Things Are Going To Be Changing Around Here!

Back in 2005, I started a blog. I was a young mom with three small children and family and friends were scattered all over the United States. I loved my littles and our adventures and wanted a platform to share them on. I used our family blog to stay connected. Once my kids started entering into school and I waded out of the fog of my postpartum depression, I was able to start exploring me.

You see, many people say that they find themselves in their 20's. In my 20's I was a young bride popping out kids every three years like clock work. I was making the necessary sacrifices that come with raising young children. Slowly those burdens started lifting. My kids became more independent and I started getting back into creating. My creations started taking over our family blog in 2009 and as the blogging world started growing, I decided to link up to a blog link party and share one of my creations.  People started reading my blog. People other than family members and friends and here I was opening up my home and my kids and my family to people I didn't know. 

So I started a second blog I named Holy Craft in January of 2010. I did intense market research {with my friends on Facebook. Take that with whatever authority you will.}, and picked the name Holy Craft based on several factors. 

I was inspired by the Proverbs 31 woman in a study I was doing, which is why I loved having Holy in the title of my blog. I wanted to remember that part of myself and I wanted to strive to be that woman.  About that same time, I also found a blog called Oops I Craft My Pants {she's since rebranded and you can find her blogging at Unfluffed} and I about died laughing at the name! So very clever. I threw out the name on Facebook, said that I liked the play on words and a childhood friend, who is now in marketing, gave me a few ideas for blog names along the same laugh worthy line. Holy Craft being the one that won. 
Fast forward six years later and Holy Craft is about so much more than just crafts, though if you hear the blog title that's the first thing you think of. Or if you are like my blogging roommates at Snap conference, before meeting me they thought perhaps I was one of those holy rollers who was judgmental on her high horse all holier than thou. 
It might also surprise you that people read the blog name so quickly and see two words and often think that my first name is Holly. How cool would it be if I were a craft blogger and my last name was Craft? It's not. And I'm not a Holly, but after about the 3,498 time, I started thinking that maybe I needed to clear up the confusion. 
I've outgrown my blog name and I am excited to be rebranding! Just like it took me time to grow and find myself in my 20's, my blog has grown and changed as well.  The content won't change. I've been writing for years about parenting, living well on less, crafts, DIY, inspiration and real life, I want to continue to have a place to do that, but one that feels more like we are friends sitting down to coffee chatting.

image by Chiara Pinna

I get that sometimes people need time to adjust to changes, so I just wanted you to know that there are changes coming, you know, in case you need time to adapt to the idea. There will be a new name and a new look, but it will be the same great content and honest reviews you have grown to expect from me. So stick around. I think you guys are really going to like it!

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Must Have Items for Spring

The sun has finally come out here in the Seattle area. It's crazy how a little sunshine can lift people's spirits and I immediately start to think of how I can spend the maximum amount of time outside that I can. I've collected some of my favorite must have items for spring. I've got a great book for you to read, a refreshing drink for you to try and some other fun items that will lift your spirits and get you ready for long days, warm sun and family time.

It's no secret that I love to travel. My passport is one of my favorite possessions. Dayspring has an amazing collection that they call Better Together.  They have partnered with Village Artisan to create some pretty amazing products that will have an impact both locally and globally. Village Artisan pioneered the fair trade principles of putting people and sustainable development alongside sustainable profits. It's transformed lives of individuals, families and whole communities. 

Here are a few of my favorite things from that collection. Go check it out. I know you will find something that you love.

I just finished this book. It was a great read if you like historical fiction. I'm always looking for book suggestions so if you have one, please don't hesitate to comment. I'm always looking to fill up that spring reading list!

I'm a HUGE fan of sweet tea. This is my new favorite. It's called Southern Breeze. There are zero {as in none, ziltch, nada} calories and the sweetener is already in the bag. It's easy and delicious and I'm going to be sipping on it all spring.

I know 70 degrees may sound too cold to go to the beach, but it's totally not if you live in the Pacific Northwest! I am crushing hard on this huge round aztec beach towel. It would be perfect for a picnic blanket or beach blanket {because it's family sized} and then you can wrap yourself up in it and use it as a towel. It's dreamy. 

Spring means longer days which means more hours the kids are looking for things to do. My youngest son loves getting these Tinker Crates {perfect for ages 9-16} in the mail. They have a monthly featured activity that is science, engineering and technology based and all the supplies you need to create it. 

