Mama K NJ

long time, no blog

2011-12-28T18:06:00.000-08:00

Yeah, about that.
Nothing major major going on, but plenty of life getting in the way the past couple months. I was hit with colds/bronchitus/cold/another bout of bronchitus, which knocked me out for awhile.
Thankfully, I started feeling better right before Christmas.
Dude, moms just cannot get sick!

Now I am on an upswing and trying to get the household back on track. Perhaps I will find time to write a bit more now too...

Pinning all the things...

2011-10-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

If you are wondering where I went, I have been spending all my spare time on Pinterest (and dreaming about redecorating my entire house) ---->

In my non-spare time I have been doing the homeschool teacher thing, a little more (part time) work-at-home action, trying to manage a very active 2 year old and a very fiery 5 year old and generally trying to juggle all of life's many demands. The Maximize Your Mornings Challenge has been going well overall. Still struggling to get to bed at a decent time and get up early consistantly. But I do feel I have made some progress and am going to stick with it. Besides that extra hour or less that I lie in bed until the kids start ~~screaming~~ calling for me is not adding much to my energy level. Getting up at at 'em before they do is way better.

So that's it. Have lots more to blog about but can't seem to make the time right now. Maybe soon...

Linky Love

2011-09-20T05:55:00.000-07:00

How do you deal with challenging behavior? (An attitude check for moms) - yup. Needed that!

Upcycle a board book into a chalkboard book! - So cool and thrifty.

Clipboard Kids' Art Display - I had been planning a similar project w/ scrapbook covered clipboards, but I didn't think of using it as an art display.

Upcycled Glass Bottles - LOVE these and have some kombucha bottles earmarked for this project.

Under Sink Solution: Hang spray bottles from tension rod - Genius!

Craigslist find goes from Stately to Seaworthy - I love a good furniture makeover and this one is really great.

Identification Charts as Art - We have been taking lots of nature walks this year and I think these would be awesome decoration/learning tool in our playroom.

10 Sewing Projects for Every Room in Your House

Finding my Groove

2011-09-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

Well we are almost through our second week of homeschool. I. am. tired.
This is new and therefore a bit awkward... and exhausting. Did I mention that?

We had our ups and downs for sure. Tuesday this week was pretty terrible. We were coming off of a three day weekend (daddy was home Monday) and also the boys' big party and grandparent time on Sunday. Plenty of melt-downs all around. (Including me... sigh)

However, I changed things up a bit and Wednesday was much better. Thursday was a wash due to some pretty major personal things going on. We got back on track today and had a really great morning. I was commenting on it and W said, "Everyday should be like this." Love that kid.

I am finding that once I get W's attention in the morning I need to keep it for a bit. This is turning out to be a good thing. Considering that my boys are early risers, we can get all of our schoolwork out of the way pretty early. This morning after lessons, we had a lovely nature walk at the local park.

It is frustrating when something doesn't go as planned, but I remember that this is normal when you are a teacher! Good intentions and careful plans don't always get you where you want to go. Flexibility and knowing your student(s) are essential.

I know I need to continue to work on my attitude and fake some confidence for awhile.
Slowly, we are finding our groove.

And seriously, how adorable are my students?

Challenge: Maximize Your Mornings

2011-08-29T05:36:00.000-07:00

"For those of us who are mothers, the fundamental idea is to stop waking up TO our children and start waking up FOR them"

I'm signing up for this 3-month challenge. I'm participating via Facebook and my check-in time is 6:00am. I've been getting up around 6:30-7:00 when the littlest one wakes me up so hopefully this is not completely unattainable.

This SO-NOT-A-MORNING-PERSON mama needs all the help she can get! I can sometimes manage to get up before the kids and get my day off to a good start. It always sets us up for a better, more peaceful day. I just can't seem to do that consistantly or for more than a short season. Self-discipline is not one of my strengths but hopefully this will make my morning routine more of a life-long habit.

School at Home

2011-08-20T15:16:00.000-07:00

In less than a month I am officially homeschooling my oldest boy!

This is a strange realization. I was homeschooled for (most of) my elementary and all of my Jr. High years.  To be honest I didn't see myself jumping into this lifestyle again. Maybe I was just in denial. ha!

I have been reading up on curriculum and philosophies and trying to get some goals in mind. I figured this would be a good place to put it all down.

Back Story:
I know enough to know that I should never say "never."
I know that different things work for different families and there are seasons for everything. I truely believe that the one right way to educate your children is what works best for your family, and that might change from year to year.

Last year I joined the local homeschool email loop and a co-op in a neighboring town for some preschool experience.
I wanted to see what was out there.

I have some misgivings about the public school system from my years as a teacher.  (Not to say I didn't have some awesome coworkers who were doing great things, 'cause there were some quality people there.)
With a very active, just-turned-5yo boy I just didn't see the traditional school model working for my son right now.

Philosophy:
There are so many ways to do school at home! It can be overwhelming at first. There are basic summaries of different philosophies here and here.

Personally, I am drawn to the Charlotte Mason method.  From what I've seen so far, her views on children and education match up with my own. Her focus on short lessons and plenty of time outdoors feel like a good match for my child's temperament. I also love the learning-by-doing approach of Montessori and will likely be pulling activities from that method. (Here's a good site.) I can see how I might incorporate some unschooling ideas and in-depth unit studies if I'm still doing this when they are older. (Five in a Row, see below, is considered a Unit Studies method.)

I still need to read up some more and will likely have a more solid philosophy after a bit of on-the-job training. (Did I mention that I studied educational philosophies in college too? ha!)

Curriculum:
We used Before Five in a Row last year for a casual pre-school curriculum. (It's not really a curriculum though, more like a book of literature based ideas.) I love the approach and am using Five in a Row this year as the basis of our school work. You read the same classic children's book each day for a week. (Five days in a row, get it?) Then you choose from the activities suggested in the book to tie in content areas. Of course their site explains it more in depth.

We have been slowly working through Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons and will continue.

I think Handwriting Without Tears will give us a fun place to start with writing.

I'm hearing wonderful things about Math-U-See so I will probably be introducing that next quarter.

I will be keeping the NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards in mind as I check our progress.

Socialization:
Of course whenever you mention homeschooling, the old "socialization" question pops up.

I'm not saying that there aren't homeschoolers who stay home all day and only have their siblings for companions, but I would say that is the exception and not the rule. Most homeschoolers I know are involved in many community activities throughout the week, from dance class to playing sports to volunteer work to youth groups to co-ops and play groups with other homeschoolers.
(Not to mention that peer interaction isn't the only valuable opportunity for learning social skills.)

In our area there are sooo many options!
We are planning on attending the weekly playgroup for kids pre-k to early elementary, monthly nature classes at the nature reserve, weekly Awana's meetings at a local church, weekly story hour at the library, plus the usual playdates and trips to the children's museum. I am sure some field-trips will pop up too. As you can see, our social calendar is the least of my concerns.

I have to say, I'm now excited to get the school year going!

Happy World Breastfeeding Month

2011-08-18T06:15:00.000-07:00

August is World Breastfeeding Month! Also the month when my first born joined our family and I started breastfeeding. I couldn't let it go by without a post.

I am almost 2 for 2 here... meaning 2 years nursing each of my 2 boys.
It is a special relationship. Like any relationship, there are sweet, easy times and times when it's a struggle. I always viewed breastfeeding as "normal" and just assumed it was the way I would feed my babies.

The first two weeks were hard... He cried. I cried.
But we persevered. Just like a new mom, I didn't understand the complex emotions and hormones I'd be dealing with in those early weeks. Not to mention the physical changes.

When my first babe turned out to be fussy/colicky/high needs/whatever label that means they are basically unhappy all the time and let you know about it, I felt like nursing him was the one thing, and sometimes the only thing, I could do "right."

By six weeks we both knew what we were doing in this deparment, though he was still a super cranky dude. I hoped to make it to 12 months, but really couldn't envision nursing beyond that. The closer we got to one, I didn't see the reason to stop. At about 10 months in, I started attending La Leche League to get some more support. Turns out there are lots of benefits for extended nursing (beyond a year) too.

Fast forward a few years and I am currently nursing my 23-month-old. I've learned a lot on this journey and don't regret a single minute. I encourage any new or expecting moms to educate themselves, find good support and give it a shot.

Here are some of my favorite links:

* 101 Reasons to Breastfeed

* What are the Booby Traps? "Women are being pressured to breastfeed but set up to fail!"

* KellyMom.com is my most favorite site for late night trouble shooting and reference. The Normal Course of Breastfeeding info is a must read for any mom preparing to breastfeed or a new mom just getting started.

* La Leche League - Use the dropdown box at the top to find LOCAL support. Nothing beats in-person support from a group of moms who have "been there done that" and who want to see you succeed. It's amazing to think this international organization started with just a handful of moms who got together back in the 50's to support eachother and share information. Mother-to-Mother support really does work. :)

photo from about.com

Howdy!

2011-07-26T05:23:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a trip to visit family in MI. I have been busy busy over here, thus the lack of posting.

The big news for this fall is that we have decided to homeschool our oldest. Not sure I want to turn this into a homeschool blog, but I will likely be posting about it a bit soon. I know I have to step up the time-management to fit all that needs to be done in a day. Should be interesting...

Blueberry Ice Cream

2011-07-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

We have gone blueberry picking 3x's this season. I'd love to get over there one more time before the season ends. Loving the cheap, organic berries! We froze a bunch for smoothies and snackin' and so on. I wish we could put up enough to last the winter, but I'm only one Mama. The littles are more into the eating than the storing up. As a change from the muffins and crisps, I made blueberry ice cream this year.

The orginal recipes was from food.com, but I tweaked it a bit.

Blue Berry Ice Cream
4 c. blueberries
1 1/2 c. sugar
a squeeze of lemon juice
1 Tbs. water
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
4 c. half n half

Cook the berries, sugar, lemon juice and water over medium heat. Mash them down with a potato masher and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add half n half and vanilla. Cool for the fridge overnight or in an ice bath if you need it sooner. You want the mix very cold before putting it in your ice cream maker. Freeze for 15-20min in your maker. Allow to "ripen" in the freezer for a couple hours more.

Kid Approved!

Quantity vs Quality

2011-06-29T16:15:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this article by a dumpster diving mom. (Yes, really.) I think the "Freegan" movement is fascinating, but that is not entirely what this article is about. What struck me most was the author's commentary here:

There is a strange sort of shame in wanting the best when you have so little allotted for your family’s needs. I’ve talked to so many moms who’ve suffered reproving looks or even disparaging comments when they’re buying organic, high-quality food using a food stamp card. The judgment being made is this: how dare you opt for quality over quantity? How dare you want better food even if it means less food for your family?

Thankfully my situation is not as bad as the author's, but I have been struggling with this for awhile.

I completely understand the feelings of shame in wanting the best.   Is eating responsibly really an "elitist luxury"? It feels pretentious to buy higher quality foods when things are so tight. On the surface, it is cheaper to buy lower quality items.

(Not to say we never eat the "regular" stuff, we do. It's just that I try to avoid processed foods and stick to whole, mostly organic foods at home.)

On the other hand, there is guilt when I choose quantity over quality.
How can I buy coffee that is not "fair trade" when I know that the industry is notorious for child labor?
How can I feed my children chemically laden foods when study after study links those chemicals to cancer, hormone disruption and many other terrible side effects?

I have stopped couponing much partially for this reason. Yes, I can find some q deals on organic foods, but they are few and far between. So I do it when I can, but mostly my time is better spent cooking from scratch or growing/picking/processing my own produce.

I haven't figured it all out yet, but there are some tricks to eating well frugally. There are compromises to be made. I have had to be creative and invest a lot more time in planning and food prep.  I have had to decide what is really important and let the other stuff go. I have also let go of the illusion of perfect consistency. For me, educating myself and doing the best I can is what feels right.

And then I see what the average American family spends on groceries.  That makes me feel super "thrifty" in comparison. ;)

Quality over Quantity... I'm working on it.

Sourdough

2011-06-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

I've been working on making more scratch foods for health and thrift. Sourdough has been going well enough that I will share the recipe. I got this from The Complete Tightwad Gazette.

Sourdough Starter:

2 c. white flour

2 c. water, filtered (apparently chlorinated tap water kills the good bugs) or you can "air it out" in a open jug for a couple days

1 Tbs yeast

Sit at room temp for 48+ hrs (loosely covered w/ plastic) then cover and move to the fridge. Each time you remove some starter you must "feed." Just add back 1.5 c. flour and 1.5 c. water, stir, cover loosely and return to the fridge.

Sourdough Bread Recipe (two loaves):

5 1/2 c. flour (you can sub whole wheat for 1 or 2 cups... I've been having good results using 2 c. wh wh)

2 c. starter

1 Tbs Salt

1 c. water

Dissolve the salt in the water in a mixing bowl. Add starter, and then the flour. Stir, then knead until a nice elastic dough forms. Cover w/ a damp towel and let rise overnight (~8 hours) at room temp. The next morning punch down and divide in half. Shape each half into a round loaf, make an X shaped slash on each top and place the two loaves on a greased baking sheet. (You could put it in two loaf pans if you prefer that shape.) Cover w/ damp towel and let rise about 4 hours. Place a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Bake for 35 min.

