Mandi Ehman's Blog, page 20

Weekend reading: August 8, 2015

From Instagram: Our first grape tomato! I had to stop myself from eating all of the ripe ones before the girls get to try them. smile emoticonWe also have another beautiful zucchini, a few Romas and quite a few watermelon and cucumbers that are growing by the day. I think I’m hooked, y’all. I still have no idea what I’m doing, but I wish I had cleared the whole hill and planted a dozen more types of veggies!

I wouldn’t exactly say our garden is thriving, but it’s producing  enough that we excitedly trek up the back hill every couple days to see what’s new. It’s honestly a bit of a mess up there because it took off while we were away for two weeks in July, before I’d gotten tomato cages or trellises in place. I did recently trim back the watermelon and cucumber and muscle tomato cages into place (traumatizing my poor plants in the process), but the best part for me has been seeing things grow even in less-than-ideal circumstances.

My problem with gardening has always been overthinking things: “Why is this leave turning brown? Am I watering it enough? Is it getting too much sun?” This time I’ve forced myself to be laid back about it, and we’re still getting fruits and veggies, which has made it exciting rather than stressful!

Now I’m dreaming of a bigger garden next year so I can keep practicing. My hope is that after we return from our big trip, we’ll be able to plant a garden that looks just like this one on our new land. Hey, no one’s ever accused me of dreaming small.

What I’m thinking about:

{Follow my personal Facebook feed for the things I’m thinking about and talking about all week!}

Abortion, poverty & being pro-woman

If you don’t read anything else this weekend, I’d encourage you to read this post from Ann Voskamp. A friend of mine recently asked some really good questions on Facebook about what pro-lifers are really doing to take care of the children who are not aborted and then born into devastating poverty, and I think this post does a beautiful job of bridging the gap between being pro-life and caring about women who find themselves pregnant in really, really, really hard circumstances.

This is not an easy conversation, and if we pretend that being pro-life is simply enough, we’re fooling ourselves. I’m thankful for the people on both sides of the issue who are willing to have the hard conversations.

Parenting isn’t for sissies

On Blue Hair and Saying Yes | Rage Against the Minivan


Spoiled Rotten | Boston Magazine


When Did I Last Wash Your Hair? | Hannah Help Me


Dear Moms, Jesus Wants You to Chill Out | Raising Godly Children

Back to homeschool

Creating a SIMPLE Morning Basket | Homegrown Learners


Education in an Hour {Live Online Training} | Amongst Lovely Things


If The Friends Were Homeschooled… | Vitafamiliae

Have a great weekend!

P.S. This month we’re talking about disconnecting (from our phones, the internet, etc.) in the Live course. Will you join us?

Weekend reading: August 8, 2015

© 2010-2015 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

Related posts:
Weekend reading: September 20, 2014
Weekend reading: September 27, 2014
Weekend reading: October 4, 2014
Weekend reading: November 15, 2014



     

A quick update on Jackson…

Thank you so much for all of your comments, messages, prayers and well wishes.

For those of you who were waiting to see what the doctor said (and don’t follow me on Instagram or Facebook), here’s the gist…

The doctor did a thorough physical exam and then watched Jack walk for a bit (while holding Sean’s hands because he still isn’t walking independently for more than a step or two).

She said the way turns out his left foot and hobbles along is very typical for a toddler’s fracture (basically a spiral fracture of the tibia). She also said that she typically tells parents that their child should start to walk around day 10 (yesterday for us) with that type of break.

Because he’s already had 3 X-rays and a firm diagnosis doesn’t change his treatment (which is basically still wait and see), we opted not to do another X-ray of his lower leg to confirm her diagnosis, but we were very comfortable with everything she said. At this point we don’t think falling will lead to further injury. That was one of my biggest concerns when he started taking steps because he fell and started crying and holding his leg again several times over the weekend, so I’m glad to know we can just follow his lead.

As long as he continues to make forward progress, there’s no need for any follow up.

Answers are good, even if we don’t need to do anything with those answers, so I’m feeling much better about it!

A quick update on Jackson…

© 2010-2015 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

Related posts:
The power of a hug
On toddlers and the terrific twos
We’re planning an 11-month RV trip…for real! #EhmanAdventure2018
Enjoy today, mama.



     
CommentsPoor boy! I will be praying for a quick and thorough recovery ... by Lisa 

On ER visits, pediatric orthopedists and blogging breaks

It’s been a tough couple of weeks, y’all!

