The Ameri Brit Mom

Another Busy Weekend

Today is the first official day of Spring. Hallelujah!

Luckily we’ve experienced some lovely spring weather in Ohio for a little over a week now. The only thing that I’m not crazy about when it comes to the changing of seasons is the seasonal allergies I experience along with the beautiful weather. It makes it a little harder to enjoy time outside, but I’ve been working on some remedies to help me out.

For me, I have the biggest issue with my sinuses. I experience sinus pressure, watery eyes and headaches. Since I have recently begun to use Essential Oils I found an attack method that works better than Vicks at clearing my sinuses. I have been taking my normal facial moisturizer and adding 1-2 drops of lavender Essential Oils and applying the mixture to my face and feet. I specifically massage it into the sinus and forehead area. I can instantly feel the difference! Over the past week or so I’ve been repeating this process a couple of times a day. It works wonders with clearing up the unpleasant stuffiness and pressure. (I’ve read that you can do the same thing with Melaluca oil, but I don’t currently have that oil so lavender works just fine.)

Beyond the beautiful sunshine and weather in spring I love building a wardrobe full of bright and vibrant colors. This is especially fun when it comes to dressing a toddler. I love shopping and fashion, but not spending too much on clothes so I love looking for Spring sales and it looks like many of my favorite stores are doing big sales this weekend…so guess who is going shopping :)

This is a somewhat busy weekend for us as we have a family birthday celebration and my husband has two basketball shows tomorrow. As always my family is nothing if not busy. The struggle with this busy schedule will be fitting time in to do some overdue home cleaning.

This fall my husband and I began a Saturday morning routine that has been successful apart from during basketball season when he has early practice and/or games. We each have a list of tasks we work on and generally all of these things can be conquered before noon leaving us the rest of the day to get out and do something we enjoy.

My jobs: I stay home and get caught up on laundry, pay bills, clean the house and vacuum.

My husband’s jobs: I’m not sure if my husband really enjoys grocery shopping, but it beats cleaning in his mind so every week his job is to take the grocery list I’ve made up and purchase the weekly or biweekly groceries. He also does all the dishes. Early in our marriage we made the decision that he would always do the dishes and I would always do and fold the laundry. It works for us.

How do you divide and conquer tasks in your home? What plans do you have for the weekend?

Second Month…Second Award.

Over the past two months I have been sharing pieces of my story and my journey as a busy mom with readers from all over the globe. What I started as a therapy for myself has opened doors to relationships in various parts of the world. I was shocked when the first stranger began to follow my blog and my site stats have blossomed beyond belief. Here I am not even through my second month as a part of the blogging community and I am receiving my second award nomination from a fellow reader and blogger.

I am so pleased with the adventure I have begun here in the blogging world. I also am excited over the next few weeks to reveal some new and exciting ideas with those who follow me. So before I begin addressing the award itself and the requirements for nominees I first would like to thank those of you who have made it a habit to keep up with my musings and life through subscribing to my blog, liking my posts, and leaving me comments. There have been days that I’ve felt discouraged, but then received a message from a follower that has helped give me a sense of purpose in this writing realm. So…Thank You!

So here’s the deal:

“The One Lovely Blog Award nominations are chosen by fellow bloggers for those newer or up-and-coming bloggers. The goal is to help give recognition and to also help the new blogger reach more viewers. It also recognizes blogs that are considered to be “lovely” by the fellow-blogger who chose them. This award acknowledges bloggers who share their story or thoughts in a beautiful manner to connect with their viewers and followers.”

I was nominated by Danielle at Way Off Script for this particular award. Danielle and I have exchanged many comments over the past weeks. She is an encouraging follower of my blog and an inspiration as she is raising twin toddlers. Thanks, Danielle.

Those who receive this award must first post seven fun facts about themselves so here are mine:

1. I am married to a British Basketball Free-styler. His globe-trotter like hobby has allowed us many opportunities to travel as a family. He has done professional shows all over the US and England and has a few really cool gigs coming up. Stay tuned to where his talents are taking our family.

