The Return to Beauty and the Beast and more - November Reading Wrap Up

Hello fellow bookworms and non bookworms alike! November has quickly dwindled down, the holidays are upon us, and soon we will be celebrating the end of another year. All of this is rather shocking to me. My month of reading was full of stops and starts and frustration; however, I was able to finish a few books. As of today, I have accomplished my Goodreads goal of 50 books for the year. I personally wish I would have read more, but life happens. Lets have a look at what I did finish this month.

First 5 App Review

Hello darlings! In a recent post I talked about my bullet journal spread and what I use it for. My wonderful bestie, you all know her as Hunter (The Girl From Alabama), suggested that I do a review of the First 5 app that I use. I didn't think much of it until she started asking questions. Today, I am going to talk about the app a little more in depth.

Thankful Thursday - Week 4

Hello all my darlings and dears! For those of us in the US, today is Thanksgiving. I hope that your Thanksgiving has been marvelous and blessed beyond belief. As we are surrounded by our families and friends it is such a great joy to share with others whether it be our food, our thoughts, or our laughter. Today, I am carrying on with my Thankful Thursday post as usual. If you would like to know more about this series, you can read about it here. Don't forget to check my blog for the other posts in this series as well.

Bullet Journal - Weekly Spread

Hello darlings! Lately I have talked more and more about my planner and my bullet journal. Today, since I was setting up a new week and changing some things around, I wanted to share that with you. Many wonder why I do this in addition to my planner, I will talk about that as well. Let's dive right in!

Thankful Thursday - Week Three

Hello dearies, welcome back to another week of Thankful Thursday. If you are new, you can find out more about this series of posts here. It has been a very mellow week for me; however, so many blessings to share as well. Don't forget weeks one and two if you haven't had a chance to read them yet.

Etsy Shop Review - SponseredbyCoffee

Hello planner babes! I am doing something a little different today, an Etsy shop review. I wanted to showcase and talk about the SponseredbyCoffee horizontal kit. Her horizontal kits for the Erin Condren planner is designed for the option of a no white space layout. Her shop is currently on vacation; however, she is scheduled to return soon. So let's see how this layout turned out.

Thankful Thursday - Week Two

Hello darlings. Hasn't it been a week for us all? Many things are weighing on the world today. For me, that is all the more reason to pour my heart into my gratitude and being thankful for the little things and even sometimes the big things as well. No matter what your week has held, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, a ray of sunshine to be found.

Walmart Grocery Haul - 1 Person, 2 Weeks in Under $100

Hello my lovelies! Last night I did my grocery shopping for myself for the next two - two and a half weeks. I was encouraged to share this with the world, so here we are. I know shopping on a budget can be a little tricky; however, it can also be fun. Outside of a few staples that I usually get, I tried to get some new things to try.

Planner Update - Erin Condren, Carpe Diem, and More

Hello lovelies!! After playing around with my blog and looking over content, I realized just how long it has been since I did a post on my planner situation. Many things have or will be changing soon. So grab a drink and a snack, this could get a bit chatty.

Thankful Thursday - Week One

Hello my dearies, welcome to week one of Thankful Thursday. If you are new here, you can refer to this blog for details on Thankful Thursday. To jump start this series of blogs, I want to challenge you to keep a list of things that you are thankful for throughout this month. Gratitude is proven to uplift spirits and improve moods, especially when practiced over time. Let's get started!

Diabetes Awareness Month

Hello my loves. Today, I want to talk about something very near and dear to my heart. It isn't something that I have hid, I have mentioned it several times; however, I haven't talk about it exclusively.

My fiance and several of our children are Type 1 Diabetics. My father was a Type 2 Diabetic. There is a stigma surrounding diabetes. There are two types, and they are very different from one another. It isn't simply one for younger and one for older. Diet and exercise isn't always the answer. I want to share some facts with you. I am not an expert on this type by any means. I am not a medical doctor, nor am I giving medical advice. What I am doing is trying to bring awareness to something that I am passionate about.

Type 1:
-The pancreas produces little or no insulin, the hormone used to break down carbohydrates and sugar

-It is a chronic illness with no cure
-Typical diagnosis happens during younger years of life; however, it isn't uncommon to go without diagnoses until later in life
-Require insulin to live

Type 2:

-The pancreas slowly stops producing insulin or can no long use the insulin produced

-Is a long term metabolic disorder

-Typical diagnosis occurs later on in life

-Can be reversed with diet, exercise, or maintained with medication or insulin

Growing up, I watched my grandparents and my father struggle with Type 2 Diabetes; however, I didn't do the research. I trusted the doctors and let the "adults" handle the diagnosis. When Dylan and I started talking again, it was the first time since his diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes, and boy did I have a lot to learn. At that time he was on shots with the prospect of switching to a pump in the future. It wasn't long until going on a pump was necessary for his management of his diabetes. Diabetes play a very large part in the diagnosed person's life. It affects them and everyone close to them as well. (That may be something that I talk about at a later date.)

Many people are not aware of everything needed for a diabetic. The supplies alone can add up quickly and not everyone has access to the resources that they need to better manage their diabetes. Insulin isn't free and nether is the meter, the finger pricker, the test strips, alcohol prep pads, and on and on. On average, a diabetic should be testing their blood glucose at least four times a day. Of course this varies from person to person. Feeling symptomatic? Check. On a pump and you are going to eat? Check again. Time for a snack? Check again. Gave insulin a while again and you aren't feeling right? Check again. And again. And again. For just a glimpse into the life of a diabetic, here is the footprint graphic for Dylan:

Caption T1D Footprint for Dylan as of November 2, 2016

Diabetes isn't just a diagnosis. It is a daily routine, management, lifestyle, etc. I hope this post has helped to educate you on the differences and a tiny glimpse into being a diabetic. If you are a diabetic yourself, bless you. My heart is with you. You are amazing and strong and courageous. What are some future Diabetes related posts you would like to see from me?

The Month of Suspense - October Reading Wrap Up

October seems like such a tiny month. The year is falling away with the leaves now. Holidays are just around the corner, and in some areas Halloween dissolved and Christmas appeared overnight. Today, I am going to talk about the books that I finished in the month of October, just barely squeezed that last one in. Only five books was read, but still it felt like a victorious reading month. Lets see why: