Life Archives • Page 7 of 26 • diy mama

by Shelly on March 8, 2018 2 Comments

A Wrinkle in Time Movie Review| Is it kid friendly?

Disney does it again. A Wrinkle in Time pulled on my heartstrings. There was a 56 year time span between the 1962 published children’s book and the 2018 live-action A Wrinkle in Time film. We’ll share the full breakdown, no spoilers and a few insights on what ages are appropriate to view this film. There is also a download for activity sheets and coloring pages at the end.

A Wrinkle in Time

When Madeleine L’Engle’s young adult novel “A Wrinkle in Time” was first published in 1962, it became an instant classic. The timeless story of a young girl searching the universe for her father enchanted countless readers around the world and spawned four additional books featuring the same characters known as L’Engle’s Time Quintet. In 1963 the book was awarded the Newbery Medal (as the most distinctive piece of work in children’s literature for that year), and its popularity has continued to grow since then.

I don’t recall reading A Wrinkle in Time as a child but once I’d seen the trailer I checked it out from the library right away! The story combined several of my favorite genres: YA, sci-fi and Disney. I personal enjoyed the book although it’s not a story I would re-read on my own again. On the other hand, I am excited to read it as a family with our daughter when she’s around 7 or 8.

Why We Took Our Four Year Old

Because there weren’t any reviews yet on the internet to give information on whether it would be appropriate for her, we brought her along to the preview. Our daughter is four and although I knew a large portion of the plot would be lost on her, I thought she would still enjoy the movie overall. She was a big fan of Charles Wallace’s character (played by Deric McCabe) because she assumes he is her age. She was also a fan of all of the beautiful scenery in the various areas of the universe an the cosmic costumes the Mrs’s wore.

Had I seen the movie before she did, I likely would not have had her watch it yet (definitely not in a theater where everything is more intense). If you’ve read the book, you’ll already know about ‘The It’ which is an evil force trying to take over the universe. It’s a dark concept and is portrayed as such in the film graphically. The film is rated PG for ‘thematic elements and some peril’. The ‘some peril’ portion is more suited for children ages 6 or 7+.

Why It’s Great for Kids

Although we won’t be showing this movie to our daughter for another few years, there were some excellent plot points that are amazing to share with your kids. I appreciated the casting of the film with it’s wide range of diversity. If we dig deeper into the story, we also see themes that make great talking points with our kids. Bullying. Broken emotional children. Split family dynamics. Loss. Pain of loss. Discovering our faults. Accepting our brokenness. Proving your self-worth. Trust. Finding the light within. Healing. Forgiveness. So many potential good good good post-movie conversations to be had here, especially with delicate tweens.

Are your kids begging to see A Wrinkle In Time every time they see the trailer or a poster like mine? Disney has been hitting it out of the park with their live action movies lately and this one is no exception.

In the meantime I’m excited to be able to download and print out these adorable Wrinkle In Time Coloring Pages for us– plus there are a couple of bonus activities! Simply CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD the coloring pages today!

Like A WRINKLE IN TIME on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WrinkleInTimeMovie/

Follow A WRINKLE IN TIME on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WrinkleinTime

Follow A WRINKLE IN TIME on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wrinkleintime/

Visit the official A WRINKLE IN TIME website here: http://movies.disney.com/a-wrinkle-in-time

A WRINKLE IN TIME opens in theatres everywhere this Friday March 9th!

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by Shelly on March 7, 2018 4 Comments

Three Ways to Make Being Active Part of Your Routine

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NewNutrishPEAK #NutrishPets #CollectiveBias

Our pup is a picky eater and we’ve spent a lot of time, money and worry on her diet. Rachael Ray products are such a great brand in every other category and we knew her dog food would be the same. Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Peak™ Wetlands Recipe™ with Chicken, Duck & Pheasant is not only tasty for her but has caused our dog to gain a bit of weight back that she had recently lost. She has never been a big eater but since we switched to Rachael Ray’s Nutrish Peak she now nudges me once her bowl is filled so she can devour it. PEAK is a protein-rich food for dogs with nutrient-dense meats.