2. I am a high school English and World History teacher at a rural school in Ohio. I have my dream job and I love it (most days)

3. I graduated high school early and so I was a fully employed teacher at the age of 20! (That was crazy because I had some students that were only 3 years younger than me at the time)

4. I ran competitively in high school. I qualified for the Ohio state cross country meet two out of four years in high school. I’ve also run two half marathons since high school and would love to complete a full marathon at some point in the future.

5. I love reading young adult fiction and my favorite sub-genre is Science Fiction/dystopian literature.

6. One day I would like to write a novel. This has been a goal of mine for many years and the publishing of this blog is my first step in that direction.

7. I am a coffee addict. I had a casual relationship with coffee until I had my daughter. Now, I’m close to the Lorelei Gilmore status as far as coffee addictions go.

My second task is to nominate up to fifteen other blogs for this award. I don’t know about fifteen since I am still a new blogger, but here are a few of my favorites:

Navy Striped Peonies

The Persistent Platypus

Desperate Housewife

Honey Hive Home

Welcome to My World

During my time as a blogger I have found inspiration and hope in these blogs. These are all women who write about an array of topics ranging from crafting and fashion to raising toddlers and having victory over mental illnesses. Please take some time show some love to these blogs.

One thing I have grown to love about the blogging community is the positivity and kindness that seems to be contagious. When I choose blogs to follow I look for writers who are genuine and promote a positive message thus making my daily readings inspirational and applicable to my own life. I love being a part of a community of people with a story to tell and the creativity and drive to do so.

Stop Thinking

Reflection. Waiting. Silence.

What all do these three words have in common? Leadership.

It takes a true leader to stop and set time aside to reflect on one’s life. We can never attain true perfection in this life so there is always room for improvement and progress. Reflection means reviewing an action, conversation, or thought and examining what was good and what should change when it comes to that particular outcome.

I have been reflecting lately on my own life. What am I doing well? What can I do better? The answer is: everything. I do everything well, but I can also do everything better. I need to strive to be a better wife, mom, teacher, and friend. This will be accomplished by taking more time out of my schedule for myself. If I can spend ten or fifteen minutes at the end of a day in reflection I will see change. I need to reflect on what I could do differently in my life in order to be the best I can be. In order to serve others in my roles the best way I can I must first have JOY. Joy comes from the happiness one finds in life. I need to seek joy in spite of hardships. I need to take myself less seriously and relax knowing that God has everything in control even when I don’t.

Along with reflection I must also learn to wait. Not only does waiting mean the idea of putting off gratification in order to obtain something desired, but it also means to rest. In order to be the best I can be with my many roles I must learn the art of waiting and practice it on a regular basis. I so often run myself into the ground because my lifestyle is one that is constantly on the move. I often view sitting and relaxing with a negative connotation. However, rest is completely imperative to maintaining a balanced life. Currently, I am battling with a pretty nasty cold, and it seems like over the past few months my immune system has really been compromised. I can’t help but think that if I had spent more time waiting or resting then I may have been strong enough to fight off this cold. Rest gives your body an edge over illness, and so it is obvious I need more rest in my life.

Waiting is also about giving your will and concerns to God and allowing Him to direct your path. When I get caught up in my own busy life I rarely take the time to ask God what He wants from me or if I am doing His will. In addition to spending time daily reflecting I see now that it is so important to also wait daily on God. He uses this time to show you what you may have been too busy to see before or may have missed in the hustle and bustle of life. I currently have been praying for direction in some areas of my life, but have not felt God directing me. This is not a case of God not answering my prayer…I know that it is a case of me not listening for His answer. I’ve continued life at a busy pace, but God wants me to slow down and listen to what He has to say.

