Blogtember 2015: Farewell Coffee Date

Today, I am breathing a huge sigh of relief as I wave goodbye to Blogtember 2015. My goal was to participate in 20 of the 30 prompts and I surpassed my goal, once I hit publish on this post I will have participated in 23 of the Blogtember prompts and blogged 26 out of 30 days in September.

I met a lot of talented, creative and lovely bloggers through Blogtember and found some blogs that I'll continue to follow. I'm also suffering from serious blogger burnout. I think what contributed to blogger burn out the most was that about once a week I found myself writing a post for a prompt that I didn't feel overly passionate about writing. I was able to skip some of the prompts because I had only committed to 20 in the first place but I think a smarter choice would have been to really think about the prompts farther in advance and figure out which ones I really wanted to write. And then if that wasn't enough I can create some of my own prompts to get to the number of posts I want to publish. 

September was a bit of a roller coaster. I felt like I took on a lot and had a lot on my mind. I still have a lot on my mind and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon. I feel like I'm about to enter a season of change and I have a lot of beginnings and endings happening all at once. September was a month were I felt a lot of anxiety about a lot of of different things, which was exhausting. I'm not sure how I'm going to deal with that better in October but I know that I definitely need to make some adjustments. October is going to be a big month for goals, but I'm saving that for tomorrow. Today I'm giving myself a high five for Blogtember and then I'm going to take a break! 

Blogtember 2015: October Inspiration

Blogtember is drawing to a close and today's prompt is refreshingly simple! Come up with 10 blog posts/ideas for next month. October is shaping up to be a busy month so it's going to be helpful to have some posts in mind before the month even begins! I'm spending one weekend camping with a group of Girl Guides, one weekend is Thanksgiving and I've made some potential plans to spend a weekend in the city and another weekend going for a fall drive and trip to the pumpkin patch with J.. All things that I'm looking forward to, but things that are filling up my time none the less. 

What I liked about this prompt was is forced me to look at a calendar and brainstorm about what things I can blog about this month and when I'll have make time to blog. 

1. October Goals. - I like goal setting and I really want to get better at setting goals & achieving them.
2. Books. - I really liked writing the Blogtember post about my September Reads and I want to make it a monthly thing. 
3. Thankful. - October is Thanksgiving here in Canada! 
4. Ode to Organization. - October will be a good month to write about my planner.
5. Fall Photos. - The leaves around here are world famous. Time to put the camera to good use!
6. Coffee Date. - I've been writing one of these for the last few months and I like having a 'catch all' type posts and a monthly overview.
7. Nature Lovers. - I love being outdoors and I think kids/youth need to be outdoors too. Plus, just because it's getting cold outside doesn't mean you have to stay inside. 
8. Food Stuff. - This is vague, but that's the point. I'd like to blog about a recipe or just my meal plan. 
9. Fall Date Day. - J. and I made plans to visit a pumpkin patch and corn maze and go for many evening strolls to admire the leaves. 
10. Fall Care Packages. - J.'s sister is studying abroad and three of my close friends are living away from home too so I'm going to put together some fall themed care packages. Maybe it'll give someone some inspiration!

What blog posts do you have in mind this month? I'm also linking up my fall themed post ideas with the Blogging Elite!

Blogtember 2015: A Day In The Life

Yesterday I remembered to take pictures for most of the day and document my Sunday! So grab your favourite beverage and welcome to my day!

I woke up on my own just before 8:30 a.m. I took a few minutes to read through Twitter and Instagram before getting up for the day. The first thing I do every morning is make my bed. I didn't always used to be that way but over the past couple of years it's become a necessity. I think it makes my room look so much tidier and it's nice to pull back the blankets and get into bed at the end of the day opposed to untangling covers and throwing them over myself. Once that's done I quickly brush my teeth, while I do that Peyton likes to get a drink out of the sink. Then I come downstairs and make coffee. I usually check blogs, watch the morning news and text J. or the girls while I drink my coffee. 

Yesterday I had a district meeting for Girl Guides so after I leisurely sipped my coffee and felt up to date with what was going on in the world I went upstairs to get ready for my meeting. While I was there Peyton was being kind of adorable so I snapped a couple of photos of her before I realized I needed to eat lunch before I left. 

I made a quick lunch with rice, veggies and chicken and ate that while I watched a cooking show. Then I headed to my car and drove to the meeting. When I got to the meeting we realized the hall had been double booked so while we waited for a group to finish we spent time outside and then headed in for our meeting. After the meeting I had to go pick up Girl Guide cookies for my unit and by that time it was 5:00. Since I was in town anyway I decided to pick up a pizza for supper. Once that was ready I headed home and enjoyed every bite of my spicy chicken pizza!

After supper I had dessert with my mom. I had an instant cappuccino I had leftover from camp and a brownie with carmel sauce & sea salt. Needless to say I was very satisfied and very full after last night's supper and dessert! I watched some HGTV and occasionally peeked out the window to look at the super moon. Around 10:00 p.m. I determined I was ready for bed so I headed upstairs to brush my teeth (Peyton helped herself to a drink out of the tap) and then climbed into bed. I wrote in my journal, read a chapter in my book and then turned on an episode of Good Eats to listen to while I fell asleep. 

