Life simple

Life simple. That is what i have been enjoying of late. I've had so many plans for blogging right after graduation, but on the last day of my college career my laptop died. haha! It worked out because David surprised me with an IPhone for graduation :) He is too good to me. Now I'm making use of my brother Zach's laptop while he is away at work (he's staying with us again this summer). SO to fill you in on my life, there isn't much and I am absolutely LOVING it.

 

I graduated this year with my Bachelors in Arts in Health Promotion...and couldn't be more excited. I'll admit, throughout this past semester I was VERY scared. What to do next? If it tells you anything, I considered going back to school since it's the only I know how to do right now. hahahha! BUT I came to a point the last few weeks of school, where I realized that God had a plan, and that's the beauty of being a Christ Follower. I have been released from the bondage of worry, because God has it all lined up. Currently I'm nannying, and just taking a break. I could not be more at peace where God has me, and am trusting him whole heartedly to see me through. I have to admit, having my husband at such a great job that he enjoys is such a blessing, especially since I don't have a fulltime all the time job. Thanks babe for working so hard! I'm praying daily for a job this fall, if you think about it pray with me! 

     When I look back on my college career, I wouldn't have changed a thing. I so enjoyed living with my best friend Melyssa for 2 years and keeping the pact we had made as freshmen in HS :) I could not do life without her, and am so glad we had each other throughout some of our most challenging times. I loved my time at faith and gained a great support system of friendships there.

 Although my year at DMACC was INSANE due to the crazy hard (for me) classes that I took, being engaged, and flipping our house...I will always enjoy that time David and I shared going to the same school again :) (and Leah ;) ). Grand View University was no doubt in God's plan for me. It was the absolute PERFECT place for me. It was just 10 minutes away from home and had the small private school feel that this spoiled girl has always been blessed with :). My professors were a gift from God. They loved Him and were not afraid to show it. I gained some fantastic friends that helped me get through those two years. Love you ladies :). 

     One person I can not thank enough is my mother. While both parents were very supportive, my mom helped me on this college journey starting as a Sophomore in HS. She helped me understand what my skills and passions were and made sure I was totally set for college academically. She attended EVERY transfer meetings as I decided what schools were best for me and what my time there would look like. She saw to it that I would graduate in FOUR years no matter what. She is a rock star. Thank you mom, I could not have done it without you. 

   

 In other news, David and I celebrated our second Anniversary, and I am amazed how our marriage just keeps getting better and better...and those petty "get-used-to-living-with-this-man/woman" fights are becoming more and more rare :) Marriage is very sweet. I love that man. David planned our mini weekend getaway in Des Moines, which was so good for us. We want to make our Anniversaries a BIG deal...because they are! I could talk all day about how blessed I am to have him, but I have eternity to do that :)

   If you want to get ahold of me, I'm either crafting at home, chillin by the pool with the kiddos, fellowshipping with my Gospel Community, missing my sister, or at one of the NINE weddings we are invited to this year. thanks for listening. xo jennie h.

Write-Me-A-Love-Note Frame...DIY

And for my 2nd Valentine's pinterest project:

Write-Me-A-Love-Note Frame!

So, I originally nabbed this idea from (once again) pinterest (naturally). It's a pretty popular one. I just kinda took the concept and did my own thing with it...
SO, David's love language is Words affirmation. (Don't know the love languages?? Find out about them here!) And, I know I need to work on being a better words of affirmationer (haha!) with him especially. SO I thought this might be a handy tool! We want these frames to be a place to go to either laugh or feel very loved. And I gotta say... I love 'em!

SO...here's how I made 'em!

Directions for "The Green One"

What you'll need to clone this guy:

-a garage sale frame...literally I pulled this from my very own garage sale pile.

