Beginnings

Two weeks ago, I posted a list of the piano repertoire I hoped to begin work on. This week, I have a confession about that music- I've hardly touched it. I've practiced a grand total of 5 hours since I committed my goal to the internet 12 days ago. That's an average of 25 minutes or 0.4 hours per day. Compare that to my senior year of college (3 years ago) when I was practicing an average of 30 hours a week. That is approximately 4 hours a day.

Now, obviously there is a problem here. Allow me to dialogue with myself for a moment.

Is it that you don't like your music?
No, I picked it out myself- it's thrilling music! 
Is the music too difficult?
No, I am a good judge of my abilities and am confident that this repertoire is challenging, but not impossible. 
Is it that I don't have time? 
I have the time and desire to commit one (1) hour a day to practice. Just one. It's not like I'm trying to give Evgeny Kissin a run for his money. 
Perhaps it could be that you simply aren't interested?
Absolutely not. Music, and specifically piano is my greatest passion!
Ahh, is it that you just don't know where to start?
Yes.... that's exactly it.

So we have the problem now. Where to begin? This is always my struggle, and I am convinced that I am not the only one who struggles with how to begin a task. After all, when you are staring at the equivalent of an hour's worth of advanced, difficult music, where does one begin?

Today, let's take a clue from Maria in The Sound of Music. "Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. When you read you begin with A-B-C..."

So, to start learning the music and providing ourselves with a steady foundation for this repertoire, start with the notes. The letters of music, the very building blocks. An obvious place, to be sure, but one that I often overlook.

My challenge to myself this week is to learn the notes of the first page of every piece at a reasonable tempo, being sure not to neglect patterns of expression such as dynamics and phrasing. A reasonable tempo is one at which a pianist can play steadily, without hesitations or rushing. It is key to discipline oneself at this stage and not follow every musician's tendency to play the easy parts fast and the hard parts slow. Also, it is important to observe expressive marks. If one learns the entire first page at a steady mezzo-forte (mf), it will difficult to break oneself of that habit when later realizing that there are 6 distinct dynamic markings on that page.

My incentive/motivation to practice is more severe this week than it was last week. Last week, I simply told myself, "you are going to practice one hour a day". That was all. There were no qualifications, no incentives, no rewards, no punishments. Since that obviously failed, I'll add some more points to my practice goal.

- I will practice one hour a day.
- I will strive to practice at 11:00 a.m. every day
- I will not be allowed to use Pinterest or Facebook the next morning if I fail to practice the previous day.
- For every hour that I practice, I will earn 30 minutes time to devote to creative writing and graphic design (2 of my other hobbies)
- My practice goal is to learn one page of every piece by Monday (Oct. 13)

This will cause much more favorable results. In this journey of picking up practicing again, I am already learning things about myself. This week I learned that I am not very good at disciplining myself, and now I am working to change that. Thank you for reading along on my blog, and as always, please leave comments! Do you struggle with discipline or knowing where to start on a task? Please share your solutions!

30 by 30: Goal 1

Well, last week I posted 30 goals that I wished to accomplish by age 30, and this week, I actually got started on one of them! Namely...

"...5. Learn and memorize an hour's worth of piano classical music"

 Yikes! An hour? It's a tall order! But, I've done it once before. My senior recital to complete my Piano Performance degree was 50 minutes of memorized music. (Between entering and exciting stage, applause, seat adjustments, and variations in tempo, this is a typical time limit for "hour" long recitals... After all, no one just sits down and plays their music through without pausing!) This week I have tasked myself with picking out the repertoire for my "recital". After listening to countless YouTube renditions of pieces and pouring through the books I already own (I didn't really want to buy more), I have chosen the music! Here's the result! It looks like a lot of music (that's because it is!) and I am nervous about trying to conquer all of it, but I am super excited! 

In case any of you music-types (or non-music-types, I'm not gonna discriminate!) are interested in looking up the pieces or just want to know what I'm working on, here is my recital program:

Hanon, The Virtuoso Pianist (this is not a concert piece, but I am going to learn the entire book for technique purposes, and that's a pretty big undertaking, so I thought I would go ahead and include it.)

