God won’t give you more than you can handle

morethanwecanhandle

It’s no secret that I’ve had my fair share of struggles throughout my life…

Divorce.
Rape.
Death.
Depression.
Anxiety.
Loss.

I remember each of those moments or times in my past with such a vivid memory, that tears still come to my eyes when I fully allow myself to sit with the pain I had to endure. Because, truly, how does anyone ever forget the times they cried the most honest and heartfelt tears of their life?

And in many of those struggles, I would often hear what I imagine people meant to be comforting words,

God won’t give you more than you can handle…so know that He must really believe that you are incredibly strong!

And while I longed to find the comfort in that, the truth was, I wasn’t strong…I was weak and afraid, angry and broken. And I knew that I was most definitely was not strong enough to get through the pain I was experiencing…

If you’d like to read more, I invite you to finish the rest of this post today over at The Better Mom.

 
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whitney english day designer vs. erin condren life planner | #thebeautybalance

I’ve been diving right into this 31 Day Writing Challenge, where each blogger chooses a topic to write about for 31(ish) days. Because it’s right where God has me, I’ve chosen to share on Blending Beauty with Balance.
(#thebeautybalance, if you want to follow along…or better yet, join the conversation using the hashtag!)

It’ll be a fun and encouraging 31(ish) days where I’ll be sharing tips and tricks while digging deeper, finding purpose, and blending beauty with balance — all with a heart of intention. {all 31(ish) Days will be linked here}

 Whitney English Day Designer vs. Erin Condren Life Planner

Maybe you didn’t know, but I love being organized, and I seriously become overwhelmed with a giddiness when my life has a bit of a schedule and the chaos is somewhat managed.

I mean, I love it just as much as getting a good deal when shopping or finding the most amazing pigmented eyeshadows for my collection.
That’s how high up on the list organization is to me.

And whenever I find that I let that go just a bit, there is utter unrest within my soul.

That may sound dramatic.
And, you’re right…it is.
But it’s simply the dramatic truth.
{once a middle child….always a middle child.}

 

planners

~ Erin Condren Life Planner ~

This is why for years I have been getting the Erin Condren Classic Life Planner, and writing every little single thing down that could possibly find a space within it. And while, they are definitely on the pricier side of things ($50) when it comes to planners, I just kind of feel like you can’t put a price on that euphoric feeling of having your life in order.

Dramatic maybe.
But, again, I can’t help what is true.

And while for years the Erin Condren planner has worked amazingly for me, I found that recently I actually had more stuff in my brain plus more schedules to manage, and there didn’t seem to be nearly enough space for me to manage it all. (although I’m sure someone who is naturally gifted with scheduling could probably make it work… I just tend to need my hand held with this sort of thing.)

erincondren2

 

erincondren1

~ Whitney English Day Designer ~

Between two kids in two different schools, both of their activitites, Jimmy’s work meetings, my workouts and appointments, blog and YouTube schedules and events, work ideas, foster care planning, and other projects coming up in the future…I realized I had to really up my organizing game.

And so I decided to check out another planner I’ve been eyeing over the last year called the Whitney English Day Designer. It’s equally as pricey ($59), but with a whole different twist to the layout. This planner is more designed for the entrepreneur, with an entire front section decked out with worksheets for setting work, life and personal goals.

Okay, add that to my Happy Euphoric Feelings List…. setting goals and resolutions.
Oh my word. Just typing it gets me excited.

I also love how each day has an entire page complete with different sections for your days time schedule, to-do lists, meal planning, gratitude, and so much more.

In fact, I’ve been using this Daily Docket in the meantime to see if this type of planning works for me, and let me just tell you that I’ve been on fi-yah with knocking things off the list and staying on task.

Lists are just so amazing!!!
Lists and lipsticks and pigmented eyeshadows…and well, you get the picture.

 

whitneyenglish1

whitneyenglish2

whitneyenglish3

 

~ Whitney English vs. Erin Condren ~

And because I like to do A LOT of research before I spend any amount of money, and because I had trouble finding all the information I needed before I made my own decision, I thought I’d do a little post/video sharing all the details and differences between the two.

