Ireland Honeymoon Day Three

Another early wake-up call! Each hotel we've stayed in has the phone on a different side of the bed, yesterday it was on Brett's side... today it's on mine. Needless to say I crawled over him to get the phone only to discover it's on my side! I gotta tell you that I'm loving having this luggage pick up, all you do is pack up everything and put the travel strap around it and set it in the hallway. They come get it and it gets loaded on the bus. All I have to do is make sure I have everything and head to breakfast.

It's interesting that they always put baskets of toast on the breakfast table. We always load up on water in our bottles before leaving the hotel (after coffee and tea with breakfast), I'm not a fan of the "bacon" here in Ireland or the black/white pudding. I do like the porridge though.

Today we're on our way to Waterford Crystal, somewhere we never thought we'd afford anything from, much less visit! I'll tell you I have a whole new appreciation for the cost of what you get from Waterford. The price is 100% worth it, there are no second chance/outlet items, if something has a flaw it is thrown in a smash bin, sent to the grinder and turned into something new again down the road. We saw items being blown, to being sent to the line drawers, to the cutters. They're just starting to experiment with CND machines, but everything else (especially custom orders) are created by hand. Brett and I each got to hold a Peacock vase that was in the process of being cut! The weight was absolutely amazing (definitely a double hand hold), I (Lora) wouldn't mind putting a couple dozen roses in that one! Brett even got to hold the BCS Trophy football!

Afterwards we headed to Blarney Woolen Mills to grab lunch and do a little shopping before heading up to the Blarney Castle. I don't do well with wool, but some folks from our group do so they bought a heavy amount of sweaters. I stuck with a beautiful purse that I love and get lots of compliments on and a pretty red scarf. We decided to pass on kissing the Blarney Stone (germs and fear of heights, I'll pass) but instead took in a hike to walk off a big lunch and spend some time together.

Upon leaving the Blarney area we head to Cork, and since a number of those on our tour have family that originate from the area John skips the bypass (they call it a ring road) and takes us through the center of town. On to Killarney where we're to stay in The International Hotel, but due to a convention there they don't have enough rooms so we're staying at The Scott Hotel instead. The Scott is just around the corner and John has gotten us an upgrade as newlyweds to a balcony suite! Two nights in a balcony suite!! YIPPEE! We rewarded ourselves with a bottle of red wine and sit in the lobby to people watch while we waited for dinner to start. After dinner we head over to Murphy's for drinks and live music. After chatting with everyone at Murphy's we ended the night at The Grand before heading back to the hotel with Rae Ann for another drink. No luggage because we get to spend two nights here in Killarney!

November YL Essential Oils - Anxiety, Stress, Emotions

Friends,

Every week I get an email from Paul Wesselmann, The Ripples Guy, with what he calls a pebble, boulder, and ponder. The pebble from his most recent email (Ripples #809: Gratitudinous) is as follows: Gratitude doesn't change the scenery. It merely washes clean the glass you look through so you can clearly see the colors ~ Richelle E. Goodrich. If you don't already know about Paul you can read more on him here > The Ripples Guy, practical inspiration on a weekly basis.

As we head into Thanksgiving week Brett and I have a number of plans. However we still stop to think of others when we can. We know we are blessed with a roof over our heads, food, and warm beds to sleep in; we also know others are not as fortunate. One of my co-workers, Jessie, has made me aware of the group called Friends of the State Street Family. This group works to give help and hope to the homeless here in Madison. Jessie is an amazing person endlessly seeks ways to help others! Jessie is leading the group serving food the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Though I can't be there to assist, I can donate to the cause and will be by making a huge pan of stuffing. Jessie works at Dane County Credit Unions VA Hospital branch here in Madison, a hospital that my family and others use from time to time. For more information on the Friends of the State Street family and how you can help click here > Friends of the State Street Family. For more information on how to give to the Madison VA Hospital click here > William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital - Giving.

Items of Note:

• Please share this blog post with anyone who might benefit
• Lets learn together!! ​I would love to get to talk about any questions you might have! If you have any questions or are interested in getting together one on one just let me know. Lets grab a coffee or tea!
• In December I'll be placing my order the evening of Wednesday, December 3
• My December email/blog will be on essential oils as digestive aids
• New business email: lora.klitzke@gmail.com (look for oils emails from this email address starting in January 2015)
• I'm not a doctor and neither I nor the oils make miracles, the oils work differently for everyone
• Essential Oils Safety Information (from Young Living) http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/discover/essential-oil-safety

Aids for Anxiety/Emotions:

Peace & Calming is a blend of five essential oils to promote relaxation and a deep sense of peace and emotional well-being. This oil can also help to dampen tensions and uplift spirits, calm overactive children, and work to reduce depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia.