Haydn, Sonata No. 58 in C Major, Hob. XVI:48
      I. Andante con Espressione
      II. Rondo: Presto
Beethoven, Sonata No. 23 in F Major "Appassionata"
      I. Allegro assai
Liszt, 12 Etudes d'executiones transcendente, S. 139
      VII. Eroica
Debussy, Preludes for Piano, Book 1, L117
      X. La Cathedrale Engloutie (The Sunken Cathedral)
Mussourgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition
     I. La Promenade
     II. Gnomus
Poulenc, Trois Pieces pour Piano
      I. Pastorale
      II. Hymne
      III. Toccata
Scriabin, Etude in E Major, Op. 8, No. 5

Yeah, if it looks intense, that's because it is. Honestly, this program scares me to death! But it's really going to stretch me and challenge me, and I am super excited about it at the same time. If you are interested in listening to the music, I've put a Spotify playlist together with everything: Piano Recital Playlist  You should be able to open this and log in with a Facebook account or email and not have to download the program.

Let me know what you think! Do you like the music? How long do you think it will take me to complete it? Any tips from other musicians out there? I look forward to your comments!

30 by 30

I have to admit, I stole this idea. I shamelessly lifted it from a blog I follow --> http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/post/3818064/3425249653 Check it out, her list was great! I loved the idea of setting 30 goals to accomplish before reaching the age 30. As I am nearing my 25th birthday, 30 is closer than ever, but still seems a long way off. However, I'm catching on that life slips away faster than you can imagine, so I wanted to record some ways I want to grow and change over the next 5 and 1/2 years. I even got Hubs involved on this one! The ideas that were his are marked with an (*). Also, these are in no particular order (we are planning on paying off loans before getting a house before we have kids!)

1. Have at least 2 children (or 1 and pregnant)
2. Own a house
3. Vacation in Seattle
4. Obtain a blog following of 100 or more
5. Learn and memorize  an hour's worth of piano classical music
6. Have at least 15 piano students
7. Host a major holiday with more than just Matthew and I
8. Mentor a young lady
9. Learn how to can fruits, veggies, and jams
10. Eat "clean" 75% of the time (as opposed to the 20% we are currently at)
11. And along with that, learn to scratch make the majority of the food we eat
12. Plant and maintain a garden
13. Own an animal (chickens, goat, etc)
14. Host a Bible Study for at least one semester
15. Visit at least 5 cities neither Matthew nor I have been before
16. Memorize one book of the Bible (most likely Philippians)
17. Help lead someone(s) to Christ*
18. Develop a household organization system
19. Compose at least two pieces of music (one modern sacred and one classical)
20. Pay off student loans (hopefully way sooner than 30!)*
21. Go camping
22. Buy a new (to us) car (or maybe brand new, you never know!)
23. Write and edit a novel with Matthew*
24. Learn to use Essential Oils
25. Make my own cleaning supplies and laundry detergent
26. Develop a habit of regular Electronic-Free days
27. Help Matthew publish and sell the game he created*
28. Learn to play the violin or guitar (or both!)
29. Set up an Etsy shop
30. Grow to be more like Christ

Well, that's my 30! It seems like a lot, looking back over the list, but I am so excited about the possibilities that are in store for me and my adorable husband! God has richly blessed us in the last 3 months or marriage and I can't wait to see what amazing things He has in store for us.

So what are your goals in the next year or ten years? Let me know in the comments!

The Stuff of Pasta

I know I posted a recipe pretty recently, but this week Matthew and I are in California for his work and I have been watching Food Network all day and it is making me think about food! Also, sitting in a hotel room all week, I'm not able to actual make any recipes! Cooking has definitely become one of my favorite hobbies since getting married. It is so satisfying to start with simple ingredients and shape a delicious meal or dessert.

This is one of our favorite go-to dishes. We don't really have a name for it and I've never had a written recipe for it. Hubby made this as a bachelor and I have tried to make it a little fancier. We've only ever called it "Pasta Stuff". Enlightening, isn't it?

Pasta Stuff

1 box pasta (whatever kind you like. We enjoy shells, rotini, or spaghetti)

1 pound Italian style sausage

1 16-oz jar of Alfredo Sauce (I like to use Roasted Garlic)

1/8 cup milk

2 cloves minced garlic (or 2 teaspoons garlic powder)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (or whatever other spicy seasoning you may like. I often add cajun seasoning instead)

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp parsley

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Brown the Italian sausage and drain the excess grease. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute. Pour in the Alfredo Sauce, then use the 1/8 cup of milk to rinse out the container and add to the skillet. Add remaining ingredients and cheese and simmer for 5-8 minutes. Add the pasta and allow to sit for a few more minutes. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese.

