Thursday, April 9, 2015

Entertaining and Helpful Youtube Channels, Blogs, and Websites for Dancers

Hey y'all! It's Julia here with a blog post for all you dancers! Here are some YouTube channels, blogs, and websites for dancers that I enjoy looking at from time to time.



Autumn Miller and her mom Krista Miller giving lots of helpful hints and tips on their YouTube channel. It has lots of tutorials and a few online classes so check it out!
They have hundreds of videos and tutorials on dance, fitness, cheerleading, gymnastics, and more!
A YouTube channel and blog that has lots of tutorials as well as fun dancery stuff so it appeals to all sorts of dancers!
An SAK collab YouTube channel with tutorials, dances, and fun dance related stuff!
An amazing blog that has everything dance related under the sun from tips to quizzes to competition packing lists. You can also e-mail the creators to get specific advice and recommendations.
Both very cheap dancwear and dance accessories online shops. you can also get a lot of their products off of Amazon.com but usually these prices are cheaper.

These are a few of many, many YouTube channels, blogs, and websites that may interest you.

So that's it for this post!
Comment if any of these helped you or if you have any recommendations!

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

What's in our Disney Park bags!

Hey y'all it's all Four of the Sparks today. We went to Disney World in January and we want to show you what's in our Disney park bags!
 
So without further ado here is our first joint Blog post:

 
 
Bailey's Bag:

My bag is a Water Backpack that I got specifically for Disney.( Here is were you should be able to find it) (amazon.com than search Ridgeway by Kelty)

  • A jacket - It sometimes gets cold in the morning and at night, so I'm bringing my Disney fleece
  • A mini First-Aid kit - There's going to be 24 people so we want to make sure we're safe
  • My Disney pins - I bought some off Ebay for really cheap so I can trade them
  • A project To-do - For the long lines
  • Sunglasses - because the sun is really bright
And now for the more obvious stuff
  • Chap stick (Eos), Hand sanitizer (Bath and Body Works PocketBac in the Pink Chiffon scent), Hair ties, Bobby Pins, Brush, Deodorant, Travel size body mist and Lotion

 
Julia's Bag:

I have the same Ridgeway by Kelty backpack that Bailey has but I put some Disney buttons on it!
The bag is amazing! the smallest pocket can fit my Nokia Lumia 920 with a wallet case on with room to spare. It fits two liters of water, and has some pockets, within pockets!

Now, in my bag I have:
  • My phone with my wallet case (it has a strap!) (the case, I mean)
  • Hand sanitizer, Target $1 wipes, lotion, chap stick, yoyo, and safety pins
  • Hair stuff
  • Sunglasses
  • A lot of Disney pins
  • Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom cards, Wilderness Explorer handbook, etc.
Emma's Bag:

I bought a half-pint Jansport off of Amazon specifically with this trip in mind. It is smaller then I originally thought, but I think that it will work nicely. Its got a nice zippered front pocket and a smaller pocket on top of that which closes with Velcro and is great for things you need close at hand.



I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I love organizing, so my backpack has several small cosmetic cases to keep everything tidy. I seriously recommend doing this!

In the big pocket, I have my green flowered bag, my pin case, an extra lanyard, my water bottle, a glasses case, my sunglasses, and an Altoid tin filled with hair things, clips and bobby pins.

My green flowered bag is the one I use for my brush, a small eye shadow palate, mascara, make-up remover wipes, feminine products, lotion and my adorable Mickey & Minnie compact mirror

All of my first aid items are in my chevron pencil case, and its fairly basic. I used a $1 jewelry case to hold plenty of Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen. I also have a whole bunch of different types of band-aids, medicated chap stick, cough drops and an alcohol wipe.

In the smaller zippered pocket, I have my purple wristlet, cardstock, sharpies and my phone. The wristlet is for my Disney pins that I bought off of Ebay specifically for trading. The cardstock and sharpies are for autographs, because I am planning on making a scrap book of sorts, so my autographs will look extra nice.

The little Velcro pocket has just enough room for hand sanitizer and Eos chap stick. I use my chapstick pretty often, so its nice to just pull it out with moving anything else. I have my hand sanitizer there too, because if my hands are in need of hand sanitizer, I don't want to be touching everything else.

