My Oil Droplet

Anna Claire told me she saw her teacher taking Excedrin at school and told her she should use Panaway essential oil instead, that medicine had harmful chemicals.

I said, "No, you didn't!" 

She said, "I love her. I don't want her to use harmful chemicals." 💕

Attitude of Gratitude

Every night I have AC tell me 5 things she was thankful for about her day so that she will not only develop the habit of looking for good, but so that when she closes her eyes, her thoughts are already on the very best parts of her day.

We've been doing it every single night for the past two years and if I forget, she make sure to remind me! 

 Tonight she was thankful for going back to school tomorrow, a bed, Netflix, fettuccine Alfredo and a house. ☺️ 💕 #gratitudeattitude

Working for a Day Off

This girl has her mama's work ethic: full throttle when she believes in something and sees the big picture outcome. 

Anna Claire has given us absolutely no, nada, zippo struggle when it comes to homework. Totally self-motivated. And recently she has taken it a step further and decided she would get all her homework for the week done two days in advance so she could have a night off and not have to do homework on gymnastics night. What an awesome kid! We are so blessed to have such a responsible little girl!

Summer fun with AC: Memories Made

Sneaking to the blackberry patch while Madeline napped

Cassidy's birthday at Frist Museum

Bowling with Cassidy 

Learning to ride bike at Greenway

Swim lessons at the ymca

Nashville zoo

Back to school shopping at Opry Mills

Inside Out and Minions movie

Dinner at Hananoki with grandma and fam

Going to Mommys classroom

Playing with Izzy during Bible Study Tuesday's

Yoga with Mommy MWF

Swim at Miss Dawns house 

Chocolate Pen Fun and Journaling

Today during Madeline's nap, Larry helped AC break in her chocolate pen that she got for Christmas. The chocolate was more like different colored white chocolate. And there wasn't much in the box, but she had fun.

She also is doing great keeping her new journal! I thought I'd need to remind her everyday, or that she'd use it to doodle in (which would be fine if she did). But she is taking her own initiative and loves the idea that by the end of the year she'll have a whole book. Love her love of writing!

New Year's Journal for AC

I took the girls to the bookstore this morning so I could buy a journal for the new year.

Anna Claire begged me to please get her one too. So we stopped in the middle of Books-a-Million and talked for a bit about  why I was getting the journal, what a personal journal was, and now it's different than journals she keeps at school. 

She found one she loves and as I am typing this she is writing away, working on her first entry. Day one of 365. 😍👍🏻

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Here's my Instagram post explaining why I NEED this journal!

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Jim Rohn, an amazing motivational speaker, recommends getting a journal each year and filling it so that the value of its contents are greater than the amount you spent on the empty book. AC and I just got ours. Here's hoping 2016 will be a year that we can fill the pages with greater value than the $12.05 we spent! #journaling #dayoneofthreesixtyfive #goodthings #journalsaregood #goodismyword

Anna Claire's Top 10 Favorite Things

I love doing these top 10 posts on the girls every December a) because it's neat to look back on and b) it helps me plan for stocking stuffers. 

I mean, I kill it when it comes to picking out stocking stuffers. And few things bring me greater joy to seeing those smiles on Christmas morning.

For AC I'm going with these as her current faves:

1) movie (prob will give her tickets to Star Wars or Chipmunks movie)

2) makeup or accessories. She goes ape for all that girlie stuff.

3) chocolate. And not Hershey's. Oh no, my girl takes after her mama. High quality dark chocolate. Add sea salt? Even better.

4) Christmas movies. She loves them all. I try to make sure and get her one every Christmas. This year she really likes Home Alone so maybe that one.

5) art supplies. Some things never change. My girl loves every medium. May get her a nice set of pens and one of those adult coloring books.

6) gymnastics. Gotta find a cute new Leo. She needs several.

7) clothes. Prob will find new socks, underwear, etc. she needs new tights too.

8) EOs. I will probably make her a little EO based perfume. She really likes mine. She's getting a new diffuser necklace too.

9) books. Anna Claire has just started learning the joy of independent reading. She loves Junie B Jones but getting a little anxious to try something else. I'm on the hunt for other series she would like.

10) funnies. Anna Claire has a great sense of humor. Gotta find some things just to crack her up.