{MIY} MAKE-IT-YOURSELF MONDAY! Money Management Jars

Last week we made chore charts for our little one(s) to help them keep track of the chores they are responsible for each day.  Nickelbug is LOVING hers, she even woke up early a couple times last week excited to do her chores!  She enjoys flipping the cards over to show the smiley face indicating that she's done that chore for the day.  This is such a fun way to get her motivated and also it builds her confidence knowing she's contributing to helping me take care of our home :O)  

Along with her beginning to take on chores, she is now starting to make earnings for the work that she does each week.  The chore chart is a way for her (and I) to track her progress for each day to make sure all her responsibilities are taken care of by the end of the week in order to get paid.  Instead of her putting in hours at the office for her earnings she is putting in time by completing certain chores each day.  Right now she is 6 so the chores are simple, short tasks that she is capable of completing.  As she gets older the chores will change to meet her capabilities as she grows.  If I were to make them harder, more time consuming, or too complicated right now then it would only burn her out and discourage her.  My goal is to encourage her and build her up through this process :O)

Even at such a young age, with her making a small amount of earnings I think it's important to start teaching her how to manage her money.  For a Christmas gift from a family member, my boyfriend received Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey which is a class I've been wanting to take.  In one of Dave's segments he talks about an envelope system to help manage your money in a simple manner.  

For Nickelbug I decided to create some pretty jars, instead of envelopes, to aid in teaching her how to manage her money as she receives her earnings each week.  The amount of earnings your little one earns is up to you.  Every age is different and every households needs vary so please don't feel the need to repliccate my exact amounts.  I'm sharing what works for us at this point in time.

Nickelbug is now receiving $5 at the end of the week if she completes her chores each day (4-5 simple chores).  I am teaching her to split up her earnings and place them in 3 separate jars: Spend, Save, and Give.  She will be putting $2 into Spend, $2 into Save, and $1 into Give.  Along this journey I will be reinforcing why we should set a limit to how much we spend, the importance of setting aside a certain amount to save for future goals, and how important it is to give and how it pleases God's heart and blesses us when we do so.

In combination with the chore chart, she was SOOOO excited last night to receive the jars and to count out her earnings for the week and to divide it up for each jar.  I briefly explained to her what each jar means and what we will be working on regarding her money and budget and this morning she woke up SO excited to GIVE!  She took her giving portion ($1)  with her today just in case she had a chance to give it to someone haha.  We discussed giving more in the car on the way to school.  She is already willing and happy to give  to those in need from what she earns :O)  (2 Corinthians 9:7 New Living Translation (NLT) 7  You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”)   

Okay, now for the fun part: making your little one some money management jars!  

Here is what you need:

3 Mason Jars

Ribbon

Small Tags

Twine

Burlap Cloth

Flowers

Scrapbook Paper

First, get your scrapbook paper out.  Remove the metal lid from your mason jar and place the outer rim (top-side-down) on the scrapbook paper to trace the inside circle (the part of the lid that screws onto the jar, not the flat center piece that covers the opening).  Trace 3 circles and cut them out.  Hot glue them to the flat part of the lid (the part that covers the opening).  

Next, size and cut your burlap fabric to fit around the body of the mason jar.  Then hot glue it onto the jar.

Before you move onto the next step, let's create the tags.  The tags I found at Michael's craft store were already painted with black chalk paint for $.59 each.  I used chalk paint pens to write the title for each jar onto them.  

After you create your jar tags, then take your choice of ribbon to size and cut it to fit around the neck of the bottle.   Hot glue the ribbon around the neck.  Tie the tag to hang from the ribbon.

Lastly, take your choice of flower and glue that onto the burlap fabric.

Complete all of the above on the other two jars and you will have yourself a wonderful, handmade system to introduce your little one to managing their earnings!  

I hope this is not only a fun project to complete, but also a project that helps you and your little one to explore how to work together on this learning journey!  :O)

Sending you uber loads of Love, Laughter and Light!

~Cassie

ARTFULLY GRATEFUL, TRULY :O)

"Namby pamby's who whine because they just got home from working a 10 hour day at the office for their "day job" and would rather watch American Idol than work on their startup business will likely fail.  Don't be that namby pamby." ~ Wrote someone in a book I read and tore it out to tape into my journal and don't remember what book it came from (yup)

I stumbled upon a journal that I purchased at the beginning of 2014 for the purpose of writing visions, goals, and inspirational quotes that impacted me.  Sadly, I abandoned that wagon long ago.  Tisk - Tisk, one might say.   However, it's never too late to pick up where I left off!!  Those visions and goals that I started to write out have always been brewing and growing internally.  I've just been neglecting them externally.  Not all is lost, nope, not at all!  Instead of getting mad at myself,  I'm more motivated than anything :O)  

Making the choice to see all of life's experiences and surprises as blessings allows an abundance of joy to flow out of my heart.  A grateful spirit is a solid protection against negativity and I want that to rub off onto others.  I see so much abundance and I'm amazed and grateful for who I am, where I'm at and where I'm headed!  

When I was working on some paintings for Christmas gifts this season it re-birthed so much passion in me to get back to what I love to do: Art.  Doing what you love isn't work, it's joy-breathing and life-giving!  By doing more of what I love,  I will be a better mom,  better girlfriend,  better friend, and an even greater artist too!  This year is going to be a year of FOCUS.  Without focus there is no peace or productivity.   So here's to focusing on what we love to do this year!  Cheers!!!

"There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as though everything is a miracle."  ~ Albert Einstein - Scientist 

Always see the abundance around you and be grateful.  No.Matter.What.   :O)

Sending you lots of Light and Laughter,

~Cassie

DON'T MISS IT!

Don't miss your opportunities to say "I love you" to those who matter most

:O)

{PARENTING} DOING LIFE WITH YOUR LITTLE ONE(S)

 

{Artwork by my favorite artist: Katie Daisy}

The other day I saw in passing a picture, or sign, or status, something, that mentioned a line about "do life with your children" and it's  been in my head ever since.  I tried to track down where I saw that, but couldn't.  It's been rolling around in my mind the past few days and my thoughts have been similar to: "Do life with your kids?  Isn't that what a parent does from the time their child emerges into their world?"  I mean, we're responsible for them and we're with them most of the time if they aren't in school.  Every.  Day.  

So, through my days of musing, I've started to develop bionic ears becoming super attentive to what Nickels has been sharing with me.  I've become super sensitive to how I'm speaking to her and ultra aware of the quality of time we have together.  Mentally picking apart the times I get short with her and sound snippy and other times where I might not be fully listening and then snap back to reality when I realize she's saying, "Mama...Mama...," over and over again to get my attention.  It's easier to get caught up in over analyzing where I'm lacking as a parent than to see all the love I'm pouring over her and the good I'm instilling in her.  

Last night, since it was chilly outside, I decided we were going to get a fire going and do her homework together by the fire.  When we were almost done with her homework that's when it dawned on me: "This is doing life with my little one!"  It's moments like this that define "do life with your children" to me.  It's moments like this that will build her trust in me and create in her a desire to be close throughout life.  It's moments like this that will make her want to go grab a coffee with me and share with me what is going on in her world.  It's as simple as that.  Creating a warm fire (a favorite of the Librizzi Girls) and making a pallet on the floor and getting cozy together in front of it.  (AND we got her homework done at the same time!  #winning )  :O)

{Our pallet by the fire last night, doing her homework together}

Keep things simple.  Relax some and enjoy the journey with your little one(s).  You always have control of simplifying as you move ahead on your journey.  Don't beat yourself up and over analyze how you do things, or what you don't do, or what you say or don't say.  Breathe with a sigh of relief that you can keep things simple...it's your face time, your loving words, and cuddles that mean the most to your little ones in their young years.  Simple.  Flying a kite, reading a book, painting a pumpkin, sitting by a fire, coloring, etc.     

Turn a new leaf and step forward with a simpler, fresh perspective.  It'll make both you and your little one(s) smile  :O)

{The day we flew a kite together.  I love her smile}

Sending out lots of Light and Laughter,

~Cassie

{DIY: ALL PURPOSE CLEANER} Ah-Lah-Naturel...

USING ESSENTIAL OILS TO CLEAN YOUR HOME

Do any of you have a hard time being around chemicals when cleaning your home?  It has always been a challenge for me to find an all purpose cleaner of good quality that doesn't make me feel like I'm suffocating while cleaning my home.  Using chemicals of any kind can be toxic, especially when cleaning enclosed spaces, such as restrooms, because there isn't an outlet for the fumes to escape so you're breathing them all in!  (insert scrunchy, pinched bleh face here) There have been times when I've had to leave the room because I couldn't breathe!

I decided to take matters into my own hands, BOOM!  I've been talking about it for weeks, so I finally buckled down this weekend and made my own all-purpose cleaner using simple ingredients I already had at home that are non-toxic, affordable, and anti-bacterial.  A close friend of mine and I have recently jumped into the pool of using essential oils so I decided to utilize some of the ones I have at home to create it, and it smells UH-mazing!

Ingredients you need are:

Distilled Water

White Vinegar

Lemon Essential Oil

Tea Tree Essential Oil

Lavender Essential Oil

Peppermint Essential Oil

Spray Bottle

First, fill the spray bottle with 8 parts distilled water and 1 part white vinegar.  Vinegar is a natural disinfectant to sanitize what you're cleaning, however, it does NOT smell pretty.  SO...adding the essential oils not only makes it smell prettier but the oils are also chock-full of health benefits for us! (I'll explain the benefits of each below)  

Next, add the essential oils: 20 drops of lemon, 10 drops of tea tree, 10 drops of lavender, and 15 drops of peppermint.  

Last note, SHAKE BEFORE YOU SPRAY!  The distilled water/vinegar mix will not mesh with oil since oil & water do not mix, naturally.  Be sure to shake before you spray to get a good mix out onto what you're cleaning.  

Eureka!  You've got yourself an all-natural homemade, non-toxic, all-purpose cleaner!  :O)  Not only does it disinfect, but it smells superb and adds an aromatic mental pick-me-up while you're cleaning, giving you the energy to actually WANT to be cleaning!  In my book, that is an A+!  This is something you can definitely be proud of, knowing you created something that actually protects you and your loved ones from breathing in toxic fumes of unnatural ingredients.  

If you're curious about the essential oils, here is some information about each oil that I used for you to know the full extent of the benefits you're receiving while you're cleaning:

Lavender essential oil

Properties: Lavender essential oil can be calming, sleep inducing, analgesic, disinfectant, antiinflammatory, antiseptic, and antifungal.

Health benefits: This oil is beneficial for treatment of issues with the nervous system, insomnia, pain relief, urine flow, respiratory disorders, skin care, hair care, blood circulation, indigestion, and immune system health.

Lemon essential oil

Properties: Lemon essential oil is an antiseptic, antiviral, astringent, aperitif, bactericidal, disinfectant, febrifuge, haemostatic, restorative, and a tonic.

Health benefits: This oil protects from wounds becoming septic, while inhibiting viral and bacterial growth, strengthening gums, and stopping hair loss. Furthermore, it lifts skin, induces firmness in muscles, stops hemorrhaging, fights infections, and cures fevers.

Peppermint essential oil

Properties: Peppermint oil is used as an analgesic, anesthetic, antiseptic, antigalactogogue, antiphlogistic, antispasmodic, astringent, carminative, cephalic, cholagogue, cordial, decongestant, emenagogue, expectorant, febrifuge, hepatic, nervine, stimulant, stomachic, sudorific, vasoconstrictor and as a vermifuge.

Health benefits: It is commonly used in the treatment of pain relief, as a way to induce numbness, protect against sepsis, reduce milk flow and discharge, relax spasm, strengthen gums, stop hair loss, and lifts skin. Also, it induces firmness in muscles, stops hemorrhaging, removes gas, is good for brain and memory health, and promotes bile discharge, clears congestion and eases breathing. Furthermore, peppermint essential oil relieves obstructed menstruation, expels phlegm & catarrh, reduces fever, is good for the liver, nerves, and stomach, while promoting perspiration and slight contraction of the blood vessels.

Tea Tree essential oil

Properties: Tea tree essential oil is antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral, fungicide, insecticide, antiseptic, balsamic, cicatrisant, expectorant, stimulant, and sudorific in nature.

Health benefits: This oil is often used to inhibit bacterial, microbial, and viral infections, while also killing insects, protecting wounds from becoming septic, promoting absorption of nutrients, speeding up the healing rate of scars and after marks. Finally, it can cure coughs and colds, and it stimulates systemic functions and appropriate discharges.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for a wonderful, safe all-purpose cleaner that you can be motivated to clean with knowing it won't harm you or your loved ones!  Please share with me any recipes you've created, I'd love to try them! :O)

Love & Light to all of you!

~Cassie

LIFE LOVE AND INTEGRITY

"Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you." ~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr. 

#boom

So I haven't blogged in a loooong while, and I changed the name of my blog because I'm going to start sharing more DIY projects I work on, but I had to share my musings over this beautiful quote I came across today!  SHEESH, when I read this quote it hit me the same as that feeling a person might get when walking and looking down at their phone, then accidentally running into a parking meter, leaving them stunned and wowed at the same time! (I can neither confirm, nor deny, being said person above) 

How we choose to live our lives always starts with the thoughts we entertain and eventually they come to fruition through our behaviors and habits which evolve into a level of character.  That's a mouthful, but true!  #deepstuff  The character you develop can be a powerful model to those around you, especially your little ones.  As a mother, a sibling, a boss, a friend, a co-worker, or any other role you might fill, how do you handle fairness?  Is honesty displayed in your daily interactions at home, at a restaurant, the grocery store, at work, on the playground with your child, with family and friends?  How do you react to someone that has wronged you?  How do you act on a tough situation in order to progress toward a more positive outcome?  What behavior patterns are you developing for your children to observe that reflect your level of fairness and sound character?   