Super easy and super tasty. This is a standard "it's-late-we-haven't-eaten-and-need-a-fast-meal". It's very filling. We eat off one batch of this for a week. I hope you enjoy! As always, if you try this out, let me know how it goes!

A Few Missed Mondays

Well, I think I've set a record with missing more Mondays than Mondays I posted on...

Shameful. Just shameful.

Sorry about that, ya'll. I realized that Monday is not my best day. I started missing postdays around the time that I took a 2-week trip back to Texas. (The trip was fantastic, I just never remembered to post). Between a wedding, seeing family, and hanging out with friends, I didn't give myself enough time to write or post any blog posts. Once I got back, I felt the desperate need to carve out a full, uninterrupted weekend with my darling husband, so once again, no blog post. (Also, I missed my second flight and an entire day of being back with him, so this was important guys!). Then this past weekend (yesterday and Saturday), we drove to Kansas City to visit my parents and brother, had kid's Sunday School to assist with, and a churchwide BBQ and baptism at the lake to attend. This has all been wonderful, but Monday is definitely not a good posting day for me.

With hubs working a "regular" full-time job, I always try to do my best to reserve the evenings and weekends for him. Some nights all we do is sit next to each other while Pinteresting and playing computer games, but that is still time together. Weekends are even more important as we get 2 uninterrupted full days together. I can never seem to get the motivation to write my posts during the weekend and take time away from my husband, nor can I ever remember to actually write the posts BEFORE the weekend. All that to say that blog posts will come on Thursdays from now on and we will see how that goes! (Sorry, I'm not sure right now if there will be a blog post this Thursday or if it will wait until next week)

Because that's all I really have to say today, I decided to share an article from another blogger, Jolene Engle, who keeps the blog "The Alabaster Jar". This is a blog post from May 26 of last year, but it is a good one! I hope you enjoy! (Please follow the link below to read)

http://joleneengle.com/5-steps-to-an-awesome-marriage/

Easiest Sloppy Joes Ever

So, it's been a couple very busy weeks. We flew to Connecticut the first weekend of July and moved the second weekend. This last weekend was our first "free" weekend all month! We spent almost all day Saturday at a friend's house playing Zombicide. It took nearly 8 hours! But it was great fun. Sunday we went to church for the first time in 3 weeks and it was so refreshing. On the way home, we realized that we still had stuff left in our old apartment that we needed to pick up, so hubby volunteered to load it while I fixed lunch. So my mission was to come up with a quick meal utilizing ground beef.

I've been trying to cut down on grocery spending by shopping the sales, so this last week I purchased a 10 pound pack of ground beef from our meat market. That's a LOT of ground beef. Especially if you don't have a dedicated freezer…. Anyway, I spent the better part of Friday afternoon separating the meat into one-pound packages and browning some of those. In the end, I split the meat into 6 unbrowned and 4 browned packages and stuck all in the freezer minus one that I wanted to use on Sunday.

Hubby suggested Sloppy Joes and they sounded great, but I realized that I had never made them before! I guess I always relied on Mom… Hubs suggested that I use ketchup and barbeque sauce because that's what he "always did". I didn't have any better ideas, so I decided to go for it. I think it turned out pretty well, so I wanted to share the recipe with you!

I split the meat in half so we could have hamburgers later on in the week and browned the other half of ground beef with a very small onion, chopped up. (The onion was minuscule, so you'll probably want to use a 1/2 of a normal sized onion if you are only cooking 1/2 pound of meat like I did).

After it had all cooked, I drained the extra grease and added a glove of minced garlic. I let that heat for a few minutes, and then added approximately...

1/2 cup of ketchup,

1/4 of sweet barbeque sauce,

1/2 tsp cajun seasoning (chili powder or seasoned salt would probably work if you don't have cajun seasoning),

1/4 teaspoon of dry mustard. I would have put in prepared mustard, but we were out.

I mixed all that together and let it simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes on low heat. Then I served it on buns with sliced and pan fried potatoes and grapes. All in all, it turned out to be a great experiment!

If any of you try it, let me know what you think! Of, if you have your own Sloppy Joe recipes, share them with me! Also, sorry there is no picture....I completely forgot to snap one when we sat down to eat!

The Title Explained

As I promised, I wanted to share with you how/why I chose this new blog name, "Of Penguins, Pens, and Pearls". It's really quite simple, so this will be a short post. Honestly, I just needed to write something that wouldn't take very long because we are in the process of moving/unpacking this week and I don't have a lot of free time.

