Mommy Matters

Back from Israel

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:48:00 +0000

Nazareth Village

I'm back from Israel and there is so much I want to say.

So much I want to share.

I just need a little bit more time to process it all.

But don't worry. There will be pictures. Lots and lots of pictures. I promise. I came back with over 500 photographs of my journey and I'm excited to share them with you.

Praying for Kenya

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 08:58:00 +0000

Compassion International Bloggers are now enroute to Kenya from March 4-10th to bring God glory and share with us their stories of hope and healing in this country.

Won't you please hold them in your prayers and thoughts as their faith and humanity will undoubtedly be stretched, broken and repaired by our Creator?

You can follow the journey on Twitter.

It sure makes me wish I was there, but thanks to these amazing bloggers , we can all feel like we are there.

Random Thoughts that may or may not change the world

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:02:00 +0000

The other Mama prays for her children (in hilarious ways) over breakfast and shared this wonderful monthly prayer chart that she received. I think this is a great idea and suggest someone (other than me) come up with one for husbands!

When your husband who usually golfs on Saturdays says, "We don't need the sitter Saturday morning, because I'll be home." Don't say, "Okay." Just don't.

Blog conferences are wildly addicting. They should come with warnings. I'm signed up for three this year already.

Writing blogs can be wildly addicting. I have several: Our homeschool blog, Passport Academy, A Teaching Blog called Teacher Matters, a nature study blog called, The Young Naturalists Guide. If you haven't already done so, please visit them and let me know what you think!

If you are traveling in Bethlehelm, Israel and happen upon Stars & Bucks...know that it is not the same as Starbucks. Not matter how similar the logo is. Actually, if you are lucky enough to go to Bethlehelm you probably shouldn't be thinking about Starbucks to begin with!

When your youngest (and most likely last child) turns 2 you will put more effort into her birthday party than you did for your own wedding.

Do you have some random thoughts to share?

Want to read more?

Join in below.

One thousand gifts: 6-15

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:00:00 +0000

An upcoming trip to Israel. I know it will be life changing and I feel so blessed to be able to go with our fellow church members, pastor and John Maxwell. How amazing it will be to walk where Jesus walked!

Having the honor of knowing K.S. who was an amazing woman of faith and who taught me what it looks like in the face of adversity as she bravely battled cancer over the past 8 months. Meeting her has been one of the blessings in my life.

A room of my own. I love having this space perfectly designed for me. It is where I work, write, teach, read and scrapbook. Like me, it is still a work in progress, yet it makes me so happy to have this room.

Friends who "show up."

#10

The privilege of being a stay at home mother.

#11

The gift of homeschooling my children.

#12

Our amazing church and church family. What a blessing our church and church family have been to our family.

#13

Salvation

#14

Blogging, Blog Conferences, and of course Bloggy Friends...

#15

Online friends who become friends in real life (IRL).

My Journey with Jesus

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 23:28:00 +0000

I am on my way to Israel with my husband to tour the Holy Land with our church, Pastor and John Maxwell!

On our first day in Israel we will travel north along the Mediterranean Sea to visit Caesarea, the ancicent sea port built by Herod the Great. This is where Paul was imprisoned and was the site of Peter's first Gentile convert. From there we ascent to Mount Carmel, the site of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. From here we have an astounding view of the Jezreel Valley/Valley of Armageddon. Then, we bisit Megiddo with its 24 layers of civilizations. This was Ahab's chariot city and one of the most strategic crossroads of the world in the Old Testament times. Finally, we proceed to Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus. We will tour the Nazareth Village, a re-creation of Nazareth when Jesus grew up there. Afterwards, we drive to Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed His first miracle, then on to Tiberas where we have our first view of the beautiful sea of Galilee. Our hotel is located on the sea shore and it is here we will have dinner overlooking the beautiful sea and no doubt dining on fish and reflecting on the miracle of it all.

Day Two

We will view the sunrise over the tranquil Sea of Galilee. After breakfast we take a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee, stopping on the Sea for a brief service! We will stop at Nof Ginossar to see the recently discovered ancient boat from the time of Jesus and then proceed to the Mount of Batitudes, where Jesus spoke the Sermon on the Mount. There we will have another service overlooking the Sea of Galilee. We then proceed to Tabgha, site of the multiplication of loaves and fishes. A very short drive will bring us to Capernaum, the center of Jesus' ministry. A St. Peter's fish lunch awaits us at the famous Kibbutz beside the sea. We then drive up the Golan Heights to overlook the spectacular vistas of the entire Sea of Galilee region. our day ends at the Jordan River with an opportunity for baptism.

