I just got a new green cleaner for my house! I’m a follower of the 100 Days of Real Food blog. A few weeks ago she had a review and special sale posted for the green cleaner Branch Basics. I read about the product and the reviews are all positive and encouraging, so I figured I’d jump in and see if this works for my house.

As I posted at the beginning of the year, one of my goals is to use more green products in my household, to minimize the chemicals that I expose my family too. It’s hard to do, with the cost of items out there. However, when I saw this deal I thought it was a great deal based on the quantity that I would get, the quantity the solution would make and the per cost of a bottle of cleaner. Not to mention, the reviews list endless uses for this product, including laundry, skin rashes, cleaning, produce cleaning, gardening, etc.

I ordered the 1 gallon jug of cleaner, which comes with three empty spray bottles (not pictured because the twins swiped them!) The gallon is unscented and it’s a concentrate, so I will have to dilute it into the spray bottles. I like that the spray bottles allow you to list what the purpose is and what the dilution is. I also love the fact that since it is unscented, I can add my own essential oils to create the fragrance that I prefer to use, rather than using an artificial, stinky scent from the store. Also included in the package is a bro sure that tells you why green cleaning is important, uses for it, and also a flyer that gives you ratios of dilution for certain things.

I’m off to go to make some dilutions and start using it! I of course will post my review once I’ve used it for a while. Stay tuned for that.

Through several well known blogs, I was well on my way to being a frugalista. Time went on, I became pregnant with the twins and the energy faded somewhat, but I kept going with the stock up theme because I knew that those first months of adjusting to two babies would be challenging.

While I’m SO glad I was able to stock up and have that first month pretty much laid out, as the girls got older it quickly became apparent I couldn’t keep up. There were literally stacks of unclipped coupons on my kitchen table, on my couch where I had attempted to get to it the night before, on the bar in my kitchen, etc. I had piles of coupons that were sitting there being unused and expiring, while I accumulated more and spent the money to do so. By the time I got to the stack, most of what I would use was expired.

I can’t really remember at what point I stopped ordering coupons, but it was such a relief! No more piles of coupons that I wouldn’t be able to use. Of course, that wasn’t the end of things, because I was still printing coupons.

The girls are 18 months in a few days and I still am unable to do what couponers would consider a good coupon shop. I can’t take them into CVS, because honestly, who wants to push a double stroller and pull a cart through CVS?! Not this mom! And it’s not only the fact that I’d have to do that, but also actually deal with the two kids in the stroller, lol! It was easy when they were quiet infants, but verbal toddlers, umm…no thanks!

So, for now, gone are the days of big coupon saving trips. In reality though, I’ve learned a few things since I quit that make me realize why it started feeling like a burden.

1. Couponing and following blogs (I now only check one) that promote them caused me to compare myself to everyone else. I could hardly ever get about 40% savings. That was so annoying to me. I would get great deals, but I really just wanted to be like everyone else and save more, rather than worry about what I would need or use (I could give it away, couldn’t I?! Which sadly didn’t happen). Which leads me to….

2. I was forcing myself to buy unhealthy products for my family just to get great savings. Let’s face it. Food coupons are at least 80% geared towards highly processed foods. That might be ok for you, but for me, I felt guilty. I felt guilty about buying all the packaged foods that contain high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, numerous food dyes, artificial flavors, and tons of chemicals that are SO not good for our bodies. That is not who I am. That is not what I believe I should feed my family. While I was still not sacrificing the amount of produce or lean meats I buy, I was beginning to stock up on too much junk. Sugar in my house = MAJOR attitudes for a certain 5 year old, not to mention increased sickness and digestive issues. Of course junk = weight gain, mood swings, facial breakouts, eczema and so much more for the rest of us (those are just external signs of what’s going on inside your body…)!

3. I can save more money without coupons by just creating a healthy menu plan and sticking with a strict grocery list of products! I find that if I make a menu, whether it be for one week, two weeks, or the whole month, I’m more likely to stick to my grocery list and the list is small because I usually have some of the things from a previous shopping trip or those uncooked meals. My budget has been $100 a week and with my list, I could spend $60 for the week. Now, that is not to say I don’t stock up anymore, because I do if I find a good deal. Unfortunately, due to the ravenous children in my house, that budget might have to slide up a little!

4. I can coupon sporadically, by only using printed coupons (I won’t buy coupon inserts again) for what we truly do use regularly, and still enjoy the benefits of stocking up on the B1G1 or low price deals that appeal to my family’s needs.

