Everyday Living

Focus

"When you focus on all your blessings and the good of people around you, there's nothing to complain about. Nothing."

It is hard seeing those that forget to count their blessings. Their pure focus is on negativity whether it be marriage, work, lack of sleep or kids.

Instead put all that negativity aside and focus on the good in life and begin to experience a life with Oola.

#summermustread #oola #focus

To order your copy of Oola click HERE.

My journey to Oola, began with discovering Young Living Essential Oils. We have had many ahh haa moments that have been life changing. We now live a life by design and not by default.

Happy Oiling :)

Tip 6 of 365~DIY Handsoap

DIY Super Easy Foaming Hand Soap

I recently mixed up a couple batches of foaming hand soap-they smell amazing and it is so easy to do.

All you need is 2TBS Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap~I used Unscented Baby-mild

You can find Castile soap at Target, Health Food Stores and of course, Amazon

Add 8-10 Drops of your favorite Young Living Essential Oil~ I used Citrus Fresh in one and Lime in the other.

Fill with water and that's it!

You can purchase foaming hand pumps from Abundant Health4U

To learn more about Young living Essential Oils visit my website

youngliving.org/everydayliving

Everyday Living Essential Oils

~helping others...one drOp at a time

Happy Oiling!

~~~~~

I am a mother to 3 young busy girls, LEO wife, and also operate a licensed childcare out of our home. We use Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils daily in our home and childcare. I love oiling and everything about it. We are discovering many different ways to incorporate essential oils into our lives and feel better than ever. I have not used any over the counter or prescription meds for over 6 months. My hope is to help make oiling easier for others by sharing some helpful uses and tips with busy oily moms and dads that are searching for better ways to live naturally.

So here is my first use of many. I hope to share with you a tip each day for the next year.
You can also follow me on my Oiling Facebook Page:
Everyday Living Essential Oils

DIY Play Dough

with Young Living Essential Oils

INGREDIENTS:
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 cups cold water
• A few drops of any essential oil
• Food coloring, optional

DIRECTIONS:
Mix flour, salt, cream of tartar, oil, and water in a medium saucepan.
Stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until play dough has reach the right consistency.
Let cool, split into 3 balls, and knead in essential oils and optional food coloring
until it is distributed evenly throughout each ball of play dough.
Store in airtight container.

To learn more about Young Living Essential Oils visit my website:

www.youngliving.org/everydayliving

Member/Sponsor/Enroller ID #1647574

Everday Living Essential Oils

~helping others, one drOp at a time!

Happy Oiling!

~~~~

Valley News Live Story

Valley News Live came over on Sunday to our house to do a piece on my Play2learn Sensory Packs and the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest I have entered. My girls were such great helpers getting the house ready for the news anchor to come film. I was just in the process of putting together my February Sensory Packs to ship out so I assembled one while they were filming and let the girls play with the pack. It is so fun to see the kids find different ways to play with the items included in each pack. Most of the ways the girls played with the items were not things I had thought to do prior.

The best part of this new venture for myself is seeing the packs come to life. There is no better joy than having the kids ask throughout the day to play with the sensory pack again or receive positive feedback from a customer about how much their kids enjoyed the packs. I love knowing that the packs I create are encouraging positive learning while playing.

Here is the link to the Video Piece from Valley News Live:

Local Woman Making Playtime All About The Five Senses - Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks

You can still vote for my business on the FedEx Grant Contest Site. You are able to vote 1X per day till February 23rd. After that FedEx will then choose 100 businesses based on votes and other thing to move onto the essay stage. After the essay stage a grand prize winner will be chosen for a $25000 grant, 4-$5000 grants, 1-$1000 grant.

Vote HERE--->FedEx Grant Contest

Thanks for your Support of my small business Play2learn Sensory Packs.

You can find us on Facebook

Visit our website www.play2learnsensorypacks.com to place an order.

*I was too focused on the interview and didn't take any photos while the news was filming--in the link above from VNL you get to see a it all come to life.--better than pictures :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~

play2learn...the place where playing2learn is aLwAyS more FUN!

