being mom{me}

Budget Friendly "Fauxdermy" Antlers...My DIY $7 Knock-off

2014-10-30T23:28:00.001-04:00

I did it! I joined the "Fauxdermy" decor club.

The BEST part of it...the cost...a whopping $7!

Yup{I am from Minnesota, you know}! Seven dollars! That's even after tax.

I've been seeing some great pieces at West Elm and the like this fall, but spending $50-$200 just seems comical for a trendy decor piece {remember we have four kids under our roof}.

I've been swooning over a rhino head piece from ZGallerie for well over a year but I just can't bring myself to splurge on it. It's only around $50 but it's one of those pieces I wonder if I would put up for a month and then say to myself "what the heck was I thinking?".

Back to my budget friendly deer head, antlers, Fauxdermy...whatever the heck you call it...

I was with my girls at Michael's last week when we took a short cut through a Christmas aisle {gugh...Christmas already!? At least wait until November 1st!}. There hanging mid-way through the aisle was an awesome "paper" deer head looking right at me. It was like a bright light "a-ha" moment.

The cost was a mere $12.99. Totally do-able budget wise, especially since I had a 50% off coupon.

I already had a ton of paint at home that I needed to use up so I painted the piece with a brush and acrylic paint. Ideally I would have spray painted it, but I had a three year old working by my side and didn't have any white spray paint on hand.

The end result... Super cheap... Super easy... Guiltlessly disposable!

Happy Fall!

That moment you delete an entire tutorial...

2014-09-07T21:13:00.000-04:00

Ain't that a thing...

After a nearly one year hiatus from this little blog of mine I had a fairly decent post to share. I spent the afternoon typing up a post about the headboard my husband and I made yesterday... somehow I managed to delete the entire contents of my post. {insert sad face and a lone tear here}

Humph... first world problems, right?

Hello? Is it ME you're looking for?

2013-10-18T00:31:00.000-04:00

HELLO???

Is it me you're looking for?

Don't be shy!

Once in a while I do actually look at my blog stats...just out of curiosity....and...

I see you're visiting...I see you're looking...

particularly at my posts about addressing cards, my boot socks, little girl boot socks, and my ZGallerie Eye Chart knock off {which I'm wondering if there would be interest if I share/make available for you to print?}

you know, this one...

Anyway, I just want to say "Welcome".

But please, don't be shy. I would love to hear from you... {but...if it's not something nice, just email me rather than put it in the comments}.

Nobody likes to have their feelings hurt.

I would love to have you follow along... you can connect with me/follow along through many different avenues... {see sidebar}

Halloween Decorating...Kid Crafted. Organic Decor.

2013-10-17T00:18:00.000-04:00

Take a look around Pinterest or any of your favorite blogs and you will find a plethora of beautiful fall & Halloween mantels, tablescapes, painted pumpkins, & more.

If you need or want inspiration check out this post at Sugar Bee Crafts.

They're beautiful... They're inspiring...

But... I have a confession. I've never really been into decorating for fall & Halloween. {I tried fall mums outside & they're already dead.} I really just have two seasons of decorating around the house...Christmas & not Christmas.

This is typically the extent of my decorating for fall & Halloween...

This house needed more.

We have several big blank walls around the house that need a bit of love. So as filler I set the kids to work...

With a pad of paint & marker paper, black paint, and brushes, I let the little artists have at it.

The result...

A "gallery" of "spooky" masterpieces.

We tacked up a string of twine and used clothes pins to hang our art. This will also serve as a place to hang all the Christmas/Holiday cards we receive too.

While hanging the Halloween artwork, I noticed we have "organic" decorations too...

Time to clean a little higher???

Budgeting for Christmas NOW {Christmas on the Brain}

2013-10-16T00:40:00.000-04:00

OK, I hate to admit it, but I have Christmas on the brain!

I'm not decorating the house and listening to Bing Crosby yet, but I'm definitely thinking about the upcoming season. {Secretly... I'm really in the mood to start decorating for Christmas.}

Here's why I'm thinking about Christmas...

