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Finding Balance

Affordable Workouts for a Tiny Living Room

Well it’s almost here. You know what I’m talking about-the most stressful time of the year? Bathing suit season. We live in a pretty cramped place. When you’re limited to working out at home in a small living space, that tiny living room can be a challenge. I’ve been on the hunt for workouts you can do in a small space, and was pleasantly surprised to find many AFFORDABLE small space workouts to choose from!  

13 Affordable Small Space Workouts

Short on space? Working on the Baby Steps? These 13 affordable workouts are perfect for tiny living rooms (or wherever you get your sweat on!). I promise you they will get your rear in gear AND fit in your budget!

FREE YouTube Workouts 

I filtered through oodles of YouTube workouts and found top mom-recommended workouts for small space living.

POPSUGAR Fitness

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

SO.MANY.WORKOUTS. All very well-produced.

Orangetheory Fitness

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

Again, many full workouts to choose from.

Trainer Kaitlin

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

You have to find one that fits your equipment needs but she’s pretty good about suggesting alternative equipment options (ie., a bundle of books instead of dumbbells).

Chloe Ting

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

I love that Chloe offers low-impact and beginner modifications when possible.

Free~ish streaming workouts

If you have Amazon Prime there are some really great workouts you can do in your living room that will get your heart rate up and burn that pesky quarantine 15 right off your buns! If you don't have Amazon Prime, you can get a free 30-Day trial here!

15-Minute HIIT 1.0 Workout or 15-Minute Full Body Burn by Maggie Binkley

Photo Credit: www.amazon.com

Free with Amazon Prime!

Zumba Fitness Concert LIVE

Photo Credit: www.amazon.com

16 high-energy routines in a booty-shakin' 70-minute workout! Free with Amazon Prime.

10-Minute Cardio Fat Burning Workout

Photo Credit: www.amazon.com

Free with Amazon Prime. Also by the same trainer: Hourglass Figure Workout for Beginners, Burn 500 Calories in 40 Minutes, How to Lose Weight Fast: Weight Loss Workout (35 Minutes)

Peloton Workout App

Photo Credit: www.peloton.com

No bike? No problem! The Peloton app offers more than cycling classes, such as yoga, running, bootcamp, meditation, and running.

Single DVD Workouts

Some DVD workouts are really a workout plan or system, like BeachBody, and they’re expensive! I prefer workout DVDs that I can pop in whenever, and not have to commit to long-term.

The Firm: 500-Calorie Workout

Photo Credit: www.amazon.com

Reminiscent of the step aerobics classes from back in the day but with more sweat! (60 minutes)

Cathe Friedrich's XTrain Series: Hard Strikes

Photo Credit: www.amazon.com

Fun boxing-style workout (40 minutes)

Jillian Michaels 10-Minute Body Transformation

Photo Credit: www.amazon.com

Any of Jillian Michaels' workouts will kick your butt!

Online Workouts

These online workouts came highly recommended by moms.

Fitness Blender

Photo Credit: www.fitnessblender.com

Fitness Blender has tons of free (and paid) workouts you can sort through and filter by duration, difficulty level, and equipment. 

Honorable Mention

There are a lot of workout apps out there, but this one is worth a second look.

7M Fitness - 7 Minutes Is All It Takes

Photo Credit: www.workoutinc.net

7M is a free app that you subscribe to monthly, but at only $2.99/month (on the Apple app store), the 7-minute workouts are a pretty good deal.

Free Printable Weekly Habit Tracker

It’s goal-setting time of year again! Hooray! The first few weeks of January are like the achiever’s starting line. We are totally on fire for what’s ahead. If you saw my resolutions post from last week, it’s probably obvious that keeping track of all those goals and new habits might be a bit of a challenge. Using a habit tracker has already helped me stay on top of my goals, and start making those new habits part of my regular routine. 

After the New Year, I made a list each morning to remind me of the new things I wanted to make sure I accomplished. The lists were good, but they didn’t look very pretty. What I needed was a habit tracker. There are apps for your phone that help you track habits, but I am more of a pencil and paper kind of planner. This printable habit tracker fits 2 weeks worth of joyous goal recording and checking-off-ability (a word I just made up). 

