excuses, rest, + routines

I was talking with my good friend Liz (of Bramblefield) the other day about what we'd like to get done and what holds us back. Motivational speakers, many entreprenuers and pretty much most of the internet will tell you to hustle, make no excuses, make sacrifices and a few other more punchy phrases when it comes to letting things go and not finishing. I will not tell you any of those things. Recently I've read/listened to "For the Love" by Jen Hatmaker and "Present Over Perfect" by Shauna Niequist. One take-away from both of these awesome books for me was to slow down, say no to things more and find more time to relax and rest. I've been learning that rest is taking a break from good things too because most of my busyness is in things that are really good, but rest is better. 

I can't recall where I heard it first but Ben and I have been clinging to the motto of, "say no to good so you can say yes to best".

Rest is not laziness. This doesn't mean that I'm hanging out in my PJ's all day ignoring the dishes and the children. It means that I'm finding ways to make more time for my children and be more efficient so that the dishes don't pile up and take away from the feeling of rest. 

Implementing new routines have been a game-changer in terms of finding time for rest recently. I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts (what are your favorites?) called The Simple Show with Tsh Oxenrider (linked below). They were chatting a while back about routines and one was running the dishwasher every night, even if it's not full. Then emptying it in the morning so there is room for the day's dishes. Has everyone been doing this? Have we been doing it wrong all these years? Previously we would wait to run a load of dishes until the dishwasher was as full as possible, which meant that the sink was also pretty full. Full sink isn't my happy place, it's such a bummer to wake up to a full sink and a messy kitchen. Isn't it so depressing to have to dig out and wash the french press on a Monday morning? Either that or one of us (usually Ben) would be standing at the sink for 45 minutes washing the "big dishes" that wouldn't fit in the dishwasher, also a bummer. Our new routine saves us time and energy just by doing small things every day instead of letting them pile up and become big things...every day. Before this new routine I was starting to resent cooking and hadn't baked anything in ages, blaming it on our tiny kitchen (it really is tiny). Now that there is always room in the dishwasher for the extra dirty bowls and spoons from baking something, I don't see it as such a chore and enjoy cooking and baking again. This new little routine has made us so happy! We get to hang out together after dinner because rinsing plates and loading the dishwasher takes all of 5 minutes! It's so funny to me how this small change (that I am guessing most people already do) has revolutionized our household. 

Back to my conversation with Liz. One of the things we were both making excuses to each other about was infrequent blogging. Some of it for me has just been time and not feeling like spending what little down time I had on updating the blog. The longer it had been since I had posted, the more daunting it felt to write again. I always have half a dozen posts bouncing around in my head, but haven't sat down to write them. There's also a few more posts I did write but never posted because I haven't taken corresponding photos or I don't feel like digging around on my computer for the ones I have taken. Liz's problem is the opposite, she will have these lovely photos sitting in a draft but no time to sit and write the words to go with them. We joked about collaborating more, she does the photos and I do the words. Maybe someday. So, that's why there aren't any interesting pictures sprinkled throughout the post as usual. Maybe these lengthy paragraphs will scare away some readers, but that's ok. Excuses are okay too. If I don't feel like writing, then I shouldn't. If I want to write and not add photos, then I should. (PS if you want photos, head over to my instagram, I post plenty there. ). If my kids need time with us at home more than we all need to go to a certain event, then it's okay to say no. We can't do it all and it's okay to not try. I am so over the world telling us to hustle when what we really need is rest. 

Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest." -Matthew 11:28

Scripture doesn't say "come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will show you how to hustle". Who better to speak to our needs than the one who made us and knows them better than we do. 

Just to make sure it's clear as to what I'm not saying; I am not saying working hard is bad. I am not saying I don't work hard or value drive. Finding balance and giving more thought to what really brings us rest is what no one really talks about so here I am, giving you some ideas and some inspriation to find what gives you rest.  

Besides new routines/a less cluttered home,  here are some things I am finding rest in: 

>>> making Bible study time a priority when the house is quiet, versus getting laundry folded and floors swept first. A group I study with is currently working through "What Love Is" by Kelly Minter. 

>>> finding time for bi-weekly or even weekly unstructured adult-only conversation. Unstructured means my Bible study mornings don't count. For me this looks like coffee with a friend on mornings when Aurelia is having some grandma time, or taking a bottle of wine over to Liz's after the kids are in bed. - Ben welcomes the xbox time without me rolling my eyes at the noisy buttons :) 

>>> sitting down with a crochet hook and some yarn and accomplishing a small project. (What doesn't bring me rest? Tackling a big project and never finishing it, I have never completed a blanket, it's so daunting...so I mostly do small things now.) I've been doing this in other crafts as well, dying napkins, weaving wall hangings, creating word art. 

