Happy Monday

Happy Spring Break Week!

I hope you are having fun as a family and checking things off your to-do list!

It is raining here, something new and different, but I pulled out my favorite coffee mug, my meal plan form, and my cookbooks...I am gearing up for a great day chalked full of the ordinary but oh so necessary!! We are headed to the store for our BIG shopping trip, old mother Hubbard is attempting to move in! The mountain of laundry grew this weekend beyond its usual massive proportions and needs to know that I am still boss! The house....oh the house, so much to be done after our weekend, it was ignored... but for good reason.

Our weekend was comprised of a whole lot of nothing, and a lot of little special somethings! Our weekend usually begins on Thursday evening. My boys don't have school on Friday, so we usually plan something fun for Thursday evening. My youngest is a rough, tumble, energetic, sweet bundle of boy, and he LOVES this show called Wipeout. It is aired weekly on ABC, Thursday evenings. The show is full of fun, crazy, constant insane stunts that fill our how with squeals of delight. Erik likes to create his own obstacle course in my living room, and enjoys spending the hour imitating the stunts aired throughout Wipeout. (The commentary is sometimes PG-13...so just a warning.) It is crazy fun and has become the traditional way our weekend begins!

The rest of the weekend was full of discovering outside again...I just love Spring, gardening, riding bikes, riding bikes through the mud, bubbles, great food, boys night for Dad, a much needed haircut for Mom, games, family movie night, and a birthday party at Grandma's! It was the kind of weekend that brings us together as a family and makes me smile when I stop and realized how blessed I really am!

We are looking forward to this week! Lots of projects will get done, and we are planning to have fun with our unscheduled life!!

Hope you do the same!

P.S. New April specials were just announced on my website, there are some great deals this month! www.mysensaria.com/allnatural

Feature Friday... & A Giveaway Winner!

Good Morning Everyone...
I am glad it is Friday, but find myself with a very heavy heart this morning. I can't even imagine the horror of what the people in Japan have experienced in the last 24 hours, and the devastation they will somehow need to cope with. I am so sad for the loss of their family members, loved ones, & children. The pictures and videos are so intense, scary, and completely over whelming. The silly head cold I woke up with this morning seems so trivial, and I am glad to have someone else to focus my energy on today! Japan will be in my prayers and thoughts as I move through out my day today!

In honor of Feature Friday,

I would like to introduce you to a very special ministry!

My family has been involved with, and blessed by, Life Trac Ministries for many years. They are a family owned and operated ministry which believes in healthy, happy, and flourishing families and marriages. They strive to make a positive and influential difference, based on scripture, through their weekend courses including; Marriage Encounter, Pre-Pair For Marriage, Blended Family Success, Gospel-Powered Parenting, & the Love Birds romance weekend! Greg and Candy are an amazing couple who have successfully been married for 39 years! They have raised a amazing family, and since 1983 have helped hundreds of couples succeed in creating their own dreams for a joyful family environment! Greg was a pastor for 12 years prior to creating Life Trac Ministries, and has spent more than 18,000 hours counseling marriage, teen, and family problems! These two are a dynamic duo, and God is using them in incredible ways!

As we speak, they are in the final stages of planning for a Marriage Encounter course this weekend! Their team is made up of 5 couples who devote their time, knowledge, encouragement, and their personal stories. All five couples are present during a marriage encounter weekend and each play a vital and personal role in helping the weekend be successful!

This last week the team was down with many different viral infections. They are coming into this weekend under attack. In total three members have been or are currently sick and one couple is unable to attend this weekend due to a schedule conflict. I am asking for prayer for this very special ministry and amazing team! They work with love, passion, and all they have in them to see marriages succeed, and they need to be healthy and strong! I am also asking for prayer for the couples who have registered and are traveling to the conference! This is an opportunity for them to build, repair, and strengthen their marriage, and they need all the support they can get! This is serious business they are about to embark upon, please pray for them!

If you would like more information or would like to support this non-profit ministry, please visit their website. The Life Trac family is so special to me, and they are doing some incredible work!

Last, but not least, I would like to announce the winner of the Sunshine Giveaway!

Do you know Kristin from My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia? She is talented, fun, a busy mom of three, and such a sweetie! I have had the privilege of having my wreath business advertised on her blog, she has been easy to work with and so generous with her time! Her blog is amazing! It is full of inspiration, great tips, and fun projects she encourages you to try! I love and feel so honored when Kristin comments on my blog posts, she is always so generous. If you haven't had the opportunity to meet Kristin or read her blog, pop over to My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, and say HI!

I am thrilled she has won the giveaway, I know she will love the Sweet and Smooth body scrub! Kristin if you will e-mail me you address I will get this fun package out to you right away!

I hope you all have a great weekend! Enjoy your families, love on them, and please remember those who are struggling with unbearable circumstances in Japan!

Colorful Visitor and Giveaway Reminder!

The rain stopped today for a little while, the sun was able to peek through, and we had a lovely and colorful visitor!!

I love rainbows, they are on my top ten list of my favorite things!

Back when I lived in Idaho, I missed the sun so much during the winters. Necessity is the mother of invention...right? So, I figured out if I hung chandi crystals in my windows I could experience a double benefit from the sunny days. Light pouring into my dorm room and rainbows dancing on my walls, ceiling, and floor! It doesn't get much better than that!!

