CONTROLLING Craziness

Last Day of School / Welcome To Summer Party plans

2013-05-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

I can't believe the kids only have 9 more days of school.

Last year we celebrated the end of school with a "Welcome to Summer" party.

You can read more about that HERE.

I'll probably do something similar this year.
I picked up some ice cream marshmallows and popsicle lollipops at an after Easter clearance sale at the grocery store. They look perfect to celebrate the last day of school / first day of summer.

And speaking of ice cream. Check out what the Spencinator did for his explanatory writing project:

It was about eating ice cream:

That boy cracks me up.

Anyway, back to planning the end of school / welcome to summer party. I probably won't do the banner thing again since that big roll of paper is gone and I'd like to do something different. Just got to think of what that new thing will be. Any ideas???

How do you celebrate the last day of school?

And if you are looking for some easy teacher gift ideas, check out my previous post HERE.

Thanks for stopping by,
Christa

Teacher Gifts

2013-05-21T07:00:00.001-04:00

The last day of school is in about two weeks. Wow, has this year flown by.

Before the school year ends, I like to give the kids' teachers a little something for all their hard work.

Here are a bunch of ideas I found on Pinterest along with what I'm planning to do.

This cute printable and frame would be perfect on a teacher's desk. You can find out how to make your own HERE. Or skip the printable and just make the frame. You could put in a picture of your child and their teacher.

What better way to say take a break and relax than with chocolate. You can download this free printable HERE.

This flower pot with chalkboard paint and the ruler design at the top would also make a meaningful gift. Find out how to make your own HERE and HERE.

Another candy idea with a meaningful poem behind it can be found HERE.

And here's a few more great ideas I found from April over at Catching Fireflies

As for what I plan to do....

For Sweetie Pie's teacher, I'd love to make a huge cookie and write "Thanks for making me one smart Cookie" on it. Perhaps something like this:

source

OK, not really that big, but you get the idea.

Her teacher has a great sense of humor and is super funny. Sweetie Pie told her that I got a giant cookie for Mother's Day and the teacher said she wanted a piece. Too bad I ate it all before we could give her any. I saved the container it came in, and plan to bake a giant cookie to put in it. I hope it turns out.

For the Spencinator's teacher, I"m giving her something practical - a package of sticky notes, with a tag that says:

The tag is really a card. I'll make sure to have the Spencinator write something cute inside like "Take note, you are my favorite teacher. Thanks for a great school year!"

I got the idea from HERE.

Thanks for stopping by,
Christa

linking up to http://www.flusterbuster.com/

Recycling Bridesmaid Dresses

2013-05-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

My cousin, who's been in several wedding over the years, just gave Sweetie Pie some of her old bridesmaid dresses. Sweetie Pie is 8 and still loves to play dress up. I haven't been shopping for dress up clothes in a few years so what we have is getting a bit small on her. These bridesmaid dresses were just what she needed to have a more grown up dress selection.

Here she is modeling her new gowns.

This cream colored one was a bit snug in the bodice for Sweetie Pie, so she won't wear it for too long. Good thing, since the Babes is eager to wear it.

The pink one fit perfectly and would even make a cute dress for church.

The favorite was this mint green one. Sweetie Pie loved it because it was long and silky.

None of these dresses were too long for Sweetie Pie, but if they had been, I could have easily cut off the extra fabric and hemmed them up, or done the no sew method using stitch witchery.

What kind of dress up clothes do you have for older girls?

Thanks for stopping by,
Christa

Save Money When Using the Dishwasher

2013-05-17T07:30:00.000-04:00

In my post about "Laundry Tips", I mentioned how I sometimes run the washing machine for an additional spin cycle after it is finished the regular washing cycle. I usually do this when the load in the dryer isn't done drying yet so I can't switch the laundry or if there is something really heavy in the wash like our bath mats. The extra spin cycle helps to dry the clothes faster when you put them in the dryer which saves time and energy (money).

I've also found a way to save energy (money) when using the dishwasher.

When it comes to washing dishes in the dishwasher, I never dry them. I set my dishwasher for a normal wash cycle but no drying cycle / no heat. When the dishwasher is done, I simply open the door and let it air dry. And because I do this, I've never had any plastic dishes melt.

I usually wash the dishes after breakfast and since the Babes and I are the only ones home, I don't mind having the dishwasher door open. But if that bothers you, you could run the dishwasher at night and leave the door open overnight.

Although, if the door is left open, this might happen:

Thanks for stopping by,
Christa

Family Name Print

2013-05-15T07:30:00.000-04:00

I made this cute family name print about two weeks ago and finally got around to hanging it up last week.

I got my inspiration, or should I say 'pinspiration' from HERE.

Using an ugly, old, fake wood, plastic frame- I gave it new life by spray painting it with Oil Rubbed Bronze.

While the paint was drying, I created the print in a Word document. I held up the glass from the frame to determine the size of the lettering.

Here it is all put together. I knew I wanted to hang it in my bedroom which is why I chose that mustard-ish color for the "R". But before I could hang it up, I wanted to install some shelves.