Some Tips for Using a Habit Tracker

My best advice for habit tracking would be this:

Don’t let a failed week (or two) cause you to give up on your goals altogether. If you fall behind, that’s ok! No need to throw in the towel. You can start again. It’s your life, you get to make the rules. 😉 

Find a tracking and reward system that works for you. Some people are motivated by good things, like checking off items on a list or celebrating when a goal is met. Other people are motivated by the impending doom of what could happen if the goal is not met, like how not being prepared for a presentation by the deadline could result in your standing in front of a large audience who are judging you on their insides because you have nothing good to say. Figure out if you’re more likely to meet a goal that rewards you or causes you grief of not met, and plan accordingly.

free printable weekly habit tracker

Print out this weekly habit tracker, clip it into your favorite “Goal Digger” notebook, and press the nitrous button on your path to success. I wish you all the best in meeting your goals, my friends. 

Sanity-Savers for Spring Cleaning with Kids

This post is sponsored by The Libman Company but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Now that the weather is warming up, it’s a good time to spruce up your interior! When you have little ones in the home, this is sometimes easier said than done. This weekend we broke out the suds and scrub brushes. I’d love to share with you some of my sanity-savers for spring cleaning with kids.

Make a List of What you want to Clean

Before you get started, it’s best to have a plan. List the areas of the house you want to clean, and be specific. Instead of listing “refrigerator”, write what you will do to clean the refrigerator, such as “wash refrigerator drawers, scrub door handles, and defrost the freezer.” Be realistic in what you plan to accomplish. If you have small children, this may not be the time to detail the garage and pressure wash your house on your own.

Get the Kids Involved

There are plenty of things kids can do to help clean the house. Give them a bucket of sudsy water and have them scrub the walls. While the quality of cleaning done by kids may not meet White House standards, it keeps them out of your way when they help out. As a bonus, they’re learning responsibility and life skills! They even get a little excited if you let them use “official” cleaning gloves! 🙂

Stick with Simple Equipment

You don’t need a lot of gear to spring clean your house. Some basics are:

  • A bucket or dish pan for sudsy water
  • Sponges or strong scrubbing brushes
  • Some cloths or old rags
  • A spray bottle
  • Your favorite cleaning solutions
  • A good mop

This weekend we tried out the Libman Wonder® Mop and I really love it! I’ve been hesitant to sue mops in the past because all that water is such a pain. It’s no fun trying to keep kids out of the kitchen for hours while the floor is drying. Thankfully, the Wonder® Mop has a power wringer that gets out more water so the floors dry faster. It works on all surfaces, so anyone can use it!

To use the Wonder® Mop, you’ll first want to make sure you sweep up all the big stuff on the floor.

Then simply soak the microfiber mop head thoroughly. Pressing the power wringer towards the mop head, squeeze out the excess water.

Snap the power wringer back into place and you’re ready to go! The Wonder® Mop’s microfiber GRIPSTRIPS™ lift 20% more dirt, leaving your floors even cleaner. It’s so easy to use, you’ll be done with the floors in no time and can get back to tending to your little ones!

Another thing I dislike about using a mop is figuring out what to do with it when I’m done mopping. I mean, I could lean it up against a wall or something but the residue of all that icky stuff from my floor is probably lurking in the fibers. But with the Wonder® Mop, you can remove the mop head and toss it in the washing machine up to 50 times!

Right now, you can save $3 when you sign up for the Libman newsletter. Check the website for tutorials, tips, and where to buy the Libman Wonder® Mop!

Turning Setbacks into Victories

Unfulfilled dreams. Missed opportunities. Searching and longing for something that’s just out of reach. I am so thankful to be able to say that these are not my memories of 2018.  While 2017 had some very sorrowful moments, 2018 was the year that I finally came up for air and turned my setbacks into victories! 

It has been hard to see the positive in the middle of hard times, and this year has definitely not been easy. Especially the last 6 months have been real struggle even though John works 2 jobs. But what does money matter when we have our health, sweet kids, and a happy marriage? Those are things that people who are far wealthier than me could only wish for.  

The Hard Work of Happiness

So what happened that made this year feel so much better, even when it wasn’t? Personally, It was a total mind shift on my part. I made an effort to find the joy in daily life, and dug my heels in against negative thinking. I read some great books. My favorite was “Love Does” by Bob Goff. It really puts things in perspective to read his stories of amazing miracles and incredible generosity. Knowing that there are people who find hope even in situations which are far more horrible than my own, can I really complain? Nope. At least, I shouldn’t. I’m still human. 😉 

2018 Opportunities and Good Memories

Because of this blog, I got even more enjoyment out of the last year. Every time I have an idea for a fun activity with my kids or trying a new dish, my second thought is always that I can’t wait to share this with you guys. Seriously! A few of my favorite posts of this year were

  • Our Palm Springs Day Trip
  • The Incredibles 2 Printables and Activities
  • Crunchy Oven Baked Chicken Recipe
  • 30-Day Dine at Home Challenge

Next year I hope to expand my creativity and bring more family value to this blog. Feel free to hold me accountable, too!

