New Life Overnight

Early Bird Gets the Worm 2

2016-01-11T18:31:00.000-05:00

Some non morning people may be curious about how my weekend went. Did I get up early? Yes, it was not easy but I did get up.

Friday night I tried convincing myself that I had no reason to get up early on Saturday. I did not plan to work so why not just sleep in. My youngest son kept waking up in the middle of night. So it was a restless night. When the 6 o'clock alarm went off my husband slipped out of bed and turned it off. Even though I did not get up at 6:00 am, I was up earlier then usual at 7:00 am. To me that was still a success.

Saturday night I had some of the same feelings. Why would I get up early on the weekend? Yet, I did get up at 6:00 am. I can not lie and say that I was not tired. In fact Sunday morning I just sat in my chair and played games on my phone and checked my Facebook.

I did realize one thing. No matter what time I get up in the morning, I need some time to get going. So getting up early is actually a good thing for me. By the time 8:00 to 9:00 comes around I am feeling more alive. When I wake up at 7:45 (my old schedule) I am not awake till almost 10:30 am.

Have you decided to try and wake up early too? If you have share with me how it is going.

Here are some tips I found are helping me to wake up.

1. Set the alarm away from the bed so you have to get up to turn it off.

2. Have a plan for the morning. If you do not have anything to do you will not want to wake up. Plan something interesting.

3. Turn on all the lights in the house so that it wakes you up.

Early Bird Gets the Worm

2016-01-08T07:15:00.004-05:00

According to this podcast: http://podcasts.michaelhyatt.com/TIYL_S6_EP_09_102815.mp3

Everyone can be a morning person. I am not a morning person. My husband knows I am not a morning person. In fact my husband is the one that came to me yesterday with an offer I could not refuse. He said that if I would just listen to this podcast he would give me a massage. How could I turn it down? He did not tell me what the podcast was but at the time I really did not care. I was going to get 30 minutes to myself to listen to it and a massage. Did I mention he has been wanting me to become a morning person? He believes like the podcast that it will make you a more productive person.

So I listened and I have to say I was in a good mood of not caring and I told him sure lets try this go to bed and wake up early deal. Of course I had some questions? How do we do this with the kids? What time will we actually get up? What time will we go to bed? How will I get my quiet time in at night if I am going to bed so early? Why do I need to wake up so early?

Of course my husband informed me he already had a plan. He even bought a timer that will turn a light on in our room at a certain time in the morning. This means we have to wake up, walk across the room and turn it off (sigh). Not sure what I just got myself into. The plan is lights out at 9:00 but bed is at 10:00. I will continue this post in the morning where I can tell you how it goes!

So here I am at 6:15 am and I am blogging. Did I want to wake up? NO! Last night I could not fall asleep at 10. In fact, I feel asleep at 11:00 pm. Which meant if I were to wake up at 6:00 am, I would only be getting 7 hours sleep. My mind threw a red flag right away. I need my 8 hours of sleep. When the alarm went off and the light flickered I was annoyed. I did not mind this routine if I got my sleep but I felt like I was getting the bad end of the deal. Most people would love to have 7 hours sleep. Being a mom of five my 7 hours is interrupted with checks on the kids.

Even though I do not feel like I have enough sleep, I am up. I am blogging. My kids are still in bed. My cats decided to run across the house meowing trying to wake them all up. I am getting work done. So I guess there is one benefit already to my day. My mind is still telling me I am not a morning person. I am trying to change that.

It is now 6:40 am and I have had some coffee and toast. I am feeling much more awake. My mood is much better also. Maybe I can do this!

More posts to come on what tips am I using to get out of bed and be productive? Is this a benefit for me? Why am I continuing to do this to myself? and more....

10 Things I Can Not Forget From 2015

2016-01-02T16:16:00.002-05:00

This has been a great (busy) year for my family. We have had some great times.

Here is a list of the 10 things from 2015 that I can not forget!