Last year was the first Christmas {Holiday Season} in a long time that I actually enjoyed. I didn't feel stressed. I didn't feel rushed. I didn't feel burdened. It was great. I was able to sit back and enjoy the people in my life and what Christmas means to me.

Last year I was prepared...prepared in so many ways, but one of the biggest was financially.

We budgeted for all of our Christmas shopping last year.

After Christmas was all said and done, there was no buyer's regret. We were able to get the gifts the kids really wanted. There were no upcoming credit card bills looming over our heads to remind us of the gifts we had given. We had PEACE!

I plan to have that peace again this year and to enjoy myself, enjoy my family, enjoy the season.

Here's how...

Start budgeting NOW. Don't wait until Thanksgiving day or later to start saving and budgeting.

Make a list of everyone you need to buy for and set a limit on how much you are going to spend for each person/gift. This way you will know how much you need to save {better yet, how much you really can afford or actually want to spend}.

Skip "Black Friday" shopping! Seriously, I said it. There are deals just as good if not better on the same products leading up to Christmas. Sleep in, spend the day with your kids, spend the day relaxing, spend the day having fun...fun is not going to a store and getting trampled, shoved, or elbowed by rude, greedy people all in the name of a DVD player, bed sheets, crock-pot, or clothes that will be clearanced out within a couple weeks {I worked in retail for years and saw it all...}.

Plan to do all of your shopping with CASH. Going shopping with hard earned cash makes you think twice {or three times} about what you're buying and the amount that you're spending.

Have a game plan. Make a list of each person you're buying for, the dollar amount, and what you want to buy for that person. Shopping and wandering aimlessly for the perfect gift to pop out at you rarely turns out well.

Being prepared for the season and not "breaking the bank" makes life and family much more enjoyable.
Most importantly remember that Christmas is not about the gift bought and wrapped up under the tree...it's not about the dollar amount you spent, or the number of people you gave gifts to...

How do you plan for your holiday and Christmas spending? Do you have any great tips to share?

Creativeness Underway + Snapfish Deal

2013-10-15T02:52:00.000-04:00

I'm happy to report that I seem to be cracking out of my "creative funk".

We're working on some ideas and color schemes for our master bedroom...

I have a few projects and crafts in the works...including a knock-off from Pottery Barn...

I'm so inspired by other people's projects!

What are you working on?

Where are you linking up?

Do you have a favorite link up party?

I would love if you would share them with me!

Don't forget the Snapfish deal for prints ends today!!!

Snapfish Awesome Print Deal!!! Ends soon!

2013-10-14T23:37:00.000-04:00

This deal is too good not to share...

If you follow me via Facebook or Twitter then you might know that I have been working on uploading, saving, and transferring pictures from my digital cameras.

Seriously it has been a daunting task and I am embarrassed to say that there are over 8,000 of them to do.

{I haven't really printed pictures, with the exception of Christmas cards and occasional pics of the kids for family/grandparents, in nearly 7 years!!! Yes, 7 years!}

I came across an awesome deal from Snapfish the other night and did order a couple hundred prints under their 99 for 99 cents offer.

Today I received an email for unlimited 1 cent prints!!! WHAT? YES! Unlimited one cent prints...but {there's always a but} the offer ends tomorrow 10/15/2013. So get on it!!!

The code at checkout is UNLIMITED

Remember the offer ends tomorrow!

Best wishes, and have a great day.

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My Favorite Birthday Deals and Freebies

2013-10-09T17:32:00.002-04:00

Birthdays kind of lose their thrill once you hit your 30's and have kids. Yesterday was my birthday...

Here's how my birthday went down {in a nut shell}...
3 year old threw a tantrum and refused to get dressed for 30 minutes
During breakfast 2 year old choked and threw up
Running late...
Spent the day {the WHOLE day} at the MN Zoo for a home school special field trip {which was actually OK because the weather was beautiful and we were with some good friends}
Stopped for dinner at IKEA with the kids on the way home from the zoo because hubby had a work training into the night {who wanted to sit in traffic with a van full of kids for 45 minutes anyway?}

Really, it wasn't so bad and I did have a nice day. Of course if you had asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday I can't say that any of the above would have made my top 10 things to do on my birthday.