I'm still working on the arrangement of the things on the shelves.

Although now I feel like the room is more balanced with something on each side of the window.

The framed quotes to the left of the window - I printed those out using Word also. Again getting my ideas from Pinterest. When I saw these two inspirational quotes, I knew they would be great in our master bedroom. I imagined looking at them when I woke up each morning and getting energized for the day, rather than dreading some of the mundane stay at home mom tasks.

The first quote is by Gordon B. Hinckley (president/prophet to the LDS church from 1995-2008), and the second quote is by his wife, Marjorie Pay Hinckley. I also thought it was fitting that quotes from a husband and wife should be in our master bedroom.

images found here and here

I printed out the quotes onto some white card stock and stuck them in a frame I already had.

I like how the family name print balances out all the white in the framed quotes on the left side of the window. What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by,
Christa

Grandmothers

2013-05-14T07:30:00.000-04:00

My mother is more than a mom, she's also my children's grandma. So for Mother's Day, I also like to give her something that recognizes her role as Grandma.

Initially I wanted to make something similar to one of these which can be found here, here and here.

But it wasn't turning out right

I preferred the darker background but wasn't sure how to print on colored paper without having my picture look weird, and I could have used up a bunch of printer ink to make the background dark and the letters white but I was running low on ink and didn't want to chance it. Plus I just couldn't get the kids' names and dates to be spaced as nicely as the ones you could buy on Etsy.

So I scrapped that idea and went with this one at the last minute:

I got the inspiration from this:

Instead of using the flower, I used the picture of my kids. After all, I did make them dress in coordinating outfits and bribe them with ice cream to pose for me. I wasn't going to let my efforts go to waste.

It was simple to make. I don't have a vinyl cutter so I just used what I did have - my computer. I printed out the saying and picture using Word and mod-podged it onto a piece of wood. I cut the wood to about 4x8 inches and spray painted the sides and back black. I didn't spray paint the front since the paper would be glued onto it.

After everything was assembled and dry, I sanded the edges so the paper would be flush with the wood.

I did have to edit the photo. See if you can tell what was removed from the original image.

Thanks for stopping by,

Christa

She Understood Who She Was And Whose She Was

2013-05-13T09:40:00.001-04:00

She understood who she was and whose she was—a daughter of God.

This quote comes from a talk given by Elaine S. Dalton at the 2013 General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. You can find the entire talk HERE. Some of my favorite parts of the talk are:

"As daughters of God we are each unique and different in our circumstances and experiences. And yet our part matters—because we matter. Our daily contributions of nurturing, teaching, and caring for others may seem mundane, diminished, difficult, and demeaning at times, and yet as we remember that first line in the Young Women theme—“We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us”—it will make all the difference in our relationships and our responses."

Of women and mothers, President Gordon B. Hinckley once said:
“We must never lose sight of the strength of the women. … It is mothers who most directly affect the lives of their children. … It is mothers who nurture them and bring them up in the ways of the Lord. Their influence is paramount."

As a way to honor the mothers in our church (both those who have raised or are raising children and those who act as mothers by teaching, helping and loving children), we made these plaques and paired it with what every women loves best - chocolate.

The youth and primary aged kids handed these out along with a carnation to each of the women in attendance at church on Mother's Day. It was so cute and the women were so appreciative of this gift.

It's great to be reminded of how important our role is as mothers and daughters of a Heavenly Father. Sometimes we forget this as our days can be filled with messy diapers, sticky floors and sibling rivalry. We must always remember the work we are doing in raising our children is the most important work there is.

I hope you all had a great Mother's Day.

Thanks for stopping by,
Christa

How To Stockpile Kid's Clothing

2013-05-07T06:30:00.000-04:00

Of course I went to yard sales over the weekend, and this time I stocked up on some clothing for the Babes. I'm not ashamed to admit that most of my kid's clothing comes from yard sales or hand me downs.

I also don't like to pay more than .25¢ for clothes either. I will spend more for a dress or outerwear and as the older two kids are getting bigger their clothing does tend to cost a little more. However, I've found that it's pretty easy to spend .25¢ for clothing up to size 6. The easiest way to do this is buy it in bulk. Most people will give you a better price if you buy a lot.

Sometimes you can get lucky and buy it by the bagful. One yard sale was selling their clothing for $2 a bag. The bags were the size a grocery bag. If I found at least 8 things that would make it .25¢ per item. Turns out I was able to stuff 22 items into that bag making each piece cost about .09¢!

Click HERE to read the rest of the story

12 Ways to Make Your Parents Feel Special

2013-05-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

Kristin@InstaMommy is here guest posting today.

With Mother's Day in May and Father's Day in June, it is important to take a moment to let your parents know how much you love them and appreciate all they have done for you throughout your life. While you don't need to spend a lot of money to make them feel special, you should do something for them from time to time to let them know you don't take them for granted. Here are 12 unique ways to make your parents feel special.

