ALLUME 2013

August 31, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

YES!

I am still planning to attend the SOLD OUT Allume Conference 2013!

So far I've secured the ticket my hubs got me for Christmas last year, a sponsor for my plane ticket, and meals once I'm there are included in the conference ticket price. I am still looking for sponsors for my room {which I am trying to find 1-3 other roommates to slit the cost with} as well as other travel expenses.

Check out THIS post on more ideas about sponsorship if you are a business, blog, or someone else looking to promote through as Jules is going during this season/conference!

To get you excited like I am about what will be happening, here's the

Agenda 2013

Wednesday, October 23rd

3:00pm – til whenever we finish: Unofficial Gift Bag Packing Party (Come one, come all!)

Thursday, October 24th

12:00 – 4:00pm: Registration

4:00 – 4:45pm: Newbie Meetup

5:00pm: Welcome and Announcements

5:15pm: Dinner – Sponsored by Dayspring/ (in)courage

6:15pm: Logan Wolfram & Sarah Mae

6:45pm: Keynote with Ann Voskamp

8:00pm: Opening Night Party

Friday, October 25th

8:00am: Breakfast - Sponsored by Sole Hope

9:00am – 9:45am: Keynote with Melanie Shankle

10:00am: Sessions

Carving Out Your Space: How to Find your Unique Writing voice in a Noisy World – Writing/Creative Thinking - Sarah Markley
You Really Are Your Brand - Stephanie Bryant
Introduction to Blogging Basics - Erin Ulrich
The Power of Influence – Blogging & Family Purpose - September McCarthy

11:00am: Sessions

Everything is Spiritual: the Art of Storytelling and Story-living -Writing/Creative Thinking - Joel N Clark
Our Broken Hallelujah: Meditations on Making Art from Tragedy - Edie Wadsworth
iPhone Photography - David Molnar
How to use your blog as a business and actually make money - Emily & Ryan Jones

12:00pm: Lunch – Sponsored by Zondervan, with author Gari Meacham

1:30pm: Sessions

The Core 5 of Writing That Will Matter – Writing/Creative Thinking - Lisa Whittle
Mastering Social Media - Amy Lynn Andrews
The Unwired Woman - Sarah Mae
Five Proven Methods for Driving Traffic to Your Blog - Emily & Ryan Jones

2:30pm: Sessions

The Creative Process – Writing/Creative Thinking – Joy Thigpen
Blogging Beyond the Basics - Amy Lynn Andrews
Blog & Marriage: The gritty realities of becoming one in the midst of an everyday life - Nester & Chad Smith
How to Tell the Hard Stories - Andrea Levendusky

3:30pm: Workshops

How to Build Community w/o Competition – Sponsored by Dayspring/InCourage - Lisa Jo Baker & the (in)courage Panel
Publishing and Working with a Literary Agent – Sponsored by DC Jacobson and Assoc - Don Jacobson and Jenni Burke
God, Guilt, and Screentime: Finding Balance in a Media-Saturated World – Sponsored by What’s In The Bible - Phil Vischer & Erick Goss
Crowd funding, How to Work for a Cause – Sponsored by – Pure Charity - Mike Rusch and the Pure Charity Team
Intentional and Relational: Blogging with a Purpose – Sponsored by Gospel for Asia – Tom Sluberski

5:00pm: Dinner – Sponsored by Food for the Hungry

6:00pm: Keynote with Jennie Allen

7:00pm: Anthony Evans Jr Concert – Sponsored by Food for the Hungry

9:00pm: Open Mic Night in Lounge – Sponsored by Dayspring and (in)courage

Saturday, October 26th

8:00am: Breakfast – Sponsored by Freeset

9:00 – 9:45am: Keynote with Bianca Olthoff

10:00am: Sessions

From Maybe to Mobilized: Awakening Your Dreams To Action – Deidra Riggs & Nasreen Fynwever
Stepping into the Arena: Pushing Through Risk, Fear, and Failure - Laura Parker
Alchemy : Anthropology : Art – The stuff of heaven and earth and you - Erika Morrison
Living on Mission With Kids/Family - Amanda White
Writing Workshop and Group Feedback – Kristina Tanner (and the Writing/Creative Team)

11:30am: Lunch – Sponsored by Operation Christmas Child

12:30 -1:15: “Live It” Panel – Sponsored by Pure Charity

2:30 – 4:00: Impact Opportunities – More Exciting Information to Come . . .