As I round out this last blog post of 2018, I also want to tell you where I missed the mark. The one word I chose to focus my energy for 2018 was “persist”. But as it turns out, that’s not what my life and family needed me to do this year. 2016 and 2017 were years when persistence kept me from losing my mind to grief and self-pity, so maybe I came up with this word on the heels of recent struggles. This year all my persistence paid off. I have a great relationship with my oldest, my husband and I are enjoying a strong marriage, work is going well, and my kids didn’t have a single injury this year! I think a better word would have been “surprise” because each time we found ourselves in hot water, “Surprise!” God got us through. Once I learned to trust Him with everything, I had a lot less to worry about. 

In May my husband John graduated with his Bachelors from San Diego State University. We took the kids on our first family camping trip. Oh yeah, and I ran a 10K just weeks after hernia surgery. Wow, I guess 2018 was pretty great… 

I look forward to the obstacles that present themselves in 2019. I know I can make it through the hills and valleys as long as I keep this in mind: It’s not the current economy that counts, but the eternal one.

Happy new year friends! May you find what your heart desires in 2019. <3

How Not to be a Stressed Out Mom

This post was sponsored by Neutrogena as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

As a working mom with 3 small children, I know how important it is to take some time for yourself! But, like many moms, I don’t always do what I know I should. Today I want to give you some tips to slow down, relax, and focus some attention on yourself.

How not to be a stressed out mom

Limit Screen Time

One of the biggest things you can do to lower feelings of anxiety and tension is to put down the phone down. Have you ever tracked how much screen time you use on a daily basis? Some smart phone apps can monitor your screen time, and you’d be surprised at how many hours a day are spent on the phone! Focusing on your phone causes your muscles to tense and your heart to race. Help your body relax by taking a break from the phone and focusing on something more soothing. 

Get Moving!

Exercise is known to boost endorphins, lower stress, and increase energy levels. If making it to the gym is too time consuming, find a 15-minute activity you can do like walking in the neighborhood. I look forward to the walks I take and with my kids. They help me see the beautiful things around us, like these flowers! I think they are gardenias? Johnny and I stopped to smell these dewy buds early in the morning, and he said they made his nose wet. Isn’t nature funny like that?

Soak the Stress Away

I know, everyone says you should take a bath to lower stress. But it’s so true! I’ve noticed that my kids are so much calmer when they have a bath before bed instead of a shower. The same goes for us moms. A dip in warm suds is just the thing to soothe those tense muscles. Turn a bath into a spa-like experience with Neutrogena Rainbath! It makes my skin feel clean and conditioned without leaving behind a filmy residue. This bath and shower gel comes in 5 lovely scents: Renewing Pear & Green Tea, Rejuvenating Pomegranate, Replenishing Ocean Mist, and Restoring Fresh Plum. 

Breathe in Calm, Breathe Out Stress

I love how a nice smell can totally change how I feel inside. I use this Neutrogena Rainbath both in the shower as a shower gel and in the bath. Some days it seems like a shower is my only time alone. These are the times when I need to be pampering myself with some Neutrogena Rainbath on my loofah. My favorite scent is the plum. When I use it, I think of fresh ripe fruit and strolls through the orchard. And even though it’s winter, the weather here in San Diego is still in the upper 80’s. Which means wearing shorts. Which also means shaving legs. Thankfully, my Neutrogena Rainbath can also be used as shaving gel! So I only have to buy one product for plenty of skin-smoothing bathing.  Neutrogena Rainbath Restoring Fresh Plum

Grab your Neutrogena Rainbath at Walgreens or walgreens.com. Between now and November 4th, enter to win one of ten Neutrogena Rainbath bundles, which include one of each of the 5 Neutrogena Rainbath scents.

Neutrogena Rainbath Sweepstakes

I-C will randomly select winners from all program entries and RPR will facilitate fulfillment of the winning prizes of 10 winners.

