We drove back from Florida this past weekend and I bought myself some flowers that Naomi picked out at Trader Joe’s and a happy lamp that had fantastic reviews.

As we neared our home Sunday afternoon, the gray atmosphere shrouding Indianapolis was an oppressive metallic ball and chain to my sensitive heart. Tears silently slid down my cheek but sounded like sirens to my sensitive husband who worked hard to focus on the positive aspects of living in Indiana. 

He was right, though I think he was also reassuring himself. 

But digging out of the suffocating painting before me featuring a lackluster sky and school closing cold, left me unhappy about our return.  Being in the sunshine state, even while it was filled with multiple parenting opportunities with 4 children afoot, no babysitting, and zero quiet was a balm to my heart.  When the sunshine beat down upon the solar panels of my body, I welcomed the recharging.  I craved it like a caffeine addict. 

So, we bought me a happy lamp. 

10,000 lux of sunshine for 1/2 hour a day. 

Do you struggle with feeling sad in the wintertime?

The post I’m Sad In the Winter appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

There is a plant that I feel a certain kinship with.  It responds to human interaction, much like I do. 

Has anyone every called you OVERLY sensitive or asked what was wrong with you?

Umm . . . perhaps your nervous system is overly sensitive.  This IS a good thing.  The world needs observant individuals.

The Mimosa Pudica Plant

The Mimosa pudica plant is shy and bashful.  When touched, it shrinks, folds inward, and only opens back up when it is safe.

I like this plant.  It responds to humanity like me.

I find comfort in its quick retreat upon uncomfortable contact, because it makes me feel more secure in how I have been created by the Lord. 

I Am HIGHLY Sensitive

Like the plant, I discovered that I am a Highly Sensitive Person.  My nervous system is literally a rapidly firing machine of awareness.

Now, while this title doesn’t give me an excuse to do anything unbiblical, it is enlightening . . . much like an personality test can be.  Often, we can’t see ourselves until we take a test. The test I took was found in the book,  The Highly Sensitive Person.

In a wonderful ah-ha moment I discovered that I am a highly sensitive person . . . the world’s population is filled with about 20% of us sensitive creatures that respond differently to all sorts of stimuli.  I scored a 21 out of 23.  I am a poster child for the sensitive person.

Misunderstood

For the longest time, I have felt alone, misunderstood, and somehow flawed.  I crave solitude, am affected by intense sounds such as sirens, strange odors, glaring lights, clutter and chaos.  When I walk into a room, I find myself instantly assessing everyone’s mood, body language, and friendships.  I analyze conversations, inflections, and benign statements.  I startle easily, withdraw often, am affected by textures, and rattled by what feels like a circus when multiple people want me to accomplish many tasks.  I fret over mistakes.  I am grieved when I hurt someone or am misunderstood.  I hold onto people’s moods as if playing tug of war with the memory.  Keep violent show away from my eyes. I seek, at all costs, to avoid overwhelming situations. 

This is me. 

The collective group of sensitive people all deal with these same personality traits.

The Highly Sensitive Person gave me a label that sums up my good and sometimes annoying character traits.  This was refreshing to me.  I am finding new freedom to allow margin in my life – like getting a Happy lamp, reading a book and returning to book club, blogging on my personal blog, and connecting with some mom’s in a transparent relationship daily. 

And this year, knowing this has helped me accept how I am wired, love my highly sensitive child in a new way, and make concessions for my kiddo and I so that we too fit into the life of a busy family.

Are you highly sensitive?  How do you turn your sensitivity into a beautiful life lived?

• Order an adult Mimosa pudica plant here.
• Grow your own heirloom Mimosa pudica plant.
• Or can I say homeschool fun with this Tickle Me Greenhouse kit?!
• Take the Highly Sensitive Person test

The post The Sensitive Plant appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

There is the potential for me to use 22 pens each morning.  All sorts of glorious colors.

I thought I had simplified things. I have been making trips to Goodwill and selling things on Instagram.   Chucking things we havne’t used in over a year.  I long for space and margin in our home.  It also helps to manage my sensitivity.  (Learn more about Highly Sensitive People here.)

Apparently, a reduction in my army of pens is not one of them.  I tried to use my Pigma Micron 01 pens for my Inkwell Press planner, and it just wasn’t happening.  My handwriting looked like I was shaky with caffeine.  The picture really doesn’t reflect reality, but when do pictures really capture the full truth? 

So I switched to my Papermate Flair Felt Tip pens, the very ones my grandma used.  Except she only used red and blue Flairs.  Occasionally you would find a green or black felt tip pen, but she didn’t leave those out for us to use. I’m blaming her for  my pen fetish.  She also is responsible for why I like various sizes of paper and SMALL books and cute containers.

I found the best price for a set of 6 Pigma Micron 01 pens on Amazon about the same time I purchased the ESV Journaling Bible.  While I am not on the same Bible reading plan as my accountability partners, I wanted to be using the same Bible and having a similar experience allowing Scripture to come out in pictures and expressive thoughts.   I’m reading John and a Psalm and Proverb a day, in addition to studying Greek and doing Beth Moore’s study called, Children of the Day.

While I’m at it, here is what the morning routine looks like these days:

• Wake up between 5:30 – 6 am.  I did succeed at rising at 5:05 on Monday! 
• Drink Ningxia Red.
• If there is time before 6 am, have some Brickhouse coffee and sit in front of my Happy lamp. (Read more about this glorious invention here.)
• PiYo workout with The Engineer.
• Breakfast – eggs and hot sauce
• Bible Study . . .

