I know not everyone is into Valentine‘s Day and those that aren’t are entitled to their opinion of course. But I guess I am a romantic at heart. Sure it’s one of those “Hallmark Holidays” but that doesn’t mean you have to treat it as such. I look at it as another day to show your spouse (or your children) how much you care. Sure you can do that every day, but the honest truth is a lot of people don’t. They get caught up in work, motherhood, and just plain life. Valentine‘s Day reminds us to take time to show love to our spouse, our children, and our friends. Don’t let this year go by without showing love to someone special in your life!

• Decorations for Your Home

In just a couple of days it will be February and if you haven’t already started decorating your house, February 1st is a good place to start! Here are some ideas for you to use in decorating your home and making the love shine through!

Rose Wreath
This beautiful wreath is made out of paper. Yup you heard right, paper! Those who are crafty will have tons of fun  making this and seeing it hang on their door. I’m sure you can use the same idea for the roses and make something else with them as well. I just love this idea! Credit goes to: I’m a Yarner.

Heart Lanterns
I just love this idea for making your home pretty and romantic! I found this on Pinterest and thought it was such a great idea. You could use it to set the mood or just to decorate a pretty room. You can buy one on Not on the High Street for $14.75.
Paint Chip Garland
When I was little I thought it would be fun to collect the paint samples whenever we went to the local hardware store. I never knew what to do with them but I figured one day I would find an idea. I don’t have them anymore, but I did find this awesome heart garland idea from Everyday Celebrating. All you need is a heart hole-puncher, needle, thread, and the paint samples!

• Cards & Printables

Homemade Calligraphy Cards
Looking to give your spouse or someone you love a special card? Try these beautiful homemade calligraphy cards from Sparrow Nest Script. She has a whole section of beautiful Valentine‘s Day cards in her etsy shop. These would also be perfect to send to a deployed spouse!

“How Do I Love Thee?” Card
In this card, there is an ” I love you” for every day of the month. The Dating Divas came up with this cute idea and it’s something you could do any time of the year as well. Very creative!

Also try these FREE printables and cards from From the Tortoise and the Hare.

•  Ideas for the Kids

Melted Crayon Valentines
I found this cute idea for valentines on Pinterest! You just cut up some old crayons, put them in a heart-shaped muffin pan, heat them in the oven at 230 degrees for 15 minutes and then once they’ve cooled you pop them out and attach them to your valentines. You can see the rest of the directions through pictures here by Cotton Candy Castle on Flickr. The words on the valentines say: “Happy Valentine‘s Day for “crayon” out loud!” How cute is that?

Thumbprint Valentines
I saw these adorable valentines on Pinterest and just had to share. super sweet and easy to make, these are sure to be a hit with your kids! For the full directions and for more ideas see Brown Paper Package‘s post. You can also see an idea on how to make thumbprint hearts from We Heart it.

“I Love You This Much” Card
This is the perfect card that can be made by a child for a parent. It’s fun, quick, and easy to make too! I saved this idea from A Day in My Life because I thought this would also be cute to send in a care package or give to a parent for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. The cool thing about this? It’s made by tracing your own child’s hands. How sweet!

“You Are My I Love You” Book
This cute book is the perfect gift to give your child for Valentine‘s Day! Several lines from the book: “I am your parent; you are my child. I am your quiet place; you are my wild. I am your lullaby; you are my peekaboo. I am your good-night kiss; you are my I love you.” Comes in hardback or board book on Amazon.com.

• Gift Ideas for Your Spouse

Alphabet of Our Love
I love this gift idea so much I have been considering getting it to give to my own husband! I love how creative it is and that you can make it yourself or buy it from Monika’s etsy shop. The cool thing? not only could you get something like this for Valentine‘s Day, but it would also make a good Anniversary gift too! Found the idea on Pinterest from The Twinery. The etsy shop price is $30.00.