I have also been using this to make pizza crust. I start it in the morning. After the first rise, I roll it out into two large crusts and let it rise for only an hour or so, depending on how soon I need it. I brush with a little olive oil, bake it at 400 for about 10 minutes, pull it out, put on the sauce and toppings, back in the oven until it's golden brown and cheese is melty. mmmm

Linky Love

2011-06-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

What Children Can't Do... Yet. - Love this list. A great reminder for those of us with preschoolers in our life. I have often thought child development classes should go hand in hand with childbirth classes for new parents. Heck, I had all those classes back in the day and I still need the reminder from time to time.

Dry to Preserve: A Quick Guide to Dehydration - Interesting.

How-To: Woven Paper Gift Wrap - cute and thrifty!

Grilled Corn on the Cob - This is how we do it too. Yum!

Outdoor Color Match - Can't wait to make this for our next nature walk.

Parenting Quotes

2011-05-18T13:24:00.000-07:00

One my fav things about Facebook is that I can steal all these great quotes. Now sometimes I don't know who the authors are and I have to go Google (or Swagbucks) them. ;) Here are some parenting ones I've enjoyed lately.

"Babies needs haven't changed much over the past thousands of years, but cultural practices of meeting those needs change every generation." ~ Judy Arnall

“Parenting is 10% what our child does -- and 90% how we react to it.” - Dr. Laura Markham

“Parenting is difficult. What separates great parents from poor ones is their ability to fully accept this truth, even embrace it. That way they can stop themselves whenever they’re tempted to get whiny. Every behavior challenge with our kids is a direct invitation for our own growth; they are, in their own immature way, asking us to provide them with leadership.” ~ Hal Runkel

“It is the nature of the child to be dependent, and it is the nature of dependence to be outgrown. Begrudging dependency because it is not independence is like begrudging winter because it is not yet spring. Dependency blossoms into independence in its own time.” ~ Peggy O'Mara

"I really am your gift. I am not just a little person who needs to be "raised" and taught, and taken to activities....I came to the people in my life to bring a message: slow down. Feel. Be. Over and over again. When you do, you will notice immediately, that I am not an obstacle to your work, or… inconvenient to your daily life. Instead, you will come to appreciate my honesty, humor, presence and love."-Bruce Scott

The Frugal Life

2011-05-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

No doubt about it, times are hard. It is harder for some than it is for others.
It seems like most young families I know are really feeling the pinch.
We are no exception. While we have tried to live frugally and budget our resources carefully, the facts are that our income has decreased while our living expenses have gone up dramatically. Some of this is the result of our choices, namely to start a family. Most of it has been a direct result of our national economy.

Needless to say, I have been thinking about finances a lot lately. Susie Orman had a presentation on PBS the other week that I really got sucked into. I want to read her new book now.

I recently pulled out The Complete Tightwad Gazette from my shelf again. I have had it forever. My mom actually had a copy of the original book when I was growing up. While some of the ideas are dated and a little quirky, the message is good. I am seeing it with new perspective now. Having a mindset of frugality is the way to go. Instead of focusing on all you don't have, you are focusing on what to do with the resources you do have. I can't possibly touch on all that is in there, so I will just recommend that you skim through a copy.

I have a few frugal living blogs and sites that often provide inspiration too.
Simple Mom
Living Rich With Coupons
Keeper of The Home

I don't have much hope that the economy will improve dramatically while I still have little ones at home. So we will have to do the best we can focus on what is really important. Anyone have any other resources to share?

Mother's Day

2011-05-06T12:26:00.000-07:00

Oh Mother's Day.

My existence has been eternally altered.

First by this guy:

Then by this guy:

My heart has grown a million times bigger to hold all the love that resides there. I never knew my tolerance for dealing with human excrement could be so high. Or that I could survive, and (almost) function on so little sleep. I didn't realize how hard it would be to be on-on-on 24/7... sharing my body, my food, my time, my stuff, pretty much everything. Being a mom has been the hardest, most selfless thing I've had to face. Not gonna lie, I have had some really terrible days (and nights) thus far. I have been disappointed, doubted myself and wondered what I got myself into.

Then you get to see a glimpse of all your hard work paying off. A child spontaneously says please and thank you. Or a little one comes up to comfort me when I stub my toe. Or I catch a drive-by hug or "I love you, Mommy." Or I witness my boys showing each other some small gesture of kindness.

And I think, "Wow, I am really doing this, raising a decent human being. They see all the love and grace I try to show. They are going to contribute something positive to this world."

I really liked this post on Mother's Day my friend linked up on FB, Mother's Day - Reality vs Idealism. Especially these lines:

Mother’s Day isn’t about me. It’s about the calling God has placed on my life when He blessed me with children. It’s about my love for Him. It’s about my service for Him. It’s about my mission.

I completely agree.
It's about service. It's about giving when even only God sees.
It is about relationships. It is about loving people who aren't 100% "lovable" all the time.
It is about humility. It's realizing that I am far from perfect or easy to live with myself.
It is about contentment. After all, I chose this life. I have to embrace it. When I do, it gets easier to enjoy. Then I can start to see the big picture.

And mostly, I think it is about unconditional love... God is giving me just a little bit of insight into what that really means.

An Announcement

2011-04-05T18:09:00.000-07:00

As of this weekend, I am now officially a leader for La Leche League in NJ.
It took me a few years and a couple false starts to reach this goal. But I did it!

Along with the other group leaders, I will serve our local chapter by leading meetings, fielding phone calls and generally keeping our group going.
I am proud to be serving the community and supporting other mothers in their breastfeeding (and parenting) goals. What can I say? It is something close to my heart and has played a big part in my life over the past 4.5+ years.

So what goes on at those La Leche League meetings?

Want to find a local group or leader near you in the USA?

La Leche League International Mission Statement:
Our Mission is to help mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information, and education, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother.

Linky

2011-04-05T04:42:00.000-07:00

Popping on to share this linky:
The Beatitudes for Parents

Changing Education Paradigms

2011-03-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

Food for thought!
I found this VERY interesting, as both a parent and a (former) public school educator.

why hello there

2011-03-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

I unintentionally took a little bloggy break there. Truth is, life has been getting a little crazy over here.

Dealing with some usual motherhood stresses. My lil darling is a full-on toddler now. Otherwise known as a baby who breaks all your stuff and tries to kill themselves daily. heh.

Then there is some other big important stuff going on thats too personal to get into. So we are trying to navigate through it all.

The internet time, as much as I enjoy it, has had to take a bit of a back burner. I'm trying hard to focus (what little brain power I have left) on the day-to-day stuff.

So this is my attempt at an update. I don't know if I'll be posting again soon or if I'll be "off" for a bit more. Either way, I am still knitting. So you can find me on Ravelry. ;)

Parenting Your Opposite

2011-03-09T07:14:00.000-08:00

I just read this great post over on Steady Mom
Parenting Your Polar Opposite

I can so relate! Not to say my boys are nothing like me, but the oldest has definitely been harder to "parent" thus far. I have conciously and deliberately looked for the good in our relationship and the positive attributes his personality brings. (And some days that is hard work!)
When dealing with a child who is so different from yourself, it is easy to label their way of doing things as wrong. (Because our way is the right way, no?)
Fortunately I have years of practice as my DH's personality and temperment are very different from my own. I have learned that different does not equal wrong.
Different can even be good sometimes as you are forced to stretch and grow beyond your comfort zone.

This part resonates with me:

She is going to be who she was created to be; it’s up to me to see that in all the ways she is different from me, I can find a powerful invitation to stop anticipating and just experience life together.

When I first became a parent I had a lot of ideas of how my choices would factor into this new baby's life. Now I realize that I am only part of the equation. A very important part of course, but my little guy is not a blank slate that I can write upon.

He is who God created him to be, with all his quirks and imperfections. Always wishing he lived up to my expectations of what a "good" baby/toddler/child should be, is damaging to us both. I can't say I don't wish he was easier to parent. But "easy" is so far gone from my vocabulary these days! :)

To love him unconditionally means to accepting him right where he is. To show him respect by not belittling him when he is struggling or complaining about him all the time. To model grace and compassion as I teach and guide him. That whole "doing onto others as you would have them do unto you" has never been so challenging or so important.

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 7:12

PICTURES!!!

2011-03-08T06:28:00.000-08:00

My camera finally made it home. Yay!

I took tons of pics on our trip... 330 to be exact. If you are my FB friend you've seen some. Anyway, while on was on vaca I was working on a baby gift. Here are some shots of the Baby Surprise Jacket in progress:

Getting Started: Lake June Park

Making Progress: In The Car

Slow and Steady: Highlands Hammock State Park

Nice Stripes: Punta Gorda

I See Sleeves: Lake Placid

Almost done! (I finished the seams and stitched on the buttons once we got home.)

Linky Linky Loo

2011-03-06T06:58:00.000-08:00

Spring Petal Tee - Look! An adult sized embellishing project I'd actually want to wear! (Over at I am Momma Hear me Roar, of course. She rocks.)

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie - Why hello there. (101 Cookbooks always has some really amazing looking, healthy recipes.)

How to Make Your Own Planner - This girl has some really crafty skillz. While I know this is a little too involved for me, it has given me some great ideas to pimp out my plain planner that I got free from a Realtor. :)

Toddler Friendly Sewing Basket - What an awesome way to introduce sewing skills to little ones! Not to mention all the potential for sensory exploration, fine motor skills practice, hand-eye-coordination, color matching and so on. You know I will be raiding the craft supplies to put one of these together.

Very Simple Catapult - oh yes. We will be making this.

Boy Projects!!!! If you have a boy to sew for, get thyself to Made for a month long celebration of all things boy. I love the funky, retro and hipster styles. Move over tutus and ribbons, boy clothes are way cool to DIY too.

Quote of the Day

2011-03-03T07:30:00.000-08:00

“The bad news is, life is not perfect. The good news is, you can have a perfectly wonderful life, even with imperfections. The secret is in your attitude. There's wisdom in accepting things we cannot change. And there's growth in finding ways to appreciate what's good about where we find ourselves.” ~ Dr. Laura Markham

It's that time of year...

2011-03-02T21:06:00.000-08:00

seed catalogs are stacking up

longing for lush organic gardens in my own backyard

facing the frustrations of failed gardens past

so reluctantly, I make a plan

let the cursing of the chipmunks begin!!!!

(Really. I hate those motheflipping things.)

< insert photo of killer tomatoes and murdered seedlings here >

my boys

2011-02-24T08:01:00.000-08:00

It goes without saying, I love my boys more than life itself.

But sometimes I just can't. keep. up.

So much has gone down this morning. Nothing overly naughty. They just have so much energy. They are constantly experimenting and pushing the boundaries of everything... including laws of gravity. Their curiosity is relentless.

The final straw was the baby grabbing a half-full mug off coffee and dumping it into the full washing machine. Well, at least the clothes were already dirty.
Can't say as much about the wall, floor and rug that also got doused. (Seriously, how does 2oz of liquid make it to so many locations?) *sigh*

This event prompted me to sit down and write this and center myself a bit.

Sometimes I think, it's just 'cause they are boys. And there is no denying that amongst the preschool set, boys and girls generally have a very different "energy" going on. (I have four brothers. I know of what I speak.)

But really it's just that they are intelligent preschoolers who need to DO. And it's winter. And I am ready for winter to be over. Oh and I could really do with a nap... and a massage... and while we are dreaming, let's throw in a maid and the Clean House team.

I suppose a fresh cup of coffee and a handful of chocolate chips will have to do for now...

COME ON SPRING!!!

one more link...

2011-02-23T11:22:00.000-08:00

Stumbling upon a DIY tutorial list like this one:

http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/diy/

totally makes me giddy.

For the record, if I ever had a little girl to dress I would totally put her in cheeky stuff like this cateye glasses onesie.

Linky Love

2011-02-20T05:26:00.000-08:00

I have been storing up favorite links in my feed reader for awhile so it's time to share.

How to be a More Patient Mom in Just 24 Hours -
I am going to work on this this week. I am fwding the link the Papa K. Read it. (And then actually DO it.)

Homemade Pancake Syrup Recipe - Yes! I have been looking for something like this as real maple syrup is so expensive, but I'm not down with corn-based alternatives. I think I may be using this to "cut" the good stuff for my guys.

How to make Flubber, Glurch and other Homemade Art Supplies at Home - Master list of tutorials at OhDeeDoh. Right up my alley!

DIY Dress Up Storage - Even with a boy house, we have some dress up stuff. I think I just might tackle this! (And drag my handy bro along to Home Depot to help. heh.)

Gorgeous Rose Cake - Pretty icing technique! Sweet and feminine.

