Backporch Reflections

check us out!

2009-06-18T15:18:00.003-04:00

Couldn't resist sharing these pics of Cameron in the bumbo the other day...I put a vase full of hydrangea blooms on the table & she immediately grabbed one - it was so cute!

As I shared the other day - we are moving the blog - head over to www.back40life.com to check us out...we don't have all the kinks worked out just yet, but life's all about the journey, right? We've decided to start blogging together...to share more of our family story, our values & where we're headed in life...we hope you'll come over and join us on the back 40!

News...

2009-06-15T09:44:00.002-04:00

Do ya'll remember when we did the 10 minute makeover compliments of Nesting Place?? Well today she's hosting a mega-giveaway party...giveaways scheduled all day long & we were super excited to have our wall vinyls chosen to participate! So make sure you head on over today or by Weds at least to enter a bunch of great giveaways!

Also - we're in the process of moving the blog & turning it into more of a family affair...we're still working out a few kinks, but I'll share more in the coming days & hopefully that will mean more consistent posting too! LOL

Have a great day & see you soon!

Catching Up...Again

2009-05-19T21:11:00.005-04:00

Blogging continues to be a lesser priority of late, but I'm A-OK with that...spending lots of good, quality time with my babies (& Brad) & enjoying life - doesn't get better than that! I did want to post a few pics, though...mostly of the kiddos, as I'm definitely behind there...

Walker got "Big Loader" for Christmas - I will have to post more on it soon - he is OH SO IN LOVE with it...
A hold over from the Simple Mom Spring Clean - the before of my bathroom cabinet - yikes!
And after - much, much better...why didn't I do this before? Walker was watching me clean it out, and looked at both my fingernail polish remover & the bottle of rubbing alcohol & thought they were water & said as much when asking for a drink...I promptly pulled out my Mr. Yuk stickers and we had a quick lesson on who he was & to not touch those bottles (or any others with those stickers) & to always ask me if he wanted something to drink. It was a great reminder to me of how important poison safety is! I keep that cabinet locked with a childproof lock, though I'm sure I slip occasionally and leave it undone - but this was a fabulous reminder for me & will keep me on my toes with that lock. If you haven't done it already - stop and send away for your FREE Mr. Yuk stickers now!!!

My sweet girlie...in one of her favorite sleeping spots...

she was cheezin' it after a nap.
Walker is so in love with the "meet the...letters, shapes, numbers, colors & sight words" by Preschool Prep Company - definitely a great purchase!

I can hardly believe that baby C is old enough for a Bumbo - 2 more days and she'll be 4 months old...oh how time flies!

Love, love, love it!
Have a great night!

wall vinyls here we come!

2009-05-13T22:33:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Josh & Brenda, Brad & I were recently introduced to wall vinyls...and quickly fell in love. We've decided to expand our business line & start offering vinyls as well on etsy. Thought I'd share a few of our current designs with you here...we're currently building our design inventory, so if you have any ideas - we'd love to hear them!

Long Time, No Blog

2009-05-04T13:41:00.007-04:00

Where does the time go? Never thought I'd end up taking a 2 month hiatus from blogging, but that is certainly how it's turned out. Cameron already hit the 3 month mark...wow! Life is wonderful having 2 babies at home...not that you can really call Walker a baby anymore - oops! Nonetheless, 2 certainly takes more time than 1! For the past couple of months, I've given myself a break from blogging in an effort to work on adjusting to 2 and trying to work on our household running more smoothly, an ongoing project for me.

Simplemom is kicking off a 2 week Spring Cleaning party today, and that was a great impetus for me to jump back in - before & after pictures always help keep me motivated! We've had a good bit of company in the past weeks, so our house has been relatively neat, but I am a clutterbug, so there are always a few too many piles. I'm hoping that these next 2 weeks will get me a little closer to maintaining our house in a company-ready state...here we go! Today's task was to simply get rid of the trash &/or things that need to be given away...

My baking cabinet is where I keep my cookbooks/recipes & it has long been out-of-control - you could hardly get the flour out without an avalanche of recipes hitting the floor. It was definitely time to work on this one!
After (yea!) I can't wait to hear what Brad has to say the next time he opens up this cabinet! The top 2 shelves still need some work, but at least it's now easy to access things on the bottom one.
My jewelry armoire is my favorite bedroom catch-all...drives me crazy, yet again & again it gets covered up - must have something to do with being out of reach of toddler hands!

The baker's rack...ahh...another nemesis of mine. Would hate to even think about how many times I've cleaned this puppy off and vowed to not let it get this way again...ahem...

The bottom still looks a bit chaotic, but that's because we keep a crate of Walker's books & some little people for him to play with in the kitchen/dining area...it gets pulled out daily & played with, and since it really isn't the problem here, I didn't even touch it today...it's my junk that's a problem on this piece! I do need to look for a more closed basket/tote to store them in so they aren't quite so visible!

The bar seems to collect all sorts of things - Brad and I are both guilty of coming in the door & dropping any & everything right here...seems like it might be time for the Christmas reindeer salt&pepper shakers to be put away...you think? ;)

This little spot on the counter was meant to be a good snack launching point, but quickly spiraled out of control...

Ah - the bench...a gathering spot for all things headed downstairs...and/or extra baby gear...

Yea - I feel like major progress has been made, and overwhelming, it has not been. Can't wait to see what the next 2 weeks bring! I won't promise to blog every day, but I will try to keep up as much as I can...we'll see! And now I leave you with the cutest little toesies you've ever seen!

Please Pray for the MckFamily

2009-03-27T08:31:00.002-04:00

Please pray for this precious family - Stellan has been in almost constant SVT for several days now and the doctors are scratching their heads as he is not responding to typical therapies. They're also having a lot of trouble getting/keeping an IV in him. To learn more of their story, vist My Charming Kids.

2009-03-05T21:57:00.006-05:00

This morning Walker decided Cameron needed her paci back - he doesn't quite have enough finesse just yet to easily get it back in her mouth, but it was so cute seeing him try to help her!

And then when she's not in the swing, he likes to help himself...

Mama with baby C.

Mama & Daddy & Alexa & Autumn came over for supper tonight - W & A play so well together. They played one of Walker's favorite games to play with Brad 'horsey'...Alexa was not a very compliant horsey.

Walker loves being led around...

They had a blast! A couple of videos for your viewing pleasure...Cameron enjoying some time on her tummy & then A&W playing with the dump trucks...too much fun! Enjoy!!

Tummy Time from Jodi on Vimeo.

W, A & the Dump Trucks from Jodi on Vimeo.

snow - yeah, not really

2009-03-03T15:29:00.003-05:00

I just love these little striped pants I found for Cameron at a consignment sale awhile back - thought her onesie matched perfectly...she wasn't in the mood for a photo shoot, she just wouldn't look at the camera!

Walker has picked up Cameron's paci several times and has always either given it back to her or to us, but for some reason the other day he decided he needed it. Brad got a big kick out of it and we both enjoyed it while we were getting him ready to go. When it was time to wash the paci off and head out the door, though, W was none too happy about having to give it up. Since then, he hasn't shown any more interest, so it will be interesting to see how it goes from here!

I just loved these 2 pics - Brad wasn't crazy about either, but I though they were just too cute!

Showing off her new Easter bunny.

Having a good time with Papa in the kitchen. I absolutely adore it when she makes faces like these!

Love that little hand and those long fingers!

Disappointingly, we got almost no snow...which is so odd, as lots of people close to us got 6+ inches...alas, TR just seemed to get passed over. We maybe got 1 whole inch...we took W out to play while C slept - all he wanted to do was swing.

He had on a new little pair of boots that I bought at Weecyle last fall - when we first got out in the snow he kept saying "my shoes...my new shoes" - he seemed to be worried that they were getting a little snow on them. It was so cute! You can see here how pitiful our snow coverage was - just walking in the front yard uncovered the grass...oh well - maybe another day!

Yummo & Then Some!

2009-02-26T07:00:00.002-05:00

I made this beautiful braised chicken last week using a recipe by Anne Burrell of Secrets of a Restaurant Chef. She has quickly become my absolute favorite chef to watch on Food Network...her recipes have such depth and yumminess!!

Brad and I realized awhile back that while he is content to get in the kitchen and just throw stuff together...I am much happier when I have a recipe & a plan to follow! Her recipes do not disappoint! I was very pleased with the outcome and Brad said he thinks it's the best thing I've ever cooked...I was quite happy with that observation ;) So if you need some dinnertime inspiration...give this one a try...it won't disappoint - I promise!

disclaimer - ALL mushrooms were omitted from the recipe as mushrooms are one thing I just cannot handle - but it was extremely lovely, nonetheless!

Home Beautiful

2009-02-25T14:32:00.004-05:00

I'm so excited - I just finalized my order on Amazon and soon the next two beautiful books will be in my hands! Home Decor has become more and more interesting to me in the past few weeks and thanks to the Nesting Place I decided this was a resource I just couldn't live with out. Barnes&Noble & Amazon had it for about $1.50 difference, so I decided to just head over to the B&N in town and pick it up...so after the doctor & the credit union yesterday morning, I ventured into B&N with both kiddos...by far my most adventuresome outing with the two...except I'm then super disappointed to find out that in the store they want $39.99 not $26 for the book - are you kidding me? I was more than happy to let them keep it and come home and order it myself...craziness! My whole point in going to the real store was so that I could use my $100 giftcard that I won in a Tackle it Tuesday challenge awhile back (still doing happy dance), but then Brad reminded me Amazon would probably take it too, and sure enough, they did!

While I was looking around at Amazon, I decided to go on and pickup the cookbook that my friend Meg is constantly raving about...only to find out that a new edition is being released in May and that they have it on mega-pre-release sale - love it! So I decided to treat myself to it too, as it seems to be a great cooking resource (and heaven knows I could always use those!) So technically I won't get my hands on it until probably May, but what a nice treat & surprise it will be when it magically shows up!

And while we're at it - does this next book not also look oh so delicious? The author has a major giveaway going on over at her blog and this is but one of the beautiful prizes...so take a few minutes and hop on over and enter...and the exciting thing is that she's giving away 2 copies of the book, so maybe we can both win, right? ;-)

Quick Pics

2009-02-24T17:31:00.004-05:00

We went to Mama & Daddy's last night for supper...after we finished eating, I went in the den to check on the big babies and this is what I found...Walker in the carrier & Alexa rocking him - so darn cute!

A quick snap of Cameron at the doctor's office this morning - she's up to 9 lbs 1 oz & 22.25 inches - always exciting to know your baby is growing just like she should be! As a breastfeeding mama, it's somewhat incredible to know that your baby is growing & thriving solely because of the nourishment my body provides - what a beautiful system God created!

Walker showing off my shades while we were waiting for the doctor to come in. When we went for Cameron's post birth check when she was just a week old...I was so amazed because when we pulled in the doctor's office parking lot, Walker said "go see Dr. Greene" - we hadn't mentioned her name in weeks/months, but he knew where we were...this morning, I was careful not to use her name at all as I wanted to see what his reaction would be, and sure enough...once again he called her name & talked about going to see the fish as we pulled in the parking lot. I just love seeing his little mind at work!

Last week Walker decided Cameron needed her bear to love on.

Love this little girlie!

Bless this Nest

2009-02-20T09:45:00.005-05:00

Have you been to the Nesting Place yet? I hope so - but if not, boy are you in for a treat! I have always wished that I had the decorating gene, but alas I do not. Periodically I am able to pull together a look that I like...

but more often than not, I end up at a loss. Enter Nester- her motto is it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful...that's been very liberating for me! Several weeks back, Nester started a 10 minute challenge - small things that you can do to spruce up a room without spending a lot of time or $$ - now that is right up my alley! I've still got a long way to go, but am loving implementing some of what I've been learning from her. I've been working in my den...on top of our TV armoire...

and on one of our big walls...
this one definitely still needs some work - a few more hanging picture frames, some other odds & ends for the top shelf & I need to get that W painted, for sure - but it's been fun to play with nonetheless! Head on over to the Nesting Place & check out other great 10 minute spruce-ups!!

edited to add: this is the top of our armoire @ night...we used an extra strand of Christmas lights up on top, so it gives off a nice glow and makes the display even more homey and enjoyable! Love it!! Thanks Nester for encouragement in the right direction!!

WFMW - Bible Reading Help

2009-02-17T17:32:00.004-05:00

When I was in college - quiet times came easy, time seemed to be abundant and I read my Bible through cover-to-cover several, several times...now that I'm a mom...finding that time to read daily is sometimes a struggle. Last year, Brad & I started reading a read-through-in-a-year plan in January, and did great until April...or was it June...and then we fell behind and never caught back up. I don't even remember what really happened, except that we were typically reading at night and life just got busy.

This year, I knew I wanted one of my goals to be to get back on track with my Bible reading, I just didn't know what plan could/would best make that happen. I read a little here and there and then back at the end of January I found BibleShared. I was immediately excited as blog accountability seems to work for me!

I immediately signed up and started reading. I love that I can read the Bible in any order I want and simply record my progress as I go (last week I was reading in Humility and Mahaney referenced Habakkuk, so I stopped and quickly read those 3 chapters to better grasp the his point - I didn't have to wait for the summertime to roll around for Habakkuk to come up in my yearly reading plan.) I can read while online or I can read offline and record my progress after the fact. I also love that they have a widget I can put in my sidebar so that anybody can see how I'm doing - that motivates me.

As a mom of 2, it's often difficult to find time to sit down and read my Bible for 15 minutes (or more) at a time...however I'm on my computer all day long. Using Firefox, I simply keep my BibleShared page up in a separate tab, and periodically throughout the day I pop over to it and read a chapter or 2. Wow - what a difference that has made! In only 18 days of using their service, I've already read 90 chapters - or 7% of the Bible. Yippee!! And, on my progress page, BibleShared tells me that if I continue to read at my current rate of 5 chapters/day, I'll finish the Bible in 219.8 days. That's really exciting for me, because it tells me that I can finish the Bible this year!

If you want more great WFMW ideas, head on over and see Shannon @ RocksinmyDryer - and head's up...this is Shannon's last week hosting before she passes the torch on over to Kristen! Enjoy!

Walker & the Bobcat

2009-02-12T07:00:00.001-05:00

Walker & the Bobcat from Jodi on Vimeo.

On Sunday, the family came over for lunch and the weather was so delightful that we all went outside to play after eating...after a few minutes on the swingset, Walker made a beeline for the bottom, where the Bobcat was - he's definitely in love!

My Two Sweeties

2009-02-10T16:19:00.001-05:00

My Two Sweeties from Jodi on Vimeo.

Walker has definitely been cautious around Baby Cameron, but was more than happy to sit with us and let me read to him the other night. I LOVED it!

Catching Up on Pics

2009-02-09T19:21:00.004-05:00

I don't ever get tired of seeing a pic like this...

Walker & Alexa running back up from the bottom of our land

Grandpa & Grace with baby Cameron

Walker on Pop's backhoe attachment - he was so excited, going back and forth between the bobcat and the backhoe

Walker on the Kubota

Cameron in the dumptruck

Walker pushing Cameron
He was so gentle & slow moving her from the den to the kitchen (with Papa's close supervision!)

Cameron's Arrival

2009-02-04T07:30:00.002-05:00

As with Walker...little Miss Cameron had no desire to arrive on her due date - Jan 15 - in fact, she made us wait almost another whole week. We were no strangers to waiting...Walker was induced when he went 9 days past his due date. I so wanted Cameron's birth to be different...to go into labor naturally and experience the whole process God's way - but I also didn't want to do anything that endangered Baby Girl.

Throughout this pregnancy, I typically had my check-ups on Mondays, but knowing that the docs would start talking about inducing after I passed my due date, I decided to be a bit sneaky, and scheduled my checkup for Tuesday, Jan 20th. When I saw Dr. Hood that day - little to no progress had been made, and since I had been late with Walker, he felt it fine for me to wait a bit longer, but said that if I hadn't gone into labor by Monday, Jan 26th, he felt it prudent to induce. That put me at just a few days shy of 42 weeks, so I agreed. Before leaving that day, I signed the paperwork and they got my inducement on the calendar.