This leads to the third point I need to make. Silence. God speaks to us in the silence. If we can shut down our mind from distractions, God will meet us in the silence. This is such a hard practice for me to get into. My mind is full of to-do lists and ideas, but what I need to do for myself is shut down every once in a while and sit in silence. The silence makes us more apt to hear from God and feel His tugging on our hearts. Silence can be uncomfortable because it does force us to be aware of ourselves and surroundings. Silence goes against my nature, but it is a discipline I feel led to pursue.

A good leader takes time for themselves. You cannot constantly give,give, give without somewhere receiving. We receive from God when we reflect, wait, and observe silence. God can use us when He can work on us. I challenge myself as well as my readers to set aside some time to allow God to work in your life. Stop telling God and talking to God and truly wait on His work and answers. If you’re anything like me this is a hard practice, but it is so worth it to know that God has spoken over your life and you are following the will of God.

Reflect…

Wait…

and pursue Silence.

The Date Jar: Week 4 (Daddy’s Birthday)

Is there a better way to spend a Monday than as a family celebrating a birthday? I think not. Today was my husband’s 27th birthday and we spent the day doing some of his favorite things. We slept in, had brunch at Waffle House, visited one of his favorite parks, purchased a book at his favorite bookstore, and had dinner at a great restaurant. We ventured to historic German Village. This is one of our favorite destinations in the Columbus area. The atmosphere of this village is nostalgic for my husband, because it reminds him of his childhood in England. The houses and roads are brick, people are walking everywhere no matter the weather, and there’s a coffee shop on every corner. He loves to slip into this small neighborhood in south Columbus when he needs a little reminder of home.

We spent the day eating and playing (a divine day according to my husband). There was no plan in place when we left the house this morning (which put me a little out of my element), but that’s exactly the way my husband likes it. As we left the house this morning we knew only that our stomachs were growling and the weather was predicted to be beautiful to which it lived up to its forecast.

My husband made the decision to visit a Waffle House in Grove City, a nearby suburb of Columbus. I can’t recall the last time I ate at the good ole Waffle House, but I know it was before the birth of our daughter. In our early days of marriage we lived near a Waffle House and occassionally visited it for cheap diner-style breakfast when we were in the mood for brunch. There is nothing healthy about the place, but birthdays are cheat days, right?

By the time we finished brunch it was after noon. My husband was in the mood for basketball (which is actually a state of being, not a mood in his world) so we headed toward a park in German Village, Schiller Park. This trip allowed my husband a chance to “ball” with the locals while my daughter and I enjoyed some time at the playground across the way. Everyone got a chance to get some exercise in the beautiful outdoors. It really was perfect weather for a park trip.

About half a mile from this park is a unique and trendy book shop called The Book Loft. This complex maze of books is a 32-room building in the middle of German Village. Each room is divided by genre. This is one of our favorite bookstores ever. (It helps from my perspective that it sits atop a lovely coffee shop) Each of us got a chance to explore our favorite rooms and no trip to The Book Loft is complete without getting lost at least once. So yes, that happened.

Next, we walked another couple of blocks down the narrow brick street and ended up at a cute French bakery, Pistacio Vera. This bakery is famous for their macaroons, so of course we had to get a box. (Like I said earlier we basically ate and played all day)

On our way back from the bakery our daughter literally fell asleep walking. I didn’t know it was possible, but apparently there is such a thing as too much fun. She hit her limit and my husband and I took turns carrying the sleepy one during the half mile walk back to our car.

Any parent of a toddler can attest to the fact that once the child is asleep they must not be awakened. Instead of letting nap time get in the way of our spontaneous day in German Village we decided to enjoy this time by letting her sleep in the car while my husband and I each cracked open a book. It was so unbelieveably nice to sit in the car with the windows down and do nothing but read for an hour. Some of you may be laughing at our idea of fun, but it truly was one of the better parts of the day. We find it romantic to sit beside each other reading.

After an hour or so our daughter began to wake up in the backseat. We were on to the next phase of the birthday shenanigans: dinner. My husband chose to eat at Schmidts, a world famous sausage haus in German Village. They have an autobahn buffet where one can eat sausages and german potato salad until they explode. It was so delicious.

It was with full stomachs and no energy that we mutually decided to leave German Village and head home. My husband’s big birthday gift this year was a new television that he has been wanting for a while so we ended this perfect day on the couch watching Netflix on his new tv.

It was a great day with great people. Our daughter is a trooper. She genuinely loves to be a part of our Date Jar activities. As parents, we find “dating with our daughter” to be rewarding and so much fun, and wouldn’t have it any other way. I must say that my husband also did a pretty good job with this unplanned day of celebration. He’s such a great guy and deserves to have a fun and relaxing day.

Happy 27th, Babe :)

Ringing in Spring My Way

After such a beautiful weekend of sunshine and warmer temperatures I cannot help but hope that we have seen the last of winter. We’ve consistently seen a week of spring-like weather and so (fingers crossed) my hope will become reality. Although it is not officially spring here in Ohio this weekend I had my personal unofficial kickoff of the season with my first frappucino of 2015. (I only drink frozen drinks in the spring/summer and only after 12pm. I’m kind of OCD about my coffee)

I also ushered in my favorite time of the year with a new Jamberry manicure in bright spring colors. This is only my second ever Jamicure, but I am falling in love. The appeal: long-lasting, non-toxic, low maintenance, cute nails.

As the last of the snow is disappearing and the grass is beginning to resemble the color of life once again I am inspired to begin new projects in the great outdoors. Although I am in love with my fresh nails, I am looking forward to getting my hands dirty and completing some of my latest pinterest-inspired outdoor projects. As the last few weeks of winter were bleak and I was forced into hibernation due to Snowmageddan I sought hope in the gardening inspiration from my pinterest board. Many an hour was spent swiping through pins and blogs in search of ideas to spruce up the yard and bring the bright curb appeal to my abode. I’ve created this yard wish list:

1. Mailbox Makeover: With it’s simple, yet cute landscaping who wouldn’t love this? It looks like an easy way to turn a potential eyesore into something happy and bright. It also makes getting the mail (AKA bills) a little more exciting.

Mailbox Garden - Spruce up your mailbox with some flowers by creating a base garden with retaining wall blocks. Click here to check out this blog.

2. Gutter and Side Landscaping:This is our first spring in our home and our first year to complete some of the exterior cosemetics of the place. Although we already have a lot to work with in the front yard, it seems as though the side yards were neglected a bit from previous owners. This project looks a little involved, but even taking a few tips from this blog will help our bare and boring sides of the lot.

150 Remarkable Projects and Ideas to Improve Your Home’s Curb Appeal Click here to check out this blog.

3. Front Porch Decor: One of my favorite ways to add curb appeal is to create an ever-changing front porch. Since our arrival in our new home I have changed the front porch decorations to match the seasons. This looks like a cheap and easy way to bring color and life to the front porch.

Planting a Perfectly Proportioned Garden Vase -- three easy steps to planting a garden vase that will be a beautiful focal point for your front porch or deck! Click here to check out this blog.

4. Fire Pit: Our backyard is absolutely bare. No trees. No landscaping. One addition I have been pushing for to begin to bring life to the back yard is a fire pit. Fire pits are welcoming and at times can be romantic. I would love to see one of these in a corner of our yard away from where our daughter plays. I think it would bring some character to the yard and also make us more likely to spend time in the backyard.

fire pit tutorial: best one I've seen with lots of photos Click here to check out this blog.

5. Porch Extension: Currently our back porch is a slab of concrete. We live in a housing development and the porch is the standard small block not even big enough for two folding chairs and a grill. The way our home sits and the type of yard we have does not easily lend itself to a raised deck or porch so this looks like a cute way to add a little space to the seating area in the back.

Click here to check out this blog

Now that I’m inspired and the wheels are turning I’d love to ask: what do you plan to do this spring to ready yourself and your home for the beautiful weather that lies ahead? I’m hoping that if I dream BIG and work HARD some of my wish list will come true.