A couple of awesome things did happen though...I got a few Birthday Freebies & Deals {which is always nice...who doesn't like free stuff?}.

You can find websites, and pages among pages with list after list of birthday freebies, but I'm not one to travel all over the place to collect on a freebie {I tummy and thighs don't need me to collect on free desserts}.

Here were my favorite freebies & deals... {in no particular order}

Free Caribou coffee {OK, this was probably my favorite!} If you're ever looking to win me over, just bring me a Caribou coffee hot milk chocolate mocha - we'll be bff's for sure!

Deal: Kids ate FREE at IKEA! Dinner for us cost $5 and some odd cents, because kids eat free at IKEA on Tuesdays. Who knew? Clearly not me. I don't know if ALL Ikea stores offer this deal on Tuesdays, but the Minneapolis {Bloomington}, MN Ikea does.

Bonus...I got my new free Ikea catalog!

Free Gift from Sephora {I didn't even have to buy anything}.

Free Gift from AVEDA {technically I still have to go to the store and collect the gift/redeem my birthday offer - but I do have the offer}

$10 off from Shabby Apple Oh, I cannot wait to use this one!!! I adore their dresses and will definitely need at least one for the upcoming festivities of the season!

Who doesn't enjoy free stuff once in a while? ...especially when it is stuff you like and will use!

What are your favorite birthday freebies? Do you have any that I should know about or that you recommend for the future?

How do you {I) afford to be a stay at home mom? Question Answered

2013-10-07T19:52:00.000-04:00

This question has been asked of me a number of times. At first I thought it was a bit rude to ask or even say, but after recently being asked again I thought to myself "maybe it's not meant in a rude way, but rather she's actually looking for advice or insight on how to make it happen for herself".

This is my attempt to answer the question {that I know I wondered myself once upon a time}...
"How do you {I} afford to be a stay at home mom?"

Let me preface by saying...my hubby isn't bringing home a couple hundred thousand dollars a year {in fact when I first started staying home his salary was almost half of what he's making now}. We've been on both sides of the fence {income wise} - I stayed at home after our first child, went back to school and then working full-time, and have been back home full-time for the last four years. In our situation after doing the math {costs associated with me working: daycare, food, clothes, parking/gas, etc.} the take home pay wouldn't be worth the time and stress of a full-time job.

We have decided/chosen that for us it is important for the kids to have one of their parents home with them {I'm the blessed one that gets to do it}. The 18 years that we have them at home {God willing} are short and important - for us, the extra money in the savings account and 401k accounts can wait.

In a nut shell: it hasn't always been easy, but we choose to make it work.

To Start With...We took a leap of faith. If we had said "we need to save for such and such first", it never would have happened...there would have always been something to save for or something more we would have "needed" first. We trust, believe, and have faith that we will always have "enough".

We budget! We haven't always done this. In fact we only started seriously budgeting less than a year ago after completing the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University, but it has been life changing!

The month we started Dave's program we were practically living paycheck to paycheck. Within 6 months we paid off a number of debts - the biggest being our van {which we paid off 2 years early!}. We still have debts we are paying off {stupid school loans}, but we have a plan and are plugging away.

We don't eat out {very often}! We used to be so lazy in planning dinner so we would resort to eating out last minute. We still go out, but we budget for it. I'm not a great meal planner - I don't plan meals out a month or weeks at a time, and don't have a freezer full of ready to make meals, but we are making dinners at home and saving money.

We buy on Sale and skip the name brands! I'm not a coupon-er {I don't have the patience or the time} but I do my best to be mindful of buying when on sale - especially kids clothes, etc. We don't buy/pay ridiculous amounts of money on name brand things for the kids {at age 9 and under North Face, Uggs, and other brands aren't necessary}. I'm honestly not a good thrift shopper for clothes, I'd rather watch for stuff to go on clearance or sale at the store. When I do have time and energy I like making some clothes for the kids. I buy a lot of our produce {clean 15} at Aldi {their selection of organic items is growing too} and have seen a tremendous amount of savings since starting shopping there.