Our pup Lexi always wants to play. She’s a German Shepard Chow Chow mix with lots of enthusiasm and personality. Thankfully we have a 4 year old daughter who is the same energy-wise and they are best friends. We love camping, hiking and playing at the park with them both. Right now I am pregnant so we’ve been doing walks any day the weather allows. My daughter rides her bike and Lexi and I jog behind.

Lexi and our daughter both have so much more energy and strength because of these regular walk/jogs and are always tired at bedtime. Staying active is incredibly important no matter your age or situation (or species). We make taking walks, visits to the park, hiking and camping part of our regular routine to keep active and learn about nature. One way we’re able to keep our dog’s energy up with all this activity is to have a dog food she enjoys and has nutritious ingredients.

Three Ways to Make Being Active Part of Your Routine

1. Family Walks – As the days get longer in the Midwest we will be doing more walks as a family after dinner. For now, my daughter, dog and I go for walks before Daddy gets home. This is a great way to start our habit before the baby comes.
2. Weekend Hikes – We are so very lucky to have beautiful parks all over Indiana. Each of us likes being outside and we hit the trails for fun on the weekends whenever possible. Even better if we find a creek to stomp in!
3. Camping Trips – Our family makes it a point to schedule camp sites with lots of trails several times throughout the year. We have a camper so booking ahead is key but it allows for inexpensive family mini-vacations that makes us all happy.

We added Lexi to our family in 2010 after finding her at the Humane Society. As many others have said, we didn’t save her, she saved us. She is always there for us when we need love or a snuggle and makes us happy every day. We always encourage others to shop at a shelter or rescue for their pets. This is also a big reason why I decided to purchase Nutrish Peak for Lexi.

A portion of proceeds from each sale of Nutrish is donated to The Rachael Ray Foundation, which helps animals in need. Through December 2017, more than $23.5 million dollars have been donated to animal charities and other organizations that do good for animals. The funds are used for food, medical supplies, treatments, and more. Many more animals around the country need help, and through The Rachael Ray Foundation, together we can make a real difference in the lives of many four-legged friends. Check out the Nutrish PEAK website for more information and where to buy this wholesome and delicious product for your dog!

We love that Nutrish PEAK dry food for dogs contains 30% high-quality protein and 0% grains, glutens or fillers. If your pup likes wet food, every Nutrish PEAK wet food recipe is made with real chicken, combined with protein–rich duck, beef or lamb for a flavor your dog will love. I purchased Nutrish PEAK at PetSmart and used this coupon for additional savings! PetSmart had Rachel Ray’s pet line in the center aisle as soon as I walked in as well as in the Natural Food section of the dog food aisle. Let me know some activities you like to include to make being active part of your routine!

by Shelly on February 20, 2018 Leave a Comment

5 Tips on Working From Home

Working from home sounds like the dream. I promise it is not as glamorous as one might think. Waking up late, working in your PJs, taking long lunches in town with friends are all a lie. It has taken me a long time to figure out the best schedule and tools to keep me focused. I’m going to share five tips on working from home that have helped me be more successful.

5 Tips on Working From Home

Wake up 30 minutes early.
Get dressed and eat breakfast.
Schedule your day.
Put on your blinders.
Move around.

Wake Up 30 Minutes Early

This tip comes from Mel Robin’s 5 Second Rule approach of being more productive. Starting your day off 30 minutes before you’re needed by your kids, partner, pet or other obligations will give you the time necessary to get in the right mindset to start your day. There are many things you can do during that 30 minutes. Changing things every few days might also be helpful. The Miracle Morning has some great ideas and this graphic on Pinterest has helped me decide some mornings when I was dragging. The number one rule is to not get on your phone for social media or emails and stay away from the news.

Get Dressed and Eat Breakfast

There are always days when you can work in your PJs. For best results, take a shower or at least wash your face before putting new yoga pants on. When you wear actual clothes that make you feel good you sit up straighter and are more productive. Eating breakfast is also important giving your brain fuel to do it’s best. Making a smart breakfast choice and turning that time into a special ritual is a great way to start off on the right foot.