Sanity-Saving Tips for Busy Moms

When I first started blogging, I had newborn twins, a full-time job, and a 9-year-old with a packed extracurricular schedule. To say I was busy is an understatement! Since then, we added another bundle of joy to our family. I’ve learned a lot over the years about managing a growing family while working full time. With a little planning and these sanity-saving tips for busy moms, you’ll be more cool, calm, and collected when you’re out with your little ones.  

Bring Snacks 

Kids burn through a lot of energy. If you’ve seen mine, you know that they hardly ever sit still! If we’re planning on being gone for more than an hour or so, I always bring a little something for the kids to snack on. It doesn’t have to be a big gourmet meal. Most of the time a baggie of sliced fruit or some string cheese is enough to keep our energy up until we get home. For longer trips to the park, beach, or hanging on the sidelines of big brother’s soccer game, we strap a cooler to our wagon to keep our snacks chilly.

sanity savint tip for busy moms: bring snacks, like these fruit slices!

Busy Moms Pack Lightly

Even though it is a good idea to bring snacks and toys with you to keep the kids happy, you don’t want to bring so much stuff that it takes 2 trips to the car to unload it all. For us, gone are the days of stuffing everything under the stroller seat, although that was a great way to lug all our extra stuff around. Now we keep a wagon in the trunk of the car for trips when we’re bringing lots of stuff. This 3-in-1 Tailgater Wagon from Radio Flyer folds flat for easy storage in the back of the car. 

Don’t Wear Yourself Out

When I get home, I do not want to be more exhausted than the kids are from a day of errands! As the mom, my job isn’t over once we’re home. That’s when the real work starts: making dinner, tidying up, putting away everything we brought with us in the car… So I don’t want to use up all my energy on the outing. We usually bring a backpack with water bottles and snacks on our short errands. When we need more storage we take our awesome wagon. Our 3-in-1 Tailgater Wagon™ has a cooler caddy to carry all our snacks and drinks. There are also 2 cup holders on the front to tote the kids’ water bottles, and a canopy to give them a shady place to sit. It’s so easy to pull, I had no trouble taking them to a lakeside picnic. And since everything was strapped to the wagon, I didn’t have my hands full juggling toys and drinks!

Ok, I know some of you are probably wondering, where did you get that awesome wagon and how can I get my hands on one? My suggestion is to find it at Walmart. We got ours for a very reasonable price, and it has the most bells and whistles available! I love how the side wall can zip transform to bench mode so it can fit all three little guys. They love riding to and from places in it!  

Ever since the girls were born we’ve had several on-the-go days each week. With lacrosse meets and soccer games and church events, there is always somewhere we have to be, especially on the weekends! Busy moms, have you been there? Where your life is crazy busy and you are just amazed at how you handle it all? Hopefully these sanity-saving tips can encourage you, because I bet you’re probably doing them already. Hang in there, mama. You’re doing a great job!

Making Time for Family on Busy School Days

Now that the girls are back in school, our evenings can sometimes be hectic. Now in addition to the regular dinner/bath/bedtime routine, we have to fit in homework too. Some weeks it feels like, by the time Friday rolls around, we’ve hardly spent any time together. I’m finding simple ways to make time for family a priority on those busy after-school days. 

Give Kids Your Attention When You’re Together

Making time for family can be hard for me as a full-time working mom. But I know that when I set my phone and laptop aside and just be present with my kids, we are all more joyful and relaxed. Our time together is even more enjoyable when we’re doing something we all love. The younger ones are always ready to go in the pool, color, or play with salt dough. My oldest is into playing card games. Whatever the activity, we always have fun because we’re doing it as a family. 

Give Yourself a Break from Cooking

Cooking at home is great, but it is also incredibly time-consuming. Trust me, I’ve been working long days for the whole 15 years I’ve been a parent and I’ve tried every quick-cooking dinner idea there is. But you know what’s even faster? Not cooking! We don’t do it all the time, but every now and then we splurge on a dinner that Mom and Dad didn’t have to cook.

I’m currently loving Applebee’s Carside To Go. Last night, John had to work and I was just not in the mood to make dinner with cranky kids after a long day of school. I pulled up the Applebee’s app on my phone and quickly placed an order for pickup. We jumped in the car and it was ready by the time we got to the restaurant! There is an option for Carside, where you provide the make and model of your car when placing your order either online, over the phone, or on the app. When you park in the designated space an Applebee’s employee brings it right to you! 