My artistic daughter loves the Doodle Crates. These kits have everything young makers need to create, try out a new skill and create a super fun DIY project that is their very own.

Speaking of creativity, I ordered this Inspire journaling Bible for my daughter for Christmas. I've been waiting for it to release and am looking forward to getting it this week. You know those gifts you buy for someone else but you secretly want one? Yeah, that's this. I want one myself because this whole Bible journaling trend looks like so much fun. If you don't know what I'm talking about, google it. It's amazing.

I was out shopping today. We are having family pictures done {haven't done that in about five years!} and my oldest son will be having his senior pictures done at the same time. I started to get pretty convinced that I need to pick up a pair of overalls for spring. I lived in overalls twenty years ago and am pretty sure I could live in a pair now. This pair is pretty cute. What do you guys think about the overall trend?

After you spend all your day outside, I love to relax in the evening with Netflix. Seriously if you aren't streaming Netflix, you aren't living. Here are a few of my favorites that I watched this month. Good stuff. I'm sort of a fan of the documentaries as you can see from The Barkely Marathon {holy cow it's a crazy race!} and Meet the Patels {seriously adorable and enlightening}. 

Alright friends, that is my must have list for spring. Now excuse me, I'm heading outside to soak up some sun.

dislaimer: this post may have affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing through them, I may receive a small commission. These small purchases help me to continue to keep writing content and creating at Holy Craft. Thank you!

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Must-MustHave New Car Features

About five weeks ago, I got into a pretty major car accident. Thankfully, the dog and I were the only ones in the car at the time and while I got pretty banged up and am still recovering {it's a slow process!}, things could have been much much worse. 

For the past few months I have been testing out cars. We knew that we would need to replace my twelve year old mini van that I lovingly referred to as Thelma at some point in the near future, we just weren't expecting to scramble to replace her after she was deemed a complete loss by the insurance company.

A lot has changed in cars in more than a decade since we bought Thelma so I'm glad that I had the opportunity to test out a few different cars to see what features I really liked and which ones weren't as important. I also had to give up a few of the items on my wish list because they just didn't exist in the car that we finally narrowed it down to.

Come along with me and hear about the tale of two Mazda's {they got me through the month after my accident before I got my replacement} and meet our new family car. Her name is Louise and see what my list of must-have new car features were.

Before I go on, let me fill you in a bit on the accident. I was driving to pick up my daughter at a friend's house. I was stopped to turn left and was waiting for traffic to pass when before I even knew what was happening, I was being thrown back into my seat.

My drivers seat broke. It literally fell back after I hit it on impact and that's when I looked in the rear view mirror and saw the car plowing into me. The witness said he didn't even slow down. He must not have seen me. Before I knew it, my car was pushed at least 50 feet. I finally came to a stop and for weeks I have been dealing with the aftermath of whiplash, back pain and other bumps and internal bruises.

Thelma was a total loss and days later we signed her over to the insurance company and started the search for a new car.

In the meantime, I got this pretty little number, a Mazda 6 in this beautiful red.  I have driven the Mazda 6 before when my oldest son and I went on a little road trip to Eastern Washington this past summer. 

I must confess, it's been really hard for me to get back to driving. I'm quite anxious behind the wheel {to be totally honest, in the passenger side too}, but with three kids and a busy life, I can't decide to just stay home all the time, so I have been slowly easing back into it. I needed the small size of the Mazda 6 to help me feel confident on the road again. Plus, it had some amazing features which makes driving way more fun. 

With three kids that no longer need car seats, I thought that perhaps we could consider an SUV. Enter the Mazda CX-5.  This was another good looking car that was easy to drive. 

My favorite feature of the two Mazda's is by far the snazzy looking two toned leather seats. While my kids may have all graduated car seats, they have replaced their bulky car seats with gangly legs. This crossover is great as a driver or front seat passenger, but squeeze in all five of us and it just doesn't have the room we all need.

So what did we end up deciding to buy? We bought another mini van. This time, the original swagger wagon. A 2016 Toyota Sienna SE. Louise was made in Indiana just like I was and we got her brand spanking new off the train. 