These are all of my tools:

• ESV Journaling Bible
• Children of the Day by Beth Moore
• Greek Alphabet Code Cracker
• Inkwell Press Planner (20% discount using this link) – love this planning book – it’s a calendar but it is also a place to set goals.  It’s my space.  And it comes with set up videos.  Which are glorious.  And I never want them to end.  I want a year of those short, sweet, and encouraging videos.  Seriously.
• Papermate Flair Medium Point Felt Tip Pens

So, that’s my morning life. 

Do we share any similarities?  What pens do you like to use?

The post My Morning Pen Routine appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

I want to cry each time I work out.  The whole process is like peeling a layer off of an onion.  And that onion is me.  After a good workout, I smell like an onion no matter how many essential oils I have slathered on my skin.  And my {emotional} heart is raw and weepy. 

I recently ran for the first time in years.  I didn’t just jog . . . I ran.  {Run, Forest, run!}

I R.A.N. folks, but not to Iran.

Which means, I pee’d. (Just keeping it real – cause that’s how I am.  In a truly in a round-about way, I want to give you self-sacrificing mamas hope that it is possible to run . . . and one day it will be possible to run without needing to borrow your child’s diaper.  You will have your body back in due time.)

You just have to want it bad enough to fight for it. I don’t think there is any easy way around the battle of the bulge.

My inability to cross my legs while running creates embarrassing situations.  Can you imagine if I ran on the treadmill – or rather hopped criss-cross-applesauce with the rotating belt!?  What a spectacular gym client I would be! Instead I arm myself with dark pants and a hoodie belted around my hips – that is,  until my pelvic floor improves with Pilates Reformer.  This Pilates Reformer —  it seriously looks like a torture machine, except it’s not.

Inviting Change:  Savoring the Smell of an Onion

Inviting change into your life is hard work. It is no simple task to commit to healthy thoughts, intentional moments, and a god-honoring physique.

The people who know their God will display strength and take action.  Daniel 11:32

But as I read Sally Clarkson’s book, Own Your Life, I am inspired to keep slicing those thin layers of brownish decaying onion-like flesh off of my inner and outer self, which is dying to thrive.

Sally writes, “It’s not just possible to life a full, flourishing life; God actually designed you to live this way.” 

There is nothing wrong with flourishing. 

Do you realize this?  This was like a jaw dropping revelation to me.

Quite honestly, I don’t know that I fully grasped that we are meant to thrive – to flourish.  It reveals God’s glory. His power.  It shows that the life He gave us is WORTH living.  Worth fighting for.   Until I tasted the labors of caramelizing the onion of my life – and finding sweetness and grace through this life altering concept, I had no idea what I was missing. No idea.  I have missed so much.

So much fun. 

How Has My Life Changed?

Flourishing has occurred through mental clarity – essentially allowing me to HEAR and understand what the Lord is sharing with me through His word. 

Playing in a bounce house instead of being a bystander.

Going ice skating.

Fitting into old clothes that I haven’t seen in so long they feel like new ones.

Savoring that empowering feeling when I make healthy food choices or set my will for success and not listen to the old tapes of failure.

— the best part . . . I lost 4 pounds last week and 1% body fat.  That was week 1 of the fitness challenge at my gym. Here I am after the weigh in on Tuesday.  I was so happy it was hard to not cry.

I so want you to see and understand that you can be free, moms.  You can flourish alongside your children.  You can create heart palpitations in your husband yet.

Are you at a place in your life to commit to the labor and activity of truly thriving?  I’d start with Sally Clarkson’s book, Own Your Life, quite honestly.  It’s where I started. It’s how I’m learning to smell like an onion.

The post How To Smell Like An Onion appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

June feels like February so you should read books.  You could probably earn points for it at your local library.

I say that for two reasons.

Reason #1:  I last wrote during the soul-destroying, blistery days of February.  That was before I launched a huge new website, decided to redecorate our home by painting nearly every room, went to Idaho to plant trees, attended  two homeschooling conventions (both out of state), finished Classical Conversations, graduated two black belts, had a fantastic birthday that lasted for nearly a month, accelerated the aging process at Kings Island and celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary.

Reason #2:  As I sit in my Nesting Place inspired family room this morning, the last days of June are rather arctic (if you ask me, but I do have a tendency to exaggerate — or so I have been told) . . . and uninspiring (at least here in Central Indiana).

Since I can’t go outside to finish dispersing the  7 yards of mulch that I am tired of looking at, I have more time on my hands than anticipated.  And I choose to exercise my hands by typing.

Perched comfortably in my chair, I feel inclined to share with you what I have been reading.

These books have been defining books that I have been aggressively and compulsively reading because the truths within them have created amazing ripples of creativity in compounding proportions.

• The Bible (of course) I have been studying the books Philemon and James.
• The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by John C. Maxwell — I love this book because it is applicable for all types of people with various motivations (or rather lack of motivation).
• The Hormone Reset Diet by Dr. Sara Gottfried (Hello . . .this book explains so much about my struggle with weight.  My trainer suggested I read this book because no matter what workout we did or how well I ate, the weight simply wasn’t coming off.  Since starting the reset I have had some successful weight loss, had increased energy, and experienced an overall improvement in my well-being.)
• Oola: Find Balance in an Unbalanced World by Dave Braun and Troy Amdahl — I heard these guys speak and was super impressed with their empowering and uplifting message.  I have a set of essential oils to pair with their “principles” that I’m super excited to apply.
• The Four Color Personalities for MLM by Tom “Big Al” Schreiter — I listened to this book while I painted the front hallway, but this time around I am taking notes as I read the book.  I adore our Wise House Oils team.  But to better listen to them and help them achieve their goals, I know that I need to understand them and myself.

