Dang what happened?!

Wow it has been a REALLY long time since I last posted to my blog. What happened?!  I will tell you what happened, homeschool. I literally feel off the face go the earth when we started with homeschool.  I am pretty sure my life got sucked up in a whirl of school. So many things changed with the program that I was juggling all the changes, normal school, bible study, girl scouts, dance and violin that everything else got put aside.

Well I am back and I am here to stay. I need to use this blog to vent, share, laugh and cry. It is a great way for me to reach out and be myself. I hope you are here to stay as well.

So lets catch up. Homeschooling has been insane and my husband and I have decided to pull our daughter from PAVCS do to the unstableness of their education. So I am working on building the curriculum I need to get her started in her education. I am so blessed to be surrounded by so many amazing people who support us in this big decision. Right now I am spending a lot of time reading, doing research and pull materials. I will keep you all updated on that.

J is rocking it in dance and violin. She is blowing her teacher away with her violin. I love watching her face light up now that she is using the bow. Her dancing is just a fun thing that she likes to do. I love watching her enjoy it so much. She has also started Daisy Scouts. I am her Troop Co-Leader with a dear friend of mine. It is so fun to see bounds being formed and friendships growing. I am so proud of my little girl and how much she she has grown since August.

A is doing well in school, although he says he doesn't like school. He is adjusting to our homeschool routine and loves to do school work with us. It is fun to watch them both learn side by side.

I can't really come up with anything else to write about right now. So I will get off here and enjoy my evening with my family. Thanks for reading and God bless!

Till Next Time
Jennica

Get Organized Thirty-One Style!

School is right around the corner and this year we are home schooling our daughter. She is going to be in Kindergarten. I can not believe how fast my little girl is growing up! Seems like just yesterday we brought her home from the hospital.

Well anyway, we had to get our playroom transformed into a class room. Which meant a lot of moving around and a lot of thinking outside the box. Here are a few ways that I used my Thirty-one products to get my house ready and cleaned up for the new school year. 

So this is kinda where I started. I tore all the toys off the shelves and started to sort stuff.... Anyone else feel like this is the worst part? It has to get really messy before it can get clean. 

So once I got past the initial shock I dove into my trusty Thirty-one products. I love working for this company!!

Here is the Uptown Jewelry Case for all those rubber bands that you HAVE to have for the Rainbow Looms.

I paired that with our older version of the Keep it Caddy. In here I put in the loom with the on the go loom kit. This makes a great travel set. It also helps keep everything together and no more rubber bands everywhere!

Next was the puzzle craziness. See we have so many puzzles that come in a multi pack. Which those packs are huge and really a waist of space. I personally don't think we need a photo of what the puzzle is supposed to look like. Most of them are 50-100 pieces. So I put each puzzle in their own ziplock baggie and put them all inside of our trust Organizing Utility Tote. There is about 45 puzzles in here and now instead of 3 shelves be taken up its only one!

So my kids and I have this crazy obsession with keeping anything that could be used for a raft project. So what better to put all these odds and ends piece then the Timeless Pouch. 

Next was the kids board games, These where taking up about 3 cubes and looked kinda ugly. So I used the beautiful Navy Wave Large Utility Tote and was able to get 10 games in there. In the little Zipper pouch with the kids on it I put a Toy Story Search game. The box was huge and the pieces took up less then half the box (why do companies do that?)

Next I have a little cary all caddy for the legos. I know some people have a ton of legos however this little bag can old a lot. This is three small boxes of Star Wars legos for my son. I love the little pocket on the front for the manual. 

Square utility bin is perfect for race track pieces. 

Here is the Round About Caddy. This is perfect for Art Supplies because it the Vinal Lining and the mesh bottom as well as mesh pockets. So it is really easy to clean up. 

Here is the finished project. I am so excited for some empty shelves, beautiful organization and so much more room!

Stay tuned for the kids rooms =)

Kids Say the Darndest Things!

Whenever the kids say something that make me giggle, bust up laughing or stop me in my tracks and say "wait WHAT?!"  I will share them with you. My kiddos are my world and I love how their little brains work.

ASA

While Greg was getting ready for bed after his bath he went into his room and told him "ok buddy time to get in your pi's" Asa responded with "daddy I sleep in my body" Greg said "Well of curse body you can not sleep in your body but we have to get in your pjs."Asa responded with "No daddy I sleep in my body" Insert hand movements to show off his naked body. Greg figured out what he wanted and busted up laughing. He wanted to sleep naked. Oh boys! HAHA

Jaelynn

New Adventures

Every year we encounter my changes and new adventures. Whether it is with our children’s activities, education or in our own personal life maybe it is a new job, or responsibilities.  We as humans are always changing, evolving, improving and challenging ourselves right?! Well for me this year has been about making a difference. I have taken many steps to do this both in my personal and family life as well as in my professional life. Let me explain.

