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Baby Diaries 2.2

2013-03-18T13:40:00.000-05:00

Total weight gain/loss: I'd say about 10-11 lbs.

Maternity clothes?: Pants- 100%, Shirts- Depends on the shirt

Stretch marks?: Nope.

Sleep: It's not been bad, but it hasn't been great either. I can't seem to find comfort sleeping on my left side. I'm continuously waking up on my back and trying to correct my sleep posture.

Best moment this week: Hearing the heartbeat again at a doctors appointment. 140bpm!

Movement: Still too early.

Food cravings: Nope, I continue to eat healthy foods. I'm watching my sodium intake to help with the blood pressure (which seems to be better) and I've increased my potassium to help cancel out any sodium I am eating.

Gender: I am so anxious to find out.

Labor Signs: Thankfully not.

Belly Button in or out? Proof that I've been pregnant before. My belly button is already starting to go flat and by the end of the day stick out.

What I miss: Picking up Bitsy without thinking first. I have to move a little slower now or feel the twinge of round ligaments pain (nothing really bad, but definitely different).

What I am looking forward to: A friend is set to have her baby this week and I can't wait to meet the newest addition!

Until next week,

I hope you had a Blessed Monday!

Baby Diaries 2.1

2013-03-11T20:17:00.000-05:00

Total weight gain/loss: I'd say about 9 lbs.

Maternity clothes?: Depends from day to day. I definitely feel more comfortable in maternity pants, but they aren't always necessary.

Stretch marks?: Nope.

Sleep: Has been rough the last few nights. Bud badly sprained his foot and we switched sides of the bed so he could elevate it. Also, I finally got my body pillow and it works better for me when I am on his side of the bed. Unfortunately, the switch is taking a few days to get used to. Also, I'm waiting for a phone call from our neighbor telling me she's gone into labor so I've been a little restless about that. I took a nap today though and that was glorious.

Best moment this week:

Movement: Nothing yet. But my body is sure moving....or loosening up. I've had some lower back pains and it's all because of these loosening ligaments. Getting out for walks seems to help, so I'll keep that up.

Food cravings: Nothing specifically.

Gender: Only a few more weeks until the ultrasound and a couple weeks after that until we know. We are waiting for Bud's 1/2 marathon to open that envelope.

Labor Signs: Nothing.

Belly Button in or out? Proof that I've been pregnant before. My belly button is already starting to go flat and by the end of the day stick out.

What I miss: I miss getting up super early, I still get up and eat breakfast and have some me time before getting Bitsy up, but it's definitely different now. I am a bit slower in the mornings.

What I am looking forward to: Bud & I have a massage that my Dad gifted to us for Christmas. It's time to use that gift card to work out some of these kinks!

When they say every pregnancy is different they aren't joking.

In the beginning I suffered from a very metallic-y taste in my mouth.

I was glad when that phase passed.

I also had quite a bit more morning sickness this time around.

Although, I was only physically sick 3 times, it was 2 times more than with Bitsy.

Finally, the worst part was my blood pressure.

At 2 different appointments my blood pressure was very high.

142/83.

They were concerned and asked if I had a history of high BP.

I never had.

They were still concerned and mentioned things like hypertension and preeclampsia.

These are not things an expectant mother wants to hear.

I had to do a 24 hr urine protein test.

This test involves pee-ing in a jug...every time...for 24 hours.

It's just as glamorous as it sounds :P

Fortunately, the results came back good.

In fact I'm healthy as can be according to said test.

They will continue to monitor my BP at my appointments.

Other good news is that I recently had a dental appointment.

They took my BP at that appointment (I'm not sure that's something I've experienced at the dentist before), but it was 117/74.

MUCH BETTER than my previous readings at the hospital.

I'm hopeful that some of the dietary changes I've made will help my BP stay in a normal range.

Other than that I'll just put it in God's hands.

That's all for this week.

I hope you had a Blessed Monday!

Be...Secretive (I'm about to share a secret with you!)

2013-03-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

I have been apologizing for months now about my lack of blogging.

I have been sporadic in posting.

Somedays I've had full intentions of writing posts for an entire week...

and then I blink and it's time to crawl into bed.

What has happened to me?

The truth is, I've been hiding something.

....

wait for it....

Do you get it?

If not, let me see if this helps

So there you have it.

I've been doing my best to Be...Secretive.

They aren't kidding when they say each pregnancy is different.

With Bitsy I was tired during the 1st trimester, but I was rarely nauseous.

I worked and kept the house.

With this Lil' Bit I suffered from morning 'sickness' (nausea) for weeks.

Sometimes it would linger all day.

I was tired more than ever and when you already have a 1 year old running around you don't get to just take a nap.

Laundry piled up.

Dinner didn't get cooked.

Bud was patient, after all, this was the pregnancy I'd had with Bitsy and he was sympathetic.

But here I am approaching 15 weeks.

I think I did okay not slipping.

We didn't tell family until we got through the 1st trimester, that's our way.

We sent out Valentine's day postcards with this picture on the front:

The front of the card read:

"There is more love in this photo than you can see..."

And the back said:

"...as our family is growing to four, from three!

Happy Valentine's Day"

We waited patiently for the phone calls to roll in.

Once everyone knew we made it official.

Facebook official that is.

Then I made it Instagram official...so I know many of you learned that way.

It's so nice to have the secret out, but let me say this, having a secret can be fun!

So be secretive from time to time.

Build up the anticipation and enjoy the rewards of surprising people!

We already have plans for how we are going to share the next big secret.....

GENDER!

We are slotted for an ultrasound on April 3rd.

We are going to ask that they put the gender results in an envelope for us.

We will then keep that envelope sealed until the weekend of April 14th.

See, Bud is going to run is 1st 1/2 marathon and I thought it would be neat for him to find out the gender as he crosses the finish line.

Ya know...kinda like the ultimate motivation!

So the morning of his run, once he leaves our hotel room, I will get to open the envelope and find out the results.

Then I will put them on a giant poster board to hold up as he crosses the finish line!

Eeeek!

I am just hoping I can contain myself and not open that envelope in the 9 days between the ultrasound and 1/2 marathon!

Anyways.

That's really all I have today.

I'll be back Monday with some more Mommy/Baby news.

I have a few other stories to share and I'll have a new 15 week photo!

I hope you all have a Blessed Friday!

P.S. Plan a surprise and be secretive with something this week: a dinner date, a special activity....something!

P.S.S. The blog will be a bit different for a while.

Mondays- Mommy/Baby updates

Tuesdays- Tasty Tuesday (sometimes meals, sometimes sides, sometimes desserts)

Wednesday- What we've been up to

Thursday- Craft Day

Friday- Be...

Not a lot of change, but enough that I'll be able to share baby news on a regular update.