RutaVaLa is a blend of three essential oils to promote the relaxation of the body and mind. It relieves stressed nerves and revitalizes passion,

Stress Away is a blend of six essential oils to bring the feeling of peace and tranquility to children and adults by relieving daily stress and nervous tension.

Chamomile (Roman) has calming, relaxing properties. This oil helps to minimize anxiety, ADHD, depression and insomnia.

Cedarwood is also known for it's calming, relaxing properties. The fragrance stimulates the limbic (emotional) center of the brain and pineal gland which releases melatonin,

Young Living Essentials:

• Check out the brand new 2015 Product Guide (online) today and get a free copy* from me ($2 value) with each order placed in November or December! *1 per person, available in December. Click Here > 2015 YL Product Catalog
• Spot light oil of the month Melaleuca Alternifolia. We are excited to add it to our Everyday Oils lineup this month! A little info about this time-honored essential oil and how to use it: commonly called tea tree oil, it is a fresh-smelling oil that can be found in a wide spectrum of skin care and spa products. Melaleuca Alternifolia can comfort and beautify the appearance of skin.
• The Seed to Seal promise from Young Living (one thing that makes them great) is available here: http://www.seedtoseal.com/en

Twas the week before Thanksgiving

Where has this year gone? Thanksgiving is next week and we've got most of our plans set for that and busy nights (the usual) leading up and following the holiday.

I've been borrowing lots of books from the library, and paging though them as possible (they're not novels). My favorites so far are It's All Good and The New Irish Table! I LOVE that I was able to borrow both of these books from the library, both are pricey to invest in and I love to be able to preview books such as these before spending funds on them. Love Love Love.

We've had an interesting couple weeks around here, starting back around November 7th we discovered that our drain in the basement was backing up things that one doesn't want backing up... ever. We got a handle on that or so we thought (more later).

November 14 our fur baby, Baxter, went in for a tooth cleaning they knock you out for at the vet. Mid-morning the vet called and said that they found a pocket above Baxter's large upper molar. Oh goodness, thank you to Brett for being available as I was in a meeting. If we chose to leave the molar in the pocket could get food stuck in it, leading to potential infections and pain for the buddy down the road. We made the choice to have the tooth pulled. This led to soft foods for 2-4 days (this doesn't always agree with border collie tummies), Baxter did so well taking his antibiotics and pain medicines until day 4. That's when the vomiting started, cease medicines and we're working on a chicken and rice diet until his tummy settles and we get him back on track again. We're just so glad that we're able to take care of him the way that he needs. I'm very thankful for our Little Green machine, this was a wedding gift from our bridesmaids that I consider a lifetime investment.

November 16 we discovered that the basement drain had backed up again. (Hand on forehead) Enter D&L Drain Services (Stoughton WI)! They arrived within an hour and a half of our call (on a Sunday!!) and had things back in working order within the hour, just in time for Sara's Tastefully Simple party at our house. Picture Lora scrubbing the basement concrete floor with Thieves Household Cleaner from Young Living Essential Oils (and some bleach, old habits die hard)! That floor has never looked so good!!

With the already frigid temps well below 20 degrees here in Wisconsin, we're not sure what the winter is going to look like. Rumor has it the winter will be worse this year than last (dislike). Friday, November 21 we had freezing rains overnight followed by heavy patches of fog off and on Saturday. Brenda and I are thankful that our men we're able to get up on the roof tops and put up the icicle lights. Now that they have that done, ironically the temperature outside is now near 50 degrees!

I got to spend and surprise my mom with a birthday dinner complete with her favorite dessert pecan pie (thank you Lane's Bakery). We did have plans to go to the Madison Women's Expo but her knee was hurting so we kept it local and supported the Stoughton small businesses by doing some more Christmas shopping, enjoying Saturday soup lunch at Maerz's, and hanging out at our house to work on documents for Mom's business, she's been at the massage business for over 5 years now and she's awesome!!!

Ireland Honeymoon Day Two

Day two started bright and early with a 6:45 wake up call! Luggage to the door by 7:45 and breakfast at 8:88, full buffet with whatever you could imagine. White and black pudding however, not what you would imagine! Waffles, scones, juice, porridge, all delish!

First stop today, The Bungalow B&B, for fresh scones with raspberry jam and cream. Oh my gosh, if I could eat these the rest of my life I would. The jam was fresh (she was picking berries as we arrived) and if you wanted ore cream they had to whip it up (literally). Our hosts Jim and Greta (scone baker extraordinaire) are the fourth generation to run the farm.