Play2learn Sensory Packs-FedEx Grant Contest

I recently started a small business called Play2learn Sensory Packs. I run a licensed group childcare business out of my home and wanted to incorporate more play based learning. I liked the idea of a large sensory bin so I purchased a large sand/water table for outdoors and converted it to be our indoor sensory bin. At first the kids loved it....but after having the bin a few days I quickly learned that a large sensory bin was not ideal for the ages in my childcare. Sure it was great for the 3-4 year olds at first but having a bin in our play area with hundreds if not thousands of beans turned out to be terrifying for myself. Anytime the kids would play with it I was constantly picking up beans and was scared the toddlers would find them and put them in their mouths. So I started to brainstorm...I wanted the play base learning but without a large sensory bin and I needed to keep it more confined and monitored. I also didn't like the standard idea of just a couple of items --it just wasn't enough to keep the kids interested for long....

I started out by finding things around my house, different kinds of blocks, some that were different shapes, some with different colors, patterns and textures and magnets etc--I put them on activity trays and watched the kids play. I encouraged at times to create patterns with the blocks, or asked them to pick out certain colors. It was fun to see their imaginations run wild and the idea of Play2learn Sensory Packs was born. What if I could capture this same type of play based learning in a easy to ship pack that could be used for other child cares, preschools and home based learning. I went to work and created my first pack in November 2013. I started with a few packs and they sold out in no time. I quickly learned there was a need for play based learning and much like myself most childcare providers and busy parents want to incorporate play based learning but don't know where to start. I love a challenge so I went with the idea and decided if I was going to do this I wanted to do it well and do it right. With some late nights and long hours I created a Sensory Facebook page, learned how to create a website, created a logo, developed labels, learned how to ship from home, opened an etsy site, paypal account and went to work. Play2learn is now ready to ship out February Packs and increasing quantities each month to grow and handle the demand while it's still a one man show run by me, myself, and I!

I love coming up with creative, fun new sensory ideas that are being enjoyed by child cares and families all over the country. I recently had my first order from Canada which was a whole other learning experience in itself but it didn't stop me. I feel like the sky is the limit and a new flame has been ignited within me.

I recently applied for a FedEx Small Business Grant and was accepted to participate. The first phase is a voting process. Next 100 small businesses from the contest will be selected to move to phase 2 and will have 4 essay questions to answer. The grand prize is a $25,000 grant. They also have 4-$5000 grants and also 1-$1000 grant.

The FedEx Small Business Grant would allow me to develop marketing tools to reach teachers and parents of special needs children. It would give me the ability to purchase new products in larger quantities to keep costs down and continue to make my packs affordable to all. The grant would allow me the ability to travel to childcare and special needs conferences to share my packs with others. With the FedEx Small Business Grant I will be able to continue to offer fun safe ways of playing2learn!

You can vote HERE to help increase my chances of making it to the next phase of the contest. Voting can be done 1X per day till February 23rd, 2014. I am currently at 226 Votes.

Valley News Live, our local Television station came out today to do a story on my Packs Play2learn Sensory Packs and the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest I am entered in. The story will be airing either tonight at 10pm on NBC or a future date....stay tuned for details!

You can follow Play2Learn Sensory Packs on Facebook.

Below is my website for fast, safe and secure ordering. (I use Paypal for payment).

www.play2learnsensorypacks.com

I also take special orders and offer other fun sensory accessories on the website as well to enhance the sensory experience.

If you have any questions feel free to email me:

www.play2learnsensorypacks@outlook.com

Play2Learn Sensory Packs....the place where playing2learn is aLwAyS more FUN!

"Thank you sooooo much! The kids absolutely LOVED the November Sensory pack! You could here a pin drop for the 1st 10 minutes of playing! They were all so proud to show each other different ideas of what they came up with! They were all so creative! Thank you so much! This will now be part of our everyday routine!"

Childcare Provider

-Gretchen, MN

"Thank you, for starting this business and affording me this new fun sensory pack to share with my 4 year olds! I heard LOTS of smiles and many words to each other like "how about we do this with the noodles" or "Look! I made a flower out of my gems!" They look forward to playing with it again!"