1. Going to Disney

2. Going to the Beach

3. My daughter and husband being able to go on a mission trip to Costa Rica

4. My oldest daughter became a driver

5. Starting a new tiny tott class at my church
6. My husband grew a beard

7. Taking my kids to Rock Springs (I loved this park when I was growing up)

8. Started homeschooling all my children

9. Was able to use my photography skills I have learned to shoot a wedding

10. We took in 5 new furry friends, our cute bunnies

New Years Organization

2015-12-30T13:53:00.002-05:00

It is time to get more organized at the Bell house! Every school morning we have a family meeting. We go over what our week looks like and the chores we need to do. Then we read a devotion for the day.

This year we are going to buy planners for everyone in the family. This way we bring our planner to the meeting and can see what is going on for the week. I am praying it will make us more productive.

I found some awesome planners on christianbook.com

check out my affiliate link Planner on CBD.com to find the perfect planner for your families needs.

My husband found this planner that he wants to try, you can find it on amazon for $14.99. Click on the picture below for my affiliate link.

Another Phase of Our NewLifeOvernight!

2015-12-26T21:00:00.001-05:00

My oldest daughter turned 15 this month and received her Drivers Permit! I am excited and nervous about this new phase in our life. It is crazy having a teenage driver. I still think of her as a kid.

My husband was the first to give her a driving lesson. He said it was very scary and not for the faint of heart. He advised that I wait to take her out when she is more experienced. I do not have the nerves of steal that are required.

It looks like we are on the verge of teenage drivers, nervous breakdowns, a parking lot in the front yard, raised insurances and another phase of our NEWLIFEOVERNIGHT. Start saying an extra prayer at night for the new driver in the Bell house.

What I Look for in Homeschool Curriculum

2015-12-14T14:54:00.000-05:00

There are so many homeschool curriculums out there it can be very daunting picking the right one. First you need to determine how your family dynamics work. For instance I have five different age children ranging from 2 to 15. I wanted a curriculum that had something for each of them at their grade level.

I specifically wanted a curriculum that was Christian based. The curriculum I found actually has memory verses for each grade level for each subject. It also teaches biblical principles throughout their work.

Since their are so many curriculums out there I wanted to go with one that was tested by my peers. I found home school families that had similar dynamics as mine. For instance we have a Pastor friend that home school's. Since my husband is a pastor and we live similar life styles their curriculum choice weighed heavy. I asked them about their curriculum and why they liked it. I asked them what their day looked like using their books. I even asked them how they ordered their materials. They were even able to direct me to other families that used their curriculum and loved it.

It did take a little research. However, I knew without a doubt what curriculum I wanted to try. When I finally started school with my new curriculum, I used my friends suggestions on how to implement the curriculum in our day. I love what I chose to use and it works perfectly for our family.

If you are changing curriculum or starting new make sure you pick what's best for your family. I found there are a lot of different opinions about every curriculum out there. Good Luck!

What curriculum is your favorite and why?

Andi Unstoppable by Amanda Flower

2015-12-12T18:49:00.000-05:00

I received this copy of Andi Unstoppable from the book look bloggers program for my honest review. This book is written by Amanda Flower. It is the third book in the Andi Boggs Novel Series.

I enjoyed this book from the beginning. It is about a girl in middle school named Andi Boggs. She is best friends with a boy named Colin. Together they create some great adventures. In this book they are on a school project to bird watch. But they set out to solve a great mystery with historical significance. In this book they learn that not everything is the way it seems. Especially people they know.

This book kept my interest the whole time I was reading. My children all want to read it just by seeing me read it and looking at the cover. The first two books in the series received Agatha Award Nominations. The only complaint I have about this book is that I wish I would have read the first two books. Some situations were revealed in this book that I wish I knew more about from the last books. Overall I really enjoyed this book and I know my kids will too.

Click on the books below to find your own copy through Amazon.com

7 Ways to Enjoy the Christmas Season

2015-12-01T15:10:00.003-05:00

We all know that Christmas is an exciting time for children and adults. Here are 7 ways to enjoy the Christmas season for little or no money.

1. Rent books about winter or Christmas from the library and read one everyday to your kids. I have done this for years and I love it as much as my kids.

2. Decorating for Christmas is something I always involve my kids in and we make it fun with hot chocolate and a Christmas movie on the TV.

3. Christmas movies and shows on TV. If you cant find what you are looking for check out Amazon Prime. They have free Christmas Movies. Get your 30 day free trial now through my affiliate link. You can cancel anytime.

