Leadership Seminar - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

I can't believe I haven't written a post in almost 3 weeks!!!!  The last couple of weeks have been so crazy, busy for me with work (and photography) I haven't done anything once home at night.

I just wanted to reflect on a leadership seminar I was in all of last week... 

First of all, I'm all about going to leadership events in an effort to better my professional attitude and life.  A lot of the times, personal development becomes part of the event as well, so I usually get something out of it one way or another. 

Day 1 of 5, we all walked in and the lady teaching the seminar was trying to teach us responsibility and commitment via tough love.  No.. actually.... tough love is an understatement.  I understand the idea of what tough love is, but she was brutal.  I went home the first day, mentally exhausted.  I just didn't understand how starting the week out that way, could lead to positive, and potentially life-changing events.

I went back on the second day, and immediately felt the teacher bringing down the hammer again.  Again, she was brutally honest.... and brutally tough.  I left that day discouraged again. I knew all I had to do was follow the rules to a T.  I couldn't be one second late... I had to be early.  I couldn't do my "homework" 95% of the way, it had to be 100% complete.  I had to be fully committed to the week, which in turn means I need to be fully committed to my friends, family, and goals in life.

On the third day, our teacher let up on being so tough.  I finally realized that she was only being so tough on us because she wanted us to get back to the basics.  We had to understand the basics in order to move forward and to understand how to lead a team. 

The fourth and fifth days consisted of pushing yourself to do things you may never have done before, such as rock climbing, zip lining, and climbing a rope wall.  All things that seem nearly impossible for some, but if you trust others, and put the faith in yourself, are POSSIBLE... even to those who think it's nearly impossible for whatever reason. 

All-in-all, I can say I took away a better understanding of MYSELF.  And how I want to be perceived and what I want to do to reach my goals.  This also can help me to lead and enable my team at work to do the same... and hopefully to inspire others to do the same.  This seminar is like beauty.  It's not always easy, but the pain is worth the gain.  And even if I suffered for a week, I am still happy that I got something out of this seminar. 

Thank you to everyone at work who backed me up while I was gone, and thank you to my small group for supporting me thoughout the week.  If it wasn't for you, I may not have made it to the other side. :)  And of course, my husband....  Thank you for questioning my reason for going.  And for doubting the seminar.  It made me check myself and my motive for going.  I now have a reason to be better because I want to do it for me.  For you.  For us.  For my career and my LIFE.  I love you all and couldn't thank you enough!!

And as I told myself at one point last week.................YOU ROCK!!

Myrtle Beach

**Warning: ridiculous amount of pictures below! :))**

I finally found enough time to actually sit down and write about our family vacation to Myrtle Beach, SC a couple weeks ago.  After a LONG 15 hr drive, we finally made it there in tact. 

We spent tons of time at the beach and pool......

 

Jake normally hates the water and will hardly go in past his feet most times.  The ocean definitely took some getting used to for him, but by the end of the week, he was chasing ducks into the water (see down below).

We also spent some time at the boardwalk.  Tons of restaurants, bars, and shops there.  We ate at Pier 14, just off the water.  It was AWESOME!! 

My parents.  LOVE :)

This is the Skywheel.  It's ridiculously tall.  200 ft above sea level.

Pier 14.  The restaurant we ate at.

Josh and I at dinner

Josh on the pier with the skywheel

We also visited Barefoot Landing.  An outdoor shopping area with 100 stores.  We all cruised around there for awhile.  I bought a coozie and took some pictures, but that's about it.  We about ate at what seemed like a REALLY bad Mexican restaurant.  Ever had flavorless Mexican food?  I had a feeling that's what we were about to eat, so we skipped it and went elsewhere.

Since the timeshare didn't allow dogs, we boarded Jake at a place a couple miles up the road (which was a really good first step for me).  He absolutely LOVED it!  But of course, I was worried, so we visited almost daily to take him to the beach and for walks in the park etc.  On one of the walks, we went to a nearby park since we didn't have much time, and he kept chasing the ducks and turtles.  HILARIOUS!  Again, like I said above, he HATES water, but literally jumped in the water to chase them.  Now we know... if we want him to get in the water, just find an animal for him to chase.