So within my family life I have taken on the role as a homeschool teacher. This is something that I have grown passionate about and I look forward to this crazy journey. This decision has also impacted my personal life.  I have made the conscious decision to give up that free time during the day to spend more time one on one with my kids. Help them to grow and to become the amazing little people that I know they can be. In return I have made a deal with my husband that I will get to have one night a week to myself or with my girl friends outside of my “work”. This is a big move for my family and I am so excited about it. I know I have shared some about the HS journey and I really cannot wait to dive in and share it all with you!

Now for my professional life I recently was asked to volunteer my time to help a charity that means a lot to me. This charity is called Hackers For Charity.  They are amazing, and I am truly blessed to be a part of the home front team. HFC is located in Uganda, and is truly making an impact there. Here is a blurb from their website “Picking on charities is just plain rude. Thankfully, that’s not what we’re about. We’re about proving that hackers have amazing skills that can transform charitable organizations. We support the organizations that step into the gap to feed, educate and provide for the world’s most vulnerable citizens. We are virtual, geographically diverse and different. We are Hackers for Charity.” How amazing is that?! So what is my “job”? Well it is to ship orders out to people in the USA. Orders of hand made leather goodies made by the men and women in Uganda. They are making beautiful wallets, journals, business card sleeves, key chains, bracelets, iPhone covers and so much more. So WHEN you buy one or ten of these amazing and beautiful products they will be hand made in Uganda shipped to me in the US and I will ship them off to you. How cool is that! My goal is to eventually make it out to Uganda and Meet these talented men and women. 

My professional life will continue to be busy as I am looking to start a Girl Talk Chapter in my area. Girl Talk is a partner with Thirty-One Gives and is an organization that every girl needs in their life. Girl Talk is here for girls in Jr. High to find the strength, comfort, love and support they need to be themselves as they move into high school. They get this from a high school senior and myself. High school is a hard transition for anyone but especially girls.  Girls in this day and age are looked at and judged in so many ways. Add in social media and it just makes it harder to be the true you, be accepted and to learn to love yourself. Girl Talk’s Mission “To help young teenagers build self-esteem, develop leadership skills, and recognize the value of community service.” I feel very strongly about this organization as I have a daughter and I remember how hard it was to be a teen.  I want girls to grow up viewing themselves as amazing and beautiful inside and out! I cannot wait to touch the lives of these girls and to see how the new GT Chapter gets started and grows.

I look forward to these new opportunities and being able to touch the lives of so many.  I pray that everyone takes on new adventures this year (I know it is not the new year but it is never to late). God has put it on my heart to touch the lives of others and I am excited to do that. If you follow me on Facebook you may see me talking a lot about the things mentioned above as well as some powerful fundraisers I have either set up or in mind through Thirty-one. Keep an eye out for these!

Thirty-one has opened many doors for me and has introduced me to many amazing people. I am excited to return the favor and open the doors for many people and make a difference in lives!

Please take the time now to check out my new partners and the new adventures I am going on.

Hackers For Charity (HFC): http://www.hackersforcharity.org

Girl Talk: http://www.mygirltalk.org

Thirty-One: https://www.mythirtyone.com/jennicaA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennica1

If you would like to get involved with either of these amazing organizations, learn more about what they do and what I do with them, Or would like to make a change for your personal life please contact me and I will be happy to help you and point you in the right direction! Thank you and God Bless!

Dream It BE It!

When you think of conference what do you think of? Do you think of long classes, cold rooms, a lot of people, hustle and bustle; or do you think of inspiration, love, friendships, growth, challenges, amazing speakers and classes? If you think of the first group then you have never been to a Thirty-one Conference!

I just got back from a three-day amazing adventure with 15,000+ women and men from our consultant field and our Home Office team. These three days where filled with so much support, love, compassion, laughter, tears, inspiration, and amazing speakers and facilitators. It is impossible to truly express everything that I experienced but I will do my best to try.

Night we got in: Greg and I got registered and then met up with some of my best friends, support system, and team. I cannot tell you how excited, sad and happy I am to see some of these girls. I only get to see a couple of them once a year and trust me, that sucks! The sad part is that I know I will have to leave them in a few days.  We had dinner at a local restaurant then went and got settled in at my brother’s home. Greg and I got the privilege of spending the nights with my brother and sister-in-law. So not only did I get to see my girls I got to spend extra time with my family.

Day 1: Day one is known as Director’s Day. This is an opportunity for Directors and above to come together and share their love for this amazing company, learn statistic, get some advance training and get a special gift from Cindy Monroe herself. This year we got a beautiful round pendent that says “Dream It” (with a sapphire gem) on one side and “Be It” with “2014” on the other side.  Afterwards many ladies gathered for Super Day where they receive additional training from some amazing speakers. I did not attend Super Day this year however I plan to attend next year.

Day 2: We all gathered for General Session. Here, we got to hear some amazing tips, tricks, and gain some awesome inspiration from Home Office Staff and Cindy Monroe. We also got to hear Leigh Ann Tuohy speak about how we have to look past the surface of people and see the inner beauty. She spoke about her experience stopping the car and picking up Michael Orr without thinking twice. They gave him the opportunity to succeed and to be loved for the first time in his life.  This was a great message of love and opportunity. We also got to see the BRAND NEW CATALOG! Which I have to say is stunning; I am so excited to share it with everyone.

After General Session we went off to our classes. The classes offered at the conference are both fun and informative. There are three classes in total that we attend. It’s so cool to learn from leaders just like us. =) Greg also got to attend a class led by Scott Monroe This class was a great opportunity for Greg to learn a little more about what we do and why we do it.

Day 3: We started the day off with Praise and Worship lead by Scott Monroe and his awesome band. I truly loved this time because this company was founded and runs on faith. I am so blessed to work with a company who is faith based and loves to give back.  Its an awesome feeling to know that you can praise the Lord for all your accomplishments among your fellow team members and the Home Office Staff and not be looked at funny or get in trouble.

After Praise and Worship we had another General Session where we got to learn a little more from our Home Office Staff as well as fellow consultants. We also got to hear from Bridget Brennan Author of "Why She Buys". It was fun to gain insight into how women think and see the world. While I am a woman, we don't always view ourselves properly. Oftentimes others see us differently then how we see ourselves and can provide us with valuable insight. So it was cool to learn a few things from her.

After general session we rushed off to get dressed up for awards night dinner. This year we got to celebrate three Senior Directors, and three Directors from our team Upline, Downline, and Sideline. I am so proud of each of these girl’s amazing accomplishments! All six of you are amazing. We also got to celebrate that our SED and a Fellow Director on my sideline are both in the new CATALOG, which is a huge accomplishment. Additionally,  we celebrated two ladies getting to be on Leadership Council which is another great achievement. There are so many rock star ladies on our team and I am blessed to work side-by-side with each of them. Way to rock it!!

These three days were much more then just general sessions, classes and speakers. It was friendships, shopping, sneak peeks, laughter, connections, and celebrations. We got to party, dance, sing, praise, meet home office "celebrities", and just have an amazing time.

I never in a million years, would have thought that I would work in direct sales and love it as much as I do. Thirty-one has changed my life in many ways and I can't wait to help others experience this amazing journey.

I would like to share some photos from this magical trip to National Conference in Columbus Ohio 2014! Maybe next year YOU will get to join me!

Awards night with my Director Jenna and my girl Amanda, Our husbands came out to show their love and support. Jenna walked the Stage for SD and Amanda D!

My SED Kristen Brininstool. Look for her beautiful Face in the new Fall Catalog! Love this girl!

Rachel and I got to finally see the catalog and look who we found; our girl Oakley!!!!! Way to go girl

All the directors on Inspiring Teams. Our ED couldn't make it so we brought her along =) 

My two BFFs  Awards night silliness.

Look who earned their Pink Weekenders and crystal plaques! Jenna, Rachel, and Kim!!

Anthony from Home office. He is our numbers guy. WOOPWOOP! 

Look who earned their Cindy Totes. Our directors Amanda, Heather, and Paula! Way to go ladies!!

Mike Clouse (I think he is the best Lead Coach there is!) 

Erin, Alexis Spence (girl we miss you!), Jenna, Paula, and me The five of us are together again. 

Rachel and I right next to the stage with Scott on stage! 

Our SED team. 

The girls on my team who made it to conference (minus Brandi) Love you girls

Anna Schuler, Executive Director of Product and Merchandise. Thank you for all the amazingness you and your team design!

Gretchen Manmiller,NED.

Rachel and I up front with 15,000 ladies behind us =)

Jenna, Heather, Amanda and John Tongol (Lead Coach)

My 31BFF Rachel, Home Office Kate Hannum-Rose,  my life long BFF Amanda, and me at Awards Night. Rachel and Amanda Got to walk the stage!

So who is going to join us next year?

National Conference will be in Denver and Columbus in 2015! Hope to see you there. =)

#31nationalconference  #thirtyone #share31 #partyoftheyear