Deck of Love
Another idea I found from Pinterest – this deck of cards shows 52 reasons why you love your spouse. Not only is this creative, but it’s also recycling old cards that you may not use anymore. This is definitely something that would become a beautiful keepsake for years to come! Credit for this idea and for tips on how to create it go to The Paper Vine.

Lucky Us Key Chain
I found this idea on Pinterest as well. It’s not not specifically a Valentine’s Day gift, but I think it would be a very sweet and sentimental gift to give. The Pat’s Design etsy shop describes this item best: “A great way to celebrate your special days and carry them with you. A wonderful gift for a loved one, A beautiful keychain with two pennies. I will find your lucky penny year (birth year, favorite year, year you met, year your baby was born, or the year you got married) let me know which years you want and I will do my best to find the pennies for you!” Only $18.00!

Pewter Heart Wall Hanging
What better day to give a gift like this than on Valentine‘s Day! A beautiful, solid heart that can be customized with whatever text you want. Whether it’s a quote about love, your names and wedding date, or something else, this will look beautiful hanging on your wall or in your room. You can buy it on Lisa Leonard Designs for $41.00.

All About You Basket
This is seriously the perfect Valentine‘s Day gift! It’s customized to fit you and your spouse AND it’s homemade! List the things you love about your spouse and find an item that goes with it. For examples and how to make it see The Dating Diva’s site.

Marc Jacobs Heart Bracelet
I have to admit, when I saw this being pinned on Pinterest, I immediately added it to my wish list. I know I will probably never get it because it is expensive, but I do love looking at it! I don’t know how many men will read this, but seriously guys this is the perfect gift to get your wife, fiance, or girlfriend. You can get it for $128. on the Marc Jacobs website.

• Gifts for the Military Family

Deployment Cookies
In order to get the idea for this one you just have to look at the picture. This is perfect for a deployment package and you can make them yourself or have a local bakery do it for you! To see the full picture click here.

Promise Prints
You may recall that I posted about one of these poems on my post “A Military Wife’s Promise.” Well, I did a little research and I found out that you can BUY these poems in print and not only is there one for each branch, but there is a husband’s version too. Just buy one for $12.50 on To Love a Soldier‘s etsy page and frame it!

• Food Ideas

Having a Valentine‘s Day party or just looking for ideas to cook for your love? Here are some of my favorites!

Bubbly Valentine Love Potion (non-alcoholic)

Rice Crispy Heart Pops

Yogurt-Dipped Strawberries

Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Roses

Chocolate Chip Stuffed Raspberries

Valentine Chex Mix

Heart Pancakes

Valentine Pizza

•  Romantic Ideas

I’ve Kissed the Ground You Walk On
I found this idea from The Dating Diva‘s and I just love it! It’s cute and romantic and something you can use anytime, not just on Valentine‘s Day. A wonderful way to surprise your spouse!

Rose Petal Candles
I found this idea on Pinterest. It was originally pinned as a wedding idea, but I think this would add a romantic touch to a candlelight dinner or a special night. All you have to do is buy the petals, the glass vases, and the candles if you already don’t have those items. Idea is from Noivas & Etc.

•  Reader’s Ideas

A couple of weeks ago, I asked my blog readers for their Valentine‘s Day ideas or things they did for Valentine‘s Day each year. Here is what they said!

Notes for Your Husband

“One thing that I have wanted to do every year and I might just do it this time, is a note to my husband each  day starting on Feb 1st until Feb 14th.” -Kristi @ Extraordinary Moments in an Ordinary Life

Couple’s Massage

“Our first Valentine’s Day as a married couple we went and got a couple’s massage. It was so wonderful I decided it should be “tradition” since massages can be kind of pricey it made sense to at least have one day of the year to look forward to one! However, I will admit that by the third year we were unable to get one and we didn’t last year either, but I still stand by the idea and say it’s a good one. Maybe this year I’ll get a nice little surprise from the husband in the couples-massage department.” -Courtney @ The Weiffenbachs

Valentine’s Day Care Package

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I remember when I first was pregnant with Adam. It was several months after my miscarriage and I remember feeling so blessed to have a second chance to carry a baby. I prayed and told God that when this baby was born I would dedicate him to Him. I still pray every day that my son will accept Christ at a young age and will someday serve the Lord and do great things for Him. Nothing has changed in that aspect. My son, Adam is still God’s and God has a plan for him no matter what.

