Take a True Assessment: #PQInShape

Last week was more productive for my journey (#PQInShape) than I really thought it would be. I didn't finish everything I wanted to, but I did accomplish a lot.

The drinking more water part is still what I am struggling with- but I'm getting there.

I discovered my mantra and it must be the best ever! One Pound At A Time!

While working on my Pinterest Motivation Board, I discovered that 1000 jumping jacks is 1 pound lost. That is pretty amazing. This means that by doing 10 sets of 100, you can lose 1 pound. OR- by doing 143 jumping jacks a day, you can lose a pound a week. I'm going to do that. (I hope I don't black an eye!)

For my reward, I am ordering a camo bikini (I just love girly camo!) I will hang it up so that I look at it. I think this will work better than just saying that I am going to get one when I reach my goal.

I have discovered that I love my curves, I just don't like the rolls that come with them. I don't believe my curves will ever disappear, they will just be smoother.

I am working on my pounds lost visual, and will share soon.

I have defined my goals and motivation. They are displayed for me to look at all day.

My personal goal this week is to drink 8 glasses of water a day and to drink a glass of lemon water every morning. This is probably going to be the hardest part for me- I hate lemon!

This week's challenge is to take a true assessment of your eating, drinking, and fitness habits. You do not have to share this- this is private. If you want to, I would love to hear from you!

I hope you decide to join in. Feel free to instagram and twitter with #PQInShape. I would love to follow along your journey! I would love to see you on pinterest as well!

Southern Charm Sunday: Stay Classy With Calling Cards

If you have visited The Palmetto Queen before, then you probably know about my classic southern upbringing. We set the table ever night, wrote thank you notes, and took casseroles to the grieving and sick. The etiquette and “good southern lady” lessons didn’t end there. My mother was also a fan of calling cards.

To those of you that do not know, calling cards serve a very important purpose. Have you ever come home to a business card on your door or a door hanger from the cable company? That doesn’t get you very excited does it? What if you came home to a beautiful business card with a dear friend’s name on it? What about a notecard with a hand written “sorry I missed you note?” Well, that is the purpose of calling cards.

My mother taught me that if you visit someone and they are not home, the polite thing to do is leave a note. She had the prettiest little calling cards with her name on them. She would write a short little note on the back. Sometimes, she would leave a note card, but that didn’t excite her as much as the calling cards did. Even if someone was home, if she didn’t get to speak with the person she intended to, she left one of these. Mom did the same thing at businesses. Because of this, I never leave the house without at least one note card.

I never could find these calling cards, until I had the opportunity to partner with Ancesserie. I have to admit that I love EVERYTHING about this company. Their history is phenomenal and what’s not to love about letterpress goods. Classic. Southern. Beautiful. You know what they say, “if it stays still long enough, a southerner will monogram it.” (or calligraphy it!)

The work on these cards is amazing. When I hold one, I am taken back to a time when stationery was important. I chose to have mine printed with the classic “Mr. and Mrs. George.” The actually have my husband’s first name on them, but out of respect for my husband’s privacy wishes, I have blurred his name. The calling cards also boast a beautiful baby button to give them just a little more elegance. Even without the button, they are one of the most elegant things I have ever held in my hand.

The idea of Ancesserie is what I hope to pass along to my readers. I want my readers to hold a sense of urgency to sit on the front porch, write notes, walk to neighbors, and stroll down main street. I think I was born in the wrong decade, so it is nice to occasionally travel back to the time of hats, gloves, and neighborly gestures. I consider myself very lucky to be from one of the last “main streets” in the country. The story of Ancesserie begins in a town not so different from my own.  Read more about their roots in Edgefield, SC and their current home in Atlanta here.

"The Story of America, when time stood still..." 

-Ancesserie.com

Not only does Ancesserie create their calling cards with a vintage letterpress that has been in the owner’s family for four generations (from the longest running newspaper in South Carolina), but they use the most eco-friendly and quality paper. Ancesserie also creates notecards, gift enclosures, gift sets, and coasters. They use vintage millinery items from the 1940s, such as straw, buttons, and flowers, to adorn their products. Ancesserie also offers one of a kind jewelry made from these vintage items.

Ancesserie is now my go to shop for hostess, wedding, engagement, and graduation gifts. I hope that with your help, Ancesserie and I can bring back this lost part of American history. I urge you to visit Ancesserie.com- I know you will find something to fall in love with.

Ancesserie and I are bringing you a week’s worth of traditional letter writing. Come back tomorrow for more on this lost art.

Disclosure: I received the product in exchange of my honest review. All opinions are 100% my own. 

