because that oftentimes leads to feeling rushed and producing a less than satisfactory product. This has helped me get ideas on paper and plan accordingly when documenting photographs and ideas.

I’ve enjoyed the entire process from selecting the theme, layouts, add-ons and using the pages I created to help keep myself on top of everything. My sister even checked out my planner and asked for one as part of her graduation gift as well so we are eagerly awaiting its arrival any day now. She preferred the Student Planner for herself and the cost was much lower than mine because she did not go with all the bells and whistles that I did. That’s what is so cool about customized planners, you get exactly what you need for your lifestyle.

I would highly recommend the purchase of a planner from Plum Paper Designs, and I don’t even get anything from that recommendation! I just love it that much :)

My Summer Bucket List

It’s finally June 1st and time to get my mind into summer mode. I only have three days of school left and during my time between exams and project presentations I am daydreaming about the two months of summer vacation that await me after Thursday! In honor of the impending summer vacation today’s post will be dedicated to my Summer 2015 Bucket List:

1. Visit the Columbus Zoo.

This is the #1 zoo in the country and it’s only forty-five minutes from my house. I plan to take advantage of beautiful weather and family time with numerous trips this summer to the zoo. Arianna loves the zoo too, so that’s a plus!

2. Eat at the Food Trucks on the Columbus Commons

Every Thursday in the summer (May-September) there are Food Trucks parked on the Columbus Commons. I look forward to trying this out this summer. In years past I’ve heard really great things, but have yet to experience this for myself. I’ll let you know if it’s worth the trip!

3. Read a book a week

Let’s be honest, one book a week is a very modest goal for me, but it gives me room to take a little longer on some books than I’m capable of. With everything going on this summer in my life I’m excited to continue my literature kick.

4. Discover parks I’ve never visited in Columbus

Over the summer I plan to take adventures to several parks I’ve never visited before around Columbus. Arianna will love the playgrounds and running space and I look forward to picnics, sun, and cheap afternoons away.

5. 5 Miles of activity per day

One of my favorite birthday gifts from last year was my Fitbit Flex. It makes tracking activity easy and fun. The Fitbit will count running, walking, biking, and swimming as activity and track your duration and distance. To continue working on my fitness I plan to achieve five miles of activity per day.

I’m really looking forward to the summer and all that summer has to offer. If I had the opportunity to live somewhere where it was summer-like all year round I think I would love it, but I love my family more and could never move that far away. Now, I’m just counting the hours until my summer vacation officially begins!

I’ll leave you with some summer photos from the past couple of summers!

How the Gospel Changes Things and Bible Study Ideas

Have you ever had the insatiable need to hear from God? I had this need earlier in the week to abandon all distractions and get alone with God and my Bible. It seemed like I lived this week at a constant race pace and I was beginning to stress myself out to the maximum. The end of the year can be rough and even rougher are the unknowns about planning for a new school year (especially when a wrench has been thrown into your supposed plan.)

For me the urge to get alone with God can sometimes go unfulfilled due to a busy schedule and constantly having a toddler in tow, but I’ve had enough! No more putting off the time I need for myself to grow closer to God for some planned activity or event. I focused on what really mattered and got myself secluded and alone with God.

On my way home from work I organized my essentials. I had my Bible, journal, pens, and stopped at my favorite drive thru for the essential coffee :) I drove to a serene and quiet location, rolled down the windows, and turned off the radio. I had aimed at creating the best atmosphere for myself to really listen to God without the worry of being distracted. With a few moments to spare before needing to relieve the baby sitter I sat in the presence of God.

At first I was quiet. I waited for God to prompt my heart with a thought and direction. Once I felt like God had given me a clear purpose for this encounter I began a journey through the scriptures. Some were scriptures I felt him calling me to and others came from using the tools in my Bible and Bible app (She Reads Truth) to guide me. After I read through God’s Word and how it aligned with my current circumstance and subject I talked to God about my life.

I guess I should just come right out and say that God was calling me to re-examine the Gospel. For too long I’ve been living as if the Gospel is not the GOOD NEWS that its name refers to. I’ve been burdening myself which keeps me from experiencing the freedom of grace. I’ve allowed myself to view the Gospel as something that I don’t need a daily reminder of when in actuality the only healthy way to see the Gospel is to remember its purpose and impact DAILY.

