Elf Arrival {Organized}

Picture #madewithStudio

Can you believe the holidays are upon us already? 

The holidays are a perfect reason to get together with family and friends and reflect on the past year and dream about the next.  Here is hoping even your holiday planning is filled with joy and not worry.

I love to give all holidays the attention they deserve, so forgive me for posting about Christmas before Thanksgiving, but my mother-in-law is coming over from Wales and I am just so excited for her to share this time with us.  

I have already been thinking about where each decoration will go, what candle scent will fill the home, and all the shopping that I want to get done so I can enjoy every moment without the known holiday stress.  

One of my {newer} favorite traditions is The Elf on the Shelf and I am super excited for Archie {our elf} to make his appearance again on December 1st.  If you have an elf you know all to well that you must start thinking and planning early! To help you with your planning I have created two printables to keep you organized during all of the antics. 

A list to get all your ideas written down and to make sure none are repeated {24 days is a long time} and then a planner to make sure you have all the supplies needed to pull off the chosen antic. When organized the Elf is such a fun addition to your holiday tradition. 

Get your copies now, and start planning! {Download Here}

Happy planning! 
Share some of your creative ideas in the comment section.

G is for Goodwill

It is what I do.

When I say Goodwill you probably think of the store you take your donations to after Spring cleaning, but stick around to see what kind of treasures and deals you can score. Goodwill is those things but it is also something much closer to my heart. Goodwill is education with a mission. The Excel Centers at Goodwill are giving second chances to adults who want to earn their high school diploma (note: this is not a GED program) and better their lives. All of our graduates leave school not only with a diploma but also a certification (in a program of their choice) and/or college credits. High school graduates that were once dropouts, have a diploma! High school graduates that were once told they couldn't do it, have a diploma! High school graduates that just needed a little love, encouragement and a different time in their lives, HAVE A DIPLOMA! Goodwill is proving term after term, year after year, and student after student that they are doing something right. {12 Excel Centers in Indiana, 1 traditional high school, and Excel Centers opening up around the country}

To some I may just sit behind a desk, but I would like to think I am making a difference, and with me things are able to run more efficiently. I love my job. I love my co-workers (from all over the state). I love the company. I feel good about what I do, and most of all LOVE hearing all the success stories. Even better than hearing and seeing things happen from "behind the scenes" is seeing everything happen first hand and in real time. Andrew, my husband, is a student at one of our Excel Centers and sometimes the school work can be hard and often times challenging but it is so fun and rewarding to see him NOT give-up but push through.  When there is a victory the joy and triumph on Andrew's face is priceless. Andrew's story is unique, (like everyone's) he was not a dropout just married an American and couldn't work for awhile and wanted to pass the time.  Now that he is legal to work, he has something to prove to himself and he isn't giving up or throwing the towel in on education (although, yes he has thought about it). He also recognizes the importance of education and how much further it will take him. I am proud of him and all our students.

There has never been a better time to donate or get your diploma!

This is why I do what I do!

Excel Center Locations:

Anderson, IN

Austin, TX

Indianapolis, IN (6 locations)

Kokomo, IN

Lafayette, IN

Memphis, TN (in the works)

Noblesville, IN

Richmond, IN

South Bend, IN (opening September 2015)

Washington D.C. (in the works)