I'm still getting used to the inside of Lou. When I drive, I feel like I'm sitting in a cock pit. There are so many buttons and screens and displays. But I do love her and the reliability of a Toyota and the updated features is what ultimately ended up winning out over all, even though I did love driving the Kia Sedona and Honda Odyssey. 

After six months of trying out several different cars, here were my list of must-have features:

Blind spot monitoring

Bluetooth connectivity

A USB port

Comfortable heated seats

A back up camera

Keyless start and entry

Seats that fold into the floor

High safety ratings

High reliability ratings

There were a few features that were at the top of my list that were wants, but not necessarily needs:

Dual moon roof

Adaptive cruise control

Heated steering wheel

Back up guide lines

Full camera {the Kia Sedona had a great camera system}

And there were some features that I just wasn't interested in having at all:

Lane departure warning {I find it super annoying at not at all helpful}

DVD player {never been a fan of in car entertainment}

heads up display {I don't like having something in my line of vision}

I know that not all of you will be as lucky as I have been to be able to review cars for a week at a time and make a running list of features that you like. Hopefully, you can go back to my car review posts to become more informed if you find yourself looking for a new car, especially ones that have features you just may not be familiar with. You can search car review in the search bar to the right.

I would love to hear. What are your favorite new features in a car? Did I miss any?

dislaimer: I was able to drive the Mazda's in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own. 

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The Kia goes with us on a college tour

It's an exciting time of life for our family. Our oldest son is in his senior year of high school and has started applying at colleges. 11 colleges in 5 different states to be exact.  

Texas is one of those states, and with three universities in fairly close proximity of one another and one acceptance letter {and hopefully many more not far behind}, we decided that we should at least visit to see if Texas could be our son's next home away from home.  

We started and ended our college tour in Austin and were thankful that we had big red, our Kia Optima SX turbo to take us on our whirlwind trip from College Station {Texas A&M} to Waco {Baylor--and yes, we visited Magnolia Market} and back again to University of Texas {Austin}.

There is nothing like a mother son road trip! Thankfully, we have been able to experience a few of them. In case you missed it, you can read about our road trip this past summer to the Mumford and Sons concert in the Mazda 6.

While I am a mini van loving mama and plan on purchasing another mini van {the Kia Sedona or Honda Odyssey are contenders} when the time comes, I do enjoy driving a sporty sedan from time to time.  The Kia Optima did not disappoint! Come see what Aidan and I had to think about the Kia in case you are contemplating a new car purchase.

I have gotten spoiled by the bells and whistles on fancy new cars. My current mini van is being driven into the ground and while it was fully loaded 12 years ago, the new features in today's cars make me want to make an upgrade ASAP!

Being in a new city, it was so nice to have navigation. Not only could I see the navigation on the large screen, I also had it available on my dashboard. 

The inside of the car was spacious and the moon roof was massive! The car got great gas mileage. Some of my favorite features are the heated seats and the heated steering wheel. We tried the cooled seats but didn't really notice a difference. Maybe if they were on fire after sitting outside on a hot day they would have cooled more rapidly...not sure.  I wouldn't pay extra for that feature though.

There were some pretty awesome cameras with lots of different angles that helped us squeeze through a few tight spots in parking garages and I liked the adaptive cruise control. It's easily becoming one of my favorite new car features.

I did find that the car had a weird blind spot. It could have been that my son's seat was sitting further back and it could have been corrected but there were times when looking out the side of the car it was difficult.

As always though, since I don't really care about the mechanics of the car, and some of those features people care about when they really are interested in purchasing a vehicle, I'm turning this over to my son Aidan to fill you in on the details and let you know what he thought.

Aidan here. This Kia Optima is a truly excellent car. Gone are the days when Kia exclusively made cars for people too poor or too cheap to get something quality. In fact, the day has even passed when Kias are just good ol' normal cars to get. After having spent plenty of time in both the Sedona and this Optima, I can confidently say that Kias are no longer cars that other companies have any grounds to look down on; rather they are cars that companies and consumers would be smart to look up to.

As far as general features go, the Optima SX Turbo with all the options selected {like the one we got to drive} has pretty much everything you could ever need. The navigation system was really nice, the dashboard readout was convenient and informative, you could easily control everything from the steering wheel, the seats were comfortable, and the sound system was lovely. With the exception of a heads up display, the car had everything anyone could really ask for, though my one complaint is that some of the controls were a bit hard to access from the passenger's seat {where I spent all of my time due to pesky things like laws and contracts and things of that nature}.