Day Three

Is our day of adventure! We drive to Golan Height and visit an excellent light show depicting the battles which took place on the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippor war. We ascent Mt. Ben-Tal and tour old Syrian bunkers and enjoy the view into Syria. Driving down from Golan Heights we see the crusader fortress known as Nimrod's Castle. We travel to Caesarea Phillipi/Banias, the site of Peter's confession: "Thou art the Christ." Ther we will stand at the headwaters of the Jordan River, visit the ruins of ancient temples and have time for a walk by the stream and water fall.

Day Four
Takes us to Bet Shean, Jericho, Qumran, Masada and the Dead Sea. We will see the largest archaeological excavation in Israel. We will drive near Jericho, viewing the Mount of Temptation and Mount Nebo in Jordan, from which Moses viewed the Promised Land. After lunch we travel along the Dead Sea to Masada and ascend by cable cars to visit the mountain top palace of Herod the Great and the famous fortress. We will view the remains of Herod's palace, storehouses, cistems, and an ancient synagogue. Afterward we will visit the Dead Sea- the lowest point on earth, where we can swim and enjoy the therapeutic properties of the water without any possibility of sinking. We then begin ou ascent of nearly 4000 feet to Jerusalem.

Day 5
We begin our first day in Jerusalem at the Mount of Olives. From there we descent by foot on the Palm Sunday Road to the Garden of Gethsemane for a service in the garden. Some of the olive trees are perhaps 2,000 years old! We will then travel around the Old City walls, viewing the tombs of Absalom and Zachariah and continue to the House of Caiphas, where Jesus was held the night before his crucifixion...there we will stand on the same stone steps Jesus would have walked up Mount Zion. We will then visit the Upper Room (Last Supper Room) and have a brief service. After lunch we travel the Bethlehem. There we will view the Shepherd's Fields and tour the Shepherd's Caves and teh 1600 year-old Church of the Nativity.

Day 6
We will motor through modern Jerusalem, go tot he Shrine of the Book (where the Dead Sea Scrolls are displayed), walk through Cardo (heart of ancient Jerusalem) visit the Wailing Wall and place our prayers in the niches of the wall. Afterwards, we proceed to the Pool of Bethesda and the Church of St. Anne, where we can sing in a church with a 10-second echo! I will not be singing knowing that my off key note will echo back for 10 additional seconds, but thankfully we have some good singers coming with us! We will leave the Old City through Lion's Gate

Day 7
We will start the day with a tour of the City of David. We will walk the Via Dolorosa, passing the markets and bazaars and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, believed by many to be the site of Jesus' crucifixion and burial. Afterwards, we will visit the Garden Tomb where we will worship and celebrate communion beside the empty tomb. How lucky we are that He is risen; He is not here!

Day 8
We will spend the day at leisure, shopping and maybe even revisiting a favorite spot.

Will you please hold my family in prayer during this journey? It is always hard to leave your children behind, and though we are leaving them in good hands (and ultimately God's hands) this Mama cannot help but worry.

I am so excited for this opportunity to renew my spirit and feel God's love washing through me once again. I do believe this trip will be life changing. Our Pastor said that you will never read the bible the same way again after visiting the Holy Land.

I cannot wait to share it with you!
Until then, please hold us in prayer.

The world is all a Twitter...

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:35:00 +0000

Maybe it's a good thing that Big Daddy isn't on Twitter?

If you've never seen a miracle

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:03:00 +0000

Open your eyes, heart and soul and watch this

To Him be the glory.

Forever and ever

Amen

One Thousand Gifts: 1-5

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:00:00 +0000

The man I don't deserve, but have been married to for 9 years, becoming a Christian in the last 2 years.

The pregnancy I thought I never would have. That led to the beautiful twin boys they didn't think would make it when I was admitted to the hospital at 23 weeks and 1 day with preterm labor. Yet, after 3 1/2 months on complete bed rest they were born weighing over 6lbs each. Healthy, beautiful, and a true miracle that I could see & hold...and I've been holding onto them ever since.

The daughter I always dreamed of having who exceeds all expectations. She is everything I wish I could be, and then some. I believe she will change the world. No, I know she will.

