1. Fresh Flowers — For Just a Few Dollars!
This picture is clear evidence of this whole new savoring life and slowing down transformation in my life: On the weekends, I’ve been leisurely walking to the store, picking out a $3-$5 bouquet of flowers, and then coming home and salvaging all I can from last week’s flowers and putting together some freshened up arrangements for around the house.
It makes me happy all week long to see these around the house and it’s a simple way I can cultivate beauty in our home, while also giving my soul space to breathe.
2. Launching Make Over Your Evenings
This week we accomplished a HUGE goal for this year — we launched my brand-new course, Make Over Your Evenings!! This was my only business goal for the year, so it was pretty exciting to have it D-O-N-E!
We worked so hard on this course and I am so thrilled with the finished product — and also so honored that thousands and thousands of you have already bought it and begun it. Thank you SO much!
3. Dusting Off My Bike For the First Time in a Long Time
After my poor bike has sat neglected for, um, maybe TWO years, I dusted her off tonight and took her on a 40-minute leisurely ride with Kathrynne and one of her neighbor friends on Thursday evening.
It was such a relaxing way to end a l-o-n-g and full week filled with prepping for our big Make Over Your Evenings course launch.
4. Brown Sugar Biscuit Twists
We celebrated the end of a long and full week and gearing up for a very full and busy weekend by taking a “Sabbath Day” on Friday. We went to bed early, slept in, and had a slow and leisurely morning.
I surprised the family by making Brown Sugar Biscuit Twists for a late breakfast. These are a family favorite and we’ve not had them in a long while. Yummy!!
5. Kaitlynn’s Figure Skating Competition
Kaitlynn competed in four events at the Skate Nashville Competition this weekend. It’s so fun to see her confidence building and her love and passion for this sport start to come out more and more and overcome the nerves of competing.
She pours her heart and soul into this sport and I just love watching her blossoming as a skater and an individual through the hours she spends on the ice every week. {You can watch a little clip from her short program here.}
An Important Note About Next Week
So you know how I only set 4 goals this year? And you know how one of them was that my husband and I would go on two overnighter trips without our kids?
Well, we were able to work out a bunch of details and plan a trip for just the two of us for 4 entire days beginning Monday morning through Friday morning this coming week. We are SO excited as we rarely ever get away by ourselves!
And I’m even more excited because I finally have a great team in place who can cover for me while I’m gone. Which means… drumroll… that I’m leaving my computer at home and plan to be 100% offline while we’re gone.
I’ve never, ever done this on a trip that I can ever remember. Even if I go offline for some of the trip, I always have my computer with me. So it’s a pretty big deal for me!
My team will make sure there are deal posts going up here and on Facebook like usual, I’ve pre-scheduled content pieces for every day of next week, but I won’t be around the comments section nor will I be on social media at all.
I’ll be back sometime on Friday, and while I’ll miss you all, I honestly cannot WAIT to have four whole days to just get to hang out with my husband! See you on the other side!
Natasha Jones says
Question– and please don’t take this as a criticism because I do not mean it to be. Every parent is different and has his/her own version of normal. However, it seems to me that you leave your kids a lot for trips (speaking engagements, international adventures, etc.). How do you do it? My kids are young– only 4 1/2 and a baby– but I just can’t see myself leaving them overnight that often– not for work or for pleasure. Does it get easier as they get older? Do they seem to mind at all? Overall, you probably get more quality time with them because you homeschool, while mine are (sadly, but necessarily) in daycare. But still, I was curious. Maybe I’ll feel more comfortable spending nights away when my kids get older?
Kariane says
This week I’m enjoying climbing trees with my boys. Fun!
I wrote about things you can learn tree climbing here: http://everydayintentionalliving.com/return-tree-climbing-season/
Jen says
So glad you are getting away with your hubby! Hope it is really restful and refreshing!
Things I’m loving from this week
1. Chance to go on a “mom-date” with my youngest at the library to buy her donut holes and read books together.
2. Beautiful spring weather
3. Converting my teen son to thrift store shopping as we’ve been able to find some awesome deals for him on name brand clothing
4. Makeover your evenings course. Love, love, love this!
5. Driving with my teenage daughter and seeing the improvements she has made as I am no longer pressing my foot to the imaginary brake on the floor. 🙂
Bobbi says
Yay!! Enjoy your time off and great progress on your goals for the year!
5 Things I’m loving this week:
1-Reading books with my little girls
2-Easy meals on our menu this week so we can spend more time together as a family
3-We have a wonderful small group of friends from Church (Minichurch) that meets twice a month for some great conversation and Bible study
4-My husband’s sense of humor
5-My girls’ summer clothes is in their closets and organized and outdoor toys are ready for the warmer weather. (We live in WI, it’s rainy and not too warm this week, but we’re ready for summer!!)
Kalie @ Pretend to Be Poor says
That’s wonderful you are finding ways to slow down, simplify your goals, and spend some quality, offline time with your husband! I love ALDI’s $4 bouquets. They are often just as beautiful as expensive ones elsewhere. Congrats on your new course
Aileen @ Aileen Cooks says
That’s wonderful that you get to go away together this week! And good for you for leaving your computer. You inspire me in so many ways!