Schedule Your Day

As an entrepreneur you do not have a boss telling you what needs to get done. You make your own calendar and planning ahead is key in making sure your days are most productive. For you, it might be helpful to plan out every hour or to time yourself for a while to see how long it takes you to do certain tasks. After a while you’ll see a pattern of how long it takes to write, plan, photograph, shop, network, pitch, and all the other tasks that come along with owning your own business.

For me, I know that if I start my day with emails, I’ll get bogged down doing other people’s ‘to-do list’. I save emails for the end of the day knowing that I will reply to those most important to me and if some aren’t answered I can leave them for tomorrow. I used to have a big problem with not having a zero inbox but I’ve come to learn that I was a slave to everyone’s requests. They may not have a time limit on the requests so I don’t need to treat them like they’re emergencies.

Put On Your Blinders

When you work at home, it is difficult to separate work and life. I am that person that feels anxious when I see a mess around me. When I first began working from home, 4 years ago, I would use house work as a way to procrastinate. The house and yard to-do list is never ending. When my office is in order I’m able to close my door, open my window, light a candle and just focus on my work, not worried about the dishes from breakfast or the laundry sitting in the hamper.

I’m not saying you can’t throw in a load at breakfast and switch it at lunch but don’t take the time to then put it away and then clean up the kitchen and and and and. If you want to work house work into your schedule you could always take an hour lunch giving yourself a half hour to eat while listening to a podcast and finishing up the podcast with a few chores. I recommend staying away from the TV during work hours. Just don’t do it.

Move Around

Sitting at a desk for long periods is terrible for our bodies. Try batching your work into hour to hour and a half segments so you have the chance to get up and move in between tasks. This can be as simple as standing up to stretch and get more water to doing a 10 min exercise or even taking your dog for a walk. If you take a walk every day that you work from home, I believe you will see improvements in you mental state.

Fresh air is good for your digestive system.
Fresh air helps improve blood pressure and heart rate.
Fresh air makes you happier (Vitamin D = serotonin).
Fresh air strengthens your immune system.
Fresh air cleans your lungs.

Every other Friday I work from a coffee shop just to be around people because as an extrovert, that is how I charge my battery. What are some other tools you use to stay focused while working at home?

All photos are courtesy of the amazing photographers at Upslash.

3 Ways to Get Out of a Funk

3 Ways to Keep Habits

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by Shelly on February 17, 2018 3 Comments

3 Ways to Get Out of a Funk

I’m seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve been in a funk for a few months. In November my site was hacked twice and I had morning sickness all day everyday. There was a lot going on with the holidays and an expectation I placed on myself to be happy because Christmas was around the corner. Fast forward through December and January and here I am clearing the cobwebs from a hazy few months. I did not have motivation to write, pitch to brands or plan for the future (all the things that give me excitement). Simply going through the motions of being a ‘good’ Mom, Wife and employee were the best I could do.

Looking back, I wasn’t happy. My hormones are crazier than ever right now as I’m sitting at 18 weeks pregnant. I cry on a daily basis for big things and small, happy and sad. Earlier this week there was another mass shooting and it woke me back up to give voice to the things that I’m passionate about. There are at least 100 terrible things happening per day in our world but this one hit hard. Whether it’s 18 or 6 so far this year in America, even 1 would be too many. I don’t have a solution but it has ignited me to act and talk about finding a solution.

Along with this desire to fight for peace I have enlisted my husband to help fix my site from the hackings. Now that my site is feeling better, I’m feeling better about getting my content back on the web. I’m not going to let life happen to me but take charge in designing my life in accordance to how I want it to be. As usual, with help from people who care about me.

It’s a month and a half after the New Year and I’m seeking a new start. You don’t need to wait for a new year or a Monday for a new start. I’m making a very honored choice to reset and shift my lifestyle to align with my values. You are the only person that can change your life and make it what you want. Some people take huge life changing tactics to get out of their funk and that might be what you need to change. Others take small steps to create a habit that makes a ripple effect to change your lifestyle. For me, starting small and working big is how I’ll start to get back on track with my business, mindset and health. There are three ways I will focus on to get me out of this funk and that I will use in the future.