This is a MASSIVE and AWESOME hotel nearby that we REALLY want to stay at (and who wouldn't?)

my iPhone takes pretty decent pics sometimes!  Wow!

In addition to all the above mentioned, we went to a local bar and played pool, drank lots, swam, tried to boogie board, went for walks, hung out at the pool, the beach, the jacuzzi, and a bit of time shopping at the outlet mall.  I even had some time to just relax and catch up on some reading.  That was super nice!  Overall, a relaxing vacation!  Definitely  much needed by all of us!!

Has anyone else been to Myrtle Beach before?  I had a lot of fun, but still didn't feel that there was a TON to do there other than bars, restaurants, and the beach.  Did I miss something??

Volunteeering at the Habitat for Humanity Women's Build

This past Saturday, myself and some co-workers volunteered at the Habitat for Humanity Women's Build.  And, boy, what an experience it was!!

Denise and I working hard :)

It was so great to get out there and get my hands dirty building... especially when I have such a craving for it since we can't do anything to our apartment.

The entire time we were there volunteering, we were helping to put up siding on the house.  It's amazing at how quickly a house can be built.  Last week the roof was put on.  It's just so quick!!  And the absolutely most amazing part of it.... THE WHOLE HOUSE IS BUILT BY WOMEN!!!  Whoohoo!!  Girl power! :)

I loved helping as much as possible, and just selflessly donating my time and energy.  The family who will be living in the house was actually there that day and helping alongside the volunteers.  How cool is that?  I have a huge respect for that family!  They can say they not only received such a generous donation, but they also can say they helped build it with their own 2 hands!  Well... 6 hands since there was 3 of them there that day.  :)

I had an opportunity to talk to the family, and learned a bit about the Habitat for Humanity process and about their journey.  It was so rewarding getting to know them on a more personal level.  It makes the experience much more real, since I can actually tie the homeowners to the house and my experience..

Overall, like I mentioned in a previous post, I really enjoy volunteering and the experience that comes with it.  I have not been volunteering as much time as I'd hoped, but life has been crazy busy lately and at least I have found some time to help with the Habitat For Humanity.

Quick DIY Fall Wreath

In an effort to decorate our house for fall, I decided to make a leafy wreath to hang someplace...  On our front door, perhaps?  I still have to get a door hanger if I decide to hang it there for good.  There was a hole big enough for a screw to hang it on long enough for me to take quick picture.  

Picture taken with my iPhone.  Please excuse the crappy quality.

Here is a step-by-step of how I created the wreath in under 30 minutes.

First of all, I started with an old leafy garland that I had laying around the house.  I've never really LOVED the way it laid, so I decided why not make something else out of it.  Everything I used to make this project I already had, but I know it wasn't very expensive. 

Supplies Needed

-leafy garland or other leafy material

-12" wreath (I used a a straw wreath, still in packaging, but I'm sure a styrofoam one would work just fine)

-hot glue gun and glue

-scissors or wire cutters

Leafy Garland

I cut off the leaves with scissors, since they aren't attached through a wire.  If your leaves are attached through wire, be sure to use wire cutters instead of scissors.  It's nearly impossible to detach them otherwise.

Leaves already cut out and bare wreath

I attached the loose leaves to the wreath with a hot glue gun.  I started attaching them by putting the largest on the bottom layer and staggering them around.  I had them all facing outward til I realized it needed to have some leaves facing inward as well.  So I basically had them going each and every direction.

All the leaves attached

I actually only used about half of the leaves that I had from the garland, so you may end up seeing some leaves in another project around the house soon. :)  Betcha can't wait, can you? :)

The wreath up close... and yes that is my dog behind it.  I couldn't resist :)

What do ya'll think?  Have you made any DIY fall projects?  I'd love to hear from you about what you've done or if you have any simple decorating ideas for fall!

Starting a Side Business... Wow!