What is the Gospel? The Gospel loosely means, The GOOD NEWS. This news is that while we are still sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) Our sinfulness had separated us from God, but God sent His Son who was blameless to receive our guilt so that we could have a relationship with God and the opportunity to enter into eternity with our Father in Heaven (John 3:16)

Why did God do this? God did not choose to save me or anyone else because of anything we had done. Just like everyone else I am a screw up. I’ve never done anything to earn my welcome into God’s family except accepting that gift. Jesus never said that He came for those who had their life together, read their Bibles, went to church every Sunday, had only Christian friends, and never used curse words…luckily for me! On the contrary in Matthew 9:12-13 Jesus says that he came for the sick and the sinners. Amen, because that’s me!

God sent His Son to give us an example of true love and to give us hope in a broken and lost world. Lately, I’ve done a terrible job remembering the Gospel. It is so fundamental to the life of every Christian, but it is all too often overlooked. We zero-in on our current circumstances or get stressed out about things of no consequence and neglect the joy that should be present at all times in our lives. Instead of claiming Christ and His victory in my life I’ve been claiming defeat and accepting failure.

During this encounter God really dealt with my heart and showed me ways that I am allowing my own anxiety to steal my joy and rob me of the peace that accepting the Gospel is all about. The beauty of the Gospel is that once you’ve repented and been forgiven the sin is done. You don’t have to continue on sinning or fear that you’ve fallen so far that God can’t help you. I no longer need to live defeated or battle with the anxiety that weighs me down. Because I have accepted Christ the Spirit lives within me and I need only to allow Him to work in my life. I need to surrender control of my life and trust God and His ways for me.

One way I have resolved to encounter God more in ways like I did this week is by committing to a Bible reading plan. After quite some time sifting through reading plans on the internet I found one that seemed appealing. I won’t lie, I’ve been down this road before. God has convicted me that I haven’t been making the Bible a huge priority so I set out to fulfill some version of “The Bible in a Year” plan. With good intentions I begin the plan, but after an illness, trip, or busy day I fall behind and accept defeat. This time around I’m going a different route. Being an avid reader, English teacher, and one with a minor in Bible I decided to try an genre based reading plan. If I can maintain the pace I should be able to read through the entire Bible in one year, but if it takes me longer it won’t kill me. The difference about this plan is that each day you are reading something different than the day before. The daily plans are based on different genres so one day you may read a Psalm excerpt, while the next the focus may be on prophetic literature. I find this appealing because it first of all keeps my attention and second of all exposes me to various types of writings in one week.

With this being the beginning of my summer vacation I think that there is no better time to try out some sort of reading plan. I found this reading plan on a blog by a man named Alex Tran. I am nearly a week in and I love it! God is already teaching me so much and my life is beginning to resemble joy and peace once more. If you are convicted or in the market for a Bible plan please check out some of the Bible plans and options listed on Alex’s site. Here is a look at the plan I am doing, but he has an article titled, 23 Reading Plans to Satisfy Anyone.

Genre Reading Plan:

Please share how the Gospel has affected your perspective and any Bible Reading plans that have worked for you!

Motivating Momma: Autumn

Since May is a month of celebrating mothers I have been working on my first ever interview series for my blog called Motivating Mommas. One thing that I have learned that is vital to motherhood is finding other mothers who encourage you and inspire you to be better. I tend to seek wisdom from women who have been where I am and made it through. If you are interested in appearing in this series on my blog please let me know!

When I began my journey in blogging I could have never imagined the friendships I would form with women near and far. My blog has offered opportunities for me to encourage and be encouraged by women all over the world. There are some women I have begun to correspond with on a regular basis and today I would like to share one of them with you.

Autumn is a motivating momma. She has overcome many obstacles in her life and still maintains the energy and patience that raising a toddler requires. She oftentimes posts about her journey through motherhood on her blog Welcome to My World, a blog about life, love, loss, and cancer. I find her blog particularly motivating because I can relate to so much. Our daughters are the same age and going through many of the same phases at the same time. I love to see what works in her household and communicate back and forth about our lives. I know that we don’t know each other beyond the blogging world, but I consider her a friend.

