Well, it's here what can I say?

Well it happened...it's here...it came...it went...it's over. I'm 40. Yikes! Still can't believe it. I thought you stayed in your 30's forever! Not true, I've discovered. So far can't tell too much difference between 30 and 40. Still have to cook (yuck), still have to do laundry (the laundry fairy still hasn't found my house), still have to clean the house (my kids haven't become neat freaks all of the sudden); yep, it's still the same so far. I'll let you know how it goes...

it's been three years, really??

I can hardly believe it's been 3 years since we first became a home schooling family. I never started out with a desire to homeschool. It was never something I thought I would do. We took our first born to kindergarten just like everyone else. She did well there. We took our second born to kindergarten just like everyone else. He did well there also.

I know exactly the day and time that God first laid the desire to home school on my heart. Although, it took a while for me to obey this direction. Now fast forward to today, three years later. We finished with our third year Friday (although I do like one thing more to accomplish).

There are days where I LOVE home schooling our children and there are days where I don't like it so much, but there are never days where I wish I didn't do it. Yes, we yell. Yes, we sometimes fight.  Yes, we laugh. Yes, we have fun. And yes, we learn in the midst of all of that.  Homeschooling has brought my family close. My children are each others best friends (even when they fight!), and I wouldn't change that. It works for us. It might not work for everybody and that's ok.

But I am so very happy to say "SCHOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER!" well till July at least!

Audis, bad toupees, and drugstore cosmetics...

As you know, because I admitted it in blogworld, I'm about to turn 40! Yes, it's true; I've checked my birth certificate there isn't any denying it. So, that being said I think I'm having a mid-life crisis. Now, if I was a super, mega rich person I'd probably buy an Audi R8 Spyder...or if I were a balding middle-age man I'd probably buy a bad toupee...but I'm neither of those (too bad on the super rich one!). So, what does an approaching 40 stay-at-home, home-schooling, mother of three buy...well, that's easy she buys drugstore cosmetics. Lots of them. Some are for wrinkles (yuck). Some are masks, peels, and scrubs. Some are BB Creams, and moisturizers. Some have been hits and sadly, some of have been misses. All in all it's a cheaper crisis than an Audi and hopefully looks better than a bad toupee! Here are some of my favs...

This stuff is AMAZING and it's only $3 at Dollar General!

Makes your face so soft!

The best American BB cream out there. Yes, there's a difference in BB creams but that's another blog post!

what do our lives say about us?

I never met this lady, Julie Askew Thompson. I wish I had. I have had the privilege to hear her sing on a few occasions, and let me assure you it was a privilege, the gal could sing. She died Tuesday, very unexpectedly. She was 36 years old, and she leaves five beautiful children and a grieving husband, along with a host of friends who loved her. I very much wish I could have said that this woman was my friend just on the basis of what everyone says about her. If you can live a life that can impact someone whose never met you and make that person sad because they won't ever get to, wow. God's word tells us that "All things work to the good of those who love him..." all things, not just the good things but all things even the hard things, the hurtful things, the sad things. Even the death of this sweet lady. Her testimony is an amazing one. By the acts of her life we know that she loved God; she served Him, she raised her children to love Him, she worshiped Him in song. What will our lives say about us? Could we, like Julie, make people sad that they will never get to meet us after we are gone? I hope so...

Listen as she sings this song...I can only imagine that she is singing it today in glory!

If I asked you a question...

So, I'm curious. What's your winter routine? I mean for example  (and since we live in Tennessee this is highly possible)...what would you do if on a freaky day in early March the temperature hits 71, could you like say slip on a fav pair of flip-flops and head to town? Or would your response be something more to the effect of "NO FREAKING WAY AM I LETTING ANYONE SEE THESE TOES," just maybe those said toes might have the remnants of last summer's polish! Is this you...?

Let's say on that same wonderfully sunny day in March your toes are ok, maybe bare of polish but that's alright, could you bring your favorite pair of skinny jean capris out from the back of your closet? Or would your response be "NO WAY AMD I LETTING ANYONE SEE THE HAIRS ON MY LEGS" just maybe it's been a while since your last shave! Is this you...?