I didn’t mean to stop blogging (and I’d actually been feeling pretty excited about blogging again before my unintended break!), but I had some deadlines that—coupled with our personal schedule and other commitments—made blogging feel stressful rather than fulfilling, so I let myself take a week off.

And then last Saturday, as I was contemplating getting a Weekend Reading post up so you wouldn’t think I’d completely disappeared, Jackson hurt his leg and we rushed to the ER instead.

Sean and Peyton were at his mom’s for the weekend, and I’d let the other girls camp in the family room. When Jack woke up, they came and scoped him out of our bed. Within minutes they’d piled all of their comforters together and he was happily jumping off the couch into them…until he started crying the most pitiful cry I’ve ever heard.

By the time I got to him, I could already tell something was really wrong, and I called Sean to let him know I was thinking about taking him in. I gave him some ibuprofen while he continued to whimper and cry, had the girls quickly make bagels for breakfast while I got dressed, and we were on the road within about 20 minutes.

At the ER, we got a doctor who you honestly might cross the street to avoid if you met him on the street (older, gruff and looking a bit like a drunk homeless man). I try not to make snap judgments, but I wasn’t completely confident with his level of care.

He did get us right in for an X-ray, which was clear, but that was it before he sent us on our way with instructions to call our pediatrician if it didn’t improve in a week.

Although I was thankful for the quick ER trip with 4 kids in tow, when Jack’s pain hadn’t improved and he still couldn’t bear weight on his leg the next morning, we headed in the opposite direction to the bigger hospital in Winchester. There, we spent 6 hours under the care of a doctor that I could not have loved more.

In contrast to our visit on Saturday, he was exceptionally thorough, with new X-rays, an ultrasound, and blood work, all of which were negative.

After taking to our pediatrician, he sent us on our way with a tentative diagnosis of viral toxic synovitis (due to a lingering runny nose) and instructions to call the pediatrician’s office in the next day or two.

On Monday and Tuesday there wasn’t much change, but it felt like it was too soon to go back in. On Wednesday he finally started crawling, so I put off calling again, but by Thursday I decided that 6 days of not being able to bear weight on his leg was long enough, and we made an appointment.

Honestly, our pediatrician (who we love so much!) was as perplexed as everyone else who had seen him. He has almost full range of motion in his hip and no sign of pain when you manipulate his leg, but at that point (6 days after his injury) he still couldn’t bear weight on his left leg at all.

In fact, while we were there he was trying so hard to climb the stool to the exam table, and he just couldn’t. (But at home he climbed a different step stool when he used his arms to pull himself up by the bar at the top).

A third X-ray (ugh!) confirmed there really is no break in his hip or upper leg, as we’d expect a fracture to show up by that point even in a toddler (where it can sometimes take a few days). Because we weren’t able to find a clear answer and it had been so long, our doctor gave us a referral to UVA Children’s Hospital to see a pediatric orthopedist.

On Saturday, we were excited when he took a few shaky, tentative steps (and honestly feeling like the trip to the specialist might be premature), but later that afternoon he did something while playing that had him crying and whimpering in pain again.

Sunday he once again started taking steps before collapsing on the ground with his leg under him.

And so this afternoon (day 10) we’re heading to UVA. Honestly, more than anything, I’m hoping for clear answers. It’s nerve-wracking not to know what is causing his pain and if trying to walk on it is making it better or worse. And because we saw the effects of atrophy when Sean broke his knee last year, I’m getting more and more nervous every day by his leg’s lack of use.

We’re thankful to have the doctors at UVA available to us (that’s also where we went during his stomach/growth issues) and praying for answers and a quick, easy recovery!

And that’s why I disappeared from the blogosphere for two weeks.

On ER visits, pediatric orthopedists and blogging breaks

© 2010-2015 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

Related posts:
Why I’m buying my 8-year-old her first bra
What a red dye sensitivity means for our family
On racism, injustice and having the hard conversations
A day in the life of a work-at-home, homeschooling, introverted mom



     

Weekend reading: July 18, 2015

It’s been probably the craziest week in a year around here, with too much to do, too little time, and way too much going on at once. I’m feeling slightly panicky about the fact that we’re just over 3 months away from having a baby, and with my Essentials class starting back up soon, a special trip to Atlanta for our girl’s 8th birthday, and a huge project to get done for my “day” job, I’m just a little overwhelmed! (Could you tell by the quiet on the blog this week?!)

On top of starting to make plans for our RV trip, we also fell in love with a lot in the Charlottesville, Virginia area that is pretty much everything we’ve dreamed of (which is crazy since we already live on a little slice of heaven!), so we’ve been working on the details of an offer and financing for that as well. Although we’ve always been good at following our dreams (even the crazy ones!), it feels a bit nuts that we’re really doing this!

What I’m reading: Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (and the post that made me move it to the top of my reading list)

What I’m thinking about:

{Follow my personal Facebook feed for the things I’m thinking about and talking about all week!}

Parenting is more than protecting

What losing my kids taught me about free range parenting | The Tennessean


Playing, with fire: How much risk should we expose our kids to?

Taking care of you

Big Picture | Slow Your Home


Life lessons from a covered wagon | The Art of Simple


What self-care looks like for me right now | Modern Mrs. Darcy

Have a great weekend!

P.S. We’re talking about personality and the importance of knowing yourself this month in the Live course.

Weekend reading: July 18, 2015

© 2010-2015 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

Related posts:
Weekend reading: August 16, 2014
Weekend reading: September 13, 2014
Weekend reading: November 22, 2014
Weekend reading: April 25, 2015



     

Why I’m buying my 8-year-old her first bra

Three years after I first shared this post, we’re about to mark this milestone for the third time as our third daughter turns 8 (how did that happen?!), and it continues to be one of the best parenting decisions I’ve ever made. It’s become a fun tradition…and then a non-event; wearing a bra is just what we do after we turn 8. 

She’s not yet 8 and just entering 2nd grade.

She knows more about the animal kingdom and world history than Sean and I put together, but she still giggles over Yo Gabba Gabba.

And although our culture rushes children through childhood and then lets them linger in adolescence, we believe childhood should savored and protected in those early years.

So why am I buying her her first bra already?

Honestly, I didn’t even realize that 8 years old was considered young for a bra until I mentioned it in passing to a few friends and they looked at me like I’d grown two heads.

But to be clear, when I say “bra”, this is what I mean:

The main reason I’m planning to buy my girls training bras early (when they turn 8, since we’re pretty big into birthday milestones in our family) is because it’s what my mom did for us. And I’m so glad she did!

We all know that puberty can be a time of feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable with your changing body. And when I was little (and let’s face it, 8 is still little!), my mom watched other moms struggle to get their older, developing girls to wear bras. They were already sensitive about the changes their bodies were going through, and while they needed to wear a bra, it was a reminder of those changes, so they resisted.

She bought my sister and I training bras when we were 7 or 8 years old, and we were so excited to have something so grown up that it was never a struggle to get us to wear them. When we did start developing, that habit was already in place and it simply wasn’t a big deal.

Although I was fairly awkward and self-conscious in general as an adolescent, I don’t remember ever once feeling self-conscious about my body, and I think my mom’s approach played a huge role in that.

That’s why my oldest baby girl will be going bra shopping for her 8th birthday. (And three years later, I can say that it’s worked just like I hoped it would!)

***

If you have little girls, are training bras on your radar? If your girls are older, when did they get their first bras?

Why I’m buying my 8-year-old her first bra

© 2010-2015 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

Related posts:
What a red dye sensitivity means for our family
On racism, injustice and having the hard conversations
“Love is a Verb” {and that’s not just a song title}
How to have the perfect Mother’s Day



     
CommentsI think the spacing (or lack of!) of our girls is one reason ... by Mandi @ Life Your WayLOL! That's funny. I actually agree with you, and I've been ... by Mandi @ Life Your WayI remember getting one when I was 9, and I needed one. Maybe 8 ... by KM LoganI'm kind of the opposite. I think bras are so freaking ... by The Frugal GirlJust because other girls are wearing bras doesn't mean you ... by kiraPlus 3 more... 

Embracing the summer reading slump {Quick Lit with Modern Mrs. Darcy}

I realized something about myself recently.

Every year I blame my summer reading slump on some circumstance: pregnancy or travel or having a toddler running around.

But I’ve realized the summer reading slump is just that—a seasonal slump that happens regardless of circumstance. It’s time to embrace the slump and just accept that I read much more in the cooler months when there are football games on TV and blankets to snuggle under and the sun sets earlier than I do in the warmer months when there are pool days and work projects and more family activities.

It’s been three months since I’ve shared a list of the books I’ve read, and I’ve finished a total of eleven books in that time (and three of those have been in the last two weeks!).