If you feel like you’ve been complacent in your lifestyle- it’s time to ‘reset’. To take a step back and get a fresh start.
Because sometimes, you have to step away to step forward.
-Jenna Kutcher

3 Ways to Get Out of a Funk

PLAN– My most popular posts are about planning, and I’m realizing now, it’s not just because people are trying to do it better but also because it’s what helps all types of people to accomplish their goals and how they live their lives. I’ve got time carved out tomorrow to work on my blog content calendar which will keep me consistent with being active online. I’m also making sure I’m in more of a routine for my family/life. Routine is what makes me feel calm so making sure we’re consistent with Ninja class and extra circulars on the weekends helps me be balanced.
WRITE– The more I write, the more confident and comfortable I’ll be with writing. I have seasons within blogging where I’m on a roll or in a rut. Writing consistently keeps me on a roll. I’m also lumping in reading here. The best writers are constantly reading and so I will focus on not only listening to podcasts during my free time but reading more books. I’m slowing way down on social media and only using it consciously at my desktop in order to have more time for reading.
LOVE– I’m constantly preaching self love and making sure to put yourself before your family and friends so you are better able to love them. Taking the RIGHT actions for self-love is also key here. Watching ‘This is Us’ was a terrible way to give myself self love because it was too upsetting. In general, for me, watching shows at night is a bad use of time. It often causes me to be angry or sad right before bed which in turn affects my sleep behavior. I’m not throwing our TV away to accomplish better habits but putting a boundary in place (and telling my family) that I’m interested in watching movies on the weekends but during the week I’ll be writing, reading or playing games with my family before bed. Realizing what kind of self-love works best in caring for your body and mind is something you might have to work on but it will be worth it once you do.

Because I know that everyone is different, I’ve asked some of my tribe how they shift gears and get out of a funk.

Here’s what they had to say:

‘I packed on a massive amount of weight during the six years that I had five children. I tried doing everything at once: adding in exercise, changing diet and eliminating my trouble foods/beverages. I failed on day 2. I recently started by taking on one problem at a time and I’m succeeding. It took me six years to gain this weight and develop bad habits and practices, I can’t expect to lose it all at once and get out of this in one swoop.’
-Katy Mann of Indy with Kids

‘For a quick fix, I tend to escape into a great movie. It’s nice to live in someone else’s world for awhile. If it’s a deeper and lingering issue…I put it on paper, and get to work disecting it. I’m a problem solver by nature, so breaking things down to understand them better is how I shift my mindset.’
-Sierra Holmes of Eclectic Kurves

‘When I’m in a funk, I just like to go back to things that inspire me. Luckily, I’m inspired by organization and list-making, so I make that the first thing I do!’
-Brittney Mason of The Pretty Plus

‘Right now for instance, it’s middle of winter, my kids have been home sick with the flu, I’m fighting it off, yet I have a deadline to get a feature documentary out of my edit suite and out the door. After returning home from vacation, the last thing I actually want to do is nose to the grind, but I know I have to. When I’m spinning my wheels, I go to bed, take a walk. Those are temporary fixes. If the funk is of a large proportion, like the one I am in right now, I make a goals list of the things I want to accomplish after this is done. That list is what I am working towards. It gives me an incentive to get to this finish line so I can focus my effort on something that will give me joy.’
-Kathryn Dickson of Kathryn Anywhere

‘When I’m in a funk I like to make a list of things I’m looking forward to or want to accomplish. And if I can’t think of anything I realize it’s time to get something on the calendar. This year I have nothing specific planned for summer so it was messing up my ability to day dream so I got out the map and planned our trip to PA with the kids. We looked up places to visit and stuff to do. Now I’ve got something to look forward to, goals to work toward and activities I’m saving for!’
-Katie Ruvalcaba of Ruvalcademy

