hmm...."on ramp"!

Well my enhancement goals have been in motion...may not seem so on here but its hard to do both with a house full.  Not to mention a concern that I will jinx myself, lol!  Can you read between the lines?  Secretly...I think sharing it on here makes me have to be more accountable.  So I finished "on ramp" and now its up to me to "drive" myself!  I must admit I really like it, which is kinda funny as I was a nay sayer in the past of this certain type of exercise...but not anymore.  My hubby, 13 year old son and myself joined last month and I must say......we all really like "it" for different reasons.     Thought I'd share a picture and see who recognizes "it" and can name the "exercise program" I am enhancing myself with for fun!

Now a bit of honesty here...my name being ahead of my sons only happened on this night....but it was fun for a few days, he even told a few friends at school which made this ol' lady smile!  I personally think the hubby is just trying to add to my cup of self esteem so I don't give up, not to mention it based on you personally and being a man his is harder!!

Well I hope all of you are enhancing yourselves too!!

n

Oh Valentines...to thy self be easy!

So here comes a Holiday...part of me wants to run out and just buy buy buy and be done...but another part of me wants to bring it down and keep it real! I hope that making it a tradition and keeping it real and simple will make it mean more to them each year and give a better lesson in love...that its not what you buy but what you do.  So I have to be honest and let you know that I am taking this right out of a page in Hubby's families handbook.  I know for sure his Mom did it when he was a kid and his oldest sister & younger sisters have carried it forward.  When I first heard about it and then saw a picture it dawned on me that its me buying into the commercial side of Valentines thinking I can just "buy buy buy" it and that it can be way more meaningful-not to mention we have to eat anyways.  So this is what I'm planning....

*Table Set and Decorated for Valentines
   I'll be using this center piece with tulips in it (that's my treat to me...showing the love)!

I did borrow some of this from Pinterest...it was a light bulb moment when the realization that  you could put something within in the jar to cut back on the amount of candy and have something   to put flowers in!!  I did cover the inner jar and may have covered to well so you might want to do a little less so its easier to un-bury and take off!! I love to do these jars for the Holidays it was a present from my Partylite Princess Mother!!

*I'm planning a simple menu...keeping them happy since it is for them and trying to serve a favorite of each kiddo's!!  I due have one surprise for them...I noticed in the Costco coupon book that the "Ribs" had a great coupon...and knowing that they had seen and admired when a  friend had them for Easter on year.    I heard about it for a good bit so this will be the perfect surprise and a fun meal choice for a  Valentines Dinner!!  The coupons still going......:)  I'm even going to do the little bowls with water for the ol' fingers!  

*At each place setting I plan on giving them each a box of conversation hearts with a fun note to each person.  Hubby grew up with a box of Chocolates which I think is way better but my children took a page out of my book and don't really like chocolate.....I know...I know that's nuts, but that's the truth.

Plenty of time to for you to do the same!  I would love to hear what your thinking of or a favorite thing your family may do!   Look for pictures after Valentines of the big day of LOVE!!  

Hope February is showing you the love!!

one tab down a few to go...check it out under Pin-tempts!

for others like myself...this is what you do... you want to move the cursor on the tab labeled "Pin-tempts" click on the tab and it will open up!! I hope to get something posted in
all of them sometime sooner than later!  Slow and easy wins the race...as my Gramie always said.  Thanks for following along!

learning....

So this is a test....a serious test of ones abilities...LOL  As long as I'm trying.....right?  If this shows up I'll give myself a B+!

Just a quick note...

Just wanted to let you know that the blog now has "social media icons" just give them a click and "bit a bang"....you'll be taken places to find me and what I"m up to or not...lol!!   You can't imagine all the new things I'm learning or trying to learn...some getting passed off due to screaming for help!!  Thank you Shannon Taylor for responding to my screaming...and all of your awesome help!!  LOL

"Enhancements 2013"

So coming from the girl that doesn't like "Change"...it is time for change.  It is still January and I feel like one day at the end of the previous year doesn't cut it for me to finalize my thoughts on the year to come.   At the time of the Ball dropping (I missed Dick Clark AGAIN this year).  I"m still trying to take in the "Holidays"....lol... nor taken them back out to the shed.  Let alone enough quite time to reflect.  So in going along with my new "social journal".   I"ve decided a list of "resolutions, changes, constitutions, habits or enhancements" or what ever you prefer to call them is in good timing...I liked "enhancements" this year, all in all....nothing is really that bad and it helps with my fear of change......  It should be all about me right?   I'm hoping to use the list at the end of the year to see how I did.  I can't even begin to guess what approach I will take when the year ends..one of those shoot from the hip later things.  So here it is my "written list" in no particular order for those that wonder like I do about that type of thing!

*  Photo Project..... its a biggy and one I've been doing homework on...but I think I'm ready!

*  "Do" more pins.....not the click click type but physically doing them--good news I have a ton to choose from! LOL

*  Exercise.....this one is so reoccurring at this time of year -- leaves me speechless so lets just see together how it goes....

*  Jesus Calling Devotional by Sarah Young......I got the App on itunes and use it on my ipad and iphone, I did notice they have them for Droids too....crazy how it feels like my own appointment with the big guy and it was super easy....