In the video below I’ll be going through each planner, showing you the differences and similarities and giving you a page by page tour of each. I also wanted to share here some closer shots of each planner so you could see up close and personal what you’ll be working with.

I really hope this all helps, and if you have any other questions make sure to leave a comment either here or on the video itself!

{Remember to subscribe to my YouTube channel as well, so you’ll always know when I post a new video!}

 

~ The Bottom Line ~

Ultimately, I love and adore each planner and I really don’t believe that one is better than the other.

Having both, I honestly think it truly just depends on how your brain works and what type of organizer you tend to be. And just as with what happened to me, even that could change over the years as you grow and change as well.

And that is why I love that we have options!

So without further adieu, here are two of yours!

xo,
Summer

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the greatest beauty truths we can ever know | #thebeautybalance

I’ve been diving right into this 31 Day Writing Challenge, where each blogger chooses a topic to write about for 31(ish) days. Because it’s right where God has me, I’ve chosen to share on Blending Beauty with Balance.
(#thebeautybalance, if you want to follow along…or better yet, join the conversation using the hashtag!)

It’ll be a fun and encouraging 31(ish) days where I’ll be sharing tips and tricks while digging deeper, finding purpose, and blending beauty with balance — all with a heart of intention. {all 31(ish) Days will be linked here}

a Mama and her little daughter lie on the grass

I think one of the most meaningful posts I may have ever written, regardless of it’s popularity, is the one I wrote for Chloe called, What We Need to Teach Our Daughters About Beauty.

It was written when in the midst of a hurried night trying to tackle one beauty blog post and video edit after another, I suddenly caught a glimpse of my sweet daughter, Chloe, sitting playfully at my vanity. And while there had been many times I’d seen her do this before, for some reason it was this time that I suddenly felt something catch in my throat.

I set my laptop down for a moment and just watched, taking in every single innocent moment after the next, watching her imitate what she’d seen me do day after day most of her life.

The warm tears slipped from my eyes, as I suddenly realized all that I truly longed to teach her about beauty.

There was so much more than the blushes and lipsticks before her (although, yes, I do plan to teach her a thing or two when it comes to those), that I needed her to know. There was so much more about beauty that I longed for her to understand.

I quickly picked my laptop back up and with a steady stream of tears and an open prayerful heart, I poured out the words I needed her to know, and more importantly, needed to be sure I was living myself as well.

It’s that night, that letter, that changed the way I would ever approach the topic of beauty again both here and on my YouTube channel, and it is the reason I wanted to write even more on the topic over at The Better Mom today.

Whether you’re a mama to a daughter, an auntie to a neice, a mentor to a little girl in your life, or even if you’re simply someone who often longs for more meaning in your search for beauty…I encourage you to head over to The Better Mom and read today’s post on Blending Beauty with Grace: The Greatest Truths We Can Ever Know About Beauty.

xo,

Summer

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saldana fam cam | whole foods haul, kayla itsines workout & funny yoga | #thebeautybalance

I’ve been diving right into this 31 Day Writing Challenge, where each blogger chooses a topic to write about for 31(ish) days. Because it’s right where God has me, I’ve chosen to share on Blending Beauty with Balance.
(#thebeautybalance, if you want to follow along…or better yet, join the conversation using the hashtag!)

It’ll be a fun and encouraging 31(ish) days where I’ll be sharing tips and tricks while digging deeper, finding purpose, and blending beauty with balance — all with a heart of intention. {all 31(ish) Days will be linked here}

 

Welcome to another one of our weekly vlogs from my family!

Every Sunday I include makeup I’m wearing, workouts I’m doing, healthy food hauls, all the goodies that come in the mail, what I shop for, as well as snippits of our every day life as a family.

This week started with some of the most hilarious yoga moves I have ever witnessed Jimmy bust out. I seriously had no ideas the skills this man has. If there’s one reason to watch this week, it’s definitely for his opening act!!!