1. Customized cards:
Mothers love having photos of their family around their home. Why not create customized mother's day cards that include photos of the entire family? The Mother’s Day cards at Shutterfly are very easy to customize with photos and sayings for a truly unique gift.

2. Call regularly:
Don't wait for a special occasion or Sunday afternoon to call. Have a few minutes on a Tuesday afternoon? Give your parents a call to just say “hello – I love you.” That will absolutely make their day!

3. A surprise night out:
Just like you don't need a special occasion to call your parents, you don't need a special occasion to take them out. Surprise them on a Saturday afternoon and take them to brunch. Or to a movie. It doesn't need to be fancy, or even expensive. Just take them out and enjoy each other's company. Especially as parents age or have difficulty getting around, they will certainly appreciate a surprise outing!

4. Send flowers: There are certain times in a young boy's life when they will buy flowers for their mother. Trust me when I say it means the world to them. As those young boys grow into men, it is easy to get caught up in the business of everyday life and forget how much those little things meant. Surprise your mother one day by sending her flowers. Want to score extra points? Bring them to her instead of just having them delivered!

5. Be respectful:
It may sound silly, but respect for your elders is something that is getting lost today. As we become adults, it is easy to look at your parents as fellow adults and forget they are still your parents. Make sure you always treat them and speak to them respectfully.

6. Movie DVD:
Is there a movie you remember always watching with your mom or dad? Or is there a movie they could watch over and over again? Why not pick up that movie for them so they can watch it whenever they wish! For Your Entertainment has a huge variety of different movies on DVD available so you can find that favorite movie for your parents.

7. Coffee break:
To go along with that favorite movie, why not get a gift selection of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? That will be the perfect snack to have while they watch their favorite movie. Mighty Leaf has a variety of tea and coffee gift sets that will let them enjoy their movie even more.

8. Personalized family pillow:
Something that is completely unique is a personalized family pillow. This is a great accessory for the couch that keeps their entire family close by. It will certainly be a conversation piece!

9. Charm bracelet:
Charm bracelets have become very popular in recent years. What was originally thought of as a gift for a young girl, now everyone is wearing them! Helzberg has a lovely mom charm set that will show everyone how much you love your mom.

10. Schedule a family portrait:
We've all had family portraits taken when we were children. It was usually a day of frustration as mom frantically tried to keep the kids neat and interested while the photographer desperately tried to shoot that perfect photo. Now that everyone is grown up, treat your parents to an updated family portrait. Then have it framed for them so they can show it off in their home.

11. Necklace:
A beautiful way to give your mother a special gift is purchasing customized jewelry. It shows you wanted to give her something that she can always have with her and will think of her children every time she wears it. This necklace lets you put the initials of her children on each leaf.

12. Live a life they can be proud of:
Parents have always tried to be the best parents they could be; but rarely does that mean they were perfect. It is easy to forget that our behavior reflects on them. As a saying I once heard goes, people would live better lives if they always did things as if their mother was nearby. Most of all, make sure you live a positive life they can be proud of – as well as yourself.

Thanks to Kristin for these great ideas. What would you like to give or receive? I'm loving that family pillow, wonder if I could DIY something like that?

For more Mother's Day gift ideas be sure to check out my posts from last week.

Thanks for stopping by,
Christa

Mother's Day Ideas 2013

2013-05-03T07:30:00.000-04:00

In my last post, I gave a recap my 2012 Mother's Day cards, crafts and gift ideas for your own mom or the kids to give to grandma. Today, I'm sharing some new ideas to honor Mom on Mother's Day.

Samantha from the Nifty Mom made this cute Handprint Flower with her son. You can find out how she did it and her great idea for saving it forever HERE.

I love anything chocolate so getting these M&M's would be OK with me. (hint, hint). Kinzie from Kinzie's Kreations made these for her church's primary class to hand to their moms. There's also a game to play with them, so be sure to check out what she did HERE.

Beth from 123 Homeschool for Me shares how she made this cute handprint gift HERE. I've seen several versions of this done in paper, fabric and even thread.

I think this is a canvas, although I think would be easy to paint or mod-podge a frame to look like this.

Courtney from A Diamond in the Stuff has some great DIY Mother's Day gift ideas such as personalized flower pots, coasters and pin cushions. Check it out over at her blog HERE.

As for what I'll be making for my own mother, I'm partial to THIS, THIS, and THIS.

So Mom, if you are reading this, stop right now. Do not click on those links. You can come back to this post after Mother's Day 2013.

And for everyone else, here's my card idea that I found on Pinterest HERE.

I used Word to create it and printed it out on cardstock.

Not sure what I'll write on the inside, but I still have over a week to think about it.

So what are you doing for Mom on Mother's Day?

Thanks for stopping by,
Christa

Mother's Day Ideas

2013-05-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Happy first day of May. I can't believe how fast this school year has flown by. Only a few more weeks left till summer vacation. I've already started planning the 'Last Day of School /Welcome to Summer' festivities. You can check out what I did last year HERE.