4. Check out your local newspaper for Christmas parades. They are always fun for the family. They are also FREE!

5. Drive around at night and oh and ah over the pretty lights you find.

6. If kids books are not your thing, get yourself a Christmas Novel. One of my favorites is A Prairie Christmas. You can buy it for your kindle for under $4.00.

7. Try a new Christmas recipe. This time of year my husband always wants me to make him homemade chex mix, peanut butter blossoms and chocolate covered pretzels.

My Easy Homemade Chex Mix Recipe

Homeschool Book I Enjoy

2015-12-01T09:51:00.003-05:00

I wanted to share this new book I found at the library. It is called "This Is My Home, This Is My school" by Jonathan Bean. This is a book about homeschooling. It is told from the child's point of view. It is very cute and I think all homeschool moms and kids can relate to this book.

You can find it on Amazon, here is my affiliate link:

This Is My Home, This Is My School

My Day as a Homeschool Mom

2015-11-30T20:08:00.000-05:00

What my schedule looks like as a Stay At Home, Homeschool Teacher, Wife and Mom?

We typically get up and have breakfast. Then we do some chores in the house. After that we start class. Class starts at the same time everyday. After saying our pledges the kids are free to start their work for the day. While the kids are in school I try to get work done and watch my two year old.

We have a thirty minute recess in the morning. We also have an hour long lunch.

After lunch I go to the classroom with the kids and sit down with each child. I go over their work and any problems they are facing.

Then its nap time for my little one. I usually use this time to work on a project. Sometimes I take advantage of this quite time of the day and rest.

We end school at 3:00 pm. My kids typically go outside and play after school.

Most the time I am able to get chores done while the kids are schooling.

Mondays and Tuesdays I always do laundry.
Thursdays I try to get groceries.
All my other chores I squeeze in when I get the chance.

How does your day look?

Christmas Card Deals

2015-11-24T11:06:00.002-05:00

Some great deals coming out on Tinyprints.com for your holiday cards.

Click here for 40% off Tiny Prints Starting on November 27th use code BLACKFRI40

Click here for 40% off NOW when you spend $149 and free shipping use code THANKS40FS

Winter Classroom Theme

2015-11-21T10:06:00.003-05:00

Our class is now a Winter theme! I wanted a theme that was easy and cheap this time. I love decorating our room where we do most of our homeschooling. It keeps it interesting for our kids that live in their school. It is a great change of scenery for them. So I found some ideas on pinterest and here is what happened.

I do not think of myself as a crafty person but I LOVE my penguins I made. They were so easy!

A couple cute snowman and snowflakes hanging up over the closet. They were less then $5.00 at Walmart.

Paper plates make great snowmen. $1.00 plastic tableclothes from Walmart make great icicles and backgrounds.

Of course I added some silver tinsel to the room and some posters that were winter themed.

I decorated when my kids were gone for the day and they came home and loved it.

I Prayed For You by Jean Fischer Illustrated by Frank Endersby

2015-11-20T20:40:00.001-05:00

I Prayed For You by Jean Fischer is such a cute book. It is about a mama bear who as her cub grows up she prays for him. It has small prayers for milestones in her cubs life such as walking and going to school. She also prays when she is mad or sees her cub get hurt. I really enjoyed this book from the beginning to the end. I loved how the mama tells her baby cub how she prayed for him before he was even born. One of my favorite little prayers is "God, give this silly bear dances and wiggles, the happiest fun, and bundles of giggles!".

Not only is the story cute but the illustrations by Frank Endersby are adorable. I just want to jump in the pages and cuddle the mama and her cub. The pictures are very soft and kid friendly.

This book is for elementary ages and under. I received a free copy from the booklook bloggers program to write my honest review. I chose this book for my two year old and I know he will love it.

You can find this book on Christianbook.com, click link below.

I Prayed for You Boardbook
By Jean Fisher & Frank Endersby (Illustrator) / Thomas Nelson

You can also find it on Amazon and if you have Prime you can get free shipping! If you do not have Prime you can get a 30 day free trial right now! You can cancel anytime but take advantage of some free shipping.
Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial

Free Thanksgiving Activities and Ebooks

2015-11-13T16:33:00.001-05:00

Grab these fun and free Thanksgiving activities for your kids!