We choose not to go on elaborate vacations. Would we like to? Of course! But we choose to use our money in other ways. We still do "getaways" with the kids, and last year we did our first 10 day family vacation to Texas {visiting NASA, Sea World, and more}, but they're always planned & budgeted for...never put on a credit card.

We choose not to drive fancy/brand new cars. One of the blessings of my husband's job is a company car, but we haven't always had this benefit. The car he had before this job was paid for {nothing fancy, but it worked}. I mentioned above our van is now paid for & we have thankfully found a mechanic that we trust and is very affordable to help us maintain it.

We choose to live in an adequate house. No, it's not in my dream neighborhood, or dream city {heck it's not even in my dream state}, but it is affordable, safe, has enough space, and is within our means of need {vs. want}.

We choose our entertainment wisely. We always pay cash for "entertainment" things {this way we don't spend more than we have}. Entertainment is something we plan for...my hubby doesn't go golfing every weekend in the summer. He would love to, but it's {the cost} just isn't necessary. We rent movies instead of going to movies. We don't go to the mall to "peruse" ...too tempting to buy something we don't need. We opt for evenings in with friends rather than going out to dinner or going out for drinks.

These are a few of the ways we have made me being a stay at home mom "doable". Sure, we miss out on some of the things we would like to do, but nothing brings greater joy and fulfillment than just "being" with the kids, spending time with them, watching them grow, and being there for them.

There will be a day and time in life when I can work again {not that I'm itching to}, but there will never be a time in life that I could get back missed days and years with the kids.

What tips do you have for making staying at home "doable"? What have you done to budget and save?

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For the Love of Books {encouraging kids to read}

2013-10-02T21:42:00.000-04:00

I L-O-V-E to read!

{I love books in general & I'm a total sucker for buying kids books...}

My kids love to read even more so. As a parent I love that they love to read - I've known of parents who struggle to get their kids interested in reading {the thought makes me sad}.

We live in a technology and device driven era - smart phones, ipads, ipods, computers, kindles, life like video games, and TVs that offer a plethora of channels and movies. You can even read books on some of these devices, but an electronic version can never compare to a hard copy book.

{There's just something about the physical turning of a page...the feel of the paper...the smell...}

It is very important to us {my hubby & I} to not allow our children to get sucked into "devices". We want our kids to continue to learn, imagine, and grow through their love of reading and learning.

Here are some of the ways we encourage our kids to continue their love for books...

Limit screen time {and all technology!}. We have our limits of what we allow & don't allow, but everyone is different.

Never say no to reading. This doesn't mean that we let the kids stay up all night reading - many times we have had to take the books away in the wee hours of the evening.

Read together. The kids love to have classic books read aloud to them. {What we're reading together right now...}

Go to the library often! We go to the library at least twice a week {we typically have 30-40 books checked out at any given time}. The kids love choosing books to read, but I always get a number of books that they wouldn't normally choose on their own {and wouldn't you know they usually love the ones I get too!}.

Participate in reading programs {for extra fun/encouragement}. This summer the kids participated in the Barnes & Noble summer reading program and received a free book for completing it. Next month we start Book-It {yes, homeschoolers get to participate too}, and the kids will earn a free personal pizza for fulfilling monthly reading goals.

Do you have additional great ideas to encourage kids to read? Do you have any must-read books that you suggest?

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Diagnosis: Peanut Allergy {A New Season in Life}

2013-10-01T17:10:00.001-04:00

Our son recently went in for his two year well child visit. The visit went great!

We did have a couple of concerns...

No. 1...concerning behavior and tantrums.
Diagnosis...{after a slight chuckle from our Dr.} it turns out we have a very normal 2 year old boy and there should be no concern from us at all.

No. 2...concern of possible peanut allergy.
{long story short...almost a year ago, W got a hold of a small piece of peanut butter granola bar and put it in his mouth - we were able to remove the granola bar from his mouth before he could actually eat it but immediately swelled in the face and broke out in hives}
Diagnosis...

I think I had convinced myself that his reaction a year ago was "just a fluke" and that the test would come back with an "all clear".

Unfortunately things didn't go that way and we have now entered a new season in life. A season of learning...peanuts are in many more things than we thought they were. A season of being aware...a hungry, growing two year old boy can have the tendencies of a dog {eating anything from anywhere}. A season of being alert and making "changes"...

Any tips on living with a "peanut allergy child" when you have other children who love PBJ's and other forms of peanut products?

weekend {without the kids} recap.

2013-09-30T09:49:00.000-04:00

A mommy brain can be really tricky sometimes. At least my mommy brain can be...

Mr. P and I were blessed to get away to see our dear friends in Madison this last weekend - without the kids! We are really blessed to have my mom and my brother to always be so willing to watch our kids for us.

I was so excited to getaway without the kids, but when it came down to actually leaving, it was so hard!

Am I the only mom this happens to? You dream of just having a weekend away with your husband, or for a girl getaway, but when it comes time to leave it just breaks your heart? Despite being a mom for 9 years now, and 4 kids under my belt, leaving the kids is still so hard.

It never fails...the day you are due to leave the kids are perfect little angels, and so sweet, and so snugly...

My hubby managed to get me into the car after a few rounds of hugs and kisses for our four hour journey across Wisconsin.

The drive was beautiful {for the first couple hours}. And then I got bored {happens to me on long car rides without the kids}...was it that I didn't have anyone to "serve", or nobody to tell they need to stop fighting?

Chat hubby's ear off...check!

Change the radio station and/or ipod dozens and dozens of times...check!

Push every button in my hubby's car multiple times...check!

Require bathroom breaks...check!

Stop for snack/something to eat...check!

Whine for a drink because snack made me thirsty...

I was told I was worse to ride with than a wild four year old...

We did have an awesome weekend though. I got to help my friend make some fabric selections for a new sectional {which I love doing}. We made a trip to the mall. Met the "guys" for lunch, and took in a movie. We had a great dinner out at The Melting Pot {note to self: next time skip the whole meal and go straight to dessert because it's that good}. All in all it was a calm relaxing weekend and we simply enjoyed spending time together.

The journey back was equally beautiful {I love the gorgeousness of fall}.

I did my best to behave and not be so annoying. I also endured listening to the MN Vikings game on the radio... {honestly, I'd rather shove pencils in my ears than listen to sports on the radio...}.

We safely completed our journey and were greeted with excited {and some screaming} kids and great big hugs....followed by some tattling, tantrums, sibling fights...

And within 15 minutes I was ready for another "kid-less" escape. How soon can until our next getaway???

Ultimate Parent Fail {the night the tooth fairy didn't come...}

2013-09-26T01:10:00.000-04:00

Yup. It happened. The post title sums it up...

The Tooth Fairy forgot to come, breaking a little heart.

The minute I sensed the sweet little soul beside my bed waking me up {at 5 in the morning} I KNEW!

With silent crocodile tears streaming down her cheeks she softly spoke, "the Tooth Fairy didn't come...she forgot about me".

Ugh. I wanted to die {not really, but there are not words to describe how utterly terrible I felt}.

I tried to think quick..."honey, it's soooo early still...maybe she just hasn't made it yet?". Lame attempt, but I was desperate. I took her back to her bed and snuggled with her trying every trick I knew to try to get her back to sleep, but it was not happening. The tears silently continued.

I had failed.

An hour passed. The tears continued to flow. I felt horrible. And then it came to me. I did what a panicking parent in a pickle would do.

I lied!

Yup. I did.

We had recently moved so I used it as my excuse! I told her that the tooth fairy probably hadn't received the notice that we had moved/changed our address yet {hey, I was desperate!}. And she accepted this "excuse".

She waited patiently. And wouldn't you know the tooth fairy did come...she left a teeny tiny hand written note {as the tooth fairy always does} and included an explanation and apology of why she hadn't come {she went to the wrong house, of course}. She {the tooth fairy} did compensate extra for that tooth too...