As I'm sure most of you know already, my husband and I have both started up our own business.  Josh has been in school for design and has been getting experience while he can.  I purchased a (new to me) DSLR camera from a friend who took our engagement pictures.  Since purchasing it, I've been playing around tons and just learning more and more and needless to say, I'm ready to branch out.  I've done a few photo sessions and absolutely love it!!  This has to be the best "side" job I've ever had!!

The past few weeks Josh and I have been working to get McEinhart up and going.  Through McEinhart we have Design and Photo, each a separate business.  I can't even count the number of hours spent with writing contracts, giving ideas for my logo to Josh, making business cards and all of the research and time spent behind the scenes.  I love it though!!  I have my Bachelor's in Business and this kinda thing is right up my alley.  Writing contracts is a lot of fun for me (yeah... I'm weird like that)!  Hmm... maybe I should consider Law School again ;)

All in all, I must say that starting up a business has been sooooooo much work, and soooo time consuming, especially considering that we both work full-time and are still trying to have a social life, as well.  But right now is the time to work my butt off while I'm young and without kids, so I can enjoy life when I'm old.

And.... with that being said....

It's movie time!  Josh and I rented Something Borrowed!!  I sure hope it's good!  I could really use a good movie right now.. it's just been too long!

 Oh... and be sure to check out my photo blog to stay up to date with the latest sessions: 

9/11... 10 Years Already?!

I can't believe it's been 10 years since 9/11 happened.  A life-changing day for everyone, not just those involved or those who lost loved ones, not even just Americans.  It affected everyone across the world.  An event that made us feel hopeless and disgusted that anyone could even fathom something so horrible. 

I'm not sure about you, but I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard the news, like it was just yesterday.  I was on my way to school (I was in high school at the time), and remember hearing on the radio that a "plane hit a building".  I remember thinking, "who would be stupid enough to run a plane into a building?!?!" 

Amazing that a "stupid" person running a plane into a building was in fact a terrorist attack.  As Americans, we never thought that could happen to us.  I know at this point, my ideas of America being a fearless country, have been slightly changed.  Now I worry that we AREN'T untouchable; that we can be easily attacked; that they've broken and beaten us down.  We are still trying to pick up the pieces from 10 years ago, and we will never be the same. 

Today, my heart goes out to those thinking of their lost and loved ones from 9/11.  I can only imagine the pain each year at this time. 

It also reminds me of the song by Darryl Worley - Have You Forgotten?  I listened to this song for a long time when it came out.  I love it!

Where were you when you heard the news about the towers being struck??

This Week...

...is my family VACATION.  My hubbs and I, along with my parents, are in Myrtle Beach.  LOVE the beach!! Absolutely fabulous!  Now, if only I could have the beach as my backyard!! 

So... the reason you guys won't be hearing from me this week is because I'm enjoying the beach-ch-ch-ch-ch :)

And don't worry....

When I get back home, I'll be sure to tell ya all about it!!!

I think this may have to be my new picture on here.  Haha!  I love it!!

Now... I know ya'll are wondering how long it took to get this shot... but really, it only took like 3 minutes and 30 pictures.

I LOVE it! 

Oh... and HAPPY LABOR DAY!!  Make sure you don't do any laboring!  Be sure to relaxxxx... on the beach, perhaps? :)

Making Laundry Soap

One of the things I haven't gotten around to yet is making my own laundry or hand soap.  This week at Rural King they have all the ingredients on sale for making your own laundry soap.  So I bought them all.  $14 later, I will have enough soap to fill a 5 gallon bucket and last forever.  Wahoo!! :)  I plan on making this sometime this week so it can sit for a few days while we're on vacation (yes, you read that right!  VACATION!!), even though it only requires 24 hours to sit. 

I originally found out about the sale on The Frugal Family which is a blog that's written by Misty, a mom that lives in Central Illinois and keeps up on couponing and sales.  Much easier for me to follow her blog, than scour the ads each week and compare :)  Thanks, Misty!!!

I'll post the "recipe" for the laundry soap once I have it made, since I may tweak the one she has posted.

Has anyone else ever made homemade laundry or hand soap?  Do you any tips or pointers I need to know about??  Let me know, please!!!

Photo Blog is Up and Running!!