Next stop, Kilkenny! In Kilkenny we take a walking tour of the small town with loads of good times and just as much history. The tour guide leads us around town showing us The Black Abbey (a beautiful church that has survived the roughest of times) and then on to our hotel, Kilkenny Ormonde, where we can check in before heading back out on the town. We chose to head back out for a little walk and then to check out the Smithwicks Experience. These tours just started about 4 months ago and are totally worth it! At the end of the fun and informational tour you get your own pint which you can have engraved with your name and the date. Very cool, we opted for a t-shirt and magnetic bottle opener due to luggage space and breakability. We ended up chatting with our tour group afterwards, a couple from Ottawa and another from Sweden. Dinner was had with Tom and Nancy from North Carolina in the restaurant Savour just off the hotel lobby. Brett had the roast pork and I had the penne with tomato sauce. Dinner drinks and live music was enjoyed by all at Kytelers! It was raining some but umbrellas didn't do much good with the wind, now we know why they sell great raincoats with hoods. Note to self!

Kilkenny is a compact little town with loads of history and fun (70 taverns)!

Fresh scones from a Freshford farm kitchen

Mixing up the mash at Smithwicks!!

October YL Essential Oils - Sleep Aids

Hey Friends,

Brett and I are back from Ireland (for about two weeks) and as always we hit the ground running... we lead very busy lives and because of that we often have long days and find it hard to shut our brains off. That being said...

Who doesn't like a good nights sleep?! I know the people in our house do! This email is all about essential oils that aid sleep and sometimes snoring too. 

Items of Note:

• Lets learn together!! ​I would love to get to talk about any questions you might have! If you have any questions or are interested in getting together one on one just let me know. Lets grab a beverage!
• In November I'll be placing my order the evening of Sunday, November 2 and my email/blog will be on essential oils to aid anxiety and emotions.
• I'm not a doctor and neither I nor the oils make miracles, the oils work differently for everyone.
• Always do a test spot when trying new oils (the underside of the upper arm works best, and one drop will do).

Sleep Aids:
Tranquil Rollon - a blend of lavender, cedarwood, and Roman chamomile essential oils blended with coconut oil. This blend is effective in reducing restlessness, decreasing anxiety, and inducing a calming feeling to the body and mind.
RutaVaLa Rollon - a blend with lavender, valerian, and ruta blended with coconut oil. This blend promotes relaxation of the body and mind, soothes stressed nerves and induces sleep.
Valerian - An oil clinically tested over the last 30 years for it's tranquilizing properties. This oil is know to exert a calming effect to the central nervous system and is often used for insomnia and anxiety.
Orange - An uplifting oil known to boost immunity, induce relaxation, and reduce depression. It's also very tasty in my daily water bottle!
Idaho Balsam Fir (can aid snoring) - This oil is known for it's ability to aid in healing respiratory conditions and relieving upper respiratory system infections and fatigue. IBR is also known for stimulating the mind and relaxing the body!
Ylang Ylang (Flower of Flowers) - The flower was once used to cover the bed of newlyweds on their wedding night. Diffuse this oil throughout the night while sleeping or massage 2-4 drops of oil neat* onto the soles of your feet just before bedtime. *Neat = straight from the bottle, no carrier oil. You can add a carrier oil if you wish, just put socks back on after.

Young Living Essentials > 

• Spotlight oil of the month Blue Cypress!
• The 2014 Young Living Holiday Catalog is available! Just digital for now so check out a sneak peek ​link below​. Click here > ​2014 YL Holiday Catalog
• Check out the brand new 2015 Product Guide (online) today and get a free copy* ($2 value) with each order placed in November or December! *1 per person, available in December. Click Here > 2015 YL Product Catalog
• The Seed to Seal promise from Young Living (one thing that makes them great) is available here: http://www.seedtoseal.com/en

-- 

Talk To You Soon,

Lora, LA, Lo, Layla

Young Living Independent Distributor # 1774576

Check out what Young Living Essential Oils are about: 

Discover What Essential Oils Are!

'Like' my Facebook page: LO.VE.

Read my Blog Site: 

​​

LAtravel80

Ireland Honeymoon Day One

Written from Loras perspective.

9 days in Ireland starts in Madison on a shuttle bus to O'hare, International Terminal 5.

Kevin and Keegan dropped us at the park and ride and the first bus that got there was FULL... so after waiting 20 minutes the next bus that arrived was on the road and 5 stops from O'hare. Traffic on the way down was slow and upon arrival at 6:15/6:20 (45 minutes behind schedule). Get checked in, through security, grab some food and water, and boom wait to board the plane. This plane (Aer Lingus) is 6 seats across plays movies, music or TV in the seat backs and serves you two meals. We caught up on the movies Blended, Edge of Tomorrow, and X-Men. Longest. Flight. Ever.we were so glad to land in Dublin, get through the check points, claim luggage, and wait for our shuttle to the hotel, Doubletree by Hilton, only to wait a couple more hours before getting into our actual room. That's just enough time for me to freshen up, and Brett to nap for 15 minutes, and we're back out the door to get on our tour bus!