‘My go-to way of resetting myself and getting out of a funk is usually a few days of self-care and self-love… that consists of really good hot yoga classes, daily meditations (even just 5 minutes or so), consciously seeking fresh air (walk outside, sit on our screened in porch and read, go to my family’s lake house, etc.). Getting out of a funk is all about flipping your perspective. Taking yourself out of your daily grind and placing yourself back into an environment that fuels you.’
-Greta Snell of The Moon and She‘

Every year I choose a word to focus on. This year it is peace. Past years have included: surrender, beauty, perspective, and gratitude. It’s powerful to see life through that one lens every day for a whole year.’
-Ali Wren of Ali Wren

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by Shelly on January 15, 2018 3 Comments

The Gift of Experiences

Today is my 33rd Birthday. For me, it’s a number. I’ve never been worried about my age or getting older, it’s just something that happens. I am a big fan of having others celebrate and make a big fuss over me on my birthday. This year I’m asking for the gift of experiences rather than things.

On my 30th Birthday my friends and family orchestrated the most beautiful celebration of my life and goals. I’d written a post called 35 by 35 that outlined a bucket list of things I wanted to experience by 35. They pooled together to get me 30 separately wrapped gifts that were tools to help me achieve those items on my bucket list. It was special to me because I was in another state and unable to be with them on my big day.

I was also a heavy consumer at the time. It’s embarrassing to look back and see how frivolous my husband and I were at spending our money. To be honest, spending the money we didn’t physically have.

modern diy house tour — The home we built in Illinois

We built a home outside of our budget, bought all the top notch baby gear when Soph was born and ordered things on a whim daily on Amazon. If there was a want for something, we bought it. It became a habit over the years and took us until we moved to Indy to realize what a disease that consumption was on our lives.

And now, we’re paying for it.

The Grass is Always Greener

You wouldn’t be able to tell by the way we live. We still have our nice cars, our nice home filled with nice things, our daughter that goes to the best school and photos of our vacations up on Facebook.

We were living like 90% of Americans who thought they were entitled to wrack up debt for their high standard of living. When we lived in IL we were in the top 1% financially but spent that money like we were Millionaires.

We took a massive paycut when we moved to IN and it jolted us to reality of how selfish and inappropriately we had been spending.

The Gift of Experiences

As we try to chip away at our debt and feel like we have a slight glimmer at the end of the tunnel we decide to have another baby. We don’t want Sophia to be too far apart in age from her sibling. And THIS is where I realize there is no more light at the end of that tunnel. Thankfully, I also realize that there is NOTHING else that we need. Nothing.

We will obviously still be paying for diapers and consumables but all of the other baby necessities we already own. We own everything we need for our homes to cook, clean and be entertained. At this point, there’s nothing that I even want.

Less stuff, more fun

That is why I’m asking for the gift of experiences for my Birthday from now on. Less stuff, more fun. Time spent with my loved ones or a chance to spend time somewhere fun with my family. Movie tickets, restaurant tickets, Disney World gift certificates or just a date on my calendar with someone special that I care about. The gift of their time is the greatest gift someone can give.

What are your thoughts on asking for experiences over physical objects? It’s a hard concept for a lot of people to understand.

Related Posts to The Gift of Experiences:

Less Stuff, More Fun

Less Stuff, More Fun

Keys to Motivation

Keys to Motivation

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A Wrinkle in Time Movie Review| Is it kid friendly?

A Wrinkle in Time

Why We Took Our Four Year Old

Why It’s Great for Kids

Three Ways to Make Being Active Part of Your Routine

Three Ways to Make Being Active Part of Your Routine

5 Tips on Working From Home

5 Tips on Working From Home

Wake Up 30 Minutes Early

Get Dressed and Eat Breakfast

Schedule Your Day

Put On Your Blinders

Move Around

3 Ways to Get Out of a Funk

3 Ways to Get Out of a Funk

Here’s what they had to say:

The Gift of Experiences

The Grass is Always Greener

The Gift of Experiences

Less stuff, more fun

Life Planner

Preschool Montessori Bedroom

7 Tips to Make your Road Trip to Disney Magical