The Kia was excellent in the other important was as well: driving. This is the first sedan we got to test that had a V6 engine {this one turbocharged at that} which instantly put it above the crowd. It handled 85 MPH on the excessively large Texas roads without breaking a sweat, and was able to jump through small gaps in traffic and pass the occasional tractor with ease. Though the turbo wasn't anything a JDM tuner {you'll probably have to look this up if you're over the age of 20} would lose their mind over, it definitely got the job done and gave the extra kick when we needed it. As for the mechanical components outside of the engine, the well built chassis allowed for precise handling and a smooth ride, and the road noise was minimal even going Texas speeds on the highways.

Because we used this car to tour future universities, I thought I'd take the last part of my time to answer every question asked by every well meaning adult that I have talked to in the last year. No, I haven't decided yet. Yes, I'm done applying. Yes, I know it's more expensive than when you went, isn't that something. Communications and Political Science with a Pre-Law designation. I'll go as far from home as I feel necessary. I have also heard that Texas is much hotter than Washington, what a coincidence. No, I truly could not care less that I didn't apply to your alma mater {as precious as North Wisconsion School of Literary Arts was to you}. Yes, it's lovely that your nonagenarian great uncle attended Yale but I fail to see how that applies. In all seriousness though, thanks for the well wishes as I begin a wonderful new chapter of my life, I truly can't wait.

And with that, we wrap up another mother son car review. I would love to hear what you think. Have you written off Kia? I think it's time to take a second look!
disclosure: I was given the opportunity to drive the car in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own. 

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What not to Google

Last week my husband and I were just sitting on the couch talking and he asked me if I knew what those little hanging balls were inside of your throat. Not the uvula that hangs down at the back, but the balls inside your throat.  He had just had a scope because he was having some health issues and while the doctor was telling him all these things, he couldn't remember what that particular piece of anatomy was.

I didn't know either so I told him I wasn't sure.

He responded with "that's too bad because I was going to Google it but I didn't think "googling" balls in your throat would get me the results I was looking for."

I posted our little quip on Facebook because we are hilarious that's why. And the responses from my friends on what not to Google was hilarious.  I am sharing a few of those today and hope that you have some that you can add too because we could all use a good laugh. Plus also we are helping the fellow man from seeing things they cannot un-see on the interwebs. It's like a public service really. 

So here we go.  What not to Google...

Friend 1:One time my friend was looking for costume ideas for a bum... She made the mistake of googling "female bums"!
Friends, lets not make that mistake alrighty? Hobo might work or just googling "bum costume for girls" might be a better choice than "female bums".
Friend 2: We were having a wedding shower for a male coworker.... don't Google "man shower"....Oh my. Not quite sure where to start here, but perhaps just a few key words might have helped. Like "male wedding shower ideas" or "groom shower ideas" perhaps. Friend 3:Dicks Sporting Goods' website is NOTDicks.com.This one had me busting up! It's a good lesson for all of us to not be so naive to assume that a stores website would be their name.com. However, I apprehensively clicked the link just to make sure I wasn't linking to anything inappropriate on my site and it seems as though Dicks Sporting Goods got smart and bought up that domain. Phew!Friend 4:I was in need of a machine part that was vibrating. Don't google "vibrator" if you are looking for machinery.Again, another case where being as specific as you can during a Google search is probably going to be your best bet.In writing this post, I found out that you can also turn on a thing called safe search. Who knew? Google will filter your searches from sexually explicit video and content. You can find out how to turn that feature on here.I would love to hear about your experiences. You know, just so we can laugh learn together. Comment below or share on your social media site and tag me @holycraftblog.

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The Honda Odyssey mini van review

I am not one of those moms who thinks she's too cool for a mini van. I've owned a mini van for nearly two decades and I am unapologetic about it. I love my mini van. I even wrote a little love note to my mini van.

It's practical and to be honest, I don't think my three kids could have survived childhood had they all had to be squeezed in together in a backseat row. And now as they are getting bigger with gangly legs and big feet we need the room that a mini van provides.  I've tried to pretend that we don't. I've tried out sporty sedans and cute SUV's in hopes that maybe just maybe I could break free from the chains of a mini but I just can't. I am a die hard and will be a die hard until my dying day!