If you answered yes to either of these questions, no worries, it's ok. You are like millions of other women who seem to put off these things in the winter in favor of the 1,000's of other more pressing things we have to do. I have been thinking a lot about this lately, for some wild reason. Maybe you hate to do either of the above, shaving and painting your nails, that's ok if you do, sad but ok. However if you enjoy doing them, if these and other beauty regimens bring you happiness, don't we owe it to ourselves to do them. 

Being a Mom of three, I know that there are priorities that we must fulfill; we MUST constantly put others before ourselves. Not only is that just right, it's biblical too. That being said I also firmly believe that we must also take care of our-"selfs" to! We must do things that will lift us up when we are down; we should do things that will make us smile. Whatever that may be? If it's little beauty regimens why not do them? Why insist on taking the winter off, so to speak?

I don't know what might make you smile, but you do. So do it. I promise you will be a better Mom and wife because of it (just don't spend hours daily soaking in the tub!!).

On a side note...if it has been a while since your last shave. Get to it. I'm satisfied that your hubby would appreciate it; 'cause who wants to snuggle with Chewbacca :) 

FINALLY...we have one!

I was in the 6th or 7th grade, I can't remember exactly, when I noticed him for the first time. He was so, just so, great...tall, blond haired, blue-eyed. Oh he was a hot looking thing with that mullet (don't judge it was the 80's). I remember being tongued tied; I probably didn't say 2 words to him I was so shy, but boy did I ever have the biggest crush on him. 

I had no idea at that point in my life that God was introducing me to my Prince Charming. I had no idea that about 10 years later I would walk down an aisle in a beautiful white dress to meet him in that church. I had no idea that we would have three of the best kids ever together. He is just as hot now as he was then (with better hair)...but in all our time together there is one thing we have never had...yep, one things been missing. 

What your asking could be missing from this modern day fairytale? A song, that's what...we've never had a song, which is odd because both Terry and I love music (we aren't very musical ourselves, but we love to listen to it) so, I would have assumed that we would have a song. But nope...we don't.

That is until now. I FINALLY found our song. It's perfect. If I could go back to August 2, 1997 we would dance to it at our wedding. 

This seems like an unimportant thing, finding your song, after you've been happily married for 15 years, but it's not. Anything that causes you to focus on your marriage, and remind you why you pledged your life to another person is a good thing. As I've discovered having a "song" causes you to think, reflect, and love on your man every time you hear it. 

I know your asking me, silently begging me even, to tell you what our song is...well, ok, I will! 

It's James Morrison's "You Make It Real"...it says what our love means to each other. So, if your married, or engaged and you don't have a song, find one that epitomizes what your love for each other means, and if you have a song already listen to it; I promise it spices things up!!

So, I'm curious to know if anyone else has a song! If you do, tell us what it is!

life interrupts...

I was on such a role with my blog posts! I was having a blast ( I really do love writing this blog)! I was constantly thinking of new things to tell you guys about...then...WHAM!! Life happened, don't you hate when that happens!

it's the final countdown...

In approximately 54 days, on March 31, 2013 the opening day of Major League Baseball hits. Not being very athletic myself; well, not at all actually it comes as a surprise to me how much I love baseball. Two sports rule The McCormick house, College Football (Geaux Tigers, at least for me) and Major League Baseball (St. Louis Cardinals for all of us).  

In approximately 54 days, I will hear "Got 'em" (in that Kevin Millar from the MLB Network voice) from the three guys in my life. They will scream, they will cheer, and soon they will head to the batting cage out back to hit balls. It warms my heart to see them all piled up in the leather chair, all three of them, watching TV. It warms my heart, to see them all three out back. To watch Terry pass on his love of baseball to our sons. Maybe that is part of why I love baseball so much. Well some of it...mostly I just really love the game. Yes, strange as is it to say!