Lest you think I am always productive, I will say that I just finished season 2 of Marvel’s Agents of Shield on Netflix.

The post June Feels Like February plus My Books and Our House appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

When I gave birth to our children, it appears that the Lord used my creativity gene in sculpting each child.

That is, until I read The Nesting Place.  This book was the best purchase I have made in a long time.  I got back some of decorating genes.  The Nesting Place revitalized and fostered in me a desire to bring beauty and life into our home.

So, I hung a moose up.  (Well, my dad did.)

Our musical instruments are functional art.  And that tambourine?

Does it really distract from the family collection by being torn?  If anything, I think that “accident” shows that in our house, we make mistakes.

And it’s OK.

Just this week, I hung scraps of fabric up.  Hello curtains.

I have our hashtag wall in the works — but this project is going to require some help from the engineer as there is math, coordination, and straight lines involved.

What unusual decorating have you done in your house?

I’ll be sharing the cupcake room (as my son calls it) next!

Learn more over at The Nester.

The post Festive Inexpensive House Decorating appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

There is one problem with this post.  You can’t sample this delicious meal right now as you read through the ingredient list.  I assure you that you WANT and NEED to make this recipe today.

Like right now.

I was prompted to find something interesting to eat.  I have been reading The Hormone Reset Diet by Dr. Sara Gottfried.  As I have been progressing through the reset steps suggested by Dr. Gottfried, I found the need to add creativity and flavor to my plate.

The Hormone Reset Diet has been a game changer for me.  Eye opening, really.

(Read:  If you are a female with thyroid issues or PCOS, this is a MUST read.)

Lentils come highly recommended as you work through the Reset.  And so, I took the plunge.

Red Lentil Curry

Ingredients

• 2 cups red lentils
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (find it here)
• 2 tablespoon Thai Kitchen red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon tumeric
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 can Muir Glen tomato sauce

Directions

Rinse lentils.  You want the water to run clear.

Dump lentils into a pot with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and then turn heat down so that lentils are at a simmer.  Add water as needed to keep water line just above lentils. Cook until tender.  Now, the directions on every package of lentils I have purchased always say this process takes about 20 minutes.  But I have NEVER had lentils cook that quickly.  Therefore, I suggest you try 20 minutes but perhaps allow 40 just in case.

Heat coconut oil in a skillet and caramelize the onions.  This is soooooo important.  I adore caramelized onions by the way.   (I caramelized onions in this recipe.)

Mix remaining ingredients, EXCEPT the tomato sauce, into the onions.  Heat and stir until fragrant.

Add tomato sauce.

Drain cooked lentils.

Add caramelized onion mixture to lentils.

I served the Red Lentil Curry over cauliflower rice (from this cookbook) and with our favorite gluten free chicken tenders.

This dish lasted me for MULTIPLE meals.  I started mixing it with sauteed veggies and even garnished a fresh green salad with lentils!

(By the way, this is gluten free, dairy free, and vegetarian!)

Discover more of my recipes!

The post Melt in Your Mouth Curry Red Lentils appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

It would appear that I don’t know how to make an info-graphic.

I spent two hours making a beautiful image to share with the world about this promotion thingy Young Living  has going right now (until August 14th).  I loved it.  It took me to a happy place.  Like a good cup of chai.

That is, until I uploaded it onto the blog this morning . . . and see that my dynamic infographic suffered an earthquake during the process of saving and downloading. Seriously?  I could have been painting or cleaning or organizing the school room had I known what a failure the Pinterest friendly infrographic would become — shifty photo like a shadow or a wave tossed about by the wind.

It’s really quite sad.

But it doesn’t change the reality.

I do know how to make postcard size graphics.

Or images that will work on Instagram.

I just can’t put them together.

Weird.

God Still Does and Did

So, you may or may not know that God has done awesome things in our family.  One of those “things” is essential oils and other oil infused products.

Enter a 10+ year relationship with Young Living.

I Can’t Make an Infographic But You Can Still Save $

Well, Young Living just launched this BEAUTIFUL new kit.  Nothing like what I received when I became a member before all the kids were born.  Because I am uber-curious, I purchased said new beautiful kit.  But not at the price you can.  Just saying.

Be still my heart. Ummm, I didn’t make that image.  I’m sure you ALREADY figured that out though.

And now that kit is $10 off for new members — and new members already pay less for it than what existing members do.  It will be applied at checkout.

Sign up here (that is my oil blog, by the way) to win big, get your discount, join Wise House Oils, and have me send you some happy mail.

You do know that gifts are totally my love language right?  I LOVE sending pretty and fun packages.  Just saying.

So, it is a BIG win, if you aren’t a Young Living member yet and you join under yours truly before August 14th.

Here’s that link again.  THE LINK.  (I wish you could hear my inflection . . . cause I’m desperately trying to be funny and not spammy.)

And it’s an even bigger win, because I have a lovely new website to help you learn and grow and do all things oily.  It’s called Wise House Oils. 

Cool beans?

The post My Failed Attempt at an Infographic appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

Sometimes I feel like we are riding one wave after another and the seas never get calm.  There is always a current of activity in our household.

However, if you are learning how to be a strong swimmer, a bit of turbulence doesn’t hurt.

Our Strokes to Goldfish Swim School

Over a year ago, our family decided to get serious about making sure our kids were learning how to swim well.  Not being a strong swimmer myself, I wanted to make sure that my kiddos felt as comfortable in the water as they did walking on two feet.  I didn’t learn how to swim until I was in 6th grade and with many of our current friends having neighborhood pools, I knew that any ineptitude in the aquatic arena could lead to a certain drowning in the social area.

Since fish belong in the water, I set out on a quest to find the best swim school for my school of fish.