Also this week…

  • I do a mini review on Kayla Itsines 12 week bikini body challenge, as I just finished up Week 4. It’s INSANE but I totally love it!!!
  • I also share what we bought for our weeks worth of groceries at Whole Foods, as well what we plan on making with it all for meals.
  • Then there’s my newest makeup obsession that caused me clear out my Extrabux account…you guys have to see this lipstick!!!
  • And then of course just the fun family moments that I’m always so thankful I captured. Like this week when Chloe in her best Brittish accent, invited us all to sit and have a lovely “fancy” tea party. The different accents we all attempted were kind of hilarious…although I think Jimmy sounded a bit more like Ozzy than a fancy Brit.

I hope you guys enjoy hanging out with us, and of course, if there’s anything else you would like to see or have us add in, let me know in the comments below!

Remember to subscribe!

While I LOVE beauty, health, and all things related, more than anything my heart and soul belongs to Jesus! This quote expresses exactly what I hope shines more than anything:

“Like Paul and every other believer, my life is no longer my own. The focus must not be on me, but on Christ. When someone hears from me publicly, I want it all to point to Him.”

{quote from John MacArthur}

xoxo, Summer

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It means so much that you are here! I know life gets busy though, so if you don't want to miss a thing, I invite you to subscribe to my blog through email!

the stay at home, work from home, mom balance | #thebeautybalance

I’ve been diving right into this 31 Day Writing Challenge, where each blogger chooses a topic to write about for 31(ish) days. Because it’s right where God has me, I’ve chosen to share on Blending Beauty with Balance.
(#thebeautybalance, if you want to follow along…or better yet, join the conversation using the hashtag!)

It’ll be a fun and encouraging 31(ish) days where I’ll be sharing tips and tricks while digging deeper, finding purpose, and blending beauty with balance — all with a heart of intention. {all 31(ish) Days will be linked here}

 

So continuing this conversation of finding balance…

Not only have I been heavily in prayer over how to balance the beauty conversation both in my life and with my online community…but there is also this struggle of finding the balance God intends for me to have between my online work and being a stay at home mama.

And so I loved that my friend, Samantha Schuerman, asked me to play along and make a video discussing this very issue in the YouTube Mom Tag. In todays video, not only do I share a bit more in detail about the heart behind my YouTube channel, but I also discuss just how it all comes together and why I feel it’s important to put the effort into all that I do online.

There is a balance to be found.
A balance to be desired.
And while I may not have discovered it perfectly, I know that as I continue to give it all to the Lord each and every day, He will guide me through it all.

The balance, ultimately, always happens when we are focused on the One thing that matters.
And that is, and always will be, The Lord.

Screen Shot 2014-10-06 at 12.13.04 PM

YOU TUBE MOM TAG!
1. What is your You Tube channel name and what types of videos do you make?
2. When and why did you start your You Tube channel?
3. What’s the meaning behind your You Tube name?
4. When do you schedule time to film/edit/upload videos?
5. What does a typical day look like when you have to make a video(s)?
6. What do you do when you need to make a video and the kids aren’t cooperating?
7. How do you balance You Tube and motherhood?
8. How has You Tube helped you grow as a person?
9. How has You Tube affected your children and family life?
10. What does your significant other think about you making You Tube videos?
11. Does your family and friends know about your You Tube channel?
12. What types of videos/channels do you like to watch most?
13. Who are some of your favorite You Tubers?
14. How do you get inspired for a video topic?
15. What is your main goal in having this platform on You Tube?

While I LOVE beauty, health, and all things related, more than anything my heart and soul belongs to Jesus! This quote expresses exactly what I hope shines more than anything:

“Like Paul and every other believer, my life is no longer my own. The focus must not be on me, but on Christ. When someone hears from me publicly, I want it all to point to Him.”

{quote from John MacArthur}

xoxo, Summer

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It means so much that you are here! I know life gets busy though, so if you don't want to miss a thing, I invite you to subscribe to my blog through email!

blending beauty with balance | #thebeautybalance

The beauty balance really all started with this:

“Consistency breeds Credibility.”

This is one of those quotes that sits with me often and settles into my mind while I attempt to blend some balance throughout my life.

There is so much I want to do and so many things I long to be, and yet when I strive to take them all on at once I lose my balance and fall short in nearly every area.

There is no consistency, no credibility, no balance…which ultimately leaves behind a bitter taste of feeling unconnected.

Consistency.
Credibility.
Connectedness.

And it is these three C’s tumbling around in my mind that have led me to this 31 day writing challenge hosted by The Nester (who you will love).