In Dublin we got a full driving tour of the city (which is huge), and a walking tour of Trinity College (which is tucked in Dublin, and old) a beautiful college with a great history. We got to see the gate to the residence of the US Ambassador which is right next to the residence of the President of Ireland. Amazing.

Back to the hotel - it's time to drink! Literally, we have a meeting with our tour guide, John, and they buy us a drink! YAY! By the way, not impressed with the ciders I had in Ireland. After said drink and a quick low down of how things work on the your we're free to find dinner on our own. Some opted to stay at the hotel but we ventured out with Joe, Celia, Larry and Carol. After trying three restaurants we ended up at Doheny and Nesbitts for a few pints, veg soup, and shepherds pie.

It's been a long way, and we just walked around a strange city after dark so we hit the hay shortly after returning! A 6:00 am wake up call comes quick when you need to have your luggage outside the door at 7:00 am.

One of the many beautiful colored doors in the Georgian district.

A year, and then some

We made it to our First Anniversary! (Brett's wearing his Lucky Guy shirt)

Yes, this post is a bit delayed. We've camped, flown, gotten passports, played baseball, went to baseball games, thought about a different house, stepped back from thinking about a different house, thought about another dog (still occasionally do), the list goes on.

We also went across the pond to visit Ireland! Best. Trip. Ever. My next several posts will be on our trip/honeymoon. We were there for nine amazing days. Things I loved the most: culture, food, Smithwicks (pronounced smid-icks), Irish Coffee, Jameson Whiskey, the land, the history. Many thanks to our family who watched Baxter and fed Fred while we were gone, in addition to taking us to the shuttle bus and picking us up from the airport.

Here we are back in Chicago!

September YL Essential Oils Information - Boosting Immunity

Hey Friends,

 

Here we are in FALL. I've assembled a few ideas to help with boosting immunity.

Please remember:
1. I'm not a doctor and neither I nor the oils make miracles and they work differently for everyone.
2. Always do a test spot when trying new oils (the underside of the upper arm works best, and one drop will do).
Oils to Build Immunity:
Lemon - promotes immunity by building your white blood cell functions and is also known to boost memory and help with relaxation. Try it in cool water or on a tablespoon with your favorite local honey as a cough suppressant.

Purification - A blend of six essential oils with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and tissue regenerating characteristics. I love to use this one on my wrists when I leave the house in the morning, we also diffuse it at home regularly. 

ImmuPower - A blend of nine essential oils with antiseptic and anti-infectious properties to strengthen immunity and work to repair DNA cells. This one is going on my "get" list!

Egyptian Gold - Another blend of nine essential oils that originate from the Middle East and Central Europe. This blend offers an enchanting scent that stimulates the central nervous, immune, and respiratory systems. (currently out of supply until supply levels return to normal)Exodus II - This essential oil blend is said to have been used by Moses' brother Aaron to protect the Israelites from the plaque. It's built of purifying oils with cleansing properties to enhance the immune system. Try applying it to the soles of your feet before bed!

Other Immune Boosting Helpers:
1. Turn on the radio (and off the TV), less sitting more moving.

2. Get enough rest.

3. Eat well.
4. Get up and move!

I got these from here: http://backattheranch.net/5-alternative-ways-boost-immunity-naturally/

Check out and LIKE my Facebook page LO.VE. (if you can't find it just let me know and we'll get you hooked up).

 

Lets learn together!! As always ​I would love to get feedback on topics ​or oils you'd like to learn more about, my October email will focus on essential oils to aid sleep. If you have any questions or are interested in getting together one on one just let me know. I'll be placing my October order the evening of Wednesday, October 1!!

 

P.S. The samples I ordered last month arrived if you want to try one of them; Peace & Calming, Thieves, Lemon, Peppermint and Lavender! The Seed to Seal promise from Young Living (one thing that makes them great) is available here: http://www.seedtoseal.com/en

Young Living Essentials >YL at Home: DIY Room Spray 
Want to set different moods in your home, workplace, or car? Use this DIY project to create limitless combinations of room sprays.
A Note on New, Temporary Ordering Processes for Certain Products 
Our commitment to selling pure essential oils without compromise, combined with our incredible recent growth, has made some essential oils challenging to source. We are working tirelessly to resolve this issue, but in the meantime, we have decided to implement a new ordering process for some of these hard-to-source products.Introducing Three New Premium Starter Kits 
We are excited to offer enrolling members three all-new premium starter kits: the Premium Starter Kit with NingXia Red, the Premium Starter Kit with Thieves, and The Military Premium Starter kit. Each is designed to help any new member discover the unique benefits of some of our top essential oil-infused products.
Get Ready for the 2014 Holiday Catalog 
Embrace the spirit of the holidays with exclusive seasonal collections, gift ideas, and special products that are perfect for sharing with those you love. Check out the 2014 Holiday Catalog, available soon!