The blessing of my youngest daughter who lights up a room and makes my heart sing. Who loves her Mama, her Daddy, her sister and her brothers. Maybe she knew how much we all prayed for the blessing of her?

The house we labored over custom building for the past two years, that has now become our fixer upper, since the day we moved in. It is what is going to grow me. It is what is going to stretch me. It serves as a reminder that nothing is perfect on earth (no matter how hard I work) and this is not our true home and our true dream home is in heaven with Him. I know that, I believe that. I guess I just needed a big ole (expensive) reminder to help me remember.

you can make a centerpiece out of anything

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:30:00 +0000

This was the centerpiece at Friday's luncheon at Blissdom. I swear I'm not going to talk about the conference anymore. I just wanted to show off this center piece.

All you need is a couple of tomatoes, a can of Hunts tomato sauce and some flowers. Clever, huh?

First Love Note

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:47:00 +0000

My six year old son wrote his first love note.

Or rather, I love you note, as he calls it.

Best of all, he gave it to me!

I know that, all too quickly, the time will come when he will find another woman who will feed him and make his heart swoon. In the meantime, I'm enjoying being his one and only Valentine.

Looking through the lens

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:00:00 +0000

I Heart Faces really inspires me to try to become a better amateur photographer...but then I look at all the settings on my camera and my head hurts. Maybe one day.

Photo credit: I heart faces

Why is it that we always look better through someone else's lens? Think about it. I am often flattered (and surprised) by the way I am perceived by others. Wouldn't it be great if we all saw ourselves the way others see us?

What if we saw ourselves (and others) the way He does?

My takeaway from Blissdom 2010

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:00:00 +0000

If you are a blogger and have never attended Blissdom, I highly recommend that you read these posts and consider attending this amazing conference next year. It is truly an amazing opportunity to connect with other bloggers and to grow as a blogger.

What I learned...

I came to Blissdom not knowing exactly why I was coming, but expecting to leave learning a thing or two about this thing called blogging. What I left with was far more than I expected, and I'm not talking about the swag bags. It was amazing to connect on a deeper and more personal level with women whose hearts I've seen bare on the pages of their blogs; Women whose stories I've come to know, cherish, follow and care about. Oh, and can you believe it? They care about mine. I'm still trying to take that in. I don't think I was ready for the panel discussions, but boy was I ready for the community & fellowship.

In one of our sessions we were encouraged to set up a Fan Page to encourage community on our blogs. The belief is that if you enjoy reading a particular blog, chances are that you'll have more in common with others who also enjoy reading it. I set up a Mommy Matters Blog Fan Page so you can not only connect with me on Facebook, but also other readers of my blog whom you may also have things in common with. Out of respect for Big Daddy I keep my personal Facebook account private but I use Twitter and Mommy Matters Blog Facebook Fan page to connect with readers and fellow bloggers, so please understand if I cannot accept your friend request on my private Facebook account. I kinda like being married to the father of my 4 children.

Your posts should be long. Your posts should be short. It doesn't matter if your posts are long or short as long as they are well written, well edited, have resolution and are entertaining...or something like that. Which do you believe? Apparently there are no wrong answers to this question. Which may be a good thing since this is the l-o-n-g-e-s-t post I've ever written!

The Nutty

There was no sweet tea to be had in the Opryland Hotel. Southern women were having fits ya'll. But this did spark several conversations on how to make the ultimate sweet tea and I soaked it all in so I can make my own when I get home.

At the opening session we played two ice breaker games. One had us going to corners of the room based on our birth month and the other had us grouping together by the region we live in. I live in Florida so I went to the South East corner. Did you know Southern women don't consider Florida the South? Are we the Caribbean? I always wanted to live in the Caribbean!

Melissa at A familiar Path has been blogging for a million years. Doesn't she look good? Since she has been blogging for a million years it seems that everyone always tells her that hers was the first blog they ever read. Then she claims they move onto reading other blogs, while becoming wildly successful and popular---or something like that. I'm not sure I buy all that but I do know that her blog was one of the first that I read and I'm still reading it!

Did you know that Melissa doesn't eat fruits or vegetables and she doesn't make her children eat them either? The only thing she does make them eat is things that they should like. Things like pizza. Is she great or what?

Domestic Debacle is the sweetest woman, even if she did tweet that I should be forced to wear an orange vest at the next Blissdom. After enjoying her facial and massage (she won it!) at the spa she met me in the Godiva chocolate store on the last evening of conference. I wore an orange sweater because I'm a people pleaser...and I may or may not be afraid of her. Just kidding...maybe.