What We Did....A BIG Purchase!

2013-02-21T12:20:00.001-06:00

See...what had happened was...

Isn't that a great way to start a story?

Seriously though, here is the scoop on a purchase that happened about 5 months earlier than planned.

Meet Kitty.

Named after what the little girl in "Monster's Inc" called Sullivan.

And because this car was covered in all things KSU Wildcats, it seemed appropriate.

We bought Kitty about 5 years ago after someone T-Boned the side of our Toyota Tacoma.

We used the money from that accident to pay for her.

In fact in all our years of marriage (coming up on 9 here), we've only had car payments for about 1 of them.

Anyways, she fit our needs and treated us well.

We did a lot of maintenance on her, but always said it was better than having car payments that we couldn't afford.

Flash forward to the last month.

Bud called me.

He was in a fender bender.

Going approximately 20 miles an hour, he looked into his rearview mirror and then his head was in the airbag.

The crash investigator said, "You hit the airbag sensor perfectly. It shouldn't have gone off at that slow of a speed. I saw a car that flipped 2 or 3 times last week and it's air bags didn't deploy. PS your vehicle is most likely totalled".

Ugh!

Not in the plans.

The plans were to hold out until June when Bud gets his promotion.

We would then feel comfortable having car payments.

Plans change.

Sure enough the insurance people did their thing and declared her a total loss.

I have to say this couldn't have all happened at a better time though.

We filed our taxes, I love to get money back.

We received a special gift from Bud's Grandpa.

And the insurance company gave us Kitty's value in cash, which as it turns out was more than we had paid for her 5 years ago.

It was time to start our search for a 'new' car.

We had a price range we wanted to stay within, that would allow us to have 40% to put down on the vehicle.

We also had a few things we knew we wanted since this next car was going going to be with us for at least 7 years.

That list of things included: Leather seats (easy clean up with kid(s), I wanted a sunroof, lower than 40K mileage, silver or white, and Bud wanted bluetooth capability).

Here is where I will offer our piece of advice for all of you who are in the market for a vehicle.

DO NOT BE AFRAID TO LOOK OUT OF STATE.

We used Cars.com, USAA (our insurance) has a car buying service, and even eBay will list dealer vehicles.

Let me tell you this was our first vehicle as a married couple, purchased from a dealership.

I've ALWAYS purchased private party.

We searched and had about 3 vans we had our heart set on (PS we also knew we really wanted a Toyota Sienna- better gas mileage than an SUV and in our opinion more comfortable).

Well one van would sell and then we'd find another that would fill it's place.

We talked with sales reps and crunched numbers, but in the end if they couldn't meet our price we walked away.

Finally, a dealership in Palm Beach, Florida passed all our tests.

It was a van we had seen early in the process and kept coming back to.

Ultimately, we opted to fly Bud down to make the purchase and to drive the van home.

This dealership was USAA approved which meant we got an additional $200 off our price and that covered Bud's airfare down there!

All in all we've been asked "WHY didn't you buy locally"?

Our answer: "We saved nearly $2000 going out of state".

I may not clip coupons, I may not always shop the clearance section, but when it comes to big purchases we work hard to stay on budget.

We opted to put my student loan payments on hold until after Bud gets his promotion so that we would be comfortable with our payments now.

In the end our car payments, ugh, are under our target price range and we have a van that we LOVE so much.

2011 Toyota Sienna XLE and she only had 35K on her!

She passed the BIG test ;) of whether or not Bud & I could both have a Route 44 Sonic beverage up front!

Answer pictured above, YES!

We got our white van with leather seats, bluetooth, sunroof, a 7 yr/100,000 mile bumper to bumper & power-train warranty and a few other perks we didn't even know existed.

She's going to be with us for awhile.

Through cross country moves, hopefully an expanding family, and so much more.

Another perk:

It's easy to get Bitsy in and out her car seat and none of us are cramped anymore.

It's so easy to get her out and such a smooth ride that this is her after a short ride home from the DMV.

PASSED out.

She was moved to her crib shortly after this, but isn't she lovely just laying there snuggled up with a blankie?

Moral of this story is....utilize the internet to find what you want, don't settle, and KNOW what you want and how much you can get it for before you go to a dealership. Also, don't be afraid to travel to get what you want.

I hope you have a Blessed Wednesday!

Oh and in case you were wondering we haven't decided fully on a name for our new van, but my Wheel of Fortune loving hubby is leaning towards Vanna White (get it... it's a white van?). Thank you to my friend Julie for suggesting such a fun name!

Baked S'mores

2013-02-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

I'm looking over the weather and surveying where all of my friends and family live and I'm seeing a lot of snow.

I mean A LOT!

Our forecast today is a high of 57º, but in Kansas there are predictions of 12-18" of snow!

All that cold weather makes me long for warm summer nights and S'Mores!

Since campfires and stick skewered marshmallows are not quite an option for most I guess we will have to settle for this yummy oven baked S'Mores alternative!

Don't worry, it's almost as good as the real thing!

Here Is What You'll Need:

- 1-1/2 cups marshmallow creme

- 5 to 6 Hershey bars

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

- 1-1/3 cup flour

-1 tsp vanilla

- 1 large egg

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1/4 cup brown sugar

- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

Preheat your oven to 350º and grease a 8x8 baking dish.

In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter.

Add egg and vanilla and continue mixing until well combined.

In a smaller bowl mix the flour, graham cracker, baking powder and salt.

Add dry mixture to butter mixture and combine well.

Divide your dough in half.

Take 1st half of dough and press into bottom of baking dish.

Layer your Hershey bars over the dough.

Now spread your marshmallow fluff over the chocolate bars.

This is the hardest part ;)

Next you'll want to cover the top with the last 1/2 of the dough.

My suggestion is to roll out the dough and lay it over the fluff.

It can be many small pieces or one large.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the dough starts to turn golden.

Cool for 30 minutes, cut and enjoy!

Finally I have an after photo for y'all!

I highly recommend you share this treat.

It's uber sweet.

It's utterly sinful.

It's the perfect substitution for the real thing!

I hope you have a Blessed Tuesday!

Mashed Taters in the Crockpot

2013-02-18T06:53:00.000-06:00

Good Morning!

How has everyone been doing with 'Be Flexible'?

Did anything happen this past weekend that you threw caution to the wind and opted for spontaneity instead?

There is still plenty of time to work on this weeks challenge.

In the mean time let me show you how to make one of the ultimate comfort foods.

Here is What You'll Need:

- 5 lbs of cubed Russet Potatoes

- 1/3 cup warm milk

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

- 1-1/4 cup sour cream

- 2 oz of cream cheese

- 1 stick of butter cut into small cubes

- 1 garlic clove minced

- not pictured - 1-1/2 cups chicken broth

Place your peeled/cubed potatoes into crock pot.

(remember to spray non-stick spray for easy clean-up later).

Add broth and butter and cook on high for 4-5 hours.

Now mash your potatoes!

Add remaining ingredients and continue mashing.

Serve up your warm, yummy mashed potatoes!

This made a LOT of mashed potatoes so I divided my recipe in half and froze the 2nd half for another day!

I hope you all are staying warm.

We had 65º weather on Friday and then SNOW on Saturday.

Brrr!

Not cool NC, not cool ;)

Have a blessed Monday!

Be...Flexible

2013-02-15T06:39:00.000-06:00

At the beginning of the year I mentioned that I wanted to do a series on Friday's this year that focused on stepping out of our comfort zones and thinking more creatively.

It's been 6 weeks since I posed that challenge and I'm just now getting a chance to start it!

I am sorry about that.

However, with that being said our 'Be' challenge this week is....

BE Flexible.

Life happens.

And when it happens we have a couple of ways of reacting to it:

a.) Freak out

b.) Ignore it

c.) Roll with it

I think we all need to work on rolling with it a little more.

I haven't been as consistent posting lately.

I could be really hard on myself about that,

I could spew a line of excuses a mile long,

or I could just be honest.

My heart wasn't feeling the blog lately.

It needed a break.

Time to restore and refresh.

But I'm working on getting back.

I'm working on being flexible with my expectations of myself, of others, of days and weeks, and of life in general.

As organized as I love being, somethings pop up and change our plans.

Is there an area in your life where you need to learn to "Be Flexible"?

Maybe it's not a theoretical concept, maybe it's a literal.

Maybe some of us need to get out of our comfort zone and literally start being more physically flexible.

Yoga?

Pilates?

Basic Stretching?

This week I challenge you to work on being flexible.

If some engagement pops up that you didn't have planned on the calendar, instead of thinking..."Ugh, why now?"

Try to think of how spontaneity is the spice of life!

If dinner burns, don't get upset.

Order in or have a fend for yourself night (sandwiches, cereal, whatever is in the house).

The goal this week is to roll with the punches and see if removing a few restrictions in turn removes a little stress.

Besides we all know we could use a little less stress, right!

I hope you have a Blessed Friday!

Valentine's Day Banner

2013-02-14T06:27:00.000-06:00

It's really convenient when a holiday falls on my craft post day, because then I get to share what I've been up to lately!

We don't really celebrate Valentine's day in our house.
That being said I don't mind decorating a little bit for it.
This year I made a pretty Valentine's day Banner that anyone can whip up in less than half an hour!

You'll need 2 sheets of felt.

I chose red and pink.

Cut the sheets in half.

Line up the edges.

Sew them together.

I did a 1/4" seam allowance, but you can do more if you like.

Now fold the felt over itself, line up your edges....

and sew again.

See how the first sewn portion forms the inner part of the heart?

Now create your pattern.

I opted to use pom poms.

Taking a needle and thread begin to pierce through each heart.

I liked to pierce the side, the center and the other side.

The pierce each pom pom.

Continue until all your hearts and poms are strung up.

Then hang!
It was just the perfect filler for that empty space this month.
I'm curious to see if I could make smaller hearts and turn them into 4 leave clovers for next month.
Hmmm....the wheels are turning, I guess we'll just have to see if the concept reaches fruition!

I hope you have a Blessed Thursday and a Happy Valentine's Day!

Reese's Pie

2013-02-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

I have a taste treat for anyone who needs a Valentine's Day sweet!

Here is What You'll Need:

- 1 chocolate cookie pie crust

- large box of instant chocolate pudding

- 1-1/2 cups of milk

- 8 oz tub of cool whip

- 15 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!

In a large bowl mix the pudding and milk.

Whisk in the cool whip.

Unwrap Peanut Butter Cups and cut into bite size pieces.

Fold Peanut Butter Cups into the pudding mix.

Spoon mixture into cookie crust.

Freeze for at least 3 hours.

Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with a little bit of peanut butter and chocolate goodness!

I hope you all have a Blessed Tuesday!

Parmesan Meatloaf

2013-02-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

I'm back.

Again.

Where have the days gone?

Are we seriously almost half way thru the month of February?

Today I'm going to share one of my favorite recipes!

Lately when have company over for dinner OR when someone we know has a baby, I make either my Chicken Enchiladas or this.... Parmesan Meatloaf!

Here Is What You'll Need:

- 2 lbs hamburger

- 2 eggs

- 1/4 cup bread crumbs

- 1/2 teaspoon basil, thyme, and oregano

- 2 cloves minced garlic

-1 small onion finely chopped

- 1/2 teaspoon of salt

- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

- 1/2 pasta sauce

- 1/2 cup shredded italian cheese blend

Preheat oven to 350º

Lightly grease a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, add beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, onion, salt & pepper, and parmesan cheese.

Gently mix ingredients with your hands.

Don't over handle.

Place in greased pan.

Top with pasta sauce.

Bake for an hour.

Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Remove a 2nd time and allow to set for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Yet again I failed to get a finished photo....we scarfed it all down too fast!
I think most of you know what Meatloaf looks like so I'm not too concerned....but if not, shoot me a message and the next time I make this (which will be soon) I'll be sure to take a final picture!

I hope you had a Blessed Monday!

Be....a new year a new challenge.

2013-01-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to 2013 everyone!

I know I am a little late in posting about this, but I have good reason.

Mid-December I decided I needed to spend some quality time with family.

That being said, I enjoyed it a lot!

So much so that my month long hiatus was just what I needed to encourage that I come back and start posting again.

I have a few back posts I'd like to get up.

Somethings about Christmas, Bitsy's 15 month appointment, and what we've been up to these first few weeks of 2013.

Before I post about any of that I want to share my 2013 word and challenge with y'all.

A few years ago I used this as my word of the year, but it isn't until now that I realized the full potential of said word.

For 2013 my word is:

Sounds simple right?

Short and sweet.

That's what I thought the first time I used this word, but now I have a goal.

This year each Friday I will be posting a "Be..._________" challenge.

A year of getting out of comfort zones and thinking creatively!

Obviously there are a LOT of words that can follow the word "Be...", so if you have suggestions feel free to send me a message. After all there are quite a few Friday this year!

I will still share Meals on Mondays, Treats on Tuesdays, What We Did Wednesdays, Crafty Thursdays, and the occasional Book Review Saturdays.

I hope you are all as excited as I am for what this year holds for all of us!

I hope you have a Blessed Weekend!

Toddler Tales #1

2012-12-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's been a few months since I designated a post just to updating y'all on Bitsy, so I decided it was about time.

I typically like to post after we've had a doctor's appointment and once we have new stats for our growing girl!

