Happy Sunday all! I hope you're all having a fabulous morning! I wanted to share a little story with you. The other day when I picked up the kid from school she was eating a lollipop so I said, what did you get the sucker for Jordyn? She proceeded to tell me that she found the sucker on a desk in Library and instead of taking it she went to her teacher and turned it in. Her teacher thanked her for her honesty and told her that if no one claimed it by the end of the day, she could have it. Well, obviously nobody claimed it and her teacher let Jordyn have the sucker. What i'm so proud of is that my daughter then proceeded to talk to me about why she thinks she was rewarded with the sucker. She said that she felt like because she was honest and did the right thing, she got rewarded. If she had tried to be sneaky and kept the sucker for herself, someone would have claimed it and she would have gotten in trouble. 

I love when Jordyn unknowingly learns a life lesson all on her own. Something so small had such a big impact. :) 

I just wanted to share that story with you guys because I was so proud! 

I also want to let you guys know i'll be having 2 new series here on the blog!

Plan with me where i'll be showing my weekly meal plan as well as my regular weekly planning schedule. The first post is up already, you can see it HERE

And Bookshelf where i'll be posting what books i'm reading with Jordyn weekly while we do our summer reading challenge. The first post is up already as well, see it HERE

I also got a DM on instagram about what TV shows I would recommend for a 7 year old. The woman who wrote me was concerned that her niece was watching shows that weren't appropriate for her and it was causing her to act up. I realize this is a big problem with a lot of kids, lots of parents don't fully monitor what their children watch very closely. I can't tell anyone what to let their children watch but I can offer my advice when asked so I wrote a post about what shows Jordyn is watching as well as what we are watching as a family. Read it HERE

Happy Sunday :)

Xo, Jeanice

Plan with me.

Zeke and I recently decided to do the Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover challenge. We don't have a lot of debt but, as I get older I start to worry more about making sure Jordyn has a good sized college fun as well as securing our financial future. Our plan is to pay off all of our debt (which really isn't much. Less that 7,000 in credit card debt, my car, and our house payment.) I started reading the Dave Ramsey books and was totally motivated. I'm not the most organized person when it comes to budgeting and money so I went to Michaels and bought a planner. The planner I got is THIS ONE from Me and my BIG ideas. At first I just planned to start meal planning to save money and start tracking my spending, no big deal, but OMG this planner is SOOOOO cute that I started obsessing over it and using it for EVERYTHING. I just recently found out that there is a whole planner community out there that! I swear, I think I spent 6 hours the other day just watching planning videos on Youtube. 

Anyway, this new found obsession birthed a new series that i'm going to be posting here on the blog.

Plan with me!

Here i'll be posting my weekly meal plan spread as well as my regular weekly spread. I hope you guys enjoy!

Here's this weeks meal plan spread.

And this weeks regular spread.

How cute are these hydrate stickers? The temp is already in the 100's here in Vegas so these are perfect for me to stay on track with drinking water. I got them on Etsy from a shop called Digitallum. They are an instant download printable sticker sheet. I printed them on sticker paper I got from Office Depot. Visit their shop HERE

The "Weekend" banner is also from an Etsy shop called Jo Ellis Creations. So cute, I love it. It was an instant download sticker as well. Visit their shop HERE

The quote stickers are from Me and My big Ideas. They have tons of sticker packs and accessories to go along with the planner. The inspiration card is also from Me and My Big Ideas.

The chevron mini dashboard is a DIY. I just cut out scrapbook paper and used Scotch laminating sheets to cover it. I ordered THIS Levenger hole punch from Amazon which works with the disc system. 

Ugh, I have to get a new debit card! My bank informed me yesterday that someone was trying to make a huge purchase at Nordstroms Rack so they locked down my account. :( 

Thankfully my bank is really good with catching fraud activity before it actually happens!! 

So thats this weeks spreads. I hope you guys enjoy! 

Xo, Jeanice :)

Bookshelf.

Welcome to our bookshelf!

I'm super excited about this series i'll be posting here on the blog. We are participating in our local libraries summer reading challenge! Its such a fun challenge and kids get a chance to win prizes depending on how many books they read. Our library also hosts fun events to go along with the reading challenge! I'm almost positive most if not all libraries hold challenges like this. Check your local library for details.

Here you will find all the books we are reading each week! 

Here are the books we are loving this week.

The day the crayons quit.

This is a hilarious story about a boy who opens his crayon box to find letters from all of his crayons saying they quit! Such a fun, cute story. Jordyn loves it. She even decided to write a comic strip based on the book. 

Predator Vs.. Prey

This isn't a story but an informative text about fierce predators and they prey they like to eat. We actually picked this up at Jordyns school book fair. She is really into learning about animals and is LOVING this book. 

The Stinky Cheese Man.

I posted about this book on instagram a few weeks back. Jordyn is still loving it and we are re-reading stories from the book almost nightly. 

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.

This is another childhood favorite of mine. Its got the same almost twisted humor as The Stinky Cheese Man. The big bad wolf gets a chance to tell his side of the story and he claims that it is all a big misunderstanding! haha.