As a Mama, I have the opportunity (which is an honor) to model a life of love, loyalty, and fairness and exude strong traits of integrity.  I've been taught that integrity is choosing to do what is right, even when no one is looking, and to always share the truth with love, no matter what the outcome might be.  that.builds.trust.  (Side note...Part of me wishes I would have soaked in these lessons fully when I was younger (I love you Mama & Daddy!), but mostly I'm uber full of gratitude for who I am now, for the people in my life, and for the opportunity I have to be a strong model of integrity to those I cherish and love on this beautiful journey of life.)  Nickelbugs little eyes and ears that I have been gifted with will mimic those that she reveres the most, so I don't take this lightly.  So far, she is everything that defines love and integrity, so I must be doing something right!     

Nickelbug and I's Saturday Morning Snuggles :O)  
(#soakup even the seemingly small moments)

Keep an open heart and be willing to inspect your daily choices.  Try to keep things simple by choosing to pour love and gratitude over your little ones no matter how sour the day might be.  This will bring so much peace into your home and each of your hearts.  Give your children a legacy of a solid foundation from which to grow their character and faith for their future.  Then sit back to watch them bloom!  :O)

Sending you lots of Light and Laughter,

~Cassie

P.S. Stay tuned for some fun, easy DIY projects that I will be posting about soon :O)

TREE POSE....GO!

My love for living au naturel is an interesting and fun journey.  Learning to love myself right where I am, precisely as I was created, and the desire to take care of this vessel that I have been gifted with is growing :O)  It’s been a joy to try new raw foods and products to soak up all the good nutrients I can to feed me energy to live life well.  Exploring my yoga practice and expanding my knowledge of it to strengthen my body, mind, and spirit gives me a confident boost into the future, healthily.  

I was eating an apple one day and decided, instead of throwing the seeds out, I wanted to plant them.  So I did, HA!  And eureka, 3 of the four seeds I planted are actually growing :O)  Fast forward a few weeks:  one day I had a gut-hunch to use The Google to find out how to grow an apple tree from seeds…I was amazed at the personal involvement required to raise a fruitful offspring of apples (or any other fruit).   Grafting is the key.  You plant the seed into soil, water it, and love the little seedling until it is about 30 – 60 cm high then it undergoes a process of grafting it to a healthy parent tree in order to produce good quality fruit.  (Some of you might already know where I’m going with this).  If you desire to grow deliciousness-in-your-face quality fruit, you choose which species of apple (or other fruit) you want to produce (scion), then cut a stem of it at a steep angle.  You do the same to the seedling’s rooted stem that you raised.  Once you have them cut at steep angles that will fit like a glove, you then align them together where the thin greenish plant layer just under the bark of the scion and your beloved seedlings stem touch each other.  You then use cling film and masking tape to keep them in place.  Within 10 – 15 days, if aligned properly, you will see little shoots starting to bud from the grafting seam. If they are not aligned properly, the graft will fail and chances for fruit production are slim.  If you choose not to graft it might be 5-6 years up to 15+ years before seeing any fruit and if so, the fruit will more than likely be bad, whaaaaa!

My “Wow!”, “Ah-ha!” and “Thank you, God!” moment came when I was thinking about this whole process the other day while watering my little seedlings (that are growing nicely, by-the-way).  I was reminded how important it is to choose what I am grafting myself to.  If I choose to graft myself to what others expectations (or put-downs) are over me, pop-cultures do’s and don’ts, or past events in my life that I have chosen not to release,  then the fruit I produce in my life will taste awful (insert crinkle face here).  I’d be reeking of bad fruit and I’d be releasing confusion, frustration, bitterness, anger, jealousy, etc.  But if I choose to graft myself to be one with God, then the fruit that exudes from my core will be so much tastier!  I will be releasing into my sphere of influence a heart of service, joy, peace, confidence, direction, and encouragement, etcetera, etcetera, and etcetera!  In my humanness I tend to default to the former, so this visual helps me to remember to be proactive in what I choose to graft myself to.  

 

 

I’m highly enjoying exploration in my yoga practice to keep myself centered with God, learning how to release anything that I need to release, so I produce better fruit now and onward.  Hoping to encourage others along the way to do the same :O)

Ever heard the saying, “You are what you eat?”   Yah, me too!  I’ve been experiencing the beautiful benefits of eating raw, fresh veggies, fruits and other wholesome goodness.  Incorporating more raw/natural products into my everyday routine has been UBER rewarding!  Thankful for food and products that have greatness oozing from my happy, healthy being :O) Chow! 

Lots of Love and Gratitude,

C