Check out edsnapshots.com for your free preschool lapbook and unit study on Thanksgiving.

Check out these cute puppets that are free from weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com

sallieborrink.com has free Pilgrim Sentence Scrambles

Free Story Problem Activities using subtraction and addition for educents.com

At freehomeschooldeals.com you can get a free e-book called Celebrate Thanksgiving .

How to Shop for Christmas without Losing Your Sanity

2015-11-12T10:15:00.001-05:00

The Christmas shopping season is quickly approaching. Some black Friday ads are already appearing on the internet. With a large family it can be hard to afford and find all that I would like to get them.

Black Friday does have great deals but I hate fighting the crowds, missing family time, and spending more than I intended to. That’s where my secret weapon comes in.

I use Amazon.com...a lot!

The benefits are:

· They still have GREAT deals.
·         They have hard to find toys.
·         I save on gas.
·         It doesn’t interrupt my Thanksgiving.
·         They have great customer service.
·         Shipping is super fast.
·   I get to shop from home.

I have been shopping on Amazon.com for a while now. A few years ago I took the plunge and signed up for Amazon Prime. This yearly subscription service gives me FREE 2-day shipping. That means that whenever I find a great deal it ships fast for FREE.

Every year for Christmas we have to get a few gifts for family members who live far away. The shipping fees are usually pretty high. So last year we decided to buy the gifts on Amazon.com and have them shipped for FREE as a part of our Amazon Prime subscription. There was a small fee for wrapping but our family raved about how nice the presents looked when they arrived. It was a huge time and money saver.

We also enjoy streaming FREE movies, TV shows, and music all year long as part of the Amazon Prime subscription.

Here is the great news...

Now you can sign up for a FREE 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.

Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial

That means you can do all of your Christmas shopping with FREE 2-day shipping! If you like it then pay the yearly subscription fee. If not then just cancel before the 30 day trial period.

How has your experience with Amazon.com been?

I am Overwhelmed and I Think My Hats are to Blame

2015-11-10T16:37:00.000-05:00

Ladies wear too many hats!! I have heard many say that they just do not feel adequate. We put too much pressure on ourselves to be everything to everybody.

I will use myself as an example.

Here are my hats in no special order:

Wife
Mom
Pastor's Wife
Sunday School Teacher
Ladies Auxiliary Vice President
Homeschool Teacher
Cook
Laundry Mat
Cleaner
Seamstress
Photographer
Blogger
etc.....

If you actually sit down and write all the hats you wear during the day, your head would be to small to hold them all. This creates defeat. There is no way we can excel at everything we attempt. It may appear that some woman do. However, most of those women claim to be as lost as everyone else.

When we look at our hats we need to see which ones we can throw away. I can throw out Seamstress. I used to fix buttons and alter clothing. I love to sew but I just do not have the time. Besides a few small projects, my daughter does all the sewing for me.

When we get rid of a hat our head has room for the more important things. As woman we are great multi-taskers. However we can not excel at what we love if we do not make more room on our head.

Next we need to pick the most important hats. Mine is Mom and Wife. Those are my two most important jobs. They will always take priority. If I can excel at being a mom and wife then I feel good about myself. When I worry about perfect cooking and making sure I have a blog post twice a week I put too much pressure on myself.

If you feel bogged down and inadequate then take a good look at your hats. Maybe you have too many. Once you have conquered your most important hats then you can put more effort into the rest.

Win or Lose I Love You! by Lysa Terkeurst, illustrated by Jana Christy

2015-11-05T15:21:00.003-05:00

I chose to review the book Win or Lose I Love You! by Lysa Terkeurst because I wanted a book for my children to help teach them to play fair. I have had problems in the past with my children wanting to cheat at games just to win. They are very competitive and none of them want to lose. This book certainly demonstrated how to behave whether you win or lose.

I love the theme for the book "You may not win, but you must try. Sometimes you'll lose, but there's no need to cry. Win or lose, one thing that's true... No matter what, I love you!

Lulu and Max are the main characters and they go into the forest to have a field day with the animals. When the animals compete there is trouble with winning and losing. But everything works out great in the end. Bear-Bear is the character that exhibits the best behavior and is made the leader of the forest. Coyote learns a lesson on how he needs to act when he loses and when he wins.

