Illustrated Faith:Goals with Grace Bible page Layout.

I am working my way through all the past Devotional kits from Illustrated Faith. This week I have been delving into the Goals with Grace kit.

I have always believed that God brings things into our lives at just the right moment. Like an attentive parent he let's us struggle a bit just to strengthen us but then gives us a guiding hand.

That is how I felt when I began working through the Devotional.  I have been struggling with trying to figure out what I should be focusing on in this season of my life. My PTSD limits the energy and opportunity that I have to keep up with everything in my life. For every one item I can cross off my list, another 4 fall to the wayside. After awhile I find myself laying on my bed too overwhelmed to do anything.

Currently I am running a store from my house, trying to parent 3 special needs kids, be a wife, keep up a home, maintain my 2 blogs, youtube, instagram etc. while working on my therapy goals and attending weekly sessions. I feel like a duck, you know, everything looks calm, but beneath the surface the poor thing is swimming with all he has. I know that is not what God wants for me. Somewhere along the way I started striving for the wrong goals and forgot that I need only work towards HIS goals for me. The verse is in Phillipines and it reminds us to focus our energy on God's goals in order to receive the good things he has planned for us.

If you want to see what comes in the kit, feel free to check out my Unboxing video:

Carseat Safety Awareness

You are likely thinking that this post is a bit off topic considering my usual theme of crafting and such. Just as much as I am passionate about creating I am also passionate about child safety. This is a "sponsored post" but close to my heart none the less.

We are just coming to the end of Car Seat Safety Awareness Week and I wanted to join in by helping to spread the message.

You may be in a season of your life where car seats are not much of a concern to you. You may not need a car seat in your vehicle, but I bet you have friends and family that do. Many of these people have not had their seat checked to ensure it is correctly installed using the car's latch system. There are clinics held by police departments and private organizations that will show you exactly how to use the safety restraint system in your car. Every car model is a bit different and it is sometimes difficult to get the seat properly installed. I remember as a foster parent we were required to attend a day long training which included a hands on lesson installing various car seats in our vehicles. They actually had us put our full weight on the seat while our partners fastened the restraint. Most people don't realize how tight those restraints need to be.

When looking for a new vehicle encourage new parents to do as much research as possible about different models of cars as well as car seats. A great resource to start with is Cars.com You will find a plethora of reviews and articles to help you make an informed choice. After they have made their purchase it is important for them to attend one of the free car seat clinics. It will offer them some peace of mind knowing their precious cargo is securely restrained.

If you are occasionally transporting wee ones in your vehicle be sure to aquaint yourself with the latching mechanism in your vehicle. It is not a fun experience trying to scramble to find the latch while dashing off to take baby somewhere. Be prepared that some latches are extremely hard to find and even harder to access. My fingers were mangled for the full 10 years I fostered from having to squeeze my fingers between the vehicle cushion to install whatever seat the child was using.

Attending a car seat clinic would be a great family activity for parents-to-be and grandparents to learn about car seat installation so they are all ready to go when the little bundle is ready to come home from the hospital.

If you are interested in attending a car seat clinic check with your local police services as they usually have a listing of local clinics.

Why a Traveller's Notebook will change your life.

I know, you are a doubter right?  Change your life is a pretty big claim but I assure you once you set up your first travellers notebook you will never look back.

If you follow my blogs you likely know that I struggle with severe depression, anxiety and panic disorder and now have been diagnosed with diabetes and PTSD. That is allot to keep track of. One of the side effects of these issues is that I often forget things, conversations, things I said I would do, times of appointments, even to pick up milk.

It was sq uggested by a couple of members of my team that I always carry a notebook and record  everything I am asked to do, my schedule in detail, detailed lists and even phone numbers to call when I have a totally blank moment.

I immediately thought planner as I am a longtime planner girl.  I adjusted the contents of my A5 Webster Pages ring bound planner but honestly it was just too bulky to carry all day. Then I discovered travellers notebooks. You can customise the inserts to suit your needs. There are so many ways to personalize the set up with dashboards, paperclips, ephemera etc.

The more you adapt your TN to your needs and interests the more you will find yourself immersed in its pages. The trick to planner success is actually making it a place you love. If you want to learn more about Travellers Notebooks jump over to my YouTube channel and check out my planner perfection playlist.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuX6pRTVyrsAdbGvmH-M_9Q



Here are a couple of my videos showing my TNS.

Perfect Alternative to Pin Curls and Hair Torture

April 1994

This is a sponsored post. That means I may receive compensation for sharing my opinion with you. It baffles my husband as I share my opinions with him constantly and he definitely would not pay me 😅.

Luckily this is a topic that has solved a very real issue with me as of late. I know it will come as no surprise to many of you that I am a bit obsessed with all things vintage. My friend Sylvie recently got me hooked on youtube tutorials of pin up hairstyles. I adore the charm of the suicide roll, pin curls and the infamous victory rolls. Spending the time rolling, teasing, curling, spraying.....not so much. Honestly I have no idea how women used to pull this look off. Interestingly enough the solution came in an email just the other day. The answer is lace fronts wigs.

April 1994

When I was in my final year of high school I wanted a more mature look so a week before graduation pictures I went to a salon and had my long ringlets hacked off and the surviving hair dyed the most ghastly shade of brown. After I did it I immediately regretted it but it was too late. I was distraught as I had prom, graduation, my friends wedding and my own wedding coming at a rapid rate.

May 1994

Through tearful eyes I listened as the stylist explained that there was no way my hair could grow out in time. Then as though some miraculous intervention occurred. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed several "falls" in the display case. My miracle had happened. Emptying my meagre bank account and maxing my shiny new credit card I left the salon with two wigs costing over $500. That's allot of tables to wait on.

I loved my faux hair and felt so glamorous in my new locks. I could roll out of bed, shower and be out the door in 30 minutes or less. Everyone commented on how beautiful my hair looked every day. I wore those two wigs until they were barely usable. By the time they gave out I was married with a mortgage and there was no money for frivolous purchases.

July 1994

I forgot how much fun it is to transform myself to whatever look I want in a moments notice. Enter my new secret weapon. Instead of messing with rollers and irons I can purchase vintage styles for less than $50. Seriously, less than $50. I like that they have have the vintage feel without the stiff styling. They are vintage with a modern twist.

Here are a few of my favourite lace fronts wigs

Pretty cool right!  So who do you want to be today? Be sure to check out these and hundreds of other styles of lace front wigs at our sponsor #divatress