>>> listening to podcasts. I am new to this world and so I don't have a big list of favorites to share but here are a few that I've been enjoying: 

•  The Popcast. This is the only way I even have a slight clue about what is happening in          most realms of pop culture. I have become so out of touch, they keep me current in a very entertaining way. 

• The Simple Show. Tsh Oxenrider and her co-hosts discuss travel, home life, education, etc. and I find it so imformative. 

• Sorta Awesome with Megan Tiez. Fairly similar to The Simple Show in format but different gals, different styles and a bit more peppy. 

• James MacDonald: Walk in the Word. I went through his Lord, Change My Attitude Bible Study with a group of women about a year ago and it made me more aware of attitudes and their impact on life. 

• Parenting Great Kids with Dr. Meg Meeker. Ben read her book "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters" after hearing her on Dave Ramsey's podcast (one of his favorites) so I tuned in when she started to podcast and I really value the tips she shares. 

• Love and Logic- Solutions for parents. If you haven't heard of Love and Logic, I strongly encourage you to read their books. We started with Early Childhood one and are now on to the main book. These are excellent resources for parenting calmly and effectively.

• Disney Story Central. Ben just found this one and sent it to me today. It is a story telling version of Disney movies. This is amazing to me because we haven't found a good podcast for the kids yet and I find myself using the library to check out the same audiobooks over and over again. 

>>> Library books/audiobooks. This goes along with podcasts a bit. I mostly use the library to check out books for the kids but have been finding more for myself lately too. There is an app that our library partners with that allows us to check out audiobooks, it's called Overdrive. The kids love listening to stories in the car, and it really helps curb their arguing. I also just started a free trial of Scribd (click that link and get a 60 day trial of your own!) and have listened to several books for free (including Present Over Perfect). 

>>> mindless pinning. Sometimes I just want to zone out and scroll through the internet and be entertained, I know, super deep stuff. Right now facebook and even instagram have been a little too volatile for me, enter pinterest. When I just want to sit and be super unproductive I will pin crafty ideas and recipes to my hearts content. Some of these projects I will get to, many I won't. 

>>> baking more. I recently made this homemade pizza recipe and it was pretty easy and so delicious. I think I will make pizza instead of buy it more often. I've also made some delicious scones, breadsticks and french bread recently. 

>>> prayer. Ben is having a hernia surgery tomorrow. I was feeling anxious about it before it was scheduled because we felt like everything else was just up in the air waiting to land until we got this on the calendar. It is now on the set, but insurance isn't covering it. All of these things are stressful and could create a lot of anxiety but instead I've been praying and it has made all the difference. I know the Lord has a handle on this stuff and He has a plan, it's evident in so many details. 

>>> gratitude. Much of this comes out in prayer, giving thanks to the Lord for all that we have been blessed with and even giving thanks for struggles as they shape us and grow us in maturity. I also have a journal that my mother-in-law gave me, inspired by Anne Voscamp's 1000 gifts and I will jot down things I am thankful for every so often when I remember. 

>>> observing Sabbath. We don't do this in a legalistic way and we don't really even talk about it but on Sunday (choose any day, just find one that works for you!) we rest. As often as we are able on Sundays we just hang out. We don't take on any big projects, we even take a break from laundry and sometimes dishes. If we are really lucky and Aurelia naps we let the kids cash in some screen time and we lay down and take a snooze as well. We are also super blessed to have a standing invitation for dinner at Ben's parents so we get a break from cooking as well. It is so good for us to rest together in this way. 

I've been able to recognize the seasons that come and go in our lives. Instead of getting stressed when we are going through a lot, I just recognize the season we are in and remember that it will eventually pass. Some seasons are longer than others and some have more joy while others have more pain. The Lord is our strength in all of them and that is how I find rest. 

Now tell me, what ways are you making sure to find rest? 

dōTERRA Essential Oils

As part of updating this space more regularly and providing readers with valuable content I wanted to point out some changes I have made to the essential oils page. This page can be found by clicking on the tab in the upper right under the Breaking New Ground title. If you are reading on mobile this may look different to you; try clicking on the arrow next to the word Home and scrolling down to the essential oils option or just click here. There you will find featured posts about essential oils and you can now click straight through to my dōTERRA page to find out more about signing up for a wholesale account of your own (earn points toward free product!!) or to purchase oils through me. dōTERRA just introduced a whole new line of spa products as well as some new essential oils and other products, all available for purchase starting October 3rd, 2016. I can't wait to try them!