Now Elle-Catherine, she's an entirely different story. Her love of baseball is so small you would need a microscope to find it. She HATES it. It's hot. It's long. It interrupts her TV time both because of the before- mentioned MLB TV watching and all the baseball practices and games she is forced to attend...and if you don't believe me just ask her she will tell ya...

everybody's got one...

I'm a people watcher **not a very good one according to my sweet hubby, and he's probably right, but don't tell him** but anyway I like to watch people; well actually I just like people in general I like to talk to them (surprising I know), I like meeting them and learning about their lives. 

So, back to what I actually meant for this post to be about...

I read this quote on Pinterest today, "Fashion is what you buy, Style is what you do with it". I was struck with how true this is. I have heard many a gal say how they just don't have any style or maybe they just get in a funk of wearing the same thing over and over. The fact is we as women all have a style; yep, "everybody's got one". It just may be hidden under a lot of everyday responsibilities we all as women have too. 

Now not to say that everyone has to LOVE "Fashion" as much as some (achemmmmm... me!!) but we can all find a "Style" that suits us and makes us feel good about ourselves. No matter what we may tell ourselves to the contrary our clothes can make us feel good or not so good about us. How many times have we actually gotten dressed and purposely not looked in the mirror because we didn't want to see ourselves? Many I'm sure...me included.

But I don't think it has to be like that. Having a style is NOT dependent on what you weigh wether it's what you want to weigh or not. Having a style is wearing what makes you feel good on the inside. I heard a story about a lady who wasn't real good at putting outfits together but she knew what she liked. So, she kept a "file" of outfits and randomly choose things that matched her "file" to wear. Sort of like my dream wardrobe on Pinterest and yes, I have prepared outfits to match my "fashion/make-up" board on Pinterest. They are some of my favorites!

So that's what has been brewing in my head all day...yeah, it's been a slow day here! Oh well anyone have any thoughts on this...


BTW I also read this quote today too "I have an irrational fear of wasting a good outfit on an insignificant day"; I admit that this is a thought I have had once upon a time...but really do we ever have insignificant day's!!

*GASP*....No, it can't be true!!

I'm going to tell you a secret...it's a BIG one...I mean REALLY BIG...this year I turn the BIG 4...0...Yeah, I can't believe that I just put that secret out in blog-land! 

I know what you are thinking, "No, way is Kirstie almost 40. She can't be more than 34!" but alas, it's true. On May 28 I will turn 40! Mostly I don't mind, mostly, I think I am doing great. I have an amazingly blessed life, God has been so good to me. But, girls, really you know what I'm saying, "40!", back when I was 16 40 was ancient! 

I have a great friend who says "40 is fabulous!" and I mean really who wouldn't want to be fabulous; no matter what the age! To celebrate this milestone I'm doing something I've never done before. Another great friend has challenged me to run a 10K with her. I have done some 5k's (well, two actually) with her before. She had a great point to celebrate 40 I should go all out. I'm excited about it; to see if I can really get my body (my 40 year old body at that!) 10K ready. Now if I could ever get rid of this sinus funk I could start training! I'll let you all know how it goes!

and FYI...I finally got around to trying the Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites and yeah, not so good! May have to tweak it a bit! 

COOK-ing is it a four letter bad word??

My daughter likes to cook; well, actually that's pretty mild she "LOVES" to cook. It makes her happy! Me, well, not so much! It does not make me happy; maybe, I view it as a too much of a chore to find happiness in it. Personally I would much prefer to decorate something for fun. However, as a mom with a family of 5, cooking is somewhat necessary. I was reading this gal's blog and came upon another gal's blog (that's how it goes in blog-world). I really liked everything I saw, and she met a couple of my most important criteria for cooking: low fat and a crock-pot. Here ya go in case your interested.

Here is a LINK to her site!

In fact as soon as I hit the publish button on this post I'm headed to cook something I found on here...Buffalo Cauliflower Bites. I'll let you know how they turn out!

...toes in the sand

As the thermometer reads a balmy 33 degrees this is where my mind wanders. Am I the only one?

Thank You, Pinterest...