It used to be my dream was to homeschool throughout the country in an RV. Now my dream may just be to attend Blog Conferences throughout the country in a private plane. Blog conferences are wildly addicting and what's not to love about a private plan? Well, a girl can dream anyway.

The sweet

Edie bakes the most amazing cup cakes and has such a gentle and sweet soul you just want to sit in her presence and soak it all in. She gave me a bookmark that is tucked into my Bible.

I had the most amazing lunch conversation with Pearls and Grace, Vita Familiae, and Flip Flops and Applesauce (not their real names). As a homeschool mom I don't get to "lunch with the girls" very often and this was one of those lunches that made up for a whole year's worth of lunches I might have had. If you are a Christian, its one of those things we simply call A God Moment. These ladies and our conversation is now etched in my heart. Thank-you! You have no idea how much I wish we lived in the same town!

The Embarrassing

Darcy and her husband are the sweetest most talented couple and I'm so glad I got to meet them both in person. But since I live under a rock I didn't realize until oh so late that Darcy's husband is also very talented photographer. I thought it was amazing that he built her school room and is handy around the house. Now I know--- he can build stuff and photograph stuff. Truth be told he can probably do a lot more that I don't even know about---but what can I say? He had me at build stuff!

The Question

I set up a poll to find out what it was that people liked about this blog. If you haven't participated in the poll, please do soon because I want to take it down next week. It is on the right side bar. Ultimately every writer needs to determine who they write for. While it is easy for one to say, "I write for myself" it isn't entirely true. If you want to write for yourself then why not just journal? I believe on some level we all just want to know that we are heard. I also want to connect. So please tell me what keeps you coming back and lets start a conversation.

Hallway desk

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:51:00 +0000

This is the desk out in our back hallway. I love the distressed wood finish and the corkboard bulletin board. Distressed finishes are the best when you have young children! But there is also just something so comfortable about them too.

I'm still looking for the most perfect little something to put across the top of the desk. Any ideas? I'm also hoping that we can be done with all the patching so the painting can begin again. It drives me crazy, like nails on a chalkboard.

Not very many people can say that they custom built their own "Fixer Upper" yet that is exactly where my husband and I find ourselves. It is frustrating, stressful and downright unfair---but we are trying to focus on the blessing behind the aggravation.

It is also a wonderful opportunity to remember that this isn't our eternal home and we won't ever experience perfection until we finally enter it.

Are you struggling with things in your home that aren't "perfect" that don't fit your "ideal" that cause you stress and anger? What blessing could you focus on instead?

And here you thought this was just a post about decorating.

An amazing homecoming

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:06:00 +0000

As a stay-at-home mother I sometimes feel unappreciated by my children.

Especially when I make dinner. They are picky little eaters...

Sometimes when it is time to begin our schoolwork and they'd rather play.

Mostly when I have to be the voice of reason when Daddy comes home from a trip, with candy spilling from his pockets and no sense of bed time, baths or brushing teeth. I know he misses them. I love that he misses them. But someone has to be the voice of reason, because Road Warrior Daddy is out of town 50-75% of the month!

So imagine my surprise when I came home from Blissdom to find this when I walked in the door...

And on the fridge

Need a closer look?
The sweetest part, literally, was finding this on the counter. Do my kids know me or what? Now I have breakfast!

Dare I say that Big Daddy doesn't get a homecoming like this, although he probably should.

They love me. They really love and appreciate me!

I should go out of town more often!

Pocket full of Posies

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:08:00 +0000

Isn't this little posy pin the cutest thing you've ever seen?

I must confess that I had the great fortune of receiving one as a gift during a business card exchange at Blissdom! But don't worry. They are very affordable and insanely stylish. You can buy yours (and other great things) here.

3 things not to say to someone going through infertility treatments

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Don't think about it. Just relax.
This is just not possible. First of all, you have to take medications at certain times throughout the day following highly specific instructions. During this time you also must submit to frequent blood tests which then determine which other highly specific instructions you will have to follow. How exactly is one not to think about it?

Gee, maybe you should adopt? People seem to get pregnant after they adopt.
Unless you are an adoptive parent or have $40,000+ to immediately give to this couple, you have no business mentioning adoption in my opinion. The choice to adopt or not is a personal one and usually follows a series of events, some of which are extremely painful, before someone can thoughtfully consider if adoption is right for their family, let alone if they can afford it.