We tried two different locations that offered youth focused swim lessons.  However, after multiple lessons that lacked a system of progression and reward, I kinda gave up.

Until yet another Goldfish Swim School flier arrived.  Instead of throwing away the flier or using it for a fire starter for the 10th time — I made the phone call.

Actually, I didn’t. I submitted a form online.

But Goldfish called me the next day.  Who does that??!!!

The rest is pretty much history.   My kids fell in love, they were enthusiastic about their progress (as was I), the grandparents were (are) in awe each time they sit and watch with me, and the staff is just so gosh darn accommodating.  It’s really kinda sick what a happy, productive place Goldfish is — and the two Goldfish Swim Schools I have been to are identical in how they treat customers.

I once tried to quit the program just to free up our schedule.  But they were soooooooooo nice and gracious I just couldn’t go through with it.  It made me cry because I have this weird maternal bond for this swim program that has taught my children an important life skill, that I ended up canceling my cancel and kept the kids in swim school.

Why I Like Goldfish Swim School

1. I like Goldfish Swim School because the whole program is based on a proven progression.  When your littles deomonstrate all the competencies for one class . . . they move up.  They don’t have to do the backstroke in the same lane until the next session starts 8 weeks later.  My kids moved on to the next level the very next week.  And they got a ribbon and sticker to boot.
2. Goldfish has a Customer Appreciation Day what seems like every month.  Who doesn’t like that?
3. They often ask my opinion and make changes when I offer suggestions.
4. There is free Wifi.
5. It is sooooooooo easy to sit and watch.  And relax.  It’s glorious.
6. The swim lessons are year round.
7. Goldfish Swim School has ALWAYS accommodated my schedule and has tried to ensure that all 4 kids could get their lesson AT. THE. SAME. TIME. even though they are all at different ability levels. Can I get a witness for not being the perpetual taxi driver?
8. If we miss a class, we can make it up.  Our absenteeism doesn’t mean the class has drifted away with the tide.
9. Location, location, location.
10. Prizes every week (that don’t consist of sugar!).  That’s what my kids like.

And I almost forgot.  The changing rooms.  They are big.  And glorious.  And there are hairdryers too.

Local Swim Team Call Out

This really only pertains to families living near the Fishers, Indianapolis, and Carmel (Indiana) area.  Sorry if you live far away.  Please don’t unsubscribe from the blog.

Recently, my two oldest boys moved up to be a part of the Rec Swim Team at Goldfish.

Which they love.

And I might, but for two issues.  Two of the Rec Teams meet on a weeknight (which interferes with Taekwondo) and the other Rec Team is on a Sunday (our family day and Sabbath).  Being the strong HSP individual that I am, I made a choice (with the help of the Engineer) and pulled the boys out of Rec Team.

I cried.

Every week they say to me, “I sure miss Rec Team, Mom.” Ugh — rip my heart out why don’t you.

I think they know that I have this passion for writing, and crying, and blogging that perhaps if they say it enough — I just might blog about it and form a Homeschool Rec Swim Team at Goldfish Swim School.

I guess they were right.  I talked to Goldfish about my idea and they agreed to create a Homeschool Swim Team as long as I could get a critical mass of people to sign up for it.  Here is where I need your help.

You’re Invited to Join {my} Homeschool Goldfish Rec Swim Team

If you are interested, and you happen to live near this location (click to see) in Indiana, we are going to have an informational meeting (read PARTY) at Goldfish DURING THE WEEKDAY.  I’d love to see 20 kids make a splash in the pool for this new Swim Team.  I have approximately 8, currently.  Leave me a comment if you are interested in attending the info meeting and I’ll be in touch in the next week or two with some specifics on the date and time for this meeting.

At the meeting, Goldfish staff will explain the program to the adults while the kids get to test out their sea legs in the pool.  As if that wasn’t enough for the info meeting, Goldfish is also going to bait us with free pizza if get enough people.  While at the info meeting, we’ll pick a one hour time slot on a weekday that works best for everyone to hold the team practice.  All you’ll have to do is show up and relax.  Can you say, “hello, homeschool gym class?”

So don’t forget to leave a comment below if you are interested.  Feel free to share this opportunity with other homeschoolers who haven’t stumbled on to this blog yet.

See everyone at the pool!

The Fine Print…

What is Required to Participate in the Rec Swim Team?

• basic understanding of freestyle, breaststroke, and backstroke
• knowledge of butterfly is helpful
• He or she needs to be able to swim the length of a pool.

The post Join {my} Swim Team: A Local Call Out appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I’ve become quite enthralled obsessed with making my own almond milk.  I’ve known it could be done for years, but I resisted the urge to make one more homemade thing.

Having conquered making yogurt, water kefir, kombucha, saurkraut, nut butters, sprouted grain, chicken stock, and laundry detergent, to name a few — I just didn’t think that the culinary effort of crafting almond milk would make me any more crunchy than I already am.

But I’m doing another detox and for some reason that pushed me over the edge to learn how to make almond milk.

That or I just didn’t want to run to the grocery store.

Regardless of the reason, I have become rather snobbish about homemade almond milk and quite honestly don’t feel I could ever return to carton almond milk.  The taste and texture is 100% better than it’s inferior counterpart made in a factory.  Plus, I love knowing the exact ingredients in my food and being able to pronounce them.

What will you need?

I always double my recipe.  My kids have fallen in love with my almond milk and prefer to drink it over our raw milk.  In order to avoid making it every day, I just make two batches every other day.  And sometimes I make it every three days.