That’s why I’ve never met my Goodreads Challenge to read 100 books in a year—although I’m well on my way to hitting 75 this year, especially since I’ll have a newborn to cuddle for the last two months of the year—and I think I’m okay with that, as much as I’d prefer to be a more consistent reader.

Here’s what I did read (linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy!):

The Invention of Wings: With Notes by Sue Monk Kidd

I think this may be one of the best southern fiction slave narratives that I’ve read. It’s a beautiful, heart-wrenching story based on historical events and the lives of the first female abolitionists in the U.S., and I appreciated that Kidd didn’t try to make the main character appear perfect in the face of slavery within her home but gave her a realistic struggle with the norms she’d grown up with.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

My great-grandmother suffered from Alzheimers before her death, and I remember visiting her in the nursing home while she talked about people and events from far in her past. Alzheimers has always been one of my greatest fears, and this story was a beautiful look at the struggle of a woman who is at the top of her career as a university professor when early-onset Alzheimers begins to steal her memories. But it’s also a story about the love of family in the face of the unimaginable. Not a happy story by any stretch, but one worth reading nonetheless.

The Heir (The Selection, Book 4) by Kiera Cass

I gave this book three stars on Goodreads, and that was generous. I loved the first three books in this series (not as high literature, but as fun, easy reads), and the series probably should have stopped there. This one was just silly, repeating many of the situations and characters from earlier books but without any character development. I was looking for a fun, easy read, but it just left me unsatisfied.

Trafficked: My Story of Surviving, Escaping, and Transcending Abduction into Prostitution by Sophie Hayes

I don’t know whether sex trafficking is a growing problem today or just one that is finally being put into the spotlight, but as the mother of four girls, I’m keenly aware that many prostitutes are not there by choice and that even middle class girls are being trafficked today. Other reviewers questioned whether this story could possibly be true and why Sophie Hayes didn’t simply run away, but I found this memoir to be realistic and her reaction to the psychological games her captor played (“I will hurt your family…”) to be understandable.

Astonish Me: A novel (Vintage Contemporaries) by Maggie Shipstead

I wouldn’t say I loved this book, although it is very well written and really interesting, but I learned more about the world of ballet than I could have imagined!

The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope by Rhonda Riley

Sometimes it’s challenging to review books knowing that other people are reading those reviews! I really liked this book, but it’s not one I’d recommend without any caveats. There are many references to intimacy between the main characters, but I actually thought most of the scenes were lovely descriptions of marital intimacy and not particularly graphic, so they didn’t bother me. However, there are also scenes between lesbian lovers, and while they’re still not overly graphic (and only found in the first couple of chapters), I’d hesitate to recommend this book without acknowledging those. Overall, however, I found the storyline intriguing from start to finish, and I kept reading because I was never sure what would happen next or where exactly the author was taking us!

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter: A Novel by Tom Franklin

This may have been my favorite book of the past few months. I liked the first three-quarters of this book, but I loved the ending. It’s heartbreaking and thought-provoking and sad and awful and beautiful all in one.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo

Although I started reading this one last month—and read the first few chapters really quickly—I found myself discouraged by the prospect of “tidying my whole house once and for all” and set it aside when life got busy. However, Anne recently shared her tips for the life-changing magic of tidying up for kids, and it feels a little more realistic once again, so I hope to finish this one this week.

Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates

One of my goals over the next couple of years is to read through all of the books used in the early Classical Conversations Challenge levels (7th and 8th grade) so that I’ll be able to discuss them with the girls when they get there. (We still have a couple of years, but I’m trying to be realistic about my reading habits!)

Although I truly can’t fathom the horrors of slavery—and I honestly think we only scratch the surface when we try—I love that this story focuses on the strength of Amos Fortune and his quests for freedom and finding his sister.

The Martian: A Novel by Andy Weir

I avoided this book for along time because nothing about it appealed to me. But after reading yet another raving review, I finally picked it up, and I was sucked in from the first page. Highly technical (and known as hard science fiction because it includes so many scientific details), the story has the potential to be dry and boring, but I really liked the main character—despite his love of crude language and f-bombs—and I found the book exciting throughout. I’m looking forward to seeing the movie with my husband!

How to Use a Runaway Truck Ramp by Shawn & Maile Smucker

I love memoirs, and I was excited to read this one as we begin making plans for our own RV adventure. But what I love about memoirs in general is the stories themselves, and I felt like this one tried too hard to make the connection between their experiences on the road and important life lessons, and I would have rather just read about the details of their trip and made the connections myself!