Heck, how else am I supposed to load up all of my garage sale treasures every weekend if I didn't have a mini van? And as we prepare to launch our oldest son off to college in the fall, I can see vans full of college crap loaded up for years to come as our kids trickle out of the house.

After I tried out {and loved} the Kia Sedona  I begged to try the 2016 Honda Odyssey. In my head, it's been the most logical replacement for our current 2005 Honda Odyssey that is lacking all of the bells and whistles {and vacuums} that the newer version has. And so, for a week, I gave the Odyssey a try to see what I would think of the much more sophisticated updated version of my current van that I am driving would be like.  

You might be surprised to see what I thought. And as always, my 17 year old son is writing the nuts and bolts review to let you know what he thought.

In an attempt to look less van like, I think Honda hasn't done the Odyssey any favors with it's new design. I'm not sure, but I think it's also lost a little interior room too. This summer, I was able to fit a row of vintage theater seats in the back of my mini and was still able to drive.  Not sure I could do that in this van. However, it doesn't seem any less spacious and for the normal driving excursion, I think it would be quite comfortable for our family.

The idea of having a vacuum attachment in the van is genius. I'm not sure how much it would actually get used. The kids did have fun with the novelty of it so until that wore off, I think the car would be pretty darn clean.

Overall, the Odyssey was easy to drive but it only had some of the features that I have tried on other cars and have put on my must have list.  In case you were wondering that must have list now has adaptive cruise control, heated steering wheel and blind spot detectors. I do know that some of these features are available on the Odyssey, they just weren't available on this particular car that I drove.

Before I thought that the Odyssey would be a clear contender and now, seeing other options, and driving this one, I'm not sure it's the front runner anymore.

Let's see what Aidan has to say about it.

Aidan here. The van that we got was one of the lower models, and as a result, it was very lacking in both the bell and whistle categories. This resulted in a rather bland interior. The seats were cloth, the center console was dreary, and most of the really cool stuff that was featured on the other cars that we've tested was missing.

Obviously things like leather seats and a fancy navigation system could be selected as options, but things like the awesome reclining chairs of the Kia or a futuristic heads-up-display like the one in the Mazda 6 aren't offered at all. Unique to the Odyssey, however, is the vacuum system, and though I spent a fair amount of time vacuuming the dog to pass the time, I doubt the novelty would stick around for long. At this point, you may be asking yourself if the Odyssey is still the king of mini-vans, a question I was asking myself after our week with this car.

After reading some reviews done by actual professionals comparing the overall mechanical quality of the leading vans {most showing the Odyssey as the clear winner} as well as having felt the stellar power and ride offered by the Odyssey, I started asking myself if the features offered by the other companies were added in a cunning and quasi-Machiavellian attempt to try and take your eyes off of the true king. 

Perhaps it's a conspiracy theory, but something much like this happens in the cell phone business all the time. You'll often see companies come out with phones that have one or two big features {like an amazing camera or a great screen} that make those of the top iPhones or Galaxy Phones look pedestrian for a moment, and in that one moment, you forget that the best phones are the best phones because of their greatness across the board rather than merely one outstanding feature. 

This is not to say that the outstanding features offered on some of the other cars and vans aren't really cool {because some were pretty awesome}, or that the others are bad cars {because objectively they aren't}; rather it is to say that perhaps it is worth sacrificing some of the cool features offered by the other car companies so that you can rest easy knowing that you bought the tried and true champion, the Honda Odyssey. 

Interesting thoughts. As we start narrowing down the search for a new car, I would love to hear from you. Do you have a favorite feature you can't live without? 

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Trying out the 2016 Kia Sedona mini van my thoughts for review

In case you are new here,  for the past few months, I have been preemptively test driving new cars in an effort to be prepared to make a selection when my current 2004 Honda Odyssey mini van bites the dust.  I love Thelma {the name of our mini van} and have never been one of those people that has been staunchly against driving a "swagger wagon".  

However, my three kids are no longer lined up in car seats in the back, so I have been opening up the options for consideration.  I tried out the Mitsubishi Outlander {an SUV crossover} and while the sound system was amazing, the practicality of driving all five of us in this car at once wasn't realistic. My son and I road tripped to Walla Walla in the Mazda 6 and while it was the perfect car for a road trip for just the two of us, I just couldn't see my three kids sitting thigh to thigh in the back seat.