Gina says
Hope you have a great trip. I am so excited to get started on the Make over your evenings course. I know I will love it as much as I did the Make over your Mornings course. Thanks for all you do- I appreciate it! See you on scope when you get back.
Christine says
My family did this for Spring Break last month. We borrowed a family member’s cabin the Poconos. No computers, no phones, my Kindle only because my books were on it. It was the best thing we could have done. So Mich family time and the girls were so well behaved on the 12 hour drive up & back.
[email protected] says
Best investment you can make! Hope you have a great week together.
5 things:
Slowly merging into our summer schedule with the youngers
Kids trickling home from college
EReader Girl updates…finally signed up to get these in my inbox!
Wildflowers in the kitchen
Trader Joe chocolate 😉
Mimi from Brocante Home says
I really love how you have built a whole little ritual about buying your flowers, what a lovely way to stretch the pleasure and get the most out of them. Life really is more beautiful with mindful little touches like that isn’t it?
I hope you are having a wonderful week away.
I got a lot out of your makeover your mornings course, so I am very excited to hear about the new course!
Denise (Life With the Lid Up) says
Fresh flowers in my house are one of my favorites. They always brighten any room!
This week I am so thankful for the sermon I heard today. It was about staying joyful…. just what I needed to hear.
Joy A says
Crystal,
I am so glad that you and your husband are making such an effort for time alone and that you will be totally unplugged on that trip, good for you!!
My husband and I also try to get away a few times a year. Our family is still growing so often a baby will accompany us but it is still a nice time away alone without the other children.
I hope that you and your husband have a blessed trip!
Jamie @ Medium Sized Family says
Good for you, unplugging for some time away with your hubby! I’m looking forward to life after baseball when my hubby and I can have a date night again. 🙂
Love those beautiful purple flowers. And I’m going to check out your biscuit recipe for sure. Always looking for great breakfast recipes.
Rebecca says
We are surprising our daughter with an early birthday present – to go see the Atlanta Braves and then to see TobyMac in concert! The game is today and she knows we have plans, but doesn’t know the details. She absolutely loves TobyMac!
I also love buying the fresh flowers every week. I buy them at Trader Joe’s for $3.99 and they last about 2 weeks. That’s a good value. And every time I see them, I smile.
Have a nice trip!
B. says
Yes!! I love Trader Joe’s for flowers!!
Jen says
Thanks for that tip! I’m going to check out their flowers. I love their beautiful cards for .99!
Keelie @ Love Hope Adventure says
I’m so excited for you my friend! How timely for you to work on your marriage. Love this for you and Jesse! What a wonderful time you guys are going to have. Just remember, don’t spend the whole time talking about work….that’s why we carry conversation starters on dates and trips away so we can actually get away from it all. I’ll be praying for you.
Crystal Paine says
YES! I’m pretty sure that if I leave my computer at home, I’ll actually be able to fully unplug — including mentally — from work stuff. At least that’s my hope. 🙂 I was able to mostly do that in Israel which is what gave me the courage to completely unplug on this trip! We’ll see, but that’s my hope!
Anne says
Hooray!!!! Enjoy your offline time. I hope it’s everything you need.
Tina Hartsfield says
I’m so happy that you and your husband are taking time away from everything to spend quality time together. I can’t believe how fast your little ones are growing! Have fun and enjoy your time away.
Jessica says
The Ohio State University had their annual open house at the Museum of Biological Diversity today. They had fun activities for the kids, real, live tarantulas, mites, roaches, etc to look at and even bugs to hold- my 3 year old held a grasshopper 🙂 The Museum is only open to the public one day per year.
We enjoyed a tasty meal of grilled steak with organic grassfed beef raised by my uncle.
I ordered and received some beautiful hand dyed yarn. It is such a treat using yarn that has such striking colors, is soft on the hands and supports another work-at-home mom.
I had a nice chat with my Aunt.
I also had some great copywriting work come my way this week.
Crystal Paine says
Oh, your new yarn sounds so fun!!
M says
Thanks for the tip on the OSU museum – I will have to keep that in mind in the future. We are alumni of other Big 10 schools but now live in the Columbus area.
Jessica says
We are too… we graduated from Northwestern University in 2001 and 2002 and moved here for me to get my MPH from OSU, I finished in 2003 😉
Tana says
Just out of curiosity, why do you have so may ads for online surveys? I know they can be hot and miss and pay very little but have you looked into any of these? I am a single mom, looking to save and make what I can. Thank you!
Crystal Paine says
This post might be helpful to you: https://moneysavingmom.com/2013/06/6-companies-that-will-pay-you-for-taking-online-surveys.html
Victoria says
THAT IS AWESOME news about your getaway! Enjoy your trip!
5 things I am loving this week.
1. Sunshine.
2. A date day with the hubby.
3. Getting to enjoy the Smarties I grew up with. The chocolate kind.
4. Tulips blooming in my neighbors yard. Her flower gardens are amazing and I get to enjoy them from my front porch.
5. Dreaming & Planning. More details are slowly falling into place for our BIG dream.
Crystal Paine says
I love tulips!! How fun that your neighbor grows them!