This has been my "mommy fail confession". I sure hope I'm not the only parent who has ever found them self in this situation???

living thru a creative "slump"

2013-09-25T00:17:00.001-04:00

I lie awake into the wee hours of the night filled with ideas and images of inspiration...

In my head I'm writing blog posts with the creativity, detail, and interest that could rival the peek days of my creative writing talents {back in high school}.

I'm filled with ideas that I would love to paint, sew, design and create for my house and family.

But by day...my abilities to write and create are as dry as the Sahara Desert.

My blank canvases remain blank...

The sewing machine and serger remain covered...

Bins of fabric sit packed away...

Walls are bare...

Blog posts are difficult to write...

Brainstorming produces nothing more than the sound of crickets in my head...

Uploading and "tweaking" pictures seems daunting so it goes undone...

I find myself in a season of "creative dryness".

Have you ever met one of these? How does one "cope" or get over the "wall"?

So There's This Boy... {life with a 2 year old boy}

2013-09-24T01:52:00.000-04:00

Having three little {"precocious" as our pediatrician calls them} girls never could have prepared me or even given me an inkling for what life with a little two year old boy would be like.

So there's this boy, who stole my heart, he calls me...

MA!
Mom...
Mom...
Muh-muh...
Mommy...
Ma...
Ma...
Ma...
Momma...
Maaa-ma...

OK, Maybe it's less of him calling me and more shouting at me...

Rarely does any information or need follow the calling or request for "mom's" attention.

Over and over and over it goes. It reminds me of that Stewie character clip that too many men I know find funny {the one I find ridiculously annoying}.

Typically people are flattered by the sound of their own name {since having kids "mom" is the name I am most commonly referred to}, but there is something about hearing "mom" and it's variations repeatedly over and over that isn't so flattering sometimes. On occasion it has me thinking I might change my name {or that which I'm referred to} and not tell anyone what that new name is.

The truth is: quite often {especially when this happens in the car} what I really want to do is yell "WHAT!?"

What I actually do is: smile {sometimes shake my head} and savor the sound of that sweet little voice calling for his "mommy". I am so grateful for every moment I have with this precious little boy {despite this thunder cloud that seemed to appear since he turned 2}.

My Top 5 Blog Posts.

2013-09-23T11:02:00.005-04:00

I know I'm not a professional blogger or even considered "good" when it comes to blogging...I'm a totally sporadic blogger who had visions and ideas of this blog that just didn't manifest how I thought they would {no biggie}.

Regardless...I still enjoy checking my "stats" once in a blue moon and am totally surprised by the amount of views and visits that this little idea of a blog has gotten.

What really makes me chuckle though is what by "stat" numbers {post views, comments, Pinned projects, etc} are considered my best/most popular posts...wouldn't you know they are all the ones that I put little to hardly any effort into, or they didn't cost hardly a handful of loose change to produce!

Here's the rundown of my top projects...

no. 5
F-U-N Addressing Cards... If I had a dollar for each notification I receive when this little things gets "Pinned", momma would be sporting a nice new pair {or 2 or 3} of Frye boots this fall.

no. 4
Fire Cracker Hair Bows... really they were a last minute "whip up", but apparently have been a hit.

no. 3
Mod Podge Fun {Pretty Little Notebooks}... practically free to make {they are pretty cute if I do say so myself}.

no. 2
Z-Gallerie Inspired Eye Chart Artwork... seriously a few minutes on the computer.

and...

no 1.
Made Fall Fashion {Girls Boot Socks}... made from the scraps of a sweater and a few buttons on hand - they were pretty cute {maybe it's the chubby knees I love}.

A big "THANK YOU" to you who have featured, Pinned, and shared these posts! Have a great week!

"The Wet Brush" ... total gimmick or totally amazing?

2013-09-20T02:50:00.000-04:00

The Wet Brush...

Have you heard of this? I had heard about it a while ago from a hairstylist who was trying to sell me one, but with a basket full of combs and brushes already, I politely declined.

A couple of days ago I was given one of these brushes from my mother who said to give it a try.