The benefit of trying out all kinds of different cars is that I am able to try out all kinds of different new features.  My 2004, though it's the high end model, can't really compete with the features of cars today. I've learned that I love adaptive cruise control and the blind spot detector, though I could totally do without the lane departure warnings.  

During my time with the Sedona, I took the kids to the local pumpkin patch and drove a team of six missionaries from all over the globe {the Russian's weren't as impressed with the Sedona's camera system as the American's were!} to Seattle to be a tourist for the day.

Out of all of the cars I have tried so far, this was our families favorite! I'm pretty sure that's a good indicator that we just aren't ready to make the switch from a mini van just yet.

The most impressive feature that had everyone talking were the middle row seats. I had no idea a reclining seat like this existed outside of business class on your international flights!

 source

The kids would tip their seats back, flip the foot rest up and stare up at their own personal sky light in the roof of the car.  Or on longer rides, they could pop the DVD player up and put on the cordless headphones and be entertained for hours.

The best part is that even with the middle seats reclined and the passenger in their full relaxed position, there is still room in the back row for passengers.  What our family has grown to love in Thelma is the spaciousness of the van, and this Kia didn't disappoint.  It drove like a dream, and while it did feel bigger than the current mini van I am driving, the full camera angles helped ease me into tight parking spots and city parking garages without any incidents.

I'm turning my review over to my son Aidan.  As a passenger, a new driver and a 17 year old, he's got some opinions and thoughts about cars that I don't normally care about or cover when thinking about the nuts and bolts.

Aidan here. As with all the aforementioned cars, I will be helping to write the review. The two cars previous to this one were fairly mixed bags. Both included things that I would really like to have in a car like leather seats, good sound systems, and nifty tech packages, but both lacked the most important thing of all: space. 

Because of my parent's decision to create many offspring and my mother and I's frequent need to transport a lot of things, we will definitely need a car with three rather spacious rows. Realistically then, the next car for our family will be a mini van simply due to the fact that we need to transport a lot of things all of the time.

Thelma effectively carried a glass coffee table, a TV stand, a medium sized sectional (one of those sections transformed into a bed), and three large humans with some room to spare. 

As you can probably tell, I wasn't lying about the need for space, which is why I was so excited to finally see a mini-van for review in our garage.

{and mom is back because, hello, did you all just read that?  A 17 year old boy was excited to see a mini van!!!  Carry on...} 

I knew this car was going to be great right when I stepped in. The beautiful leather seats complimented the interior trim nicely and gave the feel of a high end luxury car. As I sat down in the middle row, I was both thrilled and shocked to see that the two middle seats were full recliner chairs. 

The center console was great as well. Not only did it include an easy-to-use touch display, it also had real buttons so that you could control virtually everything without having to waste time in menus. You could also do a fair amount of controlling from the steering wheel, though those buttons were fairly small and you really had to look for the one that you wanted. 

Heated and cooled front seats in addition to the heated steering wheel were all nice features as well. The Sedona rides nicely as well but it lacks some of the get-up-and-go that Thelma has. Other than a couple of very minor things, however, this is an incredibly nice car that truly gives its competition a run for their money.

There's no getting around it though--this car is expensive. We got pretty much every option possible and the grand total was about $44,000. This is a huge chunk of money, but it's cheaper than a Toyota Sienna and right around the same price as the Honda Odyssey when similarly equipped. Technically, you can get this car for around $25,000, but you shouldn't.
Power side doors aren't included with the base model, and don't even become available until the EX model which is just under 33 grand. If you're in the market for a mini-van, the Kia Sedona should definitely be included on your list. I really was shocked at how nice this van was.
There you have it.  A review on the Kia Sedona from mother and son. It's been a few weeks now since we had Pearl {yep, we name all our cars, even those we have temporarily} and the kids continue to talk about missing her.  "Remember when....I liked that she had..." While Kia would not have made my list previously in my search for mini van's it certainly has made the list now.  What do you think? I would love to hear your thoughts.  Especially if you have any experience with the Kia Sedona.To read other car reviewsMitsubishi OutlanderMazda 6disclaimer: I was able to drive the Kia Sedona for a week in exchange for this review

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Rachel's random ramblings and a little survey check in

Hi friends! It's been awhile since I've done a Rachel's random ramblings post {pretty sure I say that every.single.time}, so I thought I would check in with some random things that are rambling around in my head.About 6 months ago, my then 16 year old son told me that the only thing he wanted for his birthday was to go to The Gentleman of the Road concert with me. Not his friends, but me. Now, he could have been saying that because none of his friends could afford the steep ticket price and the long weekend away on the other side of the state, but what I heard was I WANT TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU. So, I bought overpriced concert tickets and we had our best time spending the weekend together.