Remember, Family Comes First

Some of our best evenings have been the ones when we spontaneously threw aside the routines and spent quality time together. Our kids are little, so sometimes this means we forego the bath (gasp!) for a late afternoon dip in the pool or a walk around the lake. If we can manage to bring takeout along with us, we have even more time for adventure! 

Make Memories on a School Night

There is so much value in giving kids your undivided attention and carving out special time together. The nest time you need a quick dinner option, use Applebee’s To Go. Type in the code 5off25 and get $5 off your online order of $25 or more. Then get outside or circle up around your favorite board game and make some memories. We don’t want our kids thinking we’re too busy for them, do we?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Applebee’s. The opinions and text are all mine.

Getting Your Home Ready for Back to School

The new school year is just around the corner! I like to plan and have things organized ahead of time, do you? These are just a few tips I came up with to help you get your home ready for back to school.   Get a fresh haircut as you get ready for back to school

Getting the kids ready for back to school:

Get everyone new hair cuts. Fresh new ‘do for a fresh new school year!

Go through their dressers and closets. Toss or donate clothes that are too small. Check that coats still fit. Clear out old tattered shoes that don’t fit.

Make a list of clothing items you need to shop for.

Start waking them up earlier to get into the routine before the big first day back at school.

Have a picnic to “practice” using their lunch box and opening their own snacks. Most school lunch supervisors will help kids open their packaged snacks, but it is just better if your child can do ti on his own.

Work with your child to practice tying his own shoes (usually kindergarten or 1st grade). Of course, your child’s teacher will tie his shoelaces as needed. But it is a great step of independence and a source of pride for a child to be able to tie his own shoes.  

Connect with the school:

Make sure paperwork and registration is complete.

Find out if the school has an online parent portal and how to access it.

Add money to school lunch accounts.

Talk with the school nurse about storing and giving medications (if any).

Print out district’s academic calendar for 2018-2019 school year.

Mark your family’s calendar with back to school night, school half-days and holiday breaks. Make a note of dates when you will need to find childcare or request time off work.  

Getting the House Ready for Back to School:

Designate a spot for backpacks, such as a laundry basket or hooks by the door. We use these 3M hooks and they hold the backpacks just fins as long as there aren’t any heavy books inside. 

Set up a homework station with supplies and a quiet place to do work.

Clear out a shelf for textbooks/library books.

Stock up on non perishable snacks.  Back to School readiness for the whole family

Be sure and pin this post on getting your home ready for back to school, or print it out for later! 

The first thumbnail below is suitable for printing on regular 8.5″ x 11″ paper. Just right-click and save! Or store the second one (a pdf) on your device and take advantage of digital checkboxes! Please let me know in the comments if there’s anything you would add to the list that might help other families.   

This is the jpeg version!

This is the pdf with digital checkboxes

Getting Ready for my First 10K

Can I be super honest for a minute? All last year I totally lost track of taking care of myself. I started going to the gym in January, but there wasn’t anything motivating me to stick with a fitness routine. Between working 2 jobs and trying to hold down the fort while John was working and going to school (and doing his share of fort-holding-down, too!), taking care of me just… stopped happening.

A few weeks ago a friend asked if I wanted to sign up for a local run with her. Finally, the motivation I’ve been needing! With an enthusiastic “yes”, I jumped on to the website to register for the Aloha Run this upcoming September.

The Aloha Run has 2 options: a 5K run/walk or a 10K run. I’ve run a few 5Ks in the past. In fact, Logan and I finished a 5K when I was pregnant with twins. I didn’t run at all, and probably didn’t even jog very much. It was totally manageable event for this expectant mother of multiples!  Chances are I could do pretty well jog/walking 3.1 miles right now even with little to no training. The 10K suits me better because it’s more of a challenge. Plus now that I’ve told all of you that I’m going to run it, I have to finish!

How I’m Training for a 10K

It’s a little intimidating to me to think about running 6 miles. So far I can run jog approximately 8 blocks. Give or take an acre. 😉 I’ve always heard good reviews about the “Couch to 5K” program so I downloaded the free app for the 10K trainer. It sets you on a running/walking interval plan that has you ready for a 10K in 14 weeks. It keeps track of the time and gives you an alert when it’s time to switch from running and walking. Since I’m starting from practically the activity level of a sloth, I’ve got some work ahead of me!   using the Couch to 10K app for training for a 10K

Before the twins, I was in really good shape. John and I used to swim, hike, rock climb, snow board… We sure were cool people before we had a bunch of kids! Even after the twins were born I was still active and wayyyy under my current weight. This is my mom and I hiking in Torrey Pines State Park with 3-month-old twin babies. 

