{MIY} MAKE-IT-YOURSELF MONDAY! Daily Chore Chart for Little One(s)

For those of you that have little ones that are of age to begin having daily chores, here is a great chore chart you can create that will help your little one to remember what their daily responsibilities are.

Here's what you need:

Cork Board

Fabric

Thumb Tacks

Twine

Scrapbook Paper

Mini Clothes Pins

Acrylic Paint

Marker

First cut the fabric a little bigger than our cork board.

Get your thumb tacks out.  Wrap the fabric around the the cork board and tack the fabric to the back.  I reinforced the fabric with hot glue because my tacks weren't staying very well because the back of my cork bard has a layer of cardboard backing.

Next punch out one tag so you can use it to help space out your twine.

Once you have your example tag then wrap, measure off and cut 6 strands of twine.  One for the heading and 5 for each weekday, Monday through Friday.  Tie the twine around the board.  I reinforced mine with hot glue so they would't slide down.

Once you have your six twine rows secure then you can finish punching out the rest of your tags.  Punch out as many as you need for each day.  

Then get your marker and write out 5 tags with a day on each one (Monday through Friday).  Then on the other tags write down the chores you want your little one to do each day on one side.  On the other side draw a smiley face  :O)

Get your mini clothes pins out and, starting on the second row of twine for Monday, hang each chore you would like your little one(s) to complete for that day.  Then go on to the next row for Tuesday and do the same.  Keep moving on to the next row for the next day until you complete Friday on the 6th row of twine.  

You're almost done with your little ones chore chart!

Last you'll get your acrylic paint out and paint a title on a rectangular strip of scrapbook paper.  I chose a simple title, "daily chores".  Then hang it on the top row of twine.

Tah-dah!  Your little one has a wonderful chore chart to refer to each day to complete their daily chores.  It's great fun for them to complete a task for the day and then flip the task around to reveal a wonderful smile :O)  This will help your little one to gain self-respect knowing that they are helping contribute to their personal up-keep and will be able to grow confidence as they help contribute to maintaining the family household.  

I hope you enjoy creating this fun chore chart for your little one! 

Sending you lots of Light and Laughter!

~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

UNIQUELY U

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson - American essayist, lecturer, and poet (1803-1882)

You are uniquely you and God doesn't create anything less than incredible!  Be proud of who you are in this space of time.  Search deeply within yourself for that remarkable inner strength that your Creator has graciously provided you.  You have gotten used to what you know and to what you can do.  Remember, though, that you can experience SO much more!  Look at yourself with a fresh, objective set of eyes, and you’ll see plenty of amazing ways you contribute to the world around you.  You are what makes this world a magical place!  

Sending you uber loads of Light and Laughter!

~Cassie

Love me some cuddles from my snuggle-bug :O)

Some goofy fun with my little bit :O)

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

#SPEAKLIFE

People speak in one of two ways, they either speak life or they speak death.  Consider what sounds best to your own ears; is it going to get better or is it going to get worse?  Its a quick and easy response for most peeps: most would rather hear someone speaking that it is getting better!  #speakinglife!

Speaking life means to be claiming good things to and for people, and over you as well!  Here are some examples of words of love that speak life into people: words that edify, build up, increase, words of expansion, and multiplication, magnification, words of encouragement, and abundance!   Get ready you guys (and gals)!  Manifestations of uber superbness are getting ready to chase you down and overtake you!  You are uber blessed and highly favored, Gods favor gives you the biggest advantage, you are protected from all sides, breakthroughs are coming, AND you will be a blessing to each person around you, you have the power to make wealth and are being healed from the inside out in this very moment!  Receive that?  I sure hope so!   

There might be some who are a bit hesitant and think me a goon at this point to accept the declarations above.  So let’s connect the words of love that I am speaking about with the words of God.  After all, He IS love and is always speaking life over us  :O) 

My father used to always tell me (in my stubborn days) about a scripture that says it’s the little foxes that spoil the vine.  It's finally clicking in my head why he was sharing that.  Read Song of Solomon 2:15;  Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming!  Clear out your home of those things that could bring you and your loved ones down, remove negative statements from your speech.  You don't want your love compromised!  The words that you speak are where it all starts.  James 3:10-11 says; And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth.  Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!  Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?  You can't have both positive and negative statements coming out of your mouth and it not confuse your inner peace (and those around you).  Choose words that bring more peace to your heart and into your home.

 More times than not, we need to check ourselves before we open up our mouths and let our emotions do the talking for us (especially us ladies, we tend to wear our emotions on our sleeve and it ends up nipping us in the bottom).  We need to think before we speak.  (side note: I'm not preaching to the choir on this, I'm having a heart-to-heart with myself about it and just sharing what I'm learning :O)  We need to come to a place in our thoughts and in our soul that rejects the words of comparison, the words of lack, the words of deficiency, the words of absence, and the words of unworthiness in our lives.  We need to reject the negative words spoken over us, and reject the negative words that we often speak about ourselves, our situations, and to other people.  We also need to be cognizant of those negative trails for our loved ones; sometimes our loved ones need a little course correction.  Let's be their little helpers by letting them know (lovingly) how they are talking about themselves and/or their situations, at the same time showing them how they should be speaking life.  

