Blog Planner Review: The Flourishing Abode

A few months ago, I got the opportunity to become a part of the Homeschool Mosaic Review Team! I have never been a part of a review team before, but I have always liked giving my honest opinions on things, so I thought this would be a great way to do it!

My first review was to be of a blog planner. Now, I'm going to be honest with you all. I am not much of a blog planner. I'm more of fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants blogger. I like to blog about what I want, when I want.

So I knew that I needed to pick something simple that didn't have a lot of details.

That's why I picked The Flourishing Abode Planner.

What I liked about this specific planner is it's set up for a week at a time.

 

I wrote down the posts I wanted to do each day so that I could look at it for further reference. This was a simple set-up for me, and easy to follow. 

 There are also places to write in future post ideas, where you want to promote your blog posts, pictures to be made, and a place for extra little notes that you may need to remember throughout the week. I thought it was set up very nicely and had plenty of room for everything that you need to do!

I really enjoyed working with this planner, and tried to plan a week of blogging by using it. But to be honest, I probably won't use it again. If I have a blog post coming up that I have to post, I'll probably put it right on my regular calendar to remind me since I look at that more than I would ever look at a piece of paper.

But this WAS a nice 1-page, easy to follow planner that I would suggest if you wanted something simple!

Oh! And the best part? This is free! :D

Find out more about this planner here: The Flourishing Abode Planner.

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 5

Day 5: A Picture That Makes You Happy

30 Days Blog Challenge Day 4

Day 4: Family


(This is me as a baby with my Mom and Dad. Dad was sure rockin' the mustache. And the um, hair. Now he has no mustache and little hair.)


(I was an only child for the first 7 years of my life. Here my parents and I are at Disney World, my first trip. I was 5 here.)


(Dad, Mom, me and Gracie. I think that Gracie was almost a year old here, so I would've been about 7.)


(Here my family is with Steven Curtis Chapman. Ian had arrived about a year before this happened.

I am entering a photo contest, because, well, I like to take pictures and I took some cool ones today whilst outdoors with my sister.

Spring needs to come now...without rain

It's about time for it to start getting warm here in Pennsylvania, but guess what? It really hasn't been. And when it decides to get warm - it also decides to rain.

I'm ready for a warm day without rain! I wanna wear my shorts and t-shirts without having to put on a sweatshirt. Today, it's somewhat warm, but it also looks like it's going to rain. Rain, rain, go away, come again in a couple of weeks! - when I'm in Georgia.

I just found out that my mom and I are going to the Atlanta Homeschool Convention - GHEA - from May 5th-8th. I'm actually quite excited to be going down there. We get to go on a plane,
which makes the trip less than two hours.

The trip to ATL is going to make our May even more crazy with trips. But as you faithful readers of my blog know - I love to travel. Anywhere! You also should know that my all-time favorite place to go is Disney World! I can't wait for our short trip to Disney in the end of May! I'll get to see Ali again, which will be nice!And get to work at the Homeschool Convention down there too. And I love helping sell things for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. (I am going to be going back down to GA for Ali's wedding in December! :P)

Last summer, I took a trip to see my friend Natalie up in NY. I also got to see some other friends in the same trip - Sam, Jen, and Mandy. It was a great visit and I had an awesome time, but I don't think that we'll be able to do it again this summer, thanks to the job I'm going to be having and the one that Natalie has, too. So we're going to try to get together at some point in the fall! :) I'm hoping that works out because I miss them!




I also want to go back to see Kylie sometime next spring, if possible, for her 16th birthday. With airline flight prices going up, it's really hard for me to be able to spend money on a plane ticket at this point. But because of the awesome times we had together when I was there in the fall, I really want to go back! :)

Anyway, I don't even remember the point of this post, actually. Oh, to say that it's been rainy and I'm ready for Spring and Summer to come!

~Ashley

28 Day Blog Challenge: Day 19

Day 19: A Hobby Of Yours

THIS I can do! But I've got hobbies coming out the wazoo, I don't even know where to start.