The Wizard Of Oz.

We are currently reading The Wizard Of Oz together, we try to read a chapter each night. Jordyn isn't a big princess,  fairy tale lover so I love introducing Jordyn to other types of classic stories. 

I couldn't find a purchase link for this book, I bought it at Barnes and Noble a while ago on clearance for 10 bucks but I can't find it on the website and Amazon has it listed for 45 dollars!! I'm sure you could find it at your local library though. 

So that is what we are reading this week, are you guys participating in any reading challenges? 

Xo, Jeanice

My favorite TV shows for my 7 year old.

Does anyone else dislike the TV show selection for elementary aged kiddos these days?

I feel like Jordyn is at an age where Doc Mcstuffins and Sophia The First are too young for her, but Austin and Ally is too old for her.

Does that make sense?

It's like Dora The Explorer and Max and Ruby are not stimulating enough for her but Adventure Time and Spongebob fill her head with inappropriate nonsense. 

I'm not one of those " No TV" moms. I believe that if you balance technology with your daily activities then there is no harm done, but for the life of me I will never understand the medias obsession with exposing our children to adult issues or situations. I will also never understand the fact that some parents allow their children to watch TV shows that are clearly too grown up for them. 

I'm very picky as to what I allow my 7 year old watch. I like her to watch shows that not only mentally stimulate her but offer a positive message as well.  

Believe it or not there are plenty of good,wholesome shows that will entertain our kiddos while still protecting their innocence. Not everything has to be about boys, being popular, or obsessing over clothes. Jordyn has her whole life to get wrapped up in that stuff, for now, i'd like to do my part in not over exposing her to situations that I believe are too advanced for a 7 year old. 

Here's a list of what Jordyn is currently watching and loving.

ON DIRECT TV:

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

This is Jordyns all time FAVORITE show. I love that this show is centered around friendship and doing the right thing. It's mature enough to stimulate her mind but also young enough to keep it clean. 

I also love that there is no underlying adult related humor ( cough, cough...spongebob.) Just an all around fun/ clean show. We are in Nevada and MLP airs Saturdays at 8am for us on Discovery Family. Check your local listings for air times. 

Curious George.

We LOVE this monkey! Curious George is such an adorable show that showcases the importance of community and problem solving. We watch this show EVERY morning while we get ready for school. Curious George airs at 8am-8:30 am on PBS 

Wild Kratts.

Jordyn is really into animals of all kinds. Wild Kratts provides a fun way for her to learn about them. I love the Kratt brothers and how informative yet fun this show is! Wild Kratts airs at 7:30am on PBS 

Girl meets World.

There aren't very many shows on Disney that I allow Jordyn to watch. Girl meets World is the exception. I really love the Boy meets World, family feel of this show. I love that there is always a positive message about family and friendship. This is one of our favorites.

ON NETFLIX:

Goosebumps

Goosebumps is one of those old school classic shows that are even fun for me to watch. Shows like this are great because there isn't a focus on boys or being popular, just fun, slightly spooky stories!

The super Mario Bros super show.

This one is new to the lineup but Jordyn loves it already! she really loves The Super Mario Brothers games and was so excited that we found the show on Netflix. The show is clean and hilarious.

VeggieTales.

We really love VeggieTales. Jordyn actually has a ton of VeggieTales movies. I'm not an overly religious person so I never forced the belief of Jesus on Jordyn, however, she made the decision to love the lord all on her own so I want to give her every opportunity to learn as much as she possibly can. VeggieTales is a fun way to introduce stories from the bible to children. 

The Magic School Bus.

Who doesn't love Miss. Frizzle? Jordyn loves this show so much that she watched all of the seasons in about 3 weeks and still goes back to watch again.

Dragon Tales, Dragon Tales it's almost time for Dragon Tales. Come along, take my hand lets all go to dragon laaaannnnndddd. Who doesnt Love Max and Emmy? I do. Again, this show focuses on friendship and problem solving. Whats not to love?

The adventures of Figaro Pho.

Figaro Pho is afraid of EVERYTHING. His list of phobias is never ending. He's so adorably quirky its hilarious. This show follows the adventures of Figaro and his mechanical companion Rivet and the mischief they get into. LOVE!

Bill Nye the Science Guy.

This is hands down Jordyns favorite show. ( aside from MLP) The only problem with this show is that they don't have all of the seasons on Netflix. 

Martha Speaks.

This is an adorable show about a dog who can talk so obviously this show is right up Jordyns alley. I believe this show airs on PBS but she watches it on Netflix.

Here is a list of the shows we watch as a family.

ON DIRECT TV.

Face Off.

This is a makeup artist competition. Jordyn gets SO into this show because the artist have to create all types of crazy characters. We like to pick our favorites and see who wins at the end. Face Off airs on SyFy at 6pm. The season is currently over but season 9 starts back on July 28th. Can't wait!

Wizard Wars.