I also remember being worried and scared about the thought of our son having Down Syndrome or later getting Autism. I knew that no matter what I would still love him, but like any mother, I wanted my son to be healthy and live a full life. It was something I thought about often during my pregnancy.

Over the months since Adam has been born it seems that he has had increasingly more and more problems. It started out small at birth and as he has gotten older we have seen how he is a little different than other children in several aspects.

Adam receives therapy in 3 areas right now:

1. Feeding Therapy
Adam has an aversion to food. He cannot and will not eat certain textures and tastes. Every day is a struggle to try to get him to eat, whether it be just a few crackers or trying something new. At times I want to give up, it’s hard fighting with him every day, and it’s hard watching your child either eat nothing or not enough. (You can read more about Adam’s problems and therapy here: “My Little Boy is in Therapy.”)

2. Occupational Therapy
Adam has problems with sensory and feeling. He does not like certain textures such as grass, sand, and the feeling of tennis balls. He also is behind in several areas, and with this therapy they help him learn smaller movements such as putting together puzzles, stacking blocks, and putting things together.

3. Speech Therapy
This is our latest venture as he has just started. Adam can only say “mama” and “dada” and I have watched while all my friends enjoy their child’s first words and sounds and have been sad to hear the silence from Adam. It’s only been over the past several weeks that he has really started to babble.

We found out in his evaluation last week, that Adam is about 10 months behind as far as speech and comprehension. Comprehension meaning that he does not fully understand certain things. If I ask Adam to go pick up his cup, he just looks at me. If I say, “Adam wave bye bye!” he doesn’t understand. His comprehension is that of a 10 month old. When I heard this I was shocked and discouraged. I know that therapy will help him catch up, but I was overwhelmed.

Snuggling with Mommy

Because of all these things, and because of some other things he is behind on according to the paperwork I filled out at his 18 month well-checkup, the doctor has referred us to a developmental pediatrician so that Adam can get tested for Autism. I found this out two weeks ago and since then I feel like my life has been turned upside down. I’ve been overwhelmed with all my thoughts, and even more overwhelmed with all his therapy visits as I am realizing this is becoming more serious.

And thus the deliberation began. Should I wait until my husband gets home? Should I take him to get tested now? The place is 3 hours away. I don’t want to go by myself. My husband should be there. We should be there together. But yet I can’t help but feel that we should do this now because if Adam does need help, then we should get this started as soon as possible. I prayed, and I talked to my husband a little about it best I could. We decided to go ahead and do this as soon as we could get an appointment.

According to the doctor this is just a precaution. It’s better to catch this now then several years down the road. Adam may be fine as far as the Autism, or he might be on the lower end of the scale.

Now I know that everyone has an opinion. I have gotten feedback from others telling me he is too young to be tested, or that he is fine, and from others telling me to do it now and don’t wait. But it all comes to how well I know my child. I see him every day and I know what he does and doesn’t do. I trust his pediatrician and I know they would not have us do this if it wasn’t important to do so.

And so the past few weeks have been crazy. I am overwhelmed with everything I have been given in all 3 of his therapy visits once a week. I have lists of stuff to work with him on, stuff that I should be doing, paperwork to read. It’s just too much for me. I am having a hard time dealing with all of it by myself.

On top of it all the Skype chats with my husband have not been enough and neither have the emails. Skype has decided not to work for more than 30 seconds at a time for the past several weeks, and email is just not cutting it. We don’t get phone calls either. How to you explain all of these things over email? How do you explain what is going on and what we are going to do, and at the same time assure that everything is going to be ok?

And in the back of my mind I can’t help but wonder if this is something I did? Did I do something during my pregnancy that caused him not to develop right? Have I not worked with him or introduced him to new foods, sights, and experiences enough? What if, what if, what if…

My son is such a happy boy. He makes me smile and laugh every day and I love seeing the world through his eyes because everything is new and exciting. I love him and that will never change. We will get through this. One day at a time.

My Smiley Guy

]]> http://www.singingthroughtherain.net/2012/01/autism.html/feed 11 http://www.singingthroughtherain.net/2012/01/autism.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SingingThroughTheRain/~3/XLnhVicr0cg/daddy-doll-winner.html http://www.singingthroughtherain.net/2012/01/daddy-doll-winner.html#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:21:04 +0000 Kathryn http://www.singingthroughtherain.net/?p=2559 First, I want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone’s comments. I wish that I could give a Daddy Doll to each and every child who wanted one. Second, I want to thank you all for entering and sharing this giveaway with your friends.

Now for the winner. There was 44 entries and number 32# was the entry picked by random.org.

Number 32# was Tracy Dixon. Tracy says:

“Our 4 yr old daughter Jaida and her little brother/sister on the way are missing there Daddy like crazy. Jaida and Shane are the defintion of Daddy’s Little Princess. She cries for him daily, prays for him every morning and night, and talks about him constantly. I recently found out about Daddy’s Dolls from my ob/gyn and I would love to win one for all of us!!”

Tracy, thank you for entering I will be emailing you soon with the details!

You remember when you were 6 years old or maybe even 8 years old and 25 felt like millions of years away? Well now I’m like, “25? Me??” I never would have thought! I feel like it’s impossible. I mean 25 is only 5 years away from 30! I can’t do 30. I am seriously scared of 30. It’s like that’s the age everyone knows you are getting older. You aren’t getting any younger and there’s nothing you can do about it. Someone please tell me they feel the same way.

In all seriousness though I am so thankful for another year of life, another year with my wonderful family and friends, and another year to serve the God I love. The past 25 years haven’t been the easiest, but I am definitely blessed. It makes me wonder what the next 25 will be like.

Until then… HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Don’t forget about the Daddy Doll Giveaway! It ends tonight at midnight.

 

 

 

The pair of glasses I got last year was the first pair I had bought in EIGHT years! Yes, I know that is crazy. My eyeglasses prescription was so low compared to my current one that it took several days to get used to my new glasses. The cool thing about my new glasses? They are the best-looking pair I have ever had (and I have had glasses for a long time).

I always thought that the thinner the frames, the better-looking they were. I didn’t want to look like an old lady and I didn’t want to look like geek either. But this past year I figured out, that that is definitely not always the case! Glasses with thicker frames are becoming increasingly popular, and they look good too!

I remember when I first got glasses. I think I was around eight years old. I was a bit near-sighted and needed them to see far away, but I didn’t need to wear them all the time. I was so excited though, that I wore them all the time. I wore them to my friend’s house so I could show her what I looked like in them, and I wore them to school so I could show them off. I was very proud of the pair I had picked out.

Now I know you wondering what I look like in my current pair of glasses so here is a picture:

We as adults don’t get as excited about glasses as I was at age eight, but finding the right pair can be exciting! Recently, I came across a website called GlassesUSA.com and I just love it! Their site is very easy to use and very organized. You can search for glasses by any category imaginable, they have seriously thought of everything. You can shop for glasses by gender, frame type, frame shape, style, and material. You can also search through their deals of the week, new arrivals, best sellers, and their designer boutique.

The best thing about these eyeglasses? They are 110% lowest price guaranteed! This just means that if you find another pair of glasses on a different site for even lower then you found on GlassesUSA.com then they will refund you 110% of the difference between the two pairs. How awesome is that? They also offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Buying glasses from this site sounds like a no-brainer to me!

Worried about buying online eyeglasses because you can’t try them on? No need to be! GlassesUSA.com has a virtual mirror on the site where you can upload a photo of yourself and “try on” any pair of glasses to see what you look like. How cool is that?