But first, Mother's Day is coming up. I've noticed for the past couple of weeks my most popular post has been the one I wrote last year about kids card and craft ideas for Mother's Day. If you'd like to check out the full post you can go HERE. Below is a recap along with ideas for older kids, adults and what I made for my mom and mother in law last year. I'll be posting later this week or next with some new ideas.

Brilliant Beginnings preschool made this cute Mother's Day card.

A Day In My Life has created this Father's day card, but I think it would work just as well for Mother's day.

Here's a custom newspaper from MarthaStewart.com that the kids can color and fill in the blanks to make mom feel extra special.

Amy at Our Daily Obsessions received this cute poem for Mother's Day last year.

Here's a simple and quick Mother's Day bouquet from The Trendy Treehouse:

Here are some ideas for older kids or adult children to give their moms (full post can be found HERE):

Does your Mom like to garden? If so, I bet she'd love this gift basket of seeds. DaNita from Delightful Order came up with this cute idea. I love the seed packet holders, they read "a mother plants seeds of LOVE, HOPE, JOY!"

These MOM blocks are cute. Lorraine from Extreme Domestication just mod podged some photos onto wood blocks to create this beautiful and easy gift.

Mom's love photos of their kids and Grandmom's love photos of their grandkids. So making a gift using photos of your kids is a great idea. Kim from The Inadvertent Farmer made this photo project.

Printables make a quick and easy gift. Just print and place in a frame. I'm wondering if you could change the colors to match your Mom's decor. Or paint the frame the same bold color as that of the letters.

Check out these printable from Holday Snobs

And A Proffittable Life

And here's what I made for my mom and mother in law last year. You can find the full post HERE.

Thanks for stopping by,
Christa

Wheely Good Yard Sale Bargains

2013-04-30T14:14:00.000-04:00

OK, I couldn't resist that cheesy title. 2 wheels, 3 wheels and 4 wheels are what I've got on the blog today.

Over the weekend, there were quite a few neighborhood yards sales and I was able to pick up a few things I had been looking for. But first, let me tell you what we didn't get.

The Spencinator really wanted this two seater bike. He even mustered up enough courage to ask how much it was. The seller said it was $12. The Spencinator looked over at me and said he has $12 at home, so he could pay me back if I bought it. Then the sellers started with their sales pitch, letting him know just how much work it needed, all that rust, it needs new tires, blah, blah, blah. I thanked them for helping me. The Spencinator was not deterred, he still wanted it. He was dreaming about how great it would be for him and his sister to ride together in the neighborhood. I did what I always do when he doesn't listen to me.... refer him to Dad. Dad wasn't there so I said let's take a picture of it and ask Dad about it when he gets home. The Spencinator was satisfied with this and we were able to leave without and meltdowns. Later that night when Dad got home, we showed him the picture and of course, he didn't think it was a good idea. So lucky for us, we are not the proud owners of this rusty old bike.

But we did pick up a set of wheels for the Babes. A Dora (she's obsessed with Dora) 3 wheeled scooter for just $1. Now she can ride with the big kids, and because it has 3 wheels, she won't fall over. Here she is trying it out in the house. She couldn't wait to ride it. She held onto it the whole way home and kept asking if she could ride it.

The Babes also got a new doll stroller for $1. This one was a double and an upgrade from our current stroller which has a wheel that keeps falling off. I took off the fabric and washed it, scrubbed down the metal frame and put it all back together before I let the Babes play with it.

The handle is even taller than our old stroller so it'll be easier to push when she's taller.

Even though it's a double stroller, it actually takes up less room than our old stroller.

The Babes couldn't wait to get her dolls tucked inside, she didn't even bother to dress them.

And she's off for a stroll.

She looks pretty determined to get to where she's going.

Although it looks like she needs to work on her steering.

And what does the Babes do to keep herself occupied while driving around from yard sale to yard sale?
Why she velcros her shoes together and makes silly faces:

Do you take your kids to yard sales with you? How do they keep themselves occupied?

Thanks for stopping by,

Christa

Alphabet Name Print

2013-04-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

There are so many cute ideas on Pinterest, especially when it comes to artwork and prints. I realize I can't do them all, nor do I want to. My walls would be so cluttered with prints and frames that you wouldn't know what color paint was hidden behind them.

One of the things I had wanted to do when the Babes was younger was to make an alphabet name print. I had hoped to have made her one by now, and since I think this looks cuter in a nursery than in a big kid bedroom, I've missed the chance to make my own. But that doesn't mean I can't make it for someone else.

Here's what I came up with using Word:

After a changing the purple letters to green, I put it into a coordinating frame. How cute is that:

And here's where I got my inspiration from:

This one was also created using Word by Arte & Manha

If you didn't want to create your own, you could buy one on Etsy here or here.

Besides creating one for your own baby, it would make a great baby shower present. And it doesn't have to be limited to babies, you could do it for older kids and even a family if you used the last name.

Anyone else make or purchase one of these alphabet name prints? Where do you have it displayed?