This is a magic show competition judged by Penn and Teller. This show is super fun and exciting to watch if you have kiddos that are into magic. Wizard Wars airs on SYFY. They currently only have one season and i'm not sure if they will have a season 2. I sure hope so. You can watch all of the episodes of Wizard Wars on SyFys website.

Beat Bobby Flay

Jordyn loves competition shows, she's so competitive its hilarious. In this show different chefs challenge Bobby Flay to a cook off!

Chopped.

Another food competition show. Chopped is one of our favorites. 4 chefs compete in 4 different rounds, one chef is eliminated each round until the last man stands! Chopped airs on Food Network Tuesday nights at 7pm.

Cut Throat Kitchen.

This is probably are all time favorite to watch as a family. In this competition chefs are given the chance to sabotage each other. Its hilarious. Cut Throat Kitchen airs on Food Network Sunday nights at 7pm. 

Love it or List it.

This is a home design show that focuses on families trying to decide to remodel and stay in their home or sell it. Jordyn and I love making predictions about whether they are going to Love it or List it. This show airs on HGTV Mondays at 6pm.

Mystery Diners.

We LOVE this show. This show follows restaurant owners as they try to catch people sabotaging or stealing from their restaurants. We like to try to pick out who we think is doing wrong before they tell us. Mystery Diners airs on Food Network at 6:30pm.

Shark Tank.

We LOVEEEEE Shark Tank. This show is centered around small business owners trying to get the Sharks to invest in their businesses. Jordyn gets so into it too, she always goes on and on about who she would invest in. We look forward to Shark Tank Tuesdays! Shark Tank airs Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 5pm. 

So thats whats in our TV lineup. I don't believe TV is bad for kids, I believe the lack of filtering what they watch is bad for them. Little ones are very impressionable so filtering what you allowing them to watch as well as what you watch while they're around is VERY important. 

As you can see from our lineup, it is possible to watch entertaining shows that deliver a good message but are also clean and kid friendly.

I'm curious, what shows are in your lineups? I'd love to get recommendations on new shows!

Xo, Jeanice :)

Protecting hair while swimming in the pool.

In Vegas pool time is essential to surviving the 115 degree heat.

Seriously.....its the beginning of May and its already in the 90's. I say this every year but I AM NOT READY. How can anyone really ever be ready for that matter?....

Like hey, i'm sooooo ready for this 120 degree summer aren't you? NO. I've lived here all my life and I will never get used to it. 

...........I'm not ready. 

I'm mainly talking about chlorine water here. Salt water doesn't pose the same chemical risks to hair as chlorine water does and typically simply rinsing the salt water out and conditioning as normal is enough to bring moisture back to the hair.

Jordyn has swim practice every Saturday for 45 mins. I take a lot of precautions to make sure her hair doesn't suffer from chlorine damage. Chlorine is VERY drying. It strips away all of the natural oils from your hair leaving your hair dry and prone to breakage. 

WE DO NOT USE SWIM CAPS. While some people do prefer to use swim caps, I don't. Swim caps are often really tight and can snag and break our hair at the edges. They also do not fully protect your hair from getting exposed to chlorine. 

Here is what we do.

1: RINSE YOUR HAIR BEFORE HAND. 

The point of this is to fill your hair up with as much water as possible so that your hair has less room to soak up the chlorine. 

2: ADD COCONUT OIL TO THE HAIR.

coconut oil will penetrate the hair strands giving more moisture to your strands and aiding in minimizing the amount of chlorine the hair soaks up. 

3: COAT THE HAIR WITH A SILICONE BASED OIL.

I use a cheap, silicone based oil on top of the coconut oil the silicones don't penetrate the hair strands and will act as a barrier making it harder for the hair to soak up the chlorine. I use the OGX Coconut milk anti-breakage serum

4: PUT THE HAIR IN A PROTECTIVE STYLE.

Don't let your hair hang free. Putting the hair in a protective style reduces tangling and again, aids in chlorine absorption. I go with 2 simple french braids. 

After swim care is extremely important as well. The most important thing to note is that chlorine DOES NOT RINSE OUT. Don't think that you can just rinse your hair out and your good to go. Chlorine MUST be washed out. 

SHAMPOO THE HAIR.

There are a variety of swimmers shampoos out there but I don't use them. I find that most swimmers shampoos strip Jordyns hair way too much and leaves her hair really dry. I take all of the precautions to reduce the amount of chlorine her hair soaks up so a clarifying shampoo is good enough to get rid of any chlorine her hair has encountered. I use Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow, and Restore shampoo ( say that 5 times fast). The apple cider vinegar helps to clarify and the organic shea butter helps bring moisture back into the hair. I LOVE this shampoo. 

DEEP CONDITION. 

I follow up with a deep condition treatment on her hair and leave it on for about 30-45 mins to restore any moisture that was lost. I use Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor oil masque. 

At this point her hair is chlorine free, shiny, bouncy, fully moisturized, and ready to be styled as usual.

:)

Remember, this is what we do. This process may not be ideal for you. How do you all take care of your hair pre and post swimming? 

Xo, Jeanice