(Free Time) – Book Signing

5:30pm: Dinner - Sponsored by Revell/Baker Publishing, with author Emily P. Freeman

6:30pm: Keynote with Jeff Shinabarger

7:30pm: Worship with David Walker Worship

8:45pm: Closing Night Party

Agenda 2013

Wednesday, October 23rd

3:00pm – til whenever we finish: Unofficial Gift Bag Packing Party (Come one, come all!)

Thursday, October 24th

12:00 – 4:00pm: Registration

4:00 – 4:45pm: Newbie Meetup

5:00pm: Welcome and Announcements

5:15pm: Dinner – Sponsored by Dayspring/ (in)courage

6:15pm: Logan Wolfram & Sarah Mae

6:45pm: Keynote with Ann Voskamp

8:00pm: Opening Night Party

Friday, October 25th

8:00am: Breakfast - Sponsored by Sole Hope

9:00am – 9:45am: Keynote with Melanie Shankle

10:00am: Sessions

Carving Out Your Space: How to Find your Unique Writing voice in a Noisy World – Writing/Creative Thinking - Sarah Markley
You Really Are Your Brand - Stephanie Bryant
Introduction to Blogging Basics - Erin Ulrich
The Power of Influence – Blogging & Family Purpose - September McCarthy

11:00am: Sessions

Everything is Spiritual: the Art of Storytelling and Story-living -Writing/Creative Thinking - Joel N Clark
Our Broken Hallelujah: Meditations on Making Art from Tragedy - Edie Wadsworth
iPhone Photography - David Molnar
How to use your blog as a business and actually make money - Emily & Ryan Jones

12:00pm: Lunch – Sponsored by Zondervan, with author Gari Meacham

1:30pm: Sessions

The Core 5 of Writing That Will Matter – Writing/Creative Thinking - Lisa Whittle
Mastering Social Media - Amy Lynn Andrews
The Unwired Woman - Sarah Mae
Five Proven Methods for Driving Traffic to Your Blog - Emily & Ryan Jones

2:30pm: Sessions

The Creative Process – Writing/Creative Thinking – Joy Thigpen
Blogging Beyond the Basics - Amy Lynn Andrews
Blog & Marriage: The gritty realities of becoming one in the midst of an everyday life - Nester & Chad Smith
How to Tell the Hard Stories - Andrea Levendusky

3:30pm: Workshops

How to Build Community w/o Competition – Sponsored by Dayspring/InCourage - Lisa Jo Baker & the (in)courage Panel
Publishing and Working with a Literary Agent – Sponsored by DC Jacobson and Assoc - Don Jacobson and Jenni Burke
God, Guilt, and Screentime: Finding Balance in a Media-Saturated World – Sponsored by What’s In The Bible - Phil Vischer & Erick Goss
Crowd funding, How to Work for a Cause – Sponsored by – Pure Charity - Mike Rusch and the Pure Charity Team
Intentional and Relational: Blogging with a Purpose – Sponsored by Gospel for Asia – Tom Sluberski

5:00pm: Dinner – Sponsored by Food for the Hungry

6:00pm: Keynote with Jennie Allen

7:00pm: Anthony Evans Jr Concert – Sponsored by Food for the Hungry

9:00pm: Open Mic Night in Lounge – Sponsored by Dayspring and (in)courage

Saturday, October 26th

8:00am: Breakfast – Sponsored by Freeset

9:00 – 9:45am: Keynote with Bianca Olthoff

10:00am: Sessions

From Maybe to Mobilized: Awakening Your Dreams To Action – Deidra Riggs & Nasreen Fynwever
Stepping into the Arena: Pushing Through Risk, Fear, and Failure - Laura Parker
Alchemy : Anthropology : Art – The stuff of heaven and earth and you - Erika Morrison
Living on Mission With Kids/Family - Amanda White
Writing Workshop and Group Feedback – Kristina Tanner (and the Writing/Creative Team)

11:30am: Lunch – Sponsored by Operation Christmas Child

12:30 -1:15: “Live It” Panel – Sponsored by Pure Charity

2:30 – 4:00: Impact Opportunities – More Exciting Information to Come . . .

(Free Time) – Book Signing

5:30pm: Dinner - Sponsored by Revell/Baker Publishing, with author Emily P. Freeman

6:30pm: Keynote with Jeff Shinabarger

7:30pm: Worship with David Walker Worship

8:45pm: Closing Night Party

Filed Under: The ones about the Rothacher Home

Settled In September month long series {teasers}

August 27, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

Sneak Peek of just SOME of the projects you'll get to see all next month:

Before the $1.00 lamp facelift $1 lamp facelift {before}

During dresser refinish

Almost complete "Big Betsy" dresser remodle

New princess bow hanger for the princesses' room

During the laundry room makeover

Master bedroom dresser BEFORE

Operation Play/School Room Organization

New WOODEN Pantry Shelving

Hint about the "boy's room" who will be sharing with new lil sis, ELLIE!

