Summer is almost here!

It has felt like summer around here for a long time.  Heck, we live in SW Florida.  It has been in the 80's for a few months now.

But school is almost out for both of my kids!  Ahhhh.... true summer, right?  My son finished school this last week.  And my daughter finishes this week.

But now comes the problem of what to do with them!  I strongly believe that kids should be able to entertain themselves.  That is NOT to say that I don't want to plan fun things for them throughout the summer, but it does mean that I will not be their play thing all summer, every day.  

I recently read an article that stated that children should be bored once in a while, especially today's children.  And you know, at first I was taken aback, but then I thought about it more.  Yes!  Children should learn how to use their imaginations and brains to entertain themselves.  My mom didn't play with my all the time.  In fact, I don't remember her playing with me at all.  She would take me places, and plan events, but she never got down on the floor and played with me.

What's wrong with that?  I think absolutely nothing!

I sit back, often, and notice the differences in my children.  Both are incredibly imaginative, however, my son plays pretend and entertains himself more often than my daughter.  My daughter is getting to that age where technology is becoming more a part of her life.  I don't want her tied to her devices all the time, but I can see value in some of what she uses her devices for.  

So what am I going to do this summer, especially with my kids?  I do plan to take them to the beaches, both here in Florida and up in Michigan, as we will be spending about a month up there.  I plan to take them bowling, maybe for some ice cream, to the parks, mini golfing, and maybe a zoo or something.  I don't have a lot of time here in FL to do some of the things I want to do with them. 

I also have been pinning a bunch of ideas of what to do with my kids, activities to do at home.  

What are your plans for this summer?

Where doe the time go?

So, I've been thinking about time passing lately.  Probably because my children's birthdays are coming up.  My little man's birthday is a week from tomorrow, April 29th!  YIKES!  He is turning 4.  It feels like he was just turning 1!  He is growing up, but still is so small.  He asked me in the car today how he could grow up faster.  And my only answer was that I didn't want him to grow up faster.

I want him to stay the same sweet, caring, although frustrating at times, spunky self!  

Anyway, mostly I've been thinking about my daughter.  She'll be 9 in the end of May.  This is such a weird age.  I can see her trying to be older and more mature, and there are times I do wonder where my little girl has gone.  But everyone once in a while, I get to catch a glimpse of my little girl.  She is still there.

Sometimes...

I remember this time in my life.  When I wanted to be older, but I also wanted to play with my toys.  I can see, even when she is with her friends, they still want to play with their Monster High dolls, and Barbies, but then they are all starting to want to use technology, get cell phones, iPads and tablets.  

I have seen it with one of my friend's daughters as well.  She still likes her My Little Ponies, but is trying desperately to be older.  

I remember it being very confusing, but also exciting.  And now, it is exciting, and very scary to be going through it on the other side.  To be witnessing her growing up from a parent's prospective... I'm sure my mom felt the same way when I was my daughter's age.

So where do we go from here?  I don't want to baby her, and I do want to give her more freedoms, but I also scared of what is out in the world for her and excited all at the same time.  

I just hope I am doing something right with her... And I do catch glimpses that I am.

Did you have a child who is on the verge of the pre-teen years?  How are you handling it?

Fitness is a journey!

*This is cross posted on my other blog, www.fitforlifeliz.blogspot.com

So, I have been training for a 10k & will bump it up really soon to half marathon training.  I plan to run a half in 2017.  Yes, it seems far away, but I also have been incorporating more lifting.  I am trying to still figure out how to get enough workouts in during the week.  

Anyway, today was supposed to be a longer run.  But I only made it 2.8 very painful miles.  Why am I telling you all of this?  Because this is a journey. Every run or workout may not be great, but I am out there improving myself.  

I also slacked off this week, big time.  I didn't do any Hammer and Chisel workouts.  So what am I going to do?  Past me would have scraped the whole program.  Because I wasn't perfect.  Didn't do all the workouts.  Current me is going to pick up where I left off.  Keep trying, keep improving.  

This is a journey, with no real end.  I will always continue to work on myself. What about you?

Happy New Year...

A few days late.  But hey, life happens.  And it has been happening a lot to me lately.  I am not ready to share, but once I am, I will.  I promise.