Finding What Works

To "conclude" this series, I want to stress the most important aspect of getting organized. (I use quotes because this is not a conclusion- I will continue to post every wee about organization).

The most important thing I can say about organizing is to find what works. This may not be easy, and it may take trial and error to figure this out. In the end, it will be worth it.

This may seem intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. Think about your personality and what works in different areas in your life. Turn these things into your organizational system. For instance, think about the stores you enjoy visiting and how they are organized. This can tell you a lot about your style.

I urge you above anything to find a calendar system that works. Make sure it also has a to do list. This can be the very beginning of your organizing overhaul. When my planner gets out of hand, I know it is time to redo everything. We all evolve, and our systems have to evolve as well.

This also doesn't have to be a costly process. Do you want to change the style of planner you want to use, but aren't sure that it will work? Find a cheaper alternative to give a test run. I wanted to try out a vertical weekly layout but didn't want to spend a chunk before I new it would work. I headed to amazon and searched for a vertical planner (I also added 7x9 because that's the size I need for my cover) and found one for around 5 dollars to try out. I found that I loved it. Although I'm not certain that I will be spending that chunk, I know what works for my evolving life.

Another thing to remember is your personal style. Your organizational products should reflect the colors and patterns you adore elsewhere in your life.

When I start a new project, I think about the items I already have, corral those and get started. Then I figure out what I still need a solution for. I hit Dollar Tree and then work my way up. This is the process I use for every organizing project I start.

I just want to make sure you all know that organizing doesn't always happen over night. It can be a long process, but very worth it. I think it is also a great stress reliever.

If you have any questions, feel free to comment, email me ( thepalmettoqueen-at-gmail-dot-com ), visit me on facebook, or twitter. I will be happy to answer all of your questions.

What is your favorite organizing product or your biggest struggle?

What To Do In South Carolina

Hey Ya'll!

I'm not a winter kind of a gal- not at all. I mean, when it is cold, I kind of shut down. I'm not even a fan of snow (shocking, right!) The last two years, I've been lucky. We have gotten no snow at all. There has been snow all around us, but not in our yard. Yay!!! When it snows, I want it pretty, not on the weekend, when I don't have to go anywhere, and I want it gone the next day. I know, I'm kind of hard to please. 

This is South Carolina in the snow:

It was around 60 degrees in my neck of the woods, and I have had a super duper day!

I have been craving summer! Yes, I am a planner and I am already dreaming of the fun things to do in South Carolina. This is going to be a great summer. The little prince is two (he'll be 3 in September) so he will be able to participate in many more things than previous years. This year, we have decided to explore South Carolina, because there are so many things that we have never done. There's no time like the present. 

My first step in planning Spring and Summer fun is DiscoverSouthCarolina.com. There is an interactive events calendar, trip planning tools, and even cultural and historical resources. 

The first part of my planning system includes copying all of the events in my area into my master planner (month view) that way they are at my fingertips. I also do this when family/ friends are visiting. That way I can let them know about traffic and things they may want to do while they are in the area. 

After doing this, my husband and I can determine which events we definitely want to attend, or may want to attend while planning our months out. This helps us stay much more organized. Thank you DiscoverSouthCarolina.com for making our lives more organized! 

Next, I'll share with you how to find unique and historical places in South Carolina. Yes, I am that much of a planner- we are currently planning our summer fun! 

Let's Get This Challenge Started!

Hey ladies! I had every intention of getting this post up this morning, but I have been battling severe jaw pain and not really able to concentrate on anything. This ended up being a blessing, because I have made some changes to the plan!

Source: hasfit.com via Joni on Pinterest

This is a challenge for yourself, I would love to see you guys on Instagram (@nighlon) and Twitter (@cari_on) #pqinshape  or even on Facebook. However, if you are not confident in doing that, I understand. If you want to do this privately, go right on ahead. Hopefully by the end of the challenge, you will feel more confident. The point of the challenge was to keep myself accountable for making the small changes that will really add up. I hope that you ladies benefit from my obsessive planning and list making.

Instead of starting with challenge #1, I came up with some rules that I want to share for this week. These aren't like school rules, just things for you to keep in mind for yourself. (Remember, this challenge is designed to be customized for each participant and if you have any questions, just email me at thepalmettoqueen(at)gmail(dot)com - I will answer any questions you have)

This challenge will run for 26 weeks and then amp up for another 26 weeks.