White Pizza - I made this white pizza topping this past week. It was so good, so simple and the kids loved it. Trifecta! Oh and not unhealthy either. :)

Glimpse

2011-02-18T11:23:00.001-08:00

I belong to this on-line support group of sorts. It's for mamas who have have suffered a pregnancy loss at some point.
It sucks to belong to such a "club," but I found a lot of support and help there when I needed it the most.

Long story short, there was some collaboration and the result is a charity sale of some really gorgeous yarn. I wanted to help get the word out.

Here's the link explaining the inspiration behind this:
http://www.yarnista.com/blog/2011/2/16/i-dont-know-why.html

And if you feel like supporting this cause with a yarn purchase, here's the link for that:
http://www.threeirishgirls.com/product_p/y-glimpse.htm

To me, the colors do represent how I feel about what I went though. Deep emotions of sorrow and loss with little bright flecks of hope and healing. I guess that is what a good artist does, takes the intangible and makes it into something tangible.

In life there are lots of struggles and pain, but there is hope and joy and peace... sunshine after the rain. Anyone can relate to that.

Vaca Numbers

2011-02-14T19:30:00.000-08:00

8 action packed days - 2 spent traveling

5 hours in flight round trip = 2 bags of goldfish crackers, numerous snack bars, a bag of gummy bears, two packs of gum, too many Yummy Earth lollys to keep track, and a generous sprinkling of "stop kicking that man's seat!"

3-1/2 days of glorious SUNSHINE!

8 playgrounds visited

1 really cool park (Highlands Hammock State Park)
-> 2 trails traveled
-> 1 alligator sighting

1 strawberry farm

1 wildlife rescue

1 children's please touch museum

3 thrift stores

1 amazing used book store... no really it was amazing

3 books purchased at said book store (including a knitting book from 1942!!)

6 sleepless nights + 1 where we slept = 2 tired parents

1 Baby Surprise Jacket (mostly) completed

0 pictures to show you because I left my camera there...
(I will get it back eventually, but will likely be a bit anxious until its safe return.)

many happy memories... we are counting it a success!

just like cats

2011-02-01T18:01:00.000-08:00

I remember reading advice on how to keep indoor cats from getting bored and destroying stuff. (Yes, this was before I had kids and actually cared to read articles about pet care.) They said to get a bunch of empty boxes and rearrange them every few days. I guess to stimulate the cats or something? This useless info popped into my head today.

This week my boys have been straight up crazy. BOUNCING into the walls.

Literally.

Climbing, jumping, spinning, throwing with all the BOY energy they have.

We have a mini trampoline so this afternoon the 4 year old hurled himself from couch to trampoline to chair and back for a good 10 minutes.
The 1 year old also flushed his toothbrush down the toilet while I was on the phone.
But that's another story.

Breakfast on the floor, honey on the floor, cat food in the cat water, etc etc

A simple solution would be to get them out of the house. However, they've been sick and the weather has been bad. We are attempting a family vacation next week so I just want everyone to get healthy gosh-darn-it. We've been PBS-ing it and Netflixing even, but there is only so much screen time one can justify. We've been cooking and doing our housework, but the days are just so long.

So while we were watching the washing machine fill up and agitate. (Yes really.) I remembered the cats. And laughed.
Little children are not unlike animals in that they need to be stimulated or they will start getting nutty.

I then thought about how puppies that are left unattended will start chewing the legs of your furniture and eat your shoes and destroy all your stuff. The baby doesn't eat shoes, but he will chew the wheels off of toy cars. I digress...

Do I have a point? Not so much.
Yes I realize that my precious little ones are not animals. I really do enjoy them (most of the time). We have so much fun together.
But I am darn glad we don't have more pets.

And we really really need to get out of the house...

$1 box of kids stuff

2011-01-31T11:23:00.000-08:00

Here's a dealo I had to pass along.

Today this site, DealPulp, has a voucher for ThredUp, an on-line swapping site for children's items, on sale for $6. But if you are new to DealPulp, you get a $5 credit making this deal only $1!!!

In a few days they email you your code, you go over the ThredUp and order your box of clothing or whatever you need. Shipping is included. Sounds like a great way for moms to swap gently used items their kids no longer need for things that you do. I figured it was worth a shot for a dollar.

If you feel like giving me credit, use my linkies.

DealPulp - where you purchase the $1 voucher
ThredUp - where you will redeem the voucher once they email it to you

More info about ThredUp:

•Pick a box of pre-loved kids clothes in the size and gender you need for only $6 (or $1 w/ this deal) and have it delivered to your door for free

•The average box on thredUP contains 15 clothing items and includes top brands like: GAP, Carter's. Children's Place, Osh Kosh and Gymboree

•95% of the boxes reviewed on thredUP have been rated 3 or 4 stars (out of 4) by other moms

•Need to de-clutter? Box-up your kids' gently used stuff and send it to another parent for free

I am thinking about some gently used toys we have been gifted that need to find a new home.... hmmm

Balance

2011-01-27T07:38:00.000-08:00

I thought this was a great post and I thought I'd share.

How to Balance Structure and Flexibility in Your Life as a Mom

I like how she tells you to drop the guilt and embrace what you are instead of always focusing on what you are not.

I feel like I am always seeking balancing in my life. There are times where my life felt somewhat balanced. So I know it is possible. It's not a completely unrealistic goal.

Still I find myself wondering...

How much time do I spend tending to the kids' needs while still meeting mine?

How much do I focus on keeping everything neat and tidy while still letting my kids play and make messes and just be kids?

How do I balance time spent on the housework with time spent on the many other things I'd rather be doing?

When my baby was a newborn, the answer was clear: Soak up every moment of his precious babyhood... I did that and I don't regret it.

Now he is completely a toddler. A feisty, curious, climbing, tenacious "baby on wheels"...

I guess that is part of what January is about, setting goals and deciding what is really important. A new year, a new start and all of that.

So I will continue to seek a balance that works for me and my household. I embrace this season of my life and realize it comes with a decent level of chaos. It's ok to be me and it's ok to strive for improvement. :)

Snowflakes

2011-01-25T17:46:00.000-08:00

Call me a science geek, but I love this stuff. During a recent snowfall I looked up on my windshield, after we stopped of course, and I noticed that I could see the actual shapes of the snowflakes. So I got my camera out and tried to capture some. Here are my results.

If you want to try this, just take a dark piece of construction paper out and set your camera to "macro." Most digital cameras have a macro setting represented by a flower icon.

This week, W and I have been learning about snowflakes and reading The Snowy Day.

(We have been working our way through Before Five In A Row this year.) While searching around for related info, I stumbled upon this neat site:

http://www.snowcrystals.com/

They used some special microscope and captured tons of amazing images like this one. I just love the beauty of Creation. Check it out!

shopping linky love

2011-01-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

I love on-line shopping. Especially if it's a great deal!
I usually don't have any problems but at Christmas there were a few mess ups (coughJCPennycough). Anyway, it isn't enough to keep me away.

There are some really fun sites I like to check that offer baby and kid's items at about half-off. I am not affilated with these guys. Just thought I'd share.

http://www.babyhalfoff.com/
http://www.babysteals.com/
http://www.kidsteals.com/
http://www.mamabargains.com/

Then there are similar sites that you have to sign up to view. I'm guessing this has to do with the companies not wanting their products advertised at such low prices. I have signed up for a couple, but the only one I have purchased from and actually check frequently is Lil Luxe. Here is my referal link:

http://lilluxe.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/9939/

They have some good deals on cute, name brand stuff. Right now they have squeaky shoes, puzzles, some seriously cute hampers, clothing and more. I have ordered from them once and would order again if the right item came up. Oh and if you "like" their Facebook page there are coupon codes they run for more savings.

Happy Shopping! :)

Knitastic

2011-01-18T14:22:00.000-08:00

My needles have been a'clickin' lately. (My hands are even a little sore! heh)

Here are a few FO's (that's crafty talk for finish objects)....

New Hat for the Big Guy

Hat for my 1yo Nephew

(My big boy was a good sport and modeled it.)

A Squishy Vest for Baby

I started a vest for the big bro too, but it is turning out huge. So I set it aside to cast on a new pair of longies (aka wool pants) for the little one.

Knitting has been a steady hobby for about 5 years now. I never get tired of trying new fibers and patterns and techinques but I am less productive in the summer months. The cold weather and a pile of wool on my lap just go together like hot cocoa and snow days!

I participated in a "pay it forward" game on Facebook so I have a few gifties I need to decide on next. hmmm

Child Labor

2011-01-06T10:49:00.000-08:00

errr, I mean Montessori-based preschool activities. ;)

A big component of Montessori for preschoolers is teaching them about daily activities. I have two books on Montessori and there are some good ideas in there:

I've discovered that even though doing chores with the kids takes about twice as long, it can be less frustrating. Why? Because if they are actively engaged they are not going behind me making more messes while I am not paying attention.

Gotta keep 'em busy or they will keep you busy, no?
This week I have been trying to kick my serious lack of motivation in this department by getting the kids involved.

Here are a list of chores you can do with the under 5 set. Please let me know if you have any new ones to add! I am always learning (and forgetting) about new stuff to do with the littles.

Laundry - Toddlers can put laundry in the washer and push wet clothes in the dryer. They can also scoop dry laundry detergent from a big container. Oh and putting clothes in a hamper is great fun. Preschoolers can fold simple items like washcloths and hand towels, hang small items on child-sized clothes line and match up socks. My four year old can put away his socks and underwear in low drawer.

Dishes - Toddlers can place clean silverware in a drawer sorter thing and load dirty silverware in the dishwasher. Preschoolers can help hand wash dishes, set the table (with the help of a place mat guide... these are pretty, this is really easy), and clear their plate when they are finished.

Vacuuming - Could just be my kids, but using the hand vac is pretty much their favorite thing ever. Close supervision and specific instructions are essential of course.

Sweeping Floors - They sell child-sized brooms and dust pans on Montessori sites. I have also heard of cutting down a wooden broom handle is a more affordable option. I don't have either, but I did take a section out of a swiffer to make it shorter.

Straighting - In the afternoons I have the boys deliver all the wayward socks, shoes, coats, trash, etc from the living room to their respective homes. We live in a rancher so this is quick. The oldest loves racing around. I think it's good for 'following directions' practice.

Other cleaning - A small spray bottle filled with water and vinegar cleans lots of surfaces. With some guidance, little ones can clean windows, doors, mirrors... basically any hard surface. Oh and they think feather dusters are a lot of fun. I just started teaching my 4.5yo how to clean a toilet and scrub out the sink.

Things are not nearly as perfect as I would do them, not even close. I figure I am trading perfection for teaching life skills. And yes, some days I just do things on my own because it is easier and quicker. I also try to keep all this very fun and matter-of-fact. When they are in a bad mood and don't feel like doing it, I drop it. (Forced chores will come then they are older. haha)

I'm a slacker.

2010-12-31T06:02:00.000-08:00

You might get the impression reading this blog that I'm an overachiever or something. And I am, but only in certain areas. If it's something I enjoy (say knitting) or something of core importance to me (such as parenting), I can be obsessive with the researching and collecting of well, everything... My book and yarn collections are a testament to that.

When it comes to the day-to-day stuff, I am chronically undisciplined. I can be a real slacker.

My point: I suck at New Years Resolutions.

I'm annoyed when January rolls around again and I'm much in the same place. It feels like I'm always trying to get my act together in the same areas. So this year, I do want to continue to work on some things... Mainly time-management and the related self-discipline... But I am not going to post out any resolutions.

Instead, I wrote a list of things I am glad I worked on in 2010:

* Assuming Positive Intent - I have been working on this a lot. I am consciously trying to assume the best of intentions from my kids, my husband, my friends... Only God sees the heart and it is not for me to be judgemental (and resentful). I could go on and on and will likely write another post on this...
.
* Being more Kind and Gentle - I can be snarky and too sarcastic sometimes. Along with assuming positive intent, I have been trying to be more kind and gentle to those around me, especially my children. I have been exploring "gentle discipline" this year and it is working for us. I have been trying to really embrace that Golden Rule thing. And you know what? The more I try to cultivate gentleness, the more content I am and the more I enjoy my kids.
.
* Getting Out - Getting the kids out of the house at least a few times a week has been a welcome change in our life. I am an introvert and a homebody so this has been an effort. The summer was filled with trips to the beach and taking the oldest to VBS. Even a short walk to the park can change the day. And if we have to go to the grocery store I make sure I have plenty of snacks, toys and do it at a time when we won't be rushed or tired. Revolutionary.
.
* Celebrations - I really enjoyed planning and executing the boys' birthday parties and other parties this year!
.
Ok, I feel like less of a slacker now. :) Now for those dishes...

What did you accomplish this year? Go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back. You deserve it! :)

Post-Christmas Post

2010-12-30T10:46:00.000-08:00

Christmas was great. It was fun to see the kids actually enjoying and understanding a little more this year.

Lookie here!