Filed Under: Cleaning, Decorating, Homemaker, Organizing, Projects, Settled In September, The Ones about Post Series, The ones about the Rothacher Home

5 Time and Money Wasters to Banish from Your Kitchen {Thoughtful Thursday}

August 22, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

This is a compensated guest post from the Instawares Kitchen Supplies Blog. I hope their thoughtful Time and Money saving ideas for your kitchen are helpful for you!

Three easy payments do not guarantee a time saving or necessary gadget. Even masters of the kitchen like you can fall victim to flashy marketing that over-promises and end up with a product that under-performs.

Below you will find a list of five kitchen items to avoid. Save yourself time and money by steering clear of these foodie foibles.

1. Any Garlic Gadget

Do not fall for the hype and think that some swirly-twisty thing or silicone tube is going to produce perfectly peeled and minced garlic. All the clever cook needs is a knife. Give a single clove of garlic in the skin a good whack with the flat side of a knife; the husk is easily removed. Use a microplane or knife to chop or mince garlic. Even better, add a little coarse salt and crush the clove into a paste with the side of the knife.

2. Tiny Appliances With Single Uses

Doughnut makers, hotdog warmers, mini-cupcake bakers and the insurmountable pile of other single use gadgets are only good as gifts for office holiday parties. Your precious counter-top real estate is better employed by performance powerhouses like a stand mixer and a regular old toaster. You have come a long way since baking a single brownie with a light bulb when you were ten years old, do not backslide now!

3. Knives That Can Supposedly Cut Through a Sedan

Get a chef’s knife. One. One chef’s knife will be one thousand times more useful than ten knives that tout dubious claims. If you need to cut through a sedan you can always get a plasma cutter.

4. Specialty Pots

A strainer is a must in any cook’s kitchen. Since you are a cook and have said strainer, you can bypass the pasta pots and weird microwave contraptions for cooking noodles, right? Right! With a strainer and a metal lotus steamer tray you can bypass nearly all the specialty pots out there. Double boilers, pasta pots and steamer pots are all just space wasters when you have a well outfitted kitchen.

5. Anything that Does a Single Task

Everything in your kitchen should work in multiple situations. That is the true test of good kitchen equipment. Gadgets and gear need to earn their keep in your cabinets and drawers. Your thermometer should work for candy, oil and meat. Your griddle can handle panini, pancakes and burgers. With a few exceptions, like a separate identifiable cutting board for raw meat, everything in your kitchen should be able to complete more than one task.

Kitchen space is at a premium in homes everywhere, so make sure your gear works as hard as you do. Take back your space by ousting expensive gadgets and gizmos. Simple is usually best and the rest better earn its keep!

If you enjoyed this post from Instawares Kitchen Supplies Blog, you can find new articles on the latest in restaurant and kitchen equipment on their blog.

Filed Under: Baking and Cooking, Cleaning, Hand-Dandies, Homemaker, The ones about the Rothacher Home

5 Tips for the Pregnant Mover

August 19, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

Hey, I moved pregnant, so that makes me an expert right?!?
Bwahahahaha
Here are some ideas for moving while carrying around another human in your tumme'.

Read the entire post on the Homemaker's Challenge!

Filed Under: The Ones about Homemaker's Challenge, The ones about the Rothacher Home

Happy BUMP Day

August 14, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

I have lots of bloggy friends who do What I Wore Wednesday & other Facebook friends posting hilarious pics of camels for Hump Day as well as update pics of their baby bumps. I decided to combine all those here for Happy BUMP Day!

I will try to update pictures of our sweet, fast-growing, Elisabeth Rae here. I am just now starting to take pictures of the baby bump...slacker! I haven't felt up to pics for the first trimester & 1/2 BUT I want pictures of her progress like I have for all my other little blessings so....
here's my sad version of what a real mamma wears on Hump Day with a baby bump 😉

Ellie: 20 weeks and 3 days

T-shirt: camp shirt from Super Summer AR "Bling Bling Friday"- the day all the staffers dress up

Shorts: Old Navy stretchy waistband athletic shorts

Flip Flops: Target on Sale 6+ years ago when we were in FL
{sorry, not pictured...took them off to climb on the cube in my bathroom I use to sit on to dry my hair & do my make-up so I don't pass out}