So as I mentioned my last post, I've been working around the clock on editing photos this past week for a couple photo shoots I did last weekend.  One was a Senior Photo Session, the other was for a good friend and her "family" who just moved into a new house and wanted to send out some of those "We Moved" announcements with their house and new address.  So needless to say it's been a bit crazy this past week.  It's just been editing, editing, editing!   

Since I finally got all their photos edited and to the appropriate people, I thought I'd get the McEinhart Photo Blog up and going.  Check it out and subscribe to the RSS or follow me on there, in order to stay up to date on everything! 

Needless to say.......

HERE I AM WORLD!!!  

I'm doing something for ME and something that I enjoy wholeheartedly...

P-H-O-T-O-G-R-A-P-H-Y!!

Crazy, Busy Days

Hello, my friends!!

I feel like I've been a bit MIA lately.  I've been quickly going to all my daily reads, and throwing up a post here and there, but really don't feel that I've devoted much time to the blogworld lately. 

I've had 4 photo shoots within a 10 day time period.  So between all the photo snapping and photo editing it's been a bit hectic and exhausting in my world.  BUT.. the good news is that I'm about done with the photo editing at this point.  And should have my new photo blog up shortly, so I can share all those details with you soon, as well.

I know, you can't WAIT, can you? :)  Get EXCITED!!

Laundry Room Sign

Awhile ago I came across an ironing board holder on a blog that I follow and finally got around to making one for myself.  It seems that I don't really have a place to put our ironing board so it ends up just being moved around wherever it's convenient in the basement, which is where our laundry room is located.

Here I am in the beginning of the process.  I had just sanded the board down and sprayed on the first coat of primer.

Next, I sprayed on some flat white paint.  Once the paint dried, I pasted on some letters.  Then came the glossy spray paint to set the letters and give the board a glossy finish, since all I had on hand was a flat white.  After it was painted, I attached 2 coat hooks with screws.  As you can tell I used hooks that were smaller so the ironing board could sit on top of the hooks rather than in them on the bottom row.  This way I'll be able to hang some extra hangers or a clothespin bag below.

 

The finished product was hung in the laundry room across from our washer and dryer.  And yes, we have an UGLY, unfinished laundry room.  Don't judge, we don't own it!! ;)

Garden Update: Half Dead

I'm sure if you're reading this post, you've kept up with the garden updates from the creation of the garden box here, as well as all the updates here, here, and here.

It has been over 4 months since we built the garden and unfortunately we've lost the zucchini and yellow squash.  We had a pretty bad case of squash bugs and didn't realize it.  The zucchini never actually produced anything.  The yellow squash kept producing little guys about 3 inches big, but then they'd dry up mysteriously.

Once we finally decided to call it quits on them, we pulled them both out.  Now over the past couple of weeks we've noticed our cucumbers dying mysteriously.  We've been watering them just as much as the tomatoes and other plants, but for some reason they were drying up.  Then one day we saw the squash bugs.  That was when we finally called my dad, aka Mr. Garden Extraordinaire, and explained the bug situation and he told us to get Sevin, which is a garden bug spray that wont harm (most) veggies, but kills the bugs.

It seems we finally got rid of all the bugs, but now our cucumber plant is dead... BOO!!  We did get one cuke off it and Josh said it was really sweet and delicious.  So hopefully now that we know what to look for, next year will be more successful.

And you can now see the new marigold plant we planted in place of the zucchini and yellow squash.  

Good news is that the tomatoes and jalapenos (not pictured) are doing just fine.  Still not sure how the popcorn is going to turn out.  Fingers are crossed for that one!!

Photo Session: Denise's "Senior" Pictures

Since I am just starting to get my photography business off the ground, my best friend Denise agreed to do some "Senior" pictures for me, which ironically fall around her 10 year high school reunion.



My FAVORITE from the day



**Under Construction**

Hey ya'll!  The blog is going under some major renovation.  Please disregard all the mess right now.  It'll be up and going here shortly.  Sorry for the inconvenience!