5. I’d much rather enjoy a fresh glass or two of juice or a fresh smoothie! Not only does it give me that sweet or tart I want, but it fills me up and gives me the unseen, but very noticeable benefits of enzymes, fiber, and so much more! So much better than empty calories or carb laden, sugary items.

So, while I am still trying to be frugal in all I do (some days are better than others!), I give my self some slack. What works for one person doesn’t work for all people. Do what works best for you, and be happy with it! This is what works for me, and I’m a much happier, less stressed mom!

We have a variety of cups in our house and certain are favorites over others. These happen to be one of them.

The First Years Gripper Sipper Non-Insulated Spill-Proof Cup features a unique one piece lid with built-in leak proof protection that make The First Years sippy cups easy to clean without any parts to lose or fumble with! Spill proof, leak proof and break-resistant, The First Years sippy cups come in a variety of colors and the no-slip-grip and contour shape are perfect for little hands. Plus, all The First Years sippy cup lids are interchangeable across the entire sippy cup line (including The First Years Disney sippy cups), making it easier for Mom to match cups and lids. Dishwasher safe, BPA-free. 9 oz. MSRP: 2 pk $6.96, available in Walmart stores.

If by chance, you haven’t seen this coupon, check it out!

Like First Years on Facebook and get a $3 off coupon. This will make them $3.96!

I really cannot believe that my sweet baby girls are now full blown toddlers! I also cannot imagine what it would have been like had they been 2 boys or 1 boy and 1 girl. God surely knew how much I would love having these 2 sweet babies, even though I wanted far from it while pregnant.

Both girls are nearly the same in height. Anna still weighs more by a few pounds, but she seems to have thinned out a little.

Erin is still small, but growing well..and you’d never in a million years believe she had a mass inside her entire chest and underwent surgery. The only remnant of that is her beautiful little scar….a reminder of God’s grace!

While I love this stage we are in because their personalities are coming out, they’re talking and communicating with signs more, and it is so awesome to see how much they know and are developing into little people, it is a handful!

Keeping up with one baby is not so bad, but TWO is….fun. They’re either going in opposite directions or one is being an instigator and the other is following behind. I can hardly turn by back for 2 seconds without something happening!

A new favorite thing is pulling wipes out of containers (ALL of them), pulling tissues out of the box or unrolling the toiler paper all over the bathroom floor.

However, in spite of the messes, they are beginning to play imaginatively with their babies and play food. They love to color. They love to be OUTSIDE…which means that it needs to be DRY. They both love music – being sung to and listening to music and dancing.

Both of the girls adore their big brother and want to do everything that he does. They play well with him most days, and the days when not, it is usually because he’s not wanting to behave.

I’m very thankful that these two aren’t as picky as their big brother. In fact, they probably out eat him plus another child! We eat alot of beans and vegetables. Anna has issues with texture, but she will suck down a fresh juice or smoothie like it was the best treat ever. Erin loves fruit and can handle the texture and isn’t as much of a juice and smoothie drinker. These girls are so alike in some ways and polar opposites in others.

It’s amazing to see how fast girls do things compared to boys. I don’t remember Ian being this far along in learning to feed himself or trying to be independent….of course he was the only one. It’s pretty fun to see how differently God makes each child and watch them grow and develop into their own personality.

Anna would be my cleaning helper if she was big enough. Erin would be  my assistant chef. They both love to help do the laundry…and by that I mean rearrange my sorted piles or THROW the stuff in the washer or dryer.

I wouldn’t trade any of this craziness for anything. I am so thankful for all my little blessings, regardless of how crazy or messy it gets!

Next on your list…a QUICK check of email, weather, bank account and then FACEBOOK! Yes, because we all know Facebook is so important that it warrants a quick check….that turns into 5…10…15 minutes. Next thing you know you have time for a 5 minute shower before you have to quickly make a lunch, get a school child dressed, get his things together, wake up and nurse twins and without getting them dressed, throw them in the car and zoom off so you’re not late to school!

Yay. Oldest is in school and now I can quickly clean, vacuum, mop, and do the laundry that piled up all weekend! Oh, wait….must check Facebook first!

You see the pattern right? How many of you are like this? It could be anything…your job…volunteering…couponing…finances (more on that later)…TV…movies…games…books, etc. If you’re not, and show tons of self control, good for you! If you are, you don’t have to admit it to me…just admit it to yourself and God.