Thanks for stopping by,
Christa

Brownie Ice Cream Pudding

2013-04-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that I love dessert, and if it's chocolate I love it even more.
So why have just one chocolate dessert when you can mix two, or better yet, three?

Years ago we had dinner at a friend's house. After dinner they started to serve ice cream for dessert. I love ice cream, but they didn't stop there. They had some warm pudding on the stove and poured it over top the ice cream. It was delicious! These friends just happen to be Canadian, so I thought this was a Canadian thing. I don't know, maybe it is, someone correct me if I'm wrong - has anyone in the States tried this?

Warm Pudding Over Ice Cream

It was heavenly - chocolate pudding over chocolate ice cream. How could you improve on that?

Well, one day I got a chocolate craving. Why eat just a brownie when I could add ice cream to it, but wait, why stop there, lets pour warm pudding on top of that.

Because if 1 dessert is good, 2 is better and 3 is the best, right?

It's pretty self explanatory how to make this brownie ice cream pudding dessert but I'll show you some pictures anyway. Prepare to get hungry.

1. Place warm brownie in a bowl

2. Add a scoop (or two, or three) of chocolate ice cream

3. Top with warm chocolate pudding

OK, who's in the mood for chocolate?

Thanks for stopping by,
Christa

Pinkalicious

2013-04-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

The other day while at the library, I browsed the CD section in the kids area. They had children's songs and some books on CD. I don't think I've ever checked out a CD from the library before but saw the Pinkalicious CD and just had to get it.

Sweetie Pie loves pink, pink and more pink. Pinkalicious is one of her favorite books. We even used the book jacket as art in her bedroom HERE.

We listened to the songs and loved them all. Well, OK, one or two didn't follow the book exactly but I think they had to put them in there to make it appealing to boys and to wrap up the story. Although I was disappointed it didn't end the same way as the book. The CD is based on the musical. I also didn't know there was a Pinkalicious the Musical. I checked for a showing near us and there isn't one within a 2 hour drive. So we probably won't get to see it. However after listening to the songs, my daughter and I could almost picture how the musical would be. A few days later, she had some friends over and they danced and acted out the songs.

If you have a girl who loves pink, be sure to introduce her to Pinkalicious the book and the CD.
I wasn't paid or perked to write this. Just like the book and CD and felt like sharing.

What great products/books do your kids like?

On a side note:
I thought my neighbor had some tall weeds growing next to his house.

Turns out they were flowers.

What a cute way to avoid having to trim along the edge of the house.

Last week was warm, this week is a little cooler but it's finally spring!

Thanks for stopping by,
Christa

Spy Training

2013-04-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here's a fun indoor activity for the kids. It would be great for those winter months or rainy days. We actually did this last summer on a too hot to play outside day.

I called it Spy Training:

I used yarn and painters tape.

In our upstairs hallway, I wrapped the yarn around the banister and taped it to the walls and doors to make a maze for the kids to go through. We pretended it was a laser beam and they couldn't touch it. If they did, they had to start over. I started simple with just two strands of yarn. I didn't want to frustrate my son who will get upset and quit playing if things don't go his way, meaning if he doesn't win. Autism makes everyday things challenging but I try to find a way to make things fun for everyone.

They easily got the hang of it and I added more and more yarn to make it challenging.
You could even do this as part of a Ninja or Spy themed birthday party.

Even the Babes wanted to join in.

It was a lot of fun to do and watch. Although if you have flat paint on your walls, be careful. Even with using painters tape, it took the paint off my walls in two very noticeable spots.

What fun indoor activities have been a success with your kids?

Thanks for stopping by,
Christa

Take Care of Yourself

2013-04-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

As moms, we are often so busy taking care of others, that we don't take time out for ourselves.
We need to remember that by being healthy and happy, we are best able to help those around us.

Recently I found out that my friend (and the mom of my daughter's best friend) was diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer. (You can find out more about the different stages of this cancer HERE, and about the survival rates HERE.) FYI: Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer. With regular Pap smears, cervical cancer can be prevented in just about all cases.

I was stunned and starting thinking about everything I would miss if I died while my kids were still young. I want to see my kids grow up, and I'm looking forward to being there when they get married and start families of their own. I want to grow old with my husband. Because of my love for my family, I want to take care of myself. I need to schedule my own routine check ups and make sure I keep up to date with that so if anything irregular comes up, it will be detected early.

About this same time, I received an email from Heather.

She said,
"I am 44 and a mother to a quirky little 7 year old, Lily. She is my only child, and my whole world. When Lily was just 3 1/2 months old, I was diagnosed with Mesothelioma; a type of cancer that kills 90-95% of those who have it. As I'm sure you can imagine, the first thing that came to mind when I was diagnosed was my baby girl and how I wasn't going to be able to watch her grow up.