-felt ($0.29 a sheet at Michaels)

-Ribbon

-Buttons, confetti- anything you want to decorate with :)

-Glue Gun

HOW TO:

Take your garage sale frame, find the where the most scratches are...and that is where you will put your decoration :) That's what I did at least! I made three felt rosettes- which you can find a tutorial to make them here! I also added a button and some curled blue ribbon to them :) In the opposite corner, I put a piece of ribbon that fit nicely over a scratch :) I jazzed it up with some vintage buttons from my stash and a confetti piece from my wedding :) I used a glue gun for attaching it all :)...Stay tuned for directions for the paper insert!

Directions for "The White One"

What you'll need to clone this guy:

-a garage sale frame...literally I pulled this from my very own garage sale pile.

-felt ($0.29 a sheet at Michaels)

-Twine

-Buttons, confetti, ribbon- anything you want to decorate with :)

-Scrapbook Paper

-Glue Gun, adhesive

HOW TO:

For this one, I made some penants :) Which I LOVE. I cut out each triangle, then using the glue gun- I attached it to the "back" of the twine. I then attached the whole bunting to the frame. Using a glue stick, I decorated my penants with ribbon, scrapbook paper, confetti, and a button :) The most fun part of course :) Next, I added a little tag down in the corner using scrapbook paper and a little cardboard applique. It says "My favorite person". I backed it with a piece of felt so it would pop! 

FOR THE PAPER INSERT:

What you'll need: Notebook Paper, Stamps, Ink, Dry erase marker :)

HOW TO: easy peasy. I just cut  a piece of notebook paper, and using stamps and ink, I wrote the Dears and Loves :) (which can definitely be done using a sharpie!)...of course I added a heart :) yaaay!

I love finding a new message on my board :) I just love them in general!

Thanks for stopping by Peace, love, and dry erase :) Jennie.

52 things...DIY

Hello friends :) Well, if you read my most recent blog post about my Valentines day, you'll see how I used some of my pinterest powers :) As promised here are directions for:


52 ways to show my spouse I love them
    I originally found this idea off pinterest, and you can find the original tutorial here :) I used the same concept, just "packaged" it a bit differently. So, basically the idea is to provide your spouse with ideas of ways they can show you that they love you :) I've only been married now for 1 year and oh 9ish months, so I'm no expert on marriage. BUT I do know that it's been hard enough to figure out this marriage thing and how that works into our relationship- and it is difficult to keep "dating" one another, and really showing one another our love in ways we understand it. And not to mention, there are still things we haven't figured out about eachother! Shocking, I know. haha...

SO I decided that this would be a good tool. Here's how it goes: Each of us had 52 slips of paper. On each paper we wrote a way that we would like to be shown that we are loved and thought of by the other person. Examples of mine were: Clean out my car, make me a treat, write me a note of ways I have improved as a wife since we first got married, pray with me everyday of the week, give me a neck/scalp massage, etc. We also made sure that we hit all 5 love languages so it didn't just become a honey-do list :) But obviously, there were more requests that emphasized the love language(s) that speaks the most to us. P.S. Don't know the love languages?? Check it out here! SO Sunday, we will pull a slip and then we have all week to accomplish it. By the end of the year, we will have 52 ideas tucked in our brain!

"PACKAGING": I did NOT want to spend much on the packaging, but I still wanted it to look cute and be able to withstand the war zone of the top of a dresser for a year :) SO...I went to Michaels, and got these cute PLASTIC (for durability) take out containers for $0.99, and then went scrounging through my own scrapbook paper and found this cute "pet name" paper...which I had no plans for :) I simply cut it, and taped it to the inside. I then attached the cute monogram stickers to one of the papers. The D stand's for "David's requests" and the J stand for "Jennie's requests". Easy as Pie!


* We're one week into it, and I can already tell that my "requests" might be a little more extensive then his.haha! good thing he loves me! Thanks for stoppin by! Let me know if you attempt this little diddy :)

A Cliche Valentine's Day

Hello! So because David's birthday is exactly one week after Vday, we never really done much for hearts day. BUT this year, I requested of David a "Cliche Valentine's Day". Yup! I wanted all the standard. Don't judge me, I'm always looking for new dates to go on...and we've never done the commercial valentine one before...so why not? haha...I will take you through our day, because my life is so incredibly exciting (ha!). I will say, it was fun!...Let's be honest what girl does not enjoy all the goods (no matter the amount of thought actually put into it...ha!) Ok, so here is how our holiday went...