 

-- 

Talk To You Soon,

LA, Lora, Lo, Layla

Young Living Independent Distributor # 1774576 

In need of oils? Just let me know!

'Like' my Facebook page

LO.VE.            

Read my Blog Site

LAtravel80        

Check out what Young Living Essential Oils are about!

Discover What Essential Oils Are!      

Change

Love the earth and sun and animals, and your very flesh shall be a great poem ~ Walt Whitman

We often long for change, and then suddenly it's upon us. September has arrived and already there are apples, soon there will be pumpkins and apple cider. What seemed like so long ago, is now just around the corner... our trip to Ireland is approaching and that means it's time to start thinking about clothes and what to pack, among other things.

As always we've been keeping busy. I started the holiday weekend a day early and celebrated by shopping and getting lunch with my friend Sara. I had the whole day because Brett was working and then assisting his dad at Madison International Speedway on the safety truck.

The next morning we packed up the car, picked up some beer and headed to Lodi/Sauk City for some camping and tubing the Wisconsin River with a group of my friends. We'd never tubed this section of the river and the rain definitely added some extra to the trip, thankfully no lightning but the sirens did go off just as we were putting in. After tubing we headed back to Crystal Lake Campground for a taco/nacho dinner that everyone chipped in a little something for, a draft for Brett and shower for me was needed so we headed up to the camp store/bar/pool (there's a POOL!?) area for free wifi so Brett could do his draft. Eventually the others meandered up and we all meandered back for SMORES!

Sunday was definitely for relaxing, and we had some friends over to cook out and sit around the driveway fire. Monday included more relaxing.

I also took Tuesday off, some relaxing with a massage from mom followed by errands and another step closer to having our office/craft room more streamlined. The book shelf is finally empty! Books have been, or will be, stored away or put in the Little Free Library pile to get dropped off. I have books from 1999! I primarily use the library or get the book on our Nook (if available), Brett uses Audible to listen to books. My current read: Hungry for Change. Brett's has downloaded, but not started the Divergent Series. I've already read all three of those (on our Nook), I'm holding off on reading Four.Other office items have gotten chucked, stored, or will be donated.

Food experiments this week: crust less cheeseburger quiche (I forgot to thaw the crust), Japanese cucumber salad, a zucchini and ravioli lasagna. Most are recipes that I get from Pintrest and alter as we feel fit.

Tonight as Brett was golfing (I ride along) we could hear a chopper heading our way, sometimes this means Med Flight but thankfully not tonight. Tonight it was a Military medical chopper (think MASH, but modernized) doing their practice maneuvers, I still get excited to see Military vehicles of any form. As we're creeping closed to another anniversary of 9/11 and on-going terrorist attacks (ISIS in the news),  I'm reminded how extremely grateful to ALL of our service men and women past and present I am.

August YL Essential Oils Information & My New Facebook Page

I've had a couple inquiries on oils so here we go! This month's topics will be about eczema, heartburn, and the oils to assist in reducing their symptoms. I'll be placing a new order on ​Wednesday, September 3 if you want or need anything. I'll also be ordering samples of the Peace & Calming, Thieves, Lemon, Peppermint and Lavender for any new comers who might like to try them.

Please remember:
1. I'm not a doctor and neither I nor the oils make miracles and they work differently for everyone.
2. Always do a test spot when trying new oils (the underside of the upper arm works best, and one drop will do).

Eczema, by definition, is an inflammatory condition of the skin attended with itching and the exudation of serous matter. The exact causes of eczema are unknown but there are known triggers and irritants. Irritants can be soap, shampoo, detergents, disinfectants (like chlorine) and contact with fruit, veggies, or meat juices. Triggers can be allergens (dust, pets, pollens, mold, etc), food, stress, or hormones. This information found on www.nationaleczema.org.

Heartburn, by definition, is a burning sensation in the stomach, typically extending toward the esophagus and sometimes associated with the eructation of an acid fluid. Another variable definition, gastroesophageal reflux disease, is a chronic condition in which acid from the stomach flows back into the lower esophagus, causing pain or tissue damage. Triggers can be citrus, coffee, alcohol, eating to close to bedtime, or even exercise. This information found on www.stopheartburn.com. 

Oils to Assist Eczema
Lavender - a versatile essential oil (EO) used to cleanse, heal and soothe. The refreshing scent has properties to calm the mind and body. I hear it's great in lemonade too.
Rosemary - used for liver protection/conditions, throat and lung infections, and hair loss. This oil is traditionally used for improving mental clarity.
Melrose - a blend* of four EO's used to combat skin irritations with strong antiseptic properties. The oils in this blend also help regenerate damaged tissues and reduce inflammation.