***

What have you read recently? Do your reading habits follow a seasonal pattern?

Embracing the summer reading slump {Quick Lit with Modern Mrs. Darcy}

© 2010-2015 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

Related posts:
A mishmash of books {Quick Lit with Modern Mrs. Darcy}
How do YOU rate books on Goodreads?
Why I love Liane Moriarty’s novels
Question of the Day: How do you choose books?



     
CommentsI'm glad you found Trafficked as…what's the word…it isn't ... by Sara KilpatrickI'm still thinking about this, and I'm surprised by the idea ... by Mandi @ Life Your WayThe same reason I informed them about the heterosexual ... by Mandi @ Life Your WaySame here with the children's literature. My first book this ... by EmpressI have to ask why you feel it would be necessary to inform ... by EmpressPlus 2 more... 

Weekend reading: July 11, 2015

From Instagram: “Show me your muscles, Jack!” Makes me laugh every time.

We went to see Inside Out this week, and—like the rest of the country—we adored it. Such a cute movie and a great conversation starter for talking about emotions, especially as we enter the puberty years with our four girls. I have a feeling it’s a movie we’ll watch again and again to remind all of us that feeling like your emotions are out of control is normal and that sometimes you just need to cry!

What I’m reading: The Martian by Andy Weir (I’ve avoided this one for months, but it sucked me right in!)

What I’m thinking about:

{Follow my personal Facebook feed for the things I’m thinking about and talking about all week!}

Changing your perspective

Why Complaining Doesn’t Get You What You Want And What Will | Storyline Blog


Unreasonable | Seth’s Blog


6 Things to Know About How to Get Out of Funk Town | zen habits

Practical parenting

Girl books that boys love, boy books that girls love | Simple Homeschool


Children prefer simple pleasures to organised trips, research finds | Telegraphy


Parenting a child with anxiety | The Art of Simple

Living a life your love

Do Less and Live More | Becoming Minimalist


Perfection: the thief of “good enough” | The Art of Simple

Have a great weekend!

Weekend reading: July 11, 2015

© 2010-2015 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

Related posts:
Weekend Reading: July 19, 2014
Weekend reading: October 25, 2014
Weekend reading: December 20, 2014
Weekend reading: May 30, 2015



     

Enjoy today, mama.

 

We’re planning an 11-month RV trip…for real! #EhmanAdventure2018

As a family, we love road trips. We drive 2-3 hours to various day trip destinations on a regular basis, think nothing of hopping in the car for the 6-hour drive to my parents, and made the 18-hour trip to Florida regularly before they moved to NC.

We’ve been talking about a trip out west—specifically to St. George, Utah, where we lived for two years and our oldest daughter was born—for years, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve been begging Sean to consider hitting the road for a full year to really explore the U.S.

With a cousin who lives in a veggie-powered RV full-time with her family, and with friends like the Oxenreiders and the Langfords (both of whom have returned from around-the-world trips with their families recently), the idea has felt more like possibility than fantasy in the last couple of years, but Sean was just not buying in.

Recently, however, he’s been getting the itch to move, and we finally found a compromise that made us both happy. I can’t stand the idea of leaving our amazing community in Winchester, VA to move somewhere new, but the idea of heading out to explore the U.S. and then settling someplace new when we return feels like an easier transition to me, and the idea of traveling on the way to a new destination feels more doable to him.

I’ve shared our “plans” a few times on social media, and I know there are lots of questions (probably at the top is, “Are you really doing this?!”), so I thought I’d answer some of those here.

Why 2018? Why 11 months?

We have a few financial goals we’d like to hit before we head out, and I’d much rather travel with a 2-year-old (my favorite!) than an infant or toddler, since naps will be less important, I won’t be nursing anymore, etc. Because I’m due this November with baby #6, that means we need to wait a couple of years.

Our plan is to hit the road right after Christmas 2017 and be back to celebrate Thanksgiving with family in 2018. We love the holidays, and celebrating with family is super important to both Sean and I, so this provides the perfect timeline for us.

Do you own an RV?

We don’t yet own an RV, but our plan is to buy one that sleeps 10 in the months leading up to our trip. Although we’re just starting our research, we’re looking at slightly used, but not old, RVs, both for reliability during our trip and because we have a feeling this RVing thing will be addictive and we want to keep it around for shorter trips after we get back!

What will you do for work?