Blogtember 2015: Recent Reads

First off I am supper excited that I met my goal of reading four books this month! I think the biggest difference is that I've really started cracking down on my bedtime routine this month and I've been reading for close to half an hour each night before bed. Plus, I squeezed in some extra reading time on some of the last sunny summer days.

The Book of Negroes. This was by far the best book I read this month. I gave it a full five stars on Goodreads, I've recommended it to a handful of people and I honestly think it's a book everyone should read. It's a pretty thick book and I didn't think I would finish this month but I couldn't get enough. The only time I put it down was when I felt so overwhelmed by the story that I needed to take a break and absorb what I was reading. I watched the CBC mini-series based on the book when it aired last fall so I had a basic understanding of the plot. The mini-series was phenomenal and I was a little worried the book wouldn't live up to my expectations. I was dead wrong though. I would love to discuss this book with a group!

Primates of Park Avenue. A few years back I watched Nursery University and was fascinated that this is the way some people live their lives and this is the way children are being raised. This book was an unofficial prequel to the movie in a lot of ways. It gave me insight on just how that kind of culture is formed and the pros and cons of the whole thing. It was an interesting read, although it did read more like a research paper at times, but considering the authors background and premise of the book that's to be expected. I think this book is worth a read if you're interested in learning about different parenting styles or books about culture/society. 

Yes Please. I really hate to admit this, but I was disappointed. I couldn't relate to any of Amy's tales of partying and drug use and I'm really not interested in who she has/hasn't slept with. That being said there were some spectacular chapters, especially when she wrote about being a mom to her two boys. I'm glad I read it because Parks & Rec. is a wonderful show and I do like Amy Poehler, she does some cool things. I couldn't help but compare it to Tina Fey's Bossypants. And I loved Bossypants. I've read it a couple times and will probably read it again in the future. It's probably unfair of me to compare the two books but it happened and Yes Please felt short for me in a lot of ways. Not a terrible book but I'm glad I borrowed it from the library and didn't spend my own money to buy a copy.

Rescuing Julia Twice. I'm not a parent, and even when I am a parent I will do my best not to judge other people's parenting choices. Now that I've said that disclaimer...this book made me feel awkward. I would love to find someone else who has read this book and who has watched the documentary The Dark Matter of Love because some serious good discussion would ensue. I don't really know what else to say about this book that's constructive. It was a unique perspective. Again, another library read and not a book I would ever buy. 

The Giver. I had never read this book. In elementary school we read a lot of local books, in junior high it was never a book my class read and in high school I was in a totally different stream of English and really didn't read any of the classic high school books. This was definitely a lower reading level, I got through the whole book in a day, but it did keep my interest. I don't want to give anything away but I did think the colour thing was fascinating. As far as dystopian society books go this was a good read. I can see why it's taught in classrooms and I'm glad that I can now say I've read The Giver.

I'm setting my goal to read 5 books in October! Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is the first book on my to read list for the month. And I've already begun Call the Midwife: Shadows of the Workhouse. I'm not sure what else I'll read, I'd love to hear some suggestions! 

Blogtember 2015: Tunes & Tales

It's been a hectic week and my to do list keeps growing instead of shrinking! So before I tackle a few more things on my list I'm going to take a minute to share some meaningful music and a few other favourites. 

{one}

Bailey Jean is asking us to share three songs that we're connecting with right now. This was a pretty easy question for me to answer. All summer long I have been loving John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16 by Keith Urban. I love High Valley and lately their song Country Line has been one of my favourites. Lastly a song I've been listening to for well over a year but has remained one of my go tos when I need some upbeat inspiration My Lighthouse by Rend Collective.

{two}

I've been eating some great food this week, both in taste and nutrition value. Earlier this week I had farfalle pasta and broccoli with meatballs and marinara sauce. Making leftovers tasty is a bit of a challenge for me so I was super pleased that I used leftover meatballs and sauce from the night before to make this lunch. On the middle you'll see a happy kitchen disaster. I set out to make a smoothie but  I ended up making sorbet of sorts...I added some chocolate chips and it was delicious. Kitchen experiments are always fun, but sometimes you just need a big plate of broccoli & carrots. Because broccoli never disappoints. 

{three}

I almost didn't invest in this planner. The one I used last year was good until 2016 but it really wasn't working for me so I was pretty much just writing notes on post-its and calling it a day. When I found this one the end of July I wasn't sure I wanted to spend the money, but I did and I'm so happy with it. Best $20 I've spent in a long time. It's become a complete necessity to keep track of Guiding stuff and blogging things and family commitments. I'll probably do a full post dedicated to how much I love this planner, but this week it is one of my favourite things and deserves a shout out. 

{four}

It's not often I include links to articles in my favourites but this article published in The Guardian "Why The Queen of Mommy Bloggers Had To Quit" is worth a read for anyone who blogs regardless of your niche. I think it's a reality many bloggers don't consider when they are driven to create a blogging empire. Don't get me wrong, I don't think there's anything wrong with being a business blogger and finding ways to make your blog profitable. I just liked that this article showed a different perspective of the phenomenon that blogging has become. 

{five}

Our first Spark meeting is Monday and I'm excited and anxious to start the year. I'm eager to get organizing and come up with some fun activities to do this year. I haven't been in Sparks since I was a Spark, all of my leader experience has been with the older girls. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by the whole process, but I'm sure once things start I'll be more at ease.

On that note, I am off to send some more emails. Turns out tracking down the key for our meeting place is more of a challenge than it should be and seeing as how it's almost noon I should really get dressed and out of my pyjamas!

Linking up here & here.

Blogtember 2015: Favourite Bloggers

Today's Blogtember prompt is to share our favourite blogs/bloggers. When I saw this prompt I kind of groaned because I know I've written about this before, but I'm determined to complete 20 of the 30 days.  I've already skipped some prompts earlier in the month so I knew I had to participate in this one. Which isn't the end of the world. I have been making some cuts on daily must read blogs over the past few months. Mostly, I've stopped reading blogs that only post giveaways and blogging advice. I'm all for the occasional giveaway or advertisement and once and a while I do enjoying reading posts about blogging but that's not what I want to read on a daily basis. 

I started blogging because I was far away from friends and beginning the dreaded twenty-something transition years. Blogging was a way for me to connect with other people in similar life stages or that were a few years ahead of me in life. A community to engage with and learn from, grow with and a place for me to be creative. All that being said, the blogs I've chosen as my favourite are bloggers that I admire in one way or another. They are all hardworking and motivated. Most are Moms, all are Christians. They blog about their lives in the now and I never come to the end of a post they publish feeling disappointed, most times I feel inspired and uplifted. Never pressured to post more often or judgement because my photos aren't 'Pinterest' worthy. And when these women do share blogging advice, I read and learn and feel inspired and encouraged. And when they post giveaways, I casually skim the post and move on with my life, because I live in Canada and people never ship to Canada. (It's fine though, nobody ships to Canada without payment in Golden Eggs and first born children. I don't hold it against anyone.)

Without further ado these are the six bloggers I would consider favourites. 

Shay Shull - Mix & Match Mama

Shawni Pothier - 71 Toes

Andrea McAnally - Momfessionals

Nina Williamson - Hugs & Lattes

Kelly Stamps - Kelly's Korner

Ree Drummond - The Pioneer Woman

I'm looking forward to reading today's posts in the link ups and not just reading the links to favourite blogs but also reading the reasons why!

Blogtember 2015: Blogging Around The Campfire Guest Post

I am super excited that today for Blogtember's Guest Post prompt my Solidarity Sister, Ashley, is sharing a few of her thoughts about summer camp! The first guest post for 'Blogging Around the Campfire', which some of you might remember me writing about earlier in the spring. If you have your own camp thoughts and experiences and would like to share let me know!

I’m Ashley and I blog over at Keeping Up With Ashley and Cody. I’m so excited to be here on Donna’s space sharing my opinion. I know Donna spent the summer at a camp with a whole bunch of kiddos. Well I did too!

I enjoy running our local youth club’s summer program. I spent endless hours for three months planning and replanning the activities and crafts. I worked hard to get special guests and did tons of shopping sprees. Preparing and running a club is exhausting, but worth every minute. The kids are the focus and priority everyday at the youth club because a summer camp offers many experiences kids don’t get.

Summer camps open up a whole new look on community and friendships. Our camp is a day to day camp meaning that we run 11 hours and then all the kids go home. The plus side of this is that they don’t all get bored and exhausted on each other. We do run into the sibling bickering, even though most of the kids are not siblings. When you are together for 11 hours a day, 5 days a week, and for three months the buttons get pushed. However, this teaches the kids the reality of community and friendships. They learn how to express their opinion nicely, how to remove themselves from conflict, and socialization skills. Our kids also learn how to work as a team, because we strive on community and being one whole body.

Summer camps allow kids to explore arts and crafts. Most of our children either come from parents who work hard but don’t have funds, or just work countless hours. Both of these situations doesn’t always allow the kids to go explore different arts and crafts like pottery and painting. Our camp allows them try different activities because of the guest teachers and our planned activities.

Summer camps provides the kids with structure and a safe place. We run on routines and a planned our calendar. Some kids don’t get the joy of having an organized life or a sense of feeling safe. Our camp provides the kids with teachers and staff members that bring in a welcoming atmosphere. We want the the kids to feel loved and important. We set expectations high, but reachable for each child to grow and prosper into a wonderful adult.

Summer camps are full of fun activities, community, and provide structure. Did you attend a summer camp with your kids this summer? If you have been to a camp, why did you enjoy it so much?