So here goes it, Bitsy just had her 15 month appointment and here are her staggering new stats:

She weighed in at 28 lbs and 8 oz (up 1 lb 11 oz from her 1 year check up....she's slowing down)

She is a whopping 32-1/8" tall (6.125" of growth in 3 months!)

She is over 100th percentile for her age group, but the doctor said she's healthy and taking after her tall parents.

All great news!

So what else is new with our toddler?

Well she is an expert at standing all on her own, but when it comes to walking....not yet.

She graced us with about 3-4 steps a handful of times and on Christmas we got 7 WHOLE steps before she returned to the crawling position.

Let me tell you though, I am in no hurry for her to walk.

I hear all the parents who say that once they start walking life changes in a whole new level and I have no doubt!

I've also heard that kiddos that take longer to walk develop better eye hand coordination and let's be honest here I want her to be coordinated!

In all honesty, the Dr asked me to put her down so he could see her walk at her appointment.

I kindly informed him of her lack of walking and so he wanted me to hold her hands and walk her that way.

I did and she took off.

It was then that he told me, "I would never play pool with this girl, she's snowballing you. She knows how to walk, she just doesn't want to".

That being said it looks like we'll have a REAL toddler on our hands soon!

Having Bitsy in our lives brightens our days.

It's hard work being a parent, but even after tantrums (I fear we are entering that stage), learning curves, etc., watching a little one grow is the most awesome experience!

I recently turned to Bud and said, "We created her".

I was awe-stricken.

He kindly reminded me that God created her, but yes it was with our help.

I am still waiting for Bitsy to start using more words, she still seems VERY fond of "Dog, Dad, and Hi". She only seems to call out for "Mama" when she is upset.

She is signing "More" and "Finished" when she eats which is fun.

More often than not though she seems to get away with pointing at things and saying "Ah ah ah".

I get it now, Mom's know what their kids want and it's easy to fall prey to just giving it to them when they point. I'm working hard to at least say the name of the object before I give it to her.

I'm also trying to ask her if said object is what she wants, sometimes she will shake her head "Yes" (which is adorable!).

Well that's all I have for you on our silly toddler!

I hope you all had a Blessed Thursday!

My Dad!

2012-12-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

I love having house guests!

I especially love when my Dad gets to come visit!

I just saw him in Michigan back in October, but we were fortunate enough to get him to come up just before Christmas to spend a few days with us.

It was nice because he finally got to see the table he helped Bud start, finished.

My Dad wanted to make chocolate covered Peanut Butter Balls, which if any of you know I've made a version including crushed pretzels before.

I excluded the pretzel part and we got started.

Unfortunately, the peanut butter dough was melting in Dad's hands when he attempted to roll it into balls.

We had to stop and put our dough back in the freezer so that it was easier to work with.

Then came the fun of dipping each frozen peanut butter ball into the chocolate.

We had to work fast, because the peanut butter balls were thawing and the toothpicks didn't want to stay intact!

We finished them though, chilled them again, and enjoyed the RICH peanut butter, chocolate flavor.

Bitsy enjoyed having her Grandpa here.

Especially, when she got a shot at playing with his sunglasses!

"Sunglasses are cool, Mom"!

Dad's visit was short, but filled with fun.

We wrapped a few presents together.

We got away to see "Rise of the Guardians" one night.

My new favorite Christmas movie!

Dad helped me run errands and pick out a couple gifts for Bud this year.

I forgot to mention he brought his 100lb chocolate lab named "What" with him.

What got a long with Cappy & Pup and more importantly Bitsy.

She loves dogs!

I am definitely a Daddy's girl and I relish each and ever time we get to spend together.

Bitsy seemed to enjoy it too ;)

I hope you had a Blessed Weekend!

What We Did....A Painting Class

2012-12-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

I finally get it.

I am addicted.

One class and I'm already scouring the calendar and upcoming classes to see when I can get another fix in!

Have you ever been to one of those learn to paint classes?

The kind where you bring your own beverages and snacks?

I just recently had the opportunity to go (Thank You GROUPON!) and let me tell you it was a blast.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a posse of friends like everyone else there.

It was just me.

But I still had a blast....

This was about 1 hour into the painting...

...it was a 3 hour class.

It is crazy to see how everything comes together!

The grapes and the trees were my favorite part.

And here is the finished product.
How cool is that?

Here is my challenge to you.
I know that the holidays are CrAzY busy right now, but maybe in the New Year, I challenge you to do something different.
Find one of the painting classes, grab some friends and go.
Or go alone and relish some introspective creativity time.
Painting not your thing?
Find a yarn store and see if they offer knitting/crocheting classes.
Check out Michael's and Hobby Lobby to see if they have any cake decorating or framing classes.
The goal here is to do something different.
Go outside of your comfort zone.
Don't have the funds to take a class, there are free classes if you look for them.
Or find a friend who does something you aren't fluent in and ask them for a lesson.

Anyways, that's my two cents!
I hope you had a Blessed Wednesday!

Pecan Pie

2012-12-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

I know that Thanksgiving was a few weeks ago, but Christmas is only 2 weeks away and maybe just maybe you make pie for Christmas too?

I love Pecan Pie.

LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

And prior to this year I had a very hard time getting it to set right.

Today I am going to share a recipe that worked!

Here Is What You'll Need:

- 3 eggs

- 1 cup sugar

- 1/2 cup light corn syrup

- 3/4 stick margarine, melted

- 1 cup chopped pecans (I used pecan pieces, I like that better)

- 1 unbaked pie shell

DO NOT PREHEAT...

In a bowl, beat your eggs.

Mix in your sugar.

Then add the corn syrup and butter.

And finally the pecans.

Mix well.

Pour into your pie shell.

Place your pie into a cold oven.

Turn oven to 300º and bake for 1 hour.

Where is the after picture you ask?

I ATE IT!

All of it, Bwahahahaha!

Okay maybe I didn't eat it all, our friends helped, but let's just say I was over eager to dig in and forgot to get a final picture.

Do you make pie for Christmas dinner?

If not, what is the Christmas dessert?

I hope you have a Blessed Tuesday!

Baked Parm Spaghetti

2012-12-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

Being a Mom is a hard gig!

Everyone knows that Mom does more than just mother.

We are nurses, teachers, activity coordinators, chauffeurs, housekeepers, and of course 5 star chefs!

Okay maybe not 5 star chefs, but we do have to keep the menu changing to please our clientele, at least until they are old enough to understand that what we give them is what they will be eating.

My little food critique is a special case.

The girl doesn't and has never allowed us to spoon or fork feed her.

No baby food in this house.

She went straight from milk to finger foods.

After a while meal prep for a toddler becomes a game of "What can she feed herself vs. what will she eat".