If you can’t tell, this person was me last week…and many weeks before.

I’ve been lacking motivation, having a hard time getting things done around the house, and not spending enough time with my babies…who are growing up so quickly! While I’ve been blaming it on me, the real truth is that it is the addiction called Facebook that was created in such a way that you get sucked in and time escapes you. Having a tech savvy iPhone doesn’t help either!

Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with Facebook (or a smart phone) if you can manage your time there. Guys seem to be better at this…probably because they work all day and because they aren’t drawn to the status of every other person, like we women are (hello source of gossip!).

Now, I do have family that is scattered throughout the country as well as friends in different cities and countries. These are people that sometimes Facebook is the only way of keeping in touch with them and letting them see how big and beautiful your babies are getting. I get it!

For me though, Facebook was a top priority by default. Not quiet time with God. Not loving my husband and kids. Not taking care of my household. Definitely far from the Proverbs 31 woman!

This is why I’m on a Facebook break. I even logged out of my app..which makes it easy ti fight the urge to check up, since i can’t remember my password usually, lol. Now, I have had to get on to message teachers, certain friends for opinions on things (non local), and I have quickly skimmed through the 100 notification blurb that is a RED light flashing for my attention. However, I’ve quickly realized that those notifications aren’t for me, they’re about others and what they are doing. Not as important as I thought!

This break has come because of conviction. The conviction that I would’ve never heard had I not started devoting nap time every day to my walk with God. Conviction that wouldn’t have come had I been thinking about other people’s issues during my shower….because let’s face it, as a mom that is sometimes one of the only quiet times you get in a day! Sometimes I get my best thoughts during that time…lots of which you are reading at this moment.

There’s so much more peace in my heart and focus since I can clearly see what needs to be done. I feel more accomplished, I feel more motivated. Hey, I’m even blogging about it (part conviction)! This only came with obeying the Spirit and eliminating things that consume too much of my time.

I’m not perfect, and neither are you. We can only strive to be more like Christ and be the best wives and mothers to our families.

I encourage you to evaluate yourself and see if you need a break from Facebook, or anything else that consumes your valuable time. It could be just what you need to regain focus, clarity, productivity, and most importantly the voice of the Spirit in your life!

As I’m vacuuming and mopping this morning, and 2 little girls keep walking through my clean spots after they’ve been through dirty, or walking on the wet spots, I remembered these lyrics.

How many times do I grumble or comment about picking up toys too many times and having to repeat myself over and over again throughout the day?!  So many times, I view everything I do on a daily basis as what I have to do (just routine). Not to mention, I feel like it doesn’t matter, because it just gets messed right back up or I don’t get the credit I wish I would get.

It’s not so much about doing it, it’s about doing it for the right reasons. Yes, it NEEDS to be done, but it needs to be done with a SERVANTS heart.

It’s been a while since I was reminded that what I do as a mom is not just for my family, but it’s because God has called me to do it! When you change your thinking to remember that what you do is to please God, your whole view changes and your attitude is much more pleasing to Him and those around you! Not to mention, that you do it with a cheerful heart, because it really does matter!

Do Everything by Stephen Curtis Chapman

You’re picking up toys on the living room floor for the 15th time today
Matching up socks
Sweeping up lost cheerios that got away

You put a baby on your hip
Color on your lips and head out the door

While I may not know you,
I bet I know you
Wonder sometimes, does it matter at all?

Well let me remind you, it all matters just as long
As you do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you,
Cause he made you,
To do
Every little thing that you do
To bring a smile to His face
Tell the story of grace
With every move that you make
And every little thing you do

You can listen and read the rest of the lyrics here. This song doesn’t just apply to mom’s, but everyone! I hope it touches you just as it did me.

I want 2013 to be an AMAZING year. A year of change. A year of positive energy and productivity.

My house is nothing but a disorganized, cluttered mess at the moment. Yes, Christmas is put away, but it’s that time of year when you realize you have way too many toys, way too many clothes, way too many dishes and NOT ENOUGH SPACE!

The one thing I dislike about the layout of our home is the builders allowed no extra closet space – no linen closet (you can’t really consider a 26 in wide, 14 in deep, triangular shelf useful space in a family of 5!), poor storage space in bedroom closets, and the laundry room, etc.

I’ve been a follower of Money Saving Mom for many years. The other day, she posted Change Your Life in 2013 with One Word. This got me thinking and I easily came up with my words for 2013.