I don't remember being super nervous when I was pregnant with Walker - but every day past my due date, my nerves increased a bit...you see, my Mama was late with all of us, but when her labor with my brother (I'm the oldest, he's #2) started...it only lasted 30-40 minutes, and she didn't even realize it at first. Thankfully my dad had worked on a farm growing up and had helped deliver several calves...perfect training for when he delivered Josh at home. So while I longed to experience a natural childbirth, I also didn't want anything quite that fast and natural! :)

Wednesday the 21st was quite cold, so our guys weren't working. We slept in a bit and then decided to go to the Y and work out. I did 15 mins or so on the elliptical and then another 8 on a recumbent bike. I couldn't get the program on it to cooperate, and it kept ramping up the resistance, which I didn't like one bit, so I finally just quit. My theory was that any exercise was better than none, but I certainly didn't want to over-exert myself!

After the Y, we grabbed some Mexican for lunch (Walker loves "chippies & salsa") and then headed to Wal-Mart. While there, we ran into a friend from church - as we were standing there talking, I realized I didn't feel very good. My lower back was a little sore and I just felt a bit out of sorts. Then later over on the frozen foods aisle, I experienced a minor pain...it took a few minutes, but all of the sudden I wondered - could that have been a contraction?

You see - after arriving at the hospital when I went in to have Walker, they hooked me up to a monitor and said I was already having light contractions - I couldn't feel a thing. By the time they started to intensify, they gave me an epidural, so I really had zero recollection of what a contraction even felt like.

Not long thereafter, we checked out and headed out to the car. I had another mild pain and then shared with Brad that I thought this might be something. I always hated saying that, because a few other times I had experienced a little lower back pain that turned out to be nothing, and I didn't want to get his hopes up if this wasn't it. We started watching the clock and sure enough, every 10-12-15 minutes I was having these pains...after that had gone on for an hour or so, we were both fully convinced that I was in labor. We decided to go on and call both Mamas and bring them up to speed, which was definitely a fun thing! After that, we just sat back and waited...and waited...and waited.

For awhile Brad timed the contractions, then I took over....but nothing seemed to change. They were fairly consistent at 10-12 mins, but the intensity was about the same and the timing just wouldn't change. Towards the end of the afternoon, it was quite clear that Brad was disappointed - he was ready for some action! LOL As night began to approach, and the contractions weren't going away, we decided to go on and send Walker to Brad's mama's house so that if things sped up during the night, we wouldn't have to worry about him. Looking back, that was a very wise move!

We straightened up the house, did a little last-minute packing, anything we could think of to pass the time. Just before 9 that evening, I was talking to my mama on the phone, reporting that nothing had changed and that I intended to call the nurse in 15 or so mins just to let her know my status (my office had said to call when contractions were 5 mins apart or my water broke). Almost instantaneously with hanging up the phone, I felt a small gush and realized - my water just broke! I jumped up and dashed to the bathroom and then told Brad - yep...I'm pretty sure this was it!

I called the office and it took them probably 15-20 mins to call back. In the meantime, we alerted both Mamas and told them we were sure we would be heading out to the hospital shortly, but we'd let them know when we left. Brad jumped in the shower while I gathered up a few last minute items. When I was finally able to talk to the nurse, she confirmed that indeed we should head to the hospital. My contractions had now jumped to about 5 mins apart, and a bit more intense, so as Brad got out of the shower I told him I thought we needed to speed up and get this show on the road. We were out the door in no time flat.

I think we left the house around 9:25 or so and I think we both prayed pretty much the whole way to the hospital...I was praying that we'd make it (thinking about my parents the whole time!) and Brad was praying that we wouldn't hit all the redlights...I don't think he entirely realized how quickly things were happening at that point, and while I thought they were happening pretty quickly (contractions were now at about 3 mins), I also didn't want to freak him out...looking back later, he said if he had had any idea, he would have driven a whole lot faster! LOL

We did manage to hit only 1 or 2 of the kazillion redlights between our house and the hospital, and when we got there, he let me out at the door and parked the car. I can't ever remember which entrance to use at St. Francis, so I walked on in and rang the bell to ask where the elevators were. A lady came out of the office and asked if I was to be admitted, and when I said yes, started looking for my chart. (Now mind you - I had called that very afternoon and verified that all of my pre-registration was complete and ready to go.) She couldn't find my chart...so another lady started looking me up in the computer...she finally found me, but they continued to chatter back and forth about my chart. About the time Brad came through the door carrying all of our stuff, I looked at them and said "Can we just go on up?" evidently in a bit of a sharp tone. Contractions were now about 2 mins apart. After-the-fact, Brad told me that he knew I was serious because of the tone of voice I used - I just couldn't get over the fact that they were so clueless!

We rode up to the 4th floor and proceeded down to the Nurse's station - they gave me a little paper to fill out that told why I had come in that night. As I'm furiously filling it out, one of the nurses must have looked at me, because she said "honey - are you in labor?" and I was like - uh-huh!! So they whisked me back to a triage room so that I could be checked...and we waited, and waited, and waited - it felt like an eternity, but was probably about 5 mins. Come to find out, there were lots of girls showing up to deliver that night (I made #7 since their shift started at 7 PM and they usually only deliver 6-8 in a day!) so they were a bit frazzled. About the time I was ready to send Brad to find somebody, my nurse came in and proceeded to check me...she didn't say anything, but buzzed the desk and said she needed some more help. They called back and said "uh...for delivery?" she was like "quite possibly" - I then asked her how far along I was and she said a 7. Maybe 2-3 mins later another girl came in, and she had her check me and I was at a 9.

At that point, I was beyond extremely uncomfortable and beginning to cry out. They got ready to move me to the delivery room and I can remember thinking...I need to be quiet while I'm in the hallway, but then realizing I was beyond any control of my vocals at that point!

We moved into the delivery room and I was laying on my side and they got me shifted over to that bed...not a super comfortable move, but I knew it was necessary. At one point, she wanted me to roll to my back so that she could look for the baby's heartbeat on a monitor - it was excruciatingly painful to be on my back, but I also wanted to hear that sweet baby's heartbeat and was definitely a bit freaked out when she couldn't find it. I think my brain knew that she must not be at any real risk, or they would be doing something else, but I do remember being disconcerted that she couldn't find it. I think the hardest thing in this point was that I felt like I was getting no feedback from the nurses...my entire bottom half felt like it was getting to explode (can we say urge to push???), and I knew from stories I'd heard in the past that it wasn't good to push until you were truly ready...but I just didn't know where I was. In retrospect, it all happened so quickly, I think they were really trying to slow me down because the dr wasn't there yet!

Somewhere along in here, they made the decision to call the "in house" doctor as it sounded like my doctor was either too far out or not responding to his page (later found out he got paged at 10:38). The in house guy walked in, they put my legs up in the stirrups, he told me to push twice and I felt the baby's head come out...he told me to wait and then to push again and I felt the rest of her body come out. Seeing her immediately and then hearing her cry were definitely very welcome to put any fears to rest about not hearing her on the monitor. And just like that - all the pain was gone, and I immediately turned to Brad & my mom and said "it was all worth it - every bit of it". Best we remember, we got to the hospital around 10 and then she was born at 10:46 - it was definitely a fast ride! Evidently I do have some of my mama's baby birthing mojo! :)

Amazingly, with as speedy as the whole thing was - my body handled it wonderfully. I had a small tear ~ 1cm that he stitched up, and that was it. And just as everyone had said, when the time comes, you don't care what doctor it is, just that there's one there! That was oh so true! LOL I truly believe that all the exercising I did throughout the pregnancy made a huge difference! I loved not being induced this time, and not having time to even consider an epidural - while it was definitely extremely painful for 10-15 mins, this would definitely be my chosen route between the 2 I've taken!

WFMW - Perfect Watch for Moms

2009-02-03T22:11:00.005-05:00

For the longest time, I wore a "pretty" watch and loved it...a few years back, though, when the band broke or the battery died, instead of getting said issue fixed, I somehow ended up deciding to try a new kind of watch for me - and man has it been awesome! let me introduce you to my new best friend:

Say hello to the Timex Ironman for women - I love this watch! I tried a similar watch back when I was in college, but it had a velcro watchband...which looked cool on my roommate's wrist, but on mine, always seemed bulky, always got wet and took awhile to dry when I washed my hands/took a shower & over time eventually started to smell - YUCK! This baby has a rubber-like band that takes on no water whatsoever...making it perfect to wear all the time...in the shower, in the pool, washing dishes, you name it. I absolutely adore that quality.

It also has a built in chrono function that counts up, timer that counts down and built in alarm (not to mention 2 different time settings & indiglo). I use all these functions, but chrono is my absolute favorite. With my first child, I used it frequently to time his naps...I would start the chrono function when I put him down for a nap and then I didn't have to remember what time it started, as it often varied day-to-day.

Now that my second pumpkin has arrived, I use it when she nurses. As we're getting started, I restart the time and let it count away...it helps me know when she probably is getting finished and/or ready to burp as well as making it easier to keep track of when she last nursed. I don't stop and restart it until it's time to start the process over, so I can always tell when her last feeding started. In these past 2 weeks, that alone has been indispensible! Not to mention that during the night indiglo has been one of my best friends!

Next time you find yourself needing a new watch - definitely check this baby out! For more great WFMW ideas, head on over to Rocks in my Dryer!

Delicious Giveaway!

2009-02-03T16:06:00.004-05:00

Are these not the cutest crayons ever? I was first turned on to Stubby Pencil Studio by Meredith - and have now seen them a few other places on the web...I'm totally in love with several of their products right now, but as we've tightened the purse-strings on our budget as of late, am holding myself back...for now. However, couldn't pass up this lovely chance to WIN a basket of their goodies - love it! Enjoy!

Just a Quick Note

2009-02-02T14:23:00.003-05:00

Oh my goodness - just can't get over this little cutie pie! She is such a sweetheart & such a fabulous baby! Other than either a midnight feeding (well, last night was 4 AM) she's slept through the night for the past 4 nights! Woo hoo!!! I hope to post her birth story in the next day or two, so check back with us!

Walker is quite taken with the reemergence of all the baby gear...we were in the den the other night and he "disappeared" momentarily...then I realized he was at the end of the couch...in the bouncy seat...with it turned on - he is such a hoot! Love this big bug!

So Blessed

2009-01-27T12:32:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Our World

2009-01-26T21:24:00.004-05:00

Wanted to take a few minutes and share a few pics of our precious baby girl - sorry it's taken so long, but we've been kinda busy :-) !

Say hello to Baby Cameron - she made a quick (very!) entrance into the world last Wednesday evening @ 10:46 - she was 7 lbs 6 oz and 19.5 inches.

At first Walker wasn't 100% sure about the baby, but he's warming up to her.

So tiny in her carrier.

Had to share one more of Big Brother Walk-man too!

Love this new little baby girl - such a gift from God! Thanks so much for sharing in our joy and blessing!

Progress at Last!

2009-01-21T19:46:00.003-05:00

I went in Tuesday for my weekly dr's visit - and not surprising at all, nothing much had happened since I was there last week. 40 weeks & 5 days and baby girl's arrival didn't look any more promising than before! So, we talked over the options and I reluctantly scheduled an induction for Monday, the 26th. Walker was 9 days over when he was induced, and this would put baby girl @ 11 days over...anything past that and I'd have to start going in for daily testing that would be both costly & extremely time consuming. As much as I have longed for this pregnancy to have a natural start to labor, I also don't want to selfishly wait for that and put baby girl in any danger! All in all, I was happy with the plan.

Enter today - this morning did a few things around the house, went to the Y and exercised, grabbed lunch & then headed to Wal-Mart. While talking to a friend we ran into, I realized I wasn't feeling so great...my back had started to ache a bit, and I just felt a little bit funky. A little while later, I had a pain that almost stopped me in my tracks...it was at that moment that I realized I might be having contractions. WOW!

When I got to the hospital when Walker was induced, they told me I was having contractions, but I couldn't feel them at all. Day by day, it's been a bit nervewracking to know that while this is my 2nd pregnancy, I've never experienced labor starting naturally...and to constantly wonder if I would "get it" or not or if I would even get that option.

As the next couple of hours progressed, it became quite evident that labor had indeed commenced...contractions are roughly 10 mins apart, and they have been growing in intensity...so for now, we're just waiting...watching the clock...timing contractions...working through the pain...awaiting the arrival of our precious baby girl!

Tuesday Tidbits

2009-01-20T07:00:00.001-05:00

In an effort to keep my 2009 goals in front of me & stay on track with them, I thought I'd share a few tidbits along the way that are helping keep me focused! I won't necessarily post on this subject every week, but just as things come to mind on my journey!

In honor of my exercise & eat more healthfully goal - keep & maintain a fruit bowl! So many of us always saw a bowl of fruit sitting on our grandmothers' counters growing up - we've started doing the same. If the fruit gets into the fridge (at our house at least), it will come out weeks later, not eaten & now not worth eating! We've started being more diligent about buying fruit and keeping it out in plain sight - where it's an easy snack to pick up and eat at home and also easy to grab heading out the door.

Right now we're really in to navel oranges & Fuji apples - both found at Sam's and both super delicious! We also buy bananas from time to time, but they seem to turn brown almost within a day of entering our doors, regardless of how green they were when we bought them. I'd love to hear any tricks any of you have on keeping bananas around longer!

How about you - any tidbits you can share that are helping you keep on track for your 2009 goals?

Playing the Waiting Game

2009-01-19T12:21:00.003-05:00

Four days in - just watching & waiting!

What's a girl to do?

2009-01-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

Not surprisingly, baby girl still has yet to make her entrance into the world...so what's a girl (and hubby) to do? Work on those goals, I say!

Cooking & cleaning are unfortunately not two of my fortes...after an impromptu breakfast at the new Einstein Bagels near our house this morning, Brad and I decided to give our bathroom a detail cleaning. We systematically took the bathroom apart and made it sparkle. Woo hoo!

This past week, in trying to further prepare for baby girl's arrival, we made a meal list and bought the ingredients we didn't have on hand to carry it out. We'd hoped to get some cooking done during the week and just never found the time - so this afternoon we headed into the kitchen for a marathon cooking session.

We're not big on leftovers, so we made the decision to cook several different meals, divide them into smaller batches and stock up our freezer. We've long talked about cooking in this fashion, but have never taken the time to do it. I have to say, it was a great experience! We started out boiling chicken breasts (for chicken & dumplings) and then moved on to making a beautiful homemade sauce for lasagna. After putting the lasagna together, we had some leftover sauce that Brad turned into a baked spaghetti. Then we put together some chicken & stuffing casseroles. All told we ended up with:

chicken & dumplings - 2 meals
lasagna - 3 meals
baked spaghetti - 1 meal
chicken & stuffing - 3 meals

Our freezer is now well stocked, and working together went so well that I can almost guarantee we'll do this again! It definitely felt great to make some further forward progress as we continue on with baby watch!

How about you - have you ever tried any batch cooking? What recipes have you found that freeze well? We'd love to know!

Sweet Time with Mimi

2009-01-17T20:26:00.003-05:00

Last night we took Walker over to spend the night with Mimi & Pop - he & Alexa were both eager to climb up in Mimi's lap to hear one of their favorite books, Llama, Llama Red Pajama.

The Big Day?!? Maybe, Maybe Not...

2009-01-15T08:24:00.005-05:00

Could today be the big day? maybe, maybe not...I have to confess, I'm not holding my breath! I'm a procrastinator by nature, and seems like my body just falls right in line when it's time to have babies!

This is me with newly born Walker back in 2006 - let me tell you, that boy was stubborn! He was 9 days overdue, at which point I was induced...not my first choice, but as a first-time mom, I also didn't want to do anything that might compromise his health & well-being, so I caved @ 9. We showed up at the hospital around 5:30 or so that morning and they got everything started...he was born after 9 PM - I told you he was stubborn (I know...just like his Mama)!