Included at the end of the book is 10 Biblical Words of Wisdom Whether You Win or Lose. The only thing I did not like was that the many different versions of the Bible was used in the Words of Wisdom. However if you are a fan of KJV only which I am, then you can just remove this last page.

The illustrations by Jana Christy were very cute and whimsical. Overall this book was very cute and I hope that my children can better understand what it is like to win and lose with grace the next time they play a game together.

I am provided with a free copy of this book from the publisher through the booklook bloggers book review program. I was not required to write a positive review but to express my own opinion on this book.

Click the below link to find this book on Christianbook.com

Win or Lose, I Love You!
By Lysa TerKeurst / Thomas Nelson

Competition can bring out the worst in us, but it can also be an opportunity to learn impactful life lessons. That's why it's so important for kids to understand how to handle winning and losing. Join Lulu and Max as they help Bear-Bear, Goosey, Coyote and the rest of their animal friends in the Field Day contests determine who will be the leader of Lulu's forest. But as the animals soon find out, not everyone can win. Sore losers, unkind winners, flaring tempers, and a few tears are taking the fun straight out of Field Day. Recommended for ages 4 to 8 years.

Cutest Pumpkin Dessert Ever!!

2015-10-30T21:37:00.004-04:00

I think these are the cutest little pumpkin desserts I have ever seen!!

Give it a try:

Use a spice cake box mix.

Cook it in small bundt cake pans.

Stick two cakes together with a pretzel.

After that melt some white frosting.

Also melt some seasonal orange frosting or make your own with food dye.

Pour some icing on top.

Add some gold sprinkles and tada!!

Dinosaur Books I Love for my Two Year Old

2015-10-30T20:38:00.002-04:00

When I went to the library today, I found a book called "How Dinosaurs Go To School" by Jane Yolen & Mark Teague.

How Do Dinosaurs Play All Day?
By Jane Yolen & Mark Teague(ILLUS) / Cartwheel Books

My son loved it and I went online and found there are a ton more of them. I liked that they are fun and my son loves dinosaurs. It also teaches your child how to act in certain situations. They are so easy to read. I really loved them! I plan on getting him some for Christmas.

These are just a couple of the many different titles I found. I can not wait to order some for my two year old. He loves them!

Holiday Toy List and Great DEALS!

2015-10-28T11:56:00.003-04:00

I ran across this today and thought I would share. I have five kids so I have to start my Christmas shopping early! I have been shopping on Amazon for many years. Last year I found it was so easy to order what I wanted online and have it shipped to me. I am a prime member so getting free shipping is a bonus.

Shop Amazon's Holiday Toy List

Shop Amazon Outlet - Clearance, Markdowns and Overstock Deals , I found the below toys in the outlet and there was so many deals I could not post them all.

*I love Amazon and I am in the Amazon Affiliate program.

7 Reasons to Love a Small House

2015-10-28T10:38:00.000-04:00

We are a family of seven. In a four bedroom house. That doesn't sound so bad. However I also home school and on occasion my husband is working from home. Where do I fit everything? This may seem like tight quarters but I have found there are 7 reasons to love my small (for us) house.

1. Less to Clean- As busy as I get it really helps to have less to clean.

2. Easier to Find Your Children - I do not have to go far through the house to find any one of my children.

3. No Storage - This sounds like a bad thing. However, not having a lot of storage space has made me de-clutter ALOT.

4. Kids are Close - My boys share a room. My girls share a room. They do not get along all the time but when its bed time they are all giggles and the best of friends.

5. Enjoying Nature - When it gets to stuffy then my kids go outside and play. It is great that they want to be outside in nature. There is nothing better then some fresh air. So many kids now just sit in front of a screen.

6. Cheaper Electricity - This is self explanatory.

7. Oven Heater - In the winter I can bake in the kitchen and it will warm half the house. Baked goods and a warm house all in one.

I am sure there are plenty more benefits to having a smaller home. What is your number one reason to have a smaller house?