My biggest hobby has to definitely be writing. I write like a crazy person, whether it be stories, or blog posts, or statuses on facebook, I write SOMETHING a lot. Writing. Ahhh, I love writing. I've been writing since I was about ten years old, and finished my first book - if you can call it that - when I was about 12. That book should be burnt, or be thrown out the window, but I'm one of those people who doesn't want to ever throw away any of my past stories, because for 1, they're fun to look back at and see how I've matured at as a writer, and 2, because I may be able to use some of my plots - loosely - over again. :)

I also seriously enjoy playing my guitar. I actually JUST came downstairs from playing it. I haven't been playing much lately and now my fingers are sore from playing a lot this evening. I have been playing guitar for about 2 years. I have written - also cowrote - maybe songs and have done the music for them with my guitar. :)

This picture to the left was taken this fall at some railroad tracks near my house. I thought that it turned out pretty awesome. :)


I also thoroughly enjoy traveling places. This past year I've been to 6 different states, gone to Disney World, Williamsburg and had my FIRST ever plane ride! It was definitely a great year for traveling.
Disney World is my ALL-TIME favorite place to travel to. I love everything about it, I don't even mind the crowds because it's so amazing. When I go there, I feel like I've stepped back in time to my childhood and I can be a little kid. Everyone likes to be a kid again and whenever I go to Disney World, I feel that way. The first time I ever went to Disney World was when I was 5, then I was 11, then 15, then 16, just this past May. I love Florida! :D
Picture to the left is me and my friend, Ali, fro my most recent trip to Disney World, May of 2010.

Also past year (in November of 2010), I traveled to CO, as all of my blogger friends know, to visit my best friend, Sky. It was one of the best experiences I've had, because it was the first time that I've ever been on an airplane. It was so much fun to actually get onto the plane and travel to CO, but when I was actually there and had met Sky, the two of us had the best time! We laughed almost the whole time that I was there, until I left, then we cried. But the weeklong trip just brought us closer together and we talk even more since I got home!

A Couple Days Worth of Blog Challenge

Day 17: An Art Piece

Truth be told, I've never been too into art, if you want to know the truth. But I do really like landscape photos. Here's one I found.

Day 18: A Time You Felt Passionate and Alive

I didn't have to think about this one long! It didn't take much! Pretty much anytime I listen to, or play, music. Music is one of the most passionate things there is, and I always feel alive when I listen to it.

Day 19: A Talent of Yours

Wow, conceited much? You really want me to sit here and make a list of things that I think I'm good at? I would rather not. That's just rude and aren't we told that we shouldn't brag on ourselves much? Well, okay. Fine. I will say one thing.
I like to write. And I do it a lot. I write because I have to. My characters won't leave me alone. Writing is a big part of my life, and I must do it!
I loveeeee writing!
****Excuse the TFk Forward Motion Song on the iPod. IT was the only picture I truly had of my writing. :P ****

Blog Challenge

Day 11: A Photo of You Taken Recently

Blog Challenge Day 9 & 10

Day 9: A Picture You Took

Dad bought Mom, Gracie and I roses for Valentine's Day. Here's a picture:

Day 10: A Picture Of You Taken Over 10 Years Ago

(That was me when I was 2, I believe.)

Blog Challenge

Day 7: Five Things You Couldn't Possibly Live Without

1. My Bible. :)
   
2. My iPod Touch
   
3. My Guitar
   
4. Coffeeeeeeeeeeee!
   
5. My Family
   
   

Major Events in 2010

MAJOR EVENTS IN 2010

I had a lot of things happen this year that I just had to blog about in review. Most of the major events were meeting friends this year. :)

1. First off, I met one of my best friends Ali when we were down in Florida. It was so cool to hang out with her in Disney World and get to know her better while I was there.

Picture of Ali and me :)

Wearing funny hats:

2. Second, in July, I went to New York to spend a week with Natalie. I had a great time and it was awesome to see her again. This was the third time I had met her. I had spent the night there in June 2009, then she came down here in November of 2009.

This is a picture of Natalie, Sam and me from July:

3. In September Mom, Mimi, Gracie, Ian and I went to Williamsburg for a week. While there, I randomly heard from Bethany, a friend I knew through blogging, saying she wanted to meet up with me. So we did. :)

4. Soon after I got home from VA, my friend Sky invited me to come visit her! So in November I made my way across the USA, to the west. :) CO was an experience, especially since it was my first time on an airplane.

5. When I was down in North Carolina, friends from SC came up to see me. :)
*i don't remember what we were laughing at. :P
Left to right: Brenda, Matthew, me and Ginny.

30 Day Blog Challenge Day 1

30 Days Blog Challenge.

I am doing this a day late, but I am going to get caught up! Gives me a reason to post every day! :D

Day 1: introduce, recent picture, and 15 interesting facts

My name is Ashley and I will be 17 in just a little over a month. I am a born-again Christian; I accepted Christ into my life when I was 5. I was recently baptized at my church on August 8th 2010. . I go to a Baptist church about a half an hour from where I live, and love it!