Oils to Assist Heartburn
Spearmint - used to support normal digestion this oil works as an anti-inflammatory, mucolytic, anti-septic, and also increases metabolism.
Ginger - used to sooth minor digestive discomforts this oil works as an anti-inflammatory, anti-coagulant, and anesthetic. It's also good to use for rheumatism, arthritis, respiratory infections, congestion, muscle aches, and nausea.
Di-Gize - a blend* of eight EO's meant to promote a healthy digestive tract, this oil also relieves indigestion, heartburn, gas and bloating.

Oil to Assist Eczema and Heartburn
Lemon - taken internally this oil is believed to boost natural defenses; used topically it's a great pick-me-up to boost energy and mental clarity. I love to drink lemon in my water or in tea with local honey! ​If you have any questions regarding further details on the oils just let me know. ​
​
The Seed to Seal promise (one thing that makes them great) from Young Living is available here: http://www.seedtoseal.com/en
As always ​I would love to get feedback on topics ​or oils you'd like to learn more about, ​I'm looking forward to my September email which will be based on building immunity. I almost forgot, check out my new Facebook page LO.VE. (if you can't find it just let me know and I'll get you hooked up).

If you are interested in ordering anything or have any questions please let me know! ​There's so much information out there, lets learn it together.

*blends of oils are a mixture of single oils (lavender, ginger, lemon, etc) put together.

#50

Blog # 50, my how far I've come since 2008. My first post was three lines...

http://2daily80.blogspot.com/2008/05/today.html

It's somehow hard to believe that we are nearly halfway through August 2014 already. My car turned TEN yesterday! We sure have been through a lot together in 10 years, to celebrate she's getting an oil change and wheel bearing replacement on Wednesday. Hey - live large right?!

I/we've been doing a lot of reading lately, some of the books on topic include Go Pro - 7 Steps to Becoming a Network Marketing Professional (Eric Worre), Financial Fitness (Brady and Woodward), and Hungry for Change (Colquhoun and Bosch). We are always trying to learn and better ourselves, sometimes it's hard because I don't know where to start and I just want to work on everything. All. At. Once.

That's not how it works... so instead I regularly renew the length of the books that I've borrowed from the library OR I return them in the hopes that my interest will peak again in the future, thus leading me to borrow them again.

We're regularly (thankfully in smallish amounts) harvesting from the garden our fruits of labor: tomatoes, zucchini, kale, onions, and cucumbers. I don't think that the second batch of spinach is going to take off, that's kind of a bummer but there is always next year (peas and beans are in that boat too). My problem now?! Grocery store items taste so bland and I'll be bummed once then end of the season comes, but it'll give me something to look forward to next year. Making the veggie garden better and working on the perennial garden out front.

In baseball Brett coached in the Home Talent All-Star game this last Friday, and coached again in the playoff game against Albion. Unfortunately the Merchants did loose to Albion, which ends our Sunday league season for the year but we still have Thursday night league. Thank you to everyone that has come out and supported us in supporting the Merchants. Many of the team are like family to us and we are so blessed to have them in our lives.

Coming up in the next month we have more reading, starting a Facebook business page to promote essential oils and crafts, canning spaghetti sauce/salsa from the garden items, some river tubing and a few camping trips too!

Hope you are enjoying summer!

Stay tuned for a Facebook page titled simply LO.VE. (short for Lots Of Varied Experiences)*.

*Had to tweak how the FB page punctuation was show due to Facebook not liking the way it was written. Darn "The Man".

End of Summer?!

Where did summer go? I just got in invite for an "End of Summer" party... technically we have until September 20 but weather in Wisconsin can be touchy!

That being said it's the end of July and we've had a busy month filled with parades, baseball, fireworks, anniversaries, kayaking, learning about oils, improv, friends and family... the list goes on!

One highlight was the Escape Adulthood Summit put on by Kim and Jason Kotecki! Their mission is to annihilate adultitis! Lets be honest I have adultitis. The theme this year was 'Transform' and the event was held at Olbrich Gardens (during their annual Blooming Butterfly's event - hello transforming). I'd never been to Olbrich with the ability to wander the gardens, but this gave me and Brett a chance to do so, it's free and I hope to go again soon without all the mosquitoes. Kim and Jason's website is here > http://escapeadulthood.com/blog/

A few pictures from the event:

                              

I'm looking to work/start on a business Facebook page, where I can more freely talk about Young Living Essential Oils and the selling of them, as well as whatever else my heart desires to create and sell... as well as ways to tie my blog site in as well. More on that in the coming months I'm sure!