Please take a few minutes and read through my interview with Autumn. Also, check out the link above to see her blog.

1. How many kids do you have and what are their ages?

I have three children. My step-son Logan is 15, our son Mason is in Heaven and he would be 3 1/2 and our daughter Avery is 2 ½

2. What was the biggest challenge you faced in the early stages of motherhood?

I had quite a few but I think lack of sleep was very hard on me. Since I was going through chemo until Avery was 3 months old I was doubly exhausted. I really did practice sleep when the baby sleeps. Not every time she slept but probably more than I would have if I would have felt better. Luckily she would sleep for a good three hours in-between feedings and on the weekends or if my husband had off we would take turns and do every other night so we could both get some sleep.

3. What lessons did you learn from your own mother?

I would say the biggest was that it was perfectly fine to stay at home with my daughter. I had worked ever since I started high school and sometimes two jobs. I had never planned on staying home because I didn’t think it would be possible. When I was pregnant with my son I started to think that I eventually wanted to stay home with him. After I had our daughter I went back to work but with daycare issues we decided it would be better if I stayed home with her. It has definitely been a transition from working to staying at home but I feel that we made the best choice for our family.

4. What is your most recent struggle as a mother?

The most recent struggle I have is wondering whether I am enough for my daughter. We try and get out and socialize and do educational things but I always wonder if I am giving her enough. I am by no means a teacher but I do my best. I have thought about trying to find a daycare for her one or two days a week but I am undecided on that.

5. What is the most meaningful lesson you have learned about being a mother?

Patience. I am/was the most inpatient person. Both of my children have taught me to have more patience and just take it easy. After we lost our son and even when I was pregnant with him I realized I needed to slow down and enjoy life more. With my daughter I definitely have more patience than I ever did before. We love to go outside and go for walks or blow bubbles. Things I would have never taken time for before I had kids. I am so grateful to both of my kids for teaching me this very important lesson.

6. What advice would you give to a new mom?

I would have to say listen to your baby. You know your baby better than any book or anyone for that matter. Definitely don’t let someone make you feel bad for your decisions because every baby is different. I thought I was going to follow every parenting book to a tee. I finally started doing things that worked for Avery and things started going better. Yes, I did some things a little earlier than what is suggested like feeding her cereal but she was crying because she was so hungry and she spit up a lot. The crying would start around 5:00 p.m. and go for about an hour. I decided I couldn’t listen to her cry anymore because I felt so bad for her. The more formula she was given the more she would spit up. After giving her a little cereal in the evening she quit crying as much and her spitting up got better. I couldn’t believe the change in her. She was so happy!

7. How do you make time for yourself despite the demands and pace of motherhood?

My alone time usually consists of exercising which it totally fine with me. Whether it’s hiking, going for a walk or the gym I always try to get at least four days of exercise in a week. I am lucky because my dad has workout equipment at his house so I can go over there and workout and he will watch my daughter for me. I also get my hair done probably once a month. I normally would not be going that much but I am totally gray Sometimes writing is my alone time. Most of the time I am writing with my daughter crawling all over me. If my husband is home I can sneak upstairs or outside and write. It’s so funny because even though it can be frustrating having Avery crawl on me when I am writing I miss her when she is not around.

8. What is your favorite part of motherhood?

My favorite part. There are seriously so many. When I am showing Avery something new and she starts to understand I just love that. I love being able to teach her things and I love how excited she gets when she understands something. I also love the cuddles and that right now I am her bff. Avery has always loved to cuddle and it is great! Okay I couldn’t pick one ;)

9. Do you have any established family routines?

With Avery we go to the park or go to the YMCA and go swimming. I love going swimming together. With Logan we do have some shows we watch together and we usually make popcorn and just hang out.

10. What are three fun (non-motherhood) facts about you?

Three fun non-motherhood facts. Hmmm.

I have only been on a plane twice and that was to fly to San Diego and back home with two of my best girlfriends. We weren’t there for long but we it was a blast. We ate, drank, shopped and hung out. It was a total girl’s trip and I loved every minute of it!

Not sure if this fun but it is probably kind of funny. I just purchased my first pair of leggings a couple of months ago. I am positive that now that I have some they will go out of style. The same gal that convinced me to buy the leggings asked me if I wanted to try on jeggings but I am not ready for jeggings.

I am an only child. It is fun but it can still be lonely at times.

Summer Party Maxi Dress

There are so many things I love about summer. The long evenings, the beautiful sun, the great outdoors, and the functionality of the maxi dress. For years I have been intimidated by the long dresses in the shops. On hangers, each one looks like it is double my height and would never fit me in my wildest dreams. I am of meager stature, so the idea of one dress covering from shoulders to toe seemed to me as though it may highlight my lack of height. But, one day all of my prejudices toward maxi dresses were proven incorrect when I got the guts to try one on at TJ Maxx. I instantly fell in love with the light-weight, easy appeal of the dress. And ever since my first maxi dress purchase I have continued to seek out new dresses in fun patterns and colors.

Another thing I enjoy about the maxi dress is the fact that they are accepted attire for nearly every event. At school, I throw a cardigan over the top to give it the professional look. For a day in the park or outdoors the maxi dress is fine without any additions. For evening parties, dates, or bonfires a maxi dress looks great with a denim jacket or light cover-up. Maxi dresses are so versatile it’s ridiculous. I’m a fan of fun and colorful patterns so the dress above is one of my favorites and go-to summer party dresses.

Do you have a summer outfit staple?

An Inspiration Board (for a reader)

One of my more recent struggles has been to come up with the perfect gift for my little sister on her graduation day. My sister is so important and unique to me that I wanted to find the perfect gift to show her how much I care. For weeks I scoured Pinterest and top blog sites, but to no avail. Last week after many failed attempts at locating a gift idea I had a plan. My master plan was to take my sister out for coffee and figure out exactly what she wanted and get that for her.

Over the course of our coffee experience I tried to pick apart our conversation and even on multiple occasions came right out and asked her what she hoped to receive, but my stubborn sister refused to give me any ideas. That night I racked my brain trying to come up with the perfect gift. I started a list of all things I knew my sister liked:

-coffee

-books

-reading

-writing

-fashion

And after a good fifteen minutes or so of staring blankly at the list I began to form an idea in my head that included many aspects of her hobbies and personality. I decided to create an inspiration board for her office/study room that is inspired by the books that she reads and the wisdom she gains from her personal reading adventures.

I hopped into the car and took a journey to the nearest Hobby Lobby. In a matter of ten minutes I had loaded my cart with cute paper, a frame, washi tape, a stamp, an ink pad, index cards, duct tape, tacks, and four cork boards.

The first step in the process involved decorating the index cards. I turned them from drab to fab with duct tape, washi tape, and a stamp. I chose a coffee mug stamp because of her passion for a good cup of coffee and then used a teal ink pad for the stamp because I know she likes the color a lot. I didn’t want the ink to be too bold because my hope was that she would use the index cards to record wisdom and quotes from the books she reads. The teal ink pad I chose provided more of a water-mark appearance. It turned out exactly as I’d hoped.

The next step in the process involved me lining one side of each cork board with a strip of the duct tape. Once again simple duct tape embellishment made a boring, plain cork board more aesthetic and charming. Lastly, I used a sheet of burlap, chevron scrapbook paper and measured it to fit into the 8×10 frame that I found. On the frame I recorded a quote that I knew she would appreciate:

“To read is to live a thousand lives…” (this quote is a conglomeration of several quotes. I found it online.)

My husband and I broke into my parents’ house while they were dropping off my sister at graduation (not really, we have a key) and we mounted and hung the inspiration board on the wall.

My sister is planning to major in English. She is an avid reader and loves to record quotes from her favorite books. This is a passion we both share and a big part of our relationship. I think it is only fitting to provide her an organized and coordinated location to hang her notes of wisdom.

I’m definitely not the most crafty and artistic person, but I really enjoy gifting personalized originals that come from the heart. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate my sister’s intellectual spirit and passion for reading.

Have you ever made or received a personalized gift? Please share in the comments below!