*  CHOOSE JOY.....in wanting to do this SJ (social journal) I did some research... a few stuck out and sucked me in....this being one of the BEST...www.lilblueboo.com.  I got this and the Jesus Calling Devotional from her....hey when its handed to you sometimes its best to just reach out and take it.  I think it was meant to be.  Check out the Cancer Chronicles.....

*  Better Gardening......one of my true loves for many reasons -- and something that comes to mind a lot during the year in excitement and preparation....so I guess I added it to increase my success in the "how I did" part at the end of the year...clever huh? JK-kinda!

So...here WE go....me in the doing and sharing and you in the following...LOL!
 I would love to hear about any New Year "stuff" your doing or have planned in the comments..... P L E A S E...is that close to virtual begging? The comments I have gotten are so much fun... yours would be fun too!!
ps. sorry I am trying super hard to shorten my post up...maybe with practice....until then...thanks for reading!

n

hmm...about me? This a hard thing to do really...seems easy but then right when you start writing it down it seems to question you back? I for some reason keep thinking is that me? Is that the extent of it....am I describing me right? So here I go (again to be honest) trying to put myself in words. I”m going to go with the facts first..I’m a product of the late 60’s...very late. I was born and raised in the same town that I graduated High School in and am now raising my children in it...now seems like a good time to mention that my hubby bought my Gramie’s house for me (may have been the complete desperation in my eyes that NO one else could have it except a family member) that we have raised and our raising our children in. We have 5....that says a lot doesn’t it? I’ve been a domestic wanna be for as long as I can remember...okay about two decades and must say that one of the things that has the most truth in regards to those two decades is “never say never or always”.....Okay so back to the facts....I have tried college I would say (yes you can read into that...that I may have not had success) I went to Business School and finished...spent a bit of time in the Insurance Industry...and always have had big dreams...now I dream for my kids which really isn’t a bad deal. My hubby is my opposite in all ways except for in the amount that we love each other....this is the part that I shake my head at as I am not a romantic type or a touchy feely type but I’m listing facts here so let it be known the “glue” to us is truly an equal amount of love that we have for each other.....even with being opposites in most things except maybe faith and morals...he’s got a built in excellence in those categories and I’m the continual striver... per say. See another opposite. He’s also about as smart as one gets, with a huge dose of common sense which personally was the deal maker with me!! I on the other hand have maybe too much street smarts and common sense and am often referred to as an old soul...which with out asking him...I think that was the deal maker for him. Yep 20 years into it and knock on wood I really don’t think we have ever missed a beat in loving each other....don’t mistake that for perfection as love isn’t perfect... or a feeling its a commitment....we’ll go more into that later I’m thinking. The other opposite we share is how we both were raised...both loved and equally surrounded with the best of people... but opposite ways in the “gathering and having” in our lives, lets say to be nice (your welcome Mom)! I come from a a long line of different choices and experiences that looking back made me who I am and all had love in them just maybe not the forever kind....Mom has been married a few times (your welcome again Mom-for now) and with that I feel lucky to have and know so many that I still love. Hubby on the other hand is a cradle Catholic with an extended family large enough to start there own State and is one of 5 amazing siblings from parents that have been happily and successfully married forever. I am also 1 of 5 in a mixed family (not even sure if that’s the lingo or that I like even saying it...but its a fact) and feel like my sibling are pretty amazing and unique people too, I’m proud of the family we have became and all the work we put into being one. So now that the facts are done....I guess its time to stray from the facts (my version of facts,lol) and give you an idea of who I am....I would like to think I’m a straight shooting, God loving, craft collecting diehard with her hand on the heartbeat of trends...usually missing the bus though...staring at something else that has caught my attention or thinking to hard while the bus..yep...goes by, family loving, camera holding, honest to a fault women...I’d prefer girl if truth be known but I’m afraid that would take away from my straight shootingness...LOL I have had it mentioned to me often that I am “clever”....in many ways not just domestically...hence the name I choice for my blog, “The Rural Vixen” as secretly I like thinking of my self as some what of a classy domestic redneck..... I personally think the fox and I have alot in common.... not only in the ways of being clever but also in being familial in things and doing what I have to do even when I don’t want to. I also feel like the fox gets overlooked due to making hard decisions that may not be pleasent to others...yep me too!! I guess the rest you’ll figure out as I start to make my way in the blogging world.... in hopes of leaving some type of history and documentation for my 5 wonderful but completely different children. Its harder than you think to be a seen the way you want to be seen when all the eyes looking back at you don’t see anything the same....so since hindsight is 20/20 maybe looking back at this social journal will help them see it the way I did when they are ready to look back!! Or bring back memories of a favorite foods or thing I liked to do or I”ve taught them....or an outragoues idea I felt passionate about or a time when they couldn’t “pick up what I was putting down”- (one of my favorite sayings). Or a photo they forgot I took or wanted to forget, lol. So I hope you enjoy following along and that you keep in mind that I’ll be shooting from the hip persay and finding my direction for this journal as it happens. While remaining clever like a fox!