1. First off we started out with a Dinner. Lovely idea....not so lovely idea: going ON hearts day. SO we opted for a pre Vday dinner on Sunday! We planned for Latin King...only to drive there to discover it is closed on Sunday. bummer. so naturally we went for the next romantic spot on our list:

Romantic right? haha...good none the less :)

2. On hearts day, I woke up to this lovely arrangement on the kitchen table:

Yessss....He said he wanted corny but still impresseive...he added the 3 roses for cliche's sake (2 for 2 married Vday's so far...one for our engaged Vday that he forgot to get me flowers for...which I still hang over his head.haha) AND the "impressive part" was the hydrangea's and Symphony bars...my faves :)

3. We spent the evening with a million other couples (most of which were in HS...ahah) watching: 

Fan-freakin-tastic movie! & it really is a great date movie too :) After you watch it..you have to watch this clip of the REAL couple behind the movie! 

4. So I'm always thinking of ways to help my marriage for the long run. What can I do now to make life easier down the road?...For hearts day, I wanted to do something that could impact our marriage in that way. I decided to put my pinterest powers to some good use, and did these two projects that I hope will uplift my marriage: I found both on pinterest, but tweaked them to my liking. Here goes: **Excuse the awful photography, I've lost my camera...so i'm down to an awful phone cam.

  Pinterest Project Numero Uno: 52 ways to show the other person you love them.

I'll soon post directions for this project: But in a nutshell...I wrote on the yellow slips 52 ways that David could make me feel loved. He did the same on the green strips. Then we switched containers. Every Sunday (for one year) we will  pull out a slip, and we have all week to complete it. I decided to do this particular project, because lately we had been discussing how we needed to do a better job of "dating" each other. With all the transitions that marriage has brought, we've had to work so hard on getting that down. So these are ways/ideas we can use not only this year, but down the road! 

 Pinterest Project: Numero Dos: Write me a note Frames :)

Ok...so I'm not gonna lie, I LOVE these! I've been wanting to do it for a while...but just wasn't sure what exactly I wanted. Yaay! I love them! David's top love language is words of affirmation. I hope to use this to fulfill that language the best I can :) I will post directions soon!

I loved my Heart's day....but I'm thinking next year...we're gonna save our pennies. We'll at least a little more than this year ;) How was your Vday?? What unique things do you do to impact your marriage/relationships? Do share :)  Happy Hearts Day! Jennie <3

H&W Wednesday...Support

I thought of this topic before I realized how well it coordinated with Valentine's day! So that works! Yesterday at work, I observed 2 different scenarios of how married couples support and work with each other to achieve health. One couple struggled supporting each other, there was issues on both sides. It was sad to see how a couple are living with serious health issues pushing each other away. The other couple, who have quickly become my favorite- are a gleaming example of not only supporting each other reach health, but also how they work in their relationship. The husband has serious health issues that would make him appear to be in a weaker state in his life...which in some ways he is-physically. But oh my goodness, 3-5 times a week his wife takes him to the Healthy Living Center to work out and strengthen his body. Due to health issues, he comes across very emotionless and quiet. His wife, however just keeps him going. She is smiley and energetic. She shows true unconditional love. I couldn't imagine looking at your husband who has led and protected you for so many years, in such a state. And for the husband to see his wife be able to lift her dumbbell higher than him, must be such a discouragement.  But through this I can see a great amount of humility the husband displays. The way they work together is amazing. 

Do you have support in your health? How are you showing support in someone else's health? You may have to pick up a couple extra characteristics such as humility, patience and will. But we live in a sinful world, and our bodies ARE deteriorating, but let's help each other live to our max! 