Although I won’t be waiting another eight years to buy another pair of glasses, I do plan on buying my next pair from this site. They have so much to offer and so many choices too! If you are looking to buy yourself a new pair of glasses for cheap, try GlassesUSA.com. You can take 20% off any pair and get FREE shipping (to those in the U.S.) with this code: New 2012. You can also take 10% off any order of prescription glasses with this code: Blog10.

You can check out more about Glasses USA and their happenings on:
Facebook
or
Twitter

I remembered how my mom meal scheduled growing up and I adapted her style. It was a huge help! We started spending less at the grocery store, ate most meals at home instead of going out, and bought just the right amount of food that we needed each week.

As the years have gone by I realized that most people do not meal schedule and I do not understand why. It’s easy, convenient, and helpful! I have watched family and friends who do not meal plan, wonder what they are going to make each night for dinner. I have watched them come up with random ideas only to realize they do not have all the ingredients they need. This is why I love planning ahead!

To Read the Rest of This Post Click Here…

Meal Scheduling Made Easy

“Every Valentine’s day I have trouble coming up with something new and exciting to do. What should I get him this year? What should I do? Do I even have enough money to do something? This year I started browsing around looking for something, anything different we could do. I still am not quite sure exactly what I want to do, but this year I am definitely not short on ideas. And I wanted to share some of the best with YOU!”

That is what I wrote last year for my 2011 Valentine’s Day Guide. Since then it had been one of my most popular posts – especially now that we are a month out from Valentine’s Day. Over the past year I have slowly been compiling more ideas for this year’s 2012 Valentine’s Day Guide. Except this year, is a little different. I need YOUR help!

I need your favorite ideas for Valentine’s Day. Either stuff to do with the kids, something special you did with your husband, or even something you want to try sometime. You don’t even have to submit your own idea, you can submit an idea that someone else has posted, that you just love (just be sure to mention where you got it from so I can give them credit).

The ideas I use will be featured in the 2012 Valentine’s Day and I will add your name and blog link as well if you have one. Some ideas I am looking for:

• Valentine’s Day gift ideas
• Websites with good ideas
• Marriage books
• Marriage websites
• Date night ideas
• Ways to surprise your spouse
• Military Valentine’s Day ideas -care packages etc.
• And anything else you can come up with that you would love to see featured!

You can submit your idea in the comments below or you can email me at singingthroughtherain@gmail.com. Thanks and be sure to come back and check out this year’s guide when it’s up!

Well imagine my surprise when over Christmas, I got the email asking if I would like a free one! I immediately emailed my husband and told him he had to have someone take a head-to-toe shot of him for the doll. As soon as I got his picture, I went to the website to order one.

The website was very simple and easy to use. I was very surprised by all the different products they have, as they don’t just have daddy dolls, but also dog tags, puzzles, stuffed animals, mugs, and blankets!

My son’s daddy doll is the 17 inch one-sided doll. I was able to pick the fabric choice for the back of his doll, which is the Air Force uniform print. There are also many other options to choose from, some which include non-military designs.

I was happy to find out the doll IS machine washable- with kids you just never know when you might need to wash it. Also I found out that they are able to add a voice recorder, which I did not do, but I think that it’s a pretty cool option.

After that, I was able to upload my photo -which I was worried about not looking right since my husband only had his ipad with which to take a picture with since he is deployed. But I didn’t need to worry because it came out great! I love that they white out the background of the photo automatically so no matter what might be in the background you won’t see it on the doll.

I’m not really sure how long it took to ship because I was away for month over Christmas, but I was very happy to have it waiting for us at home when we got there! If you get the chance, visit the website. They have a photo gallery of happy kids and their daddy dolls which I enjoyed looking at and they also have a section of tips to: Help Beat the Separation Blues.

Here is my son enjoying his daddy doll when I first gave it to him. He is at the age where is constantly in action so the photos are a little blury, but here is what I got!

Cute huh?

So now for the giveaway… This giveaway is not just for military families, I asked and they told me that anyone who is missing someone (or their child) can enter the giveaway to win one daddy doll. So here is how to enter:

Leave a comment telling me who you or your child is currently missing and why a daddy doll would help them.