So first, Penguins. Many of you already know that I am somewhat obsessive about penguins. I'm not sure now how long I have favored this flightless bird, but it dates back to at least my freshman year of college. I'm not sure how it got started either, if it was a joke or I just let it slip one too many times that I adored the little creatures. At any rate, I will now proudly claim them as my "spirit animal". I have a small collection of penguin stuffed animals laying around our apartment (in fact, I'm not sure where they all are at the moment). It's funny how when people find out that you love something, they start noticing it in the stores when they are shopping and apparently can't help themselves from buying penguin-themed items for you! Due to that phenomenon, I have several pairs of penguin socks, a penguin apron, penguin Christmas tree ornaments (one of those was hand cross-stitched), a penguin on stick legs, penguin mug, and even a penguin trifle bowl and stand (this one is impressive, thanks mom!). The latest addition to my collection is a cute little stuffed guy that I named Jenkins. My mother-in-law's dear friend who lives in Rhode Island, found and bought it in Pennsylvania, then took it to my mother-in-law in Connecticut to have it shipped to me in Iowa. (If you're reading this, thanks Ms. C!)

So besides my obvious enjoyment in the adorable animal, I find the whole idea to be somewhat representative of what I want my blog to be. We all have hobbies, interests, collections (ahem, obsessions), etc. I definitely struggle with comparing myself to others and wondering if I am "normal" enough, especially in the realm of my pastimes. I love people that are unashamedly themselves and unafraid to pursue their less-than-mainstream interests. I want this blog to illuminate and celebrate our differences! Yes, I am an adult with a college degree and I still love me some fluffy penguins. I also enjoy a plethora of other activities, including but not limited to those of a creative, nerdy, or literary variety. Bottom line is, I like penguins, and I'm ok with that and I want others to be ok with their respective hobbies/obsessions. I'm excited to share more about the things I love on this blog in hopes that maybe it will benefit someone!

The Pen part is easy- I love to write and this is my outlet! And you lucky unlucky people get to read it!

Lastly, Pearls. I keep up with the news for the most part. I understand what's going on in our world. It's sad, yes, but more than that. It shows a distinct lack of our effort to reach out with the love of Christ. (Obviously that is a sweeping generalization. There are many wonderful groups of people constantly and consistently reaching their community for the Lord). However, I believe that the vast majority of American Christians are very content to sit on their butts and let the world pass them by, safe in their own little bubbles of fake devotion and complacency. We decry injustice, sin, and deception in the world as we sit in our ivory towers, unwilling to lift a finger or *gasp*make sacrifices in an attempt to change it. We judge the world by our Christian standards when we should be loving the world by Christ's standards and leaving the judging to Him. We can't expect a non-Christian to act like a devoted follower of Jesus Christ (not to mention the fact that we ourselves rarely act like that). That unintended rant leads me to this- God has called us to be lights in the world. I wish to do that here, on the internet, where I can leave my "pearls" of wisdom behind. I don't claim to have all the answers, or really any of them. I just want the opportunity and place to share what God has laid on my heart.

I'm interested to know what you all think. Do you have hobbies that you fear make you odd or out of place? If so, how do you deal with that? Do you feel that you are shining God's light in your community and being an outpouring of His love? How could you do that better? If you are comfortable, please share in the comments below! I would love to compile a blog post of ideas, or at least have suggestions to put into practice for myself!

Written Thursday, July 3. Posted Monday, July 7

I'm pretty happy right now. Like, infectiously joyful. I have a deep-seated feeling of peace, joy, and contentment surrounding me right now. "Why?", you ask. Thanks for asking! I'd love to tell you.

It might have to do with the fact that it's July and our A/C has been off for over 72 hours and the windows are open. It might have to do with the fact that I packed 5 boxes today, and our clothes for our upcoming trip to Connecticut are laundered and sitting in a suitcase. It might be that I'm excited about said-trip to Connecticut that begins tomorrow. It might also have to do with the cookies that I ate a few minutes ago that are giving me a sugar rush (let's be honest, that's a lot of it!). It might even be the music that I'm graciously allowing my neighbors to enjoy.

But to be serious, it just stems from one basic thing: I believe that I am living in God's Will for my life. That's it. I believe that I understand what God is calling me to do right now (just right now, I'm not claiming to know His Will for the future), and I'm doing it to the best of my ability.  I feel content. I feel joyful.  I feel fulfilled.