Kate's Bag:

I carry a Tinkerbelle messenger bag, which is just the right size for my everyday needs. Unlike my cousins, who are uber-prepared when it comes to Disney, I actually use my purse for a few things:
  • My phone with a wallet case (Because no one likes to dig out their wallet when they're in a hurry!)
  • Chap stick (which, honestly, ended up there by mistake. I did end up needing it, though.)
  • Bobby pins and hairbands
  • Whatever merchandise I bought that day.
  • Aaaaaand whatever anyone without a purse asks me to carry (I'm lookin' at you Emma! Because for whatever reason you never brought your meticulously organized bag with you on rides!).
The main reason I carry a purse is because my phone falls out of my pocket fairly often, so I lose it fairly often.


So, everyone, this was supposed to get posted a month ago- before we  left- but, being that I'm (Kate) a super lazy procrastinator, I didn't finish my part until right now.

My apologies and I hope you liked this post!



When you go to Disney, what is the MOST essential item you bring in your bag?

Monday, December 29, 2014

4 Reasons Why Family Is a Blessing

Hey guys, its Kate!

The Holidays have been sooooooooo busy! Some family came, others went away, and lots of great times were had! I recently learned how to make caramel rolls and am looking forward to attempting them on my own once I obtain a bread machine!

Oh, and if you're wondering what I'm doing posting at 11 pm, its defINITELY nOT  because I slept in until 10 am this morning, I can tell you that. (Did you like my display of sarcasm through text? I mean seriously!) I'm the early-to-bed-early-to-wake kind of person. I just feel more productive that way.

As I was laying in bed a few minutes ago, I was inspired to write this post.


Noah, Kate, and Julia having a grand old time (2004)

1. Family Members are Built-in Best Friends
 Assuming you have Family your age....
Cousins and siblings can be built-in best friends if they're at least close to your age.
Cousin Emma and I have been besties from day 1- actually, before that.
We've been best friends since I was in the womb!
One day we had a three hour long phone call and decided "Hey! We should do this more often. Seriously." so we set Thursday as our Bible Study/Chat time and eventually we started calling each other whenever anything remotely exciting happened. We've gone for weeks at a time calling each other every day.


Julia, Kate, Bailey, and Emma pampering themselves (2007)

2. Family NEVER Judges
Unless its really wacky...
Your family (extended or otherwise) will be with you through thick and thin because- like it or not- you're related and in a best case scenario, you'll be forced to see a whole lot of each other.
Your family sees you at your best:
Bailey and Julia, Very Confused (2004)
  • Birthdays
  • Weddings
  • Family Gatherings
  • Vacations
  • Performances
  • Parties
  • Church
  • Pictures on Facebook
But they also see you at your worst:
  • Bad Hair Days
  • Embarrassing Parents
  • Singing at the Top of Your Lungs
  • Dancing
  • Bad Breath
  • When You Wake Up
  • Re-watching High School Musical for the 100th Time
  • Crying Because You're So Mad/Hormonal/Hangry/Heartbroken/Tired
  • Acne/Braces/Greasy Hair/Chunky 12-year-old You
  • Other Embarrassing Phases.
But they never judge you- okay, sometimes they do.

Emma and Carter, Being Cute (2004)


3. Family Stretches Your Limits
Have you ever gone on a high ropes course? Or a zip line? Or on a really scary roller coaster? Or jumped off of a 15-foot cliff into water?
Lily, Looking Adorable (2014)
Several people in my family have- including me- and, I'll be honest, it wasn't my idea. Family challenges you to do things you've never done before. You usually do it because you want to be tough, but you're usually so scared that you almost pee your pants when the time comes to do it. My dad had to bribe me with ice cream to get me to go on Splash Mountain in Disney World the first time, and I has so much fun I almost forgot about the ice cream! Almost.
Family also stretches you in other ways- they make you see how many hours- or days- you can
survive in Disney World without hitting a wall or wanting to go back to the hotel early.
They make you see how many hours in a row you can spend with your family before you fall asleep on the couch.
They test your patience.
They test how many days you can survive without a shower.
They test the size of your bladder.
They bring you to your breaking point, but when it comes down to it, there's no one you'd rather spend time with than them.