We were blessed with "just enough" this year. Not too much to be overwhelming, but enough that I feel very blessed. I also felt like we did "just enough" visiting. Enough to enjoy it, but not too much to feel so hurried. We are finally finding our stride.

Handprints and Poem for Dada

Enjoying the New Train Set

We got hit with a blizzard and about two feet of snow the day after Christmas. Even though I'm a beach bum, I totally love snow. Of course if we got more than one or two good storms a year the novelty would probably wear off. :)

Blizzard '10

I am working on getting things back to normal this week. The house is thoroughly trashed. There are toys EVERYWHERE. And the kids are getting cabin fever which translates into mass destruction. (Yesterday they got into baby powder amongst other things. Gah!)

The tree and decorations will stay up a bit longer. I toyed with the idea of leaving them up until three kings day, but they usually come down New Years Day. We'll see how I feel this weekend.

Ok back to the cleaning thing...

Holiday Linkies

2010-12-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

Just a few more (short) articles I enjoyed... you know if you have time between the wrapping and the prepping and the cooking...

7 Ways to Make the Holidays Easier and More Fun with Toddlers and Babies

What the Grinch and Expectations Have in Common
Wise words about how expectations rob us of enjoyment and can cause friction w/ our spouses.

Plan Your Perfect Christmas: Embrace Imperfection

What we Tell Our Children About Santa by Pastor Mark Driscoll
Interesting history lesson about Santa and this Pastor's take on finding a middle ground with his kids.

Simplifying Christmas

2010-12-18T12:18:00.000-08:00

I know. I know. Christmas is only seven short days away. Kinda late to be simplifying anything at this point.

I just skimmed through Simplify Your Christmas (Elaine St. James Little Books), a book I first read a couple years ago. It had some good tips and reminders that I am thinking about right now.

Here are my (not so organized) thoughts on the book:

* Embrace what you love about the season, reject/eliminate the parts you don't. *

Personally, I love the decorations, music, shopping, baking, eating... the traditions are what make Christmas special for me. Now that I have my own family, I am really enjoying creating new traditions and passing down old ones. I love the time to really focus on the gift of Christ... a time to celebrate Him.
What I don't love? Feeling rushed, pressure to attend every (family) event, not having enough money to buy everything I want to give and trying to come up with gifts for people who never seem to appreciate what you do give. (I'm sure we all have a few of those peeps on our list. This year I gave up and they are getting gift cards... like it or lump it!)

* Cut back on expectations... for gifts, for food, for whatever is stressing you out. *

We have gotten pretty good at saying "No."
Since our first child was born, we decided that Christmas morning is just for us. We make a big breakfast and take our time with the presents. We will not travel on Christmas Day. We spent years before that driving to three different houses on Christmas Day after being out somewhere Christmas Eve. It was not an enjoyable way to spend the holiday. And there is absolutely no way my kids would be up to that. I would encourage you do to the same: Carve out a special time to enjoy the holiday with just your immediate family... be it Christmas Eve or Christmas morning or the day after... whenever works.

* Examine your motives. *

Do you shop because you are bored or unsatisfied with your life? In the book she says

Shopping has become America's pastime. On average, we now spend six hours a week in a mall and only 40 minutes a week playing with our children.

Yikes. What better excuse to feed our shopping addiction than Christmas!
I am really liking the three gifts rule we are putting in place for the kids this year. (Three gifts under the tree, one to represent each wiseman. Each gift with a different theme.)
Some years, the gifts might be more expensive than others, but it is a good limit for me. Otherwise I tend to feel like I need "just one more" thing and before you know it I've gone overboard. I'm already trying to cheat on my own system by cramming extra little pressies in the stockings. :) I figure that will be my wiggle room on the "good" years.
I love shopping and will spend hours and hours "window shopping" on-line. I fully realize it is an escape. I love getting packages in the mail! It gives me something little to look forward to.
Perhaps this is not an issue for you, but it is something I need to keep in check.

* Simplifying doesn't always equal "less time consuming." *

Ok some of the ideas St. James mentions might take more time, such as personally responding to each Christmas card you receive instead of sending a mass mailing of cards yourself. But there is no right or wrong way for your family to celebrate the holiday. Focusing on the "meaningful" is going look different in each family. Taking the time to ask yourself "Why am I really doing this?" might lead to some big changes in how you celebrate. By eliminating the obligations and pressures we put on ourselves, we give ourselves the time and room to make Christmas more meaningful and memorable.

Anyway, I definitely recommend picking up Simplify Your Christmas (Elaine St. James Little Books). (It's out of print so maybe try the library.) It covers topics including cards, kids, giving, holiday spending, decorating, food, and plenty of ideas for creating a simpler, more meaningful Christmas for you and yours.

Linky Love: Homemade Ornament Roundup

2010-12-15T12:27:00.000-08:00

I have been collecting tutorials for homemade ornaments. These are all easy enough for the kids to help with. I think this is going to be an annual tradition for us. Last year W and I made cinnamon-applesauce ornaments and handed them out to everyone on our list. (You can see one of the cinnamon hearts in this post.)

* Cinnamon Applesauce "Cookies" (basic recipe, but there are tons of variations on the web)
* Salt Dough Ornaments .. a classic!
* Beeswax or Crayon Wax Dipped Pinecones
* Recycle Toys into Ornaments
* Sparkly Yarn Ornaments
* Vintage Glitter Snowballs (part of a series of 24 Handmade Ornaments, though not are as kid-friendly to make)
* Retro Snowflakes
* Sparkling Ice Crystals
* Borax Crystals
* Mice (made from Hershey kisses!)
* Felt Wrapped Trees
* Not technically an ornament but this (unbreakable) felt garland is perfect for homes with little ones.
* Button Wreath
As if all that wasn't enough for you, here is a list of holiday books with coordinating kids crafts. Most are, you guessed it, ornaments.

Shhhhh! We made these for the Grands last week.

Anyone have others to share?

my day so far: excuse the lack of grammar

2010-12-07T11:40:00.000-08:00

preschooler woke me up at 6:30am... not unusual but the peed on bed/sheets/comforter was... (way to NOT put a trainer/diaper on the kid last night, mom. Uh doy!)
grouchy, clingy toddler... again, not completely out there but the quickly ensuing poo-plosion was a bit much...

"Can I have a lollypop?" "Not now." "Whyyyyy??" "Um because it's 8am and you haven't eaten breakfast yet."

fed the kids, nurse the tot, feed them both more more more (Seriously these guys would eat non-stop if they could... but not at dinner. That is a whole 'nother category apparently.

Boys play w/ playdough... "mommy come eat these cookies I made!" (repeat that about 10x's)

"Can I have a lollypop? Gum? Snack? Can I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Huh?"

IMPROMPTU DANCE BREAK.... evacuate the dance floor...

check up on my holiday orders on-line... call customer service to find out an item I ordered awhile ago is no longer available, but yet is still showing up as available for purchase on the site and is showing up as "backordered" on my account... JCPenny, you are on notice! (along with Kohls but that is another post)
weeeell I thought I was finished Christmas shopping for the kids...

laundry, dishes, laundry, laundry, laundry

"ok WHY are you completely naked?" (this is a new thing and it results in whining b/c he is cold. no duh.)

"Don't play in the toilet!"
"Don't put that washcloth/toothpaste/etc etc in the toilet!"
"Don't climb on the stereo speaker!"
"No you can't go out front and mess with the Christmas lights."
"Don't propeller your brother."
"Please stop taking the ornaments off the tree"
"Please plug the tree back in."
"Put the fan back in your room if you would like to keep it."

"I'm cooooold!" "How about we PUT SOME CLOTHES ON then?" o.m.g.

(aww they are playing megabloks together. cuteness.)

baby won't nap

feed them both lunch
story time
let's try that nap again...
"I don't want to do quiet time!!!" (yeah, yeah, I know, you tell me every.single.day.)