After intense treatment and recovery, I'm still here almost 7 years later and cancer free! My journey with cancer was a terrifying one and I'd like to turn my pain into purpose and become someone that other people can look to for guidance, inspiration, and hope in situations like my own. I contacted you because I feel that your blog would be an excellent place for me to share my story. I realize that you may be thinking my story is not exactly a perfect fit for your blog audience, but I'm trying to raise awareness of this horrible little known cancer that is such a deadly killer (and sadly, 100% preventable)

So today, I'm sharing Heather's story in hopes of raising awareness and encouraging others to take care of yourself so you can be there for your family.

My Baby Saved My Life

My 7-year-old daughter, when asked about my cancer diagnosis, always says, “I saved my mommy’s life.” She says this sweetly but also seriously because she means what she says. Truer words were never spoken. Lily truly did save my life.

Cameron and I were married for seven years before we decided we were ready to start having children. I was 35 years old and a little nervous. But I didn’t have to worry long: Just three months after we started talking about babies, we learned that I was pregnant. I had the same experience all new mothers have. I was excited, nervous, surprised, elated and anxious, all rolled into one non-stop roller coaster of emotion. I was so curious about what kind of mom I would become, and I loved rubbing my tummy and getting to know the baby girl growing in my womb.

My pregnancy was a piece of cake. I didn’t experience sickness or fatigue or discomfort that many new moms complain about. But the delivery was a different story. Lily was breech, and I had to have an emergency C-section. I was a little disappointed, but I joked that she would have a nice, round head. I still remember the incredibly emotional moment of holding her for the first time. She was perfect, and I vowed then that I would always do everything to protect her, keep her safe and make her happy. I gazed at her for hours, filled with a kind of love I’ve never known before or since. It was such an intimate, complete time of my life. I never could have predicted what fate had in store for me.

When Lily was just 3 ½ months old, I was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, news so shocking I could not comprehend what the doctor was telling me. I immediately thought of Lily and Cameron, especially when my physician told me that if I did not start treatment right away, I would possibly have only 15 months left to live. Cameron quietly listed to the doctor’s advice and without hesitating, we agreed to undergo the most radical treatment available in an effort to save my life. This treatment entailed traveling to Boston where, under the care of the world’s best mesothelioma doctors, I underwent a procedure that included removing my entire left lung and the lining of my heart and diaphragm. Following the extreme surgery, I stayed in the hospital for 18 days and then transferred to an outpatient facility in Boston, where I spent another two weeks recovering. Next, I stayed with my parents, who were caring for Lily at their home in South Dakota, for two months before I was strong enough to return to Minnesota and begin chemotherapy and radiation.

Although the procedure was necessary to improve my grim prognosis, it was difficult to sacrifice time with Lily when she was so tiny. I missed celebrating her sixth month of life. It was terribly depressing to miss this time with Lily, but it was the thought of my beautiful baby girl that made me strong enough to fight this battle for my life and go through such a life-altering procedure and the treatments that followed. Lily needed me to live, and I desperately wanted to be there for her.

Mesothelioma kills almost 95 percent of diagnosed patients. For most, it is the equivalent of a death sentence. But my hope and overwhelming love for Lily kept me going. That’s why Lily means exactly what she says when she tells people, “I saved my mommy’s life.” It’s just the truth.

Heather, Cameron and Lily certainly are blessed. Thanks for sharing your story with us. You are one amazing woman! I hope those of you reading this today will take time to take care of yourself and schedule any check ups you may need. Spending time with family isn't something I want to take for granted.

Thanks for stopping by,

Christa

Pizza Rolls

2013-04-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

In light of what happened at the Boston Marathon the other day, I thought I'd repost some quotes from an earlier post. You can read the whole post HERE.

"It's difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality. It's a wonder I haven't abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart. I simply can't build my hopes on a foundation of confusion, misery, and death. I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too, I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that this cruelty too shall end, and that peace and tranquility will return once again."
~Anne Frank

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world."

~Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers)

“… The only difference between the old and young dying is, one lives longer in heaven and eternal light and glory than the other, and is freed a little sooner from this miserable, wicked world. Notwithstanding all this glory, we for a moment lose sight of it, and mourn the loss, but we do not mourn as those without hope.”

~Joseph Smith

And if you are looking for something quick and easy to make as a snack or even for dinner on those busy days, here you go:

Just 3 ingredients and 3 easy steps:

1. Grands refrigerated biscuits

2. Pepperoni slices

3. Shredded mozzarella cheese

(I suppose you could add pizza or spaghetti sauce as #4 if you wanted)

1. Flatten out the biscuits.
2. Top with cheese, pepperoni and another biscuit.
(I suppose you could add some pizza or spaghetti sauce in there too if you prefer.)

3. Cook according to biscuit package directions. The tops should be a nice golden brown color when they're ready.

Inside is some cheesy goodness. You can eat as is, or dip into some pizza sauce. The kids had these devoured in no time, making me think I should have made another batch.

Thanks for stopping by,

Christa

Benefits of a Newly Built Home

2013-04-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

We lived in this older home for about 9 years.

We loved the hard wood floors and other wood details of the house, but since it was an older home, there always seemed to be something in need of fixing.