I'm going to brag here for a second {it's my blog, sue me} because, what is important to mention is that Aidan is probably the best drummer I have ever heard in all the days of my whole life. He's ah-mazing. This isn't just my opinion, this is substantiated by pretty much whoever hears this boy play. 

Aidan's played on some pretty awesome stages and in front of some pretty big audiences, but he's never actually been to a concert. We pretty much changed that by going to this full on music festival and listening to live musicians for days.  It was great.  And you know what?  I heard some pretty amazing drummers and I still think my kid could drum circles around all of them.

What I love about music festivals is that you get to find new artists you might not have found otherwise. One guy we loved was Jack Garratt.  He's pretty amazing. He's essentially a one man band. It's impressive.

We had a pretty awesome summer. It's been really hard to get back into real life again. 

We spent a little more than a week on the Big Island of Hawaii this summer staying Real World style in a house for a family reunion. One of my many talents is that I can sniff out a good beach. It's really an art.  This is one of my favorite pictures from our trip taken on my favorite beach that we named Turtle Town.  My son took it. He actually takes some pretty awesome pictures that often appear on my blog and on my Instagram.

Last night he was complaining that I didn't give him photo cred.  So, here I am, giving him photo cred.  You are welcome Aidan. By the way, I took that awesome pic below when I snuck up on him napping mid day.  Isn't he just precious?

My daughter gave our youngest son this helium filled battery operated RC powered fish {because everyone needs a remote control helium fish} for his birthday. It shockingly only cost 75cents to fill this bad boy up even though it required more helium to float than the house in Up. Thank you Safeway.

This sweet little boy is Austin. He's 3 and last month he made an appearance in my blog on a post that I did. Austin and his family were visiting from California. We don't see them nearly enough, but when we do, we have our best time. Less than two weeks after this picture was taken, Austin was rushed to the ER and diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma in the form of a really quick growing tumor in his head. My heart breaks for this family. Cancer sucks.

This is probably my favoritest clip ever. 

My Grandma's name is Gladys and one time when I was in middle school, we were sitting around the table and she told me when she was younger some people used to call her happy bottom.  It took me awhile to get it but once I did, it was the funniest thing I had ever heard before!

While we are talking about loving Jesus but liking to drink a little, I have to make a confession. I probably like watching Drunk History far more than I should. Don't tell my kids.

Speaking of kids. I was telling my 8th grade daughter that I wanted her to try an after school activity this year.  I picked her up after school from the first drama club meeting and as soon as the doors on the van closed she was in tears. She hated it. The irony wasn't lost on me during her dramatic outbust on the way home.

However later she was having a discussion with her dad about after school activities.  Mind you, this child is 4'5" tall and weighs 65 pounds. She's our peanut.

Child: Mom is making me join some after school activity so I'm just going to join the football team.
Dad: You? You are going to join the football team?
Child: Yep. I'm going to be the goalie.

I've been writing Holy Craft for about six years now.  I must confess that for years, I looked at it as a hobby. An outlet for me to share my crafts and life with, but it's turned into much more than that. If you asked me last year what I did as a profession, I would say that I was a stay at home mom, even though I was putting in tons of hours working on my blog. The game changer was going to my first blog conference {SNAP}. There was no shame in having a hobby blog, but I realized I had nothing stopping me from turning my blog into my business. The glorious part of being a stay at home mom is that your goal is to work yourself out of a job. With my oldest going off to college next year, I am doing just that. All that said, I have made some changes at Holy Craft and have more ideas for change in the future. I would love to have your input and your feedback. Would you mind taking a few minutes out of your time and taking this short 10 question survey? Please be honest with me, but remember, I am human and will be reading each of the responses, so please respond constructively.

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