Let me give you a bit of back story. As many of you might know, I married my Hero-Prince a little over a month ago, on May 24. The day after our honeymoon, I moved into his apartment in Iowa. That's a far cry from Texas. It's been different. It's been hard. It has honestly been one of the most difficult things that I've done. The first day Hero-Prince was back at work was one of the hardest days that I have been through in recent years. The loneliness struck me, repeatedly, in the face, stomach, and heart. Poor Hero came home to a hysterical wifey. I sobbed, shook, sobbed some more, and hiccupped a lot.

But God is wonderful and true and faithful. He orchestrates life and beauty for His creations. He inspired my hubby to encourage me to look for volunteer work in the area, something to do to keep me occupied. I looked online via VolunteerMatch (great website if any of you are looking to volunteer!) and the first result that I saw was for the Des Moines Public Library.

Ya'll. I cried. I squealed and hugged hubby and cried some more. I dialed my best friend and left her an elated and totally incoherent voicemail. Then I got my head on straight and emailed the volunteer coordinator about the position. Within an hour she had responded saying that she would love to meet me and instructions on how to apply. I printed and filled out the application and took it in the next morning to meet her. Talk about the nicest lady ever! She was so sweet and understanding and "hired" me on the spot. I had something to fill my time.

The second provision God laid in my path was a trip to the Family Christian Store. I wanted a devotional/Bible Study book, but I had no idea what I wanted or needed. Somehow, I ended up with a book entitled "True Woman 101: Divine Design" (by Mary Kassian and Nancy Demoss). For a newlywed living in a new state with no job and no friends to speak of, this book has been instrumental in helping me refocus my hear t and mind on my Lord and seeking after His Will for me.

It is incredible how the world twists God's design for womanhood and marriage. Between my study in this book and a long-term study of the Proverbs 31 woman, I have been convicted that my idea of the Perfect Woman and the Perfect Marriage were wrong. Pure and simple. My ideas were stupid and cowardly and shallow and unfulfilling. I had somehow unconsciously accepted that lie that Satan tells us that Men and Women can be the same, we just need the chance to prove it. That I am every bit as strong as a man. That I can be the same. That men having "authority" in the house doesn't really mean anything anymore. I demeaned my role as a woman and a wife.

 God specifically created Man and Woman differently. We are created differently and for different purposes. And you know what? That knowledge is not stifling or caging. It is freedom! I don't have to pretend to be like a man- strong and capable in the same ways. I am a woman. I am made to support my husband, encourage him, and challenge him to grow. I am created to nest and nurture: to create a safe, comfortable environment in which to grow and know and be known. I am uniquely designed to be "soft" - calm, gentle, kind, tender, compassionate, and sympathetic. I am fashioned to form deep relational bonds with others. I am a woman designed by God with a unique purpose in life.

That's why I'm so happy. I am rediscovering what it means to be a woman and living that out in my everyday life. It's exciting, thrilling, exhilarating, even.

Have any of you had that "aha!" moment? When you realize who God means you to be in that season of your life and you start following that? What was it like for you?

PS. If any of you are wondering about my new blog name "Of Penguins, Pens, and Pearls", I will be discussing that next week when I post.

EDIT BONUS: Here's a pic of me and hubs after the wedding :)

Choir Tour: A Departure from Isolation

Readers,

It would seem that I missed a week! I had great intentions of posting about my first week house-sitting in my “Country Villa”, which is what I’m calling it. But time has a bad habit of getting away from me and my trip to Oklahoma City fell on me much faster than I anticipated.

      I am so excited to share with you what happened while we were in Oklahoma. God works in mighty and wonderful ways and this week is proof of it. I have so much that I want to share that I think this blog post will be spread over two weeks and two posts to make it manageable.

      Some background: We started planning this trip nine months ago. It takes a considerable of effort to coordinate a music and missions trip for 30-some people, especially youth. We got in contact with some really neat organizations and were poised to assist in several different areas.

      May 20 – tornados ripped through the Oklahoma City and Moore area, killing 9 people and injuring at least 50 more. The devastation was widespread and terrible. We had no idea any of this would happen when we started planning our trip. But God knew. And God used us in ways that we could not have imagined. Here is a breakdown of how our trip went.