Today will definitely be given to lots of thought about all-things-baby! It is so amazing to know that I have this miracle inside of me and that sometime in the next days we will be able to hold her and revel in the miracle that she is! I am so excited to see how God orchestrates everything in the coming days. With Walker's birth, there was no question at all that He was behind everything...from the doctors on down to the nurses, I simply had the perfect ones!

So today (and until...), I'm not going to drag around waiting, waiting, waiting...I'm going to continue to try to be diligent in taking care of my family, crossing a few more things off my never-ending list - enjoying some time one-on-one with Walker & Brad too, and just continue to prepare for our little sweetheart! We'll keep you posted! And if you'd like to keep up "real-time", feel free to follow me on Twitter...as long as we get decent phone reception @ the hospital, we'll probably tweet some updates along the way!

Edited to add - you can also follow my sis on Twitter @alchristopher as she'll definitely be giving updates too! :)

Enjoy your day!

Yummy Yummy Meatballs

2009-01-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

My Aunt Marian introduced all of us to this ultra easy, super delicious recipe awhile back and I couldn't resist passing it along! I'll include the recipe for the meatballs themselves, though I have to confess that I keep a bag of frozen meatballs (italian style) at the ready in my freezer at all times - have I mentioned that Sam's is one of my favorite places to shop? I can say that I did make the meatballs from scratch once and it is a very yummy recipe....it's just by the time you cover them with all of this sauce goodness, I don't think you can tell much of a difference with the premade ones...and for me, the beauty of this recipe is the ability to throw it together in no time flat!

Meatballs - mix together and roll into small balls:

1 c bread crumbs
2 1/2 lbs ground beef
3 eggs
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

Sauce:

1 can whole cranberry sauce (not the gel stuff!)
1 (15-20oz) can sauerkraut
1 bottle chili sauce (condiment aisle near the ketchup & cocktail sauce)
1 empty chili bottle of water
1/2 c brown sugar

When mixing the sauce, I find it easiest to start with the chili sauce, water & brown sugar - mix til dissolved. Then add the cranberry sauce, mix it in thoroughly. I use a whisk up until this point. Mix the sauerkraut in last - you don't have to follow this order, but I find it makes it much easier to get the sauce truly homogenized!

Spread meatballs (I use them frozen, straight from the freezer) to cover lasagna pan - I think it's a 10x14.

Cover with the sauce. Bake at 350 degress for 2-2 1/2 hours. You can also use a crockpot, but I find the oven to be much nicer. It makes a much thicker, richer sauce.

So when you need a quick, go-to recipe - give this one a try! Even if sauerkraut or cranberries aren't your thing...try it anyway - once the sauce comes together, you really can't distinguish any of the individual ingredients. Goes great with mashed potatoes! Enjoy!

Looking Forward at 2009

2009-01-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

Photo by coxy

New Year's has come and gone and many resolutions have already been forgotten. I've never been super-big into resolutions...mostly because they're so easy to make & so easy to break! I think oftentimes we come off of the high of Christmas, throw out some lofty goals & never give them much thought again. I decided to go about it a little differently this year.

If I had to pick a word to describe 2008 for me, it would have been intention. I really sought to live with intention last year and it produced some really great results in my life. I am a procrastinating, clutter-bug by nature and let far too many things sit undone for far too long. I really began to work on changing all that last year. Granted - I still have a long way to go, but at least progress is being made!

For 2009, in lieu of "resolutions", instead I want to focus on goals for the year and not lose sight of them by the time February or March rolls around. I've taken the last 2 weeks to really think & reflect on what I want 2009 to accomplish in my life and am finally ready to share...

Read more - I have been an avid reader for years and years and have really just let that fall by the wayside since W was born. I am determined to read 18 books (mostly non-fiction) in 2009. I'll be tracking that progress in my sidebar.
Continue to focus on living with intention, especially in regard to our home...continue to use the 2 minute rule, work on touching things only once (I tend to be bad about moving things around and not dealing with them for far too long), putting things away as soon as I'm finished with them and in general keeping our house a lot neater. I'll be posting some pics of both my failures and successes throughout the year in order to help keep myself motivated!
Continue to focus on exercise (3-4 times per week) and extend that focus to healthier eating both personally and for the whole family. This means I have to be more and more diligent about cooking...something that I tend to struggle with! I may try posting some menus at some point...not quite sure about that yet. Several months back, I started to track my weekly exercise in my sidebar and it has made a huge difference for me. I truly believe that this pregnancy has gone even more smoothly than the last largely in part to my increased exercise. I'm especially excited about the prospect of being able to further tone & define my muscles once baby girl is born - just think, I might actually like what I look like in a bathing suit this summer!
Be more diligent about reading my Bible & growing my relationship with Jesus - some days I do really well and others, I let the disruptions of the day get in my way. I want to be more consistent & see continual growth. I may use some journaling to help track my progress...not 100% sure yet on that one.
Be more diligent about tracking our family finances - we budget and pretty much live accordingly, but don't always do a great job of visibly tracking that on paper. I'd like to change that this year!

I'm sure I'll come up with a few other goals as the year progresses, but for now, this is where my focus lies. I know our world is getting ready to turn upside-down, temporarily, with the birth of baby girl & the adjustment to a baby & toddler in the house, but I'm truly excited about what 2009 has in store for us! I love knowing that I can continue to grow & better myself and believe that great things are just around the bend!

How about you - what are you doing to hang on to your 2009 goals?

Walker - 2007

2009-01-12T20:02:00.002-05:00

Looking back @ Walker from Jodi on Vimeo.

In trying to get ready for baby girl's arrival, we were downloading video from our camcorder, and ran across this sweet clip. Unfortunately, the video looks a little crazy at times - not sure what the deal is there, but still wanted to share our little cutie with you! This was taken on our 2007 beach trip just before he turned one! Oh how the time flies!

Taking it day by day

2009-01-07T20:19:00.002-05:00

I can hardly believe that we're already 7 days into the New Year and I've yet to do a post...just goes to show how busy we've been! I hope your family had a wonderful Christmas season - I know we did! Between Christmas, then trying to get everything with the business ready to close out 2008 and then trying to work on getting ready for baby girl, we've been quite busy!

As of tomorrow, I'm officially 39 weeks...not that I'm counting! ;) We were able to get the nursery painted over the holidays - a rich brown color..."mocha syrup" to be exact. It turned out even better than I had hoped and is a great match to the nursery fabric! We still haven't done much on the walls, but I'm all about a low-stress life these days, so I'm not putting too much pressure on myself to have a 100% complete nursery before baby girl is born...far more important to just enjoy this time, is my theory!

We've had some great family time...enjoyed Walker immensely - his language acquisition is absolutely amazing and we're loving every minute of it! He even calls the baby by name, which is so much fun! All-in-all there are a few more things I'd like to cross off my list before the birth, got several marked off today, in fact! Other than that, we're just taking life as it comes, one day at a time, and enjoying each other as a family! We'll keep you posted!

fun @ CVS

2008-12-28T20:51:00.002-05:00

I haven't played the CVS game a whole bunch, but have been trying to get better at it. One of the most important parts to getting started, as I've learned, is getting your coupons organized. I have always struggled with coupons...I love the idea, but have never been organized enough to handle them. I'm now keeping my coupons, unclipped, in page protectors, by week, in a 3-ring binder. It's working pretty darn well.

Tonight, I went and did 2 separate transactions...I was pretty happy with the result! I would take a pic for you, but I'm spending some quality time on the couch and being lazy...maybe tomorrow...anyway, I got:

3 bottles of Tide
2 bottles of Pantene
1 quattro razor
1 colgate
2 blistex ointments
2 bottles dawn dishwashing liquid
3 caramels - for Brad :)

total for all these: 61.33
savings: 50.35 ($14 ECBs & $7 CVS coupons & $10.25 manuf coupons & 19.10 savings)
total spent: 10.97
OOP: zero - used gift card balance to pay 10.97

I've still got a long way to go and more to learn (of course I found another Colgate coupon after I got home!), but had a lot of fun this afternoon/tonight playing the game! Some great websites to check out if you're interested in joining the fun:

Most importantly, save a little $$ and have some fun!

Walker's Blessing - Thank You God

2008-12-25T01:00:00.002-05:00

Walker's Blessing from Jodi on Vimeo.
Isn't that what it's all about?
"Thank you, God!"
Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Just for Fun

2008-12-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

Photo by Josiah Mackenzie

Play along on your blog if you like. Just copy it….then bold the text of things you’ve done so far in your life. Enjoy!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (sang)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland ( & Disney World)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (well, stood on the surf side and watched one come in)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child (through World Vision yes, in terms of real adoption, no)
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language - learned while living in Switzerland
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (in China, where it is treated super seriously!!)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (scuba no, snorkel yes)
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (for many, many years - lifetime GS member)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (not pretty, almost passed out)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (wish I’d saved more!)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Last Minute Gift Ideas

2008-12-22T20:25:00.000-05:00

If you are still struggling (or are behind) with your Christmas shopping...here are a few great last minute ideas:

Pick something out of the World Vision Christmas Gift Catalog - you can immediately print out a card that you can give to your gift recipient, so not much time is required! We love that 86% of monies donated to WV go to help those in need - few charities are that efficient.
Goats have been a favorite gift over the years - but the chicks are so cute too! There are 7 gifts priced under $20 - so don't feel like you have to spend a ton to help someone in need. You also have the option to purchase a "share" of a larger item if that's of greater appeal to you.

Another great option this Christmas is Soles 4 Souls. You can spend 5 minutes, $5 dollars and make a huge difference in the lives of 2 people - your $5 buys 2 pairs of shoes!

soles4souls' mission is to get shoes to people who need shoes - can you imagine not having a pair of shoes and being forced to go barefoot? Over 300 million people around the world don’t have shoes and are forced to walk around unsafe and in potentially life-threatening conditions. Wow! Blows my mind!

We all also have tons of local charities & angel tree projects going on around us if you'd prefer to keep your dollars closer to home...so if you still have shopping to do, take a minute and do some shopping that will make a difference...Merry Christmas!

The Truth about Santa Claus

2008-12-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

Photo by Stoichiometry
The Truth About Santa Claus
============================

I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid.

I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!"

My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me.

I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.

Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me.

"No Santa Claus?" She snorted... "Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor Has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad! Now, put On your coat, and let's go."

"Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun.

"Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.

I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a Few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for.

I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my Friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, and the people who went to my church.

I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class.

Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we
kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat!

I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.

"Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked Kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down.

"Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby."

The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a Good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.

That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa
Claus" on it. Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's Helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going."

I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.

Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: Ridiculous.

Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team. I still have The Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.

from MountainWings

How's this for Christmas Fun?

2008-12-19T15:12:00.000-05:00

All I Want for Christmas from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

RoseAngela last week at NewSpring...love it!

A different kind of giveaway

2008-12-18T15:02:00.006-05:00

Yesterday my husband, sister & I along with countless other NewSpring volunteers (about 70 at our school) had the opportunity to give away shoes, socks, backpacks & school supplies to children at local elementary schools - it's one of the most incredible experiences I've had in awhile! All told, we gave away 1665 pairs of shoes to 4 different elementary schools - the school we went to here in Greenville had about 700 of those kids. The principal told us that 90% of the school's kids live at or below the poverty level.

The shoes were preordered from NewBalance and had been sorted according to grade & class - then each box also had a new pair of socks and a bag for them to carry the box home in. There was also a backpack for each child stuffed with some new school supplies. To see more of the behind-the-scenes work, check out this post. When we arrived at the school, we split into teams and then started with the fifth grade and worked our way down to kindergarten. It was such a moving experience! A few highlights:

Several asked if they actually got to keep the shoes and take them home, or if they had to leave them at school - wow!
My sis asked one girl what she wanted for Christmas (4th or 5th grade) and the girl said 'tennis shoes' then when Autumn slid the new shoe on her foot, the girl quietly said 'that feels so much better' - when Autumn asked her if her old shoes were too tight, she nodded yes.
One little boy who was wearing a size 4 and signed up for a new size 4 but then had to be moved up to a size 6 to find a pair that really fit him.
Seeing a little girl with a house key on a purple ribbon around her neck - didn't know that really still happened.
A sweet little girl who was so excited to tell me her name who then wouldn't stop grinning from ear to ear when she looked at her new pink & gray shoes.
A teacher who told us this was the only Christmas many of these kids would have.
The kids who told us they were going to take their backpacks home and put them under the tree.
The kindergarten boy that my sweet husband put new shoes on who looked to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Brad tried and tried to get a smile out of the boy, but it was almost like he had no emotion. Just before it was time for his class to go back, Brad got the little guy engaged in a game of 'high five' where he kept telling him...I know you can hit my hand harder than that...the little guy got into it and finally started to smile and enjoy himself while smacking Brad's hand. Very emotional for both of us!

It was definitely an incredible day that won't be soon forgotten by any of us who got to go and help. I'm already counting the days til we do it again next year! It is so exciting to be part of a local body that wants to reach out and minister to the community at large around us. Thanks so much to all the volunteers who gave up their time to go yesterday and to the countless others who gave $$ to make it possible - this definitely qualified as a "PRICELESS" experience! Merry Christmas!!

A little Merry Christmas Love!

2008-12-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

The lobby at NewSpring is decorated beautifully, even to the point of being decked out with a working 3-sided fireplace! For the past two weeks, they've had a photographer set up in the lobby taking family pics (free of course!), which has been so nice! Not only have they printed out a 4x6 that you could take home with you, they've also been emailing out the photos...we got one of ours today so I thought I'd share! Merry Christmas from our family to you!

Christmas Planning - 1 Week & Counting

2008-12-15T10:53:00.003-05:00

Photo by krisdecurtis

Man are the days flying by! It blew me away yesterday morning at church to realize that next Sunday, the 21st is our big Christmas service! Wow is December moving right along!!!

Christmas Goals 12/15 -12/21

relax & not sweat anything...haven't been super happy with any potential Christmas card pics, and that may mean that we forgo cards this year... I haven't completely made my mind up yet, but I'm just not going to let it stress me out! That, I do know!
a little stitching left to do

Christmas Accomplishments

gift list made - several gifts purchased
holiday budget tweaked
purchased replacement Christmas tree lights (that we unfortunately did need) LOL
purchased gift cards & World Vision gifts on Christmas list
moved Trigger downstairs
work on Christmas card list - finally (though it will probably still have some tweaks!)
tree up - burnt out lights replaced (and replaced & replaced)
gather Christmas craft supplies - partial
transfer Christmas Club $$ into Savings Account so that it doesn't get mixed into regular spending
get recipe for Fruit Cake cookies from MaMa
check wrapping supplies
design Christmas tee for W & A - stitched and done!
one possible Christmas pic - may try again this week...not sure yet
tree decorated, stockings hung
found present I was looking for on Craig's List @ Sam's on mega clearance - woo hoo!
outside decorations up
wrapping in progress - I only have 1 thing that we have purchased not wrapped - yea!
amazon order

From here on out, my goal is really to just enjoy the season...we'll probably do a little impromptu baking around the house, hope to see some nice Christmas lights on an evening or two, watch a few Christmas movies, keep the house straightened up...mostly just enjoy Christmas and all the great family time around it!

We are privileged to serve at an amazing church and we'll hold 3 services at our Greenville campus on Sun the 21st - both Brad and I are pumped to get to be a part of it and to help make it easier for people to meet Jesus that day. It just doesn't get better than that!

Join the Club

2008-12-14T15:00:00.001-05:00

I've been feeling it for awhile now...the desire, the need to be more diligent with reading. Growing up, I was always a book fiend - you couldn't tear me away from a great book. The introduction to mommydom has greatly diminished my time for reading and thus, it has unfortunately fallen by the wayside! I've heard Dave Ramsey say more than once that most millionaires read at least one non-fiction book a month - seems like a great practice to me!

I've been greatly inspired by Ginger, who has 2 kiddos and an amazing list of books read in 2008. I told Brad a month or so ago that I was thinking of challenging myself to read 18 books (predominantly non-fiction) in 2009 - 12 didn't quite sound like enough, and 24 sounded like it might just be too much...and then SimpleMom announced she was starting a book club for 2009! I was super excited, as I know this will be a great form of accountability for me as well as provide a great start to my own reading challenge! You can find the reading list here - I've already been wanting to read a couple of these, and the others look right up my alley as well.

