I'm Taking Questions..

So many of you may know, and many of you may not know, that I started homeschooling my crew this year. 

Addyson is 5 and in Kindergarten.

Sawyer is 3 1/2 and in Pre-school.

Capri is 15 months. 

The story on how this came about is for another post. Not one that I am trying to get out in a few quiet moments at naptime. 

I'm posting this because I have been humbled by the fact that I've had a lot of people contact me since starting homeschooling with questions about how it's going, what curriculum I use, what I'm doing for Sawyer, etc. I absolutely LOVE talking to people about it. I literally jump inside when I get a text about it!  BUT, I've been doing a bad job at getting back to everyone and actually emailing them info I promised. So I'm trying another route. Which brings me back to blogging! Ahhhh. I would love to post this information incase it might be helpful to many.  

But first off, I want you all to know a few things.. 

I am a ROOKIE. Did you notice the CAPS LOCK?!? This is VERY new to me, and I have SO much to learn! But I do best by jumping in, and figuring it out as I go, and so far, I am the one being blessed double by this experience. 

I also believe that what works for one family does not work for every family or even for every child! 

So of course, I will be posting what has been working for us, but please know that there are so many routes and ways to approach homeschooling and I definitely don't believe that my way is better than anyone else's or the ONLY way. 

 The Lord has been preparing and changing my heart for this season of life for two years. For several months now, I have taken a step back in regards to my little business I run part-time, Raving Tans. I'm now only working one evening a week in exchange for what used to be four. Although I was scared at first to do it, I know it has been what the Lord wanted for this season, and it is what is best for my family. 

So, I'm going to be doing posts as often as I can in regards to my homeschooling journey. Because I want my kids to someday look back at this and see where my heart was along this journey. And if it helps someone along the way, even more wonderful.

 This is just the very, very, beginning. And the posts will even be in a NEW blog that I will be announcing SOON! 

But if you have any questions for this ROOKIE, please comment below, text me, message me, whatever you wish! I kind of don't know where to start with a blog post in regards to everything we have been doing, so your questions will help direct me. 

Thank you all for your support and if you don't mind saying a little prayer for me as I'm taking this one day, and one year at a time, I could use all the prayers I can get! 

Love you all.. 

♥Heather 

"Train a child up in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it." 

Proverbs 22:6

Instagram Friday. Tidal Wave.

My business comes in waves. They are usually slow and steady.  

This week a tidal wave hit. 

I'm a spray tan technician and I give my clients a healthy alternative to frying themselves under the bulbs in a tanning bed, which out here in San Diego, is very common. I swear you see tanning salons as much as you see Starbucks. Okay, maybe not that much, but you get my point. ☺

I used to tan under the bulbs myself, until I realized how much damage I was doing to my skin. I decided to save my skin once I had kids. It's funny how your perspective can change on things as we get older. Oh hindsight is always 20/20!

My tanning solutions are actually all organic and even safe to give baby bumps some color! 

Anyways, I work from home and go mobile for tanning parties and this week was a record setting week. 

I had 28 tans on the books including a bridal tanning party, lots of lovely ladies before the Marine Corps balls this time of year and those just wanting a little color before getting into those cute little costumes this weekend. 

I did 17 tans yesterday and my feet are feeling it today!! 

But I'm blessed to have so much business. 

On the weeks where the tidal waves of work hit, when I'm not holding my spray gun, I'm doing nothing but hanging with my kids and hubby...okay and reading a few blogs. ☺

So I took pictures of the simple things.

Happy Friday and welcome to all my new followers. 

I'm honored to have you. ♥

{Linking up here, here}

FOLLOWER FEST {this is me}

Welcome. I'm blessed to have you.

I'm Heather, a mom without Facebook. 

I love Jesus.

I'm a wife to my biggest fan and my best friend.

I'm a mother to Addyson {3} and Sawyer {19 mos.}

 

Part of my heart is in another state where my step-son, Haden, resides.

I was a sports writer...

Turned mommy... 

 Who supports my husband at our family owned auto repair shop. 

Hawthorne Tire & Auto Service.

We deal with lots of these...

After becoming a mommy, my writing went on hold and I began a mommy hobby, that quickly turned into my own small business.