Thanks to Pinterest, that fun place we all love to go when we are bored, I have found the best website. I love it. I read it daily. I have learned things from it, and I have taken advice from it. I am pleased with everything I have purchased as a result of something I read on her site; not to mention that everything she talks about can be found at drugstores all over America. It's the best. If you're interested you can find a link to her site HERE. You certainly won't be sorry that you did.  Did I mention that her claim to fame is experimenting with drugstore cosmetics, finding how they rate when compared to high-end cosmetics, and giving us inexpensive but high-quality choices? Here are just some examples of things I have purchased and love...all in all I've spent less than $20.

I loved this...and I would still be using it if I hadn't accidentally flushed the powder down the toilet. I will be replacing it ASAP. 

Longest wearing lip gloss I've ever used, ever.

This really works. I admit I was skeptical, I mean it only cost $1.72 could it really work? but yep, it can, and it does! Love this look!

All of the above cost around $12...not to mention the lip gloss had a coupon on it (thought you would appreciate that JM!)

Fun fact: The mascara I just wrote about last week just so happens to be one of her favs! Great minds think alike I guess. Did I mention she has my dream job??

...two sides

How many times have we heard, "There are always two sides to every story?" Many times, I'm sure. It's sage advice. Advice that happens to be true, of course, but often forgotten. As we hear stories of things that happened to "so, and so" and "such and such", this sage advice isn't usually at the forefront of our minds.  But it should be. We should remember that each and every situation has two versions, and there is very rarely one truly innocent party. True, some may bear a greater amount of responsibility, but that doesn't mean each party isn't guilty of something. I recently have seen how forgetting this advice plays out in real life. It's not too pretty. In fact, it's quite ugly. But the fact of the matter is sometimes no matter how much you want to change things we (people) believe what we want to believe and see what we want to see. And nothing that anyone else says will ever change that!

OK so, now I'm off my soapbox!  

stocking stuffers, mascara, and a hubby who really knows me...

No denying that I really like Christmas; I mean I really really do, promise! I love it so much it's really hard for me to decide on one favorite aspect of it for me. However, stockings rank pretty hight on my list along with: the Christmas story of Jesus' birth, Christmas Carols, and Elf on the Shelf. I love stockings so much that Terry and I still get each other stockings stuffed full of all sorts of stuff! Terry is quite possibly one of the best stuffers around. Even better than me! He always gives me cool stuff that he knows I would love but might not buy myself. He heads down the make-up section and just loads me up. 

Now, it's also not a big surprise that I'm a pretty big girly girl. However, that being said I must admit that I HATE mascara. I know all about how we should wear mascara above just about any other make-up, but I just don't like it. It flakes. It looks impossibly bad on me. That is until this Christmas...so, lets go back to my sweetie's great stocking stuffing ability. In this years stocking, I received this...

Now, I admit I was just a little bit concerned when I saw this in my stocking. Actually, I was thinking that this was just a colossal waste of money because I would never wear it. First off its mascara (I've mentioned that I don't like it, right) and secondly, it's waterproof. Much to my great surprise. I LOVE this mascara. I mean I really love it. I wear it all the time. This just goes to show just how much my Prince Charming knows me...

in the dark...

January and February can be the kiss of death to a home schooling Mom, or at least to this one. The newness of summer is long gone, and the excitement of December have left you both tired and deflated; the spring renewal seems so far in the distance you can't even see it. Everyone is stuck in the house together because it's just too cold to leave. This is January and February in homeschooling...or my experience anyway. In an effort to combat this phenomenon, I took some advice I read earlier this year. This advice was to start something new: a new curriculum, a new book, a new subject. Anything, just something to revive the excitement of a "new" year. One of the new things I have planned (I'll blog about the others soon!) is a character class. In my planning for this class I read this quote..“Character is what you are in the dark.” -Dwight L. Moody. I can't stop thinking about it actually. Who are we in the dark? Who are we really that we would NEVER let anyone see? Yet, that tells us who we really are. It's a sobering thought to be reminded of as we start this new year!