As always if you have questions about essential oils that aren't answered here please feel free to contact me directly. Follow my tips on the myriad uses for these amazing oils on Instagram @breakingnewground! 

moving forward

I have been on a bit of a blog hiatus lately. It wasn't intentional at first, but afer some personal reflection as part of a Bible study I'm doing and some recent sermons I decided to take some time to pray about the future of this space. I wanted to make sure I'm updating here for the right reasons, I wanted to give it to the Lord and make sure that He is receiving the glory through what I share here just as much as I want him to in all other areas of my life. If I felt God was leading me to abandon blogging, I would have and with a peace about it. For a while I wasn't sure how I would get an answer or how long it would take but I wanted to remain obedient to the call. It has been a productive time of prayer and decision making and I'm happy to be back. I don't know how frequent my posting will be because something I've always stuck to is that I will not let my blog become a distraction from my family and my household responsibilities as other things have in the past.

Earlier this week I sat down and made a list of "why I blog" and as I went through I felt like my reasons were solid and as long as I am mindful of my time, they can all be ways to give God the glory in my life and share His work in us with the Breaking New Ground community. So here I am, back at it! 

I've also made a list of what I'd like to share with you all in the coming weeks, as time allows. I have some crafts I've been working on that some friends have been curious about so I figured I could easily share them here. I also have some recipes to share, essential oil tips, cloth diapering information, homeschooling, a fun giveaway and a sprinkling of family updates as we have been and continue to be VERY busy! I know for sure I will be taking an extended break in August as we will be doing our best to schedule nothing and just enjoy each others' company as summer winds down and the school year approaches. It seems crazy to plan out that far but I've noticed that our schedule fills ups so effortlessly that we need to protect our down time with some strict "black out" dates! 

While I've been on a break, my best friend Liz over at Bramblefield has been busy with updates to her blog and her shop. She just posted some awesome free calender and phone case printables! 

I've also still been fairly active on Instagram so if you aren't following there come join me @breakingnewground 

I'm so thankful for this creative outlet, the people I've connected with because of blogging and the memories I'm able to look back on over the years of sharing a little bit of our lives online. 

We have a winner...

Wow! What a great giveaway! It's always fun to see so many people interested in winning cloth diapers. Welcome to all you new followers, thanks for joining us here and participating in the latest giveaway! I just love being able to share with readers here, so if you love giveaways, be sure to follow along with us in your favorite way, just click on the circular watercolor icons on the left to subscribe to blog posts, follow on instagram, twitter, and facebook! 

{images property of Buttons Diapers}

Of course, there is only one winner for this giveaway, and that would be Sarah Hayes! Rafflecopter randomly picked her entry as the winner of the Buttons Diapers trial pack. Sarah has 48 hours to reply by email and claim her prize. If the prize goes unclaimed an alternate will be chosen and notified by email. 

Now do me a favor and comment below with the answer to the following 2 questions so I can make sure to keep the fun posts and prizes coming. 1. What are your favorite giveaways to enter? 2. What products do you actually take time to read through the reviews to learn more about? 

Thanks again for your participation, I love being able to interact with the little community here on my teensy corner of the internet. 

Have a great week, and thanks again to Buttons Diapers for the opportunity to share cloth diapers with BnG readers! 

refresh

oh, hi there pretty new blog design...

If you're catching up with me on a reader and you can't see the header, it's worth a click through to my site to check it out. I don't mean to brag, but I will a bit because my husband made this pretty new title for me. I told him what I wanted and he made my vision come to life! He also made a couple mini-versions for instagram and facebook that you should take a look at. 

It's nice to have a simple little refresh as I slowly work on updating this space more frequently. I'm glad you're here! If you haven't already, take a look at the little turquoise buttons on the left to connect with me on social media, and to follow through feedly or your favorite blog reader. 

Happy Friday!

oh hey...

winter.

I usually don't mind it so much, and I don't complain about the rain like most, but the sickness. Oh the sickness! If my memory serves me correctly (and it certainly may not) we haven't been quite this sick (in intensity, frequency, and longevity) for about 2 years.

Last winter our kiddos did have quite the battle with ear infections, which was pretty miserable. Malakai ended up getting tubes put in last June and Aurelia got pretty close but thankfully it wasn't necessary. Des rarely gets ear infections, but he gets knocked out with respiratory infections due to some asthma. 

This winter, we've got it all. First it was colds with a lingering cough. Two months later and I'll still get to coughing if I talk too long. The main culprit lately has been the stomach bug that just won't quit. Over the past 2 weeks we have each sucummed to some form of it. I'm not even entirely sure we all got the same thing because of how varied our symptoms were, but one triage nurse did say that the same virus can present differently in each person affected. It would hit one of us, then we'd all be fine, a couple days would pass and then someone else or the same person would suddenly be sick. It was always gone long enough to think we were in the clear and then, boom, someone else came up really sick. Malakai has been sick 3 times in the past 2 weeks!