Upon removing the brush from the package and inspecting it, my honest opinion was that it looked and felt like a hair brush from the Dollar Tree but with a $13 price tag.

After washing my hair I decided to give the brush a try.

In my brain I was already thinking about the words I was going to use to tell my mom she totally got ripped off with this silly brush...

But after 4 quick swoops through my full head of long hair I was ABSOLUTELY BLOWN AWAY!!!

This wet brush is amazing!!! It went right through my wet hair...no tugging, no breaking, no struggle at all! I couldn't believe it.

The true test would be through my son's crazy "Lionel Richie" like hair... and again, it AMAZED me!!! After naps his hair looks like someone attempted dread locks on the back of his head - it usually takes A LOT of detangler, conditioner, and brushing to get through the mess. The Wet Brush went through so quickly and easily ... and there was no screaming or flinching from the little guy.

Rarely do I "ooh" and "ahh" over a product {outside of my skincare products}, but I simply couldn't hold this one in. I'm totally impressed.

I totally feel like a cheesy "Info-mercial", but this thing is great!

Dear Target {please don't ruin my sanctuary}

2013-08-30T00:51:00.002-04:00

Target rocks! Right?

{Well, I do have an on-going "bone to pick with them" in regards to their infant/toddler boy clothing selection...or lack their of, and definite lack of anything cute for boys...but that's another post}.

So... for me...Target is Mommy Disney World! That's how I felt until tonight anyway...

I had an experience tonight that made me want to run far, far away to a Walmart store. It stuck with me so bad that I'm tempted to write a letter and it will go a little something like this...

Dear Target...

Let me start by saying I Love Target {most of the time anyway}! I am a mother of four with frequent needs that require shopping at Target. It is a marvelous store. Target to a mother is as Disney World is to a child.

Target is my go-to "sanctuary" when I am able to get away for an hour or two away from the kids. I love spending my time shopping in peace and quiet, wandering aimlessly, loading my cart with "stuff" that I {not my children} am choosing to purchase.

Tonight, however, my Target "sanctuary" was destroyed when I visited my local Target Store only to experience the obnoxious noise of music blaring throughout the store. Not calming, wordless music, but the same overplayed "pop" ~~crap~~ music you hear on the radio or cranked in a teen-y bopper store in the mall.

My question is WHY??? Why is the music necessary? STOP THE MADNESS!!! I'm not even going to get into the lyrics that I don't particularly care for my children to hear {they weren't explicit but they weren't exactly "kid" appropriate either}. I worked in retail for a number of years and I've heard the whole "music makes people purchase more" theory. Target is not a store that needs to play that game. I have no problem dropping money at Target - it does not take loud music to make me buy more. In fact this evening I spent considerably less than I typically do during a Target shopping trip because I couldn't get out of the store quick enough!

My plea is PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE stop the music!!! I beg of you not to implement it in other stores.

Please don't force me to find a new "sanctuary" for my "mommy time".

Perhaps this music "annoyance" to me is just a "test store" thing. Maybe I am over-reacting to the {overplayed pop} music?

Would you prefer Target stores played music?

A Full Plate

2013-06-03T23:30:00.002-04:00

Please excuse the blogging absence...dealing with a full plate here...you know typical mommy of four "stuff"...

setting up summer activities and schedules
packing to move
planning a 90th birthday party for grandma
ya-da ya-da ya-da

And to top it all off, I am doing a 30 day detox/cleanse.

I have so much to share and blog about though. Hoping to get the time to share it all soon.

Blessings!

Thrifty Find

2013-05-16T14:53:00.000-04:00

I admit I'm not the best "thrift" shopper out there... I'm not good at the "hunt". I can't spend tons of time perusing in a thrift store. So, I probably miss out on many great finds.

The other day though I did come across these at Goodwill while "killing time".

I just love them! They're simple and add a "splash" of color in the kitchen. Not to mention we were in need of replacing some of our bowls after our one year old "helped" me unload the dishwasher by throwing a couple of our bowls across the room like a MLB pitcher.

The best part...they were 99 cents!!!