Peace, love & cutest old couple ever, Jennifer

H&W Wednesday...New Year's Resolutions

It's February 1st! How are those New Year's resolutions coming along??? At the work we are booming with memberships as people are trying to lose weight...come Aprilish they will most likely start dropping. This is typical at any fitness center. People lose focus, effort and energy (and maybe even the mula!). If you ask me...they made a Resolution...but NOT a GOAL. I have learned so much about health behavior change and there are different stages of change, which I will talk about sometime. But today, my goal is to help save some of those quickly (or slowly!) dwindling resolutions. So no matter whether your resolution is health or not, it IS behavior change...and setting a "SMART" goal will be of MUCH help! A SMART goal is...

How do your resolutions match up with the smart goal "rules"?? I highly suggest you revamp those resolutions! It will help organize it in your brain and actually give you a PLAN, rather than an IDEA.Just so you have an example, I will give you my current goal!    

Starting Friday, February 3rd, I will do a cardio workout consisting of :

• 5 min warm up on the treadmill
• 5 min of warm up stretching
• 15-20 min on the bike
• 20-25 min on the eliptical
• 5-10 min of stretching and yoga

 for 45-60 minutes every Mon/Wed/Fri at 10AM at the GV fitness center until the end of February. 

Let's pick it apart:

Specific: CARDIO Workout and what it consists of

Measurable: the specific #s 

Attainable: After I make the goal, I should have a feeling of "yeah, I can do that"...for me making it to the end of Feburary makes me feel like it's possible...all about the baby steps :)

Realistic: I chose the days and times I did b/c they are the absolute most convenient times for me. I COULD workout before my 8 am class...unfortunately I know I am not a morning person and it would just not be realistic for me.

Time specific: Start date/ End date and time of workout

I guarentee you putting your resolutions into SMART goals WILL help...and like I said, this can be used for ANYTHING! ...WHAT is your SMART GOAL?????

Always Keep (your) HeART (strong!)....later gators...jennifer :)

Introducing "Health & Wellness Wednesday"!

Welcome! I have decided that the knowledge I have gained over my past college career (so far) is too important not to share! SO, every Wednesday, I am going to do my best to post a blog about Health & Wellness. My degree (Health Promotion- emphasis on fitness) and thus skill/knowledge set is very broad concerning H & W, so there will be much variety! Much of my training is in preventative medicine, but I have also gained much knowledge in disease management (which is one of my favorite parts :) ) I would also encourage any topic requests or specific questions! In turn, I would love to hear your comments! Remember, every one is different, various things work for various people. If you have requests/questions please feel free to leave them in a blog comment post, or facebook me! Of course if you have any questions you would like me to answer to only you, then facebook msg me or email me (jlhartwig29@gmail.com) and I will do my best to get back to you! Hopefully this is something you enjoy and will find helpful! If not, it's my passion, so bear with me :) Thank ya!

Always Keep (your) HeART (strong!) ......Jennifer :)

Christmas Crafting :)

One of the funnest things about starting a family (yes, you can start a family without having kids...haha) is that we get to start our own traditions! One tradition for us is having a picture Christmas card :) Part of it, is the fun of actually being able to send a christmas card....but I just enjoy being able to show how we have changed...meanwhile sending some love to our closest family members. I wanted to be able to display these in my home every year to show how our family has grown and changed! So, I came up with this little diddy...

It says "A Very Merry Hartwig Christmas" On the back of the "hanger/plaque" thing, I have attached a long piece of twine. You can't see the bottom, but I simply knotted it up, this way I just let some of the twine out as I add to it with more cards :)...Also I'm planning to get the mini clips and adding the year on each one!

This was quite simple to make. The background is a fan...of which you can find the directions to make Here! Then I simply decorated the scrapbook paper and glued it on! OOBER simple..and now I have something to display MY family at christmas...not just everyone else's lovely faces, although one of my favorite things is opening up all the christmas card that come in the mail! 

Anyway, thanks for stoppin by! Always keep HeART...and Christmas faces :)