Happy Spring!

Love Me Some Young Adult Fiction

If you were to ask me to describe my idea of a perfect day my description would in some way involve a trip to a bookstore with a follow-up reading session in a nearby coffee house. My husband and I both possess the gift to linger amongst books in bookstores or libraries for hours at a time. I could spend a bit of that time wandering the aisles which hold the books on religion, home improvement, and healthy living. However, if I could only make one stop during my visit I would have no problem camping out within the rows of Young Adult Fiction.

I have a natural affection for Young Adult literature. I love the creativity that is brought to the plot development of YA fiction. Many of the best authors in this genre write to convey a message relevant in today’s culture. In order to appeal to this generation of readers YA authors usually mask those lessons in creative settings, circumstances, and societies. One of my favorite sub-genres is the dystopian novel. These novels allow the readers to see the roots of corruption and inspire leadership in those who venture to read these books.

My near obsession with YA fiction is key to my passion for English education. One of my aims as a teacher is to develop a love for this genre within my students that mirrors my own. I attempt to accomplish this feat by creating regular assignments that push my students to delve into literature. So many of my ninth graders enter my class without having ever read a book that truly captured their interest. This is a sad fact. Each quarter my students spend a day in the school library where the librarian gives book talks using technology to introduce students to novels. She features books that she has recently read and I usually add my own discussions about books I have read recently as well. The students are expected to pick a novel to read by the end of the quarter.

On a weekly basis I plan for in-class reading time. I intentionally turn off all distractions in the classroom and we spend about fifteen minutes at the beginning of class with our noses in our books. Generally students must follow-up that reading time with writing responses related to their reading or discussing with their classmates about their book.

My goal in creating a classroom that regularly institutes reading is to help students foster a love for reading. I was a child who loved reading from the moment I learned to sound out my first word. I seemed to always have a list of To-Reads. However, when I reached my high school years I began to replace my reading wish list with required classical reads that were assigned by my teachers without choice.There is nothing wrong with reading classics occassionally, but unless that is your cup of tea it can become daunting on the once avid YA fiction reader. It was during these years that my love for reading was stifled. I vowed that once I became a teacher I would make reading for leisure a priority in my classroom and allow my students the freedom to choose reading materials based on their own interests and personalities. Yes, I have certain texts to cover in my class as part of the state curriculum, but I continue to invest valuable classroom time into novel reading with a particular emphasis on YA fiction.

Over the years I have seen reluctant readers become fans of particular authors or genres. There have been students who have shared with me about enjoying their first book ever during my course. I’m always looking for new novels and reading on my own time so that I may help match students with books that may pique a new reading interest. I have built up my own classroom library by visiting library book sales and I buy a couple of books per year for my collection. I spend time at the beginning of each year making my classroom library visually appealing and a focal point in my classroom. This year I decided to sort books according to their genres so that students could more readily access books in the genre that most interests them. Here is a look at my classroom book shelf:

This week my students presented their third quarter reading projects. Their assignment included five different options. They were to create a tangible presentation of their book that would last 3-5 minutes. These were their options:

1. Create a work of art (painting, poster, sculpture, etc…) and explain how it relates to your novel.

2. Write a song, rap, or poem to perform in front of the class that illustrates some of the significant events in your novel.

3. Construct a 3D scene from your novel and explain the relevance of your scene to the novel.

4. Produce a short video re-enacting an important scene from the novel.

5. Bring in a bag filled with 8 objects that relate to your book. During your presentation show and explain how each object relates to your novel.

Overall, I was pleased with the results of the project. So many of the students found extra time during the snow days this quarter to delve into their novels and had informative feedback to share with their classmates. (I may have added some of their novels to my own To-Read list after those most enticing presentations) I am a proud teacher and I am most pleased with the fact the students are taking ownership in their own reading. So…I am going to stop writing about reading and actually pick up a new book. The next book on my list!?!…

I am going to leave you with some of the art projects that my students created for their presentations this week. Happy Reading!