• 1 cup of raw almonds
• 4 organic dates (optional)
• bowl to soak almonds
• filtered water to soak almonds / 4 cups of filtered water to make the milk
• Vitamix or Blendtec
• nut milk bag (I just ordered this one.)
• 1/2 gallon Mason Jar
• vanilla paste, vanilla beans, or vanilla powder (optional)

Directions to make Almond Milk

Rinse almonds in a colander.  Soak in a bowl overnight for for 12 hours.

Drain and rinse soaked almonds.

Fill blender with 4 cups of filtered water and add almonds, dates, and a dollop of almond paste.

The first time I made the almond milk, I stole vanilla beans from the vanilla I was brewing.  My last few batches have been with the almond paste.  I am waiting on some almond powder to arrive and I will experiment with that product!

Put the lid on your machine and blend until the almonds are completely ground and you only see tiny specks.

Place nut milk bag inside of the Mason Jar.  You will want to hold on to the bag or screw the ring on to hold the bag for you as the liquid pours in.  I suppose this is only a problem if you are trying to take a picture the same time you pour.

Gently pull bag out of the Mason Jar when you have eliminated all milk from the blender jar.  You do not want to yank the pregnant bag up and out of the jar.  Trust me.  It’s messy.

Gradually squeeze the bag downward to encourage the almond milk to filter through the nut bag.

When you are done you have moist almond flour.  I place this in a Tupperware and put in the fridge to make crackers or bread out of later.

Chill milk and enjoy!

Be sure to check out my other recipes!

The post Make Your Own Almond Milk appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

I feel like it’s normal to spend time making quality chai. The minutes that tick away allowing the milk to just barely boil and the Assam tea to brew are opportunistic domestic moments to unload the dishes or start breakfast or chat.

Like chat with friends you used to make chai for every day when you lived in India.

For 11+ years I have made my chai the exact same way.

Until this month.

I discovered a new Assam Tea blend when frantically making my Amazon Prime Subscribe and Save order.  And it tastes just like tea in India.

Good tea, is worth the time and investment.

Enjoy tea time.

However, let me warn you.  Sitting down for a cuppa each day is addicting and relaxing.  Wanna join me sometime?

The post My Homemade Chai Recipe {Revisited} appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

Today I turn 39 and a half.

Actually I turned 39 and a half at 4:05 am this morning.  I’m sure most of the people in the world that I love slept right through the momentous event.  In fact, I did.  The only reason the kids are excited about my half birthday is our tradition of visiting the cupcake store to get a gluten free confectionery.

Oh, I forgot to mention, it was Ruth’s birthday this week.  There will also be a stop at the doggy bakery because we are those kind of canine owners.  You know the ones — that personify their dog.

This morning I started reading Jen Hatmaker’s book, For the Love {aff link}.  My friend, Sarah — who is truly often a lifesaver, left it for me to read on my airplane ride to Ecuador next week.  But I just couldn’t resist the temptation to crack open the spine and dive it.  It was just that kind of morning.  A slow one that needed strong tea and refreshing words.

God’s timing is truly impeccable.  For the Love has been in my Amazon wish list for some time.  Today I woke up feeling guilty for telling friends, not just people, but friends, “NO.”

No, I can’t meet.  Yes, I’m a heel, and I’m not keeping my word on this appointment, but I can’t meet.  You see, with me leaving — like leaving the country leaving and trusting a stranger to fly me over a large expanse of water, makes me a homebody.  Like it compels me to be so attracted to my kids that I just want them all to myself because of some irrational fear of, “What if?”

I need talked off of the ledge here.

The reality is that my short trip to the Ecuador, while different than my normal modus operandi, should prove uneventful, except for the fact that my traveling companion is Carisa, who make me laugh.

But back to my guilt.

We’ve taken an interest in a certain precision sport that can be dangerous.  And I feel like our life has been a ride on that bullet. Shooting guns is safe, so long as you hit the target.  And our traveling and teaching essential oil classes, and hosting events at our house, has been hitting the target — but I don’t want to jepordize my relationships with my kids in how I spend the next 4 days.

Sure they can recover.

But I don’t want them to recover from my trajectory miscalculation.

And so today is a day spent with my kids.  This weekend is family weekend.

Jen Hatmaker writes, “We need to quit trying to be awesome and instead be wise.”

Wisdom today is extra snuggles, Growly on the couch, the Flying Cupcake, buying our dog a lavish pupcake, and dating the Engineer.

Wise Women know what to hold onto and what to release, and how to walk confidently in their choices — no regrets, no apologies, no guilt. ~ Jenn Hatmaker

Is saying no to friends or business hard for you?

The post Reflections on turning 39.5 appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

I like French Silk Pie.  But it takes a lot of time to make.

Surprisingly, there is a quicker alternative.  And it comes from a little super food that I was once told if you had nothing else to eat, you could eat this and live on an island until you were rescued.

The avocado.

However without garlic and salt or alternatively maple syrup and cocoa, I don’t much like avocados.

But I do like the velvety texture of Chocolate Avocado Pudding.

So do the kids, more importantly.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Ingredients

• 3 avocados — preferably chilled, if you want to eat the pudding immediately
• 4-5 tbls cocoa (I like this one and have it on autoship) affiliate link
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup (or more — the ripeness of the avocado affects the amount)
• Vitamix or immersion blender affiliate link

Directions

Open avocado. I recommend you take out the pit — if you don’t, you will surely ruin your blender and land in the dentist chair.

Slice avocado into pieces and corral them into the Vitamix or bowl, discarding any bruised or damaged flesh.

Add cocoa and maple syrup.

Now, hear me on this.  I did give you measurements for the cocoa and maple syrup.  The reality is that my measurements are approximates for you.