How about you - do you often get the chance to spend time with a good book? Any great recommendations you'd like to throw out for me?

Our day with Walker

2008-12-12T21:21:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to share a few pics from our day today...love this little bug!

Crawling Back Out

2008-12-12T10:28:00.004-05:00

This week at our house has been a little rough...W came down with a stomach bug over the weekend and was finally back to normal on Tuesday...then Weds morning, Brad & I both got hit with the same thing...not pretty! One of the worst parts, for me, was seeing so much of the progress I've made around the house erode while we were both feeling so rough. I was definitely disappointed! But, we were starting to feel better yesterday, so I did a little picking up, though nothing seemed to really make a BIG difference...

This morning I got up a little discouraged, but then found the most wonderful nugget of encouragement over at SimpleMom...if you haven't already visited her today - STOP - go now and read this post - it was such a blessing to me today! What a great reminder that I'm right where I want to be, and that I'm the one who can turn our home into our haven. So I jumped in...

The kitchen isn't perfect, but it's a far cry better than where it started! I've done several loads of laundry and put a bunch of "stuff" away (where it needed to be already)...& some of it was out because of the yucks of the past week, and some...just out for no good reason.

As I've made some progress this morning, it's occurred to me, that if we hadn't already been making good progress, our house would have looked *much worse* after a few days of sick, so realizing that it wasn't too, too bad was a great encouragement to me! I realized too, that payroll happened on time, our weekly tax deposit got made & my Etsy order went out - all in all, it could have been a much, much worse week!

And I still have a long way to go...my desk is an absolute wreck! But, I'm taking joy in the little bits of progress along the way and am determined to persevere!

So wherever you are today...whatever your circumstances...remember, your attitude (and your surroundings) flow from you! If you don't like them...hop on in and work on changing them! I am a procrastinating, clutter-bug with perfectionist tendencies by nature. That leads to a house that doesn't get the attention it needs because..."I'll do it tomorrow" or "it's my stuff...I can't get rid of it" or "I don't have time to do it perfectly, so why get started?" These attitudes have paralyzed me for far too long and it's just plain time for it to change! I'm not expecting overnight success, and I'm sure the birth of baby girl will bring additional challenges into the mix, but I do believe that change can and will happen around here, and that is a very wonderful thought!

How about you - what's holding you back from making your home the haven you want it to be?

Toffee Popcorn - A Great Christmas Gift

2008-12-08T19:47:00.005-05:00

Several years ago at Christmas, when the budget was *really* tight, we decided to make toffee popcorn to give as gifts...and what a hit it turned out to be! We made the popcorn and then packaged it in ziploc bags decorated with stickers...it's actually been requested by several family members in years since! It's a fairly simple recipe, and I wanted to pass it along - hope you'll enjoy as much as we have!

Ingredients:

1 c sugar
1 c butter, softened
1/3 c water
popped popcorn (about the equivalent of 2 bags of microwave popcorn)

My husband typically pops the popcorn while I work on the toffee part of the recipe - I recommend dumping the popcorn into one bowl after popping and then transferring by hand to another to ensure that you can eliminate as many unpopped/partially popped kernels as possible. We've used both microwave & air pop popcorn, and both work fine, though my husband was a bigger fan of microwave in this application.

Bring butter and water to a boil over medium heat. Add sugar and stir constantly. I've tried using a candy thermometer with this recipe, but find that keeping a close eye on the mixture is the best method (at least for me!) The candy will boil & thicken and then begin to darken in color and reduce in volume. You're looking for a nice caramel color - if you let it go too long, it will burn. Once your toffee has reached a pretty caramel color, remove it from the heat and pour over the popcorn. Use 2 spoons to toss & mix the popcorn to achieve good coverage. Before the popcorn begins to set, spread it on wax paper to cool.

Be careful at this point - I have burned many a tastebud in my impatience to taste the finished product! And be careful who you invite into the kitchen while you're working...on more than one occasion, we've had...ahem..."spectators" who've eaten at a rate almost equal to our ability to cook the toffee!

For an even more delectable treat, melt chocolate chips in a ziploc bag in the microwave, snip off a corner and drizzle over the toffee popcorn - super delish!

For other great holiday food gift ideas, head on over to Vintage Mommy and check out the other links to delectable holiday goodies - I know there are several I already have on my list to try!

Christmas Planning - 2 Weeks & Counting

2008-12-08T08:59:00.004-05:00

Photo by Mannequin-

Even though I've been preparing for Christmas for weeks now, I continue to be amazed at how quickly the time has flown! We've really been enjoying our Christmas decorations this past week and I feel like the benefits of planning are really beginning to show! Brad and I spent a little time looking around this weekend for a few Christmas odds and ends and neither of us could believe how relaxed we felt...must continue to stay on track with planning next year!

Christmas Goals 12/8 -12/14

still struggling with my dish towels...have moved on to plan B, hope to get some work done there this week, though I'm not holding my breath ;)
buy Christmas stamps - I evidently have a mental block with the PO right now
print Christmas card labels
print Christmas cards & mail
one last Amazon.com order

Thinking Forward

think about decorations I'd like to change up/add next year, make list so I can watch before/after Christmas sales - I had wanted to add some garland this year, but have decided that project would add more stress than I would like...so I've got it in mind for next year...we also would like to add some berries or berry garland to our tree, and while we found some we like, at $15 for a 4 ft strand, we're just not willing to pay it...so we'll keep our eyes open, and maybe find some for next year after the holidays!

Christmas Accomplishments

gift list made - several gifts purchased
holiday budget tweaked
purchased replacement Christmas tree lights (that we unfortunately did need) LOL
purchased gift cards & World Vision gifts on Christmas list
moved Trigger downstairs
work on Christmas card list - finally (though it will probably still have some tweaks!)
tree up - burnt out lights replaced (and replaced & replaced)
gather Christmas craft supplies - partial
transfer Christmas Club $$ into Savings Account so that it doesn't get mixed into regular spending
get recipe for Fruit Cake cookies from MaMa
check wrapping supplies
design Christmas tee for W & A - stitched and done!
one possible Christmas pic - may try again this week...not sure yet
tree decorated, stockings hung
found present I was looking for on Craig's List @ Sam's on mega clearance - woo hoo!
outside decorations up
wrapping in progress - I only have 1 thing that we have purchased not wrapped - yea!

Hope your Christmas plan is coming together nicely - remember, it's never too late to get started!! And if you're not as far along as you'd like...check out a few posts on Small Notebook - there's one on simpler gift-giving and Christmas without the Frenzy. It's way too easy to get caught up in somebody else's idea of the perfect holiday - while Dec 25th will be here before we all know it, don't let it stress you out. Relax, destress & enjoy - don't let the hustle & bustle destroy your Christmas!

My Cutie

2008-12-04T16:52:00.003-05:00

Oh - the exuberance of a 2 year old!

Can there be any doubt that this boy loves being outside & loves a swing? What a blessing of a child!

Planning for next year while you're decorating this year...

2008-12-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

So just a quick thought - but as you're unpacking your Christmas decorations this year and beginning to enjoy them...think through anything you might be missing...and then put it on your list to keep an eye out for, especially during close-to-Christmas sales & after-Christmas sales. Until last year, we've never had a "real" Christmas tree skirt...we either couldn't find one that we liked, or they were more expensive than we were okay with....so we'd always used a piece of inexpensive Christmas fabric draped around the base of the tree. It was okay...but just okay. Then last year, close to Christmas, we went to Home Depot and ended up looking through their Christmas goodies (which were very picked over)...and wouldn't you know, there was a great tree skirt at a great price. We used it such a short amount of time last year that I couldn't even remember what it looked like, and had almost forgotten we bought it - when I pulled it out over the weekend, I was delightfully surprised and loved it just as much as I did when we bought it last year. Woo hoo!

I'm loving the idea of doing a Jesse Tree with Walker next year, which utilizes ornaments that have OT significance...I'm hoping to be able to find some of those after Christmas this year so that I'll have a jump on next year! So keep in mind where you might have a few holes in your decorations and use the after-Christmas sales to fill in those gaps - much better than paying full retail price!!!

Christmas Tees

2008-12-03T17:53:00.002-05:00

These aren't the best pics, but wanted to show off W & A's Christmas tees for this year...Aut and I finally found enough time to collaborate on A's this past weekend, and then I was able to get W's stitched out too...he's a big airplane fan right now, so I just couldn't resist this one! Hope to get some cute pics of both of them in them soon...

Alexa's has vinyl on it holding the little shimmery snowflakes in...also gives it a little more ornament shine!

This one is a bit behind the times, but was so cute, I couldn't resist sharing...I did a turkey tee for the daughter of one of the girls Aut works with - just loved it! W & A may both need one next year!

WFMW - Delish Apple Tart

2008-12-03T17:26:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago we were flipping through an issue of Kraft Food & Family and stumbled on this recipe...we thought it looked super yummy, so a few days later we gave it a try, and man are we hooked! Super simple, ingredients I typically have on hand (except maybe the pie crust - until now!) - one of those desserts that's nice to have up your sleeve in case you unexpectedly have company or need to take a dessert somewhere. This has become a quick & easy go-to dessert for us...in fact we took a few to Thanksgiving & it got rave reviews...wouldn't be surprised to see it make a guest appearance at Christmas either! Hope you'll enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of 15-oz. pkg.)
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
3 red and/or green apples (1-1/4 lb.), thinly sliced
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon sugar
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (optional)

I used 1/3 less fat philly and it worked super great too - I also used my Pampered Chef apple peeler-corer-slicer & it makes the bulk of the "work" to make this recipe just disappear - I know it's a kitchen gadget, but I highly recommend it! We left the skins on, and just used it to core & slice the apples and it worked wonderfully!

Directions:

HEAT oven to 450ºF. Line 9-inch pie plate with crust. Carefully spread cream cheese in 6-inch circle in center.

TOSS apples with sugar and flour; spoon over cream cheese. Fold crust partially over apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. (we tossed the apple slices, sugar & flour & a tsp of cinnamon into a gallon ziploc and tossed them around that way - in subsequent bakings, I've also found that starting in one spot on the crust, and folding up about 3 or so inches, and then working my way around in one direction, until I get back to the starting point works better than just trying to fold the crust up with no plan!)

BAKE 25 min., covering loosely with foil for the last 5 min. Cool. Serve with COOL WHIP. Refrigerate leftovers.

Give this one a try and let me know what you think! For more great WFMW ideas, head on over to RocksinmyDryer!

Back to the Bedroom

2008-12-02T10:28:00.005-05:00

Shameful, I know - but I've let our bedroom fall apart - AGAIN - ugh - so while I've been meaning to get after it for *days* now, I finally jumped in and dealt with the mess this morning...on a positive note - my baker's rack has stayed nice & neat, so that has been a huge plus this week!

I don't know what it is about this chair that just begs clothes to drape all over it...
I will say that I was responsible for less than 1/2 of this pile, ahem...

and this one was a conglomeration of stuff headed to Goodwill (from our closet reorganization over the weekend), my purse and stuff from a Sam's run a few weeks ago.

Yea - there is hope in the world!

Forgot the before pic of this one, but there was a pile of empty shoe boxes there...why they hadn't already made it to the trash....

If you'd like to jump on board & share your Tackle for the day - head on over to 5minutesformoms & link up!

Christmas Planning - 3 Weeks & Counting

2008-12-02T07:31:00.005-05:00

Happy December everyone! Can you believe that it's here and that 2008 is almost gone? Blowing my mind! We made some great Christmas progress here at our house this past week...things are feeling very relaxed and I'm not stressing at all! Hope your Christmas plans are coming along nicely - Enjoy!!

Christmas Goals 12/1 -12/7

gather Christmas craft/wrapping - still need to hit a few more places
make major progress on Christmas dish towels - didn't make it on this one; may have to punt!
buy Christmas stamps
put up outside Christmas decorations - had hoped to do it over the weekend, but it was too wet & rainy (& cold) to even try
start wrapping
print Christmas card labels

Thinking Forward

think through Christmas "schedule"

Christmas Accomplishments

gift list made - several gifts purchased
holiday budget tweaked
purchased replacement Christmas tree lights (that we unfortunately did need) LOL
purchased gift cards & World Vision gifts on Christmas list
moved Trigger downstairs
work on Christmas card list - finally (though it will probably still have some tweaks!)
tree up - burnt out lights replaced
gather Christmas craft supplies - partial
transfer Christmas Club $$ into Savings Account so that it doesn't get mixed into regular spending
get recipe for Fruit Cake cookies from MaMa
check wrapping supplies
design Christmas tee for W & A - stitched and done!
one possible Christmas pic - may try again this week...not sure yet
tree decorated, stockings hung
found present I was looking for on Craig's List @ Sam's on mega clearance - woo hoo!

Got so distracted with Thanksgiving thoughts last week when I was doing my post that I totally forgot to include decorating our tree...thankfully, though, we didn't forget in real time! We pulled out the decorations over the weekend...spent some *more* time locating some burnt out bulbs that were causing a few strand outages on our tree...and got decorated. I'm enjoying the tree with decorations so much - love it! Have a wonderful & productive week!

Take the Challenge?

2008-11-26T10:10:00.002-05:00

Christians can [still] change the world. This year, Give Presence.

Removing the Eyesore - TT

2008-11-25T09:07:00.005-05:00

My husband and I were talking about housework a few weeks ago, and my lack of affinity for it...and he said...I think you need to post pics on your blog more often of your problem spots...does he know me or what? I didn't say much and he then accused me of not thinking it was a good idea because it came from him...I was like - oh no...it's too good of an idea...and I know that it will help hold me accountable, I'm just not sure I want that much accountability! LOL

So here we are...this has got to be one of the worst resident hot spots in my house. I don't know what happens...I determine that I will keep all the junk off, and before you know it - it's covered again, and I'm the one who did the covering! Ugh..

In order to help keep the process moving along, and me on track, I decided to use my handy-dandy timer and see how quickly I could work. I started with 15 mins...and by the time it went off, the baker's rack was mostly cleaned off and ready to go, except for the piles of misc stuff then sitting on my kitchen table...so I reset it and continued to work...

And was able to finish in great fashion with almost 5 mins left...and - no piles lingering in other places in my house - I think I truly managed to deal with everything on it, and moved it to the place it belongs (and threw away a bunch of junk!)

Voila -now if I can just manage to be disciplined and keep it this way...I'll have to do some periodic update photos just to keep me on my toes! If you've got housework (or any other project) that needs to get done - just tackle it, blog it & then head over to 5minutesformoms and link up your post - I don't know about you, but in some areas, I need all the encouragement I can get! Happy Tuesday!

Christmas Planning - 4 Weeks & Counting

2008-11-24T23:00:00.002-05:00

Photo by krisdecurtis
Yikes - not much happened Christmas related around here last week at all...guess that's what happens when you have a 2 year old, a business, embroider on the side and try to keep a house straight! Truth be told - last week was just a tiring week...B has been waking up most mornings between 4 & 5 and is then out the door sometime between 5 & 6 - even going to bed at 9:30 several nights didn't seem to be enough sleep for me! However...I'll give it another goal this week!

Christmas Goals 11/24 -11/30

gather Christmas craft/wrapping - still need to hit a few more places
keep an eye on Craig's List for 2 possible presents - I've actually been doing this consistently, just haven't found anything I'm happy with yet!
make major progress on Christmas dish towels - this is go week for this one!
sew W & A Christmas tees
try Christmas pic
buy Christmas stamps

Thinking Forward

think through decorations - where to hang garland
think through Christmas "schedule"

Christmas Accomplishments

gift list made - several gifts purchased
holiday budget tweaked
purchased replacement Christmas tree lights (that we unfortunately did need) LOL
purchased gift cards & World Vision gifts on Christmas list
moved Trigger downstairs
work on Christmas card list - finally (though it will probably still have some tweaks!)
tree up - burnt out lights replaced
gather Christmas craft supplies - partial
transfer Christmas Club $$ into Savings Account so that it doesn't get mixed into regular spending
get recipe for Fruit Cake cookies from MaMa
check wrapping supplies
design Christmas tee for W & A - both planned

I expect this week to be somewhat hectic with Thanksgiving taking place, however for our business, that should (fingers crossed) also slow things down a bit, so I'm hoping that will leave me room to get lots of other stuff done. We'll see! Have a wonderful & productive week!