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Underdogs by Mike Lupica

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

What’s on your To-Read list?

Dear Daughter

Dear Daughter,

Of all the things that I am in this life I’m proudest to be called your mother. In everything you bring me joy and help me to learn the significance of life, love, and learning. Everyday I awake with gratitude for you and your father. I hop out of bed eager to see your smiling faces and begin a new day of adventures. Sometimes I get busy, but I think of you always and I pray that you’re safe and happy.

I love how you know when I need a hug and kind words. In my wildest dreams I would never have imagined all that you would have accomplished and understood at the age of two and a half. You’ve come a long way in such a small amount of time. You truly sense the feelings of others and are so sensitive to the world around you. You crave knowledge and are so creative.

I’m sorry for any time that I take for granted with you. You are such a special gift to our family and bring us so much joy. Your smile and laughter can turn any of my darkest days into days of pure sunshine. I am blessed to be called your mother and to be given the opportunity to teach and raise you. I look forward to watching you blossom into a wonderful woman, but hold tight to these days where you are so dependent on me. One day those days will be few and far between so I pray that right now I cherish this time. I’m thankful for every minute.

Your Mother

Sometimes I need a reminder of the divine blessing of motherhood. I was reading another blog this week (Welcome to My World) which made me self-aware of the fact that I needed to take a few minutes to be thankful. I am also currently doing a study in the She Reads Truth App about having gratitude no matter your circumstance. My prayer is that no matter how I feel or how exhausted I am that I continue to be thankful for all of my many blessings. When your toddler is going through this wildly unpopular stage it is easy to get burnt out, but a correctly aligned vision of the divinity of parenthood is necessary at all times. We aren’t called to be parents when it is convenient for us. It’s a 24/7 thing. We are called to be parents to teach love, selflessness, and wisdom to those God has entrusted to us at all times. I am blessed beyond measure :)

One of My Many Hats: Advisor

For the past four years I have had the privilege of advising a Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter at the high school where I work. I have been blessed to watch God work in the lives of the students I see on an every day basis. Most public schools are not open to the idea of an organized group of Christians meeting weekly to fellowship and grow together so I cherish this ability granted to me by my school district. We meet in the home of a current student leader and we have averaged this year anywhere from 60-100 students at a weekly meeting.

Wednesday nights are busy for my family. When I was approached and initially accepted the role of FCA Advisor I wanted to be sure to make it a family priority as it is a huge time commitment. Every Wednesday night we go to FCA as a family. My daughter has grown up with these weekly meetings. In the beginning that was a bit stressful, but I have grown to realize that she is getting the influence of great Christian kids and seeing ministry as part of our regular routine. My husband is a big help when it comes to FCA because not only does he help with keeping our daughter occupied and safe, but he comes alongside me to work with kids (especially guys) that he doesn’t even have in class or see beyond Wednesday nights.

As a leadership team we meet a couple of times a month to plan for upcoming meetings. We also meet over the summer to create a calendar and work through the ideas of discipleship. Our leadership team is made up of elected upperclassmen who have a positive influence in the school. The leadership meetings are some of my favorite parts about FCA. It is where I invest the most into the kids. I use this time to teach my students about the importance of organization and prioritizing, but this is where I also do the most of my 1-on-1 ministry.

When it comes to the actual FCA meetings I allow the leadership team to take control. I am there as an advisor, but the leaders actually run the meetings. This is the rewarding part of ministry. I am able to see my ministry in action as the leaders put their lessons and knowledge to work. Our meetings are quite organized to avoid the dead time that can lead to trouble. If you are working with high school students the less free time the better.