 

{daddy played some music to cheer us up}

It's so sad to see your kiddos sick and not be able to do much about it. It's even worse when they're missing fun events that they've been looking forward to. One praise is that February 2nd was Ben's birthday and we all managed to stay well for long enough to celebrate him, however he was hit in the middle of the night that night and there we were again...

Thus my attempts to blog more in 2016 have been thwarted so far by the diseases of the season. We are finally feeling better and praying hard against any more bouts of illness this winter! So far we are all feeling pretty good!

So make sure to subscribe, like, and follow for upcoming posts. Expect a couple giveaways, tutorials, and the like!

"Instagramming"

In an effort to solve a few problems I've had with social media lately, I've recently decided to split my Instagram feed. This will allow me to maintain privacy when sharing photos of my children with trusted family and friends on my personal account that I had previously been sharing with the public. Creating a new account (@breakingnewground) just for blog related posts will allow me to still share photos of what's coming up on the blog and the occasional (and thoroughly watermarked) photos of myself and my family while keeping it a public account allowing me to interface with all of you and other accounts in a safer way.

Hopefully this doesn't cause any confusion, but as always, feel free to contact me for questions. Comment here, on Facebook, Instagram or shoot me an old school email ;) 

Sticking with it...

Hi friends, I'm back! I've thought a lot about it and I really don't want to let go of blogging just because of what happened a couple weeks ago. So, I'm here and I'll be posting a little more depending on how often I get a little time to tap something out and throw a few photos in. Speaking of, due to aforementioned incident I will be ramping up security on my page. Annoyingly it means bigger bolder watermarks on all my photos, but I will still post photos. For now my Instagram will remain private, but feel free to request me. This will help me keep track of who has access to what I post there. I will be posting fewer photos on the Facebook page due to it's public nature, but I will still be sharing there so be sure to "like" it to get updates. 

As you can likely imagine, or possibly relate to, life with 3 kids is very busy! We went through a lot of changes all at once over the last couple months with Malakai starting Kindergarten and then Aurelia joining us just 3 days later. Ben had a week off of work and then I felt sort of thrown in to a new and very busy routine. Getting Kai to school daily proves to be exhausting and Desmond decided to stop napping completely a week later. How fun for everyone! 

{there are THREE watermarks on this photo, some are harder to find than others, just one way I'm increasing security here to protect my family from another incident of stolen identity}

Desmond turned 3 earlier this month, so our kiddos are 5, 3 and 8 weeks old as of today. Time is FLYING by us and I feel like all I can do is keep our heads above water. I know things will calm (somewhat) and even out a bit soon, but we are heading into the holidays so it can't last long!

This year I'm participating in a few Christmas Bazaars to make a little extra money and gauge interest in some of my handmade items. I will not be opening a shop anytime soon but I have done a little branding in case I decide to go that route in the future. For now, it's all informal so that I can be protective of my time. I hope to sell pre made items at the bazaars and possibly drum up some custom orders as well. I'll post dates and locations of the Bazaars that I'll have items at on our Facebook page, so keep an eye out there and then come look for my work under "BnG handmade". 

That's it for now. I will be back to share some updates on what we've been up to as a family and how the kiddos have grown. Keep an eye out for more giveaways coming as well. Thanks for taking time to check in with our little corner of the internet. 

social media hazards

It's been quiet around here, but not only because we have a tiny new human in the house. It's also not because our 3 year old isn't napping and our 5 year old is in his first and very busy year of school. While all of those things are really great reasons to take a blog break, as I've done before, I've been away for reasons out of my control. 

Sadly, I've not been around this space for a while because we recently had an issue of stolen identity. A Twitter user in the UK randomly stole a photo from our About Us section and used it as his own, claiming to be a husband and loving father of 2 (as only the boys were pictured) which means he was posing as Ben. Hiding behind our photo he attacked people verbally and brought attacks on our likenesses. Many people lashed out at him, identifying him through our photo and saying really terrible things about us in response. 

I was first notified of this impersonation through emails. I received 4 emails from different twitter users claiming that my photo had been stolen. They seemed a bit "spammy" in nature, especially because I didn't recognize any of the people contacting me.  Instead of clicking on any links in the emails I googled the username they were claiming had stolen our photo and was shocked at the snippets of tweets I saw from him and the replies of those he angered. Thankfully his account was taken down before I ever knew it existed. I am grateful to those of you who reported this user which I can only assume led to twitter removing him. 