So cheery, so bright, and such a fun reward for enduring the rain, cold, and snow!!

I wanted to remind you about the sunshine giveaway!

Today is the last day to enter!

If you haven't done so, pop over to this post, and leave a comment. Blog, Facebook, and Tweet for extra entries!

This is a fun giveaway, and would make a perfect gift for a friend who needs a pick-me-up! Enter and share the love!

Pictures: Unknown-Seattle, and Flickr

More Than Just The Weather!

We just came back from another wonderful trip

HOME!

My wonderful mountains!

The last two weeks have been very difficult for me. The grey cloudy weather has had me especially down, life has been stressful and heavy with fear, worry, and doubt, and my strength to hold everything together was disappearing. (God is ever faithful, visit my "Listening to the Silence tab for a peek into His graciousness.) So, a trip home was such a blessing!

Several things happen for me when I go home; I get loved on like no where else in this world, my kids are loved on, I get to down shift, & lots of coffee is consumed leisurely. We sit and talk...about anything and everything, we eat good food, God's creative beauty abounds and we get to enjoy it, and I get to soak in all the lovely SUNSHINE!!!

This trip was no exception.

Sunshine abounded, physically and metaphorically! The warmth of golden rays were first felt as we began our climb up the mountain and out of the rain. I could literally feel the tension and stress slowly begin lifting from my shoulders. The sunshine continued to bust through my grey as our time with my parents was filled with laughter, friends, a birthday party, and so many fun experiences for my boys!

I love being home!

I am blessed beyond all measure, and so very thankful I have a place to retreat which is filled with warmth and love! My heart was repaired, my strength was renewed, and I even came home with a special gift which will continue to bring sunshine into my home on even the greyest of Seattle days!

My dad is an amazing artist, I hope you noticed my special lemon painting on the last post!

I love the bright, sunny feeling it has brought into my kitchen. Every time I look at it, I smile. Now that is a great piece of artwork! : ) This new painting is of birch trees in the fall with sunshine streaming through the branches and tree line. It is happy, sunny, colorful, and exhibits so many things that I love about home and my family! I love having my Dad's artwork in my home, and I am thankful for the gift of sunshine!

I am thankful that sunshine comes in many forms! Not just the physical rays from the sky, but in the unconditional love of my parents, the familiar sights, sounds, and smells of home, the hugs and laughter shared with friends, and a sunny painting from my Dad.

Life is just so much better today!

Don't forget that I am gifting YOU with a little sunshine this week!! Enter the giveaway and get a sunshine package complete with orange body scrub and sunny summer fun! Become a follower, leave a comment on the giveaway post, and share the love to be entered another time!! Winner will be announced Friday!

Hope YOU win!

So, what is bringing sunshine into your world today? I would love to know!

www.mysensaria.com/allnatural

pictures: guide book America,break magazine,& Sensaria.

March Needs Yellow ~ # 100!! ~ Giveaway!

March is a grey and gloomy month in Seattle.

I am not sure about you, but I have had it up to HERE with the grey, clouds, brown trees and RAIN...misty rain, spitting rain, monsoon rain, and soak you in two seconds rain! Since, I have yet to fine tune my mother nature skills of producing sunshine, I thought the least I could do was bring a little sunshine into blogland!

I now declare that March is officially a YELLOW month, no more grey!

Also, this is my 100th post, WOOO HOOO!! I can't believe it came so fast. I would like to give away a little sunshine to help celebrate!

Read to the bottom for more info!!

Love this door with the bag casually slung over the handle!

Love the one yellow chair!

Yellow floor to die for!

The essence of Spring!
Just so happy! Look, even the caps on the stool are yellow!

Beautiful yellow glow!

Yellow attention to detail!

This is a very special & very new painting, created just for ME by my sweet dad! It brings such a bright, happy, breezy feeling to my kitchen! I just love it!

Love the flowers in the window, and look at that cute fixture!

If this doesn't make you smile, I am not sure what will!

Don't you just love yellow, it makes my currently grey world so much brighter!

Now to give away a little SUNSHINE!

In honor of my 100th post, I would like to share a little healthy, yellow, sunshiny glow!!

Did you know that orange oil is a natural anti-depressant??

Does the grey, gloomy Winter/Spring weather have you feeling a little down...ME TOO!

So, I want to give you my favorite sugar & salt shower scrub!

After one lovely shower with Sweet and Smooth your skin will feel smooth and silky soft! Dead surface cells are swept away, reveling new, fresh, moisturized skin! Also, the naturally uplifting essential oil of sweet orange refreshes the skin and your senses!! You will love the way your skin looks and how you feel!

Here is how to win:

1. Become a follower!

2. Leave a comment telling me what cheers you up on a grey day!

3. For additional opportunities to win, Tweet, Blog, or Facebook about this giveaway with a link back to my blog! ~ Then come back to the blog post and tell me how you have shared this my 100th post!

I can't wait to see who wins, the drawing will be next Friday!!

Have a great weekend, and enjoy the bloggy sunshine!!

www.mysensaria.com/allnatural