Cara

Excuses for Bad Food

Recently, when talking to one of my best friends about diet and food, she was expressing her reasoning as to why she doesn't eat healthy.  And I, like most, can agree with her.  Many people don't eat healthy because it seems to be such a "hassle"... well.. it's really not!  It just take a little bit of planning.  Now, I know I'm not an expert by any means, but slowly and surely the hubbs and I have learned to not only pick out healthier options, but also to force ourselves into taking my lunch and picking out healthier options at restaurants.  

Source: singlelifecook.com

Here are the excuses my friend had for not eating healthy, and as I said, I'm sure many people would agree:   

1 - Hate grocery shopping

2 - Spending money
3 - Never know what is needed

4 - Never enough time to thoroughly shop
5- End up buying quick/boxed foods that are horrible

6 - Anything fresh tends to go bad because it's not cooked in time

 As I said before, I've been working on eating healthier and trying to find better options for cooking and eating out.  Below are a few of the things that I've done to make that transition.

Source: Taste of Home

1-  We buy TONS of fresh fruits and veggies and each eat it along with our breakfast and lunch.  Some days fruit is over half of my food intake.

2-We try to buy in bulk to save money and freeze the additional food.  For example, we get a 5 lb package of Turkey from Sam's Club for like $10 and it lasts us approximately 4 weeks (we make a TON of Turkey Tacos!  Yummmm!! :)).  We also buy Coffee, Chicken and Fruits to freeze.  This will give us fresher coffee for longer, the ability to make homemade chicken, and fresh fruits without preservatives at a cheaper price for winter eating and making delicious smoothies.

3- We used to grocery shop on our paydays, which is every 2 weeks.  However, we learned that after the first week we were eating crap, rather than fresh stuff because we'd eaten it all the first week.  Now we shop weekly and just make a BIG trip every month for all the pantry items, since most of the stuff we get is fresh anyways.  This seems to work the best when we set aside a budget for groceries, too.  That way we wont end up buying crap, especially when it isn't in our budget.   

4- Just like my friend, I used to hate grocery shopping.  I think when I started to set time aside for it, and really think about what I was buying, I really started to enjoy it more.  When I would go just because my cabinets were bare and I had NOTHING to eat, I'd just go to grab a ton of expensive pre-made or boxed dinners.  (And...I'm not sure anyone truly LOVES grocery shopping, but it has to be done so your family can eat.)  We tend to shop on Sunday afternoons once we get the newspaper and check out the sales for the week.  Yes, it tends to be busier on Sundays, but it works for us.  Just pick a day that works for you and go weekly. 

5- Lastly, the hubbs and I tend to have a somewhat rotating schedule of meals.  Like I said earlier, we eat turkey tacos at least once a week, and I eat popcorn and an apple as a meal once in awhile as well.  So these are cheaper options and still healthy.  We do change it up once in awhile, but we have our set groceries that we buy each week/month since we consistently eat the same things.  Now, this may sound a bit boring, but we don't eat the same foods from week to week, we have probably 15+ meals that we change around with different sides and veggies.  Its simple and healthy...and we like it.  :)

6- Now if you wanted to take this one step further, you could create a calendar and a meal plan for each day.  That way you know what to purchase each week and nothing, especially fresh foods, will go to waste.  This will help you to always have food on hand, and to eat out less since you can prepare some ahead of time for lunches etc. 

7-Another thing I do is subscribe to food blogs and newsletters.  This constantly gives me new and fun ideas to try.  One of the favorite magazines/websites that I use is Taste of Home .  Their magazine comes out quarterly and gives ideas for holidays, in addition to everyday eating.  A recent blog I started following is called Dashing Dish.  She talks about all of the alternatives to creating healthy, low cal meals to some favorite dishes, desserts and drinks.  I'm totally in love with her site right now!  Yumm!!  No Bake Cookies are by far my FAVORITE thing ever thanks to Josh's Aunt Kim!  And Katie at Dashing Dish has a healthier recipe option listed.  Too bad I didn't find the recipe last night when we made No Bakes.  Bummer!  Guess we'll have to make them tonight! :)

What other things do you do to keep good food in your house, rather than bad food?  I'm always open to additional suggestions as well!