DIY Typography Word Art

2013-05-15T13:32:00.001-04:00

I currently have a "crush" on Typography Word Art. There is so much of it out there, and it's so dang cute!

There are oodles of shops to purchase different pieces on Etsy {you can even buy some at Target these days}. It's fairly inexpensive to buy too...but it's even cheaper to make!

I wanted a few pieces to hang in the kitchen, but I knew I didn't want them forever {or maybe not even very long}, so I didn't want to spend much money on them. Hence the decision to just make my own.

After a few minutes on the computer I was able to whip a couple of these up...

Now I just need to stick them into some fun frames & hang them up.

"Tip" it over! Pineapple upside-down

2013-05-14T15:24:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine stopped over the other day and spotted a pineapple {I had just picked up at the store} sitting on the counter like this...

She inquired if we had been reading too many Amelia Bedelia books around here...

After explaining why the pineapple was upside down she stated she had "never heard of that". So in case anyone else has never heard of this little tip, I will share.

I first heard of this "tip" years ago from a relative...

When you buy a pineapple, they're typically shelved upright {with the plant "spikey" things upright}, and all the juice settles toward the bottom of the pineapple. So, when you get home, {before you slice your pineapple} tip it upside down for a while so the juice can flow back throughout the pineapple.

Odd tip? Maybe.

Does it really work? I don't know {it's just something I do}.

Mother's Day Happiness

2013-05-11T01:26:00.001-04:00

Today I am so blessed to have a beautiful, loving, selfless mother to celebrate. I am even more blessed and honored to be chosen as the mother to the four most amazing children God could have entrusted me with!

Life is BEAUTIFUL!!!

I recently came across this poem that reminded me of my "momma"...{it seems fitting on this day}

I Have a Mother Who Prays for Me

Some have had kings in their lineage,

Some to whom honor was paid.

Not blest of my ancestors-but,

I have a mother who prays.

I have a mother who prays for me

And pleads with The Lord every day for me.

Oh what a difference it makes for me--

I have a mother who prays.

Some have worldly success

And trust in riches they've made--

This is my surest asset.

I have a mother who prays.

My mother's prayers cannot save me,

Only mine can avail;

But mother introduced me to Someone--

Someone who never could fail.

Oh yes...I have a mother who prays for me

And pleads with The Lord every day for me.

Oh what a difference it makes for me--

I have a mother who prays.

-AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Fabulous Friday {and finally figuring out some artwork}

2013-05-10T18:00:00.002-04:00

What a "Fabulous" Friday!

After an April filled with snowstorms spring is finally {hopefully} here to stay in Minnesota.

I am so thankful for the gift of spending time with my kids and watching them learn and grow.

What better way to spend most of the day than at the park...

This afternoon I have been working on some "art work" for the kitchen {hope to reveal soon} and I finally decided what I wanted to do with this frame that I found at a garage sale last year for 75 cents!

Wishing you a beautiful weekend and a Happy Mother's Day to all of the special mommies!

Dusting Off the Computer Keys...

2013-05-09T00:05:00.000-04:00

Wow!

It has been nearly six months since I last posted on my blog...
I don't even know what to say for myself.

There have been numerous times I have thought to blog {but clearly didn't}.
I've written dozens of blog posts in my head {in the wee hours of the night}.

There should be a good explanation of where I've been and what I've been doing...
but, there's not. {Over the last six months I have done a lot though.}

I was so on fire for my blog and the things that I wanted to do...but somewhere along the way something changed. My passion and "fire" shifted a bit. I realized {or remembered, or something} that my passion and number one focus is really on my family. Caring for them. Loving them. Serving them. Enjoying every single moment I can with them.

I am happier than I have been in a long time! I am so happy about where we are as a family, what we have, what we are doing, and where we are going.

My plan {"plan" said very loosely} is to blog and share {if anyone still follows} some of the "happenings" that have happened and are happening around here these days...

ONE of the things I'm really excited about is that I have been cooking and {mostly} baking ALOT from scratch...which is HUGE for me!

{mmmm...whole wheat blueberry muffins...}

Hoping to see you soon!