Raving Tans.

I'm a certified spray tanning technician that does home and mobile spray tanning specializing in brides all over San Diego county. 

It allows me to stay home with my kids and only work a few nights a week. I love it.

I started blogging in January of 2011 when I felt the Lord tell me to put an end to the biggest time waster in my life... Facebook.  

I felt called to share my journey through a blog, although I had never even read a blog or knew anything about the blogging community.

I listened, and took down my personal Facebook page and pledged that I would not get back on for 365 days. 

I've learned... A LOT. 

Most importantly, I've learned that this journey is not about Facebook at all... it was about me learning to face my real issue of lack of self control... 

It took me 284 days to realize this. 

You can read about my Facebook "aha! moment" here.

I finally feel free from the burden of lack of self control. 

Now THAT is something to like.

I don't know where the Lord is going to take me in regards to this little blog. 

But writing has always been a desire of my heart.

I truly believe that each of us have a story and the Lord can use OUR stories to encourage, inspire, and even convict each other from time to time in a good way! 

So this is mine and I thank you for following. ♥

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

{Linking up here,  here}

Losing The Mullet

Today I made stuffed bell peppers for the first time. It really is amazing how much time I do have after eliminating a huge time waster. I can guarantee I will not be making meals like this every night... because life gets in the way, but today I did and I am thrilled. As I was making them I was thinking to myself, I'm sure my hubby is going to come home and tell me he'd be perfectly okay if I never showed my face on Facebook ever again if it meant more home cooked meals. It's true, cooking is something I do not find entertaining. I can't stand grocery shopping and any recipe with over five ingredients frightens me. I know how much meals mean to my family though, and this is why I want this area of my life to change. Those of you that know me probably wouldn't believe me, so that's why I have included a picture. Oh, and this was before I added the cheese on top. ☺

 As we ate dinner tonight the first thing I did was ask, "is yours hot enough?" I can't stand anything lukewarm. I cut into my pepper and it wasn't even steaming. Nope, not hot enough for me. I took it back to the kitchen and warmed it up in the microwave. Ahhh.. much better. Lukewarm is such a gross word to me.. I honestly can't think of anything that tastes or feels better lukewarm. To me it's like doing something halfway.

I came to my first internal battle today when trying to figure out if I should post an update on my Raving Tans Facebook page. I know I initially said I was keeping this business page up and how I would use it for networking, etc. But now that I have committed to 365 days without a personal Facebook page would posting on the Raving Tans business page be cheating? Uggh. This was my battle. I know it's probably such a silly thing to think about, but I don't like doing anything halfway. If I'm in, I'm all in.

I talked to my husband and a few other close friends and family about my dilemma. They gave me some great insight reminding me of how beneficial Facebook has been to my business and also reminding me that my initial challenge was not to rid myself of the Raving Tans page. True. They explained that I still had to have a new approach to my posts though. Their suggestions were that instead of being "social" in my posts, to use it strictly for business in a way. Don't comment back on conversations that may start, but direct people to my website. Genius. It's like I'm getting rid of the mullet! Okay that sounds absolutely ridiculous, but try to follow me here... instead of having the business AND the "party" or social aspect (which was the biggest time waster) on Facebook now I will strictly have the business.

So, my new haircut so to speak will look like this... I will now post once a week on my Raving Tans Facebook page. I'm thinking Mondays might be the evening of choice... and I will be informing my fans of specials and other recent news with my business. My email address and website will most likely always be a part of the post and that will be it.

Gosh, I just absolutely love putting my thoughts down in a forum like this and letting people know what I'm going to do before I do it. It's a huge motivator. It forces me to not do things halfway... it's like that accountability that we all need at times to keep us from getting lukewarm. Even if only one person reads this it would be worth it to me to keep my word so I want to personally thank you for following my journey.

With that, I will end this post with one of my favorite and most convicting verses in all of the Bible in my opinion. Some people may think it sounds scary... but I just think it's absolutely powerful. I have even had thoughts on getting this verse tattooed on my wrist. I'm a huge wuss though, so I doubt I will ever do it, but anyways here it is.

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." Revelation 3:15-16. ♥