Childcare Provider

-Jean, ND

"Play2learn Sensory packs let my children explore and find wonder in new items every month. I love that Play2learn goes way beyond the blah of the same old rice/beans/corn sensory that I was using. My children are exploring, creating and experimenting with the well planned packs. We cannot wait for the next one to arrive! Love, love, love!"

-Marcia, MN

Good People. Bad Things.

As I sat at the kitchen counter tonight waiting for my hot water bath salsa to finish up I was working on pre-school activities I had started earlier and tuned in to the Valerie Harper special on TV...she is fighting terminal brain cancer and was trying to help her husband prepare for life when she is gone...they seemed like the perfect happy couple. Why would something bad like this happen to good people??...people that truly love each other?

It reminds me all too well of a similar story. My story. The story of the life my Mom and Dad shared. The caring and loving relationship they had for each other. It was like the perfect match, soul mates. --and yet a terminal cancer diagnosis was right in the middle of it.

We were young, 16, 14, and 12 when we buried our dad. My mom only 42. 42 years old without her life partner to help raise her kids when they needed it most. She had to figure out the answers by herself and find the best way to do things without consultation. She was on her own. The pain of knowing the terminal diagnosis and watching my dad the man she loved slowly slip away from what she knew, pains me to this day.

I did not realize the hurt she was going through as we were all grieving in our own ways, We kept very busy with school, confirmation, work, and sports. It was a way of not having to deal with things--just stay as busy as possible and you didn't for that current moment in time have to feel like someone was laying a 100 pound brick on top of your chest. The pain of grieving is unexplainable. I am sure it's different for everyone. Every once in awhile I get brought back to that feeling of that blurred year like tonight and I can't believe it's been 18 years because it still feels like yesterday.

I can remember so vividly waiting for them to get back from Rochester, MN where they met with top doctors at Mayo. WE all had such hope for that visit. I remember going downstairs to my dads office the evening they got home. Things didn't seem right but I tried to just act as normal as possible maybe even goofy to combat fears of the actual reality. It was then as I sat on the ledge of my dads office desk that he said, "Mirandy Kate, Dad's really sick." I don't even know what else he said-that's all my brain could take in...I knew when they wouldn't tell us over the phone while they were still in Rochester what the doctors had figured out that it wasn't going to be good. Yet I tried to remain hopeful for my dad. Keep a positive outlook that way maybe the cancer would just go away if we pretended he wasn't that sick. I knew it wouldn't but I didn't really know what else to do.

At night while he was still alive on hospice care in our home, I would lay in bed and wonder if it was going to be his last night. How many things would I have to go through without my dad. It wasn't till I started to list things that it all started to become so real. He would not be there to see me get confirmed, play in a varsity soccer game, graduate from high school, college, or walk me down the aisle on my wedding day. That was a big one...every dad is suppose to walk their daughter down the aisle and soon I will no longer have that vision. No matter how much I didn't want my dad to die it was going to happen and it did.

I remember my mom coming into my room to tell me my dad had passed away. It was 2am. I had woken up just before she came in and heard her telling my sister that he had passed-they came into my room --it all seems a blur....all kinds of thoughts were running through my head--as though I had to quick think about every memory of my dad so it would stick with me forever. Next they went and woke up my brother. My Uncle, Fr. Al-one of my dad's brother's was there at our house along with our family friend hospice nurse Marsha. We sang, said our goodbyes and the ambulance came and took him away.

The reality was there, he was gone. Before I went to bed he was still breathing, no longer conscious but he was still my dad for that evening and still alive. When my mom woke us up that night I knew I no longer had a chance to have that dad that would see me do all those things one day. I had to learn how to live a life without him and that has taken me many years.

I always thought in my head, just give it time--it will get easier, but a close friend who lost both her parents at at a young age as well said it best. -It gets harder with time because the more time the more they miss out on. She was oh so very right. As I got married and had my first child that reality was all so very present again. I didn't have a dad and my child wasn't going to have one of her grandpa's that she should of had. He would have been an awesome Grandpa. He loved kids and little ones so much. He was a very present, loving and kind father growing up. One who put his life on hold each night just so he could play catch with us in our backyard. He was silly like a kid, always playing pranks and jokes on us and his friends. He was a likeable guy. His celebration of life was very well attended.