Julia, Lily, Sophie, and Will, Making Cookies! (2014)

4. Your Family Loves You
No strings attached.
Sophie and Lily as Anna and Elsa (2014)

Saturday, December 27, 2014

My Frozen Alternate Universe Theory

Hey guys! It's Julia. I've decided to share an idea inspired by the Disney film Frozen that I came up with some time ago.
Wait for it . . .

What if Hans was just a figment of Anna's imagination!

It would make sense. As a result of feeling abandoned and lonely for years, Anna involuntarily imagined a friend. He was quirky and cute, he knew what it was like to feel invisible, and he was always there when Anna was feeling blue. He was perfect. But maybe too perfect.

She started getting confused between her imagination and reality. He proposed to her! And she accepted.

When Anna approaches Elsa about the marriage, Elsa realizes that Anna will not believe that Hans is, in fact, not real. she decides to take a different approach; just telling her she can't marry a man she just met. As a result, Elsa reveals her powers, starting off this whole adventure.

As she is on her journey, Anna meets Kristoff and inevitably falls in love with him. Only one problem, Hans!

Although they both know they love the other, Kristoff believes that Hans is real so to save Anna, he brings her back to Hans.

In order to be with Kristoff, Anna, or Anna's mind, has to get rid of Hans. So she comes up with this whole thing where he doesn't love her, but was, indeed, using her.

To add to everything, Anna thinks that Hans is going to kill Elsa. So she "sacrifices" herself for Elsa. Even though Hans was just her imagination so Elsa technically wasn't in real danger, Anna thought she was so the act of true love still sort of counts.

In the end she made up his punishment. She punched him and sent him home to his twelve brothers and let them take care of him.

And Anna & Kristoff (and Elsa) lived happily ever after
The End

Now before you go judging me, I know I can't explain everything, I just thought that in an alternate Frozen universe, that would be really cool.

See ya real soon!
 

Friday, December 12, 2014

Posting Change!

Hi everyone, Kate here!

These past few weeks have been full of crazy times. We visited the Cassadys last week, and in the process nearly everyone got sick! Monday night, the day before we left, Violet caught the day flu, and by today nearly everyone had caught it. Thankfully Emma and I were spared, but Julia and Bailey were not so lucky. Almost everyone is better now, and we're crossing our fingers that no one else catches it.

On a separate note, while visiting together we had a bit of a "discussion". The bad news is, Bailey's posts will be fewer and less often. The good news is, our rigid schedule of who is posting when has been offed! We can post when ever we feel like it- and hopefully that means more often!

Personally, I'm aiming to post at least every week- probably more! That way your guys can keep up with my life and I can try my hand at writing more stuff :)

So this is a short post, but I have something in mind to post tomorrow, so don't worry!

Lots of love,

Kate (or Katie G)

Monday, December 1, 2014

Christmas time is here!

I just can't wait for Christmas day! Let's get in the spirit of things, and listen to what I have to say;
What I love about this jolly holiday and what I anticipate each and every day:
Our Christmas tree, 2013
Snowy weather, crisp air. Sweaters and boots everywhere!
Christmas crafts and Christmas cards. lights and decorations, illuminating the yards!
Wish list building, Christmas trees, shopping and candles and trying not to freeze!
Our backyard in Illinois, 2013

Jingle bells! Let it snow!
Peppermint and pinecones!
The Osborn Spectacle of Dancing Lights, 2013
 (Hollywood Studios, Disney world)
Wrapping presents! Tacky sweaters!
Writing Santa lots of letters!
Fort Wilderness, 2013
Setting up the Christmas tree, decorating it with glee!
Christmas eve service, sing a Christmas song!
It feels great to hear everyone sing along.
The Christmas bow I made, 2014
Eating Christmas eve dinner of sweet potato soufflé and ham,
Or maybe even rolls with jam!

Snuggling up in blankets warm,
we watch Nativity Story, telling us the story of when Jesus was born
My favorite Christmas cookies
Christmas morning we wake up one by one, and down the stairs we happily run!
No cookies or milk to be found, but presents are left all around!
We open gifts in our shifts and let out lots of happy sounds!