Those who had emailed me had somehow tracked the photo back to my blog and quickly realized that we were not the ones behind the tweets this user was sending out. I was able to send tweets out to several users letting them know that the photo did not belong to this user, but the damage had been done. It just makes me sick that my husband and especially our sons were victims of these angry social media users' rants. We feel rather violated by the whole incident. I don't really want to blog or say much on twitter. I've made my instagram account private so that I have to approve followers from here on out, and I haven't posted anything to my Breaking New Ground Facebook page. I already watermark all my photos, but that didn't stop this person from using one anyhow. 

I'm trying not to let one person "ruin the internet for me" as Ben put it, but it's hard to not want to hunker down and protect my family from having anything like this happen again. I enjoy blogging for the community it has brought me to but it feels lost or broken somehow. So I'm taking some time to think and pray about what to do next. I may take my blog down and use it for my own records, or possibly make it private, open only to approved or invited users. It's also possible that I will keep things the same after some time away. 

I could use some encouragement so feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions on the matter in the comment section here. 

Thanks to those of you who read here and have supported us over the years! 

coming up...

So "40 Bags in 40 Days" is technically over, but we are still catching up on some areas that we missed or need the extra attention. I actually printed a 2nd progress chart without the dates so I could plan those things out for the next month or so. I do plan on posting a follow up when it's all finished...well as finished as it gets anyway. Decluttering is never a "one and done" deal around here. I have a feeling it's that way for most people.

I also got some questions recently about my last post and some things I shared on instagram relating to cold brew Thai tea. I'll put together a post on my method of cold brewing, it's pretty simple but I do it slightly different than others so I'll share that soon!

I'm also due for a pregnancy update. I've been scouring the internet for adorable ideas for our sweet little girl's room and we are getting pretty close. We're planning on gray walls but there are hundreds of shades and tones of gray so that has been a process of it's own! We are heading out to register tomorrow, I'm so giddy to be able to shop in the girls' section!

I haven't updated on the boys and what they've been up to for far too long. I'll make sure to do that soon as well. They are busy as ever, which is primarily what keeps me from blogging. I wouldn't have it any other way. 

I have some other fun tutorials that I've been working on since Christmas (whoops!) that are on the artsy/crafty side. I've been dabbling in sewing again but I'm nowhere near having the ability to teach anyone else much more than threading the needle...with an automatic threader. 

Easter has come + gone and we had a very full and very fun weekend, so that'll hopefully make it's way onto the blog as well. 

I'll make sure to get this space updated on all those things when I find a free moment. 

Happy Friday! 

Another Way to Read

Ever since Google Readers shut down last summer, I've been a Feedly convert. However, I figured I might as well stake my claim on Bloglovin' as well for those of you who read there.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Ever since the switch, do you use a reader? Which do you prefer? Or do you just hop around to websites, perhaps using bookmarks the old school way? No shame in that!

And if you use feedly but don't follow there yet, just click on the first watercolor button under my photo on the left to get started.

Happy Reading!

How to enter a Rafflecopter Giveaway

After trying out the new fangled way of doing giveaway entries with widgets, it seems that a large number of my readers had a hard time figuring out how to complete the entries properly. Sadly, this meant that many entries did not count. I'd hate for you to attempt to enter only to be disqualified. So, before my next big giveaway I wanted to help you all out by sharing a how-to with some additional tips.

Watch the short video below for a quick overview of the basics...

If you need additional help with these basics, head to THIS post on Rafflecopter's blog for more details.

Some in-depth tips for entering giveaways here at BNG: 

1. The biggest thing is that you have to pay attention to the details. Each entry is going to ask you to complete certain tasks, you must do these tasks or your entry won't count. I have a feeling some people just click on the submit button and forget to do the rest. Verification of your tasks being completed is how you are eligible to win via your entries. 

2. Complete the MANDATORY entry correctly or the rest of your work doesn't count. The last two giveaways have had a mandatory first entry that when completed, unlocked additional entries. The bummer is, if you don't complete the mandatory entry correctly, your extra ones don't count either. Here's a little visual. My notes are in blue, marks to highlight areas on orange. 

I've set mandatory entries similar to the one above-  "visit the featured shop's website, then comment on the giveaway post with your favorite item they sell." My first Rafflecopter giveaway, half the entrants didn't leave a comment at all. A few others just commented and said something basic like "great giveaway!"….that doesn't count either for that particular entry. A comment like "My favorite item is the grey infinity scarf." would be perfect. The point is to get you to check out the featured shop, then comment on the post with the proof! Got it? 

