A Little Bit About Me

Thanks for stopping by! Wondering who this girl is that considers herself a California Girl (see previous post) living in Small Town, Iowa?  Let me tell you a little bit about myself.

I'm Heather. I'm 30 years old. I live in a small town in Iowa with my husband Brian and four kids (3 boys, 1 girl): Logan 9, Peyton 8, Madison 6, and Mason 3. Brian and I got married on my 20th birthday and will be married 11 years this July. I am in my LPN year of nursing school and work as a unit secretary/CNA at the hospital.  I sell Scentsy, started a blog, and I'm trying to get my creativity back by making headbands for my daughter.

So, that's the basics!  I'll give you a few more random tid bits:

1. I LOVE to read!
    Favorite books: The Twilight Series.
    Favorite author: Nicholas Sparks

2. My favorite color is hot pink.  But the colors for my house are sage green, white and black.

3. I have a younger sister, Shawna, 26 and brother, Josh, 17.

4. I have obnoxiously curly, thick hair.  I have grown to like it but still long for straight hair!  Isn't the grass always greener on the other side?

5. People say my mom and I look an awful lot a like.  They always ask if we are sisters, even twins once!  She always says yes but I tell them no, she's my mom. I either look old or she looks young!  Hoping that she looks young!

There you have it! A little bit about me.  Continue to follow my blog and I'll share a little more with ya!

California Girl

I think of my self as sort of a California Girl.  Now I know you're wondering how does a girl from Small Town, Iowa call her self a California Girl? I'll explain:

California has been in my blood since, well, before I was even born! While my mom was pregnant with me, she visited my aunt and uncle in Riverside, California.  (Hey, that counts!) I made my first REAL trip to California to visit them when I was one.  We went to Disneyland and the beach (I'm sure I LOVED it!)  I visited my aunt and uncle at least once a year.  I made that trip flying by myself actually, when I was six.

I became a TRUE California Girl when my family and I moved to California when I was nine! My parents got a divorce shortly after we moved.  My sister and I lived with my mom and we moved a few times: Grand Terrace, Redlands, Colton. There was so much to do!  We went to Disneyland, Sea World, the beach, the mountains, Rodeo Drive (Yes, my favorite movie was Pretty Woman!) "What's your dream?  Everybody's got a dream!" Needless to say, my shopping trip was more like her first one when no one would help her because she looked like she couldn't afford anything!! You have to pretty much be a movie star to be able to afford to shop on Rodeo Drive! "Big mistake. Big. Huge. I have to go shopping now!"  

We lived in California for about six years when my mom and step dad decided to move back to Small Town, Iowa to raise us (my sister and I and a brand new baby brother!) But the California Girl doesn't end there.  My sister, brother and I would go to California to visit our step family (my aunt, uncle and family had moved back to the midwest). And my sister and I would visit my dad who still lived there.

In 2007, against my pleas, tears and fits (yes, from a 27 yr old girl!) my mom and brother moved to San Diego!  This was the first time I had ever been more than two miles from my mom! My three kids (at the time) and I spent six weeks there after she moved helping her decorate and just having fun! And while we were there, I found out that I was pregnant with my fourth child (SURPRISE!) So now that my mom lives there, I can be considered a California Girl again, right? Well, I think of my self as one!

I LOVE the beach, the sand, the water, the sun.  I am a Sun Goddess! 

I LOVE palm trees

and Flamingos

 

and Hibiscus

My kids and I go to San Diego every chance we get.  

I'd love to make myself a TRUE California Girl again but my husband's a TRUE Iowa boy!!

My brother and my kids- La Jolla, Ca

Trying To Stay Calm Scensty Giveaway

I Joined my friend Shauna for a Scentsy Give away on her blog, Trying To Stay Calm.  

Head on over to her site for a chance to win a Scentsy Warmer of your choice and three bars!

Good Luck!!

Trying To Stay Calm

Another Scentsy Winner

OMG!! I put 2/17 (Thursday) for my Scentsy giveaway to end but meant Wednesday!!  I drew a winner on Wednesday.  So I'm drawing another winner today!  TWO WINNERS!! (See that's what happens when I do this while doing homework!)

The Second Winner is......Jessica!

Congrats, Enjoy it!!!

Blog Makeover!

I've had my blog for not even a week yet and I've tried designing it myself numerous times. After three major background designs and several failed attempts at designing a banner I liked,  I was completely frustrated and about ready to throw the computer across the room (as you can see, since I'm on here, I didn't!) I was ready to give up.  "Screw it," I said!  I really wanted to give this blog a chance and I tend to be a perfectionist, so I knew I needed to enlist some help.  Being a nursing student, I knew I wouldn't be able to spend a lot of money on a blog that could lead to nowhere.  So after Googling and not finding anything, I went to my new favorite place to shop, Etsy. I searched "blogs" and found a few things I liked but were $150 or more!  THAT I could NOT afford! I continued the search, entered a price range and that's when I found IT!! The ONE I had been looking for!