Etsy Alert

2008-11-20T14:03:00.005-05:00

In my journey through the blogosphere (thanks Meg!), I stumbled upon A bit of this and a bit of that - a super neat blog about a mom in Japan and her quest to teach her son using Montessori methods. I really don't know much at all about the Montessori world, but it's been so interesting to pick up bits and pieces through reading her blog.

I've now found out that she also has an Etsy store - so I couldn't resist checking it out - so many cute things! I'm particularly a sucker for fabric - and she has several unique Japanese fabrics that look so different from what is available here. And how stinkin' cute is this little Space Kadet - love him! Bibs, Christmas goodies, patterns/sewing kits, notebooks, buttons - the store truly lives up to the name - all so fun to look through and peruse! So take a minute and head on over for a gander...hope you'll enjoy it just as much as I did!

Giveaway Alert

2008-11-19T18:09:00.005-05:00

Tsh over at SimpleMom is hosting a fabulous giveaway for all kinds of reusable bags - the one pictured at the left is from B. Happybags and definitely caught my eye! How chic & adorable at the same time! Any of you who know me (and I mean really know me) probably know that I'm not the most green person on the planet. For one thing...I struggle with clutter MAJORLY - the unfortunate truth for me (at this time) is that sometimes it's better to throw it away and get it out of my house & life rather than to try to hang on & reuse everything I encounter (which is, by nature, my packrat-self)...if I could keep all those goodies organized, it probably wouldn't be a problem...but I digress! If you're looking for reusable bags (and I have been giving it some thought lately) - SimpleMom is showcasing a myriad of choices - definitely a great resource if you're heading this direction already and a great encouragement for those of us who are thinking about it!

Kailani over at Island Life is hosting a great giveaway for these adorable growth charts from Olive Kids! There are so many cute ones to choose from! I don't know about you, but I had great plans of getting started early on keeping track of Walker's growth on some kind of chart, door - something. I can remember my grandparents marking a wall at their house when we were growing up for all of us grandkids - seems so precious! But as it is prone to do, time marches on - W is now over 2 and measured 36" at his 2 year check-up and still no marking has been done. I'd love to win this giveaway, but if I don't, may have to give some serious thought to buying one anyway, as it's time to get busy recording his progress! Make sure you head over and check it out when you get a minute!

WFMW - Free Mr. Yuk Stickers

2008-11-19T05:00:00.003-05:00

Last year about this time I spoke to a friend of mine whom I hadn't seen for several weeks and she related their family's latest news...just a few days before she'd made an impromptu trip to the ER with her youngest, then just over a year old. You see, they had only recently moved into her grandmother's (furnished) house and unbeknownst to all, there was a box of rat poison lurking behind a sofa in the sun room. One evening, she walked in to find the finger/footprints of her two boys T (4) and Z (1) in the dust from the poison. She immediately began to feel the panic well up inside of her, but managed to stay calm as she and her husband interrogated T to find out if he had eaten any. He swore that he hadn't and as there was no evidence (coloration around his mouth) he stayed at home with his dad while she whisked little Z to the emergency room. Thankfully - all was okay - no p0ison had been eaten, the box was subsequently disposed of and everyone was safe.

Within a week of hearing her story, I saw a spot on TV talking about Poison Control and that most ER visits for poisonings can actually be avoided with a quick call to Poison Control - hearing that piece of info so close on the heels of her story etched it indelibly on my brain. They said for the most part, the Poison Control operators can assess the situation with the info you provide them and give you the best course of action - typically faster than you can even get to the ER - which could definitely save a life in a desperate situation! I immediately wrote down the number and have made sure to store it in my cell phone, computer contacts and in my home management notebook.

I really hadn't thought about Mr. Yuk in years until I had a baby - I remember him from my childhood, remember the stickers well - and have often wondered where those stickers ever came from, did they still exist, and if so - where do you get them now? I never have thought about it at the right time, though and then today, in doing a little blog surfing, ran across a post Whitney had done that linked to the Children's Hospital of Pittsburg and come to find out - they're the creators of Mr. Yuk. And even better - to get a free sheet of Mr. Yuk stickers, all you have to do is send a self-addressed stamped business size envelope to:

Mr. Yuk
Pittsburgh Poison Center
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC
3705 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2583

I immediately grabbed a couple of envelopes, addressed them and they're now stamped and ready to go out in the morning and I encourage you to do the same! Not only are these stickers free, but they could save the life of one of your loved ones (or you!) and you certainly can't put a price on that! For more great WFMW ideas, head on over to Rocks in my Dryer!

Embroider even if you don't have a fancy-schmancy machine!

2008-11-17T17:05:00.022-05:00

Applique has been around for a long time - many of our mothers and grandmothers were using the technique long before "embroidery-specific" machines were available on the market. The old-school embroidery look is very popular right now (just take a look around etsy), and is fairly simple to do - you can stitch it by hand or with a regular sewing machine - either way, the technique is very simple. If you have any questions - please don't hesitate to leave them in the comments or drop me an email - this technique can also be used with an embroidery machine and one of your favorite applique designs (with a few tweaks) - I'll be more than happy to share that with you too!

Unless you're super artistic/creative, I recommend starting out by creating a template - you can hand-draw one, copy a simple clip art, stitch one out, it really doesn't matter, you just need to have a starting point. I'm not much of an artist, so a simple template is a must for me! I stitched out my candy cane template and then trimmed it down leaving roughly a 1/8" allowance around the stitching.

Next, choose a fabric that you'd like to use for your applique. I chose this stripey one as it does remind me of candy canes!

Next cut a square of fabric that will comfortably encompass your template. I hate to waste fabric so I tend to cut the absolute smallest square possible, but sometimes that means it really is too small - so don't overly kill yourself trying to cut the perfect piece of fabric - my theory is it's better for it to be a little wasteful rather than to definitely be wasteful when I have to cut a second piece! Also - if your fabric has a "direction" - make sure that you cut it so that you can orient your template the desired direction on the fabric.

Now cut a piece of iron-on adhesive- I used this HeatnBond that I found at Walmart (make sure you get the kind that is sewable - not all of them are). Cut it the same size as your fabric & iron it onto the WRONG side of the fabric (leaving the paper backing on the adhesive) according to manufacturer instructions.

I usually keep a piece of paper on my ironing board so that if there's any excess adhesive (my 2 squares are never the exact same size) it gets stuck to the paper and not my board.

Now trim your piece of applique fabric (with adhesive paper attached) to your template. I'm not super artistic, so a template is a necessity for me...but if you are, you can also freehand your shape at this point...just remember that the more intricate your shape is, the more intricate your stitching will be. For me, simple is best.

Next, place your trimmed fabric on the item you want to applique - you can use a onesie or tee, dish towel, pillowcase, tote - the possibilities are really endless! For this project, I chose a pillowcase. Again following manufacturer directions, iron your applique fabric onto your item.

Next place your item on your machine and stitch the applique fabric down taking into account the fabric allowance you added earlier (I used 1/8"). The adhesive will help keep the fabric from fraying, but stitching inside the 1/8th inch also helps keep the fabric completely adhered to the item.

At this point, your item is appliqued - feel free to embellish it with ribbon, buttons, ric rac, etc. After looking at my pic I realized that you couldn't really see the red stitching holding the candy cane down, so I went back and restitched it in black.

I am fortunate enough to have an embroidery machine, so I am adding my little guy's name so that he'll have a festive Christmas pillowcase to use now that he's moved to a big boy bed.

I don't want to give away too much, as I'm giving embroidered items as several gifts, but here are a few of my other Christmas embroidery projects:

Santa with dangly feet (legs made of ribbon)

Christmas truck with tree - I need to get buttons sewn on in the middle of the wheels, but haven't gotten around to it yet! I think that would make it even cuter!

Santa frog - he's one of my favorites!

Hope your handmade Christmas is coming along nicely...for more great ideas, head on over to check out *holidays by hand* - this week almostfrugal is hosting!

Christmas Planning - 5 Weeks & Counting

2008-11-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Photo by tanakawho

Just over 5 weeks to Christmas - last week flew by and I didn't get much of anything Christmas-y done. Brad has been stuck on a jobsite for the past two weeks so that has greatly impacted the flow of things both here on the homefront & in the office. I have big plans for today & this week, however - and hope to get a lot accomplished!

Christmas Accomplishments

gift list made - several gifts purchased
holiday budget tweaked
purchased replacement Christmas tree lights (that we unfortunately did need) LOL
purchased gift cards & World Vision gifts on Christmas list
moved Trigger downstairs
work on Christmas card list - finally (though it will probably still have some tweaks!)
tree up - burnt out lights replaced
gather Christmas craft supplies - partial
transfer Christmas Club $$ into Savings Account so that it doesn't get mixed into regular spending
get recipe for Fruit Cake cookies from MaMa
check wrapping supplies
design Christmas tee for W & A - both planned

Christmas Goals 11/17 -11/23

gather Christmas craft/wrapping - still need to hit a few more places
keep an eye on Craig's List for one possible present - still looking!
make major progress on Christmas dish towels
sew W & A Christmas tees
try Christmas pic
buy Christmas stamps

Thinking Forward

think through decorations - where to hang garland
think through Christmas "schedule"

As Thanksgiving approaches, are you redirecting your holiday energy to turkey day and away from Christmas, or are you balancing between the 2? Let me know how you're doing!

Spend a little - Give a lot

2008-11-16T08:00:00.002-05:00

Are you looking for a way to give a little extra this holiday season? Spend 5 minutes, $5 dollars and make a huge difference in the lives of 2 people - your $5 buys 2 pairs of shoes!

soles4souls is a fantastic charity in nashville that has one mission: get shoes to people who need shoes. Over 300 million people around the world don’t have shoes and are forced to walk around unsafe and in potentially life-threatening conditions. Not only is it unsafe physically, but having to look down all the time causes these people to also live without dignity and confidence. I went on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic when I was in 7th grade and I will never forget seeing adults and children walking around with bare feet - oftentimes in and through raw sewage. Unsanitary to say the least!

And not only can you help 2 (or more) people with your donation - you just might get to do it in person! That's right...

YOU CAN WIN A TRIP TO GIVE SOMEONE THEIR FIRST PAIR OF SHOES!

One person (and their guest) will be chosen at random to hand deliver the shoes they purchased on a soles4souls trip to Mexico. Can you imagine handing someone their very first pair of shoes? What an incredible experience!

So as we approach this holiday season, take a minute & send shoes to someone in need - involve your kids, skip coffee, a snack or one meal out - it only takes $5!! Check out 50000SHOES.COM for more info!

Birthday Party Fun

2008-11-15T18:44:00.003-05:00

Several weeks ago we went to a birthday party for the 2 kids of friends of ours - Walker had a ball. He loved sitting in the jeep - I figured the battery must be dead (bc the older kids drove them all around in circles until pretty much all the batteries gave out), however when I hit the pedal for him, it started to move. He wasn't quite as sure about that - the motion was a little too jerky for him - not long after that one of the older kids climbed in and started driving, leaving him as the passenger and he loved that - a much smoother ride than his choppy stop & go driving!

Always a fan of a slide!

He loved this little car and we both thought he looked so cute in it - unfortunately the pedals were way out at the front and his cute little legs just wouldn't reach - Papa made it go for him for a bit, but that wasn't much fun for Papa! This pregnant girl was happy to be behind the camera! :)

We were a little surprised, but W loved going after the pinata - in fact, after taking several good swings and then another couple kids taking a turn, he managed to grab the bat and give it a 2nd go. Hard to explain to a 2 year old that it isn't his turn anymore!

W was off playing when cake was first served - while all the other kids were still occupied with the pinata, he meandered over to the kids' table & started devouring several half eaten pieces of cake. I quickly cut him a piece, which he ate, then a 2nd piece - evidently that just wasn't enough, as the other kids' pieces still got quite a bit of attention!

And then wouldn't you know - 10 or so minutes later, he ate a good bit of Brad's piece of cake!

Definitely a great party - thanks Zach and Thomas for letting us celebrate with you!

That's it for today, folks - sleep tight!

A little behind on Halloween

2008-11-12T18:34:00.007-05:00

Where does the time go? Lately downloading, sorting and publishing Walker pics just seems to take so much time - I keep meaning to be more diligent on the weekends, but so far that hasn't happened! Hope you'll enjoy the long overdue W & A pics from our fall festival adventure Halloween night!

Walker was dying to slide, and thankfully Papa was gracious enough to carry him to the top (twice) - the first time with MaMa (Brad's mom) sliding with him, and then a second time when I felt a little left out and "needed" to slide too...Walker was more than happy to oblige me with a 2nd trip to the top! :)

That boy does love a slide!

He thoroughly enjoyed the bouncy toy!

We were so tickled that they had pony rides - we knew Alexa would eat it up, but Walker tends to be rather timid at times, so I was really concerned that he might balk when it was his turn. There was also a "mini petting zoo" set up with a very friendly sheep, Shetland pony and little goat right beside the pony rides. While the mamas stood in line, Walker & Lexa (with various chaperones depending on the moment) circled the petting enclosure and got acquainted with the animals. I totally believe that is what gave W the confidence and comfort level to ride the pony - and I was so thrilled - they were so cute!

Alexa the bumblebee on her pony - she couldn't make up her mind at first which pony she wanted to ride - luckily W wasn't picky LOL

Both costumes were adorable - I was especially tickled with W's because he is so into giraffe right now and I found this one, in his perfect size at a consignment sale for $4 - can't beat that!

WFMW - Live Within Your Harvest

2008-11-12T11:47:00.004-05:00

Photo by tanakawho

As the Christmas season approaches, I think it's super easy for all of us to get a little glassy-eyed and caught up in the rush of the season and overspend ourselves into a deep hole, that we then spend some large portion of next year climbing out of. Let this year be different!

I've always heard the term "live within your means" - I recently saw a plaque with a phrase I like even better "live within your harvest" - what a beautiful picture! The American culture teaches us to always want MORE, MORE, MORE (hello consumerism) but to be a good steward of what we have, we've all got to learn to say NO and to live within the boundaries of our individual lives, whatever they may be! It's okay to try and enlarge those boundaries (within reason), but if you never get your spending under control, you'll always want more, no matter if you make $20,000 $200,000 or $2,000,000. It's easy to say that if you made $150,000 a year you'd be satisfied, but the truth is, there are a lot of people making $150,000 that spend $175,000 every year and have a big pile of credit card debt to make up the difference!

So this year, especially with the flurry of Christmas spending that is already/getting ready to take place, I encourage you to set some guidelines for yourself:

set a reasonable Christmas budget and abide by it (beyond Christmas, make a monthly budget - Dave Ramsey is a great resource!)
stay away from certain stores where self-control/restraint is difficult (ie the mall -I literally probably go to the mall less than 5 times a year, and 2 of those times are to get my engagement ring inspected)
shop online - use online tools to find the best deals and bargains - Meg has a great WFMW post on this very issue today - couldn't have said it better myself!
get creative & go homemade for Christmas - several bloggers are working together on the "holidays by hand" festival - check it out and get inspired!
tell your kids (or other relatives) NO - kids don't have to have 10 presents to have a great Christmas - I know several families whose kids get 3 presents, just like Jesus did - what a great model!
use coupons - I've bought many a Christmas present using Bed, Bath & Beyond 20% off coupons - this year I've bought at least 1 gift from ACMoore using a 55% off coupon they had in the paper a few weeks back
do a family name swap with your extended family and buy for 1 family member instead of 12
do all cash for Christmas - refuse to use the plastic - you'll thank me in January (and on into the rest of the year) when you don't have a big pile of debt to recover from
don't believe the lies that Hollywood & advertising try to sell us - you don't need a pair of $250 boots to prove your worth - when you see commercials, print ads, etc. think about and through the lies that the advertisers are selling and then DON'T BUY THEM! We use a DVR for most shows that we watch, so we see few commercials to begin with- certainly helps cut down on the "wants"! (Start challenging your kids to see through it too - I know a family who plays "Spot the Lie" with their kids when a commercial comes on TV "Kids - what are they telling us?" "that abc cereal will make me happy" "Does abc cereal make you a happy person?" etc.)