An average meeting generally includes: prayer, small group discussion, game, music, a speaker, reflection time, food, and we finish off all meetings with fellowship. We have several special meetings throughout the year like Olympics, Valentine’s Day, Bonfire, Thanksgiving, Cupcake Meeting, and Senior Cookout. Also, we attend an FCA Retreat every fall with other FCAs in the area.

FCA is all about providing a safe environment for students to come and grow closer to God in community. It is not a place of judgement or a place of perfection. The students get an opportunity to be real and ask questions. When we meet as a leadership team I stress to the leaders that our job is not to give advice to their seeking peers, but rather to point them toward God.

Being the advisor of this club makes my job as a teacher so much more rewarding. It provides a gateway for me to invest in my students on a deeper level. It allows me the opportunity to foster strong relationships with students and families, and it helps me become more of a member of the community where I work.

There are definitely times where I feel overwhelmed by the many hats that God has blessed me with, but it is when I begin to tire that God assures me that I am on the right path. I’ve been down a lot lately about how different my classroom has looked this year due to new tests. However, when I think about the way that God brought me to my job and aligned me with the available advisor position I can’t deny his provision and plan for me and my family.

The Wait is Over

The long awaited day has arrived.

I awoke this morning to a little something different in the air. Something that made me jump out of bed, select a bright colored (sweater and boot-less) outfit from my walk in closet, and hop in the shower to prepare for the day. For once I was not dreading the nasty weather awaiting me outside. I wasn’t hoping I could build a cocoon in my bed from which I would never escape. I was instead eager to spread my wings and fly beyond the four walls of my home.

Winter had overstayed its welcome. I love the fact that I live in a place that distinctly experiences changing seasons, because each season brings with it new memories and a fresh start. However, I think all midwesterners were like me today and did all they could to soak in the new warmer temperatures and thawing ground. It sure feels like spring is here to stay. From the moment I awoke I could smell it…

Spring is in the Air!

My day at work was productive. I’m looking at the potential for my first uninterrupted five day week of school since mid January. It’s crazy how big of a difference a little sunshine can make to my productivity. As I left school today, the sun was still WIDE awake and shining warmth down on me. I rushed home to my daughter and husband who were more than ready for an outdoor adventure.

I cooked a quick dinner and then the three of us were out the door. Our little family walked the streets of our neighborhood. It has been too long since we were last able to do that. It felt so good. Next we ventured to our neighborhood park. Our daughter enjoyed returning to the playground she had abandoned over the cold winter months. She was even more delighted to learn that she had grown a little bit and was now big enough to play on some of the equipment that she was too small for before the reign of the snow and ice.

She reunited with neighborhood friends. It was so much fun as parents to watch her play and laugh with them.

Since I was in school myself, as a student, spring has been my favorite time of the year. I enjoy the promise of longer hours of daylight and watching everything that once was nearly dead and dreary spring back to life. The colors of spring are vibrant and bring much needed therapy to those who were bound to the inside for so long. The warmer temperatures warrant the wear of lighter and brighter clothing as well. Oh, how I love spring fashion.

So, Spring, feel free to stay. You are welcome to remain for as long as you would like.

The Date Jar: Week 3 (Family Getaway!)

Alas, the day has come where my husband comes home straight after work and the late weeknight basketball games are no more. His basketball coaching season came to a close a little over a week ago. Although I support him in all he does, a little part of me is excited that his season ended prematurely during a single-elimination tournament. As much as I love to watch him succeed in his basketball season I also love having him all to myself at home. I know I know…it’s selfish. I missed having him home in the evenings and I absolutely can’t stand the times (although they are very few) when we are unable to eat dinner together. It’s the way I was raised…dinner at the table every night.

It’s only fitting that this being our first non-basketball weekend since October that we should plan an extended family date. We didn’t want to spend gobs of money on a getaway weekend, so we decided to stay fairly local. We purchased a hotel on the north side of Columbus in a nice suburb filled with many attractions, and set out with no concrete plans and a bunch of free time.