Here are the rules:

1. Don't be too harsh on yourself!
2. Even if you do not share it, take a before picture- you will be glad you did later.
3. Choose something you will do every day. This can be to drink more water, think about every bite, or even having 5 minutes of alone time. 
4. Choose a mantra and stick to it. Look in the mirror every day and tell yourself this. 
5. Create a motivation board. You can make a book, a poster, a Pinterest board, or a combination. Here is my Pinterest Board. 
6. Choose something to do for yourself that will motivate you (like buying a bikini, booking a vacation, or scheduling a photo shoot). 
7. List what you love/ don't love (never say hate) about your body. 
8. Define your goals and motivation. 
9. Think of anything extra that you want to include. (For example, I'm limiting myself to one sweet a week and I'm going to drink a glass of lemon water every morning). 

I am following the challenge as well, so keep an eye out for my motivation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I will be using the hashtag #pqinshape

I do want to give you all a mini challenge. Google and Pinterest until you find a visual motivation activity that will motivate you and that you will be able to keep track of. I've seen some great piggy bank and pounds to lose/ pounds lost activities. I haven't decided which I'm going to use yet. 

Do you have any questions / suggestions? 

Are you planning on participating? 

90 Day Challenge: Conclusion and Giveaway

As you all know, I participated in the 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge by Creative Bioscience. I have written before about my weight challenges through life as well as my recent challenges with this program. Unfortunately, life gets in the way and we cannot always do what we set out to do. We manage to get by, and try not to be upset with ourselves. I have gotten upset with myself during this challenge because I could have done better, but it is more important that I am there for my family when they need me. We have had several family health issues, stresses, and deaths. We have gotten through and learned a lot about ourselves.

Even though I did not lose what I wanted to using the drops, I can only blame myself. I was not present enough to ensure I was taking them appropriately or eating right. Even with this, I still managed to lose 25 pounds, so it was not a complete failure. I'm happy with that, given the circumstances.

Because I am thrilled with what I have accomplished, even with the circumstances, I am going to continue on the HCG drops until I am happy. I no longer have a weight in mind, more of a feeling. Even though there will be benefits for my physical look, I am more excited about the health benefits of getting the extra weight off. It has been long enough, and I'm ready!

I have learned that I need to challenge myself continuously, and change the challenge up. That is why I am starting a weekly fitness challenge here on The Palmetto Queen. These challenges will range from journal entries to doing exercise that is "out of the box" for you. I am very excited about this, and it will begin Monday!

To kick things off, Creative Bioscience is giving away a 90 day supply of HCG drops to one of my readers. To enter the contest, just comment letting me know how losing weight will effect your life. The contest will end Sunday, February 24th at 8pm.

Disclosure: In exchange for products, I am participating in the Creative Bioscience 90 Day Challenge.

Get Your Things Found with FoundIt!

As part of my organizing series (that is not ending anytime soon), I wanted to share a product that will help out with anyone who loses items- or has items they do not want lost.

As many of you know, I am in The Carolina Society for Paranormal Research and Investigation Inc. I am the Case Manager, Paralina Radio Show Producer/ host, and the media assistant. It wasn't until recently that I participated in my first investigation. While preparing some of my equipment, I decided to utilize and amazing product I recently received.

Some of my equipment tagged with FoundIt!

FoundIt is an amazing concept that relies on the common good of people.

From the FoundIt! website:


Why FoundIt! Works
The power of empathy.
FoundIt! works because we have tapped into the human psyche and found out what motivates people to return things.
Proven research show that 70% of all lost items are actually turned in somewhere (you just don't know where).1 Other studies by Milgram, the University of Michigan and Purdue show that you can boost your return rate if you:
1- Make it easy to return2
2- Allow Finders to be anonymous3
3- Let the Finder know the item is important to you4
FoundIt! does all of these and more. Our language is deliberately designed to create an empathetic reaction and evoke an emotional response to drive action. (It's hard to keep a phone with a sticker on it that says, "You're my hero!" and gives clear, easy instructions on how to get in touch with the owner.)
Our research exponentially improves the odds of getting your stuff back!

My favorite thing besides the fact that it makes returning things easier is how easy it is to use. The stickers are great- they come in a variety of sizes. There is even a size for glasses- I'm always losing mine. The tags are great too. They are great for bags, jackets, keys, dogs, and even strollers! 

Each member receives a unique ID that is printed on each label. You also receive QR codes for quicker notification when your item is found. 

It is a pretty simple process that ensures great karma for those that return the lost item! 

Packages come in 2 forms- a $19.99/ year Bomb Diggity Membership or $24.99/ year MacDaddy Membership. That's a pretty great price for the potential cost of lost items. 

Sure, there are people out there that won't return your item no matter how easy it is. I , however, believe we live in a world where people want to do the right thing. Why not make it easier for them?!

FoundIt! even offers customizable business solutions! 

FoundIt! is definitely my favorite geek accessory, and I'm sure it will be yours too! 