The funny part is Sean is in the process of starting an interior paint and trim work business now, but as a business owner, he’ll still have the flexibility to work for the next two years and then take a break while we travel. I’ll continue to work from the road—both blogging and (hopefully!) my position with Ultimate Bundles.

Where will you go?

My goal is for us to make at least one significant stop in each of the 48 contiguous states. We’re starting with the National Parks because we love these “wonders” of the United States, but we’ll also include historical sites, museums, and a few just-for-fun stops like Disneyland and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

We’re also seriously considering spending a month during the summer touring Alaska. Many of the National Parks in the 48 lower states will be super busy in June and July, which also happens to be prime time for exploring Alaska, so it seems like a win-win to head up there. But it also feels like a whole new level of adventure that’s honestly a little intimidating!

How will you plan?

Oh, man, this is killing me already; there is so much to think about and consider, and it all feels very overwhelming!

That said, Amy Lynn Andrews recently sent me this optimized plan for hitting major land marks in the 48 lower states, and I feel like it’s the perfect framework to begin tweaking and adding to. We’ve got a few books (as seen above, plus The Complete Idiot’s Guide to RVing), and we also just ordered a big wall map and map pins so we can begin plotting stops on a map.

Starting now means I can walk away when it starts to feel overwhelming and also take my time learning about places and all of the things that I don’t know that I don’t know. If nothing else, we’re going to learn a whole lot about the United States as we plan!

Will you be doing meetups?

In all honesty, this question is hard for me to answer. I’ve had so many people who’ve heard about our trip and generously offered to let us crash at their house on the road. And there are tons of people I know virtually that I’d love to get to know in person.

But the truth is Sean and I are both extreme introverts, and living in a bus as a family will already be stretching that side of us. While we do plan to see family and close friends who are scattered around the country—and meet lots of new people while on the road—we probably won’t be doing a lot of planned meetups along the way. I know we’re missing out on a huge opportunity, but we’re also trying to be realistic about our limitations!

And then what?

At this point, we’re exploring cities and towns in and around the Charlottesville, VA area to see where we might want to settle in a few years. We love the idea of living in a bigger area with colleges, career opportunities, and more so that our kids have lots of options without necessarily having to move far away as adults. There are also a lot of rural options in that area that don’t involve driving over the mountains or living 30-45 minutes from “town”, which is especially enticing as we think about the girls getting their drivers licenses in a few short years!

What about your house?

Our plan at this point is to put our house on the market in the fall of 2017. Sean has just started doing a ton of finish work on the house, and it’s sad to think that we’re finishing it just to move, but I’m hoping we’ll be able to enjoy it for the next two years or so before we go!

What about your leases?

I recently shared that we moved to leasing our vehicles rather than purchasing because of several factors that make it the right choice for our family. Ironically, we had already decided to travel in 2018 when we realized the timing actually works out perfectly for our lease agreements, both of which end in the fall of 2017. We’ll most likely pick up a new lease with a lower mileage allowance to take on our trip so that we have transportation without worrying about RV parking, a way for us to head out individually, etc., but we’ll work on those details closer to the trip.

I think that’s it (can you tell we’ve been thinking and talking about this nonstop for the last two weeks?), but if you have other questions—or suggestions of things we need to do or see—I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

We’re planning an 11-month RV trip…for real! #EhmanAdventure2018

© 2010-2015 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

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How to Collect, Collaborate, and Share Photos from an Event
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Why, yes, we DO have our hands full!
How to have the perfect Mother’s Day



     

We’re giving away a printable pack every day this month! {Pin It to Win It}

Enter to win the Life Your Way Complete Printables Download Pack (or a $7 credit to the Life Your Way shop) when you share your favorite printables on Pinterest. We’ll choose a new winner every day in July!

To enter:

1. Pin your favorite printables and tell us how you use them in your home.

2. Use the hashtags #freeprintables and #winadownloadpack in your description.

3. Come back and submit your link and contact information in the form below:

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4. Enter to win every day in July!

Remember, someone will win a Download Pack—with more than 400 printables organized in ready-to-use folders for you to use—every single day in July!

We’re giving away a printable pack every day this month! {Pin It to Win It}

© 2010-2015 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

Related posts:
The 2014 Christmas planners are HERE! {101 Days of Christmas}
Free personalized printable binder covers
Updated 2014 Thanksgiving planner now available!
Finding inspiration for your doodles {plus 2 printable doodle pages!}