3. Lastly pay attention to the details and verify your work in the additional entries. The entries are going to have tasks for you to perform before clicking to receive credit will count as another entry under your name. Some examples include: 

• favorite an Etsy shop- you will be asked to leave your Etsy username to verify
• follow a twitter account- you will need to leave your twitter username to verify
• tweet about a giveaway- you will be asked to leave a link to the tweet to verify
• like a Facebook page- Rafflecopter verifies this one automatically, just hit "like" 
• like a Facebook status or photo- you will need to leave your Facebook username to verify
• comment on Facebook- you will need to leave your Facebook username to verify
• visit another blog- you will be asked to comment on that blog post and leave the name you            commented under on rafflecopter 

Some of these entries are right on the Rafflecopter form, so you don't have to go to another website. Others you'll have to head over to Facebook, Etsy, or someone's blog. They're all relatively quick to complete.

Please take note that I will NEVER set an entry that requires you to post or share something on your Facebook timeline. While I think it's a great way to share pages, blogs, and shops with your friends, it's against Facebook's policies to ask users to advertise on their timeline for contest entries. However, in the upcoming giveaway, I it is okay to encourage you to share on your timeline, it just cannot be in exchange for anything (i.e. a contest entry) or it would be considered advertising.

I hope I've clarified everything that may have kept many of you from entering correctly, or perhaps at all. If you are still confused, or have specific questions feel free to leave a comment below, or on my Facebook page. You can also email me or send a private message on Facebook.

Thanks to all of you who have entered giveaways here at Breaking New Ground. The more entries each gets means more and bigger giveaways in the future, so don't hesitate to enter and encourage your friends to do so as well so I can keep offering fun opportunities to learn about new and different shops through giveaways!

blog changes...I need your help!

It has been a long time since I've posted regularly, really ever since Desmond was born. Two little kids is a pretty time consuming adjustment. Then they go through so many different stages both as individuals and in their relationship as siblings that it's a wonder I can keep up at all! Sometimes I can't!

I've been brainstorming some changes for a few months, but even those are mostly just stirring around in my head. I'm hoping to carve out some time to implement some soon, and to get posting here more often. I've already got a great new handmade shop feature in the works, that I'm VERY excited about and a few others that I hope to come up after that.

I'm not changing the blog name, but I'm definitely going to update the look around here as soon as I can decide on what I like best and what most fits with how I want to use this space now and in the future.

The biggest change I'm considering is my url. I've never loved the .us web address but I don't know if I'd mess too many people up and lose some readers if I change it. A .com is easier to pass along to people without explaining, .us never became mainstream as we had thought it might. I'm considering the following replacements, breakingnewgroundblog.com or simply bngblog.com but I'm also taking suggestions and let me know if you prefer either of those two. I know the first is sort of long, but once you get it into your browser or reader once, you shouldn't have to worry about typing all that out again, so maybe length isn't a problem? Let's take a "vote", because I truly want your opinions!

Thanks for your input!

taking more "real" photos

Since joining the world of smart-phone users last spring the amount I use an actual camera has been rapidly decreasing. Oddly enough, it's also a factor in my blogging less. Here's why...

It's obviously more convenient to capture the candid moments with my phone because it's always close by and easier to grab off the kitchen countertop or table. We keep the DSLR in a much safer place, which means it's not quickly accessible.

Another factor is that since Desmond was born I've had far less time to "play dress-up" and take photos like I did when Kai was a baby. Less time, and the fact that Kai prefers to be mostly naked unless we are leaving the house (and even then it's a struggle).

I don't have the greatest camera on my phone, it's far better than what I used to have, but still not great for sharing photos on my blog. Since my phone is primarily how I take photos these days, I have less photos that are good enough to share here. Plus, with instagram, most of my photos are already going out to all my family and friends that would read here anyway.

I really would love to take more "real" photos, not only to blog but to have better quality photos now and down the road to look back on, print, or send.

So, here it is- I'm vowing to take more photos with an actual camera and hopefully I'll get around to sharing them too!

posting

I have at least a dozen different blog posts swirling around in my brain. When I'm making breakfast, taking a shower, or driving to work I mentally "write" them. By the time I have a few minutes to sit down I've either completely forgotten about them or my attention is needed elsewhere (or a million different elsewheres). Just thought I'd let you readers out there know, that in my absence from this space I'm at least thinking about blogging...

still blogging

It has been hard to find time to blog since Desmond was born. The last 5 6 months have gone by faster than any time in my life prior. I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again when we add to our number (yes, we'll probably have one more kiddo some day).

I have so much I want to document about my family, especially our children while they're young. I want to remember every little detail. I've been keeping track of Kai's milestones since he was a baby and now have a sheet of paper on the fridge just for writing his quotes down before I forget the hilarious or smart things he says. I also have one for Desmond's firsts and it's filling up quickly!