Maybe you weren't meant to be a (mother/father).
And maybe you weren't meant to be a human because obviously you have no feelings, tact or brains since some people, who CLEARLY should not be parents, have them anyway and then go on to abuse them. So let's agree that just because one can physically have children, doesn't mean they should and vice versa.

For those of you who are waiting for children please know that I am praying for you, even if I don't know you by name. I'm also doing my best to educate the people with foot-in-mouth-syndrome. We have to start by loving them where they're at and then knocking some sense into them. Agreed?

Why women blog

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:16:00 +0000

If you are a blogger have you thought about why you blog? I spent a weekend at Blissdom thinking about this very question. I've come to the conclusion that the reason I blog is simply to connect and feel connected.

It is amazing what can happen when you speak up and feel that your voice is heard.
If you don't believe me, try it.

Why do you blog?

What do you need to say?

Power outfit

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:30:00 +0000

I'm now convinced that every woman should have an ice breaker outfit in their closet.

What is an ice breaker outfit you ask?

It is an outfit that draws people into you. This is especially helpful if you are like me and are shy.

Yes, I'm shy.

Are you surprised?

This is my new ice breaker outfit.

I wore it at Blissdom in Nashville. I tweeted to people, "Look for me, I'm wearing all black and have GIGANTIC pearls on."

And they came.

Oh, thank-you Jesus, they came.

And I got a chance to do what I would not have had the nerve to do otherwise.

I talked,
I hugged,

I laughed

And most of all, I connected.

Let them eat cake!

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:22:00 +0000

This morning I had an opportunity to meet the beautiful Edie from A Life in Grace and she bestowed upon me the most amazing mocha cupcake I have ever tasted. Period.

The recipe is here and you must make it.

If you absolutely cannot make it, you must find a way to ingratiate yourself to Edie and then beg her to make it for you.

Seriously.

I think if you are new in town this just might be the ultimate ice breaker.

Can you imagine showing up to bible study or MOPS with these in your hand? Talk about popular! Everyone will be singing your praises or swearing you had these Fed Ex'd in from the famous Crumbs or Magnolia Bakery in NYC.

My bagels had me declared the best mom ever by my kids. A title I am savoring and not above constantly mentioning to anyone with ears.

I'm not sure how you can top that, but I'm going to try next weekend.

I'm going to try.

Jack and Coke without the Jack please...

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 03:20:00 +0000

This is why I came to Blissdom: To finally meet the women whom I've been corresponding with online and through their blogs. To put names to faces and hugs where my heart, thoughts and prayers have been.

From Left to right
Me
Marsha from Other Such Happenings
Darcy from My 3 Boybarians
Ruthanne from Eclectic whatnot

PS
This isn't the most flattering shot of me. This dress apparently isn't made for side shots. However, can I say that I love that I look pregnant in this photo? I wish I was. Oh, how I wish I was!

Just the stats.

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:00:00 +0000

Do Stats matter?
I think they do in the Bloggy world.
And even though I cannot comprehend my blog stats, this much I do know:

Prior to attending Blissdom I had:
533 Twitter Followers,
111 Followers on this blog
255 Email Subscribers to this blog
and 90 followers on PassportAcademy.com

I am somewhat curious to find out if anything changes after attending Blissdom.
Their is one statistic about the high number of people who delete their blogs after attending a blogging conference.

Will that happen to me?

What will happen to my blogging efforts post:

handing out cards with my blog address...
Networking & learning sessions...
Learning how to write better & engage my audience
Hanging out with a bunch of women who love all things blog for an entire weekend!

And that my friends is a mellow dramatic blogging cliff hanger if ever there was one. Stay tuned...

Getting ready for Blissdom #3: My Packing List

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:00:00 +0000

If you aren't going to Blissdom, just skip right over this post.
I know it annoys the heck out of those who aren't going to hear all about it constantly.
Read this post instead.
Really, it's okay...

Based on all of the advice I received from experienced Blissdom attendees I've created my packing list for the conference.

I read that bringing a power cord will make you popular. I'm a people pleaser. So I'm bringing two. That means people will really like me right? Sally Field, eat your heart out.