These are just a few ways to live within your harvest this holiday season - I'd love to hear any ideas you have too! For other great WFMW ideas, head on over to Shannon's place! SimpleMom also has a post out today along these same lines dealing with house fever - make sure to check it out! I also plan a follow-up post to this one later this week/weekend talking more about the concept of living within your harvest outside of Christmas so be sure to come back (or subscribe) so that you don't miss it! Have a great week!

Christmas Planning - 6 Weeks & Counting

2008-11-10T22:05:00.000-05:00

Photo by galfred

Just over 6 weeks to Christmas - the last few weeks have just slipped by, but six weeks starts to feel very real!

Christmas Accomplishments

gift list made - several gifts purchased
holiday budget tweaked
purchased replacement Christmas tree lights (that we unfortunately did need) LOL
purchased gift cards & World Vision gifts on Christmas list
moved Trigger downstairs
work on Christmas card list - finally (though it will probably still have some tweaks!)
tree up - burnt out lights replaced
gather Christmas craft supplies - partial
transfer Christmas Club $$ into Savings Account so that it doesn't get mixed into regular spending
get recipe for Fruit Cake cookies from MaMa
check wrapping supplies
design Christmas tee for W & A - both planned - now I just need to start sewing!

Christmas Goals 11/10-11/16

gather Christmas craft supplies - still need to hit a few more places
pick up additional wrapping supplies (tissue paper, ribbon)
keep an eye on Craig's List for one possible present - still looking!
make major progress on Christmas dish towels
sew W & A Christmas tees

Thinking Forward

Christmas card pic
Christmas stamps
think through decorations
think through Christmas "schedule"

Hope your Christmas plan is coming together nicely! I'd love to hear about it!

Christmas Giveaway Alert

2008-11-07T06:30:00.005-05:00

As I've been reading along, I've run across several great giveaways (both current & ongoing) right now and wanted to pass the word along! 5 Minutes for Mom is hosting an entire Christmas Giveaway Event with 25+ giveaways during the month of November. If you don't already subscribe to their feed, go over and check them out - they will do individual posts throughout the month for each individual contest - you can also check out this post for both the contest rules and an updated list of all the contests they add as they get added (you have to scroll down to the very end to see the list...) Now on to some other great looking giveaways!

I will have to admit (and anyone who knows me can further attest) - I've never been super into fashion...part of it is that I'm fairly frugal and just can't see spending tons of $$ for clothes, quality or not. I have been trying to upgrade my image a bit lately, however, and for whatever reason would love to have a pair of red heels (probably too many episodes of 'What Not to Wear'!) - my feet, however, love comfort, so my shoes must also be tres comfy! When I ran across a giveaway for these new High Fashion Crocs, my heart melted...until I saw the pricetag! Yikes - $150 for a pair of heels? $250 for a pair of boots? Not looking likely in my immediate future, however they are beautiful to look at! so that I will enjoy! If you'd like to see the rest of the line, head on over to the You by Crocs website and take a look around - they do have some summer selections on sale (I'm personally hoping that these babies make it to the next seasonal sale! LOL) Better yet - maybe I'll win a pair or maybe it'll be you! Kailani is hosting a giveaway for two pairs and 5 Minutes for Mom has a giveaway for 2 more going. Believe you me - I'm entering both! :)
I am definitely a bit of a tech junkie - I love looking around in office stores, love seeing the new gadgets people are talking about. This Epson looks fantastic! I don't think I've actually ever had an Epson, but believe you me...if I won this guy, I would definitely give them a try! SimpleMom has been given one to give away - so if you're up for a little printer fun...head on over and jump in this giveaway as well! I can't even remember the last time I printed photos (sorry MiMi & MaMa, maybe ya'll should enter for me as well?? LOL) - but having a nifty printer at home that could turn out high quality ones should certainly help, right?

So there you go - a few lovely giveaways going on! Of course, I'd love to win any of these, but if it can't be me...maybe it can be you! So go - go enter now! And enjoy some giveaway magic leading up to the Christmas season!

WFMW - Toys Worth Buying Edition

2008-11-05T20:11:00.007-05:00

Our little guy is 2, and like so many, we've bought & received many toys that seem to fade quickly from the limelight - we have 2 right now, though, that are big hits and I think will be for some time (and will pass on quite easily to the next child, too!)

My husband and I have always been big fans of Radio Flyer - I remember their products from my childhood and we have loved the idea of our children playing with them as well!

We looked at a lot of tricycles before settling in on this one, but we've been thrilled with our choice! It goes from ages 2-5 and has an adjustable seat to make that really work. We got it for Walker just before he turned 2 and while he's just now tall enough to start to really be able to pedal with it, he's still had a great time sitting on it, being pushed around & pushing it himself. Probably the biggest selling point for us, though, was the "Co-Pilot" feature that allows a parent to both push & steer. It's helped make the trike lots of fun even before Walker could pedal himself - and I have to admit, he also enjoys pushing it and steering from behind, also helping to teach him the cause and effect of steering, which I'm a huge fan of! The handle easily attaches/detaches for whatever situation best suits at the time. I have fond memories of the metal plate at the back of my old tricycle that you could stand on while pushing the tricycle, however Walker loves the yellow bin on the back of this trike - in fact, lots of times when "Lovey" is missing, I can find him lovingly "shoved" in the bin for safe keeping. I know that this trike is going to continue to get lots of love for a very long time at our house - it's certainly been a great purchase!

Back before heading to the beach this year, with 2 almost 2 year olds in tow (my son & niece were born 3 days apart) we decided to buy a wagon to haul them & our gear to the beach and back each day. We did lots of looking and comparing and ended up with the Ultimate Family Wagon, again from Radio Flyer. I am super in love with this wagon and both kiddos loved it too! The seats are extremely flexible - 2 kids can face each other, both face forward, or the child in the back can transform the front seat into a desk. The seats also fold flat so that you can carry a sleeping/laying down infant or more gear. Both W & A were super interested as we put the wagon together and then crawled in and out of it and pushed it back and forth in the house before it ever set wheel onto the beach. It now lives in our garage and W is trying to climb into it every chance he gets. There's a nifty little "extra" compartment behind the back seat - a great place to stick a tote bag and/or other goodies and keep them away from little hands. Built-in seatbelts work wonderfully to keep little guys seated. There are 2 adult cup holders up front and then 2 more in the wagon floor for kids. The handle also folds flat for easy storage and/or transport. I also love that this model came with a UV canopy - it folds up neatly and stores in it's own handy dandy bag, but is also super easy to whip out and use on a sunny day.

All-in-all, we've been delighted with both of these guys and look forward to using them for years to come! For more great toy ideas, head on over to Rocks in My Dryer!

Sewing up a Homemade Holiday

2008-11-03T19:20:00.011-05:00

A few years back when we were first starting our business and on a strict budget, we did some homemade Christmas gifts out of necessity - since then, in the pursuit of a more simple lifestyle, we've come to value those homemade gifts as special in and of themselves. This year I have several ideas up my sleeve and wanted to share a few. SimpleMom is hosting sewing ideas for a homemade Christmas, so be sure to head over to her site for more great ideas!

In thinking through homemade gifts - remember that they don't have to be fancy to still be a great gift and even if you aren't a super skilled seamstress, you can still jump in and give a homemade Christmas a try!

Handtowels/dishtowels make great gifts because they are clutter-free items that people can really use...and festive holiday towels can really help make the Christmas season all the more special! Think outside the box, and you can come up with some great towel ideas - and a great deal of sewing expertise isn't necessary either!

Ribbon is a great way to embellish a dishtowel - you can use a wide piece or several narrow pieces -you can even combine using a piece of fabric & ribbon. You can go with a Christmas-specific ribbon or if you stick with a single color ribbon (like red) the towel will also go work well year round as well as for Valentine's Day! You can also use buttons in conjunction with ribbon or all by themselves - remember, this doesn't have to be complicated to be a nice gift! (I haven't tried it, but you could use buttons to form a monogram initial for the gift recipient - definitely a unique look!)

Embroidery is another great option to decorate a towel and while machine embroidery does require a special machine - you can also do old fashioned embroidery either by hand or by cutting out fabric and then machine stitching around the fabric freehand (a look which is super popular right now!)

I also have a friend who just had a little girl, and instead of a traditional baby gift, I'm making Christmas tees for both her kiddos instead...and again, while I used my machine on this gingerbread cutie, it's a simple design that would be easy to freehand (or trace a similar design), cut out and piece by hand. Depending on the age of the child, buttons are a great additional embellishment on tees for kids, but for a baby, a bit of a choking hazard, so I stuck with the pink star in the middle on this little guy.

At the end of the day - you don't have to be a great seamstress to come up with some super cute, simple homemade gift ideas for Christmas...think outside the box - use ribbon, fabric & buttons and you can come up with some super cute goodies! And if you're stuck for ideas, head on over to Etsy and take a look around - lots of great inspiration there, for sure! Check out the other great themes Almost Frugal has coming up for other great Holidays by Hand ideas this year. How about you - do you have any plans to incorporate homemade items into your family's Christmas this year?

Christmas Planning - Seven Weeks & Counting

2008-11-03T11:00:00.001-05:00

Photo by krisdecurtis

Just over 7 weeks to Christmas - doesn't time just fly? I hope that you've already started thinking about the Christmas season and that it is making you smile and not causing feelings of panic or stress! No matter what you have or haven't done - jump in and get started or keep going...progress today is such a great thing! For someone who is totally a procrastinator at heart, I have been thrilled with the feeling of accomplishment that working on Christmas already has given me - this will definitely have to become a yearly tradition! :)

Christmas Accomplishments

gift list made - several gifts purchased
holiday budget tweaked
purchased replacement Christmas tree lights (that we unfortunately did need) LOL
purchased gift cards & World Vision gifts on Christmas list
moved Trigger downstairs
work on Christmas card list - finally (though it will probably still have some tweaks!)
tree up - burnt out lights replaced
gather Christmas craft supplies - partial
transfer Christmas Club $$ into Savings Account so that it doesn't get mixed into regular spending
get recipe for Fruit Cake cookies from MaMa
check wrapping supplies

Christmas Goals 10/27-11/2

gather Christmas craft supplies - still need to hit a few more places
design Christmas tee for W & A (think I've figured his out, hers...not so much)
pick up additional wrapping supplies (tissue paper, ribbon)
keep an eye on Craig's List for one possible present
get started on Christmas dish towels

Thinking Forward

Christmas card pic
Christmas stamps
think through decorations
think through Christmas "schedule"

So what do you say - are you ready to get started this week? or have you already? Let me know - I'd love to hear how your Christmas plan is coming! I've also got several more Christmas posts planned for today, including a link to a post where you can win your own Christmas card design, so check it out!

Christmas Giveaway Alert

2008-11-03T10:59:00.000-05:00

Head on over to SimpleMom for a chance to win your very own personalized Christmas cards! And that's not all...you can also win personalized postage stamps to mail them out with! So what are you waiting for? The SimpleMom blog is what really helped me start thinking about Christmas early this year, and boy am I thankful for that! Now if I could just come up with the "perfect" picture to put on those Christmas cards! Best Wishes!

Our Buddy is Growing Up

2008-11-02T19:27:00.005-05:00

I've been a bit behind in posting Walker pics lately, so thought I'd share a few tonight...more Halloween pics are on the way later this week.

Walk-walk showing off his giraffe costume for this year - he loves it!

Definitely a fan of a phone

Tailgating for the Clemson game 2 weeks ago

Enjoying the car buggy @ Ingles

Back at the beginning of Oct, one day at nap time, Walker looked at our bed and said "big bed, big bed, big bed" in the most pitiful voice - as I carried him to his crib, he continued to ask for the big bed - as we passed by the nursery-to-be headed to his crib, he saw the guest bed and again said "big bed, big bed, big bed" - I put him in the crib and he cried and cried. I cleaned off the guest bed and he happily took his nap in the "big bed" and hasn't been back in the crib since.
Last weekend, we moved the crib out of Walker's room and into the nursery-to-be...right at the end of the bed he'd been sleeping in. Suddenly the crib was appealing again and at the end of nap time Fri and on Sat morning, we found all the buddies in the crib...and Walker wanting to be in the crib...

then Sat afternoon we found all of the buddies in the crib & Walker and lovey sleeping on the floor by the crib...so stinkin' cute!

WFMW - Success for Today

2008-10-29T15:03:00.005-04:00

Photo by aloshbennett

I've been working to get my life in order these last few months before babylet #2 arrives in January - several thoughts have been very helpful to me:

Two Minute Rule - if it takes less than 2 mins...just do it now!
Do the next right thing - seems like I saw this on another blog
What one thing would make me successful today?

A few weeks ago I saw a video clip of a department staff meeting at our church, and Tony had each of his staff members answer question #3 - What one thing would make me successful today? Ever since, my husband and I have been asking each other that question, and it's been quite helpful.

For me, I suffer from 2 different issues...I have so much to do that I get overwhelmed by it and don't get enough (or the right thing) accomplished. Some of my previous GTD posts detail how I've helped deal with that issue.

Now that I'm crossing more and more things off my list, however, I've been confronted with another problem...I have some free time, and am not so overwhelmed with a million things, and sometimes that means I don't get much of anything done...I end up staring at my computer screen trying to decide what to do next...surf blogs and spend way too much time reading about other people's lives instead of running my own. Asking myself what would make me successful for today - it's really helped keep me on track! And oftentimes, I get way more than that 1 thing accomplished!

So if you want to be successful today - ask yourself that question - what one thing would qualify your day as successful and then get busy doing it! One step at a time makes a huge difference for me!

Don't forget that Christmas is just around the corner...8 weeks from tomorrow - have you started planning and getting ready? Join me for a stress-free Christmas season this year - check out my Monday posts, Christmas Planning, to help get and keep us on track to an enjoyable Christmas this year!

For more great WFMW ideas, head on over to Rocks in my Dryer!

Christmas Planning - Eight Weeks & Counting

2008-10-27T11:00:00.000-04:00

photo by Sister72

Just over 8 weeks to Christmas - are you making your list & checking it twice? I don't mind telling you - while I didn't get 100% of my list accomplished this past week, I did make good progress and with that I am very happy! In reflecting this past weekend, it absolutely astounds me that it's still Oct and I am making significant progress towards my family having a peaceful Christmas this year - definitely not the typical me! :)

If you haven't gotten started yet - don't fret - it's not too late! Grab a piece of paper and start jotting down a list - what do you want Christmas to look like for your family this year? What do you need to do to make that happen? How can you break it down over the next 8 weeks to make it doable? Progress today = accomplishment for tomorrow...jump in & get started! Christmas is coming, ready or not!

Christmas Accomplishments

gift list made - several gifts purchased (6 more this week!)
holiday budget tweaked
purchased replacement Christmas tree lights (that we hope we don't need) LOL
purchased gift cards & World Vision gifts on Christmas list
moved Trigger downstairs

Christmas Goals 10/27-11/2

work on Christmas card list (oops - never got to this one last week!)
put tree up on Sat - (we love the lights on the tree, so we often put it up around the beginning of Nov and enjoy it with just lights until we decorate after Thanksgiving - just seems to make Nov a little more homey & festive)
gather Christmas craft supplies
design Christmas tee for W & A
transfer Christmas Club $$ into Savings Account so that it doesn't get mixed into regular spending
keep an eye on Craig's List for one possible present
get recipe for Fruit Cake cookies from MaMa
check wrapping supplies - what needs restocking?