This dinner was a first for all parties and well....let's see how it turned out:

First things first coordinate dinner with your little person ;)

Okay maybe not really, but doesn't she look a little skeptical of the menu?

Here Is What You'll Need:

- 3/4 of a box of thin spaghetti

-2 cups pasta sauce

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

- 1 tablespoon basil leaves chopped

- salt and pepper to taste

-1 lb ground beef

-1/2 onion chopped

-3 cloves minced garlic

Preheat your oven to 350º

Cook spaghetti according to package

Chop your onion.

Add olive oil to a skillet set to medium heat

saute onion, salt, and pepper for approximately 5 minutes.

Add your garlic and stir for another minute.

Now add your beef, break it apart and brown it up nicely.

Stir in 1/2 of your pasta sauce...

and 1/2 of your basil.

Mix well.

Remember that pasta that you were cooking...it's up!

Toss in pasta.

Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

Add 1/2 of the spaghetti mix, top with 1/2 cup pasta sauce, and 1/2 of each cheese.

Repeat.

Look at all that CHEESE!

Bake for 20 minutes.

It should look a little like this when it's done.

Now for the taste test....

Despite her look of skepticism, the pasta sauce all over her face is proof that she likes it!

She actually loved it.

I'm guessing it has something to do with the mozzarella, but it really doesn't matter the reason :)

The joys of feeding a toddler are never ending...

well at least until they are older.

But it's fun to watch them try new things and experience new flavors.

What are some of your little ones favorite finger foods?

Bitsy loves hot dogs, scrambled eggs, orange slices, and pepperoni!

I hope you have a Blessed Monday!

What We Did-Michigan Part 2 & a Winner!

2012-12-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

Good Morning Everyone!

Now back to what we do here on Wednesdays...

What We Did....Michigan Continued.....
Last week I told you about how Bitsy got to meet her Great Grandparents for the first time.
Well there were some other firsts and some seconds...and well let me just introduce you to more of the family!

My Dad was fortunate enough to get to come visit at the same time we were there.
We squeezed in some good father/daughter/granddaughter time!

My Dad holding on to Bitsy!

She was in an awesome mood and had a cracker...all she needed was some CHEESE!

...or at least a raspberry!

Seeing my Dad play with Bitsy melts my heart.

It reminds me of how he played with us as kids.

There was one night at my grandparents house when he crawled around behind Bitsy tossing a water bottle.

As soon as she'd get close he'd knock it further away and she would just giggle and laugh and laugh and giggle.

One reason my Dad came to Michigan when we were there was because he was adopting his sisters Chocolate lab.

Bitsy has 2 second cousins who are 2 and 9 months and the Chocolate lab was a big boy who inadvertently ran the kiddos over.

My Dad swooped in to take the pup back with him, to be a MANLY dog.

My Aunt took full advantage of having so many manly men around for sure!

See...her husband just had surgery on his ankle so he was resting...and she needed fencing put up so the horses could safely go out to pasture.

In comes my Grandpa, Dad, and husband to save the day.

Grandma, Bitsy, and I did some shopping nearby and stopped by to see how the guys were doing on the fence.

Honestly, they rocked it!

We also stopped by so Bitsy could see the animals.

She thought the Moo-ing was funny...

I couldn't get over how cute this little one was!

On the left is a draft pony, then a mule/donkey?, and then Dudley...the horse my Aunt brought home from her 17 years in Australia...he's a beast and he only likes her.

Bitsy was amazed by all the sights and sounds.

So as you can see Michigan isn't just our quiet get away place...

it's our family place.

My Dad, Bitsy, and I relaxing on the back porch at my Grandparents.

Bitsy and her Great-Aunt.

I think they took Bitsy's shirt to heart!

My Aunt & I.

Crazy that we are both Mom's of little ones at the same time!

So many little ones to love.

My Dad, Myself, Bud, Bitsy, and My Grandpa.

Bitsy and her Great-Grandpa!

He's surrounded by granddaughters now days and he's loving every minute of it.

Bitsy and her Great-Grandma.

Pretty sure she likes her too!

CHEESE!

Bitsy and her Great-Grandparents.

It's a lot of work to hold that 27lb baby!

Bitsy was getting tired...if you can't tell.

My Grandpa and I.

I'm the first and obviously the oldest grandchild.

And of course I had to get another picture of my Dad and I.

Sweet moments like this are what our 9 days in Michigan were all focused around.

Nothing fancy.

Just time together.

3 Generations of girls....too bad my Aunt wasn't in this picture, we would have had all 4 generations!

It was a wonderful trip that left us refreshed and renewed...

...okay maybe it left one of us exhausted.

She slept the entire way to the airport.

We felt so blessed to get to spend so much time up in Michigan with family.

It was a comfortable, low maintenance, slow paced, vacation.

I'm thinking it would be lovely to have another 9 day get away post holidays, but that's not in the cards.

Is anyone else running around like a crazy person these days?

I love it to a point, but I am definitely happy when the New Year arrives and the pace slows down again.

Enjoy the season and remember why we celebrate!

I hope you all have a Blessed Friday!

Dare to… deck the halls!

2012-12-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's time for week 4 of the Dare to DIY!

Did you check out all the awesome entries for week three?

If not go visit Kim, Michelle, Rachel, or Chelsea's blogs to see all the creativity!

Week 4's party will officially post on Monday December 10th
This is the last week to link up to this awesome challenge, so if you haven't linked up yet, get some crafting in this weekend!!!

The theme...Dare to... deck the halls!

"..something new to deck your halls".!

Some of you may have stopped by my Etsy Store last week to check out Hoot the Owl.
(Pssst....I'm still offering a 15% discount on any owls ordered between now and the 15th, just use the code DARETODIY)
While you were there you may have noticed I have a few wreaths up for sale too...
One thing I specialize in is taking a photo of a wreath sent to me by customers and creating it for them.
The following is a tutorial on how I created the "Ho Ho Ho Wreath' for a customer.

Here Is What You'll Need:

-1 wreath form, 18"

- 1/4 yd black burlap

- 3 yds red burlap

- 1 sheet of silver foam board

- 3 wooden 'h's

- 3 wooden 'o's

(Optional cutting board, ruler, and rotary blade...you may choose to hand cut your strips, but I promise this is MUCH faster)

Line your burlap up to the best of your ability.

Burlap is messy so be prepared to vacuum when you finish.

Proceed to cut a bajillion 1x8" (or close) strips of fabric.

I was able to get pieces out of each 1" strip I cut.

This is what you have to work with now.

Proceed to tie each strip to your wreath form.

No need to double knot, burlap is good at holding itself in place.

Now keep tying until your wreath is full and fluffy.

Like so.