And the best part, it was ONLY $30 and she'd install it if I needed her to!! It included: a XML file for Blogger/Blogspot.com, a Customized Header, Background Image, Blog Button, "Grab my Button" Code, and a Signature Image with my name. Without hesitation I purchased it. I gave her the name of my blog, the URL, e-mail and password. Within less than 16 hours from when I purchased it, Alicia emailed me to say it was ready to go!  NO WAY!!  I was out of town that day, so I took a look on my Blackberry and really liked it!  When I got home, I checked it out on my computer and LOVED it!! I CAN'T stop looking at it! THANK YOU ALICIA!!


I found my design on Alicia's Etsy store, dreamlikemagic.  You can also follow her blog, Dreamlike Magic and Facebook for freebies, tips, giveaways and reviews of her Etsy shop.  Besides Blog templates, Alicia also does:  Etsy shop designs, banner sets, logos, business cards, invitations and more!

Thank you Alicia!  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!!

Scentsy Giveaway Winner!

The Winner of the Scentsy Giveaway is......
Groovy Baby Blog

Congrats!!!

My Reads

I am a reader!  I LOVE to read a good book!! My idea of a perfect day would be lounging in my chair on a sandy beach, reading a book, sipping Ice Tea and listening to the waves crash! Since I live in IOWA, that doesn't happen often.  But I can dream! So between the kids and school the only time I get to read (for pleasure, not nursing) is before bed. If I don't have a book, I can't get to sleep! Since I am reading one book after another, I thought I would feature each book that I'm reading, MY READS! And I would love for you to tell me what you are reading so I can add it to my must read list!

My Reads: On Christmas Eve by Thomas Kinkade & Katherine Spencer

When I was 15, I had a decorative plate of one of Thomas Kinkade's paintings in my bedroom. It was my favorite and I was devastated when it fell off the wall and broke.  So when I was old enough to have my own place, I bought a couple Thomas Kinkade prints for my house.

I'm sure you can only imagine how excited I was when I realized that he was going to start writing novels!  I pre-ordered the first one in the Cape Light Series and have purchased and read them all since then.  A new one is released yearly now around October and is normally a Christmas novel. And each novel features one of his paintings on the cover.


The Cape Light series is based on a small community and revolves around the different members of the community.  On Christmas Eve is the 11th in the series. This particular novel is about Lucy and Charlie Bates.  Their marriage has been on the rocks and is getting even rockier when Lucy wants to take in a run away teenage girl. The story also revolves around a busy divorced woman, Betty, who has found a gift in Santa himself.

I really enjoy the Cape Light series.  On Christmas Eve is an easy, light hearted read and will put you in the Christmas Spirit.  I know it's no longer Christmas but there's still snow!!

So, what are YOU reading?

Scentsy Giveaway!

I LOVE Scentsy!! I started using it about a year and half ago. Unique Scentsy warmers use a low watt light bulb to melt fragrant wax. A great alternative to candles. They have no wick, flame or soot! NO SOOT!! Love that!  I was tired of black stuff being everywhere! And the wax doesn't get very hot.  My 9 yr old son must have thought he needed a paraffin wax treatment for his hands and dipped his whole hand in there one day!! He thought it felt really cool! (Not recommended!)

There are over 80 scents to choose from!  Each bar lasts 60-80 hours.  Put in a few chunks of wax and when you can't smell it any more, pour it out and put in some new!


So, who wants to WIN their own Scentsy warmer and Bar?? That's what I thought! What you'll get is: February's warmer of the month, Celtic Love Knot.

And February's Scent of the month, Shades Of Green!

TO ENTER:
1. Follow my blog using Google Friend Connect, check out the Scentsy Website and tell me what your Favorite Warmer is in the comments.
For Extra Entries:
2. Tweet about this Give away!
3. Post on Facebook about this Giveaway!
4. Follow me on Twitter.
5. Follow me on Facebook.
Leave a separate comment for each thing you do as that is your entry.

This giveaway will end 2/17 @ 8:00pm CST.
Winners will be chosen by random.

Pictures from Heather

Click here to view these pictures larger

Small Town Living

Hi, thanks for visiting my blog.  I'm Heather, a full time mom, nursing student, Scentsy Consultant www,heatherkinsey.scentsy.us and I work part time.  I have FOUR little munchkins, Logan 9, Peyton 8, Madison 6 and Mason 3.  I'm married to Brian, an electrician.  We live in a small town in Iowa. Less than 5,000 people!  Although it's felt like we live in Antarctica this winter!!  My mom lives in San Diego so we LOVE to travel there every chance we get!!

I'm trying to figure out what I want to do in my life!  I thought nursing was my calling so that's where I'm headed now.  But I'd love to be able to express my creative side.  I LOVE to decorate and host parties, but since the kids I don't get to do much of that!  The house is rarely clean enough to have any kind of visitors!

I'm just getting started at this blogging thing, so bear with me and come along with me on my journey!! You'll love to hear about my everyday adventures!!