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. 

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! 

What we've been up to...

I have several specific posts in the works, but of course we get slammed with the hefty cold that is going around so they are still in the works. We all got sick in rotation to maximize it's effects on our household. I finally left the house today after over a week of laying around feeling miserable. I still feel miserable, but the kids are on the mend so I took advantage and got us out!

It started three weeks ago, Malakai started acting out and become a bit unruly. I took him in to get his ears checked after he casually mentioned some pain. He had some swelling and fluid but no redness or other signs of infection. A few days later he was still in pain so we went back and he had double ear infections. Then a couple weekends ago Des wasn't acting himself and threw up at the dinner table…with all my in-laws present. What a joy that was, poor kiddo. He didn't vomit anymore but was acting sick and sad for a few days. Malakai subsequently got sick from his antibiotics (even while taking probiotics) so we had to go in for a 3rd time and they switched the prescription. 

Right on cue, as they started to get a bit better Ben + I came down with a hacking cough. It started off as just irritating but mine took on a whole life of it's own. I've not had a cold this bad in many years. Then last week Des woke up from a nap at Grandma's with a fever, that night he woke with a barky cough and stridor. Thankfully we had a refill left on his prescription from last time he had croup so we picked that up over the weekend and he started to feel better. Now he and I have that lingering cough. He only coughs a few times a day, I cough every time I try to talk and then some. 

So, what else have we been up to? Watching entirely too much television, snuggled up on the couch, drinking plenty of water and napping. Thrilling stuff, I know. I'm hoping we can be done with sickness for the rest of the winter and move on with life!

Coming up, I have posts on Homeschool Preschool, cloth diapering, and features and giveaways. Some of you may have seen my posts on Instagram + Facebook, but if you missed it we have a very exciting giveaway coming up from Freshly Picked, who just appeared on Shark Tank this past Friday! I can't wait! 

One other thing- I often use Picmonkey for quick photo edits and other embellishments (like our digital Christmas card this year). Here's a code to use the paid features (Royale) for free for a day http://www.picmonkey.com/free_4_friends/11e4313c1 
Enjoy!

Don't forget to become a fan of our new Facebook page to keep track of new posts here as well as tips, deals, and giveaways exclusive to our Facebook fans. 

COMING UP!....

hey people,

I just wanted to give you a heads up that coming soon, I will be reinstating features, reviews, and best of all...giveaways!

 I have some super talented friends, it truly blows me away that I'm surrounded by so many creative minds. I want to share their work with you, so we'll be partnering to do just that here in the coming weeks. Check back here often because I haven't even determined the dates yet, so it could happen suddenly tomorrow, or possibly next week. 

Head on over to my the Features + Giveaways page here to get a sneak peek at the upcoming features and you'll for sure be back once you get a glimpse at the amazing offerings these gals will have up for grabs!

Happy Weekend!