I also want to continue to write about the other areas of my life beyond motherhood; being a wife, a sister, an employee, daughter, friend, follower of Christ. I wish I had time to elaborate on the thoughts that pop into my head during a quick shower or the moments just before sleep. As much as I want more time to do these things, I know I'm doing exactly what I should be. I'm living out what I've always wanted most, and while it can be exhausting and it wears me down (I've been sick for almost 2 weeks now) it's my dream life and I'm so blessed that God has given me the desires of my heart.

In church today during the message I was inspired to at least get back to my Thankful on a Thursday posts. These always did me good to bring things back to perspective when my day or week (or month...) had been a bit rough. It's a direct way for me to reflect on my blessings and give the glory to God. I had also received a lot of feedback that it inspired others, so in a sense it's a win-win.So, next Thursday I'll be bringing that back...if I realize it's Thursday before it's already Friday!

In the meantime, I do the most updating on instagram these days since it's so quick and easy from my new phone. If you want to follow along with me there, my username is ShanLeAnn. You can also find me on twitter, although lately I must admit most of my tweets are my instagram photos!

Thanks to all of you who are still following along with me here: friends, family, acquaintances, and anonymous readers alike!

aaaand I'm back!

Yikes.

My blog was down for over a week and I am so sorry for no explanation before it happened. We kept putting off renewing my domain name and then I transferred it the day it was expiring. Bummer is that transfers take 5-7 business days. Whoopsie!

Anyway, I've transferred to purchasing my domain name from Twenty70 Hosting and I'm SO glad I did. Their customer service has already been amazing. Night + day compared to using My Domain before. I received one on one attention and personalized help from someone who actually cares. I highly recommend them for your blog/website needs!

So I'm back and I have a lot of catching up to do. Life has been busy in some good + satisfying ways and in some bad + not so happy ways. We are moving onward with life as always and keeping a positive outlook as we always shoot for.

While the blog was down spring arrived, and then it snowed (photos to come), and then it was sunny for a few days. Oregon. I have also been sick and I keep thinking that I'm getting better, and end up feeling worse. I have a tendency to overdo it when I am on the mend instead of letting myself heal completely. Thank you dearest husband for teaching me this interesting fact about myself.

I have also been terribly behind on my Project 365. I've been taking photos like a maniac, especially since getting an iPhone, but I have been bad about posting them. So I'll take some time tonight and over the next few days to try to catch up here and over there.

Meanwhile, here's a precious photo of my boys from today.

Thanks to those of you who are still around. Hang in there...

taking more photos

Ironically, there are no photos in this post. I just wanted to let you all know that I've started another blog for  project 365- a challenge to take and share a photo every day for a year (although I realize that it's a leap year so there are 366 days).

I tried to add it as a tab here at Breaking New Ground, but unfortunately blogger doesn't work that way. So I started a new page with a photo link to the left (that sweet pic of Malakai). Follow along with me and share your photo blogs here as well, I'd love to see what you are taking photos of this year! Thus far all of mine are of my boys!

The Sunshine Stitch Feature, Review + Giveaway

I'm proud to be hosting another great feature this week! The Sunshine Stitch is full of precious crocheted items for babies, kids, and great stuff for adults too. Alysha, the lovely lady behind the shop, is also a bloggy friend of mine. Check out her blog here.

Where are you located + are you from there originally? I live in beautiful sunny California at the moment with my husband and two wonderful boys. But I am originally from rainy Washington state and I think that is where I hope to move back to someday with my family. 

How did you come up with your shop name? I came up with my shop name simply because of where I live. Its the sunny place to be! And honestly, out of all the names I came up with... 
its the one that I just kept going back to. It was meant to be.

How long have you had your shop? My shop will have been open for one year on January 6th 2012! With almost 500 sales under my belt already, I would say that the Lord has truly had a hand on my "little" business. 

What inspires you? My boys. Their creativity. Their curiosity of the world around them. And I try to create my products in a way that I know will look wonderful, rustic, and outdoorsy but still functional. Just what my boys need. {And little girls & mamas too of course. }

What is your favorite item in your shop? For the boys, I love my newsboys cap. Its so simple yet fun. The girls: The kiss me Kate earflap is darling. And for the ladies: My Wrap your arms around me cowl. <3 

Do you have any other jobs or hobbies? Being a stay at home mama to my two boys is my number one job & I wouldnt have it any other way. I also LOVE to craft. I host monthly craft nights with my sister in law and our friends and we "try" to make beautiful things. This month we are doing holiday wreaths!!