The location wasn't the best for raising a family either. The house was located on a somewhat busy street so we knew as the kids got older, we would move. Having young children meant we didn't have time to spend fixing up a house so we decided to move into a newer home in a quieter neighborhood.

After having lived in our previous house for 9 years, we knew what we did and didn't like about it. So when it came time to start looking for a new home, we had a long list of what we wanted. Some things on our list were simple like more square footage and a better location. Other things were more specific such as an open floor plan, and architectural details (we didn't want the exterior to look like a flat box).

Our main reason for buying a newly built house was to trade in our to-do list for a want-to-do list. We didn't want to spend time on repairs when we could be playing with our kids and adding the fun finishing touches to make our house a home. Buying a new home also allows you to personalize it to fit your needs. This is especially true with floor plans. They aren't set in stone and can be changed. Our current home was supposed to have a formal living room, dining room and kitchen. The formal living room became the dining room and the dining room and kitchen space was combined to create one extra large kitchen with a 9 foot island.

This has worked out great since we'd rarely use a formal living room and we spend a lot of time in the kitchen. We also love having a view from the kitchen into the large family room (another thing on our new home wish list).

We've had very little repair or maintenance to do with this house so we can enjoy time with the kids and I can have fun adding the finishing touches to make this house our own.

If you'd like to find information about where to buy new homes, you can check out BHI’s Start Fresh Buy New website by clicking HERE

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Family Tree Art

2013-04-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

According to AccuWeather.com, there was supposed to be a dazzling Northern Lights display Saturday night due to a solar flare that occurred around 2 a.m. Thursday morning.

"Viewing conditions will be best in the mid-Atlantic, specifically for parts of Pennsylvania and the Delmarva. Most of the country will have poor to fair views as a result of cloud cover, with areas further south not experiencing the aurora at all."

Since our section of PA was supposed to have a good view of the lights, I let the kids stay up late to watch.

The girls had fun swinging in the dark. I had my camera on night mode so I could get these shots....

....and for some reason, Sweetie Pie's head disappeared.....

...and then her upper body stared to fade away too...

I don't know enough about my camera to know why, but we all had a good laugh about it when I downloaded the pictures.

We never did see the northern lights, did you?

Anyway, about a month ago, I was the lucky winner of a giveaway hosted by Danielle over at 2 Little Superheros. I won a $50 store credit to Minted. From all the things I could have purchased, I chose this custom family tree art. It has my husband's and my initials in the center and the first and middle names of our three children around the rings (the one shown below is from the website, our initials and names are different).

One of the deciding factors in what to choose was cost. Several larger pieces I liked were a hundred or two more than my credit. And since I didn't want to spend more than my store credit I finally decided up this little 8 x 8 inch work of art for $48. I also thought this piece would look great in our living room gallery wall with all the family pictures.

The customer service at Minted was great and I received my order in no time. All I needed was a frame. A square frame to be exact, which was something I didn't already have. Lucky for me a new Goodwill store opened up in town and I checked it out. There I found this square frame with a mat to fit an 8 x 8 picture for only $1.97. At least I thought it was an 8 x 8 mat opening.

I should have brought a tape measure or ruler with me to make sure because when I got home I put the artwork in it and realized, it was actually an 8.25 inch opening in the mat. I didn't like the color of the mat anyway and knew I was going to paint it, but how was I going to make it bigger, or the opening smaller? It finally dawned on me that I could cover the mat with either fabric or paper and leave a little extra room so the opening would be smaller. I decided to use a natural looking fabric that I had since it went well with the color of the tree art, plus I liked that the fabric looked 'natural' and the tree art is like something from nature.

I cut my fabric an inch or so bigger than my mat, and cut an X in the center being sure not to make the cuts all the way to the corners. That way the fabric mat can be larger than the existing paper mat. Then I cut a square out of the center of the X leaving about an inch of fabric to be glued to the mat.

I glued the inside fabric and then the outside fabric to the mat. I didn't worry about making my corners look neat since they would be covered up by the frame.

I also spray painted the frame Oil Rubbed Bronze to match some other ORB pieces in the gallery of pictures.

Then I hung it on the wall. I like how the three ORB pieces are all in a line (the R, our latest family picture, and the family tree art).

I also like how it fills in the gap between the shelves and the larger picture to the right.
Although I think there needs to be something under the shelf to the left of it, and maybe something small right above it. This gallery wall is slowing coming together over time.

Thanks for stopping by,
Christa

linked up to: flusterbuster.com and realcoake.com

Organizing Way Too Many Crayons

2013-04-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

The weather this week has been beautiful. The Babes just loves playing outside while the older two are in school.

While she takes the time to stop and smell the flowers, I try to organize and reorganize.

The desk in our kitchen houses the kids' art supplies. All writing utensils have been moved from the drawers to the cabinets to keep them out of the Babes' reach and to keep my walls graffiti free.

This made me realize just how many crayons we have.
So I sorted them by color (because I'm crazy like that), and put together several boxes with the basic colors in them.

I got two of these little crayon boxes at a yard sale a few years ago and just love them.