He spent many days of his last year with his brother Fr. Al. He helped him plan his celebration of life down to where the meat should be bought from for the meal served after the service. I am so thankful he was able to share those details with my uncle in that final year. It allowed my mom to be there for us, keep up hope when we needed it most and when it was time to plan, it was already laid out for her.

The days getting shorter, nights getting longer, and the leaves starting to fall -is a always a reminder of the life I had with my dad. It will be 18 years this October 26th that I have learned to live without my dad. Even though it still hurts to go back to that time in our lives, it's a reminder that I had a dad. An Awesome, Amazing Dad. Those memories will always be the last ones I had with my dad and I am not willing to give those up, ever.

Mathias M. Bitz

Junior

Husband

Dad

Nov. 6th 1951-October 26th 1995

Wigs for Kids-Lemonade Stand

At the age of 3 my daughter Addisyn told me she wanted to grow out her hair and give it to another little girl who doesn't have any. 3 years and 5 months later Addisyn is ready to cut her hair and donate it.

I researched companies that deal specifically with kids and came across the organization Wigs for Kids. Each year they supply 125-150 wigs at no cost to the children who recieve them operating solely on monetary and hair donations. Each custom hair piece takes 20-30 pony tails to make and costs $1800.

Addisyn had a lemonade stand yesterday and raised $339.60! We set up an online donation site for those that couldn't be here to donate in person. So far Addisyn has raised $855 for a grand total of $1294.60 including $100 previously raised. We are so proud of all the people Addisyn has reached with her story and so greatful to the awareness it has brought to the non profit organization

- Wigs for Kids. To Learn more about Wigs for Kids Click HERE

The local news stations were out to share her story Valley News Live and WDAY. It was also picked up in FL, TN and Bismarck, ND. We are hoping to raise enough money to fund the cost of one hair piece ($1800) and in doing so increase the number of wigs this year that can be donated to help a little boy or girl feel normal and beautiful again.

In addition to Addisyn's own hair she will also be donating a very special 12" pony tail from her Aunt Courtney that she received for her 5th Birthday.

Here is the link to Addisyn's story from Valley News Live

                                                                Valley News Live Link

        There is still time left to donate-we will leave up her donation link until next Thursday July 18th.
                                                                     Donation Link

              We hope we can share her story with others and inspire other kids to share the gift                           of hair and help make children feel normal and beautiful again.

Stay tuned...tomorrow at 7:45 is the Big CUT!

12" less and my Addisyn will still be as Beautiful as ever

We are so proud of Addisyn and her big heart-she has touched so many with her story and helped bring awareness to Wigs for Kids.

It's HERE!!-Happy Harry's Penny Sale 2013

Happy Harry's Bi-Annual Penny Sale

Thursday April 25th 2013 starting at 8am!!

(while supplies last)

Click below to see the featured wines and a price list

(categorized by country of origin)

***The new PENNY SALE wine list 2013
CLick here --->2013 Wine List Printable PDF

***print out the list-- select what you would like and bring it with you-the staff there is great and can help with any questions

For a list of Coupons and Events at Happy Harry's visit their website:

http://www.happy-harrys.com/

Click HERE for the location information

(Happy Harry's currently has locations in Fargo & Grand Forks, ND)

Cheers!

Tiny Tikes Childcare Favorite Finds

Hi, and welcome to my blog!
-if this is your first time visiting-thanks for stopping by. I have a degree in buying and I love to share deals -so I
started this blog as a way to help others by sharing great deals and things I can't live without.

I currently run a licensed childcare business o
ut of my home and try to incorporate as many learning experiences as possible in our day.

In order to keep learning fun-I am always on the look out for new and exciting items but also try to keep costs into consideration-sometimes fun isn't cheap but if the benefit outways the cost I tend to spend a little more.

**for instance Melissa & Doug toys-have better quality products-Made in the U.S.A. toys that last forever and don't take batteries!!-they are worth spending a little more in my opinion.

I don't have a lot of "free" time these days and who does?!-so I do a lot of my shopping online and happen to do most of it through Amazon. I have paid the membership fees for Amazon Prime shipping so I try to find items that qualify for the Free 2day shipping.

**to learn more about the amazon prime membership click HERE

I have a lot of my childcare families and friends ask where I find the items I use in my childcare-so I thought I would start a list with easy to use links for anyone that is wondering.

Please feel free to still send me a message if you have any further questions on the quality etc of an item or how the kids actually like a specific thing. When I order something from Amazon for my childcare it is almost always something some else has recommended to me previously.

Amazon does have reviews on most of their items so that is another great way to find out if a product is good or bad but not always.

10pc velvet animal puppet set $2.94 + Free Standard Shipping

6pc Plush My Family Finger Puppets $2.17 + Standard Shipping

**these puppets are small enough for little fingers and great for interactive play
shipping is standard and takes a few weeks-but the price is worth it!

No Spill Paint Cups and Brushes (10assorted) $18.53 +Free Prime Shipping

**this item is a great set in my opinion-the paint cups have covers so the paint doesn't have to be washed out each time and you can store the paint in them-also the paint brushes coordinate with the colored cups so little ones don't mix the paint and brushes up and end up having brown paint all the time from paint mixing! -A little on the spendy side but well worth it. I use to use glass baby food jars but they are a bit on the small side.

Melissa & Doug Jumbo Paint Brushes $7.17 Set of 4 + Free Prime Shipping

**these are great for little hands especially 2 year olds-I find the 3+ like to use a more standard brush with bristles that are easier to manipulate as their coloring and painting improves with age and it's hard to stay in the lines with these wider larger bristles-still a great brush just more ideal for 1-2 year olds

Melissa and Doug Easel Paper Pad $11.97+Free Prime Shipping

**great to use on an easel and also on a table top with paint, markers or daubers

I have also found them useful and large enough to use for as a placemat when glueing items or working with glitter-easy clean up!

Do-A-Dot Markers Brilliant 6 pack $14.99 +Free Prime Shipping

Do-A-Dot Markers Rainbow 6 pack $14.99 + Free Prime Shipping

**The kids have a blast with these daubers-I usually take off all the covers and let the kids create whatever they want-they do say washable on most fabrics but I always have the kids wear aprons when we paint or do the daubers-I found aprons at our local dollar store for $1 each.

One of my childcare familes told me about a website that has free printables for learning-I was able to print off circle number worksheets and laminated them so we can use them over and over-it is a bit messy as the duabers don't dry quickly so I wouldn't recommend laminating for use with the daubers but non the less the worksheets are great and the website has a ton of different worksheets

-letters, numbers, tracing, site words and more!

I do also have dry erase markers so I have other worksheets laminated such as letter tracing and sight word searches so the kids can use them over and over

Free printable worksheets-3 Dinosaurs, AMAZING SITE!!

(Thanks Rebekah for the introduction)

Crayola Dry Erase Washable Markers 12 count $8.98 + Free Prime Shipping

**these markers are great-not your everyday colors and are washable!

Amazon also sells the standard colors as well 6 count $3.79 + Free Prime shipping with a qualifying $25 order
**this product is considered an add-on item and will not be shipped until you have an order in your cart of at least $25 in order to qualify for the prime shipping

I have and Easel in our upstairs play area -it has a wipe board on one side and a chalk board on the other side-- I found this Melissa & Doug Chalk set that is triangular in shape and great for little hands

Melissa & Doug Jumbo Triangular Chalk $2.99 + Shipping

100 pc Marble Set $15.99 + $9.04 Shipping est.