The amount changes depending on how much you want to hide the taste and smell of the avocado.  If you avocado isn’t the perfectly ripe, you will need to add more or less of the maple syrup and cocoa.

Blend until the mixture is a smooth, pudding-like consistency.

We like to eat this chilled with a spoon or with apples.

Bon appetite!

The post Avacado Equals Chocolate Pudding appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

I bought Ruth a pinch collar this week and went on that morning walk I have been meaning to do for several months.  You see, my kids think that it is safe to play with our dog’s pinch collar(s) and leashes.  Thus, all 4 items have been lost or chewed up.

On a happy note, I have been reading Jon Acuff’s book, Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average and Do Work that Matters.  And that book prompted me to make such a drastic move — purchase yet another pinch collar and dog leash that is.

Logically, I then decided to start something.  Early morning walks.

Being the highly sensitive person that I am, I had to plan ahead a bit and incentivize myself.  I didn’t want to wake the kids up, so I got it in my head that a podcasts could fuel my feet.

Now for some reason I had it in my head that to listen to podcasts you had to have an iPhone, which I really didn’t think was quite fair.  As I see it, Android phones are better — so why didn’t my chosen superior device support my ability to listen to podcasts?  I felt like I was missing out — I didn’t have a podcasts that I bragged about.

I went out on a limb last night, and did something drastic for this HSP.  As the Engineer folded his laundry, I opened Google Play and searched for Podcasts.  I’m not sure what I thought would appear.  In what felt like an anointed moment, I discovered the world of podcast apps.  Who knew.  THERE WERE APPS for Podcasts!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quite honestly I was amazed, dumbfounded, and a bit frustrated.

All. This. Time.

All this time, all this knowledge was there waiting for me and millions of others to listen to.  However, I had created some weird imaginary barrier that kept me from pursuing the activity of listening to podcasts.  I thought that it would be a waste of time.

You see, I’m a bit knew to this personal development idea.  But after being challenged by several friends while in Hawaii recently, I decided to put on my big girl panties and enter new territory different than my preferred silence.  I am vowing to listen to podcasts and watch videos on being amazing.

Truth be told, listening to a podcast wasn’t so bad.

I mentioned that I had been reading Start on my Kindle — but I’ve also been listening to Start on Audible.  While I LOVE Audible, I really appreciate that podcasts are FREE.  (But I do highly recommend you LISTEN to Start,  ’cause Jon Acuff is a fantastic storyteller.

What podcasts do you listen to because I’d love to have some options?

The post Start Discovering Podcasts appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

I started a new blog literally a minute ago.  It’s a bit of a work in progress. It’s about Classical Conversations.

It’s called FortCC.blogspot.com or ClassicalConversationsLawrence.com. It’s my 6th blog — and by far the EASIEST one to appear on the internet.

Just when I thought my blogging career was wrapping up quite nicely, I’m finding that God has launched a new work, rather a new blog and a new job.  I don’t see my blogging days ending anytime soon.

I’m Not Alone

Thankfully this new journey involves two of my other friends, Casey and Melanie.  I’m the one running the blog and they are the adults providing the guiding structure.   I’m just the paparazzi, who happens to be a Challenge A director.

Gulp.

But the fact that we have COMMUNITY is huge, friends.  Huge.  We don’t look at this as a solo adventure.  Raising up classically educated munchkins is a team effort.

If you want to learn what the blog is going to be about or you are interested in a classical community, meet us for coffee tonight — that is, if you happen to live near Indianapolis.

Spoiler Alert

Spoiler Alert:  Tonight’s coffee date is actually an information meeting for parents to learn about Classical Conversations.  Next school year our community, Fort CC, or rather Classical Conversations of Lawrence will be hosting:

• Foundations (grades K4-6th)
• Essentials (4th -6th grade)
• Challenge A (typically 7th and 8th grade)
• Challenge 1 (typically freshman year)

Over the years I have written a lot about Classical Conversations.  We have been involved in a local CC community for what will be 5 years this fall.

I think that says a lot.  And I know my kids know a lot.

It’s pretty much rocked our world and has provided rich conversation around our dinner table and as we walk along the byways and highways. (Not that we really walk along I 465.)

But you get the idea.

Join Us for Coffee

If you are interested in discovering more about Classical Conversations or you have a friend in the Indianapolis, Castleton, Fishers, or Lawrence area . . . we just might be hanging out for coffee three different times this month to answer any questions you might have about Classical Education or Classical Conversations.

• June 2nd @ 6:30 p.m.  at the Starbucks located at 10800 Pendleton Pike, Indianapolis, IN
• June 8th @ 7:00 p.m. at the Starbucks at 6706 E. 82nd Street, Indianapolis, IN
• June 16th @ 6:30 p.m. at the Starbucks at 8958 E. 96th, Indianapolis, IN

See you there!

IF you have any questions, email iloveclassicalconversations (at) gmail (dot) com.

The post My 6th Blog: Fort CC (Classical Conversations) appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

I’m trying to give up my Netflix binge watching.  And it has led to a flurry of reading.  But then again, I have always been a reader and a binge watcher.  Currently what I’m reading consists of:

• Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin (who also wrote The Happiness Project) — I honestly have wanted to read this for my vacation reading instead of the book the Wise House Oils community is reading.  It has uncovered this ridiculous notion I have of staying up late to read or watch Netflix . . . like there are other people like me who stay up late to claim this time when all of the house is quiet.  You’ll have to get the book to find out why this phenomenon exists.

For fun, I am reading:

• A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (Our book club read it — and even though I couldn’t attend, I still try and read all of the books so that I have the same foundation as the other members.)