Once I'm done tying knots I like to pick my wreath up and give it a good shake.

Like a tambourine.

It helps knock off the loose bits.

Now hang it on your door and admire your hard work.

Your thumbs might be sore....

Now it's time for the belt.

Take your black burlap and cut it to measure 4"wide.

Then fold it in half and iron it so that it's 2" wide.

We will trim down length in a minute.

Take your silver foam board and cut 4" off.

Then square it off, so that you have a 4x4" square.

Measure up and over 1" from each side and cut a 2" slit.

Feed your 2" wide belt through your 2" wide opening.

Wrap your belt around your wreath to measure exactly how wide you should make your belt.

Sew your ends together and trim off any excess.

Then you can wriggle your belt onto your wreath

It might be a tight fit, but you want it to stay.

If it's too loose, go back and tighten it with a new sewn line..

IF you don't sew...you could HOT GLUE this as well.

Now let's finish this...

paint your 'h's and 'o's white.

Allow them to dry.

Now hot glue them right onto the burlap.

Ta Da!
A Ho Ho Ho Wreath for our front door.

Rag wreaths of any variety are an easy way to decorate your front door.
If you are curious about other holiday wreaths check out my other posts here, here, here, and here!

I hope everyone has been inspired by this wonderful challenge!

Now go check out the DIY challenge and see what other people are making!

Get inspired!

I hope you have a Blessed Thursday!

Woolzies Winner!

2012-12-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted to check in today to announce the winner of our Woolzies Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations Bri!

Thank you everyone for all the entries!

Sorry I don't have more for you today....I'm knee deep in projects today.
I'll be back tomorrow to post my last entry for the Dare to DIY link up!

I hope you all have a Blessed Wednesday!

Cookies & Cream Popcorn!

2012-12-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

Tis the Season!

I don't know about everyone, but this time of year I just want to give a little something special to EVERYONE I know.

Unfortunately, our budget is not as giving!

What's a girl to do?

I found a solution!

A sweet treat for all the neighbors on your street!

(Like the rhyme? You can use that!)

Here is What You'll Need:

- Popcorn

- Vanilla Almond Bark

- Oreos or similar type cookie

Yup that's it.

3 ingredients and you are well on your way to being loved by everyone!

Follow the directions on the container of popcorn.

I popped mine on the stove top with a little bit of oil.

I popped 1/3 cup of kernels to get approximately 9 cups give or take.

Now follow the directions on the package of Almond bark.

You'll use the entire contents of the package.

While this is slowly melting take your cookies (about 1/2 the package) and smash them up in whatever manner you find fitting.

I put mine in a ziplock bag and roll over them with a rolling pin about 1000 times.

Once you have all your ingredients you'll want a BIG bowl.

Pour EVERYTHING in the bowl.

Cover it and SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE!

When you are done shaking I highly advise that you cover a counter with parchment or wax paper and pour your popcorn out evenly on top of it.

Allow it to cool entirely.

Once cool you can package it up in little baggies and disperse it amongst all the special people in your life!

Make sure you sneak a little for yourself.

You're pretty special too!

And there you have it folks, a sweet treat for all the neighbors on your street.

What other sweets do you gift during the holidays?

Puppy Chow?

Cookies?

I hope you all have a blessed Tuesday!

P.S. the giveaway for the Woolzies Dryer Balls has ended and I'll be announcing the winner tomorrow!

Pork Chop Casserole

2012-12-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

I normally don't cook the same day I grocery shop.

Dinner on grocery day consists of throwing a pizza in the oven.

However, we were lazy and had done that the previous 2 nights.

Yes, that's right, I didn't cook Friday or Saturday night, I'm human.

Since I spent Saturday Christmas shopping and getting my hair cut, I was too worn out to ALSO get groceries.

That meant that I needed to go to the store Sunday, post church, while Bitsy was napping.

It also meant I was going to be cooking....

So what do you cook when you really don't want to?

How about something that doesn't involve much work?

That's what I thought!

Here Is What You'll Need:

-2 (10.5 oz) cans of French Onion Soup (I had never ever used this stuff before)

- Salt & Pepper to taste

- A few tablespoons of Vegetable Oil

- 4 to 5 Bone in Chops

- 1 cup of rice (not pictured)

Preheat your oven to 375º

Spray your baking dish with non-stick spray.

Generously rub your chops with salt and pepper.

Pour your oil into a pan and sear/brown your chops.

This will take less than 1 minute/side.

You don't want to cook them, just brown them.

Now the next few steps were a learning experience for me so I'll show you what I did....

and then I'll tell you what I SHOULD have done!

I poured my rice and soup into the bottom of my dish....

and then layered my chops on top of that.

What I should have done is layered the chops in the dish and covered it with the rice and soup.

The reason being is that the chops on the very top dried out a bit during the next step, but the ones that were submerged in the french onion goodness remained moist and juicy.

Learn from my mistakes!

Now you'll want to TIGHTLY wrap the top with foil.

It needs to be tight so that the steam can not escape and the rice will fully cook.

Place this in the oven for 1 hour.

Once it's done serve up your chops on a bed of rice and enjoy.

I seriously devoured the rice!

It was so soft and yummy and well my pork chop was one from the top so it was a bit dry....

So learn from my mistake and bury those chops in that delectable rice!!!

I hope you have a Blessed Monday!

Don't forget to enter the Woolzies Giveaway!

Book #43: Surfing For God - Michael John Cusick

2012-11-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

In a day and age when just about everything is sexualized it's no wonder men/women are struggling.

Instant gratification is just a click away, but are men/women really searching to satisfy their lustful longings or is there something deeper rooted in their hearts longing to heard?

Book Description

“Every time a man knocks on a brothel door, he is really searching for God.” -- G.K. Chesterton

Could the growing struggles with pornography and fantasy really be reminding us of our heart’s deepest desire, something greater and more fulfilling than sexual gratification?

According to counselor and ministry leader Michael John Cusick, the answer is a resounding “yes.” Through personal examples, lively illustrations from Scripture, and twenty years of counseling experience, Michael helps readers to understand how porn struggles begin, what to do to prevent them, and most importantly, how to overcome them once compulsive behavior presents itself.

Freedom is not an easy, how-to process:


* 25% of search engine requests are for pornography – 68 million per day

* 70% of the hits on Internet sex sites occur between 9-5 on business computers

* Over 50 percent of evangelical pastors report they viewed pornography last year

* Over 70% of Christian men report viewing pornography in the last year

Surfing for God leads readers down a clear path toward understanding how porn struggles develop, how to distinguish between sexual gratification and intimacy, and how to break free from the shackles of this pleasurable prison.