The Plans I Have For You by Amy Parker

2015-10-22T19:55:00.000-04:00

The Plans I Have For You by Amy Parker is a colorful fun book. It is for ages 4 - 8. It is to inspire readers of all ages to dream about their future and to trust that God has great plans for each and every one of us. This book does a good job teaching children that God has made us all for a purpose. He has a plan for each child. It explains how the Bible will help them along their way. It expresses that each person is very important. God made them special and their is nothing that they can not do because God is with them.

The book is easy to understand and it has colorful illustrations. Younger ages would like this book being read to them, however they would not understand the meaning behind the book. My 9 year old saw this book and couldn't wait to get her hands on it.

BookLook Bloggers provided me with a free copy of this book to write my honest opinion.

How I Scrapbook an Entire Year in 30 Minutes

2015-10-20T15:22:00.000-04:00

I love to scrapbook. At least I used to. The problem is that it takes so much time –

time that I just don’t have any more. A few years ago I found myself falling further and further behind with my scrapbook projects. I was so stressed because saving memories is important to me. I really didn’t know how I was going to get it all done. Then I got an email offer for a cheap custom photo book from Shutterfly.com.

I thought to myself…it’s not the same as scrapbooking but at this point I just want to get my memories saved.

Getting started was really easy. They have step by step directions on how to create great looking photo books. A person can make their book with one of the templates or get fancy and make everything custom. I found that by going the easy route I could actually get it all done in thirty minutes. The longest part of making my photo book online was choosing the pictures from my computer. Once I decided what pictures I wanted, it was very easy.

From that moment I quit scrapbooking and have never looked back.

What I really love is that it looks so good when it comes in the mail. It is a real book like you would buy at a book store! I proudly display them around the house. My kids love to look at them over and over. I now create at least one a year.

Shutterfly is always running great deals. So it’s best to sign up and opt in to receive emails from them. Sometimes I am surprised at the great promotions they offer. In the past I have actually received free photo books and only paid the shipping!

This is one way this mother of five has been able to keep up with my memories. I no longer stress about how I am so behind with my pictures.

So save yourself some time and energy and go to www.shutterfly.com. They are running a deal now and you can save up to 50% on Shutterfly Photo Books, Calendars, Prints, and more.

Please take a moment to comment below with tips you use to preserve your families picture memories. Us busy women need all the help we can get.

*I am a Shutterfly Affiliate. If you think this method may help you then please sign up using the links above. I only promote products that I actually use and would recommend to family and friends.

Pencil Shavings

2015-10-16T15:34:00.001-04:00

I had to share this story a friend posted! I read it right after my messy trunk post. It really puts some things in perspective! My messy trunk may just be pencil shavings!

Years ago when our children were all small, my sister in law got a call from her friend, telling her the heartache she was going through with her teenage son - drugs, drinking, etc. Heartbreaking. My nephew, still in elementary school, comes home the same day with a note from the teacher saying that he was in big trouble. Seems the cover was off of the pencil sharpener (remember the ones that used to hang on the wall in the classroom?) and her son just went ahead and sharpened his pencil and let the pencil shavings fall on the floor! You would have to know my sister in law, but she said after listening to the heartache of her friend that day, it just hit her wrong so she wrote back to the teacher, "SO WHAT??!! It's just pencil shavings!!!!" Now I know that we are to teach our children to obey and be respectful in the small things as well as the big, but for years now we have often used the phrase, "Its just pencil shavings!" Its good to keep things in perspective and some things aren't worth stressing over.

How to Cook your Fresh Pumpkin and more...

2015-10-15T19:17:00.001-04:00

I took my kids to a pumpkin patch to pick out a pumpkin. I had this great plan to use it as a fall decoration for a week. Then cook it. However, I have never cooked a pumpkin.

I found that most incredible pumpkin recipes require pumpkin puree. So here is how to make it with your fresh pumpkin at premeditatedleftovers.com.

It is way easier then you think! Once you are done there are so many easy recipes that you can make. You can even freeze it to have pumpkin all year long.

Then don't throw out the seeds. Find out how to roast them on onelittleproject.com.

If you don't feel like cooking your pumpkin or that is just not your thing.

Check out these 6 clever ways you can use a pumpkin from takeasy.com. Who knew you could use it for compost, planters, bird feeders and serving bowls.

What do you do with your fresh pumpkins?