These small boxes would stay in the kitchen while the overflow of crayons would be stored in the basement.
I have an organizer full of extra arts and craft supplies down there and each drawer is labeled.

So now the cabinet looks like this with all the colored pencils and crayons to the right.

The only problem is the pen and pencil storage. Having them in that upright basket wasn't working out. I even tried the basket on it's side but that didn't work out either. So after a few months, I finally got around to better organizing that too.

I used a storage bin I already had and labeled each drawer.

Now I don't have to worry about knocking over the basket when I'm trying to get out a pen. I'm really liking this vertical storage bin and thinking where else can I use this system.

Thanks for stopping by,
Christa

Blue + Yellow = Green Science Experiment

2013-04-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

We finally had some warm spring like weather and the Babes loved playing outside.

In fact I had a hard time getting her back in the house for a nap and for dinner.

If it's not nice enough to play outside, here's a fun activity you could do on a rainy day.
I think it is geared toward younger kids, but my 8 and 10 yr old liked it too.
We were proving that blue and yellow really do make green.

Here's what we did:

We took three glasses of water, and added blue or yellow food dye as shown. We added a paper towel to the glasses on the ends, draping it into the glass in the middle.

After just a few minutes you could see the blue and yellow water getting absorbed into the paper towel and transferring to the middle glass.

Eventually the middle glass turned green proving that blue and yellow make green.

The kids had fun checking on it throughout the day,and we left it up for several days to see if the properties of absorption would make all three glasses turn green. We evened out the water levels to make absorption of each glass equal, but the colors didn't change. Oh, well, it was still fun. Another time we might try the celery capillary action experiment, or the color changing carnation experiment.

What fun science experiments have you done with your kids?

For another fun indoor activity, check out my Lego Maze post

which was featured over at

and

Thanks for stopping by,
Christa

Keeping Track of Donations

2013-04-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

Did you check out my guest post over at Mail4Rosey? If you'd like to get the most mileage out of your girls clothes, you should head over there to check it out, and then come right back here.

About six weeks ago I wrote a post about some bargains I found at my local thrift store (you can read about it HERE).

I don't just buy from the thrift store, I also donate our unwanted clothing, toys, housewares, etc...

I promised to share how I keep track of what I donate for tax purposes and here I am six weeks later finally remembering to get to it. Better late than never, right. And it's still before tax day so hopefully this post can help you, if not this tax season, maybe next.

Whenever I go through the kids' closets or come upon something we don't use or need anymore, I set it aside to sell or donate. Things that are worth more, I'll try to sell on craigslist, or save up for a yard sale. Since we had a great yard sale last year (you can read about that HERE) and got rid of lots of stuff that had been accumulating for years, I don't plan on having one this year. Instead I'm donating most stuff. But I do need to keep track of the bags and boxes full of stuff that I donate so I can deduct them from my taxes. I like to get the maximum refund I'm entitled too.

The easiest way I've found to keep track of what I'm donating is to have a paper and pen next to my donation bag/box. As things go in, I write down what it was. That way when the bag is full, I take it to be donated and file my list (along with my donation receipt) in my tax file. Then when it's time to do my taxes, I have my list of what was donated and when. I use It's Deductible as part of Turbo Tax which estimates what each item is worth so I don't have to think about that part either.

Thanks for stopping by and best of luck on your taxes if you haven't done them yet.
Christa

linked up to http://www.flusterbuster.com/search/label/Fluster%20Muster%20Party

Getting the Most Wear out of Girls Clothes -Guest Post

2013-04-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm guest posting over at Mail4Rosey, sharing my tips for how to get the most wear out of clothing for your little girls.

Obviously you can buy things big, but how else can you get the most bang for your buck when it comes to your little girl's wardrobe?

You'll just have to stop by Mail4Rosey to find out, but here's a sneak peek for you

Thanks for stopping by,
Christa

Lego Maze

2013-04-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow, Thursday, I'll be guest posting over at Mail4Rosey with a tip about getting the maximum wear out of your little girl's clothes.

As for today, here's something for the boys, or any Lego loving kids (or adults).

My son loves Legos and mazes. So why not combine the two and make a maze out of Legos.

We used a 10 x 10 lego base plate to build upon.

Using Lego windows, he created the entrance and exit.

He used a Magnetix magnet ball to travel through the maze. I'm sure a marble would work too. Just make sure the spaces between Legos are large enough to let the ball pass through.

He had fun creating this and because it's made from Legos, it can be changed around to make a new maze.

Legos can really keep my son occupied. He could play with them for hours.

The other Lego toy that he's been obsessed with lately is Lego Crazy Action Contraptions by Klutz.

He actually got it for Christmas and amazon is currently selling it for $15. I'd say that was money well spent. He's been playing with it constantly for the last two days, making all the contraptions in the book and modifying them. His favorite is this one that he uses to stir water - it's called the Beaker Blender 3000.

Anyone else have a Lego lover in their house? What are their favorite ways to play with Legos?

Thanks for stopping by,
Christa

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