It’s where God has me.
And it’s what God is laying on my heart to be and to share.

And so I’m committing to be present here and purposeful in my writing and content, prayerfully choosing to share for 31(ish) days on Blending Beauty with Balance.

Brushes for makeup on pink background

As I shared the other day, it’s true that I love beauty, style, and fashion…I mean, I just experience such a giddy joy in finding a fabulous shade of lipstick. And yet, even though that may be a lot of the content both here and on my YouTube channel, what brings an even greater joy to my soul, is living that beauty, and knowing that the beauty we delight in is truly a reflection of our Creator.

It’ll be a fun and encouraging 31 days….sharing tips and tricks, while digging deeper, finding purpose, and blending beauty with balance — all with a heart of intention.

I hope you’ll come back each day and join along in #thebeautybalance conversation, and I’ll be sure to link each post back to this page, so that there will be a landing spot for all of the 31(ish) posts.

And of course…to make it even easier to follow along, I encourage you to subscribe to my blog so you’ll never miss an update!

Day 2: The monthly beauty box balance | Beauty Box 5
Day 3: Best of Life. Health. Beauty | Girl Chat
Day 4: Saldana Fam Cam: My inner struggles with comparison
Day 5: The work at home, stay at home, mom balance
Day 6: Be still
Day 7: How to shop healthy on a budget
Day 8: Adorned from the inside out
Day 9: Top 5 Weekly Beauty Faves
Day 10: Saldana Fam Cam: Sprouts Grocery Haul & The Best Smoothie Ever
Day 11: Bulu Health & Weight Loss Box
Day 12: The Comparison Cure
Day 13: How to straighten hair with minimum damage
Day 14: Yay or Nay? Reviews on the products I’ve used up!
Day 15: Saldana Fam Cam: Healthy Grocery Hauls & a New Family Member
Day 16: Summer’s Lovin’: Top 5 Beauty Favorites of the Week
Day 17: Saldana Fam Cam: Whole Foods Haul, Kayla Itsines & Funny Yoga
Day 18: The Greatest Beauty Truths We Can Ever Know
Day 19: Erin Condren Life Planner vs. Whitney English Day Designer
Day 20: We Are His Poem, We Are His Masterpiece: A Pastors Perspective
Day 21: Makeup Totally Worth Buying

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mommy guilt is real

hugging mother and daughter

Mommy Guilt is real.

If you’re a mom, you may know this feeling quite well, especially around the time of night when your head finally hits the pillow.

That moment when your mind and body are supposed to be relaxing, but instead your thoughts start to settle on all the things you should or shouldn’t have done, and guilt begins to overwhelm you. Your eyes snap open, and suddenly you find yourself making a mental list of all the ways tomorrow will be different. All the ways YOU will be different.

And sometimes tomorrow really does end up being different, but sometimes…it’s just a repeat of exactly the same, sometimes even harder.

But in those moments, those days…okay, those weeks, I’ve really been blessed to have the Lord open my eyes to a little behind the scenes glimpse, and let me just tell you, it’s good. It can actually be really good.

If this sounds familiar, and you hear yourself saying, “me too…” I encourage you to head on over to The Better Mom, and read my post today on The Mommy Guilt Cure

We’re in this together.

 

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confessions of a homeschooling mama: curriculum & update | kindergarten & 4th grade

I think it’s definitely time for a homeschooling update. So much has changed, and this year will definitely be an adjustment for all of us, but I’m actually really excited about it all! As always, God is continuing to teach and mold me so much through this process, and though it’s been incredibly emotional and difficult at times, I wouldn’t change a single second of what we’ve chosen to do. But, I’ve learned to hold whatever plan we’ve chosen for the time with a loose grasp because I realize Gods plan is always better than my own.

Open Textbooks with a Background of Formulas

In the video below I’ll explain all the changes, the curriculum I’ve decided to use, and then just a little about what I’ve come to realize regarding this whole homeschooling education approach! Like I said, God’s definitely been at work, and I realize I still have such a long way to go!

I hope this helps or blesses you in some way, and of course if you have any tips or suggestions to share, please leave them either in a comment below or in the comment section of the video itself!