• Harry Potter — truthfully I blame my friend, Jolanthe, on this one.  I have resisted reading this series, but thus far my notions of the first book have been entirely unfounded.
• The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Asgeli in preparation for Challenge A with Classical Conversations next year.

And I am listening to:

• Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
• Never Broken by Jewel

What books are you reading this week?

By the way, I loved the Podcast suggestions and have added them to my list!

The post What I’m Reading appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

There is nothing like #HappyMail or receiving a package in the mail.  I suppose I am somewhat vain because I send myself mail — rather I subscribe to several Subscription Boxes.

What Subscription Boxes Do I Receive?

• Faith Box — I was initially intrigued by Faith Box because I saw that one month a Young Living bottle of lavender was included.  I signed up that month.  However, my subscription didn’t start until the following month.  Which was a glorious month, because I learned all about Perry Noble, and read his book, and started a book club as a result.  Faith Box “inspires daily Christian living by helping you grow in your faith, impact your community, and discover meaningful products from companies that do good.”  Each month includes a devotion, music download, eco-friendly products, and each subscription provides three meals to hungry children.

When you sign up this month for Faith Box, receive 20% off your first box when you  use promo code SUMMER16 at checkout.  Visit Faith Box!

• Date Box — It seems that getting a babysitter can sometimes be challenging and after 17 years of glorious marriage, sometimes dates become a bit routine.  I mean, we ALWAYS have a date each week — but it typically consists of chocolate and Netflix.  Well, Date Box has spiced things up a bit.  Most recently we painted!

• Young Living Essential Rewards — I have been on Essential Rewards for something like 70 months.  It has allowed me to make sure I have the right wellness tools in my arsenal for when a need arises — which is basically every day.

• Ivy Kids — this really started because I felt a little negligent regarding Omi’s Pre-school experience.  I love Ivy Kids because EVERYTHING I need to “do” school is included in this jam packed box.  And she loves seeing the mailman bring her green box to the front door each month.

• Scarlet Lime Planner Society — I really look forward to this Subscription Box because when I don’t have fresh flowers on my counter top, I receive them in a box.  And well, I have a fetish for Washi Tape — though my children refer to it as wedgie tape.

• Amazon Subscribe and Save —  I try and avoid going to the grocery store.  So we receive things like LaraBars, cocoa, toilet paper, nighttime pull ups, cod liver oil, vitamins without iron, snack olives, jasmine tea, etc.  It is a FANTASTIC life saver for me and fun for the kids to open each month!!!
• Green Bean Delivery — We have utilized Green Bean Delivery for 6 years.  It was a lifesaver when I was immersed in all things baby and found that going to the grocery store proved challenging.

So, do you subscribe to any of these Monthly Boxes?

Or are you interested in subscribing to one?  My personal favorite is the Young Living Essential Rewards.  Email me if you are interested in knowing more!

The post My Current Subscription Boxes appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

It might seem a little unorthodox, but please unsubscribe if you don’t want to read about homeschooling, family, essential oils and motherhood.

I’ve been thinking quite a bit about this space.  And I largely don’t write because I can’t separate out our oil infused life from our homeschooling and kitchen life.   I attempted to only write about oils over at Naturally His and only about our life here.  It didn’t work.  I stopped writing.

The truth of it is that the Lord has done amazing things within our family through Young Living.

I want to write — but I hesitate anymore because I would end up bringing a Young Living supplement or an essential oil into the story.

For example, we just traveled out to Utah and I learned about the newly released Slique CitraSlim capsules and Slique Weight Management shake.  I lost two pounds so far this week!

And wait . . . I just traveled to Utah.  And Hawaii.  And Ecuador . . . all of those are because of trips with Young Living — two of them free.  But I didn’t share pictures of them, stories about God, learning moments, and family adventures because . . . I would have to bring up essential oils.

I wasn’t sure that you wanted to know.  Maybe you subscribed for the variety, a potential giveaway, or homeschooling.  Not essential oils.

But I simply don’t want to hide anymore what the Lord has done in our family with Young Living.  It simply is just a miraculous whole lifestyle.  It’s exciting.

I don’t want you to miss it.

So the reality is that I’d love for you to join me.  I don’t want for you to unsubscribe from my blog.  But if you don’t understand essential oils and why I am so passionate about partnering with a company that cares about my family, my walk with Jesus, our finances, and our wellness, well, you just might want to click unsubscribe at the bottom of this post.

BUT if you want to understand . . . if you don’t want to miss out . . . . if you want to try Slique with me . . . then I invite you to utilize the 10% discount.

Normally, the Young Living Premium Starter kit is $160.  It is now $144 and I am offering a special bonus gift that pairs with you purchase to help you know how to use your oils.  This offer is only valid until 11:59 pm TONIGHT!!!

Steps to Success

Follow this link to join Young Living.  Make sure you see my member number (970238) as the Sponsor and Enroller.  You may not think this number is important — but it is.  Fortunately, if you see 970238, then you know it is me and you will be enrolled under the Wise House Oils team!!!  That means you WILL learn how to use the oils and have community!!!

When you join Young Living you have the option to be a customer or a wholesale member.  When you are a wholesale member you are able to purchase the products at 24% less for life.  No strings attached.  To remain “active,” you need to spend approximately $50 per year.

I have been a member for 11 years.  And none of that was coerced.    Read my story here.

To help you join Young Living, I have a document for you to print out.  It’s FREE!

Should You Order Any Other Products?

I would say YES.  I recommend that you add

1. V-6 Carrier Oil (#3031)
2. Clear Vegetable Capsules (#3193)
3. AromaGlide Roller Fitments (#4578)
4. and Slique CitraSlim (#3056) and Slique Shake ($5552) if you want to be in my accountability group.

