Simon Says Stamp Summer Vacation Kid's Challenge

     

Summer is unfortunately over here but the kids challenge at Simon Says Stamp suggests otherwise so Addison was excited to share some of her card creations this Labor Day weekend for the challenge!

This one is from a Stampin' Up Paper Pumpkin kit. 

This is from some Michael's paper that she was quite determined to purchase herself for the bargain price of 3 for $1!

My favorite of the three, one she created using various scraps from my bins...a true testament as to why trash can be a treasure depending on one's perspective!

And Addi's favorite, because it's chevron...of course! :)

Obviously we've been busy this holiday weekend and so enjoying the spare time to do whatever we please, big rule in this house is no talk or thoughts of work! It has been glorious for the soul thus far! What are you busy with this weekend?

DIY Tribal Printed Binder & Chalk Notebook

My daughter, Graci, has caught the craft bug and become obsessed with DIY projects over the summer. Today I am honored to share a few of her most recent projects that she created and a video tutorial. Such a fun back to school idea for your kids and you could even use some of the techniques she shares on a card, scrapbook layout, or home decor project!

So proud of my little craft diva! Enjoy her youtube debut...

Chicken Chickpea Curry

The kids are back in school and I'm almost caught up on laundry after being away for a week. It's crisp and cool in the morning, fall is in the air! My absolute favorite season for more reasons than either of us has time to write or read! Soups and stews are something I love to have on hand this time of year and I recently came across one I've been excited to try.

I'm lucky enough to have a small abundance of fresh tomatoes from the garden to start my curry with and the rest came together easily with a store bought rotisserie chicken, frozen okra and lots of fresh cilantro!

This was a meal my whole family loved and one of my new go to dinners for busy weeknights! Add a few chunks of naan from Costco and dinner is done!

You can find the recipe in the recent Food Network Kitchen magazine or here. Enjoy!

Trendy Loom Necklace

It is so good to be home! Long week away for work where it was fun to connect with friends and peers from across the country but I often struggle with being way from my family from my heart's perspective and struggle even more with the change in routine from my diabetes' perspective.  Enjoying a calm weekend but had to put a quick post up of a new trend!

I knew I had to find something special from Las Vegas for the girls and I did indeed but during the search I came across these incredibly fun necklaces made from tons of rubber bands just hanging on a string. When I discovered these were $38 and really investigated them, I decided this would be a perfect way to use up some of the many rainbow loom bands that the girls have accumulated since last years' trend has seem to expired in our house!

This morning we found our stash of loom bands and Addison and I decided to stack them on a piece of string rainbow style. Make it the length you want and attach a jump ring and clasp and you've created your own trendy necklace, a lot more fun and inexpensive than the ones in Vegas!

So fun and cute, right? It will match everything in her closet! :)

Beautiful Chaos

Ok, life has been a tad chaotic lately...back to school time is always hectic and add a week away for work (the same week that school starts :( ) and I've met my match. Amidst all the business, Eric has a friend with a hobby farm who let us pick corn to sell at a stand and the girls have been excited for this event all summer! Today was the day and it was such a fun time with the girls! They each had a friend join them, which helped their engagement, and it was so fun to hear them greeting customers, delivering corn to their cars like a drive up, counting change out, and saying, "Thanks for stopping, have a great day!" Proud mama here!

Some little entrepreneurs here, no doubt!

I bought myself a sewing machine for my birthday this week and took my first class Wednesday. I stayed up until midnight last night creating my first project, reversible headbands for the girls. So easy w straight lines and so cute for the girls and their friends!

Paper crafting and now fabric obsession...I'm in trouble but it's all just too fun! I've got four Studio Calico kits, a garden brimming with tomatoes and zucchinis, a half a truck bed left of sweet candy 

corn and kids that are starting 3rd and 5th grade in just a few days that I cannot wait to get home to once my work trip to Vegas is over on Friday! Can't wait!

Grilling from the Garden

My garden is finally grooving and so far tomatoes and zucchini are the best crops, although the grape and cherry tomatoes seem to have overtaken some of my larger plants so hoping the beef steak ones start producing the larger ones for BLTs this week!

So with all these veggies I try to get creative with different ways to use them up yet keep it fresh and fun for the family. My absolute favorite way to use up all the little sweet tomatoes, aside from eating them out of the garden, is cut them and fresh mozzarella in half, stir in some olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and add some sea salt and pepper to taste. Fast, easy, delish, and so easy on the blood sugar!

I've baked a few things with my zucchini but tonight I sliced a few into quarters, and marinated with a bit of olive oil, lemon zest and juice from the lemon, and kosher salt. Let it sit for a bit and put them on the grill. Easy peasy and again, so amazingly good! My girls and husband also approve so this is a win win, right? 

It hasn't been difficult thus far as the harvest is just beginning but as the season goes on it gets more challenging. Pinterest is a great resource for ideas but how about you? Any fresh ways you prepare your vegetables? 

SC Penny Arcade

Happy Sunday! It's been a chill one here as we are up at the lake and loving the quiet! I have finally been working with the Penny Arcade kit from July, about some since the August kit is currently en route to me! :) I am getting around to uploading these on the blog now that I've got some quiet time at the cabin...enjoy!

                                 

But I AM Diabetic!!!

I have the privilege to interact with medical providers on a daily basis with my career. Some are considered experts at treating patients with diabetes and some treat patients with other primary diseases or health concerns and diabetes is a secondary concern. Regardless, I get to hear unique insight, learn new ideas, and see a large variety of variation when it comes to treating this disease.
I appreciate this aspect of my day to day job because my mindset is challenged and often that helps me with my own management of diabetes. I take home all of these little tidbits I learn throughout my days and use them to adjust my insulin, switch up my diet, and even emotionally juggle diabetes.

Disclaimer: I'm typically super enthusiastic about my health and feel very blessed in this life of mine, but even I have reality checks! If you are okay with that, please read on, if not, check back on a day I have a card or something bright and cheery posted! :)

After a brief discussion with a medical provider last week who has known me for several years, knows I fight to live a healthy life, my best life, with diabetes, it occurred to me that even with the official diagnosis, I am still supposed to fit in the box of just a person, not a person with diabetes, when he asked, "But your post-prandial is always around 140, right? Because I know you keep your A1C tight..." His response came after I had proclaimed that it had been a tough week in my own personal hell of blood sugars. I smiled and nodded in a yes politely as inside I could hear myself screaming, "But I AM diabetic! I do spike above 140 sometimes after I eat lunch, 140, 250, who's counting? Me...all the freaking time!!!"

For a person to be diagnosed with diabetes they have a fasting blood sugar above a certain number, or post-prandial, or A1C, regardless, a person reaches that diagnosis when their body no longer does it for them, whether it is because of autoimmunity, genetics, lifestyle, or a combination, their body fails them. Just like my body failed me. My pancreas is broken and yet, to live with diabetes I am put in charge of figuring it all out, all the amazing science and math that my body once did, I now do. And to be labeled as a "healthy diabetic" AKA "good diabetic" I'm supposed to have it figured out pretty well so that my moment to moment numbers resemble that of a person, just any person. Not a person with diabetes. But I AM diabetic! It's not like some incredible title that we all desire to someday achieve, but seriously, I have the diagnosis! I have to fit in the box of these tightly limiting numbers, considering my activity level, eating anything outside of protein and green vegetables, sleep or lack thereof and emotions that are simply part of life. Regardless, I will continue to fight my daily fight to fit inside this person box. Even though I'm so much more than just that person.

After all, I AM a person with diabetes!!!