Thinking Forward

Christmas card pic
Christmas stamps
think through decorations
think through Christmas "schedule"
Christmas dish towels

So what do you say - are you ready to get started this week? or have you already? Let me know - I'd love to hear how your Christmas plan is coming!

give a gift that keeps on giving

2008-10-25T21:24:00.009-04:00

We all have people in our lives who seem to have everything - people that no gift seems to be a good fit for - for several years, we struggled with what to do for those loved ones for Christmas. Then a few years ago we found the answer... the World Vision Christmas Gift Catalog.

Before we were married, Brad sponsored a child through World Vision for me - a little girl in Guatemala who we continue to support today. It's been a gift that has kept on giving over the years! The more we've learned about World Vision, the more we love the organization. 86% of monies donated to WV go to help those in need - few charities are that efficient.
Goats have been a favorite gift over the years - this year chickens are of appeal, as Walker loves eggs and eats several for breakfast each morning. The thought of providing an impoverished family with livestock that can change their lives - it's a gift for both the recipient and the giver! There are 7 gifts priced under $20 - so don't feel like you have to spend a ton to help someone in need. You also have the option to purchase a "share" of a larger item if that's of greater appeal to you.

He's not quite there yet, but we can't wait until Walker is old enough to pick out gifts with us. What a great way to help your children learn more about giving and helping those in need. So if you have someone on your Christmas list who doesn't "need" anything - give the World Vision Gift Catalog a look!

WFMW - Blogging - The Accountability Factor

2008-10-22T09:16:00.010-04:00

Photo by blucassidy

Everyone who blogs has a little bit different reason...I've been thinking lately about blogging for me - why I like it, how often I do it and what its purpose in my life is. It's a great place to keep family & friends up-to-date on what's going on with Walker and the new baby, but for me, I've realized it's also more than that. Blogging for me, provides accountability.

As you may remember, I've been working on getting my life together for awhile now - in this post, I talked about my quest to get things in order around here before our little girl is born in January. I shared several pics of my desk...some that were looking good, others that showed some of the work-in-progress! I'm pleased to report that I have continued to make progress - my desk is looking pretty good and has been for the last couple of weeks (which for me, is a huge accomplishment!)

I believe we all need accountability in our lives - and while it comes in many different forms, we need to identify what works best for us. I'm accountable to my husband and that is definitely a motivator for me. Especially as my children grow older, I will also be accountable to them, though that's not as much of an issue right now. I'm accountable to extended family and friends - but what I've also come to realize is that I don't have any super-close girl friends right now that I get to see on a regular basis. I have several great friendships...we just either live far apart or don't get to see each other often enough. We've changed churches within the last year, and while I've begun to cultivate some friendships there, none of them are to the super-deep friendship level yet. We don't live in a neighborhood - we're out in the country, so it's not easy to see a friend on a weekly (or even monthly) basis unless I do see them at church...let's face it...all of us are busy these days and it takes dedication & commitment to see folks outside of an ongoing, scheduled commitment (like church) on a regular basis.

Photo by tatianasapateiro

I have come to realize that blogging provides some of that form of "friendship accountability" for me. Not only has blogging provided me the accountability to continue forward getting my life in order, but has also spurred me on to think about and more importantly be consistent with exercise. I have decided that I'd like to exercise at least 4 times a week, and have started posting my exercise list in my blog side bar - and let me tell you...I'm just on week 3 of this plan, but already have had 2 successful weeks and am well on my way this week as well! When we got up last Sat, I told Brad we had to go for a walk or some type of exercise that day, because I wasn't missing my exercise goal for the week - without posting here...that would never have happened!

Photo by kris decurtis

I'm also using this space to make sure that Christmas is more peaceful and enjoyable for our family this year. W is 2 and can really start to participate in some Christmas festivities and traditions and we want to make sure that we are creating traditions that we want for our family. Every year I have the best of intentions, but let time get away from me, and before I know it...it's Dec 22nd and I still have WAY TOO MUCH TO DO!!! Definitely destroys any prospect of a peaceful holiday. This year I'm determined that Christmas will not sneak up on me! I'm already making my list and checking it twice and will continue to do so here on Mondays between now and Christmas...do you realize that as of tomorrow Christmas is 9 weeks away? Does that blow your mind, freak you out or do you already have a plan in place? I am so thankful that I am the latter this year!

Photo by notsogoodphotography

So as you're continuing on your blogging journey - don't forget to utilize the accountability factor! Blogs give us the ability to benefit from community and that creates the perfect environment for accountability. Enjoy the journey, but make sure that it's helping to better you along the way! Any areas where you could benefit from some additional accountability these days? Accountability through blogging certainly works for me - head on over to Rocks in My Dryer for other great WFMW ideas! And head back over here on Monday - let's enjoy a peaceful, memorable Christmas together this year - remember, it's 9 weeks and counting!

CLR Tackle

2008-10-21T17:46:00.003-04:00

This is a before shot of our shower door this morning - I put Walker behind it to help illustrate how cloudy it was.

After using the CLR Bath & Kitchen spray to clean the door - look - now you can not only see through the door, you can see clearly enough to see the bottles sitting on the shelf in the shower! I was really pleased with the way that the CLR cleaned the door - the lime build-up was definitely much easier to remove using it. It's still not 100% perfect, but that is largely due to the fact that a 2 year old was trying to open the shower door and get in the entire time I was doing the cleaning! I'm hoping to get to give it a once-over again this weekend when Brad is around to help corral the Walk-man....or better yet, maybe he'll be willing to do it when I can keep W occupied...I have no doubt, that it will finish knocking out the job. After seeing the cleaning power of CLR Bath & Kitchen, I know that we'll continue to use it around our house.

My only real beef with this product is that it is much harsher than any of the cleaners I normally use. You're instructed to wear gloves while cleaning - that is definitely something new for me. It was also a bit difficult to clean the inside of the shower doors while avoiding any contact with the cleaner. Using it on a kitchen sink, or other exposed item would definitely be easier than shower doors - but that was what I had that really needed to be cleaned! Thanks CLR for giving me the opportunity to try out your product - definitely earns a thumbs up in my book!

For other tacklers, head on over to 5minutesformom!

Christmas Planning - 9 Weeks and Counting

2008-10-20T11:00:00.001-04:00

Photo by Arquera

In the continued effort to "get my life together" it is my goal this year to have an enjoyable non-last minute Christmas - which would definitely be a first for me! One of the most important things in making that happen is the decision to have a plan and use it! In my earlier post I threw out a couple of ideas/ways to get started and am now working to continue that. Each Monday, I'm going to share my accomplishments from the past week as well as what I have before me in the upcoming week and I'd love to have you jump in and join me! So how about you - are you thinking about Christmas already? Do you have a plan brewing? Let me know - I'd love to hear where you are in the process!

Christmas Accomplishments

several gifts purchased
gift list made
started working on holiday budget

Christmas Goals 10/20-10/26

fine tune/finish holiday budget
pick up replacement Christmas tree lights
work on Christmas card list
pick up gift cards on holiday gift list
pick out World Vision gifts and order
move Trigger downstairs to make room for tree

Thinking Forward

Christmas card pic
think through decorations
think through Christmas "schedule"

What makes exercise work for you?

2008-10-17T05:00:00.000-04:00

Photo by patrick dentler

I make no bones about it - I'm not a HUGE exercise fan. I've always had friends who were...friends who reveled in it, seemed to truly enjoy it and couldn't wait for more. Folks - that just IS NOT ME! I have always said that the only way to get me to run was if a bear was chasing me...and then I'd think about it! LOL

Photo by kekka

We go through spells around here of exercising consistently and then something seems to happen. Last year we did really great - in April, we both started going to the Y regularly and watching our diets....and we both lost weight....and were very dedicated....even took the jogging stroller and walked most every morning of vacation (last year) and then when we got back home, we crashed and burned. Ugh! The especially bad part is I was starting to get some real muscle definition and just gave it all up!

Photo by ggvic

We've recently been talking more about exercise and the need for it, and Brad, who had then been going to the Y almost daily for 2 weeks asked me - "What would make exercise work for you?" Hmmm....now that was a great question! As I pondered it, I really couldn't come up with any one great answer other than I let a lot of excuses get in my way...

it took too much time to go to the Y
W didn't enjoy staying in the nursery and would cry when I left him
I had other "stuff" to do
I didn't enjoy it
blah, blah, blah

Photo by ericmcgregor

I agreed that I definitely needed to get back with it, and made the decision to get started the next day. I've also given thought to what could make exercise more positive for me...

have music I like on my ipod
pack a bag the night before
use Brad's going as a challenge for me
put a list in my blog sidebar
be accountable to Brad for going/not going
strive towards 4 days of exercise a week

and then I found one that motivates me most:

have podcasts I enjoy on my ipod

I know - again - not rocket science...but I'm somewhat "music-ed out" days, and don't have anything else just calling my name. But there is some great Christian teaching out there that I love to hear, I'm just often not by a radio at the right time each day to hear it...but downloading the podcasts is easy and free - and it really works to keep me motivated! In fact, I'm looking forward to finishing a podcast today that I started tomorrow, and that will help make sure that I get to the Y!

Photo by Michel Filion

So how about you - what's standing in the way of you and exercise? What would make exercise work for you? Are you ready to get started living a healthier life? Jump in - it's never too late!

Blueberry Cake - Afternoon Delight

2008-10-16T14:57:00.004-04:00

A few Saturdays ago, our church had a big Saturday baptism event (602 baptized at 2 campuses) - before the actual baptism started, we did a tailgate to celebrate people publicly professing their faith in Christ. One of the ladies we tailgated with brought the most wonderfully delicious blueberry cake and was kind enough to share the recipe. We have enjoyed it immensely, so I thought I would pass it on here! Walker (who won't hardly eat vegetables or fruit) will wolf this down, blueberries and all, with no problem. We don't let him eat a lot of sweets, but I figure a cake with real fruit in it has got to be better than just plain cake! Hope you'll enjoy!

Blueberry Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

1 block cream cheese

3 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients together with mixer - after blended well, fold in 2 cans of drained, rinsed blueberries. (Make sure that you use blueberries in juice, not the pie filling type.) I actually used frozen blueberries, and they worked fine too. Grease bundt pan before filling with batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes until browned. Cake will be moist (and delicious)!

Giveaway Alert

2008-10-16T05:00:00.001-04:00

It's another Lisa Leonard giveaway! Head on over to Small Notebook for your chance to enter and while you're there, take a look around - it's one of my favorite new blog finds! Enjoy!

WFMW - Is Christmas sneaking up on you?

2008-10-15T07:43:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago, while reading one of my current favorite blogs, SimpleMom, she brought up the point that Christmas was 12 weeks away - WOW - and now that 2 weeks have gone by, that means that as of tomorrow, Christmas will be 10 weeks away - where does the time go???

I'm a procrastinator by nature, and tend to let significant days like this catch me off guard - not sure why - but it's definitely something I'm working to change! I've said for the past 2 years that I would not be doing my Christmas shopping in December...and both years I've done the majority of my shopping the 2 weeks before Christmas - yuck!

I am DETERMINED that this year will be different! For starters, I'll be 8+ months pregnant by the time Christmas rolls around...the thought of hauling me, baby belly & Walker through the crowds doing last-minute shopping is down-right distasteful! So...in order to prevent that happening - it's time to take action now! And that means a plan! Start thinking now (and making lists) - who do you need/want to buy for? What do you need to buy? Who do you want to spend time with? What decorations do you want to enjoy for the season?

When we were first married, we never had super extravagant Christmases, but we also didn't do a lot of budgeting for them either. Thankfully we were typically able to cash flow them, but it can still make for a hectic, stressful holiday season. A few years back, we started a Christmas Club with our local credit union and now, every month, they deduct $100 from our checking account, and to be honest, we never miss the money. Then come Nov 1, we get $1200 to spend as we want on Christmas - and knowing that money is budgeted and available makes such a difference! (Now I realize that amount may not be right for everyone - but it's the idea that matters more than the amount - you can adjust that for your family.) It's also obviously a little late in the year to start looking at a Christmas Club for this year - but that doesn't mean that you can't go on and get started for next year! It's the planning ahead that makes the difference!

But for this year - what can you do? I have a friend who knows that they do the majority of their Christmas shopping at Wal-Mart & Lowes - so she picks up a $20 or $25 giftcard every time she goes in to help spread the load out some. Even if she's not ready to start buying actual gifts in October, she is still spreading the monetary load of Christmas and that makes a difference - and it's not too late to give it a try. You could also take some cash out of every paycheck and stick it in an envelope at home and begin to build a Christmas fund. Do you have holiday baking to do? Start picking up extras at the grocery store now. There are lots of options - the main one is just to do something and not be caught off guard come Dec 15! If you know you're going to spend money on Christmas (and most of us are) - start working on and through that now...don't wait til the last minute and think that credit is the only answer...which leads to my next point...

Vow to use only cash this year for Christmas - don't fall for the temptation to "charge it" - so many families spend MONTHS in the new year trying to recover from Christmas. DON'T DO IT! All it takes is one year to break that horrible cycle! Tell your friends and family that this year is a homemade Christmas - they won't mind and if they do...well, that's another post! We've done this several times a few years back when we were working hard to get out of debt (thank you Dave Ramsey!) and no one ever minded and we still get requests for our homemade toffee popcorn!

It's also okay not to buy your children a million gifts! Our little guy just turned 2, and honestly, we haven't bought him much of anything for the past 2 Christmases - he just didn't need it, and got plenty from the rest of the family. This year, we do have several items planned (and already one purchased!), but we're only buying things we want him to have, not gifts just to have a big stack under the tree. I have other friends whose kids (they have 3) get 3 presents from them each year (and I'm pretty sure none of them are super extravagant) - Baby Jesus got 3 gifts from the Wise Men, so their kids get 3 as well. What a great thought in this age of commercialism!

As Brad and I have been out and about the last few weeks, we've already picked up a few things for Walker - one thing that we both love is to have memorable/meaningful ornaments on our tree. We've already gotten 3 for him this year and I don't think any have cost more than $3 - he is super into tractors, and we found a John Deere one at Wal-Mart & then last week at World Market, Brad spotted 2 cute giraffe ornaments. Walker loves giraffes at the zoo (GEE-raffes as he calls them) - so these were also a natural. As we look back over the years, how neat to be able to remember what he loved and was interested in during 2008 when he was just 2. We've also picked up a bigger ticket item - this one was one I had wanted to get for awhile, and last week, found it and was able to use a 55% off coupon on it as well- woo hoo! Now that's what I'm talking about!

So all of that to say - start thinking about Christmas TODAY! Don't let it sneak up and catch you off guard. I'm trying to follow along with SimpleMom as she works through her 12 weeks of Christmas - feel free to join in! Flylady also has a Holiday Control journal that she gives away as a free download on her site - I've used it in years past and it's also an invaluable tool. I'm going to work to start posting my progress here on Mondays to help hold me accountable - feel free to come back and join in so that you too can have an enjoyable holiday season this year! For more great WFMW ideas, head on over to RocksinmyDryer! Hope to see you next week!

Wordless Wednesday - Birthday Party Fun

2008-10-15T06:48:00.004-04:00

As you can see - Walker was a big fan of the cake at Zach & Thomas' birthday party this past weekend - he ate at least 2 pieces!

For other Wordless Wednesday posts head on over to 5minutesformoms and check out some other great pics!

My Sleeping Angel

2008-10-13T13:45:00.002-04:00

5minutesformom is hosting a great bedding giveaway this month in which South Shore Furniture is giving away a bedroom set to one lucky winner - how fun! Sneaking pics of Walk-man sleeping is a favorite thing of mine, so I knew I had lots of sweet pics that would work and that it would be fun to enter! Head on over to 5minutesformom to find all of the other links to sweet sleeping young'uns. And while we'd love to win the Summer Breeze set to use for Walker...we're just thrilled to have such a cutie pie to watch sleep!