Finally, quiet.

~~~~~
I am thinking about my morning and laughing because it is not an unusual morning for us. We sure cram a lot in there, huh? This also explains why my house is pretty much a disaster and why I honestly don't care one lick about that today... Life with tiny kids is crazy exhausting and I am still enjoying it. (Unless you talk to me between the hours of 4:30pm-6pm. I am not enjoying much of anything at that point.)
Maybe the years of sleep deprivation have warped my brain??
Still 5 more hours 'till Papa K gets home...

It's the most wonderful time...

2010-12-01T05:51:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, I've been a little scrooge-like for the past couple years. 2008 sucked all around. I had just had a baby in 2009.

But this year? I am absolutely loving it! Of course it helps that at four, my oldest is finally old enough to understand and enjoy some of the traditions. (Last year it seemed to go over his head and he was completely out of sorts on Christmas day.)

I went shopping on Black Friday afternoon with him. I still don't think I'm the doorbuster at 4am type. I much prefer on-line shopping. :)

But it was great to go in the afternoon. They had a full staff so there were no lines. And while I missed out on some stuff, there were enough deals to make it worth it. We stopped at Starbucks for a chocolate milk (his first!) and a peppermint mocha for me.

W loved decorating the house! I unpacked the ornaments and he put them on the tree. I put some special ones towards the top, but he did about 85% of the decorating. He even put some ornaments on his kitchen set. How cute is that?

Of course putting the lights on the house with Daddy was pretty much the highlight of his year.

I finished the book advent. Eventually I will make some eco-friendly reusable wraps for these, but since I have an obscene amount of wrapping paper in my attic I picked a roll and got to it. Wasn't sure where to put these, but they look pretty nice by the tree. (Like the number labels? Yeah, they are just plain post-its w/ marker. LOL)

Now I am waiting (no so) patiently for all my mail order goodies to make it to me.

Sharing some Cheer

2010-11-29T08:03:00.001-08:00

Send Holiday Cheer Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly.com for elegant Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Been playing around with Shutterfly again. :)
Here is a card I made just for you, my tens of faithful readers.

Stay Sane Y'all

2010-11-28T19:03:00.000-08:00

Linky: Stay Sane This Christmas by Making Wise Decisions

"In the end, Christmas is meant to be enjoyed. It’s meant to point our hearts towards God’s grandest gift to us, found in the shoddy manger in Bethlehem. It’s not meant to stress us out."

Yes, I am posting another linky. :)
Some nice reminders for this time of year when it feels like everyone wants a piece of you, your time or your money.

Holiday Meltdowns

2010-11-28T04:42:00.000-08:00

Linky: Holidays and Meltdowns They go Together like Peanutbutter and Jelly

Great little article and a must read for this time of year if you have little ones. No, it's not just your kids. :)

We were pretty surprised last year when our little guy was super grouchy on Christmas morning. But on good ol' Facebook I realized that he wasn't the only one. We are going to change our tact this year and change our expectations too.

Holiday Update

2010-11-23T05:34:00.000-08:00

Oh yes, I know you all were waiting on the edge of your seat for this one. hahaha

I am pretty much finished shopping for the boys. Just need some stocking stuffers and something for the husband. wooohooo A few little things for other people, but the big stuff is done.

I am enjoying Christmas shopping this year. "Gifts" is my love language so I usually get a thrill out of planning/making/buying gifts. One year I made handmade gifts for everyone on my list. This year is a lean one, but not the leanest we've had. We save a little each month throughout the year so I have a little cash to work with come shopping time. Throw in some good deals and I think we've done ok.

Regardless of your gifting budget, family traditions are an important way to make the holidays special and memorable.

For us, I want to focus a lot on the season of Advent. I have a children's book advent I'm working on. I also would like to start doing an Advent wreath so we can follow along with the reading and candle lighting that our church does. (More great Advent countdown ideas here, here and here.)

Another tradition involves going to a lights and animated village at a garden center near my in-laws. I would really love to start the tradition of annual trip out to Longwood Gardens as well. My lights-obsessed son would flip!

Of course there are traditions about the gifts themselves. My mom would let us choose a small gift to open on Christmas Eve. I am doing a variation on that and am giving the boys new PJs to open every Christmas Eve. Some people have a set number of gifts or themes for the gifts. (I love these wear, read, want, need tags!) I have thought about limiting the number of gifts and we naturally have been buying less and less each year out of necessity. Still pondering this one.

The boys' PJ's for this year from Gymbo. Love 'em!

What family traditions do you remember from childhood? Which traditions will you start with your family?

I read a similar discussion on FB the other day. The one mom said that she fills the living room with red, green and silver balloons. So the kids have to wade through them to get to the tree. She said it has really helped on the slim gift giving years and the kids love it.

Oh CRAP.

2010-11-12T06:35:00.000-08:00

I used be someone who filled out Christmas cards on Halloween...while handing out candy of course.
I used to be someone who actually sent Christmas cards. heh.
I used to be someone who had all her Christmas shopping finished by Thanksgiving.
You know. So I could spent December baking and wraping my presents with MarthaStewart touches.
I am NOT kidding. I love that stufff.

We have pared down our gift giving tremendously in recent years, but the sudden realization that Christmas is less than 2 months away has me feeling slightly panicked. Guess I better start a list or something....

Read Me Linky:

2010-11-08T16:15:00.000-08:00

Make Home a Haven Using Personal Filters by Simple Mom

I was going to email this out to some of my friends. (You know who you are. LOL) But I figured I'll just post a linky. This article really resonated with me. This is something I have been consciously working on for awhile but I've never heard the term "personal filter." Very fitting stuff for this time of year.

My favorite part was about avoiding TV commercials and not taking your kids to browse the toy isle if you want to cultivate a heart of contentment in your home. Advertisers spend a lot of money to convince you that you truly must have that shiny new toy, fun new boots, or that delicious bacon double cheese burger, etc etc.

Reminds me that I need to watch The Story of Stuff again. (Did you noticed they added a few more stories recently?)

I heart Shutterfly

2010-11-08T10:51:00.000-08:00

I love Shutterfly. I have for a long time. I especially love that I have had photos safely stored on their site for years.
Yes, years.
I have been happy with the calendars and greeting cards and prints I have ordered. (Photo
calendars make for some very happy grandparents, btw.)
So when Shutterfly offered me some free holiday cards if I did a write-up, I jumped at the chance!

Ok, so I am supposed to tell you about my favorite of the Christmas cards designs. Honestly it is hard to choose!

The premium, folded cards are nice.

Peace on Earth is clean and classic.

I like Good Blessings because it refers to one of my favorite verses.

I love the concept of Family Memories from the Christmas Story Cards. Perfect for someone who takes a lot of photos, or like me, has a little baby who has grown up a lot this year. I'd say this is my favorite if I had to pick right now.

Now if only I could get a decent photo of my kids...

Disclaimer:
This post is part of the Shutterfly free card promo for Bloggers. You can participate here.

Manly One Party

2010-10-29T05:35:00.000-07:00

Yes, another party post. We've had a lot to celebrate lately.

We used to call D "little-old-man" so a "manly" themed birthday party seemed like a good idea for his first. Besides, how could I not make chocolate mustaches once I saw them?

If you are my Facebook friend you've already seen these, but I figured I'd post anyway. I got so many great ideas for this party on-line so I had to give back. This party was actually a month ago, but I've had computer issues.

Sharpies + latex balloons made for some cheap and theme appropriate decor.

Itty bitty moustache stamps were purchased from Skull and Crossbuns on Etsy. (Used them on the cupcake picks and thank you notes.) Mustache Lolly Candy Molds were found on Amazon. (This is an affiliate link.) Here's the recipe I used for the cupcakes. Healthier than usual and they were a big hit with everyone. I did top them with regular cream cheese frosting though. I made D's shirt using a tutorial I found here.

And I didn't get a good picture of it, but I cut out mustache shapes from black construction paper and taped them to the mirrors in the house. tee-hee

More Manly Inspiration:

Mr. Man Party (Pretty sure this the blog that started the "manly" birthday party themes last year.)

Bronson's Manly Bash

Fenn's Little Man Party

Little Man Tea Party

Remembering

2010-10-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

I think I'm generally a private person. However, I do not mind talking about this topic. In general, I think our culture does not handle it well... if at all.
I no longer have the bitterness and longing that I once did. I remember how difficult it was to deal with such a personal and often unspoken loss. Through the grief I have found a greater appreciation for my life and the little ones I was allowed to keep. Things happen in this world that don't make sense, that hurt, that seem pointless... The what-if's are always there, but my hope is in Christ.

Today my heart goes out to those who are still in the midst of mourning, those who are still waiting to complete their families, those who are still hurting... I hope that you find healing and I pray that you find peace.

October 15 is Infant and Pregnancy Loss Awareness Day. Tonight, all around the world, candles will be lit in remembrance.

mmm fall

2010-10-11T05:39:00.000-07:00

I'm loving the cooler weather. It gets my knitting mojo going. Babies are good knitting inspiration too. I finally finished and gifted these green scrappy pants I've been working on. I love the way they came out! Yes, they are a bit funky but that's my thing. They won't fit for a few months so I had to make him a pumpkin hat too. The hat will (hopefully) fit him now.

D needs a hat too. I orignally bookmarked the pumpkin hat for him, but I decided to do something that will be appropriate through the winter. So I used the last of my bday money to buy this pattern:

Master Charles Hat Pattern by Kate Oats

I haven't completed a project with cables so this should be interesting! I hope there is minimal swearing involved. Am waffling on a yarn to choose. I have some grey 100PureWool (super soft!) that might win out.

B is for Baby Shower

2010-09-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

B is for....

Bird! Baby! Boy!

A few weeks ago we threw a shower for a dear friend of mine. As you can see, we went with a birdie theme. (Birds & trees are the nursery theme.) I found so much great inspiration on-line so I am returning the favor and posting some pics.

Invites came from Vista Print. I incorporated one into a wreath for the front door.

I made most of the decorations with printed scrapbook paper and solid card stock. I picked up a 2" circle punch from the craft store (with a coupon of course). To make the garlands I just ran the cut-outs through my trusty sewing machine.

Alternate messages: Welcome to the nest! Feather your nest! About to hatch!
In the end I just kept it simple with a "Welcome Baby" banner.

Instead of a wishing well, we had a wishing shelf. :) Guests were instructed to bring a new or used book for baby's library. Card cage collected card gifts.

LOVE this guest book idea I found on Living Eventfully. I printed free coloring pages from the net. The guests got into and it was a great activity to kill time until the guest of honor arrived. I am going to take the pages to be bound at an office supply store.

Favors were these tasty chocolate nests made w/ chow mein noodles and Jelly Belly "eggs." (Made by another friend, Em)

A couple general tips, pick up that white tacky stuff from the office supply store to hang decorations on all surfaces. And bring your own tape, scissors, suction cups, etc when you are decorating a space that is not your own. I was so glad I did this time.

Inspiration:

Paper Birds @ Family Fun

About to Hatch Shower @ Living Eventfully

Bird Nest Baby Shower @ My Little Cottage in the Making

Bird Themed Shower @ Leaving My Mark

Change of Seasons

2010-09-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

I know summer isn't officially over, but the weather has turned cooler and we are getting into a school year rhythm here. After W's party, there was a baby shower (am working on blogging that). The next day the kids and I took a 10 day trip across the country to visit family. Wow. Whatever made me think that was a good idea I don't know. (No hubby. Change of location every few days. Two crazy, active boys... yikes.)

And here we are. Smack in the middle of September!

I joined a homeschool coop and there are lots of kids in the 3-4's age. So we have a little preschool class going on Mondays. Very fun. One of the local museums offers preschool art classes so we are doing that once a month as well. That was not as big a hit with W, but we will keep trying. When you throw in some Library Story Times and trips to the park we are keeping quite busy.

Oh and D's first birthday is like a week away. No idea how I am going to pull off that party! LOL

Summer Reading

2010-08-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

I've been getting some more reading done lately. I'm great at starting books. Not so great at actually finishing them. These books were good enough to get to the end. Here's my unsolicited opinion.

The House that Cleans Itself

The basic principle is that you first need to change your home to better work with your family's needs and habits. Only then can you work on changing any behavior that needs to be fixed.

Likes: It makes perfect sense. Some people are naturally neat and organized. (I am not one of those people. I keep things pretty clean, but clean and neat are two different things.) I have accepted that housework is not tops of my priority list. I think with some changes I could have a house that (almost) cleans itself. She gives lots of practical ways to achieve this.
Dislikes: I will note that this changing your environment thing looks to be a looong process. If I steadily work at it, I guess it will take me no less than several months. And with the little guys to attend to, I'm thinking it will take even longer.

Bottom Line: This provides a logical process for streamlining your home to fit your family's needs. Definitely worth a read if you are not naturally neat and tidy. I will have to keep you posted about how it goes.

Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood

The basic theory of Love and Logic is that you use empathy (aka love) and logic to teach your children to make good choices and to think for themselves. Sounds like common sense but I guess if it was so easy for me I wouldn't be reading all these parenenting books. :P

Likes: This is a practical book. A few of the strategies seemed like they won't work for us exactly as written, but they were easily adaptable. Oh yes, the scripts! That is my most favorite part. They tell you what to say when your child misbehaves. I seriously made note cards so I can memorize the phrases I want to use. You've heard, "Consistency is key!" Well this is all about consistent responses and logical consequences. For me, knowing what to say and how to react BEFORE we are in the moment is crucial. Otherwise I am likely to respond in anger and frustration. Not good.
Some of the things from the book are things I do already, like offering choices on inconsequential things. So I am comfortable incorporating more "Love and Logic" into my parenting.

Dislikes: In the book it says that a healthy parent-child bond is crucial for this approach to work, but they don't seem to elaborate much on how to achieve that. (The Baby Book by Dr Sears is a much better book for developing a healthy attachment with the under 2yo set.)
They propose that developmental levels don't apply to their strategies, but in my experience some sense of child development is important when dealing with little ones.
Also some of the wording took on a more "shaming" flavor than I'm comfortable with, but it's one of those take-what-you-can-use things. I'm guessing that a lot is in the delivery.

The bottom line: This is a great read for anyone with kids in the 2 to 6 who wants some new, effective discipline strategies that will translate to the teenage years and beyond. I thought it was useful enough that I tracked down the audio version for Papa K to listen to during his commute.

Ordinary Mom Extraordanary God

A Christian devotional book with short 2-3 page essays. As the title implies, it's written specifically for moms.

Likes: I like the devotional format. I can grab some quick encouragement as I drink my morning coffee. It is written in a friendly, conversational tone. Ok, so I'm only half-way through but so far all the topics have been applicable to my life. :)

Dislikes: Really not much to dislike. I guess a more scripture references would be nice if someone wanted to study a topic more in depth, but I don't think that's the intent of the book.

Bottom Line: I am enjoying it and I recommend it. :)

I've got a few more books on the nightstand: Raising Your Spirited Child and Grace Based Parenting are almost finished, but in limbo. And I just picked up Radical Homemakers, Playful Parenting and Your Four Year Old: Wild and Wonderful

Disclaimers: I have not been prompted to or compensated for this post. Just an good old fashioned book review. The links to Amazon are affiliate links, but I never get paid anything from them so I don't really take it all that seriously.
As an aside, I do read books I don't care for. But I never finish them and therefore don't really offer an opinion unless asked.

It's Electric!

2010-08-14T04:52:00.000-07:00

My oldest is OBESESSED with all thing eletrical... especially lamps and fans. So I went with a robot/lights theme this year for his birthday. I didn't do as much as I wanted because I was sick (sick-as-a-dog-flu-sick) the week before. :(

Here are a few pics...

Lightbulb Cake (shaped from a sheet cake) made by the talented Dirkey.

Birthday banner was made by me. This was a super easy project, but I'll put the instructions in another post with a better picture.

I snapped a pic of W and played around with it on Picnik.com. I had some plain 4x6 notecards I affixed to the back and wrote the "thank you's" on there. Theme appropriate and cute! I'm so pleased with how they came out. (BTW the background is a playsilk we pulled out of the toy bin.)

A fond farewell to 3!

2010-08-12T05:52:00.000-07:00

Can I just say, I have no idea why 2 year olds get labeled "terrible 2's." Sure they are curious and start getting into trouble. Maybe it's because that's when tantrums start for some kids? (For my short tempered kids the tantrums start before one, but anyway...) I'm sorry my friends, THREE is the true terrible age. I have often thought that maybe I'm dealing with something a little "extra" with my guy, but only time will tell on that front. However, most mom's of 3's seem to agree. This is a very challenging age. They are trying so hard to assert their independence that they practically push us over the edge. Yes, I know that four will come with it's own unique challenges. I know enough to know that it's pretty naive to say the worst is behind you.

It's not all terrible though. Three has also been filled with some lingering baby snuggles and some hilarious commentary on life. My son's imaginary friends have been most colorful!
Sure I'm always a little sad to see another milestone distancing us from our first baby. The challenges of this age have really been a catalyst for my own personal growth. I am learning to be more patient, more self-less and humble. (Seeing your child yell at you exactly the way you've have yelled at them is pretty humbling.) I have had to re-evaluate what works and what doesn't work in our family. I daily seek God and ask him for the strength to do a good job.

Still, I say FAREWELL to three with a smile on my face. Happy 4th Birthday, baby boy!

Finding Joy

2010-07-20T16:50:00.000-07:00

Being a wife and a mother is work. All good relationships require some effort. And when the relationship is with a tiny, needy person(s) with no emotional maturity or sense of self and who is solely dependent on you for life... well it can get a bit draining. (I meant the kids not the husband. Zing.)

I used to think I was so laid back and patient. Heh. Let's just say God tested that theory with my first darling boy. FAIL!

I have been realizing more and more that I need to "recharge" by spending time with God. When I make the time to pray and read my Bible, even for a short period of time, my day is drastically different. No this is not a major revelation, but rather one of those "easier said than done" things.
.

My kids still do crap like this:

and a lot of this:

But my ability to "deal" is exponentially better. I think this can be true in any circumstance in life. When things suck, bring it to the Lord.

There is an old Hymn that has been stuck in my head lately that says it much more eloquently than I can.

The first verse goes like this:

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

My specific prayer has been for JOY and that I would truly enjoy this season of my life. And you know, what? It's working.

Party Time!

2010-07-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

Hello internets. I did something very klutzy last week and sprained my foot/ankle. I've been making use of my hours on the couch watch the entire season of Pushing Daisies. (Why did it get cancelled? It's so much more original and interesting than so many other shows.)

I've also been doing some party planning! Oh how I love a good theme party. Before mommyhood I had visions of Martha-esque kid's parties complete with technicolor cakes and pinatas full of trinkets. Now I know the dangers of food dye and the true cost of cheap plastic toys. It kinda makes me a party pooper sometimes. I am determined to overcome this and get a little creative if needed.

Party 1: DS#1's Fourth Bday Party!
Theme: Electricity/Robots
We are just doing a small family shin-dig at my in laws, but I still wanted to make it special for him. The boy is completely obsessed with all things electrical. However, light bulbs aren't exactly a popular party theme. He (and I) like robot motifs as well so I'm going to make it an electric/robot theme. Evite.com had some great robot choices. Will have to shop around for plates and such. (Any ideas?) I think it would be funny to come up with some silly names for the foods. I will be freezer paper stenciling him a 4 shirt.

Inspiration: Lightbulb Cake, Lightbulb Cupcakes

Party 2: Baby's First Birthday (aka "How is my little baby turning one already?")
Theme: Manly/Mustache
I call him little-old-man-face and little-dude and little-man due to his serious, yet sweet, demeanor. I love all the mustache stuff I've been seeing around the blogs and lookie! Evite even has a Manly Mustache invite. I don't want to give away all my plans, but chocolate mustaches? How can I not make those? I'd like to do a bigger party since it is his first, but will have to crunch some numbers and see what I come up with.
Inspiration: The Mr. Man Party, Bronson's Manly Bash, Fenn's Little Man Party

I also am in the midst of a bigger production still, a baby shower for a certain BFF. However I shall keep all those plans under wraps for now.

I love this crap! teehee If only I had unlimited funds for this area of my life.

Feelin' Hot Hot HOT!

2010-07-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

I feel like we skipped the spring. It is so HOT!

My AC was like the little engine that could last week. It was trying, but only keeping our house in the 80's. Refreshing.

My oldest did his first Vacation Bible School this month. He had fun and (on the couple days I didn't help out) I had an actual break. Weird, but nice. I have him in another VBS program for last week and this week.

I am itching to get in the kitchen for some bagel baking, but the weather is not conducive. I did try cooking pizza on the grill. Will post more about that later.

I have started The House That Cleans Itself program. I think it makes complete sense, but am a little overwhelmed at all the work that I need to do. I will press on though. I need to get back on the ~~house~~ horse and get the housework under control again.

On a more personal level, I have been seeking and finding joy in my day to day. Sounds simple, but it's not always easy to enjoy the mundane. I've been thinking about writing about that but I always wonder what is too personal to share, you know?

Add in "beach time" and that's my summer in a nutshell thus far.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

Our plans are low-key today. Just like my hubby likes it.
Our oldest was sick yesterday so we skipped church to prevent the germ-sharing . (Though his high fever is gone this morning so he's on the mend.) We spent some family time this morning blowing bubbles and just enjoying eachother's company. This evening I will attempt to cook a free-range tenderloin a la Pioneer Woman and make some mashed taters. The hubs loves meat and potatoes as I'm guessing lots of guys do. Unfortunately (for him) meat and potatoes have "special occasion" status at our house. Other than that, I'll give my pops a call. Maybe we'll have a family movie night too.
I've been enjoying our little famliy lately. Things are calming down on many fronts and I see some routine settling into our lives again. And routine is a very good thing for my guys. :)

Happy Father's Day to all the Daddies out there!

Here are some quotes for you:

"A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society."
- Billy Graham, Christian Evangelist

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother."
- Theodore Hesburgh, Catholic Priest and President Emeritus of the University of Notre Dame

"It is much easier to become a father than to be one."
- Kent Nerburn, U.S. Author and Educator

"A father is a guy who has snapshots in his wallet where his money used to be."
- Unknown

I'm so blue-hoo-hoo!

2010-06-16T05:17:00.000-07:00

Anyone watch Veggie Tales?

Here're the spoils of our first blueberry picking trip.

The berries were delicious, cheap and best of all organic-ish!
(They aren't certified but they do not spray the berries.)
This was the first year I actually have enough to put some in the freezer. (Thanks to my mom for helping.) We usually only get enough to eat up in a couple weeks. W was much more into it this year which helps. I plan on going back a few more times before the season is over. It would be awesome to have enough for smoothies all winter long!

Mutant Muffins

2010-06-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

These are banana chocolate mutant muffins (name my own). Yes they taste as good as they look.

I was inspired by this post.

Since I don't need gluten free, I used a recipe for banana bread from here. (My new fav recipe btw.) I divided the batter and put about 1/4 c. cocoa powder in one half and 1/2 c. choc chips in the other. I could have used a shot of honey or something in the cocoa powder side to bump up the moisture/sweetness, but they were still good.
.

Normally the hubs doesn't get into the baked goods but he was really raving about these little babies. Now the 3yo has a thing about chocolate chips. If I put chips in anything he simply shreds the goodies to dig out the chips. Uh. No. But I gave him some plain banana bread with a little cream cheese and he couldn't get enough. So yeah. Weirdo.

Summer Fun List

2010-06-13T05:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we sat down as a family and came up with a list of things we want to do this summer. We prefaced it by talking about seasons and specifically summer. Not sure the 3yo comprehended much but he did come up with a few ideas for the list.

Lighthouse
Vacation Bible School
Playground
Beach
Pick Blueberries
Children's Museum
Sea Shell Museum
Aquarium
Franklin Institute (this will be his big bday present)
Make Bubble Solution
Camp Out (in the backyard)
Have a Picnic
Lucy The Elephant
Make Ice Cream

I have seen some links around the blogosphere of people doing similar things. Like this one about making a summer "bucket list." I'm thinking I might put our list on posterboard like here or here but I will add some clip art for my non-readers. I also saw where the kids (school aged) put the check list in a composition book. If you need more inspiration for your own list, Ohdeedoh has some ideas for you.

the set-your-place mat

2010-06-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

my apologies for the crappy picture!

I cannot claim the original idea for this, but I forget where in blogland I first saw this project.

It's cheap and simple and so very practical. The first one I made was with a plain vinyl place mat and a black Sharpie. Worked great but somehow it got misplaced.

(How does one loose a place mat?)

I couldn't find another vinyl mat so here's a version with a fabric-ish mat and fabric markers. The mat cost a dollar. So I don't feel too bad that it is deteriorating. I guess will continue my search for another vinyl mat. Not only does this help the little guy set his own place BUT I can remind him to put his cup "where it belongs" so he doesn't spill it.

Not that you need directions, but here is how you make one:

Lay out your items

Double check the placement so everything is where you want it (which I didn't do. ahem.)

Trace with a pencil

Color over the pencil lines with your marker of choice (I free handed the fork tines a little)

Heat set your marker if you use a fabric marker. If you use Sharpie you are done. Enjoy!

crazy bagel lady

2010-06-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

One day last week I decided to make bagels. I also felt I HAD to roast the turkey that I had defrosting in my fridge. Oh yeah, and temps here were around 90.

I forgot about the weather when I started my plans for the day. Duh.

The bagels were soooo yummy that it was worth it. I tried two recipes this time.

I wish I had a picture to share, but we ate them all and I did not snap a pic. I think this is my fav method:
http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/05/cinnamon-raisin-bagels/

And I found a little vid on how to roll them:

Isn't the internet grand?

If you can make bread, you can make these. Actually I think it's easier to get a good result with bagels vs. bread.

A few tips: If, like me, you don't keep bread flour around, you can buy wheat gluten at the regular grocery store and add that to all-purpose flour. The extra gluten gives it the correct chewy texture. Use parchment paper or well seasoned stoneware unless you want them to stick. You want to flip them at least once to get light browning on both sides. Yes, they are a long process, but they are cheap, delicious and freeze well. These are going to be a staple in my house from here on out.

slacker

2010-06-04T04:31:00.000-07:00

Have I really not published a post since Mother's Day? I have a few drafts waiting in the wings. I feel like I lost May. The kiddos, especially the 3yo, are keeping me beyond busy. Then we had house guests this past weekend. My 9 year wedding anniversary was yesterday. The days are slow, but the years are flying by. :)

The Mother's Day Post

2010-05-09T05:53:00.000-07:00

It's Mother's Day again; a day to honor moms in all stages of "mothering."

Mothering is hands down the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life. I love my children more than I realized I could. But the day-to-day care is often a challenge. Being a parent has changed me and made me a less selfish person. My world is consumed with caring for these two little people and I feel like that's how it's supposed to be right now. And like most things, if you are going to do it "right" it's probably not going to be easy. Keeping a sense of humor and lots of prayer keep me going. :)

I also appreciate my own mother much more since I have had my own kids. I realize why she is a little bit crazy. It's partly my fault. haha (Happy Mother's Day, Mom!)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. -Abraham Lincoln

If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much. -Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

The mother, more than any other, affects the moral and spiritual part of the children's character. She is their constant companion and teacher in formative years. The child is ever imitating and assimilating the mother's nature. It is only in after life that men gaze backward and behold how a mother's hand and heart of love molded their young lives and shaped their destiny. -E.W. Caswell

The joys of motherhood are never fully experienced until the children are in bed. -unknown ;)

I heart books

2010-05-06T05:45:00.000-07:00

I might have a bit of a book addiction. I can always seem to justify a book purchase. It used to be on Amazon, but now it's at the thrift store.

I just can't resist a new (to me) book. W-man has a steady rotation of books in his room (of which I recently posted a picture).

Confession: I used to collect children's books long before I ever had kids. But I don't exactly know where they all are. So every so often I find a box of kids books in my garage or attic.

Oh and cookbooks. Don't even get me started there. Christmas books are another weakness. (Next year I will definitely have enough for a 25 day book advent.)

I'm also our local LLL's librarian. The other moms give me old books and I list them on Paperback Swap:

There I can trade them in for books we can use in our library. I also trade my own old books to get new books. I have gotten some great books and saved a lot of money using this service. You pay to ship books requested from you, but pay nothing to the ones sent to you. Usually it costs about $2-$3 to mail a book using media mail. (It's a bit less for lighter paperbacks.) Anyway, I think this is a great program, saves money, saves your house some clutter, and gets used books in the hands of those who really want them.

Disclaimer: I get credit if you join using my referral link by clicking the banner or telling them mamaknj@ msn. com sent you. Paperback Swap did not solicit this post. I was just listing some new books this week and thought it was time again to share my love of PBS! :)

Spring Cleaning!

2010-04-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else get a little boost of motivation in the spring time? I'm not planning any deep cleaning this year, but I find myself reorganizing and trying to pretty-up our home. I'm also into purging our belongings (especially clothes) and trying to get the housework into a more manageable system.

I'm finding that simple things, such as rearranging the stuff I already have, gives our surroundings a fresh look. I love rainbows and was so excited to try arranging the children's books by color. Quite pleasing to the eye! I am going to try this with my cookbooks next.

What are your spring projects?

Inspired!

2010-04-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

I have been saying for awhile that I need a little girl in my life to craft for because there was a real lack of inspiration for boys' projects. Well the tides have turned, my friends, and I have been finding BOY ideas left and right. I am loving it. Many even use old materials to create something new, aka UPcycling. :)

Here's the links....

* Cheri has so many great projects, but the Robot Rex T is top of my list. She also teaches you about bleach pen painting, using embroidery floss and freezer paper stencils. Embellishing is a great way to cover up stains! Just sayin. (These projects seem super easy even for the non-crafty among us.)

* On made I found how to upcycle old adult clothes into a sweater vest or even a cute lap t. Makes me want a serger even more! (These projects are a bit more advanced as you need some decent sewing machine skills.) But there are also tips on non-sewing techniques such as fabric dying.

* Prudent Baby does tend towards girl projects, but there are some boy ones too. I love this tute for a hooded towel. I will be cutting up some old towels to make a beach-worthy creation!

* Course I already posted about the bandanna beach/Bermuda pants.

ETA one more! Card table play (army) tent... love it.

I'm now on the look out for cheap, plain boys T's. I am also contemplating snap pliers and a serger... Lord help me! :)

Bandana Pants!

2010-04-20T04:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, these are more like long shorts or "man-pris" but no matter what you call them they are going to be cool and comfy for the summer. If you have basic sewing skills, you can make these. I plan on picking up bandanas for a couple more pairs and tweaking my measurements a bit. These would be perfect to change into after a beach day!

The best shot I could get. My little model is 3.5yo and wears a size 4/5. Ideally he would wear them with a non-striped top. LOL I used the directions in the first link and went with an elastic waist for ease of using the potty.

Tutorial with pictures here:
http://blueyonder.typepad.com/photos/bandana_pants/index.html

Martha Version here:
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/bandana-clothing-crafts?page=2

Foodie Friday

2010-04-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

Gotta keep it interesting around here...

Monster Face Sandwich:

Peanut Butter, Banana Slices and Raisins on Rice Cakes

Why rice cakes? They are pretty messy but I figured out there is no crust to discard unlike the other breads we've used in the past. Brilliant.

W: "Is it Elmo?"

Hmmm I am thinking about an Elmo waffle version now...

Frugal Fail: Home Haircuts

2010-04-13T07:11:00.000-07:00

I am always endevoring to save more money. Sometimes out of a general conviction to be a "good steward" of what I've been given. Sometimes it's out of sheer necessity.

Sometimes my frugal efforts are a big fat failure.

My first attempts at trimming W-man's bangs were pretty rough, but I have gotten better. Well I got seriously brave last week after seeing his sweaty mop top at the playground.

I pulled out the clippers and.... you can see where this is going.

Now I have seen this boy sit very still and patient for a hairdresser. For me? He wiggled and ducked like the best dodge ball player. I'm apparently not very good at hair to start with. When dealing with a moving target I was destined for failure. The kiss of death was when I pulled out the angled piece (guard?) that is supposed to help with the fade from top to bottom. Well his hair is so fair it seriously looked like a bald spot around the ears.... I was ready to accept defeat and simply buzz him. (I have done that for the hubs before.) But as I started in the back I realized he was going to look close to completely bald since his hair and skin are super fair. Ugh. So I left the top long. I was able to at least even out the uneven edges the next day w/ some scissors... somewhat.

IMO, It looks like a cross between a jarhead/cletus the redneck. Thankfully he's three and just said with a laugh, "My hair looks funny!" :)

A nice hairdresser friend has offered to fix it up. We go and see her today.

I honestly prefer his hair longer and more "surfer dude" but I haven't yet figured out how to keep it that way without having it look like a complete bed hed all the time.

Anyone else have any frugal failures? I know someone out there has to have a home perm story... :)

Couponing!

2010-04-11T06:10:00.001-07:00

I'll admit I have a love/hate relationship with couponing. The hate part is that it can be time consuming and often the deals are on products I don't need/want. The love part is free or almost free stuff... This week my coupon love is on.

I scored all of this stuff for FREE during Kmarts double coupon event. They do this a couple times a year. They double coupons up to $2. So if an item is $4 and you have a $2 off coupon, you just pay the tax! There is a limit of 5 q's per day so I got this in 3 trips:

4 bags of Herrs Tortilla chips (ahem we ate one before taking the pic.)

4 Tasters Choice Instant Coffee

2 Dove Deodorant (my preferred brand!)

1 Kellogg's Fruit Snacks (K picked them up for work and the only kind they had left were Princess ones. haha)

Plus some feminine products that I didn't think you needed a pic of. :)

The Colgate was a freebie coupon that printed out at the register upon my first trip.

Non-Toxic Tots GC Giveaway!

2010-04-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

Click through to enter!

Adventures of a Breastfeeding Mother: Girl Time (With Giveaway!)

Dinos at Sunset

2010-04-06T04:20:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's that Papa K hasn't been around as much lately (due to his job) but sometimes I get a little carried away with dinner prep. I admit I have fallen back on freezer chicken nuggets for W-man occasionally while just snacking myself.

I couldn't control the katchup coming out of the squeeze bottle all that well so it's a little odd. The rest was cute though. He ate everything on the plate except the few lettuce leafs. And he even asked for extra edamame. :)

The Wheatgrass Project

2010-03-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

I am stealing this pic from this Martha Stewart Living project:

I think this wheatgrass thing looks neat and I wanted to give it a go for spring.

I googled around for some directions and I liked the idea of presoaking the seeds mentioned here. I also found the idea to use this real grass for Easter baskets here! Sounds messy, but really cool. (I am not a fan of the one-time-use plastic grass that gets all over your house.)

We decided on small glasses instead of a big tray because...

1) They're clear so we can see the roots growing. (We are currently learning about plants and seeds.)

2) They will fit on a tray I have for the centerpiece with some room to put our dyed eggs and whatever else I think looks good.

They got planted yesterday and are supposed to be nice and plush in 1-2 weeks. Just in time for Easter! (I hope.)

Shout Out to Beth, owner of DiaperCuts - A fabric store specializing in cloth diaper fabrics and other notions. She's a long-time i-friend and was nice enough to send me some (a tons) of seeds for this projects out of the goodness of her heart.

ETA: 1 week was not enough time. The grass was sprouted, but wimpy so it didn't make Easter dinner.

My FIL hearts Mayo

2010-03-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

My father-in-law is a funny guy. He can be super entertaining. He adores his grandkids, though he sometimes sneaks DS too many treats. He is a traditional Irish/Italian food-is-love kinda guy.
Among his many eccentricities, he is obsessed with condiments. Namely mayonnaise. I have seen him put mayo on steak, veggies, really just about anything savory. There is a squeeze bottle of mayo at every meal. While this is not exactly behavior I'd promote, it is funny. It's one of those quirks I'm sure his grandkids will be talking about long into the future.

So when I got an email about the MomSelect Hellmann's promo I had to enter. The grand prize includes a 6 month supply of mayo which (should I win) will be gifted to, you guessed it, my dear father in law. While we don't always see eye-to-eye, he is a good guy and a great Pop-Pop... and he loves him some mayonnaise.

I'm supposed to tell you about the Hellmann's Real Food Project...

Hellmann's has teamed up with celebrity chef Bobby Flay (who I know and love from the Food Network) to bring you recipes, videos and prizes. (Why HELLO there, Deluxe Artichoke Dip!) There are even coupons for my fellow couponizers. So check it out. :)

Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win a Hellmann's® prize package in exchange for this post. No monetary exchange took place. All opinions expressed are my own.

Laundry

2010-03-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

What a boring topic?

Well laundry seems to be the main chore I can't stay on top of. Washing is no problem, but the folding and putting away is my least favorite.

This was my old "system"

washer > dryer or hang on clothes line > back in laundry basket to get good and wrinkled > throw on my bed to fold > push all clean laundry back in basket before bed > back on the bed to actually get folded this time > DS1 comes in and jumps on the bed and unfolds the laundry > refold and repremand kiddo > put away if I'm folding or put on top of my dresser if DH is folding

Really efficient, right?

Yes, we use cloth diapers, napkins and (un)paper towels. But that only accounts for maybe 3 loads a week. Clothing seems to be the biggest problem.

A came to a few conclusions this week...

I hold on to things way longer than I should. Most stuff doesn't fit, is stained, has holes, etc.

My a** does not look hot in shorts. Why do I hold on to them? Skirts are cuter, more comfy and just as cool in the summer. (And there are capris or crop pants for non-skirt occasions.)

I love hand-me-downs for the boys, but should probably be more selective about what I keep.

I only really love a few items and those are the ones I wear over and over. I only wear all the excess stuff to avoid doing more laundry, which ironically makes more laundry.

With these mantra's in mind I did a full wardrobe purge and reorganized my closet and dresser.

"A place for everything and everything in it's place."

"If it's not blessing you, let it bless someone else."

I even put notecard labels inside my drawers so I could remember what goes where.

Lame? Yes. But effective. And now the hubs can put away my clothes too.

My biggest revelation is to fold as little as possible. I now hang up all my tops, t-shirts, skirts, dress pants and cardis. For example a T goes from the washer to a hanger to dry. Then right in the closet on the same hanger. That saves a lot of steps and also makes it easier to see what all I have to wear. I think I need to purge DS1 and Papa K's wardrobes next...

Anyone else have any laundry tips to share???

Land's End Giveaway

2010-03-25T08:04:00.001-07:00

Promise I won't spam you a ton, but this is a good one. Land's End, who makes the best swim suits IMO, is doing a drawing and twitter party with Mom Select.

You can go to the Land's End site right now to enter to win: www.landsend.com/thehub
The grand prize is a vacation to the Bahamas and there will be 25 runner up prizes that include a gift card. Count me in! I need some new beach wear this year.

The info on the Twitter Party which will have other giveaways...
Lands' End Harbour Island Twitter
EventDate: Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Time: 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. CST
Location: #landsend
Join the fun and follow:@LEprMichele, @LEprMolly, @LEprLibby, @VisitTheBahamas, @iexplore and @iexplore_Amanda

Disclaimer: This post is brought you by my affiliation with Mom Select and I am entering to win a prize by posting this. Any opinions expressed are my own. I honestly love Land's End swimwear! :)

Hello Out There

2010-03-23T09:04:00.000-07:00

I am thinking I'd like to start the public blogging again. I miss the comments and interaction with other bloggers! I think I can be comfortable with this if I keep the separate, private blog for the personal stuff and the info/pictures of the kids. I'd like to keep this a place for me to talk about my current job... homemaking and child ~~wrangling~~ raising. If you are still out there, oh 10's of readers, please give me a hello comment! :)

I want

2010-01-08T06:45:00.000-08:00

a new baby carrier. D is getting a little too big to wrap up in the front and I haven't found my groove with another carrier. He's still little and can't sit up on his own, but pretty darn heavy.

Life in Chicago is giving one away here! An ERGO carrier to be exact. I hope I win! :)

reflections

2010-01-02T08:04:00.001-08:00

First off HAPPY NEW YEAR to my 10's of readers. :)

I have been thinking a lot about this blog and my priorities in general. I still love writing, crafts and photography, but this blog has taken a back burner.

I started this blog about 4 years ago. It was a fun way to share my teaching adventures. Then I transitioned to SAHM and WHAM and this blog became a way to document these precious early years with my kiddo(s) and share them with family and friends. Now with Facebook I can share pictures with family and connect with friends. With Ravelry I can record my projects and chat with other fiber addicts.

I feel like it's time to keep the kid stuff a little more private than a public blog. Then I had to decide if I wanted to keep blogging about other topics.

The conclusion I came to? I just don't have time. And there are already so many amazing bloggers out there who cover green, thrifty and simple living topics. I will still be reading and commenting when I can, but I really need to focus on my home life and my business right now.

SO, if you would like to keep up with what the boys and I are doing email me ~~for the password.~~ ~~I'll be going password protected in a couple weeks.~~ Turns out Blogger has no password protect thing so I'm going to start a new blog and you'll need an email invite. :)

Maybe someday when I'm more organized and have gotten down a better routine to my life, I'll start the public blogging again. It is fun and I have met some great "friends in my head" over these years. This is a bittersweet decision. And I do hope that my friends/family will still keep checking in and commenting.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T18:48:00.000-08:00

Not much time to post but wanted to pop on. Despite an oddly grouchy morning (thanks to a certain 3 year old who was NOT full of Christmas cheer), we had a really nice holiday when all was said and done. Gifts were a bit more simple this year, but all were received with gratitude. Tons of rich and delicious foods were consumed... and maybe some holiday spirits as well. :)

I feel tremendously blessed today. December 2008 was a very difficult time. The whole year was one of loss for several reasons. As I reflect on how much I have been given this year, I cannot help but be thankful. God is good. And sometimes life is good too.