Out goes June

Good-bye June, Hello July...

Summer is flying :( but we're still busy! Brett had two more baseball games last week and has three this week!

Brett's grandma S had knee surgery on Thursday and is now home recovering (thank you God) with the watch of her kids.

Nicole and I started out our weekend a little early on Thursday by attending a Brewer's baseball game, which they won! Friday night Brett, Dad, and the rest of our Klitzke family attended the races at Madison International Speedway - followed by Fireworks! It's typically the one time a year we make it to the races, Brett also helps out his dad on the safety truck when he can.

Saturday I had my first experience manning a stroller (with a kid in it) at the Dane County Farmers Market. Our friends Lane and Mike are visiting from Florida, and Lane had never been to DCFM. She rocked Everett in the 'Bob' and I took Remi (her niece) in the 'Chicco' while the men golfed in Cottage Grove. We got all sorts of yummies and stopped mid-way for a much needed iced coffee/kid snack/sunscreen reapplication. It was hot out there in the east side of the capitol square.

Afterwards we weeded some garden and watered, then packed up the car to head to Edgerton for camping! Much fun was had AND though we got rained on from 2:30 - ? we stayed dry and even got a fire restarted in the morning. After breaking camp we headed to Rays in Edgerton for some good eats, then headed home to pick up the pup and go to baseball.

This week we look forward to Summerfest to see the Zac Brown Band, yummy eats, family 4th time, tubing, a Mallards game (yes on top of the Merchant games), and whatever else comes our way (spending time with Baxter, a couple hair cuts, and putting up a garden fence to keep out those pesky wabbits).

Baxter turns EIGHT this week! Hard to beleive our little buddy is gonna be eight.

Storms Galore

Starting my week out with Rosemary oil as my Young Living Essential Oil (YLEO).

We were pretty lucky in the Stoughton area to not get much damage *knock on wood* from the storms that we've had. Storms do however affect baseball fields, hence Thursday's game in Monona has been rescheduled to a currently unknown date. We did win at the Fort tournament Friday (taking first) and our game on Sunday though!!

This past weekend marked the one year of Grandma D passing, first official days of summer and helping our freinds R&B move out of Stoughton. We're not glad to see them go, but it does mean that we get to see some different scenery every once in a while!

The joys of gardening ~ the garden is loving the weather, and the rabbit has thouroughly enjoyed eating my spinach and the mosquitos are horrible due to all the rain that we've had. I've planted fresh seeds, gotten metal rabbit fencing that should be up this week, and I'm now looking into organic sprays that I hear the bunnies don't like. They involve cayenne or red pepper! If you have any tips PLEASE feel free to share them with me. Shout out to Kopke's who let me bring Baxter in while I was shopping for more flowering plants last week! We hung another hanging pot in front of our living room windows. It's very nice with the wind chimes and hanging pots out there now.

We did add a new finned family member on this last weekend (thanks to Tanner & his friend Eddy) who won him at the Fort Festival, he's currently doing well in his own tank (Fred was recently upgraded to a larger bowl). If he continues to do well, we'll see about moving them both into the big bowl.

Are you ever asked "What's new?" by someone you don't see very often and it TOTALLY throws you off guard? We've noticed with as busy as we are we don't always remember "what's new" and are going to try and ask ourselves that question before we get into activities where it might be a question that comes up.

Until next time...

Where does the time go?

How can it be that I last posted at the end of April!?

In the last week (or two) we've seen tons of friends, spent the night in Baraboo, hoola hooped, played baseball, grilled out, walked the dog, gone to a movie (just one I think), watched Fringe (thank you Netflix), gardening (lots and lots), etc.

Summer is finally here, this means travel. Last weekend we put about 150 miles on the car in one day! We took Baxter out to my parents house to run around and pick asparagus, they were camping for the weekend and needed someone to check the house. It seemed to make sense to take a family drive. We finally found a place to hang our wind chimes from Brett's grandparents, and had to pick up another hook to hang them from one the way home... i.e. stop at Farm and Fleet (where I yes, bought more garden seeds). We were able to get the new seeds in the ground, just before it started raining. Hoorah! Believe it or not we called this day, a relaxing day.

Sunday brought sunshine, some clouds and baseball. The Stoughton Merchants took on Waterloo's Firemen and won 5-3! The girls, dogs and I also got in some exercise pregame - that's always fun! Oh and my vacuum died, luckily we have Brett's as backup.

OK - so, the garden. I'm so excited to be doing one this year! We've planted the following: climbing peas, pole beans, bush zucchini and cucumber (zucchini is already huge and we might have to move one set), tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, a chocolate pepper, jalapeno peppers, carrots, basil, kale, spinach, onions, corn, oregano, parsley, rosemary, creeping thyme, blueberries, and a whole bunch of flowers too. We originally just had the 4x8 raised bed, then we tilled another section (about 5x10), we're using the laundry line poles to help the peas and beans climb, and put the cherry tomatoes in a large pot on the front step. I better learn how to can and freeze pretty quick!