 

Share an interesting fact about yourself. hmm. My labor with my first son was 39 hours. My labor with my second son was 5 hours. I like to keep things exciting. ;) 



What do you hope your future holds?  I hope to live a life that is glorifying to the Lord & not waste time on things that wont matter in His kingdom. I hope that His plan for me includes: watching my boys grow up to the love the Lord & have wonderful lives as well as possibly continuing to pursue my passion of crochet by someday possibly opening a small boutique shop in my own town. :) 

______ __ ______ ______ __ ______ ________ __ ______ 

Shandell's Review

Alysha recently sent my boys some of her adorable hats. A newsboy cap for Malakai and a baby beanie for Desmond. Her hats are so adorable and really well-made. 

 I love the outdoorsy look of these hats, the wooden buttons are so unique and perfect for little boys. I've always had a challenge finding cute boy stuff. These little hats are so sweet and perfect for fall. 

Malakai had a blast wearing his hat and I just love the shots I got of Desmond in his little beanie. Sadly, they wouldn't cooperate for a picture of both of them in their Sunshine Stitch creations. Lately Malakai will only hold Desmond for about 30 seconds. 

I highly recommend Alysha's products. She really has an eye for colors and cute creations. You can find stuff for almost anyone on your Christmas list!

______ __ ______ ______ __ ______ ________ __ ______ 

GIVEAWAY!

Alysha is giving away a $20 credit to a reader of Breaking New Ground! Below are details for entering. Please be sure to read the "small print" so that your entries count..

Mandatory Entry: 

(must be completed before extra entries count)

Visit The Sunshine Stitch and check out Alysha's handmade goodness. Then come back here and tell me how you'd spend the $20 credit. 

Extra Entries:

~ Add The Sunshine Stitch to your Etsy favorites

~ Like The Sunshine Stitch on Facebook

Giveaway closes on Friday November 25th, 11pm PST.

Best of Luck!

Winner will be selected at random via random.org and will have 48 hours to respond in order to claim the prize or it will be awarded to an alternate. Please leave an email address in your comment if it is not attached to your blogger profile. If I cannot contact you, an alternate will be chosen. 

Open to U.S. residents only. All comments will be verified. Comments subject to removal without notification based on their relevance to contest. All entries will be verified. So, please be sure to follow instructions carefully. 

Questions? As always click on the "email me" button to send me a message. Please do not leave a comment here that isn't intended to be an entry into the giveaway. 

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review. All opinions are my own. Click for additional disclosures and PR policies.

Thankful on a Thursday: the miracle of growth

Sometimes the day to day things just stop me in my tracks. These days I'm just in awe over how people grow + change. I'm not talking about something deeply spiritual or intellectual here, I'm referring to literal physical growth.

The day we found out I was pregnant I looked over photos from my pregnancy with Malakai and was amazed all over again at how my body changed and grew to adapt to his needs. It seems to go ever so slowly, but just think about how quick 9 months is in the span of an average lifetime.

{I have to do this again?!}

When I held sweet baby boy Justice for the first time yesterday, I thought about Malakai's birth-day. 

Malakai was slightly smaller and just 19 months later it's already hard to remember him being so very tiny. 

{9 days old}

{19 months old}

He has grown 10 inches and gained 20lbs in just a year and a half. Yet, when he sleeps like this, he's still my sweet little baby boy. It never ceases to amaze me the way God created our bodies to go through such rapid change. 

Ben's cousin had her second baby boy, Elijah, on the 7th of this month (1 of 6 February babies in our circle of family + friends). He was about 6 weeks early. At first he seemed to be doing just fine for being premature, but sadly a heart defect was discovered. He was moved to another hospital for surgery and more specialized care. His recovery has been going smoothly, considering. What is getting his parents through this is that their first son, Caleb, was born early as well. He didn't have a heard defect, but Ben's cousin, Elija's mom,  does...the exact same issue, and it's not known to be hereditary. 

God has an amazing way of preparing us for life's challenges. If you're the praying type, please lift up baby Elijah and his parents. 

I started this blog 2 years ago as of the 13th, it started out about the changes our lives were about to go through on the journey to becoming parents but has become so much more. I'm still in awe at how life changes so quickly and hope to continue to embrace it all the way through. 

This week I'm thankful for...

511. Answered prayer.

512. child-like wonder.

513. the miracle of pregnancy + birth.

514. very little nausea (so far) in this pregnancy

515. the outpouring of support when we announced our big news

516.  healing.

517. steady income.

518. perspective.

519. seeing one of my very best friends become a mother.

520. the encouragement from all my readers, especially those who have been here since I started. 

What are you thankful for?

How have you experienced that child-like wonder lately? What leaves you in awe?