Bonus entries: (1 separate comment each or they will not count)

1. Visit daddydolls.com and come back and leave a comment with what other product you think would be cool to get.
2. Share this giveaway on Facebook and leave a comment telling me.
3. Share this giveaway on Twitter and leave a comment telling me.

Contest Ends: January 24th and winner will be announced the next day.

I started babysitting when I was thirteen. I helped in Sunday School and in the nursery at my church. I babysat kids of all ages and was a nanny as well for over ten years. I knew how to do anything when it came to kids, I didn’t have to worry about not knowing how to change diapers or how to feed a baby a bottle, when Adam was born -piece of cake! But potty training? Never had to worry about that! When I babysat or nannied most of the kids were either already potty trained or in the midst of potty training and already knew what to do.

I have no idea how to start, or what to do. I mean can you do it wrong? Probably not, but still I am scared. My son is nineteen months today and I think he is already showing signs of being ready. He seems to know when he is going or after he has gone, and he is always squishing his diaper and looking at me like, “Mom get this thing off me now!”

My biggest worry? He’s a boy and my husband is not here to show him how it’s done. Yes, I know that’s silly, but it does seem like it would be easier for my husband to help me. I want to wait until he gets home, but not sure if I should.

So needless to say I am not ready for this potty training journey. I’ve gotten a few tips on how to start and what to do, but I am still really nervous. I know one day I am going to look back on this and laugh, but until then I’m going to take it one day at a time and eventually I will figure this thing out!

Were you nervous about starting potty training for the first time? What did you do?

I feel I really worked on all of those things. I have lost almost 20 lbs and I am still working on getting in shape. I think that I have learned some new things about being a better housewife, and it’s definitely something I worked harder on this past year. As far as being a godly mom and setting a good example I think I have tried to do that, but it’s something I know I need to continue working on. Our finances are definitely better. We are hoping to pay off all our credit cards very soon! And last but not least, I worked on my relationship with God. I learned a lot this year and it’s something I am always going to continue to work on.

This year my goals are a little different. I only have three.

1. Be More Organized.
I really think if I get this down it will help me in every aspect of my life. If I am organized I can be a better wife, mother, friend, and person. I want to better organize my time and my house. I have loved scheduling and keeping Adam organized, now I need to do it for myself and for my entire family. I really pray that God can keep me on track with this goal, and help me as I strive to become more organized every day.

2. Learn More About God, Myself, My Husband and My Son.
Through counseling I have already learned more about myself and about God. Through church and friends I have learned more about God as well. You might think it’s different to want to learn more about my husband – I mean I AM already married to him! But do you remember this quote from the movie Fireproof?

“When a man is trying to win the heart of a woman, he studies her. He learns her likes, dislikes, habits and hobbies. But after he wins her heart and marries her, he often stops learning about her. If the amount he studied her before marriage was equal to a high school degree, he should continue to learn about her until he gains a college degree, a master’s degree and ultimately a doctorate degree. It is a lifelong journey that draws his heart ever closer to hers.”

I know it’s talking about the husband, but I really believe the same applies to a wife. We should continually be getting to know our husbands. And that is what I want to work on this year. As far as getting to know my son, that means really spending time together, playing together, and watching him. Adam may have some problems as far as sensory development and feeding, but he is a smart little boy, and getting to know what he likes and dislikes and why, will help with his getting better.

3. Get Fit, Stay Fit, and Be Healthy.
Sure I put this or something similar to this as one of my goals every year. But instead of just losing weight this year, I want to work on being fit and being healthy. I want to exercise on a regular basis (getting organized and having a schedule will help with that), I want to eat healthier, and I want to not only lose some more weight, I want to stay fit and in shape. A lot of this will be learning more about healthy foods, and incorporating it into our budget and weekly grocery list. Also, I want to help our family to eat healthier. I don’t think I need to make drastic changes, but slowly incorporate better  eating habits and exercise. It’s going to be fun!

What about YOU? What are your goals for this year?