“Organization”

To function productively, I need to have my house organized. I need to have an organized routine. I need to create a productive workspace where I can map all these plans out. I need to have specific locations for specific things so that everyone KNOWS where things are expected to go and they can assist Mommy in maintaining this organization!

So, my goals for this are to create useful spaces throughout the house that can hold toys, shoes, papers, coupons, etc. Also, taking useless spaces (sides of the closets or the cluttered desk in the laundry room) and adding shelves or bins to utilize the space. Of course this is all while being frugal too!

By doing these things, I believe this will also make my home environment more calm, relaxed and appealing!

“Discipline”

I need to get up earlier in the morning so that I can start my day off by exercising and having my quiet time. I need to be up earlier than the kids and ready to go so that I can prepare them so we can be punctual (this also correlates with organization – prepare the night before, etc.)! I need to be disciplined in giving tithes, maintaining our budget, paying off debt, and sticking to our menu. I need to be disciplined in creating healthy, nutrient dense foods for my family to maintain our bodies and their health and function.

Discipline and Organization really go hand in hand if you think about it. You can have all the goals in place and mapped out and be super organized, but unless you are disciplined, in 2 months you will fall back into old habits! It’s no different whether setting a resolution to work out, get up early, etc.

Do you have any focus words for 2013? I’d love to hear what your focuses for this year are!

I’ve been having the itch to blog again. Apparently, I need to post some updates regarding the surgery and recovery!

Time and life has been the focus since we began breathing again after her surgery. Between just enjoying our children, preparing for holidays, birthdays and every other thing that comes along, there’s not much time left. Of course in those moments where there is time, I’ve been mulling and praying over a variety of things that may be on the horizon for myself and family. It’s actually quite nice to not worry about doctors visits, tests, and every other thing that comes up when there are medical needs, and focus on myself! Now I’m just busy chasing two 15 month old walkers!

More to come soon…

I hope you are having a season full of love and joy.

My answer to that is there is a reason. God directs every single direction in your life, whether you believe it or not. The good, the bad, the ugly, the painful. In our natural being, we perceive these things as punishment, wonder what we did wrong, wonder where God is. He’s there. In the midst of all your problems and worries, He is still there!!

The other day I was able to take my son to school without the twins (a RARE occurrence!). On the way home, I realized I had kiddie DVD noise in the background and quickly changed to the radio. I randomly hit one of my presets and Christian radio station K-Love was in tune. Now how in the world was I getting that station?! I had never been able to pick that up all the way down here. One thing I noticed was how absolutely GORGEOUS the day was. Crisp, cool air. Bright, blue sky. Obviously it was picking up from the weather.

After listening to a few songs, there was no question in my mind that GOD was allowing me to hear that station because I needed to hear the songs being played and the talk that was going on between the hosts.

I can’t really remember all the songs, but they were so relevant to our situation with Erin. The song (words) that I do remember are from the song ‘Even If’ by Kutless.

“Even If“

Since we returned from PA, things have seemed like they’re dragging again. It’s really not the case because we’re not in a hurry, but it just seems like we’re waiting for a phone call today, another tomorrow, etc. It makes time drag when you’re expecting something like that.

Even though the trip to PA was last minute, cost money, and was no different than we already knew, there were several positives from it.

1. We gained information that we had not heard previously from our local surgeon
2. We created a network of doctors who are available by email to answer questions and compare treatment opinions
3. We were reassured that the diagnosis given and treatment recommended were most likely accurate (never 100% certainty)
4. THE BIGGEST – It kept the ball moving to buy us time for our local hospital to open a new facility in which we will be allowed private 24/7 access to our daughter while she is going through the process
5. Last, but not least, we were able to see my grandparents and a new city for a few days – always fun!\

That’s right, number 4 was the reason we travelled to PA in the first place. Currently, there is not a location that offers a private ICU bed where she needs to have surgery. However, at the beginning of August, this new hospital opened up with all private rooms, including ICU beds, AND with the intent of the cardiac team moving to this hospital! Also, the date of the move of the cardiac team is 9/30-10/1, which happens to be AFTER the twins’ first birthday! There is no way I would want my girl’s to miss their first birthday and be in a hospital. Thankfully, it all worked out!

PRAISE GOD!

While we are still waiting for little details to pan out (and a specific date for surgery), we do know that Erin will have a repeat CT scan (a little more detailed this time) and blood work at the end of this month.

Please be in continued prayer for our situation. We know God is in control and trust that things will work our according to his plan.