What Next?

Complete your order and check out.  Remember to write down your username password, 4 digit pin number, and your new Young Living member number which is found on the left hand side of the completed check out page under “My Account.”

After you have completed this process and joined Young Living through my link, head on over to Wise House Oils and using your new member number and password, join our team with Option #2!

I’ll be in touch!

Remember — you might want to unsubscribe if you don’t want to read about our oil infused life.  But if you are curious and want to see the same changes I am — join now and don’t feel like an outsider looking in!

Become a Young Living / Wise House Oils member now!

The sale ends at 11:59 pm TONIGHT!!! 

The post Please Unsubscribe IF . . . appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

I purchased my own bottle cutter.  Bottle cutting is actually fun WHEN you cut a nice clean line.

What is Bottle Cutting?

Bottle cutting is the process of cutting a glass bottle to use as a light fixture, drinking glass, gift, or vase.

We have a lot of unique glass bottles since we drink local cold brew, raw kombucha, and have a monthly subscription of NingXia Red.  I toyed with shipping my bottles off to a “professional” bottle cutter, but that was going to be outrageously expensive.

I typically accumulate enough bottles and bottle cut for an afternoon.  I look all creative when I give these bottles away as gifts. The reality is that I watched a video and followed the instructions that came with my Kinkajou Bottle Cutter.

One time I had 14 bottles to cut and only 4 survived. Had I been slower and patient, I think my success rate would have been considerably higher.

When the blade has completed its journey around your bottle, it is important that you hear a click.  When you don’t hear that click, it means that your scoring line is uneven.  Two things will happen — your bottle lip won’t be even and creates drip-age when you sip (which can be embarrassing for an adult) and the likelihood of the glass cracking is highly probable.

What do you need to cut bottles?

• Kinkajou Bottle Cutter
• diamond pads for sanding
• separation ties once the bottle is scored
• paper towels
• hot water (I use an Electric Kettle)
• cold water
• patience

General Steps for Bottle Cutting

Try to evenly tighten Kinkajou around desired bottle.

Heat electric kettle.

Listen for a click after you have gently twisted the Kinkajou around the bottle.

Gently loosen Kinkajou cutter by lifting black handles.

Place paper towels in your sink to collect glass that will drop.

Put separation ties above and below the score line.

Being careful to keep your fingers from the hot water, continuously drizzle hot water along the score line.

Immediately run cold water over the score line.

Repeat until the top of the bottle falls off onto the paper towel in the sink.

Keep water running.

Sand using the larger bit Diamond Sander under the water.

Smooth over any roughness with the smaller bit Diamond Sander, all while under the water.

Clean up and give as a gift!

The post Bottle Cutting 101 appeared first on Jodi McKenna.

Do you ever have mornings you . . .

Just. Really. Don’t. Want. To. Get. Out. Of. Bed?

That was me this morning.

After staying in bed an extra hour  —  which was obnoxiously non-productive in the sleep department because the internal dialog in my head wasn’t restful in the slightest, I got up and tip toed over the creaky floor boards of our upstairs.

Maybe just maybe Ruth and I could still have a quiet time without the help of the kids.

Don’t get me wrong, I love them.

But then my quiet time isn’t so quiet when they join me.

My spy skills paid off with a successful and muted trek. Bonus — Ruth didn’t take my spot on the couch.  I sipped an indulgent cold brew from Trader Joes and my homemade almond milk.

The Struggle

My devotion wasn’t earth shattering, but met me where I was at.  I am struggling with being enough, being joyful despite the circumstances, and understanding God’s goodness in the midst of suffering.

You know, easy morning thoughts.

The kind of stuff that you can work through over one multiple cups of coffee.

I still don’t have the answers.  I still don’t feel all sparkly unicorn like, but I will say this.  It’s important to go back to the basics when the struggle is real.

I’m working through Lysa TerKeurst’s book, Am I Messing Up My Kids?  What mom doesn’t feel like she might be?  Mom guilt is real.  The chapter title was, “Who’s Going to Fill Me Back Up?”  ‘Cause the reality is it ain’t my husband, it ain’t my kids, it ain’t food, and it ain’t a good cup of coffee.

I wish it were so easy.

But those things don’t put our focus where it needs to be.

So what’s a mom to do?

Praise God for the good.

Your task, per TerKeurst, is this:

Recognize that all that is good in our life comes from God and praising Him for that.  It is so easy to get distracted by what is wrong in our life and take for granted all that is good.

Take out a notebook or sheet of paper and write 5 things that are:

1. Good about my relationship with the Lord.
2. Good about my marriage.
3. Good about me as a mother.
4. Good about my kids.
5. Good about my home.
6. Good about my friends.
7. Good about my finances.
8. Good about my ministry.

This list wasn’t a cure all for my morning, rain induced, melancholy.  BUT it provided a framework to make a choice to choose God today.  To choose that while we are waging war against a major life disruption right now, I will be thankful that He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world.

God promises that one day He will wipe away all tears.  He is our healer.

Lysa’s words gently soothed me,

So much of my life hinges on this one choice. I have to consciously return to my first love every day. In big ways and small, I have to make the choice to reveal the reality of Jesus in my life.  Praising Him, feeling those tugs toward eternity, and consciously choosing my first love will do more to fill me than anything else.

We have a great example in the Bible of a man who praised God even when things weren’t right in his life — David.  May my small start in praising God this morning work in eternal ways within my children today.

I’m glad I got out of bed.

What am I reading for my morning devotions?

• Am I Messing up My Kids by Lysa TerKeurst
• What Love Is by Kelly Minter
• Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin

The post Get Out of Bed appeared first on Jodi McKenna.