We eat mom's famous egg dish for our breakfast,
and thank whoever gave us these presents!

And remember that Christmas is about receiving AND giving
And that it's all about Jesus living!

God bless us, everyone!

Monday, November 24, 2014

Commonly Missinterpreted Bible Verses


 
Hey ya'll! Its Emma again!
Of all the months that I have said were crazy, this one takes the cake. My baby brother Evan was born on November 6th, and I got to be there for the majority of my mom’s labor and birth. We also had Kate & Julia’s mom (our Aunt Becky) and our Papa Harry stay for a few days.

I’m also dog sitting for the next couple days, and I’ve been getting more babysitting jobs. I’m getting better and better at making coffees at the coffee bar we have at our church, and next week I’m going to be the main person doing it!

We also found out that the Moberlys should be able to come visit us on December 7th!

On the crochet side of my update, I have several almost done projects. I’m making a Belle doll for a friend, a blanket for Evan, a Mickey Mouse inspired throw pillow and am still working on a custom order for our Etsy. Pictures will be up next month!

Today for my blog post, I decided to write about some of the verses/passages in the Bible that are commonly misinterpreted. This is a subject I find really interesting, and I love researching about it. So lets just jump right in!

 

Leviticus 27:1-7

Basically people are saying that men are worth more than women, because here they have more monetary value.

Ha. Ha. Ha. No. That is not what they are saying.

First of all, men were worth more then. That’s why women had to fight for their right to vote in the early 1900s. Men are STILL viewed as more in a lot of countries still.

This is just how it was back then, it is merely history that the Bible is accounting.



1 Timothy 2:9

“Women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel with modesty and self control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire.”

Paul is not prohibiting the wearing of jewelry (see 1 Peter 3:3-4). The principle is that women should not dress seductively, and that they should focus more on inner beauty.

To me this verse means that it is absolutely fine that my ears are double pierced or that I wear rings everyday. I dress modestly and shop mostly at thrift stores, so I am good on the literal part of that verse J. However one thing that does stand out to me about this verse is that Paul says that we should focus more on inner beauty. If I do everything right by the rest of that verse but am conceited, then I am certainly doing something wrong.




2 Kings 6:28-29

These verses tell of two women who agreed to kill their sons and eat them. On the first day, the first woman killed her son and they both ate him. On the second day, the second woman hid her son so the other woman couldn’t eat him.

The Bible NEVER says that this is ok.

Again, it is simply history. This famine was so bad that people ate their own children and tricked each other.




Crazy Leviticus Laws

I’ve seen multiple lists that basically say “Well, Leviticus also says not to do all of these things that you do, so why can’t homosexuality be ok?”

Leviticus 19:19 – “you shall not let your cattle breed with a different kind”

Leviticus 19:27 – “you shall not round off the hair on your temples”

Leviticus 19:28 – “you shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves”

Leviticus 11:10-11 – “But anything in the seas or the rivers that have not fins and scales, of the swarming creatures in the waters and of the living that are in the waters, is detestable to you. You shall regard them as detestable; you shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses.”

There are many other verses like these out there, but these are some of my favorites and the ones I’ve heard of several times.

You have to look at the background information of these verses. These are all things that the Canaanites did. God wanted the Israelites to be set apart. Holiness requires Israel not to act like the pagans in many areas of life.




Deuteronomy 22:5

“A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord, your God.”

This is not saying that we can’t wear unisex clothing or that a woman can’t wear her boyfriend’s jacket. It also doesn’t condemn my men’s Captain America shirts J

It prohibits transvertism (like drag) and also has to do with pagan temple prostitution.




1 Timothy 2:15

“Yet she will be saved through childbearing”

Paul is not saying that a woman will be saved by having children or that that is where their worth comes from.

The New Testament also uses the term “saved” in the sense of progressively coming to experience in aspects of salvation. People are “saved” when they persevere and endure in the faith to carry out the Lords calling in their life. Child bearing is a unique example to women, and has quite a bit of enduring involved.
 
I hope you liked learning more about the weird verses in the Bible, and hopefully you understand some things more then you did before. Leave us a comment below telling us a verse that you would like to know more about, or one that you have researched about!
 
Love, Emma :D