We woke up Saturday morning and packed. Our home is in a predominantly rural community about twenty minutes south of Columbus. With the weather being as cold as it has been lately we decided to find an indoor activity near the Columbus metro area to visit and look for hotels in that area. We settled on a really nice suburb of Columbus, Worthington. This was a perfect location for this “staycation” as it ends up being about an hour drive from our home. It is far enough away to feel like a trip and it is an area we rarely visit so it held new adventures and the visitor appeal from our perspective.

Our first venture during our getaway was a Hobby Lobby. I could have spent the entire trip in this store. I love the decorating ideas, crafting supplies, and inspiration that fill every aisle. I left the shop with so many new ideas for home improvement projects to tackle. My husband may loathe that store more than any other on the planet simply for the fact that a trip to Hobby Lobby tends to result in a new home project.

Next, we embarked on a shopping mall. Polaris Fashion Place is a very upscale shopping center in that area. We spent a couple of hours looking around and spending minimal amounts. Our goal for the weekend was not to break out budget, but to also get some much-needed retail therapy at the same time. The theme I guess: Sensability. I feel so pathetic saying this, but I have not been truly on a shopping trip since the week before Thanksgiving. So there were things (especially for my daughter) that we needed to purchase.

Each of us purchased a few new items. We are building up a new Spring wardrobe for our daughter so she got to pick out an outfit and due to great deals we purchased an Easter dress for her as well. I purchased a new spring top, lipgloss, and a book about Blogging. My husband, the basketball freestyler, bought a new basketball to use during his travelling ministry shows and a Christian life book which is one of his favorite genres. Here is a look at our spoils:

After a couple of hours at the mall it was off to dinner for the three of us. One of our favorite restaurants in the Columbus Metro area is Carabbas Italian Grill. We are a pasta-loving family. We don’t eat pasta too often, but on special occasions we splurge on a good Italian meal. My husband and I each ordered Wood Grilled Chicken (mine with a side of fettucine alfredo and his with a side of garlic mashed potatoes). The meal was topped off with a luscious Tiramisu shared amongst the three of us. Right before we paid our bill a woman seated behind us shared a 15% off coupon with us. She said that our daughter was so cute and so well-behaved. Score! We left stuffed and satisfied.

photo credit: http://www.savingaddiction.com/10-off-at-carrabbas/

After dinner we ventured to Magic Mountain. If you are not familiar with the concept it is an affordable and family friendly indoor playground for various age levels. This spot has a kids jungle gym area, arcade, go-karts, put-put, and laser tag. With our daughter only being two years old we decided to just try the jungle gym. The cost: $3…TOTAL! Due to the temperatures the place was extremely crowded. It made me a little nervous, but our daughter had a blast. She ran around with other kids her age and enjoyed the chance to climb, slide, and play with balls (from a ball pit). She played hard, and it was a late night. From my perspective it couldn’t have been better. All of us getting a chance to do something each of us would like individually and enjoying it together. Such a great weekend :)

We stayed at a hotel chain not too far from the shopping center/Magic Mountain. We enjoyed an evening of browsing through tv channels and reading. This is the perfect way to end any day in the Sisley home.

Sunday morning we were up a little later than normal, partially due to Springing Forward. Also, since we were not too far from home we were able to make it to a church service at our home church in Grove City. We went to a later service, but it was also a great way to end the weekend. (Especially since we hadn’t been to church in a few weeks due to various snow storms that always seemed to occur Saturday night into Sunday mornings)

The concept of family getaways to a fairly local location is one that every family should try once or twice a year. It gave us a chance to spend some quality time as a family doing things we love and mixing in some new adventures all while spending much less than we would to take a proper vacation. It was nice to have the time away from home where I didn’t feel obligated to wash dishes or do laundry. Family quality time always lacks a little bit toward the end of basketball season so it is always great to get some time just us to get back in sync and enjoy each other’s company.

I hope you are enjoying our Date Jar series. I know I’m enjoying the family quality time and I hope I’m inspiring you with affordable ways to date your family.