As always I try to take Baxter with us/me whenever I can so we walked to music in the park last week. Brett was playing baseball against Milton in the Fort Atkinson tournament series (they won!) and play again this Friday night. Not a bad turnout at the park, we ran into a few people we knew and we stayed for about 20 minutes before getting him home to cool down and rest.

On tap: We've got friends moving, visiting, and making plans. In the works a tubing trip, lots of Merchant baseball, helping move, biking, Brewer's baseball, camping, strawberry picking, more gardening, a trip to the farmers market, road trip to Nashville (pipeline), family time, and of course our trip to Ireland. That's coming up this fall, along with maybe... the purchase of a new car.

We'll see where God takes us in the meantime.

Cool bumper sticker of the week: Imagine Whirled Peas

Springs Coming...

This month has been with making plans, putting dates on the calendar, getting ready for warmer Wisconsin weather and BASEBALL. I've already attended two Brewer's games and one of Brett's pre-season games. Brett and the team have been practicing off and on since mid February.

We had the baseball teams annual steak dinner fundraiser on Saturday, April 12. It's a long day, but it's our season opener when we start to see fans, friends, and our baseball families. The steak dinner fundraiser is held at The Legion in Stoughton (WI). It's only two blocks from our house, added bonus! We enjoy going there for drinks, friends, and sometimes a pizza!  We also scheduled a friend brunch the following day... Brunch was at Coachmen's Golf Resort, it was delicious and they even let us order a pitcher of mimosas. It was kinda like being back in Las Vegas, only we called it Edge-Vegas.

Phrase of the month: Life happens when you're busy making plans (unknown).

Some thought that this meant we were pregnant, but no, that's not it. We wouldn't tell our friends and family with a seven word mysterious phrase on Facebook! However, life does throw curve balls.

In this instance it was an opportunity to look at a house, and possibly put in an offer. WHAT?! That was unexpected BUT this house would be one that we could grow into, make changes and updates as we go, have room for Baxter to run (once we put up a fence), maybe get a second dog, have a bigger garden, etc. Of course we would have to upgrade the electric right away and get the fence. Not long after that we would need to look at investing in a riding mower (3/4 acre) and a snow blower (for those 6-8 foot drifts that happen). This house is now off our chalkboard so to say...and at this point, we don't imagine moving for a year or two. I'm not sad, I'm relieved. We would have jumped right in and made what we needed to happen happen, but now we'll get to relax and continue sprucing our little house and growing our gardens at home. Our home is small and we'll outgrow it someday, but we love it and it suits us. We'll continue to let it do so until God tells us we need to move on. We are thankful to have this roof over our little family's heads.

We've also been dabbling more and more into the Young Living Essential Oils. My mom, Colleen, is a licensed massage therapist and also distributor for Young Living. http://czharmonymassage.com/ I enjoy using these oils, all natural and a therapeutic grade, for sleeping, keeping us healthy, and relaxed, and calm. You'll probably hear more about these as we go forward.

Until next time...

Lora, Brett, Baxter (dog) and Fred (fish)

Getting back in the habit

We haven't been doing allot of traveling - unless you could traveling round the state of Wisconsin to see the family, which means just a fair amount of time spent on the road traveling from place to place and not staying long because well we have to get to the next place and then back home again for... the dog, practices, life in general.

Here are some places on our list:
Florida
Texas
California, Sonoma County
Arkansas
Ireland (October 2014)
Yellowstone (camping)
New York, Fire Island
Fiji?
Dominican Republic?
Bristol Speedway (racing!)

Places we want to find more of:
Dog friendly hotels/cabins/camp grounds

I wish that we have more time to get to farther away places and we could bring Baxter, he would love to travel with us but I refuse to bring him on a plane unless he could sit in a seat beside us or at our feet. Until then, not happening.

Things I hope we get to do this summer:
Camp
River tubing
Swimming
Walking
Biking
Noah's Ark
Breweries
Wineries
As always, see lots of friends and family!



In other news, Brett's started baseball practices for Stoughton Merchant's. Games officially start in May, and June bring tournament month. That month is one of the busier of the summer!

To long...

It's been too long, so in an effort to get back into it I'm going to attempt a travel post once a month!

It's official, we've booked the TRIP TO IRELAND. It's the first time out of the states for both of us and we're going to be flying over a gigantic ocean. #feelinglikechristophercolumbus

More soon.

XO,
LA

Brett and I with Rollie Ringers last May in Milwaukee. :)