Baby News & Walker's 2 Year Checkup

2008-10-06T08:46:00.008-04:00

Sorry for the slowness in getting this post out...there's been lots going on lately, and posting is lower on the priority list in order to continue to work to Get Things Done!!! However, I did finally manage to change my blog template last week in anticipation of letting the world know that in January 2009 we will have a sweet baby girl make her apperance in the world! My due date is Jan 15th, and if she follows Walker's lead, who knows when she'll be born! :) (He was 9 days late and I was induced at that!) We'll see :)

We also went in for Walker's 2 year check-up last week - he's always been low in the weight percentiles (usually around 20th% or so) - he's now up to 28.09 pounds, which bumped him to the 52nd% - I've never been super concerned about his weight, but it's certainly nice to know the percentile is going up and not down! He's 36 inches tall - which puts him in the 88th% - about where he's always been. I love that he is growing and healthy and his doctor is pleased. And, barring any major sickness this year, other than a flu shot in a few weeks, he isn't due for a check-up again until he's 3! Woo hoo!

On another positive note, we've had great family time and a lot of fun lately - Brad and I are continuing to make progress on some of the changes we desire to make both personally and in the business. We were up at 5 this morning (though somewhat begrudgingly) to go to the Y - we are both on a quest to exercise more and live more healthfully. To help me out, I'm going to try posting my exercise days on my sidebar - hopefully it will provide some much needed encouragement and accountability! I do love that although we're now in our 30s we're both continuing to evaluate our lives and to try to be the best stewards of what God has given us and make changes when need be. Some areas, we're really doing well in - others, not so much - but we're working together as a team to conquer those, and together, I really do believe we can do anything! How about you - anything you need some accountability & encouragement with this week? Hope you have a great week!

WFMW - Use Your Pantry

2008-10-01T06:49:00.005-04:00

It's no big secret that the economy is not doing as well now as it has been at other times over the past years...while I'm not a purveyor of gloom & doom, I do think that we as moms & home managers can be doing our part to mitigate the situation! Enter your pantry!!

When I was pregnant with my little boy, the smell of food cooking would turn my stomach, and we fell into the bad habit of eating out more often than we should. He turned 2 last week, and unfortunately, we have only recently begun to curb this bad habit. And a lot of it had to do with my lack of planning!!! Suddenly it would be 6:00 and no dinner, no plans & a restaurant seemed like the only resort. Some folks can walk into a kitchen, throw a few things together and always walk out with a spectacular meal. Folks, that simply is not me. We have discovered that I like to cook from a recipe - I like to have a plan - I like to know that dinner has a good chance of turning out well. That realization about myself was very important!

1. Know what's in your pantry, keep it organized & use it! A pantry is a great tool that we moms have - we can buy items when they're on sale and use them accordingly. This can lead to a great savings in the food budget (not to mention the savings created by simply eating at home!) In the pic below, you can see a shelf in my pantry that is somewhat in disarray right now...that's because I have 3 boxes of tacos and too much pasta to count. This happened because I didn't quite know what was lurking on that shelf before one of my last shopping runs. I intend to work through some of these extras in the coming weeks and return this pantry shelf to a bit more order. Figure out what works for you - do you keep a running grocery list on the kitchen counter, your fridge, in the computer? Keep a list, use it when you're menu planning and don't over-buy and don't under utilize what you already have!

2. Remember that your pantry extends beyond your physical pantry! For me, that means my freezer & my baking cabinet. I have dedicated one kitchen cabinet to my baking goodies (flour, sugar, baking spices, chocolate chips, boxed mixes, cookbooks, etc. Unfortunately it could also use a little help right now (my recipes are definitely out of control!) - but when it's time to bake, I know right where to go!

I also am fortunate enough to have a standing freezer - at times in our marriage it hasn't had much in it, but we now try to stock it when we find sales (especially on meat) and then work through those to eat week-to-week for less $$. You can check out this post for how we deal with buying those meats in larger quantities - it's specific to ground beef, but we do the same thing for other meats as well. Just remember to label (Sharpies are a blessing!) so that you don't have to guess at what you've got! One of the other things we try to do - especially in the freezer - is keep a running list of what's in there. Sometimes we do better than others, but it certainly is handy to know (without having to go look in a cold freezer) if I have 2 lbs of ground beef or none.

2. Have a weekly plan!! Some folks plan by the week - some by the month - but however you choose to do it, JUST DO IT!!! I truly don't mind cooking - I hate coming up with the plan - that has led my husband and I to our current arrangement. We do menu planning together - usually on a weekend - that takes the pressure off of me and we have a game plan for the week. I've also found some great resources both online & on FoodTV.

Leanne Ely, aka the Dinner Diva, has a website with tons of resources for us moms. She has traditional menu plans that you can purchase in 3 month increments - I've used these in the past and they're fantastic. She has also expanded to include freezer menus, meat-specific menus, heart-healthy menus...the list goes on and on. She also offers some free samples so that you can get a taste of what she has to offer before needing to subscribe. Definitely check her out!

Another favorite of mine is Robin Miller on FoodNetwork - her show usually showcases 3 meals, 2 of which come from the same meat base, so that you're only cooking that meat once, and then utilizing the leftovers in a 2nd recipe. All of her stuff is quick and easy and great for someone like me who doesn't want to be in the kitchen for hours. One of the best things about her show, is it has helped train my brain to look for ways to "reuse" left0vers and to plan for leftovers that I can then use later in the week. Her way of cooking has been a great resource for me!

And then who hasn't heard of Rachel Ray? Quick, easy, tasty meals that are fun to make - again - a great resource!

So at the end of the day ladies - make sure that you have a plan and make sure that it includes your pantry! Not only can you save money, you can also save your sanity at the same time! I am happy to report that we greatly tightened up on our eating out budget for the month of Sept and that caused us to really rely on our meal plan - and we did it! We had a significant eating out surplus as of the end of the month! And we really didn't ever feel deprived...we just only ate out when we planned to, and not as a last resort. For us - that's huge - and the pantry played a huge role! For more great WFMW ideas, head on over to Rocks in my Dryer and check out other great kitchen ideas!

Returning my bedroom to a refuge

2008-09-30T13:34:00.005-04:00

So I decided to get with it today and accomplish a few things that have just needed to be done for awhile!!! The 'Tackle it Tuesday' idea is that by encouraging folks to blog about housework or other things that just need to be done, it might give us that extra umph to get with it! It certainly has worked for me today!

Hi - my name is Jodi and I am a clutter bug - sad, but true...and definitely something I'm trying to work on, but definitely a work in progress! I have a few spots in our house that turn into raging hot spots (to borrow a Flylady term) in a heartbeat...2 of them are in our bedroom my jewelry armoire & a chair. Last week I started taking things out of the closet that don't fit my now pregnant body...folded them neatly...and stopped right there.

I am happy to report that those areas are now free of clothing, toys and other miscellaneous stuff and are instead ready to be used for their intended purposes! Brad will be so delighted when he gets home. Moreover, all of my clothes have been neatly packed into my plastic boxes and are now ready to go into our storage room - woo hoo!

So while I was in this productive little "project mode" - I thought about a few long neglected plants scattered about the house. These 2 drive Brad crazy because they are on a shelf in our bathroom and hang over onto the bar where he hangs his towel to dry. Oops!

This poor guy - while at first glance seems fine - look closer...

he's still in the tiny pot he came in, balanced on a 5 oz. dixie cup, sitting in the nice, pretty pot - and has been that way for too many months to even begin to count. Embarassing!

As expected, these 2 guys were root bound beyond belief and quit lopsided from their neglect & poor placement in the bathroom - now repotted and ready for a new home in the house, hopefuly they'll perk up and start looking better!

And this one looks so much better already, just having some dirt in the pot! I know the plant will also be infinitely more happy, as the little pot it was stuck in didn't hold much dirt, and dried out almost daily, leading to several leaves never even having a chance. I'm betting in no time at all this one will also look a lot healthier!

Definitely a nice feeling to have both of those little projects wrapped up and taken care of! So how about you...any projects that you need to take a few minutes and just knock out? I'd love to hear about them! For more tackling inspiration, head on over to Tackle It Tuesday and take a look around!

Mama, Papa & Elmo

2008-09-29T07:23:00.006-04:00

As Walker & Alexa's birthdays approached this year, the ever-present birthday question rose to the surface...what kind of cake? Last year we did the Baby Einstein caterpillar cake (thank you Publix) - this year..hmmm....

A month or so back, Elmo came to mind - Walker isn't in daycare and doesn't watch cartoon TV, so he really hasn't been introduced to many "characters" so far...however he does have a stuffed Elmo who sleeps in his bed and every morning is pointed out as "elmo" by Walker himself. Just seemed like a logical choice and fitting for 2 as well...I'm guessing they won't share a cake for very many more years, as boy & girl things prevail, but this year didn't sound like a bad plan.

I tend to be a bit of a procrastinator (though I'm working on it, I promise!), so I finally started looking at cakes online...the Elmo ones we found just weren't at all what I envisioned...so I decided, what the heck...let's just go for it! Elmo has a pretty simple face...surely he can't be that hard to make...and thankfully he wasn't! We started the night before by baking 2 round yellow cakes and we colored the coconut red. Using a LOT of gel food coloring we were able to get a really good, dark red color which really helped me think we could pull this off!

We used Walker's Elmo to help us draw a template which we then cut out to help guide us.

It did seem like we dragged an awful lot of kitchen gear out for this project, but a lot was never used or only used to help find the right diameter circle when drawing our template, so that made for quick easy clean-up aftewards! The Kitchenaid mixer came in handy both for mixing the cake and also coloring the red icing.

We then mixed up red icing...never did get red enough for my liking, but at least it gave a decent red base to Elmo's color. Because we had baked the cakes the night before, they were completely cool and didn't crumb at all while icing them - hallelujah - that is usually one of my biggest issues icing a cake!!!

And then the coconutting began! It was actually a very fun part of the process - we used the mouth template to keep Elmo's mouth free of coconut.

Next came chocolate sprinkles for the mouth - we started out using our overall template, but then realized that the coconut had formed a bit of a well for the mouth, so the template was really unnecessary. The spoon made for easy delivery and fairly accurate sprinkle placement.

We started out icing the nose off of the cake, and finished it off using a ziploc bag as a piping bag with icing in it and the tip of a corner cut out. That worked so well, that we did the eyes entirely using that method, and then used a knife to even things up. We then made a paper cylinder and used it as a template to drop sprinkles onto the middle of the eyes - no pics of that - it was kinda a critical point, if you know what I mean!

And VOILA - the finished product - not perfect, but certainly pretty darn good for two novice cake bakers! I should stop here to further issue thanks and credit to my sweet, wonderful husband. This was a project I took on completely by myself, but true to form, he didn't let/make me tackle it that way. Brad was super-involved and super-helpful throughout this entire process. He baked the cakes and made the entire decorating process go so much more quickly and smoothly than if I'd done it myself! Yea for a wonderful husband!!

And a side-by-side - I just couldn't help myself! ;) We picked Walker up to show him the cake and asked him who it was and he said 'Elmo' - just what this Mama wanted to hear! Made my day!

We used a few of the cake remnants to decorate a little triangle for each baby. True-to-form, after the candles were out, Walker jumped down in the floor to play with his 'bobtat' and Alexa picked hers up and took a bite out of it. So funny!

Walker did finally stick a finger in his icing when we picked him up, but that was pretty much it for him. Too much action going on for him to be interested in cake!

Happy Birthday Walker!!

2008-09-25T06:32:00.007-04:00

My oh my how my little baby has grown - in honor of his 2nd birthday, today, I thought a little trip down memory lane was in order...

Walker evidently didn't want to come out and join the world, because he as 9 days overdue and only appeared then because I was induced. We got to the hospital about 6 that morning and he was born at 9:13 that night - that child was just happy where he was!

We don't have many pictures from the night of, imagine us...being exhausted!...but this is a favorite of mine with Brad holding him the next morning.

Brad and I both love this pic...he was sitting in my lap in the hospital bed and I was burping him - our parents (most vocally my daddy) hate it...both Brad and I, however, were both smitten and in love with this cute little fella!

What a delightful surprise when I got to go home - a hand-made cradle by my daddy. Always will be a precious and treasured gift! W looked so tiny laying in it!

And those hands...love those little hands!

Alas - a year has passed...he's standing...toddling around, beginning to walk...

grinning like crazy - our boy has always been a smiley boy...

getting into anything he can - the boy does love to explore!

and enjoying the cake his Papa (Brad) baked for him on his first birthday!

And here we are 2 years later - man oh man - where did the time go? Suddenly he's a big boy!

totally in love with the 'bobtat' (and any other tractor-like machine, for that matter)

semi-interested in a turtle we found while working in the yard...

very interested in a rake and how it works

wishing he could be outside 24-7 - oh yes - the boy is an outside boy!

It is so hard to believe that 2 years ago, I was lying in a hospital bed, waiting for the arrival of this precious little boy. Brad and I always knew we wanted children, but never had any idea of the true joy and love that Walker would bring into our lives. We are truly blessed beyond measure. God has gifted us immeasurably with Walk-Walk.

So today, little bug, we want you to know how much Mama and Papa love you - that you have changed our lives forever and much for the better...we love seeing you grow and learn...trying new things and succeeding. We are constantly amazed by your ability to learn and how eager you are to do it. While we would love to hear "bussi-roe" (buffalo) and "op-ti-pus" (octopus) and "YEE (pause) haaww" (yee-haw) forever...I know we won't. So we'll treasure these precious memories now, along with all the others you've given us and look forward to every day that God gives us with you.

We love you!!
Mama & Papa

Birthday Pics

2008-09-23T07:07:00.005-04:00

Just thought I'd share a few pics from last night - both babies were so cute! and the way they play together and love each other...priceless! I never tire of seeing them together! Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Alexa!!

2008-09-22T11:58:00.004-04:00

Let the birthday festivities begin! It has been such an amazing thing to have a niece and little fella who were born just 3 days apart - and I know it's only going to get better and better as the years go by!

Alexa - just after being born.

Last year at the joint birthday bash - my haven't these 2 years just flown by!! Happy birthday Alexa! We love you!!!

Vacation - what a wonderful thing!

2008-09-22T10:08:00.007-04:00

I've been a busy girl already this morning - up and at 'em @ 5:40 - exercised at the Y - helped hubby clean out the car (much overdue) - raked up some leaves outside - started laundry - and am getting stuff off my desk in my office - woo hoo! So, as a mini-celebration, thought I'd take a few moments and post some pics from our family vacation back in August - also long overdue, but there's just not enough time in the day!

We spent a wonderful week at the beach with my family, which meant lots of adults to help spread the load of 2 babies about - definitely makes for more of a vacation! Cousin Alexa LOVES LOVES LOVES all things water - Walker's not quite as sure - he is definitely a very cautious child!

We also spent a day at the SC Aquarium - Alexa enjoyed the fish and animals - Walker enjoyed the escalator, steps & play ship they had - imagine that! The escalator only went up, which drove him crazy! We tried for "together pics" all week long, but at least one young'un usually wasn't cooperative!

I was quite excited that they had a tank with lots of starfish in it - one of W's books has a little song about starfish set to "twinkle, twinkle" and we sing it often - he did seem to enjoy looking at them! That was near the beginning of the visit, just after coming out of the stroller before he really found the steps...that was pretty much the end of it for him! :) A few more from the aquarium and then on to the beach!

I do love my boys!

A new leaf...

2008-09-19T10:19:00.002-04:00

Brad and I started talking at dinner last night about continuing to try and get our lives in order (as much as possible) before the new baby is born in January - as part of that, we started talking about adding more structure to our schedules (something we both struggle with as self-employed peeps) - Brad has been wanting to get back into the habit of going to the Y - I need structure in general! :) He decided that he would bite the bullet and start getting up at 5 in the mornings, have his bag packed and head to the Y immediately. I told him I'd make a deal with him, and when he got up at 5, so would I and I would use that extra time in the morning (with W still asleep) to continue to tackle the paperwork monster in my office. Can't believe that we even ventured out to start such a plan on a Friday - usually a bit lighter day for us - but we did. When the alarm went off at 5 this morning, neither of us were jumping for joy, and I'll admit, we both took our time getting up - Brad probably 5:15, me 5:30, but we still both got after it. And now - he's had a great workout and I've gotten tons of papers OFF MY DESK!!! Woo hoo - very exciting! So I issue the challenge - are there any new leaves you need to turn over as we head into fall???