Having the opportunity to receive books for free in exchange for a review means I get to read books I may not have normally picked up.
I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to step inside Cusick's own story of struggle and learn his steps to overcoming.We live in a time when everything is at our fingertips, instantly and I know that it is only going to get worse, which means it will easily affect more and more of the people we know.
It's important that we as women understand the struggle.
Viewing pornography grants instant gratification which in turn rewires the brain much like that of a drug.
Over time the amount needed grows and much like any other addiction, intervention and detoxification are needed to recover.
In my opinion knowing this allows us to arm ourselves with the tools to protect our own homes from being attacked.
You never know when someone in your life may admit to this struggle, at that time how would you react?Will you push them away, will you put them down, or will you do your best to help build them up to be the man you know God wants them to be?

Cusick warns the following, "Where in your life do you say,'This is living'? If you don't have something in your life that regularly inspires adventure, risk, and passion, beware. Because if you don't, you will seek the counterfeit.

This book is not for the faint of heart, it deals with a real issue that our society is currently exploiting.

If someone you know is struggling with a sexual addiction I strongly suggest gifting them this book or reading it yourself so that you can better understand the struggle.
If you are a mother of boys, I suggest you read this book to help to learn to protect them and raise them into Godly men.
I hope you have a Blessed Friday!

I received this book free from the publishers through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Dare to… give homemade gifts!

2012-11-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's time for week 3 of the Dare to DIY!

Did you check out all the awesome entries for week two?

If not go visit Kim, Michelle, Rachel, or Chelsea's blogs to see all the creativity!

I actually had the honor or being featured on Kim's blog and getting pinned on the 2012 Dare to DIYprojects Pinterest board!

Week 3's party will officially post on Monday December 3rd, but as usual I can't wait to share!

The theme...Dare to... give homemade gifts!

"DIY a gift made by you".!

Recently a friend of mine had a birthday and I wanted to send her a little something.

Now that we have our daughter the budget looks a little different and gift giving has been scaled back a bit.

With that in mind I knew I could make something that she would love and not spend too much!

My friend is a teacher whose classroom is all owls this year.

My friend is a KSU graduate and FAN!

I got this one in the bag!

First things first I needed to make a pattern.

Don't be afraid of this, it's so much easier than you might think.

Pictured above are the 'tools' I used to make my pattern.

A piece of newspaper (always perfect for pattern making).

1 circular lid, 1 glass, and a piece of cardboard.

Now I just needed to create an owl.

I used the large lid as my starting point and created the outline of the body.

Next I used the glass to create the head portion of my owl and the cardboard to add ears.

No, the ears did not stay like that...I adjusted them after taking this picture.

The cardboard piece also helped outline the beak.

I used my lid to make the wings by tracing only the side to get my perfect arch.

Not pictured is the pill bottle I used to get the perfect size pupils.

In order for my eyes to fit on the head I traced a slightly smaller glass than the one pictured.

Now you can cut out all your paper pieces and you have a pattern, Voila!

I used sheets of felt for the eyes, pupils, and beak.

I outlined these to the exact size of my pattern.

Gray chalk is my go to for outlining...

Now it's time to cut fabric.

I actually traced this about a 1/4" larger than my pattern to give myself a seam allowance.

See how that gray chalk is so light.

It's just visible enough to cut and then it virtually disappears the more it's handled!

I cut a circle to go on the owls belly, this was a slight after thought and involved me finding another circle in my house that would fit decently within my owl itself.

I wanted to give it a little more body though so I added some interfacing.

This stuff is really easy to work with and here is my big secret!

Don't buy prepackaged interfacing, it's expensive for no other reason then the fact it's prepackaged.

Go to the counter and ask where they keep the bolts of interfacing.

I got 3x as much for the price of 1 package of this stuff!

I did interfacing on the belly and the wings, but only on the contrasting color...you'll see.

Now you get to place your belly on you owl.

Maybe I should have ironed that wrinkle out of my owl?

I had never attempted to applique prior to this project, but let me tell you it's not as difficult as you might think.

Also, it's okay if it's not perfect....your making a home made gift.

Sew a line around the edge of your circle, like pictured above.

Now change your settings on your machine to give yourself a zig zag stitch that is fairly close together.

Proceed to go over your initial line and just far enough to cover the edge.

Honestly, this might take a little fiddling around with so if you want to practice on a scrap piece first go ahead....no one is grading you on this ;)

Now we get to start building our face.

Place your beak and do the same process as you did with the belly.

Outline and then....

....Cover.

Place your eyes next.

I overlapped mine a bit to add dimension.

Outline.

Cover.

Lastly you'll place and 'attach' your pupils.

Have fun.

I have done a few of these now and the placement of your pupils can totally add to the character of the owl.

Here you can see the finished front.

Now let us focus on the wings.

Place pretty sides together.

The contrasting color has the interfacing.

Stitch a 1/4" seam along wing leaving an opening at the point where it will be attached to the body.

Carefully go around the edge and cut slits in your fabric.

This little tric will help the fabric lay better and hold a better shape overall.

Now flip that wing right side out and iron it flat.

Once both of the wings are done you can place them on your own just so.

I suggest pinning them at least once with a safety pin so that they hold their spot while you are sewing.

Now place the owls back on top.

All your pretty parts are now inside and you can sew your buddy up.

Sew a 1/4" stitch around the owl leaving an approximate 2" opening at the bottom for turning him right side out.

Now stuff stuff stuff!

I was surprised at home much stuffing was needed to really make this guy look good, but it's totally worth it.

Do you see the opening at the bottom there?

This was honestly the part I was most worried about when I started!

But I found a great tutorial here.

Not to bad for my first invisible stitch.

Now guess what....

Your done.

This is the owl I gave my KSU loving, Owl themed classroom teaching friend.

The verdict?

She loved it!

Here is another beauty I made for a raffle at Bud's work.

I also made a few others for my younger cousins.

I was fortunate enough to have fabric left from the quilts I had made each of them, so their owls match their quilts.

Ultimately, the goal here is to show you that anyone can make a home made gift.

Take your time.

And Enjoy the process.

Also, let me tell you that if pattern making is not for you, there are a lot of free patterns out there on the internet so take your pick :)

And if you want an owl all your own feel free to stop by my Etsy shop!

I would love to coordinate a color scheme that would work just for you!

Also, from now thru December 15th if you order an owl use the code DARETODIY and get 15% off!

Now go check out the DIY challenge and see what other people are making!

Get inspired!

I hope you have a Blessed Thursday!

Pssst! Don't forget to enter the Woolzies Giveaway!
I'll be announcing a winner December 5th!

Woolzies Giveaway!

2012-11-28T19:00:00.000-06:00

I love when opportunities present themselves that allow me to try something new and share it with you!

Have any of you heard of Woolzies?

Let me share a little bit about what they are....

