NOVEMBER IS.....

EPILEPSY AWARENESS MONTH!!!! Yeah, I feel like shouting this from the roof tops. Since meeting my husband, I've always been sensitive to people with Epilepsy because my husband had childhood Epilepsy. Two years ago, our son was diagnosed with Epilepsy and then a few months after that a rare form called ESES or Electrical Status Epilpeticus during Sleep. Its a devastating disease and it has caused a scary roller coaster that sometimes feels like its going derail everything but our son is the sweetest, happy go lucky little man there is and we hope we will be able to say we conquered Epilepsy. Epilepsy is more common than several diseases combined and yet one of the most underfunded medical issues. One in 25 people will have a seizure in their lifetime. ONE IN TWENTY-FIVE!!! So please, wear purple all this month, say a prayer for all the people with Epilepsy and their care-givers, and learn basic seizure first - aid. Thank you!!!!

What I'm Loving Right Now

Hi everyone! This is my current  "love list."

 

I love love love me some coffee. A lot of it. So, my saving grace (besides Jesus ;)) is acv. I take a shot of this every morning to help alkalize my body from all the coffee I feed it.

 

For some reason, my lips are really sensitive, and if I use certain types of soap, moisturizers, or lip balm on my face and lips, I'll end up with sores near my lips, or really cracked, dried out lips, so this stuff is the best for me to ensure that that doesn't happen!

 

 

 

After using disposable diapers for three plus years, I switched to cloth. Pain? Kind of. Easy? Kind of. Does it save you money? Definitely!

 

 

 

Oh how I love thee! You have got to try the shower power Nair stuff for your bikini line! You'll never shave again! (But be careful! It can burn like a mother if you get in certain, ahem, areas. Trust me. I know this by experience! :))

 

 

In need of a great community? In need of a great Bible study? In need of those things but need them to be easily accessible and not too time-consuming? Look no further than She Reads Truth

Again, looking for an amazing, life-giving, God-breathed community & resources? This is the place to go! I am proud to call myself a Thrive Mama!

 

 

OK, ladies (& gents, if there are any reading this very feminine post! :)) what are you loving right now?! Comment below!

Trick or Treat? Gluten Free Edition

http://www.myglutenfacts.com/

Ah Halloween...as a kid one of my favorite holidays, as a mom-not so much. We live in the country so we are constantly getting in and out of vehicles, which leads to fewer costume choices and potty breaks and whining and kids trying to eat all their candy while we drive house to house. I mean have you ever tried to get wings on and off a three year old all night? Since 3 out of the 4 are older, its much easier and my brother-in-law and sister-in-law live in a great development now so we have been going there for a quick loop around the development for the past few years and my kids have enough candy and I don't have to worry about dragging kids in and out of my minivan!

 I always remember the big scary talks we had in school about not taking candy from strangers and make sure your parents inspect the candy (which is how a few of your parents favorite candy pieces went missing). Does anyone else remember those talks? All good advice but as a mom of a kid that has Celiacs, I have to be hyper aware of what she puts in her mouth even though it is perfectly fine for most kids. I couldn't get through Halloween with out the help of the website, www.myglutenfacts.com. Another trick I've learned is to stock up on  the Celiac/Gluten intolerant kids' favorite candy of all time...that way you can swap all the bad stuff out with their favorites and they are happy campers!

So what gluten or not gluten treat is your favorite?

Introduction

Hello everyone! I'm Michelle, one of Shan's younger sisters. I'm the middle child. 'nough said.








just kidding.



So first and foremost, I'm a child of God. Jesus is my favorite person and the one whom I admire and the one whom inspires me the most.

Next, I'm a mama to two little girls. Their current ages are: 3 years & 3 months. And 18 1/2 months. They are the loves of my life.

Another love of my life is my husband, Peter. We've been together for 8 1/2 years and married for 4 1/2. He's a great man, and becoming greater by the day.

I just turned 30 this past Sunday. All my guests brought items to fill shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child through Samaritan's Purse instead of presents for me, as asked. It was a great time, and I felt very useful towards God's Kingdom (finally).

Our next project is to host a Shoe-cutting Party for Sole Hope .I suggested we do it for Peter's birthday, but that's not until February and he doesn't want to wait. (See, I told you he was a great guy!) So, we were thinking we might try to start a monthly "Give Back" party. [We're just trying to be the sheep, not the goats. (Matthew 25:31-46)]

I love to read, attend Bible studies, talk about God, go camping, spend time with family, play with my girls, the outdoors, a good movie, photography (though I am still learning, so don't expect anything too fantastic just yet :)), yoga, dry red wine, black coffee, and much more!

You'll come to know me more through many, many future posts, and I look forward to getting to know all of you, as well!

~M

What I'm loving RIGHT NOW....

Welcome to our first blog post and a feature that I hope we do once or twice a month called, "What I'm loving RIGHT NOW".

1. Fall

In Upstate New York we have some of the most brilliant fall foliage there is! My HUGE maple behind my house turned from green leaves to flaming orange over night almost and it literally glows right now.

2. PICMONKEY

If you haven't used this FREE and awesome software to create and design printables and can wow up any of your pictures, you really should check them out! www.picmonkey.com  This Halloween printable was whipped up in about 5 minutes and that was in between taking care of kids! :)

3. ABC Mouse

Although it's a bit pricey, I have two kids that really benefit from this!  My youngest child, a girl..loves this website. She actually will beg me to get on it! My son who is 7 and struggles with reading, is really liking it too. He of course has homework almost every night so some nights he doesn't feel like doing it but once he gets started, he doesn't want to stop. ABC Mouse does offer a one month free trial usually so you can try it out and see if your little one enjoys it.

4. Revlon Nail Polish

I have purchased Essie and a host of other nail polish but Revlon is the only one that seems to stick for more than a few days! Also I don't even add a top coat so I can only imagine how amazing it would be if I did that!


5. Pinterest

This time of year with fall goodies such as apples, pumpkins, and of course the fall holidays which are my favorite, Pinterest is my favorite resource to find recipes and decorating ideas! Hopefully I will share some of those yummy recipes and decorating ideas soon!

Ok so here is my top 5 things I am loving right now....What are YOU loving right now?! Share below in the comments, we'd love to hear from you!