Disclaimer: I was compensated a FoundIt! membership in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own. 

Calendar Dreams

To continue my organization series, I'm sharing frustrations with you today.

I have yet to find the perfect calendar. I utilize several at a time for different reasons, but my problem lies in the planner I use for every day activities. None of them are quite right. I'm so frustrated at this point that I want to just design it myself, yet I feel like there has to be the perfect one out there.

I have tried many different formats over the years and I know what layout works for me. 

The planner that works for me will have a monthly layout, a weekly vertical layout, and plenty of room. 

But, it isn't as black and white as this. 

I need one that does not have specific times listed. 

The areas that I feel need drastic improvement in for planners

There should be a great area for goal tracking, but not one that will take away from the functionality of the weekly layout. For instance, I squeeze in my weekly goal at the top of mine and that is just messy. 

I would like to see somewhere that I can track water intake. 8 little glasses at the bottom of each day would be great. 

I would also like a place to put to dos that just need to be done at some point during the week. 

My biggest frustration with the calendars that I find is that there is no where to store business cards, no where to write useful phone numbers, and no where to make notes. 

The only ones that I have found that look like they might be useful cost entirely too much for me to spend and not KNOW that it will work. 

I'm currently on a mission to solve my planner woes, and I will keep you updates. 

What are your thoughts on planners: frustrations, loves, dreams? 

What planner do you use? Do you love it or hate it? 

90 Day Challenge: Update

    

As you all may remember, I participated in the 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge. I chose to participate with the HCG drops and couldn't be happier with my decision. I cold be happier with my performance though. I have had a rough and stressful few months and didn't do as well as I had hoped I would. The beginning was great, then I became a slacker. 

You can view my first few updates here! 

I have learned a lot about myself during this challenge and realized that I need a plan to make a change in my life. I have come up with a 6 month plan to get fit. I will continue with my HCG drops until I am happy with where I am, but it is about more than weight loss. I want to run- and that is something I just can't do now. I also want to box! I will share my plan with you Saturday!

To catch you up, even though I haven't lost what I should have by now (approximately 60 pounds) I have lost a good bit. I have lost 29 pounds and am now in a pair of  "skinny" jeans I have not gotten past my hips since I was at the beginning of my pregnancy. In my mind, that is pretty huge!

The fault in my not doing as well as I would have hoped lies within myself. When I get sick or stressed, I no longer thrive like my 21 year old self. My 28 year old self doesn't handle change too well. I didn't take the drops when I was stressed, and I didn't worry about what I ate. I do know that I can reach my weight loss goal with the drops and be able to reach the fitness goals once I have a significant amount of the weight off. 

I am doing this for my knees, my heart, my mother, my husband, and my son. I don't want to go on a downward health spiral. I want to get this under control while my health is still pretty good. Maybe I have a chance of saving my knees and my back. 

I thank you all for sticking around and I will be back Saturday with my plan, final thoughts, and a giveaway! 

Teaching a 2-Year-Old To Read With Reading Horizons

As many of you know, my husband and I made the decision to home school our little prince last summer and started right away. It was slow going at first, but eventually, he started loving letters. He would point out the letters he knew every where. So, we increased his alphabet lessons.

Around the same time as he started being interested in letters, I was asked to be on the Reading Horizons Discovery Home School Panel and give my thoughts on the program. We weren't quite ready to dive in yet. However, by the time the prince turned 2 in September, he could recognize all of his letters. I wasn't quite sure where to go from there, so I asked the head of the panel- he said let's put him on Reading Horizons Discovery. I was excited and nervous because the program is designed to start at 4 years old. We gave it a shot.

When I received the materials, I studied them for a couple weeks so that I could figure out how to do it for him. (I was told ahead of time that I would need to go at a different pace than the other children) The panel and the company has been there to answer any and all of my questions. I am a believer.

Now, not even 6 months later, the prince knows the sound all of the letters make, knows several sight words, and can even read some words. Remember, he is only 2 years and 4 months old. This is huge! Who do I have to thank for this? Reading Horizons Discovery, the Home School Panel, and a 2 year old who loves to learn.

The moment I knew it was working was actually quite hilarious. As you know, I'm married to a gamer. The prince likes to help his daddy "win" by playing with an old xbox controller. One day, he was waiting to help daddy "win" and the hubs was turning on the xbox so they could play minecraft. He even said "I'm going to play minecraft, do you want to help?" The word xbox was not mentioned. When the xbox came up on the screen, the prince said "x (the cks sound x makes) box." It was adorable and my hubby was glowing. He said "did you hear that, he just read xbox." He was one proud daddy and I was one proud momma!