WOOLZIES, The All Natural Dryer Ball Set. This set of six handmade pure wool dryer balls are special in several ways. They deliver the same benefits for laundry as conventional fabric softeners WITHOUT all the nasty chemicals. They save everyone a lot of money by eliminating the need to continuously spend on fabric softener liquid and sheets. They cut down on the time it takes to dry a typical load by at least 25% thereby saving everyone even more money and cutting down on fossil fuel usage. Finally, being as that they are handmade in the democratic republic of Nepal, they provide a steady source of income to the desperately needy women of that developing nation.

Do you have any questions about Woolzies?

Here is a Q & A that might answer some of your quandaries.

Q1: What are WOOLZIES and how do they benefit me and the environment?

A: Regular fabric softeners, both in liquid and sheet form, contain numerous harsh chemicals which are toxic to the environment and even more dangerous to many people who have serious allergic reactions to them. The elderly, ailing and small children can suffer from a variety of negative symptoms which are really just allergic reactions to the harsh chemicals contained in these commercial fabric softening products.

Additionally, because WOOLZIES bounce around in your dryer, they naturally separate and create space between your laundry, thereby allowing the hot dryer air to circulate better and subsequently cutting down on drying time by about 25% in large loads and as much as 35-40% in small loads. This of course saves both time and money for you and energy for the environment.

The 6 WOOLZIES dryer balls contained in every box that we sell are enough for a small. medium or large load. If you are drying an extra large load, we recommend using 8 dryer balls.

Q2: How long will my WOOLZIES last?

A: For at least one full year or 500 loads, and in most cases even longer.

Q3: If I have an allergy to wool, can I still use WOOLZIES?

A: Yes! Absolutely! Since the wool is not directly touching your skin and does not shed, everyone can use WOOLZIES without any allergic reactions.

Q4: Why are WOOLZIES better than rubber/plastic/tennis balls in the dryer?

A: Rubber and plastic balls are made from harsh chemicals including PVCs which are released onto your laundry by the hot dryer air. Not only are these types of dryer balls dangerous to your health, they are toxic to the environment as well. Additionally, the harsh tumbling action of rubber, plastic and tennis balls can damage your dryer's sensitive electronic sensors. Finally, some of these types of balls may even melt slightly and cause fabric staining.

Q5: Why do the dryer balls seem to each vary slightly in size, shape and texture?

A: Our dryer balls are completely handmade. They are not mass produced by machine. Therefore you will notice variations in size, color and texture.

P.S. Did you know that many commercial dryer liquids and sheets contain chemicals that destroy the fire retardant qualities of children's and adult's clothing?!

So with all that said let me just say that I received a set of Woolzies to try and review and I have to admit that they are....

AWESOME!

They have helped reduce static in my laundry (which is vital as we move into the colder months) and they have reduced my drying time (which is also vital since we do a lot of laundry)!

So are you curious how you can get your very own set of Woolzies?

Just enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winners will be announced next Wednesday, December 5th!

So get your entries in quick!

I hope you have a Blessed Wednesday!

What We Did Wednesday-Michigan Part 1

2012-11-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

I think everyone needs a place they can visit that is totally relaxing.

Not a luxury vacation spot.

Rather, a family spot, where life is simpler.

For us that is my grandparents home in Michigan.

For my birthday this year (a few weeks back...) my grandparents flew Bud, Bitsy, and myself out to visit for 9 whole days!

It was there first time meeting their great granddaughter.

She's their only great grandchild

The first full day we were there was a beautiful and balmy 70º.

We took the opportunity to stow away to Grand Rapids and enjoy the outdoors and one of the museums there.

Part of the museum is set up just like old Grand Rapids used to look.

They encourage touching and being interactive.

There are even people in some of the stores and business that show what they used to do.

Including an old printing press where the volunteer was making actual book marks for the museum!

It was pretty interesting to see how calculated each plate must be and how they did multi colored items.

The feature exhibit was all about beer.

This was one man's collection of beer cans from all around the world and from varies time periods.

I thought this was interesting.

It showed where each beer stems from.

One of the best parts of the museum is by far the carousel.

It's the same carousel I've ridden since I was a child.

We were fortunate to be the only ones on it!

Grandma snapped a quick family photo of us.

I think Bitsy liked it ;)

(pssst....someone told me that the giraffe appears to be photo bombing this picture!)

She got to ride the horse that went up and down.

The lights and music had her attention 100%...okay maybe 90% since we did get a few pictures.

Daddy was holding Bitsy tight....

Uh....Dad....make sure she doesn't lick the horse.

Ewww!

Crazy child!

I had to get a picture on that giraffe, he was my favorite.

When on vacation many people sleep in.

Not me.

I'm not wired for it.

The good part about that though is that it meant I got to steal away for an hour or so with my Grandma each morning.

She would make us lattes with her fancy coffee machine and we would sit and chat.

Some mornings it was light hearted conversation, others were deep and more serious.

I walked away from each one with a wonderful appreciation of who my Grandma is.

This is the view from my Grandparents back porch.

The first days we were there the leaves were full of colorful trees.

Towards the end of our vacation the leaves had all fallen off.

No matter where we lived growing up, and we lived a lot of places being military, this was and always will be home.

It's the only place that has remained constant in my life.

This is the view from the pond up towards my grandparent's home.

I love this land.

I love this home.

Our time there was a wonderful time of rest and relaxation.

One day during Bitsy's nap....Bud may have been napping too....I stowed away to snap a few pictures...and to sit on the dock of the pond and revel in the calm quietness.

Below are a few pictures of the turkey's my Aunt is keeping in my grandparents coop.

These ladies were funny.

We would practice our turkey calls on them and they would gobble right back as though we were carrying on a wonderful conversation.

Bitsy thought they were funny.

Heck, I thought they were funny too...

and honestly I thought they were kinda cute.

One afternoon there was a fox hanging out by the shed.

I went out and stalked him.

This was the closest and best shot I could capture of him.

In all the years I've been to my grandparents I've seen deer and wild turkey, but never a fox.

Another wonderful thing about vacation is that you get to do special things.

Special things like allowing your daughter to have her 1st taste of ice cream....

...so everyone can see her reaction.

Even she's not sure what she thinks.
But it was fun to try.
We bought ice cream cones just for this.
Since our child refuses to be fed from a spoon/fork/utensil of any kind...we had to give her a way to do it herself.
Let me tell you, my family didn't believe me that went straight from milk to solids.
Not solids like pureed food either...solids like food she can pick up and put in her mouth on her own.
They got a kick out of it though.

I'll be back next week to show you some of the family.
Where is your get away spot?
How often do you get to stow away to said location?
I try to get to my grandparents ever couple years.

I hope you had a Blessed Wednesday!

P.S. I'll be posting a special giveaway next!