15 Interesting Facts:

1. I am completely addicted to music. Not just one kind-of music either. I can go from recent country music all the way to the other end of the spectrum with Christian rock music. Ask anyone, I almost always have at least one earbud in.
2. I love to read. My favorite books are Christian fiction.
3. I LOVE to write. Even more than read, I think. I write Christian fiction, too, and write as much as I can.
4. I have two best friends. Neither of whom I have met. Yet. I met them both online - and I'm going to visit one of them in just...25 days! I am so excited.
5. I grew up in a Christian home. I am so thankful for that.
6. I have read through the Bible twice. I plan to do it more times.
7. I'm 5'5" and officially taller than my mom! Ha.
8. I stopped biting my fingernails last December and they are FINALLY starting to get stronger and become nails! :D
9. I absolutely love holding babies! I love babysitting little kids, and spending time with them!
10. I've played the guitar for about 2 years now. I love playing around with new songs, and picking styles.
11. I was obsessed with the Jonas Brothers for a while. Then I stopped liking them for a while, totally. Now, I like their music, but don't like to think back to the obsession I had. Total stupidity.
12. I love Nancy Drew computer games! I am addicted. Mom and I play them together - and we usually solve them in a couple of days!
13. I played soccer for 7 years, both indoor and outdoor and absolutely loved it. I don't even really know why I quit, and sometimes I miss it. Especially when I go to soccer games and see people I used to play with, still playing. *sigh*
14. I LOVE Disney World! It is one of my favorite places in the world! We were just there in May and I can't wait to go back!
15. I love English and History but pretty much despise Science and Math. Sorry to all you math and science lovers out there. Not my thing at all.

Is it sad that I ran out of somewhat interesting facts about myself?!

oh man!

I've missed blogging. It's been so long since I've blogged and feel somewhat weird not posting on a blog. I've been a blogger for over three years, but I guess not a very good one, since I can't seem to post consistently. Guess it has something to do with the fact that most of my friends and I communicate through facebook and don't have to worry about comments back and forth like we used to. Oh, well.

A lot has gone on since my last post in May. Wow - that was so long ago. It seems like FOREVER since I went to my Stellar Kart concert and go to meet those really awesome guys.

I went to my one of my great friend, Natalie's house in July and spent a week with her at her house - about 5 hours from my house. It was an amazing time and I got to see some of my awesome friends! :) It, too, seems like a really long time ago, although, it was only a month ago. The week didn't feel like long enough together, but I'll be seeing her again for a weekend in October.
That's a picture of Natalie, Sam and me, on July 18th, 2010.

We started school back up after some of the summer off. I didn't even post since we took off school, and look at this, we started back! Ha. I am a junior this year. :) I am doing Consumer Math (Abeka), Marine Biology, All American History (I think!), Total Language Plus (I love this stuff!), Government, Greek (YAY!).

This fall there's a lot going on. In September, I'm going (with part of my family) to Williamsburg, VA, for the Homeschool Days there.
In October, for a weekend, back to NY, with mom. I'll be staying with Natalie, while she goes to Women of Faith with a friend of her's.
In November, I'm going to spend a week with my friend KYLIE! YAY! I have never met her and it'll be the first time I'll ever have to fly on a plane. A four hour plane ride. I can do this, yes, I can! Ha. I hope. I will be traveling by myself, so that's the only scary part.
Also in November, I'm going with a friend of my mom's, down to South Carolina for a couple of day, to help at the distribution center for Operation Christmas Child.

I'm gonna sign off here - but I'll be sure to try to get back to post again. (Don't hold me to it - I don't know if I can get back into this or not!)
~Ash

Stellar Kart concert

So on Sunday evening, Mom and I headed to Mechanicsburg, PA, to a Stellar Kart concert. We left early, to go out for supper and then to the mall for a little while, then headed to the church where the concert was going to be at.

We were there super early, and ended up being the second people in line to wait to get in, and ended up getting good seats:

The first two bands, Same as Sunday and 7eventh Time Down were really not my favorite bands in the world, and while they were playing, Jordan and Brian from Stellar Kart were standing in the back of the church, running sound:


During 7eventh Time Down was playing, I headed to the back of the church, to ask if I could get pictures with them, but right when I got back there, Jordan walked out of the sanctuary, so I only got to meet Brian.

(I am wearing a Stellar Kart T-Shirt in that photo, but I zoomed it in.)

Then Stellar Kart went up on stage to set up their stuff.
Jon getting ready to play:

Jordan waiting to play his drums! (He is definitely the crazy drummer that my friend and I dubbed him as!)

And here are some random pictures from them playing:

Then, after the concert, we stuck around, to meet Stellar Kart, get them to sign my shirt, and get a picture with them.

With Stellar Kart:

Edited: