I'm on a mission.. I want to start baking and making candy..
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
The Candy Chronicles...
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Getting Organized!!
I love being able to stay at home, but I will admit sometimes the housework can seem daunting. It's a constant battle to keep the place clean, laundry done, and food cooked. So I decided I needed to divide the housework up into a schedule! I think it's a great idea because it allows me to keep the house clean without feeling like I have the WHOLE place to clean up EVERYDAY!
Here's my schedule:
Sun: Kitchen, Living Room, and Laundry (This is also the day I clip coupons from the Sunday paper)
Mon*: Husband's Day Off so I just pick up after him :)
Tues: Bedrooms, Bathrooms, Laundry
Wed: Kitchen-Clean out Fridge :p, Living Room, Laundry
Thu*: Floors, Dusting, Closets
Fri: Bedrooms, Bathrooms, Laundry
Sat: All Over Cleaning, Make Menu and Grocery list
*Trash Day
What are your housekeeping secrets and tips??
Here's my schedule:
Sun: Kitchen, Living Room, and Laundry (This is also the day I clip coupons from the Sunday paper)
Mon*: Husband's Day Off so I just pick up after him :)
Tues: Bedrooms, Bathrooms, Laundry
Wed: Kitchen-Clean out Fridge :p, Living Room, Laundry
Thu*: Floors, Dusting, Closets
Fri: Bedrooms, Bathrooms, Laundry
Sat: All Over Cleaning, Make Menu and Grocery list
*Trash Day
What are your housekeeping secrets and tips??
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Inspirational Sunday Story.. on Tuesday..
Ok. I know I have slacked off a bit. I have been wanting to tell this story but it's been a battle to sit down and relive it.
First I need to give you a little background information. Ryan and I are very passionate about helping special needs individuals, we actually met while volunteering at a camp for adults with special needs. We have even talked about the possibility of adopting in the future. Well about February of last year I woke up feeling a heaviness in my soul, and I knew I had heard God whispering to me. I went to Ryan and told him God was showing me that there was going to be a special needs "baby boy" that needed US in the near future. I knew that God was speaking to me and so I started praying for the strength to do what he needed me to do. I had no idea what he was preparing me for.
Fast forward to April 15, a horrible story in the news, an unidentified 3 or so year old boy had been found dead in a park near where I grew up. As the days progressed it came to be known that the boy was actually 6 years old with severe medical problems and many special needs. He required a feeding tube and would have required around the clock care, but yet he was still unidentified. My heart was absolutely broken. Someone had removed his feeding tube and left him in a pile of brush. Who was this boy? Surely someone was looking for him, loved him, wanted him... I decided I had to do something.. anything..
I got on Facebook and started a page for our "angel". I sent requests out to everyone I knew. The page grew faster than I could handle. Luckily a few wonderful ladies came to my rescue. We did everything in our power to keep the story in the news everyday, we even organized a candlelight vigil in his honor. I was furious that this wasn't national news, and terrified that someone was going to get away with this horrible crime. The page grew to over 40k members in a week. There were a lot of sleepless nights, tears, and an amazing showing of community. The people of Wylie came together and lifted this boy up.
Eight days later I see a picture of a beautiful boy flash up on my television screen with the words "Wylie's Angel Identified" streaming across. My heart leaped! I fumbled to find the remote and turn up the volume, it finally happened. I grabbed my phone and called one of my new friends who had kept me sane in the past week. "WE HAVE A NAME!! PRAISE GOD!!" I shouted through tears. We cried and rejoiced for the next few minutes then set out a game plan. We met up at the site where he was found, which had turned into a makeshift memorial. We taped signs saying he was identified, we hugged, and we cried.. a lot..
In the next few days we would learn that he was left there by his maternal grandmother. I won't go into the details of the rest of his family , but I will say this.. He was loved.. He was wanted.. This DID NOT have to happen. There were other family members who would have gladly taken him and cared for him.
I hadn't thought about the message I had received from God until one day Ryan said " I think Gerren was the baby boy with special needs God wanted you to help!" Wow. My mind was blown. God had been preparing my heart for this. I had not even realized it.
I am not telling this story to toot my own horn, I could not have been nearly as effective without the help I received from two wonderful women. As I sit here with tears streaming down my face I want to stress two things this experience has taught me; you must always listen to the little God whispers, and one person CAN make a difference.
You may not think this story is very inspirational, but the way the Community rallied around a little boy none of them knew and the things it taught me give me inspiration. Needless to say I will never forget this experience. I feel blessed that God trusted me to do something that would make an impact. God also blessed me with several life long friends that I know would go to end of the earth for me, and for that I am so thankful.
My heart has been forever changed, and I want to make a difference. I want to be an advocate for those who cannot stand up for themselves. I don't know how I will do this but I know I will..
Oh and in case you were wondering.. The "grandmother" (age 64) was sentenced to 28 years for Murder, but the real judgement day is yet to come.
Rest in Peace Angel.. I will never forget you.
First I need to give you a little background information. Ryan and I are very passionate about helping special needs individuals, we actually met while volunteering at a camp for adults with special needs. We have even talked about the possibility of adopting in the future. Well about February of last year I woke up feeling a heaviness in my soul, and I knew I had heard God whispering to me. I went to Ryan and told him God was showing me that there was going to be a special needs "baby boy" that needed US in the near future. I knew that God was speaking to me and so I started praying for the strength to do what he needed me to do. I had no idea what he was preparing me for.
Fast forward to April 15, a horrible story in the news, an unidentified 3 or so year old boy had been found dead in a park near where I grew up. As the days progressed it came to be known that the boy was actually 6 years old with severe medical problems and many special needs. He required a feeding tube and would have required around the clock care, but yet he was still unidentified. My heart was absolutely broken. Someone had removed his feeding tube and left him in a pile of brush. Who was this boy? Surely someone was looking for him, loved him, wanted him... I decided I had to do something.. anything..
I got on Facebook and started a page for our "angel". I sent requests out to everyone I knew. The page grew faster than I could handle. Luckily a few wonderful ladies came to my rescue. We did everything in our power to keep the story in the news everyday, we even organized a candlelight vigil in his honor. I was furious that this wasn't national news, and terrified that someone was going to get away with this horrible crime. The page grew to over 40k members in a week. There were a lot of sleepless nights, tears, and an amazing showing of community. The people of Wylie came together and lifted this boy up.
Eight days later I see a picture of a beautiful boy flash up on my television screen with the words "Wylie's Angel Identified" streaming across. My heart leaped! I fumbled to find the remote and turn up the volume, it finally happened. I grabbed my phone and called one of my new friends who had kept me sane in the past week. "WE HAVE A NAME!! PRAISE GOD!!" I shouted through tears. We cried and rejoiced for the next few minutes then set out a game plan. We met up at the site where he was found, which had turned into a makeshift memorial. We taped signs saying he was identified, we hugged, and we cried.. a lot..
In the next few days we would learn that he was left there by his maternal grandmother. I won't go into the details of the rest of his family , but I will say this.. He was loved.. He was wanted.. This DID NOT have to happen. There were other family members who would have gladly taken him and cared for him.
I hadn't thought about the message I had received from God until one day Ryan said " I think Gerren was the baby boy with special needs God wanted you to help!" Wow. My mind was blown. God had been preparing my heart for this. I had not even realized it.
I am not telling this story to toot my own horn, I could not have been nearly as effective without the help I received from two wonderful women. As I sit here with tears streaming down my face I want to stress two things this experience has taught me; you must always listen to the little God whispers, and one person CAN make a difference.
You may not think this story is very inspirational, but the way the Community rallied around a little boy none of them knew and the things it taught me give me inspiration. Needless to say I will never forget this experience. I feel blessed that God trusted me to do something that would make an impact. God also blessed me with several life long friends that I know would go to end of the earth for me, and for that I am so thankful.
My heart has been forever changed, and I want to make a difference. I want to be an advocate for those who cannot stand up for themselves. I don't know how I will do this but I know I will..
Oh and in case you were wondering.. The "grandmother" (age 64) was sentenced to 28 years for Murder, but the real judgement day is yet to come.
Rest in Peace Angel.. I will never forget you.
To Coupon or Not to Coupon?..
We have all seen the "Crazy Coupon Lady" walking around with her accordion file filled with coupons and wondered if it was worth it. As a one income family I am always looking for ways to save money, but the show "Extreme Couponing" gives me anxiety. The thought of spending hours organizing coupons, going to the grocery store, filling numerous carts of items I don't need, and spending hours in the check-out line just doesn't sound appealing especially with a 6 month old.
This weekend I picked up a couple of Sunday papers trying to find a happy medium. Honestly, I didn't do so well. Part of it was due to the fact that my husband decided to pick up all of his personal care items (shaving cream, razors, etc.) BEFORE I had picked up the Sunday paper. The best coupons I found were for, you guessed it, personal care items.. erghhh.. The coupons I did find combined with store specials saved me about five dollars, not near as exciting as the 80% savings you see on "Extreme Couponing" but every little bit helps. I think with a little more organization I can really make it work for me.
So here's my game plan.. Before going to the grocery store I will check the local ads to see what deals the stores are running on meats (preferably organic) and from there I will develop a menu for the next two weeks. Then I will make up a grocery list of all the things I need for the next two weeks. On Sunday I will get a couple of Sunday papers and try to match coupons to items I need. (I won't be building a stockpile unless there is a really great deal or free offer) Mondays will be grocery shopping days.. It will take a little more effort, but if I can save money it's totally worth it..