Much emphasis has been made on having cool Pajamas. I'm guessing this is because people are sharing rooms and they want to look cool. I'm going to be in a room by myself. So I'm going for comfy pajamas. The kind that Big Daddy frowns upon at home. I think I have some hidden somewhere...

Camera, camera batteries, charger and 2 brand spanking new memory disks.

Cell phone so I can tweet, text and fend phone calls from home such as: what time do the children nap, where are the spoons and what time do they eat? You know, stuff Dads do not know.

Printed itinerary of Blissdom agenda. You can download this one or make your own.

200 cards I ordered especially for this conference. I'm a bit nervous about how you go about handing these out. I mean will people really ask you for them? Is it like trading baseball cards? Do certain cards hold more collectible? Or is it just handed out after you've determined that you'd totally be BFF's IRL? I'm not sure, so if you see me and you're into getting cards ask me for one, or twenty. I have a lot!

Dress for the cocktail party. Dressing up is my favorite thing to do. I love it. I love sparkly shoes too. Most people wear black so I'm going to wear blue...I also won't have to worry about this dress getting wrinkled in my bag. Bonus!

3 outfits for the conference days. Everything I read suggested you bring clothes that make you happy, comfortable, and put forward the you, you want to project. I wasn't quite sure what me I wanted to project. Homeschool mom? Hip girl? Blogger? Pro Blogger Wanna Be? Approachable? Confident? Confident yet approachable? Cute? Cute, but not too cute? Neurotic? But I pulled together three outfits and when you see me you can decide what me I'm projecting. Hopefully it is something positive...and approachable...and not dorky.

Travel clothes. Travel clothes are comfy, warm and get you through security quickly and efficiently. I have no problem wearing the same travel clothes there and back. Is that gross? I'm trying to pack light.

2 Boxes of Little Debbie Swiss rolls...because I'm addicted and they help with stress. While I expect to be having fun I also expect to be stressed out because I'm not good in a crowd of people I don't know. Maybe I better make that 4 boxes of Little Debbie Swiss rolls...

My Computer, because this is a blogging conference after all. And even though I don't think I really want to bring it to all the sessions (gasp!)----I would like to blog to my hearts content at night when I'm hanging out alone in my hotel room. Not that I mind being alone, mind you.

Flat friends...Like a true dork I'm going to bring my blogging flat friends along since they cannot come this time around...I'm a good friend aren't I? I just hope I don't get charged for an extra seat on the plane---or worse, get hauled away to the looney bin for walking around with flat friends! I think Lindee and Pooba are good sports though for traveling Baggage Class!

So, that is my packing list. Did I forget anything?

My favorite organizing books

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0000

I'm often asked what my favorite organizing books are, so I wanted to share a few of my favorites without overwhelming you. The truth is there are many more books that I like for various reasons and organizing nuggets. I think the ones below offer the most bang for your book though so I'm sharing them with you.

Amazon.com Widgets

Read with a highlighter and enjoy!

Did you take the poll?

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:58:00 +0000

I just wanted to give a shout out to a new poll I posted to the right, on my sidebar. I'd love it if you would take a few seconds and fill it out. Of the three blogs I write, this one is the most eclectic and I'm just curious.

Oh sure I can access statistics on Google Analytics but can I understand them? That would be a NO. Luckily, I can figure out how to read a poll. At least I've got that going for me.

Time to make the bagels!

karin@mommymattersblog.com (Karin Katherine) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:00:00 +0000

The Sneaker Teacher is now obsessed with making bagels over in Germany. Since I'm lucky enough to know her in real life I not only read her blog, but also keep in touch with her via email, which is helpful when you are considering taking on bagel making for the first time.

I'm so impressed she is making bagels and of course she encouraged me to make them with my children. My kids love to eat bagels and they generally love to help in the kitchen, so it seemed like a win-win proposition. Plus, Katie's looked so good...and she was so encouraging...and did I mention we love bagels?

We used the directions and recipe here, that Katie forwarded me. Try it. Its really not as hard as it seems like its going to be. I promise.

I don't know about you but I really love making things that look harder than they are. You get more points that way. Especially if you aren't cooking as much because you have picky little eaters, like me. If you are going to put yourself out in the kitchen, why not go for the bang?

New York is known for their bagels and the secret is said to be the water. Go figure?

So, if you know any New Yorkers, you should ask them to send you a jug of New York tap water pronto, because the other secret to good bagels is boiling them first.

I think I'm going to make this a weekend tradition.
Any requests?