Inspiration - 34 by 34!

So, with my summer slow down (I am trying to work only 3 jobs instead of 23) I have really been focusing on me.  Not in a completely selfish way, but in the way where I will better myself physically and mentally.  I am finding that the old saying " if you take care of yourself, you can better take care of others" is SOOOO true.  

The other night, I saw a friend out on the town.  She looked fabulous!  She is a wife and mom of three girls.  I asked her to share her secret of looking so great and losing so much weight (in secret hope of her telling me that she had tried the snickers bar and pinot diet, but no such luck). Instead, she told me that she had challenged herself to lose 40 pound by her 40th birthday.  She had started running and walking with some friends and is now down 25 pounds!  

I was so INSPIRED by what she was doing and how great she looked that I have decided to challenge myself to a similar contest.  My goal is to now lose 34 pounds by my 34th birthday.  My birthday is on November 11th, so I have a lot of work to do in a little bit of time.  However, if I were to make a list of things that I really want, on the top of that list would be health!  So, here it goes....34 pounds by my 34th birthday.  It is going to be difficult, but I think that I am up for the challenge.  I will keep you updated as to how I am doing.  I guess I feel like the more people that I have to be accountable to, the better (in other words, the more people that know, the more I will feel like a loser if I do not meet the goal!)  

So, if you are out there and have any great tips to get me through the late night hours without eating everything in sight or how to motivate me to actually use my gym membership for working out rather than just a donation, I would gladly accept all the help that I can get!  In the meantime, wish me luck!  Here I go.........

Dreamer layout

I have recently joined a contest called Digital Survivor.  Each week, I have to come up with a layout for a digital design based on a challenge.  I originally was not sure how I would do this since most of what I do is use the many WONDERFUL templates from the HM template gallery.  However, I want to do more of my own layouts and this is a great way to force myself into it.  So, here is my 1st layout.  It is an immunity challenge and had to be done quickly.  For those of you still not sold on digital scrapbooking, this layout took me all of 20 minutes and I am so excited about it!  I have a great page layout with one of my favorite pictures of my little dreamer.  Enjoy!

Become a Fan on Facebook and receive a FREE Publishing Credit!

I love facebook!  I have to admit that it has become a bit of an obsession for me recently.  I love catching up with people and talking about the many businesses that I have gotten involved with.

I am working on "beefing up" my fan page and am working on getting 100 friends.  If I can get there by the end of the month, I will give each of my facebook friends a FREE publishing credit with Heritage Makers!  So, please become a fan of my Why Storybook? page on facebook!  Tell your friends too!!  Help me get to 100 friends and I will help you to publish your precious memories!!  Thanks!

Happy Storybooking!

Free Blueberry Doughnut and Free Pastry Day

Ok, so this is not a good thing for my diet, but as I went through the line to get my coffee today, I found out that it was free blueberry doughnut day at Tim Hortons!  This was a huge treat for my daughter who was waiting in the back seat!  

Today is also Free Pastry Day at Starbucks!  Simply go to their facebook page and RSVP to the event.  You may get something to print off or show them your PDA if it shows up on your phone!  This runs until 10:30 am, so hurry!!

Everyone deserves a treat once in a while!  Enjoy!

HM Digital Playground!!!

I have just stumbled upon the most fun site ever!  It is a social networking group set up by another fellow Heritage Maker consultant.  The site is called HM Digital Playground and can be found at http://memorieswetreasure.ning.com/(also feel free to click on the icon on the button for the group on the right side of the page).  Customers, consultants, or anyone interested in digital scrapbooking can join this group.  However, if you do not already have a Heritage Makers account, you must have one to join.  To get that free account simply go to www.WhyStoryBook.com and click on "sign up for an account".

This site has a number of groups such as Digi-survivor where you can be in a survivor type contest and create page layouts.  Each "tribal counsel" meeting will vote one unlucky scrapper "off the island".  They also have speed scrap sessions where you are given certain requirements and have to create pages to a book in a certain amount of time.  For some that may sound like torture, but it is a great way to get a project done quickly!  You can even use templates to help out!

If you are someone just venturing into the digital scrapbooking world and are ready to learn as much as you can, I highly suggest becoming a member.  Whether you want to join the groups or not, you can get some amazing ideas for layouts and tips to making your books great!

I would love to hear what  you have to say about this site.  Please feel free to leave your comments!!

Fun Crayons

If you have kids, you most likely have crayons.  Whether they are from home art projects or from the school year, there is a good chance that you have some old and broken strays.  Here is a fun project that I did with my kids after a day of cleaning out their bedrooms and art center.  Kids love the final result!

 

What you need:

Small broken crayons (paper removed)

Muffin Tin (mini or regular sized)

Muffin cups (paper type)

To make fun crayons:

1.     1.Gather broken crayons and peel any paper off of them.

2.     2.Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F (120 C)

3.     3.Place a muffin cup in each of the muffin cups of your tray.

4.     4.Put some crayons in each of the cups (do not overfill).  Make sure to mix the colors to make your crayons even more fun!

5.     5.Bake for approximately 10 minutes.

6.     6.Remove tray from oven and let cool completely.

7.     7.Remove muffin cups from crayons by peeling back paper.

 

These crayons are fun to use on many projects and can even make a great gift!  Simply wrap a few in a small bag and tie with a cute ribbon.  Pair them with some coloring books or drawing pads and other art supplies and you have a fun and unique gift that any child will love!

Back at it!

So, I have been MIA from this blog for a while.  With summer starting, I have literally been trying to squeeze every possible thing that I have not been able to do during the school year into a week.  I completely gutted my house and remodeled a bathroom (with the help of my wonderful husband).  I am now officially in love with my clean and organized home.  If only this bliss would last!  

Now, there is so much more that I want to tackle, but am struggling with how to just stop and relax on these summer days.  I think that I am in "go" mode all of the time.  I need to just learn how to slow down again.  It is hard after the year that I have had, but I know that my body (and family) is screaming for it!

I am excited about jumping back in to some great Heritage Makers projects though!  I just learned about some amazing home decor projects that can be created using our scrapbook pages.  I am in the process of creating a clock and few other pieces and am excited to share them when they are done.  If you are interested in seeing some of these great ideas, please join me at the Monkey See, Monkey Do Children's Bookstore on Saturday, July 25th from 10-2.  I will have a display of all of the great Heritage Makers products, ideas for your home, for the holidays, and AMAZING specials that go with our Christmas in July campaign.  It truly is a great time to stock up on publishing credits and get a head start on your holiday gifts!