      Sunday, June 9, 2013 – We left from our church at 5:30 a.m. I’ll admit, you, my readers, know how much I hate that time of the morning. I was pretty grumpy. Within 3 hours we made it to Denton, TX to sing at a small local church, Highland Baptist Church. We warmed up and sang for the morning service. This was my first wake-up call. God grabbed my heart and said, “Hey you! Pay attention! These ‘kids’, as you call them, do amazing things in my name. Pay attention.” And so I started doing that, paying attention. We drove the rest of the way to Oklahoma City and sang at a second church. I missed over half of the concert due to a drive to the airport to pick up one of our sponsors. Can I just say that driving through OKC might have been the most terrifying thing that I did that week? But I made it there and back with minimal heart damage and listened to the youth sing the second half of their program and this time I paid attention. Really. I worshiped that night like I had not done in a really long time. It was wonderful and refreshing.

      Monday, June 10, 2013 – We woke up bright and early to fix breakfast for 25 teenagers. The church we stopped at the day before donated 18 pounds of bacon to us. 18 pounds. Let me stress this again. Eighteen. Pounds. That’s more than a small dog weighs. So we cooked some of it. A lot of it. And those teens devoured it. Then the youth split into work teams and assisted with projects around the church and at an organization called “Feed the Children”. The work they did that day directly affected future ministry to tornado victims. I, unfortunately, was not able to help that day. I worked on getting the kitchen organized and making Wal-Mart runs. But it was through that day that I realized something. I was not there to serve tornado victims, as much as I wanted to be. I was there to serve teenagers so that they could make an impact in Oklahoma and learn how to serve others. I’ve always called myself a behind-the-scenes kind of person, but this trip put that to the test. I was so far behind the scenes that I didn’t even feel like I was helping. But through this, God was still telling me, “pay attention, pay attention”. So I struggled to do that. And I started hearing amazing things.

      I’ll leave more of the week for later. I still have Tuesday through Friday to share and things haven’t gotten interesting yet! Also, sorry that there is no foot picture this time, I only took one the whole week! So you'll have to wait until the last Choir Tour post to see it!

A Week in Between /or/ The Ultimate 20-somethings Guide to Living Out of Your Car

                I just wrapped up a very short week at home. It wasn't even really a week, only 5 days and 6 nights. But that's ok. I relaxed this week, and I needed it! In fact, here's a shot of my feet relaxing at home :) I organized and got ready for my next great adventure. And in light of all that organizing, I created a book to help me keep everything straight! I mentioned this a few posts ago and now you'll get to see what I mean! I'm posting all the JPEGS so you can see them, but I can print a book for you if you would like with personalization and such. Contact me if you are interested in one!

Here's a picture of the completed book. I had mine printed at Office Depot after I designed everything on it. It's a very convenient way to do things. You upload your PDF and choose custom options and hey presto! a new book by the end of the day. Isn't technology great?

                Ok, the cover. I've been dabbling in graphic design since graduating, and I have to say, this turned out better than I had hoped. I'm pretty proud of this one. The rest of the book is simple comparatively.

                Now the "Contents" page. You don't have to include this one, but I really enjoyed having the quick reference. I printed a lot of duplicate pages in my notebook on the ToDo lists and Note pages so knowing when those sections start is very valuable.

                I whipped up a Personal Information page since the book was going to be in the car permanently. I'm really bad about forgetting personal numbers and things like that, so having them in one place is wonderful for me. I typed all my info in the page before printing it, but there is room to handwrite everything on it if you leave it blank.

 Ok, now the next three pages are easy, I just made calendars for the summer months. I didn't put anything on them and am only planning on writing in the dates that I'll be in different houses. Aren't they cute though?? I really like blue and dots!

         Next is a Car Reminders and Car Maintenance sheet. I am TERRIBLE at remembering to treat my car right. I used to have a radiator problem and had to fill the silly thing with water every 4 or 5 days. Thankfully, I got that fixed, but I still keep the reminders, especially for the several weeks this summer that I won’t be in town and someone might have to drive my car.

          Now there is a page that reminds me of everything I have in my trunk. I have given up trying to pack based on what I think is happening during the day, which changes hourly… So I have taken to just packing bags and leaving them in my trunk so I can grab what I need when I need it. 

             The last pages are just information pages so I can keep stuff written down: To-Do, Where Did I Leave stuff, What Do I Need to Get, and Notes.

                Hope you enjoyed seeing my book! I’ll make one for you if you want! This is not all the pages, but that would have been too many pictures! I'll certainly show the book to you if you want to see!