10 things you might not know about me

A year and a half after my blog took off, and I finally created an about me section. Better late than never, right? 10 things you might not know about me- I'm so excited to share this one with you. Let me know what you think, ok? Well, here we go!


Hi! I'm Laura, and I created Laura's Plans to be a down-to-earth, realistic guide to creativity and organization- from one busy mama to another. If you're new to the blog, be sure to check out this page for some tips about where to start. But first, I came up with a list of 10 things that will help you to get to know me better. 

1. I've been married to my wonderful husband, Kevin, for 4 years now.

We met at Grove City College, where he was very sneaky, and offered to help tutor me in Calculus. I started to figure it out when I realized that we were spending more time taking "study breaks" than actually studying. 

Kevin is my best friend, and my favorite person to laugh with. He gets me, and we make a great team.

2. I'm the lucky mom of a beautiful one-year-old named Emma. 

We have days where she smiles and waves at everyone she sees, and we have days where she dumps an entire box of instant potatoes on the dining room floor. . . But I laugh every single day, and I never get tired of being her mama.

3. I teach middle school science. . . and I love it! 

Being a wife, a mom, and a full-time teacher keeps me pretty busy- but I actually like hanging out with 13-year-olds. They're hilarious. Plus, I teach space science- what could be cooler than that?! Here's the lab where I teach. . . although it looks much different than this when there are 32 energetic kids running around!

4. I'm a homeowner

Which, my husband and I quickly learned, means that when something goes wrong. . . we have to fix it ourselves. Two years ago we bought a 1961 rancher and promptly realized that neither or us are the least bit handy. But we're learning. We're currently working on renovating our attic into a master bedroom and bathroom. Here's what it looks like so far:

5. This blog was born because of my (slightly) irrational obsession with Excel spreadsheets.

When I was planning our wedding, I couldn't find exactly what I needed in order to keep my budget and guest list organized. So I created my own. And, of course, I spent way more time on it than I really needed to. (What good is an excel sheet if it doesn't add everything up for you and color code your results?!)

Pretty soon, some of my friends started asking me if they could use my templates, too. I thought that other people might find them useful, so I started Laura's Plans in order to share- well, my plans! And I've been having a blast sharing things with you guys ever since.

6. I love everything about the summer. 

Bare feet, sunshine, driving with the windows down, the beach. . . I love it all. And my favorite colors just happen to be the bright, colorful hues of summer as well. In fact, at my wedding, we didn't just have a one or two-color scheme. I incorporated all four of the "Starburst colors"- red, pink, orange and yellow- because I couldn't bear to choose only two.

7. My favorite food in the world is fresh tomato sandwiches made with tomatoes picked fresh from the garden, still warm from the sun. 

I also love fresh strawberry pie, and Parmesan cheese. I'll admit it: Sometimes when we have spaghetti for dinner, there is more Parmesan cheese on my plate than there is spaghetti. Mmmmmm!

My least favorite foods include shrimp, mushrooms, cilantro, and Twizzlers.

8. I used to run a cupcake business. 

My friend and I sold cupcakes at a local farmer's market for about two years. It was my first big creative endeavor, and we had a ton of fun learning the ins and outs of starting our own little business. Looking back, however, it's good that I've moved on. The best word to describe my baking style is probably catastrophic. Now? I really enjoy having a creative outlet that doesn't leave my kitchen in complete shambles every other week!

9. I love to travel. 

My husband and I went to Peru two summers in a row to visit and help a friend who is a missionary there. We traveled by canoe along a river for two days, came face to face with poisonous snakes, and didn't see a real bathroom for a week. It was incredible.

We also enjoy much tamer destinations. Last summer we traveled to San Francisco. With a baby. So that was about the same level of difficulty as Peru. ;)

10. I go green. . . ish! 

I like to describe my husband and myself as accidental hippies. We've always recycled because it seems like the right thing to do. We started composting because we wanted an awesome garden. The garden kept growing in size because fresh veggies are just. so. good!

When Emma was born, it didn't make sense to buy disposable when there were so many great reusable products available. So we started using cloth diapers, reusable wipes, and washable diaper pail liners. And then we learned about the wonders of Baby Led Weaning. . .  

But I'd be lying if I said we don't ever produce trash or eat processed foods. Like, really lying. The bottom line is that I do the best that I can to take care of my family, and I make it a habit not to judge other moms out there, because I know that you're doing the same. Being a mom is an incredibly tough and important job. And, hopefully, I'll be able to help make that job a little easier for you with this blog. 

So, that's it! Ten things you probably didn't know about me. I hope you still like me now that you know. ;)

Now for a little bit about the blog itself.

Here's what you'll find here:

• Loads of free downloads and printables to help you stay organized. I love a good excel sheet!
• Creative ideas for staying sane while enjoying spending time with your baby or kids. 
• Fun ways to organize and decorate your home. I aim for beauty and functionality.
• Ideas, tips and tools to save time by being more organized. 
• And of course, everything I post is tested and approved- usually with the help of my own little munchkin.   

Now I want to get to know YOU: 

Thanks so much for reading. Now that you've found out all about me, I really want to get to know you, too! I'd love for you to follow me on social media so we can "talk." :)

   

(Psst! By the way- If you sign up for my email newsletter, I'll send you some awesome, free organizational printables. Win!) I can't wait to see you again soon.