Today I celebrate the gifts of family, love and the Greatest Gift of All... my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

SNOW

2009-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas....

These were taken yesterday afternoon. The storm finished up early this morning. DH is currently digging us out. :)

she's crafty

2009-12-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

Hey, but you already know that. I always hoped I'd have a kid who liked artsy fartsy stuff too. W so far is more interested in turning art supplies into projectiles. He does like to help cook/bake so I can't complain. So we recently did two crafts that were close enough to food that he was into it.

First we made cinnamon/applesauce ornaments. It's sooo easy. Basically take equal parts cinnamon (get the cheap kind from the dollar store) and applesauce. Mix well to make a dough. Roll out between two pieces of waxed paper to about 1/8" and cut out with cookie cutters. I used a straw to punch out holes at the top. W liked this part because the dough got stuck in the straw... hello projectile! So that's when I lost him and he started trying to make cinnamon spit balls. Then you let them dry at a low low oven temp or just air dry and turn them a few times. I'm not posting pics as they are gifts this year. My house smells delightfully of cinnamon everytime you walk in the front door. mmmm

Then today we made cheater gingerbread houses. I constructed the houses out of graham crackers and hot sugar syrup. I was going to use hot glue but it just peeled off the crackers. The sugar method is a bit dangerous but it really worked well.

You melt a bunch of white sugar in a small skillet until it turns liquid. Dip the edges of the cracker in the syrup and carefully stick them together. They cool almost instantly. But it is HOT. Yes I got a couple minor burns in the process.

Me: OUCH!!

W: What happened?

Me: I just burned my finger.

W: Remember what God says.

Me: What's that?
W: You always need to be careful.

hahaha

Oh yeah, back to the project. I made royal icing and we used that to glue on various candies and some animal crackers. W had SO much fun. He was way into it. We actually had some extra houses so he decorated 3 of them and wanted to do more! Unfortunately I broke his last one but we both laughed it off. I think this will definitely be a new family tradition!

maybe

2009-12-06T19:06:00.001-08:00

....just maybe if I write it down it will get done this week...

I am feeling a bit out of touch with the Holiday season this year. Ads are talking about "last minute gifts" and I have barely started shopping. Ack!

That's not great. (As my dear son would say.)

So this week I would like to
* ~~make some cinnamon/applesauce ornaments with the little guy.~~
* order the gifts for my brothers and the grandparents
* take a "Christmas" picture of the boys and order prints
* decide what the heck to get/make for Papa K
* mail out D's birth announcements

ETA: Hey it's working! :)

where did November go?

2009-11-24T05:20:00.000-08:00

It feels like it was just Halloween! I can't believe Thanksgiving is this week and Christmas is just around the corner. I started doing some shopping. Just a few little bits and pieces for the boys so far. Yesterday I picked up these shirts for the boys at HappyFamily on Etsy. (I got W's 2nd Bday shirt there and loved it.) They give you a free tote when you buy two shirts so W picked out a robot one. I'm planning on filling it with some toys/books to keep in the car for longer trips. And I already found a Christmas themed Veggie Tales coloring book at the thrift store! sweet.

Thankfully the hubs has been putting some money away in our Christmas fund all year. Last year I tried to make handmade items for everyone on my list. No way that is happening again. The grandmoms LOVE when I make photo calendars so maybe I can do that at least. I usually do Shutterfly but might try a cheaper version this time.... That reminds me. I never did birth announcements for poor baby Dex! Better get on that, huh?

.
I got in some great GreenToys for the store. I showed them to W and asked him if he'd like one of them for Christmas. As much as I tried to sell the dump truck, he really wants the tea set. That boy loves his kitchen set! LOL

Big sale planned so be sure to "stop by" Non-Toxic Tots this weekend. ; )

mom 'o 2

2009-11-18T01:03:00.000-08:00

I think I have been doing ok with the transition to mommy of two. We've gotten past that 6 week hump and things are settling in.
I mean, I am sleep deprived, my house is a wreck and the laundry has taken over a couple pieces of furnture, but generally we are all well fed, clean and happy. We have had some rough nights of course. Nothing we can't handle or haven't done before. Honestly, we had such a hard transtion with our colicky first baby that anything seems easy in comparison. (Seriously one of the most difficult times of my entire life as I may have mentioned like a dozen times.) Papa K and I are really enjoying the baby phase this time. I'm like "Oh yeah! This is why people have babies!"

It sounds funny, but my biggest challenge is taking the kids grocery shopping. First off, I seriously dislike grocery shopping. Clipping coupons, chasing sales, planning meals... It used to be kinda fun but now it is such a hassle and takes far more brain power than it should. Due to a few recent ~~mortifiying~~ unpleasant experiences I've decided that I'm no longer taking W with me to the grocery store. It has become far too overstimulating for him to handle for some reason. Outings that are not so purpose driven seem to go more smoothly for me.

One unexpected joy is how sweet Big Brother W is with the little one. He is always kissing him and loving on him. Maybe because he is boy I didn't think he would be so nurturing? I know that since there is a decent age gap, he understands a little more. (Not that we planned it that way, but I'm glad it's working out.) We also talk a lot about What Baby Needs (Sears Children Library) and he seems to accept that. I'm sure they will fight with the best of them as they get older, but it is so sweet to see the bond they have right now. I'd like to think that the whole attachment parenting thing has helped this too. The other morning I found he had tucked his spare "night night" (security blanket) around his little brother and was talking to him. So cute.

My new strategy is to get out of the house at least a few mornings a week. When we are home, W's never ending energy and curiousity always leads to some sort of trouble. He is just so much work! LOL

Boo!

2009-11-01T00:38:00.000-07:00

I heart Halloween! I love dress up and candy. I admit I "phoned in" the costumes for the kids this year, but they still look darn cute! The weather was unseasonably warm so we got in a great photoshoot outside.

I was not feelin' the Trick or Treat action this year. I try pretty hard to avoid giving the kiddo sugary junk. So having him collect a big bag of the stuff that I'd have to ration out later didn't seem like a good idea. I think next year he would understand something like "the candy fairy" a little better. (That's where they trade in their extra candy Halloween for a toy... sorta like the Tooth Fairy.) But then there is still the dilemma of what to do with it. Toss it into the landfills? Eat it all myself? Have the hubs bring it to work? IDK. None of those appeal to me. Maybe I'll figure something out by next year.

Since this is one of my favorite holidays I wanted to do something fun. So we had a family movie instead. W and I baked some cookies, dragged his fluffy comforter to the living room, lit candles and shut off all the lights. We watched It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown while snacking on cookies and popcorn. W had a great time handing out Yummy Earth lollies to the "Trick or Treats" as he called them. In the end, we did wind up running across the street to say Hi and get some candy from a couple neighbors who were out on their porch.... a few pieces of chocolate to round out the night. :)

sale alert

2009-10-31T17:51:00.000-07:00

For anyone interested, Buttknits is having a sale right now on knit/crochet patterns. She has longies (pants), soakers and some amigurimi (animals) as well. Here's the linkies:
http://aperrypatterns.etsy.com/
or
http://www.ravelry.com/stores/butt-knits-amber-perry-designs

I've made the basic longies pattern a few times and it's my fav of the longies patterns I've tried. I'm actually working on another pair right now. :)

Hurry sale ends tonight I think!

multitasking

2009-10-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

I have been itching to start a new knitting project for awhile now and finally got the motivation to cast on. I am making D a new pair of longies (wool pants that serve as a cloth diaper cover) with Malabrigo Merino yarn in "Citrus." This is some seriously yummy, squishy yarn.

I had planned this pair of pants to be gender neutral but there is a bit of pinky peach in the colorway so we'll see how they turn out. I also wanted to try making cables for the first time. So far I have had to rip back to the waistband twice but I think I might have it down now. Oh and I'm using the Butt Knits basic pattern and making up the cabling part.

So who thinks I'll actually finish these before he outgrows them? :)

mommy brain

2009-10-28T20:08:00.000-07:00

I have a really bad case. My head is pretty foggy. When I woke up this morning my power was out. So I spent the better part of the morning explaining to W why nothing in the house worked over and over. This morning was my church mom's group. I had intended to go but completely forgot that it's Wednesday. When my power came back on, I sat down to check my email and realized it was Wednesday and that I had missed group. I then forgot about it again. I called the leader of the group later in the day to ask her a completely unrelated question. She was all "Where where you?" I was like, "Oh this morning? I forgot." Of course the irony is that I completely forgot about the power being out which was the real reason I forgot about group. So I had a valid excuse, but instead sounded like a complete flake. I am still laughing about that one. Like I said, foggy.

This afternoon I started feeling a bit dizzy. Then I realized that all I had to drink all day was a cup of coffee. Dehydrated much? So NOT a good idea when you are nursing a baby a million times a day! I will be keeping my Klean Kanteen by my side from here on out.

BUT I have been working on the snacks thing. I made up a bunch of breakfast burritos (scrambled eggs, bacon, cheese, whole wheat tortilla) and froze them for a quick meal. I stocked up on some granola and other snacks. I still want to make some muffins. Maybe tomorrow!

At least I haven't misplaced any of the children. :)

Well I should go get some shuteye while I have a chance... Peace out

taking care of me

2009-10-24T17:42:00.000-07:00

Being an AHM (that's At Home Mom) the majority of my life is spent meeting everyone else's needs, desires and even whims. Of course I love it most of the time. But I almost forgot how demanding it is to care for a newborn. I am literally nursing and burping and changing outfits (his and mine) and changing diapers and soothing around the clock. Lather rinse and repeat. And that doesn't include the tantrum taming, snack/meal prep, entertaining and other stuff that the older kiddo needs from me.

Seriously how do people do this with big families?

Anywho I am trying not to feel guilty about living on egg mcmuffins, coffee, Halloween candy and almonds. However, I am starting to feel (physically) pretty crappy. The sleep deprivation is kicking in and a steady diet of caffeine and sugar are not exactly helping to keep me balanced. The hubs has suggested that I go back to yoga, but that would actually require pumping and getting the little one on a bottle. (Sounds an awful lot like work to me.) I know one preemptive strike would be to stock up on some nutritious snacks.

I guess I am rambling a bit. I haven't been having too many coherent thoughts these days.

Anyone else have some suggestions? Or know of any easy snacky recipies I could try? :)

October 15 ~ A day to Remember

2009-10-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

Somewhere between 15% to 25% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage. It is something most people don't think about until it touches them personally. The truth is, it is a shockingly common experience. This painful loss is usually mourned in silence. October 15th is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day in the US and Canada. At 7pm on the 15th women all across the country will be lighting candles for an hour to remember babies lost to miscarriage or still birth.

Life moves on. There are new joys to celebrate. Still, I will never forget the babies I never got to meet. I will be lighting two candles tonight and saying a prayer for my "sisters" who are remembering their losses as well.

http://october15th.com/

http://www.babylosscomfort.com/

Review: Ecostore USA

2009-10-10T16:51:00.000-07:00

The folks at Ecostore USA were nice enough to send me a couple products to review. All of their products are made from plant or mineral based ingredients and are free from toxic chemicals. They carry household products, bath & body, baby products and pet wash too.

I chose the Dishwash Liquid and Toilet Cleaner. While I sometimes mix my own natural cleaners, these are two items I prefer to purchase premade. As a result I've tried various "green" brands. Some are better than others.

The Dishwash Liquid bubbled up nicely and did a great job on my pots and pans. Now in the effort of full disclosure, I don't usually have any super greasy pans. I really liked the subtle citrus scent. I don't like heavily perfumed dishwashing soap. There is something odd about my pans smelling like flowers when they are clean. I give it a thumbs up!

The Toilet Cleaner also had a subtle scent, but I wish it was a little stronger. Maybe something with essential oils? Anyway it did a nice job cleaning. The formula was nice and thick and slightly colored so you could see it in the bowl.

..............................................

My verdict: Nice to find non-toxic products that WORK. I think the simple labels are kinda pretty too. Free shipping on orders over $25!

Linky Love: I Heart Fall Edition

2009-10-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

I love fall! PUMPKIN mania is all over the web. And the recipes are plentiful.

Anyone not love Pumpkin Spiced Lattes? I made this Starbucks knockoff version. It was yummy but a bit more work than I'm willing to invest in a cup of coffee. If I ever had a crowd to serve, this crockpot version would be awesome for a party.

I'd also like to try this Harvest Pumpkin Brownies recipe from Everyday Food Storage and these Pumpkin Pancakes from The Mother Load.

Meatloaf The Nourishing Traditions Way - mmmm comfort food!

12 Weeks till Christmas: Prepare your Holiday Budget Now (at Simple Mom)
yikes! I know for sure I will not be handmaking the majority of gifts as I did last year. Time to figure out plan B.

2009-10-07T17:30:00.001-07:00

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Galatians 6:9

This is where I'm at this week. Life is up in the air at the moment. Trusting God that things will settle down again soon. As much as I'd like to run away with my sweet baby that is not currently an option. :)

Mama K NJ

long time, no blog

Pinning all the things...

Linky Love

Finding my Groove

Challenge: Maximize Your Mornings

School at Home

Happy World Breastfeeding Month

Howdy!

Blueberry Ice Cream

Quantity vs Quality

Sourdough

Linky Love

Parenting Quotes

The Frugal Life

Mother's Day

An Announcement

Linky

Changing Education Paradigms

why hello there

Parenting Your Opposite

PICTURES!!!

Linky Linky Loo

Quote of the Day

It's that time of year...

my boys

one more link...

Linky Love

Glimpse

Vaca Numbers

just like cats

$1 box of kids stuff

Balance

Snowflakes

shopping linky love

Knitastic

Child Labor

I'm a slacker.

Post-Christmas Post

Holiday Linkies

Simplifying Christmas

Linky Love: Homemade Ornament Roundup

my day so far: excuse the lack of grammar

It's the most wonderful time...

Sharing some Cheer

Stay Sane Y'all

Holiday Meltdowns

Holiday Update

Oh CRAP.

Read Me Linky:

I heart Shutterfly

Manly One Party

Remembering

mmm fall

B is for Baby Shower

Change of Seasons

Summer Reading

It's Electric!

A fond farewell to 3!

Finding Joy

Party Time!

Feelin' Hot Hot HOT!

Happy Father's Day!

I'm so blue-hoo-hoo!

Mutant Muffins

Summer Fun List

the set-your-place mat

crazy bagel lady

slacker

The Mother's Day Post

I *heart* books

Spring Cleaning!

Inspired!

Bandana Pants!

Foodie Friday

Frugal Fail: Home Haircuts

Couponing!

Non-Toxic Tots GC Giveaway!

Dinos at Sunset

The Wheatgrass Project

I heart books

My FIL hearts Mayo