A Life in Balance

motivation monday: girl scouts & fire fighters

Barb — Sun, 19 May 2013 23:01:28 +0000

Last Monday, as part of our regular Girl Scout meeting, my co-leaders and I took our Daisies and Brownies across the street to the local fire station. Imagine our surprise when we found a female firefighter waiting to give us a tour of the station! First, Karen showed us the clothes and equipment fire fighters [...]

#fitness friday: foot and ankle strengthening

Barb — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:00:42 +0000

Imagine running in a pair of shoes made from tire treads over truly rock terrain filled with boulders, holes, and logs. As wild as it sounds, there’s a group of Indians in Mexico known for their incredible running ability and their shoes made from tire treads. To them, running is life; it’s play; it’s how [...]

#vlogmom: my advice to new graduates

Barb — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:37:11 +0000

This week’s #vlogmom topic from Alissa of Clever Compass focuses on advice to new graduates, whether they’re graduating high school or college. I still remember how I felt the day after I graduated from college. I loved going to school at the University of Delaware; I came out of my shell in a lot of [...]

fabulously frugal thursday: recycled art project for kids

Barb — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:00:37 +0000

Every April for Earth Day, 1st and 2nd graders in my children’s school make 2 recycled art projects. One is a group project – a robot made with the help of adult volunteers. The other is a project done at home. One year, we made animals; another year it was hats; this year it’s vehicles. [...]

farm tour: eckerton hill farm and rodale

Barb — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:32:10 +0000

3 Moms and 8 Kids: Myself and My Kids, Becky of Crafty Garden Mama and her daughter, and Lauryn of The Vintage Mom and her kids and a friend One of the greenhouses at Eckerton Hill in Oley, PA I never expected to see my 9 year old feed a cow; animals are not his [...]

home management binder: end of school planning

Barb — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:00:03 +0000

22 Days. Yes, 22 week days until my children are finished school. In those 22 days, I have half days, field days, Kindergarten events, Kindergarten graduation, Girl Scout meetings, a Girl Scout bridging event, and one end-of-year field trip. Plus gifts/cards for my children’s teachers. No wonder I’m so tired! So, I’m making an end [...]

motivation monday: filling my bucket for mother’s day

Barb — Sun, 12 May 2013 22:00:49 +0000

Yesterday, on Mother’s Day, I decided to bring my camera with me for my long run at the Heinz Wildlife Refuge. After I did my almost 6 miles, I wandered around part of the impoundment area shooting lots of photos and chatting with the other visitors. The carp were thrashing in the shallows along the [...]

personal record for a 5k: yes, i can race faster than i think!

Barb — Fri, 10 May 2013 10:00:35 +0000

Me with my age group medal! When I realized that I wouldn’t be ready to run the Broad Street Race (10 miles) a week before the race thanks to a recurring sinus infection, I was upset. Finally, after months of recovering from a severe ankle sprain, I thought I was back on track and ready [...]

#vlogmom: mother’s day – how my daughter sees me

Barb — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:16:02 +0000

Every year for Mother’s Day, my Kindergartners come home with a pile of cards and projects they made in school which they eagerly hand over to me, before Mother’s Day. I love reading the cards! They all see me as such a big person! This year, I’m sharing my daughter’s cards and pictures. More Mother’s [...]

fabulously frugal thursday: rainbow lego birthday party

Barb — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:00:13 +0000

This past weekend, we had our last 5th birthday party. It was a bittersweet moment. No more babies. No more toddlers. Just preschool to high school. I was surprised by how much interest my not yet 5 year old son showed in planning his party. At Target, he went for lots of candles. He kept [...]