He can also read the word "stop," although I'm not sure if he is recognizing the word or actually reading it, either way, I'm happy though.

I actually didn't have to make many changes to the program for it to work for my prince. Basically, instead of doing a chapter at a time, we focused on one letter at a time, took our time, and changed some of the terminology. I would say "what does an a say" instead of using the more technical terms one would use for 4-9-year-olds.

Thanks to Reading Horizons Discover, I know that we have made the right decision in homeschooling our little prince. (I'm keeping my fingers crossed for math from them!)

Reading Horizons offers many resources to get you started, free of charge. Be sure to check them out, I'm sure you will find something you can use. You will most likely be as impressed and want to purchase the program for your own children.

• Free E-newsletter
• 7-Day trial (10+)
• Free Parent Phonics Training
• Free Webinars
• Free Reading Assessments
• Free Printable Worksheets
• The Reading Corner Blog

Be sure to also follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Youtube. 

This is definitely a program that we will continue to use for years. I will also continue to revisit the lessons he has learned until I feel he is ready to move on to the next set. We're in no rush. The prince loves to learn, so I don't push him, I just want to encourage that love of learning that he has.

Disclosure: By being a part of the panel and reviewing the product, I received Reading Horizons Discovery for compensation. All opinions are my own. 

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The Joys of Filing

 

I don't know about any of you, but I am obsessed with all things organizing and office. Taking me into an office supply store is as bad as the shoe store. My husbands dreads it. I get told to "focus" several times during each trip.

One of the things I obsess over the most is filing and I have several ways that I file things. This has been a life-saver at different jobs, but makes it difficult for people to work with me. Maybe I need an intervention? No, I didn't think so either.

Eve though it is difficult for some to understand, my filing system isn't really that difficult- I promise.



Important Documents
Items like health insurance documents, policy information, product information, and other records are in the average, run of the mill filing system. The folders are color coded according to purpose and alphabetized. Normal filing things here.

Items I need at a later date
Say, I have a meeting that I'll need to pull notes for. Maybe I need to take a record to the doctor at an appointment. It could even be a drawing that I will give to someone at a special occasion. These items are put into my 43 folders system. This is by far my favorite system and one that has saved me on countless occasions.

This system is ideal for those that are busy and have a lot of paperwork to keep up with. It is also perfect for mothers who have children in school. (Where did I put that permission slip?)

I enjoy this system because I often have notes or something that I need to retrieve for a meeting and I don't want to keep them tucked into my calendar for fear of losing them.

To read more about the 43 folders system, check out this video.

Items that I need to handle but it has to wait
I often have items that I need my husband's signature on, need to discuss with someone, or I need more information to handle it. Those items go into a pretty file box at my launch system (I promise to reveal this soon). I have a pretty pink damask basket that is the perfect size for some girly file folders. My file folders read: ASAP (I need more information, but it needs to be done soon); Chris (I need my hubby's signature or input), Econfina Press (I need to discuss something with mom), School (These are usually homeschool ideas or things that need to be filed, but I'm not in school mode at the moment), File (I need to file, but cannot get to it).
This is an ever evolving part of the system and gets updated quite regularly.

Mobile Office
I have a file envelope in my mobile office that has different purposes. One section is for ideas, one is for projects (a file inside the section for each project), one is for mail, and one is for upcoming projects (one folder for each project). Doing this guarantees that I am constantly looking at my projects I am currently working on and those that I need to get started on. The idea section irritates me when things are in it, so that guarantees that I will do the research done required to scrap the idea or get started on it. The mail section houses catalogs  magazines I want to look through, and mail that I need to work on. I don't like it when items are in this section either, so I take care of them quicker.

I do have one more place I file things, but that will come with the updated calendar post. Oh, and binders are a whole other post.

Do you file? What works for you?

Valentine's Day: Lunches from Pinterest and Funbites

 

I wrote about this amazing product last year, and still absolutely love it. I also received the heart funbites and wanted to share some fun with you. I wanted to share some ideas I found on Pinterest. Why not make your special guy or kiddos a special lunch for Valentine's Day? I love Valentine's day, so I will definitely be making my guys some fun lunches!

Source: bentoschoollunches.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: tinyprincesslunchbox.com via Education on Pinterest

Source: bentoforkidlet.com via KeeleyMcGuire on Pinterest

Source: bentoriffic.wordpress.com via Sarah on Pinterest

I am absolutely in love with the idea of bento lunches. Even though my little guy is homeschooled, I think we could benefit from make ahead lunches- that would be one less thing to worry about every day.

Do you make lunches ahead?

What are some of your Valentine's Day traditions?