Have you thought about what could happen if you were speaking life over your relationships and/or situations?  If you haven't, then take a moment to do so:  Speaking life over your significant other, and over yourself?  Over your family, and your children?  Those words of love and adoration are life giving water.  All emotions are altered, attitudes are changed, joy increases and love fills the air!  Why speak discouragement and defeat over the people you love and yourself, when you can be speaking words of hope and love?!

Far too often people begin with believing for the lesser, and then hope they see the greater someday.  We can have stronger love and greater peace within our hearts and in our homes.  We have the power to alter that in our lives and for those we love by changing our speech!  All that you need is already within you; you are going to make it, you are going to rise up, you are going to overcome, you have greater ability than you may have previously thought, possibilities are limitless for you, nothing can stop you from obtaining the life that God says is yours!

Take a moment and check within yourself, do you sense anything within you that has changed?  It's the speaking of life over you that has just impacted your attitude.  You already have a better outlook right now than you did when you started reading this little love note!  You look as good as your outlook, mind to take some time to note what thoughts you’re entertaining and statements you are speaking.  For a more tangible way to compare it, think about fruit.  Personally, I am in to fresh fruit, and would rather stay away from icky, sour apples!  This is something I'm already teaching to Nickelbug.  The foundation for our children starts when they are little ones :O)

I hope you are encouraged and have a brighter horizon you're gazing at after reading this!  Please watch the music video by Toby Mac: Speak Life .  I hope it inspires you and puts a smile on your face :O)

Sending you all lots of Light and Laughter!

~Cassie

{DIY: WALL ART} ...LOVE WHAT YOU DO

Everyone loves a simple art piece on one of their walls that makes a lovely statement, including myself.  I don't have any simple word art on my walls so I decided to make one!  This took very little time to make with items that I found around the condo.  So it didn't require that I spend any money on it which is always an A-plus in my book :O)

Here are the items you'll need for this little project:  1x4 slat of wood(or wood shape/size of your choice), house paint (shade of your choice), paint brush, x-acto knife, magazines, print out of the phrase you want and in the font you like, newspaper, rubber cement and a camera (to snap shots of your lovelies). 

First: Set up an area where you can spread out the newspaper to place your wood slat on in order to paint it.  Then paint it! (it'll only take a few minutes to paint) I set mine up on bar-stools so I could stand up to paint them.  Normally I would spray paint (I loooove me some spray paint) in order to get a smoother finish.  However, for this piece I wanted the brush strokes to show to add a little bit of texture on the background so I used Valspar that has primer in the mix.  

Second: While the paint is drying, get together the letters you printed, x-acto knife, and magazines.  Choose any kind of magazines you prefer to get the colors, textures & shapes you would like on your lettering.  Tear out all the pages you want to use (keep in mind the sizing of the letters in conjunction with the pictures you are choosing)  then place the letter on top of the photo you choose and trace the letter with your x-acto knife to cut it out.

Third: After you're done cutting out all your letters out for your phrase and the paint has dried, use the rubber cement to glue it to your wood slat.  Finish it up by nailing in a couple sawtooth hangers to the back and viola!  Your handmade wall art is ready for display :O)

Easy-peasy!  I was excited to hang it in my room; it's something simple, yet such a wonderful reminder to always fill your day and your mind with what you cherish and love the most :O)

Sending you lots of Light & Laughter!

~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)

HAPPY TO BE

Everyone is well aware that Valentines Day is around the corner with the sweet aroma of Love growing or blossoming between two special people.  Some are consumed with what they might, or might not, get and/or whom they might spend it with.  Some gals obsessing for the right outfit and most original, thoughtful gift to give their special person.  Then there are some gals that are prowling for a date, period.  There are guys overcoming the tickles in their tummy to ask out the potential gal of their dreams to spend the National Day of Love with, trying to figure out how to do it big to sweep her off her feet.  Then there are some guys mobile polling to figure out how much needs to be spent in order to get lucky.  Lastly, there are also those of us that are on our journey single and soaking up every good bit of it that we can :O)  Either way, the special day has become overly commercialized and that kinda sucks the magic out of it. 

I believe each day (not just on Valentines Day) should be about growing your love for every person, animal, or situation you encounter and for life in general.  It all starts with growing Love in yourself.  Life changes when you can grasp that.  When you discover how to love yourself, right where you are at, then you can live in freedom to Love others without holding back.  An uninhibited Love that swells the joy in your own heart when you pour it over others and spread a big smile on their face.

 

(Painting by my fave: Katie Daisy)

Remember...being single and happy is far better than being in a relationship that is wrong for you. You can choose to feel love by tapping into your own self worth and doing what you love daily. To cultivate an expression of passionate love...you must first practice loving yourself, fully. This is something I remind myself on a regular basis and my growth of gratitude expands more and more for being in the place I am in today  :0)

 

Cheers to many beautiful days to spread Love to whomever you encounter and wherever you journey to! 

~Cas

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