Do you coupon? any ideas/suggestions? Have you had success?
This weekend I picked up a couple of Sunday papers trying to find a happy medium. Honestly, I didn't do so well. Part of it was due to the fact that my husband decided to pick up all of his personal care items (shaving cream, razors, etc.) BEFORE I had picked up the Sunday paper. The best coupons I found were for, you guessed it, personal care items.. erghhh.. The coupons I did find combined with store specials saved me about five dollars, not near as exciting as the 80% savings you see on "Extreme Couponing" but every little bit helps. I think with a little more organization I can really make it work for me.
So here's my game plan.. Before going to the grocery store I will check the local ads to see what deals the stores are running on meats (preferably organic) and from there I will develop a menu for the next two weeks. Then I will make up a grocery list of all the things I need for the next two weeks. On Sunday I will get a couple of Sunday papers and try to match coupons to items I need. (I won't be building a stockpile unless there is a really great deal or free offer) Mondays will be grocery shopping days.. It will take a little more effort, but if I can save money it's totally worth it..
Do you coupon? any ideas/suggestions? Have you had success?
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Happy Housewife
Being a young stay-at-home mom I have seen many judgemental looks when people find out what I do. Many assume that I am being held back from following my dreams because I am a housewife. The truth is I absolutely love what I do. My biggest dream in life is to support my husband and children in helping all of their dreams come true. I love that I am able to stay at home and cater to my family's every need. I don't think that makes me any better or worse than any other woman. My husband has big enough dreams for both of us and I feel very blessed that God has made his dreams become OUR dreams.
I also get the feeling from my own experiences and conversations with other housewives that many people assume that houswives must be dumb because they don't have jobs. As a housewife you have to be able to balance the check book, pay the bills, have great time management skills, cook, and clean. My family is the most important thing to me and this is what I feel is the best option for my family. Being a one income family does mean that we have to sacrifice some things that we want, but for now we are able to have everything we need.
I just felt I needed to get this off my chest. Don't make assumptions about someone else's life because it doesn't fit your idea of perfect. You know what they say about when you assume. ;)
My life is perfect the way it is..
"To be a housewife is ... a difficult, a wrenching, sometimes an ungrateful job if it is looked on only as a job. Regarded as a profession, it is the noblest as it is the most ancient of the catalogue. Let none persuade us differently or the world is lost indeed."
-Phyllis McGinley
I also get the feeling from my own experiences and conversations with other housewives that many people assume that houswives must be dumb because they don't have jobs. As a housewife you have to be able to balance the check book, pay the bills, have great time management skills, cook, and clean. My family is the most important thing to me and this is what I feel is the best option for my family. Being a one income family does mean that we have to sacrifice some things that we want, but for now we are able to have everything we need.
I just felt I needed to get this off my chest. Don't make assumptions about someone else's life because it doesn't fit your idea of perfect. You know what they say about when you assume. ;)
My life is perfect the way it is..
"To be a housewife is ... a difficult, a wrenching, sometimes an ungrateful job if it is looked on only as a job. Regarded as a profession, it is the noblest as it is the most ancient of the catalogue. Let none persuade us differently or the world is lost indeed."
-Phyllis McGinley
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Ohh Baby...
My original idea for todays post was to write about neat baby gadgets that I wanted. This morning I started my search for "cool baby gadgets" and found some really strange things. So today I will bring you the best of the worst in baby gadgets...
Baby Bangs
As the mother of a nearly bald baby girl I have often wished I could put bows in my daughters hair, but this is downright creepy. I have seen the baby toupees like the Donald Trump and thought they were funny.. But I think these are serious.. yikes..
Barf Bags
When I was pregnant I had HORRIBLE morning sickness. However I dont recall thinking "if only I had a designer doggy bag". Are these supposed to make you feel better? WEIRD! But I guess if your going to carry around a bag just in case why not show off your fashion sense
Snot Sucker
You may need those barf bags after seeing this product. Can't get out those baby boogers well just use this straw and suck them out... Uhmm no thank you
Baby Keeper
This just looks dangerous! It's like a towel rack for babies..
Pee Pee Bottle
Baby Bangs
Barf Bags
Snot Sucker
Baby Keeper
Pee Pee Bottle
Everyone hates having to stop a million times on roadtrips right? Well here is a solution. Let's just hope everyone realizes this is not a refreshment..
Any weird products you would like to share??
Monday, August 1, 2011
Cheesey!
"Wine and cheese are ageless companions, like aspirin and aches, or June and moon, or good people and noble ventures."
M.F.K. Fisher
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