The last few years I’ve been slowly putting on weight and getting more and more out of shape. It’s time to start making changes and stop making excuses. Hopefully this 10K will help me get my rear in gear. If I blow it, you have my permission to call me out for being a quitter.  I run at 5:30 a.m. so I can be back before the kids are up, and some days I just don’t wanna get up at the crack of dawn. I’m sure you understand. 🙂  If you’re on Instagram, I usually post my training updates in the stories. Feel free to share your best 10K training advice below!  

Training for a 10K doesn't have to be scary. I'm using an easy interval program that has an app for my phone, and it's helping me get ready for a 10K!

Taking a Breath in the Waiting

The start of summer is always a time that I welcome with anticipation. Many of you know that I’m a teacher. The last few weeks of school are crazy hectic: end-of-year events, report cards and other paperwork, and cleaning up my room from a successful school year. By the time it’s all done I’m so ready to jump right in to long days spent at the beach or pool. Those lazy mornings at home with my kids aren’t too bad either! But this summer has a different feel to it. Yes, I am on vacation for 6 glorious weeks. But this summer there is a looming cloud of unknown that hangs over all the fun things we have planned.

Here’s the whole story.

Due to recent changes in California law, my charter school had to petition for the local district to sponsor us. In order for us to continue serving kids and families, our director wrote a whole new charter. I am told that it is so detailed, it filled 16 1-inch binders! Well, everything was moving forward just fine when she took our petition to the big district board meeting. Then, out of the blue, a group of school officials and their slew of attorneys came forward with some intense opposition. They accused our school of acting in a shady manner and disobeying educational laws. Of course, these were all lies. But it made us look really bad. The big district decided they needed some time to consider the opposition, and pushed the vote back. We’ve been waiting on pins and needles ever since. Then, just days before the rescheduled meeting, they pushed it back another week.

I’m worried.

If they don’t sponsor us as a charter, our academies will close. I’ll be out of a job. Ask your teacher friends how easy it is to find a job during the summer (hint: it’s not easy). Schools do their hiring in the spring so they can plan for August staff developments. This is not to say that teachers don’t get hired right before school starts, because they do. But those positions are few and far between.

I wish the big mean school officials would consider the children.If we close, the student population that our charter has served for over 17 years won’t have a school to come to next fall. Our kiddos come to us because, for whatever reason, they struggled in traditional public schools. Our academy is small and the students are always saying that it feels like home to them. And here, they are thriving. 

I hate to think what will happen to these sweet, sheltered kids in a big public school. Many of them will fall through the cracks and become faceless names on a page of data and test results. I know how data-driven and impersonal schools are because I worked in traditional public schools for 8 years before finding my love of teaching in this charter school.

We wrote letters, emailed board members, rallied families to share their voice. And now we wait.

It was emotionally draining to close up my room. I carefully packed and tidied centers, filed my favorite units in their respective places, and made lists of things I need to order for next year. The whole while, in the back of my mind was that whisper of doubt, “If we’re even here next year.”  

This is who I am. I’m a teacher. I’ve found my home with this school and I have no intention of looking for another job until the end is final.  

A summer of waiting.  

I’m trying to fill my time with cleaning and organizing our little home, and trying not to think about how we will afford rent if I’m out of a job. We’re planning family day outings, focusing on things that are free in case even a tank of gas is outside our budget. I know it sounds depressing and dramatic, but this is our reality for now. 

I wonder what the kids and families of our school are doing? Are they also holding their breath, not knowing where they’ll be in the fall? That’s go to be such a disappointment for them.

So… deep breaths. Focusing on blessings even during this time of unknown. Finding words of encouragement for my fellow teachers, even when I want to break down and cry. And above all, faith and trust that God has a plan for me, the students, and for this school.

If you feel led, you may find the contact info for board members here. This is public information, and anyone may email them and share their thoughts on the importance of charter schools, either in favor of or against.

Please pray for us and for our student population. We don’t live in a world where things are “fair”, but it would be nice if the big guy didn’t always win.

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Hi, I’m Nikki!

I'm Nikki, a lover of coffee, chef for 6, elementary teacher, and expert in the art of wrangling twins. I'm also a working mom with a passion for having fun and keeping a cozy home. Come along with me on the journey of a joyful mom! Learn More…

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