Curriculum Mentioned:

Spelling Power
Wordly Wise
Singapore Math
Explore the Code
First Language Lessons
Handwriting without Tears
What your kindergartener needs to know

And then I used this book to teach both Taylor and Chloe to read, starting around the age of 3.5: Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.

If you happen to be at Public School, I definitely recommend reading this book, Going Public.

To watch my other homeschooling confession videos, just click here for the full list!

xo

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when being a mom is hard

So many times throughout the early years of being a mom, I struggled with feeling so desperately alone and without any kind of actual purpose to my life. I would look at my little ones making messes I was unable to keep up after, and witnessing tantrums I was sure were a direct reflection of my parenting skills, and the combination of it all would make me want to collapse into a puddle of tears.

My days seemed long, thankless and overwhelming.
And I was incredibly tired, hormonal, and discouraged.

And so often, I found myself wondering if just maybe God had made a major mistake in allowing me to be a mother…

But the truth, the reassuring comforting truth is that even on the days when everything goes wrong, and being a mom is hard and it seems impossible to do our job well…we can be assured that our God is faithful and He never ever makes mistakes….

…to continue reading, please visit my full post over at The Better Mom.

 

Family at sunset

 

 

 

 

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saldana fam cam: discontentment, jam session and balayage

This summer is going way too fast for me, and as I was just telling Jimmy the other night, it’s been far too busy as well.

I had such high hopes that summertime would bring us all rest and relaxation, and instead I feel busier than ever before. And while some of that is all me and some of the projects I’m taking on, it still feels too…rushed. I am desperately needing a second to gather my thoughts, center myself, and reflect on all thats truly important.

| This week on the Saldana Fam Cam |

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~ We had an insane heat wave hit our area with what felt like a deathly level of humidity accompanying it, and given that we don’t have air conditioning in our house, we were all a bit on the lethargic GRUMPY side. And so, of course, we ended up doing what any normal family without air conditioning does…we got in the car with dinner and a movie…and went for a long drive to look at dream houses. Wait till you see these crazy modern styled homes we discovered!

~ One thing this week that seemed to be a common theme for both Jimmy & me, was in the area of discontentment. Always striving for more but continually feeling as though it’s not enough… And so, one night after we got the kids to bed, we had a little heart to heart that really put things into perspective for the both us, I think. I have this feeling that we’re not the only ones living this struggle, especially in this generation of Facebook & Instagram where the grass is always greener and more manicured on the other side, and so I pulled out my camera and tried to capture the tail end of our discussion. Praying it speaks to you the way it did to me.

~ A bright side to my week was my beloved hair appt where we freshened up my balayage and actually went a little lighter in the front. I’m absolutely obsessed with this style of coloring hair now, that I’m pretty sure I can never go back to any other method. Unfortunately, the girl I’ve been going to is raising her prices and with our budget these days, I just can’t justify paying the increase. So now I’m on a mad (and desperate) sleepless hunt for a new Balayage Hair Master here in San Diego, and praying that someone around these parts can duplicate what’s already been done.

Yes, I realize this is all sorts of #firstworldproblems.

~ We also had the opportunity to attend the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus for the third year now, and absolutely loved it. I tried to capture my most favorite acts (that don’t involve animals, because I understand that’s a sensitive situation), that truly took our breath away. We all agreed that this particular show was our favorite so far!

~ And then of course there’s the beauty stuff, where I test out a new City Cosmetics Lip Plumper and show what makeup I’m wearing on the days I actually take the time to put some on. You also have got to watch the part where Chloe styled not only herself and Girafee for church, but then picked out my jewelry as well. She is just too adorable for words.

I hope you guys enjoy!!!

xo

{PS – I really am longing to get back to my writing posts as well, but am finding that it is incredibly difficult to form complete thoughts while the kids are home all summer. Babysitters or Grandparents would just be so lovely to have in my life, ya know? Anyway, so my prayer is that in the next couple weeks once we’re back on a schedule and school has started for Taylor, that my writing and thinking groove will get back on track. Bear with me!!! xo}

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It means so much that you are here! I know life gets busy though, so if you don't want to miss a thing, I invite you to subscribe to my blog through email!