So what does 2016 look like for you?  Did you make your New Year's Resolutions?

In the past, I haven't wanted to make any, because I wasn't great at follow through.  (In case you couldn't tell by the numerous posts about how I promise to be around more often.  Hey, I'm human.)  But follow through is something I have been working on.  And I am getting better at it.

Anyway, so I didn't necessarily make any resolutions for 2016 on New Year's Day.  But I had made them before New Year's Day.  Of course, I want to lose weight, like most do, get healthy... yadda yadda yadda.  But I've been working on getting healthy for a while now.  I am seeing small results.

I have resolved, however, that 2016 will be my best year ever.  Big changes are on my horizon.  Not only in my personal life, but in my business.  There is an energy surrounding us right now...  What can I say?  I can actually feel these changes happening.

This past year, I have worked harder than I have in a long time.  And I enjoyed every minute of it.  I have met new, amazing friends, and strengthened old friendships.  But this next year is going to bring me to places I have never been.

So some of the things that this year will have for me are that I will be running another half marathon at Disney.  I can't wait, but then again I can.  Such conflict about this.  I plan to further my business and actually accomplish what I've been wishing for for many years.  And I will post many pictures throughout my journey.  I also resolve to be a happier person, to be more involved with my kids, and make a whole lot of new memories with them.  We made a lot this past year, but this next year will bring so many more.

So tell me what you are looking forward to in this new year.  Have you made any resolutions?

Summer...

So it has finally arrived in MI for us.  Just in time for us to enjoy about two weeks of warmer temps and then we head back south where it is hotter than heck.  What can I say?  

So we fully intend to take advantage of these warmer temps.  Today we are hitting the beach.  I haven't been to the beach up here since my parents owned the other house further south than here.  

We used to live right on Lake Michigan, which was awesome.  And our summers and weekends from about May through September were spent at the beach in front of our house and on our boat.  We used to take boat rides, waterski (okay, that was my sister and our neighbor, but I was in the boat driving or spotting), tubing, swimming, riding jetskis... doing what any other good Michigander did.  enojying the outdoors.

The good news is that here, my parents' boat is right out front of our house (or back... I will never get ued to that.  We used to call the Lake front, the front of our house and the road side, the back.).  But our "beach" has been taken over by weeds.  The lake we are on is so different than Lake Michigan.  

It is smaller, but just as beautiful.  But we have snapping turtles, and leeches, and other things that are closer to our shore here.  So swimming isn't really an option.

Anyway, I digress.  The best summer memories for me were spent hanging out with my friends, having bonfires, playing on our boats or jetskis.... in essence, just being kids.  I hope my kids can appreciate and enjoy this house, like we did the other house we owned.  

Here's to summer finally arriving...  and to making amazing memories.

What are your favorite memories from the summer?

Allergies, pollen, dust, oh my!

So I have continued to use my essential oils, but it hasn't helped.  I am still taking my allergy medicine plus Tylenol Sinus just to have a somewhat normal nose. 

Anyway, I was talking to a good friend of mine and she mentioned her daughter, who is maybe 2, just got diagnosed with allergies as well.  So they bought a diffuser, and use the same mixture as I do, peppermint, lavender, and lemon, and diffuse it for her.  She said it has cleared her up completely.  

So I am off to find a diffuser, in hopes that it will help!

I am not giving up on essential oils, but I just don't know if the topical method is good for me, for my allergies.

Update 7/24:

I still haven't bought a diffuseer, and kind of gave up on the essential oils for allergies, until I get one.  But I am not completely giving up.

Almost New Years Eve!

So our Mary Kay year goes from July 1 - June 30.  So for us it is almost time to celebrate all our wins for 2014-2015!  

And of course this is the last push for the end of the year for a lot of us.  It is where dreams are accomplished, goals reached, and celebrations will occur.  

I just found out today that I am less than $2000 away from a huge goal.  I have never sold $2000 in one week.  But there is a first time for everything, right?

So help a sister out!  Any sized order is greatly appreciated. And if you don't have a consultant yet, register on my website (www.marykay.com/lizherman), and you'll get 25% off any order over $75!