**this is a set that should only be used with older pre-k ages and with close supervision

we used the circle number sheets that I printed off from 3 Dinosaurs and used them together on magnetic cookie sheets from walmart for $1 -the cookie sheets are also a great thing to have when using glitter on projects etc-easy for clean up-we only use these cookie sheets for crafts and projects

New Items added to the site 4/18/13 below

Training Potty Seat Hook $6.43+ Prime Shipping

This hook is great to keep those potty training seats up off the bathroom floor and easily accessible
-it fits nicely on the side of the toilet tank

Mayfair Child/Adult Training Seat $29.99 + Prime Shipping!

this seat also has a soft close option with it so it won't slam down on little fingers
-this is a great seat in my opinion it comes off with hinges that open for easy cleaning
however the clips that hold on the little potty seat are plastic and if your seat is used in a childcare setting and gets a lot of use it won't last more than a year-but if have just 1 or 2 kids in your house you should be able to get a lot of use out of it-they also sell a similar version at Home Depot with metal hinges instead of plastic that will last as long as you need a potty seat-however it does NOT have the soft close option
these seats also come in the elongated version as well

I will continue to add items as I find new things and update it often so check back again soon!

**prices are subject to change without notice and with amazon sometimes that can change hourly depending on the stock on hand etc-so when the price is right-get it in your cart and buy it before it's gone ;)

To become of Fan of Tiny Tikes on Facebook Click HERE

Another year has come and gone, my wish this year came true, to have family pictures taken with all 3 of our beautiful healthy girls, --thanks to a dear friend Chelsey M. for doing them for us-you captured some very special moments and I am sooo thankful for that.

------

Season’s Greetings!

It is already that time of year to look back and reflect on what we have done, accomplished, how much the kids have grown and what the year ahead is going to bring.

Once again our family has been blessed with good health. Besides the minor colds and stomach bugs we are doing pretty well. It was a few months ago when our family came down with a bug and it took me out for at least three days. It was then that I thought back to my dad and others who have battled cancer-whether lost or won and thought to myself-this stomach bug is really nothing to complain about compared to what cancer patients young and old endure on a daily basis. It was around the same time my good friend Laura asked me to run a 5K with her and my out of shape un- oiled body was shouting no. I decided if my Dad could fight a battle that he knew he was probably going to lose regardless, I could fight through the sweat and pain and do it. We finished our 5K in just under 33 minutes. It was my first race and I ran that one for my dad. I hope to train over the winter and run the 10K at the Fargo Marathon this spring again with my friend Laura-now to convince my sister that she should run it with us too.

This year has been an exciting one for all of us. Addisyn started Kindergarten in the fall at Lincoln Elementary-she has been told by her teacher on many accounts that she is respectful, responsible and inquisitive—she thoroughly enjoys school and has come to enjoy riding the bus too. I look forward to the afternoons when I hear the bus coming and get to hear all about her day. Addisyn has remained committed to growing out her hair to donate to Wigs for Kids and is patiently waiting for it to get to 12”. She is at about 11 1/4” right now.

Ainsley started preschool this Fall at Oak Grove Lutheran School. She attends mornings two days a week and it’s just enough for this mama right now. She enjoys the friends she plays with and all the fun art projects she gets to create. I am told by her teacher she is shy and quiet in class—I assured her teacher she is definitely not that way at home. If you know Ainsley at all she tends to take after her Grandpa Junior, Uncle Kevin and Uncle Math-a bit mischievous! She has a smile on at all times from ear to ear and dark brown eyes that will steal anyone’s heart.

Miss Ahlera Marie-or Ahlera Ma Lou renamed by Mee Mee-is a tiny little girl packed full of acrobatic maneuvers. She will get anything from anywhere. Her favorite perch is the kitchen counter-where she can get to just about anything-truly amazing to catch her in the act of it. She is learning songs, dance moves and summersaults thanks to her big sisters’ help. She is big enough to do anything they do or so she thinks! She adores her daddy and has the best pouty face that even mommy can’t resist! Our baby just hit 18months and it feels so go to know that soon in the near future we will no longer have any in diapers!

This past year Ryan spent the majority of it working for Cass County in the Jail as a Corrections Officer. He enjoyed his time there-the experiences it gave him-and the friends he has made however his first passion has always been for patrol. This past October, Ryan was sworn in as a Peace Officer for the City of Fargo. It was a very special day for our family. We are very proud of all he has accomplished and look forward to his career in law enforcement. He has begun a 17 week training process and is enjoying every minute of it.

I hope 2013 brings you strength and courage to fight through whatever life may bring you.

Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year!

Ryan, Miranda, Addisyn, Ainsley & Ahlera